Antityphoid and antitetanic intradermal vaccination of chronic neuropsychic patients in a typhoid fever outbreak.

Intradermal immunization of 229 chronic neuropsychic patients in Gura Ocnitzei Sanatorium, D?mbovitza County, where a typhoid fever outbreak burst, was performed with a freeze-dried typhoid vaccine, suspended in purified and concentrated tetanic anatoxin. Adverse reactions were minimal and immunologic response, evaluated by laboratory tests, was good, reaching the level of that obtained as a result of classic vaccination methods (subcutaneous antityphoid and intramuscular anti-tetanic). Both after vaccination and also booster O and H agglutinating titers increased 4-7 times and anti-S. typhi. seroprotecting effect reached and maintained a high level. Moreover, antityphoid vaccination permitted epidemic focus limiting and its complete extinguishing after booster. Antitetanic vaccination resulted in protecting titers settlement (greater than or equal to 0.01 IU/ml) in all previously non-protected persons (1/3 of all subjects) and in the increase of protecting titers, existing before vaccination in the other persons.     

Electron microscopic studies on protoplast release from I.C.A.-1.65 line (I.F.C.-1.65 line) of Bacillus subtilis cells.

Under lysozyme action a minicell-forming line (I.C.A.-1.65) of B. subtilis releases protoplasts. The main cytologic events which proceed protoplast releasing are described. Different areas of the cell wall prove a remarkable difference in their sensitivity to enzymatic lysozyme action. Central areas of the cell wall are most sensitive and the polar areas are most resistant. Mesosomal vesicles and tubules are extruded and released together with other cytoplasmic extrusion during the protoplasting process. The cell wall of minicells does not prove resistance particularities to lysozyme action. The minicells release protoplasts.     

Electron microscopic study of a pathogenic Acanthamoeba castellani strain: The presence of bacterial endosymbionts

Along general lines, the fine structure of the Acanthamoeba castellani Sn cell corresponds to the aspects described by other authors in the free forms. Of particular interest was the presence in the amoeba cytoplasm of some free formations, with a cell envelop and internal bacteria-like structure. The presence of these bacterial bodies free in the amoeba cytoplasm and without a surrounding host cell membrane as well as the aspects suggestive of cell division, led the authors to consider them as integrated in the Acanthamoeba Sn economy, correlating them with bacterial endosymbionts. Similar endosymbionts have not yet been described in Acanthamoeba and might be implicated in the pathogenic potential of the Sn strain.     

NMR investigation of the influence of procaine and its metabolites on the water exchange through human erythrocyte membranes

The effect of procaine hydrochloride and its metabolites on the diffusional water exchange through erythrocyte membranes was investigated at 37 degrees C and at concentrations ranging between 5 X 10(-5) M and 5 X 10(-1) M by using the NMR manganese doping method. Procaine hydrochloride and 2-diethylaminoethanol have a moderate stimulating effect on the water exchange, of up to 20% at concentrations ranging between 10(-3) and 10(-2) M, while an increasing inhibitory effect was found at higher concentrations. The p-aminobenzoic acid has no effect on the water exchange up to 10(-2) M and, at higher concentrations, and apparent decreasing inhibition was noticed which is thought to be an artefact due to the uptake of Mn2+ by the cells. The temperature dependence studies suggest that procaine HCl enhances the uptake of Mn2+ by the cells. An opposite effect was found for rigid erythrocytes. The p-aminobenzoic acid and 2-diethylaminoethanol appeared to be more effective than procaine hydrochloride in increasing the uptake of Mn2+.     

BDNF and its pro-peptide are stored in presynaptic dense core vesicles in brain neurons

Although brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates numerous and complex biological processes including memory retention, its extremely low levels in the mature central nervous system have greatly complicated attempts to reliably localize it. Using rigorous specificity controls, we found that antibodies reacting either with BDNF or its pro-peptide both stained large dense core vesicles in excitatory presynaptic terminals of the adult mouse hippocampus. Both moieties were ~10-fold more abundant than pro-BDNF. The lack of postsynaptic localization was confirmed in Bassoon mutants, a seizure-prone mouse line exhibiting markedly elevated levels of BDNF. These findings challenge previous conclusions based on work with cultured neurons, which suggested activity-dependent dendritic synthesis and release of BDNF. They instead provide an ultrastructural basis for an anterograde mode of action of BDNF, contrasting with the long-established retrograde model derived from experiments with nerve growth factor in the peripheral nervous system.     

Archaea in the Gulf of Aqaba

Using a polyphasic approach, we examined the presence of Archaea in the Gulf of Aqaba, a warm marine ecosystem, isolated from major ocean currents and subject to pronounced seasonal changes in hydrography. Catalyzed reported deposition FISH analyses showed that Archaea make up to >20% of the prokaryotic community in the Gulf. A spatial separation between the two major phyla of Archaea was observed during summer stratification. Euryarchaeota were found exclusively in the upper 200 m, whereas Crenarchaeota were present in greater numbers in layers below the summer thermocline. 16S rRNA gene-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis confirmed this depth partitioning and revealed further diversity of Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota populations along depth profiles. Phylogenetic analysis showed pelagic Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota to differ from coral-associated Archaea from the Gulf, forming distinct clusters within the Marine Archaea Groups I and II. Endsequencing of fosmid libraries of environmental DNA provided a tentative identification of some members of the archaeal community and their role in the microbial community of the Gulf. Incorporation studies of radiolabeled leucine and bicarbonate in the presence of different inhibitors suggest that the archaeal community participates in autotrophic CO₂ uptake and contributes little to the heterotrophic activity.     

Microbial communities and processes within a hypersaline gypsum crust in a saltern evaporation pond (Eilat,Israel)

Gypsum crusts containing multicolored, stratified microbial communities develop in the evaporation ponds of a commercial saltern in Eilat, Israel at salt concentrations between 190 and 240 g l⁻¹. The upper 0.5–2 cm of the crust is densely populated by orange-brown unicellular cyanobacteria. Below, a layer of green-colored filamentous cyanobacteria is found. Underneath, a bright purple layer of anoxygenic phototrophs is present, below which a reduced black layer is found. We have investigated the biological properties of this crust using a wide variety of techniques, and we here review the results of these interdisciplinary studies. The tests performed included microscopic examination of the biota, phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, fatty acid analysis, light intensity and light quality measurements, microelectrode studies of oxygen profiles and oxygen evolution, determination of sulfate reduction using radioisotope methods, and measurement of methane evolution. The stable vertical stratification in the system enabled separate analyses of the different layers with a high spatial resolution. It was therefore possible to combine the different approaches and obtain information on the activities of the different types of oxygenic and anoxygenic phototrophs, dissimilatory sulfate reducers and methanogens in the different layers, as well as phylogenetic information on the nature of the microorganisms responsible for these processes. The gypsum crust thus becomes a paradigm for the study of a wide variety of microbial processes and their interrelationships in the presence of high salt concentrations. Guest Editors: J. John & B. Timms Salt Lake Research: Biodiversity and Conservation—Selected papers from the 9th Conference of the International Society for Salt Lake Research