Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 16, 2026

The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans - A Versatile In Vivo Model to Study Host-microbe Interactions

The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans - A Versatile In Vivo Model to Study Host-microbe Interactions

Published on: October 18, 2017

Enterococcus faecalis mutations affecting virulence in the Caenorhabditis elegans model host.

Arash Maadani¹, Kristina A Fox, Elftherios Mylonakis

¹Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St./MSB 1.174, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Infection and Immunity

|February 20, 2007

Summary

Researchers identified Enterococcus faecalis genes essential for killing Caenorhabditis elegans. Disruptions in genes for transcriptional regulators, transporters, and repair systems weakened bacterial virulence in both nematode and mouse models.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

<i>C. elegans</i> as a tractable infection model for the emerging fungal pathogen <i>Candida auris</i>.

Microbiology spectrum·2026

Same author

The antifungal mechanism of EntV-derived peptides is associated with a reduction in extracellular vesicle release.

PLoS pathogens·2025

Same author

SKN-1 activation during infection of Caenorhabditis elegans requires CDC-48 and endoplasmic reticulum proteostasis.

Genetics·2024

Same author

Vertebrate and invertebrate animal infection models of Candida auris pathogenicity.

Current opinion in microbiology·2024

Same author

Role of ethanolamine utilization and bacterial microcompartment formation in <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> intracellular infection.

Infection and immunity·2024

Same author

Optimization of the antifungal properties of the bacterial peptide EntV by variant analysis.

mBio·2024

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Pathogenesis
Genetics

Background:

Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen causing significant human infections.
Understanding the genetic basis of E. faecalis virulence is crucial for developing targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify E. faecalis genes involved in host-pathogen interactions using a Caenorhabditis elegans infection model.
To assess the role of identified genes in mammalian infection models.

Main Methods:

Screening of Enterococcus faecalis transposon insertion mutants for attenuated killing of Caenorhabditis elegans.
Validation of attenuated mutants in a mouse peritonitis model.

Main Results:

Multiple transposon insertion mutants exhibited reduced killing of C. elegans.

More Related Videos

Evaluating Virulence and Pathogenesis of Aeromonas Infection in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model

Evaluating Virulence and Pathogenesis of Aeromonas Infection in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model

Published on: December 20, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 16, 2026

The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans - A Versatile In Vivo Model to Study Host-microbe Interactions

The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans - A Versatile In Vivo Model to Study Host-microbe Interactions

Published on: October 18, 2017

Evaluating Virulence and Pathogenesis of Aeromonas Infection in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model

Evaluating Virulence and Pathogenesis of Aeromonas Infection in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model

Published on: December 20, 2018

Disrupted genes encoded transcriptional regulators, transporters, and damage control/repair systems.

Five out of nine tested mutants showed attenuated virulence in the mouse peritonitis model.

Conclusions:

Genes regulating transcription, transport, and cellular repair are critical for E. faecalis virulence.
The C. elegans model effectively identifies virulence factors conserved in mammalian infection.