Journal
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
Volume 10, Issue 1, Pages 277-290Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2021.1885999
Keywords
Francisella; Francisella tularensis; amoebae; tularemia; microbial ecology
Categories
Funding
- Direction Generale de l'Armement (DGA) [ANR-17-ASTR-0024]
- LABEX ECO-FECT of Universite de Lyon, within the program Investissements d'Avenir [ANR-11-LABX-0048, ANR-11-IDEX-0007]
- Croatian Science Foundation [HRZZ-IP-2016-9003]
- University of Rijeka [UNIRI-BIOMED-128]
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) [ANR-17-ASTR-0024] Funding Source: Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study explored the interactions between Francisella bacteria and amoebae in aquatic environments, revealing that amoebae likely enhance the survival of these bacteria in water. The complex interactions between bacteria and amoebae depend on the specific species of Francisella considered.
Francisella tularensis, a tier 1 select agent, is the causative bacterium of tularemia, a zoonosis with a large animal reservoir. However, F. tularensis, like many other Francisella species, is assumed to have an aquatic reservoir. The mechanisms of Francisella species persistence in surface water remain poorly characterized. In this study, we deeply investigated the long-term interactions of the tularemia agent F. tularensis subsp. holarctica, F. novicida or F. philomiragia with amoebae of the Acanthamoeba species. In amoeba plate screening tests, all the Francisella species tested resisted the attack by amoebae. In in vitro infection models, intra-amoebic growth of Francisella varied according to the involved bacterial species and strains, but also the amoeba culture medium used. In co-culture models, the amoebae favoured Francisella survival over 16 days, which was likely dependent on direct contact between bacteria and amoebae for F. novicida and on amoeba-excreted compounds for F. novicida and for F. tularensis. In a spring water co-culture model, amoebae again enhanced F. novicida survival and preserved bacterial morphology. Overall, our results demonstrate that amoebae likely promote Francisella survival in aquatic environments, including the tularemia agent F. tularensis. However, bacteria-amoebae interactions are complex and depend on the Francisella species considered.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available