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sage: string-overlap assembly of genomes.de novo genome assembly of next-generation sequencing data is one of the most important current problems in bioinformatics, essential in many biological applications. in spite of significant amount of work in this area, better solutions are still very much needed.201425225118
apoptosis in hep-2 cells infected with ureaplasma diversum.bacterial pathogens have many strategies for infecting and persisting in host cells. adhesion, invasion and intracellular life are important features in the biology of mollicutes. the intracellular location of ureaplasma diversum may trigger disturbances in the host cell. this includes activation or inhibition of pro and anti-apoptotic factors, which facilitate the development of host damage. the aim of the present study was to associate u. diversum infection in hep-2 cells and apoptosis inducti ...201425299837
molecular detection of leptospira spp. in the urine of cattle in northern iran.leptospirosis is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution, caused by leptospira interrogans and is considered as an emerging global public health problem. transmission usually results from direct or indirect exposure to the urine or other body fluids of leptospiruric animals which may become a source of infection for human or other animals. having a humid climate with plenty of annual rainfall, guilan province is a suitable environment for maintaining leptospira spp. hence, early detection of leptos ...201427175139
mammalian gut immunity.the mammalian intestinal tract is the largest immune organ in the body and comprises cells from non-hemopoietic (epithelia, paneth cells, goblet cells) and hemopoietic (macrophages, dendritic cells, t-cells) origin, and is also a dwelling for trillions of microbes collectively known as the microbiota. the homeostasis of this large microbial biomass is prerequisite to maintain host health by maximizing beneficial symbiotic relationships and minimizing the risks of living in such close proximity. ...201425163502
rat sightings in new york city are associated with neighborhood sociodemographics, housing characteristics, and proximity to open public space.rats are ubiquitous in urban environments and, as established reservoirs for infectious pathogens, present a control priority for public health agencies. new york city (nyc) harbors one of the largest rat populations in the united states, but surprising little study has been undertaken to define rat ecology across varied features of this urban landscape. more importantly, factors that may contribute to increased encounters between rats and humans have rarely been explored. using city-wide record ...201425237595
isolation and characterization of two novel plasmids from pathogenic leptospira interrogans serogroup canicola serovar canicola strain gui44.previous genomic analysis of pathogenic leptospira has identified two circular chromosomes but no plasmid. this study aims to investigate potential extrachromosomal elements of l.interrogans serovar canicola strain gui44.201425144555
human leptospirosis trends: northeast thailand, 2001-2012.the objective of this study was to determine the changing trend of leptospirosis over time in thailand using two prospective hospital-based studies conducted amongst adult patients with acute undifferentiated fever (aufi) admitted to maharat nakhon ratchasima hospital, nakhon ratchasima province, thailand between july 2001 to december 2002 and between july 2011 to december 2012. during the first period, leptospirosis (98 patients, 40%) and scrub typhus (59 patients, 24.1%) were the two major cau ...201425141000
role of toll-like receptors in helicobacter pylori infection and immunity.the gram-negative bacterium helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) infects the stomachs of approximately half of the world's population. although infection induces an immune response that contributes to chronic gastric inflammation, the response is not sufficient to eliminate the bacterium. h. pylori infection causes peptic ulcers, gastric cancer and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. disease outcome is linked to the severity of the host inflammatory response. gastric epithelial cells represen ...201425133016
murine lung injury caused by leptospira interrogans glycolipoprotein, a specific na/k-atpase inhibitor.leptospiral glycolipoprotein (glp) is a potent and specific na/k-atpase inhibitor. severe pulmonary form of leptospirosis is characterized by edema, inflammation and intra-alveolar hemorrhage having a dismal prognosis. resolution of edema and inflammation determines the outcome of lung injury. na/k-atpase activity is responsible for edema clearance. this enzyme works as a cell receptor that triggers activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (mapk) intracellular signaling pathway. therefore, ...201425265888
toll-like receptors in the pathogenesis of human b cell malignancies.toll-like receptors (tlrs) are important players in b-cell activation, maturation and memory and may be involved in the pathogenesis of b-cell lymphomas. accumulating studies show differential expression in this heterogeneous group of cancers. stimulation with tlr specific ligands, or agonists of their ligands, leads to aberrant responses in the malignant b-cells. according to current data, tlrs can be implicated in malignant transformation, tumor progression and immune evasion processes. most o ...201425112836
molecular detection of leptospiral dna in environmental water on st. kitts.leptospirosis is an important waterborne zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic leptospira. the pathogen is maintained in a population due to chronic colonization and shedding from renal tubules of domestic and wild animals. humans and other animals become infected when they come in contact with urine from infected animals, either directly or through urine-contaminated surface water. in this study, we screened environmental water on the island of st. kitts by using a taqman based real time quanti ...201425105546
sensitivity of real-time pcr performed on dried sera spotted on filter paper for diagnosis of leptospirosis.in remote countries, leptospirosis confirmation is difficult because it requires the shipment of frozen samples to reference laboratories. the sensitivity of leptospirosis real-time pcr performed on filter paper-dried serum samples stored at ambient temperature was evaluated at 2 × 10(2) equivalent leptospires/ml (eqleptospires/ml). this easy alternative procedure can be used to enhance the surveillance of leptospirosis.201424899024
recognition of lps by tlr4: potential for anti-inflammatory therapies.lps molecules of marine bacteria show structures distinct from terrestrial bacteria, due to the different environment that marine bacteria live in. because of these different structures, lipid a molecules from marine bacteria are most often poor stimulators of the toll-like receptor 4 (tlr4) pathway. due to their low stimulatory potential, these lipid a molecules are suggested to be applicable as antagonists of tlr4 signaling in sepsis patients, where this immune response is amplified and unregu ...201425056632
vapc from the leptospiral vapbc toxin-antitoxin module displays ribonuclease activity on the initiator trna.the prokaryotic ubiquitous toxin-antitoxin (ta) operons encode a stable toxin and an unstable antitoxin. the most accepted hypothesis of the physiological function of the ta system is the reversible cessation of cellular growth under stress conditions. the major ta family, vapbc is present in the spirochaete leptospira interrogans. vapbc modules are classified based on the presence of a predicted ribonucleasic pin domain in the vapc toxin. the expression of the leptospiral vapc in e. coli promot ...201425047537
decay-accelerating factor 1 deficiency exacerbates leptospiral-induced murine chronic nephritis and renal fibrosis.leptospirosis is a global zoonosis caused by pathogenic leptospira, which can colonize the proximal renal tubules and persist for long periods in the kidneys of infected hosts. here, we characterized the infection of c57bl/6j wild-type and daf1-/- mice, which have an enhanced host response, with a virulent leptospira interrogans strain at 14 days post-infection, its persistence in the kidney, and its link to kidney fibrosis at 90 days post-infection. we found that leptospira interrogans can indu ...201425032961
increasing incidence of canine leptospirosis in switzerland.a marked increase in canine leptospirosis was observed in switzerland over 10 years with a peak incidence of 28.1 diagnosed cases/100,000 dogs/year in the most affected canton. with 95% affected dogs living at altitudes <800 m, the disease presented a seasonal pattern associated with temperature (r2 0.73) and rainfall (r2 0.39), >90% cases being diagnosed between may and october. the increasing yearly incidence however was only weakly correlated with climatic data including number of summer (r2 ...201425032740
a questionnaire-based survey on the uptake and use of cattle vaccines in the uk.vaccination is a widely used strategy for disease control in cattle in the uk and abroad. however, there has been limited research describing the uptake and use of cattle vaccines on uk farms.201426392877
an ortholog of the leptospira interrogans lipoprotein lipl32 aids in the colonization of pseudoalteromonas tunicata to host surfaces.the bacterium pseudoalteromonas tunicata is a common surface colonizer of marine eukaryotes, including the macroalga ulva australis.genomic analysis of p. tunicata identified genes potentially involved in surface colonization, including genes with homology to bacterial virulence factors that mediate attachment. of particular interest is the presence of a gene, designated ptll32, encoding an ortholog to the leptospira lipoprotein lipl32, which has been shown to facilitate the interaction of lepto ...201425071736
strengthening public health laboratory capacity in thailand for international health regulations (ihr) (2005).thailand conducted a national laboratory assessment of core capacities related to the international health regulations (ihr) (2005), and thereby established a baseline to measure future progress. the assessment was limited to public laboratories found within the thai bureau of quality and safety of food, national institute of health and regional medical science centres.201426693144
comparing the different morphotypes of a fish pathogen--implications for key virulence factors in flavobacterium columnare.flavobacterium columnare (bacteroidetes) is the causative agent of columnaris disease in farmed freshwater fish around the world. the bacterium forms three colony morphotypes (rhizoid, rough and soft), but the differences of the morphotypes are poorly known. we studied the virulence of the morphotypes produced by f. columnare strain b067 in rainbow trout (onconrhynchus mykiss) and used high-resolution scanning electron microscopy to identify the fine structures of the cells grown in liquid and o ...201424964840
leptospirosis in vellore: a clinical and serological study.leptospirosis is a severe spirochetal zoonosis in the world. it is considered an occupational disease of persons engaged in agriculture, sewage works, forestry, and animal slaughtering. a study was conducted with an objective of assessing the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in and around vellore district, tamil nadu. the study was based on the signs and symptoms of the patients reporting fever in vellore municipal clinic (urban malarial scheme). blood samples were collected from 129 patients. an ...201425050124
'black sheep' that don't leave the double-stranded rna-binding domain fold.the canonical double-stranded rna (dsrna)-binding domain (dsrbd) is composed of an α1-β1-β2-β3-α2 secondary structure that folds in three dimensions to recognize dsrna. recently, structural and functional studies of divergent dsrbds revealed adaptations that include intra- and/or intermolecular protein interactions, sometimes in the absence of detectable dsrna-binding ability. we describe here how discrete dsrbd components can accommodate pronounced amino-acid sequence changes while maintaining ...201424954387
using peptideatlas, srmatlas, and passel: comprehensive resources for discovery and targeted proteomics.peptideatlas, srmatlas, and passel are web-accessible resources to support discovery and targeted proteomics research. peptideatlas is a multi-species compendium of shotgun proteomic data provided by the scientific community; srmatlas is a resource of high-quality, complete proteome srm assays generated in a consistent manner for the targeted identification and quantification of proteins; and passel is a repository that compiles and represents selected reaction monitoring data, all in an easy-to ...201424939129
approach to clinical syndrome of jaundice and encephalopathy in tropics.a large number of patients present with jaundice and encephalopathy in tropical country like india and acute liver failure is the usual cause. clinical presentation like alf is also a complication of many tropical infections, and these conditions may mimic alf but may have subtle differences from alf. moreover, what hepatologists see as acute liver failure in tropics is different from what is commonly described in western textbooks. paracetamol overdose, which is possibly the commonest cause of ...201426041951
approach to clinical syndrome of jaundice and encephalopathy in tropics.a large number of patients present with jaundice and encephalopathy in tropical country like india and acute liver failure is the usual cause. clinical presentation like alf is also a complication of many tropical infections, and these conditions may mimic alf but may have subtle differences from alf. moreover, what hepatologists see as acute liver failure in tropics is different from what is commonly described in western textbooks. paracetamol overdose, which is possibly the commonest cause of ...201426041951
modelling the efficiency of codon-trna interactions based on codon usage bias.the trna adaptation index (tai) is a widely used measure of the efficiency by which a coding sequence is recognized by the intra-cellular trna pool. this index includes among others weights that represent wobble interactions between codons and trna molecules. currently, these weights are based only on the gene expression in saccharomyces cerevisiae. however, the efficiencies of the different codon-trna interactions are expected to vary among different organisms. in this study, we suggest a new a ...201424906480
a cross sectional observational study to estimate herd level risk factors for leptospira spp. serovars in small holder dairy cattle farms in southern chile.the south of chile constitutes the main cattle milk producing area of the country. regarding leptospirosis control in chile, there is neither an official program nor an epidemiological characterization of smallholder dairy farms. this study was carried out to determine leptospira seroprevalence and to evaluate risk factors associated with seropositivity at herd level in smallholder bovine dairy herds in southern chile.a cross-sectional study was conducted, and a convenient sample of 1,537 appare ...201424906684
epidemiology of leptospira transmitted by rodents in southeast asia.leptospirosis is the most common bacterial zoonoses and has been identified as an important emerging global public health problem in southeast asia. rodents are important reservoirs for human leptospirosis, but epidemiological data is lacking.201424901706
ameboma: an unusual cause of gastrointestinal bleeding during severe leptospirosis.severe leptospirosis occurs mainly in a tropical environment and includes icterus, acute renal failure and hemorrhages. these bleedings, which are mainly a consequence of acute homeostatic disturbances, can also reveal simultaneous diseases. coinfections with other tropical diseases have been previously reported during leptospirosis. to our knowledge, invasive amebiasis, which can induce gastrointestinal bleedings, has never been described in the course of severe leptospirosis.201424894109
evaluation of new elisa based on rlsa63 - rlipl32 antigens for serodiagnosis of human leptospirosis.timely diagnosis of leptospirosis is essential for an effective treatment. large diversity of clinical symptoms has led leptospirosis diagnosis difficult. researchers have conducted many tests with wide-range of sensitivity and specificity to achieve novel diagnostic procedures which have higher sensitivity and specificity compared with previous tests and which are more reliable and available to public laboratories. this study aimed to introduce lsa63 and lipl32 proteins-based elisa tests with m ...201425870752
anaplasma platys in bone marrow megakaryocytes of young dogs.anaplasma platys is an obligate intracellular rickettsial pathogen that infects platelets of dogs, forming basophilic intracellular morulae. in the present report, cellular inclusions were documented in bone marrow thrombocyte precursors of two young naturally infected dogs, indicating that a. platys can infect megakaryocytes and promegakaryocytes.201424622106
highly precise quantification of protein molecules per cell during stress and starvation responses in bacillus subtilis.systems biology based on high quality absolute quantification data, which are mandatory for the simulation of biological processes, successively becomes important for life sciences. we provide protein concentrations on the level of molecules per cell for more than 700 cytosolic proteins of the gram-positive model bacterium bacillus subtilis during adaptation to changing growth conditions. as glucose starvation and heat stress are typical challenges in b. subtilis' natural environment and induce ...201424878497
characterisation of the proteome of leptospira interrogans serovar canicola as a resource for the identification of common serovar immunogenic proteins.over 230 serovars of leptospira interrogans have been identified; however few have been completely characterised. the aim of this study was to characterise the proteome of serovar canicola and to compare this against the serovars of copenhageni and pomona. 2d-lc/ms analysis identified 1653 leptospira proteins in serovar canicola; 60 of these proteins were common to copenhageni and pomona, 16 of which are known to be immunogenic. this study provides the first reported proteome for serovar canicol ...201424987528
identification of leptospiral 3-hydroxyacyl-coa dehydrogenase released in the urine of infected hamsters.leptospirosis is a global zoonosis caused by pathogenic leptospira. the non-specific clinical signs and symptoms of leptospirosis lead to its misdiagnosis. to date, there is still no reliable rapid test kit that can accurately diagnose leptospirosis at bedside or in field. in this research, with the ultimate goal of formulating a rapid and accurate diagnostic tool for leptospirosis, we aimed to identify leptospiral proteins excreted in urine of infected hamsters, which are thought to mimic weil' ...201424884439
the relationship between socioeconomic indices and potentially zoonotic pathogens carried by wild norway rats: a survey in rhône, france (2010-2012).leptospira interrogans, hantaviruses (particularly seoul virus), hepatitis e virus (hev), and toxoplasma gondii are rat-associated zoonoses that are responsible for human morbidity and mortality worldwide. this study aimed to describe the infection patterns of these four pathogens in wild rats (rattus norvegicus) across socioeconomic levels in neighbourhoods in lyon, france. the infection or exposure status was determined using polymerase chain reaction or serology for 178 wild rats captured in ...201424838220
the relationship between socioeconomic indices and potentially zoonotic pathogens carried by wild norway rats: a survey in rhône, france (2010-2012).leptospira interrogans, hantaviruses (particularly seoul virus), hepatitis e virus (hev), and toxoplasma gondii are rat-associated zoonoses that are responsible for human morbidity and mortality worldwide. this study aimed to describe the infection patterns of these four pathogens in wild rats (rattus norvegicus) across socioeconomic levels in neighbourhoods in lyon, france. the infection or exposure status was determined using polymerase chain reaction or serology for 178 wild rats captured in ...201424838220
kdo2 -lipid a: structural diversity and impact on immunopharmacology.3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid-lipid a (kdo2 -lipid a) is the essential component of lipopolysaccharide in most gram-negative bacteria and the minimal structural component to sustain bacterial viability. it serves as the active component of lipopolysaccharide to stimulate potent host immune responses through the complex of toll-like-receptor 4 (tlr4) and myeloid differentiation protein 2. the entire biosynthetic pathway of escherichia coli kdo2 -lipid a has been elucidated and the nine enzymes ...201424838025
kdo2 -lipid a: structural diversity and impact on immunopharmacology.3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid-lipid a (kdo2 -lipid a) is the essential component of lipopolysaccharide in most gram-negative bacteria and the minimal structural component to sustain bacterial viability. it serves as the active component of lipopolysaccharide to stimulate potent host immune responses through the complex of toll-like-receptor 4 (tlr4) and myeloid differentiation protein 2. the entire biosynthetic pathway of escherichia coli kdo2 -lipid a has been elucidated and the nine enzymes ...201424838025
myocarditis, pancreatitis, polyarthritis, mononeuritis multiplex and vasculitis with symmetrical peripheral gangrene of the lower extremities as a rare presentation of leptospirosis: a case report and review of the literature.leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by the spirochete, leptospira interrogans. while most cases of leptospirosis are mild to moderate, the course may be complicated by multiorgan dysfunction. we present a rare case of leptospirosis with acute myocarditis, pancreatitis, polyarthritis, mononeuritis multiplex and severe vasculitis with necrosis of the extremities.201424885926
renal failure, hepatitis and myocarditis in a previously healthy man. 201425285107
differences among children, adolescents and adults with severe leptospirosis: a comparative analysis.leptospirosis is a zoonosis of global importance caused by leptospira interrogans. the aim of this study was to compare the data between children, adolescents and adults with leptospirosis. this is a retrospective study including a total of 373 consecutive patients with leptospirosis, admitted to tertiary hospitals in northeast of brazil, from may 1985 to august 2010. the patients were divided into two groups (age ≤21 years and >21 years). the adults were 304 (81.5%) of the population, with a me ...201425120294
a rare case of weil's disease with alveolar haemorrhage.leptospirosis, a disease of protean manifestations occurs sporadically throughout the year with a peak seasonal incidence during the rainy season mimicking other febrile viral illness. in the rare case, the disease leads to renal and hepatic involvement with hemorrhage which may be associated with multisystem organ dysfunction in form of pulmonary, cardiac and central nervous system, when it is known as weil's disease. rarely haemorrhagic manifestations are assosciated. early diagnosis is import ...201425183149
cardiolipin synthetase is involved in antagonistic interaction (reverse camp phenomenon) of mycoplasma species with staphylococcus aureus beta-hemolysis.mycoplasma hyorhinis has been implicated in a variety of swine diseases. however, little is known about the hemolytic capabilities of mycoplasma species in general or m. hyorhinis in particular. in this study, we show that m. hyorhinis possesses beta-hemolytic activity which may be involved in the invasion process. m. hyorhinis also possesses antagonistic cooperativity (reverse camp phenomenon) with staphylococcus aureus beta-hemolysis, resulting in the protection of erythrocytes from the beta-h ...201424599982
seroprevalence of bovine leptospiral antibodies by microscopic agglutination test in southeast of iran.to evaluate serological findings of bovine leptospirosis which is a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution caused by leptospira interrogans.201425182718
gram-negative marine bacteria: structural features of lipopolysaccharides and their relevance for economically important diseases.gram-negative marine bacteria can thrive in harsh oceanic conditions, partly because of the structural diversity of the cell wall and its components, particularly lipopolysaccharide (lps). lps is composed of three main parts, an o-antigen, lipid a, and a core region, all of which display immense structural variations among different bacterial species. these components not only provide cell integrity but also elicit an immune response in the host, which ranges from other marine organisms to human ...201424796306
acute undifferentiated febrile illness in rural cambodia: a 3-year prospective observational study.in the past decade, malaria control has been successfully implemented in cambodia, leading to a substantial decrease in reported cases. wide-spread use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (rdts) has revealed a large burden of malaria-negative fever cases, for which no clinical management guidelines exist at peripheral level health facilities. as a first step towards developing such guidelines, a 3-year cross-sectional prospective observational study was designed to investigate the causes of acute ...201424755844
epidemiological investigation of a human leptospirosis case reported in a suburban area near marseille.leptospirosis has been re-emerging in both developed and developing countries, including in europe, where the phenomenon has notably been associated with urban transmission. in this work, we describe an epidemiological investigation that demonstrated a case of human infection due to peri-urban transmission of leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae in southeastern france.201425356349
structural basis for the recognition of peptide rjpxd33 by acyltransferases in lipid a biosynthesis.udp-n-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase (lpxa) and udp-3-o-(acyl)-glucosamine acyltransferase (lpxd) constitute the essential, early acyltransferases of lipid a biosynthesis. recently, an antimicrobial peptide inhibitor, rjpxd33, was identified with dual affinity for lpxa and lpxd. to gain a fundamental understanding of the molecular basis of inhibitor binding, we determined the crystal structure of lpxa from escherichia coli in complex with rjpxd33 at 1.9 å resolutions. our results suggest that ...201424742680
mechanistic and bioinformatic investigation of a conserved active site helix in α-isopropylmalate synthase from mycobacterium tuberculosis, a member of the dre-tim metallolyase superfamily.the characterization of functionally diverse enzyme superfamilies provides the opportunity to identify evolutionarily conserved catalytic strategies, as well as amino acid substitutions responsible for the evolution of new functions or specificities. isopropylmalate synthase (ipms) belongs to the dre-tim metallolyase superfamily. members of this superfamily share common active site elements, including a conserved active site helix and an hxh divalent metal binding motif, associated with stabiliz ...201424720347
oxidative stress markers correlate with renal dysfunction and thrombocytopenia in severe leptospirosis.leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that causes severe manifestations such as weil's disease and pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome. the aim of this study was to evaluate whether reactive oxygen species (ros) production and antioxidant reduced glutathione (gsh) levels are related to complications in patients hospitalized with leptospirosis. the ros production and gsh levels were measured in blood samples of 12 patients and nine healthy controls using chemiluminescence and absorbance assays. we found ...201424493675
a brief review: the z-curve theory and its application in genome analysis.in theoretical physics, there exist two basic mathematical approaches, algebraic and geometrical methods, which, in most cases, are complementary. in the area of genome sequence analysis, however, algebraic approaches have been widely used, while geometrical approaches have been less explored for a long time. the z-curve theory is a geometrical approach to genome analysis. the z-curve is a three-dimensional curve that represents a given dna sequence in the sense that each can be uniquely reconst ...201424822026
vaccination with leptospiral outer membrane lipoprotein lipl32 reduces kidney invasion of leptospira interrogans serovar canicola in hamsters.the leptospira interrogans vaccines currently available are serovar specific and require regular booster immunizations to maintain protection of the host. in addition, a hamster challenge batch potency test is necessary to evaluate these vaccines prior to market release, requiring the use of a large number of animals, which is ethically and financially undesirable. our previous work showed that the n terminus of the outer membrane protein lipl32 was altered in leptospira interrogans serovar cani ...201424521782
epstein-barr virus infection with acute acalculous cholecystitis.acute acalculous cholecystitis (aac) is an inflammation of the gallbladder in the absence of demonstrated stones. aac is frequently associated with severe systemic inflammation. however, the exact etiology and pathogenesis of aac still remain unclear. acute infection with epstein barr virus (ebv) in childhood is usually aymptomatic, whereas it often presents as typical infectious mononucleosis symptoms such as fever, cervical lymphadenopathy, and hepatosplenomegaly. aac may occur during the cour ...201424749090
the characteristics of wild rat (rattus spp.) populations from an inner-city neighborhood with a focus on factors critical to the understanding of rat-associated zoonoses.norway and black rats (rattus norvegicus and rattus rattus) are among the most ubiquitous urban wildlife species and are the source of a number of zoonotic diseases responsible for significant human morbidity and mortality in cities around the world. rodent ecology is a primary determinant of the dynamics of zoonotic pathogens in rodent populations and the risk of pathogen transmission to people, yet many studies of rat-associated zoonoses do not account for the ecological characteristics of urb ...201424646877
identification of sphingomyelinase on the surface of chlamydia pneumoniae: possible role in the entry into its host cells.we have recently suggested a novel mechanism, autoendocytosis, for the entry of certain microbes into their hosts, with a key role played by the sphingomyelinase-catalyzed topical conversion of sphingomyelin to ceramide, the differences in the biophysical properties of these two lipids providing the driving force. the only requirement for such microbes to utilize this mechanism is that they should have a catalytically active smase on their outer surface while the target cells should expose sphin ...201424757444
structural characterization of mepb from staphylococcus aureus reveals homology to endonucleases.the meprab operon in staphylococcus aureus has been identified to play a role in drug resistance. although the functions of mepa and mepr are known, little information is available on the function of mepb. here we report the x-ray structure of mepb to 2.1 å revealing its structural similarity to the pd-(d/e)xk family of endonucleases. we further show that mepb binds dna and rna, with a higher affinity towards rna and single stranded dna than towards double stranded dna. notably, the pd-(d/e)xk c ...201424501097
safety of fluralaner chewable tablets (bravecto), a novel systemic antiparasitic drug, in dogs after oral administration.fluralaner is a novel systemic insecticide and acaricide that provides long acting efficacy in dogs after a single oral treatment. this study investigated the safety of oral administration of fluralaner in chewable tablets to dogs at the highest recommended treatment dose and at multiples of this dose.201424606886
structural insights into e. coli porphobilinogen deaminase during synthesis and exit of 1-hydroxymethylbilane.porphobilinogen deaminase (pbgd) catalyzes the formation of 1-hydroxymethylbilane (hmb), a crucial intermediate in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, through a step-wise polymerization of four molecules of porphobilinogen (pbg), using a unique dipyrromethane (dpm) cofactor. structural and biochemical studies have suggested residues with catalytic importance, but their specific role in the mechanism and the dynamic behavior of the protein with respect to the growing pyrrole chain remains unknown. molecul ...201424603363
vaccine-associated leptospira antibodies in client-owned dogs.long-term microscopic agglutination test (mat) results after vaccination with 4-serovar leptospira vaccines are not available for all vaccines used in client-owned dogs.201424597674
regional and temporal variations of leptospira seropositivity in dogs in the united states, 2000-2010.previous studies have reported a seasonal increased risk for leptospirosis, but there is no consistent seasonality reported across regions in the united states.201424597659
diagnostic efficacy of lsa63 antigen for human leptospirosis.timely diagnosis of leptospirosis is essential for early and effective treatment, for there are many differential diagnoses for it.. leptospiral researchers have an increasing interest in developing new serological methods with recombinant antigens to improve the leptospirosis diagnosis. several serological tests have been developed for the proper diagnosis of leptospirosis.201424829775
purification and biophysical characterization of the capa membrane protein ftt0807 from francisella tularensis.the capa gene (ftt0807) from francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis schu s4 encodes a 44.4 kda integral membrane protein composed of 403 amino acid residues that is part of an apparent operon that encodes at least two other membrane proteins, capb, and capc, which together play a critical role in the virulence and pathogenesis of this bacterium. the capa gene was overexpressed in escherichia coli as a c-terminal his6-tagged fusion with a folding reporter green fluorescent protein (frgfp). puri ...201424593131
loop-mediated isothermal amplification for rickettsia typhi (the causal agent of murine typhus): problems with diagnosis at the limit of detection.murine typhus is a flea-borne disease of worldwide distribution caused by rickettsia typhi. although treatment with tetracycline antibiotics is effective, treatment is often misguided or delayed due to diagnostic difficulties. as the gold standard immunofluorescence assay is imperfect, we aimed to develop and evaluate a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) assay. lamp assays have the potential to fulfill the who assured criteria (affordable, sensitive, specific, user friendly, robust an ...201424371248
detection of leptospira spp. in wildlife reservoir hosts in ontario through comparison of immunohistochemical and polymerase chain reaction genotyping methods.a total of 460 kidney samples from wildlife (beavers, coyotes, deer, foxes, opossums, otters, raccoons, skunks) were obtained from road-kill and hunter/trapper donations in ontario between january 2010 and november 2012. the objectives of the study were to detect leptospira spp. by immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (pcr), to map presence of leptospires in wildlife relative to livestock and human populations, and to characterize positive samples by sequencing and comparison to le ...201424587507
diagnosis of canine leptospirosis by a highly sensitive fret-pcr targeting the lig genes.canine leptospirosis is underdiagnosed due to its wide spectrum of clinical presentations and the lack of a rapid and sensitive test for the accurate diagnosis of acute and chronic infections. in this study, we developed a highly sensitive and specific fluorescence resonance energy transfer (fret)-pcr to detect common pathogenic leptospires in dogs, including leptospira interrogans serovars autumnalis, canicola, copenhageni (icterohaemorrhagiae serogroup) and pomona, and leptospira kirschneri se ...201424586833
haemophilus ducreyi hfq contributes to virulence gene regulation as cells enter stationary phase.to adapt to stresses encountered in stationary phase, gram-negative bacteria utilize the alternative sigma factor rpos. however, some species lack rpos; thus, it is unclear how stationary-phase adaptation is regulated in these organisms. here we defined the growth-phase-dependent transcriptomes of haemophilus ducreyi, which lacks an rpos homolog. compared to mid-log-phase organisms, cells harvested from the stationary phase upregulated genes encoding several virulence determinants and a homolog ...201424520065
genotypes of pathogenic leptospira spp isolated from rodents in argentina.leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world and significant efforts have been made to determine and classify pathogenic leptospira strains. this zoonosis is maintained in nature through chronic renal infections of carrier animals, with rodents and other small mammals serving as the most important reservoirs. additionally, domestic animals, such as livestock and dogs, are significant sources of human infection. in this study, a multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis ...201424676656
sero-prevalence and risk factors for leptospirosis in abattoir workers in new zealand.leptospirosis is an important occupational disease in new zealand. the objectives of this study were to determine risk factors for sero-prevalence of leptospiral antibodies in abattoir workers. sera were collected from 567 abattoir workers and tested by microscopic agglutination for leptospira interrogans sv. pomona and leptospira borgpetersenii sv. hardjobovis. association between prevalence and risk factors were determined by species specific multivariable analysis. eleven percent of workers h ...201424503973
seroprevalence of leptospira hardjo in cattle and african buffalos in southwestern uganda.leptospirosis, caused by the spirochete bacterium leptospira spp. is a zoonosis, distributed worldwide and classified as an emerging infectious disease. fatal outcomes to leptospiral infection do occur and the disease can cause abortion and other reproductive problems in cattle, goats, and pigs. in humans the symptoms range from subclinical infection to acute febrile illness, pulmonary hemorrhage and renal failure. leptospirosis has never been officially reported to the world health organization ...201424323512
leptospirosis in pregnancy with pathological fetal cardiotocography changes.we report the case of a 33-year-old primigravida who presented at 37 weeks of gestation with symptoms suggestive of acute fatty liver of pregnancy, but was later diagnosed with leptospirosis (i.e. weil’s disease or syndrome) on serological testing. cardiotocography showed fetal distress, and an emergency caesarean section was performed. a healthy neonate with no evidence of congenital leptospirosis was delivered. the patient was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone and discharged well 13 days af ...201424712035
identification of a proton-chloride antiporter (eric) by himar1 transposon mutagenesis in lactobacillus reuteri and its role in histamine production.the gut microbiome may modulate intestinal immunity by luminal conversion of dietary amino acids to biologically active signals. the model probiotic organism lactobacillus reuteri atcc pta 6475 is indigenous to the human microbiome, and converts the amino acid l-histidine to the biogenic amine, histamine. histamine suppresses tumor necrosis factor (tnf) production by human myeloid cells and is a product of l-histidine decarboxylation, which is a proton-facilitated reaction. a transposon mutagene ...201424488273
role of 72 kda protein of leptospira interrogans as a diagnostic marker in acute leptospirosis.leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease and a public health problem, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries. varied clinical manifestations of the disease frequently lead to misdiagnosis resulting in life-threatening multi-organ complications. therefore, early laboratory investigation using an appropriate diagnostic approach is crucial. in the present study, a potential protein marker was identified and evaluated for its usefulness in the serodiagnosis of acute leptospirosis.201424718408
tropical fevers: management guidelines.tropical fevers were defined as infections that are prevalent in, or are unique to tropical and subtropical regions. some of these occur throughout the year and some especially in rainy and post-rainy season. concerned about high prevalence and morbidity and mortality caused by these infections, and overlapping clinical presentations, difficulties in arriving at specific diagnoses and need for early empiric treatment, indian society of critical care medicine (isccm) constituted an expert committ ...201424678147
bacteria isolated from conspecific bite wounds in norway and black rats: implications for rat bite-associated infections in people.bites associated with wild and domestic norway and black rats (rattus norvegicus and rattus rattus) may have a variety of health consequences in people. bite-related infections are among the most significant of these consequences; however, there is little data on the infectious agents that can be transmitted from rats to people through biting. this is problematic because without an accurate understanding of bite-related infection risks, it is difficult for health professionals to evaluate the ad ...201424528094
factors associated with thrombocytopenia in severe leptospirosis (weil's disease).this study was conducted to investigate factors associated with thrombocytopenia in a large cohort of patients with leptospirosis in an endemic area.201424519201
high-resolution typing of leptospira interrogans strains by multispacer sequence typing.leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis which is responsible for the typical form of weil's disease. the epidemiological surveillance of the leptospira species agent is important for host prevalence control. although the genotyping methods have progressed, the identification of some serovars remains ambiguous. we investigated the multispacer sequence typing (mst) method for genotyping strains belonging to the species leptospira interrogans, which is the main agent of leptospirosis worldwide. a tot ...201424478489
carriage of clostridium difficile by wild urban norway rats (rattus norvegicus) and black rats (rattus rattus).clostridium difficile is an important cause of enteric infections in humans. recently, concerns have been raised regarding whether animals could be a source of c. difficile spores. although colonization has been identified in a number of domestic species, the ability of commensal pests to serve as a reservoir for c. difficile has not been well investigated. the objective of this study was to determine whether urban rats (rattus spp.) from vancouver, canada, carry c. difficile. clostridium diffic ...201424317079
comprehensive absolute quantification of the cytosolic proteome of bacillus subtilis by data independent, parallel fragmentation in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (lc/ms(e)).in the growing field of systems biology, the knowledge of protein concentrations is highly required to truly understand metabolic and adaptational networks within the cells. therefore we established a workflow relying on long chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric analysis by data independent, parallel fragmentation of all precursor ions at the same time (lc/ms(e)). by prevention of discrimination of co-eluting low and high abundant peptides a high average sequence coverage of 40% cou ...201424696501
leptospira interrogans binds to cadherins.leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic species of leptospira, is the most widespread zoonosis and has emerged as a major public health problem worldwide. the adhesion of pathogenic leptospira to host cells, and to extracellular matrix (ecm) components, is likely to be necessary for the ability of leptospires to penetrate, disseminate and persist in mammalian host tissues. previous work demonstrated that pathogenic l. interrogans binds to host cells more efficiently than to ecm. using two independen ...201424498454
leptospira interrogans induces fibrosis in the mouse kidney through inos-dependent, tlr- and nlr-independent signaling pathways.leptospira (l.) interrogans are bacteria responsible for a worldwide reemerging zoonosis. rodents carry l. interrogans asymptomatically in their kidneys and excrete bacteria in the urine, contaminating the environment. humans get infected through skin contact and develop a mild or severe leptospirosis that may lead to renal failure and fibrosis. l. interrogans provoke an interstitial nephritis, but the induction of fibrosis caused by l. interrogans has not been studied in murine models. innate i ...201424498450
central cavity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and the evolution of amp/fructose 2,6-bisphosphate synergism in eukaryotic organisms.the effects of amp and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (fru-2,6-p2) on porcine fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (pfbpase) and escherichia coli fbpase (efbpase) differ in three respects. amp/fru-2,6-p2 synergism in pfbpase is absent in efbpase. fru-2,6-p2 induces a 13° subunit pair rotation in pfbpase but no rotation in efbpase. hydrophilic side chains in efbpase occupy what otherwise would be a central aqueous cavity observed in pfbpase. explored here is the linkage of amp/fru-2,6-p2 synergism to the centr ...201424436333
serologic and urinary pcr survey of leptospirosis in healthy cats and in cats with kidney disease.although there is serologic evidence of exposure of cats to leptospira spp., clinical disease is rarely reported in cats.201424417764
human leptospirosis on reunion island: past and current burden.since 1953, leptospirosis has been recognized as a public health problem on reunion island. in 2004, was implemented a specific surveillance system that included systematic reporting and the realization of environmental investigations around hospitalized cases. here, we present the synthesis of historical data and the assessment of 9 years of leptospirosis surveillance. from 2004 to 2012, 414 hospitalized cases were reported. cases of leptospirosis occurred mostly during the rainy season from de ...201424434593
identification and characterization of a putative chemotaxis protein, chey, from the oral pathogen campylobacter rectus.campylobacter rectus is an understudied oral bacterium that contributes to periodontitis. processes that contribute to the disease-causing capabilities of pathogens, such as chemotaxis, are largely unknown in c. rectus. the aim of this study was to better understand c. rectus chemotaxis, by examining the c. rectus genome for the presence of a chey gene. chey proteins play a part in chemotaxis by acting as two-component response regulators. significantly, chey proteins from several pathogens, inc ...201425598863
infections by leptospira interrogans, seoul virus, and bartonella spp. among norway rats (rattus norvegicus) from the urban slum environment in brazil.norway rats (rattus norvegicus) are reservoir hosts for zoonotic pathogens that cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans. studies evaluating the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens in tropical norway rat populations are rare, and data on co-infection with multiple pathogens are nonexistent. herein, we describe the prevalence of leptospiral carriage, seoul virus (seov), and bartonella spp. infection independently, in addition to the rates of co-infection among urban, slum-dwelling norway ...201424359425
first overall report of leptospira infections in wild boars in poland.recently an increase in the population of wild boars (sus scrofa) in europe has been observed. this is important from a zoonotic perspective because it influences directly on the spread of many diseases. for the first time, an extensive survey on the prevalence of leptospira infections in polish wild boars was performed. during the hunting season 2012-2014, 3621 blood samples from wild boars were collected. the animals originated from different geographical areas across poland. serum samples wer ...201526754249
first overall report of leptospira infections in wild boars in poland.recently an increase in the population of wild boars (sus scrofa) in europe has been observed. this is important from a zoonotic perspective because it influences directly on the spread of many diseases. for the first time, an extensive survey on the prevalence of leptospira infections in polish wild boars was performed. during the hunting season 2012-2014, 3621 blood samples from wild boars were collected. the animals originated from different geographical areas across poland. serum samples wer ...201526754249
are pathogenic leptospira species agents of community-acquired pneumonia? case reports of leptospirosis presenting as pneumonia.we report four indonesian cases meeting the clinical and radiological criteria for community-acquired pneumonia and other findings suggestive of leptospirosis. quantitative pcr (qpcr) analyses of serum and urine samples and serology confirmed the diagnosis of leptospirosis in each. results of qpcr analysis of throat swabs were concordant with those obtained with acute-phase serum samples, which suggests its potential for use as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for leptospirosis.201526511741
are pathogenic leptospira species agents of community-acquired pneumonia? case reports of leptospirosis presenting as pneumonia.we report four indonesian cases meeting the clinical and radiological criteria for community-acquired pneumonia and other findings suggestive of leptospirosis. quantitative pcr (qpcr) analyses of serum and urine samples and serology confirmed the diagnosis of leptospirosis in each. results of qpcr analysis of throat swabs were concordant with those obtained with acute-phase serum samples, which suggests its potential for use as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for leptospirosis.201526511741
differential toll-like receptor-signalling of burkholderia pseudomallei lipopolysaccharide in murine and human models.the gram-negative bacterium burkholderia pseudomallei causes melioidosis and is a cdc category b bioterrorism agent. toll-like receptor (tlr)-2 impairs host defense during pulmonary b.pseudomallei infection while tlr4 only has limited impact. we investigated the role of tlrs in b.pseudomallei-lipopolysaccharide (lps) induced inflammation. purified b.pseudomallei-lps activated only tlr2-transfected-hek-cells during short stimulation but both hek-tlr2 and hek-tlr4-cells after 24 h. in human blood, ...201526689559
seroprevalence of leptospiral infection in feline population in urban and dairy cattle herds in mashhad, iran.the importance of cats in the leptospira epidemiology is due to the possibility of transferring leptospirosis to wild and domesticated animals. the purpose of this survey was to determine the prevalence of leptospira infection in shorthair cats in different location of mashhad, iran. totally, 147 blood samples were taken from 42 (28.57%), 52 (35.37%) and 53 (36.05%) households, stray and cats which lived in industrial dairy cattle herds of mashhad, iran, respectively. sera were tested with seven ...201526973765
trnas taking charge.most bacterial toxins derived from chromosomally encoded toxin-antitoxin (ta) systems that have been studied to date appear to protect cells from relatively short pulses of stress by triggering a reversible state of growth arrest. in contrast to many bacterial toxins that are produced as defense mechanisms and secreted from their hosts, ta toxins exert their protective effect from within the cell that produces them. ta toxin-mediated growth arrest is most frequently achieved through their abilit ...201526657107
trnas taking charge.most bacterial toxins derived from chromosomally encoded toxin-antitoxin (ta) systems that have been studied to date appear to protect cells from relatively short pulses of stress by triggering a reversible state of growth arrest. in contrast to many bacterial toxins that are produced as defense mechanisms and secreted from their hosts, ta toxins exert their protective effect from within the cell that produces them. ta toxin-mediated growth arrest is most frequently achieved through their abilit ...201526657107
correction: fine mapping of the interaction between c4b-binding protein and outer membrane proteins liga and ligb of pathogenic leptospira interrogans. 201526636670
dna prime-protein boost based vaccination with a conserved region of leptospiral immunoglobulin-like a and b proteins enhances protection against leptospirosis.leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the leptospira genus. vaccination with bacterins has severe limitations. here, we evaluated the n-terminal region of the leptospiral immunoglobulin-like b protein (ligbrep) as a vaccine candidate against leptospirosis using immunisation strategies based on dna prime-protein boost, dna vaccine, and subunit vaccine. upon challenge with a virulent strain ofleptospira interrogans, the prime-boost and dna vaccine approaches induc ...201526676320
heterogenic colonization patterns by leptospira interrogans in rattus norvegicus from urban slums.we evaluated the renal colonization by leptospira interrogans in rattus norvegicus (rats), as it is the major natural reservoir of urban leptospirosis. we caught 72 r. norvegicus, out of which 32 were found to be positive for l. interrogans by immunofluorescence assay. from these rats, we selected 17 and divided them into six groups based on the mass-age/sex. we performed the immunohistochemistry test against l. interrogans in the kidney sections of the rats and systematically counted the coloni ...201526691476
factors associated with severe leptospirosis, martinique, 2010-2013.to identify factors associated with disease severity, we examined 102 patients with quantitative pcr-confirmed leptospirosis in martinique during 2010-2013. associated factors were hypotension, chest auscultation abnormalities, icterus, oligo/anuria, thrombocytopenia, prothrombin time <68%, high levels of leptospiremia, and infection with l. interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae/copenhageni.201526583702
a systematic review of changes in marine mammal health in north america, 1972-2012: the need for a novel integrated approach.marine mammals are often cited as "sentinels of ocean health" yet accessible, synthesized data on their health changes that could effectively warn of ocean health changes are rare. the objectives of this study were to 1) perform a systematic review of published cases of marine mammal disease to determine spatial and temporal trends in disease from 1972-2012, including changes in regions and taxa affected and specific causes; and 2) compare numbers of published cases of neoplasia with known, hosp ...201526579715
leptospira and bats: story of an emerging friendship. 201526562435
distribution of plasmids in distinct leptospira pathogenic species.leptospirosis, caused by pathogenic leptospira, is a worldwide zoonotic infection. the genus leptospira includes at least 21 species clustered into three groups--pathogens, non-pathogens, and intermediates--based on 16s rrna phylogeny. research on leptospira is difficult due to slow growth and poor transformability of the pathogens. recent identification of extrachromosomal elements besides the two chromosomes in l. interrogans has provided new insight into genome complexity of the genus leptosp ...201526555137
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