Publications

communicable diseases prioritized according to their public health relevance, sweden, 2013.	to establish strategic priorities for the public health agency of sweden we prioritized pathogens according to their public health relevance in sweden in order to guide resource allocation. we then compared the outcome to ongoing surveillance. we used a modified prioritization method developed at the robert koch institute in germany. in a delphi process experts scored pathogens according to ten variables. we ranked the pathogens according to the total score and divided them into four priority gr ...	2015	26397699
a novel adhesive factor contributing to the virulence of vibrio parahaemolyticus.	bacterial adhesins play a pivotal role in the tight bacteria-host cells attachment to initiate the downstream processes and bacterial infection of hosts. in this study, we identified a novel adhesin, vpadf in v. parahaemolyticus. deletion of vpadf in v. parahaemolyticus markedly impaired its attachment and cytotoxicity to epithelial cells, as well as attenuated the virulence in murine model. biochemical studies revealed that vpadf recognized both fibronectin and fibrinogen. the binding of vpadf ...	2015	26399174
usage of a selective media (emjh-staff) in primary culturing of pathogenic leptospires from bovine clinical samples.	isolation of local strains is mandatory for the success of control programs. however, clinical samples are typically contaminated by other bacteria, which impair leptospires growth. the purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a previously reported emjh-staff media in the recovery of pathogenic leptospires from bovine clinical samples, namely urine (n = 123) and vaginal fluid-vf (n = 102). emjh-staff presented less contamination than emjh (<0·005), which was more evident in vf culture tu ...	2015	26408270
evaluation of truncated lipl32 expressed by escherichia coli and pichia pastoris for serodiagnosis of leptospira infection in rodents.	the applicability of the recombinant lipl32 for serodiagnosis of leptospiral infection in field rodents was assessed in this study. an immunodominant region of lipl32 was determined by monoclonal antibodies, and then, truncated lipl32 (tlipl32) was designed to contain the region (87-188th amino acid). the tlipl32 was compared between two recombinant expression hosts escherichia coli and pichia pastoris in elisa. with field rat sera, tlipl32 expressed by p. pastoris (tlipl32p) had high antigenici ...	2015	26412049
evaluation of truncated lipl32 expressed by escherichia coli and pichia pastoris for serodiagnosis of leptospira infection in rodents.	the applicability of the recombinant lipl32 for serodiagnosis of leptospiral infection in field rodents was assessed in this study. an immunodominant region of lipl32 was determined by monoclonal antibodies, and then, truncated lipl32 (tlipl32) was designed to contain the region (87-188th amino acid). the tlipl32 was compared between two recombinant expression hosts escherichia coli and pichia pastoris in elisa. with field rat sera, tlipl32 expressed by p. pastoris (tlipl32p) had high antigenici ...	2015	26412049
mouse model for sublethal leptospira interrogans infection.	although leptospira can infect a wide range of mammalian species, most studies have been conducted in golden syrian hamsters, a species particularly sensitive to acute disease. chronic disease has been well characterized in the rat, one of the natural reservoir hosts. studies in another asymptomatic reservoir host, the mouse, have occasionally been done and have limited infection to mice younger than 6 weeks of age. we analyzed the outcome of sublethal infection of c3h/hej mice older than age 10 ...	2015	26416909
hospital-based surveillance for infectious etiologies among patients with acute febrile illness in georgia, 2008-2011.	information on the infectious causes of undifferentiated acute febrile illness (afi) in georgia is essential for effective treatment and prevention. in may 2008, a hospital-based afi surveillance was initiated at six hospitals in georgia. patients aged ≥ 4 years with fever ≥ 38°c for ≥ 48 hours were eligible for surveillance. blood culture and serologic testing were conducted for leptospira spp., brucella spp., west nile virus (wnv), crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus, coxiella burnetii, tick ...	2016	26438032
unexploited opportunities for phage therapy.		2015	26441644
next-generation sequencing (ngs) for assessment of microbial water quality: current progress, challenges, and future opportunities.	water quality is an emergent property of a complex system comprised of interacting microbial populations and introduced microbial and chemical contaminants. studies leveraging next-generation sequencing (ngs) technologies are providing new insights into the ecology of microbially mediated processes that influence fresh water quality such as algal blooms, contaminant biodegradation, and pathogen dissemination. in addition, sequencing methods targeting small subunit (ssu) rrna hypervariable region ...	2015	26441948
is it too cold for leptospira interrrogans transmission on the faroese islands?	leptospira interrogans is a bacterium that can infect most mammal species. brown rats are considered to be one of the most important reservoirs of leptospira because they frequently are infected and live in close proximity to humans. past studies of prevalence of leptospira in brown rats indicate that temperature--both high and low--may negatively affect the prevalence rate in rats, so that leptospira is rare or even absent at temperatures below 7-8 °c. here we investigated the prevalence of inf ...	2016	26442766
distribution of leptospira interrogans by multispacer sequence typing in urban norway rats (rattus norvegicus): a survey in france in 2011-2013.	urban leptospirosis has increasingly been reported in both developing and developed countries. the control of the disease is limited because our understanding of basic aspects of the epidemiology, including the transmission routes of leptospires among rat populations, remains incomplete. through the ability to distinguish among leptospira strains in rats, multispacer sequence typing (mst) could provide a modern understanding of leptospira epidemiology; however, to our knowledge, the distribution ...	2015	26447693
solution structure of leptospiral liga4 big domain.	pathogenic leptospiraspecies express immunoglobulin-like proteins which serve as adhesins to bind to the extracellular matrices of host cells. leptospiral immunoglobulin-like protein a (liga), a surface exposed protein containing tandem repeats of bacterial immunoglobulin-like (big) domains, has been proved to be involved in the interaction of pathogenic leptospira with mammalian host. in this study, the solution structure of the fourth big domain of liga (liga4 big domain) from leptospira inter ...	2015	26449456
seroprevalence of leptospiral antibodies in canine population in and around namakkal.	leptospirosis is a reemerging and a complex zoonotic bacterial disease, caused by pathogenic serovars of leptospira interrogans. a total of 124 sera samples of dogs belonging to different categories like vaccinated, unvaccinated-semiowned, and stray dogs were subjected to sampling. microscopic agglutination test (mat) was conducted by using leptospira culture. out of 42 vaccinated dogs, 24 (57%) were positive to one or more serovars. of the 24, 22 (52.3%), 11 (26.19%), 4 (9.5%), 1 (3%), and 2 (4 ...	2013	26464917
flagellar motility of the pathogenic spirochetes.	bacterial pathogens are often classified by their toxicity and invasiveness. the invasiveness of a given bacterium is determined by how capable the bacterium is at invading a broad range of tissues in its host. of mammalian pathogens, some of the most invasive come from a group of bacteria known as the spirochetes, which cause diseases, such as syphilis, lyme disease, relapsing fever and leptospirosis. most of the spirochetes are characterized by their distinct shapes and unique motility. they a ...	2015	26481969
bridging the gap between validation and implementation of non-animal veterinary vaccine potency testing methods.	in recent years, technologically advanced high-throughput techniques have been developed that replace, reduce or refine animal use in vaccine quality control tests. following validation, these tests are slowly being accepted for use by international regulatory authorities. because regulatory acceptance itself has not guaranteed that approved humane methods are adopted by manufacturers, various organizations have sought to foster the preferential use of validated non-animal methods by interfacing ...	2011	26486625
are pathogenic leptospira species agents of community-acquired pneumonia? case reports of leptospirosis presenting as pneumonia.	we report four indonesian cases meeting the clinical and radiological criteria for community-acquired pneumonia and other findings suggestive of leptospirosis. quantitative pcr (qpcr) analyses of serum and urine samples and serology confirmed the diagnosis of leptospirosis in each. results of qpcr analysis of throat swabs were concordant with those obtained with acute-phase serum samples, which suggests its potential for use as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for leptospirosis.	2015	26511741
are pathogenic leptospira species agents of community-acquired pneumonia? case reports of leptospirosis presenting as pneumonia.	we report four indonesian cases meeting the clinical and radiological criteria for community-acquired pneumonia and other findings suggestive of leptospirosis. quantitative pcr (qpcr) analyses of serum and urine samples and serology confirmed the diagnosis of leptospirosis in each. results of qpcr analysis of throat swabs were concordant with those obtained with acute-phase serum samples, which suggests its potential for use as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for leptospirosis.	2015	26511741
fine mapping of the interaction between c4b-binding protein and outer membrane proteins liga and ligb of pathogenic leptospira interrogans.	the complement system consists of more than 40 proteins that participate in the inflammatory response and in pathogen killing. complement inhibitors are necessary to avoid the excessive consumption and activation of this system on host cells. leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by spirochetes from the genus leptospira. pathogenic leptospires are able to escape from complement activation by binding to host complement inhibitors factor h [fh] and c4b-binding protein (c4bp) while non-patho ...	2015	26517116
characterization of leptospira interrogans serovar pomona isolated from swine in brazil.	leptospira interrogans swine infection is a cause of serious economic loss and a potential human health hazard. in brazil, the most common serovars associated with swine infections are pomona, icterohaemorrhagie and tarassovi. cross-reactions among serovars and the failure of infected animals to seroconvert may complicate the interpretation of serological tests. molecular methods with better discriminatory powers are useful tools for swine leptospirosis characterization and diagnosis.	2015	26517479
comparative analysis of lipopolysaccharides of pathogenic and intermediately pathogenic leptospira species.	lipopolysaccharides (lps) are complex, amphipathic biomolecules that constitute the major surface component of gram-negative bacteria. leptospira, unlike other human-pathogenic spirochetes, produce lps, which is fundamental to the taxonomy of the genus, involved in host-adaption and also the target of diagnostic antibodies. despite its significance, little is known of leptospira lps composition and carbohydrate structure among different serovars.	2015	26518696
lipid a as a drug target and therapeutic molecule.	in this review, lipid a, from its discovery to recent findings, is presented as a drug target and therapeutic molecule. first, the biosynthetic pathway for lipid a, the raetz pathway, serves as a good drug target for antibiotic development. several assay methods used to screen for inhibitors of lipid a synthesis will be presented, and some of the promising lead compounds will be described. second, utilization of lipid a biosynthetic pathways by various bacterial species can generate modified lip ...	2015	26535075
whole-genome sequence of leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo subtype hardjoprajitno strain norma, isolated from cattle in a leptospirosis outbreak in brazil.	leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus leptospira spp. this neglected re-emergent disease has global distribution and relevance in veterinary production. here, we report the whole-genome sequence and annotation of leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo subtype hardjoprajitno strain norma, isolated from cattle in a livestock leptospirosis outbreak in brazil.	2015	26543126
an o-methyltransferase is required for infection of tick cells by anaplasma phagocytophilum.	anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (hga), is an obligately intracellular α-proteobacterium that is transmitted by ixodes spp ticks. however, the pathogen is not transovarially transmitted between tick generations and therefore needs to survive in both a mammalian host and the arthropod vector to complete its life cycle. to adapt to different environments, pathogens rely on differential gene expression as well as the modification of proteins and othe ...	2015	26544981
distribution of plasmids in distinct leptospira pathogenic species.	leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic leptospira, is a worldwide zoonotic infection. the genus leptospira includes at least 21 species clustered into three groups--pathogens, non-pathogens, and intermediates--based on 16s rrna phylogeny. research on leptospira is difficult due to slow growth and poor transformability of the pathogens. recent identification of extrachromosomal elements besides the two chromosomes in l. interrogans has provided new insight into genome complexity of the genus leptosp ...	2015	26555137
leptospira and bats: story of an emerging friendship.		2015	26562435
characterization of leptospira interrogans serovars by polymorphism variable number tandem repeat analysis.	leptospirosis is recognized as a re-emerging infectious disease; therefore, understanding the epidemiology of the disease is vital for designing intervention programs and diminishing its transmission. recently, multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (mlva) is used for segregating and identifying leptospira serovars. the method has potential application in investigating the molecular epidemiology of leptospira.	2015	26568805
multilocus sequence typing (mlst) of leptospiral strains isolated from two geographic locations of tamil nadu, india.	here the rodent carrier status for the transmission of human leptospirosis in tiruchirappalli, district, tamil nadu, india was assessed. the predominantly circulating leptospiral sts were recognized by multilocus sequence typing (mlst). a total of 113 rodents were trapped from different provinces of the tiruchirappalli district. the most prevalent rodent was bandicota bengalensis (37.2%), and of the total, 52.2% (n=59) rodents were found to be positive for leptospiral 16s rrna. these results wer ...	2016	26577860
a systematic review of changes in marine mammal health in north america, 1972-2012: the need for a novel integrated approach.	marine mammals are often cited as "sentinels of ocean health" yet accessible, synthesized data on their health changes that could effectively warn of ocean health changes are rare. the objectives of this study were to 1) perform a systematic review of published cases of marine mammal disease to determine spatial and temporal trends in disease from 1972-2012, including changes in regions and taxa affected and specific causes; and 2) compare numbers of published cases of neoplasia with known, hosp ...	2015	26579715
highly pathogenic leptospira found in urban brown rats (rattus norvegicus) in the largest cities of sweden.	leptospirosis is an emerging zoonosis of global concern; however, its contemporary occurrence in sweden, a european country partly located north of the arctic circle, is poorly known. four out of 30 brown rats, captured within urban districts in sweden, were found to be positive for antibodies to leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae. this serovar causes weil's disease in humans, a severe infection with jaundice, renal failure, and hemorrhage. our study is the first finding of this ...	2015	26579782
factors associated with severe leptospirosis, martinique, 2010-2013.	to identify factors associated with disease severity, we examined 102 patients with quantitative pcr-confirmed leptospirosis in martinique during 2010-2013. associated factors were hypotension, chest auscultation abnormalities, icterus, oligo/anuria, thrombocytopenia, prothrombin time <68%, high levels of leptospiremia, and infection with l. interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae/copenhageni.	2015	26583702
intestinal spirochaetes (genus brachyspira) colonise wild birds in the southern atlantic region and antarctica.	the genus brachyspira contains well-known enteric pathogens of veterinary significance, suggested agents of colonic disease in humans, and one potentially zoonotic agent. there are recent studies showing that brachyspira are more widespread in the wildlife community than previously thought. there are no records of this genus in wildlife from the southern atlantic region and antarctica. our aim was therefore, to determine whether intestinal spirochaetes of genus brachyspira colonise marine and co ...	2015	26584828
evaluation of the leptospira interrogans outer membrane protein ompl37 as a vaccine candidate.	the identification of potential vaccine candidates against leptospirosis remains a challenge. however, one such candidate is ompl37, a potentially surface-exposed antigen that has the highest elastin-binding ability described to date, suggesting that it plays an important role in host colonization. in order to evaluate ompl37's ability to induce a protective immune response, prime-boost, dna and subunit vaccine strategies were tested in the hamster model of lethal leptospirosis. the humoral immu ...	2015	26588685
in vivo-expressed proteins of virulent leptospira interrogans serovar autumnalis n2 elicit strong igm responses of value in conclusive diagnosis.	leptospirosis is a serious zoonosis that is underdiagnosed because of limited access to laboratory facilities in southeast asia, central and south america, and oceania. timely diagnosis of locally distributed serovars of high virulence is crucial for successful care and outbreak management. using pooled patient sera, an expression gene library of a virulent leptospira interrogans serovar autumnalis strain n2 isolated in south india was screened. the identified genes were characterized, and the p ...	2016	26607308
leptospira interrogans lsa23 protein recruits plasminogen, factor h and c4bp from normal human serum and mediates c3b and c4b degradation.	it has been reported that pathogenic leptospira are resistant to normal human serum (nhs) due to their ability to evade the complement immune system by interacting with factor h (fh) and c4b-binding protein (c4bp) regulators. moreover, plasmin generation on the leptospiral surface diminishes c3b and igg deposition, decreasing opsonophagocytosis by immune competent cells. we have previously reported that lsa23 (lic11360) is a multipurpose protein capable of binding purified extracellular matrix m ...	2016	26614523
correction: fine mapping of the interaction between c4b-binding protein and outer membrane proteins liga and ligb of pathogenic leptospira interrogans.		2015	26636670
[differential sensitivity of microorganisms to polyhexamethyleneguanidine].	factors identified that affect the sensitivity of microorganisms to polyhexamethyleneguanidine (phmg). salts of phmg chloride, valerate, maleate, succinate was to use. test strains of esherichia coli, staphylococcus aureus, bacillus cereus, leptospira interrogans, paenibacillus larvae, mycobacterium bovis, m. avium, m. fortuitum, aspergillus niger and some strains of viruses are taken as objects of research. we have determined that the cytoplasm membrane phospholipids is main "target" for the po ...	2015	26638480
multiple posttranslational modifications of leptospira biflexa proteins as revealed by proteomic analysis.	the saprophyte leptospira biflexa is an excellent model for studying the physiology of the medically important leptospira genus, the pathogenic members of which are more recalcitrant to genetic manipulation and have significantly slower in vitro growth. however, relatively little is known regarding the proteome of l. biflexa, limiting its utility as a model for some studies. therefore, we have generated a proteomic map of both soluble and membrane-associated proteins of l. biflexa during exponen ...	2016	26655756
trnas taking charge.	most bacterial toxins derived from chromosomally encoded toxin-antitoxin (ta) systems that have been studied to date appear to protect cells from relatively short pulses of stress by triggering a reversible state of growth arrest. in contrast to many bacterial toxins that are produced as defense mechanisms and secreted from their hosts, ta toxins exert their protective effect from within the cell that produces them. ta toxin-mediated growth arrest is most frequently achieved through their abilit ...	2015	26657107
trnas taking charge.	most bacterial toxins derived from chromosomally encoded toxin-antitoxin (ta) systems that have been studied to date appear to protect cells from relatively short pulses of stress by triggering a reversible state of growth arrest. in contrast to many bacterial toxins that are produced as defense mechanisms and secreted from their hosts, ta toxins exert their protective effect from within the cell that produces them. ta toxin-mediated growth arrest is most frequently achieved through their abilit ...	2015	26657107
the recombinant lic10508 is a plasma fibronectin, plasminogen, fibrinogen and c4bp-binding protein of leptospira interrogans.	leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by pathogenic leptospira spp. in this study, we report that the recombinant proteins lic10507, lic10508 and lic10509 are recognized by confirmed leptospirosis serum samples at both phases of the disease. the recombinant rlic10508 and rlic10507 are plasminogen (plg)-binding proteins, capable of generating plasmin in the presence of a plg activator. the proteins bind to plg in a dose-dependent and saturable manner, fulfilling host-ligand interaction. furthermore, ...	2016	26657108
isolation and clinical sample typing of human leptospirosis cases in argentina.	leptospira typing is carried out using isolated strains. because of difficulties in obtaining them, direct identification of infective leptospira in clinical samples is a high priority. multilocus sequence typing (mlst) proved highly discriminatory for seven pathogenic species of leptospira, allowing isolate characterization and robust assignment to species, in addition to phylogenetic evidence for the relatedness between species. in this study we characterized leptospira strains circulating in ...	2016	26658064
seroprevalence of nine leptospira interrogans serovars in wild carnivores, ungulates, and primates from a zoo population in a metropolitan region of chile.	serum samples from 130 individuals representing 42 species of carnivores, ungulates, and primates from a population of captive mammals in metropolitan region in chile were tested for antibodies against nine serovars of leptospira interrogans using the microscopic agglutination test. ten percent of the animals were seropositive to one or more serovars. seroprevalence was significantly higher in ungulates (20.4%) compared to carnivores (3.8%) and primates (3.4%). there were no significant differen ...	2015	26667533
serologic survey and results of urinary pcr testing for leptospirosis in captive black-tailed prairie dogs (cynomys ludovicianus).	leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease occurring clinically and subclinically in humans and a wide variety of mammal species worldwide. often, rodents and wild animals are identified as important reservoirs for the disease. twenty-two captive black-tailed prairie dogs (cynomys ludovicianus) housed within a zoo were examined as part of a routine census and preventive medicine program. during examinations, blood and urine were collected to screen for exposure to, or infection with, leptosp ...	2015	26667541
synthesis, characterization and immunological properties of escherichia coli 0157:h7 lipopolysaccharide- diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine.	escherichia coli o157:h7, an emerging pathogen, causes severe enteritis and the extraintestinal complication of hemolytic-uremic syndrome. the goal of this study was to evaluate the conjugate of e. coli o157: h7 lipopolysaccharide (lps) with diphtheria toxoid (dt) as a candidate vaccine in mice model.	2015	26668702
multiple specificities of immunoglobulin m in equine fetuses infected with leptospira interrogans indicate a competent immune response.	foals of mares infected with leptospira interrogans serovar pomona type kennewicki (lk) may be aborted/stillborn or delivered as healthy foals. is fetal survival explained in part by the immune response of the fetus to leptospira antigens?	2016	26671764
dna prime-protein boost based vaccination with a conserved region of leptospiral immunoglobulin-like a and b proteins enhances protection against leptospirosis.	leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the leptospira genus. vaccination with bacterins has severe limitations. here, we evaluated the n-terminal region of the leptospiral immunoglobulin-like b protein (ligbrep) as a vaccine candidate against leptospirosis using immunisation strategies based on dna prime-protein boost, dna vaccine, and subunit vaccine. upon challenge with a virulent strain ofleptospira interrogans, the prime-boost and dna vaccine approaches induc ...	2015	26676320
pyrf as a counterselectable marker for unmarked genetic manipulations in treponema denticola.	the pathophysiology of treponema denticola, an oral pathogen associated with both periodontal and endodontic infections, is poorly understood due to its fastidious growth and recalcitrance to genetic manipulations. counterselectable markers are instrumental in constructing clean and unmarked mutations in bacteria. here, we demonstrate that pyrf, a gene encoding orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase, can be used as a counterselectable marker in t. denticola to construct marker-free mutants. t. ...	2016	26682856
occurrence of antibodies anti -toxoplasma gondii, neospora caninum and leptospira interrogans in a captive deer herd in southern brazil.	a large number of brazilian zoos keep many endangered species of deer, however, very few disease surveillance studies have been conducted among captive cervids. blood samples from 32 brazilian deer (blastocerus dichotomus, mazama nana and mazama americana) kept in captivity at bela vista biological sanctuary (foz do iguaçu, brazil) were investigated for 10 ruminant pathogens, with the aims of monitoring deer health status and evaluating any potential zoonotic risk. deer serum samples were tested ...	2015	26689185
differential toll-like receptor-signalling of burkholderia pseudomallei lipopolysaccharide in murine and human models.	the gram-negative bacterium burkholderia pseudomallei causes melioidosis and is a cdc category b bioterrorism agent. toll-like receptor (tlr)-2 impairs host defense during pulmonary b.pseudomallei infection while tlr4 only has limited impact. we investigated the role of tlrs in b.pseudomallei-lipopolysaccharide (lps) induced inflammation. purified b.pseudomallei-lps activated only tlr2-transfected-hek-cells during short stimulation but both hek-tlr2 and hek-tlr4-cells after 24 h. in human blood, ...	2015	26689559
heterogenic colonization patterns by leptospira interrogans in rattus norvegicus from urban slums.	we evaluated the renal colonization by leptospira interrogans in rattus norvegicus (rats), as it is the major natural reservoir of urban leptospirosis. we caught 72 r. norvegicus, out of which 32 were found to be positive for l. interrogans by immunofluorescence assay. from these rats, we selected 17 and divided them into six groups based on the mass-age/sex. we performed the immunohistochemistry test against l. interrogans in the kidney sections of the rats and systematically counted the coloni ...	2015	26691476
strengthening public health laboratory capacity in thailand for international health regulations (ihr) (2005).	thailand conducted a national laboratory assessment of core capacities related to the international health regulations (ihr) (2005), and thereby established a baseline to measure future progress. the assessment was limited to public laboratories found within the thai bureau of quality and safety of food, national institute of health and regional medical science centres.	2014	26693144
whole genome shotgun sequencing shows selection on leptospira regulatory proteins during in vitro culture attenuation.	leptospirosis is the most common zoonotic disease worldwide with an estimated 500,000 severe cases reported annually, and case fatality rates of 12-25%, due primarily to acute kidney and lung injuries. despite its prevalence, the molecular mechanisms underlying leptospirosis pathogenesis remain poorly understood. to identify virulence-related genes in leptospira interrogans, we delineated cumulative genome changes that occurred during serial in vitro passage of a highly virulent strain of l. int ...	2016	26711524
comparison of immunoprotection of leptospira recombinant proteins with conventional vaccine in experimental animals.	leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by bacteria of the genus leptospira affecting humans and animals. untreated leptospirosis may result in severe kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death. virulent leptospirosis can rapidly enter kidney fibroblasts and induce a programmed cell death. thus, it is a challenge for immunologists to develop an effective and safe leptospirosis vaccine. here, we compared the commercial canine leptospira vaccine and recombin ...	2015	26742322
parasitic and bacterial infections of myocastor coypus in a metropolitan area of northwestern italy.	coypus (myocastor coypus) are widespread throughout europe. in northern italy, they are abundant in the flatland areas, and their high population densities can cause economic loss and ecosystem damage. we examined 153 coypus for selected parasitic and bacterial infections. we found strongyloides myopotami (63.4% prevalence), trichostrongylus duretteae (28.1%), eimeria coypi (86.3%), and eimeria seideli (6.8%), but did not find giardia duodenalis or cryptosporidium spp. we also isolated staphyloc ...	2016	26745834
direct and absolute quantification of over 1800 yeast proteins via selected reaction monitoring.	defining intracellular protein concentration is critical in molecular systems biology. although strategies for determining relative protein changes are available, defining robust absolute values in copies per cell has proven significantly more challenging. here we present a reference data set quantifying over 1800saccharomyces cerevisiaeproteins by direct means using protein-specific stable-isotope labeled internal standards and selected reaction monitoring (srm) mass spectrometry, far exceeding ...	2016	26750110
first overall report of leptospira infections in wild boars in poland.	recently an increase in the population of wild boars (sus scrofa) in europe has been observed. this is important from a zoonotic perspective because it influences directly on the spread of many diseases. for the first time, an extensive survey on the prevalence of leptospira infections in polish wild boars was performed. during the hunting season 2012-2014, 3621 blood samples from wild boars were collected. the animals originated from different geographical areas across poland. serum samples wer ...	2015	26754249
first overall report of leptospira infections in wild boars in poland.	recently an increase in the population of wild boars (sus scrofa) in europe has been observed. this is important from a zoonotic perspective because it influences directly on the spread of many diseases. for the first time, an extensive survey on the prevalence of leptospira infections in polish wild boars was performed. during the hunting season 2012-2014, 3621 blood samples from wild boars were collected. the animals originated from different geographical areas across poland. serum samples wer ...	2015	26754249
analysis of lexa binding sites and transcriptomics in response to genotoxic stress in leptospira interrogans.	we determined the effects of dna damage caused by ultraviolet radiation on gene expression in leptospira interrogans using dna microarrays. these data were integrated with dna binding in vivo of lexa1, a regulator of the dna damage response, assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation and massively parallel dna sequencing (chip-seq). in response to dna damage, leptospira induced expression of genes involved in dna metabolism, in mobile genetic elements and defective prophages. the dna repair genes ...	2016	26762976
impact of mated female nonproductive days in breeding herd after porcine epidemic diarrhea virus outbreak.	porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (pedv) is an important pathogen that has a significant economic impact on the swine industry by imposing a high rate of mortality in suckling piglets. however, limited information on the productivity values of gilts and sows infected with pedv is available. here, we evaluate the productivity index in gilts and sows during the 1-year period before (19 january 2013 to 18 january 2014) and after (19 january 2014 to 18 january 2015) a pedv outbreak from a 2000-sow bre ...	2016	26771383
an evaluation of the accuracy and speed of metagenome analysis tools.	metagenome studies are becoming increasingly widespread, yielding important insights into microbial communities covering diverse environments from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to human skin and gut. with the advent of high-throughput sequencing platforms, the use of large scale shotgun sequencing approaches is now commonplace. however, a thorough independent benchmark comparing state-of-the-art metagenome analysis tools is lacking. here, we present a benchmark where the most widely used to ...	2016	26778510
recovery of leptospires in short- and medium-term cryopreservation using different glycerol and dimethyl sulfoxide concentrations.	cryopreservation is a recognized method for the maintenance of leptospira collections. although cryoprotectants are commonly used in order to prevent or reduce the adverse effects of freezing, there is no consensus regarding the protocols of cryopreservation. this study aimed to compare cryopreservation protocols for leptospira using different glycerol and dimethyl sulfoxide (dmso) concentrations. leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae, l. interrogans serovar bratislava, and l. borgp ...	2016	26808330
conserved patterns of microbial immune escape: pathogenic microbes of diverse origin target the human terminal complement inhibitor vitronectin via a single common motif.	pathogenicity of many microbes relies on their capacity to resist innate immunity, and to survive and persist in an immunocompetent human host microbes have developed highly efficient and sophisticated complement evasion strategies. here we show that different human pathogens including gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, as well as the fungal pathogen candida albicans, acquire the human terminal complement regulator vitronectin to their surface. by using truncated vitronectin fragments we ...	2016	26808444
erratum for eshghi et al., leptospira interrogans lpxd homologue is required for thermal acclimatization and virulence.		2016	26810749
detection of pathogenic leptospires by loop-mediated isothermal amplification targeting lipl32 gene.	leptospirosis is a worldwide re-emerging infectious disease caused by pathogenic leptospires including leptospira interrogans.	2015	26817214
human leptospirosis infection in fiji: an eco-epidemiological approach to identifying risk factors and environmental drivers for transmission.	leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease in the pacific islands. in fiji, two successive cyclones and severe flooding in 2012 resulted in outbreaks with 576 reported cases and 7% case-fatality. we conducted a cross-sectional seroprevalence study and used an eco-epidemiological approach to characterize risk factors and drivers for human leptospirosis infection in fiji, and aimed to provide an evidence base for improving the effectiveness of public health mitigation and intervention strategi ...	2016	26820752
plasmin cleaves fibrinogen and the human complement proteins c3b and c5 in the presence of leptospira interrogans proteins: a new role of liga and ligb in invasion and complement immune evasion.	plasminogen is a single-chain glycoprotein found in human plasma as the inactive precursor of plasmin. when converted to proteolytically active plasmin, plasmin(ogen) regulates both complement and coagulation cascades, thus representing an important target for pathogenic microorganisms. leptospira interrogans binds plasminogen, which is converted to active plasmin. leptospiral immunoglobulin-like (lig) proteins are surface exposed molecules that interact with extracellular matrix components and ...	2016	26822552
development of a new real-time pcr system for simultaneous detection of bacteria and fungi in pathological samples.	a novel system for simultaneous detection of pathogenic bacteria and fungi in pathological samples was developed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (pcr) system. this system, designated the "multi-microbial real-time pcr", has the potential to simultaneously detect 68 bacterial and 9 fungal species in a 96-well plate format. all probe-primer sets were designed to produce amplicons smaller than 210 bp using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples as input. the specificity and sensitivit ...	2015	26823918
toward understanding the catalytic mechanism of human paraoxonase 1: site-specific mutagenesis at position 192.	human paraoxonase 1 (h-pon1) is a serum enzyme that can hydrolyze a variety of substrates. the enzyme exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-atherogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial and organophosphate-hydrolyzing activities. thus, h-pon1 is a strong candidate for the development of therapeutic intervention against a variety conditions in human. however, the crystal structure of h-pon1 is not solved and the molecular details of how the enzyme hydrolyzes different substrates are not c ...	2016	26829396
exposure to viral and bacterial pathogens among soay sheep (ovis aries) of the st kilda archipelago.	we assessed evidence of exposure to viruses and bacteria in an unmanaged and long-isolated population of soay sheep (ovis aries) inhabiting hirta, in the st kilda archipelago, 65 km west of benbecula in the outer hebrides of scotland. the sheep harbour many metazoan and protozoan parasites but their exposure to viral and bacterial pathogens is unknown. we tested for herpes viral dna in leucocytes and found that 21 of 42 tested sheep were infected with ovine herpesvirus 2 (ohv-2). we also tested ...	2016	26829883
risk factors for intensive care unit admission in patients with severe leptospirosis: a comparative study according to patients' severity.	the aim of this study is to investigate predictive factors for intensive care unit (icu) admission among patients with severe leptospirosis.	2016	26830173
risk factors for intensive care unit admission in patients with severe leptospirosis: a comparative study according to patients' severity.	the aim of this study is to investigate predictive factors for intensive care unit (icu) admission among patients with severe leptospirosis.	2016	26830173
whole genome sequencing revealed host adaptation-focused genomic plasticity of pathogenic leptospira.	leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic leptospira spp., has recently been recognized as an emerging infectious disease worldwide. despite its severity and global importance, knowledge about the molecular pathogenesis and virulence evolution of leptospira spp. remains limited. here we sequenced and analyzed 102 isolates representing global sources. a high genomic variability were observed among different leptospira species, which was attributed to massive gene gain and loss events allowing for adapt ...	2016	26833181
marine mammals harbor unique microbiotas shaped by and yet distinct from the sea.	marine mammals play crucial ecological roles in the oceans, but little is known about their microbiotas. here we study the bacterial communities in 337 samples from 5 body sites in 48 healthy dolphins and 18 healthy sea lions, as well as those of adjacent seawater and other hosts. the bacterial taxonomic compositions are distinct from those of other mammals, dietary fish and seawater, are highly diverse and vary according to body site and host species. dolphins harbour 30 bacterial phyla, with 2 ...	2016	26839246
clinical evaluation of rapid diagnostic test kit using the polysaccharide as a genus-specific diagnostic antigen for leptospirosis in korea, bulgaria, and argentina.	leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease that is caused by many serovars which are more than 200 in the world, is an emerging worldwide disease. accurate and rapid diagnostic tests for leptospirosis are a critical step to diagnose the disease. there are some commercial kits available for diagnosis of leptospirosis, but the obscurity of a species- or genus-specific antigen of pathogenic leptospira interrogans causes the reduced sensitivity and specificity. in this study, the polysaccharide derived from ...	2016	26839470
impacts of climatic variability on vibrio parahaemolyticus outbreaks in taiwan.	this study aimed to investigate and quantify the relationship between climate variation and incidence of vibrio parahaemolyticus in taiwan. specifically, seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (arima) models (including autoregression, seasonality, and a lag-time effect) were employed to predict the role of climatic factors (including temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, ocean temperature and ocean salinity) on the incidence of v. parahaemolyticus in taiwan between 2000 and 2011. ...	2016	26848675
what makes a bacterial species pathogenic?:comparative genomic analysis of the genus leptospira.	leptospirosis, caused by spirochetes of the genus leptospira, is a globally widespread, neglected and emerging zoonotic disease. while whole genome analysis of individual pathogenic, intermediately pathogenic and saprophytic leptospira species has been reported, comprehensive cross-species genomic comparison of all known species of infectious and non-infectious leptospira, with the goal of identifying genes related to pathogenesis and mammalian host adaptation, remains a key gap in the field. in ...	2016	26890609
isolation and molecular characterization of leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo strain hardjobovis in the urine of naturally infected cattle in brazil.	most epidemiologic studies on bovine leptospirosis are based on serological tests that use antibodies against several serotypes, including the serovar hardjo, which is widespread and considered to be the most adapted to bovine hosts. however, using only serological studies is not sufficient to identify and distinguish species of leptospires. the aim of this study was report the first isolation in brazil of two strains serovar hardjo obtained in urine samples from naturally infected cows in a sma ...	2016	26909976
biochemical characterization and complete conversion of coenzyme specificity of isocitrate dehydrogenase from bifidobacterium longum.	bifidobacterium longum is a very important gram-positive non-pathogenic bacterium in the human gastrointestinal tract for keeping the digestive and immune system healthy. isocitrate dehydrogenase (idh) from b. longum (blidh), a novel member in type ii subfamily, was overexpressed, purified and biochemically characterized in detail. the active form of blidh was an 83-kda homodimer. kinetic analysis showed blidh was a nadp⁺-dependent idh (nadp-idh), with a 567- and 193-fold preference for nadp⁺ ov ...	2016	26927087
determination of leptospira borgpetersenii serovar javanica and leptospira interrogans serovar bataviae as the persistent leptospira serovars circulating in the urban rat populations in peninsular malaysia.	leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease of global significance, and is endemic in tropical countries, including malaysia. over the last decade, a dramatic increase of human cases was reported; however, information on the primary vector, the rat, and the leptospira serovars circulating among the rat population is limited. therefore, the present study was undertaken to isolate leptospira and characterise the serovars circulating in the urban rat populations from selected main cities in pen ...	2016	26927873
first isolates of leptospira spp., from rodents captured in angola.	rodents play an important role in the transmission of pathogenic leptospira spp. however, in angola, neither the natural reservoirs of these spirochetes nor leptospirosis diagnosis has been considered. regarding this gap, we captured rodents in luanda and huambo provinces to identify circulating leptospira spp. rodent kidney tissue was cultured and dna amplified and sequenced. culture isolates were evaluated for pathogenic status and typing with rabbit antisera; polymerase chain reaction (pcr) a ...	2016	26928840
dual nuclease activity of a cas2 protein in crispr-cas subtype i-b of leptospira interrogans.	leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni strain fiocruz l1-130 carries a set of cas genes associated with crispr-cas subtype i-b. herein, we report for the first time active transcription of a set of cas genes (cas1 to cas8) of l. interrogans where cas4, cas1, cas2 and cas6, cas3, cas8, cas7, cas5 are clustered together in two independent operons. as an initial step toward comprehensive understanding of crispr-cas system in spirochete, the biochemical study of one of the core leptospira cas2 p ...	2016	26950513
[production of certain pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines during stimulation by live and inactivated leptospira pathogens in the model of human whole blood].	study of the ability of clinical isolates of leptospira to cause production of certain pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines in the model of human whole blood.	2016	26950985
borrelia burgdorferi elongation factor ef-tu is an immunogenic protein during lyme borreliosis.	borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of lyme disease, does not produce lipopolysaccharide but expresses a large number of lipoproteins on its cell surface. these outer membrane lipoproteins are highly immunogenic and have been used for serodiagnosis of lyme disease. recent studies have shown that highly conserved cytosolic proteins such as enolase and elongation factor tu (ef-tu) unexpectedly localized on the surface of bacteria including b. burgdorferi, and surface-localized enolase has ...	2015	26954993
profiling of leptospira interrogans, l. santarosai, l. meyeri and l. borgpetersenii by se-aflp, pfge and susceptibility testing--a continuous attempt at species and serovar differentiation.	leptospirosis is a widespread systemic zoonosis, considered as reemerging in certain developing countries. although the cross agglutinin absorption test is still considered the standard method for leptospira identification, it presents several disadvantages. the aim of this study was to characterize leptospira spp. isolated from various hosts by genotyping and broth microdilution susceptibility testing in an attempt to differentiate leptospira species, serogroups and serovars. forty-seven isolat ...	2016	26956446
seroprevalence of leptospiral infection in feline population in urban and dairy cattle herds in mashhad, iran.	the importance of cats in the leptospira epidemiology is due to the possibility of transferring leptospirosis to wild and domesticated animals. the purpose of this survey was to determine the prevalence of leptospira infection in shorthair cats in different location of mashhad, iran. totally, 147 blood samples were taken from 42 (28.57%), 52 (35.37%) and 53 (36.05%) households, stray and cats which lived in industrial dairy cattle herds of mashhad, iran, respectively. sera were tested with seven ...	2015	26973765
identification of protein secretion systems in bacterial genomes.	bacteria with two cell membranes (diderms) have evolved complex systems for protein secretion. these systems were extensively studied in some model bacteria, but the characterisation of their diversity has lagged behind due to lack of standard annotation tools. we built online and standalone computational tools to accurately predict protein secretion systems and related appendages in bacteria with lps-containing outer membranes. they consist of models describing the systems' components and genet ...	2016	26979785
prevalence of antibodies against borrelia burgdorferi, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and leptospira interrogans serovars in bernese mountain dogs.	bernese mountain dogs (bmd) have a higher prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (bbsl) antibodies than other breeds, but it is not known whether this is the case for other pathogens. therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the frequency and level of specific antibodies against members of the bbsl group, anaplasma phagocytophilum (ap), and leptospira (l.) interrogans serovars in bmd and compare the results with those found in dogs of other breeds.	2016	27004451
a two-year ecological study of norway rats (rattus norvegicus) in a brazilian urban slum.	the norway or brown rat (rattus norvegicus) is among the most ubiquitous of rodents. however, the lack of studies describing norway rat populations from tropical areas have limited our understanding regarding their demography and seasonal dynamics. in this study, we describe seasonal pattern in the abundance, reproductive parameters, and morphometrics of norway rat populations in salvador, brazil. rodents were trapped over four seasonal trapping periods (2013-2014) from three valleys. a total of ...	2016	27015422
prevalence and genotype allocation of pathogenic leptospira species in small mammals from various habitat types in germany.	small mammals serve as most important reservoirs for leptospira spp., the causative agents of leptospirosis, which is one of the most neglected and widespread zoonotic diseases worldwide. the knowledge about leptospira spp. occurring in small mammals from germany is scarce. thus, this study's objectives were to investigate the occurrence of leptospira spp. and the inherent sequence types in small mammals from three different study sites: a forest in southern germany (site b1); a national park in ...	2016	27015596
comparison of mucosal, subcutaneous and intraperitoneal routes of rat leptospira infection.	leptospirosis is a zoonosis found worldwide that is caused by a spirochete. the main reservoirs of leptospira, which presents an asymptomatic infection, are wild rodents, including the brown rat (rattus norvegicus). experimental studies of the mechanisms of its renal colonization in rats have previously used an intraperitoneal inoculation route. however, knowledge of rat-rat transmission requires the use of a natural route of inoculation, such as a mucosal or subcutaneous route. we investigated ...	2016	27031867
analysis of a spontaneous non-motile and avirulent mutant shows that flim is required for full endoflagella assembly in leptospira interrogans.	pathogenic leptospira strains are responsible for leptospirosis, a worldwide emerging zoonotic disease. these spirochetes are unique amongst bacteria because of their corkscrew-like cell morphology and their periplasmic flagella. motility is reported as an important virulence determinant, probably favoring entry and dissemination of pathogenic leptospira in the host. however, proteins constituting the periplasmic flagella and their role in cell shape, motility and virulence remain poorly describ ...	2016	27044038
seroprevalence of brucella abortus and leptospira hardjo in cattle.	the aim was to assess the seroprevalence of b. abortus and leptospira hardjo in the cattle population of bihar, this work was carried out.	2015	27047076
caprine leptospirosis: hematobiochemical and urinalyses studies.	the present study was designed to evaluate clinicopathological alterations in naturally occurring leptospirosis in goats of south gujarat region, gujarat.	2016	27057122
draft genome of the leptospira interrogans strains, acegua, rca, prea, and capivara, obtained from wildlife maintenance hosts and infected domestic animals.	in the present paper, we announce new draft genomes of four leptospira interrogans strains named acegua, rca, prea, and capivara. these strains were isolated in the state of rio grande do sul, brazil, from cattle, dog, brazilian guinea pig, and capybara, respectively.	2016	27074260
etiological agents causing leptospirosis in sri lanka: a review.	to systematically review the etiological agent causing human leptospirosis in sri lanka.	2016	27086159
exploring the secretomes of microbes and microbial communities using filamentous phage display.	microbial surface and secreted proteins (the secretome) contain a large number of proteins that interact with other microbes, host and/or environment. these proteins are exported by the coordinated activities of the protein secretion machinery present in the cell. a group of bacteriophage, called filamentous phage, have the ability to hijack bacterial protein secretion machinery in order to amplify and assemble via a secretion-like process. this ability has been harnessed in the use of filamento ...	2016	27092113
evaluation of two novel leptospiral proteins for their interaction with human host components.	pathogenic species of the genus leptospira are the etiological agents of leptospirosis, the most widespread zoonosis. mechanisms involved in leptospiral pathogenesis are not well understood. by data mining the genome sequences of leptospira interrogans we have identified two proteins predicted to be surface exposed, lic10821 and lic10064. immunofluorescence and proteinase k assays confirmed that the proteins are exposed. reactivity of the recombinant proteins with human sera has shown that rlic1 ...	2016	27129366
real-time pcr reveals rapid dissemination of leptospira interrogans after intraperitoneal and conjunctival inoculation of hamsters.	the pathogen leptospira interrogans is a highly motile spirochete that causes acute and fulminant infections in humans and other accidental hosts. hematogenous dissemination is important for infection by the pathogen but remains poorly understood because few animal model studies have used sensitive tools to quantify the bacteria. we evaluated the kinetics of leptospiral infection in golden syrian hamsters by a sensitive quantitative real-time pcr (taqman) with lipl32 as the target gene. the diss ...	2016	27141082
vaccine design for h5n1 based on b- and t-cell epitope predictions.	from 2003 to 2013, indonesia had the highest number of avian influenza a cases in humans, with 192 cases and 160 fatalities. avian influenza is caused by influenza virus type a, such as subtype h5n1. this virus has two glycoproteins: hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, which will become the primary target to be neutralized by vaccine. vaccine is the most effective immunologic intervention. in this study, we use the epitope-based vaccine design from hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of h5n1 indonesian ...	2016	27147821
metabolic engineering of a synergistic pathway for n-butanol production in saccharomyces cerevisiae.	n-butanol has several favourable properties as an advanced fuel or a platform chemical. bio-based production of n-butanol is becoming increasingly important for sustainable chemical industry. synthesis of n-butanol can be achieved via more than one metabolic pathway. here we report the metabolic engineering of saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce n-butanol through a synergistic pathway: the endogenous threonine pathway and the introduced citramalate pathway. firstly, we characterized and optimize ...	2016	27161023