Rapid and reliable discrimination between Shigella species and Escherichia coli using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

E. coli-Shigella species are a cryptic group of bacteria in which the Shigella species are distributed within the phylogenetic tree of E. coli.

Novel role of the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 in the protection of neutrophil extracellular traps against degradation by bacterial nucleases.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been described as a fundamental innate immune defence mechanism. They consist of a nuclear DNA backbone associated with different antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) which are able to engulf and kill pathogens. The AMP LL-37, a member of the cathelicidin family, is highly present in NETs.

[Hyponatraemia].

Because hyponatraemia can be caused by many disorders, the diagnostic approach to hyponatraemia can be challenging for physicians. Causes of hyponatraemia can be classified according to a combination of laboratory parameters (e.g.

A cathelicidin-2-derived peptide effectively impairs Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major cause of nosocomial infections owing to its ability to form biofilms on the surface of medical devices. Biofilms are surface-adhered bacterial communities. In mature biofilms these communities are encased in an extracellular matrix composed of bacterial polysaccharides, proteins and DNA.

Improved proteolytic stability of chicken cathelicidin-2 derived peptides by D-amino acid substitutions and cyclization.

A truncated version of host defense peptide chicken cathelicidin-2, C1-15, possesses potent, broad spectrum antibacterial activity. A variant of this peptide, F(2,5,12)W, which contains 3 phenylalanine to tryptophan substitutions, possesses improved antibacterial activity and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) neutralizing activity compared to C1-15. In order to improve the proteolytic resistance of both peptides we engineered novel chicken cathelicidin-2 analogs by substitution of l- with D-amino acids and head-to-tail cyclization.

Chicken cathelicidin-2-derived peptides with enhanced immunomodulatory and antibacterial activities against biological warfare agents.

Host defence peptides (HDPs) are considered to be excellent candidates for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Recently, it was demonstrated that the peptide C1-15, an N-terminal segment of chicken HDP cathelicidin-2, exhibits potent antibacterial activity while lacking cytotoxicity towards eukaryotic cells. In the present study, we report that C1-15 is active against bacteria such as Bacillus anthracis and Yersinia pestis that may potentially be used by bioterrorists.

Identification of chicken cathelicidin-2 core elements involved in antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities.

Chicken host defense peptide cathelicidin-2 (CATH-2) is known to exert antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities and consists of two alpha-helices connected by a hinge region. Here we report the biological properties of the separate alpha-helical segments and the importance of the proline residue in the hinge region. Substitution of proline-14 in the CATH-2 hinge region by leucine, but not by glycine, strongly reduced antibacterial and hemolytic activity.

Structure-function relationship of the human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 and LL-37 fragments in the modulation of TLR responses.

Cathelicidins are effector molecules of the innate host defense system that establish an antimicrobial barrier at epithelial interfaces. The human cathelicidin LL-37, in addition to its antimicrobial activity, also exhibits immunomodulatory effects, such as inhibition of pro-inflammatory responses to bacterial LPS in human monocytic cells. In this report, we demonstrate that LL-37 almost completely prevents the pro-inflammatory cytokine release by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) following stimulation with Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 and TLR2/1 agonists while leaving TLR2/6, TLR5, TLR7 and TLR8 responses unchanged.

Abrupt rather than gradual hormonal changes induce postpartum blues-like behavior in rats.

Aims: Postpartum blues is thought to be related to hormonal events accompanying delivery. We investigated whether blues-like symptoms depend on the rate of the decline of hormones, by comparing the behavioral consequences of an abrupt versus a gradual decline of gonadal hormones in an animal model.

Methods: Female rats were treated with estrogen and progesterone for 23 days, administered either by injections or by subcutaneously implanted tubes filled with hormones.