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challenges with using names to link digital biodiversity information. 201627346955
modelling seasonal brucellosis epidemics in bayingolin mongol autonomous prefecture of xinjiang, china, 2010-2014.brucellosis is one of the severe public health problems; the cumulative number of new human brucellosis cases reached 211515 from 2010 to 2014 in china. bayingolin mongol autonomous prefecture is situated in the southeast of xinjiang, where brucellosis infection occurs every year. based on the reported data of newly acute human brucellosis cases for each season in bayingolin mongol autonomous prefecture, we proposed a susceptible, exposed, infected, and vaccinated (seiv) model with periodic tran ...201627872852
succinyl-coa synthetase: new antigen candidate of bartonella bacilliformis.bartonella bacilliformis is the causative agent of carrion's disease, a neglected illness with mortality rates of 40-85% in the absence of treatment. the lack of a diagnostic technique to overcome misdiagnosis and treat asymptomatic carriers is of note. this study aimed to identify new b. bacilliformis antigenic candidates that could lead to a new diagnostic tool able to be implemented in endemic rural areas.201627627803
marine mammal brucella reference strains are attenuated in a balb/c mouse model.brucellosis is a zoonosis of worldwide distribution with numerous animal host species. since the novel isolation of brucella spp. from marine mammals in 1994 the bacteria have been isolated from various marine mammal hosts. the marine mammal reference strains brucella pinnipedialis 12890 (harbour seal, phoca vitulina) and brucella ceti 12891 (harbour porpoise, phocoena phocoena) were included in genus brucella in 2007, however, their pathogenicity in the mouse model is pending. herein this is ev ...201626959235
a simple and safe protocol for preparing brucella samples for matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry analysis.we describe a simple protocol to inactivate the biosafety level 3 (bsl3) pathogens brucella prior to their analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. this method is also effective for several other bacterial pathogens and allows storage, and eventually shipping, of inactivated samples; therefore, it might be routinely applied to unidentified bacteria, for the safety of laboratory workers.201626582837
in silico analysis of brucella abortus omp2b and in vitro expression of somp2b.at present, there is no vaccine available for the prevention of human brucellosis. brucella outer membrane protein 2b (omp2b) is a 36 kd porin existed in common brucella pathogens and it is considered as priority antigen for designing a new subunit vaccine.201626866027
the complete genome of brucella suis 019 provides insights on cross-species infection.brucella species are the most important zoonotic pathogens worldwide and cause considerable harm to humans and animals. in this study, we presented the complete genome of b. suis 019 isolated from sheep (ovine) with epididymitis. b. suis 019 has a rough phenotype and can infect sheep, rhesus monkeys and possibly humans. the comparative genome analysis demonstrated that b. suis 019 is closest to the vaccine strain b. suis bv. 1 str. s2. further analysis associated the rsh gene to the pathogenicit ...201626821047
a brucella spp. isolate from a pac-man frog (ceratophrys ornata) reveals characteristics departing from classical brucellae.brucella are highly infectious bacterial pathogens responsible for brucellosis, a frequent worldwide zoonosis. the brucella genus has recently expanded from 6 to 11 species, all of which were associated with mammals; the natural host range recently expanded to amphibians after some reports of atypical strains from frogs. here we describe the first in depth phenotypic and genetic characterization of a brucella strains isolated from a frog. strain b13-0095 was isolated from a pac-man frog (ceratop ...201627734009
the case for live attenuated vaccines against the neglected zoonotic diseases brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis.vaccination of humans and animals with live attenuated organisms has proven to be an effective means of combatting some important infectious diseases. in fact, the 20th century witnessed tremendous improvements in human and animal health worldwide as a consequence of large-scale vaccination programs with live attenuated vaccines (lavs). here, we use the neglected zoonotic diseases brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis (btb) caused by brucella spp. and mycobacterium bovis (m. bovis), respectively, ...201627537413
comparative genomic analysis between newly sequenced brucella suis vaccine strain s2 and the virulent brucella suis strain 1330.brucellosis is a bacterial disease caused by brucella infection. in the late fifties, brucella suis vaccine strain s2 with reduced virulence was obtained by serial transfer of a virulent b. suis biovar 1 strain in china. it has been widely used for vaccination in china since 1971. until now, the mechanisms underlie virulence attenuation of s2 are still unknown.201627645563
the abc transporter yejabef is required for resistance to antimicrobial peptides and the virulence of brucella melitensis.the ability to resist the killing effects of host antimicrobial peptides (amps) plays a vital role in the virulence of pathogens. the brucella melitensis ni genome has a gene cluster that encodes abc transport. in this study, we constructed yeja1, yeja2, yejb, yeje, yejf, and whole yej operon deletion mutants, none of which exhibited discernible growth defect in tsb or minimal medium. unlike their parental strain, the mutants showed a significantly increased sensitivity to acidic stress. the niδ ...201627550726
elongation factor tu and heat shock protein 70 are membrane-associated proteins from mycoplasma ovipneumoniae capable of inducing strong immune response in mice.chronic non-progressive pneumonia, a disease that has become a worldwide epidemic has caused considerable loss to sheep industry. mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (m. ovipneumoniae) is the causative agent of interstitial pneumonia in sheep, goat and bighorn. we here have identified by immunogold and immunoblotting that elongation factor tu (ef-tu) and heat shock protein 70 (hsp 70) are membrane-associated proteins on m. ovipneumonaiea. we have evaluated the humoral and cellular immune responses in vivo ...201627537186
serologic and molecular evidence of brucella ovis infection in ovine and caprine flocks in the state of minas gerais, brazil.brucella ovis infection is one of the leading causes of sub fertility and infertility in ovine, been characterized mainly by epididymitis, orchitis and testicular atrophy in rams. this study aimed to determine the frequency of b. ovis positivity in rams and goats flocks in the state of minas gerais, brazil, by agarose gel immunodiffusion (agid), elisa, rose bengal, pcr and bacteriological isolation as diagnostic tools.201627017445
microarray-based long oligonucleotides probe designed for brucella spp. detection and identification of antibiotic susceptibility pattern.brucella spp. is a common zoonotic infection referred to as brucellosis, and it is a serious public health problem around the world. there are currently six classical species (pathogenic species in both animals and humans) within the genus brucella. the ability and practicality facilitated by a microarray experiment help us to recognize brucella spp. and its antibiotic resistant gene. rapid phenotypic determination of antibiotic resistance is not possible by disk diffusion methods. thus, evaluat ...201627280008
brucella ovis pa mutants for outer membrane proteins omp10, omp19, sp41, and bepc are not altered in their virulence and outer membrane properties.mutants in several genes have been obtained on the genetic background of virulent rough (lacking o-polysaccharide) brucella ovis pa. the target genes encode outer membrane proteins previously associated with the virulence of smooth (bearing o-polysaccharide chains in the lipopolysaccharide) brucella strains. multiple attempts to delete omp16, coding for a homologue to peptidoglycan-associated lipoproteins, were unsuccessful, which suggests that omp16 is probably essential for in vitro survival o ...201627016758
spray dried microspheres based on chitosan: a promising new carrier for intranasal administration of polymeric antigen blsomp31 for prevention of ovine brucellosis.previous studies have demonstrated that parenteral immunization with polymeric antigen blsomp31 induced a strong immune response and conferred protection against brucella ovis in rams. this work describes the development of a novel formulation strategy for the delivery of blsomp31 in the nasal mucosa. chitosan microparticles were prepared by spray-drying technology processes and recombinant chimera blsomp31 was loaded by passive adsorption onto chitosan microspheres, which were characterized by ...201626952451
identification of brucella ovis exclusive genes in field isolates from argentina.brucellosis caused by brucella ovis is one of the most important infectious diseases of sheep. the aim of this study was to determine the presence of genes both inside and outside the specific b. ovis pathogenicity island 1 (bopi-1) in a large collection of field isolates of b. ovis and other brucella spp. from argentina. the bov_a0500 gene from b. ovis bopi-1 was identified in all 104 b. ovis isolates studied. the bopi-1 complete sequence was found to be conserved in 10 b. ovis strains from the ...201626831160
seroprevalence of brucella ovis in rams and associated flock level risk factors in the state of rio grande do sul, brazil.a cross-sectional study based on a planned probabilistic sampling was carried out to estimate animal and flock prevalence of brucella ovis in rams, as well as to determine risk factors at the flock level. data regarding the flocks were collected by means of a questionnaire applied on 705 farms in the state of rio grande do sul, brazil, using one-stage cluster sampling. from the 705 flocks, 20 (2.5%, ci95%: 2.0-3.1%) had at least one positive ram. at the animal level, out of 1800 rams, 52 were po ...201526092724
glutamate decarboxylase-dependent acid resistance in brucella spp.: distribution and contribution to fitness under extremely acidic conditions.brucella is an expanding genus of major zoonotic pathogens, including at least 10 genetically very close species occupying a wide range of niches from soil to wildlife, livestock, and humans. recently, we have shown that in the new species brucella microti, the glutamate decarboxylase (gad)-dependent system (gad system) contributes to survival at a ph of 2.5 and also to infection in mice by the oral route. in order to study the functionality of the gad system in the genus brucella, 47 isolates, ...201525381237
evaluating the reproductive ability of breeding rams in north-eastern spain using clinical examination of the body and external genitalia.predicting the ability of rams to detect, mate and fertilise ewes in oestrus accurately is certainly difficult; however, tests based on clinical examinations have been performed to assess the overall potential capacity of rams to serve and impregnate ewes. clinical examinations for breeding soundness evaluation were carried out in 897 rasa aragonesa (ra) rams from 35 flocks in north-eastern (ne) spain. clinical examinations of head, trunk, limbs and genitals were performed in each ram. blood sam ...201526612501
encapsulated brucella ovis lacking a putative atp-binding cassette transporter (δabcba) protects against wild type brucella ovis in rams.this study aimed to evaluate protection induced by the vaccine candidate b. ovis δabcba against experimental challenge with wild type b. ovis in rams. rams were subcutaneously immunized with b. ovis δabcba encapsulated with sterile alginate or with the non encapsulated vaccine strain. serum, urine, and semen samples were collected during two months after immunization. the rams were then challenged with wild type b. ovis (atcc25840), and the results were compared to non immunized and experimental ...201526317399
the medical diagnostic approaches with phylogenetic analysis for rare brucella spp. diagnosis in taiwan.brucellosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease which can be easy to misdiagnose in clinical microbiology laboratories. in the present study, we have tried to improve the current clinical method for detecting brucella spp. and its antibiotic characteristics. our method begins with detecting the clinical isolate through traditional biochemical methods and automatic identification systems. then, we move on to editing the sequence for blast allows us to compare 16s rrna sequences with sequences from ot ...201526048695
contagious epididymitis due to brucella ovis: relationship between sexual function, serology and bacterial shedding in semen.contagious epididymitis (ce) due to brucella ovis (b. ovis) is a contagious disease that impairs rams' fertility due to epididymis, testicle and accessory sexual gland alterations. an increased incidence of ce has been observed in south eastern france ("paca" region) since the rev.1 vaccination against b. melitensis has been stopped in 2008. the objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the infection by b. ovis and the sexual function of rams. two-hundred eighteen sexually ...201526025374
microbial diseases of the genital system of rams or bucks.objective of the present paper is to review microbial diseases of the genital system of male small ruminants. the paper reviews the infections and the diseases by taking an organ approach within the genital system, whilst relevant health management actions are also discussed. diseases of the genital organs of male small ruminants include orchitis, of bacterial or viral aetiology, epididymitis, primarily caused by brucella ovis, by other bacteria as well (e.g., actinobacillus seminis, haemophilus ...201526209019
vaccination schedules in small ruminant farms.development and implementation of health management plans is the cornerstone of profitable farms; prevention of microbial diseases by means of vaccination is an integral part of such a plan. in every production type and management system in small ruminants, microbial diseases have a major significance, hence their proper control must be based in good health management practices, including use of effective and safe vaccines. development of various types of vaccines is evolving very quickly in rec ...201526220514
brucella canis is an intracellular pathogen that induces a lower proinflammatory response than smooth zoonotic counterparts.canine brucellosis caused by brucella canis is a disease of dogs and a zoonotic risk. b. canis harbors most of the virulence determinants defined for the genus, but its pathogenic strategy remains unclear since it has not been demonstrated that this natural rough bacterium is an intracellular pathogen. studies of b. canis outbreaks in kennel facilities indicated that infected dogs displaying clinical signs did not present hematological alterations. a virulent b. canis strain isolated from those ...201526438796
identification of recombination and positively selected genes in brucella.brucella is a facultative intracellular bacterium belongs to the class alpha proteobacteria. it causes zoonotic disease brucellosis to wide range of animals. brucella species are highly conserved in nucleotide level. here, we employed a comparative genomics approach to examine the role of homologous recombination and positive selection in the evolution of brucella. for the analysis, we have selected 19 complete genomes from 8 species of brucella. among the 1599 core genome predicted, 24 genes we ...201526543263
thermodynamic matchers for the construction of the cuckoo rna family.rna family models describe classes of functionally related, non-coding rnas based on sequence and structure conservation. the most important method for modeling rna families is the use of covariance models, which are stochastic models that serve in the discovery of yet unknown, homologous rnas. however, the performance of covariance models in finding remote homologs is poor for rna families with high sequence conservation, while for families with high structure but low sequence conservation, the ...201525779873
concordance and discordance of sequence survey methods for molecular epidemiology.the post-genomic era is characterized by the direct acquisition and analysis of genomic data with many applications, including the enhancement of the understanding of microbial epidemiology and pathology. however, there are a number of molecular approaches to survey pathogen diversity, and the impact of these different approaches on parameter estimation and inference are not entirely clear. we sequenced whole genomes of bacterial pathogens, burkholderia pseudomallei, yersinia pestis, and brucell ...201525737810
protection provided by an encapsulated live attenuated δabcba strain of brucella ovis against experimental challenge in a murine model.this study aimed to evaluate the brucella ovis δabcba strain as a vaccine candidate in the murine model. balb/c mice were subcutaneously or intraperitoneally immunized with a single dose or three doses of the b. ovis δabcba strain and then were challenged with wild-type b. ovis. single or multiple immunizations provided only mild protection, with significantly smaller numbers of wild-type b. ovis cfu in the livers of immunized mice but not in the spleens. encapsulation of b. ovis δabcba signific ...201525947146
eraizda: a model for holistic annotation of animal infectious and zoonotic diseases.there is an urgent need for a unified resource that integrates trans-disciplinary annotations of emerging and reemerging animal infectious and zoonotic diseases. such data integration will provide wonderful opportunity for epidemiologists, researchers and health policy makers to make data-driven decisions designed to improve animal health. integrating emerging and reemerging animal infectious and zoonotic disease data from a large variety of sources into a unified open-access resource provides m ...201526581408
phospholipase a1 modulates the cell envelope phospholipid content of brucella melitensis, contributing to polymyxin resistance and pathogenicity.a subset of bacterial pathogens, including the zoonotic brucella species, are highly resistant against polymyxin antibiotics. bacterial polymyxin resistance has been attributed primarily to the modification of lipopolysaccharide; however, it is unknown what additional mechanisms mediate high-level resistance against this class of drugs. this work identified a role for the brucella melitensis gene bvea (bmeii0681), encoding a predicted esterase, in the resistance of b. melitensis to polymyxin b. ...201526282427
prevalence of brucella spp in humans.to determine the seroprevalence of brucella spp in humans.201526487143
3-way networks: application of hypergraphs for modelling increased complexity in comparative genomics.we present and develop the theory of 3-way networks, a type of hypergraph in which each edge models relationships between triplets of objects as opposed to pairs of objects as done by standard network models. we explore approaches of how to prune these 3-way networks, illustrate their utility in comparative genomics and demonstrate how they find relationships which would be missed by standard 2-way network models using a phylogenomic dataset of 211 bacterial genomes.201525815802
biochemical and spectroscopic properties of brucella microti glutamate decarboxylase, a key component of the glutamate-dependent acid resistance system.in orally acquired bacteria, the ability to counteract extreme acid stress (ph ⩽ 2.5) ensures survival during transit through the animal host stomach. in several neutralophilic bacteria, the glutamate-dependent acid resistance system (gdar) is the most efficient molecular system in conferring protection from acid stress. in escherichia coli its structural components are either of the two glutamate decarboxylase isoforms (gada, gadb) and the antiporter, gadc, which imports glutamate and exports γ ...201525853037
the abcedcba-encoded abc transporter and the virb operon-encoded type iv secretion system of brucella ovis are critical for intracellular trafficking and survival in ovine monocyte-derived macrophages.brucella ovis infection is associated with epididymitis, orchitis and infertility in rams. most of the information available on b. ovis and host cell interaction has been generated using murine macrophages or epithelial cell lines, but the interaction between b. ovis and primary ovine macrophages has not been studied. the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the b. ovis abcedcba-encoded abc transporter and the virb operon-encoded type iv secretion system (t4ss) during intracellular surv ...201526366863
analyzing the molecular mechanism of lipoprotein localization in brucella.bacterial lipoproteins possess diverse structure and functionality, ranging from bacterial physiology to pathogenic processes. as such many lipoproteins, originating from brucella are exploited as potential vaccines to countermeasure brucellosis infection in the host. these membrane proteins are translocated from the cytoplasm to the cell membrane where they are anchored peripherally by a multifaceted targeting mechanism. although much research has focused on the identification and classificatio ...201526579096
characterization of the vaginal microbiota of ewes and cows reveals a unique microbiota with low levels of lactobacilli and near-neutral ph.although a number of common reproductive disorders in livestock involve bacterial infection, very little is known about their normal vaginal microbiota. therefore, we sought to determine the species composition of sheep and cattle vaginal microbiota. twenty rambouillet ewes and twenty crossbred cows varying in age and reproductive status were sampled by ectocervicovaginal lavage. we amplified and sequenced the v3-v4 region of the 16s ribosomal rna (rrna) contents yielding a total of 907,667 high ...201426664918
riboregulation in plant-associated α-proteobacteria.the symbiotic α-rhizobia sinorhizobium meliloti, bradyrhizobium japonicum, rhizobium etli and the related plant pathogen agrobacterium tumefaciens are important model organisms for studying plant-microbe interactions. these metabolically versatile soil bacteria are characterized by complex lifestyles and large genomes. here we summarize the recent knowledge on their small non-coding rnas (srnas) including conservation, function, and interaction of the srnas with the rna chaperone hfq. in each of ...201425003187
evaluation in mice of brucella ovis attenuated mutants for use as live vaccines against b. ovis infection.brucella ovis causes ram contagious epididymitis, a disease for which a specific vaccine is lacking. attenuated brucella melitensis rev 1, used as vaccine against ovine and caprine brucellosis caused by b. melitensis, is also considered the best vaccine available for the prophylaxis of b. ovis infection, but its use for this purpose has serious drawbacks. in this work, two previously characterized b. ovis attenuated mutants (δomp25d and δomp22) were evaluated in mice, in comparison with b. melit ...201424898325
the inva gene of brucella melitensis is involved in intracellular invasion and is required to establish infection in a mouse model.some of the mechanisms underlying the invasion and intracellular survival of b. melitensis are still unknown, including the role of a subfamily of nudix enzymes, which have been described in other bacterial species as invasins and are present in brucella spp. we have generated a mutation in the coding gene of one of these proteins, the inva gene (bmei0215) of b. melitensis strain 133, to understand its role in virulence. hela cell invasion results showed that mutant strain survival was decreased ...201424667775
the predicted abc transporter abcedcba is required for type iv secretion system expression and lysosomal evasion by brucella ovis.brucella ovis is a major cause of reproductive failure in rams and it is one of the few well-described brucella species that is not zoonotic. previous work showed that a b. ovis mutant lacking a species-specific abc transporter (δabcba) was attenuated in mice and was unable to survive in macrophages. the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of this abc transporter during intracellular survival of b. ovis. in hela cells, b. ovis wt was able to survive and replicate at later time point (48 h ...201425474545
characterization and evaluation of an arbitrary primed polymerase chain reaction (pcr) product for the specific detection of brucella species.laboratory detection of brucella is based largely on bacterial isolation and phenotypic characterization. these methods are lengthy and labor-intensive and have been associated with a heightened risk of laboratory-acquired infection. antibody based indirect detection methods also suffer from limitations in proper diagnosis of the organism. to overcome these problems, nucleic acid amplification has been explored for rapid detection and confirmation of the presence of brucella spp. pcr-based diagn ...201425737656
characterization and evaluation of an arbitrary primed polymerase chain reaction (pcr) product for the specific detection of brucella species.laboratory detection of brucella is based largely on bacterial isolation and phenotypic characterization. these methods are lengthy and labor-intensive and have been associated with a heightened risk of laboratory-acquired infection. antibody based indirect detection methods also suffer from limitations in proper diagnosis of the organism. to overcome these problems, nucleic acid amplification has been explored for rapid detection and confirmation of the presence of brucella spp. pcr-based diagn ...201425737656
evaluation of three formulations of culture media for isolation of brucella spp. regarding their ability to inhibit the growth of contaminating organisms.three culture media (brucella agar, farrell medium, and cita) were compared for their effectiveness in inhibiting contamination and for isolating brucella spp. one hundred lymph nodes from pigs (n = 50) and wild boars (n = 50) with lymphadenitis were collected in slaughterhouses in the state of são paulo and were assessed on these three selective media for brucella spp. all of the samples were negative for brucella spp. on the three culture media. on the agar medium, fungal (70 plates) and gram- ...201424949466
comparative phylogenomics and evolution of the brucellae reveal a path to virulence.brucella species include important zoonotic pathogens that have a substantial impact on both agriculture and human health throughout the world. brucellae are thought of as "stealth pathogens" that escape recognition by the host innate immune response, modulate the acquired immune response, and evade intracellular destruction. we analyzed the genome sequences of members of the family brucellaceae to assess its evolutionary history from likely free-living soil-based progenitors into highly success ...201424336939
a novel omp25-binding peptide screened by phage display can inhibit brucella abortus 2308 infection in vitro and in vivo.brucellosis is a globally distributed zoonotic disease affecting animals and humans, and current antibiotic and vaccine strategies are not optimal. the surface-exposed protein omp25 is involved in brucella virulence and plays an important role in brucella pathogenesis during infection, suggesting that omp25 could be a useful target for selecting potential therapeutic molecules to inhibit brucella pathogenesis. in this study, we identified, we believe for the first time, peptides that bind specif ...201424722798
retrospective and prospective perspectives on zoonotic brucellosis.members of the genus brucella are pathogenic bacteria exceedingly well adapted to their hosts. the bacterium is transmitted by direct contact within the same host species or accidentally to secondary hosts, such as humans. human brucellosis is strongly linked to the management of domesticated animals and ingestion of their products. since the domestication of ungulates and dogs in the fertile crescent and asia in 12000 and 33000 ya, respectively, a steady supply of well adapted emergent brucella ...201424860561
brucella ceti infection in dolphins from the western mediterranean sea.brucella ceti infections have been increasingly reported in cetaceans. brucellosis in these animals is associated with meningoencephalitis, abortion, discospondylitis', subcutaneous abscesses, endometritis and other pathological conditions b. ceti infections have been frequently described in dolphins from both, the atlantic and pacific oceans. in the mediterranean sea, only two reports have been made: one from the italian tyrrhenian sea and the other from the adriatic sea.201425224818
advancement of knowledge of brucella over the past 50 years.fifty years ago, bacteria in the genus brucella were known to cause infertility and reproductive losses. at that time, the genus was considered to contain only 3 species: brucella abortus, brucella melitensis, and brucella suis. since the early 1960s, at least 7 new species have been identified as belonging to the brucella genus (brucella canis, brucella ceti, brucella inopinata, brucella microti, brucella neotomae, brucella ovis, and brucella pinnipedialis) with several additional new species u ...201424981716
a repa-based elisa for discriminating cattle vaccinated with brucella suis 2 from those naturally infected with brucella abortus and brucella melitensis.the commonest ways of diagnosing brucellosis in animals include the rose-bengal plate agglutination test, the buffered plate agglutination test (bpa), the slide agglutination test, the complement fixation test, and the indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (i-elisa). however, these methods cannot discriminate the brucella vaccine strain (brucella suis strain 2; b. suis s2) from naturally acquired virulent strains. of the six common brucella species, brucella melitensis, brucella abortus, an ...201424941369
isolation and identification of bovine brucella isolates from pakistan by biochemical tests and pcr.brucellosis is endemic in bovines in pakistan. the brucella species and biovars involved, however, are unknown. the objectives of the present study were to isolate and characterize brucellae from seropositive milk samples, aborted fetuses, and vaginal swabs of cattle and buffaloes which had recently aborted. the seropositive milk samples, aborted fetuses, and vaginal swabs of cattle and buffaloes were collected from the potohar plateau, pakistan. isolation of brucellae was done on modified farre ...201423868548
evaluation of the efficacy of outer membrane protein 31 vaccine formulations for protection against brucella canis in balb/c mice.canine brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium brucella canis. unlike conventional control programs for other species of the genus brucella, currently there is no vaccine available against canine brucellosis, and preventive measures are simply diagnosis and isolation of infected dogs. new approaches are therefore needed to develop an effective and safe immunization strategy against this zoonotic pathogen. in this study, balb/c mice were subcutaneously immunized ...201425339409
mutants in the lipopolysaccharide of brucella ovis are attenuated and protect against b. ovis infection in mice.brucella spp. are gram-negative bacteria that behave as facultative intracellular parasites of a variety of mammals. this genus includes smooth (s) and rough (r) species that carry s and r lipopolysaccharides (lps), respectively. s-lps is a virulence factor, and mutants affected in the s-lps o-polysaccharide (r mutants), core oligosaccharide or both show attenuation. however, b. ovis is naturally r and is virulent in sheep. we studied the role of b. ovis lps in virulence by mutating the ortholog ...201425029920
genetic diversity of brucella ovis isolates from rio grande do sul, brazil, by mlva16.ovine epididymitis is predominantly associated with brucella ovis infection. molecular characterization of brucella spp. achieved by multi-locus variable number of tandem repeats (vntr) analyses (mlva) have proved to be a powerful tool for epidemiological trace-back studies. thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of brucella ovis isolates from rio grande do sul state, brazil, by mlva16.201425015223
potential cross-reactivity of monoclonal antibodies against clinically relevant mycobacteria.tuberculosis is a disease caused by the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (mtb). in 2011, global mortality due to tuberculosis was 1·4 million individuals. the only available vaccine is the attenuated m. bovis [bacillus calmette-guérin (bcg)] strain, which confers variable protection against pulmonary tuberculosis. some widely distributed non-tuberculous mycobacteria (ntm), such as m. avium and m. arupense, are also potential pathogens for humans. this work aimed to produce and characterize mon ...201424580144
a human-specific allelic group of the mhc drb1 gene in primates.diversity among human leukocyte antigen (hla) molecules has been maintained by host-pathogen coevolution over a long period of time. reflecting this diversity, the hla loci are the most polymorphic in the human genome. one characteristic of hla diversity is long-term persistence of allelic lineages, which causes trans-species polymorphisms to be shared among closely related species. modern humans have disseminated across the world after their exodus from africa, while chimpanzees have remained i ...201424928070
proteoglycan aggrecan conducting t cell activation and apoptosis in a murine model of rheumatoid arthritis.rheumatoid arthritis (ra) is a systemic autoimmune disease and its targeting of the joints indicates the presence of a candidate autoantigen(s) in synovial joints. patients with ra show immune responses in their peripheral blood to proteoglycan (pg) aggrecan. one of the most relevant animal models of ra appears to be proteoglycan-induced arthritis (pgia), and cd4(+) t cells seem to play a crucial role in the initiation of the disease. in this review, the role of various t cell epitopes of aggrec ...201424605340
seroconversion and semen shedding in rams experimentally infected with brucella ovis.to determine the time taken for rams to develop antibodies to brucella ovis in serum, shed b. ovis in semen and develop lesions of epididymitis following infection with b. ovis.201424138019
clinical and pathological changes in rams experimentally infected with actinobacillus seminis and histophilus somni.infectious epididymitis is considered a major cause of economic losses for the sheep industry worldwide. this study aimed to investigate clinical and pathological changes associated with experimental infections with a. seminis and h. somni in rams. twenty rams of age 18 to 24 months were infected by intraepididymal inoculation of a. seminis (n = 10) and h. somni (n = 10). rams were weekly examined and biological samples were collected during six weeks. all rams inoculated with a. seminis and 80% ...201424592151
first evidence of brucella ovis infection in rams in the pirot municipality, serbia.this paper describes a research on brucella ovis infection in rams in the pirot municipality of south serbia. a positive result with indirect immunoenzyme test (i-elisa) was confirmed in 67 (29.8%) and suspicious in 31 (13.8%) out of 225 tested rams. complement fixation test (cft) was used as a confirmation test on 67 elisa positive sera and gave positive reaction in 41 (61.2%) ram serum samples. rams originated from 113 flocks with 4751 sheep, from 28 villages in the pirot municipality of south ...201425546063
[immune response and reproductive consequences in experimentally infected ewes with brucella ovis during late pregnancy].ovine brucellosis by brucella ovis is a highly prevalent disease in argentina. this study aimed to evaluate the pathogenicity of b. ovis and the serological response in ewes during late pregnancy and in their offspring. six adult ewes were distributed in two groupsg1 (pregnant females, n = 4) and g2 (nonpregnant females, n = 2). three pregnant ewes at 15 days prepartum and one nonpregnant eve were inoculated with b. ovis. sera of sheep and their offspring were analyzed by different serological t ...201323560783
rough virulent strain of brucella ovis induces pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in reproductive tissues in experimentally infected rams.the ovine brucellosis caused by brucella ovis has tropism for reproductive tissues but until now the mechanism of bacterial persistence is not understood. cytokine expression profiles were studied for 8 months in rams after being experimentally infected with the rough virulent strain of b. ovis (r-b. ovis) to study the pathogenesis of b. ovis and immune mechanism possibly associated to bacteria tropism and persistence. the messenger rna (mrna) expression levels of interleukin-1α (il-1α), il-1β, ...201323041076
brucella ovis lacking a species-specific putative atp-binding cassette transporter is attenuated but immunogenic in rams.ovine brucellosis caused by brucella ovis is considered one of the most important reproductive diseases of rams worldwide. this study aimed to characterize the kinetics of infection of a δabcab b. ovis mutant strain in rams. twelve 1-year-old crossbred rams were used. six rams were challenged with 2 ml of a suspension containing 1.2×10(9) cfu/ml of b. ovis strain atcc25840 (wild type) by intraprepucial inoculation and additional 50 μl in each conjunctival sac of a suspension containing 1.2×10(10 ...201324075357
clinical, culture, serology, and histopathology outcomes of bighorn sheep experimentally infected with brucella ovis.disease caused by brucella ovis has not been previously reported in bighorn sheep (bhs; ovis canadensis canadensis). antibodies to b. ovis, however, are occasionally detected in free-ranging bhs, and this has been a concern for managers involved in translocation programs. to investigate the pathogenesis of b. ovis infection in this species, 20 bhs (10 male, 10 female) were inoculated intraconjunctivally (ic) with 5.4 × 10(8) colony forming units (cfu) b. ovis. six bhs (three male, three female) ...201324502717
[radiolabeling and biodistribution studies of polymeric nanoparticles as adjuvants for ocular vaccination against brucellosis].to optimize radiolabeling with (99m)tc of mannosylated gantrez(®) nanoparticles loaded with the brucella ovis antigen (man-np-hs) and to carry out biodistribution studies in mice after ocular administration of the nanoparticles.201323332663
myd88 and tlr9 are required for early control of brucella ovis infection in mice.brucella ovis is an important cause of epididymitis in rams, which results in impaired fertility and economic losses. this study demonstrated the role of tlr during the acute phase of infection in the mouse model. c57bl/6 wild type and tlr2(-/-), tlr4(-/-), tlr9(-/-), and myd88(-/-) mice were infected with b. ovis and bacteriology, histopathology, and pro-inflammatory gene expression were evaluated at 7days post-infection. myd88(-/-) mice had higher bacterial loads in the spleen when compared to ...201323218066
species-specific multiplex pcr for the diagnosis of brucella ovis, actinobacillus seminis, and histophilus somni infection in rams.infectious ovine epididymitis results in substantial economic losses worldwide due to reproductive failure and culling of breeders. the most common causative agents of these infections are brucella ovis, actinobacillus seminis, and histophilus somni. the aim of this study was to develop a multiplex pcr assay for simultaneous detection of brucella ovis, actinobacillus seminis, and histophilus somni with species-specific primers applied to biological samples for molecular diagnosis of these infect ...201323514236
applications of polymeric adjuvants in studying autoimmune responses and vaccination against infectious diseases.polymers as an adjuvant are capable of enhancing the vaccine potential against various infectious diseases and also are being used to study the actual autoimmune responses using self-antigen(s) without involving any major immune deviation. several natural polysaccharides and their derivatives originating from microbes and plants have been tested for their adjuvant potential. similarly, numerous synthetic polymers including polyelectrolytes, polyesters, polyanhydrides, non-ionic block copolymers ...201323173193
natural is711 insertion causing omp31 gene inactivation in brucella ovis.the present report describes an atypical brucella ovis strain (bo10) isolated from the epididymis and testis of an infected ram. macroscopic and microscopic lesions characteristic for the infection, including positive brucella immunostaining, were observed within lesions in the genital organs. compared to other isolates, strain bo10 required an additional day (a total of 96 hr) of incubation to form visible colonies, showed a distinct carbon source utilization profile, agglutinated only weakly w ...201323404477
a duplex pcr for rapid and simultaneous detection of brucella spp. in human blood samples.to design a duplex pcr for rapid and simultaneous detection of brucella species. in human blood samples.201323711705
immune response and serum bactericidal activity against brucella ovis elicited using a short immunization schedule with the polymeric antigen blsomp31 in rams.brucella ovis is the etiologic agent of ovine brucellosis. the control measures for this disease are periodical diagnosis by serological tests and/or bacteriological culture and culling of positive animals. vaccination with brucella melitensis rev 1 is recommended when prevalence is high. this attenuated strain vaccine gives protection against b. ovis but it has important disadvantages associated with the development of antibodies interfering with serodiagnosis, virulence for humans and the proh ...201323643287
molecular mechanisms for the subversion of myd88 signaling by tcpc from virulent uropathogenic escherichia coli.the toll/il-1 receptor (tir) domains are crucial signaling modules during innate immune responses involving the toll-like receptors (tlrs) and il-1 receptor (il-1r). myeloid differential factor 88 (myd88) is a central tir domain-containing adapter molecule responsible for nearly all tlr-mediated signaling and is targeted by a tir domain-containing protein c (tcpc) from virulent uropathogenic escherichia coli, a common human pathogen. the mechanism of such molecular antagonism has remained elusiv ...201323569230
host-brucella interactions and the brucella genome as tools for subunit antigen discovery and immunization against brucellosis.vaccination is the most important approach to counteract infectious diseases. thus, the development of new and improved vaccines for existing, emerging, and re-emerging diseases is an area of great interest to the scientific community and general public. traditional approaches to subunit antigen discovery and vaccine development lack consideration for the critical aspects of public safety and activation of relevant protective host immunity. the availability of genomic sequences for pathogenic br ...201323720712
in vivo differences in the virulence, pathogenicity, and induced protective immunity of wboa mutants from genetically different parent brucella spp.to explore the effects of the genetic background on the characteristics of wboa gene deletion rough mutants generated from different parent brucella sp. strains, we constructed the rough-mutant strains brucella melitensis 16 m-mb6, b. abortus 2308-sb6, b. abortus s19-rb6, and b. melitensis ni-nb6 and evaluated their survival, pathogenicity, and induced protective immunity in mice and sheep. in mice, the survival times of the four mutants were very different in the virulence assay, from less than ...201323239800
crystallization of the acyl-coa thioesterase tesb from yersinia pestis.yersinia pestis is a highly virulent human pathogen and is the causative agent of bubonic plague. spread through the bite of infected fleas, plague epidemics have marked important events in history, including the justinian plague (6th century), the black death (14th century) which decimated nearly one quarter of the european population, and more recently the orientalis plague (1894). to date, deaths are still being reported and, without treatment, the disease kills most people within 4 days. one ...201323385765
bartonella and brucella--weapons and strategies for stealth attack.bartonella spp. and brucella spp. are closely related α-proteobacterial pathogens that by distinct stealth-attack strategies cause chronic infections in mammals including humans. human infections manifest by a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms, ranging from mild to fatal disease. both pathogens establish intracellular replication niches and subvert diverse pathways of the host's immune system. several virulence factors allow them to adhere to, invade, proliferate, and persist within various ho ...201323906880
limitations of the bp26 protein-based indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of brucellosis.brucellosis is a serious zoonosis that occurs worldwide, and its diagnosis is typically based on the detection of antibodies against brucella lipopolysaccharide (lps). however, the specificity of the lps-based test is compromised by cross-reactivity with escherichia coli o157:h7 and yersinia enterocolitica o:9. also, diagnosis based on the lps test cannot differentiate between vaccinated and infected individuals. the detection of the 26-kda cytosoluble protein (bp26) antibody is considered an al ...201323863503
development and comparative evaluation of a plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on recombinant outer membrane antigens omp28 and omp31 for diagnosis of human brucellosis.brucellosis is an important zoonotic infectious disease of humans and livestock with worldwide distribution and is caused by bacteria of the genus brucella. the diagnosis of brucellosis always requires laboratory confirmation by either isolation of pathogens or detection of specific antibodies. the conventional serological tests available for the diagnosis of brucellosis are less specific and show cross-reactivity with other closely related organisms. these tests also necessitate the handling of ...201323761658
crystal structures of the toll/interleukin-1 receptor (tir) domains from the brucella protein tcpb and host adaptor tirap reveal mechanisms of molecular mimicry.the toll/il-1 receptor (tir) domains are crucial innate immune signaling modules. microbial tir domain-containing proteins inhibit toll-like receptor (tlr) signaling through molecular mimicry. the tir domain-containing protein tcpb from brucella inhibits tlr signaling through interaction with host adaptor proteins tirap/mal and myd88. to characterize the microbial mimicry of host proteins, we have determined the x-ray crystal structures of the tir domains from the brucella protein tcpb and the h ...201324275656
crystal structures of the toll/interleukin-1 receptor (tir) domains from the brucella protein tcpb and host adaptor tirap reveal mechanisms of molecular mimicry.the toll/il-1 receptor (tir) domains are crucial innate immune signaling modules. microbial tir domain-containing proteins inhibit toll-like receptor (tlr) signaling through molecular mimicry. the tir domain-containing protein tcpb from brucella inhibits tlr signaling through interaction with host adaptor proteins tirap/mal and myd88. to characterize the microbial mimicry of host proteins, we have determined the x-ray crystal structures of the tir domains from the brucella protein tcpb and the h ...201324275656
toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis and brucellosis in stray dogs housed at the shelter in umuarama municipality, paraná, brazil.leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis and brucellosis are diseases with worldwide distribution. among stray dogs, these zoonoses are facilitated by direct contact with other animal species, by the habit of scavenging garbage and hunting in search of food, drinking standing water, smelling other animals' urine, licking female genitalia and the sexual act itself. the objective of this study was to detect antibodies anti-toxoplasma gondii, anti-leptospira spp., anti-brucella canis and anti-brucella abortus ...201324066949
bacterial endosymbiosis in a chordate host: long-term co-evolution and conservation of secondary metabolism.intracellular symbiosis is known to be widespread in insects, but there are few described examples in other types of host. these symbionts carry out useful activities such as synthesizing nutrients and conferring resistance against adverse events such as parasitism. such symbionts persist through host speciation events, being passed down through vertical transmission. due to various evolutionary forces, symbionts go through a process of genome reduction, eventually resulting in tiny genomes wher ...201324324632
evolutionary diversification and characterization of the eubacterial gene family encoding dxr type ii, an alternative isoprenoid biosynthetic enzyme.isoprenoids constitute a vast family of natural compounds performing diverse and essential functions in all domains of life. in most eubacteria, isoprenoids are synthesized through the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (mep) pathway. the production of mep is usually catalyzed by deoxyxylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (dxr-i) but a few organisms use an alternative dxr-like enzyme (dxr-ii).201324004839
comparative genomic analysis of brucella melitensis vaccine strain m5 provides insights into virulence attenuation.the brucella melitensis vaccine strain m5 is widely used to prevent and control brucellosis in animals. in this study, we determined the whole-genome sequence of m5, and conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis against the whole-genome sequence of the virulent strain 16 m and other reference strains. this analysis revealed 11 regions of deletion (rds) and 2 regions of insertion (ris) within the m5 genome. among these regions, the sequences encompassed in 5 rds and 1 ri showed consistent va ...201323967122
rapid quantitative detection of brucella melitensis by a label-free impedance immunosensor based on a gold nanoparticle-modified screen-printed carbon electrode.a rapid and simple method for quantitative monitoring of brucella melitensis using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (eis) is reported for the first time. the label-free immunosensors were fabricated by immobilizing brucella melitensis antibody on the surface of gold nanoparticle-modified screen-printed carbon electrodes (gnp-spces). cyclic voltammetry (cv) and eis were used to characterize the brucella melitensis antigen interaction on the surface of gnp-spces with antibody. a general elec ...201323881126
functional genes to assess nitrogen cycling and aromatic hydrocarbon degradation: primers and processing matter.targeting sequencing to genes involved in key environmental processes, i.e., ecofunctional genes, provides an opportunity to sample nature's gene guilds to greater depth and help link community structure to process-level outcomes. vastly different approaches have been implemented for sequence processing and, ultimately, for taxonomic placement of these gene reads. the overall quality of next generation sequence analysis of functional genes is dependent on multiple steps and assumptions of unknow ...201324062736
a lysozyme-like protein in brucella abortus is involved in the early stages of intracellular replication.secretion of proteins in gram-negative bacteria is a high-energy-consuming process that requires translocation across two membranes and a periplasmic space composed of a mesh-like layer, the peptidoglycan. to achieve this, bacteria have evolved complex secretion systems that cross these barriers, and in many cases there are specific peptidoglycanases that degrade the peptidoglycan to allow the proper assembly of the secretion machinery. we describe here the identification and characterization of ...201323319555
lon mutant of brucella abortus induces tumor necrosis factor-alpha in murine j774.a1 macrophage.the objective of this study was to isolate a brucella lon mutant and to analyze the cytokine response of b. lon mutant during macrophage infection.201324524018
assessment of real-time pcr assay for detection of rickettsia spp. and rickettsia rickettsii in banked clinical samples.two novel real-time pcr assays were developed for the detection of rickettsia spp. one assay detects all tested rickettsia spp.; the other is specific for rickettsia rickettsii. evaluation using dna from human blood and tissue samples showed both assays to be more sensitive than nested pcr assays currently in use at the cdc.201323135935
brucella bior regulator defines a complex regulatory mechanism for bacterial biotin metabolism.the enzyme cofactor biotin (vitamin h or b7) is an energetically expensive molecule whose de novo biosynthesis requires 20 atp equivalents. it seems quite likely that diverse mechanisms have evolved to tightly regulate its biosynthesis. unlike the model regulator bira, a bifunctional biotin protein ligase with the capability of repressing the biotin biosynthetic pathway, bior has been recently reported by us as an alternative machinery and a new type of gntr family transcriptional factor that ca ...201323729648
development of a novel genus-specific real-time pcr assay for detection and differentiation of bartonella species and genotypes.the genus bartonella includes numerous species with varied host associations, including several that infect humans. development of a molecular diagnostic method capable of detecting the diverse repertoire of bartonella species while maintaining genus specificity has been a challenge. we developed a novel real-time pcr assay targeting a 301-bp region of the ssra gene of bartonella and demonstrated specific amplification in over 30 bartonella species, subspecies, and strains. subsequent analysis o ...201222378904
metal acquisition and virulence in brucella.similar to other bacteria, brucella strains require several biologically essential metals for their survival in vitro and in vivo. acquiring sufficient levels of some of these metals, particularly iron, manganese and zinc, is especially challenging in the mammalian host, where sequestration of these micronutrients is a well-documented component of both the innate and acquired immune responses. this review describes the brucella metal transporters that have been shown to play critical roles in th ...201222632611
improved variation calling via an iterative backbone remapping and local assembly method for bacterial genomes.sequencing data analysis remains limiting and problematic, especially for low complexity repeat sequences and transposon elements due to inherent sequencing errors and short sequence read lengths. we have developed a program, reviseq, which uses a hybrid method composed of iterative remapping and local assembly upon a bacterial sequence backbone. application of this method to six brucella suis field isolates compared to the newly revised b. suis 1330 reference genome identified on average 13, 15 ...201222967795
sinorhizobium meliloti exor is the target of periplasmic proteolysis.sinorhizobium meliloti exor regulates the production of succinoglycan and flagella through the exos/chvi two-component regulatory system. exor has been proposed to inhibit the exos sensor through direct interaction in the periplasm. to understand how exor suppression of exos is relieved, which is required for the expression of exos/chvi-regulated symbiosis genes, we characterized wild-type exor and exor95 mutant proteins. in addition to the previously identified precursor and mature forms of exo ...201222636773
yersinia enterocolitica serotype o:9 cultured from swedish sheep showing serologically false-positive reactions for brucella melitensis.in a herd of 20 sheep in sweden, a country where brucellosis has never been diagnosed in sheep or goats, a total of six sheep were found serologically positive to brucella melitensis in two different rounds of sampling. yersinia enterocolitica serotype o:9 could at the time of the second sampling be isolated from four sheep, one of them at the same time serologically positive for b. melitensis. the article describes the case and gives some background information on brucellosis and y. enterocolit ...201223240071
identification of the virb operon genes encoding the type iv secretion system, in colombian brucella canis isolates.canine brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by brucella canis. the establishment of intracellular replicative niches of b. canis is mediated by proteins secreted by the type iv secretion system, which is encoded by the virb operon. the characterization of such genes has been conducted in other species of the genus, but not in b. canis. we report the design of a multiplex pcr test for the detection of the virb operon genes of b. canis. primers for each of the 12 genes were designed and evalua ...201223290573
cell mediated immune response after challenge in omp25 liposome immunized mice contributes to protection against virulent brucella abortus 544.brucellosis is a disease affecting various domestic and wild life species, and is caused by a bacterium brucella. keeping in view the serious economic and medical consequences of brucellosis, efforts have been made to prevent the infection through the use of vaccines. cell-mediated immune responses [cmi] involving interferon gamma and cytotoxic cd4(+) and cd8(+) t cells are required for removal of intracellular brucella. omp25 has been reported to be involved in virulence of brucella melitensis, ...201223273966
analyses of brucella pathogenesis, host immunity, and vaccine targets using systems biology and bioinformatics.brucella is a gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacterium that causes zoonotic brucellosis in humans and various animals. out of 10 classified brucella species, b. melitensis, b. abortus, b. suis, and b. canis are pathogenic to humans. in the past decade, the mechanisms of brucella pathogenesis and host immunity have been extensively investigated using the cutting edge systems biology and bioinformatics approaches. this article provides a comprehensive review of the applications of omics ...201222919594
comparative genomics of early-diverging brucella strains reveals a novel lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathway.brucella species are gram-negative bacteria that infect mammals. recently, two unusual strains (brucella inopinata bo1(t) and b. inopinata-like bo2) have been isolated from human patients, and their similarity to some atypical brucellae isolated from australian native rodent species was noted. here we present a phylogenomic analysis of the draft genome sequences of bo1(t) and bo2 and of the australian rodent strains 83-13 and nf2653 that shows that they form two groups well separated from the ot ...201222930339
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