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BioMed Research International 2015Mycobacterium ulcerans disease has been a serious threat for people living in rural remote areas. Due to poverty or availability of traditional medicine these... (Review)
Review
Mycobacterium ulcerans disease has been a serious threat for people living in rural remote areas. Due to poverty or availability of traditional medicine these populations rely on herbal remedies. Currently, data on the anti-Mycobacterium ulcerans activity of plants, so far considered community-based knowledge, have been scientifically confirmed, concomitantly with some medicinal plants used to treat infectious diseases in general. Products derived from plants usually responsible for the biological properties may potentially control Mycobacterium ulcerans disease; numerous studies have aimed to describe the chemical composition of these plant antimicrobials. Thus, the present work provides the first compilation of medicinal plants that demonstrated inhibitory potential on Mycobacterium ulcerans. This work shows that the natural products represent potential alternatives to standard therapies for use as curative medicine for Mycobacterium ulcerans disease.
Topics: Humans; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous; Mycobacterium ulcerans; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 26779539
DOI: 10.1155/2015/917086 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2022The acquisition by a Mycobacterium marinum-like progenitor of a plasmid encoding enzymes for the biosynthesis of the highly potent macrolide toxin mycolactone has set...
The acquisition by a Mycobacterium marinum-like progenitor of a plasmid encoding enzymes for the biosynthesis of the highly potent macrolide toxin mycolactone has set off the evolution of M. ulcerans toward a new mycobacterial species. While the selective advantage of producing mycolactone for survival in environmental niche(s) of the pathogen is unclear, there is no doubt that the cytotoxic, immunomodulatory, and analgesic properties of mycolactone are key for the establishment and progression of M. ulcerans infections in the host. Improved procedures for the isolation, handling, and detection of the amphiphilic and light-sensitive toxin have facilitated studies to unravel molecular mechanisms of mycolactone action on host cells in vitro and on cellular and immune responses in animal models. The pivotal role of mycolactone in the pathology of Buruli ulcer and the fact that the toxin has not been associated with other pathogens make it an ideal target for therapeutics/vaccines aiming at mycolactone neutralization and for the development of assays for the diagnosis of the disease.
Topics: Animals; Bacterial Toxins; Buruli Ulcer; Macrolides; Mycobacterium ulcerans
PubMed: 34643906
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1779-3_11 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2022Many pathogenic bacteria utilize glycan-based interactions to bind to host cells. Glycan array analysis and surface plasmon resonance are glycobioanalytical techniques...
Many pathogenic bacteria utilize glycan-based interactions to bind to host cells. Glycan array analysis and surface plasmon resonance are glycobioanalytical techniques that have been used to investigate the glycointeractions of a range of pathogens. The analysis of the glycointeractome, particularly the binding of host glycans by Mycobacteria, has been limited. In this chapter, we outline methodologies that have been successfully implemented for studying Mycobacterium ulcerans glycointeractions.
Topics: Mycobacterium ulcerans; Polysaccharides; Surface Plasmon Resonance
PubMed: 34643899
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1779-3_4 -
Tracing Mycobacterium ulcerans along an alimentary chain in Côte d'Ivoire: A one health perspective.PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases May 2020Mycobacterium ulcerans is an environmental mycobacterium responsible for an opportunistic, noncontagious tropical infection named Buruli ulcer that necrotizes the skin...
BACKGROUND
Mycobacterium ulcerans is an environmental mycobacterium responsible for an opportunistic, noncontagious tropical infection named Buruli ulcer that necrotizes the skin and the subcutaneous tissues. M. ulcerans is thought to penetrate through breached skin after contact with contaminated wetland environments, yet the exact biotopes where M. ulcerans occurs remain elusive, hence obscuring the epidemiological chain of transmission of this opportunistic pathogen.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Polymerase chain reaction investigations detected M. ulcerans in 39/46 (84.7%) rhizosphere specimens collected in 13 Buruli ulcer-endemic areas in Côte d'Ivoire and 3/20 (15%) specimens collected in a nonendemic area (P = 5.73.E-7); only 3/63 (4.7%) sediment specimens from sediment surrounding the rhizospheres were positive in endemic area (P = 6.51.E-12). High-throughput sequencing further detected three PCR-positive plants, Croton hirtus, Corton kongensis and Oriza sativa var. japonica (rice), in the rectal content of two M. ulcerans-positive wild Thryonomys swinderianus grasscutters that were hunted in Buruli ulcer-endemic areas, while no PCR-positive plants were detected in the rectal content of two negative control animals that were farmed in a nonendemic area.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
Our data suggest an alimentary chain of transmission of M. ulcerans from plants to T. swinderianus grasscutters and people that utilize T. swinderianus as bush meat in Buruli ulcer-endemic areas in Côte d'Ivoire. Guidance to adopt protective measures and avoid any direct contact with potentially contaminated rhizospheres and with grasscutter intestinal content when preparing the animals for cooking should be established for at-risk populations.
Topics: Animals; Buruli Ulcer; Cote d'Ivoire; Croton; Feces; Geologic Sediments; Humans; Mycobacterium ulcerans; One Health; Poaceae; Rodentia; Zoonoses
PubMed: 32463813
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008228 -
The British Journal of Dermatology Nov 2020
Topics: Buruli Ulcer; Humans; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous; Mycobacterium ulcerans
PubMed: 32470150
DOI: 10.1111/bjd.19260 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2022Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells have been characterized over decades and present many biological properties. Since it has been...
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells have been characterized over decades and present many biological properties. Since it has been shown that mycobacterial extracellular vesicles (MEVs) of M. ulcerans contain the macrolide toxin mycolactone, MEVs are known to be associated with the pathogenesis of mycobacteria. This chapter describes a method for purifying and characterizing vesicles from in vitro cultures of M. ulcerans. We also describe how purified vesicles can be used in cellular tests, to determine their role in the pathophysiology of M. ulcerans infection.
Topics: Bacterial Toxins; Buruli Ulcer; Extracellular Vesicles; Humans; Macrolides; Mycobacterium Infections; Mycobacterium ulcerans
PubMed: 34643900
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1779-3_5 -
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences :... Jul 2014Skin ulcers are most commonly due to circulatory or metabolic disorders and are a major public health concern. In developed countries, chronic wounds affect more than 1... (Review)
Review
Skin ulcers are most commonly due to circulatory or metabolic disorders and are a major public health concern. In developed countries, chronic wounds affect more than 1 % of the population and their incidence is expected to follow those observed for diabetes and obesity. In tropical and subtropical countries, an additional issue is the occurrence of ulcers of infectious origins with diverse etiologies. While the severity of cutaneous Leishmaniasis correlates with protective immune responses, Buruli ulcers caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans develop in the absence of major inflammation. Based on these two examples, this review aims to demonstrate how studies on microorganism-provoked wounds can provide insight into the molecular mechanisms controlling skin integrity. We highlight the potential interest of a mouse model of non-inflammatory skin ulceration caused by intradermal injection of mycolactone, an original lipid toxin with ulcerative and immunosuppressive properties produced by M. ulcerans.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Immunity, Active; Leishmania; Macrolides; Mice; Mycobacterium ulcerans; Skin Ulcer
PubMed: 24445815
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1561-z -
Biochemical Society Transactions Feb 2014Mycolactone is a polyketide macrolide lipid-like secondary metabolite synthesized by Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of BU (Buruli ulcer), and is the only... (Review)
Review
Mycolactone is a polyketide macrolide lipid-like secondary metabolite synthesized by Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of BU (Buruli ulcer), and is the only virulence factor for this pathogen identified to date. Prolonged exposure to high concentrations of mycolactone is cytotoxic to diverse mammalian cells (albeit with varying efficiency), whereas at lower doses it has a spectrum of immunosuppressive activities. Combined, these pleiotropic properties have a powerful influence on local and systemic cellular function that should explain the pathophysiology of BU disease. The last decade has seen significant advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects in a range of different cell types. The present review focuses on the current state of our knowledge of mycolactone function, and its molecular and cellular targets, and seeks to identify commonalities between the different functional and cellular systems. Since mycolactone influences fundamental cellular processes (cell division, cell death and inflammation), getting to the root of how mycolactone achieves this could have a profound impact on our understanding of eukaryotic cell biology.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Buruli Ulcer; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Immunity, Innate; Macrolides; Mycobacterium ulcerans; Protein Biosynthesis; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 24450648
DOI: 10.1042/BST20130133 -
The Pan African Medical Journal Aug 2013Buruli ulcer (BU) is a cutaneous neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Synthesizing the evidence on their efficacy of antibiotic in the management... (Review)
Review
Buruli ulcer (BU) is a cutaneous neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Synthesizing the evidence on their efficacy of antibiotic in the management of BU can help to better define their roles, identify weaknesses and inform clinicians on relevant measures than can be used to control BU. Our objectives is to assess the clinical efficacy of Rifampicin-Streptomycin given for 8 weeks of treatment of early M. ulcerans infection. We searched the following electronic databases from January 2005 to July 2012: Medline, EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Database), The Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), WHOLIS (World Health Organization Library Database), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences) and contacted experts in the field. There were no restrictions to language or publication status. All study designs that could provide the information we sought for were eligible provided the studies were conducted in the third world. Critical appraisal of all identified citations was done independently by three authors to establish the possible relevance of the articles for inclusion in the review. Of the 115 studies, 09 papers met the inclusion criteria. The duration of treatment ranged from 8 to 48 weeks depending on the severity. Oral chemotherapy alone obtained a curative rate of 50%. The "dual" mode of treatment (surgery + chemotherapy) reduced hospital admission period from 90 to 39.8 days, that's to 44.2%. This treatment for early stages could therefore replace surgery and in severe cases, is an indispensable aid before surgery. These results confirmed that the daily administration of Rifampicin and Streptomycin is an effective treatment for M. ulcerans infection in an early stage. Subsequent systematic reviews should be conducted to determine if antibiotics could heal injuries without resorting to surgery and to compare different treatment durations.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Drug Therapy, Combination; Hospitalization; Humans; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous; Mycobacterium ulcerans; Rifampin; Streptomycin; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 24396561
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2013.15.155.2341 -
PloS One 2020Mycobacterium ulcerans, a non-tuberculous mycobacterium responsible for Buruli ulcer, resides in poorly defined environmental niches in the vicinity of stagnant water....
Mycobacterium ulcerans, a non-tuberculous mycobacterium responsible for Buruli ulcer, resides in poorly defined environmental niches in the vicinity of stagnant water. Very few isolates have been confirmed. With a view to culturing M. ulcerans from such contaminated environmental specimens, we tested the in vitro susceptibility of the M. ulcerans CU001 strain co-cultivated with XTC cells to anti-infectious molecules registered in the French pharmacopoeia. We used a standardised concentration to identify molecules that were inactive against M. ulcerans and which could be incorporated into a decontaminating solution. Of 116 tested molecules, 64 (55.1%) molecules were ineffective against M. ulcerans CU001. These included 34 (29.3%) antibiotics, 14 (12%) antivirals, eight (6.8%) antiparasitics, and eight (6.8%) antifungals. This left 52 molecules which were active against M. ulcerans CU001. Three of the inactive antimicrobial molecules (oxytetracycline, polymyxin E and voriconazole) were then selected to prepare a decontamination solution which was shown to respect M. ulcerans CU001 viability. These three antimicrobials could be incorporated into a decontamination solution to potentially isolate and culture M. ulcerans from environmental samples.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Buruli Ulcer; Colistin; Humans; Mass Screening; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mycobacterium; Mycobacterium ulcerans; Oxytetracycline; Voriconazole
PubMed: 32760069
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231685