First Name:
Christina
Last Name:
Daly
Major Department:
Biology
Thesis Director:
Ted Zerucha
Date of Thesis:
May 2013
Vibrio cholerae is the species of bacteria causing the disease cholera in humans. Bacteria are normally transmitted fecal to oral, leading to seasonal epidemics in areas with contaminated water sources. Little is known about the mechanism of the periodic outbreaks or the factors affecting degree of response. Additionally, little progress has been made in vaccination attempts. A number of previous studies of V. cholerae using animal models have been unsuccessful as many organisms have shown resistance to colonization. Valid models which have been established for the study of V. cholerae are costly and relatively difficult to work with. In this study, zebrafish infection was attempted to establish zebrafish as an effective model organism for the study of V. cholerae and cholera. Inexpensive zebrafish have been used widely as a model organism in a variety of research applications. Their extensive use has led to a great understanding of their genealogy, anatomy, and physiology. The V. choleraecells used in this study were transformed with a GFP-expressing plasmid for visualization using fluorescent microscopy. Infection was attempted through addition of these cells grown in LB culture to the water in fish tanks containing zebrafish. The success of zebrafish infection was assessed through experimentation involving fish homogenate and resulting in colony growth on selective media, positive results for PCR amplification, and GFP-expression in fluorescent microscopy. The intestines of zebrafish were easily dissected and visualized allowing for possible future application in colonization studies. This study offers an inexpensive, more effective model organism for research involving V. cholerae and cholera, which may ultimately lead to better understanding of the bacteria and the disease.