Publications by authors named "Maria A Damiano"

Neutralophilic bacteria have developed specific mechanisms to cope with the acid stress encountered in environments such as soil, fermented foods, and host compartments. In , the glutamate decarboxylase (Gad)-dependent system is extremely efficient: it requires the concerted action of glutamate decarboxylase (GadA/GadB) and of the glutamate (Glu)/γ-aminobutyrate antiporter, GadC. Notably, this system is operative also in new strains/species of , among which , but not in the "classical" species, with the exception of marine mammals strains.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The Brucella genus includes at least 10 closely related species that affect various hosts, including humans, and the new species Brucella microti has a unique GAD system that helps it survive acidic conditions and infect mice.
  • - A study on 47 Brucella isolates revealed that while the classical species lack a functional GAD system, certain marine and newly identified species do possess it, making them more resistant to acid environments.
  • - The GAD system's function could be key for these atypical Brucella species adapting to acidic environments, and it may also serve as a diagnostic tool to differentiate them from other Brucella and Ochrobactrum strains.
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Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) is one of the most widely employed sulfonamides. Because of the widespread use of SMZ, a considerable amount is indeed expected to be introduced into the environment. The cytotoxicity of SMZ relies mainly on arylhydroxylamine metabolites (S-NOH) of SMZ and it is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

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This study examined the effects of an acoustic stimulus on the haemolymph and agonistic behaviour of the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. The experiment was conducted in a tank equipped with a video recording system using six groups (three control and three test groups) of five adult crayfish (30 specimens in total). After 1 h of habituation, the behaviour of the crayfish was monitored for 2 h.

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