Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
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| recombinant expression and insecticidal properties of a conus ventricosus conotoxin-gst fusion protein. | a novel conotoxin, conotoxin vn2, was recently isolated from the venom of conus ventricosus, a worm-hunting cone snail species living in the mediterranean sea. analysis of conotoxin vn2 amino acid sequence suggested that it is a member of the o1 superfamily of conotoxins. conotoxin vn2 displays quite a high degree of sequence similarity with bioactive peptides targeting calcium channels and in particular with the ω conotoxin pnvib, extracted from the venom of the molluscivorous cone snail conus ... | 2012 | 22728460 |
| effects of gibberellic acid on hemocytes of galleria mellonella l. (lepidoptera: pyralidae). | the impacts of different doses of the plant growth regulator gibberellic acid (ga(3)) in diet on the number of total and differential hemocytes, frequency of apoptotic, and necrotic hemocytes, mitotic indices, encapsulation, and melanization responses were investigated using the greater wax moth galleria mellonella l. (lepidoptera: pyralidae) larvae. total hemocyte counts increased in g. mellonella larvae at all treatment doses whereas ga(3) application had no effect on the number of different h ... | 2012 | 22732628 |
| characterization of new entomopathogenic nematodes from thailand: foraging behavior and virulence to the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella l. (lepidoptera: pyralidae). | entomopathogenic nematodes (epns) in the genera steinernema and heterorhabditis and their associated bacteria (xenorhabdus spp. and photorhabdus spp., respectively) are lethal parasites of soil dwelling insects. we collected 168 soil samples from five provinces, all located in southern thailand. eight strains of epns were isolated and identified to species using restriction profiles and sequence analysis. five of the isolates were identified as heterorhabditis indica, and one as heterorhabditis ... | 2010 | 22736860 |
| steinernema glaseri surface enolase: molecular cloning, biological characterization, and role in host immune suppression. | entomopathogenic nematodes are widely used as biological control agents that can suppress or evade the host immune defense upon entry into insects. the surface coat of steinernema glaseri has been shown to play important roles in defeating the host immune system. in this work, a protein fraction with antiphagocytic activity was separated by electro-elution and further analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-de). lc-ms/ms analysis of one protein spot from a 2-de gel gave five peptides that ... | 2012 | 22750626 |
| subterranean, herbivore-induced plant volatile increases biological control activity of multiple beneficial nematode species in distinct habitats. | while the role of herbivore-induced volatiles in plant-herbivore-natural enemy interactions is well documented aboveground, new evidence suggests that belowground volatile emissions can protect plants by attracting entomopathogenic nematodes (epns). however, due to methodological limitations, no study has previously detected belowground herbivore-induced volatiles in the field or quantified their impact on attraction of diverse epn species. here we show how a belowground herbivore-induced volati ... | 2012 | 22761668 |
| role of rela and spot in burkholderia pseudomallei virulence and immunity. | burkholderia pseudomallei is a gram-negative soil bacterium and the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease of humans and animals. it is also listed as a category b bioterrorism threat agent by the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention, and there is currently no melioidosis vaccine available. small modified nucleotides such as the hyperphosphorylated guanosine molecules ppgpp and pppgpp play an important role as signaling molecules in prokaryotes. they mediate a global stress respons ... | 2012 | 22778096 |
| characterization of the apolp-iii/lps complex: insight into the mode of binding interaction. | apolipoproteins are able to associate with lipopolysaccharides (lps), potentially providing protection against septic shock. to gain insight into the molecular details of this binding interaction, apolipophorin iii (apolp-iii) from galleria mellonella was used as a model. the binding of apolp-iii to lps was optimal around 37-40 °c, close to the lps phase transition temperature. apolp-iii formed complexes with lps from e. coli (serotype o55:b5) with a diameter of ~20 nm and a molecular weight of ... | 2012 | 22779761 |
| purification and characterization of prophenoloxidase from galleria mellonella l. | prophenoloxidase (ppo) was purified from galleria mellonella l. a 67-fold purification of the proenzyme with 352% yield was achieved by using a sepharose 4b-l-tyrosine-p-amino benzoic acid affinity column. the purified enzyme was migrated as a single band on sds-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. k(m) and v(max) values were 0.017 m and 1430.45 eu for catechol. inhibition of ppo was investigated with inhibitors such as p-aminobenzoic acid, etyleneglycol, and ascorbic acid. among them, ascorbic a ... | 2012 | 22780216 |
| [cloning, expression and insecticidal activity of the pira2b2 gene from photorhabdus luminescens tt01]. | the predicted amino acid sequence of locus plu4437-plu4436 in the genome of photorhabdus luminescens tt01 (referred to as pira2b2) has a consistency of 50% and 45% with locus plu4093-plu4092 (referred to as pira1b1) , respectively. pira1b1 has been confirmed with oral insecticidal activity against plutella xylostella and mosquito. the purpose of the present study was to examine whether pira2b2 possesses insecticidal activity. | 2012 | 22799220 |
| in silico screening of the juvabione category of juvenile hormone analogues with juvenile hormone binding protein of galleria mellonella--a docking study. | juvabione, dehydrojuvabione and their aromatic analogues act as juvenile hormone mimics against diverse strains of insect species. large numbers of modified juvenoids containing the juvabione skeleton, with various structural variations, are synthesized. some of these compounds exhibit a very high degree of juvenile hormone activity and are presently in use. in this paper we report a comparative molecular docking study of synthesized juvabione, natural juvenile hormone iii and synthetic insect g ... | 2012 | 22799597 |
| diversity of potential pathogenicity and biofilm formation among burkholderia cepacia complex water, clinical, and agricultural isolates in china. | a collection of 70 burkholderia cepacia complex isolates, recovered from clinical, water, and agricultural resources in china in our previous studies, were tested to assess their potential pathogenicity and association of biofilm formation with pathogenicity. the pathogenicity was tested in the alternative infection models alfalfa, detached lettuce midrib, galleria mellonella (wax moth), rat agar bead, and lettuce intact leaves. severe to moderate pathogenicity were observed for isolates of clin ... | 2012 | 22806034 |
| first complete and productive cell culture model for members of the genus iridovirus. | chilo iridescent virus (civ; the type strain of the genus iridovirus) replicates productively in larvae of the boll weevil, anthonomus grandis. this study focuses on characterizing productive infections of a boll weevil cell line, brl-ag-3a (ag3a), starting with civ reared in the waxworm, galleria mellonella. we show that civ can be continually and productively passaged to high titer in ag3a cells. the replication of larval-derived civ in ag3a was analyzed by observing viral dna replication and ... | 2012 | 22828780 |
| expression of autophagy 8 (atg8) and its role in the midgut and other organs of the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella, during metamorphic remodelling and under starvation. | a 345 base pair cdna encoding autophagy 8 (atg8) of galleria mellonella (gmatg8) was cloned and sequenced. the deduced protein was estimated to be 118 amino acids long. structural comparison and phylogenetic analysis showed that gmatg8 belong to the atg8 family of ubiquitin-like proteins. it is predicted to contain four β-sheets and four α-helices. it also contains a highly conserved glycine residue at the c-terminal, as well as highly conserved phe77 and ph79 at a recognition cleavage site of a ... | 2012 | 22830988 |
| incongruence between the cps type 2 genotype and host-related phenotypes of an enterococcus faecalis food isolate. | enterococcus faecalis is a nosocomial opportunistic pathogen, but is also found in fermented food products where it plays a fundamental role in the fermentation process. previously, we have described the non-starter e. faecalis cheese isolate qa29b as harboring virulence genes and proven to be virulent in galleria mellonella virulence model. in this study, we further characterized this food strain concerning traits relevant for the host-pathogen relationship. qa29b was found to belong to sequenc ... | 2012 | 22831818 |
| construction and application of a luxabcde reporter system for real-time monitoring of enterococcus faecalis gene expression and growth. | the present work describes the construction of a novel molecular tool for luciferase-based bioluminescence (bl) tagging of enterococcus faecalis. to this end, a vector (psl101) and its derivatives conferring a genetically encoded bioluminescent phenotype on all tested strains of e. faecalis were constructed. psl101 harbors the luxabcde operon from ppl2lux and the preg696 broad-host-range replicon and axe-txe toxin-antitoxin cassette, providing segregational stability for long-term plasmid persis ... | 2012 | 22843522 |
| a bcam0223 mutant of burkholderia cenocepacia is deficient in hemagglutination, serum resistance, adhesion to epithelial cells and virulence. | burkholderia cepacia complex (bcc) bacteria are a problematic group of microorganisms causing severe infections in patients with cystic fibrosis. in early stages of infection, bcc bacteria must be able to adhere to and colonize the respiratory epithelium. although this is not fully understood, this primary stage of infection is believed to be in part mediated by a specific type of adhesins, named trimeric autotransporter adhesins (taas). these homotrimeric proteins exist on the surface of many g ... | 2012 | 22848588 |
| an orphan chemotaxis sensor regulates virulence and antibiotic tolerance in the human pathogen pseudomonas aeruginosa. | the synthesis of virulence factors by pathogenic bacteria is highly regulated and occurs in response to diverse environmental cues. an array of two component systems (tcss) serves to link perception of different cues to specific changes in gene expression and/or bacterial behaviour. those tcss that regulate functions associated with virulence represent attractive targets for interference in anti-infective strategies for disease control. we have previously identified pa2572 as a putative response ... | 2012 | 22870303 |
| asrr is an oxidative stress sensing regulator modulating enterococcus faecium opportunistic traits, antimicrobial resistance, and pathogenicity. | oxidative stress serves as an important host/environmental signal that triggers a wide range of responses in microorganisms. here, we identified an oxidative stress sensor and response regulator in the important multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen enterococcus faecium belonging to the marr family and called asrr (antibiotic and stress response regulator). the asrr regulator used cysteine oxidation to sense the hydrogen peroxide which results in its dissociation to promoter dna. transcriptome ... | 2012 | 22876178 |
| genetic and proteomic characterization of rpob mutations and their effect on nematicidal activity in photorhabdus luminescens ln2. | rifampin resistant (rif(r)) mutants of the insect pathogenic bacterium photorhabdus luminescens ln2 from entomopathogenic nematode heterorhabditis indica ln2 were genetically and proteomically characterized. the rif(r) mutants showed typical phase one characters of photorhabdus bacteria, and insecticidal activity against galleria mellonella larvae, but surprisingly influenced their nematicidal activity against axenic infective juveniles (ijs) of h. bacteriophora h06, an incompatible nematode hos ... | 2012 | 22912803 |
| the lysozyme-induced peptidoglycan n-acetylglucosamine deacetylase pgda (ef1843) is required for enterococcus faecalis virulence. | lysozyme is a key component of the innate immune response in humans that provides a first line of defense against microbes. the bactericidal effect of lysozyme relies both on the cell wall lytic activity of this enzyme and on a cationic antimicrobial peptide activity that leads to membrane permeabilization. among gram-positive bacteria, the opportunistic pathogen enterococcus faecalis has been shown to be extremely resistant to lysozyme. this unusual resistance is explained partly by peptidoglyc ... | 2012 | 22961856 |
| in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activities of gallium nitrate against multidrug-resistant acinetobacter baumannii. | multidrug-resistant acinetobacter baumannii poses a tremendous challenge to traditional antibiotic therapy. due to the crucial role of iron in bacterial physiology and pathogenicity, we investigated iron metabolism as a possible target for anti-a. baumannii chemotherapy using gallium as an iron mimetic. due to chemical similarity, gallium competes with iron for binding to several redox enzymes, thereby interfering with a number of essential biological reactions. we found that ga(no(3))(3), the a ... | 2012 | 22964249 |
| expression analysis of inhibitor of apoptosis and related caspases in the midgut and silk gland of the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella, during metamorphosis and under starvation. | we cloned a cdna encoding inhibitor of apoptosis (iap) from the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella. the deduced amino acid sequence showed that gmiap contains two baculoviral iap repeat (bir) motifs, followed by a ring finger. the sequence comparison showed that gmiap had high homology to lepidopteran iaps and baculoviral iaps, as well as dipteran iaps. gmiap transcript and its protein appeared in both the midgut and the silk gland during metamorphosis and starvation where cell death was dete ... | 2012 | 22975212 |
| photorhabdus luminescens subsp. noenieputensis subsp. nov., a symbiotic bacterium associated with a novel heterorhabditis species related to heterorhabditis indica. | the bacterial symbiont am7(t), isolated from a novel entomopathogenic nematode species of the genus heterorhabditis, displays the main phenotypic traits of the genus photorhabdus and is highly pathogenic to galleria mellonella. phylogenetic analysis based on a multigene approach (16s rrna, reca, gyrb, dnan, gltx and infb) confirmed the classification of isolate am7(t) within the species photorhabdus luminescens and revealed its close relatedness to photorhabdus luminescens subsp. caribbeanensis, ... | 2013 | 22984141 |
| nosa, a transcription factor important in aspergillus fumigatus stress and developmental response, rescues the germination defect of a laea deletion. | aspergillus fumigatus is an increasingly serious pathogen of immunocompromised patients, causing the often fatal disease invasive aspergillosis (ia). one a. fumigatus virulence determinant of ia is laea, a conserved virulence factor in pathogenic fungi. to further understand the role of laea in ia, the expression profile of δlaea was compared to wild type, and several transcription factors were found significantly misregulated by laea loss. one of the transcription factors up-regulated over 4-fo ... | 2012 | 23022264 |
| adenylate kinase release as a high-throughput-screening-compatible reporter of bacterial lysis for identification of antibacterial agents. | adenylate kinase (ak) is a ubiquitous intracellular enzyme that is released into the extracellular space upon cell lysis. we have shown that ak release serves as a useful reporter of bactericidal agent activity and can be exploited for antimicrobial screening purposes. the ak assay exhibits improved sensitivity over that of growth-based assays and can detect agents that are active against bacteria in clinically relevant growth states that are difficult to screen using conventional approaches, su ... | 2013 | 23027196 |
| histone acetylation mediates epigenetic regulation of transcriptional reprogramming in insects during metamorphosis, wounding and infection. | 2012 | 23035888 | |
| inhibition of wta synthesis blocks the cooperative action of pbps and sensitizes mrsa to β-lactams. | rising drug resistance is limiting treatment options for infections by methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa). herein we provide new evidence that wall teichoic acid (wta) biogenesis is a remarkable antibacterial target with the capacity to destabilize the cooperative action of penicillin-binding proteins (pbps) that underlie β-lactam resistance in mrsa. deletion of gene taro, encoding the first step of wta synthesis, resulted in the restoration of sensitivity of mrsa to a unique pro ... | 2013 | 23062620 |
| performance of two isolates of isaria fumosorosea from hot climate zones in solid and submerged cultures and thermotolerance of their propagules. | isaria fumosorosea frequently causes mycosis of agricultural pests in the hot semiarid and dry tropical regions of mexico. because temperature tolerance restricts the use of fungal biopesticides, we investigated two isolates from these areas for possible development into mycoinsecticides for use in hot weather agricultural zones. we studied the effects of culture system (solid or submerged cultures) and temperature on the fungal growth, extracellular enzyme production, pathogenicity, and thermot ... | 2013 | 23065378 |
| effect of nutrient deprivation on the susceptibility of galleria mellonella larvae to infection. | larvae of galleria mellonella are widely used to study the virulence of microbial pathogens and for assessing the potency of antimicrobial agents. this work examined the effect of nutritional deprivation on the ability of larvae to withstand infection in order to establish standardized conditions for the treatment of larvae for in vivo testing. larvae deprived of food for seven days demonstrated an increased susceptibility to infection by the yeast candida albicans. these larvae displayed a lowe ... | 2012 | 23076277 |
| lipophilic prodrugs of fr900098 are antimicrobial against francisella novicida in vivo and in vitro and show glpt independent efficacy. | bacteria, plants, and algae produce isoprenoids through the methylerythritol phosphate (mep) pathway, an attractive pathway for antimicrobial drug development as it is present in prokaryotes and some lower eukaryotes but absent from human cells. the first committed step of the mep pathway is catalyzed by 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (dxr/mep synthase). mep pathway genes have been identified in many biothreat agents, including francisella, brucella, bacillus, burkholderia, and ... | 2012 | 23077474 |
| phylogeny of bacteria isolated from rhabditis sp. (nematoda) and identification of novel entomopathogenic serratia marcescens strains. | twenty-five bacterial strains isolated from entomopathogenic nematodes were characterized to the genus level by 16s rrna phylogeny and blast analyses. bacteria strains isolated could be affiliated with seven genera. microbacterium-like isolates phylogenetically affiliated with m. oxydans while those of serratia were highly similar to s. marcescens. 16s rrna sequences of bacillus isolates matched those of both b. mycoides and b. weihenstephanesis. one isolate each matched pseudomonas mosselii, rh ... | 2013 | 23079959 |
| cspr, a cold shock rna-binding protein involved in the long-term survival and the virulence of enterococcus faecalis. | by coprecipitation, we identified rna-binding proteins in the gram-positive opportunistic pathogen enterococcus faecalis known to be deficient of the rna chaperone hfq. in particular, we characterized one belonging to the cold shock protein (csp) family (ef2925) renamed cspr for cold shock protein rna binding. compared to the wild-type strain, the δcspr mutant was less virulent in an insect infection model (galleria mellonella) and exhibited a decreased persistence in mouse kidneys and a low sur ... | 2012 | 23086208 |
| cryptococcus neoformans phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (pdk1) ortholog is required for stress tolerance and survival in murine phagocytes. | cryptococcus neoformans pkh2-01 and pkh2-02 are orthologous to mammalian pdk1 kinase genes. although orthologs of these kinases have been extensively studied in s. cerevisiae, little is known about their function in pathogenic fungi. in this study, we show that pkh2-02 but not pkh2-01 is required for c. neoformans to tolerate cell wall, oxidative, nitrosative, and antifungal drug stress. deletion of pkh2-02 leads to decreased basal levels of pkc1 activity and, consequently, reduced activation of ... | 2013 | 23087368 |
| identification of burkholderia cenocepacia strain h111 virulence factors using nonmammalian infection hosts. | burkholderia cenocepacia h111, a strain isolated from a cystic fibrosis patient, has been shown to effectively kill the nematode caenorhabditis elegans. we used the c. elegans model of infection to screen a mini-tn5 mutant library of b. cenocepacia h111 for attenuated virulence. of the approximately 5,500 b. cenocepacia h111 random mini-tn5 insertion mutants that were screened, 22 showed attenuated virulence in c. elegans. except for the quorum-sensing regulator cepr, none of the mutated genes c ... | 2013 | 23090963 |
| physiologic expression of the candida albicans pescadillo homolog is required for virulence in a murine model of hematogenously disseminated candidiasis. | morphogenetic conversions contribute to the pathogenesis of candida albicans invasive infections. many studies to date have convincingly demonstrated a link between filamentation and virulence; however, relatively little is known regarding the role of the filament-to-yeast transition during the pathogenesis of invasive candidiasis. we previously identified the c. albicans pescadillo homolog (pes1) as essential during yeast growth and growth of lateral yeast on hyphae but not during hyphal growth ... | 2012 | 23104566 |
| burkholderia multivorans survival and trafficking within macrophages. | cystic fibrosis (cf) patients are at great risk of opportunistic lung infection, particularly by members of the burkholderia cepacia complex (bcc). this group of bacteria can cause damage to the lung tissue of infected patients and are difficult to eradicate due to their high levels of antibiotic resistance. although the highly virulent burkholderia cenocepacia has been the focus of virulence research for the past decade, burkholderia multivorans is emerging as the most prevalent bcc species inf ... | 2013 | 23105020 |
| [an idp16 protein from xenorhabdus bovienii depresses the immune response in galleria mellonella]. | a protein with insect immunodepressive activity was purified from xenorhabdus bovienii, a bacterial symbiosis of entomopathogenic nematode. to determine the function of this protein in the pathogenesis of bacterium-nematode symbiosis, we detected the effect of this protein on immune response in galleria mellonella. | 2012 | 23115973 |
| the transmembrane protein opy2 mediates activation of the cek1 map kinase in candida albicans. | mapk pathways are conserved and complex mechanisms of signaling in eukaryotic cells. these pathways mediate adaptation to different stress conditions by a core kinase cascade that perceives changes in the environment by different upstream elements and mediates adaptation through transcription factors. in the present work, the transmembrane protein opy2 has been identified and functionally characterized in candida albicans. this protein is required to trigger cek1 phosphorylation by different sti ... | 2013 | 23149115 |
| the non-mammalian host galleria mellonella can be used to study the virulence of the fungal pathogen candida tropicalis and the efficacy of antifungal drugs during infection by this pathogenic yeast. | although candida tropicalis is a frequent cause of invasive fungal diseases, its interaction with the host remains poorly studied. galleria mellonella is a lepidoptera model which offers a useful tool to study virulence of different microorganisms and drug efficacy. in this work we investigated the virulence of c. tropicalis in g. mellonella at different temperatures and the efficacy of antifungal drugs in this infection model. when larvae were infected with yeast inocula suspensions of differen ... | 2013 | 23170962 |
| galleria mellonella as a model host for human pathogens: recent studies and new perspectives. | the number of studies using g. mellonella as a model host for human pathogens has increased significantly in the last few years. important studies were published from different countries for evaluating the pathogenesis of bacterial and fungal infections and for exploring the host defenses against pathogens. therefore, standardized conditions for the use of g. melonella larvae need to be established. recent research showed that the deprivation of g. mellonella larvae of food during the experiment ... | 2012 | 23211681 |
| physiological and molecular characterization of a newly identified entomopathogenic bacteria, photorhabdus temperata m1021. | the present study concerned the identification and characterization of a novel bacterial strain isolated from entomopathogenic nematodes collected from different regions in korea. the bacterial isolate m1021 was gramnegative, bioluminescent, and produced red colonies on macconkey agar medium. a rod-shaped structure was confirmed by the electron micrograph. fatty acid composition was analyzed by using the sherlock midi system. the identification was further supported by 16s rdna sequence analysis ... | 2012 | 23221521 |
| anti-legionella dumoffii activity of galleria mellonella defensin and apolipophorin iii. | the gram-negative bacterium legionella dumoffii is, beside legionella pneumophila, an etiological agent of legionnaires' disease, an atypical form of pneumonia. the aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of galleria mellonella defense polypeptides against l. dumoffii. the extract of immune hemolymph, containing a mixture of defense peptides and proteins, exhibited a dose-dependent bactericidal effect on l. dumoffii. the bacterium appeared sensitive to a main component of t ... | 2012 | 23235329 |
| the insect galleria mellonella as a powerful infection model to investigate bacterial pathogenesis. | the study of bacterial virulence often requires a suitable animal model. mammalian models of infection are costly and may raise ethical issues. the use of insects as infection models provides a valuable alternative. compared to other non-vertebrate model hosts such as nematodes, insects have a relatively advanced system of antimicrobial defenses and are thus more likely to produce information relevant to the mammalian infection process. like mammals, insects possess a complex innate immune syste ... | 2012 | 23271509 |
| the peptide chain release factor methyltransferase prmc is essential for pathogenicity and environmental adaptation of pseudomonas aeruginosa pa14. | pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenicity and its capability to adapt to multiple environments are dependent on the production of diverse virulence factors, controlled by the sophisticated quorum sensing (qs) network of p. aeruginosa. to better understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie this adaptation we searched for novel key regulators of virulence factor production by screening a pa14 transposon mutant library for potential candidates acting downstream of the unique 2-alkyl-4-quinolone (aq ... | 2013 | 23278968 |
| effect of ethanol on differential protein production and expression of potential virulence functions in the opportunistic pathogen acinetobacter baumannii. | acinetobacter baumannii persists in the medical environment and causes severe human nosocomial infections. previous studies showed that low-level ethanol exposure increases the virulence of a. baumannii atcc 17978. to better understand the mechanisms involved in this response, 2-d gel electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry was used to investigate differential protein production in bacteria cultured in the presence or absence of ethanol. this approach showed that the presence of ethanol ... | 2012 | 23284824 |
| galleria mellonella as a model host to study paracoccidioides lutzii and histoplasma capsulatum. | non-mammalian models have been used to investigate fungal virulence. in this work we have explored the use of galleria mellonella as an infection model for the pathogenic dimorphic fungi histoplasma capsulatum and paracoccidioides lutzii. in mammalian models these fungi cause similar infections, and disease outcomes are influenced by the quantity of the infective inocula. we describe a similar aspect in a g. mellonella model and characterize the pathogenesis features in this system. infection wi ... | 2013 | 23302787 |
| epidemiology, antifungal susceptibility, and pathogenicity of candida africana isolates from the united kingdom. | candida africana was previously proposed as a new species within the candida albicans species complex, together with c. albicans and c. dubliniensis, although further phylogenetic analyses better support its status as an unusual variant within c. albicans. here we show that c. africana can be distinguished from c. albicans and c. dubliniensis by pyrosequencing of a short region of its2, and we have evaluated its occurrence in clinical samples by pyrosequencing all presumptive isolates of c. albi ... | 2013 | 23303503 |
| in vivo efficacy of telavancin/colistin combination therapy in a galleria mellonella model of acinetobacter baumannii infection. | treatment of acinetobacter baumannii infections is challenging owing to widespread multidrug resistance and the lack of novel agents. there is now considerable interest in the potential of unorthodox combination therapies such as colistin and glycopeptides (e.g. vancomycin and teicoplanin), since potent synergy can be demonstrated in vitro. a simple invertebrate model (galleria mellonella) has been developed to assess the in vivo activity of antimicrobial therapies and was used to investigate th ... | 2013 | 23312607 |
| spread and strain determination of varroa destructor (acari: varroidae) in madagascar since its first report in 2010. | varroa destructor is a major pest in world beekeeping. it was first detected in madagascar in 2010 on the endemic honeybee apis mellifera unicolor. to evaluate v. destructor spread dynamics in madagascar a global survey was conducted in 2011-2012. a total of 695 colonies from 30 districts were inspected for the presence of mites. 2 years after its introduction, nine districts were found infested. varroa destructor spread was relatively slow compared to other countries with a maximum progression ... | 2013 | 23325416 |
| different pattern of galleria mellonella jhbp gene expression in high five and sf9 cells. | juvenile hormone binding protein (jhbp) is the key element of the system that transmits hormone signals to target tissues. recently, we found that the core promoter of the jhbp gene is strongly under the control of the tata box and the transcription start site. in this report, we have shown that the jhbp promoter contains distal regulatory elements whose functionality clearly depends on the particular cell environment and that the scope of research from one cell line is insufficient to generaliz ... | 2013 | 23334896 |
| reassessment of the listeria monocytogenes pan-genome reveals dynamic integration hotspots and mobile genetic elements as major components of the accessory genome. | listeria monocytogenes is an important food-borne pathogen and model organism for host-pathogen interaction, thus representing an invaluable target considering research on the forces governing the evolution of such microbes. the diversity of this species has not been exhaustively explored yet, as previous efforts have focused on analyses of serotypes primarily implicated in human listeriosis. we conducted complete genome sequencing of 11 strains employing 454 gs flx technology, thereby achieving ... | 2013 | 23339658 |
| purification and properties of an insecticidal metalloprotease produced by photorhabdus luminescens strain 0805-p5g, the entomopathogenic nematode symbiont. | a total of 13 photorhabdus luminescens strains were screened for proteolytic activity. the p. luminescens strain 0805-p5g had the highest activity on both skim milk and gelatin plates. the protease was purified to electrophoretical homogeneity by using a two-step column chromatographic procedure. it had a molecular weight of 51.8 kda, as determined by maldi-tof mass spectrometry. the optimum ph, temperature, as well as ph and thermal stabilities were 8, 60 °c, 5-10, and 14-60 °c, respectively. i ... | 2012 | 23344035 |
| brain infection and activation of neuronal repair mechanisms by the human pathogen listeria monocytogenes in the lepidopteran model host galleria mellonella. | listeria monocytogenes the causative agent of the foodborne disease listeriosis in humans often involves fatal brainstem infections leading to meningitis and meningoencephalitis. we recently established the larvae of the greater wax moth (galleria mellonella) as a model host for the investigation of l. monocytogenes pathogenesis and as a source of peptides exhibiting anti-listeria-activity. here we show that g. mellonella can be used to study brain infection and its impact on larval development ... | 2013 | 23348912 |
| in vivo interactions of entomopathogenic fungi, beauveria spp. and metarhizium anisopliae with selected opportunistic soil fungi of sugarcane ecosystem. | in the present study, the interactions of entomopathogenic fungi viz., beauveria bassiana, beauveria brongniartii and metarhizium anisopliae among themselves and three other opportunistic soil fungi from the sugarcane ecosystem namely, fusarium saachari, aspergillus sp. and penecillium sp. were assayed in vivo against galleria mellonella larvae. the tested fungi were co-applied on iv instar g. mellonella @ 1 x 10(7) ml(-1), in combinations of two, at the interval of 24 hrs either preceding or su ... | 2012 | 23359998 |
| phospholipase c of cryptococcus neoformans regulates homeostasis and virulence by providing inositol trisphosphate as a substrate for arg1 kinase. | phospholipase c (plc) of cryptococcus neoformans (cnplc1) is crucial for virulence of this fungal pathogen. to investigate the mechanism of cnplc1-mediated signaling, we established that phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (pip(2)) is a major cnplc1 substrate, which is hydrolyzed to produce inositol trisphosphate (ip(3)). in saccharomyces cerevisiae, plc1-derived ip(3) is a substrate for the inositol polyphosphate kinase arg82, which converts ip(3) to more complex inositol polyphosphates. in t ... | 2013 | 23381992 |
| galleria mellonella as a model system to test the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of antibiotics against burkholderia pseudomallei. | mammalian models of infection are paramount to elucidating the mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis and are also used for evaluating the efficacy of novel antimicrobials before the commencement of human trials. in this study, galleria mellonella was used to determine the efficacy of antibiotics towards a burkholderia thailandensis infection in g. mellonella larvae. kanamycin, imipenem, ceftazidime, doxycycline and ciprofloxacin could all provide some protection when given 1 h before challenge wi ... | 2013 | 23402703 |
| synergistic action of galleria mellonella apolipophorin iii and lysozyme against gram-negative bacteria. | insect immune response relies on the humoral and cellular mechanisms of innate immunity. the key factors are the antimicrobial polypeptides that act in concert against invading pathogens. several such components, e.g. apolipophorin iii (apolp-iii), lysozyme, and anionic peptide 2, are present constitutively in the hemolymph of non-challenged galleria mellonella larvae. in the present study, we demonstrate an evidence for a synergistic action of g. mellonella lysozyme and apolp-iii against gram-n ... | 2013 | 23419829 |
| effect of pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase b on level and activity of immune proteins/peptides of galleria mellonella hemolymph. | abstract susceptibility of proteins and peptides present in immune hemolymph of galleria mellonella fabricius (lepidoptera: pyralidae) larvae to proteolytic degradation by purified elastase b of pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied. results showed that apolp-iii protein was gradually digested by elastase b in vitro. additionally, polipeptides with molecular mass 6.5 and 4 kda were degraded after treatment with the studied enzyme. the lack of these peptides and the decrease in anti-escherichia coli ... | 2012 | 23421724 |
| activities of vancomycin-containing regimens against colistin-resistant acinetobacter baumannii clinical strains. | treatment of infections due to extensively drug-resistant (xdr) acinetobacter baumannii often involves the use of antimicrobial agents in combination. various combinations of agents have been proposed, with colistin serving as the backbone in many of them. recent data suggest that glycopeptides, in particular vancomycin, may have unique activity against laboratory-adapted and clinical strains of a. baumannii, alone and in combination with colistin. the aim of the present study was to test this a ... | 2013 | 23422916 |
| comparative transcriptomic analysis of the burkholderia cepacia tyrosine kinase bcef mutant reveals a role in tolerance to stress, biofilm formation, and virulence. | the bacterial tyrosine-kinase (by-kinase) family comprises the major group of bacterial enzymes endowed with tyrosine kinase activity. we previously showed that the bcef protein from burkholderia cepacia ist408 belongs to this by-kinase family and is involved in the biosynthesis of the exopolysaccharide cepacian. however, little is known about the extent of regulation of this protein kinase activity. in order to examine this regulation, we performed a comparative transcriptome profile between th ... | 2013 | 23435894 |
| galleria mellonella hemocytes destruction after infection with pseudomonas aeruginosa. | the influence of infection with an entomopathogenic strain of pseudomonas aeruginosa on galleria mellonella hemocytes was investigated. extensive bacteriaemia developed 18 h after infection. this was correlated with significant changes in morphology, viability and the spreading ability of immunocompetent hemocytes, namely granulocytes and plasmatocytes. since bacteriaemia developed, membrane blebbing, cytoplasm vacuolization, cell and organelle swelling, and chromatin condensation were observed ... | 2014 | 23456635 |
| the legionella pneumophila dot/icm-secreted effector plcc/cegc1 together with plca and plcb promotes virulence and belongs to a novel zinc metallophospholipase c family present in bacteria and fungi. | legionella pneumophila is a water-borne bacterium that causes pneumonia in humans. plca and plcb are two previously defined l. pneumophila proteins with homology to the phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase c (pc-plc) of pseudomonas fluorescens. additionally, we found that lpg0012 shows similarity to plcs and has been shown to be a dot/icm-injected effector, cegc1, which is designated here as plcc. it remained unclear, however, whether these l. pneumophila proteins exhibit plc activity. plc ... | 2013 | 23457299 |
| photodynamic and antibiotic therapy impair the pathogenesis of enterococcus faecium in a whole animal insect model. | enterococcus faecium has emerged as one of the most important pathogens in healthcare-associated infections worldwide due to its intrinsic and acquired resistance to many antibiotics, including vancomycin. antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (apdt) is an alternative therapeutic platform that is currently under investigation for the control and treatment of infections. pdt is based on the use of photoactive dye molecules, widely known as photosensitizer (ps). ps, upon irradiation with visible ligh ... | 2013 | 23457486 |
| adaptation of listeria monocytogenes in a simulated cheese medium: effects on virulence using the galleria mellonella infection model. | the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the acid and salt adaptation in a cheese-based medium on the virulence potential of listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from cheese and dairy processing environment using the galleria mellonella model. four l. monocytogenes strains were exposed to a cheese-based medium in conditions of induction of an acid tolerance response and osmotolerance response (ph 5·5 and 3·5% w/v nacl) and injected in g. mellonella insects. the survival of insects ... | 2013 | 23461530 |
| effect of boric acid on antioxidant enzyme activity, lipid peroxidation, and ultrastructure of midgut and fat body of galleria mellonella. | boric acid is widely used as an insecticide, acaricide, herbicide, and fungicide and also during various industrial processings. hence, numerous populations are subjects to this toxic compound. its action on animals is still not fully known and understood. we examined the effect of boric acid on larvae of greater wax moth (galleria mellonella). the chemical appeared to be toxic for larvae, usually in a concentration-dependent manner. exposed groups revealed increased lipid peroxidation and alter ... | 2013 | 23475114 |
| heterorhabditidoides rugaoensis n. sp. (rhabditida: rhabditidae), a novel highly pathogenic entomopathogenic nematode member of rhabditidae. | a novel entomopathogenic nematode species, heterorhabditidoides rugaoensis n. sp. rg081015, collected from rugao, china, is described. the new species is morphologically very similar to h. chongmingensis but can be distinguished from it on the basis of some morphological characteristics, combined with molecular data and a cross-hybridization test. males of the new species can be recognized on the basis of body length averaging 1396.2 μm; lateral field with one ridge; metastome isoglottoid with o ... | 2012 | 23482845 |
| the influence of dietary α-solanine on the waxmoth galleria mellonella l. | plant allelochemicals are nonnutritional chemicals that interfere with the biology of herbivores. we posed the hypothesis that ingestion of a glycoalkaloid allelochemical, α-solanine, impairs biological parameters of greater wax moths galleria mellonella. to test this idea, we reared wax moths on artificial diets with 0.015, 0.15, or 1.5 mg/100 g diet of α-solanine. addition of α-solanine to the diet affected survival of seventh-instar larvae, pupae, and adults; and female fecundity and fertilit ... | 2013 | 23494897 |
| identification, characterization and expression of a defensin-like antifungal peptide from the whitefly bemisia tabaci (gennadius) (hemiptera: aleyrodidae). | defensins are a class of small and diverse cysteine-rich proteins which have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. we identified and characterized a full-length cdna encoding a putative defensin-like peptide from the whitefly bemisia tabaci by race and quantitative real-time (qrt)-pcr. the full-length cdna, named btdef, was 388 bp long and contained an open reading frame of 228 bp. the putative mature btdef had 46 amino acids with a molecular weight of 5.06 kda. the deduced amino acid sequenc ... | 2013 | 23496414 |
| three pseudomonas aeruginosa strains with different protease profiles. | the proteolytic activity of three pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, atcc 27853 - a reference strain, and two clinical isolates was tested. the activity was examined after culturing the bacteria in two different growth media: the minimal m9 medium and rich luria-bertani broth (lb). based on zymograms and protease activity specific assays, it was concluded that the reference strain produced three proteolytic enzymes in the lb medium: protease iv, elastase b and elastase a, while alkaline protease wa ... | 2013 | 23513190 |
| invertebrate models of fungal infection. | the morbidity, mortality and economic burden associated with fungal infections, together with the emergence of fungal strains resistant to current antimicrobial agents, necessitate broadening our understanding of fungal pathogenesis and discovering new agents to treat these infections. using invertebrate hosts, especially the nematode caenorhabditis elegans and the model insects drosophila melanogaster and galleria mellonella, could help achieve these goals. the evolutionary conservation of seve ... | 2013 | 23517918 |
| an insecticidal protein from xenorhabdus ehlersii stimulates the innate immune response in galleria mellonella. | the bacteria xenorhabdus spp. are entomopathogenic symbionts that can produce several toxic proteins that interfere with the immune system of insects. recently, we purified the insecticidal protein xegroel from xenorhabdus ehlersii and discovered that injection of xegroel into larvae of galleria mellonella triggers strong immune responses. in this study, we determined the level of induction of several immune-responsive proteins that were secreted into the hemolymph using comparative proteomic an ... | 2013 | 23529358 |
| soil moisture effects on the activity of three entomopathogenic nematodes (steinernematidae and heterorhabditidae) isolated from meghalaya, india. | entomopathogenic nematodes (epns) are obligate parasites of insects that are widely distributed in soils throughout the world. they have great potential for use as biological control agents for insect pests. it is known that strains of steinernema and heterorhabditis isolated from different geographical regions exhibit differences in their ecological traits, such as infectivity, establishment, survival, reproduction, etc. a precise knowledge of these factors is therefore an essential pre-requisi ... | 2011 | 23543771 |
| developing the potential of using galleria mellonella larvae as models for studying brain infection by listeria monocytogenes. | 2013 | 23552811 | |
| antifungal efficacy during candida krusei infection in non-conventional models correlates with the yeast in vitro susceptibility profile. | the incidence of opportunistic fungal infections has increased in recent decades due to the growing proportion of immunocompromised patients in our society. candida krusei has been described as a causative agent of disseminated fungal infections in susceptible patients. although its prevalence remains low among yeast infections (2-5%), its intrinsic resistance to fluconazole makes this yeast important from epidemiologic aspects. non mammalian organisms are feasible models to study fungal virulen ... | 2013 | 23555877 |
| can insects develop resistance to insect pathogenic fungi? | microevolutionary adaptations and mechanisms of fungal pathogen resistance were explored in a melanic population of the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella. under constant selective pressure from the insect pathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana, 25(th) generation larvae exhibited significantly enhanced resistance, which was specific to this pathogen and not to another insect pathogenic fungus, metarhizium anisopliae. defense and stress management strategies of selected (resistant) and non-selec ... | 2013 | 23560083 |
| effects of entomopathogenic fungus species, and impact of fertilizers, on biological control of pecan weevil (coleoptera: curculionidae). | the pecan weevil, curculio caryae (horn), is a key pest of pecan, carya illinoinensis (wangenh.) k. koch. prior research indicated the potential for use of hypocreales fungi to suppress c. caryae. we compared the efficacy of two fungal spp., beauveria bassiana (gha strain) and metarhizium brunneum (f52), in their ability to cause c. caryae mortality. the fungus, b. bassiana, was applied to trunks of pecan trees (a method previously shown to be effective in c. caryae suppression) and efficacy was ... | 2013 | 23575015 |
| functional conservation and structural diversification of silk sericins in two moth species. | sericins are hydrophilic structural proteins produced by caterpillars in the middle section of silk glands and layered over fibroin proteins secreted in the posterior section. in the process of spinning, fibroins form strong solid filaments, while sericins seal the pair of filaments into a single fiber and glue the fiber into a cocoon. galleria mellonella and the previously examined bombyx mori harbor three sericin genes that encode proteins containing long repetitive regions. galleria sericin g ... | 2013 | 23593923 |
| in vivo assessment of growth and virulence gene expression during commensal and pathogenic lifestyles of luxabcde-tagged enterococcus faecalis strains in murine gastrointestinal and intravenous infection models. | cytolysin and gelatinase are prominent pathogenicity determinants associated with highly virulent enterococcus faecalis strains. in an effort to explore the expression profiles of these virulence traits in vivo, we have employed e. faecalis variants expressing the luxabcde cassette under the control of either the p16s, cytolysin, or gelatinase promoter for infections of galleria mellonella caterpillars and mice. systemic infection of g. mellonella with bioluminescence-tagged e. faecalis mmh594 r ... | 2013 | 23603680 |
| utility of insects for studying human pathogens and evaluating new antimicrobial agents. | insect models, such as galleria mellonella and drosophila melanogaster have significant ethical, logistical, and economic advantages over mammalian models for the studies of infectious diseases. using these models, various pathogenic microbes have been studied and many novel virulence genes have been identified. notably, because insects are susceptible to a wide variety of human pathogens and have immune responses similar to those of mammals, they offer the opportunity to understand innate immun ... | 2013 | 23604210 |
| concerted action of sphingomyelinase and non-hemolytic enterotoxin in pathogenic bacillus cereus. | bacillus cereus causes food poisoning and serious non-gastrointestinal-tract infections. non-hemolytic enterotoxin (nhe), which is present in most b. cereus strains, is considered to be one of the main virulence factors. however, a b. cereus δnhebc mutant strain lacking nhe is still cytotoxic to intestinal epithelial cells. in a screen for additional cytotoxic factors using an in vitro model for polarized colon epithelial cells we identified b. cereus sphingomyelinase (smase) as a strong inducer ... | 2013 | 23613846 |
| fungal virulence in a lepidopteran model is an emergent property with deterministic features. | abstract virulence has been proposed to be an emergent property, which by definition implies that it is not reducible to its components, but this application of a philosophical concept to the host-microbe interaction has not been experimentally tested. the goals of our study were to analyze the correlation of the phenotype with the ability to cause disease and to determine the dynamics of an experimental cryptococcal infection in galleria mellonella and acanthamoeba castellanii. by studying the ... | 2013 | 23631914 |
| diverse susceptibility of galleria mellonella humoral immune response factors to the exoproteinase activity of entomopathogenic and clinical strains of pseudomonas aeruginosa. | we investigated the effects of extracellular proteinases of two pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates on the essential humoral immune response parameters in hemolymph of the insect model organism galleria mellonella in vitro. two culture media, rich lb and minimal m9, known to induce synthesis of different sets of proteinases secreted by p. aeruginosa were used. changes in lysozyme, antibacterial and antifungal activities, as well as protein and peptide patterns in hemolymph treated with prot ... | 2013 | 23646938 |
| the dot/icm effector sdha is necessary for virulence of legionella pneumophila in galleria mellonella and a/j mice. | legionella pneumophila is an intracellular bacterium that resides within amoebae and macrophages in a specialized compartment termed the legionella-containing vacuole (lcv). as well as providing an intracellular niche for replication, the lcv helps to prevent the release of bacterial components into the cytoplasm. recognition of these components as danger signals by the host activates immune responses leading to clearance of the bacterium. here, we examined the role of two important virulence fa ... | 2013 | 23649096 |
| galleria mellonella larvae as an infection model for group a streptococcus. | group a streptococcus is a strict human pathogen that can cause a wide range of diseases, such as tonsillitis, impetigo, necrotizing fasciitis, toxic shock, and acute rheumatic fever. modeling human diseases in animals is complicated, and rapid, simple, and cost-effective in vivo models of gas infection are clearly lacking. recently, the use of non-mammalian models to model human disease is starting to re-attract attention. galleria mellonella larvae, also known as wax worms, have been investiga ... | 2013 | 23652836 |
| extremely high frequency sensitivity in a 'simple' ear. | an evolutionary war is being played out between the bat, which uses ultrasonic calls to locate insect prey, and the moth, which uses microscale ears to listen for the approaching bat. while the highest known frequency of bat echolocation calls is 212 khz, the upper limit of moth hearing is considered much lower. here, we show that the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella, is capable of hearing ultrasonic frequencies approaching 300 khz; the highest frequency sensitivity of any animal. with audi ... | 2013 | 23658005 |
| secretome analysis defines the major role of secdf in staphylococcus aureus virulence. | the sec pathway plays a prominent role in protein export and membrane insertion, including the secretion of major bacterial virulence determinants. the accessory sec constituent secdf has been proposed to contribute to protein export. deletion of staphylococcus aureus secdf has previously been shown to reduce resistance, to alter cell separation, and to change the expression of certain virulence factors. to analyse the impact of the secdf deletion in s. aureus on protein secretion, a quantitativ ... | 2013 | 23658837 |
| evaluation of reduced susceptibility to quaternary ammonium compounds and bisbiguanides in clinical isolates and laboratory-generated mutants of staphylococcus aureus. | the mics and minimum bactericidal concentrations (mbcs) for the biocides benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine were determined against 1,602 clinical isolates of staphylococcus aureus. both compounds showed unimodal mic and mbc distributions (2 and 4 or 8 mg/liter, respectively) with no apparent subpopulation with reduced susceptibility. to investigate further, all isolates were screened for qac genes, and 39 of these also had the promoter region of the nora multidrug-resistant (mdr) efflux pu ... | 2013 | 23669380 |
| the glutathione-related detoxication responses to juvenile and ecdysone hormones in galleria mellonella. | the effect of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e) and juvenile hormone (jh) on the glutathione pathway of the greater wax moth galleria mellonella (lepidoptera: pyralidae) was determined by investigating glutathione peroxidase (gsh-px), glutathione s-transferases (gst), and glutathione reductase (gr) activities as well as reduced and oxidized glutathione (gsh and gssg) content with respect to developmental stage. the continuous decreases of gsh-px and gst activities dependent on the growth period of g. mel ... | 2013 | 23684736 |
| more than a colour change: insect melanism, disease resistance and fecundity. | a 'dark morph' melanic strain of the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella, was studied for its atypical, heightened resistance to infection with the entomopathogenic fungus, beauveria bassiana. we show that these insects exhibit multiple intraspecific immunity and physiological traits that distinguish them from a non-melanic, fungus-susceptible morph. the melanic and non-melanic morphs were geographical variants that had evolved different, independent defence strategies. melanic morphs exhibit ... | 2013 | 23698007 |
| experimental biofilm-related candida infections. | we investigated the pathogenic role of biofilm and the therapeutic efficacy of anidulafungin in experimental infections of the wax moth galleria mellonella by candida albicans clinical strains. | 2013 | 23701334 |
| ybp1 and gpx3 signaling in candida albicans govern hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidation of the cap1 transcription factor and macrophage escape. | as candida albicans is the major fungal pathogen of humans, there is an urgent need to understand how this pathogen evades toxic reactive oxygen species (ros) generated by the host immune system. a key regulator of antioxidant gene expression, and thus ros resistance, in c. albicans is the ap-1-like transcription factor cap1. despite this, little is known regarding the intracellular signaling mechanisms that underlie the oxidation and activation of cap1. therefore, the aims of this study were; ( ... | 2013 | 23706023 |
| galleria mellonella as a model host to study gut microbe homeostasis and brain infection by the human pathogen listeria monocytogenes. | the gastrointestinal tract in both mammals and insects is associated with microbes (collectively the microbiota), which are controlled by the intestinal immune system. these microbes regulate pathogens that can infect gut epithelial cells, and there is increasing evidence for a reciprocal relationship between beneficial and pathogenic bacteria in the gut and the intestinal immune system. deciphering these complex interactions between the microbiota and intestinal immune system in mammals require ... | 2013 | 23708825 |
| synthetic epidermicin ni01 can protect galleria mellonella larvae from infection with staphylococcus aureus. | epidermicin is a novel antimicrobial peptide that has potent activity against gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, and it may have potential for use in therapy for infections caused by these bacteria, though in vivo efficacy needs to be demonstrated. galleria mellonella larvae have recently been introduced as an alternative in vivo model to mammalian systems and here we examined the ability of a synthetic version of epidermicin to protect g. mellonella ... | 2013 | 23711896 |
| molecular characterization of chitinase genes from a local isolate of serratia marcescens and their contribution to the insecticidal activity of bacillus thuringiensis strains. | the chitinase b (chib) and c (chic) genes and flanking regions from a local isolate of serratia marcescens were cloned individually and sequenced. results showed that these chib and chic genes have a 96 % maximum similarity with chib and chic from different s. marcescens species (genbank numbers z36295.1 and aj630582.1, respectively). the amplified chib fragment, including some upstream and downstream regions, is 1,689-bp long with an open reading frame of 1,500 bp. the amplified fragment of chi ... | 2013 | 23728785 |
| virulence of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus faecium according to linezolid resistance and clinical outbreak status. | assessing clinical virulence differences between vancomycin-resistant enterococcus faecium (vref) strains resistant to linezolid (lrvre) and linezolid-susceptible vre (lsvre) strains is difficult due to confounding patient variables. galleria mellonella is a validated host interaction model allowing straightforward organism virulence assessment. the objective of this study was to assess the virulence of vref in g. mellonella according to linezolid resistance and clinical outbreak status. a genet ... | 2013 | 23733458 |
| the cell wall-targeting antibiotic stimulon of enterococcus faecalis. | enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen that is highly resistant to a variety of environmental insults, including an intrinsic tolerance to antimicrobials that target the cell wall (cw). with the goal of determining the cw-stress stimulon of e. faecalis, the global transcriptional profile of e. faecalis og1rf exposed to ampicillin, bacitracin, cephalotin or vancomycin was obtained via microarrays. exposure to the β-lactams ampicillin and cephalotin resulted in the fewest tr ... | 2014 | 23755154 |
| effect of ester to amide or n-methylamide substitution on bacterial membrane depolarization and antibacterial activity of novel cyclic lipopeptides. | cyclic lipopeptides derived from the fusaricidin/li-f family of naturally occurring antibiotics represent particularly attractive candidates for the development of new antibacterial agents. in comparison with natural products, these derivatives may offer better stability under physiologically relevant conditions and lower nonspecific toxicity, while preserving their antibacterial activity. in this study we assessed the ability of cyclic lipodepsipeptide 1 and its analogues--amide 2, n-methylamid ... | 2013 | 23780744 |
| deletion of the sec4 homolog srga from aspergillus fumigatus is associated with an impaired stress response, attenuated virulence and phenotypic heterogeneity. | small gtpases of the rab family are master regulators of membrane trafficking, responsible for coordinating the sorting, packaging and delivery of membrane-bound vesicles to specific sites within eukaryotic cells. the contribution of these proteins to the biology of the human pathogenic fungus aspergillus fumigatus has not been explored. in this study, we characterized the srga gene, encoding a rab gtpase closely related to sec4. we found that a gfp-srga fusion protein accumulated preferentially ... | 2013 | 23785510 |
| virulence-related traits of epidemic acinetobacter baumannii strains belonging to the international clonal lineages i-iii and to the emerging genotypes st25 and st78. | acinetobacter baumannii is responsible for large epidemics in hospitals, where it can persist for long time on abiotic surfaces. this study investigated some virulence-related traits of epidemic a. baumannii strains assigned to distinct mlst genotypes, including those corresponding to the international clones i-iii as well as emerging genotypes responsible for recent epidemics. | 2013 | 23786621 |
| developing galleria mellonella as a model host for human pathogens. | 2013 | 23799664 |