Identification of a mouse Lactobacillus johnsonii strain with deconjugase activity against the FXR antagonist T-β-MCA.

Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity against the bile acid tauro-beta-muricholic acid (T-β-MCA) was recently reported to mediate host bile acid, glucose, and lipid homeostasis via the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) signaling pathway. An earlier study correlated decreased Lactobacillus abundance in the cecum with increased concentrations of intestinal T-β-MCA, an FXR antagonist. While several studies have characterized BSHs in lactobacilli, deconjugation of T-β-MCA remains poorly characterized among members of this genus, and therefore it was unclear what strain(s) were responsible for this activity.

CpGB DNA activates dermal macrophages and specifically recruits inflammatory monocytes into the skin.

Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) drives innate immune responses after recognition of foreign or endogenous DNA containing unmethylated CpG motifs. DNA-mediated TLR9 activation is highly implicated in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune skin diseases, yet its contribution to the inflammation seen in these diseases remains unclear. In this study, TLR9 ligand, CpGB DNA, was administered to mice via a subcutaneous osmotic pump with treatment lasting 1 or 4 weeks.

CRISPR-MVLST subtyping of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovars Typhimurium and Heidelberg and application in identifying outbreak isolates.

Background: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovars Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and Heidelberg (S.

Antibiotic Resistance in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Associates with CRISPR Sequence Type.

subsp. serovar Typhimurium is a leading cause of food-borne salmonellosis in the United States. The number of antibiotic-resistant isolates identified in humans is steadily increasing, suggesting that the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains is a major threat to public health.

The combination of CRISPR-MVLST and PFGE provides increased discriminatory power for differentiating human clinical isolates of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis.

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is a major cause of foodborne salmonellosis.

Modeling innate immunity in murine skin: utilization of subcutaneous osmotic pumps for inflammatory and fibrotic skin disease.

Current models for systemic sclerosis have many limitations for mimicking human disease. We have recently described a novel model based on chronic stimulation of skin by poly(I:C), a form of double-stranded RNA known to stimulate innate immune responses. This model shows inflammation and extracellular matrix deposition, and upregulated expression of genes associated with fibrosis and vascular injury.

Antagonistic effect of the matricellular signaling protein CCN3 on TGF-beta- and Wnt-mediated fibrillinogenesis in systemic sclerosis and Marfan syndrome.

Abnormal fibrillinogenesis is associated with connective tissue disorders (CTDs), including Marfan syndrome (MFS), systemic sclerosis (SSc) and Tight-skin (Tsk) mice. We have previously shown that TGF-beta and Wnt stimulate fibrillin-1 assembly and that fibrillin-1 and the developmental regulator CCN3 are both highly increased in Tsk skin. We investigated the role of CCN3 in abnormal fibrillinogenesis in Tsk mice, MFS, and SSc.