M: Bacterial Pathogenesis 1+2 - Week 2 Flashcards
Define Normal Microbiota
Diverse group of microbes in and on the body
- found on skin and mucous membranes (incl. the eye)
An example of a virulence determinant are ‘siderophores’. What are siderophores? And what do they do?
small, high-affinity iron-chelating compounds secreted by microorganisms (such as bacteria and fungi)
– they serve to transport iron across cell membranes
How do specific bacterial factors assist virulence? List 6 ways they help virulence
- assist colonisation
- assist growth
- protect from immune response (e.g. capsule)
- cause damage (e.g. endotoxin, exotoxin)
- allow spread (e.g. IgA protease)
- transduction
Explain transduction
involves the transfer of genetic material by infection with a bacteriophage.
- as a bacteriophage infected donor cell breaks down, the bacteriophage takes up some of the DNA of the organism and that goes on to infect another bacterial cell
- so it shares this with the DNA of another bacterium
Explain transformation
(alongside transduction, is) Another process that can transfer DNA b/w bacteria
- free DNA strands enter the recipient bacteria cell and undergo homologous recombination to share the DNA
Explain conjugation
is where a bacterial cell may contain some extra DNA in the shape of a circle called a ‘plasmid’
- the bacteria here use a sex pillus to join or “conjugate” another bacterium (of any species/genus)
- then the plasmid is shared between the 2 bacteria
List the 4 methods of bacterial transfer of DNA
- Transformation
- Transduction
- Conjugation
- Transposition
Why might transduction be considered safer for bacteria than transformation?
Transduced DNA is always protected within the environment because it is contained within the bacteriophage (whereas in transformation it’s free dna)
Koch’s postulates describe the initial criteria used for proving that a particular microorganism caused a specific disease.
List all 4 of them.
- the microorganism must be present in every case of the disease
- the microorganism must be grown in pure culture from the host
- inoculation of the microorganism into a susceptible env. host should produce the same disease
- The microorganism must be able to be recovered from the infected experimental host
What are the 3 limitations of Koch’s postulates?
- normal flora is ineligible (b/c “microorganism can’t be present in healthy people”)
- fastidious bacteria cause problems (b/c “microorganism needs to grow in pure culture”)
- no animal models for human disease
In 1998 Falkow modified koch’s postulates to create the “Molecular Koch’s postulates”
List the 4 new criteria used
- Phenotype should be assoc. with pathogenic members of a genus/species
- Gene responsible for symptoms should be found in all pathogenic strains but not in no-pathogenic strains of that genus/species
- Inactivation of the gene assoc. with suspected virulence trait should lead to loss of virulence
- Replacement of the mutated gene should result in a return of virulence
In what ways might normal microbiota protect the host against disease? (5)
- prevent colonization
- produce pathogen growth inhibitors (basis of antibiotics)
- fatty acids
- bacteriocins
- deplete nutrients
How does the outcome of colonization differ between pathogens and normal microbiota?
Normal microbiota: live mutualistically with the host (role in human nutrition and metabolism)
Pathogens: cause disease
T/F: normal microbiota can become pathogenic if moved
True
Where do pathogens come from? (2)
- Endogenous - other sites on the host (normal microbiota)
- Exogenous - other people (their normal microbiota or pathogens). Or animals (zoonoses)