Susceptibility of human and murine Chlamydia trachomatis serovars to granulocyte- and epithelium-derived antimicrobial peptides.

Four antimicrobial peptides, protegrin-1, RTD-1, cryptdin-4, and indolicidin, were tested for their ability to inhibit the in vitro growth of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars E, L2, and mouse pneumonitis (MoPn). In general, protegrin-1 was found to have the strongest anti-chlamydial activity. Overall, of the three serovars tested, L2 was the most susceptible while MoPn was the most resistant to these peptides.     

Genetics of mosquitoes

Beginning in the mid-1950s, much progress has been made in studying various aspects of the genetics of mosquitoes, particularly involving several species of three principal genera,Aedes, Culex andAnopheles, that transmit important human diseases. Here I discuss selected areas of research involving formal genetics; genome structure, organization and evolution at the interspecific and intraspecific level; and evolutionary genetics of theAedes scutellaris group. Information and insights gained from in-depth analyses of these areas, particularly transmission genetics, cytogenetics and genetics of chromosomal rearrangements, and of mutagen-induced sexual sterility, have proved invaluable for the development of the theory and evaluation of feasibility of genetic control of natural populations. As a result, mosquitoes represent some of the best studied taxa at various levels of genetic organization. Recent developments in molecular genetics offer exciting possibilities for extension of these concepts.     

Clinical aspects of Campylobacter jejuni infections in adults.

Campylobacter jejuni is an almost ubiquitous, microaerophilic, gram-negative rod. Outbreaks have been associated with drinking raw milk or contaminated water and eating poultry. Campylobacter jejuni accounts for 3.2% to 6.1% of cases of diarrheal illness in the general population of the United States, and infected patients frequently present with abdominal pain and fever. Less frequently, C jejuni is responsible for bacteremia, septic arthritis, septic abortion, and other extraintestinal infections. Reactive arthritis, Reiter''s syndrome, the Guillain-Barré syndrome, and pancreatitis may accompany or follow C jejuni enterocolitis. Campylobacter jejuni is an important cause of diarrheal illness and is a more commonly identified stool organism than Salmonella or Shigella species. Recurrent and chronic infection is generally reported in immunocompromised hosts.     

Eosin B

The two known isomeric dibromodinitrofiuoresceins have been prepared in a fairly pure state, and their absorption spectra determined.

Commercial samples of eosin B are not 4, 5-dibromo—2, 7-dinitrofluorescein, as stated in dye indices. They are mixtures which contain other bromonitro derivatives of fluorescein as well as di-bromodinitro derivatives.

The color acid method provides a substantially reliable means of determining actual dye content with commercial samples of the dye, but the reduction method may prove decidedly misleading.     

Multi-Sample Slippage Test for Ordered Observations

A multi-sample slippage test based on ordered observations has been given. The test statistic is based on the sum of ranks of the sample. The probability distribution of the test statistic has been worked out for small sample and it turns out to be chi-square distribution for large sample. The analytical procedure has been explained by a numerical example.     

O-alkyl lipid synthesis: the mechanism of the acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate fatty acid exchange reaction

We have previously provided evidence for a mechanism by which acyl DHAP is converted enzymatically to O-alkyl DHAP. This mechanism involves, in part, the formation of an endiol of acyl DHAP, loss of the fatty acid by splitting of the DHAP carbon-1 to oxygen bond and the gain of a long chain fatty alcohol. It has been shown that acyl DHAP can exchange its fatty acid for one in the medium, presumably by the mediation of O-alkyl DHAP synthase. In the present investigation we have shown that the fatty acid which is gained by acyl DHAP in the exchange process retains both carboxyl oxygens, as predicted by our postulated mechanism. This reaction is exceptional because the usual action of acyl hydrolases is to cleave at the oxygen to acyl bond.