| recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of microscopic colitis. | microscopic colitis, comprising collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis, is a common cause of chronic diarrhea. it is characterized clinically by chronic watery diarrhea and a macroscopically normal colonic mucosa where diagnostic histopathological features are seen on microscopic examination. the annual incidence of each disorder is 4-6/100,000 inhabitants, with a peak incidence in individuals 60-70 years old and a noticeable female predominance in collagenous colitis. the etiology is unkno ... | 2011 | 24713787 |
| a ruptured infected mesenteric cyst diagnosed on laparoscopy for suspected appendicitis. | lower abdominal pain of acute onset in young women with a negative pregnancy test is a frequent reason for referral to the general surgical team and the differential diagnoses include acute appendicitis, complicated ovarian cysts and pelvic inflammatory disease. intestinal and mesenteric cystic disease is a rare entity and less than half of cases present acutely. we present a case of a 25-year-old woman who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy for acute lower abdominal pain and was diagnosed with a ... | 2011 | 24713757 |
| comparative analysis of cultural isolation and pcr based assay for detection of campylobacter jejuni in food and faecal samples. | in the present study, the efficacy of polymerase chain reaction (pcr) based on mapa gene of c. jejuni was tested for detection of campylobacter jejuni in naturally infected as well as spiked faecal and food samples of human and animal origin. simultaneously, all the samples were subjected to the cultural isolation of organism and biochemical characterization. the positive samples resulted in the amplification of a dna fragment of size ~589 bp in pcr assay whereas the absence of such amplicon in ... | 2011 | 24031619 |
| mathematical modeling of the transmission and control of foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance at preharvest. | foodborne diseases are a significant health-care and economic burden. most foodborne pathogens are enteric pathogens harbored in the gastrointestinal tract of farm animals. understanding the transmission of foodborne pathogens and the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance at the farm level is necessary to design effective control strategies at preharvest. mathematical models improve our understanding of pathogen dynamics by providing a theoretical framework in which factors affecting transmi ... | 2011 | 21043837 |
| critical appraisal of irrational drug combinations: a call for awareness in undergraduate medical students. | | 2011 | 21701649 |
| phages in nature. | bacteriophages or phages are the most abundant organisms in the biosphere and they are a ubiquitous feature of prokaryotic existence. a bacteriophage is a virus which infects a bacterium. archaea are also infected by viruses, whether these should be referred to as 'phages' is debatable, but they are included as such in the scope this article. phages have been of interest to scientists as tools to understand fundamental molecular biology, as vectors of horizontal gene transfer and drivers of bact ... | 2011 | 21687533 |
| deciphering the bacterial glycocode: recent advances in bacterial glycoproteomics. | bacterial glycoproteins represent an attractive target for new antibacterial treatments, as they are frequently linked to pathogenesis and contain distinctive glycans that are absent in humans. despite their potential therapeutic importance, many bacterial glycoproteins remain uncharacterized. this review focuses on recent advances in deciphering the bacterial glycocode, including metabolic glycan labeling to discover and characterize bacterial glycoproteins, lectin-based microarrays to monitor ... | 2012 | 23276734 |
| deciphering the bacterial glycocode: recent advances in bacterial glycoproteomics. | bacterial glycoproteins represent an attractive target for new antibacterial treatments, as they are frequently linked to pathogenesis and contain distinctive glycans that are absent in humans. despite their potential therapeutic importance, many bacterial glycoproteins remain uncharacterized. this review focuses on recent advances in deciphering the bacterial glycocode, including metabolic glycan labeling to discover and characterize bacterial glycoproteins, lectin-based microarrays to monitor ... | 2012 | 23276734 |
| application of protein purification methods for the enrichment of a cytotoxin from campylobacter jejuni. | campylobater jejuni, a major foodborne diarrhoeal pathogen is reported to produce a number of cytotoxins of which only a cytolethal distending toxin (cdt) has been characterised so far. one or more additional cytotoxins other than cdt, including a chinese hamster ovary (cho) cell active, vero cell inactive cytotoxin, may mediate inflammatory diarrhoea. our objective was to develop a method to enrich and thus partially characterise this cytotoxin, as a pathway to the eventual identification and c ... | 2012 | 23259594 |
| population structure in nontypeable haemophilus influenzae. | nontypeable haemophilus influenzae (nthi) frequently colonize the human pharynx asymptomatically, and are an important cause of otitis media in children. past studies have identified typeable h. influenzae as being clonal, but the population structure of nthi has not been extensively characterized. the research presented here investigated the diversity and population structure in a well-characterized collection of nthi isolated from the middle ears of children with otitis media or the pharynges ... | 2012 | 23266487 |
| population structure in nontypeable haemophilus influenzae. | nontypeable haemophilus influenzae (nthi) frequently colonize the human pharynx asymptomatically, and are an important cause of otitis media in children. past studies have identified typeable h. influenzae as being clonal, but the population structure of nthi has not been extensively characterized. the research presented here investigated the diversity and population structure in a well-characterized collection of nthi isolated from the middle ears of children with otitis media or the pharynges ... | 2012 | 23266487 |
| microevolutionary analysis of clostridium difficile genomes to investigate transmission. | the control of clostridium difficile infection is a major international healthcare priority, hindered by a limited understanding of transmission epidemiology for these bacteria. however, transmission studies of bacterial pathogens are rapidly being transformed by the advent of next generation sequencing. | 2012 | 23259504 |
| chemical probing of glycans in cells and organisms. | among the four major building blocks of life, glycans play essential roles in numerous physiological and pathological processes. due to their non-templated biosynthesis, advances towards elucidating the molecular details of glycan functions are relatively slow compared with the pace of protein and nucleic acid research. over the past 30 years, chemical tools have emerged as powerful allies to genetics and molecular biology in the study of glycans in their native environment. this tutorial review ... | 2012 | 23257905 |
| chemical probing of glycans in cells and organisms. | among the four major building blocks of life, glycans play essential roles in numerous physiological and pathological processes. due to their non-templated biosynthesis, advances towards elucidating the molecular details of glycan functions are relatively slow compared with the pace of protein and nucleic acid research. over the past 30 years, chemical tools have emerged as powerful allies to genetics and molecular biology in the study of glycans in their native environment. this tutorial review ... | 2012 | 23257905 |
| rna-seq based identification and mutant validation of gene targets related to ethanol resistance in cyanobacterial synechocystis sp. pcc 6803. | | 2012 | 23259593 |
| insights into the crispr/cas system of gardnerella vaginalis. | gardnerella vaginalis is identified as the predominant colonist of the vaginal tracts of women diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis (bv). g. vaginalis can be isolated from healthy women, and an asymptomatic bv state is also recognised. the association of g. vaginalis with different clinical phenotypes could be explained by different cytotoxicity of the strains, presumably based on disparate gene content. the contribution of horizontal gene transfer to shaping the genomes of g. vaginalis is acknowl ... | 2012 | 23259527 |
| a comparison of the endotoxin biosynthesis and protein oxidation pathways in the biogenesis of the outer membrane of escherichia coli and neisseria meningitidis. | the gram-negative bacterial cell envelope consists of an inner membrane (im) that surrounds the cytoplasm and an asymmetrical outer-membrane (om) that forms a protective barrier to the external environment. the om consists of lipopolysaccahride (lps), phospholipids, outer membrane proteins (omps), and lipoproteins. oxidative protein folding mediated by periplasmic oxidoreductases is required for the biogenesis of the protein components, mainly constituents of virulence determinants such as pili, ... | 2012 | 23267440 |
| multivalent glycoconjugates as anti-pathogenic agents. | multivalency plays a major role in biological processes and particularly in the relationship between pathogenic microorganisms and their host that involves protein-glycan recognition. these interactions occur during the first steps of infection, for specific recognition between host and bacteria, but also at different stages of the immune response. the search for high-affinity ligands for studying such interactions involves the combination of carbohydrate head groups with different scaffolds and ... | 2012 | 23254759 |
| multivalent glycoconjugates as anti-pathogenic agents. | multivalency plays a major role in biological processes and particularly in the relationship between pathogenic microorganisms and their host that involves protein-glycan recognition. these interactions occur during the first steps of infection, for specific recognition between host and bacteria, but also at different stages of the immune response. the search for high-affinity ligands for studying such interactions involves the combination of carbohydrate head groups with different scaffolds and ... | 2012 | 23254759 |
| hemoglobin: a nitric-oxide dioxygenase. | members of the hemoglobin superfamily efficiently catalyze nitric-oxide dioxygenation, and when paired with native electron donors, function as no dioxygenases (nods). indeed, the nod function has emerged as a more common and ancient function than the well-known role in o2 transport-storage. novel hemoglobins possessing a nod function continue to be discovered in diverse life forms. unique hemoglobin structures evolved, in part, for catalysis with different electron donors. the mechanism of nod ... | 2012 | 24278729 |
| "cross-glycosylation" of proteins in bacteroidales species. | while it is now evident that the two bacteroidales species bacteroides fragilis and tannerella forsythia both have general o-glycosylation systems and share a common glycosylation sequon, the ability of these organisms to glycosylate a protein native to the other organism has not yet been demonstrated. here, we report on the glycosylation of heterologous proteins between these two organisms. using genetic tools previously developed for bacteroides species, two b. fragilis model glycoproteins wer ... | 2012 | 23258847 |
| "cross-glycosylation" of proteins in bacteroidales species. | while it is now evident that the two bacteroidales species bacteroides fragilis and tannerella forsythia both have general o-glycosylation systems and share a common glycosylation sequon, the ability of these organisms to glycosylate a protein native to the other organism has not yet been demonstrated. here, we report on the glycosylation of heterologous proteins between these two organisms. using genetic tools previously developed for bacteroides species, two b. fragilis model glycoproteins wer ... | 2012 | 23258847 |
| induction of cytokines in different organs after intranasal inoculation of campylobacter jejuni in mice. | | 2012 | 23244595 |
| first pillcam colon 2 capsule images of whipple's disease: case report and review of the literature. | whipple's disease is a rare chronic systemic infection determined by the gram-positive bacillus tropheryma whipplei. the infection usually mainly involves the small bowel, but sometimes other organs are affected as well. since the current standard clinical and biological tests are nonspecific, diagnosis is very difficult and relies on histopathology. here we present the case of a 52-year-old man with chronic diarrhea and weight loss whose symptoms had been evolving for 2 years and whose diagnosi ... | 2012 | 23293729 |
| factors that explain excretion of enteric pathogens by persons without diarrhea. | excretion of enteropathogens by subjects without diarrhea influences our appreciation of the role of these pathogens as etiologic agents. characteristics of the pathogens and host and environmental factors help explain asymptomatic excretion of diarrheal pathogens by persons without diarrhea. after causing acute diarrhea followed by clinical recovery, some enteropathogens are excreted asymptomatically for many weeks. thus, in a prevalence survey of persons without diarrhea, some may be excreting ... | 2012 | 23169942 |
| the global enteric multicenter study (gems): impetus, rationale, and genesis. | diarrheal disease remains one of the top 2 causes of young child mortality in the developing world. whereas improvements in water/sanitation infrastructure and hygiene can diminish transmission of enteric pathogens, vaccines can also hasten the decline of diarrheal disease morbidity and mortality. from 1980 through approximately 2004, various case/control and small cohort studies were undertaken to address the etiology of pediatric diarrhea in developing countries. many studies had methodologica ... | 2012 | 23169934 |
| laboratory diagnostic challenges in case/control studies of diarrhea in developing countries. | case/control studies of acute infectious diarrhea require accurate and dependable laboratory tests to detect pathogens in samples from both symptomatic patients and healthy control subjects. the methods used to detect these pathogens have usually been evaluated on patient samples only, and their performance on samples from control subjects is mostly unknown. because many pathogens occur at a high overall frequency in developing countries and thus may be present in a notable proportion of control ... | 2012 | 23169943 |
| miller fisher syndrome linked to norovirus infection. | this is a case of miller fisher syndrome (mfs) linked to the norovirus syndrome. to our best knowledge, this is the first case report describing mfs associated with norovirus infection. | 2012 | 23242098 |
| l-asparaginase ii produced by salmonella typhimurium inhibits t cell responses and mediates virulence. | salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium avoids clearance by the host immune system by suppressing t cell responses; however, the mechanisms that mediate this immunosuppression remain unknown. we show that s. typhimurium inhibit t cell responses by producing l-asparaginase ii, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of l-asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia. l-asparaginase ii is necessary and sufficient to suppress t cell blastogenesis, cytokine production, and proliferation and to downmodulate express ... | 2012 | 23245323 |
| architecture of the major component of the type iii secretion system export apparatus. | type iii secretion systems (t3sss) are bacterial membrane-embedded nanomachines designed to export specifically targeted proteins from the bacterial cytoplasm. secretion through t3ss is governed by a subset of inner membrane proteins termed the 'export apparatus'. we show that a key member of the shigella flexneri export apparatus, mxia, assembles into a ring essential for secretion in vivo. the ring-forming interfaces are well-conserved in both nonflagellar and flagellar homologs, implying that ... | 2012 | 23222644 |
| architecture of the major component of the type iii secretion system export apparatus. | type iii secretion systems (t3sss) are bacterial membrane-embedded nanomachines designed to export specifically targeted proteins from the bacterial cytoplasm. secretion through t3ss is governed by a subset of inner membrane proteins termed the 'export apparatus'. we show that a key member of the shigella flexneri export apparatus, mxia, assembles into a ring essential for secretion in vivo. the ring-forming interfaces are well-conserved in both nonflagellar and flagellar homologs, implying that ... | 2012 | 23222644 |
| promising new assays and technologies for the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases. | in the first decade of the 21st century, we have seen the completion of the human genome project and marked progress in the human microbiome project. the vast amount of data generated from these efforts combined with advances in molecular and biomedical technologies have led to the development of a multitude of assays and technologies that may be useful in the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases. here, we identify several new assays and technologies that have recently come into clini ... | 2012 | 23223587 |
| promising new assays and technologies for the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases. | in the first decade of the 21st century, we have seen the completion of the human genome project and marked progress in the human microbiome project. the vast amount of data generated from these efforts combined with advances in molecular and biomedical technologies have led to the development of a multitude of assays and technologies that may be useful in the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases. here, we identify several new assays and technologies that have recently come into clini ... | 2012 | 23223587 |
| encephalitis and antibodies to dipeptidyl-peptidase-like protein-6, a subunit of kv4.2 potassium channels. | to report a novel cell surface autoantigen of encephalitis that is a critical regulatory subunit of the kv4.2 potassium channels. | 2012 | 23225603 |
| encephalitis and antibodies to dipeptidyl-peptidase-like protein-6, a subunit of kv4.2 potassium channels. | to report a novel cell surface autoantigen of encephalitis that is a critical regulatory subunit of the kv4.2 potassium channels. | 2012 | 23225603 |
| class iia bacteriocins: diversity and new developments. | class iia bacteriocins are heat-stable, unmodified peptides with a conserved amino acids sequence ygngv on their n-terminal domains, and have received much attention due to their generally recognized as safe (gras) status, their high biological activity, and their excellent heat stability. they are promising and attractive agents that could function as biopreservatives in the food industry. this review summarizes the new developments in the area of class iia bacteriocins and aims to provide upto ... | 2012 | 23222636 |
| experimental evidence validating the computational inference of functional associations from gene fusion events: a critical survey. | more than a decade ago, a number of methods were proposed for the inference of protein interactions, using whole-genome information from gene clusters, gene fusions and phylogenetic profiles. this structural and evolutionary view of entire genomes has provided a valuable approach for the functional characterization of proteins, especially those without sequence similarity to proteins of known function. furthermore, this view has raised the real possibility to detect functional associations of ge ... | 2012 | 23220349 |
| experimental evidence validating the computational inference of functional associations from gene fusion events: a critical survey. | more than a decade ago, a number of methods were proposed for the inference of protein interactions, using whole-genome information from gene clusters, gene fusions and phylogenetic profiles. this structural and evolutionary view of entire genomes has provided a valuable approach for the functional characterization of proteins, especially those without sequence similarity to proteins of known function. furthermore, this view has raised the real possibility to detect functional associations of ge ... | 2012 | 23220349 |
| isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers in the domestic ferret (mustela putorius furo). | the domestic ferret (mustela putorius furo) is an important model organism for the study of avian influenza and other diseases of humans and animals, as well as a popular pet animal. in order to evaluate genetic diversity and study disease relationships in ferrets, 22 nuclear microsatellite loci (17 dinucleotide and 5 tetranucleotide) were developed from ferret genomic libraries and organized into seven multiplex sets. polymorphism was preliminarily assessed in one population in australia and on ... | 2012 | 23443120 |
| active site comparisons and catalytic mechanisms of the hot dog superfamily. | | 2012 | 23205964 |
| active site comparisons and catalytic mechanisms of the hot dog superfamily. | | 2012 | 23205964 |
| specific synthesis of neurostatin and gangliosides o-acetylated in the outer sialic acids using a sialate transferase. | gangliosides are sialic acid containing glycosphingolipids, commonly found on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. o-acetylation of sialic acid hydroxyl groups is one of the most common modifications in gangliosides. studies on the biological activity of o-acetylated gangliosides have been limited by their scarcity in nature. this comparatively small change in ganglioside structure causes major changes in their physiological properties. when the ganglioside gd1b was o-acetylated in the oute ... | 2012 | 23226505 |
| description of a putative oligosaccharyl:s-layer protein transferase from the tyrosine o-glycosylation system of paenibacillus alvei ccm 2051(t). | surface (s)-layer proteins are model systems for studying protein glycosylation in bacteria and simultaneously hold promises for the design of novel, glyco-functionalized modules for nanobiotechnology due to their 2d self-assembly capability. understanding the mechanism governing s-layer glycan biosynthesis in the gram-positive bacterium paenibacillus alvei ccm 2051(t) is necessary for the tailored glyco-functionalization of its s-layer. here, the putative oligosaccharyl:s-layer protein transfer ... | 2012 | 25893145 |
| citrobacter infection and wnt signaling. | gut flora generally contributes to a healthy environment while both commensal and pathogenic bacteria that influence the innate and adaptive immune responses, can cause acute and/or chronic mucosal inflammation. citrobacter rodentium (c. rodentium) is a member of the family of enteropathogens that provide an excellent in vivo model to investigate the host-pathogen interactions in real-time. it is the etiologic agent for transmissible murine colonic hyperplasia (tmch) while inflammation following ... | 2012 | 24358033 |
| learning from bacteriophages - advantages and limitations of phage and phage-encoded protein applications. | the emergence of bacteria resistance to most of the currently available antibiotics has become a critical therapeutic problem. the bacteria causing both hospital and community-acquired infections are most often multidrug resistant. in view of the alarming level of antibiotic resistance between bacterial species and difficulties with treatment, alternative or supportive antibacterial cure has to be developed. the presented review focuses on the major characteristics of bacteriophages and phage-en ... | 2012 | 23305359 |
| miller fisher syndrome mimicking ocular myasthenia gravis. | purpose.: miller fisher syndrome (mfs) is a rare immune-mediated neuropathy that commonly presents with diplopia after the acute onset of complete bilateral external ophthalmoplegia. ophthalmoplegia is often accompanied by other neurological deficits such as ataxia and areflexia that characterize mfs. although mfs is a clinical diagnosis, serological confirmation is possible by identifying the anti-gq1b antibody found in most of the affected patients. we report a patient with mfs who presented w ... | 2012 | 23190719 |
| transcriptional regulation of the cmeabc multidrug efflux pump and the kata catalase by cosr in campylobacter jejuni. | cosr is an essential response regulator in campylobacter jejuni, a major food-borne pathogen causing enteritis worldwide. a transcriptomic analysis performed in this study discovered 93 genes whose transcriptional levels were changed >2-fold due to the repression of cosr expression by antisense peptide nucleic acid. the identified cosr-regulated genes are involved in various cellular functions, such as energy production, protein synthesis and folding, flagellum biogenesis, and lipid metabolism. ... | 2012 | 23065977 |
| genome sequence of moraxella catarrhalis rh4, an isolate of seroresistant lineage. | here we report the annotated genome sequence of moraxella catarrhalis strain rh4, a seroresistant-lineage strain isolated from the blood of an infected patient. this genome sequence will allow us to gain further insight into the genetic diversity of clinical m. catarrhalis isolates and will facilitate study of m. catarrhalis pathogenesis. | 2012 | 23209224 |
| enterococci in the environment. | enterococci are common, commensal members of gut communities in mammals and birds, yet they are also opportunistic pathogens that cause millions of human and animal infections annually. because they are shed in human and animal feces, are readily culturable, and predict human health risks from exposure to polluted recreational waters, they are used as surrogates for waterborne pathogens and as fecal indicator bacteria (fib) in research and in water quality testing throughout the world. evidence ... | 2012 | 23204362 |
| guillain-barré syndrome in two patients with respiratory failure and a review of the japanese literature. | we described two patients with guillain-barré syndrome and respiratory failure with or without mechanical ventilation. case 1 was a 44-year-old man who treated as pneumonia under mechanical ventilation for a month and transferred to our hospital with unsuccessful weaning trials because of phrenic nerve palsy. case 2 was a 74-year-old man who presented with aspiration pneumonia because of bulbar palsy. the present two cases with review of the japanese literature showed that antecedent infection w ... | 2012 | 23205285 |
| genotypic characterization of streptococcus infantarius subsp. coli isolates from sea otters with infective endocarditis and/or septicemia and from environmental mussel samples. | pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge) was used to type 128 streptococcus infantarius subsp. coli isolates from sea otters and mussels. six smai pfge groups were detected, with one predominant group representing 57% of the isolates collected over a wide geographic region. several sea otter and mussel isolates were highly related, suggesting that an environmental infection source is possible. | 2012 | 23052307 |
| a single-cell genome for thiovulum sp. | we determined a significant fraction of the genome sequence of a representative of thiovulum, the uncultivated genus of colorless sulfur epsilonproteobacteria, by analyzing the genome sequences of four individual cells collected from phototrophic mats from elkhorn slough, california. these cells were isolated utilizing a microfluidic laser-tweezing system, and their genomes were amplified by multiple-displacement amplification prior to sequencing. thiovulum is a gradient bacterium found at oxic- ... | 2012 | 23023751 |
| campylobacter jejuni outer membrane vesicles play an important role in bacterial interactions with human intestinal epithelial cells. | campylobacter jejuni is the most prevalent cause of food-borne gastroenteritis in the developed world; however, the molecular basis of pathogenesis is unclear. secretion of virulence factors is a key mechanism by which enteric bacterial pathogens interact with host cells to enhance survival and/or damage the host. however, c. jejuni lacks the virulence-associated secretion systems possessed by other enteric pathogens. many bacterial pathogens utilize outer membrane vesicles (omvs) for delivery o ... | 2012 | 22966047 |
| thiol peroxidase is an important component of streptococcus pneumoniae in oxygenated environments. | streptococcus pneumoniae is an aerotolerant gram-positive bacterium that causes an array of diseases, including pneumonia, otitis media, and meningitis. during aerobic growth, s. pneumoniae produces high levels of h(2)o(2). since s. pneumoniae lacks catalase, the question of how it controls h(2)o(2) levels is of critical importance. the psa locus encodes an abc mn(2+)-permease complex (psabca) and a putative thiol peroxidase, tpxd. this study shows that tpxd encodes a functional thiol peroxidase ... | 2012 | 23027531 |
| synergistic action of gentamicin and bacteriophage in a continuous culture population of staphylococcus aureus. | with the increasing frequency of antibiotic resistance and the decreasing frequency of new antibiotics entering the market, interest has returned to developing bacteriophage as a therapeutic agent. acceptance of phage therapy, however, is limited by the unknown pharmacodynamics of a replicating agent, as well as the potential for the evolution of resistant bacteria. one way to overcome some of these limitations is to incorporate phage and antibiotics into a dual therapy regimen; however, this in ... | 2012 | 23226451 |
| contribution of amino acid catabolism to the tissue specific persistence of campylobacter jejuni in a murine colonization model. | campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of food-borne disease in industrialized countries. carbohydrate utilization by c. jejuni is severely restricted, and knowledge about which substrates fuel c. jejuni infection and growth is limited. some amino acids have been shown to serve as carbon sources both in vitro and in vivo. in the present study we investigated the contribution of serine and proline catabolism to the invitro and invivo growth of c. jejuni 81-176. we confirmed that the serine transpo ... | 2012 | 23226358 |
| sinorhizobium meliloti sigma factors rpoe1 and rpoe4 are activated in stationary phase in response to sulfite. | rhizobia are soil bacteria able to establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with legume plants. both in soil and in planta, rhizobia spend non-growing periods resembling the stationary phase of in vitro-cultured bacteria. the primary objective of this work was to better characterize gene regulation in this biologically relevant growth stage in sinorhizobium meliloti. by a tap-tag/mass spectrometry approach, we identified five sigma factors co-purifying with the rna polymerase in stationary phase: t ... | 2012 | 23226379 |
| norovirus gastroenteritis in immunocompromised patients. | | 2012 | 23190223 |
| gold nanoparticles-coated su-8 for sensitive fluorescence-based detections of dna. | su-8 epoxy-based negative photoresist has been extensively employed as a structural material for fabrication of numerous biological microelectro-mechanical systems (bio-mems) or lab-on-a-chip (loc) devices. however, su-8 has a high autofluorescence level that limits sensitivity of microdevices that use fluorescence as the predominant detection workhorse. here, we show that deposition of a thin gold nanoparticles layer onto the su-8 surface significantly reduces the autofluorescence of the coated ... | 2012 | 26859400 |
| microbial pathways in colonic sulfur metabolism and links with health and disease. | sulfur is both crucial to life and a potential threat to health. while colonic sulfur metabolism mediated by eukaryotic cells is relatively well studied, much less is known about sulfur metabolism within gastrointestinal microbes. sulfated compounds in the colon are either of inorganic (e.g., sulfates, sulfites) or organic (e.g., dietary amino acids and host mucins) origin. the most extensively studied of the microbes involved in colonic sulfur metabolism are the sulfate-reducing bacteria (srb), ... | 2012 | 23226130 |
| phylogenetic identification of bacterial mazf toxin protein motifs among probiotic strains and foodborne pathogens and potential implications of engineered probiotic intervention in food. | | 2012 | 23186337 |
| a single n-acetylgalactosamine residue at threonine 106 modifies the dynamics and structure of interferon α2a around the glycosylation site. | enzymatic addition of galnac to isotopically labeled ifnα2a produced in escherichia coli yielded the o-linked glycoprotein galnacα-[(13)c,(15)n]ifnα2a. the three-dimensional structure of galnacα-ifnα2a has been determined in solution by nmr spectroscopy at high resolution. proton-nitrogen heteronuclear overhauser enhancement measurements revealed that the addition of a single monosaccharide unit at thr-106 significantly slowed motions of the glycosylation loop on the nanosecond time scale. subse ... | 2012 | 23184955 |
| a single n-acetylgalactosamine residue at threonine 106 modifies the dynamics and structure of interferon α2a around the glycosylation site. | enzymatic addition of galnac to isotopically labeled ifnα2a produced in escherichia coli yielded the o-linked glycoprotein galnacα-[(13)c,(15)n]ifnα2a. the three-dimensional structure of galnacα-ifnα2a has been determined in solution by nmr spectroscopy at high resolution. proton-nitrogen heteronuclear overhauser enhancement measurements revealed that the addition of a single monosaccharide unit at thr-106 significantly slowed motions of the glycosylation loop on the nanosecond time scale. subse ... | 2012 | 23184955 |
| phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-γ signaling promotes campylobacter jejuni-induced colitis through neutrophil recruitment in mice. | crypt abscesses caused by excessive neutrophil accumulation are prominent features of human campylobacteriosis and its associated pathology. the molecular and cellular events responsible for this pathological situation are currently unknown. we investigated the contribution of pi3k-γ signaling in campylobacter jejuni-induced neutrophil accumulation and intestinal inflammation. germ-free and specific pathogen-free il10(-/-) and germ-free il10(-/-);rag2(-/-) mice were infected with c. jejuni (10(9 ... | 2012 | 23180818 |
| phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-γ signaling promotes campylobacter jejuni-induced colitis through neutrophil recruitment in mice. | crypt abscesses caused by excessive neutrophil accumulation are prominent features of human campylobacteriosis and its associated pathology. the molecular and cellular events responsible for this pathological situation are currently unknown. we investigated the contribution of pi3k-γ signaling in campylobacter jejuni-induced neutrophil accumulation and intestinal inflammation. germ-free and specific pathogen-free il10(-/-) and germ-free il10(-/-);rag2(-/-) mice were infected with c. jejuni (10(9 ... | 2012 | 23180818 |
| multidrug efflux systems in helicobacter cinaedi. | helicobacter cinaedi causes infections, such as bacteremia, diarrhea and cellulitis in mainly immunocompromised patients. this pathogen is often problematic to analyze, and insufficient information is available, because it grows slowly and poorly in subculture under a microaerobic atmosphere. the first-choice therapy to eradicate h. cinaedi is antimicrobial chemotherapy; however, its use is linked to the development of resistance. although we need to understand the antimicrobial resistance mecha ... | 2012 | 27029418 |
| an unusual case of parinaud's syndrome. | a 25-year-old man presented with blurred vision, headache and dizziness. on questioning, there was also a history of a preceding diarrhoeal illness. initial investigations were normal. however, after a week, he represented with a parinaud's syndrome. in view of the preceding diarrhoea, the transient unsteadiness and the areflexia on examination, anti-gq1b antibodies were requested. the resulting titre was positive confirming the suspected diagnosis of miller fisher syndrome. he responded to intr ... | 2012 | 23175005 |
| graphalignment: bayesian pairwise alignment of biological networks. | with increased experimental availability and accuracy of bio-molecular networks, tools for their comparative and evolutionary analysis are needed. a key component for such studies is the alignment of networks. | 2012 | 23171476 |
| crystal structures of the helicobacter pylori mtan enzyme reveal specific interactions between s-adenosylhomocysteine and the 5'-alkylthio binding subsite. | the bacterial 5'-methylthioadenosine/s-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (mtan) enzyme is a multifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the n-ribosidic bond of at least four different adenosine-based metabolites: s-adenosylhomocysteine (sah), 5'-methylthioadenosine (mta), 5'-deoxyadenosine (5'-doa), and 6-amino-6-deoxyfutalosine. these activities place the enzyme at the hub of seven fundamental bacterial metabolic pathways: s-adenosylmethionine (sam) utilization, polyamine biosynthes ... | 2012 | 23148563 |
| effects of the campylobacter jejuni cjie1 prophage homologs on adherence and invasion in culture, patient symptoms, and source of infection. | prophages of enteric bacteria are frequently of key importance for the biology, virulence, or host adaptation of their host. some c. jejuni isolates carry homologs of the cjie1 (cmlp 1) prophage that carry cargo genes potentially involved in virulence. possible role(s) of cjie1 homologs in the biology and virulence of c. jejuni were therefore investigated by using in vitro cell culture assays and by assessing the association of c. jejuni isolates with and without these prophages with patients' s ... | 2012 | 23167543 |
| the evolution of mutualism in gut microbiota via host epithelial selection. | the human gut harbours a large and genetically diverse population of symbiotic microbes that both feed and protect the host. evolutionary theory, however, predicts that such genetic diversity can destabilise mutualistic partnerships. how then can the mutualism of the human microbiota be explained? here we develop an individual-based model of host-associated microbial communities. we first demonstrate the fundamental problem faced by a host: the presence of a genetically diverse microbiota leads ... | 2012 | 23185130 |
| health-promoting properties of lactobacillus helveticus. | lactobacillus helveticus is an important industrial thermophilic starter that is predominantly employed in the fermentation of milk for the manufacture of several cheeses. in addition to its technological importance, a growing body of scientific evidence shows that strains belonging to the l. helveticus species have health-promoting properties. in this review, we synthesize the results of numerous primary literature papers concerning the ability of l. helveticus strains to positively influence h ... | 2012 | 23181058 |
| identification of an atypical zinc metalloproteinase, zmpc, from an epidemic conjunctivitis-causing strain of streptococcus pneumoniae. | streptococcus pneumoniae is a pathogen associated with a range of invasive and noninvasive infections. despite the identification of the majority of virulence factors expressed by s. pneumoniae, knowledge of the strategies used by this bacterium to trigger infections, especially those originating at wet-surfaced epithelia, remains limited. in this regard, we recently reported a mechanism used by a nonencapsulated, epidemic conjunctivitis-causing strain of s. pneumoniae (strain sp168) to gain acc ... | 2012 | 23168398 |
| identification of an atypical zinc metalloproteinase, zmpc, from an epidemic conjunctivitis-causing strain of streptococcus pneumoniae. | streptococcus pneumoniae is a pathogen associated with a range of invasive and noninvasive infections. despite the identification of the majority of virulence factors expressed by s. pneumoniae, knowledge of the strategies used by this bacterium to trigger infections, especially those originating at wet-surfaced epithelia, remains limited. in this regard, we recently reported a mechanism used by a nonencapsulated, epidemic conjunctivitis-causing strain of s. pneumoniae (strain sp168) to gain acc ... | 2012 | 23168398 |
| metabolic adaptation and protein complexes in prokaryotes. | protein complexes are classified and have been charted in several large-scale screening studies in prokaryotes. these complexes are organized in a factory-like fashion to optimize protein production and metabolism. central components are conserved between different prokaryotes; major complexes involve carbohydrate, amino acid, fatty acid and nucleotide metabolism. metabolic adaptation changes protein complexes according to environmental conditions. protein modification depends on specific modify ... | 2012 | 24957769 |
| capillary electrophoresis with three-color fluorescence detection for the analysis of glycosphingolipid metabolism. | a capillary electrophoresis system with an ultrasensitive three-color laser-induced fluorescence detector was constructed for the simultaneous measurement of glycosphingolipids conjugated with a family of bodipy fluorophores. the compounds were separated by capillary electrophoresis and detected by laser-induced fluorescence excited within a sheath-flow cuvette. diode-pumped solid-state lasers operating at 473 nm and 532 nm, and a diode laser operating at 633 nm were used to excite glycosphingol ... | 2012 | 23154386 |
| capillary electrophoresis with three-color fluorescence detection for the analysis of glycosphingolipid metabolism. | a capillary electrophoresis system with an ultrasensitive three-color laser-induced fluorescence detector was constructed for the simultaneous measurement of glycosphingolipids conjugated with a family of bodipy fluorophores. the compounds were separated by capillary electrophoresis and detected by laser-induced fluorescence excited within a sheath-flow cuvette. diode-pumped solid-state lasers operating at 473 nm and 532 nm, and a diode laser operating at 633 nm were used to excite glycosphingol ... | 2012 | 23154386 |
| interactions between parasites and microbial communities in the human gut. | the interactions between intestinal microbiota, immune system, and pathogens describe the human gut as a complex ecosystem, where all components play a relevant role in modulating each other and in the maintenance of homeostasis. the balance among the gut microbiota and the human body appear to be crucial for health maintenance. intestinal parasites, both protozoans and helminths, interact with the microbial community modifying the balance between host and commensal microbiota. on the other hand ... | 2012 | 23162802 |
| two unusual variants of guillain-barre syndrome. | guillain-barre syndrome (gbs) is a group of autoimmune diseases characterised by acute, acquired and immune-mediated polyneuroradiculopathy. a large number of clinical subtypes of gbs have been described over last 100 years since the first description of this syndrome. we report two such cases gbs variants--first, aman with brisk reflexes and second being acute motor axonal neuropathy with conduction block. through this case report, we intend to make the treating physicians and neurologist aware ... | 2012 | 23162026 |
| molecular-based detection of the gastrointestinal pathogen campylobacter ureolyticus in unpasteurized milk samples from two cattle farms in ireland. | campylobacter jejuni and coli are collectively regarded as the most prevalent cause of bacterial foodborne illness worldwide. an emerging species, campylobacter ureolyticus has recently been detected in patients with gastroenteritis, however, the source of this organism has, until now, remained unclear. herein, we describe the molecular-based detection of this pathogen in bovine faeces (1/20) and unpasteurized milk (6/47) but not in poultry (chicken wings and caeca). this is, to the best of our ... | 2012 | 23151337 |
| celiac disease: prevalence, diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment. | celiac disease (cd) is one of the most common diseases, resulting from both environmental (gluten) and genetic factors [human leukocyte antigen (hla) and non-hla genes]. the prevalence of cd has been estimated to approximate 0.5%-1% in different parts of the world. however, the population with diabetes, autoimmune disorder or relatives of cd individuals have even higher risk for the development of cd, at least in part, because of shared hla typing. gliadin gains access to the basal surface of th ... | 2012 | 23155333 |
| respiratory proteins contribute differentially to campylobacter jejuni's survival and in vitro interaction with hosts' intestinal cells. | the genetic features that facilitate campylobacter jejuni's adaptation to a wide range of environments are not completely defined. however, whole genome expression studies showed that respiratory proteins (rps) were differentially expressed under varying conditions and stresses, suggesting further unidentified roles for rps in c. jejuni's adaptation. therefore, our objectives were to characterize the contributions of selected rps to c. jejuni's i- key survival phenotypes under different temperat ... | 2012 | 23148765 |
| participation of the cytoskeletal and lysosomal compartments in campylobacter jejuni invasion of caco-2 cells, the cellular response by morphometric analysis and the presence of cytokine and chemokine transcripts. | this study aimed to evaluate the participation of actin and tubulin in the process of internalisation, the interaction of bacterial phagosomes with lysosomes, the morphometric changes and the expression of inflammatory cytokines in caco-2 cells infected with campylobacter jejuni. both actin and tubulin participated in the process of internalisation. inside the cells, lysosomes fuse with phagosomes, which may lead to bacterial death because after 2 h, the bacteria were not detected by transmissio ... | 2012 | 24426102 |
| participation of the cytoskeletal and lysosomal compartments in campylobacter jejuni invasion of caco-2 cells, the cellular response by morphometric analysis and the presence of cytokine and chemokine transcripts. | this study aimed to evaluate the participation of actin and tubulin in the process of internalisation, the interaction of bacterial phagosomes with lysosomes, the morphometric changes and the expression of inflammatory cytokines in caco-2 cells infected with campylobacter jejuni. both actin and tubulin participated in the process of internalisation. inside the cells, lysosomes fuse with phagosomes, which may lead to bacterial death because after 2 h, the bacteria were not detected by transmissio ... | 2012 | 24426102 |
| in vitro antibacterial and time-kill evaluation of the erythrina caffra thunb. extract against bacteria associated with diarrhoea. | the antibacterial activities of stem bark ethanolic extract of erythrina caffra thunb. against bacteria in diarrhoea was determined in vitro by the agar diffusion and dilution, macrobroth dilution, and time-kill assay methods. the result showed that the extract produced inhibition zones ranging between 15 ± 1.0 mm and 23 ± 1.0 mm, and the bacteria were susceptible at concentrations ranging between ≤100 and ≤1000 μg/ml. while the mics of the extract ranged between 39.1 and 625 μg/ml, and the mbcs ... | 2012 | 23213297 |
| mucin biopolymers prevent bacterial aggregation by retaining cells in the free-swimming state. | many species of bacteria form surface-attached communities known as biofilms. surrounded in secreted polymers, these aggregates are difficult both to prevent and eradicate, posing problems for medicine and industry. humans play host to hundreds of trillions of microbes that live adjacent to our epithelia, and we are typically able to prevent harmful colonization. mucus, the hydrogel overlying all wet epithelia in the body, can prevent bacterial contact with the underlying tissue. the digestive t ... | 2012 | 23142047 |
| molecular evidence for the thriving of campylobacter jejuni st-4526 in japan. | campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of human gastroenteritis worldwide. this study aimed at a better understanding of the genetic diversity of this pathogen disseminated in japan. we performed multilocus sequence typing (mlst) of campylobacter jejuni isolated from different sources (100 human, 61 poultry, and 51 cattle isolates) in japan between 2005 and 2006. this approach identified 62 sequence types (sts) and 19 clonal complexes (ccs), including 11 novel sts. these 62 sts were phylogeneti ... | 2012 | 23144873 |
| guillain-barré syndrome associated with primary parvovirus b19 infection in an hiv-1-infected patient. | parvovirus b19 (b19v) infection has rarely been reported as responsible for guillain-barré syndrome (gbs). we present the case of a 63-year-old man with aids who presented with rapidly progressing weakness of his inferior limbs and a newly appeared pancytopenia. csf examination and electromyography were characteristic for gbs. very high csf and serum b19v dna concentrations were present, in the absence of igg or igm against b19v. the neurologic and hematologic abnormalities improved after a 5-da ... | 2012 | 23251163 |
| chronic exposure to the cytolethal distending toxins of gram-negative bacteria promotes genomic instability and altered dna damage response. | epidemiological evidence links chronic bacterial infections to the increased incidence of certain types of cancer but the molecular mechanisms by which bacteria contribute to tumour initiation and progression are still poorly characterized. here we show that chronic exposure to the genotoxin cytolethal distending toxin (cdt) of gram-negative bacteria promotes genomic instability and acquisition of phenotypic properties of malignancy in fibroblasts and colon epithelial cells. cells grown for more ... | 2012 | 22998585 |
| chronic exposure to the cytolethal distending toxins of gram-negative bacteria promotes genomic instability and altered dna damage response. | epidemiological evidence links chronic bacterial infections to the increased incidence of certain types of cancer but the molecular mechanisms by which bacteria contribute to tumour initiation and progression are still poorly characterized. here we show that chronic exposure to the genotoxin cytolethal distending toxin (cdt) of gram-negative bacteria promotes genomic instability and acquisition of phenotypic properties of malignancy in fibroblasts and colon epithelial cells. cells grown for more ... | 2012 | 22998585 |
| pulmonary streptomyces infection in patient with sarcoidosis, france, 2012. | to the editor: streptomyces spp. are aerobic, gram-positive bacteria of the order actinomycetales, known for their ability to produce antimicrobial molecules such as streptomycin. streptomyces spp., usually saprophytic to humans, can cause local cutaneous fistulized nodules known as actinomycetoma or mycetoma. severe invasive infections have seldom been reported, but most cases reported have occurred in immunocompromised patients (1-5). we report a case of invasive pulmonary infection caused by ... | 2012 | 23092549 |
| hyperosmotic stress response of campylobacter jejuni. | the diarrheal pathogen campylobacter jejuni and other gastrointestinal bacteria encounter changes in osmolarity in the environment, through exposure to food processing, and upon entering host organisms, where osmotic adaptation can be associated with virulence. in this study, growth profiles, transcriptomics, and phenotypic, mutant, and single-cell analyses were used to explore the effects of hyperosmotic stress exposure on c. jejuni. increased growth inhibition correlated with increased osmotic ... | 2012 | 22961853 |
| a novel component of the rhodobacter sphaeroides fla1 flagellum is essential for motor rotation. | here we describe a novel component essential for flagellar rotation in rhodobacter sphaeroides. this protein is encoded by motf (rsp_0067), the first gene of a predicted transcriptional unit which contains two hypothetical genes. sequence analysis indicated that motf is a bitopic membrane-spanning protein. protease sensitivity assays and green fluorescent protein (gfp) fusions confirmed this prediction and allowed us to conclude that the c terminus of motf is located in the periplasmic space. wi ... | 2012 | 22961858 |
| complete genome sequence of a variant of campylobacter jejuni nctc 11168. | campylobacter jejuni nctc 11168 is widely used in research, but at least two variants have been reported. the available genome was sequenced from a variant which later showed a different phenotype and gene expression profile. here we present the complete genome sequence of a second variant of c. jejuni nctc 11168. | 2012 | 23105049 |
| microbiological applications of high-resolution melting analysis. | high-resolution melting (hrm) analysis uses real-time pcr instrumentation to interrogate dna sequence variation and is a low-cost, single-step, closed-tube method. here we describe hrm technology and provide examples of varied clinical microbiological applications to highlight the strengths and limitations of hrm analysis. | 2012 | 22875887 |
| the yfe and feo transporters are involved in microaerobic growth and virulence of yersinia pestis in bubonic plague. | the yfe/sit and feo transport systems are important for the growth of a variety of bacteria. in yersinia pestis, single mutations in either yfe or feo result in reduced growth under static (limited aeration), iron-chelated conditions, while a yfe feo double mutant has a more severe growth defect. these growth defects were not observed when bacteria were grown under aerobic conditions or in strains capable of producing the siderophore yersiniabactin (ybt) and the putative ferrous transporter fetm ... | 2012 | 22927049 |
| the challenge of regulating agricultural ceftiofur use to slow the emergence of resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins. | | 2012 | 22961892 |
| high prevalence and species diversity of helicobacter spp. detected in wild house mice. | pcr diagnostics detected 100% prevalence of helicobacter in 425 wild house mice (mus musculus) from across central europe. of seven species identified, the five most frequent were helicobacter rodentium (78%), h. typhlonius (53%), h. hepaticus (41%), h. bilis (30%), and h. muridarum (1%). double infections were more common (42%) than single (30%) and triple (21%) infections. wild house mice could be considered potential reservoirs of helicobacter strains for both humans and other vertebrates. | 2012 | 22961895 |
| survival and germination of bacillus cereus spores without outgrowth or enterotoxin production during in vitro simulation of gastrointestinal transit. | to study the gastrointestinal survival and enterotoxin production of the food-borne pathogen bacillus cereus, an in vitro simulation experiment was developed to mimic gastrointestinal passage in 5 phases: (i) the mouth, (ii) the stomach, with gradual ph decrease and fractional emptying, (iii) the duodenum, with high concentrations of bile and digestive enzymes, (iv) dialysis to ensure bile reabsorption, and (v) the ileum, with competing human intestinal bacteria. four different b. cereus strains ... | 2012 | 22923409 |
| differences in the fecal concentrations and genetic diversities of campylobacter jejuni populations among individual cows in two dairy herds. | dairy cows have been identified as common carriers of campylobacter jejuni, which causes many of the human gastroenteritis cases reported worldwide. to design on-farm management practices that control the human infection sourced from dairy cows, the first step is to acquire an understanding of the excretion patterns of the cow reservoir. we monitored the same 35 cows from two dairy farms for c. jejuni excretion fortnightly for up to 12 months. the objective was to examine the concentration of c. ... | 2012 | 22904055 |