Genome-wide expression analysis of iron regulation in Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei using DNA microarrays.
Burkholderia pseudomallei and B. mallei are the causative agents of melioidosis and glanders, respectively. As iron regulation of gene expression is common in bacteria, in the present studies, we have used microarray analysis to examine the effects of growth in different iron concentrations on the regulation of gene expression in B. pseudomallei and B. mallei. Gene expression profiles for these two bacterial species were similar under high and low iron growth conditions irrespective of growth phase. Growth in low iron led to reduced expression of genes encoding most respiratory metabolic systems and proteins of putative function, such as NADH-dehydrogenases, cytochrome oxidases, and ATP-synthases. In contrast, genes encoding siderophore-mediated iron transport, heme-hemin receptors, and a variety of metabolic enzymes for alternative metabolism were induced under low iron conditions. The overall gene expression profiles suggest that B. pseudomallei and B. mallei are able to adapt to the iron-restricted conditions in the host environment by up-regulating an iron-acquisition system and by using alternative metabolic pathways for energy production. The observations relative to the induction of specific metabolic enzymes during bacterial growth under low iron conditions warrants further experimentation.
Tuanyok
Apichai
A
Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary Health Sciences Centre, Alta., Canada.
Kim
H Stanley
HS
Nierman
William C
WC
Yu
Yan
Y
Dunbar
John
J
Moore
Richard A
RA
Baker
Patricia
P
Tom
Marina
M
Ling
Jessmi M L
JM
Woods
Donald E
DE
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D042726:Burkholderia mallei / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007501:Iron