Global Transcriptome Changes of Biofilm-Forming Staphylococcus epidermidis Responding to Total Alkaloids of Sophorea alopecuroides.

Transcriptome changes of biofilm-forming Staphylococcus epidermidis response to total alkaloids of Sophorea alopecuroides was observed. Bioinformatic analyses were further used to compare the differential gene expression between control and the treated samples. It was found that 282 genes were differentially expressed, with 92 up-regulated and 190 down-regulated. These involved down-regulation of the sulfur metabolism pathway. It was suggested that inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus epidermidis and its biofilm formation of the total alkaloids of S. alopecuroides was mainly due to the regulation of the sulfur metabolism pathways of S. epidermidis.

Evaluation of a Subunit H5 Vaccine and an Inactivated H5N2 Avian Influenza Marker Vaccine in Ducks Challenged with Vietnamese H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus.

The protective efficacy of a subunit avian influenza virus H5 vaccine based on recombinant baculovirus expressed H5 haemagglutinin antigen and an inactivated H5N2 avian influenza vaccine combined with a marker antigen (tetanus toxoid) was compared with commercially available inactivated H5N2 avian influenza vaccine in young ducks. Antibody responses, morbidity, mortality, and virus shedding were evaluated after challenge with a Vietnamese clade 1 H5N1 HPAI virus [A/VN/1203/04 (H5N1)] that was known to cause a high mortality rate in ducks. All three vaccines, administered with water-in-oil adjuvant, provided significant protection and dramatically reduced the duration and titer of virus shedding in the vaccinated challenged ducks compared with unvaccinated controls. The H5 subunit vaccine was shown to provide equivalent protection to the other two vaccines despite the H5 antibody responses in subunit vaccinated ducks being significantly lower prior to challenge. Ducks vaccinated with the H5N2 marker vaccine consistently produced antitetanus toxoid antibody. The two novel vaccines have attributes that would enhance H5N1 avian influenza surveillance and control by vaccination in small scale and village poultry systems.