Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
|---|
| [development and testing of an enzyme immunoassay-based monoclonal test system for the detection of the yersinia pestis v antigen]. | an enzyme immunoassay-based test system for y. pestis v antigen detection was developed. the specificity and sensitivity of this system met the requirements for medical immunobiological preparations for the identification of causative agents of highly fatal diseases. the sensitivity of the test system was assessed, and its high specificity was also demonstrated: the test system did not detect bacterial cells of closely related (four y. pseudotuberculosis strains) and heterologous microorganism s ... | 2014 | 25272741 |
| [the experiments conducted by japanese on human guinea pigs, and the use of biological weapons during the sino-japanese war (1937-1945)]. | starting from the end of the nineteenth century, and during the first four decades of the past century, japan showed considerable military expansion, on the back of a pan-asiatic and imperialistic ideology, comparable only to those expressed by wilhelmian and nazi germany. this growth led to japan playing an extremely important role in the asia-pacific continent, which unavoidably brought the country onto a collision course with the british empire and the united states of america. the japanese g ... | 2014 | 25269971 |
| 'candidatus rickettsia asemboensis' and wolbachia spp. in ctenocephalides felis and pulex irritans fleas removed from dogs in ecuador. | flea-borne infections are distributed worldwide. up to date there are no reports about microorganisms associated to fleas in ecuador. | 2014 | 25266919 |
| differential contribution of tryptophans to the folding and stability of the attachment invasion locus transmembrane β-barrel from yersinia pestis. | attachment invasion locus (ail) protein of yersinia pestis is a crucial outer membrane protein for host invasion and determines bacterial survival within the host. despite its importance in pathogenicity, surprisingly little is known on ail biophysical properties. we investigate the contribution of micelle concentrations and interface tryptophans on the ail β-barrel refolding and unfolding processes. our results reveal that barrel folding is surprisingly independent of micelle amounts, but proce ... | 2014 | 25266561 |
| dynamics of crispr loci in microevolutionary process of yersinia pestis strains. | the potential use of crispr loci genotyping to elucidate population dynamics and microevolution of 146 yersinia pestis strains from different biovars and locations was investigated in this work. the majority of strains from the orientalis biovar presented specific spacer arrays, allowing for the establishment of a crispr signature for their respective isolates. twenty-one new spacers were found in the y. pestis strains from plague foci in brazil. ninety-three (64%) strains were grouped in the g1 ... | 2014 | 25265542 |
| development of real-time pcr assays for specific detection of hmsh, hmsf, hmsr, and irp2 located within the 102-kb pgm locus of yersinia pestis. | virulent isolates of three pathogenic yersinia species (yersinia pestis, yersinia pseudotuberculosis, and yersinia enterocolitica) harbor a 102-kb chromosomal region which encodes elements critical for virulence. a 35-kb high pathogenicity island is contained in this region, is a known virulence determinant, contains irp1 and irp2 iron-regulating genes. an additional segment, the 68-kb high pathogenicity island, contains genetic elements responsible for conferring the y. pestis pigmentation phen ... | 2014 | 25261118 |
| evaluation of the murine immune response to xenopsylla cheopis flea saliva and its effect on transmission of yersinia pestis. | arthropod-borne pathogens are transmitted into a unique intradermal microenvironment that includes the saliva of their vectors. immunomodulatory factors in the saliva can enhance infectivity; however, in some cases the immune response that develops to saliva from prior uninfected bites can inhibit infectivity. most rodent reservoirs of yersinia pestis experience fleabites regularly, but the effect this has on the dynamics of flea-borne transmission of plague has never been investigated. we exami ... | 2014 | 25255317 |
| yersinia pestis and the three plague pandemics--authors' reply. | 2014 | 25253401 | |
| yersinia pestis and the three plague pandemics. | 2014 | 25253400 | |
| yersinia pestis and the three plague pandemics. | 2014 | 25253399 | |
| the multifaceted nature of nlrp12. | nlrs are a class of cytoplasmic prrs with various functions, ranging from pathogen/damage sensing to the modulation of inflammatory signaling and transcriptional control of mhc and related genes. in addition, some nlrs have been implicated in preimplantation and prenatal development. nlrp12 (also known as rno, pypaf7, and monarch-1), a member of the family containing an n-terminal pyd, a nbd, and a c-terminal lrr region, is one of the first described nlr proteins whose role remains controversial ... | 2014 | 25249449 |
| isecp1-mediated transposition of blakpc into the chromosome of a clinical isolate of acinetobacter baumannii from puerto rico. | carbapenems are the last-resort antibiotics for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli. klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (kpc) hydrolyses β-lactam antibiotics including the carbapenems. kpcs have been detected in enterobacteriaceae and pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates worldwide associated with transposon tn4401 commonly located in plasmids. acinetobacter baumannii has become an important multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen capable of hydrolysing the ... | 2014 | 25246647 |
| s1p-dependent trafficking of intracellular yersinia pestis through lymph nodes establishes buboes and systemic infection. | pathologically swollen lymph nodes (lns), or buboes, characterize yersinia pestis infection, yet how they form and function is unknown. we report that colonization of the draining ln (dln) occurred due to trafficking of infected dendritic cells and monocytes in temporally distinct waves in response to redundant chemotactic signals, including through ccr7, ccr2, and sphingosine-1-phospate (s1p) receptors. retention of multiple subsets of phagocytes within peripheral lns using the s1p receptor ago ... | 2014 | 25238098 |
| plague's partners in crime. | the hallmark of bubonic plague is the presence of grotesquely swollen lymph nodes, called buboes. this frenzied inflammatory response to yersinia pestis is poorly understood. in this issue of immunity, st. john et al. (2014) explore the mechanism by which y. pestis spreads and thus leads to this striking lymphadenopathy. | 2014 | 25238090 |
| the importance of the magnesium transporter mgtb for virulence of yersinia pseudotuberculosis and yersinia pestis. | mg(2+) has been shown to be an important signal controlling gene regulation via the phopq two-component regulatory system for a range of gram-negative bacteria, including yersinia pestis and yersinia pseudotuberculosis. the magnesium ion transporter mgtb is part of the complex phopq regulon, being upregulated in response to low mg(2+). despite the presence of other mg(2+) transport systems in yersinia, inactivation of mgtb had a significant effect on the ability of the bacteria to scavenge this ... | 2014 | 25234474 |
| functional characterization of yersinia pestis aerobic glycerol metabolism. | yersinia pestis biovar orientalis isolates have lost the capacity to ferment glycerol. herein we provide experimental validation that a 93 bp in-frame deletion within the glpd gene encoding the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase present in all biovar orientalis strains is sufficient to disrupt aerobic glycerol fermentation. furthermore, the inability to ferment glycerol is often insured by a variety of additional mutations within the glpfkx operon which prevents glycerol internalization and conv ... | 2014 | 25220241 |
| kdo hydroxylase is an inner core assembly enzyme in the ko-containing lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. | the lipopolysaccharide (lps) isolated from certain important gram-negative pathogens including a human pathogen yersinia pestis and opportunistic pathogens burkholderia mallei and burkholderia pseudomallei contains d-glycero-d-talo-oct-2-ulosonic acid (ko), an isosteric analog of 3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (kdo). kdo 3-hydroxylase (kdoo), a fe(2+)/α-kg/o2 dependent dioxygenase from burkholderia ambifaria and yersinia pestis is responsible for ko formation with kdo2-lipid a as a substrat ... | 2014 | 25204504 |
| production of outer membrane vesicles by the plague pathogen yersinia pestis. | many gram-negative bacteria produce outer membrane vesicles (omvs) during cell growth and division, and some bacterial pathogens deliver virulence factors to the host via the release of omvs during infection. here we show that yersinia pestis, the causative agent of the disease plague, produces and releases native omvs under physiological conditions. these omvs, approximately 100 nm in diameter, contain multiple virulence-associated outer membrane proteins including the adhesin ail, the f1 outer ... | 2014 | 25198697 |
| yersinia murine toxin is not required for early-phase transmission of yersinia pestis by oropsylla montana (siphonaptera: ceratophyllidae) or xenopsylla cheopis (siphonaptera: pulicidae). | plague, caused by yersinia pestis, is characterized by quiescent periods punctuated by rapidly spreading epizootics. the classical 'blocked flea' paradigm, by which a blockage forms in the flea's proventriculus on average 1-2 weeks post-infection (p.i.), forces starving fleas to take multiple blood meals, thus increasing opportunities for transmission. recently, the importance of early-phase transmission (ept), which occurs prior to blockage formation, has been emphasized during epizootics. whil ... | 2014 | 25187626 |
| kinetic characterization and allosteric inhibition of the yersinia pestis 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (mep synthase). | the methylerythritol phosphate (mep) pathway found in many bacteria governs the synthesis of isoprenoids, which are crucial lipid precursors for vital cell components such as ubiquinone. because mammals synthesize isoprenoids via an alternate pathway, the bacterial mep pathway is an attractive target for novel antibiotic development, necessitated by emerging antibiotic resistance as well as biodefense concerns. the first committed step in the mep pathway is the reduction and isomerization of 1-d ... | 2014 | 25171339 |
| the composition and transmission of microbiome in hard tick, ixodes persulcatus, during blood meal. | the tick ixodes persulcatus is the predominant tick species in northeastern china, and it is a major vector in transmission of tick-borne diseases. by 16s rrna illumina sequencing, we investigated the microbiome of i. persulcatus and assessed the variation of the microbiome before and after blood feeding. the prolonged blood meal dramatically altered the composition of the microbiome but did not influence the bacterial diversity. overall, 373 and 289 bacterial genera were assigned to unfed and f ... | 2014 | 25150725 |
| low-shear force associated with modeled microgravity and spaceflight does not similarly impact the virulence of notable bacterial pathogens. | as their environments change, microbes experience various threats and stressors, and in the hypercompetitive microbial world, dynamism and the ability to rapidly respond to such changes allow microbes to outcompete their nutrient-seeking neighbors. viewed in that light, the very difference between microbial life and death depends on effective stress response mechanisms. in addition to the more commonly studied temperature, nutritional, and chemical stressors, research has begun to characterize m ... | 2014 | 25149449 |
| evaluation of up-converting phosphor technology-based lateral flow strips for rapid detection of bacillus anthracis spore, brucella spp., and yersinia pestis. | bacillus anthracis, brucella spp., and yersinia pestis are zoonotic pathogens and biowarfare- or bioterrorism-associated agents that must be detected rapidly on-site from various samples (e.g., viscera and powders). an up-converting phosphor technology-based lateral flow (upt-lf) strip was developed as a point-of-care testing (poct) to satisfy the requirements of first-level emergency response. we developed upt-lf poct to quantitatively detect the three pathogens within 15 min. sample and operat ... | 2014 | 25144726 |
| genome-wide mutant fitness profiling identifies nutritional requirements for optimal growth of yersinia pestis in deep tissue. | rapid growth in deep tissue is essential to the high virulence of yersinia pestis, causative agent of plague. to better understand the mechanisms underlying this unusual ability, we used transposon mutagenesis and high-throughput sequencing (tn-seq) to systematically probe the y. pestis genome for elements contributing to fitness during infection. more than a million independent insertion mutants representing nearly 200,000 unique genotypes were generated in fully virulent y. pestis. each mutant ... | 2014 | 25139902 |
| the namaqua rock mouse (micaelamys namaquensis) as a potential reservoir and host of arthropod vectors of diseases of medical and veterinary importance in south africa. | the role of endemic murid rodents as hosts of arthropod vectors of diseases of medical and veterinary significance is well established in the northern hemisphere. in contrast, endemic murids are comparatively understudied as vector hosts in africa, particularly in south africa. considering the great rodent diversity in south africa, many of which may occur as human commensals, this is unwarranted. | 2014 | 25127720 |
| serologic survey for cross-species pathogens in urban coyotes (canis latrans), colorado, usa. | abstract as coyotes (canis latrans) adapt to living in urban environments, the opportunity for cross-species transmission of pathogens may increase. we investigated the prevalence of antibodies to pathogens that are either zoonotic or affect multiple animal species in urban coyotes in the denver metropolitan area, colorado, usa, in 2012. we assayed for antibodies to canine parvovirus-2, canine distemper virus, rabies virus, toxoplasma gondii, yersinia pestis, and serotypes of leptospira interrog ... | 2014 | 25121408 |
| whole-animal chemical screen identifies colistin as a new immunomodulator that targets conserved pathways. | the purpose of this study was to take advantage of the nematode caenorhabditis elegans to perform a whole-animal chemical screen to identify potential immune activators that may confer protection against bacterial infections. we identified 45 marketed drugs, out of 1,120 studied compounds, that are capable of activating a conserved p38/pmk-1 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway required for innate immunity. one of these drugs, the last-resort antibiotic colistin, protected against infections ... | 2014 | 25118236 |
| chromosomal rearrangement features of yersinia pestis strains from natural plague foci in china. | the yersinia pestis chromosome contains a large variety and number of insert sequences that have resulted in frequent chromosome rearrangement events. to identify the chromosomal rearrangement features of y. pestis strains from five typical plague foci in china and study spontaneous dna rearrangements potentially stabilized in certain lineages of y. pestis genomes, we examined the linking mode of locally collinear blocks (lcbs) in 30 y. pestis strains by a polymerase chain reaction-based method. ... | 2014 | 25114008 |
| functional and structural analysis of hica3-hicb3, a novel toxin-antitoxin system of yersinia pestis. | the mechanisms involved in the virulence of yersinia pestis, the plague pathogen, are not fully understood. in previous research, we found that a y. pestis mutant lacking the hicb3 (ypo3369) putative orphan antitoxin was attenuated for virulence in a murine model of bubonic plague. toxin-antitoxin systems (tass) are widespread in prokaryotes. most bacterial species possess many tass of several types. in type ii tass, the toxin protein is bound and neutralized by its cognate antitoxin protein in ... | 2014 | 25112480 |
| a yersinia pestis tat mutant is attenuated in bubonic and small-aerosol pneumonic challenge models of infection but not as attenuated by intranasal challenge. | bacterial proteins destined for the tat pathway are folded before crossing the inner membrane and are typically identified by an n-terminal signal peptide containing a twin arginine motif. translocation by the tat pathway is dependent on the products of genes which encode proteins possessing the binding site of the signal peptide and mediating the actual translocation event. in the fully virulent co92 strain of yersinia pestis, the tata gene was deleted. the mutant was assayed for loss of virule ... | 2014 | 25101850 |
| inactivation of bacterial and viral biothreat agents on metallic copper surfaces. | in recent years several studies in laboratory settings and in hospital environments have demonstrated that surfaces of massive metallic copper have intrinsic antibacterial and antiviral properties. microbes are rapidly inactivated by a quick, sharp shock known as contact killing. the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood; however, in this process the cytoplasmic membrane is severely damaged. pathogenic bacterial and viral high-consequence species able to evade the host immune system a ... | 2014 | 25100640 |
| inactivation of avirulent pgm(+) and δpgm yersinia pestis by ultraviolet light (uv-c). | yersinia pestis is the causative agent of bubonic plague. though not considered a foodborne pathogen, y. pestis can survive, and even grow, in some foods, and the foodborne route of transmission is not without precedent. as such, concerns exist over the possible intentional contamination of foods with this deadly pathogen. here we report the inactivation of avirulent (pyv-minus) strains of y. pestis by ultraviolet light (uv-c, 254 nm). two strains of y. pestis containing an intact pgm virulence ... | 2014 | 25084659 |
| being prepared: bioterrorism and mass prophylaxis: part i. | bioterrorism presents a real and omnipresent risk to public health throughout the world. more than 30 biological agents have been identified as possessing the potential to be deployed in a bioterrorist attack. those that have been determined to be of the greatest concern and possess the greatest potential of use in this arena are known as the category a agents: bacillus anthracis (anthrax); variola major (smallpox); yersinia pestis (plague); francisella tularensis (tularemia); viral hemorrhagic ... | 2014 | 25076398 |
| transcriptomic response to yersinia pestis: rig-i like receptor signaling response is detrimental to the host against plague. | bacterial pathogens have evolved various mechanisms to modulate host immune responses for successful infection. in this study, rna-sequencing technology was used to analyze the responses of human monocytes thp1 to yersinia pestis infection. over 6000 genes were differentially expressed over the 12 h infection. kinetic responses of pathogen recognition receptor signaling pathways, apoptosis, antigen processing, and presentation pathway and coagulation system were analyzed in detail. among them, r ... | 2014 | 25064677 |
| yersinia pestis in pulex irritans fleas during plague outbreak, madagascar. | 2014 | 25061697 | |
| improving the th1 cellular efficacy of the lead yersinia pestis rf1-v subunit vaccine using sa-4-1bbl as a novel adjuvant. | the lead candidate plague subunit vaccine is the recombinant fusion protein rf1-v adjuvanted with alum. while alum generates th2 regulated robust humoral responses, immune protection against yersinia pestis has been shown to also involve th1 driven cellular responses. therefore, the rf1-v-based subunit vaccine may benefit from an adjuvant system that generates a mixed th1 and humoral immune response. we herein assessed the efficacy of a novel sa-4-1bbl costimulatory molecule as a th1 adjuvant to ... | 2014 | 25045812 |
| construction and characterization of stable, constitutively expressed, chromosomal green and red fluorescent transcriptional fusions in the select agents, bacillus anthracis, yersinia pestis, burkholderia mallei, and burkholderia pseudomallei. | here, we constructed stable, chromosomal, constitutively expressed, green and red fluorescent protein (gfp and rfp) as reporters in the select agents, bacillus anthracis, yersinia pestis, burkholderia mallei, and burkholderia pseudomallei. using bioinformatic approaches and other experimental analyses, we identified p0253 and p1 as potent promoters that drive the optimal expression of fluorescent reporters in single copy in b. anthracis and burkholderia spp. as well as their surrogate strains, r ... | 2014 | 25044501 |
| adenosine a1 receptor antagonist, l-97-1, improves survival and protects the kidney in a rat model of cecal ligation and puncture induced sepsis. | previously it was reported that combining antibiotics with l-97-1, an adenosine a1 receptor antagonist, significantly improves survival and blocks acute lung injury induced by yersinia pestis co 99 in a rat model of pneumonic plague. in the current studies using a conscious rat model of cecal ligation and puncture (clp) sepsis, l-97-1 was administered in daily intravenous infusions in combination with antibiotics to simulate the use of l-97-1 as an anti-sepsis therapeutic in the clinical setting ... | 2014 | 25041842 |
| multiple roles of myd88 in the immune response to the plague f1-v vaccine and in protection against an aerosol challenge of yersinia pestis co92 in mice. | the current candidate vaccine against yersinia pestis infection consists of two subunit proteins: the capsule protein or f1 protein and the low calcium response v protein or v-antigen. little is known of the recognition of the vaccine by the host's innate immune system and how it affects the acquired immune response to the vaccine. thus, we vaccinated toll-like receptor (tlr) 2, 4, and 2/4-double deficient, as well as signal adaptor protein myd88-deficient mice. we found that tlr4 and myd88 appe ... | 2014 | 24995344 |
| iqgap1 is important for activation of caspase-1 in macrophages and is targeted by yersinia pestis type iii effector yopm. | yopm is a leucine-rich repeat (lrr)-containing effector in several yersinia species, including yersinia pestis and y. pseudotuberculosis. different yersinia strains encode distinct yopm isoforms with variable numbers of lrrs but conserved c-terminal tails. a 15-lrr isoform in y. pseudotuberculosis ypiii was recently shown to bind and inhibit caspase-1 via a yltd motif in lrr 10, and attenuation of yopm(-) ypiii was reversed in mice lacking caspase-1, indicating that caspase-1 inhibition is a maj ... | 2014 | 24987096 |
| the yersinia pestis siderophore, yersiniabactin, and the znuabc system both contribute to zinc acquisition and the development of lethal septicaemic plague in mice. | bacterial pathogens must overcome host sequestration of zinc (zn(2+) ), an essential micronutrient, during the infectious disease process. while the mechanisms to acquire chelated zn(2+) by bacteria are largely undefined, many pathogens rely upon the znuabc family of abc transporters. here we show that in yersinia pestis, irp2, a gene encoding the synthetase (hmwp2) for the siderophore yersiniabactin (ybt) is required for growth under zn(2+) -deficient conditions in a strain lacking znuabc. more ... | 2014 | 24979062 |
| plague epizootic cycles in central asia. | infection thresholds, widely used in disease epidemiology, may operate on host abundance and, if present, on vector abundance. for wildlife populations, host and vector abundances often vary greatly across years and consequently the threshold may be crossed regularly, both up- and downward. moreover, vector and host abundances may be interdependent, which may affect the infection dynamics. theory predicts that if the relevant abundance, or combination of abundances, is above the threshold, then ... | 2014 | 24966205 |
| yersinia pseudotuberculosis st42 (o:1) strain misidentified as yersinia pestis by mass spectrometry analysis. | we report here the draft sequence of strain ceb14_0017, alias hiad_dup, recovered from a human patient and initially identified as yersinia pestis by mass spectrometry analysis. genotyping based on tandem repeat polymorphism assigned the strain to yersinia pseudotuberculosis sequence type 42 (st42). the total assembly length is 4,894,739 bp. | 2014 | 24926044 |
| rapid detection and simultaneous antibiotic susceptibility analysis of yersinia pestis directly from clinical specimens by use of reporter phage. | yersinia pestis is a tier 1 agent due to its contagious pneumopathogenicity, extremely rapid progression, and high mortality rate. as the disease is usually fatal without appropriate therapy, rapid detection from clinical matrices is critical to patient outcomes. we previously engineered the diagnostic phage φa1122 with luxab to create a "light-tagged" reporter phage. φa1122::luxab rapidly detects y. pestis in pure culture and human serum by transducing a bioluminescent signal response. in this ... | 2014 | 24920765 |
| genetic variations of live attenuated plague vaccine strains (yersinia pestis ev76 lineage) during laboratory passages in different countries. | plague, one of the most devastating infectious diseases in human history, is caused by the bacterial species yersinia pestis. a live attenuated y. pestis strain (ev76) has been widely used as a plague vaccine in various countries around the world. here we compared the whole genome sequence of an ev76 strain used in china (ev76-cn) with the genomes of y. pestis wild isolates to identify genetic variations specific to the ev76 lineage. we identified 6 snps and 6 indels (insertions and deletions) d ... | 2014 | 24905600 |
| application of r-pfe hyperimmune sera for concurrent detection of bacillus anthracis, yersinia pestis and staphylococcal enterotoxin b. | to evaluate the potential of an intergeneric multidomain recombinant chimeric protein for the simultaneous detection of bacillus anthracis, yersinia pestis and staphylococcal enterotoxin b. | 2014 | 24905217 |
| combination of biobarcode assay with on-chip capillary electrophoresis for ultrasensitive and multiplex biological agent detection. | early diagnosis of biological agents is of paramount importance to prevent the casualties and fatal disease in human during bioterrorism or biological warfare. in this study, we reported an efficient and sensitive multiplex biological agent detection method based on the dna biobarcode assay and the micro-capillary electrophoresis (μce) technology. monoplex as well as multiplex pathogen identification was performed using five targets including bacillus anthracis, francisella tularensis, yersinia ... | 2014 | 24878840 |
| canis lupus familiaris involved in the transmission of pathogenic yersinia spp. in china. | to investigate canines carrying pathogens associated with human illness, we studied their roles in transmitting and maintaining pathogenic yersinia spp. we examined different ecological landscapes in china for the distribution of pathogenic yersinia spp. in canis lupus familiaris, the domestic dog. the highest number of pathogenic yersinia enterocolitica was shown from the tonsils (6.30%), followed by rectal swabs (3.63%) and feces (1.23%). strains isolated from plague free areas for c. lupus fa ... | 2014 | 24861841 |
| bartonella spp. and yersinia pestis reservoirs, cusco, peru. | 2014 | 24857245 | |
| tnfα and ifnγ but not perforin are critical for cd8 t cell-mediated protection against pulmonary yersinia pestis infection. | septic pneumonias resulting from bacterial infections of the lung are a leading cause of human death worldwide. little is known about the capacity of cd8 t cell-mediated immunity to combat these infections and the types of effector functions that may be most effective. pneumonic plague is an acutely lethal septic pneumonia caused by the gram-negative bacterium yersinia pestis. we recently identified a dominant and protective y. pestis antigen, yope69-77, recognized by cd8 t cells in c57bl/6 mice ... | 2014 | 24854422 |
| detection of yersinia pestis in environmental and food samples by intact cell immunocapture and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. | yersinia pestis is the causative agent of bubonic and pneumonic plague, an acute and often fatal disease in humans. in addition to the risk of natural exposure to plague, there is also the threat of a bioterrorist act, leading to the deliberate spread of the bacteria in the environment or food. we report here an immuno-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (immuno-lc-ms/ms) method for the direct (i.e., without prior culture), sensitive, and specific detection of y. pestis in such comple ... | 2014 | 24847944 |
| retracing the evolutionary path that led to flea-borne transmission of yersinia pestis. | yersinia pestis is an arthropod-borne bacterial pathogen that evolved recently from yersinia pseudotuberculosis, an enteric pathogen transmitted via the fecal-oral route. this radical ecological transition can be attributed to a few discrete genetic changes from a still-extant recent ancestor, thus providing a tractable case study in pathogen evolution and emergence. here, we determined the genetic and mechanistic basis of the evolutionary adaptation of y. pestis to flea-borne transmission. rema ... | 2014 | 24832452 |
| rapid degradation of hfq-free ryhb in yersinia pestis by pnpase independent of putative ribonucleolytic complexes. | the rna chaperone hfq in bacteria stabilizes srnas by protecting them from the attack of ribonucleases. upon release from hfq, srnas are preferably degraded by pnpase. pnpase usually forms multienzyme ribonucleolytic complexes with endoribonuclease e and/or rna helicase rhlb to facilitate the degradation of the structured rna. however, whether pnpase activity on hfq-free srnas is associated with the assembly of rnase e or rhlb has yet to be determined. here we examined the roles of the main endo ... | 2014 | 24818153 |
| mapping the distribution of the main host for plague in a complex landscape in kazakhstan: an object-based approach using spot-5 xs, landsat 7 etm+, srtm and multiple random forests. | plague is a zoonotic infectious disease present in great gerbil populations in kazakhstan. infectious disease dynamics are influenced by the spatial distribution of the carriers (hosts) of the disease. the great gerbil, the main host in our study area, lives in burrows, which can be recognized on high resolution satellite imagery. in this study, using earth observation data at various spatial scales, we map the spatial distribution of burrows in a semi-desert landscape. the study area consists o ... | 2013 | 24817838 |
| yersinia pestis requires the 2-component regulatory system ompr-envz to resist innate immunity during the early and late stages of plague. | plague is transmitted by fleas or contaminated aerosols. to successfully produce disease, the causal agent (yersinia pestis) must rapidly sense and respond to rapid variations in its environment. here, we investigated the role of 2-component regulatory systems (2css) in plague because the latter are known to be key players in bacterial adaptation to environmental change. along with the previously studied phop-phoq system, ompr-envz was the only one of y. pestis' 23 other 2css required for produc ... | 2014 | 24813471 |
| three new species of fleas belonging to the genus macrostylophora from the three-striped ground squirrel, lariscus insignis, in java. | three new species of fleas belonging to the genus macrostylophora (siphonaptera, ceratophyllidae) are described from the three-striped ground squirrel, lariscus insignis, from tjibodas, west java (jawa barat), indonesia at an elevation of 1500 m. macrostylophora larisci sp. n. is described from three male specimens, macrostylophora debilitata sp. n. is described from one male and macrostylophora wilsoni sp. n. is described from one female. non-genital morphological characters of the female speci ... | 2014 | 24810381 |
| sylvatic plague in a canadian black-tailed prairie dog (cynomys ludovicianus). | in 2010, a black-tailed prairie dog (cynomys ludovicianus) was found dead in grasslands national park, saskatchewan, canada. postmortem gross and histologic findings indicated bacterial septicemia, likely due to yersinia pestis, which was confirmed by molecular analysis. this is the first report of y. pestis in the prairie dog population within canada. | 2014 | 24807359 |
| phylogenetic analysis of entomoparasitic nematodes, potential control agents of flea populations in natural foci of plague. | entomoparasitic nematodes are natural control agents for many insect pests, including fleas that transmit yersinia pestis, a causative agent of plague, in the natural foci of this extremely dangerous zoonosis. we examined the flea samples from the volga-ural natural focus of plague for their infestation with nematodes. among the six flea species feeding on different rodent hosts (citellus pygmaeus, microtus socialis, and allactaga major), the rate of infestation varied from 0 to 21%. the propaga ... | 2014 | 24804197 |
| caspase-8 mediates caspase-1 processing and innate immune defense in response to bacterial blockade of nf-κb and mapk signaling. | toll-like receptor signaling and subsequent activation of nf-κb- and mapk-dependent genes during infection play an important role in antimicrobial host defense. the yopj protein of pathogenic yersinia species inhibits nf-κb and mapk signaling, resulting in blockade of nf-κb-dependent cytokine production and target cell death. nevertheless, yersinia infection induces inflammatory responses in vivo. moreover, increasing the extent of yopj-dependent cytotoxicity induced by yersinia pestis and yersi ... | 2014 | 24799700 |
| caspase-8 and rip kinases regulate bacteria-induced innate immune responses and cell death. | a number of pathogens cause host cell death upon infection, and yersinia pestis, infamous for its role in large pandemics such as the "black death" in medieval europe, induces considerable cytotoxicity. the rapid killing of macrophages induced by y. pestis, dependent upon type iii secretion system effector yersinia outer protein j (yopj), is minimally affected by the absence of caspase-1, caspase-11, fas ligand, and tnf. caspase-8 is known to mediate apoptotic death in response to infection with ... | 2014 | 24799678 |
| yersinia pestis infection in dogs: 62 cases (2003-2011). | to describe the epidemiology, clinical signs, and treatment practices in dogs with yersinia pestis infection in new mexico. | 2014 | 24786165 |
| yersinia pestis ail recruitment of c4b-binding protein leads to factor i-mediated inactivation of covalently and noncovalently bound c4b. | the outer membrane protein ail of yersinia pestis mediates several virulence functions, including serum resistance. here, we demonstrate that ail binds c4b-binding protein (c4bp), the primary fluid-phase regulator of the classical and lectin pathways. noncovalent binding of c4 and c4b to ail was also observed. c4bp bound to ail can act as a cofactor to the serine protease factor i (fi) in the cleavage of fluid-phase c4b. employing a panel of c4bp alpha-chain mutants, we observed that the absence ... | 2014 | 24765656 |
| yersinia pestis ail recruitment of c4b-binding protein leads to factor i-mediated inactivation of covalently and noncovalently bound c4b. | the outer membrane protein ail of yersinia pestis mediates several virulence functions, including serum resistance. here, we demonstrate that ail binds c4b-binding protein (c4bp), the primary fluid-phase regulator of the classical and lectin pathways. non-covalent binding of c4 and c4b to ail was also observed. c4bp bound to ail can act as a cofactor to the serine protease factor i (fi) in the cleavage of fluid-phase c4b. employing a panel of c4bp alpha-chain mutants, we observed that the absenc ... | 2014 | 24760758 |
| rapid and high-throughput identification of recombinant bacteria with mass spectrometry assay. | to construct a rapid and high-throughput assay for identifying recombinant bacteria based on mass spectrometry. | 2014 | 24758753 |
| plague is a human disease, caused by yersinia pestis. | 2014 | 24751950 | |
| [analysis on the results of etiology and serology of plague in qinghai province from 2001 to 2010]. | to analyze the results of etiology and serology of plague among human and infected animals in qinghai province from 2001 to 2010. | 2014 | 24746007 |
| stabilization of biothreat diagnostic samples through vitrification matrices. | diagnostics for biothreat agents require sample shipment to reference labs for diagnosis of disease; however high/fluctuating temperatures during sample transport negatively affect sample quality and results. vitrification additives preserve sample integrity for molecular-based assay diagnostics in the absence of refrigeration by imparting whole molecule stability to a plethora of environmental insults. therefore, we have evaluated commercially available vitrification matrices' (biomatrica's clo ... | 2014 | 24742968 |
| [genotyping and its epidemiological significance on yunnan yersinia pestis under fse i enzyme digestion method]. | to create the fingerprint library of yunnan yersinia pestis by pulse field gel electrophoresis(pfge)with fse i enzyme digestion method and to study its epidemiological significance. | 2014 | 24739561 |
| [application of best subsets regression on the risk classification for spermophilus dauricus focus]. | to study the risk classification of animal plague in spermophilus dauricus focus, using the best subsets regression (bsr) model. | 2014 | 24739558 |
| fast identification of yersinia pestis, bacillus anthracis and francisella tularensis based on conventional pcr. | rapid and accurate diagnostic tools for detection and identification of y pestis, b. anthracis and f. tularensis are essential for timely initial appropriate treatment of exposed individuals, which will be critical to their survival, as well as for reduction of the public health impact and the spread of the disease. the paper presents application of fast polymerases and fast dry electrophoresis in conventional pcr as an alternative for real-time pcr application for detection and identification o ... | 2013 | 24730142 |
| comparative study of the marr genes within the family enterobacteriaceae. | marr genes are members of an ancient family originally identified in escherichia coli. this family is widely distributed in archaea and bacteria. homologues of this family have a conserved winged helix fold. marr proteins are involved in non-specific resistance systems conferring resistance to multiple antibiotics. extensive studies have shown the importance of marr proteins in physiology and pathogenicity in enterobacteria, but little is known about their origin or evolution. in this study, all ... | 2014 | 24723108 |
| the pla protease of yersinia pestis degrades fas ligand to manipulate host cell death and inflammation. | pneumonic plague is a deadly respiratory disease caused by yersinia pestis. the bacterial protease pla contributes to disease progression and manipulation of host immunity, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are largely unknown. here we show that pla degrades the apoptotic signaling molecule fas ligand (fasl) to prevent host cell apoptosis and inflammation. wild-type y. pestis, but not a pla mutant (δpla), degrades fasl, which results in decreased downstream caspase-3/7 activation and reduc ... | 2014 | 24721571 |
| simultaneous and rapid detection of salmonella typhi, bacillus anthracis, and yersinia pestis by using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (pcr). | salmonella typhi, bacillus anthracis, and yersinia pestis are some serious human pathogens, which their early diagnosis is of great importance. salmonella typhi, bacillus anthracis, and yersinia pestis cause typhoid fever, anthrax, and plague respectively. these bacteria can be used to make biologic weapons. | 2013 | 24719692 |
| remote monitoring of the progression of primary pneumonic plague in brown norway rats in high-capacity, high-containment housing. | development of new vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics for biodefense or other relatively rare infectious diseases is hindered by the lack of naturally occurring human disease on which to conduct clinical trials of efficacy. to overcome this experimental gap, the u.s. food and drug administration established the animal rule, in which efficacy testing in two well-characterized animal models that closely resemble human disease may be accepted in lieu of large-scale clinical trials for diseases ... | 2014 | 24719212 |
| spectrally-resolved fluorescence cross sections of aerosolized biological live agents and simulants using five excitation wavelengths in a bsl-3 laboratory. | a system for measuring spectrally-resolved fluorescence cross sections of single bioaerosol particles has been developed and employed in a biological safety level 3 (bsl-3) facility at edgewood chemical and biological center (ecbc). it is used to aerosolize the slurry or solution of live agents and surrogates into dried micron-size particles, and to measure the fluorescence spectra and sizes of the particles one at a time. spectrally-resolved fluorescence cross sections were measured for (1) bac ... | 2014 | 24718194 |
| structural snapshots along the reaction pathway of yersinia pestis ripa, a putative butyryl-coa transferase. | yersinia pestis, the causative agent of bubonic plague, is able to survive in both extracellular and intracellular environments within the human host, although its intracellular survival within macrophages is poorly understood. a novel y. pestis three-gene rip (required for intracellular proliferation) operon, and in particular ripa, has been shown to be essential for survival and replication in interferon γ-induced macrophages. ripa was previously characterized as a putative butyryl-coa transfe ... | 2014 | 24699651 |
| comprehensive logic based analyses of toll-like receptor 4 signal transduction pathway. | among the 13 tlrs in the vertebrate systems, only tlr4 utilizes both myeloid differentiation factor 88 (myd88) and toll/interleukin-1 receptor (tir)-domain-containing adapter interferon-β-inducing factor (trif) adaptors to transduce signals triggering host-protective immune responses. earlier studies on the pathway combined various experimental data in the form of one comprehensive map of tlr signaling. but in the absence of adequate kinetic parameters quantitative mathematical models that revea ... | 2014 | 24699232 |
| evaluation of imipenem for prophylaxis and therapy of yersinia pestis delivered by aerosol in a mouse model of pneumonic plague. | it has been previously shown that mice subjected to an aerosol exposure to yersinia pestis and treated with β-lactam antibiotics after a delay of 42 h died at an accelerated rate compared to controls. it was hypothesized that endotoxin release in antibiotic-treated mice accounted for the accelerated death rate in the mice exposed to aerosol y. pestis. imipenem, a β-lactam antibiotic, binds to penicillin binding protein 2 with the highest affinity and produces rounded cells. the binding of imipen ... | 2014 | 24687492 |
| identification of risk factors for plague in the west nile region of uganda. | plague is an often fatal, primarily flea-borne rodent-associated zoonosis caused by yersinia pestis. we sought to identify risk factors for plague by comparing villages with and without a history of human plague cases within a model-defined plague focus in the west nile region of uganda. although rat (rattus rattus) abundance was similar inside huts within case and control villages, contact rates between rats and humans (as measured by reported rat bites) and host-seeking flea loads were higher ... | 2014 | 24686743 |
| deletion of braun lipoprotein and plasminogen-activating protease-encoding genes attenuates yersinia pestis in mouse models of bubonic and pneumonic plague. | currently, there is no fda-approved vaccine against yersinia pestis, the causative agent of bubonic and pneumonic plague. since both humoral immunity and cell-mediated immunity are essential in providing the host with protection against plague, we developed a live-attenuated vaccine strain by deleting the braun lipoprotein (lpp) and plasminogen-activating protease (pla) genes from y. pestis co92. the δlpp δpla double isogenic mutant was highly attenuated in evoking both bubonic and pneumonic pla ... | 2014 | 24686064 |
| new insights into how yersinia pestis adapts to its mammalian host during bubonic plague. | bubonic plague (a fatal, flea-transmitted disease) remains an international public health concern. although our understanding of the pathogenesis of bubonic plague has improved significantly over the last few decades, researchers have still not been able to define the complete set of y. pestis genes needed for disease or to characterize the mechanisms that enable infection. here, we generated a library of y. pestis mutants, each lacking one or more of the genes previously identified as being up- ... | 2014 | 24675805 |
| bacterial itaconate degradation promotes pathogenicity. | itaconate (methylenesuccinate) was recently identified as a mammalian metabolite whose production is substantially induced during macrophage activation. this compound is a potent inhibitor of isocitrate lyase, a key enzyme of the glyoxylate cycle, which is a pathway required for the survival of many pathogens inside the eukaryotic host. here we show that numerous bacteria, notably many pathogens such as yersinia pestis and pseudomonas aeruginosa, have three genes for itaconate degradation. they ... | 2014 | 24657929 |
| type iii secretion needle proteins induce cell signaling and cytokine secretion via toll-like receptors. | pathogens are recognized by hosts by use of various receptors, including the toll-like receptor (tlr) and nod-like receptor (nlr) families. ligands for these varied receptors, including bacterial products, are identified by the immune system, resulting in development of innate immune responses. only a couple of components from type iii secretion (t3s) systems are known to be recognized by tlr or nlr family members. known t3s components that are detected by pattern recognition receptors (prrs) ar ... | 2014 | 24643544 |
| rabbit monoclonal antibodies directed at the t3ss effector protein yopm identify human pathogenic yersinia isolates. | the yersinia outer protein m (yopm) is a type 3 secretion system (t3ss)-dependent effector protein of yersinia enterocolitica, yersinia pseudotuberculosis and yersinia pestis. although yopm is indispensable for full virulence, its molecular functions still remain largely elusive. recently, we could identify the recombinant yopm (ryopm) protein derived from the y. enterocolitica strain 8081 (jb580) as a cell-penetrating protein, which down-regulates the expression of various pro-inflammatory cyto ... | 2014 | 24636859 |
| replacing the axial ligand tyrosine 75 or its hydrogen bond partner histidine 83 minimally affects hemin acquisition by the hemophore hasap from pseudomonas aeruginosa. | hemophores from pseudomonas aeruginosa (hasap), serratia marcescens (hasasm), and yersinia pestis (hasayp) bind hemin between two loops. one of the loops harbors conserved axial ligand tyr75 (y75 loop) in all three structures, whereas the second loop (h32 loop) contains axial ligand his32 in hasap and hasasm, but a noncoordinating gln32 in hasayp. binding of hemin to the y75 loop of hasap or hasasm causes a large rearrangement of the h32 loop that allows his32 coordination. the q32 loop in apo-h ... | 2014 | 24625274 |
| [improvement of typification of natural foci of plague based on ecological-genetic analysis of yersinia pestis]. | contemporary features of distribution of various subspecies and biovars of plague causative agent by landscape-geographical zones and mountain belts on the territory of russia and other cis countries are examined. the most widely spread in plain and mountain natural foci were noted to be yersinia pestis main subspecies medieval biovar strains. strains of y. pestis non-main subspecies are spread in mountain landscapes of altai, caucasus, tian shan. change of dominating species of rodents consider ... | 2014 | 24605665 |
| [endotoxin tolerance of mice to the effect of lipopolysaccharide and lipopolysaccharide-mice toxin complex of virulent strain yersinia pestis 231]. | comparative study of the effect of endotoxin tolerance of mice to the effect of lipopolysaccharide (lps37) and complex of lipopolysaccharide with mice toxin (lps37-mt) of a virulent yersinia pestis 231 strain. | 2014 | 24605658 |
| ancient pathogen dna in archaeological samples detected with a microbial detection array. | ancient human remains of paleopathological interest typically contain highly degraded dna in which pathogenic taxa are often minority components, making sequence-based metagenomic characterization costly. microarrays may hold a potential solution to these challenges, offering a rapid, affordable, and highly informative snapshot of microbial diversity in complex samples without the lengthy analysis and/or high cost associated with high-throughput sequencing. their versatility is well established ... | 2014 | 24603850 |
| direct neutralization of type iii effector translocation by the variable region of a monoclonal antibody to yersinia pestis lcrv. | plague is an acute infection caused by the gram-negative bacterium yersinia pestis. antibodies that are protective against plague target lcrv, an essential virulence protein and component of a type iii secretion system of y. pestis. secreted lcrv localizes to the tips of type iii needles on the bacterial surface, and its function is necessary for the translocation of yersinia outer proteins (yops) into the cytosol of host cells infected by y. pestis. translocated yops counteract macrophage funct ... | 2014 | 24599533 |
| editorial: yersinia pestis survives in neutrophils and sends a ps to macrophages: bon appetit! | 2014 | 24586037 | |
| transcriptional regulation mechanism of ter operon by oxyr in yersinia pestis. | the aim of this work was to study the transcriptional regulation mechanism of ter operon by oxyr in yersinia pestis. total rnas were extracted from the wild-type (wt) strain and the oxyr null mutant (δoxyr) strain. primer extension assay was employed to detect the promoter activity (the amount of primer extension product) of terz in wt and δoxyr. terz promoter-proximal region was cloned into the prw50 plasmid containing a promoterless lacz gene. the recombinant lacz reporter plasmid was transfor ... | 2014 | 24577613 |
| false positives complicate ancient pathogen identifications using high-throughput shotgun sequencing. | identification of historic pathogens is challenging since false positives and negatives are a serious risk. environmental non-pathogenic contaminants are ubiquitous. furthermore, public genetic databases contain limited information regarding these species. high-throughput sequencing may help reliably detect and identify historic pathogens. | 2014 | 24568097 |
| development of yersinia pestis f1 antigen-loaded microspheres vaccine against plague. | yersinia pestis f1 antigen-loaded poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide)/polyethylene glycol (peg) (plga/peg) microspheres were produced using a water-in-oil-in-water emulsion/solvent extraction technique and assayed for their percent yield, entrapment efficiency, surface morphology, particle size, zeta potential, in vitro release properties, and in vivo animal protect efficacy. the y. pestis f1 antigen-loaded microspheres (mean particle size 3.8 μm) exhibited a high loading capacity (4.5% w/w), yield (8 ... | 2014 | 24550673 |
| convergent evolution in european and rroma populations reveals pressure exerted by plague on toll-like receptors. | recent historical periods in europe have been characterized by severe epidemic events such as plague, smallpox, or influenza that shaped the immune system of modern populations. this study aims to identify signals of convergent evolution of the immune system, based on the peculiar demographic history in which two populations with different genetic ancestry, europeans and rroma (gypsies), have lived in the same geographic area and have been exposed to similar environments, including infections, d ... | 2014 | 24550294 |
| [effect of antibiotics on streptomycin-resistant and dependent strains of pasteurella pestis in the organism; experimental studies]. | 1959 | 24545108 | |
| [streptomycin-resistant and streptomycin-dependent variants of the causative organism of pest]. | 2014 | 24544058 | |
| genome-wide analysis of small rnas expressed by yersinia pestis identifies a regulator of the yop-ysc type iii secretion system. | small noncoding rna (srna) molecules are integral components of the regulatory machinery for many bacterial species and are known to posttranscriptionally regulate metabolic and stress-response pathways, quorum sensing, virulence factors, and more. the yop-ysc type iii secretion system (t3ss) is a critical virulence component for the pathogenic yersinia species, and the regulation of this system is tightly controlled at each step from transcription to translocation of effectors into host cells. ... | 2014 | 24532772 |
| [the pathogenic ecology research on plague in qinghai plateau]. | to study the pathogenic ecology characteristics of plague in qinghai plateau. | 2013 | 24529264 |
| in silico molecular characterization of cysteine protease yopt from yersinia pestis by homology modeling and binding site identification. | plague is a major health concern and yersinia pestis plays the central causal role in this disease. yersinia pestis has developed resistance against the commonly available drugs. so, it is now a key concern to find a new drug target. cysteine protease yopt enzyme is an important factor used by yersinia pestis for pathogenesis in its host and it has the anti-phagocytic function of removal of c-termini lipid modification. the 3d structure of cysteine protease yopt of yersinia pestis was determined ... | 2014 | 24526834 |
| construction of an inducible system for the analysis of essential genes in yersinia pestis. | yersinia pestis, a gram negative bacterium, causes bubonic and pneumonic plague. emerging antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates is driving a need to develop novel antibiotics to treat infection by this transmissible and highly virulent pathogen. proteins required for viability, so called essential genes, are attractive potential therapeutic targets, however, confirmation of essentiality is problematic. for the first time, we report the development of a system that allows the rapid determina ... | 2014 | 24524852 |