Chemotherapy, 1988, 34(1), 40 - 5 Susceptibility of 310 nonfermentative gram-negative bacteria to aztreonam, carumonam, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and fleroxacin; Appelbaum PC et al.; The susceptibility of 310 mainly clinically isolated Gram-negative nonfermenters to aztreonam, carumonam, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and fleroxacin was determined by agar dilution . All 3 quinolones were very active, with MIC90 ranges (micrograms/ml) against all organisms ranging between 0.25 and 8 for ciprofloxacin, and 0.25 and 16.0 for ofloxacin and fleroxacin, respectively . Aztreonam and carumonam showed less activity than the quinolones on a weight-for-weight basis, with MIC90 values ranging from 4 to 32 for both drugs; only Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus biotypes haemolyticus and alcaligenes were uniformly susceptible to both monobactams . The broad-spectrum activity of the 3 quinolones suggests potential use in therapy of infections caused by nonfermenters; monobactams should be reserved for infections caused by P . aeruginosa and possibly Acinetobacter spp. Arch Microbiol, 1988, 150(5), 432 - 7 Flow cytometric screening and isolation of Escherichia coli clones which express surface antigens of the oil-degrading microorganism Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1; Minas W et al.; Flow cytometry (FCM) in conjunction with immunocytochemical-labeling was used to analyze and screen a population of Escherichia coli clones containing a genomic library from the oil-degrading microorganism Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1 surface antigens . Reconstruction experiments using mixed populations indicated that RAG-1 cells could be clearly distinguished at a ratio of one RAG-1 cell to 500 Escherichia coli cells . Using this technique two clones, WM143 and WM191, were isolated and shown by restriction endonuclease cleavage and Southern hybridization to contain plasmids carrying inserts of RAG-1 DNA of 9.4 and 9.8 kb respectively. Ann Med Interne (Paris), 1988, 139(5), 324 - 30 {The role of infection in the precipitation of periarteritis nodosa}; Smail A et al.; Circulating immune complexes are thought to play an essential part in the pathogenesis of necrosing angiitis . This theory also allows a role to be attributed to certain infectious agents (viral, bacterial, parasitic) in the development of periarteritis nodosa (PAN) . An infectious syndrome was found in all our 9 patients, aged 26 to 69 years, with histologically confirmed PAN: previous infection (over 15 days before hospital admission): otitis, hepatitis B, tonsillitis, ascaris (Case n.7), pulmonary tuberculosis, brucellosis, seropositivity for Chlamydia trachomatis (Case n.9), paratyphoid (Case n.5), seropositivity for Yersiniosis pseudo-tuberculosis (Case n.2), seropositivity for Chlamydia trachomatis (Cases 3 and 4), seropositivity for toxoplasmosis (Cases 4 and 6), seropositivity for rubella (Case n.8) . Recent infection (less than 15 days before hospital admission): staphylococcus aureus septicaemia (Case n.1); Group A betahemolytic streptococcal urinary infection (Case n.2); Group A betahemolytic streptococcal otitis media; pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella septicaemia; enterococcal cystitis (Case n.4); progressive pulmonary tuberculosis (Case n.6), acinetobacter pneumonia (Case n.9) . The HBs antigen was only found in one patient (Case n.6), who had an active hepatitis. Drugs Exp Clin Res, 1988, 14(6), 379 - 83 Structure-activity relationships in quinolone antibacterials: design, synthesis and biological activities of novel isothiazoloquinolones; Chu DT et al.; Over the past years it was found that modification of the 3-carboxylic acid group of quinolones generally produced compounds with a substantial decrease in antibacterial activity . The 3-carboxylic acid moiety together with the 4-carbonyl function are believed to be the most structurally critical sites for this class of compounds to DNA gyrase . The authors have designed and synthesized a series of quinolone analogues in which the 3-carboxylic acid group has been modified . These compounds, 2,3,4,9-tetrahydroisothiazolo{5,4-b}quinoline-3,4-diones, possess biological activities far superior to their parent counterparts . For example, the MICs (microgram/ml) for A-62824 (ciprofloxacin 3-carboxylic acid modified analogue) and ciprofloxacin against some organisms are as follows: S . aureus ATCC 6538P (0.02, 0.2); S . epidermidis 3519 (0.05, 0.2); E . coli Juhl (0.005, 0.01); P . aeruginosa A5007 (0.05, 0.1) and Acinetobacter sp . CMX 699 (0.05, 0.78) . This investigation has produced the first successful modification of the 3-carboxylic acid group of quinolones resulting in a series of extremely potent antibacterials . The design and synthesis as well as the biological activities of these new derivatives are described. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1988 Jan, 32(1), 15 - 9 Transferable amikacin resistance in Acinetobacter spp . due to a new type of 3'-aminoglycoside phosphotransferase; Lambert T et al.; Acinetobacter baumannii BM2580 resistant to kanamycin and structurally related antibiotics, including amikacin, was isolated from a clinical specimen . A phosphocellulose paper-binding assay and DNA annealing studies indicated that resistance to aminoglycosides in BM2580 was due to synthesis of a new type of 3'-aminoglycoside phosphotransferase . The gene conferring resistance to kanamycin-amikacin in this strain was carried by a 63-kilobase plasmid, pIP1841, self-transferable to A . baumannii, A . haemolyticus, and A . lwoffii but not to Escherichia coli . The aminoglycoside resistance gene of pIP1841 was cloned in E . coli, where it was expressed. J Biol Chem, 1987 Dec 25, 262(36), 17327 - 35 Isolation and characterization of a prokaryotic sulfurtransferase; Aird BA et al.; A sulfurtransferase has been purified to apparent homogeneity from the prokaryote Acinetobacter calcoaceticus lwoffi by conventional protein fractionation techniques . Steady-state kinetic studies of the enzyme revealed that its formal mechanism varies with the acceptor substrate employed . With inorganic thiosulfate as the sulfane sulfur-donor substrate and cyanide anion as the acceptor, the enzyme was shown to catalyze the reaction by a double displacement mechanism like that of mammalian rhodanese (thiosulfate:cyanide sulfurtransferase, EC 2.8.1.1) . In contrast, with a thiol as the acceptor substrate at relatively high concentrations, the reaction proceeds by a single displacement mechanism, reminiscent of catalysis by another sulfur-transferase, thiosulfate reductase, glutathione-dependent (EC 2.8.1.3) . When dithiothreitol is the acceptor substrate, the enzyme cycles through both the single and double displacement pathways, with the flux through each depending differentially on the concentration of dithiothreitol employed . In view of both the relaxed acceptor substrate specificity and the corresponding variability of formal mechanism, the more general name of sulfane sulfurtransferase is proposed for this bacterial enzyme. Biochem J, 1987 Dec 15, 248(3), 871 - 6 Purification and properties of L-mandelate dehydrogenase and comparison with other membrane-bound dehydrogenases from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Hoey ME et al.; L-Mandelate dehydrogenase was purified from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus by Triton X-100 extraction from a 'wall + membrane' fraction, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, (NH4)2SO4 fractionation and gel filtration followed by further ion-exchange chromatography . The purified enzyme was partially characterized with respect to its subunit Mr (44,000), pH optimum (7.5), pI value (4.2), substrate specificity and susceptibility to various potential inhibitors including thiol-blocking reagents . FMN was identified as the non-covalently bound cofactor . The properties of L-mandelate dehydrogenase are compared with those of D-mandelate dehydrogenase, D-lactate dehydrogenase and L-lactate dehydrogenase from A . calcoaceticus. Eur J Epidemiol, 1987 Dec, 3(4), 347 - 55 Hospital acquired infections surveillance and control in intensive care services . Results of an incidence study; Costantini M et al.; Hospital acquired infections (HAI) continue to constitute a major health problem for hospital patients . Such a problem is particularly relevant in Intensive Care Wards . Here infections appear to be directly or indirectly related to the patients' death, and the patients, of course, represent a selected group of the most susceptible hosts in the whole hospital due to their immunosuppressed states, underlying diseases and the numerous and highly invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to which they are submitted . This paper reports the results of a one-year surveillance incidence study carried out in four Intensive Care Wards at Padua Hospital by means of a daily visits to the wards and careful collection of the patients' data in a computerized sheet . Two-hundred-thirty-one of the 859 patients considered developed one or more HAI (HAI percentage 26.9%) for a total of 382 HAIs (Infections ratio 44.5%) . Nosocomial pneumonias were the most frequent infections detected, whereas urinary tract infections, bacteremias and wound infections were less common in such patients . The study also confirmed the importance of invasive procedures and surgical operations in the predisposition to HAIs . In particular, the importance of the urinary catheter and of tracheal intubation was outlined . In addition, HAI appeared to be related to the duration of hospitalization and to the severity of the patients' illness . HAIs (especially nosocomial pneumonias) were also closely related to the patients' death . Pseudomonas aeruginosa, S . aureus, Acinetobacter and Streptococcus D were the most frequently isolated agents in the infected patients . Gram-negative agents accounted for 57% of all agents isolated and were particularly frequent in both pneumonias and urinary tract infections.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Can J Microbiol, 1987 Dec, 33(12), 1120 - 5 Bacterial flora in bottled uncarbonated mineral drinking water; Gonzalez C et al.; A quantitative study of bacterial populations in mineral water was carried out . Samples were stored at 6 and 20 degrees C, and the colony counts were determined on tryptone agar plates incubated at 22 and 37 degrees C . Samples were collected from the spring source in sterile glass flasks and from the bottling factory in conventional plastic and glass containers . In both cases, the initial population (10(1)-10(2) cfu/mL water) increased to 10(5)-10(6) cfu/mL after 3 days storage as determined from plate counts incubated at 22 degrees C . The levels reached by this population were similar to those of samples of mineral water obtained at the market stage . Results from plate counts incubated at 37 degrees C showed that populations in samples collected at the bottling factory reached 10(2)-10(3) cfu/mL . No growth was observed in water collected from spring source . Bacterial multiplication was not stopped even when water was stored at 6 degrees C . Caulobacter was the genus found most frequently in both types of samples, followed by Sphaerotilus-Leptothrix . Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Pseudomonas fluorescens were frequently found in only two springs, and Pseudomonas putida, Arthrobacter, Aeromonas hydrophilia, and Corynebacterium were isolated less frequently . Janthinobacterium was recovered only once from a single spring . A giant bacterium closely resembling Hyphomicrobium and a budding one similar to Pasteuria were recovered from all samples of a single spring and from some of the commercial samples. Infect Control, 1987 Dec, 8(12), 512 - 5 Protein fingerprinting for the determination of relatedness in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subspecies anitratus isolated from patients in a surgical intensive care unit; Mortensen JE et al.; The use of protein fingerprinting for the establishment of relatedness among isolates of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subspecies anitratus, isolated from patients in a surgical intensive care unit was examined . Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the cellular proteins from whole cell lysates of 14 intensive care unit A calcoaceticus subspecies anitratus isolates and 11 control strains . Antimicrobial susceptibilities and plasmid profiles were also determined for all isolates . All intensive care unit A calcoaceticus subspecies anitratus isolates exhibited identical cellular protein fingerprints, no detectable plasmids, and minimum inhibitory concentrations within +/- 1 log2 dilution of the mode value for each of the antimicrobial agents tested . The other clinical isolates demonstrated a range of antimicrobial susceptibilities, various numbers and sizes of plasmids, and distinctly different protein fingerprints . These data indicate that protein fingerprinting may be useful as an epidemiologic tool in A calcoaceticus subspecies anitratus outbreaks and this method deserves further study. Epidemiol Infect, 1987 Dec, 99(3), 659 - 67 Typing of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus strains isolated from hospital patients by cell envelope protein profiles; Dijkshoorn L et al.; The usefulness of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis patterns of cell envelope proteins for classifying strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus was studied using 129 isolates from 16 in-patients in a teaching hospital . In 11 patients, all of the isolates from each patient exhibited the same pattern irrespective of the body site or time of isolation . The patterns of the isolates from four other patients were indistinguishable, with the exception of one isolate per patient . In the isolates from one patient five patterns were observed . In several cases isolates from different patients exhibited the same pattern . The relative frequency of some of these patterns was low . Epidemiological data were compatible with the assumption that the concurrent presence of bacteria of these patterns in the patients was the result of cross-infection . For one pattern, which was seen in seven patients, cross-infection could not be substantiated . On the basis of analysis of electrophoretic patterns in combination with epidemiological data on a number of strains it is concluded that cell-envelope protein profiles appear to be a useful aid in studying the dissemination of Acinetobacter in the hospital environment. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand {B}, 1987 Dec, 95(6), 337 - 46 In vitro activity of ceftazidime, cefotaxime and gentamicin against 11,521 clinical isolates of bacteria; Steinbakk M et al.; The in vitro activity of ceftazidime has been compared with those of another third-generation cephalosporin, cefotaxime, and the aminocyclitol aminoglycoside, gentamicin . A total of 11,521 clinical isolates of aerobic bacteria were employed, and an agar diffusion method was used for sensitivity testing . The MIC-values were calculated from regression lines . The mean inhibition zones for ceftazidime against Gram-positive organisms were significantly less than those against Gram-negative isolates (23 mm vs . 33 mm, p less than 0.0001) . Cefotaxime inhibited 74.0%, gentamicin 66.3% and ceftazidime 20.4% of the Gram-positive isolates at a concentration of less than or equal to 2 mg/ml . Ceftazidime and cefotaxime were equally active against fermentative Gram-negative rods, inhibiting 92.7% of each of these isolates at 2 mg/l . Against Ps . aeruginosa, ceftazidime (MIC90 2.2 mg/l) was found to be almost as active as gentamicin (MIC90 1.2 mg/l), and far more active than cefotaxime (MIC90 434 mg/l) . Gentamicin was the most active agent against Acinetobacter sp . (MIC90 6.0 mg/l), followed by ceftazidime (MIC90 18 mg/l) and cefotaxime (MIC90 83 mg/l). J Bacteriol, 1987 Dec, 169(12), 5496 - 503 Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus genes for benzoate degradation; Neidle EL et al.; The catabolic genes necessary for the conversion of benzoate to catechol have been cloned from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus into Escherichia coli . The cloned genes, benABCD, encoded both a benzoate 1,2-dioxygenase system, composed of NADH-cytochrome c reductase and terminal oxygenase components, and a cis-diol dehydrogenase . The dioxygenase system appears to be encoded by three genes, benABC, whose products, 53-, 19-, and 38-kilodalton proteins, correspond in size to those of components in other bacterial dioxygenases . The cloned dioxygenase system is expressed at high level in E . coli, enabling the conversion of benzoate to a cis-diol, 2-hydro-1,2-dihydroxybenzoate, at a rate comparable to that of fully induced A . calcoaceticus cultures . A cis-diol dehydrogenase, the product of the A . calcoaceticus benD gene, when present in E . coli enables this organism to convert the cis-diol intermediate to catechol . The dehydrogenase has been partially purified and is a dimer with two identical 31-kilodalton subunits . The ben genes are clustered on the A . calcoaceticus chromosome with independently regulated genes needed for the dissimilation of catechol . In a 16-kilobase-pair region of the chromosome there are 10 genes for benzoate catabolism, organized in no fewer than three transcriptional units . This kind of arrangement, termed supraoperonic clustering, has been observed previously in pseudomonads. J Clin Microbiol, 1987 Nov, 25(11), 2071 - 4 Evaluation of Quantum II microbiology system for identification of gram-negative bacteria of veterinary origin; Jones RL et al.; The ability of a rapid, semiautomated bacterial identification system, the Quantum II microbiology system (Abbott Laboratories, Irving, Tex.), to accurately identify gram-negative bacteria from veterinary sources was evaluated . A total of 378 isolates were tested, including 298 organisms in the family Enterobacteriaceae and strains representing Acinetobacter sp., Aeromonas sp., Flavobacterium sp., Pasteurella multocida, Plesiomonas sp., and Pseudomonas spp . Of these isolates, 333 (88.1%) were correctly identified, 20 (5.3%) were not identified, 10 (2.6%) were incorrectly identified at the genus level, and 15 (4.0%) were incorrectly identified at the species level . The Quantum II system correctly identified 268 (89.9%) of the isolates of Enterobacteriaceae and 65 (81.3%) of the nonenteric isolates . P . multocida was not identified correctly, and some nonenteric gram-negative bacteria of clinical significance in veterinary medicine are not included in the data base . The Quantum II system provided an accurate identification system for isolates of Enterobacteriaceae but had limited usefulness for the identification of other gram-negative bacteria of clinical significance in veterinary medicine. Urology, 1987 Nov, 30(5), 441 - 3 Urologic manifestations of AIDS; Kaplan MS et al.; A retrospective analysis of 60 patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) seen between 1981-1985 was performed to determine the genitourinary manifestations of this disease . Twenty-two per cent were found to have significant proteinuria, while 7 per cent had nephrotic syndrome which was associated with an extremely rapid demise . Renal insufficiency occurred in 27 per cent and renal biopsy results, when abnormal, revealed focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis . Pyuria was found in 52 per cent of patients, and urinary tract infections occurred in 20 per cent . Atypical pathogens including Candida, Salmonella, Acinetobacter calcoaticus, and cytomegalovirus were encountered. Biochem Cell Biol, 1987 Nov, 65(11), 930 - 8 Expression and base sequence of the citrate synthase gene of Acinetobacter anitratum; Donald LJ et al.; The sequence of 1895 base pairs of Acinetobacter anitratum genomic DNA, containing the structural gene for the allosteric citrate synthase of that Gram-negative bacterium, is presented . The sequence contains an open reading frame of 424 codons, the 5' end of which is the same as the N-terminal sequence of A . anitratum citrate synthase, less the initiator methionine . The inferred amino acid sequence of the enzyme is about 70% identical with that of citrate synthase from Escherichia coli, which like the A . anitratum enzyme is sensitive to allosteric inhibition by NADH . There is also a more distant homology with the nonallosteric citrate synthases of pig heart and yeast . The gene contains sequences that strongly resemble those found in E . coli promoters, an E . coli type of ribosomal binding site, and a hyphenated dyad sequence at the 3' end of the gene which resembles the rho-independent terminators found in some E . coli genes . The plasmid clone containing the A . anitratum citrate synthase gene pLJD1, originally isolated because it hybridized with the cloned E . coli citrate synthase gene under conditions of reduced stringency, produces large amounts of A . anitratum citrate synthase in an E . coli host which lacks citrate synthase . This work completes proof of the hypothesis that the three major kinds of citrate synthases are formed of similar subunits, although their functional properties are different. J Hosp Infect, 1987 Nov, 10(3), 265 - 72 Endemic occurrence of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus biovar anitratus in an intensive care unit; Gerner-Smidt P; One strain of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus biovar anitratus caused colonization of 111 patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) during a 2-year period . All patients were intubated and had received antibiotic therapy prior to colonization . Morbidity due to the organism was about 1% . The colonization rate showed a decreasing trend during the study period, but no seasonal variation . The strain was found in the air in a low concentration and on the hands of 8-13% of the members of the staff . No chronic carriers were found. Biochemistry, 1987 Oct 20, 26(21), 6644 - 8 Effect of plasmid RP1 on phase changes in inner and outer membranes and lipopolysaccharide from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus: a Fourier transform infrared study; Loeffelholz MJ et al.; The successful transfer of the resistance plasmid RP1 into the Gram-negative bacterium Acinetobacter calcoaceticus resulted in increased resistance of this microorganism to the antibiotics kanamycin and tetracycline . Microorganisms harboring the RP1 plasmid showed altered fatty acid composition in the lipopolysaccharide fraction and increased outer membrane permeability compared to organisms without the plasmid . Thermotropic gel to liquid crystal lipid phase changes were detected in both inner and outer membranes and purified lipopolysaccharide by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy . The phase transition temperatures observed in the outer membranes and isolated lipopolysaccharide of the plasmid-containing cells were significantly higher than those of the plasmid-free organisms, while little difference was observed for the inner membranes . The plasmid-induced decrease in outer membrane fluidity may play a mediating role in the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and susceptibility to host immune cells in Gram-negative microorganisms. Dtsch Med Wochenschr, 1987 Oct 16, 112(42), 1615 - 8 {Clinical experience with bacterial contamination of Port-A-Cath systems in tumor patients}; Fuchs R et al.; In 33 cancer patients with subcutaneously implanted Port-A-Cath systems (Pharmacia) who developed bacteremia with rigor and high fever, aerobic and anaerobic cultures were prepared from aspirated chamber blood . Organisms were isolated from 19 patients of whom 10 had fever, but none life-threatening . In seven patients the fever was caused by infected chamber blood, while in three it was impossible to prove whether it was due to chamber contamination or the underlying disease . Almost all of the causative organisms were skin saprophytes, most frequently Staph . epidermidis, Acinetobacter Iwoffi and apathogenic Corynebacteria . The pathway of infection was probably exogenous (iatrogenic) inoculation . Removal of the catheter system was not necessary . Since strict hygienic measures were instituted when using the system no further chamber contamination has occurred. Pediatr Infect Dis J, 1987 Oct, 6(10), 958 - 62 In vitro activity of a new broad spectrum, beta-lactamase-stable oral cephalosporin, cefixime; Neu HC; Cefixime is a new orally absorbed iminomethoxy, aminothiazolyl cephalosporin . It inhibits the majority, 90%, of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Branhamella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae at concentrations less than or equal to 0.25 micrograms/ml . It inhibits 90% of the other members of the Enterobacteriaceae at concentrations less than 1 microgram/ml, with the exception of some strains of Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter freundii and Morganella morganii, Cefixime does not inhibit enterococci, Listeria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, Bacteroides spp . or staphylococci . In general, cefixime has in vitro activity superior to cephalexin, cephradine, cefadroxil and cefaclor against all bacteria with the exception of staphylococci . Cefixime is not destroyed by most of the common plasmid and chromosomal beta-lactamases and its activity is not reduced by serum, blood or urine . Cefixime overall has excellent in vitro activity against the commonly encountered respiratory and urinary tract pathogens. Pediatr Infect Dis J, 1987 Oct, 6(10), 954 - 7 Cefixime: spectrum of antibacterial activity against 16,016 clinical isolates; Barry AL et al.; The spectrum of antibacterial activity of cefixime was defined by reviewing data from two multicenter studies and three independent studies that we performed within the past 3 years . Microdilution tests were performed with 16,016 bacterial isolates . An isolate was considered susceptible to cefixime if the minimal inhibitory concentration was less than or equal to 1.0 microgram/ml and resistant if the minimal inhibitory concentration was greater than or equal to 4.0 micrograms/ml . Cefixime was effective against the Enterobacteriaceae (87.7% susceptible to 1.0 microgram/ml) as well as against pathogenic Neisseria spp . (including penicillin-resistant gonococci), Haemophilus influenzae (including ampicillin-resistant strains), penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae and other Streptococcus species (minimal concentration inhibiting 90% of organisms less than or equal to 0.25 micrograms/ml) . Species resistant to cefixime included penicillin-resistant pneumococci, Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Listeria spp., Acinetobacter spp . and Pseudomonas spp. Arzneimittelforschung, 1987 Oct, 37(10), 1116 - 9 {In vitro comparison of the beta lactamase-inhibitory action of clavulanic acid and sulbactam in ampicillin-resistant enterobacteria}; Grimm H; Comparative in vitro Studies of the beta-Lactamase Inhibitory Effects of Clavulanic Acid and Sulbactam on Ampicillin-resistant Enterobacteria . Clavulanic acid and sulbactam alone are infective against Pseudomonas and enterococci . Staphylococci and enterobacteriaceae are inhibited by high concentrations not attainable under clinical conditions . Strains of Acinetobacter, especially A . lwoffii are susceptible to clavulanic acid and highly susceptible to sulbactam . The sulbactam-ampicillin combination is superior to clavulanic acid-ampicillin against C . freundii, Enterobacter spp . and M . morganii . The latter combination is superior against Klebsiella spp . and E . coli . Antagonistic effects are more frequent with the clavulanic acid combination (Enterobacter spp . and C . freundii) but are rarely observed with the sulbactam combination (Providencia spp . and P . rettgeri). J R Army Med Corps, 1987 Oct, 133(3), 156 - 8 Hospital acquired native valve endocarditis caused by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and treated with imipenem/cilastin; Cumberland NS et al.; A case of hospital acquired endocarditis due to Acinetobacter calcoaceticus in a severely burned patient is presented . Both aortic and mitral native valves were affected and the organism was resistant to most antimicrobial agents. Pharmazie, 1987 Oct, 42(10), 687 - 8 {Antibacterial activity of species of the genus Allium}; Didry N et al.; Garlic, onion and shallot were tested for antimicrobial activity against pathogenic aerobic and anaerobic bacteria . The MIC of aqueous and petroleum ether extracts were determined . Garlic showed the greater activity; the combination garlic-antibiotic is synergistic against Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and leads to indifference against anaerobic bacteria . The active constituent is not probably allicin alone. J Clin Pathol, 1987 Oct, 40(10), 1168 - 73 Evaluation of Mast-ID 15 system for identifying Enterobacteriaceae, some Vibrionaceae, and Acinetobacter; Holmes B et al.; Six hundred and twenty one strains (555 Enterobacteriaceae, 46 Vibrionaceae, and 20 Acinetobacter) were examined in the Mast system . The results were consulted in the code book supplied by the manufacturer and those not listed were processed through the manufacturer's full database held on an Apricot microcomputer in our laboratory . The proportion of strains correctly identified was 88%, with 9% not identified, and 3% incorrectly identified. Drugs, 1987 Oct, 34(4), 411 - 37 Ceforanide . A review of its antibacterial activity, pharmacokinetic properties and clinical efficacy; Campoli-Richards DM et al.; Ceforanide is a 'second generation' cephalosporin administered intravenously or intramuscularly . It is similar to cefamandole and cefonicid in its in vitro superiority to 'first generation' cephalosporins against several species of Enterobacteriaceae as well as its activity against Haemophilus influenzae, including beta-lactamase-producing strains . Its activity against Staphylococcus aureus is less than that of cefamandole, cefuroxime and first generation cephalosporins . The in vitro activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae is excellent . Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and Serratia species, and Bacteroides fragilis are resistant, as are many strains of Proteus and Providencia species . The elimination half-life is relatively long, although shorter than that of cefonicid, and in most clinical trials ceforanide has been administered twice daily . It appeared to be comparable in therapeutic efficacy to procaine penicillin and cephazolin in the treatment of patients with community-acquired pneumonia, to cephazolin in the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections due to S . aureus or beta-haemolytic streptococci and to cefapirin in S . aureus endocarditis in parenteral drug abusers . Also, it was comparable in efficacy to cephalothin in the prophylaxis of infection in patients undergoing open heart surgery or vaginal hysterectomy, and to cephazolin in patients undergoing cholecystectomy . Thus, ceforanide is an alternative to first and certain other second generation cephalosporins in several important therapeutic and prophylactic situations . It has no advantage over other cephalosporins with regard to spectrum of antibacterial activity, but has a longer half-life than other second generation cephalosporins, except cefonicid, and can be administered according to a twice daily dosage schedule. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1987 Sep, 53(9), 2269 - 70 Drag reduction by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4; Sar N et al.; The encapsulated bacterium Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4 at a density of 3.6 X 10(9) cells per ml reduced the friction of turbulent water in a narrow pipe by 55% . This drag reduction was due to the tightly bound polysaccharide capsules (0.4 mg per ml) of culture . Capsule-deficient mutants of BD4 failed to reduce drag . The cell-bound polysaccharide demonstrated a threefold-higher drag-reducing activity than the polymer which was free in solution. J Emerg Med, 1987 Sep-Oct, 5(5), 363 - 6 Acinetobacter calcoaceticus infection following a dog bite; Auerbach PS et al.; A frequent complication of dog bite wounds is bacterial infection . The choice of antibiotics is based upon the most likely organisms . Failure to achieve wound healing suggests that an uncommon organism(s) is present and should lead the clinician to culture the wound . A case of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus infection following a dog bite is described. Mol Microbiol, 1987 Sep, 1(2), 219 - 27 pWW174: a large plasmid from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus encoding benzene catabolism by the beta-ketoadipate pathway; Winstanley C et al.; Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RJE74 contains a large transmissible catabolic plasmid, pWW174, of about 200 kb, which encodes its ability to grow on benzene (Bzn+) . pWW174 was unstable in Acinetobacter hosts and was lost at high frequency in the absence of selection for Bzn+ . The catabolic pathway appeared to be via benzene cis-glycol, catechol and the beta-ketoadipate (ortho) pathway . pWW174 encodes a catechol 1,2-oxygenase which is significantly more thermolabile than the chromosomally determined enzyme . pWW174 was able to complement all cat mutants (catechol to central metabolites) of A . calcoaceticus ADP1 (BD413) tested . Two regions of the plasmid were cloned, one carrying catA, the gene for catechol 1,2-oxygenase, and another carrying catBCDE, the subsequent four enzymes of the beta-ketoadipate pathway: these two regions appeared to be separated by at least 10 kbp . Hybridization indicated homology between the plasmid cat genes and the corresponding chromosomal genes of ADP1. Ann Inst Pasteur Microbiol, 1987 Sep-Oct, 138(5), 569 - 78 Identification and biotyping of clinical isolates of Acinetobacter; Bouvet PJ et al.; A total of 343 Acinetobacter strains, most isolated from hospital patients, were identified using a 16-test system (acid production from glucose, gelatin hydrolysis and utilization of 14 carbon sources) associated with tests for growth at 37, 41 and 44 degrees C . Of 299 nosocomial isolates, 253 were identified as A . baumannii, 20 as Acinetobacter genospecies 3, 8 as A . haemolyticus, 8 as A . lwoffii, 4 as A . johnsonii and 6 as other (presently) unnamed species . A biotyping system based on the utilization of levulinate, citraconate, L-phenylalanine, phenylacetate, 4-hydroxybenzoate and L-tartrate allowed recognition of 17 biotypes among 247 A . baumannii isolates . This biotyping system should be useful in epidemiological studies of Acinetobacter strains. Eur J Epidemiol, 1987 Sep, 3(3), 243 - 6 Computerized colonization-surveillance based on antimicrobial susceptibility patterns; Courcol RJ et al.; In order to estimate the occurrence of hospital-acquired colonizations, a specific program based on antimicrobial susceptibility tests was developed for the early recognition of clusters of colonized patients . This program allowed: (a) estimation of the endemic level of nosocomial colonization every three days within an intensive care unit; (b) detection of outbreak of hospital-acquired infections; (c) distinction between primary and secondary infections according to the dates of admission and collection; (d) provision of the latest profiles of susceptibility to antimicrobials for the 5 pathogens studied (Staphylococcus aureus, S . epidermidis, Serratia spp., Pseudomonas spp., Acinetobacter spp.) . This study reported the experience of a two-year trial in colonization surveillance. Infect Immun, 1987 Sep, 55(9), 2296 - 9 Outer membrane permeability of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus mediates susceptibility to rat polymorphonuclear leukocyte granule contents; Loeffelholz MJ et al.; Growth of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus on specific alkanes altered the outer membrane permeability of the organism, as indicated by a change in sensitivity to the antibiotic actinomycin D . As the carbon length of the alkane energy source decreased, outer membrane permeability and susceptibility to actinomycin D increased . Concomitant with the increase in outer membrane permeability, A . calcoaceticus became more susceptible to the oxygen-independent antimicrobial activity of extracted contents from rat polymorphonuclear leukocyte granules . Individual fractions of granule extract possessed no antimicrobial activity against A . calcoaceticus . The alkane-induced change in outer membrane permeability was not associated with alterations of lipopolysaccharide O antigen . An outer membrane permeability mechanism, independent of changes in lipopolysaccharide content, mediating susceptibility to the oxygen-independent antimicrobial activity of rat polymorphonuclear leukocyte granule contents is suggested. J Hosp Infect, 1987 Sep, 10(2), 145 - 51 Biotyping of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus using the API 2ONE system; Towner KJ et al.; The API 2ONE system for the identification of non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli enables the discrimination of a possible 209 different biotypes of Acinetobacter spp . and consequently has potential for use as an Acinetobacter spp . typing system . A total of 122 separate strains of Acinetobacter spp . isolated in Nottingham hospitals over a 4 year period from a wide variety of clinical specimens, divided into 31 different biotypes which were stable over a 1 year storage period . Two biotypes predominated, one of which was a multiply resistant strain of A . calcoaceticus variant anitratus . The API 2ONE system was found to be a rapid method for biotyping strains of Acinetobacter spp . and was helpful in monitoring cross-infection and spread of particular strains of Acinetobacter spp . in the hospital environment. Am J Med Sci, 1987 Aug, 294(2), 117 - 9 Chronic Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus pneumonia; Suchyta MR et al.; Gram-negative bacteria most often affect the lung in an acute, suppurative process; however, these organisms may also produce chronic pneumonia . Acinetobacter calcoaceticus has not been reported previously as a cause of chronic pneumonia . We present a patient with fatal, chronic community-acquired Acinetobacter pneumonia with chest wall invasion at autopsy. J Clin Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 25(8), 1373 - 5 Controlled evaluation of modified radiometric blood culture medium supplemented with gelatin for detection of bacteremia and fungemia; Weinstein MP et al.; Although the addition of 1.2% gelatin to broth blood culture media containing sodium polyanetholesulfonate has been shown to enhance detection of certain bacteria, including Neisseria meningitidis, N . gonorrhoeae, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, and Gardnerella vaginalis, the effect of such supplementation on the detection of other microorganisms causing bacteremia and fungemia is not known . Therefore, we studied BACTEC 6B medium with and without gelatin in 6,833 paired comparisons to examine the effects of supplementation on both the yield and the speed of detection of sepsis . More aerobic and facultative bacteria grew in the 6B than in the 6B-gelatin medium (P less than 0.001), especially staphylococci (P less than 0.01), Escherichia coli (P less than 0.01), other members of the family Enterobacteriaceae (P less than 0.05), and Acinetobacter spp . (P less than 0.05) . When microorganisms grew in both bottles, they did so earlier in 6B than in 6B-gelatin (P less than 0.001) . We conclude that the 6B medium in its present formulation is superior to 6B medium supplemented with 1.2% gelatin. J Bacteriol, 1987 Aug, 169(8), 3833 - 5 Degradation of substituted mandelic acids by meta fission reactions; Sze IS et al.; A strain of Acinetobacter lwoffii degraded 4-hydroxymandelic and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acids to their corresponding benzoates, which were then hydroxylated by specific monooxygenases to yield, respectively, protocatechuic and 3-O-methylgallic acids; these were substrates for meta fission dioxygenases . The product formed from 3-O-methylgallate underwent slow spontaneous cyclization at pH 7 to release methanol. Z Urol Nephrol, 1987 Aug, 80(8), 491 - 4 {Bacteriologic studies of bicarbonate dialysate and suitable initial solutions}; Wachtel D et al.; Dialysates for the haemodialysis are produced unsterile and usually contain bacteria . Own investigations of bicarbonate dialysate and adequate initial solutions comprised sterility tests, determinations of the germ count and germ tolerance experiments . Only the "acid concentrate" was sterile . In the other solutions Corynebacteria, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas bacteria dominated as typical water germs . In the fresh reverse osmosis water and the bicarbonate dialysate as well as in the recently produced 35-mmolar and 1-molar NaHCO3-solution the germ count was in each case about 10(5)/l and did not change itself essentially at room temperature within 6 hours . The "acid concentrate" and at a lower level also the 1-molar NaHCO3-concentrate have an antibacterial effect . The reverse osmosis water is the main contamination source for the bicarbonate dialysate, the application of which within 6 hours seems worth being used on account of the low germ count. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 53(8), 1918 - 23 Involvement of a plasmid in growth on and dispersion of crude oil by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RA57; Rusansky S et al.; A crude-oil-degrading Acinetobacter species, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RA57, was isolated by standard enrichment culture techniques on the basis of its ability to utilize the oily sludge found in the vicinity of a local gas station . Strain RA57 was found to contain four plasmids: pSR1 (5.1 kilobases {kb}), pSR2 (5.4 kb), pSR3 (10.5 kb), and pSR4 (20 kb) . Both supercoiled and open circular forms of the first three plasmids were identified by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis . Restriction endonuclease analysis of pSR4 demonstrated that the plasmid contained a circular map . Colonies were isolated at random after growth in the presence of acridine orange and found to fall into two categories: (i) those which had lost the ability to grow on and disperse crude oil in liquid culture and concurrently were cured of pSR4 and (ii) those which retained the ability to both grow on and disperse crude oil and which contained pSR4 . Strains from the first class continued to grow on hydrocarbon vapors, indicating that the defect associated with the curing of pSR4 was related to the physical interaction of the cells with the hydrocarbon substrate, rather than to its metabolism . No differences in either adherence to hydrocarbons or production of extracellular emulsifying activity were found between the two classes of mutants . In growth experiments on crude oil in mixed culture with strains which either contained or lacked pSR4, no sparing of the growth defect was observed . The results are consistent with the possibility that pSR4 encodes a factor(s) which is tightly associated with the cell surface. J Bacteriol, 1987 Jul, 169(7), 3175 - 80 Influence of the catBCE sequence on the phenotypic reversion of a pcaE mutation in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Doten RC et al.; Isofunctional beta-ketoadipate:succinyl coenzyme A transferases I and II are encoded by the pcaE and catE genes, respectively, of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus . The genes are under separate transcriptional control and genetically unlinked . Mutations in the pcaE gene result in a p-hydroxybenzoate-negative (POB-) phenotype, whereas catE mutations cause a benzoate-negative (Ben-) phenotype . A . calcoaceticus ADP125 carries the pcaE3125 mutation and gave rise to POB+ revertants with a frequency of 10(-4) . A 5.0-kilobase-pair (kb) EcoRI restriction fragment containing the catBCDE genes possesses two SalI restriction sites separated by 1.5 kb . Removal of the DNA between the SalI sites created a deletion removing the terminal 35 base pairs of the catB gene, the 300-base-pair catC gene, and about 1.1 kb of the 1.2-kb catE gene . Transformation of strain ADP125 with the modified EcoRI fragment lacking the SalI segment produced natural transformants containing this designed deletion with a frequency of 20% . The frequency of POB+ phenotypic reversion of the pcaE3125 mutation in these transformants was more than 300-fold lower than the frequency of phenotypic reversion observed in genetic backgrounds containing the catBCE segment . Alleles created by pcaE phenotypic reversion in a wild-type cat genetic background were unlinked to the cat gene cluster, and revertant transferases were expressed inducibly with the pca genes . Alterations in the restriction pattern of the pca gene cluster in several revertants were observed, indicating that multiple sequence changes have occurred in the pca genes during reversion . Growth of the phenotypic revertants under nonselective conditions resulted in loss of either the POB+ phenotype or both the POB+ and Ben+ phenotypes at high frequency . Southern hybridizations revealed that loss of the POB+ of Ben+ phenotype was due to deletion of the entire pca or cat gene cluster, a loss of at least 16 kb in some strains . Revertants isolated in a catBCE deletion background were stable . These results suggest that enhanced phenotypic reversion of pcaE3125 in wild-type cat background is due to repair of the mutation by recombination between the catBCE and pcaE3125 sequences . Genetic instability of the phenotypic revertants may be attributed to deletion of pca and cat sequences by recombination between regions of homology created as a consequence of pcaE repair. J Bacteriol, 1987 Jul, 169(7), 3168 - 74 Cloning and genetic organization of the pca gene cluster from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Doten RC et al.; The beta-ketoadipate pathway of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus comprises two parallel metabolic branches . One branch, mediated by six enzymes encoded by the cat genes, converts catechol to succinate and acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA); the other branch, catalyzed by products of the pca genes, converts protocatechuate to succinate and acetyl-CoA by six metabolic reactions analogous or identical to those of the catechol sequence . We used the expression plasmid pUC18 to construct expression libraries of DNA from an A . calcoaceticus mutant strain from which the cat genes had been deleted . Immunological screening with antiserum to the pcaE gene product, beta-ketoadipate:succinyl-CoA transferase I, resulted in the isolation of a cloned 11-kilobase-pair (kbp) fragment which inducibly expressed all six pca genes under control of the lac promoter on pUC18 . The induced Escherichia coli cells formed the six pca gene products at levels 10- to 30-fold higher than found in fully induced A . calcoaceticus cultures, although protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase (the iron-containing product of the pcaA gene) from the recombinant strain possessed a relatively low turnover number . An E . coli culture expressing the cloned pca genes quantitatively converted protocatechuate to beta-ketoadipate; failure of the organism to metabolize the latter compound can be most readily ascribed to relatively low pool levels of succinyl-CoA, a required substrate for beta-ketoadipate:succinyl-CoA transferase, in E . coli . The gene order and direction of transcription were determined to be pcACBDFE by identification of enzymes expressed in subclones, by using natural transformation to identify subclones carrying DNA corresponding to dysfunctional alleles in mutant A . calcoaceticus strains, and by restriction mapping of both the 11-kbp fragment and derivatives of the 11-kbp fragment containing Tn5 in the pcaA, pcaB, pcaD, and pcaE genes . The fragment containing the pca gene hybridized strongly and specifically to a previously cloned fragment containing A . calcoaceticus cat genes. J Hosp Infect, 1987 Jul, 10(1), 40 - 6 The effectiveness of ethanol gauze for hand disinfection in surgical wards; Takahashi S et al.; The effectiveness of ethanol gauze in removing transient bacteria on the hands was investigated in a surgical ward during clinical nursing rounds . Two nurses with similar duties were selected as subjects for each round; one disinfected her hands with ethanol gauze when moving between patients while the other immersed her hands in 0.05% aqueous chlorhexidine gluconate when aware of contaminating her hands . Hand samples were taken after preliminary disinfection before the round, and again after the round on 37 occasions . Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were not detected in nurses using ethanol gauze, except in one nurse where S . aureus was isolated from both the pre- and postround hand culture . Both organisms were detected on four occasions from the postround hand cultures in the chlorhexidine group . Acinetobacter anitratus was not removed by pre-round disinfection, and was found on five and 11 occasions from the postround hand cultures in the ethanol gauze and chlorhexidine groups, respectively. J Med Microbiol, 1987 Jun, 23(4), 313 - 9 Cell envelope protein profiles of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus strains isolated in hospitals; Dijkshoorn L et al.; The cell envelope protein patterns of 78 strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, mainly isolated in hospitals, were analysed by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) . The patterns were stable and reproducible . Comparison of the protein profiles made possible differentiation between two groups of strains . The patterns of the first group could be classified on the basis of concordance . Some profiles appeared to be associated with the epidemiological origin of the strains . The second group consisted of strains with unique patterns which could not be classified . Comparison of SDS-PAGE patterns appears to be a suitable method for the relative classification of A . calcoaceticus strains of nosocomial origin. Infect Immun, 1987 Jun, 55(6), 1365 - 8 Defensins mediate the microbicidal activity of human neutrophil granule extract against Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Greenwald GI et al.; An acid extract of human neutrophil granules was fractionated on a Sephadex G-100 column and tested for microbicidal activity against Acinetobacter calcoaceticus HO-1 as described previously (M.C . Modrzakowski and C . M . Paranavitana, Infect . Immun . 32:668-674, 1981) . The low-molecular-weight protein fraction, peak D, accounted for about 30% of the protein and nearly all of the activity of the crude extract against strain HO-1 . Peak D protein proved to be a mixture of the three human defensin peptides HNP1, HNP2, and HNP3 . Purified defensins reproduced the microbicidal activity of peak D . The data suggest that defensins could play a major role in the killing of A . calcoaceticus by human neutrophils. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1987 Jun, 31(6), 854 - 9 In vitro and in vivo activity of NY-198, a new difluorinated quinolone; Hirose T et al.; NY-198 {1-ethyl-6,8-difluoro-1,4-dihydro-7-(3-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-4-oxo-3- quinolinecarboxylic acid hydrochloride} is a new difluorinated quinolone characterized by the presence of a C-methyl group at the 3 position of the piperazine moiety . It has a broad antibacterial spectrum . The in vitro antibacterial activity of NY-198 was almost the same as those of ofloxacin and norfloxacin, but far exceeded that of pipemidic acid . NY-198 was more active than norfloxacin against Pseudomonas maltophilia, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, and anaerobic microorganisms . Cross resistance was not observed between NY-198 and various antibiotics including methicillin, gentamicin, and ampicillin . NY-198 had bactericidal activity at the MIC or slightly higher than the MIC . It showed excellent antibacterial activity against various systemic infections in mice . After oral administration, NY-198 was two times more active than or as active as ofloxacin and two to four times more active than norfloxacin. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1987 Jun, 35(5 Pt 2), 759 - 67 {In vitro antibacterial activity of 2 new quinolones: A 56619 (difloxacin) and A 56620 . Comparison with pefloxacin, ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin}; Soussy CJ et al.; Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of two new quinolones, A 56619 (difloxacin) and A 56620 were evaluated by agar dilution for 511 bacterial strains, in comparison with pefloxacin (PEF), ofloxacin (OFL) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) . For Enterobacteriaceae, A 56620 (MIC 50 and 90 p . 100: 0,12 and 2 micrograms/ml) was less active than CIP (0,03 and 1) and more active than OFL (0,12 and 4) whereas A 56619 (1 and 16) appeared slightly inferior to PEF (0,25 and 8); the same range of activity was observed for Pseudomonas aeruginosa: CIP: 0,12-0,5; A 56620: 0,5-2; OFL and PEF: 1-4; A 56619: 1-8 . For the majority of Acinetobacter (mode MIC: 0,5-1), Haemophilus (0,008-0,016), Meningococci (less than or equal to 0,008), Gonococci (0,06 a 0,25) and Legionella (0,12), activity of the two new compounds appeared very similar to those of the three other quinolones . A 56619 and A 56620 had a good activity (mode MIC: 0,25-0,5 micrograms/ml), similar to those of the three other quinolones, on Staphylococci sensitive strains whereas they were inactive on resistant strains . For Streptococci, A 56620 is about two times superior to A 56619; its activity is similar to that of PEF for Enterococci (mode MIC: 4) and to that of CIP on Streptococci A and Pneumococci (mode MIC: 0,5-1) . For anaerobes, the two compounds had about the same activity similar to that of OFL and CIP (C . perfringens: 0,25-0,5 and B . fragilis: 4 micrograms/ml). Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1987 Jun, 184(3-4), 304 - 20 {Epidemiologic studies of the microbial colonization of severely burned patients}; Winkler M et al.; Bacteria isolated between 1/1/1983 and 12/31/1984 from the burns of 122 patients in a burns unit at the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum were studied . Grampositive bacteria were predominant in colonizing the burn wounds (62.5% of all strains isolated) . In the patients with more than 40% of total body surface area (TBSA) burn, isolation of Staph aureus was most frequent . The exogenous colonization rate with Staph . aureus was 86% . Coagulase negative Staphylococci were identified in 89.6% of all patients (71.4% of the patients with more than 40% TBSA burn) . There was a constant decline in detecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa from the second half of 1983 . Microbial sensitivity testing was performed in 834 cases . Gramnegative strains of bacteria resistant to Ampicillin, Mezlocillin, Piperacillin and Ticarcillin were found in 10 up to 97% of the tested strains . Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var . antitratus and Enterobacter cloacae usually displayed a wide resistant pattern . Some strains were resistant as to 16 antibiotics . The incidence of multiresistant Staph . aureus was studied . The time course of multiresistance was paralleled by the incidence of a 6-fold resistance to Benzylpenicillin, Oxacillin, Tetracyclin(T), Gentamycin(G), Erythromycin(E), and Sulfadiacin(S) . The probability of simultaneous resistance to 2 of the 4 antibiotics (T, G, E, S) ranged between 0.7 and 0.98 . 98 out of 336 Staph . aureus isolates showed a simultaneous resistance to T, G, E and S (29%). Arch Microbiol, 1987 Jun, 148(1), 57 - 62 Adhesion of bacteria from mixed cell suspension to solid surfaces; McEldowney S et al.; The attachment of four species of bacteria to solid surfaces was investigated to determine whether the attachment of one species of bacterium could be influenced by the presence of other attaching or attached species . Three types of experiment were done: attachment of bacteria from suspensions containing two species (termed "simultaneous attachment") was compared to attachment of each species in pure culture, the attachment of one species of bacterium to surfaces already colonized by a second species (termed "sequential attachment") was compared to attachment of the bacteria to clean, uncolonized surfaces, and bacteria were allowed to attach to a surface already colonized by a second strain, and their effect on the stabilization of adhesion of the initial colonizing strain was determined . The bacteria were Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, a Staphylococcus sp., a coryneform (isolates from a canning factory), and Staphylococcus aureus . The surfaces were tin plate, glass, and nylon . The attachment of each species was either increased, decreased or not affected by the simultaneous or sequential attachment of another species . The results depended upon the species combination, the surface composition, and the sequence of attachment . The detachment of a primary colonizing species was either increased, decreased or not affected by the subsequent attachment of a second species, depending on the species combination and surface . The results demonstrate that bacterial attachment to a surface can be influenced by the composition of the attaching population and can differ considerably from the attachment of the component species in pure culture.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Anal Biochem, 1987 May 15, 163(1), 107 - 11 A simple spectrophotometric assay for arogenate dehydratase; Ahmad S et al.; A simple spectrophotometric assay for arogenate dehydratase, the enzyme that catalyzes the formation of L-phenylalanine from L-arogenate, is presented . The method couples the arogenate dehydratase reaction with that of an aromatic aminotransferase partially purified from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus . In the presence of 2-ketoglutarate, phenylpyruvate formation is measured at 320 nm at basic pH . The method was compared with two other methods already in use in our laboratory for arogenate dehydratase . The new method is simple, quick, fairly sensitive, and especially suitable for the screening of a large number of samples. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1987 May, (5), 40 - 4 {Characteristics of gram-negative microflora on environmental objects in puerperal wards and their resistance to antibacterial preparations and disinfectants}; Ioirish AN et al.; The species composition of gram-negative opportunistic bacteria isolated from different objects at three puerperal wards of a maternity clinic was studied . Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter were found to have a fairly wide circulation . The objects most contaminated by these bacteria were determined . The study showed that up to 33.3% of the isolated hospital strains of gram-negative bacteria were characterized by multiple resistance to antibiotics used in medical practice and to sulfathiazole . The strains showed the highest sensitivity to gentamicin and kanamycin . Most of the hospital strains were sensitive to chloramine and nirtan, but 4-13% of Klebsiella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains showed enhanced resistance to 0.1% chloramine solution. J Clin Microbiol, 1987 May, 25(5), 955 - 7 Prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subsp . lwoffi; Weinberger I et al.; Acinetobacter spp . are uncommon etiologic agents of prosthetic valve endocarditis . Two patients with Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subsp . lwoffi prosthetic valve endocarditis are described . The patients were successfully treated with antibiotics (cefotaxime sodium and gentamicin sulfate); thus, we suggest medical treatment rather than early valve replacement in this particular type of infection. Ann Allergy, 1987 May, 58(5), 379 - 84 Treatment of combined immunodeficiency with thymic extract (Thymostimulin); Lin CY et al.; A 14-day-old Chinese male baby was admitted with extensive skin lesions . A wound culture grew Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter anitratus, Enterobacter cloacae, and Candida albicans and a blood culture grew group A beta-Streptococcus hemolyticus . The patient's lymphocyte counts were low and his lymphocytes were unable to produce IgG and IgA in vitro . The immunoglobulin-bearing cell studies also failed to demonstrate IgG and IgA bearing cells . Active Tac+ T cells, total T cells, and T cell subsets were at very low levels . Lymphoproliferative response to mitogens was also poor . Migration inhibitory factor production to Candida antigen was also decreased . The initial lymph node biopsy demonstrated no follicular formation and extensive depletion of lymphocytes in both thymic-dependent and thymic-independent areas . After Thymostimulin (a specific bovine thymic extract, TP-1) treatment, the second lymph node biopsy demonstrated germinal centers containing IgA-bearing cells and IgM-bearing cells and, subsequently, cortical and medullary differentiation . Serum IgG, IgA, and IgM became detectable at low levels and IgG-, IgA-, and IgM-bearing lymphocytes appeared in the peripheral blood . This also correlated with in vitro immunoglobulin synthesis . Active Tac+ T cells, total T cells, T cell subsets and lymphoproliferative response to mitogens increased gradually after thymostimulin therapy . This investigation demonstrated the therapeutic effectiveness of Thymostimulin in combined immunodeficiency both histologically and immunologically and the successful reconstitution of B cell function that did not require continued therapy. Mutat Res, 1987 May, 183(3), 219 - 24 UV-inducible DNA repair in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Berenstein D; Bacterial mutation frequency after UV irradiation and phage mutation frequency under conditions of W-reactivation were determined in A . calcoaceticus . With the exception of streptomycin resistance, there was no increase in the frequency of the assayed markers above the background level . The increased survival of phage during W-reactivation was not followed by an increase in the frequency of mutation from turbid to clear plaque formers among phage survivors . The findings suggested that the UV-inducible repair pathway in A . calcoaceticus was error free . Post-irradiation incubation of UV-treated culture before phage infection resulted in a further increase of W-reactivation . As chloramphenicol inhibited this response, it was concluded that de novo protein synthesis was involved in the UV-inducible repair pathway in A . calcoaceticus. Crit Care Med, 1987 May, 15(5), 495 - 8 Nosocomial infections in a respiratory intensive care unit; Potgieter PD et al.; A total of 250 consecutive admissions to an open-plan respiratory ICU were analyzed prospectively to identify the incidence of secondary hospital-acquired infections and possible predisposing factors . Despite preventative measures and a restricted antibiotic policy, 23.6% of patients developed secondary infections . Patients admitted after multiple trauma were the only diagnostic category of patients who showed a significantly increased incidence of secondary infections . The length of hospitalization and number of patients who had intubations or tracheostomies was higher in the group with secondary infection; the causal relationship was difficult to establish . Patients who were not intubated or tracheostomized did not develop secondary infection . Prior administration of antibiotics did not appear to influence the incidence of secondary infection . There was a significant increase in secondary infections in patients with a higher therapeutic intervention scoring system score . The predominant pathogens cultured were highly resistant Gram-negative organisms, particularly Acinetobacter sp . and Pseudomonas sp . Staphylococcus aureus was the most common Gram-positive pathogen . The ICU course was probably prolonged by the complication of nosocomial infection, which may have contributed to the deaths. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1987 May, 35(5), 652 - 5 {Treatment of peritonitis in kidney failure patients under continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis by pefloxacine . Results and pharmacokinetics}; Denis F et al.; Pefloxacin was used as monotherapy in 15 cases of peritonitis occurring in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) . Antibiotic administration was made intravenously on day 1 (800 mg) and from day 2 to day 4 (400 mg/day), then orally during 10 days (400 mg/day) . The dosage of 400 mg gave a mean serum concentration peak (11.2 mg/l) and valley (5.4 mg/l) on the second day and a mean dialysate level of 5 mg/l . The last mean serum concentration (J14) were 5.5 mg/l (peak) and 2.5 mg/l (valley) and the mean dialysate level was 2.6 mg/l . Ten of these patients were cured . We explained pefloxacin therapy failure in two cases by resistant strains (S . sanguis and S . bovis), in one case by an acquired resistance during treatment (S . epidermidis), in an other case by catheter contamination; and in the last case, clinical failure occur despite good sensitivity with in vitro-test (Acinetobacter). Pathol Biol (Paris), 1987 May, 35(5), 629 - 33 {Ofloxacin (RU 43280) . Clinical study}; Bertrand A et al.; Thirty-two patients were treated by ofloxacin on bacteriological documented infections . They were Enterobacterias: n = 15 (MIC less than or equal to 0.06 to 0.5 microgram/ml); Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter: n = 1 (MIC 0.5 and 4 micrograms/ml); Staphylococcus: n = 6 (MIC less than or equal to 0.06 to 4 micrograms/ml); Pneumococcus: n = 1; Mycoplasma: n = 1; Chlamydia psittaci: n = 2; Legionella pneumophila: n = 1; Rickettsias: n = 4 (three mediterranean fevers one query fever) . Ofloxacin was given orally from 400 to 800 mg per day (5 to 15 mg/kg/day) . It was used alone 26 times and on 6 occasions it was associated with rifampin on 6 staphylococcal infections . On 19 cases it was used after failure or intolerance of initial therapy . Thirty times it was the first antibiotic substance used . Results were good mainly: 1) on nine pneumonitis (enterobacterias: 4; Pneumococcus: 1; Mycoplasma: 1; Chlamydia: 2; Legionella: 1) during a mean duration of twenty days; 2) urinary infections (n:7) provoked by E . coli and Enterobacter cloacae (mean duration: 20 days); 3) 4 osteo-articular-infections (mean duration: 77 days); 4) Rickettsial infections (n:4) during a mean duration of 11 days . Results are particularly noteworthy because patients treated had severe infections: 12 bacteremias, 1 endocarditis and 1 purulent meningitis . None severe adverse effect was observed. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1987 May, 35(5), 563 - 7 {Evaluation of the ATB system and the 32 GN tests for the identification and determination of the antibiotic sensitivity of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var . anitratum . Comparison with the reference dilution method in a gel medium}; Joly-Guillou ML et al.; The authors determined the susceptibility to 24 antibiotics of 95 strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus variety anitratum with the automated API ATB System in comparison with the agar dilution method for MIC measurement . The strains have been identified with API 32 GN (automated system) and API NE . There was a good agreement between the two sets of identification results . In susceptibility tests the discrepancies ranged from 0.86% to 3% with a mean value of 1.8% . The overall agreement was 95% between the two methods . This study allowed the authors to define susceptibility phenotypes to the three major antibiotic classes: beta-lactams, aminoglycosides and quinolones . The use of 32 GN tests and ATB in the automated system seems very useful, especially in epidemiologic studies in order to analyse numerous data in a short time. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1987 May, 35(5), 457 - 60 {Aminoside sensitivity of bacteria isolated in 1984 at the military hospital complex in the Paris region}; Meyran M et al.; The minimal inhibiting concentrations (MIC) of 5 aminosids have been determined by the microdilution method in liquid medium of 4,582 bacterial strains isolated from various pathological samples: 1,039 Staphylococcus, 2,629 Enterobacteria, 759 Pseudomonas and 155 Acinetobacter . The phenotype of resistance has been defined for each strain by listing the antibiotics for which a resistance was observed . The frequencies of the bacterial resistances varied according to the aminosid (gentamicin, sisomicin, tobramycin, netilmicin and amikacin) and to the species studied . For the bacterial species studied, these frequencies of resistance to the aminosid family of antibiotic were weaker in the military hospitals in the district of Paris, than in different civil hospitals where similar studies were conducted. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1987 May, 7(1), 9 - 19 RO23-6240, a new orally absorbed quinolone: in vitro comparison with other broad-spectrum oral antimicrobial agents and imipenem; Aldridge KE et al.; A total of 626 clinical isolates were tested for their susceptibility to RO23-6240 and other broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents . RO23-6240 showed good activity against strains of Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter, and P . aeruginosa . RO23-6240 MIC90s ranged from 0.032 to 4 micrograms/ml for these strains . RO23-6240 also showed good activity against staphylococci, both methicillin-susceptible and -resistant strains . The activity in vitro of RO23-6240 was comparable with that of norfloxacin and ofloxacin, and more active than imipenem, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, cefaclor, and amoxycillin/clavulanate potassium . As with the other quinolones tested, increases in inoculum size produced moderate increases in the MICs and MBCs of RO23-6240. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1987 May, 35(5), 467 - 72 {Study of the sensitivity to pipemidic acid, pefloxacin and norfloxacin of 444 bacterial strains isolated at a general hospital}; Berardi-Grassias LD et al.; After one year of use of pefloxacin in the intensive care unit, medicine unit and surgery unit and the following recent commercialization without prescription of norfloxacin, we studied for a period of two months (april and may 1986) the susceptibility to pipemidic acid, to pefloxacin and norfloxacin of 444 bacteria strains isolated obtained from clinical specimens . The antibiotic susceptibility is determined by disk diffusion test . We obtained the following results: susceptible methicillin Staphylococcus aureus (SMSA 63 strains): 85.7% PEFS, 11.1% PEFI, 79.4% NORS, 15.9% NORI, resistant methicillin Staphylococcus aureus (RMSA 36 strains): 33.3% PEFS, 2.9% PEFI, 41.6% NORS, 0% NORI; Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae (252 strains): 94% PIPS, 94.8% PEFS, 97.2% NORS; Enterobacter, Proteus indol (+), Providencia and Citrobacter (33 strains): 72.7% PIPS, 72.7% PEFS, 84.8% NORS; Pseudomonas aeruginosa (53 strains): 32% PEFS, 47.2% PEFI, 90.6% NORS, 5.6% NORI; Acinetobacter (7 strains): 57.2% PEFS, 42.8% PEFI, 42.8% NORS, 28.6% NORI . Norfloxacin in active in vitro against the majority of the P . aeruginosa isolated . We found an important methicillin and pefloxacin resistance among the Staphylococcus aureus isolated: 36 strains RMSA (36.4% out of Staphylococcus aureus) and 23 strains RMSA PEFR (63.8% out of RMSA) . These later strains were isolated in eight different units mainly in visceral surgery unit and geriatric units but not in intensive care unit . After an epidemiologic study and the following recommendations to physicians and nurses: treatment by pefloxacin should be used only after bacteriological results and associated with an other antibiotic, the handwashing should be frequent and regular to prevent the spread of infection, four months later we isolated 26 strains of RMSA with 7 RMSA PEF (26.9%).2$ Am J Med, 1987 Apr 27, 82(4A), 346 - 51 Use of intravenous ciprofloxacin in difficult-to-treat infections; Giamarellou H et al.; Intravenous ciprofloxacin was administered to 54 patients who were either critically ill or in whom oral administration was not possible . The 31 males and 23 females ranged in age from 20 to 89 years (mean, 53.2 +/- 17.8 years) . Patients had "difficult-to-treat" infections, i.e., respiratory infections (15), abscesses (four intraabdominal, three lung, two soft tissue, and one intrahepatic), deep soft tissue infections (10), chronic post-traumatic osteomyelitis in exacerbation (nine), upper urinary tract infection (five), malignant external otitis (two), catheter-related bacteremia (two), and infectious endocarditis (one) . Thirty patients (56 percent) had serious associated medical problems . Pathogens included Pseudomonas aeruginosa (38 isolates), Acinetobacter species (10 isolates), Enterobacter cloacae (eight isolates), Escherichia coli (two isolates), Proteus mirabilis (one isolate), Kingella kingae (one isolate), Bacteroides fragilis (eight isolates), and Peptostreptococcus species (five isolates) . Minimal inhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin ranged from 0.003 to 2 micrograms/ml . In 39 patients, the isolated microorganisms were multi-resistant; resistance included ceftazidime and amikacin in 32 patients . In 24 patients, ciprofloxacin was given exclusively by the intravenous route at a dose of 200 mg every 12 hours; in 30 patients, treatment was completed after discontinuation of the parenteral drug with the oral preparation of ciprofloxacin at a dose of 750 mg every 12 hours . The duration of parenteral treatment ranged from six to 40 days (mean, 14.9 days) . A successful clinical response was observed in 49 patients (91 percent), while five (9 percent) failed to show a response . Bacteriologic outcomes were as follows: eradication of pathogen in 33 patients (61.1 percent), persistence in 18 (33.3 percent), and relapse in three (5.6 percent), with development of resistance to ciprofloxacin in nine patients (16.7 percent) and superinfection in two patients (3.7 percent) . Side effects included vein irritation at the site of the infusion (three patients), abnormal elevation in liver enzyme levels (two patients), reversible renal failure (one patient), and nausea (one patient) . Parenteral ciprofloxacin is a safe, well-tolerated, and effective therapy for the critically ill patient, and can be replaced with the oral form when clinically appropriate. J Appl Bacteriol, 1987 Apr, 62(4), 327 - 33 Microflora associated with the internal surfaces of rubber and stainless steel milk transfer pipeline; Lewis SJ et al.; Sterile sections of rubber and stainless steel milk transfer pipeline were inserted sequentially into a milking installation and soiled with fresh raw milk over a period of 5 d . The resultant adherent microbial population was removed and the generic composition of mesophilic and psychotropic types was determined . In all cases Acinetobacter spp . were found to predominate (59.5-75.6%) . The generic composition of the raw milk used to soil the milking unit (with inserted pipe section) was determined once during each 5-d soiling period . In general the milk was found to contain a mixed flora in which Gram-positive organisms predominated. Neurosurgery, 1987 Apr, 20(4), 610 - 6 Comparative study of bacteriological contamination between primary and secondary exploration of missile head wounds; Aarabi B; Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial contamination of scalp wounds, indriven bone fragments, and brain tracks were studied in two groups (A and B) of nonrandomized patients with missile head wounds in a 20-month study of patients from the front lines of the Iran-Iraq war . In the 53 Group B patients, the primary debridements, most of which had been performed within 24 hours after injury, were deemed insufficient and a secondary definitive exploration was performed . Group A patients (62) had primary definitive explorations at Nemazee Hospital after a mean of 66.5 hours since injury . All of the patients had been started on dexamethasone and a combination of either ampicillin and chloramphenicol or crystalline penicillin G and chloramphenicol after field evacuation . The contamination rate of scalp wounds, bone fragments and brain tracks was slightly higher in Group A (38.4%, 22.2%, and 29.6% respectively, for Group A and 31.9%, 19.5%, and 27% for Group B, respectively) . Staphylococcus albus among the gram-positive and Acinetobacter among gram-negative bacteria were the most common infecting organisms . Fifty per cent of the bacteria cultured from the brain tracks of Group A and 30.8% of those cultured from Group B patients were gram-negative . A total of 125 patients in four groups was included in our overall study of victims of missile wounds that violated the dura mater . Four patients developed meningitis at Nemazee Hospital (3 postoperatively and 1 after facial penetration) . Two patients in Group B were admitted with meningitis (1 with an accompanying abscess), 1 of them 20 days and the other 60 days after exploration at two different centers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) J Antimicrob Chemother, 1987 Apr, 19(4), 513 - 20 The effect of oral non-absorbable antibiotics on the emergence of resistant bacteria in patients in an intensive care unit; Stoutenbeek CP et al.; Critically ill patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit since 1982 have been treated prophylactically with oral non-absorbable antibiotics combined with parenteral cefotaxime . A mixture of polymyxin E, tobramycin and amphotericin B has been administered via a nasogastric tube and also applied topically to the buccal mucosa . This regimen has proven to be highly effective in reducing the infection rate . The present study evaluated the occurrence of resistant bacteria with this regimen during a 30-month period, in 164 patients with multiple trauma . No increase in the percentage of patients with acquired drug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli was found during this period . Colonization of the oral cavity and/or gastro-intestinal canal by polymyxin E-resistant strains (invariably Proteus spp.) occurred in 8% of patients, and by tobramycin-resistant bacilli (Escherichia coli or Acinetobacter or Pseudomonas spp.) in 4% . Intestinal colonization with cefotaxime-resistant strains (e.g . Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter or Enterobacter spp.) was observed in 17 patients (10%) . Of these strains 82% were eliminated within one week by the oral non-absorbable antibiotics . Colonization of the respiratory tract, urinary tract or wounds with cefotaxime-resistant Gram-negative bacilli occurred in only three patients (2%). Appl Environ Microbiol, 1987 Apr, 53(4), 839 - 45 Bacterial O-methylation of halogen-substituted phenols; Allard AS et al.; Two strains of bacteria capable of carrying out the O-methylation of phenolic compounds, one from the gram-positive genus Rhodococcus and one from the gram-negative genus Acinetobacter, were used to examine the O-methylation of phenols carrying fluoro-, chloro-, and bromo-substituents . Zero-order rates of O-methylation were calculated from data for the chloro- and bromophenols; there was no simple relationship between the rates of reaction and the structure of the substrates, and significant differences were observed in the responses of the two test organisms . For the gram-negative strain, the pattern of substitution was as important as the number of substituents . Hexachlorophene was resistant to O-methylation by both strains, and tetrabromobisphenol-A was O-methylated only by the gram-positive strain . It is suggested that in the natural environment, bacterial O-methylation of phenols carrying electron-attracting substituents might be a significant alternative to biodegradation. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1987 Apr, 31(4), 505 - 11 In vitro activity and beta-lactamase stability of a new monobactam, B0-1165; Neu HC et al.; B0-1165 is a 1-carboxy-1-cyclopropoxyamino,4-fluoromethyl monobactam . It inhibited the majority of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Citrobacter diversus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Providencia rettgeri, Providencia stuartii, Yersinia enterocolitica, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Salmonella and Shigella species at less than or equal to 0.125 microgram/ml . Overall, its in vitro activity was similar to that of aztreonam, cefotaxime, and ceftazidime, with minor differences in the MICs for individual isolates . Enterobacter species and Citrobacter freundii which were derepressed for beta-lactamase production and had higher MICs of aztreonam and ceftazidime had MICs that ranged from 4 to 32 micrograms/ml . B0-1165 had activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa similar to that of aztreonam but lower than that of ceftazidime and carumonam . Pseudomonas maltophilia and other Pseudomonas species were resistant or had MICs of 32 micrograms/ml, as did Acinetobacter species . B0-1165 did not inhibit streptococcal, staphylococcal, or anaerobic species, such as Clostridium and Bacteroides species . B0-1165 was not hydrolyzed to any appreciable extent by common plasmid- and chromosomally Richmond-Sykes type 1a-, 1c-, and 1d-mediated beta-lactamases . It inhibited the Enterobacter cloacae P99 and inducible Pseudomonas aeruginosa beta-lactamases . B0-1165 was a poor inducer of beta-lactamase, but exposing E . cloacae and C . freundii to B0-1165 selected for resistant isolates . Overall, B0-1165 had in vitro properties similar to those of other monobactams currently available or under investigation. Anal Biochem, 1987 Apr, 162(1), 143 - 9 Detection of the cofactor pyrroloquinoline quinone; van Kleef MA et al.; In order to demonstrate the presence or absence of a pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) synthesizing capacity in microorganisms, we have found that media and equipment must be treated to remove contaminating PQQ . Procedures are described which appear to be effective for that purpose . These have been used with Acinetobacter calcoaceticus PQQ- strains to develop a sensitive and reliable assay for PQQ . They also have been used to show that under our conditions of growth Escherichia coli does not synthesize PQQ . Fluorescence spectroscopy is not selective enough to detect PQQ in a protein hydrolysate due to background fluorescence in the same spectral regions as PQQ . In addition, PQQ reacts with amino acids to give products that cannot be detected by either fluorescence spectroscopy or biological assay . In this regard, claims that several materials originating from plants or animals contain PQQ should be reexamined . Moreover, PQQ cannot be detected with these methods in hydrolysates of enzymes containing covalently bound PQQ. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1987 Apr, 6(4), 293 - 9 In vitro activity of RO 23-6240 (AM-833): a new fluoroquinolone; Fass RJ et al.; The in vitro activities of RO 23-6240 (AM-833) and four comparative fluoroquinolones were studied . Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of RO 23-6240, which inhibited at least 90% of strains, were less than or equal to 0.03-1 microgram/ml for Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter anitratus Aeromonas hydrophila, Branhamella catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenzae, 2-8 micrograms/ml for Staphylococcus saprophyticus, streptococci, diphtheroids, and Pseudomonas spp., and 1-32 micrograms/ml for anaerobic species . MICs of ofloxacin, pefloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin paralleled those of RO 23-6240 . With all five drugs, MICs were minimally affected by inoculum size and minimal bacterial concentrations (MBCs) were always within two dilution steps (log2) of MICs. Eur J Biochem, 1987 Mar 16, 163(3), 489 - 95 Studies on the chemical structure of the core-lipid A region of the lipopolysaccharide of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCTC 10305 . Detection of a new 2-octulosonic acid interlinking the core oligosaccharide and lipid A component; Kawahara K et al.; Lipopolysaccharide of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCTC 10305 was treated with acid (0.1 M HCl, 100 degrees C, 1 h) . The product obtained (LPSdegr) was subjected to various modification and degradation procedures including reduction, hydrazinolysis and strong acid hydrolysis . Methylation analysis of purified part structures revealed the presence of a 4'-phosphorylated (beta 1'-6)-linked D-glucosamine disaccharide (lipid A backbone), which carried in position 6' a hitherto unknown 2-octulosonic acid (OclA) in highly acid-stable linkage . It was further shown that OclA is substituted in position 5 by a glucose tetramer, the reducing residue of which is phosphorylated . The hydrophilic region of the LPSdegr could thus be characterized as a phosphorylated heptasaccharide of the following structure: (Formula: see text). Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1987 Mar, 31(3), 473 - 6 Comparative in vitro antibacterial activities of two new oral cephalosporins, ceftetrame (Ro 19-5247) and cefetamet (Ro 15-8074); Chau PY et al.; The in vitro activities of two new oral cephalosporins, ceftetrame (Ro 19-5247) and cefetamet (Ro 15-8074), were tested against 990 clinical bacterial isolates in comparison with that of cephalexin . Both compounds were more active than cephalexin against gram-negative bacteria, inhibiting most isolates of the family Enterobacteriaceae at concentrations of less than or equal to 4 micrograms/ml, but were not active against Acinetobacter species, most Pseudomonas species, Campylobacter jejuni, and Flavobacterium meningosepticum . Ceftetrame was also more active than cephalexin against most streptococcal isolates and as active as cephalexin against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus; against the latter cefetamet was ineffective. Antibiot Med Biotekhnol, 1987 Mar, 32(3), 195 - 8 {Ecology and the antibiotic sensitivity of hospital strains of Acinetobacter}; Gladshtein AI et al.; Strains of Acinetobacter were shown to be widely distributed in the environment of traumatological and orthopedic hospitals and in clinical pathological materials . This permitted to consider Acinetobacter as an agent causing hospital infections . It was shown that Acinetobacter strains were resistant to the majority of antibacterial drugs . The potential ability of Acinetobacter to transfer resistance plasmids to other strains is of particular danger for distribution of resistant microorganisms in hospitals. Rev Infect Dis, 1987 Mar-Apr, 9 Suppl 2, S168 - 76 Use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in pediatric infections: relative merits of intravenous administration; Overturf GD; Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) has traditionally been employed as an oral formulation for infections in ambulatory pediatric patients . However, therapeutic concentrations of TMP and SMZ in serum and CSF are more consistently attained after intravenous administration . Serum half-life increases with the age of the child, and few significant toxic effects are observed with intravenous administration . Either the necessity to optimize bioavailability because of the underlying seriousness of disease or a desire to avoid other drugs that may be responsible for adverse reactions or hypersensitivity should direct the clinician to administer an intravenous preparation . Serious pediatric infections that might warrant the consideration of intravenous TMP-SMZ include shigellosis, salmonellosis, typhoid fever, nocardiosis, gram-negative bacillary septicemia or meningitis, and infections due to Pneumocystis carinii and malarial parasites . Infections due to Listeria will respond to TMP-SMZ, and infections due to Citrobacter diversus, Acinetobacter species, Pseudomonas cepacia, and Flavobacterium meningosepticum are especially susceptible to TMP-SMZ. J Hosp Infect, 1987 Mar, 9(2), 110 - 9 Hospital outbreak of multi-resistant Acinetobacter anitratus: an airborne mode of spread? Allen KD, Green HT. During a 10-month period, from October 1984 to July 1985, a multi-resistant strain of Acinetobacter anitratus was isolated from 36 patients in three neurosurgical wards, one medical ward and the intensive care unit of a district general hospital, and from two patients in the intensive care unit of a hospital in another district . Fourteen patients developed significant infection including pneumonia (10), meningitis (2), septicaemia (2) and wound infection (4) . The majority of cases (28) involved the respiratory tract of ventilated patients, although respiratory equipment was not implicated as a source of the infection . The epidemic strain was recovered from the skin, nose, mouth and rectum of colonized patients and from the hands of personnel . However, extensive air and environmental contamination in the vicinity of colonized patients was also demonstrated . This is the first outbreak of infection with Acinetobacter, of which we are aware, where airborne spread has been observed. J Bacteriol, 1987 Feb, 169(2), 699 - 703 Dienelactone hydrolase from Pseudomonas sp . strain B13; Ngai KL et al.; Dienelactone hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.45) catalyzes the conversion of cis- or trans-4-carboxymethylenebut-2-en-4-olide (dienelactone) to maleylacetate . An approximately 24-fold purification from extracts of 3-chlorobenzoate-grown Pseudomonas sp . strain B13 yielded a homogeneous preparation of the enzyme . The purified enzyme crystallized readily and proved to be a monomer with a molecular weight of about 30,000 . Each dienelactone hydrolase molecule contains two cysteinyl side chains . One of these was readily titrated by stoichiometric amounts of p-chloromercuribenzoate, resulting in inactivation of the enzyme; the inactivation could be reversed by the addition of dithiothreitol . The other cysteinyl side chain appeared to be protected in the native protein against chemical reaction with p-chloromercuribenzoate . The properties of sulfhydryl side chains in dienelactone hydrolase resembled those that have been characterized for bacterial 4-carboxymethylbut-3-en-4-olide (enol-lactone) hydrolases (EC 3.1.1.24), which also are monomers with molecular weights of about 30,000 . The amino acid composition of the dienelactone hydrolase resembled the amino acid composition of enol-lactone hydrolase from Pseudomonas putida, and alignment of the NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of the dienelactone hydrolase with the corresponding sequence of an Acinetobacter calcoaceticus enol-lactone hydrolase revealed sequence identity at 8 of the 28 positions . These observations foster the hypothesis that the lactone hydrolases share a common ancestor . The lactone hydrolases differed in one significant property: the kcat of dienelactone hydrolase was 1,800 min-1, an order of magnitude below the kcat observed with enol-lactone hydrolases . The relatively low catalytic activity of dienelactone hydrolase may demand its production at the high levels observed for induced cultures of Pseudomonas sp . strain B13. Biol Chem Hoppe Seyler, 1987 Feb, 368(2), 101 - 9 {Kinetics of membrane-bound aldehyde dehydrogenase from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus}; Aurich H et al.; In recent investigations we were able to demonstrate that the NADP-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus is an inducible enzyme localized in intracytoplasmic membranes limiting alkane inclusions . Long-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons and alkanols are inducers of the enzyme . It was purified by us and now kinetically characterized using the enzyme-micelle form, which contains bacterial phospholipids and a detergent (sodium cholate), too . The pH optimum of aldehyde dehydrogenase was determined to be at pH 10 . The enzyme showed substrate inhibition (by aldehyde excess) . The Ks and Km values of the leading substrate NADP+ were found to be 8.6 X 10(-5) and 10.3 X 10(-5)M independent of the chain-length of the aldehydes . The Km values of the aldehydes decreased depending on increasing chain-length (butanal: 1.6 X 10(-3), decanal: 1.5 X 10(-6)M) . The Ki values (for inhibition by aldehyde excess) showed a similar behaviour (butanal: 7.5 X 10(-3), decanal: 3.5 X 10(-5)M) as well as the optimal aldehyde concentrations inducing the "maximal" reaction velocity (butanal: 5mM, decanal: 6 microM) . The number of inhibiting aldehyde molecules per enzyme-substrate complex was determined to be n = 1 . NADPH showed product inhibition kinetics (Ki(NADPH) = 2.2 X 10(-4)M), fatty acids did not . We were unable to measure a reverse reaction . The following ions and organic compounds were non-competitive inhibitors of the enzyme: Sn2+, Fe2+, Cu2+, BO3(3-), CN-, EDTA, o-phenanthroline, p-chloromercuri-benzoate, mercaptoethanol, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, and diisopropylfluorophosphate; iodoacetate did not influence enzyme activity . Chloral hydrate was a competitive inhibitor of the aldehydes . Ethyl butyrate activates the enzyme, dependent on the chain-length of the aldehyde substrates. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1987 Feb, 53(2), 440 - 6 Reconstitution of emulsifying activity of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4 emulsan by using pure polysaccharide and protein; Kaplan N et al.; Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4 and BD413 produce extracellular emulsifying agents when grown on 2% ethanol medium . For emulsifying activity, both polysaccharide and protein fractions were required, as demonstrated by selective digestion of the polysaccharide with a specific bacteriophage-borne polysaccharide depolymerase, deproteinization of the extracellular emulsifying complex with hot phenol, and reconstitution of emulsifier activity with pure polysaccharide and a polysaccharide-free protein fraction . Chemical modification of the carboxyl groups in the polysaccharide resulted in a loss of activity . The protein required for reconstitution of emulsifying activity was purified sevenfold . The BD4 emulsan apparently derives its amphipathic properties from the association of an anionic hydrophilic polysaccharide with proteins. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand {B}, 1987 Feb, 95(1), 5 - 11 The epidemiology of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus: biotype and resistance-pattern of 328 strains consecutively isolated from clinical specimens; Gerner-Smidt P; 328 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus from hospitalized patients and persons attending general practitioners were characterized according to biotype and resistance-pattern . 117 strains of biotype (b.) anitratus, 200 of b.lwoffi, 11 of b . haemolyticus and no strains of b . alcaligenes were found . B . anitratus was more frequently isolated from patients in hospitals than b.lwoffi; b.lwoffi was more often found in general practice . Strains of b . anitratus had more resistance traits than b.lwoffi . Strains of b . anitratus obtained in hospitals were more resistant than strains from general practice . No such difference was found with b.lwoffi. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1987 Feb, 35(2), 187 - 9 {Causes of error in the study of fibrinogen clumping and the diagnosis of Staphylococcus aureus: Micrococci and Acinetobacter}; Weber P et al.; Rapid presumptive identification of S . aureus, particularly on the agar slant of biphasic blood culture bottles can be performed by modified slide clumping factor tests . We compared two commercial reagents (Staphyslide and Staphaurex) using strains of "Gram-positive cocci arranged in clusters" (S . aureus, S . epidermidis, Micrococcus) or diplococci-like organisms such as Acinetobacter . Micrococcus and Acinetobacter can be responsible for false-positive reactions with sensitized or not sensitized particles . Control reactions with not sensitized particles or autoagglutination tests in water rather than saline must be performed. J Clin Pathol, 1987 Feb, 40(2), 194 - 9 Evaluation of enzyme immunoassay (Chlamydiazyme) for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis in genital tract specimens; Taylor-Robinson D et al.; An enzyme immunoassay (Chlamydiazyme) for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis was evaluated on genital specimens from 96 men and 272 women attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases (STD clinic) . Compared with a direct immunofluorescence test for chlamydial elementary bodies, the enzyme immunoassay had a sensitivity of 58% on specimens from men, a specificity of 90%, a positive predictive value of 93%, and a negative predictive value of 88%; the assay had a sensitivity of 67% on specimens from women, a specificity of 89%, a positive predictive value of 63% and a negative predictive value of 90% . Immunofluorescence provided the most stringent test for the performance of the enzyme immunoassay as values were improved a little when a cell culture procedure was used for comparison . Further evidence for the lack of sensitivity was the detection of elementary bodies, sometimes in large numbers, in the enzyme immunoassay buffer of 13 of 19 specimens that had given a negative enzyme immunoassay result and the finding in comparative titrations of four laboratory strains that the enzyme immunoassay was at least 100-fold less able to detect chlamydiae than either immunofluorescence or the cell culture procedure . Lack of specificity may be associated with the finding that the enzyme immunoassay antibody reacted with strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Escherichia coli, Gardnerella vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and group B streptococci . The enzyme immunoassay was not considered to be sufficiently sensitive, specific, or reproducible for routine use. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1987 Feb, 19(2), 197 - 203 Dynamics of ceftazidime-pefloxacin interaction shown by a new killing curve-chequerboard method; Drugeon HB et al.; Since in-vitro methods for studying drug interactions are difficult to evaluate and different results occur with the chequerboard (isobolograms-FIC index) and killing curve methods, a new approach associating these two methods was used to study the ceftazidime-pefloxacin interaction . In 64 tubes in a chequerboard pattern, viable bacteria were counted at 0, 2.5, 5 and 24 h, by a microdilution method and a multiple inoculator replicating method . The bacterial inoculum consisted of 5 X 10(6)-10(7) cfu/ml . Twelve strains belonging to six genera were tested: Acinetobacter, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Serratia and Pseudomonas . During the first 5 h no antagonism was noted, but few differences in viable count equal to or greater than 2 log10 were observed . The results of the drug interaction were equivalent to those of the more rapid bactericidal antibiotic concentrations (ceftazidime or pefloxacin) . At 24 h, synergy was observed: ceftazidime prevented the late regrowth noted with pefloxacin, but with Citrobacter spp . regrowth was also observed with ceftazidime and none of the combinations were bactericidal. Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1987 Feb, 6(1), 59 - 62 Serum bactericidal activity of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin in volunteers; Machka K et al.; The serum bactericidal activity of two newer quinolones, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin, against 206 clinical bacterial isolates was determined in six male volunteers after oral administration of either 500 mg of ciprofloxacin or 200 mg of ofloxacin respectively . The highest bactericidal titers were achieved against Enterobacteriaceae 1 h after ciprofloxacin administration, ranging from 1:121 for indole-positive Proteus species to 1:30 for Serratia spp . Ofloxacin generated lower titers, ranging from 1:14 for indole-positive Proteus spp . to 1:2.5 for Enterobacter spp . Only low serum bactericidal titers were found for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp . and gram-positive cocci . It is concluded that the activity of orally administered ciprofloxacin is superior to that of orally administered ofloxacin in the serum bactericidal test. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1987 Feb, 31(2), 219 - 25 In vitro evaluation of tigemonam, a novel oral monobactam; Tanaka SK et al.; Tigemonam, a novel, orally administered monobactam, exhibited potent and specific activity in vitro against members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae . Its activity was variable to poor against gram-positive bacteria, Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and anaerobes . Within its spectrum of activity, tigemonam was far superior to oral antibiotics currently available, including amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefaclor, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole . In addition, tigemonam was superior to cefuroxime, which is under development as an oral pro-drug, and more active than cefixime against several genera of the Enterobacteriaceae . The activity of tigemonam against the enteric bacteria, Haemophilus species, and Neisseria species was, in general, comparable to that of the quinolone norfloxacin . The excellent activity of tigemonam against beta-lactamase-producing bacteria reflected its marked stability to hydrolysis by isolated enzymes . The expanded spectrum of activity against gram-negative bacteria observed with tigemonam thus extends oral beta-lactam coverage to include members of the Enterobacteriaceae that are intrinsically or enzymatically resistant to broad-spectrum penicillins and cephalosporins. J Bacteriol, 1987 Jan, 169(1), 414 - 5 Benzoate and muconate, structurally dissimilar metabolites, induce expression of catA in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Neidle EL et al.; Biosynthetic regulation of catA, the gene encoding catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (EC 1.13.1.1), was studied in an Acinetobacter calcoaceticus mutant strain unable to metabolize benzoate . Benzoate and muconate independently induced the enzyme . In glucose-grown cells, benzoate yielded higher enzyme levels than did muconate, whereas muconate was the more effective inducer in succinate-grown cells. Chemotherapy, 1987, 33(2), 97 - 102 Inducing capacity of the combinations mecillinam-ampicillin and mecillinam-ceftazidime in comparison with the capacity of the compounds administered separately; Stobberingh EE et al.; The inducing capacity of mecillinam in combination with ampicillin or ceftazidime was compared with that of the compounds administered separately and related to the inducing capacity of cefoxitin (1 and 10 micrograms/ml) for the chromosomal beta-lactamases from Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens, Citrobacter freundii, indole-positive Proteus, and Acinetobacter strains . In the majority of the strains all compounds tested alone or in combination showed a lower inducing capacity than cefoxitin at both concentrations (less than twofold); in a few strains a moderate inducing capacity was observed . In general, the inducing capacity of cefoxitin 10 micrograms/ml was similar to that of 1 microgram/ml . Only in two E . cloacae, two S . marcescens and two indole-positive Proteus strains did 10 micrograms/ml cefoxitin show a distinctly higher inducing capacity . The variation in inducing capacity within one species and between the species was remarkable. J Bacteriol, 1987 Jan, 169(1), 303 - 7 Cloning of the genes involved in synthesis of coenzyme pyrrolo-quinoline-quinone from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Goosen N et al.; Mutants of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus LMD79.41 were isolated that are defective in the synthesis of the coenzyme pyrrolo-quinoline-quinone (PQQ) . A gene bank of the wild-type . A . calcoaceticus genome was constructed with the binary plasmid system pLV21-RP4 delta Km . The DNA of A . calcoaceticus LMD79.41 was partially digested with Sau3A, and fragments of about 15 kilobases were inserted into the BamHI site of pLV21 . The hybrid plasmids maintained in Escherichia coli were transferred by conjugation to the PQQ- mutants of A . calcoaceticus . One hybrid plasmid was isolated that complements all isolated PQQ- mutants . Subcloning of this plasmid in the vector pRK290 resulted in an insert of 5 kilobases on which at least four different genes involved in PQQ synthesis could be indicated . With Tn5 insertions the four PQQ genes were mapped, and it was shown that these genes are most probably located in three operons. J Basic Microbiol, 1987, 27(10), 557 - 63 Leucine aminopeptidase in intracytoplasmic membranes of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Ludewig M et al.; Cells of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus strain 69-V contain an aminopeptidase that cleaves L-leucine amide, leucylglycine or leucine hydrazide with high efficiency . Leucine 4-nitroanilide and hydrazide are hydrolyzed to less than 0.1% and 1%, resp . of leucine amide . Grown on acetate-NH4+ medium the activity of the enzyme in the cytoplasm is increased 5-fold compared with cells grown on a casamino acid medium or on yeast extract . In these cases the specific activity of the unpurified enzyme is about 5 nkat/mg for the cytoplasmic and membrane-bound enzyme species as well . Up to 30% of the aminopeptidase activity were found mainly in intracytoplasmic membranes, less in cytoplasmic membranes and only traces in outer membranes, presumably as contaminations . It is solubilized by detergents but not by high salt concentrations . An addition of antipain or Z-Ala2-Phe-CH3 before cell rupture did not change the distribution of the enzyme . A mixture of EDTA and 1.10-phenanthroline diminished the membrane-bound enzyme from 11.4% to 4.3% and leupeptin or E-64 increased it to 20% . The enzyme is regarded as leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) bound to intracytoplasmic membranes. Drugs, 1987, 34 Suppl 1, 119 - 23 Efficacy and tolerance of oral ofloxacin in treating various infections; Giamarellou H et al.; 66 patients were given daily doses of ofloxacin between 400 and 800 mg for 10 days to 6 months . They were suffering from exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (15), soft tissue phlegmon (11), complicated urinary tract infections (7), bronchopneumonia (7), chronic osteomyelitis in exacerbation (8), chronic prostatitis in exacerbation (5), lower urinary tract infections (3), chronic otitis media (3), acute otitis (3), acute bronchitis (1), lung abscess (2) or liver abscess (1) . Pathogens included Pseudomonas aeruginosa (24), Haemophilus influenzae (16), Proteus mirabilis (6), Escherichia coli (6), Enterobacter cloacae (6), Providencia stuartii (2), Serratia marcescens (2), Citrobacter diversus (1), Salmonella enteritidis (1), Acinetobacter anitratus (1), Staphylococcus aureus (1) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (1) . In 35 patients (53%), several aggravating factors coexisted . MICs of ofloxacin ranged from less than or equal to 0.06 to 2 mg/L . Clinically, 65% of the patients were considered as cured, 17% improved and 18% failed to respond . Bacteriologically, pathogens were eradicated in 62%, persisted in 16% and relapsed in 22% . Adverse reactions included gastrointestinal disturbances (4), rash plus facial oedema (1), abnormal liver function (2) and leucopenia (1). J Basic Microbiol, 1987, 27(8), 427 - 32 Isolation and characterization of the extracellular lipase of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus 69 V; Fischer BE et al.; The extracellular lipase of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus 69 V was purified by hydrophobic interaction chromatography to homogeneity as suggested by gel electrophoretic analysis . The lipase existed as a high molecular complex of about 300 kDa, with a subunit molecular weight of 30.5 kDa being obtained by SDS-PAGE . The hydrodynamic molecular radius obtained by gel electrophoresis was 3.27 nm . The lipase had an isoelectric point of 5.5 and was stimulated by additions of deoxycholate . The activation energy for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl palmitate was 39.9 kJ mol-1 . Tri-, di- and monoacylglycerols were hydrolyzed . Hg2+ and p-hydroxymercuribenzoate inhibited the enzyme activity at very low concentrations . One sulfhydryl group was found per molecule of lipase. Vutr Boles, 1987, 26(5), 98 - 104 {Treatment of urinary infection with cephadroxyl (Pharmachem)--microbiological and clinical research}; Minkov N et al.; The bacteria isolated from the urine of renal patients were tested for sensitivity towards cephadroxyl (Pharmachem) and other beta-lactam antibiotics--altogether 654 examinations were made . It was established that the gram-positive bacteria (excluding the Enterococcus) are sensitive towards cephadroxyl . From the Gram negative bacteria E . Coli, Klebsiella sp., Enterobacter sp., P . mirabilis, Citrobacter sp . showed the greatest sensitivity towards cephadroxyl, while the indole positive Proteus were with low sensitivity and P . aeruginosa, Acinetobacter sp., Serratia were resistant towards cephadroxyl . 30 patients with persistent mainly secondary urinary infection were treated with cephadroxyl . The clinical symptoms disappeared in 63.3% of the patients and another 26.7% of them showed considerable improvement . Bacteriological sterility of the urine was achieved in 61.29% of the patients . The side effects were mild and rare, only in single cases. Biochem Soc Symp, 1987, 54, 83 - 92 Structural basis for regulation in gram-negative bacterial citrate synthases; Duckworth HW et al.; The citrate synthases of Gram-negative bacteria, unlike those of eukaryotes, are inhibited allosterically by NADH, but the two kinds of citrate synthase are about 30% homologous in amino acid sequence--the two Gram-negative citrate synthase sequences so far determined, from Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter anitratum, are about 70% identical . A model for the NADH-sensitive E . coli citrate synthase has been constructed using sequence homology and the known structure of the pig heart enzyme . The most reactive cysteine in the E . coli enzyme, which probably marks the NADH binding site, has now been identified as Cys-206 . The model places this residue far from the active site . An E . coli citrate synthase mutant, from which a stretch of 24 amino acids has been deleted near the active site, still binds NADH normally . Two active site missense mutants of this enzyme, generated by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, have lower affinities for one substrate, oxaloacetate, but also are much less sensitive to 2-oxoglutarate, an oxaloacetate analogue hitherto believed to be an allosteric inhibitor . These results confirm that NADH binds to a truly allosteric site in E . coli citrate synthase, the features of which are still to be defined; while 2-oxoglutarate is really an active-site directed inhibitor, although it may still play a regulatory role in vivo. J Basic Microbiol, 1987, 27(2), 75 - 81 {Proteases in different membrane fractions of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus}; Fricke B et al.; Distinct protease activities were found in membrane fractions from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus grown on acetate-NH4+ medium until early stationary phase . Mechanical or enzymatic cell disintegration followed by membrane fractionation through sucrose gradient revealed higher activities in the outer membrane than in the cytoplasmic membrane . Using azocasein and synthetic p-nitroanilides as substrates we found very low proteinase activities in intracytoplasmic membrane fractions . However, these fractions contained a significant aminopeptidase activity which was absent from cell envelope membranes . Peptidolytic activities in intracytoplasmic membranes of gram-negative bacteria have not been described before. Mikrobiologiia, 1987 Jan-Feb, 56(1), 159 - 61 {Selection of mutants of microorganisms utilizing ethanol}; Kovalenko SP et al.; Mutants of the bacteria Acinetobacter calcoaceticus 34 and Acinetobacter sp . 172 as well as of the yeast Candida requinyii 316 resistant to acetaldehyde grow better in a medium with ethanol than their parent cultures . In their specific growth rate and alcohol dehydrogenase activity, 28.7-66.7% of such mutants are superior to any clone isolated in a non-selective medium . A medium containing ethanol and acetaldehyde (0.5 to 1.0% by volume) is proposed to select and isolate highly productive mutants. Chemotherapy, 1987, 33(3), 189 - 96 Combined resistance to quinolones and beta-lactams after in vitro transfer on single drugs; Mouton RP et al.; Single and combined resistance to quinolones and beta-lactams was determined after serial transfers of 18 selected strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5), Acinetobacter calcoaceticus (3) and beta-lactamase producing enterobacterial strains (10), in broth dilutions of 4 quinolones and 8 beta-lactams . Two definitions for resistance were used: (I) 8-fold MIC increase and stability of acquired resistance after five transfers in drug-free broth; and (II) 8-fold MIC increase over the breakpoint level . Using definition I, a