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Cloeckaert A, Roop RM, Scholz HC, Whatmore AM, Zygmunt MS. Editorial: Pathogenomics of the genus Brucella and beyond, volume II. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1370330. [PMID: 38333583 PMCID: PMC10850559 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1370330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - R. Martin Roop
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Holger C. Scholz
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Adrian M. Whatmore
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
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Gummelt C, Dupke S, Howaldt S, Zimmermann F, Scholz HC, Laue M, Klee SR. Analysis of Sporulation in Bacillus cereus Biovar anthracis Which Contains an Insertion in the Gene for the Sporulation Factor σ K. Pathogens 2023; 12:1442. [PMID: 38133325 PMCID: PMC10745906 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12121442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis (Bcbva) is an untypical pathogen causing a fatal anthrax-like disease in a variety of wildlife species in African rainforest areas. In contrast to Bacillus anthracis and most species of the B. cereus group, all strains of the Bcbva cluster contain a 22 kb insertion in the sigK gene which encodes the essential late sporulation sigma factor σK. This insertion is excised during sporulation in a site-specific recombination process resulting in an intact sigK gene and a circular molecule. The sporulation kinetics of two strains each of Bcbva and B. anthracis were compared by the expression analysis of eight sporulation-associated genes, including sigK, using reverse transcriptase quantitative real-time PCR. In addition, morphological sporulation stages were analyzed and quantified by electron microscopy. Our results indicated that the necessary excision of the insertion in Bcbva neither delayed nor inhibited its sporulation. In two spontaneous mutants of Bcbva, the excision of the sigK insertion and sporulation were impeded due to mutations in the spo0A and spoVG regulator genes, respectively. The spo0A frameshift mutation was overcome by intragenic suppression in a revertant which was able to sporulate normally, despite an M171S amino acid exchange in the global regulator Spo0A. A screening of the NCBI database identified further strains of the B. cereus group which possess unrelated insertions in the sigK gene, and two strains containing almost identical insertions at the same gene position. Some of the sigK insertions encode putative prophages, whereas the Bcbva insertion encoded a type I restriction-modification system. The function of these insertions and if they are possibly essential for sporulation remains to be assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Gummelt
- Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (C.G.); (S.D.); (S.H.); (H.C.S.)
| | - Susann Dupke
- Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (C.G.); (S.D.); (S.H.); (H.C.S.)
| | - Sabine Howaldt
- Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (C.G.); (S.D.); (S.H.); (H.C.S.)
| | - Fee Zimmermann
- Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (P3), Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Holger C. Scholz
- Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (C.G.); (S.D.); (S.H.); (H.C.S.)
| | - Michael Laue
- Advanced Light and Electron Microscopy (ZBS 4), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Silke R. Klee
- Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (C.G.); (S.D.); (S.H.); (H.C.S.)
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Scholz HC, Heckers KO, Appelt S, Geier-Dömling D, Schlegel P, Wattam AR. Isolation of Brucella inopinata from a White's tree frog ( Litoria caerulea): pose exotic frogs a potential risk to human health? Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1173252. [PMID: 37362939 PMCID: PMC10285381 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1173252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cold-blooded hosts, particularly exotic frogs, have become a newly recognized reservoir for atypical Brucella species and strains worldwide, but their pathogenicity to humans remains largely unknown. Here we report the isolation and molecular characterization of a B. inopinata strain (FO700662) cultured from clinical samples taken from a captive diseased White's Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea) in Switzerland. The isolation of B. inopinata from a frog along with other reports of human infection by atypical Brucella raises the question of whether atypical Brucella could pose a risk to human health and deserves further attention. Methods The investigations included histopathological analysis of the frog, bacterial culture and in-depth molecular characterization of strain FO700662 based on genome sequencing data. Results and Discussion Originally identified as Ochrobactrum based on its rapid growth and biochemical profile, strain FO700622 was positive for the Brucella- specific markers bcsp31 and IS711. It showed the specific banding pattern of B. inopinata in conventional Bruce-ladder multiplex PCR and also had identical 16S rRNA and recA gene sequences as B. inopinata. Subsequent genome sequencing followed by core genome-based MLST (cgMLST) analysis using 2704 targets (74% of the total chromosome) revealed only 173 allelic differences compared to the type strain of B. inopinata BO1T, while previously considered the closest related strain BO2 differed in 2046 alleles. The overall average nucleotide identity (ANI) between the type strain BO1T and FO700622 was 99,89%, confirming that both strains were almost identical. In silico MLST-21 and MLVA-16 also identified strain FO700662 as B. inopinata. The nucleotide and amino acid-based phylogenetic reconstruction and comparative genome analysis again placed the isolate together with B. inopinata with 100% support. In conclusion, our data unequivocally classified strain FO700622, isolated from an exotic frog, as belonging to B. inopinata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger C. Scholz
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Kim O. Heckers
- LABOklin GmbH and Co KG, Labor für klinische Diagnostik, Bad Kissingen, Germany
| | - Sandra Appelt
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Patrick Schlegel
- Kleintierpraxis Dr. med vet. Patrick Schlegel, Sargans, Switzerland
| | - Alice R. Wattam
- Biocomplexity Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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Paauw A, Scholz HC, Mars-Groenendijk RH, Dekker LJM, Luider TM, van Leeuwen HC. Expression of virulence and antimicrobial related proteins in Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011006. [PMID: 36607891 PMCID: PMC9821509 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei are both potential biological threat agents. Melioidosis caused by B. pseudomallei is endemic in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia, while glanders caused by B. mallei infections are rare. Here we studied the proteomes of different B. mallei and B. pseudomallei isolates to determine species specific characteristics. METHODS The expressed proteins of 5 B. mallei and 6 B. pseudomallei strains were characterized using liquid chromatography high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS). Subsequently, expression of potential resistance and virulence related characteristics were analyzed and compared. RESULTS Proteome analysis can be used for the identification of B. mallei and B. pseudomallei. Both species were identified based on >60 discriminative peptides. Expression of proteins potentially involved in antimicrobial resistance, AmrAB-OprA, BpeAB-OprB, BpeEF-OprC, PenA as well as several other efflux pump related proteins and putative β-lactamases was demonstrated. Despite, the fact that efflux pump BpeAB-OprB was expressed in all isolates, no clear correlation with an antimicrobial phenotype and the efflux-pump could be established. Also consistent with the phenotypes, no amino acid mutations in PenA known to result in β-lactam resistance could be identified. In all studied isolates, the expression of virulence (related) factors Capsule-1 and T2SS was demonstrated. The expression of T6SS-1 was demonstrated in all 6 B. pseudomallei isolates and in 2 of the 5 B. mallei isolates. In all, except one B. pseudomallei isolate, poly-beta-1,6 N-acetyl-D-glucosamine export porin (Pga), important for biofilm formation, was detected, which were absent in the proteomes of B. mallei. Siderophores, iron binding proteins, malleobactin and malleilactone are possibly expressed in both species under standard laboratory growth conditions. Expression of multiple proteins from both the malleobactin and malleilactone polyketide synthase (PKS) and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) clusters was demonstrated in both species. All B. pseudomallei expressed at least seven of the nine proteins of the bactobolin synthase cluster (bactobolin, is a ribosome targeting antibiotic), while only in one B. mallei isolate expression of two proteins of this synthase cluster was identified. CONCLUSIONS Analyzing the expressed proteomes revealed differences between B. mallei and B. pseudomallei but also between isolates from the same species. Proteome analysis can be used not only to identify B. mallei and B. pseudomallei but also to characterize the presence of important factors that putatively contribute to the pathogenesis of B. mallei and B. pseudomallei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armand Paauw
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO, Department of CBRN Protection, Rijswijk, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Holger C. Scholz
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Roos H. Mars-Groenendijk
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO, Department of CBRN Protection, Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | | | - Theo M. Luider
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hans C. van Leeuwen
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO, Department of CBRN Protection, Rijswijk, The Netherlands
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Borgschulte HS, Jacob D, Zeeh J, Scholz HC, Heuner K. Ulceroglandular form of tularemia after squirrel bite: a case report. J Med Case Rep 2022; 16:309. [PMID: 35974355 PMCID: PMC9381146 DOI: 10.1186/s13256-022-03510-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The diagnosis of tularemia is not often considered in Germany as the disease is still rare in this country. Nonetheless, Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, can infect numerous animal species and should, therefore, not be neglected as a dangerous pathogen. Tularemia can lead to massively swollen lymph nodes and might even be fatal without antibiotic treatment. To our knowledge, the case described here is the first report of the disease caused by a squirrel bite in Germany. Case presentation A 59-year-old German woman with a past medical history of hypothyroidism and cutaneous lupus erythematosus presented at the emergency room at St. Katharinen Hospital with ongoing symptoms and a swollen right elbow persisting despite antibiotic therapy with cefuroxime for 7 days after she had been bitten (right hand) by a wild squirrel (Eurasian red squirrel). After another 7 days of therapy with piperacillin/tazobactam, laboratory analysis using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed the suspected diagnosis of tularemia on day 14. After starting the recommended antibiotic treatment with ciprofloxacin, the patient recovered rapidly. Conclusion This is the first report of a case of tularemia caused by a squirrel bite in Germany. A naturally infected squirrel has recently been reported in Switzerland for the first time. The number of human cases of tularemia has been increasing over the last years and, therefore, tularemia should be taken into consideration as a diagnosis, especially in a patient bitten by an animal who also presents with headache, increasing pain, lymphadenitis, and fever, as well as impaired wound healing. The pathogen can easily be identified by a specific real-time PCR assay of wound swabs and/or by antibody detection, for example by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), if the incident dates back longer than 2 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Sophia Borgschulte
- Department of Internal Medicine 2, St. Katharinen-Hospital, Kapellenstr. 1-5, 50226, Frechen, Germany
| | - Daniela Jacob
- Division of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Seestr. 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jörg Zeeh
- Department of Internal Medicine 2, St. Katharinen-Hospital, Kapellenstr. 1-5, 50226, Frechen, Germany
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Division of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Seestr. 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Heuner
- Division of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Seestr. 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
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Appelt S, Rohleder AM, Jacob D, von Buttlar H, Georgi E, Mueller K, Wernery U, Kinne J, Joseph M, Jose SV, Scholz HC. Genetic diversity and spatial distribution of Burkholderia mallei by core genome-based multilocus sequence typing analysis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270499. [PMID: 35793321 PMCID: PMC9258848 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia mallei is the etiological agent of glanders, a highly contagious and often fatal disease in equids. Due to the high genetic clonality of B. mallei, high-resolution typing assays are necessary to differentiate between individual strains. Here we report on the development and validation of a robust and reproducible core genome-based Multi Locus Sequence Typing Assay (cgMLST) for B. mallei, which is based on 3328 gene targets and enables high-resolution typing at the strain level. The assay was validated using a set of 120 B. mallei genomes from public databases and 23 newly sequenced outbreak strains from in-house strain collections. In this cgMLST analysis, strains from different geographic regions were clearly distinguished by at least 70 allele differences, allowing spatial clustering while closely related and epidemiologically related strains were separated by only zero to three alleles. Neither the different sequencing technologies nor the assembly strategies had an influence on the cgMLST results. The developed cgMLST is highly robust, reproducible and can be used for outbreak investigations, source tracking and molecular characterization of new B. mallei isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Appelt
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 2), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna-Maria Rohleder
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 2), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniela Jacob
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 2), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiner von Buttlar
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department Bacteriology and Toxinology, Munich, Germany
| | - Enrico Georgi
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department Bacteriology and Toxinology, Munich, Germany
| | - Katharina Mueller
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department Bacteriology and Toxinology, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich Wernery
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Joerg Kinne
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Marina Joseph
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Holger C. Scholz
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 2), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department Bacteriology and Toxinology, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Hall CM, Baker AL, Sahl JW, Mayo M, Scholz HC, Kaestli M, Schupp J, Martz M, Settles EW, Busch JD, Sidak-Loftis L, Thomas A, Kreutzer L, Georgi E, Schweizer HP, Warner JM, Keim P, Currie BJ, Wagner DM. Expanding the Burkholderia pseudomallei Complex with the Addition of Two Novel Species: Burkholderia mayonis sp. nov. and Burkholderia savannae sp. nov. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0158321. [PMID: 34644162 PMCID: PMC8752149 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01583-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Distinct Burkholderia strains were isolated from soil samples collected in tropical northern Australia (Northern Territory and the Torres Strait Islands, Queensland). Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and whole genome sequences revealed these strains were distinct from previously described Burkholderia species and assigned them to two novel clades within the B. pseudomallei complex (Bpc). Because average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization calculations are consistent with these clades representing distinct species, we propose the names Burkholderia mayonis sp. nov. and Burkholderia savannae sp. nov. Strains assigned to B. mayonis sp. nov. include type strain BDU6T (=TSD-80; LMG 29941; ASM152374v2) and BDU8. Strains assigned to B. savannae sp. nov. include type strain MSMB266T (=TSD-82; LMG 29940; ASM152444v2), MSMB852, BDU18, and BDU19. Comparative genomics revealed unique coding regions for both putative species, including clusters of orthologous genes associated with phage. Type strains of both B. mayonis sp. nov. and B. savannae sp. nov. yielded biochemical profiles distinct from each other and from other species in the Bpc, and profiles also varied among strains within B. mayonis sp. nov. and B. savannae sp. nov. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MLST) analysis revealed a B. savannae sp. nov. cluster separate from other species, whereas B. mayonis sp. nov. strains did not form a distinct cluster. Neither B. mayonis sp. nov. nor B. savannae sp. nov. caused mortality in mice when delivered via the subcutaneous route. The addition of B. mayonis sp. nov. and B. savannae sp. nov. results in a total of eight species currently within the Bpc. IMPORTANCEBurkholderia species can be important sources of novel natural products, and new species are of interest to diverse scientific disciplines. Although many Burkholderia species are saprophytic, Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of the disease melioidosis. Understanding the genomics and virulence of the closest relatives to B. pseudomallei, i.e., the other species within the B. pseudomallei complex (Bpc), is important for identifying robust diagnostic targets specific to B. pseudomallei and for understanding the evolution of virulence in B. pseudomallei. Two proposed novel species, B. mayonis sp. nov. and B. savannae sp. nov., were isolated from soil samples collected from multiple locations in northern Australia. The two proposed species belong to the Bpc but are phylogenetically distinct from all other members of this complex. The addition of B. mayonis sp. nov. and B. savannae sp. nov. results in a total of eight species within this significant complex of bacteria that are available for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina M. Hall
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Anthony L. Baker
- Discipline of Biomedicine and Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jason W. Sahl
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Mark Mayo
- Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | | | - Mirjam Kaestli
- Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - James Schupp
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Madison Martz
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Erik W. Settles
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Joseph D. Busch
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Lindsay Sidak-Loftis
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Astrid Thomas
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Lisa Kreutzer
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Enrico Georgi
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Herbert P. Schweizer
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Warner
- Discipline of Biomedicine and Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul Keim
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Bart J. Currie
- Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - David M. Wagner
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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Cloeckaert A, Zygmunt MS, Scholz HC, Vizcaino N, Whatmore AM. Editorial: Pathogenomics of the Genus Brucella and Beyond. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:700734. [PMID: 34305866 PMCID: PMC8295469 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.700734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Holger C Scholz
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms (ZBS 2), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nieves Vizcaino
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Adrian M Whatmore
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
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Appelt S, Rohleder AM, Invernizzi C, Mikulak R, Brinkmann A, Nitsche A, Krüger M, Dorner MB, Dorner BG, Scholz HC, Grunow R. Strengthening the United Nations Secretary-General's Mechanism to an alleged use of bioweapons through a quality-assured laboratory response. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3078. [PMID: 34035242 PMCID: PMC8149868 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23296-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The cascade of innovations in biotechnology opens new pathways for biological warfare. The international laboratory network being developed under the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism could provide vital evidence in case of an alleged biological attack.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Appelt
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 1, ZBS 2 and ZBS 3), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna-Maria Rohleder
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 1, ZBS 2 and ZBS 3), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Robert Mikulak
- Biological Policy Staff, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, U.S. Department of State, Washington, USA
| | - Annika Brinkmann
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 1, ZBS 2 and ZBS 3), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Nitsche
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 1, ZBS 2 and ZBS 3), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maren Krüger
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 1, ZBS 2 and ZBS 3), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin B Dorner
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 1, ZBS 2 and ZBS 3), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Brigitte G Dorner
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 1, ZBS 2 and ZBS 3), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 1, ZBS 2 and ZBS 3), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Roland Grunow
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 1, ZBS 2 and ZBS 3), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
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Vallès X, Stenseth NC, Demeure C, Horby P, Mead PS, Cabanillas O, Ratsitorahina M, Rajerison M, Andrianaivoarimanana V, Ramasindrazana B, Pizarro-Cerda J, Scholz HC, Girod R, Hinnebusch BJ, Vigan-Womas I, Fontanet A, Wagner DM, Telfer S, Yazdanpanah Y, Tortosa P, Carrara G, Deuve J, Belmain SR, D’Ortenzio E, Baril L. Human plague: An old scourge that needs new answers. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008251. [PMID: 32853251 PMCID: PMC7451524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the bacterial causative agent of plague, remains an important threat to human health. Plague is a rodent-borne disease that has historically shown an outstanding ability to colonize and persist across different species, habitats, and environments while provoking sporadic cases, outbreaks, and deadly global epidemics among humans. Between September and November 2017, an outbreak of urban pneumonic plague was declared in Madagascar, which refocused the attention of the scientific community on this ancient human scourge. Given recent trends and plague's resilience to control in the wild, its high fatality rate in humans without early treatment, and its capacity to disrupt social and healthcare systems, human plague should be considered as a neglected threat. A workshop was held in Paris in July 2018 to review current knowledge about plague and to identify the scientific research priorities to eradicate plague as a human threat. It was concluded that an urgent commitment is needed to develop and fund a strong research agenda aiming to fill the current knowledge gaps structured around 4 main axes: (i) an improved understanding of the ecological interactions among the reservoir, vector, pathogen, and environment; (ii) human and societal responses; (iii) improved diagnostic tools and case management; and (iv) vaccine development. These axes should be cross-cutting, translational, and focused on delivering context-specific strategies. Results of this research should feed a global control and prevention strategy within a "One Health" approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Vallès
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Nils Chr. Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Key Laboratory for Earth System Modelling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Christian Demeure
- Yersinia Research Unit, National Reference Centre “Plague & Other Yersinioses,” WHO Collaborating Research and Reference Centre for Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Peter Horby
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Paul S. Mead
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Oswaldo Cabanillas
- Control de Epidemia Desastres y Otras Emergencias Sanitarias, Oficina General de Epidemiologia, Ministerio de Salud, Perúu
| | - Mahery Ratsitorahina
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Minoarisoa Rajerison
- Plague Unit, Central Laboratory for Plague, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Beza Ramasindrazana
- Plague Unit, Central Laboratory for Plague, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Javier Pizarro-Cerda
- Yersinia Research Unit, National Reference Centre “Plague & Other Yersinioses,” WHO Collaborating Research and Reference Centre for Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Holger C. Scholz
- Reference Laboratory for Plague, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Romain Girod
- Medical Entomology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - B. Joseph Hinnebusch
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Health, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Ines Vigan-Womas
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Arnaud Fontanet
- Emerging Diseases Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- PACRI unit, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France
| | - David M. Wagner
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Sandra Telfer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Yazdan Yazdanpanah
- REACTing, Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Pablo Tortosa
- Université de La Réunion, Unité Mixte de Recherche Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical, La Réunion, France
| | - Guia Carrara
- REACTing, Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Jane Deuve
- Department of International Affairs, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Steven R. Belmain
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Eric D’Ortenzio
- REACTing, Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Baril
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
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11
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Eisenberg T, Schlez K, Fawzy A, Völker I, Hechinger S, Curić M, Schauerte N, Geiger C, Blom J, Scholz HC. Expanding the host range: infection of a reptilian host (Furcifer pardalis) by an atypical Brucella strain. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2020; 113:1531-1537. [PMID: 32699967 PMCID: PMC7481142 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-020-01448-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Atypical brucellae show deviant phenotypes and/or genotypes. Besides Brucella inopinata, B. microti and B. vulpis, atypical strains have been described infecting humans, rodents, amphibians and fish. They represent potential zoonotic agents. Here, we provide evidence that reptiles as the remaining poikilothermic vertebrate class also represent susceptible hosts for atypical Brucella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Eisenberg
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Schubertstr. 60/ Haus 13, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Karen Schlez
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Schubertstr. 60/ Haus 13, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Ahmad Fawzy
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Schubertstr. 60/ Haus 13, 35392, Giessen, Germany.,Department of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza Square, Giza, 12211, Egypt
| | - Iris Völker
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Schubertstr. 60/ Haus 13, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Silke Hechinger
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Schubertstr. 60/ Haus 13, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Mersiha Curić
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Schubertstr. 60/ Haus 13, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Nicole Schauerte
- Frankfurt Zoo, Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1, 60316, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christina Geiger
- Frankfurt Zoo, Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1, 60316, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jochen Blom
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, 80937, Munich, Germany
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12
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Ashford RT, Muchowski J, Koylass M, Scholz HC, Whatmore AM. Application of Whole Genome Sequencing and Pan-Family Multi-Locus Sequence Analysis to Characterize Relationships Within the Family Brucellaceae. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1329. [PMID: 32760355 PMCID: PMC7372191 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial family Brucellaceae is currently composed of seven genera, including species of the genus Brucella, a number of which are significant veterinary and zoonotic pathogens. The bacteriological identification of pathogenic Brucella spp. may be hindered by their close phenotypic similarity to other members of the Brucellaceae, particularly of the genus Ochrobactrum. Additionally, a number of novel atypical Brucella taxa have recently been identified, which exhibit greater genetic diversity than observed within the previously described species, and which share genomic features with organisms outside of the genus. Furthermore, previous work has indicated that the genus Ochrobactrum is polyphyletic, raising further questions regarding the relationship between the genus Brucella and wider Brucellaceae. We have applied whole genome sequencing (WGS) and pan-family multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) approaches to a comprehensive panel of Brucellaceae type strains, in order to characterize relationships within the family. Phylogenies based on WGS core genome alignments were able to resolve phylogenetic relationships of 31 non-Brucella spp. type strains from within the family, alongside type strains of twelve Brucella species. A phylogeny based on concatenated pan-family MLSA data was largely consistent with WGS based analyses. Notably, recently described atypical Brucella isolates were consistently placed in a single clade with existing species, clearly distinct from all members of the genus Ochrobactrum and wider family. Both WGS and MLSA methods closely grouped Brucella spp. with a sub-set of Ochrobactrum species. However, results also confirmed that the genus Ochrobactrum is polyphyletic, with seven species forming a separate grouping. The pan-family MLSA scheme was subsequently applied to a panel of 50 field strains of the family Brucellaceae, isolated from a wide variety of sources. This analysis confirmed the utility of the pan-Brucellaceae MLSA scheme in placing field isolates in relation to recognized type strains. However, a significant number of these isolates did not cluster with currently identified type strains, suggesting the existence of additional taxonomic diversity within some members of the Brucellaceae. The WGS and pan-family MLSA approaches applied here provide valuable tools for resolving the identity and phylogenetic relationships of isolates from an expanding bacterial family containing a number of important pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland T Ashford
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jakub Muchowski
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Koylass
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Adrian M Whatmore
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, United Kingdom
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13
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Zange S, Schneider K, Georgi E, Scholz HC, Antwerpen MH, Walter MC, Zoeller L, von Buttlar H, Borde JP. A headache with surprising outcome: first case of brucellosis caused by Brucella suis biovar 1 in Germany. Infection 2019; 47:863-868. [PMID: 31073709 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-019-01312-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In July 2018, brucellosis was diagnosed in a German patient without a travel history to regions endemic for Brucella. Microbiological analysis, including whole-genome sequencing, revealed Brucella suis biovar 1 as the etiologic agent. Core-genome-based multilocus sequence-typing analysis placed the isolate in close proximity to strains originating from Argentina. Notably, despite a strong IgM response, the patient did not develop Brucella-specific IgG antibodies during infection. Here, we describe the clinical course of infection, the extensive epidemiological investigations, and discuss possible routes of transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Zange
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937, Munich, Germany. .,National Consultant Laboratory for Brucellosis, 80937, Munich, Germany.
| | - Kim Schneider
- Ortenauklinikum Offenburg-Gengenbach, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 77654, Offenburg, Germany
| | - Enrico Georgi
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937, Munich, Germany
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937, Munich, Germany.,National Consultant Laboratory for Brucellosis, 80937, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Lothar Zoeller
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937, Munich, Germany.,National Consultant Laboratory for Brucellosis, 80937, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Johannes P Borde
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine II, University of Freiburg, Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.,Praxis Dr. J. Borde/Gesundheitszentrum Oberkirch, 77704, Oberkirch, Germany
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14
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Jäckel C, Hertwig S, Scholz HC, Nöckler K, Reetz J, Hammerl JA. Prevalence, Host Range, and Comparative Genomic Analysis of Temperate Ochrobactrum Phages. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1207. [PMID: 28713341 PMCID: PMC5492332 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ochrobactrum and Brucella are closely related bacteria that populate different habitats and differ in their pathogenic properties. Only little is known about mobile genetic elements in these genera which might be important for survival and virulence. Previous studies on Brucella lysogeny indicated that active phages are rare in this genus. To gain insight into the presence and nature of prophages in Ochrobactrum, temperate phages were isolated from various species and characterized in detail. In silico analyses disclosed numerous prophages in published Ochrobactrum genomes. Induction experiments showed that Ochrobactrum prophages can be induced by various stress factors and that some strains released phage particles even under non-induced conditions. Sixty percent of lysates prepared from 125 strains revealed lytic activity. The host range and DNA similarities of 19 phages belonging to the families Myoviridae, Siphoviridae, or Podoviridae were determined suggesting that they are highly diverse. Some phages showed relationship to the temperate Brucella inopinata phage BiPB01. The genomic sequences of the myovirus POA1180 (41,655 bp) and podovirus POI1126 (60,065 bp) were analyzed. Phage POA1180 is very similar to a prophage recently identified in a Brucella strain isolated from an exotic frog. The POA1180 genome contains genes which may confer resistance to chromate and the ability to take up sulfate. Phage POI1126 is related to podoviruses of Sinorhizobium meliloti (PCB5), Erwinia pyrifoliae (Pep14), and Burkholderia cenocepacia (BcepIL02) and almost identical to an unnamed plasmid of the Ochrobactrum intermedium strain LMG 3301. Further experiments revealed that the POI1126 prophage indeed replicates as an extrachromosomal element. The data demonstrate for the first time that active prophages are common in Ochrobactrum and suggest that atypical brucellae also may be a reservoir for temperate phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Jäckel
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Hertwig
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
| | - Holger C Scholz
- German Center for Infection Research, Bundeswehr Institute of MicrobiologyMunich, Germany
| | - Karsten Nöckler
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
| | - Jochen Reetz
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
| | - Jens A Hammerl
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
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15
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Georgi E, Walter MC, Pfalzgraf MT, Northoff BH, Holdt LM, Scholz HC, Zoeller L, Zange S, Antwerpen MH. Whole genome sequencing of Brucella melitensis isolated from 57 patients in Germany reveals high diversity in strains from Middle East. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175425. [PMID: 28388689 PMCID: PMC5384748 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis, a worldwide common bacterial zoonotic disease, has become quite rare in Northern and Western Europe. However, since 2014 a significant increase of imported infections caused by Brucella (B.) melitensis has been noticed in Germany. Patients predominantly originated from Middle East including Turkey and Syria. These circumstances afforded an opportunity to gain insights into the population structure of Brucella strains. Brucella-isolates from 57 patients were recovered between January 2014 and June 2016 with culture confirmed brucellosis by the National Consultant Laboratory for Brucella. Their whole genome sequences were generated using the Illumina MiSeq platform. A whole genome-based SNP typing assay was developed in order to resolve geographically attributed genetic clusters. Results were compared to MLVA typing results, the current gold-standard of Brucella typing. In addition, sequences were examined for possible genetic variation within target regions of molecular diagnostic assays. Phylogenetic analyses revealed spatial clustering and distinguished strains from different patients in either case, whereas multiple isolates from a single patient or technical replicates showed identical SNP and MLVA profiles. By including WGS data from the NCBI database, five major genotypes were identified. Notably, strains originating from Turkey showed a high diversity and grouped into seven subclusters of genotype II. MLVA analysis congruently clustered all isolates and predominantly matched the East Mediterranean genetic clade. This study confirms whole-genome based SNP-analysis as a powerful tool for accurate typing of B. melitensis. Furthermore it allows special allocation and therefore provides useful information on the geographic origin for trace-back analysis. However, the lack of reliable metadata in public databases often prevents a resolution below geographic regions or country levels and corresponding precise trace-back analysis. Once this obstacle is resolved, WGS-derived bacterial typing adds an important method to complement epidemiological surveys during outbreak investigations. This is the first report of a detailed genetic investigation of an extensive collection of B. melitensis strains isolated from human cases in Germany.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Georgi
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Bernd H. Northoff
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Lesca M. Holdt
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Holger C. Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
- National Consultant Laboratory for Brucella, Munich, Germany
| | - Lothar Zoeller
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
- National Consultant Laboratory for Brucella, Munich, Germany
| | - Sabine Zange
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
- National Consultant Laboratory for Brucella, Munich, Germany
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16
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Al Dahouk S, Köhler S, Occhialini A, Jiménez de Bagüés MP, Hammerl JA, Eisenberg T, Vergnaud G, Cloeckaert A, Zygmunt MS, Whatmore AM, Melzer F, Drees KP, Foster JT, Wattam AR, Scholz HC. Brucella spp. of amphibians comprise genomically diverse motile strains competent for replication in macrophages and survival in mammalian hosts. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44420. [PMID: 28300153 PMCID: PMC5353553 DOI: 10.1038/srep44420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Twenty-one small Gram-negative motile coccobacilli were isolated from 15 systemically diseased African bullfrogs (Pyxicephalus edulis), and were initially identified as Ochrobactrum anthropi by standard microbiological identification systems. Phylogenetic reconstructions using combined molecular analyses and comparative whole genome analysis of the most diverse of the bullfrog strains verified affiliation with the genus Brucella and placed the isolates in a cluster containing B. inopinata and the other non-classical Brucella species but also revealed significant genetic differences within the group. Four representative but molecularly and phenotypically diverse strains were used for in vitro and in vivo infection experiments. All readily multiplied in macrophage-like murine J774-cells, and their overall intramacrophagic growth rate was comparable to that of B. inopinata BO1 and slightly higher than that of B. microti CCM 4915. In the BALB/c murine model of infection these strains replicated in both spleen and liver, but were less efficient than B. suis 1330. Some strains survived in the mammalian host for up to 12 weeks. The heterogeneity of these novel strains hampers a single species description but their phenotypic and genetic features suggest that they represent an evolutionary link between a soil-associated ancestor and the mammalian host-adapted pathogenic Brucella species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Al Dahouk
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department of Biological Safety, Berlin, Germany.,RWTH Aachen University, Department of Internal Medicine III, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stephan Köhler
- Université Montpellier, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogènes et Biotechnologies pour la Santé (CPBS), Montpellier, France.,CNRS, FRE3689, CPBS, Montpellier, France
| | - Alessandra Occhialini
- Université Montpellier, Centre d'études d'agents Pathogènes et Biotechnologies pour la Santé (CPBS), Montpellier, France.,CNRS, FRE3689, CPBS, Montpellier, France
| | - María Pilar Jiménez de Bagüés
- Unidad de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Jens Andre Hammerl
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department of Biological Safety, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Gilles Vergnaud
- I2BC, CNRS, CEA, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Axel Cloeckaert
- ISP, INRA, Université François Rabelais de Tours, UMR1282, Nouzilly, France
| | - Michel S Zygmunt
- ISP, INRA, Université François Rabelais de Tours, UMR1282, Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Falk Melzer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, German National Reference Laboratory for Animal Brucellosis, Jena, Germany
| | - Kevin P Drees
- University of New Hampshire, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Foster
- University of New Hampshire, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Alice R Wattam
- Biocomplexity Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology and German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
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17
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Hammerl JA, Göllner C, Jäckel C, Scholz HC, Nöckler K, Reetz J, Al Dahouk S, Hertwig S. Genetic Diversity of Brucella Reference and Non-reference Phages and Its Impact on Brucella-Typing. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:408. [PMID: 28360895 PMCID: PMC5350156 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Virulent phages have been used for many years to type Brucella isolates, but until recently knowledge about the genetic makeup of these phages remains limited. In this work the host specificity and genomic sequences of the original set (deposited in 1960) of VLA Brucella reference phages Tb, Fi, Wb, Bk2, R/C, and Iz were analyzed and compared with hitherto described brucellaphages. VLA phages turned out to be different from homonymous phages in other laboratories. The host range of the phages was defined by performing plaque assays with a wide selection of Brucella strains. Propagation of the phages on different strains did not alter host specificity. Sequencing of the phages TbV, FiV, WbV, and R/CV revealed nucleotide variations when compared to same-named phages previously described by other laboratories. The phages Bk2V and IzV were sequenced for the first time. While Bk2V exhibited the same deletions as WbV, IzV possesses the largest genome of all Brucella reference phages. The duplication of a 301 bp sequence in this phage and the large deletion in Bk2V, WbV, and R/CV may be a result of recombination caused by repetitive sequences located in this DNA region. To identify new phages as potential candidates for lysotyping, the host range and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) of 22 non-reference Brucella phages were determined. The phages showed lysis patterns different from those of the reference phages and thus represent novel valuable candidates in the typing set.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens A. Hammerl
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
| | - Cornelia Göllner
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Jäckel
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
| | - Holger C. Scholz
- German Center for Infection Research, Bundeswehr Institute of MicrobiologyMunich, Germany
| | - Karsten Nöckler
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
| | - Jochen Reetz
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
| | - Sascha Al Dahouk
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Hertwig
- Department of Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentBerlin, Germany
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18
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Scholz HC, Mühldorfer K, Shilton C, Benedict S, Whatmore AM, Blom J, Eisenberg T. The Change of a Medically Important Genus: Worldwide Occurrence of Genetically Diverse Novel Brucella Species in Exotic Frogs. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168872. [PMID: 28036367 PMCID: PMC5201264 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Brucella comprises various species of both veterinary and human medical importance. All species are genetically highly related to each other, sharing intra-species average nucleotide identities (ANI) of > 99%. Infections occur among various warm-blooded animal species, marine mammals, and humans. Until recently, amphibians had not been recognized as a host for Brucella. In this study, however, we show that novel Brucella species are distributed among exotic frogs worldwide. Comparative recA gene analysis of 36 frog isolates from various continents and different frog species revealed an unexpected high genetic diversity, not observed among classical Brucella species. In phylogenetic reconstructions the isolates consequently formed various clusters and grouped together with atypical more distantly related brucellae, like B. inopinata, strain BO2, and Australian isolates from rodents, some of which were isolated as human pathogens. Of one frog isolate (10RB9215) the genome sequence was determined. Comparative genome analysis of this isolate and the classical Brucella species revealed additional genetic material, absent from classical Brucella species but present in Ochrobactrum, the closest genetic neighbor of Brucella, and in other soil associated genera of the Alphaproteobacteria. The presence of gene clusters encoding for additional metabolic functions, flanked by tRNAs and mobile genetic elements, as well as by bacteriophages is suggestive for a different ecology compared to classical Brucella species. Furthermore it suggests that amphibian isolates may represent a link between free living soil saprophytes and the pathogenic Brucella with a preferred intracellular habitat. We therefore assume that brucellae from frogs have a reservoir in soil and, in contrast to classical brucellae, undergo extensive horizontal gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger C. Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, Munich and German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Kristin Mühldorfer
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Germany
| | - Cathy Shilton
- Berrimah Veterinary Laboratories, Northern Territory Government, Berrimah, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Suresh Benedict
- Berrimah Veterinary Laboratories, Northern Territory Government, Berrimah, Northern Territory, Australia
| | | | - Jochen Blom
- Center for Biotechnology, CeBiTec, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Tobias Eisenberg
- Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Schubertstrasse 60, Giessen, Germany
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19
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Dwibedi C, Birdsell D, Lärkeryd A, Myrtennäs K, Öhrman C, Nilsson E, Karlsson E, Hochhalter C, Rivera A, Maltinsky S, Bayer B, Keim P, Scholz HC, Tomaso H, Wittwer M, Beuret C, Schuerch N, Pilo P, Hernández Pérez M, Rodriguez-Lazaro D, Escudero R, Anda P, Forsman M, Wagner DM, Larsson P, Johansson A. Long-range dispersal moved Francisella tularensis into Western Europe from the East. Microb Genom 2016; 2:e000100. [PMID: 28348839 PMCID: PMC5359409 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
For many infections transmitting to humans from reservoirs in nature, disease dispersal patterns over space and time are largely unknown. Here, a reversed genomics approach helped us understand disease dispersal and yielded insight into evolution and biological properties of Francisella tularensis, the bacterium causing tularemia. We whole-genome sequenced 67 strains and characterized by single-nucleotide polymorphism assays 138 strains, collected from individuals infected 1947-2012 across Western Europe. We used the data for phylogenetic, population genetic and geographical network analyses. All strains (n=205) belonged to a monophyletic population of recent ancestry not found outside Western Europe. Most strains (n=195) throughout the study area were assigned to a star-like phylogenetic pattern indicating that colonization of Western Europe occurred via clonal expansion. In the East of the study area, strains were more diverse, consistent with a founder population spreading from east to west. The relationship of genetic and geographic distance within the F. tularensis population was complex and indicated multiple long-distance dispersal events. Mutation rate estimates based on year of isolation indicated null rates; in outbreak hotspots only, there was a rate of 0.4 mutations/genome/year. Patterns of nucleotide substitution showed marked AT mutational bias suggestive of genetic drift. These results demonstrate that tularemia has moved from east to west in Europe and that F. tularensis has a biology characterized by long-range geographical dispersal events and mostly slow, but variable, replication rates. The results indicate that mutation-driven evolution, a resting survival phase, genetic drift and long-distance geographical dispersal events have interacted to generate genetic diversity within this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinmay Dwibedi
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and the Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Division of CBRN Security and Defence, Swedish Defense Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Dawn Birdsell
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ, USA
| | - Adrian Lärkeryd
- Division of CBRN Security and Defence, Swedish Defense Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kerstin Myrtennäs
- Division of CBRN Security and Defence, Swedish Defense Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Caroline Öhrman
- Division of CBRN Security and Defence, Swedish Defense Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Elin Nilsson
- Division of CBRN Security and Defence, Swedish Defense Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Edvin Karlsson
- Division of CBRN Security and Defence, Swedish Defense Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Christian Hochhalter
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ, USA
| | - Andrew Rivera
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ, USA
| | - Sara Maltinsky
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ, USA
| | - Brittany Bayer
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ, USA
| | - Paul Keim
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ, USA
- Translational Genomics Research Institute North, Flagstaff AZ, USA
| | | | - Herbert Tomaso
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses Friedrich-Loeffler, Institut Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias Wittwer
- Biology Division, Spietz Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, Spietz, Switzerland
| | - Christian Beuret
- Biology Division, Spietz Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, Spietz, Switzerland
| | - Nadia Schuerch
- Biology Division, Spietz Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, Spietz, Switzerland
| | - Paola Pilo
- Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marta Hernández Pérez
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Instituto Tecnológico Agrario de Castilla y León, Valladolid, Spain
- Departamento de Ingeniería Agrícola y Forestal, Universidad de Valladolid, Palencia, Spain
| | | | - Raquel Escudero
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Anda
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mats Forsman
- Division of CBRN Security and Defence, Swedish Defense Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - David M. Wagner
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ, USA
| | - Pär Larsson
- Division of CBRN Security and Defence, Swedish Defense Research Agency, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Johansson
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and the Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Correspondence Anders Johansson ()
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20
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Mühldorfer K, Wibbelt G, Szentiks CA, Fischer D, Scholz HC, Zschöck M, Eisenberg T. The role of 'atypical' Brucella in amphibians: are we facing novel emerging pathogens? J Appl Microbiol 2016; 122:40-53. [PMID: 27740712 DOI: 10.1111/jam.13326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To discuss together the novel cases of Brucella infections in frogs with the results of published reports to extend our current knowledge on 'atypical' brucellae isolated from amphibians and to discuss the challenges we face on this extraordinary emerging group of pathogens. METHODS AND RESULTS Since our first description, an additional 14 isolates from four different frog species were collected. Novel isolates and a subset of Brucella isolates previously cultured from African bullfrogs were characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and broth microdilution susceptibility testing. MALDI-TOF MS worked very efficiently for an accurate bacterial identification to the genus level. Within the cluster analysis, 'atypical' brucellae grouped distant from Brucella melitensis and were even more separated by FT-IR spectroscopy with respect to their geographical origin. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of 14 antimicrobial substances are provided as baseline data on antimicrobial susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS The case history of Brucella infections in amphibians reveals a variety of pathologies ranging from localized manifestations to systemic infections. Some isolates seem to be capable of causing high mortality in zoological exhibitions putting higher demands on the management of endangered frog species. There is considerable risk in overlooking and misidentifying 'atypical' Brucella in routine diagnostics. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Brucella have only recently been described in cold-blooded vertebrates. Their presence in frog species native to Africa, America and Australia indicates a more common occurrence in amphibians than previously thought. This study provides an extensive overview of amphibian brucellae by highlighting the main features of their clinical significance, diagnosis and zoonotic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Mühldorfer
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - G Wibbelt
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - C A Szentiks
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - D Fischer
- Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - H C Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - M Zschöck
- Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Giessen, Germany
| | - T Eisenberg
- Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Giessen, Germany
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21
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Eisenberg T, Riße K, Schauerte N, Geiger C, Blom J, Scholz HC. Isolation of a novel ‘atypical’ Brucella strain from a bluespotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma). Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2016; 110:221-234. [DOI: 10.1007/s10482-016-0792-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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22
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Feldman M, Harbeck M, Keller M, Spyrou MA, Rott A, Trautmann B, Scholz HC, Päffgen B, Peters J, McCormick M, Bos K, Herbig A, Krause J. A High-Coverage Yersinia pestis Genome from a Sixth-Century Justinianic Plague Victim. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:2911-2923. [PMID: 27578768 PMCID: PMC5062324 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Justinianic Plague, which started in the sixth century and lasted to the mid eighth century, is thought to be the first of three historically documented plague pandemics causing massive casualties. Historical accounts and molecular data suggest the bacterium Yersinia pestis as its etiological agent. Here we present a new high-coverage (17.9-fold) Y. pestis genome obtained from a sixth-century skeleton recovered from a southern German burial site close to Munich. The reconstructed genome enabled the detection of 30 unique substitutions as well as structural differences that have not been previously described. We report indels affecting a lacl family transcription regulator gene as well as nonsynonymous substitutions in the nrdE, fadJ, and pcp genes, that have been suggested as plague virulence determinants or have been shown to be upregulated in different models of plague infection. In addition, we identify 19 false positive substitutions in a previously published lower-coverage Y. pestis genome from another archaeological site of the same time period and geographical region that is otherwise genetically identical to the high-coverage genome sequence reported here, suggesting low-genetic diversity of the plague during the sixth century in rural southern Germany.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Feldman
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michaela Harbeck
- SNSB, State Collection of Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcel Keller
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,SNSB, State Collection of Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Munich, Germany
| | - Maria A Spyrou
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Rott
- SNSB, State Collection of Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Munich, Germany
| | - Bernd Trautmann
- SNSB, State Collection of Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Munich, Germany
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - Bernd Päffgen
- Institute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Germany
| | - Joris Peters
- SNSB, State Collection of Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
| | - Michael McCormick
- Department of History, Harvard University, Initiative for the Science of the Human Past
| | - Kirsten Bos
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Alexander Herbig
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Johannes Krause
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.,Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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23
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Scholz HC, Revilla-Fernández S, Dahouk SA, Hammerl JA, Zygmunt MS, Cloeckaert A, Koylass M, Whatmore AM, Blom J, Vergnaud G, Witte A, Aistleitner K, Hofer E. Brucella vulpis sp. nov., isolated from mandibular lymph nodes of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2016; 66:2090-2098. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.000998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Holger C. Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology and German Center for Infection Research (DZIF),Neuherbergstrasse 11, D-80937 Munich,Germany
| | | | - Sascha Al Dahouk
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department of Biological Safety,Diedersdorfer Weg 1, D-12277 Berlin,Germany
| | - Jens A. Hammerl
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department of Biological Safety,Diedersdorfer Weg 1, D-12277 Berlin,Germany
| | - Michel S. Zygmunt
- INRA, UMR1282, Infectiologie et Santé Publique,F-37380 Nouzilly,France
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, UMR1282 Infectiologie et Santé Publique,F-37000 Tours,France
| | - Axel Cloeckaert
- INRA, UMR1282, Infectiologie et Santé Publique,F-37380 Nouzilly,France
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, UMR1282 Infectiologie et Santé Publique,F-37000 Tours,France
| | - Mark Koylass
- OIE/WHO/FAO Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA),Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB,UK
| | - Adrian M. Whatmore
- OIE/WHO/FAO Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA),Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB,UK
| | - Jochen Blom
- Center for Biotechnology, CeBiTec, Universität Bielefeld,Bielefeld,Germany
| | - Gilles Vergnaud
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay,Orsay,France
- ENSTA ParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay,Palaiseau,France
| | - Angela Witte
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, MFPL Laboratories, University of Vienna,Vienna,Austria
| | - Karin Aistleitner
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology and German Center for Infection Research (DZIF),Neuherbergstrasse 11, D-80937 Munich,Germany
| | - Erwin Hofer
- AGES, Institute for Veterinary Disease Control,Robert Koch-Gasse 17, A-2340 Mödling,Austria
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24
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Seifert L, Wiechmann I, Harbeck M, Thomas A, Grupe G, Projahn M, Scholz HC, Riehm JM. Genotyping Yersinia pestis in Historical Plague: Evidence for Long-Term Persistence of Y. pestis in Europe from the 14th to the 17th Century. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0145194. [PMID: 26760973 PMCID: PMC4712009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ancient DNA (aDNA) recovered from plague victims of the second plague pandemic (14th to 17th century), excavated from two different burial sites in Germany, and spanning a time period of more than 300 years, was characterized using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. Of 30 tested skeletons 8 were positive for Yersinia pestis-specific nucleic acid, as determined by qPCR targeting the pla gene. In one individual (MP-19-II), the pla copy number in DNA extracted from tooth pulp was as high as 700 gene copies/μl, indicating severe generalized infection. All positive individuals were identical in all 16 SNP positions, separating phylogenetic branches within nodes N07_N10 (14 SNPs), N07_N08 (SNP s19) and N06_N07 (s545), and were highly similar to previously investigated plague victims from other European countries. Thus, beside the assumed continuous reintroduction of Y. pestis from central Asia in multiple waves during the second pandemic, long-term persistence of Y. pestis in Europe in a yet unknown reservoir host has also to be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Seifert
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Michaela Harbeck
- State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Munich, Germany
| | - Astrid Thomas
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Gisela Grupe
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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25
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Hammerl JA, Ulrich RG, Imholt C, Scholz HC, Jacob J, Kratzmann N, Nöckler K, Al Dahouk S. Molecular Survey on Brucellosis in Rodents and Shrews - Natural Reservoirs of Novel Brucella Species in Germany? Transbound Emerg Dis 2015; 64:663-671. [PMID: 26398680 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Brucellosis is a widespread zoonotic disease introduced from animal reservoirs to humans. In Germany, bovine and ovine/caprine brucellosis were eradicated more than a decade ago and mandatory measures in livestock have been implemented to keep the officially brucellosis-free status. In contrast, surveillance of wildlife is still challenging, and reliable data on the prevalence of brucellae in small mammal populations do not exist. To assess the epidemiology of Brucella spp. in rodents and shrews, a molecular survey was carried out. A total of 537 rodents and shrews were trapped in four federal states located throughout Germany and investigated for the presence of Brucella. Using a two-step molecular assay based on the detection of the Brucella-specific bcsp31 and IS711 sequences in tissue samples, 14.2% (n = 76) of the tested animals were positive. These originated mainly from western and south-western Germany, where preliminary analyses indicate population density-dependent Brucella prevalence in voles (Myodes glareolus) and mice (Apodemus spp.). recA typing revealed a close relationship to a potentially novel Brucella species recently isolated from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Austria. The molecular detection of brucellae in various rodent taxa and for the first time in shrew species shows that these animals may be naturally infected or at least have a history of exposure to Brucella spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Hammerl
- Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
| | - R G Ulrich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, OIE Collaborating Centre for Zoonoses in Europe, Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - C Imholt
- Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research Group, Münster, Germany
| | - H C Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - J Jacob
- Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research Group, Münster, Germany
| | - N Kratzmann
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, OIE Collaborating Centre for Zoonoses in Europe, Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - K Nöckler
- Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
| | - S Al Dahouk
- Department of Biological Safety, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine III, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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26
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Richard V, Riehm JM, Herindrainy P, Soanandrasana R, Ratsitoharina M, Rakotomanana F, Andrianalimanana S, Scholz HC, Rajerison M. Pneumonic plague outbreak, Northern Madagascar, 2011. Emerg Infect Dis 2015; 21:8-15. [PMID: 25530466 PMCID: PMC4285280 DOI: 10.3201/eid2101.131828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is endemic to Madagascar, particularly to the central highlands. Although plague has not been previously reported in northern Madagascar, an outbreak of pneumonic plague occurred in this remote area in 2011. Over a 27-day period, 17 suspected, 2 presumptive, and 3 confirmed human cases were identified, and all 15 untreated 20 patients died. Molecular typing of Y. pestis isolated from 2 survivors and 5 Rattus rattus rat samples identified the Madagascar-specific 1.ORI3-k single-nucleotide polymorphism genotype and 4 clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat patterns. This outbreak had a case-fatality rate of 100% for nontreated patients. The Y. pestis 1.ORI3-k single-nucleotide polymorphism genotype might cause larger epidemics. Multidrug-resistant strains and persistence of the pathogen in natural foci near human settlements pose severe risks to populations in plague-endemic regions and require outbreak response strategies.
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27
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Riehm JM, Projahn M, Vogler AJ, Rajerison M, Andersen G, Hall CM, Zimmermann T, Soanandrasana R, Andrianaivoarimanana V, Straubinger RK, Nottingham R, Keim P, Wagner DM, Scholz HC. Diverse Genotypes of Yersinia pestis Caused Plague in Madagascar in 2007. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003844. [PMID: 26069964 PMCID: PMC4466568 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of human plague and is endemic in various African, Asian and American countries. In Madagascar, the disease represents a significant public health problem with hundreds of human cases a year. Unfortunately, poor infrastructure makes outbreak investigations challenging. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS DNA was extracted directly from 93 clinical samples from patients with a clinical diagnosis of plague in Madagascar in 2007. The extracted DNAs were then genotyped using three molecular genotyping methods, including, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing, multi-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA), and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) analysis. These methods provided increasing resolution, respectively. The results of these analyses revealed that, in 2007, ten molecular groups, two newly described here and eight previously identified, were responsible for causing human plague in geographically distinct areas of Madagascar. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Plague in Madagascar is caused by numerous distinct types of Y. pestis. Genotyping method choice should be based upon the discriminatory power needed, expense, and available data for any desired comparisons. We conclude that genotyping should be a standard tool used in epidemiological investigations of plague outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M. Riehm
- Central Institute of the Bundeswehr Medical Service, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Michaela Projahn
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology & German Center for Infectious Diseases, Munich, Germany
| | - Amy J. Vogler
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | | | - Genevieve Andersen
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Carina M. Hall
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Thomas Zimmermann
- Central Institute of the Bundeswehr Medical Service, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Roxanne Nottingham
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Paul Keim
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
- Translational Genomics Research Institute North, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - David M. Wagner
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Holger C. Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology & German Center for Infectious Diseases, Munich, Germany
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28
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Wagner
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Paul S Keim
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | | | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hendrik Poinar
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada.
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29
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Scholz HC, Pearson T, Hornstra H, Projahn M, Terzioglu R, Wernery R, Georgi E, Riehm JM, Wagner DM, Keim PS, Joseph M, Johnson B, Kinne J, Jose S, Hepp CM, Witte A, Wernery U. Genotyping of Burkholderia mallei from an outbreak of glanders in Bahrain suggests multiple introduction events. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e3195. [PMID: 25255232 PMCID: PMC4177748 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Glanders, caused by the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia mallei, is a highly infectious zoonotic disease of solipeds causing severe disease in animals and men. Although eradicated from many Western countries, it recently emerged in Asia, the Middle-East, Africa, and South America. Due to its rareness, little is known about outbreak dynamics of the disease and its epidemiology. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated a recent outbreak of glanders in Bahrain by applying high resolution genotyping (multiple locus variable number of tandem repeats, MLVA) and comparative whole genome sequencing to B. mallei isolated from infected horses and a camel. These results were compared to samples obtained from an outbreak in the United Arab Emirates in 2004, and further placed into a broader phylogeographic context based on previously published B. mallei data. The samples from the outbreak in Bahrain separated into two distinct clusters, suggesting a complex epidemiological background and evidence for the involvement of multiple B. mallei strains. Additionally, the samples from Bahrain were more closely related to B. mallei isolated from horses in the United Arab Emirates in 2004 than other B. mallei which is suggestive of repeated importation to the region from similar geographic sources. Conclusion/Significance High-resolution genotyping and comparative whole genome analysis revealed the same phylogenetic patterns among our samples. The close relationship of the Dubai/UAE B. mallei populations to each other may be indicative of a similar geographic origin that has yet to be identified for the infecting strains. The recent emergence of glanders in combination with worldwide horse trading might pose a new risk for human infections. Glanders is a disease of antiquity, recognized as a malady of equines by Hippocrates and Aristotle. The causative agent, Burkholderia mallei, is currently feared as a potential biological weapon and has been used as such in the American Civil War and both World Wars to cripple equine military components. In the more economically developed countries, glanders has been eradicated through large scale culling. As a result, our understanding of transmission dynamics and networks is limited. However, regions of endemicity still exist in Asia, the Middle-East, Africa, and South America where it infects solipeds and camels. These areas provide reservoirs for re-introduction of glanders into countries previously listed as glanders-free. Here, we demonstrate the utility of high-resolution genotyping and whole genome sequence analysis in the investigation of a recent outbreak of glanders in horses and camels in Bahrain, a previously declared glanders-free country. Our analyses demonstrate that not one, but two strains likely caused this outbreak, and that these strains probably came from a similar geographic region via importation of infected animals. Even with careful monitoring, the global trade of animals from glanders-endemic regions can re-introduce and possibly re-establish this disease in animal populations of countries that have previously eradicated it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger C. Scholz
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
- * E-mail: ;
| | - Talima Pearson
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Heidie Hornstra
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Michaela Projahn
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - Rahime Terzioglu
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - Renate Wernery
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Enrico Georgi
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - Julia M. Riehm
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - David M. Wagner
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Paul S. Keim
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Marina Joseph
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bobby Johnson
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Joerg Kinne
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shanti Jose
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Crystal M. Hepp
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Angela Witte
- Department of Microbiology, Immunbiology and Genetics, MFPL laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Wernery
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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30
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Whatmore AM, Davison N, Cloeckaert A, Al Dahouk S, Zygmunt MS, Brew SD, Perrett LL, Koylass MS, Vergnaud G, Quance C, Scholz HC, Dick EJ, Hubbard G, Schlabritz-Loutsevitch NE. Brucella papionis sp. nov., isolated from baboons (Papio spp.). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2014; 64:4120-4128. [PMID: 25242540 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.065482-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Two Gram-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming coccoid bacteria (strains F8/08-60(T) and F8/08-61) isolated from clinical specimens obtained from baboons (Papio spp.) that had delivered stillborn offspring were subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, both strains, which possessed identical sequences, were assigned to the genus Brucella. This placement was confirmed by extended multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA), where both strains possessed identical sequences, and whole-genome sequencing of a representative isolate. All of the above analyses suggested that the two strains represent a novel lineage within the genus Brucella. The strains also possessed a unique profile when subjected to the phenotyping approach classically used to separate species of the genus Brucella, reacting only with Brucella A monospecific antiserum, being sensitive to the dyes thionin and fuchsin, being lysed by bacteriophage Wb, Bk2 and Fi phage at routine test dilution (RTD) but only partially sensitive to bacteriophage Tb, and with no requirement for CO2 and no production of H2S but strong urease activity. Biochemical profiling revealed a pattern of enzyme activity and metabolic capabilities distinct from existing species of the genus Brucella. Molecular analysis of the omp2 locus genes showed that both strains had a novel combination of two highly similar omp2b gene copies. The two strains shared a unique fingerprint profile of the multiple-copy Brucella-specific element IS711. Like MLSA, a multilocus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) showed that the isolates clustered together very closely, but represent a distinct group within the genus Brucella. Isolates F8/08-60(T) and F8/08-61 could be distinguished clearly from all known species of the genus Brucella and their biovars by both phenotypic and molecular properties. Therefore, by applying the species concept for the genus Brucella suggested by the ICSP Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Brucella, they represent a novel species within the genus Brucella, for which the name Brucella papionis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain F8/08-60(T) ( = NCTC 13660(T) = CIRMBP 0958(T)).
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian M Whatmore
- OIE/WHO/FAO Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Nicholas Davison
- Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Polwhele, Truro TR4 9AD, UK
| | - Axel Cloeckaert
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, UMR1282 Infectiologie et Santé Publique, F-37000 Tours, France.,INRA, UMR1282 Infectiologie et Santé Publique, F-37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Sascha Al Dahouk
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Diedersdorfer Weg 1, D-12277 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michel S Zygmunt
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, UMR1282 Infectiologie et Santé Publique, F-37000 Tours, France.,INRA, UMR1282 Infectiologie et Santé Publique, F-37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Simon D Brew
- OIE/WHO/FAO Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Lorraine L Perrett
- OIE/WHO/FAO Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Mark S Koylass
- OIE/WHO/FAO Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Gilles Vergnaud
- DGA/MRIS - Mission pour la Recherche et l'Innovation Scientifique, F-92221 Bagneux, France.,CNRS, F-91405 Orsay, France.,Université Paris-Sud, Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, UMR 8621, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Christine Quance
- Mycobacteria and Brucella Section, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, USDA-APHIS, Ames, 1920 Dayton Ave, Ames, IA 50010, USA
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, D-80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Edward J Dick
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Gene Hubbard
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Wagner DM, Klunk J, Harbeck M, Devault A, Waglechner N, Sahl JW, Enk J, Birdsell DN, Kuch M, Lumibao C, Poinar D, Pearson T, Fourment M, Golding B, Riehm JM, Earn DJD, Dewitte S, Rouillard JM, Grupe G, Wiechmann I, Bliska JB, Keim PS, Scholz HC, Holmes EC, Poinar H. Yersinia pestis and the plague of Justinian 541-543 AD: a genomic analysis. Lancet Infect Dis 2014; 14:319-26. [PMID: 24480148 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(13)70323-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Yersinia pestis has caused at least three human plague pandemics. The second (Black Death, 14-17th centuries) and third (19-20th centuries) have been genetically characterised, but there is only a limited understanding of the first pandemic, the Plague of Justinian (6-8th centuries). To address this gap, we sequenced and analysed draft genomes of Y pestis obtained from two individuals who died in the first pandemic. METHODS Teeth were removed from two individuals (known as A120 and A76) from the early medieval Aschheim-Bajuwarenring cemetery (Aschheim, Bavaria, Germany). We isolated DNA from the teeth using a modified phenol-chloroform method. We screened DNA extracts for the presence of the Y pestis-specific pla gene on the pPCP1 plasmid using primers and standards from an established assay, enriched the DNA, and then sequenced it. We reconstructed draft genomes of the infectious Y pestis strains, compared them with a database of genomes from 131 Y pestis strains from the second and third pandemics, and constructed a maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree. FINDINGS Radiocarbon dating of both individuals (A120 to 533 AD [plus or minus 98 years]; A76 to 504 AD [plus or minus 61 years]) places them in the timeframe of the first pandemic. Our phylogeny contains a novel branch (100% bootstrap at all relevant nodes) leading to the two Justinian samples. This branch has no known contemporary representatives, and thus is either extinct or unsampled in wild rodent reservoirs. The Justinian branch is interleaved between two extant groups, 0.ANT1 and 0.ANT2, and is distant from strains associated with the second and third pandemics. INTERPRETATION We conclude that the Y pestis lineages that caused the Plague of Justinian and the Black Death 800 years later were independent emergences from rodents into human beings. These results show that rodent species worldwide represent important reservoirs for the repeated emergence of diverse lineages of Y pestis into human populations. FUNDING McMaster University, Northern Arizona University, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Canada Research Chairs Program, US Department of Homeland Security, US National Institutes of Health, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Wagner
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Jennifer Klunk
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Michaela Harbeck
- State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Munich, Germany
| | - Alison Devault
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Nicholas Waglechner
- Michael G DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jason W Sahl
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA; Translational Genomics Research Institute, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Jacob Enk
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Dawn N Birdsell
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Melanie Kuch
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Candice Lumibao
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Debi Poinar
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Talima Pearson
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Mathieu Fourment
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Brian Golding
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Julia M Riehm
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - David J D Earn
- Michael G DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Sharon Dewitte
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Jean-Marie Rouillard
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Mycroarray, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gisela Grupe
- State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Munich, Germany; Department Biology I, Biodiversity Research/Anthropology, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ingrid Wiechmann
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - James B Bliska
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Paul S Keim
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA; Translational Genomics Research Institute, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | | | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hendrik Poinar
- McMaster Ancient DNA Centre, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Michael G DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Seifert L, Harbeck M, Thomas A, Hoke N, Zöller L, Wiechmann I, Grupe G, Scholz HC, Riehm JM. Strategy for sensitive and specific detection of Yersinia pestis in skeletons of the black death pandemic. PLoS One 2013; 8:e75742. [PMID: 24069445 PMCID: PMC3775804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis has been identified as the causative agent of the Black Death pandemic in the 14(th) century. However, retrospective diagnostics in human skeletons after more than 600 years are critical. We describe a strategy following a modern diagnostic algorithm and working under strict ancient DNA regime for the identification of medieval human plague victims. An initial screening and DNA quantification assay detected the Y. pestis specific pla gene of the high copy number plasmid pPCP1. Results were confirmed by conventional PCR and sequence analysis targeting both Y. pestis specific virulence plasmids pPCP1 and pMT1. All assays were meticulously validated according to human clinical diagnostics requirements (ISO 15189) regarding efficiency, sensitivity, specificity, and limit of detection (LOD). Assay specificity was 100% tested on 41 clinically relevant bacteria and 29 Y. pseudotuberculosis strains as well as for DNA of 22 Y. pestis strains and 30 previously confirmed clinical human plague samples. The optimized LOD was down to 4 gene copies. 29 individuals from three different multiple inhumations were initially assessed as possible victims of the Black Death pandemic. 7 samples (24%) were positive in the pPCP1 specific screening assay. Confirmation through second target pMT1 specific PCR was successful for 4 of the positive individuals (14%). A maximum of 700 and 560 copies per µl aDNA were quantified in two of the samples. Those were positive in all assays including all repetitions, and are candidates for future continuative investigations such as whole genome sequencing. We discuss that all precautions taken here for the work with aDNA are sufficient to prevent external sample contamination and fulfill the criteria of authenticity. With regard to retrospective diagnostics of a human pathogen and the uniqueness of ancient material we strongly recommend using a careful strategy and validated assays as presented in our study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Seifert
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Department Biology I, Biodiversity research/Anthropology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Michaela Harbeck
- State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Munich, Germany
| | - Astrid Thomas
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Nadja Hoke
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Department Biology I, Biodiversity research/Anthropology, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Lothar Zöller
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Ingrid Wiechmann
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Gisela Grupe
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Department Biology I, Biodiversity research/Anthropology, Martinsried, Germany
- State Collection for Anthropology and Palaeoanatomy, Munich, Germany
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Abstract
The genus Brucella (Mayer and Shaw, 1920) currently consists often species with validly published names. Within most species further differentiation into biovars exists. Genetically, all Brucella species are highly related to each other, exhibiting sequence similarity values of 98% to 100% in aligned regions (core genome). The population structure is clonal. Despite this close genetic relatedness, the various species can be clearly distinguished from each other by application of high-resolution molecular typing tools, in addition to assessment of phenotype and host preference. Accurate species delineation can be achieved by conventional multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) or multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA). The last is also suitable for phylogenetic reconstructions, owing to the highly clonal evolution of the different species. Highly discriminatory multilocus variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) allows both species delineation and differentiation of individual isolates and thus represents a perfect first-line toolfor molecular epidemiological studies within outbreak investigations. More recently,whole genome sequencing (WGS)and the resulting global genome-wide SNP analysis have become available. These novel approaches should help in further understanding the evolution, host specificity and pathogenicity of the genus Brucella.
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Affiliation(s)
- H C Scholz
- Department of Bacteriology and Toxinology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, D-80937 Munich, Germany.
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Qu PH, Chen SY, Scholz HC, Busse HJ, Gu Q, Kämpfer P, Foster JT, Glaeser SP, Chen C, Yang ZC. Francisella guangzhouensis sp. nov., isolated from air-conditioning systems. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2013; 63:3628-3635. [PMID: 23606480 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.049916-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Four strains (08HL01032(T), 09HG994, 10HP82-6 and 10HL1960) were isolated from water of air-conditioning systems of various cooling towers in Guangzhou city, China. Cells were Gram-stain-negative coccobacilli without flagella, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative, showing no reduction of nitrate, no hydrolysis of urea and no production of H2S. Growth was characteristically enhanced in the presence of l-cysteine, which was consistent with the properties of members of the genus Francisella. The quinone system was composed of ubiquinone Q-8 with minor amounts of Q-9. The polar lipid profile consisted of the predominant lipids phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, two unidentified phospholipids (PL2, PL3), an unidentified aminophospholipid and an unidentified glycolipid (GL2). The polyamine pattern consisted of the major compounds spermidine, cadaverine and spermine. The major cellular fatty acids were C10 : 0, C14 : 0, C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω9c and C18 : 1 3-OH. A draft whole-genome sequence of the proposed type strain 08HL01032(T) was generated. Comparative sequence analysis of the complete 16S and 23S rRNA genes confirmed affiliation to the genus Francisella, with 95 % sequence identity to the closest relatives in the database, the type strains of Francisella philomiragia and Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis. Full-length deduced amino acid sequences of various housekeeping genes, recA, gyrB, groEL, dnaK, rpoA, rpoB, rpoD, rpoH, fopA and sdhA, exhibited similarities of 67-92 % to strains of other species of the genus Francisella. Strains 08HL01032(T), 09HG994, 10HP82-6 and 10HL1960 exhibited highly similar pan-genome PCR profiles. Both the phenotypic and molecular data support the conclusion that the four strains belong to the genus Francisella but exhibit considerable divergence from all recognized Francisella species. Therefore, we propose the name Francisella guangzhouensis sp. nov., with the type strain 08HL01032(T) ( = CCUG 60119(T) = NCTC 13503(T)).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping-Hua Qu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Shou-Yi Chen
- Department of Microbiological Laboratory, Guangzhou Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, No. 23, 3rd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, D-80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Hans-Jürgen Busse
- Institut für Bakteriologie, Mykologie und Hygiene, Veterinärmedizinische Universität, A-1210 Wien, Austria
| | - Quan Gu
- Department of Microbiological Laboratory, Guangzhou Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, No. 23, 3rd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
| | - Peter Kämpfer
- Institute for Applied Microbiology, Justus-Liebig-Universitat Giessen, IFZ, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jeffrey T Foster
- Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-4073, USA
| | - Stefanie P Glaeser
- Institute for Applied Microbiology, Justus-Liebig-Universitat Giessen, IFZ, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Cha Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, PR China
| | - Zhi-Chong Yang
- Department of Microbiological Laboratory, Guangzhou Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, No. 23, 3rd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou 510080, PR China
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Scholz HC, Margos G, Derschum H, Speck S, Tserennorov D, Erdenebat N, Undraa B, Enkhtuja M, Battsetseg J, Otgonchimeg C, Otgonsuren G, Nymadulam B, Römer A, Thomas A, Essbauer S, Wölfel R, Kiefer D, Zöller L, Otgonbaatar D, Fingerle V. High prevalence of genetically diverse Borrelia bavariensis-like strains in Ixodes persulcatus from Selenge Aimag, Mongolia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2013; 4:89-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2011] [Revised: 08/07/2012] [Accepted: 08/21/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Karger A, Stock R, Ziller M, Elschner MC, Bettin B, Melzer F, Maier T, Kostrzewa M, Scholz HC, Neubauer H, Tomaso H. Rapid identification of Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei by intact cell Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation mass spectrometric typing. BMC Microbiol 2012; 12:229. [PMID: 23046611 PMCID: PMC3534143 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Burkholderia (B.) pseudomallei and B. mallei are genetically closely related species. B. pseudomallei causes melioidosis in humans and animals, whereas B. mallei is the causative agent of glanders in equines and rarely also in humans. Both agents have been classified by the CDC as priority category B biological agents. Rapid identification is crucial, because both agents are intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has the potential of rapid and reliable identification of pathogens, but is limited by the availability of a database containing validated reference spectra. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of MALDI-TOF MS for the rapid and reliable identification and differentiation of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei and to build up a reliable reference database for both organisms. Results A collection of ten B. pseudomallei and seventeen B. mallei strains was used to generate a library of reference spectra. Samples of both species could be identified by MALDI-TOF MS, if a dedicated subset of the reference spectra library was used. In comparison with samples representing B. mallei, higher genetic diversity among B. pseudomallei was reflected in the higher average Eucledian distances between the mass spectra and a broader range of identification score values obtained with commercial software for the identification of microorganisms. The type strain of B. pseudomallei (ATCC 23343) was isolated decades ago and is outstanding in the spectrum-based dendrograms probably due to massive methylations as indicated by two intensive series of mass increments of 14 Da specifically and reproducibly found in the spectra of this strain. Conclusions Handling of pathogens under BSL 3 conditions is dangerous and cumbersome but can be minimized by inactivation of bacteria with ethanol, subsequent protein extraction under BSL 1 conditions and MALDI-TOF MS analysis being faster than nucleic amplification methods. Our spectra demonstrated a higher homogeneity in B. mallei than in B. pseudomallei isolates. As expected for closely related species, the identification process with MALDI Biotyper software (Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany) requires the careful selection of spectra from reference strains. When a dedicated reference set is used and spectra of high quality are acquired, it is possible to distinguish both species unambiguously. The need for a careful curation of reference spectra databases is stressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Karger
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Molecular Biology, Südufer 10, Greifswald-Insel Riems D-17493, Germany
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Georgi E, Schacht E, Scholz HC, Splettstoesser WD. Standardized broth microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica strains from Europe and rare Francisella species. J Antimicrob Chemother 2012; 67:2429-33. [PMID: 22763567 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dks238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Tularaemia is a widespread zoonosis in Europe caused by Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica. Because of a lack of standardized CLSI-approved antibiotic susceptibility data from European Francisella strains, the antibiotic susceptibilities of a selection of F. tularensis subsp. holarctica isolates originating from Germany, Austria, France, Spain and other European countries were determined. Rarely isolated species and subspecies of Francisella such as Francisella philomiragia, F. tularensis subsp. novicida and F. tularensis subsp. mediasiatica as well as the type strain of Francisella hispaniensis were included in this study. METHODS MIC data were obtained using cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth with a 2% growth supplement. The broth microdilution testing system comprised 14 antibiotics, including gentamicin, streptomycin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. RESULTS All of the 91 strains tested were susceptible to aminoglycosides, quinolones, tetracycline and chloramphenicol. The antimicrobial susceptibility of rare Francisellae was similar to the antibiotic profile of F. tularensis subsp. holarctica strains. For erythromycin, we detected two geographically distinct groups of F. tularensis subsp. holarctica isolates in western Europe. One group was resistant and the other one was susceptible. Both groups overlapped in a small region in Germany. CONCLUSIONS Being performed in accordance with CLSI criteria, this study provides reliable data on antibiotic susceptibility patterns of European Francisella isolates. The standardized methodology of this study can be used for testing of suspicious colonies from clinical specimens for therapeutic guidance. Based on the results, aminoglycosides or quinolones are recommended as first-choice antibiotics for the therapy of F. hispaniensis, F. philomiragia or F. tularensis subsp. novicida infections in immunocompromised patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Georgi
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, D-80937 Munich, Germany.
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Riehm JM, Vergnaud G, Kiefer D, Damdindorj T, Dashdavaa O, Khurelsukh T, Zöller L, Wölfel R, Le Flèche P, Scholz HC. Yersinia pestis lineages in Mongolia. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30624. [PMID: 22363455 PMCID: PMC3281858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2011] [Accepted: 12/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Whole genome sequencing allowed the development of a number of high resolution sequence based typing tools for Yersinia (Y.) pestis. The application of these methods on isolates from most known foci worldwide and in particular from China and the Former Soviet Union has dramatically improved our understanding of the population structure of this species. In the current view, Y. pestis including the non or moderate human pathogen Y. pestis subspecies microtus emerged from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis about 2,600 to 28,600 years ago in central Asia. The majority of central Asia natural foci have been investigated. However these investigations included only few strains from Mongolia. Methodology/Principal Findings Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Prokaryotic Repeats (CRISPR) analysis and Multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) with 25 loci was performed on 100 Y. pestis strains, isolated from 37 sampling areas in Mongolia. The resulting data were compared with previously published data from more than 500 plague strains, 130 of which had also been previously genotyped by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. The comparison revealed six main clusters including the three microtus biovars Ulegeica, Altaica, and Xilingolensis. The largest cluster comprises 78 isolates, with unique and new genotypes seen so far in Mongolia only. Typing of selected isolates by key SNPs was used to robustly assign the corresponding clusters to previously defined SNP branches. Conclusions/Significance We show that Mongolia hosts the most recent microtus clade (Ulegeica). Interestingly no representatives of the ancestral Y. pestis subspecies pestis nodes previously identified in North-western China were identified in this study. This observation suggests that the subsequent evolution steps within Y. pestis pestis did not occur in Mongolia. Rather, Mongolia was most likely re-colonized by more recent clades coming back from China contemporary of the black death pandemic, or more recently in the past 600 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Riehm
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany.
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Hofer E, Revilla-Fernández S, Al Dahouk S, Riehm JM, Nöckler K, Zygmunt MS, Cloeckaert A, Tomaso H, Scholz HC. A potential novel Brucella species isolated from mandibular lymph nodes of red foxes in Austria. Vet Microbiol 2012; 155:93-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2011] [Revised: 08/05/2011] [Accepted: 08/09/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Wernery U, Wernery R, Joseph M, Al-Salloom F, Johnson B, Kinne J, Jose S, Jose S, Tappendorf B, Hornstra H, Scholz HC. Natural Burkholderia mallei infection in Dromedary, Bahrain. Emerg Infect Dis 2012; 17:1277-9. [PMID: 21762586 PMCID: PMC3381376 DOI: 10.3201/eid1707.110222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We confirm a natural infection of dromedaries with glanders. Multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis of a Burkholderia mallei strain isolated from a diseased dromedary in Bahrain revealed close genetic proximity to strain Dubai 7, which caused an outbreak of glanders in horses in the United Arab Emirates in 2004.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Wernery
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Kiefer D, Dalantai G, Damdindorj T, Riehm JM, Tomaso H, Zöller L, Dashdavaa O, Pfister K, Scholz HC. Phenotypical characterization of Mongolian Yersinia pestis strains. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2011; 12:183-8. [PMID: 22022819 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Although Mongolia is regarded as one of the possible places of plague radiation, only few data are available from Mongolian Yersinia pestis strains. In this study a total of 100 Mongolian Y. pestis strains isolated from wild mammals and their parasites between the years 1960 and 2007 were analyzed for their phenotype. All strains grew well on selective Cefsulodin-Irgasan-Novobiocin agar and were positive for the F1-antigen, the F1-gene (caf1), and the plasminogen activator gene (pla). Biochemical analyses using the API20E® system identified 93% of the strains correctly as Y. pestis. The BWY in-house system consisting of 38 biochemical reactions was used to differentiate among Y. pestis subspecies pestis biovars Antiqua and Medievalis and also between the subspecies microtus biovars Ulegeica and Caucasica. Antibiotic susceptibility testing according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute-guidelines identified one strain as being multiresistant. This strain was isolated from a wildlife rodent with no anthropogenic influence and thus suggests naturally acquired resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kiefer
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany.
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Godfroid J, Scholz HC, Barbier T, Nicolas C, Wattiau P, Fretin D, Whatmore AM, Cloeckaert A, Blasco JM, Moriyon I, Saegerman C, Muma JB, Al Dahouk S, Neubauer H, Letesson JJ. Brucellosis at the animal/ecosystem/human interface at the beginning of the 21st century. Prev Vet Med 2011; 102:118-31. [PMID: 21571380 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2011.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Following the recent discovery of new Brucella strains from different animal species and from the environment, ten Brucella species are nowadays included in the genus Brucella. Although the intracellular trafficking of Brucella is well described, the strategies developed by Brucella to survive and multiply in phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells, particularly to access nutriments during its intracellular journey, are still largely unknown. Metabolism and virulence of Brucella are now considered to be two sides of the same coin. Mechanisms presiding to the colonization of the pregnant uterus in different animal species are not known. Vaccination is the cornerstone of control programs in livestock and although the S19, RB51 (both in cattle) and Rev 1 (in sheep and goats) vaccines have been successfully used worldwide, they have drawbacks and thus the ideal brucellosis vaccine is still very much awaited. There is no vaccine available for pigs and wildlife. Animal brucellosis control strategies differ in the developed and the developing world. Most emphasis is put on eradication and on risk analysis to avoid the re-introduction of Brucella in the developed world. Information related to the prevalence of brucellosis is still scarce in the developing world and control programs are rarely implemented. Since there is no vaccine available for humans, prevention of human brucellosis relies on its control in the animal reservoir. Brucella is also considered to be an agent to be used in bio- and agroterrorism attacks. At the animal/ecosystem/human interface it is critical to reduce opportunities for Brucella to jump host species as already seen in livestock, wildlife and humans. This task is a challenge for the future in terms of veterinary public health, as for wildlife and ecosystem managers and will need a "One Health" approach to be successful.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Godfroid
- Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Tromsø, Norway.
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Riehm JM, Rahalison L, Scholz HC, Thoma B, Pfeffer M, Razanakoto LM, Al Dahouk S, Neubauer H, Tomaso H. Detection of Yersinia pestis using real-time PCR in patients with suspected bubonic plague. Mol Cell Probes 2011; 25:8-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2010.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2010] [Revised: 09/28/2010] [Accepted: 09/29/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Elschner MC, Scholz HC, Melzer F, Saqib M, Marten P, Rassbach A, Dietzsch M, Schmoock G, de Assis Santana VL, de Souza MMA, Wernery R, Wernery U, Neubauer H. Use of a Western blot technique for the serodiagnosis of glanders. BMC Vet Res 2011; 7:4. [PMID: 21247488 PMCID: PMC3034690 DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-7-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2010] [Accepted: 01/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The in vivo diagnosis of glanders relies on the highly sensitive complement fixation test (CFT). Frequently observed false positive results are troublesome for veterinary authorities and cause financial losses to animal owners. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop a test with high specificity. Hence, a Western blot assay making use of a partly purified lipopolysaccaride (LPS) containing antigen of three Burkholderia mallei strains was developed. The test was validated investigating a comprehensive set of positive and negative sera obtained from horses and mules from endemic and non endemic areas. Results The developed Western blot assay showed a markedly higher diagnostic specificity when compared to the prescribed CFT and therefore can be used as a confirmatory test. However, the CFT remains the test of choice for routine testing of glanders due to its high sensitivity, its feasibility using standard laboratory equipment and its worldwide distribution in diagnostic laboratories. Conclusions The CFT should be amended by the newly validated Western blot to increase the positive likelihood ratio of glanders serodiagnosis in non endemic areas or areas with low glanders prevalence. Its use for international trade of horses and mules should be implemented by the OIE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy C Elschner
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Naumburger Strasse 96a, 07743 Jena, Germany.
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Al Dahouk S, Scholz HC, Tomaso H, Bahn P, Göllner C, Karges W, Appel B, Hensel A, Neubauer H, Nöckler K. Differential phenotyping of Brucella species using a newly developed semi-automated metabolic system. BMC Microbiol 2010; 10:269. [PMID: 20969797 PMCID: PMC2984481 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-10-269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2010] [Accepted: 10/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A commercial biotyping system (Taxa Profile™, Merlin Diagnostika) testing the metabolization of various substrates by bacteria was used to determine if a set of phenotypic features will allow the identification of members of the genus Brucella and their differentiation into species and biovars. RESULTS A total of 191 different amines, amides, amino acids, other organic acids and heterocyclic and aromatic substrates (Taxa Profile™ A), 191 different mono-, di-, tri- and polysaccharides and sugar derivates (Taxa Profile™ C) and 95 amino peptidase- and protease-reactions, 76 glycosidase-, phosphatase- and other esterase-reactions, and 17 classic reactions (Taxa Profile™ E) were tested with the 23 reference strains representing the currently known species and biovars of Brucella and a collection of 60 field isolates. Based on specific and stable reactions a 96-well "Brucella identification and typing" plate (Micronaut™) was designed and re-tested in 113 Brucella isolates and a couple of closely related bacteria.Brucella species and biovars revealed characteristic metabolic profiles and each strain showed an individual pattern. Due to their typical metabolic profiles a differentiation of Brucella isolates to the species level could be achieved. The separation of B. canis from B. suis bv 3, however, failed. At the biovar level, B. abortus bv 4, 5, 7 and B. suis bv 1-5 could be discriminated with a specificity of 100%. B. melitensis isolates clustered in a very homogenous group and could not be resolved according to their assigned biovars. CONCLUSIONS The comprehensive testing of metabolic activity allows cluster analysis within the genus Brucella. The biotyping system developed for the identification of Brucella and differentiation of its species and biovars may replace or at least complement time-consuming tube testing especially in case of atypical strains. An easy to handle identification software facilitates the applicability of the Micronaut™ system for microbiology laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Al Dahouk
- Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Diedersdorfer Weg 1, D-12277 Berlin, Germany.
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Kämpfer P, Huber B, Busse HJ, Scholz HC, Tomaso H, Hotzel H, Melzer F. Ochrobactrum pecoris sp. nov., isolated from farm animals. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2010; 61:2278-2283. [PMID: 20952542 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.027631-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Two Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming strains, designated 08RB2639(T) and 08RB2781-1, were isolated from a sheep (Ovis aries) and a domestic boar (Sus scrofa domestica), respectively. By 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the isolates revealed identical sequences and were shown to belong to the Alphaproteobacteria. They exhibited 97.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Ochrobactrum rhizosphaerae PR17(T), O. pituitosum CCUG 50899(T), O. tritici SCII24(T) and O. haematophilum CCUG 38531(T) and 97.4 % sequence similarity with O. cytisi ESC1(T), O. anthropi LMG 3331(T) and O. lupini LUP21(T). The recA gene sequences of the two isolates showed only minor differences (99.5 % recA sequence similarity), and strain 08RB2639(T) exhibited the highest recA sequence similarity with Ochrobactrum intermedium CCUG 24694(T) (91.3 %). The quinone system was ubiquinone Q-10, with minor amounts of Q-9 and Q-11, the major polyamines were spermidine, putrescine and sym-homospermidine and the major lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine, with moderate amounts of the Ochrobactrum-specific unidentified aminolipid AL2. The major fatty acids (>20 %) were C₁₈:₁ω7c and C₁₉:₀ cyclo ω8c. These traits were in excellent agreement with the assignment of the isolates to the genus Ochrobactrum. DNA-DNA relatedness and physiological and biochemical tests allowed genotypic and phenotypic differentiation from other members of the genus Ochrobactrum. Hence, it is concluded that the isolates represent a novel species, for which the name Ochrobactrum pecoris sp. nov. is proposed (type strain 08RB2639(T) = DSM 23868(T) = CCUG 60088(T) = CCM 7822(T)).
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kämpfer
- Institut für Angewandte Mikrobiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Bettina Huber
- Institut für Bakteriologie, Mykologie und Hygiene, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hans-Jürgen Busse
- Institut für Bakteriologie, Mykologie und Hygiene, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, D-80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Herbert Tomaso
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Helmut Hotzel
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Falk Melzer
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, D-07743 Jena, Germany
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Busse HJ, Huber B, Anda P, Escudero R, Scholz HC, Seibold E, Splettstoesser WD, Kämpfer P. Objections to the transfer of Francisella novicida to the subspecies rank of Francisella tularensis - response to Johansson et al. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2010; 60:1718-1720. [PMID: 20688749 DOI: 10.1099/00207713-60-8-1718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Jürgen Busse
- Institut für Bakteriologie, Mykologie und Hygiene, Veterinärmedizinische Universität, A-1210 Wien, Austria
| | - Birgit Huber
- Institut für Bakteriologie, Mykologie und Hygiene, Veterinärmedizinische Universität, A-1210 Wien, Austria
| | - Pedro Anda
- Laboratorio de Espiroquetas y Patógenos Especiales, Centro Nacional de Microbiología Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Escudero
- Laboratorio de Espiroquetas y Patógenos Especiales, Centro Nacional de Microbiología Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Reference Laboratory for Tularemia, Neuherbergstr. 11, D-80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Erik Seibold
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Reference Laboratory for Tularemia, Neuherbergstr. 11, D-80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Wolf D Splettstoesser
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, German Reference Laboratory for Tularemia, Neuherbergstr. 11, D-80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Kämpfer
- Institut für Angewandte Mikrobiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
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Tomaso H, Kattar M, Eickhoff M, Wernery U, Al Dahouk S, Straube E, Neubauer H, Scholz HC. Comparison of commercial DNA preparation kits for the detection of Brucellae in tissue using quantitative real-time PCR. BMC Infect Dis 2010; 10:100. [PMID: 20403208 PMCID: PMC2873554 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-10-100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2009] [Accepted: 04/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The detection of Brucellae in tissue specimens using PCR assays is difficult because the amount of bacteria is usually low. Therefore, optimised DNA extraction methods are critical. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of commercial kits for the extraction of Brucella DNA. Methods Five kits were evaluated using clinical specimens: QIAamp™ DNA Mini Kit (QIAGEN), peqGold™ Tissue DNA Mini Kit (PeqLab), UltraClean™ Tissue and Cells DNA Isolation Kit (MoBio), DNA Isolation Kit for Cells and Tissues (Roche), and NucleoSpin™ Tissue (Macherey-Nagel). DNA yield was determined using a quantitative real-time PCR assay targeting IS711 that included an internal amplification control. Results Kits of QIAGEN and Roche provided the highest amount of DNA, Macherey-Nagel and Peqlab products were intermediate whereas MoBio yielded the lowest amount of DNA. Differences were significant (p < 0.05) and of diagnostic relevance. Sample volume, elution volume, and processing time were also compared. Conclusions We observed differences in DNA yield as high as two orders of magnitude for some samples between the best and the worst DNA extraction kits and inhibition was observed occasionally. This indicates that DNA purification may be more relevant than expected when the amount of DNA in tissue is very low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herbert Tomaso
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Naumburgerstrasse 96a, 07743 Jena, Germany.
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Huber B, Scholz HC, Kämpfer P, Falsen E, Langer S, Busse HJ. Ochrobactrum pituitosum sp. nov., isolated from an industrial environment. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2010; 60:321-326. [DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.011668-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Strain CCUG 50899, a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, motile bacterium isolated from industrial environment in Sweden and tentatively assigned to the species Ochrobactrum anthropi, was studied in order to clarify its taxonomic status. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities placed the strain in the genus Ochrobactrum, sharing highest similarity with the type strains of Ochrobactrum rhizosphaerae (99.3 %), Ochrobactrum thiophenivorans (98.7 %), Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense (98.6 %) and Ochrobactrum grignonense (98.5 %). The fatty acid profile of [O. anthropi] CCUG 50899 (major fatty acids C18 : 1
ω7c and C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c and presence of C18 : 1 2-OH), the polar lipid profile (diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, two unknown aminolipids and an unknown phospholipid), the presence of the quinone system ubiquinone Q-10 and a polyamine pattern with the major compounds putrescine and spermidine and moderate amounts of sym-homospermidine supported its affiliation to the genus Ochrobactrum. DNA–DNA reassociation experiments with the type strains of its closest relatives O. rhizosphaerae, O. pseudogrignonense, O. thiophenivorans and O. grignonense demonstrated that [O. anthropi] CCUG 50899 should be placed in a novel species, which is distinguishable from related species by a set of biochemical traits. Based on these data, reclassification of [O. anthropi] CCUG 50899 as the type strain of a novel species appears to be justified. Hence, we describe a novel species to accommodate this strain, for which we propose the name Ochrobactrum pituitosum sp. nov. The type strain is CCUG 50899T (=DSM 22207T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Huber
- Institut für Bakteriologie, Mykologie und Hygiene, Veterinärmedizinische Universität, A-1210 Wien, Austria
| | - Holger C. Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology and Toxicology, D-80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Kämpfer
- Institut für Angewandte Mikrobiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Enevold Falsen
- CCUG – Culture Collection University of Göteborg, S-413 46 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Stefan Langer
- Institut für Bakteriologie, Mykologie und Hygiene, Veterinärmedizinische Universität, A-1210 Wien, Austria
| | - Hans-Jürgen Busse
- Institut für Bakteriologie, Mykologie und Hygiene, Veterinärmedizinische Universität, A-1210 Wien, Austria
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