Transcriptional analysis of the Yersinia pestis pH 6 antigen gene

Dissecting psa Locus Regulation in Yersinia pestis

The pH 6 antigen (PsaA) of Yersinia pestis is a virulence factor that is expressed in response to high temperature (37°C) and low pH (6.0). Previous studies have implicated the PsaE and PsaF regulators in the temperature- and pH-dependent regulation of psaA. Here, we show that PsaE levels are themselves controlled by pH and temperature, explaining the regulation of psaA. We identify hundreds of binding sites for PsaE across the Y. pestis genome, with the majority of binding sites located in intergenic regions bound by the nucleoid-associated protein H-NS. However, we detect direct regulation of only two transcripts by PsaE, likely due to displacement of H-NS from the corresponding promoter regions; our data suggest that most PsaE binding sites are nonregulatory or that they require additional environmental cues. We also identify the precise binding sites for PsaE that are required for temperature- and pH-dependent regulation of psaA and psaE. Thus, our data reveal the critical role that PsaE plays in the regulation of psaA and suggest that PsaE may have many additional regulatory targets. IMPORTANCE Y. pestis, the etiologic agent of plague, has been responsible for high mortality in several epidemics throughout human history. The plague bacillus has been used as a biological weapon during human history and is currently one of the most likely biological threats. PsaA and PsaE appear to play important roles during Y. pestis infection. Understanding their regulation by environmental cues would facilitate a solution to impede Y. pestis infection.

PsaF Is a Membrane-Localized pH Sensor That Regulates psaA Expression in Yersinia pestis

The Yersinia pestis pH 6 antigen (PsaA) forms fimbria-like structures and is required for full virulence during bubonic plague. High temperature and low pH regulate PsaA production, and while recent work has uncovered the molecular aspects of temperature control, the mechanisms underlying this unusual regulation by pH are poorly understood. Using defined growth conditions, we recently showed that high levels of PsaE and PsaF (two regulatory proteins required for expression of psaA) are present at mildly acidic pH, but these levels are greatly reduced at neutral pH, resulting in low psaA expression. In prior work, the use of translational reporters suggested that pH had no impact on translation of psaE and psaF, but rather affected protein stability of PsaE and/or PsaF. Here, we investigated the pH-dependent posttranslational mechanisms predicted to regulate PsaE and PsaF stability. Using antibodies that recognize the endogenous proteins, we showed that the amount of PsaE and PsaF is defined by a distinct pH threshold. Analysis of histidine residues in the periplasmic domain of PsaF suggested that it functions as a pH sensor and indicated that the presence of PsaF is important for PsaE stability. At neutral pH, when PsaF is absent, PsaE appears to be targeted for proteolytic degradation by regulated intramembrane proteolysis. Together, our work shows that Y. pestis utilizes PsaF as a pH sensor to control psaA expression by enhancing the stability of PsaE, an essential psaA regulatory protein. IMPORTANCE Yersinia pestis is a bacterial pathogen that causes bubonic plague in humans. As Y. pestis cycles between fleas and mammals, it senses the environment within each host to appropriately control gene expression. PsaA is a protein that forms fimbria-like structures and is required for virulence. High temperature and low pH together stimulate psaA transcription by increasing the levels of two essential integral membrane regulators, PsaE and PsaF. Histidine residues in the PsaF periplasmic domain enable it to function as a pH sensor. In the absence of PsaF, PsaE (a DNA-binding protein) appears to be targeted for proteolytic degradation, thus preventing expression of psaA. This work offers insight into the mechanisms that bacteria use to sense pH and control virulence gene expression.

Temperature Control of psaA Expression by PsaE and PsaF in Yersinia pestis

Y. pestis is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that causes bubonic plague. As a vector-borne pathogen, Y. pestis fluctuates between an arthropod vector (flea) and mammalian host. As such, Y. pestis must recognize environmental signals encountered within each host environment and respond by appropriately regulating gene expression. PsaA is a key Y. pestis mammalian virulence determinant that forms fimbriae. Our work provides evidence that Y. pestis utilizes multiple posttranscriptional mechanisms to regulate the levels of two PsaA regulatory proteins in response to both temperature and pH. This study offers insight into mechanisms that bacteria utilize to sense environmental cues and regulate the expression of determinants required for mammalian disease.

PsaA, the subunit of the fimbria originally referred to as the “pH 6 antigen,” is required for full virulence of Yersinia pestis during bubonic plague. The expression of psaA is dependent upon specific environmental signals, and while the signals (high temperature and acidic pH) are defined, the mechanisms underlying this regulation remain unclear. In the closely related species Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, psaA transcription requires two regulatory genes, psaE and psaF, and it is speculated that posttranscriptional regulation of PsaE and/or PsaF contributes to the regulation of psaA transcription. Few studies have examined the regulation of psaA expression in Y. pestis, and prior to this work, the roles of psaE and psaF in Y. pestis had not been defined. The data presented here show that both psaE and psaF are required for psaA transcription in Y. pestis and that the impact of temperature and pH is mediated through discrete posttranscriptional effects on PsaE and PsaF. By generating antibodies that recognize endogenous PsaE and PsaF, we determined that the levels of both proteins are impacted by temperature and pH. High temperature is required for psaE and psaF translation via discrete mechanisms mediated by the mRNA 5′ untranslated region (UTR) upstream of each gene. Additionally, levels of PsaE and PsaF are impacted by pH. We show that PsaF enhances the stability of PsaE, and thus, both PsaE and PsaF are required for psaA transcription. Our data indicate that the environmental signals (temperature and pH) impact the expression of psaA by affecting the translation of psaE and psaF and the stability of PsaE and PsaF.

IMPORTANCEY. pestis is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that causes bubonic plague. As a vector-borne pathogen, Y. pestis fluctuates between an arthropod vector (flea) and mammalian host. As such, Y. pestis must recognize environmental signals encountered within each host environment and respond by appropriately regulating gene expression. PsaA is a key Y. pestis mammalian virulence determinant that forms fimbriae. Our work provides evidence that Y. pestis utilizes multiple posttranscriptional mechanisms to regulate the levels of two PsaA regulatory proteins in response to both temperature and pH. This study offers insight into mechanisms that bacteria utilize to sense environmental cues and regulate the expression of determinants required for mammalian disease.

BfvR, an AraC-Family Regulator, Controls Biofilm Formation and pH6 Antigen Production in Opposite Ways in Yersinia pestis Biovar Microtus

Biofilm formation is critical for blocking flea foregut and hence for transmission of Y. pestis by flea biting. In this study, we identified the regulatory role of the AraC-family transcriptional regulator BfvR (YPO1737 in strain CO92) in biofilm formation and virulence of Yersinia pestis biovar Microtus. Crystal violet staining, Caenorhabditis elegans biofilm assay, colony morphology assay, intracellular c-di-GMP concentration determination, and BALB/c mice challenge were employed to reveal that BfvR enhanced Y. pestis biofilm formation while repressed its virulence in mice. Further molecular biological assays demonstrated that BfvR directly stimulated the expression of hmsHFRS, waaAE-coaD, and hmsCDE, which, in turn, affected the production of exopolysaccharide, LPS, and c-di-GMP, respectively. In addition, BfvR directly and indirectly repressed psaABC and psaEF transcription, respectively. We concluded that the modulation of biofilm- and virulence-related genes by BfvR led to increased biofilm formation and reduced virulence of Y. pestis biovar Microtus.

Reciprocal regulation of Yersinia pestis biofilm formation and virulence by RovM and RovA

RovA is known to enhance Yersinia pestis virulence by directly upregulating the psa loci. This work presents a complex gene regulatory paradigm involving the reciprocal regulatory action of RovM and RovA on the expression of biofilm and virulence genes as well as on their own genes. RovM and RovA enhance and inhibit Y. pestis biofilm production, respectively, whereas RovM represses virulence in mice. RovM directly stimulates the transcription of hmsT, hmsCDE and rovM, while indirectly enhancing hmsHFRS transcription. It also indirectly represses hmsP transcription. By contrast, RovA directly represses hmsT transcription and indirectly inhibits waaAE-coaD transcription, while RovM inhibits psaABC and psaEF transcription by directly repressing rovA transcription. rovM expression is significantly upregulated at 26°C (the temperature of the flea gut) relative to 37°C (the warm-blooded host temperature). We speculate that upregulation of rovM together with downregulation of rovA in the flea gut would promote Y. pestis biofilm formation while inhibiting virulence gene expression, leading to a more transmissible infection of this pathogen in fleas. Once the bacterium shifts to a lifestyle in the warm-blooded hosts, inhibited RovM production accompanied by recovered RovA synthesis would encourage virulence factor production and inhibit biofilm gene expression.

The RNA Chaperone Hfq Is Essential for Virulence and Modulates the Expression of Four Adhesins in Yersinia enterocolitica

In Enterobacteriaceae, the RNA chaperone Hfq mediates the interaction of small RNAs with target mRNAs, thereby modulating transcript stability and translation. This post-transcriptional control helps bacteria adapt quickly to changing environmental conditions. Our previous mutational analysis showed that Hfq is involved in metabolism and stress survival in the enteropathogen Yersinia enterocolitica. In this study we demonstrate that Hfq is essential for virulence in mice and influences production of surface pathogenicity factors, in particular lipopolysaccharide and adhesins mediating interaction with host tissue. Hfq inhibited the production of Ail, the Ail-like protein OmpX and the MyfA pilin post-transcriptionally. In contrast Hfq promoted production of two major autotransporter adhesins YadA and InvA. While protein secretion in vitro was not affected, hfq mutants exhibited decreased protein translocation by the type III secretion system into host cells, consistent with decreased production of YadA and InvA. The influence of Hfq on YadA resulted from a complex interplay of transcriptional, post-transcriptional and likely post-translational effects. Hfq regulated invA by modulating the expression of the transcriptional regulators rovA, phoP and ompR. Therefore, Hfq is a global coordinator of surface virulence determinants in Y. enterocolitica suggesting that it constitutes an attractive target for developing new antimicrobial strategies.

Yersinia adhesins: An arsenal for infection

The Yersiniae are a group of Gram-negative coccobacilli inhabiting a wide range of habitats. The genus harbors three recognized human pathogens: Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, which both cause gastrointestinal disease, and Y. pestis, the causative agent of plague. These three organisms have served as models for a number of aspects of infection biology, including adhesion, immune evasion, evolution of pathogenic traits, and retracing the course of ancient pandemics. The virulence of the pathogenic Yersiniae is heavily dependent on a number of adhesin molecules. Some of these, such as the Yersinia adhesin A and invasin of the enteropathogenic species, and the pH 6 antigen of Y. pestis, have been extensively studied. However, genomic sequencing has uncovered a host of other adhesins present in these organisms, the functions of which are only starting to be investigated. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the adhesin molecules present in the Yersiniae, and their functions and putative roles in the infection process.

Genetic Regulation of Yersinia pestis

Y. pestis exhibits dramatically different traits of pathogenicity and transmission, albeit their close genetic relationship with its ancestor-Y. pseudotuberculosis, a self-limiting gastroenteric pathogen. Y. pestis is evolved into a deadly pathogen and transmitted to mammals and/or human beings by infected flea biting or directly contacting with the infected animals. Various kinds of environmental changes are implicated into its complex life cycle and pathogenesis. Dynamic regulation of gene expression is critical for environmental adaptation or survival, primarily reflected by genetic regulation mediated by transcriptional factors and small regulatory RNAs at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional level, respectively. The effects of genetic regulation have been shown to profoundly influence Y. pestis physiology and pathogenesis such as stress resistance, biofilm formation, intracellular survival, and replication. In this chapter, we mainly summarize the progresses on popular methods of genetic regulation and on regulatory patterns and consequences of many key transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulators, with a particular emphasis on how genetic regulation influences the biofilm and virulence of Y. pestis.

Reciprocal regulation of pH 6 antigen gene loci by PhoP and RovA in Yersinia pestis biovar Microtus

AIM

To explore the transcriptional regulation of the psaEF and psaABC loci by the RovA and PhoP regulators in Yersinia pestis.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Primer extension, LacZ fusion, gel mobility shift and DNase I footprinting assays were conducted in combination for this gene regulation study.

RESULTS

It was determined that PhoP and RovA recognized the promoter-proximal regions of psaEF and psaABC in order to repress and stimulate their transcription, respectively. The translation/transcription start sites, Shine-Dalgarno sequences (ribosomal binding site), core promoter -10 and -35 elements, PhoP and RovA sites and PhoP/RovA consensus-like sequences were identified to determine the structural organization of PhoP/RovA-dependent promoters of psaEF and psaABC.

CONCLUSION

RovA stimulated psaEF and psaABC, while PhoP repressed these two operons involving the direct association between RovA/PhoP and target promoter regions. The reciprocal regulation of psa genes by PhoP and RovA could contribute to the tightly controlled expression of the pH 6 antigen during infection.

Demarcating SurA activities required for outer membrane targeting of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis adhesins

SurA is a periplasmic protein folding factor involved in chaperoning and trafficking of outer membrane proteins across the Gram-negative bacterial periplasm. In addition, SurA also possesses peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase activity. We have previously reported that in enteropathogenic Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, SurA is needed for bacterial virulence and envelope integrity. In this study, we investigated the role of SurA in the assembly of important Yersinia adhesins. Using genetic mutation, biochemical characterization, and an in vitro-based bacterial host cell association assay, we confirmed that surface localization of the invasin adhesin is dependent on SurA. As a surA deletion also has some impact on the levels of individual components of the BAM complex in the Yersinia outer membrane, abolished invasin surface assembly could reflect both a direct loss of SurA-dependent periplasmic targeting and a potentially compromised BAM complex assembly platform in the outer membrane. To various degrees, the assembly of two other adhesins, Ail and the pH 6 antigen fibrillum PsaA, also depends on SurA. Consequently, loss of SurA leads to a dramatic reduction in Yersinia attachment to eukaryotic host cells. Genetic complementation of surA deletion mutants indicated a prominent role for SurA chaperone function in outer membrane protein assembly. Significantly, the N terminus of SurA contributed most of this SurA chaperone function. Despite a dominant chaperoning role, it was also evident that SurA isomerization activity did make a modest contribution to this assembly process.

The dependence of the Yersinia pestis capsule on pathogenesis is influenced by the mouse background

Yersinia pestis is a highly pathogenic Gram-negative organism and the causative agent of bubonic and pneumonic plague. Y. pestis is capable of causing major epidemics; thus, there is a need for vaccine targets and a greater understanding of the role of these targets in pathogenesis. Two prime Y. pestis vaccine candidates are the usher-chaperone fimbriae Psa and Caf. Herein we report that Y. pestis requires, in a nonredundant manner, both PsaA and Caf1 to achieve its full pathogenic ability in both pneumonic and bubonic plague in C57BL/6J mice. Deletion of psaA leads to a decrease in the organ bacterial burden and to a significant increase in the 50% lethal dose (LD₅₀) after subcutaneous infection. Deletion of caf1 also leads to a significant decrease in the organ bacterial burden but more importantly leads to a significantly greater increase in the LD₅₀ than was observed for the ΔpsaA mutant strain after subcutaneous infection of C57BL/6J mice. Furthermore, the degree of attenuation of the Δcaf1 mutant strain is mouse background dependent, as the Δcaf1 mutant strain was attenuated to a lesser degree in BALB/cJ mice by the subcutaneous route than in C57BL/6J mice. This observation that the degree of requirement for Caf1 is dependent on the mouse background indicates that the virulence of Y. pestis is dependent on the genetic makeup of its host and provides further support for the hypothesis that PsaA and Caf1 have different targets.

Three Yersinia pestis adhesins facilitate Yop delivery to eukaryotic cells and contribute to plague virulence

To establish a successful infection, Yersinia pestis requires the delivery of cytotoxic Yops to host cells. Yops inhibit phagocytosis, block cytokine responses, and induce apoptosis of macrophages. The Y. pestis adhesin Ail facilitates Yop translocation and is required for full virulence in mice. To determine the contributions of other adhesins to Yop delivery, we deleted five known adhesins of Y. pestis. In addition to Ail, plasminogen activator (Pla) and pH 6 antigen (Psa) could mediate Yop translocation to host cells. The contribution of each adhesin to binding and Yop delivery was dependent upon the growth conditions. When cells were pregrown at 28°C and pH 7, the order of importance for adhesins in cell binding and cytotoxicity was Ail > Pla > Psa. Y. pestis grown at 37°C and pH 7 had equal contributions from Ail and Pla but an undetectable role for Psa. At 37°C and pH 6, both Ail and Psa contributed to binding and Yop delivery, while Pla contributed minimally. Pla-mediated Yop translocation was independent of protease activity. Of the three single mutants, the Δail mutant was the most defective in mouse virulence. The expression level of ail was also the highest of the three adhesins in infected mouse tissues. Compared to an ail mutant, additional deletion of psaA (encoding Psa) led to a 130,000-fold increase in the 50% lethal dose for mice relative to that of the KIM5 parental strain. Our results indicate that in addition to Ail, Pla and Psa can serve as environmentally specific adhesins to facilitate Yop secretion, a critical virulence function of Y. pestis.

Ail binding to fibronectin facilitates Yersinia pestis binding to host cells and Yop delivery

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, evades host immune responses and rapidly causes disease. The Y. pestis adhesin Ail mediates host cell binding and is critical for Yop delivery. To identify the Ail receptor(s), Ail was purified following overexpression in Escherichia coli. Ail bound specifically to fibronectin, an extracellular matrix protein with the potential to act as a bridge between Ail and host cells. Ail expressed by E. coli also mediated binding to purified fibronectin, and Ail-mediated E. coli adhesion to host cells was dependent on fibronectin. Ail expressed by Y. pestis bound purified fibronectin, as did the Y. pestis adhesin plasminogen activator (Pla). However, a KIM5 Delta ail mutant had decreased binding to host cells, while a KIM5 Delta pla mutant had no significant defect in adhesion. Furthermore, treatment with antifibronectin antibodies decreased Ail-mediated adhesion by KIM5 and the KIM5 Delta pla mutant, indicating that the Ail-fibronectin interaction was important for cell binding. Finally, antifibronectin antibodies inhibited the KIM5-mediated cytotoxicity of host cells in an Ail-dependent fashion. These data indicate that Ail is a key adhesin that mediates binding to host cells through interaction with fibronectin on the surface of host cells, and this interaction is important for Yop delivery by Y. pestis.

Yersinia pestis and host macrophages: immunodeficiency of mouse macrophages induced by YscW

The virulence of the pathogenic Yersinia species depends on a plasmid-encoded type III secretion system (T3SS) that transfers six Yersinia outer protein (Yop) effector proteins into the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells, leading to disruption of host defence mechanisms. It is shown in this study that Yersinia pestis YscW, a protein of the T3SS injectisome, contributes to the induction of a deficiency in phagocytosis in host macrophages and a reduction in their antigen-presenting capacity. A Y. pestis strain lacking yscW had no effect on uptake by host macrophages. In mice infected with wild-type Y. pestis, the yscW mutant or a complement strain, immunodeficiency was observed in host macrophages compared with those from uninfected mice. However, the phagocytosis and antigen presenting capacities of macrophages infected by yscW mutant strain both in vivo and in vitro were significantly higher than those by wild type strain. Consistent with this finding, when YscW was expressed in the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line, phagocytosis and antigen-presenting capacities were significantly lower than those of the control groups. These results indicate that Y. pestis YscW may directly induce immunodeficiency in murine macrophages by crippling their phagocytosis and antigen-presenting capacities. These data provide evidences to Y. pestis pathogenesis that some proteins in T3SS injectisome, such as YscW protein, might play independent roles in disrupting host defense apart from their known functions.

Growth of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in human plasma: impacts on virulence and metabolic gene expression

BACKGROUND

In man, infection by the Gram-negative enteropathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is usually limited to the terminal ileum. However, in immunocompromised patients, the microorganism may disseminate from the digestive tract and thus cause a systemic infection with septicemia.

RESULTS

To gain insight into the metabolic pathways and virulence factors expressed by the bacterium at the blood stage of pseudotuberculosis, we compared the overall gene transcription patterns (the transcriptome) of bacterial cells cultured in either human plasma or Luria-Bertani medium. The most marked plasma-triggered metabolic consequence in Y. pseudotuberculosis was the switch to high glucose consumption, which is reminiscent of the acetogenic pathway (known as "glucose overflow") in Escherichia coli. However, upregulation of the glyoxylate shunt enzymes suggests that (in contrast to E. coli) acetate may be further metabolized in Y. pseudotuberculosis. Our data also indicate that the bloodstream environment can regulate major virulence genes (positively or negatively); the yadA adhesin gene and most of the transcriptional units of the pYV-encoded type III secretion apparatus were found to be upregulated, whereas transcription of the pH6 antigen locus was strongly repressed.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that plasma growth of Y. pseudotuberculosis is responsible for major transcriptional regulatory events and prompts key metabolic reorientations within the bacterium, which may in turn have an impact on virulence.

RovA, a global regulator of Yersinia pestis, specifically required for bubonic plague

The pathogenic species of Yersinia contain the transcriptional regulator RovA. In Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica, RovA regulates expression of the invasion factor invasin (inv), which mediates translocation across the intestinal epithelium. A Y. enterocolitica rovA mutant has a significant decrease in virulence by LD(50) analysis and an altered rate of dissemination compared with either wild type or an inv mutant, suggesting that RovA regulates multiple virulence factors. Here, we show the involvement of RovA in the virulence of Yersinia pestis, which naturally lacks a functional inv gene. A Y. pestis DeltarovA mutant is attenuated approximately 80-fold by LD(50) and is defective in dissemination/colonization of spleens and lungs after s.c. inoculation. However, the DeltarovA mutant is only slightly attenuated when given via an intranasal or i.p. route, indicating a more important role for RovA in bubonic plague than pneumonic plague or systemic infection. Microarray analysis was used to define the RovA regulon. The psa locus was among the most highly down-regulated loci in the DeltarovA mutant. A DeltapsaA mutant had a significant dissemination defect after s.c. infection but only slight attenuation by the pneumonic-disease model, closely mimicking the virulence defect seen with the DeltarovA mutant. DNA-binding studies revealed that RovA specifically interacts with the psaE and psaA promoter regions, indicating a direct role for RovA in regulating this locus. Thus, RovA appears to be a global transcription factor in Y. pestis and, through its regulatory influence on genes such as psaEFABC, contributes to the virulence of Y. pestis.

Quorum sensing affects virulence-associated proteins F1, LcrV, KatY and pH6 etc. of Yersinia pestis as revealed by protein microarray-based antibody profiling

Protein microarray that consists of virulence-associated proteins of Yersinia pestis is used to compare antibody profiles elicited by the wild-type and quorum sensing (QS) mutant strain of this bacterium to define the immunogens that are impacted by QS. The results will lead the way for future functional proteomics studies. The antibody profile that was induced by the QS mutant differed from that of the parent strain. Detailed comparison of the antibody profiles, according to the proteins' functional annotations, showed that QS affects the expression of many virulence-associated proteins of Y. pestis. The antibodies to many virulence-associated proteins were not detected or lower titers of antibodies to many proteins were detected in the sera of rabbits immunized with the QS mutant, relative to those of the wild type, which indicated that these proteins were not expressed or expressed at relatively lower levels in the QS mutant. The results demonstrated that antibody profiling by protein microarrays is a promising high-throughput method for revealing the interactions between pathogens and the host immune system.

Molecular and physiological insights into plague transmission, virulence and etiology

Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, which evolved from the enteric pathogen Y. pseudotuberculosis, which normally causes a chronic and relatively mild disease. Y. pestis is not only able to parasitize the flea but also highly virulent to rodents and humans, causing epidemics of a systemic and often fatal disease. Y. pestis could be used as a bio-weapon and for bio-terrorism. It uses a number of strategies that allow the pathogen to change its lifestyle rapidly to survive in fleas and to grow in the mammalian hosts. Extensive studies reviewed here give an overall picture of the determinants responsible for plague pathogenesis in mammalians and the transmission by fleas. The availability of multiple genomic sequences and more extensive use of genomics and proteomics technologies should allow a comprehensive dissection of the complex of host-adaptation and virulence in Y. pestis.

Particulate delivery systems for biodefense subunit vaccines

Expanding identification of potentially protective subunit antigens and correlates of protection has provided a basis for the introduction of safer vaccines. Despite encouraging results in animal models, the significant potential of particulate delivery systems in vaccine design has not yet translated into effective vaccines available for use in humans. This review article will focus on the current status of the development of particulate vaccines, mainly liposomes and bio-degradable polymers, against potential agents for biowarfare: plague, anthrax, botulinum, and smallpox; and filoviruses: Marburg and Ebola.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of Yersinia pestis in response to hyperosmotic and high-salinity stress

DNA microarray was used as a tool to investigate genome-wide transcriptional responses of Yersinia pestis to hyperosmotic and high-salinity stress. Hyperosmotic stress specifically upregulated genes responsible for ABC-type transport and the cytoplasmic accumulation of certain polysaccharides, while high-salinity stress induced the transcription of genes encoding partition proteins and several global transcriptional regulators. Genes whose transcription was enhanced by both kinds of stress comprised those encoding osmoprotectant transport systems and a set of virulence determinants. The number of genes downregulated by the two kinds of stress was much lower than that of upregulated genes, suggesting that neither kind of stress severely depresses cellular processes in general. Many differentially regulated genes still exist whose functions remain unknown. Y. pestis recognized high-salinity and hyperosmotic stress as different kinds of environmental stimuli, and different mechanisms enabled acclimation to these two kinds of stress, although Y. pestis still executed common mechanisms to accommodate both types of stress.

Microarray analysis of temperature-induced transcriptome of Yersinia pestis

Yersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of plague, must acclimatize itself to temperature shifts between the temperature (26 C) for flea blockage and the body temperature (37 C) of warm-blooded hosts during its life cycle. Here a whole-genome DNA microarray was used to investigate transcriptional regulation upon the upshift of growth temperature from 26 to 37 C in a chemically defined medium. Four hundred and one genes were regulated differentially under the two temperatures. About 39% of these genes were up-regulated at 37 C, whereas 61% were down-regulated. Temperature-induced changes occurred at the level of transcription of genes encoding proven or predicted virulence factors, regulators, metabolism-associated proteins, prophages, and hypothetical proteins. Strikingly, many gene clusters displayed a co-transcription pattern in response to temperature upshift. Our data provided a genome-wide profile of gene transcription induced by temperature shift and should shed light on the pathogenicity and host-microbe interaction of this deadly pathogen.

Yersinia pestis--etiologic agent of plague

Plague is a widespread zoonotic disease that is caused by Yersinia pestis and has had devastating effects on the human population throughout history. Disappearance of the disease is unlikely due to the wide range of mammalian hosts and their attendant fleas. The flea/rodent life cycle of Y. pestis, a gram-negative obligate pathogen, exposes it to very different environmental conditions and has resulted in some novel traits facilitating transmission and infection. Studies characterizing virulence determinants of Y. pestis have identified novel mechanisms for overcoming host defenses. Regulatory systems controlling the expression of some of these virulence factors have proven quite complex. These areas of research have provide new insights into the host-parasite relationship. This review will update our present understanding of the history, etiology, epidemiology, clinical aspects, and public health issues of plague.