Identification of Streptococcus phocae pathotypes by comparing virulence-associated traits of harbor seal isolates in primary airway epithelial cell models

通过比较原代气道上皮细胞模型中斑海豹分离株的毒力相关特征来鉴定海豹链球菌致病型

• 批准号: 430188958
• 负责人: Dr. Daniela Numberger
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Mikrobiologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2018-12-31 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/430188958?language=en
• 关键词: Identification; Streptococcus; phocae; pathotypes; comparing

Marine mammals are indicator species for the health status of the marine ecosystem and threaten by numerous biotic and abiotic factors. At the German coast, the most common diseases in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) are respiratory infections. Streptococcus phocae is one of the frequently isolated bacterial pathogen associated with those respiratory infections and characterized as gram-positive, beta-haemolytic, facultative anaerobic, catalase-negative and serologically heterogeneous. Its molecular infection mechanisms are nearly unknown. Thus, we aim within the applied project to characterize virulence-associated features including adherence, colonization, biofilm formation, invasion and cytotoxic effects of different S. phocae strains isolated from harbour seals. Investigations will be performed in two models that are used to study respiratory pathogens: air–liquid-interface (ALI) cultures and precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) of harbour seals that will be sampled from fresh carcasses or provided by the cooperation partner Prof. Prof. h.c. Dr. Ursula Siebert. Both models comprise highly differentiated primary airway epithelial cells and will allow us to mimicry natural conditions and to investigate a pathogen in its natural reservoir. In addition, we want to identify pathotypes by comparing the phenotypes with the appropriate genotypes. Genome sequences of a collection of different S. phocae strains will be provided by Prof. Dr. Marcus Fulde from Berlin. The outcome of this project will help to understand the molecular mechanisms that are involved in the infection of epithelial lung cells of harbour seals. As S. phocae being an emerging pathogen in wildlife this might be important, even as its possible zoonotic potential is not clarified yet.

海洋哺乳动物是海洋生态系统健康状况的指示物种，受到许多生物和非生物因素的威胁。在德国海岸，海豹(Phoca Vitulina)最常见的疾病是呼吸道感染。猪链球菌是呼吸道感染常见的致病菌之一，具有革兰氏阳性、β-溶血、兼性厌氧、过氧化氢酶阴性、血清学异质性等特点。其分子感染机制几乎未知。因此，在应用项目中，我们的目标是表征从海豹中分离的不同菌株的毒力相关特征，包括粘附性、定殖性、生物膜形成、侵袭性和细胞毒性效应。调查将在两个用于研究呼吸道病原体的模型中进行：空气-液体-界面(ALI)培养和从新鲜身体中采样或由合作伙伴h.c教授提供的海豹精密切割肺切片(PCL)。乌苏拉·西伯特博士。这两个模型都包含高度分化的原代呼吸道上皮细胞，将使我们能够模拟自然条件并研究其自然储存库中的病原体。此外，我们希望通过比较表型和合适的基因类型来确定致病类型。来自柏林的Marcus Fulde教授将提供一组不同的Phocae菌株的基因组序列。本项目的研究结果将有助于了解斑海豹上皮肺细胞感染的分子机制。由于金黄色葡萄球菌是野生动物中一种新出现的病原体，这一点可能很重要，尽管它可能的人畜共患病潜力尚不清楚。