Schistosoma mansoni: killing of transformed schistosomula by the alternative pathway of human complement

The interaction of mechanically transformed schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni with the alternative pathway of human complement was studied in vitro. To detect early changes in transformation, the schistosomula were prepared at a low temperature and used immediately. As shown previously, freshly transformed schistosomula were highly susceptible to killing by normal human serum and by C4-depleted normal human serum. This serum activity was concentration dependent and was markedly reduced on a twofold serum dilution. Upon incubation at 37 C in defined synthetic medium, schistosomula rapidly became refractory to killing by the alternative pathway of complement. After 1 hr of incubation at 37 C, the percentage of schistosomula which were resistant to killing increased from 16 to 85. This conversion was accompanied by a fivefold decrease in deposition of C3b on schistosomula which had been exposed to 37 C for 1 hr and then further incubated with C4-depleted normal human serum. The following events occurred concomitantly during incubation of freshly transformed schistosomula at 37 C with a half-life of 30-60 min: (1) Decrease in activation and consumption of the alternative pathway of complement by schistosomula; (2) appearance of a strong complement consuming activity in the supernatant of incubating schistosomula; and (3) shedding of protein- and carbohydrate-containing substances from the surface of schistosomula into the supernatant. Isolated external membranes of freshly transformed schistosomula consumed the alternative pathway of complement to a greater extent than membranes of schistosomula preincubated in medium at 37 C. The results demonstrate that transformed schistosomula acquire resistance to complement killing via the alternative pathway by shedding complement-activating substances.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Complementarity of regulation for the two glutamine synthetases from Bacillus caldolyticus, an extreme thermophile

Chromatophores from Rhodopseudomonas capsulata cells grown semiaerobically in the dark oxidize NADH, succinate, and dichlorophenolindophenol. In the presence of N₃^? these activities are inhibited, but light induces oxidation of dichlorophenolindophenol with O₂ as a terminal electron acceptor. Cyanide also inhibits electron transport but much higher concentrations are required to inhibit the photooxidation than the dark oxidation. The photooxidation was studied in a mutant strain of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata (YIV) which cannot grow anaerobically in the light, but similarly to the wild type, grows in the presence of oxygen. Chromatophores from YIV mutant catalyze photophosphorylation and dark oxidation activities with the same properties as those of the wild type. However, the rate of photooxidation in the mutant is only one-third that of the wild type. Based on the differential inhibitor sensitivity and on the mutation it is suggested that the photooxidase is different from the two respiratory oxidases and that this photooxidation activity might be essential for growth of the cells under anaerobic conditions in the light.     

Absent aldosterone response to metoclopramide in patients with high spinal cord transection: evidence that metoclopramide stimulates aldosterone secretion through central pathways

This study evaluates dopaminergic regulation of aldosterone secretion in 6 patients with high spinal cord transections. Administration of the dopamine antagonist metoclopramide resulted in a marked rise in plasma aldosterone and 18-hydroxycorticosterone levels in 12 normal individuals, but no change in plasma levels of these zona glomerulosa corticosteroid products in spinal cord patients. Spinal cord transected patients also did not have the rise in plasma renin activity that was observed in normals following metoclopramide administration. Basal levels of aldosterone, 18 hydroxycorticosterone, corticosterone and renin activity as well as the aldosterone responses to graded dose infusion of adrenocorticotropin were similar in the spinal cord patients and the normals. These data suggest that dopaminergic regulation of adrenal zona glomerulosa corticosteroid and renal renin secretion is absent in patients with high spinal cord transections, suggesting that intact neural pathways from the central nervous system are necessary for metoclopramide stimulation of aldosterone and renin secretion in men. Since basal plasma aldosterone levels were normal in spinal cord transected patients, it appears that the absence of dopaminergic control does not result in elevated secretion.     

Effect of 5,7-unsaturated sterols on ethanol tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Structural membrane lipids are known to contribute to the high ethanol resistance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (2, 4, 17). By manipulating the yeast cellular sterol level by changing the carbon-to-nitrogen source ratio in the chemostat growth medium, high delta 5,7-sterol levels were found to increase the resistance of yeast populations to ethanol-induced death. The resistance of the erg2 (delta 8----delta 7-sterol isomerase) mutant to ethanol-induced death was generally comparable with that of the delta 5,7-sterol-synthesizing strain. In contrast, the sensitivity of anaerobic growth to inhibition by ethanol was higher in the erg2 mutant in comparison with the delta 5,7-sterol-synthesizing strains but a high level of those sterols increased the vulnerability of anaerobic growth to ethanol inhibition.     

Asp537, Asp812 are essential and Lys631, His811 are catalytically significant in bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase activity.

To define catalytically essential residues of bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase, we have generated five mutants of the polymerase, D537N, K631M, Y639F, H811Q and D812N, by site-directed mutagenesis and purified them to homogeneity. The choice of specific amino acids for mutagenesis was based upon photoaffinity-labeling studies with 8-azido-ATP and homology comparisons with the Klenow fragment and other DNA/RNA polymerases. Secondary structural analysis by circular dichroism indicates that the protein folding is intact in these mutants. The mutants D537N and D812N are totally inactive. The mutant K631M has 1% activity, confined to short oligonucleotide synthesis. The mutant H811Q has 25% activity for synthesis of both short and long oligonucleotides. The mutant Y639F retains full enzymatic activity although individual kinetic parameters are somewhat different. Kinetic parameters, (kcat)app and (Km)app for the nucleotides, reveal that the mutation of Lys to Met has a much more drastic effect on (kcat)app than on (Km)app, indicating the involvement of K631 primarily in phosphodiester bond formation. The mutation of His to Gln has effects on both (kcat)app and (Km)app; namely, three- to fivefold reduction in (kcat)app and two- to threefold increase in (Km)app, implying that His811 may be involved in both nucleotide binding and phosphodiester bond formation. The ability of the mutant T7 RNA polymerases to bind template has not been greatly impaired. We have shown that amino acids D537 and D812 are essential, that amino acids K631 and H811 play significant roles in catalysis, and that the active site of T7 RNA polymerase is composed of different regions of the polypeptide chain. Possible roles for these catalytically significant residues in the polymerase mechanism are discussed.     

Degradation of sugar cane bagasse by several white-rot fungi

Forty-two white-rot fungi isolated in South America were incubated with long fibre sugar cane bagasse (LFB). The residual composition of LFB was determined after white-rot decay at 30 and 60 days. The ratio of residual lignin to residual lignin to residual cellulose (RL/RC) of untreated material (LFB) was 0.48. After white-rot-decay, the residual material with lower RL/RC ratios indicated that mainly lignin was degraded. In only 30 days, Phlebia sp. MVHC 5535, Athelia sp. MVHC 5509 and Spongipellis pachyodon MVHC 5019 caused a decrease in the RL/RC ratio to 0.36, 0.37 and 0.38, respectively, while it took 60 days for Ganoderma applanatum MVHC 5347, Hyphodontia sp. MVHC 5544, Panus tigrinus MVHC 5400, Stereum sp. MVHC 5113, Phellinus punctatus MVHC 5346 and MVHC 6388 to reach a ratio lower than 0.40. No correlation was found between the amount of some ligninolytic enzymes secreted and the residual composition of bagasse after white-rot fungi fermentation. Most of the fungal strains caused an increase in the relative amount of residual cellulose, indicating that hemicellulose was the preferred energy source.     

Gastrointestinal pH measurement in rats: influence of the microbial flora, diet and fasting

The pH of the rat intestinal tract was decreased by the presence of a microbial flora, but its influence in the forestomach is less clear. Stomach pH values varied according to the amount of food present at the time of measurement. Fasting increased the pH of the gastrointestinal tract in conventional rats but had little effect in germfree rats. In the conventional rat, feeding a purified diet compared with a commercial diet resulted in a lower pH in the forestomach and a higher pH in the caecal contents. Magnesium trisilicate promoted gastric emptying in conventional rats and its antacid effect was observed only in the caecum and colon.