Search results for "STREPTOCOCCUS"
showing 10 items of 169 documents
Molecular Co-operation between Protein PAM and Streptokinase for Plasmin Acquisition by Streptococcus pyogenes
1998
Bacterial surface-associated plasmin formation is believed to contribute to invasion, although the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. To define the components necessary for plasmin generation on group A streptococci we used strain AP53 which exposes an M-like protein ("PAM") that contains a plasminogen-binding sequence with two 13-amino acid residues long tandem repeats (a1 and a2). Utilizing an Escherichia coli-streptococcal shuttle vector, we replaced a 29-residue long sequence segment of Arp4, an M-like protein that does not bind plasminogen, with a single (a1) or the combined a1a2 repeats of PAM. When expressed in E. coli, the purified chimeric Arp/PAM proteins both …
Mutations affecting MHC class II binding of the superantigen streptococcal erythrogenic toxin A.
1993
Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A (SPEA) is an important pathogenicity factor of group A streptococci. It is a member of the family of 'superantigens' produced by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes, and its T lymphocyte stimulating activity is involved in the pathogenesis of certain diseases caused by pyogenic streptococci. In this study we have generated nine mutant SPEA molecules by substituting amino acids in the regions of homology between different streptococcal and staphylococcal superantigens. An additional mutant was created by deletion of the 10 N-terminal amino acids. The mutants were expressed as fusion proteins. Several mutations led to a loss of function due to a…
Animal rennets as sources of dairy lactic acid bacteria
2014
ABSTRACT The microbial composition of artisan and industrial animal rennet pastes was studied by using both culture-dependent and -independent approaches. Pyrosequencing targeting the 16S rRNA gene allowed to identify 361 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) to the genus/species level. Among lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Streptococcus thermophilus and some lactobacilli, mainly Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus reuteri , were the most abundant species, with differences among the samples. Twelve groups of microorganisms were targeted by viable plate counts revealing a dominance of mesophilic cocci. All rennets were able to acidify ultrahigh-temperature-processed (UHT) milk as shown by pH …
Use of gases to improve survival of Bifidobacterium bifidum by modifying redox potential in fermented milk
2011
The aim of this work was to study the effect of the oxidoreduction potential, modified using gas, on the growth and survival of a probiotic strain, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and 2 yogurt strains, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus. Three fermented milks were manufactured with an initial oxidoreduction potential value adjusted to +440 mV (control milk), +350 mV (milk gassed with N(2)), and -300 mV [milk gassed with N(2) plus 4% (vol/vol) H(2) (N(2)-H(2))]. Acidification profiles, growth during milk fermentation and survival during storage at 4 °C for 28 d were determined. This study showed that fermented probiotic dairy products made from milk gassed with…
Transformation of raw ewes' milk applying “Grana” type pressed cheese technology: development of extra-hard “Gran Ovino” cheese
2019
Abstract This work was carried out to pursue a double objective: to improve the hygienic safety of cheeses produced from raw ewes' milk; and to produce a new typology of raw ewes' milk through the application of “Grana” technology for which the name “Gran Ovino” was chosen. With this in mind, raw milk from an individual farm was transformed under controlled conditions at a dairy pilot plant. The production technology included the partial skimming of the evening and morning milk mixture by cream surfacing and the addition of a natural whey starter cultures (NWSC) prepared with four selected Streptococcus thermophilus strains (PON6, PON244, PON261 e PON413). Ten microbial groups were investig…
In vivo application and dynamics of lactic acid bacteria for the four-season production of Vastedda-like cheese.
2014
article Twelve lactic acid bacteria (LAB), previously selected in vitro (Gaglio et al., 2014), were evaluated in situ for their potential to act as starter cultures for the continuous four-season production of Vastedda-like cheese, made with raw ewes' milk. The strains belonged to Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides and Streptococcus thermophilus .L AB werefirst inoculated in multiple-strain combinations on the basis of their optimal growth temperatures in three process conditions which differed for milk treatment and medium for strain development: process 1, growth of strains in the optimal synthetic media and pasteu…
Cell surface properties affect colonisation of raw milk by lactic acid bacteria at the microstructure level
2010
Cell localisation in the matrix microstructure of fermented food is important for microbial activity and ripening. To evaluate the importance of physicochemical factors in these phenomena, the physicochemical behaviour of four strains of lactic acid bacteria were investigated after inoculation of raw milk or milk fractions. To discriminate between physicochemical and metabolic properties, media were (i) rapidly acidified to avoid cell division or (ii) bacteria were allowed to ferment milk. To evaluate the impact of milk components, cells were dispersed in protein or fatty globule fractions. From two Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis strains selected from their different…
Identification, typing, and investigation of the dairy characteristics of lactic acid bacteria isolated from 'Vastedda della valle del Belìce' cheese
2013
Traditional cheeses made without starter cultures can be characterised by the attribute of instability. The addition of autochthonous starter cultures can ensure stability without compromising the characteristics of the final product. This study aimed to characterise the autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population in “Vastedda della valle del Belice” cheeses, which have a protected designation of origin (PDO) status, in order to develop an ad hoc starter culture to be used in its future production. Winter and spring productions were analysed to ensure isolation of specific LAB that had adapted to perform fermentation at low temperatures. Plate counts revealed total microbial numbers…
SEVERE STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES SURGICAL SITE INFECTION AFTER INGUINAL LIPOMA REMOVAL
2019
Surgical site infections (SSI) are a common cause of health care-associated infections. They are localized in the surgical incision site and can lead to deep tissues spreading. Among the wide spectrum of SSIs , we will consider specifically group A streptococcus cellulitis. This kind of infection can have a negative evolution and result in necrotizing fasciitis (NF), previously known as streptococcal gangrene. The term NF indicates a rare necrotizing infection involving any of the soft tissue layers that still have a high mortality rate from 7% to 76%. An early diagnosis and urgent treatment are key to ensuring the safety of the patients’ life. A 64-year-old man underwent a complete surgica…
Specialized subsets of innate-like T cells and dendritic cells protect from lethal pneumococcal infection in the lung
2021
SummaryInnate-like T cells, including invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells and γδ T cells, are present in various barrier tissues, including the lung. They carry out protective responses during infections, but the mechanisms for protection are not completely understood. Here, we investigated their roles during pulmonary infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Following infection, innate-like T cells rapidly increased in lung tissue, in part through recruitment, but TCR activation and cytokine production occurred mostly in IL-17-producing NKT17 and γδ T cells. NKT17 cells were preferentially located outside the vasculature prior to infection, …