Publications

crystal structure of a catalytic site mutant of beta-amylase from bacillus cereus var. mycoides cocrystallized with maltopentaose.	the x-ray crystal structure of a catalytic site mutant of beta-amylase, e172a (glu172 --> ala), from bacillus cereus var. mycoides complexed with a substrate, maltopentaose (g5), and the wild-type enzyme complexed with maltose were determined at 2.1 and 2.0 a resolution, respectively. clear and continuous density corresponding to g5 was observed in the active site of e172a, and thus, the substrate, g5, was not hydrolyzed. all glucose residues adopted a relaxed (4)c(1) conformation, and the confo ...	2003	12741813
the microbiological quality of ready-to-eat foods with added spices.	a microbiological study of ready-to-eat foods with added spices or spice ingredients was undertaken to identify any risk factors in the production, storage and display of this product and to establish their effect on microbiological quality. examination of 1946 ready-to-eat foods from sandwich bars, cafés, public houses, restaurants, specialist sandwich producers, bakers, delicatessens, market stalls and mobile vendors found that 1291 (66%) were of satisfactory/acceptable microbiological quality ...	2003	12745346
bacillus thuringiensis associated with faeces of the kerama-jika, cervus nippon keramae, a wild deer indigenous to the ryukyus, japan.	faeces of the kerama-jika (cervus nippon keramae), a wild shika deer indigenous to the ryukyus, japan, were examined for the natural occurrence of bacillus thuringiensis. of the ten faecal samples tested, seven contained this organism. the frequency of b. thuringiensis was 8.5% among 387 colonies of spore-forming bacteria belonging to the bacillus cereus/b. thuringiensis group. of 33 b. thuringiensis isolates recovered, only one isolate, assigned to the serotype h3abc (serovar kurstaki), exhibit ...	2003	12746858
the patchwork nature of rolling-circle plasmids: comparison of six plasmids from two distinct bacillus thuringiensis serotypes.	bacillus thuringiensis, the entomopathogenic bacteria from the bacillus cereus group, harbors numerous extrachromosomal molecules whose sizes vary from 2 to more than 200kb. apart from the genes coding for the biopesticide delta-endotoxins located on large plasmids, little information has been obtained on these plasmids and their contribution to the biology of their host. in this paper, we embarked on a detailed comparison of six small rolling-circle replicating (rcr) plasmids originating from t ...	2003	12749835
[production of oil-processing compounds by microorganisms from the daqing oil field, china].	twenty pure cultures isolated from formation waters of the daqing oil field were studied with respect to their capacity to produce surface-active compounds in media with individual hydrocarbons, lower alcohols, and fatty acids. aerobic saprotrophic bacteria belonging to the genera bacillus, brevibacillus, rhodococcus, dietzia, kocuria, gordonia, cellulomonas, clavibacter, pseudomonas, and acinetobacter decreased the surface tension of cultivation media from 55-63 to 28-44 mn/m. strains of bacill ...	2003	12751245
genetic relationship in the 'bacillus cereus group' by rep-pcr fingerprinting and sequencing of a bacillus anthracis-specific rep-pcr fragment.	to evaluate the genetic relationship in the bacillus cereus group by rep-pcr fingerprinting.	2003	12752821
genes of bacillus cereus and bacillus anthracis encoding proteins of the exosporium.	the exosporium is the outermost layer of spores of bacillus cereus and its close relatives bacillus anthracis and bacillus thuringiensis. for these pathogens, it represents the surface layer that makes initial contact with the host. to date, only the bcla glycoprotein has been described as a component of the exosporium; this paper defines 10 more tightly associated proteins from the exosporium of b. cereus atcc 10876, identified by n-terminal sequencing of proteins from purified, washed exospori ...	2003	12754235
relationship of plcr-regulated factors to bacillus endophthalmitis virulence.	the explosive, destructive course of bacillus endophthalmitis has been attributed to the production of toxins during infection. in this study we analyzed the contribution of toxins controlled by the global regulator plcr to the pathogenesis of experimental bacillus endophthalmitis. isogenic plcr-deficient mutants of bacillus cereus and bacillus thuringiensis were constructed by insertional inactivation of plcr by the kanamycin resistance cassette, apha3. rabbit eyes were injected intravitreally ...	2003	12761089
glu-53 of bacillus cereus sphingomyelinase acts as an indispensable ligand of mg2+ essential for catalytic activity.	bacillus cereus sphingomyelinase (smase) is an extracellular hemolysin classified into a group of mg(2+)-dependent neutral smases (nsmase). sequence comparison of bacterial and eukaryotic mg(2+)-dependent nsmases has shown that several amino acid residues, including glu-53 of b. cereus smase, are conserved, suggesting a catalytic mechanism common to these enzymes. mutational analysis has revealed that hemolytic and sm-hydrolyzing activities are abolished by e53a and e53q mutations. only the e53d ...	2003	12761162
crystal structures of beta-amylase from bacillus cereus var mycoides in complexes with substrate analogs and affinity-labeling reagents.	the crystal structures of beta-amylase from bacillus cereus var. mycoides in complexes with five inhibitors were solved. the inhibitors used were three substrate analogs, i.e. glucose, maltose (product), and a synthesized compound, o-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-o-alpha-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-d-xylopyranose (ggx), and two affinity-labeling reagents with an epoxy alkyl group at the reducing end of glucose. for all inhibitors, one molecule was bound at the active site cleft and the non-reducin ...	2003	12761294
methodologies for the characterization of microbes in industrial environments: a review.	there is growing interest in research and development to develop novel tools to study, detect, and characterize microbes and their communities in industrial environments. however, knowledge about their validity in practical industrial use is still scarce. this review describes the advantages and limitations of traditional and molecular methods used for biofilm and/or planktonic cell studies, especially those performed with listeria monocytogenes, bacillus cereus, and/or clostridium perfringens. ...	2003	12764674
phospholipase activity on n-acyl phosphatidylethanolamines is critically dependent on the n-acyl chain length.	we have recently shown that an endogenous phospholipase a2 from bovine erythrocytes does not hydrolyse napes (n-acyl l-alpha-phosphatidylethanolamines), which accumulate remarkably in this system [florin-christensen, suarez, florin-christensen, wainszelbaum, brown, mcelwain and palmer (2001) proc. natl. acad. sci. u.s.a. 98, 7736-7741]. here we investigate the causes underlying this resistance. n-acylation of pe (l-alpha-phosphatidylethanolamine) results in alteration of charge, head-group volum ...	2003	12765548
carbohydrates and glycoproteins of bacillus anthracis and related bacilli: targets for biodetection.	the spore is the form released in a bioterrorism attack. there is a real need for definition of new targets for bacillus anthracis that might be incorporated into emerging biodetection technologies. particularly of interest are macromolecules found in b. anthracis that are (1) spore-specific, (2) readily accessible on the spore surface and (3) distinct from those present in related organisms. one of the few biochemical methods to identify the spores of b. anthracis is based on the presence of rh ...	2003	12782370
fluorescent heteroduplex assay for monitoring bacillus anthracis and close relatives in environmental samples.	a fluorescent heteroduplex method was developed to assess the presence of 16s rrna gene (rdna) sequences from bacillus anthracis and close relatives in pcr-amplified 16s rdna sequence mixtures from environmental samples. the method uses a single-stranded, fluorescent dna probe, 464 nucleotides in length, derived from a b. anthracis 16s rrna gene. the probe contains a unique, engineered deletion such that all probe-target duplexes are heteroduplexes with an unpaired g at position 343 (deltag343). ...	2003	12788732
intestinal perforations in a premature infant caused by bacillus cereus.	although bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous bacterium, the incidence of neonatal infections is very low with only a few cases of b. cereus infections in neonates reported in the literature. we report the case of a premature infant with multiple intestinal perforations and an abdominal b. cereus infection. the initial course was characterized by severe cardiovascular shock, anemia, thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation, leading to periventricular leukomalacia, alopecia capitis ...	2003	12789482
chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils from thymus spinulosus ten. (lamiaceae).	the chemical composition of essential oils from aerial parts of thymus spinulosus ten. (lamiaceae) is reported. four oils from plants growing in different environmental conditions were characterized by gc and gc-ms methods; the oils seem to indicate a new chemotype in the genus thymus. influences of soil and altitude characteristics on the essential oil composition are discussed. the oils showed antibacterial activity against gram-positive (staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus faecalis, bacillus ...	2003	12797754
the bacillus cereus bcet enterotoxin sequence reappraised.	bacillus cereus is a known opportunistic human pathogen belonging to the b. cereus group. establishment of the pathogenesis most likely involves several gene products. one of these gene products, a single gene component named bcet, has been cloned and described from b. cereus b-4ac [agata et al., microbiology 141 (1995) 983-988]. however, our sequences of the bcet region from 16 b. cereus group strains showed inconsistency with the published bcet sequence. only part of the bcet sequence had homo ...	2003	12798995
improved model based on the weibull distribution to describe the combined effect of ph and temperature on the heat resistance of bacillus cereus in carrot juice.	the effect of ph and temperature on the thermal inactivation of different strains of bacillus cereus was modeled. inactivation tests were carried out in carrot broth, following a full factorial design at four levels for temperature (from 90 to 105 degrees c, depending on the strain) and ph (6.2, 5.8, 5.2, and 4.7). individual inactivation curves were analyzed by applying the weibull model function (with percent discrepancy close to 20% for most cases), and the effects of ph and temperature on th ...	2003	12800997
potential of bacillus cereus for producing an emetic toxin, cereulide, in bakery products: quantitative analysis by chemical and biological methods.	a method for the direct quantitative analysis of cereulide, the emetic toxin of bacillus cereus, in bakery products was developed. the analysis was based on robotized extraction followed by quantitation of cereulide by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and an assay of toxicity by the boar sperm motility inhibition test. the bioassay and the chemical assay gave comparable results, demonstrating that the extracted cereulide was in a biologically active form. cereulide was formed when cereuli ...	2003	12801008
antimicrobial properties of commercial annatto extracts against selected pathogenic, lactic acid, and spoilage microorganisms.	annatto preparations are used to impart distinctive flavor and color to foods and are a primary colorant in dairy foods such as cheese and butter. there are several reports indicating that certain fractions of the annatto plant have biological activities against microorganisms of significance in food fermentation, food preservation, and human health. however, little is reported describing the nature of the antimicrobial compound(s) or their potential presence in commercial annatto colorant prepa ...	2003	12801012
detection and differentiation of biological species using microcalorimetric spectroscopy.	we report on the application of infrared (ir) microcalorimetric spectroscopy ( micro -calspec) to the identification and detection of trace amounts of biological species. our approach combines principles of photothermal ir spectroscopy with ultrasensitive microcantilever (mc) thermal detectors. we have obtained photothermal ir spectra for dna and rna bases and for bacillus cereus (an anthrax simulant) in the wavelength range of 2.5-14.5 micro m (4000-690 cm(-1)). the measurements are accomplishe ...	2003	12801702
bacteriocidal effects and inhibition of cell separation of cinnamic aldehyde on bacillus cereus.	in this study, bacteriocidal effects of cinnamic aldehyde on bacillus cereus were investigated.	2003	12803558
a novel double heme substitution produces a functional bo3 variant of the quinol oxidase aa3 of bacillus cereus. purification and paratial characterization.	a novel bo3-type quinol oxidase was highly purified from bacillus cereus pym1, a spontaneous mutant unable to synthesize heme a and therefore spectroscopically detectable cytochromes aa3 and caa3. the purified enzyme contained 12.4 nmol of heme o and 11.5 nmol of heme b mg-1 protein. the enzyme was composed of two subunits with an mr of 51,000 and 30,000, respectively. both subunits were immunoreactive to antibodies raised against the b cereus aa3 oxidase. moreover, amino-terminal sequence analy ...	2003	12805383
phylogenetic relationships between bacillus species and related genera inferred from comparison of 3' end 16s rdna and 5' end 16s-23s its nucleotide sequences.	the nucleotide sequences of the 3' end of the 16s rdna and the 16s-23s internal transcribed spacer (its) of 40 bacillaceae species were determined. these included 21 bacillus, 9 paenibacillus, 6 brevibacillus, 2 geobacillus, 1 marinibacillus and 1 virgibacillus species. comparative sequence analysis of a 220 bp region covering a highly conserved 150 bp sequence located at the 3' end of the 16s rrna coding region and a conserved 70 bp sequence located at the 5' end of the 16s-23s its of the 40 sp ...	2003	12807189
bioactivity of secoiridoid glycosides from centaurium erythraea.	as part of our on-going search for bioactive compounds from scottish plants, two secoiridoid glycosides, swertiamarin and sweroside, have been isolated from the aerial parts of centaurium erythraea rafn (family: gentianaceae) by reversed-phase preparative hplc coupled with a photo-diode-array detector. the structures of these compounds were elucidated unambiguously by uv, fabms and extensive 1d and 2d nmr spectroscopic analyses and also by comparing experimental data with literature data. antiba ...	2003	12809366
antibacterial activity of 11 essential oils against bacillus cereus in tyndallized carrot broth.	the antibacterial activity of 11 essential oils from aromatic plants against the strain inra l2104 of the foodborne pathogen bacillus cereus grown in carrot broth at 16 degrees c was studied. the quantity needed by the essential oils of nutmeg, mint, clove, oregano, cinnamon, sassafras, sage, thyme or rosemary to produce 14-1110% relative extension of the lag phase was determined. total growth inhibition of bacterial spores was observed for some of the antimicrobial agents assayed. the addition ...	2003	12810272
[cloning and sequencing of chitinase gene from bacillus thuringiensis subsp israelensis].	chitin, a linear homopolymer of n-acetyl-d-glucosamine, is a common constituent of fungal cell walls, exoskeletons of insects, and shells of invertebrates. thus, chitinase, a chitin hydrolytic enzyme, has become of interest for potential use as biopesticides for controlling insect pests. using a pair of specific primers, chitinase gene (ichi) was amplified by touchdown pcr from bacillus thuringiensis subsp israelensis chromosomal dna, and then subcloned into pgem-t easy vector. ichi sequence (ge ...	2003	12812063
grafting a new metal ligand in the cocatalytic site of b. cereus metallo-beta-lactamase: structural flexibility without loss of activity.	metallo-beta-lactamases are zinc enzymes able to hydrolyze the four-membered ring of beta-lactam antibiotics, representing one of the latest generations of beta-lactamases. these enzymes belong to the zinc metallo-hydrolase family of the beta-lactamase fold. enzymes belonging to this family have a bimetallic active site whose structure varies among different members by point substitutions of the metal ligands. in this work, we have grafted new metal ligands into the metal binding site of bcii fr ...	2003	12824499
real-time quantitative pcr assay on bacterial dna: in a model soil system and environmental samples.	real-time quantitative pcr (rtq-pcr) was used to quantify the bacterial target dna extracted by three commonly used dna extraction protocols (bead mill homogenization, grinding in presence of liquid nitrogen and hot detergent sds based enzymatic lysis). for the purpose of our study, pure culture of bacillus cereus (model organism), sterilized soil seeded with a known amount of b. cereus (model soil system) and samples from woodland and grassland (environmental samples) were chosen to extract dna ...	2003	12833213
inactivation of vegetative cells, but not spores, of bacillus anthracis, b. cereus, and b. subtilis on stainless steel surfaces coated with an antimicrobial silver- and zinc-containing zeolite formulation.	stainless steel surfaces coated with paints containing a silver- and zinc-containing zeolite (agion antimicrobial) were assayed in comparison to uncoated stainless steel for antimicrobial activity against vegetative cells and spores of three bacillus species, namely, b. anthracis sterne, b. cereus t, and b. subtilis 168. under the test conditions (25 degrees c and 80% relative humidity), the zeolite coating produced approximately 3 log(10) inactivation of vegetative cells within a 5- to 24-h per ...	2003	12839825
identification of bacillus anthracis by rpob sequence analysis and multiplex pcr.	comparative sequence analysis was performed upon bacillus anthracis and its closest relatives, b. cereus and b. thuringiensis. portions of rpob dna from 10 strains of b. anthracis, 16 of b. cereus, 10 of b. thuringiensis, 1 of b. mycoides, and 1 of b. megaterium were amplified and sequenced. the determined rpob sequences (318 bp) of the 10 b. anthracis strains, including five korean isolates, were identical to those of ames, florida, kruger b, and western na strains. strains of the "b. cereus gr ...	2003	12843020
bacillus cereus bacteremia in a preterm neonate.	bacillus cereus is an uncommon but potentially serious bacterial pathogen causing infections of the bloodstream, lungs, and central nervous system of preterm neonates. a case of bacteremia caused by b. cereus in a 19-day-old preterm neonate who was successfully treated with vancomycin, tobramycin, meropenem, and clindamycin is described. implications for the diagnostic laboratory and clinicians when bacillus species are detected in normally sterile sites are discussed, and the small numbers of i ...	2003	12843116
his151 and his296 are the acid-base catalytic residues of bacillus cereus sphingomyelinase in sphingomyelin hydrolysis.	bacillus cereus sphingomyelinase belongs to the mg(2+)-dependent neutral sphingomyelinase, which hydrolyses sphingomyelin to phosphocholine and ceramide, and acts as an extracellular hemolysin. the triplet residues, his151-asp195-his296, of the enzyme are highly conserved among bacterial and mammalian mg(2+)-dependent neutral sphingomyelinases. the triplet residues converge on the active-site pocket of the 3d model of the enzyme. to investigate the function of these residues in the acid-base cat ...	2003	12843611
synthesis and antimicrobial testing of some new s-substituted-thiopyridines, thienopyridines, pyridothienopyrimidines and pyridothienotriazines.	the reaction of 5-acetyl-4-aryl-3-cyano-6-methylpyridine-2(1h)-thiones (1a, b) with 4-methylphenacyl bromide, chloro-n-arylacetamides or chloroacetonitrile gave the corresponding s-substituted thiopyridines 2a-c, 4a-f and 6a-c, respectively. the latter compounds underwent intramolecular thorpe-ziegler cyclization to give 2-substituted 5-acetyl-3-amino-4-aryl-6-methylthieno[2,3-b]pyridines 3a-c, 5a-f and 7a-c. compounds 5a-f and 7b, c are key intermediates in the synthesis of the target compounds ...	2003	12856996
scanning electron microscopy of food-poisoning bacterium bacillus cereus using a variable-pressure sem.	a variable-pressure scanning electron microscopy (vp-sem) with a cooling stage permits long hours of observation of water-containing specimens in their natural or close to natural state, without the conventional specimen preparations of fixation, dehydration, drying and metal coating. it reduces water vaporization and beam damage by keeping the specimens at a low temperature. we observed bacillus cereus colonies on nutrient agar, which would shrink significantly if any conventional specimen prep ...	2003	12868586
the hidden lifestyles of bacillus cereus and relatives.	bacillus cereus sensu lato, the species group comprising bacillus anthracis, bacillus thuringiensis and b. cereus (sensu stricto), has previously been scrutinized regarding interspecies genetic correlation and pathogenic characteristics. so far, little attention has been paid to analysing the biological and ecological properties of the three species in their natural environments. in this review, we describe the b. cereus sensu lato living in a world on its own; all b. cereus sensu lato can grow ...	2003	12871230
antagonistic properties of two recombinant strains of streptomyces melanosporofaciens obtained by intraspecific protoplast fusion.	intraspecific protoplast fusion was used to produce stable prototrophic recombinants of streptomyces melanosporofaciens ef-76, a biocontrol agent of plant disease producing geldanamycin. two recombinant strains (fp-54 and fp-60) that differed with regard to their antagonistic properties against bacillus cereus atcc 14579, streptomyces scabies ef-35 and phytophthora fragariae var. rubi 390 were characterized. fp-60 lost the ability to inhibit the in vitro growth of these microbial strains while f ...	2003	12883869
infective endophthalmitis caused by bacillus cereus after cataract extraction surgery.	we describe a 72-year-old chinese man who developed fulminant bacillus cereus endophthalmitis 36 h after an uneventful surgery for cataract extraction. clinical progression of disease was extremely rapid, in spite of early vitrectomy and intravitreal injection of antibiotics. results of gram staining showed gram-positive bacilli, and the culture was positive for b. cereus. endophthalmitis is rare after cataract surgery (cumulative probability within 1 year, approximately 0.08%), and cases caused ...	2003	12884186
isolation and identification of thiocyanate utilizing chemolithotrophs from gold mine soils.	a mixed bacterial culture capable of growing in potassium-thiocyanate containing medium (200 mg kscn) has been isolated from bacterial suspensions of soil samples collected near gold mines in kumjung (korea). the isolates were initially characterized by metabolic profile analysis and were identified as bacillus thermoglucosidasius, bacillus cereus, bacillus licheniformis, bacillus mycoides, brevibacterium epidermidis, brevibacterium otitidis, and corynebacterium nitrilophilus. one of the seven i ...	2003	12889608
synthesis of a nitrogen analogue of sphingomyelin as a sphingomyelinase inhibitor.	[structure: see text] sphingomyelin nitrogen analogue 1 was designed and synthesized as a sphingomyelinase inhibitor. the synthesis was established by continuous hofmann rearrangement and crutius rearrangement as key steps in constructing the 3-hydroxy-1,2-diamine structure in the backbone of 1. this analogue showed moderate inhibitory activity toward smase isolated from b. cereus.	2003	12889878
diverse effects of ascorbic acid and palmitoyl ascorbate on helicobacter pylori survival and growth.	among many antioxidants used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, ascorbic acid (aa) is one of the most important. aa has been suggested to decrease the risk of gastric disease (gastritis, duodenal ulcer, and carcinoma) by direct action on helicobacter pylori. however, there are limited studies on the possible role of aa and its derivatives such as palmitoyl ascorbate (pa) on the growth and survival of h. pylori. in the present study it was demonstrated in vitro that aa in the co ...	2003	12892889
a constitutively expressed 36 kda exochitinase from bacillus thuringiensis hd-1.	a 36 kda chitinase was purified by ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography from the culture supernatant of bacillus thuringiensis hd-1. the chitinase production was independent of the presence of chitin in the growth medium and was produced even in the presence of glucose. the purified chitinase was active at acidic ph, had an optimal activity at ph 6.5, and showed maximum activity at 65 degrees c. of the various substrates, the enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of the disaccharide 4-mu(gln ...	2003	12893268
rebeccamycin analogues bearing amine substituents or other groups on the sugar moiety.	in the course of structure-activity relationship studies on rebeccamycin analogues, a series of compounds bearing an amino function on the sugar moiety were synthesized with the aim of improving the solubility and interaction with the macromolecular target(s). the syntheses of amino derivatives and the corresponding chloro, iodo and azido intermediates are described. their interaction with dna and effects on human dna topoisomerases i and ii were investigated. their antimicrobial activities agai ...	2003	12901916
pcr assay of the groel gene for detection and differentiation of bacillus cereus group cells.	strains of species in the bacillus cereus group are potentially enterotoxic. thus, the detection of all b. cereus group strains is important. as 16s ribosomal dna sequence analysis cannot adequately differentiate species of the b. cereus group, we explored the potential of the groel gene as a phylogenetic marker. a phylogenetic analysis of the groel sequences of 78 b. cereus group strains revealed that the b. cereus group strains were split into two major clusters, one including six b. mycoides ...	2003	12902235
pgil01, a linear tectiviral plasmid prophage originating from bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis.	bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis harbours, in addition to several circular plasmids, a small linear molecule of about 15 kb. sequence analysis of this molecule, named pgil01, showed the presence of at least 30 orfs, five of which displayed similarity with proteins involved in phage systems: a b-type family dna polymerase, a lexa-like repressor, two potential muramidases and a dna-packaging protein (distantly related to the p9 protein of the tectiviral phage prd1). experimental evidence ...	2003	12904548
screening of bifidobacterium strains isolated from human faeces for antagonistic activities against potentially bacterial pathogens.	as probiotic bacteria, strains belonging to the genus bifidobacterium colonise the gastro-intestinal tract of humans and animals at the time of birth, and they are found in young as well as in adult individuals in great numbers. moreover, they can interact with the development of enteric infections by the production of antimicrobial metabolites. in this work 281 strains of bifidobacteria were anaerobically isolated from human faecal samples, supplied by volunteers of different ages (youngs, adul ...	2003	12906392
rho-specific bacillus cereus adp-ribosyltransferase c3cer cloning and characterization.	c3-like adp-ribosyltransferases represent an expanding family of related exoenzymes, which are produced by clostridia and various staphylococcus aureus strains. here we report on the cloning and biochemical characterization of an adp-ribosyltransferase from bacillus cereus strain 2339. the transferase encompasses 219 amino acids; it has a predicted mass of 25.2 kda and a theoretical isoelectric point of 9.3. to indicate the relationship to the family of c3-like adp-ribosyltransferases, we termed ...	2003	12911311
using x-ray crystallography of the asp55asn mutant of the phosphatidylcholine-preferring phospholipase c from bacillus cereus to support the mechanistic role of asp55 as the general base.	because mutations of the ionizable asp at position 55 of the phosphatidylcholine preferring phospholipase c from bacillus cereus (plc(bc)) to a non-ionizable asn generate a mutant enzyme (d55n) with 10(4)-fold lower catalytic activity than the wild-type enzyme, we tentatively identified asp55 as the general base for the enzymatic reaction. to eliminate the alternate possibility that asp55 is a structurally important amino acid, the x-ray structures of unbound d55n and complexes of d55n with two ...	2003	12921783
intractable hypotension in septic shock: successful treatment with vasopressin in an infant.		2003	12929303
antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of cissus quadrangularis l.	extracts of cissus quadrangularis l. were tested for antioxidant activity by beta-carotene linoleic acid model and also by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl model. the ethyl acetate fraction of both fresh and dry stem extracts at a concentration of 100 ppm showed 64.8% antioxidant activity in the beta-carotene linoleic acid system and 61.6% in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl system. this fraction showed the presence of sterols, vitamin c, and tannins as phytoconstituents. the antioxidant activity ...	2003	12935320
the biodegradation of 1,3-dichlorobenzene by an adapted strain bacillus cereus pf-11 derived from town-gas industrial effluent.	in the present study, an adapted bacterium pf-11 with high 1,3-dichlorobenzene degradation capability was isolated from town-gas industrial effluent through continuous introducing of n-methyl-n'-nitro-n-nitrosoquanidine (ntg). in suitable condition, a degradation rate of 32 mg l(-1) d(-1) of 1,3-dichlorobenzene was obtained by strain pf-11 with effective chlorion release. strain pf-11 was tentatively identified as gram-positive bacillus cereus. the substrate specificity of the strain pf-11 was r ...	2003	12940485
analysis of whole bacterial cells by flow field-flow fractionation and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.	the purpose of this study is to develop a novel bacterial analysis method by coupling the flow field-flow fractionation (flow fff) separation technique with detection by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (maldi-tof) mass spectrometry. the composition of carrier liquid used for flow fff was selected based on retention of bacterial cells and compatibility with the maldi process. the coupling of flow fff and maldi-tof ms was demonstrated for p. putida and e. coli. fractions ...	2003	12948145
surviving the acid test: responses of gram-positive bacteria to low ph.	gram-positive bacteria possess a myriad of acid resistance systems that can help them to overcome the challenge posed by different acidic environments. in this review the most common mechanisms are described: i.e., the use of proton pumps, the protection or repair of macromolecules, cell membrane changes, production of alkali, induction of pathways by transcriptional regulators, alteration of metabolism, and the role of cell density and cell signaling. we also discuss the responses of listeria m ...	2003	12966143
design, synthesis, and evaluation of water-soluble phospholipid analogues as inhibitors of phospholipase c from bacillus cereus.	the rate of hydrolysis of natural phospholipids by the phosphatidylcholine-preferring phospholipase c from bacillus cereus (plc(bc)) follows the order phosphatidylcholine > phosphatidylethanolamine >> phosphatidyl-l-serine. to probe the structural basis for this substrate specificity, a series of water-soluble, nonhydrolyzable substrate analogues were needed so their complexes with the enzyme could be studied via x-ray crystallography and isothermal titration calorimetry (itc). accordingly the w ...	2003	12968879
bacteriocins from pediococcus pentosaceus l and s from pork meat.	two strains of pediococcus pentosaceus were isolated from refrigerated pork and found to produce antimicrobial substances that may inhibit foodborne pathogens and have potential as natural food preservatives. they were named p. pentosaceus l and s. the antimicrobial substances were purified to electrophoretical homogeneity by chloroform extraction and designated pentocins l and s with molecular masses (m) of 27 and 25 kda, respectively. both pentocins also had broad inhibition spectra and were t ...	2003	12568574
inactivation of bacteria and spores by pulse electric field and high pressure co2 at low temperature.	the common methods for inactivation of bacteria involve heating or exposure to toxic chemicals. these methods are not suitable for heat-sensitive materials, food, and pharmaceutical products. recently, a complete inactivation of many microorganisms was achieved with high-pressure carbon dioxide at ambient temperature and in the absence of organic solvent and irradiation. the inactivation of spores with co(2) required long residence time and high temperatures, such as 60 degrees c. in this study ...	2003	12569631
cloning, sequencing, and expression of the chitinase gene chia74 from bacillus thuringiensis.	the endochitinase gene chia74 from bacillus thuringiensis serovar kenyae strain lbit-82 was cloned in escherichia coli dh5 alpha f'. a sequence of 676 amino acids was deduced when the gene was completely sequenced. a molecular mass of 74 kda was estimated for the preprotein, which includes a putative 4-kda signal sequence located at the n terminus. the deduced amino acid sequence showed high degree of identity with other chitinases such as chib from bacillus cereus (98%) and chia71 from bacillus ...	2003	12571025
use of a promoter trap to identify bacillus cereus genes regulated by tomato seed exudate and a rhizosphere resident, pseudomonas aureofaciens.	the goal of this study was to identify genes in bacillus cereus, a bacterium commonly associated with plant seeds and roots, that are affected by compounds originating from a host plant, tomato, or another rhizosphere resident, pseudomonas aureofaciens. we constructed a b. cereus chromosomal dna library in a promoter-trap plasmid, pad123, which contains a promoterless version of the green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene, gfpmut3a. the library was screened by using fluorescence-activated cell sort ...	2003	12571047
altering substrate specificity of phosphatidylcholine-preferring phospholipase c of bacillus cereus by random mutagenesis of the headgroup binding site.	plc(bc) is a 28.5 kda monomeric enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the phosphodiester bond of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylserine to provide a diacylglycerol and the corresponding phosphorylated headgroup. because single replacements of glu4, tyr56, and phe66 in the headgroup binding pocket led to changes in substrate specificity [martin et al. (2000) biochemistry 39, 3410-3415], a combinatorial library of approximately 6000 maltose binding protein-plc(bc) ...	2003	12578373
thiols as classical and slow-binding inhibitors of imp-1 and other binuclear metallo-beta-lactamases.	the inhibitory effect of a variety of thiol compounds on the function of binuclear metallo-beta-lactamases, with a particular focus on imp-1 from pseudomonas aeruginosa, has been investigated. thiol inhibitors, depending on their structural features, fall into two categories, one in which inhibition at neutral ph was instantaneous and the other in which inhibition was time-dependent. while mercaptans with anionic substituents in the vicinity of their sh groups exhibited the former type of inhibi ...	2003	12578382
mobility, bioavailability, and toxic effects of cadmium in soil samples.	total concentration is not a reliable indicator of metal mobility or bioavailability in soils. the physicochemical form determines the behavior of metals in soils and hence the toxicity toward terrestrial biota. the main objectives of this study were the application and comparison of three approaches for the evaluation of cadmium behavior in soil samples. the mobility and bioavailability of cadmium in five selected soil samples were evaluated using equilibrium speciation (windermere humic aqueou ...	2003	12584013
use of bioactive glass slides for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization analysis: application to microorganisms.	glass slides are widely used in high-throughput analysis and are available commercially with surfaces activated, etched, and channeled. thin glass microscope slides are shown here to be suitable sample supports for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (maldi) mass spectrometry. as a demonstration, lectins immobilized on glass slides with activated surfaces are used to concentrate and purify agglutinated bacillis spores. it is expected that such slides will provide a rapid, inexpensive way ...	2003	12585503
contamination flows of bacillus cereus and spore-forming aerobic bacteria in a cooked, pasteurized and chilled zucchini purée processing line.	a food processing plant producing pasteurized purées and its zucchini purée processing line were examined for contamination with aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacterial spores during a day's operation. multiplication of spores was also monitored in the product stored under different conditions. high concentrations of bacillus cereus spores were found in the soil in which the zucchinis were grown (4.6+/-0.3 log cfu/g), with a background spore population of 6.1+/-0.2 log cfu/g. in the processi ...	2003	12593925
fatal bacillus cereus sepsis following resolving neutropenic enterocolitis during the treatment of acute leukemia.	bacillus cereus is increasingly being acknowledged as a serious bacterial pathogen in immunosuppressed hosts. we report a case of fatal b. cereus sepsis in a patient with newly diagnosed acute leukemia following resolving neutropenic enterocolitis. gastrointestinal complaints are common during induction chemotherapy, yet some antimicrobial coverage suitable for generalized neutropenia is not optimal for the eradication of b. cereus. this case demonstrates that, in the neutropenic patient with ga ...	2003	12605393
vitreous and aqueous penetration of orally administered gatifloxacin in humans.	to investigate the penetration of gatifloxacin, a novel extended-spectrum fourth-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic, into the vitreous and aqueous humor after oral administration.	2003	12617704
isolation and characterisation of a novel bacteriocin produced by bacillus thuringiensis strain b439.	bacillus thuringiensis strain b439 produces a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance in its growth medium. this antimicrobial peptide, referred to as thuricin 439, acts as a bacteriocidal peptide and exhibits an apparent narrow range of inhibitory activity, essentially only affecting growth of bacillus cereus and b. thuringiensis strains. it remains active over a relatively wide ph and temperature range, showing no loss of activity following heat treatments up to 80 degrees c. purification of thu ...	2003	12644238
antiplasmid effect of promethazine in mixed bacterial cultures.	promethazine has been recognised as an effective antiplasmid agent in cultures containing a single bacterial species such as escherichia coli, yersinia enterocolitica, staphylococcus aureus and agrobacterium tumefaciens. the objective of this study was to examine the effect of heterogenity of the microbial flora on plasmid elimination by promethazine in a laboratory based model system of mixed bacterial infection. f'lac plasmid elimination of e. coli k12 le140 was studied in the presence of a nu ...	2003	13678824
essential oil analysis and antimicrobial activity of eight stachys species from greece.	the volatile composition of eight stachys species has been studied. the investigated taxa were st. alopecuros (l.) bentham., st. scardica (griseb.) hayek, st. cretica l. ssp. cretica, st. germanica l. ssp. heldreichii (boiss.) hayek, st. recta l., st. spinulosa l., st. euboica rech. and st. menthifolia vis., growing wild in greece. the essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation in a modified clevenger-type apparatus, and their analyses were performed by gc and gc-ms. identification of the ...	2003	13679097
phytochemical and antimicrobial studies of extracts of solanum xanthocarpum.	antibacterial activity pf various parts (stem, leaf and fruits) of solvent extracts (petroleum ether, alcohol and acetone) of solanum xanthocarpum against escherichia coli, klebsiella pneumoniae, salmonella typhi and bacillus cereus were detected by zone of inhibition. the extracts of solanum xanthocarpum showed high sensitivity to kiebsiella pneumoniae and salmonella typhi, moderate sensitivity to escherichia coli and less sensitivity and resistant to bacillus cereus. in control, there is no in ...	2003	22557117
microbial succession in the rhizosphere of live and decomposing barley roots as affected by the antagonistic strain pseudomonas fluorescens dr54-bn14 or the fungicide imazalil.	abstract the protocol used in the present study was a long-term mesocosm experiment where the microbial succession around live barley roots and subsequent decomposing roots was assessed after seed coating with either the antagonistic strain pseudomonas fluorescens dr54-bn14 or the fungicide imazalil. four diversity measures were used: community level physiological profiles (clpp), bacteria-specific polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (pcr-dgge), actinomycete-specifi ...	2003	19719670
sources of bacillus cereus contamination in a pasteurized zucchini purée processing line, differentiated by two pcr-based methods.	in previous work, raw materials used for processing pasteurized zucchini purée (zucchini, milk proteins and starch) and cultivation soil of zucchinis were found to be potential sources of stored product contamination with bacillus cereus. 134 b. cereus strains originating from these sources and from the stored product were typed using coliphage m13 sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (m13-pcr) and dna amplification fingerprinting. combined patterns from the two methods were compared using d ...	2003	19719681
antimicrobial activity of the mycotoxin citrinin obtained from the fungus penicillium citrinum.	the mycotoxin citrinin was obtained from the fungus penicillium citrinum. it was tested for it's minimum inhibitory concentration (mic) against some gram positive strains viz. staphylococcus aureus, bacillus pumilus, bacillus subtillis, bacillus cereus, klebsiella pneumoniae, streptococcus pneumoniae, lactobacillus arabinosus and gram negative strains e.coli, shigella dysenteriae, shigella sonnei, shigella boydii, salmonella typhimurium, proteus mirabilis and vibrio cholerae. further the zones o ...	2002	22557053
antimicrobial action of the leaf extract of lagerstroemia parviflora roxb.	the benzene extract of the leaves of lagerstroemia paviflora roxb was tested for its minimum inhibitory concentration (mic) against gram positive staphylococcus aureus, bacillus subtilis, bacillus cereus, klebsiella pneumoniae, streptococcus pneumoniae, lactobacillus arabinosus and gram negative strains e.coli, shigella dysenteriae, shigella sonnei, shigella boydii, salmonella typhimurium, proteus mirabilis and vibrio cholerae. further the zones of inhibition produced by the crude extract agains ...	2002	22557054
bacteriological safety issues in red meat and ready-to-eat meat products, as well as control measures.	the importance of eschericha coli o157, listeria monocytogenes and salmonella typhimurium dt104 as meat-borne pathogens is well established. pathogenic bacteria such as aeromonas spp., arcobacter spp., psychrotrophic bacillus cereus, campylobacter spp., clostridium botulinum and non-invasive listeria monocytogenes can be regarded as rookies, but not yet firmly associated with today's production of red meat and meat products. the development of pcr and other dna-based techniques will shed new lig ...	2002	22061614
degradation of predigested distillery effluent by isolated bacterial strains.	batch studies were conducted on degradation of anaerobically digested distillery wastewater by three bacterial strains, viz. xanthomonas fragariae, bacillus megaterium and bacillus cereus in free and immobilized form, isolated from the activated sludge of a distillery wastewater treatment plant. the removal of cod and colour with all the three strains increased with time up to 48 hr and only marginal increase in cod and colour removal efficiency was observed beyond this period up to 72 hr. after ...	2002	12561978
microbiological quality of take-away cooked rice and chicken sandwiches: effectiveness of food hygiene training of the management.	during august 2001 a microbiological study of ready-to-eat cooked rice from take-aways and of chicken sandwiches made on the premises from sandwich bars was undertaken. the intention was to identify risk factors in the production, storage and handling of cooked rice and sandwiches, and to establish their effect on microbiological quality. examination of cooked rice revealed that the majority of samples (87%; 442 of 508) were of satisfactory/acceptable microbiological quality; 50 (10%) were unsat ...	2002	12564243
active-site mutants of class b beta-lactamases: substrate binding and mechanistic study.	increased resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics is mainly due to beta-lactamases. x-ray structures of zinc beta-lactamases unraveled the coordination of the metal ions, but their mode of action remains unclear. recently, enzymes in which one of the zinc ligands was mutated have been characterized and their catalytic activity against several beta-lactam antibiotics measured. a molecular modeling study of these enzymes was performed here to explain the catalytic activity of the mutants. coordinati ...	2002	12568339
effects of gamma ray and electron-beam irradiations on survival of anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria.	an extension of the approval for food irradiation is desired due to the increase in the incidence of food poisoning in the world. one anaerobic (clostridium perfringens) and four facultatively anaerobic (bacillus cereus, escherichia coli o157:h7, listeria monocytogenes, and salmonella enteritidis) bacteria irradiated with gamma ray or electron beam (e-beam) were tested in terms of survival on agar under packaging atmosphere. using pouch pack, effects of two irradiations on survival of anaerobic ...	2002	12638185
vitreous penetration of orally administered gatifloxacin in humans.	to investigate the penetration of gatifloxacin, a novel extended-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic, into the vitreous humor after oral administration.	2002	12545689
characterization of an algae-lytic substance secreted by bacillus cereus, an indigenous bacterial isolate from lake kasumigaura.	in order to develop a practical biological strategy for water bloom-control in lake kasumigaura, indigenous algae-lytic bacteria targeting microcystis spp. (the dominant cyanobacteria), was first carried out. some basic lytic characteristics of the isolates concerning the biological and physico-chemical factors in actual water environments were then investigated. fifteen algae-lytic bacteria were successfully isolated using the double layer method. the isolate showing the highest lytic activity ...	2002	12523763
lethal factor to mice produced by escherichia coli isolated from chickens with swollen head syndrome.	a lethal toxin similar to bacillus cererus lethal toxin was detected in the culture supernatants of escherichia coli isolated from chickens with swollen head syndrome. the lethal activity was heat-labile, protease-sensitive and killed mice within 10 min. the light microscopy of the histopathological studies revealed that the principal organ affected by this toxin was the lung but the liver and kidneys also showed lesions. the relevance of this lethal activity from e. coli remains to be determine ...	2002	12516774
presence of erm genes among macrolide-resistant gram-positive bacteria isolated from danish farm soil.	the presence of erm genes was investigated among macrolide-resistant gram-positive bacteria isolated from soil samples collected from four danish farms that had been treated with animal waste. soil samples were collected before, a few days after spread and 1 1/2 months and 5 months later. in 33% (9/27) of these isolates, an erm gene was detected using pcr. eight isolates were positive for erm(b) and one isolate was positive for erm(c). no isolates contained erm(a), erm(d) or erm(f). the positive ...	2002	12503914
antibacterial activity of a stearic acid derivative from stemodia foliosa.	from the hexane-soluble fraction of an ethanol extract from leaves and stems of stemodia foliosa (scrophulariaceae), the new stearic acid 4-[(n-pentoxy)phenethyl] ester (1) was isolated. this compound exhibited antibacterial properties at 10 microg/ml concentration by using disc diffusion method against gram-positive bacteria bacillus cereus and bacillus subtilis and fast-acid bacterium mycobacterium fortuitum. the structure of the new compound was elucidated by spectroscopic methods and by chem ...	2002	12494347
effect of dissolved carbon dioxide on thermal inactivation of microorganisms in milk.	postpasteurization addition of co2 inhibits growth of certain microorganisms in dairy products, but few workers have investigated the effect of co2 on the thermal inactivation of microorganisms during pasteurization. concentrations of co2 ranging from 44 to 58 mm added to raw whole milk significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the number of surviving standard plate count (spc) organisms in milk heated over the range of 67 to 93 degrees c. a decrease in thermal survival rates (d-values) for pseudomonas f ...	2002	12495011
altered ability of bacillus cereus spores to grow under unfavorable conditions (presence of nisin, low temperature, acidic ph, presence of nacl) following heat treatment during sporulation.	the effect of thermal treatment on the heat resistance of bacillus cereus spores and their ability to germinate and grow under more or less adverse conditions during sporulation was investigated. spores produced by sporulating cells subjected to a mild heat treatment (at a temperature 15 degrees c higher than the growth temperature) were more resistant to heat than were spores produced by untreated cells. spore germination and growth (the lag time, the maximal growth rate, and the occurrence of ...	2002	12495012
bidirectional control of sphingomyelinase activity and surface topography in lipid monolayers.	lipid lateral organization is increasingly found to modulate membrane-bound enzymes. we followed in real time the reaction course of sphingomyelin (sm) degradation by bacillus cereus sphingomyelinase (smase) of lipid monolayers by epifluorescence microscopy. there is evidence that formation of ceramide (cer), a lipid second messenger, drives structural reorganization of membrane lipids. our results provide visual evidence that smase activity initially alters surface topography by inducing phase ...	2002	12496108
cytotoxic potential of industrial strains of bacillus sp.	the cytotoxic potential of selected strains of bacillus licheniformis, bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and bacillus subtilis, used in the production of industrial enzyme products, has been assessed. cytotoxicity was determined in chinese hamster ovary (cho-k1) cells by measuring total cellular metabolic activity using the tetrazolium salt 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (mtt). initially the mtt assay was validated against toxigenic strains of bacillus cereus, to define t ...	2002	12460750
dna sequence conservation between the bacillus anthracis pxo2 plasmid and genomic sequence from closely related bacteria.	complete sequencing and annotation of the 96.2 kb bacillus anthracis plasmid, pxo2, predicted 85 open reading frames (orfs). bacillus cereus and bacillus thuringiensis isolates that ranged in genomic similarity to b. anthracis, as determined by amplified fragment length polymorphism (aflp) analysis, were examined by pcr for the presence of sequences similar to 47 pxo2 orfs.	2002	12473162
role of the c-domain in the biological activities of clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin.	clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin (370 residues) possesses hemolytic and lethal activities as well as the enzymatic activity of phospholipase c (plc). in this study we examined the role of the c-domain (251-370 residues; cp251- 370) in biological activities of the toxin. the n-domain (1-250 residues; cp1- 250) of the alpha-toxin as well as the bacillus cereus phospholipase c (bcplc) possessed plc activity, but did not bind to rabbit erythrocytes and lyse them. a hybrid protein (bc-cp251-370) c ...	2002	12477243
colony shape as a genetic trait in the pattern-forming bacillus mycoides.	bacillus mycoides flügge, a gram-positive, non-motile soil bacterium assigned to bacillus cereus group, grows on agar as chains of cells linked end to end, forming radial filaments curving clock- or counter-clockwise (sin or dx morphotypes). the molecular mechanism causing asymmetric curving is not known: our working hypothesis considers regulation of filamentous growth as the prerequisite for these morphotypes.	2002	12429070
magnetized carbonyl iron and insoluble zirconium hydroxide mixture facilitates bacterial concentration and separation from nonfat dry milk.	a mixture of magnetized carbonyl iron and insoluble zirconium hydroxide was investigated for its ability to concentrate various foodborne pathogens from 25-ml samples of reconstituted nonfat dry milk. each sample was artificially contaminated with 10(3) to 10(6) cfu/25 ml of representative foodborne pathogens (salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis, listeria monocytogenes, and bacillus cereus spores) and processed for bacterial concentration with high-speed centrifugation for the primary concen ...	2002	12430708
search for potential vaccine candidate open reading frames in the bacillus anthracis virulence plasmid pxo1: in silico and in vitro screening.	a genomic analysis of the bacillus anthracis virulence plasmid pxo1, aimed at identifying potential vaccine candidates and virulence-related genes, was carried out. the 143 previously defined open reading frames (orfs) (r. t. okinaka, k. cloud, o. hampton, a. r. hoffmaster, k. k. hill, p. keim, t. m. koehler, g. lamke, s. kumano, j. mahillon, d. manter, y. martinez, d. ricke, r. svensson, and p. j. jackson, j. bacteriol. 181:6509-6515, 1999) were subjected to extensive sequence similarity search ...	2002	12438358
the enterotoxin t (bcet) from bacillus cereus can probably not contribute to food poisoning.	a polymerase chain reaction (pcr) fragment from strain nvh 38 (containing bcet) was cloned, sequenced and expressed in escherichia coli. this sequence showed 50-60% identity to the original. when this bcet clone was expressed in e. coli no biological activity was found in either supernatants or cell extracts. cell extracts from the bacillus cereus strains (nvh 38 and b-4ac) were also negative on vero cells. neutralisation of supernatant from b. cereus b-4ac using a monoclonal antibody (reacting ...	2002	12445654
amplified fragment length polymorphism (aflp) analysis of clostridium novyi, c. perfringens and bacillus cereus isolated from injecting drug users during 2000.	as part of the follow-up investigations associated with an outbreak of severe illness and death among illegal injecting drug users during 2000, 43 cultures of clostridium novyi type a, 40 c. perfringens type a and 6 isolates of bacillus cereus were characterised by amplified fragment length polymorphism (aflp) analysis. among the 43 c. novyi isolates, 23 different aflp profiles were detected. the same aflp profile was detected in isolates from 18 drug users investigated during 2000 from scotland ...	2002	12448684
an investigation into the microflora of heroin.	in 2000, an unusual increase of morbidity and mortality among illegal injecting drug users in the uk and ireland was reported and clostridium novyi was identified as the likely source of the serious infection, although infections due to c. botulinum and bacillus cereus were also reported. because heroin was a possibile source of infection, this study investigated the microflora of heroin samples seized in england during 2000 and 2002. two methods were developed for the examination of the microfl ...	2002	12448685
toward an understanding of microbial communities through analysis of communication networks.	bacteria receive signals from diverse members of their biotic environment. they sense their own species through the process of quorum sensing, which detects the density of bacterial cells and regulates functions such as bioluminescence, virulence, and competence. bacteria also respond to the presence of other microorganisms and eukaryotic hosts. most studies of microbial communication focus on signaling between the microbe and one other organism for empirical simplicity and because few experimen ...	2002	12448752
broadband 10-300 ghz stimulus-response sensing for chemical and biological entities.	by illuminating the sample with a broadband 10-300 ghz stimulus and coherently detecting the response, we obtain reflection and transmission spectra of common powdered substances, and compare them as a starting point for distinguishing concealed threats in envelopes and on personnel. because these samples are irregular and their dielectric properties cannot be modulated, however, the spectral information we obtain is largely qualitative. to show how to gain quantitative information on biological ...	2002	12452568
acid tolerance response is low-ph and late-stationary growth phase inducible in bacillus cereus tz415.	the acid tolerance of foodborne pathogen bacillus cereus tz415 was examined. b. cereus was more tolerant to an acid challenge at ph 4.0 when cells were grown at low ph in regulated batch cultures of rich j broth (jb) medium. the ph-inducible acid tolerance response (atr) was maximal at ph 5.0, a sublethal growth condition inducing a remarkable cell elongation. during growth at regulated ph 7.0 and 6.0, b. cereus tz415 became more acid sensitive from lag to stationary growth phase and the acid to ...	2002	12382686
detecting bacteria in platelet concentrates by use of reagent strips.	iatrogenic infection of immunosuppressed or immunocompromised hosts secondary to receipt of blood components containing bacteria may result in serious adverse outcomes. measurement of ph and glucose by use of inexpensive reagent strips has been proposed as a practical means of screening for bacteria in platelet concentrate (pc) units.	2002	12385414
pathogenic potential of fifty bacillus weihenstephanensis strains.	the aim of this study was to evaluate the food poisoning potential of strains of the new species in the bacillus cereus group, b. weihenstephanensis. fifty strains were tested for cytotoxicity in a vero cell assay, and 23 of the strains were also tested for production of enterotoxin components with commercial antibody kits, and for presence of enterotoxin gene components by polymerase chain reaction (pcr). the majority of the strains (72%) were not cytotoxic, although all of the strains that wer ...	2002	12393199