Bordetella holmesii causes respiratory and invasive diseases in humans, but its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. We report here the genome sequences of seven bacteremia isolates of B. holmesii, including the type strain. Comparative analysis of these sequences may aid studies of B. holmesii biology and assist in the development of species-specific diagnostic strategies.

We examined the structural components of pertussis toxin that are required for efficient export from Bordetella pertussis via the Ptl system, a member of the type IV family of macromolecular transporters. First, we constructed a strain of B. pertussis that contains a functional Ptl system but does not produce pertussis toxin. Plasmids which express either the S1 subunit or the B oligomer were t...

Bordetella pertussis was isolated from a culture of blood from a 31-year-old man with Wegener's granulomatosis. The organism was detected with the BACTEC 9240 system after 6 days of incubation and was confirmed as B. pertussis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To our knowledge, this is the first published report of the recovery of B. pertussis from blood.

Several Bordetella bronchiseptica isolates were investigated for intracellular survival in macrophages. A significant number of viable bacteria of all strains could be recovered even after 96 h postinfection. In all cases bvg mutants of the B. bronchiseptica strains showed a significant survival advantage over the respective wild-type strains. The bacteria were already located in phagolysosomes...

Molecular detection of Bordetella pertussis DNA is a sensitive and specific method for the rapid diagnosis of pertussis. In this study, a new molecular assay for the detection and differentiation of Bordetella spp. based on automated DNA extraction and real-time PCR was evaluated. The analytical sensitivity of the new assay was determined by Probit analysis of serial dilutions of both cloned PC...

The short-chain dehydrogenase enzymes WbmF, WbmG and WbmH from Bordetella bronchiseptica were cloned into Escherichia coli expression vectors, overexpressed and purified to homogeneity. Crystals of all three wild-type enzymes were obtained using vapour-diffusion crystallization with high-molecular-weight PEGs as a primary precipitant at alkaline pH. Some of the crystallization conditions permit...

The ability of Bvg(-)-phase and Bvg(+)-phase Bordetella bronchiseptica swine isolates, grown under modulating or nonmodulating conditions, to adhere to swine ciliated nasal epithelial cells was determined. When virulent strains were cultivated at 37 degrees C in the Bvg+ phase, numerous adherent bacteria (approximately eight per cell, depending on the strain used) were observed. However, when s...