Quorum sensing in bacteria: in silico protein analysis, ecophysiology, and reconstruction of their evolutionary history.

Background: Quorum sensing (QS) is a sophisticated cell-to-cell signalling mechanism that allows the coordination of important processes in microbial populations. The AI-1 and AI-2 autoinducer systems are among the best characterized bacterial QS systems at the genetic level.

Results: In this study, we present data derived from in silico screening of QS proteins from bacterial genomes available in public databases.

In Vitro and In Vivo Activity of Citral in Combination with Amphotericin B, Anidulafungin and Fluconazole against Isolates.

is an emerging fungal pathogen responsible for hospital outbreaks of invasive candidiasis associated with high mortality. The treatment of these mycoses is a clinical challenge due to the high resistance levels of this species to current antifungal drugs, and alternative therapeutic strategies are needed. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo activities of combinations of citral with anidulafungin, amphotericin B or fluconazole against 19 isolates.

Protein Engineering Approaches to Enhance Fungal Laccase Production in .

Laccases secreted by saprotrophic basidiomycete fungi are versatile biocatalysts able to oxidize a wide range of aromatic compounds using oxygen as the sole requirement. is a preferred host for engineering fungal laccases. To assist the difficult secretion of active enzymes by yeast, the native signal peptide is usually replaced by the preproleader of alfa mating factor (MFα1).

Disinfectant Activity of A Portable Ultraviolet C Equipment.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) can be caused by microorganisms present in common practice instruments generating major health problems in the hospital environment. The aim of this work was to evaluate the disinfection capacity of a portable ultraviolet C equipment (UV Sanitizer Corvent -UVSC-) developed to disinfect different objects. For this purpose, six pathogens causing HAIs: , , , , and , were inoculated on slides and discs of different biomaterials (borosilicate, polycarbonate, polyurethane, silicone, Teflon and titanium) and exposed to ultraviolet C radiation.