CCL5 modulates pneumococcal immunity and carriage

Understanding the requirements for protection against pneumococcal carriage and pneumonia will greatly benefit efforts in controlling these diseases. Recently, it has been shown that genetic polymorphisms can result in diminished expression of CCL5, which results in increased susceptibility to and progression of infectious diseases. We show that CCL5, together with Th cytokine mRNA expression, is temporally up-regulated during pneumococcal carriage. To determine the contribution of CCL5 to pneumococcal surface antigen A-specific humoral and cellular pneumococcal immunity, mice were treated with anti-CCL5 or control Abs before and during Streptococcus pneumoniae strain EF3030-challenge for the initiation of carriage. CCL5 blockade resulted in a decrease of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells as well as CD11b(+) cells in the spleen, cervical lymph node, lung, and nasopharyngeal associated lymphoid tissue during the recognition phase of the pneumococcal adaptive immune response. CCL5 blockade significantly reduced the Ag-specific IgG2a and IgG1 Abs in serum and IgA Ab levels in nasal washes. These decreases also corresponded to reductions in Ag-specific T cell (mucosal and systemic) responses. CCL5 inhibition resulted in decreasing the quantity of IL-4- and IFN-gamma-secreting CD4(+) T cells and increasing the number of Ag-specific IL-10-producing CD4(+) T cells; these changes combined also corresponded with the transition from pneumococcal carriage to lethal pneumonia. These data suggest that CCL5 is an essential factor for the induction and maintenance of protective pneumococcal immunity.     

Complete genome sequence of Desulfomicrobium baculatum type strain (X)

Desulfomicrobium baculatum is the type species of the genus Desulfomicrobium, which is the type genus of the family Desulfomicrobiaceae. It is of phylogenetic interest because of the isolated location of the family Desulfomicrobiaceae within the order Desulfovibrionales. D. baculatum strain X(T) is a Gram-negative, motile, sulfate-reducing bacterium isolated from water-saturated manganese carbonate ore. It is strictly anaerobic and does not require NaCl for growth, although NaCl concentrations up to 6% (w/v) are tolerated. The metabolism is respiratory or fermentative. In the presence of sulfate, pyruvate and lactate are incompletely oxidized to acetate and CO(2). Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the first completed genome sequence of a member of the deltaproteobacterial family Desulfomicrobiaceae, and this 3,942,657 bp long single replicon genome with its 3494 protein-coding and 72 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Acidimicrobium ferrooxidans type strain (ICP)

Acidimicrobium ferrooxidans (Clark and Norris 1996) is the sole and type species of the genus, which until recently was the only genus within the actinobacterial family Acidimicrobiaceae and in the order Acidomicrobiales. Rapid oxidation of iron pyrite during autotrophic growth in the absence of an enhanced CO(2) concentration is characteristic for A. ferrooxidans. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the order Acidomicrobiales, and the 2,158,157 bp long single replicon genome with its 2038 protein coding and 54 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Beutenbergia cavernae type strain (HKI 0122)

Beutenbergia cavernae (Groth et al. 1999) is the type species of the genus and is of phylogenetic interest because of its isolated location in the actinobacterial suborder Micrococcineae. B. cavernae HKI 0122(T) is a Gram-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacterium isolated from a cave in Guangxi (China). B. cavernae grows best under aerobic conditions and shows a rod-coccus growth cycle. Its cell wall peptidoglycan contains the diagnostic L-lysine ← L-glutamate interpeptide bridge. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first completed genome sequence from the poorly populated micrococcineal family Beutenbergiaceae, and this 4,669,183 bp long single replicon genome with its 4225 protein-coding and 53 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Leptotrichia buccalis type strain (C-1013-b)

Leptotrichia buccalis (Robin 1853) Trevisan 1879 is the type species of the genus, and is of phylogenetic interest because of its isolated location in the sparsely populated and neither taxonomically nor genomically adequately accessed family 'Leptotrichiaceae' within the phylum 'Fusobacteria'. Species of Leptotrichia are large, fusiform, non-motile, non-sporulating rods, which often populate the human oral flora. L. buccalis is anaerobic to aerotolerant, and saccharolytic. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the order 'Fusobacteriales' and no more than the second sequence from the phylum 'Fusobacteria'. The 2,465,610 bp long single replicon genome with its 2306 protein-coding and 61 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans type strain (5575)

Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans Widdel and Pfennig 1977 was one of the first sulfate-reducing bacteria known to grow with acetate as sole energy and carbon source. It is able to oxidize substrates completely to carbon dioxide with sulfate as the electron acceptor, which is reduced to hydrogen sulfide. All available data about this species are based on strain 5575(T), isolated from piggery waste in Germany. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the first completed genome sequence of a Desulfotomaculum species with validly published name. The 4,545,624 bp long single replicon genome with its 4370 protein-coding and 100 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Rhodothermus marinus type strain (R-10)

Rhodothermus marinus Alfredsson et al. 1995 is the type species of the genus and is of phylogenetic interest because the Rhodothermaceae represent the deepest lineage in the phylum Bacteroidetes. R. marinus R-10(T) is a Gram-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacterium isolated from marine hot springs off the coast of Iceland. Strain R-10(T) is strictly aerobic and requires slightly halophilic conditions for growth. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of the genus Rhodothermus, and only the second sequence from members of the family Rhodothermaceae. The 3,386,737 bp genome (including a 125 kb plasmid) with its 2914 protein-coding and 48 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Influence of Apolipoprotein (Apo) A-I Structure on Nascent High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Particle Size Distribution

The principal protein of high density lipoprotein (HDL), apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, in the lipid-free state contains two tertiary structure domains comprising an N-terminal helix bundle and a less organized C-terminal domain. It is not known how the properties of these domains modulate the formation and size distribution of apoA-I-containing nascent HDL particles created by ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1)-mediated efflux of cellular phospholipid and cholesterol. To address this issue, proteins corresponding to the two domains of human apoA-I (residues 1–189 and 190–243) and mouse apoA-I (residues 1–186 and 187–240) together with some human/mouse domain hybrids were examined for their abilities to form HDL particles when incubated with either ABCA1-expressing cells or phospholipid multilamellar vesicles. Incubation of human apoA-I with cells gave rise to two sizes of HDL particles (hydrodynamic diameter, 8 and 10 nm), and removal or disruption of the C-terminal domain eliminated the formation of the smaller particle. Variations in apoA-I domain structure and physical properties exerted similar effects on the rates of formation and sizes of HDL particles created by either spontaneous solubilization of phospholipid multilamellar vesicles or the ABCA1-mediated efflux of cellular lipids. It follows that the sizes of nascent HDL particles are determined at the point at which cellular phospholipid and cholesterol are solubilized by apoA-I; apparently, this is the rate-determining step in the overall ABCA1-mediated cellular lipid efflux process. The stability of the apoA-I N-terminal helix bundle domain and the hydrophobicity of the C-terminal domain are important determinants of both nascent HDL particle size and their rate of formation.     

Complete genome sequence of Intrasporangium calvum type strain (7 KIP)

Intrasporangium calvum Kalakoutskii et al. 1967 is the type species of the genus Intrasporangium, which belongs to the actinobacterial family Intrasporangiaceae. The species is a Gram-positive bacterium that forms a branching mycelium, which tends to break into irregular fragments. The mycelium of this strain may bear intercalary vesicles but does not contain spores. The strain described in this study is an airborne organism that was isolated from a school dining room in 1967. One particularly interesting feature of I. calvum is that the type of its menaquinone is different from all other representatives of the family Intrasporangiaceae. This is the first completed genome sequence from a member of the genus Intrasporangium and also the first sequence from the family Intrasporangiaceae. The 4,024,382 bp long genome with its 3,653 protein-coding and 57 RNA genes is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.     

Complete genome sequence of Acetohalobium arabaticum type strain (Z-7288)

Veillonella parvula (Veillon and Zuber 1898) Prévot 1933 is the type species of the genus Veillonella in the family Veillonellaceae within the order Clostridiales. The species V. parvula is of interest because it is frequently isolated from dental plaque in the human oral cavity and can cause opportunistic infections. The species is strictly anaerobic and grows as small cocci which usually occur in pairs. Veillonellae are characterized by their unusual metabolism which is centered on the activity of the enzyme methylmalonyl-CoA decarboxylase. Strain Te3(T), the type strain of the species, was isolated from the human intestinal tract. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of a member of the large clostridial family Veillonellaceae, and the 2,132,142 bp long single replicon genome with its 1,859 protein-coding and 61 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.