Search

Testing for mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan (LAM) in urine is a practical but insensitive alternative to sputum testing to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) in people with HIV (PWH). Here, we evaluated urine LAM testing alongside PCR-based tests for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) DNA in tongue swabs. We hypothesized that the two nonsputum samples would deliver complementary, not redundant, results. The study included 131 South African patients of whom 64 (48.1%) were confirmed to have TB by GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra) or culture analysis of sputum. A total of 120 patients (91.6%) were coinfected with HIV and 130 yielded a valid urine LAM result (Alere DETERMINE LAM Ag). Tongue swab samples were tested by IS6110-targeted qPCR with a quantification cycle (Cq) cutoff of 32. Relative to reference sputum testing (TB culture and Xpert Ultra), combined urine LAM and oral swab testing (either sample positive) was significantly more sensitive than either nonsputum sample alone (57% sensitivity for combined testing versus 35% and 39% sensitivity for urine LAM and tongue swabs; P = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). Specificity of combined testing (neither sample positive) was 97%. On average, tongue swab-positive participants had higher sputum signal strength than urine-LAM positive participants, as measured by sputum Xpert Ultra Cq value (P = 0.037). A subset of tongue swabs (N = 18) was also tested by using Xpert Ultra, which reproduced true positive and true negative IS6110 qPCR results and resolved the two false-positive tongue swabs. With further development, tongue swabs and urine may feasibly serve as complementary nonsputum samples for diagnosis of TB in PWH.

Testing for mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan (LAM) in urine is a practical but insensitive alternative to sputum testing to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) in people with HIV (PWH). We evaluated urine LAM testing conducted in parallel with tests for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in oral swabs. In a cohort of 131 South Africans (92% with HIV), combined urine LAM and oral swab testing was significantly more sensitive than either sample tested alone (57% vs. 35% and 39%, respectively), and 97% specific, compared to reference sputum testing (TB culture and Xpert Ultra). Complementary non-sputum sample testing increased sensitivity of TB diagnosis, without sacrificing specificity.

To facilitate treatment and limit transmission of tuberculosis (TB), new methods are needed to enable rapid and affordable diagnosis of the disease in high-burden low-resource settings. We have developed a prototype integrated nucleic acid testing device to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) in sputum. The device consists of a disposable cartridge and compact, inexpensive instrument that automates pathogen lysis, nucleic acid extraction, isothermal DNA amplification and lateral flow detection. A liquefied and disinfected sputum sample is manually injected into the cartridge, and all other steps are automated, with a result provided in

Rationale: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), including Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), are emerging pathogens that can opportunistically cause debilitating pulmonary disease in susceptible huma...

Pharmacological activation of the xenobiotic-sensing nuclear receptors pregnane X receptor (PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is well-known to increase drug metabolism and reduce inflammation. Little is known regarding their physiological functions on the gut microbiome. In this study, we discovered bivalent hormetic functions of PXR/CAR modulating the richness of the gut microbiome using genetically engineered mice. The absence of PXR or CAR increased microbial richness, and absence of both receptors synergistically increased microbial richness. PXR and CAR deficiency increased the pro-inflammatory bacteria Helicobacteraceae and Helicobacter. Deficiency in both PXR and CAR increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, which has bile salt hydrolase activity, corresponding to decreased primary taurine-conjugated bile acids (BAs) in feces, which may lead to higher internal burden of taurine and unconjugated BAs, both of which are linked to inflammation, oxidative stress, and cytotoxicity. The basal effect of PXR/CAR on the gut microbiome was distinct from pharmacological and toxicological activation of these receptors. Common PXR/CAR-targeted bacteria were identified, the majority of which were suppressed by these receptors. hPXR-TG mice had a distinct microbial profile as compared to wild-type mice. This study is the first to unveil the basal functions of PXR and CAR on the gut microbiome.

Oral swab analysis (OSA) has been shown to detectMycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) DNA in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). In previous analyses, qPCR testing of swab samples collected from tongue dorsa was up to 93% sensitive relative to sputum GeneXpert, when 2 swabs per patient were tested. The present study modified sample collection methods to increase sample biomass and characterized the viability of bacilli present in tongue swabs. A qPCR targeting conserved bacterial ribosomal rRNA gene (rDNA) sequences was used to quantify bacterial biomass in samples. There was no detectable reduction in total bacterial rDNA signal over the course of 10 rapidly repeated tongue samplings, indicating that swabs collect only a small portion of the biomass available for testing. Copan FLOQSwabs collected ~2-fold more biomass than Puritan PurFlock swabs, the best brand used previously (p = 0.006). FLOQSwabs were therefore evaluated in patients with possible TB in Uganda. A FLOQSwab was collected from each patient upon enrollment (Day 1) and, in a subset of sputum GeneXpert Ultra-positive patients, a second swab was collected on the following day (Day 2). Swabs were tested for MTB DNA by manual IS6110-targeted qPCR. Relative to sputum GeneXpert Ultra, single-swab sensitivity was 88% (44/50) on Day 1 and 94.4% (17/18) on Day 2. Specificity was 79.2% (42/53). Among an expanded sample of Ugandan patients, 62% (87/141) had colony-forming bacilli in their tongue dorsum swab samples. These findings will help guide further development of this promising TB screening method.

Oral swabs are emerging as a non-invasive sample type for diagnosing infectious diseases including Ebola, tuberculosis (TB), and COVID-19. To assure proper sample collection, sample adequacy controls (SACs) are needed that detect substances indicative of samples collected within the oral cavity. This study evaluated two candidate SACs for this purpose. One detected representative oral microbiota (Streptococcus species DNA) and the other, human cells (human mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA). Quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays for the two target cell types were applied to buccal swabs (representing samples collected within the oral cavity) and hand swabs (representing improperly collected samples) obtained from 51 healthy U.S. volunteers. Quantification cycle (Cq) cutoffs that maximized Youden’s index were established for each assay. The streptococcal target at a Cq cutoff of ≤34.9 had 99.0% sensitivity and specificity for oral swab samples, whereas human mtDNA perfectly distinguished between hand and mouth swabs with a Cq cutoff of 31.3. The human mtDNA test was then applied to buccal, tongue, and gum swabs that had previously been collected from TB patients and controls in South Africa, along with “air swabs” collected as negative controls (total N = 292 swabs from 71 subjects). Of these swabs, 287/292 (98%) exhibited the expected Cq values. In a paired analysis the three oral sites yielded indistinguishable amounts of human mtDNA, however PurFlock™ swabs collected slightly more human mtDNA than did OmniSwabs™ (p = 0.012). The results indicate that quantification of human mtDNA cannot distinguish swabs collected from different sites within the mouth. However, it can reliably distinguish oral swabs from swabs that were not used orally., which makes it a useful SAC for oral swab-based diagnosis.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent environmental contaminants with well characterized toxicities in host organs. Gut microbiome is increasingly recognized as an important regulator of xenobiotic biotransformation; however, little is known about its interactions with PBDEs. Primary bile acids (BAs) are metabolized by the gut microbiome into more lipophilic secondary BAs that may be absorbed and interact with certain host receptors. The goal of this study was to test our hypothesis that PBDEs cause dysbiosis and aberrant regulation of BA homeostasis. Nine-week-old male C57BL/6 conventional (CV) and germ-free (GF) mice were orally gavaged with corn oil (10 mg/kg), BDE-47 (100 μmol/kg), or BDE-99 (100 μmol/kg) once daily for 4 days (n = 3-5/group). Gut microbiome was characterized using 16S rRNA sequencing of the large intestinal content in CV mice. Both BDE-47 and BDE-99 profoundly decreased the alpha diversity of gut microbiome and differentially regulated 45 bacterial species. Both PBDE congeners increased Akkermansia muciniphila and Erysipelotrichaceae Allobaculum spp., which have been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antiobesity functions. Targeted metabolomics of 56 BAs was conducted in serum, liver, and small and large intestinal content of CV and GF mice. BDE-99 increased many unconjugated BAs in multiple biocompartments in a gut microbiota-dependent manner. This correlated with an increase in microbial 7α-dehydroxylation enzymes for secondary BA synthesis and increased expression of host intestinal transporters for BA absorption. Targeted proteomics showed that PBDEs downregulated host BA-synthesizing enzymes and transporters in livers of CV but not GF mice. In conclusion, there is a novel interaction between PBDEs and the endogenous BA-signaling through modification of the "gut-liver axis".

PCR is effective in detecting bacterial DNA in samples, but it is unable to differentiate viable bacteria from inactivated cells or free DNA fragments. New PCR-based analytical strategies have been developed to address this limitation. Molecular viability testing (MVT) correlates bacterial viability with the ability to rapidly synthesize species-specific rRNA precursors (pre-rRNA) in response to brief nutritional stimulation. Previous studies demonstrated that MVT can assess bacterial inactivation by chlorine, serum, and low-temperature pasteurization. Here, we demonstrate that MVT can detect inactivation of Escherichia coli , Aeromonas hydrophila , and Enterococcus faecalis cells by UV irradiation. Some UV-inactivated E. coli cells transiently retained the ability to synthesize pre-rRNA postirradiation (generating false-positive MVT results), but this activity ceased within 1 h following UV exposure. Viable but transiently undetectable (by culture) E. coli cells were consistently detected by MVT. An alternative viability testing method, viability PCR (vPCR), correlates viability with cell envelope integrity. This method did not distinguish viable bacteria from UV-inactivated bacteria under some conditions, indicating that the inactivated cells retained intact cell envelopes. MVT holds promise as a means to rapidly assess microbial inactivation by UV treatment. IMPORTANCE UV irradiation is increasingly being used to disinfect water, food, and other materials for human use. Confirming the effectiveness of UV disinfection remains a challenging task. In particular, microbiological methods that rely on rapid detection of microbial DNA can yield misleading results, due to the detection of remnant DNA associated with dead microbial cells. This report describes a novel method that rapidly distinguishes living microbial cells from dead microbial cells after UV disinfection.

Porphyromonas gingivalis and Filifactor alocis are fastidious anaerobic bacteria strongly associated with chronic forms of periodontitis. Our understanding of the growth activities of these microorganisms in situ is very limited. Previous studies have shown that copy numbers of ribosomal-RNA precursor (pre-rRNA) of specific pathogen species relative to genomic-DNA (gDNA) of the same species (P:G ratios) are greater in actively growing bacterial cells than in resting cells. The method, so-called steady-state pre-rRNA-analysis, represents a novel culture-independent approach to study bacteria. This study employed this technique to examine the in situ growth activities of oral bacteria in periodontitis before and after non-surgical periodontal therapy. Sub-gingival paper-point samples were taken at initial and re-evaluation appointments. Pre-rRNA and gDNA levels of P. gingivalis and F. alocis were quantified and compared using reverse-transcriptase qPCR. The results indicate significantly reduced growth activity of P. gingivalis, but not F. alocis, after therapy. The P:G ratios of P. gingivalis and F. alocis were compared and a low-strength, but statistically significant inter-species correlation was detected. Our study demonstrates that steady-state pre-rRNA-analysis can be a valuable culture-independent approach to studying opportunistic bacteria in periodontitis.

Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) enables rapid and sensitive diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), which facilitates treatment and mitigates transmission. Nucleic acid extraction from sputum constitutes the greatest technical challenge in TB NAAT for near-patient settings. This report presents preliminary data for a semi-automated sample processing method, wherein sputum is disinfected and liquefied, followed by PureLyse® mechanical lysis and solid-phase nucleic acid extraction in a miniaturized, battery-operated bead blender. Sputum liquefaction and disinfection enabled a >104 fold reduction in viable load of cultured Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) spiked into human sputum, which mitigates biohazard concerns. Sample preparation via the PureLyse® method and a clinically validated manual method enabled positive PCR-based detection for sputum spiked with 104 and 105 colony forming units (cfu)/mL M.tb. At 103 cfu/mL sputum, four of six and two of six samples amplified using the comparator and PureLyse® method, respectively. For clinical specimens from TB cases and controls, the two methods provided 100% concordant results for samples with "Equation missing"1 mL input volume (N = 41). The semi-automated PureLyse® method therefore performed similarly to a validated manual comparator method, but is faster, minimally instrumented and can be integrated into TB molecular diagnostic platforms designed for near-patient low-resource settings.

Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has become a serious concern for proper treatment of patients. As a phenotypic method, dielectrophoresis can be useful but is yet to be attempted to evaluate Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex cells. This paper investigates the dielectrophoretic behavior of Mycobacterium bovis (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, BCG) cells that are treated with heat or antibiotics rifampin (RIF) or isoniazid (INH). The experimental parameters are designed on the basis of our sensitivity analysis. The medium conductivity (σ m) and the frequency (f) for a crossover frequency (f xo1) test are decided to detect the change of σ m-f xo1 in conjunction with the drug mechanism. Statistical modeling is conducted to estimate the distributions of viable and nonviable cells from the discrete measurement of f xo1. Finally, the parameters of the electrophysiology of BCG cells, C envelope and σ cyto, are extracted through a sampling algorithm. This is the first evaluation of the dielectrophoresis (DEP) approach as a means to assess the effects of antimicrobial drugs on M. tuberculosis complex cells.

Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) usually includes laboratory analysis of sputum, a viscous material derived from deep in the airways of patients with active disease. As a diagnostic sample matrix, sputum can be difficult to collect and analyze by microbiological and molecular techniques. An alternative, less invasive sample matrix could greatly simplify TB diagnosis. We hypothesized that Mycobacterium tuberculosis cells or DNA accumulate on the oral epithelia of pulmonary TB patients and can be collected and detected by using oral (buccal) swabs. To test this hypothesis, 3 swabs each were collected from 20 subjects with active pulmonary TB and from 20 healthy controls. Samples were tested by using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific to the M. tuberculosis IS6110 insertion element. Eighteen out of 20 confirmed case subjects (90%) yielded at least 2 positive swabs. Healthy control samples were 100% negative. This case-control study supports past reports of M. tuberculosis DNA detection in oral swabs. Oral swab samples are non-invasive, non-viscous and easy to collect with or without active TB symptoms. These characteristics may enable simpler and more active TB case finding strategies.

An occupationally safe (biosafe) sputum liquefaction protocol was developed for use with a semi-automated antibody-based microtip immunofluorescence sensor. The protocol effectively liquefied sputum and inactivated microorganisms including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, while preserving the antibody-binding activity of Mycobacterium cell surface antigens. Sputum was treated with a synergistic chemical-thermal protocol that included moderate concentrations of NaOH and detergent at 60°C for 5 to 10 min. Samples spiked with M. tuberculosis complex cells showed approximately 10(6)-fold inactivation of the pathogen after treatment. Antibody binding was retained post-treatment, as determined by analysis with a microtip immunosensor. The sensor correctly distinguished between Mycobacterium species and other cell types naturally present in biosafe-treated sputum, with a detection limit of 100 CFU/mL for M. tuberculosis, in a 30-minute sample-to-result process. The microtip device was also semi-automated and shown to be compatible with low-cost, LED-powered fluorescence microscopy. The device and biosafe sputum liquefaction method opens the door to rapid detection of tuberculosis in settings with limited laboratory infrastructure.

Our understanding of the sources of Mycobacterium avium infection is partially based on genotypic matching of pathogen isolates from cases and environmental sources. These approaches assume that genotypic identity is rare in isolates from unlinked cases or sources. To test this assumption, a high-resolution PCR-based genotyping approach, large-sequence polymorphism (LSP)-mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit–variable-number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR), was selected and used to analyze clinical and environmental isolates of M. avium from geographically diverse sources. Among 127 clinical isolates from seven locations in North America, South America, and Europe, 42 genotypes were observed. Among 12 of these genotypes, matches were seen in isolates from apparently unlinked patients in two or more geographic locations. Six of the 12 were also observed in environmental isolates. A subset of these isolates was further analyzed by alternative strain genotyping methods, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and MIRU-VNTR, which confirmed the existence of geographically dispersed strain genotypes. These results suggest that caution should be exercised in interpreting high-resolution genotypic matches as evidence for an acquisition event.

Assays for bacterial ribosomal RNA precursors (pre-rRNA) have been shown to distinguish viable from inactivated bacterial cells in drinking water samples. Because the synthesis of pre-rRNA is rapidly induced by nutritional stimulation, viable bacteria can be distinguished from inactivated cells and free nucleic acids by measuring the production of species-specific pre-rRNA in samples that have been briefly stimulated with nutrients. Here, pre-rRNA analysis was applied to bacteria from serum, a human sample matrix. In contrast to drinking water, serum is rich in nutrients that might be expected to mask the effects of nutritional stimulation. Reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays were used to detect pre-rRNA of four bacterial species: Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. These species were chosen for their clinical significance and phylogenetic diversity (Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria). To maximize resolving power, pre-rRNA was normalized to genomic DNA of each pathogen. When viable cells were shifted from serum to bacteriological culture medium, rapid replenishment of pre-rRNA was always observed. Cells of P. aeruginosa that were inactivated in the presence of serum exhibited no pre-rRNA response to nutritional stimulation, despite strong genomic DNA signals in these samples. When semi-automated methods were used, pre-rRNA analysis detected viable A. baumannii cells in serum at densities of ≤100 CFU/mL in

Successful long-term preservation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis cells is important for sample transport, research, biobanking, and the development of new drugs, vaccines, biomarkers, and diagnostics. In this report, Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin and M. tuberculosis H37Ra were used as models of M. tuberculosis complex strains to study cryopreservation of M. tuberculosis complex cells in diverse sample matrices at different cooling rates. Cells were cryopreserved in diverse sample matrices, namely, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), Middlebrook 7H9 medium with or without added glycerol, and human sputum. The efficacy of cryopreservation was quantified by microbiological culture and microscopy with BacLight LIVE/DEAD staining. In all sample matrices examined, the microbiological culture results showed that the cooling rate was the most critical factor influencing cell viability. Slow cooling (a few degrees Celsius per minute) resulted in much higher M. tuberculosis complex recovery rates than rapid cooling (direct immersion in liquid nitrogen) ( P < 0.05). Among the three defined cryopreservation media (PBS, 7H9, and 7H9 plus glycerol), there was no significant differential effect on viability ( P = 0.06 to 0.87). Preincubation of thawed M. tuberculosis complex cells in 7H9 broth for 20 h before culture on solid Middlebrook 7H10 plates did not help the recovery of the cells from cryoinjury ( P = 0.14 to 0.71). The BacLight LIVE/DEAD staining kit, based on Syto 9 and propidium iodide (PI), was also applied to assess cell envelope integrity after cryopreservation. Using the kit, similar percentages of “live” cells with intact envelopes were observed for samples cryopreserved under different conditions, which was inconsistent with the microbiological culture results. This implies that suboptimal cryopreservation might not cause severe damage to the cell wall and/or membrane but instead cause intracellular injury, which leads to the loss of cell viability.

A rapid, accurate tuberculosis diagnostic tool that is compatible with the needs of tuberculosis-endemic settings is a long-sought goal. An immunofluorescence microtip sensor is described that detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex cells in sputum in 25 minutes. Concentration mechanisms based on flow circulation and electric field are combined at different scales to concentrate target bacteria in 1 mL samples onto the surfaces of microscale tips. Specificity is conferred by genus-specific antibodies on the microtip surface. Immunofluorescence is then used to detect the captured cells on the microtip. The detection limit in sputum is 200 CFU mL(-1) with a success rate of 96%, which is comparable to PCR.

Molecular detection of microorganisms requires microbial cell disruption to release nucleic acids. Sensitive detection of thick-walled microorganisms such as Bacillus spores and Mycobacterium cells typically necessitates mechanical disruption through bead beating or sonication, using benchtop instruments that require line power. Miniaturized, low-power, battery-operated devices are needed to facilitate mechanical pathogen disruption for nucleic acid testing at the point of care and in field settings. We assessed the lysis efficiency of a very small disposable bead blender called OmniLyse relative to the industry standard benchtop Biospec Mini-BeadBeater. The OmniLyse weighs approximately 3 g, at a size of approximately 1.1 cm 3 without the battery pack. Both instruments were used to mechanically lyse Bacillus subtilis spores and Mycobacterium bovis BCG cells. The relative lysis efficiency was assessed through real-time PCR. Cycle threshold ( C T ) values obtained at all microbial cell concentrations were similar between the two devices, indicating that the lysis efficiencies of the OmniLyse and the BioSpec Mini-BeadBeater were comparable. As an internal control, genomic DNA from a different organism was spiked at a constant concentration into each sample upstream of lysis. The C T values for PCR amplification of lysed samples using primers specific to this internal control were comparable between the two devices, indicating negligible PCR inhibition or other secondary effects. Overall, the OmniLyse device was found to effectively lyse tough-walled organisms in a very small, disposable, battery-operated format, which is expected to facilitate sensitive point-of-care nucleic acid testing.

Novel methods are reported for evaluating and utilizing single chain fragment variable (scFv) antibodies derived from yeast-display libraries. Yeast-display was used to select scFv specific to invariant surface glycoproteins (ISG) of Trypanosoma brucei. A limiting step in the isolation of scFv from non-immune libraries is the conversion of highly active yeast-displayed scFv into soluble antibodies that can be used in standard immunoassays. Challenges include limited solubility or activity following secretion and purification of scFv. For this reason, few scFv derived from yeast-display platforms have moved into development and implementation as diagnostic reagents. To address this problem, assays were developed that employ both yeast-displayed and -secreted scFv as analytical reagents. The first is a competitive inhibition flow cytometry (CIFC) assay that detects secreted scFv by virtue of their ability to competitively inhibit the binding of biotinylated antigen to yeast-displayed scFv. The second is an epitope binning assay that uses secreted scFv to identify additional yeast-displayed scFv that bind non-overlapping or non-competing epitopes on an antigen. The epitope binning assay was used not only to identify sandwich assay pairs with yeast-displayed scFv, but also to identify active soluble scFv present in low concentration in a crude expression extract. Finally, a CIFC assay was developed that bypasses entirely the need for soluble scFv expression, by using yeast-displayed scFv to detect unlabeled antigen in samples. These methods will facilitate the continued development and practical implementation of scFv derived from yeast-display libraries. (c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ratiometric pre-rRNA analysis (RPA) detects the replenishment of rRNA precursors that occurs rapidly upon nutritional stimulation of bacterial cells. In contrast to DNA detection by PCR, RPA distinguishes viable from inactivated bacteria. It exhibits promise as a molecular viability test for pathogens in water and other environmental samples.

Tuberculosis (TB) has been a major public health problem, which can be better controlled by using accurate and rapid diagnosis in low-resource settings. A simple, portable, and sensitive detection method is required for point-of-care (POC) settings. This paper studies an amperometric biosensor using a microtip immunoassay for a rapid and low cost detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) in sputum. MTB in sputum is specifically captured on the functionalized microtip surface and detected by electric current. According to the numerical study, the current signal on microtip surface is linearly changed with increasing immersion depth. Using a reference microtip, the immersion depth is compensated for a sensing microtip. On the microtip surface, target bacteria are concentrated and organized by a coffee ring effect, which amplifies the electric current. To enhance the signal-to-noise ratio, both the sample processing- and rinsing steps are presented with use of deionized water as a medium for the amperometric measurement. When applied to cultured MTB cells spiked into human sputum, the detection limit was 100 CFU/mL, comparable to a more labor-intensive fluorescence detection method reported previously.

The opportunistic pathogen Mycobacterium avium is a significant inhabitant of biofilms in drinking water distribution systems. M. avium expresses on its cell surface serovar-specific glycopeptidolipids (ssGPLs). Studies have implicated the core GPL in biofilm formation by M. avium and by other Mycobacterium species. In order to test this hypothesis in a directed fashion, three model systems were used to examine biofilm formation by mutants of M. avium with transposon insertions into pstAB (also known as nrp and mps ). pstAB encodes the nonribosomal peptide synthetase that catalyzes the synthesis of the core GPL. The mutants did not adhere to polyvinyl chloride plates; however, they adhered well to plastic and glass chamber slide surfaces, albeit with different morphologies from the parent strain. In a model that quantified surface adherence under recirculating water, wild-type and pstAB mutant cells accumulated on stainless steel surfaces in equal numbers. Unexpectedly, pstAB mutant cells were >10-fold less abundant in the recirculating-water phase than parent strain cells. These observations show that GPLs are directly or indirectly required for colonization of some, but by no means all, surfaces. Under some conditions, GPLs may play an entirely different role by facilitating the survival or dispersal of nonadherent M. avium cells in circulating water. Such a function could contribute to waterborne M. avium infection.

Successful long-term preservation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) cells or sputum specimens is very important for sample transport, biobanking, research and the development of new drugs, vaccines, biomarkers, and diagnostics. In this work, M . bovis Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) and M. tuberculosis H37Ra were used as models of MTB complex strains to study cryopreservation of MTB complex cells in diverse sample matrices (phosphate buffer saline (PBS), Middlebrook 7H9 medium with or without added glycerol, and human sputum). Efficacy of cryopreservation was quantified by microbiological culture. Results showed that among the variables tested, slow cooling rate was the most critical factor for the successful cryopreservation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex cells. Preincubation of frozen/thawed MTB cells in 7H9 broth before culturing did not help the cells repair cryoinjury. Cell inactivation by fast cooling was not associated with a compromised cell envelope, as indicated by the comparison results of microbiological culture and the BacLight live/dead staining. After cryopreservation, the MTB cell surface antigen can still function well for the MTB diagnosis as biomarker. For the Point-of-Care (POC) diagnosis of MTB, an occupationally safe (biosafe) sputum liquefaction protocol and a semi-automated antibody-based microtip immunofluorescence sensor were developed. Sputum was treated with a synergistic chemical–thermal protocol that included moderate concentrations of NaOH and detergent at 60 °C for 5–10 min. The protocol effectively liquefied sputum and inactivated microorganisms including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, while preserving the antibody-binding activity of Mycobacterium cell surface antigens. The biosafe sputum liquefaction method, cryopreservation protocol, and the microtip device make it possible to diagnose the tuberculosis with high feasibility, sensitivity and accuracy.

Inexpensive, simple and quick detection of pathogen antigens in human samples is a key global health objective. Limiting factors include the cost and complexity of diagnostic tests that utilize antibody probes. Herein, we present a method for label-free electrochemical detection of a protein from the enteric pathogen Entamoeba histolytica using cell-free yeast-embedded antibody-like fragments (yeast-scFv) as novel affinity reagents.

The generation of affinity reagents, usually monoclonal antibodies, remains a critical bottleneck in biomedical research and diagnostic test development. Recombinant antibody-like proteins such as scFv have yet to replace traditional monoclonal antibodies in antigen detection applications, in large part because of poor performance of scFv in solution. To address this limitation, we have developed assays that use whole yeast cells expressing scFv on their surfaces (yeast-scFv) in place of soluble purified scFv or traditional monoclonal antibodies. In this study, a nonimmune library of human scFv displayed on the surfaces of yeast cells was screened for clones that bind to recombinant cyst proteins of Entamoeba histolytica, an enteric pathogen of humans. Selected yeast-scFv clones were stabilized by lyophilization and used in detection assay formats in which the yeast-scFv served as solid support-bound monoclonal antibodies. Specific binding of antigen to the yeast-scFv was detected by staining with rabbit polyclonal antibodies. In flow cytometry-based assays, lyophilized yeast-scFv reagents retained full binding activity and specificity for their cognate antigens after 4 weeks of storage at room temperature in the absence of desiccants or stabilizers. Because flow cytometry is not available to all potential assay users, an immunofluorescence assay was also developed that detects antigen with similar sensitivity and specificity. Antigen-specific whole-cell yeast-scFv reagents can be selected from nonimmune libraries in 2-3 weeks, produced in vast quantities, and packaged in lyophilized form for extended shelf life. Lyophilized yeast-scFv show promise as low cost, renewable alternatives to monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis and research.