title: Galleria mellonella as an alternative infection model for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.
abstract: We report that larvae of the wax moth (Galleria mellonella) are susceptible to infection with the human enteropathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis at 37 degrees C. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that in the initial stages of infection the bacteria were taken up into haemocytes. To evaluate the utility of this model for screening Y. pseudotuberculosis mutants we constructed and tested a superoxide dismutase C (sodC) mutant. This mutant showed increased susceptibility to superoxide, a key mechanism of killing in insect haemocytes and mammalian phagocytes. It showed reduced virulence in the murine yersiniosis infection model and in contrast to the wild-type strain IP32953 was unable to kill G. mellonella. The complemented mutant regained all phenotypic properties associated with SodC, confirming the important role of this metalloenzyme in two Y. pseudotuberculosis infection models.
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
authors.forename: Olivia L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Champion
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Ian A M
authors.initials: IAM
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karlyshev
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
authors.forename: Brendan W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Wren
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duffield
authors.affiliation: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ, UK.
authors.forename: Petra C F
authors.initials: PCF
authors.lastname: Oyston
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Titball
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009036:Moths / Q000382:microbiology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence; D015011:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015012:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infections / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase