Genetic instability of whiG gene during the aerial mycelium development of Streptomyces ambofaciens ATCC23877 under different conditions of nitrogen limitations

In Streptomyces ambofaciens, white papillae that genetic instability events generate during aerial mycelium growth, give rise to Pig-pap mutants which are unable to sporulate and devoid of large genome rearrangement. Knowing that genetic and environmental factors can influence the number of papillae per colony, we investigated the effect of nutrient limitated conditions of growth on the formation of white papillae. We observed that under nitrogen limitation and, most particularly, under amino acid limitation, the number of papillae per colony dramatically increased. Most of the Pig-pap mutants deriving from such papillae displayed a mutation in the whiG gene, which encodes the sigma factor sigma(whiG) which is absolutely required for the sporulation process. In most cases, the mutation led to a loss of function. We showed that the Pig-pap mutants deriving from papillae appearing under usual growth conditions also frequently displayed null mutation of whiG too. As the whiG mutation ratio among the Pig-pap mutants isolated with or without nitrogen limited conditions did not change, the results described in this paper suggest that the production of papillae could constitute a response of S. ambofaciens to an amino acid limitation.     

Interactions between populations ofPseudomonas putida leading to the expression of a cryptic dehalogenase gene (dehll)

In appropriate environments containing 2-monochloropropionic acid (2MCPA), mutations in a population of nondehalogenatingPseudomonas putida, strain PP40-040 (parent population), resulted in the formation of 2mcpa⁺ papillae as a result of the decryptification of adehII gene. Increasing the size of the parent population, for example by increasing the availability of a metabolizable substrate such as succinate or lactate, increased the number of 2mcpa⁺ papillae formed because there were more parent cells available for mutation to the 2mcpa⁺ phenotype. The presence of a dehalogenating population, such asP. putida strain PP3, in close proximity to the non-dehalogenating population, also increased the number of 2mcpa⁺ papillae formed. This was due to the excretion of dehalogenases into the growth medium, which caused localized dehalogenation of the available 2MCPA, yielding a metabolizable substrate. This substrate stimulated the growth of the non-dehalogenating population, in turn increasing the number of 2mcpa⁺ papillae formed. Barriers, such as dialysis membranes, which prevented the excretion of the dehalogenases into the growth medium, prevented the stimulation of 2mcpa⁺ papillae formation by preventing release of metabolizable substrates from 2MCPA breakdown. Cell-free extracts (CFE) from dehalogenase-producing populations had a similar effect for the same reason. CFE without dehalogenase activity or in which the dehalogenase activity had been destroyed by heating failed to stimulate parent population growth and 2mcpa⁺ papillae formation. In the case ofPseudomonas putida strain PP3, which carries an easily transposed dehalogenase-encoding transposon, treatment of CFE with DNAase eliminated an additional factor involved in the formation of 2mcpa⁺ papillae.The authors are with the School of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Wales-Cardiff, P.O. Box 915, Cardiff CF1 3TL, UK     

Development of mechanical papillae of the tongue in the domestic goose (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Anser anser f. domestica</Emphasis>) during the embryonic period

Three types of mechanical papillae, i.e., conical, filiform, and hair-like papillae, are present on the tongue in the domestic goose. Within conical papillae, we distinguish three categories: large and small conical papillae on the body and conical papillae on the lingual prominence. The arrangement of mechanical papillae on the tongue in Anseriformes is connected functionally with different feeding mechanisms such as grazing and filter-feeding. The present work aims to determine whether morphology of three types of mechanical papillae in goose at the time of hatching is the same as in an adult bird and if the tongue is prepared to fulfill feeding function. Our results revealed that the primordia of the large conical papillae start to develop during the differentiation stage. The primordia of the small conical papillae and conical papillae of the lingual papillae start to develop during the growth stage. At the end of the growth stage, only large conical papillae, three pairs of small conical papillae, and conical papillae of the lingual prominence have similar arrangement as in an adult bird. The shape and arrangement of the remaining small conical papillae probably will be changed after hatching. During embryonic period, the filiform papillae and hair-like papillae are not formed. The embryonic epithelium that covered the mechanical papillae undergoes transformation leading to the formation of multilayered epithelium. During prehatching stage, epithelium becomes orthokeratinized epithelium. In conclusion, the tongue of the domestic goose after hatching is well prepared only for grazing. The filtration of food from water is limited due to the lack of filiform papillae.     

Effect of initial biomass concentration on the growth of immobilized Nitrosomonas europaea

Nitrosomonas europaea was immobilized in carrageenan-gel beads with a low and a high biomass concentration (100-fold difference). Under growth conditions in a continuous air-lift loop reactor, a low initial concentration yielded a few large micro-colonies per bead, whereas a high initial biomass concentration resulted in many small micro-colonies per bead. The macroscopic consumption rate of the latter was three times higher under the circumstances applied. This is also predicted by our colony-expansion model when diffusion limitation over the micro-colonies is incorporated. This model also predicts that diffusion limitation over the ultimate colonies is negligible when the initial biomass concentration exceeds 0.5 kg·m^–3 of carrageenan gel.     

Effect of the extracellular matrix molecules fibronectin and laminin on the adhesion and growth of primary renal cortical epithelial cells

Primary tubular epithelial cells were isolated from renal cortex following enzymatic dissociation with collagenase. These cells were then grown in chemically defined media containing insulin, transferrin, selenium, tri-iodothyronine and either fibronectin or laminin. The tubular epithelial cells were studied ultrastructurally and compared to another epithelial cell type present in the renal cortex, the glomerular epithelial cell. In contrast to the constant morphology of glomerular epithelial cells grown in chemically defined media, tubular epithelial cell morphology depended on whether the cells were placed in fibronectin or laminin and on the age of the donor animal used for culture. Primary tubular cells grown in laminin formed colonies; cells grown from young animals were rounded, whereas cells grown from adult animals were flattened. Primary tubular cells grown in fibronectin were flattened regardless of age, but cells from young animals formed colonies while those from adult animals formed a monolayer. Despite these differences in gross morphology, scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed similar ultrastructural features in primary tubular cells from young and adult animals grown in fibronectin or laminin. Quantitative adhesion studies demonstrated that secondary subcultured tubular cells adhered equally well to dimeric and multimeric forms of fibronectin, but not to laminin. Quantitative colony growth studies of subcultured secondary tubular cells showed that laminin supports colony formation of trypsinized tubular cells, while previous work has demonstrated that fibronectin supports colony formation of glomerular cells. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that different extracellular matrix molecules are involved in colony formation of different cell types, with fibronectin stimulating growth of glomerular cells and laminin supporting growth of tubular cells.     

Genetic evidence that GTP is required for transposition of IS903 and Tn552 in Escherichia coli

Surprisingly little is known about the role of host factors in regulating transposition, despite the potentially deleterious rearrangements caused by the movement of transposons. An extensive mutant screen was therefore conducted to identify Escherichia coli host factors that regulate transposition. An E. coli mutant library was screened using a papillation assay that allows detection of IS903 transposition events by the formation of blue papillae on a colony. Several host mutants were identified that exhibited a unique papillation pattern: a predominant ring of papillae just inside the edge of the colony, implying that transposition was triggered within these cells based on their spatial location within the colony. These mutants were found to be in pur genes, whose products are involved in the purine biosynthetic pathway. The transposition ring phenotype was also observed with Tn552, but not Tn10, establishing that this was not unique to IS903 and that it was not an artifact of the assay. Further genetic analyses of purine biosynthetic mutants indicated that the ring of transposition was consistent with a GTP requirement for IS903 and Tn552 transposition. Together, our observations suggest that transposition occurs during late stages of colony growth and that transposition occurs inside the colony edge in response to both a gradient of exogenous purines across the colony and the developmental stage of the cells.     

The early stages of mildew colony development on susceptible oats

The chronology of primary infection by Erysiphe graminis f. sp. avenae on detached leaves of a susceptible host, and growth patterns of the primary haustorium and secondary hyphae, proved similar to those of wheat and barley mildew found by other workers. The timing of formation and subsequent growth of the primary haustorium was not affected by the light regime, but the formation of subsequent haustoria was highly synchronous under an alternating dark/light cycle, and far less so under continuous illumination. Five days after inoculation almost twice as many secondary and tertiary haustoria were formed per colony under the dark/light treatment than under continuous light. Because of the synchronous formation of haustoria subsequent to the primary, haustoria selected at random from leaves of susceptible host cultivars showed a bimodal distribution in length, the less well developed tertiary haustoria being distinguished from earlier formed primary and secondary haustoria. There was also a significant positive correlation between length and the number of digitate processes/haustorium. The energy required to produce one secondary haustorium was calculated to be equivalent to that required to produce approximately 4–7 hyphal cells.     

Polymyxin-Coagulase-Mannitol-Agar: I. A Selective Isolation Medium for Coagulase-Positive Staphylococci1

A selective, differential plating medium was developed for the isolation and identification of coagulase-positive and mannitol-fermenting staphylococci. Coagulase produced by growing Staphylococcus aureus caused an opaque zone of fibrin to form around each colony. Several strains of S. aureus produced a visible coagulase reaction by 8 hr, and all strains gave a positive reaction before 12 hr. Mannitol fermentation was usually observed between 12 and 36 hr. Rabbit serum was filtered through Sephadex G-100 to obtain plasmin- and plasminogen-free coagulase-reacting factor (CRF). False-negative reactions, caused by staphylokinase and staphylococcal Müller factor action on plasminogen, were eliminated when this CRF was used. False-positive reactions by lipolytic, coagulase-negative staphylococci were reduced, since gel filtration removed the serum lipoprotein which served as a primary source of opacity. The addition of 75 mug of polymyxin B per ml selectively retarded the growth of S. epidermidis and minimized false-positive reactions caused by citrate-utilizing gram-negative rods. The preparation, characteristics, and use of the medium are presented.     

Epithelial overexpression of BDNF or NT4 disrupts targeting of taste neurons that innervate the anterior tongue

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-4 (NT4) are essential for the survival of geniculate ganglion neurons, which provide the sensory afferents for taste buds of the anterior tongue and palate. To determine how these target-derived growth factors regulate gustatory development, the taste system was examined in transgenic mice that overexpress BDNF (BDNF-OE) or NT4 (NT4-OE) in basal epithelial cells of the tongue. Overexpression of BDNF or NT4 caused a 93 and 140% increase, respectively, in the number of geniculate ganglion neurons. Surprisingly, both transgenic lines had severe reduction in fungiform papillae and taste bud number, primarily in the dorsal midregion and ventral tip of the tongue. No alterations were observed in taste buds of circumvallate or incisal papillae. Fungiform papillae were initially present on tongues of newborn BDNF-OE animals, but many were small, poorly innervated, and lost postnatally. To explain the loss of nerve innervation to fungiform papillae, the facial nerve of developing animals was labeled with the lipophilic tracer DiI. In contrast to control mice, in which taste neurons innervated only fungiform papillae, taste neurons in BDNF-OE and NT4-OE mice innervated few fungiform papillae. Instead, some fibers approached but did not penetrate the epithelium and aberrant innervation to filiform papillae was observed. In addition, some papillae that formed in transgenic mice had two taste buds (instead of one) and were frequently arranged in clusters of two or three papillae. These results indicate that target-derived BDNF and NT4 are not only survival factors for geniculate ganglion neurons, but also have important roles in regulating the development and spatial patterning of fungiform papilla and targeting of taste neurons to these sensory structures.     

Colonial and Cellular Polymorphism in Xenorhabdus luminescens

A highly polymorphic Xenorhabdus luminescens strain was isolated. The primary form of X. luminescens was luminescent and nonswarming and produced a yellow pigment and antimicrobial substances. The primary form generated a secondary form that had a distinct orange pigmentation, was weakly luminescent, and did not produce antimicrobial substances. Both the primary and secondary forms generated a set of colony variants at frequencies that exceeded normal rates for spontaneous mutation. The variant forms include nonswarming and swarming forms that formed large colonies and a small-colony (SC) form. The primary and secondary forms generated their SC forms at frequencies of between 1 and 14% and 1 and 2%, respectively. The SC forms were distinct from their parental primary and secondary forms in colony and cellular morphology and in protein composition. The cellular morphology and protein patterns of the nonswarming and swarming colony variants were all very similar. The DNA fingerprints of all forms were similar. Each SC-form colony reverted at high frequency to the form from which it was derived. The proportion of parental-type cells in the SC-form colonies varied with age, with young colonies containing as few as 0.0002% parental-type cells. The primary-to-secondary switch was stable, but all the other colony forms were able to switch at high frequencies to the alternative colony phenotypes.     

Small colony variants: a pathogenic form of bacteria that facilitates persistent and recurrent infections

Small colony variants constitute a slow-growing subpopulation of bacteria with distinctive phenotypic and pathogenic traits. Phenotypically, small colony variants have a slow growth rate, atypical colony morphology and unusual biochemical characteristics, making them a challenge for clinical microbiologists to identify. Clinically, small colony variants are better able to persist in mammalian cells and are less susceptible to antibiotics than their wild-type counterparts, and can cause latent or recurrent infections on emergence from the protective environment of the host cell. This Review covers the phenotypic, genetic and clinical picture associated with small colony variants, with an emphasis on staphylococci, for which the greatest amount of information is available.     

小菌落突变株：一种利于持续复发性感染的细菌致病形式

小菌落突变株是一种具有独特表型及致病特征且生长缓慢的细菌亚群。在表型上,小菌落突变株表现为生长率低、菌落形态不规则及生化特性异常,这使得临床微生物学家在鉴定时遇到了挑战。在临床上,小菌落突变株比相应的野生株更能持续存在于哺乳动物细胞中,且对抗生素更不敏感。当宿主细胞形成应急的保护性环境时,小菌落突变株会引发隐性或复发性感染。这篇综述涵盖了小菌落突变株相关表型、遗传及临床上的特征,重点描述目前研究最多的葡萄球菌。     

Effect of cloning rate on fitness-related traits in two marine hydroids

Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus and Podocoryna carnea are colonial marine hydroids capable of reproducing both sexually and asexually. Asexual reproduction, by colony fragmentation, produces a genetic clone of the parent colony. This study examines the effect of very different cloning rates on colony growth rate, oxygen uptake rate, and colony morphology. Colonies of one clone of each species were maintained for an extended time in two treatments: in a state of constant vegetative growth by repeated cloning, and in a state restricted from vegetative growth (no cloning). For both species, tissue explants taken from the growing colonies grew more slowly than similar explants taken from the restricted colonies. For one species, tissue explants from the growing colonies used oxygen at a higher rate than similar explants from restricted colonies; for the other species, no difference was detected, although the sample size was small. For both species, tissue explants from restricted colonies formed more circular, "sheet-like" shapes, whereas those from their growing counterparts formed more irregular, "runner-like" shapes. After these experiments, in the third winter of treatment, all colonies experienced a severe tissue regression. Within 6 months after this event, the colonies had regrown to their former sizes. A growth assay at this point revealed no difference in growth rate, possibly suggesting an epigenetic basis for these results. Changes in clonal growth rates and morphology correlated with variation in fragmentation rate might affect the ecology of these and other clonal organisms.     

Comparative micromorphology of nectariferous and nectarless labellar spurs in selected clades of subtribe Orchidinae (Orchidaceae)

Floral nectar spurs are widely considered to influence pollinator behaviour in orchids. Spurs of 21 orchid species selected from within four molecularly circumscribed clades of subtribe Orchidinae (based on Platanthera s.l., Gymnadenia–Dactylorhiza s.l., Anacamptis s.l., Orchis s.s.) were examined under light and scanning electron microscopes in order to estimate correlations between nectar production (categorized as absent, trace, reservoir), interior epidermal papillae (categorized as absent, short, medium, long) and epidermal cell striations (categorized as apparently absent, weak, moderate, strong). Closely related congeneric species scored similarly, but more divergent species showed less evidence of phylogenetic constraints. Nectar secretion was negatively correlated with striations and positively correlated with papillae, which were especially frequent and large in species producing substantial reservoirs of nectar. We speculate that the primary function of the papillae is conserving energy through nectar resorption and explain the presence of large papillae in a minority of deceit‐pollinated species by arguing that the papillae improve pollination because they are a tactile expectation of pollinating insects. In contrast, the prominence of striations may be a ‘spandrel’, simply reflecting the thickness of the overlying cuticle. Developmentally, the spur is an invagination of the labellum; it is primarily vascularized by a single ‘U’‐shaped primary strand, with smaller strands present in some species. Several suggestions are made for developing further, more targeted research programmes. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 160 , 369–387     

Fine structure of the sporocysts of Ascosphaera apis during development as revealed by the scanning electron microscope

The fine morphology of the sporocysts of Ascosphaera apis (Maassen ex Claussen) Olive & Spiltoir, an entomopathogenic fungus of the immature honey bee has been studied using the scanning electron microscope. During the third day of mycelial growth in the culture medium, numerous short, branched hyphae were formed. The tip of the branch-hypha gradually expanded to form immature sporocysts. The immature sporocysts contained a large number of globules of varying sizes. The walls of the immature sporocysts were finely wrinkled, becoming smooth as the sporocyst matured. Both exterior and interior surfaces of the sporocyst wall possessed numerous papillae. Some globules in the developing sporocyst began to form immature spores which aggregated to form spore balls. The fully formed spore balls were not enveloped by a membrane.     

Inhibition of marrow granulocytic colony formation by phytohemagglutinin

The effect of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) on the growth and number of granulocytic colonies (GC) developing on agar from bone marrow and spleen cells of normal and erythroleukemic mice inoculated with Rauscher leukemogenic virus was studied. Equal number of marrow cells from erythroleukemic mice produced twice as many colonies as those from normal mice. The number of GC developing from either normal and leukemic spleen cells was only 20% to 25% of that arising from marrow cells. The number of cells within each colony was significantly larger in GC formed by myelogenous leukemic cells than those arising from normal cells even though they had similar morphologic features. The addition of 100 μg of PHA per 10⁵ cells reduced the number of GC arising from normal and leukemic cells by 35% and 50%, respectively. Treatment with periodate which mainly inhibits its mitogenic activity, abolished the inhibitory effects of PHA on proliferation of granulocytic cells.     

Basis of ontogenetic and evolutionary transformations of thecate hydroids

The high diversity of spatial organization of shoots in colonies of thecate hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydroidomedusa, Leptomedusae) is determined by their modular organization, which is characterized by the cyclic morphogenesis in the colony. It is attempted to show that evolutionary and ontogenetic changes in the spatial organization of hydroids of this group are based on the allometric growth of modules of colony shoots. An increase in size of a developing module provides prerequisites for earlier initiation of the growing tips of succeeding moduls (heterochrony). In some cases, heterochronies determined transition from cyclic to acyclic morphogenesis. The earlier emergence of new growing tips allowed integration of several primary modules into secondary modules, resulting among other things in changes in relative positions of primary modules (heterotopy). In complex colonies, these changes are traced in the ontogeny of a single colony.     

Applying dimorphic yeasts as model organisms to study mycelial growth: Part 1. Experimental investigation of the spatio-temporal development of filamentous yeast colonies

Colony development of the dimorphic yeasts Yarrowia lipolytica and Candida boidinii on solid agar substrates under glucose limitation served as a model system for mycelial development of higher filamentous fungi. Strong differences were observed in the behaviour of both yeasts: C. boidinii colonies reached a final colony extension which was small compared to the size of the growth field. They formed cell-density profiles which steeply declined along the colony radius and no biomass decay processes could be detected. The stop of colony extension coincided with the depletion of glucose from the growth substrate. These findings supported the hypothesis that glucose-limited C. boidinii colonies can be regarded as populations of single cells which grow according to a diffusion-limited growth mechanism. Y. lipolytica colonies continued to extend after the depletion of the primary nutrient resource, glucose, until the populations covered the entire growth field which was accomplished by utilization of mycelial biomass.     

Effects of host resistance on the development of haustoria and colonies of oat mildew

Colony development of Erysiphe graminis f.sp. avenae race 2 was studied on detached leaf segments of a range of Avena hosts with different levels of resistance, none of which possesses known specific gene resistance to this race. Resistance affected the length attained by mature primary haustoria, and also colony size as assessed by numbers of haustoria and conidiophores produced per colony 5 days after inoculation. A more accurate assessment of the size of mature haustoria was provided by the total length of their digitate processes. At the primary haustorium stage resistance affected not only haustorial size, but also haustorial efficiency measured as colony growth per unit size. Adult plant resistance of some hosts decreased haustorial size and/or efficiency in colonies on the fifth in comparison with the first formed leaf.     

Staphylococci in Competition: V. Effect of Eggs, Eggs Plus Carbohydrates, and Lipids on Staphylococcal Growth

As is generally known, custards have been frequently involved in staphylococcal food poisonings and are regarded by some as an ideal culture medium. Previous studies showed that high carbohydrate concentrations repressed the growth of competing saprophytic species, allowing the growth of staphylococci in a mixture rather than stimulating the growth of the staphylococci. In an extension of those studies, the influence of the egg constituent of custard was investigated to determine its role in affecting the growth of pathogenic staphylococci in a competing mixture of psychrotrophic saprophytes. The normal competitive effect of the saprophytes on the growth of staphylococci was very slightly affected by the addition of 25% whole egg to the growth media. Approximately 9% egg yolk alone added to the medium resulted in a slight increase in the length of the lag period of the psychrotrophs and a slight increase in the number of staphylococci which grew. Addition of 25% whole egg plus 14.5% sucrose resulted in repression of saprophyte growth similar to that seen in high sucrose concentrations. Staphylococcal growth was more extensive in the presence of both whole egg and sucrose than in the presence of either ingredient alone. Incorporation of 4% corn oil in media was effective in repressing growth of the saprophytes at 37 C only. This allowed the staphylococci to dominate the population. At lower temperatures, staphylococci were unable to compete effectively. Buffering media of high carbohydrate content resulted in lengthened lag periods for the psychrotrophs and the appearance of very large staphylococcal populations.