Escherichia coli is the major causative agent of human cystitis. In this study, a preliminary molecular analysis carried out by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) demonstrated that 100% of 31 E. coli strains isolated from patients with recurrent UTIs (urinary tract infections) showed the presence of the curli fimbria gene (csgA). Curli fimbria is known to be associated with bacterial biofilm formation but not with the adhesion of human cystitis-associated E. coli. Therefore, this work aimed to study how curli fimbria is associated with uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) as an adhesion factor. For this purpose, the csgA gene was deleted from strain UPEC-4, which carries three adhesion factor genes (csgA, fimH and ompA). The wild-type UPEC-4 strain and its mutant (ΔcsgA) were analyzed for their adhesion ability over HTB-9 (human bladder carcinoma), Vero (kidney cells of African green monkey) and HUVEC (human umbilical vein) cells in the presence of α-d-mannose. All the wild-type UPEC strains tested (100%) were able to adhere to all three cell types, while the UPEC-4 ΔcsgA mutant lost its adherence to HTB-9 but continued to adhere to the HUVEC and Vero cells. The results suggest that curli fimbria has an important role in the adhesion processes associated with human UPEC-induced cystitis.

Fermented whey dairy beverages are dairy products obtained by fermentation from a mixture of milk and whey. These beverages have important health benefits, which could be improved with the addition of probiotic cultures. This study assessed the protective effect of the cosupplementation of a probiotic culture (Lactobacillus casei 01) with a fermented whey dairy beverage against infection by Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica serovar Typhimurium in a murine model. Two fermented whey dairy beverages were prepared: conventional (FWB; starter culture) and probiotic (PFWB; starter and probiotic cultures). In the first set of experiments, Balb/C female mice were treated with FWB or PFWB, challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium, and analyzed for clinical signs, weight loss, and mortality for 20 d postinfection. In the second set of experiments, mice were treated with FWB or PFWB, challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium, and killed on d 10 postinfection. The liver, colon, and ileum were used for myeloperoxidase, eosinophil peroxidase, and histological analysis and translocation to the liver. The contents from the small intestine were used for secretory IgA determination. The FWB treatment showed a better effect on animal survival (70%), translocation of the pathogen to the liver (2 out of 10), histopathology (fewer lesions), and inflammation than PFWB, which presented 50% animal survival, translocation in 5 out of 10 animals, and higher lesions. The control group presented 40% animal survival, translocation in 6 out of 10 animals, and severe lesions. Therefore, FWB was deemed to have a greater protective effect against Salmonella Typhimurium infection in the murine model compared with PFWB.

Here, we describe the genomic features of the Actinobacteria Kocuria sp. SM24M-10 isolated from mucus of the Brazilian endemic coral Mussismilia hispida. The sequences are available under accession number LDNX01000000 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/LDNX00000000). The genomic analysis revealed interesting information about the adaptation of bacteria to the marine environment (such as genes involved in osmotic and oxidative stress) and to the nutrient-rich environment provided by the coral mucus.

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