UV-C Irradiated Rotifers as Tools for Exploring Bacterial Colonization in Larval Zebrafish
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Date
2024
Authors
Bouchard, Peter
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Studying bacteria-host relationships helps answer many questions regarding the development and health of humans and other animals. In particular, the gut microbiota play a critical part in neurological development, digestion, and overall immune system health. Zebrafish are one of the most commonly used model organisms; they are vertebrates that share a similar genetic structure to that of humans and are fairly transparent during their larval stage, allowing imaging. Additionally, they are capable of being raised devoid of any pre-existing bacteria, serving as an ideal canvas for controlled experiments examining effects of particular species of bacteria. One barrier when working with larval zebrafish is that they must be fed 7 days post fertilization, potentially introducing unwanted bacteria from their preferred living food sources. Little research has been done into feeding larval zebrafish while still controlling their gut microbiome. In this paper, we describe a method to manipulate rotifers, aquatic microorganisms commonly fed to larval zebrafish, by UV-sterilizing them and feeding them to larval zebrafish in combination with fluorescently labeled zebrafish derived bacteria. This enables experiments further into zebrafish development, allowing for a deeper understanding of bacteria-host interactions.
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Keywords
Physics, Biophysics, Microbiology, Bacterial dynamics, Host-microbe interactions