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Updated: Apr 30, 2026

A Rapid Image-based Bacterial Virulence Assay Using Amoeba
Published on: June 27, 2018
Assessing Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence using a nonmammalian host: Dictyostelium discoideum
Geneviève Filion1, Steve J Charette
1Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada.
Abstract:
Dictyostelium discoideum, a soil amoeba, can be used as an alternative host to study the virulence of various bacterial species, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A simple quantitative test based on the ability of D. discoideum to grow on a bacterial lawn has been developed using this amoeba to assay the virulence of P. aeruginosa strains. The assay needs to be customized for the strains to be tested in order to be able to discriminate between virulent and avirulent P. aeruginosa strains. These steps are described in this protocol.

