Abstract

ESPINOSA-VICTORIA, David; LOPEZ-REYES, Lucía; CARCANO-MONTIEL, Moisés Graciano  and  SERRET-LOPEZ, María. The Burkholderia genus: between mutualism and pathogenicity. Rev. mex. fitopatol [online]. 2020, vol.38, n.3, pp.337-359.  Epub Nov 27, 2020. ISSN 2007-8080.  https://doi.org/10.18781/r.mex.fit.2004-5.

Burkholderia is an ambivalent genus because some of its species establish symbiotic-mutualistic relationships with plants, and symbiotic-pathogenic relationships with plants, animals, and humans. Since the phytopathogenic bacterium B. cepacia was reported as a nosocomial opportunist, associated with cystic fibrosis, the concern about possible infections in humans arose. The objective of this contribution was to make an analysis of Burkholderia’s functional versatility and its effect on human health. Burkholderia harbored about 100 species and the B. cepacia complex (BCC) consisting of 22 species. At the beginning, the existence of two lineages within the genus was determined: the A that included several species that were associated with plants, as well as the saprophytes; and B containing BCC species (human pathogenic opportunists), the B. pseudomallei subgroup that included human and animal pathogens, and a group of plant pathogenic species. Finally, some individuals were renamed as Paraburkholderia and Caballeronia. Recent analyzes of burkholderias from humans and the environment indicate that there is no phylogenetic subdivision that distinguishes between beneficial and pathogenic ones. Hence the importance of considering risks to human health, when any member of this group is employed in agricultural activities.

Keywords : Burkholderia; Paraburkholderia; Caballeronia; mutualism; parasitism; cystic fibrosis.