Anaerobes

Klin Mikrobiol Infekc Lek, 2004 Dec, 10(6), 279 - 283
{Chemical analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage in diagnostics of pneumonia.}; Julak J et al.; Samples of bronchoalveolar lavages, obtained from 182 patients hospitalised at Vseobecna fakultni nemocnice and Nemocnice Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, were analysed using solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography . At least 9 %, using less strong criteria up to 20 % of samples, contained higher volatile fatty acids (VFA), indicating the presence of fermenting anaerobic bacteria, found neither by cultivation nor by microscopy . Further compounds appeared in most of chromatographic examinations, tentatively labelled as "alcohol" and "acetoin" . The second one occurred almost solely in samples from patients receiving the intensive care including mechanical ventilation . If characterised more precisely, it may serve as a potential marker of patients' status.

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, 2004 Nov, 99(7), 717 - 20 Epub 2005 Jan 12.
Alteration in the endogenous intestinal flora of Swiss Webster mice by experimental Angiostrongylus costaricensis infection; Nobre V et al.; The association between worm infections and bacterial diseases has only recently been emphasized . This study examined the effect of experimental Angiostrongylus costaricensis infection on endogenous intestinal flora of Swiss Webster mice . Eight mice aging six weeks were selected for this experiment . Four were infected with A . costaricensis and the other four were used as controls . Twenty eight days after the worm infection, all mice in both groups were sacrificed and samples of the contents of the ileum and colon were obtained and cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria . In the mice infected with A . costaricensis there was a significant increase in the number of bacteria of the endogenous intestinal flora, accompanied by a decrease in the number of Peptostreptococcus spp . This alteration in the intestinal flora of mice infected by the nematode may help to understand some bacterial infections described in humans.

Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2005 Jan, 55(Pt 1), 473 - 8
Carnobacterium pleistocenium sp . nov., a novel psychrotolerant, facultative anaerobe isolated from permafrost of the Fox Tunnel in Alaska; Pikuta EV et al.; A novel, psychrotolerant, facultative anaerobe, strain FTR1(T), was isolated from Pleistocene ice from the permafrost tunnel in Fox, Alaska . Gram-positive, motile, rod-shaped cells were observed with sizes 0.6-0.7x0.9-1.5 mum . Growth occurred within the pH range 6.5-9.5 with optimum growth at pH 7.3-7.5 . The temperature range for growth of the novel isolate was 0-28 degrees C and optimum growth occurred at 24 degrees C . The novel isolate does not require NaCl; growth was observed between 0 and 5 % NaCl with optimum growth at 0.5 % (w/v) . The novel isolate was a catalase-negative chemoorganoheterotroph that used as substrates sugars and some products of proteolysis . The metabolic end products were acetate, ethanol and CO(2) . Strain FTR1(T) was sensitive to ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, rifampicin, kanamycin and gentamicin . 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed 99.8 % similarity between strain FTR1(T) and Carnobacterium alterfunditum, but DNA-DNA hybridization between them demonstrated 39+/-1.5 % relatedness . On the basis of genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, it is proposed that strain FTR1(T) (=ATCC BAA-754(T)=JCM 12174(T)=CIP 108033(T)) be assigned to the novel species Carnobacterium pleistocenium sp . nov.

Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2005 Jan, 55(Pt 1), 245 - 50
Cryptanaerobacter phenolicus gen . nov., sp . nov., an anaerobe that transforms phenol into benzoate via 4-hydroxybenzoate; Juteau P et al.; An anaerobic bacterium that transforms phenol and 4-hydroxybenzoate (4-OHB) into benzoate, strain LR7.2(T), was isolated from a culture originating from a mixture of swamp water, sewage sludge, swine waste and soil . Cells of strain LR7.2(T) are Gram-positive short rods (1x2 mum) that are electron-dense when observed by electron microscopy . The optimum pH and temperature for growth and transformation activity of 4-OHB are 7.5-8.0 and 30-37 degrees C, respectively . The bacterium does not use sulphate, thiosulphate, nitrate, nitrite, FeCl(3), fumarate or arsenate as an electron acceptor . It does not normally use sulphite, although stimulation of growth and 4-OHB transformation activity at a low concentration (up to 2 mM) has been reported previously under different culture conditions . The presence of 4-OHB or phenol is essential for growth; transformation of 4-OHB or phenol into benzoate is used to produce energy for growth . Using {(6)D}-phenol, 4-OHB was shown to be an intermediate in the transformation of phenol into benzoate . No spore was observed . The bacterium has a DNA G+C content of 51 mol% and its major membrane fatty acid is anteiso-C(15 : 0) . The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain LR7.2(T) shows only 90 % similarity to its closest relative (Pelotomaculum thermopropionicum) . From these results, a new taxon is proposed: Cryptanaerobacter phenolicus gen . nov., sp . nov . The type strain is LR7.2(T) (=ATCC BAA-820(T)=DSM 15808(T)).

FEMS Microbiol Rev, 2005 Jan, 29(1), 119 - 44
Iron and heme utilization in Porphyromonas gingivalis; Olczak T et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium associated with the initiation and progression of adult periodontal disease . Iron is utilized by this pathogen in the form of heme and has been shown to play an essential role in its growth and virulence . Recently, considerable attention has been given to the characterization of various secreted and surface-associated proteins of P . gingivalis and their contribution to virulence . In particular, the properties of proteins involved in the uptake of iron and heme have been extensively studied . Unlike other Gram-negative bacteria, P . gingivalis does not produce siderophores . Instead it employs specific outer membrane receptors, proteases (particularly gingipains), and lipoproteins to acquire iron/heme . In this review, we will focus on the diverse mechanisms of iron and heme acquisition in P . gingivalis . Specific proteins involved in iron and heme capture will be described . In addition, we will discuss new genes for iron/heme utilization identified by nucleotide sequencing of the P . gingivalis W83 genome . Putative iron- and heme-responsive gene regulation in P . gingivalis will be discussed . We will also examine the significance of heme/hemoglobin acquisition for the virulence of this pathogen.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2005 Jan, 71(1), 214 - 9
Enantioselective synthesis of s-equol from dihydrodaidzein by a newly isolated anaerobic human intestinal bacterium; Wang XL et al.; A newly isolated rod-shaped, gram-negative anaerobic bacterium from human feces, named Julong 732, was found to be capable of metabolizing the isoflavone dihydrodaidzein to S-equol under anaerobic conditions . The metabolite, equol, was identified by using electron impact ionization mass spectrometry, (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and UV spectral analyses . However, strain Julong 732 was not able to produce equol from daidzein, and tetrahydrodaidzein and dehydroequol, which are most likely intermediates in the anaerobic metabolism of dihydrodaidzein, were not detected in bacterial culture medium containing dihydrodaidzein . Chiral stationary-phase high-performance liquid chromatography eluted only one metabolite, S-equol, which was produced from a bacterial culture containing a racemic mixture of dihydrodaidzein . Strain Julong 732 did not show racemase activity to transform R-equol to S-equol and vice versa . Its full 16S rRNA gene sequence (1,429 bp) had 92.8% similarity to that of Eggerthella hongkongenis HKU10 . This is the first report of a single bacterium capable of converting a racemic mixture of dihydrodaidzein to enantiomeric pure S-equol.

Compend Contin Educ Dent, 2004 Oct, 25(10 Suppl 1), 21 - 7
Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic effects in gingival crevicular fluid from re-dosing during brushing; Barlow AP et al.; The IntelliClean System from Sonicare and Crest combines a rechargeable sonic power toothbrush and a novel liquid toothpaste into one integrated system, providing the opportunity to re-dose with toothpaste during the brushing cycle . The purpose of this study was to investigate cleaning effects from in-mouth re-dosing with toothpaste during the brushing cycle vs conventional bolus dosing . This was a randomized, examiner-blind, six-period, crossover clinical study . Eighteen adult subjects used an experimental integrated system employing either a re-dosing regimen (2 doses at the start of brushing with 1 additional in-mouth dose during the last 30 seconds of brushing {2+1}) or a conventional regimen (2 doses at the start of brushing only {2+0}) . Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) was sampled at the final brushing quadrant from a preselected site in the gingival sulcus using filter strips at baseline and at 4, 15, and 120 minutes postbrushing . Mean change from baseline in the concentrations of total facultative anaerobes (TFAs) and gram-negative anaerobes (GNAs) in the GCF at 120 minutes posttreatment were modeled separately using general linear mixed models . Area under the curve of surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate {SDS}) in GCF over 2 hours postbrushing was calculated and modeled using an analysis of variance model . All hypotheses were tested 2-sided at the 5% significance level . Relative to the conventional regimen, the re-dosing (2+1) regimen produced a significantly greater reduction in log10 (TFA colony-forming units {CFU}/microL GCF) after brushing, 0.99+/-0.12 vs 0.65+/-0.12 (mean change +/- standard error), and a significantly greater reduction in log10 (GNA CFU/microL GCF) after brushing, 0.75 +/-0.14 vs 0.45 +/- 0.14 . The re-dosing regimen led to significantly more SDS in GCF relative to the conventional regimen over the 2-hour time period . Re-dosing of liquid toothpaste during the brushing cycle with the IntelliClean System leads to a significantly increased cleaning effect, as defined by a reduced bacterial count in GCF, and significantly higher levels of surfactant in the GCF up to 2 hours after the brushing event.

J Periodontol, 2004 Nov, 75(11), 1500 - 8
Effect of subantimicrobial dose doxycycline as an effective adjunct to scaling and root planing; Lee JY et al.; BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a subantimicrobial dose of doxycycline (SDD) in conjunction with scaling and root planing (SRP) . METHODS: The study was a 9-month, double masked, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial . A total of 41 patients with moderate chronic periodontitis who received SRP were randomly allocated to receive either a doxycycline hyclate or a placebo 2 weeks after SRP . Clinical attachment level (CAL), the probing depth (PD), gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8 and -13 levels were measured throughout the study . The effect of SDD in conjunction with SRP on the dynamics of the periodontal microflora was also assessed using dark-field microscopic and culture analysis . Information on adverse events was collected throughout the study . RESULTS: During the treatment period, per-patient reductions in PD and CAL were demonstrated for both treatment groups, with a significantly greater reduction for the SDD group . The mean value of per-patient change in the GCF was much greater for the SDD group . Microbial analysis showed there were a general tendency for cocci, non-motile rods, and aerobes to increase with increasing treatment duration and a general decreasing tendency for spirochetes, motile rods, and anaerobes and black pigmented bacteria in both treatment groups, but no significant difference between the groups . The MMP-8 and -13 levels of the SDD group gradually reduced with time, and the mean perpatient average was significantly higher than in the placebo group . The adverse events in the SDD group were similar to those in the placebo group . CONCLUSION: This study suggests that a submicrobial dose of doxycycline as an adjunct therapy with SRP might be safe and effective in the long-term management of chronic periodontitis.

BMC Gastroenterol . 2005 Jan 4;5(1):1 {Epub ahead of print}
A rare case of ascending colon actinomycosis mimicking cancer; Filippou D et al.; BACKGROUND: Actinomycosis is a rare inflammatory disease caused by an anaerobic bacterium that can rarely affect the large intestine . Case Presentation We present a rare case of a cecum and ascending colon actinomycosis in a 72 years old woman, mimicking clinically a malignant inflammatory tumor of the right colon . The patient complained of right lower quadrant pain . Although our first thought was a peri-appendiceal abscess, CT scan suggested a right colon tumor . The patient underwent a right colectomy and the histological examination of the specimen revealed colon actinomycosis . CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative diagnosis in colon actinomycosis is difficult to achieve . Treatment of choice is antibiotics administration . A review of the possible pathogenesis and therapeutic modalities is also presented.

Antibiot Khimioter, 2004, 49(6), 20 - 4
{Optimization of tuberculosis complex chemotherapy with the use of moxifloxacin}; BALF nitrite as an indicator of inflammation in children with cystic fibrosis; Department of Pediatric Chest Diseases, Ihsan Dogramaci Children's Hospital, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, TurkeyBACKGROUND: A unique substance reflecting the degree of inflammation localized to the lower respiratory tract in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been the concern of several investigators and nitric oxide has gained interest for this purpose in the last decades . OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytokine and nitrite levels by showing the relationship between them in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with CF and patients in which flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) was applied because of indications other than infection . METHODS: 20 children with CF with mean age 8.2 years and 10 children as control group with mean age 4.2 years were included in the study . Cultures for aerobes, anaerobes, fungi and mycobacteria, cell differentials, cytokine and nitrite measurements were made from BALF specimens . White blood cell (WBC) count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), quantitative C-reactive protein (QCRP), cytokine and nitrite levels were measured from serum samples . RESULTS: BALF neutrophil, TNF-alpha, IL-8 and nitrite levels were significantly higher in patients with CF than control patients . There was no correlation between serum and BALF cytokine and nitrite levels . However, there was a significantly positive correlation between BALF IL-8 and nitrite levels in patients with CF (r = 0.5) and also in control patients (r = 0.6) . CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that BALF nitrite levels reflect the degree of inflammation localized to lower respiratory tract and may be a useful indicator of airway inflammation for patients with CF.

Environ Health Perspect, 2005 Jan, 113(1), 62 - 7
Metabolic biomarkers for monitoring in situ anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation; Young LY et al.; During the past 15 years researchers have made great strides in understanding the metabolism of hydrocarbons by anaerobic bacteria . Organisms capable of utilizing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, alkanes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been isolated and described . In addition, the mechanisms of degradation for these compounds have been elucidated . This basic research has led to the development of methods for detecting in situ biodegradation of petroleum-related pollutants in anoxic groundwater . Knowledge of the metabolic pathways used by anaerobic bacteria to break down hydrocarbons has allowed us to identify unique intermediate compounds that can be used as biomarkers for in situ activity . One of these unique intermediates is 2-methylbenzylsuccinate, the product of fumarate addition to o-xylene by the enzyme responsible for toluene utilization . We have carried out laboratory studies to show that this compound can be used as a reliable indicator of anaerobic toluene degradation . Field studies confirmed that the biomarker is detectable in field samples and its distribution corresponds to areas where active biodegradation is predicted . For naphthalene, three biomarkers were identified {2-naphthoic acid (2-NA), tetrahydro-2-NA, and hexahydro-2-NA} that can be used in the field to identify areas of active in situ degradation.

Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants, 2004 Nov-Dec, 19(6), 803 - 9
Attachment of oral gram-negative anaerobic rods to a smooth titanium surface: an electron microscopy study; Kuula H et al.; PURPOSE: Attachment of bacteria to titanium may differ not only between bacterial species but also between strains within a species . The aim of the present in vitro study was to examine differences in bacterial attachment using 4 gram-negative anaerobic species of bacteria that are considered potential periodontal pathogens . MATERIALS AND METHODS: The attachment of clinical and laboratory strains (n = 23) representing 2 Fusobacterium nucleatum subspecies, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Prevotella intermedia to smooth, commercially pure titanium was examined using scanning electron microscopy . RESULTS: All bacterial strains were attached to the smooth titanium surface by their outer membrane . F nucleatum cells were poorly attached to the titanium, unlike P gingivalis or P intermedia cells, but only slight differences were observed in the quantity of attached cells between the strains within each bacterial group . DISCUSSION: In favorable conditions, some anaerobes can attach directly to an inert titanium surface . Microbial adhesion and subsequent colonization on the dental implant surface can lead to infection of the peri-implant tissue . CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the avidity of bacterial attachment to a smooth titanium surface varies between species of oral gram-negative anaerobes but not between strains.

Med Hypotheses, 2005, 64(3), 543 - 6
Selective stimulation of the growth of anaerobic microflora in the human intestinal tract by electrolyzed reducing water; Vorobjeva NV; 96-99% of the "friendly" or residential microflora of intestinal tract of humans consists of strict anaerobes and only 1-4% of aerobes . Many diseases of the intestine are due to a disturbance in the balance of the microorganisms inhabiting the gut . The treatment of such diseases involves the restoration of the quantity and/or balance of residential microflora in the intestinal tract . It is known that aerobes and anaerobes grow at different oxidation-reduction potentials (ORP) . The former require positive E(h) values up to +400 mV . Anaerobes do not grow unless the E(h) value is negative between -300 and -400 mV . In this work, it is suggested that prerequisite for the recovery and maintenance of obligatory anaerobic microflora in the intestinal tract is a negative ORP value of the intestinal milieu . Electrolyzed reducing water with E(h) values between 0 and -300 mV produced in electrolysis devices possesses this property . Drinking such water favours the growth of residential microflora in the gut . A sufficient array of data confirms this idea . However, most researchers explain the mechanism of its action by an antioxidant properties destined to detox the oxidants in the gut and other host tissues . Evidence is presented in favour of the hypothesis that the primary target for electrolyzed reducing water is the residential microflora in the gut.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2005 Jan, 49(1), 438 - 40
Effect of parenteral antibiotic administration on establishment of intestinal colonization by Candida glabrata in adult mice; Pultz NJ et al.; We examined the effect of antibiotic treatment on establishment of intestinal colonization by Candida glabrata in adult mice . Subcutaneous ceftriaxone, piperacillin-tazobactam, clindamycin, and metronidazole promoted increased density of stool colonization, whereas cefepime, levofloxacin, and aztreonam did not . These findings suggest that antibiotics that inhibit intestinal anaerobes promote C . glabrata colonization.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2005 Jan, 49(1), 183 - 7
Induction of {beta}-defensin resistance in the oral anaerobe Porphyromonas gingivalis; Shelburne CE et al.; Induction of resistance of oral anaerobes to the effects of human beta-defensin 1 (hbetaD-1) to hbetaD-4 was investigated by pretreating cells with either sublethal levels of defensins or environmental factors, followed by a challenge with lethal levels of defensins . Cultures of Porphyromonas gingivalis were (i) pretreated with defensins at 1 ng/ml, (ii) heated to 42 degrees C (heat stress), (iii) exposed to normal atmosphere (oxidative stress), or (iv) exposed to 1 mM hydrogen peroxide (peroxide stress) . Samples (10 microl) were distributed among the wells of sterile 384-well plates containing hbetaD-1 to -4 (100 microg/ml) . Plates were incubated at 37 degrees C for 36 h in an anaerobe chamber . Growth inhibition was determined by a system that measures the total nucleic acid of a sample with a DNA binding dye . The MICs of the four defensins for P . gingivalis were 3 to 12 microg/ml . We found that sublethal levels of the defensins and heat and peroxide stress, but not oxidative stress, induced resistance to 100 microg of defensin per ml in P . gingivalis . Resistance induced by sublethal levels of hbetaD-2 lasted 90 min, and the resistance induced by each defensin was effective against the other three . Multiple strains exposed to hbetaD-2 all evidenced resistance induction . Defensin resistance is vital to the pathogenic potential of several human pathogens . This is the first report describing the induction of defensin resistance in the oral periodontal pathogen P . gingivalis . Such resistance may have an effect on the ability of oral pathogens to persist in the mouth and to withstand innate human immunity.

J Infect Chemother, 2004 Dec, 10(6), 343 - 7
Can BacT/Alert FA and FN blood culture bottles increase the recovery of microorganisms in the clinical laboratory?
Saito T, Iinuma Y, Takakura S, Fujihara N, Kudo T, Ichiyama S.
To evaluate whether the use of BacT/Alert FA and FN blood culture bottles increases the yield of microorganisms, we performed a before-after study . BacT/Alert standard aerobic (AE) and anaerobic (AN) bottles were used from January 1999 to May 2001 (before period) . FA and FN bottles were used from May 2001 to March 2003 (after period) . A total of 7796 AE, 7807 AN, 4798 FA, and 4787 FN bottles were processed . There were 742 (9.5%) AE-, 598 (7.7%) AN-, 521 (10.7%) FA-, and 396 (8.3%) FN-positive bottles . From these positive bottles 776, 631, 585, and 487 microorganisms were isolated, respectively . Among the isolated microorganisms, 58 (7.5%) and 59 (10.1%) Candida species were isolated from AE and FA bottles, respectively, and 17 (2.7%) and 21 (4.3%) obligate anaerobes were isolated from AN and FN bottles, respectively . We conclude that BacT/Alert FA and FN bottles showed a higher percentage of positivity for microorganisms, in particular for Candida species and obligate anaerobes.

Arch Dis Child, 2005 Jan, 90(1), 70 - 3
Empyema: the use of broad range 16S rDNA PCR for pathogen detection; Saglani S et al.; BACKGROUND: An increase in the incidence of thoracic empyema in children has been reported . The causative pathogen is often unknown as pleural fluid is frequently sterile at the time of culture . The role of unusual organisms is unclear . AIMS: (1) To compare the detection of organisms in pleural fluid from children with empyema using a molecular technique (16S rDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) and bacterial culture . (2) To compare the concordance of organisms identified using the two techniques and the influence of prior antibiotic treatment on positive detection rate . METHODS: Pleural fluid from children admitted with empyema between January 2000 and February 2002 was cultured and additionally analysed using broad range 16S rDNA PCR . RESULTS: Pleural fluid was cultured from 32 patients, aged 1 month-16 years . Median duration of previous antibiotic therapy was 8 days (range 1-42 days) . Six samples were culture positive and 22 were PCR positive . A causal organism was detected by PCR alone, after considering results from the local hospital, in 14 patients . There was complete concordance in organisms cultured and detected by PCR . Additional organisms detected by PCR were predominantly S pneumoniae, S pyogenes, and anaerobes . CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of pleural fluid by broad range 16S rDNA PCR in addition to culture, increases organism identification in empyema.

Int Braz J Urol, 2004 Sep-Oct, 30(5), 367 - 76
Pelvic actinomycosis . Urologic perspective; Marella VK et al.; PURPOSE: Actinomycosis is a chronic granulomatous infection caused by the gram-positive anaerobic bacteria, Actinomyces israelli . This paper reviews the etiology and clinical presentation associated with Actinomycosis that often presents as a pelvic mass that mimics a pelvic malignancy . MATERIALS AND METHODS: A combination of patients treated by the authors in the recent past and a literature review of patients with pelvic Actinomycosis were assessed for demographic, clinical and predisposing co-factors . An analysis is made of age distribution, gender, diagnostic methods and treatment concepts . RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were included in the study that included 2 current patients and 31 obtained from literature review . There were 27 females (age range 16 - 69 years, mean 38 years) and 6 males (16 - 55 years, mean 36 years) . Presenting signs and symptoms were lower abdominal mass in 28 (85%); lower abdominal pain in 21 (63%); vaginal discharge or hematuria in 7 (22%) . Two patients developed fistulae (entero-vesico 1; vesico-cutaneous 1) . Nineteen (70%) of the 27 female patients had intra-uterine contraceptive devices (IUD) . Four patients (12.5%) (3 males and 1 female) had urachus or urachal remnants . Cystoscopy in 12 patients noted an extrinsic mass effect, bullous edema and in one patient " vegetative proliferation " proven to be a chronic inflammatory change . Exploratory laparotomy was performed in 32 of the 33 patients who had excision of mass and involved organs . Diagnosis was established by histologic examination of removed tissue . Penicillin (6 weeks) therapy was utilized to control infections . CONCLUSION: Pelvic actinomycosis mimics pelvic malignancy and may be associated with the long-term use of intra-uterine contraceptive devices, and persistent urachal remnants . Removal of infected mass and antibiotic therapy will eradicate the inflammatory process.

Gerodontology, 2004 Dec, 21(4), 209 - 15
Oral health and reduction in respiratory capacity in a cohort of community-dwelling elderly people: a population-based 5-year follow-up study; Hamalainen P et al.; OBJECTIVES: Several anaerobic bacteria originating in periodontal pockets have been isolated from infected lungs and pharyngeal microflora . Increased bacterial load in lungs is known to be a risk factor for decline in forced expiratory volume during the first second . The aim was to evaluate both cross-sectionally and longitudinally the association between oral health status and forced expiratory volume during the first second (FEV1) in older residents of the city of Jyvaskyla, Finland . DESIGN: Cross-sectional and prospective cohort study over a 5-year follow-up . SETTING: Research laboratory of the University of Jyvaskyla . PARTICIPANTS: In 1990 dental status and FEV1 were examined in 203 80-year-old people, of whom 88 survivors were retested 5 years later . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary: dental status and FEV1 . Secondary: existence of pulmonary diseases, height, handgrip strength, smoking, and length of education . RESULTS: Participants were regrouped into three categories according to their baseline oral health status . At baseline, men with complete prostheses had the lowest FEV1 . Five years later the greatest reduction in FEV1 was seen in subjects with poor periodontal status or complete prostheses (-9.4%) while those with healthy periodontal status showed no reduction in FEV1 values (+1.0%, p = 0.006) . CONCLUSIONS: Periodontal infections and complete prostheses may be reservoirs for pathogens which may be harmful and partly explain the observed reduction in FEV1 during ageing.

Bull Acad Natl Med, 2004, 188(3), 473 - 86; discussion 486-90
{Necrotizing soft tissue infections: role of the localization for the antibiotic management}; Wattel F et al.; Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI) are infrequent but life-threatening, and require prompt empirical antibiotic therapy . Current nosologic classifications have limited value because the criteria used are imprecise and their bacteriological specificity is uncertain . The aim of this study was to describe the bacterial flora and its antibiotic sensitivity in a cohort of patients with NSTI, and to derive guidelines for the choice of antimicrobial chemotherapy . This prospective study involved 120 patients . Aerobic and anaerobic bacteriological samples were taken from infected soft tissues . The species distribution and susceptibility of the isolates to various antibiotic (ATB) combinations were analyzed . The data were analyzed according to the type (cellulitis versus myonecrosis) and anatomical location of NSTI (abdomen and perineum; uterine cervix; limbs) . The chi-square test was used to analyze qualitative variables, and Student's t test was used for quantitative variables . A total of 232 samples yielded bacterial isolates (122 aerobic, 110 anaerobic) . The species distribution of anaerobes did not differ according to the nature of the involved tissue or the anatomic location . Gram-negative aerobes were more frequently isolated from abdominal, perineal and limb sites than from the cervix (p<0.05), while gram-positive aerobes showed the reverse distribution (p<0.05) . Metronidazole was more effective than clindamycin on cervical isolates (95% vs 88%, p=0.0093) . Among the broad-spectrum antibiotics tested, imipenem/cilastatin and piperacillin/tazobactam were equally effective against the different groups of bacteria (94% vs 88%, p=0.14), and were clearly more active than the other antibiotics (p<0.05), whatever the site of isolation, the bacterial species, and the type of NSTI . The five antibiotics tested showed similar efficacy against cervical isolates . These results suggest that the choice of antibiotic therapy for NSTI should depend on the anatomical site of involvement rather than the nature of the infection . For abdominal, perineal and limb NSTI, we recommend first-line treatment with a betalactam-inhibitor combination (piperacillin/tazobactam or ticarcillin/clavulanate) plus an agent active on gram-negative species (aminoglycoside or fluoroquinolone) . For cervical NSTI, we recommend penicillin G/metronidazole, or amoxicillin/clavulanic acid.

J Clin Microbiol, 2004 Dec, 42(12), 5940 - 3
Peripartum bacteremias due to Leptotrichia amnionii and Sneathia sanguinegens, rare causes of fever during and after delivery; De Martino SJ et al.; We report three cases of delivery and postpartum bacteremia due to unusual anaerobic bacteria in healthy young women . Leptotrichia amnionii bacteremia occurred during delivery in two mothers and was associated with fetal distress during labor . Conversely, Sneathia sanguinegens bacteremia occurred postpartum, 2 days after delivery, without consequence for the neonate.

J Clin Microbiol, 2004 Dec, 42(12), 5892 - 4
Use of species-directed 16S rRNA gene PCR primers for detection of Atopobium vaginae in patients with bacterial vaginosis; Ferris MJ et al.; Recent studies suggest that the association between a metronidazole-resistant anaerobe, Atopobium vaginae, and bacterial vaginosis (BV) warrants further investigation . In the present study, specific primers enhanced detection of A . vaginae and provided additional evidence that this bacterium is prevalent among patients with BV but absent among patients with normal vaginal flora.

Biochemistry, 2004 Dec 14, 43(49), 15480 - 93
Multiple orientations in a physiological complex: the pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase--ferredoxin system; Pieulle L et al.; Ferredoxin I from Desulfovibrio africanus (Da FdI) is a small acidic {4Fe-4S} cluster protein that exchanges electrons with pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR), a key enzyme in the energy metabolism of anaerobes . The thermodynamic properties and the electron transfer between PFOR and either native or mutated FdI have been investigated by microcalorimetry and steady-state kinetics, respectively . The association constant of the PFOR-FdI complex is 3.85 x 10(5) M(-1), and the binding affinity has been found to be highly sensitive to ionic strength, suggesting the involvement of electrostatic forces in formation of the complex . Surprisingly, the punctual or combined neutralizations of carboxylate residues surrounding the {4Fe-4S} cluster slightly affect the PFOR-FdI interaction . Furthermore, hydrophobic residues around the cluster do not seem to be crucial for the PFOR-FdI system activity; however, some of them play an important role in the stability of the FeS cluster . NMR restrained docking associated with site-directed mutagenesis studies suggested the presence of various interacting sites on Da FdI . The modification of additional acidic residues at the interacting interface, generating a FdI pentamutant, evidenced at least two distinct FdI binding sites facing the distal {4Fe-4S} cluster of the PFOR . We also used a set of various small acidic partners to investigate the specificity of PFOR toward redox partners . The remarkable flexibility of the PFOR-FdI system supports the idea that the specificity of the physiological complex has probably been "sacrificed" to improve the turnover rate and thus the efficiency of bacterial electron transfer.

Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal, 2004, 9 Suppl, 69 - 74; 63-9
Periimplantitis; Sanchez-Garces MA et al.; Orodental rehabilitation through the use of implants offers very high success rates . In this paper, we describe some of the complications involved with this technique, such as periimplant disease and, within this category, periimplantitis, an inflammatory reaction in which there is a loss of the bony support of the implant accompanied by inflammation . The aetiology of the disease is conditioned by the status of the tissue surrounding the implant, implant design, degree of roughness, the poor alignment of implant components, external morphology and excessive mechanical load . The microorganisms most commonly associated with implant failure are spirochetes and mobile forms of Gram-negative anaerobes, unless the origin is the result of simple mechanical overload . Diagnosis is based on changes of colour in the gum, bleeding and probing depth of periimplant pockets, suppuration, x-ray and gradual loss of bone height around the tooth . Treatment will differ depending upon whether it is a case of mucositis or periimplantitis . Therapeutic objectives focus on correcting technical defects by means of surgery and decontamination techniques (abrasion with carbon particles, citric acid solution, topical tetracycline application and laser surgery) . This study also presents a microbiological study of periimplantitis conducted by the Barcelona School of Dentistry that determined that the antibiotic therapy proven to be most efficacious in the antibiogram was the association of amoxycillin and clavulanic acid.

Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal, 2004, 9 Suppl, 122 - 5; 120-2
Third molar infections; Gutierrez-Perez JL; Pericoronitis is an infectious disease often associated with the eruption of a third molar . It can be either acute (serous and suppurative) or chronic . Pain is usually the predominant symptom in acute stages, whereas chronic forms of the disease may display very few symptoms . Both present exudate . The infection is multimicrobial, predominantly caused strictly by betalactamase-producing anaerobeic microorganisms . Treatment measures are symptomatic, antimicrobial and surgical . Antimicrobial treatment is indicated for preoperative prophylaxis when there is a high risk of postoperative infection and, during the acute stages of suppurative pericoronitis when surgery must be postponed . First-line treatment in this case consists of amoxicillin with associated clavulanic acid . Although surgical treatment of pericoronitis presenting at the third molar is indicated as a Grade C recommendation for extraction, it is the most common indication for extraction of a retained third molar, owing to the improved quality of life it can offer the patient.

Nature, 2004 Dec 2, 432(7017), 618 - 22
Trichomonas hydrogenosomes contain the NADH dehydrogenase module of mitochondrial complex I; Hrdy I et al.; Hydrogenosomes are double-membraned ATP-producing and hydrogen-producing organelles of diverse anaerobic eukaryotes . In some versions of endosymbiotic theory they are suggested to be homologues of mitochondria, but alternative views suggest they arose from an anaerobic bacterium that was distinct from the mitochondrial endosymbiont . Here we show that the 51-kDa and 24-kDa subunits of the NADH dehydrogenase module in complex I, the first step in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, are active in hydrogenosomes of Trichomonas vaginalis . Like mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase, the purified Trichomonas enzyme can reduce a variety of electron carriers including ubiquinone, but unlike the mitochondrial enzyme it can also reduce ferredoxin, the electron carrier used for hydrogen production . The presence of NADH dehydrogenase solves the long-standing conundrum of how hydrogenosomes regenerate NAD+ after malate oxidation . Phylogenetic analyses show that the Trichomonas 51-kDa homologue shares common ancestry with the mitochondrial enzyme . Recruitment of complex I subunits into a H2-producing pathway provides evidence that mitochondria and hydrogenosomes are aerobic and anaerobic homologues of the same endosymbiotically derived organelle.

Biol Chem, 2004 Nov, 385(11), 1041 - 7
Roles of Arg- and Lys-gingipains in coaggregation of Porphyromonas gingivalis: identification of its responsible molecules in translation products of rgpA, kgp, and hagA genes; Abe N et al.; Arg- (Rgp) and Lys-gingipains (Kgp) are two individual cysteine proteinases produced by Porphyromonas gingivalis , an oral anaerobic bacterium, and are implicated as major virulence factors in a wide range of pathologies of adult periodontitis . Coaggregation of this bacterium with other oral bacteria is an initial and critical step in infectious processes, yet the factors and mechanisms responsible for this process remain elusive . Here we show that the initial translation products of the rgpA , kgp and hemagglutinin hagA genes are responsible for coaggregation of P . gingivalis and that the proteolytic activity of Rgp and Kgp is indispensable in this process . The rgpA rgpB kgp- and rgpA kgp hagA -deficient triple mutants exhibited no coaggregation activity with Actinomyces viscosus , whereas the kgp -null and rgpA rgpB -deficient double mutants significantly retained this activity . Consistently, the combined action of Rgp- and Kgp-specific inhibitors strongly inhibited the coaggregation activity of the bacterium, although single use of Rgp- or Kgp-specific inhibitor significantly retained this activity . We also demonstrate that the 47- and 43-kDa proteins produced from the translation products of the rgpA , kgp , and hagA genes by proteolytic activity of both Rgp and Kgp are responsible for the coaggregation of P . gingivalis.

Hinyokika Kiyo, 2004 Oct, 50(10), 717 - 20
{A case of retroperitoneal abscess by anaerobic bacteria}; Kamoto A et al.; A case of retroperitoneal abscess with an unknown origin is presented . A 60-year-old woman visited our hospital complaining of fever and right flank pain . Abdominal computed tomography and ultrasound examination revealed retroperitoneal abscess posterior to right kidney . Percutaneous drainage and administration of antibiotics were performed . Then, both symptoms were improved . The fluid culture proved to be anaerobic bacteria, Peptostreptococcus species and Porphyromonas asaccharolytica . She had no history of surgery or diabetes mellitus . The origin of this abscess was unknown.

Respir Care, 2004 Dec, 49(12), 1530 - 41
Appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapy of nosocomial pneumonia: the role of the carbapenems; Kollef MH; Nosocomial pneumonia is the leading cause of death in patients with hospital-acquired infections . The development of nosocomial pneumonia prolongs hospitalization, which may cause additional days in the intensive care unit, thereby increasing overall health care costs . Empiric treatment of nosocomial pneumonia with therapies that are subsequently shown to be inappropriate therapy (defined as antimicrobial therapy that does not cover the infecting pathogens) has a detrimental effect on patient survival and can increase morbidity, length of hospital stay, and mortality . Delayed therapy can also have similar consequences . Therefore, it is necessary to begin treatment with the most appropriate regimen as soon as possible . This review considers the early use of appropriate, broad-spectrum empiric antimicrobial therapy for treating patients with nosocomial pneumonia and describes where and when the carbapenems are particularly useful . The carbapenems are active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, including anaerobes; resistance to carbapenems remains rare.

Transfus Med, 2004 Dec, 14(6), 391 - 8
A novel method for the detection of bacteria in platelet concentrates utilizing oxygen consumption as a marker for bacterial growth; McDonald CP et al.; Bacterial transfusion-transmission remains a significant problem in transfusion medicine . Diversion and improved donor arm disinfection has been introduced by blood services to reduce bacterial transmissions . These interventions are not 100% effective and, therefore, there is still a requirement to screen blood donations, particularly platelet concentrates which are responsible for the majority of transmissions . Pall BDS, a novel bacterial testing system, detects the presence of bacteria in platelet concentrates by measuring the reduction in oxygen content associated with bacterial growth . Buffy coat-derived pooled platelet concentrates were spiked with 12 aerobic and two anaerobic organisms (one species per bag, n = 10) at 100-700 cfu mL(-1) . Samples were taken into Pall BDS sample pouches and incubated for 0, 24, 30 and 48 h . An initial incubation was undertaken at 35 degrees C for 24 h and subsequent incubation was at 22 degrees C . At the end of the incubation period the oxygen content in the Pall BDS pouches was measured using a gas analyser . An oxygen content less than or equal to 19.5% was deemed to be positive . Pall BDS pouches tested positive in 80, 94 and 98% units spiked with aerobic bacteria at 24, 30 and 48 h, respectively . Anaerobic bacteria were not detected by the system . Positive BDS pouches contained 10(6) cfu mL(-1) or greater . The system was simple and easy to perform . Pall BDS has a closed sampling system which prevents exogenous contamination . This initial study indicates that the Pall BDS offers a practicable system for detecting bacteria present in leucodepleted platelet concentrates.

Water Sci Technol, 2004, 50(8), 185 - 92
Pretreatment of silk-dyeing industrial wastewater by UASB reactor; Karnchanawong S et al.; The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor as the pretreatment system for silk-dyeing wastewater . Two laboratory-scale UASB reactors, with working volume of 15.59 I, were used during May 1998 to June 1999 . The actual wastewater was diluted to reduce ammonium ion toxicity on anaerobic bacteria . The experiments were conducted at the organic loading rates (OLRs) of 0.52, 1.01, 1.04, 1.54 and 2.56 kgCOD/(m3 x d), treating only wastewater generated from the acid-dye process of mixed-species raw silk . It took approximately 4 1/2 months to reach the steady-state conditions . It was found that the COD removal was in the ranges of 74.1-85.3%, except at OLR 2.56 kgCOD/(m3 x d) where efficiency significantly dropped to 55.2% . The apparent color removal was in the similar trend as COD . During the study periods, wastewater input had various color shades while the effluent generally looked pale yellowish . The methane generation rates ranged from 0.18-0.31 m3/kg COD removed, with methane composition 81.0-88.1% in biogas . The average granule size in the sludge bed had slowly increased to 0.73 mm in the last experiment . It can be concluded that the UASB reactor is suitable as a pretreatment system for silk-dyeing wastewater . An OLR of 1 kgCOD/(m3 x d) and an influent concentration diluted to 2,600 mgCOD/l are suggested while COD and apparent color removal efficiency of 80% and 70%, respectively, can be expected.

J Periodontol, 2004 Oct, 75(10), 1343 - 9
Killing of periodontopathogenic bacteria by photodynamic therapy; Pfitzner A et al.; BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate a new approach for killing periodontopathogenic bacteria using photodynamic therapy (PDT) . METHODS: In this study, we investigated the photosensitizers chlorin e6, BLC 1010, and BLC 1014 by three different methods for their effect in PDT on the viability of periodontopathogenic bacterial species . The methods included examination of inhibition zones on agar plates, determination of colony-forming units (CFU), and the use of a bacterial viability kit . RESULTS: Using the CFU method, we were able to demonstrate that the anaerobic bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Capnocytophaga gingivalis can be photoinactivated completely by illumination with an intensity of 5.3 J/cm2 in the presence of 10 microM chlorin e6 and 10 microM BLC 1010 . With the photosensitizers chlorin e6 and BLC 1010, we were able to induce zones of inhibition on agar plates . BLC 1014 failed to produce a zone of inhibition . The results of the bacterial viability test also showed that the photosensitizer BLC 1014 provides the lowest photodynamic effect in comparison to the others . CONCLUSION: The data collected to date suggest that photodynamic therapy with chlorin e6 and BLC 1010 is advantageous for suppressing periodontopathogenic bacteria.

J Laryngol Otol, 2004 Oct, 118(10), 771 - 7
Cervicofacial necrotizing fasciitis: can we expect a favourable outcome?
Panda NK, Simhadri S, Sridhara SR.
Necrotizing fasciitis of the head and neck is an uncommon, progressive, destructive soft tissue infection of mixed aerobic and anaerobic organisms, having high mortality if left untreated (22 to 100 per cent) . This study makes an attempt to analyse various factors and management methods determining the overall prognosis . A retrospective analysis of all cases of necrotizing fasciitis involving the head and neck, with exclusion of those involving the eyelid and the scalp, was undertaken . Various parameters such as demography, aetiology, complications, management and outcome were studied . Males outnumbered the females with the latter having a greater risk of involvement after 60 years . Odontogenic infection was the primary source of infection . Anaerobes were cultured in seven out of 17 cases, with six others showing mixed Gram positive and Gram negative organisms . Anaemia was the most commonly associated illness, with diabetes affecting four out of 17 cases . Aggressive surgical debridement with triple antibiotic therapy was used in the management of necrotizing fasciitis with an overall mortality of 11.8 per cent . Patients having late referral, anaemia and one or other complication had increased duration of total hospital stay . Better results can be obtained with proper control of infection by early diagnosis, aggressive surgical debridement and triple antibiotic therapy, along with timely control of complications and associated illnesses.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 2004 Oct, 86(3), 283 - 5
Shewanella putrefaciens in a fuel-in-water emulsion from the Prestige oil spill; Martin-Gil J et al.; Microorganisms that colonize the fuel-in-water emulsion from the Prestige spill have been compared with those from Exxon-Valdez . Both emulsions contained non-fermentative gram-negative rods but unlike Exxon-Valdez's, the Prestige's spill contained anaerobic bacteria and no fungi . Our main finding has been the identification of Shewanella putrefaciens , a bacterium promising for bioremediation.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 2004 Oct, 86(3), 241 - 7
Pectinatus portalensis nov . sp., a relatively fast-growing, coccoidal, novel Pectinatus species isolated from a wastewater treatment plant; Gonzalez JM et al.; The genus Pectinatus is currently composed by two species, Pectinatus cerevisiiphilus and Pectinatus frisingensis , both asociated with beer spoilage . This study describes a novel isolate (strain B6) retrieved from a wastewater treatment plant collecting residues from a large number of wineries . Based on similarity analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain B6 belongs to the genus Pectinatus . Strain B6 is a strict anaerobe like other Pectinatus species and it presents non-motile, coccoid cells showing a slight oval shape . Strain B6 shows marked physiological differences with other Pectinatus species both in fatty acid composition and carbon source utilization . The most abundant fatty acids found in strain B6 were 18:1 (42.8%) and 16:0 (18.3%) representing a total of over 61% of fatty acids in this microorganism while these fatty acids represented 41.3% in P . cerevisiiphilusT and 2.4% in P . frisingensisT of their total . Fatty acid 15:0 was not significant in strain B6 and represented 28.6% and 13.3% for P . cerevisiiphilusT and P . frisingensisT, respectively . Strain B6 showed a faster growth rate and higher optimum temperature than its relatives P . cerevisiiphilus and P . frisingensis . Strain B6, P . cerevisiiphilus and P . frisingensis could be clearly differentiated by acid production tests from substrates such as esculine and gluconate, and the lack of acid production from rhamnose and fucose among others . G+C mol% content in strain B6 is 36.5% . Based on genotypic and phenotypic differences, strain B6 is proposed as a novel Pectinatus species, P . portalensis nov . sp . Both strain B6 and the two described species of Pectinatus grow on beers and wines . These results provide insights about the origin and reservoirs of Pectinatus species and spoiling alcoholic beverages.

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2005 Jan, 66(4), 356 - 66 Epub 2004 Nov 05.
Biotechnology of desulfurization of diesel: prospects and challenges; Gupta N et al.; To meet stringent emission standards stipulated by regulatory agencies, the oil industry is required to make a huge investment to bring down the sulfur content in diesel to the desired level, using conventional hydrodesulfurization (HDS) technology, by which sulfur is catalytically converted to hydrogen sulfide in the presence of hydrogen . These reactions proceed rapidly only at high temperature and pressure and therefore the capital cost as well as the operating cost associated with HDS very high . Biological desulfurization has the potential of being developed as a viable technology downstream of classical HDS . Various attempts have been made to develop biotechnological processes based on microbiological desulfurization employing aerobic and anaerobic bacteria . However, there are several bottlenecks limiting commercialization of the process . This review discusses various aspects of microbial desulfurization and the progress made towards its commercialization.

Bull Tokyo Dent Coll, 2004 May, 45(2), 77 - 85
Colonization by Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia from teeth to osseointegrated implant regions; Takanashi K et al.; Colonization by periodontopathic bacteria is a risk factor for peri-implantitis . The purpose of this study was to investigate the colonization by black-pigmented anaerobic bacteria that occurs between the time before fixture installation and 6 months after inserting superstructures in implant treatment in partial edentulous cases . Dental plaque was serially collected from around the natural teeth and implants in 12 patients in whom a dental implant was indicated, and Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) . One month after connecting the abutment, the detection rate of P . gingivalis per site from around the implants was 63.7% and that of P . intermedia was 50.8% . Six months after superstructure setting, the detection rate per site of P . gingivalis from around the implants was 56.8% and that of P . intermedia was 41.1% . When chromosomal DNA segmentation patterns in the isolated P . gingivalis and P . intermedia were compared using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), the patterns in the natural teeth were in accordance with those in the implants in 3 of 4 cases (75.0%) in P . gingivalis and all cases in P . intermedia . This finding suggested that bacterial colonization around implants occurred early after the implant region was exposed to the intraoral cavity and that the bacteria were transmitted from the area around the natural teeth.

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 2004 Oct, 113(10), 830 - 4
Role of anaerobic bacteria in infections following tracheostomy, intubation, or the use of ventilatory tubes in children; Brook I; Colonization of the tracheobronchial tree with microorganisms almost always follows tracheal intubation, tracheostomy, or the use of ventilatory tubes . Infection of the tracheostomy wound site frequently occurs after prolonged use of the tracheostomy . The long-term-ventilated child is at high risk for developing tracheobronchitis or nosocomial pneumonia, generally involving aerobic gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria . Several studies have illustrated the role of anaerobic bacteria in lower respiratory tract and tracheostomy wound site infection in intubated children . The predominant anaerobic bacteria were Peptostreptococcus spp and pigmented Prevotella and Porphyromonas spp . Most of these infections are due to polymicrobial aerobic-anaerobic bacterial flora . Appropriate management of mixed pulmonary aerobic and anaerobic infections requires the administration of antimicrobials that are effective against both the aerobic and anaerobic components of the infection.

Microbiology, 2004 Nov, 150(Pt 11), 3821 - 9
Comparative proteome analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis grown under aerobic and anaerobic conditions; Starck J et al.; Data are presented from two-dimensional (2-D) PAGE analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain Harlingen grown during aerobic and anaerobic culture, according to a modified Wayne dormancy model . M . tuberculosis cultures were grown to the transition point between exponential growth and stationary phase in the presence of oxygen (7 days) and then part of the cultures was shifted to anaerobic conditions for 16 days . Growth declined similarly during aerobic and anaerobic conditions, whereas the ATP consumption rapidly decreased in the anaerobic cultures . 2-D PAGE revealed 50 protein spots that were either unique to, or more abundant during, anaerobic conditions and 16 of these were identified by MALDI-TOF . These proteins were the alpha-crystalline homologue (HspX), elongation factor Tu (Tuf), GroEL2, succinyl-CoA : 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase (ScoB), mycolic acid synthase (CmaA2), thioredoxin (TrxB2), beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase (KasB), l-alanine dehydrogenase (Ald), Rv2005c, Rv2629, Rv0560c, Rv2185c and Rv3866 . Some protein spots were found to be proteolytic fragments, e.g . HspX and GroEL2 . These data suggest that M . tuberculosis induces expression of about 1 % of its genes in response to dormancy.

Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol . 2004 Nov 4; {Epub ahead of print}
Luminal Bacterial Flora Determines Physiological Expression of Intestinal Epithelial Cytoprotective Heat Shock Proteins, Hsp 25 and Hsp 72; Arvans DL et al.; Heat shock proteins (Hsp), Hsp25 and Hsp72 are expressed normally by surface colonocytes, but not by small intestinal enterocytes . We hypothesized that luminal commensal microflora, maintain the observed colonocyte Hsp expression . The ability of the small intestine to respond to bacteria and their products and modulate hsps has not been determined . The effects of luminal bacterial flora in surgically-created mid-jejunal self-filling (SFL) versus self-emptying (SEL) small bowel blind loops on epithelial Hsp expression were studied . Hsp25 and Hsp72 expression were assessed by immunoblot and immunohistochemistry . SFL were chronically colonized, whereas SEL contained levels of bacteria normal for the proximal small intestine . SFL creation significantly increased Hsp 25 and 72 expression relative to corresponding sections from SEL . Metronidazole treatment, which primarily affects anaerobic bacteria, as well as a diet lacking fermentable fiber, significantly decreased SFL Hsp expression . Small bowel incubation with butyrate ex vivo induced a sustained and significant up-regulation of Hsp25 and altered Hsp72 expression, confirming the role of short chain fatty acids . To determine if Hsps induction altered responses to an injury, effects of the oxidant, monochloramine, on epithelial resistance (R) and short circuit (Isc) responses to carbachol and glucose were compared . Increased SFL Hsp expression was associated with protection against oxidant-induced decreases in transmural resistance and short-circuit responses to glucose, but not secretory responses to carbachol . In conclusion, luminal microflora and their metabolic byproducts direct expression of Hsps in gut epithelial cells, an effect that contributes to preservation of epithelial cell viability under conditions of stress.

Adv Microb Physiol, 2004, 49, 175 - 218
Bacterial Na+ - or H+ -coupled ATP synthases operating at low electrochemical potential; Dimroth P et al.; In certain strictly anaerobic bacteria, the energy for growth is derived entirely from a decarboxylation reaction . A prominent example is Propionigenium modestum, which converts the free energy of the decarboxylation of (S)-methylmalonyl-CoA to propionyl-CoA (DeltaG degrees =-20.6 kJ/mol) into an electrochemical Na(+) ion gradient across the membrane . This energy source is used as a driving force for ATP synthesis by a Na(+)-translocating F(1)F(0) ATP synthase . According to bioenergetic considerations, approximately four decarboxylation events are necessary to support the synthesis of one ATP . This unique feature of using Na(+) instead of H(+) as the coupling ion has made this ATP synthase the paradigm to study the ion pathway across the membrane and its relationship to rotational catalysis . The membrane potential (Deltapsi) is the key driving force to convert ion translocation through the F(0) motor components into torque . The resulting rotation elicits conformational changes at the catalytic sites of the peripheral F(1) domain which are instrumental for ATP synthesis . Alkaliphilic bacteria also face the challenge of synthesizing ATP at a low electrochemical potential, but for entirely different reasons . Here, the low potential is not the result of insufficient energy input from substrate degradation, but of an inverse pH gradient . This is a consequence of the high environmental pH where these bacteria grow and the necessity to keep the intracellular pH in the neutral range . In spite of this unfavorable bioenergetic condition, ATP synthesis in alkaliphilic bacteria is coupled to the proton motive force (DeltamuH(+)) and not to the much higher sodium motive force (DeltamuNa(+)) . A peculiar feature of the ATP synthases of alkaliphiles is the specific inhibition of their ATP hydrolysis activity . This inhibition appears to be an essential strategy for survival at high external pH: if the enzyme were to operate as an ATPase, protons would be pumped outwards to counteract the low DeltamuH(+), thus wasting valuable ATP and compromising acidification of the cytoplasm at alkaline pH.

Obstet Gynecol, 2004 Nov, 104(5 Pt 2), 1161 - 4
Necrotic leiomyoma and gram-negative sepsis eight weeks after uterine artery embolization; Aungst M et al.; BACKGROUND: Uterine artery embolization for symptomatic leiomyomata is generally safe, but rare life-threatening complications, including sepsis, can result . CASE: A 39-year-old woman with primary antiphospholipid syndrome, who was on chronic warfarin therapy, underwent uterine artery embolization for severe menorrhagia and a 12-cm intracavitary leiomyoma . Eight weeks postembolization, the patient, who had been essentially asymptomatic, presented in septic shock from gram-negative anaerobic bacteria . She underwent hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for a large infarcted necrotic leiomyoma and partial uterine necrosis . The patient's 8-day hospitalization required extended care in the intensive care unit and blood transfusion and resulted in surgical menopause in a patient who is not a candidate for hormone therapy . CONCLUSION: Uterine artery embolization is a procedure not without significant risks . From published case reports, it appears that patients most at risk for severe infection of an infarcted leiomyoma after this procedure are those with a large dominant leiomyoma.

J Obstet Gynaecol, 1997, 17(6), 573 - 5
Treatment of Gardnerella vaginalis infection; I B Adinma N R Okwoli C N Unaeze J; Summary This review of the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Gardnerella vaginalis culture isolates shows that the drugs found sensitive to G . vaginalis cultures include the new antimicrobial agents- ciprofloxacin, cefuroxine and ceftazidine, and some older antibiotics- ceftriaxone, cloxacillin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol and metranidazole . Streptomycin and augmentin showed intermediate sensitivity while penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline and gentamycin exhibited resistance to G . vaginalis isolates . Metronidazole is currently the first-line drug of choice for the treatment of G . vaginalis and its related infections because of its effectiveness not just against G . vaginalis but also against anaerobes . It can be administered orally, parenterally and intravaginally as gel or sponge . The advantages and drawbacks to the use of these G . vaginalis - sensitive drugs, and the place of alternative drugs in the management of G . vaginalis - associated infections are discussed.

J Obstet Gynaecol, 1997, 17(2), 171 - 5
Bacterial vaginosis and lower genital tract infections in women attending out-patient clinics at a tertiary institution serving a developing community; B M Kharsany A A Hoosen And J Moodley A; The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and other lower genital tract infections were determined in women from a developing community . Patients were recruited from four out-patient clinics of a large urban tertiary referral hospital serving the indigent Black population of KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa . A total of 208 women attending the sexually = = transmitted diseases (STD) (n 51), colposcopy (n 50), = = family planning (n 52) and antenatal (n 55) clinics were investigated . Endocervical and vaginal specimens were collected for microbiological investigation of recognised sexually transmitted pathogens . Estimation of vaginal pH, amine test and wet smear microscopy were performed at the bedside . Peripheral venous blood was obtained for serological tests for syphilis, hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) . Vaginal infections were detected in a total of 50% (104) of women, endocervical infections alone in 9% (18) and concurrent vagino-endocervical infections in 20% (41) . Bacterial vaginosis (BV) was diagnosed in 35% (73) and its prevalence amongst different clinic populations ranged from 25% to 41% with no significant differences between any groups . Trichomoniasis was detected significantly more often in women attending the STD and antenatal clinics . Endocervical infections were found mainly in women attending the STD clinic, though the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis amongst the other clinic attenders ranged from 13% to 20% . Micro-organisms such as Gardnerella vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, anaerobes and curved Gram-negative rods were found in significantly higher number of women with BV . This study confirms the high prevalence of vaginal, endocervical and mixed vagino-endocervical infections in women from developing communities . The high prevalence of bacterial vaginosis as a single infection and its association with other recognised sexually transmitted pathogens in a large proportion of women, is of significance since such infections not only predispose to ascending upper genital tract infections but are also associated with complications in pregnancy such as premature rupture of membranes, preterm labour and endometritis.

J Obstet Gynaecol, 1997, 17(1), 90 - 91
Gardnerella vaginalis causing tubo-ovarian abscess; 1 S P Burgess O Daramola And S Lacey 2 1; Gardnerella vaginalis is associated with the condition of bacterial vaginosis . In this condition, it is believed that G . vaginalis and non-sporing anaerobes work together to produce a true mixed infection, and that G . vaginalis serves at least as a marker for bacterial vaginosis . In addition to vaginosis, Gardnerella associated disease has been described as a risk factor for the development of post-caesarean section endometritis, chorioamnionitis and post-hysterectomy vaginalcuff cellulitis (Eschenbach, 1993) . Hence, it has been associated with a variety of upper genital tract infections . However, we could find no reports in the literature in which G . vaginalis and its associated anaerobes had been described as a cause of a posthysterectomy tubo-ovarian abscess.

J Obstet Gynaecol, 1997, 17(1), 82 - 5
A prospective study of the correlation between genital pathogens and morbidity following diathermy loop excision of the transformation zone; K Sarkar C A Rodgers And P Mannion P; A prospective study of 48 women was carried out to estimate the incidence of common genital pathogens in women referred to colposcopy clinic requiring diathermy loop excision and to compare patient morbidity in the subgroups with and without genital pathogens . Of the 43 women included in the analysis, genital pathogens were present in 24 cases (56%) and absent in 19 (44%) of the 24 positive cases, 19 (79%) women had pathogen(s) on the cervical swab, 24 (100%) had pathogen(s) on the high vaginal swab and 15 (63%) had both a positive cervical and high vaginal swab (HVS) . The most frequently isolated groups of organisms were mixed anaerobes, alone (four HVS and four cervical) or in combination with Gardnerella vaginalis (four HVS and three cervical) or coliforms (two HVS and two cervical) . The mean duration of bleeding and vaginal discharge in the two study groups was not statistically significant (t value 1.97, P 0.05; and t value 0.48, P 0.5, respectively) . However, the mean duration of bleeding graded by the patient as being moderate to severe was significantly different in the two groups (t value 3.18 P 0.01) . Fifty-six per cent of the women in the study had confirmed genital pathogens, predominantly anaerobes, and the prolonged moderate-to-severe bleeding in this group suggests a potential role for prophylactic bacteriocides, although the study size was unable to implicate a single pathogen.

Int Dent J, 2004, 54(5 Suppl 1), 291 - 8
The role of Triclosan in dentifrice formulations, with particular reference to a new 0.3% Triclosan calcium carbonate-based system; Brading MG et al.; AIM: To discuss the role of Triclosan in dentifrice systems and demonstrate the enhanced efficacy of Triclosan in calcium carbonate-based systems when the level of the antimicrobial agent is raised from 0.2% to 0.3% . Triclosan is the most commonly used antimicrobial agent in oral care products, being compatible with a wide range of ingredients found in toothpaste formulations, whilst having no negative sensory features (e.g . taste, staining) that are associated with some other antimicrobial/anti-plaque agents . Triclosan is a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent, with additional anti-metabolic and anti-inflammatory properties . When delivered to the mouth in oral care products, Triclosan can selectively inhibit Gram negative anaerobic bacteria implicated in gingivitis and periodontal diseases, while leaving species associated with oral health relatively unaffected . Worldwide, attempts have been made to boost delivery/activity of Triclosan, either by use of copolymers or by combination with other agents such as zinc citrate . However, Triclosan has also been shown to maintain clinical efficacy against plaque and gingivitis when present as the sole antimicrobial in toothpaste formulations.

Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2004 Oct, 191(4), 1339 - 45
Clinical significance of intra-amniotic inflammation in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes; Shim SS et al.; OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the frequency and clinical significance of intra-amniotic inflammation in patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes . STUDY DESIGN: Amniotic fluid was retrieved from 219 patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes; the fluid was cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and mycoplasmas and assayed for neutrophil collagenase, which is also known as matrix metalloproteinase-8 . Matrix metalloproteinase-8 was used because previous studies indicated that this was a sensitive and specific index of inflammation and that is correlated with the amniotic fluid white blood cell count . Intra-amniotic inflammation was defined as an elevated amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase-8 concentration (>23 ng/mL) . Nonparametric and survival techniques were used for statistical analysis . RESULTS: The overall rate of intra-amniotic inflammation was 42% (93/219 samples); proven intra-amniotic infection was detected only in 23% (50/219 samples) . Intra-amniotic inflammation with a negative amniotic fluid culture for micro-organisms was found in 23% (51/219 samples) and was as common as proven intra-amniotic infection . Pregnancy outcome was worse in patients with intra-amniotic inflammation and a negative culture than in those patients with a negative culture and without inflammation . There were no differences in the interval-to-delivery or rate of complications between patients with intra-amniotic inflammation and a negative culture and patients with proven amniotic fluid infection . CONCLUSION: We conclude that intra-amniotic inflammation, regardless of culture result, is present in 42% of patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes and that it is a risk factor for impending preterm delivery and adverse outcome . We propose that intra-amniotic inflammation, rather than infection, be used to classify and treat patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes.

Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2004 Oct, 191(4), 1124 - 9
Antimicrobial resistance associated with the treatment of bacterial vaginosis; Beigi RH et al.; OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility of vaginal anaerobic bacteria before and after treatment of bacterial vaginosis . STUDY DESIGN: A randomized clinical trial of 119 nonpregnant women with bacterial vaginosis receiving either intravaginal metronidazole for 5 days or clindamycin for 3 days was performed . Women had 1 baseline and 3 follow-up visits at which quantitative vaginal cultures were performed . Anaerobic isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing . RESULTS: Complete susceptibility data was available on 95 women (47 metronidazole and 48 clindamycin) . Of 1059 anaerobic bacterial isolates, less than 1% demonstrated resistance to metronidazole . In contrast, 17% demonstrated baseline clindamycin resistance, and 53% demonstrated resistance to clindamycin after therapy . Women exposed to clindamycin (but not metronidazole) had high frequencies (80%) of clindamycin-resistant anaerobic bacteria that persisted for 90 days after treatment . CONCLUSION: Treatment of bacterial vaginosis with clindamycin is associated with marked evidence of antimicrobial resistance among vaginal anaerobic bacteria . This may increase the vaginal reservoir of macrolide-resistant bacteria.

J Dent Res, 2004 Nov, 83(11), 823 - 31
Hypochlorous acid and taurine-N-monochloramine in periodontal diseases; Mainnemare A et al.; Chronic periodontitis is a multi-factorial disease involving anaerobic bacteria and the generation of an inflammatory response, including the production of metalloproteinases, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and eicosanoids . Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and taurine-N-monochloramine (TauCl) are the end-products of the neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) respiratory burst . They act synergistically to modulate the inflammatory response . In the extracellular environment, HOCl and TauCl may directly neutralize interleukin 6 (IL-6) and several metalloproteinases, while HOCl increases the capacity of alpha(2)-macroglobulin to bind Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, IL-2, and IL-6, and facilitates the release of various growth factors . TauCl inhibits the production of inflammatory mediators, prostaglandins, and nitric oxide . HOCl activates tyrosine kinase signaling cascades, generating an increase in the production of extracellular matrix components, growth factors, and inflammatory mediators . Thus, HOCl and TauCl appear to play a crucial role in the periodontal inflammatory process . Taken together, these findings may offer opportunities for the development of novel host-modulating therapies for the treatment of periodontitis.

Vet Rec, 2004 Sep 25, 155(13), 383 - 7
Minimum inhibitory concentrations of some antimicrobial drugs against bacteria causing uterine infections in cattle; Sheldon IM et al.; The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of oxytetracycline, cephapirin, cephapirin/mecillinam, cefquinome, ceftiofur and enrofloxacin, candidate antibiotics for the principal bacteria associated with uterine infections: Escherichia coli, Arcanobacterium pyogenes and the anaerobic bacteria Fusobacterium necrophorum and Prevotella melaninogenicus, were determined by the agar dilution method . The bacteria were isolated from animals with clinical metritis and/or endometritis . For E coli, cefquinome and enrofloxacin had the lowest MIC90 and MIC50 values (< 0.06 microg/ml), and oxytetracycline and cephapirin had the highest values . For A pyogenes, oxytetracycline had the highest MIC50 value (16 microg/ml), but all the cephalosporins had values below 0.06 microg/ml . For the anaerobic bacteria, enrofloxacin and oxytetracycline had the highest MIC50 values but all the cephalosporins had values of 0.06 microg/ml or below.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2004 Oct 18;(4):CD001067.
Antibiotic regimens for endometritis after delivery; French L et al.; BACKGROUND: Postpartum endometritis, which is more common after cesarean section, occurs when vaginal organisms invade the endometrial cavity during labor and birth . Antibiotic treatment is warranted . OBJECTIVES: The effect of different antibiotic regimens for the treatment of postpartum endometritis on failure of therapy and complications was systematically reviewed . SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's trials register (30 January 2004) . SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized trials of different antibiotic regimens for postpartum endometritis, after cesarean section or vaginal birth, where outcomes of treatment failure or complications were reported were selected . DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We abstracted data independently and made comparisons between different types of antibiotic regimen based on type of antibiotic and duration and route of administration . Summary relative risks were calculated . MAIN RESULTS: Thirty-eight trials with 3983 participants were included . Fifteen studies comparing clindamycin and an aminoglycoside with another regimen showed more treatment failures with the other regimen (relative risk (RR) 1.44; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15 to 1.80) . Failures of those regimens with poor activity against penicillin resistant anaerobic bacteria were more likely (RR 1.94; 95% CI 1.38 to 2.72) . In three studies that compared continued oral antibiotic therapy after intravenous therapy with no oral therapy, no differences were found in recurrent endometritis or other outcomes . In four studies comparing once daily with thrice daily dosing of gentamicin there were fewer failures with once daily dosing . There was no evidence of difference in incidence of allergic reactions . Cephalosporins were associated with less diarrhea . REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS: The combination of gentamicin and clindamycin is appropriate for the treatment of endometritis . Regimens with activity against penicillin- resistant anaerobic bacteria are better than those without . There is no evidence that any one regimen is associated with fewer side effects . Once uncomplicated endometritis has clinically improved with intravenous therapy, oral therapy is not needed.

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 2004 Oct, 130(10), 1201 - 4
The risk of development of antimicrobial resistance in individual patients with chronic rhinosinusitis; Bhattacharyya N et al.; OBJECTIVE: To determine if individual patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) demonstrate an increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance over time . PATIENTS: A prospectively maintained database of microbiologic culture results for adult patients with CRS was sequentially analyzed, extracting patients who underwent multiple serial sinus cultures over time . Antimicrobial resistance patterns were identified and quantified for each bacterium . Sequential culture results were compared for individual patients to determine if increasing overall bacterial resistance, gram-positive resistance, gram-negative resistance, or a shift toward gram-negative organisms was manifested within individual patients . RESULTS: During a 7-year period, 90 adult patients were identified with 224 serial cultures (mean, 2.5 cultures per patient) obtained, with a median time between cultures of 157 days . Four hundred twenty-nine organisms were isolated from these serial cultures, consisting of 255 gram-positive organisms, 120 gram-negative organisms, 48 anaerobes, and 6 fungi . Pairwise analysis of sequential cultures revealed no significant trend toward increasing bacterial resistance within individual patients (P = .57, runs test) . Similarly, no significant trend toward increasing gram-positive or gram-negative resistance was demonstrated . There was no shift toward gram-negative organisms (P>.15 for all) . CONCLUSIONS: Individual patients with CRS do not necessarily develop increasing levels of bacterial resistance over time . The use of culture-directed antimicrobial therapy may "protect" against the development of sequentially increasing antimicrobial resistance for patients with CRS.

Arch Microbiol, 2004 Dec, 182(6), 498 - 504 Epub 2004 Dec.
Studies on hydrogenase activity and chlorobenzene respiration in Dehalococcoides sp . strain CBDB1; Jayachandran G et al.; Hydrogen oxidation and electron transport were studied in the chlorobenzene-utilizing anaerobe Dehalococcoides sp . strain CBDB1 . While Cu(2+) and Hg(2+) ions irreversibly inhibited hydrogenase activity in intact cells, Ni(2+) ions inhibited reversibly . About 80% of the initial hydrogenase activity was inactivated within 30 s when the cells were exposed to air . In contrast, hydrogenase was active at a redox potential of +10 mV when this redox potential was established anoxically with a redox indicator . Viologen dyes served both as electron acceptor for hydrogenase and electron donor for the dehalogenase . A menaquinone analogue, 2,3-dimethyl 1,4-naphthoquinone, served neither as electron acceptor for the hydrogenase nor as electron donor for the dehalogenase . In addition, the menaquinone antagonist 2-n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide had no effect on dechlorination catalyzed by cell suspensions or isolated membranes with hydrogen as electron donor, lending further support to the notion that menaquinone is not involved in electron transport . The ionophores tetrachlorosalicylanilide and carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone did not inhibit dechlorination by cell suspensions, indicating that strain CBDB1 does not require reverse electron transport . The ATP-synthase inhibitor N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide inhibited the dechlorination reaction with cell suspensions; however, the latter effect was partially relieved by the addition of tetrachlorosalicylanilide . 1,2,3,4-Tetrachlorobenzene strongly inhibited dechlorination of other chlorobenzenes by cell suspensions with hydrogen as electron donor, but it did not interfere with either hydrogenase or dehalogenase activity.

Annu Rev Microbiol, 2004, 58, 43 - 73
Anaerobic microbial dehalogenation; Smidt H et al.; The natural production and anthropogenic release of halogenated hydrocarbons into the environment has been the likely driving force for the evolution of an unexpectedly high microbial capacity to dehalogenate different classes of xenobiotic haloorganics . This contribution provides an update on the current knowledge on metabolic and phylogenetic diversity of anaerobic microorganisms that are capable of dehalogenating--or completely mineralizing--halogenated hydrocarbons by fermentative, oxidative, or reductive pathways . In particular, research of the past decade has focused on halorespiring anaerobes, which couple the dehalogenation by dedicated enzyme systems to the generation of energy by electron transport-driven phosphorylation . Significant advances in the biochemistry and molecular genetics of degradation pathways have revealed mechanistic and structural similarities between dehalogenating enzymes from phylogenetically distinct anaerobes . The availability of two almost complete genome sequences of halorespiring isolates recently enabled comparative and functional genomics approaches, setting the stage for the further exploitation of halorespiring and other anaerobic dehalogenating microbes as dedicated degraders in biological remediation processes.

Mol Biol Evol . 2004 Oct 13; {Epub ahead of print}
Selenoproteins and the Metabolic Features of the Archaeal Ancestor of Eukaryotes; Foster CB; In all three branches of life some organisms incorporate the rare amino acid selenocysteine . Selenoproteins are relevant to the controversy over the metabolic features of the archaeal ancestor of eukaryotes because among archaea several known selenoproteins are involved in methanogenesis and autotrophic growth . Although the eukaryotic selenocysteine specific translation apparatus and at least one selenoprotein appear to be of archaeal origin, selenoproteins have not been identified among sulfur metabolizing crenarchaeotes . In this regard both the phylogeny and function of archaeal selenoproteins are consistent with the argument that the archaeal ancestor was a methanogen . Selenium, however, is abundant in sulfur rich environments and some anaerobic bacteria reduce sulfur and have selenoproteins similar to those in archaea . As additional archaeal sequence data becomes available, it will be important to determine whether selenoproteins are present in non-methanogenic archaea, especially the sulfur metabolizing crenarchaeotes.

Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther, 2004 Oct, 2(5), 695 - 705
Tinidazole: from protozoa to Helicobacter pylori--the past, present and future of a nitroimidazole with peculiarities; Manes G et al.; Tinidazole (Fasigyn, Pfizer Ltd), like metronidazole - to which it is structurally related - was initially introduced for treating protozoal infections . However, both of these nitroimidazole compounds are active against most clinically important obligate anaerobes . In the last few years, the discovery of Heliobacter pylori and of its susceptibility to nitroimidazoles focused new attention on these drugs . Tinidazole, as a part of this class of drugs, shares the characteristics and indications of other nitroimidazoles . However, it has a number of desirable features that could potentially make it very successful: a better pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile, a better safety and tolerability spectrum, and a preserved activity against some bacteria that are resistant to metronidazole.

Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther, 2004 Feb, 2(1), 153 - 8
Management of anaerobic infection; Brook I; The management of anaerobic infection needs to be prompt and appropriate in order to ensure recovery . Management includes the use of hyperbaric oxygen, surgical methods and antimicrobial therapy . Various factors, such as efficacy, bacterial antimicrobial resistance, ability to reach appropriate antimicrobial levels at the infected site, toxicity and stability need to be taken into account in choosing antimicrobial agents . Some antimicrobials have poor activity against anaerobic bacteria . The more suitable agents include penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, metronidazole, macrolides, glycopeptides, tetracyclines and quinolones.

Mol Microbiol, 2004 Oct, 54(2), 546 - 60
A regulation cascade controls expression of Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbriae via the FimR response regulator; Nishikawa K et al.; Little is known about how Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative oral anaerobe, senses environmental changes, and how such information is transmitted to the cell . The production of P . gingivalis surface fimbriae is regulated by FimS-FimR, a two component signal transduction system . Expression of fimA, encoding the fimbrilin protein subunit of fimbriae, is positively regulated by the FimR response regulator . In this study we investigated the molecular mechanisms of FimR regulation of fimA expression . Comparative transcription profiling of fimR wild-type and mutant strains shows that FimR controls the expression of several genes including five clustered around the fimA locus . Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays identify and confirm that FimR binds to the promoter region of the first gene in the fimA cluster . Gene expression analyses of mutant strains reveal a transcriptional cascade involving multiple steps, with FimR activating expression of the first gene of the cluster that encodes a key regulatory protein.

Chang Gung Med J, 2004 Jun, 27(6), 459 - 63
Cavernous sinus thrombosis and cerebral infarction caused by Fusobacterium nucleatum infection; Chang CS et al.; We report an unusual case of fusobacterial infection with secondary intracranial invasion . The condition was complicated by a cavernous sinus thrombosis and ischemic stroke . The patient was a 63-year-old woman with no history of systemic disease who had undergone a tooth extraction before the onset of symptoms . She initially suffered from sphenomaxillary sinusitis and a cavernous sinus thrombosis, and subsequently developed meningitis . Cerebrospinal fluid examination suggested a pyogenic infection . Anaerobic culture revealed Fusobacterium nucleatum . However, despite immediate antibiotic therapy, her condition remained unstable over the next few days, and she eventually developed an ischemic stroke . We describe our experience in the management of this case of anaerobic meningitis and the unusual complication of ischemic stroke; this case suggests that more aggressive therapy in addition to empirical antibiotics may be warranted.

Biophys J, 2004 Oct, 87(4), 2148 - 63
Torque generation by the Fo motor of the sodium ATPase; Xing J et al.; Based on recent structural and functional findings, we have constructed a mathematical model for the sodium-driven Fo motor of the F1Fo-ATPase from the anaerobic bacterium Propionigenium modestum . The model reveals the mechanochemical principles underlying the Fo motor's operation, and explains all of the existing experimental data on wild-type and mutant Fo motors . In particular, the model predicts a nonmonotonic dependence of the ATP hydrolysis activity on the sodium concentration, a prediction confirmed by new experiments . To explain experimental observations, the positively charged stator residue (R227) must assume different positions in the ATP synthesis and hydrolysis directions . This work also illustrates how to extract a motor mechanism from dynamical experimental observations in the absence of complete structural information .

Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol, 2004, 90, 63 - 87
High rate production of hydrogen/methane from various substrates and wastes; Nishio N et al.; To treat soluble and solid wastes and recover energy from them, high rate methane fermentation, especially using the UASB (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket) reactor, and hydrogen fermentation using various microorganisms and microbial consortia have been investigated intensively in Japan . In this chapter, recent works on high rate methane fermentation in Japan are reviewed, focusing on: 1) basic studies into the applicability of the UASB reactor for various substrates such as propionate, lactate, ethanol, glucose and phenol; 2) its applications to unfeasible conditions, such as lipid and protein containing wastes, low temperature and high salt-containing wastes; 3) progress made in the field of advanced UASB reactors, and; 4) research into methane fermentation from solid wastes, such as from cellulosic materials, municipal sewage sludge, and mud sediments . Following this, although hydrogen fermentation with photosynthetic microorganisms or anaerobic bacteria was researched, for this review we have focused on fermentative hydrogen production using strictly or facultative anaerobes and microbial consortia in Japan, since high rate production of hydrogen-methane via a two-stage process was judged to be more attractive for biological hydrogen production and wastewater treatments.

Curr Opin Chem Biol, 2004 Oct, 8(5), 454 - 61
Glycine reductase mechanism; Andreesen JR; The ability of some anaerobic bacteria to conserve energy via a soluble substrate level phosphorylation system by reducing glycine to acetyl-phosphate has been an intriguing mechanism for about half a century . The genes implicated in this system have been sequenced and form an operon structure with those of the thioredoxin system . The deduced proteins exhibit high degrees of similarity with glycine reductase from other bacteria . Faster progress in understanding the exact mechanisms is hampered, for example, by some unique reactions involving selenoethers and redox active selenocysteines, which do not allow an easy heterologous formation in Escherichia coli . Further major obstacles are the processing of a substrate-specific pro-protein to a new carbonyl/pyruvoyl group in one of the two peptides formed that stabilize the substrate-binding selenoprotein, which contains an additional rather unstable carbonyl group.

Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult, 2004 Jul-Aug, (4), 21 - 4
{Characteristics of microflora isolated in chronic adnexitides and effects of balneotherapy on biological properties of microorganisms in experimental and clinical conditions}; Degradation of 4-nitrophenol by the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium; Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1, Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, 812-8581, Fukuoka, JapanThe fungal metabolism of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) was investigated using the lignin-degrading basidiomycete, Phanerochaete chrysosporium . Despite its phenolic feature, 4-NP was not oxidized by extracellular ligninolytic peroxidases . However, 4-NP was converted to 1,2-dimethoxy-4-nitrobenzene via intermediate formation of 4-nitroanisole by the fungus only under ligninolytic conditions . The metabolism proceeded via hydroxylation of the aromatic ring and methylation of phenolic hydroxyl groups . Although the involvement of nitroreductase in the metabolism of 2,4-dinitrotoluene by many aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms including P . chrysosporium has been reported, no formation of 4-aminophenol was observed during 4-NP metabolism . The formation of 1,2-dimethoxy-4-nitrobenzene was effectively inhibited by exogenously added piperonyl butoxide, a cytochrome P450 inhibitor, suggesting that cytochrome P450 is involved in the hydroxylation reaction . Thus, P . chrysosporium seems to utilize hydroxylation and methylation reactions to produce a more susceptible structure for an oxidative metabolic system.

Infect Immun, 2004 Oct, 72(10), 5791 - 8
Reduced expression of gamma interferon in serum and marked lymphoid depletion induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis increase murine morbidity and mortality due to cytomegalovirus infection; Stern J et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis, a gram-negative anaerobe, is a major etiological agent of severe forms of periodontal disease . Although periodontal disease is considered a localized disease, accumulating evidence indicates that it may lead to a predisposition to a decline in immunocompetence . Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) commonly infects all human populations without producing significant clinical symptoms . Immunocompromised patients usually develop a primary or reactivated CMV infection, which is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality . The aim of this study was to determine whether P . gingivalis increases animal susceptibility to CMV infection . Mice were inoculated with CMV and infected locally with P . gingivalis 3 days after the virus inoculation . Mortality rates were monitored, and traces of viral DNA and bacterial infection were detected systemically by using real-time PCR . Local and systemic cytokine secretion was measured, and histological sections were used to assess the pathological state of infected organs . P . gingivalis- and CMV-coinfected mice showed dramatically higher mortality rates than mice infected with P . gingivalis or CMV only . Although the organs of coinfected mice exhibited decreased viral titers, distinct necrosis and tissue damage were more evident in the livers and spleens of these mice than in those of mice infected with CMV only . Furthermore, systemic gamma interferon levels were decreased in coinfected mice, and marked lymphoid depletion was observed in their necrotic organs . In parallel control Escherichia coli-CMV coinfection experiments, the mortality and pathological results were the same as those found in mice infected with CMV only . Our results suggest a specific influence of P . gingivalis on the mouse immune response, causing increased susceptibility to CMV infection.

Environ Sci Technol, 2004 Aug 15, 38(16), 4300 - 3
Anaerobic microbial reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene to predominately trans-1,2-dichloroethene; Griffin BM et al.; While most sites and all characterized PCE and TCE dechlorinating anaerobic bacteria produce cis-DCE as the major DCE isomer, significant amounts of trans-DCE are found in the environment . We have obtained microcosms from some sites and enrichment cultures that produce more trans-DCE than cis-DCE . These cultures reductively dechlorinated PCE and TCE to trans-DCE and cis-DCE simultaneously and in a ratio of 3(+/-0.5):1 that was stable through serial transfers with a variety of electron donors and occurred in both methanogenic and nonmethanogenic enrichments . Two sediment-free, nonmethanogenic enrichment cultures produced trans-DCE at rates of up to 2.5 micromol L(-1) day(-1) . Dehalococcoides populations were detected in both trans-DCE producing cultures by their 16S rRNA gene sequences, and trans-DCE was produced in the presence of ampicillin . Because trans-DCE can be the major product from PCE and TCE microbial dechlorination, high fractions of trans-DCE at chloroethene-contaminated sites are not necessarily from source contamination.

G Chir, 2004 May, 25(5), 167 - 70
{Necrotizing fasciitis: our experience}; Angelici AM et al.; Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare and dramatic soft-tissue; infection starting from the subcutaneous tissue, involving the fascia and the underlying muscle and causes necrosis and, suddenly, gangrene . Most frequently the necrotizing fasciitis is localized in anorectal or genitourinary region and in traumatized muscles . Its mortality rate is 20% . Predisposing factors for these infections have included advanced age, obesity, hypertension, atherosclerosis, malnutrition, renal failure, immunosuppression and, primarily, diabetes mellitus . The infection is caused by a lot of gram +, gram -, and anaerobic bacteria that act synergistically . The early diagnosis, a correct chemotherapy, an aggressive surgical treatment of the necrotic area and hyperbaric oxygen treatment allow the patient's recovery, dramatically reducing the functional consequences . The Authors analyze retrospectively five cases of necrotizing fasciitis observed in the last two years (August 2001-August 2003) and stress clinical findings and surgical treatment.

Curr Med Chem Anti-Canc Agents, 2004 Sep, 4(5), 395 - 9
Prospects for hypoxia-activated anticancer drugs; Denny WA; The occurrence of hypoxic cells in solid tumors, and their resistance to radiotherapy and many chemotherapeutic drugs, has engendered an interest in non-toxic prodrugs that can be activated selectively under hypoxic conditions . Despite this, no such compounds are yet registered for clinical use, due to the difficulty of their design and of measuring the extent of hypoxia clinically, and the failure of early examples . A new appreciation of the critical importance of the extravascular diffusion of the parent prodrug from the blood vessels to the remote hypoxic cells, and the back-diffusion of the activated cytotoxin from the hypoxic cells to surrounding tumor cells, is now guiding drug design in this area . New principles for the selective activation of prodrugs have also been reported, including using the reducing species generated in cells by radiotherapy itself, and using non-pathogenic anaerobic bacteria as a hypoxia-dependent vector for the delivery of prodrug-activating enzymes in a suicide gene therapy context.

Acta Vet Hung, 2004, 52(3), 267 - 73
Comparative study of biochemical methods for the identification of Dichelobacter nodosus; Jimenez R et al.; The aim of this study was to compare four identification procedures to detect Dichelobacter nodosus and develop a rapid, simple and effective method to identify D . nodosus strains isolated from cases of ovine footrot . The four methods used were: (a) the classic guidelines set down by Holdeman et al . (1977) and Summanen et al . (1993) which are based on gas liquid chromatography (GLC) and different biochemical tests, this method was considered as landmark; (b) Baron and Citron's flowchart for the rapid identification of Gram-negative rod-shaped anaerobes (1997); (c) the API rapid 32 A system (bio Merieux), and (d) Mast ID Anaerobe ID Ring (MID8) (Mast Diagnostics) . None of the four methods used allowed us to correctly identify the D . nodosus strains (neither the strains isolated from cases of ovine footrot nor those originating from type collection) . Because of the difficulties encountered in obtaining a correct identification of D . nodosus, we propose a simple, rapid and effective way to achieve this task . Our flowchart will provide the means to identify this microorganism in any laboratory of general microbiology without having to use any specialised equipment.

Nature, 2004 Sep 16, 431(7006), 291 - 4
Anaerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation in deep subsurface oil reservoirs; Aitken CM et al.; Biodegradation of crude oil in subsurface petroleum reservoirs is an important alteration process with major economic consequences . Aerobic degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons at the surface is well documented and it has long been thought that the flow of oxygen- and nutrient-bearing meteoric waters into reservoirs was necessary for in-reservoir petroleum biodegradation . The occurrence of biodegraded oils in reservoirs where aerobic conditions are unlikely, together with the identification of several anaerobic microorganisms in oil fields and the discovery of anaerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation mechanisms, suggests that anaerobic degradation processes could also be responsible . The extent of anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation processes in the world's deep petroleum reservoirs, however, remains strongly contested . Moreover, no organism has yet been isolated that has been shown to degrade hydrocarbons under the conditions found in deep petroleum reservoirs . Here we report the isolation of metabolites indicative of anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation from a large fraction of 77 degraded oil samples from both marine and lacustrine sources from around the world, including the volumetrically important Canadian tar sands . Our results therefore suggest that anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation is a common process in biodegraded subsurface oil reservoirs.

Korean J Intern Med, 2004 Jun, 19(2), 121 - 3
Eosinophilic peritonitis in a patient with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD); Oh SY et al.; Eosinophilic peritonitis is defined as when there are more than 100 eosinophils present per milliliter of peritoneal effluent, of which eosinophils constitute more than 10% of its total WBC count . Most cases occur within the first 4 weeks of peritoneal catheter insertion and they usually have a benign and self-limited course . We report a patient of eosinophilic peritonitis that was successfully resolved without special treatment . An 84-year-old man with end stage renal disease secondary to diabetic nephropathy was admitted for dyspnea and poor oral intake . Allergic history was negative . and physical examination was unremarkable . Complete blood count showed a hemoglobin level of 11.1 g/dL, WBC count was 24,500/mm3 (neutrophil, 93%; lymphocyte, 5%; monocyte, 2%), platelet count was 216,000/mm3, serum BUN was 143 mg/dL, Cr was 5.7 mg/dL and albumin was 3.5 g/dL . Creatinine clearance was 5.4 mL/min . Three weeks after peritoneal catheter insertion, he was started on peritoneal dialysis with a 6-hour exchange of 2L 1.5% peritoneal dialysate . After nine days, he developed turbid peritoneal effluents with fever (38.4 degrees C), abdominal pain and tenderness . Dialysate WBC count was 180/mm3 (neutrophil, 20%; lymphocyte, 4%; eosinophil, 76% {eosinophil count: 136/mm3}) . Cultures of peritoneal fluid showed no growth of aerobic or anaerobic bacteria, or of fungus . Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) was commenced, and he was started on intraperitoneal ceftazidime (1.0 g/day) and cefazolin (1.0 g/day) . After two weeksr, the dialysate had cleared up and clinical symptoms were improved . Dialysate WBC count decreased to 8/mm3 and eosinophils were not detected in peritoneal fluid . There was no recurrence of eosinophilic peritonitis on follow-up evaluation, but he died of sepsis and pneumonia fifteen weeks after admission.

Annu Rev Microbiol . 2004 Mar 26; {Epub ahead of print}
Anaerobic Microbial Dehalogenation; Smidt H et al.; The natural production and anthropogenic release of halogenated hydrocarbons into the environment has been the likely driving force for the evolution of an unexpectedly high microbial capacity to dehalogenate different classes of xenobiotic halo-organics . This contribution provides an update on the current knowledge on metabolic and phylogenetic diversity of anaerobic microorganisms that are capable of dehalogenatingor completely mineralizinghalogenated hydrocarbons by fermentative, oxidative, or reductive pathways . In particular, research of the past decade has focused on halorespiring anaerobes, which couple the dehalogenation by dedicated enzyme systems to the generation of energy by electron transport--driven phosphorylation . Significant advances in the biochemistry and molecular genetics of degradation pathways have revealed mechanistic and structural similarities between dehalogenating enzymes from phylogenetically distinct anaerobes . The availability of two almost complete genome sequences of halorespiring isolates recently enabled comparative and functional genomics approaches, setting the stage for the further exploitation of halorespiring, and other anaerobic dehalogenating microbes as dedicated degraders in biological remediation processes . Expected online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology Volume 58 is September 8, 2004 . Please see for revised estimates.

J Small Anim Pract, 2004 Aug, 45(8), 421 - 3
Meningitis in a dog caused by Prevotella oralis; Allan R et al.; Prevotella oralis, an obligate Gram-negative anaerobe, was shown to be the cause of meningitis in a two-year-old crossbreed dog . The dog had a six-week history of lethargy and neck pain . On presentation, the animal was reluctant to walk, had a stiff gait and neck pain on flexion . Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid documented a neutrophilic pleocytosis (7488 cells/microl) and the presence of occasional intracellular bacterial coccobacilli . The aetiological diagnosis was confirmed by routine aerobic and anaerobic culture, and identification of the isolates . This report also reviews the literature of the documented cases of bacterial meningitis in dogs.

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol . 2004 Sep 4; {Epub ahead of print}
Isolation and characterization of autotrophic, hydrogen-utilizing, perchlorate-reducing bacteria; Shrout JD et al.; Recent studies have shown that perchlorate (ClO(4)(-)) can be degraded by some pure-culture and mixed-culture bacteria with the addition of hydrogen . This paper describes the isolation of two hydrogen-utilizing perchlorate-degrading bacteria capable of using inorganic carbon for growth . These autotrophic bacteria are within the genus Dechloromonas and are the first Dechloromonas species that are microaerophilic and incapable of growth at atmospheric oxygen concentrations . Dechloromonas sp . JDS5 and Dechloromonas sp . JDS6 are the first perchlorate-degrading autotrophs isolated from a perchlorate-contaminated site . Measured hydrogen thresholds were higher than for other environmentally significant, hydrogen-utilizing, anaerobic bacteria (e.show $132#g., halorespirers) . The chlorite dismutase activity of these bacteria was greater for autotrophically grown cells than for cells grown heterotrophically on lactate . These bacteria used fumarate as an alternate electron acceptor, which is the first report of growth on an organic electron acceptor by perchlorate-reducing bacteria.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2004 Sep, 70(9), 5595 - 602
Alkaline anaerobic respiration: isolation and characterization of a novel alkaliphilic and metal-reducing bacterium; Ye Q et al.; Iron-reducing enrichments were obtained from leachate ponds at the U.S . Borax Company in Boron, Calif . Based on partial small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences (approximately 500 nucleotides), six isolates shared 98.9% nucleotide identity . As a representative, the isolate QYMF was selected for further analysis . QYMF could be grown with Fe(III)-citrate, Fe(III)-EDTA, Co(III)-EDTA, or Cr(VI) as electron acceptors, and yeast extract and lactate could serve as electron donors . Growth during iron reduction occurred over the pH range of 7.5 to 11.0 (optimum, pH 9.5), a sodium chloride range of 0 to 80 g/liter (optimum, 20 g/liter), and a temperature range of 4 to 45 degrees C (optimum, approximately 35 degrees C), and iron precipitates were formed . QYMF was a strict anaerobe that could be grown in the presence of borax, and the cells were straight rods that produced endospores . Sodium chloride and yeast extract stimulated growth . Phylogenetic analysis of the SSU rRNA gene indicated that the bacterium was a low-G+C gram-positive microorganism and had 96 and 92% nucleotide identity with Alkaliphilus transvaalensis and Alkaliphilus crotonatoxidans, respectively . The major phospholipid fatty acids were 14:1, 16:1omega7c, and 16:0, which were different from those of other alkaliphiles but similar to those of reported iron-reducing bacteria . The results demonstrated that the isolate might represent a novel metal-reducing alkaliphilic species . The name Alkaliphilus metalliredigens sp . nov . is proposed . The isolation and activity of metal-reducing bacteria from borax-contaminated leachate ponds suggest that bioremediation of metal-contaminated alkaline environments may be feasible and have implications for alkaline anaerobic respiration.

Arch Microbiol, 2004 Oct, 182(2-3), 226 - 35 Epub 2004 Aug 31.
Characterisation of a thermoalkali-stable cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from the anaerobic thermoalkaliphilic bacterium Anaerobranca gottschalkii; Thiemann V et al.; The thermoalkaliphilic anaerobic bacterium Anaerobranca gottschalkii produces an extracellular CGTase when grown on starch at 55 degrees C and pH 9.0 . The gene encoding this CGTase was cloned and successfully expressed in Escherichia coli . It encodes a protein consisting of 721 amino acids with a signal sequence of 34 amino acids . On SDS-polyacrylamide gels, the purified CGTase from A . gottschalkii displayed the expected molecular mass of 78 kDa . The recombinant enzyme was purified with a yield of 13.5% and displayed a specific activity of 210 units/mg . This CGTase, which represents the first report of a CGTase from an anaerobic thermoalkaliphile, was active at a broad range of temperature and pH, namely 55-70 degrees C and pH 5-10 . It completely converted amylose, amylopectin and native starch to cyclodextrins, preferentially alpha-cyclodextrin . With a longer incubation period, the alpha-cyclodextrin to beta-cyclodextrin ratio declined . Variations in substrate type and concentration influenced the product pattern . Increasing the substrate concentration (0.5-20.0%) and glucans containing branching points (alpha-1,6 glycosidic linkages) shifted the product pattern to: beta-cyclodextin > alpha-cyclodextrin > gamma-cyclodextrin . In addition to these cyclodextrins, larger cyclodextrins (>8 glucose units) were formed in the initial reaction period . The CGTase was stabilised against thermal inactivation by calcium ions and high substrate concentrations; and 5 mM of CaCl(2) shifted the apparent melting point of the enzyme from 60 degrees C to 69 degrees C.

J Chemother, 2004 Jun, 16(3), 227 - 9
In vitro activity of ABT-492 against anaerobic bacteria; Sillerstrom E et al.; The purpose of the study was to determine the in vitro activity of ABT-492 compared with that of other antimicrobial agents against anaerobic bacteria . The activity of ABT-492 was investigated against 369 clinical isolates of anaerobic bacteria by the agar dilution method and was compared with that of moxifloxacin, piperacillin, cefoxitin, imipenem, clindamycin and metronidazole . ABT-492 and imipenem were the most active antimicrobial agents tested.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2004 Aug 31, 101(35), 12854 - 9 Epub 2004 Aug 23.
Crystal structure of an oxygen-binding heme domain related to soluble guanylate cyclases; Pellicena P et al.; Soluble guanylate cyclases are nitric oxide-responsive signaling proteins in which the nitric oxide sensor is a heme-binding domain of unknown structure that we have termed the heme-NO and oxygen binding (H-NOX) domain . H-NOX domains are also found in bacteria, either as isolated domains, or are fused through a membrane-spanning region to methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins . We have determined the crystal structure of an oxygen-binding H-NOX domain of one such signaling protein from the obligate anaerobe Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis at 1.77-angstroms resolution, revealing a protein fold unrelated to known structures . Particularly striking is the structure of the protoporphyrin IX group, which is distorted from planarity to an extent not seen before in protein-bound heme groups . Comparison of the structure of the H-NOX domain in two different crystal forms suggests a mechanism whereby alteration in the degree of distortion of the heme group is coupled to changes on the molecular surface of the H-NOX domain and potentially to changes in intermolecular interactions .

Med Hypotheses, 2004, 63(4), 659 - 61
Was isolation of Veillonella from spinal osteomyelitis possible due to poor tissue perfusion?
Bongaerts GP, Schreurs BW, Lunel FV, Lemmens JA, Pruszczynski M, Merkx MA.
From a needle biopsy of the body of the 12th thoracic vertebra in a 74-year-old man with spinal osteomyelitis a Veillonella parvula was isolated . The significance of this bacterium as lactic acid indicator has been considered and discussed . Since this strictly anaerobic bacterium mainly uses lactic acid for energy generation, lactic acid must continuously and sufficiently have been produced in or near to the vertebrate body to permit outgrowth of this bacterium . Since neither microbial infections nor tumours could be demonstrated, we finally hypothesised that in this patient poor tissue perfusion has been the primary cause of lactic acid production .

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 2004 Sep, 23(9), 682 - 7 Epub 2004 Aug 21.
Effect of inappropriate initial empiric antibiotic therapy on outcome of patients with community-acquired intra-abdominal infections requiring surgery; Krobot K et al.; To assess the significance of initial empiric parenteral antibiotic therapy in patients requiring surgery for community-acquired secondary peritonitis, 425 patients hospitalized between January 1999 and September 2001 in 20 clinics across Germany were followed for a total of 6,521 patient days . Perforated appendix (38%), colon (27%), or gastroduodenum (22%) were the most common sites of infection . Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen . A total of 54 (13%) patients received inappropriate initial parenteral therapy not covering all bacteria isolated, or not covering both aerobes and anaerobes in the absence of culture results . Clinical success, predefined as the infection resolving with initial or step-down therapy after primary surgery, was achieved in 322 patients (75.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 70.6-81.2) . Patients were more likely to have clinical success if initial antibiotic therapy was appropriate (78.6%; 95% CI, 73.6-83.9) rather than inappropriate (53.4%; 95% CI, 41.1-69.3) . Patients having clinical success were estimated to stay 13.9 days in hospital (95% CI, 13.1-14.7), while those who had clinical failure stayed 19.8 days (95% CI, 17.3-22.3) . In conclusion, appropriateness of initial parenteral antibiotic therapy was a predictor of clinical success, which in turn was associated with length of stay .

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2004 Nov, 65(6), 694 - 702 Epub 2004 Aug 21.
Multiple components and induction mechanism of the chitinolytic system of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus chitonophagus; Andronopoulou E et al.; Thermococcus chitonophagus produces several, cellular and extracellular chitinolytic enzymes following induction with various types of chitin and chitin oligomers, as well as cellulose . Factors affecting the anaerobic culture of this archaeon, such as optimal temperature, agitation speed and type of chitin, were investigated . A series of chitinases, co-isolated with the major, cell membrane-associated endochitinase (Chi70), and a periplasmic chitobiase (Chi90) were subsequently isolated . In addition, a distinct chitinolytic activity was detected in the culture supernatant and partially purified . This enzyme exhibited an apparent molecular mass of 50 kDa (Chi50) and was optimally active at 80 degrees C and pH 6.0 . Chi50 was classified as an exochitinase based on its ability to release chitobiose as the exclusive hydrolysis product of colloidal chitin . A multi-component enzymatic apparatus, consisting of an extracellular exochitinase (Chi50), a periplasmic chitobiase (Chi90) and at least one cell-membrane-anchored endochitinase (Chi70), seems to be sufficient for effective synergistic in vivo degradation of chitin . Induction with chitin stimulates the coordinated expression of a combination of chitinolytic enzymes exhibiting different specificities for polymeric chitin and its degradation products . Among all investigated potential inducers and nutrient substrates, colloidal chitin was the strongest inducer of chitinase synthesis, whereas the highest growth rate was obtained following the addition of yeast extract and/or peptone to the minimal, mineralic culture medium in the absence of chitin . In rich medium, chitin monomer acted as a repressor of total chitinolytic activity, indicating the presence of a negative feedback regulatory mechanism . Despite the undisputable fact that the multi-component chitinolytic system of this archaeon is strongly induced by chitin, it is clear that, even in the absence of any chitinous substrates, there is low-level, basal, constitutive production of chitinolytic enzymes, which can be attributed to the presence of traces of chito-oligosaccharides and other structurally related molecules (in the undefined, rich, non-inducing medium) that act as potential inducers of chitinolytic activity . The low, basal and constitutive levels of chitinase gene expression may be sufficient to initiate chitin degradation and to release soluble oligomers, which, in turn, induce chitinase synthesis.

Med Klin (Munich), 2004 Jul 15, 99(7), 362 - 71
{Treatment of severe pneumonia--community-acquired and "early onset" nosocomial}; Hoffken G et al.; BACKGROUND: Pneumonia in hospitalized patients-community-acquired (CAP) or nosocomial (NAP)-remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality . Because of the substantial mortality, particularly among the elderly or in patients with specific underlying diseases, it is essential that initial antimicrobial therapy covers the most likely causative organism(s) . RISK STRATIFICATION: Elderly patients are prone to be colonized with enteric gramnegative rods, especially patients with immunosuppression, prolonged hospital stay, and concomitant medical illnesses . An increasing incidence of gramnegative rod pneumonia and polymicrobial pneumonia including anaerobic bacteria due to aspiration is observed in community-, nursing home- and hospital-acquired lower respiratory tract infections . The spectrum of causative pathogens in elderly CAP patients with underlying diseases is similar to the spectrum in patients with hospital-acquired nosocomial pneumonia "early onset" (before day 5 of hospitalization) . THERAPEUTIC MANAGEMENT: Several retrospective studies have shown the importance of the early, adequate initial empirical antibiotic treatment for a favorable clinical outcome and initial adequate and/or effective antimicrobial therapy initiated before definitive etiologic diagnosis is associated with an improved outcome . In addition to the expected pathogens and patient-specific risk factors, the local resistance pattern has to be considered . Especially in elderly patients with underlying diseases, concomitant medication is often mandatory; therefore, initial antimicrobial treatment should also have to take the risk of potential interactions and contraindications into account.

Mikrobiologiia, 2004 May-Jun, 73(3), 293 - 9
{Comparative study of the energy metabolism of anaerobic alkaliphiles from soda lakes}; Pitriuk AV et al.; We investigated the influence of inhibitors of energy metabolism and ionophores on the growth and formation of metabolic products in alkaliphilic anaerobes characterized by various catabolism types . It was shown that blockage of oxidative phosphorylation by the addition of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), an inhibitor of F1F0 ATP synthase, resulted in a complete arrest of the growth of the acetogenic bacterium Tindallia magadiensis with arginine as electron acceptor . In the presence of pyruvate, substrate-level phosphorylation occurred . The methylotrophic methanogenic archaebacterium Methanosalus zhilinae did not grow with DCCD and vanadate, an inhibitor of E1E2 ATPase, suggesting the presence of two ATPase types in this species . In the saccharolytic alkaliphiles Halonatronum, Amphibacillus tropicus, and Spirochaeta alkalica (which are characterized by different pH optima), the contribution of the H+ gradient to the energy metabolism and, presumably, to the maintenance of the intracellular pH level decreased with an increase in the degree of alkaliphily . Based on the data of an inhibitor assay using protonophores, monensin, and amiloride, we suggest that all of the bacteria tested depend on H+- and Na+-gradients . The Na+/H+ antiport appears to be a universal mechanism of regulating the intracellular pH level and the interaction between the Na+ and the H+ cycles in bacterial cells cultivated under alkaline conditions.

J Med Microbiol, 2004 Sep, 53(Pt 9), 879 - 85
Discrepancies in the recovery of bacteria from multiple sinuses in acute and chronic sinusitis; Brook I; The microbiology of acute and chronic sinusitis has been studied extensively . Establishing the concomitant distribution of the causative organisms in cases that involve multiple sinuses is of scientific and practical importance . This study evaluated the aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of acute and chronic sinusitis in patients with involvement of multiple sinuses . The 155 patients evaluated had sinusitis of either the maxillary, ethmoid or frontal sinuses (any combination) and had organisms recovered from two to four concomitantly infected sinuses . Similar aerobic, facultatively anaerobic and anaerobic organisms were recovered from all groups of patients . In patients who had organisms isolated from two sinuses and had acute sinusitis, 31 (56 %) of the 55 isolates were found only in a single sinus, and 24 (44 %) were recovered concomitantly from two sinuses . In those with chronic infection 31 (34 %) of the 91 isolates were recovered only from a single sinus, and 60 (66 %) were found concomitantly from two sinuses . Anaerobic bacteria were more often isolated concomitantly from two sinuses (50 of 70) than aerobic and facultatively anaerobic (ten of 21, P < 0.05) . Similar findings were observed in patients who had organisms isolated from three or four sinuses . beta-Lactamase-producing bacteria were more often isolated from patients with chronic infection (58-83 %) as compared to those with acute infections (32-43 %) . These findings illustrate that there are differences in the distribution of organisms in single patients who suffer from infections in multiple sinuses and emphasize the importance of obtaining cultures from all infected sinuses.

Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 1999 Spring, 77-79, 421 - 34
Microbial dynamics in oil-impacted prairie soil; Duncan KE et al.; A remote site in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (Osage County, OK) was contaminated with crude oil by a pipeline break in 1992 . In 1996, the contaminated soil was bioremediated by blending with uncontaminated soil, prairie hay, buffalo manure, and commercial fertilizers, and spreading in a shallow layer over uncontaminated soil to create a landfarm . The landfarm was monitored for two years for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, soil gases indicative of microbial activity, and for changes in the concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) . Levels of hydrocarbon degraders and soil gas indicators of aerobic degradation were stimulated in the landfarm during the first warm season relative to uncontaminated prairie soil . However, these same indicators were less conclusive during the second warm season, indicating depletion of the more easily degradable hydrocarbons, although the landfarm still contained 6,800 mg/kg TPH on the average at the beginning of the second warm season . Methane formation and methanogen counts were clearly stimulated in the first warm season relative to uncontaminated prairie soil, indicating that methanogenesis plays an important role in the mineralization of hydrocarbons even in these shallow soils.

J Bacteriol, 2004 Aug, 186(16), 5210 - 20
Genetic manipulation of carotenoid biosynthesis in the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum; Frigaard NU et al.; The green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum is a strict anaerobe and an obligate photoautotroph . On the basis of sequence similarity with known enzymes or sequence motifs, nine open reading frames encoding putative enzymes of carotenoid biosynthesis were identified in the genome sequence of C . tepidum, and all nine genes were inactivated . Analysis of the carotenoid composition in the resulting mutants allowed the genes encoding the following six enzymes to be identified: phytoene synthase (crtB/CT1386), phytoene desaturase (crtP/CT0807), zeta-carotene desaturase (crtQ/CT1414), gamma-carotene desaturase (crtU/CT0323), carotenoid 1',2'-hydratase (crtC/CT0301), and carotenoid cis-trans isomerase (crtH/CT0649) . Three mutants (CT0180, CT1357, and CT1416 mutants) did not exhibit a discernible phenotype . The carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in C . tepidum is similar to that in cyanobacteria and plants by converting phytoene into lycopene using two plant-like desaturases (CrtP and CrtQ) and a plant-like cis-trans isomerase (CrtH) and thus differs from the pathway known in all other bacteria . In contrast to the situation in cyanobacteria and plants, the construction of a crtB mutant completely lacking carotenoids demonstrates that carotenoids are not essential for photosynthetic growth of green sulfur bacteria . However, the bacteriochlorophyll a contents of mutants lacking colored carotenoids (crtB, crtP, and crtQ mutants) were decreased from that of the wild type, and these mutants exhibited a significant growth rate defect under all light intensities tested . Therefore, colored carotenoids may have both structural and photoprotection roles in green sulfur bacteria . The ability to manipulate the carotenoid composition so dramatically in C . tepidum offers excellent possibilities for studying the roles of carotenoids in the light-harvesting chlorosome antenna and iron-sulfur-type (photosystem I-like) reaction center . The phylogeny of carotenogenic enzymes in green sulfur bacteria and green filamentous bacteria is also discussed.

Biotechnol Lett, 2004 Aug, 26(15), 1223 - 32
H(2) production and carbon utilization by Thermotoga neapolitana under anaerobic and microaerobic growth conditions; Van Ooteghem SA et al.; H(2) production by Petrotoga miotherma, Thermosipho africanus, Thermotoga elfii, Fervidobacterium pennavorans, and Thermotoga neapolitana was compared under microaerobic conditions . Contrary to these previously reported strains being strict anaerobes, all tested strains grew and produced H(2) in the presence of micromolar levels of O(2) . T . neapolitana showed the highest H(2) production under these conditions . Microscopic counting techniques were used to determine growth curves and doubling times, which were subsequently correlated with optical density measurements . The Biolog anaerobic microtiter plate system was used to analyze the carbon source utilization spectrum of T . neapolitana and to select non-metabolized or poorly metabolized carbohydrates as physiological buffers . Itaconic acid was successfully used as a buffer to overcome pH-induced limitations of cell growth and to facilitate enhanced production of CO-free H(2).

J Oral Sci, 2004 Jun, 46(2), 93 - 100
Monitoring of dnaK gene expression in Porphyromonas gingivalis by oxygen stress using DNA microarray; Araki M et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobe associated with adult periodontitis, expresses numerous potential virulence factors . dnaK, a member of the heat shock protein family, functions as a molecular chaperone and plays a role in microbial pathogenicity . However, little is known regarding its gene expression caused by oxygen stress in P . gingivalis . In the present study, a custom-made DNA microarray was designed and used to monitor dnaK gene expression in P . gingivalis caused by oxygen stress . The results demonstrated that dnaK mRNA was up-regulated in a short time, and the DNA microarray results were confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis . These findings suggest that oxygen stress stimulates gene expression of dnaK and may have a relationship to the aerotolerance activity of this organism as well as its expression of pathogenesis.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2004 Aug 10, 101(32), 11571 - 6 Epub 2004 Jul 29.
Crystal structure of pyrogallol-phloroglucinol transhydroxylase, an Mo enzyme capable of intermolecular hydroxyl transfer between phenols; Messerschmidt A et al.; The Mo enzyme transhydroxylase from the anaerobic microorganism Pelobacter acidigallici catalyzes the conversion of pyrogallol to phloroglucinol . Such trihydroxybenzenes and their derivatives represent important building blocks of plant polymers . None of the transferred hydroxyl groups originates from water during transhydroxylation; instead a cosubstrate, such as 1,2,3,5-tetrahydroxybenzene, is used in a reaction without apparent electron transfer . Here, we report on the crystal structure of the enzyme in the reduced Mo(IV) state, which we solved by single anomalous-diffraction technique . It represents the largest structure (1,149 amino acid residues per molecule, 12 independent molecules per unit cell), which has been solved so far by single anomalous-diffraction technique . Tranhydroxylase is a heterodimer, with the active Mo-molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide (MGD)(2) site in the alpha-subunit, and three {4Fe-4S} centers in the beta-subunit . The latter subunit carries a seven-stranded, mainly antiparallel beta-barrel domain . We propose a scheme for the transhydroxylation reaction based on 3D structures of complexes of the enzyme with various polyphenols serving either as substrate or inhibitor.

Am J Reprod Immunol, 2004 Aug, 52(2), 118 - 23
Effect of hypoxia on urocortin production in human gestational trophoblasts in vitro; Choy MY et al.; PROBLEM: Urocortin is produced by the placenta throughout pregnancy but its regulation remains unknown . The effect of hypoxia on placental urocortin production is not known . The aim of this study was to determine the effect of in vitro hypoxia on human trophoblastic urocortin production . METHOD OF STUDY: Placental explants and primary cultures were incubated in anaerobe hypoxic bags for 24 h in a humidified incubator . Urocortin peptide secretion and mRNA (messenger RNA) production was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively . Morphological and functional integrity was verified by immunohistochemical analysis of urocortin expression . Vascular endothelial growth factor expression was used to verify the generation of cellular hypoxia in our in vitro system . RESULTS: Hypoxia did not affect urocortin secretion or mRNA expression in explant and single-cell cultures . Production was greater from first trimester than term explants and from single-cell primary cultures more than from explant cultures . CONCLUSIONS: Hypoxia does not influence human placental urocortin secretion or mRNA expression in vitro.

Artif Cells Blood Substit Immobil Biotechnol, 2004 May, 32(2), 263 - 74
Blood group B degrading activity of Ruminococcus gnavus alpha-galactosidase; Hata DJ et al.; Ruminococcus gnavus is a Gram positive, nonspore-forming obligate anaerobe normally found in the human alimentary tract . In culture, this organism constitutively produces a 1-3 alpha-galactosidase . We fractionated and characterized this enzyme demonstrating hydrolysis of the B epitope on erythrocyte membranes and seroconversion to H epitope (blood type O) . Since the enzyme yield was low, cell suspension studies could not be performed . Instead, hydrolysis of the B membrane epitope was studied with an ELISA . A highly purified enzyme product was analyzed for characteristics such as pH, ionic strength, and temperature optimum . Activity in red cell preservative solutions and in the presence of type B plasma was also demonstrated . Ruminococcus gnavus a 1-3 alpha-galactosidase has potential application in the enzymatic conversion of type B to O packed red blood cell units.

Ann Surg, 2004 Aug, 240(2), 248 - 54
Surgical manipulation of the intestine results in quantitative and qualitative alterations in luminal Escherichia coli; Thomas S et al.; OBJECTIVES: To look at the qualitative and quantitative changes in the luminal bacterial flora in response to surgical manipulation of the small intestine . SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The barrier function of the intestine is compromised in pathologic conditions, such as shock, trauma, or surgical stress . Our earlier work has shown that surgical manipulation results in oxidative stress in the intestinal mucosa leading to permeability alterations . METHODS: Studies were done on rats, which were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): group I, control, group II, III, IV different time periods, such as 8, 12, and 24 hours after surgical manipulation, which was simulated by opening the abdominal wall and handling the intestine . The cecal wall and cecal luminal contents were harvested under sterile conditions and processed for quantitation for aerobes and anaerobes . Adherence assays using Hep-2 cells were carried out on Escherichia coli isolated under different experimental conditions . In addition, control E . coli were exposed to superoxide or hydrogen peroxide, followed by subculture and adherence studies . RESULTS: Surgical manipulation of the intestine resulted in qualitative and quantitative alterations in the aerobic bacteria . There was an increase in the number and relative proportion of E . coli in the cecal flora, and there was also an increase in adherence of E . coli to cecal mucosa, which was confirmed by in vitro bacterial adherence studies with HEp-2 cells . These changes were maximum at 12 hours following surgical manipulation and by 24 hours, this came back to control pattern . Control E . coli after in vitro exposure to oxidants also showed increased adherence . CONCLUSION: These studies suggest that oxidative stress in the mucosa following surgical manipulation results in alterations in the luminal bacteria leading to increased bacterial adherence onto mucosal epithelium, which may contribute to postsurgical complications.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2004 Aug, 48(8), 3188 - 92
Antianaerobic activity of a novel fluoroquinolone, WCK 771, compared to those of nine other agents; Peric M et al.; Agar dilution MIC methodology was used to compare the activity of WCK 771 with those of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, piperacillin, piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem, clindamycin, and metronidazole against 350 anaerobes . Overall, the MICs (in micrograms per milliliter) at which 50 and 90%, respectively, of the isolates tested were inhibited were as follows: WCK 771, 0.5 and 2.0; ciprofloxacin, 2.0 and 32.0; levofloxacin, 1.0 and 8.0; gatifloxacin, 0.5 and 4.0; moxifloxacin, 0.5 and 4.0; piperacillin, 2.0 and 64.0; piperacillin-tazobactam, < or =0.125 and 8.0; imipenem, 0.125 and 1.0; clindamycin, 0.125 and 16.0; and metronidazole, 1.0 and >16.0.

Infect Immun, 2004 Aug, 72(8), 4689 - 98
In vitro models of tissue penetration and destruction by Porphyromonas gingivalis; Andrian E et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis is a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium that is considered the key etiologic agent of chronic periodontitis . Arg- and Lys-gingipain cysteine proteinases produced by P . gingivalis are key virulence factors and are believed to be essential for significant tissue component degradation, leading to host tissue invasion by periodontopathogens . Two in vitro models were used to determine the extent to which P . gingivalis can reach connective tissue . The tissue penetration potential of P . gingivalis was first investigated by using an engineered human oral mucosa model composed of normal human epithelial cells and fibroblasts . Internalized bacteria were assessed by transmission electron microscopy . Bacteria were observed within multilayered gingival epithelial cells and in the space between the stratified epithelium and the lamina propria . A gingipain-null mutant strain of P . gingivalis was found to be less potent in penetrating tissue than the wild-type strain . Proinflammatory responses to P . gingivalis infection were evaluated . P . gingivalis increased the secretion of interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and tumor necrosis factor alpha . In the second part of the study, the contribution of P . gingivalis gingipains to tissue penetration was investigated by using a reconstituted basement membrane model (Matrigel) . The penetration of (14)C-labeled P . gingivalis cells through Matrigel was significantly reduced when leupeptin, a specific inhibitor of Arg-gingipain activity, was added or when a gingipain-null mutant was used . The results obtained with these two relevant models support the capacities of P . gingivalis to infiltrate periodontal tissue and to modulate the proinflammatory response and suggest a critical role of gingipains in tissue destruction.

Infect Immun, 2004 Aug, 72(8), 4351 - 6
Cleavage of human transferrin by Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipains promotes growth and formation of hydroxyl radicals; Goulet V et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis, a gram-negative anaerobic bacterium associated with active lesions of chronic periodontitis, produces several proteinases which are presumably involved in host colonization, perturbation of the immune system, and tissue destruction . The aims of this study were to investigate the degradation of human transferrin by gingipain cysteine proteinases of P . gingivalis and to demonstrate the production of toxic hydroxyl radicals (HO*) catalyzed by the iron-containing transferrin fragments generated or by release of iron itself . Analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western immunoblotting showed that preparations of Arg- and Lys-gingipains of P . gingivalis cleave transferrin (iron-free and iron-saturated forms) into fragments of various sizes . Interestingly, gingival crevicular fluid samples from diseased periodontal sites but not samples from healthy periodontal sites contained fragments of transferrin . By using (55)Fe-transferrin, it was found that degradation by P . gingivalis gingipains resulted in the production of free iron, as well as iron bound to lower-molecular-mass fragments . Subsequent to the degradation of transferrin, bacterial cells assimilated intracellularly the radiolabeled iron . Growth of P . gingivalis ATCC 33277, but not growth of an Arg-gingipain- and Lys-gingipain-deficient mutant, was possible in a chemically defined medium containing 30% iron-saturated transferrin as the only source of iron and peptides, suggesting that gingipains play a critical role in the acquisition of essential growth nutrients . Finally, the transferrin degradation products generated by Arg-gingipains A and B were capable of catalyzing the formation of HO*, as determined by a hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase system and spin trapping-electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry . Our study indicates that P . gingivalis gingipains degrade human transferrin, providing sources of iron and peptides . The iron-containing transferrin fragments or the release of iron itself may contribute to tissue destruction by catalyzing the formation of toxic HO*.

Genet Eng (N Y), 2003, 25, 209 - 25
The bacterial scaffoldin: structure, function and potential applications in the nanosciences; Ding SY et al.; Natural protein complexes may provide the best templates for nanometer-scale technology and new biomaterials . The bacterial cellulosome is becoming a well-understood multi-protein complex found in cellulolytic microorganisms . The scaffoldin subunits of the bacterial cellulosome function to organize and position other protein subunits into the complex . The scaffoldins can also serve as an attachment device for harnessing the cellulosome onto the cell surface and/or for its targeting to substrate . Biochemical and molecular biological evidence have identified a receptor/adaptor type of protein domain pair, called "cohesin and dockerin," which is responsible for cellulosome self-assembly . The recognition between cohesin and dockerin is generally type and/or species specific . More than 80 cohesin and 100 dockerin sequences have been found, mostly from anaerobic bacteria . X-ray crystallography and NMR have been used to determine the three-dimensional structures of representative cohesin and dockerin domains, respectively . The cohesin peptide is about 140 amino acids in length and highly conserved in sequence and domain structure . The dockerin domain comprises about 70 amino acids and contains two 22 amino acid duplicated regions, each of which includes an "F-hand" modification of the EF-hand calcium-binding motif . Biochemical evidence and site-directed mutagenesis have confirmed that the two F-hand motifs are required for function and calcium dependence; at least two amino acids from each motif are critical for cohesin-dockerin recognition . In this report, we review the structure and function of the scaffoldin of the bacterial cellulosome and emphasize a detailed sequence analysis of the cohesin and dockerin domains . We also speculate about potential applications in nanoscience that may be based on cohesin-dockerin recognition.

Microb Ecol, 2004 Jan, 47(1), 30 - 40
Vertical distribution of nitrogen-fixing phylotypes in a meromictic, hypersaline lake; Steward GF et al.; We investigated the diversity of nitrogenase genes in the alkaline, moderately hypersaline Mono Lake, California to determine (1) whether nitrogen-fixing (diazotrophic) populations were similar to those in other aquatic environments and (2) if there was a pattern of distribution of phylotypes that reflected redox conditions, as well as (3) to identify populations that could be important in N dynamics in this nitrogen-limited lake . Mono Lake has been meromictic for almost a decade and has steep gradients in oxygen and reduced compounds that provide a wide range of aerobic and anaerobic habitats . We amplified a fragment of the nitrogenase gene (nifH) from planktonic DNA samples collected at three depths representing oxygenated surface waters, the oxycline, and anoxic, ammonium-rich deep waters . Forty-three percent of the 90 sequences grouped in nifH Cluster I . The majority of clones (57%) grouped in Cluster III, which contains many known anaerobic bacteria . Cluster I and Cluster III sequences were retrieved at every depth indicating little vertical zonation in sequence types related to the prominent gradients in oxygen and ammonia . One group in Cluster I was found most often at every depth and accounted for 29% of all the clones . These sequences formed a subcluster that contained other environmental clones, but no cultivated representatives . No significant nitrogen fixation was detected by the 15N2 method after 48 h of incubation of surface, oxycline, or deep waters, suggesting that pelagic diazotrophs were contributing little to nitrogen fluxes in the lake . The failure to measure any significant nitrogen fixation, despite the detection of diverse and novel nitrogenase genes throughout the water column, raises interesting questions about the ecological controls on diazotrophy in Mono Lake and the distribution of functional genes in the environment.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 2004 Jul, 23(7), 570 - 2 Epub 2004 Jun 26.
Case of Lemierre's syndrome presenting with thyroid abscess; Kara E et al.; Lemierre's syndrome is an uncommon condition characterized by post-anginal septicemia due to anaerobes . Reported here is a case of Lemierre's syndrome presenting with thyroid and liver abscesses . At presentation, the 70-year-old female patient complained of fever, jaundice and neck pain . Computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound confirmed the presence of a left-sided internal jugular vein thrombosis as well as abscesses in the left thyroid lobe and the right lobe of the liver with pleural effusion . The thyroid abscess was treated with a left lobectomy.

Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 2004 Nov, 287(5), R1263 - 9 Epub 2004 Jul 08.
Seasonality of dihydropyridine receptor binding in the heart of an anoxia-tolerant vertebrate, the crucian carp (Carassius carassius L.); Vornanen M et al.; Prolonged anoxia tolerance of facultative anaerobes is based on metabolic depression and thus on controlled reduction of energy-utilizing processes . One proposed survival mechanism is the closing of ion channels to decrease energetic cost of ion pumping (Hochachka PW . Science 231: 234-241, 1986) . To test this hypothesis, the involvement of L-type Ca2+ channels in seasonal anoxia tolerance of the vertebrate heart was examined by determining the number of {methyl-3H}PN200-110 (a ligand of L-type Ca2+ channel alpha-subunit) binding sites of the cardiac tissue and the density of Ca2+ current in ventricular myocytes of an anoxia-resistant fish species, the crucian carp . In their natural environment, the fish were exposed for > 3 mo of hypoxia (O2 < 2.5 mg/l) followed by almost 8 wk of anoxia that resulted in abrupt depletion of cardiac glycogen stores in late spring . Unexpectedly, however, the number of {methyl-3H}PN200-110 binding sites did not decline in hypoxia/anoxia as predicted by the channel arrest hypothesis but remained constant for most of the year . However, in early summer, the number of {methyl-3H}PN200-110 binding sites doubled for a period of approximately 2 mo, which functionally appeared as a 74% larger Ca2+ current density . Thus the anoxia tolerance of the carp heart cannot be based on downregulation of Ca2+ channel units in myocytes but is likely to depend on suppressed heart rate, i.e., regulation of the heart at the systemic level, and direct depressive effects of low temperature on Ca2+ current to achieve savings in cardiac work load and ion pumping . The summer peak in the number of functional Ca2+ channels indicates a short period of high cardiac activity possibly associated with reproduction and active perfusion of tissues after the winter stresses .

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2004 Jul, 70(7), 4088 - 95
Populations implicated in anaerobic reductive dechlorination of 1,2-dichloropropane in highly enriched bacterial communities; Ritalahti KM et al.; 1,2-Dichloropropane (1,2-D), a widespread groundwater contaminant, can be reductively dechlorinated to propene by anaerobic bacteria . To shed light on the populations involved in the detoxification process, a comprehensive 16S rRNA gene-based bacterial community analysis of two enrichment cultures derived from geographically distinct locations was performed . Analysis of terminal restriction fragments, amplicons obtained with dechlorinator-specific PCR primers, and enumeration with quantitative real-time PCR as well as screening clone libraries all implied that Dehalococcoides populations were involved in 1,2-D dechlorination in both enrichment cultures . Physiological traits (e.g., dechlorination in the presence of ampicillin and a requirement for hydrogen as the electron donor) supported the involvement of Dehalococcoides populations in the dechlorination process . These findings expand the spectrum of chloroorganic compounds used by Dehalococcoides species as growth-supporting electron acceptors . The combined molecular approach allowed a comparison between different 16S rRNA gene-based approaches for the detection of Dehalococcoides populations.

APMIS, 2004 Apr-May, 112(4-5), 248 - 56
Macroscopic oropharyngeal signs indicating impaired defensive function of palatine tonsils in adults suffering from recurrent tonsillitis; Kasenomm P et al.; The present study explored in adults suffering from recurrent tonsillitis the association between macroscopic oropharyngeal signs of recurrent inflammation, immunomorphology of palatine tonsils (counts of neutrophils by CD4 and macrophages by CD68 monoclonal antibodies in tonsillar microcompartments) and the occurrence of post-tonsillectomy bacteremia . The study involved 50 adults (31 females and 19 males) with recurrent tonsillitis . According to predominance of either inflammatory changes or evidence of sclerotic process in palatine tonsils and surrounding tissue macroscopic at oropharyngeal examination, the patients were divided into groups with 'inflammatory-type' and 'sclerotic-type' tonsils . Biochemically detected mean collagen content was significantly higher in 'sclerotic-type' tonsils than in 'inflammatory-type' tonsils (p=0.001) . Post-tonsillectomy bacteremia was found in 22 patients (44%) . A noteworthy finding was the higher recovery of anaerobes from blood cultures than in previous studies . A logistic regression analysis revealed that the post-tonsillectomy bacteremia was strongly associated with 'sclerotic-type' tonsils (p=0.0015) and with low counts of neutrophils in tonsillar tissue (p=0.047) . We conclude that macroscopic oropharyngeal signs of sclerotic process in palatine tonsils indicate impaired tonsillar defense, in terms of lowered counts of neutrophils, increasing the risk of post-tonsillectomy bacteremia.

Gastrointest Endosc, 2004 Jul, 60(1), 76 - 8
Bacteriologic testing of endoscopes after high-level disinfection; Rejchrt S et al.; BACKGROUND: There are no definitive data available concerning microbiologic safety of prolonged endoscope storage after reprocessing and disinfection . This study evaluated the durability of high-level disinfection of endoscopes stored in a dust-proof cabinet for 5 days . METHODS: Three different types of endoscopes (upper endoscopes, duodenoscopes, colonoscopes) were tested . After completion of the endoscopic procedure, endoscopes were subjected to an initial decontamination, followed by manual cleaning with the endoscope immersed in detergent . The endoscopes then were placed in an automatic reprocessor that provides high-level disinfection . They then were stored by hanging in a dust-proof cabinet . Bacteriologic samples were obtained from the surface of the endoscopes, the openings for the piston valves, and the accessory channel daily for 5 days, and by flush-through (combined with brushing) from the accessory channels after 5 days of storage . Samples were cultured for all types of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, including bacterial spores, and for Candida species . RESULTS: For all assays, all endoscopes were bacteria-free immediately after high-level disinfection . Only 4 assays (of 135) were positive during the subsequent 5-day assessment (skin bacteria cultured from endoscope surfaces) . All flush-through samples were sterile . CONCLUSIONS: When endoscope reprocessing guidelines are strictly observed and endoscopes are stored in appropriate cabinets for up to 5 days, reprocessing before use may not be necessary.

Wound Repair Regen, 2004 May-Jun, 12(3), 288 - 94
Controlling wound bioburden with a novel silver-containing Hydrofiber dressing; Jones SA et al.; Clinicians now recognize that both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms have the ability to degrade or damage host tissue at a wound site through the production of a variety of enzymes and toxins . Silver-containing dressings offer one method for controlling this polymicrobial wound bioburden, and research efforts are currently ongoing to determine their efficacy against aerobic, anaerobic, and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms . The current study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of a new silver-containing Hydrofiber dressing (AQUACEL Ag) on both aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms, using the zone-of-inhibition method . This method provides a measure of the ability of the dressing to make available a sufficient concentration of silver to have an antimicrobial effect . To some extent this test mimics the clinical use of the dressing and predicts its microbicidal activity at the wound-dressing interface . The results show that the silver-containing dressing makes silver available at a dressing-agar interface at a concentration that is effective against a broad range of aerobic, anaerobic, and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms . In the context of wound healing, the results showing antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are particularly important, as the control and eradication of these organisms is a major concern within the health care profession.

Prog Urol, 2004 Apr, 14(2), 232 - 3
{Management of dog bite trauma of the external genital organs}; Dubosq F et al.; Animal bites to the scrotum are rare, but potentially serious . In the light of a personal case, the authors discuss the management of these lesions . An animal bite comprises a triple infectious risk: bacterial, tetanus and rabies . Surgical exploration is indicated for assessment of the structures involved and debridement . The morbidity is related to the severity of the bite and the waiting time before consultation, and complications are rare . Orchidectomy is sometimes necessary, as in the case reported here, and the patient must be warned about this possibility . Antibiotic therapy is empirical: tetracycline and anti-anaerobe antibiotic . Rabies and tetanus prophylaxis must be performed according to vaccine guidelines.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2004 Jul, 48(7), 2766 - 70
In vitro activities of iodonium salts against oral and dental anaerobes; Goldstein EJ et al.; The comparative in vitro activities of 11 iodonium salt compounds, 0.12% chlorhexidine, and four antimicrobial agents against 322 anaerobic and fastidious potential dental and periodontal bacterial pathogens were studied . Iodonium salts 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10 had in vitro activities comparable to that of chlorhexidine against most isolates . These compounds may be suitable for incorporation into an oral mouthwash.

J Biol Chem, 2004 Aug 20, 279(34), 36003 - 12 Epub 2004 Jun 21.
Kinetic and mechanistic characterization of the formyl-CoA transferase from Oxalobacter formigenes; Jonsson S et al.; Oxalobacter formigenes is an obligate anaerobe that colonizes the human gastrointestinal tract and employs oxalate breakdown to generate ATP in a novel process involving the interplay of two coupled enzymes and a membrane-bound oxalate:formate antiporter . Formyl-CoA transferase is a critical enzyme in oxalate-dependent ATP synthesis and is the first Class III CoA-transferase for which a high resolution, three-dimensional structure has been determined (Ricagno, S., Jonsson, S., Richards, N., and Lindqvist, Y . (2003) EMBO J . 22, 3210-3219) . We now report the first detailed kinetic characterizations of recombinant, wild type formyl-CoA transferase and a number of site-specific mutants, which suggest that catalysis proceeds via a series of anhydride intermediates . Further evidence for this mechanistic proposal is provided by the x-ray crystallographic observation of an acylenzyme intermediate that is formed when formyl-CoA transferase is incubated with oxalyl-CoA . The catalytic mechanism of formyl-CoA transferase is therefore established and is almost certainly employed by all other members of the Class III CoA-transferase family.

J Periodontal Res, 2004 Aug, 39(4), 263 - 8
Antibody reactive with Porphyromonas gingivalis hemagglutinin in chronic and generalized aggressive periodontitis; Califano JV et al.; BACKGROUND: Porphyromonas gingivalis, a black-pigmented, gram-negative anaerobe, is found in periodontitis lesions and its presence in subgingival plaque significantly increases the risk for periodontitis . We have previously shown that patients with aggressive forms of periodontitis that are seropositive for P . gingivalis have less attachment loss than those that are seronegative . This suggests that antibody reactive with antigens of P . gingivalis may be protective and decrease disease severity and extent . Recent studies in the murine abscess model and in the host antibody response in chronic periodontitis patients suggest that antibody reactive with P . gingivalis hemagglutinin may be an important protective antibody response . OBJECTIVES: In this study, we tested the hypothesis that there was a significant relationship between antibody reactive with P . gingivalis hemagglutinin and measures of periodontal attachment loss . METHODS: We determined the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody concentration reactive with recombinant P . gingivalis hemagglutinin in 117 chronic periodontitis and 90 generalized aggressive periodontitis patients . We also determined the IgG subclass distribution for antibody reactive with P . gingivalis hemagglutinin . RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We found IgG reactive with P . gingivalis hemagglutinin in both chronic periodontitis and generalized aggressive periodontitis patients . Most of this IgG antibody was of the IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses . Antibody reactive with P . gingivalis hemagglutinin, however, did not have a significant relationship with measures of periodontal attachment loss . Copyright Blackwell Munksgaard, 2004

Clin Infect Dis, 2004 Jul 1, 39(1), 92 - 7 Epub 2004 Jun 03.
Prevalence of antibiotic resistance in anaerobic bacteria: worrisome developments; Hecht DW; Antibiotic-resistant anaerobic bacteria have become increasingly recognized as a confounding factor in the selection of therapeutic agents . The use of potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics as empirical therapy, along with appropriate adjunctive measures, has, in some ways, masked the magnitude of the antibiotic resistance problem that parallels that observed for nonanaerobic pathogens . The use of standardized testing methods that recognize resistance and an understanding of resistance mechanisms have become essential for the treatment of patients and the development of new agents.

Curr Opin Biotechnol, 2004 Jun, 15(3), 205 - 14
Microbial communities in oil-contaminated seawater; Harayama S et al.; Although diverse bacteria capable of degrading petroleum hydrocarbons have been isolated and characterized, the vast majority of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, including anaerobes, could remain undiscovered, as a large fraction of bacteria inhabiting marine environments are uncultivable . Using culture-independent rRNA approaches, changes in the structure of microbial communities have been analyzed in marine environments contaminated by a real oil spill and in micro- or mesocosms that mimic such environments . Alcanivorax and Cycloclasticus of the gamma-Proteobacteria were identified as two key organisms with major roles in the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons . Alcanivorax is responsible for alkane biodegradation, whereas Cycloclasticus degrades various aromatic hydrocarbons . This information will be useful to develop in situ bioremediation strategies for the clean-up of marine oil spills.

Postgrad Med J, 2004 Jun, 80(944), 328 - 34
Lemierre's syndrome: more than a historical curiosa; Riordan T et al.; Lemierre's syndrome is a severe illness caused by the anaerobic bacterium, Fusobacterium necrophorum which typically occurs in healthy teenagers and young adults . The infection originates in the throat and spreads via a septic thrombophlebitis of the tonsillar vein and internal jugular vein . The ensuing bacteraemia is complicated by septic emboli to a range of sites such as lung, joints, and bones . Although rare, there is evidence of a resurgence in the condition in recent years, possibly associated with reduced use of antibiotic therapy for sore throats . The typical clinical picture is characteristic but many clinicians are unaware of the condition and diagnosis is often delayed with potentially fatal consequences.

Adv Drug Deliv Rev, 2004 Jun 23, 56(10), 1415 - 36
Issues and challenges in developing ruminal drug delivery systems; Vandamme TF et al.; Ruminants have a specialised digestive system that contains anaerobic bacteria and protozoa capable of digesting the cellulosic materials that are so common in plant materials . In addition, their distinct digestive system can change the metabolism and mode of action of some nutrients, medicines or other bioactive materials when delivered orally or may provide opportunities for alternative oral dosing strategies . In particular, there is interest in administering a relatively large depot of some drugs into the rumen, which then provides for a prolonged and sustained release of small quantities of these drugs over time . Any strategy to develop a new ruminal drug delivery system must take into account the characteristics of the digestive system of ruminants and its specific bioactive application . For example, in the case of products to control parasitic infections, the development of the host's immunity against the nematodes, which can be acquired during the pasture season, must be considered; likewise, where pharmacologically active materials are used to manipulate a particular metabolic or biochemical process, one must always be aware of interactions with other processes, which might eventuate . This article reviews the necessary concepts, the issues and the challenges to construct ruminal drug delivery systems.

J Clin Periodontol, 2004 Jul, 31(7), 506 - 10
Impact of tongue cleansers on microbial load and taste; Quirynen M et al.; OBJECTIVES: Tongue cleaning has been advocated to improve oral malodor and to reduce reinfection of periodontal niches by eliminating tongue coating and/or reducing putrefaction by bacteria . MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-over, single-blind study on periodontitis-free, non-smoking, subjects with habitual oral hygiene (n=16), evaluated the effect of tongue cleaning (with either plastic scraper or nylon multi-tufted toothbrush), on the microbial load of the tongue dorsum (anterior and posterior of the sulcus terminalis), the extent of tongue coating, and taste sensation for bitter, sweet, salt, and sour . Both devices had been used twice daily for 2 weeks (toothbrush three forward-backward movements along the linea mediana and for each longitudinal third of the tongue; two strokes with the scraper along the linea mediana and along the borders of the tongue) . RESULTS: Two weeks of tongue brushing or scraping resulted in only negligible reductions in aerobic and anaerobic bacteria on the tongue (reductions <0.5 log) . The amount of tongue coating, however, decreased significantly (p<0.05), with both devices . The taste sensation improved after 2 weeks of tongue cleaning, especially with the scraper (significant improvements for quinine and sodium chloride) . CONCLUSION: Tongue cleaning improves taste sensation and seems to reduce the substrata for putrefaction, rather than the bacterial load.

Environ Microbiol, 2004 Jul, 6(7), 669 - 77
Adaptation of sympatric Achromatium spp . to different redox conditions as a mechanism for coexistence of functionally similar sulphur bacteria; Gray ND et al.; Changes in the abundance of sympatric Achromatium spp . in response to the artificial manipulation of redox conditions in sediment microcosms was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) . Adaptation to different redox conditions was shown to be one mechanism that supported the coexistence of functionally similar Achromatium spp . In sediment microcosms, in which the overlying water was oxygenated, Achromatium community size and composition remained unchanged over time . However, imposition of anoxic conditions induced changes in community structure . Anoxia caused a reduction in the relative abundance of Achromatium sp . RY8 (72 +/- 4% to 49 +/- 2%) and an increase in Achromatium sp . RY5 (19 +/- 5% to 32 +/- 3%) and a newly identified Achromatium sp., RYKS (14 +/- 4% to 27 +/- 2%) . In anoxic microcosms supplemented with a single addition of nitrate at different initial concentrations the relative decline in Achromatium sp . RY8 was dependent on the initial nitrate concentration . In these experiments nitrate was rapidly removed . In contrast, when high levels of nitrate were maintained by periodic replacement of the overlying water with nitrate supplemented anoxic water, the composition of the Achromatium community remained stable over time . This suggested that all of the coexisting Achromatium spp . are obligate or facultative anaerobes, but, Achromatium sp . RY8 was more sensitive to sediment redox conditions than the other Achromatium species . Given the heterogeneous nature of sedimentary environments, redox-related niche differentiation may promote coexistence of sympatric Achromatium spp.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2004 Jun, 70(6), 3754 - 7
Diverse tetracycline resistance genotypes of Megasphaera elsdenii strains selectively cultured from swine feces; Stanton TB et al.; A total of 30 Megasphaera elsdenii strains, selectively isolated from the feces of organically raised swine by using Me109 M medium, and one bovine strain were analyzed for tetracycline resistance genotypic and phenotypic traits . Tetracycline-resistant strains carried tet(O), tet(W), or a tet gene mosaic of tet(O) and tet(W) . M . elsdenii strains carrying tet(OWO) genes exhibited the highest tetracycline MICs (128 to >256 microg/ml), suggesting that tet(O)-tet(W) mosaic genes provide the selective advantage of greater tetracycline resistance for this species . Seven tet genotypes are now known for M . elsdenii, an archetype commensal anaerobe and model for tet gene evolution in the mammalian intestinal tract.

J Biol Chem, 2004 Jul 23, 279(30), 31613 - 21 Epub 2004 May 28.
A novel fermentation/respiration switch protein regulated by enzyme IIAGlc in Escherichia coli; Koo BM et al.; The bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system regulates a variety of physiological processes as well as effecting sugar transport . The crr gene product (enzyme IIA(Glc) (IIA(Glc))) mediates some of these regulatory phenomena . In this report, we characterize a novel IIA(Glc)-binding protein from Escherichia coli extracts, discovered using ligand-fishing with surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy . This protein, which we named FrsA (fermentation/respiration switch protein), is the 47-kDa product of the yafA gene, previously denoted as "function unknown." FrsA forms a 1:1 complex specifically with the unphosphorylated form of IIA(Glc), with the highest affinity of any protein thus far shown to interact with IIA(Glc) . Orthologs of FrsA have been found to exist only in facultative anaerobes belonging to the gamma-proteobacterial group . Disruption of frsA increased cellular respiration on several sugars including glucose, while increased FrsA expression resulted in an increased fermentation rate on these sugars with the concomitant accumulation of mixed-acid fermentation products . These results suggest that IIA(Glc) regulates the flux between respiration and fermentation pathways by sensing the available sugar species via a phosphorylation state-dependent interaction with FrsA.

Can J Microbiol, 2003 Dec, 49(12), 763 - 73
Butyrivibriocin AR10, a new cyclic bacteriocin produced by the ruminal anaerobe Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens AR10: characterization of the gene and peptide; Kalmokoff ML et al.; The gene (bviA) encoding the ruminal bacteriocin butyrivibriocin AR10 was cloned from an EcoRI library by using an oligonucleotide probe based on a partial peptide sequence of the previously isolated peptide . The gene encoded an 80 amino acid prebacteriocin that demonstrated significant identity with the cyclic bacteriocin gassericin A . Negative ion time of flight mass spectroscopic analysis (ESI/MS) indicated a mass of 5981.5 Da for the isolated bacteriocin, a molecular mass that could not be generated by removal of a leader peptide alone . However, an N- to C-terminal cyclization of the predicted mature bacteriocin resulted in a peptide that conformed to the determined mass and charge characteristics . Northern blotting confirmed that expression of bviA mirrored the production of the bacteriocin in both liquid and solid media.

J Infect Chemother, 2004 Apr, 10(2), 90 - 6
Potent antibacterial activity of Y-754, a novel benzimidazole compound with selective action against Helicobacter pylori; Iwao E et al.; Y-754, a novel benzimidazole compound, was investigated for in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity . Unlike amoxicillin, clarithromycin, and metronidazole, the compound had no activity against common aerobic and anaerobic bacteria other than Helicobacter pylori . The minimum inhibitory concentration of Y-754 against H . pylori, at 0.025 microg/ml, was nearly equal to that of amoxicillin and clarithromycin . The respective concentrations of Y-754, amoxicillin, clarithromycin, and metronidazole required to inhibit 90% of 39 isolates of H . pylori were 0.05, 0.39, 6.25, and 25 microg/ml, indicating the potent activity of Y-754, including activity against clarithromycin- and metronidazole-resistant strains . The anti-H . pylori activity of Y-754 was potent even at pH 5.5 and was bactericidal at concentrations of 0.1 microg/ml and above . Exposure of H . pylori to Y-754 did not result in the induction of drug-resistant mutation . Oral administration (10 mg/kg twice a day for 7 days) to Mongolian gerbils infected with strain ATCC 43504 demonstrated that Y-754 was effective in H . pylori eradication and that its eradication efficacy increased in line with the progress of damage to the gastric mucosa caused by H . pylori infection . Y-754 was also efficacious in the treatment of infection by the clarithromycin-resistant strain OIT-36 . The results obtained lead to the expectation that the new benzimidazole Y-754 will, in the near future, be used for H . pylori eradication therapy in peptic ulcer patients.

Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue, 1995 Mar, 4(1), 33 - 5
{Rapid identification of anaerobes in periodontics with computer}; Wang J et al.; It has documented that anaerobe has played important roles in the progress of periodontitis.Recently,the detection of its pathogens has caught more and more attention.This study has sieved physiological and biochemical reactions of more than 80 species anaerobes related to periodontics,selected the reactions with identifying significances to form a system,and identify bacterium according to their differences of the results to the selected reactions.The results of each bacteria is expressed with decimal number.then transfer it into the decimal number.So the decimal number represents the results of the bacteria to the selected reactions and represents a certain bacteria.The profile that the bacterium correspond to the numbers is designed.When the bacteria is identified,on the basis of its Gram stain,morphology and oxygen-tolerance,using compling program,the computer with suggest the reactions to be finished.After the reactions have been completed,input the produced number to the species of the indentified bacteria will be known.

Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue, 1995 Mar, 4(1), 30 - 2
{Study on inspection method of anaerobes in periodontal pockets}; Li DY et al.; This paper used two methods only use non-selective medium(CDC) and together with seven selective mediums(VS CS BS AS FS ES LS) to inspect anaerobes in periodontal pockets.The results showed that Gram-negative anaerobes were the predominant microflora of periodontitis.The method of CDC together with selective mediums was founded much simpler and faster,more valuable than the method of only use non-selective medium.It is illustrated that CDC added antibiotics or chemicals to make selective mediums was prepared convenience and was suitable for growth of relative anaerobes.But it is still necessary to establish much more,more special, more reliable selective or identical mediums.

Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue, 1996 Mar, 5(1), 19 - 21
{The antibacterial efficacy to obligate anaerobes isolated from the infected root canal of deciduous teeth}; Hu B et al.; TMJ osteoarthrosis(OA) is frequently seen in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery clinics.In order to investigate cellular and molecular basis of the pathogenesis of TMJOA,the levels of IL-1 and IL-6 in synovial aspirates from different stages of TMJOA patients were determined and analysed.It was found that both of them were highly correlated with the severity of TMJOA(P<0.0001).A positive linear correlation was also found between IL-1 and IL-6(P<0.0001).The balance and imbalance between MMPs and TIMPS and the modulatory mechanism of cytokines were introduced and their possible roles in the pathogenesis of TMJOA were discussed.

Immunol Lett, 2004 May 15, 93(2-3), 97 - 108
Commensal bacteria (normal microflora), mucosal immunity and chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases; Tlaskalova-Hogenova H et al.; Commensal microflora (normal microflora, indigenous microbiota) consists of those micro-organisms, which are present on body surfaces covered by epithelial cells and are exposed to the external environment (gastrointestinal and respiratory tract, vagina, skin, etc.) . The number of bacteria colonising mucosal and skin surfaces exceeds the number of cells forming human body . Commensal bacteria co-evolved with their hosts, however, under specific conditions they are able to overcome protective host responses and exert pathologic effects . Resident bacteria form complex ecosystems, whose diversity is enormous . The most abundant microflora is present in the distal parts of the gut; the majority of the intestinal bacteria are Gram-negative anaerobes . More than 50% of intestinal bacteria cannot be cultured by conventional microbiological techniques . Molecular biological methods help in analysing the structural and functional complexity of the microflora and in identifying its components . Resident microflora contains a number of components able to activate innate and adaptive immunity . Unlimited immune activation in response to signals from commensal bacteria could pose the risk of inflammation; immune responses to mucosal microbiota therefore require a precise regulatory control . The mucosal immune system has developed specialised regulatory, anti-inflammatory mechanisms for eliminating or tolerating non-dangerous, food and airborne antigens and commensal micro-organisms (oral, mucosal tolerance) . However, at the same time the mucosal immune system must provide local defense mechanisms against environmental threats (e.g . invading pathogens) . This important requirement is fulfilled by several mechanisms of mucosal immunity: strongly developed innate defense mechanisms ensuring appropriate function of the mucosal barrier, existence of unique types of lymphocytes and their products, transport of polymeric immunoglobulins through epithelial cells into secretions (sIgA) and migration and homing of cells originating from the mucosal organised tissues in mucosae and exocrine glands . The important role of commensal bacteria in development of optimally functioning mucosal immune system was demonstrated in germ-free animals (using gnotobiological techniques) . Involvement of commensal microflora and its components with strong immunoactivating properties (e.g . LPS, peptidoglycans, superantigens, bacterial DNA, Hsp) in etiopathogenetic mechanism of various complex, multifactorial and multigenic diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases, periodontal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, allergy, multiorgan failure, colon cancer has been recently suggested . Animal models of human diseases reared in defined gnotobiotic conditions are helping to elucidate the aetiology of these frequent disorders . An improved understanding of commensal bacteria-host interactions employing germ-free animal models with selective colonisation strategies combined with modern molecular techniques could bring new insights into the mechanisms of mucosal immunity and also into pathogenetic mechanisms of several infectious, inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases . Regulation of microflora composition (e.g . by probiotics and prebiotics) offers the possibility to influence the development of mucosal and systemic immunity but it can play a role also in prevention and treatment of some diseases.

J Dent Res, 2004 Jun, 83(6), 500 - 4
Clonal persistence of oral Fusobacterium nucleatum in infancy; Haraldsson G et al.; Once established, early-colonizing bacterial species tend to persist in the mouth . To obtain detailed information on the population dynamics of early-colonizing oral anaerobes, we examined the clonal diversity and persistence of clones among oral Fusobacterium nucleatum populations during the first 2 yrs of life . Consecutive salivary samples from 12 infants, collected at 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 mos of age, yielded a total of 546 F . nucleatum isolates for clonal typing with arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) . Up to 7 AP-PCR types were simultaneously detected in each sample . In 11 out of the 12 infants examined, AP-PCR types persisted for up to 1 yr . Strain turnover rate was high during the first year of life, but then the occurrence of persistent clones increased . This study indicates a wide genetic diversity within the species and provides evidence for the increasing persistence of F . nucleatum clones in the oral cavity with age.

J Food Prot, 2004 May, 67(5), 884 - 8
In vitro inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in bovine rumen fluid by caprylic acid; Annamalai T et al.; The antibacterial effect of caprylic acid (35 and 50 mM) on Escherichia coli O157:H7 and total anaerobic bacteria at 39 degrees C in rumen fluid (pH 5.6 and 6.8) from 12 beef cattle was investigated . The treatments containing caprylic acid at both pHs significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the population of E . coli O157:H7 compared with that in the control samples . At pH 5.6, both levels of caprylic acid killed E . coli O157:H7 rapidly, reducing the pathogen population to undetectable levels at 1 min of incubation (a more than 6.0-log CFU/ml reduction) . In buffered rumen fluid at pH 6.8, 50 mM caprylic acid reduced the E . coli O157:H7 population to undetectable levels at 1 min of incubation, whereas 35 mM caprylic acid reduced the pathogen by approximately 3.0 and 5.0 log CFU/ml at 8 and 24 h of incubation, respectively . At both pHs, caprylic acid had a significantly lesser (P < 0.05) and minimal inhibitory effect on the population of total anaerobic bacteria in rumen compared with that on E . coli O157:H7 . At 24 h of incubation, caprylic acid (35 and 50 mM) reduced the population of total anaerobic bacteria by approximately 2.0 log CFU/ml at pH 5.6, whereas at pH 6.8, caprylic acid (35 mM) did not have any significant (P > 0.05) inhibitory effect on total bacterial load . Results of this study revealed that caprylic acid was effective in inactivating E . coli O157:H7 in bovine rumen fluid, thereby justifying its potential as a preslaughter dietary supplement for reducing pathogen carriage in cattle.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 2004 Jun, 53 Suppl 2, ii83 - 6
Ertapenem: a new opportunity for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy; Tice AD; Ertapenem is a parenteral carbapenem antimicrobial with pharmacological properties that allow it to be given once daily . This makes it a consideration for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) . In comparison with information from the OPAT Outcomes Registry, ertapenem seems well suited for the types of infections and bacteria that are commonly treated with OPAT, plus it has additional activity against anaerobic bacteria . This added spectrum makes it possible to treat complicated skin/skin-structure, complicated intra-abdominal and pelvic infections with a single antibiotic instead of the multiple agents that have usually been required . Ertapenem is also comparable to other OPAT antimicrobials in terms of adverse effects and clinical outcomes . This antimicrobial can be given with any delivery model, although its stability when mixed is such that daily preparation or self-mixing systems need to be considered . Ertapenem should be added to the growing list of once-daily parenteral antibiotics that can be given to outpatients.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 2004 Jun, 53 Suppl 2, ii29 - 36
Intra-abdominal infections: review of the bacteriology, antimicrobial susceptibility and the role of ertapenem in their therapy; Goldstein EJ et al.; Complicated intra-abdominal infections require a combination of surgery/drainage and antimicrobial therapy that is active against both the aerobic and the anaerobic bacteria that comprise the intestinal flora . Ertapenem, a parenteral carbapenem, is highly resistant to a wide variety of beta-lactamase enzymes, and has a broad spectrum of activity against bacteria associated with community-acquired infections including those of complicated intra-abdominal conditions . This article reviews the bacteriology of complicated intra-abdominal infections, their antimicrobial susceptibility, especially to anaerobes, the utility of animal models in these mixed infections, and the supportive clinical trials and in vitro susceptibility data that show ertapenem to be generally well tolerated and as effective as either piperacillin-tazobactam or ceftriaxone plus metronidazole in the therapy of complicated intra-abdominal infections.

Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2004 May, 54(Pt 3), 969 - 73
Syntrophomonas curvata sp . nov., an anaerobe that degrades fatty acids in co-culture with methanogens; Zhang C et al.; A strict anaerobe (strain GB8-1(T)) that degraded straight-chain fatty acids with C(4)-C(18) in syntrophic association with methanogens was isolated from an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor treating beer wastewater . Strain GB8-1(T) degraded 1 mol butyrate into about 2 mol acetate and 1 mol (presumably) H(2) in co-culture with a methanogen . Neither branched-chain fatty acids nor benzoate could be degraded . Strain GB8-1(T) could grow on crotonate in pure culture and converted 1 mol crotonate to 0.5 mol butyrate and 1 mol acetate . Generation time was about 11 h when grown on crotonate at 37 degrees C . Fumarate, sulfate, thiosulfate, sulfur and nitrate could not serve as electron acceptors for strain GB8-1(T) to degrade butyrate . Cells of strain GB8-1(T) were curved rods with Gram-negative cell walls; no spores were observed . The DNA G+C content was 46.6 mol% . Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain GB8-1(T) was related most closely to the fatty acid-oxidizing, syntrophic bacterium Syntrophomonas sapovorans DSM 3441(T); however, the relationship was not very close (95.4 % sequence similarity) . Some phenotypic features also differentiated strain GB8-1(T) from Syntrophomonas sapovorans DSM 3441(T) . Therefore, a novel species, Syntrophomonas curvata sp . nov., is proposed . The type strain is GB8-1(T) (=CGMCC 1.5010(T)=DSM 15682(T)).

Arch Microbiol, 2004 Jun, 181(6), 407 - 17 Epub 2004 May 01.
Degradation of o-xylene and m-xylene by a novel sulfate-reducer belonging to the genus Desulfotomaculum; Morasch B et al.; A strictly anaerobic bacterium, strain OX39, was isolated with o-xylene as organic substrate and sulfate as electron acceptor from an aquifer at a former gasworks plant contaminated with aromatic hydrocarbons . Apart from o-xylene, strain OX39 grew on m-xylene and toluene and all three substrates were oxidized completely to CO(2) . Induction experiments indicated that o-xylene, m-xylene, and toluene degradation were initiated by different specific enzymes . Methylbenzylsuccinate was identified in supernatants of cultures grown on o-xylene and m-xylene, and benzylsuccinate was detected in supernatants of toluene-grown cells, thus indicating that degradation was initiated in all three cases by fumarate addition to the methyl group . Strain OX39 was sensitive towards sulfide and depended on Fe(II) in the medium as a scavenger of the produced sulfide . Analysis of the PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene revealed that strain OX39 affiliates with the gram-positive endospore-forming sulfate reducers of the genus Desulfotomaculum and is the first hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacterium in this genus.

Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2004 Apr, 190(4), 1082 - 6
Experimental intrauterine infection with Prevotella bivia in New Zealand White rabbits; Gibbs RS et al.; OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop a model of chronic intrauterine and fetal infection with Prevotella bivia, an anaerobe of the lower genital tract that is associated often with bacterial vaginosis . STUDY DESIGN: Thirty timed pregnant New Zealand White rabbits on gestational day 21 were inoculated with P bivia or saline solution in a planned ratio of 4:1 (24 P bivia: 6 saline solution) . Rabbits were inoculated 6 cm transcervically with 10(5) to 10(8) colony-forming units/uterine horn of P bivia or with saline solution . Necropsy was scheduled on days 4, 6, or 7 after inoculation . Cultures were collected from blood, uterus, amniotic fluid and fetal brain, lung, and heart . Tissues from placenta, uterus, fetal brain, and lung were evaluated with the histologic inflammation score, with a range of 0 to 13 . Amniotic fluid was assayed for tumor necrosis factor-alpha by bioassay . Animals with contamination by other organisms were excluded . Categoric data were evaluated with the use of the Fisher exact test, and continuous data were evaluated with the use of the Wilcoxon rank sum . RESULTS: After the exclusion of 8 animals because of contamination with other organisms, 22 animals were evaluated . Of 3 rabbits with an inoculum of 10(8) P bivia colony-forming units/horn, 2 animals (67%) had fever within 24 hours . These results were not compatible with chronic, subclinical infection . Therefore, 14 does had inocula of 10(5-6) P bivia colony-forming units/horn, with necropsy planned at day 4 (n=5 animals), day 6 (n=3 animals), and day 7 (n=6 animals), and 5 animals were inoculated with saline solution . Animals that had been inoculated with P bivia were significantly more likely to have a positive culture than were those animals that were inoculated with saline solution (64% vs 0%; P<.04) . Preterm delivery without fever occurred in 21% of does (3/14 does) that were inoculated with P bivia overall and in 33% of the does (3/9 does) that were followed for 6 to 7 days . No saline-solution inoculated animal had preterm birth . There was an increase in amniotic fluid tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels over time in the P bivia group (P=.12) . Histologic inflammation scores were not significantly different between P bivia and saline solution groups . CONCLUSION: Inoculation with P bivia at 10(5-6) colony-forming units/horn leads to chronic intrauterine and fetal infection that are accompanied by preterm birth in up to 33% of cases . This model may serve to explore the mechanism of preterm birth that is induced by chronic infection with genital tract anaerobes.

J Am Chem Soc, 2004 May 5, 126(17), 5382 - 7
Carbon monoxide induced decomposition of the active site {Ni-4Fe-5S} cluster of CO dehydrogenase; Dobbek H et al.; During the past two years, crystal structures of Cu- and Mo-containing carbon monoxide dehydrogenases (CODHs) and Ni- and Fe-containing CODHs have been reported . The active site of CODHs from anaerobic bacteria (cluster C) is composed of Ni, Fe, and S for which crystallographic studies of the enzymes from Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans, Rhodospirillum rubrum, and Moorella thermoaceticarevealed structural similarities in the overall protein fold but showed substantial differences in the essential Ni coordination environment . The {Ni-4Fe-5S} cluster C in the fully catalytically competent dithionite-reduced CODH II from C . hydrogenoformans (CODHII(Ch)) at 1.6 A resolution contains a characteristic mu(2)-sulfido ligand between Ni and Fe1, resulting in a square-planar ligand arrangement with four S-ligands at the Ni ion . In contrast, the {Ni-4Fe-4S} clusters C in CO-treated CODH from R . rubrum resolved at 2.8 A and in CO-treated acetyl-CoA synthase/CODH complex from M . thermoacetica at 2.2 and 1.9 A resolution, respectively, do not contain the mu(2)-sulfido ligand between Ni and Fe1 and display dissimilar geometries at the Ni ion . The {Ni-4Fe-4S} cluster is composed of a cubane {Ni-3Fe-4S} cluster linked to a mononuclear Fe site . The described coordination geometries of the Ni ion in the {Ni-4Fe-4S} cluster of R . rubrum and M . thermoacetica deviate from the square-planar ligand geometry in the {Ni-4Fe-5S} cluster C of CODHII(Ch) . In addition, the latter was converted into a {Ni-4Fe-4S} cluster under specific conditions . The objective of this study was to elucidate the relationship between the structure of cluster C in CODHII(Ch) and the functionality of the protein . We have determined the CO oxidation activity of CODHII(Ch) under different conditions of crystallization, prepared crystals of the enzyme in the presence of dithiothreitol or dithionite as reducing agents under an atmosphere of N(2) or CO, and solved the corresponding structures at 1.1 to 1.6 A resolutions . Fully active CODHII(Ch) obtained after incubation of the enzyme with dithionite under N(2) revealed the {Ni-4Fe-5S} cluster . Short treatment of the enzyme with CO in the presence of dithiothreitol resulted in a catalytically competent CODHII(Ch) with a CO-reduced {Ni-4Fe-5S} cluster, but a prolonged treatment with CO caused the loss of CO-oxidizing activity and revealed a {Ni-4Fe-4S} cluster, which did not contain a mu(2)-S . These data suggest that the {Ni-4Fe-4S} cluster of CODHII(Ch) is an inactivated decomposition product originating from the {Ni-4Fe-5S} cluster.

South Med J, 2004 Apr, 97(4), 416 - 8
Otogenic Fusobacterium meningitis, sepsis, and mastoiditis in an adolescent; Morrison A et al.; Fusobacterium necrophorum is a strict anaerobic organism responsible for a number of clinical syndromes known as necrobacillosis . Although meningeal infections with anaerobes are rare, delayed diagnosis and treatment can be potentially fatal . We report a unique case of Fusobacterium meningitis, mastoiditis, and sepsis in a previously healthy adolescent . Diagnosis and management of this condition are discussed in the context of a literature review.

Oral Microbiol Immunol, 2004 Jun, 19(3), 137 - 43
Studies on NADH oxidase and alkyl hydroperoxide reductase produced by Porphyromonas gingivalis; Diaz PI et al.; Enzymes that detoxify oxygen or oxygen radicals are important to anaerobic microorganisms that inhabit oxygenated environments . In previous studies we have determined that Porphyromonas gingivalis W50 cell extracts possess NADH oxidase-like activity, which increases slightly under oxygenated conditions . The aim of this study was to characterize the protein responsible for this activity in order to establish whether it protects the microorganism from oxidative stress . Protein purification based on NADH oxidase activity did not isolate a conventional NADH oxidase . Instead, the NADH oxidase activity was found to be associated with a FAD-dependent enzyme identified as 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydratase (AbfD) . The biological significance of this activity with respect to protection against oxidative stress is not clear; hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was present after completion of the NADH oxidase assay with the purified protein . Northern blot analysis, examining the expression of other proteins likely to function as NADH oxidases/peroxidases in P . gingivalis, revealed the transcription of a protein similar to alkyl-hydroperoxide reductase (AhpF-C), which could serve as an NADH oxidase and H2O2-detoxification system . AhpF is transcribed in a polycystronic way with its neighboring gene, which encodes for the coupling protein AhpC . No transcript could be detected for the closest match to an NADH oxidase identified in the P . gingivalis genome sequence . In conclusion, P . gingivalis seems to lack a protective NADH oxidase but AhpF-C could contribute to its moderate tolerance to reactive oxygen species by metabolizing H2O2 . Copyright Blackwell Munksgaard, 2004.

Mikrobiol Z, 2004 Jan-Feb, 66(1), 57 - 61
{Oral cavity microbiocenosis in patients with stomatological diseases with disorders in the systems of local immunity}; Nykyforchyn UR et al.; Microflora of oral cavity of people of 45-65 years with removable denture and children with acute herpetic stomatitis, its dependence upon the degree of local immunity, presence and severity of inflammatory process have been studied . Percentage of leucocyte subpopulations activity of bactericide enzymes of granulocytes, average anticolonization ratio, correlation of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, degree of colonization with Candida fungi have been determined is smear-simprints of mucous membrane . The intensity of growth of optional anaerobic microorganisms has been investigated in bacteriological studies of material taken from mucous membrane . Their identification has been performed using morphological-cultural and biochemical indices . Significant changes in microbiocenosis of oral cavity such as disappearance of autochthonous microflora, appearance and intensive growth of pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms are to be observed in conditions of decrease of non-specific resistance and presence of inflammatory process in persons with removable denture and acute herpetic stomatitis.

J Zhejiang Univ Sci, 2004 Jun, 5(6), 727 - 32
ATP content and biomass activity in sequential anaerobic/aerobic reactors; Chen H; Specific ATP content of volatile solids was measured to characterize the sludge activity in a sequential an-aerobic/aerobic wastewater treatment system, with an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and a three-phase aerobic fluidized bed (AFB) reactor . The wastewater COD level was 2000-3000 mg/L in simulation of real textile waste-water . The ATP content and the specific ATP contents of volatile solids at different heights of the UASB reactor and those of the suspended and immobilized biomass in the AFB reactor were measured . In the UASB reactor, the maximum value of specific ATP (0.85 mg ATP/g VS) was obtained at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) 7.14 h in the blanket solution . In the AFB reactor, the specific ATP content of suspended biomass was higher than that of immobilized biomass and increased with hydraulic retention time reaching a maximum value of 1.6 mg ATP/g VS at hydraulic retention time 4.35 h . The ATP content of anaerobes in the UASB effluent declined rapidly under aerobic conditions following a 2nd-order kinetic model.

Environ Pollut, 1999 Jul, 106(1), 13 - 21
The anaerobic degradation of endosulfan by indigenous microorganisms from low-oxygen soils and sediments; Guerin TF; Indigenous mixed populations of anaerobic microorganisms from an irrigation tailwater drain and submerged agricultural chemical waste pit readily biodegraded the major isomer of endosulfan (endosulfan I) . Endosulfan I was biodegraded to endosulfan diol, a low toxicity degradation product, in the presence of organic carbon sources under anaerobic, methanogenic conditions . While there was extensive degradation (>85%) over the 30 days, there was no significant enhancement of degradation from enriched inocula . This study demonstrates that endosulfan I has the potential to be biodegraded in sediments, in the absence of enriched microorganisms . This is of particular importance since such sediments are prevalent in cotton-growing areas and are typically contaminated with endosulfan residues . The importance of minimizing non-biological losses has also been highlighted as a critical issue in determining anaerobic biodegradation potential . Seals for such incubation vessels must be both oxygen and pollutant impermeable . Teflon-lined butyl rubber provides such a seal because of its resistance to the absorption of volatiles and in preventing volatilization . Moreover, including a 100 mM phosphate buffer in the anaerobic media has reduced non-biological losses from chemical hydrolysis, allowing biodegradation to be assessed.

Environ Pollut, 2000 Feb, 107(2), 209 - 15
Anaerobic transformations and bioremediation of chlorinated solvents; Ferguson JF et al.; Chlorinated aliphatic compounds, notably the chlorinated solvents, are common contaminants in soil and groundwater at hazardous waste sites . While these compounds are often recalcitrant, under favorable conditions they can be transformed and degraded through microbially mediated processes . There is great interest in understanding the transformations that are observed at contaminated sites and in manipulating these systems to achieve remediation . An important class of transformations occurs in anaerobic environments . Many of the transformations are reductive, and many yield useful energy to specific anaerobic bacteria . They include reductive dechlorination, dehydrochlorination and dichloroelemination . Of these, reductive dechlorination is often a growth-supporting reaction, while the others may be abiological or catalyzed by biological molecules . The reactions may result in chlorinated products, but there are often reaction sequences leading to completely dechlorinated products . The behavior of carbon tetrachloride (CT), 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TeCA) and the chloroethenes, perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), illustrate the range of anaerobic transformations that are possible, as well as the limited transformation that often is seen in the environment . CT undergoes reductive and substitutive reactions that are catalyzed by biological molecules but do not support bacterial growth . The anaerobic degradation of TeCA, which is a major contaminant at a site near Tacoma, WA, USA, provides examples of each type of transformation, and the products formed are consistent with the chlorinated compounds that are found in groundwater extraction wells . A laboratory study, using anaerobic sludge that had been fed chlorinated compounds, a cell-free extract from the sludge, and killed controls, showed that TeCA was transformed to four products and that these were further transformed, suggesting that it might be possible to degrade TeCA to innocuous products . Reductive dechlorination of PCE and TCE has been studied in many laboratories . Studies with mixed anaerobic consortia and with several dehalogenating bacteria, including strain 195 ( . Isolation of a bacterium that reductively dechlorinates tetrachloroethane to ethane . Science 276, 1568-1571) that transforms PCE to ethene, have demonstrated that reductive dechlorination supports growth of the novel bacteria that carry out the reactions . Hydrogen has been shown to be an electron donor for the bacterial dehalogenation reactions, and kinetic and thermodynamic considerations indicate that dehalogenators can compete in some, but not all, anaerobic environments, pointing to applications of in situ bioremediation and to its limitations . Selected field studies of anaerobic transformations help delineate the applications of this type of bioremediation.

J Burn Care Rehabil, 2004 Mar-Apr, 25(2), 192 - 6
Microbicidal properties of a silver-containing hydrofiber dressing against a variety of burn wound pathogens; Bowler PG et al.; Partial-thickness burns are often characterized by microbial contamination and copious exudate produced during the early postburn period . Consequently, topical wound management often relies on the use of antimicrobial agents and absorbent dressings, and an AQUACEL Hydrofiber Dressing containing ionic silver has been designed to meet such needs . To assess the antimicrobial properties of the AQUACEL Hydrofiber dressing, samples were challenged with a wide variety of recognized burn wound pathogens in a simulated wound fluid model . Dressing samples were inoculated with the challenge organisms at time zero and then reinoculated on days 4 and 9 to mimic the worst-case clinical scenario . The dressing was shown to be microbicidal against aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (including antibiotic-resistant strains), yeasts, and filamentous fungi during a 14-day test period . Based on our results, the silver-containing dressing is likely to provide a barrier to infection, in addition to providing proven fluid-handling benefits of the AQUACEL Hydrofiber dressing, in the management of partial-thickness burns.

J Bacteriol, 2004 May, 186(9), 2576 - 85
ScaC, an adaptor protein carrying a novel cohesin that expands the dockerin-binding repertoire of the Ruminococcus flavefaciens 17 cellulosome; Rincon MT et al.; A new gene, designated scaC and encoding a protein carrying a single cohesin, was identified in the cellulolytic rumen anaerobe Ruminococcus flavefaciens 17 as part of a gene cluster that also codes for the cellulosome structural components ScaA and ScaB . Phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequence of the ScaC cohesin is distinct from the sequences of other cohesins, including the sequences of R . flavefaciens ScaA and ScaB . The scaC gene product also includes at its C terminus a dockerin module that closely resembles those found in R . flavefaciens enzymes that bind to the cohesins of the primary ScaA scaffoldin . The putative cohesin domain and the C-terminal dockerin module were cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli as His(6)-tagged products (ScaC-Coh and ScaC-Doc, respectively) . Affinity probing of protein extracts of R . flavefaciens 17 separated in one-dimensional and two-dimensional gels with recombinant cohesins from ScaC and ScaA revealed that two distinct subsets of native proteins interact with ScaC-Coh and ScaA-Coh . Furthermore, ScaC-Coh failed to interact with the recombinant dockerin module from the enzyme EndB that is recognized by ScaA cohesins . On the other hand, ScaC-Doc was shown to interact specifically with the recombinant cohesin domain from ScaA, and the ScaA-Coh probe was shown to interact with a native 29-kDa protein spot identified as ScaC by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry . These results suggest that ScaC plays the role of an adaptor scaffoldin that is bound to ScaA via the ScaC dockerin module, which, via the distinctive ScaC cohesin, expands the range of proteins that can bind to the ScaA-based enzyme complex.

Free Radic Biol Med, 2004 May 1, 36(9), 1126 - 33
Oxygen tension regulates reactive oxygen generation and mutation of Helicobacter pylori; Park AM et al.; Although both bacillary and coccoid forms of Helicobacter pylori reside in human stomach, the pathophysiological significance of the two forms remains obscure . The present work describes the effect of oxygen tension on the transformation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism of this pathogen . Most H . pylori cultured under an optimum O2 concentration (7%) were the bacillary form, whereas about 80% of cells cultured under aerobic or anaerobic conditions were the coccoid form . The colony-forming unit of H . pylori decreased significantly under both aerobic and anaerobic culture conditions . The bacillary form of H . pylori generated predominantly superoxide radical, whereas the coccoid form generated preferentially hydroxyl radical . Specific activities of cellular respiration, urease, and superoxide dismatase decreased markedly after transformation of the bacillary form to the coccoid form, with concomitant generation of protein carbonyls and 8-hydroxyguanine . The frequency of mutation of cells increased significantly during culture under nonoptimum O2 conditions . These results indicate that ROS generated by H . pylori catalyze the oxidative modification of cellular DNA, thereby enhancing the transformation from the bacillary to the coccoid form . The enhanced generation of mutagenic hydroxyl radicals in the coccoid form might accelerate mutation and increase the genetic diversity of H . pylori.

Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue, 1998 Mar, 7(1), 22 - 4
{The antibacterial efficacy to obligate anaerobes isolated from the infected root canal of deciduous teeth}; Hu YW et al.; OBJECTIVE:The antibacterial efficacy of 7 kinds drugs to 4 kinds obligate anaerobes isolated from the infected canal of deciduous teeth and 4 kinds standard strains was tested.The results showed that FC,Metronidazole,Chloromycin,Cefradium have strong antibacterial effects on experimental strains,but Erythromycin and Norvancomycin Hydrochloridum were not so effective.

J Contam Hydrol, 2004 May, 70(1-2), 1 - 36
Biogeochemical influence on transport of chromium in manganese sediments: experimental and modeling approaches; Guha H; Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) was reduced to immobile and nontoxic Cr(III) by a dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria, Shewanella alga Simidu (BrY-MT) ATCC 55627 . A series of kinetic batch and dynamic column experiments were conducted to provide an understanding of Cr(VI) reduction by the facultative anaerobe BrY-MT . Reduction of Cr(VI) was rapid (within 1 h) in columns packed with quartz sand and bacteria, whereas Cr(VI) reduction by BrY-MT was delayed (57 h) in the presence of beta-MnO2-coated sand . A mathematical model was developed and evaluated against data obtained from column experiments . The model takes into account (1) advective-dispersive transport of Cr(III), Cr(VI), lactate, and protein (mobile and immobile bacteria); (2) first-order kinetic adsorption of Cr(III) and lactate; (3) conversion of solid phase beta-MnO2 to solid phase MnOOH due to oxidation of Cr(III); (4) dual-Monod kinetics, where Cr(VI) is the electron acceptor and lactate is the electron donor . The breakthrough data for Cr(III), Cr(VI), lactate, and protein (mobile and immobile bacteria) were fitted simultaneously . The breakthrough data are well described by the mathematical model that considers the above processes . This result demonstrates the ability of the coupled hydrobiogeochemical model to simulate chromium transport in complex reactive systems.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2004 Apr, 70(4), 2525 - 8
Geobacter sulfurreducens can grow with oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor; Lin WC et al.; Geobacter sulfurreducens, previously classified as a strict anaerobe, tolerated exposure to atmospheric oxygen for at least 24 h and grew with oxygen as the sole electron acceptor at concentrations of 10% or less in the headspace . These results help explain how Geobacter species may survive in oxic subsurface environments, being poised to rapidly take advantage of the development of anoxic conditions.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2004 Apr, 70(4), 2494 - 6
Chlorophenol production by anaerobic microorganisms: transformation of a biogenic chlorinated hydroquinone metabolite; Milliken CE et al.; Chlorinated hydroquinones of biological origin are fully dechlorinated to 1,4-dihydroquinone by anaerobic bacteria such as Desulfitobacterium spp . (C . E . Milliken, G . P . Meier, J . E . M . Watts, K . R . Sowers, and H . D . May, Appl . Environ . Microbiol . 70:385-392, 2004) . In the present study, mixed microbial communities from Baltimore Harbor sediment and a pure culture of Desulfitobacterium sp . strain PCE1 were discovered to demethylate, reductively dehydroxylate, and dechlorinate chlorinated hydroquinones into chlorophenols . Mixed microbial cultures from a freshwater source and several other desulfitobacteria in pure culture did not perform these reactions . Desulfitobacterium sp . strain PCE1 degraded 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-4-methoxyphenol, a metabolite of basidiomycete fungi, to 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenol and 2,3,5-trichlorophenol, recalcitrant compounds that are primarily synthesized anthropogenically.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2004 Apr, 70(4), 2079 - 88
Characterization of Ferroplasma isolates and Ferroplasma acidarmanus sp . nov., extreme acidophiles from acid mine drainage and industrial bioleaching environments; Dopson M et al.; Three recently isolated extremely acidophilic archaeal strains have been shown to be phylogenetically similar to Ferroplasma acidiphilum Y(T) by 16S rRNA gene sequencing . All four Ferroplasma isolates were capable of growing chemoorganotrophically on yeast extract or a range of sugars and chemomixotrophically on ferrous iron and yeast extract or sugars, and isolate "Ferroplasma acidarmanus" Fer1(T) required much higher levels of organic carbon . All four isolates were facultative anaerobes, coupling chemoorganotrophic growth on yeast extract to the reduction of ferric iron . The temperature optima for the four isolates were between 35 and 42 degrees C and the pH optima were 1.0 to 1.7, and "F . acidarmanus" Fer1(T) was capable of growing at pH 0 . The optimum yeast extract concentration for "F . acidarmanus" Fer1(T) was higher than that for the other three isolates . Phenotypic results suggested that isolate "F . acidarmanus" Fer1(T) is of a different species than the other three strains, and 16S rRNA sequence data, DNA-DNA similarity values, and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis protein profiles clearly showed that strains DR1, MT17, and Y(T) group as a single species . "F . acidarmanus" Fer1(T) groups separately, and we propose the new species "F . acidarmanus" Fer1(T) sp . nov.

Infection, 2004 Apr, 32(2), 65 - 71
Bloodstream infections in patients with solid tumors: associated factors, microbial spectrum and outcome; Anatoliotaki M et al.; BACKGROUND: Although patients with malignant diseases are at increased risk for bloodstream infections (BSIs), limited data are available for those with solid tumors . PATIENTS AND METHODS: The etiology, clinical features and outcome of BSIs were retrospectively studied in patients with solid tumors treated at the Department of Medical Oncology at the University Hospital of Heraklion, Greece, from November 1995 through June 2000 . RESULTS: A total of 157 episodes of BSIs was identified among 137 patients over the study period . The majority of the episodes (128; 82%) occurred in non-neutropenic patients . 80 of 157 (51%) of the episodes were healthcare-associated, 35% (55 of 157) were nosocomial and 14% (22 of 157) were community acquired . A single pathogen was isolated in 86% of the episodes . A total of 184 pathogens was isolated (51% gram-negative rods, 44% gram-positive cocci, 3% anaerobes and 3% fungi), while the portal of entry was identified in 104 of 157 (66%) of the episodes . The site of the primary tumor or the metastases were the source of BSI in 39 of 104 (37.5%) of the episodes with an identified source . The overall infectious mortality was 20% and was significantly higher when the initial empirical antibiotic therapy was inappropriate (39%; p < 0.001) and in the presence of shock (63%; p < 0.001) . CONCLUSION: BSIs in patients with solid tumors are frequently healthcare associated and in a large percentage the portal of entry can be identified . Neutropenia is not as common as in patients with hematologic malignancies . Inappropriate initial empirical antibiotic therapy and shock are clinical factors associated with worse outcomes.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 2004 May, 53(5), 875 - 7 Epub 2004 Mar 31.
Moxifloxacin penetration into human gastrointestinal tissues; Wirtz M et al.; OBJECTIVE: Moxifloxacin is a recently developed fourth-generation methoxyquinolone with a broad spectrum of activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative aerobic bacteria and anaerobes . The aim of the present study was to assess the penetration of moxifloxacin into gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal tissues to evaluate its potential role as an antimicrobial drug in bacterial infections of the GI tract . PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients undergoing GI-tract surgery received 400 mg of moxifloxacin twice pre-operatively {eight patients orally (po) and 20 patients intravenously (iv)}, of whom 22 completed the study . Mucosal tissues (three stomach, three small bowel and 16 colon) and serum samples were collected and moxifloxacin concentrations were measured by HPLC . RESULTS: The highest tissue concentrations were detected in the mucosa of the stomach (10.9 +/- 5.1 mg/kg), followed by colon mucosa (7.8 +/- 7.1 mg/kg after iv; 6.6 +/- 3.6 mg/kg after po) and small bowel mucosa (5.4 +/- 0.5 mg/kg) . The tissue-to-serum ratio of moxifloxacin was 2.0 +/- 1.6 in the small bowel mucosa, 5.8 +/- 3.4 and 6.8 +/- 3.9 in the colon mucosa after po and iv administration, respectively, and 9.7 +/- 5.7 in the stomach mucosa . CONCLUSION: Moxifloxacin penetrates into and accumulates in the mucosa of the stomach, small bowel and colon . The clinical applicability of moxifloxacin administration for bacterial GI-tract infections should be investigated in controlled trials.

Vet Rec, 2004 Mar 6, 154(10), 289 - 93
Association between postpartum pyrexia and uterine bacterial infection in dairy cattle; Sheldon IM et al.; The temperature of 90 dairy cattle was recorded for the first 10 days after parturition and the animals were categorised as either normal (< 39.7 degreesC) or pyrexic . Swabs were collected from the uterine lumen seven, 14, 21 and 28 days after parturition for aerobic and anaerobic culture; bacteria were identified and their growth was scored semiquantitatively . Blood samples were collected three times a week for the estimation of the concentrations of acute phase proteins . The cows' temperatures were often above the accepted normal range, but it was not a good indicator of the number of bacteria in the uterus . However, pyrexia was correlated with the presence of specific uterine pathogens (P < 0.05) and in particular with Prevotella species (P < 0.01) . The pyrexic animals had a higher plasma concentration of the acute phase protein (alpha1-acid glycoprotein (P < 0.05) . Although pyrexia is an indicator of postpartum inflammation, additional clinical signs are necessary to identify uterine bacterial infection.

Can J Microbiol, 2004 Feb, 50(2), 91 - 6
Biodegradation of the nitramine explosives hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine in cold marine sediment under anaerobic and oligotrophic conditions; Zhao JS et al.; The in situ degradation of the two nitramine explosives, hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX), was evaluated using a mixture of RDX and HMX, incubated anaerobically at 10 degrees C with marine sediment from a previous military dumping site of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia, Canada . The RDX concentration (14.7 mg.L-1) in the aqueous phase was reduced by half in 4 days, while reduction of HMX concentration (1.2 mg.L-1) by half required 50 days . Supplementation with the carbon sources glucose, acetate, or citrate did not affect the removal rate of RDX but improved removal of HMX . Optimal mineralization of RDX and HMX was obtained in the presence of glucose . Using universally labeled (UL)-{14C}RDX, we obtained a carbon mass balance distributed as follows: CO2, 48%-58%; water soluble products, 27%-31%; acetonitrile extractable products, 2.0%-3.4%; and products covalently bound to the sediments and biomass, 8.9% (in the presence of glucose) . The disappearance of RDX was accompanied by the formation of the mononitroso derivative hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine (MNX) and formaldehyde (HCHO) that subsequently disappeared . In the case of HMX, mineralization reached only 13%-27% after 115 days of incubation in the presence or absence of the carbon sources . The disappearance of HMX was also accompanied by the formation of the mononitroso derivative . The total population of psychrotrophic anaerobes that grew at 10 degrees C was 2.6 x 10(3) colony-forming units.(g sediment dry mass)-1, and some psychrotrophic sediment isolates were capable of degrading RDX under conditions similar to those used for sediments . Based on the distribution of products, we suggest that the sediment microorganisms degrade RDX and HMX via an initial reduction to the corresponding mononitroso derivative, followed by denitration and ring cleavage.

Toxicol In Vitro, 2004 Jun, 18(3), 319 - 24
Cytogenetic study of metronidazole and three metronidazole analogues in cultured human lymphocytes with and without metabolic activation; Gomez-Arroyo S et al.; Metronidazole (MTZ) and other nitroimidazole derivatives have been extensively used to treat infections caused by protozoa and anaerobic bacteria . However, the need for new derivatives with similar therapeutic activity but lower toxicity to human beings prevails . On this purpose, three metronidazole analogues were synthesized, namely: 1-(p-methylphenacyl)-2-methyl-4-nitro imidazole (CPMe), 1-(p-methoxyphenacyl)-2-methyl-4-nitroimidazole (CPMeO), and 1-(p-fluorphenacyl)-2-methyl-4-nitroimidazole (CPF), which at low concentrations (0.5-2 microg/ml) showed a higher activity against Entamoeba histolytica than MTZ (3-6 microg/ml) . The aim of this work was to investigate the cytogenetic effect of the three MTZ analogues on human lymphocyte cultures with and without metabolic activation in vitro, using the sister chromatid exchange test (SCE), comparatively with MTZ . The effect of the compounds on the cell proliferation kinetics (CPK) measured by the replication index (RI) and the cytotoxic effect in the mitotic index (MI) was evaluated as well . The SCE frequencies with and without S9 metabolic activation in treated and control lymphocytes showed no significant statistical differences . However when metabolic activation was involved a significant increase in the amount of third division metaphases provoked the CPK increased significantly with all the tested compounds . The RI showed similar behaviour, except for compound CPF.

Infect Immun, 2004 Apr, 72(4), 2272 - 9
Fusobacterium nucleatum induces premature and term stillbirths in pregnant mice: implication of oral bacteria in preterm birth; Han YW et al.; Fusobacterium nucleatum is a gram-negative anaerobe ubiquitous to the oral cavity . It is associated with periodontal disease . It is also associated with preterm birth and has been isolated from the amniotic fluid, placenta, and chorioamnionic membranes of women delivering prematurely . Periodontal disease is a newly recognized risk factor for preterm birth . This study examined the possible mechanism underlying the link between these two diseases . F . nucleatum strains isolated from amniotic fluids and placentas along with those isolated from orally related sources invaded both epithelial and endothelial cells . The invasive ability may enable F . nucleatum to colonize and infect the pregnant uterus . Transient bacteremia caused by periodontal infection may facilitate bacterial transmission from the oral cavity to the uterus . To test this hypothesis, we intravenously injected F . nucleatum into pregnant CF-1 mice . The injection resulted in premature delivery, stillbirths, and nonsustained live births . The bacterial infection was restricted inside the uterus, without spreading systemically . F . nucleatum was first detected in the blood vessels in murine placentas . Invasion of the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels was observed . The bacteria then crossed the endothelium, proliferated in surrounding tissues, and finally spread to the amniotic fluid . The pattern of infection paralleled that in humans . This study represents the first evidence that F . nucleatum may be transmitted hematogenously to the placenta and cause adverse pregnancy outcomes . The results strengthen the link between periodontal disease and preterm birth . Our study also indicates that invasion may be an important virulence mechanism for F . nucleatum to infect the placenta.

J Agric Food Chem, 2004 Mar 24, 52(6), 1688 - 92
Inhibitory effects of green tea polyphenols on the production of a virulence factor of the periodontal-disease-causing anaerobic bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis; Sakanaka S et al.; The effect of polyphenolic compounds isolated from green tea (Camellia sinensis) on the production of toxic end metabolites of Porphyromonas gingivalis was investigated . Green tea polyphenols completely inhibited the production of n-butyric acid and propionic acid at a concentration of 1.0-2.0 mg/mL in general anaerobic medium (GAM) . (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), which is a major component of tea polyphenols also inhibited the production of phenylacetic acid at 0.5 mg/mL in GAM broth . In the experiment using resting cells of P . gingivalis, phenylacetic acid was produced from l-phenylalanine and phenylpyruvic acid, but this reaction was also inhibited by EGCg, (-)-epicatechin gallate, and (-)-gallocatechin gallate . However, (+)-catechin, (+)-gallocatechin, (-)-epicatechin, and (-)-epigallocatechin did not inhibit those reactions . These results indicate that the inhibitory effect on the production of toxic end metabolites of P . gingivalis can be attributed to the presence of the galloyl moiety, which is ester-linked with the 3-OH of the catechin moiety in the polyphenolic compounds . This study shows that continuous application of tea polyphenols on a daily basis can be considered as a useful and practical method for the prevention of periodontal diseases.

J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng, 2004, 39(1), 89 - 101
Biological hydrogen production by enriched anaerobic cultures in the presence of copper and zinc; Zheng XJ et al.; Batch experiments were carried out to examine the productions of hydrogen and volatile fatty acids from glucose by enriched anaerobic culture in the presence of Cu and Zn . Results showed the specific hydrogen production rate was enhanced by the dosage of Cu at 50-100 mg/dm3 or the dosage of Zn at 10-250 mg/dm3, but was inhibited by Cu over 200 mg/dm3 or Zn at 500 mg/dm3 . The hydrogen production yield was enhanced by Cu of 5-400 mg/dm3 or Zn of 5-500 mg/dm3 . Productions of acetate and propionate were inhibited by Cu of 5-400 mg/dm3 or Zn of 5-500 mg/dm3 . On the other hand, production of butyrate was stimulated, whereas production of ethanol was not affected . In terms of the CI,50 values . Cu was more toxic than Zn . The modified Gompertz equation was able to properly describe the cumulative hydrogen production in the presence of Cu or Zn.

Vestn Otorinolaringol, 2004, (1), 44 - 8
{Microbiological aspects of effective antibiotic therapy early after operation in chronic maxillary ethmoiditis and tonsillitis}; Luchsheva IuV et al.; Microbiological and chromato-mass-spectrometric examinations were made in 53 patients with chronic maxillary ethmoiditis and 52 patients with chronic tonsillitis . The microflora showed strong resistance to unprotected penicillines and cephalosporins, 100% sensitivity to amoxicilline clavulanate and mupirocine . The role of opportunistic microflora as pathogens of ENT inflammation is growing as well as the percentage of anaerobic microorganisms detected chromato-mass-spectrometrically in chronic inflammation . Administration of mupirocine on polyethylenglicol base early after operation in patients with chronic maxillary ethmoiditis accelerated recovery of the study group patients by 2-3 days vs control patients.

Indian J Pathol Microbiol, 2003 Jul, 46(3), 433 - 6
Polymerase chain reaction confirmed Mycoplasma pneumoniae arthritis: a case report; Chaudhry R et al.; We report here a case of polyarthritis caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae in a 30 years old male who initially triggered suspicion of tuberculosis . Synovial fluid subjected to AFB smear, culture and PCR for Mycobacterium tuberculosis along with culture for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria by standard methods were negative . Synovial fluid was found to be positive by PCR for M . pneumoniae amplifying 543 bp fragment of P1 gene, however it could not be grown in culture . Specific IgG immunoglobulins to M . pneumoniae were also detected in synovial fluid as well as serum by ELISA which were further confirmed by IgG immunoblotting showing response to M . pneumoniae proteins specially immunodominant protein P1 . The finding that both M . pneumoniae DNA and specific antibodies to M . pneumoniae are present in synovial fluid of the patient suggests that M . pneumoniae play an important role in arthritis . To the best of our knowledge, this is the first PCR confirmed M . pneumoniae infection in synovial fluid from a case of polyarthritis.

J Periodontol, 2004 Jan, 75(1), 23 - 9
Study of bacterial viability within human supragingival dental calculus; Tan BT et al.; BACKGROUND: There is evidence that supragingival calculus contains unmineralized channels and lacunae . The purpose of this study was to investigate the viability of bacteria within these areas . METHODS: Supragingival calculus harvested from patients with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis was immediately frozen to -70 degrees C . Six samples were cryosectioned, stained with a bacterial viability kit, and examined with fluorescence microscopy . Controls comprised heat treatment of cryosections prior to staining . Four additional samples were stained and examined whole in a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) . Nine additional samples were prepared for bacterial culture, after initial irradiation with ultraviolet light to kill viable organisms on the covering plaque layer . Test samples were crushed to expose internal bacteria, while two controls were used without crushing . RESULTS: Viable bacteria, as identified using the bacterial viability stain, were found within cavities/lacunae in supragingival calculus cryosections . Similar results were obtained from whole calculus samples using CLSM . Of the nine experimental samples where bacterial culture was attempted, five provided positive bacterial culture under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions; one showed positive growth under aerobic conditions only; while one showed no bacterial growth . The controls showed no bacterial growth . CONCLUSIONS: From this study, it appears that viable aerobic and anaerobic bacteria may be present within supragingival calculus, specifically within the internal channels and lacunae . Clinically, this may be important, since incomplete removal of supragingival calculus may expose these reservoirs of possible pathogenic bacteria and be a factor in the recurrence of periodontal diseases after treatment.

Rev Med Chil, 2003 Dec, 131(12), 1411 - 20
{A diagnostic approach to hepatic abscess}; Pinilla AE et al.; BACKGROUND: The non invasive diagnosis of amebic liver abscess allows the use of empirical therapy without the requirement of invasive diagnostic procedures . AIM: To determine the discriminatory capacity of clinical, laboratory and ultrasound studies for the etiological diagnosis of liver abscess . PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty one patients were initially included in this prospective study, but 12 did not comply with the inclusion criteria . Of the rest, 29 (59%) had an amebic liver abscess, 16 (33%) had a pyogenic liver abscess and four (8%) had an abscess of mixed etiology . Blood cultures were done in 42 patients . Ultrasound guided needle aspiration was done in 7 patients with amebic liver abscess and 13 patients with non amebic liver abscess . RESULTS: The clinical picture and ultrasound findings were similar in all types of amebic abscess . ELISA test for IgG anti-Entamoeba histolytica antibodies were positive in 100% of patients with amebic liver abscess . Antibodies measured by gel diffusion were positive in 93% . All patients with mixed liver abscess had positive antibodies and some of them positive culture . Blood cultures were positive for anaerobic bacteria in five patients . Cultures of aspirated material were positive in 7 patients (obligate anaerobic bacteria in 3 and facultative anaerobic bacteria in the rest) . The most common complications, whatever the etiology, were right pleural effusion and systemic inflammatory response . CONCLUSIONS: A final model of binomial regression analysis revealed that age under 40 years, an hematocrit greater than 35% and an elevation in prothrombin time of less than 1.5 seconds had enough discriminatory capacity for the diagnosis of amoebic liver abscess.

J Clin Periodontol, 2004 Mar, 31(3), 214 - 8
Plaque development in relation to the periodontal condition and bacterial load of the saliva; Rowshani B et al.; AIM: To investigate the influence of the oral bacterial load on plaque development in various groups of periodontitis patients and in healthy subjects . MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included subjects with a healthy periodontium, a healthy reduced periodontium after treatment, an inflamed reduced periodontium after treatment and untreated periodontitis . At the start of the study, subjects were instructed to rinse with 10 ml reduced transport fluid (RTF) for 10 s in order to evaluate the oral bacterial load . The microbiological evaluation included anaerobe culture and phase-contrast microscopy . Next, the amount of plaque and the clinical condition were evaluated . Thereafter, all supragingival plaque was removed and patients were instructed to refrain from all oral hygiene procedures for 19 h . Subsequently, the rinsing procedure and the evaluation of the amount of plaque were repeated . RESULTS: The amount of plaque that developed in 19 h was significantly higher in the untreated periodontitis group as compared with the two healthy groups . In case of an inflamed reduced periodontium, sites with deep pockets developed more plaque in 19 h than sites with shallow pockets . The number of bacteria present in the rinsing samples of the two inflamed groups was considerably higher than of the two periodontally healthy groups . A significant correlation was found between the bleeding index at intake and the plaque index at 19 h . No correlations were found between gingival recession and the bacterial counts at intake, and the plaque index at 19 h . CONCLUSION: The present findings support the concept that the periodontal condition is the dominating factor in relation to the rate of plaque formation . The number of bacteria present in the oral cavity as ascertained by means of a rinsing sample does not seem to play a role.

Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue, 2000 Sep, 9(3), 143 - 4
{Clinical Evaluation of the Paste of Erythromycin Ethylsuccinate-Metronidazole CP for Root Canal Sterilization}; Yu X et al.; OBJECTIVE: The infected root canal was sterilized by anti-bacteri a compound paste and the efficacy was compared with FC . METHODS:According to the mixed infection in infected root canal of anaerobic bacteria and obligate anaerobe, the paste made of erythromycin ethylsuccinate, metronidazole and CP was selected to seal and sterilize the root canal . RESULTS:The clinical observation of 180 patients with entirely developed root apex of acute and chronic apical periodontitis shown that there was no significant difference comparing erythromycin ethylsuccinate metronidazole-CP with FC in root canal sterilization, therefore, the irritability and poisonousness of the paste can be reduced by using erythromycin ethylsuccinate metronidazole CP instead of FC . CONCLUSION:The root canal sterilization drug of erythromycin ethylsuccinate metronidazole-CP was a safe and effective method to promote the restoration of root apex diseases.

J Biol Chem, 2004 May 21, 279(21), 22422 - 9 Epub 2004 Mar 10.
Euglena gracilis rhodoquinone:ubiquinone ratio and mitochondrial proteome differ under aerobic and anaerobic conditions; Hoffmeister M et al.; Euglena gracilis cells grown under aerobic and anaerobic conditions were compared for their whole cell rhodoquinone and ubiquinone content and for major protein spots contained in isolated mitochondria as assayed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry sequencing . Anaerobically grown cells had higher rhodoquinone levels than aerobically grown cells in agreement with earlier findings indicating the need for fumarate reductase activity in anaerobic wax ester fermentation in Euglena . Microsequencing revealed components of complex III and complex IV of the respiratory chain and the E1beta subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase to be present in mitochondria of aerobically grown cells but lacking in mitochondria from anaerobically grown cells . No proteins were identified as specific to mitochondria from anaerobically grown cells . cDNAs for the E1alpha, E2, and E3 subunits of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase were cloned and shown to be differentially expressed under aerobic and anaerobic conditions . Their expression patterns differed from that of mitochondrial pyruvate:NADP(+) oxidoreductase, the N-terminal domain of which is pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, an enzyme otherwise typical of hydrogenosomes, hydrogen-producing forms of mitochondria found among anaerobic protists . The Euglena mitochondrion is thus a long sought intermediate that unites biochemical properties of aerobic and anaerobic mitochondria and hydrogenosomes because it contains both pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase and rhodoquinone typical of hydrogenosomes and anaerobic mitochondria as well as pyruvate dehydrogenase and ubiquinone typical of aerobic mitochondria . Our data show that under aerobic conditions Euglena mitochondria are prepared for anaerobic function and furthermore suggest that the ancestor of mitochondria was a facultative anaerobe, segments of whose physiology have been preserved in the Euglena lineage.

Chemosphere, 2004 May, 55(5), 661 - 9
Dechlorination of PCE in the presence of Fe0 enhanced by a mixed culture containing two Dehalococcoides strains; Rosenthal H et al.; A mixed culture capable of supplying its energy requirements by the oxidation of zero-valent iron (Fe0) and concomitant reduction of chlorinated ethenes was established . The culture contained Dehalococcoides species as determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with genus specific primers . The use of a newly designed ARDRA procedure and subsequent sequencing revealed the presence of two Dehalococcoides strains, one closely related to Dehalococcoides ethenogenes strain 195, a bacterium respiring with chlorinated ethenes, and one closely related to strain CBDB1 a chlorobenzene and dioxin dehalogenating anaerobe . The mixed culture was used to study dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) to ethene in the presence of Fe0 . Whereas abiotic transformation of PCE by Fe0 led to incomplete dechlorination, the mixed culture mediated fast and complete dechlorination of PCE to ethene with Fe0 as electron donor . Compared to cultures with hydrogen added as electron donor, cultures with Fe0 as electron donor showed the same or higher rates of PCE dechlorination . Growth of the Dehalococcoides strains in the mixed culture is linked to the presence of Fe0 as electron donor and PCE as electron acceptor demonstrating that Dehalococcoides spp . play a pivotal role in the dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes in Fe0 systems.

Exp Dermatol, 2004 Jan, 13(1), 55 - 60
Presence of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein in human and rat skin; Takahashi M et al.; To examine the presence of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) in skin, which is an antibacterial protein, has cytotoxicity toward Gram-negative bacteria, and may have an important role against bacterial infection in the skin, immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses were performed . Anti-BPI/KLH Ab reacted with the cytoplasm of the inner root sheath cells of both human and rat hair follicles by immunohistochemical examination . A protein band in 10-M alkaline urea extracts of human scalp skin or 7-day-old rat skin reacted with an antibody against BPI conjugated with KLH (anti-BPI/KLH Ab) . Purified skin BPI (sBPI) from rat was a single protein spot and reacted with both anti-BPI/KLH Ab and a commercially available monoclonal antibody against BPI (anti-BPI MoAb) . Moreover, sBPI possessed inhibitory activity against LPS . Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein mRNA was expressed not only in leukocytes but also in human scalp skin and cultured keratinocytes . These findings suggest that sBPI could exist in the inner root sheath cells of human and rat hair follicles, and might play a role as a barrier against anaerobic bacteria in the isthmus of hair follicles.

Int J Gynaecol Obstet, 2004 Mar, 84(3), 200 - 7
Prolactin and calcitropic hormones in preterm premature rupture of membranes; Shaarawy M et al.; OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of prolactin and calcitropic hormones in preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) with intrauterine infection . METHODS: Amniotic fluid was retrieved by transabdominal amniocentesis from 40 patients with PPROM and 36 normal pregnant women of matched gestational age . Microbial state of amniotic cavity included culture for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, mycoplasmas and ureaplasma . Maternal serum and fetal serum prolactin, parathyroid hormone mid-molecule PTH-M, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and calcitonin were determined by the corresponding radioimmunoassay Maternal serum and fetal serum electrolytes were determined by ion-selective electrodes . Chlorides were assayed colorimetrically and osmolality was determined by osmometry . RESULTS: Microbiological evaluation of amniotic fluid PPROM revealed aerobic, anaerobic or mixed aerobic anaerobic infections PPROM was associated with significant elevation of both fetal serum and amniotic fluid prolactin concentrations, increased amniotic fluid osmolality, sodium, chlorides and calcium . Amniotic fluid potassium level was significantly decreased, compared with controls . Maternal serum and fetal serum PTH-M, 1,25-dehydroxyvitamin D3 were significantly higher in patients with PPROM than in controls . CONCLUSIONS: Increased amniotic fluid prolactin leads to impairment of structural integrity of fetal membranes through electrolytes disturbances . Moreover, increased amniotic fluid calcium induced by increased fetal calcitropic hormones evokes myometrial contraction through prostaglandin E2 release . Both mechanisms may combine to trigger the onset of PPROM associated with intrauterine infection.

Microb Pathog, 2004 Apr, 36(4), 205 - 9
Gingipain adhesin domains mediate Porphyromonas gingivalis adherence to epithelial cells; Chen T et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative oral anaerobe, interacts with epithelium lining the gingival sulcus . Continuing our studies on the role of gingipain cysteine proteinases in P . gingivalis adherence to epithelial cells, we showed that antibody raised to the recombinant adhesin domain of arg-gingipain A blocked bacterial attachment, providing new additional evidence that P . gingivalis adherence to epithelial cells is mediated by gingipain adhesin peptides.

Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol, 2004, 31(1), 47 - 9
Periodontal disease and poor obstetrical outcome; Carta G et al.; Maternal infective processes sustained especially by Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria like periodontal disease, during pregnancy, have been demonstrated to perturb the physiologic course of parturition through inflammatory cytokine production, sometimes resulting in preterm labor, preterm premature rupture of membranes and preterm low birth weight . In a matched case-control study, the hypothesis that poor oral health of pregnant women is a risk factor for low birth weight (LBW) was evaluated . Gingival crevicular fluid levels of PGE2 and IL-1beta were measured in order to determine whether mediator levels were related to current pregnancy outcome . Results indicate that GCF-PGE2 and GCF-IL-1beta levels are significantly higher in preterm low birth weight (PLBW) mothers as compared with normal birth weight controls . The data confirm that there is a possible correlation between periodontal problems typical of pregnancy and the occurrence of complications such as preterm low birth weight.

Bioprocess Biosyst Eng, 2004 Apr, 26(3), 159 - 63 Epub 2004 Feb 18.
Anaerobic and aerobic continuous cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: comparison of plasmid stability and EXG1 gene expression; Lu-Chau TA et al.; Two bioreactor continuous cultures, at anaerobic and aerobic conditions, were carried out using a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain that over-expresses the homologous gene EXG1 . This recombinant system was used to study the effect of dissolved oxygen concentration on plasmid stability and gene over-expression . Bioreactor cultures were operated at two dilution rates (0.14 and 0.03 h(-1)) to investigate the effect of other process parameters on EXG1 expression . Both cultures suffered severe plasmid instability during the first 16 generations . Segregational plasmid loss rate for the aerobic culture was two-fold that of the anaerobic operation . In spite of this fact, exo-beta-glucanase activity at aerobic conditions was 12-fold that of the anaerobic culture . This maximal activity (30 U ml(-1)) was attained at the lowest dilution rate when biomass reached its greatest value and glucose concentration was zero.

Nature, 2004 Feb 26, 427(6977), 829 - 32
Iron corrosion by novel anaerobic microorganisms; Dinh HT et al.; Corrosion of iron presents a serious economic problem . Whereas aerobic corrosion is a chemical process, anaerobic corrosion is frequently linked to the activity of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) . SRB are supposed to act upon iron primarily by produced hydrogen sulphide as a corrosive agent and by consumption of 'cathodic hydrogen' formed on iron in contact with water . Among SRB, Desulfovibrio species--with their capacity to consume hydrogen effectively--are conventionally regarded as the main culprits of anaerobic corrosion; however, the underlying mechanisms are complex and insufficiently understood . Here we describe novel marine, corrosive types of SRB obtained via an isolation approach with metallic iron as the only electron donor . In particular, a Desulfobacterium-like isolate reduced sulphate with metallic iron much faster than conventional hydrogen-scavenging Desulfovibrio species, suggesting that the novel surface-attached cell type obtained electrons from metallic iron in a more direct manner than via free hydrogen . Similarly, a newly isolated Methanobacterium-like archaeon produced methane with iron faster than do known hydrogen-using methanogens, again suggesting a more direct access to electrons from iron than via hydrogen consumption.

Hinyokika Kiyo, 2003 Dec, 49(12), 721 - 5
{Clinical study of surgical site infection following portless endoscopic urological surgery (PLES)}; Tadokoro M et al.; We investigated the clinical risk factors and bacteriological examination for surgical site infection (SSI) in 144 portless endoscopic surgeries consisting of 66 clean and 78 clean-contaminated surgeries in urological diseases from April 2000 to December 2001 . There were no cases of SSI in the clean surgeries . SSI occurred in 5 cases (3.5%) of clean-contaminated surgeries including total cystectomy and ileal conduit in 4 cases and total prostatectomy in 1 case . Multivariate statistical studies revealed that usage of ileum during operation and preoperative hypo-albuminemia were significant risk factors for SSI . Gram-negative rods and anaerobic bacteria were isolated from the operative wound in the total cystectomy and ileal conduit, suggesting that SSI in the operation with usage of the ileum was partially derived from contamination with endogenous bacteria, while, normal flora of the skin in the wound did not cause any post-operative SSI.

J Endod, 2004 Feb, 30(2), 69 - 72
Herpesviral-bacterial coinfection in periapical pathosis; Sabeti M et al.; Two members of the herpesvirus family, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), seem to be important putative pathogens of human periodontitis and symptomatic periapical lesions, causing pathosis either by inducing immunosuppression with a subsequent risk of aggressive bacterial infections or by infecting of periodontal cells directly . This study aimed to relate periapical occurrence of HCMV, EBV, and herpes simplex virus active infections to clinical characteristics of periapical lesions and periapical bacterial flora . Microbial samples were collected from 34 periapical lesions in conjunction with periapical surgery . Part of the periapical specimen was frozen for virologic examination, and another part was transferred to anaerobic transport medium for bacteriologic examination . RNA was isolated by means of a guanidinium isothiocyanate-acid phenol procedure, and cDNA was produced using herpesvirus-specific primers and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction amplification . Bacteriologic examination was performed according to established anaerobic culture methods . Of the 34 periapical lesions studied, 20 showed both HCMV and EBV, seven showed only HCMV, one showed only EBV, and six showed neither HCMV nor EBV . Herpes simplex virus was detected in two lesions . Higher occurrence of herpesvirus was detected in large versus small periapical lesions (p < 0.001) and in symptomatic versus asymptomatic periapical lesions (p < 0.001) . A total of 18 microbial groups and an average of 2.1 to 3.0 bacterial groups were isolated from various categories of periapical lesions . The important finding of this study was that most teeth with necrotic pulp and periapical lesions harbored herpesviruses in periapical granulomatous tissue . Herpesvirus species in cooperation with endodontopathic bacteria may play major roles in the etiopathogenesis of aggressive types of periapical pathosis in humans.

Herz, 2004 Feb, 29(1), 104 - 15
{Diabetic foot syndrome}; Stiegler H; PATHOGENETIC FACTORS: The decisive factors for the etiology of the diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) are diabetic neuropathy, macroangiopathy and the combination of neuropathy with macroangiopathy . If ischemia prevails, macroangiopathy decisively deteriorates the prognosis and leads, together with local infection, to amputation in almost all cases of DFS . Triggering factors are exogenous trauma by tight shoes, foreign bodies and insufficient foot care combined with a foot deformity, which develops in the context of osteoarthropathy . Pathogenetic factors include the increased collagen deposition and network by advanced glycosylation endproducts, the loss of adipose tissue and the occurrence of edema, which destroy the compensating balance between preventive and damaging factors . THERAPY: Regular routine inspections by the physician and the patient for hyperkeratosis, fungal infection, skin lesions, control of footwear and foot deformities are as indispensable as the examination of the neurologic and angiologic status . Treatment requires the know-how of a specialized center in collaboration of different medical disciplines, e . g., the diabetologist, the angiologist, the orthopedic and vascular surgeon, the interventional radiologist and assistance by the podiatrist, the orthopedic technician and expert diabetic counseling . Whereas the neuropathic lesion almost always heals under local therapy and pressure release, ischemic lesions demand revascularization . A superimposed infection calls for microbial and resistance testing, since up to six different agents including anaerobic bacteria can be found . This situation needs systemic antibiotic therapy and local treatment . PROPHYLAXIS: The amputation rate can be considerably reduced by these measures . Even more important is structured teaching of the patient, which can reduce amputation by 60-70%, which underlines the importance of prophylaxis in DFS . Teaching to the patient must comprise daily inspection of the feet, correct hygiene of the feet and adequate footwear.

Oral Microbiol Immunol, 2004 Apr, 19(2), 88 - 94
The effect of oxygen on the growth and physiology of Porphyromonas gingivalis; Diaz PI et al.; Oxygen constitutes a constant challenge for the survival of strict anaerobes in the oral environment . The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oxygen on the physiology and growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis in a continuous culture system when grown under conditions of hemin limitation and excess . Results showed that, when grown in the presence of hemin at 0.5 mg/l, P . gingivalis could tolerate low levels of oxygen, being able to reach steady-state when 6% oxygen was present in the incoming gas mixture . When the hemin concentration was increased to 5 mg/l, the culture tolerated 10% oxygen . Anaerobically-grown cells were coccoid in shape, whereas those grown in the presence of oxygen were bacillary . Acetate was the predominant end-product in cultures grown in the presence of oxygen or in cultures hemin-limited . Despite some changes in the activity of Arg- and Lys-gingipain, most of the proteolytic activity was retained in the presence of oxygen . Activity of each of the three anti-oxidant enzymes tested (NADH oxidase, NADH peroxidase and SOD) was detected under all conditions and usually increased under oxygenated environments . Higher activities were also seen in the hemin-limited cultures . These results show some of the changes that occur in the physiology of P . gingivalis as a result of oxidative stress and confirm that hemin has a protective effect on the growth of the microorganism in the presence of oxygen.

Anim Reprod Sci, 2004 Mar, 81(1-2), 13 - 23
Effect of intrauterine administration of oestradiol on postpartum uterine bacterial infection in cattle; Sheldon IM et al.; After parturition fewer first dominant follicles are selected in the ovary ipsilateral to the previously gravid uterine horn in cattle . However, the presence of a large oestradiol-secreting follicle in the ipsilateral ovary is a predictor of fertility, possibly due to a localised effect of oestradiol which increases the rate of elimination of the ubiquitous uterine bacterial contamination that occurs after calving . The present study tested the hypothesis that oestradiol reduces uterine bacterial contamination when administered into the uterine lumen around the expected time for selection of the first postpartum dominant follicle . Animals were infused with saline (n=15) or 10mg oestradiol benzoate (n=15) into the previously gravid uterine horn on Days 7 and 10 postpartum . Peripheral coccygeal blood samples were collected daily and oestradiol concentrations measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) . Uterine lumen swabs were collected 7, 14 and 21 days postpartum for aerobic and anaerobic culture, bacteria were identified and growth scored semi-quantitatively . Plasma oestradiol concentrations were higher for treated animals between Days 7 and 14 (1.4+/-0.1 versus 2.0+/-0.2 pg/ml, P<0.05) . Control animals had a similar bacterial growth score on Days 7 and 14, with a lower value on Day 21 (5.7+/-1.0 and 6.1+/-0.7 versus 0.3+/-0.1, P<0.05) . However, treated animals had a surprising higher bacterial load on Day 14, than on Days 7 or 21 (7.1+/-0.9 versus 4.0+/-0.6 or 3.6+/-0.6, P<0.05) . The increased score was attributable to more pathogens associated with endometritis on Day 14 than Day 7 (5.1+/-1.0 versus 2.5+/-0.5, P<0.05), in particular Prevotella melaninogenicus (1.5+/-0.5 versus 0.7+/-0.2, P<0.05) and Fusobacterium necrophorum (1.5+/-0.4 versus 0.3+/-0.2, P<0.05) . In conclusion, administration of oestradiol into the uterine lumen surprisingly increased uterine pathogenic anaerobic bacterial contamination . Thus, it is unlikely that increased fertility associated with a first dominant follicle in the ipsilateral ovary is a consequence of the elimination of bacterial contamination by ovarian oestradiol.

Acta Clin Belg, 2003 Sep-Oct, 58(5), 296 - 8
Actinomycosis as a rare cause of vertebral osteolysis; Van Driessche K et al.; Actinomycosis is an uncommon entity caused by an anaerobic bacterium, Actinomyces species, most often Actinomyces israelii . We present a patient who suffered from progressive lumbar pain and high fever . Actinomycosis infection was diagnosed after extensive radiological and pathological evaluation . Treatment with i.v . ampicillin was started, followed by oral antibiotics for one year . This paper gives an overview of the different clinical presentations of actinomycosis infection, with special attention to the skeletal involvement . We also discuss diagnosis and treatment . The clinical picture can mimic several other conditions, such as lymphomas . Delay in diagnosis and treatment can significantly worsen the condition of the patient.

Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr, 2004 Feb, 60(Pt 2), 388 - 91 Epub 2004 Jan 23.
Crystallization of 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA reductase and the structure of its electron donor ferredoxin; Unciuleac M et al.; 4-Hydroxybenzoyl-CoA reductase (4-HBCR) is a central enzyme in the metabolism of phenolic compounds in anaerobic bacteria . The enzyme catalyzes the reductive removal of the phenolic hydroxyl group from 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA, yielding benzoyl-CoA and water . 4-HBCR belongs to the xanthine oxidase (XO) family of molybdenum enzymes which occur as heterodimers, (alphabetagamma)(2) . 4-HBCR contains two molybdopterins, four {2Fe-2S} and two {4Fe-4S} clusters and two FADs . A low-potential Allochromatium vinosum-type ferredoxin containing two {4Fe-4S} clusters serves as an in vivo electron donor for 4-HBCR . In this work, the oxygen-sensitive proteins 4-HBCR and the ferredoxin (TaFd) from Thauera aromatica were crystallized under anaerobic conditions . 4-HBCR crystallized with PEG 4000 and MPD as precipitant diffracted to about 1.6 A resolution and the crystals were highly suitable for X-ray structure analysis . Crystals of TaFd were obtained with (NH(4))(3)PO(4) as precipitant and revealed a solvent content of 77%, which is remarkably high for a small soluble protein . The structure of TaFd was solved at 2.9 A resolution by the molecular-replacement method using the highly related structure of the ferredoxin (CvFd) from A . vinosum as a model . Structural changes between the two ferredoxins around the {4Fe-4S} cluster can be correlated with their different redox potentials.

Med Pregl, 2003 Sep-Oct, 56(9-10), 409 - 12
{Effect of smoking on resorption of residual alveolar ridges in complete denture wearers}; Markovic D et al.; INTRODUCTION: Based on literature data it is obvious that there is a connection between smoking and periodontal diseases . Alveolar bone loss increases with smoking . Tobacco smoking affects the proportion of subgingival bacterial flora by influencing oxidoreduction potential of dental plaque and thus making conditions for development of anaerobic bacteria . According to some researchers, smoking affects the mineral component of bone tissue . Orthopantomograms show higher level of alveolar bone loss in smokers than in nonsmokers with the same level of oral hygiene . The aim of this study was to establish if smoking affects alveolar bone loss in complete denture wearers . MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our clinical investigation included 60 patients of both sexes (30 smokers and 30 nonsmokers) all complete dentures wearers . All patients met study criteria: jaw relation and smokers who smoke over 20 cigarettes per day . All subjects were interviewed, and after that orthopantomograms were made . They were used to calculate the degree of alveolar bone loss . RESULTS: The examined subjects were approximately of the same age . Mean age of smokers was 59.9 and nonsmokers 61.8 . It was established that differences regarding resorption in men were not significant . The degree of resorption in women smokers and women non-smokers was different, but differences were not significant . DISCUSSION: It has been proven that the number of cigarettes smoked per day is very important . It is considered that the risk of oral epithelial dysplasia increases when smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day . Considering our results regarding resorption of edentulous alveolar ridge in smokers and nonsmokers, we concluded that there were no significant differences . There are opinions in literature that smoking is not an etiological factor in resorption, but there are some opinions that smoking is connected with the degree of resorption in periodontium . The analyses of resorptive changes in edentuolous smokers were done only around implants and it was estimated that smoking has more influence than other clinical risk factors . CONCLUSION: On the bases of our research we may conclude that smoking does not directly affect the degree of resorption of edentulous alveolar ridge with complete denture wearers.

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2004 May, 64(4), 437 - 46 Epub 2004 Jan 21.
Anaerobic degradation of monoaromatic hydrocarbons; Chakraborty R et al.; Over the last two decades significant advances have been made in our understanding of the anaerobic biodegradability of monoaromatic hydrocarbons . It is now known that compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and all three xylene isomers can be biodegraded in the absence of oxygen by a broad diversity of organisms . These compounds have been shown to serve as carbon and energy sources for bacteria growing phototrophically, or respiratorily with nitrate, manganese, ferric iron, sulfate, or carbon dioxide as the sole electron acceptor . In addition, it has also been recently shown that complete degradation of monoaromatic hydrocarbons can also be coupled to the respiration of oxyanions of chlorine such as perchlorate or chlorate, or to the reduction of the quinone moieties of humic substances . Many pure cultures of hydrocarbon-degrading anaerobes now exist and some novel biochemical and genetic pathways have been identified . In general, a fumarate addition reaction is used as the initial activation step of the catabolic process of the corresponding monoaromatic hydrocarbon compounds . However, other reactions may alternatively be involved depending on the electron acceptor utilized or the compound being degraded . In the case of toluene, fumarate addition to the methyl group mediated by benzylsuccinate synthase appears to be the universal mechanism of activation and is now known to be utilized by anoxygenic phototrophs, nitrate-reducing, Fe(III)-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic cultures . Many of these biochemical pathways produce unique extracellular intermediates that can be utilized as biomarkers for the monitoring of hydrocarbon degradation in anaerobic natural environments .

J Med Microbiol, 2004 Feb, 53(Pt 2), 161 - 5
Clonal similarity of salivary and nasopharyngeal Fusobacterium nucleatum in infants with acute otitis media experience; Haraldsson G et al.; The environment of an infant's nasopharynx during acute otitis media (AOM) favours the growth of anaerobic bacteria, which can be recovered frequently during infection, but hardly at all if the infant is healthy . The aim of this investigation was to identify the potential source and inoculation route of anaerobes that were present in the nasopharynx . Eleven Fusobacterium nucleatum isolates that were collected through the nasal cavity from the nasopharynx of eight infants with a history of AOM, and 161 F . nucleatum isolates from the saliva of the same infants, were typed to the clonal level by using arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) . In five of the eight infants examined, identical AP-PCR types were found among nasopharyngeal and salivary isolates . As anaerobes seem to be present only transiently in the nasopharynx and salivary contamination of the nasopharyngeal samples can be excluded, this observation indicates that the source of nasopharyngeal anaerobes is the oral cavity and that saliva is their transmission vehicle.

Int Dent J, 2003 Dec, 53(6 Suppl 1), 398 - 403
The effect of a toothpaste containing 2% zinc citrate and 0.3% Triclosan on bacterial viability and plaque growth in vivo compared to a toothpaste containing 0.3% Triclosan and 2% copolymer; Adams SE et al.; OBJECTIVE: To compare the antimicrobial efficacy and effect on plaque growth of a new silica-based fluoride toothpaste containing 2% zinc citrate/ 0.3% Triclosan with a silica-based fluoride toothpaste containing 0.3% Triclosan/2% copolymer . METHODS: In Study 1, plaque was collected after one week's use of each toothpaste and assessed for bacterial viability, live/ dead ratio and microbial membrane integrity . In study 2, plaque was measured immediately and 18 hours after a single brushing with the specified toothpastes . RESULTS: The 2% zinc citrate/0.3% Triclosan formulation significantly reduced the total number of viable aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (p = 0.0223 and p = 0.0443 respectively) compared to the 0.3% Triclosan/2% copolymer formulation . Both toothpastes increased the bacterial membrane permeability significantly . However, the proportion of live bacteria for the 2% zinc citrate/0.3% Triclosan product was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) . Study 2 showed significantly less plaque growth 18 hours after using the 2% zinc citrate/0.3% Triclosan toothpaste compared to the 0.3% Triclosan/2% copolymer toothpaste (p < 0.01) . CONCLUSION: Regular use of a fluoride toothpaste containing 2% zinc citrate and 0.3% Triclosan, significantly reduced the viability of plaque bacteria compared to a fluoride toothpaste containing 0.3% Triclosan/ 2% copolymer 12 hours after brushing . In addition, a clinical plaque growth study confirmed that this anti-microbial efficacy leads to a significant reduction in plaque growth.

J Biol Inorg Chem, 2004 Mar, 9(2), 119 - 23 Epub 2004 Jan 13.
Discovery of superoxide reductase: an historical perspective; Niviere V et al.; For more than 30 years, the only enzymatic system known to catalyze the elimination of superoxide was superoxide dismutase, SOD . SOD has been found in almost all organisms living in the presence of oxygen, including some anaerobic bacteria, supporting the notion that superoxide is a key and general component of oxidative stress . Recently, a new concept in the field of the mechanisms of cellular defense against superoxide has emerged . It was discovered that elimination of superoxide in some anaerobic and microaerophilic bacteria could occur by reduction, a reaction catalyzed by a small metalloenzyme thus named superoxide reductase, SOR . Having played a major role in this discovery, we describe here how the concept of superoxide reduction emerged and how it was experimentally substantiated independently in our laboratory.

Liver Int, 2003 Oct, 23(5), 351 - 4
Ornidazole-induced liver damage: report of three cases and review of the literature; Tabak F et al.; Metronidazole and ornidazole, synthetic nitroimidazole derivatives, are used in the treatment of infections caused by anaerobic bacteria and protozoa . The drugs are well tolerated and serious side effects are very rarely encountered . Hepatotoxicity is a rare side effect and hitherto only six cases have been reported . We describe three patients who developed hepatitis after ornidazole use and review the previously reported cases . All three cases used ornidazole in conventional doses and developed hepatitis and associated cholestasis . They improved 1-2 months after discontinuation . We concluded that nitroimidazole derivatives may cause hepatotoxic damage resembling acute cholestatic hepatitis . Early recognition and withdrawal of the drug may prevent further damage.

Indian J Dent Res, 2003 Apr-Jun, 14(2), 95 - 100
Antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial isolates in gingivitis and periodontitis; Saini S et al.; The present study was conducted to isolate aerobic as well as anaerobic microbes from patients of gingivitis and adult periodontitis and to study the susceptibility patterns of these isolates to different antibiotics . In our study all the samples belonging to the control as well as the study groups yielded microbes . Aerobes and facultative anaerobes were isolated from 100 percent and 96 percent cases of normal gingiva and orodental infections respectively . Anaerobes were isolated from 80 percent of the normal gingival samples and 97 percent of the cases of orodental infections . Metronidazole was found to be the best for the anaerobes while the aerobes and facultative anaerobes showed good susceptibility to cefazolin and cefotaxime.

Radiology, 2004 Feb, 230(2), 519 - 27 Epub 2003 Dec 29.
Brain abscesses: etiologic categorization with in vivo proton MR spectroscopy; Garg M et al.; PURPOSE: To compare the metabolite patterns observed at in vivo proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy of brain abscesses in patients for whom bacteriologic information was obtained from cultures and to categorize the MR spectral patterns with respect to the underlying etiologic agents . MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR imaging and in vivo single-voxel proton MR spectroscopic data obtained from 75 patients with brain abscesses were retrospectively analyzed . Ex vivo spectroscopic experiments with the pus from 45 of these patients also were performed, and the data were further categorized on the basis of bacteriologic information . Quantification of various metabolites and metabolite ratios and statistical analyses of lactate and lactate/amino acid (AA) ratio levels were performed by using one-way analysis of variance . RESULTS: On the basis of in vivo proton MR spectroscopic and bacteriologic analysis findings, data were classified into three categories: Group 1 data showed resonances of lactate, AAs, and acetate, with or without succinate at proton MR spectroscopy; cultures for this group showed obligate anaerobes or a mixture of obligate and facultative anaerobes . The metabolite patterns in the group 2 and group 3 data were similar to the pattern of the group 1 data, with the exception that acetate and succinate resonances were absent . Culture was positive for either obligate aerobes or facultative anaerobes in group 2 and was sterile in group 3 . At analysis of variance, in vivo data showed significant differences in lactate/AA ratios (P =.008), and ex vivo data showed significant differences in lactate levels (P =.001) among the three groups . CONCLUSION: It is possible to differentiate anaerobic from aerobic or sterile brain abscesses on the basis of metabolite patterns observed at in vivo proton MR spectroscopy . This information may be useful in facilitating prompt and appropriate treatment of patients with these abscesses . Copyright RSNA, 2003

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2004 Jan 13, 101(2), 446 - 51 Epub 2003 Dec 29.
A functional Ni-Ni-{4Fe-4S} cluster in the monomeric acetyl-CoA synthase from Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans; Svetlitchnyi V et al.; In anaerobic microorganisms employing the acetyl-CoA pathway, acetyl-CoA synthase (ACS) and CO dehydrogenase (CODH) form a complex (ACS/CODH) that catalyzes the synthesis of acetyl-CoA from CO, a methyl group, and CoA . Previously, a {4Fe-4S} cubane bridged to a copper-nickel binuclear site (active site cluster A of the ACS component) was identified in the ACS(Mt)/CODH(Mt) from Moorella thermoacetica whereas another study revealed a nickel-nickel site in the open form of ACS(Mt), and a zink-nickel site in the closed form . The ACS(Ch) of the hydrogenogenic bacterium Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans was found to exist as an 82.2-kDa monomer as well as in a 1:1 molar complex with the 73.3-kDa CODHIII(Ch) . Homogeneous ACS(Ch) and ACS(Ch)/CODHIII(Ch) catalyzed the exchange between {1-(14)C}acetyl-CoA and (12)CO with specific activities of 2.4 or 5.9 micromol of CO per min per mg, respectively, at 70 degrees C and pH 6.0 . They also catalyzed the synthesis of acetyl-CoA from CO, methylcobalamin, corrinoid iron-sulfur protein, and CoA with specific activities of 0.14 or 0.91 micromol of acetyl-CoA formed per min per mg, respectively, at 70 degrees C and pH 7.3 . The functional cluster A of ACS(Ch) contains a Ni-Ni-{4Fe-4S} site, in which the positions proximal and distal to the cubane are occupied by Ni ions . This result is apparent from a positive correlation of the Ni contents and negative correlations of the Cu or Zn contents with the acetyl-CoA/CO exchange activities of different preparations of monomeric ACS(Ch), a 2.2-A crystal structure of the dithionite-reduced monomer in an open conformation, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2004 Jan, 48(1), 352 - 7
In vitro activities of DA-7867, a novel oxazolidinone, against recent clinical isolates of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria; Yong D et al.; In vitro activities of DA-7867, a novel oxazolidinone, were compared to those of linezolid and commonly used antimicrobials . DA-7867 had the lowest MIC for 90% of the aerobic gram-positive bacterial strains tested, </=0.25 micro g/ml, and it was more potent than linezolid.

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis, 2004 Mar, 27(2), 75 - 9
Soft-tissue abscess involving Actinomyces odontolyticus and two Prevotella species in an intravenous drug abuser; Sofianou D et al.; Skin and soft-tissue infections in intravenous users comprise a variety of microorganisms and anaerobic bacteria are frequently involved in these suppurative infections . A case of subcutaneous abscess into anterior femoral muscles involving Actinomyces odontolyticus and two Prevotella species (Prevotella buccae and Prevotella melaninogenica) in an intravenous drug abuser is presented . This combination of microorganisms has not previously been described in soft-tissue infections . The patient volunteering that he licked his hypodermic needle prior to cocaine injection supports that the implicating bacteria originated from the oral cavity . Eventually, the patient recovered and at a 6-month follow-up a gradual improvement of his subcutaneous infection was noticed.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 2003 Nov, 134(5), 719 - 29
Purification of electron-transferring flavoprotein from Megasphaera elsdenii and binding of additional FAD with an unusual absorption spectrum; Sato K et al.; Electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF), its redox partner flavoproteins, i.e., D-lactate dehydrogenase and butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase, and another well-known flavoprotein, flavodoxin, were purified from the same starting cell paste of an anaerobic bacterium, Megasphaera elsdenii . The purified ETF contained one mol FAD/mol ETF as the sole non-protein component and bound almost one mol of additional FAD . This preparation is a better subject for investigations of M . elsdenii ETF than the previously isolated ETF, which contains varying amounts of FAD and varying percentages of modified flavins such as 6-OH-FAD and 8-OH-FAD . The additionally bound FAD shows an anomalous absorption spectrum with strong absorption around 400 nm . This spectral change is not due to a chemical modification of the flavin ring because the flavin released by KBr or guanidine hydrochloride is normal FAD . It is also not due to unknown small molecules because the same spectrum appears when ETF is reconstituted from its guanidine-denatured subunits and FAD . A similar anomalous spectrum was observed for AMP-free pig ETF under acidic conditions, suggesting a common flavin environment between pig and M . elsdenii ETFs.

Am J Surg, 2003 Nov 28, 186(5A), 15S - 22S; discussion 31S-34S
The continuing challenge of intra-abdominal infection; Cheadle WG et al.; Intra-abdominal infection is common and frequently seen by the surgeon . Mortality is related to disease acuity and organ failure . This report, based on medical literature and personal experience, is a brief review of this subject, highlighting important historical milestones and recent advances in surgical and antibiotic therapy . Peritonitis remains a clinical challenge . Aggressive resuscitation, diagnostic imaging, and surgical treatment are the mainstays of appropriate therapy . Percutaneous drainage of intra-abdominal collections has increased over time and is particularly helpful in certain postoperative patients . Adjunctive antibiotic therapy against gram-negative aerobes and anaerobes should be limited to a 7- to 10-day course, except in selected patients, such as those with inadequate source controls.

Curr Protein Pept Sci, 2003 Dec, 4(6), 451 - 8
Suppression of virulence of Porphyromonas gingivalis by potent inhibitors specific for gingipains; Kadowaki T et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium that is implicated as a major etiologic agent of adult periodontal disease . This bacterium is asaccharolytic and possesses strong potency for proteolysis . It produces a novel class of cysteine proteinases, termed gingipains, in the cell-associated and secretory forms . Gingipains consist of arginine-X-specific cysteine proteinases (Arg-gingipains, Rgps) and lysine-X-specific cysteine proteinase (Lys-gingipain, Kgp) . Previous studies using various P . gingivalis mutants deficient in Rgp- and/or Kgp-encoding genes have revealed that both enzymes are important for the bacterium both to exhibit its virulence and to survive in periodontal pockets . Mammalian internal proteinase inhibitors such as cystatins, a1-antichymotrypsin, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) have little or no effects on the proteolytic activities of these enzymes, suggesting the evasion of the bacterium from host defense mechanisms . Recent epidemiological reports have shown a significant relation between periodontal diseases and systemic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes . Thus, the development of potent inhibitors specific for gingipains provides new therapeutic approaches to treat periodontal diseases and the related systemic diseases . More recently, we have developed novel synthetic inhibitors specific for Rgp and Kgp, based on the specificity and efficacy of cleavage of histatins by each enzyme . We have also isolated a novel and potent inhibitor of Rgp from the culture supernatant of Streptomyces species strain FA-70, now designated as FA-70C1 . Here we summarized the usefulness of these new inhibitors in providing a broader application in studies of this important class of enzymes.

Mikrobiologiia, 2003 Sep-Oct, 72(5), 627 - 32
{Carbohydrate metabolism of the Saccharolytic alkaliphilic anaerobes Halonatronum saccharophilum, Amphibacillus fermentum, and Amphibacillus tropicus}; Garnova ES et al.; The saccharolytic anaerobic bacteria Halonatronum saccharophilum, Amphibacillus fermentum, and Amphibacillus tropicus produce formate the main fermentation product . In the alkaliphilic community, formate is used as the preferential substrate for sulfate reduction . To reveal the pathways of carbohydrate fermentation by these bacteria, the activity of the key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and their pH dependence was studied . It was established that H . saccharophilum utilized glucose by the fructose bisphosphate and hexose monophosphate pathways, and A . tropicus, by the fructose bisphosphate and Entner-Doudoroff pathways . The activity of the key enzymes of all three pathways of glucose metabolism was detected in Amphibacillus fermentum . According to the data obtained, the glucose catabolism in H . saccharophilum . A . fermentum, and A . tropicus mainly proceeds via the fructose bisphosphate pathway . The pH optima of the key enzymes of the glucose metabolism of the alkaliphiles are shifted to alkaline values . In A . tropicus, formate is formed from pyruvate under the action of pyruvate formate-lyase; and in the haloanaerobe H . saccharophilum, formate dehydrogenase is involved in formate metabolism.

J Bacteriol, 2004 Jan, 186(1), 90 - 7
Flavin mononucleotide-binding flavoprotein family in the domain Archaea; Ding YH et al.; The protein (AfpA, for archaeoflavoprotein) encoded by AF1518 in the genome of Archaeoglobus fulgidus was produced in Escherichia coli and characterized . AfpA was found to be a homodimer with a native molecular mass of 43 kDa and containing two noncovalently bound flavin mononucleotides (FMNs) . The cell extract of A . fulgidus catalyzed the CO-dependent reduction of AfpA that was stimulated by the addition of ferredoxin . Ferredoxin was found to be a direct electron donor to purified AfpA, whereas rubredoxin was unable to substitute . Neither NADH nor NADPH was an electron donor . Ferricyanide, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, several quinones, ferric citrate, bovine cytochrome c, and O(2) accepted electrons from reduced AfpA, whereas coenzyme F(420) did not . The rate of cytochrome c reduction was enhanced in the presence of O(2) suggesting that superoxide is a product of the interaction of reduced AfpA with O(2) . Although AF1518 was previously annotated as encoding a decarboxylase involved in coenzyme A biosynthesis, the results establish that AfpA is an electron carrier protein with ferredoxin as the physiological electron donor . The genomes of several diverse Archaea contained afpA homologs clustered with open reading frames annotated as homologs of genes encoding reductases involved in the oxidative stress response of anaerobes from the domain BACTERIA: A potential role for AfpA in coupling electron flow from ferredoxin to the putative reductases is discussed . A search of the databases suggests that AfpA is the prototype of a previously unrecognized flavoprotein family unique to the domain Archaea for which the name archaeoflavoprotein is proposed.

Oral Microbiol Immunol, 2004 Feb, 19(1), 50 - 6
Hemoglobin hydrolysis and heme acquisition by Porphyromonas gingivalis; Dashper SG et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis has been implicated in the progression of chronic periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of the supporting tissues of the teeth . This bacterium is a gram-negative, black-pigmented, asaccharolytic anaerobe that relies on the fermentation of amino acids for the production of metabolic energy . The Arg- and Lys-specific extracellular cysteine proteinases of P . gingivalis, RgpA, RgpB and Kgp have been implicated as major virulence factors . In this study we investigated the hydrolysis of human hemoglobin by whole cells of P . gingivalis W50 and the mutants W501 (RgpA-), W50AB (RgpA-RgpB-) and W50ABK (RgpA-RgpB-Kgp-) under strictly anaerobic conditions in a physiological buffer (pH 7.5) using mass spectrometric analysis . Incubation of P . gingivalis W50 with hemoglobin over a period of 30 min resulted in the detection of 20 hemoglobin peptides, all with C-terminal Arg or Lys residues . The majority of the hemoglobin alpha- and beta-chain sequences were recovered as peptides except for two similar regions of the C-terminal half of each chain, alpha(92-127) and beta(83-120) . The residues of the unrecovered sequences form part of the interface between the alpha- and beta-chains and an exposed surface area of the hemoglobin tetramer that may be involved in binding to P . gingivalis . P . gingivalis W501 (RgpA-) produced similar peptides to those seen in the wild-type . All identified peptides from the hydrolysis of hemoglobin by the P . gingivalis W50AB (RgpA-RgpB-) mutant were the result of cleavage at Lys . The triple mutant W50ABK was unable to hydrolyze hemoglobin under the assay conditions used, suggesting that on whole cells the major cell surface activity responsible for hydrolysis of hemoglobin is from the RgpA/B and Kgp proteinases . However, the triple proteinase mutant W50ABK grew as well as the wild-type in a medium containing hemoglobin as the only iron source, indicating that the RgpA/B and Kgp proteinases are not essential for iron assimilation from hemoglobin by P . gingivalis.

Microbes Infect, 2003 Dec, 5(15), 1357 - 62
Mixed infections with Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola cause excessive inflammatory responses in a mouse pneumonia model compared with monoinfections; Kimizuka R et al.; Periodontopathic anaerobes such as Porphyromonas gingivalis are frequently found in aspiration pneumonia and lung abscesses . However, defense mechanisms and responses to these bacterial infections in the lung in vivo remain poorly understood . The coexistence of P . gingivalis with Treponema denticola has been found at higher levels and proportions in periodontally diseased sites . We hypothesized that mixed infections with P . gingivalis and T . denticola can cause severe respiratory disease . In the present study, inflammatory responses to mono- and mixed inoculations with P . gingivalis and T . denticola in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were investigated . Acute pneumonia and lung abscesses in mice with the mixed infection resulted in a 40% mortality rate within 72 h, compared with only 10% mortality for the respective monoinfections . Pulmonary clearance of P . gingivalis was delayed in the mice with mixed infections with P . gingivalis and T . denticola . Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels from BAL fluid of mice with mixed infections at 24 h after inoculation were significantly higher than those after P . gingivalis monoinfection (TNFalpha: P < 0.05, Il-1beta: P < 0.001, IL-6: P < 0.05) . The chemokine KC level from BAL fluid of mice at 48 h (P < 0.05) and 72 h after mixed infection was also significantly increased when compared with that after P . gingivalis monoinfection (P < 0.001) . The present study demonstrates that a mixed infection of P . gingivalis with T . denticola in mouse causes a marked bronchopneumonia and lung abscess in the mouse model.

Biodegradation, 2003 Dec, 14(6), 385 - 95
Enrichment of a microbial culture capable of reductive debromination of the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol-A, and identification of the intermediate metabolites produced in the process; Arbeli Z et al.; Tetrabromobisphenol-A is a reactive flame retardant used in the production of many plastic polymers . In previous research, it was demonstrated that anaerobic microorganisms from contaminated sediment debrominate tetrabromobisphenol-A to bisphenol-A, but an enrichment culture was not established . The current study was carried out to identify the intermediate metabolites in this process and to determine the factors facilitating enrichment of debrominating microorganisms . During the enrichment process in an anaerobic semi-continuous batch reactor, tetrabromobisphenol-A debromination gradually slowed down with concurrent accumulation of three intermediate products . These compounds were tentatively identified using GC-MS as tri-, di-, and mono-brominated bisphenol-A . GC-MS and HPLC analyses showed one dominant metabolite of dibromobisphenol-A, and NMR analysis identified it as 2,2'-dibromobisphenol-A . Addition of sterile sediment (15% wt/wt) to the reactor stimulated debromination of tetrabromobisphenol-A . Furthermore, different solid amendments such as surface soil and pulverized gray chalk from the site subsurface (100 m below ground) were also stimulating agents . We conclude that organic matter is involved in stimulation since the stimulation effect of the sediment, soil and gray chalk was abolished after it was heat-treated to 550 degrees C . Our study suggests that the debrominating culture requires some organic components found in the sediment, soil, and chalk in order to sustain activity and perhaps to survive . The possible mechanisms of stimulation by these solids are discussed.

J Clin Microbiol, 2003 Dec, 41(12), 5794 - 7
Evaluation of the mandibular third molar pericoronitis flora and its susceptibility to different antibiotics prescribed in france; Sixou JL et al.; This work assessed the polymicrobial flora of mandibular third molar pericoronitis . Obligate anaerobes were found in almost all cases (32 of 35) . Amoxicillin and pristinamycin were the most effective against the flora, particularly aerobic organisms . Metronidazole alone or combined with spiramycin was the most effective drug against obligate anaerobes.

J Oral Sci, 2003 Sep, 45(3), 145 - 52
Characterization of the gene encoding 200-kDa Porphyromonas gingivalis protein that reacts to sera from periodontitis patients; Ema M et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium, is considered to be one of the major etiologic agents of adult periodontitis . We previously succeeded in molecular cloning of a 200-kDa antigenic protein (200-k AP) from P . gingivalis 381 by immunoscreening using sera from severe periodontitis patients and designated it as pMD101 . We also identified amino acid sequences of the short peptide from a lysyl endopeptidase digested recombinant (r), 200-k AP, and found that the short peptide had exactly the same amino acid sequence as the hemagglutinin A (hagA) of P . gingivalis, which is thought to have potential use in a vaccine against periodontitis . In this study, we attempted to confirm whether 200-k AP was a molecule identical to hagA . DNA sequences of pMD157, a subclone encoding the 25-kDa antigenic region of pMD101, were identical to the same part of the hagA gene . The r200-k AP was purified for homogeneity and rabbits were immunized with it . The antibody against r200-k AP previously showed a similar Western-blot pattern as P . gingivalis lysate by monoclonal antibodies against hagA by literature and reacted to r130-kDa hemagglutinin . These findings suggest that 200-k AP is identical to hagA and that r200-k AP may be useful as an immunotherapy agent against periodontitis caused by P . gingivalis infection.

J Biol Chem, 2004 Mar 5, 279(10), 9278 - 86 Epub 2003 Nov 25.
Mechanism of oxygen sensing by the bacterial transcription factor fumarate-nitrate reduction (FNR); Crack J et al.; The facultative anaerobe Escherichia coli adopts different metabolic modes in response to the availability of oxygen . The global transcriptional regulator FNR (fumarate-nitrate reduction) monitors the availability of oxygen in the environment . Binding as a homodimer to palindromic sequences of DNA, FNR carries a sensory domain, remote from the DNA binding helix-turn-helix motif, which responds to oxygen . The sensing mechanism involves the transformation of a {4Fe-4S}(2+) cluster into a {2Fe-2S} form in vitro on reaction with oxygen . Evidence is presented to show that this process proceeds by at least two steps, the first, an oxidative one, being the formation, on reaction with O(2), of a {3Fe-4S}(1+) cluster as an intermediate accompanied by the production of hydrogen peroxide . This is followed by a slower, non-redox, pseudo-first order step in which the {3Fe-4S}(1+) form converts to a {2Fe-2S}(2+) cluster . This must be accompanied by a substantial protein conformational change since the four cysteine ligands that bind the two forms of the FeS clusters have different spatial disposition . Hydrogen peroxide is also an oxidant of the {4Fe-4S}(2+), causing a similar cluster transformation to a {2Fe-2S} form . Either the hydrogen peroxide formed on reaction with oxygen can be recycled by intracellular catalase or it can be used to oxidize further Fe-S clusters . In both cases, the efficacy of oxygen sensing by FNR will be increased.

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med, 2003 Aug, 14(2), 85 - 90
C-reactive protein in umbilical cord blood: a simple and widely available clinical method to assess the risk of amniotic fluid infection and funisitis; Yoon BH et al.; OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) in umbilical cord plasma at birth were elevated in neonates with sepsis, an inflammatory lesion of the umbilical cord (funisitis) or who were born to mothers with microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity . METHODS: Umbilical cord plasma was collected at birth from 313 singleton preterm neonates (20-35 weeks of gestation) . The results of amniotic fluid culture performed within 5 days of birth, the occurrence of congenital neonatal sepsis and the presence of funisitis were assessed . Amniocentesis was performed in 152 patients within 5 days of birth . Amniotic fluid was cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and for mycoplasmas . The CRP concentration was measured with a highly sensitive immunoassay . RESULTS: The median cord plasma CRP concentration was significantly higher in neonates with a positive amniotic fluid culture than in those with negative culture (median 245.9 (range 11.6-4885.5) ng/ml vs . median 44.3 (range 2.3-7401.8) ng/ml; p < 0.001), in those with congenital proven sepsis than in those without this complication (median 789.5 (range 20.4-2584.3) ng/ml vs . median 41.5 (range 1.3-7401.8) ng/ml; p < 0.005) and in neonates with funisitis than in those without funisitis (median 403.8 (range 4.9-10897.4) ng/ml vs . median 31.0 (range 1.3-7401.8) ng/ml; p < 0.001) . The sensitivity of CRP in the identification of amniotic fluid infection, neonatal sepsis and funisitis was similar to that of interleukin-6 (> 17.5 pg/ml) . However, the specificity of CRP in the identification of neonatal sepsis and funisitis was significantly higher than that of interleukin-6 (74% vs . 69%, p < 0.05; 83% vs . 76%, p < 0.01) . CONCLUSION: Umbilical cord plasma CRP concentrations were elevated in patients with amniotic fluid infection, congenital neonatal sepsis and funisitis.

Oral Microbiol Immunol, 2003 Dec, 18(6), 359 - 63
Selective induction of human beta-defensin mRNAs by Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in primary and immortalized oral epithelial cells; Feucht EC et al.; Human beta-defensin-2, and -3 (hBD-2, -3) are small inducible antimicrobial peptides involved in host defense . Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, a gram-negative facultative anaerobe, is frequently associated with oral disease in humans . A . actinomycetemcomitans, strain JP2, was examined for its ability to modulate hBD-2 and -3 gene expression in normal human oral epithelial cells (NHOECs) and in OKF6/Tert cells, an immortalized cell line derived from human oral epithelial cells . Stimulation of both cell types by live bacteria, at a minimal bacteria/cell ratio of 500 : 1, resulted in increased hBD-3 gene expression . This was not evinced for hBD-2 in either cell type with live bacteria, even at bacteria/cell ratios exceeding 500 : 1 . The increased hBD-3 gene expression was dependent upon viable bacteria, and not their lipopolysaccharides (LPS), since heat-killed A . actinomycetemcomitans did not induce hBD-3 transcript expression . The overall similarity between results obtained in OKF6/Tert cells and NHOECs suggest that the OKF6/Tert cell line may be a useful tool in the study of beta-defensin expression in oral epithelium.

Clin Microbiol Infect, 2003 Nov, 9(11), 1133 - 8
In vitro activity of gatifloxacin, a new fluoroquinolone, against 204 anaerobes compared to seven other compounds; Dubreuil L et al.; The activity of gatifloxacin, a new fluoroquinolone derivative, was compared with the activities of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, imipenem, clindamycin and metronidazole against 204 anaerobes isolated from clinical specimens, by MIC determination, using the reference agar dilution method . When determining the overall activity against anaerobes, the MIC50/90 (mg/L) values were amoxicillin 16/>64, amoxicillin-clavulanate 0.125/1, imipenem 0.25/0.5, clindamycin 0.5/>256, metronidazole 1/8, ciprofloxacin 2/32, levofloxacin 1/8 and gatifloxacin 0.5/4 . The broad in vitro spectrum of gatifloxacin is promising for the treatment of mixed anaerobic infections, especially those of the respiratory tract, ear, sinus, skin and soft tissues, and bite wounds . These data suggest that gatifloxacin may have a clinical role in the treatment of infections in which anaerobic pathogens are involved.

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, 2003 Dec, 82(12), 1072 - 9
C-reactive protein in vaginal fluid of patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes; Di Naro E et al.; OBJECTIVE: To assess whether C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in cervical amniotic fluid reflect the condition of the intrauterine environment in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PROM) before 35 weeks of gestation . METHODS: Amniotic fluid was obtained in 29 consecutive patients admitted with the diagnosis of preterm PROM earlier than 35 weeks of gestation either by amniocentesis or by collecting cervical fluid . CRP was measured in maternal blood, amniotic fluid, vaginal fluid and in cord blood obtained at delivery . Intraamniotic infection was defined as a positive amniotic fluid for aerobic or anaerobic bacteria, or Mycoplasma . The placentas and umbilical cords were examined for the presence of chorioamnionitis and funisitis . RESULTS: A significant correlation was found between vaginal fluid CRP concentrations and both amniotic fluid (r = 0.95, p < 0.001) and umbilical cord levels (r = 0.47, p < 0.05) . No correlation was found between maternal blood and vaginal fluid CRP concentrations . The proportion of patients with intraamniotic infection was 37.9% (11/29) . The median (range) vaginal fluid CRP concentration was higher in patients with intraamniotic infection than in those with sterile amniotic fluid {901 (0-1354) vs . 507 (0-798) ng/mL, p < 0.001} . The median (range) vaginal fluid CRP concentration was higher in fetuses with (n = 12) than in those without funisitis (n = 17) {901 (598-1354) vs . 487 (0-1115) ng/mL, p < 0.01} . After adjustment for gestational age, vaginal fluid CRP concentration > 800 ng/mL remained a predictor of intraamniotic infection and funisitis . CONCLUSIONS: Increased vaginal fluid CRP concentration is associated with intraamniotic infection and funisitis . As CRP is produced by hepatocytes and does not cross the placenta, its measurement in vaginal fluid might be an additional parameter for the assessment of fetal well-being in patients with premature PROM.

J Trauma, 2003 Nov, 55(5), 825 - 34
A prospective assessment of diagnostic efficacy of blind protective bronchial brushings compared to bronchoscope-assisted lavage, bronchoscope-directed brushings, and blind endotracheal aspirates in ventilator-associated pneumonia; Wood AY et al.; BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to compare techniques for the diagnosis of suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia in the trauma patient . Per the literature, bronchoscope protected brushings and bronchoalveolar lavage were set as the standards for comparison because of their high specificity and sensitivity . We hypothesized that blind protected brushings were equivalent to bronchoscope-directed techniques and that endotracheal aspirates (ETA) were not . METHODS: With informed consent, 90 trauma patients with two or more of the following were accepted into the study: 48 hours or more on the ventilator, new or increasing infiltrate on chest radiograph, excess or purulent secretions, suspected aspiration, temperature of 38.5 degrees C or above, white blood cell count greater than or equal to 12,000/mm3, and respiratory distress . Four samplings were performed on each patient using bronchoscope-assisted and nonbronchoscopic techniques . Each patient had cultures obtained by and significances quantified as follows: ETA, moderate/many/abundant; bronchoscope-directed protected brushings (BDPB), 103 colony-forming units {CFU}/mL; blind protected brushing via endotracheal tube (BPB), 103 CFU/mL; and bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), 104 CFU/mL . Quantitative cultures were obtained and compared for the following pathogens: gram-positive cocci, gram-positive rods, gram-negative cocci, gram-negative rods, anaerobic bacteria, and yeast . An assessment of agreement for cultured pathogens between the sampling modalities was completed using kappa (kappa) analysis, and significance was set at p < or = 0.05 . RESULTS: With patients used as their own controls, Gram's stain and pathogens cultured from the various sampling techniques were compared for agreement by kappa analysis . BDPB and BAL were set as the "gold standards" for comparison against each other and against the BPB and ETA . Kappa analysis was used to measure the strength of agreement for these findings; individual values from the comparisons of Gram's stain were then averaged for descriptive purposes of the data . Most kappa values were associated with a statistically significant value of p < 0.05 . The greatest strength of agreement was found to be moderate comparing Gram's stain results of BPB and BDPB (kappa = 0.467), ETA and BAL (kappa = 0.535), and BPB and BAL (kappa = 0.547) . Fair kappa values were shown in comparing Gram's stain results of ETA and BDPB (kappa = 0.382) and BAL and BDPB (kappa = 0.390) . CONCLUSION: A quantitative analysis of bacteriologic cultures obtained by four standard sampling techniques has demonstrated with statistical significance that no difference exists between modality of sampling in reliability or in obtaining clinically significant pathogens . In reviewing the literature, this study is the first assessment of agreement for cultured pathogens between the four different sampling modalities and the largest to assess the efficacy of the blind protected brush technique.

J Endod, 2003 Oct, 29(10), 644 - 5
Aerotolerance of an endodontic pathogen; Thomas SJ et al.; The purpose of this study was to determine the length of time it takes to kill obligate anaerobic bacteria in a root canal exposed to room air or 3% hydrogen peroxide . Twenty-five extracted, human, permanent teeth with single canals were used . All teeth were contaminated with the anaerobe, Porphyromonas endodontalis (ATCC #35406), and were divided into five groups of five teeth each . Group I was exposed to 5 min of atmospheric air . Group II was exposed to 3% hydrogen peroxide for 5 min . Group III was exposed to 45 min of atmospheric air . Group IV was exposed to 3% hydrogen peroxide for 45 min . Group V, the control teeth, never left the anaerobic gas chamber . The results showed that atmospheric air exposure for up to 45 min is inadequate for eliminating P . endodontalis . The groups that were exposed to hydrogen peroxide showed no growth of bacteria.

J Clin Microbiol, 2003 Nov, 41(11), 4950 - 4
Comparison of real-time PCR and culture for detection of Porphyromonas gingivalis in subgingival plaque samples; Boutaga K et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major pathogen in destructive periodontal disease in humans . Detection and quantification of this microorganism are relevant for diagnosis and treatment planning . The prevalence and quantity of P . gingivalis in subgingival plaque samples of periodontitis patients were determined by anaerobic culture and real-time PCR amplification of the 16S small-subunit rRNA gene . The PCR was performed with primers and a fluorescently labeled probe specific for the P . gingivalis 16S rRNA gene . By the real-time PCR assay, as few as 1 CFU of P . gingivalis could be detected . Subgingival plaque samples from 259 adult patients with severe periodontitis were analyzed . P . gingivalis was detected in 111 (43%) of the 259 subgingival plaque samples by culture and in 138 (53%) samples by PCR . The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the real-time PCR were 100, 94, 94, and 100%, respectively . We conclude that real-time PCR confirms the results of quantitative culture of P . gingivalis and offers significant advantages with respect to the rapidity and sensitivity of detection of P . gingivalis in subgingival plaque samples.

Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int, 2003 Aug, 2(3), 431 - 4
Bile anaerobic bacteria detection and antibiotic susceptibility in patients with gallstone; Lu Y et al.; OBJECTIVE: To detect bile anaerobic bacteria and antibiotic susceptibility in 59 patients with gallstones who had had cholecystectomy . METHODS: BACT/ALERT 120 microbe detection system and SCEPTOR microbe detection system were used to detect bile anaerobic bacteria, antibiotic susceptibility . RESULTS: The ratio of anaerobic bacteria to the patients examined was 52.5% (31/59) . Obligate anaerobe bile culture showed positive results in 4 patients . B . fragilis (37.8%) was the major type of anaerobic bacteria in bile . Most (81.8%) of anaerobic bacteria were sensitive to metronidazole, and imipenem was suitable for beta-lactamase bacteria . CONCLUSIONS: Culture of anaerobic bacteria in logarithmic phase can improve the positive rate of the culture . There are some relations between anaerobic infection and gallstone formation.

Vestn Ross Akad Med Nauk, 2003, (9), 10 - 8
{Outlining of the fundamentals for optimizing the antimicrobial therapy of suppurative-inflammatory diseases}; Beloborodova NV; The inflammatory cascade was proven to be triggered rather by small structures of the bacterial origin, i.e . chemical components of bacterial cells, than by bacteria themselves . Sepsis can be viewed today as a body response to an extreme microbe load caused not so much by the circulation of live microorganisms in the blood but rather by an excessive penetration of structural components and molecules of the microbe origin into the blood . Studies of microorganisms' signal molecules are still at the laboratory research stage, however, it can be forecast today that the above studies are clinically prospective . It is actually in case of infections provoked by opportunistically pathogenic microorganisms that the key task consists not in the elimination of bacteria but in the normalization of the host-microbe relations; the possibility to decipher the conduct of microbes through understanding the molecules' signals will provide a clue to comprehending and regulating such most important etiological-and-pathogenetic mechanisms as adhesions, pathological colonization, metabolic activity, bacterial super-growth etc . The confirmed ability of volatile fatty acids (end-products of anaerobic bacteria) to suppress the inflammatory reaction of macrophages urges further search for microbe metabolites with the anti-inflammatory activity . The gas-chromatography and mass-spectrometry investigations, implemented in the mode of mass-fragment scanning, provide for determining (in the blood and other human fluids) dozens of molecules of the microbe origin, which are not synthesized by human cells but which are typical of certain types of microorganisms . It is suggested to carry on with a number of prospective trends based on using the express-tests or so-called non-cultivative diagnostics; such trends are also related with defining the metabolic activity of microorganisms according to a level of their end-product in the blood serum of patients, and with monitoring the level of the microbe load according to chemical components and signal bacteria in biological fluids etc . Finally, all of them are targeted at optimizing the antibiotic therapy.

Environ Toxicol Chem, 2003 Nov, 22(11), 2614 - 21
Anaerobic transformation of compounds of technical toxaphene . I . Regiospecific reaction of chlorobornanes with geminal chlorine atoms; Ruppe S et al.; Technical toxaphene (Melipax) and the single compounds of technical toxaphene (CTTs) 2,2,5-endo,6-exo,8,8,9,10-octachlorobornane (B8-806), 2,2,5-endo,6-exo, 8,9,9,10-octachlorobornane (B8-809), 2,2,5,5,8,9,9,10,10-nonachlorobornane (B9-1025), 2-endo,3-exo,5-endo,6-exo,8,8,9,10,10-nonochlorobornane (B9-1679), 2-endo,3-exo,5-endo,6-exo,8,9,10,10-octachlorobornane (B8-1414), 2-endo,3-exo,5-endo,6-exo,8,8,9,10-octachlorobornane (B8-1412), and 2-exo,3-endo,5-exo,9,9,10,10-heptachlorobornane (B7-1453) were treated with suspensions of the anaerobic bacterium Dehalospirillum multivorans . After 7 d, more than 50% of technical toxaphene was transformed, and the relative amount of early eluting CTTs increased . After 16 d, only 2-exo,3-endo,6-exo, 8,9,10-hexachlorobornane (B6-923), 2-endo,3-exo,5-endo,6-exo, 8,9,10-heptachlorobornane (B7-1001), and a few minor penta- and hexachloro-CTTs were detected in the samples . The result of the transformation was comparable with observations in naturally contaminated sediments and soil . However, the performance with D . multivorans was more simple and reproducible, as well as faster, than use of soil, sediment, or anaerobic sewage sludge . In agreement with reports in the literature, reductive dechlorination at geminal chlorine atoms (gem-C1s) was found to be the major CTT transformation pathway . Experiments conducted with CTTs and gem-C1s at both primary and secondary carbons clarified that the initial C1 --> H substitution takes place at the secondary carbon C2 . Furthermore, the 2-endo-C1 position was preferably substituted with hydrogen . In the case of B8-806, the dechlorination at the secondary carbon C2 was approximately 20-fold faster than the subsequent, slow reduction at the primary carbon C8 . The three different formerly unknown heptachloro-CTTs, 2-exo,3-endo,6-exo,8,9,9,10-heptachlorobornane (B7-1473), 2-exo, 3-endo,6-endo,8,9,9,10-hepatchlorobornane (B7-1461), and 2-exo, 3-endo,6-exo,8,8,9,10-heptachlorobornane (B7-1470) were found as intermediates of the B8-806/809 transformation . Treatment of B9-1679 with D . multivorans indicated that gem-C1s on the bridge (C8 and C9) are dechlorinated faster than gem-C1s on the bridgehead (C10).

Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2003 Oct, 189(4), 919 - 24
The clinical significance of detecting Ureaplasma urealyticum by the polymerase chain reaction in the amniotic fluid of patients with preterm labor; Yoon BH et al.; OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine the clinical significance of a detection of Ureaplasma urealyticum by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the amniotic fluid of patients with preterm labor and intact membranes . STUDY DESIGN: Amniocentesis was performed in 257 patients with preterm labor and intact membranes . Amniotic fluid was cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria as well as genital mycoplasmas . U urealyticum was detected by PCR using specific primers . Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the results of amniotic fluid culture and PCR for U urealyticum: those with a negative culture and negative PCR (n=228), those with a negative culture but positive PCR (n=6), and those with a positive culture regardless of the results of PCR (n=23) . RESULTS: The prevalence of positive amniotic fluid culture was 9% (23 of 257) . U urealyticum was detected by PCR in 6% (15 of 254) of cases . Of the 15 cases with positive PCR for U urealyticum, amniotic fluid culture was negative in 40% (6 of 15) . Patients with a negative culture but positive PCR for U urealyticum had significantly shorter median amniocentesis-to-delivery interval and higher amniotic fluid interleukin-6 and white blood cell count than those with a negative amniotic fluid culture and negative PCR (P<.01 for each) . Patients with a positive PCR for U urealyticum but a negative amniotic fluid culture had a higher rate of significant neonatal morbidity than those with a negative culture and negative PCR (P<.05) . However, no significant differences in perinatal outcome were observed between patients with a negative culture but positive PCR and those with a positive amniotic fluid culture . CONCLUSION: Patients with preterm labor and a positive PCR for U urealyticum but negative amniotic fluid culture are at risk for impending preterm delivery and adverse perinatal outcome.

IUBMB Life, 2003 Jul, 55(7), 387 - 95
Hydrogenosomes, mitochondria and early eukaryotic evolution; Embley TM et al.; Available data suggest that unusual organelles called hydrogenosomes, that make ATP and hydrogen, and which are found in diverse anaerobic eukaryotes, were once mitochondria . The evolutionary origins of the enzymes used to make hydrogen, pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFO) and hydrogenase, are unresolved, but it seems likely that both were present at an early stage of eukaryotic evolution . Once thought to be restricted to a few unusual anaerobes, these proteins are found in diverse eukaryotic cells, including our own, where they are targeted to different cell compartments . Organelles related to mitochondria and hydrogenosomes have now been found in species of anaerobic and parasitic protozoa that were previously thought to have separated from other eukaryotes before the mitochondrial endosymbiosis . Thus it is possible that all eukaryotes may eventually be shown to contain an organelle of mitochondrial ancestry, bearing testimony to the important role that the mitochondrial endosymbiosis has played in eukaryotic evolution . It remains to be seen if members of this family of organelles share a common function essential to the eukaryotic cell, that provides the underlying selection pressure for organelle retention under different living conditions.

J Zoo Wildl Med, 2003 Sep, 34(3), 262 - 8
Antibiotic sensitivity and biochemical characterization of Fusobacterium spp . and Arcanobacterium pyogenes isolated from farmed white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with necrobacillosis; Chirino-Trejo M et al.; Bacterial cultures from 32 living and dead farmed white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with necrobacillosis yielded Fusobacterium necrophorum from nine individuals, F . varium from six individuals, and Arcanobacterium pyogenes from 16 individuals . The isolates were characterized biochemically using automated identification systems . Gram-stained smears suggested the presence of Fusobacterium spp . in eight cases from which organisms were not cultured . Minimum inhibitory concentration determinations in 23 strains of gram-negative anaerobic bacteria detected resistance to enrofloxacin and clindamycin . Enrofloxacin resistance was detected in A . pyogenes isolates, and although biochemical profiling indicated that the deer strains of A . pyogenes could be grouped, it is uncertain whether these biochemical characteristics correlate with antigenic or virulence factors . Deer-specific or autogenous vaccines may provide a useful alternative to generic vaccines.

Arch Orthop Trauma Surg, 2003 Oct, 123(8), 436 - 8 Epub 2003 Aug 09.
One case of gram-negative anaerobic spondylodiscitis with Prevotella intermedia; Schober W et al.; We report the case of a 45-year-old woman with spondylodiscitis at L1/L2, communicating with paravertebral, intravertebral and bilateral psoas abscesses . Percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided abscess drainage and an intravenous antibiotic therapy with Imipenem were performed . After removing the drainage at 2 weeks, the patient was discharged at 4 weeks with normalized blood parameters, normal temperature, and without need for analgesics . The underlying bacterium in the case was a very rare gram-negative anaerobic bacterium: Prevotella intermedia.

Curr Opin Microbiol, 2003 Oct, 6(5), 457 - 61
Antibiotics and anaerobes of gut origin; Vedantam G et al.; Hundreds of bacterial species make up human gut flora . Of these, 99% are anaerobic bacteria . Although anaerobes are part of the normal commensal flora, they can become opportunistic pathogens, causing serious, sometimes fatal infections if they escape from the colonic milieu . Most often, this escape occurs as a result of perforation, surgery, diverticulitis or cancer . Infections involving anaerobic bacteria are often difficult to treat because antibiotic resistance is increasing among the genera, mediated primarily through horizontal transfer of a plethora of mobile DNA transfer factors . Some of these transfer factors can also be transmitted to aerobic bacteria . It is becoming increasingly clear that antibiotic resistance trends have to be carefully monitored, and the transfer factors and mechanisms of transfer understood at a molecular level to avoid negative clinical outcomes when infections involve anaerobic bacteria.

Arch Microbiol, 2003 Dec, 180(6), 411 - 6 Epub 2003 Oct 16.
Dehalorespiration with hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene by Dehalococcoides sp . strain CBDB1; Jayachandran G et al.; The chlororespiring anaerobe Dehalococcoides sp . strain CBDB1 used hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene as electron acceptors in an energy-conserving process with hydrogen as electron donor . Previous attempts to grow Dehalococcoides sp . strain CBDB1 with hexachlorobenzene or pentachlorobenzene as electron acceptors failed if these compounds were provided as solutions in hexadecane . However, Dehalococcoides sp . strain CBDB1 was able to grow with hexachlorobenzene or pentachlorobenzene when added in crystalline form directly to cultures . Growth of Dehalococcoides sp . strain CBDB1 by dehalorespiration resulted in a growth yield ( Y) of 2.1+/-0.24 g protein/mol Cl(-) released with hexachlorobenzene as electron acceptor; with pentachlorobenzene, the growth yield was 2.9+/-0.15 g/mol Cl(-) . Hexachlorobenzene was reductively dechlorinated to pentachlorobenzene, which was converted to a mixture of 1,2,3,5- and 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene . Formation of 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene was not detected . The final end-products of hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene dechlorination were 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene, 1,3- and 1,4-dichlorobenzene, which were formed in a ratio of about 3:2:5 . As reported previously, Dehalococcoides sp . strain CBDB1 converted 1,2,3,5-tetrachlorobenzene exclusively to 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene, and 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene exclusively to 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene . The organism therefore catalyzes two different pathways to dechlorinate highly chlorinated benzenes . In the route leading to 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene, only doubly flanked chlorine substituents were removed, while in the route leading to 1,3-and 1,4-dichlorobenzene via 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene singly flanked chlorine substituents were also removed . Reductive dehalogenase activity measurements using whole cells pregrown with different chlorobenzene congeners as electron acceptors indicated that different reductive dehalogenases might be induced by the different electron acceptors . To our knowledge, this is the first report describing reductive dechlorination of hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene via dehalorespiration by a pure bacterial culture.

Microb Ecol . 2003 Oct 20; {Epub ahead of print}
Vertical Distribution of Nitrogen-Fixing Phylotypes in a Meromictic, Hypersaline Lake; Steward GF et al.; We investigated the diversity of nitrogenase genes in the alkaline, moderately hypersaline Mono Lake, California to determine (1) whether nitrogen-fixing (diazotrophic) populations were similar to those in other aquatic environments and (2) if there was a pattern of distribution of phylotypes that reflected redox conditions, as well as (3) to identify populations that could be important in N dynamics in this nitrogen-limited lake . Mono Lake has been meromictic for almost a decade and has steep gradients in oxygen and reduced compounds that provide a wide range of aerobic and anaerobic habitats . We amplified a fragment of the nitrogenase gene ( nifH) from planktonic DNA samples collected at three depths representing oxygenated surface waters, the oxycline, and anoxic, ammonium-rich deep waters . Forty-three percent of the 90 sequences grouped in nifH Cluster I . The majority of clones (57%) grouped in Cluster III, which contains many known anaerobic bacteria . Cluster I and Cluster III sequences were retrieved at every depth indicating little vertical zonation in sequence types related to the prominent gradients in oxygen and ammonia . One group in Cluster I was found most often at every depth and accounted for 29% of all the clones . These sequences formed a subcluster that contained other environmental clones, but no cultivated representatives . No significant nitrogen fixation was detected by the (15)N(2) method after 48 h of incubation of surface, oxycline, or deep waters, suggesting that pelagic diazotrophs were contributing little to nitrogen fluxes in the lake . The failure to measure any significant nitrogen fixation, despite the detection of diverse and novel nitrogenase genes throughout the water column, raises interesting questions about the ecological controls on diazotrophy in Mono Lake and the distribution of functional genes in the environment.

J Eukaryot Microbiol, 2003 Sep-Oct, 50(5), 356 - 9
Interstitial ciliates: benthic microaerophiles or planktonic anaerobes?
Hayward BH, Droste R, Epstein SS.
We observed marine benthic interstitial ciliates Geleia sp . and Tracheloraphis sp . inhabiting the water column of a chemically stratified salt pond . This habitat is uncharacteristic for interstitial ciliates, yet they displayed active and abundant planktonic populations (up to 800 and 250 cells/liter, respectively) and a well-defined pattern of vertical distribution . Completely absent from the oxygenated epilimnion, they first appeared at the oxic/anoxic interface and were present throughout the anoxic hypolimnion . The data could not be explained by a passive removal (e.g . by currents) of these ciliates from their conventional habitat (soft sediments) to water column . The results suggest that 1) these ciliates favored an anoxic environment, and 2) they switched to a planktonic lifestyle as appropriate conditions (seasonal anoxia) developed in the water column . This sharply contrasts the classic view of these ciliates as specifically benthic and aerobic (albeit microaerophilic) organisms . We hypothesize that Geleia sp . and Tracheloraphis sp . can readily grow in either water column or benthos, but are typically found in sediments simply because they contain their preferred (anoxic) niche.

Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr, 2003 Sep, 110(9), 358 - 61
{Bacteriological findings for endodontical and apical molar dental diseases in the horse}; Bienert A et al.; In most cases the diagnosis of any molar dental disease in horses is made at an advanced stage, so that permanent restoration of the diseased teeth is not feasible . Complications such as bacteraemia and septicaemia due to infections as a result of dentogenous sinusitis and following dentosurgical procedures have been described in human medicine and in veterinary medicine . Twenty patients were available for examination from the Clinic for Horses of the School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover with molar dental disease in upper or lower jaw . As a result of this disease the infected tooth had to be removed surgically . The aim of this study was to determine the presence of and to identify microbes in 20 patients . Swab samples were taken from infected pulpa, from dental abscesses and from involved nasal sinuses . The samples were examined microbiologically and tested for aerobes and anaerobes at the same time . Infectious agents were found in 19 of 20 horses . In all, 27 different species of infectious agents were isolated, including both aerobic and anaerobic microbes . Fifteen patients (75%) showed a mixed flora . Further differentiation indicated a preponderance of the group of gram-negative obligatory anaerobic agents isolated from a total of 17 horses . In all these samples there was a high concentration of infectious agents of these genera, the most common of which were Prevotella spp (n = 16) and Fusobacterium spp . (n = 15) . Pre-surgical antibacterial therapy is recommended to reduce the risk of intra- and/or post-surgical bacteraemia and its serious consequences . In light of these microbiological results and considering the high degree of resistance among all anaerobic microbes, all patients in this study were treated with Amoxicillin.

Yeast, 2003 Oct 15, 20(13), 1115 - 44
Role of the non-respiratory pathways in the utilization of molecular oxygen by Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Rosenfeld E et al.; Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a facultative anaerobe devoid of mitochondrial alternative oxidase . In this yeast, the structure and biogenesis of the respiratory chain, on the one hand, and the functional interactions of oxidative phosphorylation with the cellular energetic metabolism, on the other, are well documented . However, to our knowledge, the molecular aspects and the physiological roles of the non-respiratory pathways that utilize molecular oxygen have not yet been reviewed . In this paper, we review the various non-respiratory pathways in a global context of utilization of molecular oxygen in S . cerevisiae . The roles of these pathways are examined as a function of environmental conditions, using either physiological, biochemical or molecular data . Special attention is paid to the characterization of the so-called 'cyanide-resistant respiration' that is induced by respiratory deficiency, catabolic repression and oxygen limitation during growth . Finally, several aspects of oxygen sensing are discussed .

J Exp Biol, 2003 Nov, 206(Pt 22), 4021 - 8
Slow death in the leopard frog Rana pipiens: neurotransmitters and anoxia tolerance; Milton SL et al.; While frogs such as Rana temporaria are known to withstand 4-5 h anoxia at room temperature, little is known about the neurological adaptations that permit this . Previous research has shown that changes in neuroactive compounds such as glutamate and dopamine in anoxia-sensitive (mammalian) brains follow a strikingly different pattern than is observed in truly anoxia-tolerant vertebrates such as the freshwater turtle . The present study measured changes in the levels of whole brain and extracellular amino acids, and extracellular dopamine, in the normoxic and 3-4 h anoxic frog Rana pipiens, in order to determine whether their neurotransmitter responses resemble the anoxia-vulnerable or anoxia-tolerant response . Increases in whole brain serine, glycine, alanine and GABA levels were similar to those seen in anoxia-tolerant species, although the levels of glutamine, taurine and glutamate did not increase as occurs in true facultative anaerobes . Extracellular levels of aspartate, taurine and GABA also increased significantly, while glutamate levels decreased . The maintenance of low extracellular glutamate was the most significant difference between the frog and the anoxic/ischemic mammalian brain, although aspartate did increase 215% over a 4 h period of anoxia . A 12-fold increase in extracellular dopamine levels during anoxia was the biggest contrast between anoxia-tolerant vertebrates and R . pipiens . The frog could thus be an interesting model in which to examine the mechanisms of dopamine failure in early anoxia, which occurs rapidly in the mammal but over a period of hours in the 'slow death' of the anoxic frog brain.

Andrologia, 2003 Oct, 35(5), 271 - 8
The limit of leucocytospermia from the microbiological viewpoint; Punab M et al.; The aim of the study was to find out the correlation between white blood cell (WBC) counts in semen and quantitative composition of seminal microflora, and to establish the minimum WBC count associated with significant bacteriospermia . The research included 159 men with different WBC counts in their semen, 84 of them with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome . Semen samples were cultivated quantitatively for detecting anaerobic, microaerophilic and aerobic bacteria . Bryan-Leishman stained slides were used for detecting WBC in semen . Seminal fluid was colonized by eight different microorganisms, and the total count of microorganisms in semen ranged from 102 to 107 CFU ml-1 . A high frequency of anaerobic microorganisms was found . A positive correlation was observed between the WBC count and the number of different microorganisms, and also between the WBC count and the total count of microorganisms in semen sample . The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the WHO-defined WBC cut-off point (1 x 106 WBC ml-1) has very low sensitivity for discriminating between patients with and without significant bacteriospermia, as a more optimal sensitivity/specificity ratio appears at 0.2 x 106 WBC ml-1 of semen . The quantitative microbiological finding of semen in the patients of National Institute of Health (NIH) categories IIIa and IV was very similar, i.e . a high number of different microorganisms and a high total count of microorganisms . In the control group (without leucocytospermia and prostatitis symptoms) both parameters were significantly lower.

Rev Gastroenterol Peru, 2003 Jul-Sep, 23(3), 192 - 8
{New Beta-lactam agent in the treatment of intra-abdominal sepsis: double blind and randomized stage III study of ertapenem versus piperacillin/tazobactam}; Barboza E et al.; The clinical and safety efficacy of a new wide spectrum beta-lactam agent for most pathogen intra-abdominal infection germs is evaluated herein . Its chemical name is Ertapenem (MK-0826) . Its pharmacokinetic characteristics and the known antibacterial spectrum enable the potential use of one daily dose in the treatment of infections by aerobic and anaerobic bacteria . This is a sub-group of patients that have been treated within a multinational, prospective, randomized, controlled and double-blind study, to compare the safety and efficacy of ertapenem (100% vs 88%) with piperacillin/tazobactam in patients that have undergone surgery due to complicated intra-abdominal infection, from April 1998 to October 1999, pursuant to the IDSA/FDA standards . Twenty local patients were evaluated from a total of 623 patients in 17 countries . Acute perforated appendicitis was the most frequent pathology in both groups . The recovery ratio was slightly higher in the group, which was administered ertapenem, with no documented clinical failure . This study shows the efficacy of ertapenem in the treatment of intra-abdominal infections using a single 1-gr/day dose, equivalent to 3.375 gr of piperacillin/tazobactam every six hours . Tolerance and safety were similar in both groups . No side effects, or mortality cases were registered . The results of this study indicate that ertapenem might be the therapeutic option to discard the combination of antibiotics or the use of multiple doses in intra-abdominal infections.

Keio J Med, 2003 Sep, 52(3), 158 - 62
Gingipains as candidate antigens for Porphyromonas gingivalis vaccine; Nakagawa T et al.; Porphyromonas gingivalis (P . gingivalis), a gram-negative anaerobe, is involved in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease, and is found frequently in the subgingival flora in patients with periodontitis . This organism possesses a variety of virulence factors including lipopolysaccharide, capsular material, fimbriae and proteases (enzymes) . Among the P . gingivalis antigens, enzymes such as Arginine-specific gingipains (RgpA, RgpB) and lysine-specific gingipain (Kgp) have been studied for their ability to induce biologically significant antibodies . This review summarizes recent information on the gingipains and their possible application in the development of an anti-P . gingivalis vaccine.

J Infect Chemother, 2003 Sep, 9(3), 227 - 32
Detection of bacteria and fungi in BacT/Alert standard blood-culture bottles; Saito T et al.; Incubation periods of aerobic (AE) and anaerobic (AN) blood-culture bottles with the BacT/Alert system were assessed in our laboratory . We reviewed the results of 6229 blood-culture sets collected at Kyoto University Hospital from January 1999 to December 2000 . Of these sets, 731 (11.7%) were positive for bacteria or yeast . Excluding 87 sets with growth evidence on arrival, of the 644 positive blood-culture sets from 341 patients, a total of 691 organisms were isolated . Of the 691 organisms, 413 (59.8%) were recovered from both bottles, 206 (29.8%) were recovered only from the AE bottle, and 72 (10.4%) were recovered only from the AN bottle . The AE bottle was significantly superior to the AN bottle in terms of both recovery rate and detection time for overall organisms, but there was no significant difference in detection time for facultative anaerobic bacteria between the two bottles . Of the 691 organisms, 530 (76.7%) were classified as usual pathogens . Of the 530 usual pathogens, 501 (94.5%) were recovered in at least one bottle of each set within the first 3 days, and 523 (98.7%) within the first 5 days of incubation . Twenty-nine organisms initially isolated on day 4 or later were recovered from 19 patients . Of these, chart reviews indicated that 21 organisms recovered from 11 patients were considered clinically significant bacteria, and the reviews also revealed that no patient had a treatment plan altered based on the results of positive blood culture . Seven organisms initially isolated on day 6 or later were recovered from 7 patients . Chart reviews revealed that 5 of these organisms from 5 patients were considered to be clinically significant . In conclusion, if the incubation period had been less than 3 days, 11 patients with clinically significant bacteremia or fungemia, (3.2% of all patients with bacteremia or fungemia) would have been undiagnosed . Similarly, with an incubation period of 5 days, 5 such patients (1.5%) would have been undiagnosed.

Environ Technol, 2003 Aug, 24(8), 1007 - 16
Effects of bioreactor temperature and time on odor-related parameters in aerated swine manure slurries; Ndegwa PM et al.; Previous studies have linked odor generation from swine manure to some characteristics of the liquid manure such oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and predominant microbial population . This study investigated the effect of bioreactor temperature and time on the aforementioned parameters during aeration of swine manure . Five reactors (13 1 capacity) loaded with swine manure and maintained at temperatures of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 degrees C, were supplied with air for 15 days to maintain aerobic conditions . Large fluctuations in ORP (-120 to 360 mV) were observed in the first seven days of aeration, which stabilized thereafter regardless of the bioreactor temperature . The percentage removal of VFAs and BOD5 in the manure significantly increased from 0.0% on day one to 87.8% and 65.3%, respectively, on day nine, and remained relatively constant thereafter . The mean percentage of VFAs and BOD5 removed also increased significantly with an increase in the bioreactor temperature . The VFAs and BOD5 removal increased by approximately 25% and 35%, respectively, in going from 5 to 25 degrees C, during the 15 days of aeration . Both VFAs and BOD5 in the manure were significantly correlated with ORP, aerobic bacteria, and anaerobic bacteria . The data suggested that continued aeration for seven days at 20 or 25 degrees C was sufficient for significant reduction of odor precursors (VFAs and BOD5) and in stabilization of swine manure . A linear correlation of 0.97 between VFAs and BOD5 indicated that the two parameters can be used interchangeably as indicators of odor release potential in swine manure.

Vaccine, 2003 Oct 1, 21(27-30), 4459 - 71
Effectiveness of the quillaja saponin semi-synthetic analog GPI-0100 in potentiating mucosal and systemic responses to recombinant HagB from Porphyromonas gingivalis; Zhang P et al.; The gram-negative, anaerobic bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis, has been implicated in the etiology of adult periodontal disease . Among the potential virulence factors of this bacterium, the non-fimbrial adhesin hemagglutinin B (HagB) appears to be involved in the initial adherence of the bacteria to host tissue and the induction of anti-HagB antibody responses affords some protection from experimental alveolar bone loss . In the present study, we have investigated the ability of the quillaja saponin derivative GPI-0100 to act as an immunostimulant of responses to HagB following subcutaneous (s.c.) or intranasal (i.n.) immunization of mice . We have also compared the immunopotentiating ability of GPI-0100 with that of five other adjuvants . Evidence is provided that GPI-0100 was more effective than monophosphoryl lipid A and alum in inducing serum anti-HagB responses following s.c . immunization . A comparison of the responses induced following i.n . immunization with HagB and adjuvant revealed that the heat-labile toxin of Escherichia coli (LT) and the non-enzymatic mutant LT (E112K), followed by GPI-0100 potentiated higher serum and mucosal anti-HagB antibody responses, which in most cases were higher than those seen with the other adjuvants tested (i.e . monophosphoryl lipid A, alum and the B subunit of cholera toxin) . Furthermore, a difference was seen in the nature of the serum IgG anti-HagB response based on the adjuvant used and route of immunization . These results demonstrate the effectiveness of GPI-0100 as both a systemic and mucosal adjuvant and support its potential use in the development of vaccines against periodontal, as well as other pathogens.

Chemosphere, 2003 Dec, 53(8), 795 - 808
A review on the application of microbial toxicity tests for deriving sediment quality guidelines; van Beelen P; The results of microbial toxicity tests are needed for the risk assessment of polluted sediments . In comparison with animals the anaerobic microorganisms are more tolerant to natural sediment conditions whereas they are more sensitive for a number of specific pollutants . Microbial toxicity tests from a literature search were classified in seven categories . Category A, B and C use polluted sediments and are applied for sediment monitoring . In category D, a pure chemical is added and the organisms and the test conditions were derived from sediment . Therefore this category can be used for setting sediment quality guidelines which protect sediment functions for the toxic effects of chemicals . In category E, organisms from a polluted site are separated from the sediment and are tested with pure chemicals . Organisms from a more polluted site can be more tolerant to a local pollutant . This is called pollution-induced community tolerance and can be used as evidence for the occurrence of toxic effects in a specific sediment . In category F pure chemicals are tested with a pure culture of microorganisms under sediment conditions . The results of category F tests can be combined with single species tests with animals and plants to obtain sediment quality guidelines sufficient for species protection . This can be compared with the sediment quality guidelines which protect sediment functions . When one of these quality guidelines is exceeded for a compound at a specific location a category E test can be used to determine whether the compound shows toxic effects in that sediment.

J Food Prot, 2003 Sep, 66(9), 1701 - 3
Dip application of phosphates and marinade mix on shelf life of vacuum-packaged chicken breast fillets; Buses H et al.; The effects of the dip application of a marinade on the shelf life of refrigerated raw vacuum-packaged broiler breast fillets simulating a retail product were evaluated over a 28-day period (at 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days) through enumeration of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and total coliforms . Treatment effectively extended shelf life by ca . 14 days (with shelf lives of 28 and 14 days for dipped and control samples, respectively) . Coliform growth was inhibited by the treatment, as indicated by counts of 1.6 and 7.4 log CFU/g for dipped and control fillets, respectively, on day 28 . Initial coliform counts were similar for both types of fillets on day 0, averaging 2.0 log CFU/g . The data obtained in this study suggest that the dip application of a phosphate-spice marinade prior to the vacuum packaging of raw poultry may be an effective means of extending the shelf life and possibly improving the safety of raw poultry while providing value-added convenience and flavor.

Bioprocess Biosyst Eng, 2003 Nov, 26(1), 19 - 26 Epub 2003 Aug 21.
Dynamical modelling of a waste stabilisation pond; Dochain D et al.; This paper is concerned with the dynamical modelling and the parameter identification of a waste stabilisation pond . First, a dynamical model of the pond is proposed, based on mass balances in the first basin . It involves a reaction network involving eight (bio)chemical reactions, and in particular the (chemical or biochemical) oxidation of H(2)S . The height of the pond is divided into two layers: the upper layer (approximate depth: 0.8 m), and the lower layer (about 0.2 m) . Three microorganism populations are considered: microalgae and aerobic bacteria (in the upper layer), and sulphate-reducing anaerobic bacteria (in the lower layer) . The Droop model is introduced to emphasise the potential activity of microalgae when daylight has disappeared (sunset) . The transport of organic matter between the two layers is also considered in the model . The derivation is based on collected data and intensive follow-up of a specific pond at the village of Rethondes in Northern France . The parameters of the model are then identified on the basis of these data by considering data in spring, summer and autumn . The calibration of the model parameters is a challenging problem because of the large number of parameters, the limited number of available experimental data and the model complexity . The objective in the identification procedure was thus limited to obtain the largest number of unique values for the parameters in the three instances.

Protist, 2003 Jul, 154(2), 281 - 90
Monopylocystis visvesvarai n . gen., n . sp . and Sawyeria marylandensis n . gen., n . sp.: two new amitochondrial heterolobosean amoebae from anoxic environments; O'Kelly CJ et al.; Two new species of heterolobosean amoebae from anoxic environments, Monopylocystis visvesvarai and Sawyeria marylandensis, are described on the basis of light microscopy, electron microscopy, and their phylogenetic affiliation based on analyses of nuclear small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences . Both species lack mitochondria but have organelles provisionally interpreted as hydrogenosomes, and neither can tolerate aerobic conditions . As their conditions of culture do not exclude all oxygen, they may be microaerophiles rather than strict anaerobes . Both species have unusual nucleolar morphologies . Monopylocystis visvesvarai, from a marine sediment, has nucleolar material distributed around the nuclear periphery . It is the first non-aerobic heterolobosean protist for which a cyst is known; the cyst is unmineralized and unornamented except for a single, raised, plugged pore . Sawyeria marylandensis, from an iron-rich freshwater stream, has nucleolar material distributed in one or two parietal masses, which persist during mitosis . In phylogenetic analyses of small-subunit rRNA gene sequences, Monopylocystis visvesvarai, Sawyeria marylandensis and Psalteriomonas lanterna converge to form a single clade of non-aerobic (anaerobic/microaerophilic) heteroloboseans.

Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2003 Sep, 53(Pt 5), 1561 - 2
Aerobic growth of Anoxybacillus pushchinoensis K1(T): emended descriptions of A . pushchinoensis and the genus Anoxybacillus; Pikuta E et al.; In this work, corrections are made to the descriptions of the species Anoxybacillus pushchinoensis corrig . and the genus ANOXYBACILLUS: Experiments to determine the relationship of A . pushchinoensis K1(T) to oxygen showed that it was capable of aerobic growth, but preferred to grow anaerobically . During aerobic growth, the redox indicator resazurin was reduced as a result of hydrogen gas production . The facultatively anaerobic nature of K1(T) was ascertained by cultivation in aerobic liquid medium, where growth began at the bottom of the tube . The anaerobic nature of K1(T) was also indicated by a negative catalase reaction . This work is submitted to correct the description of the species A . pushchinoensis from obligate anaerobe to aerotolerant anaerobe and to emend the description of the genus Anoxybacillus from obligate anaerobes or facultative anaerobes to aerotolerant anaerobes or facultative anaerobes.

J Environ Sci (China), 2003 Jul, 15(4), 469 - 74
Coupled anaerobic/aerobic biodegradation of 2,4,6 trichlorophenol; Chen YC et al.; Degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) with co-immobilizing anaerobic granular sludge and isolated aerobic bacterial species was studied in coupled anaerobic/aerobic integrated reactors . The synergism of aerobes and anaerobes within co-immobilized granule might facilitate degrading the TCP and exchange of anaerobic metabolites 4-CP, which promoted system organic removal efficiency and recovered from organic shock-loads more quickly . The biomass specific activities experiment further confirmed that strict anaerobes be not affected over the course of this experiment by the presence of an oxic environment, aerobic activity predominated in the outer co-immobilized granule layers, while the interior was characterized by anaerobic activity . The co-immobilized granule could thus enable both aerobic and anaerobic microbes function in the same reactor and thereby integrate the oxidative and reductive catabolism.

Chest, 2003 Sep, 124(3), 832 - 3
Immune response to Fusobacterium nucleatum and Prevotella intermedia in the sputum of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis; Brook I et al.; OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of anaerobic bacteria in acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (AECB) . METHODS: The level of the Ig-A class to two organisms (Fusobacterium nucleatum and Prevotella intermedia) was determined in the sputum of 25 patients with AECB and 25 control patients . The presence and level of these antibodies were investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . RESULTS: The median sputum antibody level for F nucleatum and P intermedia were significantly higher in patients with AECB as compared to control patients (p < 0.05) . The IgA levels for F nucleatum was 3.5 times higher in patients with AECB and 3.8 times greater for P intermedia . CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates for the first time an elevated sputum antibody titers in patients with AECB to F nucleatum and P intermedia.

Blood, 2004 Jan 1, 103(1), 340 - 6 Epub 2003 Sep 11.
Reduced stem cell mobilization in mice receiving antibiotic modulation of the intestinal flora: involvement of endotoxins as cofactors in mobilization; Velders GA et al.; Since endotoxins are potent inducers of stem cell mobilization, we hypothesized that their presence in the gut may play a role in cytokine-induced mobilization . To address this possibility we added ciprofloxacin and polymyxin B to the drinking water of Balb/c mice mobilized with either interleukin-8 (IL-8), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), or flt3 ligand (FL) . The yield of colony-forming units (CFUs) was significantly reduced in all mice treated with these antibiotics when compared with controls (IL-8: 192 +/- 61 vs 290 +/- 64, P <.05; G-CSF: 1925 +/- 1216 vs 3371 +/- 1214, P <.05; FL: 562 +/- 213 vs 1068 +/- 528, P <.05) . Treatment with ciprofloxacin eliminated only aerobic Gram-negative bacteria from the feces without effect on mobilization . Polymyxin B treatment did not result in decontamination but significantly reduced the number of mobilized hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) most likely due to the endotoxin binding capacity of polymyxin B . More than 90% of the gastrointestinal flora consists of anaerobic bacteria . Elimination of the anaerobic flora by metronidazol led to a significantly reduced number of mobilized HPCs when compared with controls (IL-8: 55 +/- 66 vs 538 +/- 216, P <.05) . Germ-free OF1 mice showed a significantly reduced mobilization compared with their wild-type controls (IL-8 controls: 378 +/- 182, IL-8 germ free: 157 +/- 53, P <.05) . Finally, we performed reconstitution experiments adding Escherichia coli-derived endotoxins to the drinking water of decontaminated mice . This resulted in partial restoration of the IL-8-induced mobilization (67 +/- 28 vs 190 +/- 98.1, P <.01) . Our results indicate that endotoxins serve as cofactors in cytokine-induced mobilization . Modification of the endotoxin content by antibiotic treatment may affect the yield of cytokine-induced mobilization.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 2003 Jul-Aug, (4), 44 - 7
{Microflora isolated in acute inflammatory pulmonary and pleural diseases}; Abramzon OM et al.; The species composition and biological properties of microflora isolated from 42 patients with acute inflammatory pulmonary and pleural diseases were studied . A wide spectrum of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms was detected . Infective agents causing severe course of the infectious process were found to have a high level of persistence properties.

Quintessence Int, 2003 Jul-Aug, 34(7), 497 - 503
Anaerobic microflora under Class I and Class II composite and amalgam restorations; Splieth C et al.; OBJECTIVES: The microflora around and beneath restorations is an important factor of restoration failure . The aim of this pilot study was to determine and compare the microbial spectrum under composite and amalgam restorations with special attention to the anaerobic flora . METHOD AND MATERIALS: Ten composite and five amalgam restorations scheduled for replacement were clinically evaluated for marginal gaps, fractures, and secondary caries . After their removal and caries diagnosis, a dentin sample just below the restoration was taken under sterile conditions, stored in a prereduced transport medium for anaerobic bacteria, and immediately transferred to a laboratory for microbial diagnosis . RESULTS: The clinical parameters showing mostly moderate marginal imperfections and the ratios of aerobic to anaerobic flora were comparable for composite and amalgam restorations (11.4%:88.6% and 15.4%:84.5%, respectively) . The microbial variety under composite restorations was much greater compared to amalgam, and it was similar to that of infected root canals including anaerobic gram-negative rods, such as Fusobacterium species or Porphyromonas species . Beneath amalgam, the microbial flora was similar to the one found in carious dentin and plaque, with anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic gram-positive rods dominating . Quantitatively, there were up to eight times more microorganisms under composite restorations . The number of bacterial strains correlated with the caries activity and the filling material, the number of anaerobic rods correlated highly with caries activity and localization . In a linear regression, caries activity and the filling material had statistically significant influence on the bacterial load . CONCLUSION: Although caries activity and location had the greatest influence on the microbial flora under the restorations, the kind of restoration material seemed to have an additional effect on the composition of the microflora . This pilot study indicates that inadequate composite restorations may promote the growth of cariogenic, as well as obligate anaerobic and potentially pulpopathogenic bacteria, which should be confirmed by further studies.

Infect Immun, 2003 Sep, 71(9), 5005 - 11
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype d-specific antigen contains the O antigen of lipopolysaccharide; Lakio L et al.; Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is a gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic bacterium which is associated especially with aggressive forms of periodontitis . Contradictory results on the localization of the A . actinomycetemcomitans serotype-specific antigen have been reported . The aim of the present study was to characterize the A . actinomycetemcomitans serotype d-specific antigen . The antigen was isolated by affinity chromatography . The affinity column was prepared from immunoglobulin G isolated from rabbit antiserum raised against A . actinomycetemcomitans serotype d . The isolated antigen was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, and silver staining, all of which revealed a ladder-like structure typical for the O antigen of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) . In a displacement enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the isolated antigen displaced in a concentration-dependent manner the binding of the polyclonal rabbit antiserum raised against A . actinomycetemcomitans serotype d to the competing whole-cell serotype d antigen . The isolated antigen contained LPS, and an equal concentration of LPS isolated from A . actinomycetemcomitans serotype d gave a similar displacement curve in the ELISA . In order to test the immunogenic properties of the isolated antigen, it was used to immunize a rabbit . The antiserum raised against the isolated antigen displayed specificity in Western blotting and ELISA similar to that of antibody raised against LPS isolated from A . actinomycetemcomitans serotype d . In conclusion, our results show that the A . actinomycetemcomitans serotype d-specific antigen contains the O-antigenic structure of LPS.

Oral Microbiol Immunol, 2003 Oct, 18(5), 285 - 92
Microbiological analysis of infected root canals from symptomatic and asymptomatic teeth with periapical periodontitis and the antimicrobial susceptibility of some isolated anaerobic bacteria; Jacinto RC et al.; The purpose of the present study was to investigate the correlation between the composition of the bacterial flora isolated from infected root canals of teeth with apical periodontitis with the presence of clinical signs and symptoms, and to test the antibiotic susceptibility of five anaerobic bacteria mostly commonly found in the root canals of symptomatic teeth against various substances using the E-test . Microbial samples were taken from 48 root canals, 29 symptomatic and 19 asymptomatic, using adequate techniques . A total of 218 cultivable isolates were recovered from 48 different microbial species and 19 different genera . Root canals from symptomatic teeth harbored more obligate anaerobes and a bigger number of bacterial species than the asymptomatic teeth . More than 70% of the bacterial isolates were strict anaerobes . Statistical analysis used a Pearson Chi-squared test or a one-sided Fisher's Exact test as appropriate . Suggested relationships were found between specific microorganisms, especially gram-negative anaerobes, and the presence of spontaneous or previous pain, tenderness to percussion, pain on palpation and swelling amoxicillin, amoxicillin + clavulanate and cephaclor were effective against all the strains tested . The lowest susceptibility rate was presented by Prevotella intermedia/nigrescens against Penicillin G . Our results suggested that specific bacteria are associated with endodontic symptoms of infected teeth with periapical periodontitis and the majority of the anaerobic bacterial species tested were susceptible to all antibiotics studied.

Water Sci Technol, 2003, 47(12), 313 - 7
The influence of experimental conditions on the assessment of the toxicity of 2,4-dichlorophenol to the anaerobic bacteria of landfilled refuse; Nitayapat N et al.; The toxicity of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) to anaerobic bacteria in refuse cultures was investigated at two temperatures (30 degrees and 37 degrees C) and after two different exposure periods to the toxicants . It was shown that at 0.52 mM 2,4-DCP the time of exposure of microorganisms to 2,4-DCP affected the relative activity (A(V)) of the production of methane . Values of A(V) at the beginning of the steady-state phase were lower than those recorded two weeks later . The incubation temperature selected also critically affected the assessment of anaerobic toxicity; at 37 degrees C an imbalance of the activities of fermentative bacteria and acetogens with those of methanogens was observed.

Am J Vet Res, 2003 Aug, 64(8), 963 - 8
Characterization of the bacterial population of the genital tract of adult cats; Strom Holst B et al.; OBJECTIVE: To characterize the bacteria of the genital tract in adult cats; assess the effect of estrus, mating, and administration of progestins on those microorganisms in females; and evaluate whether results of bacteriologic culture of vaginal swabs are affected by cleansing of the vulva prior to sampling or by repeated sampling . ANIMALS: 66 female and 29 male cats undergoing routine ovariohysterectomy or castration . PROCEDURE: Specimens were obtained from vaginal and uterine or preputial mucosae with swabs moistened with sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) solution . In 9 cats, vaginal specimens were obtained before and after cleansing of the vulva with ethanol; in 7 female cats, 2 vaginal speci mens were obtained in immediate succession . RESULTS: Aerobic bacteria were most commonly isolated from cats' vaginas and prepuces; anaerobic bacteria were isolated frequently from males (41%) but rarely from females (5%) . Generally, culture results were not affected by cleansing of the vulva or repeated vaginal sampling . The bacterial population of the vaginas of cats was influenced by stage of the estrous cycle but not by mating or administration of progestins . Bacteria were not isolated from the uterus of any cat . CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In cats, bacteria of the genital tract in females are predominantly aerobic; in males, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria are found . The bacterial population of the vagina is affected by stage of the estrous cycle . Pure growth of bacteria in culture of genital tract specimens is a normal finding; antimicrobials should only be administered if clinical signs of genital infection are present.

Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao, 2003 May, 14(5), 834 - 6
{On the chitin digestive bacteria from larval gut of Eriocheir sinensis}; Xue J et al.; The foregut, mid-gut and hind gut of Eriocheir sinensis from the first Zoea to Megalopa were dissected under asepsis condition . Bacteria were separated by plate culture after liquid medium culture . A chitin digestive bacterium was separated from the first Zoea foregut . The chitin digestive bacteria weren't founded in the same experiment from the second Zoea to Megalopa . The chitin digestive bacteria showed roundness, protuberance, glassy humid, margin regular, milk-yellow, aerotolerant anaerobe, and growing intently surrounding the chitin on the plate culture medium . The chitin could promote the growth rate of some digestive bacteria in larval gut of the crab.

Arch Orthop Trauma Surg . 2003 Aug 9; {Epub ahead of print}
One case of gram-negative anaerobic spondylodiscitis with Prevotella intermedia; Schober W et al.; We report the case of a 45-year-old woman with spondylodiscitis at L1/L2, communicating with paravertebral, intravertebral and bilateral psoas abscesses . Percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided abscess drainage and an intravenous antibiotic therapy with Imipenem were performed . After removing the drainage at 2 weeks, the patient was discharged at 4 weeks with normalized blood parameters, normal temperature, and without need for analgesics . The underlying bacterium in the case was a very rare gram-negative anaerobic bacterium: Prevotella intermedia.

Nat Struct Biol, 2003 Sep, 10(9), 681 - 7 Epub 2003 Aug 10.
Insights into the respiratory electron transfer pathway from the structure of nitrate reductase A; Bertero MG et al.; The facultative anaerobe Escherichia coli is able to assemble specific respiratory chains by synthesis of appropriate dehydrogenases and reductases in response to the availability of specific substrates . Under anaerobic conditions in the presence of nitrate, E . coli synthesizes the cytoplasmic membrane-bound quinol-nitrate oxidoreductase (nitrate reductase A; NarGHI), which reduces nitrate to nitrite and forms part of a redox loop generating a proton-motive force . We present here the crystal structure of NarGHI at a resolution of 1.9 A . The NarGHI structure identifies the number, coordination scheme and environment of the redox-active prosthetic groups, a unique coordination of the molybdenum atom, the first structural evidence for the role of an open bicyclic form of the molybdo-bis(molybdopterin guanine dinucleotide) (Mo-bisMGD) cofactor in the catalytic mechanism and a novel fold of the membrane anchor subunit . Our findings provide fundamental molecular details for understanding the mechanism of proton-motive force generation by a redox loop.

JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, 2003 Jul-Aug, 27(4), 235 - 40
Arginine supplementation enhances peritoneal macrophage phagocytic activity in rats with gut-derived sepsis; Wang YY et al.; BACKGROUND: Previous reports have shown that arginine (Arg) enhances phagocytic activity of macrophages and is required for macrophage-mediated toxicity toward tumor cells . Few studies have addressed the importance of Arg supplementation on macrophage and neutrophil function after infection and sepsis . This study examined the effect of Arg-supplemented diets before and Arg-enriched total parenteral nutrition (TPN) after sepsis or both on the phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages and blood polymorphonuclear cells in rats with gut-derived sepsis . METHODS: Male Wistar rats were assigned to 4 groups . Groups 1 and 2 were fed a semipurified diet, while groups 3 and 4 had part of the casein replaced with 2% of total calories as Arg . After the experimental diets were administered for 10 days, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP); at the same time, an internal jugular vein was cannulated . All rats were maintained on TPN for 3 days . Groups 1 and 3 were infused with conventional TPN, while groups 2 and 4 were supplemented with Arg, replacing 10% of total amino acids in the TPN solution . Survival rates were recorded for 3 days after CLP, and all surviving rats were killed 3 days after CLP to examine their immune responses . RESULTS: Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria colony counts in peritoneal lavage fluid were significantly reduced, and the phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages was enhanced in groups 3 and 4 but not in the other 2 groups . There were no significant differences in the phagocytic activities of blood polymorphonuclear cells and survival rates among the 4 groups . CONCLUSIONS: Enteral Arg supplementation before sepsis significantly enhanced peritoneal macrophage phagocytic activity and reduced total bacterial counts in peritoneal lavage fluid . Arg administered before and after CLP seemed to have a synergistic effect on enhancing phagocytic activity and on bacterial clearance . However, IV Arg administration after CLP had no favorable effects on phagocytic activity or survival rates in rats with gut-derived sepsis.

Environ Sci Technol, 2003 Jul 15, 37(14), 3181 - 8
Acetylene inhibition of trichloroethene and vinyl chloride reductive dechlorination; Pon G et al.; Kinetic studies reported here have shown that acetylene is a potent reversible inhibitor of reductive dehalogenation of trichloroethene (TCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) by a mixed dehalogenating anaerobic culture . The mixed culture was enriched from a contaminated site in Corvallis, OR, and exhibited methanogenic, acetogenic, and reductive dehalogenation activities . The H2-fed culture transformed TCE to ethene via cis-dichloroethene (c-DCE) and VC as intermediates . Batch kinetic studies showed acetylene reversibly inhibited reduction of both TCE and VC, and the levels of inhibition were strongly dependent on acetylene concentrations in both cases . Acetylene concentrations of 192 and 12 microM, respectively, were required to achieve 90% inhibition in rates of TCE and VC transformation at an aqueous concentration of 400 microM . Acetylene also inhibited methane production (90% inhibition at 48 microM) but did not inhibit H2-dependent acetate production . Mass balances conducted during the studies of VC inhibition showed that acetogenesis, VC transformation to ethene, and methane production were responsible for 52%, 47%, and 1% of the H2 consumption, respectively . The results indicate that halorespiration is the dominant process responsible for VC and TCE transformation and that dehalorespiring organisms are the target of acetylene inhibition . Acetylene has potential use as a reversible inhibitor to probe the biological activities of reductive dechlorination and methanogenesis . It can be added to inhibit reactions and then removed to permit reactions to proceed . Thus, it can be a powerful tool for investigating intrinsic and enhanced anaerobic remediation of chloroethenes at contaminated sites . The results also suggest that acetylene produced abiotically by reactions of chlorinated ethenes with zero-valent iron could inhibit the biological transformation of VC to ethene.

Zhonghua Kou Qiang Yi Xue Za Zhi, 2003 May, 38(3), 230 - 2
{The inhibitory effect of glass ionomer cement for orthodontic bonding on bacteria}; Wang SM et al.; OBJECTIVE: To prove the inhibitory effect of glass ionomer cement for orthodontic bonding on bacteria . METHODS: Twenty-two persons were chosen randomly . In vivo, with the split-mouth technique, brackets were bonded with glass ionomer cement or composite resin respectively . Plaque samples were taken from the area of the adhesive one month after the placement of brackets and incubated for microbiologic analysis . RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the amount of total anaerobic bacteria with the two materials . There were also no obvious reduction of the numbers of S . mutans (the composite: 2.4 x 10(10) CFU/L, the glass ionomer cement: 2.8 x 10(10) CFU/L, P = 0.673) and its proportion (percentage of total CFU) with the use of glass ionomer cement compared with the composite . CONCLUSIONS: There was no long term inhibitory effect on bacteria adjacent to glass ionomer cement for orthodontic bonding.

Transfus Med, 2003 Aug, 13(4), 189 - 95
Operational feasibility of routine bacterial monitoring of platelets; Macauley A et al.; Bacterial contamination of platelets poses the greatest risk of mortality and morbidity to platelet transfusion recipients . Some European countries have introduced routine bacterial monitoring of platelets to reduce the risk of transmission of bacteria . A pilot study was carried out at the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service, using the BacT/ALERT automated culture system, to assess the operational feasibility of routine bacterial monitoring of platelets . About 4885 platelet concentrates (PCs) were tested in a 1-year period . Of the 28 (0.57%) initial reactive cultures, 13 (46%) were reproducible on repeat culturing . Of these, 10 were detected within 24 h of incubation either in aerobic or both aerobic and anaerobic culture bottles . A sample of time-expired units (423) that had initial negative culture results remained negative when retested on day 8 . About 213 time-expired units were subjected to routine quality assessment and more than 85% were found to conform to quality standards specified in the UKBTS guidelines for platelet count (> or =240 x 10(9) per adult dose PC) and pH (6.4-7.4) . There was a reduction in the platelet count because of the volume removed (15 mL) for sampling . Routine bacterial testing with day 2 sampling and a negative culture result after 24 h as a mandatory release criterion would improve product safety . Implementation of 100% testing would be operationally feasible but may require extension of the shelf life if unacceptable wastage is to be avoided.

Life Sci, 2003 Aug 15, 73(13), 1683 - 90
Differential effects of short-chain fatty acids on proliferation and production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines by cultured lymphocytes; Cavaglieri CR et al.; Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are produced by fermentation of water-soluble fiber by anaerobic bacteria in the large bowel . Fiber-rich diets decrease the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and butyrate enemas are effective as a therapy in some patients . Crohn's disease, one form of IBD, appears to involve an exagerated T helper-1 (Th1) lymphocyte phenotype, characterised by production of interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-gamma, that drives the inflammation . To examine whether SCFA influence pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production, rat mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes were cultured in the presence of acetate (10 mM), butyrate (1.5 mM) or propionate (2 mM) and the production of cytokines in response to concanavalin A determined . Butyrate, but not acetate or propionate, inhibited lymphocyte proliferation and IL-2 production . Acetate and propionate were able to partly prevent the inhibitory effect of butyrate on IL-2 production . Acetate and propionate increased IFN-gamma production, whereas butyrate inhibited it . Acetate and propionate in combination were able to prevent the inhibitory effect of butyrate on IFN-gamma production . IL-4 was not detected in any cultures . Acetate and propionate increased IL-10 production, which was not affected by butyrate . It is concluded that butyrate significantly inhibits Th1-type responses and that this might explain the therapeutic effect of butyrate in IBD patients . Acetate and propionate have less marked modulatory actions, and in some cases have effects that oppose those of butyrate . A combination of the three SCFA causes a shift in the T helper lymphocyte phenotype towards a more anti-inflammatory phenotype and this might explain the protective effects of fiber.

J Bacteriol, 2003 Aug, 185(15), 4548 - 57
The cellulosome system of Acetivibrio cellulolyticus includes a novel type of adaptor protein and a cell surface anchoring protein; Xu Q et al.; A scaffoldin gene cluster was identified in the mesophilic cellulolytic anaerobe Acetivibrio cellulolyticus . The previously described scaffoldin gene, cipV, encodes an N-terminal family 9 glycoside hydrolase, a family 3b cellulose-binding domain, seven cohesin domains, and a C-terminal dockerin . The gene immediately downstream of cipV was sequenced and designated scaB . The protein encoded by this gene has 942 amino acid residues and a calculated molecular weight of 100,358 and includes an N-terminal signal peptide, four type II cohesions, and a C-terminal dockerin . ScaB cohesins 1 and 2 are very closely linked . Similar, but not identical, 39-residue Thr-rich linker segments separate cohesin 2 from cohesin 3 and cohesin 3 from cohesin 4, and an 84-residue Thr-rich linker connects the fourth cohesin to a C-terminal dockerin . The scaC gene downstream of scaB codes for a 1,237-residue polypeptide that includes a signal peptide, three cohesins, and a C-terminal S-layer homology (SLH) module . A long, ca . 550-residue linker separates the third cohesin and the SLH module of ScaC and is characterized by an 18-residue Pro-Thr-Ala-Ser-rich segment that is repeated 27 times . The calculated molecular weight of the mature ScaC polypeptide (excluding the signal peptide) is 124,162 . The presence of the cohesins and the conserved SLH module implies that ScaC acts as an anchoring protein . The ScaC cohesins are on a separate branch of the phylogenetic tree that is close to, but distinct from, the type I cohesins . Affinity blotting with representative recombinant probes revealed the following specific intermodular interactions: (i) an expressed CipV cohesin binds selectively to an enzyme-borne dockerin, (ii) a representative ScaB cohesin binds to the CipV band of the cell-free supernatant fraction, and (iii) a ScaC cohesin binds to the ScaB dockerin . The experimental evidence thus indicates that CipV acts as a primary (enzyme-recognizing) scaffoldin, and the protein was also designated ScaA . In addition, ScaB is thought to assume the role of an adaptor protein, which connects the primary scaffoldin (ScaA) to the cohesin-containing anchoring scaffoldin (ScaC) . The cellulosome system of A . cellulolyticus thus appears to exhibit a special type of organization that reflects the function of the ScaB adaptor protein . The intercalation of three multiple cohesin-containing scaffoldins results in marked amplification of the number of enzyme subunits per cellulosome unit . At least 96 enzymes can apparently be incorporated into an individual A . cellulolyticus cellulosome . The role of such amplified enzyme incorporation and the resultant proximity of the enzymes within the cellulosome complex presumably contribute to the enhanced synergistic action and overall efficient digestion of recalcitrant forms of cellulose . Comparison of the emerging organization of the A . cellulolyticus cellulosome with the organizations in other cellulolytic bacteria revealed the diversity of the supramolecular architecture.

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2003 Jul, 46(3), 167 - 72
Nasopharyngeal carriage of anaerobes during health and acute otitis media by two years of age; Kononen E et al.; The nasopharyngeal acquisition of anaerobic bacteria was longitudinally examined among a homogeneous group of Caucasian infants by 2 years of age . Nasopharyngeal swab (NP) samples were collected at scheduled healthy visits at 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age, and nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) during every visit for acute otitis media (AOM) . The infants were divided into 4 groups according to the number (0, 1, 2-3, and > 3) of AOM episodes experienced by 2 years of age . At 2 years, the cumulative carriage rates of anaerobic species in these infant groups were 29%, 62%, 89%, and 89%, respectively . Anaerobic species were found in 15/220 (6.8%) of the NP samples and in 34/71 (47.9%) of the NPA samples . Our present results indicate that anaerobic species do not belong to the indigenous nasopharyngeal microflora but only transiently colonize the nasopharynx during AOM.

Microbiology, 2003 Jul, 149(Pt 7), 1711 - 8
The haem pigment of the oral anaerobes Prevotella nigrescens and Prevotella intermedia is composed of iron(III) protoporphyrin IX in the monomeric form; Smalley JW et al.; The haem pigment of Porphyromonas gingivalis is composed of micro -oxo bishaem, {Fe(III)PPIX}(2)O, but the nature of that generated by Prevotella species has not been established . Mossbauer, Raman and UV-visible spectrophotometry were used to characterize the haem pigment of Prevotella intermedia and Prevotella nigrescens . Mossbauer and Raman spectroscopy revealed the major haem species to be monomeric iron protoporphyrin IX, Fe(III)PPIX.OH (haematin) . The terminal growth pH of both species on blood agar was between 5.8 and 6.0, which favours the formation and maintenance of monomeric Fe(III)PPIX.OH . Incubation of Pr . nigrescens and Pr . intermedia with oxyhaemoglobin at pH 6.5 resulted in formation of aquomethaemoglobin which was degraded to generate Fe(III)PPIX.OH which in turn became cell-associated, whilst incubation at pH 7.5 resulted in formation of {Fe(III)PPIX}(2)O . It is concluded that both Prevotella species degrade oxyhaemoglobin to form {Fe(III)PPIX}(2)O as an intermediate, which is converted to Fe(III)PPIX.OH through a depression in pH . The low pH encourages cell-surface deposition of insoluble Fe(III)PPIX.OH which would act as a barrier against oxygen and reactive oxygen species, and also protect against H(2)O(2) through its inherent catalase activity.

Trends Parasitol, 2003 Jul, 19(7), 320 - 8
Thiol-based redox metabolism of protozoan parasites; Muller S et al.; The review considers redox enzymes of Plasmodium spp., Trypanosomatida, Trichomonas, Entamoeba and Giardia, with special emphasis on their potential use as targets for drug development . Thiol-based redox systems play pivotal roles in the success and survival of these parasitic protozoa . The synthesis of cysteine, the key molecule of any thiol metabolism, has been elucidated in trypanosomatids and anaerobes . In trypanosomatids, trypanothione replaces the more common glutathione system . The enzymes of trypanothione synthesis have recently been identified . The role of trypanothione in the detoxification of reactive oxygen species is reflected in the multiplicity of trypanothione-dependent peroxidases . In Plasmodium falciparum, the crystal structures of glutathione reductase and glutamate dehydrogenase are now available; another drug target, thioredoxin reductase, has been demonstrated to be essential for the malarial parasite.

Cleft Palate Craniofac J, 2003 Jul, 40(4), 431 - 2
Colonization of the cleft nasal floor by anaerobic oral flora in patients with oronasal fistulae; Brennan PA et al.; OBJECTIVES: Aerobic oral bacteria only rarely colonize the cleft nasal floor in patients with patent oronasal fistula . There are no studies that have investigated whether anaerobic oral flora colonize this site and whether attempting to culture them is useful for assessing the patency of oronasal fistulae in the clinic . DESIGN: A prospective study of 13 patients with cleft with patent unilateral oronasal fistulae . Microbiological culture swabs were taken from the oral cavity and both nasal floors, with the unaffected side being used as a control . Following aerobic and anaerobic culture, bacterial isolates were identified and compared . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: A significant growth of anaerobic oral bacteria from the cleft nasal floor when compared with the unaffected side . RESULTS: Aerobic oral flora was cultured from the oral cavity in all 13 patients . A light growth of aerobic oral flora was found in the cleft nasal floor in two patients, and anaerobic oral flora was cultured from the cleft nasal floor in the same two patients . No statistical correlation was found between growth of anaerobic flora and the cleft nasal floor (p =.48) . CONCLUSIONS: Like aerobic oral flora, anaerobic oral bacteria would appear to only rarely colonize the cleft nasal floor in patients with oronasal fistulae . This additional investigation does not appear to be helpful in the assessment of oronasal fistulae in the clinic.

What Is Water Purification?, What Is Prokaryote?, What Is Botulism?, What Is Biofilter?, What Is Growth Medium?, c, Microorganisms, a, Microbes, n, Bacterium, a, Bacteria, n, Microorganism, n, Biofilms, a, Corynebacter, c, Bacillus subtilis, a, Prokaryotes, o, Schizosaccharomyces, i, Haemophilus, a, Enterobacteriacea, a, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, o, Streptococcal, s, Biodegradation, s, Clostridia, r, Microorganism, r, Gram positive, c, Escherichia coli, c, Microbial, s, Sepsis, s, Microbial, r, Microorganisms, s, Eutrophicated, s, Microbiological, n, Bacteriophage

Scientific Publications - Work Done by Microbiology Reader Bioscreen C
Agricultural Microbiology Anaerobic Microbiology Antimicrobial Susceptibility Artificial Atmosphere Bioassay of Antibiotics Biofilm Microbiology Bioreactor Technology Biotechnology Cell Biology Clinical Microbiology Environmental Microbiology Experiments with Yeast	Fermentation Food Microbiology Functional Genomics Gene Technology Growth Media Development Growth Rate and Lag Time Industrial Microbiology Medical/Pharmaceutical Field Microbiological Assay Microbiological Research Microbiology of Cosmetics go to a specific theme...	Military Microbiology Molecular Microbiology Mutagenicity and Genotoxicity Oral Microbiology Patents Postantibiotic Studies Soil Microbiology Spore Microbiology Veterinary Microbiology Waste/Wastewater Treatment Water Microbiology Wine Microbiology

� 2005 Transgalactic Ltd (manufacturer of Bioscreen C software) | Privacy Statement | P.O. Box 1393, 00101 Helsinki, Finland, phone: +358 9 85172920, fax: +358 9 8749481, e-mail: microbiology@bionewsonline.com

Last modified: May 25, 2005