The microbiome as a target to reduce EV71 pathogenesis and epidemic potential

• Main Author: Mohamed Haikal Bin Mohamed Ismail
• Other Authors: October Michael Sessions
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/70613
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

EV71 is an enterovirus that infects the host through the gut. The gut also houses a diverse array of commensal bacteria. However, not much is understood about viral and bacterial interactions in pathogenesis. We characterised the effects of four species of bacteria on EV71 using in vitro cell model assays. The bacteria chosen were either known to have an effect on enteroviruses or form a major constituent of gut microbiome. We observed that exposure to bacteria generally increased viral replication, with Bacillus cereus significantly increasing replication in muscle cells. We also observed that Clostridium difficile significantly increased replication in epithelial cells. Experiments conducted on TLR stimulation and viral replication revealed that intracellular TLR stimulation tend to increase viral expression significantly. The results suggest that EV71 exploits cellular pathways that respond to bacterial stimulation in order to proliferate rapidly.