A novel regulator controls Clostridium difficile sporulation, motility and toxin production

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic pathogen that forms spores which promote survival in the environment and transmission to new hosts. The regulatory pathways by which C. difficile initiates spore formation are poorly understood. We identified two factors with limited similarity to the Rap sporulation proteins of other spore-forming bacteria. In this study, we show that disruption of the gene CD3668 reduces sporulation and increases toxin production and motility. This mutant was more virulent and exhibited increased toxin gene expression in the hamster model of infection. Based on these phenotypes, we have renamed this locus rstA, for regulator of sporulation and toxins. Our data demonstrate that RstA is a bifunctional protein that upregulates sporulation through an unidentified pathway and represses motility and toxin production by influencing sigD transcription. Conserved RstA orthologs are present in other pathogenic and industrial Clostridium species and may represent a key regulatory protein controlling clostridial sporulation

Los informes de Amici Curiae ante la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos

En reiteradas oportunidades la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (en adelante "la Corte") ha recibido informes de amici curiae, tanto en casos contenciosos como en opiniones consultivas. El presente trabajo está destinado a establecer qué es un amicus curiae y a señalar tanto su base legal como la importancia de su intervención en los procesos que se vienen ventilando ante la Corte

Entropy Production of Brownian Macromolecules with Inertia

We investigate the nonequilibrium steady-state thermodynamics of single Brownian macromolecules with inertia under feedback control in isothermal ambient fluid. With the control being represented by a velocity-dependent external force, we find such open systems can have a negative entropy production rate and we develop a mesoscopic theory consistent with the second law. We propose an equilibrium condition and define a class of external forces, which includes a transverse Lorentz force, leading to equilibrium.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figur

Modelo de estudio de dos informativas familias colombianas con síndrome de usher

Establecer y evaluar un modelo de abordaje para el estudio del Síndrome de Usher, que abarca el diagnóstico clínico de los pacientes, establecimiento y confirmación del subtipo mediante estudios moleculares y posterior correlación genotipo-fenotipo