Sensitivity of Escherichia coli to cephaloridine at different growth rates.

Steady-state populations of Escherichia coli B/r were treated with cephaloridine at minimal inhibitory concentrations. The antibiotic sensitivity of the cells and the localization of spheroplast emergence along the cell surface were examined as a function of cell length and growth rate. In fast-growing populations (greater than 1 division per h) the sites of cephaloridine interaction occurred preferentially at the cell pole in the smaller cells and at the cell center in dividing cells. At decreasing growth rates the cells became more resistant to cephaloridine, and a gradual shift from the cell pole toward the cell center was observed for the sphere position. A similar growth rate-dependent change in localization was found for sucrose-induced plasmolysis vacuoles.     

Highly Stable Plasmonic Nanostructures on a Nickel-Sputtered Glass and Polymeric Optical Fiber Sensors

Plasmonics - This study shows development of highly sensitive and stable localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-active U-bent glass and polymeric optical fiber (GOF and POF) sensor probes by a...     

Genetic evidence of an essential role for cytomegalovirus small capsid protein in viral growth

Many steps in the replication cycle of cytomegalovirus (CMV), like cell entry, capsid assembly, and egress of newly synthesized virions, have not been completely analyzed yet. In order to facilitate these studies, we decided to construct a recombinant CMV that incorporates the green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the nucleocapsid. A comparable herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) mutant has recently been generated by fusion of the GFP open reading frame (ORF) with the HSV-1 ORF encoding small capsid protein (SCP) VP26 (P. Desai and S. Person, J. Virol. 72:7563-7568, 1998). Recombinant CMV genomes expressing a fusion protein consisting of GFP and the SCP were constructed by the recently established bacterial artificial chromosome mutagenesis procedure. In transfected cells, the SCP-GFP fusion protein localized to distinct foci in the nucleus that may represent sites for capsid assembly (assemblons). However, no viable progeny was reconstituted from these mutant CMV genomes. CMV genomes with deletion of the SCP ORF also did not give rise to infectious virus. Rescue of the mutation by insertion of the SCP gene at an ectopic position in an SCP knockout genome indicates that, in contrast to the HSV-1 SCP, the CMV SCP is essential for viral growth. Expression of the SCP-GFP fusion protein together with the authentic SCP blocked the CMV infection cycle, suggesting that the SCP-GFP fusion protein exerts a dominant-negative effect on the assembly of new virions. The results of this study are discussed with regard to recently published data about the structure of the CMV virion and its differences from the HSV-1 virion.     

Oligomeric hepatoproliferin disaggregates into an active monomer that was purified and forcefully dissociated into two different ionic species

Hepatoproliferin (HPF), a liver regeneration factor, was isolated initially as an aggregated molecule (big-HPF) and was purified into two homogeneous, bioactive species of 14 kDa and 18.5 kDa. These two big-HPFs were disaggregated to completion into two monomeric forms (small-HPFs) when incubated for 10 days in 0.15 M ammonium bicarbonate at 25 degrees C. Both monomeric forms were purified to homogeneity as active entities, one with a molecular mass of 944 Da and one with a molecular mass of 1066 Da. Each of the two (35)S-labelled small-HPFs was found, by enzymic analysis, to contain a charged sulfonated saccharide, which was neutralized by a specific amine. Monomeric HPF is therefore a stable ionic complex formed between these two ionic species. So strong was the electrostatic association that small-HPF remained intact in solution and no amine was displaced by the ammonium ions of the buffer. Small-HPF remained unimpaired during purification, since all activity was retained despite alternating acidic and basic conditions. However, when small-HPF was brought into contact with either a cationic or an anionic resin, it was dissociated to completion when mixed continuously with the resin for 4 days. The ionic entity that was released had no bio-activity and was either a pure radioactively labeled saccharide or a non-labeled amine, depending on the kind of resin used. When incubated together, the separated counterions combine to regain full activity after 2 days of reassociation. However, with incubation for longer, this reassociated small-HPF formed different oligomeric HPFs by aggregation. Small-HPF is therefore a new kind of growth enhancer, consisting of an acidic sulfonated saccharide and a basic amine assembled into a stable active ionic complex that has a tendency to aggregate.     

Rapid evolution of great kiskadees on Bermuda: an assessment of the ability of the island rule to predict the direction of contemporary evolution in exotic vertebrates

Aim To determine whether an exotic bird species, the great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus), has diverged in morphology from its native source population, and, if so, has done so in a manner predicted by the island rule. The island rule predicts that insular vertebrates will tend towards dwarfism or gigantism when isolated on islands, depending on their body size. For birds, the island rule predicts that species with body sizes below 70–120 g should increase in size. The great kiskadee has a mean mass of c. 60 g in its native range, therefore we predicted that it would increase in size within the exotic, and more insular, Bermudan range. Location The islands of Bermuda (exotic population) and Trinidad (native source population). Methods We took eight morphological measurements on 84 individuals captured in the exotic (Bermudan) population and 62 individuals captured in the native source (Trinidadian) population. We compared morphological metrics between populations using univariate and principal components analyses. We assessed whether the effects of genetic drift could explain observed differences in morphology. We calculated divergence rates in haldanes and darwins for comparison with published examples of contemporary evolution. Finally, we used mark–recapture analysis to determine the effects of the measured morphological characters on survivorship within the exotic Bermudan population. Results Individuals in the exotic Bermudan population have larger morphological dimensions than individuals in the native source population on Trinidad. The degree of divergence in body mass (g) and bill width (mm) is probably not due to genetic drift. This rate of divergence is nearly equal to that observed amongst well‐documented examples of contemporary bird evolution, and is within the mid‐range of rates reported across taxa. There is no clear effect of body size on survivorship as only one character (bill width) was found to have an influence on individual survivorship. Main conclusions Exotic species provide useful systems for examining evolutionary predictions over contemporary time‐scales. We found that divergence between the exotic and native populations of this bird species occurred over c. 17 generations, and was in the direction predicted by the island rule, a principle based on the study of native species.     

Preface

Data on the toxicity and selectivity of synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) to arthropod natural enemies and their host or prey are reviewed with emphasis on cotton, apple, alfalfa, cereal and vegetable inhabiting species. Generally, SPs are variably toxic and selective (in relation to their hosts or prey) to species within most families of natural enemies. Exceptions are low to moderate toxicity and favorable selectivity to most hemipteran predators, and high toxicity and unfavorable selectivity to virtually all phytoseiid mites in comparison to their prey. In North America, SPs are more favorably selective to cotton natural enemies over their prey or host than to apple inhabiting species. These differences may be due to intrinsic levels of susceptibility (preselection levels) between the types of natural enemies exploited on both crops in IPM programs (i.e. hemipteran species on cotton versus phytoseiid mites on apple) and/or to tolerances or resistances differences due to previous patterns of chemical use on these crops. Possible means of increasing selective use of SPs in future IPM systems based on ecological and physiological selectivity including the development of SP-resistant predators are discussed.     

Aloe Emodin Reduces Phthiodiolone Dimycocerosate Potentiating Vancomycin Susceptibility on Mycobacteria

Treatment of tuberculosis still represent a major public health issue. The emergence of multi-and extensively-drug resistant (MDR and XDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical strains further pinpoint the urgent need for new anti-tuberculous drugs. We previously showed that vancomycin can target mycobacteria lacking cell wall integrity, especially those lacking related phthiocerol and phthiodolone dimycocerosates, PDIM A and PDIM B, respectively. As aloe emodin was previously hypothesized to be able to target the synthesis of mycobacterial cell wall lipids, we tested its ability to potentiate glycopeptides antimycobacterial activity. The aloe emodin with the vancomycin induced a combination effect beyond simple addition, close to synergism, at a concentration lower to reported IC₅₀ cytotoxic value, on M. bovis BCG and on H37Rv M. tuberculosis. Interestingly, out of six MDR and pre-XDR clinical strains, one showed a strong synergic susceptibility to the drug combination. Mycobacterial cell wall lipid analyses highlighted a selective reduction of PDIM B by aloe emodin.