Polymorphisms in Fibronectin Binding Proteins A and B among Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Isolates Are Not Associated with Arthroplasty Infection.

Background: Nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in fibronectin binding protein A (fnbA) of Staphylococcus aureus are associated with cardiac device infections. However, the role of fnbA SNPs in S. aureus arthroplasty infection is unknown.

Endovascular infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus are linked to clonal complex-specific alterations in binding and invasion domains of fibronectin-binding protein A as well as the occurrence of fnbB.

Endovascular infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus involve interactions with fibronectin present as extracellular matrix or surface ligand on host cells. We examined the expression, structure, and binding activity of the two major S. aureus fibronectin-binding proteins (FnBPA, FnBPB) in 10 distinct, methicillin-resistant clinical isolates from patients with either persistent or resolving bacteremia.

Potential Influence of Staphylococcus aureus Clonal Complex 30 Genotype and Transcriptome on Hematogenous Infections.

Background.  The contemporary Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex (CC) 30 lineage is associated with complicated infections, including endocarditis and osteomyelitis. This lineage diverged from the phage-type 80/81 S aureus clone responsible for a major bacterial epidemic of the 20th century.

Whole Genome Sequencing of a Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pseudo-Outbreak in a Professional Football Team.

Two American football players on the same team were diagnosed with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin and soft tissue infections on the same day. Our investigation, including whole genome sequencing, confirmed that players did not transmit MRSA to one another nor did they acquire the MRSA from a single source within the training facility.

Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis.

Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) is a powerful genotyping technique used for the separation of large DNA molecules (entire genomic DNA) after digesting it with unique restriction enzymes and applying to a gel matrix under the electric field that periodically changes direction. PFGE is a variation of agarose gel electrophoresis that permits analysis of bacterial DNA fragments over an order of magnitude larger than that with conventional restriction enzyme analysis. It provides a good representation of the entire bacterial chromosome in a single gel with a highly reproducible restriction profile, providing clearly distinct and well-resolved DNA fragments.

Characterization of alpha-toxin hla gene variants, alpha-toxin expression levels, and levels of antibody to alpha-toxin in hemodialysis and postsurgical patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Alpha-toxin is a major Staphylococcus aureus virulence factor. This study evaluated potential relationships between in vitro alpha-toxin expression of S. aureus bloodstream isolates, anti-alpha-toxin antibody in serum of patients with S.

Dusp3 and Psme3 are associated with murine susceptibility to Staphylococcus aureus infection and human sepsis.

Using A/J mice, which are susceptible to Staphylococcus aureus, we sought to identify genetic determinants of susceptibility to S. aureus, and evaluate their function with regard to S. aureus infection.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia at 5 US academic medical centers, 2008-2011: significant geographic variation in community-onset infections.

Background: The incidence of community-onset (CO) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia rose from the late 1990s through the 2000s. However, hospital-onset (HO) MRSA rates have recently declined in the United States and Europe.

Methods: Data were abstracted from infection prevention databases between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2011 at 5 US academic medical centers to determine the number of single-patient blood cultures positive for MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S.

A genome-wide association study of variants associated with acquisition of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in a healthcare setting.

Background: Humans vary in their susceptibility to acquiring Staphylococcus aureus infection, and research suggests that there is a genetic basis for this variability. Several recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified variants that may affect susceptibility to infectious diseases, demonstrating the potential value of GWAS in this arena.

Methods: We conducted a GWAS to identify common variants associated with acquisition of S.

Groundwater uranium origin and fate control in a river valley aquifer.

Groundwater in a Quaternary gravel aquifer partly exhibits uranium (U) concentrations exceeding the new German drinking water limitation (22% of the samples >10 μg L(-1)). This study assesses relevant U reservoirs and hydrogeochemical processes responsible for U transfer between them. A large data set of solid materials (sediments and soils, 164 samples total) and groundwater (114 samples total) characteristics was created in terms of geo- and hydrochemistry, mineralogy, U microdistribution, and mobilization potential.

Virulence of endemic nonpigmented northern Australian Staphylococcus aureus clone (clonal complex 75, S. argenteus) is not augmented by staphyloxanthin.

Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex 75 (herein referred to as S. argenteus) lacks the carotenoid pigment operon, crtOPQMN, responsible for production of the putative virulence factor, staphyloxanthin. Although a common cause of community-onset skin infections among Indigenous populations in northern Australia, this clone is infrequently isolated from hospital-based patients with either bacteremic or nonbacteremic infections.

Crossing redox boundaries--aquifer redox history and effects on iron mineralogy and arsenic availability.

Cretaceous shallow marine sediments from northwestern Germany exhibit a distinct colour and geochemical boundary in a depth of several decametres, witnessing a terrestrial oxidative paleo redox process which resulted in cement loss and oxidation of Fe(II) phases. Sediment samples were obtained from boreholes drilled in near-coastal and further basinward paleo environments, including both reduced and oxidized redox facies, to characterize As and Fe occurrence in unaltered layers and redistributional consequences of the redox event. Geochemical and mineralogical composition and As fractionation were assessed.

Panton-Valentine leukocidin is not the primary determinant of outcome for Staphylococcus aureus skin infections: evaluation from the CANVAS studies.

The impact of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) on the severity of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) caused by Staphylococcus aureus is controversial. We evaluated potential associations between clinical outcome and PVL presence in both methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S.

Presence of genes encoding panton-valentine leukocidin is not the primary determinant of outcome in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia due to Staphylococcus aureus.

The impact of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) on the outcome in Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia is controversial. We genotyped S. aureus isolates from patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) enrolled in two registrational multinational clinical trials for the genetic elements carrying pvl and 30 other virulence genes.

Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis isolates are associated with clonal complex 30 genotype and a distinct repertoire of enterotoxins and adhesins.

Background: Using multinational collections of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) isolates from infective endocarditis (IE) and soft tissue infections (STIs), we sought to (1) validate the finding that S. aureus in clonal complex (CC) 30 is associated with hematogenous complications and (2) test the hypothesis that specific genetic characteristics in S. aureus are associated with infection severity.

Two genes on A/J chromosome 18 are associated with susceptibility to Staphylococcus aureus infection by combined microarray and QTL analyses.

Although it has recently been shown that A/J mice are highly susceptible to Staphylococcus aureus sepsis as compared to C57BL/6J, the specific genes responsible for this differential phenotype are unknown. Using chromosome substitution strains (CSS), we found that loci on chromosomes 8, 11, and 18 influence susceptibility to S. aureus sepsis in A/J mice.

Enrichment processes of arsenic in oxidic sedimentary rocks - from geochemical and genetic characterization to potential mobility.

Sedimentary marine iron ores of Jurassic age and Tertiary marine sandy sediments containing iron hydroxides concretions have been sampled from boreholes and outcrops in two study areas in Germany to examine iron and arsenic accumulation processes. Samples were analyzed for bulk rock geochemistry (INAA/ICP-OES), quantitative mineralogy (XRD with Rietveld analysis), element distribution (electron microprobe) and arsenic fractionation (sequential extraction). Bulk Jurassic ores contain an average arsenic content of 123 μg g(-1) hosted in mainly goethite ooids which slowly formed in times of condensed sedimentation.

Presence of genes encoding the panton-valentine leukocidin exotoxin is not the primary determinant of outcome in patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: results of a multinational trial.

The role of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) in determining the severity and outcome of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) caused by methicillin (meticillin)-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is controversial. We evaluated potential associations between clinical outcome and PVL status by using MRSA isolates from patients enrolled in two large, multinational phase three clinical trials assessing telavancin for the treatment of cSSSI (the ATLAS program). MRSA isolates from microbiologically evaluable patients were genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and PCR for pvl and 31 other putative virulence determinants.

Heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate susceptibility phenotype in bloodstream methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from an international cohort of patients with infective endocarditis: prevalence, genotype, and clinical significance.

Background: The significance of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA) is unknown. Using a multinational collection of isolates from methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infective endocarditis (IE), we characterized patients with IE with and without hVISA, and we genotyped the infecting strains.

Associations between the genotypes of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream isolates and clinical characteristics and outcomes of bacteremic patients.

We investigated associations between the genotypic and phenotypic features of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream isolates and the clinical characteristics of bacteremic patients enrolled in a phase III trial of S. aureus bacteremia and endocarditis. Isolates underwent pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, PCR for 33 putative virulence genes, and screening for heteroresistant glycopeptide intermediate S.

Genotypic characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from a multinational trial of complicated skin and skin structure infections.

The impact of bacterial genetic characteristics on the outcome of patients with Staphylococcus aureus infections is uncertain. This investigation evaluated potential associations between bacterial genotype and clinical outcome using isolates collected as part of an international phase 2 clinical trial (FAST II) evaluating telavancin for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI). Ninety S.

Fatty acid synthesis is essential for survival of Cryptococcus neoformans and a potential fungicidal target.

Fatty acid synthase in the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans is composed of two subunits encoded by FAS1 and FAS2 genes. We inserted a copper-regulated promoter (P(CTR4-2)) to regulate FAS1 and FAS2 expression in Cryptococcus neoformans (strains P(CTR4-2)/FAS1 and P(CTR4-2)/FAS2, respectively). Both mutants showed growth rates similar to those of the wild type in a low-copper medium in which FAS1 and FAS2 were expressed, but even in the presence of exogenous fatty acids, strains were suppressed in growth under high-copper conditions.

Potential associations between hematogenous complications and bacterial genotype in Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Background: The impact of bacterial clonality on infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus is unclear.

Methods: Three hundred seventy-nine S. aureus isolates (125 methicillin-resistant S.

Characterization and regulation of the trehalose synthesis pathway and its importance in the pathogenicity of Cryptococcus neoformans.

The disaccharide trehalose has been found to play diverse roles, from energy source to stress protectant, and this sugar is found in organisms as diverse as bacteria, fungi, plants, and invertebrates but not in mammals. Recent studies in the pathobiology of Cryptococcus neoformans identified the presence of a functioning trehalose pathway during infection and suggested its importance for C. neoformans survival in the host.

Regulation of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) expression in Cryptococcus neoformans by temperature and host environment.

In the study of differential gene expression of Cryptococcus neoformans, a transcript of COX1 (cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1) was identified in a serotype A strain. The transcript was upregulated at 37 degrees C compared to 30 degrees C and expressed by yeasts infecting the central nervous system. Northern analysis of COX1 from the serotype A strain revealed two polycistronic transcripts, a temperature-upregulated 2.