Vertebral osteomyelitis is characterised by increased RANK/OPG and RANKL/OPG expression ratios in vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs.

Vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) is an infection of the spine mainly caused by bacterial pathogens. The pathogenesis leading to destruction of intervertebral discs (IVDs) and adjacent vertebral bodies (VBs) is poorly described. The present study aimed at investigating the connection between infection and bone/disc metabolism in VO patients. 14 patients with VO (infection group) and 14 patients with burst fractures of the spine (fracture group; control) were included prospectively. Tissue biopsies from affected IVDs and adjacent VBs were analysed by RT-qPCR for mRNA-expression levels of 18 target genes including chemokines, adipokines and genes involved in bone metabolism. Most importantly, the receptor activator of NF-κB/osteoprotegerin (RANK/OPG) expression ratio was drastically elevated in both VBs and IVDs of the infection group. In parallel, expression of genes of the prostaglandin-E2-dependent prostanoid system was induced. Such genes regulate tissue degradation processes via the triad OPG/RANK/RANKL as well as via the chemokines IL-8 and CCL-20, whose expression was also found to be increased upon infection. The gene expression of the adipokine leptin, which promotes inflammatory tissue degradation, was higher in IVD tissue of the infection group, whereas the transcription of omentin and resistin genes, whose functions are largely unknown in the context of infectious diseases, was lower in infected VBs. In summary, similar expression patterns of pro-inflammatory cytokines and pro-osteoclastogenic factors were identified in VBs and IVDs of patients suffering from VO. This suggests that common immuno-metabolic pathways are involved in the mechanisms leading to tissue degradation in VBs and IVDs during VO.

Complete genome sequence of the plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora strain ATCC 49946.

Erwinia amylovora causes the economically important disease fire blight that affects rosaceous plants, especially pear and apple. Here we report the complete genome sequence and annotation of strain ATCC 49946. The analysis of the sequence and its comparison with sequenced genomes of closely related enterobacteria revealed signs of pathoadaptation to rosaceous hosts.

The complete genome sequence of Escherichia coli K-12.

The 4,639,221-base pair sequence of Escherichia coli K-12 is presented. Of 4288 protein-coding genes annotated, 38 percent have no attributed function. Comparison with five other sequenced microbes reveals ubiquitous as well as narrowly distributed gene families; many families of similar genes within E. coli are also evident. The largest family of paralogous proteins contains 80 ABC transporters. The genome as a whole is strikingly organized with respect to the local direction of replication; guanines, oligonucleotides possibly related to replication and recombination, and most genes are so oriented. The genome also contains insertion sequence (IS) elements, phage remnants, and many other patches of unusual composition indicating genome plasticity through horizontal transfer.

Niche-specificity and the variable fraction of the Pectobacterium pan-genome.

We compare genome sequences of three closely related soft-rot pathogens that vary in host range and geographical distribution to identify genetic differences that could account for lifestyle differences. The isolates compared, Pectobacterium atrosepticum SCRI1043, P. carotovorum WPP14, and P. brasiliensis 1692, represent diverse lineages of the genus. P. carotovorum and P. brasiliensis genome contigs, generated by 454 pyrosequencing ordered by reference to the previously published complete circular chromosome of P. atrosepticum genome and each other, account for 96% of the predicted genome size. Orthologous proteins encoded by P. carotovorum and P. brasiliensis are approximately 95% identical to each other and 92% identical to P. atrosepticum. Multiple alignment using Mauve identified a core genome of 3.9 Mb conserved among these Pectobacterium spp. Each core genome is interrupted at many points by species-specific insertions or deletions (indels) that account for approximately 0.9 to 1.1 Mb. We demonstrate that the presence of a hrpK-like type III secretion system-dependent effector protein in P. carotovorum and P. brasiliensis and its absence from P. atrosepticum is insufficient to explain variability in their response to infection in a plant. Additional genes that vary among these species include those encoding peptide toxin production, enzyme production, secretion proteins, and antibiotic production, as well as differences in more general aspects of gene regulation and metabolism that may be relevant to pathogenicity.

The novel CALM interactor CATS influences the subcellular localization of the leukemogenic fusion protein CALM/AF10.

The Clathrin Assembly Lymphoid Myeloid leukemia gene (CALM or PICALM) was first identified as the fusion partner of AF10 in the t(10;11)(p13;q14) translocation, which is observed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and malignant lymphoma. The CALM/AF10 fusion protein plays a crucial role in t(10;11)(p13;q14) associated leukemogenesis. Using the N-terminal half of CALM as a bait in a yeast two-hybrid screen, a novel protein named CATS (CALM interacting protein expressed in thymus and spleen) was identified. Multiple tissue Northern blot analysis showed predominant expression of CATS in thymus, spleen and colon. CATS codes for two protein isoforms of 238 and 248 amino acids (aa). The interaction between CALM and CATS could be confirmed using pull down assays, co-immunoprecipitation and colocalization experiments. The CATS interaction domain of CALM was mapped to aa 221-335 of CALM. This domain is contained in the CALM/AF10 fusion protein. CATS localizes to the nucleus and shows a preference for nucleoli. Expression of CATS was able to markedly increase the nuclear localization of CALM and of the leukemogenic fusion protein CALM/AF10. The possible implications of these findings for CALM/AF10-mediated leukemogenesis are discussed.

Genome-wide expression profiling in Escherichia coli K-12.

We have established high resolution methods for global monitoring of gene expression in Escherichia coli. Hybridization of radiolabeled cDNA to spot blots on nylon membranes was compared to hybridization of fluorescently-labeled cDNA to glass microarrays for efficiency and reproducibility. A complete set of PCR primers was created for all 4290 annotated open reading frames (ORFs) from the complete genome sequence of E.coli K-12 (MG1655). Glass- and nylon-based arrays of PCR products were prepared and used to assess global changes in gene expression. Full-length coding sequences for array printing were generated by two-step PCR amplification. In this study we measured changes in RNA levels after exposure to heat shock and following treatment with isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). Both radioactive and fluorescence-based methods showed comparable results. Treatment with IPTG resulted in high level induction of the lacZYA and melAB operons. Following heat shock treatment 119 genes were shown to have significantly altered expression levels, including 35 previously uncharacterized ORFs and most genes of the heat shock stimulon. Analysis of spot intensities from hybridization to replicate arrays identified sets of genes with signals consistently above background suggesting that at least 25% of genes were expressed at detectable levels during growth in rich media.

An illustrated guide to RFLP troubleshooting.

A large number of reagents and steps are required for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, which at times make determining the cause of any observed anomaly difficult. Troubleshooting problems in RFLP analysis is difficult and often the exact cause of a problem cannot be determined. In this paper a collection of controlled experiments detail the consequences of a number of human or materials problems. Although the focus is on forensic applications, this troubleshooting guide will be helpful to anyone employing Southern analysis.

Inbreeding depression and male-mating behavior in Drosophila melanogaster.

There have been relatively few studies designed to investigate the effects of inbreeding on behavioral traits. To study this phenomenon, five experimental lines of Drosophila melanogaster made isogenic for chromosome 2 were evaluated for their male-mating ability and, subsequently, male courtship behavior. All lines showed significant reductions in overall mating ability, and males from all of these lines displayed impaired mating behavior, with two lines displaying particularly aberrant courtship patterns. Line 16 displayed an inability to successfully initiate copulation following successful courtship, while line 17 displayed significant reduction in locomotor activity, resulting in virtually no successful courtship or copulatory activity. The implications of these findings for competitive mating ability in wild Drosophila populations are presented. Further, the importance of mating success as a fitness component in the management of potentially highly inbred populations of endangered species is discussed.

Caenorhabditis elegans contains genes encoding two new members of the Zn-containing alcohol dehydrogenase family.

We have characterized two cDNA clones from the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that display similarity to the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene family. The nucleotide sequences of these cDNAs predict that they encode Zn-containing long-chain ADH enzymes. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that one is most similar to dimeric class III ADHs found in diverse taxa; the other is most similar to the tetrameric forms of ADH previously described only in fungi.

A probabilistic learning approach to whole-genome operon prediction.

We present a computational approach to predicting operons in the genomes of prokaryotic organisms. Our approach uses machine learning methods to induce predictive models for this task from a rich variety of data types including sequence data, gene expression data, and functional annotations associated with genes. We use multiple learned models that individually predict promoters, terminators and operons themselves. A key part of our approach is a dynamic programming method that uses our predictions to map every known and putative gene in a given genome into its most probable operon. We evaluate our approach using data from the E. coli K-12 genome.

Genomic interspecies microarray hybridization: rapid discovery of three thousand genes in the maize endophyte, Klebsiella pneumoniae 342, by microarray hybridization with Escherichia coli K-12 open reading frames.

In an effort to efficiently discover genes in the diazotrophic endophyte of maize, Klebsiella pneumoniae 342, DNA from strain 342 was hybridized to a microarray containing 96% (n = 4,098) of the annotated open reading frames from Escherichia coli K-12. Using a criterion of 55% identity or greater, 3,000 (70%) of the E. coli K-12 open reading frames were also found to be present in strain 342. Approximately 24% (n = 1,030) of the E. coli K-12 open reading frames are absent in strain 342. For 1.6% (n = 68) of the open reading frames, the signal was too low to make a determination regarding the presence or absence of the gene. Genes with high identity between the two organisms are those involved in energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, cofactor synthesis, cell division, DNA replication, transcription, translation, transport, and regulatory proteins. Functions that were less highly conserved included carbon compound metabolism, membrane proteins, structural proteins, putative transport proteins, cell processes such as adaptation and protection, and central intermediary metabolism. Open reading frames of E. coli K-12 with little or no identity in strain 342 included putative regulatory proteins, putative chaperones, surface structure proteins, mobility proteins, putative enzymes, hypothetical proteins, and proteins of unknown function, as well as genes presumed to have been acquired by lateral transfer from sources such as phage, plasmids, or transposons. The results were in agreement with the physiological properties of the two strains. Whole genome comparisons by genomic interspecies microarray hybridization are shown to rapidly identify thousands of genes in a previously uncharacterized bacterial genome provided that the genome of a close relative has been fully sequenced. This approach will become increasingly more useful as more full genome sequences become available.

Genome sequence of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7.

The bacterium Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a worldwide threat to public health and has been implicated in many outbreaks of haemorrhagic colitis, some of which included fatalities caused by haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Close to 75,000 cases of O157:H7 infection are now estimated to occur annually in the United States. The severity of disease, the lack of effective treatment and the potential for large-scale outbreaks from contaminated food supplies have propelled intensive research on the pathogenesis and detection of E. coli O157:H7 (ref. 4). Here we have sequenced the genome of E. coli O157:H7 to identify candidate genes responsible for pathogenesis, to develop better methods of strain detection and to advance our understanding of the evolution of E. coli, through comparison with the genome of the non-pathogenic laboratory strain E. coli K-12 (ref. 5). We find that lateral gene transfer is far more extensive than previously anticipated. In fact, 1,387 new genes encoded in strain-specific clusters of diverse sizes were found in O157:H7. These include candidate virulence factors, alternative metabolic capacities, several prophages and other new functions--all of which could be targets for surveillance.