Insights into Vibrio cholerae Intestinal Colonization from Monitoring Fluorescently Labeled Bacteria

Abstract

Vibrio cholerae, the agent of cholera, is a motile non-invasive pathogen that colonizes the small intestine (SI). Most of our knowledge of the processes required for V. cholerae intestinal colonization is derived from enumeration of wt and mutant V. cholerae recovered from orogastrically infected infant mice. There is limited knowledge of the distribution of V. cholerae within the SI, particularly its localization along the villous axis, or of the bacterial and host factors that account for this distribution. Here, using confocal and intravital two-photon microscopy to monitor the localization of fluorescently tagged V. cholerae strains, we uncovered unexpected and previously unrecognized features of V. cholerae intestinal colonization. Direct visualization of the pathogen within the intestine revealed that the majority of V. cholerae microcolonies attached to the intestinal epithelium arise from single cells, and that there are notable regiospecific aspects to V. cholerae localization and factors required for colonization. In the proximal SI, V. cholerae reside exclusively within the developing intestinal crypts, but they are not restricted to the crypts in the more distal SI. Unexpectedly, V. cholerae motility proved to be a regiospecific colonization factor that is critical for colonization of the proximal, but not the distal, SI. Furthermore, neither motility nor chemotaxis were required for proper V. cholerae distribution along the villous axis or in crypts, suggesting that yet undefined processes enable the pathogen to find its niches outside the intestinal lumen. Finally, our observations suggest that host mucins are a key factor limiting V. cholerae intestinal colonization, particularly in the proximal SI where there appears to be a more abundant mucus layer. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the potent capacity of direct pathogen visualization during infection to deepen our understanding of host pathogen interactions.

Author Summary

Vibrio cholerae is a highly motile bacterium that causes the diarrheal disease cholera. Despite our extensive knowledge of the genes and processes that enable this non-invasive pathogen to colonize the small intestine, there is limited knowledge of the pathogen's fine localization within the intestine. Here, we used fluorescence microscopy-based techniques to directly monitor where and how fluorescent V. cholerae localize along intestinal villi in infected infant mice. This approach enabled us to uncover previously unappreciated features of V. cholerae intestinal colonization. We found that most V. cholerae microcolonies appear to arise from single cells attached to the epithelium. Unexpectedly, we observed considerable differences between V. cholerae fine localization in different parts of the small intestine and found that V. cholerae motility exerts a regiospecific influence on colonization. The abundance of intestinal mucins appears to be an important factor explaining at least some of the regiospecific aspects of V. cholerae intestinal localization. Overall, our findings suggest that direct observation of fluorescent pathogens during infection, coupled with genetic and/or pharmacologic manipulations of pathogen and host processes, adds a valuable depth to understanding of host-pathogen interactions.