Visualization of coral host--pathogen interactions using a stable GFP-labeled Vibrio coralliilyticus strain
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Author(s)
Pollock, F. J
Krediet, Cory J
Winn, Karina
Wilson, Bryan
Huete-Stauffer, Carla
Willis, Bette L
Bourne, David G
Pollock, F. Joseph
Krediet, Cory J.
Willis, Bette L.
Date Issued
February 2015
Journal
Coral Reefs
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Citation
Pollock, F. Joseph, Cory J. Krediet, Melissa Garren, Roman Stocker, Karina Winn, Bryan Wilson, Carla Huete-Stauffer, Bette L. Willis, and David G. Bourne. “Visualization of Coral Host–pathogen Interactions Using a Stable GFP-Labeled Vibrio Coralliilyticus Strain.” Coral Reefs 34, no. 2 (February 26, 2015): 655–662.
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Author's final manuscript
Abstract
The bacterium Vibrio coralliilyticus has been implicated as the causative agent of coral tissue loss diseases (collectively known as white syndromes) at sites across the Indo-Pacific and represents an emerging model pathogen for understanding the mechanisms linking bacterial infection and coral disease. In this study, we used a mini-Tn7 transposon delivery system to chromosomally label a strain of V. coralliilyticus isolated from a white syndrome disease lesion with a green fluorescent protein gene (GFP). We then tested the utility of this modified strain as a research tool for studies of coral host–pathogen interactions. A suite of biochemical assays and experimental infection trials in a range of model organisms confirmed that insertion of the GFP gene did not interfere with the labeled strain’s virulence. Using epifluorescence video microscopy, the GFP-labeled strain could be reliably distinguished from non-labeled bacteria present in the coral holobiont, and the pathogen’s interactions with the coral host could be visualized in real time. This study demonstrates that chromosomal GFP labeling is a useful technique for visualization and tracking of coral pathogens and provides a novel tool to investigate the role of V. coralliilyticus in coral disease pathogenesis.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Parsons Laboratory for Environmental Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-015-1273-3
