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Van Looveren N, IJdema F, van der Heijden N, Van Der Borght M, Vandeweyer D. Microbial dynamics and vertical transmission of Escherichia coli across consecutive life stages of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens). Anim Microbiome 2024; 6:29. [PMID: 38797818 PMCID: PMC11129375 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-024-00317-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens L.) is one of the most promising insects for bioconversion of organic waste, which often carry a high microbial load with potential foodborne pathogens. Although horizontal transmission (from rearing substrate to larvae) has been extensively studied, less is known about vertical transmission of microorganisms, and particularly of foodborne pathogens, across different BSF life stages. RESULTS This study investigated the microbial dynamics and vertical transmission of Escherichia coli across different life stages (larvae, prepupae, pupae and adults) of one BSF life cycle and its associated substrate (chicken feed) and frass, based on a combination of general microbial counts (based on culture-dependent techniques) and the bacterial community composition (based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing). Multiple interactions between the microbiota of the substrate, frass and BSF larvae were affirmed. The larvae showed relative consistency among both the microbial counts and bacterial community composition. Diversification of the bacterial communities started during the pupal stage, while most notable changes of the microbial counts and bacterial community compositions occurred during metamorphosis to adults. Furthermore, vertical transmission of E. coli was investigated after substrate inoculation with approximately 7.0 log cfu/g of kanamycin-resistant E. coli, and monitoring E. coli counts from larval to adult stage. Although the frass still contained substantial levels of E. coli (> 4.5 log cfu/g) and E. coli was taken up by the larvae, limited vertical transmission of E. coli was observed with a decreasing trend until the prepupal stage. E. coli counts were below the detection limit (1.0 log cfu/g) for all BSF samples from the end of the pupal stage and the adult stage. Additionally, substrate inoculation of E. coli did not have a substantial impact on the bacterial community composition of the substrate, frass or different BSF life stages. CONCLUSIONS The fluctuating microbial counts and bacterial community composition underscored the dynamic character of the microbiota of BSF life stages. Additionally, vertical transmission throughout one BSF life cycle was not observed for E. coli. Hence, these findings paved the way for future case studies on vertical transmission of foodborne pathogens across consecutive BSF life stages or other insect species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Van Looveren
- KU Leuven, Geel Campus, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Research Group for Insect Production and Processing, Kleinhoefstraat 4, Geel, 2440, Belgium
| | - Freek IJdema
- KU Leuven, Geel Campus, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Research Group for Insect Production and Processing, Kleinhoefstraat 4, Geel, 2440, Belgium
| | - Niels van der Heijden
- KU Leuven, Geel Campus, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Research Group for Insect Production and Processing, Kleinhoefstraat 4, Geel, 2440, Belgium
| | - Mik Van Der Borght
- KU Leuven, Geel Campus, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Research Group for Insect Production and Processing, Kleinhoefstraat 4, Geel, 2440, Belgium
| | - Dries Vandeweyer
- KU Leuven, Geel Campus, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Research Group for Insect Production and Processing, Kleinhoefstraat 4, Geel, 2440, Belgium.
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Tong Y, Wei Y, Ju Y, Li P, Zhang Y, Li L, Gao L, Liu S, Liu D, Hu Y, Li Z, Yu H, Luo Y, Wang J, Wang Y, Zhang Y. Anaerobic purinolytic enzymes enable dietary purine clearance by engineered gut bacteria. Cell Chem Biol 2023; 30:1104-1114.e7. [PMID: 37164019 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Uric acid, the end product of purine degradation, causes hyperuricemia and gout, afflicting hundreds of millions of people. The debilitating effects of gout are exacerbated by dietary purine intake, and thus a potential therapeutic strategy is to enhance purine degradation in the gut microbiome. Aerobic purine degradation involves oxidative dearomatization of uric acid catalyzed by the O2-dependent uricase. The enzymes involved in purine degradation in strictly anaerobic bacteria remain unknown. Here we report the identification and characterization of these enzymes, which include four hydrolases belonging to different enzyme families, and a prenyl-flavin mononucleotide-dependent decarboxylase. Introduction of the first two hydrolases to Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 enabled its anaerobic growth on xanthine as the sole nitrogen source. Oral supplementation of these engineered probiotics ameliorated hyperuricemia in a Drosophila melanogaster model, including the formation of renal uric acid stones and a shortened lifespan, providing a route toward the development of purinolytic probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Tong
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Department of Chemistry, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China
| | - Yifeng Wei
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138669, Singapore
| | - Yingjie Ju
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Peishan Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yumin Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, P.R. China
| | - Liqin Li
- Tianjin Speerise Challenge Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Zhangjiawo Industrial Park, No. 16 Huiyuan Road, Zhangjiawo Town, Xiqing District, Tianjin 300380, China
| | - Lujuan Gao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Shengnan Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Dazhi Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Meining Pharma Inc, 2-401-1, Bldg 8, Huiying Industrial Park, No. 86 West Zhonghuan Road, Tianjin Pilot Free Trade Zone, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Yiling Hu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hongbin Yu
- Department of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yunzi Luo
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Tianjin Speerise Challenge Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Zhangjiawo Industrial Park, No. 16 Huiyuan Road, Zhangjiawo Town, Xiqing District, Tianjin 300380, China
| | - Yiwen Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Department of Chemistry, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P.R. China.
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Raval D, Daley L, Eleftherianos I. Drosophila melanogaster larvae are tolerant to oral infection with the bacterial pathogen Photorhabdus luminescens. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.000938. [PMID: 37711508 PMCID: PMC10498274 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model for dissecting the molecular and functional bases of bacterial pathogenicity and host antibacterial immune response. The Gram-negative bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens is an insect-specific pathogen that forms a mutualistic relationship with the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora . Here we find that oral infection of D. melanogaster larvae with P. luminescens moderately reduces their survival ability while the bacteria replicate efficiently in the infected insects. This information will contribute towards understanding host gut immunity against potent bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhaivat Raval
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lillia Daley
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ioannis Eleftherianos
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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Verstraete L, Aizawa J, Govaerts M, De Vooght L, Lavigne R, Michiels J, Van den Bergh B, Cos P. In Vitro Persistence Level Reflects In Vivo Antibiotic Survival of Natural Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates in a Murine Lung Infection Model. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0497022. [PMID: 37140371 PMCID: PMC10269860 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04970-22] [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: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinicians are increasingly confronted with the limitations of antibiotics to clear bacterial infections in patients. It has long been assumed that only antibiotic resistance plays a pivotal role in this phenomenon. Indeed, the worldwide emergence of antibiotic resistance is considered one of the major health threats of the 21st century. However, the presence of persister cells also has a significant influence on treatment outcomes. These antibiotic-tolerant cells are present in every bacterial population and are the result of the phenotypic switching of normal, antibiotic-sensitive cells. Persister cells complicate current antibiotic therapies and contribute to the development of resistance. In the past, extensive research has been performed to investigate persistence in laboratory settings; however, antibiotic tolerance under conditions that mimic the clinical setting remain poorly understood. In this study, we optimized a mouse model for lung infections with the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this model, mice are intratracheally infected with P. aeruginosa embedded in seaweed alginate beads and subsequently treated with tobramycin via nasal droplets. A diverse panel of 18 P. aeruginosa strains originating from environmental, human, and animal clinical sources was selected to assess survival in the animal model. Survival levels were positively correlated with the survival levels determined via time-kill assays, a common method to study persistence in the laboratory. We showed that survival levels are comparable and thus that the classical persister assays are indicative of antibiotic tolerance in a clinical setting. The optimized animal model also enables us to test potential antipersister therapies and study persistence in relevant settings. IMPORTANCE The importance of targeting persister cells in antibiotic therapies is becoming more evident, as these antibiotic-tolerant cells underlie relapsing infections and resistance development. Here, we studied persistence in a clinically relevant pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is one of the six ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, P. aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.), which are considered major health threats. P. aeruginosa is mostly known to cause chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. We mimicked these lung infections in a mouse model to study persistence under more clinical conditions. It was shown that the survival levels of natural P. aeruginosa isolates in this model are positively correlated with the survival levels measured in classical persistence assays in vitro. These results not only validate the use of our current techniques to study persistence but also open opportunities to study new persistence mechanisms or evaluate new antipersister strategies in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Verstraete
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Juliana Aizawa
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Matthias Govaerts
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Linda De Vooght
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Michiels
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Van den Bergh
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paul Cos
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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