Effect of bacterial signal molecule AI-2 on the metabolism and pathogenicity of protozoa

• Project/Area Number: 16K19113
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Parasitology (including sanitary zoology)
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Okubo Torahiko 北海道大学, 保健科学研究院, 講師 (90762196)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YAMAGUCHI Hiroyuki 北海道大学, 大学院保健科学研究院, 教授 (40221650) ; MATSUO Junji 北海道大学, 大学院保健科学研究院, 講師 (50359486) ; NAKAMURA Shinji 順天堂大学, 医学研究科, 助教 (40207882)
• Research Collaborator: MATSUSHITA Mizue ; AKIZAWA Kouji ; HAYASAKA Kasumi ; FUKUMOTO Tatsuya ; IWASAKI Sumio
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,990,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥690,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
• Keywords: 微生物間相互作用 / 薬剤耐性菌 / 原生生物 / クオラムセンシング / 微生物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

AI-2 is a bacterial signal molecule which is used for bacterial closs talk. In our previous studies, we reported that co-cultivation of bacteria and protozoa causes the raise of AI-2 concentration in the solution. However, the effect of AI-2 on protozoa was not reported. In this study, we compared phenotypic characteristics of protozoa under the presence or absence of AI-2. Our results showed that AI-2 causes the raise of mobility of amoeba cells in a concentraion dependent manner on solid agar surfaces. This suggests that amoeba can detect AI-2 concentration and control its mobility. We showed cross-Kingdom effect of AI-2 on protozoa for the first time.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Acanthamoeba S13WT relies on its bacterial endosymbiont to backpack human pathogenic bacteria and resist Legionella infection on solid media. (2018)
  • Author(s): Okubo T, Matsushita M, Nakamura S, Matsuo J, Nagai H, Yamaguchi H.
  • Journal Title: Environ Microbiol Rep Volume: - Issue: 3 Pages: 344-354
  • DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12645
  • NAID: 120006649176
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] 13. Ciliates promote the transfer of a plasmid encoding blaNDM-5 from Escherichia coli, isolated from a hospital in Japan, to other human pathogens. (2017)
  • Author(s): Okubo T, Matushita M, Ohara Y, Matsuo J, Oguri S, Fukumoto T, Hayasaka K, Akizawa K, Shibuya H, Shimizu C, Yamaguchi H.
  • Journal Title: Int J Antimicrob Agents Volume: 49 Issue: 3 Pages: 387-388
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2017.01.003
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 繊毛虫はヒト病原細菌と水系環境細菌を双方向的な薬剤耐性プラスミドの接合伝達の促進作用を介して結ぶ (2018)
  • Author(s): 松下 瑞江, 松尾 淳司, 大久保 寅彦, 山口 博之
  • Organizer: 第91回日本細菌学会総会
• [Presentation] 共生細菌依存的なアメーバによるヒト病原細菌の運搬現象について (2017)
  • Author(s): 松下瑞江, 大久保寅彦, 松尾淳司, 中村眞二, 山口博之
  • Organizer: 第84回日本細菌学会北海道支部学術総会
• [Presentation] Aboebae backpack human pathogenic bacteria on solid-agar plate, depending upon the amoebal endosymbiont, Neochlamydia (2017)
  • Author(s): Okubo T, Matsushita M, Matsuo J, Nakamura S, Yamaguchi H
  • Organizer: アメリカ微生物学会学術集会(ASM Microbe 2017)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 北海道大学病院にて分離されたNDM産生大腸菌の性状解析と繊毛虫によるプラスミド伝達の促進 (2017)
  • Author(s): 大久保 寅彦, 松下 瑞江, 松尾 淳司, 山口 博之
  • Organizer: 第90回日本細菌学会総会