Rapid spoligotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex bacteria by use of a microarray system with automatic data processing and assignment.

Membrane-based spoligotyping has been converted to DNA microarray format to qualify it for high-throughput testing. We have shown the assay's validity and suitability for direct typing from tissue and detecting new spoligotypes. Advantages of the microarray methodology include rapidity, ease of operation, automatic data processing, and affordability.

The vasorelaxant effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in isolated rat basilar arteries is partially mediated by activation of nitrergic neurons.

The structurally related neuropeptides pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) are recognised by two G protein-coupled receptors, termed VPAC(1)-R and VPAC(2)-R, with equal affinity. PACAP and VIP have previously been shown to relax cerebral arteries in an endothelium-independent manner. The aim of the present study was to test if intramural neurons are involved in the mediation of PACAP/VIP-induced vasodilatory responses. Therefore, the vascular tone of isolated rat basilar arteries was measured by means of a myograph. The vasorelaxing effect of PACAP was assessed in arteries precontracted by serotonin in the absence or presence of different test compounds known to selectively inhibit certain signaling proteins. The vasorelaxant effect of PACAP could be significantly reduced by the inhibitor of neuronal N-type calcium channels omega-conotoxin GVIA (omega-CgTx), as well as by 3-bromo-7-nitroindazole (3Br-7-Ni), an inhibitor of the neuronal nitric oxide-synthase (nNOS). The localization of N-type calcium channels and VPAC-Rs within the rat basilar artery was investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy using omega-CgTx- and VIP-analogs labelled with fluorescent dyes. These findings suggest that activation of intramural neurons may represent an important effector mechanism for mediation of the vasorelaxant PACAP-response.

Pharmacological inhibition of outwardly rectifying Cl- currents in rat peritoneal mast cells: a comparison of different stilbene derivatives.

Diethylstilbestrol and other stilbene derivatives can provide some inhibition of the outwardly rectifying Cl- current (I(Cl-,OR)) in rat peritoneal mast cells. In order to elucidate structure-activity relationships of diethylstilbestrol, 12 stilbenes as well as 17beta-estradiol and hexestrol were tested in rat peritoneal mast cells using the nystatin-perforated patch approach of the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Since trans-stilbene showed no effect, the substituents of diethylstilbestrol must be of importance. The introduction of only one hydroxy group in trans-stilbene produced potent inhibition of the I(Cl-,OR) (IC50: 3.3 microM). But in contrast, resveratrol with hydroxy groups at positions 4, 3', and 5' as well as methoxy substituted stilbene derivatives and 17beta-estradiol were ineffective. On the other hand, hexestrol potently inhibited I(Cl-,OR) indicating that the aromatic ring systems can also be connected by an ethyl bridge. In summary, a hydroxy group at position 4 (or 4') is a prerequisite for diethylstilbestrol-mediated inhibition of I(Cl-,OR).

Genome sequencing and molecular characterisation of Staphylococcus aureus ST772-MRSA-V, "Bengal Bay Clone".

BACKGROUND: The PVL-positive ST772-MRSA-V is an emerging community-associated (CA-) MRSA clone that has been named Bengal Bay Clone since most patients have epidemiological connections to the Indian subcontinent. It is found increasingly common in other areas of the world. METHODS: One isolate of ST772-MRSA-V was sequenced using the Illumina Genome Analyzer System. After initial assembling the multiple sequence contigs were analysed using different in-house annotation scripts. Results were compared to microarray hybridisation results of clinical isolates of ST772-MRSA-V, of related strains and to another ST772-MRSA-V genome sequence. RESULTS: According to MLST e-burst analysis, ST772-MRSA-V belongs to Clonal Complex (CC)1, differing from ST1 only in one MLST allele (pta-22). However, there are several additional differences including agr alleles (group II rather than III), capsule type (5 rather than 8), the presence of the egc enterotoxin gene cluster and of the enterotoxin homologue ORF CM14 as well as the absence of the enterotoxin H gene seh. Enterotoxin genes sec and sel are present. ST772-MRSA-V harbours the genes encoding enterotoxin A (sea) and PVL (lukS/F-PV). Both are located on the same prophage. CONCLUSIONS: ST772-MRSA-V may have emerged from the same lineage as globally spread CC1 and CC5 strains. It has acquired a variety of virulence factors, and for a CA-MRSA strain it has an unusually high number of genes associated with antibiotic resistance.

Fast DNA serotyping and antimicrobial resistance gene determination of salmonella enterica with an oligonucleotide microarray-based assay.

Salmonellosis caused by Salmonella (S.) belongs to the most prevalent food-borne zoonotic diseases throughout the world. Therefore, serotype identification for all culture-confirmed cases of Salmonella infection is important for epidemiological purposes. As a standard, the traditional culture method (ISO 6579:2002) is used to identify Salmonella. Classical serotyping takes 4-5 days to be completed, it is labor-intensive, expensive and more than 250 non-standardized sera are necessary to characterize more than 2,500 Salmonella serovars currently known. These technical difficulties could be overcome with modern molecular methods. We developed a microarray based serogenotyping assay for the most prevalent Salmonella serovars in Europe and North America. The current assay version could theoretically discriminate 28 O-antigens and 86 H-antigens. Additionally, we included 77 targets analyzing antimicrobial resistance genes. The Salmonella assay was evaluated with a set of 168 reference strains representing 132 serovars previously serotyped by conventional agglutination through various reference centers. 117 of 132 (81%) tested serovars showed an unique microarray pattern. 15 of 132 serovars generated a pattern which was shared by multiple serovars (e.g., S. ser. Enteritidis and S. ser. Nitra). These shared patterns mainly resulted from the high similarity of the genotypes of serogroup A and D1. Using patterns of the known reference strains, a database was build which represents the basis of a new PatternMatch software that can serotype unknown Salmonella isolates automatically. After assay verification, the Salmonella serogenotyping assay was used to identify a field panel of 105 Salmonella isolates. All were identified as Salmonella and 93 of 105 isolates (88.6%) were typed in full concordance with conventional serotyping. This microarray based assay is a powerful tool for serogenotyping.

The outwardly rectifying chloride channel in rat peritoneal mast cells is regulated by serine/threonine kinases and phosphatases.

A slowly activating, outwardly rectifying Cl- channel (ORCC) has been described in rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs). This channel is activated by intracellular application of cAMP, an effect that might be mediated by a PKA-type serine/threonine protein kinase. To test this hypothesis, whole-cell patch-clamp experiments (nystatin-perforated patch) were performed and 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphothioate, Sp-enantiomer (Sp-8Br-cAMPS), a cell membrane-permeable activator of PKA, and three inhibitors of different serine/threonine protein phosphatases (okadaic acid, cantharidin, calyculin A), were tested. In RPMCs application of repetitive series of step hyper- and depolarizations (holding potential 0 mV, test potentials -80 to +80 mV, step size +20 mV) induced a slowly increasing, [half-maximal activation time ( t0.5) 11.0+/-1.1 min, Imax (at +80 mV) 18.7+/-3.1 pA pF-1], DIDS-sensitive, outwardly rectifying Cl- current I(Cl,OR). The activation of this current could be accelerated by Sp-8Br-cAMPS, okadaic acid or cantharidin in the extracellular solution. Co-application of Sp-8Br-cAMPS and okadaic acid increased Imax supra-additively. Calyculin A and higher concentrations of cantharidin inhibited the Cl- current via unknown mechanisms. Our findings suggest that I(Cl,OR) in RPMCs is activated by a PKA-type protein kinase, a process which is antagonized functionally by okadaic acid- and cantharidin-sensitive protein phosphatases.