title: Analysis of Campylobacter jejuni infection in the gnotobiotic piglet and genome-wide identification of bacterial factors required for infection.
abstract: To investigate how Campylobacter jejuni causes the clinical symptoms of diarrhoeal disease in humans, use of a relevant animal model is essential. Such a model should mimic the human disease closely in terms of host physiology, incubation period before onset of disease, clinical signs and a comparable outcome of disease. In this study, we used a gnotobiotic piglet model to study determinants of pathogenicity of C. jejuni. In this model, C. jejuni successfully established infection and piglets developed an increased temperature with watery diarrhoea, which was caused by a leaky epithelium and reduced bile re-absorption in the intestines. Further, we assessed the C. jejuni genes required for infection of the porcine gastrointestinal tract utilising a transposon (Tn) mutant library screen. A total of 123 genes of which Tn mutants showed attenuated piglet infection were identified. Our screen highlighted a crucial role for motility and chemotaxis, as well as central metabolism. In addition, Tn mutants of 14 genes displayed enhanced piglet infection. This study gives a unique insight into the mechanisms of C. jejuni disease in terms of host physiology and contributing bacterial factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Stefan P W
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.affiliation: University of Glasgow, Veterinary School, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Aileen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linn
authors.affiliation: University of Glasgow, Veterinary School, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Kareen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Macleod
authors.affiliation: University of Glasgow, Veterinary School, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: MacCallum
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Simon P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Gill
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Douce
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Dagleish
authors.affiliation: University of Glasgow, Veterinary School, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: University of Glasgow, Veterinary School, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Abiyad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baig
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coward
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Duncan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Maskell
authors.affiliation: Heriot-Watt University, School of Life Sciences, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David G E
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.affiliation: University of Glasgow, Veterinary School, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Everest
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D006801:Humans; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements