Mycoplasma Respiratory Diseases in Swine
Summary
Mycoplasma respiratory disease in swine is primarily caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, the agent of porcine enzootic pneumonia. This chronic, highly contagious infection is characterised by persistent coughing, reduced weight gain and lesions in the bronchiolar epithelium. The pathogen adheres to the ciliated cells of the respiratory tract, damages mucociliary clearance and modulates local immune responses, often paving the way for secondary infections. Despite widespread vaccination, colonisation persists and transmission continues, imposing substantial economic burdens on pig production worldwide. Advances in molecular diagnostics, genomic sequencing and immunology have deepened understanding of strain diversity, virulence determinants and host–pathogen interactions, guiding more effective control measures and the development of next-generation vaccines and therapeutics.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent foundational work has revealed that elongation factor Tu, a protein classically involved in protein synthesis, also localises to the Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae cell surface and functions as an adhesin. Proteomic and structural analyses demonstrated that processed fragments of this protein bind to host fibronectin with moderate affinity, facilitating attachment to respiratory epithelium. The discovery of positively charged motifs and specific cleavage events highlights novel virulence mechanisms and suggests new molecular targets for diagnostic assays and therapeutic intervention.
Mycoplasma Respiratory Diseases in Swine publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in mycoplasma respiratory diseases in swine across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae: A wall-less bacterium that colonises the swine respiratory tract and causes enzootic pneumonia.
Porcine enzootic pneumonia: A chronic respiratory disease of pigs marked by coughing, growth retardation and lung lesions.
Adhesin: A microbial surface protein that mediates attachment to host tissues.
Virulence factor: Any molecule produced by a pathogen that contributes to its ability to cause disease.
Immune evasion: Strategies by which a pathogen avoids detection or elimination by the host’s immune system.
References
- Pathogenicity & virulence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Virulence (2020).
- Elongation factor Tu is a multifunctional and processed moonlighting protein. Scientific Reports (2017).
- Research Progress on Immune Evasion of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Microorganisms (2024).
- Use of Nanostructured Silica SBA-15 as an Oral Vaccine Adjuvant to Control Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in Swine Production. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- A genetic and virulence characterization of Brazilian strains of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Frontiers in Microbiology (2023).
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