Prevalence of genetically similar Flavobacterium columnare phages across aquaculture environments reveals a strong potential for pathogen control.

Intensive aquaculture conditions expose fish to bacterial infections, leading to significant financial losses, extensive antibiotic use and risk of antibiotic resistance in target bacteria. Flavobacterium columnare causes columnaris disease in aquaculture worldwide. To develop a bacteriophage-based control of columnaris disease, we isolated and characterized 126 F.

Bacteriophage Adherence to Mucus Mediates Preventive Protection against Pathogenic Bacteria.

Metazoans were proposed to host bacteriophages on their mucosal surfaces in a symbiotic relationship, where phages provide an external immunity against bacterial infections and the metazoans provide phages a medium for interacting with bacteria. However, scarce empirical evidence and model systems have left the phage-mucus interaction poorly understood. Here, we show that phages bind both to porcine mucus and to rainbow trout () primary mucus, persist up to 7 days in the mucosa, and provide protection against Also, exposure to mucus changes the bacterial phenotype by increasing bacterial virulence and susceptibility to phage infections.

The Fate of Bacteriophages in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS)-Towards Developing Phage Therapy for RAS.

Aquaculture production has increased tremendously during the last decades, and new techniques have been developed, e.g., recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS).

Aquaculture as a source of empirical evidence for coevolution between CRISPR-Cas and phage.

So far, studies on the bacterial immune system CRISPR-Cas and its ecological and evolutionary effects have been largely limited to laboratory conditions. While providing crucial information on the constituents of CRISPR-Cas, such studies may overlook fundamental components that affect bacterial immunity in natural habitats. Translating laboratory-derived predictions to nature is not a trivial task, owing partly to the instability of natural communities and difficulties in repeated sampling.

Label-free proteome of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) seminal plasma.

The study aimed to describe the Bubalus bubalis seminal plasma proteome using a label-free shotgun UDMS approach. A total of 859 nonredundant proteins were identified across five biological replicates with stringent identification. Proteins specifically related to sperm maturation and protection, capacitation, fertilization and metabolic activity were detected in the buffalo seminal fluid.

Etiological agents of viral meningitis in children from a dengue-endemic area, Southeast region of Brazil.

Meningitis is a disease with a global distribution that constitutes a worldwide burden, with viruses as the primary etiologic agents. The range of viral meningitis severity depends mainly on age, immune status and etiological agent. The aim of this work was to investigate the suspected cases of viral meningitis using molecular techniques to confirm the viral infection.

Complete genome sequence of strain Z31.

Background: () is a spore-forming bacterium responsible for nosocomial infections in humans. It is recognized as an important agent of diarrhea and colitis in several animal species and a possible zoonotic agent. Despite the known importance of infection in humans and animals, no vaccine or other effective measure to control the disease is commercially available.

Horizontal study of vaccinia virus infections in an endemic area: epidemiologic, phylogenetic and economic aspects.

Vaccinia virus (VACV), the etiological agent of bovine vaccinia (BV), is widespread in Brazil and present in most of the milk-producing regions. We conducted a horizontal study of BV in Bahia, a state of Brazil in which the production of milk is increasing. During 2011, human and bovine clinical samples were collected during outbreaks for BV diagnosis, virus isolation and molecular analysis.

Modulation of the expression of mimivirus-encoded translation-related genes in response to nutrient availability during Acanthamoeba castellanii infection.

The complexity of giant virus genomes is intriguing, especially the presence of genes encoding components of the protein translation machinery such as transfer RNAs and aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases; these features are uncommon among other viruses. Although orthologs of these genes are codified by their hosts, one can hypothesize that having these translation-related genes might represent a gain of fitness during infection. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of translation-related genes by mimivirus during infection of Acanthamoeba castellanii under different nutritional conditions.

Oysters as hot spots for mimivirus isolation.

Viruses are ubiquitous organisms, but their role in the ecosystem and their prevalence are still poorly understood. Mimiviruses are extremely complex and large DNA viruses. Although metagenomic studies have suggested that members of the family Mimiviridae are abundant in oceans, there is a lack of information about the association of mimiviruses with marine organisms.

Growing a giant: evaluation of the virological parameters for mimivirus production.

Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (APMV) was described in 2003, and due to its unique structural and genetic complexity, the viral family Mimiviridae was created. APMV prompted the creation of an open field of study on the function of hundreds of never-before-seen open reading frames (ORFs) and their roles in virus-host interactions. In recent years, several giant viruses have been isolated from different environments and specimens.

A resourceful giant: APMV is able to interfere with the human type I interferon system.

Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (APMV) is a giant, double-stranded virus of the Mimiviridae family that was discovered in 2003. Recent studies have shown that this virus is able to replicate in murine and human phagocytes and might be considered a putative human pathogen that causes pneumonia. However, there is little data regarding APMV and its host defense relationship.

Amoebas as mimivirus bunkers: increased resistance to UV light, heat and chemical biocides when viruses are carried by amoeba hosts.

Amoebas of the genus Acanthamoeba are protists that are associated with human disease and represent a public health concern. They can harbor pathogenic microorganisms, acting as a platform for pathogen replication. Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (APMV), the type species of the genus Mimivirus, family Mimiviridae, represents the largest group of amoeba-associated viruses that has been described to date.

Characterization of a new Vaccinia virus isolate reveals the C23L gene as a putative genetic marker for autochthonous Group 1 Brazilian Vaccinia virus.

Since 1999, several Vaccinia virus (VACV) isolates, the etiological agents of bovine vaccinia (BV), have been frequently isolated and characterized with various biological and molecular methods. The results from these approaches have grouped these VACV isolates into two different clusters. This dichotomy has elicited debates surrounding the origin of the Brazilian VACV and its epidemiological significance.

Inhibition of apoptosis and NF-κB activation by vaccinia protein N1 occur via distinct binding surfaces and make different contributions to virulence.

Vaccinia virus (VACV) protein N1 is an intracellular virulence factor and belongs to a family of VACV B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2-like proteins whose members inhibit apoptosis or activation of pro-inflammatory transcription factors, such as interferon (IFN) regulatory factor-3 (IRF-3) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). Unusually, N1 inhibits both apoptosis and NF-κB activation. To understand how N1 exerts these different functions, we have mutated residues in the Bcl-2-like surface groove and at the interface used to form N1 homodimers.

Yeast communities in two Atlantic rain Forest fragments in Southeast Brazil.

We studied the yeast communities associated with fruits, mushrooms, tree exudates, and flies of the genus Drosophila, in two Atlantic Rain Forest fragments in state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 456 samples were collected from Rio Doce State Park and 142 from Ecological Station of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. From these samples, 608 yeast isolates were obtained, belonging to 71 different species.