Isolation of an Acanthamoeba strain with intracellular Burkholderia pickettii infection

Abstract

Burkholderia pickettii is a facultative pathogen that has been isolated from patient sources and environmental sources including respiratory therapy solutions, deionized water and aqueous disinfectants. The organism has been associated with septicemia and respiratory tract infections. In our investigation, Burkholderia pickettii (biovar 2) was for the first time isolated from Acanthamoeba sp. (group II), a free living amoeba species recovered from the wet area of a physiotherapy unit. Pathogenic strains of acanthamoebae may cause amoebic-encephalitis (AE) and keratitis. Light and electron microscopic examinations showed that in a first step, the bacterial were phagocytized by the amoebae. In contrast to Enterobacter cloacae and Escherichia coli that were used as food organisms and digested within food vacuoles, Burkholderia pickettii caused the amoebae to develop large vacuoles filled with completely intact and motile bacteria. 3-5 days after infection, Pseudomonas pickettii had multiplied within the enlarging parasitophorous vacuoles. Ultrastructural changes in the host cells occurred and the amoebae finally underwent rupture or lysis. In cocultivation assays we could not only reinfect the original host amoeba but Acanthamoeba strains from other habitats could successfully be infected with Burkholderia pickettii as well.