Abstract
BackgroundStaphylococcus epidermidis bacteria are a major cause of biomaterial-associated infections in modern medicine. Yet there is little known about the host responses against this normally innocent bacterium in the context of infection of biomaterials. In order to better understand the factors involved in this process, a whole animal model with high throughput screening possibilities and markers for studying the host response to S. epidermidis infection are required.ResultsWe have used a zebrafish yolk injection system to study bacterial proliferation and the host response in a time course experiment of S. epidermidis infection. By combining an automated microinjection system with complex object parametric analysis and sorting (COPAS) technology we have quantified bacterial proliferation. This system was used together with transcriptome analysis at several time points during the infection period. We show that bacterial colony forming unit (CFU) counting can be replaced by high throughput flow-based fluorescence analysis of embryos enabling high throughput readout. Comparison of the host transcriptome response to S. epidermidis and Mycobacterium marinum infection in the same system showed that M. marinum has a far stronger effect on host gene regulation than S. epidermidis. However, multiple genes responded differently to S. epidermidis infection than to M. marinum, including a cell adhesion gene linked to specific infection by staphylococci in mammals.ConclusionsOur zebrafish embryo infection model allowed (i) quantitative assessment of bacterial proliferation, (ii) identification of zebrafish genes serving as markers for infection with the opportunistic pathogen S. epidermidis, and (iii) comparison of the transcriptome response of infection with S. epidermidis and with the pathogen M. marinum. As a result we have identified markers that can be used to distinguish common and specific responses to S. epidermidis. These markers enable the future integration of our high throughput screening technology with functional analyses of immune response genes and immune modulating factors.
Highlights
Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria are a major cause of biomaterial-associated infections in modern medicine
Pathogenesis of S. epidermidis and S. aureus in zebrafish embryos We first set out to compare S. epidermidis infected zebrafish embryos with embryos infected with S. aureus
At 1 day post injection (DPI) several small spots of fluorescent bacteria were observed inside the yolk with all colony forming unit (CFU) doses (Figure 1A), which were absent in mock-injected controls
Summary
Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria are a major cause of biomaterial-associated infections in modern medicine. In order to better understand the factors involved in this process, a whole animal model with high throughput screening possibilities and markers for studying the host response to S. epidermidis infection are required. In order to better understand the cause of this phenomenon and to assess the propensity of different bacterial strains and biomaterials to alter and trigger the immune response in the host, a whole animal model with high throughput screening possibilities is desired. This will help identifying which factors determine that innocent bacteria become less susceptible to host defence mechanisms or antibiotic treatments when associated with biomaterials. In this high throughput model no transcriptome analysis has been performed until now
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
