Complexity of phenotypes and symbiotic behaviour of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizobium leguminosarum</Emphasis> biovar <Emphasis Type="Italic">trifolii</Emphasis> exopolysaccharide mutants

Quantitative in vitro antibacterial activities, i.e., minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs), of 12 -lactam antibiotics against Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains LBA4404 and EHA101 were examined, in order to identify antibiotics effective in eliminating the bacteria in Agrobacterium-mediated plant genetic transformation. The antibacterial activities of -lactams tested against strain EHA101 were equal to or less than those tested against strain LBA4404. Cefotaxime, cefbuperazone, and meropenem had high activities against strain LBA4404 (MBC <1 mg l^–1). Against strain EHA101, however, only meropenem showed activity comparable to that against strain LBA4404. The production of -lactamase was observed only in strain EHA101.Abbreviations CFU Colony-forming unit - MBC Minimum bactericidal concentration - MIC Minimum inhibitory concentration - PBP Penicillin-binding protein     

Tandem immunoaffinity purification of protein complexes from Caenorhabditis elegans

The accurate determination of DNA concentration is essential for many processes in molecular biology and physiology and includes both gel- and cuvette-based methods. The recently introduced fluorescent dye, PicoGreen, has several advantages over other methods because it is sensitive and specific for double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). The dye is excited at 480 nm and emits at 520 nm when bound to dsDNA. This report describes the construction and use of PicoGmeter, a simple, inexpensive, fixed-wavelength fluorometer suitable for measuring PicoGreen fluorescence. PicoGmeter employs a blue light emitting diode (LED) for excitation and a photodiode to measure fluorescence. When compared to a commercially available instrument, PTI DeltaScan, the PicoGmeter performed admirably. Calibration curves for both instruments were superimposeable. Moreover, there was no significant difference between concentrations of DNA estimated by both instruments. A Bland and Altman analysis revealed that the PicoGmeter was equivalent to the PTI DeltaScan for estimating dsDNA concentration by the PicoGreen method. This simple, inexpensive, battery-operated fluorometer will allow investigators to employ the PicoGreen method without incurring the cost of purchasing a spectrofluorometer.     

Presence of fungi in stool of children

A total of 258 children were tested for the presence of fungi in stool. One group consisted of 148 children with non-specific gastrointestinal tract disorders while the other was a group of 110 asthmatics. A quantitative method of enzymatic and mechanical homogenisation was used. The findings were divided into three ranges as follows: < 10(3), 10(3)-10(5), > 10(5) fungal cells in one gram of stool. The number of > 10(5) fungal cells in one gram of stool was considered as pathogenic and requiring treatment. Such a number of fungi in stool was found in 48.1% of children in the first group and in 35.9% in the second one. However, the percentage of fungal presence was higher in the group of asthmatics (83.6% vs. 70.3%). Candida albicans considerably outnumbered the remaining fungal species in the isolates. It was found out that other than C. albicans Candida species were more resistant to the antifungals.     

Phage types and plasmid profiles of plasmid DNA strains of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica ser. Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) isolated from food poisoning outbreaks in 2001

Salmonella Enteritidis strains are the most often isolated Salmonella serovar in Poland. In the present study, phage typing, antibiotic resistance testing and plasmid profile analysis, have been applied to characterise 41 Polish S. Enteritidis isolates originated from human cases of salmonellosis and from other sources. The typing phages of Ward and colleagues scheme were used to type a total of 41 S. Enteritidis strains coming from Poland. All 41 strains were typable and 5 different phage types were observed. Among 41 strains tested, both PT6 and PT21 were recognized in the 15 strains (36.6%). Nine strains (22%) belonged to phage type 8. The others PTs were represented by small amount of strains (PT1var and PT4). Among all tested isolates only 4 different plasmid profiles were observed. Of the 41 strains investigated, 16 (39%) contained the 57 kb plasmid alone. The remaining 25 strains (61%) except 57 kb plasmid, possessed additional DNA particles. The probable phage type conversion of PT21 to PT1var strain, possibly connected with smaller DNA particle presence, was observed. This hypothesis needs confirmation. The real S. Enteritidis epidemiological situation in Poland should be known after introducing of systematic, annual research program.     

Contact guidance of Walker carcinosarcoma cells by the underlying normal fibroblasts is inhibited by RGD-containing synthetic peptides

The metastatic spread of malignant neoplasms is associated with active migration of cancer cells. The migration of neoplastic cells during the metastatic process may be affected by various extracellular factors, including chemoattractants, haptotactic signals, electric fields, substrate anisotropy, and cell-to-cell contacts. We examined the effect of homotypic collisions and heterotypic interactions with normal human skin fibroblasts on the motile activity of Walker carcinosarcoma cells. It was found that Walker carcinosarcoma cells moving in a dense population neither show contact inhibition of movement when colliding with one another nor increase their motile activity as a result of contact stimulation of motility. On the other hand, when plated onto the surface of aligned fibroblasts, Walker carcinosarcoma cells migrated mainly along the long axes of underlying fibroblasts as a result of contact guidance. The directional character of movement (but not the speed of migration) of Walker carcinosarcoma cells on the surface of aligned fibroblasts was completely effaced by RGD-containing synthetic peptide at a concentration of 1 mg/ml but not by 5 microM verapamil (selective voltage-gated calcium channel inhibitor) or 10 microM gadolinium chloride (non-specific blocker of mechanosensitive ion channels). The suppression of directional character of migration of tumour cells by RGD-containing peptide was associated with the decrease in the amount of fibronectin macromolecules attached to fibroblasts. This suggests that alignment and anisotropic distribution of fibronectin macromolecules may be responsible for contact guidance of tumour cells moving on the surface of fibroblasts.     

Different DNA methylation pattern in A and B chromosomes of Crepis capillaris detected by in situ nick-translation. Comparison with molecular methods

Experiments were performed on Crepis capillaris callus lines with 0, 1 and 2 B chromosomes and on hairy root lines without or with 1 and 2 B chromosomes. Comparison of HPLC results for DNA from calli differing in number of B chromosomes did not reveal any significant differences in methylation level (30.4 +/- 1.1%, 30.9 +/- 1.2%, 31.7 +/- 1.7% in lines without or with one or two B chromosomes respectively) which could be attributed to the number of B chromosomes. Restriction patterns obtained after DNA digestion with HhaI, HpaII, MspI or HaeIII (i.e. restriction enzymes sensitive to cytosine methylation) were similar in calli and apical root segments and also did not depend on the presence or number of B chromosomes. Methylation of B chromosomes higher than that of A chromosomes was demonstrated by fluorescent in situ nick translation driven by HpaII, MspI or HaeIII in metaphase chromosomes. After short digestion (I and 3 h), B chromosomes, in contrast to A chromosomes, were weakly labelled or not labelled at all, which indicates longer distances between target sequences containing unmethylated cytosine in the former.     

Synthesis and biological activity of N(alpha)-[4-[N-[(3,4-dihydro-2-methyl-4-oxo-6-quinazolinyl)methyl]-N-propargylamino]phenylacetyl]-L-glutamic acid

2-Deamino-2-methyl-N10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolic acid (ICI 198583) is a potent inhibitor of thymidylate synthase. Its analogue, N(alpha)-[4-[N-[(3,4-dihydro-2-methyl-4-oxo-6-quinazolinyl)methyl]-N-propargylamino]phenylacetyl]-L-glutamic acid, containing p-aminophenylacetic acid residue substituting p-aminobenzoic acid residue, was synthesized. The new analogue exhibited a moderately potent thymidylate synthase inhibition, of linear mixed type vs. the cofactor, N(5,10)-methylenetetrahydrofolate. The Ki value of 0.34 microM, determined with a purified recombinant rat hepatoma enzyme, was about 30-fold higher than that reported for inhibition of thymidylate synthase from mouse leukemia L1210 cells by ICI 198583 (Hughes et al., 1990, J. Med. Chem. 33, 3060). Growth of mouse leukemia L5178Y cells was inhibited by the analogue (IC50 = 1.26 mM) 180-fold weaker than by ICI 198583 (IC50 = 6.9 microM).