Bioluminscent Mycobacterium ulcerans, a tool to study host-pathogen interactions in a murine tail model of Buruli ulcer

Abstract

Buruli ulcer is a neglected tropical disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium ulcerans . In this study we used a previously reported strain of M. ulcerans , genetically engineered to constitutively produce bioluminescence, to follow the progression of Buruli ulcer in mice using an in-vivo imaging (IVIS ® ) system. We aimed to characterize a mouse tail infection model for pathogenesis, as well as for pre-clinical vaccine and drug development research for Buruli ulcer. Immune parameters, such as antibody titers and cytokine levels, were determined throughout the course of the infection and histology specimens were examined for comparison with human pathology. Nine out of ten (90%) BALB/c..