University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, BS16 1QY, Bristol, UK. Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Mueller Laboratory, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, BS40 5DU, Bristol, UK.
Environ Microbiol Rep. 2009 Jun;1(3):198-207. doi: 10.1111/j.1758-2229.2009.00031.x. Epub 2009 Apr 28.
Free-living microbivorous helminths that consume pathogenic bacteria could offer an environmental refuge for those pathogens and also, in the case of accidental ingestion, could transmit food-borne pathogens to humans and livestock. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the survival of Salmonella bacteria that had been ingested by the helminth Caenorhabditis elegans with that of the bacteria alone, in a series of experiments to mimic harsh environmental conditions. Using lux gene technology to record the in vivo growth of Salmonella we found that when inside C. elegans, the Salmonella exhibited enhanced survival at pH 2 and 3, in the presence of chlorine and when exposed to UV irradiation, thereby providing an environmental refuge or reservoir for the bacteria. On inoculating laboratory mice with C. elegans that had been fed on bioluminescent Salmonella, real-time imaging showed that animals developed a systemic bacterial infection, indicating that free-living helminths could play a role as a vector of pathogens.
自由生活的食菌性蠕虫如果摄入了致病性细菌，这些细菌可能会在环境中得到庇护，而且如果不慎摄入，食源性致病菌也可能会传播给人类和牲畜。为了验证这一假设，我们通过一系列模拟恶劣环境条件的实验，比较了已被秀丽隐杆线虫这种蠕虫摄入的沙门氏菌与单独的细菌的存活情况。我们使用lux 基因技术来记录沙门氏菌的体内生长情况，结果发现，当沙门氏菌在秀丽隐杆线虫体内时，其在 pH 值为 2 和 3、存在氯和暴露于紫外线照射的条件下，表现出更强的生存能力，从而为细菌提供了一个环境庇护所或储库。在用发光的沙门氏菌喂养实验室小鼠后，实时成像显示动物发生了全身性细菌感染，表明自由生活的蠕虫可能会充当病原体的载体。
