No description available.

A luminescence-based detection system was developed to study changes in the survival and activity of cells following release from moribund and dead fish. <I>A.salmonicida</I> was chromosomally marked with the genes encoding bacterial luciferase, originally isolated from <I>Vibrio harveyi</I>. Characterisation of the growth and luminescence of the <I>lux</I>-marked strain demonstrated that light was directly proportional to cell biomass concentration during logarithmic growth. The survival of <I>lux</I>-marked and wild type <I>A.salmonicida</I> strains was investigated in sterile sea water at 4°C. The number of culturable cells declined rapidly, but the total number of cells remained relatively constant, suggesting <I>A. salmonicida</I> entered a nonculturable state. The survival of <I>lux</I>-marked <I>A. salmonicida</I> did not significantly differ from that of the wild type strain. A small number of cells remained culturable throughout starvation experiments and luminometry confirmed that the <I>lux</I>-marked cells were metabolically active, possibly surviving by cryptic growth. The viability of putative dormant cells could not be established since these cells could not be reactivated following the addition of a range of substrates. The <I>lux</I>-marked <I>A.salmonicida</I> strain was pathogenic only when injected at high doses. This poor virulence was probably due to loss of the proteinaceous A-layer which is responsible for hydrophobic cell interactions and cell defence against lytic agents. This prevented further studies aimed at determining the virulence of nonculturable cells using this strain. Preliminary experiments indicated the potential of the <I>lux</I>-marked system for studying vertical transmission of <I>A. salmonicida</I>. The main sites for attachment of the <I>lux</I>-marked strain were the gill and skin/mucus regions. Identical results were obtained using a wild type <I>virulent A. salmonicida</I> strain, but significantly higher numbers of cells were recovered from fish tissue.

On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast and storm surges breached levees flooding much of New Orleans, Louisiana. One month after the storm, sediment was collected and toxicity was tested using Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) embryos. Sediments with the highest contaminant levels showed the highest embryonic mortality and most delayed development. However, no sediment caused an increased mutant frequency. When the most contaminated site was resampled in February, 2006 contaminant levels and toxicity decreased. During toxicity testing, approximately 20% of embryos incubated with sediment from one of these sites died and turned red. A red bacterium was isolated that is Gram-negative, cocco-baccilus, non-motile, and most similar to Hahella chejuensis based on genetic and metabolic tests. This bacterium caused 100% infection at 108 bacterial cells per ml and variable infection at lower doses. This study was the first to examine biological effects of exposure to post-Hurricane Katrina sediments.

Yes / Buruli ulcer (BU) is an insidious neglected tropical disease. Cases are reported around the world but the rural regions of West and Central Africa are most affected. How BU is transmitted and spreads has remained a mystery, even though the causative agent, Mycobacterium ulcerans, has been known for more than 70 years. Here, using the tools of population genomics, we reconstruct the evolutionaryhistoryofM. ulceransbycomparing165isolatesspanning48yearsandrepresenting11endemiccountriesacrossAfrica. The genetic diversity of African M. ulcerans was found to be restricted due to the bacterium’s slow substitution rate coupled with its relatively recent origin. We identified two specific M. ulcerans lineages within the African continent, and inferred that M. ulcerans lineage Mu_A1 existed in Africa for several hundreds of years, unlike lineage Mu_A2, which was introduced much more recently, approximately during the 19th century. Additionally, we observed that specific M. ulcerans epidemic Mu_A1 clones were introduced during the same time period in the three hydrological basins that were well covered in our panel. The estimated time span of the introduction events coincides with the Neo-imperialism period, during which time the European colonial powers divided the African continent among themselves. Using this temporal association, and in the absence of a known BU reservoir or—vector on the continent, we postulate that the so-called "Scramble for Africa" played a significant role in the spread of the disease across the continent. / K.V. was supported by a PhD-grant of the Flemish Interuniversity Council—University Development Cooperation (Belgium). B.d.J. and C.M. were supported by the European Research Council-INTERRUPTB starting grant (no. 311725). T.P.S. was supported by a fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (1105525). Funding for this work was provided by the Department of Economy, Science and Innovation of the Flemish Government, the Stop Buruli Consortium supported by the UBS Optimus Foundation, and the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (Belgium) (FWO grant no. G.0321.07N). The computational resources used in this work were provided by the HPC core facility CalcUA and VSC (Flemish Supercomputer Center), funded by the University of Antwerp, the Hercules Foundation and the Flemish Government—department EWI. Aspects of the research in Cameroon and Benin were funded by the Raoul Follereau Fondation France.

Ratoon stunting disease (RSD) is a serious disease that affects all sugarcane producing countries. The major symptom of RSD is plant growth reduction, which is only seen in ratoon plants, causing up to 80% biomass reduction depending on environmental conditions. The disease is due to Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli (Lxx), a gram-positive and nutritionally fastidious bacterium that so far has been found to specifically colonize the xylem vessels of sugarcane. However, the successful early detection of this pathogen is currently the main challenge for RSD prevention. Breeding for resistance to RSD, although not in practice, is a viable control measure. Since sugarcane varieties differ in relation to their degree of colonization by Lxx and losses are directly related to population densities of the pathogen in the plant, a promising breeding strategy would be to select for genotypes that are resistant to bacterial multiplication. Thus, knowledge on the responses of sugarcane to RSD at the \"omics\" level is an essential starting step to identify key metabolic targets for breeding resistant varieties. The overall goal of this study is to determine the metabolic profiles of a susceptible (CB49-260) and resistant (SP80-3280) variety inoculated or not with Lxx and to compare the results with existing proteomic and transcriptomic data to define a core of targets (proteins, genes, and metabolites) that can be tested as markers of resistance in a collection of sugarcane varieties. Bacterial titers were quantified by Real-Time PCR (qPCR). The metabolites were profiled from the leaves and from the xylem saps collected at 30 and 120 days after inoculation (DAI). Untargeted analysis were performed with Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and were carried out on leaves and sap from 120 DAI. Targeted analysis was executed with Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) on both tissues at both timepoints. To validate metabolomics results, a set of metabolites was chosen to be tested in vitro, in order to detect growth alterations caused to Lxx. qPCR confirmed the susceptibility of CB49-260 as it had higher titers than SP80-3280. Global analysis revealed that both varieties and tissues have different metabolic profiles but that those differences are more quantitative than qualitative. The targeted approach identified more amino acids, sugars, organic acids and phosphorylated compounds in the non-inoculated susceptible genotype, while the resistant one had higher abundance of phenolics. It was also shown that inoculation with Lxx results in more relative abundance of amino acids, organic acids, phosphorylated compounds and phenolics. Furthermore, a key amino acid for Lxx survival was related to inoculation on both varieties, as well as a known phenolic compound related to plant defense. Distinguished phenolics resulting from the targeted analysis were selected to evaluate their effect on Lxx growth in vitro. Although some compounds caused inhibition, further optimization of the methodology is needed to confirm these results. / O Raquitismo-da-soqueira (RSD) é uma grave doença que afeta todos os paises produtores de cana-de-açúcar. O principal sintoma do RSD é tamanho reduzido das plantas, observado apenas nas plantas-soca, o que pode resultar em perdas de biomassa em até 80%, dependendo das condições climáticas. A doença é causada por Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli (Lxx), uma bactéria gram-positiva e fastidiosa, descrita até o presente momento como hospedeira natural apenas da cana-de-açúcar, colonizando principalmente os vasos do xilema. Todavia, a detecção precoce deste patógeno é o principal desafio para prevenção do RSD. O melhoramento genético para resistência ao RSD, apesar de viável, não é uma medida de controle adotada na prática. Como existe diferenças entre as variedades de cana em relação ao grau de colonização por Lxx e as perdas estão diretamente relacionadas ao título bacteriano, uma estratégia de melhoramento promissora é a seleção de genótipos que apresentam resistência à multiplicação bacteriana. Portanto, o conhecimento das respostas da cana-de-açúcar ao RSD em termos \"ômicos\" é um passo inicial primordial para a identificação de alvos-chave para melhorar variedades resistentes. O objetivo geral deste estudo foi determinar os perfis metabólicos de duas variedade, uma suscetível (CB49-260) e uma resistente (SP80-3280) inoculada ou não com Lxx e comparar os resultados com dados já existentes de proteômica e transcriptômica para definir um núcleo de alvos (proteínas, genes e metabólitos) que possam ser testados como marcadores de resistência em uma coleção de cana-de-açúcar. Os títulos bacterianos foram quantificados por PCR em tempo real (qPCR). Os perfis metabólicos foram elaborados a partir de folhas e fluído xilemático coletados aos 30 e 120 dias após inoculação (DAI). A análise não-direcionada foi realizada por cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas (GC-MS), usando folhas e extratos coletados aos 120 DAI. Já a análise direcionada foi efetivada via cromatografia líquida acoplada à espectrometria de massas em tandem (LC-MS/MS), em ambos tecidos e tempos de coleta. Para validar os resultados de metabolômica, um grupo de metabólitos destacado nas análises de metabolômica foi escolhido para testes in vitro e por fim detectar alterações no crescimento de Lxx. O resultado do qPCR confirmou a suscetibilidade da CB49-260, pois esta continha títulos superiores à SP80-3280. A análise global revelou que ambos variedades e tecidos possuem perfis metabólicos distintos, porém essas diferenças foram mais quantitativas que qualitativas. A análise direcionada identificou mais aminoácidos, açúcares, ácidos organicos e compostos fosforilados no genótipo suscetível não-inoculado, enquanto que o resistente apresentou maior abundância de compostos fenólicos. Também foi demonstrado que a inoculação com Lxx resultou em maior quantidade de aminoácidos, ácidos orgânicos, compostos fosforilados e fenólicos. Ademais, um aminoácido essencial à sobrevivência de Lxx foi relacionado à inoculação de ambas variedades, assim como um composto fenólico relacionado a defesa de plantas. O teste in vitro mostrou que, apesar de alguns compostos causarem inibição, é necessário aprimorar a metodologia utilizada para confirmar os resultados obtidos.

No description available.

Yes / Buruli ulcer is a neglected tropical disease of skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by infection with the pathogen Mycobacterium ulcerans. Many critical issues for disease control, such as understanding the mode of transmission and identifying source reservoirs of M. ulcerans, are still largely unknown. Here, we used genomics to reconstruct in detail the evolutionary trajectory and dynamics of M. ulcerans populations at a central African scale and at smaller geographical village scales. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data were analyzed from 179 M. ulcerans strains isolated from all Buruli ulcer foci in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Republic of Congo, and Angola that have ever yielded positive M. ulcerans cultures. We used both temporal associations and the study of the mycobacterial demographic history to estimate the contribution of humans as a reservoir in Buruli ulcer transmission. Our phylogeographic analysis revealed one almost exclusively predominant sublineage of M. ulcerans that arose in Central Africa and proliferated in its different regions of endemicity during the Age of Discovery. We observed how the best sampled endemic hot spot, the Songololo territory, became an area of endemicity while the region was being colonized by Belgium (1880s). We furthermore identified temporal parallels between the observed past population fluxes of M. ulcerans from the Songololo territory and the timing of health policy changes toward control of the Buruli ulcer epidemic in that region. These findings suggest that an intervention based on detecting and treating human cases in an area of endemicity might be sufficient to break disease transmission chains, irrespective of other reservoirs of the bacterium.

No description available.

No description available.