Routes of E. coli 055 bacterial penetration through the intestinal wall in gnotobiotic and ordinary animals]

Peculiarities of permeability of intestinal barrier in germfree animals for enteropathogenic E. coli 055 were studied. Both germfree and conventional guinea pigs and rats were used. An increase of bacteriemia was revealed in gnotobiotes during the first day of oral E. coli 055 monocontamination; bacteriemia was transient in conventional animals. Under electron microscopy alterations of intercellular contacts and formation of spaces between enterocytes containing numerous microorganisms were found in the intestinal mucous membrane in gnotobiotes. Also more pronounced changes of microvessels of the intestinal mucous membrane were discovered in gnotobiotes. The processes of ingestionan and digestion of Escherichia coli by enterocytes and leukocytes were noted in conventional animals. The revealed derangements of the intestinal barrier in gnotobiotes explain the cause of higher bacteriemia in germfree animals. An important role of the microbial factor in the formation of intestinal barrier is indicated by the data obtained.     

Antagonism among the normal anaerobic bacteria of the mouse gastrointestinal tract determined by immunofluorescence.

Strictly anaerobic Bacteroides sp., Eubacterium sp., and Fusobacterium sp. were isolated from the cecum of a conventional mouse. An immunofluorescent method utilizing rabbit antisera specific for each of these three strains was developed to determine their population levels in the gastrointestinal tracts of gnotobiotic mice. Population levels of these anaerobes in groups of gnotobiotic mice colonized with either Bacteroides, Eubacterium, or Fusobacterium were compared with those of gnotobiotes colonized with all three strains. Bacteroides population levels in gnotobiotes colonized with all three strains were 100-fold less than the Bacteroides population level in gnotobiotes colonized with only the Bacteroides strain. Eubacterium or Fusobacterium population levels were not reduced by the presence of the other anaerobic strains. Thus, strictly anaerobic Eubacterium sp. and Fusobacterium sp. that colonized gnotobiotic mice caused a reduction in the in vivo population levels of a strictly anaerobic Bacteroides sp.     

Antagonism among the normal anaerobic bacteria of the mouse gastrointestinal tract determined by immunofluorescence.

Strictly anaerobic Bacteroides sp., Eubacterium sp., and Fusobacterium sp. were isolated from the cecum of a conventional mouse. An immunofluorescent method utilizing rabbit antisera specific for each of these three strains was developed to determine their population levels in the gastrointestinal tracts of gnotobiotic mice. Population levels of these anaerobes in groups of gnotobiotic mice colonized with either Bacteroides, Eubacterium, or Fusobacterium were compared with those of gnotobiotes colonized with all three strains. Bacteroides population levels in gnotobiotes colonized with all three strains were 100-fold less than the Bacteroides population level in gnotobiotes colonized with only the Bacteroides strain. Eubacterium or Fusobacterium population levels were not reduced by the presence of the other anaerobic strains. Thus, strictly anaerobic Eubacterium sp. and Fusobacterium sp. that colonized gnotobiotic mice caused a reduction in the in vivo population levels of a strictly anaerobic Bacteroides sp.     

Gnotobiotic studies to determine the colonization resistance of the intestines

The literature data and the results of the author studies on determination of intestine colonization resistance are presented. The mechanisms of the colonization resistance defined by the macroorganism factors and representatives of indigenic microflora are discussed. The results of the experiments with animal gnotobiotes aimed at elucidating new aspects of the colonization resistance mechanism: antagonistic interrelations between pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria and the role of transitory microflora, factors lowering the colonization resistance are presented. The up-to-date methods for testing the colonization resistance and the ways for its increasing are indicated.     

Influence of certain indigenous gastrointestinal microorganisms on duodenal alkaline phosphatase in mice.

Alkaline phosphatase activity was assayed in duodenal homogenates or extracts from adult specific pathogen-free (SPF) and germfree mice and gnotobiotic mice monoassociated with a Lactobacillus sp., a Bacteroides sp., or a coliform strain indigenous to SPF mice. Activity levels of the enzyme were much higher in the preparations from germfree mice than in those from the SPF controls. In the gnotobiotes monoassociated either with a freshly isolated Lactobacillus sp. or a Bacteroides sp., the levels of alkaline phosphatase activity were intermediate between the values for germfree and SPF mice. By contrast, in the gnotobiotes monoassociated with a coliform strain, alkaline phosphatase activity remained at high germfree levels. Butanol extracts of duodenal tissue from SPF mice, germfree mice, and exgermfree mice associated with an indigenous microflora from SPF mice (conventionalized) were subjected to acrylamide gel electrophoresis. A stain for alkaline phosphatase activity revealed three major bands in the gels prepared with extracts from SPF and conventionalized mice, but only two in the gels prepared with extracts from germfree mice. All three bands may have been present in the latter gels. One of the bands (the middle one) may have been obscured, however, by high activity in the slowest moving band. As determined by densitometric scanning, the slowest moving band had much higher activity in the preparations from germfree animals than in those from SPF or conventionalized mice. These findings suggest that the indigenous microbial flora affects not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively, the activity of alkaline phosphatases in the mouse intestinal mucosa.     

Isolation and characterization of a spiral bacterium from the crypts of rodent gastrointestinal tracts

Spiral-shaped bacteria with a distinctive morphology were isolated from the intestinal mucosa of rats and mice on a campylobacter selective medium using microaerophilic incubation. These bacteria have been shown by other authors to be present in the intestinal tracts of several animal species but have not been cultured previously. The results of electron microscopic examinations and biochemical testing have shown that these organisms do not correspond to any known genus. Colonization experiments with pure cultures in gnotobiotic rodents have shown these bacteria to be mucosa associated, with a particular affinity for intestinal crypts. The pattern of colonization of the intestinal crypts in gnotobiotes known to be free of other mucosa-associated organisms differed from the colonization occurring in conventional animals that possess a normal mucosa-associated flora.     

Isolation and characterization of a spiral bacterium from the crypts of rodent gastrointestinal tracts.

Spiral-shaped bacteria with a distinctive morphology were isolated from the intestinal mucosa of rats and mice on a campylobacter selective medium using microaerophilic incubation. These bacteria have been shown by other authors to be present in the intestinal tracts of several animal species but have not been cultured previously. The results of electron microscopic examinations and biochemical testing have shown that these organisms do not correspond to any known genus. Colonization experiments with pure cultures in gnotobiotic rodents have shown these bacteria to be mucosa associated, with a particular affinity for intestinal crypts. The pattern of colonization of the intestinal crypts in gnotobiotes known to be free of other mucosa-associated organisms differed from the colonization occurring in conventional animals that possess a normal mucosa-associated flora.     

Barrier-fixing function in germ-free animals]

The state of barrier-fixative function was studied in germfree and conventional guinea pigs and rats. Under conditions of conventional animals contamination with E. coli 055 (in doses of 500 million and 10 milliard microbial bodies for subcutaneous and oral inoculation, respectively) only an early transitory bacteremia developed at the early postinfection periods. As to bacteriemia in gnotobiotes, it increased progressively leading to the animal death in the course of 2 to 3 days. A decreased fixative and bactericidal capacity of the regional lymphatic apparatus and deep structures of the mononuclear-phagocytic system was revealed in germfree animals. An experimental confirmation of the participance of antibodies in the manifestation of the barrier-fixative function to E. coli was obtained. These studies demonstrated an important role of the microbial factor in the formation of the macroorganism barrier-fixative function.     

Colonization of gnotobiotic mice by Roseburia cecicola, a motile, obligately anaerobic bacterium from murine ceca.

In scrapings of mouse cecal mucosae, motile bacteria outnumbered nonmotile bacteria by a ratio of 2:1. Obligately anaerobic bacteria were obtained from such scrapings through the use of techniques designed for the selective isolation of motile bacteria. One of the isolates, Roseburia cecicola, was rapidly motile in broth by means of 20 to 35 flagella arranged in a fascicle on each cell. R. cecicola cells colonized germfree mice (3 x 10(9) to 1 x 10(10) CFU/g of cecum) within 11 days after the animals were inoculated intragastrically with 2 x 10(8) CFU per mouse. In such monoassociated gnotobiotes, the bacteria were found primarily in the cecum, dispersed in the lumen among particles of digesta, and in the mucus over the epithelial surface. Between 2 and 3 weeks after birth, offspring of monoassociated adult mice were colonized by the bacterium (2 x 10(9) to 1 x 10(10) CFU/g of cecum). These results indicate that R. cecicola is suitable for studies of the ecology of host-associated microorganisms, particularly for investigation of the role of motility and possibly also chemotaxis in bacterial colonization of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract.     

Diversity of locust gut bacteria protects against pathogen invasion

Diversity–invasibility relationships were explored in the novel context of the colonization resistance provided by gut bacteria of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria against pathogenic bacteria. Germ‐free insects were associated with various combinations of one to three species of locust gut bacteria and then fed an inoculum of the pathogenic bacterium Serratia marcescens. There was a significant negative relationship between the resulting density of Serratia marcescens and the number of symbiotic gut bacterial species present. Likewise there was a significant inverse relationship between community diversity and the proportion of locusts that harboured Serratia. Host mortality was not negatively correlated with resistance to gut‐invasion by Serratia marcescens, although there were significantly more deaths among pathogen fed germ‐free insects than tri‐associated gnotobiotes. The outcome is consistent with the predictions of community ecology theory that species‐rich communities are more resistant to invasion than species‐poor communities.     

Studies on the Establishment of Multi-Drug-Resistant Strain BIO-4R of Streptococcus faecalis in the Intestinal Tract of Germ-Free Mice

Germ-free ICR mice were mono- or dicontaminated with a multi-drug-resistant strain BIO-4R of Streptococcus faecalis (BIO-4R) and Escherichia coli 026 : K60 (E. coli) and administered aminobenzyl penicillin (ABPC). BIO-4R was established in the intestinal tract at a level of 10⁸ viable cells per gram of stool on the fourth day following oral inoculation and the BIO-4R population was stably maintained thereafter. The drug resistance of BIO-4R remained unchanged in the intestinal tract of gnotobiotes throughout the experiment. Highly resistant cells of E. coli were isolated from the feces of some dicontaminated mice after ABPC administration. However, it seems that the high resistance of these E. coli is not due to the transfer of resistance of BIO-4R to E. coli. All animals given a large amount of BIO-4R (10⁸ cells) per os survived throughout the study period of two weeks without symptoms.     

乙肝病毒表面抗原和抗体双阳性者中病毒S区基因序列分析

为了解乙肝病毒 (HBV)表面抗原和抗体双阳性患者中病毒的基因型及其HVBS区是否有变异。用放射免疫试剂检测HBsAg阳性样品中的抗 HBs抗体 ,用聚合酶链反应法检测双阳性样品中的HBVDNA ,然后对阳性样品进行克隆和基因序列分析 ,并将所得序列与HBV不同基因型的代表株进行比较分析。结果显示 389例HBsAg阳性样品中有 10例为抗HBs抗体阳性 ;该 10例双阳性样品中有 5例为HBVDNA阳性 ;序列分析显示该 5株HBV均为B基因型 ,其中 4株为adw亚型 ,1株为adr亚型 ;其中有 2株在S区的“a”决定簇的氨基酸发生了变异     

应用RD-PCR技术制备HIV基因芯片探针

利用限制性显示 (RD PCR)技术快速分离HIV 1基因片段制备DNA芯片探针 .以Sau3AⅠ酶切HIV基因 ,得到许多大小适合芯片的限制性酶切片段 .然后在片段两端接上接头 ,根据酶切位点、接头的序列设计通用引物 .在该通用引物的 3′端分别延伸一个碱基后 ,通过引物间的两两组合 ,将PCR反应分成 10个亚组 .纯化各组PCR产物 ,克隆到T载体上 .阳性克隆经鉴定、扩大培养后提取质粒 .以质粒为模板扩增靶片段并进行序列分析 .每个亚型得到了十几个 10 0～ 10 0 0bp的HIV基因片段 .研究表明 ,RD PCR技术是一种有效的快速制备基因芯片探针的方法     

Identification of Thai isolates assigned to the genus Gluconobacter based on 16S-23S rDNA ITS restriction analysis

Forty-four Thai isolates phenotypically assigned to the genus Gluconobacter were examined for 16S-23S rDNA ITS restriction analysis by MboII and SduI (=Bsp1286I) digestions. The Thai isolates tested were divided into seven groups: Group I for fourteen isolates, Group IX for one isolate, Group X for two isolates, Group V-2 for four isolates, Group XI for three isolates, Group IV for one isolate, and Group III for nineteen isolates. There were no isolates of either Group II or Group V-1 that were identified as G. cerinus. The isolates of Group III, Group IV, and Group XI were subjected to an additional 16S-23S rDNA ITS restriction analysis by AvaII, TaqI, BsoBI, and BstNI digestions. The isolates of Group III were divided into three groups and two subgroups: Group III-2 for five isolates, Group III-6 for two isolates, and Group III-4, which was divided into two subgroups, Subgroup III-4a for four isolates and Subgroup III-4b for eight isolates. The fourteen isolates of Group I were identified as G. oxydans, and the two isolates of Group X were temporarily identified as G. oxydans. The five isolates of Group III-2 and the one isolate of Group IV were identified as G. frateurii. The remaining twenty-two isolates of Group V-2, Group III-4, Group III-6, Group IX, and Group XI were not identified but are candidates for several new species.     

Rates of change in width and length-width ratios of the diaphyses of the hand

The minimum width and the length of each diaphysis of the hand were measured on serial radiographs of 20 boys and 20 girls. These radiographs were taken close to each birthday at ages from 3 to 13 years inclusive. The corresponding length-width ratios were calculated from these parameters. The b values (indicating rates of change) were calculated for width and length-width ratio in each diaphysis in each child. Communality indices (mean r between b values) were calculated for individual diaphyses. These communality indices reflect the associations between each diaphysis and all the other diaphyses of the hand in their rates of change in width and length-width ratio. The sex differences were not statistically significant for mean b values but they were significant for the communality indices for width (boys higher) and length-width ratio (girls higher). Statistically significant neighborhood effects were present in communality indices for widths within rays for the girls and for ratios within rays for both sexes. There were statistically significant marginal effects in communality indices for widths in the girls within rows and for length-width ratios in the boys within rays.     

Population genetic study of the Alatyr region of the Republic of Chuvashiia

Population genetic characteristics were estimated in the Alatyr' raion (administrative district) of the Republic of Chuvashia, which has long been populated by three ethnic groups. The ethnic assortativeness values in the town of Alatyr' and the rural area of the district were 1.17 and 1.21, respectively, for Russians; 1.14 and 4.82, respectively, for Chuvashes; and 1.33 and 2.45, respectively, for Mordovians. Wright's statistics were as follows: Fst = 0.00358, Fit = 0.00178, and Fis = 0.00134. The migration indices were 0.0264 for Alatyr' and 0.0178 for the district. The endogamy indices for the total and the Russian populations of Alatyr' were 0.47 and 0.53, respectively. The parameters of isolation by distance were a = 0.000189 and b = 0.00959 for the urban and a = 0.000318 and b = 0.00919 for the rural area. Schemes of the genetic landscape were constructed. The influence of the polyethnic composition on the genetic structure of the population is discussed.     

Biosynthesis of monosulfogangliotriaosylceramide and GM2 by N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase from rat brain

Some properties of the enzyme activity that catalyzes the transfer of N-acetylgalactosamine from UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine to exogenous lactosylceramide-II3-sulfate (SM3) and N-acetylneuraminosyllactosylceramide (GM3) were studied using the enzyme preparation solubilized from the 100,000 X g pellet of 6-day-old rat brain. The products from SM3 and GM3 were identified as gangliotriaosylceramide-II3-sulfate (SM2) and N-acetylneuraminosylgangliotriaosylceramide (GM2), respectively, by TLC-autoradiography. Optimal conditions for both activities were similar: pH (Hepes-NaOH), 7.0-7.5; detergent (heptylthioglucoside), 0.64% and Mn2+, 5-10 mM. The concentrations of the detergent optimal for both enzyme activities were also examined at various concentrations of the acceptors. The lower the amounts of acceptors, the less the amounts of detergent that were required, and vice versa, for the maximum activities. The acceptor-saturation curve for SM2 synthesis was triphasic, exhibiting a sigmoidal region at lower concentrations, a hyperbolic region and finally a descending region. For GM2 synthesis, the curve was biphasic without the descending region. The donor-saturation curves were classical hyperbolic ones for both syntheses. The Km values calculated for SM3 and GM3 were 0.37 and 0.19 mM, respectively, when the data corresponding to the hyperbolic regions were used for the double-reciprocal plots. The Km values for UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine in the SM2- and GM2-synthesis were 82 and 26 microM, respectively. SM3 and GM3 were the best acceptors for this enzyme preparation. From the results of the acceptor competition study, it was suggested that the two synthetic reactions are catalyzed by a single enzyme.     

Optimisation of conditions for the extraction of casearins from Casearia sylvestris using response surface methodology

Optimal conditions for the extraction of casearins from Casearia sylvestris were determined using response surface methodology. The maceration and sonication extraction techniques were performed using a 3 x 3 x 3 full factorial design including three acidity conditions, three solvents of different polarities and three extraction times. The yields and selectivities of the extraction of casearins were significantly influenced by acidity conditions. Taking into account all variables tested, the optimal conditions for maceration extraction were estimated to involve treatment with dichloromethane saturated with ammonium hydroxide for 26 h. Similar yields and selectivities for casearins were determined for sonication extraction using the same solvent but for the much shorter time of 1 h. The best results for stabilisation of the fresh plant material were obtained using leaves that had been oven dried at 40 degrees C for 48 h.     

Purification and properties of formaldehyde dehydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase from Candida boidinii.

Formaldehyde hydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase were purified 130-fold and 19-fold respectively from Candida boidinii grown on methanol. The final enzyme preparations were homogenous as judged by acrylamide gel electrophoresis and by sedimentation in an ultracentrifuge. The molecular weights of the enzymes were determined by sedimentation equilibrium studies and calculated as 80000 and 74000 respectively. Dissociation into subunits was observed by treatment with sodium dodecylsulfate. The molecular weights of the polypeptide chains were estimated to be 40000 and 36000 respectively. The NAD-linked formaldehyde dehydrogenase specifically requires reduced glutathione for activity. Besides formaldehyde only methylglyoxal served as a substrate but no other aldehyde tested. The Km values were found to be 0.25 mM for formaldehyde, 1.2 mM for methylglyoxal, 0.09 mM for NAD and 0.13 mM for glutathione. Evidence is presented which demonstrates that the reaction product of the formaldehyde-dehydrogenase-catalyzed oxidation of formaldehyde is S-formylglutathione rather than formate. The NAD-linked formate dehydrogenase catalyzes specifically the oxidation of formate to carbon dioxide. The Km values were found to be 13 mM for formate and 0.09 mM for NAD.     

Application of the Red List Index as an indicator of habitat change

For the first time ever, the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Index for habitat types was calculated for an entire country, Finland. The RLIs were based on species threat assessments from 2000 and 2010 and included habitat definitions for all 10,131 species of 12 organism groups. The RLIs were bootstrapped to track statistically significant changes. The RLI changes of species grouped by habitats were negative for all habitat types except for forests and rural biotopes which showed a stable trend. Trends of beetles and true bugs were positive in rural and forest habitats. Other 16 observed trends of species group and habitat combinations were negative. Several trends observed were in accordance with studies focusing on particular taxa and habitats, and drivers for their change. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the RLI as a tool for observing habitat change based on species threat assessment data.