Silkworm model for Bacillus anthracis infection and virulence determination. Issue 1 (31st December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Paudel, Atmika; Furuta, Yoshikazu; Higashi, Hideaki
• Is Part Of: Virulence. Volume 12:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 2285
• Page End: 2295
• Publication Date: 2021-12-31
• Subjects: Bacillus anthracis -- bombyx mori -- silkworm -- virulence -- animal model -- host-pathogen interaction; Virulence (Microbiology) -- Periodicals; Bacterial diseases -- Periodicals; Molecular microbiology -- Periodicals; 579.05
• DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1965830
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2150-5608

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Bacillus anthracis is an obligate pathogen and a causative agent of anthrax. Its major virulence factors are plasmid-coded; however, recent studies have revealed chromosome-encoded virulence factors, indicating that the current understanding of its virulence mechanism is elusive and needs further investigation. In this study, we established a silkworm ( Bombyx mori) infection model of B. anthracis . We showed that silkworms were killed by B. anthracis Sterne and cured of the infection when administered with antibiotics. We quantitatively determined the lethal dose of the bacteria that kills 50% larvae and effective doses of antibiotics that cure 50% infected larvae. Furthermore, we demonstrated that B. anthracis mutants with disruption in virulence genes such as pagA, lef, and atxA had attenuated silkworm-killing ability and reduced colonization in silkworm hemolymph. The silkworm infection model established in this study can be utilized in large-scale infection experiments to identify novel virulence determinants and develop novel therapeutic options against B. anthracis infections.