title: Galleria mellonella as a model host to study infection by the Francisella tularensis live vaccine strain.
abstract: We used the killing of Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae; the greater wax moth) caterpillar by the live vaccine strain (LVS) of Francisella tularensis to develop an invertebrate host system that can be used to study F. tularensis infection and the in vivo effects of antibacterial compounds on F. tularensis LVS. After injection into the insect hemocoel, F. tularensis LVS, killed caterpillars despite the association of LVS with hemocytes. The rate of killing depended on the number of bacteria injected. Antibiotic therapy with ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin or streptomycin administered before or after inoculation prolonged survival and decreased the tissue burden of F. tularensis in the hemocoel. Delayed drug treatment reduced the efficacy of antibacterials and especially streptomycin. The G. mellonella-F. tularensis LVS system may facilitate the in vivo study of F. tularensis, efficacy with antibacterial agents.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Gray-Jackson 504, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aperis
authors.forename: Beth Burgwyn
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Calderwood
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mylonakis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D007814:Larva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000382:microbiology; D008543:Melanins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D009036:Moths / Q000382:microbiology*; D014406:Tularemia / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D008543:Melanins