Subject Staphylococcus aureus

In the second edition of this work the subject of the extracellular nuclease of Staphylococcus aureus, ribonucleate (deoxyribonucleate) 3 -nucleotidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.7, was quite adequately covered in some six-hundred words (1). In this edition there are two chapters jointly containing more than an order of magnitude more words about this formerly obscure, nonspecific nuclease with its high pH optimum (pH 9-10) and... 

As noted above, the enzymes to be discussed are those which attack polydeoxynucleotides exclusively. Thus, nucleases from, for example, Bacillus subtilis (3-4), Serratia marcescens (5), and Staphylococcus aureus (0), which attack both RNA and DNA will not be considered. Such an enzyme from S. aureus is, however, the subject of Chapter 7 by Cotton and Hazen and Chapter 8 by Anfinsen et al. in this volume. 

Cocaine, like A -THC and morphine, has been reported to decrease the anti microbial acdvity of alveolar macrophages obtained from chronic crack cocaine smokers (Roth et al., 2004) and to decrease parameters of mouse macrophage acdvadon (Ou et al., 1989 Pacifici et al., 1993). However, in contrast to the effects of opioids, cocaine has been shown to increase the acdvadon of PMNs in human subjects, as evidenced by increased killing of Staphylococcus aureus (Baldwin et al., 1997). 

In 76 patients receiving long-term teicoplanin for chronic osteomyelitis due to oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, teicoplanin had to be withdrawn in only one subject because of low-grade fever, muscular pain, and sleeplessness these adverse effects abated after withdrawal (4). 

Fig. 5. Proteolytic cleavage sites in apolipoprotein E. Top Linear representation of the structure of human apoE demonstrating cleavage sites when apoE3 was subjected to limited proteolysis with six enzymes O, trypsin 9, elastase , chymotrypsin O, subtili-sin , Staphylococcus aureus V8 , thrombin. Bottom Linear representation of the two thrombolytic fragments of apoE, the 22- and 10-kDa fragments.

Ballesteros, S.A., Chirife, and Bozzini, J.P. Specific solute effects on Staphylococcus aureus cells subjected to reduced water activity, Int.. Food Microb., 20,51,1993. 

Enterotoxins. Toxic proteins formed by bacteria with molecular masses in the range from 27000 to 30000 which are usually excreted into the medium ( exotoxins). E. can be taken up with contaminated food or be formed by the bacteria colonizing the intestinal walls. Finally, the bacteria can penetrate the intestinal walls and then start to excrete the E. Some E. are thermally very stable and survive when food is boiled. E. from Salmonella and Staphylococcus species are the most frequent causes of food poisoning. Shortly after uptake, the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and circulatory complaints occur. Deaths are rare and occur only when the subject is already in a weakened state. The sites of attack by E. vary, e.g., at intestinal epithelial cells or in the vegetative nervous system. For the production of antitoxins, E. are obtained by lysis of bacterial cells or from cell-free culture filtrates. E. have been detected, e. g., in the following bacterial species Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli. Vibrio cholerae. Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus faecalis. 

The main subject of this chapter is one of these remaining stalwart defenses, an antibiotic known as vancomycin (1), which constitutes the only agent presently capable of combating deadly methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus This structurally com-... 

Observational studies Oral moxifloxacin (after initial intravenous cloxacillin, cefazo-lin or vancomycin) was studied in 48 patients with orthopedic implant infections due to sensitive Staphylococcus aureus ( = 33) or coagulase-negative staphylococci ( = 15) [40 ]. Overall cure rate was 83% and 71% if the implant was retained. Two subjects withdrew because of side-effects (4.2% 95% Cl = 0,9.5) with one case each of Clostridium difficile colitis and persistent dizziness. Eight relapses occurred, but in the six cases in which the organism was re-isolated resistance did not develop. 

In rats infected with aerosols of Staphylococcus aureus and then exposed for 5 h to 2.5 ppm of ozone, bacterial ingestion and clearance by alveolar macrophages were impaired due to the absence of lysosomal acid phosphatase and P-glucuronidase activities in those cells subjected to the dual insults (Goldstein et al. 1978). 

Bacteriocins are defined as proteinaceous substances having an antimicrobial effect against closely related species. Strains among Lactobacillus and Pediococcus spp. form bacteriocins that are effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. Both are regarded as potential health risks in meat products. A recent review article by Stiles and Hastings (1991) covers the subject on the potential use of lactic acid bacteria in meat preservation. 

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