Candida Sepsis Following Transcervical Chorionic Villi Sampling

Background: The use of invasive devices and broad spectrum antibiotics has increased the rate of candidal superinfections.Candida sepsis associated with pregnancy is rare. Candida sepsis following chorionic villi sampling (CVS) has never been reported. Case: A 31-year-old pregnant woman presented with signs of sepsis one day after undergoing transcervical CVS. Blood culture and curettage material yielded C. albicans. She was treated with 400 mg of fluconazole daily for 4 weeks and completely recovered. Conclusion: Candida sepsis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of sepsis following CVS

The Chloroplast Envelope Protease FTSH11 – Interaction With CPN60 and Identification of Potential Substrates

FTSH proteases are membrane-bound, ATP-dependent metalloproteases found in bacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts. The product of one of the 12 genes encoding FTSH proteases in Arabidopsis, FTSH11, has been previously shown to be essential for acquired thermotolerance. However, the substrates of this protease, as well as the mechanism linking it to thermotolerance are largely unknown. To get insight into these, the FTSH11 knockout mutant was complemented with proteolytically active or inactive variants of this protease, tagged with HA-tag, under the control of the native promoter. Using these plants in thermotolerance assay demonstrated that the proteolytic activity, and not only the ATPase one, is essential for conferring thermotolerance. Immunoblot analyses of leaf extracts, isolated organelles and sub-fractionated chloroplast membranes localized FTSH11 mostly to chloroplast envelopes. Affinity purification followed by mass spectrometry analysis revealed interaction between FTSH11 and different components of the CPN60 chaperonin. In affinity enrichment assays, CPN60s as well as a number of envelope, stroma and thylakoid proteins were found associated with proteolytically inactive FTSH11. Comparative proteomic analysis of WT and knockout plants, grown at 20°C or exposed to 30°C for 6 h, revealed a plethora of upregulated chloroplast proteins in the knockout, some of them might be candidate substrates. Among these stood out TIC40, which was stabilized in the knockout line after recovery from heat stress, and three proteins that were found trapped in the affinity enrichment assay: the nucleotide antiporter PAPST2, the fatty acid binding protein FAP1 and the chaperone HSP70. The consistent behavior of these four proteins in different assays suggest that they are potential FTSH11 substrates

Doxycycline desensitization in chronic Q fever—A critical tool for the clinician

We present the case of a 45 year old woman with acute Q fever pneumonia who progressed to the chronic phase of the disease despite azithromycin therapy. A trial of doxycycline was halted because of severe allergy and she was put on clarithromycin and later moxifloxacin. Failure of both drugs required desensitization to doxycycline with escalating doses. After two-year treatment with doxycycline-hydroxychloroquine combination, complete recovery was declared. Our case highlights the option of doxycycline desensitization when an acute allergic reaction poses an obstacle to optimal treatment

Collective Vortex-Like Movement of Bacillus subtilis Facilitates the Generation of Floating Biofilms

Bacteria in nature are usually found in complex multicellular structures, called biofilms. One common form of a biofilm is pellicle—a floating mat of bacteria formed in the water-air interphase. So far, our knowledge on the basic mechanisms underlying the formation of biofilms at air-liquid interfaces is not complete. In particular, the co-occurrence of motile cells and extracellular matrix producers has not been studied. In addition, the potential involvement of chemical communication in pellicle formation remained largely undefined. Our results indicate that vortex-like collective motility by aggregates of motile cells and EPS producers accelerate the formation of floating biofilms. Successful aggregation and migration to the water-air interphase depend on the chemical communication signal autoinducer 2 (AI-2). This ability of bacteria to form a biofilm in a preferable niche ahead of their potential rivals would provide a fitness advantage in the context of inter-species competition

Colistin Dependency among Colistin-Heteroresistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates

Colistin dependent (CD) isolates are dependent on colistin for optimal growth. Here we aimed to systematically determine the emergence of CD among colistin-heteroresistant carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) isolates. We also examined the phenotypic characteristics of CD and the evolution of CD strains to overt resistance. Additionally, we examined whether detection of growth in blood cultures was impaired by CD. Heteroresistant isolates, as determined by population analysis profiling, were exposed to colistin; when the colony count with colistin was significantly higher than without, isolates were suspected to be CD. CD was confirmed by Etest and growth curves. CD strains with colistin minimum inhibitory concentrations > 2 mg/L after growth in colistin-free media were considered colistin-resistant. Of the 65 heteroresistant strains tested, eight became CD after colistin exposure. These strains attained higher colony counts and growth rates with colistin vs. without, and grew adjacent to the colistin Etest strip. CD strains exhibited increased susceptibilities to multiple antibiotics compared to their parent heteroresistant strains. All CD strains tested became colistin-resistant following growth without colistin. CD strains were detected in blood culture bottles, but time to detection was significantly prolonged compared with parent strains, suggesting that CD may lead to delay in detection of CRAB bacteremia

DataSheet1.ZIP

<p>Bacteria in nature are usually found in complex multicellular structures, called biofilms. One common form of a biofilm is pellicle—a floating mat of bacteria formed in the water-air interphase. So far, our knowledge on the basic mechanisms underlying the formation of biofilms at air-liquid interfaces is not complete. In particular, the co-occurrence of motile cells and extracellular matrix producers has not been studied. In addition, the potential involvement of chemical communication in pellicle formation remained largely undefined. Our results indicate that vortex-like collective motility by aggregates of motile cells and EPS producers accelerate the formation of floating biofilms. Successful aggregation and migration to the water-air interphase depend on the chemical communication signal autoinducer 2 (AI-2). This ability of bacteria to form a biofilm in a preferable niche ahead of their potential rivals would provide a fitness advantage in the context of inter-species competition.</p

Table3.xlsx

<p>Bacteria in nature are usually found in complex multicellular structures, called biofilms. One common form of a biofilm is pellicle—a floating mat of bacteria formed in the water-air interphase. So far, our knowledge on the basic mechanisms underlying the formation of biofilms at air-liquid interfaces is not complete. In particular, the co-occurrence of motile cells and extracellular matrix producers has not been studied. In addition, the potential involvement of chemical communication in pellicle formation remained largely undefined. Our results indicate that vortex-like collective motility by aggregates of motile cells and EPS producers accelerate the formation of floating biofilms. Successful aggregation and migration to the water-air interphase depend on the chemical communication signal autoinducer 2 (AI-2). This ability of bacteria to form a biofilm in a preferable niche ahead of their potential rivals would provide a fitness advantage in the context of inter-species competition.</p