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Published on: October 19, 2012
Intestinal Enterobacteriaceae that Protect Nematodes from the Effects of Benzimidazoles
John H Whittaker1, Alan P Robertson1, Michael J Kimber1
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA, USA.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to investigate an interaction between nematodes and gut Enterobacteriaceae that use benzimidazoles as a carbon source. By addressing this objective, we identified an anthelmintic resistance-like mechanism for gastrointestinal nematodes. We isolated 30 gut bacteria (family Enterobacteriaceae) that subsist on and putatively catabolize benzimidazole-class anthelmintics. C. elegans was protected from the effects of benzimidazoles when co-incubated with these Enterobacteriaceae that also protect adult ascarids from the effects of albendazole. This bacterial phenotype represents a novel mechanism by which gastrointestinal nematodes are potentially spared from the effects of benzimidazoles, without any apparent fitness cost to the parasite.
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