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Boumaza A, Ben Azzouz E, Arrindell J, Lepidi H, Mezouar S, Desnues B. Whipple's disease and Tropheryma whipplei infections: from bench to bedside. THE LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 22:e280-e291. [DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(22)00128-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Boumaza AF, Arrindell J, Ben Azzouz E, Desnues B. Phenotypic diversity of Tropheryma whipplei clinical isolates. Microb Pathog 2021; 158:105074. [PMID: 34182076 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Tropheryma whipplei is a bacterial pathogen responsible for a wide range of infections in humans, covering asymptomatic carriage, acute infections, chronic isolated infections and classic Whipple's disease. Although the bacterium is commonly found in the environment, it very rarely causes disease. Genetic comparison of clinical isolates has revealed that main variations were found in region encoding T. whipplei surface glycoproteins called WiSP. However, no association has been made between the genetic diversity and the clinical manifestations of the infection. In this study we evaluated the phenotypic diversity of 26 clinical isolates from different origins and taken from patient with different infection outcomes. MRC5 and macrophages cells were infected, and bacterial uptake, survival and the pro-and anti-inflammatory potential of the different clinical isolates was assessed. No significant difference of phagocytosis was found between the different isolates; however, we found that bacterial replication was increased for bacteria expressing high molecular weight WiSP. In addition, we found that the expression of the genes coding for IL-1β and TGF-β was significantly higher when MRC5 cells were stimulated with isolates from chronic infections compared to isolates from localized infections while no significant differences were observed in macrophages. Overall, our study revealed that, as previously observed at the genetic level, phenotypic diversity of T. whipplei isolates is associated with the expression of different WiSP, which may result in subtle differences in host responses. Other host factors or genetic predisposition may explain the range of clinical manifestations of T. whipplei infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Fatima Boumaza
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, Marseille, France; IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Jeffrey Arrindell
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, Marseille, France; IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Eya Ben Azzouz
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, Marseille, France; IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Benoit Desnues
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, Marseille, France; IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.
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Yan F, Gao F. A systematic strategy for the investigation of vaccines and drugs targeting bacteria. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:1525-1538. [PMID: 32637049 PMCID: PMC7327267 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious and epidemic diseases induced by bacteria have historically caused great distress to people, and have even resulted in a large number of deaths worldwide. At present, many researchers are working on the discovery of viable drug and vaccine targets for bacteria through multiple methods, including the analyses of comparative subtractive genome, core genome, replication-related proteins, transcriptomics and riboswitches, which plays a significant part in the treatment of infectious and pandemic diseases. The 3D structures of the desired target proteins, drugs and epitopes can be predicted and modeled through target analysis. Meanwhile, molecular dynamics (MD) analysis of the constructed drug/epitope-protein complexes is an important standard for testing the suitability of these screened drugs and vaccines. Currently, target discovery, target analysis and MD analysis are integrated into a systematic set of drug and vaccine analysis strategy for bacteria. We hope that this comprehensive strategy will help in the design of high-performance vaccines and drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Yan
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Department of Physics, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- SynBio Research Platform, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300072, China
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Palanisamy N. Identification of putative drug targets and annotation of unknown proteins in Tropheryma whipplei. Comput Biol Chem 2018; 76:130-138. [PMID: 30005292 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2018.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Tropheryma whipplei (T. whipplei) is the causative agent of Whipple's disease and blood culture-negative endocarditis. Due to the variability of symptoms, the disease is often poorly diagnosed. Treatment for this bacterial infection is often lengthy, and improper uptake of antibiotics has resulted in relapses in many patients. In the present study, using available bioinformatic tools and databases such as the Cluster Database at High Identity with Tolerance (CD-HIT), the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool for proteins (BLASTp), the Database of Essential Genes (DEG), and the DrugBank database, 13 putative drug targets were identified in T. whipplei by subtractive genome analysis that could be targeted with currently available drugs (experimental or approved). Further, a 3D model was generated for one of these putative drug targets, the T. whipplei DNA ligase, and in silico docking was performed with pyridochromanone and adenosine-derived inhibitors using the AutoDock Vina. Additionally, many of the T. whipplei protein sequences in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) protein database were unknown/uncurated. Using available web servers e.g. the KEGG Automatic Annotation Server (KAAS), the BLASTp, the Conserved Domain Architecture Retrieval Tool (CDAT) and the Protein families (Pfam), the function/remote/domain homology for nearly 80% of these uncurated protein sequences were annotated. The data obtained in the present study will aid physicians and researchers alike in curbing this bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navaneethan Palanisamy
- Molecular and Cellular Engineering Group, BioQuant, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; The Hartmut Hoffmann-Berling International Graduate School of Molecular and Cellular Biology (HBIGS), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Lozupone C, Cota-Gomez A, Palmer BE, Linderman DJ, Charlson ES, Sodergren E, Mitreva M, Abubucker S, Martin J, Yao G, Campbell TB, Flores SC, Ackerman G, Stombaugh J, Ursell L, Beck JM, Curtis JL, Young VB, Lynch SV, Huang L, Weinstock GM, Knox KS, Twigg H, Morris A, Ghedin E, Bushman FD, Collman RG, Knight R, Fontenot AP. Widespread colonization of the lung by Tropheryma whipplei in HIV infection. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2013; 187:1110-7. [PMID: 23392441 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201211-2145oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Lung infections caused by opportunistic or virulent pathogens are a principal cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV infection. It is unknown whether HIV infection leads to changes in basal lung microflora, which may contribute to chronic pulmonary complications that increasingly are being recognized in individuals infected with HIV. OBJECTIVES To determine whether the immunodeficiency associated with HIV infection resulted in alteration of the lung microbiota. METHODS We used 16S ribosomal RNA targeted pyrosequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing to analyze bacterial gene sequences in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and mouths of 82 HIV-positive and 77 HIV-negative subjects. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Sequences representing Tropheryma whipplei, the etiologic agent of Whipple's disease, were significantly more frequent in BAL of HIV-positive compared with HIV-negative individuals. T. whipplei dominated the community (>50% of sequence reads) in 11 HIV-positive subjects, but only 1 HIV-negative individual (13.4 versus 1.3%; P = 0.0018). In 30 HIV-positive individuals sampled longitudinally, antiretroviral therapy resulted in a significantly reduced relative abundance of T. whipplei in the lung. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was performed on eight BAL samples dominated by T. whipplei 16S ribosomal RNA. Whole genome assembly of pooled reads showed that uncultured lung-derived T. whipplei had similar gene content to two isolates obtained from subjects with Whipple's disease. CONCLUSIONS Asymptomatic subjects with HIV infection have unexpected colonization of the lung by T. whipplei, which is reduced by effective antiretroviral therapy and merits further study for a potential pathogenic role in chronic pulmonary complications of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Lozupone
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biofrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
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Siezen RJ, Bayjanov JR, Felis GE, van der Sijde MR, Starrenburg M, Molenaar D, Wels M, van Hijum SAFT, van Hylckama Vlieg JET. Genome-scale diversity and niche adaptation analysis of Lactococcus lactis by comparative genome hybridization using multi-strain arrays. Microb Biotechnol 2011; 4:383-402. [PMID: 21338475 PMCID: PMC3818997 DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-7915.2011.00247.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Lactococcus lactis produces lactic acid and is widely used in the manufacturing of various fermented dairy products. However, the species is also frequently isolated from non-dairy niches, such as fermented plant material. Recently, these non-dairy strains have gained increasing interest, as they have been described to possess flavour-forming activities that are rarely found in dairy isolates and have diverse metabolic properties. We performed an extensive whole-genome diversity analysis on 39 L. lactis strains, isolated from dairy and plant sources. Comparative genome hybridization analysis with multi-strain microarrays was used to assess presence or absence of genes and gene clusters in these strains, relative to all L. lactis sequences in public databases, whereby chromosomal and plasmid-encoded genes were computationally analysed separately. Nearly 3900 chromosomal orthologous groups (chrOGs) were defined on basis of four sequenced chromosomes of L. lactis strains (IL1403, KF147, SK11, MG1363). Of these, 1268 chrOGs are present in at least 35 strains and represent the presently known core genome of L. lactis, and 72 chrOGs appear to be unique for L. lactis. Nearly 600 and 400 chrOGs were found to be specific for either the subspecies lactis or subspecies cremoris respectively. Strain variability was found in presence or absence of gene clusters related to growth on plant substrates, such as genes involved in the consumption of arabinose, xylan, α-galactosides and galacturonate. Further niche-specific differences were found in gene clusters for exopolysaccharides biosynthesis, stress response (iron transport, osmotolerance) and bacterial defence mechanisms (nisin biosynthesis). Strain variability of functions encoded on known plasmids included proteolysis, lactose fermentation, citrate uptake, metal ion resistance and exopolysaccharides biosynthesis. The present study supports the view of L. lactis as a species with a very flexible genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland J Siezen
- Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, NIZO food research, P.O. Box 20, 6710 BA Ede, the Netherlands.
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Leroy Q, Lebrigand K, Armougom F, Barbry P, Thiéry R, Raoult D. Coxiella burnetii transcriptional analysis reveals serendipity clusters of regulation in intracellular bacteria. PLoS One 2010; 5:e15321. [PMID: 21203564 PMCID: PMC3006202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2010] [Accepted: 11/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of the zoonotic disease Q
fever, is mainly transmitted to humans through an aerosol route. A spore-like
form allows C. burnetii to resist different environmental
conditions. Because of this, analysis of the survival strategies used by this
bacterium to adapt to new environmental conditions is critical for our
understanding of C. burnetii pathogenicity. Here, we report the
early transcriptional response of C. burnetii under temperature
stresses. Our data show that C. burnetii exhibited minor
changes in gene regulation under short exposure to heat or cold shock. While
small differences were observed, C. burnetii seemed to respond
similarly to cold and heat shock. The expression profiles obtained using
microarrays produced in-house were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. Under
temperature stresses, 190 genes were differentially expressed in at least one
condition, with a fold change of up to 4. Globally, the differentially expressed
genes in C. burnetii were associated with bacterial division,
(p)ppGpp synthesis, wall and membrane biogenesis and, especially,
lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan synthesis. These findings could be
associated with growth arrest and witnessed transformation of the bacteria to a
spore-like form. Unexpectedly, clusters of neighboring genes were differentially
expressed. These clusters do not belong to operons or genetic networks; they
have no evident associated functions and are not under the control of the same
promoters. We also found undescribed but comparable clusters of regulation in
previously reported transcriptomic analyses of intracellular bacteria, including
Rickettsia sp. and Listeria monocytogenes.
The transcriptomic patterns of C. burnetii observed under
temperature stresses permits the recognition of unpredicted clusters of
regulation for which the trigger mechanism remains unidentified but which may be
the result of a new mechanism of epigenetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Leroy
- Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales
Emergentes, CNRS-IRD, UMR 6236, Faculté de Médecine,
Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille,
France
| | - Kevin Lebrigand
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), UMR
6079 CNRS/UNSA, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Fabrice Armougom
- Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales
Emergentes, CNRS-IRD, UMR 6236, Faculté de Médecine,
Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille,
France
| | - Pascal Barbry
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), UMR
6079 CNRS/UNSA, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Richard Thiéry
- Unité de Pathologie des Ruminants, Agence Française de
Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (AFSSA) Sophia Antipolis,
France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales
Emergentes, CNRS-IRD, UMR 6236, Faculté de Médecine,
Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille,
France
- * E-mail:
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Bechah Y, El Karkouri K, Mediannikov O, Leroy Q, Pelletier N, Robert C, Médigue C, Mege JL, Raoult D. Genomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic analysis of virulent and avirulent Rickettsia prowazekii reveals its adaptive mutation capabilities. Genome Res 2010; 20:655-63. [PMID: 20368341 PMCID: PMC2860167 DOI: 10.1101/gr.103564.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2009] [Accepted: 02/11/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Rickettsia prowazekii, the agent of epidemic typhus, is an obligate intracellular bacterium that is transmitted to human beings by the body louse. Several strains that differ considerably in virulence are recognized, but the genetic basis for these variations has remained unknown since the initial description of the avirulent vaccine strain nearly 70 yr ago. We use a recently developed murine model of epidemic typhus and transcriptomic, proteomic, and genetic techniques to identify the factors associated with virulence. We identified four phenotypes of R. prowazekii that differed in virulence, associated with the up-regulation of antiapoptotic genes or the interferon I pathway in the host cells. Transcriptional and proteomic analyses of R. prowazekii surface protein expression and protein methylation varied with virulence. By sequencing a virulent strain and using comparative genomics, we found hotspots of mutations in homopolymeric tracts of poly(A) and poly(T) in eight genes in an avirulent strain that split and inactivated these genes. These included recO, putative methyltransferase, and exported protein. Passage of the avirulent Madrid E strain in cells or in experimental animals was associated with a cascade of gene reactivations, beginning with recO, that restored the virulent phenotype. An area of genomic plasticity appears to determine virulence in R. prowazekii and represents an example of adaptive mutation for this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yassina Bechah
- Unit for Research on Emergent and Tropical Infectious Diseases (URMITE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique–Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Mediterranean, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Khalid El Karkouri
- Unit for Research on Emergent and Tropical Infectious Diseases (URMITE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique–Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Mediterranean, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Oleg Mediannikov
- Unit for Research on Emergent and Tropical Infectious Diseases (URMITE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique–Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Mediterranean, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Quentin Leroy
- Unit for Research on Emergent and Tropical Infectious Diseases (URMITE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique–Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Mediterranean, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Nicolas Pelletier
- Unit for Research on Emergent and Tropical Infectious Diseases (URMITE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique–Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Mediterranean, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Catherine Robert
- Unit for Research on Emergent and Tropical Infectious Diseases (URMITE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique–Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Mediterranean, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Claudine Médigue
- Genoscope, Centre National de Séquençage, Laboratoire de Génomique Comparative, 91057 Evry cedex, France
| | - Jean-Louis Mege
- Unit for Research on Emergent and Tropical Infectious Diseases (URMITE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique–Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Mediterranean, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Unit for Research on Emergent and Tropical Infectious Diseases (URMITE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique–Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Mediterranean, 13005 Marseille, France
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Leroy Q, Raoult D. Review of microarray studies for host-intracellular pathogen interactions. J Microbiol Methods 2010; 81:81-95. [PMID: 20188126 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2010.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2009] [Revised: 02/12/2010] [Accepted: 02/16/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Obligate intracellular bacteria are privileged soldiers on the battlefield that represent host-pathogen interactions. Microarrays are a powerful technology that can increase our knowledge about how bacteria respond to and interact with their hosts. This review summarizes the limitations inherent to host-pathogen interaction studies and essential strategies to improve microarray investigations of intracellular bacteria. We have compiled the comparative genomic and gene expression analyses of obligate intracellular bacteria currently available from microarrays. In this review we explore ways in which microarrays can be used to identify polymorphisms in different obligate intracellular bacteria such as Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia trachomatis, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Rickettsia prowazekii and Tropheryma whipplei. These microarray studies reveal that, while genomic content is highly conserved in obligate intracellular bacteria, genetic polymorphisms can potentially occur to increase bacterial pathogenesis. Additionally, changes in the gene expression of C. trachomatis throughout its life cycle, as well as changes in the gene expression profile of the pathogens R. prowazekii, Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia typhi, T. whipplei and C. trachomatis following environmental changes, are discussed. Finally, an in vivo model of Rickettsia conorii within the skin is discussed. The gene expression analyses highlight the capacity of obligate intracellular bacteria to adapt to environmental changes and potentially to thwart the host response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Leroy
- Université de la Méditerranée, URMITE IRD-CNRS 6236, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 05, France
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Crucial role for insertion sequence elements in Lactobacillus helveticus evolution as revealed by interstrain genomic comparison. Appl Environ Microbiol 2009; 76:212-20. [PMID: 19880644 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01845-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactobacillus helveticus is a versatile dairy bacterium found to possess heterogeneous genotypes depending on the ecosystem from which it was isolated. The recently published genome sequence showed the remarkable flexibility of its structure, demonstrated by a substantial level of insertion sequence (IS) element expansion in association with massive gene decay. To assess this diversity and examine the level of genome plasticity within the L. helveticus species, an array-based comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) experiment was designed in which 10 strains were analyzed. The aCGH experiment revealed 16 clusters of open reading frames (ORFs) flanked by IS elements. Four of these ORFs are associated with restriction/modification which may have played a role in accelerated evolution of strains in a commercially intensive ecosystem undoubtedly challenged through successive phage attack. Furthermore, analysis of the IS-flanked clusters demonstrated that the most frequently encountered ISs were also those most abundant in the genome (IS1201, ISL2, ISLhe1, ISLhe2, ISLhe65, and ISLhe63). These findings contribute to the overall viewpoint of the versatile character of IS elements and the role they may play in bacterial genome plasticity.
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Escher R, Roth S, Droz S, Egli K, Altwegg M, Täuber MG. Endocarditis due to Tropheryma whipplei: rapid detection, limited genetic diversity, and long-term clinical outcome in a local experience. Clin Microbiol Infect 2009; 16:1213-22. [PMID: 19732090 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2009.03038.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The characteristic features of Whipple's disease include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, wasting, and arthralgias, with the causative agent, Tropheryma whipplei, being detected mainly in intestinal biopsies. PCR technology has led to the identification of T. whipplei in specimens from various other locations, including the central nervous system and the heart. T. whipplei is now recognized as one of the causes of culture-negative endocarditis, and endocarditis can be the only manifestation of the infection with T. whipplei. Although it is considered a rare disease, the true incidence of endocarditis due to T. whipplei is not clearly established. With the increasing use of molecular methods, it is likely that T. whipplei will be more frequently identified. Questions also remain about the genetic variability of T. whipplei strains, optimal diagnostic procedures and therapeutic options. In the present study, we provide clinical data on four new patients with documented endocarditis due to T. whipplei in the context of the available published literature. There was no clinical involvement of the gastrointestinal tract. Genetic analysis of the T. whipplei strains with DNA isolated from the excised heart valves revealed little to no genetic variability. In a selected case, we describe acridine orange staining for early detection of the disease, prompting early adaptation of the antibiotic therapy. We provide long-term follow-up data on the patients. In our hands, an initial 2-week course of intravenous antibiotics followed by cotrimoxazole for at least 1 year was a suitable treatment option for T. whipplei endocarditis.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Escher
- University Clinic of Infectiology, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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12
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Kowalczewska M, Villard C, Lafitte D, Fenollar F, Raoult D. Global proteomic pattern of Tropheryma whipplei: a Whipple's disease bacterium. Proteomics 2009; 9:1593-616. [PMID: 19253299 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.200700889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The proteome of Tropheryma whipplei, the intracellular bacterium responsible for Whipple's disease (WD), was analyzed using two complementary approaches: 2-DE coupled with MALDI-TOF and SDS-PAGE with nanoLC-MS/MS. This strategy led to the identification of 206 proteins of 808 predicted ORFs, resolving some questions raised by the genomic sequence of this bacterium. We successfully identified antibiotic targets and proteins with predicted N-terminal signal sequences. Additionally, we identified a family of surface proteins (known as T. whipplei surface proteins (WiSPs)), which are encoded by a unique group of species-specific genes and serve as both coding regions and DNA repeats that promote genomic recombination. Comparison of the protein expression profiles of the intracellular facultative host-associated WD bacterium with other host-associated, intracellular obligate, and environmental bacteria revealed that T. whipplei shares a proteomic expression profile with other host-associated facultative intracellular bacteria. In summary, this study describes the global protein expression pattern of T. whipplei and reveals some specific features of the T. whipplei proteome.
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