Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in mice reduces protective gut microbiota, augmenting disease pathways
Abstract
Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp), a major food-borne pathogen, is responsible for severe infections such as gastroenteritis and septicemia, which may be accompanied by life-threatening complications. While studies have evaluated factors that affect the virulence of the pathogen, none have investigated the interaction of Vp with gut microbiota. To address this knowledge gap, we compared the effect of Vp on gut bacterial community structure, immunity, liver and kidney function, in pseudo germ-free (PGF) mice and normal (control) mice. Significant damage to the ileum was observed in normal mice compared with the PGF mice. The inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in normal mice were ∼2.5-fold higher than in the PGF mice, and liver (ALT, AST, ALP) and kidney (BUN) function indices were ∼1.6-fold higher. The Vp infection substantially reduced species composition and richness of the gut microbial communities. In particular, there was a shift in keystone taxa, from protective species of genera Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Akkermansia in the gut of control mice to opportunistic pathogens Enterobacteriaceae, Proteus, Prevotella, and Sutterella in Vp-infected mice, thus affecting microbiota-related biological functions in the mice. Specifically, pathways involved in infectious diseases and ion channels were significantly augmented in infected mice, while the pathways involved in metabolism, digestion and cell growth declined. We propose that the normal mice are more prone to Vp infection because of the alteration in gut-microbe-mediated functions. All these effects reduce intestinal resistance, with marked damage to the gut lining and pathogen leakage into the blood culminating in liver and kidney damage. These findings greatly advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying interactions between Vp, the gut microbiota and the infected host.... [Show full abstract]
Keywords
pathogenesis; Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection; gut microbiota; 16S rRNA gene; gene sequencingFields of Research
100104 Genetically Modified Animals; 110706 Immunogenetics (incl. Genetic Immunology); 060406 Genetic Immunology; 060502 Infectious Agents; 070205 Animal Protection (Pests and Pathogens); 110801 Medical BacteriologyDate
2020-01Type
Journal ArticleCollections
© 2020 Wang, Deng, Deng, Sun, Fang, Sun, Wang and Gooneratne.