Tracking Bacterial Infection Dynamics in a Mouse Using Bioluminescence

Source: Valentine, M. E., et al. Generation of In-Frame Gene Deletion Mutants in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Testing for Virulence Attenuation in a Simple Mouse Model of Infection. J. Vis. Exp. (2020)This video demonstrates the use of bioluminescence to visualize and compare the in vivo behavior of virulent and attenuated bacterial strains in mice. It outlines the preparation of bioluminescent bacterial suspensions and their intraperitoneal injection into mice. The virulent strain exhibits systemic spread, while the attenuated strain remains localized and is gradually cleared, as indicated by the fading signal.