Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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Candidate Antimicrobials, Enhancers, Potentiators, Combos Plus New Probe
- Author: Jeffrey L. Fox
- Publication Date : September 2016
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Author: Jeffrey L. FoxAbstract:
Several new antibacterial candidates shared the stage with promising agents that augment antimicrobial drugs, combination agents that work better than their separate components, and antifungal candidate agents—presented this year during the poster summary session “Early New Antimicrobial Agents,” convened at the 2016 ASM Microbe Meeting, held in Boston, Mass., in June. In addition, participants learned briefly about a new imaging approach for following the course of infections and the drugs or drug candidates that are used and being developed, respectively, to treat them. Although these new antimicrobial agents appear potentially useful, none of them looks startling or could be called a breakthrough.
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Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Shows Positive Results
- Publication Date : September 2016
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Meticulous drug management programs can have a positive effect on drug-resistant infections, finds a new report published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. A team of clinical scientists led by Larissa Matukas studied the effect of antibiotic stewardship surrounding the use of ciprofloxacin to treat bacterial infections caused by Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using a stewardship program that involved reporting ciprofloxacin susceptibility only if no other susceptibilities were found when testing isolates against a multidrug panel, the team observed a strong reduction in the use of this particular antibiotic, which correlated with a trend toward increasing susceptibility in E. coli isolates. The study demonstrates that, while small, antibiotic stewardship programs may help prolong the efficacy of antibiotic arsenals.
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Phages Form Liquid Crystals, Shaping P. aeruginosa Biofilms
- Author: Shannon Weiman
- Publication Date : July 2016
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Author: Shannon WeimanAbstract:
Through a novel mechanism, bacteriophage particles link with the surfaces of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells and other nearby polymers to form tenacious biofilms, including those that form within the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, according to Paul Bollyky of Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., who spoke during the Bay Area Microbial Pathogenesis Symposium last March in San Francisco. Bacteriophage that reproduce within P. aeruginosa are released and can assemble into liquid crystal structures that surround and protect these bacteria as part of larger biofilms, according to Bollyky, Patrick Secor, William Parks, and their collaborators. Details describing some of this research appeared November 11, 2015 in Cell Host & Microbe (doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2015.10.013).
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Reviews and Resources:Metabolism and Bacterial Pathogenesis
- Author: Daniel P. Haeusser
- Publication Date : July 2016
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Author: Daniel P. HaeusserAbstract:
“Although several factors could theoretically contribute to a microorganism's ability to colonize the intestinal ecosystem, effective completion for nutrients is paramount to success.” So the editors reference researcher Rolf Freter in their introduction to this new, integrative text. This volume highlights this truth with a biochemical focus on bacterial pathogens and the human host. This includes chapters on enteric, respiratory, urinary tract, and intracellular pathogens. Some chapters also focus attention on the role of commensal communities, such as in dental plaque or in the gut through interaction with host immunity. More species-specific topics include central carbon metabolism by Borrelia burgdorferi, regulation of Escherichia coli fimbriae by host sialic acid, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa metabolism during infection of cystic fibrosis patients. Though it is sparse in its figures, this is a timely and information-rich collection that should be a welcome resource for many microbiologists.
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Journal Watch
- Author: Jennifer A. Herzog
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Citation: Herzog J. 2016. Journal watch. 17(2):305-305 doi:10.1128/jmbe.v17i2.1105
- DOI 10.1128/jmbe.v17i2.1105
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Abstract:
Articles on recent developments and new technology used in microbiology and related fields, as well as pedagogical papers to enhance science education.
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Microbial Communication over the Airwaves
- Publication Date : May 2016
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Scientists at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, were surprised to discover that an airborne volatile compound released by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa can promote growth of the fungus Aspergillus fumagatus. First author Benoit Briard, working with senior scientist Jean-Paul Latgé, made the discovery. “That microbes ‘smell’ other microbes is not new,” says Latgé. “But that one species of bacteria is stimulating the growth of a fungus by ‘smell’—this is totally new.” The compound, identified as dimethyl sulfoxide by mass spectroscopy, contains sulfur, which the fungus can use to grow. The findings will be useful when studying coinfections of the lung, where both P. aeruginosa and A. fumagatus can cause disease.
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A biofilm model that accounts for cell aggregates
- Publication Date : May 2016
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A new paper published in mBio addresses the difference between biofilms initiated with single planktonic cells versus those initiated with groups of cell aggregates. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Copenhagen, Denmark, the University of Texas in Austin, Tex., and the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, United Kingdom used both in silico modeling and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm experiments to test aggregated cells, which sit atop one another and gain structural height compared to single cells. Co-first authors Kasper Kragh, Jaime Hutchison, and Gavin Melaugh, working with co-senior authors Rosalind Allen, Vernita Gordon, and Thomas Bjarnsholt, found that elevated cells, whether single or in aggregates, grew more quickly than those at lower elevation, likely due to differential access to oxygen. The authors propose a new model based on this information that accounts for the role of cell aggregates in biofilm formation and dispersal.
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PCR for Everything—Seeking Value in Speed
- Author: Bert K. Lopansri
- Publication Date : May 2016
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Author: Bert K. LopansriAbstract:
In the summer of 2013, a patient arrived in our emergency department with complaints of high fever and abdominal pain. She came to us straight from the airport following her return from a 3-month visit to India. Identified as septic, she was “pan-cultured,” meaning readily obtained fluids and substances were sent immediately to begin cultures. Due to concerns for bacterial gastroenteritis, she received ceftriaxone in the emergency department and ciprofloxacin after admission. Fevers continued and blood cultures yielded Escherichia coli, which was phenotypically resistant to most antibiotics, including ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin, but susceptible to “last-resort” carbapenems, which were then used to treat her.
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Extracellular DNA Acidifies Biofilms, Aids in Aminoglycoside Resistance
- Publication Date : January 2016
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Biofilms are communities of cells protected by an extracellular matrix. This matrix is made of a number of polymeric substances, and is part of the reason why biofilms are so robust. Research performed at the University of Calgary shows that certain components of the matrix play an additional role. Pseudomonas aeruginosa contains extracellular DNA as part of its biofilm matrix, and in addition to aiding biofilm adhesion, this DNA acidifies the environment inside the biofilm. Head scientist Shawn Lewenza shows that DNA-mediated acidification serves as a signal to the matrix-encased cells to modify their cell walls, which in turn aids in aminoglycoside resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a problem with all biofilms due to drug absorption and exclusion by the matrix, and this research shows an independent mechanism by which the matrix contributes to resistance.
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Regulation of Swarming Motility and Biofilm Formation in P. aeruginosa
- Publication Date : January 2016
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa motility is inversely related to its ability to form biofilms. New research from Boston Children's Hospital shows that this relationship is at least partially reciprocally regulated. Scientists working with Simon Dove identified an operon encoding a σ factor and its anti-σ factor, which they named sbrI and sbrR, respectively. They found that the ΔsbrR mutant strain exhibited extremely reduced swarming motility but formed more robust biofilms than the wild type. This was pinpointed to hyperactivity of the SbrI σ factor in the ΔsbrR strain, which increased muiA transcription 100-fold. Overexpression of muiA in a wild-type strain was sufficient to suppress swarming, demonstrating the mechanistic importance of this transcript. While the exact function of MuiA remains to be uncovered, its regulation by SbrI and SbrR are clear. This may help scientists manipulate biofilm formation, a common state of many P. aeruginosa infections.
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Antibacterials: Siderophore Conjugates, Polymixins, and 2-Pyridones; Plus Antifungals
- Author: Jeffrey L. Fox
- Publication Date : December 2015
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Author: Jeffrey L. FoxAbstract:
Several new antibacterial candidates shared the stage with some promising antifungal candidate agents during the poster summary session “Early New Antimicrobial Agents” of the 2015 Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), partnered with the International Congress of Chemotherapy, in San Diego, Calif., last September. The antibacterial agents include less-toxic versions of polymyxin, a 2-pyridone that is specific for Neisseria, and several siderophore conjugates with surprising types of antibacterial activities. The antifungal prospects include agents active against DNA but with unusual or, in another case, undisclosed mechanisms, as well as a stabilized echinocandin.
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Nanoparticles Containing Peppermint Oil, Cinnamon Flavor Disrupt Biofilms
- Author: Carol Potera
- Publication Date : November 2015
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Author: Carol PoteraAbstract:
When encapsulated in silica nanoparticles, peppermint oil and cinnamaldehyde, which gives cinnamon its characteristic flavor, penetrate biofilms and potently kill drug-resistant pathogens within them, according to Vincent Rotello at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and his collaborators. These nanocapsules also promote fibroblast growth, which helps wounds to heal, they say, leading them to call these flavor-loaded nanoparticles a “promising natural disinfectant and wound cleanser.” Details appeared 17 June 2015 in ACS Nano (doi:10.1021/acsnano.5b01696).
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Versatile Ligand Assay Opens Way to Identifying Signaling Molecules
- Author: Carol Potera
- Publication Date : October 2015
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Author: Carol PoteraAbstract:
A recently developed, high-throughput (HT) method for identifying ligands involved in chemotaxis can also be used for identifying other types of bacterial signal molecules that bind sensor domains, according to Monica Gerth of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, and her collaborators. Details appeared in the May 2015 Molecular Microbiology (doi:10.1111/mmi.12964).
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Revisiting Natural Products, Seeking Antimicrobial Candidates
- Author: Shannon Weiman
- Publication Date : September 2015
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Author: Shannon WeimanAbstract:
Spices such as ginger and cinnamon as well as other natural products have potent antimicrobial activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), various strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and other pathogens, including those that form biofilms, according to several researchers who presented findings during the 2015 ASM General Meeting, held in New Orleans, La., last May. If they prove safe and effective, these natural products or derivatives based on them could lead to new treatment strategies for infections caused by these clinically challenging bacterial strains, the researchers say.
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Messenger Molecule Boosts Biofilm Formation in Bladder, Kidneys
- Publication Date : September 2015
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces a messenger molecule that encourages the bacteria to colonize catheters in the bladders of laboratory mice, where they form biofilms, according to Stephanie Cole and Vincent T. Lee of the University of Maryland, College Park. Normally, absent surfaces that encourage biofilm formation, few bacteria inhabit the bladder or kidneys. In earlier work, these and other investigators showed that the messenger molecule, cyclic-di-GMP, promotes biofilm formation when such surfaces are present. In the current study, infecting catheterized mice with P. aeruginosa producing high c-di-GMP moderately boosted the number of bacteria in the bladders and kidneys. Conversely, infecting the mice with P. aeruginosa producing low c-di-GMP substantially reduced those numbers. (It's safe to assume that bacteria being detected were largely in biofilms, says Lee.) One mystery: c-di-GMP influences biofilm formation by acting on pili, flagella, and extracellular polysaccharide. But Lee found that mutant bacteria unable to make pili and flagella could still infect the mice. Thus, he says, c-di-GMP must be acting on an unknown target to influence biofilm formation. Discovering that target could aid the development of more effective therapies, he says.
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Chemical Biology Strategies for Biofilm Control
- Authors: Liang Yang, Michael Givskov
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Citation: Yang L, Givskov M. 2015. Chemical biology strategies for biofilm control. 3(4): doi:10.1128/microbiolspec.MB-0019-2015
- DOI 10.1128/microbiolspec.MB-0019-2015
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Abstract:
Microbes live as densely populated multicellular surface-attached biofilm communities embedded in self-generated, extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). EPSs serve as a scaffold for cross-linking biofilm cells and support development of biofilm architecture and functions. Biofilms can have a clear negative impact on humans, where biofilms are a common denominator in many chronic diseases in which they prime development of destructive inflammatory conditions and the failure of our immune system to efficiently cope with them. Our current assortment of antimicrobial agents cannot efficiently eradicate biofilms. For industrial applications, the removal of biofilms within production machinery in the paper and hygienic food packaging industry, cooling water circuits, and drinking water manufacturing systems can be critical for the safety and efficacy of those processes. Biofilm formation is a dynamic process that involves microbial cell migration, cell-to-cell signaling and interactions, EPS synthesis, and cell-EPS interactions. Recent progress of fundamental biofilm research has shed light on novel chemical biology strategies for biofilm control. In this article, chemical biology strategies targeting the bacterial intercellular and intracellular signaling pathways will be discussed.
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Bacterial Extracellular Polysaccharides in Biofilm Formation and Function
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Citation: Limoli D, Jones C, Wozniak D. 2015. Bacterial extracellular polysaccharides in biofilm formation and function. 3(3): doi:10.1128/microbiolspec.MB-0011-2014
- DOI 10.1128/microbiolspec.MB-0011-2014
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Abstract:
Microbes produce a biofilm matrix consisting of proteins, extracellular DNA, and polysaccharides that is integral in the formation of bacterial communities. Historical studies of polysaccharides revealed that their overproduction often alters the colony morphology and can be diagnostic in identifying certain species. The polysaccharide component of the matrix can provide many diverse benefits to the cells in the biofilm, including adhesion, protection, and structure. Aggregative polysaccharides act as molecular glue, allowing the bacterial cells to adhere to each other as well as surfaces. Adhesion facilitates the colonization of both biotic and abiotic surfaces by allowing the bacteria to resist physical stresses imposed by fluid movement that could separate the cells from a nutrient source. Polysaccharides can also provide protection from a wide range of stresses, such as desiccation, immune effectors, and predators such as phagocytic cells and amoebae. Finally, polysaccharides can provide structure to biofilms, allowing stratification of the bacterial community and establishing gradients of nutrients and waste products. This can be advantageous for the bacteria by establishing a heterogeneous population that is prepared to endure stresses created by the rapidly changing environments that many bacteria encounter. The diverse range of polysaccharide structures, properties, and roles highlight the importance of this matrix constituent to the successful adaptation of bacteria to nearly every niche. Here, we present an overview of the current knowledge regarding the diversity and benefits that polysaccharide production provides to bacterial communities within biofilms.
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Plasmid Partition Mechanisms
- Authors: Jamie C. Baxter, Barbara E. Funnell
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Citation: Baxter J, Funnell B. 2014. Plasmid partition mechanisms. 2(6): doi:10.1128/microbiolspec.PLAS-0023-2014
- DOI 10.1128/microbiolspec.PLAS-0023-2014
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Abstract:
The stable maintenance of low-copy-number plasmids in bacteria is actively driven by partition mechanisms that are responsible for the positioning of plasmids inside the cell. Partition systems are ubiquitous in the microbial world and are encoded by many bacterial chromosomes as well as plasmids. These systems, although different in sequence and mechanism, typically consist of two proteins and a DNA partition site, or prokaryotic centromere, on the plasmid or chromosome. One protein binds site-specifically to the centromere to form a partition complex, and the other protein uses the energy of nucleotide binding and hydrolysis to transport the plasmid, via interactions with this partition complex inside the cell. For plasmids, this minimal cassette is sufficient to direct proper segregation in bacterial cells. There has been significant progress in the last several years in our understanding of partition mechanisms. Two general areas that have developed are (i) the structural biology of partition proteins and their interactions with DNA and (ii) the action and dynamics of the partition ATPases that drive the process. In addition, systems that use tubulin-like GTPases to partition plasmids have recently been identified. In this chapter, we concentrate on these recent developments and the molecular details of plasmid partition mechanisms.
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Escherich and Escherichia
- Author: Herbert C. Friedmann
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Citation: Friedmann H. 2014. Escherich and Escherichia, EcoSal Plus 2014; doi:10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0025-2013
- DOI 10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0025-2013
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The purpose of this essay is threefold: to give an outline of the life and the various achievements of Theodor Escherich, to provide a background to his discovery of what he called Bacterium coli commune (now Escherichia coli), and to indicate the enormous impact of studies with this organism, long before it became the cornerstone of research in bacteriology and in molecular biology.
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A New Twist to the Kirby-Bauer Antibiotic Susceptibility Test Activity—Increasing Antibiotic Sensitivity of Pseudomonas fluorescens through Thermal Stress
- Authors: Donald G. Gerbig Jr.*, Jean Engohang-Ndong, Heather Aubihl
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Citation: Gerbig D, Engohang-Ndong J, Aubihl H. 2013. A new twist to the kirby-bauer antibiotic susceptibility test activity—increasing antibiotic sensitivity of pseudomonas fluorescens through thermal stress. 14(2):269-270 doi:10.1128/jmbe.v14i2.617
- DOI 10.1128/jmbe.v14i2.617
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Antibiotic sensitivity and the effect of temperature on microbial growth are two standard laboratory activities found in most microbial laboratory manuals. We have found a novel way to combine the two activities to demonstrate how temperature can influence antibiotic sensitivity using a standard incubator in instructional laboratory settings. This activity reinforces the important concepts of microbial growth and temperature along with Kirby-Bauer antibiotic susceptibility testing. We found that Pseudomonas fluorescens can be manipulated to become more sensitive to several antibiotics by simply increasing growth temperature and exposing the organism to various antibiotics. No additional equipment is required beyond a standard incubator. Pseudomonas fluorescens is an excellent choice for this activity since it is a safe alternative to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a biosafety level 2 agent. Pseudomonads are important to explore in the microbiology laboratory since Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses a serious issue in health care settings, as this organism is known to be a multi-drug-resistant pathogen (6). More importantly, P. fluorescens is a good alternative in the laboratory to P. aeruginosa since it is also pigmented (5) and a possible reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (4). In addition, it grows best at room temperatures and can easily be thermally stressed by placing in a standard 35ºC to 37ºC incubator