• Oxford adds new biomedical sciences undergraduate degree

    Updated: 2010-03-20 00:34:34
    Story Summary: It offers training in biomedical science for the twenty-first century that will be relevant for so many subsequent career paths. Dr Wilkins notes: One of the advantages of the course is that it is hugely flexible: two degree pathways are available to students with multiple second year modules offered to shape their choice [...] Related posts:Daily Exchange Students share findings from the frontiers of biomedical research Delaware partnership wins $17.4-million NIH grant to build states biomedical research capacity

  • Exopolysaccharides produced by Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferases modulate the establishment of microcolonies within multispecies biofilms.

    Updated: 2010-03-19 20:28:52
    . . : Warning The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function . more . Resources All Resources Literature Bookshelf Journals Database MeSH Database PubMed PubMed Central All Literature Resources… DNA RNA BankIt BLAST BLAST Stand-alone GenBank Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Nucleotide Database PopSet Reference Sequence RefSeq Sequence Read Archive SRA Trace Archive All DNA RNA Resources… Proteins BLAST BLAST Stand-alone BLAST Link BLink CD-Search GenBank ProSplign Protein Protein Clusters Reference Sequence RefSeq All Proteins Resources… Sequence Analysis BLAST BLAST Stand-alone BLAST Link BLink GenBank Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Primer-BLAST ProSplign Splign All Sequence Analysis Resources… Genes Expression GenBank Gene Gene Expression Omnibus GEO Datasets Gene Expression Omnibus GEO Profiles Genome Workbench HomoloGene Map Viewer Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man OMIM UniGene All Genes Expression Resources… Genomes Maps Database of Genomic Structural Variation dbVar Genome Genome Project Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Map Viewer Nucleotide Database PopSet ProSplign Sequence Read Archive SRA Splign Trace Archive UniSTS All Genomes Maps Resources… Domains

  • CwpFM (EntFM) is a Bacillus cereus potential cell wall peptidase implicated in adhesion, biofilm formation and virulence.

    Updated: 2010-03-19 20:28:51
    CwpFM (EntFM) is a Bacillus cereus potential cell wall peptidase implicated in adhesion, biofilm formation and virulence. J Bacteriol. 2010 Mar 16; Authors: Tran SL, Guillemet E, Gohar M, Lereclus D, Ramarao N B. cereus EntFM displays an NlpC/P60 domain, characteristic of cell wall peptidases. The protein is involved in bacterial shape, motility, adhesion to epithelial cells, biofilm formation, vacuolization of macrophages and virulence. These data provide new information on this so far poorly studied toxin and suggest that this protein is a cell wall peptidase that we propose to rename CwpFM. PMID: 20233921 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

  • Genetical and Functional Analysis of the Soluble Oxaloacetate Decarboxylase from Corynebacterium glutamicum.

    Updated: 2010-03-19 20:28:50
    . . : Warning The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function . more . Resources All Resources Literature Bookshelf Journals Database MeSH Database PubMed PubMed Central All Literature Resources… DNA RNA BankIt BLAST BLAST Stand-alone GenBank Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Nucleotide Database PopSet Reference Sequence RefSeq Sequence Read Archive SRA Trace Archive All DNA RNA Resources… Proteins BLAST BLAST Stand-alone BLAST Link BLink CD-Search GenBank ProSplign Protein Protein Clusters Reference Sequence RefSeq All Proteins Resources… Sequence Analysis BLAST BLAST Stand-alone BLAST Link BLink GenBank Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Primer-BLAST ProSplign Splign All Sequence Analysis Resources… Genes Expression GenBank Gene Gene Expression Omnibus GEO Datasets Gene Expression Omnibus GEO Profiles Genome Workbench HomoloGene Map Viewer Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man OMIM UniGene All Genes Expression Resources… Genomes Maps Database of Genomic Structural Variation dbVar Genome Genome Project Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Map Viewer Nucleotide Database PopSet ProSplign Sequence Read Archive SRA Splign Trace Archive UniSTS All Genomes Maps Resources… Domains

  • The regulation of aerobic and anaerobic D-malate metabolism of Escherichia coli by the LysR-type regulator DmlR (former YeaT).

    Updated: 2010-03-19 20:28:49
    . . : Warning The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function . more . Resources All Resources Literature Bookshelf Journals Database MeSH Database PubMed PubMed Central All Literature Resources… DNA RNA BankIt BLAST BLAST Stand-alone GenBank Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Nucleotide Database PopSet Reference Sequence RefSeq Sequence Read Archive SRA Trace Archive All DNA RNA Resources… Proteins BLAST BLAST Stand-alone BLAST Link BLink CD-Search GenBank ProSplign Protein Protein Clusters Reference Sequence RefSeq All Proteins Resources… Sequence Analysis BLAST BLAST Stand-alone BLAST Link BLink GenBank Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Primer-BLAST ProSplign Splign All Sequence Analysis Resources… Genes Expression GenBank Gene Gene Expression Omnibus GEO Datasets Gene Expression Omnibus GEO Profiles Genome Workbench HomoloGene Map Viewer Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man OMIM UniGene All Genes Expression Resources… Genomes Maps Database of Genomic Structural Variation dbVar Genome Genome Project Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Map Viewer Nucleotide Database PopSet ProSplign Sequence Read Archive SRA Splign Trace Archive UniSTS All Genomes Maps Resources… Domains

  • Prokaryotic Ubiquitin-Like Protein Provides a Two-Part Degron to Mycobacterium Proteasome Substrates.

    Updated: 2010-03-19 20:28:48
    Prokaryotic Ubiquitin-Like Protein Provides a Two-Part Degron to Mycobacterium Proteasome Substrates. J Bacteriol. 2010 Mar 16; Authors: Burns KE, Pearce MJ, Darwin KH Prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup) is a post-translational modifier that targets proteins for degradation by the mycobacterial proteasome. We show that the disordered amino-terminus of Pup is required for degradation while the helical carboxyl-terminus mediates its attachment to proteins. Thus, Pup has distinct regions that either interact with pupylation enzymes or initiate proteasomal degradation. PMID: 20233925 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

  • A systemic network for Chlamydophila pneumoniae entry into human cells.

    Updated: 2010-03-19 20:28:47
    . . : Warning The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function . more . Resources All Resources Literature Bookshelf Journals Database MeSH Database PubMed PubMed Central All Literature Resources… DNA RNA BankIt BLAST BLAST Stand-alone GenBank Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Nucleotide Database PopSet Reference Sequence RefSeq Sequence Read Archive SRA Trace Archive All DNA RNA Resources… Proteins BLAST BLAST Stand-alone BLAST Link BLink CD-Search GenBank ProSplign Protein Protein Clusters Reference Sequence RefSeq All Proteins Resources… Sequence Analysis BLAST BLAST Stand-alone BLAST Link BLink GenBank Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Primer-BLAST ProSplign Splign All Sequence Analysis Resources… Genes Expression GenBank Gene Gene Expression Omnibus GEO Datasets Gene Expression Omnibus GEO Profiles Genome Workbench HomoloGene Map Viewer Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man OMIM UniGene All Genes Expression Resources… Genomes Maps Database of Genomic Structural Variation dbVar Genome Genome Project Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Map Viewer Nucleotide Database PopSet ProSplign Sequence Read Archive SRA Splign Trace Archive UniSTS All Genomes Maps Resources… Domains

  • PROMOTERS FOR CHLAMYDIA TYPE III SECRETION GENES SHOW A DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE TO DNA SUPERCOILING THAT CORRELATES WITH TEMPORAL EXPRESSION PATTERN.

    Updated: 2010-03-19 20:28:47
    . . : Warning The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function . more . Resources All Resources Literature Bookshelf Journals Database MeSH Database PubMed PubMed Central All Literature Resources… DNA RNA BankIt BLAST BLAST Stand-alone GenBank Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Nucleotide Database PopSet Reference Sequence RefSeq Sequence Read Archive SRA Trace Archive All DNA RNA Resources… Proteins BLAST BLAST Stand-alone BLAST Link BLink CD-Search GenBank ProSplign Protein Protein Clusters Reference Sequence RefSeq All Proteins Resources… Sequence Analysis BLAST BLAST Stand-alone BLAST Link BLink GenBank Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Primer-BLAST ProSplign Splign All Sequence Analysis Resources… Genes Expression GenBank Gene Gene Expression Omnibus GEO Datasets Gene Expression Omnibus GEO Profiles Genome Workbench HomoloGene Map Viewer Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man OMIM UniGene All Genes Expression Resources… Genomes Maps Database of Genomic Structural Variation dbVar Genome Genome Project Genome Workbench Influenza Virus Map Viewer Nucleotide Database PopSet ProSplign Sequence Read Archive SRA Splign Trace Archive UniSTS All Genomes Maps Resources… Domains

  • Isolation and characterization of the equol-producing bacterium Slackia sp. strain NATTS.

    Updated: 2010-03-19 12:10:40
    Authors: Tsuji H, Moriyama K, Nomoto K, Miyanaga N, Akaza H Several kinds of carbohydrates such as sorbose, adonitol, and melezitose were found to enhance equol production from daidzein in an in vitro human fecal culture. Sorbose, one of the most effective carbohydrates, was used as a carbohydrate source for isolating the NATTS strain, which was a Gram-positive, non-spore-forming rod bacterium with high ability to convert daidzein to equol isolated from the 7th maintenance culture. The strain was found to belong to the genus Slackia family Coriobacteriaceae by 16S rRNA sequence-based analysis, and the prevalence of the Slackia sp. in Japanese adults was examined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), which was found to be 40% at a mean population level of 10(6) cells per ...

  • Tightly Regulated Expression Vectors for Ochrobactrum anthropi.

    Updated: 2010-03-19 09:12:05
    Authors: Alqublan H, Seleem MN, Boyle SM, Sriranganathan N Genetic studies of Ochrobactrum anthropi, a bacterial species important in bioremediation and biopesticide degradation, are hindered by the lack of suitably regulated gene expression system. A tightly regulated gene-expression system was developed for O. anthropi using the lacI(q) gene and a re-engineered coliphage T5 promoter containing completely symmetrical DNA segment that binds more efficiently to the lactose repressor. The beta-galactosidase activity was increased 57-fold when the expression of the re-engineered T5 promoter was induced. The degree of induction was controllable by varying the concentration of inducer isopropyl-beta-D: -thiogalactopyranoside. PMID: 20237980 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Current Microbi...

  • Examination of equine glandular stomach lesions for bacteria, including Helicobacter spp by fluorescence in situ hybridisation

    Updated: 2010-03-18 23:00:00
    Conclusion: Gastric Helicobacter spp. could not be verified as being involved in lesions of the glandular stomach of the horse. Since E. fergusonii has been described as an emerging pathogen in both humans and animals, the finding of this bacterium in a gastric erosion warrants further clarification to whether gastric infection with this type bacterium is important for horses. (Source: BMC Microbiology - Latest articles)

  • Implications of the One Health Paradigm for Clinical Microbiology

    Updated: 2010-03-17 15:46:17
    Abstract: Clinical microbiologists have a new and unique opportunity to increase our value to health care by broadening how we think about disease processes and asking ourselves what we can do to help resolve a disease, assist in tracking a cause, or even predict an outbreak before it occurs. Human health, animal health (both wildlife and domestic animals), and environmental health are forever bound together. The convergence of people, animals, and the environment defines the parameters of One Health and directs attention to the impact this overlap has on public health, disease detection, and control. One Health (sometimes referred to as One Medicine) is a concept that promotes, improves, and defends the health and well-being of all species through the integration of the sciences of h...

  • Mycobacterial Infections and the Inflammatory Seesaw.

    Updated: 2010-03-17 14:38:31
    Authors: Scanga CA, Flynn JL Eicosanoids can have either proinflammatory effects or anti-inflammatory effects. Tobin and colleagues use a forward genetic screen in zebrafish to identify a key eicosanoid enzyme, leukotriene A(4) hydrolase (LTA(4)H), that controls susceptibility to mycobacterial infection. They also demonstrate that polymorphisms in LTA(4)H are associated with susceptibility to mycobacteria in humans. PMID: 20227659 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cell Host and Microbe)

  • The HIV-1 Tat Team Gets Bigger.

    Updated: 2010-03-17 14:38:28
    Authors: Rice AP Productive transcription of the HIV-1 genome involves RNA polymerase II working in concert with the viral protein Tat and its team of cofactors in a highly orchestrated process. Now, Pagans and colleagues report that the lysine methyltransferase Set7/9-KMT7 associates with Tat to stimulate RNA polymerase II elongation of the integrated provirus. Set7/9-KMT7 also methylates Tat, and this enhances Tat function. PMID: 20227660 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cell Host and Microbe)

  • Centromeric Plasmids and Artificial Chromosomes: New Kids on the Plasmodium Transfection Block.

    Updated: 2010-03-17 14:38:25
    Authors: Barale JC, Ménard R In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Iwanaga and colleagues (Iwanaga et al., 2010) report on the construction of plasmids and artificial chromosomes that are stably maintained throughout the Plasmodium life cycle. These new tools will have multiple applications, from episome-based genetic strategies to studies on telomere biology and antigenic variation. PMID: 20227661 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cell Host and Microbe)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

  • The Hop/Sti1-Hsp90 Chaperone Complex Facilitates the Maturation and Transport of a PAMP Receptor in Rice Innate Immunity.

    Updated: 2010-03-17 14:38:22
    Authors: Chen L, Hamada S, Fujiwara M, Zhu T, Thao NP, Wong HL, Krishna P, Ueda T, Kaku H, Shibuya N, Kawasaki T, Shimamoto K Recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) represents a critical first step of innate defense in plants and animals. However, maturation and transport of PRRs are not well understood. We find that the rice chitin receptor OsCERK1 interacts with Hsp90 and its cochaperone Hop/Sti1 in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Hop/Sti1 and Hsp90 are required for efficient transport of OsCERK1 from the ER to the plasma membrane (PM) via a pathway dependent on Sar1, a small GTPase which regulates ER-to-Golgi trafficking. Further, Hop/Sti1 and Hsp90 are present at the PM in a complex (designated the "defensome") with OsR...

  • Agrobacterium Induces Expression of a Host F-Box Protein Required for Tumorigenicity.

    Updated: 2010-03-17 14:38:19
    Authors: Zaltsman A, Krichevsky A, Loyter A, Citovsky V Agrobacterium exports DNA into plant cells, eliciting neoplastic growths on many plant species. During this process, a Skp1-Cdc53-cullin-F-box (SCF) complex that contains the bacterial virulence F-box protein VirF facilitates genetic transformation by targeting for proteolysis proteins, the Agrobacterium protein VirE2 and the host protein VIP1, that coat the transferred DNA. However, some plant species do not require VirF for transformation. Here, we show that Agrobacterium induces expression of a plant F-box protein, which we designated VBF for VIP1-binding F-box protein, that can functionally replace VirF, regulating levels of the VirE2 and VIP1 proteins via a VBF-containing SCF complex. When expressed in Agrobacterium and expor...

  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis MycP1 Protease Plays a Dual Role in Regulation of ESX-1 Secretion and Virulence.

    Updated: 2010-03-17 14:38:16
    Authors: Ohol YM, Goetz DH, Chan K, Shiloh MU, Craik CS, Cox JS Mycobacterium tuberculosis uses the ESX-1 secretion system to deliver virulence proteins during infection of host cells. Here we report a mechanism of posttranscriptional control of ESX-1 mediated by MycP1, a M. tuberculosis serine protease. We show that MycP1 is required for ESX-1 secretion but that, unexpectedly, genetic inactivation of MycP1 protease activity increases secretion of ESX-1 substrates. We demonstrate that EspB, an ESX-1 substrate required for secretion, is a target of MycP1 in vitro and in vivo. During macrophage infection, an inactive MycP1 protease mutant causes hyperactivation of ESX-1-stimulated innate signaling pathways. MycP1 is required for growth in mice during acute infection, while loss of its pr...

  • Flexible Use of Nuclear Import Pathways by HIV-1.

    Updated: 2010-03-17 14:38:12
    Authors: Lee K, Ambrose Z, Martin TD, Oztop I, Mulky A, Julias JG, Vandegraaff N, Baumann JG, Wang R, Yuen W, Takemura T, Shelton K, Taniuchi I, Li Y, Sodroski J, Littman DR, Coffin JM, Hughes SH, Unutmaz D, Engelman A, Kewalramani VN HIV-1 replication requires transport of nascent viral DNA and associated virion proteins, the retroviral preintegration complex (PIC), into the nucleus. Too large for passive diffusion through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), PICs use cellular nuclear transport mechanisms and nucleoporins (NUPs), the NPC components that permit selective nuclear-cytoplasmic exchange, but the details remain unclear. Here we identify a fragment of the cleavage and polyadenylation factor 6, CPSF6, as a potent inhibitor of HIV-1 infection. When enriched in the cytoplasm, CPSF6 p...

  • The Cellular Lysine Methyltransferase Set7/9-KMT7 Binds HIV-1 TAR RNA, Monomethylates the Viral Transactivator Tat, and Enhances HIV Transcription.

    Updated: 2010-03-17 14:38:09
    Authors: Pagans S, Kauder SE, Kaehlcke K, Sakane N, Schroeder S, Dormeyer W, Trievel RC, Verdin E, Schnolzer M, Ott M The Tat protein of HIV-1 plays an essential role in HIV gene expression by promoting efficient elongation of viral transcripts. Posttranslational modifications of Tat fine-tune interactions of Tat with cellular cofactors and TAR RNA, a stem-loop structure at the 5' ends of viral transcripts. Here, we identify the lysine methyltransferase Set7/9 (KMT7) as a coactivator of HIV transcription. Set7/9-KMT7 associates with the HIV promoter in vivo and monomethylates lysine 51, a highly conserved residue located in the RNA-binding domain of Tat. Knockdown of Set7/9-KMT7 suppresses Tat transactivation of the HIV promoter, but does not affect the transcriptional activity of meth...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

  • Functional Identification of the Plasmodium Centromere and Generation of a Plasmodium Artificial Chromosome.

    Updated: 2010-03-17 14:38:06
    Authors: Iwanaga S, Khan SM, Kaneko I, Christodoulou Z, Newbold C, Yuda M, Janse CJ, Waters AP The artificial chromosome represents a useful tool for gene transfer, both as cloning vectors and in chromosome biology research. To generate a Plasmodium artificial chromosome (PAC), we had to first functionally identify and characterize the parasite's centromere. A putative centromere (pbcen5) was cloned from chromosome 5 of the rodent parasite P. berghei based on a Plasmodium gene-synteny map. Plasmids containing pbcen5 were stably maintained in parasites during a blood-stage infection with high segregation efficiency, without drug pressure. pbcen5-containing plasmids were also stably maintained during parasite meiosis and mitosis in the mosquito. A linear PAC (L-PAC) was generated by inte...

  • Mutations of ferric uptake regulator (fur) impair iron homeostasis, growth, oxidative stress survival, and virulence of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris.

    Updated: 2010-03-16 23:00:00
    Authors: Jittawuttipoka T, Sallabhan R, Vattanaviboon P, Fuangthong M, Mongkolsuk S Iron is essential in numerous cellular functions. Intracellular iron homeostasis must be maintained for cell survival and protection against iron's toxic effects. Here, we characterize the roles of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) fur, which encodes an iron sensor and a transcriptional regulator that acts in iron homeostasis, oxidative stress, and virulence. Herein, we isolated spontaneous Xcc fur mutants that had high intracellular iron concentrations due to constitutively high siderophore levels and increased expression of iron transport genes. These mutants also had reduced aerobic plating efficiency and resistance to peroxide killing. Moreover, one fur mutant was attenuated on a host plan...

  • Intact Phospholipid and Quinone Biomarkers to Assess Microbial Diversity and Redox State in Microbial Mats.

    Updated: 2010-03-16 23:00:00
    Authors: Villanueva L, Del Campo J, Guerrero R, Geyer R Microbial mats are stratified microbial communities composed by highly inter-related populations and therefore are frequently chosen as model systems to study diversity and ecophysiological strategies. The present study describes an integrated approach to analyze microbial quinones and intact polar lipids (IPLs) in microbial mats within layers as thin as 500 microm by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Quinone profiles revealed important depth-related differences in community composition in two mat systems. The higher abundance of ubiquinones, compared to menaquinones, reflected the clear predominance of microorganisms belonging to aerobic alpha-, beta-, and gamma-Proteobacteria in Ebro delta estuarine mats. Hypersali...

  • First insights into the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from HIV-infected Mexican patients and mutations causing multidrug resistance

    Updated: 2010-03-16 23:00:00
    Conclusions: This is the first molecular analysis of mycobacteria isolated from HIV-infected patients in Mexico, which describe the prevalence of different mycobacterial species in this population. A high genetic diversity of MTb strains was identified. New spoligotypes and MIRU-VNTR patterns as well as a novel mutation associated to RIF-resistance were found. This information will facilitate the tracking of different mycobacterial species in HIV-infected individuals, and monitoring the spread of these microorganisms, leading to more appropriate measures for tuberculosis control. (Source: BMC Microbiology - Latest articles)

  • Periplasmic peptidyl-prolyl isomerases SurA and FkpA play an important role in the starvation-stress response (SSR) of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

    Updated: 2010-03-16 23:00:00
    Authors: Kenyon WJ, Humphreys S, Roberts M, Spector MP Carbon-energy source (C)-starved cells of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) are remarkably more resistant to stress than actively growing ones. Carbon-starved S. Typhimurium is capable of withstanding extended periods of starvation and assault from a number of different stresses that rapidly kill growing cells. These unique properties of the C-starved cell are the direct result of a series of genetic and physiological adaptations referred to as the starvation-stress response (SSR). Previous work established that the SSR of S. Typhimurium is partially regulated by the extracytoplasmic function sigma factor sigma(E). As part of an effort to identify sigma(E)-regulated SSR genes, we investigated surA and fkpA, e...

  • Nocardiopsis terrae sp. nov., a halophilic actinomycete isolated from saline soil.

    Updated: 2010-03-16 23:00:00
    Authors: Chen YG, Zhang YQ, Tang SK, Liu ZX, Xu LH, Zhang LX, Li WJ A Gram-positive, moderately halophilic, facultatively alkaliphilic, catalase- and oxidase-positive, obligately aerobic, filamentous actinomycete strain, designated YIM 90022(T), was isolated from saline soil collected from the Qaidam Basin, north-west China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the new isolate was a member of the genus Nocardiopsis and the sequence similarities between the isolate and the type strains of members of the genus Nocardiopsis were in the range of 95.1-98.7%. Phenotypic and chemotaxonomic properties of this organism also indicated that strain YIM 90022(T) was a member of the genus Nocardiopsis. The strain grew well on most of the media tested, producing yello...

  • Evaluation of the Immunoquick+4 malaria rapid diagnostic test in a non-endemic setting

    Updated: 2010-03-16 07:50:16
    Abstract nbsp;The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the Immunoquick+4 (BioSynex, Strasbourg, France), a three-band malaria rapid diagnostic test (MRDT) targeting histidine-rich protein-2 (HRP-2) and pan Plasmodium-specific parasite lactate dehydrogenase, in a non-endemic reference setting. Stored whole-blood samples (n = 613) from international travellers suspected of malaria were used, with microscopy corrected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as the reference method. Samples infected by P. falciparum (n = 323), P. vivax (n = 97), P. ovale (n = 73) and P. malariae (n = 25) were selected, as well as 95 malaria-negative samples. The overall sensitivities of the Immunoquick+4 for the diagnosis of P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale w...

  • Bacterial melanin interacts with double-stranded DNA with high affinity and may inhibit cell metabolism in vivo.

    Updated: 2010-03-15 23:00:00
    In this study, we showed how melanin from bacteria can interact with double-stranded DNA. Investigation using capillary electrophoresis, various spectroscopic techniques and circular dichroism found that melanin interacts with DNA by intercalating between the base pairs of DNA. And this was further supported by simulating different forms of melanin docking to oligonucleotides. Transmission electron microscopy of recombinant Escherichia coli producing melanin suggested the interaction in vivo. Furthermore, we showed how the cytoplasmic localization of melanin may provide a novel function in inhibiting cellular metabolism using microcalorimetry. The implications of the interaction in prokaryotes and eukaryotes were discussed. PMID: 20232197 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Ar...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

  • Bacteriophages and cancer.

    Updated: 2010-03-15 23:00:00
    Authors: Budynek P, Dąbrowska K, Skaradziński G, Górski A Bacteriophages can be used effectively to cure bacterial infections. They are known to be active against bacteria but inactive against eukaryotic cells. Nevertheless, novel observations suggest that phages are not neutral for higher organisms. They can affect physiological and immunological processes which may be crucial to their expected positive effects in therapies. Bacteriophages are a very differentiated group of viruses and at least some of them can influence cancer processes. Phages may also affect the immunological system. In general, they activate the immunological response, for example cytokine secretion. They can also switch the tumor microenvironment to one advantageous for anticancer treatment. On t...

  • Metabolic flux distributions: genetic information, computational predictions, and experimental validation.

    Updated: 2010-03-15 23:00:00
    Authors: Blank LM, Kuepfer L Flux distributions in intracellular metabolic networks are of immense interest to fundamental and applied research, since they are quantitative descriptors of the phenotype and the operational mode of metabolism in the face of external growth conditions. In particular, fluxes are of relevance because they do not belong to the cellular inventory (e.g., transcriptome, proteome, metabolome), but are rather quantitative moieties, which link the phenotype of a cell to the specific metabolic mode of operation. A frequent application of measuring and redirecting intracellular fluxes is strain engineering, which ultimately aims at shifting metabolic activity toward a desired product to achieve a high yield and/or rate. In this article, we first review the assessmen...

  • Co-culture with potentially probiotic microorganisms antagonises virulence factors of Clostridium difficile in vitro.

    Updated: 2010-03-15 23:00:00
    Authors: Trejo FM, Pérez PF, De Antoni GL Toxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile were co-cultured with different strains of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Spent culture supernatants were tested for biological activity on cultured Vero cells. Co-culture of C. difficile with some potentially probiotic strains lead to a reduction of the biological activity of spent culture supernatants. The observed effects cannot be ascribed either to secreted factors from the probiotic strains or to toxin adsorption by bacterial cells. Immunological assays showed that there was significant diminution of both clostridial toxins (TcdA and TcdB) in spent culture supernatants of co-cultures as compared with pure clostridial cultures. Even though co-cultured clostridial cells showed a slight incre...

  • Protoplast Mutation and Genome Shuffling Induce the Endophytic Fungus Tubercularia sp. TF5 to Produce New Compounds.

    Updated: 2010-03-15 23:00:00
    Authors: Wang M, Liu S, Li Y, Xu R, Lu C, Shen Y Tubercularia sp. TF5 is an endophytic fungal strain isolated from the medicinal plant Taxus mairei. Previously, taxol has been detected in the fermentation products of this strain. However, it lost the capability of producing taxol after long-term laboratory culture. Herein, we tried to reactivate the production of taxol by protoplast mutations and genome shuffling. The protoplasts of Tub. sp. TF5 were prepared from its mycelia, and mutated by UV and NTG. The mutant strains regenerated from the mutated protoplasts were selected and classified into four groups on the basis of their phenotypes, the profile of their metabolites analyzed by TLC, MS, and bioassay data. Then, genome shuffling was subsequently carried out with eight mutant stra...

  • The CFP-10/ESAT-6 complex of Mycobacterium tuberculosis potentiates the activation of murine macrophages involvement of IFN-γ signaling

    Updated: 2010-03-15 16:55:01
    In this study, we investigated the influence of the CFP-10/ESAT-6 complex on production of IL-12 and nitric oxide (NO) produced by the ANA-1 macrophage cell line. Preincubation with the complex in a time-dependent manner significantly enhanced production of NO and IL-12 released from ANA-1 cells following IFN-γ stimulation. In addition, the complex up-modulated expression level of IFN-γR1 on surface of the macrophages. Furthermore, the effect of the complex on production of IL-12 and NO in ANA-1 cells was suppressed by AG490, a selective inhibitor of JAK/STAT pathway. These data suggest that in the presence of IFN-γ, CFP-10/ESAT-6 complex represents a new immunogenicity and protective factor that may be, at least partly, due to up modulation of IFN-γR1 expression and activation o...

  • Azithromycin Alters Macrophage Phenotype and Pulmonary Compartmentalization during Pseudomonas Pneumonia.

    Updated: 2010-03-14 23:00:00
    Authors: Feola DJ, Garvy BA, Cory TJ, Birket SE, Hoy H, Hayes D, Murphy BS Infection with mucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chronic inflammatory diseases of the airway is difficult to eradicate and can causes excessive inflammation. The roles of alternatively activated and regulatory subsets of macrophages in this pathophysiologic process are not well characterized. We previously demonstrated that azithromycin induces an alternatively activated macrophage-like phenotype in vitro. Here we test whether azithromycin affects macrophage activation status and migration in the lungs of P. aeruginosa-infected mice. C57Bl/6 mice received daily doses of oral azithromycin and were infected intratracheally with a mucoid strain of P. aeruginosa. Properties of macrophage activation, immune...

  • In vitro activity of a new Isothiazoloquinolone (ACH-702) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other mycobacteria.

    Updated: 2010-03-14 23:00:00
    Authors: Molina-Torres CA, Ocampo-Candiani J, Rendón A, Pucci MJ, Vera-Cabrera L In this work we describe the activity of ACH-702 against clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and six different non tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). The MIC50 and MIC90 of both susceptible and drug resistant M. tuberculosis strains tested were 0.0625 and 0.125 mug/ml. The MIC50 and MIC90 values for M. fortuitum isolates were 0.0625 mug/ml in both cases; M. avium complex isolates showed MIC50 and MIC90 values of 0.25 and 4 mug/ml respectively. PMID: 20231398 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy)

  • Persistent interactions between the biguanide-based compound NB325 and CXCR4 result in prolonged inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

    Updated: 2010-03-14 23:00:00
    Authors: Thakkar N, Pirrone V, Passic S, Keogan S, Zhu W, Kholodovych V, Welsh W, Rando R, Labib M, Wigdahl B, Krebs FC We previously demonstrated that the biguanide-based compound NB325 inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection by interacting with the CXCR4 viral co-receptor. This interaction also appeared to be persistent, since HIV-1 infection was inhibited even when the virus was introduced subsequent to the removal of NB325 from the cell culture media. The present studies were conducted to determine the extent and mechanism of this prolonged antiviral activity. Persistent inhibition of HIV-1 infection by NB325 was concentration-dependent and was apparent up to 8 h after compound removal. Flow cytometric analyses of stimulated CD4(+) T lymphocytes exposed to NB...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

  • Enhancement of Biofilm Formation by Subinhibitory Macrolides in icaADBC-Positive and -Negative Clinical Isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis.

    Updated: 2010-03-14 23:00:00
    Authors: Wang Q, Sun FJ, Liu Y, Xiong LR, Xie LL, Xia PY Biofilm formation in Staphylococcus epidermidis is mediated by icaADBC-dependent and -independent pathways. Subinhibitory erythromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin markedly enhanced, in vitro in a dose-dependent manner, biofilm formation of 20% (21/105) macrolide-resistant ica-positive and -negative isolates tested. Yet, the ica presence apparently produced an enhanced effect on biofilm formation. Expression of biofilm-related icaA, atlE, fruA, pyrR, sarA and sigB genes was increased in response to erythromycin. The results likely underscore the potential clinical relevance of macrolide-induced biofilm growth. PMID: 20231401 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy)

  • Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of Healthcare-Associated and Community-Associated Strains of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from Hospitalized Patients in Canada, 1995-2008.

    Updated: 2010-03-14 23:00:00
    Authors: Simor AE, Louie L, Watt C, Gravel D, Mulvey MR, Campbell J, McGeer A, Bryce E, Loeb M, Matlow A, We determined the in vitro antimicrobial susceptibilities of 7,942 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates obtained from patients hospitalized in 48 Canadian hospitals from 1995-2008. Regional variations in susceptibilities were identified. Dissemination of community-associated strains in Canada appears to have contributed to increased susceptibility of MRSA to several non-beta-lactam antimicrobial agents in the past decade. Reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides was not identified. PMID: 20231402 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy)

  • Analyses of bifidobacterial prophage-like sequences.

    Updated: 2010-03-14 23:00:00
    Authors: Ventura M, Turroni F, Foroni E, Duranti S, Giubellini V, Bottacini F, van Sinderen D The genomes of 22 putative prophages (bifidoprophages), previously identified in bifidobacterial genomes, were analyzed to detect the presence and organization of functional modules. Bifidoprophages were shown to display a classical modular genomic organization in which the DNA lysogeny module and the DNA packaging regions are the most highly conserved. Furthermore, single phage gene as well as multiple phage gene-based phylogenetic analyses clearly revealed the chimeric make-up of the genomes of bifidoprophages. PMID: 20229290 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek)

  • Characterization and separate activities of the two promoters of the Lactobacillus brevis S-layer protein gene.

    Updated: 2010-03-12 23:00:00
    Authors: Hynönen U, Avall-Jääskeläinen S, Palva A Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 8287 possesses a surface (S)-layer protein SlpA, the gene of which is very efficiently expressed. To study the expression signals of the slpA gene, several different reporter plasmids, based on the low-copy-number vector pKTH2121 derived from pGK12, were constructed. In the reporter plasmids, only one of the two consecutive slpA promoters (P1, P2) was placed upstream of the Lactobacillus helveticus proline iminopeptidase (pepI) gene, and defined parts of the sequences upstream of the promoter were deleted. As indicated by reporter enzyme activities, both promoters were efficiently recognized at different growth stages in L. brevis. An upstream region important for the full activity of P1 was...

  • 16SrRNA and enzymatic diversity of culturable bacteria from the sediments of oxygen minimum zone in the Arabian Sea.

    Updated: 2010-03-12 23:00:00
    This study has for the first time addressed the phylogenetic and functional description of culturable bacteria of this region. Genotypic characterization of the isolates using amplified rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) followed by 16SrRNA sequencing grouped them into various phylogenetic groups such as Firmicutes, Gammaproteobacteria, Low G+C Gram positive bacteria, Actinobacteria and unaffiliated bacteria. Among the enzyme activities, phosphatase was predominant (52%) and was associated with all the phylotypes followed by amylase (37%) and gelatinase (33%). These hydrolytic enzymes were expressed at a wide range of temperature and pH. Firmicutes expressed most of the hydrolytic activities, consistent with a role in degradation of organic matter. Multiple enzyme expression (>/=3) was e...

  • Erratum to “Resolution of persistent Pediococcus bacteremia with daptomycin treatment: case report and review of the literature” [Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 66 (2010) 111–115]

    Updated: 2010-03-12 15:32:53
    The acknowledgement section was inadvertently omitted from the article. The author and Mary-Ellen Marx, Senior Manager, Medical Education at PharmaWrite and her colleagues sincerely regret the error. Acknowledgements should have read as follows: (Source: Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease)

  • The epidemiology of recurrent Gram-negative bacteremia in a tertiary-care hospital

    Updated: 2010-03-12 15:32:53
    We examined recurrent Gram-negative bacteremia in a prospective cohort from a tertiary hospital. Seventeen (7.1%) of 241 bacteremic patients developed recurrence (median time to recurrence = 44 days; range, 9–217 days). Recurrent and nonrecurrent bacteremic patients did not differ in clinical characteristics and mortality. (Source: Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease)

  • In vitro activity of ceftobiprole against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria isolated from humans and animals

    Updated: 2010-03-12 15:27:28
    (Source: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy)

  • Squalamine, an original chemosensitizer to combat antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria

    Updated: 2010-03-12 15:27:28
    (Source: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy)

  • Determination of the susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to pyrazinamide in liquid and solid media assessed by a colorimetric nitrate reductase assay

    Updated: 2010-03-12 15:27:27
    Conclusions The CONRAS tests were rapid, cheap and easy to perform and interpret. Both tests should be evaluated on extended strain batteries in multicentre studies before they can be considered for use in susceptibility testing of M. tuberculosis to pyrazinamide in resource-limited settings. (Source: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

  • Inhibition of enterovirus 71 replication and the viral 3D polymerase by aurintricarboxylic acid

    Updated: 2010-03-12 15:27:27
    Conclusions Overall, the findings in this study suggest that ATA is able to effectively inhibit EV71 replication through interfering with the viral 3D polymerase. (Source: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy)

  • Detection of mutations in the FemXAB protein family in oxacillin-susceptible mecA-positive Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates

    Updated: 2010-03-12 15:27:27
    Conclusions Accumulation of amino acid changes in Fem proteins might affect intact cell wall synthesis, even though not causing reduced viability, thus contributing to atypical oxacillin responsiveness. (Source: Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy)

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