Energetics of Streptococcal Growth Inhibition by Hydrostatic Pressure

Growth of Streptococcus faecalis in complex media with various fuel sources appeared to be limited by the rate of supply of adenosine-5′ -triphosphate (ATP) at 1 atm and also under 408 atm of hydrostatic pressure. Growth under pressure was energetically inefficient, as indicated by an average cell yield for exponentially growing cultures of only 10.7 g (dry weight) per mol of ATP produced compared with a 1-atm value of 15.6. Use of ATP for pressure-volume work or for turnover of protein, peptidoglycan, or stable ribonucleic acid (RNA) did not appear to be significant causes of growth inefficiency under pressure. In addition, there did not seem to be an increased ATP requirement for ion uptake because cells growing at 408 atm had significantly lower internal K⁺ levels than did those growing at 1 atm. Pressure did stimulate the membrane adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) or S. faecalis at ATP concentrations greater than 0.5 mM. Intracellular ATP levels were found to vary during the culture cycle from about 2.5 μmol/ml of cytoplasmic water for lag-phase or stationary-phase cells to maxima for exponentially growing cells of about 7.5 μmol/ml at 1 atm and 5.5 μmol/ml at 408 atm. N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide at a 10 μM concentration improved growth efficiency under pressure, as did Mg²⁺ or Ca²⁺ ions at 50 mM concentration. These agents also enhanced ATP pooling, and it seemed that at least part of the growth inefficiency under pressure was due to increased ATPase activity. In all, it appeared that S. faecalis growing under pressure has somewhat reduced ATP supply but significantly increased demand and that the inhibitory effects of pressure can be interpreted largely in terms of ATP supply and demand.     

Plasma cytokines and oxidative damage in HIV-positive and HIV-negative adolescents and young adults: a protective role for IL-10?

HIV infection causes immune activation that leads to oxidative damage. Proinflammatory cytokines may promote such damage and the regulatory cytokine IL-10 may protect against such damage. To examine the relation of these cytokines to oxidative damage, 67 cases of oxidative damage and 67 matched controls were selected from the reaching for excellence in adolescent health (REACH) study. Subjects were young (15-23 years), largely female (76%), HIV-positive (73%) and black (69%). Proinflammatory cytokines were not significantly associated with oxidative damage but plasma IL-10 had a significant, negative association with oxidative damage. This finding is consistent with a protective role for IL-10 in diminishing oxidative damage during immune activation.     

Platelet aggregation. I. Regulation by cyclic AMP and prostaglandin E1

Platelet aggregation plays a major role in thrombogenesis. This study was undertaken to examine the inhibition of platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate. It is known that cyclic AMP (adenosine monophosphate) and its dibutyryl derivative inhibit platelet aggregation. This study showed that prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) also inhibits platelet aggregation and stimulates cyclic AMP synthesis by stimulation of adenyl cyclose. Caffeine, on the other hand, inhibits platelet phosphodiesterase, and increases cyclic AMP levels. PGA1 and PGF1 alpha can also inhibit platelet aggregation but only at very high concentrations.     

Die Lebensweise einiger wenig bekannter Sylviiden aus Ostasien

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Reversible sporicidal action of cuprous ions

At 10 mM, Cu⁺ was highly protective against killing of spores of Bacillus megaterium ATCC 19213 by H₂O₂, while at higher concentrations, from 15–100 mM, killing was augmented. In contrast, Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺, Co²⁺ or Co³⁺ ions acted only protectively. Cu⁺ itself was sporicidal in the absence of H₂O₂ or ascorbate, and its sporicidal action did not depend on generation of highly reactive oxygen species. It appeared that killing involved either inhibition of germination or copper toxicity to germinated cells in that Cu⁺-inactivated spores did not germinate readily but chemical decoating of the cells prior to plating on a solid medium resulted in reversal of the sporicidal effect. Received 12 July 1996/ Accepted in revised form 03 November 1996     

Arginine deiminase system and acid adaptation of oral streptococci.

Streptococcus rattus FA-1 and Streptococcus sanguis NCTC 10904 underwent phenotypic acid adaptation in batch cultures toward the end of sugar-fueled growth after the culture pH had dropped to triggering values. The bacteria could be derepressed or induced for arginine deiminase independently of acid adaptation, and arginolysis afforded protection against acid killing over and above that of acid adaptation.     

Sporicidal activity of tertiary butyl hydroperoxide

Tertiary butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) was found to be sporicidal for Bacillus megaterium ATCC19213. Sporicidal action was very temperature dependent, and the potency of t-BOOH increased about tenfold for each increase in temperature of 15 °C over the range from 30° to 70 °C. At still higher temperatures, heat and molar levels of t-BOOH were mutually potentiating for killing. Vegetative cells and germinated spores were some thousand times less resistant to t-BOOH than dormant spores. The order of resistance for spores was: Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC7953 > Bacillus subtilis var. niger = Bacillus megaterium ATCC33729 > Bacillus megaterium ATCC19213. Killing was not enhanced by decoating and occurred without germination or loss of refractility of the spores. Spore resistance to t-BOOH was lower at more acid pH values and was decreased also by demineralization. Spores could be protected by the chelator o-phenanthroline, especially in association with Fe²⁺. Overall, it seemed that killing was associated with nonmetabolic formation of alkyl peroxyl radicals, which are thought to be responsible for killing of vegetative cells by organic hydroperoxides.Abbreviation A-BOOH tertiary butyl hydroperoxide     

Sporicidal action of peracetic acid and protective effects of transition metal ions

Although peracetic acid (PAA) is used widely for cold sterilization and disinfection, its mechanisms of sporicidal action are poorly understood. PAA at high concentrations (5–10%) can cause major loss of optical absorbance and microscopically-visible damage to bacterial spores. Spores killed by lower levels of PAA (0.02–0.05%) showed no visible damage and remained refractile. Treatment of spores ofBacillus megaterium ATCC 19213 with PAA at concentrations close to the lethal level sensitized the cells to subsequent heat killing. In addition, PAA was found to act in concert with hypochlorite and iodine to kill spores. Antioxidant sulfhydryl compounds or ascorbate protected spores against PAA killing. Trolox, a water-soluble form of -tocopherol, was somewhat protective, while other antioxidants, including -tocopherol, urate, bilirubin, ampicillin and ethanol were not protective. Chelators, including dipicolinate, were not protective, but transition metal ions, especially the reduced forms (Co²⁺, Cu⁺ and Fe²⁺) were highly protective. The net conclusions are that organic radicals formed from PAA are sporicidal and that they may act as reducing agents for spores that are normally in a highly oxidized state, in addition to their well known actions as oxidizing agents in causing damage to vegetative cells.