GlpC gene is responsible for biofilm formation and defense against phagocytes and imparts tolerance to pH and organic solvents in Proteus vulgaris.

Biofilm-forming bacteria are highly resistant to antibiotics, host immune defenses, and other external conditions. The formation of biofilms plays a key role in colonization and infection. To explore the mechanism of biofilm formation, mutant strains of Proteus vulgaris XC 2 were generated by Tn5 random transposon insertion. Only one biofilm defective bacterial species was identified from among 500 mutants. Inactivation of the glpC gene coding an anaerobic glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase subunit C was identified by sequence analysis of the biofilm defective strain. Differences were detected in the growth phenotypes of the wild-type and mutant strains under pH, antibiotic, and organic solvent stress conditions. Furthermore, we observed an increase in the phagocytosis of the biofilm defective strain by the mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cell line compared to the wild-type strain. This study shows that the glpC gene plays an important role in biofilm formation, in addition to imparting pH, organic solvent, and antibiotic tolerance, and defense against phagocytosis to Proteus sp. The results further clarified the mechanism of biofilm formation at the genomic level, and indicated the importance of the glpC gene in this process. This data may provide innovative therapeutic measures against P. vulgaris infections; furthermore, as an important crocodile pathogen, this study also has important significance in the protection of Chinese alligators.

Defined mutants of Proteus mirabilis lacking flagella cause ascending urinary tract infection in mice.

A clinical isolate of Proteus mirabilis (Pr 990) and an isogenic non-flagellate allelic replacement mutant (Pr M9) were tested for their ability to cause infection in the ascending mouse model of urinary tract infection. Wild-type Pr 990 differentiates into swarmer cells in brain-heart infusion broth. Pr M9 neither has flagella nor does it apparently differentiate into swarmer cells after subculturing. The infectivity of both strains from an initial culture and the sixth subculture was assessed in the ascending urinary tract infection mouse model. Infection was ascertained by determining colony forming units from kidney and bladder homogenates from individual mice 7 days after inoculation. In all cases the nonflagellate mutant Pr M9 was at least as infective as Pr 990. Using bacteria from the first culture, Pr M9 infected 61.5% and Pr 990 infected 45.5% of mice tested. The levels of viable counts were similar between the Pr M9 and the Pr 990 infections. Using bacteria from the sixth subculture, Pr M9 infected 75% and Pr 990 infected 76.5% of mice tested. Again viable counts were similar. Pr 990 increased in infectivity from the first to the sixth subculture, whereas Pr M9 did not, but this may be a reflection of the high initial rate of infectivity with first culture Pr M9. These results suggest that neither flagella nor swarmer cells are required for P. mirabilis infectivity in ascending urinary tract infections in mice.

[Is moss and foot an entity or a syndrome? Report of a case]. / Moos y foot es una entidad o un síndrome? Presentación de un caso.

Dermatological lesions of a patient are studied and investigated. It is suggested that they belong to a syndrome rather than to an entity. The following etiological classification of the mossy syndrome is proposed: due to bacteria, fungi and viruses, and secondary to other dermatopathies. Bibliography is reviewed.