Introduction: Biocides are commonly used for disinfection in a variety of contexts. They are generally used to avoid infection by controlling biofilm on medical equipment. However, the literature lacks information on the effect of biocide on efflux pump gene expression. Objective: To determine the influence of biocide on biofilm development and efflux pump acrA and ramA gene expression. Methodology: The microtiter plate method was used to identify biofilm development in 80 isolates of K. pneumoniae. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of three biocides (quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), chlorohexidine digluconate, and chloroxylenol) were estimated. The effect of QAC on the intensity and viability of biofilms was investigated as well. Its influence on biofilm was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. For each isolate, gene expression of the acrA and ramA was evaluated before and after treatment with the biocide (at ½MIC). Results: The study revealed that 60% of isolates formed moderate biofilms. Biofilms of all isolates were inhibited by QAC at high concentrations. Moreover, QAC at ½MIC downregulated the gene expression of the efflux pump gene (acrA) and its regulator (ramA). Conclusion: Biofilms of all isolates were prevented by QAC at high doses. Furthermore, QAC at ½MIC decreased the expression of the efflux pump gene (acrA) and its regulator (ramA).
The research was conducted between 2017 and 2019 at the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences and Laboratory of Plant Tissue Culture for Postgraduate Studies at the University of Baghdad. One experiment used a totally random design. The experiment examined the effects of PEG (Polyethylene glycol) at concentrations of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% on the development of three sunflower types (Ishaqi-1, Aqmar, and AL-Haja) exposed to UV-C rays for 40 minutes as a result of the growing of the juvenile peduncle outside the live body. The aim of the study was to better comprehend the physiological and biochemical changes caused by water stress on the callus of several sunfl
Introduction: The stringent response is a bacterial adaptation mechanism triggered by stress conditions, including nutrient limitation. This response helps bacteria survive under harsh conditions, such as those encountered during infection. A key feature of the stringent response is the synthesis of the alarmone (p)ppGpp, which influences various bacterial phenotypes. In several bacterial species, stringent response activation significantly affects biofilm formation and maintenance. Methods: Clinical specimens were collected from multiple hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq. Staphylococcus aureus was identified using conventional biochemical tests. The PCR technique was applied to detect mecA, icaA, and icaD genes, while the Vitek 2 compac
... Show MoreThis study aimed to investigate the ability of clove and cinnamon extracts to make pathogenic multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae more sensitive to the host’s immune system and thereby interrupt the bacterial infection process in the rat model. Therefore, 60 Wistar male rats were used in this study. The phytochemical constituents of the plant extract were analysed using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. Then, the capability of the plant extracts, as prophylactic and treatment, against K. pneumoniae in rats was studied by estimating the complete blood counts (CBCs) and the serum concentrations of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) before and after the treatment. The results showed that
... Show MoreDual-species biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus generate difficult-to-treat illnesses. Nutrition stress in biofilms affects physiology, microbial metabolism, and species interactions, impacting bacteria growth and survival. Furthermore, the function of alginate, which is encoded by the algD gene, in the production of biofilms has been established. The present study aimed at investigating the impact of starvation on algD gene expression in single-species biofilm of P. aeruginosa and dual-species biofilms of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus from hospital sewage. A total of six P. aeruginosa and six S. aureus isolates were obtained from the microbiology laboratory at the Department of Biology, College of Science, Universit
... Show MorePseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for serious infections. At least three different exopolysaccharides, alginate, polysaccharide synthesis locus (Psl), and pellicle exopolysaccharide (Pel) make up the biofilm matrix in P. aeruginosa . The effect of temperature on the biofilm formation and gene expression was examined by microtiter plate and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). To be able to determine the effect of temperature on biofilm formation and gene expression of P. aeruginosa, 303 clinical and environmental samples were collected. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 61 (20.1%) and 48 (15.8%) of the clinical and e
... Show MoreQuorum sensing (QS) is a perfectly orchestrated molecular communication system. It is a boon for Klebsiella pneumoniae, and bane for the host. This system is believed to make K. pneumoniae a leading cause of multidrug-resistant (MDR) nosocomial infections. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial and anti-biofilm potential of medicinal plant extracts through interfering with QS of K. pneumoniae. The effect of different concentrations of ethanolic extracts of cinnamon and clove on K. pneumoniae was determined by analyzing the growth curve, survival assay (MTT), Qualitative and quantitative biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, along with studying gene expression of the genes encoding the above traits, using quantitative real tim
... Show MoreBackground: Since carbapenems are currently the preferred treatment for severe infections brought on by multidrug-resistant bacteria which can create Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases (ESBLs), it is extremely concerning that Gram-negative bacteria are becoming resistant to carbapenem. It has been demonstrated that Klebsiella pneumoniae produces a beta-lactamase that hydrolyses the β-lactam ring in antibiotics, making it one of the few bacteria which are currently exhibiting a high value of resistance because of changing in the organism's core genome. Methods: For the current study, 50 samples were gathered from different water sources, and based on morphological and biochemical testing, 10 isolates were determined to be K. pneumoniae. Accord
... Show MoreIsolated Bacteria from the roots of barley were studied; two stages of processes Isolated and screening were applied in order to nd the best bacteria to remove kerosene from soil. The acve bacteria are isolated for kerosene degradaon process. It has been found that Klebsiella pneumoniae sp. have the highest kerosene degradaon which is 88.5%. The opmum condions of kerosene degradaon by Klebsiella pneumonia sp. are pH5, 48hr incubaon period, 35°C temperature and 10000ppm the best kerosene concentraon. The results 10000ppm showed that the maximum kerosene degradaon can reach 99.58% aer 48 h of incubaon. Higher Kerosene degradaon which was 99.83% was obtained at pH5. Kerosene degradaon was found
... Show MoreIsolated Bacteria from the roots of barley were studied; two stages of processes Isolated and screening were applied in order to find the best bacteria to remove kerosene from soil. The active bacteria are isolated for kerosene degradation process. It has been found that Klebsiella pneumoniae sp. have the highest kerosene degradation which is 88.5%. The optimum conditions of kerosene degradation by Klebsiella pneumonia sp. are pH5, 48hr incubation period, 35°C temperature and 10000ppm the best kerosene concentration. The results 10000ppm showed that the maximum kerosene degradation can reach 99.58% after 48 h of incubation. Higher Kerosene degradation which was 99.83% was obtained at pH5. Kerosene degradation was found to be maximum at 3
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