Characterizing the pathotype of neonatal meningitis causing <i>Escherichia coli</i> (NMEC)

Background Neonatal meningitis-causing Escherichia coli (NMEC) is the predominant Gram-negative bacterial pathogen associated with meningitis in newborn infants. High levels of heterogeneity and diversity have been observed in the repertoire of virulence traits and other characteristics among strains of NMEC making it difficult to define the NMEC pathotype. The objective of the present study was to identify genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of NMEC that can be used to distinguish them from commensal E. coli. Methods A total of 53 isolates of NMEC obtained from neonates with meningitis and 48 isolates of fecal E. coli obtained from healthy individuals (HFEC) were comparatively evaluated using five phenotypic (serotyping, serum bactericidal assay, biofilm assay, antimicorbial susceptibility testing, and in vitro cell invasion assay) and three genotypic (phylogrouping, virulence genotyping, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis) methods. Results A majority (67.92 %) of NMEC belonged to B2 phylogenetic group whereas 59 % of HFEC belonged to groups A and D. Serotyping revealed that the most common O and H types present in NMEC tested were O1 (15 %), O8 (11.3 %), O18 (13.2 %), and H7 (25.3 %). In contrast, none of the HFEC tested belonged to O1 or O18 serogroups. The most common serogroup identified in HFEC was O8 (6.25 %). The virulence genotyping reflected that more than 70 % of NMEC carried kpsII, K1, neuC, iucC, sitA, and vat genes with only less than 27 % of HFEC possessing these genes. All NMEC and 79 % of HFEC tested were able to invade human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells. No statistically significant difference was observed in the serum resistance phenotype between NMEC and HFEC. The NMEC strains demonstrated a greater ability to form biofilms in Luria Bertani broth medium than did HFEC (79.2 % vs 39.9 %). Conclusion The results of our study demonstrated that virulence genotyping and phylogrouping may assist in defining the potential NMEC pathotype

Heat Resistance Mediated by a New Plasmid Encoded Clp ATPase, ClpK, as a Possible Novel Mechanism for Nosocomial Persistence of Klebsiella pneumoniae

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important opportunistic pathogen and a frequent cause of nosocomial infections. We have characterized a K. pneumoniae strain responsible for a series of critical infections in an intensive care unit over a two-year period. The strain was found to be remarkably thermotolerant providing a conceivable explanation of its persistence in the hospital environment. This marked phenotype is mediated by a novel type of Clp ATPase, designated ClpK. The clpK gene is encoded by a conjugative plasmid and we find that the clpK gene alone renders an otherwise sensitive E. coli strain resistant to lethal heat shock. Furthermore, one third of a collection of nosocomial K. pneumoniae isolates carry clpK and exhibit a heat resistant phenotype. The discovery of ClpK as a plasmid encoded factor and its profound impact on thermal stress survival sheds new light on the biological relevance of Clp ATPases in acquired environmental fitness and highlights the challenges of mobile genetic elements in fighting nosocomial infections

Revisiting the 'Cotton Problem': A Comparative Analysis of Cotton Reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa

The cotton sector has been amongst the most regulated in Africa, and still is to a large extent in West and Central Africa (WCA), despite repeated refirm recommendations by international donors. On the other hand, orthodox refirms in East and Southern Africa (ESA) have not always yielded the expected results. This paper uses a stylised contracting model to investigate the link between market structure and equity and efficiency in sub-Saharan cotton sectors; explain the outcomes of refirms in ESA; and analyze the potential consequences of orthodox refirms in WCA. We argue that the level of the world price and of government intervention, the nature of pre-refirm institutional organisation, as well as the degree of parastatal inefficiency, all contribute to making refirms less attractive to firmers and governments in WCA today, as compared to ESA in the 1990s.We illustrate our arguments with empirical observations on the perfirmance of cotton sectors across sub-Saharan Africa

Population Structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Five Mediterranean Countries: Evidence for Frequent Recombination and Epidemic Occurrence of CC235

Several studies in recent years have provided evidence that Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a non-clonal population structure punctuated by highly successful epidemic clones or clonal complexes. The role of recombination in the diversification of P. aeruginosa clones has been suggested, but not yet demonstrated using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). Isolates of P. aeruginosa from five Mediterranean countries (n = 141) were subjected to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), serotyping and PCR targeting the virulence genes exoS and exoU. The occurrence of multi-resistance (≥3 antipseudomonal drugs) was analyzed with disk diffusion according to EUCAST. MLST was performed on a subset of strains (n = 110) most of them had a distinct PFGE variant. MLST data were analyzed with Bionumerics 6.0, using minimal spanning tree (MST) as well as eBURST. Measurement of clonality was assessed by the standardized index of association (IAS). Evidence of recombination was estimated by ClonalFrame as well as SplitsTree4.0. The MST analysis connected 70 sequence types, among which ST235 was by far the most common. ST235 was very frequently associated with the O11 serotype, and frequently displayed multi-resistance and the virulence genotype exoS−/exoU+. ClonalFrame linked several groups previously identified by eBURST and MST, and provided insight to the evolutionary events occurring in the population; the recombination/mutation ratio was found to be 8.4. A Neighbor-Net analysis based on the concatenated sequences revealed a complex network, providing evidence of frequent recombination. The index of association when all the strains were considered indicated a freely recombining population. P. aeruginosa isolates from the Mediterranean countries display an epidemic population structure, particularly dominated by ST235-O11, which has earlier also been coupled to the spread of ß-lactamases in many countries

A four-phase model for the Sveconorwegian orogeny, SW Scandinavia

The Sveconorwegian orogenic belt resulted from collision between Fennoscandia and another major plate, possibly Amazonia, at the end of the Mesoproterozoic. The belt divides, from east to west, into a Paleoproterozoic Eastern Segment, and four mainly Mesoproterozoic terranes transported relative to Fennsocandia. These are the Idefjorden, Kongsberg, Bamble and Telemarkia Terranes. The Eastern Segment is lithologically related to the Transcandinavian Igneous Belt (TIB), in the Fennoscandian foreland of the belt. The terranes are possibly endemic to Fennoscandia, though an exotic origin for the Telemarkia Terrane is possible. A review of existing geological and geochronological data supports a four-phase Sveconorwegian assembly of these lithotectonic units. (1) At 1140-1080 Ma, the Arendal phase represents the collision between the Idefjorden and Telemarkia Terranes, which produced the Bamble and Kongsberg tectonic wedges. This phase involved closure of an oceanic basin, possibly marginal to Fennoscandia, accretion of a volcanic arc, high-grade metamorphism and deformation in the Bamble and Kongsberg Terranes peaking in granulite-facies conditions at 1140-1125 Ma, and thrusting of the Bamble Terrane onto the Telemarkia Terrane probably at c. 1090-1080 Ma. (2) At 1050-980 Ma, the Agder phase corresponds to the main Sveconorwegian oblique (?) continent-continent collision. It resulted in underthrusing and burial of the Idefjorden Terrane to high-pressure conditions at 1050 Ma, followed by exhumation. Crustal thickening in the Telemarkia Terrane led to protracted granite magmatism starting at 1050 Ma and to high-grade metamorphism starting at 1035 Ma. Metamorphism peaked in granulite facies conditions in the Rogaland-Vest Agder Sector. (3) At 980-970 Ma, the Falkenberg phase reflects final convergence in the belt, shortly followed by divergence. Foreland propagationof the orogeny is indicated by underthrusting of the Eastern Segment to eclogites facies conditions at c. 970 Ma. (4) Between 970 and 900 Ma, the Dalane phase corresponds to gravitational collapse of the belt. It is associated with post-collisional magmatism increasing in volume westwards, exhumation of the southern part of the Eastern Segment as a core complex, and exhumation of the Rogaland-Vest Agder sector in the Telemarkia Terrane as a wide gneiss dome. Formation of the gneiss dome peaked at 930-920 Ma with low-pressure high-temperature granulite-facies metamorphism and intrusion of an anorthosite-mangerite-charnockite (AMC) complex

Sedimentary recycling in arc magmas: geochemical and U–Pb–Hf–O constraints on the Mesoproterozoic Suldal Arc, SW Norway

The Hardangervidda-Rogaland Block within southwest Norway is host to ~1.52 to 1.48 Ga continental building and variable reworking during the ~1.1 to 0.9 Ga Sveconorwegian orogeny. Due to the lack of geochronological and geochemical data, the timing and tectonic setting of early Mesoproterozoic magmatism has long been ambiguous. This paper presents zircon U–Pb–Hf–O isotope data combined with whole-rock geochemistry to address the age and petrogenesis of basement units within the Suldal region, located in the centre of the Hardangervidda-Rogaland Block. The basement comprises variably deformed grey gneisses and granitoids that petrologically and geochemically resemble mature volcanic arc lithologies. U–Pb ages confirm that magmatism occurred from ~1,521 to 1,485 Ma, and conspicuously lack any xenocrystic inheritance of distinctly older crust. Hafnium isotope data range from εHf(initial) +1 to +11, suggesting a rather juvenile magmatic source, but with possible involvement of late Palaeoproterozoic crust. Oxygen isotope data range from mantle-like (δ18O ~5 ‰) to elevated (~10 ‰) suggesting involvement of low-temperature altered material (e.g., supracrustal rocks) in the magma source. The Hf–O isotope array is compatible with mixing between mantle-derived material with young low-temperature altered material (oceanic crust/sediments) and older low-temperature altered material (continent-derived sediments). This, combined with a lack of xenoliths and xenocrysts, exposed older crust, AFC trends and S-type geochemistry, all point to mixing within a deep-crustal magma-generation zone. A proposed model comprises accretion of altered oceanic crust and the overlying sediments to a pre-existing continental margin, underthrusting to the magma-generation zone and remobilisation during arc magmatism. The geodynamic setting for this arc magmatism is comparable with that seen in the Phanerozoic (e.g., the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range batholiths), with compositions in the Suldal Sector reaching those of average upper continental crust. As within these younger examples, factors that drive magmatism towards the composition of the average continental crust include the addition of sedimentary material to magma source regions, and delamination of cumulate material. Underthrusting of sedimentary materials and their subsequent involvement in arc magmatism is perhaps a more widespread mechanism involved in continental growth than is currently recognised. Finally, the Suldal Arc magmatism represents a significant juvenile crustal addition to SW Fennoscandia