Rheumatol Int, 1984, 4 Suppl, 1 - 9 Analysis of T-cell cultures and clones from a patient with classic rheumatoid arthritis--evidence for the existence of autoreactive T-cell clones in blood and synovial fluid; Schlesier M et al.; Using lectin-free IL-2 as the only initial stimulus, bulk cultures and T-cell clones were established from synovial fluid (SFL) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) . The cloning efficiency of growing bulk cultures was 3%-4% as evaluated by Poisson statistics and was not enhanced by the addition of autologous synovial fluid or serum . The majority of the cloned T cells expressed the OKT8+ phenotype; several clones were OKT4+ and one clone expressed OKT8+ and OKT4+ antigens . None of the cloned T cells exhibited high NK or lectin-dependent cytotoxicity, although bulk cultures had high NK activity . In primed lymphocyte typing responses, bulk cultures and two T-cell clones established from rheumatoid SFL and PBL showed consistent autoreactivity, which we have never before observed with MLC-derived bulk cultures and T cell clones . One of the autoreactive rheumatoid T-cell clones (B25) was found to provide strong helper activity to autologous B cells in the absence of mitogen . Attempts to reveal reactivity of RA-derived T-cell clones to microbial antigens have so far only been successful with Mycoplasma pneumoniae preparations . Careful analysis of this reactivity revealed, however, that Mycoplasma pneumoniae induces a stimulator cell-dependent mitogenic effect rather than an antigen-specific MHC-restricted T-cell proliferation. Annu Rev Med, 1984, 35, 469 - 79 Viral infections predisposing to bacterial infections; Mills EL; Epidemiological and experimental evidence support the hypothesis that primary viral infection increases host susceptibility to secondary microbial invasion . The evidence is most compelling for a correlation between upper respiratory tract viruses and bacterial sinopulmonary disease; and cytomegalovirus and opportunistic fungal, bacterial and protozoal pathogens invading multiple sites . While a number of virus-induced alterations in host defenses have been described, the determinants of virus pathogenicity are still poorly understood. Ukr Biokhim Zh, 1984 Jan-Feb, 56(1), 24 - 7 {Properties of urease immobilized on silochrome by means of disulfide bonds}; Liubinskii GV et al.; Grafting of SH-groups to the silica surface through the hydrolytically stable Si-C-bond is conducted by gamma-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane . After 2,2'-dithiobis-p-nitrobenzoic acid (Ellman's reagent) activation of sulphydryl groups urease of microbial origin was immobilized by these carriers . Certain properties of the preparations obtained were studied . The Km of the enzyme during nonporous silicon aerosil immobilization is shown to remain without considerable changes . The found variations in properties of silochrome-immobilized urease are caused by the diffusion inhibition for the substrate and product of the reaction observed even when the substrate concentration is two orders higher than Km. J Mol Cell Immunol, 1984, 1(2), 91 - 100 Acquisition of paralytic activity by inducer cells; Hu SK et al.; Clones of inducer cells activated by antigen and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene products synthesize large amounts of several distinct mRNA species not detected in other activated cell types, including antigen-activated suppressor or killer cell clones . Although inducer cells continued to synthesize and secrete peptides at about the same rate for 5 days after activation by adherent cells and antigen, they expressed a new set of mRNAs approximately 3 days after activation . We therefore tested the functional activity of purified Ly1 cells at different days after activation by adherent cells and antigen . We wished to find out (a) whether there was a qualitative or quantitative change in the level of inducer activity, and if so, (b) whether this functional change was an intrinsic property of Ly1 cells or, rather, was dependent on signals from the cellular environment, in particular from adherent antigen-presenting cells . We incubated purified Ly1 cells and splenic adherent cells for 1-7 days in vitro, and tested inducer activity in cultures containing highly purified B cells and sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) . Anti-SRBC plaqueforming cells were counted 5 days later . We found that inducer cells that have been incubated with adherent cells in culture for more than 72 h (a) did not induce B cells to produce antibody, and (b) prevented virgin but not immune B cells from receiving T-helper signals . We term this latter phenomenon "paralysis." Acquisition of the ability to paralyze virgin B cells required an I-E gene-regulated interaction between inducer cells and in vitro-activated adherent cells . This interaction did not require antigen and was associated with transition from Ly1:Qa1- to Ly1:Qa1+ cell-surface phenotype . Taken together these findings indicate that (a) interactions between inducer cells and adherent antigen-presenting cells result first in classical inducer ("helper") activity and later in expression of paralytic activity and (b) sequential expression of these inducer activities depends on two distinct signals, supplied by resting and activated adherent cells, respectively . The signal supplied by autologous activated adherent cells is regulated by I-E gene products and is independent of corecognition of foreign proteins . The physiologic significance of this paralytic inducer activity in the prevention of potentially harmful immune reactions to foreign microbial agents is discussed. C R Seances Soc Biol Fil, 1984, 178(6), 722 - 9 {Demonstration of hormonal actions on Escherichia coli K 12 by potentiometry in the presence of lipoic acid; correlation with measurements of microbial growth and glucose consumption}; Selegny A et al.; The action of hormones on Escherichia coli K 12 was followed by potential-time measurements in the presence of lipoic acid (LA), photometric determinations of growth and glucose titrations . Bovine growth hormone (5 to 60 IU/1) increased O2 consumption . The (10 IU/1) insulin-facilitated transport of LA was stimulated by glucose . Adrenaline (0.5 to 15 mg/l) increased more glucose and O2 consumption than growth. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 1984, 19(4), 327 - 79 Radiation preservation of foods of plant origin . Part 1 . Potatoes and other tuber crops; Thomas P; In Part 1 of a planned series of articles on preservation of foods of plant origin by gamma irradiation, the current state of research on the technological, nutritional, and biochemical aspects of sprout inhibition of potatoes and other tuber crops are reviewed . These include varietal responses, dose effects, time of irradiation, pre- and postirradiation storage, and handling requirements; postirradiation changes in carbohydrates, ascorbic acid, amino acids, and other nutrients; respiration; biochemical mechanisms involved in sprout inhibition; wound healing and microbial infection during storage; formation of wound and light-induced glycoalkaloids and identification of irradiated potatoes . The culinary and processing qualities with particular reference to darkening of boiled and processed potatoes are discussed . The prospects of irradiation on an industrial scale as an alternative to chemical sprout inhibitors or mechanical refrigeration are considered. Acta Chem Scand B, 1984, 38(3), 219 - 23 High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of analogous amino and oxo acids for the determination of amino acid oxidase and transaminase activities; Brodelius P; An analytical method, based on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, for the determination of analogous amino and oxo acids, has been developed . The assay may be employed to monitor amino acid oxidase and transaminase activities . Simultaneous quantitative determination of substrate and product is readily achieved . In particular, the amino acid oxidase activity within whole microbial cells immobilized by entrapment in Ca2+-alginate has been studied . The assay of transaminases has been exemplified with glutamic-pyruvic transaminase. Arch Oral Biol, 1984, 29(7), 521 - 7 The effect of fluorhydroxyapatite in experimental human dental plaque on its pH, acid production and soluble calcium, phosphate and fluoride levels following glucose challenge; Pearce EI et al.; Plaque grown on terylene gauze in the mouths of 5 volunteers was treated with a mineralizing solution intermittently for 4 days to deposit fluorhydroxyapatite . Control plaque grown simultaneously was not treated . Sixteen hours after the last treatment, plaque gauzes were incubated in 0.28 M glucose under N2 at 37 degrees C . The mean pH, reached by the 5 mineralized plaques after 30 min, (4.78) was significantly higher than the mean pH reached by control plaques (4.13), a difference that was due neither to unequal microbial mass nor to unequal acid concentrations . Acid neutralization following the dissolution of apatite was probably mainly responsible for the pH differences although a small antiglycolytic effect from leached F could not be ruled out . Mineralized plaque lost on average 24 per cent of its Ca, 25 per cent of its P and 16 per cent of its F, resulting in 0.868 mM Ca, 0.676 mM P and 0.075 mM F in the supernatant . Test plaque fluid was saturated with respect to fluorapatite and only moderately undersaturated with respect to hydroxyapatite at the end of the incubation period; this could explain the pronounced caries-protective effect of plaque fluorhydroxyapatite shown previously. Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev, 1984, 2, 1 - 39 The impact of new technologies on vaccine development; Winther MD et al.; The ability to move genetic determinants between species using in vitro gene-manipulation techniques has opened up new approaches to vaccine development . This has rapidly grown into an exciting area of research in both academic and industrial laboratories . There are numerous scientific challenges which require multidisciplinary teams to solve problems in creating new immunogens . This has challenged our existing knowledge about protein structure and conformation, microbial pathogenicity and the immune system . Recombinant-DNA techniques are invaluable as tools of analysis and antigen production . The surface of micro-organisms can also be minutely explored with the use of synthetic peptides and monoclonal antibodies . Nevertheless, these new technologies do not allow us to circumvent the need for detailed understanding of pathogens and the disease process . What is apparent from the work carried out so far is that there are few easy answers to vaccine development and it is not realistic to expect rapid solutions to these problems . As there are many potential targets for constructing novel vaccines for both human and animal diseases, it is helpful to establish some priorities . There is a tendency to look at the existing effective vaccines and simply direct research at producing them more economically or with enhanced safety and stability . The advantage of this approach is that considerable background work will have already been carried out establishing the basis for the application of recombinant DNA techniques . However, this can also lead to conflicts (often within the same institute or company) between the new and old technologies . This could be to the detriment of the new technologies which are still only partly developed and may not be good enough yet to compete with existing vaccines in cost or efficacy . The more ambitious, and eventually more rewarding, approach is to attempt to develop new vaccines where none had existed before . There is a vast untapped market, especially in the parasitic diseases, but the scientific problems may be considerable and much more background work is likely to be necessary . Indeed, most of the work in this area is more accurately referred to as basic research rather than vaccine development as totally new, effective vaccines are still some way off . Having directed research towards a specific organism or disease there are still many options available as to the scientific strategy to adopt . As discussed in this review it may be possible to consider subunits, synthetic antigens and live (attenuated or heterologous) organisms as possible vaccines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Acta Microbiol Pol, 1984, 33(3-4), 249 - 56 CO2 release as an index of biological activity of cultivated soils; Golebiowska J et al.; In 15 soils from the region of Wielkopolska, estimations of CO2 release and bacterial biomass size were made . It follows from the present studies that CO2 release from the soil can be an index of its metabolic activity . It is necessary to take into consideration also the dynamics of that process in each type of soil and to determine the degree and time of its response to variation of ecological conditions . However, not always microbial numbers, particularly microbial biomass in the soil, may be a sufficient measure of the soil metabolic activity. Acta Microbiol Pol, 1984, 33(3-4), 239 - 47 A comparison of bacterial and fungal biomass in several cultivated soils; Kaczmarek W; Bacterial and fungal biomass was estimated in incubated samples of three cultivated soils, the influence of glucose, ammonium nitrate and cattle slurry on its formation being studied . The microbial biomass was determined in stained microscopic preparations of soil suspension . Bacterial biomass in the control samples was from 0.17 to 0.66 mg dry wt per 1 g dry soil and independently of the applied supplements was on the average two times larger in muck soils than in sand . Fungal biomass in the control soils ranged from 0.013 to 0.161 mg dry wt per 1 g dry soil, no relationship being found between its size and the soil type . As a result, the ratio of the size of fungal to bacterial biomass was dependent on the soil type; in sand the fungal biomass corresponded to 1/3 of the bacterial biomass, and in muck soils--only to 1/7. J Appl Bacteriol, 1983 Dec, 55(3), 429 - 38 The rapid estimation of microbial contamination of raw meat by measurement of adenosine triphosphate (ATP); Stannard CJ et al.; Bacteria were separated from raw meat homogenate by a simple three-stage process . Centrifugation (10 s at 2000 g) removed coarse particles; stirring with the cation exchange resin Bio-Rex 70 removed smaller particles and filtration through 0.22 micron membranes removed soluble materials . By this process 70-80% of the microbial populations of meat homogenates were consistently isolated on the filters . A linear relationship was found between log10 microbial ATP and log10 colony count of meat over the range 10(5)-10(9) cfu/g . The value of ATP/cfu for meat samples was within the range previously reported for pure cultures . These data indicated that ATP extracted from the filters originated from bacteria in the meat samples . Several samples can be analysed simultaneously in an elapsed time of 20-25 min . The variability associated with estimates of both colony counts and ATP levels has been determined. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1983 Dec, 46(6), 1331 - 8 Role of catabolite regulatory mechanisms in control of carbohydrate utilization by the rumen anaerobic fungus Neocallimastix frontalis; Mountfort DO et al.; Neocallimastix frontalis PN-1 utilized the soluble sugars D-glucose, D-cellobiose, D-fructose, maltose, sucrose, and D-xylose for growth . L-Arabinose, D-galactose, D-mannose, and D-xylitol did not support growth of the fungus . Paired substrate test systems were used to determine whether any two sugars were utilized simultaneously or sequentially . Of the paired monosaccharides tested, glucose was found to be preferentially utilized compared with fructose and xylose . The disaccharides cellobiose and sucrose were preferentially utilized compared with fructose and glucose, respectively, an cellobiose was also the preferred substrate compared with xylose . Xylose was the preferred substrate compared with maltose . In further incubations, the fungus was grown on the substrate utilized last in the two-substrate tests . After moderate growth was attained, the preferred substrate was added to the culture medium . Inhibition of nonpreferred substrate utilization by the addition of the preferred substrate was taken as evidence of catabolite regulation . For the various combinations of substrates tested, fructose and xylose utilization was found to be inhibited in the presence of glucose, indicating that catabolite regulation was involved . No clear-cut inhibition was observed with any of the other substrate combinations tested . The significance of these findings in relation to rumen microbial interactions and competitions is discussed. J Steroid Biochem, 1983 Dec, 19(6), 1789 - 97 1-Ene-steroid reductase of Mycobacterium sp . NRRL B-3805; Goren T et al.; The microbial enzymatic reduction of 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione (ADD) to 4-androstene-3,17-dione (AD), testosterone and 1-dehydrotestosterone (DHT) is described . Two reducing activities observed in washed cell suspensions and cell free extracts of Mycobacterium sp . NRRL B-3805 were found to account for these bioconversions . One was a 1-ene-steroid reductase and the other a 17-keto steroid reductase . The first reducing activity was found to appear in the soluble cell fraction whereas the latter could be precipitated by centrifugation . Maximum 1-ene-steroid reductase specific activity was achieved during the exponential growth phase of the organism and significantly increased upon induction with ADD . The 1-ene-steroid reductase was partially purified (30-fold) by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel-filtration and ion-exchange chromatography, and was eluted from a Sephacryl S-300 column with an Mr = 115,000 . The 1-ene-steroid reductase activity was NADPH-dependent and had specificity towards steroid compounds containing C-1,2 double bond with an apparent Km for ADD of 2.2 X 10(-5) M . The reverse reaction catalyzing C-1,2 dehydrogenation could not be detected in our preparations . The results suggest that in Mycobacterium sp NRRL B-3805 and B-3683 the steroid C-1,2 dehydrogenation and 1-ene reduction are two separable activities. Mol Biol Evol, 1983 Dec, 1(1), 109 - 24 Role of cryptic genes in microbial evolution; Hall BG et al.; Cryptic genes are phenotypically silent DNA sequences, not normally expressed during the life cycle of an individual . They may, however, be activated in a few individuals of a large population by mutation, recombination, insertion elements, or other genetic mechanisms . A consideration of the microbial literature concerning biochemical evolution, physiology, and taxonomy provides the basis for a hypothesis of microbial adaptation and evolution by mutational activation of cryptic genes . Evidence is presented, and a mathematical model is derived, indicating that powerful and biologically important mechanisms exist to prevent the loss of cryptic genes . We propose that cryptic genes persist as a vital element of the genetic repertoire, ready for recall by mutational activation in future generations . Cryptic genes provide a versatile endogenous genetic reservoir that enhances the adaptive potential of a species by a mechanism that is independent of genetic exchange. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1983 Dec, 49(6), 585 - 95 Characterization of microbial proteolytic enzymes in the rumen; Prins RA et al.; Up to 43% of the viable bacteria from the rumen of cows fed grass and concentrates grew on a medium containing casein as the main substrate . Proteolytic counts for a cow fed on straw and concentrates or for a hay-fed cow were lower than counts for cows fed grass and concentrates, both in absolute terms and in relation to the total anaerobic count . In crude enzyme preparations derived from the rumen protozoa, amino acid arylamidase (leucine aminopeptidase)-like activity was the main proteolytic activity observed . In enzyme preparations extracted from the rumen bacteria in the presence of Triton X-100, trypsin-like activity was predominant . Amino acid arylamidase- and metal-chelating proteinase-like activity together with lower activities of carboxypeptidase A and B and a very low chymotrypsin-like activity were found as well . Studies with enzyme inhibitors showed that the bacterial trypsin-like activity was largely of the cysteine-protease type in a hay-fed cow, but in addition comprised serine-protease activity in a cow fed grass and concentrates . Total proteolytic activity of the enzymes in the bacterial fraction and the spectrum of proteolytic enzymes were found to vary with the ration. Mycopathologia, 1983 Dec 1, 84(1), 3 - 16 Entomogenous Fusarium species; Teetor-Barsch GH et al.; Fusarium species are known for their abundance in nature and their diverse associations with both living and dead plants and animals . Among animals Fusarium is found primarily in relationship with insects . This literature review of the past 50 years includes both non-pathogenic and pathogenic relationships between Fusarium and insects . Special attention is given to the host range, particularly between plant- and insect-hosts, and to the possible microbial potential of the fungus to control insect pests . Correct classification of this fungus has been difficult because of its diverse and non-uniform morphological features . However, by now a usable and reliable taxonomic system has been developed . The fungus can be easily cultured and mass produced . Among the non-pathogenic associations mutualism and allotrophy are found between Fusarium and wood-inhabiting and flour beetles, respectively, enhancing development and production of beetle larvae . Some insects contribute to the dispersal of the fungus in the environment by means of spore passage through their guts . Plant-pathogenic Fusarium species gain access to host tissue by plant-feeding insects . A large number of Fusarium spp . are entomopathogenic; some are weak, facultative pathogens, especially of the lepidopteran and coleopteran orders, and they will colonize their dead hosts as saprophytes . In a few cases pathogenicity to both plant and insect by one isolate was found . Strong pathogens were reported primarily from homopterans and dipterans from field observations of natural mortalities as well as from pathogenicity tests . Potential Fusarium isolates which cause high insect mortalities also show high host specificity and no damage to crop plants . The question of host invasion has been addressed by few investigators . Entrance of the fungus via the oral route, oviposition tubes, wounds, or ectoparasitic activity, were stated, but no claim for penetration of the insect cuticle . Mycotoxins, such as trichothecenes (T-2) and other secondary metabolites, contributed to mortalities of termites, mealworms, flour beetles, maize borers and blow flies, while zearalenone (F-2) exhibited a beneficial effect on egg production in flour beetles and a detrimental effect on fecundity in mammals . Studies on adverse effects of the fungus on beneficial organisms (including mammals and plants) revealed that both harmful as well as safe Fusarium isolates exist in nature . Highly host-specific and strongly entomopathogenic Fusarium isolates should be more extensively studied and tested for their possible use in biological control. Am Rev Respir Dis, 1983 Dec, 128(6), 1077 - 83 A guinea pig model to study effects of persistent intrabronchial antigenic stimulation and inflammation; Wallace JM et al.; Chronic antigenic stimulation and inflammation of the bronchial tree occurs in several diseases involving microbial airway colonization . We developed a guinea pig model to study the effects of persistent intrabronchial antigenic stimulation with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) . Sepharose beads 200 to 300 micron in diameter conjugated with 300 micrograms KLH were injected via a tracheostomy catheter, causing them to lodge in the bronchial tree . When lung sections from these animals and animals given uncoupled sepharose beads were examined histologically, it became apparent that in this model the persistent antigenic stimulus is accompanied by local inflammation caused by an irritant effect of the beads . To determine how the intrabronchial antigen was distributed locally and systemically, 125I labeled KLH-coupled beads were administered . Radioactivity remained predominantly in the lung, where 13 +/- 5% of the administered dose was still detectable by Day 30 . Autoradiographs of Day 30 lung sections demonstrated that the radioactivity was concentrated on the individual beads, indicating that it largely represented KLH persisting in the bronchial tree . Minute amounts of radioactivity were detected systemically and in the regional lymph nodes (LN) . A radioimmune assay of serum collected on Day 1 demonstrated that some of the circulating radioactivity represented antigenic KLH . When anti-KLH antibody-forming cells (AFC) were measured in lung homogenate, regional LN, blood, and spleen cell preparations after KLH-coupled bead administration, they were initially detected only in the spleen . Significant concentrations appeared in the lung homogenate, regional LN, and spleen by Day 10 and thereafter through Day 20.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Antibiotiki, 1983 Dec, 28(12), 915 - 23 {Can extrachromosomal genetic elements be recognized as inventions?}; Bartoshevich IuE et al.; The legal bases for acknowledgement of plasmids (vectors) as inventions, in particular within the classes of the "substance" and "microbial strain" are discussed . There is a definite similarity in a number of features between phages recognized as inventions and plasmids . Therefore, in principle their acknowledgement as inventions may be considered possible, since it raises no new problems as those occurring in legal protection of microbial strains . At the same time there is no pressing need in acknowledgement of plasmids (vectors) as inventions and their legal protection should be rather of the prestige character. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1983 Dec, 72(6), 649 - 56 Occupational skin disease; Emmett EA; Occupational skin diseases are the most frequent occupational diseases . Certain industries are at a particularly high risk . Important factors to consider include percutaneous absorption and alterations in resistance to microbial agents . The most common condition is contact dermatitis, usually irritant but frequently causing allergy . Other selected conditions include photosensitization, acne and chloracne, fiberglass dermatitis, pigmentary changes, and skin tumor . The approach to the patient and diagnostic criteria for occupational skin disease are described. Mutat Res, 1983 Dec, 112(6), 313 - 27 X-ray-sensitive mutants of Chinese hamster ovary cell line . Isolation and cross-sensitivity to other DNA-damaging agents; Jeggo PA et al.; A standard technique of microbial genetics, which involves the transfer of cells from single colonies by means of sterile toothpicks, has been adapted to somatic cell genetics . Its use has been demonstrated in the isolation of X-ray-sensitive mutants of CHO cells . 9000 colonies have been tested and 6 appreciably X-ray-sensitive mutants were isolated . (D10 values 5-10-fold of wild-type D10 value.) A further 6 mutants were obtained which showed a slight level of sensitivity (D10 values less than 2-fold of wild-type D10 value) . The 6 more sensitive mutants were also sensitive to bleomycin, a chemotherapeutic agent inducing X-ray-like damage . Cross-sensitivity to UV-irradiation and treatment with the alkylating agents, MMS, EMS and MNNG, was investigated for these mutants . Some sensitivity to these other agents was observed, but in all cases it was less severe than the level of sensitivity to X-irradiation . Each mutant showed a different overall response to the spectrum of agents examined and these appear to represent new mutant phenotypes derived from cultured mammalian cell lines . One mutant strain, xrs-7, was cross-sensitive to all the DNA-damaging agents, but was proficient in the repair of single-strand breaks. Hosp Formul, 1983 Dec, 18(12), 1124 - 8 Final in-line filtration: removal of contaminants from IV fluids and drugs; Rapp RP et al.; The administration of intravenous fluids or drugs may allow particulate and microbiologic contamination to enter the bloodstream . Studies have implicated injected particles as a cause of postinfusion phlebitis . The process of manufacturing the infusion product will influence the type and quantify of injected particles . Particles greater than 8 microns are filtered by the lung, and depending on their reactivity, can cause pulmonary granulomas . Particles below 8 microns are initially filtered, cleared by phagocytosis, and ultimately migrate to the liver and spleen . Both nonvisible particles and microbial contaminants of fluids and drugs can be effectively removed by 0.45- or 0.22-micron in-line final filtration . When filters are employed, problems can occur, including air locking, clogging, and drug-binding . A knowledge of why and to what extent these problems can occur will allow in-line filters to be used effectively by health care practitioners. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1983 Nov, 36(11), 1463 - 7 Microbial conversion of anthracycline antibiotics . II . Characterization of the microbial conversion products of auramycinone by Streptomyces coeruleorubidus ATCC 31276; Hoshino T et al.; Auramycinone was subjected to microbial conversion by Streptomyces coeruleorubidus ATCC 31276, a producer of baumycins . As a result, auramycinone was converted to 11-hydroxyauramycinone and 9-methyl-10-hydroxydaunomycin (feudomycin D) . The results implicate auramycinone as a presumptive intermediate in the biosynthesis of 9-methyl-10-hydroxydaunomycin by S . coeruleorubidus. J Pharm Sci, 1983 Nov, 72(11), 1291 - 4 Microbial transformations of natural antitumor agents XXII: Conversion of bouvardin to O-desmethylbouvardin and bouvardin catechol; Petroski RJ et al.; Bouvardin is a cyclic hexapeptide antitumor agent which undergoes two major microbial transformation reactions . Screening with 220 cultures revealed 17 different strains capable of producing O-desmethylbouvardin in good yield . O-Desmethylbouvardin was isolated and characterized from preparative scale incubations with Streptomyces rutgersensis NRRL B-1256 . Four aspergilli and one streptomycete formed bouvardin catechol when O-desmethylbouvardin was used as substrate . Bouvardin catechol was isolated and characterized from a preparative scale incubation with Aspergillus ochraceous UI 398. Infect Immun, 1983 Nov, 42(2), 812 - 7 Diphtheria toxin does not enter resistant cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis; Morris RE et al.; Diphtheria toxin (DT) and pseudomonas toxin are two distinct microbial toxins which inhibit protein synthesis in an identical manner, i.e., by the inactivation of cytoplasmic elongation factor 2 . Although murine cells bind both toxins, they are 10,000-fold less sensitive to DT than to pseudomonas toxin . This suggests that the level of resistance resides at some event after binding . We have previously shown that pseudomonas toxin enters mouse LM fibroblasts by receptor-mediated endocytosis, a process in which ligand is internalized via specialized clathrin-coated pits and moves to the Golgi region and then to the lysosomes . Here, we visually follow the entry and trafficking of DT by resistant mouse fibroblasts . A biotinyl-toxin-avidin-gold system was used to visualize DT on the ultrastructural level . DT entered resistant cells through non-clathrin-coated regions of the plasma membrane and within 2.5 to 5 min was seen in lysosomes . Only rarely was DT seen in coated pits or in the Golgi region . Furthermore, the temperature dependence of internalization of 125I-labeled horseradish peroxidase and 125I-labeled DT by LM cells was similar . On the basis of these observations, we postulate that DT does not enter DT-resistant LM cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis and that receptor-mediated endocytosis is required for efficient expression of toxicity. Arch Dermatol, 1983 Nov, 119(11), 934 - 45 Delayed-type hypersensitivity skin testing . A review; Ahmed AR et al.; Delayed hypersensitivity skin testing is based on the reaction that occurs in response to the intradermal injection of an antigen . The technique, interpretation, and pitfalls of interpretation of delayed hypersensitivity skin testing are presented . The histologic findings and immunologic mechanisms characterizing this form of immunologic response are discussed . The diagnostic and clinical importance of reactivity to recall skin test batteries, common microbial antigens, dinitrochlorobenzene, and tumor-associated antigens is also discussed. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho, 1983 Nov, 10(11), 2309 - 17 {Phase I study of forphenicinol, a new biological response modifier}; Terakado T et al.; Forphenicinol, {L-(4-hydroxymethyl-3-hydroxyphenyl) glycine}, a new biological response modifier, is a derivative of forphenicine, an inhibitor of chick intestine alkaline phosphatase, discovered by H . Umezawa from the microbial culture filtrate . In order to find an optimal dose schedule of forphenicinol, the drug was given p.o . at doses ranged from 10, 50, 100, 400 to 800 mg once a day for 7 days to 103 patients (39 malignant and 64 benign) . No side effect was observed . Statistical analysis was performed on immunological parameters, including WBC; lymphocyte, T-cell, B-cell, T gamma-cell (each % and count); S.I . of PHA and Con A, NK cell activity and K cell activity before and after administration . The patients were divided into the "low-dose" group given less than 100 mg/day of the drug and the "high-dose" group given more than 400 mg/day . Further, on the basis of values of each parameter before administration, the patients were divided into the "low-before" or the "high-before" group, when the pretreated value of parameters was lower or higher than the median of all cases . In the malignant patients, lymphocyte (% and count), T-cell (% and count) and B-cell (% and count) significantly increased in the "low-dose"-"low-before" group (p less than 0.05), but B-cell (%) and S.I . of PHP and Con A decreased in the "low-dose"-"high-before" group . On the contrary, there was no significant change in both the "low-before" and the "high-before" group, when "high-dose" of the drug was given . In the benign patients T gamma-cell (% and count) and NK cell activity were found to be significantly increased in the "high-dose"-"low-before" group, indicating some difference in response of parameter from cancer patients . An optimal dose of forphenicinol for cancer patients was considered to be in a range of 10-100 mg/day. Br J Rheumatol, 1983 Nov, 22(4 Suppl 2), 168 - 71 Neutrophil function and HLA-B27; Repo H et al.; The pathogenesis of HLA-B27 linked diseases, including reactive enteroarthritides, is not known . Differences in immune response, cross-reaction between microbial antigens and host cell structures, attachment of microbial components on the host cell surfaces with subsequent autoimmune reaction, and inflammatory responsiveness of the host may be involved . In this contribution we present evidence to show that HLA-B27 positive subjects may be prone to an exaggerated inflammatory response, as compared with HLA-B27 negative subjects. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1983 Nov, 36(11), 1458 - 62 Microbial conversion of anthracycline antibiotics . I . Microbial conversion of aclacinomycin B to aclacinomycin A; Hoshino T et al.; Streptomyces galilaeus OBB-111 and its blocked mutant were found to convert aclacinomycin B and related anthracycline glycosides of the B type to the corresponding A-type glycosides . Only the cell fraction of cultures of S . galilaeus OBB-111 was capable of catalyzing the reaction . The activity was associated with growth but disappeared before the start of rapid production of aclacinomycins A and B. Br J Rheumatol, 1983 Nov, 22(4 Suppl 2), 161 - 7 Macrophage 'receptors' for bacterial cell-wall sugars and immune response genes: possible determinants of susceptibility to infection; Weir DM et al.; Recognition of bacteria, antigen presentation and regulation of the immune response by the class II antigens of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are among the many factors that influence a host's response to microbial infection . 'Lectin-like' receptors on the macrophage membrane recognize a variety of bacteria by interaction with their cell-wall sugars . These receptors are susceptible to environmental factors and appear to be associated with the I-A subregion of the mouse MHC . Possible effects of this recognition system on the pathogenesis of microbial infection and reactive arthritides are considered. Antibiotiki, 1983 Nov, 28(11), 818 - 22 {Purification of antibiotics by ultrafiltration through semi-permeable membranes}; Ustiuzhanina IIu et al.; The process of purification of benzylpenicillin, penicillin V and erythromycin solutions with the use of semi-permeable membranes was studied . Practically complete separation of high-molecular admixtures and microbial colonies and separation of significant amounts of the colored compounds were shown to be possible . The purification process may be used effectively at the early stages of antibiotic production. J Am Dent Assoc, 1983 Nov, 107(5), 766 - 70 Periodontal disease in juvenile and adult diabetic patients: a review of the literature; Manouchehr-Pour M et al.; Epidemiologic studies have suggested that the severity of periodontitis is greater in juvenile and adult onset diabetes . In juvenile diabetic patients, the periodontal disease seems to be initiated around puberty and progresses by age . Reviewing the medical literature indicates a similar age of onset for known systemic complications resulting from diabetes . Angiopathy, abnormal collagen metabolism, abnormal PMN function, and altered sulcular microbial flora have been found to be closely associated with the severity of periodontitis in diabetic patients . The association between abnormal neutrophil function and severity of periodontal disease in diabetic patients provides an opportunity for examining the role of neutrophil in periodontal disease . Future investigation in the function of sulcular PMN may shed light on the complex mechanism of periodontal disease. Br J Nutr, 1983 Nov, 50(3), 701 - 9 A comparison of the chemical composition of mixed bacteria harvested from the liquid and solid fractions of rumen digesta; Merry RJ et al.; Steers, equipped with simple rumen cannulas, were given diets of approximately equal parts of rolled barley and straw supplemented with urea . The diets provided sufficient estimated rumen degradable nitrogen (RDN; RDN:metabolizable energy values of 1:3) to maintain maximum microbial synthesis . In some experiments Na235SO4 was introduced into the rumen to label microbial protein . Rumen digesta samples were taken before feeding and mixed rumen bacteria were separated from the solid (solid-associated bacteria; SAB) and liquid (liquid-associated bacteria; LAB) fractions of digesta . The most effective method of removing SAB from the fibre was a combination of homogenizing and pummelling . This process did not affect the physical form or chemical composition of the bacteria . Samples of SAB contained significantly (P less than or equal to at least 0.05) less ash, total N, RNA and diaminopimelic acid (DAP) and significantly (P less than or equal to 0.01) more lipid than samples of LAB . Concentrations (g/kg dry matter) of ash, total N, RNA, DAP and lipid in SAB were approximately 87, 70, 35, 2.2 and 245 respectively . Corresponding values for LAB were 157, 80, 50, 3.8 and 124 respectively . RNA-N:total N and DAP-N:total N values in SAB were significantly lower than those in LAB (P less than or equal to 0.05 and 0.02 respectively) . 35S:total N values were similar in both groups of bacteria . The importance of differences in constituent:total N values in the two groups of bacteria in relation to their use as indices of microbial protein synthesis is discussed. Exp Cell Res, 1983 Oct 15, 148(2), 525 - 9 Effects of thiol protease inhibitors on intracellular degradation of exogenous beta-galactosidase in cultured human skin fibroblasts; Ko YM et al.; The effects of low molecular weight (LMW) protease inhibitors of microbial origin were evaluated on the intracellular degradation of beta-galactosidase purified from Aspergillus oryzae and taken up by cultured human skin fibroblasts with beta-galactosidase deficiency . Only thiol protease inhibitors showed an effect to increase the enzyme activity . E-64, a specific inhibitor of thiol proteases, prolonged 3-fold a half life of the exogenous beta-galactosidase and when the enzyme was supplied as liposomes, the half life was prolonged 9-fold in these cells . The role of thiol proteases in the degradation of enzyme molecules was discussed. Toxicol Lett, 1983 Oct-Nov, 19(1-2), 171 - 8 Toxicity of miserotoxin and its aglycone (3-nitropropanol) to rats; Majak W et al.; The toxicity of miserotoxin (3-nitro-1-propyl-beta-D-glucoside) and its aglycone, NPOH, were compared in rats . Miserotoxin, a component of certain legumes, was relatively innocuous given orally (LD50 greater than 2.5 g/kg) but NPOH (LD50 = 77 mg/kg) was at least 10 times more toxic . Miserotoxin was readily absorbed from the upper regions of the digestive tract but the degree of gastrointestinal hydrolysis was small . The low toxicity of miserotoxin was attributed to a low level of microbial hydrolysis . NPA was not detected in the gastrointestinal tract during miserotoxin digestion . A simple method for isolating miserotoxin by column chromatography is described. Z Hautkr, 1983 Oct 1, 58(19), 1399 - 408 {Effects of rifamycin SV and a neomycin-bacitracin combination on the healing of microbial eczema}; Vogt E; 21 patients suffering from microbial eczema were locally treated with antibiotics over a period of 14 days . As antibiotics we chose rifamycin SV and a combination of neomycin and bacitracin . S . aureus--most frequently traceable on microbial eczema--is usually sensitive to rifamycin SV as well as neomycin and bacitracin in combination. J Steroid Biochem, 1983 Oct, 19(4), 1509 - 11 A new microbial degradation pathway of steroid alkaloids; Gaberc-Porekar V et al.; In the degradation pathway of the steroid alkaloid tomatidine by Gymnoascus reesii the A-ring of tomatidine is opened with the formation of the 4-hydroxy-3,4-secotomatidine-3-oic acid, which was identified in the form of N-acetyl-3,4-tomatidine-carbolactone by mass, IR and 1H NMR spectra . Cleavage of the A-ring in the starting reaction indicates that an alternative pathway must be operating, instead of the general oxidative one. J Steroid Biochem, 1983 Oct, 19(4), 1451 - 8 Side chain degradation and microbial reduction of different steroids by Aspergillus auroefulgens; Viola F et al.; The Aspergillus aureofulgens ability to cleave the side chain of progesterone (I) and the related C-21 steroids was studied . The enzymic system responsible for the progesterone side chain degradation was demonstrated to be adaptative and to operate by a Baeyer-Villiger mechanism . The cleavage of the side chain of the progesterone and of the related compounds was followed by the stereospecific reduction of the formed androst-4-ene-3,17-dione(II) to the 5 beta-androstan derivatives . Both the oxygenase and reductase activities seemed to be influenced by the growth conditions . Several steroids bearing different skeleton functions and different side chains were also tested in order to correlate the chemical structure with the microbial activity. Lab Anim Sci, 1983 Oct, 33(5), 446 - 50 Viral cross contamination of rats maintained in a fabric-walled mass air flow system; Thigpen JE et al.; Rates for microbial cross transmission were measured in sentinel rats housed for 60 days in a fabric-walled mass air flow system . Naturally infected rats housed in the enclosure were the source of the infectious material . The cross transmission rates for rat coronaviruses, Kilham's rat virus, pneumonia virus of mice, Sendai virus, and Toolan's H-1 virus, were measured by positive seroconversion . The mass air flow system did not prevent, over a 60-day period, the transmission of the rat coronaviruses or Sendai virus between rats housed on separate racks maintained 81 cm apart . At 15 days, all sentinel rats had acquired two or more additional bacterial organisms, indicating rapid cage to cage cross transmission . It was concluded that rats from different sources with different microbial profiles should not be housed in this room at the same time. Cryobiology, 1983 Oct, 20(5), 567 - 73 Improved survival after cryogenic exposure of shoot tips derived from in vitro plantlet cultures of potato; Towill LE; In vitro plantlets were used for axillary shoot tip isolation to avoid microbial contamination which often occurred from use of greenhouse-grown plants . Periodic subculturing gave a supply of uniform plantlets necessary for obtaining shoot tips for cryogenic experiments . Previous results have shown that all cells within a shoot tip did not survive cryogenic exposure and the regrowth percentage depended upon the composition of the culture medium . A medium containing 0.5 mg/liter zeatin, 0.2 mg/liter gibberellic acid, and 0.5 mg/liter indoleacetic acid gave regeneration of a multiple-shoot mass from control and some frozen shoot tips . The two-step cooling procedure (0.2-03 degrees C/min to -35 degrees C followed by immersion in liquid nitrogen) gave high percentages of regrowth in the cultivars Norland and Red Pontiac . Shoots were obtained from treated materials in both cultivars. Br J Surg, 1983 Oct, 70(10), 590 - 5 Prevention of postoperative renal failure in patients with obstructive jaundice--the role of bile salts; Cahill CJ; Preoperative administration of the simple bile salt sodium deoxycholate has been shown in this study to prevent postoperative endotoxaemia and renal failure in patients with obstructive jaundice . Fifty-four per cent of jaundiced patients not given the salt were found to have systemic endotoxaemia, associated with renal impairment in two-thirds of the cases . No patient given sodium deoxycholate 500 mg 8 hourly for 48 hours before operation had portal or systemic endotoxaemia, and none had evidence of renal impairment (P less than 0 X 02, X2 with Yates' correction) . The incidence of endotoxaemia in untreated jaundiced patients was very significantly greater than in non-jaundiced patients undergoing elective upper abdominal surgery (P less than 0 X 005), but this difference is abolished by the prophylactic administration of the oral bile salt . The mechanism of action of bile salts in preventing endotoxin absorption from the small bowel has been investigated, and the lack of any significant alteration in the small bowel microbial flora in obstructive jaundice suggests that a direct effect on the endotoxin molecule is involved . Nearly 20 per cent of patients with obstructive jaundice still develop postoperative renal insufficiency, but preoperative prophylactic use of sodium deoxycholate should reduce this very significantly. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 1983 Oct 1, 147(3), 240 - 6 Premature rupture of membranes: the role of C-reactive protein in the prediction of chorioamnionitis; Hawrylyshyn P et al.; A group of 52 patients with premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) before 34 weeks' gestation were evaluated prospectively and managed expectantly . Of 42 patients who were delivered of their infants, 26 (61.9%) had significant chorioamnionitis on histopathology, and 18 had positive microbial cultures at delivery . However, only seven patients (16.7%) developed clinical signs of chorioamnionitis . There were no maternal deaths or perinatal deaths attributable to sepsis . Only two infants (less than 5%) had positive blood cultures . All patients were assessed daily for the development of chorioamnionitis . Amniocenteses were not routinely performed . White blood cell counts, band neutrophil counts, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate determinations were found to be unreliable . C-reactive protein determinations were found most reliable with a high sensitivity and specificity . Elevated C-reactive protein levels correlated better with pathologic confirmation of chorioamnionitis than with the clinical febrile morbidity . Clinical implications for the management of PROM are discussed. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol, 1983 Oct, 42(1), 135 - 43 The use of a B subtilis in a pre-incubation assay for the detection of dna-modifying agents; Donnelly KC et al.; A microbial bioassay for the detection of agents which induce increased lethal damage in DNA repair deficient strains of B . subtilis was modified and evaluated using six established mutagens . This modified procedure used a liquid pre-incubation technique with the plate incorporation assay allowing detection of mutagenic compounds which require metabolic activation and are sparingly soluble in water. J Pharm Sci, 1983 Oct, 72(10), 1162 - 5 Simultaneous determination of tegafur and 5-fluorouracil in serum by GLC using nitrogen-sensitive detection; Kawabata N et al.; A sensitive assay of both tegafur (I) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) using GLC with a nitrogen-phosphorus-sensitive detector is described . The drugs were extracted from rabbit serum with ethyl acetate and methylated with diazomethane . Linearity was obtained over the concentration ranges of 3.13-200 micrograms/ml for I and 0.0313-2 micrograms/ml and 10-50 ng/ml for 5-FU . The detection limits of I and 5-FU in serum were 50 and 8 ng/ml, respectively . The serum concentrations of the drugs determined by the present method closely agreed with those obtained by spectrophotometry for I and microbial assay for 5-FU. Biokhimiia, 1983 Oct, 48(10), 1680 - 6 {Isolation of a specific inhibitor of microbial serine proteinase from kidney bean seeds}; Mosolov VV et al.; A protein acting as a specific inhibitor of microbial serine proteinases was isolated from kidney bean seeds . The purification procedure included complex formation between the inhibitor and Aspergillus oryzae proteinase . The protein with a Mr approximately 10 000 inhibits subtilisin and Asp . oryzae proteinase but does not affect trypsin and chymotrypsin . The inhibitor molecule contains no half-cystine residues. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 1983 Oct, 29(5), 523 - 31 Radioassay of the folate-hydrolyzing enzyme activity, and the distribution of the enzyme in biological cells and tissues; Oe H et al.; A sensitive radioassay method has been developed to quantitate the activity of the folate-hydrolyzing enzyme which catalyzes the hydrolysis of folic acid to pteroic acid and glutamic acid . The method is based on analyzing {2-14C}pteroic acid separated by a thin-layer chromatography on an Avicel SF cellulose plate using 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, as a solvent . This method was found to be more sensitive than a conventional photometric method to determine the activity of the folate-hydrolyzing enzyme . High activities of the enzyme were found in Crithidia fasciculata ATCC 12857, Neurospora crassa IFO 6979 and rat liver . Smaller activities of the enzyme were widely distributed in other microbial cells and mammalian tissues. J Wildl Dis, 1983 Oct, 19(4), 324 - 9 Serologic survey for selected microbial pathogens in Alaskan wildlife; Zarnke RL; Antibodies to Brucella spp . were detected in sera of seven of 67 (10%) caribou (Rangifer tarandus), one of 39 (3%) moose (Alces alces), and six of 122 (5%) grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) . Antibodies to Leptospira spp . were found in sera of one of 61 (2%) caribou, one of 37 (3%) moose, six of 122 (5%) grizzly bears, and one of 28 (4%) black bears (Ursus americanus) . Antibodies to contagious ecthyma virus were detected in sera of seven of 17 (41%) Dall sheep (Ovis dalli) and five of 53 (10%) caribou . Antibodies to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus were found in sera of eight of 17 (47%) Dall sheep and two of 39 (6%) moose . Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus antibodies were detected in sera of six of 67 (9%) caribou . Bovine viral diarrhea virus antibodies were found in sera of two of 67 (3%) caribou . Parainfluenza 3 virus antibodies were detected in sera of 14 of 21 (67%) bison (Bison bison) . Antibodies to Q fever rickettsia were found in sera of 12 of 15 (80%) Dall sheep . No evidence of prior exposure to bluetongue virus was found in Dall sheep, caribou, moose, or bison sera. J Biol Chem, 1983 Sep 25, 258(18), 10821 - 3 Inhibition of hepatic protein degradation by synthetic analogues of chymostatin; Grinde B et al.; Analogues of the microbial proteinase inhibitor chymostatin have been synthesized . The two most promising analogues were tested on protein turnover in isolated rat hepatocytes . Their effect is much similar to the effect of chymostatin, but the analogues are even more powerful inhibitors, probably due to an increased effect on lysosomal thiol proteinases . The analogues blocked most of the lysosomal (i.e . methylamine-sensitive) degradation of endogenous protein and caused a 50% inhibition of the non-lysosomal degradation; the effect occurred rapidly and was reversed upon washing the cells . One of the analogues, Z-Arg-Leu-Phe(H), is the most potent inhibitor of hepatic protein degradation so far found. J Dairy Sci, 1983 Sep, 66(9), 1873 - 80 Effect of rumen protein degradability on milk yield of dairy cows in early lactation; Erdman RA et al.; Twenty-four mature Holstein cows were fed diets of 40% corn silage and 60% concentrate (dry matter) beginning at parturition through wk 16 of lactation . A control concentrate (corn, soybean meal, and barley) was fed through wk 4 followed by assignment of cows to either a concentrate of low or high rumen protein degradability . In situ trials with two fistulated cows fed similar diets yielded rumen protein degradabilities of 78.5, 70.3, 69.9, 67.3, 49.1, and 36.5% for barley, corn, corn gluten feed, soybean meal, brewer's grains, and cottonseed meal . The low degradability concentrate (corn, cottonseed meal, brewer's grains, and corn gluten feed) had an estimated rumen protein degradation of 52.9% and a total ration crude protein of 14.3% . The high degradability concentrate containing corn, barley, and soybean meal was 72.8% rumen degradable, and total ration protein for this treatment was 14.5% . Dry matter intakes were 21.0 and 22.0 kg/day for the low and high degradability diets . Milk yield, fat percent, and fat-corrected milk were not affected by treatment . Milk protein percent and protein yield decreased from 3.00 to 2.84% and 1.07 to .99 kg/day in the high and low degradability diets . Efficacy of use of degradability as a criterion for feed formulation is questioned until understanding of both feed protein breakdown and microbial synthesis is greater. Br J Nutr, 1983 Sep, 50(2), 463 - 70 The nutritive value of rumen micro-organisms in ruminants . 1 . Large-scale isolation and chemical composition of rumen micro-organisms; Storm E et al.; A method is described whereby a large quantity of rumen microbial dry matter of high purity was isolated from whole rumen contents obtained from abattoirs, by means of a continuous process of one filtration through four sieves followed by three differential centrifugations . The contents of ash, carbohydrate, lipid, nitrogen, RNA, DNA and individual amino acids of the three centrifugal fractions are given and compared with values summarized from more than sixty published reports on the chemical composition of rumen micro-organisms isolated from both whole rumen contents and pure cultures . The amino acid composition of isolated rumen micro-organisms, in particular that of the bacteria, was found to be remarkably constant. Br J Nutr, 1983 Sep, 50(2), 427 - 35 Factors affecting the capture of dietary nitrogen by micro-organisms in the forestomachs of the young steer . Experiments with {15N}urea; Salter DN et al.; For a period of at least 2 weeks before an experimental collection each of four young steers received total daily intakes consisting of approximately (g/kg) 600 straw and 400 concentrates with the nitrogen provided mainly as urea and in which the main energy source was starch (tapioca) for diet 1 and glucose for diet 2 . Concentrates were given twice daily at about 09.00 and 17.00 hours, straw at 17.00 hours only . The value for the ratio, rumen-degradable N: metabolisable energy (g/MJ) in the daily intake was estimated to be approximately 1.2 . On the day that an experimental collection was to be made the urea normally given in the feed at 09.00 hours was labelled with 15N . This urea and sometimes the appropriate energy source were added either as a single dose (SD) at 09.00 hours or in three equally-divided doses (DD) at 09.00, 11.00 and 13.00 hours . Treatments, given in a Latin-square design, were: (A), starch (SD) + urea (SD); (B), starch (SD) + urea (DD); (C), glucose (SD) + urea (DD); (D), glucose (DD) + urea (DD) . Doses of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and 144Ce (as cerous chloride) were given as markers with the urea . After these doses were given, samples of abomasal and duodenal digesta were taken periodically for 72 h . It appeared that virtually all the PEG had left the rumen by this time and mean recovery of 144Ce relative to PEG was approximately 90% . From recoveries of non-ammonia-15N (microbial 15N) at the abomasum, estimated relative to PEG, values for mean fractional efficiencies of conversion of urea-N to microbial-N were calculated to be 0.59, 0.59, 0.40 and 0.41 for treatments A, B, C and D respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Sep, (9), 17 - 20 {Immunochemical determination of human lactoferrin}; German GP et al.; The immunochemically pure preparation of lactoferrin was isolated from human colostrum and used for the immunization of animals with a view of obtaining antiserum, and also as a reference preparation for the determination of the content of lactoferrin in the standard . The monospecific antiserum to lactoferrin, obtained as the result of this procedure, was used for the determination of the content of lactoferrin in samples of human milk by the method of radial immunodiffusion . Through the content of lactoferrin in human milk showed considerable fluctuations, its level essentially decreased on the second week of lactation . In cases of the microbial contamination of milk the tendency towards an increase in the content of lactoferrin was observed irrespective of the time of lactation. Mikrobiologiia, 1983 Sep-Oct, 52(5), 750 - 4 {Isolation and study of the biological properties of a protease biosynthesis stimulating factor in an associative fungal culture}; Buiak LI et al.; A factor stimulating the production of exoproteases by Aspergillus kanagawaensis both in a single culture and during combined cultivation with Aspergillus wentii was isolated from the cultural broth of a component in the microbial association according to our scheme . The factor is a pigment of the hydroxyanthraquinone nature . It made the enzyme biosynthesis increase 3.7 times . Its effect on the biosynthesis was compared to that produced by other anthraquinone pigments, viz . alizarin, rubomycin and cinerubins . The compounds stimulated the biosynthesis only 2 to 2.5 times. Br J Nutr, 1983 Sep, 50(2), 345 - 55 Hydrolysis of 14C-labelled proteins by rumen micro-organisms and by proteolytic enzymes prepared from rumen bacteria; Wallace RJ; Proteins were labelled with 14C in a limited reductive methylation using {14C}formaldehyde and sodium borohydride . The rate of hydrolysis of purified proteins was little (less than 10%) affected by methylation and the 14C-labelled digestion products were not incorporated into microbial protein during a 5 h incubation with rumen fluid in vitro . It was therefore concluded that proteins labelled with 14C in this way are valid substrates for study with rumen micro-organisms . The patterns of digestion of 14C-labelled fish meal, linseed meal and groundnut-protein meal by rumen micro-organisms in vitro were similar to those found in vivo . The rates of hydrolysis of a number of 14C-labelled proteins, including glycoprotein II and lectin from kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), were determined with mixed rumen micro-organisms and with proteases extracted from rumen bacteria . Different soluble proteins were digested at quite different rates, with casein being most readily hydrolysed . Proteins modified by performic acid oxidation, by cross-linking using 1,6-di-iso-cyanatohexane or by diazotization were labelled with 14C . Performic acid treatment generally increased the susceptibility of proteins to digestion, so that the rates of hydrolysis of performic acid-treated proteins were more comparable than those of the unmodified proteins . Cross-linking resulted in a decreased rate of hydrolysis except with the insoluble proteins, hide powder azure and elastin congo red . Diazotization had little effect on the rate of hydrolysis of lactoglobulin and albumin, but inhibited casein hydrolysis and stimulated the breakdown of gamma-globulin. Br J Nutr, 1983 Sep, 50(2), 479 - 85 The nutritive value of rumen micro-organisms in ruminants . 3 . The digestion of microbial amino and nucleic acids in, and losses of endogenous nitrogen from, the small intestine of sheep; Storm E et al.; An experiment was conducted with three sheep maintained entirely by intragastric nutrition to estimate the digestibility of isolated individual constituents and amino acids (AA) of rumen micro-organisms (RMO) in the small intestine . Five levels of RMO were infused into the abomasum . The apparent and true disappearance of the individual components were measured by regression of abomasal input on the passage at the ileum . The true digestibility values of N, AA-N, DNA and RNA were 0.82, 0.85, 0.81 and 0.87, respectively . The digestibility of individual AA varied between 0.80 and 0.88, the only exceptions being diaminopimelic acid (0.37), histidine (0.68) and cystine (0.73), which were significantly lower than the average (0.847) . The endogenous components in the ileal fluid in sheep given protein-free infusions, expressed in mg/kg live weight0.75 per d, were total N 42 and AA-N 20. Biull Eksp Biol Med, 1983 Aug, 96(8), 94 - 7 {Stimulation of postradiation regeneration of erythropoiesis in mice with Bordetells pertussis vaccine}; Khorobrykh VV et al.; Inoculation into mice of killed B . pertussis vaccine (10(10) microbial cells) one day before their sublethal irradiation (6.0 Gy) was accompanied by accelerated regeneration of erythropoiesis in the bone marrow, particularly in the spleen as was judged by the 59Fe incorporation . B . pertussis also induced an increase in endocolonization when inoculated 4-5 days after irradiation . The latter suggests a possible effect of vaccine on the hematopoietic cells, less differentiated than erythropoietin-sensitive cells (ESC), inasmuch the sensitivity of the ESC to erythropoietin commonly appeared at the later stages . When B . pertussis was inoculated into BALB/c mice one day before their infection by Rauscher's leukemia virus noticeable activation of leukemogenicity was observed . It is believed that the reason for this is the stimulation of erythroid target cells for the virus after B . pertussis vaccination . The data obtained indicate that B . pertussis vaccine activates erythropoiesis in both normal and irradiated mice. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1983 Aug, 36(8), 1059 - 66 Immunoactive peptides, FK-156 and FK-565 . III . Enhancement of host defense mechanisms against infection; Mine Y et al.; We investigated the effect of immunoactive peptides, FK-156 and FK-565 on host defense mechanisms against microbial invasion . It was shown that these drugs given to normal mice increased the counts of phagocytes in both peripheral blood and peritoneal cavity, and enhanced the chemotactic, phagocytic and killing activities of peritoneal macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and stimulated the phagocytic function of the reticuloendothelial system . Enhanced host resistance to microbial infection by these immunoactive peptides might be induced by both increase in counts and enhancement of functions of phagocytes . FK-156 restored decreased counts and functions of phagocytes in mice immunosuppressed by cyclophosphamide, hydrocortisone or tumor . These findings suggest that these immunoactive peptides could be applied to prevent intractable infection in immunocompromised hosts. J Appl Biochem, 1983 Aug-Oct, 5(4-5), 235 - 60 Fungal glucoamylases; Manjunath P et al.; Glucoamylase (alpha-1,4-glucan glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.3) from fungal sources is one of the microbial glycoproteins that has received considerable attention particularly because it is used in the commercial production of dextrose . Several investigators have isolated glucoamylase from various fungal sources . In many instances the presence of more than one form of enzyme is common . The enzymes from most sources have pH optima between 4 and 5 and exhibit maximum activity between 40 and 60 degrees C . The enzyme does not require any cofactors for activity or for stability . The enzyme has an Mr between 48,000 and 80,000 and usually has no subunit structure . The amino acid composition of multiple forms of glucoamylases differ in general, but all of them are glycoproteins . The carbohydrate content of the enzyme ranges from 3 to 30% containing mainly mannose, but glucose, galactose, and in some instances glucosamine and xylose are also present . In the enzyme from Aspergillus the carbohydrate structures are present as mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrasaccharide units linked O-glycosidically through mannose to the hydroxyl groups of serine and threonine . In the enzyme from Rhizopus part of the carbohydrate is present as disaccharide (Man-Man-) units linked O-glycosidically and the remainder is present as large heterosaccharide structures attached by N-glycosidic linkages involving aspargine and glucosamine . Carbohydrate moieties seem to have no influence on the enzyme activity or antigenicity but appear to stabilize the enzyme by preserving the three-dimensional structure. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 1983 Aug, 29(4), 447 - 54 Effect of soybean protein on coprostanol production and cholesterol metabolism in cholesterol-fed rats; Tanaka C et al.; The effect of soybean protein on coprostanol production and cholesterol metabolism was studied in cholesterol-fed rats . Plasma cholesterol was decreased in the soybean protein diet group compared to the casein diet group . Although coprostanol was produced more in rats fed soybean protein than in those fed casein, no difference was observed in the levels of total neutral steroids at any part of the intestine . The activity of microbial conversion from cholesterol to coprostanol was evidently high in rats fed soybean protein . The total amount of neutral steroids excreted in feces had a tendency to increase . These data seem to indicate that the increase of the unabsorbed soybean protein causes the increase of intestinal coprostanol production. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1983 Aug, 36(8), 1051 - 8 Immunoactive peptides, FK-156 and FK-565 . II . Restoration of host resistance to microbial infection in immunosuppressed mice; Yokota Y et al.; The immunoactive peptides, FK-156 and its analogue, FK-565 were evaluated in various models of mice immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide, hydrocortisone, mitomycin C, carrageenan and tumor cells . Treatment with FK-156 (subcutaneous) and FK-565 (oral) markedly restored host defense ability against microbial infection . The therapeutic effect of ticarcillin or gentamicin alone against pseudomonal infection in cyclophosphamide- and hydrocortisone-treated mice and tumor-bearing mice was much lower than in normal mice . The therapeutic effect of these antibiotics against pseudomonal infection in immunosuppressed mice was enhanced markedly by combined use with FK-156 . The killing ability of macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes of the immunosuppressed mice was also markedly enhanced by dosing with FK-156. J Inorg Biochem, 1983 Aug, 19(1), 19 - 39 Factors that influence siderophoremediated iron bioavailability: catalysis of interligand iron (III) transfer from ferrioxamine B to EDTA by hydroxamic acids; Monzyk B et al.; Deferriferrioxamine B (H3DFB) is a linear trihydroxamic acid siderophore with molecular formula NH2(CH2)5{N(OH)C(O)(CH2)2C(O)NH(CH2)5}2N(OH)C(O)CH3 that forms a kinetically and thermodynamically stable complex with iron(III), ferrioxamine B . Under the conditions of our study (pH = 4.30, 25 degrees C), ferrioxamine B, Fe(HDFB)+, is hexacoordinated and the terminal amine group is protonated . Addition of simple hydroxamic acids, R1C(O)N(OH)R2 (R1 = CH3, R2 = H; R1 = C6H5, R2 = H; R1 = R2 = CH3), to an aqueous solution of ferrioxamine B at pH = 4.30, 25.0 degrees C, I = 2.0, results in the formation of ternary complexes Fe(H2DFB)A+ and Fe(H3DFB)A2+, and tris complexes FeA3, where A- represents the bidendate hydroxamate anion R1C(O)N(O)R2- . The addition of a molar excess of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to an aqueous solution of ferrioxamine B at pH 4.30 results in a slow exchange of iron(III) to eventually completely form Fe(EDTA)- and H4DFB+ . The addition of a hydroxamic acid, HA, catalyzes the rate of this iron exchange reaction: (formula; see text) A four parallel path mechanism is proposed for reaction (1) in which catalysis occurs via transient formation of the ternary and tris complexes Fe(H2DFB) A+, Fe(H3DFB)A2+, and FeA3 . Rate and equilibrium constants for the various reaction paths to products were obtained and the influence of hydroxamic acid structure on catalytic efficiency is discussed . The importance of a low energy pathway for iron dissociation from a siderophore complex in influencing microbial iron bio-availability is discussed . The system represented by reaction (1) is proposed as a possible model for in vivo catalyzed release of iron from its siderophore complex at the cell wall or interior, where EDTA represents the intracellular storage depot or membrane-bound carrier and HA represents a low molecular weight hydroxamate-based metabolite capable of catalyzing interligand iron exchange. Environ Res, 1983 Aug, 31(2), 332 - 9 Effects of combinations of simulated acid rain and cadmium or zinc on microbial activity in soil; Bewley RJ et al.; There was little effect on the rate of CO2 evolution from glucose-supplemented soil, adjusted to pH 3.2 with a 2:1 combination of H2SO4 and fuming HNO3, and concomitant additions of 100 or 1000 ppm Cd or of 1000 or 10,000 ppm Zn (as sulfates) were no more inhibitory than in soil untreated with acid . In soil adjusted to pH 2.8, the lag in CO2 evolution was increased by 1 day, and was extended further by the concomitant addition of 10,000 but not 1000 ppm Zn or of 1000 but not 100 ppm Cd . The growth of Aspergillus niger in soil acidified to pH levels of 3.6 to 4.2 was further reduced by the addition of either 100 or 250 ppm Cd or of 1000 ppm Zn. Dig Dis Sci, 1983 Aug, 28(8), 742 - 50 Light microscopic morphometric analysis of rat ileal mucosa . I . Component quantitation of IgA-containing immunocytes; Rodning CB et al.; A light microscopic morphometric analysis of IgA-containing immunocytes within samples of ileal mucosa was performed . The following groups of rats were studied: (1) animals raised in a gnotobiotic environment (microbial reduction); (2) animals with iatrogenic self-filling intestinal blind loops (microbial proliferation); and (3) control animals (sham operation) . The unlabeled antibody enzyme immunohistochemical localization technique was employed for the identification of intracellular IgA . Component quantitation involved use of a micrometer component quantitator . Numerical density of the immunocyte population was determined by component quantitation of individual and total immunocyte volumes and by application of the Floderus equation . The methodology employed provided a precise quantitative analysis of all mucosal components of normal and manipulated rat ileum . A statistically significant reduction in the volume percentage of IgA-containing immunocytes in association with both microbial reduction and microbial proliferation was observed . The volume percentage reduction of the IgA-containing immunocyte population associated with gnotobiosis may reflect decreased microbial antigenic stimulation, whereas that associated with microbial proliferation may reflect the presence of an increased population of immunocytes producing non-IgA immunoglobulins. Mutat Res, 1983 Aug, 110(2), 297 - 310 The effect of two chemical mutagens ENU and MMS on MR-mediated reversion of an insertion-sequence mutation in Drosophila melanogaster; Eeken JC et al.; The effects of two mutagens ENU and MMS characterized by different alkylation patterns have been studied on the reversion of an MR-induced singed mutation to wild-type . Reversion of this unstable singed mutation under the influence of MR is assumed to represent the removal or transposition of an insertion element . Since MR acts primarily in spermatogonia, the mutagens were fed to 1st instar larvae . Recessive lethal tests were carried out simultaneously to calibrate for the mutagenic effectiveness of the chemicals . For both powerful mutagens, it was observed that the frequency of reversion remained far below of what would have been expected on the basis of the mutagenic effectiveness, as registered in the lethal tests . Thus 1 mM ENU, 5 mM and 10 mM MMS did not affect the reversion frequency at all, and with 3 mM ENU only a doubling of the reversion frequency was observed, despite a 5-fold increase in the lethal frequency . The threshold at 1 mM EMU and the low effectiveness of 3 mM on the reversion process are taken as an indication that ENU affected the transposition process in an indirect manner, rather than the excision events themselves . The data obtained with Drosophila are consistent with the microbial observations in that mutation involving removal or transposition of an insertion element is not affected by mutagenic treatments . This finding may have consequences for the evaluation of induced genetic damage on the basis of the spontaneous load of genetic detriment in man . An incidental observation was that non-MR Cy larvae exhibited greater sensitivity to the induction of recessive lethals by MMS than MR-individuals. Anal Biochem, 1983 Aug, 133(1), 163 - 9 Colorimetric determination of catechol siderophores in microbial cultures; Rioux C et al.; A highly sensitive spectrophotometric method for the selective detection of catechol compounds such as catechol siderophores (e.g., enterobactin) is described . The basis of the method involves the ability of the vicinal aromatic hydroxyl groups under acidic conditions to bring about a reduction of Fe3+ (from ferric ammonium citrate) to Fe2+ . Detection of Fe2+ in the presence of Fe3+ is made with 1,10-phenanthroline under previously established conditions . The assay mixture is heated at 60 degrees C for 1 h to accelerate the development of color which is subsequently measured at 510 nm . The Beer-Lambert law is obeyed over the range of 0.16 to 60 microM 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid . Compared to the Arnow nitration method, the assay is more responsive, is approximately seven times more sensitive, and is effective with catechols substituted at positions 3 and 4 . The method gives positive results with catechols such as DL-DOPA, L-dopamine, (+/-)-epinephrine, and DL-norepinephrine . Very rapid color development is obtained with ascorbic acid and p-diols, while m-diols are poorly detected . Low degrees of reactivity are shown by hydroxylamino and hydroxamate compounds . Phenolic, sulfydryl, indolyl, and quinonyl derivatives do not interfere with the reaction . The method has been adapted to determine catechol compounds in the culture medium of bacterial cells grown at different iron concentrations. Agents Actions, 1983 Aug, 13(5-6), 451 - 5 Vascular permeability changes induced by complement-derived peptides; Williams TJ; The polypeptides C3a and C5a are released as protein cleavage byproducts during activation of the complement system . These substances are able to release histamine from mast cells and this has generally been thought to be the link between complement activation and increased microvascular permeability in inflammatory reactions . Recent observations of inflammatory responses in the skin suggest that there is another link, which does not involve histamine . This is potentially of more general importance since antihistamines have limited effects on the majority of inflammatory reactions . One of the complement protein fragments, C5a (with or without carboxyl terminal arginine which is necessary for histamine release), is very potent in increasing vascular permeability . However, protein leakage leading to tissue oedema in skin is difficult to detect unless an arteriolar dilator is present . There is evidence that C5a and a vasodilator prostaglandin can be generated together extravascularly in response to a microbial stimulus . Unlike histamine, C5a does not act directly on venular endothelial cells, but triggers a very rapid interaction between circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes and venular endothelial cells which, by an unknown mechanism, results in elevated venular permeability to plasma proteins. Am J Med, 1983 Jul 28, 75(1B), 37 - 43 Nonculture techniques using blood specimens for the diagnosis of infectious disease; Todd JK; Recent technological advances have increased the use of blood as a source for diagnosis of local and systemic infectious diseases . Traditionally, viable organisms may be cultured from the blood and others identified microscopically . The ability to detect microbial products by physicochemical, bioactivity, and antigenic techniques and the ability to detect specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) responses to infection improve our diagnostic capabilities but also present new problems in determining clinical relevance . The diagnostic use and reproducibility of new tests should be verified by comparative clinical field testing before implementation. Lancet, 1983 Jul 23, 2(8343), 185 - 7 Pyoderma eczema and folliculitis with defective leucocyte and lymphocyte function: a new familial immunodeficiency disease responsive to a histamine-1 antagonist; Jung LK et al.; A new familial immunodeficiency disease characterised by recurrent and persistent pyoderma, folliculitis, and atopic dermatitis is described in a father and son . It is accompanied by abnormalities of lymphocyte function (including defective proliferative responses to phytomitogens, and subnormal response in immunoglobulin production after stimulation of the lymphocytes by pokeweed mitogen) and defective leucocyte chemiluminescence responses, which were associated with defective ability for intracellular killing of microbial organisms . The abnormalities of lymphocyte and leucocyte function, as well as the clinical manifestations, responded dramatically to treatment with the histamine-1 antagonist, chlorpheniramine, suggesting that the underlying defect in this disease may relate to defective histamine metabolism or abnormal expression of histamine receptors on lymphocytes and leucocytes. J Steroid Biochem, 1983 Jul, 19(1A), 189 - 201 Selective reactions in the analytical characterisation of steroids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; Brooks CJ et al.; The analytical characterization, by GC-MS, of individual compounds in mixtures of steroids, such as occur frequently in biological extracts, is difficult because of the close similarities in structure and properties of many components . The improved separating power of capillary (open-tubular) columns alleviates the problem, but does not solve it fully: for example, the coincidence of retention times of two different compounds may still be virtually complete . Comparative analyses on two distinctively different phases afford one valuable application of selectivity, but may not always be feasible when costly columns are required . Comparative analyses of the sample, before and after effecting its modification by well-defined reactions, are inexpensive and are particularly when selective transformations are used . The use of the microbial enzyme cholesterol oxidase as a selective oxidant for 3 beta-hydroxysteroids (chiefly limited to 4-ene, 5-ene and 5 alpha-types) is illustrated for a model mixture of androstanols related to the boar pheromone (5 alpha, 16-androsten-3 alpha-ol) . Retention regularities and changes in mass spectra enhance the reliability of identifications . An exploratory application of cholesterol oxidase in the analysis of minor "polar" sterols in human serum is reported . Most of the known minor sterols are good substrates for the enzyme, and their transformation products yield distinctive GC-MS data, as exemplified for the 7 alpha- and 7 beta-hydroxycholesterols . Another convenient and versatile selective reagent is methaneboronic acid, which yields cyclic esters of suitably constituted diols . These derivatives have shorter retention times (on "non-polar" phases) than the di-TMS ethers, chiefly by virtue of their much lower molecular weights . The mass spectra of cyclic boronates generally show clear molecular ions, also fragmentations that complement the information obtainable from the di-TMS ethers . These features are illustrated for a group of diols and triols of the 5 alpha-pregnane series. Cutis, 1983 Jul, 32(1), 58 - 61, 63-4, 68 Kaposi's sarcoma and variably acid-fast bacteria in vivo in two homosexual men; Cantwell AR Jr; Current epidemiologic data suggest that a possible infectious and contagious microbial agent is responsible for the recent outbreak of Kaposi's sarcoma and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome affecting young homosexual men . In this histopathologic study, rare foci of acid-fast, and Giemsa-stained coccoid forms, and more rare foci of Gram-variable coccoid forms, were observed within the microscopic skin biopsy specimens from two young homosexual men with Kaposi's sarcoma . These findings, in addition to other previously reported histopathologic findings of similar bacteria in vivo in "typical" cases of Kaposi's sarcoma occurring in elderly Jewish men, suggest that bacteria may be implicated in the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma. Arch Neurol, 1983 Jul, 40(7), 406 - 8 Epstein-Barr virus infection and antibody synthesis in patients with multiple sclerosis; Bray PF et al.; We studied infectious and immune mechanisms in demyelinating disease . The clinical diagnosis in this study of 313 consecutive cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) was based on the clinical conclusions of two or more neurologists and definite abnormalities in CSF IgG . Measurement of antibodies to six microbial agents was compared in 313 patients with MS and 406 controls in the same age range . Using a standardized immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) technique, we found a significantly higher prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and a higher level of serum viral capsid antigen IgG antibody titer in the MS population than in the controls . The MS population had a lower cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection rate and lower CMV complement fixing antibody production than controls . Except for the higher measles infection rate and antibody titer in patients with MS, data on the other viruses did not differ from controls. J Reprod Fertil, 1983 Jul, 68(2), 407 - 12 Effect of various proteinase inhibitors on ovulation of explanted hamster ovaries; Ichikawa S et al.; Hamster ovaries explanted at 21:00-24:00 h on the day of pro-oestrus were incubated with microbial proteinase inhibitors until 10:30 h on the next morning and the ovulatory blocking effect of these inhibitors was examined . Amongst 11 proteinase inhibitors examined, talopeptin, a specific inhibitor for metallo-proteinases, and alpha-MAPI, a specific inhibitor for serine and thiol proteinases, were the strongest blockers . These 2 inhibitors exhibited a chronological discrepancy in their blocking effect on ovulation . S-SI, plasminostreptin, elastatinal, antipain and chymostatin, which are inhibitors for serine proteinases, partly but significantly inhibited ovulation . The results suggest that, in addition to a metallo-proteinase reported previously, a proteinase which is sensitive to alpha-MAPI is essential for the ovulatory process, and that serine proteinase(s) also participate in ovulation of the hamster ovary. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1983 Jul, 255(1), 138 - 44 The role of structure and invasiveness on the pathogenicity of Legionella; Rodgers FG; The pathogenetic mechanism and virulence factors involved in infections and Legionella are little understood . In vitro studies by thin-section and scanning electron microscopy show that legionella organisms attach to mammalian cells in culture, are taken into cytoplasmic vacuoles lined with ribosomes and replicate, probably utilising cell-derived amino acids . The presence of pili (fimbriae), lipopolysaccharide and protein structures at the bacterial surfaces is no doubt related to the initial adhesion to cell surface receptors . Motility through flagella and toxin production add to the potential invasiveness of these bacteria . Intracellular longterm survival and replication in alveolar macrophages affords a mechanism for increasing bacterial infectivity while avoiding the host's immune system, amplifying microbial pathogenicity. Vestn Khir Im I I Grek, 1983 Jul, 131(7), 19 - 22 {Clinical evaluation of immunologic reactivity of the organism and immunotherapy in purulent surgical infection}; Iusupov IA et al.; The reaction of leukocytolysis with microbial standard allergens is found to be more sensitive than the intracutaneous test to detect the bacterial allergy in patients with a purulent surgical infection . The microbial allergization of the organism is followed by a considerable inhibition of the humoral and cell immunity . Immunotherapy must be included in the complex treatment of patients with purulent surgical infection for elimination of the specific sensibilization and improvement of the immune reactivity of the organism. J Inorg Biochem, 1983 Jul, 18(4), 323 - 34 Thiomolybdates in rumen contents and rumen cultures; El-Gallad TT et al.; Examination of direct and (Cu)-difference spectra of i) the aqueous supernatants of in vitro cultures of bovine rumen contents incubated with MoO42- and potential sources of S2- and ii) samples drawn directly from the rumen of animals receiving high Mo diets yielded evidence of the presence of thiomolybdates . Only MoS42- was detected in the soluble phase of in vitro cultures . Although intense and variable background absorbance precluded full characterization of thiomolybdate species in samples drawn directly from the rumen, both spectral data and the biochemical and clinical responses of animals given high Mo diets were consistent with the conclusion that MoS42- rather than MoOS32- was the predominant thiomolybdate species present in the aqueous phase . Addition of Ca2+ either to rumen cultures before incubation or as a supplement to diets high in MoO42- content inhibited the appearance of MoS42- in the aqueous phase . Evidence of the sequestration of MoS42- and MoOS32- by particulate or microbial fractions of rumen contents is considered in relation to the inhibitory action of Mo upon Cu absorption by ruminants. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, 1983 Jul-Aug, 7(4), 364 - 8 Microbial contamination of enteral feeding solutions in a community hospital; Schroeder P et al.; Seven related studies were done to estimate the type and amount of contamination that occurred in nutrient feeding solution when administered according to procedure in a community hospital . The initial study was done in a simulated nonclinical setting with select technicians monitoring for gavage systems delivering a commercially prepared nutrient feeding solution . The solution remained sterile over 48 hr . In the second study, various nurses maintained the enteral feeding simulations unaware of the objective of study . Significant contamination was found, but a decrease occurred when the study was duplicated and the nurses were made aware that contamination was the issue being studied . The subsequent study had all gavage equipment in clinical use in the hospital on a given day cultured for microbial contamination . Significant contamination was present and did not decrease when the study was duplicated following inservice training . Suggestions for standards of care are made. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, 1983 Jul-Aug, 7(4), 390 - 7 The use of sterile and low microbial diets in ultraisolation environments; Aker SN et al.; The evidence for the use of sterile and low microbial diets in ultraisolation environments is reviewed . Studies have suggested that sterile food is not required for gut sterilization when oral nonabsorbable antibiotics are used, but if a low microbial food contains an antibiotic-resistant organism, colonization can occur . There may be a beneficial effect on the incidence of infection by serving pathogen-free foods, either sterile or low microbial, to the immunosuppressed patient regardless of type of environment, yet the comparative effectiveness of sterile and low microbial diets in preventing introduction of new pathogens accessing the host via the mouth, oropharynx, and esophagus has not been systematically evaluated. Allergy, 1983 Jul, 38(5), 347 - 52 Circulating immune complexes and rheumatoid factors in patients with farmer's lung; Terho EO et al.; Circulating IgG immune complexes (CICs), IgM rheumatoid factors (RFs), complement level (C3 and C4), and IgG antibodies to Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus umbrosus, Thermoactinomyces vulgaris, and Micropolyspora faeni were analysed in the sera of 14 patients with farmer's lung (FL), 10 in the acute and four in the subacute phase of the disease . Ten spouses of FL patients served as exposed healthy controls . C3 and C4 were measured fluoronephelometrically . C3 levels were above the normal range and C4 levels near the upper limit of the normal range in both patients and controls; no statistically significant difference between patients and controls were observed . CICs were determined by enzyme immunoassays (EIA) of conglutinin-binding (KgB) and Clq-binding (ClqB) . CIC levels above the normal range were detected in 12 (KgB-EIA) and nine (ClqB-EIA) of the patients and three (KgB-EIA) and six (ClqB-EIA) of the controls . No statistically significant differences were found in the mean levels between patients and controls . In contrast, RF levels in the acute phase of FL were significantly higher in the patients (P less than 0.01) than in the controls . CICs correlated positively with most microbial IgG antibodies, but negatively with RFs . RFs also correlated negatively with microbial IgG antibodies, as well as with both C3 and C4 . In FL, the increased RF level may, in the absence of increased CIC and decreased complement levels, represent an immune response (IgM anti-IgG autoantibodies) induced by local mechanisms of IgG immune complexes in the lungs. J Clin Periodontol, 1983 Jul, 10(4), 412 - 21 Phase contrast microscopy of microbial aggregates in the gingival sulcus of Macaca mulatta . Subgingival plaque bacteria in macaca mulatta; Leggott PJ et al.; The objective of this study was to study the relationship of microbial aggregates in the subgingival crevice to changes in periodontal health in Macaca mulatta . The sample included 68 oral sites from 17 Rhesus monkeys of various ages . The periodontal health of each site was evaluated using Plaque and Gingival Indices and crevice depth measurement . The subgingival plaque samples were examined by phase contrast microscopy and recorded on 16 mm film . A Microbial Index was developed based on a qualitative estimate of the numbers of organisms, morphology of predominant organisms, and the presence or absence of motility . The Microbial Index was demonstrated to be simple in use and highly reproducible . The findings indicate that changes in the Microbial Index are consistent with tissue changes seen in the periodontal status in M . mulatta . From this preliminary study, the oral flora of adult M . mulatta appears to have sufficient similarities to human oral flora to be used as a microbial model for experimental periodontal disease research . Future studies to refine and confirm the validity of the Microbial Index are warranted . It may prove to be a useful tool to monitor the effect of various treatment modalities on the periodontal flora and to determine the presence or absence of active disease. J Am Dent Assoc, 1983 Jul, 107(1), 48 - 51 Prosthodontic considerations for patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy; DePaola LG et al.; Dentures for the patient receiving cancer chemotherapy must be constructed and maintained carefully, using sound basic principles of denture construction and tissue management inherent in the highest level of prosthodontic treatment . The objective of removable prosthodontic therapy is to improve the patient's quality of life, enhance nutrition by reducing oral irritation and ulceration, and control the oral microbial populations associated with chemotherapy and the wearing of a denture. Arch Microbiol, 1983 Jul, 134(4), 320 - 3 Glutamic acid decarboxylase in Mycobacterium leprae; Prabhakaran K et al.; Suspensions of Mycobacterium leprae purified from the organs (mostly spleen) of experimentally-infected armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus, Linn) decarboxylated 1-(14C) glutamic acid liberating 14CO2 . The reaction was pyridoxal phosphate-dependent and was inhibited by hydroxylamine, suggesting that it is a true amino acid decarboxylase . Loss of the activity at higher temperatures indicated the enzymatic nature of the reaction . Excess substrate or substrate analogs inhibited the decarboxylase whereas alpha-ketoglutarate and glutarate stimulated it . The activity was four times higher at pH 4.5 than at pH 6.8, suggesting that the enzyme is of microbial origin and not derived form the host cells . Armadillo spleen did not decarboxylate the amino acid . The Km value of the enzyme in the organisms was similar to that in Escherichia coli . The results reported here show that glutamate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.15) is an inherent metabolic activity of M . leprae, and might explain its unusual neural affinity . Glutamic acid is the most abundant amino acid occurring in the nerve tissue. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1983 Jun 30, 409, 48 - 71 The IgA response: inductive aspects, regulatory cells, and effector functions; Michalek SM et al.; In this review, we have emphasized our current studies on the inductive aspects of the IgA immune response and homeostatic mechanisms involved in the induction of oral tolerance . By use of unique inbred mouse strains in restricted microbial environments, we have provided evidence for a central role of LPS in systemic unresponsiveness to orally encountered antigens . We have continued studies on characterization of GALT lymphoreticular cell types, including accessory cells, regulatory T-cells, and precursor IgA B-cells . We have placed recent emphasis on characterization of antigen-specific Th-cell clones derived from murine PP, which preferentially support IgA isotype responses . Relevant areas for continued research have been emphasized in this review. J Biol Chem, 1983 Jun 25, 258(12), 7536 - 40 Carbon dioxide reduction factor and methanopterin, two coenzymes required for CO2 reduction to methane by extracts of Methanobacterium; Leigh JA et al.; Carbon dioxide reduction (CDR) factor is contained in a low molecular weight fraction of cell extract that is required for methane production from CO2 by resolved cell extracts . This fraction has been separated into two components both of which have been highly purified . One component is methanopterin, and for the other component the name CDR factor is retained . No known coenzymes tested substitute in the methane-producing assay for CDR factor and methanopterin, both of which are stable to boiling and exposure to air . The ultraviolet-visible spectrum of CDR factor has a peak at 273 nm, a shoulder at 280 nm, and at pH 1, a peak at 219 nm . The ultraviolet-visible spectrum of methanopterin isolated from the CDR fraction is similar to the spectrum previously reported for this compound (Keltjens, J . T., and Vogels, G . D . (1981) in Microbial Growth on C1 Compounds (Dalton, H., ed) pp . 152-158, Heyden and Son, Ltd., London) . The addition of CDR factor (0.8 micrograms) and methanopterin (50 micrograms) to the assay mixture increased by 12-fold the amount of methane formed from CO2. Fed Regist, 1983 Jul 5, 48(129), 30759 - 63 Privacy Act of 1974; proposed new routine uses--PHS . Notification of new routine uses permitting disclosure of information from four Privacy Act systems of records; Mechanism of inactivation of a Fasciola proteolytic enzyme by peptide aldehydes and alkylating agents; A proteolytic enzyme of the liver fluke Fasciola sp . was purified as described previously by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 column and L-phenylalanine-agarose chromatography . Leupeptin, a peptide aldehyde of microbial origin, competitively inhibited the enzyme activity with respect to the substrate alpha-N-benzoyl-L-argininamide; the apparent Ki value for leupeptin is 45 000-fold less than the apparent Km for the substrate . Incubation of the enzyme with leupeptin resulted in time-dependent inactivation of the globinolytic activity, with an inactivation constant (Kinact) of 0.4 microM giving the half-maximum inactivation velocity, and with a minimum inactivation half-time (T) of 2.7 min at infinite concentration of this compound . The inactivated enzyme was not reactivated by extensive dialysis . These results imply that leupeptin yields an affinity labelling of an active site of the enzyme . The activity of the Fasciola proteolytic enzyme was also inactivated by other peptide aldehydes and alkylating agents and inactivation constants observed were 0.5 microM for chymostatin, 13 microM for antipain, 2 microM for p-toluenesulfonyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone, 140 microM for p-toluenesulfonyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone and 40 microM for iodoacetate under the conditions used. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1983 Jun 1, 182(11), 1218 - 22 Cutaneous atypical mycobacteriosis in cats; White SD et al.; Cutaneous infection with atypical mycobacteria was observed in 6 cats . All cats had cutaneous or subcutaneous masses, with or without fistulous tracts . Diagnosis was determined by microbial culture . Transmission studies were done in 1 case . Treatment, which included antibiotics or surgery, or both, was usually unsuccessful, but remission without treatment did occur . In 3 cats available for long-term evaluation, there has been no recurrence of disease. Sci Total Environ, 1983 Jun, 28, 159 - 68 The role of soil and plant metabolic processes in controlling trace element behavior and bioavailability to animals; Cataldo DA et al.; Metabolic and physiological processes play important roles in regulating the transfer and behavior of trace elements in the soil/plant/animal system . The behaviors of Ni, Cd, Cr, T1, Np, Pu and Tc are used to illustrate important aspects of these processes . Microbial metabolism has both indirect and direct effects on trace element solubility in soils . Once non-nutrient trace elements are solubilized, the ability of plant roots to actively accumulate them is dependent on chemical activity of the element in soil solution, the presence of competing ions and the redox potential and absorption capacity of the root . After absorption in the plant, trace elements are translocated, metabolized and stored; fate and behavior varies with the properties of the element, but is generally analogous to nutrient elements . These processes can dramatically affect the availability of individual elements to animals consuming plants. J Dent Res, 1983 Jun, 62(6), 738 - 42 Mechanism of action of an antiseptic, anti-odor mouthwash; Pitts G et al.; Inter-related determinants of oral malodor were measured over a three-hour period in 30 human subjects after mouthwash treatments . Re-odoration was important to mouthwash activity for 30 min . At post-treatment times of 60-180 min, the anti-odor activity of the product is due solely to its anti-microbial action. Immun Infekt, 1983 Jun, 11(4), 109 - 22 {Pharmacological aspects of immunostimulation}; Eichelberg D et al.; Immunostimulants are chemical substances capable of increasing the overall activity of a normal immune system as well as normalizing the function of an impaired immune system (immune restauration ) . This review is concerned with substances of microbial or chemical origin and excludes the so-called physiological inductors or regulators, e.g . thymic factors, interferon etc . During the last decade considerable progress has been achieved with respect to the isolation of effective compounds and the elucidation of their chemical structure . However, the knowledge of their mechanism of action and their effects in the living organism is still poor because of the complexity of the immune system, lack of appropriate standardization methods, lack of internationally agreed test conditions or diseases in intact animals or conditions for controlled clinical trials in man. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1983 Jun, 36(6), 728 - 34 Immunochemical identification of the cell surface bound leucine aminopeptidase, the target enzyme for the immunostimulant bestatin; Leyhausen G et al.; The microbial product bestatin is known to inhibit soluble microsomal- and cytosolic leucine aminopeptidase (Leu-APm and Leu-APc) as well as aminopeptidase B (AP-B) . To clarify which of these enzymes is the target for bestatin on the cell surface, indirect immunofluorescence studies with antisera raised against purified Leu-APm and AP-B were performed . These antibodies (anti-Leu-APm and anti-AP-B) were found to react with intracellularly localized Leu-APm and AP-B of ethanol-treated L5178y cells . Using non-treated L5178y cells fluorescence was detected only on the cell surface after incubation with anti-Leu-APm . To confirm the supposition that only Leu-APm is present on the cell surface, the AP from the cell membrane was solubilized and analyzed electrophoretically . Based on relative migration data it could be shown, that the cell surface is charged with Leu-APm and not with detectable amounts of Leu-APc or AP-B . Moreover, it could be demonstrated that the solubilized Leu-APm binds to {3H}bestatin. Immun Infekt, 1983 Jun, 11(4), 109 - 22 {Pharmacological aspects of immunostimulants}; Eichelberg D et al.; Immunostimulants are chemical substances capable of increasing the overall activity of a normal immune system as well as normalizing the function of an impaired immune system (immune restauration) . This review is concerned with substances of microbial or chemical origin and excludes the so-called physiological inductors or regulators, e.g . thymic factors, interferon etc . During the last decade considerable progress has been achieved with respect to the isolation of effective compounds and the elucidation of their chemical structure . However, the knowledge of their mechanism of action and their effects in the living organism is still poor because of the complexity of the immune system, lack of appropriate standardization methods, lack of internationally agreed test conditions or diseases in intact animals or conditions for controlled clinical trials in man. J Chromatogr, 1983 May 13, 274, 1 - 25 Gas-liquid chromatography-frequency pulse-modulated electron-capture detection in the diagnosis of infectious diseases; Edman DC et al.; The extremely sensitive and selective gas-liquid chromatography-frequency pulsed-modulated electron-capture detection (GLC-FP-ECD) procedure has been applied to the diagnosis of bacterial, fungal, viral, rickettsial, and parasitic diseases by the examination of various body fluids, effusions and exudates, and excretion products . Carboxylic acid and alcohol, hydroxy acid, and amine product profiles of microbial or host-response origin, have been used to establish specific etiologies, these profiles are reproducible, and can be used to aid in the diagnosis of infections . In addition, we have used the GLC-FP-ECD procedure to analyze microbial metabolic products in vitro and to provide data for identification and classification . We also explored computer time-sharing for data analysis, profile library comparison, and eventual profile matching for diagnosis. Med Instrum, 1983 May-Jun, 17(3), 211 - 5 Preconditioning for moisture control in ethylene oxide sterilization; Murtaugh JB et al.; The moisture condition of a product must be controlled to obtain sterility and maintain product viability during ethylene oxide sterilization . A sterilization process in which prehumidification of product is used to provide moisture condition control was shown to be effective in 2 years of production sterilization experience . On-stream process analysis with a gas chromatograph showed that addition of steam to the chamber was unnecessary when properly preconditioned medical devices packaged in corrugated paper-board were sterilized . Reproducible gas-chamber moisture control and microbial sterility assurance were obtained. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1983 May, 45(5), 1697 - 700 Detoxification of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid from contaminated soil by Pseudomonas cepacia; Kilbane JJ et al.; The strain of Pseudomonas cepacia, AC1100, capable of utilizing 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) as a sole source of carbon and energy can degrade 2,4,5-T in contaminated soil, removing more than 99% of 2,4,5-T present at 1 mg/g of soil within 1 week . Repeated application of AC1100 even allowed more than 90% removal of 2,4,5-T within 6 weeks from heavily contaminated soil containing as much as 20,000 ppm 2,4,5,-T (20 mg/g of soil) . Microbial removal of 2,4,5-T allowed the soil to support growth of plants sensitive to low concentrations of 2,4,5-T . After 2,4,5-T removal, the titer of AC1100 in the soil rapidly fell to undetectable levels within a few weeks. Public Health Rep, 1983 May-Jun, 98(3), 229 - 44 Source, significance, and control of indoor microbial aerosols: human health aspects; Spendlove JC et al.; The usual profile of indoor microbial aerosols probably has little meaning to healthy people . However, hazardous microbial aerosols can penetrate buildings or be generated within them; in either case, they can have significant adverse effects on human health . These aerosols can be controlled to some extent by eliminating or reducing their sources . In this regard, careful consideration should be given in building construction to the design of ventilation and air-conditioning systems and to the flooring material, so that these systems and the flooring material will not act as microbial reservoirs . It is evident that in spite of the considerable body of data available on indoor microbial aerosols, little is known of their true significance to human health except in terms of overt epidemic disease . Continued research is needed in this area, particularly in respect to situations of high risk in such locations as hospitals and schools for young children. Mol Cell Biol, 1983 May, 3(5), 931 - 45 Neoplastic conversion of preneoplastic Syrian hamster cells: rate estimation by fluctuation analysis; Crawford BD et al.; Analysis of the role of gene mutations in the multistep process of neoplastic transformation requires that the discrete steps in carcinogenesis first be dissected . Toward this end, we have isolated and characterized preneoplastic Syrian hamster cells which exhibit in vitro a trait highly correlated with neoplastic conversion in vivo . Previous findings (J . C . Barrett, Cancer Res . 40:91-94, 1980) indicate that spontaneous neoplastic transformation of Syrian hamster cells occurs in at least two steps . An intermediate stage, characterized by an aneuploid established cell line which has a propensity to become neoplastic spontaneously upon further growth in vitro, has been described . These preneoplastic cells differ from diploid early-passage Syrian hamster cells in becoming capable of anchorage-independent growth in semisolid agar, as well as becoming neoplastic in vivo when attached to a solid substrate . Evidence presented here demonstrates that anchorage-independent conversion in vitro is a reliable marker for neoplastic conversion in this cell system . Fluctuation analyses, patterned after those described by Luria and Delbruck for microbial genetics, demonstrate that anchorage-independent variants are generated randomly from clonally derived preneoplastic cells at the rate of 10(-8) to 10(-7) variants per cell per generation . These results establish a multistep stochastic process for transformation in vitro and indicate that conversion to anchorage independence may be necessary for Syrian hamster cells to become tumorigenic . The possible role of gene mutation in this step during neoplastic progression is discussed. Anal Biochem, 1983 May, 131(1), 42 - 5 Quantitative analysis of formate in solutions containing phosphate; Fynn GH et al.; Standard colorimetric methods based on the initial reduction of formate to formaldehyde were found to yield erratic results when applied to the analysis of millimolar concentrations of formate in a microbial culture medium . The source of interference was identified as inorganic orthophosphate inhibition of the magnesium/hydrochloric acid reduction stage . Passivation of magnesium by millimolar concentrations of phosphate is known to occur at low pH and it is proposed that this phenomenon is responsible for the inhibition of the reduction process . The presence of orthophosphate in biological extracts is almost universal and would lead to acceptance of spuriously low values for