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A group of UCVM faculty members (Herman Barkema, Karin Orsel, Eduardo Cobo, Jeroen De Buck, Frank van der Meer, and John Kastelic), work with a research group at the China Agricultural University (CAU) as High-End Foreign Experts. Their work focuses particularly on antimicrobial resistance and mastitis in dairy cattle. They each visit China Agricultural University once in every 6 months. At these visits they teach a 5-day course in the morning and work with faculty members and graduate students. Each visit, Dr. Barkema takes two graduate students with him to co-teach the Chinese graduate students, providing them novel opportunities to engage in teaching. Members of the team have also visited several other universities in China and given presentations at conferences.

The collaborations have already resulted in 21 published peer-reviewed manuscripts in very good journals and several other manuscripts in different stages of progress (see below). Formal and informal student exchanges are already happening between UCVM and veterinary school from the CAU. The collaboration is in the process to be formalized with a Memorandum of Understanding.

Foreign leads: Drs. Bo Han, Jian Gao, Li Shengli Li, and others

Other collaborators: Gang Liu, Yachun Wang, Dengpan Bu, Huabin Zhu and Changquan Liu

Funding: High-End Foreign Expert Program

  1. C. Zhuang, G. Liu, H.W. Barkema, M. Zhou, S. Xu, S. Ur Rahman, Y. Liu, J. Gao, and B. Han. 2020. Selenomethionine suppressed TLR4/NF-κB pathway by activating selenoprotein S to alleviate ESBL Escherichia coli-induced inflammation in bovine mammary epithelial cells and macrophages. Front Microbiol 11:1461.
  2. G. Liu, T. Ali, J. Gao, S. ur Rahman, D. Yu, H.W. Barkema, W. Huo, S. Xu, Y. Shi, J.P. Kastelic, and B. Han. 2020. Co-occurrence of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance (mcr-1) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase encoding genes in Escherichia coli from bovine mastitic milk in China. Microb Drug Resist 26:685-696.
  3. J. Cheng, J. Zhang, B. Han, H. W. Barkema, E. R. Cobo, J. P. Kastelic, M. Zhou, Y. Shi, J. Wang, R. Yang, and J. Gao. 2020. Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from bovine mastitis is cytopathogenic for bovine mammary epithelial cells. J Dairy Sci 103:3493-3504.
  4. S.M. Roche, R. Genore, D. L. Renaud, D. A. Shock, C. Bauman, S. Croyle, H. W. Barkema, J. Dubuc, G. P. Keefe, and D. F. Kelton. 2020. Describing mortality and euthanasia practices on Canadian dairy farms. J Dairy Sci:103:3599-3605.
  5. P. Han, L. Luo, M. Shahid, M. Li, S. Wang, D.B. Nobrega, Naveed Sabir, H.W. Barkema, B. Han, and J. Gao. 2020. Prevalence, genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Proteus mirabilis isolated from dogs hospitalized in Beijing. Pak Vet J 40:61-66.
  6. M. Shahid, P. Araujo Cavalcante, C.G. Knight, H.W. Barkema, B. Han, J. Gao, and E.R. Cobo. 2020. Murine and human cathelicidins contribute differently to hallmarks of mastitis induced by pathogenic Prototheca zopfii algae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 10:31.
  7. M. Shahid, E.R. Cobo, L. Chen, P.A. Cavalcante, H.W. Barkema, J. Gao, S. Xu, Y. Liu, C. G. Knight, J.P. Kastelic, and B. Han. 2020. Prototheca zopfii genotype II induces mitochondrial apoptosis in models of bovine mastitis. Sci Rep. 10:698.
  8. J. Gao, S. Li, Y. Zhou, J. Zhang, S. Xu, L. Wang, C. Zhu, H.W. Barkema, and Bo Han. 2019. Prevalence of potential virulence genes in Klebsiella species from cows with bovine clinical mastitis on large Chinese dairy farms. Foodb Path Dis. 16:856-863.
  9. D. Han, X. Gu, J. Gao, Z. Wang, G. Liu, W. Huo, H.W Barkema, and B. Han. 2019. Chlorogenic acid promotes the Nrf2/HO-1 anti-oxidative pathway by activating p21Waf1/Cip1 to resist dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in osteoblastic cells. Free Radic Biol Med 137:1-12.
  10. G. Liu, J. Yin, H.W. Barkema, M. Shahid, J. Gao, J. De Buck, E.R. Cobo, J.P. Kastelic, and B. Han. 2019. Adherent/invasive capacities of bovine-associated Aerococcus viridans contribute to pathogenesis of acute mastitis in a murine model. Vet Microbiol 230:202-211.
  11. J. Cheng, J. Gao, H.W. Barkema, G. Liu, D.B. Nóbrega, J. De Buck, J.P. Kastelic, and B. Han. 2019. Antimicrobial resistance profiles of five common bovine mastitis pathogens in large Chinese dairy herds. J Dairy Sci 102:2416-2426.
  12. Y. Qu, H. Zhao, E.R. Cobo, B. Han, Z. Zhao, S. Li, M. Li, H.W. Barkema, and J. Gao. 2019. Molecular epidemiology and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes of Staphylococcus species isolated from Chinese dairy cows with clinical mastitis. J Dairy Sci. 102:1571-1583.
  13. G. Liu, L. Ding, B. Han, R. Shan, S. Piepers, S.A. Naqvi, H.W. Barkema, T. Ali, D. Tong, S. Mao, S. De Vliegher, and J. Gao. 2018. Characteristics of Escherichia coli isolated from bovine mastitis exposed to cefalotin and ceftazidime at sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations. Biomed Res Intern 2018:4301628.
  14. L. Zhang, J. Gao, H.W. Barkema, T. Ali, G. Liu, Y. Deng, S. Naushad, J.P. Kastelic, and B. Han. 2018. Virulence genes profiles: alpha-hemolysin and clonal diversity in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from bovine clinical mastitis in China. BMC Vet Res 14:63.
  15. W. Chen, Y. Liu, H.W. Barkema,J. Gao, J. De Buck, J.P. Kastelic, G. Liu, T. Ali, M. Shahid, and B. Han. 2017. Molecular characteristics, antimicrobial susceptibility and pathogenicity of clinical Nocardia cyriacigeorgica isolates from an outbreak of bovine mastitis. J Dairy Sci 100:8414-8421.
  16. J. Gao, H.W. Barkema, L. Zhang, G. Liu, Z. Deng, L. Cai, R. Shan, S. Zhang, J. Zou, and B. Han. 2017. Incidence of clinical mastitis and distribution of pathogens on large Chinese dairy farms. J Dairy Sci 100:4797-4806.
  17. G. Liu, J. Yin, H.W. Barkema, L. Chen, M. Shahid, J. De Buck, J.P. Kastelic, and B. Han. 2017. Development of a single-dose recombinant CAMP factor entrapping poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres-based vaccine against Streptococcus agalactiae. Vaccine 35:1246-1253.
  18. L. Zhang, W. Qu, H.W. Barkema, D. Wang, J. De Buck, J. Gao, W. Huo, D.B. Nobrega, M. Li, B. Han, G. Liu. Occurrence of antimicrobial resistance and class 1 integrons in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis in China. Submitted for publication (Biomed Res Int).
  19. Y. Shi, P. Chen, W. Huo, X. Chen, H.W. Barkema, J. De Buck, M. Shahid, B. Han, and J. Gao. 2020. ESBL-producing Escherichia coli from bovine mastitis induced apoptosis of bovine mammary epithelial cells via alteration of ROS/MMP/bax/bcl-2 signaling pathway. Pak Vet J 40:307-312.
  20. J. Cheng, M. Zhou, D.B. Nobrega, H.W. Barkema, S. Xu, M. Li, J.P. Kastelic, Y. Shi, B. Han, and J. Gao. 2021. Genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of outbreaks of Klebsiella pneumoniae mastitis in two large Chinese dairy herds. J Dairy Sci 104:762-775.
  21. C. Zhuang, W. Huo, G. Liu, M. Shahid, J. Gao, H. W. Barkema, S. ur Rahman, J. P. Kastelic, and Bo Han. 2020. In vitro immune responses of bovine mammary epithelial cells induced by Escherichia coli, with multidrug resistant extended-spectrum β-lactamase, isolated from mastitic milk. Microb Pathog 149:104494.

It is amazing how the Chinese dairy industry has developed over the last century, and it would be exciting to publish an overview of these developments. Journal of Dairy Science, the leading dairy research journal, has decided that we can publish these results in a special issue with Drs. Li Shengli and Barkema as Guest Editors. All approximately 15 manuscripts will be led by reputable and productive Chinese researchers, who have active dairy research groups, have excellent connections with the Chinese dairy industry and have already published several manuscripts in Journal of Dairy Science.

china