Frontiers in microbiology
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Frontiers in microbiology · Jan 2015
The use of phage FCL-2 as an alternative to chemotherapy against columnaris disease in aquaculture.
Flavobacterium columnare, the causative agent of columnaris disease in fish, causes millions of dollars of losses in the US channel catfish industry alone, not to mention aquaculture industry worldwide. Novel methods are needed for the control and treatment of bacterial diseases in aquaculture to replace traditionally used chemotherapies. A potential solution could be the use of phages, i.e., bacterial viruses, host-specific and self-enriching particles that can be can easily distributed via water flow. ⋯ Hundred percent of the zebrafish and 50% of the rainbow trout survived in the phage treatment (survival without phage 0 and 8.3%, respectively). Most importantly, the rainbow trout population was rescued from infection by a single addition of the phage into the water in a flow-through fish tank system. Thus, F. columnare could be used as a model system to test the benefits and risks of phage therapy on a larger scale.
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Frontiers in microbiology · Jan 2015
A Novel Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Serogroup Identification of Neisseria meningitidis in Cerebrospinal Fluid.
We have developed a novel Neisseria meningitidis serogroup-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for six of the most common meningococcal serogroups (A, B, C, W, X, and Y). The assay was evaluated using a set of 31 meningococcal LAMP assay positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from 1574 children with suspected meningitis identified in prospective surveillance between 1998 and 2002 in Vietnam, China, and Korea. Primer specificity was validated using 15 N. meningitidis strains (including serogroups A, B, C, E, W, X, Y, and Z) and 19 non-N. meningitidis species. ⋯ Twenty-nine CSF had N. meningitidis serogroup identified by LAMP compared with two CSF in which N. meningitidis serogroup was identified by culture and multi-locus sequence typing. This is the first report of a serogroup-specific identification assay for N. meningitidis using the LAMP method. Our results suggest that this assay will be a rapid, sensitive, and uniquely serogroup-specific assay with potential for application in clinical laboratories and public health surveillance systems.
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Nitric oxide (NO) is a key physiological regulator in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. It can cause a variety of biological effects by reacting with its targets or/and indirectly inducing oxidative stress. NO can also be produced by bacteria including the pathogenic Bacillus anthracis; however, its role in the infectious process only begins to emerge. ⋯ The host cells demonstrated increased phosphorylation of major survivor protein kinase AKT correlating with reduced toxicity of the mutant in comparison with Sterne. Our global proteomic analysis of lymph from the lymph nodes of infected mice harboring bacteria revealed numerous changes in the pattern and levels of proteins associated with the activity of bNOS influencing key cell physiological processes relevant to energy metabolism, growth, signal transduction, stress response, septic shock, and homeostasis. This is the first in vivo observation of the bacterial NO effect on the lymphatic system.
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Frontiers in microbiology · Jan 2015
CRH promotes S. pneumoniae growth in vitro and increases lung carriage in mice.
Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae), a commensal across the nasal passages, is responsible for the majority of infectious pneumonia cases worldwide. Previous studies have shown that hormonal factors may be influential in regulating S. pneumoniae's transition from a non-pathogen to a pathogenic state. The current study investigated the effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), a peptide hormone involved in stress, on the pathogenicity of S. pneumoniae. ⋯ We demonstrated that CRH promotes S. pneumoniae titer-dependent proliferation, as well as accelerates log-phase growth. Results also showed an increase in pneumococcal-associated virulence protein A virulence gene expression in response to CRH. These results demonstrate a role for CRH in S. pneumoniae pathogenicity, thus implicating CRH in mediating the transition of S. pneumoniae into a pathogenic state.
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Frontiers in microbiology · Jan 2015
Ex vivo vs. in vivo antibacterial activity of two antiseptics on oral biofilm.
To compare the immediate antibacterial effect of two application methods (passive immersion and active mouthwash) of two antiseptic solutions on the in situ oral biofilm. ⋯ The method of application conditioned the antibacterial activity of the 0.2% CHX and EO solutions on the in situ oral biofilm. The in vivo active mouthwash was more effective than the ex vivo passive immersion in both antiseptic solutions. There was more penetration of the antiseptic inside the biofilm with an active mouthwash, especially with the EO. Trial registered in clinicaltrials.gov with the number NCT02267239. URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02267239.