Virulent strains of Vibrio vulnificus isolated from estuaries of the United States West Coast

Vibrio vulnificus was isolated from United States West Coast estuaries at a low frequency (5.9%) from 529 samples of water, shellfish, and sediment. Four strains tested with iron-treated mice had 50% lethal dose values ranging from 7.6 to 360 CFU, compared with a 50% lethal dose of 4.9 CFU for a clinical isolate that caused the death of a septicemic patient. The presence of this pathogen may be a hazard to users of marine beaches and consumers of raw shellfish on the West Coast, especially to persons most susceptible to V. vulnificus septicemia. Species-specific antiflagellar serum and a gene probe for cytotoxin-hemolysin production were useful for screening these environmental isolates.     

A derivative of Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 10988 with impared ethanol production

Summary A derivative of Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 10988 has been isolated from cells treated with acridine orange. This derived strain, designated CU1, was found to have markedly decreased ethanol production and concomitant glucose utilisation capabilities when grown on high concentrations of glucose. Additionally, it was found that CU1 had altered alcohol dehydrogenase activity and also lacks at least one of the natural plasmids of Z.mobilis, the 3kb species.     

Identification of an enzymatic activity that hydrolyzes protein-bound ADP-ribose in skeletal muscle

An enzymatic activity present in high-speed supernatant fluids of rat skeletal muscle was found that catalyzes the release of ADP-ribose from ADP-ribosylated-modified lysozyme. The nature of the product was proved by chromatographic studies and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The enzyme activity is stimulated by Mg2+, dithioerythritol, and flouride. These results and those published earlier (Soman, G., Mickelson, J.R., Louis, C.F., and Graves, D.J. (1984) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 120, 973-980) show that ADP-ribosylation is a reversible process in skeletal muscle.     

Current clinical laboratory practice: investigation of plasma lipids--which tests and when?

Clinical interest in the lipoproteins stems mainly from the association between serum cholesterol concentrations and coronary heart disease. Investigations of lipoproteins should be performed in patients with premature coronary heart disease, with a strong family history of coronary heart disease, or with certain cutaneous stigmata of hyperlipoproteinaemia and when fasting serum samples are seen to be lipaemic. Family studies should be performed in appropriate cases to identify relatives at increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. Patients with conditions known to cause secondary hyperlipoproteinaemia should be investigated if they fall into one of these categories but only after treatment of the underlying condition. Non-specialist laboratories should be able to measure total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations and high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. Lipoprotein electrophoresis has a limited role in such laboratories and is not necessary as a routine procedure. Specialist laboratories should in addition be able to measure individual lipoproteins and identify apolipoprotein E phenotypes.     

Evolution of a multigene family of chorion proteins in silkmoths.

The evolution of the A family of chorion genes was examined by comparing new protein and DNA sequences from the silkmoths Antheraea pernyi and Bombyx mori with previously known sequences from Antheraea polyphemus. The comparisons indicated that the A family and its major subfamilies are ancient and revealed how parts of the genes corresponding to distinct regions of the protein structure have evolved, both by base substitutions and by segmental reduplications and deletions.     

Comparison of folylpolyglutamate hydrolases of mouse liver,kidney, muscle and brain

Summary The folylpolyglutamate hydrolase activities of mouse liver, kidney, muscle and brain were examined by incorporation of methylenetetrahydrofolate polyglutamate reaction products into a stable ternary complex with tritiated fluorodeoxyuridylate and L. casei thymidylate synthetase. Complexes were separated electrophoretically on the basis of charge associated with the polyglutamyl moieties to determine distribution of chain lengths throughout the time course of the reaction. Tissue folylpolyglutamate hydrolase activities were allowed to utilize endogenous folylpolyglutamate as substrates by incubating crude tissue extracts at pH 7.4 and pH 4.5. Kidney and muscle contained relatively reactive hydrolases which were capable of generating intermediates of essentially all chain lengths from folylpentaglutamate, the predominant endogenous species. The relatively low activity in brain also gave rise to all possible intermediates. Liver contained a high concentration of methylenetetrahydrofolate but little hydrolase activity. The activity present in liver gave rise to essentially no intermediates but yielded only the monoglutamate form of the cofactor. When purified lysosomal preparations from liver and kidney were allowed to react with synthetic folylpolyglutamates, the same specificity with regard to reaction products was observed as with endogenous substrates.     

Characterization of sequential immune complexes in infective endocarditis by Western blot analysis

A patient with cutaneous vasculitis during infective endocarditis due to Lactobacillus casei was studied. Immune complexes (IC) were isolated from serum at the time of diagnosis and after 4 wk of therapy. Purification of IC used differential polyethylene glycol precipitation and competitive binding to staphylococcal protein A. In situ radioiodination of IC was performed, followed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Anti-IC antisera were raised in rabbits by immunization with purified IC. IC were characterized by SDS-PAGE followed by electrophoretic transfer to nitrocellulose, incubation with antiserum and then with 125I protein A, and autoradiography. Although early and late IC differed quantitatively, there were no differentiating immunochemical features. Both IC contained a 60,000 dalton component that did not react with preimmune serum nor with anti-normal human serum. This component reacted with antiserum rendered specific for L. casei by affinity chromatography. The restricted antigen-antibody representation in IC contrasted with a wider panel of antibody activity in patient serum. The Western blot analysis proves to be an ideal method for the characterization of IC because of its sensitivity, dissociative capability, and preservation of immunoreactivity. IC isolated at a time removed from the original antigenic challenge may provide insight into the nature of the inciting antigen.