This study was undertaken to examine the performance of the Fungitell β-glucan (BG) assay, to compare it with that of the galactomannan (GM) test for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in patients with hematological malignancies, and to examine the rates of false-positive BG and GM test results due to β-lactam antibiotics among sera of patients with Gram-positive or Gram-negative bact...

Production of beta-lactamases, the enzymes that degrade beta-lactam antibiotics, is the most widespread and threatening mechanism of antibiotic resistance. In the past, extensive research has focused on the structure, function, and ecology of beta-lactamases while limited efforts were placed on the regulatory mechanisms of beta-lactamases. Recently, increasing evidence demonstrate a direct link...

One of the urgent problems modern health care is growing resistance microorganisms to antibiotics, including carbapenems, which until recently were considered as drugs choice in treatment life-threatening infections. Enzymatic inactivation through production carbapenemase, main mechanism Gram-negative bacteria. The these infections presents significant difficulties due extremely limited arsenal...

The investigation of biological activities natural products, particularly considering the secondary metabolites, continuously receives attention. Urolithins, bioavailable metabolites ellagitannins, were shown to possess enzyme inhibitor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory compounds in scientific studies conducted last two decades. Regarding limited number related their antimicrobial activity, t...

TO THE EDITOR—The recent discussion by McConeghy et al of treatment for staphylococcal bacteremia using an empirical combination of vancomycin and a βlactam was insightful [1]. They and other investigators have speculated that using initial empirical coverage with activity against bothmethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) may lead to improved c...

INTRODUCTION Production of beta-lactamases is the predominant cause of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics in Gram-negative bacteria. We investigated the diversity of plasmid-borne beta-lactamase genes and replicon type of the plasmids carrying the respective genes in Gram-negative bacteria recovered from clinical infection in Nigerian hospitals. METHODOLOGY A total of 134 Gram-negative bac...

A novel endopeptidase degrading the pel)tide cross-links in sacculi has been isolated from Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. I'lhe enzyme has a molecular weight of 30,000 and, in contrast to already known enzymes of similar specificity, remains fully active in the presence of/3-lactam antibiotics. In adldition, it is exceptional in being inhibited by single-strandetl tleoxyribonucle...

TEM-1 1-lactamase is the most prevalent plasmid-mediated 13-lactamase in gram-negative bacteria. Recently, TEM I-lactamase variants with amino acid substitutions in the active-site pocket of the enzyme have been identified in natural isolates with increased resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins. To identify other amino acid substitutions that alter the activity of TEM-1 towards extende...

The Gram-negative outer membrane is an important barrier that provides protection against toxic compounds, which include antibiotics and host innate immune molecules such as cationic antimicrobial peptides. Recently, significant research progress has been made in understanding the biogenesis, regulation, and functioning of the outer membrane, including a recent paper from the laboratory of Dr. ...