English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Coxiella burnetii , the etiologic agent of acute Q fever and chronic endocarditis, has a unique biphasic life cycle, which includes a metabolically active intracellular form that occupies a large lysosome-derived acidic vacuole.  C. burnetii  is the only bacterium known to thrive within such an hostile intracellular niche, and this ability is fundamental to its pathogenicity; however, very little is known about genes that facilitate  Coxiella 's intracellular growth. Recent studies indicate that  C. burnetii  evolved from a tick-associated ancestor and that the metabolic capabilities of  C. burnetii  are different from that of  Coxiella -like bacteria found in ticks. Horizontally acquired genes that allow  C. burnetii  to infect and grow within mammalian cells likely facilitated the host shift; however, because of its obligate intracellular replication,  C. burnetii  would have lost most genes that have been rendered redundant due to the availability of metabolites within the host cell. Based on these observations, we reasoned that horizontally derived biosynthetic genes that have been retained in the reduced genome of  C. burnetii  are ideal candidates to begin to uncover its intracellular metabolic requirements. Our analyses identified a large number of putative foreign-origin genes in  C. burnetii , including tRNA Glu 2 that is potentially required for heme biosynthesis, and genes involved in the production of lipopolysaccharide—a virulence factor, and of critical metabolites such as fatty acids and biotin. In comparison to wild-type  C. burnetii , a strain that lacks tRNA Glu 2 exhibited reduced growth, indicating its importance to  Coxiella 's physiology. Additionally, by using chemical agents that block heme and biotin biosyntheses, we show that these pathways are promising targets for the development of new anti- Coxiella  therapies.

Horizontally Acquired Biosynthesis Genes Boost Coxiella burnetii's Physiology