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Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q fever, a zoonotic disease found worldwide. The bacterium is a fascinating example of intracellular parasitism that has uniquely evolved to thrive in the most inhospitable of cellular compartments-the phagolysosome. Understanding how C. burnetii resists the degradative functions of this vacuole, and the host cell functions coopted for successful parasitism, are central to understanding Q fever pathogenesis. Recent achievements in glycomics and proteomics are guiding development of enhanced detection schemes for the bacterium in addition to shedding light on the host immune response to the pathogen. Several chapters survey immune functions that control or potentially exacerbate Coxiella infection and delve into correlates of protective immunity elicited by vaccination. Comparative genomics is also the foundation of chapters discussing diagnostic antigen discovery and molecular typing of the bacterium, with significance for development of new clinical, epidemiologic, and forensic tools.
List of contents
1. History and prospects of Coxiella burnetii research. - 2. Phylogenetic diversity, virulence and comparative genomics. - 3. Defense mechanisms against oxidative stress in Coxiella burnetii: Adaptation to a unique intracellular niche. - 4. Lipopolysaccharide of Coxiella burnetii. - 5. Components of protective immunity. - 6. Proteome of Coxiella burnetii. - 7. Coxiella subversion of intracellular host signaling. - 8. The Coxiella burnetii parasitophorous vacuole. - 9. Coxiella burnetii secretion systems. - 10. Role of lipids in Coxiella burnetii infection. - 11. Axenic growth of Coxiella burnetii. - 12. Developmental biology of Coxiella burnetii. - 13. Genetic manipulation of Coxiella burnetii. - 14. Role of innate and adaptive immunity in the control of Q fever. - 15. Immune response and Coxiella burnetii invasion. - 16. Antigenic analysis for vaccines and diagnostics. - 17. Epidemic Q Fever in humans in the Netherlands. - 18. Coxiella-like endosymbionts. -19. Molecular typing of Coxiella burnetii (Q fever).
Summary
Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q fever, a zoonotic disease found worldwide. The bacterium is a fascinating example of intracellular parasitism that has uniquely evolved to thrive in the most inhospitable of cellular compartments-the phagolysosome. Understanding how C. burnetii resists the degradative functions of this vacuole, and the host cell functions coopted for successful parasitism, are central to understanding Q fever pathogenesis. Recent achievements in glycomics and proteomics are guiding development of enhanced detection schemes for the bacterium in addition to shedding light on the host immune response to the pathogen. Several chapters survey immune functions that control or potentially exacerbate Coxiella infection and delve into correlates of protective immunity elicited by vaccination. Comparative genomics is also the foundation of chapters discussing diagnostic antigen discovery and molecular typing of the bacterium, with significance for development of new clinical, epidemiologic, and forensic tools.
