and her colleagues examine one such bacterial adversary Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC). The research conducted in collaboration with scientists at the University of Florida Gainesville appears in the current issue of the journal PLOS ONE.
The researchers targeted a specific group of threadlike fibers known as E coli common pilus (ECP) which adorn bacterial cell surfaces.
Avian Pathogenic E coli (APEC) belong to a broad group of extraintestinal pathogenic E coli (Expec) strains. Colibacillosis caused by APEC in birds leads to serious illness often attacking the avian respiratory system producing systemic
But such fibers or pili perform other vital functions particularly in the case of pathogenic bacteria Pili including those projecting from the surfaces of E coli are capable of recognizing specific host cell receptors during their initial phase of colonization.
E coli common pilus (ECP) was identified originally in an Expec form known to cause neonatal meningitis in humans
but was recognized later as a component in all classes of E coli--both pathogenic and benign.
While E coli bacteria exist primarily as beneficial residents of the human intestine extraintestinal variants are responsible for diarrheal diseases like hemorrhagic colitis as well as urinary tract infections neonatal meningitis sepsis and pneumonia.
which was associated previousely with human pathogenic E coli. The authors stress that the results confirm that APEC and human pathogenic E coli strains share virulence traits.
They further speculate that ecpa may permit the persistence of E coli bacteria in the intestine where they exist in a non-threatening state before migrating to alternate extraintestinal sites becoming pathogenic.
Environmental conditions including low ph low growth temperature and high acetate concentration have been shown to upregulate the expression of ECP in human E coli strains that cause urinary tract infections meningitis and diarrheal diseases.
In the current study an APEC strain was found to adhere to human cervical cells in a manner similar to human Expec infections.
The formation of biofilms is a common bacterial property including in E coli where the adaptation increases survivability inside
This newly discovered sequence of genes enables Bacteroides ovatus to chop up xyloglucan a major type of dietary fibre found in many vegetables--from lettuce leaves to tomato fruits.
or in competition with Bacteroides ovatus to target these and other complex carbohydrates says Brumer.
and parasitic ants and tested the effect of the extracts on the growth of bacterial pathogens in the lab. Plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae was sensitive to the application of leg extracts of both ant species
In lab tests bacterial strains of the genera Bacillus Lactococcus Pantoea and Burkholderia effectively inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas bacteria isolated from infected acacia leaves.
The bacterial genus Burkholderia for example includes dangerous disease-causing pathogens--one species has even been listed as a potential bioterrorist agent
We have shown that a certain group of Burkholderia which have just been discovered in the last 12 years as plant-growth promoting bacteria are said not pathogenic the study's senior author Ann Hirsch a professor of molecular cell and developmental biology in the UCLA College of Letters and Science.
The findings of Hirsch and her colleagues indicate that several recently discovered Burkholderia species including Burkholderia tuberum could be used--cautiously--in nitrogen fixing.
These species the scientists discovered lack those genes that make other Burkholderia species harmful agents of infection.
We're especially interested in these recently described Burkholderia species because they are found primarily in the dry and acidic soils of the Southern hemisphere making them potentially important for agriculture in less productive areas.
For their study the UCLA life scientists performed a bioinformatics analysis of four symbiotic Burkholderia species all of
Unlike their dangerous cousins the four symbiotic Burkholderia species did not have associated genes with the virulence systems found in the pathogenic species. Burkholderia were discovered first as plant pathogens in 1949 by Walter Burkholder who identified them as the agent causing
Later Burkholderia species were identified as the causative agent of the disease melioidosis a public health threat especially in tropical countries like Thailand and in parts of Australia.
Other Burkholderia belong to the Burkholderia cepacia complex a group of related bacteria that are not true pathogens
Although some members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex have been used to protect plants from dangerous fungal infections their potential to cause infection has resulted in severe limits on their use in agriculture.
It wasn't until many decades after Burkholder's discovery that closely related Burkholderia species were found to enter plant roots not as pathogens
Although the nodulating symbiotic species of Burkholderia are related to the more dangerous species a detailed analysis of their evolutionary relationships published earlier this year by Hirsch
The harmful Burkholderia species are more resistant to antibiotics than the symbiotic and agricultural strains.
In addition to the bioinformatics analysis in the current study the team analyzed resistance to a panel of common antibiotics and tested the potential of different Burkholderia species to cause infection in laboratory conditions.
and are not nearly as common as other foodborne illnesses like salmonella and E coli. Still
and may reduce risk of diseases such as salmonella. 5.)UN considers U s a major ethanol offender.
resource control and competition Bioengineering e coli to turn seaweed into fuel Fatty foods cause brain scarring, study shows
One is looking at virulents of salmonella to develop a salmonella vaccine; And one looks at the jatropha plant,
Startup turns landfill-bound plastics into oil E coli bacteria that eats switchgrass to make fuel Dead people power:
E coli bacteria that eats switchgrass to make fuel How do you solve a problem like next-gen biofuels?
partner with DSM Bioengineering e coli to turn seaweed into fuel Next-gen biofuels in 2012:
in the lab. They did this by engineering a strain of  E coli bacteria to produce the sugar for them, quickly and cheaply.
Bioengineering e coli to turn seaweed into fuel Fed-backed Range Fuels sells plant for pennies on the dollar Chemical giant BASF invests in biomass-to-sugar startup Next-gen biofuels in 2012:
Dr Kok said Orgacids was proven to be able to kill bacteria like Salmonella, E coli and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus in the livestock digestive system. oesalmonella will be cured within two to three weeks after the chicken is fed with Orgacids
and the ammonia level of its faeces will drop within three days, he added
Device that harvests water from thin air wins the James Dyson Awardyoung Melbourne-based inventor Edward Linacre has won the 2011 James Dyson Award,
They engineered E coli bacteria to contain sets of genes with growth hormone and also with malate, a root detector.
< Back - Next >
Overtext Web Module V3.0 Alpha
Copyright Semantic-Knowledge, 1994-2011