Yersinia enterocolitica palearctica serobiotype O:3/4 - a successful group of emerging zoonotic pathogens

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High-pathogenic <it>Y. enterocolitica </it>ssp. <it>enterocolitica </it>caused several human outbreaks in Northern America. In contrast, low pathogenic <it>Y. enterocolitica </it>ssp. <it>palearctica </it>serobiotype O:3/4 is responsible for sporadic cases worldwide with asymptomatic pigs being the main source of infection. Genomes of three <it>Y. enterocolitica </it>ssp. <it>palearctica </it>serobiotype O:3/4 human isolates (including the completely sequenced Y11 German DSMZ type strain) were compared to the high-pathogenic <it>Y. enterocolitica </it>ssp. <it>enterocolitica </it>8081 O:8/1B to address the peculiarities of the O:3/4 group.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most high-pathogenicity-associated determinants of <it>Y. enterocolitica </it>ssp. <it>enterocolitica </it>(like the High-Pathogenicity Island, <it>yts1 </it>type 2 and <it>ysa </it>type 3 secretion systems) are absent in <it>Y. enterocolitica </it>ssp. <it>palearctica </it>serobiotype O:3/4 genomes. On the other hand they possess alternative putative virulence and fitness factors, such as a different <it>ysp </it>type 3 secretion system, an RtxA-like and insecticidal toxins, and a N-acetyl-galactosamine (GalNAc) PTS system (<it>aga</it>-operon). Horizontal acquisition of two prophages and a tRNA-Asn-associated GIYep-01 genomic island might also influence the <it>Y. enterocolitica </it>ssp. <it>palearctica </it>serobiotype O:3/4 pathoadaptation. We demonstrated recombination activity of the PhiYep-3 prophage and the GIYep-01 island and the ability of the <it>aga</it>-operon to support the growth of the <it>Y. enterocolitica </it>ssp. <it>enterocolitica </it>O:8/1B on GalNAc.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>Y. enterocolitica </it>ssp. <it>palearctica </it>serobiotype O:3/4 experienced a shift to an alternative patchwork of virulence and fitness determinants that might play a significant role in its host pathoadaptation and successful worldwide dissemination.</p

Reduced Secretion of YopJ by Yersinia Limits In Vivo Cell Death but Enhances Bacterial Virulence

Numerous microbial pathogens modulate or interfere with cell death pathways in cultured cells. However, the precise role of host cell death during in vivo infection remains poorly understood. Macrophages infected by pathogenic species of Yersinia typically undergo an apoptotic cell death. This is due to the activity of a Type III secreted effector protein, designated YopJ in Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. pestis, and YopP in the closely related Y. enterocolitica. It has recently been reported that Y. enterocolitica YopP shows intrinsically greater capacity for being secreted than Y. pestis YopJ, and that this correlates with enhanced cytotoxicity observed for high virulence serotypes of Y. enterocolitica. The enzymatic activity and secretory capacity of YopP from different Y. enterocolitica serotypes have been shown to be variable. However, the underlying basis for differential secretion of YopJ/YopP, and whether reduced secretion of YopJ by Y. pestis plays a role in pathogenesis during in vivo infection, is not currently known. It has also been reported that similar to macrophages, Y. enterocolitica infection of dendritic cells leads to YopP-dependent cell death. We demonstrate here that in contrast to Y. enterocolitica, Y. pseudotuberculosis infection of bone marrow–derived dendritic cells does not lead to increased cell death. However, death of Y. pseudotuberculosis–infected dendritic cells is enhanced by ectopic expression of YopP in place of YopJ. We further show that polymorphisms at the N-terminus of the YopP/YopJ proteins are responsible for their differential secretion, translocation, and consequent cytotoxicity. Mutation of two amino acids in YopJ markedly enhanced both translocation and cytotoxicity. Surprisingly, expression of YopP or a hypersecreted mutant of YopJ in Y. pseudotuberculosis resulted in its attenuation in oral mouse infection. Complete absence of YopJ also resulted in attenuation of virulence, in accordance with previous observations. These findings suggest that control of cytotoxicity is an important virulence property for Y. pseudotuberculosis, and that intermediate levels of YopJ-mediated cytotoxicity are necessary for maximal systemic virulence of this bacterial pathogen

Complete Genome Sequence of Crohn's Disease-Associated Adherent-Invasive E. coli Strain LF82

International audienceBACKGROUND: Ileal lesions of Crohn's disease (CD) patients are abnormally colonized by pathogenic adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) able to invade and to replicate within intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We report here the complete genome sequence of E. coli LF82, the reference strain of adherent-invasive E. coli associated with ileal Crohn's disease. The LF82 genome of 4,881,487 bp total size contains a circular chromosome with a size of 4,773,108 bp and a plasmid of 108,379 bp. The analysis of predicted coding sequences (CDSs) within the LF82 flexible genome indicated that this genome is close to the avian pathogenic strain APEC_01, meningitis-associated strain S88 and urinary-isolated strain UTI89 with regards to flexible genome and single nucleotide polymorphisms in various virulence factors. Interestingly, we observed that strains LF82 and UTI89 adhered at a similar level to Intestine-407 cells and that like LF82, APEC_01 and UTI89 were highly invasive. However, A1EC strain LF82 had an intermediate killer phenotype compared to APEC-01 and UTI89 and the LF82 genome does not harbour most of specific virulence genes from ExPEC. LF82 genome has evolved from those of ExPEC B2 strains by the acquisition of Salmonella and Yersinia isolated or clustered genes or CDSs located on pLF82 plasmid and at various loci on the chromosome. CONCLUSION: LF82 genome analysis indicated that a number of genes, gene clusters and pathoadaptative mutations which have been acquired may play a role in virulence of AIEC strain LF82

On the Influence of Initial Stresses on the Velocity of Elastic Waves in Composites

The paper is devoted to the problem of propagation of elastic waves in composites with initial stresses. We suppose initial stresses are well within the elastic regime. We deal with the long-wave case and use the asymptotic homogenization technique based on the two-scale asymptotic approach. The main problem lies in solving the local (cell) problem, i.e., boundary value problem on a periodically repeating fragment of a composite. In general, the local problem cannot be solved explicitly. In our work, it is obtained for any initial stresses formulas, which is convenient for solving by standard codes. An analytical solution is obtained for small initial stresses. Asymptotic expansions used a small parameter characterizing the smallness of the initial stresses. In the zero approximation, composites without initial stresses are considered; the first approximation takes into account their influence on waves propagation. Two particular cases are considered in detail: laminated media and frame (honeycomb cell) composites. The analyzed frame composite can be used for the modeling of porous media. We select these two cases for the following reasons. First, the laminated and porous material are widely used in practice. Second, for these materials, the homogenized coefficients may be computed in the explicit form for an arbitrary value of the initial stresses. The dependence of the velocity of elastic waves on the initial stresses in laminated and homogeneous bodies differs. The initial tension increases the velocity of elastic waves in both cases, but the quantitative effect of the increase can vary greatly. For frame composites modeling porous bodies, the initial tension can increase or decrease the velocity of elastic waves (the initial tension decreases the velocity of elastic waves in the porous body with an inverted honeycomb periodicity cell). The decrease of the velocity of elastic waves is impossible in homogeneous media. The problem under consideration is related, in particular, to the core sample analysis in the geophysics. This question is discussed in the paper. We also analyzed some features of applications of asymptotic homogenization procedure for the dynamical problem of stressed composite materials, i.e., the nonadditivity of homogenization of sum of operators

On the Influence of Initial Stresses on the Velocity of Elastic Waves in Composites

The paper is devoted to the problem of propagation of elastic waves in composites with initial stresses. We suppose initial stresses are well within the elastic regime. We deal with the long-wave case and use the asymptotic homogenization technique based on the two-scale asymptotic approach. The main problem lies in solving the local (cell) problem, i.e., boundary value problem on a periodically repeating fragment of a composite. In general, the local problem cannot be solved explicitly. In our work, it is obtained for any initial stresses formulas, which is convenient for solving by standard codes. An analytical solution is obtained for small initial stresses. Asymptotic expansions used a small parameter characterizing the smallness of the initial stresses. In the zero approximation, composites without initial stresses are considered; the first approximation takes into account their influence on waves propagation. Two particular cases are considered in detail: laminated media and frame (honeycomb cell) composites. The analyzed frame composite can be used for the modeling of porous media. We select these two cases for the following reasons. First, the laminated and porous material are widely used in practice. Second, for these materials, the homogenized coefficients may be computed in the explicit form for an arbitrary value of the initial stresses. The dependence of the velocity of elastic waves on the initial stresses in laminated and homogeneous bodies differs. The initial tension increases the velocity of elastic waves in both cases, but the quantitative effect of the increase can vary greatly. For frame composites modeling porous bodies, the initial tension can increase or decrease the velocity of elastic waves (the initial tension decreases the velocity of elastic waves in the porous body with an inverted honeycomb periodicity cell). The decrease of the velocity of elastic waves is impossible in homogeneous media. The problem under consideration is related, in particular, to the core sample analysis in the geophysics. This question is discussed in the paper. We also analyzed some features of applications of asymptotic homogenization procedure for the dynamical problem of stressed composite materials, i.e., the nonadditivity of homogenization of sum of operators

Алмазы в продуктах трещинного Толбачинского извержения 2012–2013, Камчатка

Алмазы обнаружены в пузыристых андезибазальтах трещинного Толбачинского извержения 27.12.2012–9.10.2013. Они представляют собой хорошо образованные, изометричные, плоскогранно-острореберные кристаллы размером до 700 мкм с примерно равновеликими гранями октаэдра и куба. В качестве дополнительных выступают грани (в последовательности встречаемости) ромбо-додекаэдра {110}, тетрагон-триоктаэдра {131} и тригон-триоктаэдра {332}. В режиме катодолюминесценции в кристаллах выявляется четкая секториальная неоднородность, обусловленная комбинацией пирамид нарастания граней октаэдра и куба. Часть толбачинских алмазов представляет собой двойниковые сростки по шпинелевому закону. В углублениях и ямках на гранях кристаллов наблюдаются выделения Mg-Fe- и Fe- силикатов, Ca-Mg- силикатов, алюмосиликатов, сульфатов, оксидов железа, самородных металлов и сплавов состава Fe, Ni-Cu, Cu-Sn-Fe. Фазовая диагностика исследуемых зерен была проведена рентгеноструктурным и раман-спектроскопическим методами. Вычисленный по рентгенограмме параметр элементарной ячейки составил 0.3556 (3) нм. Раман-спектр представлен единственной сильной линией 1332 см–1 с Δ1/2 (FWHN) = 5–7 см-1, отвечающей алмазу. В ИК-спектрах поглощения зарегистрированы только линии при 1345 и 1130 см–1, отвечающие структурным С-дефектам. Часть таких дефектов находится в положительном зарядовом состоянии N+ (линия при 1332 см–1). Термическое окисление толбачинских алмазов начинается при относительно низкой для алмазов температуре 740–750 °С, а кульминация приходится на 920–960 °С, совпадая с аналогичными данными для кимберлитовых алмазов. Исследованные образцы характеризуются весьма слабо геохимически дифференцированной ассоциацией элементов-примесей и весьма устойчивым изотопным составом углерода, не выходящими за пределы –27…–22 ‰. Своеобразие кристалломорфологических, спектроскопических, минералого-геохимических и изотопно-геохимических свойств дает основание отне-сти толбачинские алмазы к ранее неизвестному флюидо-вулканогенно-эруптивному или толбачинскому генетическому типу

Алмазы в продуктах трещинного Толбачинского извержения 2012–2013, Камчатка

Алмазы обнаружены в пузыристых андезибазальтах трещинного Толбачинского извержения 27.12.2012–9.10.2013. Они представляют собой хорошо образованные, изометричные, плоскогранно-острореберные кристаллы размером до 700 мкм с примерно равновеликими гранями октаэдра и куба. В качестве дополнительных выступают грани (в последовательности встречаемости) ромбо-додекаэдра {110}, тетрагон-триоктаэдра {131} и тригон-триоктаэдра {332}. В режиме катодолюминесценции в кристаллах выявляется четкая секториальная неоднородность, обусловленная комбинацией пирамид нарастания граней октаэдра и куба. Часть толбачинских алмазов представляет собой двойниковые сростки по шпинелевому закону. В углублениях и ямках на гранях кристаллов наблюдаются выделения Mg-Fe- и Fe- силикатов, Ca-Mg- силикатов, алюмосиликатов, сульфатов, оксидов железа, самородных металлов и сплавов состава Fe, Ni-Cu, Cu-Sn-Fe. Фазовая диагностика исследуемых зерен была проведена рентгеноструктурным и раман-спектроскопическим методами. Вычисленный по рентгенограмме параметр элементарной ячейки составил 0.3556 (3) нм. Раман-спектр представлен единственной сильной линией 1332 см–1 с Δ1/2 (FWHN) = 5–7 см-1, отвечающей алмазу. В ИК-спектрах поглощения зарегистрированы только линии при 1345 и 1130 см–1, отвечающие структурным С-дефектам. Часть таких дефектов находится в положительном зарядовом состоянии N+ (линия при 1332 см–1). Термическое окисление толбачинских алмазов начинается при относительно низкой для алмазов температуре 740–750 °С, а кульминация приходится на 920–960 °С, совпадая с аналогичными данными для кимберлитовых алмазов. Исследованные образцы характеризуются весьма слабо геохимически дифференцированной ассоциацией элементов-примесей и весьма устойчивым изотопным составом углерода, не выходящими за пределы –27…–22 ‰. Своеобразие кристалломорфологических, спектроскопических, минералого-геохимических и изотопно-геохимических свойств дает основание отне-сти толбачинские алмазы к ранее неизвестному флюидо-вулканогенно-эруптивному или толбачинскому генетическому типу