Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Bacterial and Bacteriophage Genetics (1994). By E. A. Birge
Microbial Mats: Structure, Development and Environmental Significance (1994). Edited by L. J. Stal and P. Caumette
Microbiology of the Avian Egg (1994). Edited by R. G. Board and R. Fuller
The Mycota (Volume 1): Growth, Differentiation and Sexuality (1994). Edited by J. G. H. Wessels and F. Meinhardt
Born Disease (1995). Edited by H. Koprowski and W. I. Lipkin
Molecular Pathogenesis of Surgical Infections (1994). Edited by T. Wadström, I. A. Holder and G. Kronvall
Natural Antimicrobial Systems and Food Preservation (1994). Edited by V. M. Dillon and R. G. Board
Bacterial Pathogenesis of Plants and Animals: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms (1994). Edited by J. L. Dangl
Normal Microflora (1995). By G. W. Tannock
Mucosal Immunology: Intraepithelial. Lymphocytes (Advances in Host Defense Mechanisms, Volume 9) (1993). Edited by H. Kiyono and J. R. McGee     

Book Review

Book reviewed in this article:
BASIC FOOD MICROBIOLOGY (1979). G. J. Banwart.
BACTERIA AND HUMAN DISEASE (1979). J. M. Slack and I. S. Snyder.
ANTIBIOTICS. Volume 5 (in two parts). PART 1: MECHANISM OF ACTION OF ANTIBACTERIAL AGENTS. PART 2: MECHANISM OF ACTION OF ANTIEUKARYOTIC AND ANTIVIRAL COMPOUNDS (1979). Part 1, 376 pp., Part 2, 470 pp. Edited by F. E. Hahn.
COMBINED ANTIMICROBIAL THERAPY (1979). Edited by W. Brumfitt, L. Curcio and L. Silvestri.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY OF PROKARYOTES (1979). Edited by J. H. Parish.
ADHESION OF MICRO-ORGANISMS TO SURFACES (1979). Edited by D. C. Ellwood, J. Melling and P. Rutter.
MICROBIAL CLASSIFICATION AND IDENTIFICATION (1980). Edited by M. Goodfellow and R. G. Board.
FUNDAMENTALS OF FOOD CANNING TECHNOLOGY (1979). J. M. Jackson and B. M. Shinn.
MICROTUBULES (1979). Edited by K. Roberts and J. S. Hyams.
FOOD-BORNE INFECTIONS AND INTOXICATIONS (1979). Edited by H. Riemann and F. L. Bryan.
REGULATION OF MACROMOLECULAR SYNTHESIS BY LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT MEDIATORS (1979). Edited by G. Koch and D. Richter.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article
Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, Volume 83 (1978). Edited by W. Arber
Beta-Lactamases (1979). Edited by J. M. T. Hamilton-Miller and J. T. Smith.
Economic Microbiology, Volume 4. Microbial Biomass (1979). Edited by A. H. Rose.
Identification Methods for Microbiologists (1979). Edited by F. A. Skinner and D. W. Lovelock.
Microbial Growth and Survival in Extremes of Environment (1980). Edited by G. W. Gould and J. L. Corry.
Motility of Living Cells. Outline Studies in Biology (1980). P. Cappuccinelli.
The Safety of Foods (1980). Edited by H. D. Graham.
Streptococcal Diseases and the Immune Response (1980). Edited by S. E. Read and J. B. Zabriskie.
Introduction to Modern Virology (1980). S. B. Primrose and N. J. Dimmock.     

Unique poly(dA).poly(dT) B'-conformation in cellular and synthetic DNAs

Poly(dA).poly(dT), but not B-form DNA, is specifically recognized by experimentally induced anti-kinetoplast or anti-poly(dA).poly(dT) immunoglobulins. Antibody binding is completely competed by poly(dA).poly(dT) and poly(dA).poly(dU) but not by other single- or double-stranded DNA sequences in a right-handed B-form. Antibody interaction with poly(dA).poly(dT) depends on immunoglobulin concentration, incubation time and temperature, and is sensitive to elevated ionic strengths. Similar conformations, for example, (dA)4-6 X (dT)4-6, in the kinetoplast DNA of the parasite Leishmania tarentolae are also immunogenic and induce specific anti-poly(dA).poly(dT) antibodies. These antibody probes specifically recognize nuclear and kinetoplast DNA in fixed flagellated kinetoplastid cells as evidenced by immunofluorescence microscopy. Anti-poly(dA).poly(dT) immunofluorescence is DNase-sensitive and competed by poly(dA).poly(dT), but not other classical double-stranded B-DNAs. Thus, these unique cellular B'-DNA helices are immunogenic and structurally similar to synthetic poly(dA).poly(dT) helices in solution.     

Occurrence of taurine: -ketoglutarate aminotransferase in bacterial extracts

High activity of taurine:alpha-ketoglutarate aminotransferase was found exclusively in cell-free extracts of Achromobacter superficialis and A. polymorph. The former was chosen for characterization of the enzymatic reaction. The enzyme activity was enhanced by addition of beta-alanine to the growth medium. The product from alpha-ketoglutarate was identified as l-glutamate. Another product has been isolated, purified, and identified as sulfoacetaldehyde (2-oxoethanesulfonate), a deamination product from taurine, by comparison between the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones of the synthetic and enzymatic products on the basis of studies by paper chromatography, by visible, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrophotometries, and by elemental analysis. This enzymatic transamination was found to proceed stoichiometrically and reversibly as follows: NH(2).CH(2).CH(2).SO(3)H + HOOC.CH(2).CH(2).CO.COOH right harpoon over left harpoon OHC.CH(2).SO(3)H + HOOC.CH(2).CH(2).CH(NH(2)).COOH.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Recent Advances in Anaerobic Bacteriology (1987). Edited by S.P. Borriello, J.M. Hardie, B.S. Drasar, B.I. Duerden, M.J. Hudson & R.J. Lysons.
Current Topics in Medical Mycology (1988). Volume 2. Edited by M.R. McGinnis
Advances in Biotechnological Processes Vol. 6 (1986). Edited by Avshalom Mizrahi
The Health Service Use of Ethylene Oxide Sterilization. Edited by G.A.J. Ayliffe, N.F. Cripps, C.E.A. Deverill & R.H. George
Biotechnology of Waste Treatment and Exploitation (1987). Edited by John M. Sidwick & Roger S. Holdom
Animal Cell Technology, Principles and Products (1987). By M. Butler
Methods in Aquatic Bacteriology (1988). Edited by B. Austin
Homeostatic Mechanisms in Microorganisms (1988). Edited by R. Whittenbury, G.W. Gould, J.G. Banks & R.G. Board
Lecture Notes on Medical Virology (1987). By D.J. Jeffries
Urinary Tract Infections (1987). By J.R. Dalton & E.J. Bergquist
Quality Control and Assurance in Clinical Laboratories (1988). Edited by A.D. Farr
Disinfection in Veterinary and Farm Animal Practice (1987). Edited by A.H. Linton, W.B. Hugo & A.D. Russell     

Copper(II).bleomycin, iron(III).bleomycin, and copper(II).phleomycin: comparative study of deoxyribonucleic acid binding

The kinetics and mechanism of binding of Cu-(II).bleomycin, Fe(III).bleomycin, and Cu(II).phleomycin to DNA were studied by using fluorometry, equilibrium dialysis, electric dichroism, and temperature-jump and stopped-flow spectrophotometry. The affinity of Cu(II).bleomycin for DNA was greater than that of metal-free bleomycin but less than that of Fe(III).bleomycin. Cu(II).bleomycin exhibited a two-step binding process, with the slow step indicating a lifetime of 0.1 s for the Cu(II).bleomycin.DNA complex. Fe(III).bleomycin binding kinetics indicated the presence of complexes having lifetimes of up to 22 s. DNA was lengthened by 4.6 A/molecule of bound Cu(II).bleomycin and by 3.2 A/bound Fe(III).bleomycin but not at all by Cu(II).phleomycin, suggesting that both bleomycin complexes intercalate while the phleomycin complex does not. However, phleomycin exhibited nearly the same specificity of DNA base release as bleomycin. These results suggest that the coordinated metal ion plays a major role in the binding of metal-bleomycin complexes to DNA but that intercalation is neither essential for DNA binding and degradation nor primarily responsible for the specificity of DNA base release by these drugs.     

Demonstrations of the production of specific antibodies to poly(I).poly(C) in rabbits

The rabbit antiserum against poly(I).poly(C) purified by hydroxyapatite column chromatography contained three distinct antibodies. They were fractionated into three antibody populations by a series of precipitations (with poly(A).poly(U), poly(I), and poly(I).poly(C)) and their specificities were examined by quantitative complement fixation, double diffusion tests and radioimmunoassay. The first population was common to the double helical structure of double-stranded RNAs. The second was specific for poly(I) and the third was specific for poly(I).poly(C). These studies demonstrated that specific antibodies exclusively reactive with poly(I).poly(C) existed in the rabbit antiserum against poly(I).poly(C).     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
MICROBIAL GENETICS APPLIED TO1987). By Venetia A. Saun-ders & Jon R. Saunders.
BIOSENSORS(1987). Edited by M. Akhtar, C.R.Lowe & I.J. Higgins.
MICROBES IN THE SEA (1987). Edited by Michael A. Sleigh.
DICTIONARY OF MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2nd edition (1987). By Paul Singleton & Diana Sainsbury.
Escherichia coli AND Salmonella typhimurium: CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (1987). Edited by F.C. Neidhardt, J.L.Ingraham, K.B. Low, B. Magasanik, M. Schaechter & H.E. Umbarger.
BACTERIA-HOST CELL INTERACTION (1988). Edited by M.A. Horowitz
IMMUNOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES IN MICROBIOLOGY (1987). Edited by J.M. Grange, A. Fox & N.L. Morgan.
FOOD BEVERAGE MYCOLOGY 2nd edn.(1987).Edited by Larry R. Beuchat.
MOLECULAR PARADIGMS FOR ERADICATING PARASITES (1987).:Edited by Austin J. MacInnes.
DEVELOPMENTS IN FOOD MICROBIOLOGY-3 (1988).Edited by R.K. Robinson.
A LARVA MINUTE-THE MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF BACULOVIRUSES. Current Topics on Microbiology and Immunology 131.Edited by W. Doerfler & P. Bohm.
FERMENTED FOOD OF THE WORLD. A DICTIONARY AND GUIDE (1987). By Geoffrey Campbell-Platt.     

Hydration and conformational transitions in DNA, RNA, and mixed DNA-RNA triplexes studied by gravimetry and FTIR spectroscopy

We have studied by gravimetric measurements and FTIR spectroscopy the hydration of duplexes and triplexes formed by combinations of dA(n), dT(n), rA(n), and rU(n) strands. Results obtained on hydrated films show important differences in their hydration and in the structural transitions which can be induced by varying the water content of the samples. The number of water molecules per nucleotide (w/n) measured at high relative humidity (98% R.H.) is found to be 21 for dA(n).dT(n) and 15 for rA(n).rU(n). Addition of a third rU(n) strand does not change the number of water molecules per nucleotide: w/n=21 for rU(n)*dA(n).dT(n) and w/n=15 for rU(n)*rA(n).rU(n). On the contrary, the addition of a third dT(n) strand changes the water content but in a different way, depending whether the duplex is DNA or RNA. Thus, a loss of four water molecules per nucleotide is measured for dT(n)*dA(n).dT(n) while an increase of two water molecules per nucleotide is observed for dT(n)*rA(n).rU(n). The final hydration is the same for both triplexes (w/n=17). The desorption profiles obtained by gravimetry and FTIR spectroscopy are similar for the rA(n).rU(n) duplex and the rU(n)*rA(n).rU(n) triplex. On the contrary, the desorption profiles of the dA(n).dT(n) duplex and the triplexes formed with it (rU(n)*dA(n).dT(n) and dT(n)*dA(n).dT(n)) are different from each other. This is correlated with conformational transitions induced by varying the hydration content of the different structures, as shown by FTIR spectroscopy. Modifications of the phosphate group hydration and of the sugar conformation (S to N type repuckering) induced by decrease of the water content are observed in the case of triplexes formed on the dA(n).dT(n) duplex.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Lectin Blocking: New Strategies for the Prevention and Therapy of Tumour Metastasis and Infectious Diseases (1994). Edited by J. Beuth and G. Pulverer.
Enumeration of Presumptive Escherichia coli : Most Probable Number Technique. Part 8, Methods for Microbiological Examination of Food and Animal Feeding Stuffs.
Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections (1994). Edited by R. Möllby, J.-I. Flock. C.E. Nord and B. Christensen.
Lectins: Blomedical. Perspectives (1995). Edited by A. Pusztai and S. Bardocz.
Collins and Lyne's Microbiological Methods (1995). Edited by C.H. Collins, P.M. Lyne and J.M. Grange
Disinfection: Actions and Applications (1995). Office International des Epizooties Scientific and Technical Review
The Role of Gut Bacteria in Human Toxicology and Pharmacology (1995). Edited by M.J. Hill
Measles Virus (1995). Edited by V. ter Meulen and M. A. Billeter.
Apoptosis in Immunology: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology 200 (1995). Edited by Kroemer, G. and C. Martinez-A.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article
Catalogue of Cultures in The National Collection of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria 1st edition (1977).
Surface Carbohydrates of the Prokaryotic Cell (1977). Edited by I. W. Sutherland.
Microbial Ecology of the Gut (1977). Edited by R. T. J. Clarke and T. Bauchop.
Microbiology 1977 (1977). Edited by D. Schlessinger.
Aquatic Microbiology (1977). Edited by F. A. Skinner and J. M. Shewan.
Technological Aids to Microbiology (1978). R. E. Trotman.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
P ractical D iagnosis of V iral I nfections (1992). Edited by G.J. Galasso, R.J. Whitley and T.C. Merigan.
M anual of C linical V irology (1992). By D.L. Wiedbrauk and S.L.G. Johnston.
C andidiasis : P athogenesis , D iagnosis and T reatment (2nd E dition ) (1993). Edited by G.P. Bodey.
F ungal D iseases of the L ung (2nd E dition ) (1993). Edited by G.A. Sarosi and S.F. Davies.
P robiotics : T he S cientific B asis (1992). Edited by R. Fuller.
T he S ulfate -R educing B acteria : C ontemporary P erspectives (1993). Edited by J.M. Odom and R. Singleton Jr.
D iagnosis of H uman V iruses by P olymerase C hain R eaction T echnology (1992). Edited by Y. Becker and G. Durai.
T he E cology of A quatic H yphomycetes (1992). Edited by F. Barlocher.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
I mmunology (1990). By J. Klein.
T-C ell P aradigms in P arasitic and B acterial I nfections (1990). Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, Volume 155. Edited by S.H.E. Kaufmann.
T he T hird C omponent of C omplement : C hemistry and B iology (1990). Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, Volume 153. Edited by J. D. Lambris.
B acterial V accines (1990). Advances in Biotechnological Processes, Volume 13. Edited by A. Mizrahi.
V iral V accines (1990). Advances in Biotechnological Processes, Volume 14. Edited by A. Mizrahi.
B acterial C apsules (1990). Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology 150. Edited by K. Jann & B. Jann.
H uman R etrovirology HTLV (1990). Edited by William A. Blattner.
M olecular M imicry (1989). Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology 145. Edited by M. B. A. Oldstone.     

Degradation of 2,7-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin by the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

Under secondary metabolic conditions, the white-rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium degraded 2,7-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (I). The pathway for the degradation of I was elucidated by the characterization of fungal metabolites and oxidation products generated by lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP), and crude intracellular cell-free extracts. The multistep pathway involves the degradation of I and subsequent intermediates by oxidation, reduction, and methylation reactions to yield the key intermediate 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene (III). In the first step, the oxidative cleavage of the dioxin ring of I, catalyzed by LiP, generates 4-chloro-1,2-benzoquinone (V), 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (VIII), and chloride. The intermediate V is then reduced to 1-chloro-3,4-dihydroxybenzene (II), and the latter is methylated to form 1-chloro-3,4-dimethoxybenzene (VI). VI in turn is oxidized by LiP to generate chloride and 2-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (VII), which is reduced to 2-methoxy-1,4-dihydroxybenzene (IV). IV is oxidized by either LiP or MnP to generate 4-hydroxy-1,2-benzoquinone, which is reduced to 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene (III). The other aromatic product generated by the initial LiP-catalyzed cleavage of I is 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (VIII). This intermediate is also generated during the LiP- or MnP-catalyzed oxidation of the intermediate chlorocatechol (II). VIII is also reduced to 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene (III). The key intermediate III is ring cleaved by intracellular cell extracts to produce, after reduction, beta-ketoadipic acid. In this pathway, initial oxidative cleavage of both C-O-C bonds in I by LiP generates two quinone products, 4-chloro-1,2-benzoquinone (V) and 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (VIII). The former is recycled by reduction and methylation reactions to generate an intermediate which is also a substrate for peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation, leading to the removal of a second chlorine atom. This unique pathway results in the removal of both aromatic chlorines before aromatic ring cleavage takes place.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
HACCP: A P ractical A pproach (1994). By S. Mortimore and C. Wallace.
M olecular B iology of A rchaea (1994). Edited by F. Pfeiffer, P. Palm and K.-H. Schleifer.
R otaviruses (1994). Edited by R.F. Ramig.
P ower U nseen : H ow M icrobes R ule the W orld (1994). By B. Dixon.
V iruses and C ancer (1994). Edited by A. Minson, J. Niel and M. McCrae.
W ater M icrobiology (1994). By G. Bitton.
H andbook for R hizobia : M ethods in L egume - Rhizobium T echnology (1994). By P. Somasegaran and H.J. Hoben.
S tatistics and E xperimental D esign : A n I ntroduction for B iologists and B iochemists (1994). 3rd Edition. By G.M. Clarke
P rinciples of G ene M anipulation : A n I ntroduction to G enetic E ngineering (1994). 5th Edition. By R.W. Old and S.B. Primrose.
R espiratory I nfections : D iagnosis and M anagement (1994). Third edition. Edited by J.E. Pennington.
O bstetric and G ynecologic I nfectious D isease (1994). Edited by J.G. Pastorek II.
M olecular G enetics of B acteria (1994). 2nd Edition. By J.W. Dale.
B acterial P athogenesis : P art A: I dentification and R egulation of V irulence F actors (1994). Methods in Enzymology, Volume 235. Edited by V.L. Clark and P.M. Bavoil
B acterial P athogenesis : P art B: I nteraction of P athogenic B acteria with H ost C ells (1994). Methods in Enzymology, Volume 236. Edited by V.L. Clark and P.M. Bavoil.
M ononuclear P hagocytes : B iology of M onocytes and M acrophages (1992). Edited by R. van Furth.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
INFECTION IN THE ORTHOPAEDIC PATIENT (1989). Edited by R. Coombs & R.H. Fitzgerald Jr.
MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF MICROBIAL ADHESION (1989). Edited by L. Switalski, M. Hook & E.H. Beachey.
NEW STRATEGIES FOR ORAL IMMUNIZATION (1989). Current Topics in Microbiology and immunology 146. Edited by J. Mestecky & J.R. McGhee.
BIOHAZARDS MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK (1989). Edited by Daniel F. Liberman & Judith G. Gordon.
ASPERGILIUS SPECIES ON STORED PRODUCTS (1989). By Z. Kozakiewicz.
FOODBORNE BACTERIAL PATHOGENS (1989). Edited by M.P. Doyle.     

Spectrophotometrical and immunochemical studies on the conformational changes in poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) after modification by 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide

Poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) was modified by the reaction with 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide (4HAQO) in the presence of seryl-AMP. The conformations of 4HAQO-modified poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) and of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) were studied by circular dichroism spectra under various salt concentration conditions. 4HAQO residues to guanine bases are inefficient in inducing the transition of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) from B-form to Z-form conformation. We have elicited monoclonal antibodies against 4HAQO-poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC). They were characterized using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), radioimmunoassay (RIA) and binding to supercoiled DNA. These antibodies reacted with 4HAQO-poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) specifically but not with 4HAQO-modified DNA or poly(dG).poly(dC). However, they cross-reacted with N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene-modified poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) in Z-form conformation. These monoclonal antibodies may recognize a unique conformation in poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) after 4HAQO modification.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
C hemical D isinfection in H ospitals (1993). Edited by G. A. J. Ayliffe, D. Coates and P. N. Hoffman. 2nd Edition.
E xploitation of M icroorganisms (1993). Edited by D.G. Jones.
P redictive M icrobiology : T heory and A pplication (1993). By T.A. McMeekin, J.N. Olley, T. Ross and D.A. Ratkowsky.
F undamental I mmunology (1993). Edited by W. E. Paul
T he H uman H erpesviruses (1993). Edited by B. Roizman, R.J. Whitley and C. Lopez.
G eneral M icrobiology (1993). By H.G. Schlegel. 7th Edition. Translated by M. Kogut.
R eproduction in F ungi : G enetical and P hysiological A spects (1993). By C.G. Elliott.