Draft Genome Sequence of JVAP01T, the Type Strain of the Novel Species Acinetobacter dijkshoorniae

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of the type strain of Acinetobacter dijkshoorniae, a novel human pathogen within the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii (ACB) complex. Strain JVAP01T has an estimated genome size of 3.9 Mb, exhibits a 38.8% G+C content, and carries a plasmid with the blaNDM-1 carbapenemase gene

Characterization of Plasmodium vivax Proteins in Plasma-Derived Exosomes From Malaria-Infected Liver-Chimeric Humanized Mice

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles of endocytic origin containing molecular signatures implying the cell of origin; thus, they offer a unique opportunity to discover biomarkers of disease. Plasmodium vivax, responsible for more than half of all malaria cases outside Africa, is a major obstacle in the goal of malaria elimination due to the presence of dormant liver stages (hypnozoites), which after the initial infection may reactivate to cause disease. Hypnozoite infection is asymptomatic and there are currently no diagnostic tools to detect their presence. The human liver-chimeric (FRG huHep) mouse is a robust P. vivax infection model for exo-erythrocytic development of liver stages, including hypnozoites. We studied the proteome of plasma-derived exosomes isolated from P. vivax infected FRG huHep mice with the objective of identifying liver-stage expressed parasite proteins indicative of infection. Proteomic analysis of these exosomes showed the presence of 290 and 234 proteins from mouse and human origin, respectively, including canonical exosomal markers. Human proteins include proteins previously detected in liver-derived exosomes, highlighting the potential of this chimeric mouse model to study plasma exosomes derived unequivocally from human hepatocytes. Noticeably, we identified 17 parasite proteins including enzymes, surface proteins, components of the endocytic pathway and translation machinery, as well as uncharacterized proteins. Western blot analysis validated the presence of human arginase-I and an uncharacterized P. vivax protein in plasma-derived exosomes. This study represents a proof-of-principle that plasma-derived exosomes from P. vivax infected FRG-huHep mice contain human hepatocyte and P. vivax proteins with the potential to unveil biological features of liver infection and identify biomarkers of hypnozoite infection

Vaginal versus Obstetric Infection Escherichia coli Isolates among Pregnant Women: Antimicrobial Resistance and Genetic Virulence Profile

Vaginal Escherichia coli colonization is related to obstetric infections and the consequent development of infections in newborns. Ampicillin resistance among E. coli strains is increasing, which is the main choice for treating empirically many obstetric and neonatal infections. Vaginal E. coli strains are very similar to extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli with regards to the virulence factors and the belonging to phylogroup B2. We studied the antimicrobial resistance and the genetic virulence profile of 82 E. coli isolates from 638 vaginal samples and 63 isolated from endometrial aspirate, placental and amniotic fluid samples from pregnant women with obstetric infections. The prevalence of E. coli in the vaginal samples was 13%, which was significant among women with associated risk factors during pregnancy, especially premature preterm rupture of membranes (p<0.0001). Sixty-five percent of the strains were ampicillin-resistant. The E. coli isolates causing obstetric infections showed higher resistance levels than vaginal isolates, particularly for gentamicin (p = 0.001). The most prevalent virulence factor genes were those related to the iron uptake systems revealing clear targets for interventions. More than 50% of the isolates belonged to the virulent B2 group possessing the highest number of virulence factor genes. The ampicillin-resistant isolates had high number of virulence factors primarily related to pathogenicity islands, and the remarkable gentamicin resistance in E. coli isolates from women presenting obstetric infections, the choice of the most appropriate empiric treatment and clinical management of pregnant women and neonates should be carefully made. Taking into account host-susceptibility, the heterogeneity of E. coli due to evolution over time and the geographical area, characterization of E. coli isolates colonizing the vagina and causing obstetric infections in different regions may help to develop interventions and avoid the aetiological link between maternal carriage and obstetric and subsequent puerperal infections

Outbreak caused by Escherichia coli O18:K1:H7 sequence type 95 in a neonatal intensive care unit in Barcelona, Spain.

Background: Escherichia coli is one of the most frequent causes of late-onset neonatal sepsis. The aim of this study was to characterize an outbreak of neonatal sepsis occurring in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona from April to August 2013. Methods: After presentation of the index case, all E. coli isolates from previously hospitalized neonates, health care workers, and neonates admitted to the NICU from April to October 2013 were tested for K1 antigen positivity and epidemiologically compared by pulse-field gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, the E. coli K1 strains collected from neonates during this period were analyzed by different methods (serotyping, phylotyping, PCR of virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance, and 'in vitro' assays in HMBEC). Results: An E. coli O18:K1:H7 sequence type 95 and phylogenetical group B2 strain was the cause of the outbreak involving 6 preterm neonates: one with late septicemia due to a urinary focus and 5 with late-onset septicemia and meningitis, 3 of whom died. All showed the same pulsotype, full resistance to ampicillin and intermediate resistance to gentamicin. The outbreak strain carried the PAI IIJ96-like domain that could explain the high-grade bacteremia necessary to develop meningitis. Conclusions: All the E. coli isolates responsible for this outbreak belonged to a single clone suggesting a common source of infection, and it was categorized as O18:K1:H7. Despite the bacteria's pathogenicity has an important role in the severity of infection, the host-associated factors were crucial for the fatal outcomes

Acinetobacter dijkshoorniae sp. nov., a new member of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex mainly recovered from clinical samples in different countries

The recent advances in bacterial species identification methods have led to the rapid taxonomic diversification of the genus Acinetobacter. In the present study, phenotypic and molecular methods have been used to determine the taxonomic position of a group of 12 genotypically distinct strains belonging to the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii (ACB) complex, initially described by Gerner-Smidt and Tjernberg in 1993, that are closely related to A. pittii. Strains characterized in this study originated mostly from human samples obtained in different countries over a period of 15 years. rpoB and MLST sequences were compared against those of 94 strains representing all species included in the ACB complex. Cluster analysis based on such sequences showed that all 12 strains grouped together in a distinct clade closest to A. pittii that was supported by bootstrap values of 99%. Values of average nucleotide identity based on BLAST between the genome sequence of strain JVAP01 (NCBI accession n masculine. LJPG00000000) and those of other species from the ACB were always < 91.2%, supporting the species status of the group. In addition, the metabolic characteristics of the group matched those of the ACB complex and the analysis of their protein signatures by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry identified some specific peaks. Our results support the designation of these strains as a novel species and we propose the name A. dijkshoorniae sp. nov. The type strain is JVAP01T (CECT 9134T, LMG 29605T)

Análisis de metodologías de enseñanza de las Ciencias en alumnos de diversificación curricular

Curricular diversification (CD) students present some specifically features which make necessary the adaptation of the curriculum in order to achieve the objectives set. The Scientific-Technological field has as principal objective the acquisition of knowledge included within the official curriculum in the field of Science and therefore also is content to work in the learning processes of CD students. Although there are many books concerning the diversity attention, the number of studies oriented towards the science education in CD has not been the subject of much study. The present work aims to revise some of the teaching methodologies and to make an approach adapted to those students as well as focus it to the social reality that surrounds us today. In that sense, operational work, collaborative, classroom laboratory, operational meaningful learning of David Paul Ausubel and research methodologies are object of analysis in the present work. Also, detailing the practical development of one didactic unit with the different methodologies described is also done in the present work. Finally, we can establish that there are many methodologies applicable which give a great importance to teamwork and motivation aspects as well as other factors.Los alumnos de diversificación curricular (DC) presentan una serie de características que hacen necesarias la adecuación del currículo para la consecución de los objetivos establecidos. El ámbito Científico-Tecnológico tiene como principal objetivo la adquisición de conocimientos englobados dentro del currículo oficial en el campo de la ciencia y por ello también es un contenido a trabajar en los procesos de aprendizaje de alumnos de DC. A pesar de que la existencia de libros de atención a la diversidad es bastante amplia, el número de estudios orientados hacia la enseñanza de las ciencias en los alumnos de DC no ha sido objeto de mucho estudio por lo que la realización del presente trabajo trata de hacer una revisión de las metodologías de enseñanza y de realizar un enfoque adaptado a dichos alumnos además de enfocarlo a la realidad social que nos rodea actualmente. En ese sentido, son objeto de análisis del presente proyecto las metodologías de trabajo operacional, cooperativo, de aulalaboratorio, operacional, aprendizaje significativo de David Paul Ausubel y de investigación. A modo de aplicación, se detalla el desarrollo concreto de una unidad didáctica del programa de diversificación curricular a partir de las metodologías descritas en el presente trabajo. Se puede concluir que existen multitud de metodologías aplicables que otorgan gran importancia al trabajo en equipo y a la motivación del alumnado entre otros factores

Influence of FTO variants on obesity, inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk biomarkers in Spanish children: a case–control multicentre study

Background Variants in the FTO gene have been associated with obesity in children, but this association has not been shown with other biomarkers. We assessed the association of 52 FTO polymorphisms, spanning the whole gene, with obesity and estimated the influence of these polymorphisms on anthropometric, clinical and metabolic parameters as well as inflammation and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk biomarkers among Spanish children. Methods A multicentre case–control study was conducted in 534 children (292 obese and 242 with normal-BMI). Anthropometric, clinical, metabolic, inflammation and CVD risk markers were compared using the Student’s t-test for unpaired samples. The genotype relative risk was assessed by comparing the obese and normal-BMI group, calculating the odds ratio. The association of each SNP with phenotypic parameters was analysed using either logistic or linear regression analysis. Results All anthropometric, clinical and metabolic factors as well as inflammatory and CVD risk biomarkers were higher in the obese than in the normal-BMI group, except adiponectin and HDL-c that were lower, and glucose, LDL-c, and metalloproteinase-9 that did not show difference. Four polymorphisms (rs9935401, rs9939609, rs9928094 and rs9930333) were positively associated with obesity and in linkage disequilibrium between each other; the haplotype including the risk alleles of these polymorphisms showed a high risk for obesity. The rs8061518 was negatively associated with obesity and the haplotype including this SNP and rs3826169, rs17818902 and rs7190053 showed a decreased risk for obesity. Additionally, the rs8061518 was associated with weight, diastolic blood pressure, insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, leptin, and active plasminogen inhibitor activator-1 after sex and age adjustment; however, after an additional BMI adjustment, this polymorphism remained associated only with leptin. Conclusions We validated the previous reported association of genetic variability in intron 1 of the FTO gene with the risk of obesity and found no association with other related traits in this region of the gene. We have observed strong statistical evidence for an association of rs8061518 in intron 3 of the gene with decreased risk of obesity and low concentration of leptin.This work was supported by Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica (I + D + I), Instituto de Salud Carlos III-Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (PI020826, PI051968), Consejería de Innovación y Ciencia, Junta de Andalucía (P06-CTS 2203) and Ministerio de Universidades y Tecnología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias, RETIC (Red SAMID RD08/0072/0028)S

Draft Genome Sequence of JVAP01T, the Type Strain of the Novel Species Acinetobacter dijkshoorniae

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of the type strain of Acinetobacter dijkshoorniae, a novel human pathogen within the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii (ACB) complex. Strain JVAP01T has an estimated genome size of 3.9 Mb, exhibits a 38.8% G+C content, and carries a plasmid with the blaNDM-1 carbapenemase gene

Draft Genome Sequence of JVAP01T, the Type Strain of the Novel Species Acinetobacter dijkshoorniae

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of the type strain of Acinetobacter dijkshoorniae, a novel human pathogen within the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii (ACB) complex. Strain JVAP01T has an estimated genome size of 3.9 Mb, exhibits a 38.8% G+C content, and carries a plasmid with the blaNDM-1 carbapenemase gene

Chicken liver is a potential reservoir of bacteriophages and phage-derived particles containing antibiotic resistance genes

Poultry meat production is one of the most important agri-food industries in the world. The selective pressure exerted by widespread prophylactic or therapeutic use of antibiotics in intensive chicken farming favours the development of drug resistance in bacterial populations. Chicken liver, closely connected with the intestinal tract, has been directly involved in food-borne infections and found to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, including Campylobacter and Salmonella. In this study, 74 chicken livers, divided into sterile and non-sterile groups, were analysed, not only for microbial indicators but also for the presence of phages and phage particles containing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Both bacteria and phages were detected in liver tissues, including those dissected under sterile conditions. The phages were able to infect Escherichia coli and showed a Siphovirus morphology. The chicken livers contained from 103 to 106 phage particles per g, which carried a range of ARGs (blaTEM, blaCTx-M-1, sul1, qnrA, armA and tetW) detected by qPCR. The presence of phages in chicken liver, mostly infecting E. coli, was confirmed by metagenomic analysis, although this technique was not sufficiently sensitive to identify ARGs. In addition, ARG-carrying phages were detected in chicken faeces by qPCR in a previous study of the group. Comparison of the viromes of faeces and liver showed a strong coincidence of species, which suggests that the phages found in the liver originate in faeces. These findings suggests that phages, like bacteria, can translocate from the gut to the liver, which may therefore constitute a potential reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio