NTU Undergraduates' research April 2014 - Biosciences | Seite 81

Investigation into the virulent mechanisms of Campylobacter jejuni
Daniel C. K. Bird
School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University
April 2014
Abstract
Campylobacter jejuni has become recognised as the leading food-borne cause of disease in the
developed world. The presence of C. jejuni has been heavily linked to retail poultry with chickens in
particular considered the main reservoir for human infection. 7 C. jejuni isolates from varying origins
were assessed to analyse their disease promoting virulence factors using various assays. 1 strain was
isolated from a human infection, 2 from retail poultry while the remaining 4 strains were isolated
from organic chickens. The strains were tested for their ability to be motile, autoagglutinate (bind
together), resist oxidative stress and finally to resist acid stress. 5 out of 7 of the strains were found
to express the each of the 4 virulence factors while the remaining 2 displayed a lack of motility. The
human isolate was found to be the most virulent of the 7 strains, followed by the two retail poultry
isolates. The organic isolates were found to be the least virulent strains with the 2 non-motile strains
determined as unable to cause infection.