Experimental Burkholderia pseudomallei infection of pigs

Experimental infection with Burkholderia pseudomallei was successfully produced after a single intravenous challenge of 2-month-old pigs with a dose of 5.0 x 10(9) bacterial cells. Clinical, paraclinical and morphological findings of the infectious process and post-infectious immunity were examined up to day 30 post infection (p.i.). A transient and short hyperthermia accompanied by enhanced and longer demonstrated pulse frequency. An increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and tachypnea were observed too after clinical examination. The infection starts with significant leucopenia, and a reduced number of alveolar and peritoneal macrophages which have been overcome in the latest intervals of infection. In contrast, the phagocytic activity of leucocytes was statistically increased during the course of infection and up to day 15 p.i. in the case of alveolar macrophages. Burkholderia pseudomallei was able to colonize the lungs during the whole experiment and was only present 3 days in the spleen and mesenterial lymph nodes (MLN). Significant antibody response was developed as early as day 7 p.i. Hyperaemia, haemorrhages and necrotic foci were found in the brain, liver spleen and MLN. Lung tissue was also hyperaemic, with formation of small abscesses and signs of catarrhal pneumonia. Data obtained in this study revealed that B. pseudomallei causes a chronic generalized infection in pigs, even after intravenous challenge.     

类鼻疽杆菌生态学研究

在实验室条件下，进行类疽杆菌在不同温度，ＰＨ，湿度及不同类型土壤和水中的存活试验，类鼻疽杆菌与水、土壤分离菌的干扰试验，结果表明，类鼻疽杆菌对温度，湿度，紫外线较为敏感，而其他外界条件因素对其影响较小，对营养要求较低，因此该菌有较强的环境适应性，在自然中只要满足其基本需求即为广泛，长期生存而形成自然疫源地。     

类鼻疽杆菌碳源利用的探讨

为探讨我国类鼻疽杆菌阿拉伯糖生物型问题，我们应用常规技术对该菌利用碳源的总体情况进行了分析。结果表明，类鼻疽杆菌利用葡萄糖的能力高于果糖，甘露糖和半乳糖（P＜0．05），而绝对不利用山梨糖和鼠李糖，该菌利用双糖中的α－乳糖，麦芽糖，纤维二的能务经较一致（P＞0．05），利用蔗糖的能力较低（P＜0．01），绝对不利用蕈糖和木密糖，几乎所有的类鼻疽杆菌可利用多糖中的糊精，部分菌株可利用淀粉，无菌株利用棉子糖和菊糖，类鼻疽杆菌绝对不利用醇类，如甘露醇，山梨醇，卫予醇，肌醇和糖苷如七叶苷，水杨苷等，但是可以利用所有的氨基酸，从以上的结果可以看出，类鼻疽杆菌似乎只具备α－1，4糖苷键和β－1，4－糖苷键酶，而不具备α－1，6糖苷键或少有α－1，2糖苷键酶。对戊糖的利用总体比较弱，在L－阿拉伯糖的利用中未发现我国菌株存在Ara^ 和Ara^-生物型现象（P＞0．05）。     

Experimental infection of normal and immunosuppressed pigs with Pseudomonas pseudomallei

A single dose of 5 x 10(8) bacilli of Pseudomonas pseudomallei by intratracheal injection resulted in acute (21 cases) or chronic (19 cases) melioidosis in 40 of 48 pigs. Fifteen (10 acute and 5 chronic) had been immunosuppressed by cyclophosphamide before inoculation. The major clinical signs were initial fever, marked neutrophilia and, in the acute cases, respiratory distress. There were no signs of the nasal and ocular discharge, paresis or diarrhoea seen in acute cases in south-east Asia. The cyclophosphamide treatment caused a significant decrease in the neutrophil count by 7 d after inoculation in all 15 immunosuppressed pigs, and all were culture positive at necropsy. Eight of the 33 non-treated pigs were culture negative at necropsy. Pigs overcoming the initial phase of infection had more abscess-like nodules that were bacteriologically sterile at necropsy than the pigs with acute cases of melioidosis. P. pseudomallei was isolated predominantly from the spleen, lungs and the injection site. Although only one strain was used in this study, it is likely that Australian strains of P. pseudomallei are not as virulent as the south-east Asian isolates.     

Isolation of Pseudomonas pseudomallei from soil using a paraffin-baiting technique

Laboratory work has shown that the human and animal pathogen Ps. pseudomallei can be isolated from soil by a paraffin-baiting technique.     

Antibody to Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin in sheep exposed to natural infection

Specific antibody to Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin was detected in sheep sera exposed to natural infection. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used. Serum antitoxin was present in 49.3% of sera obtained from a flock of sheep naturally exposed to P. pseudomallei infection. Among these sera, 17.0% gave titers of 10,000. In contrast, serum antitoxin was present in only 6.0% of sera collected from sheep kept on a melioidosis-free farm. The ELISA reactivity of all positive sera could be completely absorbed with purified P. pseudomallei exotoxin. Similarly, preincubation of the exotoxin-coated wells with specific antiserum inhibited the ELISA reactivity of sheep sera. The results indicate that exotoxin is produced in vivo during infection by P. pseudomallei.     

Clinical and pathological observations on goats experimentally infected with Pseudomonas pseudomallei

The effects in goats of the subcutaneous injection of varying doses of Pseudomonas pseudomallei (90 to 500,000 bacilli) suspended in normal saline are described. High doses (greater than or equal to 500 bacilli) caused acute, fatal infections. Lower doses (90 to 225 bacilli) caused acute or chronic disease when infection became established. However, 11 of 18 goats injected with the lower doses of bacilli showed no sign of infection on clinical or bacteriological examination. Response to antibiotic therapy with long acting tetracycline and chloramphenicol was minimal. Goats surviving the initial phase of infection tended to overcome the disease with a corresponding increase in the number of abscesses that were sterile at necropsy. In infected goats, clinical signs included undulating fever, wasting, anorexia, paresis of the hind legs, severe mastitis and abortion. At necropsy, abscesses were found predominantly in the spleen, lungs, subcutaneous injection site and its draining lymph node.     

补体损伤类鼻疽杆菌外膜的实验研究

分离获得的类鼻疽杆菌在抗血清和补体的作用下,进行了青霉素药敏试验和Ｌ型菌的形成试验。结果表明,类鼻疽杆菌虽然具有抵抗补体杀灭的特性,但补体激活所形成的膜攻击物可损伤类鼻疽杆菌的外膜,从而增强了其对青霉素的敏感性。从这一意义上讲,补体在抗类鼻疽杆菌感染的机制中已完成了杀菌的第一步。     

Clear distinction between Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei using fluorescent motB primers

Background

A frame-shift mutation in the flagellum motor gene motB coding for the chemotaxis MotB protein of Burkholderia mallei has been utilized to design a conventional duplex PCR assay with fluorescent labelled primers.

Findings

Species specificity was tested with a panel of 13 Burkholderia type strains. A total of 41 B. mallei field strains, 36 B. pseudomallei field strains, and 1 B. thailandensis field strain from different geographic regions were tested and correctly identified. Testing of 55 non-Burkholderia bacterial species revealed 100% specificity of the assay. The minimum detection limit was 1 pg DNA or 160 GE for B. mallei and 130 GE for B. pseudomallei, respectively.

Conclusions

This assay enables the clear distinction between B. mallei and B. pseudomallei/B. thailandensis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13028-015-0104-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

人多形核白细胞杀灭类鼻疽杆菌的电镜观察

将类鼻疽杆菌纯培养物加入入脱纤血液中，置37℃水浴中模仿菌血症条件，分离含菌多形核白细胞（PMN）并进行电镜观察，结果表明，细菌吞入期其形态完整，吞噬全和菌体大小一致，随着杀灭功能的进行，天噬体变得很大，其内的细菌呈松散状，形态结构发生很大改变，可杀灭作用的后期，于吞噬全内仅见残留的细菌碎片，由此说明，健康入PMN非但不是类鼻疽杆菌潜藏的场所，而且能将其杀灭。     

Cloning,Prokaryotic Expression and Bioinformatics Analysis of BPSS0180 Gene of Burkholderia pseudomallei

This study was aimed to clone and express the BPSS0180 gene of Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallea), and perform bioinformatics analysis of its protein. A pair of primers was designed according to the BPSS0180 gene sequence information of B. pseudomallea K96243 strain in GenBank. BPSS0180 gene fragment was obtained by PCR amplification of B. pseudomallea hn-1 strain. The BPSS0180 gene fragment was ligated into the pET-28a(+) vector to construct the pET-28a(+)-BPSS0180 recombinant plasmid. The recombinant plasmid pET-28a(+)-BPSS0180 was transformed into E.coli DH5α competent cells, and the plasmids were identified by restriction enzyme digestion. Then, the recombinant plasmid pET-28a(+)-BPSS0180 was transformed into E.coli BL21 (DE3) competent cells. The expression was induced by IPTG. The expressed product was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Bioinformatics analysis of BPSS0180 gene sequence was carried out using DNAMAN, ProtParam, SOPMA and Protscale. The results showed that the length of BPSS0180 gene was 1 146 bp; The expressed His-BPSS0180 fusion protein was about 45 ku, and was predominantly in the form of inclusion bodies; The molecular weight of the BPSS0180 protein was 40.6 ku (C₁₇₇₉H₂₈₀₉N₅₄₅O₅₃₆S₇); The extinction coefficient was 40 575; The hydrophobic index was 85.43; The instability coefficient was 46.52,which belonged to unstable protein;The theoretical isoelectric point (pI) was 5.54 and was acidic protein; The total average hydrophobicity (GRAVY) was -0.261,as hydrophilic protein; The secondary structure of the protein were mainly α-helix (58.79%) and random curl (32.02%), and its half-life of reticulocytes in mammals was predicted to be 30 h. This study provided a theoretical basis for further exploring the fuction of BPSS0180 gene of B. pseudomallei.     

羊源类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌BPSL1467基因克隆、表达及其蛋白生物信息学分析

试验旨在克隆和表达羊源性类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌（Burkholderia pseudomallei，B.pseudomallea）的BPSL1467基因，并对其表达的蛋白进行生物信息学分析。以羊源类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌（BPHN1株）基因组为模板，参照GenBank中类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌K96243标准株BPSL1467基因序列设计引物，PCR扩增获得目的基因片段，将所得片段与pET-28a（+）载体连接，构建pET-28a（+）-BPSL1467重组质粒。将鉴定正确的pET-28a（+）-BPSL1467重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）感受态细胞，通过IPTG诱导表达，SDS-PAGE和Western blotting鉴定表达产物。使用DNAMAN、ProtParam、SOPMA和Protscale相关生物信息学软件对BPSL1467基因编码的氨基酸序列进行分析。结果显示，本试验成功克隆了462 bp的BPSL1467基因，诱导表达重组蛋白大小约为22 ku，主要以包涵体的形式存在。BPSL1467蛋白分子式为C₇₆₃H₁₂₀₉N₂₀₃O₂₁₇S₆，分子质量为16 890.58 u；其不稳定系数为33.95，属于稳定蛋白；理论等电点（pI）为8.85，为碱性蛋白；总平均疏水性（GRAVY）为-0.190，为亲水性蛋白。该蛋白的二级结构中以无规则卷曲和α-螺旋为主。本试验结果为深入研究羊源类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌的BPSL1467基因的分子作用机理提供了参考依据。     

类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌BPSS0180基因的克隆、原核表达及生物信息学分析

试验旨在对类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌（Burkholderia pseudomallei,B.pseudomallea）的BPSS0180基因进行克隆和原核表达,并对其表达蛋白进行生物信息学分析。参照GenBank中类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌K96243标准株BPSS0180基因序列设计1对引物,对类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌hn-1株进行PCR扩增获得BPSS0180基因片段。将得到的BPSS0180基因连接到pET-28a （+）载体,构建pET-28a （+）-BPSS0180重组质粒,转化至大肠杆菌DH5α感受态细胞中,提取质粒进行酶切鉴定。鉴定正确后,将构建成功的pET-28a （+）-BPSS0180重组质粒转化到大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）感受态细胞中,经IPTG诱导表达,表达产物用SDS-PAGE和Western blotting进行分析。应用DNAMAN、ProtParam、SOPMA和Protscale对BPSS0180基因序列进行生物信息学分析。结果显示,本试验成功克隆了1 146 bp的BPSS0180基因,诱导表达得到的His-BPSS0180融合蛋白大小约为45 ku,且主要以包涵体形式存在。BPSS0180蛋白的分子式为C₁₇₇₉H₂₈₀₉N₅₄₅O₅₃₆S₇,分子质量为40.6 ku,消光系数为40 575,疏水指数为85.43。其不稳定系数为46.52,属于不稳定蛋白;理论等电点（pI）为5.54,为酸性蛋白;总平均疏水性（GRAVY）是-0.261,为亲水性蛋白。该蛋白的二级结构以α-螺旋（58.79%）和无规卷曲（32.02%）为主,预测其在哺乳动物网织红细胞的半衰期为30 h。本试验结果为进一步探究类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌的BPSS0180基因提供了一定的理论依据。     

类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌groEL基因的克隆、原核表达及其蛋白的生物信息学分析

试验旨在对类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌groEL基因进行克隆与原核表达，并对其表达蛋白进行生物信息学分析。提取该菌基因组DNA作为模板，参考GenBank中类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌groEL基因序列，设计1对引物。通过PCR扩增得到大小为1 641 bp的groEL基因片段，将其连接至pMD19-T载体，构建pMD19-T-groEL重组质粒，经BamHⅠ和Hind Ⅲ双酶切鉴定正确后，构建重组质粒pET-28a（+）-groEL。将鉴定正确的pET-28a（+）-groEL质粒转化至E.coli BL21（DE3）感受态细胞中，经IPTG诱导表达，运用SDS-PAGE和Western blotting方法进行蛋白质鉴定，利用DNAMAN和BioEdit等软件进行生物信息学分析。结果发现，试验成功克隆了类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌groEL基因并进行了蛋白表达，表达的融合蛋白大小约为64 ku，GroEL蛋白的分子式为C₄₅₁₀H₇₃₈₁N₁₆₄₁O₁₈₄₀S₅₂₁，原子总个数为15 893，消光系数为32 500，不稳定指数为40.31，亲水性平均值为0.901。GroEL蛋白二级结构中α-螺旋（Hh）、延伸链（Ee）、无规则卷曲（Cc）分别占48.71%、13.19%和38.10%。本试验结果为深入探究类鼻疽杆菌groEL基因的分子作用机理奠定了基础。     

用单克隆抗体对鼻疽杆菌和类鼻疽杆菌表面抗原的免疫印迹分析

对鼻疽杆菌M27株与类鼻疽杆菌H4、H103、H146、H152株超声波粉碎后的可溶性抗原作了SDS—PAGE和免疫印迹分析.结果表明,鼻疽杆菌和类鼻疽杆菌特异性MCAb 2D_4与所有实验菌株都有反应,在M27、H4、H103、H146、H152中都有1条分子量为107000的抗原蛋白带,为鼻疽杆菌和类鼻疽杆菌共同抗原带;而类鼻疽杆菌特异性McAb 3A_1只与类鼻疽杆菌H4、H103、H146、H152,分子量为28000的类鼻疽杆菌特异抗原带起反应,不与鼻疽杆菌的抗原带反应.尽管SDS—PAGE中显示M27与H4有多条分子量相同条带,但缺少3A_1对应的特异蛋白带.     

Evaluation of the API 20E and Microbact 24E systems for the identification of Pseudomonas pseudomallei

One-hundred isolates of Pseudomonas pseudomallei were used to evaluate the API 20E and Microbact 24E rapid identification systems. The API 20E system identified 50% of the isolates using the revised 1979 Manual only, and 63% when referral was made to the computer centre. A higher identification rate (69 and 87%, respectively) was achieved with a longer incubation period of 96 h. The Microbact 24E system identified 84% of the isolates as P. pseudomallei using the revised 1983 Manual, and 100% when referral was made to the computer centre. The Microbact 24E system would appear to be a reliable system for the identification of P. pseudomallei.     

羊源类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌BPSS1512基因克隆、原核表达及其蛋白的生物信息学分析

为克隆羊源类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌BPSS1512基因,并对其编码的蛋白进行生物信息学分析,以类鼻疽伯克霍尔德菌基因组为模板,参照GenBank中Burkholderia pseudomallei K96243株基因组DNA序列（登录号：NC_006351.1）设计引物,PCR扩增BPSS1512基因,构建重组质粒,SDS-PAGE和Western blotting分析其蛋白表达,DNAMAN等软件对BPSS1512基因编码的氨基酸序列进行分析。结果显示,PCR扩增成功得到1 425 bp的特异性条带,BamHⅠ和Hind Ⅲ双酶切后得到约为5 000和1 500 bp的条带,表明重组质粒pET-28a-BPSS1512构建成功,IPTG浓度为10 mmol/L,诱导时间8 h为最适宜的诱导条件。BPSS1512基因编码的蛋白质分子质量为53 ku,在包涵体中表达;在BPSS1512蛋白二级结构中,α-螺旋、延伸链和无规卷曲分别占24.05%、14.77%、61.18%,并且疏水性区域分布在-2.0~+2.4之间,说明BPSS1512蛋白具有较强的疏水性,本试验结果可为类鼻疽病的防制提供参考依据。     

Cloning,Prokaryotic Expression of BPSS1512 Gene in Goat Burkholderia pseudomallei and Bioinformatics Analysis of its Proteins

The experiment was aimed to study the clone and prokaryotic expression of BPSS1512 gene in goat Burkholderia pseudomallei and analyzed its proteins by bioinformatics. The geneome of Burkholderia pseudomallei was used as the template,and the primers were designed by DNAMAN software referring to genomic DNA sequence of Burkholoderia pseudomallei K96243 strain in GenBank (NC_006351.1).The BPSS1512 gene was amplified by PCR and the recombinant plasmid was constructed. Then the expressed protein was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, and the amino acid sequence encoded by BPSS1512 gene was analyzed by softwares such as DNAMAN.The results showed that the BPSS1512 gene was successfully cloned with the length of 1 425 bp,and the recombinant plasmid pET-28a-BPSS1512 was constructed. The optimum conditions for induction was that the IPTG was 10 mmol/L and 8 h for induction.The molecular weight of the protein was 53 ku,it was expressed as the form of inclusion body.In the secondary structure of BPSS15122 protein,alpha-helix,extended strand,and random coil were 24.05%,14.77% and 61.18%, respectively,and the hydrophobic core was distributed between -2.0 and +2.4 which indicated that the BPSS1512 protein was strong hydrophobicity.     

Development and clinical evaluation of a PCR assay targeting the metalloprotease gene (mprA) of B. pseudomallei

A PCR assay targeting the metalloprotease gene (mprA) of Burkholderia pseudomallei was developed for the specific detection of this organism in pure cultures and clinical samples. All other closely related organisms including B. mallei the causative agent of glanders, and B. thailandensis tested negative. Burkholderia pseudomallei DNA was successfully amplified from paraffin-embedded lung tissue of a camel with a generalized B. pseudomallei infection. The developed PCR assay can be used as a simple tool for the specific and sensitive detection of B. pseudomallei.