Speciation in the yeast genusMetschnikowia

Genetic studies were employed to rationalize speciation in the yeast genusMetschnikowia. Using haploid cultures derived parasexually or from isolated single ascospores, hybrids were produced between mostMetschnikowia taxa. The results provided strong evidence for the acceptance ofM. bicuspidata as type of the genus, and enabled clarification of the relationships among the recognized species. Speciation was based primarily on ascus and ascospore morphology, as classification based on physiological properties was shown to be ineffective.Metschnikowia bicuspidata var.californica var. nov. is described, and some possible evolutionary trends are discussed.Partial support for J. I. P. from a C.S.I.R.O., Australia, Overseas Postgraduate studentship is gratefully acknowledged.     

Effect of dilution on sedimentational separation of bacteria from blood

Bacteria must be separated from septic whole blood in preparation for rapid antibiotic susceptibility tests. This work improves upon past work isolating bacteria from whole blood by exploring an important experimental factor: Whole blood dilution. Herein, we use the continuity equation to model red blood cell sedimentation and show that overall spinning time decreases as the blood is diluted. We found that the bacteria can also be captured more efficiently from diluted blood, up to approximately 68 ± 8% recovery (95% confidence interval). However, diluting blood both requires and creates extra fluid that end users must handle; an optimal dilution, which maximizes bacteria recovery and minimizes waste, was found to scale with the square root of the whole blood hematocrit. This work also explores a hypothesis that plasma backflow, which occurs as red cells move radially outward, causes bacterial enrichment in the supernatant plasma with an impact proportional to the plasma backflow velocity. Bacteria experiments carried out with diluted blood demonstrate such bacterial enrichment, but not in the hypothesized manner as enrichment occurred only in undiluted blood samples at physiological hematocrit.     

Auxotrophy of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis

Seventy-four of 403 (18.4%) sputum isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from 49 of 136 (36.0%) adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) were auxotrophic mutants. Two of 11 (18.2%) isolates of P. aeruginosa taken from patients with non-CF bronchiectasis were also auxotrophic. All 99 strains taken from non-bronchiectatic sources were prototrophic. Forty-six of 55 (83.6%) CF auxotrophs required one or more of 36 growth factors tested; the requirements for the remaining 9 isolates were not identified. Methionine was the sole factor required by 17 of 22 (77.3%) isolated which depended on a single factor. We conclude that auxotrophy is a feature of P. aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis.     

Evolution of antibiotic resistance genes: the DNA sequence of a kanamycin resistance gene from Staphylococcus aureus

The kanamycin resistance gene from Staphylococcus aureus has been sequenced and its structure compared with similar genes isolated from Streptomyces fradiae and from two transposons, Tn5 and Tn903, originally isolated from Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhimurium, respectively. The genes are all homologous but, since their common ancestor, have undergone extensive divergence, with more than 43% divergence between the closest pair. The phylogeny of the genes cannot be made congruent to the phylogeny of the taxa from which they were isolated without requiring rather improbable differences in rates. One is therefore led to conclude that there have been multiple occurrences of gene transfer between these species. Thus, although they are homologous, they are neither orthologous nor paralogous. It is suggested that homologous genes of this type be called xenologous.      

Influence of Campsites on Black Bear Habitat Use and Potential Impact on Caribou Restoration

Ursus americanus(black bear) predation could limit the success of the proposed restoration of Rangifer tarandus (woodland caribou) to Minnesota. The problem was recently identified as a major factor in the failure of a similar restoration effort in Maine. During the summer of 1991 we conducted a survey in the region of the proposed restoration, using bait stations to identify bear presence. Four settings were sampled: islands with campsites, islands without campsites, mainland areas with campsites, and mainland areas without campsites. Results from the survey suggest that black bears use areas with campsites more than those without. Whereas caribou may use islands preferentially for calving to escape predation, islands with campsites may be unfavorable for caribou calf survival due to frequent bear visitation.     

Deficiency of two human leukocyte surface membrane glycoproteins (Mo1 and LFA-1)

Structural and functional features of a novel disorder characterized by recurrent bacterial infections are reviewed. This disease is associated with a number of phagocyte adhesion defects. In 10 patients, phenotypic analysis with monoclonal antibodies (MAb) revealed the same basic defect in all patients: deficiency of at least two leukocyte surface glycoproteins, Mo1 and LFA-1. These two antigens have distinct alpha subunits (Mo1 alpha = 155 kilodaltons, LFA-1 alpha = 177 kilodaltons) noncovalently linked to a common beta subunit (94 kilodaltons). Mo1 is closely associated with or identical to a receptor for the iC3b fragment of the third component of complement. LFA-1 is involved in lymphocyte proliferation, cytotoxicity, and natural killing. MAb directed to this family of glycoproteins induce functional defects in normal cells similar to those observed in deficient cells. In normal cells, the surface expression of these glycoproteins is regulated by the state of cell activation. Mitogens and alloantigens significantly increase the surface expression of LFA-1 on T lymphocytes. Stimuli that induce degranulation in neutrophils increase the surface expression of Mo1. In all patients with combined Mo1, LFA-1 deficiency, the predominant clinical manifestations were more characteristic of a phagocyte than a lymphocyte disorder. In vitro studies, however, reveal significant defects in phytohemagglutinin-induced proliferation that are more apparent at lower concentrations of the lectin. In some families, more than one sibling is affected. Intermediate levels of Mo1 were observed on granulocytes from both parents of one child. In one family, however, only the mother had significantly reduced levels of Mo1, which indicates heterogeneity in the inheritance of this disorder.