Some biochemical and immunological blood parameters of pregnant women in cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus type 2 infection

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) are widespread among the human population and play an important role in disorders of pregnancy. Anti-CMV antibodies are detected in 40 – 100% of women of childbearing age, and herpes virus prevalence is approximately similar. The authors have studied some biochemical and immunological blood parameters of pregnant women affected by CMV and HSV-2. All patients have been divided into 2 groups: CMV group (22 women) and HSV-2 group (21 women). All parameters were compared with those of a control group (21 healthy pregnant women). The biochemical values included total protein, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), gammaglutamyltransferase (GGT), and thymol test. The immunological parameters included counts of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, CD56+ lymphocytes. The study detected that the biochemical parameters changed more pronouncedly in HSV-2 than in CMV, namely: levels of total and direct bilirubin, ALT, AST, GGT increased significantly. Conversely, decrease of different T-lymphocyte populations was more expressed in CMV than in HSV-2. In both test groups, mostly T-suppressor population count and functional activity decreased. T-lymphocyte count reduction results from direct cytotoxic viral effect on cells, blockade of T-lymphocyte receptors by circulating immune complexes, sialic acids and other metabolites of inflammatory reactions, increase of lymphocyte suppressing factor level in serum, T-lymphocyte redistribution due to their migration to target organs

Bistability and Formation of the Biofilm Matrix as Adaptive Mechanisms during the Stationary Phase of Bacillus subtilis

Abstract—: Bacilli control behavioral reactions such as motility, biofilm formation, production of enzymes and metabolites, differentiation, and others by integrating a variety of environmental signals through a complex regulatory network. In the natural environment, Bacillus subtilis exists predominantly in the form of biofilms, which has made it an ideal model for studying the molecular strategy of biofilm formation. This paper systematizes information on the main regulatory systems responsible for the loss of mobility and the formation of B. subtilis biofilms, analyzes the behavior of bacteria within the biofilm population, leading to a state of bistability and differentiation into different types of subpopulations. It also evaluates the regulatory relationship between control systems responsible for the synthesis of structural components in the biofilm matrix. Particular emphasis is placed on data concerning signaling mechanisms that trigger the formation of a biofilm and its dispersion. In general, we summarize information about the latest discoveries in this area and their integration into the general idea of these complex microbial communities

The effect of Bacillus subtilis GM2 and GM5 probiotics on the growth and fodder digestibility of broiler chickens

The probiotic properties of the Bacillus subtilis GM2 and GM5 strains were studied on 90 Cobb 500 broiler chickens aged one day that were randomly divided into three groups: the control group with the standard diet and two experimental groups (30 chickens per group) with the diet supplemented with B. subtilis GM2 (group 1) and GM5 (group 2) spores. The addition of B. subtilis GM2 and GM5 spores at a concentration of 1·107 CFU/g to the ration of broiler chickens improved their growth rate, as well as increased the digestibility of nutrients and modulated the intestinal microflora in them. The use of probiotics stimulated an increase in the live weight of chickens by 6.30% and 13.78% (p = 0.05) as compared with the control group. The average daily weight gain in experimental groups 1 and 2 amounted to 52.82 ± 0.36 g and 56.54 ± 0.47 g per chicken, which is more than in the control group (49.69 ± 0.40 g) – by 6.30% and 13.79% (p = 0.05), respectively. The administration of probiotics by feeding favored an increase in the population of lactic acid bacteria in the small and large (to a lesser extent) intestine – bacteria belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Clostridiaceae families were isolated from the intestinal contents and identified. The veterinary-sanitary examination found that the meat of broiler chickens from the experimental groups meets all the GOST requirements for organoleptic, physico-chemical, and bacterioscopic characteristics. Thus, probiotics based on the B. subtilis GM2 and GM5 strains have a positive effect on the growth and fodder digestibility of broiler chickens

Bacterial enzymes as potential feed additives in poultry farming

The problem of obtaining economic benefits in poultry breeding from complete absorption of feeds by domestic fowls through increasing the digestibility of nutrients remains urgent. The addition of exogenous enzymes to broiler rations enhances the energy and protein intake by improving the substrate bioavailability. The presence of antinutritional dietary factors in poultry feeds (non-starch polysaccharides, protease inhibitors, lectins, and phytates) indicates the possibility of using exogenous enzymes. We assessed the potential of histidine acid phytase Pantoea sp. 3.5.1 and subtilisin-like proteinase B. pumilus as feed additives. When the enzymes pass through the digestive tract, they are exposed to elevated body temperatures of the fowl (40 ?C), pH changes in different parts of the digestive tract, and the influence of bile. Thus, it was important to study the stability of the enzymes under these conditions. It was shown that proteinase maintains its activity throughout the gastrointestinal tract of the fowl: in a weakly acidic environment (pH 5.5, goiter), the enzyme activity remained full (100%); at pH 2.9 (stomach), its decreased by 40%; and under the alkaline conditions of pH 6.5–8.0 (small and large intestine), its values were restored and increased by 13% relative to the control group. When exposed to bile at the concentrations from 0.01% to 0.25% for 1 h, phytase retained more than 50% of its activity (p < 0.05). At the concentrations of bile from 0.01% to 0.05% (1-h exposure), the activity of proteinase remained at the control level. The data obtained show that microbial enzymes in the digestive tract of domestic fowls retain catalytic activity. In the course of the balance experiment, the group of chickens treated with proteinase at the concentration of 10 U/kg demonstrated the highest nitrogen and calcium digestibility coefficients (56.4% and 59.5%, respectively). The use of phytase (1000 U/kg) had a significant impact on the absorption of phosphorus (the digestibility coefficient was 40.5% (0.30 g)). Thus, B. pumilus proteinase and Pantoea sp. 3.5.1 phytase have the potential to be used as feed additives for chickens

Fusarium oxysporum strains from wilting potato plants: Potential causal agents of dry rot disease in potato tubers

The present study focused on the isolation, identification and assessment of the dry rot-causing ability of Fusarium spp. associated with potato wilt in the Middle Volga region of Russia. A total of 14 Fusaria were isolated from the root necks of wilting potato plants. One isolate was identified as Fusarium solani, while the remaining thirteen of the isolates related to the species Fusarium oxysporum. Artificial inoculation of potato tubers with fungal spores showed that tubers of the cultivar Reggi exhibited the highest resistance [cultivar resistance index (CRI) = 0.78] to the tested isolates, while susceptibility (CRI = -0.44) was registered in tubers of the Zhukovskij rannij cultivar. The manifestation of dry rot during artificial inoculation with the spores of vascularassociated Fusaria was significantly influenced by pathogen virulence [H (9, N = 300) = 60.630, p <0.000001] and plant cultivar type [H (2, N = 210) = 17.201, p =0.00018]. However, not all isolates inhabiting occluded vessels caused dry rot in tubers

Data on the genome analysis of the probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis GM5

In the present study, we report data on the draft genome sequence of a lipopeptide producing rhizospheric Bacillus subtilis GM5 isolate. The genome consists of 4,271,280 bp with a GC-pair content of 43.3%. A total of 4518 genes including 75 tRNA genes, 3 operons coding for rRNA genes and 56 pseudogenes were annotated. Gene clusters responsible for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were validated. Six of the thirty-three clusters identified in the genome code for antimicrobial non-ribosomal peptides synthesis. The Whole Genome Shotgun project of B. subtilis GM5 has been deposited in the NCBI database under the accession number NZ_NKJH00000000 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/NZ_NKJH00000000.1). Keywords: Bacillus subtilis, Analysis and assembly of the genome, Antimicrobial lipopeptide

The ABC-Type Efflux Pump MacAB Is Involved in Protection of Serratia marcescens against Aminoglycoside Antibiotics, Polymyxins, and Oxidative Stress

Serratia marcescens is an emerging pathogen with increasing clinical importance due to its intrinsic resistance to several classes of antibiotics. The chromosomally encoded drug efflux pumps contribute to antibiotic resistance and represent a major challenge for the treatment of bacterial infections. The ABC-type efflux pump MacAB was previously linked to macrolide resistance in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. The role of the MacAB homolog in antibiotic resistance of S. marcescens is currently unknown. We found that an S. marcescens mutant lacking the MacAB pump did not show increased sensitivity to the macrolide antibiotic erythromycin but was significantly more sensitive to aminoglycoside antibiotics and polymyxins. We also showed that, in addition to its role in drug efflux, the MacAB efflux pump is required for swimming motility and biofilm formation. We propose that the motility defect of the DmacAB mutant is due, at least in part, to the loss of functional flagella on the bacterial surface. Furthermore, we found that the promoter of the MacAB efflux pump was active during the initial hours of growth in laboratory medium and that its activity was further elevated in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Finally, we demonstrate a complete loss of DmacAB mutant viability in the presence of peroxide, which is fully restored by complementation. Thus, the S. marcescens MacAB efflux pump is essential for survival during oxidative stress and is involved in protection from polymyxins and aminoglycoside antibiotics