A type IV pilin, PilA, Contributes To Adherence of Burkholderia pseudomallei and virulence in vivo

Molecular insights into Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei pathogenesis

Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei are closely related gram-negative bacteria that can cause serious diseases in humans and animals. This review summarizes the current and rapidly expanding knowledge on the specific virulence factors employed by these pathogens and their roles in the pathogenesis of melioidosis and glanders. In particular, the contributions of recently identified virulence factors are described in the context of the intracellular lifestyle of these pathogens. Throughout this review, unique and shared virulence features of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei are discussed.

A Burkholderia pseudomallei deltapurM mutant is avirulent in immunocompetent and immunodeficient animals: candidate strain for exclusion from select-agent lists

Burkholderia pseudomallei causes the disease melioidosis in humans and is classified as a category B select agent. Research utilizing this pathogen is highly regulated in the United States, and even basic studies must be conducted in biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) facilities. There is currently no attenuated B. pseudomallei strain available that is excluded from select-agent regulations and can be safely handled at BSL-2 facilities. To address this need, we created Bp82 and Bp190, which are DeltapurM derivatives of B. pseudomallei strains 1026b and K96243 that are deficient in adenine and thiamine biosynthesis but replication competent in vitro in rich medium. A series of animal challenge studies was conducted to ensure that these strains were fully attenuated. Whereas the parental strains 1026b and K96243 and the complemented mutants Bp410 and Bp454 were virulent in BALB/c mice following intranasal inoculation, the DeltapurM mutants Bp82 and Bp190 were avirulent even when they were administered at doses 4 logs higher than the doses used for the parental strains. Animals challenged with high doses of the DeltapurM mutants rapidly cleared the bacterium from tissues (lung, liver, and spleen) and remained free of culturable bacteria for the duration of the experiments (up to 60 days postinfection). Moreover, highly susceptible 129/SvEv mice and immune incompetent mice (IFN-gamma-/-, SCID) were resistant to challenges with DeltapurM mutant Bp82. This strain was also avirulent in the Syrian hamster challenge model. We concluded that DeltapurM mutant Bp82 is fully attenuated and safe for use under BSL-2 laboratory conditions and thus is a candidate for exclusion from the select-agent list.

A genomic survey of positive selection in Burkholderia pseudomallei provides insights into the evolution of accidental virulence

Certain environmental microorganisms can cause severe human infections, even in the absence of an obvious requirement for transition through an animal host for replication ("accidental virulence"). To understand this process, we compared eleven isolate genomes of Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp), a tropical soil microbe and causative agent of the human and animal disease melioidosis. We found evidence for the existence of several new genes in the Bp reference genome, identifying 282 novel genes supported by at least two independent lines of supporting evidence (mRNA transcripts, database homologs, and presence of ribosomal binding sites) and 81 novel genes supported by all three lines. Within the Bp core genome, 211 genes exhibited significant levels of positive selection (4.5%), distributed across many cellular pathways including carbohydrate and secondary metabolism. Functional experiments revealed that certain positively selected genes might enhance mammalian virulence by interacting with host cellular pathways or utilizing host nutrients. Evolutionary modifications improving Bp environmental fitness may thus have indirectly facilitated the ability of Bp to colonize and survive in mammalian hosts. These findings improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of melioidosis, and establish Bp as a model system for studying the genetics of accidental virulence.

Role for the Burkholderia pseudomallei capsular polysaccharide encoded by the wcb operon in acute disseminated melioidosis

The capsular polysaccharide of Burkholderia pseudomallei is an essential virulence determinant that is required for protection from host serum cidal activity and opsonophagocytosis. In this study, the immune response directed against a B. pseudomallei capsule mutant (JW270) was investigated in an acute respiratory murine model. JW270 was significantly attenuated in this model ( approximately 2 logs) to levels resembling those of avirulent Burkholderia thailandensis. At lethal doses, JW270 colonized the lung, liver, and spleen at levels similar to the wild-type strain levels and was found to trigger reduced pathology in the liver and spleen. Several cytokine responses were altered in these tissues, and importantly, the levels of gamma interferon were reduced in the livers and spleens of JW270-infected mice but not in the lungs. These results suggest that the capsular polysaccharide of B. pseudomallei is a critical virulence determinant in respiratory tract infections and that it is an important antigen for generating the Th1 immune response commonly observed in systemic melioidosis. Furthermore, the data suggest that host recognition of B. pseudomallei capsular polysaccharide in the lungs may not be as important to the disease outcome as the innate immune response in the peripheral organs.

The molecular and cellular basis of pathogenesis in melioidosis: how does Burkholderia pseudomallei cause disease?

Melioidosis, a febrile illness with disease states ranging from acute pneumonia or septicaemia to chronic abscesses, was first documented by Whitmore & Krishnaswami (1912). The causative agent, Burkholderia pseudomallei, was subsequently identified as a motile, gram-negative bacillus, which is principally an environmental saprophyte. Melioidosis has become an increasingly important disease in endemic areas such as northern Thailand and Australia (Currie et al., 2000). This health burden, plus the classification of B. pseudomallei as a category B biological agent (Rotz et al., 2002), has resulted in an escalation of research interest. This review focuses on the molecular and cellular basis of pathogenesis in melioidosis, with a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on how B. pseudomallei can cause disease. The process of B. pseudomallei movement from the environmental reservoir to attachment and invasion of epithelial and macrophage cells and the subsequent intracellular survival and spread is outlined. Furthermore, the diverse assortment of virulence factors that allow B. pseudomallei to become an effective opportunistic pathogen, as well as to avoid or subvert the host immune response, is discussed. With the recent increase in genomic and molecular studies, the current understanding of the infection process of melioidosis has increased substantially, yet, much still remains to be elucidated.

A Burkholderia pseudomallei protein microarray reveals serodiagnostic and cross-reactive antigens

Understanding the way in which the immune system responds to infection is central to the development of vaccines and many diagnostics. To provide insight into this area, we fabricated a protein microarray containing 1,205 Burkholderia pseudomallei proteins, probed it with 88 melioidosis patient sera, and identified 170 reactive antigens. This subset of antigens was printed on a smaller array and probed with a collection of 747 individual sera derived from 10 patient groups including melioidosis patients from Northeast Thailand and Singapore, patients with different infections, healthy individuals from the USA, and from endemic and nonendemic regions of Thailand. We identified 49 antigens that are significantly more reactive in melioidosis patients than healthy people and patients with other types of bacterial infections. We also identified 59 cross-reactive antigens that are equally reactive among all groups, including healthy controls from the USA. Using these results we were able to devise a test that can classify melioidosis positive and negative individuals with sensitivity and specificity of 95% and 83%, respectively, a significant improvement over currently available diagnostic assays. Half of the reactive antigens contained a predicted signal peptide sequence and were classified as outer membrane, surface structures or secreted molecules, and an additional 20% were associated with pathogenicity, adaptation or chaperones. These results show that microarrays allow a more comprehensive analysis of the immune response on an antigen-specific, patient-specific, and population-specific basis, can identify serodiagnostic antigens, and contribute to a more detailed understanding of immunogenicity to this pathogen.

Reintroduction of two deleted virulence loci restores full virulence to the live vaccine strain of Francisella tularensis

A disadvantage of several old vaccines is that the genetic events resulting in the attenuation are often largely unknown and reversion to virulence cannot be excluded. In the 1950s, a live vaccine strain, LVS, was developed from a type B strain of Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia. LVS, which is highly attenuated for humans but still virulent for mice by some infection routes, has been extensively studied and found to protect staff from laboratory-acquired tularemia. The efforts to improve biopreparedness have identified a demand for a vaccine against tularemia. Recently the rapid progress in genomics of different Francisella strains has led to identification of several regions of differences (RDs). Two genes carried within RDs, pilA, encoding a putative type IV pilin, and FTT0918, encoding an outer membrane protein, have been linked to virulence. Interestingly, LVS has lost these two genes via direct repeat-mediated deletions. Here we show that reintroduction of the two deleted regions restores virulence of LVS in a mouse infection model to a level indistinguishable from that of virulent type B strains. The identification of the two attenuating deletion events could facilitate the licensing of LVS for use in humans.

An allelic exchange system for compliant genetic manipulation of the select agents Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei

Burkholderia pseudomallei and B. mallei are Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that cause melioidosis in humans and glanders in horses, respectively. Both bacteria are classified as category B select agents in the United States. Due to strict select-agent regulations, the number of antibiotic selection markers approved for use in these bacteria is greatly limited. Approved markers for B. pseudomallei include genes encoding resistance to kanamycin (Km), gentamicin (Gm), and zeocin (Zeo); however, wild type B. pseudomallei is intrinsically resistant to these antibiotics. Selection markers for B. mallei are limited to Km and Zeo resistance genes. Additionally, there are few well developed counter-selection markers for use in Burkholderia. The use of SacB as a counter-selection method has been of limited success due to the presence of endogenous sacBC genes in the genomes of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei. These impediments have greatly hampered the genetic manipulation of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei and currently few reliable tools for the genetic manipulation of Burkholderia exist. To expand the repertoire of genetic tools for use in Burkholderia, we developed the suicide plasmid pMo130, which allows for the compliant genetic manipulation of the select agents B. pseudomallei and B. mallei using allelic exchange. pMo130 harbors an aphA gene which allows for Km selection, the reporter gene xylE, which allows for reliable visual detection of Burkholderia transformants, and carries a modified sacB gene that allows for the resolution of co-integrants. We employed this system to generate multiple unmarked and in-frame mutants in B. pseudomallei, and one mutant in B. mallei. This vector significantly expands the number of available tools that are select-agent compliant for the genetic manipulation of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei.

The genome of Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315, an epidemic pathogen of cystic fibrosis patients

Bacterial infections of the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients cause major complications in the treatment of this common genetic disease. Burkholderia cenocepacia infection is particularly problematic since this organism has high levels of antibiotic resistance, making it difficult to eradicate; the resulting chronic infections are associated with severe declines in lung function and increased mortality rates. B. cenocepacia strain J2315 was isolated from a CF patient and is a member of the epidemic ET12 lineage that originated in Canada or the United Kingdom and spread to Europe. The 8.06-Mb genome of this highly transmissible pathogen comprises three circular chromosomes and a plasmid and encodes a broad array of functions typical of this metabolically versatile genus, as well as numerous virulence and drug resistance functions. Although B. cenocepacia strains can be isolated from soil and can be pathogenic to both plants and man, J2315 is representative of a lineage of B. cenocepacia rarely isolated from the environment and which spreads between CF patients. Comparative analysis revealed that ca. 21% of the genome is unique in comparison to other strains of B. cenocepacia, highlighting the genomic plasticity of this species. Pseudogenes in virulence determinants suggest that the pathogenic response of J2315 may have been recently selected to promote persistence in the CF lung. The J2315 genome contains evidence that its unique and highly adapted genetic content has played a significant role in its success as an epidemic CF pathogen.

Genetic tools for allelic replacement in Burkholderia species

Allelic replacement in the Burkholderia genus has been problematic due to the lack of appropriate counter-selectable and selectable markers. The counter-selectable marker sacB, commonly used in gram-negative bacteria, is nonselective on sucrose in many Burkholderia species. In addition, the use of antibiotic resistance markers of clinical importance for the selection of desirable genetic traits is prohibited in the United States for two potential bioterrorism agents, Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Here, we engineered a mutated counter-selectable marker based on the B. pseudomallei PheS (the alpha-subunit of phenylalanyl tRNA synthase) protein and tested its effectiveness in three different Burkholderia species. The mutant PheS protein effectively killed 100% of the bacteria in the presence of 0.1% p-chlorophenylalanine. We assembled the mutant pheS on several allelic replacement vectors, in addition to constructing selectable markers based on tellurite (Tel(r)) and trimethoprim (Tp(r)) resistance that are excisable by flanking unique FLP recombination target (FRT) sequences. As a proof of concept, we utilized one of these gene replacement vectors (pBAKA) and the Tel(r)-FRT cassette to produce a chromosomal mutation in the Burkholderia thailandensis betBA operon, which codes for betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase and choline dehydrogenase. Chromosomal resistance markers could be excised by the introduction of pFLP-AB5 (Tp(r)), which is one of two constructed flp-containing plasmids, pFLP-AB4 (Tel(r)) and pFLP-AB5 (Tp(r)). These flp-containing plasmids harbor the mutant pheS gene and allow self curing on media that contain p-chlorophenylalanine after Flp-FRT excision. The characterization of the Delta betBA::Tel(r)-FRT and Delta betBA::FRT mutants indicated a defect in growth with choline as a sole carbon source, while these mutants grew as well as the wild type with succinate and glucose as alternative carbon sources.

Genetic tools for select-agent-compliant manipulation of Burkholderia pseudomallei

Because of Burkholderia pseudomallei's classification as a select agent in the United States, genetic manipulation of this bacterium is strictly regulated. Only a few antibiotic selection markers, including gentamicin, kanamycin, and zeocin, are currently approved for use with this bacterium, but wild-type strains are highly resistant to these antibiotics. To facilitate routine genetic manipulations of wild-type strains, several new tools were developed. A temperature-sensitive pRO1600 broad-host-range replicon was isolated and used to construct curable plasmids where the Flp and Cre recombinase genes are expressed from the rhamnose-regulated Escherichia coli P(BAD) promoter and kanamycin (nptI) and zeocin (ble) selection markers from the constitutive Burkholderia thailandensis ribosomal P(S12) or synthetic bacterial P(EM7) promoter. Flp and Cre site-specific recombination systems allow in vivo excision and recycling of nptII and ble selection markers contained on FRT or loxP cassettes. Finally, expression of Tn7 site-specific transposase from the constitutive P1 integron promoter allowed development of an efficient site-specific chromosomal integration system for B. pseudomallei. In conjunction with a natural transformation method, the utility of these new tools was demonstrated by isolating an unmarked delta(amrRAB-oprA) efflux pump mutant. Exploiting natural transformation, chromosomal DNA fragments carrying this mutation marked with zeocin resistance were transferred between the genomes of two different B. pseudomallei strains. Lastly, the deletion mutation was complemented by a chromosomally integrated mini-Tn7 element carrying the amrAB-oprA operon. The new tools allow routine select-agent-compliant genetic manipulations of B. pseudomallei and other Burkholderia species.

Glanders: off to the races with Burkholderia mallei

Burkholderia mallei, the etiologic agent of the disease known as glanders, is primarily a disease affecting horses and is transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected animals. The use of B. mallei as a biological weapon has been reported and currently, there is no vaccine available for either humans or animals. Despite the history and highly infective nature of B. mallei, as well as its potential use as a bio-weapon, B. mallei research to understand the pathogenesis and the host responses to infection remains limited. Therefore, this minireview will focus on current efforts to elucidate B. mallei virulence, the associated host immune responses elicited during infection and discuss the feasibility of vaccine development.

Comparative genomics and an insect model rapidly identify novel virulence genes of Burkholderia mallei

Burkholderia pseudomallei and its host-adapted deletion clone Burkholderia mallei cause the potentially fatal human diseases melioidosis and glanders, respectively. The antibiotic resistance profile and ability to infect via aerosol of these organisms and the absence of protective vaccines have led to their classification as major biothreats and select agents. Although documented infections by these bacteria date back over 100 years, relatively little is known about their virulence and pathogenicity mechanisms. We used in silico genomic subtraction to generate their virulome, a set of 650 putative virulence-related genes shared by B. pseudomallei and B. mallei but not present in five closely related nonpathogenic Burkholderia species. Although most of these genes are clustered in putative operons, the number of targets for mutant construction and verification of reduced virulence in animal models is formidable. Therefore, Galleria mellonella (wax moth) larvae were evaluated as a surrogate host; we found that B. pseudomallei and B. mallei, but not other phylogenetically related bacteria, were highly pathogenic for this insect. More importantly, four previously characterized B. mallei mutants with reduced virulence in hamsters or mice had similarly reduced virulence in G. mellonella larvae. Site-specific inactivation of selected genes in the computationally derived virulome identified three new potential virulence genes, each of which was required for rapid and efficient killing of larvae. Thus, this approach may provide a means to quickly identify high-probability virulence genes in B. pseudomallei, B. mallei, and other pathogens.

Genetic diversity of toxigenic and nontoxigenic Vibrio cholerae serogroups O1 and O139 revealed by array-based comparative genomic hybridization

Toxigenic serogroups O1 and O139 of Vibrio cholerae may cause cholera epidemics or pandemics. Nontoxigenic strains within these serogroups also exist in the environment, and also some may cause sporadic cases of disease. Herein, we investigate the genomic diversity among toxigenic and nontoxigenic O1 and O139 strains by comparative genomic microarray hybridization with the genome of El Tor strain N16961 as a base. Conservation of the toxigenic O1 El Tor and O139 strains is found as previously reported, whereas accumulation of genome changes was documented in toxigenic El Tor strains isolated within the 40 years of the seventh pandemic. High phylogenetic diversity in nontoxigenic O1 and O139 strains is observed, and most of the genes absent from nontoxigenic strains are clustered together in the N16961 genome. By comparing these toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains, we observed that the small chromosome of V. cholerae is quite conservative and stable, outside of the superintegron region. In contrast to the general stability of the genome, the superintegron demonstrates pronounced divergence among toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains. Additionally, sequence variation in virulence-related genes is found in nontoxigenic El Tor strains, and we speculate that these intermediate strains may have pathogenic potential should they acquire CTX prophage alleles and other gene clusters. This genome-wide comparison of toxigenic and nontoxigenic V. cholerae strains may promote understanding of clonal differentiation of V. cholerae and contribute to an understanding of the origins and clonal selection of epidemic strains.

The type IV pilin of Burkholderia mallei is highly immunogenic but fails to protect against lethal aerosol challenge in a murine model

Burkholderia mallei is the cause of glanders and a proven biological weapon. We identified and purified the type IV pilin protein of this organism to study its potential as a subunit vaccine. We found that purified pilin was highly immunogenic. Furthermore, mice infected via sublethal aerosol challenge developed significant increases in titers of antibody against the pilin, suggesting that it is expressed in vivo. Nevertheless, we found no evidence that high-titer antipilin antisera provided passive protection against a sublethal or lethal aerosol challenge and no evidence of protection afforded by active immunization with purified pilin. These results contrast with the utility of type IV pilin subunit vaccines against other infectious diseases and highlight the need for further efforts to identify protective responses against this pathogen.

Francisella tularensis vaccines

Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularaemia, a disease which occurs naturally in some countries in the northern hemisphere. Recently, there has been a high level of interest in devising vaccines against the bacterium because of the potential for it to be used as a bioterrorism agent. Previous human volunteer studies have shown that a strain of F. tularensis [the live vaccine strain (LVS)] that has been attenuated by laboratory passage is effective in humans as a vaccine against airborne disease. However, for a variety of reasons it seems unlikely that the LVS strain will be licensed for use in humans. Against this background there is an effort to devise a licensable vaccine against tularaemia. The prospects for a killed whole-cell subunit of live attenuated vaccine are reviewed. A rationally attenuated mutant seems the most likely route to a new tularaemia vaccine.

Caenorhabditis elegans as a simple model to study phenotypic and genetic virulence determinants of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains cause disease by invading normally sterile niches within the host body, e.g., urinary tract, blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Infections due to ExPEC strains, in particular urinary tract infections, cause considerable morbidity and significant health-care costs. The goal of our study is to evaluate whether Caenorhabditis elegans can be used as a model to study phenotypic and genetic virulence determinants of ExPEC strains. For this purpose, we used a collection of 31 E. coli strains isolated during acute extra-intestinal infections or from the feces of healthy individuals. For all strains, the phylogeny, the presence of ExPEC virulence factors, the resistance to biologically relevant stressors (bile, human serum and lysozyme), the motility, the growth rate, the virulence in C. elegans and in a murine septicaemia model has been established. The results show that there is a strong link between virulence in C. elegans and certain phenotypic and genetic virulence predictors of ExPEC strains determinable in vitro. Furthermore, there is a significant correlation between virulence of different ExPEC strains in C. elegans and in the murine model. Therefore, our results suggest that C. elegans can be used as a model to study virulence determinants of ExPEC strains.

Melioidosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Melioidosis is increasingly recognized around the world. Despite several decades of clinical research, the mortality rate for melioidosis remains high. This review focuses on studies that relate to patient management, including risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and prediction of the outcome. A brief summary of studies relating to genomics and genotyping, immunology and pathogenesis is provided.

RECENT FINDINGS

Involvement in the tsunami of December 2004 is a risk factor for melioidosis, and risk may extend to individuals who were uninjured bystanders. Several standard microbiological techniques used to culture and identify Burkholderia pseudomallei have been evaluated. Polymerase chain reaction has been developed for bacterial identification, although limited evaluation has been performed in the clinical setting. Two trials of antimicrobial therapy provide evidence with which to refine existing treatment protocols. Inexpensive clinical and laboratory predictors for poor outcome have been described. Several putative vaccine candidates have been proposed and studied in animals, but no vaccine is on the immediate horizon.

SUMMARY

None of the studies reviewed here report strategies that reduce mortality. A key area for future research is the identification of affordable interventions that lower the death rate, and are applicable to low-resource settings.

Temperature-regulated microcolony formation by Burkholderia pseudomallei requires pilA and enhances association with cultured human cells

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a potentially fatal disease that is endemic to Northern Australia and Southeast Asia and is acquired from soil or water. Adherence of B. pseudomallei 08 to cultured cells increases dramatically following prior growth at 30 degrees C or less compared to that following prior growth at 37 degrees C. Here, we show that this occurs almost entirely as the result of microcolony formation (bacterium-bacterium interactions) following growth at 27 degrees C but not at 37 degrees C, which considerably enhances bacterial association with eukaryotic cells. Further, we demonstrate that the type IVA pilin-encoding gene, pilA, is essential for microcolony development by B. pseudomallei 08, and thus optimum association with eukaryotic cells, but is not required for direct adherence (bacterium-cell interactions). In contrast, although the B. pseudomallei genome sequence strain, K96243, also contains transcriptionally active pilA, microcolony formation rarely occurs following growth at either 27 degrees C or 37 degrees C and cell association occurs significantly less than with strain 08. Analysis of pilA transcription in 08 identified that pilA is dramatically upregulated under microcolony-forming conditions, viz., growth at low temperature, and association with eukaryotic cells; the pattern of transcription of pilA in K96243 differed from that in 08. Our study also suggests that biofilm formation by B. pseudomallei 08 and K96243 on polyvinylchloride is not mediated by pilA. Adherence and microcolony formation, and pilA transcription, vary between strains, consistent with known genomic variation in B. pseudomallei, and these phenotypes may be relevant to colonization from the environment.

Caenorhabditis elegans : modèle d'étude in vivo de la virulence bactérienne

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans presents many advantages as a model system. The worm has recently emerged as a potentially useful tool for the study of host-pathogen interactions. This paper presents advantages and inconveniences of this model, the variety of bacterial pathogens studied, and its use to monitor virulence of Extraintestinal Escherichia coli strains.

The bacterial gene lfpA influences the potent induction of calcitonin receptor and osteoclast-related genes in Burkholderia pseudomallei-induced TRAP-positive multinucleated giant cells

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a facultative intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of melioidosis, a spectrum of potentially fatal diseases endemic in Northern Australia and South-East Asia. We demonstrate that B. pseudomallei rapidly modifies infected macrophage-like cells in a manner analagous to osteoclastogenesis. These alterations include multinucleation and the expression by infected cells of mRNA for factors required for osteoclastogenesis: the chemokines monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein 1 gamma (MIP-1gamma), 'regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted' (RANTES) and the transcription factor 'nuclear factor of activated T-cells cytoplasmic 1' (NFATc1). An increase in expression of these factors was also observed after infection with Burkholderia thailandensis. Expression of genes for the osteoclast markers calcitonin receptor (CTR), cathepsin K (CTSK) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) was also increased by B. pseudomallei-infected, but not by B. thailandensis-infected cells. The expression by B. pseudomallei-infected cells of these chemokine and osteoclast marker genes was remarkably similar to cells treated with RANKL, a stimulator of osteoclastogenesis. Analysis of dentine resorption by B. pseudomallei-induced osteoclast-like cells revealed that demineralization may occur but that authentic excavation does not take place under the tested conditions. Furthermore, we identified and characterized lfpA (for lactonase family protein A) in B. pseudomallei, which shares significant sequence similarity with the eukaryotic protein 'regucalcin', also known as 'senescence marker protein-30' (SMP-30). LfpA orthologues are widespread in prokaryotes and are well conserved, but are phylogenetically distinct from eukaryotic regucalcin orthologues. We demonstrate that lfpA mRNA expression is dramatically increased in association with macrophage-like cells. Mutation of lfpA significantly reduced expression of the tested host genes, relative to the response to wild-type B. pseudomallei. We also show that lfpA is required for optimal virulence in vivo.

Melioidosis: insights into the pathogenicity of Burkholderia pseudomallei

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a potential bioterror agent and the causative agent of melioidosis, a severe disease that is endemic in areas of Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. Infection is often associated with bacterial dissemination to distant sites, and there are many possible disease manifestations, with melioidosis septic shock being the most severe. Eradication of the organism following infection is difficult, with a slow fever-clearance time, the need for prolonged antibiotic therapy and a high rate of relapse if therapy is not completed. Mortality from melioidosis septic shock remains high despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Prevention of disease and a reduction in mortality and the rate of relapse are priority areas for future research efforts. Studying how the disease is acquired and the host-pathogen interactions involved will underpin these efforts; this review presents an overview of current knowledge in these areas, highlighting key topics for evaluation.

Genetic and transcriptional analysis of the siderophore malleobactin biosynthesis and transport genes in the human pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei K96243

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen that causes melioidosis, an invasive disease of humans and animals. To address the response of this bacterium to iron-limiting conditions, we first performed a global transcriptional analysis of RNA extracted from bacteria grown under iron-limiting and iron-rich conditions by microarrays. We focused our study on those open reading frames (ORFs) induced under iron limitation, which encoded predicted proteins that could be involved in the biosynthesis and uptake of the siderophore malleobactin. We purified this siderophore and determined that it consisted of at least three compounds with different molecular weights. We demonstrated that ORFs BPSL1776 and BPSL1774, designated mbaA and mbaF, respectively, are involved in the biosynthesis of malleobactin, while BPSL1775, named fmtA, is involved in its transport. These genes are in an operon with two other ORFs (mbaJ and mbaI) whose transcription is under the control of MbaS, a protein that belongs to the extracytoplasmic function sigma factors. Interestingly, the transcription of the mbaA, fmtA, and mbaS genes is not controlled by the availability of the siderophore malleobactin.

Direct repeat-mediated deletion of a type IV pilin gene results in major virulence attenuation of Francisella tularensis

Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularaemia, is a highly infectious and virulent intracellular pathogen. There are two main human pathogenic subspecies, Francisella tularensis ssp. tularensis (type A), and Francisella tularensis ssp. holarctica (type B). So far, knowledge regarding key virulence determinants is limited but it is clear that intracellular survival and multiplication is one major virulence strategy of Francisella. In addition, genome sequencing has revealed the presence of genes encoding type IV pili (Tfp). One genomic region encoding three proteins with signatures typical for type IV pilins contained two 120 bp direct repeats. Here we establish that repeat-mediated loss of one of the putative pilin genes in a type B strain results in severe virulence attenuation in mice infected by subcutaneous route. Complementation of the mutant by introduction of the pilin gene in cis resulted in complete restoration of virulence. The level of attenuation was similar to that of the live vaccine strain and this strain was also found to lack the pilin gene as result of a similar deletion event mediated by the direct repeats. Presence of the pilin had no major effect on the ability to interact, survive and multiply inside macrophage-like cell lines. Importantly, the pilin-negative strain was impaired in its ability to spread from the initial site of infection to the spleen. Our findings indicate that this putative pilin is critical for Francisella infections that occur via peripheral routes.