Characterization of strain-specific Bacillus cereus swimming motility and flagella by means of specific antibodies

Abstract

One of the multiple factors determining the onset of the diarrhoeal disease caused by enteropathogenic Bacillus cereus is the ability of the bacteria to actively move towards the site of infection. This ability depends on flagella, but it also varies widely between different strains. To gain more insights into these strain-specific variations, polyclonal rabbit antisera as well as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were generated in this study, which detected recombinant and natural B. cereus flagellin proteins in Western blots as well as in enzyme immunoassays (EIAs). Based on mAb 1A11 and HRP-labelled rabbit serum, a highly specific sandwich EIA was developed. Overall, it could be shown that strain-specific swimming motility correlates with the presence of flagella/flagellin titres obtained in EIAs. Interestingly, mAb 1A11, recognizing an epitope in the N-terminal region of the flagellin protein, proved to inhibit bacterial swimming motility, while the rabbit serum rather decreased growth of selected B. cereus strains. Altogether, powerful tools enabling the in-depth characterization of the strain-specific variations in B. cereus swimming motility were developed.

Detection and Disinfection of Bacillus Cereus

“…Mouse monoclonal antibodies and rabbit antiserum that target every 3 components of hemolysin BL (HBL) and every 3 components of non-hemolytic Enterotoxin (Nhe), which both types of toxins are diarrhealrelated three-component enterotoxins from B. cereus, are well developed and characterized [17,18] . Besides, rabbit antisera and mouse monoclonal antibodies that target the N-terminal of B. cereus flagellin protein are recently being developed and were proven to be powerful tools in detecting B. cereus [19] . However, cerulide, the emetic toxin of B. cereus, is not antigenic and cannot be detected through immunological assays [20] .…”

Assessment of Chemical Composition and In Vitro Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Anticholinesterase and Microbial Virulence-Quenching Effects of Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor L.) Harvested from Algeria

“…Biofilm colonies account for surface contamination, nosocomial infections, fatal food poisoning, food decay and many other health threats. The ineffectiveness of antibiotics is due to the growth of multidrug resistance (MDR) [ 4 , 5 ] resulting from various virulence factors such as bacterial biofilms [ 6 ], swarming motility [ 7 ] and cellular quorum-sensing (QS) activities [ 8 ]. A novel biocontrol strategy to overcome bacterial resistance can be achieved through the inhibition of the expression of virulence factors through quorum-sensing (QS)-mediated processes in pathogenic microorganisms [ 8 ].…”

Enteropathogene Bacillus cereus in Lebensmitteln

“…Auch dies variiert von Stamm zu Stamm und Mucin spielt hierbei eine entscheidende Rolle [28]. Motilität und Adhäsion, beides unter anderem vermittelt durch Flagellen, stehen mit der Virulenz von B. cereus in Zusammenhang [8,27]. Der wichtigste Virulenzfaktor ist nach wie vor die Fähigkeit zur Enterotoxinproduktion.…”