PUBLICATION
Engineered Salmonella allows real-time heterologous gene expression monitoring within infected zebrafish embryos
- Authors
- Medina, C., Santero, E., Gómez-Skarmeta, J.L., and Royo, J.L.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-120105-60
- Date
- 2012
- Source
- Journal of Biotechnology 157(3): 413-416 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Gómez-Skarmeta, José Luis, Royo, Jose Luis
- Keywords
- in vivo protein expression, salmonella pathogenesis, zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Bacterial Proteins/metabolism*
- Computer Systems
- Congo Red
- Embryo, Nonmammalian/microbiology
- Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial/drug effects
- Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial/physiology*
- Genetic Engineering/methods
- Host-Pathogen Interactions/physiology*
- Macrophages/metabolism
- Microscopy, Fluorescence
- Salicylates/pharmacology
- Salmonella Infections/diagnosis*
- Salmonella Infections/microbiology
- Salmonella Infections/physiopathology*
- Salmonella typhimurium/genetics*
- Zebrafish/embryology*
- PubMed
- 22178780 Full text @ J. Biotechnol.
Citation
Medina, C., Santero, E., Gómez-Skarmeta, J.L., and Royo, J.L. (2012) Engineered Salmonella allows real-time heterologous gene expression monitoring within infected zebrafish embryos. Journal of Biotechnology. 157(3):413-416.
Abstract
Microbial host–pathogen interactions have been traditionally well studied at genetic and physiological levels, but cell-resolution analyses have been particularly scarce. This has been especially remarkable for intracellular parasites for two major reasons: first, the inherent loss of bacteria traceability once infects its hosts; second and more important, the limited availability of genetic tools that allow a tight regulated expression of bacterial virulence genes once inside the host tissues. Here we present novel data supporting the use of zebrafish embryos to monitor Salmonella enterica serovar Thyphimurium infection. Intravenous infection of Salmonella can be easily monitored using in vivo fluorescence that allows the visualization of free-swimming bacteria through the circulatory system. Moreover, we have engineered Salmonella to voluntarily activate heterologous gene expression at any point during infection once inside the zebrafish macrophages using a salicylate-based expression system. This approach allows real-time cell-resolution in vivo monitoring of the infection. All together, this approach paves the road to cell-based resolution experiments that would be harder to mimic in other vertebrate infection models.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping