Molecular mechanisms and drivers of pathogen emergence

Balasubramanian, Deepak; López‐Pérez, Mario; Grant, Trudy-Ann; Ogbunugafor, C. Brandon; Almagro‐Moreno, Salvador

doi:10.1016/j.tim.2022.02.003

Cited by 29 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 112 publications

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“…This suggests these three variables are not sole predictors of V. vulnificus cases, and that the true cause of emergence likely contains many more drivers. This is consistent with modern understandings of disease emergence as being a complex system, composed of interactions between molecular and ecological factors [51, 52, 53, 54]. We speculate that epidemiological and microbial factors, such as host susceptibility and strain of V. vulnificus , may be more important to the development of an infection as opposed to the environmental variables that we measured.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…In 1999, Linkous and Oliver stated, “While V. vulnificus alone is responsible for 95% of all seafood-related deaths in the United States, it is still a mystery why more people do not develop this infection [11]. ” Balasubramanian et al (2022) reported that biotic and abiotic factors generate selective pressures in ecosystems, which facilitate the emergence of pathogenic traits in V. vulnificus [51]. Thus, in the present study, we assessed the association between temporal and environmental variables such as wind speed (WSPD), ambient air temperature (ATMP), water temperature (WTMP), and pressure at sea level (PRES) in comparison to the reporting of V. vulnificus cases.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patterns of air pressure, wind speed, and temperature are correlated with an increased risk of clinical infection from Vibrio vulnificus in endemic areas

Ayala

Munyenyembe

Almagro‐Moreno

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Vibrio vulnificus remains one of the deadliest waterborne pathogens, yet little is known of the ecology that drive outbreaks. As a nationally notifiable disease, all cases of Vibrio vulnificus diagnosed in the United States are reported to the state in which they occurred, as well as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Given that the state of Florida is a 'hotspot' for Vibrio vulnificus in the United States, we examined the prevalence and incidence of cases reported to the Florida Department of Health (2008-2020). Using a dataset comprised of 448 cases of disease caused by Vibrio vulnificus infection, we identified environmental variables that were associated with clinical cases and deaths. Combined with data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), we developed statistical models to examine the relationship between meteorological measurements such as wind speed, air temperature, water temperature, and sea-level pressure. We then examined the association of those meteorological variables with coastal cases of Vibrio vulnificus, including the outcome, survival, or death. Between 2008 and 2020, Vibrio vulnificus cases generally increased over time, peaking in 2017. Not surprisingly, there appears to be a strong correlation between water temperature and air temperature in Florida. However, as water temperature and air temperature increased, so too did the likelihood that an infection with Vibrio vulnificus would lead to patient death. Interestingly, we also found that as mean wind speed and sea-level pressure decreased, the probability that a Vibrio vulnificus case would be reported increased. Given these results, we discuss the potential factors that may contribute to the observed correlations. We further speculate that the meteorological variables we measured may increase in importance as they relate to the incidence of Vibrio vulnificus in light of rising global temperatures.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of air pressure, wind speed, and temperature are correlated with an increased risk of clinical infection from Vibrio vulnificus in endemic areas

Ayala

Munyenyembe

Almagro‐Moreno

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…The emergence of human pathogens is one of the most pressing and persistent public health concerns of modern times, with new outbreaks of varying magnitude occurring regularly around the world [1][2][3][4] . Pathogen emergence is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon that culminates with a microorganism acquiring the ability to colonize and harm the human host, cause outbreaks and persist in the environment between them 5 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, the specific factors that allow certain strains within a species to emerge as pathogens remain mostly enigmatic 4 . Elucidating how the interplay between the numerous molecular and environmental drivers lead to this complex phenomenon is critical to develop surveillance platforms to predict emergent events and potential sources of outbreaks 4 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allelic variations and gene cluster modularity act as non-linear bottlenecks for cholera emergence

López‐Pérez

Grant

Haro-Moreno

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Pathogen emergence remains one of the most pressing public health concerns of our times. Here, using the agent of cholera, the Vibrio cholerae pandemic cholera group (PCG) as a model system, we investigate the evolutionary dynamics that lead to the emergence of human pathogens from environmental populations. Genomic comparison of over 1,100 V. cholerae genomes including novel isolates from this study, reveal a generalized cluster-driven phylogeny and evolution of the species. Emergence of PCG is largely based on modular acquisition of mobile genetic elements including small gene clusters and allelic variations, with distinct phylogenomic clusters acting as differential reservoirs of virulence factors. Surprisingly, PCG encodes few unique genes, which are mostly encoded within the super-integron, however, many genes within the group exhibit an aberrant degree of positive selection. Our analyses provide a compelling scenario for the emergence of pandemic clones in V. cholerae stablishing a blueprint for other bacterial pathogens.

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“…Diverse Legionella LD-causing species are genetically isolated from each other and selectively acquire genes with potential for enhanced virulence; however, they share a conserved core genome ( 12 ). Several virulence factors are encoded by distinct regions of DNA present in the pathogenicity island (PAI) of pathogenic bacteria (absent in nonpathogenic strains) ( 13 – 15 ). Moreover, Legionella possesses many of the traditional bacterial determinants that are important for pathogenicity in other bacteria, including pili, flagella, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the type II secretion system, and several outer membrane proteins (OMPs), i.e., outer membrane vesicles, peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein, major secreted phospholipase (PlaA), major cell-associated phospholipase A/lysophospholipase A (PlaB), major OMP, PlaC, macrophage infectivity potentiator, Hsp60, and FeoB ( 16 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proteome Exploration of Legionella pneumophila To Identify Novel Therapeutics: a Hierarchical Subtractive Genomics and Reverse Vaccinology Approach

et al. 2022

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Legionella pneumophila is a human pathogen distributed worldwide, causing Legionnaires’ disease (LD), a severe form of pneumonia and respiratory tract infection. L. pneumophila is emerging as an antibiotic-resistant strain, and controlling LD is now difficult. Hence, developing novel drugs and vaccines against L. pneumophila is a major research priority.

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Molecular mechanisms and drivers of pathogen emergence

Cited by 29 publications

References 112 publications

Patterns of air pressure, wind speed, and temperature are correlated with an increased risk of clinical infection from Vibrio vulnificus in endemic areas

Patterns of air pressure, wind speed, and temperature are correlated with an increased risk of clinical infection from Vibrio vulnificus in endemic areas

Allelic variations and gene cluster modularity act as non-linear bottlenecks for cholera emergence

Proteome Exploration of Legionella pneumophila To Identify Novel Therapeutics: a Hierarchical Subtractive Genomics and Reverse Vaccinology Approach

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