Infection caused by Mycobacterium avium is common in AIDS patients who do not receive treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) or who develop resistance to anti-HIV therapy. Mefloquine, a racemic mixture used for malaria prophylaxis and treatment, is bactericidal against M. avium in mice. MICs of (+)-erythro-, (−)-erythro-, (+)-threo-,...
The infection biology of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis has recently crystallized, with added details surrounding intestinal invasion. The involvement of pathogen-derived effector proteins such as the major membrane protein, oxidoreductase, and fibronectin attachment proteins have been uncovered. Mutations constructed in this pathogen have also shed light on genes needed for...
Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis is an opportunistic human pathogen that has been shown to form biofilm in vitro and
in vivo. Biofilm formation in vivo appears to be associated with infections in the respiratory tract of the host. The reasoning behind
how M. avium subsp. hominissuis biofilm is allowed to...
Pathogenic mycobacteria are important agents causing human disease. Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis
(M. avium) is a species of recalcitrant environmental pathogen. The bacterium forms robust biofilms that allow it to
colonize and persist in austere environments, such as residential and commercial water systems. M. avium is also an
opportunistic pathogen...
Johne’s disease is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), which results in serious economic losses worldwide in farmed livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats. To control this disease, an effective vaccine with minimal adverse effects is needed. In order to identify a live vaccine for Johne’s disease, we...
Antimicrobial peptides are an important component of the innate immune defense. Mycobacterium avium subsp hominissuis (M. avium) is an organism that establishes contact with the respiratory and gastrointestinal mucosa as a necessary step for infection. M. avium is resistant to high concentrations of polymyxin B, a surrogate for antimicrobial peptides....
Inhibition of apoptotic death of macrophages by Mycobacterium tuberculosis represents an important mechanism of virulence that results in pathogen survival both in vitro and in vivo. To identify M. tuberculosis virulence determinants involved in the modulation of apoptosis, we previously screened a transposon bank of mutants in human macrophages, and...
Since the early 1980s, several investigations have focused on developing a vaccine against Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), the causative agent of Johne’s disease in cattle and sheep. These studies used whole-cell inactivated vaccines that have proven useful in limiting disease progression, but have not prevented infection. In contrast, modified...
Pulmonary infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are an increasing problem in individuals with chronic lung conditions and current therapies are lacking. We investigated the activity of liposomal amikacin for inhalation (LAI) against NTM in vitro as well as in a murine model of respiratory infection. Macrophage monolayers were infected...
M. avium causes disseminated disease in patients with AIDS and other immunosuppressive conditions and pulmonary infections in individuals with chronic lung diseases. Much still need to be learn about the mechanisms of M. avium pathogenesis. Using a mouse model of disseminated M. avium disease, we applied an in vivo expression...