Publications by authors named "R Virkola"

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen expressing a number of virulence-associated adhesive molecules. In a previous study, we generated in a secretion-competent Escherichia coli strain a library of random FLAG-tag positive (FTP) polypeptides of S. aureus.

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Wheat bran (WB) from Triticum aestivum has many beneficial effects on human health. To the best of our knowledge, very little has been published about its ability to prevent pathogenic bacterial adhesion in the intestine. Here, a WB extract was fractionated using different strategies, and the obtained fractions were tested in different in vitro methodologies to evaluate their interference in the attachment of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 to intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) with the aim of identifying the putative anti-adhesive molecules.

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Casein glycomacropeptide (CGMP), a glycoprotein originating during cheese manufacture, has shown promising effects by promoting the growth of some beneficial bacteria in vitro, although its activity has not been well explored. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of CGMP against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 in vitro (Trial 1) and in vivo (Trial 2). In Trial 1, increasing concentrations of CGMP (0, 0.

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The Pla surface protease of Yersinia pestis activates human plasminogen and is a central virulence factor in bubonic and pneumonic plague. Pla is a transmembrane beta-barrel protein and member of the omptin family of outer membrane proteases which require bound lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to be proteolytically active. Plasminogen activation and autoprocessing of Pla were dramatically higher in Y.

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The Pla surface protease of Yersinia pestis, encoded by the Y. pestis-specific plasmid pPCP1, is a versatile virulence factor. In vivo studies have shown that Pla is essential in the establishment of bubonic plague, and in vitro studies have demonstrated various putative virulence functions for the Pla molecule.

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