Pneumococcal conjugate vaccination response in patients after community-acquired pneumonia, differences in patients with S. pneumoniae versus other pathogens.

Objectives: The goal of this study is to investigate the immune response to the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in former pneumococcal CAP patients. We hypothesize that an impaired or suboptimal humoral immune response against (specific) pneumococcal serotypes might explain the vulnerability for pneumococcal disease.

Methods: Hospitalised adult CAP patients who participated in two trials (2004-2006 (n=201) and, 2007-2009 (n=304)) were screened.

Use of gene replacement transformation to elucidate gene function in the qa gene cluster of Neurospora crassa.

Gene replacement by transformation, employing selective genetic recombination techniques, has been used to delete or disrupt the qa-x, qa-y and qa-1S genes of the qa gene cluster of Neurospora crassa. The growth characteristics of the strain carrying the deletion of the qa-y gene support earlier evidence that this gene encodes a quinic acid permease. The strain containing the deletion of the qa-1S gene (delta qa-1S) was examined with respect to quinic acid induction and carbon catabolite repression.

Sequence and characterization of the met-7 gene of Neurospora crassa.

The proteins encoded by the met-7+ and met-3+ genes of Neurospora crassa are required to form a functional cystathionine-gamma-synthase (CGS). The met-7+ gene has been cloned by complementation of a met-7 mutant. The nucleotide sequence of the complementing DNA reveals the presence of a 542-amino acid open reading frame (ORF).

Comparative studies of the quinic acid (qa) cluster in several Neurospora species with special emphasis on the qa-x-qa-2 intergenic region.

The organization of the quinic acid (qa) genes in Neurospora crassa has been compared to that in several other Neurospora species. This gene cluster was found to be highly conserved in all species examined. However, there are numberous restriction fragment length polymorphisms that distinguish the heterothallic and homothallic species.

The Wilhelmine E. Key 1989 invitational lecture. Organization and regulation of the qa (quinic acid) genes in Neurospora crassa and other fungi.

In Neurospora crassa, five structural genes and two regulatory genes control the use of quinic acid as a carbon source. All seven genes are tightly linked to form the qa gene cluster. The entire cluster, which has been cloned and sequenced, occupies a continuous DNA segment of 17.