PUBLICATION

Experimental exposure of zebrafish, Danio rerio (Hamilton), to Mycobacterium marinum and Mycobacterium peregrinum reveals the gastrointestinal tract as the primary route of infection: a potential model for environmental mycobacterial infection

Authors
Harriff, M.J., Bermudez, L.E., and Kent, M.L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-070920-7
Date
2007
Source
Journal of fish diseases   30(10): 587-600 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Kent, Michael
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Acanthamoeba castellanii/microbiology
  • Animals
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Fish Diseases/microbiology*
  • Fish Diseases/pathology
  • Intestines/microbiology*
  • Liver/microbiology
  • Mycobacterium/pathogenicity*
  • Mycobacterium Infections/microbiology
  • Mycobacterium Infections/pathology
  • Mycobacterium Infections/veterinary*
  • Mycobacterium marinum/pathogenicity
  • Spleen/microbiology
  • Time Factors
  • Virulence
  • Water Microbiology
  • Zebrafish*
PubMed
17850575 Full text @ J. Fish Dis.
Abstract
The natural route by which fish become infected with mycobacteria is unknown. Danio rerio (Hamilton) were exposed by bath immersion and intubation to Mycobacterium marinum and Mycobacterium peregrinum isolates obtained from diseased zebrafish. Exposed fish were collected over the course of 8 weeks and examined for the presence of mycobacteriosis. Mycobacteria were consistently cultured from the intestines, and often from the livers and spleens of fish exposed by both methods. Mycobacteria were not observed in the gills. Histological analysis revealed that fish infected with M. marinum often developed granulomas accompanied by clinical signs of mycobacteriosis, while infection with M. peregrinum infrequently led to clinical signs of disease. Passage of the bacteria through environmental amoebae (Acanthamoeba castellani) was associated with increased growth of M. peregrinum over the course of 8 weeks, when compared to infection with the bacteria not passed through amoebae. The results provide evidence that zebrafish acquire mycobacteria primarily through the intestinal tract, resulting in mycobacterial dissemination.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping