bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CHEMICALLY DEFINED, SYNTHETIC MEDIA FOR SPORULATION AND FOR GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF
BACILLUS SUBTILIS
Authors: Donnellan J. Edward , Nags Ella H. , Levinson Hillel S.
Published: January 2020

Donnellan, J. Edward, Jr.
(U.S. Army Natick Laboratories, Natick, Mass.),
Ella H. Nags, and Hillel S. Levinson
. Chemically defined, synthetic media for sporulation and for germination and growth of
Bacillus subtilis
. J. Bacteriol.
87:
332–336. 1964.—From 90 to 130 mg (dry weight) of spores (about 1% dark forms) were obtained (per liter) from a chemically defined, synthetic medium, with a two-phase (polyethylene glycol-potassium phosphate) harvest procedure. Optimal sporulation occurred when glucose and glutamic acid were at a concentration of 10 m
m
in the medium. Ca
++
and Mn
++
were required for sporulation. Heat resistance, dipicolinic acid content, and properties of germination and postgerminative development of spores grown in different concentrations of Ca
++
were investigated. Heat shock did not increase germination of spores derived from the synthetic medium. A synthetic medium, in which spore germination, emergence, and first cell division approached synchrony, was devised.
REGULATORY MECHANISMS IN THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF ISOLEUCINE AND VALINE I
Authors: Ramakrishnan T. , Adelberg Edward A.
Published: January 2020

Ramakrishnan
, T. (Yale University, New Haven, Conn.),
and Edward A. Adelberg
. Regulatory mechanisms in the biosynthesis of isoleucine and valine. I. Genetic derepression of enzyme formation. J. Bacteriol.
87:
566–573. 1964.—A total of 60 mutants of
Escherichia coli
K-12 resistant to 10
−2
m
valine were isolated from the valine-sensitive F′ strain AB1206. Conjugation experiments showed that in five of these mutants the valine-resistance locus is closely linked to the structural genes governing isoleucine-valine biosynthesis. In these five valine-resistant mutants, three enzymes of the isoleucine-valine pathway were found to be coordinately derepressed:
l
-threonine deaminase, dihydroxy acid dehydrase, and transaminase B. Two other enzymes of this pathway, the condensing enzyme and the reductoisomerase, were unaffected. The mutation from valine-sensitivity to valine-resistance appears to have altered an operator locus, because the derepressed state is dominant over the repressed state in diploids heterozygous for the valine-resistance locus. The valine-resistant mutants excrete isoleucine into the medium. The significance of these findings with respect to the valine-sensitivity of
E. coli
K-12 and the regulation of the biosynthesis of isoleucine and valine by this organism are discussed.
“CELL-WALL PROTEIN A” OFPSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSAAND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO “ORIGINAL ENDOTOXIN PROTEIN”
Authors: Homma J. Yuzuru , Suzuki Nachiko
Published: January 2020

Homma, J. Yuzuru(University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan),and Nachiko Suzuki. “Cell-wall protein A” ofPseudomonas aeruginosaand its relationship to “original endotoxin protein.” J. Bacteriol.87:630–640. 1964.—To compare the properties of two kinds of proteins, one obtained from the cell wall ofPseudomonas aeruginosaand the other from the endotoxin in the autolysate, the proteins were purified to such an extent that they were proved to be homogeneous by zone electrophoretic and ultracentrifugal analyses. Although there were some differences between the two in such values as nitrogen and phosphorus contents and sedimentation constants, their protein portions were found similar to each other in the ratio of amino acid compositions. It was proved serologically that the two proteins possessed a common specific antigen. They were found to be the same in their potencies in eliciting the Shwartzman phenomenon and pyrogenic reaction. The results of pyocine tests with various sensitive strains revealed that, against the sensitive strains, the spectra of both proteins were almost the same. Their pyocine activities were destroyed through digestion by protease, trypsin, and Nagarse. Either of the rabbit antisera against the two proteins could neutralize pyocine activities of both proteins. Serum-absorption tests proved that the pyocine-neutralizing antibodies of both antisera could be completely absorbed with each of the proteins. Under appropriate conditions, their pyocine activities were masked partially in vitro by the lipopolysaccharde of the endotoxin.
NEW MODE OF GENETIC TRANSFER IN
STREPTOCCUS FAECALIS
VAR.
LIQUEFACIENS
Authors: Raycroft Ruth E. , Zimmerman L. N.
Published: January 2020

Raycroft, Ruth
E. (The Pennsylvania State University, University Park),
and L. N. Zimmerman
. New mode of genetic transfer in
Streptococcus faecalis
var.
liquefaciens
. J. Bacteriol.
87:
799–801. 1964.—When chloramphenicol-resistant mutants are grown in mixed culture with the sensitive wild type of
Streptococcus faecalis
var.
liquefaciens
31, a transfer of chloramphenicol resistance occurs. (The marker is stable through at least five transfers.) The transfer mechanism is not inhibited by deoxyribonuclease, nor is it phage-mediated; genetic transfer is apparently dependent upon cell contact. Although kinetic studies have yet to be completed, preliminary data indicate a high efficiency (2.2 per donor cell in some experiments) of transmission. Two levels of drug resistance, 7 and 50 μg, were transferred; in each case, recipient cells expressed the donor's degree of resistance.
BIOSYNTHESIS OF ERGOTHIONEINE AND HERCYNINE BY MYCOBACTERIA
Authors: Genghof Dorothy S. , Damme Olga Van
Published: January 2020

Genghof, Dorothy
S. (Yeshiva University, New York, N.Y.),
and Olga Van Damme
. Biosynthesis of ergothioneine and hercynine by mycobacteria. J. Bacteriol.
87:
852–862. 1964.—Ergothioneine and hercynine were found to be synthesized by a wide variety of mycobacteria grown in chemically defined media free from these compounds. The cultures examined included 53 recently isolated and laboratory strains of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, 26 “unclassified” mycobacteria (Runyon groups I to IV), and representatives of most other species in the genus. Purification and separation of the betaines was achieved by means of chromatography on two successive alumina columns. Photometric measurement of the diazotized effluents from the second column permitted amounts of each compound to be determined. Measurement of hercynine by this method was made possible for the first time by the development of a standard curve. The pathway of ergothioneine biosynthesis in mycobacteria, as judged by the use S
35
-sulfate and
l
-histidine-
2-C
14
as tracers, appears similar to that found in
Neurospora crassa
and
Claviceps purpurea
, that is, from histidine to ergothioneine via hercynine. None of a small group of bacteria other than mycobacteria was found to produce ergothioneine. Two strains of group A streptococci and one of
Escherichia coli
produced hercyninelike material, as yet unidentified.
CHARACTERISTICS OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCI
Authors: Sutherland R. , Rolinson G. N.
Published: January 2020

Sutherland
, R. (Beecham Research Laboratories Ltd., Betchworth, Surrey, England),
and G. N. Rolinson
. Characteristics of methicillin-resistant staphylococci. J. Bacteriol.
87:
887–899. 1964.—Cultures of naturally occurring methicillin-resistant staphylococci obtained from a number of hospitals were examined for the nature and degree of resistance to methicillin and other antibiotics. All the cultures tested were similar in that they consisted of mixed populations in which the majority of cells were of normal sensitivity to methicillin with a minority showing methicillin resistance. The resistant members also differed from the rest of the population in that they grew more slowly even in the absence of methicillin. Pure cultures of the resistant minority were obtained readily but, on repeated transfer in the absence of methicillin, resistance was lost and the cultures reverted to mixed populations similar to the original naturally occurring strains. When methicillin-sensitive staphylococci were repeatedly subcultured in the presence of methicillin, a mixed population was obtained in which only a minority of cells were resistant to the antibiotic; in this respect, the cultures of methicillin-resistant staphylococci selected in vitro resembled the naturally occurring strains. The original cultures of methicillin-resistant staphylococci comprised populations of cells with uniform sensitivity or insensitivity to other antibiotics. The resistance of these staphylococci to methicillin was not due to increased ability to inactivate the drug but to intrinsic insensitivity to methicillin.
KINETICS OF DRY RUPTURE OF BACTERIAL SPORES IN THE PRESENCE OF SALT
Authors: Sacks L. E. , Percell Peter B. , Thomas Richard S. , Bailey Glen F.
Published: January 2020

Sacks
, L. E. (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Albany, Calif.),
Peter B. Percell, Richard S. Thomas, and Glen F. Bailey
. Kinetics of dry rupture of bacterial spores in the presence of salt. J. Bacteriol.
87:
952–960. 1964.—The kinetics of breaking spores in the dry state by use of an excess of sodium chloride and a steel ball in a shaking device were investigated. Under most conditions, disruption is a first-order process. The disruption-rate constant varies directly with the weight of the ball and inversely with the weight of the capsule contents (spores plus salt). Different spore batches differ somewhat in susceptibility to dry rupture. The dry-rupture process is highly reproducible and it is relatively simple to obtain preparations in which exactly 50%, or 90%, of the spores are broken. The procedure is uniquely suited to the disruption of small (5 to 20 mg) samples, but 150 mg of spores have been handled with conventional equipment. Apparently, the chief function of the salt is to separate the spores from one another with a relatively hard, energy-nonabsorbing matrix, preventing aggregation and consequent cushioning of the ball's impact. However, under certain conditions (small ball, high salt, large crystals) appreciable breakage results from collisions of spores with the salt crystals. The minimal salt-spore ratio for efficient breakage depends on the spore batch, but is usually greater than 3:1. Fine glass beads or inorganic salts other than sodium chloride will also serve as the matrix. Electron micrographs of the spores in various stages of disruption are shown, as are electron micrographs of the spore coats of
Bacillus macerans, B. megaterium, B. cereus, B. coagulans
, and
Clostridium bifermentans
. Prolonged agitation disintegrates spore coats. The spore coats of
B. macerans
exhibit a characteristic ribbed structure, previously detected only by carbon replicas of intact spores. Possible application to other biological materials is considered.
DISSOCIATION IN
PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA
Authors: Zierdt C. H. , Schmidt P. J.
Published: January 2020

Zierdt
, C. H. (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.),
and P. J. Schmidt
. Dissociation in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. J. Bacteriol.
87:
1003–1010. 1964.—Evidence is presented that dissociation of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
occurs in vivo as well as in vitro, although it is suppressed in the blood stream. Of 116 primary cultures on blood agar, 77 (66%) had more than one colony type, with a range of 2 to 6 types per culture. Dissociation was studied in 14 primary cultures during 30 serial blood agar passages. Six of these did not dissociate. Of the six, three were originally primary monocolony strains, and three were strains with two colonial types. Seven of the remaining eight cultures had more than one colony type on the primary culture plate. These eight cultures were observed to dissociate at varying rates; 25 morphological and biochemical tests failed to reveal important differences in the colonial dissociants. However, they may be differentiated by bacteriophage action. Colonial morphology in a given strain of
P. aeruginosa
can be correlated with its bacteriophage lytic pattern, but patterns frequently undergo drastic change during subculture of the organism. The frequently seen different colonial forms in a specific primary culture are usually related, as proven by bacteriophage typing. Phenotypic colony changes after lysogenization were observed. Mucoid colonial variants are markedly more sensitive than are the nonmucoid to streptomycin, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol.
INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG MYCOBACTERIA AND NOCARDIAE
Authors: Manion R. E. , Bradley S. G. , Zinneman H. H. , Hall W. H.
Published: January 2020

Manion, R. E. (Veterans Administration Hospital, Minneapolis, Minn.), S. G.Bradley, H. H. Zinneman, and W. H. Hall. Interrelationships among mycobacteria and nocardiae. J. Bacteriol.87:1056–1859. 1964.—A total of 134 strains of mycobacteria and nocardiae were tested for susceptibility of 24 mycobacteriophages. On the basis of capability of diverse strains to serve as alternative propagating hosts for particular viruses, relationships among the actinomycetes were proposed. Cultures received asMycobacterium smegmatis, M. ranae, M. butyricum, andM. cheloneiwere nearly identical, indicating that they are members of a single taxon.M. phleiandM. fortuitumstrains constituted two distinct but related groups. Moreover, strains ofM. smegmatisandNocardia asteroideswere susceptible to two variant actinophages originally isolated onN. brasiliensis.
THYMINELESS DEATH IN
BACILLUS MEGATERIUM
Authors: Wachsman J. T. , Kemp S. , Hogg L.
Published: January 2020

Wachsman
, J. T. (University of Illinois, Urbana), S.
Kemp, and L. Hogg
. Thymineless death in
Bacillus megaterium
. J. Bacteriol.
87:
1079–1086. 1964.—Strain KM:T
−
, a thymine auxotroph of
Bacillus megaterium
strain KM, rapidly loses the ability to multiply when incubated in the absence of thymine, on an otherwise sufficient medium. At 37 C, there is a lag of approximately 60 min, prior to the onset of exponential death (decrease of 1 decade per 50 min). The extent of the decrease in viable count varies from 4 to 5 decades after 5 hr of starvation. The cells die more slowly at 30 C (decrease of 1 decade per 120 min) after a lag of approximately 90 min. Thymine starvation permits substantial net ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein synthesis, but only slight deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis. In contrast with the changes occurring at 30 C, thymineless death at 37 C is eventually accompanied by a rapid hydrolysis of RNA and by cell lysis. Chloramphenicol inhibits thymineless death at 37 C. Strain T
−
R
1
, a derivative of strain KM:T
−
, undergoes a very low rate of thymineless death at 37 C (decrease of 1 decade per 240 min). Neither hydrolysis of RNA nor cell lysis occurs during 8 hr of thymine starvation. Strain KM:T
−
H
−
(doubly auxotrophic for thymidine and histidine) requires histidine for maximal thymineless death at 37 C. Preincubation of this strain on the basal medium supplemented with thymidine alone enables the population to become increasingly immune to subsequent thymineless death.
CROSS-RESISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS IN
ESCHERICHIA COLI
BETWEEN ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION AND NITROUS ACID
Authors: Zampieri Antonio , Greenberg Joseph
Published: January 2020

Zampieri, Antonio
(Palo Alto Medical Research Foundation, Palo Alto, Calif.),
and Joseph Greenberg
. Cross-resistance relationships in
Escherichia coli
between ultraviolet radiation and nitrous acid. J. Bacteriol.
87:
1094–1099. 1964.—A number of radiosensitive and radioresistant strains of
Escherichia coli
were tested for sensitivity to injury by nitrous acid. All the radioresistant strains, including 13 radioresistant mutants of strain S, B/r, Bpr5, and K-12, were found to be significantly more resistant to nitrous acid than were the radiosensitive strains S and B. The radioresistant mutants of strain S, Bpr5, and K-12 displayed similar responses to nitrous acid and were less resistant than was strain B/r. Strains B and S were indistinguishable on the basis of nitrous acid sensitivity. The survival curves of all strains examined were similar in shape to corresponding survival curves after ultraviolet radiation. The sensitivity to nitrous acid of the radiosensitive strains S and B, but not that of the radioresistant strains, was found to be greater on Tryptone medium than on Penassay medium, and greater on Penassay medium than on glucose-salts medium. Between 2 and 3% of the strain S survivors of nitrous acid treatment were radioresistant; 46 such radioresistant mutants were isolated and found to be identical in cross-resistance pattern with radioresistant types (R
3
, R
4
, or R
6
) previously described. The proportions in which these radioresistant types were found to occur were similar to those observed after selection by other radiomimetic agents.
LYSIS AND DISSOLUTION OF CELLS AND ENVELOPES OF AN EXTREMELY HALOPHILIC BACTERIUM
Authors: Kushner D. J.
Published: January 2020

Kushner
, D. J. (National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada). Lysis and dissolution of cells and envelopes of an extremely halophilic bacterium. J. Bacteriol.
87:
1147–1156. 1964.—Envelopes of the extremely halophilic bacterium,
Halobacterium cutirubrum
, disintegrate in the absence of salt to form much smaller particles. Extensive proteolytic breakdown to compounds of low molecular weight is not involved in this process or in the lysis of cells in the absence of salt. NaCl is much more effective than KCl or NH
4
Cl in preserving the integrity of intact cells, but is only slightly more effective in preserving the integrity of mechanically prepared envelopes, of cells made permeable by treatment with acid, and of cells made permeable by formalin fixation followed by exposure to water. MgCl
2
is much more effective in preserving the integrity of these preparations than of intact cells. The results suggest that the exterior cell surface has sites specifically requiring Na
+
to maintain their integrity, whereas the interior surface has sites whose integrity is maintained at least as well by K
+
or NH
4
+
as by Na
+
.
CYTOPLASMIC ANTIGEN RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE ACTINOMYCETALES
Authors: Kwapinski J. B.
Published: January 2020

Kwapinski
, J. B. (The University of New England, Armidale, N.S.W., Australia). Cytoplasmic antigen relationships among the Actinomycetales. J. Bacteriol.
87:
1234–1237. 1964.—Cytoplasm obtained from 44 strains of the Actinomycetales was tested against the homologous and heterologous antisera in a diffusion precipitation test. A pattern of serological relationships among the cytoplasmic fractions was revealed, with
Mycobacterium smegmatis
occupying a central position in the antigenic evolution of these microorganisms.
SYNTHESIS OF RIBONUCLEIC ACID BY X-IRRADIATED BACTERIA
Authors: Frampton E. W.
Published: January 2020

Frampton
, E. W. (The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston). Synthesis of ribonucleic acid by X-irradiated bacteria. J. Bacteriol.
87:
1369–1376. 1964.—Postirradiation synthesis of total ribonucleic acid (RNA) and of RNA components was measured after exposure of
Escherichia coli
B/r to X rays. Net synthesis of RNA measured by the orcinol reaction and by the incorporation of uridine-
2-C
14
was depressed in irradiated cells, but paralleled the period of postirradiation growth (30 to 40 min). Incorporation of uridine-
2-C
14
, added after net synthesis of RNA had ceased, detected an apparent turnover in a portion of the RNA. Irradiated cells retained their ability to adjust RNA synthesis to growth rate. After a shift-down in growth rate, irradiated cells incorporated radioactive uridine, while the net synthesis of RNA ceased—presumptive evidence for a continued synthesis of messenger RNA. Chloramphenicol addition (100 μg/ml) did not influence the total amount of RNA synthesized. Synthesis of ribosomes and transfer RNA preceded by 0, 5, 10, and 15 min of postirradiation incubation was observed by the resolution of cell-free extracts on sucrose density gradients. Little immediate influence of irradiation could be detected on the synthesis of 50
S
and 30
S
ribosomes. A decline was observed in the synthesis of 50
S
ribosomes with continued postirradiation incubation; 30
S
ribosomes, ribosomal precursors, and 4
S
RNA continued to be synthesized.
BIOSYNTHESIS OF MYCOBACILLIN, A NEW ANTIFUNGAL PEPTIDE II
Authors: Banerjee Arun B. , Bose S. K.
Published: January 2020

Banerjee, Arun
B. (University of Calcutta, Calcutta, India),
and S. K. Bose
. Biosynthesis of mycobacillin, a new antifungal peptide. II. Relation between streptomycin dependence and biosynthesis. J. Bacteriol.
87:
1402–1405. 1964.—A streptomycin-dependent variant was isolated by a single-step mutation process from a strain of
Bacillus subtilis
capable of producing mycobacillin, a cyclic polypeptide antifungal antibiotic. Streptomycin inhibited the growth of this variant in concentrations exceeding the optimal level. Studies on the biosynthesis of mycobacillin and protein in this variant indicate that the two processes are different and that the deprivation of streptomycin has no effect on mycobacillin synthesis.
QUANTITATIVE STUDIES ON GLYCOLYTIC ENZYMES IN
LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM
II
Authors: Mizushima Shôji , Kitahara Kakuo
Published: January 2020

Mizushima, Shôji
(University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan),
and Kakuo Kitahara
. Quantitative studies on glycolytic enzymes in
Lactobacillus plantarum
. II. Intracellular concentrations of glycolytic intermediates in glucose-metabolizing washed cells. J. Bacteriol.
87:
1429–1435. 1964.—The intracellular concentrations of glycolytic intermediates in glucose-metabolizing cells could be estimated by using C
14
-glucose of high specific activity. Separation of each intermediate was accomplished by column chromatography with Dowex 1-X8 (formate) ion-exchange resin. If the intermediates were inseparable, one was converted into another substance separable by chromatography. Almost all the glycolytic intermediates were found to be radioactive, and all of the radioactive substances appearing on the chromatograms were limited to glycolytic intermediates or their related substances. The results clearly show the role of the glycolytic system for lactic acid fermentation in the organism. Among the intermediates, fructose-1,6-diphosphate and 3-phosphoglycerate were found to be present in relatively high concentrations. The reason for the high concentrations of these compounds is discussed.
PLAQUE ASSAY FOR PSITTACOSIS VIRUS IN MONOLAYERS OF CHICK EMBRYO FIBROBLASTS
Authors: Piraino F. , Abel C.
Published: January 2020

Piraino, F. (City of Milwaukee Health Department, Milwaukee, Wis.),and C. Abel. Plaque assay for psittacosis virus in monolayers of chick embryo fibroblasts. J. Bacteriol.87:1503–1511. 1964.—A tissue culture system for the assay of 6BC psittacosis virus by plaque production on chick embryo fibroblast cells is described. Experiments are given which characterize the specificity of the reaction and identify factors found to cause variations in plaque counts. The statistical data obtained indicate this assay to be a precise and highly reliable procedure for the detection of 6BC virus and antibody.
METABOLISM OF INTRACELLULAR POLYSACCHARIDE BY
STREPTOCOCCUS MITIS
AND ITS RELATION TO INDUCIBLE ENZYME FORMATION
Authors: Gibbons R. J.
Published: January 2020

Gibbons
, R. J. (Forsyth Dental Center, Boston Mass.). Metabolism of intracellular polysaccharide by
Streptococcus mitis
and its relation to inducible enzyme formation. J. Bacteriol.
87:
1512–1520. 1964.—The synthesis and catabolism of an intracellular iodine staining polysaccharide produced from glucose by
Streptococcus mitis
was investigated. Approximately 15% of the total glucose metabolized by buffered suspensions of
S. mitis
was assimilated. Over 90% of the assimilated glucose was converted into a polysaccharide of the glycogen-amylopectin type. Use of uniformly labeled C
14
-glucose provided a convenient method for determining polysaccharide accumulation in this organism. Glucose assimilation occurred at a rate of over 80 μg of glucose per hr per 100 μg of starting dry cell weight. Prolonged assimilation produced cells containing over 50% polysaccharide on a dry weight basis. Accumulated polysaccharide was catabolized at the same rate when the organism was suspended in buffer, sugar-free broth, or sugar-free broth containing thiomethyl galactoside. Metabolic intermediates produced from polysaccharide catabolism did not markedly repress inducible enzyme synthesis. The last glucose molecules incorporated into polysaccharide were among the first molecules to be removed during catabolism. Catabolism of polysaccharide provides
S. mitis
with energy in a utilizable form, for cells containing polysaccharide increased in β-galactosidase activity when induced with thiomethyl galactoside in the absence of an exogenous energy source. Cells devoid of polysaccharide, and a polysaccharide-negative variant of
S. mitis
did not increase in β-galactosidase activity when induced in a similar manner. It appears that the intracellular polysaccharide is the sole substrate for the endogenous metabolism of
S. mitis
.
LIPOLYTIC, PECTOLYTIC, AND ALGINOLYTIC ACTIVITIES OF ENTEROBACTERIACEAE
Authors: Davis B. R. , Ewing W. H.
Published: January 2020

Davis
, B. R. (Communicable Disease Center, Atlanta, Ga.),
and W. H. Ewing
. Lipolytic, pectolytic, and alginolytic activities of Enterobacteriaceae. J. Bacteriol.
88:
16–19. 1964.—Of 2,262 cultures of Enterobacteriaceae tested, only cultures of
Enterobacter liquefaciens
(
Aerobacter liquefaciens
),
Serratia, Proteus vulgaris
, and
P. mirabilis
gave evidence of lipolytic activities. None of the cultures liquefied pectate or alginate. The value of tests for these activities in diagnostic work with Enterobacteriaceae, and in defining the limits of that family, is discussed.
ISOLEUCINE AND VALINE METABOLISM IN
ESCHERICHIA COLI
XII
Authors: Leaviti Richard I.
Published: January 2020

Leavitt, Richard
I. (Long Island Biological Association, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.). Isoleucine and valine metabolism in
Escherichia coli
. XII. Characterization of a factor involved in acetolactate formation. J. Bacteriol.
88:
172–178. 1964.—An unknown factor required for the formation of acetolactate, the first five-carbon precursor of valine, is described. The presence of this factor eliminates the dilution effect encountered when studying the effect of increasing enzyme concentration on the formation of acetolactate. It is suggested that this factor functions by increasing the enzyme affinities of both pyruvate and thiamine pyrophosphate.
CULTIVATION OF LEPTOSPIRAE I
Authors: Stalheim O. H. V. , Wilson J. B.
Published: January 2020

Stalheim
, O. H. V. (University of Wisconsin, Madison),
and J. B. Wilson
. Cultivation of leptospirae. I. Nutrition of
Leptospira canicola
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
48–54. 1964.—The nutrition of
Leptospira canicola
was investigated by use of synthetic media of suitable ionic strength. At an incubation temperature of 30 C, the minimal components were calcium, iron, magnesium, and ammonium ions, thiamine, and a fatty acid source; barium and strontium replaced calcium. Aspartic acid, glutamic acid, or methionine stimulated the rate and amount of growth; the best growth occurred in medium containing additional amino acids. Additions of cyanocobalamin or biotin permitted growth at 37 C. The stimulatory effects of added cyanocobalamin, biotin, pyridoxine, pantothenate, lipoic acid, or nicotinic acid were additive at 37 C, but not at 30 C. Fatty acids containing 14, 16, 17, or 18 carbon atoms supported growth; linoleic and linolenic acids were toxic. Glyceryl monooleate or trioleate, or Tween 40, 60, or 80 supported moderate to good growth; a mixture of monoolein and Tween 60, or Tweens 60 and 80 supported the best growth. Ten strains of
L. canicola
cultivated in a synthetic medium containing Tweens 60 and 80 attained cellular densities per ml of 10
7
to 4.0 × 10
7
organisms.
L. canicola
cells, resuspended in medium containing oleic-
1-C
14
acid, incorporated label primarily into cellular lipids; a lesser amount was located in the protein fraction, and only trace amounts were found in the nucleic acid fraction. The rate of incorporation was not affected by added sodium acetate.
L. canicola
was found to have fatty acid decarboxylase activity.
MULTIPLICATION AND THERAPY OF
TOXOPLASMA GONDII
IN TISSUE CULTURE
Authors: Maloney Emily D. , Kaufman Herbert E.
Published: January 2020

Maloney, Emily
D. (University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville),
and Herbert E. Kaufman
. Multiplication and therapy of
Toxoplasma gondii
in tissue culture. J. Bacteriol.
88:
319–321. 1964.—The effect of temperature on the rate of multiplication of the RH strain of
Toxoplasma gondii
and the results of treatment with pyrimethamine, an antifolic, at various temperatures were studied in tissue culture. At 37 C incubation, the organism was found to have a lag time of 10.5 hr and a mean generation time thereafter of 4.85 hr for binary multiplication during the exponential phase of growth. At 34 C, the lag time was 12 hr and generation time was 5.26 hr. When the organisms were incubated at 31 C, the lag time was 12.5 hr and generation time was 11.1 hr. Treatment of infected monkey kidney tissue cultures with 0.05 mg per 100 ml of pyrimethamine at 37 C for 4 days killed all organisms and permitted survival of the mice which were injected with the cultures. When cultures were incubated at 34 C, a dose of 0.6 mg per 100 ml was required to spare any mice, and with a 31 C incubation even this dose was only slightly effective when therapy was continued for 4 days. If the treatment was prolonged for 7 days before injection of the cultures into mice, however, no difference in therapy with different rates of multiplication was found. Since the rates of multiplication at 34 and 31 C are similar to the rates of multiplication of some naturally occurring strains, these data confirm the fact that prolonged therapy, as used by many, is rational.
LIPIDS OF
SARCINA LUTEA
I
Authors: Huston Charles K. , Albro Phillip W.
Published: January 2020

Huston, Charles
K. (U.S. Army Biological Laboratories, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.),
and Phillip W. Albro
. Lipids of
Sarcina lutea
. I. Fatty acid composition of the extractable lipids. J. Bacteriol.
88:
425–432. 1964.—The extractable lipids of
Sarcina lutea
were separated into several fractions by a combination of column and thin-layer chromatography. Qualitative and quantitative characterization of the fatty acid content of these lipid fractions was accomplished by means of gas-liquid chromatography and infrared analyses. Of the total extract, the lipids consisted of 2.1% free fatty acids, 51.0% glycerides, and 22.7% complex lipids; they had a fatty acid content with a complete spectrum of carbon numbers from C
8
to C
22
. The fatty acids included a large component of branched-acids in addition to the normal straight-chain acids. The branched-acids, comprising 40% of the fatty acids analyzed, constituted a homologous series of iso-acids from C
12
to C
19
. Two 18-carbon unsaturates were found
cis
-9-octadecenoate and
cis
-11-octadecenoate. A relatively high percentage (20.5%) of the extractable material from
S. lutea
was found to be hydrocarbon. This material was not further characterized.
EFFECT OF SALINITY AND TEMPERATURE ON
COCCIDIOIDES IMMITIS
AND THREE ANTAGONISTIC SOIL SAPROPHYTES
Authors: Egeberg Roger O. , Elconin Ann E. , Egeberg Margaret C.
Published: January 2020

Egeberg, Roger
O. (University of Southern California, Los Angeles),
Ann F. Elconin, and Margaret C. Egeberg
. Effect of salinity and temperature on
Coccidioides immitis
and three antagonistic soil saprophytes. J. Bacteriol.
88:
473–476. 1964.—Experiments exploring the factors which determine the ability of
Coccidioides immitis
to survive and reproduce in the soil
in situ
are described and discussed. Previous work indicated that soil temperatures and salinity influence the growth and distribution of
C. immitis
. It was thought that these factors might work through enhancing the growth of
C. immitis
or inhibiting the growth of its possible antagonists, or both. In searching for antagonists, samples of surface soil from an endemic area were screened by standard culture techniques. Three significant antagonists were isolated and were identified as two strains of
Bacillus subtilis
, and
Penicillium janthinellum
. Subcultures of each of these isolates were grown on Saboraud's media modified by sodium chloride and calcium chloride in parallel series. The salts used were the predominant salts, and the range of temperature was comparable to that found in the soil. The organisms were grown at 18 to 27 C and at 40 C. The latter temperature approximated the temperature of the top centimeter of soil for 4 to 6 hr a day in the spring when
C. immitis
is recovered.
P. janthinellum
was unable to survive 40 C. The growth of the other two, while unaffected by temperature change alone, was inhibited by the salts. Conversely,
C. immitis
was stimulated by the salts when grown at the higher temperature. These findings support the hypothesis that markedly increased salinity and seasonal high temperature of the surface soil inhibit or kill these antogonists while enhancing the growth of
C. immitis
.
IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES OF
ACTINOMYCES
Authors: Georg Lucille K. , Robertstad Gordon W. , Brinkman Sherry A.
Published: January 2020

Georg, Lucille
K. (Communicable Disease Center, Atlanta, Ga.),
Gordon W. Robertstad, and Sherry A. Brinkman
. Identification of species of
Actinomyces
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
477–490. 1964.—Four unusual isolates of
Actinomyces
species were compared with six control strains of well-identified
Actinomyces
species. Their oxygen requirements and their morphological and biochemical characteristics were determined. Final identifications were confirmed by cell-wall analyses for amino acid and carbohydrate composition and by agar-gel techniques. Two strains, A-13-R and A-13-S, isolated from the same cow head were shown to represent rough and smooth variants of
A. bovis
. The strains were not only morphologically distinct, but had different biochemical reactions and antigenic makeup. The two other strains, X407 and X573, isolated from human pleural fluid and a lung abscess, respectively, were shown to represent a new
Actinomyces
species.
PARTIAL PURIFICATION OF THE EXTRACELLULAR HEMOLYSIN OF
PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA
Authors: Berk Richard S.
Published: January 2020

Berk, Richard
S. (Wayne State University, College of Medicine, Detroit, Mich.). Partial purification of the extracellular hemolysin of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
559–565. 1964.—Through a series of chemical fractionation steps, the extracellular hemolysin of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
was purified 126-fold with a recovery of 49%. Hemolytic activity of crude preparations was irreversibly lost upon contact with anionic exchange materials such as diethylaminoethyl Sephadex or ECTEOLA-Cellulose, but traveled with the solvent front during passage through Sephadex G-200 and carboxymethyl Sephadex. The hemolysin was soluble in water and ethanol, and was partially extractable with ether, but not with trichlorotrifluoroethane (Freon). Although normal serum and serum albumin blocked hemolytic activity, it was unaffected by trypsin, deoxyribonuclease, or ribonuclease. Partially purified hemolysin was studied in vivo, but did not exert dermonecrotic activity in mice or rabbits in the concentrations tested. Although preparations were toxic to mice, lethality appeared to be more a reflection of the nonhemolytic protein content of the preparations rather than of hemolytic activity.
NUTRITIONAL AND REGULATORY ASPECTS OF SERINE METABOLISM IN
ESCHERICHIA COLI
Authors: Pizer Lewis I. , Potochny Mary L.
Published: January 2020

Pizer, Lewis
I. (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia),
and Mary L. Potochny
. Nutritional and regulatory aspects of serine metabolism in
Escherichia coli
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
611–619. 1964.—Growth studies with a serine auxotroph have demonstrated a relationship between the serine supplied and the extent of growth, which closely agrees with the value calculated from the reported chemical composition of
Escherichia coli
. Serine could be replaced by glycine and, to a limited extent, by
l
-threonine. Both exogenous serine and glycine regulate their own endogenous synthesis from glucose or fructose. The inhibition of endogenous synthesis of both amino acids by serine was greater than 90% with both carbon sources. Greater amounts of exogenous glycine were utilized for cell synthesis when fructose was the carbon source. Growth conditions affected the levels of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase found in cell-free extracts. The highest levels were found in glucose-grown cells and the lowest in cells grown in a medium augmented with
l
-threonine,
l
-methionine,
l
-leucine, and
dl
-isoleucine. The levels of serine phosphate phosphatase were not altered by changes in growth conditions.
CELL-WALL LYSINS OF
STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS
STRAINS INDUCED BY SPECIFIC TYPING PHAGES
Authors: Ralston Doris J. , McIvor Mary
Published: January 2020

Ralston, Doris
J. (University of California, Berkeley),
and Mary McIvor
. Cell-wall lysins of
Staphylococcus aureus
strains induced by specific typing phages. J. Bacteriol.
88:
667–675. 1964.—At least 12 different phages induced the formation of soluble lysins (separable from the phages by ultracentrifugation). The lysins caused rapid clearing of heat-killed cells of all strains of
Staphylococcus aureus
tested, irrespective of the capacity of the phage to form plaques on living cells of the strain. The uninfected cells of the 12 strains contained a second lysin, an autolysin, released upon cellular autolysis. The autolysin preparations differed from the phage-induced lysins, in that they exhibited relatively high activity for lysing
Micrococcus lysodeikticus
and low activity for strain
S. aureus
K
1N
, and were each specifically inhibited by antiserum prepared against purified autolysin from strain K
1
. A third kind of lysin, virolysin, induced by polyvalent phage K, was differentiated from the lysins of the specific phages on the basis of its antigenic specificity and lack of action on
M. lysodeikticus
. All three kinds of lysins digested the mucopeptide portion of staphylococcal cell walls. No evidence was found that any of these lysins possessed specific host ranges which could be correlated with the lytic host range of the inducing phage.
LYSIS-FROM-WITHOUT OF
STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS
STRAINS BY COMBINATIONS OF SPECIFIC PHAGES AND PHAGE-INDUCED LYTIC ENZYMES
Authors: Ralston Doris J. , McIvor Mary
Published: January 2020

Ralston, Doris
J. (University of California, Berkeley)
and Mary McIvor
. Lysis-from-without of
Staphylococcus aureus
strains by combinations of specific phages and phage-induced lytic enzymes. J. Bacteriol.
88:
676–681. 1964—Several typing phages, adsorbed in sufficient concentrations to their homologous propagating strains, altered the cell surface so as to render the cells sensitive to rapid and synergistic lysis by extra-cellular additions of wall lysins. Lysis was effected both by lysins induced by the individual phages and by phage K
1
virolysin. Phage K
1
also rendered cells sensitive to the lysins of the typing phages. With the exception of lysins from PS 53, 70, and 77, none of the lysins nor purified phages tested separately caused significant lysis of living cells. Lysis-from-without in
Staphylococcus aureus
appears to be a stepwise process: sensitization by phage followed by digestion of the wall by lysin.
PRODUCTION OF ELASTASE AND PROTEINASE BY
PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA
Authors: Morihara Kazuyuki
Published: January 2020

Morihara, Kazuyuki
(Shionogi Research Laboratory, Osaka, Japan). Production of elastase and proteinase by
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. J. Bacteriol.
88:
745–757. 1964.—Some strains of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
produced elastase, but the others did not. The elastase-positive strains produced two proteinases (fractions II and III), and the elastase-negative strains produced one proteinase (fraction III). Moreover, one proteinase (fraction I) was produced by both elastase-positive and elastase-negative strains, but the activity was small and negligible. The three proteinases were separated by column chromatography on diethylaminoethyl-cellulose, and elastolytic activity corresponded to fraction II. The effect of components of the medium was slight for production of fraction II; fraction III was produced only in synthetic medium containing Ca ion and not in natural medium. The optimal pH of fractions I, II, and III for casein was 6.5, 8.0, and 10.0, respectively; that of fraction II for elastin was 7.5 to 8.0. The other characters of the three proteinases also differed. Both the proteolytic and the elastolytic activities of fraction II showed a similar behavior for various treatments, except the inhibition test by NaCl and serum. Fraction III proteinases from various strains were identical in their enzymatic or other characters, showing that various strains were related regardless of the difference of their elastolytic activity. The reason that the elastolytic activity of
P. aeruginosa
differed according to the origin of the strain is discussed on the basis of a taxonomic study; results indicate that the ability to produce elastolytic activity (fraction II) may be a dissociative character of the species.
BIOHYDROGENATION OF UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS BY RUMEN BACTERIA
Authors: Polan C. E. , McNeill J. J. , Tove S. B.
Published: January 2020

Polan
, C. E. (North Carolina State of the University of North Carolina, Raleigh), J. J.
McNeill, and S. B. Tove
. Biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids by rumen bacteria. J. Bacteriol.
88:
1056–1064. 1964.—A simple, rapid, specific assay for the biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids was developed. With this assay, it was shown that washed suspensions of mixed rumen bacteria hydrogenate linoleic and oleic acids.
Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens
, a common rumen bacterium, is capable of hydrogenating linoleic acid to octadecenoic acid but not to stearic acid. Complete anaerobiosis is required, and with mixed rumen bacteria more activity is obtained in an atmosphere of hydrogen than of either nitrogen or helium, whereas carbon dioxide is inhibitory. The extent of biohydrogenation varies with the season of the year, and a variable stimulatory effect is obtained upon the addition of boiled rumen fluid. Biohydrogenation activity in
B. fibrisolvens
is markedly dependent upon the age of the organism and concentration of cells used in the medium. The presence of certain other rumen bacteria, which by themselves are incapable of carrying out the biohydrogenation reaction, can prevent loss of activity of
B. fibrisolvens
due to age or dilution. Two systems are involved in the complete hydrogenation of linoleic acid: one specific for the conversion of linoleic acid to a monoenoic acid, and the other for the hydrogenation of a monoenoic acid to stearic acid.
METABOLIC ACTIVITY INCOXIELLA BURNETII
Authors: Ormsbee Richard A. , Peacock Marius G.
Published: January 2020

Ormsbee, RichardA. (Rocky Mountain Laboratory, Hamilton, Mont.),and Marius G. Peacock. Metabolic activity inCoxiella burnetii. J. Bacteriol.88:1205–1210. 1964.—Purified suspensions ofCoxiella burnetiiwere shown to utilize α-ketoglutarate, succinate, fumarate, malate, oxaloacetate, pyruvate, glutamate, and serine. The addition of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide+was necessary to elicit the maximal rate of oxygen uptake withl-glutamate as substrate, but was unnecessary when other substrates were employed. It was concluded that the Krebs cycle of intermediary carbohydrate metabolism probably operates withinC. burnetii, and that pyruvate is the chief energy source.
DRUG RESISTANCE OF ENTERIC BACTERIA III. FR(TC)
Authors: Harada Kenji , Kameda Mitsuo , Suzuki Mitsue , Mitsuhashi Susumu
Published: January 2020

Harada, Kenji
(Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan),
Mitsuo Kameda, Mitsue Suzuki, and Susumu Mitsuhashi
. Drug resistance of enteric bacteria. III. Acquisition of transferability of nontransmissible R(TC) factor in cooperation with F factor and formation of FR(TC). J. Bacteriol.
88:
1257–1265. 1964.—Transmissible drug-resistance factor R, which confers resistance to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, and sulfonamide, was previously found to be transduced in the system of the
Salmonella
E group with phage epsilon. The R factor of R
+
transductants was nontransmissible by cell-to-cell contact, and it was not eliminated by treatment with acridine dye. When R
+
transductants were infected with F factor, the nontransmissible R factor acquired transferability by conjugation. The R
+
conjugants, to which only the R factor was separately transmitted by conjugation from the (F
+
R
+
) donor, were still unable to transfer their R factor by conjugation. However, the (FR)
+
conjugants, to which both F and R factor were transmitted simultaneously by conjugation, were also capable of transferring their F and R factors by conjugation. From the present study, it was concluded that the recombinant (FR) factor was formed as a result of an interaction between F and R factors present in a host bacterium, and that one of the mechanisms of acquisition of transferability is accounted for by the formation of recombinant (FR) factor. The recombinant (FR) factor was transferable by conjugation, and it conferred both the drug-resistance and F
+
characters to the recipient cells. The (FR) factor was eliminated by treatment with acridine dye and also transduced as one unit into
Escherichia coli
K-12 by P1kc phage.
EFFECT OF SUGARS AND OTHER CARBON COMPOUNDS ON GERMINATION AND POSTGERMINATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF
BACILLUS MEGATERIUM
SPORES
Authors: Hyatt Mildred T. , Levinson Hillel S.
Published: January 2020

Hyatt, Mildred
T. (Pioneering Research Division. U.S. Army Natick Laboratories, Natick, Mass.),
and Hillel S. Levinson
. Effect of sugars and other carbon compounds on germination and postgerminative development of
Bacillus megaterium
spores. J. Bacteriol.
88:
1403–1415. 1964.—A total of 77 carbon-containing compounds were tested for their ability to support germination and postgerminative development of
Bacillus megaterium
spores. The only effective germination agents were certain of the hexose sugars and their derivatives. With unheated spores, only
d
-glucose,
d
-mannose, 2-deoxy-
d
-glucose,
d
-glucosamine, and
N
-acetyl-
d
-glucosamine (all at 25 m
m
) supported appreciable germination (ca. 25%). Heat-shock at 60 C for 10 min increased germination and decreased the concentration of sugar required for germination, so that these compounds, at 2.5 m
m
, supported 40 to 60% germination. Higher concentrations (25 m
m
) of other compounds,
d
-fructose,
l
-sorbose,
d
-allose,
d
-altrose, 2-hydroxyethyl-
d
-glucose, and β-methyl-
d
-glucoside, were required for appreciable germination of heated spores. Glucose or mannose contamination accounted for the germination apparently induced by certain other sugars. Ionic contamination did not appear to contribute to the germination induced by
d
-glucose,
d
-fructose, 2-deoxy-
d
-glucose, or
l
-sorbose. There was no clear-cut evidence for a multiplicity of metabolic pathways in the triggering of
B. megaterium
spore germination by various sugars. Postgerminative development of germinated spores was supported by a wider variety of carbon compounds, including some pentoses and hexoses, many oligosaccharides, sugar derivatives, some alcohols, and some of the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates. Compounds effective for germination were not necessarily utilizable for growth, and vice versa. Oxygen consumption rates reflected the progress and extent of postgerminative development on the various carbon compounds. Utilization of glucose during postgerminative development was followed, and the concentration requirements were determined.