Characterization of Glycosylation-Specific Systemic and Mucosal IgA Antibody Responses to Mucinase YghJ (SslE).

Efforts to develop broadly protective vaccines against pathogenic are ongoing. A potential antigen candidate for vaccine development is the metalloprotease YghJ, or SslE. YghJ is a conserved mucinase that is immunogenic, heavily glycosylated, and produced by most pathogenic .

Linking inherent O-Linked Protein Glycosylation of YghJ to Increased Antigen Potential.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a WHO priority pathogen and vaccine target which causes infections in low-income and middle-income countries, travelers visiting endemic regions. The global urgent demand for an effective preventive intervention has become more pressing as ETEC strains have become increasingly multiple antibiotic resistant. However, the vaccine development pipeline has been slow to address this urgent need.

The LhrC sRNAs control expression of T cell-stimulating antigen TcsA in Listeria monocytogenes by decreasing tcsA mRNA stability.

The bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes encodes seven homologous small regulatory RNAs, named the LhrC family of sRNAs. The LhrCs are highly induced under infection-relevant conditions and are known to inhibit the expression of multiple target mRNAs encoding virulence-associated surface proteins. In all cases studied so far, the LhrCs use their CU-rich regions for base pairing to complementary AG-rich sequences of the ribosomal binding site (RBS) of specific target mRNAs.

Molecular mechanisms of thioridazine resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus has developed resistance towards the most commonly used anti-staphylococcal antibiotics. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new treatment opportunities. A new approach relies on the use of helper compounds, which are able to potentiate the effect of antibiotics.

Small RNAs in major foodborne pathogens: from novel regulatory activities to future applications.

Small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) are involved in post-transcriptional control of important cellular processes and contribute to the success of a pathogen. Here, we use studies primarily selected from Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes to illustrate the current status of sRNA biology in important foodborne pathogens. We discuss how the regulatory activities of sRNAs can be affected by base pairing RNAs known as 'sponge RNAs', or by RNA-binding proteins, such as the newly discovered sRNA chaperone ProQ.

The bactericidal activity of β-lactam antibiotics is increased by metabolizable sugar species.

Here, the influence of metabolizable sugars on the susceptibility of Escherichia coli to β-lactam antibiotics was investigated. Notably, monitoring growth and survival of mono- and combination-treated planktonic cultures showed a 1000- to 10 000-fold higher antibacterial efficacy of carbenicillin and cefuroxime in the presence of certain sugars, whereas other metabolites had no effect on β-lactam sensitivity. This effect was unrelated to changes in growth rate.

Thioridazine induces major changes in global gene expression and cell wall composition in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300.

Subinhibitory concentrations of the neuroleptic drug thioridazine (TDZ) are well-known to enhance the killing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by β-lactam antibiotics, however, the mechanism underlying the synergy between TDZ and β-lactams is not fully understood. In the present study, we have examined the effect of a subinhibitory concentration of TDZ on antimicrobial resistance, the global transcriptome, and the cell wall composition of MRSA USA300. We show that TDZ is able to sensitize the bacteria to several classes of antimicrobials targeting the late stages of peptidoglycan (PGN) synthesis.

Thioridazine potentiates the effect of a beta-lactam antibiotic against Staphylococcus aureus independently of mecA expression.

The neuroleptic antipsychotic derivate thioridazine has been shown to increase the susceptibility of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolate towards dicloxacillin. The aim of this study was to investigate the combinatorial effect of the two drugs on a broad selection of staphylococcal strains by analyzing a large collection of MRSA strains carrying different types of SCCmec, as well as MSSA strains. Transcription and translation of the resistance marker PBP2a encoded by mecA within the SCCmec cassette were analyzed by primer extension and western blotting.