Current Concepts of Neurodegenerative Mechanisms in Alzheimer's Disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases are hereditary or sporadic conditions that result in the progressive loss of the structure and function of neurons as well as neuronal death. Although a range of diseases lie under this umbrella term, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most common neurodegenerative diseases that affect a large population around the globe. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of extracellular amyloid- plaques and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles in brain regions and manifests as a type of dementia in aged individuals that results in memory loss, multiple cognitive abnormalities, and intellectual disabilities that interfere with quality of life.

Identification of a copper-responsive promoter and development of a copper biosensor in the soil bacterium Achromobacter sp. AO22.

A number of human activities result in environmental contamination with copper compounds that can cause severe detrimental effects on the ecosystem as well as human health. The physico-chemical methods of metal detection have limitations such as inability to distinguish between total versus bio-available metals and differences in metal uptake in different organisms. The heavy metal resistance-encoding genetic systems of certain bacteria provide critical tools for development of biosensors for these purposes.

The heavy metal tolerant soil bacterium Achromobacter sp. AO22 contains a unique copper homeostasis locus and two mer operons.

Copper-containing compounds are introduced into the environment through agricultural chemicals, mining, and metal industries and cause severe detrimental effects on ecosystems. Certain microorganisms exposed to these stressors exhibit molecular mechanisms to maintain intracellular copper homeostasis and avoid toxicity. We have previously reported that the soil bacterial isolate Achromobacter sp.

A Tn5051-like mer-containing transposon identified in a heavy metal tolerant strain Achromobacter sp. AO22.

Background: Achromobacter sp. AO22 (formerly Alcaligenes sp. AO22), a bacterial strain isolated from a lead-contaminated industrial site in Australia, was previously found to be resistant to moderate to high levels of mercury, copper and other heavy metals.