bCoxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of acute and chronic Q fever in humans, is a naturally intracellular pathogen that directs the formation of an acidic Coxiella-containing vacuole (CCV) derived from the host lysosomal network. Central to its pathogenesis is a specialized type IVB secretion system (T4SS) that delivers effectors essential for intracellular replication and CCV formation. Using a bioinformatics-guided approach, 234 T4SS candidate substrates were identified. Expression of each candidate as a TEM-1 ␤-lactamase fusion protein led to the identification of 53 substrates that were translocated in a Dot/Icm-dependent manner. Ectopic expression in HeLa cells revealed that these substrates trafficked to distinct subcellular sites, including the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrion, and nucleus. Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae identified several substrates that were capable of interfering with yeast growth, suggesting that these substrates target crucial host processes. To determine if any of these T4SS substrates are necessary for intracellular replication, we isolated 20 clonal T4SS substrate mutants using the Himar1 transposon and transposase. Among these, 10 mutants exhibited defects in intracellular growth and CCV formation in HeLa and J774A.1 cells but displayed normal growth in bacteriological medium. Collectively, these results indicate that C. burnetii encodes a large repertoire of T4SS substrates that play integral roles in host cell subversion and CCV formation and suggest less redundancy in effector function than has been found in the comparative Legionella Dot/Icm model.

bCoxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever in humans, is an intracellular pathogen that replicates in an acidified parasitophorous vacuole derived from host lysosomes. Generation of this replicative compartment requires effectors delivered into the host cell by the Dot/Icm type IVb secretion system. Several effectors crucial for C. burnetii intracellular replication have been identified, but the host pathways coopted by these essential effectors are poorly defined, and very little is known about how spacious vacuoles are formed and maintained. Here we demonstrate that the essential type IVb effector, CirA, stimulates GTPase activity of RhoA. Overexpression of CirA in mammalian cells results in cell rounding and stress fiber disruption, a phenotype that is rescued by overexpression of wild-type or constitutively active RhoA. Unlike other effector proteins that subvert Rho GTPases to modulate uptake, CirA is the first effector identified that is dispensable for uptake and instead recruits Rho GTPase to promote biogenesis of the bacterial vacuole. Collectively our results highlight the importance of CirA in coopting host Rho GTPases for establishment of Coxiella burnetii infection and virulence in mammalian cell culture and mouse models of infection.T he naturally obligate intracellular pathogen Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever in humans. The agent's high infectivity, ease of spread by aerosols, and environmental stability have led to its classification as a category B select agent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1). The primary route of infection is through inhalation of contaminated aerosols, which typical results in acute Q fever, a debilitating flu-like illness that is generally self-limiting and readily resolves without antibiotic treatment. However, under some circumstances, persistent infection can lead to chronic Q fever that presents as endocarditis or hepatitis (1). While the number of reported cases of acute Q fever in the United States has been relatively low, a marked increase occurred in 1999 when Q fever became a reportable disease. A recent outbreak of Q fever in The Netherlands resulted in over 4,000 confirmed cases, with 20% of patients requiring hospitalization (2). The dramatic increase in reported cases suggests C. burnetii is an emerging pathogen and highlights our lack of understanding of C. burnetii virulence factors.Inhalation of C. burnetii by a mammalian host results in actindependent endocytosis and internalization in an early endosome. While numerous intracellular pathogens actively subvert the default endocytic pathway to establish a unique host-derived vacuole, C. burnetii generally follows the default trafficking pathway to establish a Coxiella-containing vacuole (CCV) derived from the host lysosomal network. Generation of this unique replicative compartment requires active bacterial protein synthesis which drives homotypic and heterotypic vesicle fusions associated with generation of a spacious CCV that occupies the majority of the hos...

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