Draft genomes of 12 Bifidobacterium isolates from human IBD fecal samples

Twelve Bifidobacterium strains were isolated from fecal samples of inflammatory bowel disease patients and matched "household control" individuals. These include the species Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium animalis, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum.

Compounding Achromobacter Phages for Therapeutic Applications

Achromobacter species colonization of Cystic Fibrosis respiratory airways is an increasing concern. Two adult patients with Cystic Fibrosis colonized by Achromobacter xylosoxidans CF418 or Achromobacter ruhlandii CF116 experienced fatal exacerbations. Achromobacter spp. are naturally resistant to several antibiotics. Therefore, phages could be valuable as therapeutics for the control of Achromobacter. In this study, thirteen lytic phages were isolated and characterized at the morphological and genomic levels for potential future use in phage therapy. They are presented here as the Achromobacter Kumeyaay phage collection. Six distinct Achromobacter phage genome clusters were identified based on a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Kumeyaay collection as well as the publicly available Achromobacter phages. The infectivity of all phages in the Kumeyaay collection was tested in 23 Achromobacter clinical isolates; 78% of these isolates were lysed by at least one phage. A cryptic prophage was induced in Achromobacter xylosoxidans CF418 when infected with some of the lytic phages. This prophage genome was characterized and is presented as Achromobacter phage CF418-P1. Prophage induction during lytic phage preparation for therapy interventions require further exploration. Large-scale production of phages and removal of endotoxins using an octanol-based procedure resulted in a phage concentrate of 1 × 109 plaque-forming units per milliliter with an endotoxin concentration of 65 endotoxin units per milliliter, which is below the Food and Drugs Administration recommended maximum threshold for human administration. This study provides a comprehensive framework for the isolation, bioinformatic characterization, and safe production of phages to kill Achromobacter spp. in order to potentially manage Cystic Fibrosis (CF) pulmonary infections.

Optineurin E50K triggers BDNF deficiency-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction in retinal photoreceptor cell line

Optineurin (OPTN) mutations are linked to glaucoma pathology and E50K mutation shows massive cell death in photoreceptor cells and retinal ganglion cells. However, little is known about E50K-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction in photoreceptor cell degeneration. We here show that overexpression of E50K expression triggered BDNF deficiency, leading to Bax activation in RGC-5 cells. BDNF deficiency induced mitochondrial dysfunction by decreasing mitochondrial maximal respiration and reducing intracellular ATP level in RGC-5 cells. However, BDNF deficiency did not alter mitochondrial dynamics. Also, BDNF deficiency resulted in LC3-mediated mitophagosome formation in RGC-5 cells. These results strongly suggest that E50K-mediated BDNF deficiency plays a critical role in compromised mitochondrial function in glaucomatous photoreceptor cell degeneration.

Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) in sera of patients with Graves' disease and Hashimoto disease

OBJECTIVES

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), a 80-110 kD glycoprotein, has been found to be a ligand for the lymphocyte function associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) molecule and has important roles in inflammatory and immune mediated mechanisms. ICAM-1 is expressed on thyroid follicular cells of patients with Hashimoto disease and cultured thyroid monolayer cells derived from the thyroid surgical specimen. In addition to the expression of ICAM-1 on the surface of cells, soluble variants of several adhesion molecules have been reported.

METHODS

We evaluated the circulating ICAM-1 in sera of representative autoimmune thyroid disease, Hashimoto and Graves' disease, and analyzed correlations between circulating ICAM-1 and thyroid-directed autoantibodies. Sera were collected from 58 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, 28 patients with Graves' disease and 30 patients with Hashimoto disease. Serum concentrations for circulating ICAM-1 were determined with sandwitch enzyme immunoassay.

RESULTS

Compared with normal individuals, mean serum concentrations for circulating ICAM-1 were significantly elevated in patients with Hashimoto disease and antithyroperoxidase-positive Graves' disease. Patients with antithyroperoxidase-positive Graves' disease revealed significantly higher serum circulating ICAM-1 concentrations than antithyroperoxidase-negative Graves' disease. Circulating ICAM-1 showed significant positive correlation with serum titers of antithyroglobulin and antithyroperoxidase antibody (r = 0.44, n = 28, p = 0.009, and r = 0.55, n = 28, p = 0.001 respectively). There was a significant positive correlation between circulating ICAM-1 levels and serum antithyroperoxidase level in the group of autoimmune thyroid disease and also circulating ICAM-1 levels were significantly correlated with serum antithyroperoxidase antibody levels in antithyroperoxidase antibody-positive Graves' disease(r = 0.55, n = 28, p = 0.001) and in Hashimoto disease (r = 0.5, n = 30, p = 0.002). The thyrotropin binding inhibiting immunoglobulins(TBII) showed no significant correlation with circulating ICAM-1 levels.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present study, high serum levels of ICAM-1 were associated with autoimmune thyroid disease. Graves' disease and Hashimoto disease and positively correlates with levels of antithyroperoxidase antibody.