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Trends in Microbiology Aug 2022Invasive bacteria colonise their host tissues by establishing niches inside eukaryotic cells, where they grow either in the cytosol or inside a specialised vacuole.... (Review)
Review
Invasive bacteria colonise their host tissues by establishing niches inside eukaryotic cells, where they grow either in the cytosol or inside a specialised vacuole. These two distinct intracellular lifestyles both present benefits but also impose various constraints on pathogenic microorganisms, in terms of nutrient acquisition, space requirements, exposure to immune responses, and ability to disseminate. Here we review the major characteristics of cytosolic and vacuolar lifestyles and the strategies used by bacteria to overcome challenges specific to each compartment. Recent research providing evidence that these scenarios are not mutually exclusive is presented, with the dual lifestyles of two foodborne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium, discussed in detail. Finally, we elaborate on the conceptual implications of polyvalence from the perspective of host-pathogen interactions.
Topics: Cytosol; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Listeria monocytogenes; Salmonella typhimurium; Vacuoles
PubMed: 35168833
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.01.015 -
Journal of Applied Microbiology Jun 2018The aim of this review is to present the methodologies currently applied to identify microbiota and pathogens transmitted to humans through seafood consumption, focusing... (Review)
Review
The aim of this review is to present the methodologies currently applied to identify microbiota and pathogens transmitted to humans through seafood consumption, focusing on molecular techniques and pointing out their importance, advantages, disadvantages and applicability. Knowledge of available techniques allows researchers to identify which technique best fits their expectations. With such discernment, it will be possible to infer which disadvantages will be present and, therefore, not interfering with the final result. Two methodologies can be employed for this purpose, dependent and independent cultures. However, the dependent culture has certain limitations that can be solved through the independent cultivation techniques, such as PCR, PFGE and NGS, especially through the sequencing of the 16S rRNA region, providing a complete view of microbial diversity. These have revolutionized microbiological knowledge, mainly because they allow for the identification of uncultivable micro-organisms, which represent a substantial portion of total micro-organisms, making it possible to elucidate not yet described taxa which may display pathogenic potential, besides quantifying microbial communities, microbiota genetics, translated proteins and produced metabolites. In addition, transcriptomic and metabolomic techniques also allow for the evaluation of possible impacts that microbial communities may create in their environment, as well as the determination of potential pathogenicity to humans.
Topics: Bacteria; Foodborne Diseases; Humans; Microbiota; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Seafood; Sequence Analysis, DNA
PubMed: 29345036
DOI: 10.1111/jam.13701 -
Journal of Applied Genetics Feb 2016Bacteria from the Chlamydiales order have been long known, especially as pathogenic bacteria to humans and many animal species, principally including birds and mammals.... (Review)
Review
Bacteria from the Chlamydiales order have been long known, especially as pathogenic bacteria to humans and many animal species, principally including birds and mammals. But for slightly over 20 years, they have been identified in the aquatic environment as endosymbionts of amoebas and sea worms. For several years, they have also been recorded as a cause of diseases among fish, causing respiratory system infections in the form of epitheliocystis of the gill. At present, 11 chlamydia-like organisms pathogenic to fish have been described, including nine new ones, classified into six families, four of which are already known (Parachlamydiaceae, Rhabdochlamydiaceae, Candidatus Parilichlamydiaceae, Candidatus Clavichlamydiaceae) and two newly created families, namely Candidatus Actinochlamydiaceae and Candidatus Parilichlamydiaceae. This paper characterises 11 chlamydia-like organisms, as well as seven isolates not classified into families, which are pathogenic to fish, presenting their genetical properties allowing for their classification, as well as morphological properties and diseases caused.
Topics: Animals; Chlamydiales; Fish Diseases; Fishes; Phylogeny
PubMed: 26160214
DOI: 10.1007/s13353-015-0303-8 -
FEMS Microbiology Ecology May 2014Seaweed-associated bacteria play a crucial role in morphogenesis and growth of seaweeds (macroalgae) in direct and/or indirect ways. Bacterial communities belonging to... (Review)
Review
Seaweed-associated bacteria play a crucial role in morphogenesis and growth of seaweeds (macroalgae) in direct and/or indirect ways. Bacterial communities belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes are generally the most abundant on seaweed surfaces. Associated bacterial communities produce plant growth-promoting substances, quorum sensing signalling molecules, bioactive compounds and other effective molecules that are responsible for normal morphology, development and growth of seaweeds. Also, bioactive molecules of associated bacteria determine the presence of other bacterial strains on seaweeds and protect the host from harmful entities present in the pelagic realm. The ecological functions of cross-domain signalling between seaweeds and bacteria have been reported as liberation of carpospores in the red seaweeds and settlement of zoospores in the green seaweeds. In the present review, the role of extracellular polymeric substances in growth and settlement of seaweeds spores is also highlighted. To elucidate the functional roles of associated bacteria and the molecular mechanisms underlying reported ecological phenomena in seaweeds requires a combined ecological, microbiological and biochemical approach.
Topics: Bacteria; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Proteobacteria; Quorum Sensing; Seaweed
PubMed: 24512602
DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12297 -
Archives of Microbiology Aug 2021A homeostatic balance exists between the resident microbiota in the oral cavity and the host. Perturbations of the oral microbiota under particular conditions can... (Review)
Review
A homeostatic balance exists between the resident microbiota in the oral cavity and the host. Perturbations of the oral microbiota under particular conditions can contribute to the growth of non-oral pathogens that are hard to kill because of their higher resistance to antimicrobials, raising the probability of treatment failure and reinfection. The presence of these bacteria in the oral cavity has been proven to be associated with several oral diseases such as periodontitis, caries, and gingivitis, and systemic diseases of importance in clinical medicine such as cystic fibrosis, HIV, and rheumatoid arthritis. However, it is still controversial whether these species are merely transient members or unique to the oral cavity. Mutualistic and antagonistic interactions between the oral microbiota and non-oral pathogens can also occur, though the mechanisms used by these bacteria are not clear. Therefore, this review presents an overview of the current knowledge about the presence of non-oral bacteria in the oral cavity, their relationship with systemic and oral diseases, and their interactions with oral bacteria.
Topics: Bacteria; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Mouth
PubMed: 33791834
DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02300-y -
Blood Jul 2015Humans are now understood to be in complex symbiosis with a diverse ecosystem of microbial organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Efforts to characterize the... (Review)
Review
Humans are now understood to be in complex symbiosis with a diverse ecosystem of microbial organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Efforts to characterize the role of these microorganisms, commonly referred as the microbiota, in human health have sought to answer the fundamental questions of what organisms are present, how are they functioning to interact with human cells, and by what mechanism are these interactions occurring. In this review, we describe recent efforts to describe the microbiota in healthy and diseased individuals, summarize the role of various molecular technologies (ranging from 16S ribosomal RNA to shotgun metagenomic sequencing) in enumerating the community structure of the microbiota, and explore known interactions between the microbiota and humans, with a focus on the microbiota's role in hematopoiesis and hematologic diseases.
Topics: Bacteria; Fungi; Hematologic Diseases; Hematopoiesis; Humans; Microbiota
PubMed: 26012569
DOI: 10.1182/blood-2015-04-574392 -
Discovery Medicine May 2017From a historical perspective, intriguing assumptions about unknown "live units" in human blood have attracted the attention of researchers, reflecting their desire to... (Review)
Review
From a historical perspective, intriguing assumptions about unknown "live units" in human blood have attracted the attention of researchers, reflecting their desire to define a new class of microorganisms. Thus, the concept of "blood microbiota" brings about many questions about the nature, origin, and biological significance of the "unusual microbial cohabitants" in human blood. In contrast to current views that bloodstream in healthy humans is sterile, the hypothesis about the existence of microbes as L-forms (cell wall deficient bacteria) in human blood has evolved on the basis of known facts about their unique biology, as observed in our studies and those of other authors. Recently, we reported that bacterial L-forms persist in the human blood and that filterable, self-replicating bodies with a virus-like size of 100 nm are able to cross the maternal-fetal barrier by vertically transmitted pathway, then enter fetus blood circulation and colonize newborns. Subjects discussed here include the following: Is the existence of L-form bacteria in human blood a natural phenomenon? Are L-form bacteria commensal cohabitants in the human body? Since blood is an unfavorable compartment for the classical bacteria and their propagation, how do L-forms survive in blood circulation? How does L-form microbiota in blood influence the host immune system and contribute to systemic inflammatory, autoimmune, and tumor diseases? The current commentary presents the topic of "human microbiota and L-form bacteria" in its microcosm. It contains details of the hypothesis, supporting evidence and important implications.
Topics: Bacteria; Blood; Disease; Health; Humans; Immune System; L Forms; Microbiota
PubMed: 28715646
DOI: No ID Found -
Microbial Biotechnology Nov 2011Bacteriophages are one of the most abundant entities on the planet and are present in high concentrations within humans and animals, mostly in the gut. Phages that... (Review)
Review
Bacteriophages are one of the most abundant entities on the planet and are present in high concentrations within humans and animals, mostly in the gut. Phages that infect intestinal bacteria are released by defecation and remain free in extra-intestinal environments, where they usually persist for longer than their bacterial hosts. Recent studies indicate that a large amount of the genetic information in bacterial genomes and in natural environments is of phage origin. In addition, metagenomic analysis reveals that a substantial number of bacterial genes are present in viral DNA in different environments. These facts support the belief that phages can play a significant role in horizontal gene transfer between bacteria. Bacteriophages are known to transfer genes by generalized and specialized transduction and indeed there are some examples of phages found in the environment carrying and transducing genes of bacterial origin. A successful transduction in the environment requires certain conditions, e.g. phage and bacterial numbers need to exceed certain threshold concentrations, the bacteria need to exist in an infection-competent physiological state, and lastly, the physical conditions in the environment (pH, temperature, etc. of the supporting matrix) have to be suitable for phage infection. All three factors are reviewed here, and the available information suggests: (i) that the number of intestinal bacteria and phages in faecally contaminated environments guarantees bacteria-phage encounters, (ii) that transduction to intestinal bacteria in the environment is probable, and (iii) that transduction is more frequent than previously thought. Therefore, we suggest that phage-mediated horizontal transfer between intestinal bacteria, or between intestinal and autochthonous bacteria in extra-intestinal environments, might take place and that its relevance for the emergence of new bacterial strains and potential pathogens should not be ignored.
Topics: Bacteria; Bacteriophages; Environmental Microbiology; Gene Transfer, Horizontal; Sewage; Transduction, Genetic
PubMed: 21535427
DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-7915.2011.00264.x -
Biochemistry. Biokhimiia Dec 2017The biological functions of bacteriophage virions come down to the solution of three basic problems: to provide protection of viral nucleic acid from the factors of... (Review)
Review
The biological functions of bacteriophage virions come down to the solution of three basic problems: to provide protection of viral nucleic acid from the factors of extracellular environment, to recognize a host suitable for phage replication, and to provide the delivery of nucleic acid through bacterial cell envelopes. This review considers the main regularities of phage-cell interaction at the initial stages of infection of tailed bacteriophages, from the reversible binding with receptors on the surface to the beginning of phage DNA entry. Data on the structure and functions of the phage adsorption apparatus, the main quantitative characteristics of the adsorption process, and the mechanisms of adaptation of phages and their hosts to each other effective at the stage of adsorption are presented.
Topics: Adsorption; Bacteria; Bacteriophages; Virion; Virus Internalization
PubMed: 29523063
DOI: 10.1134/S0006297917130053 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2021This study reports a novel, fast, easy, and sensitive detection method for bacteria which is urgently needed to diagnose infections in their early stages. Our work...
This study reports a novel, fast, easy, and sensitive detection method for bacteria which is urgently needed to diagnose infections in their early stages. Our work presents a complex of poly(amidoamine) dendrimer modified by phenylboronic acid and labeled by a fluorescent dansyl group (Dan-B8.5-PAMAM). Our system detects bacteria in 20 min with a sensitivity of approximately 10 colony-forming units (CFU)·mL. Moreover, it does not require any peculiar technical skills or expensive materials. The driving force for bacteria recognition is the binding between terminal phenylboronic acids on the probe and bacteria's surface glycolipids, rather than electrostatic interactions. The aggregation caused by such binding reduces fluorescence. Even though our recognition method does not distinguish between live or dead bacteria, it shows selective antibacterial activity towards Gram-negative bacteria. This study may potentially contribute a new method for the convenient detection and killing of bacteria.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Boronic Acids; Coloring Agents; Dendrimers; Gram-Negative Bacteria
PubMed: 33946193
DOI: 10.3390/s21093115