bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Passive immunization against Pseudomonas with a ribosomal vaccine-induced immune serum and immunoglobulin fractions
Authors: Lieberman M M , McKissock D C , Wright G L
Published: January 2020

Passive protection of mice against Pseudomonas aeruginosa using specific antisera and immunoglobulin fractions induced by immunizing rabbits with a ribosomal vaccine is reported. The results demonstrated that protection by the ribosomal vaccine against challenge with live organisms can be serum mediated. Previous work has shown that the vaccine can be separated into two components on the basis of molecular weight and that both higher (peak A)- and lower (peak B)-molecular-weight fractions were capable of inducing active immunity in mice. The present report indicates that both fractions are also capable of eliciting the production of mouse-protective antibody in rabbits. Agar gel diffusion with antisera to peaks A and B or unfractionated vaccine indicated a common antigenic component among them in addition to an extra antigen in unfractionated vaccine not present in peak B. Passive hemagglutination with antisera to peaks A and B demonstrated high-titer agglutinating antibody only with antiserum to peak A when a method of erythrocyte sensitization for lipopolysaccharide antigens was used. Also, passive hemagglutination was greatly inhibited by small amounts of lipopolysaccharide prepared from the same organism from which the vaccine was made. Both antisera to peaks A and B fixed complement with either A or B antigens. Antisera to peaks A and B, when reacted with peak B antigen, had about the same complement fixation titer (as determined by a quantitative complement fixation test). However, when peak A antigen was used, antiserum to peak A had about twice the complement fixation titer that antiserum to peak B had. These results are consistent with previous observations which suggest that the ribosomal vaccine contains lipopolysaccharide in addition to an unidentified immunogenic principle associated with ribosomes. Furthermore, this immunogen was present in both peaks A and B, but detectable amounts of lipopolysaccharide were present only in peak A. The relative importance of the immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM classes of antibodies was also compared. The results indicated that both IgG and IgM isolated from immune rabbit serum are protective in mice. Only IgG precipitated with the vaccine in agar gel diffusion, but both IgG and IgM were active in passive hemagglutination and in complement fixation. The passive hemagglutination titer of the IgM was higher than that of the IgG, but the complement fixation titer of the IgG was higher than that of the IgM. The mouse-protective capability of the IgG and IgM was about the same.
Mitogenic activity of staphylococcal peptidoglycan
Authors: Dziarski R , Dziarski A
Published: January 2020

Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan displayed a marked dose-dependent mitogenic activity for mouse splenocytes and human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro, as measured by increased [3H]thymidine incorporation. Similarly it was mitogenic for athymic nude mouse spleen cells, whereas no blastogenic effect was observed in T cell-enriched and B cell-depleted mouse lymphocyte cultures. These data demonstrate that peptidoglycan-responding cells in mouse spleen cell cultures are B lymphocytes.
Intramuscular inoculation of live respiratory syncytial virus induces immunity in cotton rats
Authors: Prince G A , Potash L , Horswood R L , Camargo E , Suffin S C , Johnson R A , Chanock R M
Published: January 2020

Intramuscular inoculation of infant or weanling cotton rats with 10(2.2) to 10(4) plaque-forming units of respiratory syncytial virus induced significant or complete resistance to infection in both the upper and lower portions of the respiratory tract. This resistance did not appear to be the result of in vitro neutralization of virus during homogenization of tissue. Virus was not recovered from the local site of inoculation after 5 min and was never detected in the respiratory tract of intramuscularly inoculated rats. Attempts to detect viral antigens at the site of inoculation by using indirect immunofluorescence were unsuccessful. However, inactivation of infectivity of three different strains of respiratory syncytial virus markedly reduced or completely ablated antigenicity and protective efficacy by the intramuscular route. This suggests that these viruses underwent limited replication, perhaps restricted to an abortive cycle, at the local site of inoculation. An immunosuppressive effect of passive maternally derived immunity was observed. Only 50% of weanling rats possessing passive maternal serum antibody were successfully immunized by intramuscular vaccination with live virus.
Pili of Neisseria meningitidis: effect of media on maintenance of piliation, characteristics of Pili, and colonial morphology
Authors: McGee Z A , Street C H , Chappell C L , Cousar E S , Morris F , Horn R G
Published: January 2020

In contrast to information in the literature which indicates that meningococci rapidly lose pili upon cultivation in vitro, we found that piliation of meningococci could be maintained in vitro for 15 or more passages. Pili were present on all eight isolates tested, whether from asymptomatic carriers or from subjects with meningococcal disease. Complete loss of piliation occurred in the same two strains on two of the three media tested. On one medium (Thayer-Martin medium with supplement B), there was partial or complete loss of pili by all strains. The optimal medium for maintaining pili was chocolate agar with 1% IsoVitaleX; 95% or more of the microorganisms of six of the eight strains tested were piliated after 15 passages in vitro, and more than 60% of the microorganisms of the other two strains were piliated. Meningococci passed on this medium generally maintained their initial density of piliation (3 to 34 pili per diplococcus). The ability to predictably cultivate piliated meningococci in vitro and to select piliated and nonpiliated clones of the same strain should allow investigation of the biochemical and immunological properties of meningococcal pili as well as their possible role in the pathogenicity of Neisseria meningitidis.
Immunoglobulin G from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis brain as an immunological reagent
Authors: Weil M L , Norrby E , Itabashi H H , Wilson R , Tourtellotte W W , Heiner D C
Published: January 2020

Proteins were extracted at pH 2.5 from carefully washed brain homogenates of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Immunoglobulin G was isolated from the extracts by gel filtration and immunoadsorbent chromatography and was 125I radioiodinated. The labeled immunoglobulin G was reacted with purified measles virus antigens by crossed immunoelectrophoresis and utilized to identify antigens in measles-infected cell cultures and hamster brain tissue subjected to treatment corresponding to that used for elution of immunoglobulin G. The method described is useful in identifying the specific nature of antibodies as well as antigens in tissue-associated immune complexes.
Effect of Pili on Susceptibility of
Escherichia coli
to Phagocytosis
Authors: Silverblatt Fredric J. , Dreyer Jerrold S. , Schauer Susan
Published: January 2020

The degree of piliation of 20 clinical isolates of
Escherichia coli
was correlated with their susceptibility to phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Piliation was quantitated by negative staining, and phagocytosis was quantitated by a monolayer technique. Ingestion was confirmed by electron microscopy. In the absence of source of opsonins, there was a positive correlation between the degree of piliation and susceptibility to phagocytosis (y = 0.83x + 19.58; correlation coefficient = 0.65;
P
< 0.01). Heavily piliated strains were no longer phagocytized after their pili were removed by ultraviolet irradiation. Phagocytosis was reduced 75% in the presence of 0.1 M
d
-mannose, an agent which competitively inhibits binding of pili to cell surfaces.
l
-Mannose,
d
-glucose, and
d
-galactose were much less inhibitory. The viability of piliated organisms was reduced by 1 log after 1 h of incubation with polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Addition of 10% fresh human serum increased both the rate and completeness of killing. These observations suggest that polymorphonuclear leukocytes may interact with the pili of
E. coli
to promote phagocytosis. This phenomenon may have clinical relevance in situations where normal opsonic activity is poor, such as the renal medulla.
Ultrastructural-immunohistochemical evidence for a maturation defect of temperature-sensitive G31 vesicular stomatitis virus in murine spinal cord neurons
Authors: Dal Canto M C , Rabinowitz S G , Johnson T C , Hughes J V
Published: January 2020

Ultrastructural immunoperoxidase studies were done in spinal cords of mice infected with wild type vesicular stomatitis virus or its temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant G31. Infected neurons showed subplasmalemmal staining of viral antigen and staining of viral particles budding from the neuronal membrane in wild-type vesicular stomatitis virus infection, whereas diffuse membrane and cytoplasmic staining with no budding virus was observed in ts G31 infection. Such findings suggest rapid viral assembly and release of viral particles from cells infected with wild-type virus. In contrast, maturation of ts G31 appears defective, and this would lead to accumulation of viral antigen in the cytoplasm of infected cells. These results correlate with studies in neuroblastoma cells which investigated the growth cycles of wild type, ts G31, and the spinal cord isolate of ts G31 as well as the viral protein-synthetic capacity of these viruses.
Glucose incorporation by Treponema pallidum
Authors: Barbieri J T , Cox C D
Published: January 2020

Treponema pallidum incorporated glucose into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable material. The amount of incorporation was proportional to the number of treponemes and was estimated to equal 3% of the glucose oxidized.
Unique lipid composition of Treponema pallidum (Nichols virulent strain)
Authors: Matthews H M , Yang T K , Jenkin H M
Published: January 2020

The lipid composition of Treponema pallidum (Nichols virulent strain) was determined after purification of the organisms from the infected testes of corticosteroid-treated rabbits by differential centrifugation, filtration through Nuclepore membranes, and sedimentation in Hypaque density gradients. The total lipids were comprised of 32.2% neutral lipids, mainly cholesterol, and 67.8% phospholipids consisting of phosphatidylcholine (32.1%), sphingomyelin (14.8%), cardiolipin (13.0%), phosphatidylethanolamine (6.2%), phosphatidylinositol-serine (1.2%), and lysophosphatidylcholine (0.4%). Monoglycosyldiglyceride, a glycolipid comprising 25 to 50% of thetotal lipid of all Treponema previously examined, was not detected. The fatty acid composition was similar but quntitatively distinct from that of the infected testes tissue.
Specificity of coaggregation reactions between human oral streptococci and strains of Actinomyces viscosus or Actinomyces naeslundii
Authors: Cisar J O , Kolenbrander P E , McIntire F C
Published: January 2020

Coaggregation reactions between actinomycete and streptococcal cells occurred frequently when human strains of Actinomyces viscosus or A. naeslundii were mixed with human isolates of Streptococcus sanguis or S. mitis, but were infrequent with other oral actinomycetes and streptococci. Two groups of actinomycetes and four groups of streptococci were defined by the patterns of their coaggregation reactions and by the ability of beta-linked galactosides (i.e., lactose) to reverse these reactions. Coaggregations occurred by one of the following three kinds to cell-cell interactions: (i) coaggregation that was blocked by heating the streptococcus but not the actinomycete and was not reversed by lactose; (ii) coaggregation that was blocked by heating the actinomycete but not the streptococcus and was reversed by lactose; and (iii) coaggregation that was blocked only by heating both cell types. The latter reaction was a combination of the first two since lactose reversed coaggregation between heated streptococci and unheated actinomycetes but did not reverse coaggregations between unheated streptococci and heated actinomycetes. Cells that could be heat inactivated also were inactivated by amino group acetylation or protease digestion, whereas cells that were unaffected by heat were not inactivated by these treatments. Coaggregation reactions of each kind were Ca2+ dependent and insensitive to dextranase treatment. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that human strains of A. viscosus and A. naeslundii coaggregate with strains of S. sanguis and S. mitis by a system of specific cell surface interactions between protein or glycoprotein receptors on one cell type and carbohydrates on the other type.
Effects of age, ambient temperature, and heat-stable Escherichia coli enterotoxin on intestinal transit in infant mice
Authors: Moon H W , Fung P Y , Isaacson R E , Booth G D
Published: January 2020

Some interrelationships among age, ambient temperature, intestinal transit, and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection were studied in an infant mouse model. The transit of dye in the small intestine was accelerated during the response to heat-stable E. coli enterotoxin. Transit in the small intestine of normal mice accelerated with increased age (from less than 17 h to 8 days old) and accelerated with increased ambient temperature (from 25 to 37 degrees C). Transit was more rapid in the jejunum than in the ileum throughout the range of experimental conditions studied. E. coli strains that do not produce any of the pili known facilitate intestinal colonization were cleared from the small intestine more rapidly at 37 degrees C than at 25 degrees C. This clearance was thought to be due to accelerated transit at the higher temperature. In contrast, a strain of E. coli that produces K99 (pili previously shown to facilitate intestinal colonization in other species) was not cleared from the small intestine and colonized more intensively at 37 degrees C than at 25 degrees C. Intensified colonization by this strain was thought to be due to increased production of K99 at the higher temperature. It was suggested that sluggish intestinal transit may also be characteristic of the neonates of other species and be one of the factors predisposing them to intestinal colonization by enteropathogens. It was speculated that this predisposition may be enhanced if the neonates are chilled. However, the effect of ambient temperature on intestinal transit in homeothermic neonates such as pigs, calves, and humans may be different from that in mice because neonatal mice are poikilothermic.
Comparison of Assay of Coliform Enterotoxins by Conventional Techniques Versus In Vivo Intestinal Perfusion
Authors: Klipstein Frederick A. , Guerrant Richard L. , Wells Joy G. , Short Helen B. , Engert Richard F.
Published: January 2020

Thirty-six strains of coliform bacteria were tested for enterotoxigenicity both by conventional assays, including the Y-1 adrenal and Chinese hamster ovary cell assays for heat-labile toxin and the suckling mouse assay for heat-stable toxin, and by determining the ability of graded concentrations of ultrafiltrate high- or low-molecular-weight toxin preparations to induce water secretion during in vivo perfusion in the rat jejunum. The ultrafiltrates of all 18 strains isolated from persons with infectious diarrheal disease, including seven of
Escherichia coli
, seven of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
, and four of
Enterobacter cloacae
, contained one (nine strains) or two (nine strains) potent toxin fractions (resembling either heat-labile or heat-stable toxin in terms of apparent molecular weight and heat lability characteristics) that induced water secretion at perfusion concentrations of 10 ng/ml or less. Unconcentrated broth filtrates of five of the
E. coli
strains and two of
Klebsiella
reacted positively in one or more of the conventional assay systems. Concentrated ultrafiltrates from two strains that were negative in the in vitro assays for heat-labile toxin were tested and also proved to be inactive in these test systems. None of 18 strains isolated from control sources produced, in the ultrafiltrates, enterotoxins capable of inducing water secretion at low concentrations, and none reacted positively in the conventional assays. These results indicate that some strains of coliform bacteria elaborate potent toxin materials that are capable of inducing water secretion and can be detected by perfusion of concentrated ultrafiltrates but not by conventional assay systems for enterotoxigenicity. Whether this represents quantitative or qualitative differences between the toxin materials that stimulate these different test systems remains to be established.
Immunological specificity of heat-stable opsonins in immune and nonimmune sera and their interaction with non-encapsulated and encapsulated strains of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Karakawa W W , Young D A
Published: January 2020

The in vitro interactions between strains of Staphylococcus aureus and human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the presence of immune and nonimmune sera were studied. Evidence indicated that phagocytosis of encapsulated strains occurred in the presence of specific homologous antiserum, whereas non-encapsulated strains were readily phagocytized by polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the presence of both normal and immune sera. Immunological analyses demonstrated that normal serum opsonins, which reacted with the non-encapsulated strains, were specifically directed against exposed mucopeptide moieties of the organisms. Sera rich in antimucopeptide antibodies were obtained from rabbits immunized with heterologous bacteria such as Escherichia coli and group A-variant streptococci and were shown to be effective in opsonizing the non-encapsulated strains of S. aureus. Fresh clinical isolates of S. aureus were noticeably more resistant to the opsonizing effects of the antimucopeptide antibodies. Results were presented which suggest that the surface structures of these clinical isolates are more diverse than laboratory-propagated strains and that these antiphagocytic surface antigens may be significant factors in masking the opsonizing effects of the mucopeptide opsonins which are present in most sera.
Inhibition by cholera toxin of rat polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis demonstrated in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Roch-Arveiller M , Boquet P , Bradshaw D , Giroud J P
Published: January 2020

The effect of cholera toxin on the chemotaxis of rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) was studied using a technique in which the movement of the cells towards a laser-lysed erythrocyte is followed under a phase-contrast microscrope. In vitro studies indicated that the intact toxin was capable of inhibiting PMN chemotaxis in a dose-dependent manner at doses ranging from 1 to 100 ng/ml. Subunits A and B of the toxin were without inhibitory activity when used alone, but after recombination their ability to inhibit chemotaxis was similar to that of the intact toxin, suggesting that the toxin is acting intracellularly. Cholera toxin has been reported to act in other systems via stimulation of adenyl cyclase with consequent elevation of intracellular cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) levels. It appears that this mechanism may also account for its ability to inhibit chemotaxis since there was a correlation, at all doses tested, between inhibition of chemotaxis and increased intracellular cAMP levels. Cholera toxin was also found to be active in vivo in that, after intrapleural injection of the toxin, the chemotaxis of cells subsequently recovered from the pleural cavity was markedly reduced. These results support previous findings which suggest that modification of leukocyte cAMP levels can influence the chemotactic responsiveness of these cells.
Cryptococcal culture filtrate antigen for detection of delayed-type hypersensitivity in cryptococcosis
Authors: Murphy J W , Pahlavan N
Published: January 2020

Previous studies on a cryptococcal culture filtrate (CneF) antigen have shown that the antigen is useful in detecting delayed-type hypersensitivity and that it is specific for Cryptococcus. This study further defined one more parameter of specificity, showing that the CneF antigen does not elicit delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in Cryptococcus albidus-sensitized guinea pigs. When the crude CneF antigen was subjected to ultrafiltration fractionation, the skin test active components were found to be in the 50,000 or greater molecular weight range fraction. The concentrated retentates of the XM50 ultrafiltration membrane were more sensitive antigens than the crude CneF antigens. Further fractionation of the XM50 retentate using 3% acrylamide gel electrophoresis separated the antigen into two bands. One band, the P fraction, migrated only a short distance into the gel; the fraction was carbohydrate-like and did not elicit significant skin test responses in sensitized guinea pigs. The other band, G fraction, appeared with the tracking dye, was glycoprotein-like, and elicited significantly positive skin tests in sensitized guinea pigs. G fractions prepared using three different serotypes of Cryptococcus neoformans elicited similar size indurations when used in skin testing guinea pigs sensitized with either the homologous serotype isolated of C. neoformans or the heterologous serotype isolate.
Induction of virus-neutralizing antibody by glycoproteins isolated from chicken cells infected with a herpesvirus of turkeys
Authors: Wyn-Jones A P , Kaaden O R
Published: January 2020

The production of virus-induced proteins in chicken embryo fibroblast cells infected with a herpesvirus of turkeys was studied. It was found that glycoproteins isolated from membrane-rich fractions of infected cells by affinity chromatography using concanavalin A induced neutralizing and precipitating antibody in rabbits and chickens. After analytical electrophoresis, such isolates were found to contain three polypeptide bands of between 100 x 10(3) and 120 x 10(3) molecular weight not present in glycoprotein extracts of uninfected cells, and these polypeptides were further purified by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Inoculation of chickens with purified material also resulted in the production of precipitating and neutralizing antibody, showing that these high-molecular-weight polypeptides play a role in the humoral immunity to Marek's disease. Challenge of these chickens with virulent Marek's disease virus revealed that a partial protection was afforded by the inoculated glycoproteins.
Adherence of Erythrocytes to
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Authors: Feldner Jürgen , Bredt Wolfgang , Kahane Itzhak
Published: January 2020

The human pathogen
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
adheres to a variety of cells, including erythrocytes. A hemadsorption technique was developed to quantitate adherence by photometric measurement of lysates of erythrocytes that attached to sheets of
M. pneumoniae
grown in cups of Linbro plates. Attachment of sheep erythrocytes (SE) increased with higher ionic strength, was unaffected by minor pH variations (6 to 9), and was blocked by anti-
M. pneumoniae
antiserum, but was not inhibited by a variety of sugars, amino acids, and bovine serum albumin. The reaction was time and temperature dependent. The temperature curve showed peaks at 14 and 28°C with untreated SE but only one peak at about 38°C with glutaraldehyde-treated SE. The temperature dependence indicated involvement of either metabolic or membrane activities in the binding process. Trypsin treatment of the
M. pneumoniae
sheet abolished adherence of SE but was only partially effective with human erythrocytes and noneffective with rabbit erythrocytes. The binding capacity of the mycoplasma cells for SE was restored by incubation in growth medium for 3 to 4 h; this restoration was inhibited by 10 μg of chloramphenicol per ml. Neuraminidase treatment of SE removed their attachment capacity but had no effect on attachment of rabbit erythrocytes and only a slight effect on attachment of human erythrocytes. Pretreatment of
M. pneumoniae
with neuraminic acid partially blocked the adherence of SE, whereas rabbit erythrocyte attachment was not affected. Attached SE could be detached by trypsin, but not by neuraminidase. For human and rabbit erythrocytes, the results suggest binding mechanisms other than the interaction between neuraminidase-sensitive receptors and protein-containing binding sites shown for SE.
Relationship of hemagglutination to other biological properties of serologically classified isolates of Escherichia coli
Authors: Vosti K L
Published: January 2020

The ability of 170 serologically classified strains of Escherichia coli to agglutinate human erythrocytes was examined. Erythrocytes of blood group A were more sensitive indicators of this property than were those of groups B or O. The predominant receptor was shown to be mannose containing; however, an additional receptor was found in two of nine strains studied. Natural mannose-like inhibitors were not found in unconcentrated urine obtained from 12 humans. Isolates from the urine or blood of patients with infections agglutinated erythrocytes significantly more frequently than did isolates from feces. Urine isolates of 10 common serogroups and isolates of less common serogroups did not differ in their ability to agglutinate erythrocytes. Among isolates from the urine of patients with infections, the ability to agglutinate erythrocytes did not correlate with either the serogroup of the strain or the clinical syndrome of the patient. Of the several other biological properties that were examined, only the production of colicins showed a significant association with the ability to agglutinate human erythrocytes.
Demonstration of lanthionine as a natural constituent of the peptidoglycan of Fusobacterium nucleatum
Authors: Vasstrand E N , Hofstad T , Endresen C , Jensen H B
Published: January 2020

Peptidoglycan was purified from the oral bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum strain Fev 1, using boiling sodium dodecyl sulfate and pronase. The composition of this peptidoglycan was found to be similar to that of other gram-negative bacteria, except that it lacked diaminopimelic acid. Lanthionine, the monosulfur analog of diaminopimelic acid, was identified as the diaminodicarboxylic acid of this peptidoglycan. It is assumed that lanthionine replaced diaminopimelic acid. Thus, the peptidoglycan of F. nucleatum Fev 1 is one of the few known sources of naturally occurring lanthionine.
Inhibition of the growth of Neisseria meningitidis by reduced ferritin and other iron-binding agents
Authors: Calver G A , Kenny C P , Kushner D J
Published: January 2020

Serogroups of N. meningitidis were characterized as virulent or avirulent according to their capacity to establish meningococcal infection in mice. An agar plate diffusion technique demonstrated that iron had a definite growth-supporting role for both of these meningococcal types. The avirulent strains could use ionic or chelated iron as well as the virulent strains. Iron-reversible growth inhibition occurred to the same extent for both bacterial types in the presence of the synthetic iron-chelating agents Desferal and ethylenediamine-di-orthohydroxy phenylacetic acid. A difference in response was demonstrated for these bacterial types when grown in the presence of various iron-binding proteins from animal body fluids and tissues. The growth of the avirulent strain was inhibited to a greater degree by egg white conalbumin. The humoral iron-binding protein transferrin showed a significant inhibitory capacity only when used in conjunction with bicarbonate. Under conditions of increased iron saturation of this protein, the avirulent strain was inhibited to the furthest extent. In the presence of ferritin, the cellular iron-binding protein, which had been reduced, inhibition of the growth of either strain type did not occur on iron-poor media (less than 5 micrograms/100 ml). However, with the incorporation of iron into the media, the inhibitory effect of the protein became evident. As the concentration of iron increased, the inhibition increased to a certain level and subsequently declined. A substantial difference in the ability of the avirulent type to grow in the presence of reduced horse spleen ferritin was observed. For this microorganism, a correlation appears to exist between the capacity to grow by utilizing the available iron in the presence of reduced ferritin and the ability to establish infection. The host protein ferritin, in the reduced state, apart from simply being a storage protein for iron, can prevent the growth of a procaryotic organism. Our experiments suggest a role for ferritin in the prevention of emningococcal disease. A cehmotherapeutic potential for Desferal is also implied.
Purification of a surface-specific soluble antigen from Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Delvallez M , Carlier Y , Bout D , Capron A , Martin G R
Published: January 2020

A complex antigenic preparation obtained from Listeria monocytogenes serovariant 4b by freeze-pressing, centrifugation, and gel filtration treatment was studied by crossed immunoelectrophoresis, with the aim of preparing an antigenic fraction that could be used to investigate the serological response to listeric infection. Of 17 immunoprecipitates revealed in the soluble extract, one of three major antigens (designated antigen 2) was shown to be a strong antigen in humans or rabbits infected with L. monocytogenes serovariant 4b. A monospecific antiantigen 2 serum was obtained and used to prepare a serologically homogeneous antigen by immunoadsorption. Antigen 2, most probably located on the bacterial surface, is common to all serovariants of L. monocytogenes and to Listeria grayi and is not shared by the main bacterial species known to have common antigens with L. monocytogenes.
Passage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in compromised mice
Authors: Cox C D
Published: January 2020

There was no appreciable increase in the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO-1 after six passes through infections in mice. When strain PAO-1 was passed through mice compromised with iron and methotrexate, the virulence of the passed bacteria increased for normal as well as compromised mice. Bacteria harvested from intraperitoneal passage in compromised mice were more virulent than bacteria harvested from intrathoracic passage. These bacteria expressed 50% lethal dose values distinctive of the respective bacterial isolate when injected intraperitoneally, intrathoracically, or intravenously. Differences between bacteria from intraperitoneal and intrathoracic passage were apparently due to differences in the selective pressures in the two sites of infection, because the intrathoracically passed bacteria assumed the virulence characteristics of the intraperitoneally passed bacteria after intraperitoneal passage in compromised mice.
Human neutrophil migratory function: modulatory effect of interactions with opsonized particles
Authors: Kay N E , Douglas S D , Nelson R D
Published: January 2020

Human polymorphonuclear neutrophils preexposed to cytotaxin or to phagocytizable particles exhibited reduced spontaneous and chemotactic migratory responses. This influence of cytotaxin appears to be related to toxic effects of by-products of hexose monophosphate shunt stimulation. To determine whether a phagocytic stimulus may inhibit subsequent neutrophil migratory functions by the same mechanism, we assessed spontaneous and chemotactic migratory functions of neutrophils from individuals with chronic granulomatous disease exposed to antibody-opsonized sheep erythrocytes. Our results showed that phagocytosis of such particles did not alter these migratory responses of chronic granulomatous disease neutrophils and suggest that phagocytic stimulation of normal neutrophils may modulate migratory function by some mechanism dependent upon hexose monophosphate shunt stimulation.
Arabinosylthymine: inhibitor of splenic lymphocyte macromolecular synthesis in vitro
Authors: Barnett J M , McGowan J J , Gentry G A
Published: January 2020

The effect of arabinosylthymine on lymphocyte transformation was investigated. Arabinosylthymine was demonstrated not to be cytotoxic for hamster spleen lymphocytes but was found to inhibit the increase in deoxyribonucleic acid and protein synthesis usually observed as a result of mitogen stimulation. These findings suggest that, in addition to being a potent anti-herpesvirus inhibitor, arabinosylthymine is also an immunosuppressive agent.
Reduction of contact sensitivity reactions to oxazolone in mite-infested mice
Authors: Laltoo H , Kind L S
Published: January 2020

Oxazolone-sensitized mite-infested (SWR-M) and mite-free (SWR-J) mice were challenged with oxazolone on the skin of the neck and shoulder. The migration of radioactively labeled cells to the site of contact sensitivity reaction to oxazolone was significantly less in SWR-M than in SWR-J mice. Serum obtained from SWR-M mice suppressed the extravasation of cells into the skin site of SWR-J mice challenged with oxazolone. The decrease in cellular influx in SWR-M mice occurred in areas of mite infestation (skin of neck and shoulder) as well as in areas not infested with mites (the ears). SWR-M mice also gave evidence of enhanced vascular permeability. A possible role for histamine in the inhibition of contact sensitivity in mite-infested mice is discussed.
Effect of oral administration of glucosyltransferase antigens on experimental dental caries
Authors: Smith D J , Taubman M A , Ebersole J L
Published: January 2020

The effect of oral administration of soluble antigen preparations containing glucosyltransferase on dental caries in hamsters was studied. Immunization was accomplished by feeding glucosyltransferase for 21 to 27 consecutive days. This immunization regimen resulted in the formation of salivary antibody, which was detected by functional inhibition of enzymatic activity and by a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A serum response also occurred in two of the three experiments performed. After infection with cariogenic Streptococcus mutans strain 6715, glucosyltransferase-fed hamsters had significantly fewer S. mutans cells recoverable from molar surfaces on six of nine occasions, compared with buffer-fed control groups. Hamsters orally immunized with glucosyltransferase also always had lower mean caries scores and mean numbers of lesions than comparably infected sham-immunized groups. The results of this study suggest that significant protection from experimental dental caries can be accomplished by oral administration of soluble antigen preparations containing glucosyltransferase.
Effect of colony type and pH on surface charge and hydrophobicity of Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Authors: Magnusson K E , Kihlström E , Norlander L , Norqvist A , Davies J , Normark S
Published: January 2020

The effect of colonial variation and growth at pH 7.2 or pH 6.0 on the surface properties of Neisseria gonorrhoeae was assessed by the use of two-phase partitioning and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Cells grown at pH 7.2 tended to be both hydrophobic and to possess a slight negative charge. Growth at pH 6.0 appeared to decrease hydrophobicity and to increase the negative surface charge. Possession of a series of outer membrane proteins, termed the colony opacity-associated proteins, did not appear to significantly affect charge or hydrophobicity. Piliated cells tended to have a higher negative charge than nonpiliated variants. They also tended to be less hydrophobic at pH 7.2, but became more hydrophobic at pH 6.0. The implications of these findings are discussed.
In vitro adherence of radioactively labeled Escherichia coli in normal and cystitis-prone females
Authors: Parsons C L , Anwar H , Stauffer C , Schmidt J D
Published: January 2020

Numerous investigators report data obtained using an in vitro quantitative assay for measuring bacterial adherence to epithelial cells. We found this assay to contain significant sources of error in the large variation in number of bacteria bound per cell and in the dependence on the investigator's visual counting of bacteria bound per cell. In the modified assay described here, we eliminated the need for visual counting of bacteria by incorporating the use of radioactively labeled Escherichia coli. This allowed quantitation of bacterial adherence to as many as 50,000 vaginal cells, whereas the visual counting system limits the determination to perhaps 50 cells. We feel that the use of radioactively labeled bacteria in place of the visual counting system increases the validity and sensitivity of this assay. Using the modified method, we found no statistically significant differences among values for adherence of E. coli type 04 to the vaginal cells of control and cystitis-prone women at either pH 6.4 or 4.0.
Kinetics of phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus by alveolar and peritoneal macrophages
Authors: Pesanti E L
Published: January 2020

The rate of uptake of radiolabeled Staphylococcus aureus by macrophages in vitro was studied by use of Lineweaver-Burk analysis. It was found that competition for ingestion by excess unlabeled particles, either staphylococci or unrelated particles, resulted in diminished uptake of the labeled particles and that opsonization of particles with specific antiserum enhanced that uptake solely by altering the maximum velocity of uptake (Vmax). Uptake of radiolabeled staphylococci opsonized with specific antiserum was not inhibited by excess numbers of unopsonized organisms; the ingestion was inhibited by excess numbers of opsonized unlabeled organisms, and that inhibition was characterized by depression of Vmax. Inhibition of phagocytosis by indoacetate and cytochalasin B resulted from depression in both Vmax and Michaelis constate (Km). In addition, the phagocytic function of macrophages improved during in vitro culture, a phenomenon which was particularly striking for alveolar macrophages. That enhancement of activity resulted from improvements in both Vmax and Km. Addition of opsonizing antibody at any stage of in vitro maturation resulted in further increases in phagocytic uptake, increases which affected only Vmax. The in vitro maturation of phagocytic function by alveolar macrophages could be inhibited by both 2-deoxy-D-glucose and cycloheximide, but not by culture in hypoxia. The data indicate that the terms of Lineweaver-Burk analysis cna be correlated with functional aspects of phagocytosis and that Vmax represents the avidity of the macrophage surface for the particle, whereas Km is an index of the capacity of the cell for ingestion.
Mannose-sensitive interaction of Escherichia coli with human peripheral leukocytes in vitro
Authors: Mangan D F , Snyder I S
Published: January 2020

The ability of Escherichia coli which possess or lack mannose-sensitive adherence factors (adhesins) to associate with human peripheral leukocytes in vitro in the absence of serum was studied. E. coli 19+, which have mannose-sensitive adhesins, were derived from E. coli strain 19 by culturing in static Trypticase soy broth at 37 degrees C. E. coli 19-, which lack mannose-sensitive adhesins, were derived from E. coli 19 by culturing in agitated Trypticase soy broth at 30 degrees C. E. coli 19+ attached to leukocytes and stimulated the release of lysozyme but not beta-glucuronidase or lactate dehydrogenase. In contrast, E. coli 19- showed poor attachment to the leukocytes and failed to stimulate lysosomal enzyme release. During a 60-min incubation with the leukocytes, the number of viable 19+ organisms decreased, whereas the number of viable 19- remained constant. Purified type 1 pili from E. coli 19+ agglutinated the leukocytes but did not stimulate lysosomal enzyme release. Pretreatment of leukocytes with type 1 pili failed to prevent the adherence of E. coli 19+. The association of 19+ with leukocytes and subsequent release of lysozyme could be blocked by alpha-methyl-D-mannoside but not by equivalent concentrations of dextrose and sucrose. These results show that mannose-sensitive adhesins on E. coli mediate association of the organisms with leukocytes in the absence of serum components. The identity of the adhesins involved in leukocyte association has yet to be determined.
Effect of influenza infection on the phagocytic and bactericidal activities of pulmonary macrophages
Authors: Nugent K M , Pesanti E L
Published: January 2020

The effect of mouse-adapted influenza A/PR/8/34 virus on pulmonary macrophage function was evaluated by using an in vitro system which allowed direct virus interaction with macrophages and then separate analysis of the steps required for bacterial clearance by macrophages. Infection of macrophages with this virus resulted in the appearance of a hemagglutinating activity on the macrophage surface; expression of this activity was inhibited by amantadine, 2-deoxyglucose, and cycloheximide and by pretreatment of the virus inoculum with ultraviolet light and specific antiserum. Since there was no release of extracellular virus, this growth cycle appeared to be incomplete (abortive). After influenza infection, net ingestion of viable Staphylococcus aureus by macrophage monolayers was unaltered and there was no change in the fraction of the monolayer which ingested cocci over a wide range of bacterial inputs. Influenza-infected macrophages also inactivated intracellular S. aureus at a rate indistinguishable from controls. Therefore, these in vitro studies do not support the hypothesis that the defect in pulmonary antibacterial mechanisms associated with influenza infections results from a direct effect of virus infection on either the phagocytic or bactericidal activity of resident pulmonary macrophages.
Inhibition of host resistance by nutritional hypercholesteremia
Authors: Kos W L , Loria R M , Snodgrass M J , Cohen D , Thorpe T G , Kaplan A M
Published: January 2020

Previous experiments showed that nutritionally induced hypercholesteremia in mice caused an increase in susceptibility to coxsackievirus B, with a marked suppression of cellular infiltrates in infected tissues and an increased mortality. The present studies demonstrated that a hypercholesteremic diet was associated with an inhibition in host resistance as measured by susceptibility to Listeria monocytogenes infection and the growth of two transplanted syngeneic murine tumors. Moreover, the ability of Corynebacterium parvum to induce regression of a transplanted methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma was inhibited in hypercholesteremic hosts, as was the histiocytic infiltration normally accompanying C. parvum inoculation. In contrast, the peritoneal macrophages from C. parvum-treated hypercholesteremic mice were indistinguishable from similarly treated macrophages from normal mice with respect to their in vitro tumoricidal activity and the presence of a cell surface antigen associated with activated macrophages. Hypercholesteremia was also associated with a decreased antibody response to sheep erythrocytes in vivo, but dit not appear to exert a detrimental effect on B- or T-cell blastogenesis when tested in vitro. The findings that the hypercholesteremic diet was associated with an impairment in the host immune response and increased susceptibility to viral, bacterial, and tumor cell challenge are discussed with respect to virus-lipid interactions in the pathogenesis of atherogenesis and diabetes mellitus.
Diminished antiviral effect of human interferon in the presence of therapeutic concentrations of antineoplastic agents
Authors: Cesario T C , Slater L M
Published: January 2020

Antiviral activity of human interferon has been found to be diminished in the presence of therapeutic concentrations of certain drugs used to treat neoplastic diseases.
Autoimmunity induced by syngeneic splenocyte membranes carrying irreversibly adsorbed paramyxovirus
Authors: Eaton M D
Published: January 2020

Newcastle disease virus was adsorbed to a membrane fraction prepared from splenocytes, and the resulting preparation was injected into syngeneic C3H mice. Complement fixing and cytotoxic antibodies reactive with syngeneic tissue and intact cells developed, and some mice died with autoimmune disease characterized by wasting, severe kidney damage, and loss of lymphoid tissue as described previously for animals receiving the membrane fraction of a syngeneic lymphoma in which Newcastle disease virus had grown. Similar experiments were done with L929 mouse fibroblasts and allogeneic spleen membrane fractions. With syngeneic spleen tissue and L929 fibroblasts, serological evidence of autoimmunity appeared after several injections, but deaths from autoimmunity were considerably delayed unless Freund's complete adjuvant was given with the antigen. The results suggest that antigen modification occurs after adsorption of the paramyxovirus to normal tissue as well as lymphoma cell membranes.
Hemagglutination properties and adherence ability of Aeromonas hydrophila
Authors: Atkinson H M , Trust T J
Published: January 2020

Human diarrheal isolates and enterotoxigenic strains of Aeromonas hydrophila are strong hemagglutinators with human blood cells. Sugar inhibition studies and yeast coagglutination tests with 11 selected strains revealed six different hemagglutination mechanisms for this species. These were characterized by inhibition by L-fucose, inhibition by D-galactose, inhibition by D-mannose, and two distinguishable mechanisms which were inhibited by either L-fucose or D-mannose, one being pilus mediated. Inhibition of hemagglutination by another strain required a combination of D-galactose and D-mannose. The hemagglutinating strains also attached well to human blood cells and buccal epithelial cells, with as many as 55% of the cells of a culture attaching successfully. In some cases the attachment to buccal epithelial cells appeared to involve mechanisms different from those used for hemagglutination.
Heterogeneity of group A type-specific antibodies
Authors: El Kholy A M , Hafez K , Guirguis N , Facklam R R , Johnson D R , Wannamaker L
Published: January 2020

Extracting type 6 group A streptococcai with dilute nitrous acid releases an antigen that exhibits type-specific precipitating properties with anti-M6 serum but fails to neutralize the type-specific bactericidal reaction or to absorb the bactericidal antibody from anti-M6 serum. These studies suggest that the precipitating and antiphagocytic properties of the M protein are attributable to different antigenic determinants. The antigenic determinant responsible for bactericidal antibody is more sensitive to the deleterious effect of nitrous acid than is the moiety responsible for the precipitin reaction. Use of the indirect fluorescent technique with anti-M sera absorbed with lyophilized nitrous acid extracts permits the possible differentiation of the two M-protein determinants in situ on the surface of streptococcal cells.
Depressed immunological defence mechanisms in mice with experimentally induced diabetes
Authors: Saiki O , Negoro S , Tsuyuguchi I , Yamamura Y
Published: January 2020

Persistent diabetes mellitus with marked hyperglycemia was induced in mice by the administration of streptozotocin. In these streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, resistance to tubercle bacillus challenge and primary as well as secondardy humoral immune responses against foreign erythrocytes were markedly depressed. The T-cell function in delayed hypersensitivity to 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene and bacterial phagocytic activity or peritoneal macrophages were markedly depressed. In contrast, the B-cell function in antibody production against T-independent antigen and the intracellular killing of bacteria in peritoneal macrophages were intact. We concluded that depression of the T-cell function or the phagocytic activity of macrophages or both may be the main immunological defect in these mice.