Environ Microbiol, 2002 Jan, 4(1), 42 - 50 Prevalence and microdiversity of Alteromonas macleodii-like microorganisms in different oceanic regions; Garcia-Martinez J et al.; The presence, prevalence and variability of microorganisms related to the species Alteromonas macleodii, a well known culturable gamma-Proteobacterium, has been studied in different seawater samples from diverse geographical locations, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and tested with two molecular techniques (rRNA hybridization and gene cloning and sequencing) . Results show that A . macleodii-like microorganisms are present in high proportions in North Atlantic and, especially, Mediterranean waters, being higher at deep samples and particle-associated fractions, in agreement with previous findings . In contrast, Southern samples (all from very cold areas near Antarctica) presented no significant hybridization signals . The analysis of the ribosomal ITS (16S-23S internal transcribed spacers) revealed that A . macleodii-like microorganisms from Mediterranean, North Atlantic, Caribbean and Red Sea waters differed in both size and sequence, mostly depending on their geographical origin, with Mediterranean and North Atlantic clones clustering into two main groups whereas Caribbean and Red Sea clones appeared separated. Transplantation, 2002 Apr 15, 73(7), 1049 - 54 Tacrolimus (FK506) and cyclosporine reduce the uptake and transport of particles into rabbit Peyer's patches; Fujimura Y et al.; Tacrolimus (FK) and cyclosporine (Cs) are potent immunosuppressants that effectively prevent the rejection of transplanted organs including liver and small intestine . Our study examined the effects of these immunosuppressants on Peyer's patches, which play an important role in mucosal immune response through uptake and transport of enteric microorganisms and macromolecules in the gut-associated lymphoid tissues . After administration of FK and Cs, we assessed changes in lymphoid follicle structure and quantified the uptake and transport of particles in the follicle associated epithelium (FAE) including M cells, using fluorescent latex microspheres in rabbit Peyer's patches . Rabbits, five in each group, received oral administration of FK (3.2 mg/kg), Cs (10 mg/kg), or phosphate-buffered saline daily for 7 days . After 2 days of withdrawal, rabbits were anesthetized, and received injections with 2 ml of the suspension of 0.5-microm fluorescent microspheres (1010/ml) into ligated intestinal segments containing Peyer's patches . After 2 hr of gentle agitation, segments were removed, rinsed, fixed with periodate-lysine-2% paraformaldehyde, frozen, and sections were stained with fluorescent phalloidin to label brush border actin filaments . The size of the lymphoid follicles in each group was measured under a light microscope . The number of microspheres in follicles was assessed in graphically defined areas of follicles from each group . In addition, immunohistochemical analysis of CD43 and MHC-II positive cells in FAE of lymphoid follicles of each group was performed . FK and Cs significantly reduced the height of lymphoid domes and the height and width of follicles, as compared to those of controls . In both FK and Cs groups, the numbers of microspheres that adhered, were taken up and were transported into lymphoid follicles were smaller than in controls, indicating that their movement rates into deep layers were markedly reduced . Furthermore, FK and Cs reduced the mean numbers of CD43 and MHC-II positive cells in FAE per unit area (mm2) as compared with controls . These findings suggest that FK and Cs may produce immunosuppressive effects, at least in part, through reduction of the uptake and transport of particles into Peyer's patches, and by reduction of the number of immunoreactive cells in FAE of Peyer's patches. Curr Opin Infect Dis, 2001 Aug, 14(4), 461 - 6 Infection control in developing countries; Starling C; Infection control activities in developing countries have increased substantially during the last decade, particularly in certain regions of the world . Pressure to improve hospital care cost-effectiveness, the emergence of highly resistant microorganisms, the perception of healthcare worker occupational hazards, and public claims for improved health assistance quality have been important factors responsible for this development . A major challenge for infection control personnel in developing countries is to sustain this development. Curr Opin Infect Dis, 2001 Aug, 14(4), 437 - 42 Nosocomial transmission of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms; Harbarth S; The spread of nosocomially acquired, antibiotic-resistant microorganisms has grown dramatically over the past 20 years and has increasingly attracted the attention of academic inquiry . This article reviews recent epidemiological data about the trends and patterns of nosocomial transmission, presents clinical studies investigating mechanisms of cross-transmission, and discusses recent literature on preventive strategies aimed at reducing hand-carriage of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Curr Opin Infect Dis, 2000 Apr, 13(2), 103 - 107 Retroviruses and psoriasis; Mallon E; Psoriasis occurs with at least undiminished frequency in HIV infected individuals . The behaviour of psoriasis in HIV disease is of interest, both in terms of pathogenesis and therapy, because of the background of profound immunodysregulation . It is paradoxical that, while drugs that target T lymphocytes are effective in psoriasis, the condition should be exacerbated by HIV infection . Antiretroviral therapy may improve psoriasis in tandem with improvement in the overall clinical and virological condition of the patient . The aetiopathogenesis of psoriasis is unknown but genetic and environmental factors are thought to be involved . There are controversial issues regarding the immunological basis of psoriasis and the role of CD4+ versus CD8+ T lymphocytes . Current opinion favours an autoimmune basis for psoriasis, although the precipitating activating signal(s) within psoriatic plaques remains unknown . The immunodysregulation resulting from HIV infection may trigger psoriasis in those genetically predisposed by the Cw*0602 allele . Since CD8+ T cells recognize antigen in the context of class I molecules, the identification of a human leucocyte antigen class I association in HIV-associated psoriasis strengthens the argument for an important role for CD8+ T lymphocytes in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis . HLA-Cw*0602 could act as a cross-reactive target for cytotoxic T lymphocytes responding to processed peptides from microorganisms . Human retrovirus-5 is a recently described, partially characterized retrovirus and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriatic arthropathy but not psoriasis. Food Addit Contam, 2002, 19 Suppl, 178 - 84 Determination of microbial contamination of plastic cups for dairy products and utilization of electron beam treatment for sterilization; Tacker M et al.; Packaging materials are often considered a critical control point in HACCP systems of food companies . Methods for the determination of the microbial contamination rate of plastic cups, especially for dairy products, must reliably detect single moulds, yeasts or coliforms . In this study, a comparison of a specially adapted coating method, impedance method, direct inoculation and membrane filter technique was carried out to determine contamination with yeasts, moulds, coliforms and total bacterial counts using the appropriate agar in each case . The coating method is recommended for determining yeasts, moulds and coliforms as it allows the localization of the microorganisms as well as the determination of single microorganisms . For total bacterial count, a direct inoculation technique is proposed . The employing of simple measures in the production and during transport of packaging materials, such as dust-prevention or tight sealing in polyethylene bags, heavily reduces microbial contamination rates of packaging material . To reduce contamination rates further, electron beam irradiation was applied: plastic cups sealed in polyethylene bags were treated with 4-5 kGy, a dose that already leads to sterile polystyrene and polypropylene cups without influencing mechanical characteristics of the packaging material. An Acad Bras Cienc, 2002 Mar, 74(1), 151 - 70 Secondary metabolites from marine microorganisms; Kelecom A; After 40 years of intensive research, chemistry of marine natural products has become a mature field . Since 1995, there are signals of decreased interest in the search of new metabolites from traditional sources such as macroalgae and octocorals, and the number of annual reports on marine sponges stabilized . On the contrary, metabolites from microorganisms is a rapidly growing field, due, at least in part, to the suspicion that a number of metabolites obtained from algae and invertebrates may be produced by associated microorganisms . Studies are concerned with bacteria and fungi, isolated from seawater, sediments, algae, fish and mainly from marine invertebrates such as sponges, mollusks, tunicates, coelenterates and crustaceans . Although it is still to early to define tendencies, it may be stated that the metabolites from microorganisms are in most cases quite different from those produced by the invertebrate hosts . Nitrogenated metabolites predominate over acetate derivatives, and terpenes are uncommon . Among the latter, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and carotenes have been isolated; among nitrogenated metabolites, amides, cyclic peptides and indole alkaloids predominate. FEBS Lett, 2002 Apr 10, 516(1-3), 67 - 70 Nicotine-modulated formation of spiroiminodihydantoin nucleoside via 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine in 2'-deoxyguanosine-hypochlorous acid reaction; Suzuki T et al.; Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is generated by myeloperoxidase of activated neutrophils which kill invading microorganisms, but also cause DNA damage in inflamed tissues . We report here that spiroiminodihydantoin nucleoside (dS), a further oxidized product of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG), is formed, in addition to 8-chloro-2'-deoxyguanosine and 8-oxo-dG, by reaction of 2'-deoxyguanosine with HOCl . Presence of low concentrations of nicotine significantly enhanced the yields of these HOCl-modified nucleosides . Our results imply that nicotine may enhance genotoxicity and tissue damage caused by neutrophil activation . dS may also serve as a new biomarker for oxidative DNA damage induced by oxidants such as HOCl. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol, 2002 Mar, 131(3), 371 - 86 Mechanism of biosynthesis of trimethylamine oxide from choline in the teleost tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, under freshwater conditions; Niizeki N et al.; The mechanism of biosynthesis of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) from dietary precursors in the teleost tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was investigated . Diets supplemented with quaternary ammonium choline, glycine betaine, carnitine or phosphatidylcholine were administered and significant increases in TMAO levels in the muscle were only observed with choline . {Methyl-14C} and {1,2-14C} cholines were given through dietary and intraperitoneal injection routes, but 14C-TMAO was detected only in fish with dietary administration of {methyl-14C} choline . Dietary treatment with {15N} choline resulted in the formation of {15N} TMAO in the muscle . The incorporation of radioactivity into TMAO was also observed both following dietary administration and intraperitoneal injection of {14C} trimethylamine (TMA) . When choline was introduced into the isolated intestine, marked increases in TMA levels occurred . These increases were significantly suppressed in the presence of penicillin . {14C}-TMA derived from {methyl-14C} choline was detected in the cavity of the isolated intestine . The introduction of {15N} choline into the intestinal cavity resulted in the formation of {15N} TMA . TMA mono-oxygenase activities were detected in the liver and kidney . We conclude that tilapia possess the ability to produce TMAO from choline, which is related to intestinal microorganisms and tissue mono-oxygenase under freshwater conditions. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2002 Feb 5, 207(2), 111 - 20 Current status of immune mechanisms of killing of intracellular microorganisms; Ismail N et al.; The interaction between intracellular pathogens and the mammalian host follows different pathways that reflect evolved survival mechanisms of both the pathogen and the host to assure each one's own survival . From the host's perspective, different immune mechanisms predominate at different stages of infection . Both phagocytic and non-phagocytic target cells participate in microbial uptake and, in some cases, intracellular destruction . In addition, the development of specific immunity ensures sustained activation of intracellular microbicidal mechanisms in the target cells, and induction of apoptotic or lytic target cell death by cytotoxic T lymphocytes . From the pathogen's perspective, different evasion strategies are employed to counteract host defenses . Understanding microbial survival strategies and the immune mechanisms that result in killing of intracellular pathogens will deepen our insight into the pathogenesis of infection that could be applied towards the development of effective vaccination and immunotherapy. Prog Lipid Res, 2002 Jul, 41(4), 315 - 67 Natural halogenated fatty acids: their analogues and derivatives; Dembitsky VM et al.; A comprehensive survey has been made of all fatty acids containing halogen atoms covalently bonded to carbon and which are deemed as naturally occurring . Generally thought to be minor components produced by many different organisms, these interesting compounds now number more than 300 . Recent research, especially in the marine area, indicates this number will increase in the future . Sources of halogenated fatty acids include microorganisms, algae, marine invertebrates, and higher plants and some animals . Their possible biological significance has also been discussed J Agric Food Chem, 2002 Apr 24, 50(9), 2615 - 21 Volatile metabolites from actinomycetes; Scholler CE et al.; Twenty-six Streptomyces spp . were screened for their volatile production capacity on yeast starch agar . The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were concentrated on a porous polymer throughout an 8-day growth period . VOCs were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and identified or characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry . A total of 120 VOCs were characterized by retention index and mass spectra . Fifty-three compounds were characterized as terpenoid compounds, among which 18 could be identified . Among the VOCs were alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, esters, ketones, sulfur compounds, and isoprenoid compounds . Among the most frequently produced compounds were isoprene, acetone, 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, cyclopentanone, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, 2-phenylethanol, and geosmin . The relationship between the excretion of geosmin and the production of spores was examined for one isolate . A good correlation between headspace geosmin and the number of spores was observed, suggesting that VOCs could be used to indicate the activity of these microorganisms in heterogeneous substrates. Br J Dermatol, 2002 Mar, 146(3), 365 - 74 Slow release iodine preparation and wound healing: in vitro effects consistent with lack of in vivo toxicity in human chronic wounds; Zhou LH et al.; BACKGROUND: Antiseptic agents, particularly slow-release preparations, are increasingly being used in the management of chronic wounds . One such agent, cadexomer iodine, carries iodine (0.9% weight/weight) immobilized in beads of dextrin and epichlorhydrin and has been demonstrated to be highly effective in promoting healing of exudative wounds . However, there have been no studies directly assessing the potential lack of toxicity of cadexomer iodine on human cutaneous tissues . OBJECTIVES: To determine if, within a certain concentration range, cadexomer iodine is non-toxic to human cells and cutaneous tissue and to assess histologically human chronic exudative wounds that are being treated with cadexomer iodine . METHODS: We examined the effects of varying concentrations of cadexomer iodine on the viability of human fibroblasts in culture (by trypan blue exclusion) . The morphology, cellular proliferation capacity (measured by {3H}thymidine uptake), ability to produce alpha 1(I) procollagen chain mRNA, and cell outgrowth from neonatal foreskin explants were also evaluated in human fibroblasts after incubation with various concentrations of cadexomer iodine . Moreover, biopsies of chronic exudative wounds concurrently treated with cadexomer iodine were stained with haematoxylin and eosin or a Gram stain and evaluated microscopically . RESULTS: At concentrations of up to 0.45%, cadexomer iodine was found to be non-toxic to fibroblasts in vitro; there were no changes in viability, morphology, cellular proliferation, ability to produce collagen, and cell outgrowth from explants . In vivo, skin biopsies of chronic exudative wounds being treated with cadexomer iodine demonstrated no evidence of cell necrosis, displayed re-epithelialization, and revealed bacteria within the cadexomer beads . CONCLUSIONS: These studies demonstrate that cadexomer iodine has definite non-toxic concentration ranges for fibroblasts in vitro, which are consistent with a lack of cellular toxicity in human chronic exudative wounds treated with cadexomer iodine . Cadexomer iodine may also have the additional property of trapping microorganisms. Am Surg, 2002 Apr, 68(4), 390 - 1 Empyema complicating muscle-sparing thoracotomy: the role of wound management; Sees DW et al.; The fascial layers bordering the latissimus dorsi and anchoring the serratus muscles often do not lend themselves to impervious closure during muscle-sparing thoracotomy . Fluid from the subcutaneous space may therefore drain into the pleural cavity after such procedures . If this fluid is contaminated with microorganisms the potential for development of empyema is present . Two patients are presented in whom this scenario was presumed to have occurred . Early intervention in the second patient was felt to have avoided the development of a major empyema. Environ Toxicol Chem, 2002 Apr, 21(4), 715 - 9 Kinetics of polychlorinated biphenyl dechlorination by Hudson River, New York, USA, sediment microorganisms; Cho YC et al.; The kinetics of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dechlorination by Hudson River (New York, USA) sediment microorganisms were investigated using Aroclor 1242 at 10 concentrations ranging from 0 to 900 ppm (0-11.2 micromol Cl/g sediment) . The time course of PCB dechlorination and population growth were determined by congener-specific analysis and the most-probable-number technique, respectively, over a 44-week incubation period . Dechlorination rate (nmol Cl removed/g sediment/d) was a linear function of PCB concentrations similar to the dechlorination of Aroclor 1248 by sediment microorganisms from the St . Lawrence River (New York, USA) . However, the rate was much slower, with the linear slope being only 24% that of the St . Lawrence River . The threshold concentration below which no dechlorination occurs was (mean +/- standard deviation) 1.06 +/- 0.18 micromol Cl/g sediment (85 +/- 14 ppm), threefold higher than that for the dechlorination of Aroclor 1248 . The maximum extent of dechlorination was greater at higher Aroclor concentrations . Dechlorinating microorganisms did not show any significant growth until late in the lag phase of dechlorination, and their maximum was greater at higher initial Aroclor 1242 concentrations . Although dechlorination rates were significantly lower with the Hudson River inoculum, when normalized to the maximum number of dechlorinating organisms, they were not significantly different from those for Aroclor 1248 by St . Lawrence River microorganisms . These results further support the idea that PCB dechlorination is tightly linked to the growth of dechlorinating microorganisms. Intern Med J, 2002 Apr, 32(4), 170 - 8 Surface-active phospholipid: a Pandora's box of clinical applications . Part I . The lung and air spaces; Hills BA; Almost everywhere in the body there are phospholipids, not only comprising the lipid bilayer of membranes, but also in the free state . What is seldom appreciated, except in respirology, is that these 'free' phospholipids are unusual in that many are highly surface active . Surface activity is a property of certain substances (surfactants), conferred by their molecular constitution and configuration, which predisposes them to locate at interfaces because, in doing so, they reduce interfacial energy . When adsorbed (reversibly bound) to solid surfaces, surfactants can impart many highly desirable properties that have been widely studied and long accepted in the physical sciences, while their commercial applications have withstood the test of time . These desirable properties include lubricity (boundary lubrication), release (antistick) and dewatering, while providing a barrier to corrosion, abrasion, solute transmission and to biological microorganisms . Many of these offer obvious roles for surface-active phospholipid (SAPL), ranging from a corrosion inhibitor in the stomach to a load-bearing lubricant in the joints . This opens a veritable 'Pandora's box' of potential clinical applications . Part I of this review challenges traditional beliefs in respirology that 'surfactant' is unique to the lung and, moreover, that its actions are confined to the liquid-air interface . Evidence is discussed that, by binding to alveolar epithelium, SAPL imparts semi-permeability needed before channels pumping ions can also pump water vital for maintaining fluid balance . Evidence is also reviewed for a lining to upper airways, sinuses and Eustachian tube where it can act like a standard release agent. Vnitr Lek, 2002 Feb, 48(2), 142 - 6 {Non-specific immune responses in patients with chronic diabetic foot syndrome and chronic bacterial infection}; Jirkovska A et al.; Chronic bacterial ulcers infection is a frequent cause of non-healing diabetic foot . The major factors of a non-specific immune response are phagocytic cells including polymporphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes, and humoral systems (complement) . PMN leukocytes remove microorganisms by phagocytosis a part of it is intracellular killing and degradation in a process requiring energy and associated with "respiratory burst" . The aim of our study was to assess non-specific immune response in patients with diabetic foot syndrome and chronic bacterial infection . 30 patients treated over one month with antibiotics for an infected diabetic foot in our foot clinic had significantly lower values of "oxidative burst" of PMN leukocytes in basal state (396 +/- 228 vs . 574 +/- 337, p < 0.05) in comparison with 25 matched healthy controls . There were no significant differences neither in the count of active phagocyting PMN leukocytes and their initial phagocytic activity nor in the humoral component of non-specific immunity (in circulating immunocomplexes, C3 and C4 components of complement) between both groups . The results of our study show a slightly altered non-specific immune response in patients with diabetic foot syndrome and chronic bacterial infection. Anal Biochem, 2002 Apr 15, 303(2), 186 - 93 Highly sensitive and specific detection of viable Escherichia coli in drinking water; Min J et al.; A highly sensitive and specific assay method was developed for the detection of viable Escherichia coli as an indicator organism in water, using nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) analysis . Viable E . coli were identified via a 200-nt-long target sequence from mRNA (clpB) coding for a heat shock protein . In the detection assay, a heat shock was applied to the cells prior to disruption to induce the synthesis of clpB mRNA and the mRNA was extracted, purified, and finally amplified using NASBA . The amplified mRNA was quantified with an ECL detection system after hybridization with specific DNA probes . Several disruption methods were investigated to maximize total RNA extracted from viable cells . Optimization was also carried out regarding the design of NASBA primer pairs and detection probes, as well as reaction and detection conditions . Finally, the assay was tested regarding sensitivity and specificity . Analysis of samples revealed that as few as 40 E . coli cells/mL can be detected, with no false positive signals resulting from other microorganisms or nonviable E . coli cells . Also, it was shown that a quantification of E . coli cells was possible with our assay method . (C)2002 Elsevier Science (USA) Chembiochem, 2001 Oct 1, 2(10), 747 - 57 Novel hyperbranched glycomimetics recognized by the human mannose receptor: quinic or shikimic acid derivatives as mannose bioisosteres; Grandjean C et al.; The mannose receptor mediates the internalization of a wide range of molecules or microorganisms in a pattern recognition manner . Therefore, it represents an attractive entry for specific drug, gene, or antigen delivery to macrophages and dendritic cells . In an attempt to design novel effective synthetic mannose receptor ligands, quinic and shikimic acid were selected as putative mannose mimics on the basis of X-ray crystallographic data from the related rat mannose-binding lectin . As the mannose receptor preferentially binds to molecules displaying several sugar residues, fluorescein-labeled cluster quinic and shikimic acid derivatives with valencies of two to eight were synthesized . Their mannose receptor mediated uptake was assayed on monocyte-derived human dendritic cells by cytofluorimetric analysis . Mannose-receptor specificity was further assessed by competitive inhibition assays with mannan, by confocal microscopy analysis, and by expression of the mannose receptor in transfected Cos-1 cells . Constructs derived from both quinic and shikimic acid were efficiently recognized by the mannose receptor with an optimum affinity for the molecules with a valency of four . As a result, commercially available quinic and shikimic acids appear as stable mannose bioisosteres, which should prove valuable tools for specific cell delivery. J Bacteriol, 2002 May, 184(9), 2420 - 8 Demonstration that fbiC is required by Mycobacterium bovis BCG for coenzyme F(420) and FO biosynthesis; Choi KP et al.; Using the nitroimidazopyran-based antituberculosis drug PA-824 as a selective agent, transposon-generated Mycobacterium bovis strain BCG (M . bovis) mutants that could not make coenzyme F(420) were identified . Four independent mutants that could not make F(420) or the biosynthesis intermediate FO were examined more closely . These mutants contained transposons inserted in the M . bovis homologue of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis gene Rv1173, which we have named fbiC . Complementation of an M . bovis FbiC(-) mutant with fbiC restored the F(420) phenotype . These data demonstrate that fbiC is essential for F(420) production and that FbiC participates in a portion of the F(420) biosynthetic pathway between pyrimidinedione and FO . Homologues of fbiC were found in all 11 microorganisms that have been fully sequenced and that are known to make F(420) . Four of these homologues (all from members of the aerobic actinomycetes) coded for proteins homologous over the entire length of the M . bovis FbiC, but in seven microorganisms two separate genes were found to code for proteins homologous with either the N-terminal or C-terminal portions of the M . bovis FbiC . Histidine-tagged FbiC overexpressed in Escherichia coli produced a fusion protein of the molecular mass predicted from the M . bovis BCG sequence (approximately 95,000 Da), as well as three other histidine-tagged proteins of significantly smaller size, which are thought to be proteolysis products of the FbiC fusion protein. Mikrobiol Z, 2002 Jan-Feb, 64(1), 82 - 6 {Frequency of isolation of viable tuberculosis bacteria from patients with different forms of lung tuberculosis}; Iavors'ka GV et al.; Tuberculosis mycobacteria isolated from patients with lung tuberculosis have been analyzed to define their viability . The character of bacterial excretions was studied in patients with different clinical forms and detection genesis of tuberculosis process . During 1998-2000 about 228 cases of growth absence after mycobacteria inoculation have been revealed under positive microscopy . When determining viability of tuberculosis mycobacteria, it was shown that in most cases patients with all the forms of the pathologic process, except for the fibrous-cavernysh form, excrete alive microorganisms . The considerably higher amount of alive tuberculosis mycobacteria was distinguished in people who had chronical or relapsed tuberculosis in comparison with newly diagnosed patients. Mikrobiol Z, 2001 Nov-Dec, 63(6), 71 - 88 {Interaction of microorganisms with solids}; Kurdish IK; The paper generalizes data from literature dedicated to microorganisms interaction with solids . This interaction is widely spread in nature and considerably affects physiological activity of microbial populations . The role of physical, chemical and biological factors in this process is analyzed . It is noted that under certain conditions the hydrophobic forces are the basic factor in this interaction . The role of the cell surface components in this process is discussed. Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 2002 Jun, 34(6), 645 - 56 Urea-induced unfolding studies of free- and ligand-bound tetrameric ATP-dependent Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase . Influence of quaternary structure on protein conformational stability; Encinas MV et al.; ATP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxykinases are found in plants and microorganisms, and catalyse the reversible formation of PEP, ADP, and CO(2) from oxaloacetate plus ATP . These enzymes vary in quaternary structure although there is significant sequence identity among the proteins isolated from different sources . To help understand the influence of quaternary structure in protein stability, the urea-induced unfolding of free- and substrate-bound tetrameric Saccharomyces cerevisiae PEP carboxykinase is described and compared with the unfolding characteristics of the monomeric Escherichia coli enzyme {Eur . J . Biochem . 255 (1998) 439} . The urea-induced denaturation of S . cerevisiae PEP carboxykinase was studied by monitoring the enzyme activity, intrinsic protein fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, and 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS) binding . The unfolding profiles were multi-steps, and formation of hydrophobic structures were detected . The data indicate that unfolding and dissociation of the enzyme tetramer are simultaneous events . Ligand binding, most notably PEP in the presence of MnCl(2), conferred a marked protection against urea-induced denaturation . A similar protection effect was found when N-iodoacetyl-N'-(5-sulfo-1-napthyl)ethylene diamine (1,5-I-AEDANS) was covalently bound at Cys(365), within the active site region . Refolding experiments indicated that total recovery of tertiary structure was only obtained from samples previously unfolded to less than 30% . In the presence of substrates, complete refolding was achieved from samples originally denatured up to 50% . The unfolding behaviour of S . cerevisiae PEP carboxykinase was found to be similar to that of E . coli PEP carboxykinase, however all steps take place at lower urea concentrations . These findings show that, at least for monomeric and tetrameric ATP-dependent PEP carboxykinases, quaternary structure does not contribute to protein conformational stability. FEBS Lett, 2002 Mar 27, 515(1-3), 44 - 50 Identification of differentially expressed genes by cDNA-AFLP technique during heat stress in cowpea nodules; Simoes-Araujo JL et al.; Legume nodules formed by diazotrophic microorganisms are active sites for biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) . In tropical regions, a significant part of N supply for soybean, peanut and bean crops is derived from BNF, which is nevertheless often limited by high temperature stress . In contrast, cowpea nodules are very resistant to high temperatures . To understand the molecular bases of thermotolerance during BNF under heat stress, we have used cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism experiments to identify differentially expressed transcripts from cowpea nodules subjected to heat shock treatment . The expression profiles obtained showed approximately 600 bands, 55 up-regulated and nine corresponding to genes repressed by heat stress . Twenty transcript-derived fragments were isolated, cloned and sequenced . The Vigna unguiculata nodule and stress response transcripts present similarities to those that encode low molecular weight heat shock proteins, wound-induced proteins, disease resistance protein, and xylan endohydrolase isoenzyme, as well as different housekeeping genes . The differential expression of 15 genes was confirmed by using Northern blot or reverse Northern hybridization experiments. Lipids, 2002 Mar, 37(3), 317 - 23 Selective (R)-3-hydroxylation of FA by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia; Weil K et al.; Soil samples were screened for microorganisms selectively transforming FA . One of the isolated strains was identified as the bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia by its phenotypic features and genotypic characterization by sequencing the ribosomal RNA gene . Using linoleic acid as substrate resulted in the formation of two major compounds . After liquid chromatographic isolation and separation, their structures were elucidated by HPLC-tandem MS, GC-MS, and NMR techniques to be 3-hydroxy-Z6-dodecenoic acid and 3-hydroxy-Z5,Z8-tetradecadienoic acid . In additional experiments, other FA, such as a-linolenic, oleic, palmitoleic, myristoleic, and cis-vaccenic acids, were converted to 3-hydroxylated metabolites of shorter chain lengths as well . Determination of the enantiomeric composition revealed highly enriched (R)-hydroxylation (88-98% enantiomeric excess). Clin Infect Dis, 2002 May 1, 34(9), 1232 - 42 Epub 2002 Apr 02. The promise of novel technology for the prevention of intravascular device-related bloodstream infection . I . Pathogenesis and short-term devices; Crnich CJ et al.; Intravascular devices (IVDs) are widely used for vascular access but are associated with substantial risk of development of IVD-related bloodstream infection (BSI) . The development of novel technologies, which are based on an understanding of pathogenesis, promises a quantum reduction in IVD-related infections in an era of growing nursing shortages . Infections of short-term IVDs (that is, those in place <10 days), including peripheral venous catheters, noncuffed and nontunneled central venous catheters (CVCs), and arterial catheters, derive mainly from microorganisms colonizing the skin around the insertion site, which most often gain access extraluminally . More-effective cutaneous antiseptics, such as chlorhexidine, a chlorhexidine-impregnated sponge dressing, CVCs with an anti-infective coating, anti-infective CVC hubs, and novel needleless connectors, have all been shown to reduce the risk of IVD-related BSI in prospective randomized trials . The challenge for the future will be to identify new preventative technologies and to begin to adapt more widely those technologies already shown to be efficacious and cost-effective. Planta, 2002 Apr, 214(6), 821 - 8 Epub 2001 Dec 14. Evidence that hydroxyl radicals mediate auxin-induced extension growth; Schopfer P et al.; Reactive oxygen intermediates, i.e . the superoxide radical (O*-)(2), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the hydroxyl radical (*OH), are generally regarded as harmful products of oxygenic metabolism causing cell damage in plants, animals and microorganisms . However, oxygen radical chemistry may also play a useful role in polymer breakdown leading to wall loosening during extension growth of plant cells controlled by the phytohormone auxin . Backbone cleavage of cell wall polysaccharides can be accomplished in vitro by (*OH) produced from H2O2 in a Fenton reaction or in a reaction catalyzed by peroxidase supplied with O2 and NADH . Here, we show that coleoptile growth of maize seedlings is accompanied by the release of reactive oxygen intermediates in the cell wall . Auxin promotes release of (O*-)(2) and subsequent generation of (*OH)when inducing elongation growth . Experimental generation of (*OH) in the wall causes an increase in wall extensibility in vitro and replaces auxin in inducing growth . Auxin-induced growth can be inhibited by scavengers of (O*-)(2), H2O2 or (*OH), or inhibitors interfering with the formation of these molecules in the cell wall . These results provide the experimental background for a novel hypothesis on the mechanism of plant cell growth in which (*OH), produced from (O*-)(2) and H2O2 by cell wall peroxidase, acts as a wall-loosening agent. Anal Bioanal Chem, 2002 Mar, 372(5-6), 737 - 9 Epub 2002 Feb 16. A BOD biosensor based on a microorganism immobilized on an Al2O3 sol-gel matrix; Chen D et al.; A novel BOD biosensor has been fabricated from a microbial membrane on an oxygen electrode; a porous inorganic Al2O3 sol-gel matrix was used to immobilize the yeast . Use of the sensor is convenient and rapid compared with the official BOD5 method . The gelation time required to form the microorganism membrane was less than 15 min . There was linear relationship between the response (sensor current) and BOD values ranging from 10-50 mg x L(-1) . The lifetime of the BOD biosensor was more than 30 days at ambient temperature. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol, 2002 Jan, 28(1), 42 - 7 Industrial microbiology of solar salt production; Javor BJ; Solar salterns can be modeled as giant outdoor chemostats, much like a series of dams on a slow-moving river . Microorganisms and their products play an essential, but sometimes uncharacterized, role in salt production in these ponds, from seawater salinity up through NaCl saturation . They may physically affect the evaporation process and their by-products may chemically modify or bind with dissolved ions . Many solar salt facilities engage microbiologists to establish monitoring programs for analyses of nutrients, standing crop and associated biological variables in the ponds . Other solar salt companies engage microbiologists only when there are "crises" in the ponds that interfere with salt production. Ann Biol Clin (Paris), 2002 Mar-Apr, 60(2), 193 - 200 {Emerging parasitosis ans mycosis: risk and threats for the new millenium}; Pinel C et al.; For multiple reasons, the emergent infectious risks do not stop increasing these last twenty years . The climatic modifications and the human interventions modifying the biotope as well as the rapid spreading of resistant strains to treatments, generate re-emergence or emergence, all the more dramatic as the means of fight are reduced . These emergent or re-emergent diseases are extremely worrisome as their diagnosis and their prevention are often difficult . The important infesting power of parasites and the particularly effective capacities of adaptation of these eucaryotes contributed to the public health problems . Anthropozoonoses and zoonoses constitute a permanent risk the control of which is imaginary . The new pathogenic agents, the unusual clinical demonstrations in the context of deficiency of the host immune functions imply attentiveness and a permanent up to date of the knowledge of the biologist and of the different professionals of health . The risks with which are confronted the humanity during this century underline the necessity of determining mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis . The determination of the specific and vital biologic processes for the microorganism, could allow to define the most appropriated targets and the most effective and original means of fight. Structure (Camb), 2002 Apr, 10(4), 473 - 82 Early structural rearrangements in the photocycle of an integral membrane sensory receptor; Edman K et al.; Sensory rhodopsins are the primary receptors of vision in animals and phototaxis in microorganisms . Light triggers the rapid isomerization of a buried retinal chromophore, which the protein both accommodates and amplifies into the larger structural rearrangements required for signaling . We trapped an early intermediate of the photocycle of sensory rhodopsin II from Natronobacterium pharaonis (pSRII) in 3D crystals and determined its X-ray structure to 2.3 A resolution . The observed structural rearrangements were localized near the retinal chromophore, with a key water molecule becoming disordered and the retinal's beta-ionone ring undergoing a prominent movement . Comparison with the early structural rearrangements of bacteriorhodopsin illustrates how modifications in the retinal binding pocket of pSRII allow subtle differences in the early relaxation of photoisomerized retinal. Eur Respir J, 2002 Mar, 19(3), 546 - 56 Role of persistent infection in the control and severity of asthma: focus on Chlamydia pneumoniae; von HL; Conventional risk factors have been unable to explain most of the substantial increase in the prevalence of asthma observed in many countries during the last few decades . Much attention has been directed at the "hygiene hypothesis", the apparent inverse relationship between intense systemic childhood infections and the subsequent development of asthma and atopy . However, it is not only the absence or scarcity of infections, but the prolonged presence of certain microorganisms in the lungs that may be involved in the development of asthma . Accumulating evidence suggests that Chlamydia pneumoniae, an intracellular ubiquitous pathogen with an innate propensity to persist and cause chronic infections, may be associated with asthma . This microorganism can achieve a state of "latency" in which it is viable but dormant and does not multiply . During this state, however, chlamydia continues to synthesize the "stress" protein, a 60-kDa heat shock protein (hsp60) . This protein is able to elicit a strong host inflammatory response at sites of its production and appears to be involved in tissue injury and scarring processes . As inflammation has been found to be present in almost all asthmatics, whatever the severity and aetiology of the disease, inhaled glucocorticoids now have an established position in the treatment of early stages . However, corticosteroids negatively affect many aspects of cell-mediated immunity and favour the shift from a T-helper-1-type response towards a T-helper-2-type response . Corticosteroids may thus severely deteriorate the host's ability to eradicate an intracellular pathogen, such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, which requires a properly functioning cell-mediated (T-helper-1-type) immune response to be cleared . These drugs are also able to reactivate persistent Chlamydia to an active growth phase, which, by increasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines at the site of infection, can further amplify inflammation in the airways of patients with asthma. Int Immunol, 2002 Apr, 14(4), 411 - 9 IFN-alpha/beta enhances BCR-dependent B cell responses; Braun D et al.; Type I interferon (IFN-I) is constitutively produced in the bone marrow (BM), and induced at sites of inflammation and following infection by viruses or microorganisms . We have previously shown that IFN-I regulates the generation and selection of normal B cell populations in the BM . In the present work, we assess the effects of IFN-I on mature B cell function by monitoring the responses of IFN-alpha/beta-treated murine splenic B cells to apoptotic, mitogenic and activating stimuli . A similar analysis is performed on BM mature B cells obtained from wild-type or IFN-I receptor-deficient mice . IFN-alpha/beta is shown to induce B cells to a state of partial activation characterized by the up-regulation of CD69, CD86 and CD25 molecules in the absence of either proliferation or terminal differentiation . B cells treated with IFN-alpha/beta show an increased survival and resistance to Fas-mediated apoptosis . IFN-alpha/beta also enhances B cell responses to BCR ligation such as calcium fluxes, IgM internalization, induction of activation markers and proliferation . These results indicate that in addition to its inhibitory effect on viral replication and T cell apoptosis, IFN-alpha/beta plays an essential role during an inflammatory response by lowering the threshold for B cell induction, thereby promoting fast and polyclonal antibody responses. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2002 Apr 1, 165(7), 954 - 60 Occupational asthma in greenhouse flower and ornamental plant growers; Monso E et al.; The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of occupational asthma and sensitization to workplace allergens in greenhouse flower and/or ornamental plant growers . A random sample of 40 growers who cultivated such crops and had participated in the European Farmers' Study was selected for a cross-sectional study that included (1) greenhouse characteristics and air contaminants (dust, endotoxin, and microorganisms), (2) respiratory symptoms, (3) occupational asthma diagnosed by bronchial provocation challenge, and (4) sensitization to workplace flowers or molds . Associations among respiratory symptoms, sensitization, greenhouse characteristics, and air contaminants were analyzed by logistic regression modeling . Thirty-nine growers agreed to participate (response rate, 97.5%) . Bronchial provocation challenge confirmed occupational asthma in three workers (7.7%), all of them sensitized to workplace flowers or molds . No cases of occupational asthma were found among nonsensitized growers . Poor ventilation proved to be a marginal risk factor for wheezing (air velocity: odds ratio, 0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-1.04) . Sensitization to flowers or molds was found in 13 of 38 growers (34.2%) but was not related to greenhouse characteristics . We conclude that one-fourth of greenhouse flower and/or ornamental plant growers sensitized to workplace flowers or molds have occupational asthma, a disease that is suffered by 8% of the growers who cultivate these crops. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2002 Mar, 42(2), 151 - 61 Microbial control by packaging: a review; Cutter CN; Since early man first used a variety of natural containers to store and eat foods, significant developments in food packaging materials have provided the means to suppress microbial growth as well as protect foods from external microbial contamination . Throughout this progression, packaging materials have been developed specifically to prevent the deterioration of foods resulting from exposure to air, moisture, or pH changes associated with the food or the surrounding atmosphere . Both flexible and rigid packaging materials, alone or in combination with other preservation methods, have been developed to offer the necessary barrier, inactivation, and containment properties required for successful food packaging . Examples of flexible packaging used to inactivate microorganisms associated with foods include controlled atmosphere, vacuum, modified atmosphere, active, and edible packaging . Additionally, the combination of rigid packaging materials made from metal, glass, or plastic with heat provides the most effective and widely used method for inactivating microorganisms . As with all food products, it is necessary to integrate a HACCP-based program to assure quality throughout the packaging operation . In addition to packaging improvements, other novel technologies include the development of detectors for oxygen levels, bacterial toxins, and microbial growth, or the integration of time-temperature indicators for detection of improper handling or storage. Int J Food Microbiol, 2002 Mar, 73(2-3), 395 - 407 Predictive microbiology: towards the interface and beyond; McMeekin TA et al.; This review considers the concept and history of predictive microbiology and explores aspects of the modelling process including kinetic and probability modelling approaches . The "journey" traces the route from reproducible responses observed under close to optimal conditions for growth, through recognition and description of the increased variability in responses as conditions become progressively less favourable for growth, to defining combinations of factors at which growth ceases (the growth/no growth interface) . Death kinetics patterns are presented which form a basis on which to begin the development of nonthermal death models . This will require incorporation of phenotypic, adaptive responses and may be influenced by factors such as the sequence in which environmental constraints are applied . A recurrent theme is that probability (stochastic) approaches are required to complement or replace kinetic models as the growth/no growth interface is approached and microorganisms adopt a survival rather than growth mode . Attention is also drawn to the interfaces of predictive microbiology with microbial physiology, information technology and food safety initiatives such as HACCP and risk assessment. Int J Food Microbiol, 2002 Mar, 73(2-3), 343 - 9 Seafood Spoilage Predictor--development and distribution of a product specific application software; Dalgaard P et al.; To allow shelf-life prediction of a range of products, the Seafood Spoilage Predictor (SSP) software has been developed to include both kinetic models for growth of specific spoilage microorganisms and empirical relative rates of spoilage models . SSP can read and evaluate temperature profile data of different formats and in this way the software is a flexible device for electronic time-temperature integration . Predicted values of microbial growth and of remaining product shelf life can be exported from SSP as graphs and tables in ASCII, HTML and eXtensible Mark-up Language (XML) formats and this allows SSP to be used in combination with other programmes . More than 300 people have downloaded SSP and distribution of this software from the internet has been efficient in stimulating the application of predictive microbiology and of mathematical seafood shelf-life models within industry, research, seafood inspection and teaching. Rev Stomatol Chir Maxillofac, 2002 Feb, 103(1), 26 - 9 {Systemic infections of dental origin}; Gilon Y et al.; Microorganisms harbored in the oral cavity have long been recognized to cause systemic disease with a well known mechanism of spread via the blood stream . Different factors, including the presence of periodontal disease, the number of dental extractions or the duration of dental surgery have an influence on the risk of bacteremia . Infectious endocarditis is classically cited, but there are other potential problems including brain abscess, meningitis, lung or lie abscess, and even for some authors, a risk of thrombotic heart disease . It is important to keep in mind that some of these focal infections may be possible complications of dental (or buccal) infection . Prevention is crucial. Microbes Infect, 2002 Apr, 4(4), 433 - 40 Alternative food-preservation technologies: efficacy and mechanisms; Lado BH et al.; High-pressure processing, ionizing radiation, pulsed electric field and ultraviolet radiation are emerging preservation technologies designed to produce safe food, while maintaining its nutritional and sensory qualities . A sigmoid inactivation pattern is observed in most kinetic studies . Damage to cell membranes, enzymes or DNA is the most commonly cited cause of death of microorganisms by alternative preservation technologies. Microbes Infect, 2002 Apr, 4(4), 413 - 23 Ecological factors influencing survival and growth of human pathogens on raw fruits and vegetables; Beuchat LR; Outbreaks of human infections associated with consumption of raw fruits and vegetables have occurred with increased frequency during the past decade . Factors contributing to this increase may include changes in agronomic and processing practices, an increase in per capita consumption of raw or minimally processed fruits and vegetables, increased international trade and distribution, and an increase in the number of immuno-compromised consumers . A general lack of efficacy of sanitizers in removing or killing pathogens on raw fruits and vegetables has been attributed, in part, to their inaccessibility to locations within structures and tissues that may harbor pathogens . Understanding the ecology of pathogens and naturally occurring microorganisms is essential before interventions for elimination or control of growth can be devised. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2002 Mar, 52(Pt 2), 671 - 8 Thiobaca trueperi gen . nov., sp . nov., a phototrophic purple sulfur bacterium isolated from freshwater lake sediment; Rees GN et al.; Two strains of a novel species of phototrophic micro-organism were isolated from the sediments of a shallow, freshwater, eutrophic lake . Both strains grew photolithoheterotrophically with sulfide as an electron donor, transiently accumulating intracellular sulfur globules . Photolithoautotrophic growth was not observed . One strain was designated BCH(T) (the type strain) and was studied in most detail . Cells contained bacteriochlorophyll a, and the dominant carotenoid was lycopene . Cell suspensions were brown . The photosynthetic membranes had a vesicular arrangement . Acetate, propionate, pyruvate, succinate and fumarate were each used as electron donors and carbon sources in the presence of sulfide and bicarbonate . In the presence of light, growth did not occur with hydrogen, thiosulfate or iron(II) . The optimum temperature for growth was between 25 and 30 degrees C, the maximum being 36 degrees C . The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain BCH(T) was 63 mol% . Analysis of the 16S RNA genes showed that both strains belonged to the gamma-subclass of the Proteobacteria but were phylogenetically distinct from any described phototrophic organisms within the Chromatiaceae . On the basis of phylogenetic and physiological differences from other phototrophic microorganisms, strain BCH(T) is described as a novel species of a new genus, Thiobaca trueperi gen . nov., sp . nov. Acta Microbiol Pol, 2001, 50(3-4), 189 - 204 Rep-PCR - a variant to RAPD or an independent technique of bacteria genotyping? A comparison of the typing properties of rep-PCR with other recognised methods of genotyping of microorganisms; Baldy-Chudzik K; The paper presents technical aspects of rep-PCR fingerprinting technique and compares its typing abilities, differentiation power and reproducibility with other recognised and recommended genotyping methods . Although rep-PCR fingerprinting is similar to MAAP techniques, it demonstrates some essentially different elements . The data presented in this review, indicate a rep-PCR genomic fingerprinting technique as a highly discriminating, independent screening method for determining the taxonomical diversity of bacterial population. Z Gastroenterol, 2002 Apr, 40 Suppl 1, S92 - S4 {Extra-intestinal Manifestations of chronic inflammatory Bowel diseases}; Pierer M et al.; Approximately one third of all patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis suffer from extra-intestinal manifestations of their inflammatory bowel disease . Most commonly those symptoms occur simultaneously with the CED symptoms; they can, however, either precede them or appear later on in the course of the disease . The most frequent extra-intestinal symptoms are arthralgias of peripheral joints and spine, which are usually bland and self-limiting, while ankylosing spondylitis and erosive arthritides are rare.Skin lesion and eye affections can also parallel the bowel condition, but occasionally they precede intestinal manifestations and can be a first diagnostic clue . In addition, different extra-intestinal symptoms tend to simultaneously co-occur more frequently in some patients with CED, while others are not affected at all.Immunogenetic parameters play a role for the manifestations of the pathologic immune response both in the gut and in the musculo-skeletal systems, as indicated by associations with MHC class I alleles . Enteropathic microorganisms are also thought to be involved in the pathogenetic mechanisms. Mol Microbiol, 2002 Feb, 43(3), 703 - 15 An ABC-type, high-affinity urea permease identified in cyanobacteria; Valladares A et al.; Urea is an important nitrogen source for many microorganisms, but urea active transporters have not been characterized at a molecular level in any bacterium . Cells of Synechocystis sp . PCC 6803 and Anabaena sp . PCC 7120 exhibited the capacity to take up {14C}-urea from low-concentration (<1 microM) urea solutions . The Ks of Anabaena cells for urea was about 0.11 microM, and the observed uptake activity involved the transport and metabolism of urea . In contrast to urease, which was constitutively ex-pressed, expression of the high-affinity urea uptake activity was subjected to nitrogen control . In an Anabaena ureG (urease-) mutant, a concentrative, active transport of urea could be demonstrated . We found that a mutant of open reading frame (ORF) sll0374 from the Synechocystis genomic sequence lacked urea transport activity . This ORF encoded a conserved component of an ABC-type transporter, but it is not clustered together with any other possible transporter-encoding gene . An Anabaena homologue of sll0374, urtE, was isolated and found to be part of a cluster of genes, urtABCDE, putatively encoding all the elements of an ABC-type permease . Although the longest transcript that we could detect only covered urtABC, the impairment of urea transport by inactivation of urtA, urtB or urtE suggested that the whole gene cluster is expressed producing the urea permease . Expression was induced under nitrogen-limiting conditions, and a complex promoter regulated by the cyanobacterial global nitrogen control transcription factor NtcA was found upstream from urtA . Our work adds urea to the known substrates of the versatile class of ABC-type transporters and suggests the involvement of a transporter of this superfamily in urea scavenging by some bacteria in natural environments. J Agric Food Chem, 2002 Apr 10, 50(8), 2256 - 60 Resistance of soybean vegetative storage proteins (S-VSPs) to proteolysis by rumen microorganisms; Guenoune D et al.; Soybean vegetative storage proteins (S-VSPs) are lysine-rich and, hence, are potentially of high nutritive value for high productive ruminants . Using S-VSPs from wild-type soybean and from transgenic tobacco plants expressing either one of the two S-VSPs subunits (S-VSP alpha or S-VSP beta) or both, we tested their stability in cow rumen fluid under in situ conditions, using SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . Proteolysis and degradation pattern of S-VSPs from transgenic tobacco leaves occurred relatively fast compared with that of wild-type (WT) soybean plants . Comparing the two S-VSPs subunits expressed in transgenic plants, we found that S-VSP alpha was degraded much faster than S-VSP beta . The degradation pattern of S-VSPs in transgenic tobacco plants expressing both subunits resembled that of WT soybean . In contrast, the degradation pattern of transgenic tobacco plants expressing a single subunit was different . These finding suggest that the quaternary structure of S-VSPs may be an important factor determining their resistance to rumen degradation . Our results also suggest that the stability to rumen proteolysis of a given protein, when expressed in a transgenic plant, may not always be predictable and has to be verified. Mol Ecol, 2002 Mar, 11(3), 571 - 81 Community analysis of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with Ammophila arenaria in Dutch coastal sand dunes; Kowalchuk GA et al.; A polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) approach for the detection and characterization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was developed and applied to the study of AMF communities associated with the main sand-stabilizing plant species of the Dutch sand dunes, marram grass (Ammophila arenaria, L.) . DNA was extracted directly from plant roots, soil or isolated AMF spores, and prominent bands resulting from AMF-specific DGGE profiles were excised for sequence analysis . This strategy provided a robust means of detecting and identifying AMF-like species without the use of trap plant cultivation methods . A number of Glomus-like and Scutellospora-like sequences was detected, including a putatively novel Glomus species, and differences were observed in the dominant AMF-like populations detected in healthy vs . degenerating stands of A . arenaria and in bulk sand dune soil . It has previously been suggested that plant pathogens, such as fungi and nematodes, may contribute to the decline of A . arenaria . Although no causal relationship can be drawn between the observed differences in the dominantly detected AMF-like populations and the vitality of plant growth, these results indicate that mutualistic interactions between this plant and AMF should not be overlooked when examining the role of soil-borne microorganisms in vegetation dynamics . In addition, there were discrepancies observed between the AMF-like groups detected in spore populations vs . direct 18S rDNA analysis of root material, corroborating previous suggestions that spore inspection alone may poorly represent actual AMF population structure. J Biosci, 2002 Feb, 27(1 Suppl 1), 27 - 33 Horizontal gene transfer and bacterial diversity; Dutta C et al.; Bacterial genomes are extremely dynamic and mosaic in nature . A substantial amount of genetic information is inserted into or deleted from such genomes through the process of horizontal transfer . Through the introduction of novel physiological traits from distantly related organisms, horizontal gene transfer often causes drastic changes in the ecological and pathogenic character of bacterial species and thereby promotes microbial diversification and speciation . This review discusses how the recent influx of complete chromosomal sequences of various microorganisms has allowed for a quantitative assessment of the scope, rate and impact of horizontally transmitted information on microbial evolution. Ophthalmology, 2002 Apr, 109(4), 687 - 93 Rapid direct antibiotic susceptibility testing in endophthalmitis; Mino de Kaspar H et al.; OBJECTIVE: To compare a new rapid antibiotic susceptibility test (RAST) to the conventional method in patients with endophthalmitis . DESIGN: Prospective nonrandomized comparative trial . PARTICIPANTS: Intraocular aspirates from 24 consecutive patients with endophthalmitis were tested . METHODS: Approximately 0.25 ml of vitreous or anterior chamber aspirate was obtained and tested for antibiotic sensitivity using the Kirby-Bauer agar disk diffusion method . Using this conventional testing method, the aspirates were cultured for bacterial growth before antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) . In contrast, for direct RAST, the aspirates were inoculated directly onto agar plates with antibiotic disks without first culturing for bacterial growth . RESULTS: Of the 24 endophthalmitis aspirates studied, 4 (17%) could not be tested by direct RAST because either more than one bacterial species was present or no bacteria were cultured . The remaining 20 cases provided 467 antibiotic-microorganism combinations . The two methods yielded identical susceptibility results in 409 (88%) of the 467 tests . In 42 tests (9%), a minor discrepancy occurred between the conventional method and RAST, in which one resulted in intermediate susceptibility, whereas the other was either resistant or sensitive . Significant discrepancy, defined as a bacterial sample reported as sensitive in one method yet resistant in the other, occurred with 16 samples (3%) . Results of the RAST were available within 6 to 10 hours compared with more than 24 hours for the conventional method . Of clinical significance, the results of the RAST revealed that in 11 cases of epidemic Stenotrophomonas maltophilia endophthalmitis, the bacteria were resistant to the antibiotics prescribed, and change of antibiotic therapy was made on the basis of the RAST results . CONCLUSIONS: RAST provided accurate antibiotic susceptibility results in a much shorter time than did the conventional method . We suggest that conventional AST be performed for confirmation of the RAST results, but initial antibiotic therapy can quite reliably be based on the results of RAST. EXS, 2002, (92), 247 - 303 Reexamining microbial evolution through the lens of horizontal transfer; Planet PJ; Our ability to understand the evolution of microbial organisms revolves around a central and increasingly unsettled question: what is the nature of the mode of inheritance? The extent to which genetic information is passed vertically from parent to daughter or horizontally between distant relatives must guide reconstructions and inferences of evolutionary history, and has direct bearing on any ideas about the mechanisms of selection and diversification . Recent evidence suggests that we may have previously underestimated the contribution of horizontal gene transfer, and the dynamics and extent of this process are only beginning to be understood . The recent flood of complete genome sequences of microorganisms has already presented us with a vast array of data from which to test our hypotheses about the evolution of the entire tree of life, but what remains unclear is how we can make sense of this unwieldy data set . Analyses of this newly available data set should include explicit examinations of the contributions of both types of inheritance. Ned Tijdschr Tandheelkd, 1997 Aug, 104(8), 300 - 1 {Rational use of antibiotics by the dentist can prevent microbial resistance}; van Kasteren ME et al.; Worldwide resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics is becoming a problem of major concern . An antibiotic policy which tries to control the development of resistance by rational use is needed in all fields where antibiotics are prescribed . In dental practice, apart from endocarditisprophylaxis, prophylaxis is leukopenic patients and prophylaxis after dental implants, antibiotics can be used to support local therapy of an dentoalveolar abscess or refractory periodontitis . In the majority of these cases, a small spectrum penicillin is therapy of choice. Adv Exp Med Biol, 2002, 504, 53 - 69 Biological control of Fusarium head blight of wheat and deoxynivalenol levels in grain via use of microbial antagonists; Schisler DA et al.; Efforts to reduce mycotoxin contamination in food logically start with minimizing plant infection by mycotoxin producing pathogens . Fusarium graminearum (perfect state, Gibberella zeae) infects wheat heads at flowering, causing the disease Fusarium head blight (FHB) and losses of over 2.6 billion dollars in the U.S . during the last 10 years . The pathogen often produces deoxynivalenol (DON) resulting in grain size and quality reduction . Highly resistant wheat cultivars currently are not available for reducing FHB, and labeled fungicides are not consistently effective . The feasibility of biologically controlling FHB is currently being evaluated . Microbial isolates obtained from wheat anthers were screened for their ability to utilize tartaric acid, a compound that is poorly utilized by F . graminearum and could be utilized in formulations of biological control agents . Four strains that utilized tartaric acid and three that did not were effective in reducing FHB disease severity by up to 95% in greenhouse and 56% in field trials . Additional research programs around the globe have identified other antagonist strains with potential for biologically controlling FHB . Though a considerable body of research remains to be completed, strategies and microorganisms for biologically controlling FHB have reached an advanced stage of development and offer the promise of being an effective tool that could soon contribute to the reduction of FHB severity and DON contamination of grain in commercial agriculture. Gastrointest Endosc, 2002 Apr, 55(4), 518 - 22 Duration of antibiotic therapy for cholangitis after successful endoscopic drainage of the biliary tract; van Lent AU et al.; BACKGROUND: Drainage of the obstructed biliary tree is the mainstay of therapy for patients with acute cholangitis; antibiotic therapy is complementary . It is unknown whether it is necessary to continue therapy with antibiotics once biliary drainage is achieved and signs of systemic inflammation have subsided . METHODS: Patients who presented with acute cholangitis and were successfully treated at ERCP were studied retrospectively . Patients were followed for 6 months after ERCP . RESULTS: Eighty patients fulfilled study criteria . In 46% of patients blood cultures grew microorganisms . All patients recovered from the episode under study . Antibiotic therapy after ERCP was given for a median duration of 3 days (range: 0-42) . Forty-one patients received antibiotic therapy for 3 days or less, 19 for 4 or 5 days, and 20 patients longer than 5 days . The 3 groups were well-matched . In none of the patients did the index episode of cholangitis result in a secondary complication not present at the time of ERCP . The percentage of patients with recurrent cholangitis (24%) was not statistically different for the 3 groups (p = 0.80) . CONCLUSIONS: Short-duration antibiotic therapy (3 days) appears sufficient when adequate drainage is achieved and fever is abating. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol, 2002 Apr, 42(1), 25 - 34 Carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and teratogenicity of manganese compounds; Gerber GB et al.; Manganese, an essential trace element, is one of the most used metals in the industry . Recently, several new manganese compounds have been introduced as fungicide, as antiknock agent in petrol and as contrasting agent in nuclear magnetic resonance tomography . Manganese displays a somewhat unique behaviour with regard to its toxicity . It is relatively non-toxic to the adult organism except to the brain where it causes Parkinson-like symptoms when inhaled even at moderate amounts over longer periods of time . Relatively high doses of manganese affect DNA replication and repair in bacteria and causes mutations in microorganism and mammalian cells although the Ames test does not appear to be particularly responsive to manganese . In mammalian cells, manganese causes DNA damage and chromosome aberrations . Information on organic manganese derivatives is still insufficient . Large amounts of manganese affect fertility in mammals and are toxic to the embryo and foetus . The fungicide MANEB and the contrasting agent MnDPDP also can be embryotoxic, but the latter only at doses much higher than those clinically employed . Information on the anti-knock agent MMT is inadequate . On the other hand, manganese deficiency can also affect fertility and be teratogenic . Information on cancer due to manganese is scanty but the results available do not indicate that inorganic manganese is carcinogenic . More information is desirable with regard to the organic manganese derivatives . It may surprise that an agent that causes mutations is not also carcinogenic . The experience with manganese shows that conclusions with regard to carcinogenicity of an agent based on the observation of mutations are subject to uncertainties . Altogether, it appears that, because of the very high doses at which positive effects have been found, manganese would not represent a significant carcinogenic risk to the population and workers . Care must, however, be exercised with respect to central-nervous symptoms after chronic exposure and with respect to effects on the embryo . Pregnant women should not be exposed to manganese at the work place. Clin Chim Acta, 2002 May 7, 319(1), 9 - 17 Is the neutrophil reactive oxygen species production measured by luminol and lucigenin chemiluminescence intra or extracellular? Comparison with DCFH-DA flow cytometry and cytochrome c reduction; Caldefie-Chezet F et al.; BACKGROUND: Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are crucial in host defense against invading microorganisms through reactive oxygen species (ROS) production . However, generated ROS released in excess into media can damage the host tissue . It is therefore essential, when exploring oxygen species production, to discriminate between its intracellular (IC) and extracellular (EC) localization . Several methods of ROS detection are commonly used . However, the literature shows that it is not always clear whether the species detected are IC or EC, especially with the chemiluminescence technique . METHODS: We compared PMN ROS production, determined by chemiluminescence, using two different probes (luminol and lucigenin) with that measured by 2'-7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) flow cytometry for IC production and by cytochrome c reduction for EC production . RESULTS: We found that luminol-dependent chemiluminescence explored IC ROS production more specifically (r=0.77, p<0.01: correlation between luminol-amplified chemiluminescence and DCFH-DA flow cytometry) . Lucigenin-amplified chemiluminescence and cytochrome c reduction were closely related (r=0.55, p<0.01) . CONCLUSION: Luminometry detection can thus afford reproducible information on intracellular ROS kinetic production using luminol and extracellular ROS detection using lucigenin, simply and at low cost. J Comp Physiol {B}, 2002 Apr, 172(3), 191 - 6 Epub 2002 Jan 10. Properties of Na(+)-dependent nucleoside transport in the proximal and distal small intestine of cows; Scharrer E et al.; Large amounts of nucleic acids associated with rumen microorganisms are digested in the proximal part of the small intestine of ruminants . We studied how the proximal-distal gradient in nucleic acid digestion is related to activity of Na(+)-nucleoside transporters in brush border membrane vesicles isolated from the proximal and distal small intestine of cows . Two Na(+)-dependent nucleoside transporters with overlapping substrate specificity were shown to be present at the two intestinal sites, one for pyrimidine nucleosides and one for purine nucleosides . Affinity constants (K(m)-values) for both thymidine and guanosine transport were similar at the two intestinal sites, while transport capacity (V(max)) was 2-3 times higher in the proximal than in the distal small intestine . Glucose and alpha-methyl-D-glucoside (0.1 mmol/l or 2 mmol/l) inhibited transport of thymidine and guanosine markedly only in the proximal small intestine . It is concluded that absorption of nucleosides by the two Na(+)-nucleoside transporters reflects the proximal-distal gradient in nucleic acid digestion. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 2002 Mar, 23(3), 147 - 51 Scissors: a potential source of nosocomial infection; Embil JM et al.; This point-prevalence survey of healthcare workers' scissors demonstrates that of 232 scissors sampled, 182 (78.4%) were colonized with bacteria . The scissors of nurses and those for communal use were most frequently contaminated . Cleaning of scissors occurred infrequently, but wiping scissors with an alcohol swab effectively disinfected them . The suspicion that scissors may harbor and potentially transmit microorganisms, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, has been confirmed. Cornea, 2002 Apr, 21(3), 275 - 83 Amniotic membrane graft for the management of scleral melting and corneal perforation in recalcitrant infectious scleral and corneoscleral ulcers; Ma DH et al.; PURPOSE: To study the efficacy and safety of using cryopreserved human amniotic membrane (AM) graft as a patch graft to reduce stromal melting and promote reepithelialization in extensive infectious scleral and corneoscleral ulcers . METHODS: Four cases of infectious scleral ulcers with persistent scleral melting and no sign of reepithelialization and three cases of corneoscleral ulcers with corneal perforation were studied . All patients had previously undergone pterygium excision, and infections were caused by Pseudomonas (n = 4), fungi (n = 2), and atypical Mycobacterium (n = 1) . The area of limbus involved ranged from 3 to 9 (mean, 4.7) o'clock positions . Repeated debridements were performed, the causative microorganisms were identified, and the appropriate topical and systemic antibiotics were given to all patients before AM grafting . Postoperatively, the speed of reepithelialization, changes in the severity of scleral melting and inflammation, recurrence of infection, and visual acuity were documented . RESULTS: Melting and inflammation at the lesion site decreased after AM grafting . Reepithelialization of the scleral lesions was complete at an average 15.7 +/- 8.7 days (range, 5-31) postoperatively . Focal melting of the AM graft occurred in two cases, and in one case, it was necessary to perform further corneoscleral graft . No recurrent infection was encountered, but sterile abscess occurred in three cases that were located away from the original lesion . Useful vision above 20/400 was maintained in all patients at the end of follow-up . CONCLUSION: The AM graft is effective in promoting conjunctival reepithelialization and reducing scleral melting and inflammation and can be considered as an alternative biomaterial to improve wound healing in scleral and corneoscleral ulcerations. Ann Nutr Metab, 2002, 46(1), 38 - 44 Chronic ethanol feeding affects intestinal mucus lipid composition and glycosylation in rats; Kaur J; Effect of chronic ethanol feeding on mucus lipid composition and glycosylation was investigated in rat intestine . Ethanol feeding to rats daily for 40 days enhanced cholesterol, phospholipids, triglyceride and cerebroside contents of intestinal mucus . Ethanol feeding exhibited a differential effect on various sugar contents of the mucus . Total hexose content was increased (42%) whereas hexosamines, sialic acid and fucose contents were reduced (p < 0.001) . Results on incorporation of labeled sugars into mucus revealed an enhanced (p < 0.01) galactosylation and reduced (p < 0.01) glucosamination of glycoproteins . Separation of glycoproteins on SDS-PAGE showed that proteins of molecular weight >200, 118, 65 and 55 kD were affected . These were highly galactosylated and less glucosaminated in ethanol-fed animals compared to controls . Thus, ethanol feeding markedly alters the lipid composition and glycosylation process of intestinal mucus in rats . These alterations may be of pathological significance in view of the role of mucus in protection and adhesion of microorganisms . Ann Nutr Metab, 2002, 46(1), 9 - 16 Effect of heat-treated proteins on selected parameters of the biotransformation system in the rat; Wenzel E et al.; The intake of heat-damaged proteins from food causes various effects, like the loss of essential amino acids and a reduced protein digestibility . There is also an influence on gastrointestinal microorganisms and different digestion enzymes . Until now, very little is known about the influence of heat-treated proteins on the enzymes of the biotransformation system . In the present study, the influence of protein-bound L-lysino-D,L-alanine, N(epsilon)-fructoselysine, and N(epsilon)-carboxymethyllysine (CML) on selected enzymes of the biotransformation in liver, kidney, and intestinal mucosa of male Wistar rats was examined . The contents of cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b(5) and the activity of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase served as indicators of phase I biotransformation . The influence on phase II biotransformation was shown by the content of glutathione and the glutathione S-transferase activity . The results showed that treatment with heat-damaged proteins mainly affected phase II biotransformation enzymes with CML, yielding the strongest effect . The activity of glutathione S-transferase in the kidney was 86% higher in animals treated with diets containing 4,930 mg.kg(-1) protein-bound CML than in animals of the control group which received a diet without any detectable CML . In addition, a higher level of glutathione was found in the kidneys of animals fed on diets containing CML . The glutathione S-transferase activity was 64% higher in the intestinal mucosa of animals fed on protein-bound N(epsilon)-fructoselysine (2,700 mg.kg(-1)) . The glutathione S-transferase activity was higher (p >0.05) in the intestinal mucosa of animals fed on protein-bound L-lysino-D,L-alanine (2,582 and 12,474 mg.kg(-1)) . In conclusion, ingestion of heat-treated proteins led to an activation of the enzymes of phase II biotransformation . Whether or not the released pure compounds or the degradation products of the test proteins are responsible for the altered enzyme activities remains to be evaluated . Trends Microbiol, 2002 Apr, 10(4), 193 - 9 Intracellular vs extracellular recognition of pathogens--common concepts in mammals and flies; Girardin SE et al.; There are common themes in innate immune defense systems across the animal and plant kingdoms . Pathogen recognition is commonly based on the identification of microbial molecular patterns by defined receptors and the subsequent activation of signaling pathways that initiate a defense response to fend off the invading microorganism . The existence of mammalian Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the recent identification of two mammalian nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) proteins (NOD1 and NOD2) as intracellular sensors of bacterial products bring new insights into the possibility of extracellular versus intracellular pathogen recognition and signal transduction depending on the nature of the infection . The homology between TLRs and the Toll system in Drosophila suggests that conserved defense mechanisms are likely to be shared by diverse organisms. J Biotechnol, 2002 May 9, 95(2), 99 - 108 Carbon and nitrogen substrates consumption, ammonia release and proton transfer in relation with growth of Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium camemberti on a solid medium; Aldarf M et al.; It is difficult to determine fungal biomass growing on a solid medium directly . Therefore, indirect ways of measuring this growth have to be used instead . For this purpose, the kinetics of growth, of substrate consumption and of release of metabolites must be correlated . This has been carried out for Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium camemberti growing on a gelified lactic acid+peptone medium . Peptone was shown to be preferred by G . candidum as a carbon and energy source, in contrast to the behaviour observed for P . camemberti . At the end of growth, G . candidum released about three times more ammonia than P . camemberti . In both cases, the total number of protons consumed during growth was close to the sum of the number of moles of metabolized lactic acid and formed ammonia . During the main part of growth, constant biomass on substrate yields (peptone, lactic acid) was observed for both microorganisms . Therefore, in pure solid cultures, the biomass concentration of both species could be deduced either from DeltapH or from the reduction of substrates . From the above, an estimate of G . candidum biomass in mixed culture could be derived from the determination of ammonia release. Ceska Slov Farm, 2002 Jan, 51(1), 6 - 10 {Penicillin G acylase--synthesis, regulation, production}; Grafkova J et al.; Penicillin G acylase (PGA) is one of very important industrial enzymes used in the production of polysynthetic beta-lactam antibiotics . This enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of the amidic bond of penicillin G with the development of 6-aminopenicillanic acid which serves as the initial substance for the production of semisynthetic penicillins . In the strain Escherichia coli W ATCC 11105 and ATCC 9637, PGA is coded by the pga gene on the chromozome and synthesized as the pre-pro-PGA (pp PGA) precursor, which is transported, with probable participation of the chaperon system, to the periplasmatic space of the cell . Here after a series of proteolytic reactions the active enzyme PGA develops, consisting of two subunits alpha and beta . Expression of the pga gene is subject to several regulatory mechanisms: temperature repression, catabolic repression by glucose, repression by oxygen, and induction by phenylacetic acid (FOK) . The formation of active PGA is also influenced at the post-translation level, where an important role is played by intracellular proteolytic reactions and the transport system of pre-pro-PGA across the cytoplasmatic membrane . The chromozomal area of the pga gene of the E . coli W strain was employed for the construction of many recombinant plasmids . These plasmids served to transform suitable host strains, some of which are now used in industry as highly productive microorganisms. Biochim Biophys Acta, 2002 Feb 13, 1589(1), 1 - 13 Toll-like receptors as adjuvant receptors; Kaisho T et al.; The mammalian Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are expressed on macrophages and dendritic cells, which are primarily involved in innate immunity . At present, ligands for several of the TLRs, such as TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, TLR6, and TLR9, have been identified . Most of these ligands are derived from pathogens, but not found in the host, suggesting that the TLRs are critical to sensing invading microorganisms . Pathogen recognition by TLRs provokes rapid activation of innate immunity by inducing production of proinflammatory cytokines and upregulation of costimulatory molecules . Activated innate immunity subsequently leads to effective adaptive immunity . In this regard, the TLRs are considered to be adjuvant receptors . Distinct TLRs can exert distinct, but overlapping sets of biological effects . Accumulating evidence indicates that this can be attributed to both the common and unique aspects of the signaling mechanisms that mediate TLR family responses . For example, TLR2 and TLR9 require MyD88 as an essential signal transducer, whereas TLR4 can induce costimulatory molecule upregulation in a MyD88-independent manner . Understanding the TLR system should offer invaluable opportunity for manipulating host immune responses. Aviat Space Environ Med, 2002 Mar, 73(3), 211 - 5 Cabin air quality: an overview; Rayman RB; In recent years, there have been increasing complaints from cockpit crew, cabin crew, and passengers that the cabin air quality of commercial aircraft is deficient . A myriad of complaints including headache, fatigue, fever, and respiratory difficulties among many others have been registered, particularly by flight attendants on long-haul routes . There is also much concern today regarding the transmission of contagious disease inflight, particularly tuberculosis . The unanswered question is whether these complaints are really due to poor cabin air quality or to other factors inherent intlight such as lowered barometric pressure, hypoxia, low humidity, circadian dysynchrony, work/rest cycles, vibration, etc . This paper will review some aspects relevant to cabin air quality such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), particulates, and microorganisms, as well as the cabin ventilation system, to discern possible causes and effects of illness contracted inflight . The paper will conclude with recommendations on how the issue of cabin air quality may be resolved. Arch Microbiol, 2002 Mar, 177(3), 259 - 66 Epub 2002 Jan 23. Morphological and physiological changes in Streptomyces lividans induced by different yeasts; Santamaria RI et al.; Streptomyces development is a complex process that eventually finishes with the formation of individual unigenomic spores from the aerial hyphae . Intraspecific and interspecific signals must play a key role in triggering or blocking this process . Here we show that interaction between two types of microorganisms, Streptomyces and yeasts, leads to alteration of the Streptomyces developmental program . This alteration is due to the action of invertase produced by the yeast on the sucrose present in the culture media, making glucose and fructose readily available for growth. Lancet Oncol, 2001 Apr, 2(4), 221 - 5 Marine organisms as a source of new anticancer agents; Schwartsmann G et al.; Various active anticancer agents are derived from plants and terrestrial microorganisms . The isolation of C-nucleosides from the Caribbean sponge, Cryptotheca crypta, four decades ago, provided the basis for the synthesis of cytarabine, the first marine-derived anticancer agent to be developed for clinical use . Cytarabine is currently used in the routine treatment of patients with leukaemia and lymphoma . Gemcitabine, one of its fluorinated derivatives, has also been approved for use in patients with pancreatic, breast, bladder, and non-small-cell lung cancer . Over the past decade, several new experimental anticancer agents derived from marine sources have entered preclinical and clinical trials . This field has expanded significantly as a result of improvements in the technology of deep-sea collection, extraction, and large-scale production through aquaculture and synthesis . In this paper, examples of marine-derived experimental agents that are currently undergoing preclinical and early clinical evaluation are briefly discussed . A summary of the available information on the results of phase I and II trials of agents such as aplidine, ecteinascidin-734 (ET-734), dolastatin 10 and bryostatin 1 is also presented. Nat Prod Rep, 2002 Feb, 19(1), 1 - 48 Marine natural products; Faulkner DJ; This review covers the marine natural products literature for the year 2000 and is organized phylogenetically, with sections on marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green algae, brown algae, red algae, sponges, coelenterates, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates . echinoderms and miscellaneous marine organisms . There is an emphasis on new structures, stressing their biological activities, source organisms and countries of origin, and also syntheses that confirm the structures of known compounds . The review contains 869 structures and 592 references, of which 434 appeared between January and December 2000. Curr Gastroenterol Rep, 2002 Apr, 4(2), 167 - 71 The role of microorganisms in biliary tract disease; Ljungh A et al.; The biliary tract is normally sterile, but bile-tolerant bacteria are frequently isolated from patients with cholecystitis . Since the identification of about 25 Helicobacter species, some of which may grow in bile, studies have addressed the role of these organisms in primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cholelithiasis . Most of these bacteria show the presence of Helicobacter DNA or antigens in the bile tract and in liver samples . Altogether, data from studies on biliary and hepatic diseases, as well as pancreatic disorders, suggest that bile-tolerant Helicobacter species may induce a chronic infection with possible malignant transformation. Biosci Rep, 2001 Aug, 21(4), 419 - 44 Keratitis; Sharma S; Corneal inflammation or keratitis is a significant cause of ocular morbidity around the world . Fortunately, the majority of the cases are successfully managed with medical therapy, but the failure of therapy does occur, leading to devastating consequences of either losing the vision or the eye . This review attempts to provide current information on most, though not all, aspects of keratitis . Corneal inflammation may be ulcerative or nonulcerative and may arise because of infectious or noninfectious causes . The nonulcerative corneal inflammation may be confined to the epithelial layer or to the stroma of the cornea or may affect both . For clarity, this section has been divided into nonulcerative superficial keratitis and nonulcerative stromal keratitis . While the former usually includes hypersensitivity responses to microbial toxins and unknown agents, the latter can be either infectious or noninfectious . In the pathogenesis of ulcerative keratitis, microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, parasites (Acanthamoeba), or viruses play an important role . Approximately, 12.2% of all corneal transplantations are done for active infectious keratitis . Available world literature pertaining to the incidence of microbial keratitis has been provided special place in this review . On the other hand, noninfectious ulcerative keratitis can be related to a variety of systemic or local causes, predominantly of autoimmune origin. Ann Transplant, 2001, 6(3), 6 - 9 Current status and perspectives for the generation of transgenic pigs for xenotransplantation; Niemann H; Xenotransplantation implies transplantation of organs between discordant, e.g . non-related species . This procedure usually is associated with a hyperacute rejection response (HAR) which destroys the transplanted organ within minutes . To overcome the growing shortage of human organs, transgenic pigs have been generated that express human complement regulatory genes . This approach enables to overcome the HAR as shown by an extended average survival rate of 40-90 days of the immunosuppressed primate recipient of a transgenic porcine heart . It is expected that transgenic pigs will be available as organ donors within the next 5-7 years . A major prerequisite is the prevention of the potential transfer of pathogenic microorganisms, in particular porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) . Transgenic livestock has been generated predominantly via microinjection of DNA-constructs into pronuclei of zygotes . However, efficiency is low and only 1-3% transgenic offspring are to be obtained . Integration of the transgene occurs at random and expression is independent from the number of integrated copies but can be affected by the integration site . Improvements of the efficiency in the generation of transgenic pigs will be achieved by the use of genetically modified donor cells in nuclear transfer technology (cloning). Folia Microbiol (Praha), 2001, 46(5), 417 - 22 Vegetative growth, aging- and light-induced conidiation of Trichoderma viride cultivated on different carbon sources; Chovanec P et al.; The growth and conidiation of the aged Trichoderma viride culture grown in the dark, and after an induction by a light pulse, was examined in the presence of selected mono-, di(tri)saccharides, amino acids and alcohols as sole carbon sources . Hexoses and disaccharides, but not pentoses and amino acids, promoted proportionally both growth and conidiation induced by aging or light . All compounds but pentoses promoted the conidiation in aged cultures and photoconidiation in a close correlation . Ethanol, glycerol and ethylene glycol supported both growth and conidiation but these processes were not supported equally . Conidia formation with hexoses and amino acids as sole carbon sources seems to be a function of growth promotion, rather than of growth restriction (starvation, stress, aging) . With glucose as sole carbon source the conidiation was not triggered by nutrient limitation, nor by the accumulation of waste metabolites . The aging-induced conidiation can be considered to be triggered by the genetic program of the microorganism rather than by its nutrient status. Curr Mol Med, 2001 Nov, 1(5), 589 - 95 Receptors for unopsonized particles: the role of alveolar macrophage scavenger receptors; Palecanda A et al.; The lung is constantly exposed to potentially pathogenic particles and microorganisms . Alveolar macrophage (AM) binding of inhaled environmental particles is a critical first step in phagocytosis and clearance, and must be accomplished without the benefit of opsonization by specific antibodies . Opsonin-independent phagocytosis is initiated by direct recognition of phagocytic target . The identities of receptors on AMs that mediate unopsonized particle binding were, until recently, not known . Using flow cytometry, monoclonal antibody and expression cloning techniques we have found a major role for the scavenger receptor, MARCO in AM binding of particles and bacteria . In this review we will discuss the role of scavenger receptors in AM binding of unopsonized particles and the use of flow cytomety in analyzing AM-particle interaction . We will also discuss other non-scavenger receptors involved in opsonin-independent phagocytosis. Curr Mol Med, 2001 Sep, 1(4), 437 - 46 Biology of gammadelta T cells in tuberculosis and malaria; Dieli F et al.; Tuberculosis and malaria remain the leading causes of mortality among human infectious diseases in the world . It is estimated that 3 to 5 million people die from tuberculosis and malaria each year . Although it is traditionally believed that CD4 and CD8 alphabeta T lymphocytes are mandatory for protective immune responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium falciparum (the ethiologic agents of tuberculosis and the most severe form of malaria, respectively), there is still incomplete understanding of the mechanisms of immune protection and of the causes of its failure in the affected patients . Several studies in humans and animal models have suggested that Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cells may play an important role in the immune responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium falciparum . Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cells represent about 75% of all circulating gammadelta T cells while they can be greatly expanded during the acute phase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium falciparum malaria . Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T recognize a new class of antigenic molecules which are nonpeptidic in nature and contain critical phosphate moieties (phosphoantigens) . Interestingly, phosphoantigens isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium falciparum share strong structural homology and are probably identical . However, despite a large body of data reported in the literature, it is not yet clear whether Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cells play a protective or pathogenic role in immune responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium falciparum . In this review we summarize our current knowledge of the biology of Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cells in response to the two pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium falciparum, and provide evidence suggesting definition of a novel and important protective role through which Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cells can contribute to the killing of microorganisms residing in intracellular compartments. Curr Mol Med, 2001 Jul, 1(3), 339 - 55 Mechanisms of T cell receptor antagonism: implications in the treatment of disease; Dittel BN; The adaptive immune response is often required for the successful clearing of infectious pathogens . Antigen presenting cells (APC) present peptide antigens derived from pathogens to T cells via major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules . T cells then become activated and differentiate into effector cells with the capacity to kill infected cells or to induce an anti-pathogen antibody response . In autoimmunity, this T cell response is directed against self-antigens and often leads to deleterious effects on specific tissues . Likewise, T cell responses to allogeneic MHC molecules in transplants also leads to pathology . By introducing subtle changes in the antigenic peptide amino acid content, T cell activation can be inhibited, thereby preventing T cell effector functions . This strategy of TCR antagonism has been used successfully in vitro and in vivo to inhibit models of autoimmunity and allorecognition . In addition, a variety of pathogens that often result in chronic disease following infection, also have seemingly evolved natural mechanisms to inhibit T cell responses by antagonism . These microorganisms express natural variants of certain proteins, that when presented to T cells have the capacity to specifically inhibit T cell responses by functioning as antagonists or by modulating the nature of the T cell response . The understanding of how pathogens mediate this inhibition in vivo will be beneficial to ongoing studies in both autoimmunity and transplantation aimed at suppressing the harmful immune response, thereby controlling disease . TCR antagonism seems to have the potential to be used therapeutically to prevent or inhibit an undesired T cell response that will ultimately lead to disease. J Food Prot, 2002 Mar, 65(3), 571 - 4 Reduction of spoilage microorganisms in fresh beef using hydrodynamic pressure processing; Williams-Campbell AM et al.; Hydrodynamic pressure processing (HDP) was investigated as a technology to reduce spoilage microorganisms found in fresh beef . In two separate studies (studies 1 and 2), retail ground beef and beef roasts were purchased (day 0) . The roasts were divided into stew pieces (30 to 40 g) . All meat samples, including control samples, were stored at 5 degrees C for 20 h in a plastic film . After storage, designated samples were treated with HDP In study 3, ground beef was treated with HDP (day 0) and stored aerobically (5 degrees C) for 14 days with control samples . Each meat type was vacuum-packaged for HDP (100 g binary explosive, steel shock wave container) . The pHs and the aerobic plate counts (log10 CFU/g) were measured on day 0 (studies I and 2) and on days 0, 7, and 14 (study 3) for control samples and for HDP-treated samples . There was no pH difference between control and HDP-treated meat types (studies 1 and 2); HDP reduced bacteria in both meat types in study 1 (2 log) and study 2 (1.5 log) on day 0 . In study 3, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in pH between control meat (8.2) and HDP-treated meat (5.6) after storage . There was an immediate reduction (1.5 log) of microorganisms following HDP (day 0) and a 4.5-log difference between control samples (9 log) and HDP-treated samples (4.5) after 14 days of storage . With HDP, it is possible to reduce spoilage microorganisms found in or on different meat types (ground beef versus stew pieces), which could extend the shelf life of meat products. Folia Microbiol (Praha), 2001, 46(6), 495 - 503 Morphological details of microorganisms revealed by RCH-microscopy at high magnification--a ready-to-use adaptation of a light microscope; Zizka Z et al.; RCH-microscopy (Relief Contrast after Hostounsky) is a new method of optical microscopy in transmitted light developed with Lambda Ltd., Prague . This method was used to study bacteria, fungi including yeasts and algae at high magnification . The equipment provides a three-dimensional image of high contrast and resolution . The results of these microscopic observations can be used for both morphological (taxonomical) and ecological studies of microorganisms. N Y State Dent J, 2002 Feb, 68(2), 34 - 7 W . D . Miller . The pioneer who laid the foundation for modern dental research; Ring ME; Toothache has been the most ubiquitous ailment to plague mankind from time immemorial . Until the late 1700s, it was thought that the cause of this torment was the wriggling, in a carious tooth, of a worm . And early attempts at treatment were focused on driving the "worm" out . It was one of the world's greatest scientists, the dentist W . D . Miller, who, after extensive research, in 1891 published his epochal work, The Microorganisms of the Human Mouth, which set forth a new theory regarding the cause of dental caries . His postulating a "chemico-parasitic" origin of caries laid the basis for all the modern research in dentistry aimed at wiping this scourge out . Contemporary research has proven the worth of Miller's groundbreaking theory. Science, 2002 Mar 15, 295(5562), 2067 - 70 Metabolic activity of subsurface life in deep-sea sediments; D'Hondt S et al.; Global maps of sulfate and methane in marine sediments reveal two provinces of subsurface metabolic activity: a sulfate-rich open-ocean province, and an ocean-margin province where sulfate is limited to shallow sediments . Methane is produced in both regions but is abundant only in sulfate-depleted sediments . Metabolic activity is greatest in narrow zones of sulfate-reducing methane oxidation along ocean margins . The metabolic rates of subseafloor life are orders of magnitude lower than those of life on Earth's surface . Most microorganisms in subseafloor sediments are either inactive or adapted for extraordinarily low metabolic activity. Infect Immun, 2002 Apr, 70(4), 1816 - 23 Entamoeba histolytica-induced dephosphorylation in host cells; Teixeira JE et al.; Activation of host cell protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) and protein dephosphorylation is an important mechanism used by various microorganisms to deactivate or kill host defense cells . To determine whether protein tyrosine dephosphorylation played a role in signaling pathways affecting Entamoeba histolytica-mediated host cell killing, we investigated the involvement of PTPases during the attachment of E . histolytica to target cells . We observed a rapid decrease in cellular protein tyrosine levels in Jurkat cells, as measured with an antiphosphotyrosine monoclonal antibody, following adherence to E . histolytica . Ameba-induced protein dephosphorylation was contact dependent and required intact parasite, since blocking amebic adherence with galactose inhibited tyrosine dephosphorylation and amebic lysates had no effect on phosphotyrosine levels . Moreover, disruption of amebic adherence with galactose promoted recovery of phosphorylation in Jurkat cells, indicating that dephosphorylation precedes target cell death . The evidence suggests that ameba-induced dephosphorylation is mediated by host cell phosphatases . Prior treatment of Jurkat cells with phenylarsine oxide, a PTPase inhibitor, inhibited ameba-induced dephosphorylation . We also found proteolytic cleavage of the PTPase 1B (PTP1B) in Jurkat cells after contact with amebae . The calcium-dependent protease calpain is responsible for PTP1B cleavage and enzymatic activation . Pretreatment of Jurkat cells with calpeptin, a calpain inhibitor, blocked PTP1B cleavage and inhibited ameba-induced dephosphorylation . In addition, inhibition of Jurkat cell PTPases with phenylarsine oxide blocked Jurkat cell apoptosis induced by E . histolytica . These results suggest that E . histolytica-mediated host cell death occurs by a mechanism that involves PTPase activation. Allergy Asthma Proc, 2002 Jan-Feb, 23(1), 53 - 7 Common variable immunodeficiency; Abonia JP et al.; We present a case report and review of the literature that illustrates many key features of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) . These patients frequently present with repeated infections with a variety of different microorganisms . Recurrent sinopulmonary infections can lead to serious chronic complications such as bronchiectasis, and gastrointestinal infections can result in malabsorption . In addition to serious infection, CVID is associated with a number of comorbid disorders including a variety of autoimmune diseases and neoplasms . Here, we provide an illustrative case report and discuss the primary features and therapy for patients with CVID. Environ Monit Assess, 2002 Feb, 74(1), 45 - 65 Changes in soil properties of abandoned shrimp ponds in southern Thailand; Towatana P et al.; Chemical soil properties between active shrimp ponds and abandoned ones on the Bangkok soil series were compared, at Ranote District, Songkhla Province in southern Thailand . Soil samples were collected at depth intervals of 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 and 40-50 cm from pond bottoms at the same ponds used in a former study conducted in 1994, for a total of 6 ponds with 3 sampling sites for each pond . These ponds were active during the previous study in 1994, abandoned in 1996 and investigated by this study in 1999 . All the samples were analyzed for exchangeable Ca, Mg, K and Na electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter, S, P and pH, and statistically compared with the analytical results of the previous study . An increase in amounts of Ca, Mg, K, Na and EC in the abandoned ponds as compared with the active ones by 1.3-3.4, 1.4-2.1, 7.0-30.0, 1.2-6.3 and 1.3-10.9 times respectively was observed . That more of these elements were gained than lost each time the seawater was introduced into the ponds, is explained by the 'Element Input/Output Consideration' as proposed herein . Furthermore, a decrease in organic matter, S and P was also observed in the abandoned pond soils, and attributed to the absence of shrimp food and shrimp excreta following the cessation of shrimp raising activities . An unexpected decline in the soil pH of the abandoned ponds was found as well . Aerobic decomposition of organic matter during the absence of shrimp raising activities caused by soil microorganisms triggering SO2 and H2SO4 formation probably played a more significant role than the increase in the amounts of the basic elements (Ca, Mg, K, and Na) eventually reducing soil pH in the abandoned ponds . The significant depletion of the amounts of organic matter in the abandoned pond soils also supports this observation. J Chemother, 2002 Feb, 14(1), 54 - 8 Penetration of piperacillin/tazobactam (4 g/500 mg) into synovial tissue; Boselli E et al.; The degree of penetration of an antibiotic into the infected site is an important criterion for therapeutic success . This is particularly true for bone and joint infections . The association of piperacillin and tazobactam has been widely used in the treatment of serious infections including bone infections, but no study has been devoted to the subject of its diffusion into synovial tissue . Our objective was to quantify piperacillin/tazobactam synovial tissue penetration and to estimate the efficacy of the association against the microorganisms usually encountered in joint infections . In an open-label study, 6 subjects with similar age, weight, height and creatinine clearance, who were undergoing elective total hip replacement, received a single, parenteral, 4 g/500 mg dose of piperacillin/tazobactam . Plasma and synovial tissue samples were collected and analyzed by a validated HPLC method . The mean concentrations of piperacillin and tazobactam 1.5 h after the initiation of infusion were 69.9 +/- 4.9 microg/mL and 7.7 +/- 0.3 microg/mL, respectively, in plasma and 37.1 +/- 2.1 microg/g and 2.8 +/- 0.4 microg/g, respectively, in synovial tissue . The synovial tissue/plasma ratios were 0.5 +/- 0.0 for piperacillin and 0.4 +/- 0.0 for tazobactam . The piperacillin/tazobactam ratios were 9.1:1 in plasma and 13.5:1 in synovial tissue . The concentrations achieved in synovial tissue are above the MICs of most of the susceptible pathogens usually involved in joint infections, which suggests that the piperacillin/tazobactam combination should be effective in the treatment of most joint infections caused by susceptible microorganisms. Curr Rheumatol Rep, 2002 Apr, 4(2), 113 - 22 Scleroderma-like cutaneous syndromes; Mori Y et al.; Several distinct entities associated with dermal fibrosis can mimic scleroderma/systemic sclerosis . The list of scleroderma-like conditions or scleroderma variants includes eosinophilic fasciitis, localized forms of scleroderma, scleredema and scleromyxedema, keloids, and environmental exposure-associated conditions including eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome and pseudosclerodermas induced by various drugs . Although these conditions are relatively uncommon, their accurate recognition is essential to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate therapy . The pathogenesis of these scleroderma variants appears to share similarities with each other and with that of scleroderma . Better understanding of scleroderma-like disorders is emerging through epidemiologic investigations, and in vivo and in vitro experimental research . Activation of eosinophils and disordered regulation of fibroblast collagen synthesis, apoptosis,