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Being alerted: Francisella tularensis and the pathogenesis of tularemia

Francisella tularensis is Gram-negative intracellular bacteria and the causative agent of zoonotic disease tularemia. Currently, there are four recognized species: F. endosymbionts, F. philomiragia, F. novicida, and F. tularensis with three subspecies (tularensis, holarctica, and mediasiatica). The majority of human tularemia are caused by F. tularensis subsp. tularensis and F. tularensis subsp. holarctica. The bacterium is transmitted from infected animals to humans by multiple routes and can cause disease of varying severities. Due to ease of transmission, low infectious dose and severity of infection, subsp. tularensis has been classified as Tier 1 select agent. Francisella is able to infect a variety of cell types including phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells, arthropod-derived, and amoebae cells. The key element of pathogenesis of the disease is bacterial escape from the phagosome into cytosolic replicative niche. In the last decades, the incidence of human and animal tularemia in Europe is increasing, while the main reservoir of the organisms in the nature remains unclear. Here, we review the current knowledge of intracellular life cycle of this dangerous organism in different cell types and the pathogenesis of tularemia.

Francisella, pathogenesis, bioweapon

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