Bioluminescent tracking of colonization and clearance dynamics of plasmid-deficient Yersinia pestis strains in a mouse model of septicemic plague

Jiyuan Zhou; Yujing Bi; Xianxing Xu; Yefeng Qiu; Qiong Wang; Na Feng; Yujun Cui; Yanfeng Yan; Lei Zhou; Yafang Tan; Huiying Yang; Zongmin Du; Yanping Han; Yajun Song; Pingping Zhang; Dongsheng Zhou; Yuanguo Cheng; Yusen Zhou; Ruifu Yang; Xiaoyi Wang

doi:10.1016/j.micinf.2013.11.013

Bioluminescent tracking of colonization and clearance dynamics of plasmid-deficient Yersinia pestis strains in a mouse model of septicemic plague

Microbes Infect. 2014 Mar;16(3):214-24. doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2013.11.013. Epub 2013 Dec 11.

Authors

Jiyuan Zhou¹, Yujing Bi², Xianxing Xu², Yefeng Qiu³, Qiong Wang², Na Feng², Yujun Cui², Yanfeng Yan², Lei Zhou², Yafang Tan², Huiying Yang², Zongmin Du², Yanping Han², Yajun Song², Pingping Zhang², Dongsheng Zhou², Yuanguo Cheng², Yusen Zhou², Ruifu Yang⁴, Xiaoyi Wang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China; Laboratory of Analytical Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China.
² Laboratory of Analytical Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China.
³ Laboratory Animal Research Center, Academy of Military Medical Science, Beijing 100071, China.
⁴ Laboratory of Analytical Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China. Electronic address: ruifuyang@gmail.com.
⁵ Laboratory of Analytical Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China. Electronic address: wgenome@13.com.

PMID: 24333143
DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2013.11.013

Abstract

Yersinia pestis 201 contains 4 plasmids pPCP1, pMT1, pCD1 and pCRY, but little is known about the effects of these plasmids on the dissemination of Y. pestis. We developed a plasmid-based luxCDABE bioreporter in Y. pestis 201, Y. pestis 201-pCD1(+), Y. pestis 201-pMT1(+), Y. pestis 201-pPCP1(+), Y. pestis 201-pCRY(+), Y. pestis 201-p(-) and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Pa36060 strains, and investigated their dissemination by bioluminescence imaging during primary septicemic plague in a mouse model. These strains mainly colonized the livers and spleens shortly after intravenous inoculation. Y. pestis 201-pMT1(+) appeared to have a stronger ability to survive in the livers, spleens and blood, and to be more virulent than other plasmid-deficient strains. Y. pestis 201-pPCP1(+) appeared to have a stronger ability to colonize lungs than other plasmid-deficient strains. Pa36060 has the strongest ability to colonize intestines and lungs. Y. pestis 201 has the strongest ability to survive in blood, and the strongest virulence. These results indicated that the plasmid pMT1 was an important determinant in the colonization of livers, spleens and blood, whereas the plasmid pPCP1 appeared to correlate with the colonization in lungs. The resistance to killing in mouse blood seemed to be the critical factor causing animal death.

Keywords: Bacterial dissemination; In vivo imaging; Plague; Yersinia pestis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacteremia / microbiology*
Bacterial Load / methods*
Disease Models, Animal
Female
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Optical Imaging / methods*
Plague / microbiology*
Plasmids
Virulence
Yersinia pestis / genetics*
Yersinia pestis / pathogenicity*