Publications by authors named "Benoit Valot"

In high-income countries, dogs and cats are often considered members of the family. Because of this proximity, it has been suggested that pets and humans might exchange bacterial species from their gut microbiota, with multidrug resistant bacteria being of particular concern. The aim of this study was to compare the genomes of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant (3GC-R) responsible for human and pet infections in Europe.

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  • Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a rare, severe disease impacting over 18,000 people globally each year.
  • Recent advancements in sequencing the mitochondrial genome of Echinococcus multilocularis have enabled researchers to explore the genetic diversity and evolution of the parasite.
  • Analysis of 113 samples from various regions revealed four main haplogroups (HG1, HG2, HG3, and a potential HG4), with HG3 further divided into three micro-haplogroups, showing distinct geographical clusters and including new patient samples from areas outside historical endemic zones in France.
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  • - The study examines the Acinetobacter baumannii clonal lineage ST25 in both humans and animals, revealing its global presence and connections through phylogenetic analysis of 141 genomes.
  • - Four distinct clades of ST25 were identified, with two primarily in South America and two in Europe, Asia, and America, showing variations in antibiotic resistance genes, especially OXA-23 carbapenemase.
  • - Findings indicate genomic similarities between drug-resistant ST25 isolates from humans and animals, suggesting possible cross-contamination and emphasizing the need for tracking these bacteria to improve global health strategies.
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Core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) has gained in popularity for bacterial typing since whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has become affordable. We introduce here pyMLST, a new complete, stand-alone, free and open source pipeline for cgMLST analysis. pyMLST can create or import a core genome database.

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  • Recent reviews in paleoparasitology have overlooked certain protozoan taxa, prompting a need to assess their historical distribution and detection methods.
  • Positive findings primarily emerge from South American coprolites rather than sediment samples, indicating a gap in testing in other regions like Europe.
  • The lack of aDNA-based detections for these parasites, despite evidence of success, suggests a need for future research using such techniques to uncover their evolutionary history and impact on current species diversity.
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The animal reservoir of Enterobacterales producing Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamases (ESBL) and plasmid-borne cephalosporinases (pAmpC) is a global concern. Using genome data, we analyzed a population of Escherichia coli and Salmonella species resistant to third-generation cephalosporins (3GC-R) recovered from healthy food animals (HA) and diseased food animals (DA) across Europe. Among the isolates collected from HA (n = 4,498) and DA (n = 833) in up to twelve European countries, 62 (1.

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Background: Using genomic data, we determined the origin of MRSA ST398 isolates responsible for invasive infection in patients with no known livestock contact.

Methods: We sequenced the genome of seven MSSA and four MRSA ST398 isolates from patients with invasive infections between 2013 and 2017, using the Illumina technique. Prophage-associated virulence genes and resistance genes were identified.

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  • Intestinal issues like inflammation, dysbiosis (microbial imbalance), and permeability are observed in spondyloarthritis patients, but their role in the disease's development is still debated.
  • A study using a rat model tracked these intestinal changes at three stages of arthritis, finding increased zonulin (a marker of intestinal permeability) and pro-inflammatory cytokines at the early phases.
  • Results suggest that intestinal changes occur before arthritis symptoms develop, indicating that while these factors are related, they are not directly dependent on each other.
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Cinnamaldehyde (CNA), the main component of cinnamon essential oil, is one of the most active plant compounds against nosocomial pathogen . Exposure of wild-type strain PA14 (MIC 700 µg/mL) for 5 to 10 days to fixed (900 µg/mL) or increasing (from 900 to 1400 µg/mL) concentrations of this natural antibacterial resulted in emergence of resistant mutants CNA-A1 to A3, and CNA-B1 to B7, respectively. Genome sequencing experiments showed that each of CNA-A1 to A3 mutants differed from PA14 by one SNP, and a slight increase in CNA resistance level (from 700 to 900 µg/mL).

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Cockroach allergens have a greater impact on asthma morbidity than those from dust mites, cats, and dogs. The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) and the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) are most frequently responsible for sensitization. The worldwide prevalence of allergic sensitization has been estimated at 2 to 26 % and is influenced by unfavorable socioeconomic conditions.

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Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 exhibits different variants that may differ in their carcinogenic risk. To identify some high-risk variants, we sequenced and compared HPV16 whole genomes obtained from a longitudinal cohort of 34 HPV16-infected women who had either spontaneously cleared their infection (clearance group or "C"), or developed cervical high-grade lesions following a viral persistence (group persistence or "P"). Phylogenetic analysis of paired samples obtained at the beginning (C0 or P0) and at the end (C2 or P2) of the follow-up (median intervals between C0-C2 and between P0-P2 were 16 and 36.

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Seed germination and subsequent seedling growth affect the final yield and quality of the crop. Seed germination is defined as a series of processes that begins with water uptake by a quiescent dry seed and ends with the elongation of embryonic axis. Rice is an important cereal crop species, and during seed germination, two tissues function in a different manner; the embryo grows into a seedling as the next generation and the endosperm is responsible for nutritional supply.

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Objectives: To determine prevalence, incidence, and factors associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) intestinal carriage in residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and to understand the population structure of this pathogen in LTCFs from two European countries.

Methods: We assessed the prevalence of PA intestinal carriage and the incidence of acquisition by collecting fecal samples from 403 residents of 20 LTCFs. We collected 289 environmental samples from sinks and drinking water.

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In recent years, several reports pointed out the role of protein oxidation in seed longevity, notably regarding the oxidation of methionine (Met) residues to methionine sulfoxide (MetO) in proteins. To further consider this question, we present a handy proteomic method based on the use of two-dimensional diagonal electrophoresis (2Dd) and cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleavage, which we refer to as 2Dd-CNBr. CNBr treatment of proteins causes the non-enzymatic hydrolysis of peptide bonds on the carboxyl side of reduced Met residues.

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Background: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) is a major cause of infections worldwide. An understanding of the reservoirs and modes of transmission of these pathogens is essential, to tackle their increasing frequency.

Objectives: We investigated the contributions of various compartments (humans, animals, environment), to human colonization or infection with ESBL-Ec over a 3 year period, on an island.

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Resistance of the human pathogenic fungus to antifungal agents is on the rise. However, links between patient infections, their potential acquisition from local environmental sources, and links to global diversity remain cryptic. Here, we used genotyping analyses using nine microsatellites in , in order to study patterns of diversity in France.

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  • The study focuses on the Besançon Epidemic Strain (BES), which caused a 12-year outbreak in hospitals, investigating how it adapted to survive in hospital environments, particularly through resistance to copper and amoebas.
  • Researchers used a genotype-to-phenotype approach, finding that mutations enhancing antibiotic resistance and metabolism played a significant role in the strain's survival and spread in the hospital's water distribution system.
  • As infection control measures were implemented, the prevalence of BES infections decreased, which correlated with reduced bacterial fitness and genomic evolution, contributing to the eventual decline of the outbreak.
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Objectives: To assess the extent to which food items are a source of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) -producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) and ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-Kp) for humans in five European cities.

Methods: We sampled 122 human polluted (hp)-environments (sewers and polluted rivers, as a proxy of human contamination) and 714 food items in Besançon (France), Geneva (Switzerland), Sevilla (Spain), Tübingen (Germany) and Utrecht (The Netherlands). A total of 254 ESBL-Ec and 39 ESBL-Kp isolates were cultured.

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  • Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) shows potential for phytomanagement at trace-metal contaminated sites, where it grows alongside poplar in Short Rotation Coppices.
  • Researchers examined the fungal communities (mycobiomes) associated with the roots of both nettle and poplar, finding distinct differences between them.
  • The study revealed that nettle, though non-mycorrhizal, had a notable presence of ectomycorrhizal fungi, suggesting possible interactions between the fungal networks of nettle and poplar that merit further exploration.
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This article provides experimental data describing the cell wall protein profiles of stems and leaves of at two different stages of development. The cell wall proteomics data have been obtained from (i) stem internodes at young and mature stages of development, and (ii) leaves at young and mature stages of development. The proteins have been extracted from purified cell walls using buffers containing calcium chloride (0.

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  • Platelet protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) is a key receptor involved in platelet aggregation and is targeted by vorapaxar to reduce ischemic events in certain cardiovascular patients.
  • The study investigated the relationship between PAR1 activation and its location within cholesterol-rich microdomains in human platelets, finding that PAR1 was weakly associated with these microdomains both at rest and after activation.
  • Despite the weak localization of PAR1 in these microdomains, they still played an essential role in activating downstream signaling pathways following activation by thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP).
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that are present in the rivers are mostly brought by human and animal feces. Contamination occurs mostly through wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outflows and field amendment with sewage sludge or manure. However, the survival of these isolates in river-associated wetlands remains unknown.

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With the increase of infections due to multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens and the shortage of antimicrobial molecules with novel targets, interest in bacteriophages as a therapeutic option has regained much attraction. Before the launch of future clinical trials, studies are required to better evaluate the efficacies and potential pitfalls of such therapies. Here we studied in an human airway epithelial cell line model the efficacy of phage and ciprofloxacin alone and in combination to treat infection by .

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VetPath is an ongoing pan-European antimicrobial susceptibility monitoring programme collecting pathogens from diseased cattle, pigs and poultry not recently treated with antibiotics. Non-duplicate isolates (n = 1244) were obtained from cows with acute clinical mastitis in eight countries during 2015-2016 for centrally antimicrobial susceptibility testing according CLSI standards. Among Escherichia coli (n = 225), resistance was high to ampicillin and tetracycline, moderate to kanamycin and low to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and cefazolin.

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  • Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a crucial tool in microbiology for studying genome changes and pathogen outbreaks, but detecting small transposable elements like insertion sequences (ISs) remains a challenge due to their characteristics.
  • A new open-source software, designed specifically for detecting IS insertions in prokaryote genomes, was evaluated by reanalyzing five datasets linked to major human pathogens where ISs were previously overlooked.
  • The software proved effective by identifying significant IS-related events, aiding in the understanding of bacterial genome evolution and potentially revealing underappreciated roles of ISs in pathogen development.
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