Coxiella burnetii is a Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterium that causes acute Q fever and chronic infections in humans. The two principal limitations for Q fever researchers have been 1) lack of genetic tools and 2) the obligate intracellular requirement for cultivation. Recent advances are beginning to resolve these restrictions: a) growth medium using microaerophilic conditions allowing replicate outside of host cells;b) novel techniques for efficient clonal isolation;c) functional Himar1-based transposon mutagenesis system to generate random mutations;and d) transformation with a stable shuttle vector plasmid. The objectives are to generate a mutant library of C. burnetii clones and evaluate phenotypic alteration in vitro and in vivo using C. burnetii, Nine Mile, phase II (RSA439, clone 4;reduced virulence, BL2 containment), as a model for future studies with fully virulent organisms by: 1) developing a transposon mutant clonal library for C. burnetii using a modified isolating clones by micromanipulation, Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) and propagated on agar plates. Each strategy will be optimized and contribute to an ongoing clonal library assembly. Mutants will be characterized genetically for location of insertion using whole genome amplification (WGA), Southern blot, PCR and rescue cloning. 2) Determine the contribution to the pathogenic process in vitro. Clones originating using both media and L929 fibroblast infection systems will be compared with wild type for growth rates in media and in several tissue culture model cells, including tolerance for oxidative stress and survival in primary monocytes/macrophages. 3) Determine the contribution to the pathogenic process for mutants in vivo. Infectivity studies will be performed in SCID mice, which support persistent infection including a moderate disease process with intratracheal RSA439 challenge. A competitive infection model will be established where a pool of mutants will be compared for ability to infect and persistent compared to wild. In vivo imaging using luciferase expression will conveniently characterize replication and dissemination in animals. Growth rates in and histopathologic consequences to lung and spleen will be compared for selected mutations. Complementation of specific mutation using the stable shuttle vector plasmid will confirm that alteration in phenotype is a result of the targeted transposon insertion and not a secondary, undefined mutation, .

Public Health Relevance

It is our expectation that these studies will result in an optimized mutagenesis system for future studies with fully virulent isolates including both acute and chronic pathotypes. We predict that a large collection of mutations will manifest as altered phenotypes and result in identification of genes essential for infectivity, survival in macrophages and colonization and dissemination of organisms in a mouse with defective acquired immunity but functional innate responses. These studies will help establish a fundamental paradigm shift in the molecular pathogenesis studies with this organism. Elucidation of important virulence determinants will provide targets for vaccine design, diagnostic antigens, and therapeutic intervention.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
1R21AI088430-01
Application #
7875857
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IDM-A (90))
Program Officer
Perdue, Samuel S
Project Start
2010-06-21
Project End
2012-05-31
Budget Start
2010-06-21
Budget End
2011-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$183,125
Indirect Cost
Name
Texas A&M University
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
835607441
City
College Station
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
77845
Weber, Mary M; Faris, Robert; van Schaik, Erin J et al. (2018) Identification and characterization of arginine finger-like motifs, and endosome-lysosome basolateral sorting signals within the Coxiella burnetii type IV secreted effector protein CirA. Microbes Infect 20:302-307
Weber, Mary M; Faris, Robert; van Schaik, Erin J et al. (2016) The Type IV Secretion System Effector Protein CirA Stimulates the GTPase Activity of RhoA and Is Required for Virulence in a Mouse Model of Coxiella burnetii Infection. Infect Immun 84:2524-33
Weber, Mary M; Faris, Robert; McLachlan, Juanita et al. (2016) Modulation of the host transcriptome by Coxiella burnetii nuclear effector Cbu1314. Microbes Infect 18:336-45
Soltysiak, Kelly A; van Schaik, Erin J; Samuel, James E (2015) Surfactant Protein D Binds to Coxiella burnetii and Results in a Decrease in Interactions with Murine Alveolar Macrophages. PLoS One 10:e0136699
van Schaik, Erin J; Chen, Chen; Mertens, Katja et al. (2013) Molecular pathogenesis of the obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Nat Rev Microbiol 11:561-73
Weber, Mary M; Chen, Chen; Rowin, Kristina et al. (2013) Identification of Coxiella burnetii type IV secretion substrates required for intracellular replication and Coxiella-containing vacuole formation. J Bacteriol 195:3914-24
Criscitiello, Michael F; Dickman, Martin B; Samuel, James E et al. (2013) Tripping on acid: trans-kingdom perspectives on biological acids in immunity and pathogenesis. PLoS Pathog 9:e1003402