scholarly journals Targeted Allele Replacement Mutagenesis of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 3532-3535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caray A. Walker ◽  
Willie Donachie ◽  
David G. E. Smith ◽  
Michael C. Fontaine

ABSTRACTA two-step allele replacement mutagenesis procedure, using a conditionally replicating plasmid, was developed to allow the creation of targeted, marker-free mutations inCorynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. The relationship between homologous sequence length and recombination frequency was determined, and enhanced plasmid excision was observed due to the rolling-circle replication of the mutagenesis vector. Furthermore, an antibiotic enrichment procedure was applied to improve the recovery of mutants. Subsequently, as proof of concept, a marker-free,cp40-deficient mutant ofC. pseudotuberculosiswas constructed.

mSphere ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eriel Martínez ◽  
Javier Campos-Gómez

ABSTRACT Biofilm development is a key component of the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to evade host immune defenses and resist multiple drugs. Induction of the filamentous phage Pf, which usually is lysogenized in clinical and environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa, plays an important role in biofilm assembly, maturation, and dispersal. Despite the clinical relevance of Pf, the molecular biology of this phage is largely unknown. In this study, we found that rolling circle replication of Pf depends on UvrD, a DNA helicase normally involved in DNA repair. We also identified the initiator protein of Pf and found that it shares structural similarity with that of Vibrio cholerae phages CTXφ and VGJφ, which also use UvrD for replication. Our results reveal that, in addition to DNA repair, UvrD plays an essential role in rolling circle replication of filamentous phages among diverse bacteria genera, adding a new, previously unrecognized function of this accessory helicase. Pf is a lysogenic filamentous phage that promotes biofilm development in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pf replicates by a rolling circle replication system which depends on a phage-encoded initiator protein and host factors usually involved in chromosome replication. Rep, an accessory replicative DNA helicase, is crucial for replication of filamentous phages in Escherichia coli. In contrast, here we show that, instead of depending on Rep, Pf replication depends on UvrD, an accessory helicase implicated in DNA repair. In this study, we also identified the initiator protein of Pf and found that it shares similarities with that of Vibrio phages CTXφ and VGJφ, which also depend on UvrD for replication. A structural comparative analysis of the initiator proteins of most known filamentous phages described thus far suggested that UvrD, known as a nonreplicative helicase, is involved in rolling circle replication of filamentous phages in diverse bacteria genera. This report consolidates knowledge on the new role of UvrD in filamentous phage replication, a function previously thought to be exclusive of Rep helicase. IMPORTANCE Biofilm development is a key component of the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to evade host immune defenses and resist multiple drugs. Induction of the filamentous phage Pf, which usually is lysogenized in clinical and environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa, plays an important role in biofilm assembly, maturation, and dispersal. Despite the clinical relevance of Pf, the molecular biology of this phage is largely unknown. In this study, we found that rolling circle replication of Pf depends on UvrD, a DNA helicase normally involved in DNA repair. We also identified the initiator protein of Pf and found that it shares structural similarity with that of Vibrio cholerae phages CTXφ and VGJφ, which also use UvrD for replication. Our results reveal that, in addition to DNA repair, UvrD plays an essential role in rolling circle replication of filamentous phages among diverse bacteria genera, adding a new, previously unrecognized function of this accessory helicase.


1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (12) ◽  
pp. 3233-3236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Billington ◽  
B. Helen Jost ◽  
J. Glenn Songer

ABSTRACT The 2.4-kb plasmid pAP1 from Arcanobacterium(Actinomyces) pyogenes had sequence similarity within the putative replication protein and double-stranded origin with the pIJ101/pJV1 family of plasmids. pJGS84, a derivative of pAP1 containing a kanamycin resistance gene, was able to replicate inEscherichia coli and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, as well as in A. pyogenes. Detection of single-stranded DNA intermediates of pJGS84 replication suggested that this plasmid replicates by the rolling circle mechanism.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 630-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Ho Kim ◽  
Young-An Ra ◽  
Jong Gyu Park ◽  
Bora Kwon

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of burnout (i.e. exhaustion, cynicism, professional inefficacy) in the relationship between job level and job satisfaction as well as between job level and task performance. Design/methodology/approach The final sample included 342 Korean workers from selected companies. The authors employed the Hayes (2013) PROCESS tool for analyzing the data. Findings The results showed that all three subscales of burnout (i.e. exhaustion, cynicism, professional inefficacy) mediate the relationship between job level and job satisfaction. However, only two mediators (i.e. cynicism, professional inefficacy) indicated the mediating effects on the association between job level and task performance. Originality/value This research presented the role of burnout on the relationships between job level, job satisfaction, and task performance especially in South Korean organizational context. In addition to role of burnout, findings should prove helpful in improving job satisfaction and task performance. The authors provide implications and limitations of the findings.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Pauleen

Purpose Dave Snowden has been an important voice in knowledge management over the years. As the founder and chief scientific officer of Cognitive Edge, a company focused on the development of the theory and practice of social complexity, he offers informative views on the relationship between big data/analytics and KM. Design/methodology/approach A face-to-face interview was held with Dave Snowden in May 2015 in Auckland, New Zealand. Findings According to Snowden, analytics in the form of algorithms are imperfect and can only to a small extent capture the reasoning and analytical capabilities of people. For this reason, while big data/analytics can be useful, they are limited and must be used in conjunction with human knowledge and reasoning. Practical implications Snowden offers his views on big data/analytics and how they can be used effectively in real world situations in combination with human reasoning and input, for example in fields from resource management to individual health care. Originality/value Snowden is an innovative thinker. He combines knowledge and experience from many fields and offers original views and understanding of big data/analytics, knowledge and management.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah ◽  
Maqsood Ahmad ◽  
Faisal Mahmood

Purpose This paper aims to clarify the mechanism by which heuristics influences the investment decisions of individual investors, actively trading on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), and the perceived efficiency of the market. Most studies focus on well-developed financial markets and very little is known about investors’ behaviour in less developed financial markets or emerging markets. The present study contributes to filling this gap in the literature. Design/methodology/approach Investors’ heuristic biases have been measured using a questionnaire, containing numerous items, including indicators of speculators, investment decisions and perceived market efficiency variables. The sample consists of 143 investors trading on the PSX. A convenient, purposively sampling technique was used for data collection. To examine the relationship between heuristic biases, investment decisions and perceived market efficiency, hypotheses were tested by using correlation and regression analysis. Findings The paper provides empirical insights into the relationship of heuristic biases, investment decisions and perceived market efficiency. The results suggest that heuristic biases (overconfidence, representativeness, availability and anchoring) have a markedly negative impact on investment decisions made by individual investors actively trading on the PSX and on perceived market efficiency. Research limitations/implications The primary limitation of the empirical review is the tiny size of the sample. A larger sample would have given more trustworthy results and could have empowered a more extensive scope of investigation. Practical implications The paper encourages investors to avoid relying on heuristics or their feelings when making investments. It provides awareness and understanding of heuristic biases in investment management, which could be very useful for decision makers and professionals in financial institutions, such as portfolio managers and traders in commercial banks, investment banks and mutual funds. This paper helps investors to select better investment tools and avoid repeating expensive errors, which occur due to heuristic biases. They can improve their performance by recognizing their biases and errors of judgment, to which we are all prone, resulting in a more efficient market. So, it is necessary to focus on a specific investment strategy to control “mental mistakes” by investors, due to heuristic biases. Originality/value The current study is the first of its kind, focusing on the link between heuristics, individual investment decisions and perceived market efficiency within the specific context of Pakistan.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 1154-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Chen ◽  
Judy Drennan ◽  
Lynda Andrews ◽  
Linda D. Hollebeek

PurposeThis paper aims to propose user experience sharing (UES) as a customer-based initiation of value co-creation pertaining to service provision, which represents customers’ level of effort made for the direct benefit of others in their service network. The authors propose and empirically examine a user experience sharing model (UESM) that explicates customer-to-customer (C2C) UES and its impacts on firm-desired customer-based outcomes in online communities.Design/methodology/ApproachBased on an extensive review, the authors conceptualize UES and UESM. By using online survey data collected from mobile app users in organic online communities, the authors performed structural equation modeling analyses by using AMOS 24.FindingsThe results support the proposed UESM, showing that C2C UES acts as a key driver of both firm-desired customer efforts and customer insights. The results also confirmed that service-dominant (S-D) logic-informed motivational drivers exert a significant impact on C2C UES. Importantly, C2C UES mediates the relationship between S-D logic-informed motivational drivers and firm-desired customer-based outcomes.Originality/valueThis study offers a pioneering attempt to develop an overarching concept, UES, which reflects customers’ initiation of value co-creation, and to empirically examine C2C UES. The empirical evidence supports the key contention that firms should proactively facilitate C2C UES.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 669-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia Álvarez-Botas ◽  
Víctor M. González-Méndez

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of economic development on the influence of country-level determinants on corporate debt maturity, bearing in mind firm size and the period of financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach The authors employ panel data estimation with fixed effects to examine the role of economic development in influencing the relationship between country-level determinants on corporate debt maturity. The paper uses a sample of 30,727 listed firms, belonging to 39 countries, over the period 2005–2012. Findings Corporate debt maturity increases with the efficiency of the legal system and bank concentration and decreases with the weight of banks in the economy. However, the importance of these country determinants is greater in developing than in developed countries. The authors also show that firm size in developed and developing countries influences country determinants of corporate debt maturity. Finally, the results reveal that the financial crisis has affected the debt maturity of firms differently in developed and developing countries, with the effect of bank concentration lengthening debt maturity, this effect being more pronounced in developing countries. Practical implications The findings provide useful insights to guide policy decisions providing access to long-term financing, as corporate debt maturity depends on economic development, institutional environment, banking structure and firm size. Originality/value This study incorporates economic development in explaining the relationship between country-level determinants and corporate debt maturity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 1309-1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarang Joshi ◽  
Manoj Kharat ◽  
Rakesh Raut ◽  
Sachin Kamble ◽  
Sheetal Kamble

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between supplier development practices (SDPs) and supplier-buyer relationship practices from the supplier’s perspective (SBRSP), and seek to understand how specific SDPs may impact a buyer’s operational performance as well as supplier-buyer relationship practices. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a survey of 512 respondents from the different manufacturing firms in India and applied structural equation modelling to test a structural model that proposes the impacts of various efforts of SDPs on a buyer’s performance as well as SBRSP. Findings The study concludes that SDPs and SBRSP together improve the relationship between a buyer and supplier, and this improved relationship leads to competitive advantages (CAs) followed by profitability. Results indicate that supplier perspective of buyer-supplier relationship can be improved under the condition of SDPs and SBRSP together. SDPs are driven by productive measure and competitive pressure, whereas customer uncertainty is found to be statistically insignificant. Research limitations/implications The study was carried out in North Maharashtra Industrial Zone of India, where the auto sector and machine/components manufacturing firms have been established for a considerable period of time. Results of the study are limited to manufacturing organizations predominantly focussing on the automobile sector and machine/components manufacturing firms. Practical implications This study provides significant insights into the specific impact of various SDPs and SBRSP for both academics and practitioners. SDPs along with SBRSP practices lead to improvement in the relationship leading to CAs. SBRSP suggests that trust, long-term commitments and the supplier’s perspective are important practices for relationship improvement. Originality/value The current study attempts to identify what are the success factors for the supplier-buyer relationship from the supplier’s perspective and SDPs and how the supplier-buyer relationship can be improved under the condition of SDPs and SBRSP. Hence, the aim is to develop a more thorough understanding of the outcomes of a supplier-buyer relationship improvement from both buyer’s and supplier’s perspective, under the conditions of supplier development to achieve CAs leading to profitability. Furthermore, the study analyses the effect of the improved supplier-buyer relationship for achieving CAs leading to profitability.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 251-263
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Carabellese ◽  
Michael J. Proeve ◽  
Rachel M. Roberts

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship of two distinct variants of dispositional shame (internal and external shame) with collaborative, purpose-driven aspects of the patient–provider relationship (working alliance) and patient satisfaction. The aim of this research was to conduct a preliminary investigation into the relevance of dispositional shame in a general healthcare population. Design/methodology/approach In total, 127 community members (mean age 25.9 years) who reported that they had regularly seen a GP over the past year were recruited at an Australian university. Participants were asked to reflect on their relationship with their GP, and completed instruments assessing various domains of shame, as well as working alliance and patient satisfaction. Findings Non-parametric correlations were examined to determine the direction and strength of relationships, as well as conducting mediation analyses where applicable. Small, negative correlations were evident between external shame and working alliance. Both external and internal shame measures were also negatively correlated with patient satisfaction. Finally, the relationship of external shame to patient satisfaction was partially mediated by working alliance. Practical implications Both the reported quality of patient–provider working alliance, and level of patient satisfaction are related to levels of dispositional shame in patients, and working alliance may act as a mediator for this relationship. Originality/value The findings from this preliminary study suggest that internal and external shame are important factors to consider in the provision of medical care to maximise the quality of patient experience and working alliance.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngkeun Choi

Purpose Based on the conservation of resources theory, this study aims to develop and test the relationship between workplace ostracism and the work-to-family conflict of a female employee. And, it assumes that the direct link between workplace ostracism and the work-to-family conflict of a female employee is moderated by perceived organizational support. Design/methodology/approach For this, this study used a survey method and multiple regression analyses with multi-source data from 226 Korean female employees. Findings The results suggest the following. First, workplace ostracism was positively associated with the work-to-family conflict of a female employee. Second, there was a stronger positive relationship between workplace ostracism and work-to-family conflict for female employees with low as opposed to those with high levels of perceived organizational support. Originality/value To the best of author’s knowledge, this study is the first one to examine the moderating effect of perceived organizational support on the relationship between workplace ostracism and the work-to-family conflict of a female employee.


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