Temperature Response in Animals Infected with Bacillus anthracis

Rats, rabbits, swine, guinea pigs, and monkeys were infected with anthrax spores, and their temperature responses were recorded. These were characteristic for a species and appeared independent of resistance or susceptibility of the species toward establishment of the disease. The rabbit appeared unique in that it not only failed to demonstrate a dose-response relationship over an 8-log dose range, but acted independently producing erratic body temperatures depending on spore dose. This limits the usefulness of the rabbit in studying anthrax pathogenesis, and poses questions regarding published data with the rabbit as the test animal.     

Spectrophotometric Measurements of Phytochrome in vivo and Their Correlation with Photomorphogenic Responses of Phaseolus

Direct in vivo measurements of phytochrome have been made in Phaseolus vulgaris by 2-filter difference spectrophotometry (Ratiospect). All measurements were made at 730 versus 800 nm and it is assumed that the Δ (ΔOD) is directly proportional to the PFR concentration of phytochrome present. Dose response curves were determined for both physiological and spectrophotometric responses for red induction and far-red photoinactivation. For induction, saturation occurs at 100 mj/cm² and for inactivation at 30 mj/cm². The rate of hook opening and the physiological response measured 20 hours after induction are both shown to be directly proportional to the initial amount of PFR present spectrophotometrically. The sensitivity of the tissue correlates well with the absolute amount of phytochrome present, the inner portion of the hook having the maximum concentration of 0.042 Δ (ΔOD)/g fresh weight. If the total reversible phytochrome concentration is reduced by exposure to red light and allowing PFR to decay out of the system the remaining sensitivity of the tissue is shown to be directly correlated with the amount of PR remaining in the tissue. PFR disappears rapidly in the dark at 25°, and is not detectable after 6 hours. There is no indication that PFR reverts in the system to PR. At 4°, PFR does not disappear measurably up to 1 hour and is nearly totally reversible to PR.     

中国拟盘多毛孢属真菌的七个新组合

作者按照Steyaert(1949)和Sutton(1980)的分类观点,对1987—1988年从我国广西、江西、浙江等地采集的Pestalotiopsis属真菌进行了研究,确认了拟盘多毛孢属真菌的7个新组合种,即Pestalotiopsis carveri(Guba)comb nov.,Pestalotiopsis elasticae(Koord.)comb.nov.,Pestalotiopsis langloisii(Guba)comb.nov.,Pestalotiopsis oleandri(Guba)comb.nov.,Pestalotiopsis sinensis(shen)comb.nov.,Pestalotiopsis sydowiana(Bres.)comb.nov.和Pestalotiopsis zahlbruckneriana(Bres.)comb.nov.     

Single-step purification of pertussis toxin and its subunits by heat-treated fetuin-sepharose affinity chromatography

A general procedure for purifying biologically active pertussis toxin from Bordetella pertussis fermentation broth using affinity chromatography on heat-treated fetuin-Sepharose CL-4B is described. Diethanolamine is used as eluent in this single-step purification to prepare endotoxin-free pertussis toxin in good yield (70%) and high purity (greater than 95%). This one-step affinity chromatography procedure can be easily applied for large-scale preparation of pertussis toxin S1 subunit and its B-component. The affinity-purified S1 subunit is devoid of any of the histamine-sensitizing activity normally associated with pertussis toxin. The chromatographically purified pertussis toxin and its subunits retained their immunogenicity and could induce high levels of anti-toxin neutralizing antibodies.     

Resistance to H-2-restricted but not to allo-H2-specific graft and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses in lymphoma mutant

The lymphoma mutant RMA-S escaped graft rejection after transplantation over a minor histocompatibility barrier, whereas it was rejected in H-2 allogeneic mice. The parental control line was rejected in both situations. The mutant, which had been selected against MHC class I molecules retained 5 to 10% of the wild-type H-2Db, Kb, and beta 2-microglobulin expression on the cell surface. It remained sensitive to allo-H-2b CTL in vitro, but was completely resistant to minor histocompatibility antigen-specific, H-2b-restricted CTL. It was equally resistant to other H-2b-restricted responses against internally derived Ag, such as tumor-specific CTL or a CTL clone specific for the influenza virus nucleoprotein. The results indicate a target cell defect that selectively abolishes the sensitivity to H-2-restricted CTL directed against internally processed Ag. This appears sufficient to shift the transplantation response over a minor histocompatibility Ag barrier from rejection to acceptance. There are two possible explanations for the results: 1) a block in the MHC class I-directed pathway for internal Ag processing, and 2) subthreshold H-2/Ag ligand density in relation to triggering requirements of restricted CTL. Regardless of the type of defect, the results demonstrate a difference between allo-H-2-specific and H-2-restricted CTL recognition at the level of the target cell.     

A rapid posttranslational myristylation of a 68-kD protein in D. discoideum

Cells incubated with [3H]myristate were shown to rapidly and specifically acylate a 68-kD protein, p68, in a developmentally-regulated manner. The fatty acid incorporated into p68 was identified as myristate, and is linked to the protein via an amide bond, apparently to an NH2-terminal glycine. The acylation of p68 in D. discoideum displays some unusual properties. Unexpectedly, myristylation of p68 is a posttranslational event and occurs in the presence of inhibitors of protein synthesis. Another unusual finding was that although p68 is a stable protein, the acyl moiety is removed with a half time of approximately 15 min.     

Production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and lymphotoxin (TNF-beta) by murine pre-B and B cell lymphomas

Media from murine pre-B and B lymphoma cell cultures, but not from myeloma cell cultures, was cytotoxic to WEHI 164 cells, causing these TNF-sensitive targets to release 51Cr. The cytotoxic activity in the culture medium reached maximum levels approximately 4 days after the cell culture was initiated. The constitutive production of the factors was not influenced by depletion of serum from the medium or by the addition of either phorbol ester or bacterial endotoxin. The factor has a Mr greater than 10 kDa, and its cytotoxicity was abolished by anti-serum against murine TNF. Northern blot analysis with the use of cDNA probes to murine tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and lymphotoxin (LT, TNF-beta) showed high levels of TNF-mRNA in the pre-B cell lines, lower levels in the mature B cell lines and no TNF-mRNA in the myeloma cell lines. LT mRNA was present in pre-B cell lines, at a much lower concentration in only one of the B cell lines, and was not present in three other B lymphomas or in the myelomas tested. The results show a positive correlation between the presence of TNF and/or LT mRNA and the 51Cr-releasing activity present in the cell culture medium. Our data indicate that TNF and LT can be produced by murine B cells and that the synthesis of these cytokines may be restricted to certain differentiation stages of the B cell lineage.