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Call for SubmissionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The editors would like to receive interesting case reports from our readers for possible publication in the Newsletter. Submitted case reports should contain (i) a brief clinical history summarizing the symptoms and course of the illness, (ii) a description of how the organism(s) was cultured and differentiated from closely associated organisms, and (iii) the results of susceptibility tests for the isolate(s). (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Source Type: news

Cutaneous Lesions Caused by Scytalidium hyalinum Resembling DermatophycosisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We describe a case of cutaneous infection caused by Scytalidium hyalinum in a 32-year-old patient who was born and raised in Sierra Leone but resided in Spain for the last 10 years. He sought medical attention in our dermatology department for the evaluation of skin lesions that were initially thought to be a contact dermatitis caused by exposure to a chemical irritant. (Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter)
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Gema Fernández-Rivas, M. Jose Fuente, Rosa Guinovart, Aida Ramirez, Mireya Alcayde, Vicente Ausina Source Type: news

Practical Laboratory Aspects of Cystic Fibrosis Microbiology: an Update, Part IEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article provides an update of the major CF pathogens and offers a practical laboratory guide that addresses some of the issues encountered with these cultures. Part I of this two-part article reviews the new and most current information gathered from the literature since 2006 with respect to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia complex, and other glucose non-fermenting gram-negative rods. Part II of this article will complete the review of the key organisms associated with CF infections, including Staphylococcus aureus, nontuberculous mycobacteria, and fungi. Issues regarding susceptibility testing will also b...
Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Deanna L. Kiska, Scott W. Riddell Source Type: news

IcsA autotransporter passenger promotes increased fusion protein expression on the cell surfaceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The export mechanism of autotransporters is not well understood but accumulating evidence suggest a critical role for the native effector or alpha domain in facilitating its own export via interactions with the translocation or beta domain. This is the first report directly comparing expression of heterologous proteins fused to the full length IcsA autotransporter and fusion to the beta domain alone. Protein expression and surface presentation of the fusion proteins were dramatically improved when fused to IcsA rather than IcsAbeta. Future studies involved in designing autotransporters as cell surface display ...
Source: Microbial Cell Factories - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Mabel LumRenato Morona Source Type: research

SapB and the rodlins are required for development of Streptomyces coelicolor in high osmolarity mediaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AbstractStreptomyces coelicolor produces spore‐forming aerial hyphae after a period of vegetative growth. These aerial structures are decorated with a hydrophobic coating of rodlets consisting of chaplins and rodlins. Here we show that rodlins and the surface‐active peptide SapB are essential for development during growth in a medium with high osmolarity. To this end, both vegetative and aerial hyphae secrete SapB, whereas rodlins are only secreted by the spore‐forming aerial hyphae.© 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved (Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters)
Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Wouter JongErik VijgenboomLubbert DijkhuizenHan A.B. WöstenDennis Claessen Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research

A strategy of gene overexpression based on tandem repetitive promoters in Escherichia coliEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The transcription strength of the MCPtacs promoter cluster can be greatly improved by increasing the tandem repeats number of the core-tac-promoter. By integrating the desired gene together with the MCPtacs promoter cluster into the chromosome of E. coli, we can achieve high and stale overexpression with only a small size. This strategy has an application potential in many fields and can be extended to other bacteria. (Source: Microbial Cell Factories)
Source: Microbial Cell Factories - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Mingji LiJunshu WangYanping GengYikui LiQian WangQuanfeng LiangQingsheng Qi Source Type: research

The roles of biofilm matrix polysaccharide Psl in mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilmsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this report, by using a variety of mutants in a mucoid P. aeruginosa background, we found that deletion of Psl‐encoding genes dramatically decreased their biofilm formation ability, indicating that Psl is also a critical matrix component of mucoid biofilms. Our data also suggest that the overproduction of alginate leads to mucoid biofilms, which occupy more space, whereas Psl‐dependent biofilms are densely packed. These data suggest that Psl polysaccharide may have significant contributions in biofilm persistence in CF patients and may be helpful for designing therapies for P. aeruginosa CF infection.© 2012 Federat...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Luyan MaShiwei WangDi WangMatthew R. ParsekDaniel J. Wozniak Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research

Diversity and distribution of sulphate‐reducing bacteria in human faeces from healthy subjects and patients with inflammatory bowel diseaseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AbstractThe relative abundance of different groups of sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) in faecal DNA collected before and after therapy from patients suffering with Crohn's disease (CD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or ulcerative colitis (UC) has been compared with that from healthy controls. Growth tests revealed that SRB were not more abundant in samples from CD patients before treatment than in the healthy control group. For most of the 128 samples available, these preliminary results were confirmed using degenerate PCR primers that amplify the dsrAB gene. However, some samples from CD patients before treatment contai...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Wenjing JiaRebekah N. WhiteheadLesley GriffithsClaire DawsonHao BaiRosemary H. WaringDavid B. RamsdenJohn O. HunterMichael CauchiConrad BessantDawn P. FowlerChristopher WaltonClaire TurnerJeffrey A. Cole Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Polysaccharides serve as scaffold of biofilms formed by mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AbstractChronic lung infection by mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the major pathologic features in patients with cystic fibrosis. Mucoid P. aeruginosa is notorious for its biofilm forming capability and resistance to immune attacks. In the present study, the roles of extracellular polymeric substances from biofilms formed by mucoid P. aeruginosa were investigated. Alginate is not an essential structure component for mucoid P. aeruginosa biofilms. Genetic studies revealed that Pel and Psl polysaccharides serve as essential scaffold and mediate macrocolony formation in mucoid P. aeruginosa biofilms. The Psl polysacch...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Liang YangWang HengzhuangHong WuSøren Damkiær PedersenNicholas JochumsenZhijun SongMichael GivskovNiels HøibySøren Molin Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Pathogenesis and treatment concepts of orthopaedic biofilm infectionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AbstractImplant‐associated infection is caused by surface adhering bacteria persisting as biofilm. Periprosthetic joint infection is difficult to diagnose and to treat. The high susceptibility of implanted devices to infection is due to a locally acquired host defense defect, and persistence is mainly due to the rapid formation of a biofilm resistant to host defense and antimicrobial agents. Successful treatment of periprosthetic joint infection requires the optimal surgical procedure combined with long‐term antimicrobial therapy directed against surface‐adhering microorganisms. Surgical treatment according to an alg...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Werner ZimmerliClaus Moser Tags: MiniReview Source Type: research

Virulence Strategies of the Dominant USA300 Lineage of Community Associated Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA‐MRSA)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AbstractMethicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a serious threat to worldwide health. Historically, MRSA clones have strictly been associated with hospital settings and most hospital‐associated MRSA (HA‐MRSA) disease resulted from a limited number of virulent clones. Recently, MRSA has spread into the community causing disease in otherwise healthy people with no discernible contact with healthcare environments. These community‐associated (CA‐MRSA) are phylogenetically distinct from traditional HA‐MRSA clones and CA‐MRSA strains seem to exhibit hyper virulence and more efficient host:host tran...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Lance R. ThurlowGauri S. JoshiAnthony R. Richardson Tags: MiniReview Source Type: research

Protective Role of α‐galactosylceramide Stimulated Natural killer T cells in Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia muridarumEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we used α‐galactosylceramide (α‐Galcer), a specific ligand of NKT cells, to enhance NKT response and examine its effect on host defense against genital tract Chlamydia muridarum infection. The results showed that α‐Galcer treatment before infection led to reduced pathological changes and bacterial burden in the genital tract. Moreover, α‐Galcer‐treated mice showed greater local Th1 cytokine production (interferon γ [IFN‐γ] and interleukin 12 [IL‐12]) in local lymph node cells and genital tissues following challenge infection than untreated mice. Moreover, mice treated with α‐Galcer sho...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Hong WangLei ZhaoYing PengJuan LiuMei QiQiang ChenXi YangWeiming Zhao Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Ichthyophthirius multifiliis as a potential vector of Edwardsiella ictaluri in channel catfishEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study demonstrated that Ich could vector E. ictaluri to channel catfish.© 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved (Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters)
Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: De‐Hai XuCraig A. ShoemakerPhillip H. Klesius Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research

Title: The lipoprotein components of the Isd and Hts transport systems are dispensable for acquisition of heme by Staphylococcus aureus.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AbstractHeme is a key molecule for Staphylococcus aureus and is involved in many aspects of oxidative metabolism. Crucially, heme is required for the activity of the cytochromes of the electron transport chain. S. aureus is able to obtain heme either through biosynthesis or through acquisition from the host. Clinically persistent ‘small colony variant’ (SCV) forms of S. aureus are frequently deficient for heme biosynthesis, and disruption of the hemB gene produces stable heme auxotrophic strains that reproduce many SCV phenotypes. We sought to address the role of heme transport in SCVs by deleting components of the two...
Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: John A. WrightSean P. Nair Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research

Genomic screening for Chlamydophila pneumoniae‐specific antigens using serum samples from patients with primary infectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AbstractChlamydophila pneumoniae, an obligate intracellular human pathogen, causes respiratory tract infections. The most common techniques used for the serological diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infections are microimmunofluorescence tests and commercial serological ELISA tests; these are based on the detection of antibodies against whole chlamydial elementary bodies and lipopolysaccharide/outer membrane protein, respectively. Identification of more specific and highly immunodominant antigens is essential for the development of new serodiagnostic assays. To identify novel specific antigens from C. pneumoniae, we screened 455 ...
Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Yumiko YasuiIzumi YanatoriYasuhiro KawaiKoshiro MiuraYoshinori SuminamiTomomitsu HirotaMayumi TamariKazunobu OuchiFumio Kishi Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research

Polymorphic DNA sequences of the fungal honey bee pathogen Ascosphaera apisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
AbstractThe pathogenic fungus Ascosphaera apis is ubiquitous in honey bee populations. We used the draft genome assembly of this pathogen to search for polymorphic intergenic loci that could be used to differentiate haplotypes. Primers were developed for five such loci, and the species‐specificities were verified using DNA from nine closely related species. The sequence variation was compared among 12 A. apis isolates at each of these loci, and two additional loci, the internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal RNA (ITS) and a variable part of the elongation factor 1α (Ef1α). The degree of variation was then compared...
Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Annette B. JensenDennis L. WelkerPer KrygerRosalind R. James Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research

Lipase A gene transcription in Pseudomonas alcaligenes is under control of RNA polymerase σ54 and response regulator LipR#Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study further analyzes lipA gene expression and demonstrates that the RNA polymerase σ54 is involved in the transcription. Purified LipR has an ATPase activity that is stimulated by presence of lipA promoter DNA. Surface plasmon resonance measurements with purified and in vitro phosphoryled LipR reveal that phosphorylation of LipR is required for specific binding to the upstream activating sequence of the lipA promoter. Furthermore, mass spectrometric analysis combined with mutagenesis demonstrates that Asp52 is the phosphorylated aspartate. This analysis exposes LipR as a prominent member of the growing family of ba...
Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters - February 6, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Joanna KrzeslakEvelina PapaioannouRonald MerkerkKrisztina A. PaalRainer BischoffRobbert H. CoolWim J. Quax Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research

A structural motif is the recognition site for a new family of bacterial protein O‐glycosyltransferasesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
SummaryThe Escherichia coli Adhesin Involved in Diffuse Adherence (AIDA‐I) is a multifunctional protein that belongs to the family of monomeric autotransporters. This adhesin can be glycosylated by the AIDA‐associated heptosyltransferase (Aah). Glycosylation appears to be restricted to the extracellular domain of AIDA‐I, which comprises imperfect repeats of a 19‐amino‐acid consensus sequence and is predicted to form a β‐helix. Here, we show that Aah homologues can be found in many Gram‐negative bacteria, including Citrobacter rodentium. We demonstrated that an AIDA‐like protein is glycosylated in this spec...
Source: Molecular Microbiology - February 5, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Marie‐Ève CharbonneauJean‐Philippe CôtéM. Florencia HauratBela ReizSébastien CrépinFrédéric BerthiaumeCharles M. DozoisMario F. FeldmanMichael Mourez Source Type: research

Peter Seeberger: we can treat malaria for lessEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Artemisinin is the most effective malaria treatment yet discovered. Peter Seeberger has found a way to to make it from the waste products of its current manufactureArtemisinin, a drug extracted from the sweet wormwood plant, is the most effective treatment for malaria ever discovered. Every year, millions of doses of artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) are donated to Africa and Asia, greatly reducing the worldwide burden of the parasitical disease. But extracting artemisinin is expensive and because it takes time to cultivate the plant there are often bottlenecks in supply.But Peter H Seeberger, the director of the Ma...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - February 4, 2012 Category: Science Authors: Mark Honigsbaum Tags: Malaria Medical research Chemistry Infectious diseases Microbiology Science The Observer Features Interviews Technology Source Type: news

Seeing visions: Science's annual visual challenge – in picturesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Our pick of the most alluring and innovative entries to the 2011 International Science & Engineering Visual Challenge (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - February 3, 2012 Category: Science Tags: Microbiology Cancer Mathematics Chemistry Science prizes Photography Education guardian.co.uk Editorial Source Type: news

Chemical Double Act Triggers Spreading Of SporesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Microbiology: Together, two molecules help fungi figure out when to release spores (Source: Chemical and Engineering News)
Source: Chemical and Engineering News - February 3, 2012 Category: Chemistry Authors: Katharine Sanderson Source Type: research

Postoperative spondilodiscitisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions  Appropriate management requires aggressive medical treatment and, at times, surgical intervention. If recognised early and treated appropriately, a full recovery can often be expected. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of the clinical presentation of such infections to improve patient outcome. A review of the literature was done to advance our understanding of the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and outcome of these infections. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Review ArticlePages 1-6DOI 10.1007/s00264-011-1442-0Authors Antoine Gerometta, Spine Services, Lenox Hill Hospital, 130...
Source: International Orthopaedics - February 3, 2012 Category: Orthopaedics Tags: International Orthopaedics Source Type: research

Role of Glucose and Amino Acids in Metabolism of Pneumococci [Metabolism]Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, this study demonstrates the dual utilization of carbohydrates and amino acids under in vitro conditions and identifies the unconventional de novo biosynthesis of serine by pneumococci. (Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry)
Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry - February 3, 2012 Category: Chemistry Authors: Hartel, T., Eylert, E., Schulz, C., Petruschka, L., Gierok, P., Grubmuller, S., Lalk, M., Eisenreich, W., Hammerschmidt, S. Tags: Microbiology Source Type: research

Regulation of Myb by Cdk2 in Giardia [Microbiology]Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The protozoan Giardia lamblia parasitizes the human small intestine to cause diseases. It undergoes differentiation into infectious cysts by responding to intestinal stimulation. How the activated signal transduction pathways relate to encystation stimulation remain largely unknown. During encystation, genes encoding cyst wall proteins (CWPs) are coordinately up-regulated by a Myb2 transcription factor. Because cell differentiation is linked to cell cycle regulation, we tried to understand the role of cell cycle regulators, cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks), in encystation. We found that the recombinant Myb2 was phosphorylat...
Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry - February 3, 2012 Category: Chemistry Authors: Cho, C.-C., Su, L.-H., Huang, Y.-C., Pan, Y.-J., Sun, C.-H. Tags: Signal Transduction Source Type: research

Silver‐coated endotracheal tube versus non‐coated endotracheal tube for preventing ventilator‐associated pneumonia among adults: A systematic review of randomized controlled trialsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: The limited evidence from meta‐analysis of two RCTs showed that using silver‐coated ETTs reduced the incidence of VAP, microbiologic burden, and device‐related adverse events among adult patients. Additional rigorous randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings. (Source: Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine)
Source: Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine - February 3, 2012 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Xiao LiQiang YuanLi WangLiang DuLijing Deng Tags: ORIGINAL Source Type: research

Removing Hexazinone from Groundwater with Microbial Bioreactors.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Hexazinone, a triazine herbicide that is often detected as a ground and surface water contaminant, inhibits electron transport in photosynthetic organisms and is toxic to primary producers that serve as the base of the food chain. This laboratory study evaluated the ability of two types of microbial reactors, i.e., a vegetable oil-based nitrogen-limiting biobarrier and an aerobic slow sand filter, as methods for removing hexazinone from simulated groundwater. The N-limiting biobarriers degraded hexazinone, but did so with a 52 week incubation period and a removal efficiency that varied greatly among repli...
Source: Current Microbiology - February 3, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Hunter WJ, Shaner DL Tags: Curr Microbiol Source Type: research

High Growth Rate Downregulates fumA mRNA Transcription but Is Dramatically Compensated by Its mRNA Stability in Escherichia coli.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study demonstrates that increasing growth rate (k) from 0.24/h to 0.96/h causes a marked eightfold reduction in fumA transcription as assessed using the β-galactosidase activity from fumA promoter fused with a lacZ reporter. It was further confirmed using Northern blot analysis. Most interestingly, the FumA protein levels remained unchanged over the growth rate, as indicated by Western blot analysis. Therefore, whether the reduced fumA mRNA expression under the high growth rate can be overcome by increasing the stability of the fumA mRNA was tested. The half-life of fumA mRNA was established to significantly increase...
Source: Current Microbiology - February 3, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Lin HH, Lin CH, Hwang SM, Tseng CP Tags: Curr Microbiol Source Type: research

Komagataella populi sp. nov. and Komagataella ulmi sp. nov., two new methanol assimilating yeasts from exudates of deciduous trees.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Two new species of the methanol assimilating ascosporic yeast genus Komagataella are described. Komagataella populi sp. nov. (NRRL YB-455, CBS 12362, type strain, MycoBank accession number = 564110) was isolated from an exudate on a cottonwood tree (Populus deltoides), Peoria, Illinois, USA, and Komagataella ulmi sp. nov. (NRRL YB-407, CBS 12361, type strain, MycoBank accession number = 564111) was isolated from the exudate on an elm tree (Ulmus americana), also growing in Peoria, Illinois. The species were resolved from divergence in gene sequences for domains D...
Source: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek - February 3, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Kurtzman CP Tags: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek Source Type: research

Deciphering the role of Paenibacillus strain Q8 in the organic matter recycling in the acid mine drainage of CarnoulesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: AMDs have been studied for years especially with regard to interactions between bacteria and the inorganic compartment hosting them. To date, no study reported the role of microorganisms in the recycling of the organic matter. The present work suggests that the strain Q8 might play an important role in the community by recycling the scarce organic matter (cellulose, hemicellulose, starch...), especially when the conditions change. Furthermore, function-based screening of a Q8 DNA library allowed to assign an amylolytic function to a gene previously unknown. AMDs could be considered as a reservoir of genes with...
Source: Microbial Cell Factories - February 3, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Francois DelavatVincent PhalipAnne ForsterMarie-Claire LettDidier Lievremont Source Type: research

Transcriptome profiling of a curdlan-producing Agrobacterium reveals conserved regulatory mechanisms of exopolysaccharide biosynthesisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: This study identifies several mechanisms regulating the synthesis of curdlan, an EPS with numerous applications. These mechanisms are potential metabolic engineering targets for improving the industrial production of curdlan from Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749. Furthermore, many of the genes identified in this study are highly conserved across microbial genomes, and we propose that the molecular elements identified in this study may serve as universal regulators of microbial EPS synthesis. (Source: Microbial Cell Factories)
Source: Microbial Cell Factories - February 3, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Anne RuffingRachel Ruizhen Chen Source Type: research

Starmerella bombicola influences the metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase level during mixed wine fermentationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: In mixed fermentation, S. bombicola immobilized cells greatly affected the fermentation behavior of S. cerevisiae and the analytical composition of wine. The influence of S. bombicola on S. cerevisiae was not limited to a simple additive contribution. Indeed, its presence caused metabolic modifications during S. cerevisiae fermentation causing variation in the gene expression and enzymatic activity of alcohol deydrogenase and pyruvate decarboxilase. (Source: Microbial Cell Factories)
Source: Microbial Cell Factories - February 3, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Vesna MilanovicMaurizio CianiLucia OroFrancesca Comitini Source Type: research

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis E Virus infection in rural and urban populations, TunisiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of HEV infection in Tunisian adult general population, either in blood donors (n=687) or in patients hospitalised for acute hepatitis (n=202). The mode of transmission differed between these two populations: contact with animals and living in rural habitat were the main risk factors of being in contact with HEV in asymptomatic blood donors, while HEV was contracted through contaminated water in symptomatic cases. HEV seroprevalence in adult blood donors in Tunisia was relatively low (5.4%) and increased with age.© 2012 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection ...
Source: Clinical Microbiology and Infection - February 3, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Neffati HoucineRitter JacquesFeki SalmaDron Anne‐GaëlleSlim AminHassine MohsenBraham HamadiRamiere ChristopheAndre PatriceAouni MahjoubScholtes Caroline Source Type: research

Carbapenemase‐producing Enterobacteriaceae: A call for action!Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Clinical Microbiology and Infection)
Source: Clinical Microbiology and Infection - February 3, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Patrice Nordmann Giuseppe Cornaglia Source Type: research

Ultrahigh-resolution full-field optical coherence tomography using spatial coherence gating and quasi-monochromatic illuminationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We developed an ultrahigh-resolution full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT) microscope that is based on the spatial, rather than the temporal, coherence gating. The microscope is capable of observing three-dimensional microbiological structures as small as ... (Source: Optics Letters)
Source: Optics Letters - February 3, 2012 Category: Physics Authors: Avner Safrani Ibrahim Abdulhalim Source Type: research

Detection of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase in Enterobacter spp.– Evaluation of Six Phenotypic TestsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Microbial Drug Resistance Feb 2012, Vol. 18, No. 1: 66-70. (Source: Microbial Drug Resistance)
Source: Microbial Drug Resistance - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Tags: article Source Type: research

Peritonitis in recent years: clinical findings and predictors of treatment response of 170 episodes at a single Brazilian centerEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions  The current clinical characteristics and outcome suggest a greater severity of peritonitis episodes and higher risk of death, possibly due to bacterial resistance. Older age is a risk factor for death. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Nephrology – Original PaperPages 1-9DOI 10.1007/s11255-011-0107-7Authors Luiz Gustavo Oliveira, Department of Internal Medicine, Botucatu Medical School, Sao Paulo State University-UNESP, Botucatu, Sao Paulo 18618-970, BrazilJuliana Luengo, Department of Internal Medicine, Botucatu Medical School, Sao Paulo State University-UNESP, Botucatu, Sao Paulo 1...
Source: International Urology and Nephrology - February 2, 2012 Category: Urology & Nephrology Tags: International Urology and Nephrology Source Type: research

Circulating concentrations, cerebral output of the CINC-1 and blood–brain barrier disruption in Wistar rats after pneumococcal meningitis inductionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract  Pneumococcal meningitis is a severe infectious illness of the central nervous system (CNS), with high rates of lethality and morbidity, being that the microorganism and the host’s inflammatory response are responsible for cerebral complications. Moreover, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) itself secretes cytokines and, because of the bipolar nature of the BBB, these substances can be secreted into either the CNS compartment or in the blood, so patients with acute bacterial meningitis frequently develop sepsis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the cytokine/chemokine levels in differen...
Source: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Tags: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Source Type: research

Manuka Honey Could Be The Answer For Treating And Preventing Wound InfectionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Manuka honey could help clear chronic wound infections and even prevent them from developing in the first place, according to a new study published in Microbiology. The findings provide further evidence for the clinical use of manuka honey to treat bacterial infections in the face of growing antibiotic resistance. Streptococcus pyogenes is a normal skin bacterium that is frequently associated with chronic (non-healing) wounds. Bacteria that infect wounds can clump together forming 'biofilms', which form a barrier to drugs and promotes chronic infection... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
Source: Health News from Medical News Today - February 2, 2012 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses Source Type: news

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of adult patients hospitalized for erysipelas and cellulitisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract  The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the clinical and epidemiological aspects of all cases of erysipelas and infectious cellulitis admitted to a tertiary hospital during a period of five years. All patients admitted with the main diagnosis of erysipelas or cellulitis to the Department of Dermatology of the author’s institution from January 2005 to May 2010 were included. Seventy patients were identified and their medical records were retrospectively reviewed so as to record the epidemiological and clinical data. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to analyze variables ...
Source: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Tags: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Source Type: research

Lipooligosaccharide locus classes are associated with certain Campylobacter jejuni multilocus sequence typesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract  The lipooligosaccharide (LOS) locus class was determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 335 Finnish Campylobacter jejuni strains isolated from humans, poultry and bovines with known multilocus sequence types. The results revealed an association between clonal complexes/sequence types (STs) and LOS locus classes. Based on these results, we further predicted the LOS locus classes distribution among the STs of 209 additional C. jejuni strains from Finnish human domestically acquired infections. Non-sialylated LOS locus classes were associated with STs that comprised ≈55% of patient strains. ...
Source: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Tags: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Source Type: research

Gastro-enteritis caused by Campylobacter concisus: case report and short review of literature.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We describe a case of gastro-enteritis caused by Campylobacter concisus. The pathogenic potential of C. concisus has yet to be elucidated. Recent studies indicate an association with enteric disease in immunocompromised and inflammatory bowel disease in children. Molecular identification methods may be necessary for identifying certain Campylobacter species because of phenotypic similarity. PMID: 22301611 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology)
Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Hess DL, Pettersson AM, Rijnsburger MC, Herbrink P, van den Berg HP, Ang CW Tags: J Med Microbiol Source Type: research

Kytococcus shroeteri endocarditis successfully managed with daptomycin; a case report and review of the literature.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We report on the first case of K. shroeteri endocarditis to be treated successfully by daptomycin and review the published literature of K. shroeteri endocarditis. There is no published daptomycin susceptibility data for Kytococcus and additional work was carried out on six other isolates stored at the Laboratory of HealthCare Associated Infections (LHCAI), Health Protection Agency (HPA) Centre for Infections, Colindale, London. PMID: 22301612 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology)
Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Liu J, Jenkins D, Malnick H, Kovac J, Szostek J Tags: J Med Microbiol Source Type: research

Interaction of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia thailandensis with human monocyte derived dendritic cells.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease endemic in areas of southeast Asia and northern Australia, and is classed as a CDC category B select agent. Factors which determine whether host infection is achieved or if disease is chronic or acute are unknown but the type of host immune response mounted is important. B. pseudomallei can replicate within macrophages, causing them to multinucleate. In light of the common lineage of macrophages with dendritic cells (DCs), and the role played by DCs in orchestration of the immune response, we investigated the interaction of a variet...
Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Horton R, Morisson NA, Beacham IR, Peak IR Tags: J Med Microbiol Source Type: research

Qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of Lactobacillus species in vagina of healthy fertile and postmenopausal Chinese women.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, this study provided detailed information on Lactobacillus species colonizing the vagina of healthy Chinese fertile and postmenopausal women. The study also showed that the diversity of Lactobacillus species in fertile women was higher than in postmenopausal women. According to our study, different techniques such as species-specific PCR and clone library resulted in different findings regarding species prevalence. This fact lightens the importance of standardization of techniques used for evaluation of bacterial communities. According to our findings regarding species associations, L. iners and L. gasseri ma...
Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Zhang R, Daroczy K, Xiao B, Yu L, Chen R, Liao Q Tags: J Med Microbiol Source Type: research

Multidrug-Resistant, NAP2 Clostridium difficile was the Predominant Toxigenic, Hospital-Acquired Strain in the Province of Manitoba, Canada in 2006-2007.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The objective of the current study was to determine if the antimicrobial susceptibility profile or genotype of hospital-acquired isolates of Clostridium difficile differed from isolates causing community-acquired disease. Five hundred diarrheal stool samples (>2 ml, one sample per patient) from patients across Manitoba, Canada in 2006-2007 that were reported as C. difficile toxin-positive were cultured and resulted in 432 isolates of toxin-positive C. difficile for analysis. Of the 432 isolates, acquisition status could be determined for 235 (54.4%) isolates; 182 (77.4%) were hospital-acquired and 53 (22.6%) were commun...
Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Karlowsky J, Zhanel G, Hammond G, Rubinstein E, Wylie J, Du T, Mulvey M, Alfa M Tags: J Med Microbiol Source Type: research

Persistent Helicobacter pullorum colonization in C57BL/6NTac mice: A new mouse model for an emerging zoonosis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Abstract Helicobacter pullorum, an enterohepatic Helicobacter species, is associated with gastroenteritis and hepatobiliary disease in humans and chickens. Recently a novel H. pullorum outbreak in barrier-maintained rats and mice was described. We further evaluated persistence of infection and serologic response in H. pullorum-infected female C57BL/6NTac and C3H/HeNTac mice obtained from the barrier outbreak. C57BL/6NTac mice (n=36) aged 10 to 58 weeks were confirmed to be chronically infected with H. pullorum by PCR or culture of cecum, colon and feces, with no evidence of hepatic infection; 2 of 3 C3H/HeNTac clea...
Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Turk ML, Cacioppo LD, Ge Z, Shen Z, Whary MT, Parry N, Boutin SR, Klein HJ, Fox JG Tags: J Med Microbiol Source Type: research

Garlic ointment inhibits biofilm formation by bacterial pathogens from burn wounds.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we utilized our recently-developed in vitro wound biofilm model to examine the antibiofilm activity of garlic (Allium sativum). Wound pathogens were inoculated on sterile cellulose disks, exposed to formulated garlic ointment (GarO) or ointment base, and incubated to allow biofilm development. Biofilms were quantified and visualized microscopically. GarO prevented biofilm development by Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae; and reduced the bioburden within Enterococcus faecalis biofilms by 2 to 5 logs. Additionally, GarO disrupted p...
Source: Journal of Medical Microbiology - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Nidadavolu P, Amor W, Tran PL, Dertien J, Colmer-Hamood J, Hamood AN Tags: J Med Microbiol Source Type: research

Carriage of encapsulated bacteria in Gabonese children with sickle cell anemiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, carriage and resistance rates are similar in children with and without SCA. Our data provide the basis to guide empiric therapy of invasive diseases caused by S. pneumoniae, S. aureus and H. influenza in children in Gabon. (Source: Clinical Microbiology and Infection)
Source: Clinical Microbiology and Infection - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: F. SchaumburgB. BiallasE. Ngoune FeugapA. S. AlabiB. MordmüllerP. G. KremsnerM. P. GrobuschB. LellM. van der LindenG. PetersA. A. Adegnika Source Type: research

Hsp33 confers bleach resistance by protecting elongation factor Tu against oxidative degradation in Vibrio choleraeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
SummaryThe redox‐regulated chaperone Hsp33 protects bacteria specifically against stress conditions that cause oxidative protein unfolding, such as treatment with bleach or exposure to peroxide at elevated temperatures. To gain insight into the mechanism by which expression of Hsp33 confers resistance to oxidative protein unfolding conditions, we made use of V. cholerae strain O395 lacking the Hsp33 gene hslO. We found that this strain, which is exquisitely bleach‐sensitive, displays a temperature‐sensitive (ts) phenotype during aerobic growth, implying that V. cholerae suffers from oxidative heat stress when cultiva...
Source: Molecular Microbiology - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Wei‐Yun WholeyUrsula Jakob Source Type: research

Aerial development in Streptomyces coelicolor requires sortase activityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
SUMMARYStreptomyces coelicolor is a multicellular bacterium whose life cycle encompasses three differentiated states: vegetative hyphae, aerial hyphae and spores. Amongst the factors required for aerial development are the ‘chaplins’, a family of eight secreted proteins that coat the surface of aerial hyphae. Three chaplins (the ‘long’ chaplins, ChpA, B and C) possess an LAXTG‐containing C‐terminal sorting signal and are predicted sortase substrates. The five remaining ‘short’ chaplins are presumed to be associated with the cell surface through interactions with the long chaplins. We show here that two sort...
Source: Molecular Microbiology - February 2, 2012 Category: Microbiology Authors: Andrew DuongDavid S. CapstickChristina Di BerardoKim C. FindlayAndrew HeskethHee‐Jeon HongMarie A. Elliot Source Type: research