Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (C. pseudotuberculosis)

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a Gram-positive, facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen that is the primary cause of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) in sheep, goats, and other ruminants, and can occasionally infect humans [1]. The organism is characterized by its ability to survive and replicate within host macrophages, leading to the formation of chronic, suppurative abscesses in lymph nodes and visceral organs [2]. A key virulence factor is the exotoxin phospholipase D (PLD), which promotes bacterial spread by damaging endothelial cell membranes and increasing vascular permeability [2,3]. While not a single molecular target, C. pseudotuberculosis is the focus of veterinary antimicrobial strategies and vaccine development [1]. Effective treatment is often hindered by the bacterium's intracellular nature and the protective environment of the thick-walled abscesses it induces [2]. Therapeutic interventions typically involve long-term administration of antibiotics such as rifampin or macrolides, which must penetrate host tissues and bacterial cell walls to reach their molecular targets [1,4].

Other names

Preisz-Nocard bacillusCorynebacterium ovis

Antibiotics targeting Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis typically act by inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis, protein synthesis, or nucleic acid replication [1,2].