Shigella Serotypes Associated With Carriage in Humans Establish Persistent Infection in Zebrafish

Abstract Shigella represents a paraphyletic group of enteroinvasive Escherichia coli. More than 40 Shigella serotypes have been reported. However, most cases within the men who have sex with men (MSM) community are attributed to 3 serotypes: Shigella sonnei unique serotype and Shigella flexneri 2a a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 2023-10, Vol.228 (8), p.1108-1118
Main Authors: Torraca, Vincenzo, Brokatzky, Dominik, Miles, Sydney L, Chong, Charlotte E, De Silva, P Malaka, Baker, Stephen, Jenkins, Claire, Holt, Kathryn E, Baker, Kate S, Mostowy, Serge
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Danio rerio
Dysentery, Bacillary - microbiology
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Immune system
Infections
Macrophages
Major
Male
Persistent Infection
Serogroup
Serotypes
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Shigella
Shigella flexneri
Zebrafish
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Summary:Abstract Shigella represents a paraphyletic group of enteroinvasive Escherichia coli. More than 40 Shigella serotypes have been reported. However, most cases within the men who have sex with men (MSM) community are attributed to 3 serotypes: Shigella sonnei unique serotype and Shigella flexneri 2a and 3a serotypes. Using the zebrafish model, we demonstrate that Shigella can establish persistent infection in vivo. Bacteria are not cleared by the immune system and become antibiotic tolerant. Establishment of persistent infection depends on the O-antigen, a key constituent of the bacterial surface and a serotype determinant. Representative isolates associated with MSM transmission persist in zebrafish, while representative isolates of a serotype not associated with MSM transmission do not. Isolates of a Shigella serotype establishing persistent infections elicited significantly less macrophage death in vivo than isolates of a serotype unable to persist. We conclude that zebrafish are a valuable platform to illuminate factors underlying establishment of Shigella persistent infection in humans. Torraca et al use the zebrafish model to study Shigella persistent infection. The authors show that the Shigella O-antigen is essential to establish persistent infection in vivo and that the carriage-serotype associations observed in humans are also observed in zebrafish.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/jiad326