Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “SERRATIA”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Comparative analyses of Serratia spp. outer membrane porin proteins.

Eight Serratia strains and several members of the Enterobacteriaceae family were used in immunoblot and Southern DNA hybridization experiments and probed with antibody and DNA probes specific for the 41-kDa Serratia marcescens porin, to determine the extent of homology between Gram-negative porins. Immunoblot analyses performed using porin-specific rabbit sera and cell envelope preparations from these strains revealed that all strains produced at least one cross-reactive protein in the 41-kDa molecular weight range. Chromosomal DNA from each of the same strains was used in Southern analyses, probed with a 20-base-length oligonucleotide probe deduced from the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 41-kDa Serratia marcescens porin. The probe hybridized to DNA from all of the Serratia species and six of the nine other enteric bacteria. Putative porin proteins from all the Serratia species were subjected to N-terminal amino acid sequencing and porin functional analysis using the black lipid bilayer method. All amino acid sequences were identical, with one exception in which an asparagine was substituted for an aspartic acid in Serratia rubidaea. All porins had very similar porin function (single channel conductance ranging between 1.72 and 2.00 nS). The results from this study revealed that a strong conservation exists among the Serratia porins and those produced by other enteric bacteria.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Endophytic colonization and in planta nitrogen fixation by a diazotrophic Serratia sp. in rice.

Nitrogen fixing endophytic Serratia sp. was isolated from rice and characterized. Re-colonization ability of Serratia sp. in the rice seedlings as endophyte was studied under laboratory condition. For detecting the re-colonization potential in the rice seedlings, Serratia sp. was marked with reporter genes (egfp and Kmr) using transposon mutagenesis. The conjugants were screened for re-colonization ability and presence of nif genes using PCR. Further, the influence of flavonoids and growth hormones on the endophytic colonization and in planta nitrogen fixation of Serratia was also investigated. The flavonoids, quercetin (3 microg/ml) and diadzein (2 microg/ml) significantly increased the re-colonization ability of the endophytic Serratia, whereas the growth hormones like IAA and NAA (5 microg/ml) reduced the endophytic colonization ability of Serratia sp. Similarly, the in planta nitrogen fixation by Serratia sp. in rice was significantly increased due to flavonoids. The inoculation of endophytic diazotrophs increased the plant biomass and biochemical constituents.

Biomass↗
PubMed2026

Routine methods misidentify Serratia spp.: Limitations of MALDI-TOF MS revealed by whole-genome sequencing.

Accurate species-level identification within the genus Serratia remains challenging due to extensive phenotypic overlap and high genomic relatedness among closely related and recently described taxa. This study presents an evaluation of routine and genome-based identification approaches applied to clinical Serratia isolates, integrating phenotypic assays, MALDI-TOF MS (Bruker Daltonics), 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS). A total of 103 isolates collected from a teaching hospital were analyzed. WGS was performed on a subset of isolates. Conventional biochemical methods classified all isolates as Serratia marcescens, whereas MALDI-TOF MS identified 60.1% as S. marcescens, 11.6% as S. ureilytica, and 28.1% just at the genus level. Peak analysis from MALDI-TOF MS revealed specific peaks associated with S. marcescens and S. ureilytica, but limited discriminatory power. WGS of six isolates initially identified as S. ureilytica by MALDI-TOF MS revealed reclassification as Serratia sarumanii (n = 5) and Serratia montpellierensis (n = 1), supported by Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI), Average Amino Acid Identity (AAI), and Digital DNA-DNA Hybridization (dDDH) thresholds. In contrast, 16S rRNA analysis showed limited species-level resolution. Phylogenomic and SNP-based analyses confirmed these classifications with strong support. Overall, this study underscores the critical role of high-resolution genomic approaches for precise species identification and highlights the need for continuous expansion and curation of MALDI-TOF MS reference databases to support reliable clinical diagnostics and epidemiological surveillance of emerging Serratia species.

Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorpti↗
PubMed2003

Natural antimicrobial susceptibilities of strains of 'unusual' Serratia species: S. ficaria, S. fonticola, S. odorifera, S. plymuthica and S. rubidaea.

The natural susceptibility to 71 antibiotics of 104 Serratia strains of Serratia ficaria (n = 15), Serratia fonticola (n = 18), Serratia odorifera (n = 16), Serratia plymuthica (n = 32) and Serratia rubidaea (n = 23) was examined. MICs were determined using a microdilution procedure in IsoSensitest broth for all the strains and in cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth for some strains. With few exceptions, all species tested were uniformly naturally resistant to penicillin G, oxacillin, cefazolin, cefuroxime, all tested macrolides, lincosamides, streptogramins, glycopeptides, fusidic acid and rifampicin, and naturally sensitive to several aminoglycosides, piperacillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, carbapenems, some cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and folate-pathway inhibitors. Major species-related differences in natural susceptibility affecting clinical assessment criteria were seen with tetracyclines, some aminoglycosides, aminopenicillins, ticarcillin, cefaclor, loracarbef, cefoxitin, pipemidic acid, chloramphenicol, nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin. Differences in susceptibility dependent on the medium were seen with macrolides, tetracycline, fosfomycin and some beta-lactams. The natural antibiotic susceptibility patterns suggest novel species-specific mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Uncharacterized species-specific aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes and multidrug efflux systems affecting tetracyclines, quinolones and chloramphenicol are probably responsible for some of the phenotypes observed. The natural amoxicillin sensitivity of several strains of some species combined with natural resistance to some narrow-spectrum cephalosporins indicate the expression of naturally occurring beta-lactamases with unique substrate profiles. beta-Lactamases of representative strains of each species were characterized phenotypically and genotypically. It was shown that all species expressed naturally occurring AmpC beta-lactamases and, with respect to S. fonticola, also a species-specific class A beta-lactamase. Inducibility of these enzymes was shown in all species with the exception of S. rubidaea and four of five strains of S. plymuthica.

Anti-Infective Agents↗
PubMed1982

New fimbrial hemagglutinin in Serratia species.

Strains of Serratia marcescens, Serratia liquefaciens, Serratia marinorubra, and Serratia plymuthica produced one or more of the following hemagglutinins (HAs): mannose-sensitive HA and mannose-resistant K-HA (MR/K-HA) and P-HA (MR/P-HA) (J. P. Duguid and D. C. Old, in E. H. Beachey (ed.), Bacterial adherence, vol. 6., p. 185-217, 1980). Most strains (82%) were multiply hemagglutinating. The properties of the three HAs are described. Each HA was associated with a distinct type of fimbria: mannose-sensitive HA with type 1 fimbriae. MR/K-HA with type 3 fimbriae, and MR/P-HA with a new type of thin fimbriae provisionally called MR/P fimbriae. This is the first report of the production of MR/P-HA and MR/P fimbriae by Serratia species. The range of Serratia HAs, which may reflect in vivo colonization potential, is more complex than previously reported.

Fimbriae, Bacterial↗
PubMed2004

[Frequency of Serratia sp in urine infections of intern patients in the Santa Casa de Misericórdia in Fortaleza].

In the present time the Serratia is considered an important human pathogen, which has been found as causal agent of nosocomial infections mainly urine infections. We verify the frequency of the Serratia sp in urine samples, in intern patients. Were studied 1197 urine samples, this study show 15 positive for the Serratia sp. The species found were: 7 Serratia liquefaciens (46,7%), 5 Serratia odorífera (33,3%) and 3 Serratia rubidaea (20%).

Brazil↗
PubMed2000

Influence of relative humidity on particle size and UV sensitivity of Serratia marcescens and Mycobacterium bovis BCG aerosols.

SETTING: A study of Serratia marcescens and BCG aerosols. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of relative humidity (RH) on (1) the particle size and (2) sensitivity of 254nm germicidal ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. METHODS: We built a RH controlled experimental chamber into which bacteria were aerosolized, exposed to varying amounts of UV irradiance over measured time periods, and quantitatively evaluated for viability. Aerosolized Serratia marcescens and bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) were subject to UV doses ranging from 57-829 microW. sec/cm(2), and sampled with a six-stage Andersen culture plate impactor at RHs ranging from 25-95%. RESULTS: Percent survival for both organisms was inversely related to UV dose. Serratia marcescens was more susceptible to UV than BCG under all conditions. More than 95% of the bacterial aerosol particles were 1.1-4.7 microm in aerodynamic diameter, and particles sizes increased from low (25-36%) to high (85-95%) RH. The count median diameter ranged from 1.9-2.6 microm for Serratia marcescens and from 2.2-2.7 microm for BCG as RH increased. For both Serratia marcescens and BCG, resistance to UV increased as RH increased. The UV resistance of both Serratia marcescens and BCG aerosols dramatically increased at RH higher than 85%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that differences in UV dose, kinds of microorganisms, airborne particle size and RH affect UV susceptibility.

Aerosols↗
PubMed2002

Serratia bacteremia in a large university hospital: trends in antibiotic resistance during 10 years and implications for antibiotic use.

OBJECTIVE: To identify antibiotic resistance trends and risk factors for resistance of Serratia species to third-generation cephalosporins. DESIGN: Retrospective survey of medical records. SETTING: A 2,200-bed, tertiary-care hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred twenty-two patients with Serratia bacteremia between January 1991 and June 2001. METHODS: Infectious disease physicians collected data from medical records regarding patient demographics, underlying disease or condition, portal of entry, microorganism, antibiogram, complications, antibiotics received, and outcome. RESULTS: Among 122 Serratia isolates, 117 (95.9%) were Serratia marcescens and 110 (90.2%) were of nosocomial origin. During the study period, the 122 isolates showed a high rate of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins (45.9%) and extended-spectrum penicillins (56.6%). The resistance rate to ciprofloxacin was 32.0%. The resistance rate to third-generation cephalosporins increased from 31.7% for 1991 to 1995 to 54.9% for 1996 to 1998 and 50.0% for 1999 to 2001. In the multivariate analysis, prior use of a second-generation cephalosporin (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 5.90; 95% confidence interval [CI90], 1.41 to 24.6; P = .015) or a third-generation cephalosporin (OR, 3.26; CI95, 1.20 to 8.87; P = .020) was a strong independent risk factor for resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. The overall case-fatality rate was 25.4% (Serratia bacteremia-related case-fatality rate, 13.1%). CONCLUSION: Prior use of a second- or third-generation cephalosporin was the most important risk factor for bacteremia with Serratia resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, suggesting the need for antibiotic control. The potential role of patient-to-patient spread could not be fully evaluated in this retrospective study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Cloning and sequencing of Serratia protease gene.

The gene encoding an extracellular metalloproteinase from Serratia sp. E-15 has been cloned, and its complete nucleotide sequence determined. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence reveals that the mature protein of the Serratia protease consists of 470 amino acids with a molecular weight of 50,632. The G+C content of the coding region for the mature protein is 58%; this high G+C content is due to a marked preference for G+C bases at the third position of the codons. The gene codes for a short pro-peptide preceding the mature protein. The Serratia protease gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens; the former produced the Serratia protease in the cells and the latter in the culture medium. Three zinc ligands and an active site of the Serratia protease were predicted by comparing the structure of the enzyme with those of thermolysin and Bacillus subtilis neutral protease.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Secretion of an inhibitor of follicle-stimulating hormone binding to receptor by the bacteria Serratia, including a strain isolated from porcine follicular fluid.

Bacterial growth in contaminated porcine follicular fluid (PFF) was associated with increased concentrations of a large molecular weight (Mr greater than 6000) inhibitor (FSH-BI) of 125I-FSH binding to calf testis membranes (Sluss and Reichert, 1983). We undertook to identify the bacteria and to determine if the inhibitor was a secretory product. Only one of 39 pure bacterial colonies isolated from PFF generated FSH-BI. The bacterium was tentatively identified as Serratia liquifaciens and was subsequently shown to also secrete FSH-BI when grown in synthetic culture media. Serratia liquifaciens from PFF secreted FSH-BI in a minimal culture medium containing only glucose as a carbon source. Other bacteria, including strains of Pseudomonas and Streptococcus did not secrete FSH-BI in either sterile PFF or synthetic culture media. Six strains of Serratia, obtained from the American Type Culture Collection, also secreted FSH-BI. FSH-BI secreted by Serratia liquifaciens was inactivated by heat (T 1/2 = 30 min at 60 degrees C), exposure to pH 2 (2 h at 25 degrees C) and was insoluble in ether, 75% acetone or 40% ammonium sulfate. Protease activity, using a casein substrate, was undetected in doses of FSH-BI which effectively (50%) inhibited 125I-FSH binding. Initial studies suggested that FSH-BI was due to effects on membranes rather than on the radioligand. These data demonstrate that Serratia liquifaciens isolated from PFF secretes a substance of Mr greater than 6000 which inhibits receptor binding of 125I-hFSH. Furthermore, the FSH-BI appears to be secreted constitutively by all (7) strains of Serratia tested.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Amikacin treatment of Serratia septicemia in critically ill patients.

Serratia marcescens septicemia represents a serious problem in high risk critical care patients. Treatment is difficult because Serratia is usually resistant to most antibiotics. Amikacin is at present the most effective antibiotic in vitro against gentamycin-resistant Serratia, although significant loss of activity may occur in vivo in the group of compromised patients, whose ultimate prognosis may depend eventually upon other associated conditions. In this Medical ICU, 15 patients with Serratia septicemia who were treated with in vitro effective antibiotics (14 were given amikacin) had a mortality of 60%, while 5 patients who received ineffective in vitro antibiotics had a mortality of 100%. In this ICU, 80% of the Serratia isolates were resistant to gentamycin, while only 2.8% were resistant to amikacin. Because amikacin-resistant strains of Serratia have already emerged, appropriate use of this antibiotic is essential in order not to promote the selection of amikacin-resistant strains.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Kinetic analysis of the cleavage of natural and synthetic substrates by the Serratia nuclease.

The extracellular nuclease from Serratia marcescens is a non-specific endonuclease that hydrolyzes double-stranded and single-stranded DNA and RNA with high specific activity. Steady-state and presteady-state kinetic cleavage experiments were performed with natural and synthetic DNA and RNA substrates to understand the mechanism of action of the Serratia nuclease. Most of the natural substrates are cleaved with similar Kcat and K(m) values, the Kcat/K(m) ratios being comparable to that of staphylococcal nuclease. Substrates with extreme structural features, like poly(dA).poly(dT) or poly(dG).poly(dC), are cleaved by the Serratia nuclease with a 50 times higher or 10 times lower K(m), respectively, as salmon testis DNA. Neither with natural DNA or RNA nor synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide substrates did we observe substrate inhibition for the Serratia nuclease as reported recently. Experiments with short oligodeoxynucleotides confirmed previous results that for moderately good cleavage activity the substrate should contain at least five phosphate residues. Shorter substrates are still cleaved by the Serratia nuclease, albeit at a rate reduced by a factor of more than 100. Cleavage experiments with oligodeoxynucleotides substituted by a single phosphorothioate group showed that the negative charge of the pro-Rp-oxygen of the phosphate group 3' adjacent to the scissile phosphodiester bond is essential for cleavage, as only the Rp-phosphorothioate supports cleavage at the 5' adjacent phosphodiester bond. Furthermore, the modified bond itself is only cleaved in the Rp-diastereomer, albeit 1000 times more slowly than the corresponding unmodified phosphodiester bond, which offers the possibility to determine the stereochemical outcome of cleavage. Pre-steady-state cleavage experiments demonstrate that it is not dissociation of products but association of enzyme and substrate or the cleavage of the phosphodiester bond that is the rate-limiting step of the reaction. Finally, it is shown that Serratia nuclease accepts thymidine 3',5'-bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate as a substrate and cleaves it at its 5'-end to produce nitrophenol and thymidine 3'-(p-nitrophenylphosphate) 5-phosphate. The rate of cleavage of this artificial substrate, however, is 6-7 orders of magnitude smaller than the rate of cleavage of macromolecular DNA or RNA.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1976

Physical properties of L-asparaginase from Serratia marcescens.

Purified L-asparaginase from Serratia marcescens had an apparent-weight average molecular weight of 171,000 to 180,000 as determined by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels and by sedimentation equilibrium at low speed in an analytical ultracentrifuge. A subunit molecular weight of 31,500 +/- 1,500 was estimated for the enzyme after treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate and urea and electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels; a similar value was obtained by high-speed sedimentation equilibrium in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride. Our data indicate that the Serratia enzyme could have five or six subunits of 32,000 daltons, compared to four subunits of 32,000 daltons in the Escherichia coli enzyme. The Serratia L-asparaginase also appears to be a larger molecule than the enzyme from Erwinia carotovora, Proteus vulgaris, Acinetobacter glutaminasificans, and Alcaligenes eutrophus. The Serratia enzyme, like that from E. caratovora, was more resistant than the E. coli enzyme to dissociation by sodium dodecyl sulfate. This resistance could be due to the finding that the Serratia enzyme had a relatively high hydrophobicity, similar to the enzyme from E. caratovora, when compared with the hydrophobicity of the E. coli enzyme. The isoelectric point of the Serratia enzyme was approximately 5.2. The influence of certain physical characteristics of the enzyme on the biological properties is discussed.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1976

DNA relatedness among species of Enterobacter and Serratia.

Species of Enterobacter and Serratia were examined for deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness to Klebsielleae, to atypical erwiniae, and to other members of Enterobacteriaceae. Deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization and then hydroxyapatite chromatography was the technique used to assess relatedness. Strains of Enterobacter cloacae formed two separate hybridization groups that correlate with the presence or absence of yellow pigment. Pigmented E. cloacae were 75-100% related, but they were only 40-50% related to unpigmented strains. Conversely, unpigmented strains were 70% or more related but were only 40-50% related to the pigmented strains. Both pigmented and unpigmented E. cloacae were 40-45% related to Enterobacter aerogenes and klebsiellae, and 20-30% related to Serratia species and Enterobacter hafniae. Atypical erwiniae were highly related to E. cloacae. Serratia marcescens strains formed one closely related group. Serratia liquefaciens strains formed a single, more disperse, relatedness group, as did isolates of Serratia rubidaea. These species were related throughout a substantial portion of their genomes. A group of lysine-positive "Citrobacter-like" strains were 40-50% related to Serratia species. Only four E. hafniae strains were tested. Two of these were highly related, while the other two were only 50% related to the reference strain. Enterobacter hafniae was only 15-20% related to other Enterobacteriaceae.

DNA, Bacterial↗
PubMed2002

Comparsion of selected growth media for culturing Serratia marcescens, Aeromonas sp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as pathogens of adult Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae).

Stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), were orally infected with Aeromonas sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter), and Serratia marcescens Bizio that were cultured on egg-yolk media, nutrient broth, and fly egg media. Aeromonas and Serratia caused mortality when the bacteria were originally grown on egg-yolk medium. Pseudomonas was equally lethal regardless of the media on which it was cultured. A wild isolate of Aeromonas caused greater death than an isolate that had been passed through host flies and had been reisolated from killed flies. Mortality increased with bacterial dose for all species. Aeromonas and Serratia caused mortality within several days after ingestion, whereas Pseudomonas caused a gradual increase in mortality 3-7 d after ingestion. The pathologic activity of Aeromonas and Serratia required extracellular products produced when cells were grown in egg yolk medium. Aeromonas required both supernatant and cells from egg yolk medium, wereas Serratia required supernatant from egg yolk medium and cells from either nutrient broth or egg yolk medium. Mortality due to ingestion of Aeromonas was correlated with the presence of enzymes that cause alpha- and beta-hemolysis, while mortality following ingestion of Serratia was associated with alpha-hemolysins, elastases, and chitinases.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1976

Host resistance to Serratia marcescens infection: serum bactericidal activity and phagocytosis by normal blood leukocytes.

Serratia marcescens strains isolated from clinical specimens can be divided into those which are sensitive or resistant to the bactericidal activity of normal human serum. Serum bactericidal activity is heat labile, cation dependent, and is absorbable by whole, serum-sensitive Serratia or ethanol-insoluble extracts of these organisms. Bacteremic Serratia infection is invariably caused by the serum-resistant strains. Serum resistant Serratia are ingested and killed by normal human leukocytes and fresh normal serum. Heating or preabsorption of serum with whole, heat-killed, or ethanol-insoluble antigen extracts of the serum-resistant Serratia diminishes opsonization and phagocytosis. Serratia opsonins in the serum of healthy individuals are type-specific IgM globulins which combine with the organism and activate complement by the alternate pathway.

Blood Bactericidal Activity↗
PubMed2006

Technique survival with Serratia peritonitis.

Despite a decreasing incidence, peritonitis remains an important cause of peritoneal dialysis (PD) technique failure and transfer to hemodialysis. Infection with Serratia spp. has been suggested to be associated with a poor technique outcome in PD. We examined the data at our center to see if patients with Serratia peritonitis had a similar poor outcome. In this retrospective study, we reviewed all PD patients who presented at our center with peritonitis from January 1996 to December 2003. The case records of patients in whom the infecting organism was identified as Serratia were evaluated. We recorded age at the time of peritonitis and at the start of PD, sex, presence of diabetes mellitus, PD modality at the time of peritonitis, and duration of PD before the onset of peritonitis. For each episode of peritonitis, we recorded the type and duration of antibiotic therapy and the outcome. Over the study period, 52% of all peritonitis episodes involved gram-positive organisms; 29%, gram-negative organisms; and 19%, other organisms. Serratia spp. accounted for 16 episodes (3.68%). These 16 episodes of peritonitis occurred in 12 patients, with 3 repeat infections and 1 relapsing infection. The distribution between the sexes was equal, and the median age at diagnosis was 67 years (range: 37-79 years). Four patients with diabetes accounted for 6 of the 16 episodes (37.5%). In 7 episodes (43.8%), a Serratia exit-site infection preceded the peritonitis. In 4 episodes, catheter removal was required. A fifth patient developed sepsis and died. Technique survival was therefore 68.8% (11 of 16 episodes). We also compared the outcomes of different initial antibiotic regimens. With an initial regimen based on cefazolin-ceftazidime, as suggested in the 2000 guidelines of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis, technique survival was 60% (3 of 5 episodes). When the initial regimen included an aminoglycoside, the technique survival was 80% (8 of 10 episodes). Serratia-induced peritonitis was associated with a technique survival of 68.8% at our center.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

The significance of serratia as an infectious organism.

The hospital records of 48 patients with infections due to Serratia marcescens were reviewed. Isolates from these patients had been cultured during the period from August 1973 through July 1975, at which time an increase in frequency of infections due to Serratia had been noted. Most of these patients were elderly males with chronic debilitating diseases. All patients had received antimicrobial therapy prior to the time Serratia was first isolated. The majority had had indwelling urinary catheters inserted during some period of their hospitalization. Isolates were obtained predominantly from the urinary tract. In six of the 11 patients who died, Serratia appeared to play a role in the outcome, and all three patients with Serratia septicemia died. Serratia marcescens can be a virulent pathogen with a high degree of resistance to antibacterial agents. Attention must be given to the use of a sterile technique for insertion of urinary catheters, frequent care and cleansing of the catheter-meatal junction and use of a closed drainage system.

Adult↗