scholarly journals Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra Jaeger, 1833) rescues Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected Caenorhabditis elegans via reduction of pathogen virulence factors and enhancement of host immunity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan-Ting Lee ◽  
Boon-Khai Tan ◽  
Su-Anne Eng ◽  
Gan Chee Yuen ◽  
Kit Lam Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Black Sea ◽  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
Indole Alkaloid ◽  
Host Immunity ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Pathogen Virulence ◽  
Holothuria Atra

AbstractA strategy to circumvent the problem of multidrug resistant pathogen is consumption of functional food rich in anti-infectives targeting bacterial virulence or host immunity. The black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) is a tropical marine sea cucumer species traditionally consumed as remedy for many ailments. There is a paucity of knowledge the anti-infectives capacity of H. atra and the underlying mechanisms involved. The objectives of this study were to utilize the Caenorhabditis elegans-P. aeruginosa infection model to assess the anti-infective properties of H. atra. We first showed the capacity of a H. atra extract and fraction in promoting survival of C. elegans during a customarily lethal P. aeruginosa infection. The same chemical entities also attenuate the production of several P. aeruginosa virulence factors and biofilm. Treatment of infected transgenic lys-7::GFP worms with H. atra fraction restored the repressed expression of lys-7, a defense enzyme, indicating improved host immunity. QTOF-LCMS analysis revealed the presence of aspidospermatidine, an indole alkaloid and inosine. Collectively, our finding shows that H. atra confers survival advantage in C. elegans against P. aeruginosa infection through inhibition of pathogen virulence and eventually, the restitution of host lys-7 expression.

scholarly journals Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra Jaeger, 1833) rescues Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected Caenorhabditis elegans via reduction of pathogen virulence factors and enhancement of host immunity

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 5759-5767
Author(s):  
Wan-Ting Lee ◽  
Boon-Khai Tan ◽  
Su-Anne Eng ◽  
Gan Chee Yuen ◽  
Kit Lam Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Black Sea ◽  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Host Immunity ◽  
Bacterial Virulence ◽  
Pathogen Virulence ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Pathogens ◽  
Holothuria Atra

A strategy to circumvent the problem of multidrug resistant pathogens is the discovery of anti-infectives targeting bacterial virulence or host immunity.

A triterpene glycoside from the black sea cucumber Holothuria atra

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
YE Puspitasari ◽  
E Tuenter ◽  
K Foubert ◽  
L Pieters ◽  
T De Bruyne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Sea ◽  
Triterpene Glycoside ◽  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Holothuria Atra

scholarly journals THE OCCURENCE & DISTRIBUTION OF TWO BLACK SEA CUCUMBER SPECIES IN POMBO ISLAND, CENTRAL MALUKU (INDONESIA)

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-63
Author(s):  
Ana Setyastuti
Keyword(s):  
Black Sea ◽  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
Local Community ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Sea Cucumbers ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Holothuria Atra

The so called “black sea cucumber” are found in Indonesia as several species including Holothuria atra, H. leucospilota, H. coluber, H. excellens and H. turriscelsa. The local community of Wainure village near Pombo Island in central Maluku had reported that most sea cucumbers inhabiting the island are the black sea cucumbers or locally known as “teripang hitam.” They are occasionally consumed but not exploited excessively by the locals. The goals of this study are to identify the species of black sea cucumbers inhabiting Pombo Island and map their distribution to understand the microhabitats of black sea cucumber. Two field surveys conducted in March and April 2014 collected more than 550 individuals of black sea cucumbers that belong to two species Holothuria (Halodeima) atra Jaeger, 1833, and Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) leucospilota Brandt, 1835. Furthermore, distribution maps of these two species show that they are found only along the SE to SW coast of the island. Such distribution may relate to the availability of marine vegetation, as well as boulders and stones that provide shelters to the organism. The distribution maps also show that H. atra has a wider distribution than H. leucospilota in Pombo Island. This may be due to the semi-cryptic habit of H. Leucospilota’s (i.e. hiding its posterior body under rocks or crevices), making its distribution restricted to areas that provide ample shelters.

scholarly journals Identification of a Novel Virulence Factor in Burkholderia cenocepacia H111 Required for Efficient Slow Killing of Caenorhabditis elegans

2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 7220-7230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Huber ◽  
Friederike Feldmann ◽  
Manuela Köthe ◽  
Peter Vandamme ◽  
Julia Wopperer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Burkholderia Cepacia ◽  
Bacterial Population ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Polyclonal Antibodies ◽  
Burkholderia Cenocepacia ◽  
Predicted Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
C Elegans

ABSTRACT Burkholderia cenocepacia H111, which was isolated from a cystic fibrosis patient, employs a quorum-sensing (QS) system, encoded by cep, to control the expression of virulence factors as well as the formation of biofilms. The QS system is thought to ensure that pathogenic traits are expressed only when the bacterial population density is high enough to overwhelm the host before it is able to mount an efficient response. While the wild-type strain effectively kills the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the pathogenicity of mutants with defective quorum sensing is attenuated. To date, very little is known about the cep-regulated virulence factors required for nematode killing. Here we report the identification of a cep-regulated gene, whose predicted amino acid sequence is highly similar to the QS-regulated protein AidA of the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum. By use of polyclonal antibodies directed against AidA, it is demonstrated that the protein is expressed in the late-exponential phase and accumulates during growth arrest. We show that B. cenocepacia H111 AidA is essential for slow killing of C. elegans but has little effect on fast killing, suggesting that the protein plays a role in the accumulation of the strain in the nematode gut. Thus, AidA appears to be required for establishing an infection-like process rather than acting as a toxin. Furthermore, evidence is provided that AidA is produced not only by B. cenocepacia but also by many other strains of the Burkholderia cepacia complex.

scholarly journals A novel virulence phenotype rapidly assesses Candida fungal pathogenesis in healthy and immunocompromised Caenorhabditis elegans hosts

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorian J. Feistel ◽  
Rema Elmostafa ◽  
Nancy Nguyen ◽  
McKenna Penley ◽  
Levi Morran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Fungal Infection ◽  
Immune Function ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Immunocompromised Host ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Pathogen Virulence ◽  
Delayed Reproduction ◽  
Growth Assay

AbstractThe yeast Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen of humans, meaning that despite commensal interactions with its host, it can transition to a harmful pathogen. While C. albicans is the predominant species isolated in the human mycobiome and implicated in fungal infection, infections due to non-albicans Candida species are rapidly rising. Studying the factors that contribute to virulence is often challenging and frequently depends on many contexts including host immune status and pathogen genetic background. Here, we utilize the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a perspicuous and efficient model host system to study fungal infections of Candida pathogens. We find that in addition to reducing lifetime host survival, exposure to C. albicans results in delayed reproduction, which significantly reduced lineage growth over multiple generations. Furthermore, we assessed fungal pathogen virulence in C. elegans hosts compromised for innate immune function and detected increased early mortality, reduced brood sizes and delayed reproduction relative to infected healthy hosts. Importantly, by assessing virulence in both healthy and immunocompromised host backgrounds we reveal the pathogen potential in non-albicans Candida species. Taken together, we present a novel lineage growth assay to measure reduction in host fitness associated with fungal infection and demonstrate significant interactions between pathogen and host immune function that contribute to virulence.

scholarly journals Caenorhabditis elegans as an Infection Model for Pathogenic Mold and Dimorphic Fungi: Applications and Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chukwuemeka Samson Ahamefule ◽  
Blessing C. Ezeuduji ◽  
James C. Ogbonna ◽  
Anene N. Moneke ◽  
Anthony C. Ike ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Filamentous Fungi ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Antifungal Agents ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Infection Model ◽  
Dimorphic Fungi ◽  
C Elegans

The threat burden from pathogenic fungi is universal and increasing with alarming high mortality and morbidity rates from invasive fungal infections. Understanding the virulence factors of these fungi, screening effective antifungal agents and exploring appropriate treatment approaches in in vivo modeling organisms are vital research projects for controlling mycoses. Caenorhabditis elegans has been proven to be a valuable tool in studies of most clinically relevant dimorphic fungi, helping to identify a number of virulence factors and immune-regulators and screen effective antifungal agents without cytotoxic effects. However, little has been achieved and reported with regard to pathogenic filamentous fungi (molds) in the nematode model. In this review, we have summarized the enormous breakthrough of applying a C. elegans infection model for dimorphic fungi studies and the very few reports for filamentous fungi. We have also identified and discussed the challenges in C. elegans-mold modeling applications as well as the possible approaches to conquer these challenges from our practical knowledge in C. elegans-Aspergillus fumigatus model.

scholarly journals Caenorhabditis elegans, a Model Organism for Investigating Immunity

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 2075-2081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth K. Marsh ◽  
Robin C. May
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Microsporidian Parasite ◽  
Content Type ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Pathogen Virulence ◽  
The Past ◽  
Animal Hosts

ABSTRACTThe nematodeCaenorhabditis eleganshas been a powerful experimental organism for almost half a century. Over the past 10 years, researchers have begun to exploit the power ofC. elegansto investigate the biology of a number of human pathogens. This work has uncovered mechanisms of host immunity and pathogen virulence that are analogous to those involved during pathogenesis in humans or other animal hosts, as well as novel immunity mechanisms which appear to be unique to the worm. More recently, these investigations have uncovered details of the natural pathogens ofC. elegans, including the description of a novel intracellular microsporidian parasite as well as new nodaviruses, the first identification of viral infections of this nematode. In this review, we consider the application ofC. elegansto human infectious disease research, as well as consider the nematode response to these natural pathogens.

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