Unraveling type III secretion systems in the highly versatile Burkholderia pseudomallei

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a highly versatile pathogen capable of infecting many species of animals and plants. It is the causative agent of melioidosis, a medically important infectious disease in humans with a wide spectrum of disease manifestations. Its versatility as a pathogen is reflected in its huge 7.2 Mb genome and the many virulence mechanisms it possesses, including three different type III secretion systems (T3SSs). Recent elucidation of the regulatory network of T3SS3 and the characterization of several T3SS proteins have enabled us to construct a model of the B. pseudomallei T3SS3 apparatus and evaluate the role it plays in disease pathogenesis.