Evolutionary and functional history of the Escherichia coli K1 capsule.

Escherichia coli is a leading cause of invasive bacterial infections in humans. Capsule polysaccharide has an important role in bacterial pathogenesis, and the K1 capsule has been firmly established as one of the most potent capsule types in E. coli through its association with severe infections.

Efficient Protein Digestion at Elevated Temperature in the Presence of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate and Calcium Ions for Membrane Proteomics.

The growing significance of membrane proteins inspires continuous development and improvement of methods for robust membrane proteomics. Here, we developed a very simple and efficient method for membrane protein digestion using an ionic detergent, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), at high temperature, conditions where trypsin is normally inactivated. Our results suggest that trypsin can be stabilized by a combination of calcium ions and sodium chloride, which enables protein digestion at elevated temperature in the presence of strong ionic detergents such as SDS.

Complement Susceptibility in Relation to Genome Sequence of Recent Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates from Thai Hospitals.

The capacity to resist the bactericidal action of complement (C') is a strong but poorly understood virulence trait in spp. Killing requires activation of one or more C' pathways, assembly of C5b-9 membrane attack complexes (MACs) on the surface of the outer membrane (OM), and penetration of MACs into the target bilayer. We interrogated whole-genome sequences of 164 isolates from three tertiary hospitals in Thailand for genes encoding surface-located macromolecules considered to play a role in determination of C' resistance.

Genetic Techniques for Manipulation of the Phytosterol Biotransformation Strain Mycobacterium neoaurum NRRL B-3805.

Mycobacterium neoaurum is a saprophytic, soil-dwelling bacterium. The strain NRRL B-3805 converts phytosterols to androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (androstenedione; AD), a precursor of multiple C19 steroids of importance to industry. NRRL B-3805 itself is able to convert AD to other steroid products, including testosterone (Ts) and androst-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (androstadienedione; ADD).