Experimental Lactococcus garvieae infection in zebrafish and first evidence of its ability to invade non-phagocytic cells.
Zebrafish has been used for studying infections and host-pathogen interactions in different bacterial fish pathogens. In the present study we evaluated the ability of Lactococcus garvieae to infect zebrafish when inoculated intraperitoneally with 2 × 10(7)UFC of this pathogen. L. garvieae can colonize and invade zebrafish at multiple anatomical sites causing a lethal acute septicemic infection with clinical signs and lesions consistent with those observed in lactococcosis outbreaks. Immunohistochemical studies showed the presence of L. garvieae into macrophages as well as into non-phagocytic zebrafish cells of liver (hepatocytes). The internalization capacity showed by L. garvieae in zebrafish cells was confirmed in the rainbow trout cell line RTG-2. Our results provide the first evidence that L. garvieae is able to invade non-phagocytic host cells.
Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: magur@vet.ucm.es.
Mónica
M
Aguado-Urda
Department of Internal Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Animal Health Surveillance Center (VISAVET), Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Antonio
A
Rodríguez-Bertos
Bioorganic Research and Services S.A., Avenida del Desarrollo Tecnológico 11, 11591 Jerez de la Fontera, Spain.
Ana I
AI
de las Heras
Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
María M
MM
Blanco
Institute of Animal Health (IUSA), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Arucas, Spain.
Félix
F
Acosta
Bioorganic Research and Services S.A., Avenida del Desarrollo Tecnológico 11, 11591 Jerez de la Fontera, Spain.
Raquel
R
Cid
Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Animal Health Surveillance Center (VISAVET), Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
José F
JF
Fernández-Garayzábal
Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: gibelloa@vet.ucm.es.
Alicia
A
Gibello
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D017045:Lactococcus / Q000502:physiology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss / Q000382:microbiology; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000382:microbiology*
Experimental infection; Invasion; Lactococcus garvieae; Non-phagocytic cells; Zebrafish