A simple method to test condoms for penetration by viruses.

A method by which virus penetration through condoms can be tested with simple, inexpensive equipment is described. The method uses chi X174 bacteriophage as the challenge virus and physiologically relevant pressure. Penetration by 0.1 microliters (or less) of challenge suspension can be readily detected. As examples, latex and natural-membrane condoms were examined.     

Cytokine production in a model of wound healing: the appearance of MIP-1, MIP-2, cachectin/TNF and IL-1

Macrophages are essential for normal wound repair and many of their effects on healing wounds are likely to be mediated by the secretion of cytokines. This study examines the appearance of messenger RNA (mRNA) for cachectin/tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL 1, and macrophage inflammatory proteins 1 and 2 (MIP-1 and MIP-2), as well as the mature peptides, in a model of wound healing using wound chambers. RNA for all four cytokines can be detected in wound inflammatory cells by polymerase chain reaction amplification throughout the first 7 days. Cachectin/TNF and IL 1 protein levels peaked on the first day after wound chamber implantation, and MIP-1 and MIP-2 were detected only on day 3. The data suggest that these cytokines participate in the early inflammatory response to wounding.     

Enhancement of IL-2-induced T cell proliferation by a novel factor(s) present in murine spleen dendritic cell-T cell culture supernatants

The mechanism(s) underlying the potent accessory cell function of dendritic cells (DC) remains unclear. The possibility was considered that a soluble factor(s) released during the interaction of DC and T cells might contribute to the potent T cell activating function of DC. Culture supernatants were generated from mixtures of murine spleen DC and periodate-treated spleen T cells and were examined for the presence of known cytokine activities and factors capable of enhancing T cell responsiveness to IL-2. Serum-free supernatants from 24 h DC-T cell co-cultures exhibited high levels of IL-2, detectable levels of IL-3, and negligible levels of IL-1, -4, -5, -6, and TNF. A factor(s) was also identified with an apparent Mr of 12.5 to 17.0 kDa, henceforth designated IL-2 enhancing factor (IL-2EF), which enhanced the IL-2-induced proliferation of murine thymocytes, CTLL, and HT-2 cells by approximately three- to fourfold. This enhancement was also observed in the presence of neutralizing antibodies to murine IL-1 alpha, -1 beta, -3, -4, -5, -6, granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF, TNF, and IFN-gamma. However, IL-2EF failed to enhance: 1) the activity of IL-1, -3, -4, -5, or -6 on cells responsive to these cytokines; 2) IL-2-augmented, IL-5-induced BCL1 proliferation; and 3) either PHA- or Con A-stimulated thymocyte proliferation. Moreover, neither IFN-gamma nor GM-CSF exhibited IL-2EF activity. When DC and T cells were cultured separately (after an initial 12 h co-culture period), IL-2EF activity resided predominantly in the T cell-derived supernatants. These and other data indicate that IL-2EF, a heat-labile T cell-derived 12.5 to 17.0 kDa protein, is distinct from IL-1 alpha, -1 beta, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, TNF, IFN-gamma, GM-CSF, and previously described factors that co-stimulate thymocyte proliferation in the presence of Con A or PHA. It is suggested that IL-2EF functions to specifically enhance IL-2-driven T cell proliferation and contributes to the potent activation of T cells induced by DC.     

A lung type prostaglandin F synthase is expressed in bovine liver: cDNA sequence and expression in E. coli.

Using the cDNA of bovine lung prostaglandin F synthase (EC 1.1.1.2) as a probe, we isolated a clone from a bovine liver cDNA library which differed in only eleven nucleotides from the probe. The corresponding protein contained three amino acid substitutions, including a leucine residue which is conserved throughout all aldo-keto reductases. We inserted the liver cDNA into expression vector pUC19 and expressed the recombinant liver enzyme in E.coli. The purified liver enzyme reduced prostaglandin H2 as well as prostaglandin D2 and various carbonyl compounds. The high relative activity against prostaglandin H2 in combination with a high Km value for prostaglandin D2 identified this liver enzyme as a lung type prostaglandin F synthase. However, the binding constant for NADPH of the liver enzyme was 3.5 fold higher than that of lung prostaglandin F synthase.     

Enzymic activity of salivary amylase when bound to the surface of oral streptococci

The enzymatic activity of salivary amylase bound to the surface of several species of oral streptococci was determined by the production of acid from starch and by the degradation of maltotetraose to glucose in a coupled, spectrophotometric assay. Most strains able to bind amylase exhibited functional enzyme on their surface and produced acid from the products of amylolytic degradation. These strains were unable to utilise starch in the absence of salivary amylase. Two strains failed to produce acid from starch, despite the presence of functional salivary amylase, because they could not utilise maltose. Strains that could not bind salivary amylase failed to produce acid from starch. In no case was all the bound salivary amylase active, and two strains of Streptococcus mitis which bound amylase did not exhibit any enzyme activity on their cell surface. The ability to bind amylase may confer a survival advantage on oral bacteria which inhabit hosts that consume diets containing starch.     

The xanthophyll cycle and sustained thermal energy dissipation activity in Vinca minor and Euonymus kiautschovicus in winter

The influence of low temperature on the operation of the xanthophyll cycle and energy dissipation activity, as ascertained through measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence, was examined in two broad-leaved evergreen species, Vinca minor L. and Euonymus kiautschovicus Loessner. In leaves examined under laboratory conditions, energy dissipation activity developed more slowly at lower leaf temperatures, but the final, steady-state level of such activity was greater at lower temperatures where the rate of energy utilization (through photosynthetic electron transport) was much lower. The rate at which energy dissipation activity increased was similar to that of the de-epoxidation of violaxanthin to antheraxanthin and zea-xanthin at different temperatures. However, leaves in the field examined prior to sunrise on mornings following cold days and nights exhibited a retention of antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin that was associated with sustained decreases in photosystem II efficiency. We therefore suggest that this phenomenon of ‘photoinhibition’ in response to light and cold temperatures during the winter results from sustained photoprotective thermal energy dissipation associated with the xanthophyll cycle. Such retention of the de-epoxidized components of the xanthophyll cycle responded to day-to-day changes in temperature, being greatest on the coldest mornings (when photoprotective energy dissipation might be most required) and less on warmer mornings when photosynthesis could presumably proceed at higher rates.     

Vector competence of Culicoides bolitinos and C. imicola for South African bluetongue virus serotypes 1, 3 and 4

Abstract .The susceptibility of field-collected Culicoides bolitinos to infection by oral ingestion of bluetongue virus serotypes 1, 3 and 4 (BLU 1, 3 and 4) was compared with that of field-collected C. imicola and laboratory reared C. variipennis sonorensis . The concentration of the virus per millilitre of bloodmeal was 10^5.0 and 10^6.0TCID₅₀ for BLU 4 and 10^7.2TCID₅₀ for BLU 1 and 3. Of 4927 C. bolitinos and 9585 C. imicola fed, 386 and 287 individual midges survived 10 days extrinsic incubation, respectively. Midges were assayed for the presence of virus using a microtitration assay on BHK-21 cells and/or an antigen capture ELISA. Infection prevalences for the different serotypes as determined by virus isolation ranged from 22.7 to 82.0% in C. bolitinos and from 1.9 to 9.8% in C. imicola; infection prevalences were highest for BLU 1, and lowest for BLU 4 in both species. The mean log₁₀ TCID₅₀ titre of the three BLU viruses per single fly was higher in C. bolitinos than in C. imicola . The results suggested that C. bolitinos populations are capable vectors of the BLU viruses in South Africa. A high correlation was found between virus isolation and ELISA results for the detection of BLU 1, and less for BLU 4; the ELISA failed to detect the presence of BLU 3 in infected flies. The C. v. sonorensis colonies had a significantly lower susceptibility to infection with BLU 1, 3 and 4 than C. bolitinos and C. imicola . However, since infection prevalence of C. v. sonorensis was determined only by ELISA, this finding may merely reflect the insensitivity of this assay at low virus titres, compared to virus isolation.