Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative, glucose-non-fermenting, oxidase-negative coccobacillus, most commonly associated with the hospital settings. The ability to survive in adverse environmental conditions as well as high level of natural and acquired antimicrobial resistance make A. baumannii one of the most important nosocomial pathogens. While carbapenems have long been considered as antimicrobials of last-resort, the rates of clinical A. baumannii strains resistant to these antibiotics are increasing worldwide. Carbapenem resistance among A. baumannii is conferred by coexisting mechanisms including: decrease in permeability of the outer membrane, efflux pumps, production of beta-lactamases, and modification of penicillin-binding proteins. The most prevalent mechanism of carbapenem resistance among A. baumannii is associated with carbapenem-hydro-lysing enzymes that belong to Ambler class D and B beta-lactamases. In addition, there have also been reports of resistance mediated by selected Ambler class A carbapenemases among A. baumannii strains. Resistance determinants in A. baumannii are located on chromosome and plasmids, while acquisition of new mechanisms can be mediated by insertion sequences, integrons, transposons, and plasmids. Clinical relevance of carbapen-em resistance among strains isolated from infected patients, carriers and hospital environment underlines the need for carbapenemase screening. Currently available methods vary in principle, accuracy and efficiency. The techniques that deserve particular attention belong to both easily accessible unsophisticated methods as well as advanced techniques based on mass spectrometry or molecular biology. While carbapenemases limit the therapeutic options in A. baumannii infections, studies concerning novel beta-lactamase inhibitors offer a new insight into effective therapy.

The phenomenon of drug resistance in micro-organisms necessitates the search for new compounds capable of combating them. Fungi emerge as a promising source of such compounds as they produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with bacteriostatic or fungistatic activity. These compounds can serve as alternatives for commonly used antibiotics. Furthermore, fungi also accumulate compounds with antiviral activity. This review focuses on filamentous fungi and macrofungi as sources of antimicrobial compounds. The article describes both individual isolated compounds and extracts that exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity. These compounds are produced by the fruiting bodies and mycelium, as well as the biomass of mycelial cultures. Additionally, this review characterizes the chemical compounds extracted from mushrooms used in the realm of cosmetology; specifically, their antimicrobial activity.

The occurrence of clarithromycin resistance among Helicobacter pylori strains is a major cause of the treatment failure. Resistance to this drug is conferred by point mutations in 23S rRNA gene and the most prevalent mutations are A2143G and A2142G. The aim of the study was to evaluate the occurrence of A2143G and A2142G mutations in a group of H. pylori strains resistant to clarithromycin. The study included 21 clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori strains collected between 2006 and 2009 in southern Poland. Resistance to clarithromycin was quantitatively tested with the E-test to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC value). The point mutations of H. pylori isolates were detected by PCR followed by RFLP analysis. The MIC values for clarithromycin for the analyzed strains ranged from 1.5 mg/L to 64 mg/L. Nine H. pylori strains exhibited A2143G mutation and A2142G mutation was found in 9 isolates as well. The results of RFLP analysis of 3 clarithromycin-resistant strains were negative for both mutations. The average MIC values for A2143G and A2142G mutants were 6 and 30 mg/L, respectively. Frequencies of A2143G and A2142G mutations were the same in all isolates tested. Strains with A2143G mutation exhibited lower MIC values than A2142G mutants. Application of PCR-RFLP method for detection of clarithromycin resistance allows for better and more efficient management of H. pylori infections.

Staphylococcus epidermidis strains play an important role in nosocomial infections, especially in the ones associated with biofilm formation on medical devices. The paper was aimed at analyzing the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and confirming the biofilm-forming ability among S. epidermidis strains isolated from the blood of hospitalized newborns. Genetic analysis of resistance mechanism determinants included multiplex PCR detection of mecA, ermA, ermB, ermC, msrA, and mef genes. Biofilm analysis comprised phenotypic and genotypic methods including Christensen and Freeman methods and PCR detection of the icaADB gene complex. Among the tested S. epidermidis strains, 89% of the isolates were resistant to methicillin, 67%—to erythromycin, 53%—to clindamycin, 63%—to gentamicin, and 23%—to teicoplanin, while all the strains were susceptible to vancomycin and linezolid. The mecA gene was detected in 89% of the isolates, the ermC gene was the most common and present among 56% of the strains, while the msrA gene was observed in 11% isolates. Eighty-five percent of the strains were described as biofilm-positive by phenotypic methods and carried the icaADB gene cluster. Multidrug resistance and the biofilm-forming ability in most of the strains tested may contribute to antimicrobial therapy failure (p < 0.05).

Movement of Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae under isotropic and anisotropic conditions was recorded and analysed with computer-aided methods and the results are presented in various manners as described in the subject literature. Cell movement under isotropic conditions showed great diversity. Some cells moved almost in a straight path whereas others in close proximity turned around with little net translocation. When cell movement under isotropic conditions was observed, no direct correlation was found between the total length of cell trajectories and the length of final displacements of the cells. It was necessary to present the results in the form of histograms, circular diagrams of cell trajectories or in scatter correlation diagrams showing the motile behaviour of many individual cells. These methods of presentation are more informative than methods which present only average values, the "representative" behaviour of single cells, or start and end points of cell tracks. The latter methods can only illustrate but do not document the results of experiments. The use of statistical methods appears necessary in cases when it is difficult to monitor the same cells before and during experimental treatment. However, when cell movement under anisotropic conditions becomes oriented and ordered as during tactic cell movements, then the diversity in cell behaviour decreases and methods based on estimation of starting and end points of cell positions appear more credible.