Publications

estimation of absolute protein quantities of unlabeled samples by selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry.	for many research questions in modern molecular and systems biology information about absolute protein quantities is imperative. these include, for example, kinetic modeling of processes, protein turnover determinations, stoichiometric investigations of protein complexes or quantitative comparisons of different proteins within one or across samples. to date, the vast majority of proteomic studies are limited to providing relative quantitative comparisons of protein levels between limited numbers ...	2011	22101334
methylation and in vivo expression of the surface-exposed leptospira interrogans outer membrane protein ompl32.	recent studies have revealed that bacterial protein methylation is a widespread post-translational modification that is required for virulence in selected pathogenic bacteria. in particular, altered methylation of outer membrane proteins has been shown to modulate the effectiveness of the host immune response. in this study, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry identified a leptospira interrogans serovar c ...	2011	22174381
human leptospira isolates circulating in mayotte (indian ocean) have unique serological and molecular features.	leptospirosis is one of the most widespread zoonoses in the world. however, there is a lack of information on leptospira circulating strains in remote parts of the world. we describe the serological and molecular features of leptospires isolated from 94 leptospirosis patients in mayotte, a french department located in the comoros archipelago, between 2007 and 2010. multilocus sequence typing identified these isolates as l. interrogans, l. kirschneri, l. borgpetersenii, and a previously undefined ...	2011	22162544
the antibacterial activity of ll-37 against treponema denticola is dentilisin-protease independent and facilitated by the major outer sheath protein virulence factor.	host defense peptides are innate immunoeffectors that possess both bactericidal activities and immunomodulatory functions. deficiency in the human ll-37 host defense peptide has been previously correlated with severe periodontal disease. treponema denticola is an oral anaerobic spirochete closely associated with the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. the t. denticola major surface protein (msp), involved in adhesion and in cytotoxicity, and the dentilisin serine protease are key virulence fact ...	2011	22184422
comparative proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in the urine of reservoir hosts of leptospirosis.	rattus norvegicus is a natural reservoir host for pathogenic species of leptospira. experimentally infected rats remain clinically normal, yet persistently excrete large numbers of leptospires from colonized renal tubules via urine, despite a specific host immune response. whilst persistent renal colonization and shedding is facilitated in part by differential antigen expression by leptospires to evade host immune responses, there is limited understanding of kidney and urinary proteins expressed ...	2011	22043303
survey of leptospira spp in pampas deer (ozotoceros bezoarticus) in the pantanal wetlands of the state of mato grosso do sul, brazil by serology and polymerase chain reaction.	this work reports a survey of leptospira spp in pampas deer (ozotoceros bezoarticus) in the pantanal wetlands of the state of mato grosso do sul, brazil by serology and polymerase chain reaction (pcr). seventy pampas deer were captured in the dry season and surveyed using pcr, microscopic agglutination test (mat) (n = 51) and by both techniques (n = 47). pcr detected infections in two pampas deer and mat detected infections in three. through sequencing and phylogenetic analyses, the pcr-amplifie ...	2011	22012234
Communicable diseases prioritized for surveillance and epidemiological research: results of a standardized prioritization procedure in Germany, 2011.	To establish strategic priorities for the German national public health institute (RKI) and guide the institute's mid-term strategic decisions, we prioritized infectious pathogens in accordance with their importance for national surveillance and epidemiological research.	2011	21991334
functional promiscuity of the cog0720 family.	the biosynthesis of gtp derived metabolites such as tetrahydrofolate (thf), biopterin (bh(4)), and the modified trna nucleosides queuosine (q) and archaeosine (g(+)) relies on several enzymes of the tunnel-fold superfamily. a subset of these proteins includes the 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin (ptps-ii), ptps-iii, and ptps-i homologues, all members of the cog0720 family that have been previously shown to transform 7,8-dihydroneopterin triphosphate (h(2)ntp) into different products. ptps-ii catalyzes ...	2011	21999246
functional promiscuity of the cog0720 family.	the biosynthesis of gtp derived metabolites such as tetrahydrofolate (thf), biopterin (bh(4)), and the modified trna nucleosides queuosine (q) and archaeosine (g(+)) relies on several enzymes of the tunnel-fold superfamily. a subset of these proteins includes the 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin (ptps-ii), ptps-iii, and ptps-i homologues, all members of the cog0720 family that have been previously shown to transform 7,8-dihydroneopterin triphosphate (h(2)ntp) into different products. ptps-ii catalyzes ...	2011	21999246
The Fate of Glucose-1-Phosphate into Oligo and Polysaccharides in Streptomyces coelicolor: Characterization of recombinant UDP- and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases and of glycogen synthase.	Streptomyces coelicolor exhibits a major secondary metabolism, deriving important amounts of glucose to synthesize pigmented antibiotics. Understanding the pathways occurring in the bacterium with respect to synthesis of oligo and polysaccharides is of relevance to figure out a real scenario on the partitioning of glucose-1-phosphate into different metabolic fates. We report the molecular cloning of the genes coding for UDP- and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases as well as for glycogen synthase fro ...	2011	22210767
Outbreak of leptospirosis among triathlon participants in Langau, Austria, 2010.	We report on the first documented outbreak of leptospirosis in Austria. In July 2010, four cases of serologically confirmed leptospirosis occurred in athletes after a triathlon held in Langau. Heavy rains preceded the triathlon (rainfall: 22 mm). The index case (Patient A) was a 41-year-old previously healthy male, who was admitted to hospital A on July 8 with a four-day history of fever up to 40°C that began 14 days after attending the triathlon event. On July 7, patient B, a 42-year-old male, ...	2011	22105111
a liga three-domain region protects hamsters from lethal infection by leptospira interrogans.	the leptospiral liga protein consists of 13 bacterial immunoglobulin-like (big) domains and is the only purified recombinant subunit vaccine that has been demonstrated to protect against lethal challenge by a clinical isolate of leptospira interrogans in the hamster model of leptospirosis. we determined the minimum number and location of liga domains required for immunoprotection. immunization with domains 11 and 12 was found to be required but insufficient for protection. inclusion of a third d ...	2011	22180800
effects of recent leptospira vaccination on whole blood real-time pcr testing in healthy client-owned dogs.	bacterin-based canine leptospira vaccines could present a challenge for the use of whole blood real-time polymerase chain reaction (pcr) as a diagnostic tool. recent vaccination could induce positive results if the targeted dna fragment is present within the vaccine and in the blood of the recently vaccinated dog.	2011	22182214
A phylometagenomic exploration of oceanic alphaproteobacteria reveals mitochondrial relatives unrelated to the SAR11 clade.	According to the endosymbiont hypothesis, the mitochondrial system for aerobic respiration was derived from an ancestral Alphaproteobacterium. Phylogenetic studies indicate that the mitochondrial ancestor is most closely related to the Rickettsiales. Recently, it was suggested that Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique, a member of the SAR11 clade that is highly abundant in the oceans, is a sister taxon to the mitochondrial-Rickettsiales clade. The availability of ocean metagenome data substantially in ...	2011	21935411
cloning, expression, and homology modeling of groel protein from leptospira interrogans serovar autumnalis strain n2.	leptospirosis is an infectious bacterial disease caused by leptospira species. in this study, we cloned and sequenced the gene encoding the immunodominant protein groel from l. interrogans serovar autumnalis strain n2, which was isolated from the urine of a patient during an outbreak of leptospirosis in chennai, india. this groel gene encodes a protein of 60 kda with a high degree of homology (99% similarity) to those of other leptospiral serovars. recombinant groel was overexpressed in escheric ...	2011	22196358
a highly stable plastidic-type ferredoxin-nadp(h) reductase in the pathogenic bacterium leptospira interrogans.	leptospira interrogans is a bacterium that is capable of infecting animals and humans, and its infection causes leptospirosis with a range of symptoms from flu-like to severe illness and death. despite being a bacteria, leptospira interrogans contains a plastidic class ferredoxin-nadp(h) reductase (fnr) with high catalytic efficiency, at difference from the bacterial class fnrs. these flavoenzymes catalyze the electron transfer between nadp(h) and ferredoxins or flavodoxins. the inclusion of a p ...	2011	22039544
the quantitative proteome of a human cell line.	the generation of mathematical models of biological processes, the simulation of these processes under different conditions, and the comparison and integration of multiple data sets are explicit goals of systems biology that require the knowledge of the absolute quantity of the system's components. to date, systematic estimates of cellular protein concentrations have been exceptionally scarce. here, we provide a quantitative description of the proteome of a commonly used human cell line in two f ...	2011	22068332
mite allergen der-p2 triggers human b lymphocyte activation and toll-like receptor-4 induction.	allergic disease can be characterized as manifestations of an exaggerated inflammatory response to environmental allergens triggers. mite allergen der-p2 is one of the major allergens of the house dust mite, which contributes to tlr4 expression and function in b cells in allergic patients. however, the precise mechanisms of der-p2 on b cells remain obscure.	2011	21909400
evaluation of pathogenic serovars of leptospira interrogans in dairy cattle herds of shahrekord by pcr.	leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by leptospira interrogans. leptospirosis leads to economical losses in dairy farm industry. the objective of this study was to evaluate the pathogenic serovars of leptospira interrogans in dairy cattle herds of shahrekord by pcr.	2011	22347596
helicobacter pylori versus the host: remodeling of the bacterial outer membrane is required for survival in the gastric mucosa.	modification of bacterial surface structures, such as the lipid a portion of lipopolysaccharide (lps), is used by many pathogenic bacteria to help evade the host innate immune response. helicobacter pylori, a gram-negative bacterium capable of chronic colonization of the human stomach, modifies its lipid a by removal of phosphate groups from the 1- and 4'-positions of the lipid a backbone. in this study, we identify the enzyme responsible for dephosphorylation of the lipid a 4'-phosphate group i ...	2011	22216004
detection of leptospiral antibodies by microscopic agglutination test in north-east of iran.	to detect leptospiral antibodies by microscopic agglutination test (mat) in north-east of iran.	2011	23569764
rodent abundance dynamics and leptospirosis carriage in an area of hyper-endemicity in new caledonia.	widespread but particularly incident in the tropics, leptospirosis is transmitted to humans directly or indirectly by virtually any mammal species. however, rodents are recognized as the most important reservoir. in endemic regions, seasonal outbreaks are observed during hot rainy periods. in such regions, hot spots can be evidenced, where leptospirosis is "hyper-endemic", its incidence reaching 500 annual cases per 100,000. a better knowledge of how rodent populations and their leptospira preva ...	2011	22039557
leptospirosis prevalence in chinese populations in the last two decades.	leptospirosis is a common zoonotic disease in china. from 1991 to 2010, its average annual incidence was 0.70 cases per 100,000 population. during these two decades, three major outbreaks of leptospirosis occurred due to flooding and heavy rainfall. leptospira interrogans serogroup icterohaemorrhagiae serovar lai is the predominant leptospire responsible for at least 60% of chinese cases, and apodemus agrarius serves as the major animal host. based on the differences in predominant leptospiral s ...	2011	22155621
Monoclonal antibodies against the leptospiral immunoglobulin-like proteins A and B conserved regions.	Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira that affects humans and a wide variety of animals. Recently the genomes of Leptospira interrogans, Leptospira borgpetersenii and Leptospira biflexa species were sequenced allowing the identification of new virulence factors involved in survival and pathogenesis of bacteria. LigA and LigB are surface-exposed bacterial adhesins whose expression is correlated with the virulence of Leptospira strains. In ...	2011	21903270
Subunit approach to evaluation of the immune protective potential of leptospiral antigens.	Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world. Current vaccines are based on whole-cell preparations that cause severe side effects and do not induce satisfactory immunity. In light of the leptospiral genome sequences recently made available, several studies aimed at identification of protective recombinant immunogens have been performed; however, few such immunogens have been identified. The aim of this study was to evaluate 27 recombinant antigens to determine their potential to i ...	2011	22030369
cholinesterases as markers of the inflammatory process in rats infected with leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae.	the aim of this study was evaluate changes in the cholinesterase activity in blood, lymphocytes and serum of rats infected with leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae ('l. icterohaemorrhagiae'). sixty adult wistar rats were divided into six groups of 10 animals: three control groups and three test groups. the animals from the test groups were intraperitoneally inoculated with 1 ml medium containing 1×10(8) leptospires. the activity of acetylcholinesterase in blood and butyrylcholines ...	2011	21921108
annotation of protein domains reveals remarkable conservation in the functional make up of proteomes across superkingdoms.	the functional repertoire of a cell is largely embodied in its proteome, the collection of proteins encoded in the genome of an organism. the molecular functions of proteins are the direct consequence of their structure and structure can be inferred from sequence using hidden markov models of structural recognition. here we analyze the functional annotation of protein domain structures in almost a thousand sequenced genomes, exploring the functional and structural diversity of proteomes. we find ...	2011	24710297
interaction of human complement factor h variants tyr⁴⁰² and his⁴⁰² with leptospira spp.	leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by pathogenic bacteria from the genus leptospira. the disease represents a serious public health problem in underdeveloped tropical countries. leptospires infect hosts through small abrasions in the skin or mucous membranes and they rapidly disseminate to target organs. the capacity of some pathogenic leptospiral strains to acquire the negative complement regulators factor h (fh) and c4b binding protein correlates with their ability to survive in human serum. i ...	2011	22566834
a computational study of elongation factor g (efg) duplicated genes: diverged nature underlying the innovation on the same structural template.	elongation factor g (efg) is a core translational protein that catalyzes the elongation and recycling phases of translation. a more complex picture of efg's evolution and function than previously accepted is emerging from analyzes of heterogeneous efg family members. whereas the gene duplication is postulated to be a prominent factor creating functional novelty, the striking divergence between efg paralogs can be interpreted in terms of innovation in gene function.	2011	21829651
plasmids with a chromosome-like role in rhizobia.	replicon architecture in bacteria is commonly comprised of one indispensable chromosome and several dispensable plasmids. this view has been enriched by the discovery of additional chromosomes, identified mainly by localization of rrna and/or trna genes, and also by experimental demonstration of their requirement for cell growth. the genome of rhizobium etli cfn42 is constituted by one chromosome and six large plasmids, ranging in size from 184 to 642 kb. five of the six plasmids are dispensable ...	2011	21217003
cross-protective immunity against leptospirosis elicited by a live, attenuated lipopolysaccharide mutant.	leptospira species cause leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease found worldwide. current vaccines against leptospirosis provide protection only against closely related serovars.	2011	21220775
characterization of the immunogenic and antigenic potential of putative lipoproteins from leptospira interrogans.	the search for a vaccine capable of conferring heterologous protection, through the identification of conserved and cross-protective antigens, remains an ongoing priority in leptospirosis research. in the present study, an in silico analysis was used to identify potentially protective lipoproteins from leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni. eight putative lipoproteins were selected (lic10009, lic10054, lic10091, lic11058, lic11567, lic13059, lic13305, and lic20172), cloned and expressed in ...	2011	21221970
fulminant leptospirosis (weil's disease) in an urban setting as an overlooked cause of multiorgan failure: a case report.		2011	21235739
patterns and regulation of ribosomal rna transcription in borrelia burgdorferi.	borrelia burgdorferi contains one 16s and two tandem sets of 23s-5s ribosomal (r) rna genes whose patterns of transcription and regulation are unknown but are likely to be critical for survival and persistence in its hosts.	2011	21251259
characterization of conserved combined t and b cell epitopes in leptospira interrogans major outer membrane proteins ompl1 and lipl41.	leptospira interrogans are bacterial pathogens of animal that cause zoonotic infections in human. outer membrane proteins of leptospire are among the most effective antigens which can stimulate remarkable immune responses during the infection processes, and thus are currently considered leading candidate vaccine antigens. the objective of the present study is to predict and confirm major combined b and t cell epitopes of leptospiral outer membrane proteins ompl1 and lipl41, as well as to evaluat ...	2011	21269437
functional analysis of borrelia burgdorferi uvra in dna damage protection.	bacterial pathogens face constant challenges from dna-damaging agents generated by host phagocytes. although borrelia burgdorferi appears to have much fewer dna repair enzymes than pathogens with larger genomes, it does contain homologues of uvra and uvrb (subunits a and b of excinuclease abc). as a first step to exploring the physiologic function of uvra(bbu) and its possible role in survival in the host in the face of dna-damaging agents, a partially deleted uvra mutant was isolated by targete ...	2011	21272060
development of a dna microarray for detection and identification of legionella pneumophila and ten other pathogens in drinking water.	the safety and accessibility of drinking water are major concerns throughout the world. consumption of water contaminated with infectious agents, toxic chemicals or radiological hazards represents a significant health risk and is strongly associated with mortality. therefore, we have developed an oligonucleotide-based microarray using the sequences of 16s-23s rdna internal transcribed spacer regions (its) and the gyrase subunit b gene (gyrb) found in the most prevalent and devastating waterborne ...	2011	21276629
prevalence and carrier status of leptospirosis in smallholder dairy cattle and peridomestic rodents in kandy, sri lanka.	leptospirosis is an important bacterial zoonotic disease globally and one of the notifiable diseases in sri lanka. other than human leptospirosis, little information is available on leptospirosis in domestic and feral animals in sri lanka. thus, this study attempted to determine the prevalence and carrier status of leptospirosis in smallholder dairy cattle and peridomestic rodents to understand the impact of the disease on public health in kandy, sri lanka. cattle and rodent samples were collect ...	2011	21284522
the role of fruit bats in the transmission of pathogenic leptospires in australia.	although antileptospiral antibodies and leptospiral dna have been detected in australian fruit bats, the role of such bats as infectious hosts for the leptospires found in rodents and humans remains unconfirmed. a cohort-design, replicated survey was recently conducted in far north queensland, australia, to determine if the abundance and leptospiral status of rodents were affected by association with colonies of fruit bats (pteropus conspicillatus spp.) via rodent contact with potentially infect ...	2011	21294951
serum tnf-a, stnfr1, il-6, il-8 and il-10 levels in weil's syndrome.	studies on cytokine levels in weil's syndrome are lacking. in this study, tnf-a, stnfr1, il-6, il-8 and il-10 levels were measured in 44 serum samples of patients diagnosed with leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae infection. tnf-a levels linked with pulmonary hemorrhagic implications, while elevated stnfr1 and il-10 levels linked with fatal cases. il-6 and il-8 did not seem to affect the outcome of the disease. immune response pattern in weil's syndrome bears resemblance to other ...	2011	21316985
adenosine deaminase activity in serum, erythrocytes and lymphocytes of rats infected with leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae.	leptospirosis is a systemic disease of humans and domestic animals, mainly dogs, cattle and swine. the course of human leptospirosis varies from mild to severe fatal forms and the most severe form of human leptospirosis is principally caused by leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae (l. icterohaemorrhagiae). the enzyme adenosine deaminase (ada) plays an important role in the production and differentiation of blood cells. the aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of ada in se ...	2011	21320715
validation of assays to monitor immune responses in the syrian golden hamster (mesocricetus auratus).	the syrian golden hamster (mesocricetus auratus) is a valuable but under-utilized animal model for studies of human viral pathogens such as bunyaviruses, arenaviruses, flaviviruses, henipaviruses, and sars-coronavirus. a lack of suitable reagents and specific assays for monitoring host responses has limited the use of this animal model to clinical observations, pathology and humoral immune responses. the objective of this study was to establish and validate assays to monitor host immune response ...	2011	21334343
the multifunctional ligb adhesin binds homeostatic proteins with potential roles in cutaneous infection by pathogenic leptospira interrogans.	leptospirosis is a potentially fatal zoonotic disease in humans and animals caused by pathogenic spirochetes, such as leptospira interrogans. the mode of transmission is commonly limited to the exposure of mucous membrane or damaged skin to water contaminated by leptospires shed in the urine of carriers, such as rats. infection occurs during seasonal flooding of impoverished tropical urban habitats with large rat populations, but also during recreational activity in open water, suggesting it is ...	2011	21347378
leptospirosis serodiagnosis by elisa based on recombinant outer membrane protein.	the outer membrane protein lipl21, lipl32, lipl41 and loa22 of leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni were previously revealed by immunoproteomic analysis, using sera from acute phase infection in a guinea pig. the full-length dna of each protein was then cloned from the same serovar and expressed in prset vector. the obtained molecular weight (mw) of recombinant proteins rlipl21, rlipl32 and rloa22 were slightly higher than the mw predicted from nucleotide sequences of each inserted gene, w ...	2011	21353274
host-pathogen interactions made transparent with the zebrafish model.	the zebrafish holds much promise as a high-throughput drug screening model for immune-related diseases, including inflammatory and infectious diseases and cancer. this is due to the excellent possibilities for in vivo imaging in combination with advanced tools for genomic and large scale mutant analysis. the context of the embryo's developing immune system makes it possible to study the contribution of different immune cell types to disease progression. furthermore, due to the temporal separatio ...	2011	21366518
pathogenesis of leptospirosis: the influence of genomics.	leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis worldwide and is caused by serovars of pathogenic leptospira species. the understanding of leptospiral pathogenesis lags far behind that of many other bacterial pathogens. current research is thus directed at identification of leptospiral virulence factors. saprophytic leptospira species are environmental organisms that never cause disease. comparative genomics of pathogens and saprophytes has allowed the identification of more than 900 genes unique ...	2011	21440384
development of transcriptional fusions to assess leptospira interrogans promoter activity.	leptospirosis is a zoonotic infectious disease that affects both humans and animals. the existing genetic tools for leptospira spp. have improved our understanding of the biology of this spirochete as well as the interaction of pathogenic leptospires with the mammalian host. however, new tools are necessary to provide novel and useful information to the field.	2011	21445252
a unique genotype of leptospira interrogans serovar pomona type kennewicki is associated with equine abortion.	although serologic data indicate horses in n. america are exposed to a variety of leptospiral serovars, abortion is almost always associated with leptospira interrogans serovar pomona type kennewicki. a variety of wildlife including raccoons, white tailed deer, striped skunks, opossums, and red and grey foxes have been shown to host serovar pomona and have therefore been suspect as sources of infection for pregnant mares. the aim of the present study was to examine genetic diversity in serovar p ...	2011	21450416
accuracy of loop-mediated isothermal amplification for diagnosis of human leptospirosis in thailand.	there is a lack of diagnostic tests for leptospirosis in technology-restricted settings. we developed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) specific for the 16s ribosomal rna gene (rrs) of pathogenic and intermediate group leptospira species. the lower limit of detection was 10 genomic equivalents/reaction, and analytical specificity was high; we observed positive reactions for pathogenic/intermediate groups and negative reactions for non-pathogenic leptospira species and other bacterial ...	2011	21460019
exposure to infectious agents in dogs in remote coastal british columbia: possible sentinels of diseases in wildlife and humans.	ranked among the top threats to conservation worldwide, infectious disease is of particular concern for wild canids because domestic dogs (canis familiaris) may serve as sources and reservoirs of infection. on british columbia's largely undeveloped but rapidly changing central and north coasts, little is known about diseases in wolves (canis lupus) or other wildlife. however, several threats exist for transfer of diseases among unvaccinated dogs and wolves. to gain baseline data on infectious ag ...	2011	21461190
surface-associated hsp60 chaperonin of leptospira interrogans serovar autumnalis n2 strain as an immunoreactive protein.	the present study has been formulated in order to detect an immunoreactive protein whose identification can play a major role in the early diagnosis of disease. the identified protein will be produced by recombinant methods and used for the recombinant protein based elisa. a comparison was made between the developed method and the gold standard mat test to evaluate the serodiagnosis potential of the protein. the protein profile, immunoblot and maldi-tof analysis was carried out to identify the i ...	2011	21468684
comparison of real-time pcr assays for detection of pathogenic leptospira spp. in blood and identification of variations in target sequences.	leptospirosis is considered an underdiagnosed disease. although several pcr-based methods are currently in use, there is little information on their comparability. in this study, four quantitative real-time pcr (qpcr) assays (sybr green and taqman chemistries) targeting the secy, lfb1, and lipl32 genes were evaluated as diagnostic assays. in our hands, these assays can detect between 10(2) and 10(3) bacteria/ml of pure culture, whole-blood, plasma, and serum samples. in three independent experim ...	2011	21471336
rnie: genome-wide prediction of bacterial intrinsic terminators.	bacterial rho-independent terminators (rits) are important genomic landmarks involved in gene regulation and terminating gene expression. in this investigation we present rnie, a probabilistic approach for predicting rits. the method is based upon covariance models which have been known for many years to be the most accurate computational tools for predicting homology in structural non-coding rnas. we show that rnie has superior performance in model species from a spectrum of bacterial phyla. fu ...	2011	21478170
potent innate immune response to pathogenic leptospira in human whole blood.	leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus leptospira. the bacteria enter the human body via abraded skin or mucous membranes and may disseminate throughout. in general the clinical picture is mild but some patients develop rapidly progressive, severe disease with a high case fatality rate. not much is known about the innate immune response to leptospires during haematogenous dissemination. previous work showed that a human thp-1 cell line recognized heat-killed leptospires a ...	2011	21483834
[leptospirosis outbreak in calves from corrientes province, argentina].	leptospirosis is an infectious disease resulting in significant economic losses in livestock production. this disease causes abortion, embryo death, death of calves within the first few days of life and mastitis. we report a leptospirosis outbreak in calf growing and fattening. histopathological and hemoparasite studies, immunofluorescence, and bacterial cultures were performed. a strain of leptospira interrogans serovar pomona was isolated from samples collected from dead calves.	2011	21491066
[ultramicroscopic alterations in placental tissue from infected animals with leptospira interrogans serovar pomona].		2011	21491071
role of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the pathogenesis of experimental leptospirosis.	nitric oxide (no) produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (inos) is a radical effector molecule of the innate immune system that can directly inhibit pathogen replication. in order to study subsequent inos kidney expression in experimental leptospirosis, golden syrian hamsters and c3h/hej mice were infected intraperitoneally with 10(2) or 10(7) virulent leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni (lic) strain fiocruz l1-130. results showed increased levels of inos mrna and protein in kidneys ...	2011	21497651
fourteen-genome comparison identifies dna markers for severe-disease-associated strains of clostridium difficile.	clostridium difficile is a common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalized patients. a severe and increased incidence of c. difficile infection (cdi) is associated predominantly with the nap1 strain; however, the existence of other severe-disease-associated (sda) strains and the extensive genetic diversity across c. difficile complicate reliable detection and diagnosis. comparative genome analysis of 14 sequenced genomes, including those of a subset of nap1 isolates, allowed the assessment o ...	2011	21508155
proteomic analyses of nucleoid-associated proteins in escherichia coli, pseudomonas aeruginosa, bacillus subtilis, and staphylococcus aureus.	the bacterial nucleoid contains several hundred kinds of nucleoid-associated proteins (naps), which play critical roles in genome functions such as transcription and replication. several naps, such as hu and h-ns in escherichia coli, have so far been identified.	2011	21541338
serosurvey of leptospirosis and investigation of a possible novel serovar arborea in farmed deer in new zealand.	to investigate the prevalence of leptospira spp. and possible novel serovar arborea infection in farmed deer in new zealand.	2011	21541888
passive immunization with leptospira lps-specific agglutinating but not non-agglutinating monoclonal antibodies protect guinea pigs from fatal pulmonary hemorrhages induced by serovar copenhageni challenge.	leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni causes pulmonary hemorrhages with respiratory failure, a major cause of death in leptospirosis patients. protective immunity to leptospira is known to correlate with the production of leptospiral lipopolysaccharide (l-lps)-specific agglutinating antibodies. we generated l-lps-specific mouse monoclonal antibodies (mabs) and investigated if these mabs can protect guinea pigs against fatal pulmonary hemorrhages caused by serovar copenhageni. the mabs l8h4 ...	2011	21549788
innate immune responses to systemic acinetobacter baumannii infection in mice: neutrophils, but not il-17, mediate host resistance.	acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen with a high prevalence of multiply drug resistant strains, causing pneumonia and sepsis. the current studies further develop a systemic mouse model of this infection and characterize selected innate immune responses to the organism. five clinical isolates, with varying degrees of antibiotic resistance, were assessed for virulence in two mouse strains, and between male and female mice, using intraperitoneal infection. nearly a 1000-fold difference ...	2011	21576323
attenuated nephritis in inducible nitric oxide synthase-knockout c57bl/6 mice and pulmonary haemorrhage in cb17 scid and recombination activating gene 1-knockout c57bl/6 mice infected with leptospira interrogans.	the aims of this study were to investigate the frequency of pulmonary haemorrhage (ph) in mice unable to produce functional b- and t-lymphocytes and to explore the effect of an inducible nitric oxide synthase (inos) knockout (ko) on the frequency/severity of interstitial nephritis in vivo. we studied the outcome of infection by the virulent leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni strain cop. the animals used were inos-ko mice; recombination activating gene 1 ko (rag1-ko); cb17 severe combined ...	2011	21576342
survival of a pathogenic leptospira serovar in response to combined in vitro ph and temperature stresses.	leptospira interrogans is a zoonotic pathogen hosted commensally by many mammalian species. on the western pacific island of american samoa a seroprevalence survey conducted in 2004 indicated that 17% of subjects tested had been exposed to several leptospira serovars, including l. interogans icterohaemorrhagiae. resource management agencies promoted improved animal waste management practices, including composting, to reduce the risk of water contamination and human exposure from small pig husban ...	2011	21592682
seasonality of human leptospirosis in reunion island (indian ocean) and its association with meteorological data.	leptospirosis is a disease which occurs worldwide but particularly affects tropical areas. transmission of the disease is dependent on its excretion by reservoir animals and the presence of moist environment which allows the survival of the bacteria.	2011	21655257
heterologous expression of pathogen-specific genes liga and ligb in the saprophyte leptospira biflexa confers enhanced adhesion to cultured cells and fibronectin.	in comparison to other bacterial pathogens, our knowledge of the molecular basis of the pathogenesis of leptospirosis is extremely limited. an improved understanding of leptospiral pathogenetic mechanisms requires reliable tools for functional genetic analysis. leptospiral immunoglobulin-like (lig) proteins are surface proteins found in pathogenic leptospira, but not in saprophytes. here, we describe a system for heterologous expression of the leptospira interrogans genes liga and ligb in the sa ...	2011	21658265
highly virulent leptospira borgpetersenii strain characterized in the hamster model.	abstract. a recent study by our group reported the isolation and partial serological and molecular characterization of four leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup ballum strains. here, we reproduced experimental leptospirosis in golden syrian hamsters (mesocricetus auratus) and carried out standardization of lethal dose 50% (ld50) of one of these strains (4e). clinical disease features and histopathologic analyses of tissue lesions were also observed. as results, strain 4e induced lethality in the ...	2011	21813846
in vitro evidence for immune evasion activity by human plasmin associated to pathogenic leptospira interrogans.	leptospirosis is a widespread re-emerging zoonosis of human and veterinary concern. it has been shown that virulent leptospires protect themselves against the host's innate immune system, a strategy that allows the bacteria to reach immunologically safe environments. although extensive studies on host-pathogen interactions have been performed, little is known on how leptospires deal with host immune attack. in a previous work, we demonstrated the ability of leptospires to bind human plasminogen ...	2011	21802507
structural and sequence analysis of imelysin-like proteins implicated in bacterial iron uptake.	imelysin-like proteins define a superfamily of bacterial proteins that are likely involved in iron uptake. members of this superfamily were previously thought to be peptidases and were included in the merops family m75. we determined the first crystal structures of two remotely related, imelysin-like proteins. the psychrobacter arcticus structure was determined at 2.15 å resolution and contains the canonical imelysin fold, while higher resolution structures from the gut bacteria bacteroides ovat ...	2011	21799754
discovery of an orthoreovirus in the aborted fetus of a steller sea lion (eumetopias jubatus).	an aborted mid-gestational male steller sea lion fetus with an attached placenta was recovered on the floor of an open floating capture trap located off norris rock near denman island, british columbia. viral culture of the placenta demonstrated cytopathic effect. although no specific signal was obtained in microarray experiments using rna obtained from viral culture, elution and sequence analysis revealed the presence of a reovirus. complete genome pyrosequencing led to the identification of an ...	2011	21795475
a sensitive and specific igm-elisa for the serological diagnosis of human leptospirosis using a rlipl32/1-lipl21-ompl1/2 fusion protein.	to construct a lipl32/1-lipl21-ompl1/2 fusion gene and its prokaryotic expression system, and to establish an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) using the rlipl32/1-lipl21-ompl1/2 fusion antigen of leptospira interrogans for sensitive and specific detection of igm in the serum of patients with leptospirosis.	2011	21784316
quantification of mrna and protein and integration with protein turnover in a bacterium.	biological function and cellular responses to environmental perturbations are regulated by a complex interplay of dna, rna, proteins and metabolites inside cells. to understand these central processes in living systems at the molecular level, we integrated experimentally determined abundance data for mrna, proteins, as well as individual protein half-lives from the genome-reduced bacterium mycoplasma pneumoniae. we provide a fine-grained, quantitative analysis of basic intracellular processes un ...	2011	21772259
absolute quantification of microbial proteomes at different states by directed mass spectrometry.	over the past decade, liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (lc-ms/ms) has evolved into the main proteome discovery technology. up to several thousand proteins can now be reliably identified from a sample and the relative abundance of the identified proteins can be determined across samples. however, the remeasurement of substantially similar proteomes, for example those generated by perturbation experiments in systems biology, at high reproducibility and throughput remains ...	2011	21772258
characterization of novel ompa-like protein of leptospira interrogans that binds extracellular matrix molecules and plasminogen.	leptospira interrogans is the etiological agent of leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease of human and veterinary concern. the identification of novel proteins that mediate host-pathogen interactions is important for understanding the bacterial pathogenesis as well as to identify protective antigens that would help fight the disease. we describe in this work the cloning, expression, purification and characterization of three predicted leptospiral membrane proteins, lic10258, lic12880 (lp30) and lic12 ...	2011	21755014
elucidation of a novel vibrio cholerae lipid a secondary hydroxy-acyltransferase and its role in innate immune recognition.	similar to most gram-negative bacteria, the outer leaflet of the outer membrane of vibrio cholerae is comprised of lipopolysaccharide. previous reports have proposed that v. cholerae serogroups o1 and o139 synthesize structurally different lipid a domains, which anchor lipopolysaccharide within the outer membrane. in the current study, intact lipid a species of v. cholerae o1 and o139 were analysed by mass spectrometry. we demonstrate that v. cholerae serogroups associated with human disease syn ...	2011	21752109
immuno-fluorescence assay of leptospiral surface-exposed proteins.	bacterial surface proteins are involved in direct contact with host cells and in uptake of nutrients from the environment (1). for this reason, cellular localization can provide insights into the functional role of bacterial proteins. surface localization of bacterial proteins is a key step towards identification of virulence factors involved in mechanisms of pathogenicity. methods for fractionating leptospiral membranes (2-5) may be selective for a certain class of outer-membrane proteins (omps ...	2011	21750491
leptospira interrogans encodes an rok family glucokinase involved in a cryptic glucose utilization pathway.	although leptospira interrogans is unable to utilize glucose as its carbon/energy source, the la_1437 gene of l. interrogans serovar lai potentially encodes a group iii glucokinase (glk). the l. interrogans glk (liglk) heterogeneously expressed in escherichia coli was purified and proved to be a homodimeric enzyme with its specific activity of 12.3 ┬▒ 0.6 u/mg x protein determined under an improved assay condition (ph 9.0, 50 ┬░ c), 7.5-fold higher than that assayed under the previously used con ...	2011	21705346
[the ompa-like protein loa22 from leptospira interrogans serovar lai induces apoptosis in a549 via ca2+ signal pathway].	to study the effect of loa22 mature peptide on the apoptosis of a549 to explore the mechanism of pulmonary impairment in severe forms of leptospirosis.	2011	21826986
incorporation of real-time pcr into routine public health surveillance of culture negative bacterial meningitis in s+úo paulo, brazil.	real-time (rt)-pcr increases diagnostic yield for bacterial meningitis and is ideal for incorporation into routine surveillance in a developing country. we validated a multiplex rt-pcr assay for streptococcus pneumoniae, neisseria meningitidis, and haemophilus influenzae in brazil. risk factors for being culture-negative, rt-pcr positive were determined. the sensitivity of rt-pcr in cerebrospinal fluid (csf) was 100% (95% confidence limits, 96.0%-100%) for n. meningitidis, 97.8% (85.5%-99.9%) fo ...	2011	21731621
standardisation and application of polymerase chain reaction for detection of lru a and lru b gene of leptospira interrogans in aqueous humors of uveitic patients.		2011	21834695
assessment of clinical pathology and pathogen exposure in sea otters (enhydra lutris) bordering the threatened population in alaska.	northern sea otter (enhydra lutris kenyoni) abundance has decreased dramatically over portions of southwest alaska, usa, since the mid-1980s, and this stock is currently listed as threatened under the endangered species act. in contrast, adjacent populations in south central alaska, usa, and russia have been stable to increasing during the same period. sea otters bordering the area classified in the recent decline were live-captured during 2004-2006 at bering island, russia, and the kodiak archi ...	2011	21719822
leptospirosis is associated with markedly increased triglycerides and small dense low-density lipoprotein and decreased high-density lipoprotein.	the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of acute infection with leptospira interrogans on lipids, lipoproteins and associated enzymes. fasting serum levels of total cholesterol (tc), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ldl-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (hdl-c), triglycerides (tg), apolipoproteins (apo) a-+ö, b, e, c-ii, c-iii and lipoprotein (a) [lp(a)] were determined in patients with leptospirosis on diagnosis and 4-ámonths after recovery as well as in age- a ...	2011	21688175
characteristic features of intracellular pathogenic leptospira in infected murine macrophages.	leptospira interrogans is a spirochaete responsible for a zoonotic disease known as leptospirosis. leptospires are able to penetrate the abraded skin and mucous membranes and rapidly disseminate to target organs such as the liver, lungs and kidneys. how this pathogen escape from innate immune cells and spread to target organs remains poorly understood. in this paper, the intracellular trafficking undertaken by non-pathogenic leptospira biflexa and pathogenic l.ôçâinterrogans in mouse bone marrow ...	2011	21819516
leptospirosis and tularaemia in raccoons (procyon lotor) of larimer country, colorado.	raccoons (procyon lotor) are commonly implicated as carriers of many zoonotic pathogens. the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to look for leptospira interrogans and francisella tularensis in opportunistically sampled, free-ranging raccoons of larimer country, colorado, usa. sixty-five animals were included in the study and testing consisted of gross post-mortem examination, histopathology, and both immunohistochemistry and pcr for l. interrogans and f. tularensis. no significant gross l ...	2011	21824365
genotyping of leptospira interrogans strains from argentina by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (mlva).	leptospirosis outbreaks occur regularly in argentina and other south american countries, but little is known about their epidemiological relationships. application of new molecular tools, such as the multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (mlva) is limited by scant available data on regional strains. we have analyzed the genetic diversity of a collection of 31 strains of leptospira interrogans isolated in argentina during the past five decades from humans and animals, including a ...	2011	20674025
community structures of fecal bacteria in cattle from different animal feeding operations.	the fecal microbiome of cattle plays a critical role not only in animal health and productivity but also in food safety, pathogen shedding, and the performance of fecal pollution detection methods. unfortunately, most published molecular surveys fail to provide adequate detail about variability in the community structures of fecal bacteria within and across cattle populations. using massively parallel pyrosequencing of a hypervariable region of the rrna coding region, we profiled the fecal micro ...	2011	21378055
the minimal proteome in the reduced mitochondrion of the parasitic protist giardia intestinalis.	the mitosomes of giardia intestinalis are thought to be mitochondria highly-reduced in response to the oxygen-poor niche. we performed a quantitative proteomic assessment of giardia mitosomes to increase understanding of the function and evolutionary origin of these enigmatic organelles. mitosome-enriched fractions were obtained from cell homogenate using optiprep gradient centrifugation. to distinguish mitosomal proteins from contamination, we used a quantitative shot-gun strategy based on isob ...	2011	21390322
maximizing the chances of detecting pathogenic leptospires in mammals: the evaluation of field samples and a multi-sample-per-mammal, multi-test approach.	identification of wild animals that harbour the causative leptospires, and the identification of the most important of these 'wild reservoirs' (in terms of threat to human health), are key factors in the epidemiology of human leptospirosis. in an epidemiological investigation in the australian state of queensland, in 2007-2008, samples were collected from fruit bats (pteropus conspicillatus) and rodents (to investigate the potential role of fruit bats in the maintenance and transmission of lepto ...	2011	21396251
recombinant lipl32 and liga from leptospira are unable to stimulate protective immunity against leptospirosis in the hamster model.	the major antigenic component of pathogenic leptospira spp. is lipopolysaccharide (lps). however, due to the specificity of the immune response generated towards lps and the diversity in leptospiral lps carbohydrate structure, current commercial vaccines stimulate protection only against homologous or closely related serovars. vaccines that confer heterologous protection would enhance protection in vaccinated animals and reduce transmission to humans. several studies have investigated the potent ...	2011	21396409
evaluation of envelope domain iii-based single chimeric tetravalent antigen and monovalent antigen mixtures for the detection of anti-dengue antibodies in human sera.	flavivirus cross-reactive antibodies in human sera interfere with the definitive identification of dengue virus (denv) infections especially in areas with multiple co-circulating flaviviruses. use of denv envelope domain-iii (ediii) can partially resolve the problem. this study has examined the effect of (i) incorporating the ediiis of four denv serotypes into a single chimeric antigen, and (ii) immobilizing the antigen through specific interaction on the sensitivity and specificity of anti-denv ...	2011	21401963
comparative proteogenomic analysis of the leptospira interrogans virulence-attenuated strain ipav against the pathogenic strain 56601.	the virulence-attenuated leptospira interrogans serovar lai strain ipav was derived by prolonged laboratory passage from a highly virulent ancestral strain isolated in china. we studied the genetic variations of ipav that render it avirulent via comparative analysis against the pathogenic l. interrogans serovar lai strain 56601. the complete genome sequence of the ipav strain was determined and used to compare with, and then rectify and reannotate the genome sequence of strain 56601. aside from ...	2011	21423275
electrocardiographic changes in hospitalized patients with leptospirosis over a 10-year period.	the aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and type of ecg changes in patients with leptospirosis regardless of clinical evidence of cardiac involvement.	2011	21709630
inactivation of clpb in the pathogen leptospira interrogans reduces virulence and resistance to stress conditions.	leptospira interrogans is the causative agent of leptospirosis, which is an emerging zoonotic disease. resistance to stress conditions is largely uncharacterized for this bacterium. we therefore decided to analyze a clpb mutant that we obtained by random transposon mutagenesis. the mutant did not produce any of the two isoforms of clpb. the clpb mutant exhibited growth defects at 30-¦ and 37-¦c and in poor nutrient medium and showed increased susceptibility to oxidative stress, whereas the genet ...	2011	21730091
improvement of trivalent leptospira vaccine by removal of anaphylactic agents.	the anaphylactic reactions in cattle following leptospira vaccination mostly booster dose in different parts of iran have been reported. the serum proteins as allergic substances are components of liquid phase of the vaccine. therefore, the vaccine was modified by washing the whole cultures by centrifugations. the modified vaccine was safe in laboratory animals and cattle as well as under field conditions. microagglutination test revealed a similar pattern of antibody response to the three lepto ...	2011	21698521
complete genome sequence of brachyspira intermedia reveals unique genomic features in brachyspira species and phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer.	abstract:	2011	21816042
the novel leptospiral surface adhesin, lsa20, binds laminin, human plasminogen and is probably expressed during infection.	leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease caused by pathogenic species of leptospira. in this work, we report the cloning, expression, purification and characterization of two predicted leptospiral outer membrane proteins, lic11469, and lic11030. the lic11469 protein is well conserved among leptospiral strains while lic11030 was identified only in l. interrogans. we confirmed by surface proteolysis of intact leptospires with proteinase k that these proteins are most likely new surface lept ...	2011	21844229
Gene expression profiles of immune mediators and histopathological findings in animal models of leptospirosis: comparison between susceptible hamsters and resistant mice.	Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis characterised by multiple organ failures and the variability of host susceptibility towards pathogenic Leptospira strains. In this study, we put the role of inflammatory mediators in parallel with bacterial burdens and organ lesions by comparing a susceptible animal model, the hamster, and a resistant one, the OF1 mouse, both infected with virulent L. interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae strain Verdun. Histological observations evidenced oedema, congesti ...	2011	21844232
[Southern taiga combined natural foci of spirochetoses].	Study of possibility of existence of combined natural foci of spirochetoses (ixodes tick borrelioses and leptospiroses) in typical taiga forests, and their etiologic and reservoir-host structure.	2011	22145345
deciphering morphological determinants of the helix-shaped leptospira.	leptospira spp. are thin, highly motile, slow-growing spirochetes that can be distinguished from other bacteria on the basis of their unique helical shape. defining the mechanisms by which these bacteria generate and maintain this atypical morphology should greatly enhance our understanding of the fundamental physiology of these pathogens. in this study, we showed that peptidoglycan sacculi from leptospira spp. retain the helical shape of intact cells. interestingly, the distribution of muropept ...	2011	21926230
Borrelia burgdorferi enolase is a surface-exposed plasminogen binding protein.	Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease, the most commonly reported arthropod-borne disease in the United States. B. burgdorferi is a highly invasive bacterium, yet lacks extracellular protease activity. In order to aid in its dissemination, B. burgdorferi binds plasminogen, a component of the hosts' fibrinolytic system. Plasminogen bound to the surface of B. burgdorferi can then be activated to the protease plasmin, facilitating the bacterium's penetration of endothelial cel ...	2011	22087329