A subscription to JoVE is required to view this content. Sign in or start your free trial.

Method Article

Live Imaging of Host-Pathogen Interactions in Zebrafish Embryos Infected with Mycobacterium abscessus

300 views

January 30th, 2026

In This Article

Abstract

Source: Bernut, A., et al. Deciphering and Imaging Pathogenesis and Cording of Mycobacterium abscessus in Zebrafish Embryos. J. Vis. Exp. (2015)

This video demonstrates a protocol that uses transgenic zebrafish embryos expressing fluorescent macrophages and infected with fluorescent Mycobacterium abscessus rough strain to visualize host-pathogen interactions. It reveals how extracellular cording enables immune evasion, promoting bacterial survival and host cell damage.

Protocol

1. Live imaging of M. abscessus infection

  1. Mount tricaine-anesthetized embryos in 1% low melting point agarose in a 35 mm petri dish prior to epifluorescence microscopy observations. Use a glass bottom dish for inverted confocal microscopy or a single cavity depression slide for upright confocal microscopy. Orient the embryo to the desired position and cover the solidified agarose with fish water containing tricaine.
  2. Use an epifluorescence microscope with a 10 X objective for sequential fluorescence acquisition and transmission images of the entire embryo. Alternatively, use a confocal microscope with 40X or 63X objectives to visualize the activity of immune cells after an infection.

Access restricted. Please log in or start a trial to view this content.

Materials

List of materials used in this article
NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
Low melting agaroseSigma-Aldrich  
Ethyl 3-aminobenzoate methanesulfonate salt (Tricaine)Sigma-AldrichA5040 

Tags

Fluorescent MacrophagesFluorescence MicroscopyConfocal MicroscopyBacterial CordingImmune EvasionTransgenic Zebrafish