A High-Homology Region Provides the Possibility of Detecting β-Barrel Pore-Forming Toxins from Various Bacterial Species.

The pathogenicity of many bacteria, including and , depends on pore-forming toxins (PFTs), which cause the lysis of host cells by forming pores in the membranes of eukaryotic cells. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a region homologous to the Lys171-Gly250 sequence in hemolysin II (HlyII) from in over 600 PFTs, which we designated as a "homologous peptide". Three β-barrel PFTs were used for a detailed comparative analysis.

Region Met225 to Ile412 of Hemolysin II Is Capable to Agglutinate Red Blood Cells.

Hemolysin II (HlyII) is one of the virulence factors of the opportunistic bacterium belonging to the group of β-pore-forming toxins. This work created a genetic construct encoding a large C-terminal fragment of the toxin (HlyIILCTD, M225-I412 according to the numbering of amino acid residues in HlyII). A soluble form of HlyIILCTD was obtained using the SlyD chaperone protein.

5,7-Diamino-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxynon-2-ulosonic Acids in the Capsular Polysaccharides of Acinetobacter baumannii.

The polysaccharide capsule surrounding bacterial cell plays an important role in pathogenesis of infections caused by the opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii by providing protection from external factors. The structures of the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) produced by A. baumannii isolates and the corresponding CPS biosynthesis gene clusters are highly diverse, although many of them are related.

Draft Genome Sequences of Five Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Clinically Healthy Cows in the Russian Federation.

We present here the draft genome sequences of five strains isolated from milk samples from clinically healthy cows in the Russian Federation. Four of them were determined to be sequence type 97 (ST-97), and one was determined to be ST-22. All the strains are characterized by their genome possessing genes that code for enterotoxins and cytotoxins.

Magnetic immunoassay for detection of staphylococcal toxins in complex media.

Method of highly sensitive registration of magnetic nanoparticles by their nonlinear magnetization is used in a novel sandwich-type immunoassay for detection of staphylococcal toxins in complex media of virtually any volume, with increasing sensitivity at higher sample volume. The signal is read out from the entire volume of a nontransparent 3D fiber structure employed as a solid phase, which provides large reaction surface, quick reagent mixing, as well as antigen immunofiltration directly in the course of the assay. The method has demonstrated near-linear dose-response curves within a wide range of ~3 decades, while detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) and toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST) in neat milk without sample preparation.

Rapid simultaneous ultrasensitive immunodetection of five bacterial toxins.

Rapid ultrasensitive detection of gastrointestinal pathogens presents a great interest for medical diagnostics and epidemiologic services. Though conventional immunochemical and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods are sensitive enough for many applications, they usually require several hours for assay, whereas as sensitive but more rapid methods are needed in many practical cases. Here, we report a new microarray-based analytical technique for simultaneous detection of five bacterial toxins: the cholera toxin, the E.

Generation of scFv phages specific to Staphylococcus enterotoxin C1 by panning on related antigens.

A method for generation of highly specific miniantibodies within the phage particle has been developed, and used to produce antibodies against Staphylococcus enterotoxin type C1. Under successive panning of the non-immune phage miniantibody (scFv) library with enterotoxins SE (types A, B, C1, D, E, G, and I) adsorbed on the plate surface, we generated 11 individual phage clones to Staphylococcus enterotoxin type C1. Five of them interacted specifically only with SEC1 and had no cross-reactions with the other enterotoxins.

Cytokinin-binding protein (70 kDa): localization in tissues and cells of etiolated maize seedlings and its putative function.

The distribution pattern of a 70 kDa cytokinin-binding protein (CBP70) was studied in 4-d-old etiolated maize seedlings (Zea mays L., cv. Elbrus).

Identification of pentadecapeptide mimicking muramyl peptide.

We used monoclonal antibody, generated against N-acetylglucosaminyl-beta1-4-N-acetylmuramyl-alanyl-D-isoglutamine (GMDP), and phage display libraries of random peptides to select for oligopeptides, that mimic GMDP in their biological activity. Selected phage clones displayed a peptide RVPPRYHAKISPMVN (called RN-peptide) on their surface. This peptide was synthesized.