Avian campylobacteriosis, prevalence, sources, hazards, antibiotic resistance, poultry meat contamination, and control measures: a comprehensive review

Avian campylobacteriosis is a vandal infection that poses human health hazards. Campylobacter is usually colonized in the avian gut revealing mild signs in the infected birds, but retail chicken carcasses have high contamination levels of Campylobacter spp. Consequently, the contaminated avian products constitute the main source of human infection with campylobacteriosis and result in severe clinical symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, spasm, and deaths in sensitive cases. Thus, the current review aims to shed light on the prevalence of Campylobacter in broiler chickens, Campylobacter colonization, bird immunity against Campylobacter, sources of poultry infection, antibiotic resistance, poultry meat contamination, human health hazard, and the use of standard antimicrobial technology during the chicken processing of possible control strategies to overcome such problems.

In silico prediction and expression analysis of vaccine candidate genes of Campylobacter jejuni

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is the most common food-borne pathogen that causes human gastroenteritis in the United States. Consumption of contaminated poultry products is considered as the major source of human Campylobacter infection. An effective vaccine would be a promising alternative to antibiotic supplements to curb C. jejuni colonization in poultry gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, the genetic diversity among the C. jejuni isolates makes vaccine production more challenging. Despite many attempts, an effective Campylobacter vaccine is not yet available. This study aimed to identify suitable candidates to develop a subunit vaccine against C. jejuni, which could reduce colonization in the GI tract of the poultry. In the current study, 4 C. jejuni strains were isolated from retail chicken meat and poultry litter samples and their genomes were sequenced utilizing next-generation sequencing technology. The genomic sequences of C. jejuni strains were screened to identify potential antigens utilizing the reverse vaccinology approach. In silico genome analysis predicted 3 conserved potential vaccine candidates (phospholipase A [PldA], TonB dependent vitamin B12 transporter [BtuB], and cytolethal distending toxin subunit B [CdtB]) suitable for the development of a vaccine. Furthermore, the expression of predicted genes during host-pathogen interaction was analyzed by an infection study using an avian macrophage-like immortalized cell line (HD11). The HD11 was infected with C. jejuni strains, and the RT-qPCR assay was performed to determine the expression of the predicted genes. The expression difference was analyzed using ΔΔCt methods. The results indicate that all 3 predicted genes, PldA, BtuB, and CdtB, were upregulated in 4 tested C. jejuni strains irrespective of their sources of isolation. In conclusion, in silico prediction and gene expression analysis during host-pathogen interactions identified 3 potential vaccine candidates for C. jejuni.

SurA-like and Skp-like Proteins as Important Virulence Determinants of the Gram Negative Bacterial Pathogens

In the Gram-negative bacteria, many important virulence factors reach their destination via two-step export systems, and they must traverse the periplasmic space before reaching the outer membrane. Since these proteins must be maintained in a structure competent for transport into or across the membrane, they frequently require the assistance of chaperones. Based on the results obtained for the model bacterium Escherichia coli and related species, it is assumed that in the biogenesis of the outer membrane proteins and the periplasmic transit of secretory proteins, the SurA peptidyl-prolyl isomerase/chaperone plays a leading role, while the Skp chaperone is rather of secondary importance. However, detailed studies carried out on several other Gram-negative pathogens indicate that the importance of individual chaperones in the folding and transport processes depends on the properties of client proteins and is species-specific. Taking into account the importance of SurA functions in bacterial virulence and severity of phenotypes due to surA mutations, this folding factor is considered as a putative therapeutic target to combat microbial infections. In this review, we present recent findings regarding SurA and Skp proteins: their mechanisms of action, involvement in processes related to virulence, and perspectives to use them as therapeutic targets.

The Host Cellular Immune Response to Infection by Campylobacter Spp. and Its Role in Disease

Campylobacter spp. are the leading cause of bacterium-derived gastroenteritis worldwide, impacting 96 million individuals annually. Unlike other bacterial pathogens of the gastrointestinal tract, Campylobacter spp. lack many of the classical virulence factors that are often associated with the ability to induce disease in humans, including an array of canonical secretion systems and toxins. Consequently, the clinical manifestations of human campylobacteriosis and its resulting gastrointestinal pathology are believed to be primarily due to the host immune response toward the bacterium. Further, while gastrointestinal infection is usually self-limiting, numerous postinfectious disorders can occur, including the development of Guillain-Barré syndrome, reactive arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome. Because gastrointestinal disease likely results from the host immune response, the development of these postinfectious disorders may be due to dysregulation or misdirection of the same inflammatory response. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important to the Campylobacter field, and human health, that the cellular immune responses toward Campylobacter be better understood, including which immunological events are critical to the development of disease and the postinfectious disorders mentioned above. In this review, we collectively cover the cellular immune responses across susceptible hosts to Campylobacter jejuni infection, along with the tissue pathology and postinfectious disorders which may develop.

Disease-Alleviating Effects of Peroral Activated Charcoal Treatment in Acute Murine Campylobacteriosis

Foodborne Campylobacter jejuni infections are on the rise and responsible for worldwide serious health issues. Increasing resistance of C. jejuni strains against antimicrobial treatments, necessitates antibiotics-independent treatment options for acute campylobacteriosis. Activated charcoal (AC) constitutes a long-known and safe compound for the treatment of bacterial enteritis. In this preclinical intervention study, we addressed potential anti-pathogenic and immune-modulatory effects of AC during acute experimental campylobacteriosis. Therefore, microbiota-depleted IL-10^-/- mice were infected with C. jejuni by gavage and challenged with either AC or placebo via the drinking water starting on day 2 post-infection. On day 6 post-infection, AC as compared to placebo-treated mice did not only harbor lower intestinal pathogen loads but also presented with alleviated C. jejuni-induced clinical signs such as diarrhea and wasting symptoms. The improved clinical outcome of AC-treated mice was accompanied by less colonic epithelial cell apoptosis and reduced pro-inflammatory immune responses in the intestinal tract. Notably, AC treatment did not only alleviate intestinal, but also extra-intestinal and systemic immune responses as indicated by dampened pro-inflammatory mediator secretion. Given the anti-pathogenic and immune-modulatory properties of AC in this study, a short-term application of this non-toxic drug constitutes a promising antibiotics-independent option for the treatment of human campylobacteriosis.

Bacteriocinogenic probiotics as an integrated alternative to antibiotics in chicken production - why and how?

The misuse of antibiotics in the livestock industry has played an important role in the spread of resistant superbugs with severe health implications for humans. With the recent ban on the use of antibiotics in poultry and poultry feed in Canada and the USA, poultry farmers will have to rely on the use of alternatives to antibiotics (such as feed acidifiers, antibodies, bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides, prebiotics, and probiotics) to maintain the same productivity and health of their livestock. Of particular interest are bacteriocinogenic probiotics, that is, bacterial strains capable of producing bacteriocins that confer health benefits on the host. These bacterial strains have multiple promising features, such as the ability to attach to the host mucosa, colonize, proliferate, and produce advantageous products such as bacteriocins and short-chain fatty acids. These not only affect pathogenic colonization but improve poultry phenotype as well. Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides with multiple promising features such as being non-harmful for human and animal consumption, non-disruptive to the host microbiota eubiosis, non-cytotoxic, and non-carcinogenic. Therefore, bacteriocinogenic probiotics are at the forefront to be excellent candidates for effective replacements to antibiotics. While evidence of their safety and effectiveness is accumulating in vitro and in vivo in inhibiting pathogens while promoting animal health, their safety and history of use in livestock remains unclear and requires additional investigations. In the present paper, we review the safety assessment regulations and commercialization policies on existing and novel bacteriocinogenic and bacteriocin products intended to be used in poultry feed as an alternative to antibiotics.

Murine Models for the Investigation of Colonization Resistance and Innate Immune Responses in Campylobacter Jejuni Infections

Human infections with the food-borne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni are progressively increasing worldwide and constitute a significant socioeconomic burden to mankind. Intestinal campylobacteriosis in humans is characterized by bloody diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and severe malaise. Some individuals develop chronic post-infectious sequelae including neurological and autoimmune diseases such as reactive arthritis and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Studies unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying campylobacteriosis and post-infectious sequelae have been hampered by the scarcity of appropriate experimental in vivo models. Particularly, conventional laboratory mice are protected from C. jejuni infection due to the physiological colonization resistance exerted by the murine gut microbiota composition. Additionally, as compared to humans, mice are up to 10,000 times more resistant to C. jejuni lipooligosaccharide (LOS) constituting a major pathogenicity factor responsible for the immunopathological host responses during campylobacteriosis. In this chapter, we summarize the recent progress that has been made in overcoming these fundamental obstacles in Campylobacter research in mice. Modification of the murine host-specific gut microbiota composition and sensitization of the mice to C. jejuni LOS by deletion of genes encoding interleukin-10 or a single IL-1 receptor-related molecule as well as by dietary zinc depletion have yielded reliable murine infection models resembling key features of human campylobacteriosis. These substantial improvements pave the way for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogen-host interactions. The ongoing validation and standardization of these novel murine infection models will provide the basis for the development of innovative treatment and prevention strategies to combat human campylobacteriosis and collateral damages of C. jejuni infections.

Evaluation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Response in LMH 3D Spheroids

In the present study, we investigated whether the immortalized chicken hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, leghorn male hepatoma (LMH), had a comparable aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) response to primary chicken embryonic hepatocytes (CEHs) when used in a well-established assay for chemical screening and prioritization. The LMH cells were grown as 2-dimensional (2D) confluent cells and 3D spheroids to determine the optimal cell culture states for chemical screening. Cytochrome P450 1A4 and 1A5 (CYP1A) activity and gene expression were compared between CEHs and LMH cells grown in 2 culture states following exposure to the dioxin-like compound 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB-126). The CYP1A activity was measured using the ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) assay, and changes in mRNA expression associated with the AhR pathway were determined using a custom-designed polymerase chain reaction array. Among LMH cell culture states (i.e., 2D vs 3D), EROD induction was observed only in 3D LMH spheroids. Similarly, 3D spheroids had the greatest number of changes in AhR-related genes compared with confluent cells. Overall, these results suggest that LMH cells grown as 3D spheroids have a metabolic and gene expression profile that is comparable to that of CEH, and may represent a suitable animal-free alternative for in vitro screening of chemicals. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1693-1701. © 2020 SETAC.

Effect of Lactobacillus spp. on adhesion, invasion, and translocation of Campylobacter jejuni in chicken and pig small-intestinal epithelial cell lines

BACKGROUND

Campylobacter spp. are a major cause of bacterial food-borne diarrhoeal disease. This mainly arises through contamination of meat products during processing. For infection, Campylobacter spp. must adhere to epithelial cells of the mucus layer, survive conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, and colonise the intestine of the host. Addition of probiotic bacteria might promote competitive adhesion to epithelial cells, consequently reducing Campylobacter jejuni colonisation. Effect of Lactobacillus spp. (PCS20, PCS22, PCS25, LGG, PCK9) on C. jejuni adhesion, invasion and translocation in pig (PSI cl.1) and chicken (B1OXI) small-intestine cell lines, as well as pig enterocytes (CLAB) was investigated.

RESULTS

Overall, in competitive adhesion assays with PSI cl.1 and CLAB cell monolayers, the addition of Lactobacillus spp. reduced C. jejuni adherence to the cell surface, and negatively affected the C. jejuni invasion. Interestingly, Lactobacillus spp. significantly impaired C. jejuni adhesion in three-dimensional functional PSI cl.1 and B1OXI cell models. Also, C. jejuni did not translocate across PSI cl.1 and B1OXI cell monolayers when co-incubated with probiotics. Among selected probiotics, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG was the strain that reduced adhesion efficacy of C. jejuni most significantly under co-culture conditions.

CONCLUSION

The addition of Lactobacillus spp. to feed additives in livestock nutrition might be an effective novel strategy that targets Campylobacter adhesion to epithelial cells, and thus prevents colonisation, reduces the transmission, and finally lowers the incidence of human campylobacteriosis.

Human campylobacteriosis: A public health concern of global importance

Campylobacter species are among the leading cause of bacterial foodborne and waterborne infections. In addition, Campylobacter is one of the major causative agent of bacterial gastrointestinal infections and the rise in the incidence of Campylobacter infections have been reported worldwide. Also, the emergence of some Campylobacter species as one of the main causative agent of diarrhea and the propensity of these bacteria species to resist the actions of antimicrobial agents; position them as a serious threat to the public health. This paper reviews Campylobacter pathogenicity, infections, isolation and diagnosis, their reservoirs, transmission pathways, epidemiology of Campylobacter outbreaks, prevention and treatment option, antibiotics resistance and control of antibiotics use.

A balanced game: chicken macrophage response to ALV-J infection

Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) infection can cause tumors and immunosuppression in infected chickens. Macrophages play a central role in host defense against invading pathogens. In this study, we discovered an interesting phenomenon: ALV-J replication is weakened from 3 hours post-infection (hpi) to 36 hpi, which was verified using Western blotting and RT-PCR. To further investigate the interaction between ALV-J and macrophages, transcriptome analysis was performed to analyze the host genes’ function in chicken primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). Compared to the uninfected control, 624 up-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEG) and 341 down-regulated DEG at 3 hpi, and 174 up-regulated DEG and 87 down-regulated DEG at 36 hpi were identified in chicken MDM, respectively. ALV-J infection induced strong innate immune responses in chicken MDM at 3 hpi, instead of 36 hpi, according to the analysis results of Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway. Importantly, the host factors, such as up-regulated MIP-3α, IL-1β, iNOS, K60, IRG1, CH25H, NFKBIZ, lysozyme and OASL were involved in the host defense response during the course of ALV-J infection. On the contrary, up-regulated EX-FABP, IL4I1, COX-2, NFKBIA, TNFAIP3 and the Jak STAT pathway inhibitors including CISH, SOCS1 and SOCS3 are beneficial to ALV-J survival in chicken macrophages. We speculated that ALV-J tropism for macrophages helps to establish a latent infection in chicken MDM from 6 to 36 hpi. The present study provides a comprehensive view of the interactions between macrophages and ALV-J. It suggests the mechanisms of defense of chicken macrophages against ALV-J invasion and how ALV-J escape the host innate immune responses.

Avian Intestinal Mucus Modulates Campylobacter jejuni Gene Expression in a Host-Specific Manner

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of bacterial foodborne illness in humans worldwide. However, C. jejuni naturally colonizes poultry without causing pathology where it resides deep within mucus of the cecal crypts. Mucus may modulate the pathogenicity of C. jejuni in a species-specific manner, where it is pathogenic in humans and asymptomatic in poultry. Little is known about how intestinal mucus from different host species affects C. jejuni gene expression. In this study we characterized the growth and transcriptome of C. jejuni NCTC11168 cultured in defined media supplemented with or without mucus isolated from avian (chicken or turkey) or mammalian (cow, pig, or sheep) sources. C. jejuni showed substantially improved growth over defined media, with mucus from all species, showing that intestinal mucus was an energy source for C. jejuni. Seventy-three genes were differentially expressed when C. jejuni was cultured in avian vs. mammalian mucus. Genes associated with iron acquisition and resistance to oxidative stress were significantly increased in avian mucus. Many of the differentially expressed genes were flanked by differentially expressed antisense RNA asRNA, suggesting a role in gene regulation. This study highlights the interactions between C. jejuni and host mucus and the impact on gene expression, growth and invasion of host cells, suggesting important responses to environmental cues that facilitate intestinal colonization. IMPORTANCE  Campylobacter jejuni infection of humans is an important health problem world-wide and is the leading bacterial cause of foodborne illnesses in U.S. The main route for exposure for humans is consumption of poultry meat contaminated during processing. C. jejuni is frequently found in poultry, residing within the mucus of the intestinal tract without causing disease. It is not clear why C. jejuni causes disease in some animals and humans, while leaving birds without symptoms. To understand its activity in birds, we characterized C. jejuni responses to poultry mucus to identify genes turned on in the intestinal tract of birds. We identified genes important for colonization and persistence within the poultry gut, turned on when C. jejuni was exposed to poultry mucus. Our findings are an important step in understanding how C. jejuni responds and interacts in the poultry gut, and may identify ways to reduce C. jejuni in birds.

Feed Choice Led to Higher Protein Intake in Broiler Chickens Experimentally Infected With Campylobacter jejuni

In 2016, Campylobacter was the most commonly reported gastrointestinal bacterial pathogen in humans in the European Union with 246,307 reported cases. Of these cases, 83.6% were Campylobacter jejuni. The objective of the present study was to investigate to what extent an infection with C. jejuni alters the feed intake behavior of broiler chicks in terms of protein intake. This was done to see if, conversely, measures of control could be derived. In total, 300 commercial broilers of the Ross 308 line were allocated to four different groups, including five replications of 15 chickens each. In two groups, a conventional diet [216 g CP/kg dry matter (DM)] and in the two choice diet groups, diets with different levels of crude protein (286 and 109 g CP/kg DM, respectively) were fed between day 14 and day 42. An intake of both choice diets at a ratio of 3:2 resulted in a composition of consumed feed identical to that of the control concerning composition, energy and nutrient content. One group of each feeding concept was infected artificially with C. jejuni at day 21 by applying an oral C. jejuni-suspension containing 5.26 ± 0.08 log10 colony forming units of C. jejuni to three out of 15 chickens. No significant differences concerning C. jejuni prevalence and excretion could be seen. Broilers infected with C. jejuni chose a higher amount of the high protein choice diet in comparison to C. jejuni negative broilers. This resulted in a significantly (p < 0.0001) higher content of crude protein in the consumed diet (198 ± 3.09 g CP/kg DM and 208 ± 8.57 g CP/kg DM, respectively). Due to C. jejuni infection, a significant increase in crude mucin in excreta at day 42 was seen in experimentally infected groups (62.6 ± 4.62 g/kg DM vs. 59.6 ± 6.21 g/kg DM, respectively; p = 0.0396). There were significantly deeper crypts in infected birds (256 ± 71.6 vs. 234 ± 61.3 μm). In summary, C. jejuni infections significantly alter the feed intake behavior of broiler chickens regarding higher protein intake. Therefore, targeted manipulation of protein supply could be tested for limiting the spread of infection.

The Bacterial Species Campylobacter jejuni Induce Diverse Innate Immune Responses in Human and Avian Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Campylobacter remain the major cause of human gastroenteritis in the Developed World causing a significant burden to health services. Campylobacter are pathogens in humans and chickens, although differences in mechanistic understanding are incomplete, in part because phenotypic strain diversity creates inconsistent findings. Here, we took Campylobacter jejuni isolates (n = 100) from multi-locus sequence typed collections to assess their pathogenic diversity, through their inflammatory, cytotoxicity, adhesion, invasion and signaling responses in a high-throughput model using avian and human intestinal epithelial cells. C. jejuni induced IL-8 and CXCLi1/2 in human and avian epithelial cells, respectively, in a MAP kinase-dependent manner. In contrast, IL-10 responses in both cell types were PI 3-kinase/Akt-dependent. C. jejuni strains showed diverse levels of invasion with high invasion dependent on MAP kinase signaling in both cell lines. C. jejuni induced diverse cytotoxic responses in both cell lines with cdt-positive isolates showing significantly higher toxicity. Blockade of endocytic pathways suggested that invasion by C. jejuni was clathrin- and dynamin-dependent but caveolae- independent in both cells. In contrast, IL-8 (and CXCLi1/2) production was dependent on clathrin, dynamin, and caveolae. This study is important because of its scale, and the data produced, suggesting that avian and human epithelial cells use similar innate immune pathways where the magnitude of the response is determined by the phenotypic diversity of the Campylobacter species.

Differences in expression of genes in the MyD88 and TRIF signalling pathways and methylation of TLR4 and TRIF in Tibetan chickens and DaHeng S03 chickens infected with Salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis

Salmonella enterica serovar (S. enteritidis) is a pathogenic bacterium that can cause symptoms of food poisoning, leading to death of poultry, resulting in serious economic losses. The MyD88 and TRIF signalling pathways play important roles in activating innate and adaptive immunity in chickens infected with S. enteritidis. The objective of the present study was to characterize in vivo mRNA expressions, protein levels and methylation levels of genes in the above two pathways in both Tibetan chickens and DaHeng S03 chickens infected with S. enteritidis. MyD88-dependent and TRIF-dependent signalling pathway were activated by infection, and the MyD88 signalling pathway induced cytokines LITAF and IL-8 played important roles in fighting against the S. enteritidis infection in vivo. The TLR4 methylation might alter expression of genes involved in the MyD88 signalling pathway, and thus different breeds of chickens might show differences in susceptibility to the S. enteritidis. The increased expression of INF β was activated by S. enteritidis, but its expressions were different in levels of mRNA and protein in Tibetan chickens and DaHeng chickens, suggesting its functions on the resistance to S. enteritidis infection in chickens. This study contributes to the understanding of two pathways activated in response to S. enteritidis infection, and gives indications on the mechanisms underlying resistance of Tibetan chickens and DaHeng chickens to S. enteritidis.

Differences in host breed and diet influence colonization by Campylobacter jejuni and induction of local immune responses in chicken

BACKGROUND

Chickens are regarded as the main reservoir for human campylobacteriosis. Little is known about the interaction between Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) and chickens. This interaction may be influenced by the stage of maturation of the immune system, developing gut microbiota composition and other factors including breed and diet. Our aim was to investigate the impact of breed, and diet on C. jejuni colonization and host immune responses in chickens. Birds were inoculated with 10⁴ colony forming units (CFU) of C. jejuni or diluent at one (Exp. 1) or 22 (Exp. 2) days post hatch. We compared local immune cell subpopulations, cytokine expression levels, and gut microbiota composition between broiler-type (BT) and layer-type (LT) birds fed with either commercial broiler feed (bf) or layer feed (lf).

RESULTS

Lower colonization rates were observed in the older age group independent of breed and diet. Independent of breed, birds fed with bf showed higher CFU of C. jejuni compared to lf-fed groups. Campylobacter jejuni-inoculation had a significant effect on lymphocyte numbers and cytokine expression levels in BT birds independent of feeding strategy (p < 0.05). These effects were not detected in LT birds, only LT birds fed with bf showed a significant increase in IL-8-expression at 7 days post C. jejuni inoculation compared to LT-control birds (p < 0.05). Diet influenced gut microbiota composition in a comparable manner between BT and LT birds, but changes in microbiota composition associated with C. jejuni inoculation varied between breeds.

CONCLUSIONS

Diet and breed influenced C. jejuni colonization, immune responses and microbiota composition to a different extent comparing between LT and BT birds. The mechanisms behind these differences have to be elucidated further. Our results suggest that selection for more resistant breeds in combination with adapted feeding strategies may help to reduce Campylobacter colonization levels in commercial poultry in the future.

TLR4 and TLR21 expression, MIF, IFN-β, MD-2, CD14 activation, and sIgA production in chickens administered with EFAL41 strain challenged with Campylobacter jejuni

The protective effect of Enterococcus faecium EFAL41 on chicken's caecum in relation to the TLR (TLR4 and TLR21) activation and production of luminal IgA challenged with Campylobacter jejuni CCM6191 was assessed. The activation of MIF, IFN-β, MD-2 and CD14 was followed-up after bacterial infection. Day-old chicks (40) were divided into four groups (n = 10): control (C), E. faecium AL41 (EFAL41), C. jejuni (CJ) and combined E. faecium AL41+C. jejuni (EFAL41+CJ). Relative mRNA expression of TLR4, TLR21 and CD14 was upregulated in the probiotic strain and infected (combined) group on day 4 and 7 post infection (p.i.). The caecal relative MD-2 mRNA expression was upregulated on day 4 p.i. in the EFAL41+CJ and CJ groups. MIF and IFN-β reached the highest levels in the combined groups on day 7 p.i. The concentration of the sIgA in intestinal flush was upregulated in EFAL41+CJ group on day 4 p.i. The results demonstrated that E. faecium EFAL41 probiotic strain can modulate the TLRs expression and modify the activation of MIF, IFN-β, MD-2 and CD14 molecules in the chickens caecum challenged with C. jejuni CCM 6191. The counts of EFAL41 were sufficient and high, similarly the counts of enterococci in both, caecum and faeces but without reduction of Campylobacter counts.

The influence of age on Campylobacter jejuni infection in chicken

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni)-host-interaction may be affected by the maturation stage of the chicken's immune system and the developing gut microbiota composition. We compared these parameters between birds C. jejuni-inoculated at day one, 10, 22 and 31 post hatch. The highest C. jejuni-colonization rate and numbers of colony forming units (CFU) were detected in caecal content of day-one-inoculated birds while the lowest was detected in 22-days-old birds. The low bacterial colonization of 22-days-old chickens correlated with the most prominent immune reactions in this age group in comparison to other age groups. Age and C. jejuni-inoculation had a significant effect on lymphocyte numbers and cytokine expression levels in caecum as well as on gut flora composition. Overall, the immune response to C. jejuni is significantly influenced by the age of the infected chickens leading to differences in C. jejuni-colonization pattern between age goups.

Invasive behavior of Campylobacter jejuni in immunosuppressed chicken

Campylobacter jejuni is a predominant cause of gastroenteritis in humans but rather harmless in chickens. The basis of this difference is unknown. We investigated the effect of the chicken immune defense on the behavior of C. jejuni using glucocorticoid (GC)-treated and mock-treated 17-day old Ross 308 chicken bearing in mind that GCs have immunosuppressive effects and dampen the innate immune response. The effect of GC administration on the behavior of C. jejuni was compared with that on infection with Salmonella Enteritidis to address possible microbe-associated differences. Our results revealed that GC treatment fastened the intestinal colonization of C. jejuni (p < 0.001) and enhanced its dissemination to the liver (p = 0.007). The effect of GC on intestinal colonization of S. Enteritidis was less pronounced (p = 0.033) but GC did speed up the spread of this pathogen to the liver (p < 0.001). Cytokine transcript analysis showed an up to 30-fold reduction in baseline levels of IL-8 mRNA in the cecal (but not spleen) tissue at Day 1 after GC treatment (p < 0.005). Challenge with C. jejuni strongly increased intestinal IL-8, IL-6, and iNOS transcript levels in the non-GC treated animals but not in the GC-treated birds (P < 0.005). In vitro assays with chicken macrophages showed that GC dampened the TLR agonist- and C. jejuni induced-inflammatory gene transcription and production of nitric oxide (P < 0.005). Together, the results support the hypothesis that C. jejuni has the intrinsic ability to invade chicken tissue and that an effective innate immune response may limit its invasive behavior.

Recent Advances in Screening of Anti-Campylobacter Activity in Probiotics for Use in Poultry

Campylobacteriosis is the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Campylobacter species involved in this infection usually include the thermotolerant species Campylobacter jejuni. The major reservoir for C. jejuni leading to human infections is commercial broiler chickens. Poultry flocks are frequently colonized by C. jejuni without any apparent symptoms. Risk assessment analyses have identified the handling and consumption of poultry meat as one of the most important sources of human campylobacteriosis, so elimination of Campylobacter in the poultry reservoir is a crucial step in the control of this foodborne infection. To date, the use of probiotics has demonstrated promising results to reduce Campylobacter colonization. This review provides recent insights into methods used for probiotic screening to reduce the prevalence and colonization of Campylobacter at the farm level. Different eukaryotic epithelial cell lines are employed to screen probiotics with an anti-Campylobacter activity and yield useful information about the inhibition mechanism involved. These in vitro virulence models involve only human intestinal or cervical cell lines whereas the use of avian cell lines could be a preliminary step to investigate mechanisms of C. jejuni colonization in poultry in the presence of probiotics. In addition, in vivo trials to evaluate the effect of probiotics on Campylobacter colonization are conducted, taking into account the complexity introduced by the host, the feed, and the microbiota. However, the heterogeneity of the protocols used and the short time duration of the experiments lead to results that are difficult to compare and draw conclusions at the slaughter-age of broilers. Nevertheless, the combined approach using complementary in vitro and in vivo tools (cell cultures and animal experiments) leads to a better characterization of probiotic strains and could be employed to assess reduced Campylobacter spp. colonization in chickens if some parameters are optimized.

Chicken Anti-Campylobacter Vaccine - Comparison of Various Carriers and Routes of Immunization

Campylobacter spp, especially the species Campylobacter jejuni, are important human enteropathogens responsible for millions of cases of gastro-intestinal disease worldwide every year. C. jejuni is a zoonotic pathogen, and poultry meat that has been contaminated by microorganisms is recognized as a key source of human infections. Although numerous strategies have been developed and experimentally checked to generate chicken vaccines, the results have so far had limited success. In this study, we explored the potential use of non-live carriers of Campylobacter antigen to combat Campylobacter in poultry. First, we assessed the effectiveness of immunization with orally or subcutaneously delivered Gram-positive Enhancer Matrix (GEM) particles carrying two Campylobacter antigens: CjaA and CjaD. These two immunization routes using GEMs as the vector did not protect against Campylobacter colonization. Thus, we next assessed the efficacy of in ovo immunization using various delivery systems: GEM particles and liposomes. The hybrid protein rCjaAD, which is CjaA presenting CjaD epitopes on its surface, was employed as a model antigen. We found that rCjaAD administered in ovo at embryonic development day 18 by both delivery systems resulted in significant levels of protection after challenge with a heterologous C. jejuni strain. In practice, in ovo chicken vaccination is used by the poultry industry to protect birds against several viral diseases. Our work showed that this means of delivery is also efficacious with respect to commensal bacteria such as Campylobacter. In this study, we evaluated the protection after one dose of vaccine given in ovo. We speculate that the level of protection may be increased by a post-hatch booster of orally delivered antigens.

Novel Immunomodulatory Flagellin-Like Protein FlaC in Campylobacter jejuni and Other Campylobacterales

Flagellins not only are important for bacterial motility but are major bacterial proteins that can modulate host responses via Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) or other pattern recognition receptors. Campylobacterales colonizing the intestinal tracts of different host species harbor a gene coding for an unusual flagellin, FlaC, that is not involved in motility but is secreted and possesses a chimeric amino acid sequence composed of TLR5-activating and non-TLR5-activating flagellin sequences. Campylobacter jejuni FlaC activates cells to increase in cytokine expression in chicken and human cells, promotes cross-tolerance to TLR4 ligands, and alters chicken cecal microbiota. We propose that FlaC is a secreted effector flagellin that has specifically evolved to modulate the immune response in the intestinal tract in the presence of the resident microbiota and may contribute to bacterial persistence. The results also strengthen the role of the flagellar type III apparatus as a functional secretion system for bacterial effector proteins.

The human diarrheal pathogens Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli interfere with host innate immune signaling by different means, and their flagellins, FlaA and FlaB, have a low intrinsic property to activate the innate immune receptor Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5). We have investigated here the hypothesis that the unusual secreted, flagellin-like molecule FlaC present in C. jejuni, C. coli, and other Campylobacterales might activate cells via TLR5 and interact with TLR5. FlaC shows striking sequence identity in its D1 domains to TLR5-activating flagellins of other bacteria, such as Salmonella, but not to nonstimulating Campylobacter flagellins. We overexpressed and purified FlaC and tested its immunostimulatory properties on cells of human and chicken origin. Treatment of cells with highly purified FlaC resulted in p38 activation. FlaC directly interacted with TLR5. Preincubation with FlaC decreased the responsiveness of chicken and human macrophage-like cells toward the bacterial TLR4 agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS), suggesting that FlaC mediates cross-tolerance. C. jejuni flaC mutants induced an increase of cell responses in comparison to those of the wild type, which was suppressed by genetic complementation. Supplementing excess purified FlaC likewise reduced the cellular response to C. jejuni. In vivo, the administration of ultrapure FlaC led to a decrease in cecal interleukin 1β (IL-1β) expression and a significant change of the cecal microbiota in chickens. We propose that Campylobacter spp. have evolved a novel type of secreted immunostimulatory flagellin-like effector in order to specifically modulate host responses, for example toward other pattern recognition receptor (PRR) ligands, such as LPS.

IMPORTANCE Flagellins not only are important for bacterial motility but are major bacterial proteins that can modulate host responses via Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) or other pattern recognition receptors. Campylobacterales colonizing the intestinal tracts of different host species harbor a gene coding for an unusual flagellin, FlaC, that is not involved in motility but is secreted and possesses a chimeric amino acid sequence composed of TLR5-activating and non-TLR5-activating flagellin sequences. Campylobacter jejuni FlaC activates cells to increase in cytokine expression in chicken and human cells, promotes cross-tolerance to TLR4 ligands, and alters chicken cecal microbiota. We propose that FlaC is a secreted effector flagellin that has specifically evolved to modulate the immune response in the intestinal tract in the presence of the resident microbiota and may contribute to bacterial persistence. The results also strengthen the role of the flagellar type III apparatus as a functional secretion system for bacterial effector proteins.

Epithelial cell adhesion and gastrointestinal colonization of Lactobacillus in poultry

Administration of probiotic Lactobacillus cultures is an important alternative to the use of antibiotic growth promoters and has been demonstrated to improve animal health, growth performance, and preharvest food safety in poultry production. Whereas gastrointestinal colonization is thought to be critical to their probiotic functionality, factors important to Lactobacillus colonization in chickens are not well understood. In this study we investigate epithelial cell adhesion in vitro and colonization of Lactobacillusin vivo in broiler chickens. Adhesion of Lactobacillus cultures to epithelial cells was evaluated using the chicken LMH cell line. Lactobacillus cultures were able adhere effectively to LMH cells relative to Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella Typhimurium. Epithelial cell adhesion was similar for Lactobacillus crispatus TDCC 75, L. cristpatus TDCC 76, and Lactobacillus gallinarum TDCC 77, and all 3 were more adherent than L. gallinarum TDCC 78. However, when colonization was evaluated in the ileum and cecum of broiler chicks, L. crispatus TDCC 75 and L. gallinarum TDCC 77 were more persistent than L. crispatus TDCC 76 and L. gallinarum TDCC 78. The reduction of growth in medium supplemented with oxgal was greater for L. gallinarum TDCC 78 than L. gallinarum TDCC 77, suggesting that whereas adhesion was similar for the 2 strains, the difference in colonization between L. gallinarum strains may be due in part to their bile sensitivity. This study demonstrates that whereas adhesion to epithelial cells may be important in predicting gastrointestinal colonization, other factors including bile tolerance may also contribute to the colonization of Lactobacillus in poultry. Additionally, the chicken LMH cell line is expected to provide a platform for investigating mechanisms of Lactobacillus adhesion to epithelial tissue and evaluating the probiotic potential Lactobacillus in poultry.

Participation of the Cytoskeletal and Lysosomal Compartments in Campylobacter jejuni Invasion of Caco-2 cells, the Cellular Response by Morphometric Analysis and the Presence of Cytokine and Chemokine Transcripts

This study aimed to evaluate the participation of actin and tubulin in the process of internalisation, the interaction of bacterial phagosomes with lysosomes, the morphometric changes and the expression of inflammatory cytokines in Caco-2 cells infected with Campylobacter jejuni. Both actin and tubulin participated in the process of internalisation. Inside the cells, lysosomes fuse with phagosomes, which may lead to bacterial death because after 2 h, the bacteria were not detected by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). There is increased expression of TGF-β3 during the early stages, and IL-8 was expressed after 60 min p.i. This work showed that C. jejuni invades and causes major morphometric changes in epithelial cells. In response, the cells increase their expression of cytokines that can lead to inflammation. The mechanisms of invasion are dependent on actin and tubulin, and once internalised, lysosomes fuse with phagosomes.

Production and evaluation of chicken egg-yolk-derived antibodies against Campylobacter jejuni colonization-associated proteins

Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most important causes of foodborne gastroenteritis. Chickens are considered a reservoir host of C. jejuni, and epidemiological studies have shown that contaminated chicken meat is a primary source of human infection. The objective of this study was to produce chicken egg-yolk-derived antibody (IgY) against the five C. jejuni colonization-associated proteins or CAPs (CadF, FlaA, MOMP, FlpA, and CmeC). Recombinant C. jejuni CAPs were expressed in Escherichia coli and were purified by affinity chromatography. Specific-pathogen-free laying hens were hyperimmunized with each recombinant CAP to induce production of α-CAP-specific IgY. Egg yolks were collected from immunized and nonimmunized hens and were lyophilized to obtain egg-yolk powder (EYP) with or without α-C. jejuni CAP-specific IgY. IgY was purified from EYP, and the antibody response in serum and egg yolk was tested by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The α-C. jejuni CAP-specific IgY levels were significantly (p<0.05) higher in both serum and EYP obtained from immunized hens as compared with the nonimmunized hens. Each α-C. jejuni CAP-specific IgY reacted with the C. jejuni cells and recombinant CAPs as detected by immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blot assays, respectively. We also show that α-CadF, α-MOMP, and α-CmeC IgY significantly reduced adherence of C. jejuni to the chicken hepatocellular carcinoma (LMH) cells, suggesting that these α-C. jejuni CAP-specific IgY may be useful as a passive immunotherapeutic to reduce C. jejuni colonization in chickens.

Genome-wide association analysis of avian resistance to Campylobacter jejuni colonization identifies risk locus spanning the CDH13 gene

The enteropathogen Campylobacter jejuni is a major worldwide health and economic burden, being one of the leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis and commonly linked to postinfectious onset of autoimmune disease. Chickens are a major vector for human infection and even though variation in avian colonization level is heritable, no previous studies have identified regions of the genome associated with colonization resistance. We performed a genome-wide association study of resistance to C. jejuni colonization in the avian intestine by controlling for population structure, which revealed a risk locus with genome-wide significance spanning the T-cadherin (CDH13) gene. A second possible risk locus was also identified close to calmodulin (CALM1), a calcium-activated modulator of cadherin function. In addition, gene expression analysis of mRNA sequencing profiles revealed that the relative expression of the two genes is significantly associated with colonization resistance. Functional studies have previously demonstrated involvement of cadherins and calmodulin in C. jejuni intracellular invasion and colonization of human intestinal epithelial cells in vitro. Consistent with this finding, our analysis reveals that variation surrounding these genes is associated with avian colonization resistance in vivo and highlights their potential as possible targets for control of the bacterium in avian and human populations.

Enhanced adhesion of Campylobacter jejuni to abiotic surfaces is mediated by membrane proteins in oxygen-enriched conditions

Campylobacter jejuni is responsible for the major foodborne bacterial enteritis in humans. In contradiction with its fastidious growth requirements, this microaerobic pathogen can survive in aerobic food environments, suggesting that it must employ a variety of protection mechanisms to resist oxidative stress. For the first time, C. jejuni 81-176 inner and outer membrane subproteomes were analyzed separately using two-dimensional protein electrophoresis (2-DE) of oxygen-acclimated cells and microaerobically grown cells. LC-MS/MS analyses successfully identified 42 and 25 spots which exhibited a significantly altered abundance in the IMP-enriched fraction and in the OMP-enriched fraction, respectively, in response to oxidative conditions. These spots corresponded to 38 membrane proteins that could be grouped into different functional classes: (i) transporters, (ii) chaperones, (iii) fatty acid metabolism, (iv) adhesion/virulence and (v) other metabolisms. Some of these proteins were up-regulated at the transcriptional level in oxygen-acclimated cells as confirmed by qRT-PCR. Downstream analyses revealed that adhesion of C. jejuni to inert surfaces and swarming motility were enhanced in oxygen-acclimated cells or paraquat-stressed cells, which could be explained by the higher abundance of membrane proteins involved in adhesion and biofilm formation. The virulence factor CadF, over-expressed in the outer membrane of oxygen-acclimated cells, contributes to the complex process of C. jejuni adhesion to inert surfaces as revealed by a reduction in the capability of C. jejuni 81-176 ΔCadF cells compared to the isogenic strain.Taken together, these data demonstrate that oxygen-enriched conditions promote the over-expression of membrane proteins involved in both the biofilm initiation and virulence of C. jejuni.

Avian resistance to Campylobacter jejuni colonization is associated with an intestinal immunogene expression signature identified by mRNA sequencing

Campylobacter jejuni is the most common cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis and is associated with several post-infectious manifestations, including onset of the autoimmune neuropathy Guillain-Barré syndrome, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Poorly-cooked chicken meat is the most frequent source of infection as C. jejuni colonizes the avian intestine in a commensal relationship. However, not all chickens are equally colonized and resistance seems to be genetically determined. We hypothesize that differences in immune response may contribute to variation in colonization levels between susceptible and resistant birds. Using high-throughput sequencing in an avian infection model, we investigate gene expression associated with resistance or susceptibility to colonization of the gastrointestinal tract with C. jejuni and find that gut related immune mechanisms are critical for regulating colonization. Amongst a single population of 300 4-week old chickens, there was clear segregation in levels of C. jejuni colonization 48 hours post-exposure. RNAseq analysis of caecal tissue from 14 C. jejuni-susceptible and 14 C. jejuni-resistant birds generated over 363 million short mRNA sequences which were investigated to identify 219 differentially expressed genes. Significantly higher expression of genes involved in the innate immune response, cytokine signaling, B cell and T cell activation and immunoglobulin production, as well as the renin-angiotensin system was observed in resistant birds, suggesting an early active immune response to C. jejuni. Lower expression of these genes in colonized birds suggests suppression or inhibition of a clearing immune response thus facilitating commensal colonization and generating vectors for zoonotic transmission. This study describes biological processes regulating C. jejuni colonization of the avian intestine and gives insight into the differential immune mechanisms incited in response to commensal bacteria in general within vertebrate populations. The results reported here illustrate how an exaggerated immune response may be elicited in a subset of the population, which alters host-microbe interactions and inhibits the commensal state, therefore having wider relevance with regard to inflammatory and autoimmune disease.

A tolerogenic mucosal immune response leads to persistent Campylobacter jejuni colonization in the chicken gut

Campylobacter enteritis is the most reported zoonotic disease in many developed countries where it imposes a serious health burden. Campylobacter transmission to humans occurs primarily through the chicken vector. Chicks are regarded as a natural host for Campylobacter species and are colonized with C. jejuni in particular. But despite carrying a very high bacterial load in their gastrointestinal tract, these birds, in contrast to humans, do not develop pathological signs. It seems that in chickens C. jejuni principally harbors in the cecal mucosal crypts, where an inefficient inflammatory response fails to clear the bacterium from the gut. Recent intensive research resulted in an increased insight into the cross talk between C. jejuni and its avian host. This review discusses the chicken intestinal mucosal immune response upon C. jejuni entrance, leading to tolerance and persistent cecal colonization. It might in addition provide a solid base for further research regarding this topic aiming to fully understand the host-bacterium dynamics of C. jejuni in chicks and to develop effective control measures to clear this zoonotic pathogen from poultry lines.

Colonization factors of Campylobacter jejuni in the chicken gut

Campylobacter contaminated broiler chicken meat is an important source of foodborne gastroenteritis and poses a serious health burden in industrialized countries. Broiler chickens are commonly regarded as a natural host for this zoonotic pathogen and infected birds carry a very high C. jejuni load in their gastrointestinal tract, especially the ceca. This eventually results in contaminated carcasses during processing. Current intervention methods fail to reduce the colonization of broiler chicks by C. jejuni due to an incomplete understanding on the interaction between C. jejuni and its avian host. Clearly, C. jejuni developed several survival and colonization mechanisms which are responsible for its highly adapted nature to the chicken host. But how these mechanisms interact with one another, leading to persistent, high-level cecal colonization remains largely obscure. A plethora of mutagenesis studies in the past few years resulted in the identification of several of the genes and proteins of C. jejuni involved in different aspects of the cellular response of this bacterium in the chicken gut. In this review, a thorough, up-to-date overview will be given of the survival mechanisms and colonization factors of C. jejuni identified to date. These factors may contribute to our understanding on how C. jejuni survival and colonization in chicks is mediated, as well as provide potential targets for effective subunit vaccine development.

Horizontal gene transfers with or without cell fusions in all categories of the living matter

This article reviews the history of widespread exchanges of genetic segments initiated over 3 billion years ago, to be part of their life style, by sphero-protoplastic cells, the ancestors of archaea, prokaryota, and eukaryota. These primordial cells shared a hostile anaerobic and overheated environment and competed for survival. "Coexist with, or subdue and conquer, expropriate its most useful possessions, or symbiose with it, your competitor" remain cellular life's basic rules. This author emphasizes the role of viruses, both in mediating cell fusions, such as the formation of the first eukaryotic cell(s) from a united crenarchaeon and prokaryota, and the transfer of host cell genes integrated into viral (phages) genomes. After rising above the Darwinian threshold, rigid rules of speciation and vertical inheritance in the three domains of life were established, but horizontal gene transfers with or without cell fusions were never abolished. The author proves with extensive, yet highly selective documentation, that not only unicellular microorganisms, but the most complex multicellular entities of the highest ranks resort to, and practice, cell fusions, and donate and accept horizontally (laterally) transferred genes. Cell fusions and horizontally exchanged genetic materials remain the fundamental attributes and inherent characteristics of the living matter, whether occurring accidentally or sought after intentionally. These events occur to cells stagnating for some 3 milliard years at a lower yet amazingly sophisticated level of evolution, and to cells achieving the highest degree of differentiation, and thus functioning in dependence on the support of a most advanced multicellular host, like those of the human brain. No living cell is completely exempt from gene drains or gene insertions.

Purified chicken intestinal mucin attenuates Campylobacter jejuni pathogenicity in vitro

Campylobacter jejuni is a major causative agent of diarrhoeal disease worldwide in the human population. In contrast, heavy colonization of poultry typically does not lead to disease and colonized chickens are a major source of Campylobacter infections in humans. Previously, we have shown that chicken (but not human) intestinal mucus inhibits C. jejuni internalization. In this study, we test the hypothesis that chicken mucin, the main component of mucus, is responsible for this inhibition of C. jejuni virulence. Purified chicken intestinal mucin attenuated C. jejuni binding and internalization into HCT-8 cells depending on the site of origin of the mucin (large intestine>small intestine>caecum). C. jejuni invasion of HCT-8 cells was preferentially inhibited compared to bacterial binding to cells. Exposure of the mucin to sodium metaperiodate recovered bacterial invasion levels, suggesting a glycan-mediated effect. However, fucosidase or sialidase pre-treatment of mucin failed to abrogate the inhibition of C. jejuni pathogenicity. In conclusion, differences in the composition of chicken and human intestinal mucin may contribute to the differential outcome of Campylobacter infection of these hosts.

Activation of human and chicken toll-like receptors by Campylobacter spp

Campylobacter infection in humans is accompanied by severe inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, in contrast to colonization of chicken. The basis for the differential host response is unknown. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) sense and respond to microbes in the body and participate in the induction of an inflammatory response. Thus far, the interaction of Campylobacter with chicken TLRs has not been studied. Here, we investigated the potential of four Campylobacter strains to activate human TLR1/2/6, TLR4, TLR5, and TLR9 and chicken TLR2t2/16, TLR4, TLR5, and TLR21. Live bacteria showed no or very limited potential to activate TLR2, TLR4, and TLR5 of both the human and chicken species, with minor but significant differences between Campylobacter strains. In contrast, lysed bacteria induced strong NF-kappaB activation through human TLR1/2/6 and TLR4 and chicken TLR2t2/16 and TLR4 but not via TLR5 of either species. Interestingly, C. jejuni induced TLR4-mediated beta interferon in human but not chicken cells. Furthermore, isolated chromosomal Campylobacter DNA was unable to activate human TLR9 in our system, whereas chicken TLR21 was activated by DNA from all of the campylobacters tested. Our data are the first comparison of TLR-induced immune responses in humans and chickens. The results suggest that differences in bacterial cell wall integrity and in TLR responses to Campylobacter LOS and/or DNA may contribute to the distinct clinical manifestation between the species.

Strain-specific probiotic (Lactobacillus helveticus) inhibition of Campylobacter jejuni invasion of human intestinal epithelial cells

Campylobacter jejuni is the most common bacterial cause of enterocolitis in humans, leading to diarrhoea and chronic extraintestinal diseases. Although probiotics are effective in preventing other enteric infections, beneficial microorganisms have not been extensively studied with C. jejuni. The aim of this study was to delineate the ability of selected probiotic Lactobacillus strains to reduce epithelial cell invasion by C. jejuni. Human colon T84 and embryonic intestine 407 epithelial cells were pretreated with Lactobacillus strains and then infected with two prototypic C. jejuni pathogens. Lactobacillus helveticus, strain R0052 reduced C. jejuni invasion into T84 cells by 35-41%, whereas Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 did not reduce pathogen invasion. Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 also decreased invasion of one C. jejuni isolate (strain 11168) into intestine 407 cells by 55%. Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 adhered to both epithelial cell types, which suggest that competitive exclusion could contribute to protection by probiotics. Taken together, these findings indicate that the ability of selected probiotics to prevent C. jejuni-mediated disease pathogenesis depends on the pathogen strain, probiotic strain and the epithelial cell type selected. The data support the concept of probiotic strain selectivity, which is dependent on the setting in which it is being evaluated and tested.

Differential modulation of beta-defensin gene expression by Salmonella Enteritidis in intestinal epithelial cells from resistant and susceptible chicken inbred lines

beta-Defensins are important components of innate immunity in mucosal tissue, a major entry site for several pathogens. These small cationic peptides possess antimicrobial activity against various microorganisms including Salmonella. Two chicken inbred lines, 6 and 15I, diverge phenotypically with respect to levels of Salmonella Enteritidis intestinal carriage and to level of gene expression of two beta-defensins, AvBD1 and AvBD2. The cellular source of these two defensins in the intestinal tissue has not previously been explored. Therefore embryonic intestinal cells were isolated from both chicken lines. Primary intestinal cell cultures expressed epithelial specific markers (villin and E-cadherin) and differentially expressed two beta-defensin genes AvBD1 and AvBD2 according to chicken line. Furthermore, S. Enteritidis interfered with AvBD2 expression only in the cells from the susceptible line 15I. Our embryonic cell culture model demonstrated that intestinal epithelium express beta-defensin antimicrobial peptides that may play a role in immunoprotection against Salmonella Enteritidis.

Examination of Campylobacter jejuni putative adhesins leads to the identification of a new protein, designated FlpA, required for chicken colonization

Campylobacter jejuni colonization of chickens is presumably dependent upon multiple surface-exposed proteins termed adhesins. Putative C. jejuni adhesins include CadF, CapA, JlpA, major outer membrane protein, PEB1, Cj1279c, and Cj1349c. We examined the genetic relatedness of 97 C. jejuni isolates recovered from human, poultry, bovine, porcine, ovine, and canine sources by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and examined their profile of putative adhesin-encoding genes by dot blot hybridization. To assess the individual contribution of each protein in bacterium-host cell adherence, the C. jejuni genes encoding the putative adhesins were disrupted by insertional mutagenesis. The phenotype of each mutant was judged by performing in vitro cell adherence assays with chicken LMH hepatocellular carcinoma epithelial cells and in vivo colonization assays with broiler chicks. MLST analysis indicated that the C. jejuni isolates utilized in this study were genetically diverse. Dot blot hybridization revealed that the C. jejuni genes encoding the putative adhesins, with the exception of capA, were conserved among the isolates. The C. jejuni CadF, CapA, Cj1279c, and Cj1349c proteins were found to play a significant role in the bacterium's in vitro adherence to chicken epithelial cells, while CadF, PEB1, and Cj1279c were determined to play a significant role in the bacterium's in vivo colonization of broiler chicks. Collectively, the data indicate that Cj1279c is a novel adhesin. Because Cj1279c harbors fibronectin type III domains, we designated the protein FlpA, for fibronectin-like protein A.