Streptomycetes possess peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases that strongly resemble cyclophilins from eukaryotic organisms

A functionally active 17.5 kDa peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase was purified to homogeneity from Streptomyces chrysomallus, a Gram-positive filamentous bacterium. Characterization of the enzyme revealed inhibition and binding characteristics, against the immunsuppressive drug cyclosporin A, which were similar to cyclophilins from eukaryotes such as mammals, plants, fungi and yeasts, but different from those of cyclophilins from enterobacteria such as Escherichia coli. The amino acid sequence of the S. chrysomallus cyclophilin, as deduced from the gene sequence, revealed a striking degree of amino acid sequence identity with the corresponding 17 kDa proteins of humans (66%), Neurospora (70%) and yeast (69%). Comparison with cyclophilin sequences from the Gram-negative enterobacteria revealed much less homology (25% identity with E. coli b, 23% identity with E. coli a). Cyclophilin was detected in each of the four other Streptomyces species tested. The cyclophilins from the various streptomycetes differed in size, varying between 17 and 20.5 kDa. The cyclophilins were abundant in the Streptomyces cells, and present throughout growth.     

Cumulation of mycotoxins in maize cobs infected with<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium gramihearum</Emphasis>

Maize cobs withFusarium ear rot were collected at 1986 season and five infected byFusarium graminearum were analyzed for presence of triohothecenes and zearalenone. Collected material was subsampled forFusarium damaged kernels and corresponding axial stems and healthy looking kernels. All investigated cobs contained deoxynivalenol (DON) (range 18.0–131.5 mg/kg) and zearalenone (ZEA) (range 0.38–2.17 mg/kg), in four cobs 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (15-AcDON) (range 5.2–6.2 mg/kg) was present and two cobs besides three all metabolites contained 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-AcD0N) (range 0.5–0.8 mg/kg).The average of individual toxins amount in axial stems: in mg/kg was equal to: DON — 110.36, ZEA — 4.57, 15-AcD0N — 16.66, and 3-AcD0N — 1.32.Fusarium damaged kernels contained in average the following amount (mg/kg) of: DON 77.00, ZEA 0.98, 15-AcD0N 3.78 and 3-AcD0N 0.06. Healthy looking kernels contained DON 1.96 mg/kg and ZEA 0.07 mg/kg only. Cooccurrence of 3-AcDON and 15-AcDON in two samples was an interesting finding. The amount of DON in total cob was highly correlated (r = 0.94) with percentage ofFusarium damaged kernels in given ear.     

Microbial colonization and succession in the large intestine of newborn infants during their stay with mothers at the maternity hospital]

Formation of microflora in the large intestine of 5-day old infants was studied in one of the Moscow maternity homes. The up-to-date procedures for isolation and identification of aerobic and anaerobic organisms were used in the study and the findings were processed on a computer. In the newborns of the maternity home of the "mother-infant" type there was observed colonization of the large intestine with aerobic and anaerobic organisms. A wave-like dynamics in the formation of the symbiotic microflora was revealed. It reflected the phenomenon of the microbial succession in the infants. The attempts to detect microbial interference between the species colonizing the large intestine showed that it was extremely rare in the 5-day old infants. This was likely the reason of the low intestine resistance to the colonization in the newborns which in its turn defined the frequent colonization of the intestine mucosa with S. aureus and the organisms of the Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Citrobacter group.     

Morphological evidence for a close interaction of chromaffin cells with cortical cells within the adrenal gland

Summary The adrenal medulla appears to exert a regulatory influence on adrenocortical steroidogenesis. We have therefore studied the morphology of rat, porcine and bovine adrenals in order to characterize the contact zones of adrenomedullary and adrenocortical tissues. The distribution of chromaffin cells located within the adrenal cortex and of cortical cells located within the adrenal medulla was investigated. Chromaffin cells were characterized by immunostaining for synaptophysin and chromogranin A, both being considered specific for neuroendocrine cells. Cortical cells were characterized by immunostaining for 17-hydroxylase, an enzyme of the steroid pathway. Cellular contacts of chromaffin cells and cortical cells were examined at the electron microscopical level. In rat and porcine adrenals, rays of chromaffin cells, small cell clusters and single chromaffin cells or small invaginations from the medulla could be detected in all three zones of the cortex. Chromaffin cells often spread in the subcapsular space of the zona glomerulosa. In porcine and bovine adrenals, 17-hydroxylase immunoreactive cells were localized within the medulla. Single cortical cells and small accumulations of cells were spread throughout this region. At the ultrastructural level, the chromaffin cells located within the cortex in pig and rat adrenals formed close cellular contacts with cortical cells in all three zones. Our morphological data provide evidence for a possible paracrine role of chromaffin cells; this may be important for the neuroregulation of the adrenal cortex.     

Microbial colonization and succession on the faucial mucosa in newborn infants rooming in with their mothers in a maternity hospital]

The formation of microflora on the laryngeal mucosa in newborn infants during the first 5 days of their life was studied in one of the maternity hospitals of Moscow. In this work modern methods of the isolation and identification of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms were used, and the results thus obtained were computer-processed. In the maternity hospital of the "mother-child" type the microbial colonization of the laryngeal mucosa by normal and opportunistic microorganisms was noted in newborn infants. A wave-like course of the formation of laryngeal microflora, indicative of microbial succession occurring in the child, was revealed. The attempt to establish the cases of microbial interference between the species colonizing the laryngeal mucosa revealed that it was very rarely observed in 5-day-old newborns. This feature was seemingly the cause of low resistance of the larynx to colonization in newborn infants, which determined frequent colonization of their laryngeal mucosa with Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella.     

A bioluminescent assay for the determination of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity in nanogram-sized tissue samples

A highly specific and sensitive assay for the determination of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in nanogram-sized tissue samples is described. This test system is based on the stoichiometric transformation of phosphoenolpyruvate into ATP. In a subsequent step ATP is quantified by bioluminescent techniques. The applicability of this assay system is shown by measurements in liver samples with normal and high PEPCK activity levels.     

A plasmodial alpha-tubulin cDNA from Physarum polycephalum. Nucleotide sequence and comparative analysis

As the first step towards correlating structure and function of tubulin in the slime mold Physarum polycephalum we have elucidated the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA that appears to code for all but the last 25 to 30 C-terminal amino acids of a plasmodial alpha-tubulin. Differences in amino acid sequence from those of other alpha-tubulins are distributed fairly evenly throughout the sequence, although a relatively extensive conserved region is found in position 396 to 426 near the C terminus. A small region in position 298 to 307 contains a cluster of amino acid residues unique to Physarum alpha-tubulin. The sequence is 70% homologous to two yeast alpha-tubulins and about 83% homologous to five animal alpha-tubulins. A comparison of the homologies of all the known alpha-tubulins indicates that a large decrease in the accepted point mutation rate has occurred during the evolution of the metazoa, suggesting a major functional specialization of microtubules.     

Differential regulation of the brain and gut immunoreactive dynorphin by the serotonin system

Administration of drugs such as fenfluramine, 20-40 mg/kg, and m-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP), 2.5-5 mg/kg, which release serotonin or activate postsynaptic serotonin receptors, respectively, induced a dramatic decrease in the duodenal content of immunoreactive dynorphin (ir-DYN). The effect was antagonized by cyproheptadine, 1 mg/kg. Similarly, acute administration of the specific serotonin reuptake blockers fluvoxamine, 15 mg/kg, or femoxetine, 10 mg/kg, and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), 40-160 mg/kg, evoked a marked decrease in the duodenal content of ir-DYN. A combined administration of fluvoxamine or femoxetine and 5-HTP failed to potentiate the effect of individual treatment. Only a higher dose of fenfluramine, 40 mg/kg, increased the ir-DYN content in the hypothalamus. These results suggest that the brain and gut ir-DYN is independently regulated by the serotonin system and that a serotonin mechanism might stimulate release of the gut dynorphin content.     

Relation between macronuclear DNA and total protein content and generation time in thechilodonella steini (Ciliata) sister cells

Summary Using the monotone dependence function (mdf) together with correlation coefficient it was found that the Ma-DNA content as well as total protein content are regularly, linearly, positively and strongly dependent in sister cells (proter-opisthe) ofChilodonella steini. Additionally it was shown that proter-opisthe ordering is irrelevant to Ma-DNA and protein contents.Analysis of sister cell generation times (TG) confirmed the existence of regular, linear, positive and strong codependence.The relations between Ma-DNA and total protein contents, between protein content and TG, and between Ma-DNA content and TG were also described. There is a weak, linear dependence between Ma-DNA and total protein contents. Relations of TG and Ma-DNA content or TG and total protein content are non-linear and not even monotone. Low and high levels of DNA or proteins are connected with long generation times.