Publications

Characterization of the Na?/H? antiporter from Yersinia pestis.	Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that historically accounts for the Black Death epidemics, has nowadays gained new attention as a possible biological warfare agent. In this study, its Na?/H? antiporter is investigated for the first time, by a combination of experimental and computational methodologies. We determined the protein's substrate specificity and pH dependence by fluorescence measurements in everted membrane vesicles. Subsequently, we constructed a model of the protein's structure and val ...	2011	22102858
Identification of Yersinia ruckeri from diseased salmonid fish by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.	Yersinia ruckeri is the causative agent of enteric redmouth disease (ERM), which mainly affects salmonid fish. Isolates of Y. ruckeri from diseased salmonid fish were obtained over a 6-year period from eight fish farms in the State of Baden-Württemberg, Southwest Germany. The strains were characterized by biochemical methods and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) combined with artificial neural network analysis. These methods were complemented by 16S rDNA sequencing for several isol ...	2012	22103737
structural analysis of chi1 chitinase from yen-tc: the multisubunit insecticidal abc toxin complex of yersinia entomophaga.	yersinia entomophaga mh96 is a native new zealand soil bacterium that secretes a large abc-type protein toxin complex, yen-tc, similar to those produced by nematode-associated bacteria such as photorhabdus luminescens. y. entomophaga displays an exceptionally virulent pathogenic phenotype in sensitive insect species, causing death within 72 h of infection. because of this phenotype, there is intrinsic interest in the mechanism of action of yen-tc, and it also has the potential to function as a n ...	2011	22108167
bioresponsive systems based on polygalacturonate containing hydrogels.	polysaccharide acid (psa) based devices (consisting of alginic acid and polygalacturonic acid) were investigated for the detection of contaminating microorganisms. psa-cacl(2) hydrogel systems were compared to systems involving covalent cross-linking of psa with glycidylmethacrylate (psa-gma) which was confirmed with fourier transformed infrared (ftir) analysis. incubation of psa-cacl(2) and psa-gma beads loaded with alizarin as a model ingredient with trigger enzymes (polygalacturonases or pect ...	2011	22112943
genotyping yersinia pestis in historical plague.		2011	22115066
suitability of commercial transport media for biological pathogens under nonideal conditions.	there is extensive data to support the use of commercial transport media as a stabilizer for known clinical samples; however, there is little information to support their use outside of controlled conditions specified by the manufacturer. furthermore, there is no data to determine the suitability of said media for biological pathogens, specifically those of interest to the us military. this study evaluates commercial off-the-shelf (cots) transport media based on sample recovery, viability, and q ...	2011	22121364
antibodies for biodefense.	potential bioweapons are biological agents (bacteria, viruses, and toxins) at risk of intentional dissemination. biodefense, defined as development of therapeutics and vaccines against these agents, has seen an increase, particularly in the us following the 2001 anthrax attack. this review focuses on recombinant antibodies and polyclonal antibodies for biodefense that have been accepted for clinical use. these antibodies aim to protect against primary potential bioweapons, or category a agents a ...	2011	22123065
evolution of inca/c blacmy-2-carrying plasmids by acquisition of the blandm-1 carbapenemase gene.	the bla(ndm-1) gene has been reported to be often located on broad-host-range plasmids of the inca/c type in clinical but also environmental bacteria recovered from the new delhi, india, area. inca/c-type plasmids are the main vehicles for the spread of the cephalosporinase gene bla(cmy-2), frequently identified in the united states, canada, and europe. in this study, we completed the sequence of inca/c plasmid pndm-kn carrying the bla(ndm-1) gene, recovered from a klebsiella pneumoniae isolate ...	2011	22123704
Host innate recognition of an intestinal bacterial pathogen induces TRIF-dependent protective immunity.	Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), which signals through the adapter molecules myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and toll/interleukin 1 receptor domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-ß (TRIF), is required for protection against Gram-negative bacteria. TRIF is known to be important in TLR3-mediated antiviral signaling, but the role of TRIF signaling against Gram-negative enteropathogens is currently unknown. We show that TRIF signaling is indispensable for establishing innate protective immuni ...	2011	22124111
reflectron maldi tof and maldi tof/tof mass spectrometry reveal novel structural details of native lipooligosaccharides.	lipooligosaccharides (los) are powerful gram-negative glycolipids that evade the immune system and invade host animal and vegetal cells. the structural elucidation of los is pivotal to understanding the mechanisms of infection at the molecular level. the amphiphilic nature of los has been the main obstacle for structural analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (maldi) mass spectrometry (ms). our approach has resolved this important issue and has permitted us to obtain reflectron ...	2011	22124985
the effects of parenteral iron dextran and/or desferrioxamine on the development of experimental pseudotuberculosis in the domestic chicken (gallus domesticus).	abstract the development of disease following oral challenge with yersinia pseudotuberculosis (serotype 11) was compared in four groups of five birds treated with a parenteral dose of 10 mg iron dextran (imferon), 10 mg of iron dextran plus 10 mg of the chelating agent desferrioxamine (desferal), 10 mg of desferrioxamine or 10 mg of dextran 2 days before the experiment. four groups of two birds received the above treatment regimens but no bacterial challenge. in iron dextran treated birds, ora ...	1994	22133154
the structure of lsrb from yersinia pestis complexed with autoinducer-2.	the crystal structure of lsrb from yersinia pestis complexed with autoinducer-2 (ai-2; space group p2(1)2(1)2(1), unit-cell parameters a = 40.61, b = 61.03, c = 125.23 å) has been solved by molecular replacement using the structure of lsrb from salmonella typhimurium (pdb entry 1tjy) and refined to r = 0.180 (r(free) = 0.213) at 1.75 å resolution. the electron density for bound ai-2 and the stereochemistry of the ai-2-binding site are consistent with bound ai-2 adopting the (2r,4s)-2-methyl-2,3, ...	2011	22139152
a transposon site hybridization screen identifies galu and wecbc as important for survival of yersinia pestis in murine macrophages.	yersinia pestis is able to survive and replicate within murine macrophages. however, the mechanism by which y. pestis promotes its intracellular survival is not well understood. to identify genes that are important for y. pestis survival in macrophages, a library comprised of ∼31,500 y. pestis kim6+ transposon insertion mutants (input pool) was subjected to negative selection in primary murine macrophages. genes underrepresented in the output pool of surviving bacteria were identified by transpo ...	2011	22139502
microchip capillary electrophoresis of multi-locus vntr analysis for genotyping of bacillus anthracis and yersinia pestis in microbial forensic cases.	bacillus anthracis and yersinia pestis are etiological agents of anthrax and plague respectively, and are also considered among the most feared potential bioterrorism agents. these microorganisms show intraspecies genome homogeneity, making strains differentiation difficult, while strains identification and comparison with known genotypes may be crucial for naturally occurring outbreaks vs. bioterrorist events discrimination.here an mlva application for b. anthracis and y. pestis strains differe ...	2012	22139674
[clinicoimmunological monitoring of therapy in patients with associated forms of yersiniosis].	characteristics of the clinical process and immunological profile in children with yersiniosis as a monoinfection or in association with acute intenstinal infections and virus hepatitis a are presented. the efficacy of the immunotropic therapy with cycloferon, an interferon inductor, and recombinant interferon in the patients with the viral and bacterial association of the disease (yersiniosis + hepatitis a) and initial disbalance of the serum cytokines was estimated. dependence of the interfero ...	2011	22145231
[reasons of low epizootic activity of natural foci of plague in russia at the beginning of the 21st century].	establish the main reasons of low epizootic activity of natural foci of plague in russian federation in 2000-2009.	2011	22145344
rna helicase csda is needed for growth of yersinia pseudotuberculosis ip32953 at low temperature.	the expression of csda, encoding an rna helicase, was induced at 3°c in yersinia pseudotuberculosis. the role of csda in y. pseudotuberculosis at cold was confirmed by impaired growth of insertional csda mutants at 3°c. the results suggest csda is central for y. pseudotuberculosis survival in the chilled food chain.	2011	22156424
In vivo-induced InvA-like autotransporters Ifp and InvC of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis promote interactions with intestinal epithelial cells and contribute to virulence.	The Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Ifp and InvC molecules are putative autotransporter proteins with a high homology to the invasin (InvA) protein. In order to characterize the function of these surface proteins we expressed both factors in Escherichia coli K-12 and demonstrated attachment of Ifp- and InvC-expressing bacteria to human-, mouse- and pig-derived intestinal epithelial cells. Ifp was also found to mediate microcolony formation and internalization into polarized human enterocytes. The if ...	2011	22158741
3d structure of the yersinia entomophaga toxin complex and implications for insecticidal activity.	toxin complex (tc) proteins are a class of bacterial protein toxins that form large, multisubunit complexes. comprising tca, b, and c components, they are of great interest because many exhibit potent insecticidal activity. here we report the structure of a novel tc, yen-tc, isolated from the bacterium yersinia entomophaga mh96, which differs from the majority of bacterially derived tcs in that it exhibits oral activity toward a broad range of insect pests, including the diamondback moth (plutel ...	2011	22158901
directed evolution of a highly active yersinia mollaretii phytase.	phytase improves as a feed supplement the nutritional quality of phytate-rich diets (e.g., cereal grains, legumes, and oilseeds) by hydrolyzing indigestible phytate (myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis dihydrogen phosphate) and increasing abdominal absorption of inorganic phosphates, minerals, and trace elements. directed phytase evolution was reported for improving industrial relevant properties such as thermostability (pelleting process) or activity. in this study, we report the cloning, characte ...	2011	22159661
Effects of dietary Ergosan on cutaneous mucosal immune response in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).	The effects of dietary Ergosan on the growth performance and mucosal immunity in rainbow trout skin were investigated. 60 rainbow trout (100-110 g) were randomly assigned to 2 groups in triplicates and fed one of the experimental diet formulated with 5 g kg(-1) Ergosan or control diet for 50 days. Results showed that on the 45th day of feeding trial, Ergosan supplementation significantly enhanced the growth performance compared to control group. Various enzyme activities, namely lysozyme, protea ...	2011	22166733
twin studies as a model for exploring the aetiology of autoimmune thyroid disease.	twins are an important resource for evaluating the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors in determining a phenotype. during the last decades a number of twin studies have investigated the aetiology of several phenotypes related to thyroid autoimmunity. taken together, these studies have provided valid and unbiased information regarding the influence of genetic and environmental factors in the aetiology of autoimmune thyroid disease (aitd). the comparison of concordance rates ...	2011	22168537
expression, purification, structural and functional analysis of sycb: a type three secretion chaperone from yersinia enterocolitica.	in yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1b, a genome encoded ttss designated as ysa-ysp system is used for virulence. sycb is an annotated chaperone to this system. sycb is soluble in presence of translocator yspc. sycb and its truncated form (∆sycb((1-114))) exist as dimers. yspc forms a 1:1 complex with sycb. homology model of sycb shows a flexible n-terminal may be required for solubility and dimerization; and concave core formed by antiparallel helices of tprs. far uv cd spectra confirm that sycb ...	2012	22170450
Development of Phage-Based Single Chain Fv Antibody Reagents for Detection of Yersinia pestis.	Most Yersinia pestis strains are known to express a capsule-like antigen, fraction 1 (F1)(.) F1 is encoded by the caf1 gene located on the large 100-kb pFra plasmid, which is found in Y. pestis but not in closely related species such as Yersinia enterocolytica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. In order to find antibodies specifically binding to Y. pestis we screened a large single chain Fv antibody fragment (scFv) phage display library using purified F1 antigen as a selection target. Different fo ...	2011	22174746
development and validation of real-time pcr for the detection of yersinia ruckeri.	yersiniosis (enteric red mouth disease) is a contagious bacterial disease caused by yersinia ruckeri, which primarily affects salmonids. a real-time pcr assay using a molecular beacon has been developed and validated to improve the detection of the causative biotypes of y. ruckeri. the assay, which targets the glna (glutamine synthetase) gene, proved to have 100% analytical specificity and analytical sensitivities of 5 fg and 3 × 10(3) cfu g(-1) for dna and seeded kidney tissue, respectively. ...	2011	22175801
Differential expression and biological activity of two piscidin paralogues and a novel splice variant in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.).	The piscidin (pis) family of potent antimicrobial peptides with broad-spectrum activity has an important role in innate host defence. We have identified and characterized two pis paralogues in Atlantic cod (pis1 and pis2), as well as a novel splice variant of pis2, termed pis2-ß. Pis1 and pis2 genes have most likely originated from a recent duplication event, since they share the same four-exon structure with up to 91% identity at the intron level. The alternative transcript pis2-ß is derived fr ...	2011	22178249
VALIDATION OF QUANTITATIVE ELISAs FOR MEASURING ANTI-YERSINIA PESTIS F1 AND V ANTIBODY CONCENTRATIONS IN NONHUMAN PRIMATE SERA.	This study systematically validated two quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for determining Yersinia pestis anti-F1 or anti-V IgG concentration in cynomolgus macaque sera. The results demonstrated that these ELISAs are reliable, reproducible, and suitable for their intended use to measure both anti-F1 and anti-V IgG in monkey sera following vaccination with a heterologous recombinant fusion F1-V protein (rF1-V). Statistical analysis demonstrated assay precision, accuracy, sp ...	2012	22181824
haemophilia-associated yersinia pseudotuberculosis serotype o:1 septicaemia: the role of iron.	septicaemia and septic arthritis due to yersinia pseudotuberculosis are rare diseases with high mortality rates. reactive arthritis caused by yersinia infection is a well-known complication but septic arthritis is found at a much lower frequency. it has already been established that there is a relationship between yersiniosis and iron but there are currently no data about yersiniosis and haematological disorders such as haemophilia. we report a case of septic arthritis due to y. pseudotuberculos ...	2012	22184209
[comparison of usefulness of lipopolysaccharides extracted by phenol and trichloroacetic acid from salmonella typhimurium and enteritidis for serodiagnosis of salmonelosis].	salmonella typhimurium and salmonella enteritidis are the two predominant serogroups, responsible for about 80% of all human cases of salmonelosis in poland. therefore we compared the usefulness of lipopolysaccharides antigens extracted by phenol (westphal method) and trichloroacetic acid (boivine method) from salmonella typhimurium and enteritidis in elisa method for the determination of antibodies. we used one home - made lps antigen and two others commercially available antigens from sigma - ...	2011	22184899
[Detection and identification of highly pathogenic bacteria within the framework of the EQADeBa project--Part I: Samples containing living pathogens].	Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis, Brucella sp., Bulkholderia mallei are B. pseudomallei are highly pathogenic bacteria of potential bioterrorism risk. To support the early warning and rapid response capacity to ensure an effective reaction to bioterrorist attacks the international project "Establishment of Quality Assurances for Detection of Highly Pathogenic Bacteria of Potential Bioterrorism Risk" (EQADeBa) has been established. The aim of the project was establishme ...	2011	22184939
Humoral and cellular immune responses to Yersinia pestis infection in long-term recovered plague patients.	Plague is one of the most dangerous diseases and is caused by Yersinia pestis. Effective vaccine development requires understanding of immune protective mechanisms against the bacterium in humans. In this study, the humoral and memory cellular immune responses in plague patients (n=65) recovered from Y. pestis infection during the past 16 years were investigated using protein microarray and enzyme-linked immunospot assay (Elispot). The seroprevealence to F1 antigen in all recovered patients is 7 ...	2011	22190397
pasteurization of milk: the heat inactivation kinetics of milk-borne dairy pathogens under commercial-type conditions of turbulent flow.	this is the first study to report kinetic data on the survival of a range of significant milk-borne pathogens under commercial-type pasteurization conditions. the most heat-resistant strain of each of the milk-borne pathogens staphylococcus aureus, yersinia enterocolitica, pathogenic escherichia coli, cronobacter sakazakii (formerly known as enterobacter sakazakii), listeria monocytogenes, and salmonella was selected to obtain the worst-case scenario in heat inactivation trials using a pilot-pla ...	2012	22192181
immunogenic proteins of brucella abortus to minimize cross reactions in brucellosis diagnosis.	to overcome the limitations of serological diagnosis, including false positive reactions caused by other pathogens, specific antigens for diagnosis of brucellosis other than lps have been required. the present study was conducted to separate and identify immuno-dominant insoluble proteins of brucella abortus against the antisera of cattle infected with b. abortus, or/and yersinia enterocolitica, or the sera of non-infected cattle. after separating insoluble proteins of b. abortus by two dimensio ...	2011	22192360
multiple origins of endosymbiosis within the enterobacteriaceae (gamma-proteobacteria): convergence of complex phylogenetic approaches.	abstract: background: the bacterial family enterobacteriaceae gave rise to a variety of symbiotic forms, from the loosely associated commensals, often designated as secondary (s) symbionts, to obligate mutualists, called primary (p) symbionts. determination of the evolutionary processes behind this phenomenon has long been hampered by the unreliability of phylogenetic reconstructions within this group of bacteria. the main reasons have been the absence of sufficient data, the highly derived nat ...	2011	22201529
long-term trends in the epidemiology and resistance of childhood bacterial enteropathogens in crete.	in this study, we investigated the long-term trends in the epidemiology and susceptibility of bacterial enteropathogens among children in a well-defined area of adequate health standards. the study included all children younger than 14 years of age treated for enteritis at heraklion university general hospital on the island of crete during the 18-year period from january 1993 to december 2010. stool specimens were tested for salmonella, shigella, campylobacter, enteropathogenic escherichia coli ...	2011	22207394
shotgun genome sequence of a yersinia enterocolitica isolate from the philippines.	the first shotgun genome sequence of a microbial pathogen from the philippines is reported. yersinia enterocolitica subsp. palearctica strain phrbd_ye1 is the first y. enterocolitica strain sequenced from an animal source, swine, which is a natural source of yersiniosis. the closest phylogenetic match is a human clinical isolate from germany.	2012	22207747
cloning, expression and characterization of the recombinant yersinia pseudotuberculosisl-asparaginase.	we have cloned ansb (yptb1411) gene from yersinia pseudotuberculosis q66cj2 and constructed stable inducible expression system that overproduce l-asparaginase from y. pseudotuberculosis (ypa) in escherichiacoli bl21 (de3) cells. for purification of ypa we used q-sepharose and deae-toyopearl column chromatography. we examined kinetics of the enzyme reaction, catalytic activity as a function of ph, temperature and ionic strength, thermostability and other enzyme properties. biochemical properties ...	2011	22226870
nlrc4 inflammasomes in dendritic cells regulate noncognate effector function by memory cd8(+) t cells.	memory t cells exert antigen-independent effector functions, but how these responses are regulated is unclear. we discovered an in vivo link between flagellin-induced nlrc4 inflammasome activation in splenic dendritic cells (dcs) and host protective interferon-γ (ifn-γ) secretion by noncognate memory cd8(+) t cells, which could be activated by salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium, yersinia pseudotuberculosis and pseudomonas aeruginosa. we show that cd8α(+) dcs were particularly efficient at s ...	2012	22231517
innate immunity in the small intestine.	purpose of review: this article reviews the most recent publications on innate immunity in the small intestine. we will go over the innate immune receptors that act as sensors of microbial presence or cell injury, paneth cells as the main epithelial cell type that secrete antimicrobial peptides, and mucosal production of immunoglobulin a (iga). in addition, we will give an update on examples of imbalance of the innate immune response resulting in clinical disease with the most relevant example b ...	2012	22241076
structure of the yersinia pestis fabv enoyl-acp reductase and its interaction with two 2-pyridone inhibitors.	the recently discovered fabv enoyl-acp reductase, which catalyzes the last step of the bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis (fas-ii) pathway, is a promising but unexploited drug target against the reemerging pathogen yersinia pestis. the structure of y. pestis fabv in complex with its cofactor reveals that the enzyme features the common architecture of the short-chain dehydrogenase reductase superfamily, but contains additional structural elements that are mostly folded around the usually flexible ...	2012	22244758
polymorphisms in the lcrv gene of yersinia enterocolitica and their effect on plague protective immunity.	current efforts to develop plague vaccines focus on lcrv, a polypeptide that resides at the tip of type iii secretion needles. lcrv-specific antibodies block yersinia pestis type iii injection of yop effectors into host immune cells, thereby enabling phagocytes to kill the invading pathogen. earlier work reported that antibodies against y. pestis lcrv cannot block type iii injection by yersinia enterocolitica strains and suggested that lcrv polymorphisms may provide for escape from lcrv-mediated ...	2012	22252870
the patient presenting with acute dysentery - a systematic review.	objectives: the etiologies, clinical presentations and diagnosis of acute pathogen-specific dysentery in children and adults in industrialized and developing regions is described to help develop recommendations for therapy. methods: we conducted a systematic review of literature published between january 2000 and june 2011 to determine the frequency of occurrence of pathogen-specific dysentery. results: shigella, salmonella, and campylobacter remain the most frequent bacterial causes of dysenter ...	2012	22266388
revision of the o-polysaccharide structure of yersinia pseudotuberculosis o:1a; confirmation of the function of wbym as paratosyltransferase.	an o-polysaccharide was isolated by mild acid degradation at ph 4.5 of the long-chain lipopolysaccharide of yersinia pseudotuberculosis pb1 (serotype o:1a) and studied using 2d nmr spectroscopy. it was found to contain two uncommon monosaccharides: paratose (3,6-dideoxy-d-ribo-hexose, par) in the furanose form and 6-deoxy-d-manno-heptose (d-6dmanhep). the following structure of a branched tetrasaccharide repeat (o-unit) with a disaccharide side chain was established: this structure is at varianc ...	2011	22269980
label-free detection of a bacterial pathogen using an immobilized siderophore, deferoxamine.	pathogenic bacteria obtain the iron necessary for survival by releasing an iron chelator, termed a siderophore, and retrieving the iron-siderophore complex via a cell surface siderophore receptor. we have exploited the high affinity of yersinia enterocolitica for its siderophore, deferoxamine, to develop a rapid method for capture and identification of yersinia. in this methodology, a deferoxamine-bovine serum albumin conjugate is printed onto a gold-plated chip in a parallel line pattern. after ...	2012	22274807