Expression in yeast of a cDNA copy of the K2 killer toxin gene

1991 ◽  
Vol 227 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Dignard ◽  
Malcolm Whiteway ◽  
Doris Germain ◽  
Daniel Tessier ◽  
David Y. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Killer Toxin ◽  
Toxin Gene ◽  
Cdna Copy

Electrochemical detection of toxin gene in Listeria monocytogenes

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 512-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling-Wei WU ◽  
Quan-Jun LIU ◽  
Zhong-Wei WU ◽  
Zu-Hong LU
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Electrochemical Detection ◽  
Toxin Gene

scholarly journals Identification of Novel Toxin Genes from the Stinging Nettle Caterpillar Parasa lepida (Cramer, 1799): Insights into the Evolution of Lepidoptera Toxins

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 396
Author(s):  
Natrada Mitpuangchon ◽  
Kwan Nualcharoen ◽  
Singtoe Boonrotpong ◽  
Patamarerk Engsontia
Keyword(s):  
Protease Inhibitors ◽  
Proteolytic Enzymes ◽  
Gene Annotation ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Toxin Gene ◽  
Cone Snail ◽  
Stinging Nettle ◽  
Toxin Genes ◽  
Nettle Caterpillar

Many animal species can produce venom for defense, predation, and competition. The venom usually contains diverse peptide and protein toxins, including neurotoxins, proteolytic enzymes, protease inhibitors, and allergens. Some drugs for cancer, neurological disorders, and analgesics were developed based on animal toxin structures and functions. Several caterpillar species possess venoms that cause varying effects on humans both locally and systemically. However, toxins from only a few species have been investigated, limiting the full understanding of the Lepidoptera toxin diversity and evolution. We used the RNA-seq technique to identify toxin genes from the stinging nettle caterpillar, Parasa lepida (Cramer, 1799). We constructed a transcriptome from caterpillar urticating hairs and reported 34,968 unique transcripts. Using our toxin gene annotation pipeline, we identified 168 candidate toxin genes, including protease inhibitors, proteolytic enzymes, and allergens. The 21 P. lepida novel Knottin-like peptides, which do not show sequence similarity to any known peptide, have predicted 3D structures similar to tarantula, scorpion, and cone snail neurotoxins. We highlighted the importance of convergent evolution in the Lepidoptera toxin evolution and the possible mechanisms. This study opens a new path to understanding the hidden diversity of Lepidoptera toxins, which could be a fruitful source for developing new drugs.

scholarly journals Molecular Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Genes of Bacterial Pathogens from Bovine and Caprine Mastitis in Northern Lebanon

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1148
Author(s):  
Zahie Abboud ◽  
Lucia Galuppo ◽  
Marco Tolone ◽  
Maria Vitale ◽  
Roberto Puleio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Molecular Characterization ◽  
Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽  
Meca Gene ◽  
Toxin Gene ◽  
Pcr Screening ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Flight Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Streptococcus Uberis

Mastitis is an infectious disease encountered in dairy animals worldwide that is currently a growing concern in Lebanon. This study aimed at investigating the etiology of the main mastitis-causing pathogens in Northern Lebanon, determining their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, and identifying their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. A total of 101 quarter milk samples were collected from 77 cows and 11 goats presenting symptoms of mastitis on 45 dairy farms. Bacterial identification was carried out through matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Molecular characterization included polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening for genes encoding extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) and plasmid-mediated AmpC among Enterobacterales isolates, and virulence factors among Staphylococcus isolates. Escherichia coli isolates were subjected to phylogenetic typing by a quadruplex PCR method. The most frequently identified species were Streptococcus uberis (19.2%), Streptococcus agalactiae (15.1%), E. coli (12.3%), and Staphylococcus aureus (10.96%). Gram-positive bacteria were resistant to macrolides and tetracycline, whereas gram-negative bacteria displayed resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline. Two ESBL genes, blaTEM (83.3%) and blaOXA (16.7%), and one AmpC beta-lactamase gene, blaCMY-II (16.7%), were detected among six E. coli isolates, which mainly belonged to phylogenetic group B1. Among Staphylococcus spp., the mecA gene was present in three isolates. Furthermore, four isolates contained at least one toxin gene, and all S. aureus isolates carried the ica operon. These findings revealed the alarming risk of AMR in the Lebanese dairy chain and the importance of monitoring antimicrobial usage.

scholarly journals Whole Genome Sequencing and Antimicrobial Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from Surgical Site Infections in Ghana

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Beverly Egyir ◽  
Jeannette Bentum ◽  
Naiki Attram ◽  
Anne Fox ◽  
Noah Obeng-Nkrumah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Whole Genome Sequencing ◽  
Genome Sequencing ◽  
Meca Gene ◽  
Surgical Site Infections ◽  
Illumina Miseq ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance ◽  
Toxin Gene ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Flight Mass Spectrometry

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common cause of surgical site infections (SSIs) globally. Data on the occurrence of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) as well as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) among patients with surgical site infections (SSIs) in sub-Saharan African are scarce. We characterized S. aureus from SSIs in Ghana using molecular methods and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Wound swabs or aspirate samples were collected from subjects with SSIs. S. aureus was identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS); AST was performed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion, and results were interpreted according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline. Detection of spa, mecA, and pvl genes was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was done using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Samples were collected from 112 subjects, with 13 S. aureus isolates recovered. Of these, 92% were sensitive to co-trimoxazole, 77% to clindamycin, and 54% to erythromycin. Multi-drug resistance was detected in 5 (38%) isolates. The four mecA gene-positive MRSA isolates detected belonged to ST152 (n = 3) and ST5 (n = 1). In total, 62% of the isolates were positive for the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl) toxin gene. This study reports, for the first time, a pvl-positive ST152-t355 MRSA clone from SSIs in Ghana. The occurrence of multi-drug-resistant S. aureus epidemic clones suggests that continuous surveillance is required to monitor the spread and resistance trends of S. aureus in hospital settings in the country.

scholarly journals Sero- and apx-typing of German Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae field isolates from 2010 to 2019 reveals a predominance of serovar 2 with regular apx-profile

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas Schuwerk ◽  
Doris Hoeltig ◽  
Karl-Heinz Waldmann ◽  
Peter Valentin-Weigand ◽  
Judith Rohde
Keyword(s):  
Reference Strain ◽  
Actinobacillus Pleuropneumoniae ◽  
Etiological Agent ◽  
Toxin Gene ◽  
Gene Profile ◽  
Field Isolates ◽  
Porcine Pleuropneumonia ◽  
Virulent Strains ◽  
Highly Virulent

AbstractSerotyping is the most common method to characterize field isolates of Actinobacillus (A.) pleuropneumoniae, the etiological agent of porcine pleuropneumonia. Based on serology, many farms seem to be infected and antibodies against a wide variety of serovars are detectable, but, so far it is unknown to what degree respective serovars contribute to outbreaks of clinical manifest disease. In this study, 213 German A. pleuropneumoniae field isolates retrieved for diagnostic purposes from outbreaks of porcine pleuropneumonia between 2010 and 2019 were genetically serotyped and analyzed regarding their apx-toxin gene profile using molecular methods. Serotyping revealed a prominent role of serovar 2 in clinical cases (64% of all isolates) and an increase in the detection of this serovar since 2010 in German isolates. Serovar 9/11 followed as the second most frequent serovar with about 15% of the isolates. Furthermore, very recently described serovars 16 (n = 2) and 18 (n = 8) were detected. Most isolates (93.4%) showed apx-profiles typical for the respective serovar. However, this does not hold true for isolates of serovar 18, as 75% (n = 6) of all isolates of this serovar deviated uniformly from the “typical” apx-gene profile of the reference strain 7311555. Notably, isolates from systemic lesions such as joints or meninges did not harbor the complete apxICABD operon which is considered typical for highly virulent strains. Furthermore, the extremely low occurrence (n = 1) of NAD independent (biovar II) isolates in German A. pleuropneumoniae was evident in our collection of clinical isolates.

scholarly journals Looking for the X Factor in Bacterial Pathogenesis: Association of orfX-p47 Gene Clusters with Toxin Genes in Clostridial and Non-Clostridial Bacterial Species

Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria B. Nowakowska ◽  
François P. Douillard ◽  
Miia Lindström
Keyword(s):  
Gene Cluster ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Botulinum Neurotoxin ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Gene Clusters ◽  
Bacterial Pathogenesis ◽  
Toxin Gene ◽  
Toxin Complex ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
Bacillus Isolate

The botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) has been extensively researched over the years in regard to its structure, mode of action, and applications. Nevertheless, the biological roles of four proteins encoded from a number of BoNT gene clusters, i.e., OrfX1-3 and P47, are unknown. Here, we investigated the diversity of orfX-p47 gene clusters using in silico analytical tools. We show that the orfX-p47 cluster was not only present in the genomes of BoNT-producing bacteria but also in a substantially wider range of bacterial species across the bacterial phylogenetic tree. Remarkably, the orfX-p47 cluster was consistently located in proximity to genes coding for various toxins, suggesting that OrfX1-3 and P47 may have a conserved function related to toxinogenesis and/or pathogenesis, regardless of the toxin produced by the bacterium. Our work also led to the identification of a putative novel BoNT-like toxin gene cluster in a Bacillus isolate. This gene cluster shares striking similarities to the BoNT cluster, encoding a bont/ntnh-like gene and orfX-p47, but also differs from it markedly, displaying additional genes putatively encoding the components of a polymorphic ABC toxin complex. These findings provide novel insights into the biological roles of OrfX1, OrfX2, OrfX3, and P47 in toxinogenesis and pathogenesis of BoNT-producing and non-producing bacteria.

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