[SCAN] Uncovering the virulence potential of the gut bacterium Bilophila wadsworthia

Title: Uncovering the virulence potential of the gut bacterium Bilophila wadsworthia

Speaker: Andreia Pimenta

From: Bacterial Energy Metabolism Lab, ITQB NOVA

Abstract: The human gut microbiota is widely recognized to play key roles in human physiology.  However, dysbiosis of the gut flora is also associated with disease. Bacteria that produce sulfide (H₂S), called sulfidogenic bacteria (SB) have been associated with inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer. SB, like Bilophila wadsworthia, use sulfur compounds for anaerobic respiration, forming H₂S in large amounts. H₂S can be highly cytotoxic and can interfere with the integrity of the colonic epithelium and mucus barrier, inducing inflammation. B. wadsworthia can also adhere to intestinal cells and promote an inflammatory state. However, the mechanisms used to cause disease are still poorly understood.

Our recent work established Galleria mellonella larvae as an infection model to study B. wadsworthia pathogenicity. G. mellonella was used as experimental organism and different biomarkers of infection were studied. We demonstrated that B. wadsworthia can induce a symptomatic infection in G. mellonella, measured by deficits in mobility and cocoon formation and increased melanization. Bilophila was able to grow and proliferate inside G. mellonella resulting in larval death. Larvae’s immune system was impacted by bacterial infection. Overall, our findings show that G. mellonella is a valuable model for investigating B. wadsworthia pathogenicity, providing new insights into its virulence mechanisms.