Genetic diversity, determinants, and dissemination of Burkholderia pseudomallei lineages implicated in melioidosis in Northeast Thailand
Issued Date
2024-12-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20411723
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85197733658
Journal Title
Nature Communications
Volume
15
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Nature Communications Vol.15 No.1 (2024)
Suggested Citation
Seng R., Chomkatekaew C., Tandhavanant S., Saiprom N., Phunpang R., Thaipadungpanit J., Batty E.M., Day N.P.J., Chantratita W., Eoin West T., Thomson N.R., Parkhill J., Chewapreecha C., Chantratita N. Genetic diversity, determinants, and dissemination of Burkholderia pseudomallei lineages implicated in melioidosis in Northeast Thailand. Nature Communications Vol.15 No.1 (2024). doi:10.1038/s41467-024-50067-9 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/99625
Title
Genetic diversity, determinants, and dissemination of Burkholderia pseudomallei lineages implicated in melioidosis in Northeast Thailand
Author's Affiliation
Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Department of Veterinary Medicine
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
University of Washington
Nuffield Department of Medicine
King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi
Wellcome Sanger Institute
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Department of Veterinary Medicine
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University
University of Washington
Nuffield Department of Medicine
King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi
Wellcome Sanger Institute
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Melioidosis is an often-fatal neglected tropical disease caused by an environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. However, our understanding of the disease-causing bacterial lineages, their dissemination, and adaptive mechanisms remains limited. To address this, we conduct a comprehensive genomic analysis of 1,391 B. pseudomallei isolates collected from nine hospitals in northeast Thailand between 2015 and 2018, and contemporaneous isolates from neighbouring countries, representing the most densely sampled collection to date. Our study identifies three dominant lineages, each with unique gene sets potentially enhancing bacterial fitness in the environment. We find that recombination drives lineage-specific gene flow. Transcriptome analyses of representative clinical isolates from each dominant lineage reveal increased expression of lineage-specific genes under environmental conditions in two out of three lineages. This underscores the potential importance of environmental persistence for these dominant lineages. The study also highlights the influence of environmental factors such as terrain slope, altitude, and river direction on the geographical dispersal of B. pseudomallei. Collectively, our findings suggest that environmental persistence may play a role in facilitating the spread of B. pseudomallei, and as a prerequisite for exposure and infection, thereby providing useful insights for informing melioidosis prevention and control strategies.