Antitumour activities of levans produced by Zymomonas mobilis strains

Levans produced by four Zymomonas mobilis strains showed antitumour activity against sarcoma 180 and Ehrlich carcinoma in Swiss albino mice. Levans from two strains (ZAP and CP4) had the highest effects. NMR analysis showed that the polymers were composed only of fructose units. The results suggested that the antineoplasic effect is associated to the polysaccharide molecular weight and that a particular molecular weight range may be responsible for this effect.     

Metabolism of fructo-oligosaccharides by Bifidobacterium spp.

Summary Bifidobacterium adolescentis ATCC 15703, B. longum ATCC 15707, and B. thermophilum ATCC 25525 were examined for the ability to grow with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) as carbohydrate sources. The three species produced cell-associated -fructosidases (inulinases) capable of hydrolysing FOS. Maximum activity was obtained with short-chain FOS with degrees of polymerization (DP) of between three and five (neosugars). The B. thermophilum inulinase was induced by inulin, a long-chain FOS with DP=35, while the enzymes from the other two strains were constitutive. Production of inulinase by all three strains was regulated by catabolite repression. Inulinase activity of the three Bifidobacterium spp. was similar when grown with 0.5% inulin as the carbohydrate source; however, B. thermophilum grew much more rapidly. All three strains utilized crude Jerusalem artichoke flour (JAF) as a carbohydrate source, suggesting that JAF might have commercial application as a food or feed additive to stimulate bifidobacteria in the gut.Contribution no. 802 from the Food Research Centre     

Observations on the separation of Theileria sporozoites from ticks

Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum ticks infected with Theileria annulata were partially fed on rabbits and then ground up with tissue culture medium. The ground up ticks were treated by centrifugation at 100 g, filtration through membranes of 8 μm pore diameter and centrifugation on a discontinuous density gradient of Percoll. Counts of sporozoites and tick debris were made from Giemsa stained slides of samples at each stage of the separation. Debris was removed during light centrifugation and filtration at a greater rate than sporozoites. After filtration approximately 41% of the original sporozoites remained in the suspension. After density gradient centrifugation most sporozoites were found in a distinct zone, at approx. 1·08 g/cm³ density, separate from most dense debris and light debris and soluble contaminants. After this final centrifugation approximately 24% of the original sporozoites remained in the recovered suspension.     

Identification of the Listeria monocytogenes virulence factors involved in the CAMP reaction

There is a need to identify the virulence factors involved in the synergistic lysis of erythrocytes (CAMP reaction) by Listeria monocytogenes and either Staphylococcus aureus or Corynebacterium equi , in order to assess the relationship between the CAMP reaction and virulence of L. monocytogenes . The ability of various L. monocytogenes mutants to secrete listeriolysin O and phospholipases, and to produce lysis of sheep blood agar was determined. The results suggest that the CAMP reaction with Coryne. equi involves listeriolysin O and Coryne. equi cholesterol oxidase, and that the reaction with Staph. aureus involves either of the phospholipases C produced by L. monocytogenes . A modified CAMP test, which incorporates cholesterol oxidase into sheep blood agar, is proposed for the rapid (4–6 h) identification of L. monocytogenes.     

Variation in the ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) among eight taxa of the Mimulus guttatus species complex

The internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1 and ITS2) of the 18S-25S nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence and the intervening 5.8S region were sequenced from three individuals in each of eight taxa of the Mimulus guttatus species complex. Three discrete variants, or "types," of ITS sequences were found, among which 30%-40% of sites differed, compared with 1%-2% within types. Dot plots indicate that these types were not related by conspicuous rearrangements or inversions. More than one ITS type was often found in the same taxon, and two of three ITS types span species boundaries, indicating their presence prior to speciation. These ITS sequences showed essentially no positional homology with the nearest sequenced relative, tomato. In contrast, the 5.8S region was relatively unvaried, with 8 of 162 sites varied in the sample among all eight taxa. The phylogeny inferred by the most common ITS sequence type, rooted by the two other ITS types, agreed with isozymes in showing the distinctness of M. nudatus, M. laciniatus, and M. tilingii from the other five taxa.      

Variation in heat shock proteins within tropical and desert species of poeciliid fishes

The 70-kilodalton heat shock protein (hsp70) family of molecular chaperones, which contains both stress-inducible and normally abundant constitutive members, is highly conserved across distantly related taxa. Analysis of this protein family in individuals from an outbred population of tropical topminnows, Poeciliopsis gracilis, showed that while constitutive hsp70 family members showed no variation in protein isoforms, inducibly synthesized hsp70 was polymorphic. Several species of Poeciliopsis adapted to desert environments exhibited lower levels of inducible hsp70 polymorphism than the tropical species, but constitutive forms were identical to those in P. gracilis, as they were in the confamilial species Gambusia affinis. These differences suggest that inducible and constitutive members of this family are under different evolutionary constraints and may indicate differences in their function within the cell. Also, northern desert species of Poeciliopsis synthesize a subset of the inducible hsp70 isoforms seen in tropical species. This distribution supports the theory that ancestral tropical fish migrated northward and colonized desert streams; the subsequent decrease in variation of inducible hsp70 may have been due to genetic drift or a consequence of adaptation to the desert environment. Higher levels of variability were found when the 30- kilodalton heat shock protein (hsp30) family was analyzed within different strains of two desert species of Poeciliopsis and also in wild-caught individuals of Gambusia affinis. In both cases the distribution of hsp30 isoform diversity was similar to that seen previously with allozyme polymorphisms.      

Isolation and characterization of a FAD-dependent NADH diaphorase from Methanospirillum hungatei strain GP1

Crude extracts of Methanospirillum hungatei strain GP1 contained NADH and NADPH diaphorase activities. After a 483-fold purification of the NADH diaphorase the enzyme was further separated from contaminating proteins by polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis. Two distinct activity bands were extracted from the acrylamide, each one having oxygen, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, and cytochrome c linked activities. In these preparations NADPH could not replace NADH as electron donor. During the initial purification steps all activity was lost due to the removal of a readily released cofactor. Enzyme activity was restored by either FAD or a FAD fraction isolated from M. hungatei. Oxidase activity exhibited a broad pH optimum from 7.0 to 8.5 and apparent Km values of 26 microM for NADH and 0.2 microM for FAD. Superoxide anion, formed in the presence of oxygen, accounted for all of the NADH consumed in the reaction. The molecular weight of the diaphorase was about 117 500 by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Sulfhydryl reagents and chelating agents were inhibitory. Inactivation, which occurred during storage in phosphate buffer at 4 degrees C, was delayed by dithiothreitol. The isolated NADH diaphorase lacked NADPH:NAD transhydrogenase and NAD reductase activities.     

Properties of malate dehydrogenase isolated from Methanospirillum hungatii.

A NADH-linked oxygen-tolerant malate dehydrogenase was purified 270-fold from cell extracts of Methanospirillum hungatii. Inhibitors of the enzyme included ADP, alpha-ketoglutarate, and excess NADH. Inhibition patterns for ADP were competitive with respect to NADH and non-competitive with respect to oxalacetate. Inhibition by alpha-ketoglutarate was non-competitive with oxalacetate as variable substrate and uncompetitive with respect to NADH. alpha-Ketoglutarate is surmised to function as an end-product inhibitor of the enzyme in reactions converting oxalacetate to alpha-ketoglutarate. No enzyme activity was detected in the direction of malate conversion to oxalacetate, in keeping with a strictly biosynthetic function of the enzyme. An analysis of variance of intial rate data fit to sequential and ping-pong equations showed that a sequential mechanism was perferred. The malate dehydrogenase of M. hungatii resembles those of many other bacteria and eucaryotic cells respect to molecular weight (61,700) and reaction mechanism, but may be regulated differently.     

Successful superovulation, nonsurgical collection and transfer of embryos from Brahman cows

Nonsurgical recoveries and transfers of embryos were performed at the McKellar Embryo Transplant Center from 122 superovulated Brahman cows. FSH-P (Armour) was used to superovulate all cows at dose levels ranging from 36 to 48 mg total FSH-P. Luteal regression was induced by use of 40 mg PGF(2(alpha)) in all 122 cows. Embryos were transferred into recipients 6, 7 or 8 days after observed estrus. Embryos were successfully collected from 82% of the FSH-P treated cows. The dose level of FSH-P affected numbers of embryos collected (P<.05). Numbers of embryos collected from cows superovulated with 36-38, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47-48 mg FSH-P were 2.8 +/- 1.0, 6.8 +/- 1.1, 9.4 +/- 1.4, 10.0 +/- 2.7, 7.1 +/- 1.6, 6.8 +/- 2.0, 5.0 +/- 1.7 and 4.6 +/- 2.0 embryos, respectively. The dose level of FSH-P also affected numbers of embryos transferred (P<.10). Number of embryos transferred from cows superovulated with 36-38, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47-48 mg FSH-P were 2.8 +/- 1.9, 5.2 +/- 0.9, 6.9 +/- 1.2, 6.7 +/- 2.1, 4.8 +/- 1.3, 5.1 +/- 1.4, 3.4 +/- 1.2 and 3.2 +/- 2.1 embryos, respectively. The developmental stage (D) of the embryo was also a factor in pregnancy rate of recipients (morula = 13.8%, blastocyst = 22.1% and expanded blastocyst = 29.9%; P<.005). The skill of the technician (T) transferring the embryo had a dramatic effect upon subsequent pregnancy rate of the recipients (T 1 = 46.0% vs T 2 = 22.6% pregnancy rate; P<.005). Pregnancy rate of recipients was also affected by the stage postestrus (S) at which the embryo was transferred (day 6 = 23.5%, day 7 = 25.5% and day 8 = 42.3% pregnancy rate; P<.05). Interactions were found between T x S, T x D, S x D and T x S x D (P<.05). These data indicate that use of 40, 42, or 43 mg total doses of FSH-P were quite effective in superovulating the Brahman cow. Recipients transferred on day 8 postestrus achieved higher pregnancy rates than recipients transferred on days 6 or 7 postestrus. Embryos transferred in the expanded blastocyst stage of development proved to yield the highest pregnancy rates in recipients.