Fungal growths affect both human and animal well-being. Many natural pathogens of laboratory animals alter host physiology, rendering the host unsuitable for experimental uses. While the number and prevalence of few pathogens have declined considerably, many still turn up in laboratory animals and represent unwanted variables in research. Investigators using laboratory animals in biomedical experimentation should be aware of the profound effects that many of these agents can have on research. What does the future hold regarding the natural pathogens of laboratory animals? The selection of an animal model must carefully address issues of the type of human disease to mimic, the parameters to follow, and the collection of the appropriate data to answer those questions being asked. Overall, animal models of fungal infection will continue to deepen our understanding of how these infections occur. This book provides a valuable source of information to biological and biomedical scientists and to clinical and doctoral researchers working in the area of fungal infections and diseases of laboratory animal species.

Bacteria have evolved with extraordinary abilities to regulate aspects of their behavior (such as gene expression) in response to signals in the intracellular and extracellular environment. Key to this are the diverse macromolecules (proteins or RNA) that sense change through direct interactions with chemical or physical stimuli. In recent years, there have been tremendous advances in understanding the structure and function of these signal receptors, and how interaction with the signal triggers changes in their activity and downstream events. For some systems, this understanding extends to the atomic level. In this unique book, an international team of experts reviews a selection of important model systems, providing a timely snapshot of the current state of research in the field. Sensory Mechanisms in Bacteria opens with an introductory chapter that reviews the diversity of signal recognition mechanisms, illustrating the breadth of the field. Subsequent chapters include descriptions

Bifidobacteria are Gram-positive anaerobic bacteria, found naturally in the gut of humans and other mammals. They are widely used as probiotic organisms in a vast array of formulations for the prevention, alleviation, and treatment of many intestinal disorders. However, bifidobacteria are fastidious microorganisms and are difficult to study in the laboratory, so until recently, understanding of their genetics lagged behind that of other high GC content Gram-positive bacteria. The application of modern whole genome approaches to bifidobacteria research has changed all of this, permitting the accumulation of an impressive amount of data, something that could not have been foreseen a few years ago. This book brings together the expertise and enthusiasm of the leading bifidobacteria researchers from around the world to provide a state-of-the art overview of the molecular biology and genomics of this exciting and important microbial genus. Topics include: ecology, genomics, comparative geno

This volume presents state-of-the-art protocols for key experiments that have revolutionized our understanding of the bacterial nucleoid. This book is divided into five parts: Part I introduces molecular genetic methods to study bacterial nucleoids; Part II highlights the study of bacterial nucleoid with whole genome analysis method; Part III discusses molecular biology methods to study nucleoid structuring factors; Part IV looks at imaging bacterial nucleoid; and Part V explores biophysics of the bacterial nucleoid. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Thorough and cutting-edge, The Bacterial Nucleoid: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource that provides a wealth of new information about this chromosome.

This book discusses recent advances in our understanding of the role of oxidants in microbial pathophysiology, providing valuable insights into the complex role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in host-microbial interactions. The various chapters take readers through the function of ROS in infections ranging from viral to bacterial, and describe how microorganisms have developed complex strategies to not only avoid contact with phagocyte-derived oxidants, but also protect themselves from injury when oxidants are encountered. Featuring the latest research in the field of microbial diseases, this timely book is a ready reference for scientists looking to develop new anti-microbial drugs.

Secreted proteins are particularly important in bacterial pathogenesis. These proteins have a range of biological functions from host cell toxicity to more subtle alterations of the host cell for the benefit of the invader. The importance of protein secretion to bacterial pathogens is exemplified by the array of mechanisms that have evolved for this purpose. This extensive publication - on bacterial secreted proteins, the secretory systems of bacteria, and the vital role of secreted proteins in bacterial pathogenesis - will be of immense value to all microbiologists, molecular biologists, public health scientists, and researchers engaged in the study of pathogenesis, drug design, and vaccine development. A skillful selection of topics and a panel of acknowledged experts have ensured that this volume will become an important reference source for many years to come. The book is divided into two sections. The first section describes the various protein secretion systems, including mechanisms for secretion across the cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, the specialized mechanisms for secretion across the Gram-negative outer membrane, the systems for transport across both membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, the protein secretion systems in Gram-positive bacteria, the secretion of surface fimbrae/pili, and the less well-defined pathways. Section two describes the protein secretion mechanisms and secreted proteins of a number of important human, veterinary, and plant pathogens and their role in the pathogenicity of these organisms. The pathogens covered have been selected on the basis that there is active research on protein secretion by these pathogens and they employ a diverse array of secreted proteins and protein secretion systems. Each of the book's chapters can be read in isolation. The book constitutes a broad and in-depth description of the current knowledge of bacterial protein secretion and its role in pathogenesis. It is a recommended reference volume for all microbiology libraries.

This book provides an up-to-date overview of the architecture and biosynthesis of bacterial and archaeal cell walls, highlighting the evolution-based similarities in, but also the intriguing differences between the cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria, the Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and the Archaea. The recent major advances in this field, which have brought to light many new structural and functional details, are presented and discussed. Over the past five years, a number of novel systems, e.g. for lipid, porin and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis have been described. In addition, new structural achievements with periplasmic chaperones have been made, all of which have revealed amazing details on how bacterial cell walls are synthesized. These findings provide an essential basis for future research, e.g. the development of new antibiotics. The book's content is the logical continuation of Volume 84 of SCBI (on Prokaryotic Cytoskeletons), and sets the stage for upcoming volumes on Protein Complexes.

This book is a compilation of past and recent knowledge in the field of emerging drug resistance. The book covers major aspects of drug resistance in bacteria, fungi, malaria, and cancer.Human survival on earth is constantly threatened by disease and syndrome. From the early days, the aim of research in medicine was to find therapeutic agents that can improve the quality of human life. Although humans are dependent on natural compounds from early days their dependence of drugs increased excessively in last century. The advances in chemistry and biology have helped researchers to identify the drugs that have improved treatment of many diseases. The primary factor for treatment of these diseases is dependent on the efficacy of drugs available. The development of resistance to these drugs is one of the major hindrances. Although there are number of books available on this topic, "drug resistance" biology across kingdoms has never been discussed in a coherent way.

This volume focuses on antibiotics research, a field of topical significance for human health due to the worrying increase of nosocomial infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria. It covers several basic aspects, such as the evolution of antibiotic resistance and the influence of antibiotics on the gut microbiota, and addresses the search for novel pathogenicity blockers as well as historical aspects of antibiotics. Further topics include applied aspects, such as drug discovery based on biodiversity and genome mining, optimization of lead structures by medicinal chemistry, total synthesis and drug delivery technologies. Moreover, the development of vaccines as a valid alternative therapeutic approach is outlined, while the importance of epidemiological studies on important bacterial pathogens, the problems arising from the excessive use of antibiotics in animal breeding, and the development of innovative technologies for diagnosing the "bad bugs" are discussed in detail. Accordingly, the book will appeal to researchers and clinicians alike.

Focuses on the aggregation of recombinant proteins in bacterial cells in the form of inclusion bodies and on their use in biotechnological and medical applications The first book devoted specifically to the topic of aggregation in bacteria, Protein Aggregation in Bacteria: Functional and Structural Properties of Inclusion Bodies in Bacterial Cells provides a large overview of protein folding and aggregation, including cell biology and methodological aspects. It summarizes, for the first time in one book, ideas and technical approaches that pave the way for a direct use of inclusion bodies in biotechnological and medical applications. Protein Aggregation in Bacteria covers: * Molecular and cellular mechanisms of protein folding, aggregation, and disaggregation in bacteria * Physiological importance and consequences of aggregation for the bacterial cell * Factors inherent to the protein sequence responsible for aggregation and evolutionary mechanisms to keep proteins soluble * Structural properties of proteins expressed as soluble aggregates and as inclusion bodies within bacterial cells both from a methodological point of view and with regard to their similarity with amyloids * Control of the structural and functional properties of aggregated proteins and use thereof in biotechnology and medicine Protein Aggregation in Bacteria is ideal for researchers in protein science, biochemistry, bioengineering, biophysics, microbiology, medicine, and biotechnology, particularly if they are related with the production of recombinant proteins and pharmaceutical science.

The genus Borrelia, in the spirochete phylum, is not closely related to any other bacteria and has a highly unusual genome composed of a linear chromosome and multiple circular and linear plasmids that appear to be in a constant state of rearrangement, recombination, and deletion. The determination of the genome sequence of Borrelia strains has facilitated tremendous advances in understanding this genus at the molecular and cellular level, as well as the pathogenesis of Lyme disease and relapsing fever. In recent years, there has been an explosion of new insights into the molecular biology, genetics, physiology, and ecology of Borrelia and its tick/vertebrate life cycle. This research is of particular importance as the incidence of Lyme borreliosis continues to increase. Written by renowned scientists who have made seminal contributions to the field, this book is a comprehensive guide to the pathogenic Borrelia, providing researchers, advanced students, clinicians, and other professionals with an encyclopedic overview of the molecular biology of this important genus and the pathogenesis of diseases. Leading authorities have made contributions on topics such as Borrelia genomics, DNA replication, gene regulation, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolism and physiology, cellular structure, motility and chemotaxis, genetic manipulation, evolutionary genetics, ecology, tick interactions, Lyme disease and relapsing fever pathogenesis, animal models, host response, detection, and vaccines. The volume is essential for anyone involved in Borrelia research and is strongly recommended for microbiologists, immunologists, and physicians involved in spirochete research, Lyme borreliosis, or relapsing fever. The book is a recommended reference volume for all microbiology libraries.

Microorganisms play an important role in the maintenance of the ecosystem structure and function. Bacteria constitute the major part of the microorganisms and possess tremendous potential in many important applications from environmental clean up to the drug discovery. Much advancement has been taken place in the field of research on bacterial systems. This book summarizes the experimental setups required for applied microbiological studies. Important background information, representative results, step by step protocol in this book will be of great use to the students, early career researchers as well as the academicians. The book describes many experiments covering the basic microbiological experiments to the applications of microbial systems for advanced research. Researchers in any field who utilize bacterial systems will find this book very useful. In addition to microbiology and bacteriology, this book will also find useful in molecular biology, genetics, and pathology and the volume should prove to be a valuable laboratory resource in clinical and environmental microbiology, microbial genetics and agricultural research. Unique features * Easy to follow by the users as the experiments have been written in simple language and step-wise manner. * Role of each reagents to be used in each experiment have been described which will help the beginners to understand quickly and design their own experiment. * Each experiment has been equipped with the coloured illustrations for proper understanding of the concept. * Trouble-shootings at the end of each experiment will be helpful in overcoming the problems faced by the users. * Flow-chart of each experiment will quickly guide the users in performing the experiments.

The type I interferon (IFN) signaling pathway is well recognized as a pathway activated by viral infections. It is activated by a variety of microbial pattern recognition receptors including the Toll-like receptors, NOD-like receptors and several cytosolic receptors. Activation of the type I IFN pathway leads to the production of both antiviral factors and products that influence immune cell function. More recently it has been shown that bacteria are also capable of activating this pathway. Bacterial Activation of Type I Interferons reviews both the current understanding of how different bacterial species are able to activate this pathway as well as the influence type I IFNs have on the outcome to infection. Several different bacterial species are covered, spanning Gram positive and Gram negative, intracellular, extracellular, and different host infection sites. An introduction to the pathogenesis of each organism is provided, and the signaling molecules involved in the activation of the type I IFN pathway and the role it plays in animal infection models are also covered.

Streptococcus Pneumoniae: Molecular Mechanisms of Host-Pathogen Interactions provides a comprehensive overview of our existing knowledge on Streptococcus pneumoniae antibiotic resistance, dissemination, and pathogenesis, including immunology. It presents a state-of-the-art overview of the implications of existing data, along with the areas of research that are important for future insights into the molecular mechanisms of pneumococcal infections and how to combat these infections. Users will find a timely update on the topic, as the dramatic increase in antibiotic resistance pneumoniae cases and limitations of the currently available pneumoniae vaccines are creating new concerns on these gram-positive bacteria that are endowed with a high virulence potential, and are the most common etiologic agent of respiratory and life-threatening invasive diseases.

This volume is designed to be a resource of proven techniques and approaches for probing the activities of bacterial, eukaryotic, and archaeal RNA polymerases. This book features a collection of in vitro and in vivo technologies that will permit researchers to purify and probe the position and stability of RNA polymerase complexes at different points of the transcription cycle, analyze the various translocations and intermolecular movements associated with catalysis, define recruitment strategies, probe the roles of transcription factors in each stage of the cycle, highlight conserved and disparate fidelity mechanisms, analyze the resultant transcripts, and study coordination of the nascent mRNA synthesis by the RNA polymerase and mRNA translation by the ribosome. Written in the highly successful Methods of Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubles troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and timely, Bacterial Transcriptional Controls: Methods and Protocols highlights the breadth and depth of techniques that are likely to continue shaping the transcription community in the future.

This volume is an up-to-date overview of the physiology of selected pathogenic bacteria. Each chapter is written by experts in the field of that organism.The focus is on biochemistry and physiology but topics of clinical relevance are included.

This book summarizes the current state of knowledge concerning bacteria that use halogenated organic compounds as respiratory electron acceptors. The discovery of organohalide-respiring bacteria has expanded the range of electron acceptors used for energy conservation, and serves as a prime example of how scientific discoveries are enabling innovative engineering solutions that have transformed remediation practice. Individual chapters provide in-depth background information on the discovery, isolation, phylogeny, biochemistry, genomic features, and ecology of individual organohalide-respiring genera, including Dehalococcoides, Dehalogenimonas, Dehalobacter, Desulfitobacterium and Sulfurospirillum, as well as organohalide-respiring members of the Deltaproteobacteria. The book introduces readers to the fascinating biology of organohalide-respiring bacteria, offering a valuable resource for students, engineers and practitioners alike.

This book provides a selection of recently developed methods and protocols in bacterial glycomics to aid in bettering our understanding of the structures and functions of bacterial polysaccharides, their attachments to proteins and lipids, their role in biofilm formation, as well as their biosynthesis. With the emerging bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics world-wide, these techniques to study the outer polysaccharides of bacteria, with their functions in bacterial adhesion, colonization, growth, establishment of biofilms, and control virulence and pathogenicity, are increasingly important. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Bacterial Polysaccharides: Methods and Protocols aims to support researchers contributing to future approaches that will fill our knowledge gaps and define anti-bacterial targets.

This volume brings together the most widely used and important protocols currently being employed in researching and understanding bacterial cell wall homeostasis. Chapters in Bacterial Cell Wall Homeostasis cover a variety of subjects, such as: modern microscopy techniques and other biophysical methods used to characterize the subcellular structure of the bacterial cell wall; high-throughput approaches that can be used to identify all the genes and proteins that participate in the correct functioning of an organism's cell wall; protocols for assaying individual gene products for specific cell wall functions or identify chemicals with inhibitory activity against the cell wall; and methods for analyzing the non-protein components of the cell wall and the increasing use of computational approaches for predicting and modeling cell wall related functions and processes. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introduction to their respective topics, lists of the necessary material and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Thorough and cutting-edge, Bacterial Cell Wall Homeostasis: Methods and Protocols emphasizes the diversity of the research taking place in bacterial cell wall homeostasis, and explains how the integration of information from across multiple disciplines is going to be essential if a holistic understanding of this important process is to be obtained.

The aim of this book is to provide readers with a wide overview of the main healthcare-associated infections caused by bacteria and fungi able to grow as biofilm. The recently acquired knowledge on the pivotal role played by biofilm-growing microorganisms in healthcare-related infections has given a new dynamic to detection, prevention and treatment of these infections in patients admitted to both acute care hospitals and long-term care facilities. Clinicians, hygienists and microbiologists will be updated by leading scientists on the state-of-art of biofilm-based infections and on the most innovative strategies for prevention and treatment of these infections, often caused by emerging multidrug-resistant biofilm-growing microorganisms.

Legionnaires disease, a potentially fatal type of pneumonia primarily affecting elderly and immuno-compromised persons, is caused by the ubiquitous environmental bacterium "Legionella pneumophila." This book offers authoritative reviews of different facets of its virulence, focusing on comparative phagocyte infection, virulence gene regulation, biochemical functions of effector proteins and cellular pathogen-host interactions, as well as host responses and immunity to "L. pneumophila." Taken together, the contributions in this compilation provide a state-of-the-art overview of current insights into the molecular pathogenesis of the opportunistic and potentially fatal pathogen "L. pneumophila.""

"Advances in Botanical Research" publishes in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics in plant sciences. The series features a wide range of reviews by recognized experts on all aspects of plant genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, physiology and ecology. This thematic volume features reviews on genome evolution of photosynthetic bacteria.
Publishes in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics in plant sciencesFeatures a wide range of reviews by recognized experts on all aspects of plant genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, physiology and ecologyThis thematic volume features reviews on genome evolution of photosynthetic bacteria

"Advances in Botanical Research" publishes in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics in plant sciences. The series features a wide range of reviews by recognized experts on all aspects of plant genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, physiology and ecology. Thisthematic volume features reviews on The Genomics of Cyanobacteria.
Chapters by internationally renowned researchers share the most up-to-date knowledge on cyanobacteriaEven if you have no previous background in the subject, the book's clear language and illustrations tell you what you need to know about the biology and genomics of cyanobacteria and it highlights important directions for future researchAn essential book for students and researchers"