bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Cholesterol on the Sensitivity of
Mycoplasma laidlawii
to the Polyene Antibiotic Filipin
Authors: Weber Morton M. , Einsky Stephen C.
Published: January 2020

Weber, Morton
M. (St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo.),
and Stephen C. Kinsky
. Effect of cholesterol on the sensitivity of
Mycoplasma laidlawii
to the polyene antibiotic filipin. J. Bacteriol.
89:
306–312. 1965.—The polyene antibiotic, filipin, inhibited growth and caused lysis of
Mycoplasma laidlawii
cells which had been cultured in the presence of cholesterol. The antibiotic did not inhibit growth and did not promote lysis of the organism when grown in the absence of cholesterol. These results constitute strong support for the contention that the presence of sterol in the cell membrane is a necessary prerequisite for polyene sensitivity. Higher concentrations of filipin were required to inhibit growth when serum was added to the assay medium than when it was absent. These results suggest binding of the antibiotic to some component in the serum and may partially account for the previous inability to demonstrate growth inhibition by low concentrations of the polyene antibiotics. The extent of growth inhibition due to filipin decreased upon prolonged incubation. Subculture in the presence of high concentrations of antibiotic indicated that the apparent reversal of inhibition was caused by emergence of a filipin-resistant cell population. It was also observed that cells, which originally were rapidly lysed by filipin and digitonin, were no longer responsive to the action of these agents upon incubation in sterol-free medium at 25 or 37 C for several hours. This effect could be prevented by keeping the cells at 2 C. These results may indicate that filipin-resistant cells carry out a metabolic conversion of membrane-localized sterol to a form which can no longer react with the antibiotic. Other possible causes of resistance, which cannot be excluded on the basis of the present data, are discussed.
Intracellular Growth ofHistoplasma capsulatum
Authors: Howard Dexter H.
Published: January 2020

Howard, DexterH. (University of California, Los Angeles). Intracellular growth ofHistoplasma capsulatum. J. Bacteriol.89:518–523. 1965.—Under a variety of experimental conditions, the generation time ofHistoplasma capsulatumin mammalian histiocytes was remarkably constant. The rate of intracellular growth of five different isolates ofH. capsulatumwas very similar. The generation time of the fungus within guinea pig cells was nearly the same as it was within mouse cells under comparable conditions. Preliminary exposure of yeast cells to specific antibodies and complement did not affect intracellular proliferation of the fungus during the first 24 hr after phagocytosis by mouse histiocytes. The rate of growth of the fungus within cells from immunized mice and guinea pigs was comparable to that in cells from normal animals. This latter result was not altered by preliminary exposure of the fungus to hyperimmune serum and complement.
Detection and Persistence of Vi Antigen in Tissues of Actively Immunized Mice
Authors: Gaines Sidney , Currie Julius A. , Tully Joseph G.
Published: January 2020

Gaines, Sidney(Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C.),Julius A. Currie, and Joseph G. Tully. Detection and persistence of Vi antigen in tissues of actively immunized mice. J. Bacteriol.89:776–781. 1965.—The presence, distribution, and persistence of Vi antigen in mouse tissue was determined by means of active immunization tests with tissue extracts. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with purified Vi antigen or Vi-containing bacilli. At appropriate intervals, animals were killed, and saline extracts of their tissues were prepared. Mice were immunized with these extracts and challenged 6 days later with 10ld50ofSalmonella typhosaTy2. Protection was afforded by tissue extracts from Vi-injected mice, but not by normal tissue extracts. That the immunizing capacity of tissue extracts from Vi-injected mice was attributable to Vi antigen was affirmed by the demonstration that these extracts stimulated the production of Vi antibody in mice, coated erythrocytes for agglutination by Vi antiserum, and inhibited agglutination of Vi-sensitized red blood cells by known Vi antisera. Vi antigen could be detected in the liver and spleen of mice injected with as little as 1 μg. In mice given 150 μg, the antigen was still present in liver tissue 231 days later.
Comparison of Lipids and Lipopolysaccharide from the Bacillary and L Forms of
Proteus
P18
Authors: Nesbitt J. A. , Lennarz W. J.
Published: January 2020

Nesbitt
, J. A., III (The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.),
and W. J. Lennarz
. Comparison of lipids and lipopolysaccharides from the bacillary and L forms of
Proteus
P18. J. Bacteriol.
89:
1020–1025. 1965.—Comparative studies on the L form of
Proteus
P18 and the parent bacterium grown in a defined medium showed that the L form contained 1.5 times as much extractable lipid (dry weight) as the bacillary form. The composition of the lipids extractable by chloroform-methanol was quite similar in the two bacterial forms. The occurrence of myristate and β-hydroxymyristate in the bound, nonextractable lipid was found to be a reflection of the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in each organism. The bacillary organism contains three to four times as much LPS as the L form. The LPS isolated from both organisms contains heptose, hexosamine, phosphorus, 3-deoxyoctulosonate, glucose, galactose, and fatty acids.
Nodulation Factor for
Rhizobium
-Legume Symbiosis
Authors: Valera Concepcion L. , Alexander M.
Published: January 2020

Valera, Concepcion
L. (Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.),
and M. Alexander
. Nodulation factor for
Rhizobium
-legume symbiosis. J. Bacteriol.
89:
1134–1139. 1965.—Nodulation of excised roots of
Medicago sativa
was enhanced by an extract of alfalfa seeds but not by several other substances. Coconut water exerted a similar influence upon the formation of nodules on excised roots of
Glycine max
and
Phaseolus vulgaris
. Direct evidence for a host factor concerned in nodule genesis was obtained by demonstrating that, although
P. vulgaris
seedlings developing from embryos devoid of cotyledons nodulated in the presence of an infective
Rhizobium
strain, nodules did not appear on explants derived from hypocotyls obtained from ungerminated seed. The legume factor, when examined by a soybean hypocotyl bioassay procedure, could be replaced by a water-soluble, thermostable, dialyzable fraction of coconut water, but not by meso-inositol, scyllitol, sorbitol, yeast extract, or a number of amino acids.
Glycine Synthesis and Metabolism in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Pizer Lewis I.
Published: January 2020

Pizer, Lewis
I. (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia). Glycine synthesis and metabolism in
Escherichia coli
. J. Bacteriol.
89:
1145–1150. 1965.—A correlation was demonstrated between a nutritional requirement that can only be satisfied by glycine and the absence of the enzymatic capacity to interconvert
l
-serine and glycine. Serine synthesis from 3-phosphoglycerate was observed in the same cell-free extracts which could not convert serine to glycine. The above results show that serine is the precursor of glycine under normal growth conditions. The C-2 of glycine provided “one-carbon” fragments when the C-3 of serine was not available as the source of “one-carbon” fragments. This condition occurred when a mutation produced a loss of serine aldolase activity or when a serine-glycine auxotroph was grown with glycine. Under these growth conditions, 30 to 40% of the “one-carbon” fragments used for cellular synthesis were derived from glycine.
Polyol Metabolism in the Basidiomycete
Schizophyllum commune
Authors: Niederpruem Donald J. , Hafiz Amtul , Henry Lyle
Published: January 2020

Niederpruem, Donald
J. (Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis),
Amtul Hafiz, and Lyle Henry
. Polyol metabolism in the basidiomycete
Schizophyllum commune
. J. Bacteriol.
89:
954–959. 1965.—The polyol metabolism of intact cells and extracts of the wood-rotting mushroom
Schizophyllum commune
was investigated during the developmental cycle. Exogenous polyols stimulated the cellular respiration of germlings, but were without effect on that of ungerminated basidiospores. Requisite enzymes of polyol metabolism were demonstrated in extracts of spores and of subsequent stages of development. Oxidation of mannitol and sorbitol appeared to be coupled to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) reduction and was favored in alkaline medium. Ketohexose formation was shown during mannitol oxidation, and the NAD-dependent oxidation of xylitol yielded ketopentose. Xylitol oxidation with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) as hydrogen acceptor led to pentose formation. Oxidation of reduced NAD was enhanced by fructose but not by sorbose. Reduction of aldohexose and pentose was dependent upon reduced NADP, and pentose reductase was maximal at
p
H 6.8. The specific activity of mannitol dehydrogenase was highest in extracts of vegetative mycelium. Growth in either glucose or xylose media had no significant effect on enzymes of polyol metabolism.
Effect of Various Conditions on Accumulation of Oxytetracycline in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Izaki Kazuo , Arima Kei
Published: January 2020

Izaki, Kazuo
(University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan),
and Kei Arima
. Effect of various conditions on accumulation of oxytetracycline in
Escherichia coli
. J. Bacteriol.
89:
1335–1339. 1965.—Accumulation of large amounts of oxytetracycline occurred in
Escherichia coli
when the cells were incubated with high concentrations of oxytetracycline (100 to 400 μg/ml) in nutrient broth or in a medium containing glucose, K
2
HPO
4
, and MgSO
4
. In the absence of glucose or MgSO
4
, the accumulation was very small. The optimal
p
H for accumulation was about 6.5. Manganous ion could replace Mg
++
in promoting the accumulation, though with decreased effectiveness. Malate and succinate were effective promoters of accumulation as well as glucose. Accumulation was inhibited at low temperatures or in the presence of metabolic inhibitors such as 2,4-dinitrophenol or sodium azide.
Fine Structure of the Coat and Nucleoid Material of Fowlpox Virus
Authors: Hyde James M. , Gafford Lanelle G. , Randall Charles C.
Published: January 2020

Hyde, JamesM. (University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson),Lanelle G. Gafford, and Charles C. Randall. Fine structure of the coat and nucleoid material of fowlpox virus. J. Bacteriol.89:1557–1569. 1965.—Several morphological forms characteristic of the poxvirus group were demonstrated for fowlpox virus with neutral phosphotungstic acid (PTA). Viral particles (purified from viral inclusion bodies) stained with uranyl acetate (UA) and shadowed with platinum were shown to have an external knobby surface not evident with PTA. The external coat of freshly purified viral particles seemed intact, but as the preparation aged, it appeared to unwind, resulting in twisted “rope-like” structures. This process was facilitated by use of 1% trypsin, and three dense fibrils were identified with UA within the partially detached viral coat. Studies with alkaline PTA (pH 9) were interpreted as revealing a complex nucleoid, but solutions above thispH damaged the particles. The morphology of the nucleoid was better depicted in ultrathin sections of whole virus which, when stained with UA, revealed dense coiled threads. Treatment of virus with sodium lauryl sulfate exposed an underlying coat consisting of small subunits approximately 40 A in diameter. Of great interest was the demonstration that the detergent removed strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from the virus without destroying the contour of the particle. The origin of the strands was definitely the fine uranophilic, coiled threads of the nucleoid, which probably represent the DNA molecule(s). That the extracted material was largely DNA was proved by digestion with deoxyribonuclease and resistance to ribonuclease and trypsin. These studies illustrate how a variety of electron microscopic techniques may be utilized alone or in combination to reveal hitherto undescribed fine structure of viral particles.
Mechanisms of Fatty Acid Toxicity for Yeast
Authors: Neal A. L. , Weinstock Joan O. , Lampen J. Oliver
Published: January 2020

Neal
, A. L. (Rutgers, The State University, New Brunswick, N.J.),
Joan O. Weinstock, and J. Oliver Lampen
. Mechanisms of fatty acid toxicity for yeast. J. Bacteriol.
90:
126–131. 1965.—The internal
p
H of stationary- and log-phase yeast cells dropped quite rapidly when the cells were exposed to acetate buffers at
p
H 4 and 3, whereas no, or much less, acidification occurred with pyruvate or phosphate. Although inhibition of respiration and glycolysis was almost instantaneous when the cells were exposed to 0.2
m
acetate at
p
H 4, the effect was not permanent and could be reversed by washing them with water or phosphate buffer. Irreversible inhibition did occur, however, at 0.5
m
acetate under the same conditions; there was a marked decrease in several glycolytic enzyme systems, which undoubtedly contributed to the irreversible nature of the inhibition. In cell-free homogenates, various low-molecular-weight monocarboxylic acids exhibited about the same inhibitory effect on glycolysis; structural differences such as branching or unsaturation did not cause a marked change in their inhibitory effect. Also, glycolysis was much more sensitive to dicarboxylic acids such as succinate and phthalate than to acetate; phthalate was more inhibitory than succinate. This is in contrast with the noninhibitory nature of succinate and phthalate to whole cells, even at
p
H 4. Pyruvic acid decarboxylation was inhibited by phthalate but not by succinate. The greater toxic effect of phthalic acid may be due to the fixed steric configuration of its carboxyl groups, as compared with those of succinic acid.
Agreement Between Deoxyribonucleic Acid Base Composition and Taxometric Classification of Gram-Positive Cocci
Authors: Silvestri L. G. , Hill L. R.
Published: January 2020

Silvestri, L. G. (Università Statale, Milan, Italy),and L. R. Hill. Agreement between deoxyribonucleic acid base composition and taxometric classification of gram-positive cocci. J. Bacteriol.90:136–140. 1965.—It had been previously proposed, from taxometric analyses, that gram-positive, catalase-positive cocci be divided into two subgroups. Thirteen strains, representative of both subgroups, were examined for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) base composition, determined from melting temperatures. Per cent GC (guanine + cytosine/total bases) values fell into two groups: 30.8 to 36.5% GC and 69 to 75% GC. Strains with low per cent GC values belonged to theStaphylococcus aureus–S. saprophyticus–S. lactistaxometric subgroups, and those with high per cent GC values belonged to theS. roseus–S. afermentanssubgroup. The hypothetical nature of any classification is emphasized, and, in the present work, the hypothesis derived from taxometric analyses of division into two subgroups is confirmed by the study of DNA base ratios. The two subgroups correspond, respectively, to the generaStaphylococcusandMicrococcus.
Adenosine Triphosphate and Other Requirements for the Utilization of Glucose by Agents of the Psittacosis-Trachoma Group
Authors: Weiss Emilio
Published: January 2020

Weiss, Emilio
(Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Md.). Adenosine triphosphate and other requirements for the utilization of glucose by agents of the psittacosis-trachoma group. J. Bacteriol.
90:
243–253. 1965.—The agent of meningopneumonitis cultivated in the allantoic cavity of chick embryos and purified by differential centrifugations was employed for most of the studies of the requirements for glucose utilization. The evolution of C
14
O
2
from glucose-
1-C
14
was used as the criterion of metabolic activity in most experiments. The rate of glucose utilization increased somewhat during the first hour of incubation at 34.4 C and became approximately constant during the second hour. Changes in glucose concentration from 1 to 5 m
m
did not appreciably affect metabolic activity. More vigorous CO
2
production was obtained when the ratio of K
+
-Na
+
was >1 and, under certain conditions, when the concentration of inorganic phosphate was relatively high (0.05
m
). Glucose utilization was entirely dependent on added adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and Mg
++
. The effect of ATP was greatly reduced when the microorganisms were partially disrupted with sonic energy. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) could be substituted for ATP, but the activity was reduced to less than 20%. ATP was not required when glucose-6-phosphate was substituted for glucose. With ADP and glucose, glucose-6-phosphate was an effective competitor of glucose utilization. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) enhanced CO
2
production from carbon 1, but not from other carbons, with glucose and, especially, glucose-6-phosphate as substrates. ATP and NADP produced the above-described effects only when their concentrations were comparable to those of the substrates. These concentrations always exceeded the amount of CO
2
produced (0.05 to 0.5 μmole/mg of agent protein). The concentration of NADP could be reduced when oxidized glutathione was added. Diphosphothiamine had no effect on CO
2
production. Qualitatively similar results were obtained with the agent of trachoma purified from yolk sac. These experiments furnish evidence that agents of the psittacosistrachoma group, despite their enzymatic capabilities, require an exogenous source of energy.
Resistance of
Escherichia coli
to Penicillins I. Genetic Study of Some Ampicillin-Resistant Mutants
Authors: Eriksson-Grennberg Kerstin G. , Boman Hans G. , Jansson J. A. Torbjörn , Thorén Sone
Published: January 2020

Eriksson-Grennberg, Kerstin
G. (University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden),
Hans G. Boman, J. A. Torbjörn Jansson, and Sone Thorén
. Resistance of
Escherichia coli
to penicillins. I. Genetic study of some ampicillin-resistant mutants. J. Bacteriol.
90:
54–62. 1965.—A number of ampicillin-resistant mutants have been isolated and characterized. Of these strains, two groups have been genetically investigated: members of one group, which are moderately resistant to ampicillin (Amp
r
10
) carry mutations in a locus which we have designated
ampA
; another strain, which is resistant to high levels (50 μg/ml) of ampicillin, is a multistep mutant for which a genotype cannot yet be written. The phenotype of this strain has been designated Amp
r
50
. The location of
ampA
was studied by the interrupted-conjugation technique, with
argF, metB, mtl
, and
serA
as reference markers. The phenotypic expression was the same for
ampA
and
argF
. These experiments, as well as recombination without selection for ampicillin resistance, indicate that
ampA
is located between
argF
and
pyrB
. “Broken slopes” on the recombinant curves and failure to demonstrate cotransduction make a more accurate mapping difficult. Phage P1bt transduced
ampA
from resistant donors to sensitive recipient strains with a frequency of 5 × 10
−7
. The
ampA
locus segregated in conjugation and transduction experiments with an Amp
r
50
donor strain, but neither method gave a genetic transfer of high resistance to ampicillin. Penicillinase activity was demonstrated in two independent mutants carrying the
ampA
locus.
Protection of Monkeys Against Experimental Shigellosis with Attenuated Vaccines
Authors: Formal Samuel B. , LaBrec E. H. , Palmer Amos , Falkow Stanley
Published: January 2020

Formal, SamuelB. (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C.), E. H.LaBrec, Amos Palmer, and Stanley Falkow. Protection of monkeys against experimental shigellosis with attenuated vaccines. J. Bacteriol.90:63–68. 1965.—TwoShigella flexneri2a strains of reduced virulence were used as oral vaccines to protect monkeys against experimental challenge. One strain, a spontaneous mutant, had lost its ability to cause disease and was unable to penetrate the intestinal epithelium and reach the lamina propria. The other strain was a hybrid obtained by mating virulentS. flexneri2a withEscherichia coli. This hybrid strain retained the capacity to penetrate the intestinal epithelium but was not able to maintain itself in the lamina propria. Five oral doses of the nonpenetrating mutant strain were required to render monkeys resistant to experimental challenge, but a single dose of the hybrid strain sufficed to protect the animals. There was some evidence that a degree of specificity was involved in the induced resistance, although neither vaccine evoked a consistent serum antibody or a detectable coproantibody response.
Influence of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Degradation Products and Orthophosphate on Deoxynucleotide Kinase Activity and Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Pneumococcus Type III
Authors: Firshein William
Published: January 2020

Firshein, William
(Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn.). Influence of deoxyribonucleic acid degradation products and orthophosphate on deoxynucleotide kinase activity and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in pneumococcus type III. J. Bacteriol.
90:
327–336. 1965.—An oligodeoxynucleotide fraction derived from a deoxyribonuclease-treated calf-thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) can enhance the activity of deoxycytidylic acid (dCMP) and deoxyguanylic acid (dGMP) kinases in cell suspensions of type III pneumococci. High levels of orthophosphate can produce similar effects. For part of the incubation period, the activity of dCMP and dGMP kinases is very low or undetectable in unsupplemented-cell suspensions of pneumococci. In contrast, the remaining kinases, deoxyadenylic acid and thymidylic acid, which are present in ample amounts in control and supplemented cells throughout the incubation period, are unaffected by the addition of oligodeoxynucleotides and orthophosphate. The stimulation of kinase activity is amino acid-dependent and can be abolished by adding chloramphenicol. When the oligodeoxynucleotide fraction and orthophosphate are further supplemented with all eight of the naturally occurring deoxynucleosides and deoxynucleotides (which do not affect kinase activity), a preferential enhancement of DNA synthesis occurs in comparison with cell growth or protein synthesis. Addition of deoxynucleosides and deoxynucleotides to unsupplemented cells produces only a slight increase in DNA synthesis. The preferential enhancement of DNA synthesis can be prevented by adding chloramphenicol at a certain time during incubation.
Isolation and Characterization of the Cyanide-Resistant and Azide-Resistant Catalase of
Lactobacillus plantarum
Authors: Johnston M. A. , Delwiche E. A.
Published: January 2020

Johnston
, M. A. (Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.),
and E. A. Delwiche
. Isolation and characterization of the cyanide-resistant and azide-resistant catalase of
Lactobacillus plantarum
. J. Bacteriol.
90:
352–356. 1965.—
Lactobacillus plantarum
T-1403-5 has been shown to possess a very active cyanide- and azide-resistant catalase. By means of fractional ammonium sulfate precipitation, removal of nucleic acids with protamine sulfate, adsorption on calcium phosphate gel, and
p
H gradient chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose, the catalase “activity” was purified approximately 14-fold. The purified enzyme preparation was insensitive to the heme poisons cyanide and azide, the metal chelating agents ethylenediaminetetraacetate and
o
-phenanthroline, and the sulfhydryl binding agent
p
-chloromercuribenzoate. The purified enzyme moved at a uniform rate in the electrophoretic field (isoelectric point,
p
H 4.7). The ultraviolet-light absorption spectrum was negative for heme-iron components, and fluorescence measurements yielded negative results with regard to flavin components. Acriflavin and Atabrine had no effect on enzyme activity. The nonheme catalase displayed a much broader
p
H range of activity than the heme-iron catalase of a control culture of
Escherichia coli
and the azide-sensitive catalase developed by
L. plantarum
NZ48 when grown in the presence of preformed hematin. The nonheme catalase was more resistant to heat inactivation. No retention of the enzyme on a chromatographic column could be obtained with Sephadex 200, nor could the enzyme be separated from crystalline beef-liver catalase by the gel filtration technique. Sedimentation was obtained in a centrifugal field of 144,000 ×
g
for 12 hr.
Conservation of Ribosomal and Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Cistrons in
Bacillus
Species
Authors: Doi Roy H. , Igarashi Richard T.
Published: January 2020

Doi, Roy
H. (Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.),
and Richard T. Igarashi
. Conservation of ribosomal and messenger ribonucleic acid cistrons in
Bacillus
species. J. Bacteriol.
90:
384–390. 1965.—Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) fractions from various
Bacillus
species were tested for interspecies DNA-RNA hybrid formation. DNA preparations from
B. subtilis, B. cereus, B. megaterium, B. stearothermophilus
, and
B. macerans
, whose base composition varied from 33 to 50% guanylate + cytidylate content, were used in the hybrid annealing mixtures with pulse-labeled RNA from sporulating cells and from log-phase cells of
B. subtilis
and
B. cereus
. Efficient hybridization in these cases was obtained only in homologous annealing situations. When heterologous DNA and RNA preparations were tested for hybrid formation, only 1 to 6% of the homologous hybridization was obtained. Although the efficiency of hybrid formation was low, the results were reproducible. No difference in efficiency of hybrid formation was observed between the messenger RNA from sporulating cells and that from log-phase cells. When
B. subtilis
ribosomal RNA was placed in annealing mixtures with heterologous DNA, 47.5 to 62.9% of the homologous hybridization was obtained. These results suggest that a small number of identical sequences are present among the
Bacillus
species. Furthermore, the ribosomal RNA cistrons appear to be more highly conserved relative to other genetic sequences.
Further Observations on the Spodogram of
Bacillus cereus
Endospore
Authors: Knaysi Georges
Published: January 2020

Knaysi, Georges
(Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.). Further observations on the spodogram of
Bacillus cereus
endospore. J. Bacteriol.
90:
453–455. 1965.—Endospore spodograms of
Bacillus cereus
C
3
were examined in dark contrast by use of the phase microscope with oil-immersion objectives. When the spodograms were mounted in air, their central part, or core, appeared bright; when mounted in water or oil, the central part appeared dark. The central part of the normal, unincinerated spore appeared bright in air and water, but dark in oil. This indicated that whether a body appears bright or dark when observed with the phase microscope does not depend only on its refringence relative to that of its surround, but also on its thickness and on the magnitude of the difference between its refractive index and that of its surround. Present observations showed that, contrary to a previous conclusion, mineral matter is more highly concentrated in the core than at the periphery of the endospore.
Experimental Salmonellosis VI. In Vitro Transfer of Cellular Immunity of Mouse Mononuclear Phagocytes
Authors: Saito Kazuko , Mitsuhashi Susumu
Published: January 2020

Saito, Kazuko(Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan),and Susumu Mitsuhashi. Experimental salmonellosis. VI. In vitro transfer of cellular immunity of mouse mononuclear phagocytes. J. Bacteriol.90:629–634. 1965.—A culture medium of the mononuclear phagocytes (monocytes) of mice immunized with live vaccine ofSalmonella enteritidiscontains the transfer agent (TA) of cellular immunity from immune to non-immune monocytes. The TA is of ribonucleic acid nature, is nondialyzable through cellophane, and maintains its active state for 3 months in a frozen state (−10 C) and for 24 hr at 37 C.
Extraction of Cell-Wall Polysaccharide Antigen from Streptococci
Authors: Slade Hutton D.
Published: January 2020

Slade, Hutton
D. (Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill., and Max-Planck Institut für Immunbiologie, Freiburg, Germany). Extraction of cell-wall polysaccharide antigen from streptococci. J. Bacteriol.
90:
667–672. 1965.—The carbohydrate grouping antigens in the cell walls of streptococci belonging to groups A, E, G, L, and T were extracted with 5% trichloroacetic acid at 90 C. The antigens were removed also from dry whole cells by extraction with trichloroacetic acid followed by treatment with phenol-water. Details of the methods are presented. The antigens obtained by use of either of these procedures were suitable for studies on immunological specificity and chemical structure. Quantitative enzymatic and chemical analyses of two group E antigens and one group T preparation showed the presence of
l
-rhamnose (22 to 44%),
d
-glucose (7 to 22%),
d
-galactose (T antigen only, 26%), glucosamine (2 to 16%), and galactosamine (T antigen only, 3%). In addition, analyses of A and G antigen preparations are presented. The protein and phosphate content of the A and E antigens were about 1% each. Quantitative precipitin curves of these antigens are presented.
High Susceptibility of Strain A Mice to Endotoxin and Endotoxin-Red Blood Cell Mixtures
Authors: Heppner Gloria , Weiss David W.
Published: January 2020

Heppner, Gloria
(University of California, Berkeley),
and David W. Weiss
. High susceptibility of strain A mice to endotoxin and endotoxin-red blood cell mixtures. J. Bacteriol.
90:
696–703. 1965.—Strain A mice were shown to be considerably more susceptible to lethal effects of endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) than mice of several other strains. Complexes of sublethal quantities of LPS and sheep red blood cells were synergistically toxic for strain A mice. Separate administration of sheep red blood cells and heat-killed salmonellae, in either order and as long as 24 hr apart, also proved to be synergistically lethal for strain A mice, but not for R
III
animals studied comparatively. Sheep red blood cell lysates possessed the ability of the intact cells in forming lethal combinations for strain A mice with killed salmonellae. Strain A red blood cell-killed salmonellae complexes were also lethal for strain A mice, but less so then complexes made with sheep red blood cells. A × R
III
F
1
hybrid animals showed the same resistance characteristics as the resistant R
III
parental strain. Possible explanations for these findings are suggested, and their relevance to an immunological mode of action of endotoxin lethality is discussed.
Bacillary Necrosis, a Disease of Larval and Juvenile Bivalve Mollusks I. Etiology and Epizootiology
Authors: Tubiash Haskell S. , Chanley Paul E. , Leifson Einar
Published: January 2020

Tubiash, Haskell
S. (U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Milford, Conn.),
Paul E. Chanley, and Einar Leifson
. Bacillary necrosis, a disease of larval and juvenile bivalve mollusks. I. Etiology and epizootiology. J. Bacteriol.
90:
1036–1044. 1965.—Lethal bacterial infections of a variety of hatchery-spawned bivalve mollusk larvae and juveniles have been studied. The symptoms of the disease and the course of the infection are described. Four biotypes and five antigenic types of bacteria, pathogenic for the larvae of five species of bivalve mollusks, were isolated and described in some detail. All are gram-negative motile rods. Comparative studies were made of a fairly large number of similar bacteria isolated from presumably normal marine fauna. None of these was pathogenic for the bivalve larvae nor did they have antigens in common with the pathogenic group. The four biotypes had a number of characteristics in common that rarely were present in other cultures from marine fauna. Several antibiotic preparations proved to be of value in the treatment and control of the infection.
Structure and Composition of the
Bacillus anthracis
Capsule
Authors: Avakyan A. A. , Katz L. N. , Levina K. N. , Pavlova I. B.
Published: January 2020

Avakyan
, A. A. (Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, USSR), L. N.
Katz, K. N. Levina, and I. B. Pavlova
. Structure and composition of the
Bacillus anthracis
capsule. J. Bacteriol.
90:
1082–1095. 1965.—Observations by various methods of light microscopy (phase contrast, dark-field, and fluorescence) revealed the complex structure of the
Bacillus anthracis
capsule, which changes regularly during the growth cycle of the culture. Special cytological methods of staining the capsule made it possible to study its fine structure, which is not revealed by negative staining with India ink. For example, the capsule shows a membranelike outline, fine transverse lines, and interruptions and transverse septa traversing the entire capsule. By using cytochemical methods, it was found that the capsule has a stratified structure and that the various layers of the capsule differ as to the value of the isoelectric point, metachromatic ability, sensitivity to various enzymes, and, consequently, chemical composition. It was thus shown that the membranelike outline of the capsule consists of peptides and neutral mucopolysaccharides. The middle part of the capsule consists of a complex of substances of both polysaccharide and protein nature, and the inner part consists of acid mucopolysaccharides. Observation of the capsular forms of
B. anthracis
by means of an electron microscope revealed differences in the osmiophilia and submicroscopic structure of the membranelike outline and the middle and inner parts of the capsule. Immunochemical studies conducted by the fluorescent-antibody method revealed localization of antigens in different parts of the capsule, and made it possible to differentiate the capsular antigens according to their serum-staining ability and according of their relations to enzymes, i.e., their chemical composition. This paper concerns the possibility of studying the fine structure of bacterial capsules in fixed preparations, and the differences and similarities of the antigens of the capsule and cell wall of
B. anthracis
and of the related species,
B. megaterium
.
Biotin Transport and Accumulation by Cells of
Lactobacillus plantarum
II. Kinetics of the System
Authors: Waller James R. , Lichstein Herman C.
Published: January 2020

Waller, James
R. (University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio),
and Herman C. Lichstein
. Biotin transport and accumulation by cells of
Lactobacillus plantarum
. II. Kinetics of the system. J. Bacteriol.
90:
853–856. 1965.—Bound biotin-saturated cells of
Lactobacillus plantarum
accumulated free biotin by a time-dependent process exhibiting substrate saturation phenomena in the presence and absence of glucose. Apparent
K
m
and
V
max
values determined in the presence and absence of glucose, respectively, from Lineweaver-Burk plots were found to be 31.5 and 7.72 mμ
m
(
K
m
) and 9.72 and 3.26 μμmoles per mg per min (
V
max
). Free biotin transport per se appeared to be an energy-independent, mediated process, whereas the accumulation of large intracellular vitamin concentrations was energy-dependent. Internal free biotin was quantitatively converted to bound biotin. The rate and extent of bound biotin formation was slower than free biotin uptake, and dependent upon intracellular free biotin levels up to a saturating concentration.
Effect of Dietary Factors upon the Resistance of Albino Mice to Experimental Infection withMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Layton Herbert W. , Youmans Guy P.
Published: January 2020

Layton, HerbertW. (Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill.),and Guy P. Youmans. Effect of dietary factors upon the resistance of albino mice to experimental infection withMycobacterium tuberculosis. J. Bacteriol.90:958–964. 1965.—Each of the major nutritional components of a synthetic diet was quantitatively altered to determine its effect upon the resistance of albino mice to infection withMycobacterium tuberculosis. The animals were challenged after the first 2 weeks of feeding, and the percentage that survived acute death was determined statistically. The level of protein which provided the greatest percentage of survival was 30%; increases or decreases from this level were detrimental. The optimal fat level was found to be 5% for either corn oil or coconut oil. Survival decreased when greater amounts of oil were added, and this effect was especially marked for 40% coconut oil. Vitamin A enhanced survival when increased from the normal level of 20,000 units per kg of diet to 160,000 units, but further increases were harmful. An amount of 75 g/kg of a vitamin B complex mixture afforded optimal resistance, but 25-g shifts in either direction lowered this resistance. Vitamin K-free diets resulted in high levels of survival, and addition of the vitamin resulted in proportional decreases in resistance.
Some Metabolic Aspects of Tolerance to Bacterial Endotoxin
Authors: Berry L. Joe , Smythe Dorothy S.
Published: January 2020

Berry, L. Joe
(Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pa.),
and Dorothy S. Smythe
. Some metabolic aspects of tolerance to bacterial endotoxin. J. Bacteriol.
90:
970–977. 1965.—The tolerance to bacterial endotoxins which is produced in mice given a series of daily injections of heat-killed
Salmonella typhimurium
failed to occur when actinomycin D was administered with the heat-killed cells. Neither ethionine nor 2-thiouracil, when given with endotoxin, altered the development of tolerance. An injection of endotoxin, actinomycin D, or ethionine lowered the activity of the liver enzyme tryptophan pyrrolase more significantly at either 4 or 17 hr postinjection in normal mice than in tolerant mice. Similarly, an injection of either saccharated iron oxide or Thorotrast lowered liver tryptophan pyrrolase activity more extensively in normal than in tolerant animals. Activation of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) of tolerant mice, as determined by an accelerated rate of carbon clearance from the blood, was observed, but this was prevented by the appropriate dose of actinomycin D. Similar results were obtained when saccharated iron oxide, rather than endotoxin, was used to activate the RES, but these animals were not resistant to endotoxin and their tryptophan pyrrolase was normally diminished after an injection of endotoxin. Thus, RES activation may occur without tolerance developing. A more nearly normal level of enzyme activity appears to be characteristic of the tolerant state.
Formation of Lactyl-Coenzyme A and Pyruvyl-Coenzyme A from Lactic Acid byEscherichia coli
Authors: Megraw Robert E. , Reeves Henry C. , Ajl Samuel J.
Published: January 2020

Megraw, RobertE. (Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pa.),Henry C. Reeves, and Samuel J. Ajl. Formation of lactyl-coenzyme A and pyruvyl-coenzyme A from lactic acid byEscherichia coli. J. Bacteriol.90:984–988. 1965.—Cell extracts of propionate-adaptedEscherichia coliwere found to contain a lactyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase which catalyzes the formation of the CoA thiolester from lactate, CoA, and cofactors. The extracts also catalyzed the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent oxidation of lactyl-CoA. The product of this oxidation was identified chromatographically as pyruvyl-CoA.
Physiological Aspects of Modification and Restoration of Chromosomal Synthesis in Bacteria After X Irradiation
Authors: Billen Daniel , Hewitt Roger
Published: January 2020

Billen, Daniel
(The University of Texas, Houston),
and Roger Hewitt
. Physiological aspects of modification and restoration of chromosomal synthesis in bacteria after X irradiation. J. Bacteriol.
90:
1218–1225. 1965.—A study was made of the effect of amino acid deprivation or chloramphenicol on the character of postirradiation deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication in bacteria with the use of radioisotopes and 5-bromouracil as a density label. CsCl density-gradient studies of DNA showed that postirradiation incubation of amino acid-requiring
Escherichia coli
in an amino acid-free medium interfered with continued linear chromosomal replication. In the presence of the required amino acids, linear chromosomal replication was shown to resume. Addition of chloramphenicol was found to prevent this resumption. Deletion of the required amino acids or the presence of chloramphenicol in a fully supplemented medium allowed the detection of altered DNA synthesis in bacteria at X-ray doses as low as 500 r. The character of the limited DNA made in the presence of the density label after irradiation is described. The results are interpreted as showing that the synthesis of a protein(s) is required for restoration of linear chromosomal replication in the irradiated cells.
Autolytic Mechanism for Spheroplast Formation in
Bacillus cereus
and
Escherichia coli
Authors: Mohan Raam R. , Kronish Donald P. , Pianotti Roland S. , Epstein Ray L. , Schwartz Benjamin S.
Published: January 2020

Mohan, Raam
R. (Warner-Lambert Research Institute, Morris Plains, N.J.),
Donald P. Kronish, Roland S. Pianotti, Ray L. Epstein, and Benjamin S. Schwartz
. Autolytic mechanism for spheroplast formation in
Bacillus cereus
and
Escherichia coli
. J. Bacteriol.
90:
1355–1364. 1965.—Spheroplasts of
Bacillus cereus
strain T and
Escherichia coli
B were prepared by incubating early log-phase cells in appropriate buffers and stabilizers for 3 hr at 30 and 37 C, respectively. Upon incubation in 0.05
m
tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer osmotically stabilized with 16% polyethylene glycol at
p
H 7.5, 99% of the
B. cereus
cells formed spheroplasts; 90% of the
E. coli
cells were converted to spheroplasts in 0.4
m
sodium acetate buffer osmotically stabilized with 1.6
m
sucrose at
p
H 6.0. The extent of spheroplast formation was determined by phase-contrast microscopic examination, by measuring the rate of fall of optical density in the reaction mixture when subjected to osmotic shock, and by viable intact cell counts. The effect of a selected group of metabolic inhibitors on the autolytic system of
B. cereus
and
E. coli
has been examined.
B. cereus
and
E. coli
wall components comprising 26% of the dry weight of the original cellular material were recovered from dialyzed fractions by precipitation in 70% ethyl alcohol. Chemical and chromatographic analysis of cell-wall hydrolysates from
B. cereus
and
E. coli
indicated the presence of glucosamine, alanine, lysine, glycine, aspartic acid, diaminopimelic acid, glutamic acid, and muramic acid.
Mouse C-Reactive Protein and Endotoxin-Induced Resistance
Authors: Patterson L. T. , Higginbotham R. D.
Published: January 2020

Patterson
, L. T. (University of Texas, Galveston),
and
R. D.
Higginbotham
. Mouse C-reactive protein and endotoxin-induced resistance. J. Bacteriol.
90:
1520–1524. 1965.—The relationship between the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the sera of mice and resistance to
Staphylococcus aureus
infection after the injection of
Escherichia coli
endotoxin was studied. The CRP level was essentially unchanged at 6 hr after endotoxin, and resistance was slightly decreased. At 24 hr after endotoxin, both CRP levels and resistance were increased. Since the increase in the CRP level and resistance appeared to be associated, it was of interest that, when mouse CRP was tested for in vitro reactions with several strains of bacteria, cells of all species of gram-positive bacteria tested (including
S. aureus
) were agglutinated by CRP.
E. coli
was not agglutinated under the conditions of the test. It is proposed that mouse CRP is an opsonin, and possibly a lysin, and is involved in nonspecific resistance to infection with
S. aureus
.
Mode of Inhibition of Diphtheria Toxin by Ammonium Chloride
Authors: Kim K. , Groman N. B.
Published: January 2020

Kim
, K. (University of Washington, Seattle),
and N. B. Groman
. Mode of inhibition of diphtheria toxin by ammonium chloride. J. Bacteriol.
90:
1557–1562. 1965.—The inhibition of diphtheria toxin by ammonium salts was independent of toxin concentration over a 100-fold range of toxin. Inhibition by minimal concentrations of ammonium chloride was abolished by lowering the
p
H, indicating that free ammonia is the active form of inhibitor. A single addition of ammonium chloride inhibited toxin for a limited period of time, but periodic readdition of the ammonium salt was required to sustain inhibition indefinitely in the absence of antitoxin. Toxin was not destroyed and its adsorption occurred equally well in the presence or absence of ammonium chloride. Preadsorbed toxin was also effectively inhibited by the addition of ammonium chloride. Inhibited toxin remained accessible to antitoxin neutralization. Attempts to reverse ammonia inhibition by the addition of succinate or reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide were unsuccessful. Attempts to inhibit toxin by interfering with active transport were also unsuccessful.
Morphology of
Mycoplasma laidlawii
Type A I. Comparison of Electron Microscopic Counts with Colony-Forming Units
Authors: Anderson D. L. , Pollock M. E. , Brower L. F.
Published: January 2020

Anderson
, D. L. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis), M. E.
Pollock, and L. F. Brower
. Morphology of
Mycoplasma laidlawii
type A. I. Comparison of electron microscopic counts with colony-forming units. J. Bacteriol.
90:
1764–1767. 1965.—Cells of
Mycoplasma laidlawii
A grown in dialyzing flask cultures were counted with the electron microscope by use of a spray technique which deposited mixtures of polystyrene latex of known concentration and
M. laidlawii
in discrete droplet patterns on specimen films. Glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde were effective in preserving gross morphology of cells in spray preparations. The standard deviation of the mean ratio of latex-
M. laidlawii
was 5.5% when 2,000 total particles were counted in 18 droplet patterns. Microscopic counts resembled counts of colony-forming units (CFU) at various culture ages when cells larger than 0.25 μ were enumerated. If small bodies ranging from 0.1 to 0.25 μ in diameter were included in microscopic counts of cultures older than 70 hr, these counts exceeded the numbers of CFU by 4 to 10 times.
Physicochemical Properties of Fowlpox Virus Deoxyribonucleic Acid and Its Anomalous Infectious Behavior
Authors: Randall Charles C. , Gafford Lanelle G. , Soehner Richard L. , Hyde James M.
Published: January 2020

Randall, Charles
C. (University of Mississippi, Jackson),
Lanelle G. Gafford, Richard L. Soehner, and James M. Hyde
. Physicochemical properties of fowlpox virus deoxyribonucleic acid and its anomalous infectious behavior. J. Bacteriol.
91:
95–100. 1966.—Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from fowlpox virus-infected tissue, purified inclusions, and purified virus by five variations of detergent and phenol methods. Phenol methods gave a poor yield, whereas detergent techniques extracted up to 78% of the DNA. The buoyant density was 1.695 g/ml, and the melting temperature in 7.2
m
NaClO
4
was 39 C, both approximately equivalent to a guanine plus cytosine content of 35 moles per cent. Further proof of the double-stranded nature of the DNA was shown by the characteristic behavior toward deoxyribonuclease, formaldehyde, and heat. Infectious DNA was obtained by the various methods described, but this manifestation of biological activity was capricious and for unknown reasons was often not evident. The infectivity could not be related quantitatively to the amount of DNA employed. Furthermore, the infectious nature of fowlpox virus DNA was demonstrable only when the route of infection was the chorioallantoic membrane. In contrast, whole virus infected both membrane and chick skin with equal efficiency.