Campylobacter jejuni

Introduction

Campylobacter jejuni is considered a pathogen and is the most common foodborne pathogen in the United States. In severe cases, it may cause Guillan-Barre syndrome, a muscular and neurological condition, however this is very rare. Typically, C. Jejuni is known as a common cause of food poisoning. The infection can be prevented via greater caution during poultry cooking and raw poultry handling. Proper hand-washing and sanitation can greatly reduce the possibility of infection.

Mode of Transmission

Campylobacter jejuni is encountered via the handling of raw poultry and can also be found in animal feces. After infection, the microorganism resides in the gastrointestinal tract and can cause diarrhea and other inflammatory responses.

Significance

The microorganism is important as it is common worldwide and causes foodborne illness. There are not any oddities, however, there is the fact that it has been linked to the onset of Guillan-Barre syndrome post-infection with C. jejuni.

Treatments

Gideon shows that the organism is nalidixic acid susceptible, however the common treatment regimen for infected individuals includes azithromycin, and sometimes erythromycin.

Growth Conditions and Requirements

The BSL level of Campylobacter jejuni is BSL2. Brain heart infusion agar with 5% rabbit blood (BHIA) and trypticase soy agar with 5% sheep blood (BAP) are required to culture this microorganism. Campylobacter jejuni requires a micro-aerobic atmosphere (lower oxygen than atmospheric levels) for optimal growth.

Protocol

If a frozen sample containing the microorganism is received, it must be placed on dry ice to prevent thawing. A sterile inoculating loop must be used to remove a small portion of the frozen sample and transfer it to a BHIA agar plate for streaking. The plate must be incubated for 24-48 hours at 37 degrees Celsius, and can then be subcultured on a BAP plate. Alternatively, a freeze dried pellet can be rehydrated using ATCC Medium 1115: Brucella albimi broth or ATCC Medium 177: Fluid thioglycollate medium, then this inoculated media can be transferred to an agar plate for growth.

Special Notes

Due to the microaerophilic nature of Campylobacter jejuni, inoculated tubes or agar plates must be incubated under a microaerophilic environment for 24-48 hours. This can be performed using an aerobe jar that includes a catalyst and a microaerophilic gas generator.

Discovery

Campylobacter jejuni was discovered in 1886, by a pediatrician named Theodor Escherich, who also discovered E. coli. He discovered C. jejuni when analyzing stool from children that had diarrhea.

Primer Characterization

In order to amplify the 16s rRNA sequence of C. jejuni, the following primers were used:

Primer 1 -> 5'-ATCTAATGGCTTAACCATTAAAC-3'

Primer 2 -> 5'-GGACGGTAACTAGTTTAGTATT-3'

Melting temperature of Primer 1: 48.1

Melting temperature of Primer 2: 49.2

GC content of Primer 1: 30.5%

GC content of Primer 2: 36%

In silico PCR Sequence

>NR_118520.1 Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni ATCC 33560 16S ribosomal RNA, partial sequenceAGTGAACGCTGGCGGCGTGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGATGAAGCTTCTAGCTTGCTAGAAGTGGATTAGTGGCGCACGGGTGAGTAAGGTATAGTTAATCTGCCCTACACAAGAGGACAACAGTTGGAAACGACTGCTAATACTCTATACTCCTGCTTAACACAAGTTGAGTAGGGAAAGTTTTTCGGTGTAGGATGAGACTATATAGTATCAGCTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGGCTATGACGCTTAACTGGTCTGAGAGGATGATCAGTCACACTGGAACTGAGACACGGTCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTGCGCAATGGGGGAAACCCTGACGCAGCAACGCCGCGTGGAGGATGACACTTTTCGGAGCGTAAACTCCTTTTCTTAGGGAAGAATTCTGACGGTACCTAAGGAATAAGCACCGGCTAACTCCGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACGGAGGGTGCAAGCGTTACTCGGAATCACTGGGCGTAAAGGGCGCGTAGGCGGATTATCAAGTCTCTTGTGAAATCTAATGGCTTAACCATTAAACTGCTTGGGAAACTGATAGTCTAGAGTGAGGGAGAGGCAGATGGAATTGGTGGTGTAGGGGTAAAATCCGTAGATATCACCAAGAATACCCATTGCGAAGGCGATCTGCTGGAACTCAACTGACGCTAAGGCGCGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGTACACTAGTTGTTGGGGTGCTAGTCATCTCAGTAATGCAGCTAACGCATTAAGTGTACCGCCTGGGGAGTACGGTCGCAAGATTAAAACTCAAAGGAATAGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTCGAGGATACGCGAAGAACCTTACCTGGGCTTGATATCCTAAGAACCTTATAGAGATATGAGGGTGCTAGCTTGCTAGAACTTAGAGACAGGTGCTGCACGGCTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCACGTATTTAGTTGCTAACGGTTCGGCCGAGCACTCTAAATAGACTGCCTTCGTAAGGAGGAGGAAGGTGTGGACGACGTCAAGTCATCATGGCCCTTATGCCCAGGGCGACACACGTGCTACAATGGCATATACAATGAGACGCAATACCGCGAGGTGGAGCAAATCTATAAAATATGTCCCAGTTCGGATTGTTCTCTGCAACTCGAGAGCATGAAGCCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCCATGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCCCGGGTCTTGTACTCACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGTTGATTTCACTCGAAGCCGGAATACTAAACTAGTTACCGTCCACAGTGGAATCAGCGACTGGGGTG

BLAST Results

>NR_118520.1 Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni ATCC 33560 16S ribosomal RNA, partial sequenceAGTGAACGCTGGCGGCGTGCCTAATACATGCAAGTCGAACGATGAAGCTTCTAGCTTGCTAGAAGTGGATTAGTGGCGCACGGGTGAGTAAGGTATAGTTAATCTGCCCTACACAAGAGGACAACAGTTGGAAACGACTGCTAATACTCTATACTCCTGCTTAACACAAGTTGAGTAGGGAAAGTTTTTCGGTGTAGGATGAGACTATATAGTATCAGCTAGTTGGTAAGGTAATGGCTTACCAAGGCTATGACGCTTAACTGGTCTGAGAGGATGATCAGTCACACTGGAACTGAGACACGGTCCAGACTCCTACGGGAGGCAGCAGTAGGGAATATTGCGCAATGGGGGAAACCCTGACGCAGCAACGCCGCGTGGAGGATGACACTTTTCGGAGCGTAAACTCCTTTTCTTAGGGAAGAATTCTGACGGTACCTAAGGAATAAGCACCGGCTAACTCCGTGCCAGCAGCCGCGGTAATACGGAGGGTGCAAGCGTTACTCGGAATCACTGGGCGTAAAGGGCGCGTAGGCGGATTATCAAGTCTCTTGTGAAATCTAATGGCTTAACCATTAAACTGCTTGGGAAACTGATAGTCTAGAGTGAGGGAGAGGCAGATGGAATTGGTGGTGTAGGGGTAAAATCCGTAGATATCACCAAGAATACCCATTGCGAAGGCGATCTGCTGGAACTCAACTGACGCTAAGGCGCGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGGATTAGATACCCTGGTAGTCCACGCCCTAAACGATGTACACTAGTTGTTGGGGTGCTAGTCATCTCAGTAATGCAGCTAACGCATTAAGTGTACCGCCTGGGGAGTACGGTCGCAAGATTAAAACTCAAAGGAATAGACGGGGACCCGCACAAGCGGTGGAGCATGTGGTTTAATTCGAGGATACGCGAAGAACCTTACCTGGGCTTGATATCCTAAGAACCTTATAGAGATATGAGGGTGCTAGCTTGCTAGAACTTAGAGACAGGTGCTGCACGGCTGTCGTCAGCTCGTGTCGTGAGATGTTGGGTTAAGTCCCGCAACGAGCGCAACCCACGTATTTAGTTGCTAACGGTTCGGCCGAGCACTCTAAATAGACTGCCTTCGTAAGGAGGAGGAAGGTGTGGACGACGTCAAGTCATCATGGCCCTTATGCCCAGGGCGACACACGTGCTACAATGGCATATACAATGAGACGCAATACCGCGAGGTGGAGCAAATCTATAAAATATGTCCCAGTTCGGATTGTTCTCTGCAACTCGAGAGCATGAAGCCGGAATCGCTAGTAATCGTAGATCAGCCATGCTACGGTGAATACGTTCCCGGGTCTTGTACTCACCGCCCGTCACACCATGGGAGTTGATTTCACTCGAAGCCGGAATACTAAACTAGTTACCGTCCACAGTGGAATCAGCGACTGGGGTG