Isolation and identification of a symbiotic bacterium fromSteinernema carpocapsae

Xenorhabdus nematophilus sp., an insect-pathogenic bacterium, was newly isolated from Korean entomopathogenic nematode ofSteinernema carpocapsae, which can be used as a useful bioinsecticide. Primary and secondary form variants ofXenorhabdus nematophilus were observed when culturedin vitro. Primary form variants adsorbed bromothymol blue, while secondary form did not. However, many other characters of two variants were very similar. The variants were all rod-shaped and cell size was highly variable ranging from 0.5 by 2.0 μm to 1.0 by 5.0 μm. Both produced highly toxic substances and killed the insect larva within 20–38 hr, indicating that insect pathogenicity ofXenorhabdus is not directly associated with its phase variation. In addition, cell-free culture supernatant ofXenorhabdus was sufficient to kill the insect larva by injecting it into insect hemolymph; however, cell-harboring culture broth was more effective for killing the insect. The use ofXenorhabdus nematophilus may provide a potential alternative toBacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins.     

Two new species ofPichia isolated from slime fluxes of deciduous trees

Two new homothallic species ofPichia, associated with exudates ofPopulus trichocarpa andSalix sp. have been described.Pichia trehalophila sp.n. was isolated from slime exudates in two widely separatedPopulus trichocarpa trees andPichia salictaria sp.n. was isolated from two exudates ofSalix sp. The latter species was previously present as an unidentified strain ofPichia in the culture collection of the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures and had been isolated from a patient in Germany. The natural habitat ofP. salictaria is considered to be in association with willow trees.     

Occurrence of keratinophilic chrysosporium corda species in indian soils

Summary Three species of the form genusChrysosporium Corda viz.C. stage ofCtenomyces serratus, C. keratinophilum andC. tropicum have been isolated during a search for keratinophilic fungi in Indian soils. An account of two atypical isolates ofC. tropicum is given in detail.     

Neochilenin,a new glycoside of 3-O-methylquercetin,and other flavonols in the tepals ofNeochilenia,Neoporteria andParodia species (Cactaceae)

3-O-Methylated flavonols were isolated as crystals for the first time from the flowers ofNeochilenia, Neoporteria andParodia species belonging to the sub-family Cereoideae (Cactaceae), which are native to South America. The structures of three compounds were confirmed by chemical and spectral means. In the tepals of 7 species ofNeoporteria, 3-methyl ether of quercetin was found in the form of aglycone, whereas it was present as the 7-O-glucoside in the tepals ofParodia sanguiniflora and as the 4′-O-glucoside in the tepals of three species ofNeochilenia. Among those two glucosides of quercetin 3-methyl ether, the former has been found in a whole plant ofArtemisia transiliensis (Compositae), while the latter is new to the literature. Therefore, the term “neochilenin” may be assigned to this new pigment. Contribution from the Research Institute of Evolutionary Biology, No. 44.     

Amylostereum laevigatum associated with the Japanese horntail,Urocerus japonicus

The fungus associated with the Japanese horntail,Urocerus japonicus, in Kochi, Kagawa and Ehime Prefectures was studied. Cultures isolated from the mycangia of 113 adult females of the horntail showed the same cultural characteristics. Four of basidiocarps found on felled logs ofCryptomeria japonica were identifieds asAmylostereum laevigatum based on morphological characteristics. This was the first record ofA. laevigatum from Japan. The cultures isolated from the basidiocarps had the same cultural characteristics as those from the mycangia ofU. japonicus. One mycangial isolate produced basidiocarps on artificially inoculated stem segments ofCr. japonica after a 6-mo incubation and was identified asA. laevigatum. One isolate from the basidiocarps ofA. laevigatum and one from the mycangium ofU. japonicus were artificially inoculated into five trees each ofChamaecyparis obtusa andCr. japonica. The wood of all inoculated trees showed discoloration, with no difference in shape and pattern of discoloration between the two isolates. The inoculated fungi were reisolated from the areas of discoloration in the inoculated trees.     

Fungi from Alberta rodents

Summary The occurrence, by years, ofE. parva in Alberta rodents is presented in tabular form covering the period 1946 to 1959. The infection rate was 5.1.% in 1946, 3.3% in 1957 and less than 1% thereafter.It was found that the lungs of Alberta rodents have a characteristic mold flora comprised chiefly of:Penicillium spp., Beauveria bassiana, Aspergillus spp. and perhapsScopulariopsis brevicaule, Cladosporium spp. andChrysosporium pannorum. Trichophyton mentagrophytes and anotherTrichophyton were isolated from the livers, spleens or lungs of six rodents. Phycomyces blakesleeanus was isolated from the lungs of two rodents trapped in northern Alberta.     

A survey of zoo aviaries for the presence of Histoplasma capsulatum and Cryptococcus neoformans

A zoo's aviaries were surveyed for the presence ofH. capsulatum andC. neoformans. Dried feces samples were collected in the 14 aviaries and tested forC. neoformans by using direct Cultural methods. This pathogen was isolated from an indoor aviary housing one White-breasted Toucan, and from another indoor aviary housing two Concave-casqued Hornbills. Soil samples were collected in 12 outdoor aviaries and two other areas of the zoo premises and tested forH. capsulatum andC. neoformans by direct and indirect cultural methods. Neither fungal pathogen was isolated from the soil samples. Fresh feces samples were collected from the two aviaries whereC. neoformans had been isolated in dried feces. Tests for the presence ofC. neoformans were made by direct culture methods, however the organism was not isolated.Contribution No. 154, Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural Experiment Station, Manhattan, 66502.     

Cell form mutants inMicrasterias

Summary Two cell form mutants ofMicrasterias thomasiana have been isolated and have remained stable in culture for over two years. One mutant lacks the centrally located polar lobe and the other is a abnormally small cell.     

Addition of new serogroups and improvement of the antigenic designs ofYersinia pseudotuberculosis

Eight strains ofYersinia pseudotuberculosis, untypable for any established serogroups, were studied. They were isolated from humans (three), dogs (two), cat (one), and rats (two), and the general characteristics of the strains were identical with those ofY. pseudotuberculosis. On the basis of results of O-agglutinin absorption tests, these strains were classified into three new serogroups. The new serogroups proposed were serogroups IIC, VII, and VIII, and a new O-antigenic scheme ofY. pseudotuberculosis was designed.     

A note on the isolation of pathogenic aerobic actinomycetes from sudanese soils

A preliminary investigation of two methods of isolating pathogenic aerobic actinomycetes from a group of Sudanese soils was undertaken. By one method,Nocardia asteroides was isolated from 3 out of 4 soils. By the second method, two strains ofN. brasiliensis and three ofActinomadura madurae were recovered from 4 out of 10 soils. Both procedures seem to be advantageous for isolating pathogenic aerobic actinomycetes from soils.     

Immunoelectrophoretic characteristics ofOphiobolus graminis Sacc. as an aid in classification and determination

Antigens from four cultures ofO. graminis were compared immunoelectro-phoretically. Each culture produced a characteristic immunogram. More common antigens were found between the two cultures isolated from wheat or the two cultures isolated from oat than between a wheat and an oat isolate. Cell-wall antigens were the best reference antigens for serologic analysis of strain relationship. O. graminis antisera were cross-reacted with antigens from a number of other species of fungi. Relatively few of these cross-reacted with antisera to cell-wall antigens whereas more cross-reacted with antisera to whole-cell antigens.Immunoelectrophoretic analysis of antigens from a range of isolates ofO. graminis indicates specific immunograms which can be determined and separated from the immunograms developed by all other fungi when tested againstO. graminis antiserum. Immunoelectrophoresis can therefore be used as an aid in determiningO. graminis.     

Psychro-tolerant nematophagous fungi from the maritime Antarctic

Summary The present investigation examines the comparative growth rates, at various temperatures between 4 and 30°C, of two nematophagous fungiMonacrosporium ellipsosporum (Preuss), (Grove), Cooke and Dickinson andM. cionapagum (Drechsler), (Subramanian), Cooke and Dickinson, both isolated from the Antarctic and from Britain. No psychrophilic species were found although the results clearly show that both the Antarctic isolates were psychro-tolerant, displaying lower minimum, optimum and maximum temperatures for growth than the British isolates. A modified form ofM. ellipsosporum isolated from the Antarctic grew only between 4 and 15°C, indicating it to be much better adapted to such cold habitats than the other isolates examined.     

In vitro physiological approach to classification ofFrankia isolates of ‘the Alnus group’, based on urease,protease and β-glucosidase activities

Summary Most of theFrankia strains isolated fromAlnus andMyrica species are morphologically almost indistinguishable, when grown under standard culture conditions. They form similar vegetative hyphae while sporangia are produced in variable amounts from strain to strain.Physiological reactions were assessed in order to compare 20 strains isolated from various species ofAlnus and one species ofMyrica in Europe and North America. Among invariant negative or positive characteristics, differences in urease, protease and -glucosidase activities appeared to be of significant value.     

Observations on the bacterial oxidation of chlorophenoxyacetic acids

Summary Three bacterial strains, one ofF. peregrinum (Stapp and Spicher) and two Achromobacter strains, have been isolated from soil and shown to decompose either 2,4-D, MCPA orp-chlorophenoxyacetic acid. Aerobic conditions are essential for the bacterial decomposition of 2,4-D. Pretreatment of soil with one of the three chlorophenoxyacetic acids accelerated the rate of breakdown of either of the other two. In a liquid medium, growth of theF. peregrinum strain caused breakdown of 2,4-D and liberated 76% of the chlorine in 2,4-D in ionic form. An unknown acidic substance, colourless in acid solution but forming a yellow sodium salt has been detected in cultures ofF. peregrinum or an MCPA-decomposing Achromobacter strain growing inp-chlorophenoxyacetate medium. The bacterial oxidation of chlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicides was attributed to adaptive enzyme formation. Respiration experiments showed that the oxidation of 2,4-D or ofp-chlorophenoxyacetic acid is incomplete. 4-Chloro-2-hydroxyphenoxyacetic acid and 4-chlorocatechol may be metabolic intermediates in the case ofp-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, but no intermediary metabolites have as yet been established for 2,4-D.     

Coliforms and enterococci isolated from the intestinal tract of conventional mice

Coliforms and enterococci were isolated from the intestinal tract of infant (12-day-old) and adult (6-to 8-week-old) conventional mice. Eighty coliform isolates and eighty enterococcal strains were grouped according to their ability to ferment or hydrolyze various substrates. Sixty-one of the coliform isolates were identified asEscherichia coli. The remaining 19 strains were similar toE. coli, but did not produce-galactosidase. The enterococci belonged to two species:Streptococcus faecium andS. faecalis. Four biotypes ofS. faecium and two biotypes ofS. faecalis were detected. Xylosefermenting enterococci were isolated with a higher frequency from infant mice than from adults.     

Monocentric fungi on species of rhizosolenia from saline habitats

Summary Eight monocentric fungi are reported in two provisionally identified species ofRhizosolenia from sea-water. Only two species are assigned specific names. These areRhizophydium planktonicum Canter andR. fragilariae Canter. A fungus with depressed-globose sporangia is included as a form ofR. fragilariae. Two unidentified species ofChytridium are reported. A fungus tentatively assigned toZygorhizidium and a form provisionally assigned toPetersenia are also reported and described insofar as their characteristics are known.     

Isolation ofN-2′-Hydroxyhexadecanoyl-1-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-9-methyl-4,8-d-erythro-sphingadienine from fruiting bodies of twoBasidiomycetes fungi

Fruiting bodies ofClitocybe geotropa andClitocybe nebularis were extracted with chloroform-methanol and the extracts were fractionated by chromatography. The title compound was isolated in pure form from both extracts. The structure was verified by NMR spectroscopy, sugar and fatty acid analysis, and FAB-MS.Abbreviations TMS trimethylsilane - DMSO dimethylsulfoxide     

Suitability ofBusseola fuscaandSesamia calamistis(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for the Development of Two Populations ofCotesia sesamiae(Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Kenya

The suitability ofSesamia calamistisHampson andBusseola fusca(Fuller) for the development of two geographical populations ofCotesia sesamiae(Cameron) was examined in the laboratory. One population of the parasitoid was collected from the coast of Kenya and the other from the inland. Both populations of the parasitoid could develop onS. calamistis.OnB. fusca,the inland population ofC. sesamiaewas able to develop, while the population from the coastal area of Kenya was encapsulated. Mating studies revealed that the two parasitoid populations were partially reproductively isolated. Unidirectional incompatibility, possibly caused by theWolbachiainfection, was observed when males from the infected coastal population were mated with females from the uninfected inland population.     

Serratia species isolated from plants

Using the selective caprylate-thallous agar medium, the presence ofSerratia species was systematically examined in 623 plant samples. A total of 167Serratia strains was isolated from these plant samples and identified to species and biogroups. Uniform and characteristicSerratia populations were found in figs and coconuts: (i)Serratia ficaria was recovered from most figs collected in California, Tunisia, and France; various biotypes ofS. marcescens also were found in figs; (ii) onlyS. marinorubra was recovered from coconuts bought on two continents. From plants other than figs and coconuts, representatives were isolated of all eightSerratia species we presently recognize—with a large preponderance ofS. liquefaciens andS. proteamaculans. These other plant samples fell into threeSerratia-prevalence groups: (i) vegetables-mushrooms-mosses-decaying plant material (53.8% of these samples were positive forSerratia); (ii) grasses (23.7% positive); and (iii) trees and shrubs-small plants (8.4% positive). PigmentedS. marcescens biotypes were rarely isolated from plants (except from figs). Of theS. marcescens biogroups most frequently encountered in nosocomial and iatrogenic infections of man, A3 and A4 were isolated from plants in this study, but A5/8 and TCT were not.