The yin-yang driving urinary tract infection and how proteomics can enhance research, diagnostics, and treatment.

Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) afflict millions of people worldwide both in the community and the hospital setting. The onset, duration, and severity of infection depend on the characteristics of the invading pathogen (yin), as well as the immune response elicited by the infected individual (yang). Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) account for the majority of UTIs, and extensive investigations by many scientific groups have elucidated an elaborate pathogenic UPEC life cycle, involving the occupation of extracellular and intracellular niches and the expression of an arsenal of virulence factors that facilitate niche occupation. This review will summarize the current knowledge on UPEC pathogenesis; the host immune responses elicited to combat infection; and it will describe proteomics approaches used to understand UPEC pathogenesis, as well as drive diagnostics and treatment options. Finally, new strategies are highlighted that could be applied toward furthering our knowledge regarding host-bacterial interactions during UTI.

The influence of aromatic residues in hydraphile spacer units: assay by ion selective electrode methods and in bacteria.

A small library of hydraphiles has been prepared that incorporates either 1,4-phenylenedioxy or 2,6-naphthalenedioxy within the spacer chains. The side chains attached to the distal macrocycles in these tris(macrocyclic) compounds are either n-dodecyl or benzyl. The presence of the arenes subunits significantly affect sodium cation release from vesicles. The efficacy of ion transport is paralleled by the toxicity of these compounds to Bacillus subtilis.