Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate Campylobacter jejuni NTCT 11168 adhesion to abiotic and biotic surfaces when grown in co-culture with Escherichia coli ATCC 11229 and/or Listeria monocytogenes 4b. Adhesion of C. jejuni to polystyrene and to Caco-2 cells and Acanthamoeba castellanii was lower for at least 3 log CFU/mL compared to E. coli and L. monocytogenes. Electron micrographs of ultrathin sections revealed interactions of C. jejuni with host cells. In co-culture with E. coli and L. monocytogenes, adhesion of C. jejuni to all tested surfaces was significantly increased for more than 1 log CFU/mL. There was 10% higher aggregation for C. jejuni than for other pathogens, and high co-aggregation of co-cultures of C. jejuni with E. coli and L. monocytogenes. These data show that C. jejuni in co-cultures with E. coli and L. monocytogenes present significantly higher risk than C. jejuni as mono-cultures, which need to be taken into account in risk evaluation. C. jejuni adhesion is a prerequisite for their colonization, biofilm formation, and further contamination of the environment. C. jejuni survival under adverse conditions as a factor in their pathogenicity and depends on their adhesion to different surfaces, not only as individual strains, but also in co-cultures with other bacteria like E. coli and L. monocytogenes.
Highlights
According to the World Health Organisation, the incidence and prevalence of campylobacteriosis is still increasing in both developed and developing countries, which is mainly associated with the consumption of undercooked poultry meat products, and with outbreaks arising from contaminated water [1]
In the 2 h of incubation, the numbers of intracellular bacteria were low, with >99% of the C. jejuni, E. coli, and L. monocytogenes attached to the Caco-2 cells and to A. castellanii
As bacterial adhesion is important for biofilm formation, we investigated the modulation of C. jejuni adhesion in co-cultures of the foodborne pathogens L. monocytogenes and E. coli
Summary
According to the World Health Organisation, the incidence and prevalence of campylobacteriosis is still increasing in both developed and developing countries, which is mainly associated with the consumption of undercooked poultry meat products, and with outbreaks arising from contaminated water [1]. The attachment of Campylobacter jejuni to materials used as industrial surfaces is an important step for bacterial adaptation, high frequency of resistance, and induced stress response mechanisms This promotes survival and persistence of C. jejuni in the food chain, and can lead to cross-contamination and transmission to a subsequent host [1,2,3,4]. It is known that C. jejuni can adhere to different inert surfaces (e.g., stainless steel, glass fibre, beads and coverslips, nitrocellulose membranes, various plastics) [2,3,5,6] and living surfaces (e.g., animal and human intestinal cell lines) [5,6,7,8,9,10] Cell adhesion to these surfaces is followed by biofilm formation, as an advanced protection mechanism against environmental stresses, antimicrobial agents, and the host immune system. Campylobacter adhesion contributes to the biofilms or biofouling formations that provide protected modes for bacterial growth and allow bacterial survival in hostile environments, whereby their physiology and behaviour are significantly different from their planktonic counterparts [1,3,11]
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