MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and high-resolution melting PCR for the identification of Mycoplasma bovis isolates

BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma bovis is an important pathogen of cattle worldwide. Many different clinical manifestations of infection can occur, including respiratory disease, arthritis, and mastitis, causing heavy losses to beef and dairy industries. Because Mycoplasma species are slow-growing and fastidious, traditional identification methods are not cost- or time-effective, and improved methods are sought to streamline laboratory processes. High-resolution melting PCR (HRM-PCR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) are 2 relatively recent tools that are rapid and inexpensive to use; we tested 9 isolates of M. bovis using both assays. The HRM-PCR assay used universal mycoplasma primers for the 16S–23S intergenic spacer region (IGSR). RESULTS: The resulting melting profiles of the field isolates were indistinguishable from the reference strain, indicating accurate identification. For the MALDI-TOF MS, each M. bovis isolate was accurately identified. Mycoplasma arginini and Mycoplasma alkalescens isolates did not identify as M. bovis when tested by either assay. CONCLUSIONS: Our work shows that either assay could be used to identify unknown M. bovis isolates. For future work, the MALDI-TOF MS library should be expanded to include more mycoplasmas, and the HRM-PCR assay should be tested on additional mycoplasmas to ensure that the melting profiles are sufficiently distinctive.