Predicting virulence of Aeromonas isolates based on changes in transcription of c-jun and c-fos in human tissue culture cells

• Published in: Journal of applied microbiology 2009-09, Vol.107 (3), p.964-969
• Main Authors: Hayes, S.L, Waltmann, M, Donohue, M, Lye, D.J, Vesper, S.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aeromonas; Aeromonas - genetics; Aeromonas - isolation & purification; Aeromonas - metabolism; Aeromonas - pathogenicity; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Biological and medical sciences; c-fos; c-jun; Caco-2 Cells - microbiology; Cells, Cultured; Disease Models, Animal; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Intestine, Small - microbiology; Mice; Microbiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Predictive Value of Tests; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun - genetics; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Virulence; Water Microbiology; Water Supply
• ISSN: 1364-5072; 1365-2672
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2009.04276.x

To screen for the virulence potential of Aeromonas isolates based on the change in regulation of c-jun and c-fos in the human intestinal tissue culture cell line Caco-2. Aeromonas cells were added to Caco-2 cells at a ratio of approx. 1 : 1. After 1-, 2- and 3-h incubation at 37°C, mRNA was extracted from the cells and gene expression of two host genes, c-jun and c-fos, quantified. Aeromonas isolates which were pathogenic in the neonatal mouse model demonstrated up-regulation of c-jun and c-fos compared to avirulent isolates. Human cell culture results showed that c-jun and c-fos were predictive of Aeromonas virulence. An Aeromonas relative virulence scale is proposed for use in the testing of Aeromonas drinking water isolates.