Early Transcriptomic Response of Leptospira interrogans in an Ovine Dialysis Membrane Chamber Model

In ruminants, serovar Hardjo is of particular importance because of its ability to establish persistent infections, whereas serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae is generally associated with incidental infection. The molecular basis of adaptation of serovar Hardjo to the ruminant host remain poorly understood. .

The dialysis membrane chamber (DMC) model enables investigation of the short-term transcriptional response of leptospires to the host environment, including nutrient limitation, temperature and osmotic shifts, and soluble host-derived factors. In this study, an ovine peritoneal DMC model was used to compare the transcriptional responses of L. interrogans serovar Hardjo strains KR40 and N116 with those of L. interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae strains KR93 and KR95.