Host stress-induced mutations drive bacterial pathogen evolution

Campylobacter jejuni is responsible for millions of cases of diarrhea per year and is associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome, the leading cause of flaccid paralysis in the post-polio era. Chickens are a primary reservoir for C. jejuni, and most human infections are the result of direct or indirect contact with contaminated poultry products.The fundamental goal of this proposal is to gain a better understanding of C. jejuni growth and adaptation in the intestine of the natural animal host (chickens). Our working hypothesis is that host-induced DNA damage results in mutations that provide C. jejuni with enhanced in vivo fitness. It is critical to gain insight into the mechanisms C. jejuni utilizes to achieve a high level of chicken colonization (host adaptation) to develop strategies to mitigate the adaptive processes associated with human infections.