Research Publications (Food Safety)

Enterobacter sp. M4 and other bacterial strains were isolated from plant soft rot disease. Virulent phages such as EspM4VN isolated from soil are trending biological controls for plant disease. This phage has an icosahedral head (100 nm in diameter), a neck, and a contractile sheath (100 nm long and 18 nm wide). It belongs to the Ackermannviridae family and resembles Shigella phage Ag3 and Dickeya phages JA15 and XF4.

Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) cause intestinal illness through the same pathogenic mechanism used by Shigella spp. The latter species can be typed through genomic and phenotypic methods used for E. coli and have been proposed for reclassification within E. coli species. Recently the first appearance of a highly pathogenic EIEC O96:H19 was described in Europe as the causative agent of two large outbreaks that occurred in Italy and in the United Kingdom.

Post-weaning diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) causes significant economic losses for pig producers. This study was to test the hypotheses that an ETEC challenge disrupts intestinal microbial homeostasis and the inclusion of dietary soluble (10% sugar beet pulp) or insoluble fiber (15% corn distillers dried grains with solubles) with or without exogenous carbohydrases will protect or restore the gut microbial homeostasis in weaned pigs.

Gut microbiome plays an important role in adult human health and diseases. However, how nutritional factors shape the initial colonization of gut bacteria in infants, especially in preterm infants, is still not completely known. In this study, we compared the effects of feeding with mothers’ own breast milk (MBM) and formula on the initial composition and gene expression of gut bacteria in moderate–late preterm infants.

The occurrence of multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, has become a serious problem in animals and public.

Shiga toxin (STx) produced by Shigella and closely related Shiga toxin 1 and 2 (STx1 and STx2) synthesized by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are bacterial AB5 toxins. All three toxins target kidney cells and may cause life-threatening renal disease. While Shigella infections can be treated with antibiotics, resistance is increasing. Moreover, antibiotic therapy is contraindicated for STEC, and there are no definitive treatments for STEC-induced disease.

Author(s): Qing Liu, Huali Su, Xiaoping Bian, Shifeng Wang, Qingke Kong

Human gut bacteria contribute significantly to human health and several studies have evaluated the effects of dietary fibers on human gut bacterial ecology. However, the relationship between different degrees of fiber polymerization and human gut bacteria is unknown. Here, we analyzed three fiber substrates with different degrees of polymerization, namely carboxymethylcellulose, β-glucans, and galactooligosaccharides.

Shiga toxins (Stxs) expressed by the enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli and enteric Shigella dysenteriae 1 pathogens are protein synthesis inhibitors. Stxs have been shown to induce apoptosis via the activation of extrinsic and intrinsic pathways in many cell types (epithelial, endothelial, and B cells) but the link between the protein synthesis inhibition and caspase activation is still unclear.

The Flint, Michigan, water crisis, which unfolded as a consequence of the State of Michigan’s decision to switch to using the Flint River as the city’s drinking water source, presented multiple alarming health risks to the public.

The specific etiology and pathogenesis of oral lichen planus (OLP) remain elusive, and microbial dysbiosis may play an important role in OLP. We evaluated the saliva and tissue bacterial community of patients with OLP and identified the colonization of bacteria in OLP tissues.

To assess the individual effects of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on insulin resistance (IR), gut microbiome and gut metabolites in high‐fat diet‐induced obese (DIO) mice. Methods and results DIO mice were fed an either high‐fat diet (HFD), EPA (1% wt/wt) enriched HFD, or DHA (1% wt/wt) enriched HFD for 15 weeks.

To investigate a shigellosis outbreak in Genesee County, Michigan (including the City of Flint), and Saginaw County, Michigan, in 2016 and address community concerns about the role of the Flint water system.

Author(s): Qing. Xiu. Liu, Ying. Zhou, Xiu. Mei. Li, Dan. Dan. Ma, Shuang. Xing, Jing. Hai. Feng, Min. Hong. Zhang

Sequencing studies have shown that optimal vaginal microbiota (VMB) are lactobacilli-dominated and that anaerobes associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV-anaerobes) are commonly present. However, they overlooked a less prevalent but more pathogenic group of vaginal bacteria: the pathobionts that cause maternal and neonatal infections and pelvic inflammatory disease.

by Camille Rey, Yuen-Yan Chang, Patricia Latour-Lambert, Hugo Varet, Caroline Proux, Rachel Legendre, Jean-Yves Coppée, Jost Enninga

Shigella sonnei is a rod-shaped, Gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen. It was named ‘Sonne’s bacillus’ after Carl Olaf Sonne who described it as a causative agent of bacillary dysentery. S. sonnei is distributed worldwide and represents the most common cause of shigellosis in industrialized regions in Europe, North America, and Australia. It is currently undergoing expansion in middle-income countries across Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. S.

Pathogenic bacteria secrete a variety of proteins that manipulate host cell function by targeting components of the plasma membrane, cytosol, or organelles. In the last decade, several studies identified bacterial factors acting within the nucleus on gene expression or other nuclear processes, which has led to the emergence of a new family of effectors called “nucleomodulins”.

The giant panda is known worldwide for having successfully moved to a diet almost exclusively based on bamboo. Provided that no lignocellulose-degrading enzyme was detected in panda’s genome, bamboo digestion is believed to depend on its gut microbiome. However, pandas retain the digestive system of a carnivore, with retention times of maximum 12 h.

Whole-genome sequencing has enhanced surveillance and facilitated detailed monitoring of the transmission of Shigella species in England. We undertook an epidemiological and phylogenetic analysis of isolates from all cases of shigellosis referred to Public Health England between 2015 and 2018 to explore recent strain characteristics and the transmission dynamics of Shigella species.

The intestinal gut microbiota is essential for maintaining host health. Concerns have been raised about the possible connection between antibiotic use, causing microbiota disturbances, and the increase in allergic and autoimmune diseases observed during the last decades.

Shigella flexneri is the principal cause of bacillary dysentery, contributing significantly to the global burden of diarrheal disease. The appearance and increase in the multi-drug resistance among Shigella strains, necessitates further genetic studies and development of improved/new drugs against the pathogen. The presence of an abundance of hypothetical proteins in the genome and how little is known about them, make them interesting genetic targets.

Characterization of the microbiota of chickens is of current interest. The goals of the current study were to apply anaerobic isolation methods to comprehensively isolate and identify bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract of chickens and their environment. Bacterial communities within the drinking water were dominated by Escherichia, whereas communities in litter were more representative of the cecum.

D. Eikmeier et al. Shigellosis outbreaks caused by Shigella with decreased susceptibility to azithromycin (DSA-Shigella) among men who have sex with men (MSM) have been reported worldwide. We describe sexual health indicators and antimicrobial drug resistance for shigellosis cases in Minnesota, USA.

Porto-Fett, A. C. S., L. E. Shane, B. A. Shoyer, M. Osoria, Y. Jung, and J. B. Luchansky. We evaluated high pressure processing to lower levels of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Listeria monocytogenes inoculated into samples of plant or beef burgers. Multi-strain cocktails of STEC and L. monocytogenes were separately inoculated (ca. 7.0 log CFU/g) into plant burgers or ground beef.