Mutational analysis of the N-terminal domain of UreR, the positive transcriptional regulator of urease gene expression.

The Escherichia coli plasmid-encoded urease, a virulence factor in human and animal infections of the urinary and gastroduodenal tracts, is induced when the substrate urea is present in the growth medium. Urea-dependent urease expression is mediated at the transcriptional level by the AraC-like activator UreR. Previous work has shown that a peptide representing the N-terminal 194 amino-acid residues of UreR binds urea at a single site, full-length UreR forms an oligomer, and the oligomerization motif is thought to reside in the N-terminal portion of the molecule.

Identification, cloning, expression, and purification of Francisella lpp3: an immunogenic lipoprotein.

The severe and fatal human disease, tularemia, results from infection with the Gram-negative pathogen Francisella tularensis. Identification of surface outer membrane proteins, specifically lipoproteins, has been of interest for vaccine development and understanding the initiation of disease. We sought to identify Francisella live vaccine strain lipoproteins that could be a component of a subunit vaccine and have adjuvant properties as TLR2 agonists.

The role of apoptosis in Listeria monocytogenes neural infection: listeriolysin O interaction with neuroblastoma Neuro-2a cells.

Listeria monocytogenes is the etiological agent of meningitis that affects individuals at high risk such as pregnant women, neonates, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Infection by this intracellular pathogen can be lethal if not diagnosed and treated. Mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2a cells, a neuron-like cell line, were infected with L.