Analysis of the interaction between Amoebae and B. pertussis to know if this bacterium can survive in the environment

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23845
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0803:Pathology, infection/immunology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Nishida Takashi 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 助教 (20845200)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 百日咳 / 原生生物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bordetella pertussis have been considered to be unable to survive in the environments because of poor nutrients. In this study, we hypothesized that B. pertussis survive in the environment by living together with protozoa and analyzed the protozoa-dependent growth mechanism of B. pertussis. Our results suggested that B. pertussis was digested by Acanthamoeba castellanii but some metabolites from this protozoa could support the growth of B. pertussis in the nutritionally deficient medium. Further, the other protozoa also supported the growth of B. pertussis.

Free Research Field

細菌学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、百日咳菌が原生生物依存的に生存し増殖することが明らかとなった。これは百日咳菌が自然環境中において哺乳類宿主以外の微生物と共存している可能性を提示する成果であり、百日咳菌が自然環境下では生存できないとするこれまでの考えに一石を投じるものである。あらたな百日咳菌の生存様式を解明することは、増加する百日咳を制御する方法を模索する上で重要な知見となり得る。