Stochastic variation in the initial phase of bacterial infection predicts the probability of survival in D. melanogaster
- Cornell University, United States
- University of Toulouse 3, France
Abstract
A central problem in infection biology is understanding why two individuals exposed to identical infections have different outcomes. We have developed an experimental model where genetically identical, co-housed Drosophila given identical systemic infections experience different outcomes, with some individuals succumbing to acute infection while others control the pathogen as an asymptomatic persistent infection. We found that differences in bacterial burden at the time of death did not explain the two outcomes of infection. Inter-individual variation in survival stems from variation in within-host bacterial growth, which is determined by the immune response. We developed a model that captures bacterial growth dynamics and identifies key factors that predict the infection outcome: the rate of bacterial proliferation and the time required for the host to establish an effective immunological control. Our results provide a framework for studying the individual host-pathogen parameters governing the progression of infection and lead ultimately to life or death.
Article and author information
Author details
Funding
National Science Foundation (1354421)
- Nicolas Buchon
National Institutes of Health (RO1 AI083932)
- Brian P Lazzaro
New York State Department of Health (Empire state stem cell fund C029542)
- Nicolas Buchon
Swiss National Foundation (Fellowship from P300P3_147874)
- David Duneau
Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French Laboratory of Excellence ANR-11-IDEX-0002-02)
- David Duneau
Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French Laboratory of Excellence project ANR-10-LABX-41)
- David Duneau
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Reviewing Editor
- Bruno Lemaître, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Version history
- Received: May 2, 2017
- Accepted: October 11, 2017
- Accepted Manuscript published: October 12, 2017 (version 1)
- Version of Record published: November 27, 2017 (version 2)
Copyright
© 2017, Duneau et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Stochastic variation in the initial phase of bacterial infection predicts the probability of survival in D. melanogaster
eLife 6:e28298.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.28298
Further reading
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- Microbiology and Infectious Disease
Aminoglycoside antibiotics target ribosomes and are effective against a wide range of bacteria. Here, we demonstrated that knockout strains related to energy metabolism in Escherichia coli showed increased tolerance to aminoglycosides during the mid-exponential growth phase. Contrary to expectations, these mutations did not reduce the proton motive force or aminoglycoside uptake, as there were no significant changes in metabolic indicators or intracellular gentamicin levels between wild-type and mutant strains. Our comprehensive proteomics analysis unveiled a noteworthy upregulation of proteins linked to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in the mutant strains during the mid-exponential growth phase, suggesting that these strains compensate for the perturbation in their energy metabolism by increasing TCA cycle activity to maintain their membrane potential and ATP levels. Furthermore, our pathway enrichment analysis shed light on local network clusters displaying downregulation across all mutant strains, which were associated with both large and small ribosomal binding proteins, ribosome biogenesis, translation factor activity, and the biosynthesis of ribonucleoside monophosphates. These findings offer a plausible explanation for the observed tolerance of aminoglycosides in the mutant strains. Altogether, this research provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of aminoglycoside tolerance, paving the way for novel strategies to combat such cells.
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- Epidemiology and Global Health
- Microbiology and Infectious Disease
Background:
Few national-level studies have evaluated the impact of ‘hybrid’ immunity (vaccination coupled with recovery from infection) from the Omicron variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Methods:
From May 2020 to December 2022, we conducted serial assessments (each of ~4000–9000 adults) examining SARS-CoV-2 antibodies within a mostly representative Canadian cohort drawn from a national online polling platform. Adults, most of whom were vaccinated, reported viral test-confirmed infections and mailed self-collected dried blood spots (DBSs) to a central lab. Samples underwent highly sensitive and specific antibody assays to spike and nucleocapsid protein antigens, the latter triggered only by infection. We estimated cumulative SARS-CoV-2 incidence prior to the Omicron period and during the BA.1/1.1 and BA.2/5 waves. We assessed changes in antibody levels and in age-specific active immunity levels.
Results:
Spike levels were higher in infected than in uninfected adults, regardless of vaccination doses. Among adults vaccinated at least thrice and infected more than 6 months earlier, spike levels fell notably and continuously for the 9-month post-vaccination. In contrast, among adults infected within 6 months, spike levels declined gradually. Declines were similar by sex, age group, and ethnicity. Recent vaccination attenuated declines in spike levels from older infections. In a convenience sample, spike antibody and cellular responses were correlated. Near the end of 2022, about 35% of adults above age 60 had their last vaccine dose more than 6 months ago, and about 25% remained uninfected. The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection rose from 13% (95% confidence interval 11–14%) before omicron to 78% (76–80%) by December 2022, equating to 25 million infected adults cumulatively. However, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) weekly death rate during the BA.2/5 waves was less than half of that during the BA.1/1.1 wave, implying a protective role for hybrid immunity.
Conclusions:
Strategies to maintain population-level hybrid immunity require up-to-date vaccination coverage, including among those recovering from infection. Population-based, self-collected DBSs are a practicable biological surveillance platform.
Funding:
Funding was provided by the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Pfizer Global Medical Grants, and St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation. PJ and ACG are funded by the Canada Research Chairs Program.
