RESUMEN
Clostridium niameyense sp. nov. strain MT5 is the type strain of C. niameyense sp. nov., a new species within the genus Clostridia. C. niameyense is a Gram-positive, anaerobic bacillus. The strain MT5 (= CSUR P1468 = DSMZ 100441), whose genome is described here, was isolated from a faecal sample collected from a patient with anorexia and marasmus living in Nigeria. The genome is 2 542 841 bp long with 27.44% G + C content and consists of six scaffolds.
RESUMEN
Here we report the development of two rapid real-time quantitative PCR assays with TaqMan(®) probes to detect the MCR-1 plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene from bacterial isolates and faecal samples from chickens. Specificity and sensitivity of the assay were 100% on bacterial isolates including 18 colistin-resistant isolates carrying the mcr-1 gene (six Klebsiella pneumoniae and 12 Escherichia coli) with a calibration curve that was linear from 10(1) to 10(8) DNA copies. Five out of 833 faecal samples from chickens from Algeria were positive, from which three E. coli strains were isolated and confirmed to harbour the mcr-1 gene by standard PCR and sequencing.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: A diminished or totally blocked IFN-alpha production in cells from HIV-1-infected patients has been reported. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the decreased in vitro production of IFN-alpha and the plasma level of HIV-1 RNA. STUDY DESIGN: Whole blood samples of 39 healthy subjects and 44 HIV-1-infected patients were incubated in the presence of Sendai virus for 24 h. IFN-alpha contained in supernatants was assayed by using an immunochemical method (DELFIA) and by using an antiviral assay. Plasma HIV-1 RNA was measured by the Amplicor HIV-1 monitor test. RESULTS: The levels of IFN-alpha obtained were significantly lower in cultures from HIV-1 infected patients than in control subjects (P<0.0001). The antiviral activity in supernatants of Sendai virus-activated whole-blood cultures, assayed by protection of MDBK cells against vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), was significantly lower in cultures from HIV-1 infected patients than in corresponding controls (P<0.0001). IFN-alpha values determined by DELFIA and those determined by bioassay were significantly correlated. In vitro production of IFN-alpha by whole-blood cultures correlated well with the plasma levels of HIV-1 RNA (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In HIV-infected patients an increased rate of HIV-1 replication is associated with reduced responsiveness to induction of IFN-alpha by indicator virus, suggesting that HIV-1 replication causes impaired production of IFN-alpha by blood cells or vice-versa.