In vitro and in vivo defensive effect of probiotic LAB against Pseudomonas aeruginosa using Caenorhabditis elegans model

Virulence. 2018;9(1):1489-1507. doi: 10.1080/21505594.2018.1518088.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate in vitro and in vivo the probiotic characteristics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from Korean traditional fermented foods. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was used for analytical assays of fertility, chemotaxis, life-span, worm-killing and bacterial colonization in the intestinal lumen of the worm. All 35 strains of LAB reduced fertility and slowed development in the worms. The worm-killing assay showed that LAB significantly increased the lifespan (P < 0.05) and reduced the susceptibility to virulent PA14; however, the heat-killed LAB did not. The bacterial colonization assay revealed that LAB proliferated and protected the gut of the worm against infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14. In addition, specific LAB Pediococcus acidilactici(P. acidilactici DM-9), Pediococcus brevis (L. brevis SDL1411), and Pediococcus pentosaceus (P. pentosaceus SDL1409) strains showed acid resistance (66-91%), resistance to pepsin (64-67%) and viability in simulated intestinal fluid (67-73%) based on in vitro probiotic analyses. Taken together, these results suggest that C. elegans may be a tractable model for screening efficient probiotics.

Keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans); Gut colonization; Korean soybean paste (KSP); Probiotics; Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA 14); chemotaxis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / microbiology*
  • Chemotaxis
  • Fermented Foods / microbiology
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / microbiology
  • Intestines / microbiology
  • Lactobacillales / physiology*
  • Longevity
  • Microbial Interactions
  • Pediococcus / drug effects
  • Pediococcus / physiology
  • Pepsin A / pharmacology
  • Probiotics*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / pathogenicity*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Pepsin A

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Korea Research Fellowship Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, in Young Researchers Program [2018007551]; Brain Korea (BK) 21 Plus Project [Grant No. 22A20153713433] Funded by the Korean Government, Republic of Korea.