Analysis of $\textit{Campylobacter jejuni}$ infection in the gnotobiotic piglet and genome-wide

Abstract

To investigate how $\textit{Campylobacter jejuni}$ causes the clinical symptoms of diarrhoeal disease in humans, use of a relevant animal model is essential. Such a model should mimic the human disease closely in terms of host physiology, incubation period before onset of disease, clinical signs and a comparable outcome of disease. In this study, we used a gnotobiotic piglet model to study determinants of pathogenicity of C. $\textit{C. jejuni}$. In this model, C. $\textit{C. jejuni}$ successfully established infection and piglets developed an increased temperature with watery diarrhoea, which was caused by a leaky epithelium and reduced bile re-absorption in the intestines. Further, we assessed the C. $\textit{C. jejuni}$ genes required for infection of the porcine gastrointestinal tract utilising a transposon (Tn) mutant library screen. A total of 123 genes of which Tn mutants showed attenuated piglet infection were identified. Our screen highlighted a crucial role for motility and chemotaxis, as well as central metabolism. In addition, Tn mutants of 14 genes displayed enhanced piglet infection. This study gives a unique insight into the mechanisms of C. $\textit{C. jejuni}$ disease in terms of host physiology and contributing bacterial factors.