Project description:The upsurge of multidrug-resistant infections has rendered tuberculosis the principal cause of death among infectious diseases. A clonal outbreak multidrug-resistant triggering strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was identified in Kanchanaburi Province, designated “MKR superspreader”, which was found to subsequently spread to other regions, as revealed by prior epidemiological reports in Thailand. Herein, we showed that the MKR displayed a higher growth rate upon infection into host macrophages in comparison with the H37Rv reference strain. To further elucidate the MKR’s biology, we utilised RNA-Seq and differential gene expression analyses to identify host factors involved in the intracellular viability of the MKR. A set of host genes function in the cellular response to lipid pathway was found to be uniquely up-regulated in host macrophages infected with the MKR, but not those infected with H37Rv. Within this set of genes, the IL-36 cytokines which regulate host cell cholesterol metabolism and resistance against mycobacteria attracted our interest, as our previous study revealed that the MKR elevated genes associated with cholesterol breakdown during its growth inside host macrophages. Indeed, when comparing macrophages infected with the MKR to H37Rv-infected cells, our RNA-Seq data showed that the expression ratio of IL-36RN, the negative regulator of the IL-36 pathway, to that of IL-36G was greater in macrophages infected with the MKR. Furthermore, the intracellular survival of MKR was diminished with decreased IL-36RN expression. Overall, our results indicate that IL-36RN is critical for MKR intracellular survival and could serve as a new target against this emerging multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis strain.
Project description:A collection of 100 ovarian cancer sample gene expression data from Singapore. Frozen archival epithelial ovarian cancer tumors samples from Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, National University of Singapore dated from 2006 to 2014 were collected and subjected to microarray analysis.
Project description:We examined the microRNA profiles of THP-1 macrophages upon the MTB infection of (1) Beijing/W and non-Beijing/W clinical strains, and (2) susceptible and multidrug-resistant (MDR-) MTB strains.
Project description:Multidrug-resistant (MDR; resistance to >3 antimicrobial classes) Salmonella enterica serovar I 4,[5],12:i:- strains were linked to a 2015 foodborne outbreak from pork. Strain USDA15WA-1, associated with the outbreak, harbors an MDR module and the metal tolerance element Salmonella Genomic Island 4 (SGI-4). Characterization of SGI-4 revealed that conjugational transfer of SGI-4 resulted in the mobile genetic element (MGE) replicating as a plasmid or integrating into the chromosome. Tolerance to copper, arsenic, and antimony compounds was increased in Salmonella strains containing SGI-4 compared to strains lacking the MGE. Following Salmonella exposure to copper, RNA-seq transcriptional analysis demonstrated significant differential expression of diverse genes and pathways, including induction of numerous metal tolerance genes (copper, arsenic, silver, and mercury). Evaluation of swine administered elevated concentrations of zinc oxide (2,000 mg/kg) and copper sulfate (200 mg/kg) as an antimicrobial feed additive (Zn+Cu) in their diet for 4 weeks prior to and 3 weeks post-inoculation with serovar I 4,[5],12:i:- indicated that Salmonella shedding levels declined at a slower rate in pigs receiving in-feed Zn+Cu compared to control pigs (no Zn+Cu). The presence of metal tolerance genes in MDR Salmonella serovar I 4,[5],12:i:- may provide benefits for environmental survival or swine colonization in metal-containing settings.
Project description:The expression of the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the active tuberculosis patients,multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients,cured tuberculosis subjects and healthy controls were scanned using lncRNA microarray.The Arraystar Human LncRNA Microarray version 4.0 (Agilent Technologies) was used,containing 40173 lncRNA probes and 20730 mRNA probes for the detection of lncRNAs and mRNAs in the sample. Non-coding RNAs and mRNAs profiling by array
Project description:A food-borne outbreak of haemorrhagic colitis (HC) and HUS caused by E. coli O103:H25 occurred in Norway, 2006. The outbreak included 17 registered cases, of which 10 developed HUS. The aim of this study was to characterize two E. coli O103:H25 isolates from this outbreak. Only one of the isolates carry the stx2 gene (by PCR). Since they have the same typing profile by typing method MLVA, we expect the isolates to have identical gene content except from an Stx2-encoding phage. Therefore, we further investigate whether the Stx2-encoding phage has any impact on the gene expression. Keywords: mixed, gene expression, comparative genomic hybridization
