970 resultados para Facteurs de virulence


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Salmonella enterica causes a range of life-threatening diseases in humans and animals worldwide. Current treatments for S. enterica infections are not sufficiently effective, and there is a need to develop new vaccines and therapeutics. An understanding of how S. enterica spreads in tissues has very important implications for targeting bacteria with vaccine-induced immune responses and antimicrobial drugs. Development of new control strategies would benefit from a more sophisticated evaluation of bacterial location, spatiotemporal patterns of spread and distribution in the tissues, and sites of microbial persistence. We review here recent studies of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) infections in mice, an established model of systemic typhoid fever in humans, which suggest that continuous bacterial spread to new infection foci and host phagocytes is an essential trait in the virulence of S. enterica during systemic infections. We further highlight how infections within host tissues are truly heterogeneous processes despite the fact that they are caused by the expansion of a genetically homogeneous microbial population. We conclude by discussing how understanding the within-host quantitative, spatial and temporal dynamics of S. enterica infections might aid the development of novel targeted preventative measures and drug regimens.

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The Vi capsular polysaccharide is a virulence-associated factor expressed by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi but absent from virtually all other Salmonella serotypes. In order to study this determinant in vivo, we characterised a Vi-positive S. Typhimurium (C5.507 Vi(+)), harbouring the Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-7, which encodes the Vi locus. S. Typhimurium C5.507 Vi(+) colonised and persisted in mice at similar levels compared to the parent strain, S. Typhimurium C5. However, the innate immune response to infection with C5.507 Vi(+) and SGB1, an isogenic derivative not expressing Vi, differed markedly. Infection with C5.507 Vi(+) resulted in a significant reduction in cellular trafficking of innate immune cells, including PMN and NK cells, compared to SGB1 Vi(-) infected animals. C5.507 Vi(+) infection stimulated reduced numbers of TNF-α, MIP-2 and perforin producing cells compared to SGB1 Vi(-). The modulating effect associated with Vi was not observed in MyD88(-/-) and was reduced in TLR4(-/-) mice. The presence of the Vi capsule also correlated with induction of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in vivo, a factor that impacted on chemotaxis and the activation of immune cells in vitro.

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El contenido de este trabajo deriva del proyecto de investigación UE-1998-23, «Oferta y Demanda de Formación en Gestión Empresarial para Directivos en la CAPV» y del contrato de investigación «Análisis de la Oferta de Formación en Gestión y en Gestión del Conocimiento». El proyecto era perteneciente a la convocatoria de 1998 de ayudas del Gobierno Vasco a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovacion Tecnológica entre Universidades y Empresas, en su elaboración y desarrollo participaron la Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, la Universidad de Deusto (ESTE) y el Cluster del Conocimiento, como empresa.

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[ES]En este artículo se pasa revista y se analizan los distintos factores que contribuyeron a la construcción de un discurso homofóbico por parte de la sociedad europea a partir del siglo XIII. Se centra la atención especialmente en la homosexualidad masculina.

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Microbe-Associated Molecular Patterns and virulence effectors are recognized by plants as a first step to mount a defence response against potential pathogens. This recognition involves a large family of extracellular membrane receptors and other immune proteins located in different sub-cellular compartments. We have used phage-display technology to express and select for Arabidopsis proteins able to bind bacterial pathogens. To rapidly identify microbe-bound phage, we developed a monitoring method based on microarrays. This combined strategy allowed for a genome-wide screening of plant proteins involved in pathogen perception. Two phage libraries for high-throughput selection were constructed from cDNA of plants infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14, or from combined samples of the virulent isolate DC3000 of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and its avirulent variant avrRpt2. These three pathosystems represent different degrees in the specificity of plant-microbe interactions. Libraries cover up to 26107 different plant transcripts that can be displayed as functional proteins on the surface of T7 bacteriophage. A number of these were selected in a bio-panning assay for binding to Pseudomonas cells. Among the selected clones we isolated the ethylene response factor ATERF-1, which was able to bind the three bacterial strains in competition assays. ATERF-1 was rapidly exported from the nucleus upon infiltration of either alive or heat-killed Pseudomonas. Moreover, aterf-1 mutants exhibited enhanced susceptibility to infection. These findings suggest that ATERF-1 contains a microbe-recognition domain with a role in plant defence. To identify other putative pathogen-binding proteins on a genome-wide scale, the copy number of selected-vs.-total clones was compared by hybridizing phage cDNAs with Arabidopsis microarrays. Microarray analysis revealed a set of 472 candidates with significant fold change. Within this set defence-related genes, including well-known targets of bacterial effectors, are over-represented. Other genes non-previously related to defence can be associated through this study with general or strain-specific recognition of Pseudomonas.

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Bordetella pertussis, the whooping cough pathogen, secretes several virulence factors among which adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT) is essential for establishment of the disease in the respiratory tract. ACT weakens host defenses by suppressing important bactericidal activities of the phagocytic cells. Up to now, it was believed that cell intoxication by ACT was a consequence of the accumulation of abnormally high levels of cAMP, generated exclusively beneath the host plasma membrane by the toxin N-terminal catalytic adenylate cyclase (AC) domain, upon its direct translocation across the lipid bilayer. Here we show that host calpain, a calcium-dependent Cys-protease, is activated into the phagocytes by a toxin-triggered calcium rise, resulting in the proteolytic cleavage of the toxin N-terminal domain that releases a catalytically active "soluble AC''. The calpain-mediated ACT processing allows trafficking of the "soluble AC'' domain into subcellular organella. At least two strategic advantages arise from this singular toxin cleavage, enhancing the specificity of action, and simultaneously preventing an indiscriminate activation of cAMP effectors throughout the cell. The present study provides novel insights into the toxin mechanism of action, as the calpain-mediated toxin processing would confer ACT the capacity for a space- and time-coordinated production of different cAMP "pools'', which would play different roles in the cell pathophysiology.

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Background: The diagnosis of invasive candidiasis is difficult because there are no specific clinical manifestations of the disease and colonization and infection are difficult to distinguish. In the last decade, much effort has been made to develop reliable tests for rapid diagnosis of invasive candidiasis, but none of them have found widespread clinical use. Results: Antibodies against a recombinant N-terminal fragment of the Candida albicans germ tube-specific antigen hyphal wall protein 1 (Hwp1) generated in Escherichia coli were detected by both immunoblotting and ELISA tests in a group of 36 hematological or Intensive Care Unit patients with invasive candidiasis and in a group of 45 control patients at high risk for the mycosis who did not have clinical or microbiological data to document invasive candidiasis. Results were compared with an immunofluorescence test to detect antibodies to C. albicans germ tubes (CAGT). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of a diagnostic test based on the detection of antibodies against the N-terminal fragment of Hwp1 by immunoblotting were 27.8 %, 95.6 %, 83.3 % and 62.3 %, respectively. Detection of antibodies to the N-terminal fragment of Hwp1 by ELISA increased the sensitivity (88.9 %) and the negative predictive value (90.2 %) but slightly decreased the specificity (82.6 %) and positive predictive values (80 %). The kinetics of antibody response to the N-terminal fragment of Hwp1 by ELISA was very similar to that observed by detecting antibodies to CAGT. Conclusion: An ELISA test to detect antibodies against a recombinant N-terminal fragment of the C. albicans germ tube cell wall antigen Hwp1 allows the diagnosis of invasive candidiasis with similar results to those obtained by detecting antibodies to CAGT but without the need of treating the sera to adsorb the antibodies against the cell wall surface of the blastospore.

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[ES] Las personas con discapacidades son un grupo heterogéneo de población, con una amplia variedad en factores que afectan a sus hábitos alimentarios y a su estado nutricional. Los resultados del presente estudio ponen en evidencia que la alimentación que reciben los pacientes estudiados no cumple las recomendaciones nutricionales establecidas por organismos nacionales e internacionales.

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Sporothrix schenckii é um fungo dimórfico e agente etiológico da esporotricose, uma micose profunda que apresenta diferentes manifestações clínicas. As diversas manifestações clínicas desta e de outras doenças infecciosas podem ser relacionadas ao status imune do hospedeiro, a fatores de virulência do patógeno ou a diferentes genótipos. Dados anteriores do nosso grupo demonstram que diferenças na expressão de adesinas do S. schenckii para fibronectina estão diretamente relacionadas à virulência de diferentes cepas. Neste trabalho visamos avaliar caracteres morfológicos bioquímicos e genotípicos de doze isolados de geofílicos, zoofílicos e antropofílicos de S. schenckii, de diferentes origens geográficas, que apresentam diferentes graus de virulência. Foi analisada a morfologia das formas de micélio e levedura de cada isolado. Foi observado que a fase de micélio dos isolados estudados apresentaram morfologia típica com hifas finas e septadas, com conídios obovóides ou ovóides alongados. As leveduras apresentaram pleomorfismo típico da espécie, com células variando do formato ovóide ao alongado. Verificamos ainda a expressão de adesinas para fibronectina e laminina, do antígeno gp70 e, o padrão de bandas antigênicas reconhecidas por anticorpos IgG presentes em soro de pacientes com esporotricose ou de camundongos infectados. Para isso, foram extraídas proteínas de superfície da forma de levedura de cada isolada, sendo os extratos ensaiados por Western blot. Nestes ensaios observamos que os isolados mais virulentos de S. schenckii expressavam mais adesinas para fibronectina e laminina. A presença da gp70 foi detectada em dez dos doze isolados, sendo que apenas os isolados zoofílicos não expressam esta glicoproteína. O padrão antigênico foi variável entre os isolados, não havendo clara relação com a origem e/ou distribuição geográfica. Os dados fenotípicos foram confrontados com dados genotípicos. Para isso, sequenciamos os loci da calmodulina (CAL) e do Internal Transcribed Spacer 1/2 (ITS 1/2) a fim de averiguar se haviam diferenças genotípicas entre os isolados estudados. As análises do sequenciamento do loci CAL e ITS, contudo, apontam a divisão dos isolados em duas espécies filogenéticas, S. schenckii e S. brasiliensis não correlacionada com a distribuição geográfica dos mesmos. Nosso estudo reforça a hipótese de haver uma correlação entre virulência e expressão de adesinas, porém, sem qualquer relação entre a distribuição geográfica dos isolados zoofilicos, antropofílicos ou geofílicos, bem como dos genótipos encontrados.

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DNA charge transport (CT) involves the efficient transfer of electrons or electron holes through the DNA π-stack over long molecular distances of at least 100 base-pairs. Despite this shallow distance dependence, DNA CT is sensitive to mismatches or lesions that disrupt π-stacking and is critically dependent on proper electronic coupling of the donor and acceptor moieties into the base stack. Favorable DNA CT is very rapid, occurring on the picosecond timescale. Because of this speed, electron holes equilibrate along the DNA π-stack, forming a characteristic pattern of DNA damage at low oxidation potential guanine multiplets. Furthermore, DNA CT may be used in a biological context. DNA processing enzymes with 4Fe4S clusters can perform DNA-mediated electron transfer (ET) self-exchange reactions with other 4Fe4S cluster proteins, even if the proteins are quite dissimilar, as long as the DNA-bound [4Fe4S]3+/2+ redox potentials are conserved. This mechanism would allow low copy number DNA repair proteins to find their lesions efficiently within the cell. DNA CT may also be used biologically for the long-range, selective activation of redox-active transcription factors. Within this work, we pursue other proteins that may utilize DNA CT within the cell and further elucidate aspects of the DNA-mediated ET self-exchange reaction of 4Fe4S cluster proteins.

Dps proteins, bacterial mini-ferritins that protect DNA from oxidative stress, are implicated in the survival and virulence of pathogenic bacteria. One aspect of their protection involves ferroxidase activity, whereby ferrous iron is bound and oxidized selectively by hydrogen peroxide, thereby preventing formation of damaging hydroxyl radicals via Fenton chemistry. Understanding the specific mechanism by which Dps proteins protect the bacterial genome could inform the development of new antibiotics. We investigate whether DNA-binding E. coli Dps can utilize DNA CT to protect the genome from a distance. An intercalating ruthenium photooxidant was employed to generate oxidative DNA damage via the flash-quench technique, which localizes to a low potential guanine triplet. We find that Dps loaded with ferrous iron, in contrast to Apo-Dps and ferric iron-loaded Dps which lack available reducing equivalents, significantly attenuates the yield of oxidative DNA damage at the guanine triplet. These data demonstrate that ferrous iron-loaded Dps is selectively oxidized to fill guanine radical holes, thereby restoring the integrity of the DNA. Luminescence studies indicate no direct interaction between the ruthenium photooxidant and Dps, supporting the DNA-mediated oxidation of ferrous iron-loaded Dps. Thus DNA CT may be a mechanism by which Dps efficiently protects the genome of pathogenic bacteria from a distance.

Further work focused on spectroscopic characterization of the DNA-mediated oxidation of ferrous iron-loaded Dps. X-band EPR was used to monitor the oxidation of DNA-bound Dps after DNA photooxidation via the flash-quench technique. Upon irradiation with poly(dGdC)2, a signal arises with g = 4.3, consistent with the formation of mononuclear high-spin Fe(III) sites of low symmetry, the expected oxidation product of Dps with one iron bound at each ferroxidase site. When poly(dGdC)2 is substituted with poly(dAdT)2, the yield of Dps oxidation is decreased significantly, indicating that guanine radicals facilitate Dps oxidation. The more favorable oxidation of Dps by guanine radicals supports the feasibility of a long-distance protection mechanism via DNA CT where Dps is oxidized to fill guanine radical holes in the bacterial genome produced by reactive oxygen species.

We have also explored possible electron transfer intermediates in the DNA-mediated oxidation of ferrous iron-loaded Dps. Dps proteins contain a conserved tryptophan residue in close proximity to the ferroxidase site (W52 in E. coli Dps). In comparison to WT Dps, in EPR studies of the oxidation of ferrous iron-loaded Dps following DNA photooxidation, W52Y and W52A mutants were deficient in forming the characteristic EPR signal at g = 4.3, with a larger deficiency for W52A compared to W52Y. In addition to EPR, we also probed the role of W52 Dps in cells using a hydrogen peroxide survival assay. Bacteria containing W52Y Dps survived the hydrogen peroxide challenge more similarly to those containing WT Dps, whereas cells with W52A Dps died off as quickly as cells without Dps. Overall, these results suggest the possibility of W52 as a CT hopping intermediate.

DNA-modified electrodes have become an essential tool for the study of the redox chemistry of DNA processing enzymes with 4Fe4S clusters. In many cases, it is necessary to investigate different complex samples and substrates in parallel in order to elucidate this chemistry. Therefore, we optimized and characterized a multiplexed electrochemical platform with the 4Fe4S cluster base excision repair glycosylase Endonuclease III (EndoIII). Closely packed DNA films, where the protein has limited surface accessibility, produce EndoIII electrochemical signals sensitive to an intervening mismatch, indicating a DNA-mediated process. Multiplexed analysis allowed more robust characterization of the CT-deficient Y82A EndoIII mutant, as well as comparison of a new family of mutations altering the electrostatics surrounding the 4Fe4S cluster in an effort to shift the reduction potential of the cluster. While little change in the DNA-bound midpoint potential was found for this family of mutants, likely indicating the dominant effect of DNA-binding on establishing the protein redox potential, significant variations in the efficiency of DNA-mediated electron transfer were apparent. On the basis of the stability of these proteins, examined by circular dichroism, we proposed that the electron transfer pathway in EndoIII can be perturbed not only by the removal of aromatic residues but also through changes in solvation near the cluster.

While the 4Fe4S cluster of EndoIII is relatively insensitive to oxidation and reduction in solution, we have found that upon DNA binding, the reduction potential of the [4Fe4S]3+/2+ couple shifts negatively by approximately 200 mV, bringing this couple into a physiologically relevant range. Demonstrated using electrochemistry experiments in the presence and absence of DNA, these studies do not provide direct molecular evidence for the species being observed. Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorbance spectroscopy (XAS) can be used to probe directly the covalency of iron-sulfur clusters, which is correlated to their reduction potential. We have shown that the Fe-S covalency of the 4Fe4S cluster of EndoIII increases upon DNA binding, stabilizing the oxidized [4Fe4S]3+ cluster, consistent with a negative shift in reduction potential. The 7% increase in Fe-S covalency corresponds to an approximately 150 mV shift, remarkably similar to DNA electrochemistry results. Therefore we have obtained direct molecular evidence for the shift in 4Fe4S reduction potential of EndoIII upon DNA binding, supporting the feasibility of our model whereby these proteins can utilize DNA CT to cooperate in order to efficiently find DNA lesions inside cells.

In conclusion, in this work we have explored the biological applications of DNA CT. We discovered that the DNA-binding bacterial ferritin Dps can protect the bacterial genome from a distance via DNA CT, perhaps contributing to pathogen survival and virulence. Furthermore, we optimized a multiplexed electrochemical platform for the study of the redox chemistry of DNA-bound 4Fe4S cluster proteins. Finally, we have used sulfur K-edge XAS to obtain direct molecular evidence for the negative shift in 4Fe4S cluster reduction potential of EndoIII upon DNA binding. These studies contribute to the understanding of DNA-mediated protein oxidation within cells.

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Trabalho de investigação das marcas de iconicidade em letras-de-música brasileira que representam os vários Brasis. Análise do córpus com fundamentação semântico-semiótica, endossada pela perspectiva sociolinguística, como ponto de partida para a caracterização dos itens lexicais como ícone, índice ou símbolo, à luz da Teoria da Iconicidade, como identificadores de um espaço sociocultural. A orientação sociolinguística sustenta nossas reflexões acerca da importância da inserção dos diversos usos linguísticos na prática de ensino de língua portuguesa, que precisa acompanhar a vida da linguagem na comunicação cotidiana, com vistas à valorização e à democratização da língua. Ademais, impõe-se reconhecer a heterogeneidade linguística como fator de riqueza da língua. O trabalho de análise consiste em uma metodologia que permite associar o texto a uma imagem com significado representativo das particularidades linguístico-discursivas de uma cultura regional. Os resultados esperados incluem a afirmação da potencialidade linguístico-semiótica da letra-de-música como gênero textual suficiente para a demonstração dos valores socioculturais impressos na língua e, possivelmente, como um gênero de importante valor literário que se pode aproveitar para dinamizar aulas de língua portuguesa

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Em estudo anterior, as espécies de enterobactérias apresentando perfis variados de resistência aos antimicrobianos foram detectadas em 20% dos sítios com lesões periodontais de pacientes sadios do ponto de vista sistêmico. Tais cepas microbianas foram submetidas a investigações com o intuito de determinar à expressão de enzimas hidrolíticas para substratos diversos, a multirresistência aos agentes antimicrobianos e os mecanismos de resistência aos antimicrobianos da classe dos β lactâmicos. A maioria das amostras expressou atividade de gelatinase (65%), caseinase (30%) e elastase (10%). Lipase, lecitinase e DNase foram observadas apenas para Serratia marcescens. A multirresistência (considerado como a resistência a pelo menos dois agentes antimicrobianos de famílias diferentes) foi observada em 56% das amostras isoladas. A maioria das cepas foi resistentes à ampicilina (93,75%) e amoxicilina/ácido clavulânico (81,25%). Investigações sobre a resistência aos antibióticos β-lactâmicos mostraram que três amostras resistentes à cefalosporinas de 2 geração, apresentaram perfis plasmidiais de diferentes pesos moleculares. A expressão fenotípica de β-lacatamases, foi detectada nas cepas de Enterobacter cloacae (PcOM46 e PcOM5) e S. marcescens (PcOM63). No entanto, na análise molecular, não foi possível confirmar a expressão fenotípica de diferentes β-lactamases, com exceção do E. cloacae PcOM46, que apresentou amplificação para AmpC e blaTEM. Embora sensível à maioria dos antibióticos β-lactâmicos (exceção feita à ampicilina e amoxicilina / ácido clavulânico), amostra de S. marcescens PcOM68 apresentou amplificação para o gene blaSHV. Os experimentos de conjugação não detectaram a transferência de plasmídios para uma cepa de Escherichia coli K12 sensívei aos β-lactâmicos, o mesmo ocorreu nos procedimentos de transformação por eletroporação e por CaCl2, sugerindo uma resistência dependente de genes cromossomiais. A expressão de diferentes atividades enzimáticas, juntamente com a resistência aos antimicrobianos, aponta estes grupos de bactérias como agentes patogênicos potenciais capazes de contribuir para a patogênese e resposta à quimioterapia antimicrobiana nas doenças periodontais, além da disseminação sistêmica para outros locais do corpo, especialmente em indivíduos imunocomprometidos. A colonização prévia de lesões periodontais por espécies resistentes aos β-lactâmicos, pode contribuir para a disseminação destes genes relacionados à resistência aos antimicrobianos em ambientes hospitalares.

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Para avaliar um sistema integrado de aquicultura foram realizadas análises microbiológicas da água utilizada neste sistema e determinada a incidência e resistência antimicrobiana dos enteropatógenos no ecossistema relacionado. As amostras de água testadas apresentaram 32,9% de taxas de coliformes fecais (≤1.600/100mL), de acordo com a OMS para piscicultura em águas residuais. Salmonella spp. foram detectadas em 14,5% das amostras. De um total de 33 cepas, 15,1% eram resistentes a um ou dois antimicrobianos testados e resistência a múltiplas drogas não foi observada. Aeromonas spp. foram identificadas em 91,6% das amostras. De um total de 416 cepas, resistência a uma classe de antimicrobianos foi observada em 66,3% e a multirresistência às drogas em 37,7%. Na avaliação da virulência dos isolados de Aeromonas hydrophila, 85,3% das cepas apresentaram Beta-hemólise nos três diferentes tipos de eritrócitos empregados e 99,1% nos eritrócitos de coelho e cavalo, sendo possível a caracterização através da PCR do gene aerA e lip, em 100% das amostras. Os resultados obtidos apontam para a relevância quanto às vantagens da implementação de um sistema integrado, disponibilizando alimentos com custo reduzido, porém este sistema necessita de um controle rígido e efetivo para que estes produtos não constituam veículos para a disseminação de doenças.

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Tesis con Mención de Doctor Internacional

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Whilst current methods for the isolation and enumeration of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in water have provided some insight into their occurrence and significance, they are regarded as being inefficient, variable and time-consuming, with much of the interpretation being left to the expertise of the analyst. Two expectations of novel developments are to reduce the variability and subjectivity associated with the isolation and identification of oocysts. Flocculation, immunomagnetisable and flow cytometric techniques, for concentrating oocysts from water samples, should prove more reliable than current methods, whilst the development of more avid and specific monoclonal antibodies in conjunction with the use of nuclear fluorochromes will aid identification. Further insight into the viability, taxonomy, species identification, infectivity and virulence of the parasite should be forthcoming through the use of techniques such as the polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridisation and non-uniform alternating current electrical fields. Such information is necessary in order to enable microbiologists, epidemiologists, engineers, utility operators and regulators to assess the safety of a water supply, with respect to Cryptosporidium contamination, more effectively.