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Microorganisms, Volume 6, Issue 4

2018 December - 33 articles

Cover Story: STEC is a foodborne pathogen transmitted mainly by undercooked meat, contaminated fruits, vegetables, and water, but also the person to person route has been recently highlighted. Shiga toxin (Stx) is the main virulence factor of STEC and is responsible for developing a systemic complication known as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), characterized by hemolytic anemia thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure. STEC can produce Stx type 1 and/or 2 (Stx1, Stx2) and their variants, with Stx2 being more frequently associated with severe cases of HUS. Some experimental data suggest that Stx2 may impair pregnancy. We have proposed that symptomatic or asymptomatic STEC infections during early or late human pregnancy may cause maternal or fetal damage mediated by Stx2. In this article, we provide a brief overview of Stx2 action on placental tissues and discuss whether they might cause pregnancy loss or preterm birth, and what mechanisms could be involved in the aforementioned detrimental effects.
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Articles (33)

  • Review
  • Open Access
19 Citations
6,973 Views
22 Pages

Distinctive Nuclear Features of Dinoflagellates with A Particular Focus on Histone and Histone-Replacement Proteins

  • Sadaf Riaz,
  • Zhenghong Sui,
  • Zeeshan Niaz,
  • Sohrab Khan,
  • Yuan Liu and
  • Haoxin Liu

Dinoflagellates are important eukaryotic microorganisms that play critical roles as producers and grazers, and cause harmful algal blooms. The unusual nuclei of dinoflagellates “dinokaryon” have led researchers to investigate their enigma...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
5,491 Views
17 Pages

Monoclonal antibodies against Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) proteins are important tools in Johne’s disease research and diagnostics. Johne’s disease is a chronic inflammatory intestinal disease of cattle, sheep, a...

  • Article
  • Open Access
13 Citations
4,666 Views
12 Pages

Presence of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in Fresh Beef Marketed in 13 Regions of ITALY (2017)

  • Bianca Maria Varcasia,
  • Francesco Tomassetti,
  • Laura De Santis,
  • Fabiola Di Giamberardino,
  • Sarah Lovari,
  • Stefano Bilei and
  • Paola De Santis

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in fresh beef marketed in 2017 in 13 regions of Italy, to evaluate the potential risk to human health. According to the ISO/TS 13136:2012 standard, 239 sa...

  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
6,712 Views
16 Pages

The Isolation and Identification of Bacteria on Feathers of Migratory Bird Species

  • Antonella Giorgio,
  • Salvatore De Bonis,
  • Rosario Balestrieri,
  • Giovanni Rossi and
  • Marco Guida

Worldwide, bacteria are the most ubiquitous microorganisms, and it has been extensively demonstrated that migratory wild birds can increase bacterial global scale dispersion through long-distance migration and dispersal. The microbial community hoste...

  • Article
  • Open Access
58 Citations
6,038 Views
20 Pages

The emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a global concern. The use of bacteriophages (or phages) alone or combined with antibiotics is consolidating itself as an alternative approach to inactivate antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However,...

  • Article
  • Open Access
22 Citations
4,916 Views
11 Pages

Candidemia cases have been increasing, especially among immunosuppressed patients. Candida glabrata is one of the most resistant Candida species, especially to the azole drugs, resulting in a high demand for therapeutic alternatives. The minimum inhi...

  • Article
  • Open Access
60 Citations
7,371 Views
11 Pages

Antimicrobial Activity of Several Cineole-Rich Western Australian Eucalyptus Essential Oils

  • Fahad S. Aldoghaim,
  • Gavin R. Flematti and
  • Katherine A. Hammer

Essential oils from the Western Australian (WA) Eucalyptus mallee species Eucalyptus loxophleba, Eucalyptus polybractea, and Eucalyptus kochii subsp. plenissima and subsp. borealis were hydrodistilled from the leaves and then analysed by gas chromato...

  • Article
  • Open Access
21 Citations
5,560 Views
17 Pages

Application of A Novel Potential Probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei Strain Isolated from Kefir Grains in the Production of Feta-Type Cheese

  • Ioanna Mantzourani,
  • Antonia Terpou,
  • Athanasios Alexopoulos,
  • Pelagia Chondrou,
  • Alex Galanis,
  • Argyro Bekatorou,
  • Eugenia Bezirtzoglou,
  • Athanasios A Koutinas and
  • Stavros Plessas

In the present study 38 lactic acid bacteria strains were isolated from kefir grains and were monitored regarding probiotic properties in a series of established in vitro tests, including resistance to low pH, resistance to pepsin and pancreatin, and...

  • Article
  • Open Access
22 Citations
5,028 Views
15 Pages

Low Concentration of Antibiotics Modulates Gut Microbiota at Different Levels in Pre-Weaning Dairy Calves

  • Mohammed Husien Yousif,
  • Jing-Hui Li,
  • Zheng-Qian Li,
  • Gibson Maswayi Alugongo,
  • Shou-Kun Ji,
  • Yuan-Xiao Li,
  • Ya-Jing Wang,
  • Sheng-Li Li and
  • Zhi-Jun Cao

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding milk replacer (MR) with two different antibiotics treatments on the gut microbiota of pre-weaning calves. Twelve (12) Holstein male calves at 1-day-old were randomly assigned to: milk rep...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
6,082 Views
18 Pages

Assessing the Efficiency of Molecular Markers for the Species Identification of Gregarines Isolated from the Mealworm and Super Worm Midgut

  • Chiara Nocciolini,
  • Claudio Cucini,
  • Chiara Leo,
  • Valeria Francardi,
  • Elena Dreassi and
  • Antonio Carapelli

Protozoa, of the taxon Gregarinasina, are a heterogeneous group of Apicomplexa that includes ~1600 species. They are parasites of a large variety of both marine and terrestrial invertebrates, mainly annelids, arthropods and mollusks. Unlike coccidian...

  • Article
  • Open Access
26 Citations
5,246 Views
14 Pages

Distribution and Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella Isolated from Pigs with Diarrhea in China

  • Jin-Hui Su,
  • Yao-Hong Zhu,
  • Tian-Yi Ren,
  • Liang Guo,
  • Gui-Yan Yang,
  • Lian-Guo Jiao and
  • Jiu-Feng Wang

Salmonella can cause enteric diseases in humans and a wide range of animals, and even outbreaks of foodborne illness. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and distribution of serovars, and antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella isol...

  • Article
  • Open Access
20 Citations
6,880 Views
13 Pages

Inclusion Body Bead Size in E. coli Controlled by Physiological Feeding

  • Julian Kopp,
  • Christoph Slouka,
  • Daniel Strohmer,
  • Julian Kager,
  • Oliver Spadiut and
  • Christoph Herwig

The Gram-negative bacterium E. coli is the host of choice for producing a multitude of recombinant proteins relevant in the pharmaceutical industry. Generally, cultivation is easy, media are cheap, and a high product titer can be obtained. However, h...

  • Review
  • Open Access
44 Citations
11,493 Views
34 Pages

Modulation of Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli Survival and Virulence in the Human Gastrointestinal Tract

  • Grégory Jubelin,
  • Mickaël Desvaux,
  • Stephanie Schüller,
  • Lucie Etienne-Mesmin,
  • Maite Muniesa and
  • Stéphanie Blanquet-Diot

Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a major foodborne pathogen responsible for human diseases ranging from diarrhoea to life-threatening complications. Survival of the pathogen and modulation of virulence gene expression along the human gas...

  • Article
  • Open Access
20 Citations
4,405 Views
12 Pages

Role of SCFAs for Fimbrillin-Dependent Biofilm Formation of Actinomyces oris

  • Itaru Suzuki,
  • Takehiko Shimizu and
  • Hidenobu Senpuku

Actinomyces oris expresses type 1 and 2 fimbriae on the cell surface. Type 2 fimbriae mediate co-aggregation and biofilm formation and are composed of the shaft fimbrillin FimA and the tip fimbrillin FimB. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are metaboli...

  • Article
  • Open Access
38 Citations
6,437 Views
16 Pages

Enzymes Catalyzing the TCA- and Urea Cycle Influence the Matrix Composition of Biofilms Formed by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300

  • Sarah De Backer,
  • Julia Sabirova,
  • Ines De Pauw,
  • Henri De Greve,
  • Jean-Pierre Hernalsteens,
  • Herman Goossens and
  • Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar

In methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is known to negatively regulate production of the major biofilm-matrix exopolysaccharide, PIA/PNAG. However, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) produce a pr...

  • Article
  • Open Access
14 Citations
4,766 Views
8 Pages

Novel Effector Protein EspY3 of Type III Secretion System from Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Is Localized in Actin Pedestals

  • Mariano Larzábal,
  • Wanderson Marques Da Silva,
  • Nahuel A. Riviere and
  • Ángel A. Cataldi

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) are attaching and effacing (A/E) pathogens, which translocate effector proteins to intestinal enterocytes through a type III secretion system (T3SS). T3SS and most...

  • Review
  • Open Access
15 Citations
9,163 Views
10 Pages

Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Infections during Pregnancy

  • Flavia Sacerdoti,
  • María Luján Scalise,
  • Juliana Burdet,
  • María Marta Amaral,
  • Ana María Franchi and
  • Cristina Ibarra

Gastrointestinal infection with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) causes diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), characterized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure. The main virulence f...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
4,149 Views
10 Pages

Developments in protein expression, analysis and computational capabilities are decisively contributing to a better understanding of the structure of proteins and their relationship to function. Proteins are known to be adapted to the growth rate of...

  • Review
  • Open Access
41 Citations
9,488 Views
46 Pages

Transfer RNA Modification Enzymes from Thermophiles and Their Modified Nucleosides in tRNA

  • Hiroyuki Hori,
  • Takuya Kawamura,
  • Takako Awai,
  • Anna Ochi,
  • Ryota Yamagami,
  • Chie Tomikawa and
  • Akira Hirata

To date, numerous modified nucleosides in tRNA as well as tRNA modification enzymes have been identified not only in thermophiles but also in mesophiles. Because most modified nucleosides in tRNA from thermophiles are common to those in tRNA from mes...

  • Article
  • Open Access
20 Citations
3,862 Views
13 Pages

Contribution of the Oligomeric State to the Thermostability of Isoenzyme 3 from Candida rugosa

  • María-Efigenia Álvarez-Cao,
  • Roberto González,
  • María A. Pernas and
  • María Luisa Rúa

Thermophilic proteins have evolved different strategies to maintain structure and function at high temperatures; they have large, hydrophobic cores, and feature increased electrostatic interactions, with disulfide bonds, salt-bridging, and surface ch...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
5,724 Views
15 Pages

Rational Design and Biotechnological Production of Novel AfpB-PAF26 Chimeric Antifungal Proteins

  • Marcos Heredero,
  • Sandra Garrigues,
  • Mónica Gandía,
  • Jose F. Marcos and
  • Paloma Manzanares

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as candidates to develop new antimicrobial compounds for medicine, agriculture, and food preservation. PAF26 is a synthetic antifungal hexapeptide obtained from combinatorial approaches with potent fun...

  • Article
  • Open Access
15 Citations
4,866 Views
13 Pages

Dynamics of a Perturbed Microbial Community during Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Chemically Defined Soluble Organic Compounds

  • Luka Šafarič,
  • Sepehr Shakeri Yekta,
  • Tong Liu,
  • Bo H. Svensson,
  • Anna Schnürer,
  • David Bastviken and
  • Annika Björn

Knowledge of microbial community dynamics in relation to process perturbations is fundamental to understand and deal with the instability of anaerobic digestion (AD) processes. This study aims to investigate the microbial community structure and func...

  • Review
  • Open Access
49 Citations
6,672 Views
15 Pages

Small fruits are a multi-billion dollar industry in the US, and are economically important in many other countries. However, they are perishable and susceptible to physiological disorders and biological damage. Food safety and fruit quality are the m...

  • Article
  • Open Access
14 Citations
5,269 Views
18 Pages

Long-Term Biogas Production from Glycolate by Diverse and Highly Dynamic Communities

  • Susanne Günther,
  • Daniela Becker,
  • Thomas Hübschmann,
  • Susann Reinert,
  • Sabine Kleinsteuber,
  • Susann Müller and
  • Christian Wilhelm

Generating chemical energy carriers and bulk chemicals from solar energy by microbial metabolic capacities is a promising technology. In this long-term study of over 500 days, methane was produced by a microbial community that was fed by the mono-sub...

  • Article
  • Open Access
16 Citations
4,394 Views
12 Pages

As many as 99% of illnesses caused by Listeria monocytogenes are foodborne in nature, leading to 94% hospitalizations, and are responsible for the collective annual deaths of 266 American adults. The current study is a summary of microbiological hurd...

  • Article
  • Open Access
24 Citations
6,478 Views
15 Pages

A Metabolomic-Based Evaluation of the Role of Commensal Microbiota throughout the Gastrointestinal Tract in Mice

  • Yuri Yamamoto,
  • Yumiko Nakanishi,
  • Shinnosuke Murakami,
  • Wanping Aw,
  • Tomoya Tsukimi,
  • Ryoko Nozu,
  • Masami Ueno,
  • Kyoji Hioki,
  • Kenji Nakahigashi and
  • Shinji Fukuda
  • + 5 authors

Commensal microbiota colonize the surface of our bodies. The inside of the gastrointestinal tract is one such surface that provides a habitat for them. The gastrointestinal tract is a long organ system comprising of various parts, and each part posse...

  • Review
  • Open Access
50 Citations
8,273 Views
19 Pages

Recent Advances in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Research in Latin America

  • Alfredo G. Torres,
  • Maria M. Amaral,
  • Leticia Bentancor,
  • Lucia Galli,
  • Jorge Goldstein,
  • Alejandra Krüger and
  • Maricarmen Rojas-Lopez

Pathogenic Escherichia coli are known to be a common cause of diarrheal disease and a frequently occurring bacterial infection in children and adults in Latin America. Despite the effort to combat diarrheal infections, the south of the American conti...

  • Brief Report
  • Open Access
16 Citations
4,877 Views
8 Pages

Antimicrobial Resistance in Class 1 Integron-Positive Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from Cattle, Pigs, Food and Farm Environment

  • Rocío Colello,
  • Alejandra Krüger,
  • José Di Conza,
  • John W. A. Rossen,
  • Alexander W. Friedrich,
  • Gabriel Gutkind,
  • Analía I. Etcheverría and
  • Nora L. Padola

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of class 1 integrons in a collection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) from different origins and to characterize pheno- and genotypically the antimicrobial resistance associated to...

  • Review
  • Open Access
51 Citations
10,854 Views
13 Pages

Literature from the past two decades has outlined the existence of a trade-off between protein stability and function. This trade-off creates a unique challenge for protein engineers who seek to introduce new functionality to proteins. These engineer...

  • Article
  • Open Access
73 Citations
5,853 Views
9 Pages

Gut Microbiota in Patients with Different Metabolic Statuses: Moscow Study

  • Daria A. Kashtanova,
  • Olga N. Tkacheva,
  • Ekaterina N. Doudinskaya,
  • Irina D. Strazhesko,
  • Yulia V. Kotovskaya,
  • Anna S. Popenko,
  • Alexander V. Tyakht and
  • Dmitry G. Alexeev

The aim of this paper was to study gut microbiota composition in patients with different metabolic statuses. Methods: 92 participants aged 25–76 years (26 of whom were men), with confirmed absence of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases (b...

  • Article
  • Open Access
55 Citations
6,411 Views
11 Pages

Plant surface or phyllosphere is the habitat of hyperdiverse microbial communities and it is always exposed to the fluctuating environmental factors, which is thought to be one of the potential drivers of microbial community structuring. Impact of gr...

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Microorganisms - ISSN 2076-2607