Effect of temperature on growth and chemotactic behaviour of Campylobacter jejuni.

Autor: Khanna, M. R., Bhavsar, S. P., Kapadnis, B. P.
Předmět:
Zdroj: Letters in Applied Microbiology; Jul2006, Vol. 43 Issue 1, p84-90, 7p, 3 Charts, 1 Graph
Abstrakt: Aim: To determine the effect of two physiologically important temperatures on growth and chemotaxis in Campylobacter jejuni. Methods and Results: Growth curves of Camp. jejuni were compared at 37°C and 42°C. Chemotaxis was compared at 37°C and 42°C by the disc and capillary assays. Student's t-test was applied to the results of the capillary assay to assess the significance in the difference between chemotaxis at the two temperatures. Both, the growth rate and chemotactic ability of the isolate, were found to be greater at 37°C. Conclusions: Quorum sensing (related to population density), a regulation mechanism of virulence in micro-organisms, has been reported in Campylobacter. Chemotaxis is also a known virulence factor of Campylobacter. Both, growth (in terms of population density) and chemotaxis, being greater at 37°C than at 42°C, suggests that the physiological temperature of humans (37°C) might be more favourable for the expression of virulence in Campylobacter than that of birds (42°C). Significance and Impact of the Study: It is as yet not known why Campylobacter causes disease in humans but is avirulent in birds. This study suggests that the human body temperature is optimum for growth and chemotaxis in Campylobacter. There is scope for the study of temperature regulation of other virulence determinants of Campylobacter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index