Tracing the environmental footprint of the Burkholderia pseudomallei lipopolysaccharide genotypes in the tropical "Top End" of the Northern Territory, Australia.

ABSTRACT: The Tier 1 select agent Burkholderia pseudomallei is an environmental bacterium that causes melioidosis, a high mortality disease. Variably present genetic markers used to elucidate strain origin, relatedness and virulence in B. pseudomallei include the Burkholderia intracellular motility factor A (bimA) and filamentous hemagglutinin 3 (fhaB3) gene variants. Three lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigen types in B. pseudomallei have been described, which vary in proportion between Australian and Asian isolates. However, it remains unknown if these LPS types can be used as genetic markers for geospatial analysis within a contiguous melioidosis-endemic region. Using a combination of whole-genome sequencing (WGS), statistical analysis and geographical mapping, we examined if the LPS types can be u

SUBMITTER: Webb JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6701815 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature