Transcription factor RORα enforces stability of the Th17 cell effector program by binding to a Rorc cis-regulatory element.

T helper 17 (Th17) cells regulate mucosal barrier defenses but also promote multiple autoinflammatory diseases. Although many molecular determinants of Th17 cell differentiation have been elucidated, the transcriptional programs that sustain Th17 cells in vivo remain obscure. The transcription factor RORγt is critical for Th17 cell differentiation; however, it is not clear whether the closely related RORα, which is co-expressed in Th17 cells, has a distinct role. Here, we demonstrated that although dispensable for Th17 cell differentiation, RORα was necessary for optimal Th17 responses in peripheral tissues. The absence of RORα in T cells led to reductions in both RORγt expression and effector function among Th17 cells. Cooperative binding of RORα and RORγt to a previously unidentified Rorc cis-regulatory element was essential for Th17 lineage maintenance in vivo. These data point to a non-redundant role of RORα in Th17 lineage maintenance via reinforcement of the RORγt transcriptional program.

Heat resistance differences are common between both vegetative cells and spores of Clostridium perfringens type F isolates carrying a chromosomal vs plasmid-borne enterotoxin gene.

Clostridium perfringens type F isolates utilize C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) to cause food poisoning (FP) and nonfoodborne gastrointestinal diseases. The enterotoxin gene (cpe) can be located on either the chromosome or plasmids, but most FP isolates carry a chromosomal cpe (c-cpe) gene. Our 2000 article in Applied and Environmental Microbiology (66:3234-3240, 2000, https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.66.8.3234-3240.2000https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.66.8.3234-3240.2000) determined that vegetative cells and spores of c-cpe isolates are more heat resistant than those of plasmid cpe (p-cpe) isolates, which is favorable for their survival in improperly cooked or held food. However, that 2000 article was recently retracted (90:e00249-24, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00249-24). To our knowledge, the 2000 article remains the only study reporting that heat resistance differences are common between both vegetative cells and spores of type F c-cpe isolates vs type F p-cpe isolates. To confirm and preserve this information in the literature, the heat resistance portion of the 2000 study has been repeated. The 2024 results reproduced the 2000 results by indicating that, relative to the surveyed type F p-cpe isolates, the vegetative cells of surveyed type F c-cpe isolates are ~2-fold more heat resistant and the spores of most surveyed c-cpe isolates are ~30-fold more heat resistant. However, consistent with several reports since our 2000 paper, one surveyed type F c-cpe isolate (which did not appreciably sporulate in 2000 but sporulated in 2024) produced spores with intermediate heat sensitivity, confirming that spores of some type F c-cpe isolates lack exceptional heat resistance.IMPORTANCEClostridium perfringens type F food poisoning (FP), which is the second most common bacterial cause of FP, involves the production of C. perfringens enterotoxin. While the enterotoxin gene (cpe) can be located on either the chromosome or plasmids in type F isolates, most FP cases are caused by chromosomal cpe isolates. The current results support the conclusion that the vegetative cells and spores of type F chromosomal cpe isolates are often more heat resistant than vegetative cells and spores of type F plasmid cpe isolates. Greater heat resistance should favor the survival of the spores and vegetative cells of those chromosomal cpe isolates in temperature-abused food, which may help explain the strong association of type F chromosomal cpe strains with FP.

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B exposed to pregnant rats inhibits the hedgehog signaling pathway in thymic T lymphocytes of the offspring.

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is involved in T cell differentiation and development and plays a major regulatory part in different stages of T cell development. A previous study by us suggested that prenatal exposure to staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) changed the percentages of T cell subpopulation in the offspring thymus. However, it is unclear whether prenatal SEB exposure impacts the Hh signaling pathway in thymic T cells. In the present study, pregnant rats at gestational day 16 were intravenously injected once with 15 µg SEB, and the thymi of both neonatal and adult offspring rats were aseptically acquired to scrutinize the effects of SEB on the Hh signaling pathway. It firstly found that prenatal SEB exposure clearly caused the increased expression of Shh and Dhh ligands of the Hh signaling pathway in thymus tissue of both neonatal and adult offspring rats, but significantly decreased the expression levels of membrane receptors of Ptch1 and Smo, transcription factor Gli1, as well as target genes of CyclinD1, C-myc, and N-myc in Hh signaling pathway of thymic T cells. These data suggest that prenatal SEB exposure inhibits the Hh signaling pathway in thymic T lymphocytes of the neonatal offspring, and this effect can be maintained in adult offspring via the imprinting effect.

Isolation and whole-genome sequencing analysis of Escherichia fergusonii harboring a heat-labile enterotoxin gene from retail chicken meat in Okinawa, Japan.

This study aimed to reveal the prevalence of heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) gene-positive Escherichia fergusonii in retail chicken meat and genetically characterize these strains. E. fergusonii harboring LT gene was isolated from 6 out of 60 (10%) retail chicken samples in Okinawa, Japan. Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed that LT gene-positive E. fergusonii from chicken meat and feces contain an IncFII plasmid harboring elt1AB, and suggested to spread clonally to retail chicken through fecal contamination. Additionally, it was found that these strains harbor multidrug-resistant genes on their plasmids. Their pathogenicity and continuous monitoring are required for confirmation.

Molecular characterization of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated in ready-to-eat food sold in supermarkets in Bobo-Dioulasso: case of charcuterie products.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the most widespread bacterial pathogens in animals and humans, and its role as an important causative agent of food poisoning is well-documented. The aim of this study was to highlight and characterize the resistance patterns of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in charcuterie products sold in selected supermarkets (SM) in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. METHODS: In this study, 72 samples including ham (n = 19), merguez (n = 22), sausage (n = 15) and minced meat (n = 16) were collected from 3 supermarkets. Standard microbiology methods were utilised to characterise S. aureus isolates. Phenotypic resistance patterns were investigated using the disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar. Genotypic testing using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on the isolates to detect the 16S-23S gene. Using specific primers, the following genes PVL, TSST-1, mecA, gyrA, gyrB, qnrA, intI1 and aac(6')-Ib-cr were identified from purified DNA by PCR. RESULTS: Among the 72 ready-to-eat food samples, S. aureus was present in 51, (70.83%). The yield was highest in both the ham and merguez food products, 15/51 (29.41%) each, followed by minced meat 12/51 (23.53%) and sausage 9/51 (17.65%). A total of 35 isolates (68.63%) were confirmed as S. aureus after molecular characterization using 16-23 S primers with 05 (14.29%) strains identified as MRSA. All of the MRSA and majority of the methicillin-sensitive S.aureus (MSSA) isolates were resistant to penicillin G, ampicillin, tetracycline and erythromycin, whereas one isolate from minced meat was found in SM3-harbouring PVL, TSST-1, mecA, gyrA, gyrB and Int1 genes. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed a high prevalence of S. aureus in chacuterie products in Bobo-Dioulasso with antimicrobial profiles that show resistance to most antibiotics. These findings should inform and augment efforts to raise awareness among local supermarket owners on adequate food manufacturing practices as well as promoting food safety and hygiene.

Coupling enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli heat-stable peptide toxin with 8-arm PEG enhances immunogenicity.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains, which produce the heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) either alone or in combination with the heat-labile enterotoxin, contribute to the bulk of the burden of child diarrheal disease in resource-limited countries and are associated with mortality. Developing an effective vaccine targeting ST presents challenges due to its potent enterotoxicity, non-immunogenicity, and the risk of autoimmune reaction stemming from its structural similarity to the human endogenous ligands, guanylin, and uroguanylin. This study aimed to assess a novel synthetic vaccine carrier platform employing a single chemical coupling step for making human ST (STh) immunogenic. Specifically, the method involved cross-linking STh to an 8-arm N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester-activated PEG cross-linker. A conjugate of STh with 8-arm structure was prepared, and its formation was confirmed through immunoblotting analysis. The impact of conjugation on STh epitopes was assessed using ELISAs with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies targeting various epitopes of STh. Immunization of mice with the conjugate induced the production of anti-STh antibodies, exhibiting neutralizing activity against STh.

Enterotoxin-related genes PPFIA4 and SCN3B promote colorectal cancer development and progression.

To identify the role of enterotoxin-related genes in colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. Upregulated differentially expressed genes shared by three out of five Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data sets were included to screen the key enterotoxin-induced oncogenes (EIOGs) according to criteria oncogene definition, enrichment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, followed by prognosis survival, immune infiltration, and protential drugs analyses was performed via integration of RNA-sequencing data and The Cancer Genome Atlas-derived clinical profiles. We screened nine common key EIOGs from at least three GEO data sets. A Cox proportional hazards regression models verified that more alive cases, decreased overall survival, and highest 4-year survival prediction in CRC patients with high-risk score. Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type F polypeptide-interacting protein alpha-4 (PPFIA4), STY11, SCN3B, and SPTBN5 were shared in the same PPI network. Immune infiltration results showed that SCN3B and synaptotagmin 11 expression were obviously associated with B cell, macrophage, myeloid dendritic cell, neutrophils, and T cell CD4+ and CD8+ in both colon adenocarcinoma and rectal adenocarcinoma. CHIR-99021, MLN4924, and YK4-279 were identified as the potential drugs for treatment. Finally, upregulated EIOGs genes PPFIA4 and SCN3B were found in colon adenocarcinoma and PPFIA4 and SCN3B were proved to promote cell proliferation and migration in vitro. We demonstrated here that EIOGs promoting a malignancy phenotype was related with poor survival and prognosis in CRC, which might be served as novel therapeutic targets in CRC management.

The impact of indole and mucin on sporulation, biofilm formation, and enterotoxin production in foodborne Clostridium perfringens.

AIMS: Indole and mucin are compounds found in the host environment as they are produced by the host or by the host-associated microbiota. This study investigated whether indole and mucin impact Clostridium perfringens growth and sporulation, as well as enterotoxin production and biofilm formation. METHODS AND RESULTS: There was no impact on growth of Cl. perfringens for up to 400 µM indole and 240 mg/l mucin, and neither indole nor mucin affected sporulation. Reverse-transcriptase qPCR showed that mucin strongly upregulated the expression of Cl. perfringens enterotoxin (up to 121-fold increase), whereas indole had a much more modest effect (2-fold). This was also reflected in increased Cl. perfringens enterotoxin levels in mucin-treated Cl. perfringens (as assessed by a reversed passive latex agglutination assay). Finally, mucin and indole significantly increased biofilm formation of Cl. perfringens, although the effect size was relatively small (less than 1.5 fold). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that Cl. perfringens can sense its presence in a host environment by responding to mucin, and thereby markedly increased enterotoxin production.

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in healthy dairy cows in Algeria: antibiotic resistance, enterotoxin genes and biofilm formation.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus can colonize and infect a variety of animal species. In dairy herds, it is one of the leading causes of mastitis cases. The objective of this study was to characterize the S. aureus isolates recovered from nasal swabs of 249 healthy cows and 21 breeders of 21 dairy farms located in two provinces of Algeria (Tizi Ouzou and Bouira). METHODS: The detection of enterotoxin genes was investigated by multiplex PCRs. Resistance of recovered isolates to 8 antimicrobial agents was determined by disc-diffusion method. The slime production and biofilm formation of S. aureus isolates were assessed using congo-red agar (CRA) and microtiter-plate assay. Molecular characterization of selected isolates was carried out by spa-typing and Multi-Locus-Sequence-Typing (MLST). RESULTS: S. aureus was detected in 30/249 (12%) and 6/13 (28.6%) of nasal swabs in cows and breeders, respectively, and a total of 72 isolates were recovered from positive samples (59 isolates from cows and 13 from breeders). Twenty-six of these isolates (36.1%) harbored genes encoding for staphylococcal enterotoxins, including 17/59 (28.8%) isolates from cows and 9/13 (69.2%) from breeders. Moreover, 49.1% and 92.3% of isolates from cows and breeders, respectively, showed penicillin resistance. All isolates were considered as methicillin-susceptible (MSSA). Forty-five (76.3%) of the isolates from cows were slime producers and 52 (88.1%) of them had the ability to form biofilm in microtiter plates. Evidence of a possible zoonotic transmission was observed in two farms, since S. aureus isolates recovered in these farms from cows and breeders belonged to the same clonal lineage (CC15-ST15-t084 or CC30-ST34-t2228). CONCLUSIONS: Although healthy cows in this study did not harbor methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates, the nares of healthy cows could be a reservoir of enterotoxigenic and biofilm producing isolates which could have implications in human and animal health.

Pathogenicity of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in Caenorhabditis elegans as an alternative model host.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), one of the diarrheagenic E. coli, is the most common cause of diarrhea in developing country and in travelers to those areas. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans was used as an alternative model host to evaluate ETEC infections. The ETEC strain ETEC1, which was isolated from a patient with diarrhea, possessed enterotoxins STh, LT1, and EAST1 and colonization factors CS2 and CS3. Live ETEC1 shortened the life span and body size of C. elegans in association with increased expression of enterotoxin genes and intestinal colonization. In contrast, heat-killed ETEC1 did not affect the life span of C. elegans. Caenorhabditis elegans infected with ETEC1 showed upregulated expression of genes related to insulin-like peptides and host defense responses. These results suggest that ETEC1 exhibits pathogenicity through intestinal colonization and enterotoxin production in C. elegans. This system is useful as an ETEC infection model.

Cytokine Adsorption Effects of a Novel Hemofiltration Column for the Treatment of Experimental Endotoxemia.

INTRODUCTION: The TKM-101 is a new hemofiltration column packed with a polymer alloy membrane consisting of polyethersulfone, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and sulfonated poly (arylene ether) copolymers. We examined the ability of the TKM-101 column to remove cytokines and humoral mediators from blood in vitro and the effects of extracorporeal treatment with the TKM-101 column on the mortality rate and inflammatory responses to endotoxic shock in vivo. METHODS: In vitro and in vivo laboratory investigations were conducted. In the in vitro experiment, the adsorption abilities of TKM-101, AN69-ST, and control columns for cytokine-related sepsis in blood were compared using human serum samples. In the in vivo experiment, male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and injected with Escherichia coli endotoxin (15 mg/kg, intravenously). Afterward, the rats were assigned (in a double-blind manner) to one of three groups (n = 17 per group): apheresis with a control column (control group), apheresis with an AN69-ST column (AN69-ST group), or apheresis with a TKM-101 column (TKM-101 group). Outcomes were compared among the groups. RESULTS: In vitro, the concentrations of all evaluated cytokines significantly decreased with the TKM-101 column compared to those with the control column; however, there were no significant differences between the TKM-101 and AN69-ST columns. In vivo, the mortality rates 8 h after endotoxin injection were 65%, 29%, and 29% for the control, AN69-ST, and TKM-101 groups, respectively. Hypotension and elevated plasma cytokine concentrations were less prominent in the TKM-101 and AN69-ST groups compared to those in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: TKM-101 effectively removed proteins of varying sizes, from small-sized proteins such as interleukin (IL)-8 to mid-sized protein such as IL-10 in vitro. Moreover, TKM-101 treatment reduced mortality and had inhibitory effects on inflammatory responses in endotoxemic rats. These findings suggest that TKM-101 treatment may be available for use in patients with sepsis and/or endotoxemia.

Enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in Brazilian artisanal cheeses: Occurrence, counts, phenotypic and genotypic profiles.

The present study aimed to assess the occurrence and counts of Staphylococcus aureus in Brazilian artisanal cheeses (BAC) produced in five regions of Brazil: Coalho and Manteiga (Northeast region); Colonial and Serrano (South); Caipira (Central-West); Marajó (North); and Minas Artisanal cheeses, from Araxá, Campos das Vertentes, Cerrado, Serro and Canastra microregions (Southeast). The resistance to chlorine-based sanitizers, ability to attach to stainless steel surfaces, and antibiogram profile of a large set of S. aureus strains (n = 585) were assessed. Further, a total of 42 isolates were evaluated for the presence of enterotoxigenic genes (sea, seb, sec, sed, see, seg, sei, sej, and ser) and submitted to typing using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). BAC presented high counts of S. aureus (3.4-6.4 log CFU/g), varying from 25 to 62.5%. From the S. aureus strains (n = 585) assessed, 16% could resist 200 ppm of sodium hypochlorite, whereas 87.6% produced strong ability to attach to stainless steel surfaces, corroborating with S. aureus ability to persist and spread in the environment. Furthermore, the relatively high frequency (80.5%) of multidrug-resistant S. aureus and the presence of enterotoxin genes in 92.6% of the strains is of utmost attention. It reveals the lurking threat of SFP that can survive when conditions are favorable. The presence of enterotoxigenic and antimicrobial-resistant strains of S. aureus in cheese constitutes a potential risk to public health. This result calls for better control of cheese contamination sources, and taking hygienic measures is necessary for food safety. More attention should be paid to animal welfare and hygiene practices in some dairy farms during manufacturing to enhance the microbiological quality of traditional cheese products.

Structural basis for Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin targeting of claudins at tight junctions in mammalian gut.

The bacterium Clostridium perfringens causes severe, sometimes lethal gastrointestinal disorders in humans, including enteritis and enterotoxemia. Type F strains produce an enterotoxin (CpE) that causes the third most common foodborne illness in the United States. CpE induces gut breakdown by disrupting barriers at cell-cell contacts called tight junctions (TJs), which are formed and maintained by claudins. Targeted binding of CpE to specific claudins, encoded by its C-terminal domain (cCpE), loosens TJ barriers to trigger molecular leaks between cells. Cytotoxicity results from claudin-bound CpE complexes forming pores in cell membranes. In mammalian tissues, ∼24 claudins govern TJ barriers-but the basis for CpE's selective targeting of claudins in the gut was undetermined. We report the structure of human claudin-4 in complex with cCpE, which reveals that enterotoxin targets a motif conserved in receptive claudins and how the motif imparts high-affinity CpE binding to these but not other subtypes. The structural basis of CpE targeting is supported by binding affinities, kinetics, and half-lives of claudin-enterotoxin complexes and by the cytotoxic effects of CpE on claudin-expressing cells. By correlating the binding residence times of claudin-CpE complexes we determined to claudin expression patterns in the gut, we uncover that the primary CpE receptors differ in mice and humans due to sequence changes in the target motif. These findings provide the molecular and structural element CpE employs for subtype-specific targeting of claudins during pathogenicity of C. perfringens in the gut and a framework for new strategies to treat CpE-based illnesses in domesticated mammals and humans.

Escherichia cryptic clade I is an emerging source of human intestinal pathogens.

BACKGROUND: Within the genus Escherichia, several monophyletic clades other than the traditionally defined species have been identified. Of these, cryptic clade I (C-I) appears to represent a subspecies of E. coli, but due to the difficulty in distinguishing it from E. coli sensu stricto, the population structure and virulence potential of C-I are unclear. RESULTS: We defined a set of true C-I strains (n = 465), including a Shiga toxin 2a (Stx2a)-producing isolate from a patient with bloody diarrhoea identified by the retrospective analyses using a C-I-specific detection system. Through genomic analysis of 804 isolates from the cryptic clades, including these C-I strains, we revealed their global population structures and the marked accumulation of virulence genes and antimicrobial resistance genes in C-I. In particular, half of the C-I strains contained hallmark virulence genes of Stx-producing E. coli (STEC) and/or enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). We also found the host-specific distributions of virulence genes, which suggests bovines as the potential source of human infections caused by STEC- and STEC/ETEC hybrid-type C-I strains, as is known in STEC. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate the emergence of human intestinal pathogens in C-I lineage. To better understand the features of C-I strains and their infections, extensive surveillance and larger population studies of C-I strains are needed. The C-I-specific detection system developed in this study will be a powerful tool for screening and identifying C-I strains.

Molecular Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus Isolates form Food-Poisoning Outbreaks (2011-2022) in Sichuan, China.

Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) is one of the most common foodborne diseases in the world. This study aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiological characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from SFP. A total of 103 S. aureus isolates were obtained during 2011-2022 in Sichuan, southwest China. All isolates were tested for the genomic characteristics and phylogenetic analysis by performing whole-genome sequencing. Multilocus sequence typing analysis showed 17 multilocus sequence types (STs), ST7 (23.30%), ST5 (22.33%), and ST6 (16.50%) being the most common. A total of 45 virulence genes were detected, 22 of which were staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes. Among the identified SE genes, selX exhibited the highest prevalence (86.4%). All isolates carried at least one SE gene. The results of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) gene detection revealed 41 AMR genes of 12 classes. ß-lactam resistance genes (blal, blaR1, blaZ) and tetracycline resistance gene (tet(38)) exhibited a higher prevalence rate. Core genome single nucleotide polymorphism showed phylogenetic clustering of the isolates with the same region, year, and ST. The results indicated that the SFP isolates in southwest of China harbored multiple toxin and resistance genes, with a high prevalence of new SEs. Therefore, it is important to monitor the antimicrobial susceptibility and SE of S. aureus to reduce the potential risks to public health.

Electrochemical aptasensor for sensitive detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin type A in milk and fruit juice.

An aptamer-based electrochemical sensor for the sensitive detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin type A (SEA) is presented. The truncated aptamer AptSEA1.4 used in this work was screened using computational techniques, which reduced the cost of the SELEX screening process. The aptamer-SEA interactions were confirmed by employing circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopy. Afterwards, for developing an electrochemical aptasensor, a fabricated GNR/FTO aptasensor was prepared and characterized using scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and square wave voltammetry (SWV). A detailed investigation of aptamer and SEA interaction in the presence of various experimental conditions was also conducted through SWV and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The aptamer exhibits a strong affinity for SEA, with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 19.93 nM. The aptasensor is sensitive, with a lower limit of detection of 12.44 pg mL-1. It has good stability, repeatability, and specificity and has displayed highly specific and sensitive detection SEA in spiked packaged mixed fruit juice and milk, with a recovery of 95-110%. The aptasensor has high promise for detecting SEA in other food items.

Degradation of Toxins Derived from Foodborne Pathogens by Atmospheric-Pressure Dielectric-Barrier Discharge.

Foodborne diseases can be attributed not only to contamination with bacterial or fungal pathogens but also their associated toxins. Thus, to maintain food safety, innovative decontamination techniques for toxins are required. We previously demonstrated that an atmospheric-pressure dielectric-barrier discharge (APDBD) plasma generated by a roller conveyer plasma device is effective at inactivating bacteria and fungi in foods. Here, we have further examined whether the roller conveyer plasma device can be used to degrade toxins produced by foodborne bacterial pathogens, including aflatoxin, Shiga toxins (Stx1 and Stx2), enterotoxin B and cereulide. Each toxin was spotted onto an aluminum plate, allowed to dry, and then treated with APDBD plasma applied by the roller conveyer plasma device for different time periods. Assessments were conducted using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results demonstrate a significant time-dependent decrease in the levels of these toxins. ELISA showed that aflatoxin B1 concentrations were reduced from 308.6 µg/mL to 74.4 µg/mL within 1 min. For Shiga toxins, Stx1 decreased from 913.8 µg/mL to 65.1 µg/mL, and Stx2 from 2309.0 µg/mL to 187.6 µg/mL within the same time frame (1 min). Enterotoxin B levels dropped from 62.67 µg/mL to 1.74 µg/mL at 15 min, and 1.43 µg/mL at 30 min, but did not display a significant decrease within 5 min. LC-MS/MS analysis verified that cereulide was reduced to below the detection limit following 30 min of APDBD plasma treatment. Taken together, these findings highlight that a range of foodborne toxins can be degraded by a relatively short exposure to plasma generated by an APDBD using a roller conveyer device. This technology offers promising advancements in food safety, providing a novel method to alleviate toxin contamination in the food processing industry.

Heterogeneous IL-9 Production by Circulating Skin-Tropic and Extracutaneous Memory T Cells in Atopic Dermatitis Patients.

Interleukin (IL)-9 is present in atopic dermatitis (AD) lesions and is considered to be mainly produced by skin-homing T cells expressing the cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA). However, its induction by AD-associated triggers remains unexplored. Circulating skin-tropic CLA+ and extracutaneous/systemic CLA- memory T cells cocultured with autologous lesional epidermal cells from AD patients were activated with house dust mite (HDM) and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). Levels of AD-related mediators in response to both stimuli were measured in supernatants, and the cytokine response was associated with different clinical characteristics. Both HDM and SEB triggered heterogeneous IL-9 production by CLA+ and CLA- T cells in a clinically homogenous group of AD patients, which enabled patient stratification into IL-9 producers and non-producers, with the former group exhibiting heightened HDM-specific and total IgE levels. Upon allergen exposure, IL-9 production depended on the contribution of epidermal cells and class II-mediated presentation; it was the greatest cytokine produced and correlated with HDM-specific IgE levels, whereas SEB mildly induced its release. This study demonstrates that both skin-tropic and extracutaneous memory T cells produce IL-9 and suggests that the degree of allergen sensitization reflects the varied IL-9 responses in vitro, which may allow for patient stratification in a clinically homogenous population.

Immunoinformatics design of multi-epitope vaccine using OmpA, OmpD and enterotoxin against non-typhoidal salmonellosis.

BACKGROUND: Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is one of the important bacteria that cause foodborne diseases and invasive infections in children and elderly people. Since NTS infection is difficult to control due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant species and its adverse effect on immune response, the development of a vaccine against NTS would be necessary. This study aimed to develop a multi-epitope vaccine against the most prevalent serovars of NTS (Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis) using an immunoinformatics approach and targeting OmpA, OmpD, and enterotoxin (Stn). RESULTS: Initially, the B cell and T cell epitopes were predicted. Then, epitopes and suitable adjuvant were assembled by molecular linkers to construct a multi-epitope vaccine. The computational tools predicted the tertiary structure, refined the tertiary structure and validated the final vaccine construct. The effectiveness of the vaccine was evaluated via molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and in silico immune simulation. The vaccine model had good binding affinity and stability with MHC-I, MHC-II, and toll-like receptors (TLR-1, 2, 4) as well as activation of T cells, IgM, IgG, IFN-γ and IL-2 responses. Furthermore, after codon optimization of the vaccine sequence, this sequence was cloned in E. coli plasmid vector pET-30a (+) within restriction sites of HindIII and BamHI. CONCLUSIONS: This study, for the first time, introduced a multi-epitope vaccine based on OmpA, OmpD and enterotoxin (Stn) of NTS that could stimulate T and B cell immune responses and produced in the prokaryotic system. This vaccine was validated in-silico phase which is an essential study to reduce challenges before in vitro and in vivo studies.

NanJ Is the Major Sialidase for Clostridium perfringens Type F Food Poisoning Strain 01E809.

Clostridium perfringens type F strains cause food poisoning (FP) when they sporulate and produce C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) in the intestines. Most type F FP strains carry a chromosomal cpe gene (c-cpe strains). C. perfringens produces up to three different sialidases, named NanH, NanI, and NanJ, but some c-cpe FP strains carry only nanJ and nanH genes. This study surveyed a collection of such strains and showed that they produce sialidase activity when cultured in Todd-Hewitt broth (TH) (vegetative cultures) or modified Duncan-Strong (MDS) medium (sporulating cultures). Sialidase null mutants were constructed in 01E809, a type F c-cpe FP strain carrying the nanJ and nanH genes. Characterization of those mutants identified NanJ as the major sialidase of 01E809 and showed that, in vegetative and sporulating cultures, nanH expression affects nanJ expression and vice versa; those regulatory effects may involve media-dependent changes in transcription of the codY or ccpA genes but not nanR. Additional characterization of these mutants demonstrated the following: (i) NanJ contributions to growth and vegetative cell survival are media dependent, with this sialidase increasing 01E809 growth in MDS but not TH; (ii) NanJ enhances 24-h vegetative cell viability in both TH and MDS cultures; and (iii) NanJ is important for 01E809 sporulation and, together with NanH, CPE production in MDS cultures. Lastly, NanJ was shown to increase CPE-induced cytotoxicity and CH-1 pore formation in Caco-2 cells. Collectively, these results suggest that NanJ may have a contributory role in FP caused by type F c-cpe strains that carry the nanH and nanJ genes.