The intrinsic cephalosporin resistome of Listeria monocytogenes in the context of stress response, gene regulation, pathogenesis and therapeutics.

Intrinsic resistance to antibiotics is a serious therapeutic problem in the case of many bacterial species. The Gram-positive human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is intrinsically resistant to broad spectrum cephalosporin antibiotics, which are commonly used in therapy of bacterial infections. Besides three penicillin-binding proteins the intrinsic cephalosporin resistome of L.

Re-evaluation of the significance of penicillin binding protein 3 in the susceptibility of Listeria monocytogenes to β-lactam antibiotics.

Background: Penicillin binding protein 3 (PBP3) of L. monocytogenes has long been thought of as the primary lethal target for β-lactam antibiotics due to the excellent correlation between the MICs of different β-lactams and their affinity for this protein. The gene encoding PBP3 has not yet been directly identified in this gram-positive bacterium, but based on in silico analysis, this protein is likely to be encoded by lmo1438.

An update on some structural aspects of the mighty miniwall.

Peptidoglycan (PG), the mighty miniwall, is the main structural component of practically all bacterial cell envelopes and has been the subject of a wealth of research over the past 60 years, if only because its biosynthesis is the target of many antibiotics that have successfully been used in the treatment of bacterial infections. This review is mainly focused on the most recent achievements in research on the modification of PG glycan strands, which contribute to the resistance of bacteria to the host immune response to infection and to their own lytic enzymes, and on studies on the spatial organization of the macromolecule.

Identification of the full set of Listeria monocytogenes penicillin-binding proteins and characterization of PBPD2 (Lmo2812).

Background: Bacterial penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) can be visualized by their ability to bind radiolabeled or fluorescent β-lactam derivatives both whole cells and membrane/cell enriched fractions. Analysis of the Listeria monocytogenes genome sequence predicted ten genes coding for putative PBPs, but not all of their products have been detected in studies using radiolabeled antibiotics, thus hindering their characterization. Here we report the positive identification of the full set of L.

Simultaneous degradation of waste phosphogypsum and liquid manure from industrial pig farm by a mixed community of sulfate-reducing bacteria.

The utilization of pig manure as a source of nutrients for the dissimilatory reduction of sulfates present in phosphogypsum was investigated. In both types of media used (synthetic medium and raw pig manure) increased utilization of sulfates with growing COD/SO4(2-)ratio in the medium was observed. The percent of sulfate reduction obtained in synthetic medium was from 18 to 99%, whereas the value for cultures set up in raw liquid manure was from 12% (at COD/SO4(2-) of 0.