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Purification and N-terminal amino acid sequence of fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase from Bifidobacterium longum BB536

Fandi KG, Ghazali HM, Yazid AM, Raha AR

Lett Appl Microbiol, 2001 Apr;32(4):235-9.
PMID: 11298932

AIMS: The key enzyme in the fructose-6-phosphate shunt in bifidobacteria, Fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase (F6PPK; E.C. 4.1.2.22.), was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity for the first time from Bifidobacterium longum (BB536).
METHODS AND RESULTS: A three-step procedure comprising acetone fractionation followed by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) resulted in a 30-fold purification. The purified enzyme had a molecular mass of 300 +/- 5 kDa as determined by gel filtration. It is probably a tetramer containing two different subunits with molecular masses of 93 +/- 1 kDa and 59 +/- 0.5 kDa, as determined by SDS-PAGE.
CONCLUSION: The deduced N-terminal amino acid sequences of the two subunits revealed no significant similarity between them and other proteins when compared to the data bases of EMBL and SWISS-PROT, indicating that this could be the first report on N-terminal amino acid sequence of F6PPK.
SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The data from this study will be used to design oligonucleotide probe specific for bifidobacteria and to study the gene encoded F6PPK.

Matched MeSH terms: Aldehyde-Lyases/isolation & purification*
Isolation and characterization of lytic vibriophage against Vibrio cholerae O1 from environmental water samples in Kelantan, Malaysia

Al-Fendi A, Shueb RH, Ravichandran M, Yean CY

J Basic Microbiol, 2014 Oct;54(10):1036-43.
PMID: 24532381 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.201300458

Water samples from a variety of sources in Kelantan, Malaysia (lakes, ponds, rivers, ditches, fish farms, and sewage) were screened for the presence of bacteriophages infecting Vibrio cholerae. Ten strains of V. cholerae that appeared to be free of inducible prophages were used as the host strains. Eleven bacteriophage isolates were obtained by plaque assay, three of which were lytic and further characterized. The morphologies of the three lytic phages were similar with each having an icosahedral head (ca. 50-60 nm in diameter), a neck, and a sheathed tail (ca. 90-100 nm in length) characteristic of the family Myoviridae. The genomes of the lytic phages were indistinguishable in length (ca. 33.5 kb), nuclease sensitivity (digestible with DNase I, but not RNase A or S1 nuclease), and restriction enzyme sensitivity (identical banding patterns with HindIII, no digestion with seven other enzymes). Testing for infection against 46 strains of V. cholerae and 16 other species of enteric bacteria revealed that all three isolates had a narrow host range and were only capable of infecting V. cholerae O1 El Tor Inaba. The similar morphologies, indistinguishable genome characteristics, and identical host ranges of these lytic isolates suggests that they represent one phage, or several very closely related phages, present in different water sources. These isolates are good candidates for further bio-phage-control studies.

Matched MeSH terms: Bacteriophages/isolation & purification*
Structural and rheological changes of texturized mung bean protein induced by feed moisture during extrusion

Hossain Brishti F, Chay SY, Muhammad K, Rashedi Ismail-Fitry M, Zarei M, Karthikeyan S, et al.

Food Chem, 2021 May 15;344:128643.
PMID: 33246681 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128643

Mung bean protein isolate was texturized at different feed moisture contents (30.0, 49.3, and 60.0%) at a constant temperature (144.57 °C) to evaluate the changes in protein profile, solubility, thermal, structural (at secondary and tertiary levels) and rheological properties. SDS-PAGE, surface hydrophobicity, circular dichroism, FTIR spectroscopy, and fluorescence analyses revealed protein unfolding, aggregation, and structural rearrangement as a function of feed moisture content. Extrusion at 49.3% feed moisture produced texturized mung bean protein (TMBP) with favourable partial denaturation, the formation of small aggregates, improved solubility, and digestibility with strong gel forming behaviour, whereas 30.0 and 60.0% moisture content resulted in complete protein denaturation, the undesirable formation of large aggregates and weak gels. In conclusion, protein denaturation and formation of aggregates can be controlled by manipulating feed moisture content during extrusion, with 49.3% feed moisture prompting favourable partial denaturation to produce TMBP with desirable qualities for use as a vegetarian-based meat extender.

Matched MeSH terms: Plant Proteins/isolation & purification*
Fulltext Optimization of an Extraction Solvent for Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Based on Its UPLC-MS/MS Metabolic Profiling

Salem MA, Michel HE, Ezzat MI, Okba MM, El-Desoky AM, Mohamed SO, et al.

Molecules, 2020 May 14;25(10).
PMID: 32422967 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25102307

Hibiscus species (Malvaceae) have been long used as an antihypertensive folk remedy. The aim of our study was to specify the optimum solvent for extraction of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibiting (ACEI) constituents from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. The 80% methanol extract (H2) showed the highest ACEI activity, which exceeds that of the standard captopril (IC50 0.01255 ± 0.00343 and 0.210 ± 0.005 µg/mL, respectively). Additionally, in a comprehensive metabolomics approach, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to the high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS) method was used to trace the metabolites from each extraction method. Interestingly, our comprehensive analysis showed that the 80% methanol extract was predominated with secondary metabolites from all classes including flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic and organic acids. Among the detected metabolites, phenolic acids such as ferulic and chlorogenic acids, organic acids such as citrate derivatives and flavonoids such as kaempferol have been positively correlated to the antihypertensive potential. These results indicates that these compounds may significantly contribute synergistically to the ACE inhibitory activity of the 80% methanol extract.

Matched MeSH terms: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/isolation & purification; Antihypertensive Agents/isolation & purification; Chlorogenic Acid/isolation & purification; Coumaric Acids/isolation & purification; Quinic Acid/isolation & purification; Citric Acid/isolation & purification; Kaempferols/isolation & purification
Molecular detection, prevalence and risk factors of Theileria orientalis infection among cattle in Peninsular Malaysia

Ola-Fadunsin SD, Sharma RSK, Abdullah DA, Gimba FI, Jesse FFA, Sani RA

Prev Vet Med, 2020 Jul;180:105027.
PMID: 32442824 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105027

There is need to confirm the presence of Theileria orientalis among the cattle population in Peninsular Malaysia and to evaluate the risk factors associated with the infection. To this effect, blood samples were collected from 1045 cattle from 43 farms throughout the entire States of Peninsular Malaysia. The collected blood samples were subjected to DNA extraction and subsequent PCR amplification of the major piroplasm surface protein (MPSP) gene of the haemoprotozoan. Representative positive amplicons were purified, sequenced and compared with other sequences of the MPSP gene of T. orientalis curated from the GenBank. A well-structured questionnaire was used to get information about each cattle, it's demography, the bio-security, environmental and management factors. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used for the statistical evaluation, with significance set at p < 0.05. A total prevalence of 49.76% (520/1045; 95% CI: 46.73 - 52.79) was obtained. Types of breeds, age, production type, herd size, level of farm biosecurity, farm size, presence of other animal species in the farm, management systems and prophylaxis were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the prevalence of T. orientalis. This study confirmed the presence of T. orientalis and establish that the haemoprotozoan is endemic among cattle in Peninsular Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Theileria/isolation & purification*
Susceptibility of Culex sitiens to Japanese encephalitis virus in peninsular Malaysia

Vythilingam I, Tan SB, Krishnasamy M

Trop Med Int Health, 2002 Jun;7(6):539-40.
PMID: 12031077

The susceptibility of Culex sitiens to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus was examined in the laboratory. Cx. sitiens became infected with JE virus on day 8 and subsequently it is able to transmit the virus when it takes a blood meal. Both parts of the experiment were carried out using artificial membrane feeding technique.

Matched MeSH terms: Encephalitis Virus, Japanese/isolation & purification*
Pathogenic leptospiras isolated from Malaysian surface waters

Alexander AD, Evans LB, Baker MF, Baker HJ, Ellison D, Marriapan M

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Jan;29(1):30-3.
PMID: 1110490

Pathogenic leptospiras (1,424) isolated from natural waters and wet soils in Malaysia comprised 29 different serovars (synonym serotypes). All except two of the serovars had been found previously in Malaysia. The exceptional serovars were werrasingha, an Autumnalis serogroup member originally isolated in Ceylon, and a new serovar designated evansi. Serovar evansi had serological affinities with serovar ranarum which was isolated from the kidney of a frog in Iowa. The large variety of serovars found in jungle areas was consistent with similar previous findings of diverse serovar infections in troops who had operated in Malaysian jungles.

Matched MeSH terms: Leptospira/isolation & purification
Isolation and molecular identification of Aeromonas species from the tank water of ornamental fishes

Cheok YY, Puah SM, Chua KH, Tan JAMA

Acta Vet Hung, 2020 10 13;68(2):130-139.
PMID: 33055305 DOI: 10.1556/004.2020.00029

Aeromonads are recognised as important pathogens of fishes. In this study, ten water samples were randomly collected from pet shops' fish tanks and home aquaria inhabited by several fish species (silver arowana, koi, goldfish, catfish, pictus fish, silver shark and silver dollar fish). Altogether 298 colonies were isolated using Aeromonas selective agar. A total of 154 isolates were then confirmed as belonging to the genus Aeromonas using the GCAT gene. Using ERIC-PCR, a total of 40 duplicate isolates were excluded from the study and 114 isolates were subjected to PCR-RFLP targeting the RNA polymerase sigma factor (rpoD) gene using lab-on-chip. A total of 13 different Aeromonas species were identified. The most prevalent species were A. veronii (27%, 31/114), followed by A. dhakensis (17%, 19/114), A. finlandiensis (9%, 10/114), A. caviae (8%, 9/114), A. hydrophila (4%, 4/114), A. jandaei (4%, 4/114), A. rivuli (3%, 3/114), A. enteropelogens (2%, 2/114), A. tecta (2%, 2/114), A. allosaccharophila (1%, 1/114), A. eucrenophila (1%, 1/114), A. media (1%, 1/114) and A. diversa (1%, 1/114). Twenty-six isolates (23%) were unidentifiable at species level. The present study demonstrates that Aeromonas species are highly diverse in freshwater fish tanks, and suggests the potential risks posed by the isolated bacteria to the health of ornamental fish species.

Matched MeSH terms: Aeromonas/isolation & purification*
Comparison of several lizard Leishmania species and strains in terms of kinetoplast minicircle and maxicircle DNA sequences, nuclear chromosomes, and membrane lipids

Gomez-Eichelmann MC, Holz G, Beach D, Simpson AM, Simpson L

Mol Biochem Parasitol, 1988 Jan 15;27(2-3):143-58.
PMID: 3344003

Eight strains of a lizard Leishmania species, L. tarentolae, were compared with four other saurian species [L. hoogstrali, L. adleri, L. agamae and Leishmania sp. LizS], with L. major from man and with Trypanosoma platydactyli, a putative lizard trypanosome, in terms of kinetoplast DNA minicircle and maxicircle sequences and in terms of nuclear chromosome patterns on orthogonal gel electrophoresis. The L. tarentolae strains fell into two major groups, one (group A) consisting of the L. tarentolae strains, UC, Krassner and Trager, derived from an Algerian gecko isolate and the other (group B) consisting of five L. tarentolae LEM strains isolated from geckos in southern France. T. platydactyli TPCL2, which was postulated by Wallbanks et al. to represent the lizard form of a French L. tarentolae strain, was closely related to the UC strain and not to the LEM strains, in all respects analyzed. Leishmania sp. LizS from a Mongolian gecko and L. hoogstrali from a Sudanese gecko showed some sequence similarities to the L. tarentolae strains, but the leishmanias said to be L. adleri from a Kenyan lacertid and L. agamae from an Israeli agamid showed no minicircle sequence similarities with lizard Leishmania and in fact were probably the same species. The maxicircle divergent region was larger in the group B strains than in the group A strains, but there were sequences in common with both groups, and not with L. hoogstrali and L. major. Four strains of L. tarentolae, the four other supposed saurian Leishmania species, three mammalian leishmanias, T. platydactyli and four other trypanosomes, T. cyclops (Malaysian macaque), T. conorrhini (Hawaiian reduviid bug), T. cruzi (man) and T. lewisi (feral rat) were analyzed for their contents of sterols and phosphoglyceride fatty acyl groups. T. platydactyli TPCL2 contained a sterol (5-dehydroepisterol), a phosphatidylcholine fatty acyl group (alpha-linolenic acid) and a phosphatidylethanolamine fatty acyl group (dihydrosterculic acid) characteristic of members of the genus Leishmania and not the genus Trypanosoma. The proportions of those lipids in the free sterol and phosphoglyceride fractions of T. platydactyli TPCL2 most closely resembled those seen in the Leishmania strains from Algerian, French, Mongolian and Sudanese geckos.

Matched MeSH terms: Leishmania/isolation & purification*
Fulltext Stingless bee honey, a novel source of trehalulose: a biologically active disaccharide with health benefits

Fletcher MT, Hungerford NL, Webber D, Carpinelli de Jesus M, Zhang J, Stone ISJ, et al.

Sci Rep, 2020 07 22;10(1):12128.
PMID: 32699353 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68940-0

Stingless bee (Meliponini) honey has long been considered a high-value functional food, but the perceived therapeutic value has lacked attribution to specific bioactive components. Examination of honey from five different stingless bee species across Neotropical and Indo-Australian regions has enabled for the first time the identification of the unusual disaccharide trehalulose as a major component representing between 13 and 44 g per 100 g of each of these honeys. Trehalulose is an isomer of sucrose with an unusual α-(1 → 1) glucose-fructose glycosidic linkage and known acariogenic and low glycemic index properties. NMR and UPLC-MS/MS analysis unambiguously confirmed the identity of trehalulose isolated from stingless bee honeys sourced across three continents, from Tetragonula carbonaria and Tetragonula hockingsi species in Australia, from Geniotrigona thoracica and Heterotrigona itama in Malaysia and from Tetragonisca angustula in Brazil. The previously unrecognised abundance of trehalulose in stingless bee honeys is concrete evidence that supports some of the reported health attributes of this product. This is the first identification of trehalulose as a major component within a food commodity. This study allows the exploration of the expanded use of stingless bee honey in foods and identifies a bioactive marker for authentication of this honey in associated food standards.

Matched MeSH terms: Disaccharides/isolation & purification
Fractionation of Sumatran pit viper (Trimeresurus sumatranus sumatranus) venom by DEAE-Sephacel ion exchange chromatography and some biological properties of the fractions

Tan NH, Tan CS

Toxicon, 1989;27(6):697-702.
PMID: 2749766

Sumatran pit viper (Trimeresurus sumatranus sumatranus) venom was fractionated by DEAE-Sephacel ion exchange chromatography into seven fractions. Fractions 4, 5 and 6 were lethal to mice and exhibited strong hemorrhagic activity, as well as some enzymatic activities. Fraction 6 also exhibited potent anticoagulant and thrombin-like activities. Analysis of the biological and enzymatic properties of the three lethal fractions suggests that the major lethal component of fractions 4 and 5 may be the hemorrhagic principle, and that the lethality of fraction 6 may be due to the hemorrhagic principle and/or the anticoagulant principle.

Matched MeSH terms: Crotalid Venoms/isolation & purification*
Fulltext Bacterial constituents of indoor air in a high throughput building in the tropics

Li TC, Ambu S, Mohandas K, Wah MJ, Sulaiman LH, Murgaiyah M

Trop Biomed, 2014 Sep;31(3):540-56.
PMID: 25382482 MyJurnal

Airborne bacteria are significant biotic constituents of bioaerosol. Bacteria at high concentrations in the air can compromise indoor air quality (IAQ) and result in many diseases. In tropical environments like Malaysia that extensively utilize air-conditioning systems, this is particularly significant due to continuous recirculation of indoor air and the potential implications for human health. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the impact of airborne bacteria on IAQ in Malaysia. This study was prompted by a need for reliable baseline data on airborne bacteria in the indoor environment of tropical equatorial Malaysia, that may be used as a reference for further investigations on the potential role played by airborne bacteria as an agent of disease in this region. It was further necessitated due to the threat of bioterrorism with the potentiality of release of exotic pathogenic microorganisms into indoor or outdoor air. Before scientists can detect the latter, a gauge of the common microorganisms in indoor (as well as outdoor) air needs to be ascertained, hence the expediency of this study. Bacterial counts from the broad-based and targeted study were generally in the order of 10(2) colony-forming units (CFU) per m(3) of air. The most prevalent airborne bacteria found in the broad-based study that encompassed all five levels of the building were Gram-positive cocci (67.73%), followed by Gram-positive rods (24.26%) and Gram-negative rods (7.10%). Gram-negative cocci were rarely detected (0.71%). Amongst the genera identified, Kytococcus sp., Micrococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp., Leifsonia sp., Bacillus sp. and Corynebacterium sp. predominated in indoor air. The most dominant bacterial species were Kytococcus sedentarius, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Micrococcus luteus. The opportunistic and nosocomial pathogen, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was also discovered at a high percentage in the cafeteria. The bacteria isolated in this study have been increasingly documented to cause opportunistic infections in immuno-compromised patients, sometimes with fatal outcomes. Furthermore, some of them are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Hence, we propose that indoor reservoirs of these bacteria and their associated clinical and more subtle health effects, if any, be investigated further.

Matched MeSH terms: Bacteria/isolation & purification*
Fulltext Protozoan parasites of four species of wild anurans from a local zoo in Malaysia

Mohammad KN, Badrul MM, Mohamad N, Zainal-Abidin AH

Trop Biomed, 2013 Dec;30(4):615-20.
PMID: 24522131 MyJurnal

The parasitic protozoan fauna in sixty-six anurans comprising of Duttaphrynus melanostictus, Phrynoidis juxtaspera, Hylarana erythraea and Polypedates leucomystax collected from Zoo Negara Malaysia was investigated. The distribution and prevalence rate of parasitic species in the digestive tract and blood were examined. Seven species of intestinal protozoa (Opalina ranarum, Cepedea dimidiata, Nycthetorus cordiformis, Entamoeba ranarum, Iodamoeba butschlii, Endamoeba blattae, and Tritrichomonas sp.) and two species of blood protozoa (Lankesterella sp. and Trypanosoma sp.) were recorded. Opalina ranarum was the most common protozoan found in the rectum and intestine (prevalence rate: 34.8%) infecting all host species, with P. juxtaspera heavily infected with the parasite, whereas Tritrichomonas sp. was the least prevalent intestinal species infecting only D. melanostictus. Both Lankesterella sp. and Trypanosoma sp. were found in the blood of H. erythraea.

Matched MeSH terms: Parasites/isolation & purification*
Fulltext Domiciliary cockroaches found in restaurants in five zones of Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, peninsular Malaysia

Jeffery J, Sulaiman S, Oothuman P, Vellayan S, Zainol-Ariffin P, Paramaswaran S, et al.

Trop Biomed, 2012 Mar;29(1):180-6.
PMID: 22543619 MyJurnal

The following domiciliary cockroaches were collected from restaurants in five zones of Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Malaysia using 1L glass beaker traps baited with ground mouse-pellets: Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus) (n = 820), Periplaneta brunnea Burmeister (n = 46), Blattella germanica (Linnaeus) (n = 12504), Supella longipalpa (Fabricius) (n = 321), Symploce pallens Stephens (n = 29) and Neostylopyga rhombifolia (Stoll) (n = 5). The following bacteria were isolated from 10 cockroach specimens: Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae ssp. pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae ssp. rhinoscleromatis and Serratia liquefaciens from 5 B. germanica; Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, Citrobacter diversus/amalonaticus, Escherichia vulneris and K.p. pneumoniae from 3 P. brunnea; and Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter agglomerans 4, Escherichia adecarboxylate, E. vulneris, K. p. pneumonia, K. p. rhinoscleromatis and Proteus vulgeris from 2 P. americana.

Matched MeSH terms: Enterobacteriaceae/isolation & purification*
Fulltext Enzymatic profiling of clinical and environmental isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei

Liew SM, Tay ST, Wongratanacheewin S, Puthucheary SD

Trop Biomed, 2012 Mar;29(1):160-8.
PMID: 22543616 MyJurnal

Melioidosis has been recognized as an important cause of sepsis in the tropics. The disease caused by an environmental saprophyte Burkholderia pseudomallei, affects mostly adults with underlying immunocompromised conditions. In this study, the enzymatic profiles of 91 clinical and 9 environmental isolates of B. pseudomallei were evaluated using the APIZYM system, in addition to assessment of protease, phospholipase C and sialidase activities using agar plate methods and other assays. The activity of 10 enzymes - alkaline phosphatase, esterase, esterase lipase, lipase, leucine arylamidase, valine arylamidase, cystine arylamidase, acid phosphatase, naphthol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase were detected in >75% of the clinical isolates. The majority of B. pseudomallei isolates in this study exhibited protease and phospholipase activities. No sialidase activity was detected. Five Burkholderia thailandensis isolates had similar APIZYM profiles as B. pseudomallei clinical isolates except for the lower detection rate for N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase. The subtle differences in the number of enzymes secreted and the levels of enzymatic activities of phenotypically identical clinical and environmental strains of B. pseudomallei give weight to the fact that the causative agent of melioidodis originates from the environment.

Matched MeSH terms: Burkholderia pseudomallei/isolation & purification*
Fulltext Optimal protein extraction methods from diverse sample types for protein profiling by using Two-Dimensional Electrophoresis (2DE)

Tan AA, Azman SN, Abdul Rani NR, Kua BC, Sasidharan S, Kiew LV, et al.

Trop Biomed, 2011 Dec;28(3):620-9.
PMID: 22433892 MyJurnal

There is a great diversity of protein samples types and origins, therefore the optimal procedure for each sample type must be determined empirically. In order to obtain a reproducible and complete sample presentation which view as many proteins as possible on the desired 2DE gel, it is critical to perform additional sample preparation steps to improve the quality of the final results, yet without selectively losing the proteins. To address this, we developed a general method that is suitable for diverse sample types based on phenolchloroform extraction method (represented by TRI reagent). This method was found to yield good results when used to analyze human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), Vibrio cholerae, Cryptocaryon irritans cyst and liver abscess fat tissue. These types represent cell line, bacteria, parasite cyst and pus respectively. For each type of samples, several attempts were made to methodically compare protein isolation methods using TRI-reagent Kit, EasyBlue Kit, PRO-PREP™ Protein Extraction Solution and lysis buffer. The most useful protocol allows the extraction and separation of a wide diversity of protein samples that is reproducible among repeated experiments. Our results demonstrated that the modified TRI-reagent Kit had the highest protein yield as well as the greatest number of total proteins spots count for all type of samples. Distinctive differences in spot patterns were also observed in the 2DE gel of different extraction methods used for each type of sample.

Matched MeSH terms: Proteins/isolation & purification*
Fulltext Serological prevalence of leptospiral infection in wild rats at the National Service Training Centres in Kelantan and Terengganu

Mohamed-Hassan SN, Bahaman AR, Mutalib AR, Khairani-Bejo S

Trop Biomed, 2010 Apr;27(1):30-2.
PMID: 20562810 MyJurnal

One hundred and sixty eight rats were trapped from the National Service Training Centres (NSTC) in Kelantan and Terengganu from October 2008 to May 2009. Microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was performed to detect the presence of agglutinating antibodies to Leptospira among the rats caught. All the MAT positive rats were identified as Rattus tiomanicus. In Kelantan, 17.3 % (14/81) of the rats had leptospiral antibodies to serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae (12.3%), Canicola (2.5%), Ballum (1.2%), and Pyrogenes (1.2%). In Terengganu, 18.4% (16/87) of the rats had antibodies to serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae (15%), Canicola (1.1%), Pyrogenes (1.1%) and Hebdomadis (1.1%). This study indicated that Leptospira serovars were prevalent in the rat population in the study areas and could be a source of infection to humans. Therefore, control of the rat population in all NSTC is critical to prevent outbreaks of leptospirosis amongst the NSTC trainees.

Matched MeSH terms: Leptospira/isolation & purification
Significance and value of the Widal test in the diagnosis of typhoid fever in an endemic area

Pang T, Puthucheary SD

J Clin Pathol, 1983 Apr;36(4):471-5.
PMID: 6833514

The diagnostic value of the Widal test was assessed in an endemic area. The test was done on 300 normal individuals, 297 non-typhoidal fevers and 275 bacteriologically proven cases of typhoid. Of 300 normal individuals, 2% had an H agglutinin titre of 1/160 and 5% had an O agglutinin titre of 1/160. On the basis of these criteria a significant H and/or O agglutinin titre of 1/320 or more was observed in 93-97% of typhoid cases and in only 3% of patients with non-typhoidal fever. Of the sera from typhoid cases which gave a significant Widal reaction, the majority (79.9%) showed increases in both H and O agglutinins and 51 of 234 (21.8%) of these sera were collected in the first week of illness. The significance and implications of these findings are discussed.

Matched MeSH terms: Salmonella typhi/isolation & purification
Fulltext Measuring the Electronic Properties of DNA-Specific Schottky Diodes Towards Detecting and Identifying Basidiomycetes DNA

Periasamy V, Rizan N, Al-Ta'ii HM, Tan YS, Tajuddin HA, Iwamoto M

Sci Rep, 2016 07 20;6:29879.
PMID: 27435636 DOI: 10.1038/srep29879

The discovery of semiconducting behavior of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has resulted in a large number of literatures in the study of DNA electronics. Sequence-specific electronic response provides a platform towards understanding charge transfer mechanism and therefore the electronic properties of DNA. It is possible to utilize these characteristic properties to identify/detect DNA. In this current work, we demonstrate a novel method of DNA-based identification of basidiomycetes using current-voltage (I-V) profiles obtained from DNA-specific Schottky barrier diodes. Electronic properties such as ideality factor, barrier height, shunt resistance, series resistance, turn-on voltage, knee-voltage, breakdown voltage and breakdown current were calculated and used to quantify the identification process as compared to morphological and molecular characterization techniques. The use of these techniques is necessary in order to study biodiversity, but sometimes it can be misleading and unreliable and is not sufficiently useful for the identification of fungi genera. Many of these methods have failed when it comes to identification of closely related species of certain genus like Pleurotus. Our electronics profiles, both in the negative and positive bias regions were however found to be highly characteristic according to the base-pair sequences. We believe that this simple, low-cost and practical method could be useful towards identifying and detecting DNA in biotechnology and pathology.

Matched MeSH terms: DNA/isolation & purification
Fulltext Vertical stratification of adult mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) within a tropical rainforest in Sabah, Malaysia

Brant HL, Ewers RM, Vythilingam I, Drakeley C, Benedick S, Mumford JD

Malar J, 2016 07 19;15(1):370.
PMID: 27430261 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1416-1

BACKGROUND: Malaria cases caused by Plasmodium knowlesi, a simian parasite naturally found in long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques, are increasing rapidly in Sabah, Malaysia. One hypothesis is that this increase is associated with changes in land use. A study was carried out to identify the anopheline vectors present in different forest types and to observe the human landing behaviour of mosquitoes.
METHODS: Mosquito collections were carried out using human landing catches at ground and canopy levels in the Tawau Division of Sabah. Collections were conducted along an anthropogenic disturbance gradient (primary forest, lightly logged virgin jungle reserve and salvage logged forest) between 18:00 and 22:00 h.
RESULTS: Anopheles balabacensis, a vector of P. knowlesi, was the predominant species in all collection areas, accounting for 70 % of the total catch, with a peak landing time of 18:30-20:00 h. Anopheles balabacensis had a preference for landing on humans at ground level compared to the canopy (p

Matched MeSH terms: Plasmodium knowlesi/isolation & purification

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