FEMS Immunology and Medical MicrobiologyThis is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.

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Detection of Staphylococcus lugdunensis by a new species-specific PCR based on the fbl geneEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Staphylococcus lugdunensis are unusually virulent coagulase-negative staphylococci associated with skin infections and endocarditis. We developed an accurate and simple PCR assay to identify S. lugdunensis isolates based on detection of the fbl gene, which encodes a fibrinogen-binding protein involved in pathogen adhesion. The PCR assay was established using 16 reference strains of different Staphylococcus species and further validated with a collection of 63 clinical staphylococcal isolates that were also phenotypically characterized. Reliable results for the detection of S. lugdunensis isolates were obtained for 100% of ...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - November 13, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Eliezer M. Pereira, Fred L.F. Oliveira, Ricardo P. Schuenck, Gustavo O. Zoletti, Kátia R.N. dos Santos Source Type: journals

Intranasal immunization with GBS surface protein Sip and ScpB induces specific mucosal and systemic immune responses in miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we constructed and expressed the two proteins, and investigated their specific mucosal immune responses against GBS induced by intranasal immunization with cholera toxin (CT) and CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODNs). Intranasal immunization with different doses of recombinant Sip and ScpB all elicited specific antibodies in serum and vagina of mice. A combination of rSip and rScpB with either CT or CpG-ODN elicited specific antibodies in serum and vaginal samples. Th1 responses were enhanced by CpG and CT. Sera from the mice group intranasally immunized with rSip+CT, rScpB+CT, rSip+rScpB+CT, and rSip+rScpB+C...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - November 12, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Guanhua Xue, Lihua Yu, Shentao Li, Xuzhuang Shen Source Type: journals

Doxycyline inhibits mononuclear cell-mediated connective tissue breakdownEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we show that doxycycline, originally developed as a broad-spectrum tetracycline antibiotic (and, more recently, as a nonantimicrobial therapy for chronic inflammatory periodontal and skin diseases), can inhibit extracellular matrix degradation in cell culture mediated by human peripheral blood-derived monocytes/macrophages. The mechanisms include downregulation of cytokines and MMP-9 protein levels and the inhibition of the activities of both collagenase and MMP-9. These pleiotropic, but nonantibiotic, effects of doxycycline explain, at least in part, its therapeutic potential for various chronic inflammator...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - November 11, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Ying Gu, Hsi-Ming Lee, Timo Sorsa, Sanford R. Simon, Lorne M. Golub Source Type: journals

Highly expressed genes in a rough-colony-forming phenotype of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans: implication of a mip-like gene for the invasion of host tissueEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we aimed to identify highly expressed genes in the rough-colony-forming phenotype for isolation of host-induced genes. Using a cDNA-subtractive hybridization technique, three genes, homologous to a macrophage infectivity potentiator gene (mip), peroxiredoxin gene (prx) and outer membrane protein gene (ompA), were identified. The expression levels of these genes in the rough-colony-forming phenotype were 4[ndash]10-fold higher as compared with the smooth-colony-forming phenotype. Attention was focused on the mip-like gene, and a recombinant protein and a deficient mutant were constructed. The recombinant prot...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - November 10, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Takemasa Maeda, Hiroshi Maeda, Kokoro Yamabe, Junji Mineshiba, Ichiro Tanimoto, Tadashi Yamamoto, Koji Naruishi, Susumu Kokeguchi, Shogo Takashiba Source Type: journals

Fitness study of the RDRio lineage and Latin American–Mediterranean family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the city of Rio Grande, BrazilEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
RDRio is a novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage of the Latin American[ndash]Mediterranean (LAM) family. LAM has been found worldwide but is more predominant in South America. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of the RDRio lineage and LAM family in the city of Rio Grande, Brazil, and to investigate the fitness of these strains based on determination of their growth rate. Fifty clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis were genotyped and 43 different patterns were found by spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units[ndash]variable number of tandem repeats. The predominant genotypes belonged to...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - November 3, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Andrea Von Groll, Anandi Martin, Carolina Felix, Pedro Fernandes Sanmartin Prata, Günther Honscha, Françoise Portaels, Peter Vandame, Pedro Eduardo Almeida da Silva, Juan Carlos Palomino Source Type: journals

In vitro and in vivo interactions between fluconazole and allicin against clinical isolates of fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans determined by alternative methodsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A checkerboard microdilution method, performed according to the recommendations of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, was used to study the in vitro interaction of fluconazole and allicin in 24 fluconazole-resistant clinical isolates of Candida albicans, one experimentally induced strain S-1, and one ATCC type strain 10231. The interaction intensity was determined by spectrophotometric methods and visual reading of the checkerboard assay, and the nature of the interactions was assessed using two nonparametric approaches [fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) and [Delta]E models]. Synergism...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 30, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Na Guo, Xiuping Wu, Lu Yu, Jingbo Liu, Rizeng Meng, Jing Jin, Huijun Lu, Xuelin Wang, Shuhan Yan, Xuming Deng Source Type: journals

Identification of seroreactive proteins in the culture filtrate antigen of Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis human isolates to sera from Crohn's disease patientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, culture filtrate (CF) proteins from MAP isolates were tested with sera from CD patients and healthy controls in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibody produced by seven CD patients reacted differently according to the antigen source: strong reactivity was seen to H-MAP CF, but not to B-MAP CF. Six proteins, ModD, PepA, transaldolase, EchA9, MAP2120c, and MAP2950c, in H-MAP CF reacting specifically with CD patient sera were identified by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-MS. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that ModD and PepA were the same proteins reacting with sera from cattle infect...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 28, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: A-Rum Shin, Hwa-Jung Kim, Sang Nae Cho, Michael T. Collins, Elizabeth J.B. Manning, Saleh A. Naser, Sung Jae Shin Source Type: journals

Molecular characterization of poliovirus isolates from children who contracted vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) following administration of monovalent type 3 oral poliovirus vaccine in the 1960s in HungaryEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hungarian children were immunized with monovalent oral poliovaccine (mOPV) delivered at 6-week intervals in the order Sabin 1, Sabin 3, Sabin 2, from 1959 until 1992. During that period, 90 cases of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) were reported, 52 of which were associated with Sabin 3-related virus (76% of VAPP cases with virologic data). Because of renewed interest in type 3 mOPV (mOPV3), molecular methods were used to reanalyze 18 of the Sabin 3-related isolates from 15 VAPP patients, confirming the original identification. All isolates had the U472C 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) substitution associa...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 23, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Beatrix Kapusinszky, Zsuzsanna Molnár, Katalin N. Szomor, György Berencsi Source Type: journals

Complementary medicinal chemistry-driven strategies toward new antitrypanosomal and antileishmanial lead drug candidatesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Trypanosomiases and Leishmaniases are neglected tropical diseases that affect the less developed countries. For this reason, they did not and still do not have high visibility in Western societies. The name neglected diseases also refers to the fact that they often received little interest at the level of public investment, research and development. The drug discovery scenario, however, is changing dramatically. After a period in which different socioeconomic factors have prevented massive research efforts in this field, such efforts have increased considerably in the very recent years, with significant scientific advancem...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 20, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Andrea Cavalli, Federica Lizzi, Salvatore Bongarzone, Federica Belluti, Lorna Piazzi, Maria Laura Bolognesi Source Type: journals

QuantiFERON-TB GOLD ELISA assay for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens in blood specimens of HIV-positive patients in a high-burden countryEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study evaluated the use of the QuantiFERON-TB GOLD enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in a high HIV/TB burden setting in an ARV clinic at the Tshwane District Hospital, South Africa. The sensitivity and specificity of the QF assay in the clinic were 30% (9/30) and 63% (19/30), respectively, when compared with the gold standard culture results. Analysis also suggested that the sensitivity of the QuantiFERON assay is determined by a limiting patient CD4 value between 150 and 200. (Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology)
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 16, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Chrisna Veldsman, Marleen M. Kock, Theresa Rossouw, Martin Nieuwoudt, Mark Maeurer, Anwar A. Hoosen, Marthie M. Ehlers Source Type: journals

Functional and molecular characterization of pSE34 encoding a type IV secretion system in Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis phage type 34Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis infection remains a serious public health threat to humans. Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 4 (PT4) is a clone that has already caused a global pandemic for years. To investigate why PT34 becomes a subdominantly emerging phage type, molecular characterizations, including serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), phage typing, and plasmid profiling, were carried out on PT34. The results indicated that relative to PT4, PT34 contained an additional 32-kb DNA segment in PFGE and a 33-kb plasmid pSE34 in plasmid profiling. Southern blot hybridization showed that the DNA segm...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 10, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Chyi-Liang Chen, Chen-Yu Wang, Chishih Chu, Lin-Hui Su, Cheng-Hsun Chiu Source Type: journals

Siderocalin inhibits the intracellular replication of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in macrophagesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Siderocalin is a secreted protein that binds to siderophores to prevent bacterial iron acquisition. While it has been shown to inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) in extracellular cultures, its effect on this pathogen within macrophages is not clear. Here, we show that siderocalin expression is upregulated following M.tb infection of mouse macrophage cell lines and primary murine alveolar macrophages. Furthermore, siderocalin added exogenously as a recombinant protein or overexpressed in the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line inhibited the intracellular growth of the pathogen. A variant form of siderocalin, ...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 7, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Erin E. Johnson, Chittur V. Srikanth, Andreas Sandgren, Lynne Harrington, Estela Trebicka, Lijian Wang, Niels Borregaard, Megan Murray, Bobby J. Cherayil Source Type: journals

Deciphering the Leishmania exoproteome: what we know and what we can learnEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Parasitic protozoa of the genus Leishmania are the causative agents of leishmaniasis. Survival and transmission of these parasites in their different hosts require membrane-bound or extracellular factors to interact with and modify their host environments. Over the last decade, several approaches have been applied to study all the extracellular proteins exported by an organism at a particular time or stage in its life cycle and under defined conditions, collectively termed the secretome or the exoproteome. In this review, we focus on emerging data shedding light on the secretion mechanisms involved in the production of the...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 6, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Rosa Milagros Corrales, Denis Sereno, Françoise Mathieu-Daudé Source Type: journals

Structure-based virtual screening for novel inhibitors of Japanese encephalitis virus NS3 helicase/nucleoside triphosphataseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a significant cause of human morbidity and mortality throughout Asia and Africa. Vaccines have reduced the incidence of JE in some countries, but no specific antiviral therapy is currently available. The NS3 protein of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a multifunctional protein combining protease, helicase and nucleoside 5'-triphosphatase (NTPase) activities. The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of this protein has recently been solved using a roentgenographic method. This enabled structure-based virtual screening for novel inhibitors of JEV NS3 helicase/NTPase. The aim of the pres...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 5, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Agnieszka Kaczor, Dariusz Matosiuk Source Type: journals

The vaginal bacterial communities of Japanese women resemble those of women in other racial groupsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To determine whether different racial groups shared common types of vaginal microbiota, we characterized the composition and structure of vaginal bacterial communities in asymptomatic and apparently healthy Japanese women in Tokyo, Japan, and compared them with those of White and Black women from North America. The composition of vaginal communities was compared based on community profiles of terminal restriction fragments of 16S rRNA genes and phylogenetic analysis of cloned 16S rRNA gene sequences of the numerically dominant bacterial populations. The types of vaginal communities found in Japanese women were similar to t...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 3, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Xia Zhou, Melanie A. Hansmann, Catherine C. Davis, Haruo Suzuki, Celeste J. Brown, Ursel Schütte, Jacob D. Pierson, Larry J. Forney Source Type: journals

Correlation of parasitic load with interleukin-4 response in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania tropicaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We have established the association between parasite burden and localized immune response in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania tropica. Real-time PCR was used to measure parasitic load in tissue lesions of CL patients at the pretreatment (n=26) and at the post-treatment stage (n=10). Leishmania tropica was detected in all CL lesions with a mean value of 118 357 parasites g[minus]1 of dermal tissue. Following treatment, only one out of 10 patients showed residual parasites (100 parasites g[minus]1 tissue). Parasite load was high (mean, 306 000 parasites g[minus]1 tissue) in acute infections (ea...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 1, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Rajesh Kumar, Ram Awatar Bumb, Poonam Salotra Source Type: journals

Early production of tumor necrosis factor-α by Gr-1+ cells and its role in the host defense to pneumococcal infection in lungsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we elucidated the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-[alpha] in the host defense to pulmonary infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae and defined the cellular source of this cytokine at an early stage of infection. Administration of anti-TNF-[alpha] monoclonal antibody (mAb) resulted in the reduced accumulation of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs) and severe exacerbation of this infection. In a flow cytometric analysis, the intracellular expression of TNF-[alpha] was detected in Gr-1bright+ and Gr-1dull+ cells during the time intervals postinfection, and F4/80+ cells expressed intracellul...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - October 1, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Masumitsu Hatta, Natsuo Yamamoto, Akiko Miyazato, Naoto Ishii, Kiwamu Nakamura, Ken Inden, Tetsuji Aoyagi, Hiroyuki Kunishima, Yoichi Hirakata, Kazuo Suzuki, Mitsuo Kaku, Kazuyoshi Kawakami Source Type: journals

Medical significance and management of staphylococcal biofilmEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Biofilm is one of the important virulence factors of staphylococci that plays a role in many device-related infections such as native valve endocarditis, otitis media, urinary tract infections, cystic fibrosis, acute septic arthritis, etc. Biofilm is a microbially derived sessile community of microorganisms, developed either from single or multiple microorganisms. Formation of biofilm is a two-step process: adherence of cells to a surface and accumulation of cells to form multilayered cell clusters. A trademark of biofilm formation in staphylococci is the production of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin. In the formation...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 30, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Astha Agarwal, Kaleshwar Prasad Singh, Amita Jain Source Type: journals

Past, present and future directions in human genetic susceptibility to tuberculosisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The historical impression that tuberculosis was an inherited disorder has come full circle and substantial evidence now exists of the human genetic contribution to susceptibility to tuberculosis. This evidence has come from several whole-genome linkage scans, and numerous case-control association studies where the candidate genes were derived from the genome screens, animal models and hypotheses pertaining to the disease pathways. Although many of the associated genes have not been validated in all studies, the list of those that have been is growing, and includes NRAMP1, IFNG, NOS2A, MBL, VDR and some TLR. Certain of thes...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 24, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Marlo Möller, Erika de Wit, Eileen G. Hoal Source Type: journals

The mode of antistaphylococcal action of Eleutherine americanaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (anti-MRSA) activity and the possible mechanism of action of a crude extract from red bulbs of Eleutherine americana Merr. were investigated. The crude ethanolic extract from E. americana produced minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 62.5[ndash]1000 and 250 [mu]g mL[minus]1 against MRSA isolates and the reference strains, respectively. Treatment of S. aureus ATCC 27664 with a crude extract at 2MIC reduced the inoculum size by 5 log at 24 h compared with the control. The combined effect of the extract and 7.5% NaCl on the enterotoxin-producing ATCC strain resulted ...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 23, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Beatrice Olawumi Temilade Ifesan, Nantiya Joycharat, Supayang Piyawan Voravuthikunchai Source Type: journals

Cysteine peptidases from Phytomonas serpens: biochemical and immunological approachesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Phytomonas serpens, a phytoflagellate trypanosomatid, shares common antigens with Trypanosoma cruzi. In the present work, we compared the hydrolytic capability of cysteine peptidases in both trypanosomatids. Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes presented a 10-fold higher efficiency in hydrolyzing the cysteine peptidase substrate Z-Phe-Arg-AMC than P. serpens promastigotes. Moreover, two weak cysteine-type gelatinolytic activities were detected in P. serpens, while a strong 50-kDa cysteine peptidase was observed in T. cruzi. Cysteine peptidase activities were detected at twofold higher levels in the cytoplasmic fraction when com...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 22, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Camila G.R. Elias, Ana Carolina Aor, Roberta S. Valle, Claudia M. d'Avila-Levy, Marta H. Branquinha, André L.S. Santos Source Type: journals

Garlic blocks quorum sensing and attenuates the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that colonizes urinary catheters, forms biofilms, and is responsible for causing persistent and recurrent nosocomial catheter-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs). These infections show increased morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Quorum sensing in P. aeruginosa plays a key role in biofilm formation, virulence factor production and antimicrobial resistance. Because of emerging antimicrobial resistance in P. aeruginosa, there is a need to find an alternate nonantibiotic agent for the control of infections caused by this organism. In the present st...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 18, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Kusum Harjai, Ravi Kumar, Sukhvinder Singh Source Type: journals

Antibiofilm activity of coral-associated bacteria against different clinical M serotypes of Streptococcus pyogenesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study reveals the antibiofilm and QS inhibition property of CAB. (Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology)
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 17, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Ramalingam Thenmozhi, Paramasivam Nithyanand, Janarthanam Rathna, Shunmugiah Karutha Pandian Source Type: journals

Association between the −159C/T CD14 gene polymorphism and tuberculosis in a Korean populationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, the [minus]159TT CD14 genotypes were associated with tuberculosis development in Koreans. This association might be a result of the higher promoter activity of the [minus]159T allele, the higher level of sCD14, and the decreased interferon-[gamma] secretion in subjects with [minus]159TT genotypes. (Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology)
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 14, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Young Ae Kang, Hye Won Lee, Young Whan Kim, Sung Koo Han, Young-Soo Shim, Jae-Joon Yim Source Type: journals

Mokola virus involved in a human contact (South Africa)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This reported MOKV case was in a previously immunized cat. While the continual recovery of MOKV isolates in domestic cats is speculative of the existence of a reservoir host species among bats or rodents, the lack of protection with currently used vaccines is discussed and the need for biologicals with a wider spectrum of protection against this lyssavirus variant is highlighted. (Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology)
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 7, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Claude Sabeta, Lucille Blumberg, Jacobeth Miyen, Debra Mohale, Wonderful Shumba, Alex Wandeler Source Type: journals

Studies on the susceptibility of different culture morphotypes of Listeria monocytogenes to uptake and survival in human polymorphonuclear leukocytesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study demonstrated that atypical virulent filaments of Listeria monocytogenes (rough variant type II and designated FR for this study), isolated from clinical specimens or generated during exposure to pulsed-plasma gas discharge in liquids, were shown to be capable of survival when engulfed by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs). Factors shown to significantly influence the maximal respiratory burst response in PMNLs and survival of different internalized cell or filament forms of L. monocytogenes were bacterial strain, culture form, degree of opsonization (with and without the use of 10% serum) and composition...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 6, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Neil J. Rowan, Dominik Kirf, Paul Tomkins Source Type: journals

Contribution of macrophage secretory products to urovirulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Macrophages form one of the first lines of defense on mucosal surfaces like urinary tract, providing protection against pathogens. These cells pour their secretory products, which include a cocktail of biomolecules, at the site of infection. In the present investigation, the effect of macrophage secretory products (MSPs) obtained after interaction of macrophages with Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the virulence of this organism in planktonic and biofilm cell mode was assessed employing a mouse model of ascending pyelonephritis. When urinary tract infection (UTI) was established with P. aeruginosa grown in the presence of 30% MS...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 4, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Rahul Mittal, Sudhir Aggarwal, Saroj Sharma, Sanjay Chhibber, Kusum Harjai Source Type: journals

Resuscitation-promoting factors as lytic enzymes for bacterial growth and signalingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Resuscitation-promoting factor (Rpf) is a muralytic enzyme that increases the culturability of dormant bacteria. Recently, considerable progress has been made in understanding the structure, function and physiological role of Rpfs in different organisms, most notably the major human pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which encodes multiple rpf-like genes. A key unresolved question, however, concerns the relationship between the predicted biochemical activity of Rpfs [ndash] cleavage of the [beta]-1,4 glycosidic bond in the glycan backbone of peptidoglycan [ndash] and their effect on culturability. In M. tuberculosis, th...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - September 3, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Bavesh Davandra Kana, Valerie Mizrahi Source Type: journals

Oral administration of Lactococcus lactis expressing Helicobacter pylori Cag7-ct383 protein induces systemic anti-Cag7 immune response in miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To express the 3'-region (1152 bp) of the cag7 gene of Helicobacter pylori 51 strain, encoding the C-terminal 383 amino acid (ct383 aa) region of Cag7 protein that is known to cover the needle region of T4SS, in a live delivery vehicle Lactococcus lactis, the cag7-ct383 gene was amplified by PCR. DNA sequence analysis revealed that the amino acid sequence of Cag7-ct383 of H. pylori 51 shared 98.4% and 97.4% identity with H. pylori 26695 and J99, respectively. Intramuscular injection of the GST-Cag7-ct383 fusion protein into a rat could raise the anti-Cag7 antibody, indicating the immunogenicity of the Cag7-ct383 protein. W...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 31, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Su-Jung Kim, Ji Young Lee, Do Youn Jun, Jae-Young Song, Woo-Kon Lee, Myung-Je Cho, Young Ho Kim Source Type: journals

Poly-γ-d-glutamic acid and protective antigen conjugate vaccines induce functional antibodies against the protective antigen and capsule of Bacillus anthracis in guinea-pigs and rabbitsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we report that PA[ndash]PGA conjugates induce expressions of anti-PA, anti-PGA and toxin-neutralizing antibodies in guinea-pigs and completely protect guinea-pigs against a 50 × LD50 challenge with fully virulent B. anthracis spores. Polyclonal rabbit antisera produced against either PA or ovalbumin conjugated to a PGA-15mer offer a partial passive protection to guinea-pigs against B. anthracis infection, indicating that anti-PGA antibodies play a protective role. Our results demonstrate that PA[ndash]PGA conjugate vaccines are effective in the guinea-pig model, in addition to the previously reported mouse ...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 31, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Deog-Yong Lee, Jeong-Hoon Chun, Hyun-Joon Ha, Jungchan Park, Bong-Su Kim, Hee-Bok Oh, Gi-Eun Rhie Source Type: journals

Molecular identification and genotyping of MRSA isolatesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study showed the prevalence of the CA-MRSA strains, PVL genes, the SCCmec types and the clonality of the MRSA strains. The high prevalence of the PVL gene in CA-MRSA isolates already residing in intensive care units was alarming and indicated the emergence of new MRSA lineages with a particular fitness for community and hospital transmission. (Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology)
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 27, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Phuti E. Makgotlho, Marleen M. Kock, Anwar Hoosen, Ruth Lekalakala, Shaheed Omar, Michael Dove, Marthie M. Ehlers Source Type: journals

Autoantibodies against bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) in children with acute pneumoniaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies directed against bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), an inhibitor of a lipopolysaccharide of gram-negative bacteria, are a common feature of chronic neutrophilic inflammatory processes such as cystic fibrosis. We investigated whether serum and salivary anti-BPI autoantibodies also appear in the course of acute pneumonia in 24 otherwise healthy children. Nine (38%) and four (17%) patients had detectable serum anti-BPI immunoglobulin G (IgG) ([ge]4 IU mL[minus]1) and IgA (ratio[ge]1.2), respectively, on the day of hospital admission (day 0). There was no increase in the r...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 23, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Patrick Steiner, Margrith Otth, Carmen Casaulta, Christoph Aebi Source Type: journals

Erythema nodosum caused by ascariasis and Chlamydophila pneumoniae pulmonary infection – a case reportEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We present a case of erythema nodosum caused by Ascaris lumbricoides infection as well as by an early Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection, whose etiology has rarely been described in the literature. We were not able to confirm which factor was responsible for the occurrence of the skin changes as treatment of both infections was effective and all skin changes later disappeared completely. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that precise diagnosis of a patient and the search for etiologic factors, even rare ones, are crucial to obtain good results with treatment of erythema nodosum. (Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology)
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 20, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Beata Bergler-Czop, Anna Lis-Święty, Grażyna Kamińska-Winciorek, Ligia Brzezińska-Wcisło Source Type: journals

The Cryptococcus neoformans cap10 and cap59 mutant strains, affected in glucuronoxylomannan synthesis, differentially activate human dendritic cellsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans causes meningo-encephalitis. The polysaccharide capsule is one of the main virulence factors and consists of two distinct polysaccharides: glucuronoxylomannan and galactoxylomannan. The presence of this polysaccharide capsule was previously shown to interfere with maturation of human dendritic cells (DCs), possibly by shielding cell-wall components from interacting with these host immune cells. Here we show that two mutant strains of C. neoformans, both lacking a visible capsule due to a defect in glucuronoxylomannan synthesis, differentially activate human monocyte-derived DCs. C...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 18, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Jan Grijpstra, Boris Tefsen, Irma van Die, Hans de Cock Source Type: journals

Feedback effects of host-derived adenosine on enteropathogenic Escherichia coliEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) is a common cause of diarrhea in children in developing countries. After adhering to intestinal cells, EPEC secretes effector proteins into host cells, causing cell damage and eventually death. We previously showed that EPEC infection triggers the release of ATP from host cells and that ATP is broken down to ADP, AMP, and adenosine. Adenosine produced from the breakdown of extracellular ATP triggers fluid secretion in intestinal monolayers and may be an important mediator of EPEC-induced diarrhea. Here we examined whether adenosine has any effects on EPEC bacteria. Adenosine stimulated EPEC ...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 17, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: John K. Crane, Irina Shulgina Source Type: journals

Structural and genetic characterization of Escherichia coli O99 antigenEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we investigated the structural characteristics of the E. coli O99 O-antigen and the organization of the genes involved in its synthesis. On the basis of sugar and methylation analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy data, we established the structure of the branched hexasaccharide repeat unit of the O-polysaccharide. This unit consists of four d-rhamnose (d-Rha) moieties in the backbone and two d-glucose (d-Glc) moieties in the side chain, as shown below: The O-antigen gene cluster of E. coli O99, which was located between galF and gnd, was found to contain putative genes for the synthesis of d-R...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 14, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Andrei V. Perepelov, Dan Li, Bin Liu, Sof'ya N. Senchenkova, Dan Guo, Sergei D. Shevelev, Alexander S. Shashkov, Xi Guo, Lu Feng, Yuriy A. Knirel, Lei Wang Source Type: journals

Chlamydial infection and spatial ascension of the female genital tract: a novel hybrid cellular automata and continuum mathematical modelEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study highlights the importance of early innate immunity in the control of chlamydial infection and the significance of motility-diffusive properties and the adaptive immune response in the magnitude of infection and in its ascension. (Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology)
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 11, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Dann G. Mallet, Kelly-Jean Heymer, Roger G. Rank, David P. Wilson Source Type: journals

Use of stabilized luciferase-expressing plasmids to examine in vivo-induced promoters in the Vibrio cholerae vaccine strain CVD 103-HgREmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We report the construction of a series of genetically stabilized plasmids expressing luciferase as a heterologous protein from the following in vivo-induced promoters: V. cholerae PargC, PfhuC and Pvca1008, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi PompC. We demonstrate that several of these expression plasmids meet two critical criteria for V. cholerae live vector vaccine studies. First, the plasmids are highly stable in the V. cholerae vaccine strain CVD 103-HgR at low copy number, in the absence of selective pressure. Second, real-time bioluminescent imaging (BLI) demonstrates inducible in vivo expression of the promoters i...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 11, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Cara E. Morin, James B. Kaper Source Type: journals

Pathogen translocation across the blood–brain barrierEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Neurological manifestations caused by neuroinvading pathogens are typically attributed to penetration of the blood[ndash]brain barrier (BBB) and invasion of the central nervous system. However, the mechanisms used by many pathogens (such as Borrelia) to traverse the BBB are still unclear. Recent studies revealed that microbial translocation across the BBB must involve a repertoire of microbial[ndash]host interactions (receptor[ndash]ligand interactions). However, the array of interacting molecules responsible for the borrelial translocation is not yet clearly known. Pathogens bind several host molecules (plasminogen, glyco...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 5, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Lucia Pulzova, Mangesh R. Bhide, Kovac Andrej Source Type: journals

Staphylococcal enterotoxin genes are common in Staphylococcus aureus intestinal flora in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and live comparison infantsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Pathological and epidemiological findings in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) suggest an infectious aetiology with indications of involvement of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs). While SEA, SEB and SEC have been found in the sera and tissues of SIDS cases, little is known about the role of intestinal Staphylococcus aureus or the roles of later-described toxins SEE, SEG, SEH, SEI and SEJ in SIDS. We used a molecular-based approach to define whether the intestinal tract could be a source of SEs to support the staphylococcal toxic shock hypothesis for SIDS. Intestinal contents from 57 SIDS infants and faeces from 79 age- ...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - August 2, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Amanda R. Highet, Paul N. Goldwater Source Type: journals

Changing genotypes of cholera toxin (CT) of Vibrio cholerae O139 in Bangladesh and description of three new CT genotypesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We determined the genotype of cholera toxin by amplifying and sequencing the B-subunit in a sequential collection of 90 strains of Vibrio cholerae O139 isolated over the past 13 years since its first description in 1992. Representative strains isolated during 1993[ndash]1997 harboured ctxB of El Tor type (genotype 3). Twenty-six strains isolated during 1999, 2001, 2005 and three strains isolated in 1998, 2000 and 2002 were identified to belong to new ctxB genotypes 4 and 5, respectively. Genotype 5 was similar to genotype 1 except at position 28 (D[rarr]A). The genotype 6 was similar to genotype 4 except at position 34 (H[...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - July 30, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Nurul A. Bhuiyan, Suraia Nusrin, Munirul Alam, Masatomo Morita, Haruo Watanabe, Thandavarayan Ramamurthy, Alejandro Cravioto, Gopinath Balakrish Nair Source Type: journals

Proteome-guided search for influenza A B-cell epitopesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The influenza A linear peptide epitopes recognized by murine antibodies, and currently cataloged at http://www.immuneepitope.org, were examined for the identity score to the host mouse proteome. It was found that almost all of the linear viral determinants are (or contain) regions formed by pentapeptide fragments with no or only very low similarity to the murine proteins. The present study adds to previous reports in suggesting a main role of amino acid sequence similarity in the modulation and definition of the B-cell epitope repertoire, inspiring innovative vaccine approaches able to avoid cross-reactive autoimmune colla...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - July 29, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Guglielmo Lucchese, Angela Stufano, Darja Kanduc Source Type: journals

Ohr, an in vivo-induced gene in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, is located on a genomic island and requires glutathione-S-transferase for activityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the causative agent of severe necrotizing pneumonia in swine. Previously, we identified the ohr gene encoding organic hydroperoxide reductase as specifically induced during infection of pigs, induced in vitro by organic peroxides but not other oxygen radicals, and present in A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1, 9 and 11 but not in other serotypes (Shea & Mulks, 2002). Through analysis of flanking genomic sequence, we identify a homologue of gst, which encodes glutathione-S-transferase, immediately downstream of ohr and demonstrate that ohr-gst confers low but uninducible Ohr activity to serot...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - July 27, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Thaddeus J. Wolfram, Rhiannon M. LeVeque, Robin J. Kastenmayer, Martha H. Mulks Source Type: journals

Cloning, in vitro expression, and bioactivity of interleukin-18 isolated from a domestic porcine breed found in HenanEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To evaluate the effects of recombinant porcine interleukin-18 (rpIL-18) on the replication of viruses in host cells and proliferation of lymphocytes, porcine IL-18 (pIL-18) isolated from a domestic big-white porcine breed found in the Henan province (HN) was cloned using a reverse transcriptase-PCR. The cloned HN pIL-18 contained an ORF of 579 base pairs encoding a 192-amino-acid precursor protein. The amino acid sequence of HN pIL-18 was compared with all the other pIL-18 amino acid sequences and varied by at least one amino acid to the consensus of all the others available. HN pIL-18 mature protein gene was inserted into...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - July 26, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Hong-Ying Chen, Lan-Lan Zheng, Xin-Sheng Li, Zhan-Yong Wei, Bao-An Cui, Xiao-Kang Li, Jin-Peng Liu, Hong-Zheng Yin, Jiang-Tao Meng, Yan Zhang, Shi-Min Li Source Type: journals

Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) mediates human β-defensin-2 (HBD-2) induction in response to Chlamydia pneumoniae in mononuclear cellsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study reveals that TLRs not only recognize ligands but also the types of effector molecules induced, namely, antimicrobial peptides. An understanding of the importance of the TLR-mediated antimicrobial mechanisms may provide new avenues for the development of therapeutic regimens aimed at activating the body's own defenses by stimulating TLR-dependent pathways. (Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology)
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - July 23, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Caterina Romano Carratelli, Nello Mazzola, Rossella Paolillo, Sabato Sorrentino, Antonietta Rizzo Source Type: journals

Common protozoans as an uncommon cause of respiratory ailments in HIV-associated immunodeficiencyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Opportunistic infections (OIs) are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among HIV-positive subjects. The breadth of reports of the rare occurrence of OIs in HIV/AIDS has been increasing over the years and more recent studies have outlined the changing trends in the emergence of newer pathogens. Recent reports of the association of certain protozoans that normally do not infect sites other than their normal sites of localization have generated huge interest among scientists. The complete depression of the immune system, followed by the onset of OIs, especially due to protozoans, i.e. toxoplasmosis, isosporiasis, lei...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - July 23, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Esaki Muthu Shankar, Ramachandran Vignesh, Kailapuri Gangatharan Murugavel, Pachamuthu Balakrishnan, Esakimuthu Ponmalar, Usha Anand Rao, Vijayakumar Velu, Suniti Solomon Source Type: journals

A comparison of glycan expression and adhesion of mouse-adapted strains and clinical isolates of Helicobacter pyloriEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Adherence to the mucosal surface, essential for successful colonization of the gastric mucosa by the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori, is predominantly mediated by lectin-like molecules on the Helicobacter binding carbohydrates expressed by host epithelial cells. While clinical isolates of H. pylori do not normally infect mice, some strains have been adapted to colonize this host. We hypothesized that adaptation of H. pylori for colonization of mice may involve alterations in either bacterial surface glycan expression or their glycan-binding properties. Using a panel of lectins, we compared glycan expression on lipopolys...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - July 14, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Yok-Teng Chionh, Anna K. Walduck, Hazel M. Mitchell, Philip Sutton Source Type: journals

Helicobacter equorum: prevalence and significance for horses and humansEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Helicobacter equorum colonizes the caecum, colon and rectum of horses. The agent is highly prevalent in (Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology)
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - July 13, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Hilde Moyaert, Frank Pasmans, Annemie Decostere, Richard Ducatelle, Freddy Haesebrouck Source Type: journals

IgM but not IgG monoclonal anti-Nocardia brasiliensis antibodies confer protection against experimental actinomycetoma in BALB/c miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Nocardia brasiliensis is a facultative intracellular microorganism that produces a human chronic infection known as actinomycetoma. Human and mouse anti-N. brasiliensis antibody response identify P24, P26 and P61 immunodominant antigens. In this work, we generated immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to immunodominant P61 antigen. The monoclonal IgM (NbM1) and IgG2a (NbG1) antibodies were assessed for their in vitro bactericidal activity, in vivo protective effect and ability to block catalase activity. These mAbs specifically recognized P61, but they did not inhibit its enzyme activity. The...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - July 13, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Maria L. Gonzalez-Suarez, Mario C. Salinas-Carmona, Isabel Pérez-Rivera Source Type: journals

Inhibitory effect of galectin-3 on the cytokine-inducing activity of periodontopathic Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans endotoxin in splenocytes derived from miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Galectins, a family of animal lectins, are involved not only in development and differentiation but also in immunoregulation and host[ndash]pathogen interactions. Galectin-3 interacts with lipopolysaccharides in gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella minnesota and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The present study investigated whether galectin-3 inhibited the cytokine-inducing activity of periodontopathic bacterial lipopolysaccharides using splenocytes derived from mice of different ages. Lipopolysaccharides were extracted from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Y4 and Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277, an...
Source: FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology - July 8, 2009 Category: Microbiology Authors: Tetsuo Kato, Atsushi Uzawa, Kazuyuki Ishihara Source Type: journals