Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nicole Y. Burkhardt, Lisa D. Price, Xin-Ru Wang, Chan C. Heu, Gerald D. Baldridge, Ulrike G. Munderloh, Timothy J. Kurtti
Summary: The study describes the isolation of a complete plasmid (pRM658B) from Rickettsia monacensis and the construction of shuttle vectors based on this plasmid. The vectors were successfully used for transformation of various Rickettsia species, demonstrating the retention of the native plasmid and the efficiency of the shuttle vectors. Additionally, the study reveals a reduced copy number of the native plasmid in the transformed Rickettsia strains. The findings provide valuable insights into the maintenance of plasmids and shuttle vectors in Rickettsiae.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Catherine A. Lippi, Samuel Canfield, Christina Espada, Holly D. Gaff, Sadie J. Ryan
Summary: Geographic approaches are increasingly used to assess the risk of tick-borne diseases and inform public health decision-making. This study explored the potential geographic range of a marsh rice rat species and found considerable overlap with the distribution of a tick species in the southeastern United States, highlighting the need for extended surveillance efforts and attention to the role of hosts in transmission cycles.
Article
Microbiology
Zhengchen Su, Thomas R. Shelite, Yuan Qiu, Qing Chang, Maki Wakamiya, Jiani Bei, Xi He, Changcheng Zhou, Yakun Liu, Emmanuel Nyong, Yuejin Liang, Angelo Gaitas, Tais B. Saito, Bin Gong
Summary: EPAC1 plays a role in regulating rickettsial adhesion to endothelial cells through modulating the phosphorylation of ANXA2. This study reveals a novel functional mechanism of EPAC1 during rickettsial infection.
Article
Cell Biology
Paige E. Allen, Robert C. Noland, Juan J. Martinez
Summary: Rickettsia conorii infection induces modulation of host lipid droplets in macrophages, which is crucial for bacterial survival.
CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Robyn M. Nadolny, Ashley C. Kennedy, James M. Rodgers, Zachary T. Vincent, Hannah Cornman, Scott A. Haynes, Cory Casal, Richard G. Robbins, Allen L. Richards, Ju Jiang, Christina M. Farris
Summary: During September-December 2018, a study conducted in a home with a history of bat occupancy at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, identified Carios kelleyi ticks and various Rickettsia pathogens, including Rickettsia lusitaniae detected for the first time in the United States and in this tick species. This suggests that Carios kelleyi and bats may play important roles in the transmission of Rickettsia pathogens.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Curtis B. Read, Mary Clark H. Lind, Travis J. Chiarelli, Jerilyn R. Izac, Haley E. Adcox, Richard T. Marconi, Jason A. Carlyon
Summary: Anaplasma phagocytophilum exploits multivesicular body biogenesis and trafficking to benefit various stages of its intracellular infection cycle. This bacterium causes granulocytic anaplasmosis, a globally emerging zoonotic disease with limited antibiotic treatment options.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Emmeline P. Virgo, Hanif Haidari, Zo L. Shaw, Louisa Z. Y. Huang, Tahlia L. Kennewell, Luke Smith, Taimur Ahmed, Saffron J. Bryant, Gordon S. Howarth, Sumeet Walia, Allison J. Cowin, Aaron Elbourne, Zlatko Kopecki
Summary: The current treatment methods for cutaneous wound infections are largely ineffective due to antimicrobial resistance. Black Phosphorus nanoflakes (BPNFs), a potential alternative antibacterial material, demonstrate over 99% killing efficiency against wound pathogens under ambient conditions without toxicity to mammalian skin cells. In preclinical models, BPNFs significantly reduce infection and accelerate wound healing, indicating their potential role in treating infected cutaneous wounds.
ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Robson Kriiger Loterio, Dario S. Zamboni, Hayley J. Newton
Summary: Mammals have evolved complex host cell death pathways as an immune mechanism; intracellular bacterial pathogens that have co-evolved with hosts utilize various strategies to counteract host defense mechanisms, manipulating host signaling pathways to promote survival and replication; obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens have developed virulence factors to prevent host cell death and preserve their replicative niche.
PATHOGENS AND DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Marcio Anderson Sousa Nunes, Lucas dos Santos Silva, Deivid Martins Santos, Brenda da Silva Cutrim, Silvamara Leite Vieira, Izadora Souza Soeiro Silva, Simeone Julio dos Santos Castelo Branco, Mayara de Santana do Nascimento, Andre Alvares Marques Vale, Ana Paula Silva dos Santos-Azevedo, Adrielle Zagmignan, Joicy Cortez de Sa Sousa, Thiago Henrique Napoleao, Patricia Maria Guedes Paiva, Valerio Monteiro-Neto, Luis Claudio Nascimento da Silva
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of a lectin called SteLL on wound infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The results showed that topical administration of SteLL significantly accelerated wound healing, reduced bacterial load and inflammation, and improved the severity of infection. These findings suggest that SteLL could be a potential alternative treatment for S. aureus-infected skin lesions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew J. Sullivan, Darren Prince, Kelvin G. K. Goh, Lahiru Katupitiya, Dean Gosling, Michael R. Crowley, David K. Crossman, Glen C. Ulett
Summary: A novel system was developed to study the co-transcriptome of intracellular Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and host cells. Analysis of the co-transcriptome revealed dysregulated genes in intracellular GBS and significant remodeling of the monocyte transcriptome. The study identified the Streptococcal Histidine Triad Protein (sht) as a key gene in GBS virulence.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Fangliu Yu, Xinying Zhu, Qingdeng Li, Wenqin Xu, Yunxing Gao, Yufeng Wen, Qiong Zhang, Jun Dou
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between interleukin (IL)-35 level and IL-35-producing regulatory T cells (iTr35 subset) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infected mice. The results showed that both the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-35 were significantly increased in the spleen and lungs of the infected mice. Additionally, the levels of serum IL-35 and the iTr35 subset in the spleen were also increased in the infected mice. The findings suggest that IL-35 and iTr35 cells may play a role in immune suppression in chronic Mtb-infected mice.
OPEN LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Bijay Kumar Behera, Satya Narayan Parida, Vikash Kumar, Himanshu Sekhar Swain, Pranaya Kumar Parida, Kampan Bisai, Souvik Dhar, Basanta Kumar Das
Summary: This study investigated a case of severe mortality in farmed Labeo rohita and identified the causative agent as Aeromonas veronii. The isolated strain showed resistance to ampicillin and dicloxacillin, but susceptibility to 22 other antibiotics. It was also found that A. veronii induced stress and immune responses in L. rohita. The negative effects of the pathogen on fish health and high mortality rate highlight the need for A. veronii management.
Article
Biology
Wanhai Qin, Zhe Liu, Tom van der Poll, Alex F. de Vos
Summary: Experimental pneumonia models are crucial for studying lung inflammation and drug efficacy. This article provides detailed procedures for inducing pneumonia in mice using Pseudomonas and Klebsiella bacteria.
Article
Biology
Murugesan Sivaranjani, Elizabeth G. Hansen, Sumudu R. Perera, Pamela A. Flores, Cagla Tukel, Aaron P. White
Summary: Microbiologists are recognizing the importance of functional amyloids produced by bacteria, which have effects beyond the microbial world. These amyloids play roles in bacterial survival, communication, and host-pathogen interactions. The purification and detection methods of curli, a functional amyloid protein, are described in detail to facilitate research on its potential impacts on eukaryotic hosts.