Introduction

• Speed (and progress) is relative
• Soo-Jin Jeon, Assistant Professor and Course Coordinator, is a course instructor.
• Rodolfo Nino-Fong, Associate Professor, is a course instructor.
• The course aims to describe the basic characteristics of the most common pathogenic bacteria and fungi affecting domestic and wildlife animal species.
• The course discusses virulence mechanisms and pathogenesis of bacteria and fungi.
• The course lists important pathogens of livestock, companion animals, and wildlife.
• The course helps students match etiologic agents to the names of diseases they cause.
• The course teaches students to recognize signs of specific infectious diseases.
• There are two types of Gram staining cell types: G+ and G -, which differ in PG layer and presence of outer membrane in G -.
• The average range in size of bacteria is 0.5 - 2 microns overall; exceptions exist.
• Antibiotics have as their target sites both intracellular and cell envelope components; enzymes, ribosomes, peptidoglycan, mycolic acids.
• Taxonomy in bacteriology is concerned with classification, naming, and identification.
• Bacteria exist in a variety of shapes: rods, spheres, comma, spirals; singly and grouped.
• Spores are highly resistant bodies that permit long term survival.
• Structural surface features of bacteria are highly antigenic and permit immunodiagnostics; pili, flagellae, capsules are often virulence determinants in pathogens.
• The course helps students interpret clinical and laboratory data.
• The course discusses the most common zoonotic diseases.
• The course discusses reportable infectious diseases.
• Exams in the course are multiple choice.
• Pure Culture Techniques are used in bacterial identification.
• Morphological Characteristics of bacteria include Gross morphology and Microscopic characteristics.
• Serological Characteristics of bacteria include Biochemical Characteristics, Serological Tests, and Molecular Characteristics.
• Bacteria can be classified as Frank Pathogens, capable of causing disease in any host; always considered a pathogen when isolated, Opportunistic Pathogens, capable of causing disease given the opportunity; often a commensal and part of the normal host flora, but is capable of causing disease in normally sterile tissues, and Non-pathogens, even weak or non-pathogenic bacteria can cause disease in hosts with weakened immune systems.
• Biochemical Characteristics of bacteria include Carbohydrate utilization, Protein degradation, Combined tests, and Other tests.
• Bacterial Taxonomy & Morphology are topics covered in the course.
• Molecular Characteristics of bacteria include 16S rRNA gene sequence, rpoB gene sequence, DNA - DNA hybridization, and MALDI - TOFL.
• Gram-positive bacteria have a thick peptidoglycan cell wall and appear pink after Gram staining.
• Diplococci, Streptococci, Tetrad, Sarcinae, and Staphyloccocus are typical Procaryotic Cell arrangements/division planes.
• The Gram stain procedure involves making a THIN smear from a pure culture on a slide and heat-fixing, covering the smear with crystal violet for 30 sec, rinsing, covering the smear with Gram’s iodine for the same amount of time, holding the slide at an angle and rinsing with alcohol or alcohol-acetone until blue runs off, covering the smear with safranin for 30 sec, rinsing, blotting dry, and examining under oil immersion at 100X.
• Bacterial identification is normally based on morphological, biochemical and serological “traits” and other: nucleic acid profile (DNA/RNA).
• The Cell Envelope includes the Cytoplasm, Plasmid, Ribosome, Fimbrae, Flagella, Inclusion, Nucleoid body, With DNA, Cell wall, Cytoplasmic membrane, Capsule, Exchange Dua or involved in attachment.
• The Three Kingdom System, based on sequences of ribosomal RNA, shows 3 kingdoms or superkingdoms.
• Bacterial Taxonomy is concerned with bacterial classification schemes and bacterial nomenclature.
• Cell Envelope includes Peptidoglycan and Nonpeptidoglycan components.
• Bacterial nomenclature involves use of binomial system to assign a genus and species and specific conventions for naming.
• Gram-positive and gram-negative cells are referred to the color of the bacteria after Gram staining.
• Gram-negative bacteria have a thin peptidoglycan wall, but have a – lipid - rich outer membrane, and appear red after Gram staining.
• Bacterial Identification involves the use of Pure Culture Techniques, Morphological Characteristics, Serological Characteristics, Biochemical Characteristics, and Molecular Characteristics.
• Pure Culture Techniques in bacterial identification include Streaking, Growth on MacConkey’s agar after 24 hours, and Selective and Differential Medium.
• Some bacteria utilize nitrogen, sulfur, or other electron acceptors from amino acids or other compounds other than sugars, like Mycobacteria.