Generic Identification of L-Forms by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoretic Comparison of Extracts from Parent Strains and Their Derived L-Forms

A polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic method was used for identification of L-forms in the genera Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Proteus, by comparing phenol-acetic acid-water extracts of homologous parent L-form pairs to one another and to other pairs. The method requires only milligram quantities of material for analysis. The standard patterns for the strains used in this study are shown as pictures of the gels and as densitometric tracings of appropriate gels. They show that, despite occasional minor differences in some organisms, the gel electrophoretic patterns of homologous L-forms and bacterial pairs are sufficiently similar-as well as sufficiently dissimilar from patterns of other genera-to permit generic identification of an unknown L-form by reference to patterns derived from possible parental bacteria.     

Post-fertilization functions of annulate lamellae in the periphery of the egg of Spirorbis borealis (Daudin) (Serpulidae=Annelida)

Summary Post-fertilization changes in the periphery of the egg of Spirorbis borealis are described. The nuclear envelope and cell membrane are formed by the coalescence of short strands of membrane perhaps produced by the Golgi complex. Annulate lamellae are abundant in the forming cells giving rise to endoplasmic reticulum and apparently contributing to genesis of mitochondria. This possibility is discussed.We are grateful to Professor E. W. Knight-Jones in whose department the work was carried out.     

Ultrastructural changes in nurse and follicle cells during late stages of oogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster

Summary During stages 11 and 12, follicle cells surrounding the nurse cells produce lysosomes which presumably aid in the breakdown of the nurse cells. Accompanying a DNA reduction in nurse cell nuclei are several characteristic morphological changes including the appearance of intranuclear rod-like structures and nuclear granules about 300 Å in diameter. Similarities between structures seen in Drosophila nurse cell nuclei and those seen in other organisms are discussed.This research was supported by U. S. Public Health Service Grants 5TIGM903-3 and 1-F1-GM-33, 385-01 and National Science Foundation grant GB-7457.     

Enzyme Activity,Acidic Nuclear Proteins,and Prognosis in Human Breast Cancer

The activities of the enzymes lactate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and phosphohexose isomerase in primary human breast cancer biopsies are shown to be related to the time between mastectomy and recurrence of the cancer. These enzymes have higher activity in malignant breast tissues generally than in non-malignant breast tissues. In tumours from patients with long free periods these differences are not apparent.Evidence is presented which suggests that two different types of breast cancer can be distinguished according to the relative amounts of phosphohexose isomerase and acidic nuclear proteins. It is suggested that this difference may be related to hormone responsiveness.     

A New Plating Medium for the Isolation of Enteric Pathogens: II. Comparison of Hektoen Enteric Agar with S S and E M B Agar

During this study, 2,855 stool specimens from patients at Cook County Hospital were cultured for enteric pathogens. Hektoen Enteric Agar (HE) was compared with E M B and S S Agars by replicate samplings with both direct and indirect methods. Shigella species were recovered more than twice as often on HE Agar as on S S Agar by both methods. With the direct method only, out of 98 Shigella isolated, 97 were isolated from HE Agar, 74 were recovered from E M B Agar, and 40 were found on S S Agar. In addition, HE yielded better isolation of Salmonella strains than did S S or E M B by either direct or indirect methods. The greater efficiency of HE medium is discussed with respect to colonial recognition of enteric pathogens.     

The extracellular enzymes of Coniophora cerebella

1. The extracellular enzymes present in the culture filtrates of Coniophora cerebella grown on various carbohydrate carbon sources were investigated. Enzymes that degraded cellulose derivatives, hemicellulose fractions, starch, laminarin, pectin and several oligosaccharides were detected. 2. All the polysaccharide-degrading activities were adaptive except for that acting on laminarin. 3. The culture filtrates degraded native cellulose to only a very limited extent. 4. The hemicellulase activity included enzymes acting on all the major components of wood hemicellulose. 5. The main starch-degrading enzyme was a glucoamylase. 6. Laminarin-degrading activity was produced when cellulose, hemicellulose or starch was used as carbon source for the fungus and it may be involved in the re-utilization of hyphal carbon or of a reserve polysaccharide synthesized during active growth of the organism.     

The metabolism of [2-14C]indole in the rat

1. [2-¹⁴C]Indole has been synthesized from [¹⁴C]formate and o-toluidine via N[¹⁴C]-formyltoluidine. 2. When fed to rats, the ¹⁴C of [¹⁴C]indole (dose 70–80mg./kg. body wt.) is fairly rapidly excreted, and in 2 days an average of 81% appears in the urine, 11% in the faeces and 2·4% as carbon dioxide in the expired air. 3. Radioactivity is excreted in the urine as indoxyl sulphate (50% of the dose), indoxyl glucuronide (11%), oxindole (1·4%), isatin (5·8%), 5-hydroxyoxindole conjugates (3·1%), N-formylanthranilic acid (0·5%) and unchanged indole (0·07%). The faeces contain indoxyl sulphate (0·4% of the dose) and indole (0·2%), but the major metabolites have not been identified. 4. Fed to rats with biliary cannulae an average of 5·6% of a dose of [¹⁴C]indole (20–60mg./kg. body wt.) is excreted in the bile in 2 days. Radioactivity is present as indoxyl sulphate (0·8% dose) and 5-hydroxyoxindole conjugates (0·6%). 5. Rats further metabolize indoxyl into N-formylanthranilic acid and anthranilic acid, and oxindole into 5-hydroxyoxindole. 6. With rat-liver microsomes plus supernatant under aerobic conditions, indole gives indoxyl, oxindole, possibly isatin, N-formylanthranilic acid and anthranilic acid, but under anaerobic conditions gives only oxindole. Similarly, under aerobic conditions, oxindole gives 5-hydroxyoxindole, anthranilic acid and o-aminophenylacetic acid. 7. Indole is metabolized by two pathways, one via indoxyl to isatin, N-formylanthranilic acid and anthranilic acid, and the other via oxindole to 5-hydroxyoxindole and possibly to o-aminophenylacetic and anthranilic acid. 8. The following new compounds are described: 4-hydroxy-2-nitrophenylacetic acid, 3-, 4- and 5-benzyloxy-2-nitrophenylacetic acid, 5- and 7-hydroxyoxindole and 5-aminoacridine indoxyl sulphate.