Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Nooshin Mohebali, Katharina Ekat, Bernd Kreikemeyer, Anne Breitrueck
Article
Microbiology
Katharina Kesy, Matthias Labrenz, Brittan S. Scales, Bernd Kreikemeyer, Sonja Oberbeckmann
Summary: The study found that potentially pathogenic Vibrio bacteria are early colonizers of microplastics and their colonization is dynamic and influenced by environmental factors. Vibrio abundance and composition on microplastics vary depending on nutrient levels, with higher nutrients possibly facilitating faster establishment of Vibrio populations.
Article
Microbiology
Laurin Christopher Gierse, Alexander Meene, Daniel Schultz, Theresa Schwaiger, Claudia Karte, Charlotte Schroeder, Haitao Wang, Christine Wuensche, Karen Methling, Bernd Kreikemeyer, Stephan Fuchs, Joerg Bernhardt, Doerte Becher, Michael Lalk, Tim Urich, Katharina Riedel
Article
Infectious Diseases
Paul G. Higgins, Ralf Matthias Hagen, Bernd Kreikemeyer, Philipp Warnke, Andreas Podbielski, Hagen Frickmann, Ulrike Loderstaedt
Summary: This study analyzed a broad spectrum of resistance genes in Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from war-injured patients in Northern Africa and the Middle East, providing more detailed epidemiological information about locally abundant clonal lineages and resistance mechanisms. The identified acquired carbapenem resistance genes, including bla(OXA-23), bla(OXA-58), bla(NDM-1), and bla(GES-11), indicate potential transmission events among the isolated strains. The study confirmed outbreak-associated clonal clusters among the Syrian and Afghan strains, expanding the knowledge on international clonal lineages and resistance mechanisms associated with Acinetobacter baumannii.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anne Breitruck, Markus Weigel, Jacqueline Hofrichter, Kai Sempert, Claus Kerkhoff, Nooshin Mohebali, Steffen Mitzner, Torsten Hain, Bernd Kreikemeyer
Summary: The study found that prophylactic treatment with diosmectite can effectively alleviate the severity of DSS colitis, demonstrated by reduced weight loss, disease activity index, and histological damage score. However, diosmectite treatment did not have a significant impact on the expression of tight junction proteins. Additionally, the treatment altered the microbial composition associated with DSS, showing potential as a therapeutic approach for intestinal inflammation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Sonja Oehmcke-Hecht, Claudia Maletzki, Surabhi Surabhi, Nikolai Siemens, Valeria Khaimov, Lisa Marie John, Sina Mariella Peter, Sven Hammerschmidt, Bernd Kreikemeyer
Summary: This study investigated the influence of Streptococcus pneumoniae on the coagulation and contact system. It was found that pneumococci impair blood coagulation by autolysis and release of pneumolysin. The lysis of tissue factor-producing mononuclear cells and their procoagulant microvesicles were identified as the main trigger for defective blood coagulation. Pneumolysin was also found to bind coagulation and contact system factors without activating them.
JOURNAL OF INNATE IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Michele Tomasi, Elena Caproni, Mattia Benedet, Ilaria Zanella, Sebastiano Giorgetta, Mattia Dalsass, Enrico Koenig, Assunta Gagliardi, Laura Fantappie, Alvise Berti, Silvia Tamburini, Lorenzo Croia, Gabriele Di Lascio, Erika Bellini, Silvia Valensin, Giada Licata, Guido Sebastiani, Francesco Dotta, Federica Armanini, Fabio Cumbo, Francesco Asnicar, Aitor Blanco-Miguez, Eliana Ruggiero, Nicola Segata, Guido Grandi, Alberto Grandi
Summary: A growing body of evidence supports the important role of the gut microbiome in cancer immunity, and it has been found that microbiome proteins can induce specific T cells, which can inhibit tumor growth. Furthermore, personalized mucosal cancer vaccines can be developed using engineered microbes and Outer Membrane Vesicles.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hagen Frickmann, Felix Weinreich, Ulrike Loderstaedt, Sven Poppert, Egbert Tannich, Jana Bull, Bernd Kreikemeyer, Israel Barrantes
Summary: Molecular diagnostic approaches are increasingly used for malaria detection in non-endemic settings, but they may overlook other pathogens associated with returnees from tropical regions. This study assessed the potential of metagenomic sequencing for identifying different Plasmodium species in malaria patients' blood samples and found that its discriminatory capability at the species level is limited.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Gina Barkowsky, Corina Abt, Irina Poehner, Adam Bieda, Sven Hammerschmidt, Anette Jacob, Bernd Kreikemeyer, Nadja Patenge
Summary: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia and other infectious diseases, and antibiotic resistance and strain replacement are growing problems. In this study, CPP-coupled antisense PNAs showed antimicrobial activity against S. pneumoniae, reducing the viability of the bacteria in vitro and increasing the survival rate of infected larvae in vivo. These findings suggest the potential development of efficient antisense PNAs for the treatment of S. pneumoniae infections.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Seiko Kubota, Masanobu Nakata, Yujiro Hirose, Masaya Yamaguchi, Bernd Kreikemeyer, Narikazu Uzawa, Tomoko Sumitomo, Shigetada Kawabata
Summary: The present study revealed the involvement of CvfA in pilus production and virulence-related phenotypes in a serotype M49 strain of S. pyogenes. Deletion of cvfA led to reduced pilus production and adherence, as well as decreased virulence factor expression. These findings highlight the importance of CvfA in the regulation of pilus production and pathogenesis in S. pyogenes.
MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Laurin Christopher Gierse, Alexander Meene, Sebastian Skorka, Fabian Cuypers, Surabhi Surabhi, Borja Ferrero-Bordera, Bernd Kreikemeyer, Doerte Becher, Sven Hammerschmidt, Nikolai Siemens, Tim Urich, Katharina Riedel
Summary: Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. This study investigated the impact of Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza A virus on the structure and function of the respiratory and gastrointestinal microbiomes of mice. Specific differences were identified between bacterial and viral infections using a meta-omics approach.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Silvia Tamburini, Yueru Zhang, Assunta Gagliardi, Gabriele Di Lascio, Elena Caproni, Mattia Benedet, Michele Tomasi, Riccardo Corbellari, Ilaria Zanella, Lorenzo Croia, Guido Grandi, Martin Mueller, Alberto Grandi
Summary: This study demonstrates that L2 epitopes can be efficiently expressed on the surface of E. coli outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), and a polypeptide composed of L2 epitopes from multiple serotypes shows broad cross-protective activity against HPV. This provides a highly effective and inexpensive solution for producing universal anti-HPV vaccines.
Article
Immunology
Alberto Grandi, Michele Tomasi, Irfan Ullah, Cinzia Bertelli, Teresa Vanzo, Silvia Accordini, Assunta Gagliardi, Ilaria Zanella, Mattia Benedet, Riccardo Corbellari, Gabriele Di Lascio, Silvia Tamburini, Elena Caproni, Lorenzo Croia, Micol Rava, Valeria Fumagalli, Pietro Di Lucia, Davide Marotta, Eleonora Sala, Matteo Iannacone, Priti Kumar, Walther Mothes, Pradeep D. Uchil, Peter Cherepanov, Martino Bolognesi, Massimo Pizzato, Guido Grandi
Summary: The study demonstrates that engineered OMVs vaccines can induce effective immune responses, producing neutralizing antibodies and protecting animals from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, the vaccine can also elicit immune responses against the Omicron BA.1 and BA.5 variants. OMV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, with the convenience of engineering, production, and distribution, can be a crucial addition to the currently available vaccines.
Article
Microbiology
Corina Abt, Lisa Marie Gerlach, Jana Bull, Anette Jacob, Bernd Kreikemeyer, Nadja Patenge
Summary: Research found that hydrophobic counterion PyB can facilitate the translocation of CPP-antisense PNAs across bacterial membrane, thus enhancing its antimicrobial activity, but PyB does not significantly affect the antimicrobial activity of CPP-conjugated PNAs in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Article
Microbiology
Seyed Babak Loghmani, Eric Zitzow, Gene Ching Chiek Koh, Andreas Ulmer, Nadine Veith, Ruth Grosseholz, Madlen Rossnagel, Maren Loesch, Ruedi Aebersold, Bernd Kreikemeyer, Tomas Fiedler, Ursula Kummer
Summary: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a significant role in biotechnology and human health, but many LAB genera have developed multidrug resistance, causing problems in controlling hospital germs. This study investigated the metabolic adaptations of Enterococcus faecalis, a common LAB causing human infections, under different environmental pH conditions. The study found that glutamine auxotrophy leads to increased energy demand.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)