Seasonal Distribution and Genotyping of Antibiotic Resistant Strains of Isolated from A River Basin Categorized by ERIC-PCR.

retains many conserved homologous domains with , which is a food-borne and water-borne diarrhea-causing bacterium. Studies of antimicrobial resistance in showed that this microbe is more prone to acquire resistance than other bacteria in the genus However, little is known about the seasonal population distribution and antimicrobial resistance patterns of in natural water environments. The aims of the study were: (1) to investigate the occurrence of isolates in a subtropical watershed and reconstruct the population structure and (2) to analyze the antibacterial resistance patterns of the identified isolates according to ERIC type.

Empirical testing of modified Salmonella MLST in aquatic environmental samples by in silico analysis.

Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) is an approach for prediction of Salmonella servoar and eBRUST groups (eBGs) based on seven typing scheme of housekeeping genes. Up to date, >220.000 allelic profiles and 65,973 Salmonella strains have been established in the MLST database.

Efficient large-scale preparation and purification of short single-stranded RNA oligonucleotides.

Sequence-specific RNA recognition by RNA-binding proteins plays a crucial role in the post-translational regulation of gene expression. Biophysical and biochemical studies help to unravel the principles of sequence-specific RNA recognition, but the methods used require large amounts of single-stranded RNA (ssRNA). Here we present a fast and robust method for large-scale preparation and purification of short ssRNA oligonucleotides for biochemical, biophysical, and structural studies.

Assessment of Legionella pneumophila in recreational spring water with quantitative PCR (Taqman) assay.

Legionella spp. are common in various natural and man-made aquatic environments. Recreational hot spring is frequently reported as an infection hotspot because of various factors such as temperature and humidity.

Evidence of efficient stop codon readthrough in four mammalian genes.

Stop codon readthrough is used extensively by viruses to expand their gene expression. Until recent discoveries in Drosophila, only a very limited number of readthrough cases in chromosomal genes had been reported. Analysis of conserved protein coding signatures that extend beyond annotated stop codons identified potential stop codon readthrough of four mammalian genes.

Diversity and seasonal impact of Acanthamoeba species in a subtropical rivershed.

This study evaluated the presence of Acanthamoeba species in the Puzih River watershed, which features typical subtropical monsoon climate and is located just above the Tropic of Cancer in Taiwan. The relationship between the seasonal and geographical distributions of Acanthamoeba species in this rivershed was also investigated. Acanthamoeba species were detected in water samples using the amoebal enrichment culture method and confirmed by PCR.

Application of molecular biological techniques to analyze Salmonella seasonal distribution in stream water.

Salmonella is a leading cause of waterborne diseases. Salmonella can survive for a long time in aquatic environments, and its persistence in the environment is of great concern to public health. Nonetheless, the presence and diversity of Salmonella in the aquatic environments in most areas remain relatively unknown.

Regulation of programmed ribosomal frameshifting by co-translational refolding RNA hairpins.

RNA structures are unwound for decoding. In the process, they can pause the elongating ribosome for regulation. An example is the stimulation of -1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting, leading to 3' direction slippage of the reading-frame during elongation, by specific pseudoknot stimulators downstream of the frameshifting site.

Quantitative detection and identification of Naegleria spp. in various environmental water samples using real-time quantitative PCR assay.

Naegleria spp. is a free-living amoeba that can be found in various aquatic environments. There are some Naegleria spp.

Stimulation of -1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting by a metabolite-responsive RNA pseudoknot.

Specific recognition of metabolites by functional RNA motifs within mRNAs has emerged as a crucial regulatory strategy for feedback control of biochemical reactions. Such riboswitches have been demonstrated to regulate different gene expression processes, including transcriptional termination and translational initiation in prokaryotic cells, as well as splicing in eukaryotic cells. The regulatory process is usually mediated by modulating the accessibility of specific sequence information of the expression platforms via metabolite-induced RNA conformational rearrangement.

An intermolecular RNA triplex provides insight into structural determinants for the pseudoknot stimulator of -1 ribosomal frameshifting.

An efficient -1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) signal requires an RNA slippery sequence and a downstream RNA stimulator, and the hairpin-type pseudoknot is the most common stimulator. However, a pseudoknot is not sufficient to promote -1 PRF. hTPK-DU177, a pseudoknot derived from human telomerase RNA, shares structural similarities with several -1 PRF pseudoknots and is used to dissect the roles of distinct structural features in the stimulator of -1 PRF.

Triplex structures in an RNA pseudoknot enhance mechanical stability and increase efficiency of -1 ribosomal frameshifting.

Many viruses use programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting to express defined ratios of structural and enzymatic proteins. Pseudoknot structures in messenger RNAs stimulate frameshifting in upstream slippery sequences. The detailed molecular determinants of pseudoknot mechanical stability and frameshifting efficiency are not well understood.

Nationwide surveillance of antimicrobial resistance among non-fermentative Gram-negative bacteria in Intensive Care Units in Taiwan: SMART programme data 2005.

A nationwide surveillance of the antimicrobial susceptibilities of glucose non-fermentative Gram-negative bacteria isolates was conducted from 1 September 2005 to 30 November 2005 in Taiwan. A total of 456 isolates were recovered from patients hospitalised in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of ten major teaching hospitals. Rates of resistant pathogens, such as ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19%) and imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (25%), were higher than those reported in 2000 (8% and 22%, respectively).

In vitro activities of various piperacillin and sulbactam combinations against bacterial pathogens isolated from Intensive Care Units in Taiwan: SMART 2004 programme data.

We investigated the in vitro activity of various piperacillin and sulbactam combinations against Gram-negative bacterial isolates from Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in Taiwan. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 1030 bacterial isolates recovered from ICUs of nine major teaching hospitals was performed using the agar dilution method. Sulbactam was added to piperacillin either at a fixed sulbactam concentration of 4 mg/L and 8 mg/L or at a piperacillin:sulbactam ratio of 2:1 and 4:1.

cDNA cloning, biological and immunological characterization of the alkaline serine protease major allergen from Penicillium chrysogenum.

Background: Penicillium chrysogenum (Penicillium notatum) is a prevalent airborne Penicillium species. A 34-kD major IgE-reacting component from P. chrysogenum has been identified as an alkaline serine protease (Pen ch 13, also known as Pen n 13 before) by immunoblot and N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis.