Adhesion of Campylobacter jejuni Is Increased in Association with Foodborne Bacteria

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate Campylobacter jejuni NTCT 11168 adhesion to abiotic and biotic surfaces when grown in co-culture with Escherichia coli ATCC 11229 and/or Listeria monocytogenes 4b. Adhesion of C. jejuni to polystyrene and to Caco-2 cells and Acanthamoeba castellanii was lower for at least 3 log CFU/mL compared to E. coli and L. monocytogenes. Electron micrographs of ultrathin sections revealed interactions of C. jejuni with host cells. In co-culture with E. coli and L. monocytogenes, adhesion of C. jejuni to all tested surfaces was significantly increased for more than 1 log CFU/mL. There was 10% higher aggregation for C. jejuni than for other pathogens, and high co-aggregation of co-cultures of C. jejuni with E. coli and L. monocytogenes. These data show that C. jejuni in co-cultures with E. coli and L. monocytogenes present significantly higher risk than C. jejuni as mono-cultures, which need to be taken into account in risk evaluation. C. jejuni adhesion is a prerequisite for their colonization, biofilm formation, and further contamination of the environment. C. jejuni survival under adverse conditions as a factor in their pathogenicity and depends on their adhesion to different surfaces, not only as individual strains, but also in co-cultures with other bacteria like E. coli and L. monocytogenes.

New Insights into Foodborne Bacteria–Host Interactions: Evolving Research and Discoveries

“…Bereswill et al (Table 1) present clove essential oil as a promising natural remedy for treating C. jejuni infections and show that it can reduce bacterial load and inflammation in a mouse model, offering an innovative, antibiotic-free approach to campylobacteriosis treatment. This research is in line with previous studies, such as that of Klančnik et al [2], which highlighted the anti-adhesion effect of phytochemicals against C. jejuni. In an era of increasing antibiotic resistance, research into natural substances such as clove essential oil is crucial for developing effective, sustainable, and accessible alternatives to conventional antibiotics to control foodborne diseases.…”

Campylobacter jejuni: targeting host cells, adhesion, invasion, and survival

“…After co-cultivation of C. jejuni with E. coli and L. monocytogenes, which are also serious food-borne pathogens, C. jejuni shows significantly increased adhesion to Caco-2 cells as well as to abiotic surfaces such as polystyrene. This can be caused by the varying composition of the resulting shared biofilms as a basis of adhesion for C. jejuni, the availability of metabolic products as food and growth factors, or stress-induced enhancement of adhesion (Klančnik et al 2020). Certain bacteria included in probiotic supplements, such as various Lactobacillus species, competitively inhibit Campylobacter adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells through comparatively faster and more efficient interaction with binding sites on host cells (Mohan 2015;Šikić Pogačar et al 2020).…”

Prevalence and Distribution of Thermotolerant <i>Campylobacter</i> Species in Poultry: A Comprehensive Review with a Focus on the Factors Affecting the Detection and Enumeration of <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> and <i>Campylobacter coli</i> in Chicken Meat

“…In general, the biofilm-forming ability of Campylobacter is strain-dependent and varies among organism's isolated strains [157,158], as well as between different Campylobacter spp. [159][160][161], while it is also affected by the presence of other bacterial species [162][163][164][165][166][167]. Regarding the biofilm-forming ability of C. jejuni and C. coli, the latter isolates seem able to form biofilms significantly better compared to C. jejuni isolates (p < 0.05) [157,160] and that could be another reason for the increased prevalence of C. coli against C. jejuni in the chicken meat samples.…”