Comparative Genomic Analysis of and Closely Related Species.

is a gram-negative, anaerobic bacterium strongly associated with periodontitis. It also causes various extraoral infections and is linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes in humans and murine models. and related oral have been termed "emerging species" because infections by these organisms are likely underreported.

Identification and Characterization of a Putative Chemotaxis Protein, CheY, from the Oral Pathogen .

is an understudied oral bacterium that contributes to periodontitis. Processes that contribute to the disease-causing capabilities of pathogens, such as chemotaxis, are largely unknown in . The aim of this study was to better understand chemotaxis, by examining the genome for the presence of a gene.

A gnotobiotic mouse model demonstrates that dietary fiber protects against colorectal tumorigenesis in a microbiota- and butyrate-dependent manner.

Unlabelled: Whether dietary fiber protects against colorectal cancer is controversial because of conflicting results from human epidemiologic studies. However, these studies and mouse models of colorectal cancer have not controlled the composition of gut microbiota, which ferment fiber into short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate. Butyrate is noteworthy because it has energetic and epigenetic functions in colonocytes and tumor-suppressive properties in colorectal cancer cell lines.

Identification and Characterization of an Invasion Antigen B Gene from the Oral Pathogen Campylobacter rectus.

The oral bacterium, Campylobacter rectus, is an etiological agent of periodontitis. The virulence genes of C. rectus are largely unknown.

Campylobacter jejuni induces colitis through activation of mammalian target of rapamycin signaling.

Background & Aims: Campylobacter jejuni is the worldwide leading cause of bacterial-induced enteritis. The molecular and cellular events that lead to campylobacteriosis are poorly understood. We identify mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) as a signaling pathway that leads to C jejuni-induced intestinal inflammation.

Gnotobiotic IL-10; NF-kappaB mice develop rapid and severe colitis following Campylobacter jejuni infection.

Limited information is available on the molecular mechanisms associated with Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) induced food-borne diarrheal illnesses. In this study, we investigated the function of TLR/NF-kappaB signaling in C.

The gastrointestinal microbiome: a malleable, third genome of mammals.

The nonpathogenic, mutualistic bacteria of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract provide a number of benefits to the host. Recent reports have shown how the aggregate genomes of gastrointestinal bacteria provide novel benefits by functioning as the third major genome in mammals along with the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Consequently, efforts are underway to elucidate the complexity of the organisms comprising the unique ecosystem of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as those associated with other epidermal surfaces.

Anti-inflammatory properties of Lactobacillus gasseri expressing manganese superoxide dismutase using the interleukin 10-deficient mouse model of colitis.

Emerging evidence has implicated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although intestinal epithelial cells produce the ROS-neutralizing enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), the protein and activity levels of copper/zinc (Cu/Zn) and manganese (Mn) SOD are perturbed in inflamed tissues of IBD patients. Thus we investigated the ability of MnSOD from Streptococcus thermophilus to reduce colitis symptoms in interleukin (IL) 10-deficient mice using Lactobacillus gasseri as a delivery vehicle.

Human epithelial-specific response to pathogenic Campylobacter jejuni.

The gastrointestinal epithelia of mammals are tolerant of their resident gut microbiota but are usually highly responsive to entero-pathogens; the host-specific responses have not been well characterized. To this end, the transcriptional responses of cultured human (Caco-2) and murine (CT-26) colonic epithelial cells were compared after exposure with the microfloral bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri or the human gastrointestinal pathogen Campylobacter jejuni. When in bacterial broth, both species elicit a stronger differential gene expression response in human colonic cells compared with mouse colonic cells.

Genomic diversity in Campylobacter jejuni: identification of C. jejuni 81-176-specific genes.

Since the publication of the complete genomic sequence of Campylobacter jejuni NCTC 11168 in February 2000, evidence has been compiling that suggests C. jejuni strains exhibit high genomic diversity. In order to investigate this diversity, the unique genomic DNA sequences from a nonsequenced Campylobacter strain, C.

Identification of Campylobacter jejuni ATCC 43431-specific genes by whole microbial genome comparisons.

This study describes a novel approach to identify unique genomic DNA sequences from the unsequenced strain C. jejuni ATCC 43431 by comparison with the sequenced strain C. jejuni NCTC 11168.

Iron acquisition and regulation in Campylobacter jejuni.

Iron affects the physiology of bacteria in two different ways: as a micronutrient for bacterial growth and as a catalyst for the formation of hydroxyl radicals. In this study, we used DNA microarrays to identify the C. jejuni genes that have their transcript abundance affected by iron availability.