Research Publications (Food Safety)

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of gene expression in several biological systems. The long intergenic RNA-erythroid pro-survival (lincRNA-EPS) has been shown to play a critical role in restraining inflammatory gene expression. However, the function of lincRNA-EPS during bacterial infections remains unknown.

Trichomonas vaginalis is the parasitic protozoan residing in human urogenital tract causing trichomoniasis, which is the leading non-viral sexually transmitted disease. It has cosmopolitan distribution throughout the globe and affects both men and women. Lifecycle of the parasite has been traditionally described as consisting of motile and symptom-causing trophozoites.

Background:Toxoplasma gondii infects millions of individuals worldwide. This protozoan is food and water-borne transmitted but blood transfusion and organ transplantation constitute alternative forms for transmission. However, the influence of IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies in molecular analysis carried out in peripheral blood still remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the serum IgG anti-T. gondii antibody concentrations correlate Nested PCR results in blood donors.

Salmonella Gallinarum only infects avian species, where it causes a severe systemic infection in birds of all ages. It is generally accepted that interaction with phagocytic cells plays an important role in the development of systemic, host-specific Salmonella infections. The current study detailed the interaction of S.

Clostridium perfringens is an important human and animal pathogen that is the primary causative agent of necrotizing enteritis and enterotoxemia in many types of animals; it causes traumatic gas gangrene in humans and animals and is associated with cases of food poisoning in humans. C. perfringens produces a variety of toxins as well as many enzymes, including three sialidases, NanH, NanI, and NanJ. Sialidases could be important virulence factors that promote the pathogenesis of C.

Shiga toxin (Stx) produced by enterohemorrhagic E. coli produces hemolytic uremic syndrome and encephalopathies in patients, which can lead to either reversible or permanent neurological abnormalities, or even fatal cases depending on the degree of intoxication. It has been observed that the inflammatory component plays a decisive role in the severity of the disease.

Antimicrobial coating of medical devices has emerged as a potentially effective tool to prevent or ameliorate device-related infections. In this study the plasma deposition process for direct deposition of pharmaceutical drugs on to a range of surfaces and the retention of structure function relationship and antimicrobial efficacy against mono-species biofilms were investigated.

The hepatic immune system can induce rapid and controlled responses to pathogenic microorganisms and tumor cells. Accordingly, most of the microorganisms that reach the liver through the blood are eliminated. However, some of them, including Brucella spp., take advantage of the immunotolerant capacity of the liver to persist in the host. Brucella has a predilection for surviving in the reticuloendothelial system, with the liver being the largest organ of this system in the human body.

Edwardsiella piscicida is a pathogenic bacterium responsible for significant losses in important wild and cultured fish species. E. piscicida strain MS-18-199 recovered from a diseased hybrid catfish from East Mississippi and showed resistance to florfenicol, chloramphenicol, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, erythromycin, tetracycline, azitromycin, spectinomycin, sulfonamide, and bacitracin. To explore the mechanisms of resistance in E.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are responsible for multiple clinical syndromes, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). E. coli O157:H7 is the most prevalent serotype associated with HUS and produces a variety of virulence factors being Stx2 the responsible of the most HUS severe cases.

The dynamic nature of Vibrio parahaemolyticus epidemiology has presented a unique challenge for disease intervention strategies. Despite the continued rise of disease incidence and outbreaks of vibriosis, as well as the global emergence of pandemic clones and serovariants with enhanced virulence, there is a paucity of molecular methods for the serotyping of V. parahaemolyticus strains to improve disease surveillance and outbreak investigations.

The diagnosis of bloodstream infections (BSIs) still relies on blood culture (BC), but low turnaround times may hinder the early initiation of an appropriate antimicrobial therapy, thus increasing the risk of infection-related death. We describe a direct and rapid multiplex PCR-based assay capable of detecting and identifying 16 bacterial and four Candida species, as well as three antibiotic-resistance determinants, in uncultured samples.

The envelope of Gram-negative bacteria is critical for survival across a wide range of environmental conditions. The inner membrane, the periplasm and the outer membrane form a complex compartment, home to many essential processes. Hence, constant monitoring by envelope stress response systems ensure correct biogenesis of the envelope and maintain its homeostasis.

Galactosaminogalactan (GAG) is an insoluble aminosugar polymer produced by Aspergillus fumigatus and has anti-inflammatory properties. Here, the minimum glycosidic sequences required for the induction of IL-1Ra by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was investigated. Using chemical degradation of native GAG to isolate soluble oligomers, we have found that the de-N-acetylation of galactosamine residues and the size of oligomer are critical for the in vitro immune response.

The Bacillus cereus group is frequently isolated from soil, plants, food, and other environments. In this study, we report the first isolation and characterization of a B. cereus group member, Bacillus wiedmannii SR52, from the hydrothermal field in the Iheya Ridge of Okinawa Trough. SR52 was isolated from the gills of shrimp Alvinocaris longirostris, an invertebrate species found abundantly in the ecosystems of the hydrothermal vents, and is most closely related to B.

Little is known regarding differences in the gut microbiomes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy cohorts in China. This study aimed to identify differences in the fecal microbiomes of 66 Chinese patients with RA and 60 healthy Chinese controls. The V3-V4 variable regions of bacterial 16S rRNA genes were sequenced with the Illumina system to define the bacterial composition.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate real-time polymerase chain reaction coupled with multiplex probe melting curve analysis (PCR-MCA) for pathogen detection in patients with suspected bloodstream infections (BSIs).

Methods: A PCR-MCA assay was developed for simultaneous identification of 28 kinds of the most common pathogens and two resistance genes within a few hours. The diagnostic performance of the PCR-MCA assay was determined and compared to the results of blood culture.

Understanding bacterial virulence provides insight into the molecular basis behind infection and could identify new drug targets. However, assessing potential virulence determinants relies on testing in an animal model. The mouse is a well-validated model but it is constrained by the ethical and logistical challenges of using vertebrate animals. Recently the larva of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella has been explored as a possible infection model for a number of pathogens.

During infection, bacterial pathogens successfully sense, respond and adapt to a myriad of harsh environments presented by the mammalian host. This exquisite level of adaptation requires a robust modulation of their physiological and metabolic features. Additionally, virulence determinants, which include host invasion, colonization and survival despite the host's immune responses and antimicrobial therapy, must be optimally orchestrated by the pathogen at all times during infection.

Treated wastewater from reclaimed facilities (WWTP) has become a reusable source for a variety of applications, such as agricultural irrigation. However, it is also a potential reservoir of clinically-relevant multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens, including ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus surrogates, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species along with the emerging nosocomial Escherichia strains).

While antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been detected in extreme environments, including Antarctica, to date there are no reports of Acinetobacter species isolated from this region. Here, we characterized by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) the genetic content of a single antibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter spp. isolate (A154) collected in Antarctica.

Pet and EspC are toxins secreted by enteroaggregative (EAEC) and enteropathogenic (EPEC) diarrheagenic Escherichia coli pathotypes, respectively. Both toxins are members of the Serine Protease Autotransporters of Enterobacteriaceae (SPATEs) family. Pet and EspC are important virulence factors that produce cytotoxic and enterotoxic effects on enterocytes. Here, we evaluated the effect of curcumin, a polyphenolic compound obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa L.

Atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC) is a group of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli with high diversity of serogroups, which lack the bundle-forming pili (BFP) and genes encoding for shiga toxins. The aim of this study was to isolate, identify and determine virulence and antibiotic resistance profiles of aEPEC O177 strains from cattle feces. A total of 780 samples were collected from beef and dairy cattle and analyzed for the presence of E. coli O177.

This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of thymoquinone (TQ) against L. monocytogenes, and to examine its inhibitory effects on biofilm formation, motility, hemolysin production, and attachment-invasion of host cells. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of TQ against eight different L. monocytogenes strains ranged from 6.25–12.50 μg/mL. Crystal violet staining showed that TQ clearly reduced biofilm biomass at sub-MICs in a dose-dependent manner.

Heat-labile toxin (LT) is a well-characterized powerful enterotoxin produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). This toxin is known to contribute to diarrhea in young children in developing countries, international travelers, as well as many different species of young animals. Interestingly, it has also been revealed that LT is involved in other activities in addition to its role in enterotoxicity.