Article
Immunology
Yini Li, Xin Liu, Lingzhi Chen, Xiao Shen, Haihong Wang, Ruiyu Guo, Xiang Li, Zehui Yu, Xiaoli Zhang, Yingshun Zhou, Li Fu
Summary: This study isolated five Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains from a Chinese community and compared their genome sequences with other strains. The results showed similar antibiotic resistance profiles and resistance genes among these strains. Additionally, three new sequence types were identified. The study aims to optimize antibiotic medication and contribute to global efforts in tackling antibiotic resistance.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Francisnei Pedrosa-Silva, Filipe P. Matteoli, Hemanoel Passarelli-Araujo, Fabio L. Olivares, Thiago M. Venancio
Summary: This study reported the genome sequencing and analysis of S. maltophilia strain isolated from vermicompost. The results showed the presence of genes associated with resistance, virulence, and niche occupation, providing insights on the potential of this strain as a pathogen.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Larina Pinto, Rajesh P. Shastry, Shivakiran Alva, R. Shyama Prasad Rao, Sudeep D. Ghate
Summary: This study utilized in-silico based functional network analysis to investigate the virulence and resistance mechanisms of multidrug-resistant bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed 8 hub proteins, which were further studied for docking with 58 selected phytochemicals. Deoxytubulosine and corosolic acid were identified as potential inhibitors of hub proteins in pathogenic S. maltophilia.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hsin-Hui Huang, Bo-Kuan Wu, Li-Hua Li, Yi-Tsung Lin, Tsuey-Ching Yang
Summary: The PhoPQ TCS in S. maltophilia plays a key role in regulating beta-lactam resistance by down-regulating specific genes, attenuating beta-lactamase activity, and increasing beta-lactam influx. Inactivation of PhoPQ leads to compromised beta-lactam resistance through alterations in gene expression and increased drug influx.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Chun-Hsing Liao, Ren-Hsuan Ku, Li-Hua Li, Cheng-Mu Wu, Tsuey-Ching Yang
Summary: In our recent study, we found that the yceA-cybB-yceB gene cluster is up-regulated in the presence of oxidative stress. This gene cluster plays a role in alleviating oxidative stress, enhancing swimming motility, and increasing susceptibility to certain antibiotics.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Quentin Menetrey, Pauline Sorlin, Estelle Jumas-Bilak, Raphael Chiron, Chloe Dupont, Helene Marchandin
Summary: In patients with cystic fibrosis, the lung microbiome experiences important selective pressures, leading to colonization by both common and emerging pathogens. Competitive interactions and evolutionary modifications among bacteria are major drivers of persistence in the CF lung, with emerging pathogens like Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia becoming important members of the complex bacterial community in the CF lung.
Article
Microbiology
Rimi Chowdhury, Paulina D. Pavinski Bitar, Ivan Keresztes, Anthony M. Condo, Craig Altier
Summary: The survival of pathogens in the complex intestinal environment relies on their ability to sense and utilize specific environmental signals. Salmonella optimizes its invasion by using specific spatial cues in the host intestine. A long chain unsaturated fatty acid acts as a potent repressor of Salmonella invasion in the murine large intestine.
Article
Biology
Olga M. Zajac, Stefan Tyski, Agnieszka E. Laudy
Summary: This study analyzed the contribution of efflux systems to levofloxacin resistance in clinical isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The overexpression of the SmeVWX efflux system was found to play a significant role in levofloxacin resistance.
Article
Biology
Olga M. Zajac, Stefan Tyski, Agnieszka E. Laudy
Summary: Nosocomial infections caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia have been increasing worldwide. These bacteria are intrinsically resistant to most antibiotics. The aim of this study was to analyze the genetic diversity of isolates derived from various clinical materials, including blood, and the prevalence of multidrug-resistant efflux pump genes and susceptibility profiles in S. maltophilia. The research was conducted on 94 S. maltophilia isolates derived from hospitalized patients and outpatients in Warsaw, Poland. All isolates were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and minocycline, while 44/94 isolates demonstrated reduction in susceptibility to levofloxacin. A clonal relationship was observed among two groups of bloodstream isolates, and the presence of genes encoding ten different efflux pumps was shown in the majority of the isolates. The obtained knowledge about the prevalence of efflux pump genes in clinical S. maltophilia strains makes it possible to predict the scale of the risk of resistance emergence.
Article
Microbiology
Eliana Alcaraz, Daniela Centron, Gabriela Camicia, Maria Paula Quiroga, Jose Di Conza, Beatriz Passerini de Rossi
Summary: The study investigated sequential isolates of S. maltophilia from a Brazilian adult patient with CF, revealing a gradual loss of virulence factors possibly associated with high DSF production in evolved isolates. Additionally, late isolates showed decreased mutation rate and belonged to two related clones.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mudasir Ali Rather, Rimi Chowdhury, Paulina D. Pavinski D. Bitar, Craig Altier
Summary: By recombinantly producing diffusible signal factors (DSF) in the gut, the invasion ability and the virulence of Salmonella can be significantly reduced, thus reducing its colonization and spread in animals.
Article
Immunology
Hannah N. Agnew, Erin B. Brazel, Alexandra Tikhomirova, Mark van der Linden, Kimberley T. McLean, James C. Paton, Claudia Trappetti
Summary: This study found differences in raffinose utilization by the same strain of S. pneumoniae isolated from the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of a pediatric patient with meningitis. The blood isolate displayed defective raffinose metabolism and reduced transcription of the raffinose utilization pathway genes. Mice infected with the blood isolate had higher bacterial numbers in the nose but were unable to invade the ears. Genomic analysis identified a premature stop codon in the aga gene, suggesting impaired alpha-galactosidase activity.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Tairine Graziella Ercole, Vanessa Merlo Kava, Rodrigo Aluizio, Volnei Pauletti, Mariangela Hungria, Lygia Vitoria Galli-Terasawa
Summary: This study aimed to identify and assess the effects of single and co-inoculation of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) on the growth promotion of maize plants. The results showed that co-inoculation yielded the best outcomes, highlighting the synergistic effects of combining the strains. This study emphasizes the potential of co-inoculation with Bacillus velezensis and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains to enhance plant growth and improve salinity tolerance in maize cultivation.
Article
Microbiology
Wonjung Song, Junhee Ryu, Jaehyun Jung, Youngjae Yu, Suyoung Choi, Jihyang Kweon
Summary: In this study, the signal compound CDA was used to regulate various functions of microbial communities in biofilm, including motility, enzyme production, and EPS production. The results showed that as the CDA dosage increased, the optical density of the biofilm increased, and the EPS of the biofilm decreased. Three-dimensional visual images and quantitative analyses revealed that the biofilm with CDA was thinner, less massive, and more dispersive compared to the biofilm without CDA.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Jennifer T. Grier, Brock A. Arivett, Maria S. Ramirez, Renee J. Chosed, Jessica A. Bigner, Emily J. Ohneck, Maeva L. Metz, Cecily R. Wood, Sergio Arce, Andrea Tartaro, Ryan F. Relich, Luis A. Actis, Steven E. Fiester
Summary: This study analyzed XDR isolates of A. baumannii in a case of necrotizing fasciitis, revealing genetic differences that could lead to distinct phenotypic characteristics at the cellular level.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Clara Balleste-Delpierre, Angel Ramirez, Laura Munoz, Christopher Longshaw, Ignasi Roca, Jordi Vila
Summary: This study investigated the in vitro antimicrobial activity of cefiderocol and other antibiotics against a diverse collection of Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates, revealing cefiderocol and colistin as the most active agents. Notably, cefiderocol demonstrated superior efficacy against multidrug-resistant and carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates, suggesting it as a promising alternative treatment option for infections caused by these strains.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Meissiner Gomes-Fernandes, Andromeda-Celeste Gomez, Marc Bravo, Pol Huedo, Xavier Coves, Cristina Prat-Aymerich, Isidre Gibert, Alicia Lacoma, Daniel Yero
Summary: This study contributes to understanding the complex interspecies interactions between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus by studying strains isolated during acute infection.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Haroon Arshad, Anastasios Siokis, Raimo Franke, Aamna Habib, Juan Carlos Lopez Alfonso, Yuliya Poliakova, Eva Luecke, Katina Michaelis, Mark Broenstrup, Michael Meyer-Hermann, Ursula Bilitewski, Jordi Vila, Laurent Abel, Thomas Illig, Jens Schreiber, Frank Pessler
Summary: Amino acid metabolism is dysregulated in both community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and infection-triggered chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation. Total amino acid concentrations, asparagine, and threonine show promise as plasma biomarkers for differentiating CAP from COPD exacerbation, while reduced tryptophan and histidine levels are accurate biomarkers for distinguishing acute CAP from healthy controls. The kynurenine/tryptophan ratio correlates with clinical recovery and resolution of inflammation.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Andromeda-Celeste Gomez, Therese Lyons, Uwe Mamat, Daniel Yero, Marc Bravo, Xavier Daura, Osama Elshafee, Sascha Brunke, Cormac G. M. Gahan, Michelle 'Driscoll, Isidre Gibert, Timothy P. O'Sullivan
Summary: Diseases caused by biofilm-forming pathogens are on the rise, posing a significant threat to human health. Halogenated furanones from marine algae have been identified as effective biofilm inhibitors. In this study, researchers synthesized a library of novel furanones and evaluated their inhibitory effects on biofilm formation in several opportunistic human pathogens. The most promising compounds were further analyzed for their impact on single and mixed polymicrobial biofilms using confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Additionally, the effects of a potential candidate on survival rates were investigated using a Galleria mellonella model.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xavier Coves, Marc Bravo, Pol Huedo, Oscar Conchillo-Sole, Andromeda-Celeste Gomez, Anna Esteve-Codina, Marc Dabad, Marta Gut, Xavier Daura, Daniel Yero, Isidre Gibert
Summary: The quorum sensing system in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia controls various virulence-related phenotypes and may serve as a potential target for controlling pathogenicity mechanisms.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Uwe Mamat, Manuel Hein, Doerte Grella, Claire S. Taylor, Thomas Scholzen, Ifey Alio, Wolfgang R. Streit, Pol Huedo, Xavier Coves, Oscar Conchillo-Sole, Andromeda-Celeste Gomez, Isidre Gibert, Daniel Yero, Ulrich E. Schaible
Summary: Using a Tn7-based genomic integration system, improved mini-Tn7 delivery plasmids were constructed to label S. maltophilia with sfGFP, mCherry, tdTomato, and mKate2. The transposition of mini-Tn7 transposons had no adverse effects on the fitness of fluorescently labeled S. maltophilia derivatives. The mini-Tn7 elements remained stably integrated in the genome of S. maltophilia over a prolonged period of time in the absence of antibiotic selection pressure.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Mariana Fernandez-Pittol, Juan Carlos Hurtado, Maryam Ali, Alvar Simarro, Fadiana Proano, Maria Sierra, Jordi Vila
Summary: In various healthcare settings, such as emergency surgery patients, there is a need for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. The QuantuMDx Q-POC is an automated fast workflow platform that detects three genes, allowing differentiation between SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses. This study compared QuantuMDx Q-POC with the Cobas 6800 algorithm for SARS-CoV-2 detection, showing high sensitivity and a short detection time of 30 minutes. Overall, the QuantuMDx Q-POC system is a reliable option for rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Lucia Boix-Palop, Andrea Vergara, Emma Padilla, Diego Martinez, Ana Blanco, Josefa Perez, Esther Calbo, Jordi Vila, Climent Casals-Pascual
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of plasma Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) concentration in adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and its association with etiology, severity, and prognosis. The study found that LCN2 concentration was higher in bacterial CAP compared to non-bacterial CAP and had a limited ability to distinguish between the two. It also found that LCN2 concentration was associated with disease severity in adult patients with CAP. However, its utility as a biomarker to discriminate between viral and bacterial etiology in CAP is limited.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Natalia Roson-Calero, Clara Balleste-Delpierre, Javier Fernandez, Jordi Vila
Summary: In recent decades, there has been an increasing trend in infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, which are associated with higher morbidity and mortality. Various interventions should be implemented to reduce the emergence and spread of MDR bacteria. This mini-review aims to compile and discuss different strategies for eradicating MDR bacteria from the gut microbiota.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Valentin Junet, Pedro Matos-Filipe, Juan Manuel Garcia-Illarramendi, Esther Ramirez, Baldo Oliva, Judith Farres, Xavier Daura, Jose Manuel Mas, Rafael Morales
Summary: This study aimed to predict the next visit of patients with pancreatic cancer using clinical data, providing decision support for clinicians. Models based on regression trees were generated to predict the evolution of hematological variables at the next visit. The inclusion of molecular variables from in silico simulations provided a molecular background for the observed variations in the selected outcome variables.
CPT-PHARMACOMETRICS & SYSTEMS PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sara Batista, Mariana Fernandez-Pittol, Lorena San Nicolas, Diego Martinez, Marc Rubio, Montserrat Garrigo, Jordi Vila, Griselda Tudo, Julian Gonzalez-Martin
Summary: Patients with chronic pulmonary diseases infected by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) often develop complications and suffer from treatment failure due to biofilm formation. There is a lack of correlation between in vitro susceptibility tests and the treatment of clinical isolates producing biofilm. This study found that the use of potential antibiofilm agents (PAAs) in combination with three-drug combinations can effectively reduce the bactericidal concentration in biofilm forms of MAC isolates.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Irene Brandts, Roger Sola, Marlid Garcia-Ordonez, Alex Gella, Albert Quintana, Beatriz Martin, Anna Esteve-Codina, Mariana Teles, Nerea Roher
Summary: Nanoplastics (NPs) can accumulate in different environmental compartments and provoke effects in living organisms, including fish cells. In this study, the interaction between polystyrene (PS)-NPs and fish cells was investigated. It was found that PS-NPs can enter cells through endocytosis, phagocytosis, or passive transport, and they co-localize with lysosomes but not with mitochondria once internalized. PS-NPs do not trigger ROS production or alter mitochondrial respiration, but they interfere with lipid metabolism, peroxisomes, and PPAR signaling. In macrophages, PS-NPs modulate polarization towards the M2-like phenotype.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Andromeda-Celeste Gomez, Conor Horgan, Daniel Yero, Marc Bravo, Xavier Daura, Michelle O'Driscoll, Isidre Gibert, Timothy P. O'Sullivan
Summary: The diffusible signal factor family of molecules plays a crucial role in regulating intercellular communication and quorum sensing in disease-causing bacteria. This study presents the design and synthesis of a new generation of bioisosteres, which have significant effects on biofilm formation and antibiotic sensitivity in various pathogenic bacteria.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jan Grzelak, Mariana Teles, Nerea Roher, Alba Grayston, Anna Rosell, Marti Gich, Anna Roig
Summary: This study investigates the potential applications of rod-shaped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSR) in liver imaging and therapy. The results demonstrate that these magnetic MSR particles are not cytotoxic and can be successfully taken up by liver cells. The rods can penetrate fibrous tissues or mucus layers more efficiently than spherical particles.