Oertzenweg 19 b
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62422
kleintierklinik@vetmed.fu-berlin.de
Streptoccocus canis is a leading pathogen in dogs with skin infections and bacterial keratitis as the most prevalent clinical manifestations. Increasing numbers of S. canis infections in Europe have led to a higher use of β-lactam antibiotics due to a lack of preventive measures. This project aims to provide a comprehensive approach in understanding molecular mechanisms for disease manifestation and increasing prevalence of S. canis. Key objectives addressed in this project are determining genetic diversity and phylogenetic structure of 364 S. canis clinical isolates, as well as the identification of genes involved in pathogenicity and transmission. WGS followed by MLST will enable the differentiation of isolates into groups. Moreover,
S. canis genes that enable colonization and disease manifestation in dogs will be identified applying Transposon-Directed Insertion-site Sequencing as a functional-genomic approach. This will be achieved by random mutagenesis via transposition. The resulting mutated bacteria will be sequenced before and after blood and skin colonization assays. Founded on negative selection, bacteria that have not survived the assays will correspond to the mutants of interest. In conclusion, this approach will allow a better understanding of the virulence mechanisms of S.canis, which may enable the elaboration of new vaccines. This will further increase canine welfare and may give new insights into the invasive capacities of other streptococcal pathogens.