Identification and detection of mutations potentially associated with decreased susceptibility to macrolides and lincomycin in Mycoplasma anserisalpingitidis isolates.

Mycoplasma anserisalpingitidis infection is associated with the inflammation of the genital tract and cloaca, embryo lethality and decreased egg production in geese, leading to serious economic losses. This bacterium has so far been described in Europe and Asia. There is no commercially available vaccine against M. anserisalpingitidis, thus treatment of waterfowl mycoplasmosis relies mainly on antimicrobial therapy. However, M. anserisalpingitidis isolates with decreased susceptibility to macrolides and lincomycin have been reported before. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of tilmicosin, tylosin, tylvalosin and lincomycin were determined against 82 M. anserisalpingitidis isolates originating from Hungary, Poland, China and Vietnam. Whole-genome sequence analyses revealed two mutations in the 23S rRNA coding regions and one mutation in the 50S ribosomal protein L22 coding gene possibly correlating with decreased susceptibility to the examined antibiotics. Mismatch amplification mutation assays coupled with melt analysis (melt-MAMAs) were designed to detect the nucleotide substitutions. This study is the first to describe resistance-related mutations in the goose pathogen M. anserisalpingitidis. The developed molecular assays support targeted antibiotic usage, hence their use may help to reduce the development and spread of antibiotic resistance.