The fliR gene contributes to the virulence of S. marcescens in a Drosophila intestinal infection model
Abstract Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic bacterium that infects a wide range of hosts including humans. It is a potent pathogen in a septic injury model of Drosophila melanogaster since a few bacteria directly injected in the body cavity kill the insect within a day. In contrast, flies do no...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-02-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06780-w |
| _version_ | 1818988063168135168 |
|---|---|
| author | Bechara Sina Rahme Matthieu Lestradet Gisela Di Venanzio Arshad Ayyaz Miriam Wennida Yamba Martina Lazzaro Samuel Liégeois Eleonora Garcia Véscovi Dominique Ferrandon |
| author_facet | Bechara Sina Rahme Matthieu Lestradet Gisela Di Venanzio Arshad Ayyaz Miriam Wennida Yamba Martina Lazzaro Samuel Liégeois Eleonora Garcia Véscovi Dominique Ferrandon |
| author_sort | Bechara Sina Rahme |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic bacterium that infects a wide range of hosts including humans. It is a potent pathogen in a septic injury model of Drosophila melanogaster since a few bacteria directly injected in the body cavity kill the insect within a day. In contrast, flies do not succumb to ingested bacteria for days even though some bacteria cross the intestinal barrier into the hemolymph within hours. The mechanisms by which S. marcescens attacks enterocytes and damages the intestinal epithelium remain uncharacterized. To better understand intestinal infections, we performed a genetic screen for loss of virulence of ingested S. marcescens and identified FliR, a structural component of the flagellum, as a virulence factor. Next, we compared the virulence of two flagellum mutants fliR and flhD in two distinct S. marcescens strains. Both genes are required for S. marcescens to escape the gut lumen into the hemocoel, indicating that the flagellum plays an important role for the passage of bacteria through the intestinal barrier. Unexpectedly, fliR but not flhD is involved in S. marcescens-mediated damages of the intestinal epithelium that ultimately contribute to the demise of the host. Our results therefore suggest a flagellum-independent role for fliR in bacterial virulence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T19:16:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-47bb049e106f46d880906d5c8f5aa5ef |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T19:16:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-47bb049e106f46d880906d5c8f5aa5ef2022-12-21T19:29:05ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-02-0112111010.1038/s41598-022-06780-wThe fliR gene contributes to the virulence of S. marcescens in a Drosophila intestinal infection modelBechara Sina Rahme0Matthieu Lestradet1Gisela Di Venanzio2Arshad Ayyaz3Miriam Wennida Yamba4Martina Lazzaro5Samuel Liégeois6Eleonora Garcia Véscovi7Dominique Ferrandon8Université de StrasbourgUniversité de StrasbourgInstituto de Biología Molecular y Cellular de Rosario, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de RosarioUniversité de StrasbourgUniversité de StrasbourgInstituto de Biología Molecular y Cellular de Rosario, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de RosarioUniversité de StrasbourgInstituto de Biología Molecular y Cellular de Rosario, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de RosarioUniversité de StrasbourgAbstract Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic bacterium that infects a wide range of hosts including humans. It is a potent pathogen in a septic injury model of Drosophila melanogaster since a few bacteria directly injected in the body cavity kill the insect within a day. In contrast, flies do not succumb to ingested bacteria for days even though some bacteria cross the intestinal barrier into the hemolymph within hours. The mechanisms by which S. marcescens attacks enterocytes and damages the intestinal epithelium remain uncharacterized. To better understand intestinal infections, we performed a genetic screen for loss of virulence of ingested S. marcescens and identified FliR, a structural component of the flagellum, as a virulence factor. Next, we compared the virulence of two flagellum mutants fliR and flhD in two distinct S. marcescens strains. Both genes are required for S. marcescens to escape the gut lumen into the hemocoel, indicating that the flagellum plays an important role for the passage of bacteria through the intestinal barrier. Unexpectedly, fliR but not flhD is involved in S. marcescens-mediated damages of the intestinal epithelium that ultimately contribute to the demise of the host. Our results therefore suggest a flagellum-independent role for fliR in bacterial virulence.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06780-w |
| spellingShingle | Bechara Sina Rahme Matthieu Lestradet Gisela Di Venanzio Arshad Ayyaz Miriam Wennida Yamba Martina Lazzaro Samuel Liégeois Eleonora Garcia Véscovi Dominique Ferrandon The fliR gene contributes to the virulence of S. marcescens in a Drosophila intestinal infection model Scientific Reports |
| title | The fliR gene contributes to the virulence of S. marcescens in a Drosophila intestinal infection model |
| title_full | The fliR gene contributes to the virulence of S. marcescens in a Drosophila intestinal infection model |
| title_fullStr | The fliR gene contributes to the virulence of S. marcescens in a Drosophila intestinal infection model |
| title_full_unstemmed | The fliR gene contributes to the virulence of S. marcescens in a Drosophila intestinal infection model |
| title_short | The fliR gene contributes to the virulence of S. marcescens in a Drosophila intestinal infection model |
| title_sort | flir gene contributes to the virulence of s marcescens in a drosophila intestinal infection model |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06780-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT becharasinarahme theflirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT matthieulestradet theflirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT giseladivenanzio theflirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT arshadayyaz theflirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT miriamwennidayamba theflirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT martinalazzaro theflirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT samuelliegeois theflirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT eleonoragarciavescovi theflirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT dominiqueferrandon theflirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT becharasinarahme flirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT matthieulestradet flirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT giseladivenanzio flirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT arshadayyaz flirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT miriamwennidayamba flirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT martinalazzaro flirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT samuelliegeois flirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT eleonoragarciavescovi flirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel AT dominiqueferrandon flirgenecontributestothevirulenceofsmarcescensinadrosophilaintestinalinfectionmodel |