Specific DNA probes for the identification of the fish pathogen,Renibacterium salmoninarum

To obtain specific DNA probes for the identification of the fish pathogen, Renibacterium salmoninarum, a discriminatory recombinant DNA library was constructed using selective fragments of the bacterial genome. Three renibacterial clones, pMAM29, pMAM46 and pMAM77, containing 149, 73, and 154 bp respectively, were isolated and characterized. The specificity of the probes was confirmed by dot-blot and Southern hybridization analyses. Bacterial hybridization experiments revealed that pMAM29 discriminates the R. salmoninarum genome from that of other fish pathogens such as Aeromonas salmonicida, Yersinia ruckeri, Flexibacter columnaris, Lactobacillus piscicola, Vibrio ordalii, Vibrio anguillarum and Aeromonas hydrophila. Thus, this probe may provide a new means to diagnose bacterial kidney disease in asymptomatic fish and ova.The authors are with the instituto de Bioquímica, Universidad Austral de Chile, P.O. Box 567, Valdivia, Chile     

Inhibition of Bacillus spores by combinations of heat,potassium sorbate,NaCl and pH

Viability of spores of Bacillus cereus was totally inhibited at 85°C over 30 min by adding 0.4% (w/v) potassium sorbate with 6% (w/v) NaCl at pH 4.5. Viability of B. stearothermophilus spores was totally inhibited at 95°C for 45 min in a buffer at pH 4.2 containing 0.8% (w/v) potassium sorbate and 8% (w/v) NaCl. A synergistic inhibitory effect was demonstrated in some of the combinations. The inhibition may be due to interference with the heat-resistance apparatus of the spores.O.B. Oloyede was and J. Scholefield is with the Department of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Food Science Division, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1SD, UK. O.B. Oloyede is now with the Department of Biochemistry, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.     

Insertion sequence (IS) hybridization supports classification of Rhizobium meliloti by phage typing

Sixty-one isolates of Rhizobium meliloti from two field sites which had been previously classified into 15 phage types on the basis of sensitivity to 16 typing phages, were subjected to insertion sequence (IS) hybridization using DNA probes for ISR m 3 and ISR m 5. Isolates from all but one phage type contained ISR m 3 (apparent copy no. 1–11) and all isolates contained ISR m 5 (apparent copy no. 3–11). The isolates were placed into 24 IS classes based on differences in their respective ISR m 3 and ISR m 5 hybridization profiles. At either field site, isolates representing different phage types possessed IS hybridization profiles that differed from each other, while those comprising a specific type had identical or closely related profiles. Isolates from one phage type were unusual since they did not react with any of the typing phages and were shown by IS hybridization to constitute a heterogeneous group. Evidence for spatial effects were provided by isolates from two of six types present at both sites which fell into separate IS classes on the basis of their site of origin. These data have ecological implications and suggest that for a particular site, phage typing may be employed for the rapid assessment of the genetic diversity among field isolates.     

Comparison of phylogenetic relationships based on phospholipid fatty acid profiles and ribosomal RNA sequence similarities among dissimilatory sulfate-reducing bacteria

Abstract Twenty-five isolates of dissimilatory sulfate-reducing bacteria were clustered based on similarity analysis of their phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids (PLFA). Of these, 22 showed that phylogenetic relationships based on the sequence similarity of their 16S rRNA directly paralleled the PLFA relationships. Desulfobacter latus and Desulfobacter curvatus grouped with the other Desulfobacter spp. by 16S rRNA comparison but not with the PLFA analysis as they contained significantly more monoenoic PLFA than the others. Similarly, Desulfovibrio africanus clustered with the Desulfovibrio spp. by 16S rRNA but not with them when analyzed by PLFA patterns because of higher monoenoic PLFA content. Otherwise, clustering obtained with either analysis was essentially congruent. The relationships defined by PLFA patterns appeared robust to shifts in nutrients and terminal electron acceptors. Additional analyses utilizing the lipopolysaccharide-lipid A hydroxy fatty acid patterns appeared not to shift the relationships based on PLFA significantly except when completely absent, as in Gram-positive bacteria. Phylogenetic relationships between isolates defined by 16S rRNA sequence divergence represent a selection clearly different from the multi-enzyme activities responsible for the PLFA patterns. Determination of bacterial relationships based on different selective pressures for various cellular components provides more clues to evolutionary history leading to a more rational nomenclature.     

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) of Genomic DNA of Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis Isolates in a Hospital

Epidemiological typing, based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), was attempted for the 38 clinical isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis obtained at Shinshu University Hospital during the years 1987 and 1993. Digestion with SmaI or NotI generated well separable, 12 to 5 genomic DNA fragments ranging from 1,000 kb to 30 kb and the strains could be classified into 14 or 13 types, respectively. The electrophoretic profile differed with the strain in most of them and was hence useful to distinguish the each strain. Investigation for their RFLP have, however, suggested that majority of them, including the type strain ATCC25238, may have derived from a common ancestor.     

Cellular location,activity states,and macromolecular organization of glucoamylase in Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum

By application of immunocytochemical techniques at the electron microscope level, glucoamylase was localized to the cell periphery in Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum during and following growth on starch, sucrose or glucose. Levels of immunolabelling were found to be relatively independent of growth substrate and of phase of growth, whereas previous studies had demonstrated strong dependence of glucoamylase activity on growth conditions; previously high levels of glucoamylase activity had been detected after growth on starch (i.e. during the stationary phase after growth) and only very low activities detected during exponential growth and following growth on glucose. The results presented demonstrate that levels of the glucoamylase protein are independent of measurable enzyme activity, and imply that the protein is constitutive. This indicates that the protein can exist in active and inactive states in the cell. By analogy with similar systems, we consider it likely that maturation or activation of newly synthesized glucoamylase occurs during (or following) transport through the cytoplasmic membrane. Electron microscopy of individual protein molecules which had been subjected to negative staining revealed that the enzyme consists of two domains of approximately equal size which are linked by a hinge region.     

Analysis of feeding mechanism in a pitcher ofNepenthes hybrida

The process of digestion of captured feeds in a pitcher, an insect-trapping organ, ofNepenthes was studied. Changes in bacterial population, pH and NH₄ ⁺ concentrations in pitcher juice were examined. Strong activities of both acid- and alkaline phosphatase, phosphoamidase, esterase C4 and esterase C8 were found in the pitcher juice. Optimum pH of proteases in the juice and those secreted from bacteria showed pH 3.0 and pH 8.0–9.0, respectively. Twenty six strains of bacteria were isolated from 4 pitchers: 10 strains were gram positive, 16 strains were gram negative (10 strains had casein hydrolase activity). A proton excretion was induced by NH₄ ⁺ released from the added solutions, and accordingly, the pH of the solutions fell. As a simulation model of the digestion process of feeds in pitcher juice and polypeptone solution was added into the washed pitcher. A good correlation was found among the NH₄ ⁺ concentration, pH and bacterial cell titer.     

乳腺良恶肿瘤患者超声弹性成像定量参数与临床分期、病理分子分型的相关性分析

摘要 目的：探讨乳腺良恶肿瘤患者超声弹性成像定量参数与临床分期、病理分子分型的相关性。方法：选择2020年1月至2022年12月来我院诊治的乳腺肿块患者85例,均行超声弹性成像检查,分析85例乳腺肿块患者的病理检查结果,对比良恶性肿瘤患者的弹性成像参数,对弹性应变率、直径变化率、面积比及三者联合绘制ROC曲线,分析不同乳腺肿瘤患者临床分期的弹性成像参数,分析乳腺肿瘤患者病理分子分型的弹性成像参数。结果：85例乳腺肿块患者中,良性肿块35例,恶性肿块50例。恶性组的弹性应变率、肿块直径、直径变化率、肿块面积、面积比明显较良性组低（P<0.05）。面积比ROC曲线AUC为0.580,以1.73为临界值,乳腺恶性肿瘤的诊断灵敏度为73.5 %,特异度为38.5 %;直径变化率ROC曲线AUC为0.630,以0.28为临界值,诊断灵敏度为75.5 %,特异度为47.5 %;弹性应变率ROC曲线AUC为0.790,以15.2 cm²为临界值,诊断灵敏度为64.5 %,特异度为83.5 %,以三者联合绘制ROC曲线,AUC为0.920,诊断灵敏度为82.5 %,特异度为92.5 %。乳腺恶性肿瘤患者TNM分期Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ期者的弹性应变率、肿块直径、直径变化率、肿块面积、面积比对比有统计学意义（P<0.05）;其中Ⅳ期者的弹性应变率、肿块直径、直径变化率、肿块面积、面积比明显较Ⅲ、Ⅱ、Ⅰ期者高,Ⅲ期者明显较Ⅱ、Ⅰ期者高,Ⅱ期者明显较Ⅰ期高。乳腺恶性肿瘤患者Luminal A型者、Liminal B型者、Her2过表达型者、基底样型者的弹性应变率、肿块直径、直径变化率、肿块面积、面积比对比有统计学意义（P<0.05）;其中Liminal B型者的弹性应变率、肿块直径、直径变化率、肿块面积、面积比明显较Luminal A型者、Her2过表达型者、基底样型者高,Her2过表达型者明显较Luminal A型者、基底样型者高（P均<0.05）,Luminal A型者与基底样型者对比无统计学意义（P>0.05）。结论：超声弹性成像可用于乳腺良恶肿瘤的诊断,超声弹性成像定量参数可用于恶性乳腺肿瘤临床分期、Liminal B型、Her2过表达型的判断。     

金黄色葡萄球菌L型和人乳头瘤病毒与宫颈癌关系的研究

应用改良革兰氏染色和免疫组化染色（ＡＢＣ法）,对２７０例宫颈癌和３３例慢性宫颈炎进行了研究。结果发现,宫颈癌革兰氏染色切片中细菌Ｌ型感染率（７５．１％）明显高于慢性宫颈炎（４５．５％）（Ｐ＜０．０５）,金黄色葡萄球菌Ｌ型抗原阳性率（７６．２％）明显高于人乳头瘤病毒（ＨＰＶ）抗原阳性率（５７．１％）。Ｌ型、ＨＰＶ混合感染率为４２．８％。上述结果表明宫颈癌中金葡菌Ｌ型与ＨＰＶ感染均常见,尤其金葡菌Ｌ型感染更为多见;金葡菌Ｌ型与ＨＰＶ感染的致病特征相似,两者均有不同程度的空泡细胞出现。提示金葡菌Ｌ型感染可能也是宫颈癌的致癌重要因素之一。     

肺切除术患者下呼吸道细菌L型培养及其临床研究

本文在５０例行肺切除术中,分别采集病肺、支气管切缘、健侧支气管内分泌物４５０份,做常规细菌和细菌Ｌ型培养及药敏试验。分离出需氧菌和真菌６０株,厌氧菌１２株、细菌Ｌ型４２株。菌群主要分布在病肺内约占５０％。需氧菌种中Ｇ＋球菌占６１．７％,葡萄球菌多见;其次Ｇ￣＋杆菌占２３．３％,以肠杆菌科细菌为主。厌氧菌占细菌型１６．７％。细菌Ｌ型特点与细菌型一致。围术期选择作用于细胞壁和细胞质的抗生素,以杀灭细菌型及细菌Ｌ型感染。