Serratia marcescens

Extracellular secretion of the Serratia marcescens nuclease occurs in a two-step process: (i) rapidly to the periplasm via a signal sequence-dependent pathway and then (ii) slowly to the extracellular growth medium without cell lysis. There are two major isoforms of the nuclease in the culture supernatant of S. marcescens. We have isolated, purified, and determined the sequences of both isoforms. The first isoform, the mature nuclease (Sm2), is the result of signal sequence processing. The second isoform (Sm1) has three additional amino acids missing from the N terminus of the mature nuclease. Sm1 starts to appear extracellularly only during prolonged growth of a culture (16 to 48 h), probably because of cell lysis. However, pulse-chase experiments show that it is made early with Sm2 but is not secreted efficiently.

Expression of recombinant proteins as inclusion bodies in bacteria is one of the most efficient ways to produce cloned proteins, as long as the inclusion bodies can be successfully refolded. In this study, the different parameters were investigated and optimized on the refolding of denatured lipase. The maximum lipase activity of 5000U/L was obtained after incubation of denatured enzyme in

A novel dye-decolourizing strain of the bacterium Serratia marcescens efficiently decolourized two chemically different dyes Ranocid Fast Blue (RFB) and Procion Brilliant Blue-H-GR (PBB-HGR) belonging respectively to the azo and anthraquinone groups. Extracellular laccase and manganese peroxidase (MnP) activity were detected during dye decolourization. The involvement of MnP activity was found in the decolourization of both dyes. More than 90% decolourization of PBB-HGR and RFB was obtained on days 8 and 5, respectively at 26°C under static conditions at pH 7.0. MnP activity was increased by the addition of Mn 2+. At 50 lM Mn 2+ , high MnP (55.3 U/ml) but low laccase activity (8.3 U/ml) was observed. Influence of oxalic acid on MnP activity was also observed.

message: Serratia marcescens infections that occur in older children and adults with chronic granulomatous disease have a pattern different from that seen in infants with CGD in that osteomyelitis is much less common; skin infections form large poorly healing ulcers; and infections frequently occur in a metastatic fashion at multiple sites including cryptic internal sites.

Background Ticks are regarded as the most relevant vectors of disease-causing pathogens in domestic and wild animals. The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, hinders livestock production in tropical and subtropical parts of the world where it is endemic. Tick microbiomes remain largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to explore the R. microplus microbiome by applying the bacterial 16S tag-encoded FLX-titanium amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP) technique to characterize its bacterial diversity. Pyrosequencing was performed on adult males and females, eggs, and gut and ovary tissues from adult females derived from samples of R. microplus collected during outbreaks in southern Texas. Results Raw data from bTEFAP were screened and trimmed based upon quality scores and binned into individual sample collections. Bacteria identified to the species level include Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus chromogenes, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Staphylococcus sciuri, Serr...

A new bacterial disease of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) "Bacterial Pink Rot of Inflorescence" was found in a farmer's palm plantation in Kuwait. The symptoms of this disease were dark brown spots on the spathe cover. Inside these spadices affected flowers, ...

Insects are able to combat infection by initiating an efficient immune response that involves synthesizing antimicrobial peptides and a range of other defense molecules. These responses may be costly to the organism, resulting in it exploiting endogenous resources to maintain homeostasis or support defense to the detriment of other physiological needs. We used queenless worker bees on distinct dietary regimes that may alter hemolymph protein storage and ovary activation to investigate the physiological costs of infection with Serratia marcescens. The expression of the genes encoding the storage proteins vitellogenin and hexamerin 70a, the vitellogenin receptor, and vasa (which has a putative role in reproduction), was impaired in the infected bees. This impairment was mainly evident in the bees fed beebread, which caused significantly higher expression of these genes than did royal jelly or syrup, and this was confirmed at the vitellogenin and hexamerin 70a protein levels. Beebread was also the only diet that promoted ovary activation in the queenless bees, but this activation was significantly impaired by the infection. The expression of the genes encoding the storage proteins apolipophorins-I and-III and the lipophorin receptor was not altered by infection regardless the diet provided to the bees. Similarly, the storage of apolipophorin-I in the hemolymph was only slightly impaired by the infection, independently of the supplied diet. Taken together these results indicate that, infection demands a physiological cost from the transcription of specific protein storage-related genes and from the reproductive capacity.

Background: The role of hands in disease transmission is well established, and the importance of handwashing is recognized. However, the exits of paper-towel dispensers used in hand drying may be contaminated, and the functionality of handwashing equipment increasingly is being questioned.

Problem statement: Hospital cleanleness and hygene are consederd among the most important aspects of clinical success and in preventing nosocomial infections. In this study we will address the problem of effectiveness of commonly used chemical agents in cleaning and disinfection in hospitals of north Jordan. For evaluating the effectiveness of chemical agents. Approach: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by the method of serial broth dilutions. The bacteria used were Acinetobactev calcoaceticus, Enterobacter cloacae and Serratia marcescens were isolated from material collected from Princess Badea and Princess Rahma hospitals in north Jordan, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 9372, Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 7953, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923,were used as controls. Results: Chlorhexidine showed no inhibitory activity for Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus stearothermophilus. A. calcoaceticus, showed resistance to the majority of the agents tested, followed by E. cloacae and S. marcescens. The MIC intervals, which reduced bacteria populations over 08 log 10 , were: 65-11000 mg L −1 of chlorhexidine digluconate, 200-4500 mg L −1 of chlorine-releasing-agents (CRAs), 4100-82000 mg L −1 of isopropanol or ethanol, 1350-3500 mg L −1 of glutaraldehyde, 50-250 mg L −1 of formaldehyde, 1200-6000 mg L −1 of iodine in polyvinyl-pyrolidone complexes, 450-2400 mg L −1 of hydrogen peroxide and 60-160 mg L −1 of quaternarium ammonium compounds (QACs). Conclusion: Ethanol, Ethanol plus glycerin and Ethanol iodine were found to be the most effective agents against microorganims tested p<0.05.

Metal pollution is a serious problem for environmental safety and programmes of monitoring and bioremediation are needed. Among the processes of bioremediation, the use of microbes to remove and degrade contaminants is considered a biotechnological approach to clean up polluted environments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of Serratia marcescens in Pb, Cd and Cr removal and the potential use of these bacteria in toxic metal bioremediation from polluted environments. A short-term study (120 min) was carried out to study the bacterial growth in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentrations of each metal analysed and the kinetics of metal biosorption in S. marcescens strain. In addition, metal influence on the biosynthesis of the red pigment &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;prodigiosina&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; by S. marcescens was monitored. The results obtained in this study show metals biosorption by S. marcescens (range: 0.0133-0.213 μg/g for Pb; 0.097-0.1853 μg/g for Cd; and 0.105-0.176 μg/g for Cr) and confirm the possible use of this bacterium to realize bioremediation processes, especially for Pb removal, and as a bioindicator of metal pollution.

Anewchromogenicplatemedium,CHROMagarOrientation,wasevaluatedforuseinthedifferentiationand presumptive identification of gram-negative bacilli and Enterococcus species by a multipoint inoculation (replicator) technique. In this study, 1,404 gram-negative bacilli and 74 enterococcal isolates were tested on CHROMagar Orientation. Six control American Type Culture Collection strains were also included with the testing to ensure quality control of the media. Of theEscherichia coliisolates (n 5588) tested, 99.3% produced a pink-to-red

Aiming for the synthesis of new heterocyclic compounds containing a sulfonamido moiety suitable for use as antibacterial agents, the precursor ethyl {[4-N-(4,6dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)sulfamoyl]phenylazo}cyanoacetate was reacted with a variety of active methylene compounds producing pyran, pyridine and pyridazine derivatives. Also, the reactivity of the precursor hydrazone towards hydrazine derivatives to give pyrazole and oxazole derivatives was studied. On the other hand, treatment of the same precursor with urea, thiourea and/or guanidine hydrochloride furnished pyrimidine and thiazine derivatives, respectively. The newly synthesized compounds were tested for antibacterial activity, whereby eight compounds were found to have high activities.

The effect of four phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), (Burkholderia gladioli 10216, Burkholderia gladioli 10217, Enterobacter aerogenes 10208 and Serratia marcescens 10238) as identified on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing was evaluated on plant growth and commercially important glycosides, stevioside (ST) and rebaudioside-A (R-A) of Stevia rebaudiana in pots containing tricalcium phosphate (TCP) supplemented soil. The PSB were isolated from the rhizosphere of S. rebaudiana plants and tested for P-solubilization ability, biocompatibility, indole acetic acid (IAA) and siderophore production. In greenhouse study, treatment of either individual PSB or a consortium (of PSB) resulted in increased plant growth, ST and R-A contents. The stimulatory effect was observed with consortium treatment in plant growth parameters (shoot length, 22.5%; root length, 14.7%; leaf dry weight, 89.0%; stem dry weight, 76.3% and shoot biomass, 82.5%) and glycoside contents (ST, 150% plant−1 and R-A, 555% plant−1) as compared to the un-inoculated plants. Among individual PSB treatments, B. gladioli 10216 showed most promising response in majority of the parameters studied. The root colonization potential of PSB, assayed by RAPD technique, showed the colonization of all PSB isolates, though their extent of colonization varied.▶ Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria were isolated from the Stevia rhizosphere. ▶ Isolates belong to genera Burkholderia, Enterobacter and Serratia. ▶ Isolates enhanced the plant growth, stevioside and rebaudioside-A content. ▶ Stimulatory effect was observed on the soil and plant phosphorus content. ▶ Consortium treatment showed better results than individual treatments.

Biofabricated metal nanoparticles are generally biocompatible, inexpensive, and ecofriendly, therefore, are used preferably in industries, medical and material science research. Considering the importance of biofabricated materials, we isolated, characterized and identified a novel bacterial strain OS4 of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (GenBank: JN247637.1). At neutral pH, this Gram negative bacterial strain significantly reduced hexavalent chromium, an important heavy metal contaminant found in the tannery effluents and minings. Subsequently, even at room temperature the supernatant of log phase grown culture of strain OS4 also reduced silver nitrate (AgNO 3 ) to generate nanoparticles (AgNPs). These AgNPs were further characterized by UV-visible, Nanophox particle size analyzer, XRD, SEM and FTIR. As evident from the FTIR data, plausibly the protein components of supernatant caused the reduction of AgNO 3 . The cuboid and homogenous AgNPs showed a characteristic UV-visible peak at 428 nm with average size of ,93 nm. The XRD spectra exhibited the characteristic Bragg peaks of 111, 200, 220 and 311 facets of the face centred cubic symmetry of nanoparticles suggesting that these nanoparticles were crystalline in nature. From the nanoparticle release kinetics data, the rapid release of AgNPs was correlated with the particle size and increasing surface area of the nanoparticles. A highly significant antimicrobial activity against medically important bacteria by the biofabricated AgNPs was also revealed as decline in growth of Staphylococcus aureus (91%), Escherichia coli (69%) and Serratia marcescens (66%) substantially. Additionally, different cytotoxic assays showed no toxicity of AgNPs to liver function, RBCs, splenocytes and HeLa cells, hence these particles were safe to use. Therefore, this novel bacterial strain OS4 is likely to provide broad spectrum benefits for curing chromium polluted sites, for biofabrication of AgNPs and ultimately in the nanoparticle based drug formulation for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Prodigiosins, a family of natural red pigments characterized by a common pyrrolylpyrromethane skeleton, are produced by various bacteria that first characterized from Serratia marcescens. This pigment is a promising drug owing to its reported characteristics of having antifungal, immunosuppressive and anti-proliferative activity. From an industrial point of view to obtain optimal conditions to enhance the growth of Serratia marcescens and the pigment production is necessity. In present study, the production condition, physicochemical and functional characteristics, structure, genetic and gene expression, apoptosis and toxigenic effects of prodigiosin will be discussed in-order to contribute to the world of Serratia marcescens with respect to its prodigiosin production property.

Considerando que la serratia marcescens, es un bacilo oportunista con una presentación atípica, se debe tener presente como posible agente etiológico en las sobre infecciones de patologías crónicas como la tuberculosis, donde el mal estado general y el debilitamiento del sistema inmunológico, facilitarían su presencia.

A 78-year-old woman developed an early knee-prosthesis infection due to multiresistant Serratia marcescens that was successfully treated with high-dose meropenem, after failure of a long-term therapy combining imipenem and multiple surgical interventions. Because of its lower neurotoxicity, meropenem might be preferred to imipenem/cilastatin for the treatment of osteo-articular infections due to multiresistant Gram-negative bacilli in the elderly.

The present investigation includes isolation, enumeration and comparison of the gut microbial flora of Labeo
rohita fed differentially treated Animal Fleshing (ANFL) as a sole protein source in their diets and related increase in
enzyme secretion. ANFL is the proteinaceous tannery solid waste generated during leather processing and inclusion
of ANFL in aqua feed will pave way for the novel alternative cheaper protein source in replacement of fish meal.
Six experimental diets were formulated with differentially processed ANFL. The isolates from the gut extract were
qualitatively screened and quantitatively assayed for amylase, cellulase, lipase and protease activities. The total
culturable bacterial count (10 × 107 CFU/g) as well as the proteolytic bacterial count (27 × 106 CFU/g) was high in the
fish gut fed with diet 5 containing the fermented ANFL. Almost all the bacterial isolates possesses protease activity in
which strains (FF5, CF3and CF4) isolated from the diet 5 (287U) and 7 (282U) exhibited highest activities. Maximum
cellulase (FF2), amylase and lipase (RF6) activity were observed in the strains isolated from the diets 5 and 1 (78U,
186U and 97U). This study proves the existence of diet dependent enzyme producing bacterial community in the
gut of Labeo rohita through SEM analysis and the information generated from the present study might contribute
towards utilization of enzyme producing bacterial isolates as probiotic and in better feed formulations at low cost for
rohu incorporating the tannery solid waste ANFL as a protein source.

The monomer and dimer of the bacterium Serratia marcescens endonuclease (SMnase) are each catalytically active, and the two subunits of the dimer function independently of each other. Nature, however, chooses the dimer form instead of the monomer. In order to explain this, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of both model-built complexes of a subunit of SMnase and the dimer with DNA in aqueous solution. We estimated the electrostatic binding energy, analyzed the distribution and dynamics of water around the complexes, identified water clusters in the protein, and related the dynamics of water to the protein's function. We find that the dimer form has an electrostatic advantage over the monomer to associate with DNA. Although Mg 2+ remains hexa-coordinated during the simulation, the binding pathway of DNA to Mg 2+ changes from inner-sphere binding in the monomer to outer-sphere in the dimer, which may be more energetically favorable. In addition, two water clusters in the active site of each monomer and in the dimer complex were identified and localized in two regions, named the "stabilizing" and "working" regions. Water in the "working" region in the dimer complex has larger fluctuations than that in the monomer.

Cancer therapy faces significant challenges, particularly in terms of specificity. It has been suggested that the ideal therapy would be able to selectively eradicate tumor cells, with limited toxicity to normal tissues. In addition, the development of resistance to conventional cancer therapies has led to the search for agents capable of addressing these challenges. Among the new proposed strategies there is the use of bacteria and their products as potential antitumor agents, either to provide direct tumoricidal effects or to deliver tumoricidal molecules.

Certain pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacterial species are capable of multiplying selectively in tumors and inhibit their growth. Furthermore, this specificity of tumor tissues allows these bacteria and their spores to be used as ideal vectors for delivering therapeutic proteins to tumors. In addition, bacterial toxins have emerged as a promising cancer treatment strategy. In this review, it is examined the most recent research works on the use of bacteria and their products in cancer therapy.

In order to determine whether hydrophobic surface properties of Serratia marcescens can be transferred to Escherichia coli, E. coli DHk cells were transformed by DNA fragments from S. marcescens RZ. Fifteen-hundred E. coli transformants were screened for adhesion to hexadecane and polystyrene. One transformant exhibited increased adhesion to hexadecane droplets, as well as altered kinetics of aggregation in the presence of ammonium sulfate. Western colony blotting revealed that antibodies raised against S. marcescens RZ recognized component(s) on the transformant outer surface.

We live in a world full of external factors that can harm our cellular DNA, causing mutations that disturb and disrupt the cellular lifecycle (Gelbart et al, 2000). Radiation, either x-ray or ultraviolet , is one of the most common mutagens we encounter daily. For example, we are exposed daily to UV radiation from the sun. Defence systems against radiation damage are a necessity for all living cells, in order to minimise the harmful effects of UV radiation. Living cells are indeed equipped with various ways to minimise damage by the activation of a vast array of DNA damage-repair systems, which have been thoroughly studied (Gelbart et al, 2000). The generation of mutations by radiation and their correction by DNA repair systems have been recognised as important subjects in high school biology curricula (American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS], 1994; Barker, 1983; Lock, 1997). Unfortunately, in spite of the prevalence of UV radiation in our lives, most students have minimal awareness of it and the effects on living organisms (Morimoto,2002). UV radiation and its effect on DNA were found to be particularly difficult subjects to learn, and students found this material too abstract (Johnstone and Mahmoud, 1980; Hallden, 1988; Pashley, 1994; Bahar et al, 1999). Furthermore, research has shown that students find the micro level (cellular and molecular) difficult to understand (Marbach-Ad and Stavy, 2000). One reason for the difficulties students encounter is the fact that the micro levels are generally taught in a theoretical manner, while the processes and components at these levels cannot be touched or directly observed (Marbach-Ad and Stavy, 2000). Marbach-Ad and Stavy (2000) suggested that UV radiation damage and bacterial DNA repair systems This paper reports on a simple hands-on laboratory procedure for high school students in studying both radiation damage and DNA repair systems in bacteria. The sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) radiation of both Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens is tested by radiating them for varying time periods. Two growth temperatures are used in order to induce the production of the melanin-like pigment prodigiosin in Serratia marcescens. Several explanations are then suggested for the differences observed, including cellular DNA repair systems and the presence of the intracellular pigment prodigiosin. The experiment's results prove that the different sensitivities to radiation of both bacterial strains are caused by cellular DNA repair systems, and not by other cellular molecules, such as the pigment prodigiosin. The paper also suggests further laboratory investigations designed to enhance high school students' understanding of bacterial DNA repair systems.

Serratia plymithicum J7 culture supernatant displayed activity against many pathogenic strains of Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of the most serious bacterial disease of apple and pear trees, fire blight, and against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia liquefaciens, Serratia marcescens, and Pseudomonas fluorescens. This activity increased significantly upon induction with mitomycin C. A phage-tail-like bacteriocin, named serracin P, was purified from an induced culture supernatant of S. plymithicum J7. It was found to be the only compound involved in the antibacterial activity against sensitive strains. The N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the two major subunits (23 and 43 kDa) of serracin P revealed high homology with the Fels-2 prophage of Salmonella enterica, the coliphages P2 and 168, the φCTX prophage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and a prophage of Yersinia pestis. This strongly suggests a common ancestry for serracin P and these bacteriophages.

Diversity-invasibility relationships were explored in the novel context of the colonization resistance provided by gut bacteria of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria against pathogenic bacteria. Germ-free insects were associated with various combinations of one to three species of locust gut bacteria and then fed an inoculum of the pathogenic bacterium Serratia marcescens. There was a significant negative relationship between the resulting density of Serratia marcescens and the number of symbiotic gut bacterial species present. Likewise there was a significant inverse relationship between community diversity and the proportion of locusts that harboured Serratia. Host mortality was not negatively correlated with resistance to gut-invasion by Serratia marcescens, although there were significantly more deaths among pathogen fed germ-free insects than tri-associated gnotobiotes. The outcome is consistent with the predictions of community ecology theory that species-rich communities are more resistant to invasion than species-poor communities.

THE method of Miles, has for many years been the standard technique for the determination of viable bacterial counts by surface inoculation of solid media. However, this method requires precision and skill if accurate results are to be obtained. One problem is the difficulty of preparing pipettes that accurately and consistently deliver 50 drops per ml.

Several chemical changes in soil are associated with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Some bacterial strains directly regulate plant physiology by mimicking synthesis of plant hormones, whereas others increase mineral and nitrogen availability in the soil as a way to augment growth. Identification of bacterial chemical messengers that trigger growth promotion has been limited in part by the understanding of how plants respond to external stimuli. With an increasing appreciation of how volatile organic compounds signal plants and serve in plant defense, investigations into the role of volatile components in plant-bacterial systems now can follow. Here, we present chemical and plant-growth data showing that some PGPR release a blend of volatile components that promote growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. In particular, the volatile components 2,3-butanediol and acetoin were released exclusively from two bacterial strains that trigger the greatest level of growth promotion. Furt...

The production of energy from wastewater is a high priority for our society given the trends of over population and worldwide energy resource depletion. Aerobic sludge from wastewater treatment plant can be used to produce electricity. MFCs can be operated using pure cultures. Gram negative bacteria like Serratia marcescens can be isolated from it and can be used to produce electricity. It was accomplished with Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a device that converts chemical energy into electricity through the catalytic activities of microorganisms like bacteria. Mutant strain of this bacterium produces higher amount of electricity compared to the wild strain. Although there is great potential of MFCs as an alternative energy source, extensive optimization of this bacterium has been done in this article to exploit the maximum microbial potential from it.

An endochitinase gene from the Serratia marcescens Nima strain (chiA Nima) was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli DH5αF′, and the recombinant protein (ChiA Nima) was purified by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. chiA Nima contains an open reading frame (ORF) that encodes an endochitinase with a deduced molecular weight and an isoelectric point of 61 kDa and 6.84, respectively. A sequence at the 5′-end was identified as a signal peptide, recognized by Gram-negative bacteria transport mechanism. Comparison of ChiA Nima with other chitinases revealed a modular structure formed by the catalytic domain and a putative chitin-binding domain. The purified chitinase was able to hydrolyze both trimeric and tetrameric fluorogenic substrates, but not a chitobiose analog substrate. ChiA Nima showed high enzymatic activity within a broad pH range (pH 4.0–10.0), with a peak activity at pH 5.5. The optimal temperature for enzymatic activity was detected at 55°C.

Lipase genes originating from the Gram-negative bacteria Serrutiu marcescens and Pseudomonus urruginosa were cloned. S. marcescens lipase was overexpressed in Escherichia coli yielding inclusion bodies which were purified and finally refolded to give enzymatically active lipase. The lipase operon of P. aeruginosa consisting of genes 1ipA and lip14 was cloned behind the T7 410 promoter and overexpressed in a lipase-negative P. aeruginosa strain carrying a chromosomal insertion of the gene encoding T7 RNA polymerase. A 3D structural model was built for P. aeruginosu lipase using the coordinates of the Burkholderiu cepacia lipase structure which has recently been solved in its open conformation by X-ray crystallography.

Lipase from Serratia marcescens ECU1010 was cloned and overexpressed in E. coli. After optimization, the maximum lipase activities reached 5000-6000 U/l and this recombinant lipase could enantioselectively hydrolyze (S)-ketoprofen esters into (S)-ketoprofen. Among six alkyl esters of racemic ketoprofen investigated, this lipase showed the best enantioselectivity for the kinetic resolution of ketoprofen ethyl ester, with an ee p (enantiomeric excess of product) of 91.6% and E-value of 63 obtained at 48.2% conversion. Twelve nonionic surfactants were tested for enhancing the enantioselectivity of this lipase in the bioresolution of ketoprofen ethyl ester. A very high E-value of 1084 was achieved, with an optical purity of >99% ee p and a yield of 42.6% in the presence of 3% Brij 92V. Further studies showed that the selectivity of the lipase was improved with the increase of Brij 92V concentration. The substrate (ketoprofen ethyl ester) does not inhibit the lipase activity, while the product (S)-ketoprofen inhibits the lipase activity to some extent. These results indicate that the S. marcescens lipase is very useful for biocatalytic production of chiral profens such as (S)-ketoprofen.

Microrobots developed by the technological advances are useful for application in various fields. Nevertheless, they have limitations with respect to their actuator and motility. Our experiments aim to determine whether a bioactuator using the flagellated bacteria Serratia marcescens would enhance the motility of microrobots. In this study, we investigate that the flagellated bacteria Serratia marcescens could be utilized as actuators for SU-8 microstructures by bovine serum albumin-selective patterning. Firstly, we analyze the adherence of the bacteria to the SU-8 micro cube by selective patterning using 5% BSA. The results show that number of attached-bacteria in the uncoated side of the selectivelycoated micro cube with BSA increased by 200% compared with that in all sides of the non treated micro cube. Secondly, the selectively BSA coated micro cube had 210% higher motility than the uncoated micro cube. The results revealed that the bacteria patterned to a specific site using 5% BSA significantly increase the motility of the bacteria actuated microstructure.

A new bacterial disease of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) "Bacterial Pink Rot of Inflorescence" was found in a farmer's palm plantation in Kuwait. The symptoms of this disease were dark brown spots on the spathe cover. Inside these spadices affected flowers, scattered over the inflorescence, acquired pink coloration which at later stages was surrounded by pink mucous. Pink colored colonies of bacteria were isolated from the said mucous. After artificial inoculation of detached spadices with the bacterium, exhibited the symptoms of the said disease on the flowers. Morphological and biochemical studies of bacterium suggested that it belongs to the species Serratia marcescens. In vitro control measures of bacteria were studied, using streptomycin, copper sulphate and kasumin using various concentrations with success.

Prodigiosin,  a  pigment  produced  by Serratia  marcescensinhibits  the  growth  of  different  microorganisms  and  the  proliferation  of some human cancer cell lines. Prodigiosin is usually produced by fermentations of substrates such as starch and proteins, andpig-ment yield depends on the concentration of the carbon source, stirring speed of cultures, temperature and time of incubation,nitro-gen  sources,  and  pH  of  medium.  In  the  present  study,  pigment  production  was  assessed  using  two  types  of  casein  as  substrate; pigment yield was greater when casein precipitated with vinegar was used as substrate than when high purity casein was. The maxi-mum prodigiosin production was achieved with 10 g/L casein at pH 8.0. Additionally, supplementation of culture media with glu-cose was found to considerably decrease prodigiosin production and growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus, which is directly related to pigment yield. Production in stirred-tank bioreactor at 0.75 vvm aeration was higher than that at 0.5 and 1.0 vvm. Sub-strate type, concentration and pH affected pigment production in Erlenmeyer flasks, whereas aeration rate influenced pigment pro-duction in a stirred-tank bioreactor.

Eighteen patients are described in whom initially sensitive microorganisms were replaced by resistant isolates during administration of eeftriaxone (n = 8), cefoperazone (n = 5), moxalactam (n = 4), eefotaxime (n = 2) or ceftazidime (n = 1), despite combination with aminoglycosides. All patients had documented gram-negative infections; in 12 patients underlying haemaotological diseases were present. Resistant strains of Enterobacter cloacae , Serratia raarcescens (4), Klebsiella oxytoca , Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2) and Citrobacter freundii (2) emerged within 2 to 19 (mean 9) days after the beginning of treatment. In 12 patients relapse or secondary infections occurred. Seven of the patients with haematological disorders died. Resistance development was seen in 8 of 29 patients on ceftriaxone and 4

IMP-1 metallo-β-lactamase is a transferable carbapenem-hydrolyzing enzyme found in some clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Bacteria that express IMP-1 show significantly reduced sensitivity to carbapenems and other β-lactam antibiotics. A series of thioester derivatives has been shown to competitively inhibit purified IMP-1. As substrates for IMP-1, the thioesters yielded thiol hydrolysis products which themselves were reversible competitive inhibitors. The thioesters also increased sensitivity to the carbapenem L-742,728 in an IMP-1-producing laboratory stain of Escherichia coli, but will need further modification to improve their activity in less permeable organisms such as Pseudomonas and Serratia. Nonetheless, the thioester IMP-1 inhibitors offer an encouraging start to overcoming metallo-β-lactamase-mediated resistance in bacteria.

The mineral phosphate-solubilizing (MPS) activity of a Pantoea agglomerans strain, namely MMB051, isolated from an iron-rich, acidic soil near Ciudad Piar (Bolívar State, Venezuela), was characterized on a chemically defined medium (NBRIP). Various insoluble inorganic phosphates, including tri-calcium phosphate [Ca3(PO4)2], iron phosphate (FePO4), aluminum phosphate (AlPO4), and Rock Phosphate (RP) were tested as sole sources of P for bacterial growth. Solubilization of Ca3(PO4)2 was very efficient and depended on acidification of the external milieu when MMB051 cells were grown in the presence of glucose. This was also the case when RP was used as the sole P source. On the other hand, the solubilization efficiency toward more insoluble mineral phosphates (FePO4 and AlPO4) was shown to be very low. Even though gluconic acid (GA) was detected on culture supernatants of strain MMB051, a consequence of the direct oxidation pathway of glucose, inorganic-P solubilization seemed also to be related to other processes dependent on active cell growth. Among these, proton release by ammonium (NH 4+) fixation appeared to be of paramount importance to explain inorganic-P solubilization mediated by strain MMB051. On the contrary, the presence of nitrate (NO 3–) salts as the sole N source affected negatively the ability of MMB051 cells to solubilize inorganic P.

Urinary tract infections are one of the most common infectious diseases diagnosed in outpatients as well as in hospitalized patients. Recently, urinary tract infections have become more complicated and difficult to treat. Therefore, the present study analyzed the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of uropathogens isolated at Kobe University Hospital between 1983 and 2002. This study was performed with three patient groups: urology inpatients, urology outpatients, and inpatients of other departments. During the 20-year study period, we studied 15,925 urine isolates obtained from those patients who were diagnosed with urinary tract infection. Overall, Enterococcus faecalis was the most frequently isolated pathogen, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. The frequency of Staphylococcus aureus increased over time, corresponding to an increase in the occurrence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). In addition, the rate of isolation of Serratia marcescens ...