A Case of Serratia marcescens Conjunctivitis in a Young Male after Exposure to Contaminated Shampoo in a Fitness Club

The contamination of shampoo with bacteria is not very common but can happen and can be a potential cause of conjunctivitis. This case report describes a 24-year-old male who developed conjunctivitis after using a Serratia marcescens contaminated shampoo in a fitness club. The patient had redness, swelling, and discharge in both eyes. Cultures of the shampoo and eye swabs were positive for S. marcescens with indistinguishable DNA fingerprints. The patient was treated with an eye drop antibiotic and his symptoms resolved within a week. This case highlights the possibility of exposure in places where shampoos containers are refilled or shared. The avoidance of refilling them and using replaceable cartridges, single-sealed refill bags, or bringing personal shampoo is highly recommended to prevent such incidents.

Isolation and identification of Serratia marcescens Ha1 and herbicidal activity of Ha1 ‘pesta’ granular formulation

A total of 479 bacterial strains were isolated from brine （Bohai, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, China）. Bioassay results indicated that 4 strains named Hal, Hal7, Ha38, and Ha384 had herbicidal activity. And strain Hal had the highest effective herbicidal activity. As a result, this study aims to JdentJfy strain Hal, characterize its physiological and biological activities, evaluate the herbicidal activity of its metabolites, and develop a ＇pesta＇ formulation and assess its effectiveness on Digitaria sanguinalis. Hal was identified as Serratia marcescens based on 16S rDNA sequencing. This strain has a flagellum, a diameter of 0.5 to 0.8 IJm, and a length of 0.9 to 2.0 IJm. The indole test shows positive results, and the catalase enzyme exhibits strong positive reactions. Results further showed that the inhibitory concentration （IC50） of the crude extracts to D. sanguinalis radicula and coleoptile were 3.332 and 2.828 mg mL-1, respectively. Both the suppression of D. sanguinalis and the cell viability of the Hal formulation in ＇pesta＇ were higher when stored at 4℃ than at （25＋2）℃. These results indi- cated that S. marcescens Hal can potentially be used as a biocontrol agent against D. sanguinalis.

Possibility of using strain F9(Serratia marcescens) as a bio-collector for hematite flotation

In this study, we characterized strain F9 and evaluated the interaction between strain F9 and hematite by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry（FTIR）, zeta potential, flotation, and other methods. The results showed that strain F9 belongs to Serratia marcescens. This brevibacterium had CH2, CH3, and hydroxyl groups on its cell wall, which imparted a strong hydrophobic and negative charge. Adsorption of strain F9 reduced the zeta potential of the hematite surface and increased the hydrophobicity of the hematite surface, thereby generating hydrophobic hematite agglomerates. At least four groups on strain F9 interacted with the hematite surface, which contributed to chemical interactions of carboxylic groups and hydrophobic association among hydrophobic hematite particles. The possible use of strain F9 as a bio-collector for hematite flotation was proved.

Chorioamnionitis caused by Serratia marcescens in a healthcare worker: A case report

BACKGROUND Healthcare workers(HCWs)are at an increased risk for exposure to infections.Serratia marcescens(S.marcescens)is a gram-negative,opportunistic and nosocomial pathogen belonging to the Enterobacterieae family.A few case reports have been published of chorioamnionitis caused by S.marcescens infection.Immunological changes during pregnancy can also affect the risk of infection.However,few studies have examined hospital-acquired bacterial infection in pregnant HCWs.CASE SUMMARY A 33-year-old woman,a resident in anesthesiology,was admitted at 14 wk gestation for fever with chills.She had no medical history other than contact dermatitis of both hands that started from the beginning of the trainee.There was no obvious infection focus and no bacterial growth in blood cultures.She was discharged after 1 wk of empirical antibiotic treatment.At three weeks before the fever started,she had a blister on the site of contact dermatitis on both hands,she applied antibiotic ointment for three days and the blisters had healed.At 19 wk gestation,she had a high fever and was readmitted.Physical examination and image studies were nonspecific and the patient had no other symptoms.S.marcescens grew in blood cultures at 19 wk gestation.Treatment with intravenous antibiotics was started.However,she suffered a miscarriage at 224/7 wk gestation.Pathologically,the amniotic membrane showed chorioamnionitis with a focal infarct.Subsequently,a placenta tissue culture grew S.marcescens.CONCLUSION HCWs can be exposed to pathogens that can cause opportunistic infections such as S.marcescens.Pregnancy affects the immune system,making it susceptible to opportunistic infections.Therefore,pregnant HCWs may require more preventive measures,including hand hygiene and avoid risk factors(ex.wrapping the skin).

Cloning and Expression of a Chitinase Gene from Serratia marcescens Strain C8-8

A 1 692 bp long chitinase-encoding ch/A gene was cloned from the genomic DNA of Serrat/a marcescens strain C8-8 by PCR, which was speculated to en- code a 563 aa long polypeptide chain with molecular weight of about 60.9 kD. Homolog analysis showed that the chiA gene sequence cloned from C8-8 shared the highest similarity with cMA sequences from Serrat/a maresscens strains 141 （ DQ 990373.1 ） and 14041 （ DQ 493896. 1 ）, which reached 99%. Domain analysis showed that N-termlnal （23 aa） of the chiA gene cloned from C8-8 harbored typical signal peptide sequence, while C-telminal harbored the other two domains, in- eluding the PKD region （73 aa） and chitinase catalytic region （387 aa）. The PCR fragment was digested with restriction endonucleases and cloned into plasmid pET28a. The recombinant plasmid pET＇28a-ch/A was firstly transformed into Escherichia coli DI-I5 , and then transformed into expression host E. coli DH3 to express ch/A gene. The recombinant strain DH3 chiA could produce transparent hydrolysis circles on the colloidal chitin plate induced by isopropyl-l-thiogalactopyranoside （IFrG）. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis analysis showed that, a protein with relative molecular weight of about 60 kD was expressed by the recombinant strain DH3 chiA, which was consistent with the except molecular weight. After initial purification, biological activity test showed that the recombinant expression product could hydrolyze chitin, which produced transparent hydrolysis circles on the colloidal chitin plates. Results indicated that chiA gene from Serrat/a marcescens strain C8-8 had biological functions and could be utilized as a potential biological control factor.

Pathogenicity of Serratia marcescens to hazelnut weevil(Curculio dieckmanni)

The hazelnut weevil(Curculio dieckmanni Faust.)is a major pest of Asian hazel(Corylus heterophylla Fisch.)in China.Dead hazelnut weevil larvae were examined and the associated pathogenic bacterium was identifi ed as Serratia marcescens Bizio.This signifi cantly shortened the lifespan of hazelnut weevil.Larval weight was reduced as a function of S.marcescens concentration and exposure time.The structure of infected midgut cells was altered,with necrosis of the wall tissues and many cells becoming dislodged,creating cavities.The S.marcencens strain inhibited digestive enzyme activity and protective enzymes in the midgut of adult hazelnut weevil.Inhibition on S.marcencens strain increased with treatment time.S.marcescens directly destroyed the midgut cells and interfered with digestive and protective enzymes.This decreased the food intake and increased mortality of hazelnut weevil.S.marcescens appears to be an eff ective bacterium for the control of hazelnut weevil but requires further study,including biological formulation development and fi eld application.

Construction and Expression of Serratia Marcescens ECU1010 Lipase （lipA） in Pichia Pastoris

Serratia marcescens ECUI010, as an extracellular lipase and a significant catalyst, which had been widely employed to catalyze various chemical reactions such as non-specific, stereo-specific hydrolysis and esterification for industrial biocatalytic applications, was previously mostly expressed intracellularly as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli. Denaturation and renaturation of inclusion bodies had a significant influence on the lipase activity. Thereupon, our present work described the secretion expression of gene encoding of this lipase in Pichia pastoris GS 115 and characterization of the recombinant enzyme. Firstly, the obtained lipA gene fragment was introduced into P. pastoris expression vector pPIC9K, the lipA gene without its signal sequence were cloned downstream to the alpha-mating factor signal and expressed in P. pastoris GS115 under the control of AOXI promoter, and the recombinant plasmid pPIC9K-lipA was transformed into P. pastoris strain GS115 by electroporation, and this recombinant P. pastoris were identified by PCR. Then lipase activity was detected on BMMY-tributyrin and olive oil agar plates containing Rhodamine B. Transformants with lipase activity by screening were induced 6 days by methanol, one band of 77 kDa protein could be observed by 10% SDS-PAGE. p-nitrophenyl esters of fatty acids were used as the substrates in an automated activity assay of liquid culture media. The pH and temperature optimum of lipase were pH 8.5 and 40℃ respectively. The stability and effects of metal ions and other reagents were also determined. However, the recombinant fusion intended for secretion was efficiently secreted in a percentage of close to 90% and remained stable even in rich medium at high cell density cultures, yielding values of over 4 U of lipase activity per milliliter of culture media supernatant.

Studies on Carbohydrates ⅩⅩⅧ. Synthesis of Key Intermediates of Oligosaccharides Related to Serratia marcescens O10 Antigen

In the continuation of our study on the Serratta marcescens O-antigen, two disaccharides8 and 13, corresponding to the key intermediates of oligosaccharides related to the S. marcescensO10 antigen, were srythesized by the trichloroacetate method. Their structures and compositionswere characterized by H NMR, C NMR, 2D NMR and IR, FAB-MS spectra.

Serratia marcescens as Opportunistic Pathogen and the Importance of Continuous Monitoring of Nosocomial Infection in Makah City,Saudi Arabia

The aim of this study was to the evaluation of frequency and distribution of Serratia marcescens in the hospital departments and determination of antimicrobial resistance of the isolated strains. Methods: The study included 81 Serratia marcescens strains isolated from 61 patients hospitalized in the in the different hospital wards of Al-Noor Specialist Hospital within the period from 1/11/2012 to 1/11/2013. The strains were isolated from wound swabs, blood cultures, sputum, urine culture, fluid, catheter and throat swab, wound swabs, blood cultures and cerebrospinal fluid. Results: The isolates were identified by conventional method and the results and susceptibility testing were confirmed by VITEC-2 Compact. Most frequently Serratia marcescens has been implicated in ICU [21%] followed by male medical [18.5%] and emergency department [12.3%]. The resistance of Serratia strains was high, excepting imipenem (15%), Meropenem (27) and the resistance was higher with ampicillin (97.5%), Cefoxitin (90%) and Tetracycline (86%). Conclusion: Continuous monitoring of nosocomial infections is indispensable. Phenotypic characterization of the isolates is useful for studying the relationship of microbial pathogens.

Screening and molecular characterization of Serratia marcescens VITSD2： A strain producing optimum serratiopeptidase

The current work was attempted to isolate and characterize the serratiopeptidase producing Serratia sp. Among the 10 bacterial isolates 7 strains were identified as Serratia sp. Out of 7 strains one showed potent proteolytic activity and selected for further studies. Based on the morphological, biochemical and molecular characterization, the potent isolate （RH03） was identified as Serratia marcescens （GenBank accession number： KC961637） and the strain was designated as Serratia marcescens VITSD2. The production of serratiopeptidase was carried out in trypticase soya broth and the enzyme was partially purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation and dialysis. The specific activity was determined by casein hydrolysis assay and was found to be 12.00, 21.33, and 25.40 units/rag for crude, precipitated and dialysed samples. The molecular weight of the protease was determined by SDS-PAGE and it was found to be 50 kDa. The antibacterial activity of the produced serratiopeptidase showed moderate activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC No. 4676 （12 mm） and Escherichia coli MTCC No. 1588 （15 mm）.

Degradation of 4-aminophenol by hydrogen peroxide oxidation using enzyme from Serratia marcescens as catalyst

This paper reports on the degradation of 4-aminophenol using hydrogen peroxide as oxidizer and the enzyme from Serratia marcescens AB 90027 as catalyst.The effecting factors during degradation and the degrading mechanism were studied.Also,the location of the enzyme in the cell,which could catalyze the degradation of 4-aminophenol,was analyzed.The results showed that to degrade 50 mL of 4-aminophenol whose concentration was 500 mg/L,the optimal conditions were:volume of H_(2)O_(2)=3 mL,temperature=40-60°C and pH=9-10.In the degra-dation process,4-aminophenol was first converted to benzo-quinone and NH3,then organic acids including maleic acid,fumaleic acid,and oxalic acid were formed,and then finally CO_(2) and H2O were generated as final products.The enzyme that could catalyze the degradation of 4-aminophenol was mainly extracellular enzyme.

Quorum sensing inhibition of hordenine analogs on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens

Quorum sensing(QS)plays an essential role in virulence factor production,biofilm formation,and antimicrobial resistance.As a potent QS inhibitor,hordenine can inhibit both QS and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens.In this work,we tested the QS inhibitory potential of 27 hordenine analogs against QS and biofilm formation in P.aeruginosa and S.marcescens.Among the tested analogs,seven(12,28,27,26,2,23,and 7)exhibited strong QS inhibitory activity against P.aeruginosa,five of which(12,28,27,26,and 2)showed better inhibitory activity than hordenine.In addition,seven analogs(28,12,23,7,26,2,and 27)exhibited better biofilm inhibition against P.aeruginosa than hordenine.Four analogs(7,28,2,and 12)showed QS inhibitory activity against S.marcescens,two of which(7 and 28)demonstrated better inhibitory activity than hordenine.Furthermore,analog 7 showed similar biofilm inhibition against S.marcescens as hordenine.Structure-activity relationship(SAR)analysis indicated that the inhibitory activities of the analogs were related to four factors,i.e.,carbon chain length,presence or absence of anα,β-C=C bond,amino group with/without lipophilic group,such as methyl group,and hydroxyl group in benzene ring.

Selection of the Mutants with High Hydroquinone Degradation Ability of Serratia Marcesscen by Plasma Mutation

In this study, an efficient way by plasma induced mutation was applied to improve the hydroquinone degradation capacity of Serratia marcescens AB 90027 （SM27）. The results showed that combined with the selection of hydroquinone tolerance, the mutant with high hy- droquinone degradation ability induced by plasma could be achieved. The best dose for plasma mutation was 15 s, which showed a 47.0% higher positive mutation ratio. Besides, the aimed mutant was markedly different from the parent strain （SM27） in colonial traits while cultivated on Kings media. Finally, the hydroquinone degradation ratio reached 70.5~o using the induced mutant strain with 1500 mg/L hydroquinone （HQ） after 15 days of cultivation as the selective conditions; however, it was only 46.7% for SM27. The improvement of the degradation capacity by the induced mutant with a high concentration of HQ selection was attributed to its faster growth and higher hydroquinone tolerance compared with that of the parent strain.

灵菌红素基抗光氧化特性膜的制备及其应用

目的将灵菌红素应用到抗光氧化膜中,并研究其对油脂光氧化性的抑制作用。方法将Serratia marcescensy2的次级代谢产物提取分离后,经化学反应改造成水溶性的色素。并以一定的质量比添加到基础膜液中,制成环境友好型的抗光氧化性膜,对色素在膜的分布情况、色素保留率及机械性能进行测定,并应用于油脂的抗光氧化。结果激光共聚焦显微镜放大400倍显示,灵菌红素盐酸盐在膜中分布均匀,且成膜后的色素保留率稳定值为74.8%,单因素试验结果表明色素的添加可提高膜的抗拉伸强度至28.8 MPa。响应面试验结果显示成膜的最优工艺参数为羧甲基纤维素钠2.0 g、海藻酸钠1.8 g、甘油1.2 g、灵菌红素盐酸盐0.02%。此时其抗拉强度为20.1 MPa,伸长率为20.3%。将其应用于橄榄油的抗光氧化,相对于无添加色素的膜,在灵菌红素基膜的保护下,橄榄油的过氧化值(peroxide value,POV)可降低41%。结论灵菌红素盐酸盐制成抗光氧化性膜后,色素保留率提高,抗拉伸强度增强。最佳工艺参数制备的抗光氧化特性膜对橄榄油显示出很好抗光氧化作用。

Egads It’s Enterobacteriaceae: Serratia rubidaea Urinary Tract Infection &Enterobacter aerogenes Bacteremic Urinary Tract Infection

We present the 3rd known case of a Serratia rubidaea urinary tract infection in a 49-year-old male with past medical history of bilateral lower extremity paraplegia who presented to the emergency room with fever, lethargy, and red tinted urine. The Serratia genus, of the family Enterobacteracia, in particular the species marcescens, are important causes of infection in humans, animals, and insects, however, until the mid-1950s, this was not the case, and the organism was considered non-pathogenic and frequently used in medical experiments. Serratia are facultatively anaerobic, gram-negative rods, the majority with peritrichous flagella primarily inhabiting soil, water, and plant surfaces. Serratia marcescens is now a known pathogen, however, less frequently isolated species, including Serratia rubidaea, are worthy of discussion, especially due to its characteristic red color and rarity. We aim to increase the awareness Serratia rubidaea including its presentation, inherent antimicrobial resistance, and treatment options.

Phylogenetic Analysis of the 16S rDNA of a Strain Isolated from Diseased Larva of Anoplophora glabripennis (Motsch.)

[ Objective] Study on the phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA and insecticidal characteristics of strain BH-1 isolated from diseased larva of Anoplophora glabripennis （Motseh.） [ Method ] The strain was identified by routine method and inoculated onto healthy Anoplophora glabripennis （Motseh.） for observing insecticidal effect, further 16S DNA was amplified by the specific primers for sequencing and homology analysis. [ Result] The mortality of second instar ofAnoplophora glabripennis（ Motseh. ） reached 72.7% 8 d after 10^10cfu/ml BH-1 was inoculated. The homology of 16S DNA sequences between BH-1 and Serratia marcescens accessed in GenBank reached 99.5%. Combined with the results of routine identification, BH-1 was identified as S. marcescens. [Conclusion] BH-1 could be used for biological control ofAnoplophora glabripennis （Motsch.）.

Isolation of a Prodigiosin-producing Strain and Analysis of It's Pigments

[Objective] The aim was to isolate a prodigiosin producing strain and study its pigment fractions.[Method] Red pigment-producing bacteria was identified by physiological and biochemical characteristics after isolation in plate.By using column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography,pigment fractions were separated and purified from the extractives of the strain after fermentation in flask,and then pigment fractions were analyzed via UV-Vis and LC/MS.[Result] A red pigment-producing Serratia marcescens strain NS-17 sampled from soil of Nanchang was isolated and identified.2 pigment fractions showing similar UV-Vis and LC/MS characters were separated and purified,the characters of fraction 1 were identical to those of prodigiosin,while fraction 2 showed a special UV-Vis absorption spectrum that had not been reported.[Conclusion] A prodigiosin-producing Serratia marcescens strain NS-17 and its 2 pigment fractions were isolated.

Molecular Characterization and Expression Analysis of Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 in the Asian Yellow Pond Turtle Mauremys mutica

Matrix metallopeptidase 3 is a zinc-containing proteinase that participates in tissue remodeling and immune responses. In this study, a cDNA encoding matrix metallopeptidase 3 was isolated and characterized from the Asian yellow pond turtle Mauremys mutica（designated as MaMMP3）. The MaMMP3 cDNA is 1805 bp and consists of a 5＇-untranslated region（UTR） of 56 bp, a 3＇-UTR of 243 bp, and an open reading frame（ORF） of 1506 bp encoding 481 amino acids. Homology analysis of MaMMP3 revealed that the MaMMP3 shared 25%–63% similarity to other known MMP3 sequences. The genomic sequence covers 6007 bp. Comparative analysis of the cDNA sequence revealed that the Asian yellow pond turtle MMP3 has eight exons and seven introns. The phylogenetic tree showed that the MaMMP3 is closely related to Gallus gallus MMP3 and Taeniopygia guttata MMP3. The mRNA expression of the MaMMP3 in normal group without any bacterial challenge could be detected in all studied tissues including kidney, heart, live and spleen, with the highest level in the spleen. The results of immune challenge showed that the expression level of MaMMP3 was up-regulated in the spleen and liver. These results provided an important information for studying the roles of Asian yellow pond turtle MMP3 in immunity further.

复合污染中氯代脂肪烃对沙雷氏菌降解氯苯影响及其抑制动力学研究

开展复合污染条件下氯苯(CB)的降解能力及抑制特性研究对污染控制十分重要。基于已分离的功能菌株沙雷氏菌Serratia marcescen TF-1,开展了典型氯代脂肪烃对降解CB抑制特性的研究。结果表明:存在二氯甲烷(DCM)、二氯乙烷(1,2-DCA)、三氯乙烷(1,1,2-TCA)的条件下,CB平均降解速率分别为0.669、0.463、0.350 mg/(L·d),氯代烷烃对TF-1降解CB有较强的抑制作用;存在三氯乙烯(TCE)、四氯乙烯(PCE)的条件下,CB平均降解速率分别为0.974、0.556 mg/(L·d),氯代烯烃对TF-1的抑制较弱。DCM、1,2-DCA、1,1,2-TCA、TCE和PCE的半数抑制效应浓度(EC_(50))分别为3.42、3.16、3.12、6.75和3.16 mg/L,表明氯代烷烃的抑制作用更强,1,1,2-TCA最强。抑制动力学拟合表明:氯代脂肪烃对TF-1降解CB表现为非竞争性抑制,抑制剂与酶非活性位点结合,而后阻碍底物与活性位点结合,污染处理中需首先考虑去除抑制剂。DCM、1,2-DCA、1,1,2-TCA、TCE和PCE抑制作用下解离系数K_(I)分别为19.2、9.96、7.45、13.05和10.58 mg/L,说明氯代烷烃结构复杂毒性越强;随着氯原子数目的增多,抑制作用显著增强。

一株富硒菌的鉴定及富硒条件优化

微生物在硒的生物和环境循环中扮演着重要角色,许多微生物能将Se(IV)和Se(VI)还原为低毒的Se(0)并形成纳米硒微粒,这些生物源的纳米硒微粒在环境修复、生物传感器和医学等领域有着广泛的应用前景。研究天然富硒菌的富硒条件对于富硒微生物的应用具有重要意义。本研究利用16S r DNA测序、生理和形态特征对实验室保存的富硒菌WNJ40进行菌种鉴定,并通过扫描电镜(SEM)观察亚硒酸钠对菌株的影响,同时在单因素实验的基础上,应用响应面法对富硒菌株的富硒条件进行方法设计、优化并验证富硒方案。结果表明:富硒菌株WNJ40经鉴定为变形菌门γ-变形菌纲肠杆菌目肠杆菌科的Serratia marcescens。SEM分析表明,菌株WNJ40在含亚硒酸钠的培养基中生长能产出直径在100~800 nm的球形微粒聚集体。响应面法优化后的最佳富硒发酵条件为:接种量8%,转速120 r·min^(-1),培养时间为58 h,在此优化条件下,菌株富硒量为248.70 mg·L^(-1),较优化前提高了22.74%,为菌株的应用提供了理论和实践基础。