This video describes a swab-based technique to isolate viable commensal bacteria from the ocular conjunctiva. The technique can be used to profile the commensal bacterial microbiome of the conjunctiva, which plays a defensive role against pathogens.
Protocol
All procedures involving animal models have been reviewed by the local institutional animal care committee and the JoVE veterinary review board. 1. Eye Swab Preparation, Work Field Set-up, Mouse Eye Swabbing and Sample Enrichment Prepare Sterile Eye Swabs NOTE: Sterile eye swabs are thinly coated wooden toothpicks with a fiber thin layer of cotton batting and made in house. Autoclave appropriate …
Representative Results
Figure 1: In-house eye swab. (A) A thin, approximately 1 cm, piece of pulled cotton batting was held between the sterile toothpick point and index finger and the toothpick was rolled while maintaining slight pressure against the index finger until the cotton was completely rolled onto the toothpick tip. (B) Example of an eye swab. <p cla…
Divulgazioni
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Materials
0.1 to 10 μl pipet tip
USA Scientific
1110-300
Autoclave before use
0.5 to 10 μl Eppendorf pipet
Fisher Scientific
13-690-026
1 ml syringe
Fisher Scientific
BD309623
1 syringe for each eye swab group
1.5 ml Eppendorf tubes
USA Scientific
1615-5500
Autoclave before use
1000 μ ml pipet tip
USA Scientific
1111-2021
Autoclave before use
200 to 1000 μl Gilson pipetman (P1000)
Fisher Scientific
F123602G
25 G needle
Fisher Scientific
14-826AA
1 needle per eye swab group
3 % Hydrogen Peroxide
Fisher Scientific
S25359
37 ° C Incubator
Lab equipment
70 % Isopropanol
Fisher Scientific
PX1840-4
Ana-Sed Injection (Xylazine 100 mg/ml)
Santa Cruz Animal Health
SC-362949Rx
Bunsen Burner
Lab equipment
Clean paper towels
Lab equipment
Cotton Batting/Sterile rolled cotton
CVS
Ketamine (100 mg/ml)
Henry Schein
9950001
Mice
Jackson Labs
C57/BL6J
Petri Dishes
Fisher Scientific
08-757-12
For Mannitol Salt agar plates
RPI Brain Heart Infusion Media
Fisher Scientific
50-488525
Prepare according to directions and autoclave
SteriFlip (0.22 μm pore size polyester sulfone)
EMD/Millipore, Fisher Scientifc
SCGP00525
To sterilize anesthesia
Sterile mouse cage
Lab equipment
Tooth picks (round bamboo)
Kitchen Essentials
Autoclave before use and swab preparation
Trypticase Soy Agar II with 5% Sheep's Blood Plates
Fisher Scientific
4321261
Store at 4 °C until ready to use
Single use eye drops
CVS Pharmacy
Bausch and Lomb Soothe Lubricant Eye Drops, 28 vials, 0.02 fl oz. each
Swab-based Conjunctival Commensal Bacteria Isolation: A Technique to Isolate Commensal Bacteria from Conjunctiva of Murine Model. J. Vis. Exp. (Pending Publication), e20745, doi: (2023).