EHEC O157:H7 clade 6 strains harboring stx2a and/or stx2c and clade 8 strains harboring stx2a or stx2a/stx2c were frequently associated with childhood HUS cases in Japan. Rapid and specific detection of such lineages are required for infection control measures.

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SUMMARY: Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus; GBS) is a common cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis. Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis is effective in reducing neonatal GBS disease. Penicillin is recommended for intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis; however, other antibiotics are administered to pregnant women with penicillin allergy. Serotyping and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed on 376 GBS isolates collected from vaginal swabs in Saitama City. Of the 376 isolates, 328 (87.2z) were obtained from obstetrics and gynecology clinics. Although approximately 80z of the isolates (299/376) were from women of reproductive age (age, 15-49 years), no definite information on their pregnancy status was obtained. The most frequent serotype was V (19.1z) followed by Ib (18.6z), III (16.2z), VI (14.9z), and Ia (14.6z). None of the isolates were resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins. Isolates that were resistant to erythromycin (12.8z), clindamycin (9.0z), ofloxacin (19.4z), levofloxacin (18.4z), and tetracycline (46.5z) were detected. There was a high prevalence of resistance to erythromycin (39.3z) and clindamycin (27.9z) in serotype III. In addition, almost all serotype Ib isolates were resistant to ofloxacin and levofloxacin (both, 91.4z). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis on certain GBS isolates (serotype Ib, III, and V) indicated that there was genetic diversity among the resistant isolates obtained from a limited area of Japan. In conclusion, present intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis with penicillins would be effective in Japan; however, performing susceptibility testing before administering other antibiotics is important in order to ensure activity against the relevant isolate.

The ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation system is involved in a wide variety of cellular functions. The RING-H2 finger protein RBX1 is a common subunit of Cullin-based ubiquitin ligases. Caenorhabditis elegans RBX1 and CUL2 are essential for regulating chromosome condensation and segregation during mitosis and meiosis and are also critical for cell proliferation. Here, we demonstrate that Elongin B (ELB1) and C (ELC1) form a stable complex, and that depletion of either gene product by RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) causes pronounced defects in the second meiotic division. Embryos and adults that escape meiotic arrest have several irregular phenotypes. These include defects in mitotic chromosomal condensation and segregation, pronuclear rotation, and germ cell proliferation, abnormal cortical protrusion, and accumulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor CKI1. All these defects are consistent with those found after depletion of CUL2. In addition, direct interaction between ELC1 and CUL2 is revealed by bacterial two-hybrid analysis. Thus, the RBX1/CUL2/ELC1/ELB1 complex acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase in C. elegans and is essential for diverse functions relevant to chromosomal dynamics and cell cycle control.

All supporting data, code and protocols have been provided within the article or through supplementary data files. One supplementary table is available with the online version of this article.