Defective lysis of streptomycin-resistant escherichia coli cells infected with bacteriophage f2

A lysis defect was found to account for the failure of a streptomycin-resistant strain of Escherichia coli to form plaques when infected with the male-specific bacteriophage f2. The lysis defect was associated with the mutation to streptomycin resistance. Large amounts of apparently normal bacteriophage accumulated in these cells. Cell-free extracts from both the parental and mutant strains synthesized a potential lysis protein in considerable amounts in response to formaldehyde-treated f2 RNA but not in response to untreated RNA. As predicted from the nucleotide sequence of the analogous MS2 phage, the protein synthesized in vitro had the expected molecular weight and lacked glycine. The cistron for the lysis protein overlapped portions of the coat and replicase cistrons and was translated in the +1 reading frame. Initiation at the lysis protein cistron may be favored by translation errors that expose the normally masked initiation site, and streptomycin-resistant ribosomes, known to have more faithful translation properties, may be unable to efficiently synthesize the lysis protein.     

The isolation and identification of multiple forms of the neutrophil granule peptides from human leukemic cells

HP-1 is a 30-residue cysteine- and arginine-rich peptide of the human neutrophil primary granule and is the most abundant human representative of the family of peptides variously called defensins and corticostatins. Peptides belonging to this family have many biological activities including the non-oxidative destruction of ingested microorganisms, the inhibition of adrenocorticotropin-stimulated synthesis of glucocorticoids, monocyte chemotaxis, the non-cytolytic inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation in HL-60 promyelocyte-like cells and the stimulation of nifedipine-sensitive calcium channels. Using a combination of reversed-phase and size-exclusion high performance liquid chromatography and an HP-1 radio-immunoassay, three immunoreactive peptides were detected and isolated from the promyelocyte-like cell line, HL-60, and from leukocytes of patients with chronic myelogenous and chronic lymphocytic leukemias. One of these peptides was HP-1 itself. A second was identified by gas-phase Edman microsequencing as an amino-terminally extended fragment of the HP-1 precursor which we call HP1-56. The third is likely to arise from enzymatic cleavage of the precursor at a dibasic site. Of the leukemic cells the greatest amount of HP1-56 relative to HP-1 was found in cells from a patient in myeloblastic crisis but overall the richest source of HP1-56 relative to HP-1 was found to be in fetal lung tissue. HP1-56 is difficult to detect in normal peripheral neutrophils and its presence in cells that are actively biosynthesizing primary granule components such as HL-60 may make it useful for studying the biosynthesis of granule polypeptides, their ontogeny, and possibly as a marker protein for leukemic diseases.     

Mutation of the C/EBP binding sites in the Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat and gag enhancers.

Several C/EBP binding sites within the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) long terminal repeat (LTR) and gag enhancers were mutated, and the effect of these mutations on viral gene expression was assessed. Minimal site-specific mutations in each of three adjacent C/EBP binding sites in the LTR reduced steady-state viral RNA levels. Double mutation of the two 5' proximal LTR binding sites resulted in production of 30% of wild-type levels of virus. DNase I footprinting analysis of mutant DNAs indicated that the mutations blocked C/EBP binding at the affected sites. Additional C/EBP binding sites were identified upstream of the 3' LTR and within the 5' end of the LTRs. Point mutations in the RSV gag intragenic enhancer region, which blocked binding of C/EBP at two of three adjacent C/EBP sites, also reduced virus production significantly. Nuclear extracts prepared from both chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) and chicken muscle contained proteins binding to the same RSV DNA sites as did C/EBP, and mutations that prevented C/EBP binding also blocked binding of these chicken proteins. It appears that CEFs and chicken muscle contain distinct proteins binding to these RSV DNA sites; the CEF binding protein was heat stable, as is C/EBP, while the chicken muscle protein was heat sensitive.     

Amantadine-HCl (Symmetrel) in the Management of Parkinson's Disease: A Double-Blind Cross-Over Study

A double-blind cross-over study was carried out in 54 patients with Parkinson''s disease to evaluate the efficacy of amantadine hydrochloride as compared to a lactose placebo in the management of this illness. Amantadine proved to be a useful and safe addition to the armamentarium when given in daily doses of 200 mg. Forty-eight per cent of patients experienced moderate to good results while 31% showed no measurable improvement. The quality of the improvement was inferior to that obtained with levodopa, but the side effects were fewer. The study could not demonstrate a useful synergistic action between the two drugs, nor could the response to amantadine be used to predict that with levodopa. On the other hand, the addition of amantadine was useful in a few instances where optimal therapeutic doses of levodopa could not be given because of side effects. The mechanism of action of amantadine is still conjectural, but there is strong evidence to indicate some interaction with central dopamine metabolism.     

Identification of vaccinia promoters by heterologous expression of hepatitis B surface antigen in mouse cells infected by recombinant vaccinia viruses

DNA fragments preceding open reading frames in a conserved segment of the vaccinia virus genome (Plucienniczak A., et al. (1985) Nucleic Acids Res. 13, 985-998) were cloned into plasmids upstream of the S gene of the hepatitis B virus encoding the surface antigen (HBsAg). Recombinant vaccinia virus obtained after insertion of these constructs into the thymidine kinase gene were used to infect mouse 1D cells. HBsAg was assayed in cellular supernatants. A strong promoter was thus identified in a 295 bp fragment preceding the coding region of the 147 kDa subunit of the vaccinia RNA polymerase.     

Plant species as indicators of the extent of desertification in four sandy rangelands

We examined the distribution of plants in sandy rangelands with different degrees of desertification in (i) Horqin and Mu Us sandy lands in north China, (ii) Darfur district in north‐west Sudan and (iii) southern Tunisia. The severity of desertification in these areas was classified as light, moderate, severe or extreme. The following vegetation changes were observed with increasing severity of desertification: a decrease in the number of plant species, an increase in drought‐tolerant plants, a decrease in the proportion of palatable grasses and the occurrence of some species in only one category of desertification, whereas other species occurred in several categories. Plant species with unique niche requirements were identified and recommended as indicators of the degree of desertification for particular areas. We discuss the characteristics of species in areas with severe desertification and the method of using plant species as indicators of the extent of desertification.     

LF 15-0195 treatment protects against central nervous system autoimmunity by favoring the development of Foxp3-expressing regulatory CD4 T cells

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an instructive model for the human demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis. Lewis (LEW) rats immunized with myelin-basic protein (MBP) develop EAE characterized by a single episode of paralysis, from which they recover spontaneously and become refractory to a second induction of disease. LF 15-0195 is a novel molecule that has potent immunosuppressive effects in several immune-mediated pathological manifestations, including EAE. In the present study, we show that a 30-day course of LF 15-0195 treatment not only prevents MBP-immunized LEW rats from developing EAE but also preserves their refractory phase to reinduction of disease. This effect is Ag driven since it requires priming by the autoantigen during the drug administration. In contrast to other immunosuppressive drugs, short-term treatment with this drug induces a persistent tolerance with no rebound of EAE up to 4 mo after treatment withdrawal. This beneficial effect of LF 15-0195 on EAE does not result from the deletion of MBP-specific Vbeta8.2 encephalitogenic T cells. In contrast, this drug favors the differentiation of MBP-specific CD4 T cells into Foxp3-expressing regulatory T cells that, upon adoptive transfer in syngeneic recipients, prevent the development of actively induced EAE. Finally, we demonstrate that the tolerance induced by LF 15-0195 treatment is not dependent on the presence of TGF-beta. Together, these data demonstrate that short-term treatment with LF 15-0195 prevents MBP-immunized LEW rats from EAE by favoring the development of Foxp-3-expressing regulatory CD4 T cells.