STAKEHOLDER PANEL ON
Agent detection assay:PCR
Background & Fitness for Purpose
Coxiella burnetii
James E. Samuel, PhD
Professor and Chair, TAMHSC
February 3, 2015
Legionellales, obligate intracellular parasite
G
ti
ith LPS Ph I d Ph II
Baca
et al.
1984
ram nega ve w
: ase an ase
Metabolically active axenically, esp. at lower pH
Life cycle: LCV and SCV
Acute (>50% seroconvert-asymptomatic) and chronic infectious
disease
Broad zoonotic reservoir; high seropositivity rate
Typical route of infection via aerosol of contaminated soils
R li t i
“
d l d” h l
lik
l
ep ca es n a remo e e p ago ysosome- e vacou e
Genomic predictions
*
: ~2150 ORFs
Complete TCA, various aa auxotrophs
Large group of transporters
Proteomic skew to high pI
Complete Type 4 secretion element
>200 genes with single/point mutation “pseudogene”
*Seshadri
et al.
PNAS 2003
