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The Citrobacter rodentium Mouse Model: Studying Pathogen and Host Contributions to Infectious Colitis
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The Citrobacter rodentium Mouse Model: Studying Pathogen and Host Contributions to Infectious Colitis

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Citrobacter rodentium Relies on Commensals for Colonization of the Colonic Mucosa

Caroline Mullineaux-Sanders1, James W Collins1, David Ruano-Gallego1

  • 1MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, UK.

Cell Reports
|December 21, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Commensal bacteria are essential for Citrobacter rodentium colonization of the mouse colon. Antibiotic treatments that alter gut microbiota composition, like kanamycin, displace this pathogen, highlighting the role of specific commensals in infection.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Citrobacter rodentium is a mouse pathogen that infects the colon.
  • The role of commensal bacteria during C. rodentium infection is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of commensals in C. rodentium colonization of the colonic mucosa.
  • To determine if virulence gene expression is sufficient for mucosal colonization.

Main Methods:

  • Mice were infected with Citrobacter rodentium and treated with antibiotics (kanamycin, vancomycin, metronidazole).
  • Bioluminescent and antibiotic-resistant C. rodentium strains were used to track colonization.
  • Virulence gene expression (ler) was monitored.

Main Results:

  • Kanamycin treatment displaced C. rodentium from the colonic mucosa, unlike vancomycin or metronidazole.
  • Distinct dysbiosis was induced by the different antibiotics, suggesting reliance on specific commensals.
  • C. rodentium expressing the ler virulence gene was still displaced from the mucosa by kanamycin.

Conclusions:

  • Commensal bacteria are essential for Citrobacter rodentium to colonize the colonic mucosa.
  • Virulence gene expression alone is insufficient for mucosal colonization.
  • Commensals play a critical role in the physiological course of C. rodentium infection.
Keywords:
AMRC. rodentiumantibioticscolonization resistanceenteric infectionmicrobiota

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