Attempt at quantitative analysis of interindividual variability in stress response of leucocyte levels in mice from the viewpoint of control theory

Summary The authors studied the dependence between the ability of systems regulating the level of peripheral leucocytes to damp the fluctuations of this level, occurring under conditions of repeated stressing of the organism by non-specific stress factors (isolation, starvation, handling for blood withdrawal) and the tolerance of the organism to the action of ionizing radiation (summary exposure to X-rays leading to death at repeated irradiation). This regulatory ability was expressed with the aid of the slope (coefficientb) of regression between the leucocytary valuesx _i, fluctuating in time, and the subsequent differences _i ( _i =x _i+1–x _i ). The highest tolerance to lethal action of radiation is correlated to such a regulatory behaviour of the organism at which the time necessary for adaptation of the system is shortest. The authors point out the suitability of the employed regulatory characteristic for the quantitative study of adaptability and resistance of the organism and its relatedness to the damping ratio, used in the automatic control theory.     

Heterophile infectious mononucleosis antigen used in the latex diagnostic test. I. A method of antigen isolation and its serologic activity

The aim of this study was to elaborate a method of heterophile mononucleosis antigen preparation useful for latex coating. This antigen was isolated from bovine red blood cells stroma by the technique of Schwarzweiss and Tomcsik with author's own modification, in which introductory extraction of erythrocytes stroma ++ was performed by means of trichloracetic acid, aqueous extraction and elution of active substance with 80% ethanol. Besides of heterophile antigen preparation obtained by the method of Schwerzweiss and Tomcsik (preparation S-T) two serologically++ active preparations were obtained (fraction I and IV), which ability to inhibit PBD agglutinating reaction and bovine red blood cells haemolysis was 16 and 8 times lower, respectively, than S-T preparation. The preparation of heterophile mononucleosis antigen obtained differed in latex coating efficacy. In order to prepare latex reagent MZ-I (from fraction I) a solution of preparation of 125 micrograms/ml concentration was used, for MZ-II (from fraction IV)--50 micrograms and for MZ-III (from preparation S-T)--15 micrograms/ml. The reagent MZ-I showed, the highest activity in agglutinating test with human serum containing heterophile mononucleosis antibodies while two others reacted with 2-4 times lover serum dilutions. Similar differentiated reactivity with these reagents was found in latex test with 15 sera from patients suspected of having infectious mononucleosis.     

Integration and excision of a 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid-degradative plasmid in Alcaligenes paradoxus and evidence of its natural intergeneric transfer.

A self-transmissible 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)-degradative plasmid, pKA2, has been identified in a new 2,4-D-degrading strain, Alcaligenes paradoxus 2811P, isolated from agricultural soil. pKA2 occurred as a 42.9-kb plasmid in strain 2811P. A derivative strain, 2811C, was isolated from a stock culture in which the entire pKA2 plasmid was apparently integrated into the host chromosome without loss of the 2,4-D+ phenotype. This interpretation is based on the disappearance of a free plasmid DNA band, a shift in the tfdA-hybridizing band to the chromosome, loss of transmissibility of the 2,4-D+ trait, and appropriate shifts in Southern hybridization bands of plasmid DNA compared with whole-cell DNA. The integrated plasmid of strain 2811C was excised either precisely or imprecisely after continued transfer on 2,4-D-containing medium. This suggests that a chromosome-free plasmid cycle may occur to optimize fitness under conditions of specific resource fluctuation. Another new 2,4-D-degrading strain, Pseudomonas pickettii 712, which was isolated from the same field plot but at a different time, was found to carry a plasmid that is nearly identical to pKA2. The plasmid of this strain, pKA4, is 40.9 kb long and has features in common with pKA2, such as high self-transmissibility, hybridization only to the tfdA gene among the 2,4-D-metabolic genes of 2,4-D-degradative plasmid pJP4, and similar restriction endonuclease-generated fragments. Furthermore, the genetic homology between the two plasmids was high since all fragments of pKA2 hybridized to pKA4. These results suggest that these two plasmids are closely related and thus their occurrence in two genera in nature is the result of natural horizontal gene transfer.     

Yolk sphere formation is initiated in oocytes before development of patency in follicles of the moth,Plodia interpunctella

We describe a provitellogenic stage, a previously unrecognized stage of follicle development in moths, and show that oocytes begin yolk sphere formation prior to the development of patency by the follicular epithelium. The vitellogenic activities of follicles from pharate adult femalePlodia interpunctella (Hübner) were determined by visualizing the subunits of vitellin (YP1 and YP3) and the follicular epithelium yolk protein (YP2 and YP4) using monospecific antisera to each subunit to immunolabel whole-mounted ovaries or ultrathin sections. At 92 h after pupation, yolk spheres that contained only YP2 began to proliferate in the oocytes. The inter-follicular epithelial cell spaces were closed at 92 h making vitellogenin inaccessible to the oocyte, and consequently, the vitellin subunits were not observed in the yolk spheres. YP2 uptake most likely occurred across the brush border from the follicular epithelial cells to the oocyte at this time. At 105 h, the inter-follicular epithelial cell spaces appeared closed yet trace amounts of labeling for vitellin were observed in the spaces and also in the yolk spheres along with YP2. Equivalent labeling for all four YPs in yolk spheres was finally observed at 112 h after pupation when the follicular epithelium had become patent. These data indicate that the provitellogenic stage is an extended transition period between the previtellogenic and vitellogenic stages that lasts for approximately 13 h, and it is marked at the beginning by YP2 yolk sphere formation in the oocyte and at the end by patency in the follicular epithelium.     

Sulfation of hypertensive and hypotensive drugs by monkey brain phenol sulfotransferase

The substrate specificity and affinity of two forms of phenol sulfotransferase (PST) from Rhesus macaque brain cortex were studied. Catecholamines, their methylated metabolites (normetanephrine, metanephrine) and methylated precursor, -methylDOPA, were examined as substrates for both the cationic (PST I) and the anionic (PST II) forms of the enzyme. Sulfation of hypertensive drugs (phenylephrine, octopamine, metaraminol), hypotensive drugs (-methylDOPA, minoxidil), and related agents without a free hydroxy group on the benzene ring were also studied. Results indicated that both PST forms sulfated -methylDOPA and minoxidil, but only PST II transferred the sulfate group to catecholamines and most of the adrenergic agents examined.     

Leucocyte migration inhibition test as an index of immunological response to measles virus II. Immunogenic activity of measles virus.

Experiments discussed in this paper aimed at obtaining, using Cercopithecus aethiops monkeys information on immunogenic activity of measles virus as well as kinetic and persistence of immunological reaction at active and inactivated virus.