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Updated by rachel16emma on Apr 13, 2021
Headline for ADOPT A BACTERIUM: Brachyspira pilosicoli - The culprit behind IBS
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ADOPT A BACTERIUM: Brachyspira pilosicoli - The culprit behind IBS

My adopted bacterium that I wish to share with everyone is Brachyspira pilosicoli.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects so many people around the world (especially stressed out students like me...) and yet it has no definitive cause - until a recent study discovered Brachyspira pilosicoli to be a possible culprit in causing IBS.

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These spiral-shaped (spirochaete) bacteria lack a rigid cell wall and move by flexion of the cell.

These spiral-shaped (spirochaete) bacteria lack a rigid cell wall and move by flexion of the cell.

B. pilosicoli viewed under a Transmission Electron Microscope (extracted from https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/11747/view/brachyspira-pilosicoli-bacteria-tem )
Cells are 4 to 10 μm long and 0.2 to 0.3 μm wide. As seen above, the cells also have 8 or 10 periplasmic flagella that aid its mobility.

Brachyspira pilosicoli

Brachyspira pilosicoli, a swine intestinal spirochete, observed by dark-field microscopy.

The pathogenic intestinal spirochaete Brachyspira pilosicoli forms a diverse recombinant species demonstrating some l...

Brachyspira pilosicoli is an anaerobic spirochaete that can colonizes the large intestine of many host species. Infection is particularly problematic in pigs and adult poultry, causing colitis and diarrhea, but it is also known to result in clinical problems in human beings. Despite the economic importance of the spirochaete as an animal pathogen, and its potential as a zoonotic agent, it has not received extensive study.

Brachyspira - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

Brachyspira are cultivated anaerobically on blood agar at 37°C and selective media are typically used for primary isolation of organisms from stool specimens.

The Intestinal Spirochete Brachyspira pilosicoli Attaches to Cultured Caco-2 Cells and Induces Pathological Changes

he ability of bacteria to adhere is one of the essential features required for successful colonization of the gastrointestinal tract [27]. In both natural and experimental infections with B. pilosicoli in humans, animals and birds, the spirochete shows an unusual form of attachment to the surface of colonic enterocytes, whereby one cell end pushes against and then invaginates into the cell surface, without penetrating the cell membrane [3], [28]. Subsequently, specific interactions with the host cell appear to occur, anchoring the spirochete in place within the pit-like structure that is formed [29].

Specific bacterium in the gut linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) -- ScienceDaily

Researchers have detected a connection between Brachyspira, a genus of bacteria in the intestines, and IBS -- especially the form that causes diarrhea. Although the discovery needs confirmation in larger studies, there is hope that it might lead to new remedies for many people with irritable bowel syndrome.

The Spirochete Brachyspira pilosicoli, Enteric Pathogen of Animals and Humans

Natural Habitat and Survival
Brachyspira pilosicoli colonizes the large intestines of many species of wild and domesticated birds and animals. It is regarded as a common pathogen of pigs and adult chickens, and on some farms infections with B. pilosicoli may be endemic. Cross-species transmission undoubtedly occurs, and zoonotic transmission is highly likely, although it has not been conclusively demonstrated (138). The spirochete is passed in feces, and it may survive for prolonged periods in natural water systems such as lakes and ponds, from which it can be isolated. These sorts of water bodies may contain nutrients and anaerobic sludge that would favor the spirochete's survival. For example, B. pilosicoli has been shown to remain viable in lake water held at 4°C for 66 days or at 25°C for 4 days (29). It can survive for 119 days in soil and for 210 days both in soil containing 10% pig feces and in pig feces alone (139). On the other hand, three different cell concentrations of B. pilosicoli survived in chicken cecal feces at 37°C for only between 2 and 17 h, with a maximum survival time of 72 to 84 h at 4°C (140). Chicken feces are acidic and often dry, and this may account for the relatively short survival time of B. pilosicoli in chicken sheds.