A novel C57BL/6 mouse model for the study of severe Citrobacter rodentium infection

Abstract

The study of human enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EPEC and EHEC) has been limited by the inability of these pathogens to effectively colonize murine models without prior antibiotic treatment. Because it mimics key features of human EPEC and EHEC infection, Citrobacter rodentium, a natural mouse pathogen that colonizes the lower intestine, has become the primary model for investigating these organisms. C57BL/6 mice are most commonly used for C. rodentium research, however, unless they carry specific genetic mutations, they typically develop only mild disease and clear the infection within weeks. As a result, models of severe disease in genetically unmodified hosts are lacking. Here, we describe the development of a non-genetically modified C57BL/6 mouse line with an undisturbed intestinal microbiota, highly susceptible to severe C. rodentium infection. Early infection in these mice was marked by significantly elevated cecal bacterial burdens and tissue pathology. Immune profiling revealed broad reductions in multiple lymphoid subsets, indicating impaired early mucosal activation. Although overall cytokine expression patterns were similar between groups, ceca of susceptible mice exhibited elevated baseline and early post-infection IL-18, as well as increased G-CSF at day 1. Microbiota analyses showed broadly comparable communities with wildtype controls, with some altered groups, such as Lachnospiraceae, Prevotellaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae. Together, these findings characterize a robust C57BL/6 model that reproducibly develops severe C. rodentium-induced disease. This phenotype is driven by microbiota-associated alterations and impaired early cecal immunity, providing a valuable system for studying host-microbiota interactions in enteric infections.