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Caenorhabditis elegans is a model host for Salmonella typhimurium
A Labrousse1, S Chauvet, C Couillault
1Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, INSERM/CNRS/Université de la Méditerranée, Case 906, 13288 Cedex 9,., Marseille, France.
Current Biology : CB
|December 15, 2000
Summary
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can be infected and killed by Salmonella typhimurium, a pathogen typically infecting mammals. This finding suggests C. elegans is a valuable model for studying Salmonella pathogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pathogen Host Interactions
- Model Organisms
Background:
- Simple, genetically tractable organisms like Dictyostelium discoideum and Caenorhabditis elegans have been used to study pathogen virulence.
- C. elegans is established as a model for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but its utility for pathogens with narrow host specificity is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if C. elegans can serve as a model host for studying the pathogenesis of Salmonella typhimurium, an enterobacterium with a narrow host range.
- To assess the utility of C. elegans for studying virulence factors of S. typhimurium relevant to mammalian infection.
Main Methods:
- Infection of C. elegans with Salmonella typhimurium.
- Assessment of C. elegans survival following infection.
- Comparison of virulence of S. typhimurium wild-type and mutant strains in C. elegans and mammals.
Main Results:
- Salmonella typhimurium was shown to infect and kill C. elegans.
- S. typhimurium mutant strains with reduced virulence in mammals also exhibited attenuated virulence in C. elegans.
- The results support the use of C. elegans as a model for S. typhimurium.
Conclusions:
- C. elegans serves as a valid model host for studying the virulence of Salmonella typhimurium.
- This model system can be used to investigate S. typhimurium pathogenesis and identify virulence factors relevant to human disease.