10th International Aerosol Conference September 2 - September 7, 2018 America's Center Convention Complex St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Abstract View
Insights into the Phenotypic and Virulence Differences Observed in Two Lineages of Burkholderia pseudomallei 1026b
GREGORY WILLIAMS, Jeremy Boydston, John Yeager, David Dawson, Ryan Bartlett, Angelo Scorpio, Paul Dabisch, Ian Gut, NBACC
Abstract Number: 357 Working Group: Infectious Bioaerosol
Abstract B. pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, is a highly adaptable soil dwelling organism which has a widespread distribution in equatorial regions of the world. This organism uses a vast repertoire of virulence factors to invade a host, evade immune responses, and establish an infection. Recent reports have demonstrated virulence differences among strains, and previous genomic comparisons have identified significant genetic rearrangement between highly virulent and attenuated strains/lineages. The present study demonstrated a significant difference in the virulence of two lineages of B. pseudomallei 1026b, namely Mahidol and NR-4074 from BEI Resources. The virulence of the NR-4074 lineage was significantly attenuated in a non-human primate model of inhalational disease. Additionally, these two lineages also had significant phenotypical and morphological differences when cultured at late stationary phase on different standard solid media. A genomic and transcriptomic comparison of these two lineages was conducted to examine potential genetic determinants of these phenotypic differences. These evaluations will provide information that can be used as the basis for future studies examining the genetic and regulatory mechanisms responsible for the large breadth of phenotypic diversity observed in this species.
This work was funded under Contract No. HSHQDC-15-C-00064 awarded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) for the operation and management of the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), a Federally Funded Research and Development Center. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the DHS or S&T. In no event shall DHS, NBACC, S&T or Battelle National Biodefense Institute have any responsibility or liability for any use, misuse, inability to use, or reliance upon the information contained herein. DHS does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication.