Analysis of heat shock protein 60 encoding genes of mycoplasmas and investigations concerning their role in immunity and infection.

Only little is known about the heat shock proteins (Hsp) and Hsp-encoding genes of mycoplasmas. The aim of this study was to identify and sequence the hsp60 gene of Mycoplasma agalactiae, Mycoplasma arthritidis, Mycoplasma bovis, and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, and to investigate the immune response to Hsp60. Fragments of the hsp60 genes of M. agalactiae, M. arthritidis, M. bovis and M. hyopneumoniae representing almost the entire coding region were amplified by PCR. Two fragments of a hsp60 gene were cloned in Escherichia coli and the antibody response of pigs infected with M. hyopneumoniae against the recombinant Hsp60 fusion proteins was analysed. Within the mycoplasmas, the hsp60 genes showed sequence identities of nearly 100%, with the exception of the hsp60 gene of Mycoplasma genitalium, which was determined to be only 76.5-77.7% identical. Identities to Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus subtilis and E. coli were determined between approximately 50 and 60%. The predicted amino acid sequences of Hsp60 showed an identity of 90 to nearly 100% among mycoplasmas and 50-60% to the other bacteria indicated above. Two Hsp60 derived glutathione-S-transferase fusion proteins containing mycoplasma peptides of 28 and 35kDa were isolated. M. hyopneumoniae-ELISA positive porcine convalescent sera reacted strongly with the recombinant Hsp60 fusion proteins in Western immunoblotting indicating for the first time that mycoplasmal Hsp60 is immunogenic in natural infection.