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Burkholderia cenocepacia H111, a strain isolated from a cystic fibrosis patient, has been shown to effectively kill the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We used the C. elegans model of infection to screen a mini-Tn5 mutant library of B. cenocepacia H111 for attenuated virulence. Of the approximately 5,500 B. cenocepacia H111 random mini-Tn5 insertion mutants that were screened, 22 showed attenuated virulence in C. elegans. Except for the quorum-sensing regulator cepR, none of the mutated genes coded for the biosynthesis of classical virulence factors such as extracellular proteases or siderophores. Instead, the mutants contained insertions in metabolic and regulatory genes. Mutants attenuated in virulence in the C. elegans infection model were also tested in the Drosophila melanogaster pricking model, and those also attenuated in this model were further tested in Galleria mellonella. Six of the 22 mutants were attenuated in D. melanogaster, and five of these were less pathogenic in the G. mellonella model. We show that genes encoding enzymes of the purine, pyrimidine, and shikimate biosynthesis pathways are critical for virulence in multiple host models of infection.

Recent research has provided evidence that interference with bacterial cell-to-cell signaling is a promising strategy for the development of novel antimicrobial agents. Here we report on the computer-aided design of novel compounds that specifically inhibit an N-acyl-homoserine lactone-dependent communication system that is widespread among members of the genus Burkholderia. This genus comprises more than 30 species, many of which are important pathogens of animals and humans. Over the past few years, several Burkholderia species, most notably Burkholderia cenocepacia, have emerged as important opportunistic pathogens causing severe pulmonary deterioration in persons with cystic fibrosis. As efficient treatment of Burkholderia infections is hampered by the inherent resistance of the organisms to a large range of antibiotics, novel strategies for battling these pathogens need to be developed. Here we show that compounds targeting the B. cenocepacia signaling system efficiently inhibit the expression of virulence factors and attenuate the pathogenicity of the organism.

Burkholderia cenocepacia H111, which was isolated from a cystic fibrosis patient, employs a quorum-sensing (QS) system, encoded by cep, to control the expression of virulence factors as well as the formation of biofilms. The QS system is thought to ensure that pathogenic traits are expressed only when the bacterial population density is high enough to overwhelm the host before it is able to mount an efficient response. While the wild-type strain effectively kills the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the pathogenicity of mutants with defective quorum sensing is attenuated. To date, very little is known about the cep-regulated virulence factors required for nematode killing. Here we report the identification of a cep-regulated gene, whose predicted amino acid sequence is highly similar to the QS-regulated protein AidA of the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum. By use of polyclonal antibodies directed against AidA, it is demonstrated that the protein is expressed in the late-exponential phase and accumulates during growth arrest. We show that B. cenocepacia H111 AidA is essential for slow killing of C. elegans but has little effect on fast killing, suggesting that the protein plays a role in the accumulation of the strain in the nematode gut. Thus, AidA appears to be required for establishing an infection-like process rather than acting as a toxin. Furthermore, evidence is provided that AidA is produced not only by B. cenocepacia but also by many other strains of the Burkholderia cepacia complex.

Burkholderia cepacia H111, which was isolated from a cystic fibrosis patient, effectively kills the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Depending on the medium used for growth of the bacterium two different killing modes were observed. On high-osmolarity medium the nematodes became paralysed and died within 24 h. Using filter assays we provide evidence that this killing mode involves the production of an extracellular toxin. On nematode growth medium killing occurs over the course of 2-3 days and involves the accumulation of bacteria in the intestinal lumen of C. elegans. We demonstrate that the cep quorum-sensing system of H111 is required for efficient killing of C. elegans under both killing conditions. Using the C. elegans phm-2 mutant that has a non-functional grinder evidence is provided that the cep system is required to enter the intestinal lumen but is dispensable for the colonization of the gut. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the type II secretion machinery is not essential for nematode killing.

Burkholderia cepacia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa often co-exist as mixed biofilms in the lungs of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF). Here, we report the isolation of 13 random mini-Tn5 insertion mutants of B. cepacia H111 that are defective in biofilm formation on a polystyrene surface. We show that the screening procedure used in this study is biased towards mutants defective in the late stages of biofilm development. A detailed quantitative analysis of the biofilm structures formed by wild-type and mutant strains revealed that the isolated mutants are impaired in their abilities to develop a typical three-dimensional biofilm structure. Molecular investigations showed that the genes required for biofilm maturation fall into several classes: (i). genes encoding for surface proteins; (ii). genes involved in the biogenesis and maintenance of an integral outer membrane; and (iii). genes encoding regulatory factors. It is shown that three of the regulatory mutants produce greatly reduced amounts of N-octanoylhomoserine lactone (C8-HSL). This compound serves as the major signal molecule of the cep quorum-sensing system. As this density-dependent regulatory system is involved in the regulation of biofilm maturation, we investigated the interplay between the three regulatory genes and the quorum-sensing cascade. The results of these investigations show that the identified genes encode for regulatory elements that are positioned upstream of the cep system, indicating that the quorum-sensing system of B. cepacia is a major checkpoint for biofilm formation.