Karatan Lab
Adana Campbell
Ece Karatan
karatane@appstate.edu
Appalachian State University
Department of Biology
Rankin Science North
319 (Office), 303 (Lab)
828-262-6742
Zebrafish as an effective host-model for studying V. cholerae colonization
Mammalian organisms have been used for models to study the interactions between host and human pathogens in scientific research for decades. However, recent studies have established alternative models for identifying and studying bacterial virulence factors that cause infection and disease. Expression of the cholerae toxin by Vibrio cholerae in its human host consequently results in the loss of water into the intestinal lumen, which when left untreated can cause death. While mammalian models have provided insight into the pathogenesis of V. cholerae pathogenesis, non-mammalian vertebrate models offer advantages over these. We have initiated a collaboration with Dr. Ted Zerucha to use zebrafish as an effective model organism for the study of Vibrio cholerae infection and colonization. Experiments show that the direct addition of streptomycin- resistant V. cholerae to the fish tank does not result in fish death. Instead, V. cholerae has been shown to colonize zebrafish. In my current attempts to establish protocols to localize and quantify V. cholerae colonization in zebrafish, homogenization and plating of fish parts- above and below the gills- is performed and bacterial counts are compared between infected and uninfected fish. In future experiments, I will dissect and plate fish intestines and other organs. I will also employ Western Blot and in situ hybridization techniques to assess expression of the cholera toxin using the fish model. It is our hope that further insight into the mechanism by which V. cholerae colonizes its host using the fish model will aid in the development of preventative drug treatments for cholerae.