In vivo screening platform for shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are the main cause of bacillary dysentery, although STEC strains generally induce milder disease symptoms compared to Shigella species. This study aimed to determine the virulence of STEC using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model host....

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Su-Bin Hwang, Jung-Gu Choi, Shuai Wei, Byung-Jae Park, Ramachandran Chelliah, Deog-Hwan Oh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2018-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5831388?pdf=render
_version_ 1818972881314381824
author Su-Bin Hwang
Jung-Gu Choi
Shuai Wei
Byung-Jae Park
Ramachandran Chelliah
Deog-Hwan Oh
author_facet Su-Bin Hwang
Jung-Gu Choi
Shuai Wei
Byung-Jae Park
Ramachandran Chelliah
Deog-Hwan Oh
author_sort Su-Bin Hwang
collection DOAJ
description Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are the main cause of bacillary dysentery, although STEC strains generally induce milder disease symptoms compared to Shigella species. This study aimed to determine the virulence of STEC using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model host. Worm killing, fertility and bacterial colonisation assays were performed to examine the potential difference in the virulence of STEC strains compared to that of the control E. coli OP50 strains on which worms were fed. A statistically significant difference in the survival rates of C. elegans was observed in that the STEC strains caused death in 8-10 days and the E. coli OP50 strains caused death in 15 days. STEC strains severely reduced the fertility of the worms. The intestinal load of bacteria in the adult stage nematodes harbouring the E. coli OP50 strains was found to be 3.5 log CFU mL-1. In contrast, the STEC strains E15, E18 and E22 harboured 4.1, 4.2 and 4.7 log CFU ml-1 per nematode, respectively. The heat-killed STEC strains significantly increased the longevity of the worms compared to the non-heated STEC strains. In addition, PCR-based genomic profiling of shiga toxin genes, viz., stx1 and stx2, identified in selected STEC strains revealed that these toxins may be associated with the virulence of the STEC strains. This study demonstrated that C. elegans is an effective model to examine and compare the pathogenicity and virulence variation of STEC strains to that of E. coli OP50 strains.
first_indexed 2024-12-20T15:15:19Z
format Article
id doaj.art-3ce3cb4cbe5a4667ade909dfd40d26b8
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-20T15:15:19Z
publishDate 2018-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-3ce3cb4cbe5a4667ade909dfd40d26b82022-12-21T19:36:11ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032018-01-01132e019327710.1371/journal.pone.0193277In vivo screening platform for shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model.Su-Bin HwangJung-Gu ChoiShuai WeiByung-Jae ParkRamachandran ChelliahDeog-Hwan OhShiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are the main cause of bacillary dysentery, although STEC strains generally induce milder disease symptoms compared to Shigella species. This study aimed to determine the virulence of STEC using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model host. Worm killing, fertility and bacterial colonisation assays were performed to examine the potential difference in the virulence of STEC strains compared to that of the control E. coli OP50 strains on which worms were fed. A statistically significant difference in the survival rates of C. elegans was observed in that the STEC strains caused death in 8-10 days and the E. coli OP50 strains caused death in 15 days. STEC strains severely reduced the fertility of the worms. The intestinal load of bacteria in the adult stage nematodes harbouring the E. coli OP50 strains was found to be 3.5 log CFU mL-1. In contrast, the STEC strains E15, E18 and E22 harboured 4.1, 4.2 and 4.7 log CFU ml-1 per nematode, respectively. The heat-killed STEC strains significantly increased the longevity of the worms compared to the non-heated STEC strains. In addition, PCR-based genomic profiling of shiga toxin genes, viz., stx1 and stx2, identified in selected STEC strains revealed that these toxins may be associated with the virulence of the STEC strains. This study demonstrated that C. elegans is an effective model to examine and compare the pathogenicity and virulence variation of STEC strains to that of E. coli OP50 strains.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5831388?pdf=render
spellingShingle Su-Bin Hwang
Jung-Gu Choi
Shuai Wei
Byung-Jae Park
Ramachandran Chelliah
Deog-Hwan Oh
In vivo screening platform for shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model.
PLoS ONE
title In vivo screening platform for shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model.
title_full In vivo screening platform for shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model.
title_fullStr In vivo screening platform for shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model.
title_full_unstemmed In vivo screening platform for shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model.
title_short In vivo screening platform for shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model.
title_sort in vivo screening platform for shiga toxin producing escherichia coli stec using caenorhabditis elegans as a model
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5831388?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT subinhwang invivoscreeningplatformforshigatoxinproducingescherichiacolistecusingcaenorhabditiselegansasamodel
AT jungguchoi invivoscreeningplatformforshigatoxinproducingescherichiacolistecusingcaenorhabditiselegansasamodel
AT shuaiwei invivoscreeningplatformforshigatoxinproducingescherichiacolistecusingcaenorhabditiselegansasamodel
AT byungjaepark invivoscreeningplatformforshigatoxinproducingescherichiacolistecusingcaenorhabditiselegansasamodel
AT ramachandranchelliah invivoscreeningplatformforshigatoxinproducingescherichiacolistecusingcaenorhabditiselegansasamodel
AT deoghwanoh invivoscreeningplatformforshigatoxinproducingescherichiacolistecusingcaenorhabditiselegansasamodel