Distribution, organization and expression of genes concerned with anaerobic lactate utilization in human intestinal bacteria.

Lactate accumulation in the human gut is linked to a range of deleterious health impacts. However, lactate is consumed and converted to the beneficial short-chain fatty acids butyrate and propionate by indigenous lactate-utilizing bacteria. To better understand the underlying genetic basis for lactate utilization, transcriptomic analyses were performed for two prominent lactate-utilizing species from the human gut, and , during growth on lactate, hexose sugar or hexose plus lactate.

Signatures of cytoplasmic proteins in the exoproteome distinguish community- and hospital-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 lineages.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the common name for a heterogeneous group of highly drug-resistant staphylococci. Two major MRSA classes are distinguished based on epidemiology, namely community-associated (CA) and hospital-associated (HA) MRSA. Notably, the distinction of CA- and HA-MRSA based on molecular traits remains difficult due to the high genomic plasticity of S.

The population structure of Staphylococcus aureus in China and Europe assessed by multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis; clues to geographical origins of emergence and dissemination.

To compare the genetic population structure of Staphylococcus aureus from China and Europe, 1294 human isolates were characterized by multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). In total, MLVA identified 17 MLVA complexes (MCs), comprising 260 MLVA types (MTs) among the Chinese isolates and 372 MTs among the European isolates. The five most frequent MCs among the Chinese isolates belonged to MC398, MC5 subclade a, MC8, MC437 and MC7 and made up 55% of the sample.

Real-time in vivo imaging of invasive- and biomaterial-associated bacterial infections using fluorescently labelled vancomycin.

Invasive and biomaterial-associated infections in humans are often difficult to diagnose and treat. Here, guided by recent advances in clinically relevant optical imaging technologies, we explore the use of fluorescently labelled vancomycin (vanco-800CW) to specifically target and detect infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. The application potential of vanco-800CW for real-time in vivo imaging of bacterial infections is assessed in a mouse myositis model and a human post-mortem implant model.

Phenol-soluble modulins, hellhounds from the staphylococcal virulence-factor pandemonium.

Phenol-soluble modulins are secreted peptides with multiple functions in Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis and spreading. Recent studies by Otto and coworkers show that these hellhounds of the staphylococcal virulence-factor pandemonium are unleashed through an essential ABC transporter, which represents an exciting new target for stopping the spread of this important pathogen.

Distinct roles of phenol-soluble modulins in spreading of Staphylococcus aureus on wet surfaces.

The human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is renowned for the rapid colonization of contaminated wounds, medical implants, and food products. Nevertheless, little is known about the mechanisms that allow S. aureus to colonize the respective wet surfaces.

The sortase A substrates FnbpA, FnbpB, ClfA and ClfB antagonize colony spreading of Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that is renowned both for its rapid transmission within hospitals and the community, and for the formation of antibiotic resistant biofilms on medical implants. Recently, it was shown that S. aureus is able to spread over wet surfaces.

Partially overlapping substrate specificities of staphylococcal group A sortases.

Sortases catalyze the covalent attachment of proteins with a C-terminal LPxTG motif to the cell walls of Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we show that deletion of the srtA genes of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis resulted in the dislocation of several LPxTG proteins from the cell wall to the growth medium. Nevertheless, proteomics and Western blotting analyses revealed that substantial amounts of the identified proteins remained cell wall bound through noncovalent interactions.

Requirement of the agr locus for colony spreading of Staphylococcus aureus.

The important human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is known to spread on soft agar plates. Here, we show that colony spreading of S. aureus involves the agr quorum-sensing system.

Synthetic effects of secG and secY2 mutations on exoproteome biogenesis in Staphylococcus aureus.

The gram-positive pathogen Staphylococcus aureus secretes various proteins into its extracellular milieu. Bioinformatics analyses have indicated that most of these proteins are directed to the canonical Sec pathway, which consists of the translocation motor SecA and a membrane-embedded channel composed of the SecY, SecE, and SecG proteins. In addition, S.