Host immune response and acute disease in a zebrafish model of Francisella pathogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Members of the bacterial genus Francisella are highly virulent and infectious pathogens. New models to study Francisella pathogenesis in evolutionarily distinct species are needed to provide comparative insight, as the mechanisms of host resistance and pathogen virulence are not well understood. We took advantage of the recent discovery of a novel species of Francisella to establish a zebrafish/Francisella comparative model of pathogenesis and host immune response. Adult zebrafish were susceptible to acute Francisella-induced disease and suffered mortality in a dose-dependent manner. Using immunohistochemical analysis, we localized bacterial antigens primarily to lymphoid tissues and livers of zebrafish following infection by intraperitoneal injection, which corresponded to regions of loca

SUBMITTER: Vojtech LN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2632049 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature