The document discusses bacterial pathogenesis and virulence. It describes three main ways bacteria cause disease: 1) invasiveness through mechanisms like adhesion and toxin production, 2) toxigenesis through exotoxins and endotoxins, and 3) evading host immune responses. Specific virulence factors and pathogenesis mechanisms are discussed for different bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The host barriers bacteria must overcome include phagocytosis, complement activation, and adaptive immune responses; bacteria have evolved strategies to inhibit or subvert these defenses.
2. Why we do not get ill?
(i) the entire invading population is killed by phagocytic cells,
such as neutrophils, or circulating bacteriocidal compounds,
such as complement
(ii) the density of bacteria traversing the integument is
collectively too low to condition the tissue to allow their
population to grow or
(iii) the mutations or phase shifts required to get across the
mucosa or survive in the blood do not occur.
It is complex and strong stochastic
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3. Introduction
A pathogen is a microorganism that is able to cause disease in a
plant, animal or insect.
Pathogenicity is the ability to produce disease in a host
organism.
Microbes express their pathogenicity by means of their
virulence, a term which refers to the degree of pathogenicity of the
microbe.
Determinants of virulence of a pathogen are any of its genetic
or biochemical or structural features that enable it to produce
disease in a host.
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4. Introduction
The relationship between a host and a pathogen is dynamic, since
each modifies the activities and functions of the other.
The outcome of such a relationship depends on:
the virulence of the pathogen and
the relative degree of resistance or susceptibility of the host,
mainly due to the effectiveness of the host defense mechanisms.
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5. Animals and microbes
Normal flora (beneficial or ignored):
GI track, skin, upper respiratory track
Virulent bacteria (actively cause disease):
pathogenic islands
Opportunistic bacteria (when host with underline problem):
Pseudomonas aeruginosa: cystic fibrosis/ burn
TB, Kaposi’s sarcoma (herpesvirus): AIDS
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6. Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogenicity
1. Invasiveness: the ability to invade tissues.
encompasses mechanisms for
colonization (adherence and initial multiplication),
production of extracellular substances which facilitate
invasion (invasins) and
ability to bypass or overcome host defense
mechanisms.
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7. Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogenicity
2. Toxigenesis: ability to produce toxins.
Bacteria may produce two types of toxins:
i. exotoxins and
ii. endotoxins.
Exotoxins are released from bacterial cells and may act at
tissue sites removed from the site of bacterial growth.
Endotoxins are cell-associated substance. (classic sense,
endotoxin refers to the lipopolysaccharide component of the
outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria).
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8. Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogenicity
Endotoxins may be released from growing bacterial cells
and cells that are lysed as a result of effective host defense
(e.g. lysozyme) or the activities of certain antibiotics (e.g.
penicillins and cephalosporins).
Hence, bacterial toxins, both soluble and cell-associated,
may be transported by blood and lymph and cause cytotoxic
effects at tissue sites
Some bacterial toxins may also act at the site of colonization
and play a role in invasion.
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9. Animals and microbes
Normal flora (beneficial or ignored):
GI track, skin, upper respiratory track
Virulent bacteria (actively cause disease):
pathogenic islands
Opportunistic bacteria (when host with underline problem):
Pseudomonas aeruginosa: cystic fibrosis/ burn
TB, Kaposi’s sarcoma (herpesvirus): AIDS
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10. Big person in microbiology
Robert Koch,1843-1910, Germany
Koch’s postulates:
1. suspected pathogen must be present
2. pathogen must be isolated and grown in pure culture
3. cultured pathogen must cause the disease
4. Same pathogen must be re-isolated from the subject
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15. Extracellular versus Intracellular Parasitism
Extracellular parasites
destroyed when phagocytosed.
damaging tissues as they remain outside cells.
inducing the production of opsonizing antibodies, they
usually produce acute diseases of relatively short duration.
Intracellular parasites
can multiply within phagocytes.
frequently cause chronic disease.
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16. The environment in a cell
Cytosol: pH=7
Phagosome: pH=6
Phagolysosome: pH=5
Adapted from: http://bio.winona.msus.edu/bates/Bio241/images/figure-04-13b.jpg
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17. Barrier systems
Host cell Taken up by Inhibitory Mycobacterium
membrane phagocyte molecule
and resist killing
Production Degrade IgA protease Streptococcus
Of antibody antibody
Antimicrobial Activate T cells Superantigen Staphylococcus
cell-mediated non-specifically
response and
Productively
Antimicrobial Vary presenting Switch on Borrelia
immune microbial production of
response antigen different
antigens
Genetic Streptococcus
recombination
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18. Virulence factors
Factors enhancing the ability of bacteria to cause disease
Example: Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Adhesins: attachment
Alginate production: mucoid layer
Exotoxin A: inhibits host protein synthesis
Exoenzyme S: interferes with phagocytic killing
Elastolytic activity: degrades elastin
Phospholipase C: damages tissue
Pyocyanin: damages tissue by ROS
Antibiotic resistance: complicates therapy
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22. Superantigens
Secreted proteins
(exotoxins) that exhibit
highly potent lymphocyte-
transforming (mitogenic)
activity directed towards T
lymphocytes.
Polyclonal T cell activation
Aberrant cytokines, Antigen
/MHC-1
cell death
Specific T cell activation
Anti-microbes immunity
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23. Known and suspected association of superantigens with
animal diseases
Autoimmune diseases
Lyme disease
Multiple sclerosis
Acute diseases
Food poisoning:
Staph infections
Streptococal
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