Temperate bacteriophages were induced in and released from isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae using mitomycin C. Various specific indicator cultures were tested for providing clear plaques after phage infection. Specific lytic mixture of bacteriophages was prepared using the induced, modified and laboratory variants of phages. Under laboratory conditions, the mixture eliminated all isolates from the tested collection of microorganisms. The restriction barrier of some bacterial isolates to bacteriophage infection was overcome either by UV irradiation or in vitro modification of bacteriophage DNA with specific methyltransferases. Conjugative R plasmids, capable of replication in G+ and G- bacteria, were detected and isolated from S. aureus and S. agalactiae antibiotic-resistant strains.

• MeSH
• Virus Activation MeSH
• DNA, Viral genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial genetics   MeSH
• R Factors genetics   MeSH
• Staphylococcus Phages physiology   MeSH
• Staphylococcus aureus drug effects   genetics   isolation & purification   virology   MeSH
• Staphylococcus drug effects   genetics   isolation & purification   virology   MeSH
• In Vitro Techniques MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA, Viral MeSH

Group B streptococcal (GBS) gene encoding the putative lipoprotein and adherence factor ScaAB was cloned and expressed in E. coli. Recombinant ScaAB protein was isolated. Signal sequence of ScaAB was found to be cleaved in the E. coli host. ScaAB recombinant protein was immunogenic in mice and antibodies against this protein were discovered in mice sera after GBS infection. The perspectives of the use of ScaAB protein in GBS vaccine are discussed.

• MeSH
• Bacterial Adhesion MeSH
• Bacterial Proteins chemistry   genetics   immunology   metabolism   MeSH
• Immunization MeSH
• Membrane Proteins chemistry   genetics   immunology   metabolism   MeSH
• Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Antibodies, Bacterial blood   MeSH
• Recombinant Proteins chemistry   genetics   immunology   metabolism   MeSH
• Amino Acid Sequence MeSH
• Streptococcus agalactiae immunology   isolation & purification   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Streptococcal Infections microbiology   mortality   prevention & control   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Bacterial Proteins MeSH
• Membrane Proteins MeSH
• Antibodies, Bacterial MeSH
• Recombinant Proteins MeSH

Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) is a causative agent of sepsis and meningitis in newborns and diseases in pregnant women and nonpregnant adults. Various approaches, including both nongenetic and genetic techniques, are currently used for the study of epidemiology of GBS infections. In the present paper the different methods of molecular epidemiology of GBS infections are reviewed, and several novel approaches are introduced. The advantages and disadvantages of molecular methods are discussed and compared with traditional serotyping technique. The possible use of the molecular approaches for identification of different genetic lineages in GBS as well as for identification and control of the epidemiologically actual clones is discussed.

• MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
• Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length MeSH
• Ribotyping MeSH
• Streptococcus agalactiae genetics   MeSH
• Streptococcal Infections diagnosis   epidemiology   MeSH
• Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique MeSH
• Virulence MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH

The presence of insertion elements (IS) IS861 and IS1548 in the collection of 211 Streptococcus agalactiae strains isolated from pregnant women and dairy cows was assayed. IS861 was found in 67 human strains (59%) and 36 bovine strains (37%), IS1548 in 13 human strains (12%) and 16 bovine strains (16%). Two combinations, IS861+ IS1548- and IS861- IS1548-, were widely distributed in both human and bovine strains. The copy number and the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the two IS were determined in human group B streptococcus (GBS) strains. A minimum of 8 copies of IS1548 were detected in GBS strains while the copy number of IS861 varied from 1 to 9. The number of different hybridizing patterns with IS861 and IS1548 probes was 9 and 6, respectively. These hybridization patterns were divided into several clusters. All strains with IS were also clustered according to pulsed field-gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns. A correlation was found between the results of PFGE- and IS-based clustering.

• MeSH
• DNA, Bacterial MeSH
• Pregnancy Complications, Infectious microbiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mastitis, Bovine microbiology   MeSH
• Dairying MeSH
• Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length * MeSH
• Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Streptococcus agalactiae classification   genetics   MeSH
• Streptococcal Infections microbiology   veterinary   MeSH
• Bacterial Typing Techniques MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• DNA Transposable Elements genetics   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Evaluation Study MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA, Bacterial MeSH
• DNA Transposable Elements MeSH