Probiotic strains detect and suppress cholera in mice

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Gastroenterology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Microbiota-modulating interventions are promising for gastrointestinal homeostasis but underexplored for acute infections.
• Cholera, caused by Vibrio cholerae, is a significant diarrheal disease with limited diagnostic and preventive tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a probiotic-based strategy for cholera prevention and point-of-need diagnosis.
• To investigate the efficacy of Lactococcus lactis in reducing Vibrio cholerae burden and improving survival.

Main Methods:

• Oral administration of Lactococcus lactis to infant mice infected with Vibrio cholerae.
• Engineering Lactococcus lactis to detect Vibrio cholerae quorum-sensing signals and produce a detectable enzymatic reporter.
• Assessing intestinal Vibrio cholerae burden, survival rates, and reporter gene expression in fecal samples.

Main Results:

• Lactococcus lactis administration reduced intestinal Vibrio cholerae and improved survival in infected mice, attributed to lactic acid production.
• Engineered Lactococcus lactis successfully detected Vibrio cholerae quorum-sensing signals in the gut.
• A detectable enzymatic reporter was expressed in fecal samples, indicating successful pathogen detection.

Conclusions:

• Lactococcus lactis demonstrates potential as a probiotic for reducing Vibrio cholerae colonization and enhancing survival.
• Engineered Lactococcus lactis offers a novel approach for point-of-need cholera diagnosis and surveillance.
• Dietary interventions with Lactococcus lactis strains could play a role in cholera prevention and outbreak management.