Whole-genome comparative analysis of Malaysian clinical isolates.

, a soil-dwelling Gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of the endemic tropical disease melioidosis. Clinical manifestations of infection range from acute or chronic localized infection in a single organ to fulminant septicaemia in multiple organs. The diverse clinical manifestations are attributed to various factors, including the genome plasticity across strains.

Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra Jaeger, 1833) rescues Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected Caenorhabditis elegans via reduction of pathogen virulence factors and enhancement of host immunity.

A strategy to circumvent the problem of multidrug resistant pathogens is the discovery of anti-infectives targeting bacterial virulence or host immunity. Black sea cucumber (Holothuria atra) is a tropical sea cucumber species traditionally consumed as a remedy for many ailments. There is a paucity of knowledge on the anti-infective capacity of H.

Beyond Traditional Antimicrobials: A Model for Discovery of Novel Anti-infectives.

The spread of antibiotic resistance amongst bacterial pathogens has led to an urgent need for new antimicrobial compounds with novel modes of action that minimize the potential for drug resistance. To date, the development of new antimicrobial drugs is still lagging far behind the rising demand, partly owing to the absence of an effective screening platform. Over the last decade, the nematode has been incorporated as a whole animal screening platform for antimicrobials.

Curcumin rescues Caenorhabditis elegans from a Burkholderia pseudomallei infection.

The tropical pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei requires long-term parenteral antimicrobial treatment to eradicate the pathogen from an infected patient. However, the development of antibiotic resistance is emerging as a threat to this form of treatment. To meet the need for alternative therapeutics, we proposed a screen of natural products for compounds that do not kill the pathogen, but in turn, abrogate bacterial virulence.

Burkholderia pseudomallei suppresses Caenorhabditis elegans immunity by specific degradation of a GATA transcription factor.

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a Gram-negative soil bacterium that infects both humans and animals. Although cell culture studies have revealed significant insights into factors contributing to virulence and host defense, the interactions between this pathogen and its intact host remain to be elucidated. To gain insights into the host defense responses to B.