Buret, AndreAkierman, Sarah2015-05-012015-06-222015-05-012015Akierman, S. (2015). Modulation of Human Intestinal Microbiota Composition and Structure by Campylobacter jejuni (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26977http://hdl.handle.net/11023/2230Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), one of the most common causes of human bacterial gastroenteritis in both the developed and developing worlds, has been found to contribute to post-infectious symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While the postulated causes of IBD are various, evidence suggests a role of modulation of the intestinal microbiota in the pathophysiology. There is currently a lack of knowledge as to what extent the exposure to enteropathogens may lead to gastrointestinal microbiota dysbiosis by the promotion of an inappropriate immunological response, leading to the development of IBD-like symptoms. This study investigated the interaction between C. jejuni and the commensal microbiota of the descending colon, in a Calgary Biofilm Device (CBD) model with human mucosa biopsy samples. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) studies demonstrated that anaerobic C. jejuni co-incubation leads to a loss of microbiota diversity, a decrease in the relative abundance of the unknown bacteria and an increase in the relative abundance of the phyla Firmicutes. Microscopy depicts that C. jejuni co-incubation decreases microbiota biofilm thickness and decreases the extracellular matrix. Whether the loss of extracellular matrix occurs along the surface of the biofilm or throughout the biofilm requires further investigation. These novel findings contribute to our understanding of C. jejuni pathogenesis, specifically C. jejuni-microbiota modulation, and may play a role in post-Campylobacterosis flares in patients with IBD.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.MicrobiologyPhysiologyC. jejuniCalgary Biofilm Devicemucosal biopsymicrobiotaCampylobacterosisIBDmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/26977