scholarly journals Intra-Species Interactions in Streptococcus pneumoniae Biofilms

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Valente ◽  
Ana R. Cruz ◽  
Adriano O. Henriques ◽  
Raquel Sá-Leão
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Confocal Imaging ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Colonization ◽  
Biofilm Model ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Colonization Ability ◽  
Sequence Types

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a human pathogen responsible for high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Disease is incidental and is preceded by asymptomatic nasopharyngeal colonization in the form of biofilms. Simultaneous colonization by multiple pneumococcal strains is frequent but remains poorly characterized. Previous studies, using mostly laboratory strains, showed that pneumococcal strains can reciprocally affect each other’s colonization ability. Here, we aimed at developing a strategy to investigate pneumococcal intra-species interactions occurring in biofilms. A 72h abiotic biofilm model mimicking long-term colonization was applied to study eight pneumococcal strains encompassing 6 capsular types and 7 multilocus sequence types. Strains were labeled with GFP or RFP, generating two fluorescent variants for each. Intra-species interactions were evaluated in dual-strain biofilms (1:1 ratio) using flow cytometry. Confocal microscopy was used to image representative biofilms. Twenty-eight dual-strain combinations were tested. Interactions of commensalism, competition, amensalism and neutralism were identified. The outcome of an interaction was independent of the capsular and sequence type of the strains involved. Confocal imaging of biofilms confirmed the positive, negative and neutral effects that pneumococci can exert on each other. In conclusion, we developed an experimental approach that successfully discriminates pneumococcal strains growing in mixed biofilms, which enables the identification of intra-species interactions. Several types of interactions occur among pneumococci. These observations are a starting point to study the mechanisms underlying those interactions.

scholarly journals The Proteasome-Ubiquitin System Is Required for Efficient Killing of Intracellular Streptococcus pneumoniae by Brain Endothelial Cells

mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Iovino ◽  
Henrik Gradstedt ◽  
Jetta J. Bijlsma
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier ◽  
Confocal Imaging ◽  
Brain Barrier ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
Ubiquitin System

ABSTRACTStreptococcus pneumoniae(pneumococcus) is a Gram-positive bacterium that causes serious invasive diseases, such as pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis, with high morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Before causing invasive disease,S. pneumoniaeencounters cellular barriers, which are often composed of endothelial cells, like the alveolar-capillary barrier and the blood-brain barrier.S. pneumoniaeadheres to endothelial cells and may invade them, which requires an efficient host response to the intracellular bacteria. The precise intracellular fate ofS. pneumoniaeduring infection still remains a subject of debate. The proteasome-ubiquitin system is largely responsible for the degradation of misfolded, damaged, or no-longer-useful proteins. Recently, the role of the proteasome-ubiquitin system in the clearing of invading bacteria and viruses has been more closely studied. In this study, we show that inhibition of the proteasome-ubiquitin system leads to a marked increase inS. pneumoniaesurvival inside host cells. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that intracellular pneumococci colocalized with proteasome and ubiquitin in human endothelial cellsin vitro. Confocal imaging analysis demonstrated that in the brains of mice intravenously infected withS. pneumoniae, the bacteria were inside endothelial cells, where they colocalized with proteasome and ubiquitin signals. In conclusion, our data indicate that a fully functional proteasome-ubiquitin system in endothelial cells is crucial for efficient killing of intracellularS. pneumoniae.IMPORTANCEBacterial meningitis is a serious invasive disease with high morbidity and mortality. How bacteria traverse the blood-brain barrierin vivoand what mechanisms are employed by the host to prevent invasion are still unclear. Our data show that inhibition of the proteasome-ubiquitin systemin vitroleads to a significant increase inS. pneumoniaesurvival inside brain endothelial cells. Confocal imaging analysis of brain tissue from mice intravenously infected with pneumococci demonstrated that the bacteria are inside brain microvascular endothelial cells, where they associate with the proteasome and ubiquitin. This is, as far as we know, the first report that demonstrates thatStreptococcus pneumoniaeinvades endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrierin vivo. The host requires the proteasome-ubiquitin system for an efficient decimation of intracellularS. pneumoniae.

Research for a sustainable European sugar sector

2010 ◽  
pp. 487-495
Author(s):  
Martin Bruhns ◽  
Peter Glaviè ◽  
Arne Sloth Jensen ◽  
Michael Narodoslawsky ◽  
Giorgio Pezzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Industry ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Sustainable Chemistry ◽  
Technology Platforms ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Manufacturing Applications ◽  
European Technology

The paper is based on the results of international project entitled “Towards Sustainable Sugar Industry in Europe (TOSSIE)”. 33 research topics of major importance to the sugar sector are listed and briefly described, and compared with research priorities of the European Technology Platforms: “Food for Life”, “Sustainable Chemistry”, “Biofuels”, and “Plant for the Future”. Most topics are compatible with the research themes included in the COOPERATION part of the 7th Framework Program of the EU (2007-2013). However, some topics may require long-term R&D with the time horizon of up to 15 years. The list of topics is divided into four parts: Sugar manufacturing, Applications of biotechnology and biorefinery processing, Sugarbeet breeding and growing, Horizontal issues. Apart from possible use of the list by policy- and decision makers with an interest in sugarbeet sector, the description of each research topic can be used as a starting point in setting up a research project or other R&D activities.

scholarly journals Brain Abscess Caused by Nocardia: Case Report and Literature Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Finger ◽  
Maria Eduarda Conte Gripa ◽  
Tiago Paczko Bozko Cecchini ◽  
Tobias Ludwig do Nascimento
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Antibiotic Therapy ◽  
Brain Abscess ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Occipital Lobe ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Rare Clinical Entity ◽  
Brain Abscesses

AbstractNocardia brain abscess is a rare clinical entity, accounting for 2% of all brain abscesses, associated with high morbidity and a mortality rate 3 times higher than brain abscesses caused by other bacteria. Proper investigation and treatment, characterized by a long-term antibiotic therapy, play an important role on the outcome of the patient. The authors describe a case of a patient without neurological comorbidities who developed clinical signs of right occipital lobe impairment and seizures, whose investigation demonstrated brain abscess caused by Nocardia spp. The patient was treated surgically followed by antibiotic therapy with a great outcome after 1 year of follow-up.

scholarly journals The Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Religious Exercise: Preliminary Remarks

Laws ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Adelaide Madera
Keyword(s):  
Global Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Personal Lives ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Legal Contexts

Since 2020, the spread of COVID-19 has had an overwhelming impact not only on our personal lives, but also on domestic regulatory frameworks. Influential academics have strongly underlined that, in times of deep crisis, such as the current global health crisis, the long-term workability of legal systems is put to a severe test. In this period, in fact, the protection of health has been given priority, as a precondition that is orientating many current legal choices. Such an unprecedented health emergency has also raised a serious challenge in terms of fundamental rights and liberties. Several basic rights that normally enjoy robust protection under constitutional, supranational, and international guarantees, have experienced a devastating “suspension” for the sake of public health and safety, thus giving rise to a vigorous debate concerning whether and to what extent the pandemic emergency justifies limitations on fundamental rights. The present paper introduces the Special Issue on “The crisis of the religious freedom during the age of COVID-19 pandemic”. Taking as a starting point the valuable contributions of the participants in the Special Issue, it explores analogous and distinctive implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in different legal contexts and underlines the relevance of cooperation between religious and public actors to face a global health crisis.

Macrolide resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated during long-term macrolide therapy: difference between erythromycin and clarithromycin

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kei Kasahara ◽  
Hiroshi Kimura ◽  
Eiji Kita ◽  
Koichi Maeda ◽  
Kenji Uno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Macrolide Resistance

scholarly journals Phenotypic and Molecular Analysis of Penicillin-Nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates in Poland

2006 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Sadowy ◽  
Radosław Izdebski ◽  
Anna Skoczyńska ◽  
Paweł Grzesiowski ◽  
Marek Gniadkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Molecular Analysis ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Multilocus Sequence Typing ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Pulsed Field ◽  
Related Clone ◽  
Sequence Types

ABSTRACT β-Lactams are the drugs of choice for the treatment of infections caused by the important bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. The recent growth of resistance of this organism to penicillin observed worldwide is of the highest concern. In this study, using 887 surveillance pneumococcal isolates recovered in Poland from 1998 to 2002, we observed the increase in penicillin nonsusceptibility from 8.7% to 20.3%. All of the 109 penicillin-nonsusceptible S. pneumoniae (PNSP) isolates identified, together with 22 archival PNSP isolates from 1995 to 1997, were subsequently analyzed by susceptibility testing, serotyping, profiling of pbp genes, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Four predominant serotypes, serotypes 6B, 9V, 14, and 23F, characterized 85.5% of the isolates. MLST revealed the presence of 34 sequence types, 15 of which were novel types. Representatives of seven multiresistant international clones (Spain23F-1, Spain6B-2, Spain9V-3, Taiwan23F-15, Poland23F-16, Poland6B-20, and Sweden15A-25) or their closely related variants comprised the majority of the study isolates. The spread of Spain9V-3 and its related clone of serotype 14/ST143 has remarkably contributed to the recent increase in penicillin resistance in pneumococci in the country.

scholarly journals The ontogeny of the endocrine pancreas in the fetal/newborn baboon

2012 ◽  
Vol 214 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy R Quinn ◽  
Cynthia L Blanco ◽  
Carla Perego ◽  
Giovanna Finzi ◽  
Stefano La Rosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Cells ◽  
Endocrine Pancreas ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Pancreatic Tissue ◽  
Developmental Differences ◽  
Confocal Imaging ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Pancreas Islet ◽  
Pancreas Weight

Erratic regulation of glucose metabolism including hyperglycemia is a common condition in premature infants and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to examine histological and ultrastructural differences in the endocrine pancreas in fetal (throughout gestation) and neonatal baboons. Twelve fetal baboons were delivered at 125 days (d) gestational age (GA), 140d GA, or 175d GA. Eight animals were delivered at term (185d GA); half were fed for 5 days. Seventy-three nondiabetic adult baboons were used for comparison. Pancreatic tissue was studied using light microscopy, confocal imaging, and electron microscopy. The fetal and neonatal endocrine pancreas islet architecture became more organized as GA advanced. The percent areas of α-β-δ-cell type were similar within each fetal and newborn GA (NS) but were higher than the adults (P<0.05) regardless of GA. The ratio of β cells within the islet (whole and core) increased with gestation (P<0.01). Neonatal baboons, which survived for 5 days (feeding), had a 2.5-fold increase in pancreas weight compared with their counterparts killed at birth (P=0.01). Endocrine cells were also found in exocrine ductal and acinar cells in 125, 140 and 175d GA fetuses. Subpopulation of tissue that coexpressed trypsin and glucagon/insulin shows the presence of cells with mixed endo–exocrine lineage in fetuses. In summary, the fetal endocrine pancreas has no prevalence of a α-β-δ-cell type with larger endocrine cell percent areas than adults. Cells with mixed endocrine/exocrine phenotype occur during fetal development. Developmental differences may play a role in glucose homeostasis during the neonatal period and may have long-term implications.

Species interactions in mixed-community crystalline biofilms on urinary catheters

2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 1549-1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Macleod ◽  
David J. Stickler
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Crystal Formation ◽  
Urinary Catheters ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Pure Cultures ◽  
Providencia Stuartii

Previous experimental investigations of the crystalline biofilms that colonize and block urinary catheters have focussed on their formation by pure cultures of Proteus mirabilis. In the urine of patients undergoing long-term catheterization, P. mirabilis is commonly found in mixed communities with other urinary tract pathogens. Little is known about the effect that the other species have on the rate at which P. mirabilis encrusts catheters. In the present study, a set of data on the nature of the bacterial communities on 106 catheter biofilms has been analysed and it was found that while species such as Providencia stuartii and Klebsiella pneumoniae were commonly associated with P. mirabilis, when Escherichia coli, Morganella morganii or Enterobacter cloacae were present, P. mirabilis was rarely or never found. The hypothesis that the absence of P. mirabilis from some biofilm communities could be due to its active exclusion by other species has also been examined. Experiments in laboratory models showed that co-infection of P. mirabilis with M. morganii, K. pneumoniae or E. coli had no effect on the ability of P. mirabilis to encrust and block catheters. Co-infection with Ent. cloacae or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, however, significantly increased the time that catheters took to block (P <0.05). The growth of Ent. cloacae, M. morganii, K. pneumoniae or E. coli in the model for 72 h prior to superinfection with P. mirabilis significantly delayed catheter blockage. In the case of Ent. cloacae, for example, the mean time to blockage was extended from 28.7 h to 60.7 h (P ≤0.01). In all cases, however, P. mirabilis was able to generate alkaline urine, colonize the biofilms, induce crystal formation and block the catheters. The results suggest that although there is a degree of antagonism between P. mirabilis and some of the other urinary tract organisms, the effects are temporary and whatever the pre-existing urinary microbiota, infection with P. mirabilis is thus likely to lead to catheter encrustation and blockage.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Two Supplemented Culture Media for Long-Term, Room-Temperature Preservation ofStreptococcus pneumoniaeStrains

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Beatriz Quintero Moreno ◽  
María Araque ◽  
Evelyn Mendoza
Keyword(s):  
Survival Time ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Skim Milk ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Phenotypic Characteristics ◽  
Genetic Profiles ◽  
Sequence Types ◽  
Over Time

Objective. To produce two supplemented agar types in order to store pneumococci for several months at room temperature.Methods. Todd-Hewitt/Hemoglobin/Yeast/Charcoal/Agar (TH-HYC) and Todd-Hewitt/Skim-Milk/Yeast/Charcoal/Agar (TH-SYC) were used to prepare two supplemented agar types. Nineteen pneumococci isolated from patients or asymptomatic carriers displaying diverse serotypes and multilocus sequence types (MLST) were subcultured and stored onto supplemented agar types, in four different tests, at room temperature.Findings. At the end of all tests (4–6 months) all noncontaminated subcultures were viable and maintained all phenotypic characteristics. Survival-time curves revealed a slow decrease of viable CFU over time on agar types, but at the end the number of viable CFU was satisfactory (≥2+ of growth). Decreasing of CFU was significantly higher for clinical versus nasopharyngeal isolates. Subcultures contamination rates were 6.25% and 14.58% after 2 and 6 months of storage, respectively.Conclusion. TH-HYC and TH-SYC agar types allowed the viability of pneumococci with several serotypes, MLST, and genetic profiles, after 6 months of storage at room temperature. We consider that these agar types are a valid alternative to preserve pneumococci over an extended period, especially when methods as cryopreservation or lyophilization are not available, and are useful for transporting strains between laboratories.

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