MBIO 4823 Final Exam Review VI

Yersina pestis (“Da Plague”) and its relatives Y. enterocolitica, Y.

pseudotuberculosis

No longer a serious threat, can be treated with antibiotics, and mechanism of

spread is understood

Epidemic: Disease occurring in unusually high numbers of individuals in a

population
Pandemic: A worldwide disease

Characteristics: Gram -, facultative anaerobe, coccobacillus, bipolar staining (Y.

pestis) rods

Y. Pestis: highly virulent pathogen causes systemic disease with a high mortality
rate

Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis: primarily enteric pathogens

Bubonic Plague:

• Incubation period of less than 7 days, high fever, painful bubo (inflammation
of lymph nodes)in neck and groin, 75-100% mortality not treated

Pneumonic Plague:

• Fever and malaise, pulmonary signs develop in 1 day, highly infections

aerosols, untreated septic shock 90% mortality rate

Diagnosis

• Rapid diagnosis important b/c of speed of disease progression

• Fever, chills, headache, swollen lymph nodes, extreme exhaustion

• Lab: gram-negative, bipolar staining coccobacilli, P-3 level containment is

required for Y. pestis

Primary Prophylaxis: to prevent the development of a disease

Secondary Prophylaxis: the disease has already developed and the patient is
protected against worsening of this process

Animal Reservoirs

• 200 species of rodents can be infected, 80 species can support plague life
cycle
 • Wild rodents have naturally immunity, infection is fatal in domestic rodents

• Large amounts of bacteria produced, because fleas take little blood

Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis:

• Carried by animals, entry via contaminated food, affinity for m cells

• 1-10 days, diarrhea, fever, severe abdominal pain

• Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis closely related (diverged 1500-4000 years

ago)

Virulence Factors: all 3 species carry plasmids associated w/ virulence genes

• 70 kbp plasmid pCD1 present in all 3 species: codes for fro capsule
production

o Y. pestis has 2 additional plasmids

 Plasminogen activator: protease gene that degrades fibrin, C3b

and C5a

 Adherence/invasion factors

• YadA (yersina adhesion A): multifunctional

o Aids in colonization of small intestinal mucosa in Y. enterocolitica

o Prevents complement activation at the bacterial surface

o Not present in Y. pestis

• Type III secretion system

o Pore forming proteins: expressed in response to host temp 37 C

o YopB/YopD: form channel from bacteria cytoplasm to host cell

cytoplasm (only expressed when bacteria contacts host cell

o Channel opens on specific signal (low Ca2+)

o YopE and YopH: antiphagocytic, promotes disassociation of

cytoskeleton and prevents phagocytosis

• LcrV protein that is excreted to surface of bacterium (mimic protective

antibodies)
 • Adhesins and invasions: genes located on chromosome; Inv (invasion) and Ail
(accessory invasion locus) target M cells; only expressed in Y. enterocolitica &
Y. pseudotuberculosis

o Due to GI tract entry

• Iron Acquisition: 3 mechanisms for inorganic and 1 for Iron from heme

o Yersiniabactin (siderophone) encoded on pathogenicty island on

chromosome, present in most strains

o Hms iron acquisition system used by Y. pestis, expressed when bacteria

become hydrophobic, this allows for Y. Pestis to use the insect vector

• Capsule in pestis, and Ail, YadA in the others are factors for survival in
mammalian host

• Pla prevents chemotaxis of PMN’s at the site of inoculation, important to

rapid spread of bacteria

Immunity

• Delta 32: a mutation of the CCr gene

• Selective pressure maintained this mutation, reduced susceptibility to plague

• People with two copies of the CCR5 delta32 gene are virtually immune to HIV
infection, with one copy the disease is less severe