Melioidosis: Molecular Aspects of Pathogenesis #MMPMID25312349
Stone JK; DeShazer D; Brett PJ; Burtnick MN
Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2014[Dec]; 12 (12): 1487-99 PMID25312349show ga
Burkholderia pseudomallei is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes melioidosis, a multifaceted disease that is highly endemic in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. This facultative intracellular pathogen possesses a large genome that encodes a wide array of virulence factors that promote survival in vivo by manipulating host cell processes and disarming elements of the host immune system. Antigens and systems that play key roles in B. pseudomallei virulence include capsular polysaccharide, lipopolysaccharide, adhesins, specialized secretion systems, actin-based motility and various secreted factors. This review provides an overview of the current and steadily expanding knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms used by this organism to survive within a host and their contribution to the pathogenesis of melioidosis.