Presence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. albidus</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. laurentii</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. uniguttulatus</Emphasis> in Crop and Droppings of Pigeon Lofts (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Columba livia</Emphasis>)

Columba livia is an important reservoir and carrier of Cryptococcus neoformans, Cryptococcus uniguttulatus, Cryptococcus laurentii and Cryptococcus albidus. Upper digestive tract of this species is also known as a habitat for Cryptococcus neoformans. Given the increasing clinical interest of this microorganism, 331 swabs from crop and 174 dropping samples from pigeon lofts in Grand Canary Island have been studied. The obtained results show an extensive presence samples 81 positive (24.47%) of Cryptococcus spp. in analysed crops: 32 (9.66%) for C. neoformans, 24 (7.2%) for C. uniguttulatus, 23 (6.9%) for C. albidus and 2 (0.6%) for C. laurentii. In the same way, Cryptococcus spp was also isolated in 82 (47.13%), dropping samples: C. neoformans in 59 (33.9%), C. uniguttulatus, in 9 (5.17%), C. laurentii in 8 (4.59%) and C. albidus in 6 (3.44%) of the investigated samples, respectively. The cryptococcosis produced by species of cryptococci other than C. neoformans has become more important during the last decade, supporting the study on the role of pigeon in the epidemiology of this disease.     

Functional role of phenylacetic acid from metapleural gland secretions in controlling fungal pathogens in evolutionarily derived leaf-cutting ants

Fungus-farming ant colonies vary four to five orders of magnitude in size. They employ compounds from actinomycete bacteria and exocrine glands as antimicrobial agents. Atta colonies have millions of ants and are particularly relevant for understanding hygienic strategies as they have abandoned their ancestors'' prime dependence on antibiotic-based biological control in favour of using metapleural gland (MG) chemical secretions. Atta MGs are unique in synthesizing large quantities of phenylacetic acid (PAA), a known but little investigated antimicrobial agent. We show that particularly the smallest workers greatly reduce germination rates of Escovopsis and Metarhizium spores after actively applying PAA to experimental infection targets in garden fragments and transferring the spores to the ants'' infrabuccal cavities. In vitro assays further indicated that Escovopsis strains isolated from evolutionarily derived leaf-cutting ants are less sensitive to PAA than strains from phylogenetically more basal fungus-farming ants, consistent with the dynamics of an evolutionary arms race between virulence and control for Escovopsis, but not Metarhizium. Atta ants form larger colonies with more extreme caste differentiation relative to other attines, in societies characterized by an almost complete absence of reproductive conflicts. We hypothesize that these changes are associated with unique evolutionary innovations in chemical pest management that appear robust against selection pressure for resistance by specialized mycopathogens.     

A single succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase is involved in 4-hydroxyphenylacetate and 4-aminobutyrate catabolism in Klebsiella pneumoniae M5a1

Abstract Klebsiella pneumoniae M5a1 grows readily on two compounds, 4-hydroxyphenylacetate and 4-aminobutyrate, whose catabolism produces succinic semialdehyde. A single succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase was detected, native molecular weight 52000, that has NAD as the preferred cofactor and is induced by succinic semialdehyde functions in the oxidation of succinic semialdehyde during growth on both 4-hydroxyphenyl-acetate and 4-aminobutyrate. This contrasts with the situation for Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida where two distinct forms of succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase have been observed.     

Allosteric activation of rat liver microsomal [hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase (NADPH)]kinase by nucleoside phosphates

Microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase kinase activity is enhanced about 5 fold by 2 mM of either AMP or ADP. Activation constants, Ka, for AMP and ADP are 17 microM and 430 microM respectively, showing that AMP is a more potent activator than ADP. This property is expressed by increasing not only the rate of reductase inactivation but also the rate of reductase phosphorylation from [gamma-32P]ATP. GTP can replace ATP as substrate of reductase kinase but GMP and GDP cannot replace AMP as activators. Kinetic studies show that ATP can only act as a substrate. Nucleoside mono or diphosphates and nucleoside triphosphates, thus, appear to bind to different sites on microsomal HMG-CoA reductase kinase. Nucleoside mono or diphosphates act as allosteric activators of reductase kinase. The adenosyl moiety and the unaltered phosphate ester at the 5' position are two essential features of the activator molecule. Phosphorylation of reductase either by microsomal or cytosolic AMP-activated reductase kinase produces an 80% inactivation, with a concomitant incorporation of 0.8 mol of 32P per mol of reductase (Mr 55,000). In both cases exhaustive tryptic digestion of 32P-labeled HMG-CoA reductase, which had been denatured in 2M urea, yields two major phosphopeptides, the phosphoryl group being bound to serine residues.     

Affinity labeling of the catalytic and AMP allosteric sites of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase kinase by 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine

The nucleotide analogue 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine (FSBA) reacts irreversibly with rat liver cytosolic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase kinase, causing a rapid loss of the AMP activation capacity and a slower inactivation of the catalytic activity. The rate constant for loss of AMP activation is about 10 times higher (kappa 1 = 0.112 min-1) than the rate constant of inactivation (kappa 2 = 0.0106 min-1). There is a good correspondence between the time-dependent inactivation of reductase kinase and the time-dependent incorporation of 5'-p-sulfonylbenzoyl[14C]adenosine ([14C]SBA). An average of 1.65 mol of reagent/mol of enzyme subunit is bound when reductase kinase is completely inactivated. The time-dependent incorporation is consistent with the postulate that covalent reaction of 1 mol of SBA/mol of subunit causes complete loss of AMP activation, whereas reaction of another mole of SBA/mol of subunit would lead to total inactivation. Protection against inactivation by the reagent is provided by the addition of Mg2+, AMP, Mg-ATP, or Mg-AMP to the incubation mixtures. In contrast, addition of ATP, 2'-AMP, or 3'-AMP has no effect on the rate constants. Mg-ATP protects preferentially the catalytic site against inactivation, whereas Mg-AMP at low concentration protects preferentially the allosteric site. Mg-ADP affords less protection than Mg-AMP to the allosteric site when both nucleotides are present at a concentration of 50 microM with 7.5 mM Mg2+. Experiments done with [14C]FSBA in the presence of some protectants have shown that a close correlation exists between the pattern of protection observed and the binding of [14C]SBA. The postulate is that there exists a catalytic site and an allosteric site in the reductase kinase subunit and that Mg-AMP is the main allosteric activator of the enzyme.     

Presence of nucleosomes inPenicillium chrysogenum

We have studied the chromatin structure ofPenicillium chrysogenum. This fungus presents the typical nucleosomal repeat and the core DNA size characteristic of all the eukaryotes. The repeat length (about 180 base pairs) is in the range of those obtained for most fungi (160–180 base pairs) and shorter than in higher eukaryotes. Knowledge aboutP. chrysogenum chromatin structure opens the way to the study of the mechanisms of genetic regulation in this filamentous fungus.     

Molecular cloning of Xenopus fibrillarin, a conserved U3 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein recognized by antisera from humans with autoimmune disease.

Autoantibodies against U3 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein are associated with scleroderma autoimmune disease. They were shown to react with fibrillarin, a 34- to 36-kilodalton protein that has been detected in all eukaryotes tested from humans to yeasts. We isolated a 1.6-kilobase cDNA encoding fibrillarin from a Xenopus laevis cDNA library. The protein contains a 79-residue-long Gly-Arg-rich domain in its N-terminal region and a putative RNA-binding domain with ribonucleoprotein consensus sequence in its central portion. This is the first report of cloning of fibrillarin, and the deduced protein sequence is in agreement with the involvement of the protein in a ribonucleoprotein particle.     

Distribution of extracutaneous melanin pigment in Sparus auratus, Mugil cephalus, and Dicertranchus labrax (Pisces, Teleostei)

The morphological and biochemical characteristics of pigment accumulations found in the kidney, liver, spleen, and mesentery of three different species of teleost fishes have been studied. There are significant differences in number, distribution, and morphology of pigment accumulations in different organs of the three species. Biochemical studies have shown the existence of tyrosinase activity in the mesentery of Mugil cephalus and in the kidney and mesentery of Sparus auratus. No tyrosinase activity was found in any internal organs of Dicertranchus labrax. That activity was assayed using three methods: tyrosine hidroxylation, dopa oxidation, and melanin formation. The morphological and biochemical observations are in agreement. In those organs in which we have demonstrated melanin synthetic activity, the pigment cells are morphologically and like melanophores, while in the organs that show no melanin synthetic activity, the pigment cells resemble macrophages.