Aged neutrophils accumulate in lymphoid tissues from healthy elderly mice and infiltrate T- and B-cell zones.

The average age of the human population is rising, leading to an increasing burden of age-related diseases, including increased susceptibility to infection. However, immune function can decrease with age which could impact on processes that require a functional immune system. Aging is also characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation which could further impact immune cell function.

Diminished Ost3-dependent N-glycosylation of the BiP nucleotide exchange factor Sil1 is an adaptive response to reductive ER stress.

BiP (Kar2 in yeast) is an essential Hsp70 chaperone and master regulator of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function. BiP's activity is regulated by its intrinsic ATPase activity that can be stimulated by two different nucleotide exchange factors, Sil1 and Lhs1. Both Sil1 and Lhs1 are glycoproteins, but how N-glycosylation regulates their function is not known.

Mammary Gland Pathology Subsequent to Acute Infection with Strong versus Weak Biofilm Forming Staphylococcus aureus Bovine Mastitis Isolates: A Pilot Study Using Non-Invasive Mouse Mastitis Model.

Background: Biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus is an important virulence attribute because of its potential to induce persistent antibiotic resistance, retard phagocytosis and either attenuate or promote inflammation, depending upon the disease syndrome, in vivo. This study was undertaken to evaluate the potential significance of strength of biofilm formation by clinical bovine mastitis-associated S. aureus in mammary tissue damage by using a mouse mastitis model.

In Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy of Tobramycin Against Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms in Combination With or Without DNase I and/or Dispersin B: A Preliminary Investigation.

Staphylococcus aureus in biofilms is highly resistant to the treatment with antibiotics, to which the planktonic cells are susceptible. This is likely to be due to the biofilm creating a protective barrier that prevents antibiotics from accessing the live pathogens buried in the biofilm. S.

Diversity of Virulence Factors Associated with West Australian Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Isolates of Human Origin.

An extensive array of virulence factors associated with S. aureus has contributed significantly to its success as a major nosocomial pathogen in hospitals and community causing variety of infections in affected patients. Virulence factors include immune evading capsular polysaccharides, poly-N-acetyl glucosamine, and teichoic acid in addition to damaging toxins including hemolytic toxins, enterotoxins, cytotoxins, exfoliative toxin, and microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMM).

An immunological assay for identification of potential biofilm-associated antigens of Staphylococcus aureus.

Attachment of bacterial pathogens to the niche tissue in the host is the first step in biofilm formation leading to colonization and establishment of infection in the host. While the most common method used for determining the potential role of a bacterial antigen in biofilm formation has been demonstration of loss of this property using specific knockout mutants, it is an expensive and a laborious procedure. This study describes an alternative immunological assay for identification of attachment antigens of Staphylococcus aureus, potentially important in the development of an effective vaccine against infections caused by this pathogen.

Serological versus molecular typing of surface-associated immune evading polysaccharide antigens-based phenotypes of Staphylococcus aureus.

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of serological versus molecular typing methods to detect capsular polysaccharide (CP) and surface-associated polysaccharide antigen 336 phenotypes of Staphylococcus aureus isolates. Molecular typing of CP types 1, 5 and 8 was carried out using PCR, whereas serological typing of CP1, 2, 5, 8 and antigen 336 was carried out by slide agglutination using specific antisera. By genotyping, 14/31 strains were CP8 positive, 12/31 strains were CP5 and the remaining 6/31 isolates were non-typable (NT).