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Antimicrobial Efficacy of Allium cepa and Zingiber officinale Against the Milk‑Borne Pathogen Listeria monocytogenes
Abirami Arasu , Nagaram Prabha , Durga Devi , Praveen Kumar Issac , Khaloud Mohammed Alarjani , Dunia A. Al Farraj , Reem A. Aljeidi , Dina S. Hussein , Magesh Mohan , Jehad Zuhair Tayyeb , Ajay Guru , Jesu Arockiaraj
J. Microbiol. 2023;61(11):993-1011.   Published online December 4, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-023-00086-w
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  • 1 Web of Science
  • 1 Crossref
AbstractAbstract
Listeria monocytogenes is an important food-borne pathogen that causes listeriosis and has a high case fatality rate despite its low incidence. Medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites have been identified as potential antibacterial substances, serving as replacements for synthetic chemical compounds. The present studies emphasize two significant medicinal plants, Allium cepa and Zingiber officinale, and their efficacy against L. monocytogenes. Firstly, a bacterial isolate was obtained from milk and identified through morphology and biochemical reactions. The species of the isolate were further confirmed through 16S rRNA analysis. Furthermore, polar solvents such as methanol and ethanol were used for the extraction of secondary metabolites from A. cepa and Z. officinale. Crude phytochemical components were identified using phytochemical tests, FTIR, and GC–MS. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of the crude extract and its various concentrations were tested against L. monocytogenes. Among all, A. cepa in methanolic extracts showed significant inhibitory activity. Since, the A. cepa for methanolic crude extract was used to perform autography to assess its bactericidal activity. Subsequently, molecular docking was performed to determine the specific compound inhibition. The docking results revealed that four compounds displayed strong binding affinity with the virulence factor Listeriolysin-O of L. monocytogenes. Based on the above results, it can be concluded that the medicinal plant A. cepa has potential antibacterial effects against L. monocytogenes, particularly targeting its virulence.

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  • Cultural Perspectives on the Sustainable Use and Added Value of Plant-Based Food Dyes—A Case Study from Bulgaria
    Mihail Chervenkov, Teodora Ivanova, Yulia Bosseva, Dessislava Dimitrova
    Sustainability.2024; 16(20): 9049.     CrossRef
Biofilm characterization of Fusarium solani keratitis isolate: increased resistance to antifungals and UV light
Itzel Margarita Córdova-Alcántara , Diana Laura Venegas-Cortés , María Ángeles Martínez-Rivera , Néstor Octavio Pérez , Aida Verónica Rodriguez-Tovar
J. Microbiol. 2019;57(6):485-497.   Published online May 27, 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-019-8637-2
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AbstractAbstract
Fusarium solani has drawn phytopathogenic, biotechnological, and medical interest. In humans, it is associated with localized infections, such as onychomycosis and keratomycosis, as well as invasive infections in immunocompromised patients. One pathogenicity factor of filamentous fungi is biofilm formation. There is still only scarce information about the in vitro mechanism of the formation and composition of F. solani biofilm. In this work, we describe the biofilm formed by a clinical keratomycosis isolate in terms of its development, composition and susceptibility to different antifungals and ultraviolet light (UV) at different biofilm formation stages. We found five biofilm formation stages using scanning electron microscopy: adherence, germination, hyphal development, maturation, and cell detachment. Using epifluorescence microscopy with specific fluorochromes, it was elucidated that the extracellular matrix consists of carbohydrates, proteins, and extracellular DNA. Specific inhibitors for these molecules showed significant biofilm reductions. The antifungal susceptibility against natamycin, voriconazole, caspofungin, and amphotericin B was evaluated by metabolic activity and crystal violet assay, with the F. solani biofilm preformation to 24 h increased in resistance to natamycin, voriconazole, and caspofungin, while the biofilm preformation to 48 h increased in resistance to amphotericin B. The preformed biofilm at 24 h protected and reduced UV light mortality. F. solani isolate could produce a highly structured extra biofilm; its cellular matrix consists of carbohydrate polymers, proteins, and eDNA. Biofilm confers antifungal resistance and decreases its susceptibility to UV light. The fungal biofilm functions as a survival strategy against antifungals and environmental factors.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  
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    Alexandra Pintye, Renáta Bacsó, Gábor M. Kovács
    Frontiers in Microbiology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Biofilm Formation in Clinical Isolates of Fusarium
    Ray Zhang, Nathan Wiederhold, Richard Calderone, Dongmei Li
    Journal of Fungi.2024; 10(11): 766.     CrossRef
  • Global research on keratomycosis: New insights from latent Dirichlet allocation and HJ-Biplot-driven knowledge mapping study
    Julia Patricia Duran-Ospina, Javier de la Hoz-M, Naga Raju Maddela, German Josuet Lapo-Talledo, Aline Siteneski, Karime Montes-Escobar
    Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease.2024; 110(1): 116442.     CrossRef
  • Influence of the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in the atrazine biodegradation from contaminated waters in submerged fermentation by free and immobilized Penicillium chrysogenum NRRL 807
    Sinara Cybelle Turíbio e Silva-Nicodemo, Pedro Ferreira de Souza, Marina Moura Lima, Everaldo Silvino dos Santos, Gorete Ribeiro de Macêdo
    Revista Brasileira de Ciências Ambientais.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Revealing the regulatory impact of nutrient on the production of (R)-2-(4-Hydroxyphenoxy)propanoic acid by Beauveria bassiana biofilms through comparative transcriptomics analyse
    Shuping Zou, Yizhi Ma, Lixiang Zhao, Xiaomin Chen, Hailing Gao, Juan Chen, Yaping Xue, Yuguo Zheng
    Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering.2024; 47(11): 1803.     CrossRef
  • Fusarium Keratitis: A Systematic Review (1969 to 2023)
    Maria Eduarda Carvalho Cintra, Maryanna da Silva Dantas, Abdullah M. S. Al-Hatmi, Rafael Wesley Bastos, Luana Rossato
    Mycopathologia.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Control of biofilms with UV light: a critical review of methodologies, research gaps, and future directions
    Stephanie L. Gora, Ben Ma, Mariana Lanzarini-Lopes, Hamed Torkzadeh, Zhe Zhao, Christian Ley Matthews, Paul Westerhoff, Karl Linden, Benoit Barbeau, Rich Simons, Graham Gagnon, Patrick Di Falco, Muhammad Salman Mohsin
    Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology.2024; 10(12): 3056.     CrossRef
  • The underground network: facilitation in soil bacteria
    Jesse Jorna, Byron J. Adams, Zachary T. Aanderud, Paul B. Frandsen, Cristina Takacs‐Vesbach, Sonia Kéfi
    Oikos.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Life on a leaf: the epiphyte to pathogen continuum and interplay in the phyllosphere
    Graham Thomas, William T. Kay, Helen N. Fones
    BMC Biology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Pseudolaric Acid B Ameliorates Fungal Keratitis Progression by Suppressing Inflammation and Reducing Fungal Load
    Min Yin, Na Li, Lina Zhang, Jing Lin, Qian Wang, Lingwen Gu, Hengrui Zheng, Guiqiu Zhao, Cui Li
    ACS Infectious Diseases.2023; 9(6): 1196.     CrossRef
  • Microbial isolation and characterization from two flex lines from the urine processor assembly onboard the International Space Station
    Hang Ngoc Nguyen, G. Marie Sharp, Sarah Stahl-Rommel, Yo-Ann Velez Justiniano, Christian L. Castro, Mayra Nelman-Gonzalez, Aubrie O’Rourke, Michael D. Lee, Jill Williamson, Chelsea McCool, Brian Crucian, Kenneth W. Clark, Miten Jain, Sarah L. Castro-Walla
    Biofilm.2023; 5: 100108.     CrossRef
  • Arsenic and chromium resistance mechanisms in the Micrococcus luteus group
    Ivan ARROYO-HERRERA, Brenda ROMÁN-PONCE, Rafael BUSTAMANTE-BRITO, Joseph GUEVARA-LUNA, Erika Yanet TAPIA-GARCÍA, Violeta LARIOS-SERRATO, Nannan ZHANG, Paulina ESTRADA-DE LOS SANTOS, En Tao WANG, María Soledad VÁSQUEZ-MURRIETA
    Pedosphere.2023; 33(4): 600.     CrossRef
  • Differential Susceptibility of Mixed Polymicrobial Biofilms Involving Ocular Coccoid Bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis) and a Filamentous Fungus (Fusarium solani) on Ex Vivo Human Corneas
    Sisinthy Shivaji, Banka Nagapriya, Konduri Ranjith
    Microorganisms.2023; 11(2): 413.     CrossRef
  • Subinhibitory effects of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol on filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus
    Artyom A Stepanov, Anastasia V Vasilchenko, Alexey S Vasilchenko
    Journal of Applied Microbiology.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Evaluation of the performance of TiO2 thin films doped with silver nanoparticles as a protective coating for metal prostheses
    Ohtokani Cabrera-Rodríguez, Martín Daniel Trejo-Valdez, Christopher René Torres-SanMiguel, Nury Pérez-Hernández, Ángel Bañuelos-Hernández, María Elena Manríquez-Ramírez, José Alejandro Hernández-Benítez, Aída Verónica Rodríguez-Tovar
    Surface and Coatings Technology.2023; 458: 129349.     CrossRef
  • Effect of Voriconazole on Biofilm of Filamentous Species Isolated from Keratitis
    Mahsa Fattahi, Reza Ghasemi, Olga Pinegina, Mohammad Mahdi Bahrami, Mahdi Hosseini, Ensieh Lotfali
    Archives of Clinical Infectious Diseases.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Advances in application of ultraviolet irradiation for biofilm control in water and wastewater infrastructure
    Xueru Luo, Baoping Zhang, Yinghua Lu, Yang Mei, Liang Shen
    Journal of Hazardous Materials.2022; 421: 126682.     CrossRef
  • Biofilm Formation by Chromoblastomycosis Fungi Fonsecaea pedrosoi and Phialophora verrucosa: Involvement with Antifungal Resistance
    Ingrid S. Sousa, Thaís P. Mello, Elaine P. Pereira, Marcela Q. Granato, Celuta S. Alviano, André L. S. Santos, Lucimar F. Kneipp
    Journal of Fungi.2022; 8(9): 963.     CrossRef
  • In vitro ability of Fusarium keratoplasticum to form biofilms in venous catheter
    Alana Salvador, Flávia Franco Veiga, Terezinha Inez Estivalet Svidzinski, Melyssa Negri
    Microbial Pathogenesis.2022; 173: 105868.     CrossRef
  • Fungal keratitis: Mechanisms of infection and management strategies
    Christopher Donovan, Eduardo Arenas, Ramesh S Ayyala, Curtis E Margo, Edgar M. Espana
    Survey of Ophthalmology.2022; 67(3): 758.     CrossRef
  • Biofilm Formation and Structure in the Filamentous Fungus Fusarium graminearum, a Plant Pathogen
    Rebecca Shay, Aaron A. Wiegand, Frances Trail, Yonglin Wang
    Microbiology Spectrum.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Comparison of cell viability assessment and visualization of Aspergillus niger biofilm with two fluorescent probe staining methods
    Aswathy Shailaja, Terri F. Bruce, Patrick Gerard, Rhonda R. Powell, Charles A. Pettigrew, Julia L. Kerrigan
    Biofilm.2022; 4: 100090.     CrossRef
  • Update on diagnosis and management of refractory corneal infections
    Shweta Agarwal, Tanveer A Khan, Murugesan Vanathi, Bhaskar Srinivasan, Geetha Iyer, Radhika Tandon
    Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.2022; 70(5): 1475.     CrossRef
  • Biofilm formation in clinically relevant filamentous fungi: a therapeutic challenge
    Maryam Roudbary, Roya Vahedi-Shahandashti, André Luis Souza dos Santos, Shahla Roudbar Mohammadi, Peyman Aslani, Cornelia Lass-Flörl, Célia F. Rodrigues
    Critical Reviews in Microbiology.2022; 48(2): 197.     CrossRef
  • Species Diversity in the Fusarium solani (Neocosmospora) Complex and Their Pathogenicity for Plants and Humans
    G. D. Sokolova, N. I. Budynkov, E. E. Tselipanova, A. P. Glinushkin
    Doklady Biological Sciences.2022; 507(1): 416.     CrossRef
  • Diagnosis and Management of Invasive Fungal Wound Infections in Burn Patients
    Kaitlin A. Pruskowski, Thomas A. Mitchell, John L. Kiley, Trevor Wellington, Garrett W. Britton, Leopoldo C. Cancio
    European Burn Journal.2021; 2(4): 168.     CrossRef
  • Fusarium Keratitis—Review of Current Treatment Possibilities
    Marek Szaliński, Aleksandra Zgryźniak, Izabela Rubisz, Małgorzata Gajdzis, Radosław Kaczmarek, Joanna Przeździecka-Dołyk
    Journal of Clinical Medicine.2021; 10(23): 5468.     CrossRef
  • Microbial Warfare on Three Fronts: Mixed Biofilm of Aspergillus fumigatus and Staphylococcus aureus on Primary Cultures of Human Limbo-Corneal Fibroblasts
    Adrián Ramírez-Granillo, Luis Antonio Bautista-Hernández, Víctor Manuel Bautista-De Lucío, Fátima Sofía Magaña-Guerrero, Alfredo Domínguez-López, Itzel Margarita Córdova-Alcántara, Néstor O. Pérez, María de los Angeles Martínez-Rivera, Aída Verónica Rodrí
    Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Recent Advances in Photodynamic Therapy against Fungal Keratitis
    Jia-Horung Hung, Chaw-Ning Lee, Huai-Wen Hsu, I-Son Ng, Chi-Jung Wu, Chun-Keung Yu, Nan-Yao Lee, Yun Chang, Tak-Wah Wong
    Pharmaceutics.2021; 13(12): 2011.     CrossRef
  • The role of fungi in fungal keratitis
    Bethany Mills, Naveen Radhakrishnan, Siva Ganesa Karthikeyan Rajapandian, Gunasekaran Rameshkumar, Prajna Lalitha, N. Venkatesh Prajna
    Experimental Eye Research.2021; 202: 108372.     CrossRef
  • Pathogenesis and Clinical Features of Fungal Keratitis (Review)
    K. I. Belskaia, A. S. Obrubov
    Ophthalmology in Russia.2021; 18(1): 12.     CrossRef
  • Advances in Fusarium drug resistance research
    Busi Zhao, Dan He, Li Wang
    Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance.2021; 24: 215.     CrossRef
  • Fungal Biofilms as a Valuable Target for the Discovery of Natural Products That Cope with the Resistance of Medically Important Fungi—Latest Findings
    Estefanía Butassi, Laura Svetaz, María Cecilia Carpinella, Thomas Efferth, Susana Zacchino
    Antibiotics.2021; 10(9): 1053.     CrossRef
  • A Paradigm Shift in the Treatment and Management of Onychomycosis
    Aditya K. Gupta, Maanasa Venkataraman, Helen J. Renaud, Richard Summerbell, Neil H. Shear, Vincent Piguet
    Skin Appendage Disorders.2021; 7(5): 351.     CrossRef
  • Critical parameters in cultivation of experimental biofilms using the example of Pseudomonas fluorescens
    Kirsten Reddersen, André Güllmar, Silke Tonndorf-Martini, Bernd W. Sigusch, Andrea Ewald, Thomas J. Dauben, Karin Martin, Cornelia Wiegand
    Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • A One Health Perspective to Recognize Fusarium as Important in Clinical Practice
    Valeri Sáenz, Carlos Alvarez-Moreno, Patrice Le Pape, Silvia Restrepo, Josep Guarro, Adriana Marcela Celis Ramírez
    Journal of Fungi.2020; 6(4): 235.     CrossRef
  • Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid Disodium Salt Acts as an Antifungal Candidate Molecule against Fusarium graminearum by Inhibiting DON Biosynthesis and Chitin Synthase Activity
    Xiu-Shi Song, Kai-Xin Gu, Jing Gao, Jian-Xin Wang, Shao-Chen Ding, Mingguo Zhou
    Toxins.2020; 13(1): 17.     CrossRef
  • Synergistic association of clioquinol with antifungal drugs against biofilm forms of clinical Fusarium isolates
    Magda Antunes de Chaves, Thaís Ferreira do Amaral, Natália Monteiro da Silva Rodrigues Coutinho, Taís Fernanda Andrzejewski Kaminski, Mário Lettieri Teixeira, Luís Flavio Souza de Oliveira, Saulo Fernandes de Andrade, Alexandre Meneghello Fuentefria
    Mycoses.2020; 63(10): 1069.     CrossRef
  • Bibliometric and visualized analysis of global research on fungal keratitis from 1959 to 2019
    Yujie Cen, Yingyu Li, Chen Huang, Wei Wang
    Medicine.2020; 99(22): e20420.     CrossRef
  • Negative interaction of Staphylococcus aureus on Fusarium falciforme growth ocular isolates in an in vitro mixed biofilm
    Luis Antonio Bautista-Hernández, José Luis Gómez-Olivares, Beatriz Buentello-Volante, Alfredo Dominguez-Lopez, Yonathan Garfias, María Cristina Acosta-García, Rosa Paulina Calvillo-Medina, Victor Manuel Bautista-de Lucio
    Microbial Pathogenesis.2019; 135: 103644.     CrossRef
Review
REVIEW] Recent paradigm shift in the assembly of bacterial tripartite efflux pumps and the type I secretion system
Inseong Jo , Jin-Sik Kim , Yongbin Xu , Jaekyung Hyun , Kangseok Lee , Nam-Chul Ha
J. Microbiol. 2019;57(3):185-194.   Published online February 26, 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-019-8520-1
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AbstractAbstract
Tripartite efflux pumps and the type I secretion system of Gram-negative bacteria are large protein complexes that span the entire cell envelope. These complexes expel antibiotics and other toxic substances or transport protein toxins from bacterial cells. Elucidating the binary and ternary complex structures at an atomic resolution are crucial to understanding the assembly and working mechanism. Recent advances in cryoelectron microscopy along with the construction of chimeric proteins drastically shifted the assembly models. In this review, we describe the current assembly models from a historical perspective and emphasize the common assembly mechanism for the assembly of diverse tripartite pumps and type I secretion systems.

Citations

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  • Molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance revisited
    Elizabeth M. Darby, Eleftheria Trampari, Pauline Siasat, Maria Solsona Gaya, Ilyas Alav, Mark A. Webber, Jessica M. A. Blair
    Nature Reviews Microbiology.2023; 21(5): 280.     CrossRef
  • Permeation of Fosfomycin through the Phosphate-Specific Channels OprP and OprO of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
    Vinaya Kumar Golla, Claudio Piselli, Ulrich Kleinekathöfer, Roland Benz
    The Journal of Physical Chemistry B.2022; 126(7): 1388.     CrossRef
  • Adaptation of the periplasm to maintain spatial constraints essential for cell envelope processes and cell viability
    Eric Mandela, Christopher J Stubenrauch, David Ryoo, Hyea Hwang, Eli J Cohen, Von L Torres, Pankaj Deo, Chaille T Webb, Cheng Huang, Ralf B Schittenhelm, Morgan Beeby, JC Gumbart, Trevor Lithgow, Iain D Hay
    eLife.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Structure, Assembly, and Function of Tripartite Efflux and Type 1 Secretion Systems in Gram-Negative Bacteria
    Ilyas Alav, Jessica Kobylka, Miriam S. Kuth, Klaas M. Pos, Martin Picard, Jessica M. A. Blair, Vassiliy N. Bavro
    Chemical Reviews.2021; 121(9): 5479.     CrossRef
  • Biotechnological applications of type 1 secretion systems
    Zohreh Pourhassan N., Sander H.J. Smits, Jung Hoon Ahn, Lutz Schmitt
    Biotechnology Advances.2021; 53: 107864.     CrossRef
  • Protein-Protein Interactions in the Cytoplasmic Membrane of Escherichia coli: Influence of the Overexpression of Diverse Transporter-Encoding Genes on the Activities of PTS Sugar Uptake Systems
    Mohammad Aboulwafa, Zhongge Zhang, Milton H. Saier Jr.
    Microbial Physiology.2020; 30(1-6): 36.     CrossRef
  • Perspectives towards antibiotic resistance: from molecules to population
    Joon-Hee Lee
    Journal of Microbiology.2019; 57(3): 181.     CrossRef
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'ts
The Role as Inoculum Sources of Xanthomonas citri pv. citri Surviving on the Infected Satsuma mandarin Fruits
So Young Kang , Ki Deok Kim , Jeum Kyu Hong , He Nam Hyun , Yong Chull Jeun
J. Microbiol. 2014;52(5):422-426.   Published online April 11, 2014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-014-3366-z
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AbstractAbstract
Importing citrus fruits infected by Asiatic citrus canker caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. citri (Xcc) can act as an inoculum source for the disease epidemic in citrus canker-free countries. In this study, the pathogenicity of the causal agent of Asiatic citrus canker surviving on infected Satsuma mandarin fruits was evaluated. The washing solution of infected Satsuma mandarin fruits did not cause lesion formation on the citrus leaves. However, a typical citrus canker lesion was formed on the leaves after inoculation with higher concentrations of the inoculum from the washing solution (washing solu-tion II). It indicated that the pathogenicity of the citrus can-ker surviving on the symptomatic Satsuma mandarin fruits was not changed. Scanning electron microscopic observation showed that the numbers of bacterial cells on the leaves of Satsuma mandarin which inoculated with the washing solu-tion directly (washing solution I) was less compared to those of leaves inoculated with the washing solution II. This result supports that the pathogenicity of Xcc surviving on Satsuma mandarin fruits may not be changed but that the sucessful infection of citrus caker may depend on the concentration of the inoculum.

Citations

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  • Seasonal and post-harvest population dynamics of the Asiatic citrus canker pathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri on grapefruit in Florida
    Weiqi Luo, Drew Posny, Alissa B. Kriss, Jim H. Graham, Gavin H. Poole, Earl L. Taylor, Greg McCollum, Tim R. Gottwald, Clive H. Bock
    Crop Protection.2020; 137: 105227.     CrossRef
  • Effects of Nonionic Surfactants on Xanthan Gum Production: a Survey on Cellular Interactions
    Tahereh Ghashghaei, Mohammad Reza Soudi, Saman Hoseinkhani, Morteza Shiri
    Iranian Journal of Biotechnology.2018; 16(1): 60.     CrossRef
Live and Dead GFP-Tagged Bacteria Showed Indistinguishable Fluorescence in Caenorhabditis elegans Gut
Ju-Ya Hsiao , Chun-Yao Chen , Mei-Jun Yang , Han-Chen Ho
J. Microbiol. 2013;51(3):367-372.   Published online June 28, 2013
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-013-2589-8
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AbstractAbstract
Caenorhabditis elegans has been used for studying hostpathogen interactions since long, and many virulence genes of pathogens have been successfully identified. In several studies, fluorescent pathogens were fed to C. elegans and fluorescence observed in the gut was considered an indicator for bacterial colonization. However, the grinder in the pharynx of these nematodes supposedly crushes the bacterial cells, and the ground material is delivered to the intestine for nutrient absorption. Therefore, it remains unclear whether intact bacteria pass through the grinder and colonize in the intestine. Here we investigated whether the appearance of fluorescence is indicative of intact bacteria in the gut using both fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In wild-type N2 C. elegans, Escherichia coli DH5α, and Vibrio vulnificus 93U204, both of which express the green fluorescence protein, were found intact only proximal to the grinder, while crushed bacterial debris was found in the post-pharyngeal lumen. Nevertheless, the fluorescence was evident throughout the lumen of worm intestines irrespective of whether the bacteria were intact or not. We further investigated the interaction of the bacteria with C. elegans phm-2 mutant, which has a dysfunctional grinder. Both strains of bacteria were found to be intact and accumulated in the pharynx and intestine owing to the defective grinder. The fluorescence intensity of intact bacteria in phm-2 worms was indistinguishable from that of crushed bacterial debris in N2 worms. Therefore, appearance of fluorescence in the C. elegans intestine should not be directly interpreted as successful bacterial colonization in the intestine.
The Three-Dimensional Morphology of Candida albicans as Seen by High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy
Michela Isola , Raffaella Isola , Maria Serenella Lantini , Alessandro Riva
J. Microbiol. 2009;47(3):260-264.   Published online June 26, 2009
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-008-0212-1
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AbstractAbstract
The fine structure of Candida albicans has been repeatedly described by transmission electron microscopy, whereas studies by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) are rare and devoted solely to the study of its external morphology. This report describes the results of an HRSEM study on C. albicans carried out by an osmium maceration protocol modified to better retain the structural characteristics of this yeast. Thus, we visualized various intracellular structures including invaginations of cell membrane (plasmalemmasomes), nuclear envelope, mitochondria, the vacuolar system, and two additional structures that might represent a form of endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. The present investigation, which for the first time shows the organelles of C. albicans at the 3D level, may lead to a better understanding of its cell physiology.
An Examination of the Bacteriophages and Bacteria of the Namib Desert
Eric Prestel , Sylvie Salamitou , Michael S. DuBow
J. Microbiol. 2008;46(4):364-372.   Published online August 31, 2008
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-008-0007-4
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  • 63 Scopus
AbstractAbstract
Bacteria and their viruses (called bacteriophages, or phages), have been found in virtually every ecological niche on Earth. Arid regions, including their most extreme form called deserts, represent the single largest ecosystem type on the Earth''s terrestrial surface. The Namib desert is believed to be the oldest (80 million years) desert. We report here an initial analysis of bacteriophages isolated from the Namib desert using a combination of electron microscopy and genomic approaches. The virus-like particles observed by electron microscopy revealed 20 seemingly different phage-like morphologies and sizes belonging to the Myoviridae and Siphoviridae families of tailed phages. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed a majority of phage genomes of 55~65 kb in length, with genomes of approximately 200, 300, and 350 kb also observable. Sample sequencing of cloned phage DNA fragments revealed that approximately 50% appeared to be of bacterial origin. Of the remaining DNA sequences, approximately 50% displayed no significant match to any sequence in the databases. The majority of the 16S rDNA sequences amplified from DNA extracted from the sand displayed considerable (94~98%) homology to members of the Firmicutes, and in particular to members of the genus Bacillus, though members of the Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi, and delta-Proteobacteria groups were also observed.
Antifungal Activities of the Essential Oils in Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. Et Perry and Leptospermum petersonii Bailey and their Constituents against Various Dermatophytes
Mi-Jin Park , Ki-Seob Gwak , In Yang , Won-Sil Choi , Hyun-Jin Jo , Je-Won Chang , Eui-Bae Jeung , In-Gyu Choi
J. Microbiol. 2007;45(5):460-465.
DOI: https://doi.org/2589 [pii]
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AbstractAbstract
This study was carried out in order to investigate the potential of using plant oils derived from Leptospermum petersonii Bailey and Syzygium aromaticum L. Merr. Et Perry as natural antifungal agents. The antifungal effects of essential oils at concentrations of 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 mg/ml on the dermatophytes Microsporum canis (KCTC 6591), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (KCTC 6077), Trichophyton rubrum (KCCM 60443), Epidermophyton floccosum (KCCM 11667), and Microsporum gypseum were evaluated using the agar diffusion method. The major constituents of the active fraction against the dermatophytes were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The antifungal activities of S. aromaticum oil (clove oil) against the dermatophytes tested were highest at a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml, with an effectiveness of more than 60%. Hyphal growth was completely inhibited in T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, and M. gypseum by treatment with clove oil at a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml. Eugenol was the most effective antifungal constituent of clove oil against the dermatophytes T. mentagrophytes and M. canis. Morphological changes in the hyphae of T. mentagrophytes, such as damage to the cell wall and cell membrane and the expansion of the endoplasmic reticulum, after treatment with 0.11 mg/ml eugenol were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml, L. petersonii oil (LPO) was more than 90% effective against all of the dermatophytes tested, with the exception of T. rubrum. Geranial was determined to be the most active antifungal constituent of L. petersonii oil. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that clove and tea tree oils exhibited significant antifungal activities against the dermatophytes tested in this study.

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