Ocular chlamydiales infections of western barred bandicoots (Perameles bougainville) in Western Australia.

The western barred bandicoot (Perameles bougainville) is an endangered species, free ranging on only two islands off the coast of Western Australia (Dorre and Bernier Islands). Conservation efforts are currently directed at reintroducing these marsupials into predator-proof enclosures and habitats in historical distribution ranges on the mainland in the southwest of Western Australia and in South Australia. In September 2000, 19 western barred bandicoots were captured on Bernier Island for translocation, and 11 of these had evidence of at least one of the following eye conditions: corneal opacity, conjunctivitis, ocular discharge, and blepharitis.

Molecular characterization of Chlamydophila pneumoniae isolates from Western barred bandicoots.

Chlamydophila pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular respiratory pathogen that has been associated with pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, atherosclerosis, asthma and other chronic diseases in humans. However, C. pneumoniae is not restricted to humans, as originally thought, and can cause infections in several animal hosts.

Protein methylation is required to maintain optimal HIV-1 infectivity.

Background: Protein methylation is recognized as a major protein modification pathway regulating diverse cellular events such as protein trafficking, transcription, and signal transduction. More recently, protein arginine methyltransferase activity has been shown to regulate HIV-1 transcription via Tat. In this study, adenosine periodate (AdOx) was used to globally inhibit protein methyltransferase activity so that the effect of protein methylation on HIV-1 infectivity could be assessed.

Isolation and antimicrobial susceptibilities of Chlamydial isolates from Western barred bandicoots.

A range of species of Chlamydiales have previously been detected in a variety of Australian marsupials, including koalas and western barred bandicoots. Thirty-seven ocular, urogenital, or nasal swabs were obtained from 21 wild western barred bandicoots. Chlamydia culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed for cycloheximide-treated HEp-2 cells in 96-well microtiter plates.

Evaluation of tetracycline, erythromycin, penicillin and streptomycin for decontaminating koala semen contaminated in vitro with chlamydiae.

Semen from seven koalas was extended in a tris-citrate glucose diluent containing one of four antibiotics at different concentrations and then contaminated with a standard concentration of chlamydiae. These semen preparations were then tested for residual chlamydial viability by an in vitro cell culture assay, and any detrimental effect of the antibiotics on the motility and viability of the sperm was assessed. Penicillin at 25 iu/ml or more, erythromycin at 1000 microg/ml or more and tetracycline at 200 microg/ml or more were highly effective at rendering the chlamydiae non-viable, but streptomycin showed no antichlamydial activity.