title: A human pathogenic bacterial infection model using the two-spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus.
abstract: Invertebrate animal species that can withstand temperatures as high as 37°C, the human body temperature, are limited. In the present study, we utilized the two-spotted cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, which lives in tropical and subtropical regions, as an animal model of human pathogenic bacterial infection. Injection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus into the hemolymph killed crickets. Injected P. aeruginosa or S. aureus proliferated in the hemolymph until the cricket died. The ability of these pathogenic bacteria to kill the crickets was blocked by the administration of antibiotics. S. aureus gene-knockout mutants of virulence factors, including cvfA, agr and srtA, exhibited decreased killing ability compared with the parent strain. The dose at which 50% of crickets were killed by P. aeruginosa or S. aureus was not decreased at 37°C compared with that at 27°C. Injection of Listeria monocytogenes, which upregulates toxin expression at 37°C, killed crickets, and the dose at which 50% of crickets were killed was decreased at 37°C compared with that at 27°C. These findings suggest that the two-spotted cricket is a useful model animal for evaluating the virulence properties of various human pathogenic bacteria at variable temperature including 37°C.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kochi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohsuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8306, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitsuyama
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sekimizu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan kaito@mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Chikara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kaito
mesh_terms: D019881:Aminoacyltransferases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D006135:Gryllidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D023421:Models, Animal; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013696:Temperature; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C095698:Agr protein, Staphylococcus aureus; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D019881:Aminoacyltransferases; C120542:sortase A; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases
keywords: Gryllus bimaculatus; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphylococcus aureus; high temperature; invertebrate animal model