Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
|---|
| targeted mutagenesis in pathogenic leptospira species: disruption of the ligb gene does not affect virulence in animal models of leptospirosis. | the pathogenic mechanisms of leptospira interrogans, the causal agent of leptospirosis, remain largely unknown. this is mainly due to the lack of tools for genetically manipulating pathogenic leptospira species. thus, homologous recombination between introduced dna and the corresponding chromosomal locus has never been demonstrated for this pathogen. leptospiral immunoglobulin-like repeat (lig) proteins were previously identified as putative leptospira virulence factors. in this study, a ligb mu ... | 2008 | 18809657 |
| mosaic: an online database dedicated to the comparative genomics of bacterial strains at the intra-species level. | the recent availability of complete sequences for numerous closely related bacterial genomes opens up new challenges in comparative genomics. several methods have been developed to align complete genomes at the nucleotide level but their use and the biological interpretation of results are not straightforward. it is therefore necessary to develop new resources to access, analyze, and visualize genome comparisons. | 2008 | 19038022 |
| a simple and rapid nested polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique for differentiation of pathogenic and nonpathogenic leptospira spp. | a rapid and specific nested polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) has been developed to detect and differentiate pathogenic and nonpathogenic leptospira spp. leptospiral genomic dna was extracted from suspected human sera using an improved method of standard phenol-chloroform, and specific primers have been used to amplify 16s ribosomal rna from all pathogenic and nonpathogenic leptospira spp. the pcr products of all nonpathogenic species were digested wit ... | 2009 | 19097839 |
| major surface protein lipl32 is not required for either acute or chronic infection with leptospira interrogans. | leptospira interrogans is responsible for leptospirosis, a zoonosis of worldwide distribution. lipl32 is the major outer membrane protein of pathogenic leptospires, accounting for up to 75% of total outer membrane protein. in recent times lipl32 has become the focus of intense study because of its surface location, dominance in the host immune response, and conservation among pathogenic species. in this study, an lipl32 mutant was constructed in l. interrogans using transposon mutagenesis. the l ... | 2009 | 19103763 |
| major surface protein lipl32 is not required for either acute or chronic infection with leptospira interrogans. | leptospira interrogans is responsible for leptospirosis, a zoonosis of worldwide distribution. lipl32 is the major outer membrane protein of pathogenic leptospires, accounting for up to 75% of total outer membrane protein. in recent times lipl32 has become the focus of intense study because of its surface location, dominance in the host immune response, and conservation among pathogenic species. in this study, an lipl32 mutant was constructed in l. interrogans using transposon mutagenesis. the l ... | 2009 | 19103763 |
| genome sequence of the pathogenic intestinal spirochete brachyspira hyodysenteriae reveals adaptations to its lifestyle in the porcine large intestine. | brachyspira hyodysenteriae is an anaerobic intestinal spirochete that colonizes the large intestine of pigs and causes swine dysentery, a disease of significant economic importance. the genome sequence of b. hyodysenteriae strain wa1 was determined, making it the first representative of the genus brachyspira to be sequenced, and the seventeenth spirochete genome to be reported. the genome consisted of a circular 3,000,694 base pair (bp) chromosome, and a 35,940 bp circular plasmid that has not p ... | 2009 | 19262690 |
| rapid and accurate diagnosis of human intestinal spirochetosis by fluorescence in situ hybridization. | human intestinal spirochetosis (his) is associated with overgrowth of the large intestine by spirochetes of the genus brachyspira. the microbiological diagnosis of his is hampered by the fastidious nature and slow growth of brachyspira spp. in clinical practice, his is diagnosed histopathologically, and a significant portion of cases may be missed. fluorescence in situ hybridization (fish) is a molecular method that allows the visualization and identification of single bacteria within tissue sec ... | 2009 | 19279178 |
| the genome of bacillus subtilis bacteriophage spo1. | we report the genome sequence of bacillus subtilis phage spo1. the unique genome sequence is 132,562 bp long, and dna packaged in the virion (the chromosome) has a 13,185-bp terminal redundancy, giving a total of 145,747 bp. we predict 204 protein-coding genes and 5 trna genes, and we correlate these findings with the extensive body of investigations of spo1, including studies of the functions of the 61 previously defined genes and studies of the virion structure. sixty-nine percent of the encod ... | 2009 | 19285085 |
| evaluation of surveillance case definition in the diagnosis of leptospirosis, using the microscopic agglutination test: a validation study. | leptospirosis is endemic in both urban and rural areas of sri lanka and there had been many out breaks in the recent past. this study was aimed at validating the leptospirosis surveillance case definition, using the microscopic agglutination test (mat). | 2009 | 19386085 |
| interactions of h562 in the s5 helix with t618 and s621 in the pore helix are important determinants of herg1 potassium channel structure and function. | herg1 is a member of the cyclic nucleotide binding domain family of k(+) channels. alignment of cyclic nucleotide binding domain channels revealed an evolutionary conserved sequence hwx(a/g)c in the s5 domain. we reasoned that histidine 562 in herg1 could play an important structure-function role. to explore this role, we created in silica models of the herg1 pore domain based on the kvap crystal structure with rosetta-membrane modeling and molecular-dynamics simulations. simulations indicate th ... | 2009 | 19413965 |
| unique structure and stability of hmuy, a novel heme-binding protein of porphyromonas gingivalis. | infection, survival, and proliferation of pathogenic bacteria in humans depend on their capacity to impair host responses and acquire nutrients in a hostile environment. among such nutrients is heme, a co-factor for oxygen storage, electron transport, photosynthesis, and redox biochemistry, which is indispensable for life. porphyromonas gingivalis is the major human bacterial pathogen responsible for severe periodontitis. it recruits heme through hmuy, which sequesters heme from host carriers an ... | 2009 | 19424422 |
| bypass suppression analysis maps the signalling pathway within a multidomain protein: the rsbp energy stress phosphatase 2c from bacillus subtilis. | the network controlling the general stress response in bacillus subtilis requires both the rsbp phosphatase and the rsbq alpha/beta hydrolase to convey signals of energy stress. rsbp contains three domains: an n-terminal pas, a central coiled-coil and a c-terminal pp2c phosphatase. we report here a genetic analysis that established the functional interactions of the domains and their relationship to rsbq. random mutagenesis of rsbp yielded 17 independent bypass suppressors that had activity in a ... | 2009 | 19432806 |
| comprehensive comparative-genomic analysis of type 2 toxin-antitoxin systems and related mobile stress response systems in prokaryotes. | the prokaryotic toxin-antitoxin systems (tas, also referred to as ta loci) are widespread, mobile two-gene modules that can be viewed as selfish genetic elements because they evolved mechanisms to become addictive for replicons and cells in which they reside, but also possess "normal" cellular functions in various forms of stress response and management of prokaryotic population. several distinct tas of type 1, where the toxin is a protein and the antitoxin is an antisense rna, and numerous, unr ... | 2009 | 19493340 |
| a flood of microbial genomes-do we need more? | 2009 | 19513110 | |
| leptospirosis: the "mysterious" mimic. | leptospirosis is a potentially fatal bacterial disease that can display a wide array of clinical presentations thus mimicking better-known illnesses. although, leptospirosis is primarily a zoonotic disease, it frequently inflicts severe illness and death on communities around the globe. a comprehensive overview of the disease in wake of the 2006 outbreaks in india is hereby presented and discussed. | 2008 | 19561939 |
| plasminogen acquisition and activation at the surface of leptospira species lead to fibronectin degradation. | pathogenic leptospira species are the etiological agents of leptospirosis, a widespread disease of human and veterinary concern. in this study, we report that leptospira species are capable of binding plasminogen (plg) in vitro. the binding to the leptospiral surface was demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence confocal microscopy with living bacteria. the plg binding to the bacteria seems to occur via lysine residues because the ligation is inhibited by addition of the lysine analog 6-aminoc ... | 2009 | 19581392 |
| borrelia burgdorferi resistance to a major skin antimicrobial peptide is independent of outer surface lipoprotein content. | we hypothesize a potential role for borrelia burgdorferi ospc in innate immune evasion at the initial stage of mammalian infection. we demonstrate that b. burgdorferi is resistant to high levels (>200 microg/ml) of cathelicidin and that this antimicrobial peptide exhibits limited binding to the spirochetal outer membrane, irrespective of ospc or other abundant surface lipoproteins. we conclude that the essential role of ospc is unrelated to resistance to this component of innate immunity. | 2009 | 19651916 |
| leptosome-entrapped leptospiral antigens conferred significant higher levels of protection than those entrapped with pc-liposomes in a hamster model. | we prepared novel liposomes from total polar lipids of non-pathogenic leptospira biflexa serovar potac (designated leptosomes) and evaluated their vaccine delivery/adjuvant potential with novel protective antigens (lp0607, lp1118 and lp1454) of l. interrogans serovar pomona in a hamster model. the immune response induced by three individual antigens and protective efficacy were evaluated and compared to those induced by same antigens entrapped with pc-liposomes and e. coli lipid liposomes (esche ... | 2009 | 19729088 |
| bioinformatics and functional analysis define four distinct groups of alkb dna-dioxygenases in bacteria. | the iron(ii)- and 2-oxoglutarate (2og)-dependent dioxygenase alkb from escherichia coli (ecalkb) repairs alkylation damage in dna by direct reversal. ecalkb substrates include methylated bases, such as 1-methyladenine (m(1)a) and 3-methylcytosine (m(3)c), as well as certain bulkier lesions, for example the exocyclic adduct 1,n(6)-ethenoadenine (epsilona). ecalkb is the only bacterial alkb protein characterized to date, and we here present an extensive bioinformatics and functional analysis of ba ... | 2009 | 19786499 |
| leptospira interrogans binds to human cell surface receptors including proteoglycans. | leptospirosis is a global public health problem, primarily in the tropical developing world. the pathogenic mechanisms of the causative agents, several members of the genus leptospira, have been underinvestigated. the exception to this trend has been the demonstration of the binding of pathogenic leptospires to the extracellular matrix (ecm) and its components. in this work, interactions of leptospira interrogans bacteria with mammalian cells, rather than the ecm, were examined. the bacteria bou ... | 2009 | 19805539 |
| rapid universal identification of bacterial pathogens from clinical cultures by using a novel sloppy molecular beacon melting temperature signature technique. | a real-time pcr assay with the ability to rapidly identify all pathogenic bacteria would have widespread medical utility. current real-time pcr technologies cannot accomplish this task due to severe limitations in multiplexing ability. to this end, we developed a new assay system which supports very high degrees of multiplexing. we developed a new class of mismatch-tolerant "sloppy" molecular beacons, modified them to provide an extended hybridization range, and developed a multiprobe, multimelt ... | 2009 | 19923485 |
| rapid universal identification of bacterial pathogens from clinical cultures by using a novel sloppy molecular beacon melting temperature signature technique. | a real-time pcr assay with the ability to rapidly identify all pathogenic bacteria would have widespread medical utility. current real-time pcr technologies cannot accomplish this task due to severe limitations in multiplexing ability. to this end, we developed a new assay system which supports very high degrees of multiplexing. we developed a new class of mismatch-tolerant "sloppy" molecular beacons, modified them to provide an extended hybridization range, and developed a multiprobe, multimelt ... | 2009 | 19923485 |
| evaluation of high performance liquid chromatography purified leptospiral antigen for the diagnosis of leptospirosis. | leptospirosis is a re-emerging infection, and often occurs in outbreaks. early diagnosis is important for appropriate control measures and treatment. the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic test depends on the antigen, which is used for the detection of antibodies. in the present study, an effort was made to purify and characterize leptospiral antigens, and their performance in the laboratory was assessed. leptospira biflexa semaranga, patoc was subjected to processing by the heat extr ... | 2009 | 19934533 |
| cohesion group approach for evolutionary analysis of aspartokinase, an enzyme that feeds a branched network of many biochemical pathways. | aspartokinase (ask) exists within a variable network that supports the synthesis of 9 amino acids and a number of other important metabolites. lysine, isoleucine, aromatic amino acids, and dipicolinate may arise from the ask network or from alternative pathways. ask proteins were subjected to cohesion group analysis, a methodology that sorts a given protein assemblage into groups in which evolutionary continuity is assured. two subhomology divisions, ask(alpha) and ask(beta), have been recognize ... | 2009 | 19946135 |
| multilocus sequence analysis for typing leptospira interrogans and leptospira kirschneri. | fifty-three strains belonging to the pathogenic species leptospira interrogans and leptospira kirschneri were analyzed by multilocus sequence analysis. the species formed two distinct branches. in the l. interrogans branch, the phylogenetic tree clustered the strains into three subgroups. genogroups and serogroups were superimposed but not strictly. | 2010 | 19955271 |
| multilocus sequence analysis for typing leptospira interrogans and leptospira kirschneri. | fifty-three strains belonging to the pathogenic species leptospira interrogans and leptospira kirschneri were analyzed by multilocus sequence analysis. the species formed two distinct branches. in the l. interrogans branch, the phylogenetic tree clustered the strains into three subgroups. genogroups and serogroups were superimposed but not strictly. | 2010 | 19955271 |
| evidence that two atp-dependent (lon) proteases in borrelia burgdorferi serve different functions. | the canonical atp-dependent protease lon participates in an assortment of biological processes in bacteria, including the catalysis of damaged or senescent proteins and short-lived regulatory proteins. borrelia spirochetes are unusual in that they code for two putative atp-dependent lon homologs, lon-1 and lon-2. borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of lyme disease, is transmitted through the blood feeding of ixodes ticks. previous work in our laboratory reported that b. burgdorferi lon-1 i ... | 2009 | 19956677 |
| use of rpsl as a counterselectable marker in borrelia burgdorferi. | we have demonstrated that rpsl, encoding the s12 protein of the small ribosomal subunit, can be used as a counterselectable marker in borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease. mutations in rpsl confer streptomycin resistance. streptomycin susceptibility is dominant in an rpsl merodiploid, and streptomycin selects for the loss of wild-type rpsl carried in trans. this is the first description of a counterselectable marker in b. burgdorferi. | 2010 | 19966024 |
| use of rpsl as a counterselectable marker in borrelia burgdorferi. | we have demonstrated that rpsl, encoding the s12 protein of the small ribosomal subunit, can be used as a counterselectable marker in borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease. mutations in rpsl confer streptomycin resistance. streptomycin susceptibility is dominant in an rpsl merodiploid, and streptomycin selects for the loss of wild-type rpsl carried in trans. this is the first description of a counterselectable marker in b. burgdorferi. | 2010 | 19966024 |
| amidoligases with atp-grasp, glutamine synthetase-like and acetyltransferase-like domains: synthesis of novel metabolites and peptide modifications of proteins. | recent studies have shown that the ubiquitin system had its origins in ancient cofactor/amino acid biosynthesis pathways. preliminary studies also indicated that conjugation systems for other peptide tags on proteins, such as pupylation, have evolutionary links to cofactor/amino acid biosynthesis pathways. following up on these observations, we systematically investigated the non-ribosomal amidoligases of the atp-grasp, glutamine synthetase-like and acetyltransferase folds by classifying the kno ... | 2009 | 20023723 |
| a highly coordinated cell wall degradation machine governs spore morphogenesis in bacillus subtilis. | how proteins catalyze morphogenesis is an outstanding question in developmental biology. in bacteria, morphogenesis is intimately linked to remodeling the cell wall exoskeleton. here, we investigate the mechanisms by which the mother cell engulfs the prospective spore during sporulation in bacillus subtilis. a membrane-anchored protein complex containing two cell wall hydrolases plays a central role in this morphological process. we demonstrate that one of the proteins (spoiip) has both amidase ... | 2010 | 20159959 |
| functional characterization of lcpa, a surface-exposed protein of leptospira spp. that binds the human complement regulator c4bp. | we have previously shown that pathogenic leptospiral strains are able to bind c4b binding protein (c4bp). surface-bound c4bp retains its cofactor activity, indicating that acquisition of this complement regulator may contribute to leptospiral serum resistance. in the present study, the abilities of seven recombinant putative leptospiral outer membrane proteins to interact with c4bp were evaluated. the protein encoded by lic11947 interacted with this human complement regulator in a dose-dependent ... | 2010 | 20404075 |
| antibiotic resistance markers for genetic manipulations of leptospira spp. | we measured the frequency of appearance of spontaneous mutants resistant to gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, and spectinomycin in saprophytic and pathogenic leptospira strains. the mutations responsible for the spontaneous resistance to streptomycin and spectinomycin were identified in the rpsl and rrs genes, respectively. we also generated a gentamicin resistance cassette that allows the use of a third selectable marker in leptospires. these results may facilitate further advances in gene t ... | 2010 | 20511419 |
| the complete genome sequence of the pathogenic intestinal spirochete brachyspira pilosicoli and comparison with other brachyspira genomes. | the anaerobic spirochete brachyspira pilosicoli colonizes the large intestine of various species of birds and mammals, including humans. it causes "intestinal spirochetosis", a condition characterized by mild colitis, diarrhea and reduced growth. this study aimed to sequence and analyse the bacterial genome to investigate the genetic basis of its specialized ecology and virulence. | 2010 | 20625514 |
| deriving enzymatic and taxonomic signatures of metagenomes from short read data. | we propose a method for deriving enzymatic signatures from short read metagenomic data of unknown species. the short read data are converted to six pseudo-peptide candidates. we search for occurrences of specific peptides (sps) on the latter. sps are peptides that are indicative of enzymatic function as defined by the enzyme commission (ec) nomenclature. the number of sp hits on an ensemble of short reads is counted and then converted to estimates of numbers of enzymatic genes associated with di ... | 2010 | 20649951 |
| obstacles of multiplex real-time pcr for bacterial 16s rdna: primer specifity and dna decontamination of taq polymerase. | background: the detection of a broad range of bacteria by pcr is applied for the screening of blood and blood products with special attention to platelet concentrates. for practical use it is desirable that detection systems include gram-positive, gram-negative and non-gram-stainable bacteria. it is quite challenging to achieve high sensitivity along with a clear negative control with pcr reagents, because especially taq polymerase is contaminated with traces of bacterial dna. methods: bacterial ... | 2010 | 20737013 |
| transcriptional response of leptospira interrogans to iron limitation and characterization of a perr homolog. | leptospirosis is a globally significant zoonosis caused by leptospira spp. iron is essential for growth of most bacterial species. since iron availability is low in the host, pathogens have evolved complex iron acquisition mechanisms to survive and establish infection. in many bacteria, expression of iron uptake and storage proteins is regulated by fur. l. interrogans encodes four predicted fur homologs; we have constructed a mutation in one of these, la1857. we conducted microarray analysis to ... | 2010 | 20805337 |
| risk factors for clinical leptospirosis from western jamaica. | a retrospective, matched case-control study was conducted in jamaica's western regional health authority (wrha). forty-three individuals developing clinical leptospirosis between january 2005 and december 2007 (i.e., cases) were age and neighborhood matched to 89 controls. odds ratios (or) and associated 95% confidence intervals (cis) and the relative excess risk due to interaction (reri) were calculated. cases had increased odds of contact with rodents or 3.52, goats or 3.38, and being engaged ... | 2010 | 20810831 |
| leptospira as an emerging pathogen: a review of its biology, pathogenesis and host immune responses. | leptospirosis, the most widespread zoonosis in the world, is an emerging public health problem, particularly in large urban centers of developing countries. several pathogenic species of the genus leptospira can cause a wide range of clinical manifestations, from a mild, flu-like illness to a severe disease form characterized by multiorgan system complications leading to death. however, the mechanisms of pathogenesis of leptospira are largely unknown. this article will address the animal models ... | 2010 | 20860485 |
| genomic analysis and relatedness of p2-like phages of the burkholderia cepacia complex. | the burkholderia cepacia complex (bcc) is comprised of at least seventeen gram-negative species that cause infections in cystic fibrosis patients. because bcc bacteria are broadly antibiotic resistant, phage therapy is currently being investigated as a possible alternative treatment for these infections. the purpose of our study was to sequence and characterize three novel bcc-specific phages: ks5 (vb_bcem-ks5 or vb_bmuz-atcc 17616), ks14 (vb_bcem-ks14) and kl3 (vb_bamm-kl3 or vb_bcez-cep511). | 2010 | 20973964 |
| simultaneous detection and differentiation of pathogenic and nonpathogenic leptospira spp. by multiplex real-time pcr (taqman) assay. | leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic leptospira, is one of the most important zoonoses in the world. several molecular techniques have been developed for detection and differentiation between pathogenic and saprophytic leptospira spp. the aim of this study was to develop a rapid and simple assay for specific detection and differentiation of pathogenic leptospira spp. by multiplex real-time pcr (taqman) assay using primers and probes targeting leptospira genus specific 16s ribosomal rna gene, the ... | 2010 | 21033579 |
| expanding the genetic toolbox for leptospira species by generation of fluorescent bacteria. | our knowledge of the genetics and molecular basis of the pathogenesis associated with leptospira, in comparison to those of other bacterial species, is very limited. an improved understanding of pathogenic mechanisms requires reliable genetic tools for functional genetic analysis. here, we report the expression of gfp and mrfp1 genes under the control of constitutive spirochetal promoters in both saprophytic and pathogenic leptospira strains. we were able to reliably measure the fluorescence of ... | 2010 | 21037299 |
| transcriptional responses of leptospira interrogans to host innate immunity: significant changes in metabolism, oxygen tolerance, and outer membrane. | leptospira interrogans is the major causative agent of leptospirosis. phagocytosis plays important roles in the innate immune responses to l. interrogans infection, and l. interrogans can evade the killing of phagocytes. however, little is known about the adaptation of l. interrogans during this process. | 2010 | 21049008 |
| 2010 acvim small animal consensus statement on leptospirosis: diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention. | this report offers a consensus opinion on the diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of leptospirosis in dogs, an important zoonosis. clinical signs of leptospirosis in dogs relate to development of renal disease, hepatic disease, uveitis, and pulmonary hemorrhage. disease may follow periods of high rainfall, and can occur in dogs roaming in proximity to water sources, farm animals, or wildlife, or dogs residing in suburban environments. diagnosis is based on acute and convalescent p ... | 2010 | 21155890 |
| responses of human endothelial cells to pathogenic and non-pathogenic leptospira species. | leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic infection that primarily affects residents of tropical regions, but causes infections in animals and humans in temperate regions as well. the agents of leptospirosis comprise several members of the genus leptospira, which also includes non-pathogenic, saprophytic species. leptospirosis can vary in severity from a mild, non-specific illness to severe disease that includes multi-organ failure and widespread endothelial damage and hemorrhage. to begin to inves ... | 2010 | 21179504 |
| plasmids with a chromosome-like role in rhizobia. | replicon architecture in bacteria is commonly comprised of one indispensable chromosome and several dispensable plasmids. this view has been enriched by the discovery of additional chromosomes, identified mainly by localization of rrna and/or trna genes, and also by experimental demonstration of their requirement for cell growth. the genome of rhizobium etli cfn42 is constituted by one chromosome and six large plasmids, ranging in size from 184 to 642 kb. five of the six plasmids are dispensable ... | 2011 | 21217003 |
| cross-protective immunity against leptospirosis elicited by a live, attenuated lipopolysaccharide mutant. | leptospira species cause leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease found worldwide. current vaccines against leptospirosis provide protection only against closely related serovars. | 2011 | 21220775 |
| immunostimulatory and antigen delivery properties of liposomes made up of total polar lipids from non-pathogenic bacteria leads to efficient induction of both innate and adaptive immune responses. | novel liposomes prepared from total polar lipids of non-pathogenic bacteria, viz. leptospira biflexa serovar potac (designated leptosomes) and mycobacterium smegmatis (designated smegmosomes) were evaluated for their adjuvant effects with various antigen presenting cells (apcs), viz. murine macrophage cell line, j774a.1 and bone marrow derived dendritic cells (bmdcs). these liposomes induced strong membrane fusion as evident from resonance energy transfer (ret) assays and effectively transferred ... | 2011 | 21300103 |
| the multifunctional ligb adhesin binds homeostatic proteins with potential roles in cutaneous infection by pathogenic leptospira interrogans. | leptospirosis is a potentially fatal zoonotic disease in humans and animals caused by pathogenic spirochetes, such as leptospira interrogans. the mode of transmission is commonly limited to the exposure of mucous membrane or damaged skin to water contaminated by leptospires shed in the urine of carriers, such as rats. infection occurs during seasonal flooding of impoverished tropical urban habitats with large rat populations, but also during recreational activity in open water, suggesting it is ... | 2011 | 21347378 |
| new implications on genomic adaptation derived from the helicobacter pylori genome comparison. | helicobacter pylori has a reduced genome and lives in a tough environment for long-term persistence. it evolved with its particular characteristics for biological adaptation. because several h. pylori genome sequences are available, comparative analysis could help to better understand genomic adaptation of this particular bacterium. | 2011 | 21387011 |
| comparative proteogenomic analysis of the leptospira interrogans virulence-attenuated strain ipav against the pathogenic strain 56601. | the virulence-attenuated leptospira interrogans serovar lai strain ipav was derived by prolonged laboratory passage from a highly virulent ancestral strain isolated in china. we studied the genetic variations of ipav that render it avirulent via comparative analysis against the pathogenic l. interrogans serovar lai strain 56601. the complete genome sequence of the ipav strain was determined and used to compare with, and then rectify and reannotate the genome sequence of strain 56601. aside from ... | 2011 | 21423275 |
| prophage-stimulated toxin production in clostridium difficile nap1/027 lysogens. | tcda and tcdb exotoxins are the main virulence factors of clostridium difficile, one of the most deadly nosocomial pathogens. recent data suggest that prophages can influence the regulation of toxin expression. here we present the characterization of ?cd38-2, a pac-type temperate siphoviridae phage that stimulates toxin expression when introduced as a prophage into c. difficile. host range analysis showed that ?cd38-2 was able to infect 99/207 isolates of c. difficile representing 11 different p ... | 2011 | 21441508 |
| bioinformatic characterization of the trimeric intracellular cation-specific channel protein family. | trimeric intracellular cation-specific (tric) channels are integral to muscle excitation-contraction coupling. tric channels provide counter-ionic flux when calcium is rapidly transported from intracellular stores to the cell cytoplasm. until recently, knowledge of the presence of these proteins was limited to animals. we analyzed the tric family and identified a profusion of prokaryotic family members with topologies and motifs similar to those of their eukaryotic counterparts. prokaryotic memb ... | 2011 | 21519847 |
| na(+)-translocating membrane pyrophosphatases are widespread in the microbial world and evolutionarily precede h(+)-translocating pyrophosphatases. | membrane pyrophosphatases (ppases), divided into k(+)-dependent and k(+)-independent subfamilies, were believed to pump h(+) across cell membranes until a recent demonstration that some k(+)-dependent ppases function as na(+) pumps. here, we have expressed seven evolutionarily important putative ppases in escherichia coli and estimated their hydrolytic, na(+) transport and h(+) transport activities as well as their k(+) and na(+) requirements in inner membrane vesicles. four of these enzymes (fr ... | 2011 | 21527638 |
| amino acid features of p1b-atpase heavy metal transporters enabling small numbers of organisms to cope with heavy metal pollution. | phytoremediation refers to the use of plants for extraction and detoxification of pollutants, providing a new and powerful weapon against a polluted environment. in some plants, such as thlaspi spp, heavy metal atpases are involved in overall metal ion homeostasis and hyperaccumulation. p1b-atpases pump a wide range of cations, especially heavy metals, across membranes against their electrochemical gradients. determination of the protein characteristics of p1b-atpases in hyperaccumulator plants ... | 2011 | 21573033 |
| crystal structure of the novel paib transcriptional regulator from geobacillus stearothermophilus. | 2011 | 21633969 | |
| seasonality of human leptospirosis in reunion island (indian ocean) and its association with meteorological data. | leptospirosis is a disease which occurs worldwide but particularly affects tropical areas. transmission of the disease is dependent on its excretion by reservoir animals and the presence of moist environment which allows the survival of the bacteria. | 2011 | 21655257 |
| heterologous expression of pathogen-specific genes liga and ligb in the saprophyte leptospira biflexa confers enhanced adhesion to cultured cells and fibronectin. | in comparison to other bacterial pathogens, our knowledge of the molecular basis of the pathogenesis of leptospirosis is extremely limited. an improved understanding of leptospiral pathogenetic mechanisms requires reliable tools for functional genetic analysis. leptospiral immunoglobulin-like (lig) proteins are surface proteins found in pathogenic leptospira, but not in saprophytes. here, we describe a system for heterologous expression of the leptospira interrogans genes liga and ligb in the sa ... | 2011 | 21658265 |
| inactivation of clpb in the pathogen leptospira interrogans reduces virulence and resistance to stress conditions. | leptospira interrogans is the causative agent of leptospirosis, which is an emerging zoonotic disease. resistance to stress conditions is largely uncharacterized for this bacterium. we therefore decided to analyze a clpb mutant that we obtained by random transposon mutagenesis. the mutant did not produce any of the two isoforms of clpb. the clpb mutant exhibited growth defects at 30-¦ and 37-¦c and in poor nutrient medium and showed increased susceptibility to oxidative stress, whereas the genet ... | 2011 | 21730091 |
| characteristic features of intracellular pathogenic leptospira in infected murine macrophages. | leptospira interrogans is a spirochaete responsible for a zoonotic disease known as leptospirosis. leptospires are able to penetrate the abraded skin and mucous membranes and rapidly disseminate to target organs such as the liver, lungs and kidneys. how this pathogen escape from innate immune cells and spread to target organs remains poorly understood. in this paper, the intracellular trafficking undertaken by non-pathogenic leptospira biflexa and pathogenic l.ôçâinterrogans in mouse bone marrow ... | 2011 | 21819516 |
| frequent mutations within the genomic magnetosome island of magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense are mediated by reca. | genes for magnetosome formation in magnetotactic bacteria are clustered in large genomic magnetosome islands (mai). spontaneous deletions and rearrangements were frequently observed within these regions upon metabolic stress. this instability was speculated to be due to reca-dependent homologous recombination between the numerous sequence repeats present within the mai. here, we show that a reca deficient strain of magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense (strain ik-1) no longer exhibits genetic instabi ... | 2011 | 21821768 |
| the rela/spot homolog (rsh) superfamily: distribution and functional evolution of ppgpp synthetases and hydrolases across the tree of life. | rela/spot homologue (rsh) proteins, named for their sequence similarity to the rela and spot enzymes of escherichia coli, comprise a superfamily of enzymes that synthesize and/or hydrolyze the alarmone ppgpp, activator of the "stringent" response and regulator of cellular metabolism. the classical "long" rshs rel, rela and spot with the ppgpp hydrolase, synthetase, tgs and act domain architecture have been found across diverse bacteria and plant chloroplasts, while dedicated single domain ppgpp- ... | 2011 | 21858139 |
| Monoclonal antibodies against the leptospiral immunoglobulin-like proteins A and B conserved regions. | Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira that affects humans and a wide variety of animals. Recently the genomes of Leptospira interrogans, Leptospira borgpetersenii and Leptospira biflexa species were sequenced allowing the identification of new virulence factors involved in survival and pathogenesis of bacteria. LigA and LigB are surface-exposed bacterial adhesins whose expression is correlated with the virulence of Leptospira strains. In ... | 2011 | 21903270 |
| deciphering morphological determinants of the helix-shaped leptospira. | leptospira spp. are thin, highly motile, slow-growing spirochetes that can be distinguished from other bacteria on the basis of their unique helical shape. defining the mechanisms by which these bacteria generate and maintain this atypical morphology should greatly enhance our understanding of the fundamental physiology of these pathogens. in this study, we showed that peptidoglycan sacculi from leptospira spp. retain the helical shape of intact cells. interestingly, the distribution of muropept ... | 2011 | 21926230 |
| a highly stable plastidic-type ferredoxin-nadp(h) reductase in the pathogenic bacterium leptospira interrogans. | leptospira interrogans is a bacterium that is capable of infecting animals and humans, and its infection causes leptospirosis with a range of symptoms from flu-like to severe illness and death. despite being a bacteria, leptospira interrogans contains a plastidic class ferredoxin-nadp(h) reductase (fnr) with high catalytic efficiency, at difference from the bacterial class fnrs. these flavoenzymes catalyze the electron transfer between nadp(h) and ferredoxins or flavodoxins. the inclusion of a p ... | 2011 | 22039544 |
| calcium-binding to leptospira outer membrane antigen lipl32 is not necessary for its interaction with plasma fibronectin, collagen type iv and plasminogen. | lipl32 is the most abundant outer membrane protein from pathogenic leptospira and has been shown to bind extracellular matrix (ecm) proteins as well as ca2+. recent crystal structures have been obtained for the protein in the apo and ca2+-bound forms. in this work, we produced three lipl32 mutants (d163-168a, q67a and s247a) and evaluated their ability to interact with ca2+ and with ecm glycoproteins and with human plasminogen. the d163-d168a mutant modifies aspartate residues involved in ca2+-b ... | 2011 | 22147698 |
| calcium-binding to leptospira outer membrane antigen lipl32 is not necessary for its interaction with plasma fibronectin, collagen type iv and plasminogen. | lipl32 is the most abundant outer membrane protein from pathogenic leptospira and has been shown to bind extracellular matrix (ecm) proteins as well as ca2+. recent crystal structures have been obtained for the protein in the apo and ca2+-bound forms. in this work, we produced three lipl32 mutants (d163-168a, q67a and s247a) and evaluated their ability to interact with ca2+ and with ecm glycoproteins and with human plasminogen. the d163-d168a mutant modifies aspartate residues involved in ca2+-b ... | 2011 | 22147698 |
| bioinformatic characterization of the 4-toluene sulfonate uptake permease (tsup) family of transmembrane proteins. | the ubiquitous sequence diverse 4-toluene sulfonate uptake permease (tsup) family contains few characterized members and is believed to catalyze the transport of several sulfur-based compounds. prokaryotic members of the tsup family outnumber the eukaryotic members substantially, and in prokaryotes, but not eukaryotes, extensive lateral gene transfer occurred during family evolution. despite unequal representation, homologues from the three taxonomic domains of life share well-conserved motifs. ... | 2012 | 22192777 |
| bioinformatic characterization of the 4-toluene sulfonate uptake permease (tsup) family of transmembrane proteins. | the ubiquitous sequence diverse 4-toluene sulfonate uptake permease (tsup) family contains few characterized members and is believed to catalyze the transport of several sulfur-based compounds. prokaryotic members of the tsup family outnumber the eukaryotic members substantially, and in prokaryotes, but not eukaryotes, extensive lateral gene transfer occurred during family evolution. despite unequal representation, homologues from the three taxonomic domains of life share well-conserved motifs. ... | 2012 | 22192777 |
| three-dimensional structures of pathogenic and saprophytic leptospira revealed by cryo-electron tomography. | leptospira interrogans is the primary causative agent of the most widespread zoonotic disease, leptospirosis. an in-depth structural characterization of l. interrogans is needed to understand its biology and pathogenesis. in this study, cryo-electron tomography (cryo-et) was used to compare pathogenic and saprophytic species and examine the unique morphological features of this group of bacteria. specifically, our study revealed a structural difference between the cell envelopes of l. interrogan ... | 2012 | 22228733 |
| predictors of the development of myocarditis or acute renal failure in patients with leptospirosis: an observational study. | leptospirosis has a varied clinical presentation with complications like myocarditis and acute renal failure. there are many predictors of severity and mortality including clinical and laboratory parameters. early detection and treatment can reduce complications. therefore recognizing the early predictors of the complications of leptospirosis is important in patient management. this study was aimed at determining the clinical and laboratory predictors of myocarditis or acute renal failure. | 2012 | 22243770 |
| mathematical modeling and comparison of protein size distribution in different plant, animal, fungal and microbial species reveals a negative correlation between protein size and protein number, thus providing insight into the evolution of proteomes. | the sizes of proteins are relevant to their biochemical structure and for their biological function. the statistical distribution of protein lengths across a diverse set of taxa can provide hints about the evolution of proteomes. | 2012 | 22296664 |
| structural, bioinformatic, and in vivo analyses of two treponema pallidum lipoproteins reveal a unique trap transporter. | treponema pallidum, the bacterial agent of syphilis, is predicted to encode one tripartite atp-independent periplasmic transporter (trap-t). trap-ts typically employ a periplasmic substrate-binding protein (sbp) to deliver the cognate ligand to the transmembrane symporter. herein, we demonstrate that the genes encoding the putative trap-t components from t. pallidum, tp0957 (the sbp), and tp0958 (the symporter), are in an operon with an uncharacterized third gene, tp0956. we determined the cryst ... | 2012 | 22306465 |
| leptospire genomic diversity revealed by microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization. | comparative genomic hybridization was used to compare genetic diversity of five strains of leptospira (leptospira interrogans serovars bratislava, canicola, and hebdomadis and leptospira kirschneri serovars cynopteri and grippotyphosa). the array was designed based on two available sequenced leptospira reference genomes, those of l. interrogans serovar copenhageni and l. interrogans serovar lai. a comparison of genetic contents showed that l. interrogans serovar bratislava was closest to the ref ... | 2012 | 22344655 |
| evaluation of pathogenic serovars of leptospira interrogans in dairy cattle herds of shahrekord by pcr. | leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by leptospira interrogans. leptospirosis leads to economical losses in dairy farm industry. the objective of this study was to evaluate the pathogenic serovars of leptospira interrogans in dairy cattle herds of shahrekord by pcr. | 2011 | 22347596 |
| construction of a library of random mutants in the spirochete leptospira biflexa using a mariner transposon. | in comparison to other bacterial species, genetics of leptospires are in their infancy. recently, we developed a system for random transposon mutagenesis in the saprophyte leptospira biflexa and then applied this approach to the pathogen l. interrogans. thousands of random mutants can be readily obtained in -l. -biflexa by random insertion of himar1 in the genome, thereby generating extensive libraries of mutants that could be screened for phenotypes affecting diverse aspects of the biology of t ... | 2012 | 22367871 |
| multiple leptospiral sphingomyelinases (or are there?). | culture supernatants of leptospiral pathogens have long been known to haemolyse erythrocytes. this property is due, at least in part, to sphingomyelinase activity. indeed, genome sequencing reveals that pathogenic leptospira species are richly endowed with sphingomyelinase homologues: five genes have been annotated to encode sphingomyelinases in leptospira interrogans. such redundancy suggests that this class of genes is likely to benefit leptospiral pathogens in their interactions with the mamm ... | 2012 | 22422753 |
| vesiculation from pseudomonas aeruginosa under sos. | bacterial infections can be aggravated by antibiotic treatment that induces sos response and vesiculation. this leads to a hypothesis concerning association of sos with vesiculation. to test it, we conducted multiple analyses of outer membrane vesicles (omvs) produced from the pseudomonas aeruginosa wild type in which sos is induced by ciprofloxacin and from the lexa noncleavable (lexan) strain in which sos is repressed. the levels of omv proteins, lipids, and cytotoxicity increased for both the ... | 2012 | 22448133 |
| flaa proteins in leptospira interrogans are essential for motility and virulence but are not required for formation of the flagellum sheath. | spirochetes have periplasmic flagella composed of a core surrounded by a sheath. the pathogen leptospira interrogans has four flab (proposed core subunit) and two flaa (proposed sheath subunit) genes. the flaa genes are organized in a locus with flaa2 immediately upstream of flaa1. in this study, flaa1 and flaa2 mutants were constructed by transposon mutagenesis. both mutants still produced periplasmic flagella. the flaa1 mutant did not produce flaa1 but continued to produce flaa2 and retained n ... | 2012 | 22451522 |
| positive regulation of leptospira interrogans kdp expression by kdpe as demonstrated with a novel β-galactosidase reporter in leptospira biflexa. | leptospirosis is a potentially deadly zoonotic disease that afflicts humans and animals. leptospira interrogans, the predominant agent of leptospirosis, encounters diverse conditions as it proceeds through its life cycle, which includes stages inside and outside the host. unfortunately, the number of genetic tools available for examining the regulation of gene expression in l. interrogans is limited. consequently, little is known about the genetic circuits that control gene expression in leptosp ... | 2012 | 22685146 |
| renal involvement in leptospirosis: the effect of glycolipoprotein on renal water absorption. | leptospirotic renal lesions frequently produce a polyuric form of acute kidney injury with a urinary concentration defect. our study investigated a possible effect of the glycolipoprotein, (glpc) extracted from l. interrogans, on vasopressin (vp) action in the guinea pig inner medullary collecting duct (imcd). | 2012 | 22701573 |
| lipoidal soft hybrid biocarriers of supramolecular construction for drug delivery. | lipid-based innovations have achieved new heights during the last few years as an essential component of drug development. the current challenge of drug delivery is liberation of drug agents at the right time in a safe and reproducible manner to a specific target site. a number of novel drug delivery systems has emerged encompassing various routes of administration, to achieve controlled and targeted drug delivery. microparticulate lipoidal vesicular system represents a unique technology platfor ... | 2012 | 22888455 |
| multiple activities of ligb potentiate virulence of leptospira interrogans: inhibition of alternative and classical pathways of complement. | microbial pathogens acquire the immediate imperative to avoid or counteract the formidable defense of innate immunity as soon as they overcome the initial physical barriers of the host. many have adopted the strategy of directly disrupting the complement system through the capture of its components, using proteins on the pathogen's surface. in leptospirosis, pathogenic leptospira spp. are resistant to complement-mediated killing, in contrast to the highly vulnerable non-pathogenic strains. patho ... | 2012 | 22911815 |
| leptospira spp. strain identification by maldi tof ms is an equivalent tool to 16s rrna gene sequencing and multi locus sequence typing (mlst). | in this study mass spectrometry was used for evaluating extracted leptospiral protein samples and results were compared with molecular typing methods. for this, an extraction protocol for leptospira spp. was independently established in two separate laboratories. reference spectra were created with 28 leptospiral strains, including pathogenic, non-pathogenic and intermediate strains. this set of spectra was then evaluated on the basis of measurements with well-defined, cultured leptospiral strai ... | 2012 | 22925589 |
| leptospiral outer membrane protein microarray, a novel approach to identification of host ligand-binding proteins. | leptospirosis is a zoonosis with worldwide distribution caused by pathogenic spirochetes belonging to the genus leptospira. the leptospiral life cycle involves transmission via freshwater and colonization of the renal tubules of their reservoir hosts. infection requires adherence to cell surfaces and extracellular matrix components of host tissues. these host-pathogen interactions involve outer membrane proteins (omps) expressed on the bacterial surface. in this study, we developed an leptospira ... | 2012 | 22961849 |
| characterization of the genome, proteome, and structure of yersiniophage ϕr1-37. | the bacteriophage vb_yecm-ϕr1-37 (ϕr1-37) is a lytic yersiniophage that can propagate naturally in different yersinia species carrying the correct lipopolysaccharide receptor. this large-tailed phage has deoxyuridine (du) instead of thymidine in its dna. in this study, we determined the genomic sequence of phage ϕr1-37, mapped parts of the phage transcriptome, characterized the phage particle proteome, and characterized the virion structure by cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction. t ... | 2012 | 22973030 |
| chemotactic behavior of pathogenic and nonpathogenic leptospira species. | we have developed a capillary tube assay in combination with real-time pcr to quantitate the number of chemoattracted leptospira cells. we identified tween 80, glucose, sucrose, and pyruvate as attractants for leptospira cells; amino acids and vitamin b(12) were found to be nonchemotactic or weakly chemotactic. this assay has the general applicability to further our understanding of leptospiral chemotaxis. | 2012 | 23001652 |
| automatic assignment of prokaryotic genes to functional categories using literature profiling. | in the last years, there was an exponential increase in the number of publicly available genomes. once finished, most genome projects lack financial support to review annotations. a few of these gene annotations are based on a combination of bioinformatics evidence, however, in most cases, annotations are based solely on sequence similarity to a previously known gene, which was most probably annotated in the same way. as a result, a large number of predicted genes remain unassigned to any functi ... | 2012 | 23077617 |
| characterization of lic11207, a novel leptospiral protein that is recognized by human convalescent sera and prevents apoptosis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. | we report the study of a predicted outer-membrane leptospiral protein encoded by the gene lic11207. this protein is conserved in several pathogenic leptospiral strains but is absent in the saprophyte leptospira biflexa. this putative outer-membrane protein has a domain of unknown function (duf) 1565 found in several phylogenetically diverse bacteria and in the archaeon methanosarcina acetivorans. the gene was cloned and expressed in escherichia coli bl21 (si) strain using the expression vector p ... | 2013 | 23092690 |
| in vivo cell aggregations of a recent swine biofilm-forming isolate of leptospira interrogans strain from argentina. | leptospirosis is a zoonosis of ubiquitous distribution caused by spirochetes. leptospires exist either as saprophytic water-associated organisms or as animal pathogens that can survive in water. previous works have demonstrated that both saprophytic and pathogenic leptospires are able to produce functional biofilms, which consist of a community of bacteria embedded in an extracellular matrix attached to a surface. this structure is believed to provide protection from environmental aggressiveness ... | 2012 | 23102459 |
| characterization of biofilm formation by borrelia burgdorferi in vitro. | borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, has long been known to be capable of forming aggregates and colonies. it was recently demonstrated that borrelia burgdorferi aggregate formation dramatically changes the in vitro response to hostile environments by this pathogen. in this study, we investigated the hypothesis that these aggregates are indeed biofilms, structures whose resistance to unfavorable conditions are well documented. we studied borrelia burgdorferi for several kno ... | 2012 | 23110225 |
| cross-sectional study of leptospira seroprevalence in humans, rats, mice, and dogs in a main tropical sea-port city. | samples were collected from 128 symptomatic humans, 83 dogs, 49 mice, and 20 rats (rattus rattus: 16; rattus norvegicus: 4) in neighborhoods where human leptospirosis have been reported within the principal sea-port city of colombia. seroprevalences were assessed against 19 pathogenic, 1 intermediate pathogenic, and 1 saprophytic leptospira serogroups. pathogenic leptospira were confirmed using conventional leptospira-specific polymerase chain-reaction and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analys ... | 2013 | 23149584 |
| characterization of the bat proteins in the oxidative stress response of leptospira biflexa. | leptospires lack many of the homologs for oxidative defense present in other bacteria, but do encode homologs of the bacteriodes aerotolerance (bat) proteins, which have been proposed to fulfill this function. bat homologs have been identified in all families of the phylum spirochaetes, yet a specific function for these proteins has not been experimentally demonstrated. | 2012 | 23234440 |
| multiple inter-kingdom horizontal gene transfers in the evolution of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase gene family. | pepcase is a gene encoding phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase that exists in bacteria, archaea and plants,playing an important role in plant metabolism and development. most plants have two or more pepcase genes belonging to two gene sub-families, while only one gene exists in other organisms. previous research categorized one plant pepcase gene as plant-type pepcase (ptpc) while the other as bacteria-type pepcase (btpc) because of its similarity with the pepcase gene found in bacteria. phylogeneti ... | 2012 | 23251445 |
| membrane-integral pyrophosphatase subfamily capable of translocating both na+ and h+. | one of the strategies used by organisms to adapt to life under conditions of short energy supply is to use the by-product pyrophosphate to support cation gradients in membranes. transport reactions are catalyzed by membrane-integral pyrophosphatases (ppases), which are classified into two homologous subfamilies: h(+)-transporting (found in prokaryotes, protists, and plants) and na(+)-transporting (found in prokaryotes). transport activities have been believed to require specific machinery for ea ... | 2013 | 23297210 |
| pathogenic and saprophytic leptospira species in water and soils from selected urban sites in peninsular malaysia. | leptospira species were studied in water and soils from selected urban sites in malaysia. a total of 151 water (n=121) and soil (n=30) samples were collected from 12 recreational lakes and wet markets. all samples were filtered and inoculated into semi-solid ellinghausen and mccullough modified by johnson and harris (emjh) media supplemented with additional 5-fluorouracil. the cultures were then incubated at 30°c and observed under a dark field microscope with intervals of 10 days. a pcr assay t ... | 2013 | 23363618 |
| importance of uncharged polar residues and proline in the proximal two-thirds (pro107-ser128) of the highly conserved region of mouse ileal na+-dependent bile acid transporter, slc10a2, in transport activity and cellular expression. | slc10a2-mediated reabsorption of bile acids at the distal end of the ileum is the first step in enterohepatic circulation. because bile acids act not only as detergents but also as signaling molecules in lipid metabolism and energy production, slc10a2 is important as the key transporter for understanding the in vivo kinetics of bile acids. slc10a family members and the homologous genes of various species share a highly conserved region corresponding to gly104-pro142 of slc10a2. the functional im ... | 2013 | 23374508 |
| development of immunochromatography-based methods for detection of leptospiral lipopolysaccharide antigen in urine. | leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by the spirochete bacteria leptospira spp. and is commonly found throughout the world. diagnosis of leptospirosis performed by culture and microscopic agglutination tests is laborious and time-consuming. therefore, we aimed to develop a novel immunochromatography (icg)-based method for detecting leptospira antigen in the urine of patients and animals. we used the 1h6 monoclonal antibody (mab), which is specific to the lipopolysaccharide (lps) that is ... | 2013 | 23467776 |
| essential calcium-binding cluster of leptospira lipl32 protein for inflammatory responses through the toll-like receptor 2 pathway. | leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis caused by the pathogenic leptospira worldwide. lipl32, a 32-kda lipoprotein, is the most abundant protein on the outer membrane of leptospira and has an atypical poly(asp) motif ((161)dddddgdd(168)). the x-ray crystallographic structure of lipl32 revealed that the calcium-binding cluster of lipl32 includes several essential residues asp(132), thr(133), asp(164), asp(165), and tyr(178). the goals of this study were to determine possible roles of the c ... | 2013 | 23486465 |
| a prime-boost strategy using the novel vaccine candidate, lema, protects hamsters against leptospirosis. | toward developing an effective vaccine capable of conferring heterologous protection, the putative lipoprotein lema, which presents an m3 epitope similar to that of listeria, was evaluated as a vaccine candidate in the hamster model of leptospirosis. lema is conserved (>70% pairwise identity) among the pathogenic leptospira spp., indicating its potential in stimulating a cross-protective immune response. using different vaccination strategies, including prime-boost, dna vaccine, and a subunit pr ... | 2013 | 23515012 |