A Bacillus subtilis dnaG mutant harbours a mutation in a gene homologous to the dnaN gene of Escherichia coli

A dnaG mutation of Bacillus subtilis, dnaG5, was found to be linked closely to recF. We have reported previously that two putative dna genes, 'dnaA' and 'dnaN', highly homologous to Escherichia coli's dnaA and dnaN, respectively, were located adjacent to recF [Ogasawara et al., EMBO J., 4 (1985) 3345-3350]. Transformation by various fragments cloned from the 'dnaA'-recF region of the wild-type cell revealed that a 532-bp AluI fragment containing 5'-portion of the 'dnaN' gene could transform the dnaG5 mutation. The nucleotide (nt) sequence of the same fragment cloned from the mutant cell shows a single nt change in the ORF of 'dnaN' which in turn causes a single amino acid alteration from Gly to Arg. The 'dnaN' gene is now proven to be a dna gene, mutations in which result in instant arrest of chromosomal replication.     

Functional role of human IgG subclasses in eosinophil-mediated killing of schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni

Although IgG antibodies and eosinophils have been shown to kill schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni in vitro, very little data exist that describe the role of each IgG antibody isotype in this event. This study was designed to test the role of each IgG subclass in the eosinophil-dependent killing reaction. IgG antibodies purified by protein G or protein A affinity chromatography demonstrated a killing effect only in the presence of eosinophils activated in vivo or normal eosinophils activated in vitro by eosinophil activating factor. Purification of each IgG isotype allowed confirmation of these results and demonstrated that the killing effect was associated with IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies. IgG2 antibodies expressed a dual function: 1) an effector function with activated eosinophils and 2) a blocking function with normal eosinophils. IgG4 antibodies, whatever the source of eosinophils, blocked the killing mediated by IgG effector antibodies. These findings are discussed in relation to immunity and susceptibility to reinfection in human schistosomiasis.     

A major difference between the divergence patterns within the lines-1 families in mice and voles

L1 retroposons are represented in mice by subfamilies of interspersed sequences of varied abundance. Previous analyses have indicated that subfamilies are generated by duplicative transposition of a small number of members of the L1 family, the progeny of which then become a major component of the murine L1 population, and are not due to any active processes generating homology within preexisting groups of elements in a particular species. In mice, more than a third of the L1 elements belong to a clade that became active approximately 5 Mya and whose elements are > or = 95% identical. We have collected sequence information from 13 L1 elements isolated from two species of voles (Rodentia: Microtinae: Microtus and Arvicola) and have found that divergence within the vole L1 population is quite different from that in mice, in that there is no abundant subfamily of homologous elements. Individual L1 elements from voles are very divergent from one another and belong to a clade that began a period of elevated duplicative transposition approximately 13 Mya. Sequence analyses of portions of these divergent L1 elements (approximately 250 bp each) gave no evidence for concerted evolution having acted on the vole L1 elements since the split of the two vole lineages approximately 3.5 Mya; that is, the observed interspecific divergence (6.7%-24.7%) is not larger than the intraspecific divergence (7.9%-27.2%), and phylogenetic analyses showed no clustering into Arvicola and Microtus clades.      

Molecular phylogeny and divergence times of drosophilid species

The phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of 39 drosophilid species were studied by using the coding region of the Adh gene. Four genera--Scaptodrosophila, Zaprionus, Drosophila, and Scaptomyza (from Hawaii)--and three Drosophila subgenera--Drosophila, Engiscaptomyza, and Sophophora--were included. After conducting statistical analyses of the nucleotide sequences of the Adh, Adhr (Adh-related gene), and nuclear rRNA genes and a 905-bp segment of mitochondrial DNA, we used Scaptodrosophila as the outgroup. The phylogenetic tree obtained showed that the first major division of drosophilid species occurs between subgenus Sophophora (genus Drosophila) and the group including subgenera Drosophila and Engiscaptomyza plus the genera Zaprionus and Scaptomyza. Subgenus Sophophora is then divided into D. willistoni and the clade of D. obscura and D. melanogaster species groups. In the other major drosophilid group, Zaprionus first separates from the other species, and then D. immigrans leaves the remaining group of species. This remaining group then splits into the D. repleta group and the Hawaiian drosophilid cluster (Hawaiian Drosophila, Engiscaptomyza, and Scaptomyza). Engiscaptomyza and Scaptomyza are tightly clustered. Each of the D. repleta, D. obscura, and D. melanogaster groups is monophyletic. The splitting of subgenera Drosophila and Sophophora apparently occurred about 40 Mya, whereas the D. repleta group and the Hawaiian drosophilid cluster separated about 32 Mya. By contrast, the splitting of Engiscaptomyza and Scaptomyza occurred only about 11 Mya, suggesting that Scaptomyza experienced a rapid morphological evolution. The D. obscura and D. melanogaster groups apparently diverged about 25 Mya. Many of the D. repleta group species studied here have two functional Adh genes (Adh-1 and Adh-2), and these duplicated genes can be explained by two duplication events.      

Use of membrane filters for selective isolation of actinomycetes from soil

Abstract A method using membrane filters of appropriate pore size, to selectively isolate actinomycetes from a mixed population of soil microorganisms, is described.
The method is based on the ability of actinomycetes to propagate and pass through the pores of filters while bacteria and fungi are retained on the membrane surface.     

Sulfate reduction and S-oxidation in a moorland pool sediment

In an oligotrophic moorland pool in The Netherlands, S cycling near the sediment/water boundary was investigated by measuring (1) SO₄ ^2– reduction rates in the sediment, (2) depletion of SO₄ ^2– in the overlying water column and (3) release of³⁵S from the sediment into the water column. Two locations differing in sediment type (highly organic and sandy) were compared, with respect to reduction rates and depletion of SO₄ ^2– in the overlying water.Sulfate reduction rates in sediments of an oligotrophic moorland pool were estimated by diagenetic modelling and whole core³⁵SO₄ ^2– injection. Rates of SO₄ ^2– consumption in the overlying water were estimated by changes in SO₄ ^2– concentration over time in in situ enclosures. Reduction rates ranged from 0.27–11.2 mmol m^–2 d^–1. Rates of SO₄ ^2– uptake from the enclosed water column varied from –0.5, –0.3 mmol m^–2 d^–1 (November) to 0.43–1.81 mmol m^–2 d^–1 (July, August and April). Maximum rates of oxidation to SO₄ ^2– in July 1990 estimated by combination of SO₄ ^2– reduction rates and rates of in situ SO₄ ^2– uptake in the enclosed water column were 10.3 and 10.5 mmol m^–2 d^–1 at an organic rich and at a sandy site respectively.Experiments with³⁵S^2– and³⁵SO₄ ^2– tracer suggested (1) a rapid formation of organically bound S from dissimilatory reduced SO₄ ^2– and (2) the presence of mainly non SO₄ ^2–-S derived from reduced S transported from the sediment into the overlying water. A³⁵S^2– tracer experiment showed that about 7% of³⁵S^2– injected at 1 cm depth in a sediment core was recovered in the overlying water column.Sulfate reduction rates in sediments with higher volumetric mass fraction of organic matter did not significantly differ from those in sediments with a lower mass fraction of organic matter.Corresponding author