Klebsiella pneumoniae outer membrane protein A is required to prevent the activation of airway epithelial cells

Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) is a class of proteins highly conserved among the Enterobacteriaceae family and throughout evolution. Klebsiella pneumoniae is a capsulated Gram-negative pathogen. It is an important cause of community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia. Evidence indicates that K. pneumoniae infections are characterized by a lack of an early inflammatory response. Data from our laboratory indicate that K. pneumoniae CPS helps to suppress the host inflammatory response. However, it is unknown whether K. pneumoniae employs additional factors to modulate host inflammatory responses. Here, we report that K. pneumoniae OmpA is important for immune evasion in vitro and in vivo. Infection of A549 and normal human bronchial cells with 52OmpA2, an ompA mutant, increased the levels of IL-8. 52145-?wca ompA, which does not express CPS and ompA, induced the highest levels of IL-8. Both mutants could be complemented. In vivo, 52OmpA2 induced higher levels of tnfa, kc, and il6 than the wild type. ompA mutants activated NF-?B, and the phosphorylation of p38, p44/42, and JNK MAPKs and IL-8 induction was via NF-?B-dependent and p38- and p44/42-dependent pathways. 52OmpA2 engaged TLR2 and -4 to activate NF-?B, whereas 52145-?wca ompA activated not only TLR2 and TLR4 but also NOD1. Finally, we demonstrate that the ompA mutant is attenuated in the pneumonia mouse model. The results of this study indicate that K. pneumoniae OmpA contributes to attenuate airway cell responses. This may facilitate pathogen survival in the hostile environment of the lung. © 2011 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains increase the outer membrane permeability in response to environmental stimuli by modulating lipopolysaccharide fluidity and lipid A structure

Pathogenic biotypes of Yersinia enterocolitica (serotypes O:3, O:8, O:9, and O:13), but not environmental biotypes (serotypes O:5, O:6, O:7,8, and O:7,8,13,19), increased their permeability to hydrophobic probes when they were grown at pH 5.5 or in EGTA-supplemented (Ca(2+)-restricted) media at 37 degrees C. A similar observation was also made when representative strains of serotypes O:8 and O:5 were tested after brief contact with human monocytes. The increase in permeability was independent of the virulence plasmid. The role of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in this phenomenon was examined by using Y. enterocolitica serotype O:8. LPS aggregates of bacteria grown in acidic or EGTA-supplemented broth took up more N-phenylnaphthylamine than LPS aggregates of bacteria grown in standard broth and also showed a marked increase in acyl chain fluidity which correlated with permeability, as determined by measurements obtained in the presence of hydrophobic dyes. No significant changes in O-antigen polymerization were observed, but lipid A acylation changed depending on the growth conditions. In standard medium at 37 degrees C, there were hexa-, penta-, and tetraacyl lipid A forms, and the pentaacyl form was dominant. The amount of tetraacyl lipid A increased in EGTA-supplemented and acidic media, and hexaacyl lipid A almost disappeared under the latter conditions. Our results suggest that pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains modulate lipid A acylation coordinately with expression of virulence proteins, thus reducing LPS packing and increasing outer membrane permeability. The changes in permeability, LPS acyl chain fluidity, and lipid A acylation in pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains approximate the characteristics in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia pestis and suggest that there is a common outer membrane pattern associated with pathogenicity.

Brucella abortus and its closest phylogenetic relative, Ochrobactrum spp., differ in outer membrane permeability and cationic peptide resistance

The outer membrane (OM) of the intracellular parasite Brucella abortus is permeable to hydrophobic probes and resistant to destabilization by polycationic peptides and EDTA. The significance of these unusual properties was investigated in a comparative study with the opportunistic pathogens of the genus Ochrobactrum, the closest known Brucella relative. Ochrobactrum spp. OMs were impermeable to hydrophobic probes and sensitive to polymyxin B but resistant to EDTA. These properties were traced to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) because (i) insertion of B. abortus LPS, but not of Escherichia coli LPS, into Ochrobactrum OM increased its permeability; (ii) permeability and polymyxin B binding measured with LPS aggregates paralleled the results with live bacteria; and (iii) the predicted intermediate results were obtained with B. abortus-Ochrobactrum anthropi and E. coli-O. anthropi LPS hybrid aggregates. Although Ochrobactrum was sensitive to polymyxin, self-promoted uptake and bacterial lysis occurred without OM morphological changes, suggesting an unusual OM structural rigidity. Ochrobactrum and B. abortus LPSs showed no differences in phosphate, qualitative fatty acid composition, or acyl chain fluidity. However, Ochrobactrum LPS, but not B. abortus LPS, contained galacturonic acid. B. abortus and Ochrobactrum smooth LPS aggregates had similar size and zeta potential (-12 to -15 mV). Upon saturation with polymyxin, zeta potential became positive (1 mV) for Ochrobactrum smooth LPS while remaining negative (-5 mV) for B. abortus smooth LPS, suggesting hindered access to inner targets. These results show that although Ochrobactrum and Brucella share a basic OM pattern, subtle modifications in LPS core cause markedly different OM properties, possibly reflecting the adaptive evolution of B. abortus to pathogenicity.

The outer membrane of Brucella ovis shows increased permeability to hydrophobic probes and is more susceptible to cationic peptides than are the outer membranes of mutant rough Brucella abortus strains

The permeability of the outer membrane (OM) to hydrophobic probes and its susceptibility to bactericidal cationic peptides were investigated for natural rough Brucella ovis and for mutant rough Brucella abortus strains. The OM of B. ovis displayed an abrupt and faster kinetic profile than rough B. abortus during the uptake of the hydrophobic probe N-phenyl-naphthylamine. B. ovis was more sensitive than rough B. abortus to the action of cationic peptides. Bactenecins 5 and 7 induced morphological alterations on the OMs of both rough Brucella strains. B. ovis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) captured considerably more polymyxin B than LPSs from both rough and smooth B. abortus strains. Polymyxin B, poly-L-lysine, and poly-L-ornithine produced a thick coating on the surfaces of both strains, which was more evident in B. ovis than in rough B. abortus. The distinct functional properties of the OMs of these two rough strains correlate with some structural differences of their OMs and with their different biological behaviors in animals and culture cells.

The lipopolysaccharide outer core of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:3 is required for virulence and plays a role in outer membrane integrity

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3 has an inner core linked to both the O-antigen and to an outer core hexasaccharide that forms a branch. The biological role of the outer core was studied using polar and non-polar mutants of the outer core biosynthetic operon. Analysis of O-antigen- and outer core-deficient strains suggested a critical role for the outer core in outer membrane properties relevant in resistance to antimicrobial peptides and permeability to hydrophobic agents, and indirectly relevant in resistance to killing by normal serum. Wild-type bacteria but not outer core mutants killed intragastrically infected mice, and the intravenous lethal dose was approximately 10(4)-fold higher for outer core mutants. After intragastric infection, outer core mutants colonized Peyer's patches and invaded mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and liver, and induced protective immunity against wild-type bacteria. In mice co-infected intragastrically with an outer core mutant-wild type mixture, both strains colonized Peyer's patches similarly during the first 2 days, but the mutant was much less efficient in colonizing deeper organs and was cleared faster from Peyer's patches. The results demonstrate that outer core is required for Y. enterocolitica O:3 full virulence, and strongly suggest that it provides resistance against defence mechanisms (most probably those involving bactericidal peptides).

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia pestis show increased outer membrane permeability to hydrophobic agents which correlates with lipopolysaccharide acyl-chain fluidity

The hydrophobic probe N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine accumulated less in non-pathogenic Yersinia spp. and non-pathogenic and pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica than in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis or Yersinia pestis. This was largely due to differences in the activity of efflux systems, but also to differences in outer membrane permeability because uptake of the probe in KCN/arsenate-poisoned cells was slower in the former group than in Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis. The probe accumulation rate was higher in Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis grown at 37 degrees C than at 26 degrees C and was always highest in Y. pestis. These yersiniae had LPSs with shorter polysaccharides than Y. enterocolitica, particularly when grown at 37 degrees C. Gelliquid-crystalline phase transitions (Tc 28-31 degrees C) were observed in LPS aggregates of Y. enterocolitica grown at 26 and 37 degrees C, with no differences between non-pathogenic and pathogenic strains. Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis LPSs showed no phase transitions and, although the fluidity of LPSs of Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. enterocolitica grown at 26 degrees C were close below the Tc of the latter, they were always in a more fluid state than Y. enterocolitica LPS. Comparison with previous studies of Salmonella choleraesuis subsp. choleraesuis serotype minnesota rough LPS showed that the increased fluidity and absence of transition of Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis LPSs cannot be explained by their shorter polysaccharides and suggested differences at the lipid A/core level. It is proposed that differences in LPS-LPS interactions and efflux activity explain the above observations and reflect the adaptation of Yersinia spp. to different habitats.

Outer membrane differences between pathogenic and environmental Yersinia enterocolitica biogroups probed with hydrophobic permeants and polycationic peptides

Sensitivities to polycationic peptides and EDTA were compared in Yersinia enterocolitica pathogenic and environmental biogroups. As shown by changes in permeability to the fluorescent hydrophobic probe N-phenylnaphthylamine (NPN), the outer membranes (OMs) of pathogenic and environmental strains grown at 26 degrees C in standard broth were more resistant to poly-L-lysine, poly-L-ornithine, melittin, cecropin P1, polymyxin B, and EDTA than Escherichia coli OMs. At 37 degrees C, OMs of pathogenic biogroups were resistant to EDTA and polycations and OMs of environmental strains were resistant to EDTA whereas E. coli OMs were sensitive to both EDTA and polycations. Similar results were found when testing deoxycholate sensitivity after polycation exposure or when isogenic pairs with or without virulence plasmid pYV were compared. With bacteria grown without Ca++ available, OM permeability to NPN was drastically increased in pathogenic but not in environmental strains or E. coli. Under these conditions, OMs of pYV+ and pYV- cells showed small differences in NPN permeability but differences in polycation sensitivity could not be detected by fluorimetry. O:1,6 (environmental type) lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but not O:3 or O:8 LPS, was markedly rough at 37 degrees C, and this could explain the differences in polycation sensitivity. LPSs from serotypes O:3 and O:8 grown at 37 degrees C were more permeable to NPN than O:1,6 LPS, and O:8 LPS was resistant to polycation-induced permeabilization. These data suggest that LPSs relate to some but not all the OM differences described. It is hypothesized that the different OM properties of environmental and pathogenic biogroups reflect the adaptation of the latter biogroups to pathogenicity.

Arching or Compressive Membrane Action in Reinforced Concrete Slabs

Arching or compressive membrane action (CMA) in reinforced concrete slabs occurs as a result of the great difference between the tensile and compressive strength of concrete. Cracking of the concrete causes a migration of the neutral axis which is accompanied by in-plane expansion of the slab at its boundaries. If this natural tendency to expand is restrained, the development of arching action enhances the strength of the slab. The term arching action is normally used to describe the arching phenomenon in one-way spanning slabs and compressive membrane action is normally used to describe the arching phenomenon in two-
way spanning slabs. This encyclopedic article presents the background to the discovery of the phenomenon of arching action and presents a factual history of the approaches to the treatment of arching action in the United Kingdom and North American bridge deck design codes. The article summarises the theoretical methodology used in the United Kingdom Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, BD81/02, which was based on the work by Kirkpatrick, Rankin & Long at Queen's University Belfast.

Application-based workload model for wireless sensor node computing platforms

Wireless sensor node platforms are very diversified and very constrained, particularly in power consumption. When choosing or sizing a platform for a given application, it is necessary to be able to evaluate in an early design stage the impact of those choices. Applied to the computing platform implemented on the sensor node, it requires a good understanding of the workload it must perform. Nevertheless, this workload is highly application-dependent. It depends on the data sampling frequency together with application-specific data processing and management. It is thus necessary to have a model that can represent the workload of applications with various needs and characteristics. In this paper, we propose a workload model for wireless sensor node computing platforms. This model is based on a synthetic application that models the different computational tasks that the computing platform will perform to process sensor data. It allows to model the workload of various different applications by tuning data sampling rate and processing. A case study is performed by modeling different applications and by showing how it can be used for workload characterization. © 2011 IEEE.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of internal limiting membrane peeling for patients with idiopathic full thickness macular hole. Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial:FILMS (Full-thickness macular hole and Internal Limiting Membrane peeling Study)

Background: A full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) is a common retinal condition associated with impaired vision. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated that surgery, by means of pars plana vitrectomy and post-operative intraocular tamponade with gas, is effective for stage 2, 3 and 4 FTMH. Internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling has been introduced as an additional surgical manoeuvre to increase the success of the surgery; i.e. increase rates of hole closure and visual improvement. However, little robust evidence exists supporting the superiority of ILM peeling compared with no-peeling techniques. The purpose of FILMS (Full-thickness macular hole and Internal Limiting Membrane peeling Study) is to determine whether ILM peeling improves the visual function, the anatomical closure of FTMH, and the quality of life of patients affected by this disorder, and the cost-effectiveness of the surgery. Methods/Design: Patients with stage 2-3 idiopathic FTMH of less or equal than 18 months duration (based on symptoms reported by the participant) and with a visual acuity = 20/40 in the study eye will be enrolled in this FILMS from eight sites across the UK and Ireland. Participants will be randomised to receive combined cataract surgery (phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation) and pars plana vitrectomy with postoperative intraocular tamponade with gas, with or without ILM peeling. The primary outcome is distance visual acuity at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include distance visual acuity at 3 and 24 months, near visual acuity at 3, 6, and 24 months, contrast sensitivity at 6 months, reading speed at 6 months, anatomical closure of the macular hole at each time point (1, 3, 6, and 24 months), health related quality of life (HRQOL) at six months, costs to the health service and the participant, incremental costs per quality adjusted life year (QALY) and adverse events. Discussion: FILMS will provide high quality evidence onthe role of ILM peeling in FTMH surgery. © 2008 Lois et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Internal limiting membrane peeling versus no peeling for idiopathic full-thickness macular hole: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE. To determine whether internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling is effective and cost effective compared with no peeling in patients with idiopathic stage 2 or 3 full-thickness maculay hole (FTMH). METHODS. This was a pragmatic multicenter randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants from nine centers were randomized to ILM peeling or no peeling (1:1 ratio) in addition to phacovitrectomy, including detachment and removal of the posterior hyaloid and gas tamponade. The primary outcome was distance visual acuity (VA) at 6 months after surgery. Secondary outcomes included hole closure, distance VA at other time points, near VA, contrast sensitivity, reading speed, reoperations, complications, resource use, and participant-reported health status, visual function, and costs. RESULTS. Of 141 participants randomized in nine centers, 127 (90%) completed the 6-month follow-up. Nonstatistically significant differences in distance visual acuity at 6 months were found between groups (mean difference, 4.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.3 to 9.8; P = 0.063). There was a significantly higher rate of hole closure in the ILM-peel group (56 [84%] vs. 31 [48%]) at 1 month (odds ratio [OR], 6.23; 95% CI, 2.64-14.73; P <0.001) with fewer reoperations (8 [12%] vs. 31 [48%]) performed by 6 months (OR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.05- 0.34; P <0.001). Peeling the ILM is likely to be cost effective. CONCLUSIONS. There was no evidence of a difference in distance VA after the ILM peeling and no-ILM peeling techniques. An important benefit in favor of no ILM peeling was ruled out. Given the higher anatomic closure and lower reoperation rates in the ILM-peel group, ILM peeling seems to be the treatment of choice for idiopathic stage 2 to 3 FTMH. © 2011 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

Cost-effectiveness of internal limiting membrane peeling versus no peeling for patients with an idiopathic full-thickness macular hole:Results from a randomised controlled trial

Aim: To determine whether internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling is cost-effective compared with no peeling for patients with an idiopathic stage 2 or 3 full-thickness macular hole. Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed alongside a randomised controlled trial. 141 participants were randomly allocated to receive macular-hole surgery, with either ILM peeling or no peeling. Health-service resource use, costs and quality of life were calculated for each participant. The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained was calculated at 6 months. Results: At 6 months, the total costs were on average higher (£424, 95% CI -182 to 1045) in the No Peel arm, primarily owing to the higher reoperation rate in the No Peel arm. The mean additional QALYs from ILM peel at 6 months were 0.002 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.013), adjusting for baseline EQ-5D and other minimisation factors. A mean incremental cost per QALY was not computed, as Peeling was on average less costly and slightly more effective. A stochastic analysis suggested that there was more than a 90% probability that Peeling would be cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of £20 000 per QALY. Conclusion: Although there is no evidence of a statistically significant difference in either costs or QALYs between macular hole surgery with or without ILM peeling, the balance of probabilities is that ILM Peeling is likely to be a cost-effective option for the treatment of macular holes. Further long-term follow-up data are needed to confirm these findings.

Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling in Vitreo-retinal Surgery

Peeling the internal limiting membrane of the retina has become a very common procedure performed by vitreo-retinal surgeons. The combination of new microsurgical instrumentation with the availability of different dyes to stain this thin and transparent membrane has facilitated the performance of internal limiting membrane peeling, reducing the time and trauma associated with this maneuver. Internal limiting membrane peeling has been used to treat a variety of retinal pathologies, including full-thickness macular hole, epiretinal membrane, macular edema, vitreomacular traction syndrome, and Terson syndrome, among others. Although it appears that peeling the internal limiting membrane in these retinal conditions may be associated with better anatomical and visual outcomes following surgery, further evidence through randomized controlled clinical trials is still needed to guide the vitreo-retinal surgeon on the appropriate use of this surgical maneuver. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.