A method for studies of an El Tor-associated antigen of Vibrio cholerae O1

A method for studying the biotype El Tor associated mannose-sensitive haemagglutinin (MSHA) of V. cholerae O1 has been developed. By using crude MSHA adsorbed to chicken erythrocytes as solid phase antigen in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), antisera against V. cholerae of the El Tor biotype reacted in high titre with the MSHA-coated cells, whereas antisera against vibrios of the classical biotype did not bind significantly, i.e. in higher titre than pre-immune sera. The binding of anti-MSHA serum, or a monoclonal antibody against MSHA, to the MSHA-coated erythrocytes could be efficiently inhibited by crude MSHA as well as by El Tor vibrios whereas neither V. cholerae lipopolysaccharide nor different strains of classical vibrios had any inhibitory effect. These results support the existence of an El Tor-associated immunogen. They also suggest a possibility of determining antibodies against different haemagglutinins in ELISA without having access to purified antigens.     

Nitrosyl cytochrome c oxidase. Formation and properties of mixed valence enzyme

We report the first resonance Raman scattering studies of NO-bound cytochrome c oxidase. Resonance Raman scattering and optical absorption spectra have been obtained on the fully reduced enzyme (a2+, a2+(3) NO) and the mixed valence enzyme (a3+, a2+(3) NO). Clear vibrational frequency shifts are detected in the lines associated with cytochrome a in comparing the two redox states. With 441.6 nm excitation the fully reduced preparation yields a spectrum similar to that of carbon monoxide-bound cytochrome c oxidase and is dominated by the spectrum of reduced cytochrome a. In contrast, in the mixed valence preparation no contributions from reduced cytochrome a are evident in the spectrum, verifying that this heme is no longer in the Fe2+ state. In the mixed valence NO-bound samples, a line appears at approximately 545 cm-1, a frequency similar to that found in NO-bound hemoglobin and myoglobin and assigned as an Fe-N-O-bending mode in those proteins. We do not detect this line in the spectrum of the fully reduced NO-bound enzyme. The carbonyl line of the cytochrome a3 heme formyl group in the fully reduced NO-bound enzyme appears at approximately equal to 1666 cm-1 in the resonance Raman spectrum. In the mixed valence NO-bound preparation the frequency of the carbonyl line increases by 1.2 cm-1 to approximately equal to 1667 cm-1. Thus, modes in cytochrome a2+(3) NO are sensitive to the redox state of the cytochrome a and/or CuA centers. We propose that the redox sensitivity of the formyl mode and the Fe-N-O mode results from an interaction between cytochrome a2+(3) (NO) and the cytochrome a-CuA pair, and is linked to the cytochrome a3 (NO) by the coupling between CuB and the NO-bound cytochrome a3 heme.     

Improved method for production of antibodies against T-2 toxin and diacetoxyscirpenol in rabbits.

A new, improved approach for the production of antibodies against T-2 toxin and diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) was developed. The method involves the use of immunogens which were prepared by conjugating O-carboxymethoxyl oxime (CMO) derivatives of both toxins to bovine serum albumin (BSA). Isomers a and b of CMO-T-2 toxin and isomer b of CMO-DAS were tested. Antibodies against both toxins were demonstrated as early as 4 weeks after immunization. a-CMO-T-2-BSA conjugate was a better immunogen than the b isomer, and the highest titers (6,000) were reached 14 weeks after immunization and one booster injection. Antibody titers for rabbits immunized with the b isomer of CMO-T-2 never reached more than 2,000. The specificity of antibodies obtained from rabbits after immunization with CMO-T-2-BSA was similar to that of hemisuccinate-T-2-BSA. Anti-b-T-2 antibodies had slightly higher cross-reactivity with H-T-2 toxin than did the antibody obtained from rabbits immunized with the conjugate of the a isomer. The relative cross-reactivities of anti-a-CMO-T-2 antibody with T-2, acetyl-T-2, H-T-2, T-2-triol, 3'-OH-T-2, and T-2 tetraol were 1, 4.5, 5.7, 250, 500, and 3,000, respectively. The relative cross-reactivities of anti-b-T-2 antibody with T-2, acetyl-T-2, H-T-2, and T-2 triol were 1, 2, 3, and 488, respectively. Antibodies against b-CMO-DAS showed a high degree of cross-reactivity with monoacetoxyscirpenols (MAS). The relative cross-reactivities of anti-B-DAS antibody with DAS, 4-MAS, 15-MAS, acetyl-deoxynivalenol, T-2-toxin, acetyl-T-2, and neosolaniol were 1, 4, 5, 76, 107, 147, and 266, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Increased 5-Hydroxytryptamine and Norepinephrine Release from Rat Brain Slices by the Red Sea Flatfish

The effect of the Red Sea flatfish toxin pardaxin was examined on K+-evoked and on basal release of either [3H]norepinephrine or [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine from preloaded rat cortical slices. The K+-induced release of the neurotransmitters was stimulated in a dose-related manner at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 4 micrograms/ml. Basal release of the two transmitters was elevated to a lesser extent. Although the stimulation of evoked release was approximately equivalent for the two neurotransmitters, the response to 5-hydroxytryptamine was reversible whereas that of norepinephrine was not washed by 20 min of superfusion. The mechanisms involved in producing these actions of pardaxin are not known; however, they may be mediated by changes in electrolyte fluxes across the neuronal membranes.     

伸展素在黄瓜胞壁中的转化及其与羟脯氨酸和异联酪氨酸的关系

用~(14)C-Pro和~3H_2-Tyr离体暗培养黄瓜子叶,发现细胞质、SECW和RCW中的Hyp/Pro和Idt/Tyr都随时间呈线性增加。这两种比值后两者高于前者,而两种比值增加速度之比在胞质部分最大、RCW中最小。表明在胞质和胞壁中都有Pro羟化和Tyr异联化过程,但羟化作用主要发生在胞质中,异联化主要在RCW中。 理化处理(高渗溶液和CHM)和放射性示踪证明胞质中存在HRGP库;它被分泌到胞壁后,先以离子键与壁结合,后转变为共价键与壁结合的伸展素。     

Direct measurement of carbon substrate oxidation and incorporation patterns in RuMP-type methylotrophs: Chemostatic cultures of Methylomonas L3

A technique using C-14 isotope tracers to probe the branching of carbon flow in methylotrophic bacteria has been devised and applied to continuous steady-state cultures. Methylomonas L3, a strain which utilizes the KDPG/TA variant of the ribulose monophosphate cycle for carbon fixation, was employed in the experimental studies. The actual in vivo rates of substrate-carbon incorporation into biomass, both direct and via CO(2), and of the two carbon oxidation schemes were determined in three different steady-state cultures. The results show that the carbon substrate is oxidized predominantly via formate (the linear oxidation scheme), and that the cyclic scheme of oxidation is minimally, if at all, utilized. The carbon incorporation and oxidation patterns appear to vary considerably with the dilution rate and the inoculum history. The experimental accuracy of the new technique is discussed in detail.     

The expression of ceruloplasmin, an angiogenic glycoprotein, by mouse embryonic fibroblasts

Balb/c 3T3, Swiss 3T3 and Rous sarcoma virus transformed Balb/c 3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts produced ceruloplasmin in vitro, whereas primary cultures prepared from the Balb/c mouse embryos did not produce ceruloplasmin. The amount of ceruloplasmin synthesis by the Balb/c 3T3 cell line is enhanced by Rous sarcoma virus-transformation (1.5-3 fold) and by treatment with dexamethasone (about 2.4 fold). The protein was identified as ceruloplasmin by immunoprecipitation with ceruloplasmin-specific polyclonal antibody, and by similarity of peptide maps, and subunit molecular weight (135,000 dalton) to that of authentic ceruloplasmin from primary cultures of mouse hepatocytes.     

Identification of functional murine adenosine deaminase cDNA clones by complementation in Escherichia coli

Total poly(A+) RNA derived from a mouse cell line with amplified adenosine deaminase genes was used as template to synthesize double-stranded cDNA. The cDNAs were inserted into the PstI site of the beta-lactamase gene in plasmid pBR322 following G-C tailing. After transformation into adenosine deaminase-deficient Escherichia coli hosts, recombinant plasmids containing functional murine adenosine deaminase cDNAs were identified by selecting for functional complementation. Analysis of plasmids containing functional adenosine deaminase cDNA sequences strongly suggested that adenosine deaminase expression resulted mainly from beta-lactamase/adenosine deaminase fusion proteins even when the adenosine deaminase codons were out-of-frame with respect to the beta-lactamase gene codons upstream. The nucleotide sequence of a 1.65-kilobase pair cDNA insert in one of the functional recombinant clones was determined and found to contain a 1056-nucleotide open reading frame. When this 1056-nucleotide open reading frame was inserted into a mammalian expression vector and introduced into monkey kidney cells, a high level of authentic mouse adenosine deaminase was produced. Nucleic acid blot analysis using a full-length adenosine deaminase cDNA clone as probe revealed that the mouse adenosine deaminase structural gene was at least 21 kilobase pairs in size and encoded three polyadenylated mRNAs. Analysis of the cDNA library from which the functional clones were isolated suggested that this approach of cloning functional mammalian adenosine deaminase cDNA clones by genetic complementation of enzyme-deficient bacteria could be accomplished even if the abundance of the adenosine deaminase mRNA sequences were as low as approximately 0.001%.     

Evolution of the lipoprotein gene in the enterobacteriaceae. Cloning and DNA sequence of the lpp gene from Proteus mirabilis

We cloned the lipoprotein gene from Proteus mirabilis and determined its DNA sequence. Comparison with the lpp genes from Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Erwinia amylovora and Morganella morganii revealed several unique features of the evolution of the lpp gene in the Enterobacteriaceae and enabled us to establish phylogenetic relationships between these bacteria.