The β-Hemolysin and Intracellular Survival of Streptococcus agalactiae in Human Macrophages

S. agalactiae (group B streptococci, GBS) is a major microbial pathogen in human neonates and causes invasive infections in pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals. The S. agalactiae β-hemolysin is regarded as an important virulence factor for the development of invasive disease. To examine the role of β-hemolysin in the interaction with professional phagocytes, the THP-1 monocytic cell line and human granulocytes were infected with a serotype Ia S. agalactiae wild type strain and its isogenic nonhemolytic mutant. We could show that the nonhemolytic mutants were able to survive in significantly higher numbers than the hemolytic wild type strain, in THP-1 macrophage-like cells and in assays with human granulocytes. Intracellular bacterial multiplication, however, could not be observed. The hemolytic wild type strain stimulated a significantly higher release of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α than the nonhemolytic mutant in THP-1 cells, while similar levels of the chemokine Interleukin-8 were induced. In order to investigate bacterial mediators of IL-8 release in this setting, purified cell wall preparations from both strains were tested and found to exert a potent proinflammatory stimulus on THP-1 cells. In conclusion, our results indicate that the β-hemolysin has a strong influence on the intracellular survival of S. agalactiae and that a tightly controlled regulation of β-hemolysin expression is required for the successful establishment of S. agalactiae in different host niches.     

Purification and properties of two isozymes of pyruvate kinase from Mucor racemosus.

The dimorphic phycomycete Mucor racemosus was found to contain up to five electrophoretic forms of pyruvate kinase (ATP: pyruvate 2-O-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.40) depending on growth conditions. M. racemosus hyphal cells grown on glutamic acid as the carbon source contained only the fastest electrophoretic form, designated PK1, while yeast cells grown on glucose contained only the slowest electrophoretic form, PK5. Intermediate electrophoretic forms PK2, PK3, and PK4 as well as PK1 and PK5 were found in hyphal cells grown on media containing fructose or cellibiose. All five electrophoretic forms had molecular weights of ca. 230,000 as determined from plots of log Rm versus acrylamide gel concentration. Both PK1 and PK5 were purified to homogeneity and determined to be homotetramers, with subunit molecular weights of 54,000 and 58,100, respectively. The amino acid content of PK1 and PK5 was determined and found to be similar but not identical. Analysis of limited tryptic digests and cyanogen bromide cleavage fragments of PK1 and PK5 indicate that the subunits of the two isozymes are significantly different.     

Regulation of Trichodiene Synthase in Fusarium sporotrichioides and Gibberella pulicaris (Fusarium sambucinum)

The regulation of trichodiene synthase (TS) and its relationship to trichothecene biosynthesis was investigated in Fusarium sporotrichioides NRRL 3299 and Gibberella pulicaris R-6380. Cultures were analyzed for the presence of TS activity, trichothecenes, and immunodetectable TS polypeptide over a time period of 144 h. Enzyme activity increased from barely detectable to maximum levels over a period of 3 h for F. sporotrichioides, while in G. pulicaris, a steady increase was observed over 144 h. Increases in TS activity of 50-fold for F. sporotrichioides and 10-fold for G. pulicaris R-6380 preceded by several hours the detection of trichothecenes. Immunoblot analysis employing polyclonal serum specific for the enzyme from F. sporotrichioides showed that increases in the levels of TS polypeptide corresponded to the observed changes in enzyme activity for both organisms. These data indicate that the regulation of TS activity is accomplished through increases in its cellular concentration and that TS may serve as a useful indicator of trichothecene biosynthetic activity.     

Modulation of differentiation markers in human choriocarcinoma cells by extracellular matrix: on the role of a three-dimensional matrix structure

Abstract. During spontaneous or chemically induced differentiation human choriocarcinoma cells express typical characteristics of the normal differentiating trophoblast: 1) increased production of peptide and steroid hormones (chorionic gonadotropin, placental lactogen, estrogens, progesterone); 2) increased activity of cellular alkaline phosphatase; 3) morphological transition from cytotrophoblast to syncytiotrophoblast-like cells; and 4) arrested cell proliferation. Since the extracellular matrix is known to control gene expression we have examined the effects of different substrates composed of matrix macromolecules on the differentiation of BeWo choriocarcinoma cells. Matrices tested were; fibronectin, laminin, collagens type I and type IV, the basement membrane-like complex matrix Matrigel, and a complex matrix extracted from human term placenta. Irrespective of the type of molecule(s), it was consistently found that, whenever the matrix molecules were presented as threedimensional structures (as opposed to protein coatings on tissue culture plastic) the response of affected differentiation markers monitored was highly pronounced. Morphology was changed from monolayers to rounded colonies, cell proliferation was reduced, and the secretion of chorionic gonadotropin was increased up to tenfold. Heterogeneous effects were observed on progesterone secretion and on the activity of cellular alkaline phosphatase. Cell adhesion to matrix molecules, however, did not depend on the structure of the matrix. This study demonstrates that gene expression in these tumor cells can be modified by extracellular matrix and highlights that not only the presence of effector molecules in the matrix but also the three-dimensional structure of the matrix is important for the induction of differentiation.     

The mechanism of extrachromosomal homologous DNA recombination in plant cells

Summary By cotransfecting plasmids carrying particular mutations in the -glucuronidase (GUS) gene into Nicotiana plumbaginifolia protoplasts and by monitoring the recombination rates using a recently developed transient assay, we were able to obtain insights into the mechanism of extrachromosomal recombination operating in plant cells. An exchange of flanking markers takes place in over 90% of the recombination events. In most of the remaining cases two consecutive, independent single crossover events occur. These events involve the same DNA substrate and lead to two successive exchanges of flanking markers, thus mimicking a presumed double crossover intermediate. A comparison of the outcome of our experiments with the predictions of two recombination models originally proposed for mammalian cells indicates that extrachromosomal recombination in plant cells is best described by the single strand annealing model. According to this model all recombination events result in an exchange of flanking markers. Our results rule out the double strand break repair model which predicts that flanking markers are exchanged in only half of all events.