Publications

abdominal infections in patients with acute leukaemia: a prospective study applying ultrasonography and microbiology.	a prospective study of 62 chemotherapy-induced neutropenic episodes in patients with acute leukaemia was conducted to determine the incidence and causes of abdominal infections, and to assess the diagnostic value of the combined use of ultrasonography (us) and microbiology. each patient underwent us of liver, gallbladder and complete bowel before chemotherapy, on days 2-4 after the end of chemotherapy and in cases of fever, diarrhoea or abdominal pain. us was combined with a standardized clinica ...	2002	11972517
generation of campylobacter jejuni genetic diversity in vivo.	molecular epidemiology studies suggest that horizontal genetic exchange is a major cause of pathogen biodiversity. we tested this concept for the bacterial enteropathogen campylobacter jejuni by seeking direct in vivo evidence for the exchange of genetic material among campylobacter strains. for this purpose, two antibiotic resistance markers were inserted into the hipo or htra gene of genetically distinct and naturally transformable c. jejuni strains. genetic exchange of the resistance markers ...	2002	11972775
high-density microarray of small-subunit ribosomal dna probes.	ribosomal dna sequence analysis, originally conceived as a way to provide a universal phylogeny for life forms, has proven useful in many areas of biological research. some of the most promising applications of this approach are presently limited by the rate at which sequences can be analyzed. as a step toward overcoming this limitation, we have investigated the use of photolithography chip technology to perform sequence analyses on amplified small-subunit rrna genes. the genechip (affymetrix co ...	2002	11976131
the sece gene of helicobacter pylori.	despite extensive annotation by two independent teams, the helicobacter pylori genome appeared to lack a complete secretion machinery. the use of clinical isolates to substantiate in silico annotation is used here to identify the missing sece component of the major secretion machinery of helicobacter pylori.	2002	11976315
multilocus sequence typing for characterization of clinical and environmental salmonella strains.	multilocus sequence typing (mlst) based on the 16s rna, pduf, glna, and manb genes was developed for salmonella, and its discriminatory ability was compared to those of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge) and serotyping. pfge differentiated several strains undifferentiable by serotyping, and 78 distinct pfge types were identified among 231 salmonella isolates grouped into 22 serotypes and 12 strains of undetermined serotype. the strains of several pfge types were further differentiated by ml ...	2002	11980932
development and application of a new scheme for typing campylobacter jejuni and campylobacter coli by pcr-based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.	a molecular typing approach for campylobacter jejuni and campylobacter coli was developed with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of a 9.6-kb pcr-amplified portion of the lipopolysaccharide gene cluster. sixty-one penner serotype reference strains were analyzed with this new genotyping scheme, and 32 genogroups were found. eleven additional genogroups were obtained from 87 clinical c. jejuni strains tested. this molecular typing method shows a correlation with the penner heat-stab ...	2002	11980961
the physiology of campylobacter species and its relevance to their role as foodborne pathogens.	campylobacter jejuni and c. coli are recognised as the leading causes of bacterial foodborne diarrhoeal disease throughout the development world. while most foodborne bacterial pathogens are considered to be relatively robust organisms, as a consequence of the necessity to survive the inimical conditions imposed by food processing and preservation, campylobacter species have uniquely fastidious growth requirements and an unusual sensitivity to environmental stress. campylobacters also lack many ...	2002	11981968
antibody reactivity of a standardized human serum protein solution against a spectrum of microbial pathogens and toxins: comparison with fresh frozen plasma.	in this study, we compared a standardized solution of human serum protein (hsp) and fresh frozen plasma (ffp) with regard to the antibody specificity against a number of microbial pathogens and some important pathogenicity factors of bacterial pathogens. due to the clinical use of hsp and ffp for therapeutical plasma exchange, we have chosen a spectrum of microbial pathogens for serological analysis that is critical in clinical settings. with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique, we c ...	2002	11982956
antibiotics in agriculture: when is it time to close the barn door?		2002	11983874
mutator clones of neisseria meningitidis in epidemic serogroup a disease.	serogroup a neisseria meningitidis has repeatedly caused widespread epidemics of meningitis and septicemia throughout the 20th century. recently, in a limited collection of strains, epidemic serogroup a isolates were found to have elevated mutation rates that was caused by defects in mismatch repair pathways. to ascertain the role of these mutators in the epidemic spread of this serogroup, the prevalence of hypermutability in a collection of 95 serogroup a n. meningitidis invasive isolates was d ...	2002	11983903
identification of n-acetylgalactosamine-containing glycoproteins peb3 and cgpa in campylobacter jejuni.	it was demonstrated recently that there is a system of general protein glycosylation in the human enteropathogen campylobacter jejuni. to characterize such glycoproteins, we identified a lectin, soybean agglutinin (sba), which binds to multiple c. jejuni proteins on western blots. binding of lectin sba was disrupted by mutagenesis of genes within the previously identified protein glycosylation locus. this lectin was used to purify putative glycoproteins selectively and, after sodium dodecyl sulp ...	2002	11985725
cloning and expression of a helicobacter bilis immunoreactive protein.	in an effort to identify immunoreactive helicobacter bilis antigens with potential for serodiagnosis, sera from mice experimentally infected with h. bilis were used to screen an h. bilis genomic dna expression library. among 17 immunoreactive clones, several contained sequences that encoded a predicted 167-kda protein (p167). five overlapping p167 peptides (p167a to p167e) of approximately 40 kda each were generated and tested. immune sera reacted with fragments p167c and p167d at dilutions of 1 ...	2002	11986271
quorum sensing in campylobacter jejuni: detection of a luxs encoded signalling molecule.	the expression of a wide variety of physiological functions in many bacterial species is modulated by quorum sensing, a population-dependent signalling mechanism that involves the production and detection of extracellular signalling molecules. the genome sequence of campylobacter jejuni nctc 11168 contains a gene encoding an orthologue of luxs, which is required for autoinducer-2 (ai-2) production in other bacterial species, but does not contain genes predicted to encode any known acyl-homoserin ...	2002	11988522
human diseases caused by foodborne pathogens of animal origin.	many lines of evidence link antimicrobial-resistant human infections to foodborne pathogens of animal origin. types of evidence reviewed include: (1) direct epidemiologic studies; (2) temporal evidence; (3) additional circumstantial evidence; (4) trends in antimicrobial resistance among salmonella isolates; and (5) trends in antimicrobial resistance among other pathogens, such as campylobacter jejuni. commensal microorganisms in animals and humans may contribute to antimicrobial resistance among ...	2002	11988881
excess infections due to antimicrobial resistance: the "attributable fraction".	antimicrobial use causes a transient decrease in an individual's resistance to colonization by noncommensal bacteria ("competitive effect") and increases the likelihood of infection upon exposure to a foodborne pathogen. the additional "selective effect" of antimicrobial resistance results in a >3-fold increase in vulnerability to infection by an antimicrobial-resistant pathogen among individuals receiving antimicrobial therapy for unrelated reasons. combining the increase in vulnerability to in ...	2002	11988883
[spontaneous peritonitis induced by campylobacter spp in patients with liver cirrhosis. report of 2 cases and review of the literature].	campylobacter spp is not usual as the aetiology agent for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. we report two cases of spontaneous peritonitis due to campylobacter jejuni diagnosed in our hospital and review the literature trough medline data base. we found 13 cases of spontaneous peritonitis in which campylobacter sp was isolated from ascitic fluid. the main characteristics of these cases were: the existence of an evolved alcoholic cirrhosis, a high positivity of blood cultures as well as a high r ...	2002	11989076
a complete sequence of the t. tengcongensis genome.	thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis is a rod-shaped, gram-negative, anaerobic eubacterium that was isolated from a freshwater hot spring in tengchong, china. using a whole-genome-shotgun method, we sequenced its 2,689,445-bp genome from an isolate, mb4(t) (genbank accession no. ae008691). the genome encodes 2588 predicted coding sequences (cds). among them, 1764 (68.2%) are classified according to homology to other documented proteins, and the rest, 824 cds (31.8%), are functionally unknown. one of ...	2002	11997336
protein coding palindromes are a unique but recurrent feature in rickettsia.	rickettsia are unique in inserting in-frame a number of palindromic sequences within protein coding regions. in this study, we extensively analyzed repeated sequences in the genome of rickettsia conorii and examined their locations in regard to coding versus noncoding regions. we identified 656 interspersed repeated sequences classified into 10 distinct families. of the 10 families, three palindromic sequence families showed clear cases of insertions into open reading frames (orfs). the location ...	2002	11997347
[colonisation studies using campylobacter jejuni in chicks].	white leghorn chicks used in this study were hatched from specific pathogen-free eggs. the colonizing capability of campylobacter (c.) jejuni strains was investigated in 6 experiments. the formation of specific antibodies associated to colonization was also detected. in each experiment, day of hatch chicks were randomly separated into three groups of 24 birds each: two groups colonized experimentally and one control group. chicks were reared on the floor in three separated, adjacent rooms with s ...	2002	11998367
[mixed infections of rotaviruses and campylobacter jejuni in caco-2 cells].	a mixed infection with rotavirus and 3 different campylobacter jejuni strains was analysed in caco-2 cells, a cell line highly susceptible to these pathogens. the results obtained showed no influence of the virus preinfection on the campylobacter jejuni adhesion or internalisation in caco-2 cells. confocal laser scanning microscopy of mixed infected cells confirmed these results. the data from the present study indicate that specific rather than nonspecific mechanisms are involved in the interac ...	2002	11998368
functional characterisation of mycobacterial dna gyrase: an efficient decatenase.	a rapid single step immunoaffinity purification procedure is described for mycobacterium smegmatis dna gyrase. the mycobacterial enzyme is a 340 kda heterotetrameric protein comprising two subunits each of gyra and gyrb, exhibiting subtle differences and similarities to the well-characterised escherichia coli gyrase. in contrast to e.coli gyrase, the m.smegmatis enzyme exhibits strong decatenase activity at physiological mg2+ concentrations. further, the enzymes exhibited marked differences in a ...	2002	12000834
public health implications of campylobacter outbreaks in england and wales, 1995-9: epidemiological and microbiological investigations.	although campylobacter has been the most commonly recognized bacterial cause of gastrointestinal infection in england and wales since 1981, there are few reported campylobacter outbreaks. of the 2374 general outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease reported to cdsc between 1995 and 1999, for which an aetiological agent was identified, campylobacter accounted for only 50 (2%). foodborne transmission was identified in 35 outbreaks and the majority took place in commercial catering establishments ...	2002	12002527
an iron-binding protein, dpr, from streptococcus mutans prevents iron-dependent hydroxyl radical formation in vitro.	the dpr gene is an antioxidant gene which was isolated from the streptococcus mutans chromosome by its ability to complement an alkyl hydroperoxide reductase-deficient mutant of escherichia coli, and it was proven to play an indispensable role in oxygen tolerance in s. mutans. here, we purified the 20-kda dpr gene product, dpr, from a crude extract of s. mutans as an iron-binding protein and found that dpr formed a spherical oligomer about 9 nm in diameter. molecular weight determinations of dpr ...	2002	12003933
antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of campylobacter jejuni strains isolated from hospitalized children in athens, greece.	the antimicrobial susceptibility of 129 campylobacter jejuni strains, isolated from hospitalized children with gastroenteritis, to five antimicrobials, including nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, ampicillin and co-amoxiclav, was determined. isolates belonged to two time periods: group a contained strains isolated in 1987-1988; and group b 1998-2000. antimicrobial susceptibility patterns differed significantly between the two groups with respect to quinolones, with an increase in the p ...	2002	12003974
identification of novel adhesins from group b streptococci by use of phage display reveals that c5a peptidase mediates fibronectin binding.	group b streptococci (gbs) are a major cause of pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis in newborns and infants. gbs initiate infection of the lung by colonizing mucosal surfaces of the respiratory tract; adherence of the bacteria to host cells is presumed to be the initial step in and prerequisite for successful colonization (g. s. tamura, j. m. kuypers, s. smith, h. raff, and c. e. rubens, infect. immun. 62:2450-2458, 1994). we have performed a genome-wide screen to identify novel genes of gbs that ...	2002	12010974
lsaa, an antigen involved in cell attachment and invasion, is expressed by lawsonia intracellularis during infection in vitro and in vivo.	lawsonia intracellularis has been identified recently as the etiological agent of proliferative enteropathies, which are characterized by intestinal epithelial hyperplasia and associated moderate immune responses. this disease complex has been reported in a broad range of animals, prevalently in pigs, and l. intracellularis has been linked with ulcerative colitis in humans. l. intracellularis is an obligate intracellular bacterium, and the pathogenic mechanisms used to cause disease are unknown. ...	2002	12010978
uptake of aspergillus fumigatus conidia by phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells in vitro: quantitation using strains expressing green fluorescent protein.	several pathogenic fungal organisms enter eukaryotic cells and manipulate the host cell environment to favor their own growth and survival. aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus that causes invasive lung disease in the immunocompromised host. to determine whether a. fumigatus could enter eukaryotic cells, we studied the uptake of two different gfp-expressing a. fumigatus strains into a549 lung epithelial cells, human umbilical vein endothelial (huve) cells, and j774 murine macrophages in ...	2002	12011010
molecular cloning of the fur gene from actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.	in several bacterial species, iron availability in host tissues is coordinated with the expression of virulence determinants through the fur gene product. initial experiments showed that a cloned escherichia coli fur gene probe hybridized to southern blots of actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans strain jp2 (serotype b) chromosomal dna. the a. actinomycetemcomitans fur gene was then cloned utilizing partial functional complementation of the fur mutant in e. coli strain h1780. analysis of the clon ...	2002	12011012
apoptosis in acute shigellosis is associated with increased production of fas/fas ligand, perforin, caspase-1, and caspase-3 but reduced production of bcl-2 and interleukin-2.	shigella dysenteriae type 1-induced apoptotic cell death in rectal tissues from patients infected with shigella dysenteriae type 1 was studied by the terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dutp-biotin nick end labeling (tunel) technique and annexin v staining. expression of proteins and cytokines participating in the apoptotic process (caspase-1, caspase-3, fas [cd95], fas ligand [fas-l], perforin, granzyme a, bax, waf-1, bcl-2, interleukin-2 [il-2], il-18, and granulocyte-macrophage colo ...	2002	12011015
the non-h pylori helicobacters: their expanding role in gastrointestinal and systemic diseases.	the number of species in the genus helicobacter has rapidly expanded over the past decade. the genus now includes at least 24 formally named species as well as numerous other helicobacters awaiting formal naming. this review highlights the expanding role that other helicobacters, although not as well known as h pylori, play in gastrointestinal and systemic disease in humans.	2002	11788573
genome sequence of the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon pyrobaculum aerophilum.	we determined and annotated the complete 2.2-megabase genome sequence of pyrobaculum aerophilum, a facultatively aerobic nitrate-reducing hyperthermophilic (t(opt) = 100 degrees c) crenarchaeon. clues were found suggesting explanations of the organism's surprising intolerance to sulfur, which may aid in the development of methods for genetic studies of the organism. many interesting features worthy of further genetic studies were revealed. whole genome computational analysis confirmed experiment ...	2002	11792869
rgg influences the expression of multiple regulatory loci to coregulate virulence factor expression in streptococcus pyogenes.	the human pathogen streptococcus pyogenes secretes many proteins to the cell wall and extracellular environment that contribute to virulence. rgg regulates the expression of several exoproteins including a cysteine protease (spe b), a nuclease (mf-1), a putative nuclease (mf-3), and autolysin. the functional heterogeneity of rgg-regulated exoproteins and the lack of a conserved regulatory motif in the promoter regions of the genes suggested that rgg interacts with additional regulatory networks ...	2002	11796609
phase variation of campylobacter jejuni 81-176 lipooligosaccharide affects ganglioside mimicry and invasiveness in vitro.	the outer cores of the lipooligosaccharides (los) of many strains of campylobacter jejuni mimic human gangliosides in structure. a population of cells of c. jejuni strain 81-176 produced a mixture of los cores which consisted primarily of structures mimicking gm(2) and gm(3) gangliosides, with minor amounts of structures mimicking gd(1b) and gd(2). genetic analyses of genes involved in the biosynthesis of the outer core of c. jejuni 81-176 revealed the presence of a homopolymeric tract of g resi ...	2002	11796612
rapid activation of protein tyrosine kinase and phospholipase c-gamma2 and increase in cytosolic free calcium are required by ehrlichia chaffeensis for internalization and growth in thp-1 cells.	ehrlichia chaffeensis, a bacterium that cannot survive outside the eukaryotic cell, proliferates exclusively in human monocytes and macrophages. in this study, signaling events required for ehrlichial infection of human monocytic cell line thp-1 were characterized. entry and proliferation of e. chaffeensis in thp-1 cells were significantly blocked by various inhibitors that can regulate calcium signaling, including 8-(diethylamino)octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate ( ...	2002	11796624
subspecies characterization of porcine campylobacter coli and campylobacter jejuni by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis typing.	enteropathogenic campylobacterjejuni, c. coli and c. lari are currently the most common causes of acute infectious diarrhoeal illness in the uk. many domestic animals, including pigs, act as natural reservoirs of these organisms and infection may occur through the ingestion of contaminated foodstuffs. c jejuni and c. coli, isolated from the livers of bacon pigs, were examined at subspecies level by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (mee) typing with seven enzymic loci. polymorphological variatio ...	2002	11860082
t cell recognition of a non-protein antigen preparation of campylobacter jejuni in patients with guillain-barré syndrome.		2002	11861714
identification and comparative analysis of the chloroplast alpha-subunit gene of dna-dependent rna polymerase from seven euglena species.	when the sequence of the euglena gracilis chloroplast genome was reported in 1993 the alpha-subunit gene (rpoa) of rna polymerase appeared to be missing, based on a comparison of all putative reading frames to the then known rpoa loci. since there has been a large increase in known rpoa sequences, the question of a euglena chloroplast rpoa gene was re-examined. a previously described unknown reading frame of 161 codons was found to be part of an rpoa gene split by a single group iii intron. this ...	2002	11861918
cloning of the o-acetylserine lyase gene from the ruminal bacterium selenomonas ruminantium hd4.	the gene coding for o-acetylserine lyase (oasl) was cloned from a selenomonas ruminantium hd4 lambda zap ii genomic library by degenerative probe hybridization and complementation. sequence analysis revealed a 933 bp orf with a g + c content of 53%. the orf had significant homology with enzymes involved in cysteine biosynthesis. a curablastn homology search showed that the orf shared 59% nucleotide identity with the cysk of bacillus subtilis. the deduced amino acid sequence exhibited high (>70%) ...	2002	11821922
inoculation of chicks with viable non-colonizing strains of campylobacter jejuni: evaluation of protection against a colonizing strain.	we have treated chicks with viable non-colonizing mutant strains of campylobacter jejuni to test these as a possible vaccine. we found that intramuscular inoculation with and without adjuvant, and with or without a concomitant oral dose of non-colonizing strains, failed to provoke protective immunity.	2002	11821932
impact of transport crate reuse and of catching and processing on campylobacter and salmonella contamination of broiler chickens.	the influence of transport, catching, and processing on contamination of broiler chickens with salmonella and campylobacter was investigated. transport crates were reused with high frequency and were often still contaminated with salmonella and campylobacter when they arrived at the farm despite the fact that they were washed at the factory, and thus they were a potential route of infection. these organisms contaminated the feathers of previously campylobacter- and salmonella-negative birds goin ...	2002	11823211
novel antigens of helicobacter pylori correspond to ulcer-related antibody pattern of sera from infected patients.	recently, we reported that the patterns of antibodies to helicobacter pylori protein antigens in serum may be useful for screening patients at high risk for ulcers (p. aucher et al., j. clin. microbiol. 36:931-936, 1998). here we report the identification, by a combination of electrophoretic, immunochemical, and protein sequencing methods, of five antigens that correspond to this antibody pattern: groel, catalase a, flagellin a, beta-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase i (beta-ketoacyl-acp s) ...	2002	11825970
lectin typing of campylobacter concisus.	a total of 44 clinical isolates and the type strain of the putative pathogen campylobacter concisus were grouped based on their reactions with plant lectins. the optimized lectin typing system used c. concisus strains proteolytically pretreated and subsequently typed by using a panel of four lectins. the system grouped all 45 strains into 13 lectin reaction patterns, leaving no strain untypeable due to autoagglutination. lectin types were both stable and reproducible.	2002	11826005
a novel paralogous gene family involved in phase-variable flagella-mediated motility in campylobacter jejuni.	flagella-mediated motility is recognized to be one of the major factors contributing to virulence in campylobacter jejuni. motility of this bacterium is known to be phase variable, although the mechanism of such variation remains unknown. c. jejuni genome sequencing revealed a number of genes prone to phase variation via a slipped-strand mispairing mechanism. many of these genes are hypothetical and are clustered in the regions involved in formation of three major cell surface structures: capsul ...	2002	11832511
antimicrobial effect of electrolyzed water for inactivating campylobacter jejuni during poultry washing.	the effectiveness of electrolyzed (eo) water for killing campylobacter jejuni on poultry was evaluated. complete inactivation of c. jejuni in pure culture occurred within 10 s after exposure to eo or chlorinated water, both of which contained 50 mg/l of residual chlorine. a strong bactericidal activity was also observed on the diluted eo water (containing 25 mg/l of residual chlorine) and the mean population of c. jejuni was reduced to less than 10 cfu/ml (detected only by enrichment for 48 h) a ...	2002	11843416
a multiplex polymerase chain reaction for the differentiation of campylobacter jejuni and campylobacter coli from a swine processing facility and characterization of isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and antibiotic resistance profiles.	a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (pcr) was developed for the detection and speciation of 60 campylobacter strains isolated from porcine rectal swabs and from different areas in a pork processing plant. the pcr assay was based on primers specific for the cadf gene of pathogenic campylobacter species, a specific but undefined gene of campylobacter jejuni, and the ceue gene of campylobacter coli. further characterization of these isolates was established by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pf ...	2002	11848556
validation of a polymerase chain reaction/restriction enzyme analysis method for species identification of thermophilic campylobacters isolated from domestic and wild animals.	to compare and evaluate a polymerase chain reaction/restriction enzyme analysis (pcr/rea) method with standard phenotypic tests for the identification and differentiation of the thermophilic campylobacters campylobacter jejuni, c. coli, c. lari and c. upsaliensis.	2002	11849327
survival of campylobacter jejuni on beef trimmings during freezing and frozen storage.	to investigate the survival of two animal isolates of campylobacter jejuni on beef trimmings during freezing and frozen storage.	2002	11849497
antimicrobial resistance and plasmid profiles of campylobacter jejuni and campylobacter coli from human and animal sources.	the purpose of this study was to determine the susceptibility of campylobacter jejuni and campylobacter coli isolates to antimicrobial agents and to investigate the presence of plasmid dna.	2002	11849513
structure of campylobacter jejuni lipopolysaccharides determines antiganglioside specificity and clinical features of guillain-barré and miller fisher patients.	ganglioside mimicry in the lipopolysaccharide (lps) fraction of campylobacter jejuni isolated from guillain-barré syndrome (gbs) and miller fisher syndrome (mfs) patients was compared with isolates from patients with an uncomplicated enteritis. the antibody response to c. jejuni lps and gangliosides in neuropathy patients and controls was compared as well. lps from gbs and mfs-associated isolates more frequently contained ganglioside-like epitopes compared to control isolates. almost all neuropa ...	2002	11854201
detection of campylobacter jejuni and campylobacter coli in environmental waters by pcr enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.	a pcr enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) assay was applied to the detection of campylobacter jejuni and campylobacter coli in environmental water samples after enrichment culture. bacterial cells were concentrated from 69 environmental water samples by using filtration, and the filtrates were cultured in campylobacter blood-free broth. after enrichment culture, dna was extracted from the samples by using a rapid-boiling method, and the dna extracts were used as a template in a pcr elisa a ...	2002	11872483
identification and functional characterization of flgm, a gene encoding the anti-sigma 28 factor in pseudomonas aeruginosa.	we describe here the functional characterization of the putative flgm gene of pseudomonas aeruginosa. flgm of p. aeruginosa is most similar to flgm of vibrio parahaemolyticus. a conserved region is present in the c-terminal half of the flgm of p. aeruginosa and in flgm homologues of other organisms that includes the sigma(28) binding domain. a role for the flgm gene of p. aeruginosa in motility was demonstrated by its inactivation. the beta-galactosidase activity of a transcriptional fusion of t ...	2002	11872701
identification of campylobacter heat-stable and heat-labile antigens by combining the penner and lior serotyping schemes.		2002	11880386
molecular typing of selected enterococcus faecalis isolates: pilot study using multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.	the present study compared the recently developed multilocus sequence typing (mlst) approach with a well-established molecular typing technique, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge), for subspecies differentiation of enterococcus faecalis isolates. we sequenced intragenic regions of three e. faecalis antigen-encoding genes (ace, encoding a collagen and laminin adhesin; efaa, encoding an endocarditis antigen; and sala, encoding a cell wall associated antigen) and one housekeeping gene (pyrc) o ...	2002	11880407
application of a 5' nuclease assay for detection of lawsonia intracellularis in fecal samples from pigs.	a 5' nuclease assay was developed to detect lawsonia intracellularis in porcine fecal samples. the specific probe and primers were chosen by using the 16s ribosomal dna gene as a target. the 5' nuclease assay was used with a total of 204 clinical samples, and the results were compared to those of immunohistochemistry (im) on ileal sections of the same animals. there was 91% agreement between the results of im and the 5' nuclease assay. in the 5' nuclease assay, 111 (54%) of the pigs tested posit ...	2002	11880427
detection of heat-stable antigens of campylobacter jejuni and c. coli by direct agglutination and passive hemagglutination.	the two serotyping schemes for the detection of heat-stable antigens of campylobacter jejuni and campylobacter coli use the same strains for antiserum production but differ in the detection systems used for identifying agglutination. the penner method uses passive hemagglutination (pha) while the laboratory of enteric pathogens method uses the same antisera but in a whole-bacterial-cell direct agglutination (da) protocol. c. jejuni produces a polysaccharide capsule, which is antigenic, and is th ...	2002	11880429
fatal case of campylobacter lari prosthetic joint infection and bacteremia in an immunocompetent patient.	campylobacter lari is an infrequent cause of intestinal and extraintestinal infection in humans. we report a case of c. lari prosthetic joint infection and bacteremia in an 81-year-old immunocompetent man. the infection was associated with septic shock and fatal outcome. c. lari may cause severe disease, even in an immunocompetent host.	2002	11880437
monoclonal antibodies specific for hippurate hydrolase of campylobacter jejuni.	eleven monoclonal antibodies raised against recombinant campylobacter jejuni hippurate hydrolase were tested for binding to lysates from 19 c. jejuni strains, 12 other campylobacter strains, and 21 non-campylobacter strains. several monoclonal antibodies bound to c. jejuni but not to other campylobacter species and may be useful in a species-specific immunoassay.	2002	11880445
analysis of gluconeogenic and anaplerotic enzymes in campylobacter jejuni: an essential role for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase.	campylobacter jejuni is unable to utilize glucose as a carbon source due to the absence of the key glycolytic enzyme 6-phosphofructokinase. the genome sequence of c. jejuni nctc 11168 indicates that homologues of all the appropriate enzymes for gluconeogenesis from phosphoenolpyruvate (pep) are present, in addition to the anaplerotic enzymes pyruvate carboxylase (pyc), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pck) and malic enzyme (mez). surprisingly, a pyruvate kinase (pyk) homologue is also present. ...	2002	11882702
variation in numbers of bacteria on paired chicken carcass halves.	bacterial counts from paired broiler carcass halves were examined for relationships between numbers and kinds of bacteria that might indicate fecal contamination. broiler carcasses removed from a commercial processing plant just before chilling were split aseptically along the midline, and each side was rinsed in 400 ml of phosphate buffered saline for 1 min with either mechanical or hand shaking. both halves of six carcasses were rinsed on four different days for a total of 24 carcasses sampled ...	2002	11885892
mutations in poli but not mutslh destabilize haemophilus influenzae tetranucleotide repeats.	haemophilus influenzae (hi), an obligate upper respiratory tract commensal/pathogen, uses phase variation (pv) to adapt to host environment changes. switching occurs by slippage of nucleotide repeats (microsatellites) within genes coding for virulence molecules. most such microsatellites in hi are tetranucleotide repeats, but an exception is the dinucleotide repeats in the pilin locus. to investigate the effects on pv rates of mutations in genes for mismatch repair (mmr), insertion/deletion muta ...	2002	11889052
bacteriological characteristics of dressed young pigeon (squabs) columba livia domesticus.	a total of 50 frozen squabs carcasses were collected from different retail markets in cairo and giza governorates. the collected samples were examined bacteriologically. the aerobic plate count, the enterobacteriaceae and the staphylococcus count were 6.6 x 10(5), 6.3 x 10(2) and 1.4 x 10(3) cfu./gram, respectively. the results revealed no positive samples for salmonella yersinia entercolitica, listeria monocytogenes and campylobacter jejuni. staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 2% of samples ...	2002	11890056
identification of motility and autoagglutination campylobacter jejuni mutants by random transposon mutagenesis.	campylobacter jejuni has been identified as the leading cause of acute bacterial diarrhea in the united states, yet compared with other enteric pathogens, considerably less is understood concerning the virulence factors of this human pathogen. a random in vivo transposon mutagenesis system was recently developed for the purpose of creating a library of c. jejuni transformants. a total of 1,065 c. jejuni transposon mutants were screened for their ability to swarm on motility agar plates and autoa ...	2002	11895937
role of flagella in host cell invasion by burkholderia cepacia.	burkholderia cepacia is an important opportunistic human pathogen that affects immunocompromised individuals, particularly cystic fibrosis (cf) patients. colonization of the lungs of a cf patient by b. cepacia can lead not only to a decline in respiratory function but also to an acute systemic infection, such as bacteremia. we have previously demonstrated that a cf clinical isolate of b. cepacia, strain j2315, can invade and survive within cultured respiratory epithelial cells. in order to furth ...	2002	11895941
helicobacter pylori uses motility for initial colonization and to attain robust infection.	helicobacter pylori has been shown to require flagella for infection of the stomach. to analyze whether flagella themselves or motility is needed by these pathogens, we constructed flagellated nonmotile mutants. this was accomplished by using both an insertion mutant and an in-frame deletion of the motb gene. in vitro, these mutants retain flagella (fla(+)) but are nonmotile (mot(-)). by using fvb/n mice, we found that these mutants had reduced ability to infect mice in comparison to that of the ...	2002	11895962
campylobacter protein glycosylation affects host cell interactions.	campylobacter jejuni 81-176 pgl mutants impaired in general protein glycosylation showed reduced ability to adhere to and invade int407 cells and to colonize intestinal tracts of mice.	2002	11895996
efficient isolation of campylobacters from stools: what are we missing?		2002	11896083
current status of antimicrobial resistance in taiwan.	while some trends in antimicrobial resistance rates are universal, others appear to be unique for specific regions. in taiwan, the strikingly high prevalence of resistance to macrolides and streptogramin in clinical isolates of gram-positive bacteria correlates with the widespread use of these agents in the medical and farming communities, respectively. the relatively low rate of enterococci that are resistant to glycopeptide does not parallel the high use of glycopeptides and extended-spectrum ...	2002	11897063
antibodies against gangliosides: a link between preceding infection and immunopathogenesis of guillain-barré syndrome.	autoantibodies against gangliosides gm1 and gq1b, characteristic cell surface glycolipids of the nervous system, are present in specific clinical types of guillainbarré syndrome (gbs). close associations of anti-gm1 with acute motor axonal neuropathy, and of anti-gq1b with miller fisher syndrome, strongly suggest that these antibodies contribute to neuropathy pathogenesis. immune responses against gangliosides are suspected to originate as a result of molecular mimicry between gangliosides and l ...	2002	11909748
acute small fibre sensory neuropathy: another variant of guillain-barré syndrome?	six patients who presented with acute sensory neuropathy were studied. all patients underwent detailed clinical assessment along with electrophysiological tests and relevant laboratory investigations. all patients had acute onset numbness, reaching the peak deficit within 4 weeks. four of them had associated burning dysaesthesia. an antecedent illness was reported in four; diarrhoea in three, and urinary tract infection in one. the neurological examination disclosed normal muscle strength, symme ...	2002	11909922
exploiting genome sequence: predictions for mechanisms of campylobacter chemotaxis.	the genome sequence of campylobacter jejuni nctc 11168 reveals the presence of orthologues of the chemotaxis genes chea, chew, chev, chey, cher and cheb, ten chemoreceptor genes and two aerotaxis genes. the presence of chev and a response regulator domain in chea, combined with the absence of a chez gene and the lack of a response regulator domain in cheb, reveals significant differences in the c. jejuni chemotaxis system compared with that found in other bacteria.	2002	11912013
inferring genome trees by using a filter to eliminate phylogenetically discordant sequences and a distance matrix based on mean normalized blastp scores.	darwin's paradigm holds that the diversity of present-day organisms has arisen via a process of genetic descent with modification, as on a bifurcating tree. evidence is accumulating that genes are sometimes transferred not along lineages but rather across lineages. to the extent that this is so, darwin's paradigm can apply only imperfectly to genomes, potentially complicating or perhaps undermining attempts to reconstruct historical relationships among genomes (i.e., a genome tree). whether most ...	2002	11914337
characterization of the campylobacter jejuni heptosyltransferase ii gene, waaf, provides genetic evidence that extracellular polysaccharide is lipid a core independent.	campylobacter jejuni produces both lipooligosaccharide (los) and a higher-molecular-weight polysaccharide that is believed to form a capsule. the role of these surface polysaccharides in c. jejuni-mediated enteric disease is unclear; however, epitopes associated with the los are linked to the development of neurological complications. in escherichia coli and salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium the waaf gene encodes a heptosyltransferase, which catalyzes the transfer of the second l-glycero-d ...	2002	11914340
roles of the c-terminal end of secy in protein translocation and viability of escherichia coli.	secy, a central component of the membrane-embedded sector of protein translocase, contains six cytosolic domains. here, we examined the importance of the c-terminal cytosolic region of secy by systematically shortening the c-terminal end and examining the functional consequences of these mutations in vivo and in vitro. it was indicated that the c-terminal five residues are dispensable without any appreciable functional defects in secy. mutants missing the c-terminal six to seven residues were pa ...	2002	11914356
identification of listeria monocytogenes genes expressed in response to growth at low temperature.	listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne bacterial pathogen that is able to grow at refrigeration temperatures. to investigate microbial gene expression associated with cold acclimation, we used a differential cdna cloning procedure known as selective capture of transcribed sequences (scots) to identify bacterial rnas that were expressed at elevated levels in bacteria grown at 10 degrees c compared to those grown at 37 degrees c. a total of 24 different cdna clones corresponding to open reading fr ...	2002	11916687
desulfovibrio sp. genes involved in the respiration of sulfate during metabolism of hydrogen and lactate.	to develop a better understanding of respiration by sulfate-reducing bacteria, we examined transcriptional control of respiratory genes during growth with lactate or hydrogen as an electron donor. rna extracts of desulfovibrio desulfuricans subsp. aestuarii were analyzed by using random arbitrarily primed pcr. rna was reverse transcribed under low-stringency conditions with a set of random primers, and candidate cdnas were cloned, sequenced, and characterized by blast analysis. putative differen ...	2002	11916715
ciprofloxacin resistance in campylobacter jejuni evolves rapidly in chickens treated with fluoroquinolones.	fluoroquinolones are commonly used to treat gastroenteritis caused by campylobacter species. domestically acquired fluoroquinolone-resistant campylobacter infection has been documented recently in the united states. it has been proposed that the increase in resistance is due, in part, to the use of fluoroquinolones in poultry. in separate experiments, the effects of sarafloxacin and enrofloxacin treatment of campylobacter jejuni-infected chickens on the development of ciprofloxacin resistance we ...	2002	11920303
usefulness of multilocus sequence typing for characterization of clinical isolates of candida albicans.	molecular characterization of candida albicans isolates is essential for understanding the epidemiology of nosocomial infections caused by this yeast. here, we investigated the potential value of multilocus sequence typing (mlst) for characterizing epidemiologically related or unrelated c. albicans strains of various clinical origins. accordingly, we sequenced the internal regions (loci) of six selected housekeeping genes of 40 c. albicans clinical isolates and 2 reference strains. in all, 68 po ...	2002	11923347
detection of mycoplasma pneumoniae in spiked clinical samples by nucleic acid sequence-based amplification.	isothermal nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (nasba) was applied to the detection of mycoplasma pneumoniae. m. pneumoniae rna prepared from a plasmid construct was used to assess the sensitivity of the assay, and an internal control for the detection of inhibitors was constructed. the sensitivity of the nasba assay was 10 molecules of wild-type m. pneumoniae rna generated in vitro and 5 color-changing units (ccu) of m. pneumoniae. an appropriate specimen preparation procedure was develop ...	2002	11923354
human campylobacteriosis in developing countries.	campylobacteriosis is a collective description for infectious diseases caused by members of the bacterial genus campylobacter. the only form of campylobacteriosis of major public health importance is campylobacter enteritis due to c. jejuni and c. coli. research and control efforts on the disease have been conducted more often in developed countries than developing countries. however, because of the increasing incidence, expanding spectrum of infections, potential of hiv-related deaths due to ca ...	2002	11927019
selenoprotein r is a zinc-containing stereo-specific methionine sulfoxide reductase.	selenoprotein r (selr) is a mammalian selenocysteine-containing protein with no known function. here we report that cysteine homologs of selr are present in all organisms except certain parasites and hyperthermophiles, and this pattern of occurrence closely matches that of only one protein, peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase (msra). moreover, in several genomes, selr and msra genes are fused or clustered, and their expression patterns suggest a role of both proteins in protection against oxi ...	2002	11929995
chronic effects of campylobacter infection.	campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common causes of bacterial gastroenteritis and chronic sequelae, such as reactive arthritis and guillain-barré syndrome (gbs), are known to follow uncomplicated infections. while little is known about reactive arthritis following campylobacter infection, our knowledge on the pathogenesis of campylobacter-induced gbs is expanding rapidly and is summarized in this review.	2002	11932190
identification of genetic differences between two campylobacter jejuni strains with different colonization potentials.	the consumption of poultry meat contaminated with campylobacter jejuni is considered to be a risk factor for human campylobacteriosis. the development of targeted strategies to control campylobacters in broilers would benefit from knowledge of those bacterial factors important in colonization of the avian gut. during preliminary studies it was noted that c. jejuni nctc 11168 was a poorer colonizer of chickens than strain 81116. this poor colonization could not be fully restored by in vivo passag ...	2002	11932464
emergence of cotrimoxazole- and quinolone-resistant campylobacter infections in bone marrow transplant recipients.	clinical and microbiological data were collected prospectively from 704 patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation (bmt) during an 11-year period (1991-2001), and the first two cases of campylobacter infection occurring in bmt recipients in the pre-engraftment period were identified. the two cases occurred on days 2 and 3 post-bmt, respectively. both patients had campylobacter jejuni enteritis, and one case was complicated by bacteraemia. in both cases the presenting symptoms were indist ...	2002	11939393
association of antigen specificity and migratory capacity of memory t cells in rheumatoid arthritis.	among the t cell pool of multiple specificities in the rheumatoid synovial tissues (st) we have previously shown a lack of proliferative response of t cells to acanthamoeba polyphaga [1]. in contrast, peripheral blood (pb) derived t cells proliferate to the antigen. the aim of the present study was to establish whether there is a preferential migration of some t cell specificities to the joint in rheumatoid arthritis (ra) patients dependent on the chemokine system, and to identify which chemokin ...	2002	11940234
campylobacter jejuni infection during pregnancy: long-term consequences of associated bacteremia, guillain-barré syndrome, and reactive arthritist.	campylobacter jejuni infections are the main cause of foodborne gastroenteritis in the united states and other developed countries. generally, c. jejuni infections are self-limiting and treatment is not necessary; however, infections caused by this organism can lead to potentially dangerous long-term consequences for some individuals. bacteremia, guillain-barré syndrome (gbs; an acute flaccid paralytic disease), and reactive arthritis (rea) are the most serious of the long-term consequences of c ...	2002	11952223
functional studies of the recombinant subunits of a cytolethal distending holotoxin.	cytolethal distending toxin (cdt) is a multicomponent bacterial holotoxin that targets most eukarytotic cells causing distension and cell cycle arrest. a number of diverse pathogenic bacterial species associated with diarrhoea, chancroid, chronic hepatitis and periodontal disease produce a cdt. synthesis of the holotoxin is directed by the expression of three genes, cdta, cdtb and cdtc. although the product of the cdtb gene was previously identified as a type i deoxyribonuclease, the functions o ...	2002	11952641
functional substitution of the tibc protein of enterotoxigenic escherichia coli strains for the autotransporter adhesin heptosyltransferase of the aida system.	the plasmid-encoded aida (adhesin involved in diffuse adherence) autotransporter protein derived from diffuse-adhering clinical escherichia coli isolate 2787 and the tiba (enterotoxigenic invasion locus b) protein encoded by the chromosomal tib locus of enterotoxigenic e. coli (etec) strain h10407 are posttranslationally modified by carbohydrate substituents. analysis of the aida-i adhesin showed that the modification involved heptose residues. aida-i is modified by the heptosyltransferase activ ...	2002	11953358
novel aeromonas hydrophila ppd134/91 genes involved in o-antigen and capsule biosynthesis.	the sequences of the o-antigen and capsule gene clusters of the virulent aeromonas hydrophila strain ppd134/91 were determined. the o-antigen gene cluster is 17,296 bp long and comprises 17 genes. seven pathway genes for the synthesis of rhamnose and mannose, six transferase genes, one o unit flippase gene, and one o-antigen chain length determinant gene were identified by amino acid sequence similarity. pcr and southern blot analysis were performed to survey the distribution of these 17 genes a ...	2002	11953367
comparative and genetic analyses of the putative vibrio cholerae lipopolysaccharide core oligosaccharide biosynthesis (wav) gene cluster.	we identified five different putative wav gene cluster types, which are responsible for the synthesis of the core oligosaccharide (os) region of vibrio cholerae lipopolysaccharide. preliminary evidence that the genes encoded by this cluster are involved in core os biosynthesis came from analysis of the recently released o1 el tor v. cholerae genome sequence and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of o1 el tor mutant strains defective in three genes (waaf, waal, and ...	2002	11953379
benign intracranial hypertension: atypical presentation of miller fisher syndrome?	acute ocular paresis, nausea, vomiting, and headaches associated with high intracranial pressure without obvious intracranial pathology are typical features of benign intracranial hypertension. we describe two young children whose presentation, initially suggestive of idiopathic or benign intracranial hypertension, evolved to comprise ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and areflexia. this triad characterizes miller fisher syndrome, a clinical variant of guillain-barré syndrome that occurs rarely among chi ...	2002	11955933
a helicobacter pylori restriction endonuclease-replacing gene, hrga, is associated with gastric cancer in asian strains.	the sensitivity of helicobacter pylori chromosomal dna to mboi digestion was investigated in 208 strains from several continents. only 11 (5%) of strains were sensitive to mboi, and it was hypothesized that hpyiii, a type ii restriction/modification enzyme with sequence homology to mboi, mediated the protection. this was confirmed by pcr analysis of the gene locus of hpyiii, normally composed of hpyiiir and hpyiiim. in all but one strain sensitive to mboi, no pcr product of hpyiiir was obtained. ...	2002	11956101
production and application of new monoclonal antibodies specific for a fecal helicobacter pylori antigen.	the aim of the present study was to establish monoclonal antibodies that could be used to produce a diagnostic test composed of one kind of monoclonal antibody recognizing a fecal helicobacter pylori antigen. the need to develop such a test arose from disadvantages of the diagnostic test that uses a polyclonal antibody or plural kinds of monoclonal antibodies, such as the lower specificity for h. pylori antigen and the difficulty of reproduction with consistent quality. mice were immunized with ...	2002	11777832
monoclonal antibodies to immunodominant epitope of tropheryma whipplei.	recent isolation of tropheryma whipplei (formerly trophyrema whippelii), the agent of whipple's disease, from the cardiac valve of a patient with whipple's disease endocarditis now allows the detection of reactive epitopes that could be used in a serological assay. in order to propose an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) that uses recombinant t. whipplei antigen, we first determined by western blotting of human, mouse, and rabbit antisera that the common immunodominant epitope is an 84-k ...	2002	11777846
the crystal structure of helicobacter pylori cysteine-rich protein b reveals a novel fold for a penicillin-binding protein.	colonization of the gastric mucosa with the spiral-shaped gram-negative proteobacterium helicobacter pylori is probably the most common chronic infection in humans. the genomes of h. pylori strains j99 and 26695 have been completely sequenced. functional and three-dimensional structural information is available for less than one third of all open reading frames. we investigated the function and three-dimensional structure of a member from a family of cysteine-rich hypothetical proteins that are ...	2002	11777911
development of a combined filtration-enrichment culture followed by a one-step duplex pcr technique for the rapid detection of campylobacter jejuni and c. coli in human faecal samples.	a new combined filtration-enrichment culture followed by a pcr technique for the rapid detection of campylobacterjejuni and c. coli in human faeces has been developed. only bacteria that passed through the membrane could multiply in the enrichment culture; target bacteria were detected by a one-step duplex pcr technique with combinations of primers that are specific for different campylobacter spp., which should allow for the detection of a mixed infection in a single patient. a falcon cell-cult ...	2002	11800478
succinate:quinone oxidoreductases from epsilon-proteobacteria.	the epsilon-proteobacteria form a subdivision of the proteobacteria including the genera wolinella, campylobacter, helicobacter, sulfurospirillum, arcobacter and dehalospirillum. the majority of these bacteria are oxidase-positive microaerophiles indicating an electron transport chain with molecular oxygen as terminal electron acceptor. however, numerous members of the epsilon-proteobacteria also grow in the absence of oxygen. the common presence of menaquinone and fumarate reduction activity su ...	2002	11803019
a genome-scale analysis for identification of genes required for growth or survival of haemophilus influenzae.	a high-density transposon mutagenesis strategy was applied to the haemophilus influenzae genome to identify genes required for growth or viability. this analysis detected putative essential roles for the products of 259 orfs of unknown function. comparisons between complete genomes defined a subset of these proteins in h. influenzae having homologs in mycobacterium tuberculosis that are absent in saccharomyces cerevisiae, a distribution pattern that favors their use in development of antimicrobi ...	2002	11805338
significance of two distinct types of tryptophan synthase beta chain in bacteria, archaea and higher plants.	tryptophan synthase consists of two subunits, alpha and beta. two distinct subgroups of beta chain exist. the major group (trpeb_1) includes the well-studied beta chain of salmonella typhimurium. the minor group of beta chain (trpeb_2) is most frequently found in the archaea. most of the amino-acid residues important for catalysis are highly conserved between both trpe subfamilies.	2002	11806827
significance of two distinct types of tryptophan synthase beta chain in bacteria, archaea and higher plants.	tryptophan synthase consists of two subunits, alpha and beta. two distinct subgroups of beta chain exist. the major group (trpeb_1) includes the well-studied beta chain of salmonella typhimurium. the minor group of beta chain (trpeb_2) is most frequently found in the archaea. most of the amino-acid residues important for catalysis are highly conserved between both trpe subfamilies.	2002	11806827
pseudomonas aeruginosa displays multiple phenotypes during development as a biofilm.	complementary approaches were employed to characterize transitional episodes in pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm development using direct observation and whole-cell protein analysis. microscopy and in situ reporter gene analysis were used to directly observe changes in biofilm physiology and to act as signposts to standardize protein collection for two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis and protein identification in chemostat and continuous-culture biofilm-grown populations. using these approach ...	2002	11807075