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ABSTRACT: From October to December 2007, an outbreak of Burkholderia cenocepacia occurred in a secondary care hospital. The 19 B cenocepacia isolated from the patients, the chlorhexidine solutions of each different ward, and the purified water that diluted these solutions exhibited an identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern. Inadequate preparation of chlorhexidine solutions diluted with contaminated purified water may have resulted in an outbreak of B cenocepacia. Adequate preparation of chlorhexidine solutions should be emphasized.
American journal of infection control 04/2013; · 3.01 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The meso isomer of diaminopimelate (meso-DAP) is a biosynthetic precursor of L-lysine in bacteria and plants, and is a key component of the peptidoglycan layer in the cell walls of Gram-negative and some Gram-positive bacteria. Diaminopimelate epimerase (DapF) is a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-independent racemase which catalyses the interconversion of (6S,2S)-2,6-diaminopimelic acid (LL-DAP) and meso-DAP. In this study, DapF from Acinetobacter baumannii was overexpressed in Escherichia coli strain SoluBL21, purified and crystallized using a vapour-diffusion method. A native crystal diffracted to a resolution of 1.9 Å and belonged to space group P3(1) or P3(2), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 74.91, c = 113.35 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°. There were two molecules in the asymmetric unit.
Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications 01/2013; 69(Pt 1):42-4. · 0.51 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein (Pal) is one component of the Tol-Pal system that is involved in maintaining the integrity and stability of the outer membrane. The C-terminal OmpA-like domain of Pal interacts noncovalently with peptidoglycan. In this study, the OmpA-like domain of Pal from Acinetobacter baumannii was overexpressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3), purified and crystallized using the vapour-diffusion method. A native crystal diffracted to 1.4 Å resolution and belonged to space group P6(1) or P6(5), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 72.58, c = 44.65 Å, a calculated Matthews coefficient of 2.64 Å(3) Da(-1) and one molecule per asymmetric unit.
Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications 11/2012; 68(Pt 11):1351-1353. · 0.51 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Host cell pathology induced by nuclear targeting of bacterial proteins has recently been identified as a pathogenic mechanism of bacteria. However, very few bacterial proteins were identified to target the nuclei of host cells. This study was designed to screen nuclear targeting proteins with nuclear localization signals (NLSs) in Helicobacter pylori using a combination of bioinformatic analysis and the Gateway recombinational cloning system. Forty-nine functional or hypothetical proteins were predicted to carry the putative NLSs among 1570 open reading frames (ORFs) of H. pylori 26695. Entire sets of 49 H. pylori ORFs were cloned for the generation of green fluorescent protein-tagged proteins using the Gateway recombinational cloning system. Twenty-six H. pylori proteins with the putative NLSs were found to target in the nuclei of COS-7 cells, whereas 23 were localized in the cytoplasm of host cells. Deletion of NLS sequences from four selected nuclear targeting proteins, urease subunit A, Omp18, secreted protein involved in flagellar motility, and response regulator, resulted in cytoplasmic localization of these mutant proteins. In conclusion, a combination of bioinformatic analysis and the Gateway cloning system was shown to be a useful tool for large-scale screening of nuclear targeting proteins with NLSs in H. pylori, which can be used to better understand the H. pylori-directed host cell pathology.
Journal of microbiological methods 10/2012; · 2.43 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) derived from pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria are an important vehicle for delivery of effector molecules to host cells, but the production of OMVs from Klebsiella pneumoniae, an opportunistic pathogen of both nosocomial and community-acquired infections, and their role in bacterial pathogenesis have not yet been determined. In the present study, we examined the production of OMVs from K. pneumoniae and determined the induction of the innate immune response against K. pneumoniae OMVs. Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883 produced and secreted OMVs during in vitro culture. Proteomic analysis revealed that 159 different proteins were associated with K. pneumoniae OMVs. Klebsiella pneumoniae OMVs did not inhibit cell growth or induce cell death. However, these vesicles induced expression of proinflammatory cytokine genes such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-8 in epithelial cells. An intratracheal challenge of K. pneumoniae OMVs in neutropenic mice resulted in severe lung pathology similar to K. pneumoniae infection. In conclusion, K. pneumoniae produces OMVs like other pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria and K. pneumoniae OMVs are a molecular complex that induces the innate immune response.
FEMS Microbiology Letters 03/2012; 331(1):17-24. · 2.04 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Nuclear targeting of bacterial proteins is an emerging pathogenic mechanism in bacteria. However, due to the absence of an appropriate screening system for nuclear targeting proteins, systematic approaches to nuclear targeting of bacterial proteins and subsequent host cell pathology are limited. In this study, we developed a screening system for nuclear targeting proteins in Acinetobacter baumannii using a combination of bioinformatic analysis based on nuclear localization signal (NLS) and the Gateway(®) recombinational cloning system. Among 3367 open reading frames of A. baumannii ATCC 17978, 34 functional or hypothetical proteins were predicted to carry the putative NLS sequences. Of the 29 clones generated by the Gateway(®) recombinational cloning system, 14 proteins tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were targeted to nuclei of host cells. Among the 14 nuclear targeting proteins, S21, L20, and L32 ribosomal proteins and transposase carried putative nuclear export signal (NES) sequences, but only transposase harbored the functional NES. After translocation to nuclei of host cells, four A. baumannii proteins induced cytotoxicity. In conclusion, we have developed a screening system for nuclear targeting proteins in A. baumannii. This system may open the way to a new field of bacterial pathogenesis.
Research in Microbiology 02/2012; 163(4):279-85. · 2.76 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important human pathogen that causes a variety of diseases in both adults and children, such as pneumonia, bacteremia, meningitis, otitis media, and sinusitis. Despite their clinical importance, to date, there have been few proteomic studies of these strains for screening of virulence factors or diagnostic markers. In the present study, secreted proteins (secretome) of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains were enriched using ammonium sulfate precipitation and identified by the shotgun proteomic method using 1-dimensional electrophoresis liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry analysis. Characterization of the identified proteins revealed that 17.8% (42) of the secreted proteins possessed signal peptides. Twenty-one secreted proteins belonged to the extracellular group, and 4 secreted proteins belonged to the cell wall group. Well-known virulence factors (PrtA, PspC, PsaA, PbpA, PhtD, AmiA, ZmpB, Eno, and Ply) were included in the secreted protein fraction. Western blotting using antiserum against secreted protein mixtures showed that Gsp-781, Sphtra, NagA, PhtD, ZmpB, and Eno were strongly immunogenic. Our data suggest that the immuno-proteomic approach is a useful method for high-throughput identification of secreted proteins and screening of candidate vaccine antigens or diagnostic markers. Gsp-781 is introduced as a novel secreted antigen of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease 02/2012; 72(4):318-27. · 2.45 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In this study, we examined the biofilm forming ability, the mRNA expression of curli genes and the morphologies of curli fimbriae and biofilms in clinical isolates of Enterobacter cloacae. The csgBA operon was found in 11 (78.6%) of the 14 isolates. The ability of E. cloacae isolates to form biofilms was significantly correlated with the mRNA expression level of the csgA and csgD genes. The curli protein fimbriae appeared as tangled fibers and the curli-proficient strain formed mature biofilms. Our data suggest that the expression of the curli fimbriae play an important role in biofilm formation in E. cloacae.
The Journal of Microbiology 02/2012; 50(1):175-8. · 1.10 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Acinetobacter baumannii secretes outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) during both in vitro and in vivo growth, but the biogenesis mechanism by which A. baumannii produces OMVs remains undefined. Outer membrane protein A of A. baumannii (AbOmpA) is a major protein in the outer membrane and the C-terminus of AbOmpA interacts with diaminopimelate of peptidoglycan. This study investigated the role of AbOmpA in the biogenesis of A. baumannii OMVs. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to analyze OMV biogenesis in A. baumannii ATCC 19606T and an isogenic ΔAbOmpA mutant. OMV production was significantly increased in the ΔAbOmpA mutant compared to wild-type bacteria as demonstrated by quantitation of proteins and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) packaged in OMVs. LPS profiles prepared from OMVs from wild-type bacteria and the ΔAbOmpA mutant had identical patterns, but proteomic analysis showed different protein constituents in OMVs from wild-type bacteria compared to the ΔAbOmpA mutant. In conclusion, AbOmpA influences OMV biogenesis by controlling OMV production and protein composition.
The Journal of Microbiology 02/2012; 50(1):155-60. · 1.10 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Nuclear targeting of bacterial proteins has emerged as a pathogenic mechanism whereby bacterial proteins induce host cell pathology. In this study, we examined nuclear targeting of Acinetobacter baumannii transposase (Tnp) and subsequent epigenetic changes in host cells. Tnp of A. baumannii ATCC 17978 possesses nuclear localization signals (NLSs), (225)RKRKRK(230). Transient expression of A. baumannii Tnp fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) resulted in the nuclear localization of these proteins in COS-7 cells, whereas the truncated Tnp without NLSs fused with GFP were exclusively localized in the cytoplasm. A. baumannii Tnp was found in outer membrane vesicles, which delivered this protein to the nucleus of host cells. Nuclear expression of A. baumannii Tnp fused with GFP in A549 cells induced DNA methylation of CpG regions in the promoters of E-cadherin (CDH1) gene, whereas the cytoplasmic localization of the truncated Tnp without NLSs fused with GFP did not induce DNA methylation. DNA methylation in the promoters of E-cadherin gene induced by nuclear targeting of A. baumannii Tnp resulted in down-regulation of gene expression. In conclusion, our data show that nuclear traffic of A. baumannii Tnp induces DNA methylation of CpG regions in the promoters of E-cadherin gene, which subsequently down-regulates gene expression. This study provides a new insight into the epigenetic control of host genes by bacterial proteins.
PLoS ONE 01/2012; 7(6):e38974. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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Jeong Soon Park,
Woo Cheol Lee,
Saehae Choi,
Kwon Joo Yeo,
Jung Hyun Song,
Young Hyun Han, Je Chul Lee,
Seung Il Kim,
Young Ho Jeon,
Chaejoon Cheong,
Hye Yeon Kim
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ABSTRACT: Outer membrane protein A from Acinetobacter baumannii (AbOmpA) is a major outer membrane protein and a key player in the bacterial pathogenesis that induces host cell death. AbOmpA is presumed to consist of an N-terminal β-barrel transmembrane domain and a C-terminal periplasmic OmpA-like domain. In this study, the recombinant C-terminal periplasmic domain of AbOmpA was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using the vapour-diffusion method. A native diffraction data set was collected to a resolution of 2.0 Å using synchrotron radiation. The space group of the crystal was P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 58.24, b = 98.59, c = 97.96 Å, β = 105.92°. The native crystal contained seven or eight molecules per asymmetric unit and had a calculated Matthews coefficient of 2.93 or 2.56 Å(3) Da(-1).
Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications 12/2011; 67(Pt 12):1531-3. · 0.51 Impact Factor
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Hosung Sohn,
Jong-Seok Kim,
Sung Jae Shin,
Kwangwook Kim,
Choul-Jae Won,
Woo Sik Kim,
Ki-Nam Min,
Han-Gyu Choi, Je Chul Lee,
Jeong-Kyu Park,
Hwa-Jung Kim
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ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium tuberculosis heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA), a virulence factor involved in extrapulmonary dissemination and a strong diagnostic antigen against tuberculosis, is both surface-associated and secreted. The role of HBHA in macrophages during M. tuberculosis infection, however, is less well known. Here, we show that recombinant HBHA produced by Mycobacterium smegmatis effectively induces apoptosis in murine macrophages. DNA fragmentation, nuclear condensation, caspase activation, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage were observed in apoptotic macrophages treated with HBHA. Enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and Bax activation were essential for HBHA-induced apoptosis, as evidenced by a restoration of the viability of macrophages pretreated with N-acetylcysteine, a potent ROS scavenger, or transfected with Bax siRNA. HBHA is targeted to the mitochondrial compartment of HBHA-treated and M. tuberculosis-infected macrophages. Dissipation of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨ(m)) and depletion of cytochrome c also occurred in both macrophages and isolated mitochondria treated with HBHA. Disruption of HBHA gene led to the restoration of ΔΨ(m) impairment in infected macrophages, resulting in reduced apoptosis. Taken together, our data suggest that HBHA may act as a strong pathogenic factor to cause apoptosis of professional phagocytes infected with M. tuberculosis.
PLoS Pathogens 12/2011; 7(12):e1002435. · 9.13 Impact Factor
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Jeong Soon Park,
Woo Cheol Lee,
Kwon Joo Yeo,
Kyoung-Seok Ryu,
Malika Kumarasiri,
Dusan Hesek,
Mijoon Lee,
Shahriar Mobashery,
Jung Hyun Song,
Seung Il Kim, Je Chul Lee,
Chaejoon Cheong,
Young Ho Jeon,
Hye-Yeon Kim
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ABSTRACT: The outer membrane protein A (OmpA) plays important roles in anchoring of the outer membrane to the bacterial cell wall. The C-terminal periplasmic domain of OmpA (OmpA-like domain) associates with the peptidoglycan (PGN) layer noncovalently. However, there is a paucity of information on the structural aspects of the mechanism of PGN recognition by OmpA-like domains. To elucidate this molecular recognition process, we solved the high-resolution crystal structure of an OmpA-like domain from Acinetobacter baumannii bound to diaminopimelate (DAP), a unique bacterial amino acid from the PGN. The structure clearly illustrates that two absolutely conserved Asp271 and Arg286 residues are the key to the binding to DAP of PGN. Identification of DAP as the central anchoring site of PGN to OmpA is further supported by isothermal titration calorimetry and a pulldown assay with PGN. An NMR-based computational model for complexation between the PGN and OmpA emerged, and this model is validated by determining the crystal structure in complex with a synthetic PGN fragment. These structural data provide a detailed glimpse of how the anchoring of OmpA to the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria takes place in a DAP-dependent manner.
The FASEB Journal 09/2011; 26(1):219-28. · 5.71 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy is a potent therapeutic modality for treating renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but development of antigens specific for tumor-targeting and anti-tumor immunity is of great interest for clinical trials. The present study investigated the ability of DCs pulsed with a combination of carbonic anhydrase IX (CA9) as an RCC-specific biomarker and Acinetobacter baumannii outer membrane protein A (AbOmpA) as an immunoadjuvant to induce anti-tumor immunity against murine renal cell carcinoma (RENCA) in a murine model. Murine bone-marrow-derived DCs pulsed with a combination of RENCA lysates and AbOmpA were tested for their capacity to induce DC maturation and T cell responses in vitro. A combination of RENCA lysates and AbOmpA up-regulated the surface expression of co-stimulatory molecules, CD80 and CD86, and the antigen presenting molecules, major histocompatibility (MHC) class I and class II, in DCs. A combination of RENCA lysates and AbOmpA also induced interleukin-12 (IL-12) production in DCs. Next, the immunostimulatory activity of DCs pulsed with a combination of CA9 and AbOmpA was determined. A combination of CA9 and AbOmpA up-regulated the surface expression of co-stimulatory molecules and antigen presenting molecules in DCs. DCs pulsed with a combination of CA9 and AbOmpA effectively secreted IL-12 but not IL-10. These cells interacted with T cells and formed clusters. DCs pulsed with CA9 and AbOmpA elicited the secretion of interferon-γ and IL-2 in T cells. In conclusion, a combination of CA9 and AbOmpA enhanced the immunostimulatory activity of DCs, which may effectively induce anti-tumor immunity against human RCC.
The Journal of Microbiology 02/2011; 49(1):115-20. · 1.10 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Acinetobacter baumannii is an important nosocomial pathogen that causes a high morbidity and mortality rate in infected patients, but pathogenic mechanisms of this microorganism regarding the secretion and delivery of virulence factors to host cells have not been characterized. Gram-negative bacteria naturally secrete outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) that play a role in the delivery of virulence factors to host cells. A. baumannii has been shown to secrete OMVs when cultured in vitro, but the role of OMVs in A. baumannii pathogenesis is not well elucidated. In the present study, we evaluated the secretion and delivery of virulence factors of A. baumannii to host cells via the OMVs and assessed the cytotoxic activity of outer membrane protein A (AbOmpA) packaged in the OMVs. A. baumannii ATCC 19606(T) secreted OMVs during in vivo infection as well as in vitro cultures. Potential virulence factors, including AbOmpA and tissue-degrading enzymes, were associated with A. baumannii OMVs. A. baumannii OMVs interacted with lipid rafts in the plasma membranes and then delivered virulence factors to host cells. The OMVs from A. baumannii ATCC 19606(T) induced apoptosis of host cells, whereas this effect was not detected in the OMVs from the ΔompA mutant, thereby reflecting AbOmpA-dependent host cell death. The N-terminal region of AbOmpA(22-170) was responsible for host cell death. In conclusion, the OMV-mediated delivery of virulence factors to host cells may well contribute to pathogenesis during A. baumannii infection.
PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(2):e17027. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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Mamata Gurung,
Dong Chan Moon,
Chi Won Choi,
Jung Hwa Lee,
Yong Chul Bae,
Jungmin Kim,
Yoo Chul Lee,
Sung Yong Seol,
Dong Taek Cho,
Seung Il Kim, Je Chul Lee
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ABSTRACT: Gram-negative bacteria produce outer membrane vesicles that play a role in the delivery of virulence factors to host cells. However, little is known about the membrane-derived vesicles (MVs) produced by gram-positive bacteria. The present study examined the production of MVs from Staphylococcus aureus and investigated the delivery of MVs to host cells and subsequent cytotoxicity. Four S. aureus strains tested, two type strains and two clinical isolates, produced spherical nanovesicles during in vitro culture. MVs were also produced during in vivo infection of a clinical S. aureus isolate in a mouse pneumonia model. Proteomic analysis showed that 143 different proteins were identified in the S. aureus-derived MVs. S. aureus MVs were interacted with the plasma membrane of host cells via a cholesterol-rich membrane microdomain and then delivered their component protein A to host cells within 30 min. Intact S. aureus MVs induced apoptosis of HEp-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas lysed MVs neither delivered their component into the cytosol of host cells nor induced cytotoxicity. In conclusion, this study is the first report that S. aureus MVs are an important vehicle for delivery of bacterial effector molecules to host cells.
PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(11):e27958. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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Sung-Ho Yun,
Chi-Won Choi,
Sang-Oh Kwon,
Gun Wook Park,
Kun Cho,
Kyung-Hoon Kwon,
Jin Young Kim,
Jong Shin Yoo, Je Chul Lee,
Jong-Soon Choi,
Soohyun Kim,
Seung Il Kim
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ABSTRACT: Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative, nonmotile aerobic bacterium that has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii is difficult to treat with antibiotics, and treatment failure in infected patients is of great concern in clinical settings. To investigate proteome regulation in A. baumannii under antibiotic stress conditions, quantitative membrane proteomic analyses of a clinical MDR A. baumannii strain cultured in subminimal inhibitory concentrations of tetracycline and imipenem were performed using a combination of label-free (one-dimensional electrophoresis-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) and label (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation) approaches. In total, 484 proteins were identified, and 302 were classified as outer membrane, periplasmic, or plasma membrane proteins. The clinical A. baumannii strain DU202 responded specifically and induced different cell wall and membrane protein sets that provided resistance to the antibiotics. The induction of resistance-nodulation-cell division transporters and protein kinases, and the repression of outer membrane proteins were common responses in the presence of tetracycline and imipenem. Induction of a tetracycline resistant pump, ribosomal proteins, and iron-uptake transporters appeared to be dependent on tetracycline conditions, whereas β-lactamase and penicillin-binding proteins appeared to be dependent on imipenem conditions. These results suggest that combined liquid chromatography-based proteomic approaches can be used to identify cell wall and membrane proteins involved in the antibiotic resistance of A. baumannii.
Journal of Proteome Research 11/2010; 10(2):459-69. · 5.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Of the 100 multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from a Korean hospital, 14 isolates that were resistant to all aminoglycosides tested carried 16S rRNA methylase gene armA. Fourteen armA-positive isolates were classified into 8 pulsotypes. Seven armA-positive isolates cocarried bla(IMP-1). This study is the first report of occurrence of armA in P. aeruginosa.
Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease 10/2010; 68(4):468-70. · 2.45 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The genetic and epidemiological features of four vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) isolates obtained from a Korean hospital were evaluated in this study. The VISA isolates were genotyped as sequence type (ST) 5-staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) II variant (n=2) and ST239-SCCmec III (n=2), which were derived from the predominant methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clones in Korean hospitals. One VISA isolate was acquired during vancomycin treatment, whereas three VISA isolates were obtained from the patients who had not previously been exposed to glycopeptides. As VISA is likely to arise from the predominant MRSA clones and may then possibly spread between patients, the emergence of VISA should be monitored with great care in hospitals.
The Journal of Microbiology 08/2010; 48(4):533-5. · 1.10 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen that can survive under a wide range of environmental and energy stress conditions. The general stress response controlled by sigma(B) largely contributes to stress resistance in L. monocytogenes. Moreover, the bacterial cell wall is the first defense against cellular stress and as such is the target of numerous antibiotics. We therefore hypothesize that sigma(B) contributes to monitoring the integrity of cell walls. We evaluated sigma(B) activity in wild type and DeltasigB mutant L. monocytogenes containing reporter fusions (sigma(B)-dependent opuCA promoter and a lacZ reporter gene) during the early exponential growth phase by measuring the specific activity of beta-galactosidase after vancomycin (2 microg mL(-1) final concentration) stress. sigma(B) activity is significantly induced only in the wild-type strain by addition of vancomycin. In addition, we identified sigma(B)-dependent vancomycin-inducible proteins using LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. Two independent proteomic analyses confirmed the minimum twofold upregulation of 18 vancomycin-inducible sigma(B)-dependent stress response proteins in the wild-type strain compared with the DeltasigB mutant. The functions of these proteins are associated with cell wall biogenesis, intracellular transport, general stress response, cell metabolism and virulence. These results suggest that the sigma(B) protein may contribute to the monitoring of cell wall integrity.
FEMS Microbiology Letters 07/2010; 308(1):94-100. · 2.04 Impact Factor