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Krueger Q, Phippen B, Reitzel A. Antibiotics alter development and gene expression in the model cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17349. [PMID: 38784394 PMCID: PMC11114123 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Antibiotics are commonly used for controlling microbial growth in diseased organisms. However, antibiotic treatments during early developmental stages can have negative impacts on development and physiology that could offset the positive effects of reducing or eliminating pathogens. Similarly, antibiotics can shift the microbial community due to differential effectiveness on resistant and susceptible bacteria. Though antibiotic application does not typically result in mortality of marine invertebrates, little is known about the developmental and transcriptional effects. These sublethal effects could reduce the fitness of the host organism and lead to negative changes after removal of the antibiotics. Here, we quantify the impact of antibiotic treatment on development, gene expression, and the culturable bacterial community of a model cnidarian, Nematostella vectensis. Methods Ampicillin, streptomycin, rifampicin, and neomycin were compared individually at two concentrations, 50 and 200 µg mL-1, and in combination at 50 µg mL-1 each, to assess their impact on N. vectensis. First, we determined the impact antibiotics have on larval development. Next Amplicon 16S rDNA gene sequencing was used to compare the culturable bacteria that persist after antibiotic treatment to determine how these treatments may differentially select against the native microbiome. Lastly, we determined how acute (3-day) and chronic (8-day) antibiotic treatments impact gene expression of adult anemones. Results Under most exposures, the time of larval settlement extended as the concentration of antibiotics increased and had the longest delay of 3 days in the combination treatment. Culturable bacteria persisted through a majority of exposures where we identified 359 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). The largest proportion of bacteria belonged to Gammaproteobacteria, and the most common ASVs were identified as Microbacterium and Vibrio. The acute antibiotic exposure resulted in differential expression of genes related to epigenetic mechanisms and neural processes, while constant application resulted in upregulation of chaperones and downregulation of mitochondrial genes when compared to controls. Gene Ontology analyses identified overall depletion of terms related to development and metabolism in both antibiotic treatments. Discussion Antibiotics resulted in a significant increase to settlement time of N. vectensis larvae. Culturable bacterial species after antibiotic treatments were taxonomically diverse. Additionally, the transcriptional effects of antibiotics, and after their removal result in significant differences in gene expression that may impact the physiology of the anemone, which may include removal of bacterial signaling on anemone gene expression. Our research suggests that impacts of antibiotics beyond the reduction of bacteria may be important to consider when they are applied to aquatic invertebrates including reef building corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinton Krueger
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States of America
- Computational Intelligence to Predict Health and Environmental Risks (CIPHER) Center, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States of America
| | - Britney Phippen
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States of America
| | - Adam Reitzel
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States of America
- Computational Intelligence to Predict Health and Environmental Risks (CIPHER) Center, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States of America
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Pike VL, Stevens EJ, Griffin AS, King KC. Within- and between-host dynamics of producer and non-producer pathogens. Parasitology 2023; 150:805-812. [PMID: 37394480 PMCID: PMC10478067 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
For infections to be maintained in a population, pathogens must compete to colonize hosts and transmit between them. We use an experimental approach to investigate within-and-between host dynamics using the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the animal host Caenorhabditis elegans. Within-host interactions can involve the production of goods that are beneficial to all pathogens in the local environment but susceptible to exploitation by non-producers. We exposed the nematode host to ‘producer’ and two ‘non-producer’ bacterial strains (specifically for siderophore production and quorum sensing), in single infections and coinfections, to investigate within-host colonization. Subsequently, we introduced infected nematodes to pathogen-naive populations to allow natural transmission between hosts. We find that producer pathogens are consistently better at colonizing hosts and transmitting between them than non-producers during coinfection and single infection. Non-producers were poor at colonizing hosts and between-host transmission, even when coinfecting with producers. Understanding pathogen dynamics across these multiple levels will ultimately help us predict and control the spread of infections, as well as contribute to explanations for the persistence of cooperative genotypes in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kayla C. King
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Krueger QA, Shore MH, Reitzel AM. Comparative transmission of bacteria from Artemia salina and Brachionus plicatilis to the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:fiac096. [PMID: 36036952 PMCID: PMC9521339 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbial community associated with animals (microbiome) is essential for development, physiology, and health of host organisms. A critical step to understand the assembly of microbiomes is to determine how effectively bacteria colonize and establish within the host. Bacteria commonly colonize hosts through vertical transmission, passively from the environment, or through food consumption. Using the prey feeding method (PFM), we test transmittance of Bacillus velezensis, Pseudoalteromonas spiralis, and Vibrio alginolyticus to Nematostella vectensis using two prey, Artemia salina and Brachionus plicatilis. We compare PFM to a solution uptake method (SUM) to quantify the concentration of bacteria in these host organisms, with plate counts. Larvae had a similar uptake with SUM at 6 h but had greater concentrations at 48 h versus PFM. Juveniles acquired similar concentrations at 6 h for SUM and PFM using B. plicatilis and A. salina. At 2 days, the quantity of bacteria vectored from PFM increased. After 7 days the CFUs decreased 2-fold with B. plicatilis and A. salina relative to the 2-day concentrations, and further decreased after 14 days. Therefore, prey-mediated methods provide greater microbe transplantation than SUM after 24 h, supporting this approach as a more successful inoculation method of individual bacterial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinton A Krueger
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Woodward Hall, Charlotte, NC 28223, United States
| | - Madisun H Shore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Woodward Hall, Charlotte, NC 28223, United States
| | - Adam M Reitzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Woodward Hall, Charlotte, NC 28223, United States
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Evaluation of changes in C. elegans immune response during bacterial infection: A single nematode approach. Microbes Infect 2021; 23:104846. [PMID: 34091025 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2021.104846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Routinely, studies were performed using age-synchronized group of C. elegans as host which suggested a collective response by the host system. Here, we report the modulation of immune response in a single nematode against Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis. Initially, the survival of wild-type N2 was tested and was found that S. aureus killed single nematode at 42 h while P. mirabilis failed to provoke infection but colonized the nematode's intestine. With this milieu, the pathogenicity of the bacteria was assessed by Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy and Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and was found that S. aureus in the presence of host elicited its virulence while P. mirabilis and Escherichia coli OP50 did not show any alteration. Vertical transmission of infection was also deduced by colony forming unit assay using Cyanine dyes. The MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis was also performed to identify the proteome changes in the single nematode that showcased different proteins related to various immune pathways. This study suggested the importance of understanding the infection pathology and traits of individual nematode which could help our understanding on otherwise the disordered processes during host and microbe interactions.
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Obeng N, Bansept F, Sieber M, Traulsen A, Schulenburg H. Evolution of Microbiota-Host Associations: The Microbe's Perspective. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:779-787. [PMID: 33674142 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbiota-host associations are ubiquitous in nature. They are often studied using a host-centered view, while microbes are assumed to have coevolved with hosts or colonize hosts as nonadapted entities. Both assumptions are often incorrect. Instead, many host-associated microbes are adapted to a biphasic life cycle in which they alternate between noncoadapted hosts and a free-living phase. Full appreciation of microbiota-host symbiosis thus needs to consider how microbes optimize fitness across this life cycle. Here, we evaluate the key stages of the biphasic life cycle and propose a new conceptual framework for microbiota-host interactions which includes an integrative measure of microbial fitness, related to the parasite fitness parameter R0, and which will help in-depth assessment of the evolution of these widespread associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Obeng
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1- 9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Florence Bansept
- Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, Ploen, Germany
| | - Michael Sieber
- Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, Ploen, Germany
| | - Arne Traulsen
- Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, Ploen, Germany
| | - Hinrich Schulenburg
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1- 9, 24118 Kiel, Germany; Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, Ploen, Germany.
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The antimicrobial peptide Brevinin-2ISb enhances the innate immune response against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by activating DAF-2/DAF-16 signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans, as determined by in vivo imaging. JOURNAL OF BIO-X RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1097/jbr.0000000000000079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Wan L, Lin J, Du H, Zhang Y, Bravo A, Soberón M, Sun M, Peng D. Bacillus thuringiensistargets the host intestinal epithelial junctions for successful infection ofCaenorhabditis elegans. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:1086-1098. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Liting Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070 Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070 Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Hongwen Du
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070 Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Yulan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070 Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Alejandra Bravo
- Instituto de BiotecnologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México Apdo. postal 510‐3, Cuernavaca, 62250 Morelos Mexico
| | - Mario Soberón
- Instituto de BiotecnologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México Apdo. postal 510‐3, Cuernavaca, 62250 Morelos Mexico
| | - Ming Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070 Hubei People's Republic of China
| | - Donghai Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural MicrobiologyHuazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070 Hubei People's Republic of China
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Schulenburg H, Félix MA. The Natural Biotic Environment of Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2017; 206:55-86. [PMID: 28476862 PMCID: PMC5419493 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.195511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 247] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms evolve in response to their natural environment. Consideration of natural ecological parameters are thus of key importance for our understanding of an organism's biology. Curiously, the natural ecology of the model species Caenorhabditis elegans has long been neglected, even though this nematode has become one of the most intensively studied models in biological research. This lack of interest changed ∼10 yr ago. Since then, an increasing number of studies have focused on the nematode's natural ecology. Yet many unknowns still remain. Here, we provide an overview of the currently available information on the natural environment of C. elegans We focus on the biotic environment, which is usually less predictable and thus can create high selective constraints that are likely to have had a strong impact on C. elegans evolution. This nematode is particularly abundant in microbe-rich environments, especially rotting plant matter such as decomposing fruits and stems. In this environment, it is part of a complex interaction network, which is particularly shaped by a species-rich microbial community. These microbes can be food, part of a beneficial gut microbiome, parasites and pathogens, and possibly competitors. C. elegans is additionally confronted with predators; it interacts with vector organisms that facilitate dispersal to new habitats, and also with competitors for similar food environments, including competitors from congeneric and also the same species. Full appreciation of this nematode's biology warrants further exploration of its natural environment and subsequent integration of this information into the well-established laboratory-based research approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hinrich Schulenburg
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts Universitaet zu Kiel, 24098 Kiel, Germany
| | - Marie-Anne Félix
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, École Normale Supérieure, L'université de Recherche Paris Sciences et Lettres, 75005, France
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Stanley CE, Grossmann G, i Solvas XC, deMello AJ. Soil-on-a-Chip: microfluidic platforms for environmental organismal studies. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:228-41. [PMID: 26645910 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc01285f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Soil is the habitat of countless organisms and encompasses an enormous variety of dynamic environmental conditions. While it is evident that a thorough understanding of how organisms interact with the soil environment may have substantial ecological and economical impact, current laboratory-based methods depend on reductionist approaches that are incapable of simulating natural diversity. The application of Lab-on-a-Chip or microfluidic technologies to organismal studies is an emerging field, where the unique benefits afforded by system miniaturisation offer new opportunities for the experimentalist. Indeed, precise spatiotemporal control over the microenvironments of soil organisms in combination with high-resolution imaging has the potential to provide an unprecedented view of biological events at the single-organism or single-cell level, which in turn opens up new avenues for environmental and organismal studies. Herein we review some of the most recent and interesting developments in microfluidic technologies for the study of soil organisms and their interactions with the environment. We discuss how so-called "Soil-on-a-Chip" technology has already contributed significantly to the study of bacteria, nematodes, fungi and plants, as well as inter-organismal interactions, by advancing experimental access and environmental control. Most crucially, we highlight where distinct advantages over traditional approaches exist and where novel biological insights will ensue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Stanley
- Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Guido Grossmann
- Cell Networks-Cluster of Excellence and Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Andrew J deMello
- Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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Xu L, Xu W, Jiang Y, Hu F, Li H. Effects of interactions of auxin-producing bacteria and bacterial-feeding nematodes on regulation of peanut growths. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124361. [PMID: 25867954 PMCID: PMC4395078 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The influences of an IAA (indole-3-acetic acid)-producing bacterium (Bacillus megaterium) and two bacterial-feeding nematodes (Cephalobus sp. or Mesorhabditis sp.) on the growth of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. cv. Haihua 1) after various durations of time were investigated in natural soils. The addition of bacteria and nematodes and incubation time all significantly affected plant growth, plant root growth, plant nutrient concentrations, soil nutrient concentrations, soil microorganisms and soil auxin concentration. The addition of nematodes caused greater increases in these indices than those of bacteria, while the addition of the combination of bacteria and nematodes caused further increases. After 42-day growth, the increases in soil respiration differed between the additions of two kinds of nematodes because of differences in their life strategies. The effects of the bacteria and nematodes on the nutrient and hormone concentrations were responsible for the increases in plant growth. These results indicate the potential for promoting plant growth via the addition of nematodes and bacteria to soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Xu
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Wensi Xu
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Ying Jiang
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Feng Hu
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Huixin Li
- Soil Ecology Lab, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
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Diaz SA, Mooring EQ, Rens EG, Restif O. Association with pathogenic bacteria affects life-history traits and population growth in Caenorhabditis elegans. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1653-63. [PMID: 25937908 PMCID: PMC4409413 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the relationship between individual life-history traits and population dynamics is an essential step to understand and predict natural selection. Model organisms that can be conveniently studied experimentally at both levels are invaluable to test the rich body of theoretical literature in this area. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, despite being a well-established workhorse in genetics, has only recently received attention from ecologists and evolutionary biologists, especially with respect to its association with pathogenic bacteria. In order to start filling the gap between the two areas, we conducted a series of experiments aiming at measuring life-history traits as well as population growth of C. elegans in response to three different bacterial strains: Escherichia coli OP50, Salmonella enterica Typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Whereas previous studies had established that the latter two reduced the survival of nematodes feeding on them compared to E. coli OP50, we report for the first time an enhancement in reproductive success and population growth for worms feeding on S. enterica Typhimurium. Furthermore, we used an age-specific population dynamic model, parameterized using individual life-history assays, to successfully predict the growth of populations over three generations. This study paves the way for more detailed and quantitative experimental investigation of the ecology and evolution of C. elegans and the bacteria it interacts with, which could improve our understanding of the fate of opportunistic pathogens in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Anaid Diaz
- Disease Dynamics Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of CambridgeMadingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Eric Q Mooring
- Disease Dynamics Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of CambridgeMadingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Elisabeth G Rens
- Disease Dynamics Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of CambridgeMadingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, UK
- Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics, EEMCS Faculty, Delft University of TechnologyDelft, The Netherlands
| | - Olivier Restif
- Disease Dynamics Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of CambridgeMadingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ES, UK
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