EndoE from Enterococcus faecalis hydrolyzes the glycans of the biofilm inhibiting protein lactoferrin and mediates growth.

Glycosidases are widespread among bacteria. The opportunistic human pathogen Enterococcus faecalis encodes several putative glycosidases but little is known about their functions. The identified endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase EndoE has activity on the N-linked glycans of the human immunoglobulin G (IgG).

Pseudomonas aeruginosa population structure revisited under environmental focus: impact of water quality and phage pressure.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa attracts research attention as a common opportunistic nosocomial pathogen causing severe health problems in humans. Nevertheless, its primary habitat is the natural environment. Here, we relate the genetic diversity of 381 environmental isolates from rivers in northern Germany to ecological factors such as river system, season of sampling and different levels of water quality.

Bacterial hydrolysis of host glycoproteins - powerful protein modification and efficient nutrient acquisition.

Glycoproteins are ubiquitous in nature and fundamental to most biological processes, including the human immune system. The glycoprotein carbohydrate moieties, or glycans, are very diverse in their structure and composition, and have major effects on the chemical, physical and biological properties of these glycoproteins. The hydrolysis of glycoprotein glycans by bacterial glycosidases can have dramatic effects on glycoprotein function and, thereby, be beneficial for the bacteria in different ways.

Cysteine proteinase SpeB from Streptococcus pyogenes - a potent modifier of immunologically important host and bacterial proteins.

Group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes) is an exclusively human pathogen that causes a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from pharyngitis, to impetigo, to toxic shock, to necrotizing fasciitis. The diversity of these disease states necessitates that S. pyogenes possess the ability to modulate both the innate and adaptive immune responses.

Sequencing and characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage JG004.

Background: Phages could be an important alternative to antibiotics, especially for treatment of multiresistant bacteria as e.g. Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Characterization of JG024, a pseudomonas aeruginosa PB1-like broad host range phage under simulated infection conditions.

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes lung infections in patients suffering from the genetic disorder Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Once a chronic lung infection is established, P. aeruginosa cannot be eradicated by antibiotic treatment.

Anaerobic adaptation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: definition of the Anr and Dnr regulons.

The anaerobic metabolism of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is important for growth and biofilm formation during persistent infections. The two Fnr-type transcription factors Anr and Dnr regulate different parts of the underlying network in response to oxygen tension and NO. Little is known about all members of the Anr and Dnr regulons and the mediated immediate response to oxygen depletion.