Extracellular DNase BmdE Targeting Biofilm Matrix, a Novel Inter-Species Competition Mechanism.

Acne vulgaris is the most common dermatological disorder worldwide affecting more than 80% of adolescents and young adults with a global prevalence of 231 million cases in 2019. The involvement of the skin microbiome disbalance in the pathophysiology of acne is recognized, especially regarding the relative abundance and diversity of a well-known dominant human skin commensal. Biofilms, where bacteria are embedded into a protective polymeric extracellular matrix, are the most prevalent life style for microorganisms.

Occipital condylar dysplasia in a Jacob lamb ().

Jacob sheep () are a pedigree breed known for their "polycerate" (multihorned) phenotype. We describe a four-horned Jacob lamb that exhibited progressive congenital hindlimb ataxia and paresis, and was euthanased four weeks post-partum. Necropsy and CT-scan revealed deformity and asymmetry of the occipital condyles, causing narrowing of the foramen magnum and spinal cord compression.

Transcriptomic analysis of Propionibacterium acnes biofilms in vitro.

Propionibacterium acnes is a well-known commensal of the human skin connected to acne vulgaris and joint infections. It is extensively studied in planktonic cultures in the laboratory settings but occurs naturally in biofilms. In this study we have developed an in vitro biofilm model of P.

More adaptive versus less maladaptive coping: What is more predictive of symptom severity? Development of a new scale to investigate coping profiles across different psychopathological syndromes.

Background: Lack of adaptive and enhanced maladaptive coping with stress and negative emotions are implicated in many psychopathological disorders. We describe the development of a new scale to investigate the relative contribution of different coping styles to psychopathology in a large population sample. We hypothesized that the magnitude of the supposed positive correlation between maladaptive coping and psychopathology would be stronger than the supposed negative correlation between adaptive coping and psychopathology.

Microbial colonization of normal skin: Direct visualization of 194 skin biopsies.

Recent genetic studies have suggested the presence of numerous microbial species on and in the skin. We characterised microbial colonization of a large collection of skin biopsies from 194 healthy subjects by fluorescence assay. Forty per cent of all biopsies did not show any evidence for microbial colonization.

Immobilization of active lipase B from Candida antarctica on the surface of polyhydroxyalkanoate inclusions.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) beads, recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli, were functionalized to display lipase B from Candida antarctica as translational protein fusion. The respective beads were characterized in respect to protein content, functionality, long term storage capacity and re-usability. The direct fusion of the PHA synthase, PhaC, to lipase B yielded active PHA lipase beads capable of hydrolyzing glycerol tributyrate.

Propionibacterium species and follicular keratinocyte activation in acneic and normal skin.

Background: The pathogenesis of acne vulgaris is multifactorial with increased sebum production, alteration in the quality of sebum lipids, dysregulation of the hormone microenvironment, follicular hyperkeratinization and Propionibacterium acnes-driven inflammation as major contributory factors. Hyperproliferation of keratinocytes is believed to contribute to hypercornification and eventually leads to comedone development. While the distribution of P.

Three dimensional distribution of Propionibacterium acnes biofilms in human skin.

Propionibacterium acnes is regarded as a common member of the human skin microbiota, often occurring in biofilms. Little is known about the size of bacterial biofilms in hair follicles as a few sections of biopsy tissue are routinely evaluated. Transversal sectioning provides a better opportunity for histological analyses of hair follicles which can be followed through the different morphological levels.

Microbiology of hidradenitis suppurativa (acne inversa): a histological study of 27 patients.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (acne inverse) (HS) is a chronic skin disease primarily affecting hair follicles. The aetiology of HS is unknown, but infection is believed to play some role. This retrospective study investigated the microbial colonization directly in skin appendices in HS skin samples.

Simultaneous visualization of Propionibacterium acnes and Propionibacterium granulosum with immunofluorescence and fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) and Propionibacterium granulosum (P. granulosum) are common skin colonizers that are implicated as possible contributing factors in acne vulgaris development.

In vivo self-assembly of fluorescent protein microparticles displaying specific binding domains.

In this study, fluorescent proteins (FPs) were engineered to self-assemble into protein particles inside recombinant Escherichia coli while mediating the display of various protein functionalities such as maltose binding protein or IgG binding domains of Protein A or G, respectively. Escherichia coli produced functional FP particles of up to 30% of cellular dry weight. The use of respective FP particles displaying certain binding domains in diagnostics and as bioseparation resins was demonstrated by direct comparison to commercial offerings.

Microbiology of folliculitis: a histological study of 39 cases.

Folliculitis is a common inflammatory skin syndrome. Several microbial organisms have been put forward as causative agents, but few studies visualized microbes directly in inflamed hair follicles. This retrospective study investigated bacterial and fungal colonization of inflamed hair follicles in patients with clinically diagnosed non-infectious folliculitis.

No link between rosacea and Propionibacterium acnes.

Rosacea is a common skin disease in adults affecting mainly the facial skin. Although inflammation appears to play a pathogenic role in rosacea, initiating factors are largely unknown. Microbial involvement in the development of rosacea has been suggested previously.

Sampling and detection of skin Propionibacterium acnes: current status.

A connection between acne vulgaris and Propionibacterium acnes has long been suggested. Over the years, several human skin microbiota sampling methods have been evolved and applied, e.g.

An increased incidence of Propionibacterium acnes biofilms in acne vulgaris: a case-control study.

Background: Acne vulgaris is a disorder of the sebaceous follicles. Propionibacterium acnes can be involved in inflammatory acne.

Objectives: This case-control study aimed at investigating the occurrence and localization of P.

Relevant uses of surface proteins--display on self-organized biological structures.

Proteins are often found attached to surfaces of self-assembling biological units such as whole microbial cells or subcellular structures, e.g. intracellular inclusions.

Tolerance of the Ralstonia eutropha class I polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase for translational fusions to its C terminus reveals a new mode of functional display.

Here, the class I polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase (PhaC) from Ralstonia eutropha was investigated regarding the functionality of its conserved C-terminal region and its ability to tolerate translational fusions to its C terminus. MalE, the maltose binding protein, and green fluorescent protein (GFP) were considered reporter proteins to be translationally fused to the C terminus. Interestingly, PhaC remained active only when a linker was inserted between PhaC and MalE, whereas MalE was not functional.

Bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoate granules: biogenesis, structure, and potential use as nano-/micro-beads in biotechnological and biomedical applications.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are naturally occurring organic polyesters that are of interest for industrial and biomedical applications. These polymers are synthesized by most bacteria in times of unbalanced nutrient availability from a variety of substrates and they are deposited intracellularly as insoluble spherical inclusions or PHA granules. The granules consist of a polyester core, surrounded by a boundary layer with embedded or attached proteins that include the PHA synthase, phasins, depolymerizing enzymes, and regulatory proteins.

Multifunctional inorganic-binding beads self-assembled inside engineered bacteria.

Multifunctional shell-core nano/microbeads with a hydrophobic biopolymer core and a designed protein coat for selective binding of an inorganic substance and antibodies were self-assembled inside engineered bacteria. Hybrid genes were constructed to produce tailormade bead-coating proteins in the bacterium Escherichia coli. These fusion proteins contained a binding peptide for an inorganic material, the antibody binding ZZ domain, and a self-assembly promoting as well as biopolymer synthesizing enzyme.

Comparison of ploidy status of melanoma metastases in different locations.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the DNA content and ploidy status of 29 melanoma metastases in lymph nodes, as well as 10 liver, 12 brain, 13 lung and 2 gastrointestinal metastases. All cases investigated were either suspicious to be aneuploid or clearly aneuploid. This study demonstrates differences of ploidy related parameters between melanoma metastases of different locations.

Point mutations and nucleotide insertions in the MDM2 zinc finger structure of human tumours.

This study investigates the human oncoprotein MDM2, which interferes with regulation of cell division and apoptosis. Fifteen mixed-type follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, ten leukaemias, two hepatocellular carcinomas, one osteosarcoma, and ten normal cell lines (fibroblasts, osteoblasts, mesothelium, peripheral lymphocytes) were tested for MDM2 expression and MDM2 gene mutation by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunocytochemistry, and nucleotide sequence analysis. Two follicular lymphomas, three leukaemias, both hepatocellular carcinomas, and the osteosarcoma sample showed transcription of the activated MDM2 gene.