Capnocytophaga: New genus of Gram-negative gliding bacteria. II. Morphology and ultrastructure

Gram-negative, anaerobic gliding bacteria were isolated from normal supragingival plaque and from periodontal lesions. Isolates could be divided into two size classes: small 2.4–4.2 m×0.38–0.5 m and large 4.8–5.8 m×0.42–0.6 m cells. The outer membrane was either loose-fitting and wavy, or taut, and of variable thickness. An electron-dense fuzz was discernible on several of the isolates. The periplasmic region was of variable electron-density. The genus Capnocytophaga has been proposed for these organisms based on morphological and cultural characteristics.     

Phosphoprotein intermediate in the ca2+-dependent atpase reaction of macrophage plasma membrane

ATPase activity and phosphorylation by [γ-³²P] ATP of isolated plasma membrane of alveolar macorphages are stimulated in a parallel fashion by physiologic concentrations of Ca²⁺, with half-maximal activating effect of this ion at (3–7) × 10^?7 M. For various membrane preparations, a direct proportionality exists between Ca²⁺-dependent ATPase activity and amount of ³²P incorporated. Labeling of membrane attains the steady-state level by 10 sec at 0°C, and is rapidly reversed by adenosine diphosphate (ADP). K⁺ decreases the amount of membrane-bound ³²P, mainly by enhancing the rate of dephosphorylation of the ³²P-intermediate. Hydroxylamine causes a release of about 90% of ³²P bound to the membrane, thus indicating that the ³²P-intermediate contains an acyl-phosphate bond. When the labeled plasma membrane is solubilized and electrophoresed on acrylamide gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate, the radioactivity appears to be largely associated with a single protein fraction of 132,500 ± 2,000 apparent molecular weight. These features of the macrophage Ca²⁺-ATPase suggest that the enzyme activity might be part of a surface-localized Ca²⁺-extrusion system, participating in the regulation of Ca²⁺-dependent activities of the macrophage.     

A human breast tumor cell line (BT-474) that supports mouse mammary tumor virus replication

Summary A human breast tumor cell line BT-474 derived from an invasive ductal carcinoma was experimentally infected in vitro with a mouse mammary tumor virus from the RIII strain (RIII-MuMTV). The virus that replicated in the human cells was characterized as a mouse virus by immunofluorescence, electron microscopy and the presence of a specific RNA-directed DNA polymerase. The cells themselves were human as per the karyotype and isoenzyme migration patterns. It is concluded that human cells are susceptible to the mouse mammary tumor virus and can, eventually, support its replication. This work was supported by USPHS Grant CA-08515 from the National Cancer Institute and by NIH Contract N01-CP-81003.     

Flash-induced photophosphorylation in Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores I. The relationship between cytochrome c-420 content and photophosphorylation

The content of cytochrome c-420 in Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores prepared by grinding with alumina is 5–10% of that in whole cells, and 20–40% in chromatophores by ‘French’ pressing.Flash-induced phosphorylation of various chromatophores which varied in cytochrome content from 7 to 40% is proportional to the cytochrome content. Extrapolating the cytochrome c-420 content to that observed in whole cells, a ratio $\text{ATP}\text{P}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{X}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ near 1 is calculated. At low flash intensity the phosphorylation per flash is proportional to flash energy.Photophosphorylation in flashes given after a time of several minutes is only slightly dependent on the number of flashes. If the flashes are spaced from 0.1 to 10 s, relative phosphorylation in the first flash is about 70% and in the second 90% of that observed in the following flashes. Proton binding is not affected by the cytochrome c-420 content and a ratio of $\text{H}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{P}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{X}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ of 2.3 was found.These results can be explained by a working hypothesis in which charge separation occurring at one reaction centre and the resulting electron transport mediated amongst others by c-420, results in the injection of two protons into an ATPase, this in contrast to a chemiosmotic mechanism, where the protons are released in the chromatophore inner space.     

Antimetabolic activities of 2-fluoro-L-histidine.

2-Fluoro-L-Histidine inhibits protein synthesis in various cell cultures, as measured by ³H-leucine incorporation. This histidine analog also inhibits the cytopathogenicity of a number of RNA and DNA viruses in primary and continuous cell cultures; it blocks the transformation of normal mouse (MO) cells by murine sarcoma virus, and partially suppresses the release of murine leukemia virus by a continuously infected mouse cell line (JLSV5). In human skin fibroblasts, it reduces the interferon-inducing capacity of poly(I)·poly(C). Inhibition of cell protein synthesis may be the common cause of the various effects. 4-Fluoro-L-histidine is essentially inert in all of the test systems examined.     

Rapid determination of chain length pattern in poly(ADP-ribose) samples

(³H)poly(ADP-ribose) synthesized from nuclei by incubation with (³H)NAD was released from protein by alkaline treatment and electrophoresed in dodecyl sulfate gels. Individual polymers up to at least 33 units were completely separated according to their chain length. Size distribution was visualized by fluorography of the gels, and quantified by radioactivity determination of sliced gels The method could be applied to crude nuclear extracts. It showed that nuclei of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells produced a poly(ADP-ribose) pattern distinctly different from that of rat liver nuclei.     

Cell culture factors influencing in vitro expression of mouse mammary tumor virus

Summary Several cell culture factors were found to influence in vitro expression of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) in the mouse adenocarcinoma cell line Mm5mt/c₁. Cells were propagated in a variety of commercially available cell culture media to which dexamethasone (DXM) was added as a stimulator of MMTV production. Culture seeding density, culture medium type, and glucose concentration each influenced MMTV production when expressed on a per cell basis. Maximum cell growth occurred in cultures grown in RPMI-1640 medium containing insulin. Those media which provided good cell growth were not necessarily optimal for virus expression. Addition of insulin did not stimulate MMTV synthesis although dexamethasone alone was stimulatory in all media used; however, maximum MMTV expression was obtained when dexamethasone and insulin were used in concert. Equivalent levels of MMTV-specific cell membrane antigen, MMTV-specific protein, and virus particles were produced at incubation temperatures of 32°, 34° or 37° C; however, higher levels of virus-related RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (RDDP) activity were recovered from cultures incubated at 32° and 34° C than at 37° C. Decreased levels of RDDP were attributed to enzyme thermolability at 37° C incubation. Research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute under Contract No. N01-CO-25423 with Litton Bionetics, Inc., and Contract No. N01-CP-33253 with the University of California.     

Gastrointestinal somatostatin cells in the human fetus

Summary The stomach, duodenum, jejunum and ileum from 6 to 24 week-old human fetuses or deceased premature infants and from one totally anencephalic fetus were stained with antisomatostatin serum. The somatostatin containing cells appear in different segments of the gastrointestinal tract from the tenth week of gestation. The somatostatin-containing cells are lead haematoxylin positive. Somatostatin was also detected in the duodenum of the anencephalic fetus. The study of inhibition of the immunofluorescent reaction by homologous and heterologous antigens confirmed the specificity of antiserum.These data demonstrate that somatostatin can be synthetized elsewhere than in the hypothalamus.We are indebted to Professor P. Magnin, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Professor M. Dumont, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Professor Notter and Professor Garmier, Hôtel Dieu, Professor M. Bethenod, Hôpital Debrousse, Lyon, whose kind cooperation allowed us to carry out the rapid removal of gastrointestinal tracts for these studies. We thank Professor Assan, Hôtel Dieu, Paris and Professor Lambert U. 45, Inserm, Lyon, who graciously provided us with antisera. We also wish to express our gratitude to Professor Roger Guillemin, The Salk Institute, La Jolla, California, whose interest and cooperation made these studies possible.This work was supported by a grant of the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale.     

Some physiological functions of the L-leucine dehydrogenase in Bacillus subtilis

Mutants of Bacillus subtilis constitutive for L-leucine dehydrogenase synthesis were selected. Using these mutants we could determine two functional roles for the L-leucine dehydrogenase. This enzyme liberates ammonium ions from branched chain amino acids when supplied as the sole nitrogen source. Another function is to synthesize from L-isoleucine, L-leucine, and L-valine the branched chain -keto acids which are precursors of branched chain fatty acid biosynthesis. These results together with the inducibility of the enzyme suggest that the L-leucine dehydrogenase has primarily a catabolic rather than an anabolic function in the metabolism of Bacillus subtilis.