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Virulence potential of Corynebacterium striatum towards Caenorhabditis elegans

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Abstract

Corynebacterium striatum strains have been increasingly reported as etiological agents of nosocomial infections and outbreaks in industrialized and developing countries. However, there are few studies focused on the virulence potential of C. striatum. A growing body of research supports the use of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model host for investigating the virulence potential of pathogenic bacteria, including corynebacteria. In the present study, chemotaxis behaviour, mortality, and morphological changes were investigated in nematodes infected by four C. striatum strains isolated from different clinical sites, and with different MDR profiles and PFGE types. The results showed chemotaxis of nematodes towards C. striatum. Nematode death (> 60%) was detected from the first day post-infection with all strains tested, but at different levels, independent of biofilm formation on catheter surfaces and differences in growth temperature between nematodes (20 °C) and mammals (37 °C). C. striatum 2369/II multidrug-resistant (MDR; from tracheal aspirate of a patient undergoing endotracheal intubation) and 1961/III multidrug-sensitive (MDS; urine) strains led to 100% mortality in worms. Survival of nematodes was observed until 4 days post-infection with the C. striatum 1954/IV MDS strain isolated from a surgical wound (13%) and 1987/I MDR strain isolated from a patient with a lower respiratory tract infection (39%). The Dar phenotype was observed post-infection with all MDS and MDR strains except 1954/IV. All strains showed the capacity for bagging formation. Star formation was observed only with strains that led to 100% nematode mortality. In conclusion, C. striatum was found to exert virulence for C. elegans. Variations in nematode morphological changes and levels of mortality indicate differences in the virulence potential of C. striatum independent of clinical isolation site, capacity for biofilm formation, and MDR and PFGE profiles.

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Acknowledgements

In memory: Doctor Raphael Hirata Júnior

Funding

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Sub-Reitoria de Pós-graduação e Pesquisa da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (SR-2/UERJ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Diphtheria and Corynebacteria of Clinical Relevance, The Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Diphtheria/National Health Foundation/Ministry of Health - FNS/MS, Brazil- LDCIC/FCM/UERJ, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Rio de Janeiro – UERJ, Av. 28 de Setembro, 87 - Fundos, 3° andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 20551-030, Brazil

    Cassius de Souza, Higor Franceschi Mota, Yuri Vieira Faria, Fellipe de Oliveira Cabral, Sabrina dos Santos Colodette, Maria E. Freire Castro Canellas, Andrezza do Espirito Santo Cucinelli, Maria das Graças de Luna, Cintia da Silva Santos & Ana Luíza Mattos-Guaraldi

  2. National Institute of Control and Quality in Health - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, INCQS, Av. Brasil, 4365 - Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21040-900, Brazil

    Liliane Simpson-Louredo

  3. Faculty of Pharmacy of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 - Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-170, Brazil

    Lílian de Oliveira Moreira

Authors
  1. Cassius de Souza
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  2. Liliane Simpson-Louredo
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  3. Higor Franceschi Mota
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  4. Yuri Vieira Faria
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  5. Fellipe de Oliveira Cabral
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  6. Sabrina dos Santos Colodette
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  7. Maria E. Freire Castro Canellas
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  8. Andrezza do Espirito Santo Cucinelli
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  9. Maria das Graças de Luna
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  10. Cintia da Silva Santos
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  11. Lílian de Oliveira Moreira
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  12. Ana Luíza Mattos-Guaraldi
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Contributions

Study conception or design: CS, LSL, ALMG. General orientation of the study: ALMG. Conductance of research: CS, LSL, HFM, YFV, FCO, SCS, MEFCC, AESC. Data analysis: CS, LOM, ALMG. Contribution of new methods or models: MGL, CSS. Writing of the paper: CS, LSL, ALMG.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ana Luíza Mattos-Guaraldi.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital University Pedro Hernesto of Rio de Janeiro City (no. CEUA CONCEA-029/2015).

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Souza, C., Simpson-Louredo, L., Mota, H.F. et al. Virulence potential of Corynebacterium striatum towards Caenorhabditis elegans. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 112, 1331–1340 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-019-01265-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-019-01265-9

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