Jingzhaotoxin-I (JZTX-I), a 33-residue polypeptide, is derived from the Chinese tarantula Chilobrachys jing-zhao venom based on its ability to evidently increase the strength and the rate of vertebrate heartbeats. The toxin has three disulfide bonds with the linkage of I-IV, II-V, and III-VI that is a typical pattern found in inhibitor cystine knot molecules. Its cDNA determined by rapid amplif...

BACKGROUND The serine protease autotransporter EspP is a proposed virulence factor of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). We recently distinguished four EspP subtypes (EspPalpha, EspPbeta, EspPgamma, and EspPdelta), which display large differences in transport and proteolytic activities and differ widely concerning their distribution within the STEC population. The mechanisms underly...

background: triple-negative breast cancers (tnbc) have a more aggressive course and are associated with poorer prognosis in comparison with other subtypes of breast cancer. one of the most common subtypes of tnbc is basal-like. the aim of this study was to investigate clinicopathological characteristics and clinical course of tnbc in iranian women and compare them with other studies. subjects a...

introduction: triple negative breast cancers (tnbc) have a more aggressive course and are associated with poorer prognosis in comparison with other subtypes of breast cancer. one of the most common subtypes of tnbc is basal-like. the aim of this study was to investigate clinicopathological characteristics and clinical course of tnbc in iranian women and compare it with other studies. method: be...

All over the world, Escherichia coli (STEC), which produces Shiga toxin, is recognized as an important zoonotic pathogen. Ruminants, particularly cattle, are their main reservoirs, but role of small ruminants in epidemiology human infections has not been extensively evaluated many countries. In this study, it was aimed to determine toxin subtypes Stx1, Stx2, eae and ehxa genes producing isolate...

While inflammatory cytokines are well-recognized critical factors for the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in activated fibroblast-like synovial cells, the roles of biologically active components other than inflammatory cytokines in synovial fluid remain unknown. Herein, we assessed the role of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a pleiotropic lipid mediator, in COX-2 induction using synovial flu...

Infection with Shiga toxin- and Shiga-like toxin-producing strains of Shigella dysenteriae and Escherichia coli, respectively, can progress to the hemolytic-uremic syndrome. It has been hypothesized that circulating Shiga toxin, Shiga-like toxins, and endotoxins may contribute to the disease by directly damaging glomerular endothelial cells. The effects of these toxins on HeLa, Vero, and human ...

Genetic diversity, isolation frequency, and persistence were determined for Escherichia coli O157 strains from range cattle production environments. Over the 11-month study, analysis of 9,122 cattle fecal samples, 4,083 water source samples, and 521 wildlife fecal samples resulted in 263 isolates from 107 samples presumptively considered E. coli O157 as determined by culture and latex agglutina...

Sanger and shotgun sequencing of Clostridium botulinum strain Af84 type Af and its botulinum neurotoxin gene (bont) clusters identified the presence of three bont gene clusters rather than the expected two. The three toxin gene clusters consisted of bont subtypes A2, F4 and F5. The bont/A2 and bont/F4 gene clusters were located within the chromosome (the latter in a novel location), while the b...