Microbial colonization is central to ruminal degradation of dietary material yet little is known about the dynamics of this process. The aim of this study was to characterize the initial stages of bacterial colonization of forage, and to assess the impact that different postsample processing and analysis methods had on the results obtained. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene-based analysis of damaged, non...

All species require DNA repair pathways to maintain the integrity of their genomes. Bacterial damage repair mechanisms have broader roles encompassing responses to stress, long-term colonization, as well as virulence. The SOS response regulates DNA repair and damage tolerance genes in many bacterial species. This article highlights the bacterial SOS response and its significance in bacterial ad...

We develop a simple mathematical model of a bacterial colonization of host tissue which takes account of nutrient availability and innate immune response. The model features an infection-free state which is locally but not globally attracting implying that a super-threshold bacterial inoculum is required for successful colonization and tissue infection. A subset B of the domain of attraction of...

BACKGROUND Factors influencing the oral flora of premature infants have not been adequately investigated. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of gestational age and of anti-bacterial therapy on the oral flora of premature infants. METHODS Oral cultures were obtained at age 1 day and age 10 days from 65 premature infants, divided into three groups: a) 24 neonates of 30-34 weeks gestation wh...

There have been no reports on the relationship between virulence genes and gastric diseases based on the same bacterial colonization density. Our results indicated that Helicobacter pylori virulence genes were more relevant than colonization density as a pathogenic mechanism of gastric diseases, which helps elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms of bacteria and aids in the development of improved ...

Immune systems distinguish "self" from "nonself" to maintain homeostasis and must differentially gate access to allow colonization by potentially beneficial, nonpathogenic microbes. Plant roots grow within extremely diverse soil microbial communities but assemble a taxonomically limited root-associated microbiome. We grew isogenic Arabidopsis thaliana mutants with altered immune systems in a wi...

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that vaginal colonization with lactobacilli may reduce the risk of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), but supporting data are limited. Our objective was to determine the relationship between vaginal bacterial flora and VVC. METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort analysis that involved 151 Kenyan sex workers. At monthly follow-up visits, VVC was defined as the ...

Engineered Salmonella have the potential to treat cancers that are not responsive to standard molecular therapies. This potential has not been realized because colonization in human tumors is insufficient and variable as shown in preliminary phase I trials. Recent studies have shown that Salmonella colonization is associated with an inflammatory response mediated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)....

Bacterial vaginosis is a highly prevalent and poorly understood polymicrobial disorder of the vaginal microbiota, with significant adverse sequelae. Gardnerella vaginalis predominates in bacterial vaginosis. Biofilms of G. vaginalis are present in human infections and are implicated in persistent disease, treatment failure, and transmission. Here we demonstrate that G. vaginalis biofilms contai...

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide and is a common serotype linked to hemorrhagic colitis and an important cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Treatment of EHEC O157:H7 infections is complicated, as antibiotics can exacerbate Shiga toxin (Stx) production and lead to more severe symptoms including HUS. To date, no vaccines ...