Intracellular survival and saprophytic growth of isolates from the Burkholderia cepacia complex in free-living amoebae.
Members of the taxonomically diverse Burkholderia cepacia complex have become a major health risk for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Although patient-to-patient transmission of B. cepacia strains has been well-documented, very little is known about possible vehicles of transmission and reservoirs for these micro-organisms. In this work, it is shown that strains of the B. cepacia complex can survive within different isolates of the genus Acanthamoeba. Trophozoites containing bacteria developed profuse cytoplasmic vacuolization. Vacuolization was not detected in trophozoites infected with live Escherichia coli or heat-killed B. cepacia, or by incubation of trophozoites with filter-sterilized culture supernatants, indicating that metabolically active intracellular bacteria are required for the formation of vacuoles. Experiments with two different B. cepacia strains and two different Acanthamoeba isolates revealed that bacteria display a low level of intracellular replication approximately 72-96 h following infection. In contrast, extracellular bacteria multiplied efficiently on by-products released by amoebae. The findings suggest that amoebae may be a reservoir for B. cepacia and possibly a vehicle for transmission of this opportunistic pathogen among CF patients.
Marolda
Cristina L
CL
Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Division of Clinical Microbiology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5C1.
Hauröder
Bärbel
B
Ernst-Rodenwaldt-lnstitut, Koblenz D-56065, Germany.
John
Michael A
MA
Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 4G5.|Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Division of Clinical Microbiology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5C1.
Michel
Rolf
R
Ernst-Rodenwaldt-lnstitut, Koblenz D-56065, Germany.
Valvano
Miguel A
MA
Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Division of Clinical Microbiology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5C1.
D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D019121:Burkholderia Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D016956:Burkholderia cepacia / Q000254:growth & development*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D013696:Temperature; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000382:microbiology