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Toxins Mar 2016Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen and the leading cause of a wide range of severe clinical infections. The range of diseases reflects the diversity of... (Review)
Review
Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen and the leading cause of a wide range of severe clinical infections. The range of diseases reflects the diversity of virulence factors produced by this pathogen. To establish an infection in the host, S. aureus expresses an inclusive set of virulence factors such as toxins, enzymes, adhesins, and other surface proteins that allow the pathogen to survive under extreme conditions and are essential for the bacteria's ability to spread through tissues. Expression and secretion of this array of toxins and enzymes are tightly controlled by a number of regulatory systems. S. aureus is also notorious for its ability to resist the arsenal of currently available antibiotics and dissemination of various multidrug-resistant S. aureus clones limits therapeutic options for a S. aureus infection. Recently, the development of anti-virulence therapeutics that neutralize S. aureus toxins or block the pathways that regulate toxin production has shown potential in thwarting the bacteria's acquisition of antibiotic resistance. In this review, we provide insights into the regulation of S. aureus toxin production and potential anti-virulence strategies that target S. aureus toxins.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Caenorhabditis elegans; Humans; Staphylococcus aureus; Toxins, Biological; Virulence; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 26999200
DOI: 10.3390/toxins8030072 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Oct 2018Owing to the increased cost-effectiveness of high-throughput technologies, the number of studies focusing on the human microbiome and its connections to human health and... (Review)
Review
Owing to the increased cost-effectiveness of high-throughput technologies, the number of studies focusing on the human microbiome and its connections to human health and disease has recently surged. However, best practices in microbiology and clinical research have yet to be clearly established. Here, we present an overview of the challenges and opportunities involved in conducting a metagenomic study, with a particular focus on data processing and analytical methods.
Topics: Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Clinical Protocols; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Metagenomics; Microbiology
PubMed: 30078138
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9209-9 -
Microbiology Spectrum Oct 2021Colonization of textiles and subsequent metabolic degradation of sweat and sebum components by axillary skin bacteria cause the characteristic sweat malodor and...
Colonization of textiles and subsequent metabolic degradation of sweat and sebum components by axillary skin bacteria cause the characteristic sweat malodor and discoloring of dirty clothes. Once inside the textile, the bacteria can form biofilms that are hard to remove by conventional washing. When the biofilm persists after washing, the textiles retain the sweat odor. To design biofilm removal and prevention strategies, the bacterial behavior needs to be understood in depth. Here, we aim to study the bacterial behavior in each of the four stages of the bacterial life cycle in textiles: adhesion, growth, drying, and washing. To accomplish this, we designed a novel model to mimic physiological sweating in cotton and polyester textiles, in which many of the parameters that influence bacterial behavior could be controlled. Due to the higher hydrophobicity, polyester adhered more bacteria and absorbed more sebum, the bacteria's primary nutrient source. Bacteria were therefore also more active in polyester textiles. However, polyester did not bind water as well as cotton. The increased water content of cotton allowed some species to retain a higher activity after the textile had dried. However, none of the textiles retained enough water upon drying to prevent the bacteria from adhering irreversibly to the textile fibers. This work demonstrates that bacterial colonization of textiles depends partially on the hydrophobic and hygroscopic properties of the textile material, indicating that it might be possible to direct bacterial behavior in a more favorable direction by modifying these surface properties. During sweating, bacteria from the skin enter the worn textile along with the sweat. Once inside the clothes, the bacteria produce sweat malodor and form colonies that are extremely hard to remove by washing. Over time, this leads to a decreasing textile quality and consumer comfort. To design prevention and removal mechanisms, we investigated the behavior of bacteria during the four stages of their life cycle in textiles: adhesion, growth, drying, and washing. The bacterial behavior in textiles during all four stages is found to be affected by the textile's ability to bind water and fat. The study indicates that sweat malodor and bacterial accumulation in textiles over time can be reduced by making the textiles more repellant to water and fat.
Topics: Bacteria; Bacterial Adhesion; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Biofilms; Clothing; Humans; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Polyesters; Sebum; Skin; Textiles
PubMed: 34643452
DOI: 10.1128/Spectrum.01185-21 -
Journal of Dairy Science May 2024The source of infection of digital dermatitis (DD), an infectious lameness condition, is still uncertain. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to identify potential...
The source of infection of digital dermatitis (DD), an infectious lameness condition, is still uncertain. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to identify potential reservoirs of DD bacteria in dairy cattle body sites with different stages of the disease and farm environments. We collected skin swabs from 85 dairy cows from 5 herds, 3 with and 2 without DD, from foot, hock, and udder cleft skin (with lesions or not), saliva, urine, and feces. We also obtained environmental samples. Real-time quantitative PCR targeted Treponema phagedenis, Treponema medium, Treponema pedis, Porphyromonas levii, Bacteroides pyogenes, Fusobacterium necrophorum, and Fusobacterium mortiferum. Digital dermatitis-associated Treponema spp. were exclusively detected in DD-affected herds in DD-foot and other skin lesions, healthy skin, saliva, and environmental samples. In contrast, the non-Treponema spp. were found in samples from both DD-negative and affected herds. As expected, DD lesions had higher bacterial loads than healthy skin. Interestingly, similar counts were observed in udder cleft lesions, indicating a potential opportunistic behavior on compromised skin. None of the targeted species were detected in fecal samples, but P. levii, B. pyogenes, and F. necrophorum were detected in urine. All 7 species were detected in saliva, although in low quantities. No associations were observed between the presence of each bacterial species in DD lesions and urine; however, there was an association between the presence of DD-Treponema spp. in lesions and saliva, hock, and udder skin. Feces and urine do not seem to be a DD bacteria primary source, but saliva and other skin lesions may play a role. Longitudinal studies would improve our understanding of DD-associated bacteria's transient or persistent presence in these sites. Investigating the sources of DD-associated bacteria will guide future interventions to minimize bacterial shedding and transmission, ultimately more effectively reducing bacterial load, transmission, and sources of infection in dairy herds.
Topics: Cattle; Female; Animals; Digital Dermatitis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Farms; Treponema; Bacteria; Skin Diseases; Cattle Diseases
PubMed: 38135044
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24160 -
Brazilian Journal of Microbiology :... Jun 2015The occurrence of psychrotrophic bacteria in raw milk is studied worldwide due to the difficulties associated with controlling their growth during cold storage and the... (Review)
Review
The occurrence of psychrotrophic bacteria in raw milk is studied worldwide due to the difficulties associated with controlling their growth during cold storage and the consequent negative effects upon fluid milk or dairy products. Among the psychrotrophic bacteria, the genus Pseudomonas (represented primarily by P. fluorescens) has been highlighted as the cause of numerous defects in dairy products. In light of its perceived predominance, this species has frequently been chosen as a model organism to assess the effects of psychrotrophic bacteria on milk or to evaluate the efficacy of control measures. However, recent findings derived from the application of molecular biological techniques have exposed a number of deficiencies in our knowledge of the biology of milk-associated psychrotrophs. Furthermore, it has been revealed that microbe to microbe communication plays a significant role in determining both the identities and the extent to which different groups of microbes develop during cold storage. The application of molecular identification methods has exposed errors in the classification of members of the genus Pseudomonas isolated from cold stored milk and has stimulated a reevaluation of the presumed status of P. fluorescens as the predominant milk-associated psychrotrophic species. This article presents a succinct review of data from studies on psychrotrophic bacteria in milk, some of which contest established theories in relation to the microbiology of cold stored raw milk, and poses the question: how much do we really know?
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Biodiversity; Cold Temperature; Milk
PubMed: 26273245
DOI: 10.1590/S1517-838246220130963 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2023Polymicrobial infections include various microorganisms, often necessitating different treatment methods than a monomicrobial infection. Scientists have been puzzled by... (Review)
Review
Polymicrobial infections include various microorganisms, often necessitating different treatment methods than a monomicrobial infection. Scientists have been puzzled by the complex interactions within these communities for generations. The presence of specific microorganisms warrants a chronic infection and impacts crucial factors such as virulence and antibiotic susceptibility. Game theory is valuable for scenarios involving multiple decision-makers, but its relevance to polymicrobial infections is limited. Eco-evolutionary dynamics introduce causation for multiple proteomic interactions like metabolic syntropy and niche segregation. The review culminates both these giants to form evolutionary dynamics (ED). There is a significant amount of literature on inter-bacterial interactions that remain unsynchronised. Such raw data can only be moulded by analysing the ED involved. The review culminates the inter-bacterial interactions in multiple clinically relevant polymicrobial infections like chronic wounds, CAUTI, otitis media and dental carries. The data is further moulded with ED to analyse the niche colonisation of two notoriously competitive bacteria: and . The review attempts to develop a future trajectory for polymicrobial research by following recent innovative strategies incorporating ED to curb polymicrobial infections.
Topics: Humans; Coinfection; Proteomics; Staphylococcus aureus; Bacteria; Virulence; Pseudomonas aeruginosa
PubMed: 38145044
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1295063 -
FEMS Microbiology Ecology Jun 2014All animals and plants have intimate associations with microbes. Opinion has shifted from viewing microbes primarily as pathogens to the idea that healthy animals and...
All animals and plants have intimate associations with microbes. Opinion has shifted from viewing microbes primarily as pathogens to the idea that healthy animals and plants carry specialized communities of coevolving microorganisms. However, the generality of this proposition is unknown because surveys rarely compare host-associated microbes with samples from relevant microhabitats. Symbiotic communities might be assembled from local environments with little evolutionary specialization. We evaluated the specificity of bacteria associated with salamander skin in comparison with surfaces in their immediate environments using 16S rRNA sequences. Host-associated and free-living samples were significantly different. However, relative abundances were strongly correlated; the most abundant taxa on salamander skin were also most abundant on moist debris on the forest floor. Thus, although bacterial assemblages on salamander skin are statistically differentiated from those on inanimate surfaces, they are not entirely 'distinct'. Candidate salamander specialists were few in number and occurred at low relative abundances. Within some OTUs, differences in allele frequency suggested genetic specialization at finer levels. Although host-associated and free-living assemblages were similar, a range of more or less specialized symbiotes was evident and bacteria on salamander skin were often specific genotypes of OTUs commonly found on other moist surfaces in the environment.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Biodiversity; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Skin; Urodela
PubMed: 24606389
DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12314 -
Nutricion Hospitalaria Feb 2021Introduction: breast milk (MH) contains nutrients and bioactive compounds for child development, including probiotic bacteria, which contribute to intestinal maturation....
Introduction: breast milk (MH) contains nutrients and bioactive compounds for child development, including probiotic bacteria, which contribute to intestinal maturation. This benefit accompanies the individual until adulthood. There are new methods such as spray drying that give this compound a good conservation without loss of microbiota. Objective: the aim of this study was to analyze the viability of lactic acid bacteria isolated from human milk with probiotic potential after the spray drying process, as well as to evaluate the possible adhesion in the colon of mice of the Balb/C strain after feeding them powdered human milk and a commercial formula milk. Method: we isolated and identified the presence of lactic acid bacteria with possible probiotic potential in powdered human milk using the MALDI-TOF MS technique. Powdered human milk and a commercial formula milk were fed to mice of the Bald/C strain for 14 weeks. Glucose level and weight were measured in the mice. The feces were collected to verify the presence of lactic bacteria. The mice were sacrificed and their intestines were weighed, isolating the lactic acid bacteria both from the intestines and from the feces. The strains isolated from mice fed human milk were evaluated for their probiotic potential, analyzing their ability to inhibit pathogens, resistance to pH, temperature, adhesion, and hydrophobicity. Results: the presence of Lactobacillus fermentum LH01, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LH02, Lactobacullis reuteri LH03, and Lactobacillus plantarum LH05 in powdered human milk was identified. All strains showed a possible probiotic profile due to the ability of bacteria to resist low pH, bile salts, and exposure to gastric enzymes, as well as their hydrophobicity and self-aggregation capacity, and their failure to show hemagglutination or hemolysis activity in a culture medium rich in erythrocytes. We observed that the consumption of powdered human milk prevented weight gain and constipation in mice. Conclusions: after spray drying, strains with possible probiotic potential may be preserved in human milk. The consumption of powdered human milk with probiotic bacteria prevents constipation and weight gain in mice, when compared to those fed a commercial formula milk.
Topics: Animals; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Blood Glucose; Body Weight; Feces; Humans; Intestines; Lactobacillales; Limosilactobacillus fermentum; Lactobacillus plantarum; Limosilactobacillus reuteri; Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus; Male; Mexico; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Milk, Human; Powders; Probiotics; Spray Drying
PubMed: 33319576
DOI: 10.20960/nh.03335 -
TheScientificWorldJournal Mar 2002The results of numerous studies indicate that fish possess bacterial populations on or in their skin, gills, digestive tract, and light-emitting organs. In addition, the... (Review)
Review
The results of numerous studies indicate that fish possess bacterial populations on or in their skin, gills, digestive tract, and light-emitting organs. In addition, the internal organs (kidney, liver, and spleen) of healthy fish may contain bacteria, but there is debate on whether or not muscle is actually sterile. The numbers and taxonomic composition of the bacterial populations often reflect those of the surrounding water. The role of the bacteria includes the ability to degrade complex molecules (therefore exercising a potential benefit in nutrition), to produce vitamins and polymers, and to be responsible for the emission of light by the light-emitting organs of deep-sea fish. Taxa, including Pseudomonas, may contribute to spoilage by the production of histamines in fish tissue.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Fish Diseases; Fishes; Humans
PubMed: 12805983
DOI: 10.1100/tsw.2002.137 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2022Neurodegenerative protein conformational diseases are characterized by the misfolding and aggregation of metastable proteins encoded within the host genome. The host is...
Neurodegenerative protein conformational diseases are characterized by the misfolding and aggregation of metastable proteins encoded within the host genome. The host is also home to thousands of proteins encoded within exogenous genomes harbored by bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Yet, their contributions to host protein-folding homeostasis, or proteostasis, remain elusive. Recent studies, including our previous work, suggest that bacterial products contribute to the toxic aggregation of endogenous host proteins. We refer to these products as bacteria-derived protein aggregates (BDPAs). Furthermore, antibiotics were recently associated with an increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-possibly by virtue of altering the composition of the human gut microbiota. Other studies have shown a negative correlation between disease progression and antibiotic administration, supporting their protective effect against neurodegenerative diseases. These contradicting studies emphasize the complexity of the human gut microbiota, the gut-brain axis, and the effect of antibiotics. Here, we further our understanding of bacteria's effect on host protein folding using the model . We employed genetic and chemical methods to demonstrate that the proteotoxic effect of bacteria on host protein folding correlates with the presence of BDPAs. Furthermore, the abundance and proteotoxicity of BDPAs are influenced by gentamicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic that induces protein misfolding, and by butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that we previously found to affect host protein aggregation and the associated toxicity. Collectively, these results increase our understanding of host-bacteria interactions in the context of protein conformational diseases.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Caenorhabditis elegans; Humans; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Protein Aggregates; Protein Folding; Proteins; Proteostasis; Proteostasis Deficiencies
PubMed: 35563197
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094807