title: All Yersinia enterocolitica are pathogenic: virulence of phylogroup 1 Y. enterocolitica in a Galleria mellonella infection model.
abstract: Yersinia enterocolitica is a zoonotic pathogen and a common cause of gastroenteritis in humans. The species is composed of six diverse phylogroups, of which strains of phylogroup 1 are considered non-pathogenic to mammals due to the lack of the major virulence plasmid pYV, and their lack of virulence in a mouse infection model. In the present report we present data examining the pathogenicity of strains of Y. enterocolitica across all six phylogroups in a Galleria mellonellla model. We have demonstrated that in this model strains of phylogroup 1 exhibit severe pathogenesis with a lethal dose of as low as 10 c.f.u., that this virulence is an active process and that flagella play a major role in the virulence phenotype. We have also demonstrated that the complete lack of virulence in Galleria of the mammalian pathogenic phylogroups is not due to carriage of the pYV virulence plasmid. Our data suggest that all Y. enterocolitica can be pathogenic, which may be a reflection of the true natural habitat of the species, and that we may need to reconsider the eco-evo perspective of this important bacterial species.
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Trent University, Pathogen Research Group, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK.
authors.forename: Dhahi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alenizi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ringwood
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Trent University, Pathogen Research Group, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK.
authors.forename: Alya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Redhwan
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Trent University, Pathogen Research Group, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK.
authors.forename: Bouchra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bouraha
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
authors.forename: Brendan W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Wren
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prentice
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Trent University, Pathogen Research Group, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McNally
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005407:Flagella / Q000235:genetics*; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009036:Moths / Q000382:microbiology*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D012756:Sheep / Q000382:microbiology; D013552:Swine / Q000382:microbiology; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors