Zebrafish embryos as a model host for the real time analysis of Salmonella typhimurium infections.
Bacterial virulence is best studied in animal models. However, the lack of possibilities for real time analysis and the need for laborious and invasive sample analysis limit the use of experimental animals. In the present study 28 h-old zebrafish embryos were infected with DsRed-labelled cells of Salmonella typhimurium. Using multidimensional digital imaging microscopy we were able to determine the exact location and fate of these bacterial pathogens in a living vertebrate host during three days. A low dose of wild-type S. typhimurium resulted in a lethal infection with bacteria residing and multiplying both in macrophage-like cells and at the epithelium of blood vessels. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutants of S. typhimurium, known to be attenuated in the murine model, proved to be non-pathogenic in the zebrafish embryos and were partially lysed in the bloodstream or degraded in macrophage-like cells. However, injection of LPS mutants in the yolk of the embryo resulted in uncontrolled bacterial proliferation. Heat-killed, wild-type bacteria were completely lysed extracellularly within minutes after injection, which shows that the blood of these zebrafish embryos does already contain lytic activity. In conclusion, the zebrafish embryo model allows for rapid, non-invasive and real time analysis of bacterial infections in a vertebrate host.
van der Sar
Astrid M
AM
Department of Medical Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Musters
René J P
RJ
van Eeden
Fredericus J M
FJ
Appelmelk
Ben J
BJ
Vandenbroucke-Grauls
Christina M J E
CM
Bitter
Wilbert
W
D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000382:microbiology*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*