A novel ketolide, RBx 14255, with activity against multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae.

We present here the novel ketolide RBx 14255, a semisynthetic macrolide derivative obtained by the derivatization of clarithromycin, for its in vitro and in vivo activities against sensitive and macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. RBx 14255 showed excellent in vitro activity against macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae, including an in-house-generated telithromycin-resistant strain (S.

Aspartate aminotransferase is involved in cold adaptation in psychrophilic Pseudomonas syringae.

CSM2, a cold-sensitive mutant of psychrophilic Pseudomonas syringae, grows like wild-type cells when cultured at 22 and 28 degrees C; but at 4 degrees C, the growth is retarded. In CSM2, AAT (coding for aspartate aminotransferase) is identified as the mutated gene. The expression of AAT in Pseudomonas syringae was transiently enhanced when cells were shifted from 22 to 4 degrees C indicating that AAT is cold-inducible.

Importance of trmE for growth of the psychrophile Pseudomonas syringae at low temperatures.

Transposon mutagenesis of Pseudomonas syringae Lz4W, a psychrophilic bacterium capable of growing at temperatures between 2 and 30 degrees C, yielded 30 cold-sensitive mutants, and CSM1, one of these cold-sensitive mutants, was characterized. Growth of CSM1 was retarded when it was cultured at 4 degrees C but not when it was cultured at 22 degrees C and 28 degrees C compared to the growth of wild-type cells, indicating that CSM1 is a cold-sensitive mutant of P. syringae Lz4W.

Ciprofloxacin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis, Delhi, India.

Decreased susceptibility of Neisseria meningitidis isolates to ciprofloxacin emerged from an outbreak in Delhi, India. Results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the meningococcal isolates to ciprofloxacin and further sequencing of DNA gyrase A quinolone-resistance-determining region confirmed the emergence of ciprofloxacin resistance in the outbreak.

Purification and characterization of an extracellular protease produced by psychrotolerant Clostridium sp. LP3 from lake sediment of Leh, India.

An anaerobic, proteolytic bacterium isolated from lake sediments of Leh, India, was characterized with respect to morphology, biochemical characteristics, and 16S rRNA sequence and was identified as Clostridium species, with closest similarity to Clostridium subterminale. Isolate LP3 was psychrophilic, forming maximum cell mass between 10 and 20 degrees C, and produced extracellular protease. Growth was observed in the pH range of 7.

Characterisation of laboratory-generated vancomycin intermediate resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Vancomycin has been the drug of choice for 30 years for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Emergence of decreased vancomycin susceptibility in MRSA strains presents a significant clinical problem with few therapeutic options. This study was performed to generate and characterise S.

Bacillus arsenicus sp. nov., an arsenic-resistant bacterium isolated from a siderite concretion in West Bengal, India.

Strain Con a/3(T) is a Gram-positive, motile, endospore-forming, rod-shaped and arsenic-resistant bacterium, which was isolated from a concretion of arsenic ore obtained from a bore-hole. The bacterium grew in the presence of 20 mM arsenate and 0.5 mM arsenite.

Pseudonocardia antarctica sp. nov. an Actinomycetes from McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica.

Strain DVS 5a1 was isolated from a moraine sample from the McMurdo Dry Valleys region of Antarctica. The strain is aerobic, Gram-positive, with white aerial mycelia and brown substrate mycelia, sporulating, has meso-diaminopimelic acid, arabinose and galactose in the cell wall, MK-8 (H4) as the major menaquinone and a mol% G+C content of DNA of 71% thus confirming to the description of the genus Pseudonocardia. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis further confirms that DVS 5al which forms a robust clade with P.

Psychrophilic Planococcus maitriensis sp.nov. from Antarctica.

An orange pigmented bacterium, S1, was isolated from a cyanobacterial mat sample collected in the vicinity of Schirmacher Oasis, Maitri, the Indian station, in Antarctica. The bacterium is Gram-positive and possesses all the characteristics of the genus Planococcus. It is non-sporulating, motile and has A4alpha type peptidoglycan, MK-7 and MK-8 as the major menaquinones and anteiso-C(15:0) as the major fatty acid.