Biology subjects

Schouler, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Schouler, C..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Diving into bacterial dormancy: emergence of osmotically stable wall-less forms in an aquatic environment

Bacteria can respond to environmental stresses by entering a dormant state, called viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state, in which they no longer grow in routine culture media. VBNC pathogens pose thus a significant risk for human and animal health as they are not detected by standard growth-based techniques and can "wake up" back into a vegetative and virulent state. Although hundreds of species were reported to become VBNC in response to different stresses, the molecular mechanisms governing this phenotypic switch remain largely elusive. Here, we characterized the VBNC state transition process in the Gram-positive pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in response to nutritional deprivation. By combining fluorescence microscopy, cryo-electron tomography and analytical biochemistry, we found that starvation in mineral water drives L. monocytogenes into a VBNC state via a mechanism of cell wall (CW) shedding that generates osmotically stable CW-deficient (CWD) coccoid forms. This phenomenon occurs in multiple L. monocytogenes strains and in other Listeria species, suggesting it may be a stress-adapting process transversal to the Listeria genus. Transcriptomic and gene-targeted approaches revealed the stress response regulator SigB and the autolysin NamA as major moderators of CW loss and VBNC state transition. Finally, we show that this CWD dormant state is transient as VBNC Listeria revert back to a walled, vegetative and virulent state after passage in embryonated eggs. Our findings provide unprecedented detail on the mechanisms governing the transition to a VBNC state, and reveal that dormant CWD bacterial forms can naturally arise in aquatic environments without osmotic stabilization. This may represent an alternative strategy for bacterial survival in oligotrophic conditions, which can potentially generate public health-threatening reservoirs of undetectable pathogens.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

On-farm hatching and contact with adult hen post hatch induce sex-dependent effects on performance and welfare in broiler chickens

To improve the early perinatal conditions of broiler chicks, alternative hatching systems have been developed. On-farm hatching (OFH) with an enriched microbial and stimulating environment by the presence of an adult hen is a promising solution. Day-old chicks were allotted within five hatching and rearing conditions: OFH, conventional hatchery (CH), CH and post-hatching treatment with antibiotics (CH + AB), as well as both hatching systems with an adult hen at hatching (OFH + H, CH + H). To challenge the robustness of chickens, they were exposed on D27 to suboptimal rearing conditions by combining for 4 h transport in boxes in a new room at a lower temperature and fasting. On their return to the original room, the chicken density was increased, and birds were orally vaccinated with the Gumboro vaccine. The impacts of these conditions on hatchability, chick quality score, performance, health and robustness were determined. The OFH chick body weights (BWs) were significantly greater than those of CH chicks at hatching. Whereas there was no effect of hatching conditions, the presence of hens decreased the hatchability rate, the quality score of OFH chicks and increased mortality at hatching. Treatment of CH chicks with antibiotics (CH + AB) temporarily decreased chicken BW at D19, but the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was not modified. At D19, OFH chicks had the highest BW compared to the other groups, and the presence of hens at hatching harmed chicken BW regardless of the hatching condition and FCR. An interaction between the effect of experimental rearing conditions and chicken sex was observed later for BW. In males, the OFH chickens were the heaviest compared to the other groups at D34 but not at D56. The presence of hens negatively impacted CH chicken BW at D56. In females, there was no effect of hatching condition on the BWs at D34 and D56, and the presence of hens had a positive impact on OFH chicken BW. There was no effect of hatching conditions on health parameters. In conclusion, the OFH system was a hatching system at least equivalent to the CH system. The presence of the hen at hatching and during the chick start-up phase on performance interacted with the hatching condition and the sex of the chickens.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Comparative genome analysis of Enterococcus cecorum reveals intercontinental spread of a lineage of clinical poultry isolates.

Enterococcus cecorum is an emerging pathogen responsible for osteomyelitis, spondylitis, and femoral head necrosis causing animal suffering, mortality, and requiring antimicrobial use in poultry. Paradoxically, E. cecorum is a common inhabitant of the intestinal microbiota of adult chickens. Despite evidence suggesting the existence of clones with pathogenic potential, the genetic and phenotypic relatedness of disease-associated isolates remains little investigated. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes and characterized the phenotypes of more than 100 isolates, the majority of which were collected over the last ten years in 16 French broiler farms. Comparative genomics, genome-wide association study, and measured susceptibility to serum, biofilm forming capacity, and adhesion to chicken type II collagen were used to identify features associated with clinical isolates. We found that none of the tested phenotypes could discriminate origin of the isolates or phylogenetic group. Instead, we found that most clinical isolates are grouped phylogenetically and our analyses selected six genes that discriminate 94% of isolates associated with disease from those that are not. Analysis of the resistome and the mobilome revealed that multidrug-resistant clones of E. cecorum cluster in few clades and that integrative conjugative elements and genomic islands are the main carriers of antimicrobial resistance. This comprehensive genomic analysis shows that disease-associated clones of E. cecorum belong mainly to one phylogenetic clade. IMPORTANCEEnterococcus cecorum is an important pathogen in poultry worldwide. It causes a number of locomotor disorders and septicemia, particularly in fast-growing broilers. Animal suffering, antimicrobial use, and associated economic losses require a better understanding of disease-associated E. cecorum isolates. To address this need, we performed whole genome sequencing and analysis of a large collection of isolates responsible for outbreaks in France. By providing the first dataset on the genetic diversity and resistome of E. cecorum strains circulating in France, we pinpoint an epidemic lineage probably also circulating elsewhere and which should be targeted preferentially by preventive strategies in order to reduce the burden of E. cecorum-related diseases.

genomics↗