[Research Articles] Probiotic strains detect and suppress cholera in mice

We report the basis of a probiotic-based strategy to promote colonization resistance and point-of-need diagnosis of cholera, an acute diarrheal disease caused by the pathogen Vibrio cholerae. Oral administration of Lactococcus lactis, a common dietary fermentative bacterium, reduced intestinal V. cholerae burden and improved survival in infected infant mice through the production of lactic acid. Furthermore, we engineered an L. lactis strain that specifically detects quorum-sensing signals of V. cholerae in the gut and triggers expression of an enzymatic reporter that is readily detected in fecal samples. We postulate that preventive dietary interventions with fermented foods containing natural and engineered L. lactis strains may hinder cholera progression and improve disease surveillance in populations at risk of cholera outbreaks.

Source: Science Translational Medicine - June 13, 2018 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Mao, N., Cubillos-Ruiz, A., Cameron, D. E., Collins, J. J. Tags: Research Articles Source Type: research