Publications

cultured enterocytes internalise bacteria across their basolateral surface for, pathogen-inhibitable, trafficking to the apical compartment.	in vitro- and in vivo-polarised absorptive epithelia (enterocytes) are considered to be non-phagocytic towards bacteria with invasive pathogenic strains relying on virulence factors to 'force' entry. here, we report a serendipitous discovery that questions these beliefs. thus, we uncover in well-established models of human small (caco-2; tc-7) and large (t84) intestinal enterocytes a polarization-dependent mechanism that can transfer millions of bacteria from the basal to apical compartment. ant ...	2015	26612456
x-ray-induced catalytic active-site reduction of a multicopper oxidase: structural insights into the proton-relay mechanism and o2-reduction states.	during x-ray data collection from a multicopper oxidase (mco) crystal, electrons and protons are mainly released into the system by the radiolysis of water molecules, leading to the x-ray-induced reduction of o2 to 2h2o at the trinuclear copper cluster (tnc) of the enzyme. in this work, 12 crystallographic structures of thermus thermophilus hb27 multicopper oxidase (tth-mco) in holo, apo and hg-bound forms and with different x-ray absorbed doses have been determined. in holo tth-mco structures w ...	2015	26627648
functional analysis of n-linking oligosaccharyl transferase enzymes encoded by deep-sea vent proteobacteria.	bacterial n-linking oligosaccharyl transferases (otase enzymes) transfer lipid-linked glycans to selected proteins in the periplasm and were first described in the intestinal pathogen campylobacter jejuni, a member of the ε-proteobacteria-subdivision of bacteria. more recently, orthologues from other ε-proteobacterial campylobacter and helicobacter species and a δ-proteobacterium, desulfovibrio desulfuricans, have been described, suggesting that these two subdivisions of bacteria may be a source ...	2015	26610891
functional analysis of n-linking oligosaccharyl transferase enzymes encoded by deep-sea vent proteobacteria.	bacterial n-linking oligosaccharyl transferases (otase enzymes) transfer lipid-linked glycans to selected proteins in the periplasm and were first described in the intestinal pathogen campylobacter jejuni, a member of the ε-proteobacteria-subdivision of bacteria. more recently, orthologues from other ε-proteobacterial campylobacter and helicobacter species and a δ-proteobacterium, desulfovibrio desulfuricans, have been described, suggesting that these two subdivisions of bacteria may be a source ...	2015	26610891
crystal structure and comparative sequence analysis of gmha from colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34h provides insight into functional similarity with diaa.	the psychrophilic organism colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34h produces extracellular polysaccharide substances to tolerate cold environments. sedoheptulose 7-phosphate isomerase (gmha) is essential for producing d-glycero-d-mannoheptose 7-phosphate, a key mediator in the lipopolysaccharide biosynthetic pathway. we determined the crystal structure of gmha from c. psychrerythraea strain 34h (cpsgmha, uniprotkb code: q47vu0) at a resolution of 2.8 å. the tetrameric structure is similar to that of ...	2015	26612680
persistent microbial dysbiosis in preterm premature rupture of membranes from onset until delivery.	background. preterm premature rupture of membranes (pprom) is a major leading cause of preterm births. while the cause for pprom remains unidentified, it is anticipated to be due to subclinical infection, since a large proportion of pprom patients display signs of chorioamnionitis. since subclinical infections can be facilitated by dysbiosis, our goal was to characterize the vaginal microbiome and amniotic fluid discharge upon pprom, through latency antibiotic treatment, and until delivery, to d ...	2015	26644969
survey of physicochemical characteristics and microbial contamination in selected food locally vended in morogoro municipality, tanzania.	raw milk, raw fruit juice and raw fish are enriched with essential nutrients for human diet but are prone to microbial contamination along the value chain. this cross sectional study was conducted to assess physicochemical characteristics and microbial quality of raw milk, fruit juice and fish from food vendors in morogoro municipality, tanzania. the physicochemical assessment of food samples was done by smell, colour, presence of debris, turbidity, consistence, ph and clot on alcohol test. hygi ...	2015	26611537
differential roles of the hemerythrin-like proteins of mycobacterium smegmatis in hydrogen peroxide and erythromycin susceptibility.	hemerythrin-like proteins are oxygen-carrying non-heme di-iron binding proteins and their functions have effect on oxidation-reduction regulation and antibiotic resistance. recent studies using bioinformatic analyses suggest that multiple hemerythrin-like protein coding sequences might have been acquired by lateral gene transfer and the number of hemerythrin-like proteins varies amongst different species. mycobacterium smegmatis contains three hemerythrin-like proteins, msmeg_3312, msmeg_2415 an ...	2015	26607739
complete genome sequence of campylobacter jejuni rm1285, a rod-shaped morphological variant.	campylobacter jejuni is a spiral shaped gram-negative food-borne bacterial pathogen of humans found on poultry products. strain rm1285 is a rod-shaped variant of this species. the genome of rm1285 was determined to be 1,635,803 bp, with a g+c content of 30.5%.	2015	26607886
reads2type: a web application for rapid microbial taxonomy identification.	identification of bacteria may be based on sequencing and molecular analysis of a specific locus such as 16s rrna, or a set of loci such as in multilocus sequence typing. in the near future, healthcare institutions and routine diagnostic microbiology laboratories may need to sequence the entire genome of microbial isolates. therefore we have developed reads2type, a web-based tool for taxonomy identification based on whole bacterial genome sequence data.	2015	26608174
comparative genomics and genome biology of invasive campylobacter jejuni.	campylobacter jejuni is a major pathogen in bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and can cause bacteremia in severe cases. c. jejuni is highly structured into clonal lineages of which the st677cc lineage has been overrepresented among c. jejuni isolates derived from blood. in this study, we characterized the genomes of 31 c. jejuni blood isolates and 24 faecal isolates belonging to st677cc in order to study the genome biology related to c. jejuni invasiveness. we combined the genome analyses with ...	2015	26603914
draft genome sequence of janthinobacterium lividum strain mtr reveals its mechanism of capnophilic behavior.	janthinobacterium lividum is a gram-negative bacterium able to produce violacein, a pigment with antimicrobial and antitumor properties. janthinobacterium lividum colonizes the skin of some amphibians and confers protection against fungal pathogens. the mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. in order to identify the advantages for the bacterium to colonize amphibian skin we sequenced janthinobacterium lividum strain mtr, a strain isolated from cajón del maipo, chile. the ...	2015	26605004
regulation of the intestinal barrier function by host defense peptides.	intestinal barrier function is achieved primarily through regulating the synthesis of mucins and tight junction (tj) proteins, which are critical for maintaining optimal gut health and animal performance. an aberrant expression of tj proteins results in increased paracellular permeability, leading to intestinal and systemic disorders. as an essential component of innate immunity, host defense peptides (hdps) play a critical role in mucosal defense. besides broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities ...	2015	26664984
a liposome-based approach to the integrated multi-component antigen microarrays.	this report describes an experimental procedure for constructing integrated lipid, carbohydrate, and protein microarrays. in essence, it prints liposomes on nitrocellulose-coated micro-glass slides, a biochip substrate for spotting protein and carbohydrate microarrays, and the substances that can form liposomes (homo-liposomes) or can be incorporated into liposomes (hetero-liposomes) are suitable for microarray construction using existing microarray spotting devices. importantly, this technology ...	2015	27600243
interaction of intestinal microorganisms with the human host in the framework of autoimmune diseases.	autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (sle), are caused by a complex interaction of environmental-, genetic-, and sex-related factors. although sle has traditionally been considered independent from the microbiota, recent work published during the last 5 years suggests a strong connection between sle and the composition of our gut commensals as one of the main environmental factors linked to this disease. preliminary data have evidenced that (i) interaction of certain microbi ...	2015	26635808
elucidating host-pathogen interactions based on post-translational modifications using proteomics approaches.	microbes with the capability to survive in the host tissue and efficiently subvert its innate immune responses can cause various health hazards. there is an inherent need to understand microbial infection patterns and mechanisms in order to develop efficient therapeutics. microbial pathogens display host specificity through a complex network of molecular interactions that aid their survival and propagation. co-infection states further lead to complications by increasing the microbial burden and ...	2015	26635773
colombos v3.0: leveraging gene expression compendia for cross-species analyses.	colombos is a database that integrates publicly available transcriptomics data for several prokaryotic model organisms. compared to the previous version it has more than doubled in size, both in terms of species and data available. the manually curated condition annotation has been overhauled as well, giving more complete information about samples' experimental conditions and their differences. functionality-wise cross-species analyses now enable users to analyse expression data for all species ...	2015	26586805
colombos v3.0: leveraging gene expression compendia for cross-species analyses.	colombos is a database that integrates publicly available transcriptomics data for several prokaryotic model organisms. compared to the previous version it has more than doubled in size, both in terms of species and data available. the manually curated condition annotation has been overhauled as well, giving more complete information about samples' experimental conditions and their differences. functionality-wise cross-species analyses now enable users to analyse expression data for all species ...	2015	26586805
description of campylobacter jejuni bf, an atypical aero-tolerant strain.	campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of bacterial enteritis worldwide. this microaerophilic bacterium can survive in aerobic environments, suggesting it has protective mechanisms against oxidative stress. the clinical c. jejuni bf strain is characterized by an increased resistance to oxygen. this study aimed to characterize the behavior of the clinical c. jejuni bf strain under an aerobic atmosphere and in response to ros-promoter agents.	2015	26594244
toll-like receptor-4 is essential for arcobacter butzleri-induced colonic and systemic immune responses in gnotobiotic il-10(-/-) mice.	arcobacter butzleri causes sporadic cases of gastroenteritis, but the underlying immunopathological mechanisms of infection are unknown. we have recently demonstrated that a. butzleri-infected gnotobiotic il-10(-/-) mice were clinically unaffected but exhibited intestinal and systemic inflammatory immune responses. for the first time, we here investigated the role of toll-like receptor (tlr)-4, the main receptor for lipopolysaccharide and lipooligosaccharide of gram-negative bacteria, in murine ...	2015	26716021
lineage-specific methyltransferases define the methylome of the globally disseminated escherichia coli st131 clone.	escherichia coli sequence type 131 (st131) is a clone of uropathogenic e. coli that has emerged rapidly and disseminated globally in both clinical and community settings. members of the st131 lineage from across the globe have been comprehensively characterized in terms of antibiotic resistance, virulence potential, and pathogenicity, but to date nothing is known about the methylome of these important human pathogens. here we used single-molecule real-time (smrt) pacbio sequencing to determine t ...	2015	26578678
superoxide dismutase sodb is a protective antigen against campylobacter jejuni colonisation in chickens.	campylobacter is the leading cause of foodborne diarrhoeal illness in the developed world and consumption or handling of contaminated poultry meat is the principal source of infection. strategies to control campylobacter in broilers prior to slaughter are urgently required and are predicted to limit the incidence of human campylobacteriosis. towards this aim, a purified recombinant subunit vaccine based on the superoxide dismutase (sodb) protein of c. jejuni m1 was developed and tested in white ...	2015	26458797
epidemiology, detection, and control of foodborne microbial pathogens.		2015	26649309
cytological findings of 140 bile samples from dogs and cats and associated clinical pathological data.	cholecystocentesis can be part of the diagnostic workup of hepatobiliary disease in small animals, but literature on cytological evaluation of bile is scant.	2015	26566964
cytological findings of 140 bile samples from dogs and cats and associated clinical pathological data.	cholecystocentesis can be part of the diagnostic workup of hepatobiliary disease in small animals, but literature on cytological evaluation of bile is scant.	2015	26566964
the type 2 dutpase of bacteriophage ϕnm1 initiates mobilization of staphylococcus aureus bovine pathogenicity island 1.	staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands (sapis) are genetic elements that are mobilized by specific helper phages. the initial step in mobilization is the derepression of the sapi by the interaction of a phage protein with the sapi master repressor stl. stl proteins are highly divergent between different sapis and respond to different phage-encoded derepressors. one such sapi, sapibov1, is derepressed by the dutpase (dut) of bacteriophage 80α (dut80α) and its phage ϕ11 homolog, dut11. we pre ...	2015	26585401
the type 2 dutpase of bacteriophage ϕnm1 initiates mobilization of staphylococcus aureus bovine pathogenicity island 1.	staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands (sapis) are genetic elements that are mobilized by specific helper phages. the initial step in mobilization is the derepression of the sapi by the interaction of a phage protein with the sapi master repressor stl. stl proteins are highly divergent between different sapis and respond to different phage-encoded derepressors. one such sapi, sapibov1, is derepressed by the dutpase (dut) of bacteriophage 80α (dut80α) and its phage ϕ11 homolog, dut11. we pre ...	2015	26585401
morphological and bactericidal effects of amikacin, meropenem and imipenem on pseudomonas aeruginosa.	pseudomonas aeruginosa might be converted to coccoid bacteria under antibiotic stress. bacterial conversion would increase resistance to antibiotics due to changes in cell wall crosslink or decreased metabolic activity. morphology of p. aeruginosa under stress conditions (presence of antibiotics) can be changed to elongated bacilli, u shape and finally coccoid bacteria. results of several researches showed that coccoid bacteria are one of the most important aspects of drug resistance. it would b ...	2015	26855743
focus on the outer membrane factor oprm, the forgotten player from efflux pumps assemblies.	antibiotics have been used extensively during several decades and we are now facing the emergence of multidrug resistant strains. it has become a major public concern, urging the need to discover new strategies to combat them. among the different ways used by bacteria to resist antibiotics, the active efflux is one of the main mechanisms. in gram-negative bacteria the efflux pumps are comprised of three components forming a long edifice crossing the complete cell wall from the inside to the outs ...	2015	27025640
high prevalence of hyper-aerotolerant campylobacter jejuni in retail poultry with potential implication in human infection.	campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses around the world. since c. jejuni is microaerophilic and sensitive to oxygen, aerotolerance is important in the transmission of c. jejuni to humans via foods under aerobic conditions. in this study, 70 c. jejuni strains were isolated from retail raw chicken meats and were subject to multilocus sequence typing (mlst) analysis. in the aerotolerance testing by aerobic shaking at 200 rpm, 50 (71.4%) isolates survived after 12 h (i.e., ae ...	2015	26617597
electrochemical evidence that pyranopterin redox chemistry controls the catalysis of yedy, a mononuclear mo enzyme.	a long-standing contradiction in the field of mononuclear mo enzyme research is that small-molecule chemistry on active-site mimic compounds predicts ligand participation in the electron transfer reactions, but biochemical measurements only suggest metal-centered catalytic electron transfer. with the simultaneous measurement of substrate turnover and reversible electron transfer that is provided by fourier-transformed alternating-current voltammetry, we show that escherichia coli yedy is a monon ...	2015	26561582
use of next generation sequencing data to develop a qpcr method for specific detection of eu-unauthorized genetically modified bacillus subtilis overproducing riboflavin.	recently, the presence of an unauthorized genetically modified (gm) bacillus subtilis bacterium overproducing vitamin b2 in a feed additive was notified by the rapid alert system for food and feed (rasff). this has demonstrated that a contamination by a gm micro-organism (gmm) may occur in feed additives and has confronted for the first time,the enforcement laboratories with this type of rasff. as no sequence information of this gmm nor any specific detection or identification method was availab ...	2015	26559764
disruptions of host immunity and inflammation by giardia duodenalis: potential consequences for co-infections in the gastro-intestinal tract.	giardia duodenalis (syn. g. intestinalis, or g. lamblia) is a leading cause of waterborne diarrheal disease that infects hundreds of millions of people annually. research on giardia has greatly expanded within the last few years, and our understanding of the pathophysiology and immunology on this parasite is ever increasing. at peak infection, giardia trophozoites induce pathophysiological responses that culminate in the development of diarrheal disease. however, human data has suggested that th ...	2015	26569316
animal models to study acute and chronic intestinal inflammation in mammals.	acute and chronic inflammatory diseases of the intestine impart a significant and negative impact on the health and well-being of human and non-human mammalian animals. understanding the underlying mechanisms of inflammatory disease is mandatory to develop effective treatment and prevention strategies. as inflammatory disease etiologies are multifactorial, the use of appropriate animal models and associated metrics of disease are essential. in this regard, animal models used alone or in combinat ...	2015	26561503
tetracyclines in malaria.	malaria, a parasite vector-borne disease, is one of the greatest health threats in tropical regions, despite the availability of malaria chemoprophylaxis. the emergence and rapid extension of plasmodium falciparum resistance to various anti-malarial drugs has gradually limited the number of potential malaria therapeutics available to clinicians. in this context, doxycycline, a synthetically derived tetracycline, constitutes an interesting alternative for malaria treatment and prophylaxis. doxycy ...	2015	26555664
bacterial exotoxins and the inflammasome.	the inflammasomes are intracellular protein complexes that play an important role in innate immune sensing. activation of inflammasomes leads to activation of caspase-1 and maturation and secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (il)-1β and il-18. in certain myeloid cells, this activation can also lead to an inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis). inflammasome sensor proteins have evolved to detect a range of microbial ligands and bacterial exotoxins either through direct interactio ...	2015	26617605
survival with a helping hand: campylobacter and microbiota.	campylobacteriosis is the most important bacterial food-borne disease in the developed world. consumption of chicken meat, beef or raw milk, direct contact with ruminants and exposure to contaminated surface water or even consumption of tap water have been identified as risk factors for human disease. however, the most important risk factor is consumption of and/or handling contaminated chicken. campylobacter spp. are fastidious microorganisms but must somehow survive outside the host, especiall ...	2015	26617600
gut microbiota and host metabolism in liver cirrhosis.	the gut microbiota has the capacity to produce a diverse range of compounds that play a major role in regulating the activity of distal organs and the liver is strategically positioned downstream of the gut. gut microbiota linked compounds such as short chain fatty acids, bile acids, choline metabolites, indole derivatives, vitamins, polyamines, lipids, neurotransmitters and neuroactive compounds, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones have many biological functions. this review focuse ...	2015	26556989
biomarker detection for disease diagnosis using cost-effective microfluidic platforms.	early and timely detection of disease biomarkers can prevent the spread of infectious diseases, and drastically decrease the death rate of people suffering from different diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases. because conventional diagnostic methods have limited application in low-resource settings due to the use of bulky and expensive instrumentation, simple and low-cost point-of-care diagnostic devices for timely and early biomarker diagnosis is the need of the hour, especially in ru ...	2015	26171467
transcriptome analysis of campylobacter jejuni polyphosphate kinase (ppk1 and ppk2) mutants.		2015	26537695
host-microbe protein interactions during bacterial infection.	interspecies protein-protein interactions are essential mediators of infection. while bacterial proteins required for host cell invasion and infection can be identified through bacterial mutant library screens, information about host target proteins and interspecies complex structures has been more difficult to acquire. using an unbiased chemical crosslinking/mass spectrometry approach, we identified interspecies protein-protein interactions in human lung epithelial cells infected with acinetoba ...	2015	26548613
comparison of two forms of loperamide-simeticone and a probiotic yeast (saccharomyces boulardii) in the treatment of acute diarrhoea in adults: a randomised non-inferiority clinical trial.	acute diarrhoea is a frequent health problem in both travellers and residents that has a social and economic impact. this study compared the efficacy and tolerability of two loperamide-simeticone formulations and a saccharomyces boulardii capsule as symptomatic treatment.	2015	26541878
complete genome sequences of campylobacter jejuni strains rm3196 (233.94) and rm3197 (308.95) isolated from patients with guillain-barré syndrome.	infections with campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni are a leading cause of foodborne gastroenteritis and the most prevalent infection preceding guillain-barré syndrome (gbs). this study describes the genomes of c. jejuni subsp. jejuni hs:41 strains rm3196 (233.94) and rm3197 (308.95) that were isolated from patients with gbs in cape town, south africa.	2015	26543130
immunization with a double-mutant (r192g/l211a) of the heat-labile enterotoxin of escherichia coli offers partial protection against campylobacter jejuni in an adult mouse intestinal colonization model.	we have previously shown that antibodies to cholera toxin (ct) reacted with the major outer membrane proteins (momps) from campylobacter jejuni strains on western blot. further, oral immunization with ct significantly protected against challenge with c. jejuni in an adult mouse colonization model of infection. ct and the heat-labile enterotoxin (lt) of enterotoxigenic escherichia coli are structurally and functionally related. lt and its mutants including the double-mutant lt (r192g/l211a) (dmlt ...	2015	26540197
quorum sensing peptides selectively penetrate the blood-brain barrier.	bacteria communicate with each other by the use of signaling molecules, a process called 'quorum sensing'. one group of quorum sensing molecules includes the oligopeptides, which are mainly produced by gram-positive bacteria. recently, these quorum sensing peptides were found to biologically influence mammalian cells, promoting i.a. metastasis of cancer cells. moreover, it was found that bacteria can influence different central nervous system related disorders as well, e.g. anxiety, depression a ...	2015	26536593
physiological and genomic characterization of two novel marine thaumarchaeal strains indicates niche differentiation.	ammonia-oxidizing archaea (aoa) are ubiquitous throughout the oceanic water column; however, our knowledge on their physiological and ecological diversity in different oceanic regions is rather limited. here, we report the cultivation and characterization of two novel nitrosopumilus strains, originating from coastal surface waters of the northern adriatic sea. the combined physiological and genomic information revealed that each strain exhibits different metabolic and functional traits, potentia ...	2015	26528837
physiological and genomic characterization of two novel marine thaumarchaeal strains indicates niche differentiation.	ammonia-oxidizing archaea (aoa) are ubiquitous throughout the oceanic water column; however, our knowledge on their physiological and ecological diversity in different oceanic regions is rather limited. here, we report the cultivation and characterization of two novel nitrosopumilus strains, originating from coastal surface waters of the northern adriatic sea. the combined physiological and genomic information revealed that each strain exhibits different metabolic and functional traits, potentia ...	2015	26528837
an insight into the isolation, enumeration, and molecular detection of listeria monocytogenes in food.	listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne pathogen that can cause listeriosis through the consumption of food contaminated with this pathogen. the ability of l. monocytogenes to survive in extreme conditions and cause food contaminations have become a major concern. hence, routine microbiological food testing is necessary to prevent food contamination and outbreaks of foodborne illness. this review provides insight into the methods for cultural detection, enumeration, and molecular identification of l ...	2015	26579116
pacbio sequencing and its applications.	single-molecule, real-time sequencing developed by pacific biosciences offers longer read lengths than the second-generation sequencing (sgs) technologies, making it well-suited for unsolved problems in genome, transcriptome, and epigenetics research. the highly-contiguous de novo assemblies using pacbio sequencing can close gaps in current reference assemblies and characterize structural variation (sv) in personal genomes. with longer reads, we can sequence through extended repetitive regions a ...	2015	26542840
flhg employs diverse intrinsic domains and influences flhf gtpase activity to numerically regulate polar flagellar biogenesis in campylobacter jejuni.	flagellation in polar flagellates is one of the rare biosynthetic processes known to be numerically regulated in bacteria. polar flagellates must spatially and numerically regulate flagellar biogenesis to create flagellation patterns for each species that are ideal for motility. flhg atpases numerically regulate polar flagellar biogenesis, yet flhg orthologs are diverse in motif composition. we discovered that campylobacter jejuni flhg is at the center of a multipartite mechanism that likely inf ...	2015	26411371
flhg employs diverse intrinsic domains and influences flhf gtpase activity to numerically regulate polar flagellar biogenesis in campylobacter jejuni.	flagellation in polar flagellates is one of the rare biosynthetic processes known to be numerically regulated in bacteria. polar flagellates must spatially and numerically regulate flagellar biogenesis to create flagellation patterns for each species that are ideal for motility. flhg atpases numerically regulate polar flagellar biogenesis, yet flhg orthologs are diverse in motif composition. we discovered that campylobacter jejuni flhg is at the center of a multipartite mechanism that likely inf ...	2015	26411371
helicobacter pullorum isolated from fresh chicken meat: antibiotic resistance and genomic traits of an emerging foodborne pathogen.	meat and meat products are important sources of human intestinal infections. we report the isolation of helicobacter pullorum strains from chicken meat. bacteria were isolated from 4 of the 17 analyzed fresh chicken meat samples, using a membrane filter method. mic determination revealed that the four strains showed acquired resistance to ciprofloxacin; one was also resistant to erythromycin, and another one was resistant to tetracycline. whole-genome sequencing of the four strains and comparati ...	2015	26386065
identification of novel components influencing colonization factor antigen i expression in enterotoxigenic escherichia coli.	colonization factors (cfs) mediate early adhesion of enterotoxigenic escherichia coli (etec) in the small intestine. environmental signals including bile, glucose, and contact with epithelial cells have previously been shown to modulate cf expression in a strain dependent manner. to identify novel components modulating cf surface expression, 20 components relevant to the intestinal environment were selected for evaluation. these included mucin, bicarbonate, norepinephrine, lincomycin, carbon sou ...	2015	26517723
the landscape of realized homologous recombination in pathogenic bacteria.	recombination enhances the adaptive potential of organisms by allowing genetic variants to be tested on multiple genomic backgrounds. its distribution in the genome can provide insight into the evolutionary forces that underlie traits, such as the emergence of pathogenicity. here, we examined landscapes of realized homologous recombination of 500 genomes from ten bacterial species and found all species have "hot" regions with elevated rates relative to the genome average. we examined the size, g ...	2015	26516092
the landscape of realized homologous recombination in pathogenic bacteria.	recombination enhances the adaptive potential of organisms by allowing genetic variants to be tested on multiple genomic backgrounds. its distribution in the genome can provide insight into the evolutionary forces that underlie traits, such as the emergence of pathogenicity. here, we examined landscapes of realized homologous recombination of 500 genomes from ten bacterial species and found all species have "hot" regions with elevated rates relative to the genome average. we examined the size, g ...	2015	26516092
conservation of σ28-dependent non-coding rna paralogs and predicted σ54-dependent targets in thermophilic campylobacter species.	assembly of flagella requires strict hierarchical and temporal control via flagellar sigma and anti-sigma factors, regulatory proteins and the assembly complex itself, but to date non-coding rnas (ncrnas) have not been described to regulate genes directly involved in flagellar assembly. in this study we have investigated the possible role of two ncrna paralogs (cjnc1, cjnc4) in flagellar assembly and gene regulation of the diarrhoeal pathogen campylobacter jejuni. cjnc1 and cjnc4 are 37/44 nt id ...	2015	26512728
a systematic review of waterborne disease outbreaks associated with small non-community drinking water systems in canada and the united states.	reports of outbreaks in canada and the united states (u.s.) indicate that approximately 50% of all waterborne diseases occur in small non-community drinking water systems (sdwss). summarizing these investigations to identify the factors and conditions contributing to outbreaks is needed in order to help prevent future outbreaks.	2015	26513152
dysbiotic infection in the stomach.	microbiota in human alimentary tract plays important roles for homeostatic maintenance of the body. compositional difference of gut microbiota is tightly associated with susceptibility of many diseases, including inflammatory diseases, obesity, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and atherosclerosis. "dysbiosis" refers to a state of imbalance among the colonies of microorganisms within the body, which brings abnormal increase of specific minor components and decrease in the normally dominant species. sin ...	2015	26523109
role of environmental pollution in irritable bowel syndrome.	irritable bowel syndrome (ibs), with the prevalence of 10%-20 % of the population has become an emerging problem worldwide. ibs is a functional gastrointestinal (gi) disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort and altered bowel habits. the etiology of ibs contains genetic, psychological, and immunological factors, and has not been fully elucidated; of note, recent studies also point at environmental pollution and its role in the development of functional gi diseases. in this review we ...	2015	26523104
parasitic diarrheal disease: drug development and targets.	diarrhea is the manifestation of gastrointestinal infection and is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity specifically among the children of less than 5 years age worldwide. moreover, in recent years there has been a rise in the number of reports of intestinal infections continuously in the industrialized world. these are largely related to waterborne and food borne outbreaks. these occur by the pathogenesis of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms like bacteria and parasites. th ...	2015	26617574
genetic import and phenotype specific alleles associated with hyper-invasion in campylobacter jejuni.	campylobacter jejuni is a major zoonotic pathogen, causing gastroenteritis in humans. invasion is an important pathogenesis trait by which c. jejuni causes disease. here we report the genomic analysis of 134 strains to identify traits unique to hyperinvasive isolates.	2015	26497129
mhc variation sculpts individualized microbial communities that control susceptibility to enteric infection.	the presentation of protein antigens on the cell surface by major histocompatibility complex (mhc) molecules coordinates vertebrate adaptive immune responses, thereby mediating susceptibility to a variety of autoimmune and infectious diseases. the composition of symbiotic microbial communities (the microbiota) is influenced by host immunity and can have a profound impact on host physiology. here we use an mhc congenic mouse model to test the hypothesis that genetic variation at mhc genes among i ...	2015	26494419
heterogeneity in the infection biology of campylobacter jejuni isolates in three infection models reveals an invasive and virulent phenotype in a st21 isolate from poultry.	although campylobacter is the leading cause of bacterial foodborne gastroenteritis in the world and the importance of poultry as a source of infection is well understood we know relatively little about its infection biology in the broiler chicken. much of what we know about the biology of campylobacter jejuni is based on infection of inbred or spf laboratory lines of chickens with a small number of isolates used in most laboratory studies. recently we have shown that both the host response and m ...	2015	26496441
phylogenomics and sequence-structure-function relationships in the gmrsd family of type iv restriction enzymes.	gmrsd is a modification-dependent restriction endonuclease that specifically targets and cleaves glucosylated hydroxymethylcytosine (glc-hmc) modified dna. it is encoded either as two separate single-domain gmrs and gmrd proteins or as a single protein carrying both domains. previous studies suggested that gmrs acts as endonuclease and ntpase whereas gmrd binds dna.	2015	26493560
high genetic similarity of ciprofloxacin-resistant campylobacter jejuni in central europe.	campylobacteriosis is the leading zoonosis in the european union with the majority of cases attributed to campylobacter jejuni. although the disease is usually self-limiting, some severe cases need to be treated with antibiotics, primarily macrolides and quinolones. however, the resistance to the latter is reaching alarming levels in most of the eu countries. to shed light on the expansion of antibiotic resistance in central europe, we have investigated genetic similarity across 178 ciprofloxaci ...	2015	26557112
draft genome sequence of the enteropathogenic bacterium campylobacter jejuni strain cj255.	the enteropathogen campylobacter jejuni is a global health disaster, being one of the leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis. here, we present the draft genome sequence of c. jejuni strain cj255, isolated from a chicken source in islamabad, pakistan. the draft genome sequence will aid in epidemiological studies and quarantine of this broad-host-range pathogen.	2015	26494669
the role of gelatinases in campylobacter jejuni infection of gnotobiotic mice.	matrix metalloproteinases (mmp)-2 and -9 (also referred to gelatinases-a and -b, respectively) are upregulated in the inflamed gut of mice and men. we recently demonstrated that synthetic gelatinase blockage reduced large intestinal pro-inflammatory immune responses and apoptosis following murine campylobacter (c.) jejuni infection. in order to address which gelatinase mediates c. jejuni-induced immune responses, gnotobiotic mmp-2(-/-), mmp-9(-/-), and wildtype (wt) mice were generated by broads ...	2015	26716014
an overview of pathogen recognition receptors for innate immunity in dental pulp.	pathogen recognition receptors (prrs) are a class of germ line-encoded receptors that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (pamps). the activation of prrs is crucial for the initiation of innate immunity, which plays a key role in first-line defense until more specific adaptive immunity is developed. prrs differ in the signaling cascades and host responses activated by their engagement and in their tissue distribution. currently identified prr families are the toll-like receptors (tl ...	2015	26576076
interventions to improve water quality for preventing diarrhoea.	diarrhoea is a major cause of death and disease, especially among young children in low-income countries. in these settings, many infectious agents associated with diarrhoea are spread through water contaminated with faeces.in remote and low-income settings, source-based water quality improvement includes providing protected groundwater (springs, wells, and bore holes), or harvested rainwater as an alternative to surface sources (rivers and lakes). point-of-use water quality improvement interven ...	2015	26488938
crystal structure and identification of two key amino acids involved in ai-2 production and biofilm formation in streptococcus suis luxs.	streptococcus suis has emerged as an important zoonotic pathogen that causes meningitis, arthritis, septicemia and even sudden death in pigs and humans. quorum sensing is the signaling network for cell-to-cell communication that bacterial cells can use to monitor their own population density through production and exchange of signal molecules. s-ribosylhomocysteinase (luxs) is the key enzyme involved in the activated methyl cycle. autoinducer 2 (ai-2) is the adduct of borate and a ribose derivat ...	2015	26484864
cell-free protein synthesis: pros and cons of prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems.	from its start as a small-scale in vitro system to study fundamental translation processes, cell-free protein synthesis quickly rose to become a potent platform for the high-yield production of proteins. in contrast to classical in vivo protein expression, cell-free systems do not need time-consuming cloning steps, and the open nature provides easy manipulation of reaction conditions as well as high-throughput potential. especially for the synthesis of difficult to express proteins, such as toxi ...	2015	26478227
survey of small intestinal and systemic immune responses following murine arcobacter butzleri infection.	arcobacter (a.) butzleri has been described as causative agent for sporadic cases of human gastroenteritis with abdominal pain and acute or prolonged watery diarrhea. in vitro studies revealed distinct adhesive, invasive and cytotoxic properties of a. butzleri. information about the underlying immunopathological mechanisms of infection in vivo, however, are scarce. the aim of this study was to investigate the immunopathological properties of two different a. butzleri strains in a well-establishe ...	2015	26483849
flipping a lipid-linked oligosaccharide? you must whip it!	the mechanism for flipping large lipid-linked oligosaccharides across membranes has remained a paradox. perez et al. now report the structure of the pglk protein of c. jejuni, a flippase for a bacterial lipid-linked oligosaccharide, and reveal an unexpected whip-like mechanism.	2015	26476576
pretreatment biopsy analysis of dab2ip identifies subpopulation of high-risk prostate cancer patients with worse survival following radiation therapy.	decreased expression of tumor suppressor dab2ip is linked to aggressive cancer and radiation resistance in several malignancies, but clinical survival data is largely unknown. we hypothesized that pretreatment dab2ip reduction would predict worse prostate cancer-specific survival (pcss). immunohistochemistry of pretreatment biopsies was scored by an expert genitourinary pathologist. other endpoints analyzed include freedom from biochemical failure (ffbf), castration resistance-free survival (crf ...	2015	26471467
gaba selectively increases mucin-1 expression in isolated pig jejunum.	the inhibitory neurotransmitter gaba (γ-aminobutyric acid) is synthesized by glutamic acid decarboxylase, which is expressed in the central nervous system and in various other tissues including the intestine. moreover, gaba can be ingested in vegetarian diets or produced by bacterial commensals in the gastrointestinal tract. as previous studies in lung have suggested a link between locally increased gaba availability and mucin 5ac production, the present study sought to test whether the presence ...	2015	26471792
evidence from human and animal studies: pathological roles of cd8(+) t cells in autoimmune peripheral neuropathies.	autoimmune peripheral neuropathies such as guillain-barre syndrome (gbs) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (cidp) affect millions of people worldwide. despite significant advances in understanding the pathology, the molecular and cellular mechanisms of immune-mediated neuropathies remain elusive. t lymphocytes definitely play an important role in disease pathogenesis and cd4(+) t cells have been the main area of research for decades. this is partly due to the fact that the mo ...	2015	26528293
enhanced biofilm formation and multi-host transmission evolve from divergent genetic backgrounds in campylobacter jejuni.	multicellular biofilms are an ancient bacterial adaptation that offers a protective environment for survival in hostile habitats. in microaerophilic organisms such as campylobacter, biofilms play a key role in transmission to humans as the bacteria are exposed to atmospheric oxygen concentrations when leaving the reservoir host gut. genetic determinants of biofilm formation differ between species, but little is known about how strains of the same species achieve the biofilm phenotype with differ ...	2015	26373338
extended microbiological characterization of göttingen minipigs in the context of xenotransplantation: detection and vertical transmission of hepatitis e virus.	xenotransplantation has been proposed as a solution to the shortage of suitable human donors. pigs are currently favoured as donor animals for xenotransplantation of cells, including islet cells, or organs. to reduce the xenotransplantation-associated risk of infection of the recipient the pig donor should be carefully characterised. göttingen minipigs from ellegaard are often used for biomedical research and are regularly tested by their vendor for the presence of numerous bacteria, fungi, viru ...	2015	26466154
synergistic anti-campylobacter jejuni activity of fluoroquinolone and macrolide antibiotics with phenolic compounds.	the increasing resistance of campylobacter to clinically important antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones and macrolides, is a serious public health problem. the objective of this study is to investigate synergistic anti-campylobacter jejuni activity of fluoroquinolones and macrolides in combination with phenolic compounds. synergistic antimicrobial activity was measured by performing a checkerboard assay with ciprofloxacin and erythromycin in the presence of 21 phenolic compounds. membrane perme ...	2015	26528273
operomedb: a database of condition-specific transcription units in prokaryotic genomes.	background. in prokaryotic organisms, a substantial fraction of adjacent genes are organized into operons-codirectionally organized genes in prokaryotic genomes with the presence of a common promoter and terminator. although several available operon databases provide information with varying levels of reliability, very few resources provide experimentally supported results. therefore, we believe that the biological community could benefit from having a new operon prediction database with operons ...	2015	26543854
population diversity of campylobacter jejuni in poultry and its dynamic of contamination in chicken meat.	this study aimed to analyse the diversity of the campylobacter jejuni population in broilers and to evaluate the major source of contamination in poultry meat. eight rearing cycles over one year provided samples from three different broiler farms processed at the same slaughterhouse. a total of 707 c. jejuni were isolated from cloacal swabs before slaughter and from the breast skin of carcasses after slaughter and after chilling. all suspected campylobacter colonies were identified with pcr assa ...	2015	26543870
regulation of fucose and 1,2-propanediol utilization by salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium.	after ingestion, salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium (s. typhimurium) encounters a densely populated, competitive environment in the gastrointestinal tract. to escape nutrient limitation caused by the intestinal microbiota, this pathogen has acquired specific metabolic traits to use compounds that are not metabolized by the commensal bacteria. for example, the utilization of 1,2-propanediol (1,2-pd), a product of the fermentation of l-fucose, which is present in foods of herbal origin and is ...	2015	26528264
genetic diversity and incidence of virulence-associated genes of arcobacter butzleri and arcobacter cryaerophilus isolates from pork, beef, and chicken meat in poland.	incidence of 9 virulence-associated genes and genetic diversity was determined in 79 a. butzleri and 6 a. cryaerophilus isolates from pork, beef, and chicken meat. all a. butzleri isolates harboured the tlya gene, and most of them carried ciab, mvin, plda, cadf, and cj1349 genes. ciab was found to occur with higher frequency in poultry if compared with pork (p = 0.0007), while irga was more frequent in poultry than in beef (p = 0.007). all 6 a. cryaerophilus isolates harboured the ciab gene, whi ...	2015	26539546
surveillance of food- and smear-transmitted pathogens in european soldiers with diarrhea on deployment in the tropics: experience from the european union training mission (eutm) mali.	introduction. since 2013, european soldiers have been deployed on the european union training mission (eutm) in mali. from the beginning, diarrhea has been among the most "urgent" concerns. diarrhea surveillance based on deployable real-time pcr equipment was conducted between december 2013 and august 2014. material and methods. in total, 53 stool samples were obtained from 51 soldiers with acute diarrhea. multiplex pcr panels comprised enteroinvasive bacteria, diarrhea-associated escherichia co ...	2015	26525953
helicobacter pylori and micrornas: relation with innate immunity and progression of preneoplastic conditions.	the accepted paradigm for intestinal-type gastric cancer pathogenesis is a multistep progression from chronic gastritis induced by helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) to gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia and ultimately gastric cancer. the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying disease progression are still not completely understood as only a fraction of colonized individuals ever develop neoplasia suggesting that bacterial, host and environmental factors are involved. micrornas ...	2015	26468448
pilot study of long-term anaesthesia in broiler chickens.	to provide stable anaesthesia of long duration in broiler chickens in order to perform a terminal caecal ligated loop procedure.	2015	26449623
pilot study of long-term anaesthesia in broiler chickens.	to provide stable anaesthesia of long duration in broiler chickens in order to perform a terminal caecal ligated loop procedure.	2015	26449623
clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin binds to membrane lipids and its cytotoxic action depends on sulfatide.	epsilon toxin (etx) is one of the major lethal toxins produced by clostridium perfringens types b and d, being the causal agent of fatal enterotoxemia in animals, mainly sheep and goats. etx is synthesized as a non-active prototoxin form (proetx) that becomes active upon proteolytic activation. etx exhibits a cytotoxic effect through the formation of a pore in the plasma membrane of selected cell targets where etx specifically binds due to the presence of specific receptors. however, the identit ...	2015	26452234
use of biomarkers in irritable bowel syndrome: to predict the future, look at the past.		2015	26448457
nonmedical uses of antibiotics: time to restrict their use?	the global crisis of antibiotic resistance has reached a point where, if action is not taken, human medicine will enter a postantibiotic world and simple injuries could once again be life threatening. new antibiotics are needed urgently, but better use of existing agents is just as important. more appropriate use of antibiotics in medicine is vital, but the extensive use of antibiotics outside medical settings is often overlooked. antibiotics are commonly used in animal husbandry, bee-keeping, f ...	2015	26444324
a rare case of guillain-barré syndrome presenting with abdominal pain.	guillain-barré syndrome (gbs) is a heterogeneous condition that encompasses acute immune-mediated polyneuropathies. gbs is the most frequent cause of acute neuromuscular paralysis worldwide and constitutes one of the most serious emergencies in neurology. description of case: as it presents extremely rarely with the first symptom being abdominal pain, herein we report the case of a 48-year-old man who presented with acute abdominal pain and diagnosed with gbs. the patient required mechanical ven ...	2015	27703314
the intestinal microbiome in bariatric surgery patients.	with nearly 39% of the worldwide adult population classified as obese, much of the globe is facing a serious public health challenge. increasing rates of obesity, coupled with the failure of many behavioural and pharmacological interventions, have contributed to a rise in popularity of bariatric surgery as a treatment for obesity. surgery-mediated weight loss was initially thought to be a direct result of mechanical alterations causing restriction and calorie malabsorption. however, the mounting ...	2015	26426680
irritable bowel syndrome: is it "irritable brain" or "irritable bowel"?	irritable bowel syndrome (ibs) has been recognized as one of the most common and best studied disorders among the group of functional gastrointestinal disorders. it is a functional bowel disorder in which abdominal pain or discomfort is associated with defecation or a change in bowel habit. in the western world, ibs appears to affect up to 20% of the population at any given time but in asian countries, the median value of ibs prevalence defined by various criteria ranges between 6.5% and 10.1%, ...	2015	26752904
blurred lines: pathogens, commensals, and the healthy gut.		2015	26664968
from laboratory research to a clinical trial: copper alloy surfaces kill bacteria and reduce hospital-acquired infections.	this is a translational science article that discusses copper alloys as antimicrobial environmental surfaces. bacteria die when they come in contact with copper alloys in laboratory tests. components made of copper alloys were also found to be efficacious in a clinical trial.	2015	26163568
the zinc transport systems and their regulation in pathogenic fungi.	zinc is an essential micronutrient required for many enzymes that play essential roles in a cell. it was estimated that approximately 3% of the total cellular proteins are required for zinc for their functions. zinc has long been considered as one of the key players in host-pathogen interactions. the host sequesters intracellular zinc by utilizing multiple cellular zinc importers and exporters as a means of nutritional immunity. to overcome extreme zinc limitation within the host environment, pa ...	2015	26539032
neuroimmune pharmacological approaches.	intestinal inflammation is a major health problem which impairs the quality of life, impacts mental health and is exacerbated by stress and psychiatric disturbances which, in turn, can affect disease prognosis and response to treatment. accumulating evidence indicates that the immune system is an important interface between intestinal inflammation and the enteric, sensory, central and autonomic nervous systems. in addition, the neuroimmune interactions originating from the gastrointestinal tract ...	2015	26426677
high-frequency variation of purine biosynthesis genes is a mechanism of success in campylobacter jejuni.	phenotypic variation is prevalent in the zoonotic pathogen campylobacter jejuni, the leading agent of enterocolitis in the developed world. heterogeneity enhances the survival and adaptive malleability of bacterial populations because variable phenotypes may allow some cells to be protected against future stress. exposure to hyperosmotic stress previously revealed prevalent differences in growth between c. jejuni strain 81-176 colonies due to resistant or sensitive phenotypes, and these isolated ...	2015	26419875
postharvest intervention technologies for safety enhancement of meat and meat based products; a critical review.	globally, the demand for safe, healthy and nutritious meat and allied products possesses improved taste with extended shelf life is mounting. microbial safety is among the imperative challenges that prevails in meat products because they provide an ideal medium for the growth of microorganisms particularly pathogenic bacteria. the incidence of these microbes can result quality deterioration of products leading towards food borne diseases when consumed by peoples. several preservation technologie ...	2015	26787929
postharvest intervention technologies for safety enhancement of meat and meat based products; a critical review.	globally, the demand for safe, healthy and nutritious meat and allied products possesses improved taste with extended shelf life is mounting. microbial safety is among the imperative challenges that prevails in meat products because they provide an ideal medium for the growth of microorganisms particularly pathogenic bacteria. the incidence of these microbes can result quality deterioration of products leading towards food borne diseases when consumed by peoples. several preservation technologie ...	2015	26787929