Publications

yersinia pseudotuberculosis mnth functions in intracellular manganese accumulation that is essential for virulence and survival in cells expressing functional nramp1.	manganese has an important yet undefined role in the virulence of many bacterial pathogens. in this study we confirm that a null mutation in yersinia pseudotuberculosis mnth reduces intracellular manganese accumulation. an mnth mutant was susceptible to killing by reactive oxygen species when grown under manganese limited conditions. the mnth mutant was defective in survival and growth in macrophages expressing functional nramp1, but in macrophages deficient in nramp the bacteria were able to su ...	2010	21183572
effects of host species, stage and size on the sex ratio and clutch size of the parasitoid, dibrachys boarmiae (walker, 1863) (hymenoptera: pteromalidae).	effects of host species, stage and size on clutch size and sex ratio of the gregarious, idiobiont ectoparasitoid dibrachys boarmiae were investigated at 25±2°c and 70±5% relative humidity. the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella, small wax moth, achroia grisella, and early stage solitary larvae of the endoparasitoid, apanteles galleriae, were used as hosts. clutch size was greatest from prepupae of the largest host, galleria mellonella, with a mean of 40.07 offspring per host versus 14.73 and ...	2011	21208507
galleria mellonella as an infection model for campylobacter jejuni virulence.	larvae of galleria mellonella (greater wax moth) have been shown to be susceptible to campylobacter jejuni infection and our study characterizes this infection model. following infection with c. jejuni human isolates, bacteria were visible in the haemocoel and gut of challenged larvae, and there was extensive damage to the gut. bacteria were found in the extracellular and cell-associated fraction in the haemocoel, and it was shown that c. jejuni can survive in insect cells. finally, we have used ...	2011	21233296
elastase b of pseudomonas aeruginosa stimulates the humoral immune response in the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella.	the role of pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase b in activation of the humoral immune response in galleria mellonella larvae was investigated. the results of our study showed that elastase b injected at a sublethal concentration was responsible for eliciting the humoral immune response in g. mellonella larvae. the insects exhibited increased antibacterial activity, namely, we observed appearance of antimicrobial peptides and a higher level of lysozyme in cell-free hemolymph. elastase b seems to be a ...	2011	21236262
macrophage and galleria mellonella infection models reflect the virulence of naturally occurring isolates of b. pseudomallei, b. thailandensis and b. oklahomensis.	burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a tropical disease of humans with a variable and often fatal outcome. in murine models of infection, different strains exhibit varying degrees of virulence. in contrast, two related species, b. thailandensis and b. oklahomensis, are highly attenuated in mice. our aim was to determine whether virulence in mice is reflected in macrophage or wax moth larvae (galleria mellonella) infection models.	2011	21241461
virulence of serotype m3 group a streptococcus strains in wax worms (galleria mellonella larvae).	group a streptococcus (gas) causes human infections that range in severity from pharyngitis ("strep-throat") to necrotizing fasciitis ("flesh-eating disease"). to facilitate investigation of the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions, infection models capable of rapidly screening for differences in gas strain virulence are needed. to this end, we developed a galleria mellonella larvae (wax worm) model of invasive gas infection and used it to compare the virulence of serotype m3 gas stra ...	2011	21258213
using an insect model to assess correlation between temperature and virulence in bacillus weihenstephanensis and bacillus cereus.	the closely related bacterial species bacillus cereus and bacillus weihenstephanensis are adapted to the mesophilic and the psychrotrophic temperature range, respectively. while b. cereus strains are associated with foodborne diseases, b. weihenstephanensis strains are so far not, although similar virulence genes are found in both species. our investigations show that both species were virulent in the insect model, galleria mellonella, following infection via oral and haemocoel routes. however, ...	2011	21276046
the influence of chronic eicosanoid biosynthesis inhibition on life history of the greater waxmoth, galleria mellonella and its ectoparasitoid, bracon hebetor.	eicosanoids are oxygenated metabolites of three c20 polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly arachidonic acid (aa; 20:4n-6), but also 20:3n-6 and 20:5n-3. aside from their importance in biomedicine, eicosanoids act in invertebrate biology. prostaglandins (pgs) influence salt and water transport physiology in insect rectal epithelia and in malpighian tubules. pgs also influence a few insect behaviors, including releasing oviposition behavior and behavioral fever. eicosanoids act in ovarian development ...	2011	21303676
juvenile hormone binding protein core promoter is tata-driven with a suppressory element.	the hemolymph juvenile hormone binding protein (jhbp) plays a key role in transporting juvenile hormone (jh) to target tissues and in protecting jh from the degradation by nonspecific esterases. juvenile hormone esterase (jhe) removes jh signal at precisely defined insect developmental stages. the functional analysis of regulatory elements in the core promoter has been described only for the jhe gene. in this report we define the core promoter functional elements in the galleria mellonella jhbp ...	2016	21342666
the aspergillus fumigatus toxin fumagillin suppresses the immune response of galleria mellonella larvae by inhibiting the action of haemocytes.	larvae of galleria mellonella are widely used to evaluate microbial virulence and to assess the in vivo efficacy of antimicrobial agents. the aim of this work was to examine the ability of an aspergillus fumigatus toxin, fumagillin, to suppress the immune response of larvae. administration of fumagillin to larvae increased their susceptibility to subsequent infection with a. fumigatus conidia (p?=?0.0052). it was demonstrated that a dose of 2 µg fumagillin ml?¹ reduced the ability of insect immu ...	2011	21349977
european earwig (forficula auricularia) as a novel host for the entomopathogenic nematode steinernema carpocapsae.	the natural history of many entomopathogenic nematode species remains unknown, despite their wide commercial availability as biological control agents. the ambushing entomopathogenic nematode, steinernema carpocapsae, and the introduced european earwig, forficula auricularia, forage on the soil surface. since they likely encounter one another in nature, we hypothesized that earwigs are susceptible to nematode infection. in the laboratory, the lc(50) for f. auricularia was 226 s. carpocapsae/earw ...	2011	21356215
contribution of the gas1 gene of the entomopathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana, encoding a putative glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored beta-1,3-glucanosyltransferase, to conidial thermotolerance and virulence.	beauveria bassiana is a mycoinsecticide alternative to chemicals for use in biological pest control. the fungus-insect interaction is also an emerging model system to examine unique aspects of the development, pathogenesis, and diversity of fungal lifestyles. the glycoside hydrolase 72 (gh72) family includes ß-1,3-glucanosyltransferases that are glycosylphosphatidylinositol (gpi)-anchored cell wall-modeling enzymes affecting fungal physiology. a putative b. bassiana gpi-anchored ß-1,3-glucanosyl ...	2011	21357429
identification of specific interaction of juvenile hormone binding protein with isocitrate dehydrogenase.	juvenile hormone (jh) is essential for multiple physiological processes: it controls larval development, metamorphosis and adult reproduction. in insect hemolymph more than 99 % of jh is bound to juvenile hormone binding protein (jhbp), which protects jh from degradation by nonspecific hydrolases and serves as a carrier to supply the hormone to the target tissues. in galleria mellonella hemolymph, jhbp is found in a complex with lipid-binding high molecular weight proteins (hmwp) and this intera ...	2011	21403916
host-finding behaviour in the nematode pristionchus pacificus.	costs and benefits of foraging have been studied in predatory animals. in nematodes, ambushing or cruising behaviours represent adaptations that optimize foraging strategies for survival and host finding. a behaviour associated with host finding of ambushing nematode dauer juveniles is a sit-and-wait behaviour, otherwise known as nictation. here, we test the function of nictation by relating occurrence of nictation in pristionchus pacificus dauer juveniles to the ability to attach to laboratory ...	2011	21411455
the effect of habrobracon hebetor venom on the activity of the prophenoloxidase system, the generation of reactive oxygen species and encapsulation in the haemolymph of galleria mellonella larvae.	the cellular and humoral immune reactions in haemolymph of the wax moth galleria mellonella larvae naturally injected by venom of ectoparasitic wasp habrobracon hebetor were analyzed. a strong decline of phenoloxidase (po) activity in the haemolymph and the number of haemocytes with po activity of envenomated wax moth was observed. in addition, it has been shown that the rate of capsule melanization in the envenomated larvae was half that of the control. also production of reactive oxygen specie ...	2011	21419772
the collagen-binding protein cnm is required for streptococcus mutans adherence to and intracellular invasion of human coronary artery endothelial cells.	streptococcus mutans is considered the primary etiologic agent of dental caries, a global health problem that affects 60 to 90% of the population, and a leading causative agent of infective endocarditis. it can be divided into four different serotypes (c, e, f, and k), with serotype c strains being the most common in the oral cavity. in this study, we demonstrate that in addition to omz175 and b14, three other strains (nctc11060, lm7, and om50e) of the less prevalent serotypes e and f are able t ...	2011	21422186
quorum sensing inhibitors increase the susceptibility of bacterial biofilms to antibiotics in vitro and in vivo.	although the exact role of quorum sensing (qs) in various stages of biofilm formation, maturation, and dispersal and in biofilm resistance is not entirely clear, the use of qs inhibitors (qsi) has been proposed as a potential antibiofilm strategy. we have investigated whether qsi enhance the susceptibility of bacterial biofilms to treatment with conventional antimicrobial agents. the qsi used in our study target the acyl-homoserine lactone-based qs system present in pseudomonas aeruginosa and bu ...	2011	21422204
an atomic force microscopy study of galleria mellonella apolipophorin iii effect on bacteria.	apolipophorin iii (apolp-iii) is an abundant hemolymph protein involved in lipid transport and immune response in insects. as revealed by live/dead staining, incubation of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria in the presence of galleria mellonella apolp-iii led to growth inhibition of selected bacteria. an atomic force microscopy (afm) study of bacterial cells after apolp-iii treatment showed considerable alterations in the cell surface of bacillus circulans, klebsiella pneumoniae and salmon ...	2011	21453676
anti-infective therapeutics from the lepidopteran model host galleria mellonella.	the larvae of the greater wax moth galleria mellonella prosper in use both as surrogate alternative model hosts for human pathogens and as a whole-animal-high-throughput-system for in vivo testing of antibiotics or mutant-libraries of pathogens. in addition, a broad spectrum of antimicrobial peptides and proteins has been identified in this insect during past decade among which some appear to be specific for lepidoptera. its arsenal of immunity-related effector molecules encompasses peptides and ...	2011	21470117
in vivo efficacy of glycopeptide / colistin combination therapies in a galleria mellonella model of acinetobacter baumannii infection.	the treatment of a. baumannii infections poses a significant clinical challenge with isolates resistant to all commonly used agents increasingly reported. with few new agents in the pipeline clinicians are increasingly turning to combinations of antimicrobials in the hope that they may act synergistically together. in this study we assessed the activity of two glycopeptide/colistin combinations both in vitro and using a galleria mellonella caterpillar model of a. baumannii infection. in checkerb ...	2011	21502628
potential of ozone as a fumigant to control pests in honey bee (hymenoptera: apidae) hives.	ozone is a powerful oxidant capable of killing insects and microorganisms, and eliminating odors, taste, and color. thus, it could be useful as a fumigant to decontaminate honey comb between uses. the experiments here are intended to determine the exposure levels required to kill an insect pest and spore forming bee pathogens. ozone was effective against greater wax moth, galleria mellonella (l.) (lepidoptera: pyralidae), even on naturally infested comb. neonates and adults were the easiest life ...	2011	21510179
identification and characterisation of a novel adhesin ifp in yersinia pseudotuberculosis.	abstract:	2011	21527009
anti-listeria activities of galleria mellonella hemolymph proteins.	we report the use of antimicrobial hemolymph proteins from the model host galleria mellonella as inhibitor for various listeria strains providing a novel source for anti-listerial therapeutics. we also show that specific virulence-associated genes known to mediate antimicrobial resistance of listeria in mammalian models reciprocated a similar function in galleria.	2011	21531838
slya is a transcriptional regulator involved in the virulence of enterococcus faecalis.	phylogenetic analysis of the crystal structure of the enterococcus faecalis slya (ef_3002) transcriptional factor places it between the slya and marr regulator subfamilies. proteins of these families are often involved in the regulation of genes important for bacterial virulence and stress response. to gather evidence for the role of this putative regulator in e. faecalis biology, we dissected the genetic organisation of the slya-ef_3001 locus, and constructed slya deletion mutant as well as com ...	2011	21536798
quantitative trait locus (qtl) mapping reveals a role for unstudied genes in aspergillus virulence.	infections caused by the fungus aspergillus are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised populations. to identify genes required for virulence that could be used as targets for novel treatments, we mapped quantitative trait loci (qtl) affecting virulence in the progeny of a cross between two strains of a. nidulans (fgsc strains a4 and a91). we genotyped 61 progeny at 739 single nucleotide polymorphisms (snp) spread throughout the genome, and constructed a linkage map that wa ...	2011	21559404
toxin-binding proteins isolated from yellow mealworm tenebrio molitor and wax moth galleria mellonella.	a 67-kda protein that can specifically bind the activated cry9a endotoxin under ligand-blotting conditions was purified from midgut epithelium apical membranes of wax moth galleria mellonella by affinity chromatography. n-terminal amino acid sequencing enabled identification of this protein as aminopeptidase n. in similar experiments, 66- and 58-kda proteins specific to endotoxin cry3a were isolated from the midgut epithelium apical membranes of tenebrio molitor larvae. mass spectrometry showed ...	2011	21568853
wax moth larva (galleria mellonella): an in vivo model for assessing the efficacy of antistaphylococcal agents.	objectives to investigate whether the wax moth larva, galleria mellonella, is a suitable host for assessing the in vivo efficacy of antistaphylococcal agents against staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant s. aureus (mrsa) infections. methods wax moth larvae were infected with increasing doses of s. aureus to investigate the effect of inoculum size on larval survival. in addition, infected wax moth larvae were treated with daptomycin, penicillin or vancomycin to examine whether these age ...	2011	21622972
complex of digestive proteinases of galleria mellonella caterpillars. composition, properties, and limited proteolysis of bacillus thuringiensis endotoxins.	the complex of digestive proteinases in caterpillars of the greater wax moth galleria mellonella was studied. using chromogenic substrates and inhibitor analysis, it was found that serine proteinases play a key role in this complex. three anionic and two cationic forms of trypsin and one anionic and one cationic form of chymotrypsin were identified by zymography in the midgut extract of g. mellonella. the most active trypsin was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity, and its n-terminal amino a ...	2011	21639838
the campylobacter jejuni transcriptional regulator cj1556 plays a role in the oxidative and aerobic (o2) stress response and is important for bacterial survival in vivo.	campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis worldwide. despite stringent microaerobic growth requirements, c. jejuni is ubiquitous in the aerobic environment, so must possess regulatory systems to sense and adapt to external stimuli such as oxidative and aerobic (o(2)) stress. re-annotation of the c. jejuni nctc11168 genome sequence identified cj1556 (originally annotated as a hypothetical protein) as a marr family transcriptional regulator and further analysis i ...	2011	21642451
a comprehensive transcriptome and immune-gene repertoire of the lepidopteran model host galleria mellonella.	the larvae of the greater wax moth galleria mellonella are increasingly used (i) as mini-hosts to study pathogenesis and virulence factors of prominent bacterial and fungal human pathogens, (ii) as a whole-animal high throughput infection system for testing pathogen mutant libraries, and (iii) as a reliable host model to evaluate the efficacy of antibiotics against human pathogens. in order to compensate for the lack of genomic information in galleria, we subjected the transcriptome of different ...	2011	21663692
The effects of dietary nickel on the detoxification enzymes, innate immunity and resistance to the fungus Beauveria bassiana in the larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella.	In this study, we tested the effects of dietary nickel on the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST), esterases, phenoloxidase, and encapsulation in the haemolymph of larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella. We also explored the effects of dietary nickel on larval resistance to infection by the fungus Beauveria bassiana. Larvae fed a low dose of nickel (10++gg(-1)) had significantly higher GST, phenoloxidase activity and encapsulation responses than controls fed on a nickel-free ...	2011	21676429
galactolipase, phospholipase and triacylglycerol lipase activities in the midgut of six species of lepidopteran larvae feeding on different lipid diets.	galactolipase, phospholipase and triacylglycerol lipase activities were measured from the midgut of six species of lepidopteran larvae, two folivores, epiphyas postvittana (tortricidae) and helicoverpa armigera (noctuidae); two granivores, plodia interpunctella (pyralidae) and ephestia kuehniella (pyrallidae); a presumptive carnivore, galleria mellonella (pyralidae); and a keratinophage, tineola bisselliella (tineidae). galactolipase has not been previously reported in insects. galactolipase and ...	2011	21704634
insertion of an esterase gene into a specific locust pathogen (metarhizium acridum) enables it to infect caterpillars.	an enduring theme in pathogenic microbiology is poor understanding of the mechanisms of host specificity. metarhizium is a cosmopolitan genus of invertebrate pathogens that contains generalist species with broad host ranges such as m. robertsii (formerly known as m. anisopliae var. anisopliae) as well as specialists such as the acridid-specific grasshopper pathogen m. acridum. during growth on caterpillar (manduca sexta) cuticle, m. robertsii up-regulates a gene (mest1) that is absent in m. acri ...	2011	21731492
susceptibility of pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm to alpha-helical peptides: d-enantiomer of ll-37.	pseudomonas aeruginosa is a highly versatile opportunistic pathogen and its ability to produce biofilms is a direct impediment to the healing of wounds and recovery from infection. interest in anti-microbial peptides (amps) has grown due to their potential therapeutic applications and their possible use against antibiotic resistant bacteria. ll-37 is the only cathelicidin expressed by humans. in this study, we tested ll-37 and the effect of a protease-resistant ll-37 peptide mimetic, the peptide ...	2011	21772832
disruption of haemocyte function by exposure to cytochalasin b or nocodazole increases the susceptibility of galleria mellonella larvae to infection.	administration of non-toxic concentrations (10 µm) of cytochalasin b and nocodazole to larvae of galleria mellonella increased their susceptibility to infection by the yeast candida albicans. these agents were found to inhibit the process of phagocytosis and to reduce the killing ability of haemocytes. in addition, both cytochalasin b and nocodazole reduced the release of antimicrobial peptides (e.g. apolipophorin 3) and enzymes (e.g. serine protease) from pma stimulated haemocytes. rhodamine co ...	2011	21782965
coronatin-1 isolated from entomopathogenic fungus conidiobolus coronatus kills galleria mellonella hemocytes in vitro and forms potassium channels in planar lipid membrane.	entomopathogenic fungi are important natural regulatory factors of insect populations and have potential as biological control agents of insect pests. the cosmopolitan soil fungus conidiobolus coronatus (entomopthorales) easily attacks galleria mellonella (lepidoptera) larvae. prompt death of invaded insects is attributed to the action of toxic metabolites released by the invader. effect of fungal metabolites on hemocytes, insect blood cells involved in innate defense response, remains underexpl ...	2011	21798278
16s rdna-based phylogeny of non-symbiotic bacteria of entorno-pathogenic nematodes from infected insect cadavers.	using 16s rdna gene sequencing technique, three different species of non-symbiotic bacteria of entomopatho-genic nematodes (epns) (steinernema sp. and heterorhabditis sp.) were isolated and identified from infected insect cadavers {galleria mellonella larvae) after 48-hour post infections. sequence similarity analysis revealed that the strains srk3, srk4 and srk5 belong to ochrobactrum cytisi, schineria larvae and ochrobactrum anthropi, respectively. the isolates o. anthropi and s. larvae were f ...	2011	21802047
deciphering the multifactorial nature of acinetobacter baumannii pathogenicity.	acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging bacterial pathogen that causes a broad array of infections, particularly in hospitalized patients. many studies have focused on the epidemiology and antibiotic resistance of a. baumannii, but little is currently known with respect to its virulence potential.	2011	21829642
mucoid morphotype variation of burkholderia multivorans during chronic cystic fibrosis lung infection is correlated with changes in metabolism, motility, biofilm formation and virulence.	burkholderia cepacia complex (bcc) bacteria are opportunistic pathogens infecting hosts such as cystic fibrosis (cf) patients. bcc long-term infection of cf patient airways has been associated with emergence of phenotypic variation. here we studied two burkholderia multivorans clonal isolates displaying different morphotypes from a chronically infected cf patient to evaluate traits development during lung infection. expression profiling of mucoid d2095 and nonmucoid d2214 isolates revealed decre ...	2011	21835880
hemocyte responses of the colorado potato beetle, leptinotarsa decemlineata, and the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella, to the entomopathogenic nematodes, steinernema feltiae and heterorhabditis bacteriophora.	hemocyte encapsulation reactions of infective juveniles of two iranian isolates of the entomopathogenic nematodes, heterorhabditis bacteriophora poinar (rhabditina: heterorhabditidae) and steinernema feltiae filipjev (tylenchina: steinernematidae), were compared in the economic pest colorado potato beetle, leptinotarsa decemlineata say (coleoptera: chrysomelidae), and the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella l. (lepidoptera: pyralidae). the former was a more responsive host than the latter and ...	2011	21867441
Effects of associated bacteria on the pathogenicity and reproduction of the insect-parasitic nematode Rhabditis blumi (Nematoda: Rhabditida).	Three bacteria, Alcaligenes faecalis , Flavobacterium sp., and Providencia vermicola , were isolated from dauer juveniles of Rhabditis blumi . The pathogenic effects of the bacteria against 4th instar larvae of Galleria mellonella were investigated. Providencia vermicola and Flavobacterium sp. showed 100% mortality at 48 h after haemocoelic injection, whereas A. faecalis showed less than 30% mortality. Dauer juveniles showed 100% mortality against G. mellonella larvae, whereas axenic juveniles, ...	2011	21867444
using c60 fullerenes for photodynamic inactivation of mosquito iridescent viruses.	this article describes the photodynamic inactivation of mosquito iridescent virus (miv) aedes flavescens in the presence of water-soluble c(60) fullerenes. it has been observed that the photodynamic inactivation of miv for about 1 h reduces the infectious titre of the virus in large wax-moth larvae galleria mellonella to 4.5 lg id(50)/ml. the influence of the c(60) concentration on its anti-viral activity was tested in the concentration range from 1 to 0.001 mg/ml. it has been found that c(60) i ...	2012	21883040
The CRP/FNR family protein Bcam1349 is a c-di-GMP effector that regulates biofilm formation in the respiratory pathogen Burkholderia cenocepacia.	Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic respiratory pathogen that can cause severe infections in immune-compromised individuals and is associated with poor prognosis for patients suffering from cystic fibrosis. The second messenger cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) has been shown to control a wide range of functions in bacteria, but little is known about these regulatory mechanisms in B. cenocepacia. Here we investigated the role that c-di-GMP plays in the regulation of biofilm fo ...	2011	21883527
galleria mellonella as model host for the trans-kingdom pathogen fusarium oxysporum.	fusarium oxysporum, the causal agent of vascular wilt disease, affects a wide range of plant species and can produce disseminated infections in humans. f. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici isolate fgsc 9935 causes disease both on tomato plants and immunodepressed mice, making it an ideal model for the comparative analysis of fungal virulence on plant and animal hosts. here we tested the ability of fgsc 9935 to cause disease in the greater wax moth galleria mellonella, an invertebrate model host that ...	2011	21907298
cryptococcus neoformans capsular enlargement and cellular gigantism during galleria mellonella infection.	we have studied infection of cryptococcus neoformans in the non-vertebrate host galleria mellonella with particular interest in the morphological response of the yeast. inoculation of c. neoformans in caterpillars induced a capsule-independent increase in haemocyte density 2 h after infection. c. neoformans manifested a significant increase in capsule size after inoculation into the caterpillar. the magnitude of capsule increase depended on the temperature, being more pronounced at 37°c than at ...	2011	21915338
pre-exposure of galleria mellonella larvae to different doses of aspergillus fumigatus conidia causes differential activation of cellular and humoral immune responses.	larvae of galleria mellonella are useful models for studying the virulence of microbial pathogens or for evaluating the potency of antimicrobial agents. in this work we demonstrated that prior exposure of larvae to non-lethal doses of aspergillus fumigatus conidia increases the resistance of larvae to a lethal dose (1 x 10⁷ 20 μl⁻¹) 24 h later. exposure of larvae to a conidia concentration of 1 x 10⁴ 20 μl⁻¹ leads to an increase in haemocyte density but an inoculum of 1 x 10⁵ conidia leads to en ...	2011	21921688
PhoP and OxyR transcriptional regulators contribute to Yersinia pestis virulence and survival within Galleria mellonella.	The virulence of Yersinia pestis KIM6+ was compared with multiple isolates of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica toward larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella. Although Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis were able to cause lethal infection in G. mellonella, these species appeared less virulent than the majority of Y. enterocolitica strains tested. Y. pestis survived primarily within hemocytes of G. mellonella, and induced a strong antibacterial peptide response ...	2011	21964409
universal stress proteins are important for oxidative and acid stress resistance and growth of listeria monocytogenes egd-e in vitro and in vivo.	pathogenic bacteria maintain a multifaceted apparatus to resist damage caused by external stimuli. as part of this, the universal stress protein a (uspa) and its homologues, initially discovered in escherichia coli k-12 were shown to possess an important role in stress resistance and growth in several bacterial species.	2011	21980369
oral candida albicans isolates from hiv-positive individuals have similar in vitro biofilm-forming ability and pathogenicity as invasive candida isolates.	candida can cause mucocutaneous and/or systemic infections in hospitalized and immunosuppressed patients. most individuals are colonized by candida spp. as part of the oral flora and the intestinal tract. we compared oral and systemic isolates for the capacity to form biofilm in an in vitro biofilm model and pathogenicity in the galleria mellonella infection model. the oral candida strains were isolated from the hiv patients and included species of c. albicans, c. glabrata, c. tropicalis, c. par ...	2011	22053894
intramolecular cross-linking in the native jhbp molecule.	juvenile hormone binding protein (jhbp) acts as a shuttle, carrying one of the most crucial hormones for insect development to target tissues. we have found that although the jhbp molecule does not contain tryptophan residues, it exhibits a weak fluorescence maximum near 420nm upon excitation at 315nm. gel filtration experiments performed in denaturing conditions and esi-ms analyses excluded the possibility that some low molecular ligand was bound to the protein molecules. further uv and cd spec ...	2012	22086120
the effect of galleria mellonella apolipophorin iii on yeasts and filamentous fungi.	galleria mellonella apolipophorin iii (apolp-iii) has been implicated in the innate immune response against bacterial infections. the protein binds components of bacterial cell wall and inhibits growth of selected gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. interaction of apolp-iii with fungal β-1,3-glucan suggests antifungal properties of the protein. in the present study, the effect of apolp-iii on the growth, metabolic activity and cell surface characteristics of selected yeasts and filamentous ...	2012	22100292
fusarium pathogenesis investigated using galleria mellonella as a heterologous host.	members of the fungal genus fusarium are capable of manifesting in a multitude of clinical infections, most commonly in immunocompromised patients. in order to better understand the interaction between the fungus and host, we have developed the larvae of the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella, as a heterologous host for fusaria. when conidia are injected into the haemocoel of this lepidopteran system, both clinical and environmental isolates of the fungus are able to kill the larvae at 37 °c, ...	2011	22115447
of model hosts and man: using caenorhabditis elegans, drosophila melanogaster and galleria mellonella as model hosts for infectious disease research.	the use of invertebrate model hosts has increased in popularity due to numerous advantages of invertebrates over mammalian models, including ethical, logistical and budgetary features. this review provides an introduction to three model hosts, the nematode caenorhabditis elegans, the fruit fly drosophila melanogaster and the larvae of galleria mellonella, the greater wax moth. it highlights principal experimental advantages of each model, for c. elegans the ability to run high-throughput assays, ...	2012	22127881
Models hosts for the study of oral candidiasis.	Oral candidiasis is an opportunistic infection caused by yeast of the Candida genus, primarily Candida albicans. It is generally associated with predisposing factors such as the use of immunosuppressive agents, antibiotics, prostheses, and xerostomia. The development of research in animal models is extremely important for understanding the nature of the fungal pathogenicity, host interactions, and treatment of oral mucosal Candida infections. Many oral candidiasis models in rats and mice have be ...	2012	22127889
the antibacterial properties of docosahexaenoic omega-3 fatty acid against the cystic fibrosis multi-resistant pathogen burkholderia cenocepacia.	burkholderia cepacia complex (bcc) bacteria are opportunistic pathogens that cause multiresistant pulmonary infections in cystic fibrosis (cf) patients. in this study we evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of eight unsaturated fatty acids against burkholderia cenocepacia k56-2, a cf epidemic strain. docosahexaenoic acid (dha) was the most active compound. its action can be either bacteriostatic or bactericidal, depending upon the concentration used. the effect of dha was also evaluated ...	2011	22150831
Phenotypic variation and host interactions of Xenorhabdus bovienii SS-2004, the entomopathogenic symbiont of Steinernema jollieti nematodes.	Xenorhabdus bovienii (SS-2004) bacteria reside in the intestine of the infective-juvenile (IJ) stage of the entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema jollieti. The recent sequencing of the X. bovienii genome facilitates its use as a model to understand host - symbiont interactions. To provide a biological foundation for such studies, we characterized X. bovienii in vitro and host interaction phenotypes. Within the nematode host X. bovienii was contained within a membrane bound envelope that also en ...	2011	22151385
exposing the third chromosome of burkholderia cepacia complex strains as a virulence plasmid.	the burkholderia cepacia complex (bcc) consists of 17 closely related species of opportunistic bacterial pathogens, which are particularly problematic for cystic fibrosis patients and immunocompromised individuals. bcc genomes consist of multiple replicons, and each strain sequenced to date has three chromosomes. in addition to genes thought to be essential for survival, each chromosome carries at least one rrna operon. we isolated three mutants during a transposon mutagenesis screen that were n ...	2011	22171913
Comparative Impact of Artificial Selection for Fungicide Resistance on Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium brunneum.	Hypocreales fungi such as Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin and Metarhizium brunneum Petch can be negatively affected by fungicides thereby reducing their biocontrol potential. In a previous study, we demonstrated enhanced fungicide resistance in B. bassiana through artificial selection. However, it is not clear if the enhanced resistance was because of improved germination, vegetative growth, or both. Additionally, the enhanced fungicide resistance has only been demonstrated in B. bassian ...	2011	22182612
drosophila and galleria insect model hosts: new tools for the study of fungal virulence, pharmacology and immunology.	over recent years we have witnessed the emergence of several non-vertebrate mini-hosts as alternative pathosystems for the study of fungal disease. these heterologous organisms have unique advantages, as they are economical, ethically expedient, and facile to use. hence, they are amenable to high-throughput screening studies of fungal genomes for identification of novel virulence genes and of chemical libraries for discovery of new antifungal compounds. in addition, because they have evolutionar ...	0	22186764
Virulence of strains of Acinetobacter baumannii is enhanced in Galleria mellonella following biofilm adaptation.	The opportunistic nosocomial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is responsible for a growing number of infections. However, there have been few potential virulence factors identified, and how this organism causes an infection remains largely unknown. Bacterial biofilms are often an important component in infection and persistence, but there remains no conclusive evidence to link biofilm formation with virulence and severity of infection in Acinetobacter. To investigate this link several clinical i ...	2011	22194338
the mrcyp52 cytochrome p450 monoxygenase gene of metarhizium robertsii is important for utilizing insect epicuticular hydrocarbons.	fungal pathogens of plants and insects infect their hosts by direct penetration of the cuticle. plant and insect cuticles are covered by a hydrocarbon-rich waxy outer layer that represents the first barrier against infection. however, the fungal genes that underlie insect waxy layer degradation have received little attention. here we characterize the single cytochrome p450 monoxygenase family 52 (mrcyp52) gene of the insect pathogen metarhizium robertsii, and demonstrate that it encodes an enzym ...	2011	22194968
rapamycin exerts antifungal activity in vitro and in vivo against mucor circinelloides via fkbp12-dependent inhibition of tor.	the zygomycete mucor circinelloides is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that commonly infects patients with malignancies, diabetes mellitus, and solid organ transplants. despite the widespread use of antifungal therapy in the management of zygomycosis, the incidence of infections continues to rise among immunocompromised individuals. here, we establish that the targets and mechanism of antifungal action of the immunosuppressant rapamycin in m. circinelloides is mediated via conserved complexes w ...	2011	22210828
molecular characterization of ephestia kuehniella (lepidoptera: pyralidae) transferrin and its response to parasitoid venturia canescens (hymenoptera: ichneumonidae gravenhorst).	in the present study, we characterized a full-length cdna encoding a putative iron-binding protein transferrin from the lepidopteran mediterranean flour moth (ektrf, 2397 bp). the putative ektrf is 683 amino acids with a molecular mass of approximately 76 kda. the deduced amino acid sequence showed significant homology with other insect transferrins from chilo suppressalis (76%), galleria mellonella (75%), plutella xylostella (72%), manduca sexta (74%), bombyx mori (73%), spodoptera litura and ( ...	2012	22229520
expression analyses of caspase-1 and related activities in the midgut of galleria mellonella during metamorphosis.	the cdna encoding caspase-1, a main protease involved in apoptosis, was cloned and sequenced from the midgut of the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella. the open reading frame contains 879 nucleotides, encodes 293 amino acids, and was registered as gmcaspase-1. the sequence comparison showed a high homology to lepidopteran caspase-1, human caspase-3, and ced-3 of caenorhabditis elegans. gmcaspase-1 is predicted to contain a short prodomain, large subunit, and small subunit domain. it also exhi ...	2012	22229544
role of acinetobactin-mediated iron acquisition functions in the interaction of acinetobacter baumannii atcc 19606t with human lung epithelial cells, galleria mellonella caterpillars and mice.	acinetobacter baumannii, which causes serious infections in compromised patients, expresses high-affinity iron acquisition functions needed for growth under iron-limiting laboratory conditions. in this study, we determined that the initial interaction of the atcc 19606(t) type strain with a549 human alveolar epithelial cells is independent of the production of basd or baua, proteins needed for acinetobactin biosynthesis and transport, respectively. in contrast, these proteins are required for th ...	2012	22232188
pyrokinin β-neuropeptide affects necrophoretic behavior in fire ants (s. invicta), and expression of β-np in a mycoinsecticide increases its virulence.	fire ants are one of the world's most damaging invasive pests, with few means for their effective control. although ecologically friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides such as the insecticidal fungus beauveria bassiana have been suggested for the control of fire ant populations, their use has been limited due to the low virulence of the fungus and the length of time it takes to kill its target. we present a means of increasing the virulence of the fungal agent by expressing a fire ant neur ...	2012	22238569
galleria mellonella as a model for studying enterococcus faecium host persistence.	enterococcus faecium is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for numerous outbreaks worldwide. the basis for the colonization capacities, host persistence and environmental stress response of the hospital-adapted clones emerging from e. faecium are poorly understood. in this study, we propose the use of galleria mellonella as a simple nonmammalian model to assess e. faecium host persistence. various strains (n = 10), including hospital-adapted, commensal or animal isolates and a soda-deficient ...	2011	22286046
utility of greater wax moth larva (galleria mellonella) for evaluating the toxicity and efficacy of new antimicrobial agents.	there is an urgent need for new antimicrobial agents to combat infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens. once a compound is shown to be effective in vitro, it is necessary to evaluate its efficacy in an animal infection model. typically, this is achieved using a mammalian model, but such experiments are costly, time consuming, and require full ethical consideration. hence, cheaper and ethically more acceptable invertebrate models of infection have been introduced, including the larvae of th ...	2012	22305092
temperature-dependent production of various plcr-controlled virulence factors in bacillus weihenstephanensis strain kbab4.	the bacillus cereus sensu lato complex has recently been divided into several phylogenetic groups with clear differences in growth temperature range. however, only a few studies have investigated the actual pathogenic potential of the psychrotolerant strains of the b. cereus group at low temperature, and little information is available concerning gene expression at low temperature. we found that vegetative cells of the psychrotolerant b. weihenstephanensis strain kbab4 were pathogenic against th ...	2012	22307282
brpa is involved in regulation of cell envelope stress responses in streptococcus mutans.	previous studies have shown that brpa plays a major role in acid and oxidative stress tolerance and biofilm formation by streptococcus mutans. mutant strains lacking brpa also display increased autolysis and decreased viability, suggesting a role for brpa in cell envelope integrity. in this study, we examined the impact of brpa deficiency on cell envelope stresses induced by envelope-active antimicrobials. compared to the wild-type strain ua159, the brpa-deficient mutant (tw14d) was significantl ...	2012	22327589
galleria mellonella as a model for fungal pathogenicity testing.	insects are convenient models for assessing the virulence of microbial pathogens or for assessing the -efficacy of antimicrobial drugs and give results comparable to those that can be obtained using mammals. galleria mellonella larvae are easy to purchase and inoculate and provide results within 48 h. various parameters may be used to monitor the effect of a pathogen on the insect and, as a consequence, measure its relative virulence. larval death, changes in immune cells (haemocytes) numbers, o ...	2012	22328396
genetic variation and virulence of autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus and trichoplusia ni single nucleopolyhedrovirus isolates.	to determine the genetic diversity within the baculovirus species autographa calfornica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (acmnpv; baculoviridae: alphabaculovirus), a pcr-based method was used to identify and classify baculoviruses found in virus samples from the lepidopteran host species a. californica, autographa gamma, trichoplusia ni, rachiplusia ou, anagrapha falcifera, galleria mellonella, and heliothis virescens. alignment and phylogenetic inference from partial nucleotide sequences of three ...	2012	22349146
a putative p-type atpase required for virulence and resistance to haem toxicity in listeria monocytogenes.	regulation of iron homeostasis in many pathogens is principally mediated by the ferric uptake regulator, fur. since acquisition of iron from the host is essential for the intracellular pathogen listeria monocytogenes, we predicted the existence of fur-regulated systems that support infection. we examined the contribution of nine fur-regulated loci to the pathogenicity of l. monocytogenes in a murine model of infection. while mutating the majority of the genes failed to affect virulence, three mu ...	2012	22363518
genetic basis of destruxin production in the entomopathogen metarhizium robertsii.	destruxins are among the most exhaustively researched secondary metabolites of entomopathogenic fungi, yet definitive evidence for their roles in pathogenicity and virulence has yet to be shown. to establish the genetic bases for the biosynthesis of this family of depsipeptides, we identified a 23,792-bp gene in metarhizium robertsii arsef 2575 containing six complete nonribosomal peptide synthetase modules, with an n-methyltransferase domain in each of the last two modules. this domain arrangem ...	2012	22367459
an insecticidal protein from xenorhabdus budapestensis that results in prophenoloxidase activation in the wax moth, galleria mellonella.	xenorhabdus budapestensis can produce a variety of proteins that help this bacterium and its mutualistic nematode vector kill the host insect. in this report, we purified one protein fraction from the intracellular extract of x. budapestensis d43, which was designated hip57. by injection, hip57 caused galleria mellonella larval bodies to blacken and die with an ld(50) of 206.81 ng/larva. analyzes of hip57 by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that this protein was a single spot on the ge ...	2012	22387345
cyp52x1, representing new cytochrome p450 subfamily, displays fatty acid hydroxylase activity and contributes to virulence and growth on insect cuticular substrates in entomopathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana.	infection of insects by the entomopathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana proceeds via attachment and penetration of the host cuticle. the outermost epicuticular layer or waxy layer of the insect represents a structure rich in lipids including abundant amounts of hydrocarbons and fatty acids. a member of a novel cytochrome p450 subfamily, cyp52x1, implicated in fatty acid assimilation by b. bassiana was characterized. b. bassiana targeted gene knockouts lacking bbcyp52x1 displayed reduced virulence ...	2012	22393051
attenuated virulence and biofilm formation in staphylococcus aureus following sublethal exposure to triclosan.	subeffective exposure of staphylococcus aureus to the biocide triclosan can reportedly induce a small-colony variant (scv) phenotype. s. aureus scvs are characterized by low growth rates, reduced pigmentation, and lowered antimicrobial susceptibility. while they may exhibit enhanced intracellular survival, there are conflicting reports regarding their pathogenicity. the current study reports the characteristics of an scv-like strain of s. aureus created by repeated passage on sublethal triclosan ...	2012	22430975
a streptococcus pneumoniae infection model in larvae of the wax moth galleria mellonella.	the bacterium streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading human opportunistic pathogen. the limitations of the current vaccine have led to increased recognition of the need to understand bacterial behaviour and competitive dynamics using in vivo models of infection. here, we investigate the potential application of the larvae of the wax moth galleria mellonella as an informative infection model. larvae were challenged with a range of doses of s. pneumoniae isolates differing in known virulence factors ...	2012	22466968
stress response and virulence functions of the acinetobacter baumannii nfua fe-s scaffold protein.	to successfully establish an infection, acinetobacter baumannii must overcome the iron starvation and oxidative stress imposed by the human host. although previous studies have shown that atcc 19606(t) cells acquire iron via the acinetobactin-mediated siderophore system, little is known about intracellular iron metabolism and its relation to oxidative stress in this pathogen. screening of an insertion library resulted in the isolation of the atcc 19606(t) derivative 1644, which was unable to gro ...	2012	22467784
silver(i) complexes of 9-anthracenecarboxylic acid and imidazoles: synthesis, structure and antimicrobial activity.	[ag(2)(9-aca)(2)] (1) (9-acah = 9-anthracenecarboxylic acid) reacts with a series of imidazoles to give [ag(imidh)(2.3)(ch(3)cn)(0.7)](9-aca) (3), [ag(6)(imidh)(4)(9-aca)(6)(meoh)(2)] (4), {[ag(1-me-imid)(2)](2)[ag(4)(9-aca)(6)]} (5), {[ag(1-bu-imid)(2)](2)[ag(4)(9-aca)(6)]} (6) and [ag(apim)](9-aca)·h(2)o (7) (imidh = imidazole; 1-me-imid = 1-methylimidazole; 1-bu-imid = 1-butylimidazole; apim = 1-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole). the mononuclear complex 3, hexanuclear 4-6, and polymeric 7, were all c ...	2012	22476383
an insecticidal protein from xenorhabdus ehlersii triggers prophenoloxidase activation and hemocyte decrease in galleria mellonella.	the bacteria xenorhabdus spp. are entomopathogenic symbionts that can produce several toxic proteins that interfere the immune system of insects. we purified an insecticidal protein from xenorhabdus ehlersii, and designated it as xegroel with an estimated molecular mass of ~58 kda. galleria mellonella larva injected with xegroel presented prophenoloxidase activation and hemocyte decrease. xegroel can kill g. mellonella larva in 48 h with an ld(50) of 0.76 ± 0.08 μg/larva. our results demonstrate ...	2012	22477033
biogenesis of outer membrane vesicles in serratia marcescens is thermoregulated and can be induced by activation of the rcs phosphorelay system.	outer membrane vesicles (omvs) have been identified in a wide range of bacteria, yet little is known of their biogenesis. it has been proposed that omvs can act as long-range toxin delivery vectors and as a novel stress response. we have found that the formation of omvs in the gram-negative opportunistic pathogen serratia marcescens is thermoregulated, with a significant amount of omvs produced at 22 or 30°c and negligible quantities formed at 37°c under laboratory conditions. inactivation of th ...	2012	22493021
a fungal homologue of neuronal calcium sensor-1, bbcsa1, regulates extracellular acidification and contributes to virulence in the entomopathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana.	neuronal calcium sensor proteins and their homologues participate in transducing extracellular signals that affect intracellular ca(2+) levels, which in turn regulate enzyme activities, secretion, gene expression and other biological processes. the filamentous fungus beauveria bassiana is a broad-host-range pathogen of insects that acidifies the extracellular milieu during growth and pathogenesis towards target hosts. a collection of b. bassiana random insertion mutants were screened on ph indic ...	2012	22504440
resistant ticks inhibit metarhizium infection prior to haemocoel invasion by reducing fungal viability on the cuticle surface.	we studied disease progression of, and host responses to, four species in the metarhizium anisopliae complex expressing green fluorescent protein (gfp). we compared development and determined their relative levels of virulence against two susceptible arthropods, the cattle tick rhipicephalus annulatus and the lepidopteran galleria mellonella, and two resistant ticks, hyalomma excavatum and rhipicephalus sanguineus. metarhizium brunneum ma7 caused the greatest mortality of r. annulatus, metarhizi ...	2012	22507442
dissecting novel virulent determinants in the burkholderia cepacia complex.	prevention and control of infectious diseases remains a major public health challenge and a number of highly virulent pathogens are emerging both in and beyond the hospital setting. despite beneficial aspects such as use in biocontrol and bioremediation exhibited by members of the burkholderia cepacia complex (bcc) some members of this group have recently gained attention as significant bacterial pathogens due to their high levels of intrinsic antibiotic resistance, transmissibility in nosocomia ...	2012	22546904
a burkholderia cepacia complex non-ribosomal peptide-synthesized toxin is hemolytic and required for full virulence.	members of the burkholderia cepacia complex (bcc) have recently gained notoriety as significant bacterial pathogens due to their extreme levels of antibiotic resistance, their transmissibility in clinics, their persistence in bacteriostatic solutions, and their intracellular survival capabilities. as pathogens, the bcc are known to elaborate a number of virulence factors including proteases, lipases and other exoproducts, as well as a number of secretion system associated effectors. through rand ...	2012	22546908
cystic fibrosis-niche adaptation of pseudomonas aeruginosa reduces virulence in multiple infection hosts.	the opportunistic pathogen pseudomonas aeruginosa is able to thrive in diverse ecological niches and to cause serious human infection. p. aeruginosa environmental strains are producing various virulence factors that are required for establishing acute infections in several host organisms; however, the p. aeruginosa phenotypic variants favour long-term persistence in the cystic fibrosis (cf) airways. whether p. aeruginosa strains, which have adapted to the cf-niche, have lost their competitive fi ...	2012	22558188
surface-associated motility, a common trait of clinical isolates of acinetobacter baumannii, depends on 1,3-diaminopropane.	while flagella-independent motility has long been described in representatives of the genus acinetobacter, the mechanism of motility remains ambiguous. acinetobacter baumannii, a nosocomial pathogen appearing increasingly multidrug-resistant, may profit from motility during infection or while persisting in the hospital environment. however, data on the frequency of motility skills among clinical a. baumannii isolates is scarce. we have screened a collection of 83 clinical a. baumannii isolates o ...	2012	22560766
transgenic tobacco plants as production platform for biologically active human interleukin 2 and its fusion with proteinase inhibitors.	transgenic plants offer a low-cost approach for the production of pharmaceutically important and commercially valuable recombinant proteins. our studies were focused on the plant-based production of human interleukin 2 (hil-2) and its fusion with proteinase inhibitors, either spi2 from galleria mellonella or cmti from cucurbita maxima. finally, five plant expression cassettes were obtained. three of them contained the single cdna encoding cmti i, spi2 and hil-2, respectively, while two of them c ...	2012	22564275
cody orchestrates the expression of virulence determinants in emetic bacillus cereus by impacting key regulatory circuits.	bacillus cereus causes gastrointestinal diseases and local and systemic infections elicited by the depsipeptide cereulide, enterotoxins, phospholipases, cytolysins and proteases. the plcr-papr quorum sensing system activates the expression of several virulence factors, whereas the spo0a-abrb regulatory circuit partially controls the plasmid-borne cereulide synthetase (ces) operon. here, we show that cody, a nutrient-responsive regulator of gram-positive bacteria, has a profound effect on both re ...	2012	22571587
express method for determination of low value of trans-membrane potential of living cells with fluorescence probe: application on haemocytes at immune responses.	the method for measurement of trans-membrane potential of cell membrane was evaluated for the case of low potential value using fluorescence probe 4-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-1-methylpyridinium, dsm. the method is based on comparative titration of cells with probe in buffers containing na(+) or k(+). the apparent trans-membrane potential obtained with this way is a result of k(+)-na(+) pump activity. the presented approach allowed measuring the low value of potential with 1-2 mv of accuracy withou ...	2012	22576473
how the insect pathogen bacteria bacillus thuringiensis and xenorhabdus/photorhabdus occupy their hosts.	insects are the largest group of animals on earth. like mammals, virus, fungi, bacteria and parasites infect them. several tissue barriers and defense mechanisms are common for vertebrates and invertebrates. therefore some insects, notably the fly drosophila and the caterpillar galleria mellonella, have been used as models to study host-pathogen interactions for several insect and mammal pathogens. they are excellent tools to identify pathogen determinants and host tissue cell responses. we focu ...	2012	22633889
aspergillus fumigatus calcineurin interacts with a nucleoside diphosphate kinase.	the ca(2+)-calcineurin pathway affects virulence and morphogenesis in filamentous fungi. here, we identified 37 cala-interacting proteins that interact with the catalytic subunit of calcineurin (cala) in aspergillus fumigatus, including the nucleoside diphosphate kinase (swoh). the in vivo interaction between cala and swoh was validated by bimolecular fluorescence complementation. a. fumigatus swoh is an essential gene. therefore, a temperature-sensitive conditional mutant strain with a point mu ...	2012	22634424
legionella pneumophila pathogenesis in the galleria mellonella infection model.	legionella pneumophila is a facultative intracellular human pathogen and the etiological agent of severe pneumonia known as legionnaires' disease. its virulence depends on protein secretion systems, in particular, the dot/icm type iv secretion system (t4ss), which is essential to establish a replication-permissive vacuole in macrophages. the analysis of the role of these systems and their substrates for pathogenesis requires easy-to-use models which approximate human infection. we examined the e ...	2012	22645286
role of dna base excision repair in the mutability and virulence of streptococcus mutans.	the oral pathogen, streptococcus mutans, possesses inducible dna repair defences for protection against ph fluctuations and production of reactive oxygen metabolites such as hydrogen peroxide (h(2) o(2) ), which are present in the oral cavity. dna base excision repair (ber) has a critical role in genome maintenance by preventing the accumulation of mutations associated with environmental factors and normal products of cellular metabolism. in this study, we examined the consequences of compromisi ...	2012	22651851
global transcriptional analysis of the stringent response in enterococcus faecalis.	in enterococcus faecalis, production of guanosine tetraphosphate/guanosine pentaphosphate [(p)ppgpp], the effector molecule of the stringent response, is controlled by the bifunctional synthetase/hydrolase rela and the monofunctional synthetase relq. previously, the (p)ppgpp profiles of strains lacking rela, relq or both genes indicated that rela is the primary enzyme responsible for (p)ppgpp synthesis under stress conditions, while the contributions of relq to the stringent response and cell ho ...	2012	22653948
effect of spray volume on the deposition, viability and infectivity of entomopathogenic nematodes in a foliar spray on vegetables.	spray volume can influence the amount of free water on the leaf surface and subsequently the ability of entomopathogenic nematodes (epns) to move. in this study, an investigation was made of the effect of spray volume (548, 730 and 1095 l ha(-1) ) on the deposition, viability and infectivity of epns against galleria mellonella on savoy cabbage, cauliflower and leek.	2012	22674828
identification of a general o-linked protein glycosylation system in acinetobacter baumannii and its role in virulence and biofilm formation.	acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging cause of nosocomial infections. the isolation of strains resistant to multiple antibiotics is increasing at alarming rates. although a. baumannii is considered as one of the more threatening "superbugs" for our healthcare system, little is known about the factors contributing to its pathogenesis. in this work we show that a. baumannii atcc 17978 possesses an o-glycosylation system responsible for the glycosylation of multiple proteins. 2d-dige and mass spec ...	2012	22685409
synergistic action of galleria mellonella anionic peptide 2 and lysozyme against gram-negative bacteria.	lysozyme and antimicrobial peptides are key factors of the humoral immune response in insects. in the present work lysozyme and anionic defense peptide (gmap2) were isolated from the hemolymph of the greater wax moth galleria mellonella and their antibacterial activity was investigated. adsorption of g. mellonella lysozyme on the cell surface of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria was demonstrated using immunoblotting with anti-g. mellonella lysozyme antibodies. lysozyme effectively inhibit ...	2012	22705262
mutations that impact the enteropathogenic escherichia coli cpx envelope stress response attenuate virulence in galleria mellonella.	in this paper, we show that the larvae of the greater wax moth, galleria mellonella, can be used as a model to study enteropathogenic escherichia coli (epec) virulence. g. mellonella larvae are killed after infection with epec type strain e2348/69 but not by an attenuated derivative that expresses diminished levels of the major virulence determinants or by a mutant specifically defective in type iii secretion (t3s). infecting epec inhabit the larval hemocoel only briefly and then become localize ...	2012	22710873