Marcadores moleculares de tipo inserción en bacterias de las familias Moraxellaceae y Helicobacteraceae (phylum Proteobacteria) / Molecular markers of insertion type in bacterias of the Moraxellaceae and Helicobacteraceae (phylum Proteobacteria) families

Se efectuó un estudio con el empleo de la metodología de Gupta, en el Departamento de Biología y Geografía de la Universidad de Oriente en Santiago de Cuba, para determinar marcadores moleculares de tipo inserción en secuencias de las proteínas ADN polimerasa I y ADN polimerasa III (subunidad alfa), obtenidas de bases de datos internacionales y posteriormente alineadas con el programa ClustalX2. Las familias Moraxellaceae y Helicobacteraceae han sido ampliamente estudiadas, porque comprenden agentes patógenos causantes de numerosas enfermedades en humanos, pero pocas investigaciones han estado dirigidas a la identificación de las características moleculares que puedan distinguir a sus miembros de otros grupos de bacterias; de manera que los presentes resultados constituyen un aporte al conocimiento de la genética y la bioquímica de estas familias y proveen herramientas moleculares para la clasificación taxonómica y el diagnóstico de especies patógenas

A study with the use of Gupta methodology was carried out in the Biology and Geography Department of Oriente University in Santiago de Cuba, to determine molecular markers of insertion type in sequences of the DNA polimerase I proteins and DNA polimerase III (alpha subunity), obtained from international databases and later on aligned with the ClustalX2 program. The Moraxellaceae and Helicobacteraceae families have been broadly studied, because they comprise pathogen agents that cause numerous diseases in humans, but few investigations have been directed to the identification of the molecular characteristics that can distinguish their members from other groups of bacterias; so these results constitute a contribution to the knowledge of genetics and biochemistry of these families and provide molecular tools for the taxonomic classification and the diagnosis of pathogen species

Evaluation of Microbial Load in Oropharyngeal Mucosa from Tannery Workers

BACKGROUND: Animal skin provides an ideal medium for the propagation of microorganisms and it is used like raw material in the tannery and footware industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate and identify the microbial load in oropharyngeal mucosa of tannery employees. METHODS: The health risk was estimated based on the identification of microorganisms found in the oropharyngeal mucosa samples. The study was conducted in a tanners group and a control group. Samples were taken from oropharyngeal mucosa and inoculated on plates with selective medium. In the samples, bacteria were identified by 16S ribosomal DNA analysis and the yeasts through a presumptive method. In addition, the sensitivity of these microorganisms to antibiotics/antifungals was evaluated. RESULTS: The identified bacteria belonged to the families Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Neisseriaceae, Alcaligenaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Xanthomonadaceae, of which some species are considered as pathogenic or opportunistic microorganisms; these bacteria were not present in the control group. Forty-two percent of bacteria identified in the tanners group are correlated with respiratory diseases. Yeasts were also identified, including the following species: Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Candida albicans, and Candida krusei. Regarding the sensitivity test of bacteria identified in the tanners group, 90% showed sensitivity to piperacillin/tazobactam, 87% showed sensitivity to ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, 74% showed sensitivity to ampicillin/sulbactam, and 58% showed sensitivity to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. CONCLUSION: Several of the bacteria and yeast identified in the oropharyngeal mucosa of tanners have been correlated with infections in humans and have already been reported as airborne microorganisms in this working environment, representing a health risk for workers.

Enterobacteriaceae and pseudomonadaceae on the dorsum of the human tongue

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to correlate the presence of Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Moraxellaceae and Xanthomonadaceae on the posterior dorsum of the human tongue with the presence of tongue coating, gender, age, smoking habit and denture use. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Bacteria were isolated from the posterior tongue dorsum of 100 individuals in MacConkey agar medium and were identified by the API 20E system (Biolab-Mérieux). RESULTS: 43 percent of the individuals, presented the target microorganisms on the tongue dorsum, with greater prevalence among individuals between 40 and 50 years of age (p = 0.001) and non-smokers (p=0.0485). CONCLUSIONS: A higher prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae was observed on the tongue dorsum of the individuals evaluated. There was no correlation between these species and the presence and thickness of tongue coating, gender and presence of dentures.