Attenuated virulence and protective efficacy of a Burkholderia pseudomallei bsa type III secretion mutant in murine models of melioidosis.
Melioidosis is a severe infectious disease of animals and humans caused by the Gram-negative intracellular pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei. An Inv/Mxi-Spa-like type III protein secretion apparatus, encoded by the B. pseudomallei bsa locus, facilitates bacterial invasion of epithelial cells, escape from endocytic vesicles and intracellular survival. This study investigated the role of the Bsa type III secretion system in the pathogenesis of melioidosis in murine models. B. pseudomallei bipD mutants, lacking a component of the translocation apparatus, were found to be significantly attenuated following intraperitoneal or intranasal challenge of BALB/c mice. Furthermore, a bipD mutant was attenuated in C57BL/6 IL-12 p40(-/-) mice, which are highly susceptible to B. pseudomallei infection. Mutation of bipD impaired bacterial replication in the liver and spleen of BALB/c mice in the early stages of infection. B. pseudomallei mutants lacking either the type III secreted guanine nucleotide exchange factor BopE or the putative effectors BopA or BopB exhibited varying degrees of attenuation, with mutations in bopA and bopB causing a significant delay in median time to death. This indicates that bsa-encoded type III secreted proteins may act in concert to determine the outcome of B. pseudomallei infection in mice. Mice inoculated with the B. pseudomallei bipD mutant were partially protected against subsequent challenge with wild-type B. pseudomallei. However, immunization of mice with purified BipD protein was not protective.
Division of Microbiology, Institute for Animal Health, Compton Laboratory, Berkshire RG20 7NN, UK.
Mark P
MP
Stevens
Immunology Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Ashraful
A
Haque
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK.
Timothy
T
Atkins
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK.
Jim
J
Hill
Division of Microbiology, Institute for Animal Health, Compton Laboratory, Berkshire RG20 7NN, UK.
Michael W
MW
Wood
Immunology Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Anna
A
Easton
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK.
Michelle
M
Nelson
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK.
Cindy
C
Underwood-Fowler
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK.|Immunology Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Richard W
RW
Titball
Immunology Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
Gregory J
GJ
Bancroft
Division of Microbiology, Institute for Animal Health, Compton Laboratory, Berkshire RG20 7NN, UK.
Edouard E
EE
Galyov
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D007114:Immunization; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009154:Mutation; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial