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O1
Kinds of O1 Selected AbstractsDevelopment of a bacterial challenge test for gnotobiotic sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) larvaeENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009K. Dierckens Summary The use of probiotic microorganisms in aquaculture is gaining a lot of interest. Gnotobiotic model systems are required in order to fully understand the effects and modes-of-action of these microorganisms, as the native microbial communities present in non-sterile animals can lead to false conclusions. In this study, a gnotobiotic sea bass larvae (Dicentrarchus labrax) test system was developed. In order to obtain bacteria-free animals, the eggs were disinfected with glutaraldehyde and subsequently incubated in a solution of rifampicin and ampicillin. Axenity was confirmed using culture-dependent and -independent techniques. The gnotobiotic larvae were fed axenic Artemia sp. from 7 days after hatching onwards. In the challenge test, one of the three opportunistic pathogens, Aeromonas hydrophila, Listonella anguillarum serovar O1 and O2a, was added to the model system via the water and encapsulated in Artemia sp. Only serovar O2a led to increased mortality in the sea bass larvae. The presented gnotobiotic model can be used for research on, among others, reciprocal metabolic effects between microorganisms and the host (e.g. as measured by gene expression), immunostimulants, pharmacological research and the histological development of the gastrointestinal tract and growth of larvae. [source] Identification of pathotypes of Synchytrium endobioticum found in infested fields in TurkeyEPPO BULLETIN, Issue 2 2009E. Çak Pathotypes of four isolates of Synchytrium endobioticum collected from the infested areas of Turkey were determined using Glynne,Lemmerzahl and Spieckermann test methods. Two isolates (Ordu 1 and Nev,ehir 1) were tested by the Glynne,Lemmerzahl method in Germany. Ordu 1 was assigned as pathotype 1(D1) whereas the other isolate gave different results in 2 years of testing [pathotype 6(O1) or 18(T1)]. Two other isolates (Nev,ehir 2 and Nev,ehir 3) were tested using the Spieckermann method in Netherlands. Neither of these last two isolates tested were found to belong to the pathotypes known from Western Europe. The isolates Nev,ehir 2 and Nev,ehir 3 were given a new, unique code: 38 (Nev,ehir). [source] Resistance of potato cultivars to Synchytrium endobioticum in field and laboratory tests, risk of secondary infection, and implications for phytosanitary regulationsEPPO BULLETIN, Issue 1 2005R. P. Baayen Laboratory (Spieckermann) tests, pot tests and field tests provided concordant evidence for the partial nature of resistance of potatoes to pathotypes 1 (D1) and 6 (O1) of Synchytrium endobioticum. Susceptible potato cultivars produced large warts (> 16 mm in diameter) in Spieckermann tests and had low field resistance levels (1,6). Field-resistant cultivars (levels 7,9) produced small warts or no warts at all in Spieckermann and field tests. In pot tests, at low inoculum levels (1 sporangium per 25 g soil) susceptible cultivars still developed warts, whereas field-resistant ones did not develop any warts below 25 sporangia per g soil. Above 35 sporangia per g soil, 100% disease incidence was observed in susceptible cultivars but only minimal wart development in field-resistant ones. Tests with continuous cultivation of potato cultivars in infected soil during three consecutive years showed that field-resistant cultivars will not support build-up of inoculum in soil. It is concluded that field-resistant cultivars do not create a risk of secondary infection, the criterion given for resistance in EU Directive 69/464/EC. [source] Synthesis and Structural Characterisation of Palladium and Group-12 Metal Complexes with a Hybrid Phosphanylphosphonate Ferrocene LigandEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2006Abstract Diethyl [1,-(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocenyl]phosphonate (1) was synthesised by stepwise metallation/functionalisation of 1,1,-dibromoferrocene and studied as a ligand for palladium(II) and group-12 metals. Treatment of [PdCl2(cod)] (cod = ,2:,2 -cycloocta-1,5-diene) with 1 in 1:1 or 1:2 molar ratios gave, respectively, the dinuclear, chloride-bridged complex [{Pd(,-Cl)Cl(1 -,P2)}2] (2) and the mononuclear complex trans -[PdCl2(1 -,P2)2] (3), where 1 coordinates exclusively through the phosphane function. The reactions between 1 and group-12 metal bromides MBr2 in a 1:1 molar ratio gave the adducts [MBr2(1)] [M = Zn (4), Cd (5), and Hg (6)], whose crystal structures change considerably with the metal ion. Thus, whereas 4 is a molecular complex with 1 coordinating as an O1,P2 -chelate, its cadmium(II) analogue is a polymer built up from symmetric {CdBr(,-Br)}2 units interconnected by pairs of O1,P2 -bridging phosphanylphosphonate ligands. Finally, the mercury(II) complex 6 is a halide-bridged dimer, [{Hg(,-Br)Br(1 -,P2)}2]. However, this compound is structurally fluxional in solution (NMR spectra) and, in the crystal, it attains a structure similar to 5 owing to weak interactions between mercury and phosphonate-O1 atoms from adjacent molecules. An isomer to 6, [{HgBr2(1 -,2O1,P2)}2] (7), was isolated from attempted alkylation of 6 and structurally characterised as a dimer, where ligands 1 bridge two {HgBr2} units. All compounds were studied by spectroscopic methods (IR, NMR, mass) and the solid-state structures of 1, 2·,H2O, 3·4,CHCl3, 4, 5, 6·5,C6H6, and 7 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006) [source] First (Peroxo)vanadium(V) Complex with Heteroligand Formed in Reaction System , Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity of K[VO(O2)(omeida)]·H2O {omeida = N -[2-(2-oxomorpholine-4-yl)ethyl]iminodiacetato(2,)}EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2003Michal Sivák Abstract The crystalline peroxo complex of vanadium(V), K[VO(O2)(omeida)]·H2O, where omeida is a ,-lactone derivative, N -[2-(2-oxomorpholine-4-yl)ethyl]iminodiacetate(2,), has been obtained by reaction of vanadate with H2O2 and N -(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA) in acidic aqueous solution at pH = 3 and 278 K. X-ray analysis revealed a distorted pentagonal-bipyramidal coordination around the vanadium atom, with a typical cis arrangement of oxo and peroxo ligands in apical and equatorial positions, respectively. Two amino nitrogen atoms of the tetradentate omeida(2,)-N1,N2,O1,O2 ligand occupy the neighbouring equatorial positions of the pentagonal plane, and two oxygen atoms of carboxymethyl groups bound to the same N1 nitrogen atom are in equatorial and apical positions. The six-membered lactone ring in omeida was formed in the reaction solution from carboxy and hydroxy groups not involved in coordination with the vanadium atom. The 51V NMR spectra of K[VO(O2)(omeida)]·H2O, and of peroxovanadate/HEDTA/H2O and vanadate/HEDTA/H2O solutions, as well as the 1H NMR spectrum of HEDTA, proved that lactone ring closure proceeds only in peroxovanadate but not vanadate solutions. Spectroscopic investigation of the oxygen transfer reaction from the peroxo ligand in [VO(O2)(omeida)], to the thiolato sulfur atom in [Co(en)2{S(CH2)2NH2}]2+ or [Co(en)2(cyst)]+, and of the oxidation of N -acetyl- L -cysteine by K[VO(O2)(omeida)]·H2O, revealed much more complicated reaction mechanisms than those of other (amino-polycarboxylato)monoperoxo complexes of vanadium(V). (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003) [source] Structural Studies of the O-Chain Polysaccharide from Plesiomonas shigelloides Strain 302,73 (Serotype O1)EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 18 2008Giuseppina Pieretti Abstract Plesiomonas shigelloides is a Gram-negative bacterium belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. It has been found in an aquatic environment in the tropical and subtropical regions and is responsible for many gastrointestinal infections in humans, which take place from drinking untreated water or eating uncooked shellfish. Plesiomonas shigelloides has also been reported to provoke extraintestinal infections such as meningitis and bacteremia in immunocompromised adults and neonates. Despite the emerging importance of this pathogenic microorganism, only three different O-antigens have been characterised so far. The structure of the O-chain of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Plesiomonasshigelloides strain 302,73 (serotype O1) was determined by chemical analysis, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The polysaccharide was constituted by a linear pentasaccharidic repeating unit as follows: ,3)-,- L -PneNAc4OAc(1,4)-,- L -FucNAc(1,4)-,- L -FucNAc(1,4)-,- L -FucNAc(1,3)-,- D -QuiNAc4NHb(1, (PneNAc = 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-talose, Hb = (S)-3-hydroxybutanoyl) PneNAc O -acetylation was not stoichiometric and was found to be about 75,%. The position of the O -acetyl group and the amount of acetylation were deduced by NMR spectroscopic analysis. All the monosaccharides included in the repeating unit were deoxyamino sugars, which most probably, together with the presence of O -acetyl groups, were responsible for the recovery of the LPS in the phenol layer of the phenol/water extract of dried bacteria cells.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008) [source] Effect of organic matter applications on 13C-NMR spectra of humic acids of soilEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2008S. Dou Summary Much attention has been paid to improving soil fertility with organic matter (OM) application, which not only deals with organic wastes and protects the environment, but also maintains soil fertility and increases crop yields. Much research has also been on the effects of OM applications on the soil's physical, chemical and biological properties, but relatively less attention has been spent on humic substance (HS). In order to clarify the mechanism of improving soil fertility by applying OM, we analysed the changes of structural characteristics of humic acid (HA) from OM applications to soils by 13C-NMR, chemical analysis, thermal analysis, optical properties, IR and fluorescence spectroscopy. Samples of a brown soil (Paleudalf) and a paddy soil (an anthropogenic soil originating from Udifluvents) were collected from the plough layer of the long-term field experiment at Shenyang Agricultural University and Liaoning Provincial Alkali-Saline Soil Institute, respectively. Both field experiments included three treatments each: (i) brown soil, zero-treatment (CKbr) and two pig manure (PM) applications (O1 and O2) at annual rates of 0.9 t ha,1 and 1.8 t ha,1 of organic carbon, respectively; and (ii) paddy soil, zero-treatment (CKpad), pig manure (Op) and rice straw (Or) at annual rates of 2.62 t ha,1 and 1.43 t ha,1 of organic carbon, respectively. An incubation experiment was also carried out to test the field experiment on the brown soil, namely four treatments: zero-treatment (CKc), and three pig manure applications at rates of 30 g kg,1 (C1), 50 g kg,1 (C2) and 70 g kg,1 (C3), respectively. The total incubation was 180 days. The results indicated that number-average molecular weights (Mn), total acidity, aromaticity, excitation maximum wavelength (,Exmax), and the heat ratio of the high to moderate temperature exothermic regions (H3/H2) of the HA all decreased after OM application. The degree of activation (AD), the absorption intensity ratio of 2920 cm,1 to 1720 cm,1 in infrared spectra (IR2920/1720), alkyl C and O-alkyl C of the HA increased. The HA structure tended to become simpler and more aliphatic. [source] Conservation and variation in Ubx expression among cheliceratesEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2001Aleksandar Popadi SUMMARY Chelicerates are an ancient arthropod group with a distinct body plan composed of an anterior (prosoma) and a posterior portion (opisthosoma). The expression of the Hox gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx) has been examined in a single representative of the chelicerates, the spider Cupiennius salei. In spiders, Ubx expression starts in the second opisthosomal segment (O2). Because the first opisthosomal segment (O1) in spiders is greatly reduced relative to other chelicerates, we hypothesized that the observed Ubx expression pattern might be secondarily modified. Shifts in the anterior boundary of the expression of Ubx have been correlated with functional shifts in morphology within malacostracan crustaceans. Thus, the boundary of Ubx expression between chelicerates with different morphologies in their anterior opisthosoma could also be variable. To test this prediction, we examined the expression patterns of Ubx and abdominal-A (collectively referred to as UbdA) in two basal chelicerate lineages, scorpions and xiphosurans (horseshoe crabs), which exhibit variation in the morphology of their anterior opisthosoma. In the scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis, the anterior border of early expression of UbdA is in a few cells in the medial, posterior region of the O2 segment, with a predominant expression in O3 and posterior. Expression later spreads to encompass the whole O2 segment and a ventral, posterior portion of the O1 segment. In the xiphosuran Limulus polyphemus, early expression of UbdA has an anterior boundary in the segment. Later in development, the anterior boundary moves forward one segment to the chilarial (O1) segment. Thus, the earliest expression boundary of UbdA lies within the second opisthosomal segment in all the chelicerates examined. These results suggest that rather than being derived, the spider UbdA expression in O2 likely reflects the ancestral expression boundary. Changes in the morphology of the first opisthosomal segment are either not associated with changes in UbdA expression or correlate with late developmental changes in UbdA expression. [source] Physicochemical properties and distinct DNA binding capacity of the repressor of temperate Staphylococcus aureus phage ,11FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 7 2009Tridib Ganguly The repressor protein and cognate operator DNA of any temperate Staphylococcus aureus phage have not been investigated in depth, despite having the potential to enrich the molecular biology of the staphylococcal system. In the present study, using the extremely pure repressor of temperate Staphylococcus aureus phage ,11 (CI), we demonstrate that CI is composed of ,-helix and ,-sheet to a substantial extent at room temperature, possesses two domains, unfolds at temperatures above 39 °C and binds to two sites in the ,11 cI - cro intergenic region with variable affinity. The above CI binding sites harbor two homologous 15 bp inverted repeats (O1 and O2), which are spaced 18 bp apart. Several guanine bases located in and around O1 and O2 demonstrate interaction with CI, indicating that these 15 bp sites are used as operators for repressor binding. CI interacted with O1 and O2 in a cooperative manner and was found to bind to operator DNA as a homodimer. Interestingly, CI did not show appreciable binding to another homologous 15 bp site (O3) that was located in the same primary immunity region as O1 and O2. Taken together, these results suggest that ,11 CI and the ,11 CI,operator complex resemble significantly those of the lambdoid phages at the structural level. The mode of action of ,11 CI, however, may be distinct from that of the repressor proteins of , and related phages. [source] Hybrid reuteransucrase enzymes reveal regions important for glucosidic linkage specificity and the transglucosylation/hydrolysis ratioFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 23 2008Slavko Kralj The reuteransucrase enzymes of Lactobacillus reuteri strain 121 (GTFA) and L. reuteri strain ATCC 55730 (GTFO) convert sucrose into ,- d -glucans (labelled reuterans) with mainly ,-(1,4) glucosidic linkages (50% and 70%, respectively), plus ,-(1,6) linkages. In the present study, we report a detailed analysis of various hybrid GTFA/O enzymes, resulting in the identification of specific regions in the N-termini of the catalytic domains of these proteins as the main determinants of glucosidic linkage specificity. These regions were divided into three equal parts (A1,3; O1,3), and used to construct six additional GTFA/O hybrids. All hybrid enzymes were able to synthesize ,-glucans from sucrose, and oligosaccharides from sucrose plus maltose or isomaltose as acceptor substrates. Interestingly, not only the A2/O2 regions, with the three catalytic residues, affect glucosidic linkage specificity, but also the upstream A1/O1 regions make a strong contribution. Some GTFO derived hybrid/mutant enzymes displayed strongly increased transglucosylation/hydrolysis activity ratios. The reduced sucrose hydrolysis allowed the much improved conversion of sucrose into oligo- and polysaccharide products. Thus, the glucosidic linkage specificity and transglucosylation/hydrolysis ratios of reuteransucrase enzymes can be manipulated in a relatively simple manner. This engineering approach has yielded clear changes in oligosaccharide product profiles, as well as a range of novel reuteran products differing in ,-(1,4) and ,-(1,6) linkage ratios. [source] The structure of the core region of the lipopolysaccharide from Klebsiella pneumoniae O3FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 6 2001-D-manno-octulosonic acid (, -Kdo) residue in the outer part of the core, 3-Deoxy-, O12 lipopolysaccharides, a common structural element of Klebsiella pneumoniae O The structure of lipid A,core region of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Klebsiella pneumoniae serotype O3 was determined using NMR, MS and chemical analysis of the oligosaccharides, obtained by mild acid hydrolysis, alkaline deacylation, and deamination of the LPS:where P is H or ,-Hep; J is H or ,-GalA; R is H or P (in the deacylated oligosaccharides).Screening of the LPS from K. pneumoniae O1, O2, O4, O5, O8, and O12 using deamination showed that they also contain ,-Hep-(1,4)-,-Kdo-(2,6)-GlcN and ,-Kdo-(2,6)-GlcN fragments. [source] Immunogenicity of synthetic saccharide fragments of Vibrio cholerae O1 (Ogawa and Inaba) bound to Exotoxin AFEMS IMMUNOLOGY & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006Terri K. Wade Abstract Recombinant exotoxin A (rEPA) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa conjugated to Vibrio cholerae O1 serotype-specific polysaccharides (mono-, di- and hexasaccharide) were immunogenic in mice. Monosaccharide conjugates boosted the humoral responses to the hexasaccharide conjugates. Prior exposure to purified Ogawa lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enabled contra -serotype hexasaccharide conjugates to boost the vibriocidal response, but Inaba LPS did not prime for an enhanced vibriocidal response by a contra -serotype conjugate. Prior exposure to the carrier, and priming B cells with the LPS of either serotype, resulted in enhanced vibriocidal titers if the Ogawa hexasaccharides were used, but a diminished response to the Inaba LPS. These studies demonstrate that the ,functional' B cell epitopes on the LPS differ from those of the neoglycoconjugates and that the order of immunization and the serotype of the boosting conjugate can influence the epitope specificity and function of the antisera. [source] Does corporate governance transparency affect the accuracy of analyst forecasts?ACCOUNTING & FINANCE, Issue 5 2006Gauri Bhat M4; O1 Abstract Using country-level proxies for corporate governance transparency, this paper investigates how differences in transparency across 21 countries affect the average forecast accuracy of analysts for the country's firms. The association between financial transparency and analyst forecast accuracy has been well documented in previous published literature; however, the association between governance transparency and analyst forecast accuracy remains unexplored. Using the two distinct country-level factors isolated by Bushman et al. (2004), governance transparency and financial transparency, we investigate whether corporate governance information impacts on the accuracy of earnings forecasts over and above financial information. We document that governance transparency is positively associated with analyst forecast accuracy after controlling for financial transparency and other variables. Furthermore, our results suggest that governance-related disclosure plays a bigger role in improving the information environment when financial disclosures are less transparent. Our empirical evidence also suggests that the significance of governance transparency on analyst forecast accuracy is higher when legal enforcement is weak. [source] Syntheses of optically active 2-(2-benzothiazolylimino)-heterazolidinesHETEROATOM CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2001Alejandro Cruz The syntheses of compounds 4R, 5R-2-[2-benzothiazolylimino]-3-hydro-4-methyl-5-phenylthiazolidine (5a), 4S,5S-2-[2-benzothiazolylimino]-3,4-dimethyl-5-phenylthiazolidine (5b), 4R,5S-[2-benzothiazolylimino]-3-hydro-4-methyl-5-phenyloxazolidine (5c), 4R,5S-2-[2-benzothiazolyl-imino]-3,4-dimethyl-5-phenyloxazolidine (5d), and 4R,5S-2-[2-benzothiazolylimino]-1,3,4-trimethyl-5-phenylimidazolidine (5e) are reported. The stereochemistry of the reaction products and the X-ray diffraction analyses of compounds 5a,d are discussed. Compounds 5a,d present planar structures. We have found short distances between the thiazolidine S1 atom and the benzothiazole N9 atom for 5a and 5b (2.782 and 2.824 Å, respectively) and the distance between the oxazolidine O1 and the benzothiazole S7 for 5d (2.721 Å). These distances are shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii. These distances, together with the coplanarity of the heterocycles, seem to indicate the existence of a weak coordination bonding from sp2 oxygen or nitrogen atoms towards the sulfur atom. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 12:586,593, 2001 [source] Enhancement of activity of the primary visual cortex during processing of emotional stimuli as measured with event-related functional near-infrared spectroscopy and event-related potentialsHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 1 2008Martin J. Herrmann Abstract In this study we investigated whether event-related near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is suitable to measure changes in brain activation of the occipital cortex modulated by the emotional content of the visual stimuli. As we found in a previous pilot study that only positive but not negative stimuli differ from neutral stimuli (with respect to oxygenated haemoglobin), we now measured the event-related EEG potentials and NIRS simultaneously during the same session. Thereby, we could evaluate whether the subjects (n = 16) processed the positive as well as the negative emotional stimuli in a similar way. During the task, the subjects passively viewed positive, negative, and neutral emotional pictures (40 presentations were shown in each category, and pictures were taken from the International Affective Picture System, IAPS). The stimuli were presented for 3 s in a randomized order (with a mean of 3 s interstimulus interval). During the task, we measured the event-related EEG potentials over the electrode positions O1, Oz, O2, and Pz and the changes of oxygenated and deoxygenated haemoglobin by multichannel NIRS over the occipital cortex. The EEG results clearly show an increased early posterior negativity over the occipital cortex for both positive as well as negative stimuli compared to neutral. The results for the NIRS measurement were less clear. Although positive as well as negative stimuli lead to significantly higher decrease in deoxygenated haemoglobin than neutral stimuli, this was not found for the oxygenated haemoglobin. Hum Brain Mapp 29:28,35, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Effects of sevoflurane on collagen production and growth factor expression in rats with an excision woundACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 7 2010H.-J. LEE Background: Sevoflurane is a widely used inhalation anesthetic, but there are no studies on its effect on the wound-healing process. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of exposure time to sevoflurane on wound healing. Method: Male Sprague,Dawley rats were used. Two circular full-thickness skin defects 8 mm in diameter were made on the dorsum of the rats. The animals were divided into six groups according to exposed gas type and time: S1 (sevoflurane, 1 h), S4 (sevoflurane, 4 h), S8 (sevoflurane, 8 h), O1 (oxygen, 1 h), O4 (oxygen, 4 h), and O8 (oxygen, 8 h). The surface area of the wounds was measured 0, 1, 3, and 7 days after surgery. Separately, the mean blood pressures (MBP) and arterial oxygen pressures (PaO2) were monitored during the sevoflurane exposure. Collagen type I production and transforming growth factor-,1 (TGF-,1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) expression on the wound surface were analyzed. Routine histological analysis was also performed. Result: Exposure duration to sevoflurane had no influence on MBP and PaO2. The reduction in wound size and collagen type I production was delayed in S8. The expression of TGF-,1 and bFGF on the wound surface in S8 was significantly attenuated in S8. The histology of the S8 demonstrated a delayed healing status. Conclusions: Prolonged exposure to sevoflurane might alter the inflammatory phase of the wound-healing process by attenuation of growth factor expression such as TGF-,1 and bFGF and subsequently by reduced collagen production. [source] Salt-responsive outer membrane proteins of Vibrio anguillarum serotype O1 as revealed by comparative proteome analysisJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2009D.-Y. Kao Abstract Aims:,Vibrio anguillarum is a universal marine pathogen causing vibriosis. Vibrio anguillarum encounters different osmolarity conditions between seawater and hosts, and its outer membrane proteins (OMPs) play a crucial role in the adaptation to changes of the surroundings. In the present study, proteomic approaches were applied to investigate the salt-responsive OMPs of V. anguillarum. Methods and Results:, Lower salinity (0·85% NaCl) is more suitable for growth, survival and swimming motility of the bacterium. Comparative two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis reveals six differentially expressed protein spots among three different salinities, which were successfully identified as OmpU, maltoporin, flagellin B, Omp26La, Omp26La and OmpW respectively. Conclusions:, OmpW and OmpU were highly expressed at 3·5% salinity, suggesting their role in the efficient efflux of NaCl. Maltoporin was downregulated in higher salinity, indicating that higher osmolarity inhibits carbohydrate transport and bacterial growth. Omp26La, the homologue of OmpV, functions as a salt-responsive protein in lower salinity. Significance and Impact of the Study:, To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing salt stress-responsive proteins of V. anguillarum using proteomic approaches. Our results provide a useful strategy for delineating the osmoregulatory mechanism of the marine pathogens. [source] 27 ps DFT molecular dynamics simulation of ,-maltose: A reduced basis set study,JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2010Udo Schnupf Abstract DFT molecular dynamics simulations are time intensive when carried out on carbohydrates such as ,-maltose. In a recent publication (Momany et al., J. Mol. Struct. THEOCHEM, submitted) forces for dynamics were generated from B3LYP/6-31+G* electronic structure calculations. The implicit solvent method COSMO was applied to simulate the solution environment. Here we present a modification of the DFT method that keeps the critical aspects of the larger basis set (B3LYP/6-31+G*) while allowing the less-essential atom interactions to be calculated using a smaller basis set, thus allowing for faster completion without sacrificing the interactions dictating the hydrogen bonding networks in ,-maltose. In previous studies, the gg,-gg-c solvated form quickly converged to the "r" form during a 5 ps dynamics run. This important conformational transition is tested by carrying out a long 27 ps simulation. The trend for the "r" conformer to be most stable during dynamics when fully solvated, is confirmed, resulting in ,20/80% c/r population. Further, the study shows that considerable molecular end effects are important, the reducing end being fairly stable, the O6H pointing at the O5, while the nonreducing end moves freely to take on different conformations. Some "kink" and transition state forms are populated during the simulation. The average H1,···H4 distance of 2.28 Å confirms that the syn form is the primary glycosidic conformation, while the average C1,O1,C4 bond angle was 118.8°, in excellent agreement with experimental values. The length of this simulation allowed the evaluation of vibrational frequencies by Fourier transform of the velocity correlation function, taken from different time segments along the simulation path. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010 [source] Surveillance of health status on eight marine rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), farms in Denmark in 2006JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES, Issue 9 2008K Pedersen Abstract The health status of eight marine rainbow trout farms was followed from mid-June to mid-September 2006 by sampling both dead and healthy fish approximately every 2 weeks for bacteriological and virological investigation. No fish pathogenic viruses were detected, but all farms experienced disease and mortality as a result of various bacterial infections. Yersinia ruckeri was found on four and Renibacterium salmoninarum on five of the farms, but only during the first part of the surveillance period. This indicates that the fish carried the infection from fresh water, and cleared the infection in salt water. Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida caused mortality on five farms, but persisted throughout the sampling period. Although A. salmonicida was probably carried from fresh water, the fish were not able to clear the infection in the sea. Vibrio anguillarum caused mortality on six of the farms throughout the sampling period, O1 being the dominant serovar, and Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae was found on seven farms as a cause of disease. During the period of highest water temperatures Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus were detected in dead fish in five and two farms, respectively, although their significance as causative pathogens is questionable. Vibrio vulnificus has not previously been found in rainbow trout in Denmark. Both mortality and number of antimicrobial treatments during the period were considerably higher in unvaccinated compared with vaccinated fish. Resistance to commonly used antimicrobials was low or absent. [source] Phenotypic, serological and genetic characterization of Pseudomonas anguilliseptica strains isolated from cod, Gadus morhua L., in northern EuropeJOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES, Issue 11 2007S Balboa Abstract The biochemical, serological and genetic characteristics of six strains of Pseudomonas anguilliseptica isolated from cod, Gadus morhua, in Scotland were compared to well characterized isolates of this same bacterial species but of different origin. Biochemical and physiological analyses showed that this group of isolates was highly homogeneous, their characteristics matching previous descriptions of the pathogen. Similar results were obtained for the six cod isolates in the serological assays, all of them belonging to the serotype O1. Marked homogeneity was observed also in the genetic study, analysed by means of RAPD, ERIC-PCR and REP-PCR procedures, showing that they were similar to isolates from gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata, black spot seabream, Pagellus bogaraveo, and turbot, Psetta maxima. Virulence assays demonstrated that the cod isolates were highly pathogenic for turbot and sole, Solea senegalensis, with LD50 between 7.6 × 104 and 5 × 107 bacterial cells per fish. [source] GAMMA IRRADIATION ON FROZEN AND PACKAGED HEADED SHRIMPJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 4 2009V.K.G. ABREU ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of , irradiation (0, 2, 4 and 6 kGy doses), applied on frozen and packaged headed shrimps, on pathogenic Vibrio cholerae O1 and Salmonella enteritidis bacteria, as well as on some of the physical and sensory characteristics of this kind of food. The 6 kGy dose was highly efficient in inhibiting V. cholerae O1 and S. enteritidis and in decreasing lipid oxidation in shrimps compared with the nonirradiated product. Shrimp texture was not affected by any of the irradiation doses studied, but the lightness of the surface color increased in shrimps irradiated with 6 kGy compared with those irradiated with 2 kGy. Shrimps irradiated with 6 kGy showed lower overall acceptability than those irradiated with 2 kGy or were nonirradiated. The application of , irradiation in doses up to 6 kGy on frozen and packaged headed shrimps could improve the microbiological quality of this commodity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The use of , irradiation has the potential to ensure safety effectively by inactivating bacteria, increasing shelf life and maintaining food quality without significant chemical changes in the food matrix. Besides, this process can be applied to frozen and packaged products. Thus, irradiation of frozen and packaged shrimps could benefit the local processing industry, which could offer the international market a high-quality product, with an additional safety treatment. [source] INFECTIVE DOSE OF FOODBORNE PATHOGENS IN VOLUNTEERS: A REVIEWJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 1 2001MAHENDRA H. KOTHARY ABSTRACT Risk assessment and impact of foodborne pathogens on the health of different populations was one of the goals identified in the Presidential Food Safety Initiative three-year plan. This entailed estimation of dose-response relationship for foodborne pathogens to humans, either by feeding studies or from outbreaks. For certain pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7, there are no feeding studies due to ethical reasons, and the results from outbreaks are normally used to estimate the infectious dose. The focus of this review is to compile dose-response information in volunteers for several foodborne pathogens including Salmonella, Shigella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, Vibrio spp., Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium parvum and Entamoeba coli. The infectious dose for different serovars of Salmonella and strains of E. coli was quite large (> 105 organisms), while the infectious dose for some Shigella spp. seemed to be as low as less than 10 organisms. Toxigenic V. cholerae (O1 and O139 serotypes) were infective at a dose of 104 organisms; a non-O1 strain was infective at a much higher dose (106 organisms). C. jejuni, C. parvum and Entamoeba coli appeared to have infectious doses as low as 500 organisms, 10 oocysts, and 1 cyst, respectively. The infectious dose and the dose response are dependent upon the strains used, and the age and physical condition of the individuals, and can therefore show wide variations. In addition, since many of the volunteer studies are carried out by feeding the organisms in a nonfood matrix after neutralizing the stomach acidity, results obtained may not reflect the true dose response. [source] Survival and Growth of Vibrio cholerae O1, Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Alfalfa SproutsJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 1 2000J. Castro-Rosas ABSTRACT: The survival and growth of Vibrio cholerae O1, Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 during germination and sprouting of disinfected alfalfa seeds and alfalfa sprouts was determined. All pathogens showed ability to grow during germination and sprouting, reaching counts of approximately 6.0 log10 CFU/g after 24 h. No growth was observed for any pathogen when the sprouts were inoculated after 24 h of seed germination. At this time, the background microflora was abundant. Numbers of pathogens inoculated on alfalfa sprouts decreased less than 1 log10 CFU/g over 15 d of refrigeration. Alfalfa sprouts can be an important factor contributing to the endemicity for typhoid fever and cholera in México. [source] [2,+,3] Cycloaddition of C,C,N -triphenylnitrone to trans -substituted nitroethylenes in the light of an AM1 and AM1/COSMO computational study,JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2003Andrzej Baranski Abstract AM1 calculations suggest that the [2,+,3] cycloaddition of triphenylnitrone 1 to nitroalkenes 2a,c in the gas phase takes place in a concerted manner. However, the azolidine ring bonds C3,C4 and O1,C5 are not formed fully synchronously. Kinetic factors favor the formation of cycloadducts with nitro group in position C-4 of the azolidine ring (path A). Introduction of toluene, acetone or acetonitrile as a reaction medium increases the activation barriers for both regioisomeric paths. Simultaneously, the energy profiles for path A undergo qualitative change. In this case, two transition states and an intermediate with zwitterionic character were localized by means of the AM1/COSMO method. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Cortical locations of maximal spindle activity: magnetoencephalography (MEG) studyJOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 2 2009VALENTINA GUMENYUK Summary The aim of this study was to determine the main cortical regions related to maximal spindle activity of sleep stage 2 in healthy individual subjects during a brief morning nap using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Eight volunteers (mean age: 26.1 ± 8.7, six women) all right handed, free of any medical psychiatric or sleep disorders were studied. Whole-head 148-channel MEG and a conventional polysomnography montage (EEG; C3, C4, O1 and O2 scalp electrodes and EOG, EMG and ECG electrodes) were used for data collection. Sleep MEG/EEG spindles were visually identified during 15 min of stage 2 sleep for each participant. The distribution of brain activity corresponding to each spindle was calculated using a combination of independent component analysis and a current source density technique superimposed upon individual MRIs. The absolute maximum of spindle activation was localized to frontal, temporal and parietal lobes. However, the most common cortical regions for maximal source spindle activity were precentral and/or postcentral areas across all individuals. The present study suggests that maximal spindle activity localized to these two regions may represent a single event for two types of spindle frequency: slow (at 12 Hz) and fast (at 14 Hz) within global thalamocortical coherence. [source] Effects of Oral Administration of Specific Antibodies to Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykissJOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 1 2003Michael Engelbrecht Nielsen A new product called oralized fish serum concentrate (OFSC) was evaluated for a possible effect against various bacterial pathogens in rainbow trout. The OFSC produced from immune trout sera was found to contain fully functional antibodies and complement component C3. The antibodies detected in the serum concentrate were specific to Vibrio anguillarum (O1 and O2) and Aeromonas salmonicida, which had been used for vaccination of the fish prior to serum collection. The functionality of the specific antibodies in OFSC was not reduced after 6 wk storage at -20 C, 5 C, and 20 C. The serum was mixed with commercial trout feed and used for feeding rainbow trout fry (first feed period). After oral delivery of OFSC to rainbow trout for 1 mo, samples of gut content and gut tissue contained functional antibodies. In gutted fish no functional antibodies were found. This suggests that antibodies from OFSC are unable to be transferred across the gut wall in a functional state. Oral administration of OFSC did not increase survival of rainbow trout in an immersion challenge with Vibrio anguillarum. [source] 17O NMR in room temperature phase of La2Mo2O9 fast oxide ionic conductorMAGNETIC RESONANCE IN CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2005Joel Emery Abstract A room temperature 17O NMR study of La2Mo2O9, a fast oxide ionic conductor exhibiting a phase transition at 580 °C between a low-temperature ,-phase and a high-temperature ,-phase, is presented. Four partly overlapping quasi-continuous distributions of oxygen sites are evidenced from 1D magic angle spinning (MAS) and 2D triple quantum MAS NMR experiments. They can be correlated with the three oxygen sites O1, O2 and O3 of the high-temperature crystal structure. The low-temperature phase is characterized by two distributed sites of type O1, which proves that the symmetry is lower than in the cubic high-temperature phase. Two-dimensional experiments show that there is no dynamic exchange process, on the NMR time-scale, between the different oxygen sites at room temperature, which agrees well with conductivity results. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A mechanism of transposon-mediated directed mutationMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Zhongge Zhang Summary Directed mutation is a proposed process that allows mutations to occur at higher frequencies when they are beneficial. Until now, the existence of such a process has been controversial. Here we describe a novel mechanism of directed mutation mediated by the transposon, IS5 in Escherichia coli. crp deletion mutants mutate specifically to glycerol utilization (Glp+) at rates that are enhanced by glycerol or the loss of the glycerol repressor (GlpR), depressed by glucose or glpR overexpression, and RecA-independent. Of the four tandem GlpR binding sites (O1,O4) upstream of the glpFK operon, O4 specifically controls glpFK expression while O1 primarily controls mutation rate in a process mediated by IS5 hopping to a specific site on the E. coli chromosome upstream of the glpFK promoter. IS5 insertion into other gene activation sites is unaffected by the presence of glycerol or the loss of GlpR. The results establish an example of transposon-mediated directed mutation, identify the protein responsible and define the mechanism involved. [source] Response to culture aeration mediated by the nitrate and nitrite sensor NarQ of Escherichia coli K-12MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Valley Stewart Summary Respiratory enzyme synthesis in enterobacteria is controlled in response to electron acceptor availability. The iron,sulphur protein Fnr and the sensor,regulator proteins ArcB,ArcA control respiratory gene transcription in response to oxygen and quinone pool redox status respectively. The sensor,regulator proteins NarX,NarL and NarQ,NarP control anaerobic respiratory gene expression in response to nitrate and nitrite. Our laboratory recently engineered the lac operon to replace the primary operator O1- lac with the NarL and NarP protein binding site from the nirB operon. Expression of the lacZ gene from this construct is repressed by nitrate in Nar+ strains. Here, we found that lacZ gene expression was repressed in aerated cultures of narQ+narX null strains. This repression was not observed in narX+narQ+ or narX+narQ null strains. Thus, the NarQ sensor responds to aeration as well as to nitrate and nitrite. The NarX and NarQ sensors are composed of three distinct modules: an amino-terminal sensory module, a carboxyl-terminal transmitter module and a central module of unknown function. Experiments with NarX,NarQ hybrid proteins suggest that the NarQ protein central module is necessary for response to aeration. The physiological significance of this additional sensory role for the NarQ sensor remains obscure. [source] Delineation of pilin domains required for bacterial association into microcolonies and intestinal colonization by Vibrio choleraeMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2000Thomas J. Kirn The toxin-co-regulated pilus (TCP), a type 4 pilus that is expressed by epidemic strains of Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139, is required for colonization of the human intestine. The TCP structure is assembled as a polymer of repeating subunits of TcpA pilin that form long fibres, which laterally associate into bundles. Previous passive immunization studies have suggested that the C-terminal region of TcpA is exposed on the surface of the pilus fibre and has a critical role in mediating the colonization functions of TCP. In the present study, we have used site-directed mutagenesis to delineate two domains within the C-terminal region that contribute to TCP structure and function. Alterations in the first domain, termed the structural domain, result in altered pilus stability or morphology. Alterations in the second domain, termed the interaction domain, affect colonization and/or infection by CTX-bacteriophage without affecting pilus morphology. In vitro and in vivo analyses of the tcpA mutants revealed that a major function of TCP is to mediate bacterial interaction through direct pilus,pilus contact required for microcolony formation and productive intestinal colonization. The importance of this function is supported by the finding that intragenic suppressor mutations that restore colonization ability to colonization-deficient mutants simultaneously restore pilus-mediated bacterial interactions. The alterations resulting from the suppressor mutations also provide insight into the molecular interactions between pilin subunits within and between pilus fibres. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||