Bacterial contact induces polar plug disintegration to mediate whipworm egg hatching
Amicha Robertson1, Joseph Sall2,3, Mericien Venzon1
1Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|March 30, 2023
Summary
The gut microbiota helps whipworm eggs hatch in mammals. Bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus efficiently trigger hatching by degrading egg plugs, aiding parasite infection.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Parasitology
- Microscopy
Background:
- The gut microbiota is crucial for the life cycle of the whipworm parasite *Trichuris*.
- Mechanisms of bacteria-mediated whipworm egg hatching remain largely unknown.
- Understanding this interaction is vital due to the significant disease burden of *Trichuris* infections.
Approach:
- Utilized multiscale microscopy, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and serial block face SEM (SBFSEM).
- Visualized the external shell morphology and generated 3D structures of the *Trichuris muris* egg and larva during hatching.
- Defined the ultrastructural events of bacteria-induced egg hatching.
Key Points:
- Bacteria-mediated hatching involves asymmetric degradation of polar plugs before larval exit.
- Efficient hatching occurred with bacteria that densely bound to egg poles, such as *Staphylococcus aureus*.
- Chitinase released by the larva, not external bacterial enzymes, appears to degrade plugs from within.
Conclusions:
- Elucidated the structural mechanisms of bacteria-mediated whipworm egg hatching at ultrastructural resolution.
- Revealed an evolutionary adaptation of *Trichuris* parasites to the mammalian gut environment.
- Highlighted the role of bacterial density and larval chitinase in facilitating parasite transmission.
