A case of sporotrichosis caused by two genetically differentSporothrix schenckii strains

A survey for the natural occurrence of Fusarium mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV) and zearalenone (ZEN), in Dutch cereals (totaling 29 samples) harvested in 1984/1985, showed that 90%, 79% and 62% of samples were contaminated with DON, NIV and ZEN, respectively. Average contents (ng/g) in the total of positive samples were 221 (DON), 123 (NIV) and 61 (ZEN). Among the cereals examined, the highest concentrations (ng/g) was 3198 (DON), 1875 (NIV) and 677 (ZEN) in a yellow corn sample for animal feed. The results of this survey show that Dutch cereals were relatively significantly contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins.     

The 76 kD cell-adhesion factor from crayfish haemocytes promotes encapsulation in vitro

Summary Semigranular cells from the crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, were separated by Percoll gradient centrifugation and were used to study the encapsulation of foreign particles. The semigranular cells were found strongly to encapsulate glass beads coated with haemocyte lysate in which the prophenoloxidase-activating system had been activated with laminarin or with a low concentration of calcium ions. The granular cells only weakly encapsulated these particles. The encapsulationpromoting factor was purified from haemocyte lysates and found to be a 76 kD protein which was recognized by an antiserum to the previously described 76 kD cell-adhesion factor. After the last step in purification (Con A-Sepharose chromatography), the flowthrough consisted of several proteins, which had some, but less, encapsulation-promoting activity and contained a 30 kD band that was also recognized by the antiserum to the 76 kD cell-adhesion factor. If the haemocyte lysate prepared in low [Ca²⁺] was incubated with a -1,3-glucan prior to purification, no 76 kD protein could be isolated but only a 30 kD protein. The 30 kD protein thus seems to be a degradation product of the 76 kD cell-adhesion factor. We conclude that the 76 kD protein which is released from degranulating haemocytes, and to a lesser extent its 30 kD fragment, can promote encapsulation. Phenoloxidase did not have any encapsulation-promoting activity.     

Microfibrils: a constitutive component of reticular fibers in the mouse lymph node

Summary Fibrous components other than collagen fibrils in the reticular fiber of mouse lymph node were studied by electron microscopy. Bundles of microfibrils not associated by elastin and single microfibrils dispersed among collagen fibrils were present. The diameter of the microfibrils was 13.29±2.43 nm (n=100). Elastin-associated microfibrils occurred at the periphery of the reticular fiber. Elastin was enclosed by microfibrils, thus forming the elastic fiber, which was clearly demonstrated by tannic acid-uranyl acetate staining. In the reticular fiber of lymph nodes, the elastic fiber consisted of many more microfibrils and a small amount of elastin. These microfibrils, together with the collagen fibrils, may contribut to the various functions of the reticular fibers.     

Mapping of fish myosin light chains by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

1. Myosins were prepared from the ordinary muscle of 16 fish species as well as from rabbit fast muscle, and light chain subunits [alkali light chains A1, A2 and DTNB (5,5'-dithio-bis-2-nitrobenzoate) light chain] were separated on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis in combination with isoelectric focusing and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 2. A1 light chains showed mol. wts ranging from 21,000 to 22,900 and isoelectric points ranging from 4.51 to 4.62. DTNB light chains were spotted in a narrow area, with a mol. wt range of 16,800-17,600 and an isoelectric point range of 4.48-4.55. On the other hand, A2 light chains were most species-specific, with a mol. wt range of 14,000-19,500 and an isoelectric point range of 4.31-4.46. 3. It was suggested that the lower species-specificity in A1 as opposed to A2 is accounted for by the addition of an N-terminal peptide ("difference peptide") in the former. The properties and possible role of this peptide are discussed.     

Heat-inducible translational coupling in Bacillus subtilis.

Bacillus subtilis plasmid pGR71 is a promoter-probe shuttle vector derived from pUB110. The expression of the cat gene on pGR71 in B. subtilis requires the insertion of a Bacillus promoter and a ribosomal binding site (RBS) into the HindIII cloning site immediately upstream from the cat gene. A recombinant plasmid of pGR71, named pGR71-369, was obtained by a spontaneous deletion of a fragment containing most of the inserted HindIII fragment and the replication origin necessary for multiplication in Escherichia coli. The expression of the cat gene in B. subtilis cells carrying this plasmid was inducible by heat. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the upstream region of the cat gene, deletion analysis, and dot blot hybridization analysis of mRNA in various conditions revealed that the cat gene was expressed by heat-inducible translational coupling and that the regulatory region of heat inducibility was present in the upstream region of the cat gene.     

Assignment of the apolipoprotein A-I gene to 11q23 based on RFLP in a case with a partial deletion of chromosome 11, del(11)(q23.3→qter)

Summary The XmnI genotype at the apolipoprotein A-I locus was heterozygous in a boy with partial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 11, del(11)(q23.3qter). The apolipoprotein A-I gene, previously assigned to chromosome region 11q23q24, has been more specifically localized to 11q23 by excluding the region 11q24qter.     

Efficient integrative transformation of the phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria alternata mediated by the repetitive rDNA sequences

An attempt was made to transform Alternaria alternata protoplasts using a plasmid vector, pDH25, bearing the Escherichia coli hygromycin B (Hy) phosphotransferase gene (hph) under the control of the Aspergillus nidulans trpC promoter. Transformants arose on a selective medium containing 100 μg Hy/ml. There were two types of transformants, forming large and small colonies on the selective medium. Transformation with one μg of the vector produced an average of 4.5 large colonies and 600 small ones. In large-colony transformants, the vector often integrated into the recipient chromosome in the form of highly rearranged tandem arrays. To increase transformation efficiency, fragments of the highly repetitive ribosomal RNA gene cluster (rDNA) of A. alternata were used to construct four new vectors for homologous recombination system. Use of these vectors gave higher transformation efficiency than the original plasmid. The best vector, pDH25r1a, gave rise to large-colony transformants at a frequency 20 times higher than pDH25. Transformation events in A. alternata with pDH25r1a occured by homologous recombination as a single crossover between the plasmid-borne rDNA segment and its homologue in the chromosome, often giving rise to tandemly repeated vector DNA.     

Effect of cytokines on Japanese encephalitis virus production by human monocytes

Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus was shown to grow in in vitro cultures of human monocytes. Interferon (IFN)-alpha and IFN-gamma inhibited JE virus production by the infected monocytes in the absence of anti-JE virus antibody, but interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-2, IL-3, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha did not show a significant inhibition. Antibody against JE virus increased the JE virus production by the infected monocytes probably by enhanced uptake of virus-antibody complexes via Fc receptors. IFN-gamma and GM-CSF increased JE virus production by monocytes in the presence of anti-JE virus antibody, whereas IFN-alpha inhibited JE virus production even in the presence of the antibody. The other 5 cytokines (IL-1 alpha, IL-2, IL-3, G-CSF, and TNF-alpha) did not show a significant effect on JE virus production by monocytes in the presence or absence of the antibody.     

Alterations of human erythrocyte membrane fluidity by oxygen-derived free radicals and calcium

Two possible reasons for the structural alterations of cell membranes caused by free radicals are lipid peroxidation and an increase in the intracellular calcium ion concentration. To characterize the alterations in membrane molecular dynamics caused by oxygen-derived free radicals and calcium, human erythrocytes were spin-labeled with 5-doxyl stearic acid, and alterations in membrane fluidity were quantified by electron spin resonance oxidase (0.07 U/mL) decreased membrane fluidity, and the addition of superoxide dismutase and catalase inhibited the effect on membrane fluidity of the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system. Hydrogen peroxide (0.1 and 1 nM) also decreased membrane fluidity and caused alterations to erythrocyte morphology. In addition, a decrease in membrane fluidity was observed in erythrocytes incubated with 2.8 mM CaCl₂. On the other hand, incubation of erythrocytes with calcium-free solution decreased the changes in membrane fluidity caused by hydrogen peroxide.

These results suggest that changes in membrane fluidity are directly due to lipid peroxidation and are indirectly the result of increased intracellular calcium concentration. We support the hypothesis that alterations of the biophysical properties of membranes caused by free radicals play an important role in cell injury, and that the accumulation of calcium amplifies the damge to membranes weakened by free radicals.     

Zinc and copper accumulation and isometallothionein induction in mouse ascites sarcoma S180A cells.

To investigate Zn and Cu accumulation and isometallothionein (iso-MT) induction in ascites-sarcoma S180A cells, 5 micrograms of Zn2+ or Cu2+/g body weight was administered to tumour-bearing mice intraperitoneally. In the tumour cells the Zn or Cu concentration increased more than in the host liver, which is the target organ for those metals; the maximum Zn or Cu level was about 2-3 times that in the host liver. The amounts of Zn-MT or Cu-MT accumulated in the tumour cells and host liver were proportional to such dose accumulation levels in the each cytosol; the maximum level of Zn-MT or Cu-MT was 4 or 2 times higher than in the host liver. MT accumulated in the tumour cells showed two subfractions (MT-1 and MT-2); the ratio of Zn (or Cu) bound to MT-1 to that bound to MT-2 in the host liver and tumour cells was 1.0 (or 1.0) and 0.7 (or 0.25) respectively, suggesting that the induction level of MT-2 in the tumour cells is more than that of MT-1. The h.p.l.c. profiles (using an anion-exchange column) of the isolated MT-1 and MT-2 subfractions from Zn-treated normal-mouse liver showed a single peak (MT-1-1) and two peaks (MT-2-1 and MT-2-2) respectively; mouse MTs were separated into three isoforms. In the ascites cells, the MT fraction obtained by a gel filtration was also separated into three isoforms; however, the amount of MT-2-1 isoform was 3 times that in the Zn-treated normal-mouse liver.