High-affinity binding of the staphylococcal HarA protein to haptoglobin and hemoglobin involves a domain with an antiparallel eight-stranded beta-barrel fold.

Iron scavenging from the host is essential for the growth of pathogenic bacteria. In this study, we further characterized two staphylococcal cell wall proteins previously shown to bind hemoproteins. HarA and IsdB harbor homologous ligand binding domains, the so called NEAT domain (for "near transporter") present in several surface proteins of gram-positive pathogens.

Comparison of antibody repertoires against Staphylococcus aureus in healthy individuals and in acutely infected patients.

The management of staphylococcal diseases is increasingly difficult with present medical approaches. Preventive and therapeutic vaccination is considered to be a promising alternative; however, little is known about immune correlates of protection and disease susceptibility. To better understand the immune recognition of Staphylococcus aureus by the human host, we studied the antistaphylococcal humoral responses in healthy people in comparison to those of patients with invasive diseases.

Identification of a novel iron regulated staphylococcal surface protein with haptoglobin-haemoglobin binding activity.

Staphylococcus aureus is an extremely adaptable pathogen causing a wide variety of infections. Staphylococcal surface proteins that directly interact with host extracellular proteins greatly contribute to virulence and are involved in adhesion, immune escape and nutrient acquisition. In our extensive search for highly immunogenic, in vivo-expressed, staphylococcal proteins, previously, we identified a novel member of the family of Gram-positive anchor motif proteins with a predicted 895 amino acid long sequence.

[Utilization of hybridization in situ and PCR in situ methods to detect latent infection by the wild strain of HSV-1 and by a mutant with reduced reactivation].

The aim of the study was to detect the number of latently infected cells with wild type virus and with mutant with reduced reactivation. Using PCR in situ method we established, that the number of cells containing genome of these viruses do not differ especially between them. The number of cells with LAT expression is significantly reduced in the ganglia infected with mutant with impaired reactivation as we showed using in situ hybridization.

Identification of in vivo expressed vaccine candidate antigens from Staphylococcus aureus.

For the design of potent subunit vaccines, it is of paramount importance to identify all antigens immunologically recognized by a patient population infected with a pathogen. We have developed a rapid and efficient procedure to identify such commonly recognized antigens, and here we provide a comprehensive in vivo antigenic profile of Staphylococcus aureus, an important human pathogen. S.