Molar mass, entanglement, and associations of the biofilm polysaccharide of Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Biofilms are microbial communities that are characterized by the presence of a viscoelastic extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). Studies have shown that polysaccharides, along with proteins and DNA, are a major constituent of the EPS and play a dominant role in mediating its microstructure and rheological properties. Here, we investigate the possibility of entanglements and associative complexes in solutions of extracellular polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) extracted from Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms.

Complement c5a generation by staphylococcal biofilms.

Biofilms production is a central feature of nosocomial infection of catheters and other medical devices used in resuscitation and critical care. However, the very effective biofilm forming pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis often produces a modest host inflammatory response and few of the signs and symptoms associated with more virulent pathogens. To examine the impact of bacterial biofilm formation on provocation of an innate immune response, we studied the elaboration of the major complement anaphylatoxin C5a by human serum upon contact with S.

Role of aggrecanase 1 in Lyme arthritis.

Objective: Arthritis is one of the hallmarks of late-stage Lyme disease. Previous studies have shown that infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, results in degradation of proteoglycans and collagen in cartilage. B burgdorferi do not appear to produce any exported proteases capable of digesting proteoglycans and collagen, but instead, induce and activate host proteases, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which results in cartilage degradation.

Chondrocyte mechanotransduction: effects of compression on deformation of intracellular organelles and relevance to cellular biosynthesis.

Objective: The effects of mechanical deformation of intact cartilage tissue on chondrocyte biosynthesis in situ have been well documented, but the mechanotransduction pathways that regulate such phenomena have not been elucidated completely. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of tissue deformation on the morphology of a range of intracellular organelles which play a major role in cell biosynthesis and metabolism.

Design: Using chemical fixation, high pressure freezing, and electron microscopy, we imaged chondrocytes within mechanically compressed cartilage explants at high magnification and quantitatively and qualitatively assessed changes in organelle volume and shape caused by graded levels of loading.