Search results for "bacteri"
showing 10 items of 5466 documents
Probing protein interactions in the membrane-containing virus PRD1.
2015
PRD1 is a Gram-negative bacteria infecting complex tailless icosahedral virus with an inner membrane. This type virus of the family Tectiviridae contains at least 18 structural protein species, of which several are membrane associated. Vertices of the PRD1 virion consist of complexes recognizing the host cell, except for one special vertex through which the genome is packaged. Despite extensive knowledge of the overall structure of the PRD1 virion and several individual proteins at the atomic level, the locations and interactions of various integral membrane proteins and membrane-associated proteins still remain a mystery. Here, we demonstrated that blue native PAGE can be used to probe pro…
In silicoAntibacterial Activity Modeling Based on the TOMOCOMD-CARDD Approach
2015
In the recent times, the race to cope with the increasing multidrug resistance of pathogenic bacteria has lost much of its momentum and health professionals are grasping for solutions to deal with the unprecedented resistance levels. As a result, there is an urgent need for a concerted effort towards the development of new antimicrobial drugs to stay ahead in the fight against the ever adapting bacteria. In the present report, antibacterial classification functions (models) based on the topological molecular computational design-computer aided >rational> drug design (TOMOCOMD-CARDD) atom-based non-stochastic and stochastic bilinear indices are presented. These models were built using the li…
Sortase A: An ideal target for anti-virulence drug development
2014
Sortase A is a membrane enzyme responsible for the anchoring of surface-exposed proteins to the cell wall envelope of Gram-positive bacteria. As a well-studied member of the sortase subfamily catalysing the cell wall anchoring of important virulence factors to the surface of staphylococci, enterococci and streptococci, sortase A plays a critical role in Gram-positive bacterial pathogenesis. It is thus considered a promising target for the development of new anti-infective drugs that aim to interfere with important Gram-positive virulence mechanisms, such as adhesion to host tissues, evasion of host defences, and bio fi lm formation. The additional properties of sortase A as an enzyme that i…
Evidence that water transmits the disease caused by the fish pathogen Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae
2000
The transmission through water of the disease caused by the fish pathogen, Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae, as well as the role of the skin mucus in the initial steps of the infection, have been studied. All tested strains resisted the bactericidal activity of the mucus and showed an ability to adhere to it, but only those virulent by the intraperitoneal route were infective through water. Moribund fishes showed the typical signs of the disease: haemorrhaged areas on the body surface and ulcerative lesions with mucus degradation. These results suggest that the pathogen can be transmitted to fish through water and use the skin as a portal of entry.
Replication of Human Norovirus in Mice after Antibiotic-Mediated Intestinal Bacteria Depletion
2022
Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are the main cause of acute gastroenteritis causing more than 50,000 deaths per year. Recent evidence shows that the gut microbiota plays a key role in enteric virus infectivity. In this context, we tested whether microbiota depletion or microbiota replacement with that of human individuals susceptible to HuNoVs infection could favor viral replication in mice. Four groups of mice (n = 5) were used, including a control group and three groups that were treated with antibiotics to eliminate the autochthonous intestinal microbiota. Two of the antibiotic-treated groups received fecal microbiota transplantation from a pool of feces from infants (age 1-3 months) or an au…
Lactococcal 949 group phages recognize a carbohydrate receptor on the host cell surface
2015
ABSTRACT Lactococcal bacteriophages represent one of the leading causes of dairy fermentation failure and product inconsistencies. A new member of the lactococcal 949 phage group, named WRP3, was isolated from cheese whey from a Sicilian factory in 2011. The genome sequence of this phage was determined, and it constitutes the largest lactococcal phage genome currently known, at 130,008 bp. Detailed bioinformatic analysis of the genomic region encoding the presumed initiator complex and baseplate of WRP3 has aided in the functional assignment of several open reading frames (ORFs), particularly that for the receptor binding protein required for host recognition. Furthermore, we demonstrate th…
Virus-Host Coevolution as a Tool for Controlling Bacterial Resistance to Phage Therapy
2019
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a global public health concern. New treatments are needed to combat resistant strains, among which phage therapy is a promising option. Probably the main advantages of phage therapy are its high specificity as well as rapid viral adaptability, which in principle allows using phage evolution to overcome resistance. Here, we have performed serial coevolution passages between Escherichia coli and its phage T7 to investigate the ability of coevolved phages to reduce the emergence of resistances. We find that the initial bacterial population is less likely to undergo resistance when challenged with experimentally coevolved phages than when challenged with t…
Ultrasound as a Promising Tool for the Green Extraction of Specialized Metabolites from Some Culinary Spices
2021
Spices are a popular food of plant origin, rich in various phytochemicals and recognized for their numerous properties. The aim of the study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, as well as the content of specialized metabolites, of aqueous extracts of three spice species––garlic (Allium sativum L.), ginger (Zingiber officinalle L.) and turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)––prepared by green extraction methods. Ultrasound treatment increased the chromaticity parameter b value of turmeric and ginger extracts, thus indicating a higher yellow color predominantly due to curcuminoids characteristic of these species. Ultrasound-assisted extraction significantly increased the content …
Physiological pharmacokinetic model for ceftazidime disposition in the rat and its application to prediction of plasma concentrations in humans
1993
Abstract A physiological pharmacokinetic model for the disposition of ceftazidime in the rat was developed. The model is composed of 10 compartments which represent most of the organs and tissues of the body. Ceftazidime concentration-time profiles in the organs and tissues represented in the model were simulated and compared with the observed concentration-time data after i.v. administration of 5 and 20 mg of antibiotic. The model gave an acceptable description of the observed data. The steady-state volume of distribution and total clearance of ceftazidime in healthy humans predicted from data obtained in the rat (0.21 l/kg and 113 ml/min, respectively) were similar to the values reported …
Safety of micafungin in prospective and retrospective clinical trials
2012
Summary Managing fungal diseases remains a major challenge for clinicians despite the improved armamentarium of antifungal agents. This review identified 19 publications reporting safety data on micafungin. Two of these publications were spin off publications, the remaining 17 (15 prospective, two retrospective) were included in the main assessment. Major adverse events reported which occurred in more than 2% in the study populations were infusion-related, gastro-intestinal and hepatic (LFT parameters elevations). Micafungin demonstrated significantly less renal events compared with liposomal amphotericin B and less hepatic events compared with voriconazole. Compared with fluconazole no sig…