Vibrio cholerae iron transport: haem transport genes are linked to one of two sets of tonB, exbB, exbD genes

Vibrio cholerae was found to have two sets of genes encoding TonB, ExbB and ExbD proteins. The first set ( tonB1, exbB1, exbD1 ) was obtained by complementation of a V. cholerae tonB mutant. In the mutant, a plasmid containing these genes permitted transport via the known V. cholerae high-affinity iron transport systems, including uptake of haem, vibriobactin and ferrichrome. When chromosomal mutations in exbB1 or exbD1 were introduced into a wild-type V. cholerae background, no defect in iron transport was noted, indicating the existence of additional genes that can complement the defect in the wild-type background. Another region of the V. cholerae chromosome was cloned that encoded a second functional TonB/Exb system ( tonB2, exbB2, exbD2 ). A chromosomal mutation in exbB2 also failed to exhibit a defect in iron transport, but a V. cholerae strain that had chromosomal mutations in both the exbB1 and exbB2 genes displayed a mutant phenotype similar to that of an Escherichia coli tonB mutant. The genes encoding TonB1, ExbB1, ExbD1 were part of an operon that included three haem transport genes ( hutBCD ), and all six genes appeared to be expressed from a single Fur-regulated promoter upstream of tonB1 . A plasmid containing all six genes permitted utilization of haem by an E. coli strain expressing the V. cholerae haem receptor, HutA. Analysis of the hut genes indicated that hutBCD, which are predicted to encode a periplasmic binding protein (HutB) and cytoplasmic membrane permease (HutC and HutD), were required to reconstitute the V. cholerae haem transport system in E. coli. In V. cholerae , the presence of hutBCD stimulated growth when haemin was the iron source, but these genes were not essential for haemin utilization in V. cholerae .     

Rabies in Zimbabwe: reservoir dogs and the implications for disease control.

Using detailed field study observations of the side-striped jackal (Canis adustus) and a simple stochastic model of the transmission dynamics of the virus and host demography, we discuss the epidemiology of rabies virus infection in the jackal population of Zimbabwe. Of the two jackal species in Zimbabwe, the other being the black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas), the bulk of notified rabies cases are in side-striped jackals. Specifically, we show that the side-striped jackal population itself does not seem able to support rabies infection endemically, i.e. without frequent reintroduction from outside sources of infection. We argue that this is probably because the overall average jackal population density is too low to maintain the chain of infection. This study suggests that the disease is regularly introduced to jackals by rabid dogs from populations associated with human settlements. Given the rapidly rising dog population in Zimbabwe, estimates are derived of the future incidence of jackal rabies based on different dog-vaccination scenarios.     

A Genetic Analysis of Interactions with Spc110p Reveals Distinct Functions of Spc97p and Spc98p, Components of the Yeast γ-Tubulin Complex

The spindle pole body (SPB) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae functions as the microtubule-organizing center. Spc110p is an essential structural component of the SPB and spans between the central and inner plaques of this multilamellar organelle. The amino terminus of Spc110p faces the inner plaque, the substructure from which spindle microtubules radiate. We have undertaken a synthetic lethal screen to identify mutations that enhance the phenotype of the temperature-sensitive spc110–221 allele, which encodes mutations in the amino terminus. The screen identified mutations in SPC97 and SPC98, two genes encoding components of the Tub4p complex in yeast. The spc98–63 allele is synthetic lethal only with spc110 alleles that encode mutations in the N terminus of Spc110p. In contrast, the spc97 alleles are synthetic lethal with spc110 alleles that encode mutations in either the N terminus or the C terminus. Using the two-hybrid assay, we show that the interactions of Spc110p with Spc97p and Spc98p are not equivalent. The N terminus of Spc110p displays a robust interaction with Spc98p in two different two-hybrid assays, while the interaction between Spc97p and Spc110p is not detectable in one strain and gives a weak signal in the other. Extra copies of SPC98 enhance the interaction between Spc97p and Spc110p, while extra copies of SPC97 interfere with the interaction between Spc98p and Spc110p. By testing the interactions between mutant proteins, we show that the lethal phenotype in spc98–63 spc110–221 cells is caused by the failure of Spc98–63p to interact with Spc110–221p. In contrast, the lethal phenotype in spc97–62 spc110–221 cells can be attributed to a decreased interaction between Spc97–62p and Spc98p. Together, these studies provide evidence that Spc110p directly links the Tub4p complex to the SPB. Moreover, an interaction between Spc98p and the amino-terminal region of Spc110p is a critical component of the linkage, whereas the interaction between Spc97p and Spc110p is dependent on Spc98p.     

Analysis of essential histidine residues of maize branching enzymes by chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis

Incubation of maize branching enzyme, mBEI and mBEII, with 100 μM diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) rapidly inactivated the enzymes. Treatment of the DEPC-inactivated enzymes with 100–500 mM hydroxylamine restored the enzyme activities. Spectroscopic data indicated that the inactivation of BE with DEPC was the result of histidine modification. The addition of the substrate amylose or amylopectin retarded the enzyme inactivation by DEPC, suggesting that the histidine residues are important for substrate binding. In maize BEII, conserved histidine residues are in catalytic regions 1 (His320) and 4 (His508). His320 and His508 were individually replaced by Ala via site-directed mutagenesis to probe their role in catalysis. Expression of these mutants inE. coli showed a significant decrease of the activity and the mutant enzymes hadK _m values 10 times higher than the wild type. Therefore, residues His320 and His508 do play an important role in substrate binding.     

Characterization of a Helicobacter pylori vaccine candidate by proteome techniques

In a previous two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoretic study of protein antigens of the gastric pathogen, Helicobacter pylori recognized by human sera, one of the highly and consistently reactive antigens, a protein with M_r of approximately 30?000 (Spot 15) seemed to be of special interest because of low yields on N-terminal protein sequencing. This suggested possible N-terminal modification, as the N-terminal sequence analysis of this 30?000 protein (Spot 15) did not provide a definitive match within the H. pylori genomic database. This protein was isolated by 2D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, evaluated by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, and found to consist of two related species of approximately 28?100 and 26?500. In parallel, the proteins within this spot were digested in situ with the endoprotease Lys-C. Analysis of the Lys-C digest by matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry, peptide mapping, and sequence analysis was conducted. Comparison of the mass and sequence of the Lys-C peptides with those derived from a H. pylori genomic library identified an open reading frame of approximately 300 base pairs as the source of the Spot 15 protein. This corresponded to HP0175 in the recently reported H. pylori genome sequence, an open reading frame with some homology to Campylobacter jejeuni cell binding protein 2. Mass spectral and sequence analysis indicated that Spot 15 was a processed product generated by proteolytic cleavage at both the carboxy and amino termini of the 34 open reading frame precursor.     

A model for the regulation of cerebral oxygen delivery

On the basis of the assumption that oxygen delivery across theendothelium is proportional to capillary plasmaPO₂, a model is presented that linkscerebral metabolic rate of oxygen utilization(CMR_O2) to cerebral blood flow(CBF) through an effective diffusivity for oxygen (D) of the capillarybed. On the basis of in vivo evidence that the oxygen diffusivityproperties of the capillary bed may be altered by changes in capillaryPO₂, hematocrit, and/or bloodvolume, the model allows changes in D with changes in CBF. Choice inthe model of the appropriate ratio of   (D/D)/(CBF/CBF)determines the dependence of tissue oxygen delivery on perfusion.Buxton and Frank (J. Cereb. Blood Flow. Metab. 17: 64-72, 1997) recently presented alimiting case of the present model in which  = 0. In contrast to thetrends predicted by the model of Buxton and Frank, in the current modelwhen > 0, the proportionality between changes in CBF andCMR_O2 becomes more linear, and similardegrees of proportionality can exist at different basal values ofoxygen extraction fraction. The model is able to fit the observedproportionalities between CBF and CMR_O2 for a large range ofphysiological data. Although the model does not validate any particularobserved proportionality between CBF andCMR_O2, generally values of(CMR_O2/CMR_O2)/(CBF/CBF) close to unity have been observed across ranges of graded anesthesia inrats and humans and for particular functional activations in humans.The model's capacity to fit the wide range of data indicates that theoxygen diffusivity properties of the capillary bed, which can bemodified in relation to perfusion, play an important role in regulatingcerebral oxygen delivery in vivo.