Analysis of common antigen of flagella in Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis

Abstract Flagellar antigen of Bacillus cereus H.1 was purified and tested for serodiagnostic antigen by ELISA. The antibody against the flagellar antigen of B. cereus H.1 reacted not only with the homologous specific antigen but also reacted with the flagellar antigens of 23 strains of B. cereus . This common flagellar antigen of B. cereus was found to be due to 61-kDa protein by SDS-PAGE and immunoblot assay. Monoclonal antibody H15A5 against common antigenic epitope of B. cereus also reacted with flagellar antigens of 21 strains of Bacillus thuringiensis by ELISA. This monoclonal antibody reacted with the 61-kDa protein of the flagella of B. cereus H.1 and H.2 and B. thuringiensis Kurstaki HD1, Alesti and Aizawai juroi by immunoblot analysis. These results indicated that the common antigenic epitope of the 61-kDa protein existed in the flagella both of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis .     

New Plasmid-Mediated Phosphorylation of Gentamicin C in Staphylococcus aureus

A clinical isolate of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to gentamicin, kanamycin and 3′,4′-dideoxykanamycin B contained two enzymes capable of inactivating gentamicin, i.e., an aminoglycoside 2″-phosphotransferase and aminoglycoside acetyltransferase.     

Methylation of c-myc gene changes in human lymphoproliferative diseases

The degree of methylation at the c-myc proto-oncogene was found to change in human lymphoproliferative diseases, when examined using a methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) c-myc DNA showed hypomethylation in human lymphoproliferative diseases, in comparison to normal subjects matched in age and sex. In cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the change was amplified in the crisis. When the DNA was examined at the actin gene, no significant change was observed. The results suggest that the change in c-myc proto-oncogene methylation might become an important clue in understanding the relationship between levels of gene expression and methylation in human lymphoproliferative diseases.     

Purification of Protein Body-I of Rice Seed and its Polypeptide Composition

Protein body type one (PB-I) was isolated and purified fromdeveloping rice grain by a combination of sucrose density gradientcentrifugation and treatment with pepsin. SDS-PAGE analysisshowed that isolated PB-I contains several polypeptide groups,the largest having an apparent molecular size of 13 kDa andtwo smaller ones of 10 kDa and 16 kDa. The 13-kDa group wasfound to be composed of two polypeptides of slightly differentmolecular sizes, 13a (larger component) and 13b (smaller component).Most of the 13a and 13b polypeptides were shown to be largelyprolamins, although there were also some salt- and alcohol-insolublepolypeptides with an apparent molecular size of 13 kDa. It wasconcluded that PB-I is the accumulation site of rice prolamin.It was further estimated that the protein amount in PB-I accountedfor about 20% of the total protein of rice endosperm. (Received March 20, 1987; Accepted September 8, 1987)     

Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate enhances hepatic phospholipid synthesis in rats

The effects of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, a typical peroxisomal proliferator, on the activities of key enzymes in the glycerophospholipid synthetic pathway and the incorporation of lipid precursors into liver lipids in vitro were studied periodically in rats. When di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate was fed at the 1% level to rats, glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase activity increased 2-3-fold in liver homogenates and microsomes in 2-4 days. The specific activity of microsomal CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase increased by 1.5-fold, whereas the cytosolic activity was depressed. The microsomal CDPcholine:diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferase specific activity decreased, whereas the activity in the homogenates increased, suggesting the proliferation of the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum in di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate-treated rats. The incorporation of [1(3)-3H]glycerol or [1-14C]acetate into liver phospholipids in vitro increased in 2 days and stayed at a high level up to 12 days. The present study confirmed that di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate induced an enhancement of phospholipid synthesis in the liver. The increase in hepatic phospholipid synthesis by this drug is presumably linked to the proliferation of peroxisomes and other intracellular membranes.     

Optical birefringence of phosphatidylcholine liposomes in gel phases

A simple and rapid method for studying optical anisotropic properties of liposomes was proposed. Intensities of transmitted light through one spherical liposome of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine placed between two polarizers were measured at various wavelengths by a microscopic spectrophotometer. Large increases in the intensities were observed at the prephase-transition temperature, which were caused by an increase in the birefringence of the multilayer of the liposome. The birefringence values obtained from the intensity data were about 0.020 below the pretransition temperature and 0.028 above that temperature. These values are in good agreement with the results reported for the plane samples in which lipid bilayers are stacked. The obtained values of the birefringence were far lower than the values estimated from polarizabilities. This lower birefringence is attributed to disordering of the tilt direction in the multilayer. The degree of order of the liposome multilayers calculated from the birefringence increased by 38% at the pretransition. This simple method is applicable to the study of the multilayer structure of liposomes in water.     

Activation of mouse peritoneal macrophages by synthetic glyceroglycolipid liposomes

Summary Liposomes composed of chemically synthesized glyceroglycolipids, such as 1,2-dipalmityl-[-cellobiosyl-(1 3)]-glycerol (Cel-DAG), 1,2-dipalmityl-[-lactosyl-(1 3)]-glycerol, or 1,2-dipalmityl-[-maltosyl-(1 3)]-glycerol, were found to enhance protective immunity against transplantable tumor cells (sarcoma 180) in ICR mice. Peritoneal exudate cells prepared from mice treated in vivo with Cel-DAG showed cytostatic activity in vitro against the mouse leukemia cell line, EL-4. Adherent cells separated from this preparation showed similar activity. Peritoneal cells from polypeptone-injected mice acquired appreciable cytostatic activity when incubated in vitro in the presence of glyceroglycolipid liposomes. The adherent cell fraction alone showed rather weak cytostatic activity when pretreated with the glyceroglycolipids, and full activity was restored by supplementing with the nonadherent cell fraction. The ability of glycolipids to induce tumoricidal effects was affected by cholesterol content: with increasing cholesterol content, the activities decreased. Cholesterol-free glycolipid liposomes were taken more efficiently by macrophages than cholesterol-containing liposomes. Cholersterol modifies the surface property of glyceroglycolipid liposomes. Activation of macrophages is responsible for enhancement of protective immunity against tumor cells by injection of these glycolipids in vivo.This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid (Nos. 58010010, and 59870076) for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan     

Cell- and tissue-specific monoclonal antibodies in eggs and embryos of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi

To obtain specific immunological probes for studying molecular mechanisms involved in the early embryonic development of ascidians, we have produced monoclonal antibodies directed against a homogenate of larvae of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. Among these, we have screened monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize cells and/or tissues of the embryo. Characterization of six epidermis-specific monoclonal antibodies (including larval tunic-specific and larval fin-specific), three muscle-specific antibodies, two endoderm-specific antibodies, one notochord-specific antibody and two monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize trunk-lateral cells suggests that these monoclonal antibodies may be useful as markers for analysing molecular mechanisms involved in specification of these cells. Seven monoclonal antibodies characteristically stain intercellular materials of the developing embryo and may therefore be valid for studying cellular construction of the embryo. Furthermore, monoclonal antibodies that recognize components of follicle cells, perivitelline space and sperm have also been established.