Discovery of Novel Thanatin-like Antimicrobial Peptides from Bean Bug .

Endogenous antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are evolutionarily ancient molecular factors of innate immunity that play a key role in host defense. The study of the diversity of animal defense peptides has important applications in the context of the growing global antimicrobial resistance. In this study using a transcriptome mining approach, we found three novel thanatin-like β-hairpin AMPs in the bean bug , named Rip-2, Rip-3, and Rip-4.

Rumicidins are a family of mammalian host-defense peptides plugging the 70S ribosome exit tunnel.

The antimicrobial resistance crisis along with challenges of antimicrobial discovery revealed the vital necessity to develop new antibiotics. Many of the animal proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs) inhibit the process of bacterial translation. Genome projects allowed to identify immune-related genes encoding animal host defense peptides.

Novel BRICHOS-Related Antimicrobial Peptides from the Marine Worm : Transcriptome Mining, Synthesis, Biological Activities, and Therapeutic Potential.

Marine polychaetes represent an extremely rich and underexplored source of novel families of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The rapid development of next generation sequencing technologies and modern bioinformatics approaches allows us to apply them for characterization of AMP-derived genes and the identification of encoded immune-related peptides with the aid of genome and transcriptome mining. Here, we describe a universal bioinformatic approach based on the conserved BRICHOS domain as a search query for the identification of novel structurally unique AMP families in annelids.

Hetero-Pathogenic O181:H4 EAHEC Strain of Sequence Type ST678 Associated with Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome in Schoolchildren in Russia.

Background: In the last decade, the importance of hetero-pathogenic enteroaggregative Shiga-toxin-producing for public health has increased. Recently, we described the genetic background of the EAHEC O181:H4 strain of ST678 carrying the gene in prophage and five plasmids, including the plasmid-carrying and genes. Here, we present the morphological and enzymatic characteristics of this strain, as well as susceptibility to antimicrobials, biofilm formation, etc.

Determination of Benzalkonium Chloride in a Disinfectant by UV Spectrophotometry and Gas and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Validation, Comparison of Characteristics, and Economic Feasibility.

Simple, fast, and validated UV-spectrophotometric, HPLC, and GC methods for the analysis of benzalkonium chloride in a disinfectant were developed. UV-spectrophotometric determination was based on measuring the amount of light absorption of aqueous solutions of benzalkonium chloride at 268 nm. HPLC determination was achieved with a 150 mm × 4.

Novel β-Hairpin Peptide from Marine Polychaeta with a High Efficacy against Gram-Negative Pathogens.

In recent years, new antibiotics targeting multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria have become urgently needed. Therefore, antimicrobial peptides are considered to be a novel perspective class of antibacterial agents. In this study, a panel of novel BRICHOS-related β-hairpin antimicrobial peptides were identified in transcriptomes of marine polychaeta species.

[Comparison of hemolytic activity and hemolytic toxin genes of Staphylococcus aureus clinical strains, isolated in Russia.].

Clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus were tested for hemolytic activity on blood agar, in the PCR test and by analyzing the gene alleles of hemolytic toxins. The study analyzed the information content of the phenotypic determination of hemolytic activity to assess the pathogenic properties of S. aureus isolates.

Draft Genome Sequences of Exfoliative Toxin A-Producing Staphylococcus aureus Strains B-7772 and B-7777 (CC8/ST2993) and B-7774 (CC15/ST2126), Isolated in a Maternity Hospital in the Central Federal District of Russia.

Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex 8 (CC8) has not been associated with staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome (SSSS) in newborns and exfoliative toxin genes. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of exfoliative toxin A-producing B-7772, B-7777 (both CC8), and B-7774 (CC15) strains associated with SSSS in newborns.

Lytic activity of the staphylolytic Twort phage endolysin CHAP domain is enhanced by the SH3b cell wall binding domain.

Increases in the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus have elicited efforts to develop novel antimicrobials to treat these drug-resistant pathogens. One potential treatment repurposes the lytic enzymes produced by bacteriophages as antimicrobials. The phage Twort endolysin (PlyTW) harbors three domains, a cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolases/peptidase domain (CHAP), an amidase-2 domain and a SH3b-5 cell wall binding domain (CBD).

[Molecular genetic identification of Staphylococcus aureus strain, caused a foodborne illness outbreak in St. Petersburg in 2013].

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important human pathogens and causes over 100 nosologicalforms of diseases. The lack of data on the spread of S. aureus genetic types specific for different forms of staphylococcal infections in Russia makes it difficult to timely identify and control strains of this epidemiologically dangerous bacterial pathogen.

Staphylococcus haemolyticus prophage ΦSH2 endolysin relies on cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolases/peptidases activity for lysis 'from without'.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen, with methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and multi-drug resistant strains becoming increasingly prevalent in both human and veterinary clinics. S. aureus causing bovine mastitis yields high annual losses to the dairy industry.

Staphylococcal phage 2638A endolysin is lytic for Staphylococcus aureus and harbors an inter-lytic-domain secondary translational start site.

Staphylococcus aureus is a notorious pathogen highly successful at developing resistance to virtually all antibiotics to which it is exposed. Staphylococcal phage 2638A endolysin is a peptidoglycan hydrolase that is lytic for S. aureus when exposed externally, making it a new candidate antimicrobial.

[Efficacy of enterocin S760 in treatment of mice with anthrax infection due to Bacillus anthracis M-71].

The therapeutic efficacy of enterocin S760, a broad spectrum antimicrobial peptide produced by Enterococcus faecium LWP760 was tested on mice infected with Bacillus anthracis M-71 to induce anthrax (second Tsenkovsky's vaccine). Intraperitoneal four-, two- or one-fold administration of the peptide in a dose of 25 mg/kg for 10 days for prophylactic (1 hour after the contamination) and therapeutic (24 hours after the contamination) purposes prevented or cured the infection in 90-100% of the mice versus the 100-percent lethality in the control (untreated animals). The antimicrobial activity of enterocin S760 against B.

[Use of enterocin S760 for prevention and treatment of experimental Salmonella infection in mice].

Aim: To demonstrate treatment efficacy of bacteriocin S760 synthesized by Enterococcus faecium 760 for septic Salmonella infection in mice.

Materials And Methods: One hundred mice, which were intraperitoneally inoculated with 100 LD50 of Salmonella enteritidis strain 92 Rif(r), received bacteriocin 1 hour (prevention) or 48 hours (treatment) after inoculation in doses 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg every 6 hours during 5 or 10 days.

Results: Use of peptide S760 for prophylaxis in dose 50 mg/kg during 10 days prevented lethal infection in 100% of animals, whereas its use for treatment cured 70% of animals with generalized salmonellosis.

[Genetic environments of bla(CTX-M) genes located on conjugative plasmids of Enterobacteriaceae nosocomial isolates collected in Russia within 2003-2007].

The study showed that bla(CTX-M) genes were present in the genomes of 71% of cephalosporin resistant Enterobacteriaceae nosocomial isolates (n=833) collected in Russian hospitals within 2003-2007, including 91% of E.coli, 90% of Klebsiella spp., 38% of Enterobacter spp.

[Genetic determinants of antibacterial resistance among nosocomial Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and Enterobacter spp. isolates collected in Russia within 2003-2007].

Nosocomial bacterial isolates collected within 2003-2004 (n=411) and 2005-2007 (n=422) were highly resistant to cephalosporins III-IV and antibacterials of other groups (aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolons, chloramphenicol, and co-trimoxazole). Genes encoding TEM, SHV, CTX-M, OXA-2, and AmpC types of beta-lactamases (BLs) in the E. coli, Klebsiella spp.

Buffer modulation of menadione-induced oxidative stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The objective of this study was to compare, in vivo, the effects of bicarbonate and phosphate buffers on survival and menadione-induced oxidative stress in yeast cells. The latter were treated with different concentrations of menadione in the presence of these two buffers. At 25 mM concentration of buffers, menadione only slightly reduced yeast surviving; at 50 mM concentration, cell killing by menadione was much more pronounced in bicarbonate than in phosphate buffer.

[Study of collections of Mycobacterium non-tuberculosis by a restriction test of the amplified fragment spacer sequence 16S-23S of ribosomal DNA].

Fifty mycobacterial cultures were studied by restriction analysis of the amplified fragment of spacer sequence 16S-23S of ribosomal DNA. The following types were identified: M. tuberculosis complex, M.

Characterization of drug-resistant isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis derived from Russian inmates.

Setting: Tuberculosis ward of a prison in Russia.

Objective: Molecular characterization of drug-resistant isolates.

Design: Isolates were collected from all tuberculosis patients occurring in the prison over a 1-year period.

[PCR with subsequent sequencing of the 16S gene rRNA in species identification of mycobacteria of the non-tuberculosis complex].

One hundred of mycobacterium cultures were assayed by the method of PCR with subsequent sequencing of the 16S rRNA region. The below mycobacterium species were identified: M. tuberculosis complex (n = 55), M.

[Spoligotypes of clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated in patients with tuberculosis in the Central Region of Russia].

Spoligotyping and RFLP-IS6110 techniques were used to analyze 353 clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from patients with tuberculosis in the Central Region of Russia. All spoligotypes were classified according to the international database. Most clinical M.

[Small doses of X-ray irradiation activate the NO-synthase component of the nitric oxide cycle].

It has been shown that chronic X-ray irradiation, (CRI), activates the formation of NO in rats. This is apparent in the increase in the level of NO2- in the blood plasma from 12.59 +/- 1.