Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted descending) Filter | PMID Filter |
|---|
| applicability assessment of ceramic microbeads coated with hydroxyapatite-binding silver/titanium dioxide ceramic composite earthplus™ to the eradication of legionella in rainwater storage tanks for household use. | water environments appear to be the habitats of legionella species. legionellosis is considered as a preventable illness because bacterial reservoirs can be controlled and removed. roof-harvested rainwater has attracted significant attention not only as a groundwater recharge but also as a potential alternative source of nonpotable water. we successfully developed ceramic microbeads coated with hydroxyapatite-binding silver/titanium dioxide ceramic composite earthplus™ using the thermal spraying ... | 2015 | 26346201 |
| effect of common drinking water disinfectants, chlorine and heat, on free legionella and amoebae-associated legionella. | chlorine and thermal treatments are the most commonly used procedures to control and prevent legionella proliferation in drinking water systems of large buildings. however, cases of legionellosis still occur in facilities with treated water. the purpose of this work was to model the effect of temperature and free chlorine applied in similar exposure conditions as in drinking water systems on five legionella spp. strains and two amoebal strains of the genera acanthamoeba. inactivation models obta ... | 2015 | 26241039 |
| cross-reactions in igm elisa tests to legionella pneumophila sg1 and bordetella pertussis among children suspected of legionellosis; potential impact of vaccination against pertussis? | the objective of this study was preliminary evaluation of igm cross-reaction in sera collected from children hospitalized because of suspected legionellosis. sera with positive igm results to l. pneumophila sgs1-7, b. pertussis or with simultaneous detection of igm antibodies to l. pneumophila sgs1-7 and b. pertussis, or igm to l. pneumophila sgs1-7 and m. pneumoniae in routine tests, were selected. in total, an adapted pre-absorption test was used for the serological confirmation of legionellos ... | 2015 | 26557032 |
| problem of immunoglobulin m co-detection in serological response to bacterial and viral respiratory pathogens among children suspected of legionellosis. | the objective of this research was an analysis of the serological response to respiratory bacterial and viral pathogens, in 156 children admitted to hospital in warsaw with a suspicion of legionellosis. levels of immunoglobulin (ig) m to bordetella pertussis, mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus (rsv), adenoviruses, human parainfluenza virus (hpiv) t. 1-4 and influenza t. a + b viruses were determined retrospectively by elisas. in the prospective examinations (only legionella pneum ... | 2015 | 26557031 |
| mapping type iv secretion signals on the primase encoded by the broad-host-range plasmid r1162 (rsf1010). | the plasmid r1162 (rsf1010) encodes a primase essential for its replication. this primase makes up the c-terminal part of moba, a multifunctional protein with the relaxase as a separate n-terminal domain. the primase is also translated separately as the protein repb'. here, we map two signals for type iv secretion onto the recently solved structure of repb'. one signal is located internally within repb' and consists of a long α-helix and an adjacent disordered region rich in arginines. the secon ... | 2015 | 26381189 |
| streptolysin s promotes programmed cell death and enhances inflammatory signaling in epithelial keratinocytes during group a streptococcus infection. | streptococcus pyogenes, or group a streptococcus (gas), is a pathogen that causes a multitude of human diseases from pharyngitis to severe infections such as toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis. one of the primary virulence factors produced by gas is the peptide toxin streptolysin s (sls). in addition to its well-recognized role as a cytolysin, recent evidence has indicated that sls may influence host cell signaling pathways at sublytic concentrations during infection. we employed an ... | 2015 | 26238711 |
| binding of cxcl8/il-8 to mycobacterium tuberculosis modulates the innate immune response. | interleukin-8 (il-8) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several human respiratory diseases, including tuberculosis (tb). importantly and in direct relevance to the objectives of this report quite a few findings suggest that the presence of il-8 may be beneficial for the host. il-8 may aid with mounting an adequate response during infection with mycobacterium tuberculosis (m. tb); however, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. the major goal of our study was to investigate the ... | 2015 | 26300588 |
| tandemheart as a bridge to recovery in legionella myocarditis. | legionnaires' disease is the designation for pneumonia caused by the legionella species. among the rare extrapulmonary manifestations, cardiac involvement is most prevalent, in the forms of myocarditis, pericarditis, postcardiotomy syndrome, and prosthetic valve endocarditis. mechanical circulatory support has proved to be a safe and effective bridge to myocardial recovery in patients with acute fulminant myocarditis; however, to our knowledge, this support has not been used in infectious myocar ... | 2015 | 26413019 |
| plumbing pathogens: a fixture in hospitals and homes. | 2015 | 26230512 | |
| differentiation of acute q fever from other infections in patients presenting to hospitals, the netherlands(1). | differentiating acute q fever from infections caused by other pathogens is essential. we conducted a retrospective case-control study to evaluate differences in clinical signs, symptoms, and outcomes for 82 patients with acute q fever and 52 control patients who had pneumonia, fever and lower respiratory tract symptoms, or fever and hepatitis, but had negative serologic results for q fever. patients with acute q fever were younger and had higher c-reactive protein levels but lower leukocyte coun ... | 2015 | 26196955 |
| de-dufing the dufs: deciphering distant evolutionary relationships of domains of unknown function using sensitive homology detection methods. | in the post-genomic era where sequences are being determined at a rapid rate, we are highly reliant on computational methods for their tentative biochemical characterization. the pfam database currently contains 3,786 families corresponding to "domains of unknown function" (duf) or "uncharacterized protein family" (upf), of which 3,087 families have no reported three-dimensional structure, constituting almost one-fourth of the known protein families in search for both structure and function. | 2015 | 26228684 |
| clinical and molecular epidemiology of human rhinovirus infections in patients with hematologic malignancy. | human rhinoviruses (hrvs) are common causes of upper respiratory tract infection (urti) in hematologic malignancy (hm) patients. predictors of lower respiratory tract infection (lrti) including the impact of hrv species and types are poorly understood. | 2015 | 26370315 |
| legionella suppresses the host unfolded protein response via multiple mechanisms. | the intracellular pathogen, legionella pneumophila, secretes ∼300 effector proteins to modulate the host environment. given the intimate interaction between l. pneumophila and the endoplasmic reticulum, we investigated the role of the host unfolded protein response (upr) during l. pneumophila infection. interestingly, we show that the host identifies l. pneumophila infection as a form of endoplasmic reticulum stress and the sensor patf6 is processed to generate patf6(n), a transcriptional activa ... | 2015 | 26219498 |
| legionellosis on the rise: a review of guidelines for prevention in the united states. | reported cases of legionellosis more than tripled between 2001 and 2012 in the united states. the disease results primarily from exposure to aerosolized water contaminated with legionella. | 2015 | 25203696 |
| dot/icm effector translocation by legionella longbeachae creates a replicative vacuole similar to that of legionella pneumophila despite translocation of distinct effector repertoires. | legionella organisms are environmental bacteria and accidental human pathogens that can cause severe pneumonia, termed legionnaires' disease. these bacteria replicate within a pathogen-derived vacuole termed the legionella-containing vacuole (lcv). our understanding of the development and dynamics of this vacuole is based on extensive analysis of legionella pneumophila. here, we have characterized the legionella longbeachae replicative vacuole (longbeachae-lcv) and demonstrated that, despite imp ... | 2015 | 26216429 |
| legionella pneumophila effector lpda is a palmitoylated phospholipase d virulence factor. | legionella pneumophila is a bacterial pathogen that thrives in alveolar macrophages, causing a severe pneumonia. the virulence of l. pneumophila depends on its dot/icm type iv secretion system (t4ss), which delivers more than 300 effector proteins into the host, where they rewire cellular signaling to establish a replication-permissive niche, the legionella-containing vacuole (lcv). biogenesis of the lcv requires substantial redirection of vesicle trafficking and remodeling of intracellular memb ... | 2015 | 26216420 |
| characterization, microbial community structure, and pathogen occurrence in urban faucet biofilms in south china. | the composition and microbial community structure of the drinking water system biofilms were investigated using microstructure analysis and 454 pyrosequencing technique in xiamen city, southeast of china. sem (scanning electron microscope) results showed different features of biofilm morphology in different fields of pvc pipe. extracellular matrix material and sparse populations of bacteria (mainly rod-shaped and coccoid) were observed. clsm (confocal laser scanning microscope) revealed differen ... | 2015 | 26273617 |
| opportunistic pathogens mycobacterium avium complex (mac) and legionella spp. colonise model shower. | legionella spp. and mycobacterium avium complex (mac) are opportunistic pathogens of public health concern. hot water systems, including showers, have been identified as a potential source of infection. this paper describes the colonization of legionella and mac on the flexible tubing within a model potable shower system, utilizing thermostatic mixing and a flexible shower head. a mac qpcr method of enumeration was also developed. mac and legionella spp. were detected within the biofilm at maxim ... | 2015 | 26213977 |
| a case of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia in an hiv-infected korean patient successfully treated with clarithromycin. | bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (boop) is a type of diffuse interstitial lung disease characterized by the pathology of fibroblastic plugs in the lumens of the respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, and alveoli. the occurrence of boop in human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)-infected patients has rarely been described, and there have been no clinical case reports in korea. | 2015 | 26201392 |
| whole-genome mapping as a novel high-resolution typing tool for legionella pneumophila. | legionella is the causative agent for legionnaires' disease (ld) and is responsible for several large outbreaks in the world. more than 90% of ld cases are caused by legionella pneumophila, and studies on the origin and transmission routes of this pathogen rely on adequate molecular characterization of isolates. current typing of l. pneumophila mainly depends on sequence-based typing (sbt). however, studies have shown that in some outbreak situations, sbt does not have sufficient discriminatory ... | 2015 | 26202110 |
| tyrosine glycosylation of rho by yersinia toxin impairs blastomere cell behaviour in zebrafish embryos. | yersinia species cause zoonotic infections, including enterocolitis and plague. here we studied yersinia ruckeri antifeeding prophage 18 (afp18), the toxin component of the phage tail-derived protein translocation system afp, which causes enteric redmouth disease in salmonid fish species. here we show that microinjection of the glycosyltransferase domain afp18(g) into zebrafish embryos blocks cytokinesis, actin-dependent motility and cell blebbing, eventually abrogating gastrulation. in zebrafis ... | 2015 | 26190758 |
| induction of cellular and molecular immunomodulatory pathways by vitamin a and flavonoids. | a detailed study of reports on the immunomodulatory properties of vitamin a and select flavonoids may pave the way for using these natural compounds or compounds with similar structures in novel drug and vaccine designs against infectious and autoimmune diseases and cancers. | 2015 | 26185959 |
| translocation of non-canonical polypeptides into cells using protective antigen. | a variety of pathogenic bacteria infect host eukaryotic cells using protein toxins, which enter the cytosol and exert their cytotoxic effects. anthrax lethal toxin, for example, utilizes the membrane-spanning translocase, protective antigen (pa) pore, to deliver the protein toxin lethal factor (lf) from the endosome into the cytosol of cells. previous work has investigated the delivery of natural peptides and enzymatic domains appended to the c-terminus of the pa-binding domain of lethal factor ... | 2015 | 26178180 |
| isothermal detection of mycoplasma pneumoniae directly from respiratory clinical specimens. | mycoplasma pneumoniae is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia (cap) across patient populations of all ages. we have developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) assay that enables rapid, low-cost detection of m. pneumoniae from nucleic acid extracts and directly from various respiratory specimen types. the assay implements calcein to facilitate simple visual readout of positive results in approximately 1 h, making it ideal for use in primary care facilities and resource-p ... | 2015 | 26179304 |
| community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization among u.s. adults. | community-acquired pneumonia is a leading infectious cause of hospitalization and death among u.s. adults. incidence estimates of pneumonia confirmed radiographically and with the use of current laboratory diagnostic tests are needed. | 2015 | 26172429 |
| case report of haemophilus parainfluenzae sepsis in a newborn infant following water birth and a review of literature. | water birth has grown in popularity over the recent years. although beneficial for mothers, there are concerns for the infants. there are previous reports of infection following water birth. the information regarding infection with haemophilus parainfluenzae is limited. we report a case of a neonate with h. parainfluenzae bacteremia following water birth. the child was successfully treated with both antibiotic and supportive care. previous reports of neonatal h. parainfluenzae infection are revi ... | 2015 | 26495182 |
| orientia tsutsugamushi strain ikeda ankyrin repeat-containing proteins recruit scf1 ubiquitin ligase machinery via poxvirus-like f-box motifs. | a rising theme among intracellular microbes is the delivery of ankyrin repeat-containing effectors (anks) that interact with target proteins to co-opt host cell functions. orientia tsutsugamushi, an obligate intracellular bacterium and the etiologic agent of scrub typhus, encodes one of the largest ank repertoires of any sequenced microorganism. they have been previously identified as type 1 secretion system substrates. here, in silico and manual sequence analyses revealed that a large proportio ... | 2015 | 26170417 |
| dual function of a bacterial protein as an adhesin and extracellular effector of host gtpase signaling. | bacterial pathogens often target conserved cellular mechanisms within their hosts to rewire signaling pathways and facilitate infection. rho gtpases are important nodes within eukaryotic signaling networks and thus constitute a common target of pathogen-mediated manipulation. a diverse array of microbial mechanisms exists to interfere with rho gtpase signaling. while targeting of gtpases by secreted bacterial effectors is a well-known strategy bacterial pathogens employ to interfere with the hos ... | 2015 | 26156628 |
| correction for hervet et al., protein kinase legk2 is a type iv secretion system effector involved in endoplasmic reticulum recruitment and intracellular replication of legionella pneumophila. | 2015 | 26157087 | |
| a duo of potassium-responsive histidine kinases govern the multicellular destiny of bacillus subtilis. | multicellular biofilm formation and surface motility are bacterial behaviors considered mutually exclusive. however, the basic decision to move over or stay attached to a surface is poorly understood. here, we discover that in bacillus subtilis, the key root biofilm-controlling transcription factor spo0a~pi (phosphorylated spo0a) governs the flagellum-independent mechanism of social sliding motility. a spo0a-deficient strain was totally unable to slide and colonize plant roots, evidencing the im ... | 2015 | 26152584 |
| identification of divergent type vi secretion effectors using a conserved chaperone domain. | the type vi secretion system (t6ss) is a lethal weapon used by many bacteria to kill eukaryotic predators or prokaryotic competitors. killing by the t6ss results from repetitive delivery of toxic effectors. despite their importance in dictating bacterial fitness, systematic prediction of t6ss effectors remains challenging due to high effector diversity and the absence of a conserved signature sequence. here, we report a class of t6ss effector chaperone (tec) proteins that are required for effect ... | 2015 | 26150500 |
| assessment of legionella pneumophila in recreational spring water with quantitative pcr (taqman) assay. | legionella spp. are common in various natural and man-made aquatic environments. recreational hot spring is frequently reported as an infection hotspot because of various factors such as temperature and humidity. although polymerase chain reaction (pcr) had been used for detecting legionella, several inhibitors such as humic substances, calcium, and melanin in the recreational spring water may interfere with the reaction thus resulting in risk underestimation. the purpose of this study was to co ... | 2015 | 26184706 |
| evaluation of ozone application in dental unit water lines contaminated with pathogenic acanthamoeba. | in this study morphological and molecular characterization of acanthamoeba strains, isolated from dental unit waterlines (duwls) were surveyed and the levels of disinfection achievable in vitro by the application of ozone disinfectant to duwls were evaluate. | 2015 | 26622296 |
| characterization of francisella species isolated from the cooling water of an air conditioning system. | strains of francisella spp. were isolated from cooling water from an air conditioning system in guangzhou, china. these strains are gram negative, coccobacilli, non-motile, oxidase negative, catalase negative, esterase and lipid esterase positive. in addition, these bacteria grow on cysteine-supplemented media at 20 °c to 40 °c with an optimal growth temperature of 30 °c. analysis of 16s rrna gene sequences revealed that these strains belong to the genus francisella. biochemical tests and phylog ... | 2015 | 26413079 |
| identification of vacuoles containing extraintestinal differentiated forms of legionella pneumophila in colonized caenorhabditis elegans soil nematodes. | legionella pneumophila, a causative agent of legionnaires' disease, is a facultative intracellular parasite of freshwater protozoa. legionella pneumophila features a unique developmental network that involves several developmental forms including the infectious cyst forms. reservoirs of l. pneumophila include natural and man-made freshwater systems; however, recent studies have shown that isolates of l. pneumophila can also be obtained directly from garden potting soil suggesting the presence of ... | 2015 | 26131925 |
| disseminated balamuthia mandrillaris infection. | balamuthia mandrillaris is a rare cause of human infection, but when infections do occur, they result in high rates of morbidity and mortality. a case of disseminated balamuthia infection is presented. early diagnosis and initiation of recommended therapy are essential for increased chances of successful outcomes. | 2015 | 26135864 |
| etiology of severe febrile illness in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review. | with apparent declines in malaria worldwide during the last decade and more widespread use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests, healthcare workers in low-resource areas face a growing proportion of febrile patients without malaria. we sought to describe current knowledge and identify information gaps of the etiology severe febrile illness in low-and middle-income countries. | 2015 | 26126200 |
| circadian rhythms. a protein fold switch joins the circadian oscillator to clock output in cyanobacteria. | organisms are adapted to the relentless cycles of day and night, because they evolved timekeeping systems called circadian clocks, which regulate biological activities with ~24-hour rhythms. the clock of cyanobacteria is driven by a three-protein oscillator composed of kaia, kaib, and kaic, which together generate a circadian rhythm of kaic phosphorylation. we show that kaib flips between two distinct three-dimensional folds, and its rare transition to an active state provides a time delay that ... | 2015 | 26113641 |
| host delivery of favorite meals for intracellular pathogens. | 2015 | 26110434 | |
| management of microbiological samples in a confirmed case of ebola virus disease: constraints and limitations. | in light of the recent ebola virus outbreak, it has to be realized that besides medical treatment, precise algorithms for the management of complicating microbial infections are mandatory for ebola virus disease (evd) patients. while the necessity of such diagnostics is apparent, practical details are much less clear. our approach, established during the treatment of an evd patient at the university hospital in frankfurt am main, germany, provides a roadmap for reliable and safe on-site microbio ... | 2015 | 26109444 |
| ca2+ signaling but not store-operated ca2+ entry is required for the function of macrophages and dendritic cells. | store-operated ca(2+) entry (soce) through ca(2+) release-activated ca(2+) (crac) channels is essential for immunity to infection. crac channels are formed by orai1 proteins in the plasma membrane and activated by stromal interaction molecule (stim)1 and stim2 in the endoplasmic reticulum. mutations in orai1 and stim1 genes that abolish soce cause severe immunodeficiency with recurrent infections due to impaired t cell function. soce has also been observed in cells of the innate immune system su ... | 2015 | 26109647 |
| cutting edge: inflammasome activation in primary human macrophages is dependent on flagellin. | murine nlr family, apoptosis inhibitory protein (naip)1, naip2, and naip5/6 are host sensors that detect the cytosolic presence of needle and rod proteins from bacterial type iii secretion systems and flagellin, respectively. previous studies using human-derived macrophage-like cell lines indicate that human macrophages sense the cytosolic needle protein, but not bacterial flagellin. in this study, we show that primary human macrophages readily sense cytosolic flagellin. infection of primary hum ... | 2015 | 26109648 |
| lower respiratory tract infections among hiv positive and control group in nepal. | lower respiratory tract infections (lrtis) are the most frequent respiratory diseases among hiv infected patients and are frequently the first clinical manifestations of the hiv infections. lrtis are common not only among the hiv seropositive cases but also the commonest domiciliary and nosocomial infections among the general population. the present study was carried out to determine the comparative prevalence of common bacterial and fungal organism among the hiv positive and control population. ... | 2015 | 26436125 |
| molecular characterization of lc3-associated phagocytosis reveals distinct roles for rubicon, nox2 and autophagy proteins. | lc3-associated phagocytosis (lap) is a process wherein elements of autophagy conjugate lc3 to phagosomal membranes. we characterize the molecular requirements for lap, and identify rubicon as being required for lap but not autophagy. rubicon is recruited to laposomes and is required for the activity of a class iii pi(3)k complex containing uvrag but lacking atg14 and ambra1. this allows for the sustained localization of ptdins(3)p, which is critical for recruitment of downstream autophagic prote ... | 2015 | 26098576 |
| endoplasmic reticulum tubule protein reticulon 4 associates with the legionella pneumophila vacuole and with translocated substrate ceg9. | intracellular growth of legionella pneumophila occurs in a replication vacuole constructed by host proteins that regulate vesicular traffic from the host endoplasmic reticulum (er). this process is promoted by a combination of approximately 300 icm/dot translocated substrates (idts). one of these proteins, ceg9, was previously identified in a screen for l. pneumophila idts that manipulate secretory traffic when overexpressed in yeast. using ectopic expression of ceg9 in mammalian cells, we demon ... | 2015 | 26099580 |
| toxicity and sidj-mediated suppression of toxicity require distinct regions in the side family of legionella pneumophila effectors. | intracellular bacteria use a variety of strategies to evade degradation and create a replicative niche. legionella pneumophila is an intravacuolar pathogen that establishes a replicative niche through the secretion of more than 300 effector proteins. the function of most effectors remains to be determined. toxicity in yeast has been used to identify functional domains and elucidate the biochemical function of effectors. a library of l. pneumophila effectors was screened using an expression plasm ... | 2015 | 26099583 |
| pulmonary mucormycosis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus: a diagnostic and treatment challenge. | pulmonary mucormycosis is commonly encountered in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis, hematologic malignancies, neutropenia, organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and malignancy, but it rarely occurs in high-risk patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (sle). we present the case of a 40-year-old sle female with fulminant pneumonia after remission of nephritis treated with rituximab, who developed severe pulmonary mucormycosis that led to her rapid death from acute respiratory fai ... | 2015 | 26185693 |
| comparison of sofia legionella fia and binaxnow® legionella urinary antigen card in two national reference centers. | the sofia legionella fluorescence immunoassay (fia; quidel) is a recently introduced rapid immunochromatographic diagnostic test for legionnaires' disease using immunofluorescence technology designed to enhance its sensitivity. the aim of this study was to evaluate its performance for the detection of urinary antigens for legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 in two national reference centers for legionella. the sensitivity and specificity of the sofia legionella fia test were determined in concent ... | 2015 | 26092030 |
| the tetracycline destructases: a novel family of tetracycline-inactivating enzymes. | enzymes capable of inactivating tetracycline are paradoxically rare compared with enzymes that inactivate other natural-product antibiotics. we describe a family of flavoenzymes, previously unrecognizable as resistance genes, which are capable of degrading tetracycline antibiotics. from soil functional metagenomic selections, we discovered nine genes that confer high-level tetracycline resistance by enzymatic inactivation. we also demonstrate that a tenth enzyme, an uncharacterized homolog in th ... | 2015 | 26097034 |
| formation of giant unilamellar proteo-liposomes by osmotic shock. | giant unilamellar vesicles (guvs), composed of a phospholipid bilayer, are often used as a model system for cell membranes. however, the study of proteo-membrane interactions in this system is limited as the incorporation of integral and lipid-anchored proteins into guvs remains challenging. here, we present a simple generic method to incorporate proteins into guvs. the basic principle is to break proteo-liposomes with an osmotic shock. they subsequently reseal into larger vesicles which, if nec ... | 2015 | 26038815 |
| antibiofilm peptides increase the susceptibility of carbapenemase-producing klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates to β-lactam antibiotics. | multidrug-resistant carbapenemase-producing klebsiella pneumoniae (kpc) strains are becoming a common cause of infections in health care centers. furthermore, klebsiella can develop multicellular biofilms, which lead to elevated adaptive antibiotic resistance. here, we describe the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of synthetic peptides djk-5, djk-6, and 1018 against five kpc isolates. using static microplate assays, it was observed that the concentration required to prevent biofilm forma ... | 2015 | 25896694 |
| structure of the legionella virulence factor, sidc reveals a unique pi(4)p-specific binding domain essential for its targeting to the bacterial phagosome. | the opportunistic intracellular pathogen legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of legionnaires' disease. l. pneumophila delivers nearly 300 effector proteins into host cells for the establishment of a replication-permissive compartment known as the legionella-containing vacuole (lcv). sidc and its paralog sdca are two effectors that have been shown to anchor on the lcv via binding to phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate [pi(4)p] to facilitate the recruitment of er proteins to the lcv. we rec ... | 2015 | 26067986 |
| hma6 and hma8 are two chloroplast cu+-atpases with different enzymatic properties. | copper (cu) plays a key role in the photosynthetic process as cofactor of the plastocyanin (pc), an essential component of the chloroplast photosynthetic electron transfer chain. encoded by the nuclear genome, pc is translocated in its apo-form into the chloroplast and the lumen of thylakoids where it is processed to its mature form and acquires cu. in arabidopsis, cu delivery into the thylakoids involves two transporters of the pib-1 atpases family, heavy metal associated protein 6 (hma6) locat ... | 2015 | 26182363 |
| the rising dominance of shigella sonnei: an intercontinental shift in the etiology of bacillary dysentery. | shigellosis is the major global cause of dysentery. shigella sonnei, which has historically been more commonly isolated in developed countries, is undergoing an unprecedented expansion across industrializing regions in asia, latin america, and the middle east. the precise reasons underpinning the epidemiological distribution of the various shigella species and this global surge in s. sonnei are unclear but may be due to three major environmental pressures. first, natural passive immunization wit ... | 2015 | 26068698 |
| opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens: increasingly important pathogens in drinking water. | opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens are responsible for a significant number of infections whose origin has been traced to drinking water. these opportunistic pathogens represent an emerging water borne disease problem with a major economic cost of at least $1 billion annually. the common features of this group of waterborne pathogens include: disinfectant-resistance, pipe surface adherence and biofilm formation, growth in amoebae, growth on low organic concentrations, and growth at low oxy ... | 2015 | 26066311 |
| relationship between organic carbon and opportunistic pathogens in simulated glass water heaters. | controlling organic carbon levels in municipal water has been hypothesized to limit downstream growth of bacteria and opportunistic pathogens in premise plumbing (oppps). here, the relationships between influent organic carbon (0-15,000 µg ozonated fulvic acid /l) and the number of total bacteria [16s rrna genes and heterotrophic plate counts (hpcs)] and a wide range of oppps (gene copy numbers of acanthamoeba polyphaga, vermamoeba vermiformis, legionella pneumophila, and mycobacterium avium) we ... | 2015 | 26066310 |
| cyclic rhamnosylated elongation factor p establishes antibiotic resistance in pseudomonas aeruginosa. | elongation factor p (ef-p) is a ubiquitous bacterial protein that is required for the synthesis of poly-proline motifs during translation. in escherichia coli and salmonella enterica, the posttranslational β-lysylation of lys34 by the poxa protein is critical for ef-p activity. poxa is absent from many bacterial species such as pseudomonas aeruginosa, prompting a search for alternative ef-p posttranslation modification pathways. structural analyses of p. aeruginosa ef-p revealed the attachment o ... | 2015 | 26060278 |
| csrr, a paralog and direct target of csra, promotes legionella pneumophila resilience in water. | critical to microbial versatility is the capacity to express the cohort of genes that increase fitness in different environments. legionella pneumophila occupies extensive ecological space that includes diverse protists, pond water, engineered water systems, and mammalian lung macrophages. one mechanism that equips this opportunistic pathogen to adapt to fluctuating conditions is a switch between replicative and transmissive cell types that is controlled by the broadly conserved regulatory prote ... | 2015 | 26060275 |
| histone deacetylase 5 regulates the inflammatory response of macrophages. | modifying the chromatin structure and interacting with non-histone proteins, histone deacetylases (hdac) are involved in vital cellular processes at different levels. we here specifically investigated the direct effects of hdac5 in macrophage activation in response to bacterial or cytokine stimuli. using murine and human macrophage cell lines, we studied the expression profile and the immunological function of hdac5 at transcription and protein level in over-expression as well as rna interferenc ... | 2015 | 26059794 |
| trem-1 signaling promotes host defense during the early stage of infection with highly pathogenic streptococcus suis. | infection with highly pathogenic streptococcus suis can cause septic shock, which is characterized by high levels of inflammatory cytokines and a high mortality rate. our previous study indicated that trem-1 (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1) was upregulated in swine spleen cells in response to s. suis infection. the role of trem-1 signaling in enhancement of the proinflammatory response promoted us to examine its effect on the outcome of s. suis infection. in the present study, ... | 2015 | 26056380 |
| the proteome of the isolated chlamydia trachomatis containing vacuole reveals a complex trafficking platform enriched for retromer components. | chlamydia trachomatis is an important human pathogen that replicates inside the infected host cell in a unique vacuole, the inclusion. the formation of this intracellular bacterial niche is essential for productive chlamydia infections. despite its importance for chlamydia biology, a holistic view on the protein composition of the inclusion, including its membrane, is currently missing. here we describe the host cell-derived proteome of isolated c. trachomatis inclusions by quantitative proteomi ... | 2015 | 26042774 |
| molecular and structural analysis of legionella doti gives insights into an inner membrane complex essential for type iv secretion. | the human pathogen legionella pneumophila delivers a large array of the effector proteins into host cells using the dot/icm type ivb secretion system. among the proteins composing the dot/icm system, an inner membrane protein doti is known to be crucial for the secretion function but its structure and role in type iv secretion had not been elucidated. we report here the crystal structures of the periplasmic domains of doti and its ortholog in the conjugation system of plasmid r64, tram. these st ... | 2015 | 26039110 |
| the cytosolic sensor cgas detects mycobacterium tuberculosis dna to induce type i interferons and activate autophagy. | type i interferons (ifns) are critical mediators of antiviral defense, but their elicitation by bacterial pathogens can be detrimental to hosts. many intracellular bacterial pathogens, including mycobacterium tuberculosis, induce type i ifns following phagosomal membrane perturbations. cytosolic m. tuberculosis dna has been implicated as a trigger for ifn production, but the mechanisms remain obscure. we report that the cytosolic dna sensor, cyclic gmp-amp synthase (cgas), is required for activa ... | 2015 | 26048136 |
| purification and proteomics of pathogen-modified vacuoles and membranes. | certain pathogenic bacteria adopt an intracellular lifestyle and proliferate in eukaryotic host cells. the intracellular niche protects the bacteria from cellular and humoral components of the mammalian immune system, and at the same time, allows the bacteria to gain access to otherwise restricted nutrient sources. yet, intracellular protection and access to nutrients comes with a price, i.e., the bacteria need to overcome cell-autonomous defense mechanisms, such as the bactericidal endocytic pa ... | 2015 | 26082896 |
| il-1r signaling enables bystander cells to overcome bacterial blockade of host protein synthesis. | the innate immune system is critical for host defense against microbial pathogens, yet many pathogens express virulence factors that impair immune function. here, we used the bacterial pathogen legionella pneumophila to understand how the immune system successfully overcomes pathogen subversion mechanisms. l. pneumophila replicates within macrophages by using a type iv secretion system to translocate bacterial effectors into the host cell cytosol. as a consequence of effector delivery, host prot ... | 2015 | 26034289 |
| a new way to detect the danger: lysosomal cell death induced by a bacterial ribosomal protein. | the death of immune cells in response to pathogens often dictates the outcome of an infection. in some contexts, pathogens specifically kill immune cells by producing highly potent toxins or by triggering host cell death pathways, thus ensuring successful infections. but for intracellular pathogens and viruses, the death of host cells normally is disastrous for their intracellular life cycle. our recent experiments with the pathogen legionella pneumophila revealed that the bacterial ribosomal pr ... | 2015 | 26052550 |
| usefulness of midregional proadrenomedullin to predict poor outcome in patients with community acquired pneumonia. | midregional proadrenomedullin (mr-proadm) is a prognostic biomarker in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (cap). we sought to confirm whether mr-proadm added to pneumonia severity index (psi) improves the potential prognostic value of psi alone, and tested to what extent this combination could be useful in predicting poor outcome of patients with cap in an emergency department (ed). | 2015 | 26030588 |
| pneumonia outbreak caused by chlamydophila pneumoniae among us air force academy cadets, colorado, usa. | during october 2013-may 2014, there were 102 cases of pneumonia diagnosed in us air force academy cadets. a total of 73% of tested nasal washes contained chlamydophila pneumoniae. this agent can be considered to be present on campus settings during outbreaks with numerous, seemingly disconnected cases of relatively mild pneumonia. | 2015 | 25988545 |
| reducing the risk for waterborne nosocomial neonatal legionellosis. | 2015 | 25988326 | |
| i can see crispr now, even when phage are gone: a view on alternative crispr-cas functions from the prokaryotic envelope. | crispr-cas systems are prokaryotic immune systems against invading nucleic acids that adapt as new environmental threats arise. there are emerging examples of crispr-cas functions in bacterial physiology beyond their role in adaptive immunity. this highlights the poorly understood, but potentially common, moonlighting functions of these abundant systems. we propose that these noncanonical crispr-cas activities have evolved to respond to stresses at the cell envelope. | 2015 | 25887612 |
| vitamin d every day to keep the infection away? | within the last decade, vitamin d has emerged as a central regulator of host defense against infections. in this regard, vitamin d triggers effective antimicrobial pathways against bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens in cells of the human innate immune system. however, vitamin d also mediates potent tolerogenic effects: it is generally believed that vitamin d attenuates inflammation and acquired immunity, and thus potentially limits collateral tissue damage. nevertheless, several studies indic ... | 2015 | 26035244 |
| different stat transcription complexes drive early and delayed responses to type i ifns. | ifns, which transduce pivotal signals through stat1 and stat2, effectively suppress the replication of legionella pneumophila in primary murine macrophages. although the ability of ifn-γ to impede l. pneumophila growth is fully dependent on stat1, ifn-αβ unexpectedly suppresses l. pneumophila growth in both stat1- and stat2-deficient macrophages. new studies demonstrating that the robust response to ifn-αβ is lost in stat1-stat2 double-knockout macrophages suggest that stat1 and stat2 are functi ... | 2015 | 26019270 |
| exhaled breath condensate: technical and diagnostic aspects. | the aim of this study was to evaluate the 30-year progress of research on exhaled breath condensate in a disease-based approach. | 2015 | 26106641 |
| dysregulation of serum gamma interferon levels in vascular chronic q fever patients provides insights into disease pathogenesis. | a large community outbreak of q fever occurred in the netherlands in the period 2007 to 2010. some of the infected patients developed chronic q fever, which typically includes pathogen dissemination to predisposed cardiovascular sites, with potentially fatal consequences. to identify the immune mechanisms responsible for ineffective clearance of coxiella burnetii in patients who developed chronic q fever, we compared serum concentrations of 47 inflammation-associated markers among patients with ... | 2015 | 25924761 |
| neutrophils play an important role in protective immunity against coxiella burnetii infection. | coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular gram-negative bacterium that causes the zoonotic disease q fever. although q fever is mainly transmitted by aerosol infection, study of the immune responses in the lung following pulmonary c. burnetii infection is lacking. neutrophils are considered the first immune cell to migrate into the lung and play an important role in host defense against aerosol infection with microbial pathogens. however, the role of neutrophils in the host defense against ... | 2015 | 26015476 |
| dual function of calcoco2/ndp52 during xenophagy. | during xenophagy, pathogens are selectively targeted by autophagy receptors to the autophagy machinery for their subsequent degradation. in infected cells, the autophagy receptor calcoco2/ndp52 targets salmonella typhimurium to the phagophore membrane by concomitantly interacting with lc3c and binding to ubiquitinated cytosolic bacteria or to lgals8/galectin 8 adsorbed on damaged vacuoles that contain bacteria. we recently reported that in addition, calcoco2 is also necessary for the maturation ... | 2015 | 25998689 |
| survey and rapid detection of klebsiella pneumoniae in clinical samples targeting the rcsa gene in beijing, china. | klebsiella pneumoniae is a wide-spread nosocomial pathogen. a rapid and sensitive molecular method for the detection of k. pneumoniae in clinical samples is needed to guide therapeutic treatment. in this study, we first described a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) method for the rapid detection of capsular polysaccharide synthesis regulating gene rcsa from k. pneumoniaein clinical samples by using two methods including real-time turbidity monitoring and fluorescence detection to ass ... | 2015 | 26052327 |
| impact of environmental factors on legionella populations in drinking water. | to examine the impact of environmental factors on legionella in drinking water distribution systems, the growth and survival of legionella under various conditions was studied. when incubated in tap water at 4 °c, 25 °c, and 32 °c, l. pneumophila survival trends varied amongst the temperatures, with the stable populations maintained for months at 25 °c and 32 °c demonstrating that survival is possible at these temperatures for extended periods in oligotrophic conditions. after inoculating coupon ... | 2015 | 25996405 |
| amcase is a crucial regulator of type 2 immune responses to inhaled house dust mites. | chitinases are enzymes that cleave chitin, a component of the exoskeleton of many organisms including the house dust mite (hdm). here we show that knockin mice expressing an enzymatically inactive acidic mammalian chitinase (amcase), the dominant true chitinase in mouse lung, showed enhanced type 2 immune responses to inhaled hdm. we found that uncleaved chitin promoted the release of il-33, whereas cleaved chitin could be phagocytosed and could induce the activation of caspase-1 and subsequent ... | 2015 | 26038565 |
| the changing nature of the brucella-containing vacuole. | bacteria of the genus brucella are intracellular vacuolar pathogens of mammals that cause the worldwide zoonosis brucellosis, and reside within phagocytes of infected hosts to promote their survival, persistence and proliferation. these traits are essential to the bacterium's ability to cause disease and have been the subject of much investigation to gain an understanding of brucella pathogenic mechanisms. although the endoplasmic reticulum-derived nature of the brucella replicative niche has be ... | 2015 | 25916795 |
| the recent evolution of a maternally-inherited endosymbiont of ticks led to the emergence of the q fever pathogen, coxiella burnetii. | q fever is a highly infectious disease with a worldwide distribution. its causative agent, the intracellular bacterium coxiella burnetii, infects a variety of vertebrate species, including humans. its evolutionary origin remains almost entirely unknown and uncertainty persists regarding the identity and lifestyle of its ancestors. a few tick species were recently found to harbor maternally-inherited coxiella-like organisms engaged in symbiotic interactions, but their relationships to the q fever ... | 2015 | 25978383 |
| draft genome sequences of five legionella pneumophila strains isolated from environmental water samples. | legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of legionellosis. here, we report the draft genome sequences of five l. pneumophila strains, bnt314, ofk308, twr292, ymg289, and ymt294, isolated from environmental water samples. comparative analyses of these genomes may reveal the survival mechanisms and virulence of l. pneumophila in the natural environment. | 2015 | 25977442 |
| in vitro antibacterial activity of azd0914 against human mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas. | in this study, susceptibilities were determined for azd0914, a spiropyrimidinetrione dna gyrase inhibitor, azithromycin, doxycycline, and levofloxacin against mycoplasma and ureaplasma species. the activity of azd0914 was comparable to that of levofloxacin and doxycycline against mycoplasma genitalium and mycoplasma pneumoniae. the azd0914 mic90 against mycoplasma hominis was 8-fold greater than that for levofloxacin. the azd0914 mic90 against ureaplasma species was 4-fold less than that for azi ... | 2015 | 25824220 |
| circumventing y. pestis virulence by early recruitment of neutrophils to the lungs during pneumonic plague. | pneumonic plague is a fatal disease caused by yersinia pestis that is associated with a delayed immune response in the lungs. because neutrophils are the first immune cells recruited to sites of infection, we investigated the mechanisms responsible for their delayed homing to the lung. during the first 24 hr after pulmonary infection with a fully virulent y. pestis strain, no significant changes were observed in the lungs in the levels of neutrophils infiltrate, expression of adhesion molecules, ... | 2015 | 25974210 |
| functree: functional analysis and visualization for large-scale omics data. | exponential growth of high-throughput data and the increasing complexity of omics information have been making processing and interpreting biological data an extremely difficult and daunting task. here we developed functree (http://bioviz.tokyo/functree), a web-based application for analyzing and visualizing large-scale omics data, including but not limited to genomic, metagenomic, and transcriptomic data. functree allows user to map their omics data onto the "functional tree map", a predefined ... | 2015 | 25974630 |
| generation and multi-phenotypic high-content screening of coxiella burnetii transposon mutants. | invasion and colonization of host cells by bacterial pathogens depend on the activity of a large number of prokaryotic proteins, defined as virulence factors, which can subvert and manipulate key host functions. the study of host/pathogen interactions is therefore extremely important to understand bacterial infections and develop alternative strategies to counter infectious diseases. this approach however, requires the development of new high-throughput assays for the unbiased, automated identif ... | 2015 | 25992686 |
| neu1 sialidase regulates membrane-tethered mucin (muc1) ectodomain adhesiveness for pseudomonas aeruginosa and decoy receptor release. | airway epithelia express sialylated receptors that recognize exogenous danger signals. regulation of receptor responsiveness to these signals remains incompletely defined. here, we explore the mechanisms through which the human sialidase, neuraminidase-1 (neu1), promotes the interaction between the sialoprotein, mucin 1 (muc1), and the opportunistic pathogen, pseudomonas aeruginosa. p. aeruginosa flagellin engaged the muc1 ectodomain (ed), increasing neu1 association with muc1. the flagellin sti ... | 2015 | 25963144 |
| identification of oprf as a complement component c3 binding acceptor molecule on the surface of pseudomonas aeruginosa. | pseudomonas aeruginosa is a versatile opportunistic pathogen that can cause devastating persistent infections. complement is a highly conserved pathway of the innate immune system, and its role in the first line of defense against pathogens is widely appreciated. one of the earliest events in the complement cascade is the conversion of c3 to c3a and c3b, the latter typically binds to one or more acceptor molecules on the pathogen surface. we previously demonstrated that complement c3b binding ac ... | 2015 | 25964476 |
| rab27a controls hiv-1 assembly by regulating plasma membrane levels of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. | during the late stages of the hiv-1 replication cycle, the viral polyprotein pr55(gag) is recruited to the plasma membrane (pm), where it binds phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (pi(4,5)p2) and directs hiv-1 assembly. we show that rab27a controls the trafficking of late endosomes carrying phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase type 2 α (pi4kiiα) toward the pm of cd4(+) t cells. hence, rab27a promotes high levels of pm phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and the localized production of pi(4,5)p2, therefo ... | 2015 | 25940347 |
| positron emission tomography with 18f-fluorodeoxyglucose in patients with sickle cell acute chest syndrome. | the acute chest syndrome (acs) is the main cause of mortality among adult patients with sickle cell disease (scd). its pathophysiology is still unclear. using positron emission tomography (pet) with f-fluorodeoxyglucose [18f-fluorodeoxyglucose (f-fdg)], we explored the relationship between regional lung density and lung metabolism, as a reflection of lung neutrophilic infiltration during acs.patients were prospectively enrolled in a single-center study. dual modality chest pet/computed tomograph ... | 2015 | 25950690 |
| rash, disseminated intravascular coagulation and legionella: episode 10 and a rewind into the past. | legionella pneumophila is the most common cause of legionellosis and is one of the organisms causing atypical pneumonia. we report the presentation of disseminated intravascular coagulation (dic) and skin rash in a single case of severe legionella pneumonia. the unique clinical presentation of a diffuse rash diagnosed as purpura fulminans and the unpredictable variations encountered during the diagnostic work-up of the case make this write-up crucial. this article synthesizes all reported cases ... | 2015 | 26236615 |
| a sulfur-based transport pathway in cu+-atpases. | cells regulate copper levels tightly to balance the biogenesis and integrity of copper centers in vital enzymes against toxic levels of copper. pib -type cu(+)-atpases play a central role in copper homeostasis by catalyzing the selective translocation of cu(+) across cellular membranes. crystal structures of a copper-free cu(+)-atpase are available, but the mechanism of cu(+) recognition, binding, and translocation remains elusive. through x-ray absorption spectroscopy, atpase activity assays, a ... | 2015 | 25956886 |
| wind-mediated spread of low-pathogenic avian influenza virus into the environment during outbreaks at commercial poultry farms. | avian influenza virus-infected poultry can release a large amount of virus-contaminated droppings that serve as sources of infection for susceptible birds. much research so far has focused on virus spread within flocks. however, as fecal material or manure is a major constituent of airborne poultry dust, virus-contaminated particulate matter from infected flocks may be dispersed into the environment. we collected samples of suspended particulate matter, or the inhalable dust fraction, inside, up ... | 2015 | 25946115 |
| anti-chlamydial igg neutralizing ability in nonzoonotic atypical community acquired respiratory tract infections. | chlamydophila pneumoniae is a pathogenic agent, involved in various types of infection. this study has evaluated the ability of igg antibodies in outpatient, with acute respiratory tract infections from c. pneumoniae, to neutralize in vitro purified elementary bodies of this bacterium, revealing a good neutralizing performance of igg antibodies. | 2015 | 26063946 |
| the legionella kinase legk2 targets the arp2/3 complex to inhibit actin nucleation on phagosomes and allow bacterial evasion of the late endocytic pathway. | legionella pneumophila, the etiological agent of legionellosis, replicates within phagocytic cells. crucial to biogenesis of the replicative vacuole is the dot/icm type 4 secretion system, which translocates a large number of effectors into the host cell cytosol. among them is legk2, a protein kinase that plays a key role in legionella infection. here, we identified the actin nucleator arp2/3 complex as a target of legk2. legk2 phosphorylates the arpc1b and arp3 subunits of the arp2/3 complex. l ... | 2015 | 25944859 |
| modulation of the host innate immune and inflammatory response by translocated bacterial proteins. | bacterial secretion systems play a central role in interfering with host inflammatory responses to promote replication in tissue sites. many intracellular bacteria utilize secretion systems to promote their uptake and survival within host cells. an intracellular niche can help bacteria avoid killing by phagocytic cells, and may limit host sensing of bacterial components. secretion systems can also play an important role in limiting host sensing of bacteria by translocating proteins that disrupt ... | 2015 | 25850689 |
| bacterial pathogens and community composition in advanced sewage treatment systems revealed by metagenomics analysis based on high-throughput sequencing. | this study used 454 pyrosequencing, illumina high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic analysis to investigate bacterial pathogens and their potential virulence in a sewage treatment plant (stp) applying both conventional and advanced treatment processes. pyrosequencing and illumina sequencing consistently demonstrated that arcobacter genus occupied over 43.42% of total abundance of potential pathogens in the stp. at species level, potential pathogens arcobacter butzleri, aeromonas hydrophila a ... | 2015 | 25938416 |
| capillary electrophoresis applied to dna: determining and harnessing sequence and structure to advance bioanalyses (2009-2014). | this review of capillary electrophoresis methods for dna analyses covers critical advances from 2009 to 2014, referencing 184 citations. separation mechanisms based on free-zone capillary electrophoresis, ogston sieving, and reptation are described. two prevalent gel matrices for gel-facilitated sieving, which are linear polyacrylamide and polydimethylacrylamide, are compared in terms of performance, cost, viscosity, and passivation of electroosmotic flow. the role of capillary electrophoresis i ... | 2015 | 25935677 |
| the cooperation between the autophagy machinery and the inflammasome to implement an appropriate innate immune response: do they regulate each other? | autophagy is originally described as the main catabolic pathway responsible for maintaining intracellular nutritional homeostasis that involves the formation of a unique vacuole, the autophagosome, and the interaction with the endosome-lysosome pathways. this conserved machinery plays a key role in immune-protection against different invaders, including pathogenic bacteria, intracellular parasites, and some viruses like herpes simplex and hepatitis c virus. importantly, autophagy is linked to a ... | 2015 | 25879294 |
| migratory eosinophilic alveolitis caused by radiation therapy. | although radiation pneumonitis is usually confined to irradiated areas, some studies have reported that radiation-induced lymphocytic alveolitis can also spread to the non-irradiated lung. however, there have been few reports of radiation-induced eosinophilic alveolitis. we report the case of a 27-year-old female with radiation pneumonitis, occurring 4 months after radiation therapy for cancer of the left breast. clinical and radiological relapse followed withdrawal of corticosteroids. examinati ... | 2015 | 26101656 |