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Evans, B A 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6849-9758 and Rozen, D E
(2012)
A Streptococcus pneumoniae infection model in larvae of the wax moth Galleria mellonella.
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 31 (10).
pp. 2653-2660.
ISSN 0934-9723
Abstract
The bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading human opportunistic pathogen. The limitations of the current vaccine have led to increased recognition of the need to understand bacterial behaviour and competitive dynamics using in vivo models of infection. Here, we investigate the potential application of the larvae of the wax moth Galleria mellonella as an informative infection model. Larvae were challenged with a range of doses of S. pneumoniae isolates differing in known virulence factors to determine the LD(50) values. Infection dynamics were determined by obtaining bacterial counts from larvae over a time course. Differences in virulence between serotypes could be distinguished in this host. Infection with strains differing in known virulence factors demonstrated predicted differences in virulence. Acapsulate and pneumolysin-negative strains were less virulent than their respective wild types. A large reduction in virulence was seen in strains lacking cell wall D-alanylation. The mortality of G. mellonella larvae is attributable to bacterial growth within larvae, while surviving larvae are able to clear infections by reducing bacterial numbers. These data demonstrate that G. mellonella larvae represent an in vivo infection model with applications for investigating aspects of bacterial-host interactions such as the role of antimicrobial peptide activity and resistance.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | animals,bacterial load,bacterial proteins,disease models, animal,genes, bacterial,host-pathogen interactions,larva,lethal dose 50,moths,pneumococcal infections,species specificity,streptococcus pneumoniae,streptolysins,virulence factors,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being |
| Faculty \ School: | Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School |
| UEA Research Groups: | Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Gastroenterology and Gut Biology Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Metabolic Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Pathogen Biology Group |
| Depositing User: | Pure Connector |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Sep 2016 00:09 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Sep 2024 12:06 |
| URI: | https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/59865 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10096-012-1609-7 |
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