In silico identification of essential proteins in Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis based on protein-protein interaction networks

Background Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (Cp) is a gram-positive bacterium that is classified into equi and ovis serovars. The serovar ovis is the etiological agent of caseous lymphadenitis, a chronic infection affecting sheep and goats, causing economic losses due to carcass condemnation and decreased production of meat, wool, and milk. Current diagnosis or treatment protocols are not fully effective and, thus, require further research of Cp pathogenesis. Results Here, we mapped known protein-protein interactions (PPI) from various species to nine Cp strains to reconstruct parts of the potential Cp interactome and to identify potentially essential proteins serving as putative drug targets. On average, we predict 16,669 interactions for each of the nine strains (with 15,495 interactions shared among all strains). An in silico sanity check suggests that the potential networks were not formed by spurious interactions but have a strong biological bias. With the inferred Cp networks we identify 181 essential proteins, among which 41 are non-host homologous. Conclusions The list of candidate interactions of the Cp strains lay the basis for developing novel hypotheses and designing according wet-lab studies. The non-host homologous essential proteins are attractive targets for therapeutic and diagnostic proposes. They allow for searching of small molecule inhibitors of binding interactions enabling modern drug discovery. Overall, the predicted Cp PPI networks form a valuable and versatile tool for researchers interested in Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

AGRONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF FERTILIZERS BASED ON HUMUS, ROCK POWDER, AND MINERALS ON SOYBEAN YIELD IN PARAGUAY-PY

Soybean is the most commercially cultivated crop in Paraguay, and obtaining high yields requires the application of large amounts of fertilizers, raising the cost of production. Developing strategies for the efficient use of applied nutrients is necessary. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the agronomic efficiency of combinations of mineral fertilizers with organic matter and rock powder in the development, nutrition, and yield of soybean. The experiment was carried out in Hernandarias, Paraguay, in the 2016-2017 harvest. The different fertilizers influenced the absorption of Zn, Mg and K, and grain yield. Among the treatments, the highlight was the agronomic efficiency index obtained by the replacement of 30% of mineral fertilizer by humus, presenting grain yield of 3219, 67 kg ha-1. However, it was equal to the mixing 30% of humus + rock powder with 70% of NPK formulation 04:40:10 with grain yield of 3206.50 kg ha-1, and the mixing 20% of humus + rock powder with 80% of NPK formulation 04:40:10 with grain yield of 3165.17 kg ha-1. Thus, it is recommended to use rock powder and humus in soybean production in Paraguay, especially in Latossolos (Oxisols) that have little organic matter and low CTC

Acinetobacter baumannii and Its relationship to carbapenem resistance : a meta-analysis

Infections by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a significant and complex global health issue. In this context, Acinetobacter baumannii is particularly important because of its ability to withstand treatments by β-lactams, such as carbapenem. The objective of this work was to investigate, through systematic analysis and meta-analysis, the chance of resistance to carbapenem in A. baumannii strains. For this, a search was conducted for the PubMed and Cochrane databases based on the keywords: “Acinetobacter baumannii” AND “beta-lactam” OR “penicillin” OR “cephalosporin” OR “cephamycin” OR “carbapenem” OR “monobactam”. The initial search resulted in a total of 90,475 articles. It was filtered based on eligibility criteria, and eight articles were selected for analysis. An odds ratio value equivalent to 3.55 was obtained, indicating a high chance of resistance to the carbapenem of strains of the species. Therefore, it is supposed that A. baumannii infection cases have a high probability of not responding adequately to treatments based on carbapenem.Instituto de BiotecnologíaFil: Rodrigues, Diego Lucas Neres. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Genetics; BrasilFil: Rodrigues da Costa, Francielly Morais. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Genetics; BrasilFil: Marques Da Silva, Wanderson. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Marques Da Silva, Wanderson. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Aburjaile, Flavia. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Veterinary School. Preventive Veterinary Medicine Department; BrasilFil: Azevedo, Vasco. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Genetics; Brasi

The Role of Glucose in the Pathology of EHEC O157: H7

The pathogen enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157: H7 is responsible for hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome in humans [1]. During the colonization process in the gastrointestinal tract, EHEC needs to adapt to changes in nutrient availability [2]. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of glucose on physiology and processes involved in the pathogenesis of EHEC O157: H7 in order to improve our understanding of the mechanisms controlling EHEC growth and survival in the bovine gut.Fil: Marques Da Silva, Wanderson. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Taibo, Catalina Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; ArgentinaFil: Sabio y Garcia, Julia Veronica. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Larzabal, Mariano. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Cataldi, Angel Adrian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentin

The invisible patients: posttraumatic stress disorder in parents of individuals with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Besides the growing acknowledgment of the relevance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to medical illness, there is no study in cystic fibrosis yet. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of PTSD and the three clusters of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in parents of patients with cystic fibrosis. METHODS: Parents of patients with cystic fibrosis (age range: 2 to 33 years) were drawn from the Cystic Fibrosis Association of the city of Rio de Janeiro. In this cross-sectional study, parents were asked to fulfill a questionnaire for social and demographic characteristics and were interviewed by means of the PTSD module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. RESULTS: The sample comprised 62 subjects (46 mothers and 16 fathers). Current prevalence for full PTSD was 6.5% and that for partial PTSD was 19.4%. Parents with and without PTSS differed significantly in two psychosocial aspects: the former reported more emotional problems (p = 0.001); and acknowledged more often the need for psychological or psychiatric interventions (p = 0.002) than the latter. However, only 6.3% of the parents with PTSS were in psychological/psychiatric treatment. DISCUSSION: This preliminary study showed that the frequency of PTSD symptoms is fairly high among parents of patients with cystic fibrosis, and although these parents recognize they have emotional problems and need psychological/psychiatric treatment, their suffering remains invisible to the medical system, leading to underdiagnosis and undertreatment.CONTEXTO: Apesar do crescente reconhecimento da relevância do transtorno de estresse pós-traumático (TEPT) secundário a doenças médicas, ainda não existem estudos em fibrose cística. OBJETIVO: Verificar a prevalência de TEPT e dos três grupos de sintomas de estresse pós-traumático em pais de pacientes com fibrose cística. MÉTODOS: Pais de pacientes com fibrose cística (idade média: 2 a 33 anos) foram recrutados da Associação Carioca de Mucoviscidose. Neste estudo transversal, os pais preencheram um questionário sociodemográfico e foram entrevistados por meio do módulo de TEPT do Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. RESULTADOS: A amostra era composta de 62 indivíduos (46 mães e 16 pais). A prevalência atual de TEPT foi 6,5% e de TEPT parcial, de 19,4%. Os pais com e sem sintomas de TEPT diferiram significativamente em dois aspectos psicossociais: os primeiros relataram mais problemas emocionais (p = 0,001) e reconheceram mais frequentemente a necessidade de tratamento psiquiátrico ou psicológico (p = 0,002) que os últimos. Entretanto, somente 6,3% dos pais com sintomas de TEPT estavam em tratamento psiquiátrico/psicológico. CONCLUSÕES: Este estudo preliminar demonstrou que a frequência dos sintomas de TEPT é bem elevada em pais de pacientes com fibrose cística e, apesar de esses pais reconheceram que tem problemas emocionais e precisam de tratamento psiquiátrico/psicológico, seu sofrimento permanece invisível para o sistema médico, levando ao subdiagnóstico e ao subtratamento.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ)Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Instituto de PsiquiatriaUniversidade Federal Fluminense Departamento de Psiquiatria e Saúde MentalFundação Oswaldo Cruz Escola Nacional de Saúde PúblicaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de Psiquiatria e Psicologia MédicaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de Psiquiatria e Psicologia MédicaSciEL

Theoretical/practical teaching in nursing graduation for mental health / Ensino teórico/prático na graduação em enfermagem para atuação em saúde mental

Objetivo: analisar o ensino teórico/prático em Saúde Mental e Psiquiatria recebido durante a graduação em enfermagem. Método: estudo quantitativo, desenvolvido com 44 enfermeiros de uma Rede de Atenção Psicossocial do Município de São Paulo por meio de questionário validado. Resultados: 72,7% dos enfermeiros se sentem despreparados para lidar com Saúde Mental pela primeira vez, 68,2% consideram que o conteúdo foi pouco explorado e 84,1% tem interesse em fazer cursos na área. Conclusão: há dualidade no ensino teórico/prático ofertado pelas instituições de ensino superior, configurando a necessidade de que a formação seja revista para que enfermeiros generalistas consigam atender as demandas de Saúde Mental nos diversos campos de atuação profissional de acordo com o paradigma da Reforma Psiquiátrica e dos pressupostos da Reabilitação Psicossocial.

Quantification of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 proteome using TMT-Based Analysis

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a human pathogen responsible for diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). EHEC infection is distributed worldwide and numerous outbreaks of diseases caused by enterohemorrhagic have been reported. To promote a comprehensive insight into the molecular basis of EHEC O157:H7 physiology and pathogenesis, the combined proteome of EHEC O157:H7 strains, Clade 8 and Clade 6 isolated from cattle in Argentina, and the standard EDL933 (clade 3) strain has been analyzed. TMT (Tandem Mass Tags)-based quantitative proteomic and emPAI analyses were performed to estimate the protein abundance in EHEC proteome. 2,234 non-redundant proteins of EHEC O157:H7 were identified. A comparison of this result with in silico data of EHEC O157:H7 genome showed that approximately 40% of the predicted proteome of this pathogen were covered. According to the emPAI analysis, 85 proteins were among the most abundant (e.g. GAPDH, FliC H-antigen, Enolase, and GroEL). Tellurite resistance proteins were also highly abundant. COG analysis showed that although most of the identified proteins are related to cellular metabolism, the majority of the most abundant proteins are associated with translation processes. A KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that Glycolysis / Gluconeogenesis was the most significant pathway. On the other hand, the less abundant detected proteins are those related to DNA processes, cell respiration and prophage. Among the proteins that composed the Type III Secretion System, the most abundant protein was EspA. Altogether, the results show a subset of important proteins that contribute to physiology and pathogenicity of EHEC O157:H7.IMPORTANCE The study of the abundance of proteins present within a complex mixture of proteins in a cell, under different conditions, can provide important information about the activities of individual protein components and protein networks that are cornerstones for the comprehension of physiological adaptations in response to biological demands promoted by environmental changes. We generated a comprehensive and accurate quantitative list of EHEC O157:H7 proteome, which provides a description of the most abundant proteins produced by this pathogen that were related to physiology and pathogenesis of EHEC. This study provides information and extends the understanding on functional genomics and the biology of this pathogen.Fil: Marques Da Silva, Wanderson. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Biotecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bei, Jinlong. No especifíca;Fil: Amigo, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Valacco, Maria Pia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Amadio, Ariel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; ArgentinaFil: Zhang, Qi. No especifíca;Fil: Wu, Xiuju. No especifíca;Fil: Yu, Ting. No especifíca;Fil: Larzabal, Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Chen, Zhuang. No especifíca;Fil: Cataldi, Angel Adrian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Biotecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Genomic analysis of shiga toxin-containing Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from Argentinean cattle

Cattle are the main reservoir of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), with O157:H7 the distinctive serotype. EHEC is the main causative agent of a severe systemic disease, Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). Argentina has the highest pediatric HUS incidence worldwide with 12–14 cases per 100,000 children. Herein, we assessed the genomes of EHEC O157:H7 isolates recovered from cattle in the humid Pampas of Argentina. According to phylogenetic studies, EHEC O157 can be divided into clades. Clade 8 strains that were classified as hypervirulent. Most of the strains of this clade have a Shiga toxin stx2a-stx2c genotype. To better understand the molecular bases related to virulence, pathogenicity and evolution of EHEC O157:H7, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of these isolates through whole genome sequencing. The isolates classified as clade 8 (four strains) and clade 6 (four strains) contained 13 to 16 lambdoid prophages per genome, and the observed variability of prophages was analysed. An inter strain comparison show that while some prophages are highly related and can be grouped into families, other are unique. Prophages encoding for stx2a were highly diverse, while those encoding for stx2c were conserved. A cluster of genes exclusively found in clade 8 contained 13 genes that mostly encoded for DNA binding proteins. In the studied strains, polymorphisms in Q antiterminator, the Q-stx2A intergenic region and the O and P γ alleles of prophage replication proteins are associated with different levels of Stx2a production. As expected, all strains had the pO157 plasmid that was highly conserved, although one strain displayed a transposon interruption in the protease EspP gene. This genomic analysis may contribute to the understanding of the genetic basis of the hypervirulence of EHEC O157:H7 strains circulating in Argentine cattle. This work aligns with other studies of O157 strain variation in other populations that shows key differences in Stx2a-encoding prophages

Quantification of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 protein abundance by high-throughput proteome

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a human pathogen responsible fordiarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). To promote a comprehensiveinsight into the molecular basis of EHEC O157:H7 physiology and pathogenesis,the combined proteome of EHEC O157:H7 strains, Clade 8 and Clade 6 isolated from cattlein Argentina, and the standard EDL933 (clade 3) strain has been analyzed. From shotgunproteomic analysis a total of 2,644 non-redundant proteins of EHEC O157:H7 were identified,which correspond approximately 47% of the predicted proteome of this pathogen. Normalizedspectrum abundance factor analysis was performed to estimate the proteinabundance. According this analysis, 50 proteins were detected as the most abundant ofEHEC O157:H7 proteome. COG analysis showed that the majority of the most abundantproteins are associated with translation processes. A KEGG enrichment analysis revealedthat Glycolysis / Gluconeogenesis was the most significant pathway. On the other hand, theless abundant detected proteins are those related to DNA processes, cell respiration andprophage. Among the proteins that composed the Type III Secretion System, the mostabundant protein was EspA. Altogether, the results show a subset of important proteins thatcontribute to physiology and pathogenicity of EHEC O157:H7.Fil: Marques Da Silva, Wanderson. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Bei, Jinlong. Guangdong Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; ChinaFil: Amigo, Natalia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Valacco, Maria Pia. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Amadio, Ariel Fernando. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Zhang, Qi. Guangdong Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; ChinaFil: Wu, Xiuju. Guangdong Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; ChinaFil: Yu, Ting. Guangdong Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; ChinaFil: Larzabal, Mariano. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Chen, Zhuang. Guangdong Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; ChinaFil: Cataldi, Ángel Adrián. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires; Argentin

Quantitative proteomic analysis of the response of probiotic putative lactococcus lactis NCDO 2118 strain to different oxygen availability under temperature variation

Lactococcus lactis is a gram positive facultative anaerobe widely used in the dairy industry and human health. L. lactis subsp. lactis NCDO 2118 is a strain that exhibits anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. In this study, we applied a label-free shotgun proteomic approach to characterize and quantify the NCDO 2118 proteome in response to variations of temperature and oxygen bioavailability, which constitute the environmental conditions found by this bacterium during its passage through the host gastro-intestinal tract and in other industrial processes. From this proteomic analysis, a total of 1,284 non-redundant proteins of NCDO 2118 were characterized, which correspond to approximately 54% of its predicted proteome. Comparative proteomic analysis identified 149 and 136 proteins in anaerobic (30°C and 37°C) and non-aerated (30°C and 37°C) conditions, respectively. Our label-free proteomic analysis quantified a total of 1,239 proteins amongst which 161 proteins were statistically differentially expressed. Main differences were observed in cellular metabolism, stress response, transcription and proteins associated to cell wall. In addition, we identified six strain-specific proteins of NCDO 2118. Altogether, the results obtained in our study will help to improve the understanding about the factors related to both physiology and adaptive processes of L. lactis NCDO 2118 under changing environmental conditions.Fil: Marques Da Silva, Wanderson. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Brasil. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Castro Oliveira, Leticia. Universidade Federal Do Triangulo Mineiro; BrasilFil: Castro Soares, Siomar. Universidade Federal Do Triangulo Mineiro; BrasilFil: Severiano Sousa, Cassiana. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; BrasilFil: Campos Tavares, Guilherme. No especifíca;Fil: Perdigão Resende, Cristiana. No especifíca;Fil: Pereira, Felipe Luis. No especifíca;Fil: Ghosh, Preetam. Virginia Commonwealth University; Estados UnidosFil: Figueiredo, Henrique. No especifíca;Fil: Azevedo, Vasco. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Brasi