Plasmid elimination from clinical isolates of Echerichia coli by ciprofloxacin and other inhibitors of DNA gyrase

Summary The susceptibility of 50 drug resistant strains of Escherichia coli of human gut was determined against ciprofloxacin, acridine orange (AO) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). Curing efficacy of these agents were worked out at subminimal inhibitory concentrations. Ciprofloaxacin was found a better curing agent for E coli R-plasmids, eliminating R-factors from 48% of the strains followed by SDS and AO which eliminated 24% and 20% of the drug resistance determinants, respectively. Elimination of R-plasmids was found dependent on the concentrations of curing agents and nature of R-plasmids.     

Longitudinal growth of head circumference in Punjabi infants in Chandigarh (India)

One hundred and fifty four (86 male and 68 female) Punjabi infants residing in Chandigarh (India) were longitudinally measured for head circumference at monthly age intervals during first year of life. The general pattern of growth of head circumference was characterised by initial sharp rise followed by slow gain during second half of infancy. Beyond birth male infants, possessed higher and statistically significant mean values than their female counterparts. The pattern-wise similarity between growth curves plotted for Punjabi and Western infants, may be attributed to protective effects of breast feeding. Head circumference velocity showed rapid deceleration immediately after birth up to about 4 months, thereafter, it declined slowly. Sex differences in monthly growth rates were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05) at a few of the age intervals during first year of life.     

Metabolic engineering of Synechococcus elongatus for photoautotrophic production of mannitol

With multiple applications in food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries as antioxidant or nonmetabolizable sweetener; the bioproduction of d -mannitol is gaining global attention, especially with photosynthetic organisms as hosts. Considering the sustainability prospects, the current work encompasses metabolic engineering of a widely used cyanobacterial strain, Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, and two newly isolated fast-growing cyanobacterial strains; S. elongatus PCC 11801 and S. elongatus PCC 11802, for mannitol production. We engineered these strains with a two-step pathway by cloning genes for mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (mtlD) and mannitol-1-phosphatase (mlp), where the mtlD expression was under the control of different promoters from PCC 7942, namely, P_rbc225, P_cpcB300, P_cpcBm1, P_rbcLm17, and P_rbcLm15. The strains were tested under the “switch conditions,” where the growth conditions were switched after the first 3 days, thereby resulting in differential promoter activity. Among the engineered strains of PCC 11801 and PCC 11802, the strains possessing P_rbc225-mtlD module produced relatively high mannitol titers of 401 ± 18 mg/L and 537 ± 18 mg/L, respectively. The highest mannitol titer of 701 ± 15 mg/L (productivity 60 mg/L.d, yield 895 µM/OD₇₃₀) was exhibited by the engineered strain of PCC 7942 expressing P_cpcB300-mtlD module. It is by far the highest obtained mannitol yield from the engineered cyanobacteria.     

Multiple forms of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase from bovine carotid artery smooth muscle.

DEAE-cellulose chromatography, in the presence and absence of Ca²⁺, of the 16,000g supernatant from bovine carotid artery smooth muscle has been used to separate four different types of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (3′:5′-cyclic-nucleotide 5′-nucleotidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.17) activity, designated types A, B, C, and D. Type A is a high affinity, cyclic AMP-specific form of phosphodiesterase (K_m = 1.6 μM) and elutes at relatively high ionic strength. Type B is a high affinity (K_m = 2 μM), cyclic GMP-specific form which elutes at low ionic strength. Type C is a mixed substrate form, displaying anomalous kinetics for the hydrolysis of both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP. It elutes from DEAE-cellulose at an ionic strength intermediate to that of types A and B. Type D is also a mixed substrate form of phosphodiesterase. However, its elution pattern from DEAE-cellulose differs, depending on whether Ca²⁺ is present or not, suggesting a Ca²⁺-dependent interaction between this enzyme form and the acidic Ca²⁺-dependent regulator protein (CDR). The hydrolytic activity of type D is stimulated by CDR, and activation requires the simultaneous presence of Ca²⁺ and CDR. Kinetic analysis of cyclic AMP hydrolysis by type D gives a linear double reciprocal plot; activation has no effect on the K_m but increases the velocity approximately sixfold. Activation of cyclic GMP hydrolysis apparently affects both the K_m and V. At all concentrations tested, the degree of activation is higher with cyclic AMP than with cyclic GMP. It is suggested that while the activable form of phosphodiesterase may play a relatively minor role in the overall hydrolysis of cyclic nucleotides, Ca²⁺-dependent activation may have a more important role in regulating the level of cyclic AMP than that of cyclic GMP in vascular smooth muscle.     

Cytoplasmic effects on quantitative characters in maize (Zea mays L.)

Summary The investigations were carried out with ten genetically diverse maize varieties and all possible crosses between them, including reciprocals, at two agro-climatically different locations in Punjab (India). The materials were studied in a split-split plot design with plant population level of 59200, 74000 and 98700 plants per hectare. The variances due to reciprocal cross effects were significant for plant height, ear height and ear girth in the pooled analysis and the effects were quite consistent over plant population levels and locations. The data on days to silk were recorded only at one location and highly significant reciprocal effects were observed. The cytoplasmic effects, however, did not depend on the cytoplasm alone but also on the interaction of genotype with cytoplasm. The reciprocal effects were more distinct in early × late combinations of varieties than in early × early or late × late combinations. Early parents when used as female tended to reduce plant and ear height and days to silk, indicating a common developmental pathway for these three traits. Since the cytoplasmic effects for these characters were not associated with significant effects on yield, the results can be of practical significance. The cytoplasmic effects for days to silk were maintained even in the F₂ and back-crosses. These findings encourage the use of particular cytoplasm in developing early maturing varieties.     

Effects of linoleic acid on capping,lectin mediated mitogenesis,surface antigen expression,and fluorescent polarization in lymphocytes and BHK cells

The incubation of linoleic acid with cells causes profound effects on membrane associated phenomenon. Using the fluorescent probe diphenyl hexatriene (DPH) to monitor lipid changes in the microenvironment of the cell surface, we find that linoleic acid reduces the polarization values (P) in mouse lymphocytes and BHK cells. Measurements on lipids extracted from the cells grown in linoleic acid produce similar results. We also find in the mouse lymphocyte that capping of Ig is inhibited and con A stimulated mitogenesis is unaffected. In contrast to the latter effect, LPS and PHA stimulated mitogenesis is inhibited and in the rat lymph node, con A stimulated mitogenesis, greatly enhanced. We also show that linoleic acid alters the binding of antibodies to the cell surface of EL-4 lymphoma cells. These observations suggest that linoleic acid alters cellular function by interfering with protein/lipid interactions within the surface membrane.