The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 33, Issue 2 115-120, Copyright © 1990 by Society for General Microbiology

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Pathogenic factors of Pseudomonas cepacia isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis

A. R. Gessner and J. E. Mortensen
Department of Laboratories, St Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA.

One hundred and nineteen isolates of Pseudomonas cepacia, 98 of which were from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and 21 from environmental and other human sources, were examined for biochemical and exo-enzymatic properties that may contribute to the pathogenicity of this bacterium. The following characteristics were demonstrated significantly more frequently in isolates from CF patients than in control isolates: production of catalase, ornithine decarboxylase, valine aminopeptidase, C14 lipase, alginase and trypsin; reduction of nitrate to nitrite; hydrolysis of urea and xanthine; complete haemolysis on bovine red blood cells; cold-sensitive haemolysis on human red blood cells; greening of horse and rabbit red blood cells. The role of these factors in the pulmonary disease associated with cystic fibrosis is not clear. However, several factors which have been reported previously as being associated with pathogenic processes with other bacteria have now been described in P. cepacia. Additional factors not previously reported as "pathogenicity factors" are also described.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Gingues, C. Kooi, M. B. Visser, B. Subsin, and P. A. Sokol Distribution and Expression of the ZmpA Metalloprotease in the Burkholderia cepacia Complex J. Bacteriol., December 15, 2005; 187(24): 8247 - 8255. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Kooi, C. R. Corbett, and P. A. Sokol Functional Analysis of the Burkholderia cenocepacia ZmpA Metalloprotease J. Bacteriol., July 1, 2005; 187(13): 4421 - 4429. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. R. Corbett, M. N. Burtnick, C. Kooi, D. E. Woods, and P. A. Sokol An extracellular zinc metalloprotease gene of Burkholderia cepacia Microbiology, August 1, 2003; 149(8): 2263 - 2271. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W. Smalley, P. Charalabous, C. A. Hart, and J. Silver Transmissible Burkholderia cepacia genomovar IIIa strains bind and convert monomeric iron(III) protoporphyrin IX into the {micro}-oxo oligomeric form Microbiology, April 1, 2003; 149(4): 843 - 853. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Huber, K. Riedel, M. Hentzer, A. Heydorn, A. Gotschlich, M. Givskov, S. Molin, and L. Eberl The cep quorum-sensing system of Burkholderia cepacia H111 controls biofilm formation and swarming motility Microbiology, September 1, 2001; 147(9): 2517 - 2528. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W. Smalley, P. Charalabous, A. J. Birss, and C. A. Hart Detection of Heme-Binding Proteins in Epidemic Strains of Burkholderia cepacia Clin. Vaccine Immunol., May 1, 2001; 8(3): 509 - 514. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. S. Saini, S. B. Galsworthy, M. A. John, and M. A. Valvano Intracellular survival of Burkholderia cepacia complex isolates in the presence of macrophage cell activation Microbiology, December 1, 1999; 145(12): 3465 - 3475. [Abstract] [Full Text]