Snodgrassella alvi is a member of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) gut core microbiota that can be cultivated in vitro. Its isolation and characterization were recently carried out by Waldan Kwong in the laboratory of Dr. Nancy Moran and are described in depth in here.
Insectagro and SFM4Insect media induces maximum biofilm formation in S. alvi cultures.
Recently, Philip Engel's group published on using a modified version of M9 minimal media called the Bee9 medium to be able to robustly culture S. alvi in liquid (Quin et al 2024).
S. alvi can be transformed by electroporation (Chhun et al 2024; Lariviere et al 2023). Briefly, streak wkB2 cells using overlapping streaks on CBA and grow at 35°C in 5% CO2 for 2-3 days (recommended 72 hours). Once colonies have appeared, pick colonies, re-streak multiple CBA plates, and incubate them for 24-48 hours (not exceeding 48 hours) in the same condition. Scrape all the growth from the plate into 1.5 ml tube(s) with 1 ml PBS and resuspend/mix cells, and pellet by centrifuging at 5000 RCF (xg) for 10 mins. Mix the cells in the tube by pipetting up and down. Wash twice in 1 ml chilled autoclaved DI water or 10% glycerol and resuspend the pellet after the final wash in 10% glycerol. Keep the cells on ice from here on out. Make 70-100 µl aliquots and either freeze at -80°C or use right away.
To electroporate S. alvi (Chhun et al 2024; Lariviere et al 2023), obtain and thaw an aliquot of electrocompetent wkB2 cells and add the appropriate amount of DNA (0.5-1 µg recommended if using RSF1010-based plasmids). After adding plasmid DNA, incubate the cells on ice for 20 minutes. Afterwards, transfer to a 1 mm electroporation cuvette and electroporate (Ec1 on BioRad Micropulser). Immediately following electroporation, add 900 µl of SFM4 media or Columbia broth to the cuvette and transfer the cells to a 50 ml falcon tube, with the cap loosely taped on (to allow for gas exchange). Allow cells to recover overnight at 35°C in 5% CO2 for 2-3 days. The next day, plate 100 µl of undiluted cells on selective media. Pellet the remainder of the cells, resuspend in 100 µl of media, and plate the concentrate on selective media as well. Grow selective plates at 35°C in 5% CO2 for 2-3 days or until colonies form. Once colonies have formed, make an isolation streak on a new plate and grow at 35°C in 5% CO2 for 2-3 days. Once isolation streaks have grown up, make glycerol stocks and store at -80°C.
To insert genes directly into S. alvi genome by electroporation, (Lariviere et al 2023), below is the recommended DNA concentrations based on the type of DNA:
This table lists “standard” concentrations of antibiotics commonly used in microbiology laboratories. These concentrations apply to S. alvi (wkB2). Antibiotic selection in other organisms may use different concentrations, so check primary literature for more info.
Reagent | Abb | Stock Conc. | Working Conc. | Dilution | Solvent | MSDS | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ampicillin | Amp | 100 mg/mL | 20 µg/mL | 5,000× | ddH2O | link | Ampicillin degrades quickly in both plates and stock solutions. Culture plates with Amp can be stored at 4°C for about 2 weeks. Stock solutions can be stored at 4°C for 2 weeks but can last as long as 4-6 months when stored at -20°C. In general, use carbenicillin for ampicillin selection, because it is more chemically stable. |
Carbenicillin | Crb | 100 mg/mL | 50 µg/mL | 2,000× | 50% EtOH | link | Carbenicillin can be used in place of Ampicillin at the same working concentration. Carbenicillin is more stable than Ampicillin, and is generally preferable. |
Chloramphenicol | Cam | 20 mg/mL | 20 µg/mL | 1,000× | EtOH | link | |
Gentamicin | Gen | 20 mg/mL | 25 µg/mL | 800× | ddH2O | link | For non-canonical experiments: Use 20 µg/mL in culture from 20mg/mL 1000× stock |
Kanamycin | Kan | 50 mg/mL | 25 µg/mL | 2,500× | ddH2O | link | Plates start to lose sensitivity after 2 weeks; recommended Kanamycin plates only last a few weeks at 4°C; best to make fresh Kan plates every 2 - 4 weeks. |
Nalidixic Acid | Nal | 30 mg/mL | 30 µg/mL | 1,000× | 1M NaOH | link | |
Rifampicin | Rif | 50 mg/mL | 30 µg/mL | 1667× | MeOH + drops of 10M NaOH | link | Toxic to humans, use PPE! Rifampicin is TOXIC to humans, light-sensitive, and degrades in solution rather quickly. It needs to be stored wrapped in foil and replaced every 2 months. |
Spectinomycin | Spec | 60 mg/mL | 30 µg/mL | 2,000× | ddH2O | link | |
Streptomycin | Str | 100 mg/mL | 20 µg/mL | 5,000× | ddH2O | link | |
Tetracycline | Tet | 10 mg/mL | 10 µg/mL | 1,000× | ddH2O | link | S. alvi is naturally resistant to Tet. Use 10 µg/mL. Can be used to isolate S. alvi from other bacteria or contaminants during bee colonization assays without other antibiotics. |
Trimethoprim | TMP | 10 mg/mL | 20 µg/mL | 500× | DMSO | link | S. alvi is naturally resistant to TMP. Use 20 µg/mL. |
Tylosine | Tyl | 5 mg/mL | 5 µg/mL | 1,000× | ddH2O | link | S. alvi wkB2 and S. communis wkB12 are naturally resistant to Tyl. Use 5 µg/mL. |
References:
Barrick Lab > ProtocolList > ProtocolsCulturingSnodgrassellaAlvi