Macrophage Bactericidal Activities against Staphylococcus aureus Are Enhanced In Vivo by Selenium Supplementation in a Dose-Dependent Manner.

Background: Dietary selenium is of fundamental importance to maintain optimal immune function and enhance immunity during infection. To this end, we examined the effect of selenium on macrophage bactericidal activities against Staphylococcus aureus.

Methods: Assays were performed in golden Syrian hamsters and peritoneal macrophages cultured with S.

Imd pathway is involved in the interaction of Drosophila melanogaster with the entomopathogenic bacteria, Xenorhabdus nematophila and Photorhabdus luminescens.

Xenorhabdus nematophila/Steinernema carpocapsae and Photorhabdus luminescens/Heterorhabditis bacteriophora are nemato-bacterial complexes highly pathogenic for insects. Using a syringe as artificial vector, we have analyzed the effects of the two bacteria, X. nematophila and P.

Role of endoglucanases in Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937 virulence on Saintpaulia ionantha.

The role of endoglucanases (endoglucanases Z and Y) in Erwinia chrysanthemi pathogenicity on Saintpaulia ionantha was assessed by mutagenizing cloned cel genes (celZ and celY) and recombining them with the chromosomal alleles. Strains with an omega interposon in celZ, a deletion in celY, or a double cel mutant were as virulent as the wild-type strain. However, in the strain with a deletion in celY, a delay in the appearance of symptoms was observed, and then maceration progressed as in plants infected with the wild-type strain, suggesting that E.

Sequence analysis of the cellulase-encoding celY gene of Erwinia chrysanthemi: a possible case of interspecies gene transfer.

The Erwinia chrysanthemi (strain 3937) celY gene encoding the minor endoglucanase (EGY) was sequenced. The analysis of the upstream region allowed us to identify an in vivo active promoter recognized by the NtrA (sigma 54) holoenzyme. No similarity was found between the predicted amino acid (aa) sequences of EGY and either the Er.