Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Coxiella burnetii phase I (RSA 493) submitting either to Cold and Heat shock comparing to control untreated Coxiella burnetii phase I (RSA 493) grown at 35°C.
Project description:A hallmark of Coxiella burnetii, the bacterial cause of human Q fever, is a biphasic developmental cycle that generates biologically, ultrastructurally, and compositionally distinct large cell variant (LCV) and small cell variant (SCV) forms. LCVs are replicating, exponential phase forms while SCVs are non-replicating, stationary phase forms. The SCV has several properties, such as a condensed nucleoid and an unusual cell envelope, suspected of conferring enhanced environmental stability. To identify genetic determinants of the LCV to SCV transition, we profiled the C. burnetii transcriptome by microarray at 3 (early LCV), 5 (late LCV), 7 (intermediate forms), 14 (early SCV) and 21 days (late SCV) post-infection (PI) of Vero epithelial cells. Relative to early LCV, genes down-regulated in the SCV were primarily involved with intermediary metabolism. Up-regulated SCV genes included those involved in oxidative stress responses, arginine acquisition, and cell wall remodeling. A striking transcriptional signature of the SCV was induction (>7-fold) of five genes encoding predicted L,D transpeptidases that catalyze nonclassical 3-3 peptide cross-links in peptidoglycan (PG), a modification that can influence several biological traits in bacteria. Accordingly, of cross-links identified, muropeptide analysis showed PG of SCV with 46% 3-3 cross-links as opposed to 16% 3-3 cross-links for LCV. Moreover, cryo-electron microscopy revealed SCV with an unusually dense periplasmic layer that was intimately associated with the outer membrane. In contrast, LCV had a clearly distinguishable periplasm and inner/outer membranes. Collectively, these results indicate the SCV produces a unique transcriptome with a major component directed towards remodeling a PG layer that likely contributes to Coxiella's environmental resistance. Coxiella Vero time series. Coxiella was profiled at day 3, day 5, day 7, day 14 and day 21 post-infection of Vero epithelial cells.
Project description:Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever, undergoes a unique biphasic developmental cycle where bacteria transition from replicating (exponential phase) large cell variant (LCV) forms to a non-replicating, (stationary phase) small cell variant (SCV) forms. The alternative sigma factor RpoS is an essential regulator of stress responses and stationary phase growth in several bacterial species, including Legionella pneumophila, which has a developmental cycle superficially similar to C. burnetii. To characterize RpoS function during C. burnetii growth and developmental, we constructed a C. burnetii ∆rpoS mutant to define the effects on intracellular and axenic growth, as well as, gene regulation during SCV development. C. burnetii ∆rpoS exhibited intracellular growth defects in J774 mouse macrophage-like cells, but not in Vero epithelial cells. RNA sequencing of C. burnetii ∆rpoS revealed that a substantial portion of the C. burnetii genome is regulated by RpoS during SCV development. Genes previously shown to have increased expression during SCV generation, including the expression of the SCV-specific protein ScvA and pathways involved in oxidative stress, arginine transport, and peptidoglycan remodeling pathways, were dysregulated in the rpoS mutant. These genes were enriched for a predicted RpoS-binding site. These data were corroborated with independent assays demonstrating that the C. burnetii rpoS mutant had increased sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide and carbenicillin. Collectively, these results demonstrate that RpoS is essential for the regulation of genes involved in SCV development and growth inside macrophage-like cells.
Project description:A comparison was made between the THP-1(Human monocytic leukemia cells - TIB-202; ATCC) transcriptional responses of; (i) uninfected versus Coxiella burnetii NMII infected and (ii) uninfected versus Coxiella burnetii NMII infected THP-1 cells transiently treated with bacteriostatic levels (10μg/ml) of chloramphenicol (CAM). Briefly, infections were initiated and cultured in parallel with uninfected cells. At 48 hours post infection (hpi), media containing CAM (10μg/ml) was added to one set of cells (uninfected and infected THP-1 cells) and culturing was continued. The other set of cells were mock treated with normal media. Total RNA was isolated at 72 hpi from all conditions. Microarrays were performed for both condition sets and the results from each of the two microarrays were compared to define the host genes modulated by de novo C. burnetii NMII protein synthesis.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Coxiella burnetii phase I (RSA 493) submitting either to Cold and Heat shock comparing to control untreated Coxiella burnetii phase I (RSA 493) grown at 35°C. Four experiments : Cold shock 30 min Vs 35°C; Cold shock 60 min Vs 35°C; Heat shock 30 min Vs 35°C; Heat shock 60 min Vs 35°C 3 biological replicates, independently grown and harvested. Four replicate per array.
Project description:Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever, persists in humans despite specific immune responses: however, its reservoir remains unknown. We detected C. burnetii in adipose tissue from BALB/c and C57/BL6 mice 4 months after infection when no bacteria were found in other tissues. C. burnetii infected cultivated adipocytes, replicated within late phagosomes and induced a transcriptional program that was enriched for the expression of genes associated with inflammatory response, hormonal responses and cytoskeleton.
Project description:Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever, persists in humans despite specific immune responses: however, its reservoir remains unknown. We detected C. burnetii in adipose tissue from BALB/c and C57/BL6 mice 4 months after infection when no bacteria were found in other tissues. C. burnetii infected cultivated adipocytes, replicated within late phagosomes and induced a transcriptional program that was enriched for the expression of genes associated with inflammatory response, hormonal responses and cytoskeleton. 3T3-L1 (ATCC) differentiated adipocytes were stimulated or not with Coxiella burnetii (NMI) at a ratio of 50 bacteria per cell. Four biological replicates were analyzed in each group. Due to technical reason, one unstimulated sample was discarded from the analysis.
Project description:Genotyping based on genomic comparative hybridization of different isolates of coxiella burnetii compared to NMI reference strain Two-condition experiment, NMI vs. isolates. One replicate per isolate.