Phage-antibiotic synergy reduces Burkholderia cenocepacia population.

Background: Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause acute and chronic infections in patients with weakened immune systems and in patients with cystic fibrosis. B. cenocepacia is resistant to many antibiotics making treatment challenging.

Characterization of a novel two-component system in Burkholderia cenocepacia.

Two-component systems are important regulatory systems that allow bacteria to adjust to environmental conditions, and in some bacteria are used in pathogenesis. We identified a novel two-component system in Burkholderia cenocepacia, an opportunistic pathogen that causes pneumonia in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The putative operon encodes BceS, a sensor kinase, and BceR, a response regulator.

Identification of sodium chloride-regulated genes in Burkholderia cenocepacia.

Previous studies have suggested that the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients have elevated sodium chloride (NaCl) levels due to the malfunctioning of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator protein. For bacteria to survive in this high-salt environment, they must adjust by altering the regulation of gene expression. Among the different bacteria inhabiting the airways of CF patients is the opportunistic pathogen Burkholderia cenocepacia.

Direct binding of the quorum sensing regulator CepR of Burkholderia cenocepacia to two target promoters in vitro.

Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic human pathogen that can aggressively colonize the cystic fibrosis lung. This organism has a LuxR/LuxI-type quorum sensing system that enables cell-cell communication via exchange of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). The CepR and CepI proteins constitute a global regulatory system, controlling expression of at least 40 genes, including those controlling swarming motility and biofilm formation.

Chemical communication in proteobacteria: biochemical and structural studies of signal synthases and receptors required for intercellular signalling.

Cell-cell communication via the production and detection of chemical signal molecules has been the focus of a great deal of research over the past decade. One class of chemical signals widely used by proteobacteria consists of N-acyl-homoserine lactones, which are synthesized by proteins related to LuxI of Vibrio fischeri and are detected by proteins related to the V. fischeri LuxR protein.