A serine/threonine phosphatase encoded by MG_207 of Mycoplasma genitalium is critical for its virulence.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial signal transduction systems like two component system (TCS) and Serine/Threonine kinase (STK) and Serine/Threonine phosphatase (STP) play important roles in the virulence and pathogenesis of bacterial pathogens. Mycoplasma genitalium, a mollicute that causes the urogenital diseases urethritis and cervicitis in men and women, respectively, is a pathogen which lacks TCS but possesses STK/STP. In this study, we investigated the biochemical and virulence properties of an STP protein encoded by the gene MG_207 of this species. RESULTS: We overexpressed MG207 in Escherichia coli overexpression system as a recombinant His10MG207 protein and purified it with affinity chromatography. This recombinant protein readily hydrolyzed the substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) in a dose-dependent manner. Additional studies using synthetic peptides as substrates revealed that the recombinant protein was able to hydrolyze the threonine phosphate. Further, a transposon insertion mutant strain of M. genitalium (TIM207) that lacks the protein MG207 showed differentially phosphorylated proteins when compared to the wild type G37 strain. Mass spectrometry revealed that some of the key proteins differentially phosphorylated in TIM207 strain were putative cytoskeletal protein encoded by the gene MG_328 and pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 α chain encoded by the gene MG_274. In addition, TIM207 was noticed to be less cytotoxic to HeLa cells and this correlated with the production of less hydrogen peroxide by this strain. This strain was also less efficient in inducing the differentiation of THP-1 cell line as compared to wild type M. genitalium. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study suggest that MG207 is an important signaling protein of M. genitalium and its presence may be crucial for the virulence of this species.

Extended Remdesivir Infusion for Persistent Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection.

Persistent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection is difficult to treat. Here, we report a case of 5-month persistent coronavirus disease 2019 in an immunocompromised patient who was successfully treated with 30 consecutive days of remdesivir. Prolonged remdesivir infusion with concurrent cycle threshold monitoring might provide a potential solution to cure these patients with difficult-to-treat infections.

Blood Groups Distribution and Gene Diversity of the ABO and Rh (D) Loci in the Mexican Population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and distribution of ABO and Rh (D) antigens and, additionally, investigate gene diversity and the structure of Mexican populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood groups were tested in 271,164 subjects from 2014 to 2016. The ABO blood group was determined by agglutination using the antibodies anti-A, Anti-B, and Anti-D for the Rh factor, respectively. RESULTS: The overall distribution of ABO and Rh (D) groups in the population studied was as follows: O: 61.82%; A: 27.44%; B: 8.93%; and AB: 1.81%. For the Rh group, 95.58% of people were Rh (D), and 4.42% were Rh (d). Different distributions of blood groups across regions were found; additionally, genetic analysis revealed that the IO and ID allele showed an increasing trend from the north to the center, while the IA and Id allele tended to increase from the center to the north. Also, we found more gene diversity in both loci in the north compared with the center, suggesting population structure in Mexico. CONCLUSION: This work could help health institutions to identify where they can obtain blood products necessary for medical interventions. Moreover, this piece of information contributes to the knowledge of the genetic structure of the Mexican populations which could have significant implications in different fields of biomedicine.

Body condition and stage of seasonal anestrus interact to determine the ovulatory response after male biostimulation in anovulatory Criollo × Nubian goats.

The effect of goat nutritional condition on the response to biostimulation with sexually active males during different stages of anestrus was determined. Fifty-eight Criollo × Nubian females on high and low body mass index (BMI) diets were used. Each BMI group was divided into two for biostimulation with sexually active males during May (mid-anestrus) or July (transition period). Ovulatory responses to biostimulation were characterized from serum progesterone, as well as the delay for response (first and second ovulations followed by a normal length luteal phase, O-WNLP). The percentage of goats showing one O-WNLP was greater in the high BMI group than in the low BMI group and greater during the transition period than in the mid-anestrus. However, the interaction between factors revealed that the difference between BMI groups was only significant in the transition period and the difference between stages was only significant in goats with high BMI. Occurrence of a second O-WNLP tended to be greater in the high BMI group than in the low BMI group. Response delay was shorter in the transition period than in mid-anestrus. In conclusion, female nutritional status interacting with the stage of anestrus determined the ovulatory response to male biostimulation in crossbred Criollo goats.

Hospitalization for initiation of maintenance hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Recent data on complications of hemodialysis (HD) is lacking. With advancement in dialysis technology the incidence of complications such as dialysis disequilibrium syndrome (DDS) has decreased. Notwithstanding these improvements many patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) continue to be hospitalized solely for initiation of hemodialysis. This study was undertaken to assess if such admissions are justified and also to determine incidence and predictors of complications of HD during initiation. METHODS: Medical records of adult patients (>18 years) initiated on maintenance hemodialysis from January 1st, 1998 through December 31st, 2000 at our institution were reviewed. The demographics of the patients, cause of renal failure, creatinine clearance, type of vascular access, comorbidities, serum chemistries, ultrafiltration (UF) rate and indications for initiating dialysis were noted. Intradialytic complications were retrieved from the dialysis flow sheets. RESULTS: Of the 240 patients reviewed, 18.3% developed complications during initiation of dialysis, and none was severe. Hypotension and leg cramps were the most frequent complications. The patients who developed hypotension and cramps were significantly older than those with no complications, 57.7 +/- 14.9 (mean +/- SD) years versus 52.3 +/- 14.8 years, respectively (p = 0.02). The increment of age significantly influenced the complication rate [odds ratio (OR): 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.05 (p = 0.03)], and so did hematocrit (HCT) (OR: 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.13). Multivariate analysis using age and hematocrit as continuous variables revealed that the older patients with anemia had a significantly higher risk of developing HD related complications than younger patients with anemia (OR: 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09 at HCT of 24%, and OR: 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.06 at HCT 27%). When patients were stratified by hematocrit level, older patients with hematocrit <27% had higher risk of complications and the risk increased with increasing age [complication rate (HCT <27%): age <40 = 0%, age 40-64 = 11.7%, age >65 = 25%, p < 0.016]. CONCLUSION: Although very few, hypotension and muscle cramps were the main complications during initiation of HD. Older patients with anemia are prone for these complications although no physician intervention was necessary. Hospitalization solely for initiation of maintenance dialysis is not necessary and the additional cost from such admissions cannot be justified.

Analysis of some phenotypic traits of feces-borne temperate lambdoid bacteriophages from different immunity groups: a high incidence of cor+, FhuA-dependent phages.

A group of previously isolated heterogeneous mEp lambdoid phages (43) from 19 different immunity groups for phage infection was further characterized to gain insight into some phenotypic traits and to assess their relationship with phage lambda. Interestingly, the FhuA host receptor was required by the majority of mEp phages (37 out of 43; approximately 85%). The cor gene, which has been reported to be involved in FhuA-dependent exclusion of lambdoid phages, was also found in most of the FhuA-dependent phages. Accordingly, no cor amplification by PCR was obtained among the six FhuA-independent mEp lambdoid phages. In contrast, it was found that around 25% of the population (10 out of 43 phages) required the specific and essential lambda N antitermination function, and the lambda site-specific DNA recombination function was observed only in two members (4.6%). Thus, a larger proportion of phages require the FhuA receptor for infection, and this is frequently correlated with the cor gene.

Pubertad en corderos pelibuey nacidos de ovejas con reproducción estacional o continua / Puberty in male pelibuey lambis offspring of seasonal or continuous breeding ewes

Corderos Pelibuey (n= 14) nacidos de siete madres con reproducción estacional (E) o de otras siete continuas (C) fueron mantenidos en condiciones intensivas con finalidad de determinar si existen diferencias en algunos eventos asociados a la pubertad. Los corderos, nacidos en noviembre, fueron pesados cada 15 días y una vez destetados a los 60 días fueron revisados semanalmente para registrar el momento del completo desprendimiento de adherencias prepuciales (DAP) y el grado de desarrollo de la circunferencia escrotal (CE). Al observarse el DAP, los corderos fueron sometidos semanalmente al electro-eyaculación (7,5 volts). No existieron diferencias (p>0.05) entre los grupos en la edad al DAP (92,29 ± 27,63 vs 95,43 ± 15,69 días para corderos E y C, respectivamente), y en el peso corporal al DAP (24,43 ± 24,14 ± 1,93 kg) y la CE (17,14 ± 2,17 vs 18,14 ± 1,44 cm) a esta edad. La CE se correlacionó con el DAP (r= 0,59, P= 0,026) y el peso corporal en este momento (r= 0,69, P= 0,007). Por otro lado, los corderos de ambos grupos tampoco mostraron diferencias (P>0,05) en el momento en que alcanzaron la pubertad, referida como el momento en que se obtuvo un eyaculado con al menos 50 x 10 elevado a la seis espermatozoides/mL y al menos 50% de motilidad (144,07 ± 8,43 días), el peso corporal (32,60 ± 3,94 kg) la CE (25,86 ± 2,24 cm) y el porcentaje de anormalidades espermáticas (18,33 ± 15,57%). La edad a la pubertad se correlacionó con la CE (r= 0,59, P= 0,027). Los resultados sugieren que los mecanismos fisiológicos que provocan la aparición de la pubertad en corderos Pelibuey son independientes del patrón de reproducción de sus madres.