Immunological responsiveness against tumors induced by avian sarcoma virus: reduced expression of pp60src kinase activity in regressing tumors.

Tumors which are induced in chickens by avian sarcoma virus frequently grow progressively for several weeks and then regress. We showed that tumor cells which are derived from the progressively growing phase of tumor growth produce large quantities of progeny-transforming virus, are reactive with antiviral antibody, and are susceptible to lysis in cell-mediated cytotoxicity assays by splenic lymphocytes of sensitized hosts. In contrast, tumor cells derived from regressing sarcomas are poor producers of progeny virus and are relatively unreactive with both antiviral antibody and sensitized lymphocytes. We further found that pp60src kinase activity was reduced by about 75% in regressing compared with progressively growing tumor cells. The half-lives of directly precipitable pp60src in tumor cells derived from progressively growing and regressing neoplasms were 6 and 1.5 h, respectively. Studies on each of three other cellular enzymes did not reveal any regression-associated decreases in enzyme activity. These data support the notion that expression of adequate levels of long-lived pp60src kinase activity is essential to progressive tumor growth.     

Presence of markers for virulence in the unique short region or repeat region or both of pseudorabies hybrid viruses.

The unique short region and part of the repeat region of virulent pseudorabies virus strain NIA-3 was replaced by the corresponding region of the avirulent NIA-4 strain by transfection with subgenomic DNA fragments. The resulting hybrid virus showed a reduced virulence in both mice and pigs. Therefore, important markers for virulence are located in the unique short or repeat region or both of pseudorabies virus. We provide evidence that the terminally located repeat is not required for the generation of progeny with intact pseudorabies virus genomes. Apparently, the terminal repeat is regenerated from the internal repeat.     

Attenuation of inhibitory processes in the central nervous system by tetanus toxin: an in vitro study on rat hippocampal slices

The influence of tetanus toxin on the efficiency of recurrent inhibition in the rat hippocampal slice was tested. The efficiency of the recurrent inhibition diminished in a dose-dependent manner following incubation of the slices with tetanus toxin. The effect was not observed in the slices preincubated for 3 hours with neuraminidase from Vibrio cholerae. This treatment reduces markedly the level of polysialogangliosides (receptor for tetanus toxin). It is concluded that tetanus toxin influences the efficiency of some inhibitory synapses in the central nervous system and that a certain level of polysialogangliosides is necessary for tetanus toxin to exert its action.     

Basidiomycetes with branched, water-borne conidia

A number of water-borne fungi with branched conidia have been shown to be basidiomycetes. These fungi resemble aquatic hyphomyectes in their habitat, conidial morphology and ontogeny. Their conidia are typically tetraradiate or elaborately branched. Ingoldiella hamata and Taeniospora gracilis, which produce clamped, tetraradiate conidia, are anamorphs connected to the teleomorphs Sistotrema hamalum and Leptosporomyces galzinii, respectively. Both teleomorphs are members of the Corticiaceae. Dendrosporomyces prolifer and D. splendens, which produce non-clamped conidia resembling the aquatic hyphomycete Dendrospora, have binucleate conidia and typical dolipore septa are present. Other water-borne fungi with basidiomycete affinities include Ingoldiella fibulata and Tricladiomyces malaysianum.     

Influence of the genetic background on cell division and cell lysis: behaviour of different Escherichia coli strains carrying the ts-52 or the ftsA-3 mutation

The analysis of Escherichia coli strains harbouring division mutations, namely the ts-52 or the ftsA-3 division alleles, in different genetic backgrounds showed that treatment with chloramphenicol in cells incubated at the restrictive temperature induced either cell lysis (ts-52 and ftsA-3 in MC-6 genetic background) or cell division (ts-52 in OV-2 genetic background). This chloramphenicol treatment of ftsA-3 filaments (previously designated at divA) does not induce cell division but does induce cell lysis.     

Action of different types of gramicidin S derivatives on bacterial cells and protoplasts

The work was concerned with studying the effect of gramicidin S derivatives with modified free amino groups of ornithine residues on bacterial cells and protoplasts. The substitution of the amino groups with neutral or carboxyl-containing groups eliminated or sharply decreased the antibacterial activity of gramicidin S, its binding to the cells, and the ability to change the permeability of the cytoplasmic membranes of the intact cells. However, the neutral derivatives and the derivative with acidic properties showed a considerable lytic activity when they were incubated with the protoplasts of Micrococcus lysodeikticus, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus subtilis. Hence, these compounds preserved a certain membranotropic level. Those gramicidin S derivatives with modified ornithine amino groups which possessed basic properties were similar to gramicidin S in the antibiotic activity, the modified permeability of the membranes, the ability to bind with the cells, and the lytic action on the protoplasts.     

Toroidal globular state of circular DNA

The influence of torsional elasticity of the double helix on compactization and structure of circular DNA in a compact form is studied in the case when the compact (globular) particle has a torus shape. For closed circular DNA the topological invariant, linking number of two strains, yields strict connection between conformation of double helix, considered as a unifilar homopolymer, and elastic energy of torsional twisting. The contribution of torsional elasticity to free energy of the toruslike globule is calculated. This contribution is shown to be proportional to the square of superturn's density. Torsional elasticity decreases the equilibrium radius of the toruslike globule formed by circular DNA in comparison with the case of linear DNA. Closure of linear DNA into a ring widens the stability range of the relatively short DNA compact form and tightens it for long DNA.     

Determinant of resistance to kanamycin in Streptomycin rimosus: amplification in the chromosome and reversible genetic instability

The study on the kanamycin resistance determinant (Kanr) in an oxytetracycline--producing strain of S. rimosus showed that it was capable of amplifying in the chromosome during selection for increasing the antibiotic resistance level. The amplification of the DNA fragment with a molecular weight of 10.3 MDa containing Kanr amounted to 300 copies per genome, which resulted in a more than 1000-fold increase in kanamycin resistance level. Cloning of the Kanr determinant on plasmid SLP1.2 in S. lividans strain 66 was performed. In Streptomyces lividans strain 66 the Kanr determinant preserved the capacity for amplification in the hybrid plasmid pSU10 integrated into the chromosome. The Kanr determinant in the strains of S. rimosus and S. lividans was characterized by transfers Kanr in equilibrium Kans with a frequency of 1 X 10(-3). It was shown that the mutation in S. lividans strain 66 resulting in phenotype Kans was not connected with the structural Kanr gene on plasmid pSU10 but was localized on the chromosome. Phenotype Kans was promoted by a decrease in the number of the copies of the regulatory genetic element designated RES1. The reverse to phenotype Kanr might be due to one of the following events: amplification to the initial level of RES1 and amplification up to 200 copies per the genome of the hybrid plasmid pSU10 containing the Kanr determinant. Amplification of the Kanr determinant with preserved initial level of RES1 element resulted in a more than 1000 times increase in the resistance level.     

NMR study of the structural transition in the DNA-bound water system in the interval of physiological temperatures

Temperature dependence of spin-spin proton relaxation times of DNA and bound water and the content of bound water in the samples of DNA, saturated with water in the atmosphere with different relative humidities from 0 to 100% were studied by means of pulsed NMR. It is shown that the temperature transition in the system of DNA-bound water in the interval 18-35 degrees is observed only when the relative humidity is more than 70% and the double-stranded structure of DNA exists. The transition of DNA from one conformation into another passes through some intermediate state more labile and probably less ordered. This transition is accompanied by changes in the structure of the hydration shell. In the case when relative humidity is greater than 80%, the partial dehydration of DNA stimulated by the transition is observed. This dehydration increases with the increase of relative humidity.     

Activation of the food mutagens IQ and MeIQ by hepatic S9 fractions derived from various species

The ability of hepatic S9 mixes derived from different rodent species (rat, mouse, Syrian and Chinese hamster) to activate the mutagens 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) and 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ) was investigated using Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98. In general, the mutagenicity of IQ and MeIQ was greatest in the presence of S9 fractions from Swiss albino mice and least from fractions derived from Chinese hamsters. However, treatment of rats or hamsters with Aroclor 1254 had little or no effect on the activation of IQ or MeIQ to mutagens.