1,666 research outputs found
Activity of Tabanids (Insecta: Diptera: Tabanidae) Attacking the Reptiles Caiman crocodilus (Linn.) (Alligatoridae) and Eunectes murinus (Linn.) (Boidae), in the Central Amazon, Brazil
The role of secreted aspartyl proteinases in Candida tropicalis invasion and damage of oral mucosa
Candida virulence attributes include the ability to colonize and invade host tissues, and the secretion of hydrolytic enzymes. Although Candida albicans is regarded as the principal fungi causing infections in humans, other species, particularly Candida tropicalis, are increasingly being recognized as human pathogens. Relatively little is known, however, about the virulence attributes associated with C. tropicalis. The present study aimed to investigate epithelial infection by C. tropicalis using a reconstituted human oral epithelium (RHOE) together with confocal laser scanning microscopy and real-time PCR. A comparison of clinical strains was made in terms of tissue colonization, invasion and C. tropicalis secreted aspartyl proteinase (SAPT) gene expression. All C. tropicalis strains were able to colonize RHOE in a strain-dependent manner. After 12 h of infection, C. tropicalis was found to be highly invasive, with extensive tissue damage occurring after 24 h. Real-time PCR of C. tropicalis SAPT1-4 genes showed that expression was strain-dependent, with SAPT2-4 transcripts being frequently detected and SAPT1 rarely detected. Tissue invasion and damage was not inhibited by the presence of pepstatin A. Accordingly, and given that an increase in infection time was not accompanied with an increase in SAPT gene expression, it can be suggested that the proteinases are not involved in invasion and damage of RHOE by C. tropicalis. In summary, C. tropicalis can be considered as highly invasive with the ability to induce significant tissue damage. These features, however, do not appear to be related to specific SAPT gene expression.We would like to thank Mrs Kath Allsopp for processing and sectioning the tissue samples. This work was supported by grant SFRH/BD/28341/2006 from 'Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia' (FCT), Portugal
Silicone colonization by non-Candida albicans Candida species in the presence of urine
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common nosocomial infections and 80 % are related to the use of urinary catheters. Furthermore, Candida species are responsible for around 15 % of UTIs and an increasing involvement of non-Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) species (e.g. Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis) has been recognized. Given the fact that silicone is frequently used in the manufacture of urinary catheters, the aim of this work was to compare both the adhesion and biofilm formation on silicone of different urinary clinical isolates of NCAC species (i.e. C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis) in the presence of urine. Several clinical isolates of NCAC species recovered from patients with UTIs, together with reference strains of each species, were examined. Adhesion and biofilm formation were performed in artificial urine and the biofilm biomass was assessed by crystal violet staining. Hydrophobicity and surface charge of cells was determined by measuring contact angles and zeta potential, respectively. The number of viable cells in biofilms was determined by enumeration of c.f.u. after appropriate culture. The biofilm structure was also examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The results showed that all isolates adhered to silicone in a species- and strain-dependent manner with C. parapsilosis showing the lowest and C. glabrata the highest levels of adhesion. However, these differences in adhesion abilities cannot be correlated with surface properties since all strains examined were hydrophilic and exhibited a similar zeta potential. Despite a higher number of cultivable cells being recovered after 72 h of incubation, stronger biofilm formation was not observed and CLSM showed an absence of extracellular polymeric material for all isolates examined. In summary, this work demonstrated that all tested NCAC species were able to adhere to and survive on silicone in the presence of urine. Furthermore, C. glabrata strains presented higher colonization abilities than C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis strains, a fact that might explain the larger role of C. glabrata colonization and disseminated infections in hospitalized and catheterized patients.The authors acknowledge the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, for supporting the work of S. S. through grant SFRH/BD/28341/2006 and project PDTC/1310/61112/2004. The authors are also grateful to Hospital de S Marcos, Braga, for providing clinical isolates
Examination of potential virulence factors of Candida tropicalis clinical isolates from hospitalized patients
Candida tropicalis has been reported to be one of the Candida species which is most likely to cause bloodstream and urinary tract infections in hospitalized patients. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to characterize the virulence of C. tropicalis by assessing antifungal susceptibility and comparing the expression of several virulence factors. This study was conducted with seven isolates of C. tropicalis from urine and blood cultures and from central venous catheter. C. tropicalis ATCC 750 was used as reference strain. Yeasts adhered (2 h) to epithelial cells and silicone and 24 h biofilm biomass were determined by crystal violet staining. Pseudohyphae formation ability was determined after growth in fetal bovine serum. Enzymes production (hemolysins, proteases, phospholipases) was assessed by halo formation on agar plates. Susceptibility to antifungal agents was determined by E-test. Regarding adhesion, it can be highlighted that C. tropicalis strains adhered significantly more to epithelium than to silicone. Furthermore, all C. tropicalis strains were able to form biofilms and to express total hemolytic activity. However, protease was only produced by two isolates from urine and by the isolates from catheter and blood. Moreover, only one C. tropicalis (from catheter) was phospholipase positive. All isolates were susceptible to voriconazole, fluconazole and amphotericin B. Four strains were susceptible-dose dependent to itraconazole and one clinical isolate was found to be resistant
Presence of extracellular DNA in the Candida albicans biofilm matrix and its contribution to biofilms
DNA has been described as a structural component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in bacterial biofilms. In Candida albicans, there is a scarce knowledge concerning the contribution of extracellular DNA (eDNA) to biofilm matrix and overall structure. This work examined the presence and quantified the amount of eDNA in C. albicans biofilm ECM and the effect of DNase treatment and the addition of exogenous DNA on C. albicans biofilm development as indicators of a role for eDNA in biofilm development. We were able to detect the accumulation of eDNA in biofilm ECM extracted from C. albicans biofilms formed under conditions of flow, although the quantity of eDNA detected differed according to growth conditions, in particular with regards to the medium used to grow the biofilms. Experiments with C. albicans biofilms formed statically using a microtiter plate model indicated that the addition of exogenous DNA (>160 ng/ml) increases biofilm biomass and, conversely, DNase treatment (>0.03 mg/ml) decreases biofilm biomass at later time points of biofilm development. We present evidence for the role of eDNA in C. albicans biofilm structure and formation, consistent with eDNA being a key element of the ECM in mature C. albicans biofilms and playing a predominant role in biofilm structural integrity and maintenance.National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial ResearchFundação para a Ciência e
Tecnologia (FCT) - SFRH/BD/28222/2006National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Disease
Biofilms of non-Candida albicans Candida species : quantification, structure and matrix composition
Most cases of candidiasis have been attributed to C. albicans, but recently, non-
Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) species have been identified as common
pathogens. The ability of Candida species to form biofilms has important clinical
repercussions due to their increased resistance to antifungal therapy and the ability
of yeast cells within the biofilms to withstand host immune defenses. Given this
clinical importance of the biofilm growth form, the aim of this study was
to characterize biofilms produced by three NCAC species, namely C. parapsilosis,
C. tropicalis and C. glabrata. The biofilm forming ability of clinical isolates of
C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and C. glabrata recovered from different sources, was
evaluated by crystal violet staining. The structure and morphological characteristics
of the biofilms were also assessed by scanning electron microscopy and the
biofilm matrix composition analyzed for protein and carbohydrate content. All
NCAC species were able to form biofilms although these were less extensive for
C. glabrata compared with C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis. It was evident that C.
parapsilosis biofilm production was highly strain dependent, a feature not evident
with C. glabrata and C. tropicalis. Scanning electron microscopy revealed structural
differences for biofilms with respect to cell morphology and spatial arrangement.
Candida parapsilosis biofilm matrices had large amounts of carbohydrate with less
protein. Conversely, matrices extracted from C. tropicalis biofilms had low
amounts of carbohydrate and protein. Interestingly, C. glabrata biofilm matrix
was high in both protein and carbohydrate content. The present work demonstrates
that biofilm forming ability, structure and matrix composition are highly
species dependent with additional strain variability occurring with C. parapsilosis.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - SFRH/BD/28341/2006, PDTC/BIO/61112/200
Phorcotabanus cinereus (Wiedemann, 1821) (Diptera, Tabanidae), an ornithophilic species of tabanid in Central Amazon, Brazil
In Central Amazon, Brazil, the tabanid Phorcotabanus cinereus (Wiedemann) was recorded attacking the native duck Cairina moschata (Linnaeus) (Anseriformes, Anatidae). The flight and behavior of the tabanid during the attacks and the host's defenses were videotaped and analyzed in slow motion. The tabanid was recorded flying rapidly around the heads of the ducks before landing. Landing always took place on the beak, and then the tabanid walked to the fleshy caruncle on the basal part of the beak to bite and feed. Firstly the duck defends itself through lateral harsh head movements, and then, when it is being bitten, it defends itself by rubbing its head on the body, or dipping the head into water, when swimming. If disturbed, the fly resumed the same pattern of flight as before and would generally try to land again on the same host and bite in the same place. This feeding activity was observed predominantly between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm and always in open areas, near aquatic environments, from June 1996 to January 1997, the dry season in Central Amazon. To test the attractiveness of other animals to P. cinereus, mammals, caimans and domestic and wild birds were placed in suitable habitat and the response of V. cinereus observed. P. cinereus did not attack these animals, suggesting that this species has a preference for ducks, which are plentiful in the region
Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector
Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02 TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1 μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT
Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at TeV with the ATLAS detector
This paper presents measurements of the and cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a
function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were
collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with
the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity
of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements
varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the
1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured
with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with
predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various
parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between
them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables,
submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at
https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13
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