Exogenous maltose enhances Zebrafish immunity to levofloxacin-resistant Vibrio alginolyticus.

Abstract

Understanding the interplay between bacterial fitness, antibiotic resistance, host immunity and host metabolism could guide treatment and improve immunity against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The acquisition of levofloxacin (Lev) resistance affects the fitness of Vibrio alginolyticus in vitro and in vivo. Lev-resistant (Lev-R) V. alginolyticus exhibits slow growth, reduced pathogenicity and greater resistance to killing by the host, Danio rerio (zebrafish), than Lev-sensitive (Lev-S) V. alginolyticus, suggesting that Lev-R V. alginolyticus triggers a weaker innate immune response in D. rerio than Lev-S V. alginolyticus. Differences were detected in the metabolome of D. rerio infected with Lev-S or Lev-R V. alginolyticus. Maltose, a crucial metabolite, is significantly downregulated in D. rerio infected with Lev-R V. alginolyticus, and exogenous maltose enhances the immune response of D. rerio to Lev-R V. alginolyticus, leading to better clearance of the infection. Furthermore, we demonstrate that exogenous maltose stimulates the host production of lysozyme and its binding to Lev-R V. alginolyticus, which depends on bacterial membrane potential. We suggest that exogenous exposure to crucial metabolites could be an effective strategy for treating and/or managing infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

• Authors: Ming Jiang, Lifen Yang, Zhuang-Gui Chen, Shi-Shi Lai, Jun Zheng, Bo Peng
• Journal: Microbial biotechnology (Microb Biotechnol) Vol. 13 Issue 4 Pg. 1213-1227 (07 2020) ISSN: 1751-7915 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 32364684 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2020 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Chemical References

• Maltose
• Levofloxacin

Topics

• Animals
• Fish Diseases
• Immunity, Innate
• Levofloxacin
• Maltose
• Vibrio Infections
• Vibrio alginolyticus
• Zebrafish