The bacterium E. coli O157 (Escherichia coli O157) is a worldwide threat to public health and are implicated in many outbreaks of Haemorrhagic Colitis, some of which included fatalities caused by Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome. The severity of disease, the lack of effective treatment and the potential for large-scale outbreaks from contaminated food supplies have propelled intensive research on the pathogenesis and detection of E. coli O157 strains and these include candidate virulence factors, alternative metabolic capacities, several prophages and other new functions-all of which could be targets for surveillance (Ref.1). The enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157 Sakai is Gram-negative, having external flagella and first derived from an outbreak in Sakai city, Japan. It[..]

E. faecalis (Enterococcus faecalis), also known as S. faecalis (Streptococcus faecalis), a Gram-positive bacterium, is a natural inhabitant of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract and is found in soil, sewage, water and food, frequently through fecal contamination. It is an opportunistic pathogen that is a major cause of urinary tract infections, Bacteremia, bloodstream infections, wound infections, and infective Endocarditis. It has become a nosocomial pathogen that is refractory to most therapeutic options (Ref.1). The involvement of D- and L-Amino acid metabolism like L-Serine, L-Threonine and Glycine plays a major role in cell sustenance, generation of several essential compounds, intact protein synthesis, and pathogenesis in E. faecalis (Ref.2). In E.[..]

Enterococci are Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic and Lactic acid producing bacteria. Most strains are non-hemolytic. E. faecalis (Enterococcus faecalis), also known as S. faecalis (Streptococcus faecalis), the second most frequent enterococcal species, is a saprophytic commensal that inhabits the oral cavity and gastrointestinal flora of humans and animals and behaves as an opportunistic pathogen causing severe urinary tract infections, surgical wound infections, Bacteremia, and bacterial Endocarditis. The increased incidence of E. faecalis infection has been related to the innate resistance of this microorganism to many commonly used antimicrobial agents and to its ability to become resistant to most, and in some cases to all, of the presently available[..]

In response to Retinoic Acid (a metabolite of Vitamin-A (all-trans-Retinol), which affects gene transcription), target genes are regulated by two families of nuclear receptors, the RARs (Retinoic Acid Receptors) and the RXRs (Retinoid X Receptors) that bind as RAR/RXR heterodimers to response elements located in their promoters. The all-trans-Retinoic Acid, the Carboxylic Acid form of Vitamin-A is of biological significance since it is predominant under most physiological situations and explains all of the biological effects of Vitamin-A (Ref.1). Biologically active ligands for the RARs include all-trans-Retinoic Acid, 9-cis-Retinoic Acid among others, yet circulating levels of 9-cis-Retinoic Acid are much lower than those of all-trans-Retinoic Acid and the[..]

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is biologically aggressive neoplasms which have an elevated, often aberrant, proliferative capacity with a diffuse pattern of brain invasion. It is the most malignant Astrocytic tumor, composed of poorly differentiated neoplastic astrocytes. The World Health Organization (WHO) grading system classifies Gliomas into Grades I-IV based on the degree of malignancy, as determined by histopathological criteria. In the Central Nervous System (CNS), Grade-I Gliomas generally behave in a benign fashion and might even be circumscribed, whereas Grade-II, Grade-III and Grade-IV Gliomas are malignant and diffusely infiltrate throughout the brain. Glioblastoma Multiforme falls under the Grade-IV category. Glioblastoma Multiforme or the WHO Grade-IV[..]

Influenza (mostly referred to as “flu”) is a contagious viral infection caused primarily by the influenza virus A or B. It affects mainly the upper respiratory organs (i.e., the nose, throat, bronchi, and infrequently, lungs) but other organs such as the heart, brain, and muscles can be involved. It occurs worldwide and causes considerable morbidity and mortality with pandemic, epidemic, or seasonal patterns. Typical Influenza illness includes fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, as well as headache, muscle aches, and often extreme fatigue. Although nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can sometimes accompany Influenza infection, especially in children, these symptoms are rarely the primary symptoms. Most people[..]

The Gram-negative, slender spiral-shaped, motile, asaccharolytic bacterium C. jejuni (Campylobacter jejuni) is commensal in cattle, swine, and birds. Campylobacteriosis is the illness caused by C. jejuni and is often known as Campylobacter Enteritis or human bacterial Gastroenteritis. Typical symptoms of C. jejuni foodborne illness include severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, nausea, headache, and muscle pain. C. jejuni grows best at the body temperature of a bird, and seems to be well adapted to birds, which carry it without becoming ill. The bacterium is fragile. It cannot tolerate drying and can be killed by oxygen. It grows only if there is less than the atmospheric amounts of oxygen present (microaerophilic). Freezing reduces the number of Campylobacter[..]

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by high blood glucose levels that requires long-term medical attention both to limit the development of its devastating complications and to manage them when they do occur. The pancreatic Beta-cell and its secretory product insulin are central in the pathophysiology of diabetes. There are two main types of diabetes, Type-I, which is insulin dependent, and Type-II, which is non-insulin dependent. Type-II diabetes is a complex and heterogeneous disease caused by both environmental and genetic factors. It maybe of various forms each of which is characterized by variable degrees of insulin resistance and Beta-cell dysfunction, and which together lead to hyperglycemia. At each end of this spectrum are single gene[..]

Tetanus disease is one of the most dramatic and globally prevalent diseases of humans and vertebrate animals. The manifestation of the disease, spastic paralysis, is caused by the second most poisonous substance known, the Tetanus toxin (Ref.1). The causative agent of Tetanus disease is C. tetani (Clostridium tetani), an anaerobic Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium, whose natural habitat is soil, dust, and the intestinal tracts of various animals and which enters the host through wound sites. Comparative genomics reveals a remarkable capacity of C. tetani to rely on extensive sodium ion bioenergetics (Ref.2). C. tetani anaerobically utilize amino acids as an energy source. It carries out fermentation of L-Serine if no additional Hydrogen donor or acceptor is[..]

Tetanus disease is one of the most dramatic and globally prevalent diseases of humans and vertebrate animals. The manifestation of the disease, spastic paralysis, is caused by the second most poisonous substance known, the Tetanus toxin (Ref.1). The causative agent of Tetanus disease is C. tetani (Clostridium tetani), an anaerobic Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium, whose natural habitat is soil, dust, and the intestinal tracts of various animals and which enters the host through wound sites. Comparative genomics reveals a remarkable capacity of C. tetani to rely on extensive sodium ion bioenergetics. C. tetani anaerobically utilize amino acids as an energy source. As is the case in other Gram-positive bacteria, the cell wall of C. tetani is a unique biopolymer,[..]

Marine unicellular Cyanobacteria of the Synechococcus group occupy an important position at the base of the marine food chain. They are abundant in the world's oceans and as a result are one of the most numerous genomes on earth. They have the ability to acquire major nutrients and trace metals from the sub-micromolar concentrations found in the oligotrophic open seas and their light-harvesting apparatus is uniquely adapted to the spectral quality of light in the ocean. Synechococcus utilizes Chlorophyll-A. Marine unicellular Cyanobacteria are responsible for an estimated 20-40 percent of Chlorophyll biomass and Carbon fixation in the oceans. Open ocean isolates of Synechococcus possess a unique type of swimming motility not seen in any other type of[..]

Marine unicellular Cyanobacteria of the Synechococcus group occupy an important position at the base of the marine food chain. They are abundant in the world's oceans and as a result are one of the most numerous genomes on earth. They have the ability to acquire major nutrients and trace metals from the sub-micromolar concentrations found in the oligotrophic open seas and theiSynechococcus light-harvesting apparatus is uniquely adapted to the spectral quality of light in the ocean. Synechococcus utilizes Chlorophyll-A. Marine unicellular Cyanobacteria are responsible for an estimated 20-40 percent of Chlorophyll biomass and Carbon fixation in the oceans (Ref.1). Open ocean isolates of Synechococcus possess a unique type of swimming motility not seen in any other[..]