The capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type B prevents killing by complement and antibodies against outer membrane protein a

Abstract The ability of antibodies, raised in rabbits against purified outer membrane protein a ( M _r 47 000) of Haemophilus influenzae type b, to promote complement-dependent killing of these encapsulated organisms was investigated. Killing of encapsulated strains was not induced by these antibodies in conjunction with either human, mouse, rabbit or guinea-pig complement. Acapsular mutants were effectively killed by complement in the presence of antibodies against protein a . Killing was dependent on the presence of the 47-kDa protein a and was not influenced by the outer membrane protein subtype or lipopolysaccharide serotype of the strain. The killing-promoting activity could be absorbed from the sera with cells of strains with the same protein a , purified protein a , but not by purified lipopolysaccharide and capsular polysaccharide. Binding experiments showed that the encapsulated strain and its acapsular mutant bound antibodies against protein a with the same rate and to the same extent, indicating that the capsule probably interferes with complement activation or insertion of the membrane attack complex into the bacterial cell.     

Bactericidal Activity of Catecholamine Copper Complexes

Washed or growing E. coli cells are killed by epinephrine, norepinephrine or dopamine in the presence of non lethal concentrations of Cu(II). Killing is enhanced by anoxia and by sublethal Concentrations of H₂O₁. The rate of killing is proportional to the rate of catecholamine oxidation. The copper epinephrine complex binds to E. coli cells, induces membrane damage and depletion of the cellular ATP pool. The cells may be partially protected by SOD or catalase but not by OH radical scavengers. Addition of H²O₂ to cells which were sensitized by preincubation with the epinephrine-copper complex, causes rapid killing and DNA degradation. Sensitized cells are not protected by BSA.     

Effects of an anthropogenic diet on indicators of physiological challenge and immunity of white ibis nestlings raised in captivity

When wildlife forage and/or live in urban habitats, they often experience a shift in resource availability and dietary quality. Some species even use human handouts, such as bread, as well as human refuse, as a large part of their new diets; yet the influences of this nutritional shift on health and survival remain unclear. American white ibises are increasingly being seen in urban areas in Florida; they collect handouts, such as bread and other food items, from humans in parks, and are also found foraging on anthropogenic sources in trash heaps. We hypothesized that the consumption of these new anthropogenic food sources may trigger increases in indicators of physiological challenge and dampen immune responses. We tested this experimentally by raising 20 white ibis nestlings in captivity, and exposing 10 to a simulated anthropogenic diet (including the addition of white bread and a reduction in seafood content) while maintaining 10 on a diet similar to what ibises consume in more natural environments. We then tested two indicators of physiological challenge (corticosterone and heat shock protein 70), assessed innate immunity in these birds via bactericidal assays and an in vitro carbon clearance assay, and adaptive immunity using a phytohemagglutinin skin test. The anthropogenic diet depressed the development of the ability to kill Salmonella paratyphi in culture. Our results suggest that consuming an anthropogenic diet may be detrimental in terms of the ability to battle a pathogenic bacterial species, but there was little effect on indicators of physiological challenge and other immunological measures.     

重组人BD3-BPI的内毒素中和活性及其在高盐环境中抗菌活性的稳定性

目的：验证重组人BD3-BPI（rhBD3-BPI）是否具有内毒素中和活性,研究其在高盐环境中是否能保持抗菌活性。方法：根据内毒素标准品绘制内毒素活性标准曲线,将100 μL梯度稀释的rhBD3-BPI-与100 μL 10EU／mL脂多糖（LPS）混匀,37℃水浴60min,同时设标准对照（只含10EU／mL LPS的标准品溶液）,并以无热源水作为空白对照,采用基质显色法进行鲎试验测定LPS的活性;将6×10^8 CFU／mL的革兰阳性和阴性标准菌株及临床分离的多药耐药菌株接种于含1mg／mL rhBD3-BPI和0～250mmol／L不同浓度NaCl的液体细菌培养基中,37℃培养3h后用10mmol／L磷酸钠按1：1～1：1000的比例稀释,铺LB培养基平板,37℃过夜培养,观察各平板菌落生长情况,计数并计算杀菌率。结果：在5EU／mL的标准内毒素体系中,当rhBD3-BPI的浓度高于4μg／mL时即开始表现出一定的内毒素中和活性,当rhBD3-BPI的浓度分别为16、32 μg／mL时,其内毒素中和率分别为23％和88％,随后rhBD3-BPI对内毒素的中和活性趋于平稳,50 μg／mL的rhBD3-BPI对所有受检菌均表现出100％的杀伤效应。当NaCl浓度低于150mmol／L时,rhBD3-BPI对各受检菌的杀菌活性均未受明显影响;NaCI浓度升高至150-200mmol/L,rhBD3-BPI对各受检菌的杀菌活性有所下降,但其杀伤率仍在90％以上;当NaCl浓度高于200mmol／L时,盐浓度对rhBD3-BPI杀菌活性的影响才较为明显,但即使NaCl浓度达到250mmol／L,rhBD3-BPI的杀菌活性仍保持在85％以上。结论：rh-BD3-BPI具有内毒素中和活性,在高盐环境中具有良好的抗菌活性稳定性。     

Bactericidal Activity of Catecholamine Copper Complexes

Washed or growing E. coli cells are killed by epinephrine, norepinephrine or dopamine in the presence of non lethal concentrations of Cu(II). Killing is enhanced by anoxia and by sublethal Concentrations of H₂O₁. The rate of killing is proportional to the rate of catecholamine oxidation. The copper epinephrine complex binds to E. coli cells, induces membrane damage and depletion of the cellular ATP pool. The cells may be partially protected by SOD or catalase but not by OH radical scavengers. Addition of H²O₂ to cells which were sensitized by preincubation with the epinephrine-copper complex, causes rapid killing and DNA degradation. Sensitized cells are not protected by BSA.     

Effect of Ribocitrin on Glucan Synthesizing Enzymes of Streptococcus mutans E49

Enzymes participating in glucan synthesis by Streptococcus mutans E49 were separated into two fractions with distinctly different activities by chromatography on DEAE Bio-Gel A. The insoluble glucan (IG) was revealed to be formed by the coupling reaction of these two enzymes, dextransucrase (SGE), which synthesizes soluble glucan from sucrose, and a glucan insolubilizing enzyme (IGE), which forms IG from soluble glucan.

Ribocitrin was found to inhibit IG synthesis by inhibiting SGE.     

Ansamycin Antibiotics as Free Radical Scavengers Isolated from Streptomyces by Using the Bactericidal Action of the Hydroxyl Radical

Ansamycin antibiotics (1–4) were isolated from the cultured broth of Streptomyces sp. USF-319 strain as a result of our screening for free radical scavengers. They inhibited the bactericidal effect of the Fenton reagent toward Bacillus subtilis by their radical scavenging activity. Some of them also showed inhibitory activity against lipid peroxidation and lipoxygenases.     

Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species from Hinokitiol under Near-UV Irradiation

Near-UV irradiation caused the decomposition of hinokitiol in an aqueous solution. During the photochemical reaction, the distinct electron spin resonance signal characteristic of the adduct of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) with the hydroxyl radical was accompanied by small signals corresponding to the adduct of DMPO with the superoxide anion radical. More than 95% of Escherichia coli cells were killed by the incubation with hinokitiol under near-UV irradiation by BLB fluorescent lamps. These results indicated the generation of reactive oxygen species during photochemical reaction of hinokitiol under near-UV irradiation.     

Binding interaction study on human serum albumin with bactericidal gold nanoparticles synthesized from a leaf extract of Musa balbisiana: a multispectroscopic approach

This study describes the eco‐friendly, low‐cost and room‐temperature synthesis of gold nanoparticles from Musa balbisiana leaf extract, which acts as both reducing and stabilizing agent, and characterized by ultraviolet?visible (UV–vis) light spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDAX) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) instruments. These nanoparticles showed an average diameter of 33.83 ± 3.39 nm, which was confirmed from the size distribution histogram. The bactericidal activity of these nanoparticles was confirmed using bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus at 1 and 2 nM minimum inhibitory concentrations, respectively. The interaction between nanoparticles and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated, as this plays significant roles in biological systems. The nature of interaction, binding parameters and structural variation of HSA in the presence of these nanoparticles have been evaluated using several useful spectroscopic approaches such as UV–vis, FTIR, time‐resolved and steady‐state fluorescence, and circular dichroism in addition to the measurement of zeta potential. This interaction study revealed that static quenching occurs in this process with minimal alteration in the secondary structure, but the native structure of HSA remained unaltered. The binding constant and thermodynamic parameters of this interaction process were also evaluated.