Spatiotemporal analysis of mycolactone distribution in vivo reveals partial diffusion in the central nervous system.

ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer (BU) disease, is unique amongst human pathogens in its capacity to produce a lipid toxin called mycolactone. While previous studies have demonstrated that bacterially-released mycolactone diffuses beyond infection foci, the spatiotemporal distribution of mycolactone remained largely unknown. Here, we used the zebrafish model to provide the first global kinetic analysis of mycolactone's diffusion in vivo, and multicellular co-culture systems to address the critical question of the toxin's access to the brain. Zebrafish larvae were injected with a fluorescent-derivative of mycolactone to visualize the in vivo diffusion of the toxin from the peripheral circulation. A rapid, body-wide distribution of mycolactone was observed, with sel

SUBMITTER: Colucci-Guyon E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7710047 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature