Toxigenic bacteria and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): nasopharyngeal flora during the first year of life

Many developmental and environmental risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are similar to those for susceptibility to respiratory tract infection, and toxigenic bacteria have been implicated in some SIDS cases. We assessed nasopharyngeal flora of healthy infants in relation to risk factors to determine which species best lit the mathematical model proposed for the common bacterial toxin hypothesis and if these findings complemented results obtained from SIDS cases which occurred during the period of the survey. Longitudinal studies were carried out between April 1993 and March 1996 on 253 healthy infants and their mothers. 150 from a multiply deprived area, 103 from an affluent area. Concurrent SIDS infants (37) were screened for nasopharyngeal flora. Among healthy infants < or = 3 months of age, the predominant isolate was Staphylococcus aureus 57% compared with 86% for SIDS infants in that age range (P< 0.02). There were significant associations between isolation of different species from both mother and baby but no association between isolation of any species with: area of residence: parental smoking habits; breast or bottle feeding; symptoms of viral infection: seasonality. We conclude that S. aureus fits the mathematical model for SIDS. Both staphylococci and/or their toxins were identified in a significant proportion of SIDS cases. Isolation of staphylococci from healthy infants was associated with the 2-4-month age range, a risk factor consistently found in all epidemiological studies of SIDS. This might reflect the developmental stage in which 80-90% of infants express the Lewis(a) antigen which we have shown to be one of the receptors for S. aureus.     

Molecular detection of bacterial indicators in cosmetic/pharmaceuticals and raw materials

PCR assays were compared with standard microbiological methods for rapid detection of the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) bacterial indicators in artificially contaminated samples of raw materials and cosmetic/pharmaceutical products. DNA primers containing the specific sequences of the uidA gene of the β-glucuronidase enzyme for Escherichia coli, the membrane lipoprotein gene oprL for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the 16S ribosomal gene for Staphylococcus aureus were used for detection in the PCR reaction. Contaminated samples were incubated for 24 h at 35°C. After incubation in broth media with and without 4% Tween 20, samples were streaked on selective growth media. After 5–6 days, all microbial indicators were morphologically and biochemically identified using standard methods while detection and identification by the PCR-based assays was completed within 27–30 h. Rapid PCR detection of E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa will allow a faster quality evaluation and release of raw materials and cosmetic/pharmaceutical products sensitive to microbial contamination. Received 21 June 1998/ Accepted in revised form 11 January 1999     

Apoptosis observed in BALB/3T3 cells having ingested Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus was previously shown to be internalized by murine fibroblast. We examined the intracellular events of S. aureus ingested by BALB/3T3 cells. After uptake of strains A191 and A151, isolates from atopic lesion, and a laboratory strain, Cowan I, for 1 hr, BALB/3T3 cells were incubated with 1.25 microg/ml lysostaphin. Laddering of the DNA in multiples of approximately 180 bp occurred within 4 hr following bacterial addition in BALB/3T3 cells infected with A191 and within 18 hr in BALB/3T3 cells infected with A151: histochemical staining by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling method revealed that the rate of the fragmentation of nucleic DNA in Cowan I-infected BALB/3T3 cells at 21 hr following bacterial addition was 0.52 +/- 0.25%, significantly higher than that in the control cells. Transmission electron micrographs of BALB/3T3 cells at 4 hr following A191 addition showed that the apoptotic features, including electron-dense nucleus and plasma membrane blebbing, occurred in some cells in which many staphylococci escaped the endosome and went on to cell division. At the same time, A151 organisms enclosed with endosome membrane were static in the intact BALB/3T3 cells. The significant increase of A191 was confirmed by counting intracellular live bacteria during 2- to 6-hr incubation. These results suggest that internalized S. aureus escapes the endosome, multiplies and induces apoptosis in the fibroblast cell.     

Relationship between antibody productivity by activated human lymph node lymphocytes from lung cancer patients and lymphocyte subsets

Regional lymph node lymphocytes from five patients with primary lung cancer were analyzed for subset composition, and exposed in vitro to the polyclonal human B cell mitogen Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SACI) or the murine B cell mitogen lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and then fused with mouse myeloma cells for investigation at the clonal level of their antibody (Ab) production and its statistical relation to the original subset composition. No correlation was found between the proportion of CD19+, CD23+, or CD3+ cells in the lymphocyte sample prior to its exposure to either SACI or LPS, and the Ab production efficiency, defined as the ratio of the number of Ab producing wells to the total number of proliferating wells. For lymphocytes exposed to LPS, however, a strong correlation (r = 0.931, p = 0.02) was observed between the Ab production efficiency and the ratio of CD8+ to CD3+ cells (CD8/CD3) in the original sample at least within the ranges studied (CD8/CD3 = 0.216–0.288). For those exposed to SACI, no correlation was found between the Ab production efficiency and the CD8/CD3 ratio (r = 0.881, p = 0.12) or the proportion of CD8+ cells (r = 0.808, p = 0.19) in the original sample. These results suggest that the repertoire of B cells responsive to LPS is different at least in part from the repertoire responsive to SACI and that the ratio CD8/CD3 could serve as a practical predictor for Ab production by human lymphocytes stimulated with LPS. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

溶葡球菌酶高效表达与应用

溶葡球菌酶(lysostaphin,Lys)是采用基因克隆技术使溶葡球菌酶基因实现外源表达所产生的蛋白质。它是Zn2+依赖的金属蛋白酶,具有肽链内切酶活性,能专一性地水解葡萄球菌细胞壁Gly五肽桥联,使金黄色葡萄球菌(特别是MRSA)细胞壁破裂,达到溶菌杀菌作用,而不产生耐药性。作为一种抗菌剂,在兽药与临床等领域具有巨大的应用潜力。综述对溶葡球菌酶的来源、作用机制、不同表达系统及前景与展望进行综述。     

Temperature-assisted high hydrostatic pressure inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus in a ham model system: evaluation in selective and nonselective medium

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the inactivation kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus in a ham model system by high hydrostatic pressure at ambient (25°C) and selected temperatures (45, 55°C). Selective [Baird Parker (BP) agar] and nonselective [brain heart infusion (BHI) agar] growth media were used for enumeration in order to count viable and sublethally injured cells. Methods and Results: The micro‐organism was exposed to a range of pressures (450, 500, 550, 600 MPa) at ambient temperature (25°C) for up to 45 min. Additionally, the behaviour of the micro‐organism was evaluated at mild temperatures in combination with high pressure treatment, namely: (i) 350, 400 and 450 MPa at 45°C; and (ii) 350 and 400 MPa at 55°C, for up to 12 min. Inactivation kinetics were calculated in terms of D_p and z_p values. Survival curves of S. aureus at ambient temperature were mostly linear, whereas when temperature was applied, tailing was observed in most survival curves. The estimated D_p values and therefore the number of surviving cells, were substantially higher on the selective BP agar in the whole range of pressures applied, indicating that S. aureus showed greater recovery in the selective BP agar than the nonselective BHI agar. Samples pressurized at ambient temperature needed higher pressures (over 500 MPa) to achieve a reduction of the population of the pathogen more than 5 log CFU ml^?1. The same level of inactivation was achieved at lower pressure levels when mild heating was simultaneously applied. Indeed, more than 6 log CFU ml^?1 reductions were obtained at 400 MPa and 55°C within the first 7 min of the process in BHI medium. Conclusion: Elevated temperatures allowed lower pressure levels and shorter processing times of pathogen inactivation than at room temperature. Greater recovery of the pathogen was observed in the selective (BP agar) medium, regardless of pressure and temperature applied. Significance and Impact of the Study: The obtained kinetics could be employed by the industry in selecting optimum pressure/temperature processing conditions. Attention must be given to the selection of the enumeration medium, as the use of an inappropriate medium would lead to underestimation of the surviving cells, thus imposing a risk in the microbiological safety of the product.     

破菌时可自动降解宿主核酸的大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)的lpxM突变株构建

研究利用Red同源重组技术对常用大肠杆菌表达宿主菌BL21(DE3)进行改良, 构建破菌时可自动降解宿主核酸的大肠杆菌表达宿主菌, 该菌株可望有助于解决因破菌时宿主菌染色体核酸释放给后续纯化重组蛋白工作带来的困难。将N端连有OmpA的信号肽的S. aureus nucleaseB(nucB)表达框整合至E. coli BL21(DE3)的lpxM位点, 改造后菌株(称为BLN)经诱导能表达nucB、并分泌至周质空间, 这样可使宿主核酸免受该酶“毒性”影响, 菌体裂解后, nucB释放,能自动降解宿主核酸。BLN菌体生长状态以及表达外源重组蛋白的能力与出发菌基本一致。     

Diversity of staphylocoagulase and identification of novel variants of staphylocoagulase gene in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylocoagulase (SC) is a major phenotypic determinant of Staphylococcus aureus. Serotype of SC (coagulase type) is used as an epidemiological marker and 10 types (I-X) have been discriminated so far. To clarify genetic diversity of SC within a single and among different serotype(s), we determined approximately 1500 bp-nucleotide sequences of SC gene encoding D1, D2, and central regions (N-terminal half and central regions of SC; SC(NC)) for a total of 33 S. aureus strains comprising two to three strains from individual coagulase types (I-VIII, X) and 10 strains which were not determined as previously known SC serotypes (ND-strains). Amino acid sequence identities of SC(NC) among strains with a single coagulase type of II, III, IV, V, VI and X were extremely high (more than 99%), whereas lower identity (56-87%) was observed among different types. In contrast, within a single coagulase type of I, VII, or VIII, sequence divergence was found (lowest identity; 82%). SC(NC) sequences from the ND-strains were discriminated into two genetic groups with an identity of 71% to each other (tentatively assigned to genotypes [XI] and [XII]), and exhibited less than 86% sequence identities to those of most known coagulase types. All the types [XI] and [XII] strains were methicillin susceptible and belonged to different sequence types from those of coagulase types I-X strains reported so far by multilocus sequence typing. These findings indicated genetic heterogeneity of SC in coagulase types I, VII, and VIII strains, and the presence of two novel SC genotypes related to antigenicity of SC serotypes.     

性病患者金黄色葡萄球菌感染耐药性调查

目的：分析和探讨性病后泌尿生殖系统金黄色葡萄球菌及耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(MRSA)感染及其对各类抗生素的耐药性,以协助指导临床合理用药。方法：采用常规培养鉴定方法和1999年美国NCCLS药敏试验纸片扩散法检测泌尿生殖系标本中金黄色葡萄球菌、MRSA分离率及其对抗生素的敏感性。结果：427例标本共分离出金黄色葡萄球菌236株,其中MRSA占43．6％。金黄色葡萄球菌对常用16种抗生素的耐药率小于20％有万古霉素、呋喃坦啶、阿米卡星、利福平。MRSA对上述外的抗生素均有不同程度的耐药,且耐药性均高于MRSS．呈多重耐药。结论：金黄色葡萄球菌在性病泌尿系统感染占首位,这些菌株对各类抗生素有较高的耐药性,且呈多重耐药．应密切关注MRSA流行和播散。     

环境毒物对金黄色葡萄球菌毒性影响的研究

采用毒物在营养琼脂中垂直扩散方法,通过测定毒物在营养球脂中抑制金黄色葡萄球菌生长产生蓝色抑菌带的长度,研究Hg、Cr^6 、Pb、CN^—、As、NO2^—、F^—及苯酚对金黄色葡萄球菌的毒性影响。结果表明：受试毒物的浓度与抑菌带有相关性,相关系数具显著意义;对毒物的敏感性为Cr^6 ＞Hg＞As＞CN^—＞Pb＞NO2^—＞苯酚＞F—;多种毒物共同作用其毒性影响增加。