Exploring the nature of interaction between shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and free-living amoeba - Acanthamoeba sp
Free-living amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed protozoa in nature, known to cause severe eye infections and central nervous system disorders. There is growing attention to the potential role that these protozoa could act as reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria and, consequently, to the possibility th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.926127/full |
| _version_ | 1818051344242573312 |
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| author | Margherita Montalbano Di Filippo Arianna Boni Paola Chiani Manuela Marra Maria Carollo Lucrezia Cristofari Fabio Minelli Arnold Knijn Stefano Morabito |
| author_facet | Margherita Montalbano Di Filippo Arianna Boni Paola Chiani Manuela Marra Maria Carollo Lucrezia Cristofari Fabio Minelli Arnold Knijn Stefano Morabito |
| author_sort | Margherita Montalbano Di Filippo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Free-living amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed protozoa in nature, known to cause severe eye infections and central nervous system disorders. There is growing attention to the potential role that these protozoa could act as reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria and, consequently, to the possibility that, the persistence and spread of the latter may be facilitated, by exploiting internalization into amoebae. Shiga toxin-producing strains of Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic agents capable of causing serious diseases, such as hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Cattle represent the main natural reservoir of STEC, which are frequently found also in other domestic and wild ruminants, often without causing any evident symptoms of disease. The aspects related to the ecology of STEC strains in animal reservoirs and the environment are poorly known, including the persistence of these microorganisms within niches unfavorable to survival, such as soils or waters. In this study we investigated the interaction between STEC strains of serotype O157: H7 with different virulence gene profiles, and a genus of a wild free-living amoeba, Acanthamoeba sp. Our results confirm the ability of STEC strains to survive up to 20 days within a wild Acanthamoeba sp., in a quiescent state persisting in a non-cultivable form, until they reactivate following some stimulus of an unknown nature. Furthermore, our findings show that during their internalization, the E. coli O157 kept the set of the main virulence genes intact, preserving their pathogenetic potential. These observations suggest that the internalization in free-living amoebae may represent a means for STEC to resist in environments with non-permissive growth conditions. Moreover, by staying within the protozoa, STEC could escape their detection in the vehicles of infections and resist to the treatments used for the disinfection of the livestock environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:07:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a73f112e92d345c6a6347248ee830960 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2235-2988 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:07:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-a73f112e92d345c6a6347248ee8309602022-12-22T01:51:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology2235-29882022-09-011210.3389/fcimb.2022.926127926127Exploring the nature of interaction between shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and free-living amoeba - Acanthamoeba spMargherita Montalbano Di Filippo0Arianna Boni1Paola Chiani2Manuela Marra3Maria Carollo4Lucrezia Cristofari5Fabio Minelli6Arnold Knijn7Stefano Morabito8Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalyCore Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalyCore Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalyFree-living amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed protozoa in nature, known to cause severe eye infections and central nervous system disorders. There is growing attention to the potential role that these protozoa could act as reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria and, consequently, to the possibility that, the persistence and spread of the latter may be facilitated, by exploiting internalization into amoebae. Shiga toxin-producing strains of Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic agents capable of causing serious diseases, such as hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Cattle represent the main natural reservoir of STEC, which are frequently found also in other domestic and wild ruminants, often without causing any evident symptoms of disease. The aspects related to the ecology of STEC strains in animal reservoirs and the environment are poorly known, including the persistence of these microorganisms within niches unfavorable to survival, such as soils or waters. In this study we investigated the interaction between STEC strains of serotype O157: H7 with different virulence gene profiles, and a genus of a wild free-living amoeba, Acanthamoeba sp. Our results confirm the ability of STEC strains to survive up to 20 days within a wild Acanthamoeba sp., in a quiescent state persisting in a non-cultivable form, until they reactivate following some stimulus of an unknown nature. Furthermore, our findings show that during their internalization, the E. coli O157 kept the set of the main virulence genes intact, preserving their pathogenetic potential. These observations suggest that the internalization in free-living amoebae may represent a means for STEC to resist in environments with non-permissive growth conditions. Moreover, by staying within the protozoa, STEC could escape their detection in the vehicles of infections and resist to the treatments used for the disinfection of the livestock environment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.926127/fullShiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC)free- living amoebae (FLA)E. coli O157food-safetyzoonosis |
| spellingShingle | Margherita Montalbano Di Filippo Arianna Boni Paola Chiani Manuela Marra Maria Carollo Lucrezia Cristofari Fabio Minelli Arnold Knijn Stefano Morabito Exploring the nature of interaction between shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and free-living amoeba - Acanthamoeba sp Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) free- living amoebae (FLA) E. coli O157 food-safety zoonosis |
| title | Exploring the nature of interaction between shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and free-living amoeba - Acanthamoeba sp |
| title_full | Exploring the nature of interaction between shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and free-living amoeba - Acanthamoeba sp |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the nature of interaction between shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and free-living amoeba - Acanthamoeba sp |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the nature of interaction between shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and free-living amoeba - Acanthamoeba sp |
| title_short | Exploring the nature of interaction between shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and free-living amoeba - Acanthamoeba sp |
| title_sort | exploring the nature of interaction between shiga toxin producing escherichia coli stec and free living amoeba acanthamoeba sp |
| topic | Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) free- living amoebae (FLA) E. coli O157 food-safety zoonosis |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.926127/full |
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