Infection of zebrafish embryos with live fluorescent Streptococcus pneumoniae as a real-time pneumococcal meningitis model.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_EE8F52378A43
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Infection of zebrafish embryos with live fluorescent Streptococcus pneumoniae as a real-time pneumococcal meningitis model.
Journal
Journal of Neuroinflammation
Author(s)
Jim K.K., Engelen-Lee J., van der Sar A.M., Bitter W., Brouwer M.C., van der Ende A., Veening J.W., van de Beek D., Vandenbroucke-Grauls C.M.
ISSN
1742-2094 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1742-2094
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2016
Volume
13
Number
1
Pages
188
Language
english
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most important causes of bacterial meningitis, an infection where unfavourable outcome is driven by bacterial and host-derived toxins. In this study, we developed and characterized a pneumococcal meningitis model in zebrafish embryos that allows for real-time investigation of early host-microbe interaction.
METHODS: Zebrafish embryos were infected in the caudal vein or hindbrain ventricle with green fluorescent wild-type S. pneumoniae D39 or a pneumolysin-deficient mutant. The kdrl:mCherry transgenic zebrafish line was used to visualize the blood vessels, whereas phagocytic cells were visualized by staining with far red anti-L-plastin or in mpx:GFP/mpeg1:mCherry zebrafish, that have green fluorescent neutrophils and red fluorescent macrophages. Imaging was performed by fluorescence confocal and time-lapse microscopy.
RESULTS: After infection by caudal vein, we saw focal clogging of the pneumococci in the blood vessels and migration of bacteria through the blood-brain barrier into the subarachnoid space and brain tissue. Infection with pneumolysin-deficient S. pneumoniae in the hindbrain ventricle showed attenuated growth and migration through the brain as compared to the wild-type strain. Time-lapse and confocal imaging revealed that the initial innate immune response to S. pneumoniae in the subarachnoid space mainly consisted of neutrophils and that pneumolysin-mediated cytolytic activity caused a marked reduction of phagocytes.
CONCLUSIONS: This new meningitis model permits detailed analysis and visualization of host-microbe interaction in pneumococcal meningitis in real time and is a very promising tool to further our insights in the pathogenesis of pneumococcal meningitis.
Keywords
Pneumococcal meningitis, Pneumolysin, Live cell imaging, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Zebrafish, Host-microbe interaction
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
11/10/2016 16:37
Last modification date
20/08/2019 17:16
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