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genes encoding vitamin-k epoxide reductase are present in drosophila and trypanosomatid protists.vitamin-k epoxide reductase is encoded by the vkorc1 gene in mammals and other vertebrates, which also have a paralog, vkorc1l1. single homologs are present in basal deuterostome and insect genomes, including drosophila, and three trypanosomatid protists. vkor is therefore an ancient gene/protein that can be studied in the drosophila model system.200415514077
cleavage of double-stranded rna by rnase hi from a thermoacidophilic archaeon, sulfolobus tokodaii 7.st0753, the orthologous gene of type 1 rnase h found in a thermoacidophilic archaeon, sulfolobus tokodaii, was analyzed. the recombinant st0753 protein exhibited rnase h activity in both in vivo and in vitro assays. the protein expressed in an rnase h-deficient mutant escherichia coli strain functioned to suppress the temperature-sensitive phenotype associated with the lack of rnase h. the in vitro characteristics of the gene's rnase h activity were similar to those of halobacterium rnase hi, th ...200415520465
utility of schistosoma bovis adult worm antigens for diagnosis of human schistosomiasis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and electroimmunotransfer blot techniques.immunodiagnostic methods based on the detection of antibodies continue to be the most effective and practical methods for the diagnosis of imported schistosomiasis. schistosoma bovis is a species whose final natural hosts are bovines, ovines, caprines, and small wild ruminants. different studies have demonstrated the analogies existing between s. bovis and other schistosoma species which affect humans. the objective of this work was to evaluate the utility of s. bovis adult worm antigens (awa) f ...200415539523
proposal to list atcc 43642 as the type strain of leptospira interrogans in the approved lists of bacterial names. request for an opinion.atcc 23581(t) has been cited as the type strain of leptospira interrogans since 1980. in 1986, the centers for disease control informed the atcc that this strain was leptospira interrogans serovar budapest, not serovar icterohaemorrhagiae as deposited originally. an authentic culture of the leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae rga(t) strain was then submitted and assigned atcc 43642, which was designated as the type strain of leptospira interrogans in an article by yasuda et al. [y ...200415545494
comparative analysis of the borrelia garinii genome.three members of the genus borrelia (b.burgdorferi, b.garinii, b.afzelii) cause tick-borne borreliosis. depending on the borrelia species involved, the borreliosis differs in its clinical symptoms. comparative genomics opens up a way to elucidate the underlying differences in borrelia species. we analysed a low redundancy whole-genome shotgun (wgs) assembly of a b.garinii strain isolated from a patient with neuroborreliosis in comparison to the b.burgdorferi genome. this analysis reveals that mo ...200415547252
a 22-mer primer enhances discriminatory power of ap-pcr fingerprinting technique in characterization of leptospires.to evaluate the discriminatory power and usefulness of arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction (ap-pcr) characterization of leptospires with m16 primer.200415548317
evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect hemagglutination assay for detection of leptospiral antibody by using three different antigens.evaluation of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and indirect hemagglutination assay (iha) for detection of leptospiral antibody were performed using three different soluble antigens extracted from leptospira interrogans serovar bataviae including heat extracted antigen (hea), sonicated antigen (sa) and deoxycholate extracted antigen (dea). one hundred seventy-eight sera from 85 confirmed leptospirosis cases and 202 non-leptospirosis cases were examined sa-iha showed the highest sensitivi ...200415560701
computing prokaryotic gene ubiquity: rescuing the core from extinction.the genomic core concept has found several uses in comparative and evolutionary genomics. defined as the set of all genes common to (ubiquitous among) all genomes in a phylogenetically coherent group, core size decreases as the number and phylogenetic diversity of the relevant group increases. here, we focus on methods for defining the size and composition of the core of all genes shared by sequenced genomes of prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea). there are few (almost certainly less than 50) gen ...200415574825
new insights into type ii nad(p)h:quinone oxidoreductases.type ii nad(p)h:quinone oxidoreductases (ndh-2) catalyze the two-electron transfer from nad(p)h to quinones, without any energy-transducing site. ndh-2 accomplish the turnover of nad(p)h, regenerating the nad(p)(+) pool, and may contribute to the generation of a membrane potential through complexes iii and iv. these enzymes are usually constituted by a nontransmembrane polypeptide chain of approximately 50 kda, containing a flavin moiety. there are a few compounds that can prevent their activity ...200415590775
identification and analysis of genes present in leptospira interrogans serovar lai but absent in l. biflexa serovar monvalerio.genes present in virulent bacterial strains but absent in avirulent close relatives can be of great biologic and clinical interest. this project aimed to identify strain specific dna sequences of leptospira interrogans serovar lai, which is absent in the saprophytic l. biflexa serovar monvalerio, via suppression subtractive hybridization with the former as the tester while the latter as the driver. the mixture of pcr amplified dna fragments from two subtractive hybridization experiments were clo ...200415592651
toll-like receptor 2 (tlr2) is pivotal for recognition of s. aureus peptidoglycan but not intact bacteria by microglia.toll-like receptor 2 (tlr2) is a pattern recognition receptor that plays an important role in enabling cells of the innate immune system to recognize conserved structural motifs on a wide array of pathogens including gram-positive bacteria. although microglia have recently been shown to express tlr2, the functional significance of this receptor in mediating microglial activation remains unknown. to ascertain the importance of tlr2 in microglial responses to s. aureus and its cell wall product pe ...200515593098
identification of a sulp-type bicarbonate transporter in marine cyanobacteria.cyanobacteria possess a highly effective co(2)-concentrating mechanism that elevates co(2) concentrations around the primary carboxylase, rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase). this co(2)-concentrating mechanism incorporates light-dependent, active uptake systems for co(2) and hco(-)(3). through mutant studies in a coastal marine cyanobacterium, synechococcus sp. strain pcc7002, we identified bica as a gene that encodes a class of hco(-)(3) transporter with relatively low tra ...200415596724
[latex agglutination system for the rapid diagnosis of leptospirosis in cuba].to assess the sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and stability of five latex agglutination systems for detecting antibodies against leptospira in human and animal sera, by using the leptospira serotypes that are most widely prevalent in cuba.200415615600
genetic determinant of intrinsic quinolone resistance in fusobacterium canifelinum.fourteen fluoroquinolone-resistant fusobacterial strains, originating from cats or dogs, were characterized by sequencing of the 16s-23s and 16s rrna genes and dna-dna hybridization and were described as a new species, fusobacterium canifelinum. all of the strains are intrinsically resistant (mic, >4 g/ml) to levofloxacin and other fluoroquinolones. compared to the quinolone resistance-determining region (gyra) of the susceptible relative f. nucleatum, we found that ser79 was replaced with leuci ...200515616329
investigation of zinc-containing peptide deformylase from leptospira interrogans by x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy.peptide deformylase (pdf, ec 3.5.1.27) is essential for the normal growth of eubacterium but not for mammalians. recently, pdf has been studied as a target for new antibiotics. its activity is strongly dependent on the bound metal ion. the crystallographic studies did not show any significant structural difference upon various bound metal ions. in this paper, x-ray absorption spectroscopy was employed to determine the local structure around the zinc ion of pdf from leptospira interrogans in dry ...200415616374
osmolarity, a key environmental signal controlling expression of leptospiral proteins liga and ligb and the extracellular release of liga.the high-molecular-weight leptospiral immunoglobulin-like repeat (lig) proteins are expressed only by virulent low-passage forms of pathogenic leptospira species. we examined the effects of growth phase and environmental signals on the expression, surface exposure, and extracellular release of liga and ligb. liga was lost from stationary-phase cells, while ligb expression was maintained. the loss of cell-associated liga correlated with selective release of a lower-molecular-weight form of liga i ...200515618142
serologic survey for selected disease agents in wolves (canis lupus) from alaska and the yukon territory, 1984-2000.wolves (canis lupus) were captured in several geographic areas of alaska (usa) and the yukon territory (canada) during 1984-2000. blood was collected from 1,122 animals. sera were tested for antibodies against infectious canine hepatitis virus (ich), canine distemper virus (cdv), canine parvovirus (cpv), francisella tularensis, and serovars of leptospira interrogans. antibody prevalence for ich was >84% for all areas. area-specific prevalences of antibodies ranged from 12% to 70% for cpv, from 0 ...200415650081
leptospirosis presenting with fever and pulmonary hemorrhage.reports of leptospirosis have recently been increasing in taiwan. we report a case of leptospirosis with the unusual initial manifestation of pulmonary hemorrhage. the patient presented with cough for 1 week and was admitted. after admission, fever, hemoptysis and severe dyspnea developed suddenly. chest radiograph showed bilateral diffuse pulmonary infiltrates and he was transferred to the emergency room of our hospital. oxygen saturation was 86% under room air and respiratory rate was 30 per m ...200515660179
clinical spectrum of pulmonary involvement in leptospirosis in a region of endemicity, with quantification of leptospiral burden.pulmonary involvement in leptospirosis remains poorly recognized in regions where it is endemic, despite reports of recent outbreaks and epidemic disease.200515668855
purification and proteomic analysis of outer membrane vesicles from a clinical isolate of leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni.the severe pulmonary form of leptospirosis (spfl) is an especially serious and rapid disease process characterized by alveolar hemorrhage and acute respiratory failure. the outer membrane of leptospira facilitates direct interactions with the environs and likely contains important constituents involved during infection, transmission, survival, and adaptation to environmental conditions, including putative vaccinogen and diagnostic candidates. outer membrane vesicles (omvs) were purified by incub ...200515672460
evaluation of lig-based conventional and real time pcr for the detection of pathogenic leptospires.leptospirosis is globally important infectious disease affecting almost all mammals. pathogenic leptospira encodes immunoglobulin-like protein (lig) that is found to express only during infection. we report the development of conventional and real time pcr assays targeting lig genes of leptospires for the early diagnosis of leptospirosis. sensitivity of the newly designed lig1/lig2 primers for conventional pcr was compared with previously published primers lp1/lp2 and g1/g2. g1/g2 primers amplif ...200415680212
measuring genome conservation across taxa: divided strains and united kingdoms.species evolutionary relationships have traditionally been defined by sequence similarities of phylogenetic marker molecules, recently followed by whole-genome phylogenies based on gene order, average ortholog similarity or gene content. here, we introduce genome conservation--a novel metric of evolutionary distances between species that simultaneously takes into account, both gene content and sequence similarity at the whole-genome level. genome conservation represents a robust distance measure ...200515681613
leptospiral pneumonia.severe leptospirosis rarely presents with primary pulmonary manifestations, without any associated jaundice or renal dysfunction. the authors report a nine-year-old boy who presented with complaints of abrupt onset of high fever; with myalgia, headache, and pain in right chest region, productive cough with hemoptysis and vomiting developing over the past 72 hours. chest radiograph showed consolidation in the right upper lobe with air bronchogram. a history of contact with sewage water and presen ...200515684465
[advances in research on pathogenic mechanism the prospect of genus-specific genetic engineering vaccine of leptospira interrogans]. 200515693115
[apoptosis and ultrastructural lesions in vero and j774a.1 cells induced by leptospira interrogans].to determine the ability of adhering and invading to host cells and the related pathologic changes of leptospira spp. with different virulence.200515693116
[immune-functional epitopes and inflammation-inducing effects of the major outer envelope proteins of leptospira interrogans].to investigate the immune-functional epitopes and inflammation-inducing effects of the major outer envelope proteins of leptospira interrogans.200515693117
[phospholipase c activity and alteration of intracellular free ca2+ levels during internalization of leptospira interrogans].to determine the effects of leptospiral strains with different virulence on intracellular free ca(2+)level and its relation with phospholipase c (plc) activity of l.interrogans.200515693118
[construction and application of prokaryotic expression system of leptospira interrogans lipl32/1-lipl41/1 fusion gene].to construct lipl32/1-lipl41/1 fusion gene and its prokaryotic expression system and to determine frequencies of carrying and expression of lipl32 and lipl41 genes in l.interrogans wild strains and specific antibody levels in sera from leptospirosis patients.200515693120
[eukaryotic expression of leptospira interrogans lipl32/1-ompl1/1 fusion gene encoding genus-specific protein antigens and the immunoreactivity of expression products].to construct the eukaryotic expression system of l.interrogans lipl32/1-ompl1/1 fusion gene and to identify the immunoreactivity of expression products.200515693121
identification of variable-number tandem-repeat loci in leptospira interrogans sensu stricto.leptospira interrogans sensu stricto is responsible for the most frequent and severe cases of human leptospirosis. the epidemiology and clinical features of leptospirosis are usually associated with the serovars and serogroups of leptospira. because of the difficulties associated with serological identification of leptospira strains, we evaluated a novel pcr-based method for typing l. interrogans serovars. based upon the genome sequence of l. interrogans serovar lai type strain 5660, 44 loci wer ...200515695642
specialized microbial databases for inductive exploration of microbial genome sequences.the enormous amount of genome sequence data asks for user-oriented databases to manage sequences and annotations. queries must include search tools permitting function identification through exploration of related objects.200515698474
protein domains and architectural innovation in plant-associated proteobacteria.evolution of new complex biological behaviour tends to arise by novel combinations of existing building blocks. the functional and evolutionary building blocks of the proteome are protein domains, the function of a protein being dependent on its constituent domains. we clustered completely-sequenced proteomes of prokaryotes on the basis of their protein domain content, as defined by pfam (release 16.0). this revealed that, although there was a correlation between phylogeny and domain content, ot ...200515715905
toxin-antitoxin loci are highly abundant in free-living but lost from host-associated prokaryotes.prokaryotic chromosomes code for toxin-antitoxin (ta) loci, often in multiple copies. in e.coli, experimental evidence indicates that ta loci are stress-response elements that help cells survive unfavorable growth conditions. the first gene in a ta operon codes for an antitoxin that combines with and neutralizes a regulatory 'toxin', encoded by the second gene. rele and mazf toxins are regulators of translation that cleave mrna and function, in interplay with tmrna, in quality control of gene ex ...200515718296
variation in the strength of selected codon usage bias among bacteria.among bacteria, many species have synonymous codon usage patterns that have been influenced by natural selection for those codons that are translated more accurately and/or efficiently. however, in other species selection appears to have been ineffective. here, we introduce a population genetics-based model for quantifying the extent to which selection has been effective. the approach is applied to 80 phylogenetically diverse bacterial species for which whole genome sequences are available. the ...200515728743
experimental leptospirosis in marmoset monkeys (callithrix jacchus): a new model for studies of severe pulmonary leptospirosis.experimental infection of marmoset monkeys (callithrix jacchus) with leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni showed microscopic patterns of tissue reactions comparable to those seen in the severe forms of human leptospirosis, including intra-alveolar hemorrhage. the most impressive microscopic changes were seen in the lung and kidney of animals killed at days 6 and 12 after inoculation. there were extensive and irregular areas of hemorrhage predominating around main bronchial branches or diff ...200515728860
molecular analysis of the rebeccamycin l-amino acid oxidase from lechevalieria aerocolonigenes atcc 39243.rebeccamycin, a member of the tryptophan-derived indolocarbazole family, is produced by lechevalieria aerocolonigenes atcc 39243. the biosynthetic pathway that specifies biosynthesis of this important metabolite is comprised of 11 genes spanning 18 kb of dna. a presumed early enzyme involved in elaboration of the rebeccamycin aglycone is encoded by rebo, located at the left-hand region of the reb gene cluster. the deduced protein product, rebo (51.9 kda), is an l-amino acid oxidase (l-aao) that ...200515743957
identification of a new borrelia species among small mammals in areas of northern spain where lyme disease is endemic.the role of small mammals as reservoir hosts for borrelia burgdorferi was investigated in several areas where lyme disease is endemic in northern spain. a low rate of infestation by ixodes ricinus nymphs was found in the small mammal populations studied that correlated with the near-absence of b. burgdorferi sensu lato in 184 animals tested and with the lack of transmission of b. burgdorferi sensu lato to i. ricinus larvae that fed on them. in contrast, questing ticks collected at the same time ...200515746336
whole-genome analysis of leptospira interrogans to identify potential vaccine candidates against leptospirosis.leptospirosis is an important global human and veterinary health problem. humans can be infected by exposure to chronically infected animals and their environment. an important focus of the current leptospiral research is the identification of outer membrane proteins (omps). due to their location, leptospiral omps are likely to be relevant in host-pathogen interactions, hence their potential ability to stimulate heterologous immunity. the existing whole-genome sequence of leptospira interrogans ...200515766783
identification and classification of all potential hemolysin encoding genes and their products from leptospira interrogans serogroup icterohae-morrhagiae serovar lai.to identify and classify all potential hemolysin candidates of leptospira interrogans serogroup icterohaemorrhagiae serovar lai.200515780195
the thermophilic, homohexameric aminopeptidase of borrelia burgdorferi is a member of the m29 family of metallopeptidases.proteases are implicated in several aspects of the physiology of microorganisms, as well as in host-pathogen interactions. aminopeptidases are also emerging as novel drug targets in infectious agents. in this study, we have characterized an aminopeptidase from the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease. the aminopeptidolytic activity was identified in cell extracts from b. burgdorferi by using the substrate leucine-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin. a protein displaying this ...200515784569
penicillin-binding proteins in the pathogenic intestinal spirochete brachyspira pilosicoli.penicillin-binding proteins (pbps) of slightly different molecular masses (94, 62 or 68, 42 or 50, 25, and 22 kda) were identified in one human and two porcine brachyspira pilosicoli strains. identification of pbps of b. pilosicoli provides a basis for characterization of the genes encoding these proteins among pathogenic intestinal spirochetes of humans and animals.200515793139
systematic association of genes to phenotypes by genome and literature mining.one of the major challenges of functional genomics is to unravel the connection between genotype and phenotype. so far no global analysis has attempted to explore those connections in the light of the large phenotypic variability seen in nature. here, we use an unsupervised, systematic approach for associating genes and phenotypic characteristics that combines literature mining with comparative genome analysis. we first mine the medline literature database for terms that reflect phenotypic simil ...200515799710
leptospiral membrane proteins--variations on a theme? 200515802754
functional insights from the distribution and role of homopeptide repeat-containing proteins.expansion of "low complex" repeats of amino acids such as glutamine (poly-q) is associated with protein misfolding and the development of degenerative diseases such as huntington's disease. the mechanism by which such regions promote misfolding remains controversial, the function of many repeat-containing proteins (rcps) remains obscure, and the role (if any) of repeat regions remains to be determined. here, a web-accessible database of rcps is presented. the distribution and evolution of rcps t ...200515805494
comprehensive characterization of the contribution of individual sigb-dependent general stress genes to stress resistance of bacillus subtilis.the sigma(b)-dependent general stress regulon of bacillus subtilis comprises more than 150 members. induction of this regulon by imposition of environmental or metabolic stress confers multiple, nonspecific, and preemptive stress resistance to nongrowing, nonsporulated cells of b. subtilis. in this study we performed a regulon-wide phenotypic screening analysis to determine the stress sensitivity profiles of 94 mutants defective in candidate members of the general stress regulon that were previo ...200515805528
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of canine leptospira antibodies using recombinant ompl1 protein.ompl1 is a 31-kda outer membrane protein characterized in 1993 and known to be expressed only in pathogenic leptospira spp. recombinant ompl1 (gst-rompl1) was expressed for use as an elisa antigen for the detection of anti-leptospira antibodies. in immunoblot analysis, the protein reacted with sera of dogs infected with three different serotypes of leptospira interrogans, while did not react with sera of dogs both uninfected negative controls and infected with borrelia burgdorferi, which is clos ...200515805726
serological evidence of leptospira interrogans serovar bratislava infection and its association with abortions in cattle in northern spain.a cross-sectional study was carried out in the basque country of spain to determine the seroprevalence of 10 leptospira serovars in a population of dairy cattle with poor fertility, and a case-control study was carried out in another northern area to investigate the role of leptospira interrogans serovar bratislava in abortions. l. bratislava was the most prevalent serovar in the cross-sectional study, with 25.4 per cent of the cows testing positive in the microagglutination test when a cut-off ...200515816182
tickborne meningoencephalitis, first case after 19 years in northeastern germany. 200515834983
synthesis of autoinducer 2 by the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi.defining the metabolic capabilities and regulatory mechanisms controlling gene expression is a valuable step in understanding the pathogenic properties of infectious agents such as borrelia burgdorferi. the present studies demonstrated that b. burgdorferi encodes functional pfs and luxs enzymes for the breakdown of toxic products of methylation reactions. consistent with those observations, b. burgdorferi was shown to synthesize the end product 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (dpd) during laborat ...200515838035
rnase/anti-rnase activities of the bacterial pard toxin-antitoxin system.the bacterial pard toxin-antitoxin system of plasmid r1 encodes two proteins, the kid toxin and its cognate antitoxin, kis. kid cleaves rna and inhibits protein synthesis and cell growth in escherichia coli. here, we show that kid promotes rna degradation and inhibition of protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. these new activities of the kid toxin were counteracted by the kis antitoxin and were not displayed by the kidr85w variant, which is nontoxic in e. coli. moreover, while kid cl ...200515838042
the genome of s-pm2, a "photosynthetic" t4-type bacteriophage that infects marine synechococcus strains.bacteriophage s-pm2 infects several strains of the abundant and ecologically important marine cyanobacterium synechococcus. a large lytic phage with an isometric icosahedral head, s-pm2 has a contractile tail and by this criterion is classified as a myovirus (1). the linear, circularly permuted, 196,280-bp double-stranded dna genome of s-pm2 contains 37.8% g+c residues. it encodes 239 open reading frames (orfs) and 25 trnas. of these orfs, 19 appear to encode proteins associated with the cell en ...200515838046
isolation and characterization of feca- and feob-mediated iron acquisition systems of the spirochete leptospira biflexa by random insertional mutagenesis.the specific mechanisms by which leptospira spp. acquire iron from their ecological niches are unknown. a major factor contributing to our ignorance of spirochetal biology is the lack of methods for genetic analysis of these organisms. in this study, we have developed a system for random transposon mutagenesis of leptospira biflexa using a mariner transposon, himar1. to demonstrate the validity of himar1 in vivo transposon mutagenesis in l. biflexa, a screen of mutants for clones impaired in ami ...200515838052
random insertional mutagenesis of leptospira interrogans, the agent of leptospirosis, using a mariner transposon.the recent availability of the complete genome sequences of leptospira interrogans, the agent of leptospirosis, has allowed the identification of several putative virulence factors. however, to our knowledge, attempts to carry out gene transfer in pathogenic leptospira spp. have failed so far. in this study, we show that the himar1 mariner transposon permits random mutagenesis in the pathogen l. interrogans. we have identified genes that have been interrupted by himar1 insertion in 35 l. interro ...200515838053
seroepidemiology of leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, and leishmaniosis among dogs in ankara, turkey.seroprevalence of five different leptospira interrogans serovars, toxoplasma gondii and leishmania infantum in stray dogs in ankara was investigated. a total of 116 dog sera collected from apparently healthy stray dogs were tested for l. interrogans serovars by microscopic agglutination test (mat), for t. gondii antibodies by sabin-feldman dye test (sfdt), and for l. infantum antibodies by indirect fluorescence antibody test (ifat). of the 116 dogs, 51 (43.96%) were seropositive for leptospirosi ...200515845273
a monoclonal antibody that conveys in vitro killing and partial protection in experimental syphilis binds a phosphorylcholine surface epitope of treponema pallidum.immunization with purified treponema pallidum outer membrane vesicles (omv) has previously resulted in high-titer complement-dependent serum bactericidal activity. in this study, omv immunization resulted in the isolation of a monoclonal antibody, m131, with complement-dependent killing activity. passive immunization of rabbits with m131 administered intravenously conferred significant immunity demonstrated by the failure of syphilitic lesions to appear at 29% of intradermal challenge sites (7/2 ...200515845516
[growth, virulence and antigenecity of leptospira interrogans serovar mozdok in modified emjh medium].the effect of higher tween 80 concentrations in emjh synthetic medium on the growth, virulence and antigenecity of leptospira interrogans serovar mozdok was evaluated for increasing the performances and making a full use of the detoxifying capacity of bovine serum albumin. the growth was spectrophotographically evaluated by the analysis of the bacterial growth kinetics; the obtained biomass performance and the consumption of the carbon source. the virulence was estimated in syrian hamster model ...200215846938
leptospiral antibodies in captive lion tamarins (leontopithecus sp) in brazil.serum samples from 73 lion tamarins of three species living at the centro de primatologia do rio de janeiro were tested for antibodies against serovars of leptospira interrogans by microscopic agglutination test. antibodies were detected in serum samples of 15% of tested samples. seroreactivity prevalence was lower than that described in other non-human primates and could be explained by the arboreal behaviour of these animals. icterohaemorrhagiae was the most common serogroup.200515848790
[microbiological characterization of candidate vaccine strains of ballum serogroup leptospira interrogans].two candidate vaccines of ballum serogroup leptospira interrogans were microbiologically characterized as part of the work directed to the obtention of new antileptospirosis vaccine formulations for human use. the growth kynetics of both strains was evaluated in emjh protein medium and in 3 protein free media. the virulence was estimated in hamsters by the calculation of the mean lethal dose. the cellular and extracellular antigenic profiles were analyzed by unidimensional sds-page and compared ...200315849918
an adenylyl cyclase, cyab, acts as an osmosensor in myxococcus xanthus.we have previously reported that a receptor-type adenylyl cyclase (cyaa) of myxococcus xanthus undergoes an osmosensor mainly during spore germination (y. kimura et al., j. bacteriol. 184:3578-3585, 2002). in the present study, we cloned another receptor-type adenylyl cyclase gene (cyab) and characterized the function of the cyab-encoded protein. disruption of cyab generates a mutant that showed growth retardation at high ionic (nacl) or high nonionic (sucrose) osmolarity. when vegetative cells ...200515866951
suppressive subtractive hybridization of and differences in gene expression content of calcifying and noncalcifying cultures of emiliania huxleyi strain 1516.the marine coccolithophorid emiliania huxleyi is a cosmopolitan alga intensely studied in relation to global carbon cycling, biogeochemistry, marine ecology, and biomineralization processes. the biomineralization capabilities of coccolithophorids have attracted the attention of scientists interested in exploiting this ability for the development of materials science and biomedical and biotechnological applications. although it has been well documented that biomineralization in e. huxleyi is prom ...200515870347
genomic diversity in campylobacter jejuni: identification of c. jejuni 81-176-specific genes.since the publication of the complete genomic sequence of campylobacter jejuni nctc 11168 in february 2000, evidence has been compiling that suggests c. jejuni strains exhibit high genomic diversity. in order to investigate this diversity, the unique genomic dna sequences from a nonsequenced campylobacter strain, c. jejuni 81-176, were identified by comparison with c. jejuni nctc 11168 by using a shotgun dna microarray approach. up to 63 kb of new chromosomal dna sequences unique to this pathoge ...200515872262
the tyra family of aromatic-pathway dehydrogenases in phylogenetic context.the tyra protein family includes members that catalyze two dehydrogenase reactions in distinct pathways leading to l-tyrosine and a third reaction that is not part of tyrosine biosynthesis. family members share a catalytic core region of about 30 kda, where inhibitors operate competitively by acting as substrate mimics. this protein family typifies many that are challenging for bioinformatic analysis because of relatively modest sequence conservation and small size.200515888209
a multidomain fusion protein in listeria monocytogenes catalyzes the two primary activities for glutathione biosynthesis.glutathione is the predominant low-molecular-weight peptide thiol present in living organisms and plays a key role in protecting cells against oxygen toxicity. until now, glutathione synthesis was thought to occur solely through the consecutive action of two physically separate enzymes, gamma-glutamylcysteine ligase and glutathione synthetase. in this report we demonstrate that listeria monocytogenes contains a novel multidomain protein (termed gshf) that carries out complete synthesis of glutat ...200515901709
changes in lipopolysaccharide o antigen distinguish acute versus chronic leptospira interrogans infections.leptospirosis is the most geographically widespread zoonotic disease in the world. a severe pulmonary form of leptospirosis (spfl) is being recognized with increased frequency. we have reported that human spfl isolates of leptospira cause acute lethal infection with prominent pulmonary hemorrhage in guinea pigs. we have found that the same spfl strains cause asymptomatic infection and chronic renal shedding in rats, where infection is restricted to the renal tubules. to address the antigenic com ...200515908349
fatal septicemic melioidosis in a young military person possibly co-infected with leptospira interrogans and orientia tsutsugamushi.concurrent melioidosis, leptospirosis, and scrub typhus after rural activities is rarely reported. a 19-year-old previously healthy man had fever onset after 2 weeks of military training. pneumonia became evident on the fifth day of fever under intravenous penicillin and oral minocycline therapy. acute respiratory failure developed the next day with shock and acute renal and liver function deterioration, which resulted in death. blood cultures on the third and fifth days grew burkholderia pseudo ...200515909673
prevention of renal infection and urinary shedding in dogs by a leptospira vaccination.prevention of urinary shedding of leptospira interrogans spp. by chronically infected dogs remains a key objective of the vaccination in dogs against leptospirosis which is a zoonotic disease. an inactivated bivalent vaccine composed of leptospira interrogans serovars icterohaemorrhagiae [l. icterohaemorrhagiae] and canicola [l. canicola] bacterins was tested for its ability to protect puppies against a challenge exposure with l. icterohaemorrhagiae. the vaccine was administered twice at a 3-wee ...200515917139
leptospira interrogans activation of peripheral blood monocyte glycolipoprotein demonstrated in whole blood by the release of il-6.glycolipoprotein (glp) from pathogenic serovars of leptospira has been implicated in the pathogenesis of leptospirosis by its presence in tissues of experimental animals with leptospirosis, the inhibition of the na,k-atpase pump activity, and induced production of cytokines. the aims of the present study were to investigate the induction of il-6 by glp in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmc) and to demonstrate monocyte stimulation at the cellular level in whole blood from healthy volunteers ...200515933785
evaluation of pcr-based assay for diagnosis of spotted fever group rickettsiosis in human serum samples.a nested pcr assay was developed for the detection of spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae in serum samples. the assay was based on specific primers derived from the rickettsial outer membrane protein b gene (rompb) of rickettsia conorii. an sfg rickettsia-specific signal is obtained from r. akari, r. japonica, r. sibirica, and r. conorii. other bacterial species tested did not generate any signal, attesting to the specificity of the assay. as few as seven copies of the rompb gene of r. conorii ...200515939751
interruptions in gene expression drive highly expressed operons to the leading strand of dna replication.in bacteria, most genes are on the leading strand of replication, a phenomenon attributed to collisions between the dna and rna polymerases. in escherichia coli, these collisions slow the movement of the replication fork through actively transcribed genes only if they are coded on the lagging strand. for genes on both strands, however, these collisions sever nascent transcripts and interrupt gene expression. based on these observations, we propose a new theory to explain strand bias: genes whose ...200515942025
the tetr family of transcriptional repressors.we have developed a general profile for the proteins of the tetr family of repressors. the stretch that best defines the profile of this family is made up of 47 amino acid residues that correspond to the helix-turn-helix dna binding motif and adjacent regions in the three-dimensional structures of tetr, qacr, cprb, and ethr, four family members for which the function and three-dimensional structure are known. we have detected a set of 2,353 nonredundant proteins belonging to this family by scree ...200515944459
evaluation of the recombinant lipl32 in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the serodiagnosis of bovine leptospirosis.the recombinant leptospiral protein lipl32 was evaluated for use in the diagnosis of bovine leptospirosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (rlipl32 igg elisa). the microscopic agglutination test (mat) of 150 serum samples from cattle suspected of leptospirosis showed that 125 (83.3%) samples had positive reciprocal agglutination titres, which ranged from 100 to 1600. the highest titres were observed for the serovars hardjoprajitno and bratislava. in the rlipl32 igg elisa, 83.3% of the sample ...200515950404
protein length in eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteomes.we analyzed length differences of eukaryotic, bacterial and archaeal proteins in relation to function, conservation and environmental factors. comparing eukaryotes and prokaryotes, we found that the greater length of eukaryotic proteins is pervasive over all functional categories and involves the vast majority of protein families. the magnitude of these differences suggests that the evolution of eukaryotic proteins was influenced by processes of fusion of single-function proteins into extended m ...200515951512
a census of membrane-bound and intracellular signal transduction proteins in bacteria: bacterial iq, extroverts and introverts.analysis of complete microbial genomes showed that intracellular parasites and other microorganisms that inhabit stable ecological niches encode relatively primitive signaling systems, whereas environmental microorganisms typically have sophisticated systems of environmental sensing and signal transduction.200515955239
signature proteins that are distinctive of alpha proteobacteria.the alpha (alpha) proteobacteria, a very large and diverse group, are presently characterized solely on the basis of 16s rrna trees, with no known molecular characteristic that is unique to this group. the genomes of three alpha-proteobacteria, rickettsia prowazekii (rp), caulobacter crescentus (cc) and bartonella quintana (bq), were analyzed in order to search for proteins that are unique to this group.200515960851
protection against leptospira interrogans sensu lato challenge by dna immunization with the gene encoding hemolysin-associated protein 1.the use of dna constructs encoding leptospiral proteins is a promising new approach for vaccination against leptospirosis. in previous work we determined that immunization with hemolysis-associated protein 1 (hap1) (lipl32) expressed by adenovirus induced significant protection against a virulent leptospira challenge in gerbils. to avoid the use of the adenovirus vector, we checked for clinical protection against lethal challenge by dna vaccination. a dna vaccine expressing hap1 was designed to ...200515972494
characterization of is1501 mutants of leptospira interrogans serovar pomona.leptospira interrogans is a diverse species in which individual serovars have distinctive restriction fragment length polymorphisms that are useful in strain identification. many of these polymorphisms can be detected using hybridization probes derived from insertion sequences; an observation that suggests these is elements are active and can transpose in l. interrogans. two spontaneous mutants of l. interrogans serovar pomona strain rz11 were isolated by immune selection and characterized. chan ...200515979822
differential gene expression in benznidazole-resistant trypanosoma cruzi parasites.we analyzed the differential gene expression among representative trypanosoma cruzi stocks in relation to benznidazole exposures using a random differentially expressed sequences (rades) technique. studies were carried out with drug pressure both at the natural susceptibility level of the wild-type parasite (50% inhibitory concentration for the wild type) and at different resistance levels. the pattern of differential gene expression performed with resistant stocks was compared to the population ...200515980339
the genome sequence of rickettsia felis identifies the first putative conjugative plasmid in an obligate intracellular parasite.we sequenced the genome of rickettsia felis, a flea-associated obligate intracellular alpha-proteobacterium causing spotted fever in humans. besides a circular chromosome of 1,485,148 bp, r. felis exhibits the first putative conjugative plasmid identified among obligate intracellular bacteria. this plasmid is found in a short (39,263 bp) and a long (62,829 bp) form. r. felis contrasts with previously sequenced rickettsia in terms of many other features, including a number of transposases, severa ...200515984913
development of a multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (mlva) for leptospira interrogans and its application to leptospira interrogans serovar australis isolates from far north queensland, australia.leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the genus, leptospira. leptospira interrogans is the most common genomospecies implicated in the disease. epidemiological investigations are needed to distinguish outbreak situations or to trace reservoirs of the organisms. current methodologies used for typing leptospira have significant drawbacks. the development of an easy to perform yet high resolution method is needed for this organism.200515987533
expression and characterization of hlyx hemolysin from leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni: potentiation of hemolytic activity by lipl32.the hlyx, a putative hemolysin identified from the leptospira genomes, was cloned, expressed in escherichia coli, purified, and its hemolytic activity was confirmed. mouse polyclonal antiserum against the recombinant hlyx recognized hlyx-related antigens in a panel of leptospira species extracts and it was also able to abolish the hemolytic activity of hlyx. a mixture of hlyx and lipl32, a known hemolysin from leptospira, induced hemolysis in a synergistic way that was fully inhibited by antiser ...200515990088
[acute leptospirosis in children in reunion island: a retrospective review of 16 cases].leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by pathogenic species of the genus leptospira. this infectious disease known with a high incidence in reunion island (french overseas territories in indian ocean) is in state of endemia especially during rains season.200515994067
a leptospira interrogans enzyme with similarity to yeast ste14p that methylates the 1-phosphate group of lipid a.distinct from other spirochetes, cells of leptospira interrogans contain orthologues of all the escherichia coli lpx genes required for lipid a biosynthesis, but they synthesize a modified form of lipopolysaccharide that supposedly activates toll-like receptor 2 (tlr2) instead of tlr4. the recent determination of the l. interrogans lipid a structure revealed an unprecedented o-methylation of its 1-phosphate group (que-gewirth, n. l. s., ribeiro, a. a., kalb, s. r., cotter, r. j., bulach, d. m., ...200515994324
specific control of endogenous ccf10 pheromone by a conserved domain of the pcf10-encoded regulatory protein prgy in enterococcus faecalis.conjugative transfer of enterococcus faecalis plasmid pcf10 is induced by the heptapeptide pheromone ccf10. ccf10 produced by plasmid-free recipient cells is detected by pcf10-containing donor cells, which respond by induction of plasmid-encoded transfer functions. the pcf10-encoded membrane protein prgy is essential to prevent donor cells from responding to endogenously produced pheromone while maintaining the ability to respond to pheromone from an exogenous source; this function has not been ...200515995198
three cases of anicteric leptospirosis from turkey: mild to severe complications.leptospirosis is an acute generalized infectious disease, caused by spirochaetes, leptospira interrogans. the severity of the disease ranges from an asymptomatic subclinical course to a fatal outcome. the three cases presented here were diagnosed serologically and had thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure as complication of anicteric leptospirosis. our first case admitted with clinical presentation of pneumonia but clinical progress and laboratory findings made us to consider leptospirosis. t ...200615996738
leptospirosis in germany, 1962-2003.epidemiologic trends of human leptospirosis in germany were investigated by analyzing national surveillance data from 1962 to 2003 and by conducting a questionnaire-based survey from 1997 to 2000. after a steady decrease of leptospirosis incidence from 1962 to 1997, surveillance data indicate an increase in disease incidence to 0.06 per 100,000 (1998-2003). of 102 laboratory-confirmed cases in humans from 1997 to 2000, 30% were related to occupational exposures. recreational exposures were repor ...200516022779
identification of a novel gene encoding a flavin-dependent trna:m5u methyltransferase in bacteria--evolutionary implications.formation of 5-methyluridine (ribothymidine) at position 54 of the t-psi loop of trna is catalyzed by site-specific trna methyltransferases (trna:m(5)u-54 mtase). in all eukarya and many gram-negative bacteria, the methyl donor for this reaction is s-adenosyl-l-methionine (s-adomet), while in several gram-positive bacteria, the source of carbon is n(5), n(10)-methylenetetrahydrofolate (ch(2)h(4)folate). we have identified the gene for bacillus subtilis trna:m(5)u-54 mtase. the encoded recombinan ...200516027442
prevention of leptospira interrogans serovar pomona infection in cattle.a commercial hardjo-pomona vaccine which has previously been shown to be effective against hardjo infection was tested against pomona. following challenge all 11 six-month-old non-vaccinated calves seroconverted and pomona was isolated from blood or urine on at least one occasion from nine of them. pomona was isolated once only, on the third day after challenge, from the blood of one of 11 vaccinated calves.198216030839
an unusual serological response in cattle after use of a commercial leptospiral combined hardjo-pomona vaccine.vaccination of four calves with leptavoid (wellcome new zealand limited) gave rise to leptospira interrogans serovars hardjo and pomona microscopic agglutination test titres that could not he distinguished in magnitude from post-infection titres. vaccination of four calves with lepto-3 (ici tasman limited) gave rise to much lower titres. revaccination of cows with leptavoid caused a rise in hardjo titres which was significantly greater than after use of lepto-3. the possibility that titres were ...198216030890
leptospirosis: i. clinical investigation of the infection in dairy cattle in the waikato district of new zealand.an investigation was made into the prevalence of leptospiral infection in cattle. an area 50 km radius was selected in a region where leptospirosis was reputedly common. farmers volunteered 250 herds with 39 500 cows for testing and 7 500 animals were selected and sampled. twenty-nine cows (0.4%) on 14 (5.6%) of the farms had leptospiruria at the first examination. leptospirae were cultured from the urines of nine of these animals and all were leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo. serologically ...198216030893
leptospirosis: ii. investigation of clinical disease in dairy cattle in the waikato district of new zealand.investigations were carried out in 1975, 1976 and 1977 in 16 dairy herds where leptospiral abortions were suspected and in five other herds where clinical disease was not present. both leptospira interrogans serovars pomona and hardjo were isolated from cattle in herds with leptospirosis, but only pomona was recovered from those that had aborted. there was no evidence that hardjo caused clinical disease in dairy cattle in the waikato district. it was found that 73% of the cows that aborted and 1 ...198216030901
leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo: an abortifacient in new zealand? a review of the literature.from experimental and clinical evidence, leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo has been suspected as an abortifacient in cattle overseas. early reports from north america and australia described clinical disease with abortions occurring up to 12 weeks later associated with hardjo infections. recent studies in the united kingdom have found hardjo infections in nearly 69 percent of aborted foetuses from problem farms, and a prospective epidemiological study determined a relationship between hardjo ...198316030976
leptospira interrogans infection in domestic and wild animals in fiji.clinical and serological evidence has indicated that human leptospirosis in fiji is an important disease, and the prevalence of antibody is exceptionally high. a serological survey of the rural population showed that only 12% of the people studied did not have complement fixing (cf) leptospiral antibody. as the origin of this infection could not be explained by the known distribution of leptospiral infection in domestic and wild animals, a serological survey using the complement fixation test (c ...198416031033
leptospirosis associated with serovars hardjo and pomona in red deer calves (cervus elaphus).four red deer calves (cervus elaphus) died with severe nephritis apparently associated with infection by leptospira interrogans serovar pomona. the sera of 12 in-contact red deer calves were examined for leptospiral agglutinins and nine showed titres to pomona consistent with recent infection. two also showed titres of 1:100 to serovar hardjo. the urine of five of these in-contact calves was examined periodically over a period of nine months. all were initially leptospiruric, four being infected ...198416031052
serological responses of farmed red deer to a vaccine against leptospira interrogans serovars hardjo and pomona.six adult, female, red deer were vaccinated with a hardjo-pomona vaccine followed by a second vaccination four weeks later and thereafter, at yearly intervals for two years. serological responses were determined at intervals using a standard microscopic agglutination test. increased responses to hardjo were observed in two deer which were seropositive to this serovar before vaccination compared to those which were initially seronegative. some initially seronegative deer developed titres to hardj ...198416031070
a serological study of bovine leptospirosis in the district of taranaki.a cross-sectional serological survey of dairy cattle in taranaki in 1979-80 indicated that 62% (551/891) of the animals had evidence of leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo infection as disclosed by the microscopic agglutination test. titres to leptospira interrogans serovar pomona were demonstrated in only 4% (23/591) of the animals examined. the high prevalence of hardjo infection is suggestive of an endemic infection whilst the low level to pomona is indicative of sporadic infection. in a de ...198416031079
dual infections of red deer (cervus elaphus) by leptospira interrogans serovars copenhageni and hardjo.on a property in the nelson district, blood and urine samples were taken from red deer (cervus elaphus) from which low (<1:100) antibody titres to serovar copenhageni and suspected leptospiral abortions had previously been reported. a total of 27 hinds were sampled. microscopic agglutination test (mat) titres in sera ranging from 1:32 to 1:128 were found in six animals. thirteen leptospiral isolations were made from nine of the 27 urine samples. four of these were typed as copenhageni and nine a ...198616031274
haemolytic disease associated with leptospira interrogans serovar pomona in red deer calves (cervus elaphus).three red deer calves (cervus elaphus) died with a haemolytic disease associated with infection by leptospira interrogans serovar pomona. infection within the herd was more prevalent than disease. sera from 16 herd mates were tested by the microscopic agglutination test (mat) and 12 had leptospiral titres, the majority to serovar pomona. a few calves had titres to balcunica and hardjo. urine was obtained for culture from six of these calves and serovar pomona was isolated from five with titres t ...198616031298
serological reactions against leptospira interrogans serovars in new zealand horses. 199016031597
serological reactions against leptospira interrogans serovars in alpacas after vaccination. 199116031613
antibodies in dogs against leptospira interrogans serovars copenhageni, ballum and canicola.in a nationwide survey carried out during 1990-91 of more than 5800 dogs to detect antibodies against leptospira interrogans serovars copenhageni, ballum and canicola, only one weak reactor against serovar canicola was found. reactors of varying titre were found against serovar ballum in 0.7% of dogs tested, indicating sporadic infection with this serovar. reactors (0.9%) to serovar copenhageni came mainly from the waikato, northland and the auckland region. this was in agreement with the report ...199216031675
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