Auxotrophy of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis

Seventy-four of 403 (18.4%) sputum isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from 49 of 136 (36.0%) adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) were auxotrophic mutants. Two of 11 (18.2%) isolates of P. aeruginosa taken from patients with non-CF bronchiectasis were also auxotrophic. All 99 strains taken from non-bronchiectatic sources were prototrophic. Forty-six of 55 (83.6%) CF auxotrophs required one or more of 36 growth factors tested; the requirements for the remaining 9 isolates were not identified. Methionine was the sole factor required by 17 of 22 (77.3%) isolated which depended on a single factor. We conclude that auxotrophy is a feature of P. aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis.     

Identification of novel membrane proteins by searching for patterns in hydropathy profiles.

A technique has been developed to search a proteome database for new members of a functional class of membrane protein. It takes advantage of the highly conserved secondary structure of functionally related membrane proteins. Such proteins typically have the same number of transmembrane domains located at similar relative positions in their polypeptide sequence. This gives rise to a characteristic pattern of peaks in their hydropathy profiles. To conduct a search, each member of a polypeptide database is converted to a hydropathy profile, peaks are automatically detected, and the pattern of peaks is compared with a template. A template was designed for the acetylcholine (ACh) and glycine receptors of the cys-loop receptor superfamily. The key feature was a closely spaced triplet of hydropathy peaks bracketed by deep valleys. When applied to the human proteome the search procedure retrieved 153 profiles with a receptor-like triplet of peaks. The approach was highly selective with 70% of the retrieved profiles annotated as known or putative receptors. These included ACh, glycine, gamma-amino butyric acid and serotonin receptors, which are all related by sequence. However, ionotropic glutamate receptors, which have almost no sequence homology with ACh receptors, were also retrieved. Thus, the strategy can find members of a functional class that cannot be identified by sequence alignment. To demonstrate that the strategy can easily be extended to other membrane protein families, a template was developed for the neurotransmitter/Na+ symporter family, and similar results were obtained. This approach should prove a useful adjunct to sequence-based retrieval tools when searching for novel membrane proteins.     

Comparative Analysis of Putative Virulence-Associated Factors of Microsporum canis Isolates from Human and Animal Patients

Mycopathologia - Microsporum canis is a zoophilic dermatophyte and the most common fungus isolated from dogs and cats worldwide. To invade skin, this pathogen uses different enzymes, which may be...     

Production of Secreted Carbohydrates that Present Immunologic Similarities with the Cryptococcus Glucuronoxylomannan by Members of the Trichosporonaceae Family: A Comparative Study Among Species of Clinical Interest

Mycopathologia - Glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) participates in several immunoregulatory mechanisms, which makes it an important Cryptococcus virulence factor that is essential for the disease....     

Tautomeric Forms of Metarhodopsin

Light isomerizes the chromophore of rhodopsin, 11-cis retinal (formerly retinene), to the all-trans configuration. This introduces a succession of unstable intermediates—pre-lumirhodopsin, lumirhodopsin, metarhodopsin —in which all-trans retinal is still attached to the chromophoric site on opsin. Finally, retinal is hydrolyzed from opsin. The present experiments show that metarhodopsin exists in two tautomeric forms, metarhodopsins I and II, with λ_max 478 and 380 mµ. Metarhodopsin I appears first, then enters into equilibrium with metarhodopsin II. In this equilibrium, the proportion of metarhodopsin II is favored by higher temperature or pH, neutral salts, and glycerol. The change from metarhodopsin I to II involves the binding of a proton by a group with pK 6.4 (imidazole?), and a large increase of entropy. Metarhodopsin II has been confused earlier with the final mixture of all-trans retinal and opsin (λ_max 387 mµ), which it resembles in spectrum. These two products are, however, readily distinguished experimentally.