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Updated: Aug 24, 2025
Total Protein Extraction and 2-D Gel Electrophoresis Methods for Burkholderia Species
Published on: October 15, 2013
Pathogenicity and virulence of Burkholderia pseudomallei
Nicole M Bzdyl1, Clare L Moran1, Justine Bendo1
1The Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Abstract:
The soil saprophyte, Burkholderia pseudomallei, is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease endemic in South East Asia and northern Australia. Exposure to B. pseudomallei by either inhalation or inoculation can lead to severe disease. B. pseudomallei rapidly shifts from an environmental organism to an aggressive intracellular pathogen capable of rapidly spreading around the body. The expression of multiple virulence factors at every stage of intracellular infection allows for rapid progression of infection. Following invasion or phagocytosis, B. pseudomallei resists host-cell killing mechanisms in the phagosome, followed by escape using the type III secretion system. Several secreted virulence factors manipulate the host cell, while bacterial cells undergo a shift in energy metabolism allowing for overwhelming intracellular replication. Polymerisation of host cell actin into "actin tails" propels B. pseudomallei to the membranes of host cells where the type VI secretion system fuses host cells into multinucleated giant cells (MNGCs) to facilitate cell-to-cell dissemination. This review describes the various mechanisms used by B. pseudomallei to survive within cells.
Insights
Burkholderia pseudomallei causes melioidosis, a severe disease in Southeast Asia and Australia. This bacterium rapidly adapts to become an intracellular pathogen, utilizing virulence factors to spread and survive within host cells.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pathogenesis
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Burkholderia pseudomallei is a soil saprophyte causing melioidosis, endemic in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia.
- Infection can occur through inhalation or inoculation, leading to severe disease.
- B. pseudomallei transitions from an environmental bacterium to an aggressive intracellular pathogen.
Approach:
- This review details the intracellular survival mechanisms of B. pseudomallei.
- It examines the role of virulence factors in intracellular infection stages.
- The review covers bacterial evasion of host defenses and replication strategies.
Key Points:
- B. pseudomallei invades host cells and resists phagosomal killing.
- Type III secretion system aids in phagosomal escape.
- Virulence factors manipulate host cells, altering metabolism for replication.
- Actin-based motility and type VI secretion system facilitate cell-to-cell spread via multinucleated giant cells (MNGCs).
Conclusions:
- B. pseudomallei employs sophisticated mechanisms to survive and disseminate within host cells.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for combating melioidosis.
- Further research into B. pseudomallei pathogenesis can inform therapeutic strategies.
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