AUTHOR=Rakovitsky Nadya , Temkin Elizabeth , Hameir Amichay , Lurie-Weinberger Mor , Keren-Paz Alona , Carmeli Yehuda 

TITLE=Zophobas morio larvae as a novel model for the study of Acinetobacter virulence and antimicrobial resistance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1375787

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1375787

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The use of mammalian models for <italic>in vivo</italic> testing of bacterial virulence raises ethical concerns and is expensive and time-consuming. As an alternative, non-mammalian models are sought. <italic>Galleria mellonella</italic> larvae have been used as a model to study several bacterial pathogens. However, their maintenance is challenging, and commercial supply is low. In this study, we aimed to establish the <italic>Zophobas morio</italic> larvae as an alternative non-mammalian model for the evaluation of the pathogenicity and antimicrobial susceptibility of <italic>Acinetobacter baumannii</italic>. We infected <italic>Z. morio</italic> with <italic>Acinetobacter</italic> strains and determined the optimal temperature and inoculum. To visualize the bacterial distribution within the larvae, hematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E) staining was performed. Next, a survival model of infected larvae was established, and virulence was compared between strains. The effect of antimicrobial treatment in relation to antibiotic susceptibility was studied. Our results demonstrate that <italic>Z. morio</italic> can be used as a model system for <italic>in vivo</italic> studies of <italic>A. baumannii</italic>.</p>