Pathogenic properties of freshly isolated strains of the pertussis microbe

The serovar composition, toxicity, virulence and lymphocytosis stimulating activity (LSA) of B. pertussis strains circulating in the 1980-ies were studied in comparison with the strains circulating in previous years. The study revealed changes in the toxic properties of B. pertussis: their decrease in the years of the intensive immunization of children against whooping cough and rise at the period when the number of immunized children was reduced. The toxic properties and LSA in most B. pertussis strains were less pronounced in the 1980-ies than in the 1960-ies. The serovar composition of the circulating strains remained stable for 15 years with the prevalence of serovar 1.0.3.     

Effects of Root Cutting on Cytokinin Content in the Shoot Apex Cells of Arabidopsis Plants

The dependence of cytokinin accumulation in the shoot apexes of Arabidopsis plants on the delivery of these hormones from the roots was studied. For the estimation of cytokinin content in the cells, the immunohistochemical localization method using antibodies against zeatin riboside was used. Differential conjugation of free cytokinin bases and their ribosides was used to prevent washing of cytokinins during the dehydration process. Root cutting decreased the immunostaining of zeatin in the cells of the shoot apical meristem, thereby supporting the hypothesis about dependence of cytokinin accumulation in these cells on the hormone delivery from the roots. The level of cytokinins in the cells of the shoot apex decreased under the effect of protonophore, indicating the important role of the secondary-active transmembrane transport process of cytokinins in the maintenance of their level in the cells of the shoot apex.     

Superoxide dismutase activity as an index of the toxic action of pesticides

A biochemical method for evaluation of the pesticide effect on the living organisms has been proposed. The key enzyme of antioxidant protection, superoxide dismutase (SOD) serves as an index of toxic influence. In the experiments with mollusks Physa, the inhibition of enzyme under the action of pesticides has been revealed. A reverse dependence between the activity of SOD and the number of perished mollusks has been revealed on the background of increased concentration of toxicant. The proposed method is delicate, simple, sufficiently informative, with the help of it the determination of permissible concentration of adverse substances considerably accelerates.     

Latent persistence of specific antigens of the causative agent in the composition of circulating immune complexes in typhoid fever

This study revealed the presence of O-antigen of group D salmonellae and Vi-antigen in circulating immune complexes in patients with typhoid fever, bacteriologically confirmed (56 +/- 5.6% and 65 +/- 5.4% of cases, respectively) and not confirmed (15.5 +/- 5% and 39 +/- 7% of cases, respectively), in patients with diarrhea of nontyphoid etiology in the presence of negative results of the coagglutination test and in healthy persons. The level and dynamics of circulating immune complexes were established with respect to the antigens contained in these complexes. Altogether O- and Vi-antigens were detected in circulating immune complexes, respectively, in 92%, 96% and 94% of cases on weeks 1, 2 and 3 from the beginning of the disease, and in all cases on weeks 4 and 5, the antigens being determined together and separately. Thus, the latent persistence of S. typhi antigens as part of circulating immune complexes in the blood serum was established. The determination of such persistence is of great pathogenetic and diagnostic importance, which also applies to the early period of the disease. The use of such specific and sensitive method as the coagglutination test for this purpose accelerates and facilitates the diagnosis of typhoid fever.     

Spatiotemporal patterns of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (Mif) expression in the mouse placenta

Background  

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has special pro-inflammatory roles, affecting the functions of macrophages and lymphocytes and counter-regulating the effects of glucocorticoids on the immune response. The conspicuous expression of MIF during human implantation and early embryonic development also suggests this factor acts in reproductive functions. The overall goal of this study was to evaluate Mif expression by trophoblast and embryo placental cells during mouse pregnancy.     

Patchy fur,a Mouse Coat Mutation Associated with X–Y Nondisjunction, Maps to the Pseudoautosomal Boundary Region

Patchy furis a semidominant X-linked mutation in the mouse, resulting in a sparse coat. ThePafmutation also alters the normal segregation of the X and the Y chromosomes during male meiosis by causing nondisjunction at anaphase I. Analysis of 1139 female meioses from an intersubspecific backcross using 15 PCR-based markers localizesPafto an 0.2-cM interval that includes the pseudoautosomal boundary. The meiotic nondisjunction phenotype may result from a chromosomal rearrangement that includes pseudoautosomal sequences and affects XY pairing.