Antilisterial Properties of Selected Strains from the Autochthonous Microbiota of a Swiss Artisan Soft Smear Cheese.

High incidences of the foodborne pathogen have been reported on smear cheeses, and despite increased hygiene efforts, this incidence has remained stable in recent years. Applying antilisterial strains may increase the safety of smear cheeses. To find and test antilisterial strains, we inoculated fresh soft cheeses from nine dairies with the surrogate species and assessed its growth under standardized ripening conditions.

Unde venis? Bacterial resistance from environmental reservoirs to lettuce: tracking microbiome and resistome over a growth period.

Fresh produce is suggested to contribute highly to shaping the gut resistome. We investigated the impact of pig manure and irrigation water quality on microbiome and resistome of field-grown lettuce over an entire growth period. Lettuce was grown under four regimes, combining soil amendment with manure (with/without) with sprinkler irrigation using river water with an upstream wastewater input, disinfected by UV (with/without).

Long-Term Persistence of in Soil and Lettuce after Introducing Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing via Manure or Water.

The number of environmental antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) has increased dramatically since the start of antibiotic mass production for broad bacterial infection treatment in 1944. Nowadays, ARB and their resistance-determining genes (ARGs) are readily detected in all environments, including the human food chain. A highly relevant food group in this context is fresh produce, frequent raw consumption of which facilitates direct transfer of ARB and ARGs to the consumer.

Effect of Scalding Temperature on Growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Formation of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin during the Production of Alpine Cheese in a Laboratory Cheesemaking Model.

Abstract: To reduce the number of cheese with potential Staphylococcus aureus contamination reaching consumers, European legislation has stipulated that all cheese must be tested for coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS) at the point in production when numbers are expected to be highest. When CPS counts exceed 105 CFU/mL, staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) tests must be conducted. When SE tests are positive, the cheese must be destroyed.

Antibiotic-resistant indicator bacteria in irrigation water: High prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli.

Irrigation water is a major source of fresh produce contamination with undesired microorganisms including antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), and contaminated fresh produce can transfer ARB to the consumer especially when consumed raw. Nevertheless, no legal guidelines exist so far regulating quality of irrigation water with respect to ARB. We therefore examined irrigation water from major vegetable growing areas for occurrence of antibiotic-resistant indicator bacteria Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp.

Complete Genome Sequence of ABWA45, an -Encoding Wastewater Isolate.

We present the complete genome sequence of ABWA45, a 16S rRNA methyltransferase-producing wastewater isolate. Assembly and annotation resulted in a 5,094,639-bp circular chromosome and four closed plasmids of 145,220 bp, 113,793 bp, 57,232 bp, and 47,900 bp in size. Furthermore, a small open plasmid (7,537 bp in size) was assembled.

Complete Genome Sequence of 705SK3, an OXA-48-Encoding Wastewater Isolate.

We present the genome sequence of 705SK3, a wastewater isolate harboring an IncL OXA-48-encoding plasmid. Assembly of the genome resulted in a 5,242,839-bp circular chromosome (GC content, 52%) and two closed plasmids of 296,175 bp and 63, 458 bp in size.

Draft Genome Sequence of 704SK6, an OXA-48- and CTX-M-15-Encoding Wastewater Isolate.

The Swiss wastewater isolate 704SK6, encoding OXA-48 and CTX-M-15 β-lactamases, was fully sequenced. The assembly resulted in an open chromosome of 5,208,104 bp in size (G+C content, 57.6%) and four closed plasmid sequences of 209,651, 197,670, 65,998, and 63,605 bp in size.

Complete Genome Sequence of 704SK10, an OXA-48-Encoding Wastewater Isolate.

Here we present the complete genome sequence of 704SK10, a Swiss wastewater isolate encoding an OXA-48 carbapenemase. Assembly resulted in closed sequences of the 4,876,946-bp chromosome, a 111,184-bp IncF plasmid, and an OXA-48-encoding IncL plasmid (63,458 bp) nearly identical to the previously described plasmid pOXA-48.

Short communication: Heat-resistant Escherichia coli as potential persistent reservoir of extended-spectrum β-lactamases and Shiga toxin-encoding phages in dairy.

Here we report the isolation of heat-resistant Escherichia coli from raw milk cheeses. Detection of the heat-resistance markers clpK and orfI by PCR was followed by phenotypical confirmation of increased heat-resistance. These strains were Shiga toxin-negative and, although several were found to be multidrug resistant, no plasmids encoding extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) were found in any of the isolates.

Further evidence for staphylococcal food poisoning outbreaks caused by egc-encoded enterotoxins.

Staphylococcal food poisoning represents the most prevalent foodborne intoxication worldwide. It is caused by oral intake of enterotoxins preformed by Staphylococcus aureus in food. The relevance of newly described enterotoxins in outbreaks of staphylococcal food poisoning is controversially discussed.

Outbreak of staphylococcal food poisoning among children and staff at a Swiss boarding school due to soft cheese made from raw milk.

On October 1, 2014, children and staff members at a Swiss boarding school consumed Tomme, a soft cheese produced from raw cow milk. Within the following 7h, all 14 persons who ingested the cheese fell ill, including 10 children and 4 staff members. Symptoms included abdominal pain and violent vomiting, followed by severe diarrhea and fever.

Transcriptional analysis of different stress response genes in Escherichia coli strains subjected to sodium chloride and lactic acid stress.

Survival of Escherichia coli in food depends on its ability to adapt against encountered stress typically involving induction of stress response genes. In this study, the transcriptional induction of selected acid (cadA, speF) and salt (kdpA, proP, proW, otsA, betA) stress response genes was investigated among five E. coli strains, including three Shiga toxin-producing strains, exposed to sodium chloride or lactic acid stress.

Evaluation of three reference genes of Escherichia coli for mRNA expression level normalization in view of salt and organic acid stress exposure in food.

Escherichia coli can adapt to various stress conditions encountered in food through induction of stress response genes encoding proteins that counteract the respective stresses. To understand the impact and the induction of these genes under food-associated stresses, changes in the levels of their mRNA expression in response to such stresses can be analysed. Relative quantification of mRNA levels by reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) requires normalization to reference genes with stable expression under the experimental conditions being investigated.

Evaluation of aerated steam treatment of alfalfa and mung bean seeds to eliminate high levels of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and O178:H12, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes.

Sprouts contaminated with human pathogens are able to cause food-borne diseases due to the favorable growth conditions for bacteria during germination and because of minimal processing steps prior to consumption. We have investigated the potential of hot humid air, i.e.

An overview of molecular stress response mechanisms in Escherichia coli contributing to survival of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli during raw milk cheese production.

The ability of foodborne pathogens to survive in certain foods mainly depends on stress response mechanisms. Insight into molecular properties enabling pathogenic bacteria to survive in food is valuable for improvement of the control of pathogens during food processing. Raw milk cheeses are a potential source for human infections with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC).

Degradation of PKB/Akt protein by inhibition of the VEGF receptor/mTOR pathway in endothelial cells.

An intact VEGF receptor/PI3K/PKB/Akt signaling cascade protects endothelial cells from apoptotic stress-stimuli and mediates the formation of new blood vessels in pathological conditions such as cancer. Therefore, downregulation of this signaling cascade is of clinical interest for antiangiogenic cancer therapy. In this report, we demonstrate that VEGF controls the protein stability of the serine-threonine kinase PKB/Akt via inhibition of PKB/Akt protein degradation.

Induction of long-term remission of a relapsed childhood B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia with rituximab chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody and autologous stem cell transplantation.

Childhood B-cell neoplasms account for approximately 2% of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The short but intensive chemotherapy yields a currently 75% to 85% event-free survival. The prognosis for children with relapsed disease is considered to be dismal.

Immune reactivity against a novel HLA-A3-restricted influenza virus peptide identified by predictive algorithms and interferon-gamma quantitative PCR.

The use of appropriate antigenic peptides for the most common human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles is required for the amplification of the autologous cytotoxic compartment and the development of cytotoxic T cell-mediated immunity. The human A2 allele of the MHC plays an important role for the identification of peptide-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL) against tumor and viral epitopes. Computer-based prediction algorithms, which are available on the Internet, have already proved to be applicable for the identification of novel CTL epitopes.

Regulation of the sulfate starvation response in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: role of cysteine biosynthetic intermediates.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 grew in defined synthetic medium with any of a broad variety of single sulfur sources, including sulfate, cysteine, thiocyanate, alkanesulfonates, organosulfate esters and methionine, but not with aromatic sulfonates, thiophenols or organothiocyanates or isothiocyanates. During growth with any of these compounds except sulfate, cysteine or thiocyanate, a set of 10 sulfate starvation-induced (SSI) proteins was strongly up-regulated, as observed by two-dimensional protein electrophoresis of total cell extracts. A comparable level of up-regulation was found for the hydrolytic enzyme arylsulfatase, which has previously been used as a marker enzyme for the sulfate starvation response.