PubMed · 14884658
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H BRANDIS, H P POHN. 1951-08-08. [Staining amebae].. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14884658/
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Francisella tularensis is able to survive and grow within macrophages, a trait that contributes to pathogenesis. Several genes have been identified that are important for intramacrophage survival, including mglA and iglC. F. tularensis is also able to survive within amoebae. It is shown here that F. tularensis mglA and iglC mutant strains are not only defective for survival and replication within the macrophage-like cell line J774, but also within Acanthamoebae castellanii. Moreover, these strains are highly attenuated for virulence in mice, suggesting that a common mechanism underlies intramacrophage and intraamoebae survival and virulence. A 2D gel analysis of cell extracts of wild-type and mglA mutant strains revealed that at least seven prominent proteins were at low levels in the mglA mutant, and one MglA-regulated protein was identified as the IglC protein. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated reduced transcription of iglC and several other known and suspected virulence genes in the mglA mutant. Thus, MglA regulates the transcription of virulence factors of F. tularensis that contribute to intramacrophage and intraamoebae survival.
When confronted by disparate environments, microbes routinely alter their physiology to tolerate or exploit local conditions. But some circumstances require more drastic remodelling of the bacterial cell, as sporulation by the Bacillus and Streptomyces species of soil bacteria vividly illustrates. Cellular differentiation is also crucial for pathogens, the challenge for which is to colonize one host, then be transmitted to the next. Using the Gram-negative Legionella pneumophila as a model intracellular pathogen, we describe how biogenesis of the replication vacuole is determined by the developmental state of the bacterium. Subsequently, when replicating bacteria have exhausted the nutrient supply, the pathogens couple their conversion to stationary phase physiology with expression of traits that promote transmission to a new host. The cellular differentiation of L. pneumophila is co-ordinated by a regulatory circuit that integrates several elements that are broadly conserved in the microbial world. The alarmone (p)ppGpp promotes transcription directed by the alternative sigma factors RpoS, FliA and, probably, RpoN, and also post-transcriptional control mediated by a two-component regulatory system, LetA/S (GacA/S), and an mRNA-binding protein, CsrA (RsmA). By applying knowledge of microbial differentiation in combination with tools to screen the complete genomes of pathogens, experiments can be designed to identify two distinct classes of virulence traits: factors that promote replication and those dedicated to transmission.
Free-living amoebae feed on bacteria, fungi, and algae. However, some microorganisms have evolved to become resistant to these protists. These amoeba-resistant microorganisms include established pathogens, such as Cryptococcus neoformans, Legionella spp., Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Mycobacterium avium, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Francisella tularensis, and emerging pathogens, such as Bosea spp., Simkania negevensis, Parachlamydia acanthamoebae, and Legionella-like amoebal pathogens. Some of these amoeba-resistant bacteria (ARB) are lytic for their amoebal host, while others are considered endosymbionts, since a stable host-parasite ratio is maintained. Free-living amoebae represent an important reservoir of ARB and may, while encysted, protect the internalized bacteria from chlorine and other biocides. Free-living amoebae may act as a Trojan horse, bringing hidden ARB within the human "Troy," and may produce vesicles filled with ARB, increasing their transmission potential. Free-living amoebae may also play a role in the selection of virulence traits and in adaptation to survival in macrophages. Thus, intra-amoebal growth was found to enhance virulence, and similar mechanisms seem to be implicated in the survival of ARB in response to both amoebae and macrophages. Moreover, free-living amoebae represent a useful tool for the culture of some intracellular bacteria and new bacterial species that might be potential emerging pathogens.