Rickettsia massiliae is a tick-borne obligate intracellular alpha-proteobacteria causing spotted fever in humans. Here, we present the sequence of its genome, comprising a 1.3-Mb circular chromosome ...and a 15.3-kb plasmid. The chromosome exhibits long-range colinearity with the other Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia genomes, except for a large fragment specific to R. massiliae that contains 14 tra genes presumably involved in pilus formation and conjugal DNA transfer. We demonstrate that the tra region was acquired recently by lateral gene transfer (LGT) from a species related to Rickettsia bellii. Further analysis of the genomic sequences identifies additional candidates of LGT between Rickettsia. Our study indicates that recent LGT between obligate intracellular Rickettsia is more common than previously thought.
Three different lineages of head lice are known to parasitize humans. Clade A, which is currently worldwide in distribution, was previously demonstrated to be present in the Americas before the time ...of Columbus. The two other types of head lice are geographically restricted to America and Australia for clade B and to Africa and Asia for clade C. In this study, we tested two operculated nits from a 4,000-year-old Chilean mummy of Camarones for the presence of the partial Cytb mitochondrial gene (270 bp). Our finding shows that clade B head lice were present in America before the arrival of the European colonists.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The strain Marseille-P2133 is the type strain of a new bacterial species of the order
Clostridiales
that was isolated from a stool sample from a healthy volunteer. It is a strictly anaerobic ...Gram-negative coccobacillus. MALDI-TOF MS did not provide any identification. Strain Marseille-P2133
T
exhibits 97.4% similarity levels with the
Fenollaria massiliensis
strain 9401234
T
(NR_133038), a phylogenetically related species with standing in nomenclature. On the basis of these data, we propose the creation of
Fenollaria timonensis
sp. nov.
Abstract The discovery of Mimivirus opened the door to reclassifying viruses and microorganisms. Because the definition of a virus had been based on their putative small size, giant viruses have been ...widely neglected, as have their own viral parasites: the virophage. Current studies show that giant viruses can be found worldwide in the soil, water, animals and humans. Their existence forces us to create new classifications, the most recent being TRUC, to accommodate the existence of four branches of microorganisms, i.e., bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes and giant viruses.
Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) and more specifically Candidatus Saccharibacteria (TM7) have now been established as ubiquitous members of the human oral microbiota. Additionally, CPR have been ...reported in the gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts. However, the exploration of new human niches has been limited to date.
In this study, we performed a prospective and retrospective screening of TM7 in human samples using standard PCR, real-time PCR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and shotgun metagenomics.
Using Real-time PCR and standard PCR, oral samples presented the highest TM7 prevalence followed by fecal samples, breast milk samples, vaginal samples and urine samples. Surprisingly, TM7 were also detected in infectious samples, namely cardiac valves and blood cultures at a low prevalence (under 3%). Moreover, we observed CPR-like structures using SEM in all sample types except cardiac valves. The reconstruction of TM7 genomes in oral and fecal samples from shotgun metagenomics reads further confirmed their high prevalence in some samples.
This study confirmed, through their detection in multiple human samples, that TM7 are human commensals that can also be found in clinical settings. Their detection in clinical samples warrants further studies to explore their role in a pathological setting.
An estimated 4–5 million individuals gather each year in the holy city of Touba, Senegal during the Grand Magal religious pilgrimage. Pilgrims come from across Senegal and the surrounding countries, ...as well as from countries outside Africa. It is the largest mass gathering (MG) of the Mouride community and the largest Muslim religious MG in West Africa.
A cross-sectional study was conducted on all patients who attended a public healthcare structure during the November 2015 Grand Magal.
Data were collected on a total of 32,229 healthcare contacts. The most frequent reasons for consultation were trauma, followed by fatigue and heatstroke. Infectious diseases were also prevalent with, notably, a high rate of febrile systemic illnesses and malaria, diarrheal diseases, and respiratory tract infections. Such results are likely to be linked to overcrowding and climatic conditions, the relative lack of sanitary facilities, and limited medical resources available during the event.
The context of the Grand Magal MG is unique, given its location in a tropical developing country and its international component which may favor the globalization of locally endemic diseases. As such, it warrants investment in modern methods for public health surveillance and planning of the event.
Abstract Since the discovery of Mimivirus, the founding member of the family Mimiviridae , three lineages, A–C, have been delineated among the mimiviruses of amoebae. To date, all giant viruses with ...annotated genomes have been isolated from water samples. Here, we describe the genome of two mimiviruses, Terra1 virus and Terra2 virus, which were recovered by co-culturing on Acanthamoeba spp. from soil samples. These genomes are predicted to harbor 1055 and 890 genes, respectively. Comparative genomics and phylogenomics show that Terra1 virus and Terra2 virus are classified within lineages C and A of the amoebae-associated mimiviruses, respectively. The genomic architecture of both viruses show conserved collinear central regions flanked by less conserved areas towards the extremities, when compared with other mimivirus genomes. A cluster of genes that are orthologous to bacterial genes and have no counterpart in other viral genomes except in lineage C mimiviruses was identified in Terra1 virus.
Immuno-PCR (iPCR) is a method that combines the advantages of both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and PCR and is a powerful method for detecting low quantities of protein antigens. Despite its ...potential, for a long time iPCR was an underutilized method as evidenced by the low number of publications on its routine application. The introduction of ready-to-use reagents, the large choice in linker molecule, reduction of protocol time and the development of new systems is opening the way for iPCR to become a routine method for use as a microbial diagnostic. To understand how iPCR could become an indispensible microbial diagnostic, we review the evolution of iPCR, from its first classical format with numerous drawbacks to more sophisticated systems developed to circumvent these drawbacks.
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