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Wagner GE, Stanjek TFP, Albrecht D, Lipp M, Dunachie SJ, Föderl-Höbenreich E, Riedel K, Kohler A, Steinmetz I, Kohler C. Deciphering the human antibody response against Burkholderia pseudomallei during melioidosis using a comprehensive immunoproteome approach. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1294113. [PMID: 38146371 PMCID: PMC10749318 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1294113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei causes the often fatal and massively underreported infectious disease melioidosis. Antigens inducing protective immunity in experimental models have recently been identified and serodiagnostic tools have been improved. However, further elucidation of the antigenic repertoire of B. pseudomallei during human infection for diagnostic and vaccine purposes is required. The adaptation of B. pseudomallei to very different habitats is reflected by a huge genome and a selective transcriptional response to a variety of conditions. We, therefore, hypothesized that exposure of B. pseudomallei to culture conditions mimicking habitats encountered in the human host might unravel novel antigens that are recognized by melioidosis patients. Methods and results In this study, B. pseudomallei was exposed to various stress and growth conditions, including anaerobiosis, acid stress, oxidative stress, iron starvation and osmotic stress. Immunogenic proteins were identified by probing two-dimensional Western blots of B. pseudomallei intracellular and extracellular protein extracts with sera from melioidosis patients and controls and subsequent MALDI-TOF MS. Among B. pseudomallei specific immunogenic signals, 90 % (55/61) of extracellular immunogenic proteins were identified by acid, osmotic or oxidative stress. A total of 84 % (44/52) of intracellular antigens originated from the stationary growth phase, acidic, oxidative and anaerobic conditions. The majority of the extracellular and intracellular protein antigens were identified in only one of the various stress conditions. Sixty-three immunoreactive proteins and an additional 38 candidates from a literature screening were heterologously expressed and subjected to dot blot analysis using melioidosis sera and controls. Our experiments confirmed melioidosis-specific signals in 58 of our immunoproteome candidates. These include 15 antigens with average signal ratios (melioidosis:controls) greater than 10 and another 26 with average ratios greater than 5, including new promising serodiagnostic candidates with a very high signal-to-noise ratio. Conclusion Our study shows that a comprehensive B. pseudomallei immunoproteomics approach, using conditions which are likely to be encountered during infection, can identify novel antibody targets previously unrecognized in human melioidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel E. Wagner
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Dirk Albrecht
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michaela Lipp
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Susanna J. Dunachie
- Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM) Centre for Global Health Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Centre, Oxford University Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Esther Föderl-Höbenreich
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Diagnostic & Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Katharina Riedel
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Anne Kohler
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ivo Steinmetz
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christian Kohler
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine, Greifswald, Germany
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Gaspar EB, dos Santos LR, do Egito AA, dos Santos MG, Mantovani C, Rieger JDSG, Abrantes GADS, Suniga PAP, Favacho JDM, Pinto IB, Nassar AFDC, dos Santos FL, de Araújo FR. Assessment of the Virulence of the Burkholderia mallei Strain BAC 86/19 in BALB/c Mice. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2597. [PMID: 37894255 PMCID: PMC10609534 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia mallei is an aerobic, Gram-negative, non-motile bacillus. As an obligate mammalian pathogen, it primarily affects solipeds. Although rarely transmitted to humans, the disease it causes, glanders, is classified as a zoonosis. The bacterium was officially eradicated in Brazil in 1969; however, it reemerged after three decades. This study aims to assess the virulence of a specific B. mallei strain, isolated in Brazil, in BALB/c mice through intranasal infection. The strain, B. mallei BAC 86/19, was obtained from the tracheal secretion of a young mare displaying positive serology but no clinical signs of glanders. Post-mortem examinations revealed macroscopic lesions consistent with the disease, however. In mice, the LD50 was determined to be approximately 1.59 × 105 colony-forming units (CFU)/animal. Mice exposed to either 0.1 × LD50 or 1 × LD50 displayed transient weight loss, which resolved after three or five days, respectively. B. mallei persisted within the liver and lung for five days post-infection and in the spleen for seven days. These findings underscore the detectable virulence of the Brazilian B. mallei BAC 86/19 strain in mice, which are relatively resilient hosts. This research points to the importance of the continued investigation of the virulence mechanisms and potential countermeasures associated with B. mallei infections, including their Brazilian isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuelle Baldo Gaspar
- Embrapa South Livestock, BR-153, Km 632, 9 Vila Industrial, Rural Area, Mailbox 242, Bagé 96401-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Lenita Ramires dos Santos
- Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Ave., 830, Campo Grande 79106-550, MS, Brazil; (L.R.d.S.); (A.A.d.E.); (M.G.d.S.); (F.R.d.A.)
| | - Andréa Alves do Egito
- Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Ave., 830, Campo Grande 79106-550, MS, Brazil; (L.R.d.S.); (A.A.d.E.); (M.G.d.S.); (F.R.d.A.)
| | - Maria Goretti dos Santos
- Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Ave., 830, Campo Grande 79106-550, MS, Brazil; (L.R.d.S.); (A.A.d.E.); (M.G.d.S.); (F.R.d.A.)
| | - Cynthia Mantovani
- Embrapa Beef Cattle/Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Scholarship, Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Ave., 830, Campo Grande 79106-550, MS, Brazil; (C.M.); (J.d.S.G.R.); (G.A.d.S.A.); (I.B.P.)
| | - Juliana da Silva Gomes Rieger
- Embrapa Beef Cattle/Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Scholarship, Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Ave., 830, Campo Grande 79106-550, MS, Brazil; (C.M.); (J.d.S.G.R.); (G.A.d.S.A.); (I.B.P.)
| | - Guilherme Augusto de Sousa Abrantes
- Embrapa Beef Cattle/Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Scholarship, Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Ave., 830, Campo Grande 79106-550, MS, Brazil; (C.M.); (J.d.S.G.R.); (G.A.d.S.A.); (I.B.P.)
| | - Paula Adas Pereira Suniga
- MAI/DAI Scholarship, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Costa e Silva Ave., Campo Grande 79070-900, MS, Brazil;
- Postgraduate Program in Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science-FAMEZ/UFMS, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Senador Filinto Muller Ave., 2443, Campo Grande 79074-460, MS, Brazil
| | | | - Ingrid Batista Pinto
- Embrapa Beef Cattle/Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Scholarship, Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Ave., 830, Campo Grande 79106-550, MS, Brazil; (C.M.); (J.d.S.G.R.); (G.A.d.S.A.); (I.B.P.)
| | | | - Fernando Leandro dos Santos
- UFPE Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife 52171-900, PE, Brazil;
| | - Flábio Ribeiro de Araújo
- Embrapa Beef Cattle, Rádio Maia Ave., 830, Campo Grande 79106-550, MS, Brazil; (L.R.d.S.); (A.A.d.E.); (M.G.d.S.); (F.R.d.A.)
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Richter WR, Sunderman MM, Fulton ML, Willenberg Z, Serre S, Oudejans L, Wood J, Calfee MW. Decontamination efficacy of common liquid disinfectants against non-spore-forming biological agents in soil matrices. J Appl Microbiol 2022; 133:3659-3668. [PMID: 36056613 PMCID: PMC9748868 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The purpose of this study was to evaluate decontamination efficacy, within three soil types, against Yersinia pestis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, and the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus (VEEV). METHODS AND RESULTS One of three liquid disinfectants (dilute bleach, Virkon-S or Klozur One) was added to three soil types (sand, loam, or clay) and allowed contact for four pre-spike durations: 0, 15, 30 and 60 min. Y. pestis, B. pseudomallei, or VEEV was then spiked into the soil (10 microliters or approx. 1 × 107 CFU or PFU into 1 g soil) and decontamination efficacy assessed at post-spike contact times of 10 or 60 min at ambient environmental conditions. Across all soil types, sandy soil resulted in the least quenching to all three disinfectants tested as shown by sustained decontamination efficacy across all pre-spike and post-spike timepoints. Clay and loam soil types exhibited quenching effects on the hypochlorite and peroxygen based disinfectants (dilute bleach and Virkon S) and in general resulted in decreased efficacy with increased pre-spike contact time. The sodium persulfate (Klozur One) performance was the most consistent across all soil types and pre-spike contact times, resulting in greater efficacy with increased post-spike time. CONCLUSIONS Liquid disinfectants can provide high levels of decontamination in soil for both viral and non-spore-forming bacterial select agents. Hypochlorite and peroxygen based disinfectants used in soils containing higher organic content (loam or clay) may require extended contact times or re-application of liquid disinfectant, in as little as 15 min of application, to achieve a 6-log reduction. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY These results provide information for the performance of three disinfectants in soil against non-spore-forming select agents. These data may aid response decision makers following a biological contamination incident by informing the selection of disinfectant as well as the re-application time to achieve effective site remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Shannon Serre
- US Environmental Protection Agency, TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lukas Oudejans
- US Environmental Protection Agency, TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joseph Wood
- US Environmental Protection Agency, TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael W. Calfee
- US Environmental Protection Agency, TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Chiang CY, Zhong Y, Ward MD, Lane DJ, Kenny T, Rosario-Acevedo R, Eaton BP, Treviño SR, Chance TB, Hu M, Worsham PL, Waag DM, Moore RT, Cazares LH, Cote CK, Zhou Y, Panchal RG. Proteomic Analysis of Non-human Primate Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells During Burkholderia mallei Infection Reveals a Role of Ezrin in Glanders Pathogenesis. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:625211. [PMID: 33967974 PMCID: PMC8101288 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.625211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia mallei, the causative agent of glanders, is a gram-negative intracellular bacterium. Depending on different routes of infection, the disease is manifested by pneumonia, septicemia, and chronic infections of the skin. B. mallei poses a serious biological threat due to its ability to infect via aerosol route, resistance to multiple antibiotics and to date there are no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccines available. Induction of innate immunity, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines following B. mallei infection, have been observed in in vitro and small rodent models; however, a global characterization of host responses has never been systematically investigated using a non-human primate (NHP) model. Here, using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach, we identified alterations in expression levels of host proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) originating from naïve rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), African green monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus), and cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) exposed to aerosolized B. mallei. Gene ontology (GO) analysis identified several statistically significant overrepresented biological annotations including complement and coagulation cascade, nucleoside metabolic process, vesicle-mediated transport, intracellular signal transduction and cytoskeletal protein binding. By integrating an LC-MS/MS derived proteomics dataset with a previously published B. mallei host-pathogen interaction dataset, a statistically significant predictive protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. Pharmacological perturbation of one component of the PPI network, specifically ezrin, reduced B. mallei mediated interleukin-1β (IL-1β). On the contrary, the expression of IL-1β receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) was upregulated upon pretreatment with the ezrin inhibitor. Taken together, inflammasome activation as demonstrated by IL-1β production and the homeostasis of inflammatory response is critical during the pathogenesis of glanders. Furthermore, the topology of the network reflects the underlying molecular mechanism of B. mallei infections in the NHP model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Yuan Chiang
- Countermeasures Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Yang Zhong
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Michael D. Ward
- Systems and Structural Biology Division, Protein Sciences Branch, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Douglas J. Lane
- Countermeasures Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Tara Kenny
- Countermeasures Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Raysa Rosario-Acevedo
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Brett P. Eaton
- Countermeasures Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Sylvia R. Treviño
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Taylor B. Chance
- Pathology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Meghan Hu
- Countermeasures Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Patricia L. Worsham
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - David M. Waag
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Richard T. Moore
- Countermeasures Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Lisa H. Cazares
- Systems and Structural Biology Division, Protein Sciences Branch, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Christopher K. Cote
- Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Yingyao Zhou
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Rekha G. Panchal
- Countermeasures Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, United States
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5
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Schuit M, Gardner S, Taylor J, Dabisch P. Evaluation of four sampling devices for Burkholderia pseudomallei laboratory aerosol studies. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009001. [PMID: 33524051 PMCID: PMC7850477 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous field and laboratory studies investigating airborne Burkholderia pseudomallei have used a variety of different aerosol samplers to detect and quantify concentrations of the bacteria in aerosols. However, the performance of aerosol samplers can vary in their ability to preserve the viability of collected microorganisms, depending on the resistance of the organisms to impaction, desiccation, or other stresses associated with the sampling process. Consequently, sampler selection is critical to maximizing the probability of detecting viable microorganisms in collected air samples in field studies and for accurate determination of aerosol concentrations in laboratory studies. To inform such decisions, the present study assessed the performance of four laboratory aerosol samplers, specifically the all-glass impinger (AGI), gelatin filter, midget impinger, and Mercer cascade impactor, for collecting aerosols containing B. pseudomallei generated from suspensions in two types of culture media. The results suggest that the relative performance of the sampling devices is dependent on the suspension medium utilized for aerosolization. Performance across the four samplers was similar for aerosols generated from suspensions supplemented with 4% glycerol. However, for aerosols generated from suspensions without glycerol, use of the filter sampler or an impactor resulted in significantly lower estimates of the viable aerosol concentration than those obtained with either the AGI or midget impinger. These results demonstrate that sampler selection has the potential to affect estimation of doses in inhalational animal models of melioidosis, as well as the likelihood of detection of viable B. pseudomallei in the environment, and will be useful to inform design of future laboratory and field studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schuit
- National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Operated by BNBI for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Sierra Gardner
- National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Operated by BNBI for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jill Taylor
- National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Operated by BNBI for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Paul Dabisch
- National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Operated by BNBI for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia, United States of America
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Dyke JS, Huertas-Diaz MC, Michel F, Holladay NE, Hogan RJ, He B, Lafontaine ER. The Peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein Pal contributes to the virulence of Burkholderia mallei and provides protection against lethal aerosol challenge. Virulence 2020; 11:1024-1040. [PMID: 32799724 PMCID: PMC7567441 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1804275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
BURKHOLDERIA MALLEI is a highly pathogenic bacterium that causes the fatal zoonosis glanders. The organism specifies multiple membrane proteins, which represent prime targets for the development of countermeasures given their location at the host-pathogen interface. We investigated one of these proteins, Pal, and discovered that it is involved in the ability of B. mallei to resist complement-mediated killing and replicate inside host cells in vitro, is expressed in vivo and induces antibodies during the course of infection, and contributes to virulence in a mouse model of aerosol infection. A mutant in the pal gene of the B. mallei wild-type strain ATCC 23344 was found to be especially attenuated, as BALB/c mice challenged with the equivalent of 5,350 LD50 completely cleared infection. Based on these findings, we tested the hypothesis that a vaccine containing the Pal protein elicits protective immunity against aerosol challenge. To achieve this, the pal gene was cloned in the vaccine vector Parainfluenza Virus 5 (PIV5) and mice immunized with the virus were infected with a lethal dose of B. mallei. These experiments revealed that a single dose of PIV5 expressing Pal provided 80% survival over a period of 40 days post-challenge. In contrast, only 10% of mice vaccinated with a PIV5 control virus construct survived infection. Taken together, our data establish that the Peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein Pal is a critical virulence determinant of B. mallei and effective target for developing a glanders vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S. Dyke
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Frank Michel
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Nathan E. Holladay
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Robert J. Hogan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Biao He
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Eric R. Lafontaine
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
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Kesterson AE, Craig JE, Chuvala LJ, Heine HS. Validated Methods for Removing Select Agent Samples from Biosafety Level 3 Laboratories. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 26:2586-2590. [PMID: 33079040 PMCID: PMC7588557 DOI: 10.3201/eid2611.191630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Federal Select Agent Program dictates that all research entities in the United States must rigorously assess laboratory protocols to sterilize samples being removed from containment areas. We validated procedures using sterile filtration and methanol to remove the following select agents: Francisella tularensis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, B. mallei, Yersinia pestis, and Bacillus anthracis. We validated methanol treatment for B. pseudomallei. These validations reaffirm safety protocols that enable researchers to keep samples sufficiently intact when samples are transferred between laboratories.
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Coxiella burnetii Intratracheal Aerosol Infection Model in Mice, Guinea Pigs, and Nonhuman Primates. Infect Immun 2019; 87:IAI.00178-19. [PMID: 31501249 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00178-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever, is a Gram-negative bacterium transmitted to humans by inhalation of contaminated aerosols. Acute Q fever is often self-limiting, presenting as a febrile illness that can result in atypical pneumonia. In some cases, Q fever becomes chronic, leading to endocarditis that can be life threatening. The formalin-inactivated whole-cell vaccine (WCV) confers long-term protection but has significant side effects when administered to presensitized individuals. Designing new vaccines against C. burnetii remains a challenge and requires the use of clinically relevant modes of transmission in appropriate animal models. We have developed a safe and reproducible C. burnetii aerosol challenge in three different animal models to evaluate the effects of pulmonary acquired infection. Using a MicroSprayer aerosolizer, BL/6 mice and Hartley guinea pigs were infected intratracheally with C. burnetii Nine Mile phase I (NMI) and demonstrated susceptibility as determined by measuring bacterial growth in the lungs and subsequent dissemination to the spleen. Histological analysis of lung tissue showed significant pathology associated with disease, which was more severe in guinea pigs. Infection using large-particle aerosol (LPA) delivery was further confirmed in nonhuman primates, which developed fever and pneumonia. We also demonstrate that vaccinating mice and guinea pigs with WCV prior to LPA challenge is capable of eliciting protective immunity that significantly reduces splenomegaly and the bacterial burden in spleen and lung tissues. These data suggest that these models can have appreciable value in using the LPA delivery system to study pulmonary Q fever pathogenesis as well as designing vaccine countermeasures to C. burnetii aerosol transmission.
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Funnell SGP, Tree JA, Hatch GJ, Bate SR, Hall G, Pearson G, Rayner EL, Roberts ADG, Vipond J. Dose-dependant acute or subacute disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei strain NCTC 13392 in a BALB/c aerosol model of infection. J Appl Microbiol 2019; 127:1224-1235. [PMID: 31330088 PMCID: PMC6747009 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The goal of this study was to examine, for the first time, the virulence and pathogenicity of aerosolized Burkholderia pseudomallei, strain NCTC 13392, in BALB/c mice in order to develop an animal model for testing novel medical countermeasures (MCMs) for the treatment of human acute and subacute (a disease state between acute and chronic) melioidosis. METHODS AND RESULTS BALB/c mice were exposed to varying doses of aerosolized bacteria. Acute disease was seen in animals exposed to a very-high dose (≥103 CFU per animal) and death occurred 3-4 days postchallenge (pc). Bacteria were detected in the lungs, liver, kidney and spleen. In contrast, animals exposed to a low dose (<10 CFU per animal) survived to the end of the study (day 30 pc) but developed weight loss, a bacterial tissue burden and increasing clinical signs of infection from day 20 pc onwards, mimicking a subacute form of the disease. Pathological changes in the tissues mirrored these findings. CONCLUSIONS This proof of concept study has shown that B. pseudomallei strain NCTC 13392 is virulent and pathogenic in BALB/c mice, when delivered by aerosol. By varying the doses of aerosolized bacteria it was possible to mimic characteristics of both human acute and subacute melioidosis, at the same time, within the same study. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Burkholderia pseudomallei, the aetiological agent of melioidosis, causes a serious and often fatal disease in humans and animals. Novel MCMs are urgently needed for both public health and biodefense purposes. The present model provides a useful tool for the assessment and evaluation of new MCMs (e.g. therapeutics and vaccines) and offers the potential for testing new treatments for both subacute to chronic and acute melioidosis prior to human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- S G P Funnell
- National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE), Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - J A Tree
- National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE), Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - G J Hatch
- National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE), Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - S R Bate
- National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE), Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - G Hall
- National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE), Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - G Pearson
- National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE), Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - E L Rayner
- National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE), Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - A D G Roberts
- National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE), Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - J Vipond
- National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE), Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
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Lafontaine ER, Chen Z, Huertas-Diaz MC, Dyke JS, Jelesijevic TP, Michel F, Hogan RJ, He B. The autotransporter protein BatA is a protective antigen against lethal aerosol infection with Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Vaccine X 2019; 1:100002. [PMID: 33826684 PMCID: PMC6668238 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2018.100002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei are the causative agents of glanders and melioidosis, respectively. There is no vaccine to protect against these highly-pathogenic and intrinsically antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and there is concern regarding their use as biological warfare agents. For these reasons, B. mallei and B. pseudomallei are classified as Tier 1 organisms by the U.S. Federal Select Agent Program and the availability of effective countermeasures represents a critical unmet need. METHODS Vaccines (subunit and vectored) containing the surface-exposed passenger domain of the conserved Burkholderia autotransporter protein BatA were administered to BALB/c mice and the vaccinated animals were challenged with lethal doses of wild-type B. mallei and B. pseudomallei strains via the aerosol route. Mice were monitored for signs of illness for a period of up to 40 days post-challenge and tissues from surviving animals were analyzed for bacterial burden at study end-points. RESULTS A single dose of recombinant Parainfluenza Virus 5 (PIV5) expressing BatA provided 74% and 60% survival in mice infected with B. mallei and B. pseudomallei, respectively. Vaccination with PIV5-BatA also resulted in complete bacterial clearance from the lungs and spleen of 78% and 44% of animals surviving lethal challenge with B. pseudomallei, respectively. In contrast, all control animals vaccinated with a PIV5 construct expressing an irrelevant antigen and infected with B. pseudomallei were colonized in those tissues. CONCLUSION Our study indicates that the autotransporter BatA is a valuable target for developing countermeasures against B. mallei and B. pseudomallei and demonstrates the utility of the PIV5 viral vaccine delivery platform to elicit cross-protective immunity against the organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R. Lafontaine
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Zhenhai Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Maria Cristina Huertas-Diaz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Jeremy S. Dyke
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Tomislav P. Jelesijevic
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Frank Michel
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Robert J. Hogan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Biao He
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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11
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Hensel ME, Garcia-Gonzalez DG, Chaki SP, Samuel J, Arenas-Gamboa AM. Characterization of an intratracheal aerosol challenge model of Brucella melitensis in guinea pigs. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212457. [PMID: 30835758 PMCID: PMC6400394 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
B. melitensis is considered the most virulent of the Brucella species, and a need exists for an improved laboratory animal model of infection that mimics natural transmission and disease. Guinea pigs are highly susceptible to infection with Brucella spp. and develop a disease syndrome that mimics natural disease after aerosol inoculation. Intratracheal inoculation is a targeted means of generating aerosols that offer advantages over aerosol chamber delivery. To establish this delivery method, female, Hartley guinea pigs were infected via intratracheal inoculation with PBS or 16M B. melitensis at low dose (101 to 103) or high dose (106 to 108) and monitored for 30 days for signs of disease. Guinea pigs in the high dose groups developed fever between 12-17 days post-inoculation. Bacteria were recovered from the spleen, liver, lymph nodes, lung, and uterus at 30-days post-inoculation and demonstrated dose dependent mean increases in colonization and pathologic changes consistent with human brucellosis. To study the kinetics of extrapulmonary dissemination, guinea pigs were inoculated with 107 CFU and euthanized at 2-hours post inoculation and at weekly intervals for 3 weeks. 5.8x105 to 4.2x106 CFU were recovered from the lung 2 hours post-inoculation indicating intratracheal inoculation is an efficient means of infecting guinea pigs. Starting at 1-week post inoculation bacteria were recovered from the aforementioned organs with time dependent mean increases in colonization. This data demonstrates that guinea pigs develop a disease syndrome that models the human manifestation of brucellosis, which makes the guinea pig a valuable model for pathogenesis studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha E. Hensel
- Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Daniel G. Garcia-Gonzalez
- Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sankar P. Chaki
- Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - James Samuel
- Texas A&M University, Health Science Center and College of Medicine, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Angela M. Arenas-Gamboa
- Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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12
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Hogan RJ, Lafontaine ER. Antibodies Are Major Drivers of Protection against Lethal Aerosol Infection with Highly Pathogenic Burkholderia spp. mSphere 2019; 4:e00674-18. [PMID: 30602525 PMCID: PMC6315082 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00674-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei are the causative agents of melioidosis and glanders, respectively. There is no vaccine to protect against these highly pathogenic bacteria, and there is concern regarding their emergence as global public health (B. pseudomallei) and biosecurity (B. mallei) threats. In this issue of mSphere, an article by Khakhum and colleagues (N. Khakhum, P. Bharaj, J. N. Myers, D. Tapia, et al., mSphere 4:e00570-18, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00570-18) describes a novel vaccination platform with excellent potential for cross-protection against both Burkholderia species. The report also highlights the importance of antibodies in immunity against these facultative intracellular organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Hogan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Eric R Lafontaine
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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13
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Bonniaud P, Fabre A, Frossard N, Guignabert C, Inman M, Kuebler WM, Maes T, Shi W, Stampfli M, Uhlig S, White E, Witzenrath M, Bellaye PS, Crestani B, Eickelberg O, Fehrenbach H, Guenther A, Jenkins G, Joos G, Magnan A, Maitre B, Maus UA, Reinhold P, Vernooy JHJ, Richeldi L, Kolb M. Optimising experimental research in respiratory diseases: an ERS statement. Eur Respir J 2018; 51:13993003.02133-2017. [PMID: 29773606 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02133-2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Experimental models are critical for the understanding of lung health and disease and are indispensable for drug development. However, the pathogenetic and clinical relevance of the models is often unclear. Further, the use of animals in biomedical research is controversial from an ethical perspective.The objective of this task force was to issue a statement with research recommendations about lung disease models by facilitating in-depth discussions between respiratory scientists, and to provide an overview of the literature on the available models. Focus was put on their specific benefits and limitations. This will result in more efficient use of resources and greater reduction in the numbers of animals employed, thereby enhancing the ethical standards and translational capacity of experimental research.The task force statement addresses general issues of experimental research (ethics, species, sex, age, ex vivo and in vitro models, gene editing). The statement also includes research recommendations on modelling asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, lung infections, acute lung injury and pulmonary hypertension.The task force stressed the importance of using multiple models to strengthen validity of results, the need to increase the availability of human tissues and the importance of standard operating procedures and data quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Bonniaud
- Service de Pneumologie et Soins Intensifs Respiratoires, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Bourgogne, Dijon, France.,Faculté de Médecine et Pharmacie, Université de Bourgogne-Franche Comté, Dijon, France.,INSERM U866, Dijon, France
| | - Aurélie Fabre
- Dept of Histopathology, St Vincent's University Hospital, UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nelly Frossard
- Laboratoire d'Innovation Thérapeutique, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS UMR 7200, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France.,Labex MEDALIS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Christophe Guignabert
- INSERM UMR_S 999, Le Plessis-Robinson, France.,Université Paris-Sud and Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Mark Inman
- Dept of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St Joseph's Health Care MDCL 4011, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Wolfgang M Kuebler
- Institute of Physiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tania Maes
- Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Laboratory for Translational Research in Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wei Shi
- Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program, The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Dept of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Martin Stampfli
- Dept of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St Joseph's Health Care MDCL 4011, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Dept of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University
| | - Stefan Uhlig
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Eric White
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Martin Witzenrath
- Dept of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine And Division of Pulmonary Inflammation, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pierre-Simon Bellaye
- Département de Médecine nucléaire, Plateforme d'imagerie préclinique, Centre George-François Leclerc (CGFL), Dijon, France
| | - Bruno Crestani
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat, DHU FIRE, Service de Pneumologie A, Paris, France.,INSERM UMR 1152, Paris, France.,Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Oliver Eickelberg
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Dept of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Heinz Fehrenbach
- Priority Area Asthma & Allergy, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany.,Member of the Leibniz Research Alliance Health Technologies
| | - Andreas Guenther
- Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Universitary Hospital Giessen, Agaplesion Lung Clinic Waldhof-Elgershausen, German Center for Lung Research, Giessen, Germany
| | - Gisli Jenkins
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Respiratory Research Unit, City Campus, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Guy Joos
- Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Antoine Magnan
- Institut du thorax, CHU de Nantes, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Bernard Maitre
- Hôpital H Mondor, AP-HP, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Créteil, Service de Pneumologie et de Pathologie Professionnelle, DHU A-TVB, Université Paris Est - Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Ulrich A Maus
- Hannover School of Medicine, Division of Experimental Pneumology, Hannover, Germany
| | - Petra Reinhold
- Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis at the 'Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut' (Federal Research Institute for Animal Health), Jena, Germany
| | - Juanita H J Vernooy
- Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+), AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Luca Richeldi
- UOC Pneumologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Martin Kolb
- Dept of Medicine, Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at St Joseph's Health Care MDCL 4011, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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14
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Zimmerman SM, Long ME, Dyke JS, Jelesijevic TP, Michel F, Lafontaine ER, Hogan RJ. Use of Immunohistochemistry to Demonstrate In Vivo Expression of the Burkholderia mallei Virulence Factor BpaB During Experimental Glanders. Vet Pathol 2017; 55:258-267. [PMID: 29145795 DOI: 10.1177/0300985817736113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Burkholderia mallei causes the highly contagious and debilitating zoonosis glanders, which infects via inhalation or percutaneous inoculation and often culminates in life-threatening pneumonia and sepsis. In humans, glanders is difficult to diagnose and requires prolonged antibiotic therapy with low success rates. No vaccine exists to protect against B. mallei, and there is concern regarding its use as a bioweapon. The authors previously identified the protein BpaB as a potential target for devising therapies due to its role in adherence to host cells and the formation of biofilms in vitro and its contribution to pathogenicity in a mouse model of glanders. In the present study, the authors developed an immunostaining approach to probe tissues of experimentally infected animals and demonstrated that BpaB is produced exclusively in vivo by wild-type B. mallei in target organs from mice and marmosets. They detected the expression of BpaB by B. mallei both extracellularly and within macrophages, neutrophils, and epithelial cells in respiratory tissues (7/10 marmoset; 2/2 mouse). The authors also noted the intracellular expression of BpaB by B. mallei in macrophages in the regional lymph nodes of mice (2/2 tissues) and MALT of marmosets (4/5 tissues). It is interesting that B. mallei bacteria infecting distal organs did not express BpaB (2/2 mice; 3/3 marmosets), suggesting that the protein is not necessary for bacterial fitness in these anatomic locations. These findings underscore the value of BpaB as a target for developing medical countermeasures and provide insight into its role in pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn M Zimmerman
- 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Mackenzie E Long
- 2 Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jeremy S Dyke
- 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Tomislav P Jelesijevic
- 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Frank Michel
- 3 Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Eric R Lafontaine
- 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Robert J Hogan
- 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA.,3 Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, USA
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15
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Antibodies against In Vivo-Expressed Antigens Are Sufficient To Protect against Lethal Aerosol Infection with Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Infect Immun 2017; 85:IAI.00102-17. [PMID: 28507073 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00102-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia mallei, a facultative intracellular bacterium and tier 1 biothreat, causes the fatal zoonotic disease glanders. The organism possesses multiple genes encoding autotransporter proteins, which represent important virulence factors and targets for developing countermeasures in pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. In the present study, we investigated one of these autotransporters, BatA, and demonstrate that it displays lipolytic activity, aids in intracellular survival, is expressed in vivo, elicits production of antibodies during infection, and contributes to pathogenicity in a mouse aerosol challenge model. A mutation in the batA gene of wild-type strain ATCC 23344 was found to be particularly attenuating, as BALB/c mice infected with the equivalent of 80 median lethal doses cleared the organism. This finding prompted us to test the hypothesis that vaccination with the batA mutant strain elicits protective immunity against subsequent infection with wild-type bacteria. We discovered that not only does vaccination provide high levels of protection against lethal aerosol challenge with B. mallei ATCC 23344, it also protects against infection with multiple isolates of the closely related organism and causative agent of melioidosis, Burkholderia pseudomallei Passive-transfer experiments also revealed that the protective immunity afforded by vaccination with the batA mutant strain is predominantly mediated by IgG antibodies binding to antigens expressed exclusively in vivo Collectively, our data demonstrate that BatA is a target for developing medical countermeasures and that vaccination with a mutant lacking expression of the protein provides a platform to gain insights regarding mechanisms of protective immunity against B. mallei and B. pseudomallei, including antigen discovery.
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16
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Abstract
Purpose of review Burkholderia pseudomallei's and Burkholderia mallei's high rate of infectivity, limited treatment options, and potential use as biological warfare agents underscore the need for development of effective vaccines against these bacteria. Research efforts focused on vaccines against these bacteria are in pre-clinical stages, with no approved formulations currently on the market. Recent findings Several live attenuated and subunit vaccine formulations have been evaluated in animal studies, with no reports of significant long term survival after lethal challenge. Summary This review encompasses the most current vaccine strategies to prevent B. pseudomallei and B. mallei infections while providing insight for successful vaccines moving forward.
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17
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Bearss JJ, Hunter M, Dankmeyer JL, Fritts KA, Klimko CP, Weaver CH, Shoe JL, Quirk AV, Toothman RG, Webster WM, Fetterer DP, Bozue JA, Worsham PL, Welkos SL, Amemiya K, Cote CK. Characterization of pathogenesis of and immune response to Burkholderia pseudomallei K96243 using both inhalational and intraperitoneal infection models in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172627. [PMID: 28235018 PMCID: PMC5325312 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei, the etiologic agent of melioidosis, is a Gram negative bacterium designated as a Tier 1 threat. This bacterium is known to be endemic in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia and can infect humans and animals by several routes. Inhalational melioidosis has been associated with monsoonal rains in endemic areas and is also a significant concern in the biodefense community. There are currently no effective vaccines for B. pseudomallei and antibiotic treatment can be hampered by non-specific symptomology and also the high rate of naturally occurring antibiotic resistant strains. Well-characterized animal models will be essential when selecting novel medical countermeasures for evaluation prior to human clinical trials. Here, we further characterize differences between the responses of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice when challenged with low doses of a low-passage and well-defined stock of B. pseudomallei K96243 via either intraperitoneal or aerosol routes of exposure. Before challenge, mice were implanted with a transponder to collect body temperature readings, and daily body weights were also recorded. Mice were euthanized on select days for pathological analyses and determination of the bacterial burden in selected tissues (blood, lungs, liver, and spleen). Additionally, spleen homogenate and sera samples were analyzed to better characterize the host immune response after infection with aerosolized bacteria. These clinical, pathological, and immunological data highlighted and confirmed important similarities and differences between these murine models and exposure routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy J. Bearss
- Pathology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Melissa Hunter
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Jennifer L. Dankmeyer
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Kristen A. Fritts
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Christopher P. Klimko
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Chris H. Weaver
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Jennifer L. Shoe
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Avery V. Quirk
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Ronald G. Toothman
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Wendy M. Webster
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - David P. Fetterer
- BioStatisitics Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Joel A. Bozue
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Patricia L. Worsham
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Susan L. Welkos
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Kei Amemiya
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
| | - Christopher K. Cote
- Bacteriology Division, USAMRIID, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, United States of America
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18
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Portacci K, Rooney AP, Dobos R. Assessing the potential forBurkholderia pseudomalleiin the southeastern United States. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2017; 250:153-159. [DOI: 10.2460/javma.250.2.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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19
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Immune profiling of the progression of a BALB/c mouse aerosol infection by Burkholderia pseudomallei and the therapeutic implications of targeting HMGB1. Int J Infect Dis 2015; 40:1-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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20
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Zimmerman SM, Michel F, Hogan RJ, Lafontaine ER. The Autotransporter BpaB Contributes to the Virulence of Burkholderia mallei in an Aerosol Model of Infection. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126437. [PMID: 25993100 PMCID: PMC4438868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia mallei is a highly pathogenic bacterium that causes the zoonosis glanders. Previous studies indicated that the genome of the organism contains eight genes specifying autotransporter proteins, which are important virulence factors of Gram-negative bacteria. In the present study, we report the characterization of one of these autotransporters, BpaB. Database searches identified the bpaB gene in ten B. mallei isolates and the predicted proteins were 99-100% identical. Comparative sequence analyses indicate that the gene product is a trimeric autotransporter of 1,090 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 105-kDa. Consistent with this finding, we discovered that recombinant bacteria expressing bpaB produce a protein of ≥300-kDa on their surface that is reactive with a BpaB-specific monoclonal antibody. Analysis of sera from mice infected with B. mallei indicated that animals produce antibodies against BpaB during the course of disease, thus establishing production of the autotransporter in vivo. To gain insight on its role in virulence, we inactivated the bpaB gene of B. mallei strain ATCC 23344 and determined the median lethal dose of the mutant in a mouse model of aerosol infection. These experiments revealed that the bpaB mutation attenuates virulence 8-14 fold. Using a crystal violet-based assay, we also discovered that constitutive production of BpaB on the surface of B. mallei promotes biofilm formation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a biofilm factor for this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn M. Zimmerman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Frank Michel
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Hogan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA, United States of America
| | - Eric R. Lafontaine
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Complete genome sequences for 59 burkholderia isolates, both pathogenic and near neighbor. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2015; 3:3/2/e00159-15. [PMID: 25931592 PMCID: PMC4417688 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00159-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The genus Burkholderia encompasses both pathogenic (including Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category B listed), and nonpathogenic Gram-negative bacilli. Here we present full genome sequences for a panel of 59 Burkholderia strains, selected to aid in detection assay development.
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22
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Jelesijevic T, Zimmerman SM, Harvey SB, Mead DG, Shaffer TL, Estes DM, Michel F, Quinn FD, Hogan RJ, Lafontaine ER. Use of the common marmoset to study Burkholderia mallei infection. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124181. [PMID: 25860021 PMCID: PMC4393281 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia mallei is a host-adapted bacterium that does not persist outside of its equine reservoir. The organism causes the zoonosis glanders, which is endemic in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Infection by B. mallei typically occurs via the respiratory or percutaneous route, and the most common manifestations are life-threatening pneumonia and bacteremia. Glanders is difficult to diagnose and requires prolonged antibiotic therapy with low success rates. There is no vaccine to protect against B. mallei and there is concern regarding its use as a biothreat agent. Thus, experiments were performed to establish a non-human primate model of intranasal infection to study the organism and develop countermeasures. Groups of marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) were inoculated intranasally with B. mallei strain ATCC 23344 and monitored for clinical signs of illness for up to 13 days. We discovered that 83% of marmosets inoculated with doses of 2.5 X 10(4) to 2.5 X 10(5) bacteria developed acute lethal infection within 3-4 days. Signs of disease were severe and included lethargy, inappetence, conjunctivitis, mucopurulent and hemorrhagic nasal discharges, and increased respiratory effort with abdominal lifts. Burkholderia mallei was cultured from the lungs, spleen and liver of these animals, and pathologic examination of tissues revealed lesions characteristic of glanders. Challenge experiments also revealed that 91% of animals infected with doses ranging from 25 to 2.5 X 10(3) bacteria exhibited mild non-specific signs of illness and were culture negative. One marmoset inoculated with 2.5 X 10(3) organisms developed moderate signs of disease and reached humane end-points 8 days post-infection. The liver and spleen of this animal were colonized with the agent and pathological analysis of tissues showed nasal, splenic and hepatic lesions. Taken together, these data indicate that the marmoset is a suitable model to study respiratory infection by B. mallei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomislav Jelesijevic
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Shawn M. Zimmerman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Stephen B. Harvey
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Daniel G. Mead
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Teresa L. Shaffer
- Department of Microbiology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - D. Mark Estes
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Frank Michel
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Frederick D. Quinn
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Hogan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Eric R. Lafontaine
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
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Adler NRL, Stevens MP, Dean RE, Saint RJ, Pankhania D, Prior JL, Atkins TP, Kessler B, Nithichanon A, Lertmemongkolchai G, Galyov EE. Systematic mutagenesis of genes encoding predicted autotransported proteins of Burkholderia pseudomallei identifies factors mediating virulence in mice, net intracellular replication and a novel protein conferring serum resistance. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121271. [PMID: 25830295 PMCID: PMC4382181 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of the severe tropical disease melioidosis, which commonly presents as sepsis. The B. pseudomallei K96243 genome encodes eleven predicted autotransporters, a diverse family of secreted and outer membrane proteins often associated with virulence. In a systematic study of these autotransporters, we constructed insertion mutants in each gene predicted to encode an autotransporter and assessed them for three pathogenesis-associated phenotypes: virulence in the BALB/c intra-peritoneal mouse melioidosis model, net intracellular replication in J774.2 murine macrophage-like cells and survival in 45% (v/v) normal human serum. From the complete repertoire of eleven autotransporter mutants, we identified eight mutants which exhibited an increase in median lethal dose of 1 to 2-log10 compared to the isogenic parent strain (bcaA, boaA, boaB, bpaA, bpaC, bpaE, bpaF and bimA). Four mutants, all demonstrating attenuation for virulence, exhibited reduced net intracellular replication in J774.2 macrophage-like cells (bimA, boaB, bpaC and bpaE). A single mutant (bpaC) was identified that exhibited significantly reduced serum survival compared to wild-type. The bpaC mutant, which demonstrated attenuation for virulence and net intracellular replication, was sensitive to complement-mediated killing via the classical and/or lectin pathway. Serum resistance was rescued by in trans complementation. Subsequently, we expressed recombinant proteins of the passenger domain of four predicted autotransporters representing each of the phenotypic groups identified: those attenuated for virulence (BcaA), those attenuated for virulence and net intracellular replication (BpaE), the BpaC mutant with defects in virulence, net intracellular replication and serum resistance and those displaying wild-type phenotypes (BatA). Only BcaA and BpaE elicited a strong IFN-γ response in a restimulation assay using whole blood from seropositive donors and were recognised by seropositive human sera from the endemic area. To conclude, several predicted autotransporters contribute to B. pseudomallei virulence and BpaC may do so by conferring resistance against complement-mediated killing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie R. Lazar Adler
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Mark P. Stevens
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel E. Dean
- Biomedical Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. Saint
- Biomedical Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, United Kingdom
| | - Depesh Pankhania
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Joann L. Prior
- Biomedical Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy P. Atkins
- Biomedical Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Bianca Kessler
- The Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (CMDL), Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Arnone Nithichanon
- The Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (CMDL), Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Ganjana Lertmemongkolchai
- The Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (CMDL), Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Edouard E. Galyov
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Schully KL, Bell MG, Ward JM, Keane-Myers AM. Oropharyngeal aspiration of Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei in BALB/c mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115066. [PMID: 25503969 PMCID: PMC4263729 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei are potentially lethal pathogens categorized as biothreat agents due, in part, to their ability to be disseminated via aerosol. There are no protective vaccines against these pathogens and treatment options are limited and cumbersome. Since disease severity is greatest when these agents are inhaled, efforts to develop pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis focus largely on inhalation models of infection. Here, we demonstrate a non-invasive and technically simple method for affecting the inhalational challenge of BALB/c mice with B. pseudomallei and B. mallei. In this model, two investigators utilized common laboratory tools such as forceps and a micropipette to conduct and characterize an effective and reproducible inhalational challenge of BALB/c mice with B. mallei and B. pseudomallei. Challenge by oropharyngeal aspiration resulted in acute disease. Additionally, 50% endpoints for B. pseudomallei K96243 and B. mallei ATCC 23344 were nearly identical to published aerosol challenge methods. Furthermore, the pathogens disseminated to all major organs typically targeted by these agents where they proliferated. The pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the proximal and peripheral fluids demonstrated a rapid and robust immune response comparable to previously described murine and human studies. These observations demonstrate that OA is a viable alternative to aerosol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin L. Schully
- Naval Medical Research Center-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Matthew G. Bell
- Naval Medical Research Center-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jerrold M. Ward
- Global Vet Pathology, Montgomery Village, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Andrea M. Keane-Myers
- Naval Medical Research Center-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Lafontaine ER, Balder R, Michel F, Hogan RJ. Characterization of an autotransporter adhesin protein shared by Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei. BMC Microbiol 2014; 14:92. [PMID: 24731253 PMCID: PMC4021183 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-14-92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autotransporters form a large family of outer membrane proteins specifying diverse biological traits of Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of a novel autotransporter gene product of Burkholderia mallei (locus tag BMA1027 in strain ATCC 23344). Results Database searches identified the gene in at least seven B. mallei isolates and the encoded proteins were found to be 84% identical. Inactivation of the gene encoding the autotransporter in the genome of strain ATCC 23344 substantially reduces adherence to monolayers of HEp-2 laryngeal cells and A549 type II pneumocytes, as well as to cultures of normal human bronchial epithelium (NHBE). Consistent with these findings, expression of the autotransporter on the surface of recombinant E. coli bacteria increases adherence to these cell types by 5–7 fold. The gene specifying the autotransporter was identified in the genome of 29 B. pseudomallei isolates and disruption of the gene in strain DD503 reduced adherence to NHBE cultures by 61%. Unlike B. mallei, the mutation did not impair binding of B. pseudomallei to A549 or HEp-2 cells. Analysis of sera from mice infected via the aerosol route with B. mallei and B. pseudomallei revealed that animals inoculated with as few as 10 organisms produce antibodies against the autotransporter, therefore indicating expression in vivo. Conclusions Our data demonstrate that we have identified an autotransporter protein common to the pathogenic species B. mallei and B. pseudomallei which mediates adherence to respiratory epithelial cells and is expressed in vivo during the course of aerosol infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Lafontaine
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, 30602 Athens, GA, USA.
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Comparative Burkholderia pseudomallei natural history virulence studies using an aerosol murine model of infection. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4305. [PMID: 24603493 PMCID: PMC3945929 DOI: 10.1038/srep04305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Melioidosis is an endemic disease caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Concerns exist regarding B. pseudomallei use as a potential bio-threat agent causing persistent infections and typically manifesting as severe pneumonia capable of causing fatal bacteremia. Development of suitable therapeutics against melioidosis is complicated due to high degree of genetic and phenotypic variability among B. pseudomallei isolates and lack of data establishing commonly accepted strains for comparative studies. Further, the impact of strain variation on virulence, disease presentation, and mortality is not well understood. Therefore, this study evaluate and compare the virulence and disease progression of B. pseudomallei strains K96243 and HBPUB10303a, following aerosol challenge in a standardized BALB/c mouse model of infection. The natural history analysis of disease progression monitored conditions such as weight, body temperature, appearance, activity, bacteremia, organ and tissue colonization (pathological and histological analysis) and immunological responses. This study provides a detailed, direct comparison of infection with different B. pseudomallei strains and set up the basis for a standardized model useful to test different medical countermeasures against Burkholderia species. Further, this protocol serves as a guideline to standardize other bacterial aerosol models of infection or to define biomarkers of infectious processes caused by other intracellular pathogens.
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