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Listeriae are Gram positive, facultative, saprophytic bacteria capable of causing opportunistic infections in humans and animals. This thesis presents three separate lines of inquiries that can lead to the eventual convergence of a global view of Listeria as pathogen in the light of evolution, genomics, and function. First, we undertook to resolve the phylogeny of the genus Listeria with the goal of ascertaining insights into the evolution of pathogenic capability of its members. The phylogeny of Listeriae had not yet been clearly resolved due to a scarcity of phylogenetically informative characters within the 16S and 23S rRNA molecules. The genus Listeria contains six species: L. monocytogenes, L. ivanovii, L. innocua, L. seeligeri, L. welshimeri, and L. grayi; of these, L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii are pathogenic. Pathogenicity is enabled by a 10-15Kb virulence gene cluster found in L. seeligeri, L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii. The genetic contents of the virulence gene cluster loci, as well as some virulence-associated internalin loci were compared among the six species. Phylogenetic analysis based on a data set of nucleic acid sequences from prs, ldh, vclA, vclB, iap, 16S and 23S rRNA genes identified L. grayi as the ancestral branch of the genus. This is consistent with previous 16S and 23S rRNA findings. The remainder 5 species formed two groupings. One lineage represents L. monocytogenes and L. innocua, while the other contains L. welshimeri, L. ivanovii and L. seeligeri, with L. welshimeri forming the deepest branch within this group. Deletion breakpoints of the virulence gene cluster within L. innocua and L. welshimeri support the proposed tree. This implies that the virulence gene cluster was present in the common ancestor of L. monocytogenes, L. innocua, L. ivanovii, L. seeligeri and L. welshimeri; and that pathogenic capability has been lost in two separate events represented by L. innocua and L. welshimeri. Second, we attempted to reconstitute L. innocua of its deleted virulence gene cluster, in its original chromosomal location, from the L. monocytogenes 12 Kb virulence gene cluster. This turned out particularly difficult because of the limits of genetic tools presently available for the organism. The reconstitution was partially successful. The methods and approaches are presented, and all the components necessary to complete the constructs are at hand for both L. innocua and the parallel, positive control of L. monocytogenes mutant deleted of its virulence gene cluster. Third, the sequencing of the entire genome of L. monocytogenes EGDe was undertaken as part of an EU Consortium. Our lab was responsible for 10 per cent of the labor intensive gap-closure and annotation efforts, which I helped coordinate. General information and comparisons with sister species L. innocua and a close Gram positive relative Bacillus subtilis are presented in context. The areas I personally investigated, namely, sigma factors and stationary phase functions, are also presented. L. monocytogenes and L. innocua both possess surprisingly few sigma factors: SigA, SigB, SigH, SigL, and an extra-cytoplasmic function type sigma factor (SigECF). The stationary phase genes of L. monocytogenes is compared to the well-studied, complex, stationary phase networks of B. subtilis. This showed that while genetic competence functions may be operative in unknown circumstances, non-sporulating Listeria opted for very different approaches of regulation from B. subtilis. There is virtually no overlap of known, stationary phase genes between Listeria and Gram negative model organism E. coli. / Listerien sind Gram-positive, fakultativ intrazelluläre, saprophytische Bakterien, die in der Lage sind, bei Mensch und Tier opportunistische Infektionen hervorzurufen. Die vorliegende Arbeit veranschaulicht drei unterschiedliche Versuchsansätze, die schließlich hinsichtlich Evolution, Genom- und Funktionsanalysen zur Konvergenz der globalen Sichtweise von Listeria als pathogener Mikroorganismus führen können. Zunächst wurden phylogenetische Analysen durchgeführt, die einen Einblick in die Evolution des pathogenen Potentials von Mitgliedern der Gattung Listeria geben sollten. Aufgrund mangelnder phylogenetischer Informationen bezüglich der 16S und 23S rRNAs war eine genaue phylogenetische Entschlüsselung der Gattung Listeria jedoch nicht möglich. Die Gattung Listeria umfaßt sechs verschiedene Spezies: L. monocytogenes, L. ivanovii, L. innocua, L. seeligeri, L. welshimeri und L. grayi, wobei L. monocytogenes und L. ivanovii zu den pathogenen Bakterien zählen. Die Pathogenität wird hierbei durch ein 10-15 kb großes Virulenzgencluster determiniert, das in L. monocytogenes, L. ivanovii sowie in L. seeligeri vorzufinden ist und neben einigen Virulenz-assoziierten Internalin-Genen zum genetischen Vergleich der sechs verschiedenen Spezies herangezogen wurde. Die im Rahmen der phylogenetischen Analysen untersuchten Nukleinsäuresequenzen der Gene prs, ldh, vclA, vclB, iap sowie die der 16S und 23S rRNA-Gene deuteten darauf hin, daß L. grayi dem gemeinsamen Vorläufer der Gattung Listeria am nächsten steht, was mit den bisher verfügbaren 16S und 23S rRNA-Daten übereinstimmt. Die verbleibenden fünf Spezies bilden zwei Gruppen, die sich zum einen aus L. monocytogenes und L. innocua und zum anderen aus L. welshimeri, L. ivanovii und L. seeligeri zusammensetzen. Die Positionen der im Virulenzgencluster von L. innocua und L. welshimeri identifizierten Deletionen bestätigen den hier vorgeschlagenen Stammbaum, was darauf hindeutet, daß im gemeinsamen Vorfahren von L. monocytogenes, L. innocua, L. ivanovii, L. seeligeri und L. welshimeri das Virulenzgencluster vorhanden war und daß das pathogene Potential in L. innocua bzw. in L. welshimeri durch zwei unabhängige Ereignisse verloren ging. Weiterhin wurde versucht, das 12 kb-Virulenzgencluster von L. monocytogenes in der ursprünglichen Lokalisation in das Chromosom der Spezies L. innocua, die eine Deletion des Virulenzgenclusters aufweist, zu integrieren. Dieser Ansatz erwies sich aufgrund der derzeit limitierten Methodik zur genetischen Manipultation dieses Organismus als sehr problematisch und führte bisher nur teilweise zum Erfolg. Die angewandten Strategien zur Klonierung der erforderlichen Konstrukte, die zur Erstellung der beschriebenen L. innocua-Mutante und einer L. monocytogenes-Mutante mit Deletion des Virulenzgenclusters erforderlich sind, werden vorgestellt. Der dritte Schwerpunkt der Arbeit befaßte sich mit der vollständigen Sequenzierung des Genoms von L. monocytogenes EGDe, die im Rahmen eines EU-Konsortiums durchgeführt wurde. Unser Labor war zu 10 Prozent an der Lückenschließung zwischen den Sequenz-Contigs sowie an der Annotierung beteiligt, für deren Koordinierung ich verantwortlich war. Vergleiche der Genomsequenzen von L. monocytogenes, L. innocua und dem verwandten Gram-positiven Bakterium Bacillus subtilis werden vorgestellt, wobei ein besonderer Schwerpunkt auf den Genen für Sigma-Faktoren und Stationärphase-Funktionen liegt. Sowohl L. monocytogenes und L. innocua enthalten mit SigA, SigB, SigH und einem extrazytoplasmatischen Sigma-Faktor, SigECF, überraschend wenige Sigma-Faktoren. Die Stationärphase-Gene von L. monocytogenes werden mit dem gut untersuchten, sehr komplexen Stationärphase-System von B. subtilis verglichen. Dies zeigte, daß, obwohl genetische Kompetenz unter nicht bekannten Umständen eine Rolle spielen könnten, in Listeria völlig unterschiedliche Mechanismen der Genregulation wirksam sind. Es ist keinerlei Überlappung mit den bekannten Stationärphase-Genen des Gram-negativen Modellorganismus Escherichia coli festzustellen.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:47:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 427044 bytes, checksum: 5c1651c701a5ae2b53e04e42782f989e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-09-24 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Infectious bursal disease (IBD) has been the major preoccupation for the poultry industry, especially in the past decade with the emergency of high virulent strains. Mutations in the gene that code the VP2 viral protein of pathogenic strains and the amiss use of attenuate vaccines by few passages have been responsible for the springing of new outbreaks. The purpose of this work was to analyze phylogenetically two different isolates of IBDV in Minas Gerais State by the comparison of the nucleotide sequence of the gene that code VP2 viral capside protein. In order to study the pathogen-host interaction, a subtractive library was constructed from VERO cells infected by IBDV (8 hours post-infection) aiming the identification of differential gene expression during this interaction. For the phylogenic analysis of the isolates, fragments of 251 bp amplified by RT-PCR were cloned and sequenced. The comparison of the sequences revealed that these isolates have 98-100% identity with classical vaccinal IBDV strains indicating that these outbreaks might have been caused by the vaccinal virus. To construct the subtractive library, two cDNA populations were hibridizated: one derived by IBDV infected VERO cells and other by non infected VERO cells. The hibridizated products were amplified for the posterior cloning and evaluation of the differential express products. Understanding of the replication characteristics of the IBDV associated to the study of the virus infection effects in the gene expression of the host cell, shown in this work, will allow the elucidation of the mechanisms involved in the pathogen-host interaction contributing, therefore, for the development of methods more effectives in the control and prevention of the IBDV. / A doença infecciosa bursal (IBD) tem sido, há muitos anos, uma grande preocupação para a indústria avícola, especialmente na década passada devido a emergência de cepas virais hipervirulentas. Mutações no gene responsável pela codificação da proteína viral VP2 de linhagens patogênicas e a má utilização de vacinas atenuadas por poucas passagens têm sido responsáveis pelo aparecimento de novos surtos. A proposta deste trabalho foi analisar filogeneticamente dois diferentes isolados de IBDV de Minas Gerais por meio da comparação da seqüência nucleotídica do gene que codifica a proteína do capsídeo viral VP2. Em razão da necessidade de se estudar melhor a interação patógeno-hospedeiro, objetivou-se ainda a construção de uma biblioteca subtrativa a partir de células VERO infectadas pelo IBDV, 8 horas após a infecção, com a finalidade de identificar genes diferencialmente expressos durante essa interação vírus-célula hospedeira. Para a análise filogenética dos isolados, fragmentos de 251 pb amplificados por RT-PCR foram clonados e seqüenciados. A comparação das seqüências revelou que os isolados possuem identidade de 98-100% com linhagens clássicas vacinais de IBDV, indicando que os surtos analisados podem ter sido causados pelo vírus vacinal. Para a construção da biblioteca subtrativa, duas populações de cDNA foram hibridizadas: uma derivada de células VERO infectadas por IBDV e a outra de células VERO não infectadas. Os produtos hibridizados foram amplificados para posterior clonagem e avaliação dos produtos diferencialmente expressos. O conhecimento das características replicativas do IBDV associado ao estudo das conseqüências da infecção pelo vírus na expressão gênica da célula hospedeira, iniciado neste trabalho, permitirá a elucidação dos mecanismos envolvidos na interação patógeno-hospedeiro, contribuindo assim para o desenvolvimento de métodos mais eficazes no controle e prevenção da IBD.