MyMedR

Fulltext Impact of HIV-1 Subtype on the Time to CD4+ T-Cell Recovery in Combination Antiretroviral Therapy (cART)-Experienced Patients

Chow WZ, Lim SH, Ong LY, Yong YK, Takebe Y, Kamarulzaman A, et al.

PLoS One, 2015;10(9):e0137281.

PMID: 26335136 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137281

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtypes have been shown to differ in the rate of clinical progression. We studied the association between HIV-1 subtypes and the rate of CD4+ T-cell recovery in a longitudinal cohort of patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). We studied 103 patients infected with CRF01_AE (69%) and subtype B (31%) who initiated cART between 2006 and 2013. Demographic data, CD4+ T-cell counts and HIV-1 viral load were abstracted from patient medical charts. Kaplan-Meier was used to estimate the time to CD4+ T-cell count increase to ≥350 between subtypes and effects of covariates were analysed using Cox proportional hazards. An 87% of the study population were male adults (mean age of 38.7 years old). Baseline CD4+ T-cell counts and viral loads, age at cART initiation, sex, ethnicity and co-infection did not differ significantly between subtypes. A shorter median time for CD4+ T-cell count increase to ≥350 cells/μL was observed for CRF01_AE (546 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 186-906 days; P = .502) compared to subtype B (987 days; 95% CI, 894-1079 days). In multivariate analysis, female sex was significantly associated with a 2.7 times higher chance of achieving CD4+ T-cell recovery (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.75; 95% CI, 1.21-6.22; P = .025) and both baseline CD4+ T-cell count (P = .001) and viral load (P = .001) were important predictors for CD4+ T-cell recovery. Immunological recovery correlated significantly with female sex, baseline CD4+ T-cell counts and viral load but not subtype.

Streptomyces humi sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from soil of a mangrove forest

Zainal N, Ser HL, Yin WF, Tee KK, Lee LH, Chan KG

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 2016 Mar;109(3):467-74.

PMID: 26786500 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-016-0653-1

A novel Streptomyces strain, MUSC 119(T), was isolated from a soil collected from a mangrove forest. Cells of MUSC 119(T) stained Gram-positive and formed light brownish grey aerial mycelium and grayish yellowish brown substrate mycelium on ISP 2 medium. A polyphasic approach was used to determine the taxonomic status of strain MUSC 119(T), which shows a range of phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic properties consistent with those of the genus Streptomyces. The cell wall peptidoglycan consisted of LL-diaminopimelic acid. The predominant menaquinones were identified as MK-9(H8), MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H4). The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, glycolipids, diphosphatidylglycerol and four phospholipids. The predominant cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0, iso-C16:0, and anteiso-C17:0. The cell wall sugars were glucose, mannose, ribose and rhamnose. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity showed that strain MUSC119(T) to be closely related to Streptomyces rhizophilus JR-41(T) (99.0 % sequence similarity), S. panaciradicis 1MR-8(T) (98.9 %), S. gramineus JR-43(T) (98.8 %) and S. graminisoli JR-19(T) (98.7 %). These results suggest that MUSC 119(T) should be placed within the genus Streptomyces. DNA-DNA relatedness values between MUSC 119(T) to closely related strains ranged from 14.5 ± 1.3 to 27.5 ± 0.7 %. The G+C content was determined to be 72.6 mol %. The polyphasic study of MUSC 119(T) showed that this strain represents a novel species, for which the name Streptomyces humi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of S. humi is MUSC 119(T) (=DSM 42174(T) = MCCC 1K00505(T)).

Fulltext Quorum sensing activity of Citrobacter amalonaticus L8A, a bacterium isolated from dental plaque

Goh SY, Khan SA, Tee KK, Abu Kasim NH, Yin WF, Chan KG

Sci Rep, 2016;6:20702.

PMID: 26860259 DOI: 10.1038/srep20702

Cell-cell communication is also known as quorum sensing (QS) that happens in the bacterial cells with the aim to regulate their genes expression in response to increased cell density. In this study, a bacterium (L8A) isolated from dental plaque biofilm was identified as Citrobacter amalonaticus by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Its N-acylhomoserine-lactone (AHL) production was screened by using two types of AHL biosensors namely Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 and Escherichia coli [pSB401]. Citrobacter amalonaticus strain L8A was identified and confirmed producing numerous types of AHL namely N-butyryl-L-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL), N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL), N-octanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C8-HSL) and N-hexadecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C16-HSL). We performed the whole genome sequence analysis of this oral isolate where its genome sequence reveals the presence of QS signal synthase gene and our work will pave the ways to study the function of the related QS genes in this bacterium.

Fulltext Pandoraea sp. Strain E26: Discovery of Its Quorum-Sensing Properties via Whole-Genome Sequence Analysis

Chan KG, Yin WF, Tee KK, Chang CY, Priya K

Genome Announc, 2015;3(3).

PMID: 26021935 DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00565-15

We report the draft genome sequence of Pandoraea sp. strain E26 isolated from a former landfill site, sequenced by the Illumina MiSeq platform. This genome sequence will be useful to further understand the quorum-sensing system of this isolate.

Fulltext Genome Anatomy of Streptococcus parasanguinis Strain C1A, Isolated from a Patient with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Reveals Unusual Genomic Features

Chan KG, Ng KT, Pang YK, Chong TM, Kamarulzaman A, Yin WF, et al.

Genome Announc, 2015;3(3).

PMID: 26021924 DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00541-15

Streptococcus parasanguinis causes invasive diseases. However, the mechanism by which it causes disease remains unclear. Here, we describe the complete genome sequence of S. parasanguinis C1A, isolated from a patient diagnosed with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Several genes that might be associated with pathogenesis are also described.

Fulltext Antibiotic Resistant and Virulence Determinants of Staphylococcus haemolyticus C10A as Revealed by Whole Genome Sequencing

Chan KG, Ng KT, Chong TM, Pang YK, Kamarulzaman A, Yin WF, et al.

J Genomics, 2015;3:72-4.

PMID: 26157506 DOI: 10.7150/jgen.12574

Staphylococcus haemolyticus is one of the pathogens that harbor a high level of antibiotic resistance. Here, we highlighted the potential determinants for multidrug resistance and virulence from the draft genome of Staphylococcus haemolyticus strain C10A, isolated from a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation.

Fulltext Insights of biosurfactant producing Serratia marcescens strain W2.3 isolated from diseased tilapia fish: a draft genome analysis

Chan XY, Chang CY, Hong KW, Tee KK, Yin WF, Chan KG

Gut Pathog, 2013;5(1):29.

PMID: 24148830 DOI: 10.1186/1757-4749-5-29

Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen with broad range of host ranging from vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. S. marcescens strain W2.3 was isolated from a diseased tilapia fish and it was suspected to be the causal agent for the fish disease as virulence genes were found within its genome. In this study, for the first time, the genome sequences of S. marcescens strain W2.3 were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform.

Fulltext An Overview of the Genetic Variations of the SARS-CoV-2 Genomes Isolated in Southeast Asian Countries

Yap PSX, Tan TS, Chan YF, Tee KK, Kamarulzaman A, Teh CSJ

J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2020 Jul 28;30(7):962-966.

PMID: 32627759 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2006.06009

Monitoring the mutation dynamics of human severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is critical in understanding its infectivity, virulence and pathogenicity for development of a vaccine. In an "age of mobility," the pandemic highlights the importance and vulnerability of regionalization and labor market interdependence in Southeast Asia. We intend to characterize the genetic variability of viral populations within the region to provide preliminary information for regional surveillance in the future. By analyzing 142 complete genomes from South East Asian (SEA) countries, we identified three central variants distinguished by nucleotide and amino acid changes.

Fulltext Methylome Characterization of Burkholderia pseudomallei Strain 982 at Single-Base Resolution

Hong KW, Tee KK, Yin WF, Roberts RJ, Chan KG

Microbiol Resour Announc, 2019 Oct 24;8(43).

PMID: 31649075 DOI: 10.1128/MRA.00898-19

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the etiological agent of melioidosis, which has been studied by transcriptome and secretome analyses. However, little is known about the methylome of this pathogen. Here, we present the complete genome and methylome of melioidosis-causing B. pseudomallei strain 982.

Complete genome of Pandoraea pnomenusa RB-38, an oxalotrophic bacterium isolated from municipal solid waste landfill site

Lim YL, Ee R, Yong D, Tee KK, Yin WF, Chan KG

J Biotechnol, 2015 Nov 20;214:83-4.

PMID: 26393955 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2015.09.018

Pandoraea pnomenusa RB-38 is a bacterium isolated from a former sanitary landfill site. Here, we present the complete genome of P. pnomenusa RB38 in which an oxalate utilization pathway was identified. The genome analysis suggested the potential of this strain as an effective biocontrol agent against oxalate-producing phytopathogens.

Complete genome sequence of Serratia fonticola DSM 4576 T, a potential plant growth promoting bacterium

Lim YL, Yong D, Ee R, Krishnan T, Tee KK, Yin WF, et al.

J Biotechnol, 2015 Nov 20;214:43-4.

PMID: 26376471 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2015.09.005

Here, we present the first complete genome sequence of Serratia fonticola DSM 4576(T), a potential plant growth promoting (PGP) bacterium which confers solubilization of inorganic phosphate, indole-3-acetic acid production, hydrogen cyanideproduction, siderophore production and assimilation of ammonia through the glutamate synthase (GS/GOGAT) pathway. This genome sequence is valuable for functional genomics and ecological studies which are related to PGP and biocontrol activities.

Complete genome sequence of Serratia multitudinisentens RB-25(T), a novel chitinolytic bacterium

Lim YL, Yong D, Ee R, Tee KK, Yin WF, Chan KG

J Biotechnol, 2015 Aug 10;207:32-3.

PMID: 25975625 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2015.04.027

Serratia multitudinisentens RB-25(T) (=DSM 28811(T) =LMG 28304(T)) is a newly proposed type strain in the genus of Serratia isolated from a municipal landfill site. Here, we present the complete genome of S. multitudinisentens RB-25(T) which contains a complete chitinase operon and other chitin and N-acetylglucosamine utilisation enzymes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the complete genome sequence of this novel isolate and its chitinase gene discovery.

The evolving molecular epidemiology of HIV type 1 among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Malaysia

Tee KK, Saw TL, Pon CK, Kamarulzaman A, Ng KP

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses, 2005 Dec;21(12):1046-50.

PMID: 16379608

Earlier studies in the 1990s indicate that human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype B has been the predominant subtype among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Malaysia. More recent studies performed between 2003 and 2004, however, show a high prevalence of unique CRF01_AE/B intersubtype recombinants among IDUs. To determine the subtype distribution among IDUs in Kuala Lumpur prior to the emergence of CRF01_AE/B intersubtype recombinants, the gag-pol or the reverse transcriptase gene was sequenced from IDUs who were diagnosed as HIV positive between 1993 and 2002. Subtype B was present at 50.0% followed by CRF01_AE/B recombinant at 41.7%, with more CRF01_AE/B recombinants detected between 2000 and 2002. All CRF01_AE/B recombinants shared similar recombination patterns. Interestingly, we found that this potential new candidate of circulating recombinant form (CRF) could have emerged as early as the mid-1990s. The results showed evidence of changing HIV-1 molecular epidemiology toward the predominance of CRF01_AE/B intersubtype recombinants among IDUs in Kuala Lumpur.

Increased Proinflammatory Cytokine Production by Chronic Hepatitis B Patients with Mutant Hepatitis B Virus: Plausible Mechanisms Underlying Severe Liver Diseases in These Patients

Raihan R, Akbar SMF, Al Mahtab M, Khan MSI, Tabassum S, Tee KK, et al.

Viral Immunol, 2020 09;33(7):530-534.

PMID: 32513066 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2019.0198

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a noncytopathic virus and billions of HBV-infected patients live uneventful lives and do not suffer from notable liver damage. However, HBV also causes progressive liver diseases characterized by hepatic inflammation, hepatic fibrosis, and liver cancer in millions of HBV-infected patients. The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of mutant HBV in HBV pathogenesis. In a cohort of 360 chronic HBV-infected patients, mutations at T1762/A1764 of HBV genome were detected in most of the patients with HBV-induced liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. To explore if mutations at T1762/A1764 of HBV genome has any role in progressive liver disease, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) were isolated from five chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with mutations at T1762/A1764 and five comparable patients of CHB without mutations at T1762/A1764. DCs were pulsed with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The levels of cytokines produced by PBMCs and DCs as well as nitrite production by DCs were evaluated. Significantly higher levels of interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, and transforming growth factor-beta were detected in cultures of PBMCs, DCs, and HBsAg-pulsed DCs from CHB patients with mutations at T1762/A1764 compared with those without mutations (p

Fulltext Genetic diversity of Coxsackievirus A21 associated with sporadic cases of acute respiratory infections in Malaysia

Supian NI, Ng KT, Chook JB, Takebe Y, Chan KG, Tee KK

BMC Infect Dis, 2021 May 17;21(1):446.

PMID: 34001016 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06148-x

BACKGROUND: Coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21), a member of Enterovirus C from the Picornaviridae family, has been associated with respiratory illnesses in humans.

METHODS: A molecular epidemiological investigation of CVA21 was conducted among patients presenting with acute upper respiratory illnesses in the ambulatory settings between 2012 and 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

RESULTS: Epidemiological surveillance of acute respiratory infections (n = 3935) showed low-level detection of CVA21 (0.08%, 1.4 cases/year) in Kuala Lumpur, with no clear seasonal distribution. Phylogenetic analysis of the new complete genomes showed close relationship with CVA21 strains from China and the United States. Spatio-temporal mapping of the VP1 gene determined 2 major clusters circulating worldwide, with inter-country lineage migration and strain replacement occurring over time.

CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the emerging role of CVA21 in causing sporadic acute respiratory outbreaks.

Fulltext Transcriptome analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 grown at both body and elevated temperatures

Chan KG, Priya K, Chang CY, Abdul Rahman AY, Tee KK, Yin WF

PeerJ, 2016;4:e2223.

PMID: 27547539 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2223

Functional genomics research can give us valuable insights into bacterial gene function. RNA Sequencing (RNA-seq) can generate information on transcript abundance in bacteria following abiotic stress treatments. In this study, we used the RNA-seq technique to study the transcriptomes of the opportunistic nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 following heat shock. Samples were grown at both the human body temperature (37 °C) and an arbitrarily-selected temperature of 46 °C. In this work using RNA-seq, we identified 133 genes that are differentially expressed at 46 °C compared to the human body temperature. Our work identifies some key P. aeruginosa PAO1 genes whose products have importance in both environmental adaptation as well as in vivo infection in febrile hosts. More importantly, our transcriptomic results show that many genes are only expressed when subjected to heat shock. Because the RNA-seq can generate high throughput gene expression profiles, our work reveals many unanticipated genes with further work to be done exploring such genes products.

Fulltext Novel Genetic Variants of Hepatitis B Virus in Fulminant Hepatitis

Chook JB, Ngeow YF, Tee KK, Peh SC, Mohamed R

J Pathog, 2017;2017:1231204.

PMID: 29410920 DOI: 10.1155/2017/1231204

Fulminant hepatitis (FH) is a life-threatening liver disease characterised by intense immune attack and massive liver cell death. The common precore stop codon mutation of hepatitis B virus (HBV), A1896, is frequently associated with FH, but lacks specificity. This study attempts to uncover all possible viral nucleotides that are specifically associated with FH through a compiled sequence analysis of FH and non-FH cases from acute infection. We retrieved 67 FH and 280 acute non-FH cases of hepatitis B from GenBank and applied support vector machine (SVM) model to seek candidate nucleotides highly predictive of FH. Six best candidates with top predictive accuracy, 92.5%, were used to build a SVM model; they are C2129 (85.3%), T720 (83.0%), Y2131 (82.4%), T2013 (82.1%), K2048 (82.1%), and A2512 (82.1%). This model gave a high specificity (99.3%), positive predictive value (95.6%), and negative predictive value (92.1%), but only moderate sensitivity (64.2%). We successfully built a SVM model comprising six variants that are highly predictive and specific for FH: four in the core region and one each in the polymerase and the surface regions. These variants indicate that intracellular virion/core retention could play an important role in the progression to FH.

Fulltext Quorum sensing activity of Serratia fonticola strain RB-25 isolated from an ex-landfill site

Ee R, Lim YL, Tee KK, Yin WF, Chan KG

Sensors (Basel), 2014 Mar 12;14(3):5136-46.

PMID: 24625739 DOI: 10.3390/s140305136

Quorum sensing is a unique bacterial communication system which permits bacteria to synchronize their behaviour in accordance with the population density. The operation of this communication network involves the use of diffusible autoinducer molecules, termed N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs). Serratia spp. are well known for their use of quorum sensing to regulate the expression of various genes. In this study, we aimed to characterized the AHL production of a bacterium designated as strain RB-25 isolated from a former domestic waste landfill site. It was identified as Serratia fonticola using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry analysis and this was confirmed by 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing. High resolution triple quadrupole liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of S. fonticola strain RB-25 spent culture supernatant indicated the existence of three AHLs namely: N-butyryl-L-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL), N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL) and N-(3-oxohexanoyl) homoserine-lactone (3-oxo-C6 HSL). This is the first report of the production of these AHLs in S. fonticola.

Fulltext Universal Primers for Detection and Sequencing of Hepatitis B Virus Genomes across Genotypes A to G

Chook JB, Teo WL, Ngeow YF, Tee KK, Ng KP, Mohamed R

J Clin Microbiol, 2015 Jun;53(6):1831-5.

PMID: 25788548 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.03449-14

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been divided into 10 genotypes, A to J, based on an 8% nucleotide sequence divergence between genotypes. The conventional practice of using a single set of primers to amplify a near-complete HBV genome is hampered by its low analytical sensitivity. The current practice of using overlapping conserved primer sets to amplify a complete HBV genome in a clinical sample is limited by the lack of pan-primers to detect all HBV genotypes. In this study, we designed six highly conserved, overlapping primer sets to cover the complete HBV genome. We based our design on the sequences of 5,154 HBV genomes of genotypes A to I downloaded from the GenBank nucleotide database. These primer sets were tested on 126 plasma samples from Malaysia, containing genotypes A to D and with viral loads ranging from 20 to >79,780,000 IU/ml. The overall success rates for PCR amplification and sequencing were >96% and >94%, respectively. Similarly, there was 100% amplification and sequencing success when the primer sets were tested on an HBV reference panel of genotypes A to G. Thus, we have established primer sets that gave a high analytical sensitivity for PCR-based detection of HBV and a high rate of sequencing success for HBV genomes in most of the viral genotypes, if not all, without prior known sequence data for the particular genotype/genome.

HIV-1 Tat biosensor: Current development and trends for early detection strategies

Fatin MF, Ruslinda AR, Arshad MK, Tee KK, Ayub RM, Hashim U, et al.

Biosens Bioelectron, 2016 Apr 15;78:358-66.

PMID: 26655174 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2015.11.067

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has infected almost 35 million people worldwide. Various tests have been developed to detect the presence of HIV during the early stages of the disease in order to reduce the risk of transmission to other humans. The HIV-1 Tat protein is one of the proteins present in HIV that are released abundantly approximately 2-4 weeks after infection. In this review, we have outlined various strategies for detecting the Tat protein, which helps transcribe the virus and enhances replication. Detection strategies presented include immunoassays, biosensors and gene expression, which utilize antibodies or aptamers as common probes to sense the presence of Tat. Alternatively, measuring the levels of gene transcription is a direct method of analysing the HIV gene to confirm the presence of Tat. By detection of the Tat protein, virus transmission can be detected in high-risk individuals in the early stages of the disease to reduce the risk of an HIV pandemic.

Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 84 in total