Prototheca zopfii is ubiquitous in nature, but mainly associated with wet areas and places with high amounts of organic matter. It can be found in tanks, well water, teat-dip containers, and milking machines.[4]
Prototheca zopfii grows in aerobic conditions and reproduce asexually by endosporulation.[5]Sabouraud agar is used as a cultural medium.[6]
Prototheca zopfii is an opportunistic environmental pathogen. The species can infect man and animal, causing mastitis.[3]P. zopfii can cause bovine clinical mastitis in high milk-yielding cows.[7] Genotypes I and III, traditionally, are thought not to be involved in the pathogenicity of mastitis and to be pollutants of milk, whereas genotype II is believed the main cause of mastitis.[3] However, in 2017, three cases of human protothecosis due to P. zopfii genotype I have been reported in China.[8]
Bovine mastitis outbreaks by P. zopfii is a global problem. It is reported from Europe,[9][10][11] Asia,[12] North America,[13][14] and South America.[15][16]
Prototheca zopfii is less susceptible or completely resistant to clotrimazole, fluconazole, econazole, flucytosine, cefoperazone, cephalexin, enrofloxacin, lincomycin, oxytetracycline, miconazole, colistin, a combination of amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, enrofloxacin, amoxicillin, tetracycline, penicillin, lincomycin, and novobiocin, whereas drugs such as nystatin, ketoconazole, and amphotericin B are effective against algae isolated from milk of mastitis-affected cows.[6]
^Ueno, R., Urano, N. and Suzuki, M. (2003). Microbiol. Lett., 223:275-280.
^Severgnini M, Lazzari B, Capra E, Chessa S, Luini M, Bordoni R, Castiglioni B, Ricchi M, Cremonesi P (2018) Genome sequencing of Prototheca zopfii genotypes 1 and 2 provides evidence of a severe reduction in organellar genomes. Sci Rep 8(1):14637. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-32992-0.
^ abcMolecular characterization of Prototheca strains isolated from bovine mastitis., A. Aouay , F. Coppée , S. Cloet , P. Cuvelier , A. Belayew , P.-E. Lagneau , C. Mullender ., Journal de Mycologie Médicale (2008) 18, 224—227.
^Osumi T, Kishimoto Y, Kano R, Maruyama H, Onozaki M, Makimura K, Ito T, Matsubara K, Hasegawa A (2008). "Prototheca zopfii genotypes isolated from cow barns and bovine mastitis in Japan". Veterinary Microbiology. 131: 419–423. doi:10.1016/j.vetmic.2008.04.012. PMID18511222.
^Bovine Mastitis, Neelesh Sharma et al., 2012, Satish Serial Publishing House. ISBN978-93-81226-03-2. pp. 175-177.
^ abAntimicrobial susceptibility of Prototheca zopfii isolated from bovine mastitis., Władysław Wawron, Mariola Bochniarz, Tomasz Piech, Jerzy Wysocki1, Marcin Kocik., Bull Vet Inst Pulawy 57, 485-488, 2013.DOI: 10.2478/bvip-2013-0084
^Janosi,S., Ratz., F.., Szigeti, G., Kulcsar, M., Kerenyi, J., Lomko, T., Katona, F. and Huszenicza, G. (2001). Vet. Quart., 23: 58-61.
^Molecular Characterization of Prototheca strains isolated in China revealed the first cases of protothecosis associated with Prototheca zopfii genotype 1., N. Hirose, Z. Hua, Y. Kato, Q. Zhang, R. Li, K. Nishimura, M. Masuda ., Medical Mycology (2017) doi: 10.1093/mmy/myx039.
