Bacillus

Eur J Biochem, 1975 Oct 15, 58(2), 453 - 60
Trypsin-kallikrein isoinhibitor K (type Kunitz) from snails (Helix pomatia) . Purification and characterization; Dietl T et al.; A basic proteinase inhibitor, isoinhibitor K, was purified by SE-Sephadex C-25 column chromatography from the mixture of acid-stable and heat-stable isoinhibitors of the snail (Helix pomatia) . Isoinhibitor K is homogeneous in polyacrylamide gel, cellulose acetate and polyacrylamide-dodecylsulfate electrophoresis . From the electrophoretic mobility in dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel and apparent molecular weight of 6500 +/- 200 was estimated . From the amino acid composition the inhibitor consists of 58 amino acid residues . It contains three disulfide bridges, a C-terminal valine and a lysine residue at the reactive site . Isoinhibitor K inhibits the enzymes: bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin, porcine plasmin and pancreatic kallikrein, the trypsin-like component of Streptomyces griseus proteinase-pronase E, and fungi proteinase K from Tritirachium album Limber, which is only inhibited very slightly in contrast to the effect of the mixture of isoinhibitors . The inhibitory effect of isoinhibitor K against these enzymes is compared to that of the mixture or of other isoinhibitors . The following enzymes are not inhibited by isoinhibitor K: Aspergillus proteinase P and alkaline bacillus proteinase 2231 (Rohm), which both are inhibited by the mixture of isoinhibitors . Porcine elastase, bacterial proteinase N (M) (Rohm), and a trypsin-like proteinase from wheat are not inhibited, porcine acrosin and porcine serum kallikrein only to a very minor extent by the mixture of isoinhibitors . Reactive-site peptide-bond cleavage during inhibition could not be detected . Thus, the inhibitory behaviour is just as broad in specificity and as unusual as that of the trypsin-kallikrein inhibitor (Kunitz) from bovine organs . The N-terminus is blocked by pyroglutamic acid . Isoinhibitor K is the main component of the isoinhibitors secreted into the mucus and amounts to 35-40% of the mixture.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1975 Oct, 64(4), 540 - 3
Bacteremia due to Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens . Report of a case; Southern PM Jr; An unusual case report of a patient with bacteremia due to Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens is presented . Heretofore, Succinivibrio spp . were thought to occur only as organisms in the rumens of herbivorous animals . Succinivibrio is an anaerobic, Gram-negative, curved, spiral bacillus with a polar monotrichous flagellar pattern . Volatile acids produced from glucose metabolism include succinic, acetic, formic and lactic . Various carbohydrate substrates are fermented to produce strong or weak acid end-points . Succinivibrio spp . will grow in bile, will not hydrolyze esculin or starch, and do not produce indol, catalase, lecithinase, lipase, or hemolysis . Bacteremia in this case was thought to have been the result of hypotension in the course of severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage . This is thought to represent the first published case of human infection due to Succinivibrio spp.

J Biol Chem, 1975 Oct 10, 250(19), 7554 - 63
Substrate-protein interaction in tryptophanase from Bacillus alvei . Kinetic and spectral evaluations; Fenske JD et al.; This investigation studied the substrate protein interaction of the alpha, beta elimination reaction in tryptophanase (EC 4.1.99.1) . The results of this work are 2-fold . (a) The presence of multiple enzyme sites was found to be related to the observed kinetic patterns of inhibition . Indole analogues caused competitive inhibition in the tryptophanase reaction and noncompetitive inhibition in the dehydratase reaction . Inhibition patterns of alanine for these activities were reserved . (b) Under some conditions, compounds which bind presumably at the indole site modified the spectral and fluorescent characteristics of the enzyme . The addition of anthranilate to the enzyme resulted in a broad absorption band around 350 nm . This absorption band was distinct from that formed by alanine addition . Based on absorption data, both of these compounds could be bound simultaneously . The optical activity of tryptophanase was reported for the first time . Indole analogues caused greater conformational alterations in the circular dichroism spectra than 3-carbon analogues . The calculated anisotrophy factors, as well as fluorescent quenching data, suggest a more direct interaction between indole analogues and pyridoxal-P than between 3-carbon compounds that the coenzyme . It is proposed that the indole site is the dominant recognition site . The data are consistent with the three-dimensional aspects of space-filling models of Schiff's bases evaluated in terms of multiple site binding.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1975 Oct, (10), 83 - 8
{Study of the process of interaction of the causative agent with the cells of the body and with a macrophage culture in experimental typhoid infection and carrier state}; Barshtein IuA et al.; Experiments were conducted on 117 rabbits and cells of the macrophage cultures in vitro by the methods of clinico-laboratory, quantitative microbiological, immunological, electron microscopic and microcinematographic examination; a study was made of the interaction of the typhoid causative agent with the cells of the organism and the macrophage cultures and also of some aspects of the immune response during acute typhoid infection and carrier state . Infection was modelled by the enteral, subconjunctival and intrabonemarrow infection with 24-hour culture of the typhoid bacillus (strain Ty2 4446) . Experiments demonstrated that structural reconstruction of both the causative agent and of the cells of the organism, of the culture macrophages and their organoids occurred in the course of the first hour after the infection . Homogenates of the lymphoid and myeloid tissues and also of the macrophages and polymorphonuclears possessed bactericidal activity against S . typhi . The degree of this activity largely depended on the pH of the medium . It was also shown that under conditions of the macrophage culture sodium aside inhibited the bactericidal activity of macrophages obtained from the intact and immune animals.

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Oct, 30(4), 514 - 8
Efficacy of the inactivation of bacterial spores in white petrolatum and a hydrophilic ointment by gamma irradiation; Oie SH et al.; To evaluate the possibilities of using gamma irradiation for the sterilization of ointments, the effect of irradiation on spores of Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus sphaericus in dry material and in two different kinds of ointments was studied . The results indicate that for sterilization purposes irradiation was less effective in white petrolatum as compared to irradiation in the dry state . No such protective effect was found in a hydrophilic ointment . Accordingly, the sterilization dose needed for the sterilization of an ointment can be decided upon only after inactivation experiments with suitable test organisms in the actual preparation.

Am J Vet Res, 1975 Oct, 36(10), 1545 - 7
Effect of aflatoxin on susceptibility of hamsters to Mycobacterium paratuberculosis; Larsen AB et al.; After oral administration of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis to hamsters, the organism passed the epithelial barrier of the intestine, and infection was established in the small intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes . The addition of aflatoxin to the ration of hamsters did not increase their susceptibility to M paratuberculosis but, rather, seemed to decrease susceptibility to the bacillus . Hamsters not treated with aflatoxin and infected with M paratuberculosis had higher bacterial counts in intestinal tract and mesenteric lymph node on necropsy than did infected hamsters that had been treated with aflatoxin . Aflatoxin-treated hamsters grew slowly, had an unthrifty appearance, and developed lesions of megalocytosis regardless of whether they were infected with M paratuberculosis.

Eur J Biochem, 1975 Oct 1, 58(1), 185 - 92
Polyadenylation of RNA in vitro in isolated chromatin and nuclei; De Pomerai DI et al.; Poly(A) is added post-transcriptionally to RNA transcribed in vitro by endogenous form B DNA-dependent RNA polymerase bound to the template in isolated nuclei or chromatin . It is also added to processed fragments of the products from alpha-amanitin-resistant RNA polymerases A and/or C . The poly(A) segments are of similar size to those found in nuclear RNA pulse-labelled in vivo and are added onto the 3' terminus of RNA chains (whether pre-existing, completed during the incubation in vitro or created by fragmentation of larger RNA transcripts) . That poly(A) addition is not directly mediated by any of the nuclear DNA-dependent RNA polymerases is shown by the differential sensitivities of RNA and poly(A) syntheses to increasing ionic strength and transcriptional inhibitors such as the exotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1975 Oct, 83(5), 513 - 8
The effect of bacitracin and Mn(II)ions upon the producer strain Bacillus licheniformis; Haavik HI; The peptide antibiotic bacitracin is inhibitory to growth of the producer strain Bacillus licheniformis only in the presence of excess manganese(II)ions . Both the early and the late growth are inhibited in a similar manner upon addition of bacitracin and manganese(II)ions . Thus, B . licheniformis does not develop resistance to its own antibiotic during growth . Added bacitracin is stimulatory to growth of B . licheniformis in media with a very low content of manganese(II)ions . These results support the hypothesis that bacitracin participates in the manganese transport of the producer strain B . licheniformis.

Bull N Y Acad Med, 1975 Oct, 51(9), 1084 - 95
Antibiotics and endotoxic shock; McCabe WR; PIP: 2 topics of particular interest are addressed in this summary of data concerning antibiotics and endotoxic shock: 1) the antibiotic treatment of gram-negative bacillary infections complicated by shock differs from the treatment of similar infections not associated with shock; and 2) endotoxin per se is responsible for the occurrence of shock and other manifestation of gram-negative bacillary infections . With shock, inadequate tissue perfusion exists, requiring antibiotic administration be performed intravenously rather than by oral or intramuscular routes . In general, antibiotics act only to eradicate infection (i.e., kill bacteria) and in no way address the shock condition . Clinical results with polymyxins, implicated in some studies to neutralize endotoxin, assessed these drugs' clinical applicability by comparing the frequency of manifestations attributed to endotoxin, shock, and death occurring in patients with gram-negative bacteremia after treatment with polymyxin B or E . Treatment with 1 of the polymyxins failed to reduce the frequency of shock and death in gram-gegative bacteremia over that observed when other effective antibiotics were used initial therapy . Indeed, the frequency of complications was significantly greater in patients with ultimately fatal underlying diseases (P .05) and in all patients combined (P .001) . Human studies have attempted to define or pinpoint the relationship between endotoxin and disease symptoms (chills, fever, etc.), assuming an apparent correlation between the presence of circulating endotoxin and the frequency of fever, shock, or death compared with similar patients without detectable endotoxin; though the results did not preclude a role of endotoxin in symptomatology, they do cast considerable doubt on the widely held concept that circulating endotoxin is primarily responsible for the pathophysiologic changes observed during gram-negative infection . Using Limulus test data, the majority of studies found no connection between circulating endotoxin and presence of pathophysiologic changes . Factors affecting treatment of bacteremia are also discussed .

Jpn J Exp Med, 1975 Oct, 45(5), 377 - 82
Tissue dispersion, cell harvest and fluid suspension culture by the use of bacterial neutral protease; Matsumura T et al.; Bacterial neutral protease of Bacillus polymyxa was found to disperse mammalian tissues and cells . Primary cell cultures were obtained from several tissues after treatments with 200 to 2,000 Kunitz unit per ml of this protease in either a phosphate buffer solution, a balanced salt solution or a tissue culture medium supplemented with serum . Monolayer cultures wither in their early passage levels or of established strains were harvested by a treatment with this protease, and proliferated again in monolayer after its removal . A growing culture of strain L-929 was kept in monodisperse suspension in the presence of this protease . In contrast to trypsin, this protease was found active in the presence of serum, stable during incubation and scarcely injured cells.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1975 Oct, 72(10), 4105 - 9
Comparison between macrophage activation and enhancement of nonspecific resistance to tumors by mycobacterial immunoadjuvants; Juy D et al.; It has repeatedly been observed that various bacterial preparations could increase the host's resistance to tumors . It has also been shown that after nonspecific activation by BCG (bacillus Calmette-Guerin), peritoneal macrophages could inhibit in vitro the growth of neoplastic target cells . In the present study a fraction extracted from Myobacterium smegmatis and referred to as interphase material was tested in view of measuring its ability to activate macrophages in vitro and in vivo . This preparation was previously shown to protect mice against a syngeneic leukemia and to increase the immune response of the guinea pig . Other water-soluble adjuvants devoid of demonstrable antitumor activity in vivo were also assayed . The results argue in favor of a correlation between adjuvant activity and the capacity of activating macrophages . Moreover, interphase material administered in vivo consistently induced stronger and more persistent stimulations of macrophages than the other preparations assayed.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1975 Oct, 72(10), 4037 - 41
Conditions controlling commitment of differentiation in Bacillus megaterium; Freese EB et al.; The developmental stage at which cells of Bacillus megaterium are committed to continue differentiation, i.e., sporulation, depends on both the previous growth medium and the new medium to which the cells are transferred for the commitment test . The latest "stage of no return," after which cells continue differentiation, no matter how rich in nutrients the medium, is reached as soon as the forespore is completely surrounded by a double membrane.

Can J Microbiol, 1975 Oct, 21(10), 1464 - 7
Death rates of bacterial spores: nonlinear survivor curves; Han YW; Nonlinear survivor curves were obtained when spores of Bacillus cereus were heated in physiological saline solution . Curvilinear survivor curves did not appear to be caused by experimental artifacts but by the heterogeneity of spore population with regard to heat resistance.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1975 Oct, 28(10), 764 - 9
The amino acid sequence of cerexin A (studies on antibiotics from the genus Bacillus . VII; Shoji J et al.; N-Bromosuccinimide cleavage reaction on cerexin A liberated allo-isoleucine . Treatment with conc . hydrochloric acid cleaved the antibiotic into two peptide fragments selectively at gamma-hydroxylysine residue . Deacylation with an enzyme preparation from Pseudomonas sp . afforded deacyl cerexin A . The amino acid sequences of these peptide fragments were examined by Edman degradation . From all the results, the entire amino acid sequence of cerexin A was deduced.

Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1975 Oct, 83(5), 519 - 24
On the function of the polypeptide antibiotic bacitracin in the producer strain Bacillus licheniformis; Haavik HI; The growth of the bacitracin producing strain Bacillus licheniformis AL and the bacitracin-negative mutant SB 319 have been compared at different cultural conditions . Concentrations of the metal chelator EDTA which strongly inhibited the growth of the non-producer only slightly inhibited the growth of the bacitracin producer . The inhibitory effect of EDTA upon SB 319 was reversed by the addition of excess manganese(II)ions, cobalt(II)ions, or zinc(II)ions to the culture . The addition of several other ions had no such effect . The addition of bacitracin to the EDTA inhibited mutant also promoted growth . When the non-producer was mutated back to bacitracin production, the inhibitory effect of EDTA was lost . It is suggested that bacitracin may normally promote the uptake of several trace metals during growth of the producer organism.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Oct, 124(1), 593 - 4
Protease associated with spores of Bacillus cereus; Tesone C et al.; A proteolytic activity is associated with the dormant spores of Bacillus cereus T and can be solubilized by washing the spores with 1 M KCl . This proteolytic activity is responsible for the attack of beta chains of ribonucleic acid-polymerase in extracts of dormant spores of this organism.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Oct, 124(1), 542 - 9
Ribonucleic acid polymerase of germinating Bacillus cereus T; Hattori J et al.; It appears that a de novo synthesis of the deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid-polymerase in Bacillus cereus T takes place fairly late in outgrowth, at the onset of the vegetative cycle . Therefore, the ribonucleic acid-polymerase used by germinating spores is the one carried on from sporulating cells . However, the sporal enzyme is less soluble that the vegetative one, and its "core" is bound to two extra peptides . This complexing to other molecules could play a role in the regulation of gene expression during germination.

Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig B}, 1975 Oct, 161(2), 178 - 87
{Report of "lethal factor" synthetized by Bacillus cereus (author's transl)}; Balacescu C; Bacillus cereus growing in nutrition broth produces during logarithmic growth and in stationary phase a lethal factor extremely toxic for rodents . This toxin is only produced in the presence of oxygen and depends on bacterial replication . The highest titers of toxin are obtained using bacteria in a concentration of 10(7) to 10(9) per ml of nutrition broth . During regression phase of Bacillus cereus the titer of toxin declines to zero . Toxicity of the lethal factor becomes not altered in an alcaline or acidic medium . Temperatures exceeding 65 degrees C inactivate the toxin indicating its thermolability . Oral and rectal dispension of large quantities of the lethal factor does not induce toxic symptoms in rodents . However, when applicating toxin containing cultural filtrate of Bacillus cereus as an i.v., i.p., i.n . or s.c . injection it becomes highly toxic for mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits . All animals injected by the different ways parenterally died.

Biochem J, 1975 Oct, 151(1), 115 - 20
Poly(glucosylglycerol phosphate) teichoic acid in the walls of Bacillus stearothermophilus B65; Anderson AJ et al.; 1 . Walls of Bacillus stearothermophilus B65 contain a glycerol teichoic acid in which repeating structures consisting of 1-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosylglycerol phosphate are held together by phosphodiester linkage between the glycerol and glucose moieties of adjacent units . 2 . The walls are not agglutinated on incubation with concanavalin A, nor does the isolated teichoic acid form a precipitate with this lectin . 3 . No evidence was obtained of the presence of the glucosylated (1 leads to 2)-poly(glycerol phosphate) teichoic acid which has previously been reported to occur in walls of this bacterium.

J Exp Med, 1975 Oct 1, 142(4), 887 - 902
Differential stimulation of murine lymphoma growth in vitro by normal and BCG-activated macrophages; Nathan CF et al.; Peritoneal macrophages from mice infected with Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and from normal mice were examined for their effects in vitro on thymidine uptake by 10 murine lymphomas, a murine fibroblast line, and a guinea pig hepatoma . Only the murine fibroblast line showed growth inhibition in the presence of BCG macrophages . For the majority of tumors, normal macrophages were profoundly stimulatory to tumor cell DNA synthesis, while BCG macrophages were much less stimulatory, without being frankly inhibitory . The effect of 2-mercaptoethanol on tumor cell growth was also studied . All lymphomas stimulated to grow more rapidly in vitro by normal macrophages were stimulated to a similar degree by 2-mercaptoethanol.

Rev Ig Bacteriol Virusol Parazitol Epidemiol Pneumoftiziol Bacteriol Virusol Parazitol Epidemiol, 1975 Oct-Dec, 20(4), 239 - 43
{Protein changes in the jejunal juice and endointestinal exudation of albumin-I 131 in acute infectious enterocolitis}; Josan R et al.; The phenomenon of endointestinal protein exudation in acute infectious enterocolitis is studied . Total proteins were determined in 30 cases of acute enterocolitis and 50 of bacillary dysentery in the acute stages of the disease and convalescence . The proteinogram of the jejunal juice was performed in the acute stage and convalescence in 20 patients . In 16 patients and 5 controls endointestinal albumin elimination was determined quantitatively by means of 131I labeled albumin . The results showed increase in the total protein content in the jejunal juice in the course of acute infectious enterocolitis and bacillary dysentery and a return to normal values in convalescence . Electrophoresis of the jejunal juice in acute infectious enterocolitis showed the absence of fraction III with alpha1-globulin migration, and increased fractions I, II and IV probably due to the loss of endointestinal albumin, also confirmed by quantitative albumin determinations with 131I labeled albumin . In conclusion, patients with acute infectious enterocolitis present a marked loss of endointestinal albumins in the acute stage of the disease, with a return to normal values in convalescence.

Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis . 1975 Oct-Dec;43(4):306.
Mycobacterial antigens in antibody responses of leprosy patients; Kronvall G et al.; A reference system for M . smegmatis antigens in crossed immunoelectrophoresis was used to study antibody activities in serum samples of 91 leprosy patients . All polar and borderline lepromatous patients were positive . Mean numbers out of 14 M . smegmatis antigens involved were 4.3 and 3.5, respectively . Precipitins against antigen no . 1 were seen in all lepromatous cases . Antibodies against this antigen were detected in 50% of tuberculoid (polar, subpolar and borderline) cases . Antibody activity against M . avium and M . duvalii antigens was also detected using a staphylococcal radio-immuno-assay . Borderline and polar lepromatous cases showed elevated levels . Antigenic comparisons were made between four slow growing mycobacteria, fourteen fast growing mycobacteria and the leprosy bacillus using lepromatous serum pools as antibody reagents . Four of the antigens detected in M . leprae were also found in slow growing as well as fast growing species indicating a common occurrence among mycobacteria . Antigen no . 1 of M . duvalii, with an apparent molecular weight of 290,000, showed nonprotein characteristics . Further analysis of antigen no . 21, using lepromatous serum pools as antibody reagents, indicated the existence of at least two groups of antigenic determinants . In addition to determinants shared by all mycobacteria, there were antigenic structures apparently unique to M . leprae.

Hoppe Seylers Z Physiol Chem, 1975 Oct, 356(10), 1613 - 23
D-glucose dehydrogenase from Bacillus megaterium M 1286: purification, properties and structure; Pauly HE et al.; 1) Glucose dehydrogenase from Bacillus megaterium has been purified to a specific activity of 550 U per mg protein . The homogeneity of the purified enzyme was demonstrated by gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing . 2) The amino acid composition has been determined . 3) The molecular weight of the native enzyme was found to be 116000 by gel permeation chromatography, in good agreement with the values of 120000 and 118000, which were ascertained electrophoretically according to the method of Hedrick and Smith and by density gradient centrifugation, respectively . 4) In the presence of 0.1% sodium dodecylsulfate and 8M urea, the enzyme dissociates into subunits with a molecular weight of 30000 as determined by dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis . These values indicate that the native enzyme is composed of four polypeptide chains, each probably possessing one coenzyme binding site, which can be concluded from fluorescent titration of the NADH binding sites . 5) In polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis, samples of the purified enzyme exhibit three bands of activity, which present the native (tetrameric) form of glucose dehydrogenase and two monomeric forms (molecular weight 30000), arising under the conditions of pH and ionic strength of this method . 6) The enzyme shows a sharp pH optimum at pH 8.0 in Tris/HCl buffer, and a shift of the pH optimum to pH 9.0 in acetate/borate buffer . The limiting Michaelis constant at pH 9.0 for NAD is 4.5 mM and 47.5 mM for glucose . The dissociation constant for NAD is 0.69 mM . 7) D-Glucose dehydrogenase is highly specific for beta-D-glucose and is capable of using either NAD or NADP . The enzyme is insensitive to sulfhydryl group inhibitors, heavy metal ions and chelating agents.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1975 Sep 29, 281(13), 953 - 6
{Demonstration of a single form of alpha-acetohydroxy acid synthetase in Bacillus cereus T}; Raimond J; Existence of one form of alpha-acetohydroxyacid synthetase shown by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation analysis, and inhibition in vitro by valine studies on the enzyme of Bacillus cereus T.

J Biol Chem, 1975 Sep 25, 250(18), 7139 - 46
Reactivation of the lipid-depleted pyruvate oxidase system from Escherichia coli with cell envelope neutral lipids; Cunningham CC et al.; The pyruvate oxidase system of Escherichia coli is composed of a soluble flavoprotein, pyruvate oxidase (EC 1.2.2.2, pyruvate:ferricytochrome b1 oxidoreductase), and an electron transport system associated with the cell envelope-membrane fraction . The membrane particles contain 15% lipid by weight . Fractionation of the lipids revealed that abut one-third are neutral lipids and two-thirds are phospholipids . The relative ratio of ubiquinone to menaquinone within the neutral lipid fraction is 15:1 on a molar basis . Removal of the lipids from the membrane particles by extraction with aqueous acetone or hydrolysis of the phospholipids by treatment with Bacillus cereus phospholipase C results in a complete loss of electron transport activity . Analysis of the particles extracted with aqueous acetone revealed that practically all the neutral lipids and 65% of the phospholipids are removed by this treatment . Phospholipase treatment results in a loss of 75% of the membrane phospholipid phosphorus; however, the diglycerides and the neutral lipids produced by phospholipase hydrolysis remain associated with the particles . Addition of neutral lipid and a detergent, hepta-DL-alanyl dodecylamide to the acetone-extracted material results in a restoration of 37% of the original particle activity . Addition of neutral lipid and hepta-DL-alanyl dodecylamide to phospholipase-treated particles completely restores the original electron transport activity . Furthermore, addition of ubiquinone from either yeast (UQ6) or E . coli (UQ8) will restore pyruvate oxidase activity when the quinones are supplemented with photoinactivated neutral lipid . No restoration of activity to phospholipase-treated particles is noted upon the addition of either menaquinone 6 or menaquinone 8 to the reconstitution system . In fact, these compounds appear to suppress restoration of activity when they are added to reaction mixtures containing neutral lipid and phospholipase-treated particles.

Biochemistry, 1975 Sep 23, 14(19), 4298 - 304
Structural role of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate analogs, and other agents in the association of subunits of Bacillus alvei apotryptophanase; Isom HC et al.; Bacillus alvei apotryptophanase readily dissociates at low protein concentration and sediments at 5.7 S (dimer) in 0.01 M potassium phosphate (pH 7.8) from 9 to 33 degrees . With temperature held constant at 9 degrees, increasing the potassium, sodium, or ammonium phosphate buffer concentration increases the sedimentation value to 8.0 S . Increasing the monovalent cation concentration alone does not have the effect . Imidazole and pyridoxal compete with phosphate, preventing the effect . Raising the temperature to 26 degrees in the presence of high concentrations of potassium phosphate increases the sedimentation constant to 9.4 S . The addition of pyridoxal-P converts the dimer to a 9.4S tetramer . The conversion is dependent upon coenzyme concentration, temperature, and the nature of monovalent cation present . The Km for pyridoxal-P for the sodium form of the enzyme is more than tenfold greater than the Km for the potassium form of the enzyme . 2'-Methyl, 2'-hydroxyl, 6-methyl, and the N-oxide of pyridoxal-P are active in the association of dimer to tetramer but to differing extents . Analogs altered in the 4'-formyl position are also inactive structurally . Anthranilic acid, a competitive inhibitor of tryptophan, and 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS), a competitive inhibitor of pyridoxal-P binding, are both active in affecting the dimer to tetramer association but tryptophan is not . The dimer and tetramer are spectrally distinguishable through circular dichroic measurements, fluroescence quenching with pyridoxal-P or pyridoxal, and fluorescence enhancement with ANS . Pyridoxal-P causes the release of ANS from an ANS-apoenzyme complex.

Biochemistry, 1975 Sep 23, 14(19), 4291 - 7
Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and analogs as probes of coenzyme-protein interaction in Baccillus alvei tryptophanase; Isom HC et al.; Trytophanase from Bacillus alvei was resolved from its coenzyme, pyridoxal phosphate, by treatment with cysteine followed by column chromatography . Spectrophotometric titration of apoenzyme with pyridoxal-P showed 1 mol of pyridoxal-P bound per 52,000 g of enzyme . Kinetic analysis of coenzyme binding showed hyperbolic activation curves with a Km of 1.6 muM . Pyridoxal-P was used as a natural active site probe in spectrophotometric studies to distinguish differences in the active center of holotryptophanase and reconstituted enzyme that were not apparent by other techniques . The pKa for holotryptophanase is 7.9 while the pKa for reconstituted apoenzyme is 8.4 . Apotryptophanase binds 2-nor, 2'-methyl, 2'-hydroxy, 6-methyl, and N-oxide pyridoxal-P to form analog enzymes distinguishable on the basis of absorption spectra and relative activity in catalyzing both the alpha, beta-elimination and beta-replacement reactions of tryptophanase . Apoenzyme also binds pyridoxal but pyridoxal analog enzyme is not active.

Klin Wochenschr, 1975 Sep 15, 53(18), 881 - 3
Mechanisms by which tumors avoid destruction by the immune system BCG-catalyzed increase in IgG and IgA blocking activity of lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity; Hakim AA; The immunoglobulin IgM fraction from the serum of one week sarcoma-bearing BALB/c mice increased, the IgG and IgA fractions from the same animal had no effect on the lymphocytemediated cytotoxic release of 51Cr from 51Cr-labelled sarcoma cells . These latter two immunoglobulin fractions from serum of 14 Days, or more, sarcoma-bearing mice inhibited the lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxic activity . The IgA, IgG or IgM fractions from mice inoculated with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) had no effect, but if these same animals were inoculated with viable sarcoma cells (10(2) to 10(6) cells per mouse) IgG and IgA fractions inhibited the lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxic activity . The magnitude of inhibition was greatest with sera or IgG from tumor-bearing BCG-treated animals.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1975 Sep 15, 281(11), 755 - 8
{A Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner mutant resistant to oxytetracycline, with temperature-sensitive sporulation}; Fargette F et al.; Sporulation of an oxytetracycline-resistant mutant is blocked at 37 degrees C and delayed at 30 degrees C; shift up and shift down (30-37 degrees C) and assays of some extra- and intracellular enzymes show that an early event (stage II) is concerned.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 Sep 12, 407(1), 61 - 72
On the nature of the cytosine-methylated sequence in DNA of Bacillus brevis var . G.-B; Vanyushin BF et al.; On growing the cells of Bacillus brevis S methionine-auxotroph mutant in the presence of {Me-3H}methionine, practically all the radioactivity incorporated into DNA is found to exist in 5-methylcytosine and N6-methyladenine . The analysis of pyrimidine isopliths isolated from DNA shows that radioactivity only exists in mono- and dinucleotides and the content of 5-methylcytosine in R-m5 C-R and R-m5 C-T-R oligonucleotides is equal . The analysis of dinucleotides isolated from DNA by means of pancreatic DNAase hydrolysis allows the nature of purine residues neighbouring 5-methylcytosine to be identified and shows that 5-methylcytosine localizes in G-m5 C-A and G-m5 C-Tr fragments . B . brevis S DNA methylase modifying cytosine residues recognizes the GCA/TGC degenerate nucleotide sequence which is a part of the following complementary structure with a two-fold rotational axis of symmetry: (5')...N'-G-C-T-G-C-N.. . (3') (3')...N-C-G-A-C-G-N'.. . (5') (Methylated cytosine residues are askerisked) . Cytosine-modifying DNA methylase activity is isolated from B . brevis cells; it is capable of methylating in vitro homologous and heterologous DNA . Hence DNA in bacterial cells can be undermethylated . This enzyme methylates cytosine residues in native and denatured DNA in the same nucleotide sequences . Specificity of methylation of cytosine residues in vitro and in vivo does not depend on the nature of substrate DNA . DNA methylases of different variants of B . brevis (R, S, P+, P-)) methylate cytosine residues in the same nucleotide sequences . It means that specificity or methylation of DNA cytosine residues in the cells of different variants of B . brevis is the same.

J Biol Chem, 1975 Sep 10, 250(17), 6983 - 9
D-amino acid aminotransferase of Bacillus sphaericus . Enzymologic and spectrometric properties; Yonaha K et al.; D-Amino acid aminotransferase, purified to homogeneity and crystallized from Bacillus sphaericus, has a molecular weight of about 60,000 and consists of two subunits identical in molecular weight (30,000) . The enzyme exhibits absorption maxima at 280, 330, and 415 nm, which are independent of the pH (5.5 to 10.0), and contains 2 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate per mol of enzyme . One of the pyridoxal-5'-P, absorbing at 415 nm, is bound in an aldimine linkage to the epsilon-amino group of a lysine residue of the protein, and is released by incubation with phenylhydrazine to yield the catalytically inactive form . The inactive form, which is reactivated by addition of pyridoxal 5'phosphate, still has a 330 nm peak and contains 1 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate . Therefore, this form is regarded as a semiapoenzyme . The holoenzyme shows negative circular dichroic bands at 330 and 415 nm . D-Amino acid aminotransferase catalyzes alpha transamination of various D-amino acids and alpha-keto acids . D-Alanine, D-alpha-aminobutyrate and D-glutamate, and alpha-ketoglutarate, pyruvate, and alpha-ketobutyrate are the preferred amino donors and acceptors, respectively . The enzyme activity is significantly affected by both the carbonyl and sulfhydryl reagents . The Michaelis constants are as follows: D-alanine (1.3 and 4.2 mM with alpha-ketobutyrate and alpha-ketoglutarate, respictively), alpha-ketobutyrate (14 mM withD-alanine), alpha-ketoglutarate (3.4 mM with D-alanine), pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (2.3 muM) and pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate (25 muM).

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Sep, 30(3), 489 - 92
Gamma-aminobutyric acid pathway and modified tricarboxylic acid cycle activity during growth and sporulation of Bacillus thuringiensis; Aronson JN et al.; Enzymatic analyses of Bacillus thuringiensis extracts suggest that a modified Krebs tricarboxylic acid cycle (without alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase) can operate during sporulation in conjunction with the glyoxylic acid cycle and the gamma-aminobutyric acid pathway.

J Exp Zool, 1975 Sep, 193(3), 361 - 7
DNA-RNA bodies in midgut cells of the stick insect, Bacillus rossius; Scali V et al.; In the anterior part of the midgut and in the Malpighian tubules of the stick insect Bacillus rossius, about 10% of the epithelial cells develop endonuclear bodies which appear as DNA-RNA masses; in these cells the usual nucleoli are no longer evident . The DNA-RNA bodies are first formed in third instar larvae, become numerous in the fourth instar and persist in adults . In all larval instars and adults a different kind of DNA-body has been noticed in the epithelial cells of the posterior midgut . The DNA-RNA bodies of the anterior midgut and of the Malpighian tubules have been interpreted as the result of somatic gene amplification, whereas the DNA masses of the posterior midgut are likely due to a virus infection.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Sep, 123(3), 806 - 14
Evidence for extrusion of unfolded extracellular enzyme polypeptide chains through membranes of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; Sanders RL et al.; The production of extracellular alpha-amylase and protease by protoplasts of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens has been achieved . The production of enzymically active protease was totally dependent on a high concentration of either Mg2+, Ca2+, or spermidine, but production of active alpha-amylase was not . This cation dependence of protease production was seen immediately upon addition of lysozyme to intact cells . The cations could prevent the inactivation of protease and alter the cytoplasmic membrane configuration of protoplasts . Production of active alpha-amylase and protease by protoplasts was totally inhibited by proteolytic enzymes such as trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, or the organism's purified extracellular protease . The evidence suggests that these degradative enzymes act specifically on the emerging polypeptide of the extracellular enzyme and that the polypeptide emerges in a conformation different from that of the native molecule.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1975 Sep, 72(9), 3463 - 7
Degradation of penicillin G to phenylacetylglycine by D-alanine carboxypeptidase from Bacillus stearothermophilus; Hammarstrom S et al.; D-Alanine carboxypeptidase from Bacillus stearothermophilus is a membrane-bound enzyme which is inhibited by covalent interaction with penicillin G . The penicilloyl enzyme spontaneously reactivates and simultaneously releases a penicillin G degradation product; 0.2 mumol of the latter was isolated after incubation of 4.2 mumol of {8-14C}penicillin G with 10 g of membrane protein . It was identified as phenylacetylglycine by chromatographic techniques, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry . A mechanism for the degradation is proposed in which the remaining part of penicillin G would be released as 5,5-dimethyl-delta2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid . The implications of this finding are discussed.

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Sep, 30(3), 445 - 9
Liquid nitrogen cryo-impacting: a new concept for cell disruption; Smucker RA et al.; High-efficiency disruption of bacteria can be accomplished in 2 or more min by the new procedure of liquid nitrogen cryo-impacting . Release of the dipicolinic acid-Ca2+ chelate paralleled the breakage of Bacillus megaterium endospores . Lactate dehydrogenase activity was much better in supernates from liquid nitrogen cryo-impacting-broken Escherichia coli cells than in those from sonically treated and broken E . coli cells.

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Sep, 30(3), 439 - 44
Degradation of 3-hydroxybenzoate by bacteria of the genus Bacillus; Crawford RL; The pathway whereby certain bacterial strains of the genus Bacillus degrade m-hydroxybenzoate is delineated . Of 12 strains examined, nine were tentatively classified as representatives of the species Bacillus brevis, two of Bacillus sphaericus and one of Bacillus megaterium . All strains degraded m-hydroxybenzoate via the same pathway . m-Hydroxybenzoate was hydroxylated to 2,5-dihydroxybenzoate (gentisate), which was oxidized by a gentisate 1,2-deoxygenase yielding maleylpyruvate . Maleylpyruvate was hydrolyzed without prior cis, cis to cis, trans isomerization yielding pyruvate and maleic acid . Numerous soils were examined by plate-count procedures and found to contain 10(4) to 10(6) aerobic sporeformers able to grow on m-hydroxybenzoate per g of dry soil.

Eur J Biochem, 1975 Sep 1, 57(1), 221 - 30
Terminal-sequence analysis of bacterial ribosomal RNA . Correlation between the 3'-terminal-polypyrimidine sequence of 16-S RNA and translational specificity of the ribosome; Shine J et al.; The 3'-terminal sequences of 16-S ribosomal RNA from a number of bacteria have been determined by a stepwise degradation and 3'-terminal labelling procedure . The sequences obtained were: Bacillus stearothermophilus, -G(Z)approximately 5 Y-U-C-C-U-U-U-C-U (A); B . subtilis, -G(Z)approximately 7 Y-C-U-U-U-C-U; Caulobacter crescentus, -G(Z)3 Y-U-C-C-U-U-U-C-U; Pseudomonas aerugionosa, -G-Z-Z-Y-C-U-C-U-C-C-U-U(A), where Z is any nucleotide other than G . Thus, as previously found in Escherichia coli, all bacterial 16-S rRNAs contain a pyrimidine-rich tract at the 3'-terminus . In B . stearothermophilus and Ps . aeruginosa this region shows substantial heterogeneity involving the 3'-terminal adenylic acid . A low level of 3'-terminal heterogeneity cannot be excluded for the other bacterial 16-S rRNAs examined . The 3'-termini of bacterial 16-S rRNA can be divided into two groups on the basis of sequence homology . The first group comprises E . coli and Ps . aeruginosa; the second, B . stearothermophilus, B . subtilis and C . crescentus . This division correlates with a previous separation of bacterial ribosomes into two categories based on ability to translate different mRNA preparations {Stallcup, Sharrock & Rabinowitz (1974) Biochem . Biophys . Res . Commun . 58, 92-98} . We have previously proposed that the precise base sequence at the 3'-terminus of 16-S rRNA determines the intrinsic capacity of bacterial ribosomes to translate a particular cistron {Shine & Dalgarno (1975) Nature (Lond.) 254, 34-38} . No difference was found in the 3'-terminal heptanucleotide sequence of 16-S rRNA from bacteriophage T7-infected E . coli, as compared to that in uninfected cells . Thus, the T7-induced alteration in translational specificity of E . coli ribosomes is probably not mediated by modification of the terminal seven nucleotides of the smaller rRNA . The 3'-terminal sequences of the 23-S rRNA species were also determined . The sequences obtained were: B stearothermophilus and B . subtilis, -Y-C; C . crescentus, -Y-C-U; Ps . aeruginosa, -Y-C-A; E . coli, -G-Y-U-U-A-A-C-C-U-U . No evidence for 3'-terminal heterogeneity was found . The results obtained are discussed in relation to possible base-pairing roles for the 3'-end of 16-S rRNA in bacterial protein synthesis.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Sep, 123(3), 1197 - 207
Cell wall growth of Bacillus megaterium: cytoplasmic radioactivity after pulse-labeling with tritiated diaminopimelic acid; de Chastellier C et al.; Study of the cell wall growth in Bacillus megaterium by pulse-labeling a DAP- Lys- mutant with tritiated diaminopimelic acid (DAP) had revealed the presence of intracytoplasmic radioactivity . The nature of this radioactivity was studied on one hand by autoradiographic analysis of bacteria treated in different ways and on the other hand by chromatography of the radioactive compounds extracted with boiling water . It is shown that cytoplasmic radioactivity corresponds neither to free DAP nor to DAP metabolized into lysine, but to murein precursors . Autoradiographic analysis of bacteria in which all murein precursors were removed gives exactly the same cell wall growth pattern as the one previously obtained for untreated bacteria . It can be concluded that, in B . megaterium, cell wall elongation occurs by diffuse intercalation of newly synthesized murein along the cylindrical part of the cell wall and that only cross wall formation occurs in a precise growth zone.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Sep, 123(3), 1184 - 96
Study of cell wall growth in Bacillus megaterium by high-resolution autoradiography; de Chastellier C et al.; Growth of the cell wall of Bacillus megaterium was studied by pulse-labeling the cell wall of a DAP- Lys- mutant for a very short time with tritium-labeled diaminopimelic acid . The distribution of radioactivity along the cell wall was examined by high-resolution autoradiography on isolated cell walls and thin sections of bacteria . The results indicate that cell wall elongation occurs by diffuse intercalation of newly synthesized murein into the expanding cell wall during exponential growth, as well as during germination, and that the only zone of highly localized diaminopimelic acid incorporation is found at the cross wall during its synthesis . This zone contains about 30% of the radioactivity incorporated into the cell wall . Analysis of autoradiographs of thin sections of bacteria shows that the total radioactivity incorporated per bacterium doubles during the life cycle . This doubling occurs in the cylindrical part of the cell wall but not in the polar caps . This seems to indicate that elongation of the bacterium is not constant during the life cycle but increases with the length of the cell.

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Sep, 30(3), 354 - 61
Metalloprotease from Bacillus thuringiensis; Li E et al.; Bacillus thuringiensis var . kurstaki was shown to produce an extracellular, metal chelator-sensitive protease during the early stages of sporulation . Protease production in nutrient broth was dependent upon supplementation with Mn2+ or Ca2 . The addition of Ca24 was required for enzyme stabilization...

Mikrobiologiia, 1975 Sep-Oct, 44(5), 791 - 4
{Change in the activity of the enzymatic systems of Bacillus anthracoides spores during germination and under the action of Ca hypochlorite}; Bekhtereva MN et al.; The activity of the enzymes of the citric acid cycle, glycolysis, and hexose monophosphate pathway was studied during germination of the spores of Bacillus anthracoides and upon their treatment with calcium hypochlorite . No activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was found in the extracts of the vegetative cells, contrary to the spores and initiated spores . The activity of other enzymes changes but slightly in the course of germination of the spores . Treatment of the spores with calcium hypochlorite inhibited their initiation and germination and the activity of several enzymes, especially malate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and fumarase.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1975 Sep, 72(9), 3656 - 60
Enhancement of immunity against murine syngeneic tumors by a fraction extracted from non-pathogenic mycobacteria; Lamensans A et al.; The data reported here demonstrate that a preparation extracted from nonpathogenic mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium smegmatis and hereafter referred to as interphase material protected mice against Ehrlich ascitic carcinoma, L-1210 leukemia, and another syngeneic lymphoid leukemia . Furthermore, mice treated by this preparation were much less susceptible to endotoxins than when stimulated by BCG (bacillus Calmette-Guerin) or M . smegmatis cells . Moreover, guinea pigs treated by interphase material administered in Freund's incomplete adjuvant showed an increased immune response, yet their sensitivity to tuberculin was much weaker than that of controls sensitized with Freund's complete adjuvant . Finally, resistance to Columbia SK virus infection could be demonstrated when interphase material was administered to mice prior to virus challenge.

Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol, 1975 Sep-Oct, 11(5), 742 - 5
{Effect of the method of cell disintegration on the aspartate kinase activity of preparations from Bacillus polymyxa var . Ross.}; Chigaleichuk AG et al.; The influence of methods of cell disintegration of Bac . polymyxa on aspartate kinase activity (EC 2.7.2.4) was examined . The disruption by means of the Hews press yielded a more active preparation as compared with ultrasonic disintegration . The supernatant treatment with streptomycin sulphate increased the preparation activity 2-fold . Dialysis of the fraction with a high activity of aspartate kinase inactivated the enzyme by 80--85% . The relationship between the aspartate kinase activity and the portein and ATP concentration in the reaction mixture was established.

Can J Microbiol, 1975 Aug, 21(8), 1270 - 2
Soil bacteriostasis: inhibition of spore germination and microcolony development in agar discs incubated on nonsterile soils; Davis RD; An agar-disc method showed that bacterial spores were subject to a bacteriostatic effect exerted by soil . Soil either inhibited spore germination or reduced microcolony development of the six Bacillus strains tested . Bacteriostasis was relieved by the addition of nutrients to soil-exposed discs after they had been removed from the soil.

Can J Biochem, 1975 Aug, 53(8), 827 - 33
Carboxyl-terminal sequences of procaryotic ribosomal proteins from Escherichia coli, Bacillus stearothermophilus, and Halobacterium cutirubrum; Duggleby RG et al.; The carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequences of two ribosomal proteins, Escherichia coli L12 and E . coli S4, and the proteins believed to be their equivalents from Bacillus stearothermophilus and Halobacterium cutirubrum, were determined . These proteins are known to be required for peptide chain termination (L12) and in ribosome assembly (S4) . The carboxyl-terminal sequences obtained suggest that the E . coli and B . stearothermophilus proteins have retained structural homology in this region, whereas the H . cutirubrum proteins have not.

Eur J Biochem, 1975 Aug 1, 56(1), 15 - 22
Role of ribosomal protein S1 in portein synthesis: effects of its addition to Bacillus stearothermophilus cell-free system; Isono S et al.; Products of the f2 phage RNA-directed protein synthesizing systems in vitro, derived from Escherichia coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus, were analyzed . In contrast to other reports, it was found that B . stearothermophilus ribosomes synthesized phage coat protein when the high-speed (100 000 X g) supernatant (S100) and ribosomal wash (crude initiation factors) of homologous origin were used . Furthermore, a marked stimulation of coat protein synthesis was observed with B . stearothermophilus ribosomes when either S100 or ribosomal wash or both from E . coli cells were used instead of the respective homologous components . The principle responsible for this stimulation was identified as the 30-S ribosomal protein S1 present in S100 and ribosomal wash . Purified S1 from E . coli at roughly one-to-one molar ratio to ribosomes resulted in about 10-fold stimulation of the incorporation of {14C}valine when added to the B . stearothermophilus system . This stimulation was observed mainly in the synthesis of coat protein and replicase.

J Lab Clin Med, 1975 Aug, 86(2), 349 - 59
Radioimmunoassay, acetylating radio-enzymatic assay, and microbioassay of gentamicin: a comparative study; Stevens P et al.; Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic widely used to treat gram-negative bacillary infections . Because it has a low therapeutic index, monitoring of serum levels may help to insure adequacy of dosage and avoid toxicity . Microbiological assays are relatively slow and can be complicated by the presence of other antimicrobials . Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and acetylating radio-enzymatic assay (ARA) are new methods for gentamicin assay which offer the following advantages: rapidity (less than 3 hours); no interference by other antibiotics; RIA is extremely sensitive and ARA is versatile (being useful in the measurement of other aminoglycosides) . Correlation coefficients determined by linear regression analysis of assays on 36 patient samples performed in duplicate on 2 different days demonstrated no significant difference in measurement of gentamicin by each of the methods . Factors such as numbers of specimens, cost, and time involved will affect the decision of the method to be applied in individual laboratories.

Int J Radiat Biol Relat Stud Phys Chem Med, 1975 Aug, 28(2), 165 - 76
Two components in the radiation sensitization of bacterial spores by p-nitroacetophenone: the -OH component; Ewing D; p-Nitroacetophenone (PNAP) sensitizes Bacillus megaterium spores under anoxic conditions to the lethal effects of 50 kVp X-rays . Concentrations between approximately 5 X 10(-4) M and 3-8 X 10(-3) M produce the maximum effect, an increase of about 30 per cent over the anoxic response when the spores are irradiated in water . Compounds that scavenge -OH decrease, but cannot completely eliminate, this maximum amount of sensitization . These results indicate that PNAP acts to increase spores' radiation sensitivity through two separable types of chemical reactions: one which involves -OH and one which does not . Possible mechanisms responsible for these two components of damage are discussed . In these experiments 1/15 M phosphate buffer acts in several unexpected ways . This concentration itself increased the anoxic spore response by about 9 per cent (relative to the anoxic response in water) . In addition, although the maximum amounts of sensitization were the same, the amounts of sensitization from lower PNAP concentrations differed when the suspending fluid was buffer instead of water . An interaction was also seen during the PNAP-t-butanol experiments; again, the responses at low PNAP concentrations were different in buffer and in water . No mechanisms for these actions of this buffer were suggested, although somewhat similar effects may occur with other organisms . Clearly, such effects must be recognized and evaluated before quantitative analyses of the actions of sensitivity-modifying agents can be completed.

Can J Microbiol, 1975 Aug, 21(8), 1192 - 7
Germination of Bacillus cereus endospores: a proposed role for heat shock and nucleosides; Yousten AA; Spores of Bacillus cereus T prepared in a glucose - yeast extract - salts broth germinated in L-alanine or more rapidly in L-alanine plus inosine or adenosine . The nucleosides alone were not germinative . Inosine was shown to produce no pregerminative changes in spores that prepared them for more rapid germination later in L-alanine . Experiments which measured the interaction of nucleosides, heat shock, and D-alanine on germination rates suggested that nucleosides may potentiate L-alanine-induced germination by causing discrimination against D-alanine at the L-alanine binding site(s) in the spore . D-Alanine is germinative when used with inosine probably because of L-alanine formation by alanine racemase . Heat shock, a prerequisite to D-alanine plus inosine-induced germination, may facilitate entry of inosine into the spore in amounts needed to discriminate against D-alanine.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Aug, 123(2), 717 - 23
Passage of a membrane protein through the walls of toluene-treated Bacillus megaterium cells; Fan DP et al.; Based on autoradiographic and microscopic evidence, it seems likely that a membrane protein essential for peptidoglycan synthesis can be extracted from uhlysed toluene-treated Bacillus megaterium cells . Furthermore, this protein can be added back to the membrane through the wall to reconstitute peptidoglycan synthesis . Autoradiograms also show that peptidoglycan is synthesized from externally added nucleotide precursors over the entire length of the toluene-treated bacterial . The amounts of peptidoglycan made is to small to be visible by thin section electron microscopy.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Aug, 123(2), 598 - 603
Lipid metabolism during bacterial growth, sporulation, and germination: an obligate nutritional requirement in Bacillus thuringiensis for compounds that stimulate fatty acid synthesis; Nickerson tkw et al.; The regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis by compounds that are required for growth of Bacillus thuringiensis was investigated using an vivo assay developed to measure fatty acid synthesis in germinating spores . A minimal glucose-ammonium-salts medium does not support growth even though previous radiorespirometric studies have shown B . thuringiensis to possess intact tricarboxylic acid and Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathways . Abundant growth does occur, however, when this medium is supplemented with either glutamate, aspartate, citrate, thiosulfate, cystine, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid . Cells held under nongrowing conditions incorporate acetate into fatty acids; fatty acid synthesis is stimulated by the compounds that permit growth . These alternate nutritional requirements are not manifestations of a vitamin or trace metal deficiency and do not reflect a chelation phenomenon . These results indicate a direct correlation between the capacity of these compounds to promote growth and to stimulate formation of fatty acids.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Aug, 123(2), 463 - 70
Germination and peptidoglycan solubilization in Bacillus megaterium spores; Hsieh LK et al.; During initiation of Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 spore germination, trichloroacetic acid-soluble, nondialyzable peptidoglycan fragments with an average molecular weight of 20,000 were excreted . This solubilization of peptidoglycan was measured in vitro as the amount of trichloroacetic acid-soluble hexosamine released from a suspension of broken spores . HgC12, a potent inhibitor of initiation, had no effect on the in vitro solubilization of peptidoglycan . In vivo, HgC12 had no effect on peptidoglycan release from spores that had lost heat resistance, but HgC12 did block complete absorbance loss . These results suggest that mercury inhibits some reactions that normally occur before loss in heat resistance but not the subsequent peptidoglycan release, and mercury inhibits other reactions involved with complete absorbance loss.

Can J Microbiol, 1975 Aug, 21(8), 1236 - 46
Biological characteristics of an enterotoxin produced by Bacillus cereus; Spira WM et al.; An enterotoxin synthesized during exponential growth by Bacillus cereus produces fluid accumulation in rabbit ileal loops, alters vascular permeability in the skin of rabbits, and kills mice when injected intravenously . All activities are eluted simultaneously from a Sephadex G-75 column and are distinct from the hemolysin and egg yolk turbidity factor of B . cereus . The enterotoxin is a true exotoxin . It interacts with intestinal receptor sites in a highly transient manner in the ileal loop system . Rabbit immune serum produced against the culture fluids from one strain of B . cereus neutralized the three biological activities in all other strains tested except strain B-6-ac for which none of the activities were neutralized . Enterotoxin proved to be unstable under a wide variety of conditions; ionic strength was especially critical . Enterotoxin was most stable in a pH range of 5.0 to 10.0, but lost activity rapidly outside this range . Alkylation provided some protection of enterotoxin activity in crude preparations but failed to protect activity during purification procedures . It did not appear to affect critically the enterotoxin molecule itself, since elution profiles on Sephadex G-75 chromatography were unchanged after alkylation.

Can J Microbiol, 1975 Aug, 21(8), 1144 - 50
Biochemical changes during sporulation of Bacillus stearothermophilus; Orlowski M; The process of sporulation was studied in Bacillus stearothermophilus . A medium is described that supports good growth and sporulation of the organism . In this medium, which contains glucose, salts, and amino acids, acetate starts to accumulate before any of the glucose is catabolized . Enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle are present at all times during growth and sporulation and are found in dormant spores . As the glucose in the culture is consumed, acetate rapidly increases and the pH of the medium drops . The acetate rapidly disappears during sporulation and the pH rises . Dipicolinic acid appears during sporulation and several key-enzyme activities fluctuate in a characteristic pattern.

Cancer Res, 1975 Aug, 35(8), 1985 - 90
Observations on trace proteins in plasma of febrile patients by cationic disc electrophoresis in acrylamide gel at pH 3.8; Young CW et al.; Cationic disc electrophoresis at pH 3.5 in 6 M urea-containing acrylamide gels permits analysis of plasma and other body fluids for the presence of trace proteins with pI greater than or equal 5 and M.W . less than 60,000 . These charge and size characteristics would include rabbit and human granulocytic pyrogen, human monocytic pyrogen and, by inference, other similar candidate pyrogenic proteins . Semiquantitation of the trace protein content can be achieved by densitometric scanning of gels stained with Amido schwarz . Duplicate analyses were performed on plasma samples from 133 individuals: normal, 15; afebrile advanced cancer, 18; afebrile Hodgkin's disease, 30; febrile Hodgkin's disease, 33; other febrile lymphoma, 13; febrile advanced cancer without infection, 12; and pyogenic fever, 12 . Plasma from most of the febrile patients, particularly from febrile Hodgkin's disease patients, contained trace proteins not detectable in the afebrile individuals studied . In patients with Hodgkin's disease the quantity of trace proteins present in plasma correlated well with overall severity of Hodgkin's pyrexia, but not with spontaneous hr to hr fluctuations in the fever . Marked reduction in plasma levels of the trace proteins occurred with response to antitumor therapy . Elevated plasma levels of these proteins can be induced by intratumoral inoculation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin . They appear concomitant with the febrile response.

J Cell Biol, 1975 Aug, 66(2), 233 - 42
The relation between sporulation and the induction of antibiotic synthesis and of amino acid uptake in Bacillus brevis; Lee SG et al.; The induction and localization of tyrocidine-synthesizing enzymes is shown to be parallel, during growth of Bacillus brevis (ATCC 8185, American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, Md.), with the induction of uptake of constitutive amino acids and of components of pantetheine, a coenzyme of tyrocidine synthesis . Antibiotic synthesis appears at the end of logarithmic growth when the first soluble enzymes may be obtained from homogenates . During this period, binding proteins for metabolite uptake were isolated by intensive sonication which, when studied by chromatography, were identified by the appearance of low molecular weight fractions binding the radioactively marked metabolites; their induction was prevented by addition of rifampicin . The major purpose of this study was a comparison of antibiotic production and sporulation, the progress of which was followed by electron microscopy . The onset of tyrocidine synthesis and metabolite uptake coincided with the appearance of septum formation indicating that sporulation had progressed to stage II . With the progress of spore encapsulation, the tyrocidine production migrated from the soluble fraction into the forespore, terminating with the separation of forespores from the sporangium membrane . The resulting concentration of antibiotic in the forespore may indicate its function in sporulation, the nature of which, however, was not explored.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1975 Aug, 78(2), 253 - 9
Purification of several bacteriolytic enzymes by affinity chromatography on lysozyme-lysate of Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell wall coupled with sepharose; Yoshimoto T et al.; Using lysozyme-lysate of Micrococcus lysodeikticus cell wall coupled with Sepharose, several bacteriolytic enzymes were purified from crude preparations of animal and microbial origin . Quail egg-white, human milk and salivary lysozymes {EC 3.2.1.17} were adsorbed onto the adsorbent at pH 5-7 and eluted with 2M NaCl at pH 10 . By means of these treatments, lysozymes were purified 20-250 fold with activity recoveries of 60-80%, and the quail lysozyme thus purified was shown to be discelectrophoretically homogeneous . Some bacteriolytic enzymes of microbial origin were also highly purified by using this affinity adsorbent . A bacterial lysozyme from Bacillus sp . ML-208 showed high affinity for the ligand and was not eluted under the conditions mentioned above, but was recovered by elution with 2M guanidine-HCl at pH 5.8, resulting in a 500-fold increase in the specific activity . A Pseudomonas-lytic enzyme from Streptomyces sp . P-51 was easily released from the adsorbent by elution with 0.5M NaCl at pH 5.0 . A staphylolytic F2 enzyme from S . griseus S-35 and a chitinase {EC 3.2.1.14} from yam, both of which were completely inert toward M . lysodeikticus cell wall, passed through the adsorbent column . A modified ligand, in which muramic acid and glucosamine residues were N,O-acetylated, failed to adsorb any of these animal and bacterial lysozymes . Some of the enzymatic properties and bacteriolytic action spectra of these purified enzymes are also described in this paper in comparison with those of hen egg-white lysozyme.

Biochemistry, 1975 Jul 29, 14(15), 3344 - 50
Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli . Stoichiometry of ligand binding and half-of-the-sites reactivity in aminoacylation; Jakes R et al.; The tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli binds only 1 mol of tRNA, tyrosine, and tyrosyl adenylate per mol of enzyme dimer . However, like the enzyme from Bacillus stearothermophilus, once one active site is occupied by tyrosyl adenylate the other becomes accessible to bind a further molecule each of tyrosine and ATP . Both bacterial enzymes show biphasic kinetics with respect to tyrosine in the aminoacylation of tRNA . Equilibrium dialysis experiments show that this is due to 2 mol of tyrosine binding in the presence of ATP and tRNA . A method is given for a correction for the effects of hydrolysis of the charged tRNA on the aminoacylation kinetics.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1975 Jul 28, 281(4), 313 - 6
{Inhibition of cytotoxic effects of B1 aflatoxin towards the bacterial cell by coumarin . Role of other interfering factors}; Boutibonnes P et al.; The coumarin has with some limits a repressive effect on the antibacterial power of Aflatowin B1 . It behaves towards cells of Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) treated by the myocotoxic, like a curative agent . Therefore, the reaction of microbial cells on the cytotoxic effect of Aflatoxin B1 depends on the aeration of the culture and chiefly on the "inoculum effect".

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 Jul 27, 397(1), 188 - 93
Purification and some properties of alkaline pullulanase from a strain of bacillus no . 202-1, an alkalophilic microorganism; Nakamura N et al.; Pullulanase (pullulan 6-glucanohydrolase EC 3.2.1.41) was purified about 290-fold from the culture fluid of Bacillus No . 202-1 by DEAE-cellulose adsorption, acetone fractionation, (NH4) 2SO4 precipitation and DEAE--cellulose column chromatography followed by Sephadex G-200 molecular sieve chromatography . The enzyme gave a single band of protein by disc polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . The molecular weight was estimated as 92 000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis . The isolectric point was lower than pH 2.5 . The optimum pH for enzyme action was about 8.5-9.0 . The action of the enzyme on amylopectin and glycogen resulted in increase in the iodine coloration of 85% and 70%, respectively . The enzyme completely hydrolyzed 1,6-alpha-glucosidic linkages in amylopectin, glycogen and pullulan.

Can Med Assoc J, 1975 Jul 26, 113(2), 127 - 8
Interpretation of the PPD skin test in BCG-vaccinated children; Joncas JH et al.; Skin testing with 5 tuberculin units (TU) of purified protein derivative (PPD) of tuberculin stabilized with polysorbate (Tween) 80 was done 3 months and 1 year after immunization with bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine in two groups of children: one group vaccinated at birth and another group at age 6 years . Interpretation of the PPD skin test with 5 TU is possible in children 1 year and older vaccinated with BCG at birth: if the diameter of induration is more than 10 to 12 mm the reaction cannot be ascribed to BCG vaccination and is highly suggestive of supervening infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis or occasionally atypical mycobacteria . In contrast, the interpretation of a PPD test in children vaccinated at age 6 years is extremely difficult.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 Jul 14, 399(1), 31 - 41
Biosynthesis of edeine: II . Localization of edeine synthetase within Bacillus brevis Vm4; Kurylo-Borowska Z; Edeine-synthesizing polyenzymes, associated with a complex of sytoplasmic membrane and DNA, were obtained from gently lysed cells of Bacillus brevis Vm4 . The polyenzymes-membrane-DNA complex, isolated from dells intensively synthesizing edeines (18--20 h culture) contained edeine B . Edeine B was found to be bound covalently t o the edeine synthetase . The amount of edeine bound to polyenzymes was 0.1--0.3 mumol/mg protein, depending on the age of cells . Detachment of deeine synthetase with a covalently bound edeine B from the membrane-DNA complex was accomplished by a treatment with (NH4)2-SO4 at 45--55% saturation or by DEAE-cellulose column fractionation . In contrast to other components of the complex, the edeine-polyenzymes fragment was not adsorbed to the DEAE-cellulose . Sephadex G-200 column chromatography separated the edeine-polyenzymes complex into 3 fractions . Edeine-polyenzymes complex, obtained from lysozyme-Brij-58-DNAase treated cells, contained edeine B bound to two protein fractions of mol . wt 210 000 and 160 000 . Edeine-polyenzymes complex detached from the complex with the membrane and DNA contained edeine B, bound only to protein fraction of mol . wt 210 000 . Edeine A was not found in the edeine-polyenzymes complex . No accumulation of free antibiotics within 16--22 h old cells of B . brevis Vm4 was detected . The edeine-polyenzymes complex associated with the DNA-membrane complex has shown no antimicrobial activity . By treating of above with alkali, edeine B of specific activity: 80 units/mjmol was released . The complex of DNA-membrane associated with edeine-polyenzymes complex was able to synthesize DNA, under the conditions described for synthesis, directed by a DNA-membrane complex . Edeine when associated with this complex did not effect the DNA-synthesizing activity.

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Jul, 30(1), 20 - 5
Physiology of sporeforming bacteria associated with insects: metabolism of Bacillus popilliae grown in third-instar Popillia japonica Newman larvae; St Julian G et al.; The timing and relative participation of concurrent pathways of carbohydrate metabolism as well as the extent of terminal respiratory activity were determined by radiorespirometry with 14-C substrates and by enzyme assays for vegetative and sporulating cells of the bacterium Bacillus popilliae cultured in whole, intact Popillia japonica (Japanese beetle) larvae . During vegetative proliferation, the pentose phosphate pathway predominates in the bacterial cells with minor involvement of the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway . As the cells proceed through sporulation, pentose phosphate and Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas activity remains constant . No tricarboxylic cycle activity is evident during growth and sporulation of B . popilliae . The results demonstrate (i) predominantly aerobic metabolism for carbohydrate assimilation within in vivo sporulating cells, (ii) a major contrast to the metabolism of other aerobic sporeforming bacteria that exhibit derepression of tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymatic activity at the onset of sporulation, and (iii) no causal necessity of the cycle to B . popilliae sporogeny.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 Jul 7, 395(3), 373 - 80
Association of ribosomal subunits . IV . Polyamines as active components of the association factor from Bacillus stearothermophilus; Garcia-Patrone M et al.; The association of ribosomal subparticles induced by several associating agents has been studied under different conditions . The following observations were made: 1 . Spermidine was able to produce the association of subunits, and the concentration and temperature curves of this reaction were similar to those obtained with association factor . The product formed in the latter case was more stable . 2 . The association at low Mg2+ concentration was higher with association factor than with polyamines . 3 . The temperature-dependent binding of spermidine to 30-S subunits formed an active complex, which was converted into the 30S-50S couples by the addition of 50-S subparticles at low temperature . A similar behaviour has been previously shown for the complete association factor and its low molecular weight fraction . 4 . The same unstable form of 30S-50S couples has been obtained either with spermidine or with the low molecular weight component (AFII) of the association factor . In both cases the protein fraction AFI was able to complete the reaction by stabilizing the subunit couple . 5 . After glutaraldehyde fixation the products of the reactions with spermidine or association factor behaved in a similar way when they were submitted to long sucrose-gradient centrifugations . 6 . The analysis of association factor preparations has shown that they contain spermidine as well as spermine . The polyamine levels in association factor could account for part of the total associating activity.

J Neurol, 1975 Jul 2, 209(3), 181 - 7
{Bacillary dysentery with involvement of the central and peripheral nervous system (author's transl)}; Pilz P et al.; A man, age 50, fell ill with polyneuropathy followed by parkinsonism and organic psychosis and died in a shock 6 weeks later . Serologic examination suggested bacillary dysentery, but the patient had no diarrhoea . The neuropathological examination did not reveal any organic substrat of parkinsonism . Peripheral nerves showed mucoid degeneration, segmental demyelination and lymphocytic infiltration of peri- and endoneurium . Many Renaut bodies were found which seemed to arise from mucoid masses organized by cells of the endoneurium . Polyneuropathy and parkinsonism are well known neurological complications of bacillary dysentery and favour this diagnosis in accord with the serological findings.

Bull Soc Pathol Exot Filiales, 1975 Jul-Aug, 68(4), 367 - 70
{Demonstration of Pseudomonas pseudomallei (Whitmore's bacillus) in the mud of Iranian ricefields (author's transl)}; Pourtaghva M et al.; Whitmore bacillus had killed a horse and a mule in a herd bred for serum production in 1970 (Baharsefat and Amjadi) . Out of 157 soil samples from rice fields in Northern Iran it was possible to isolate 19 times Pseudomonas pseudomallei (types I and II) possessing a very high pathogenicity for animals . Attempts at an evaluation of the human incidence of the disease.

Mol Biol (Mosk), 1975 Jul-Aug, 9(4), 602 - 8
{Some properties of 1 P+f bacteriophage for Bacillus brevis var . G.-B and its nucleic acid}; Dobritsa AP et al.; The 1 P+f phage, a virulent mutant of the moderate P+ phage for Bac . brevis var . G.-B., consists of a hexagonal head (90x90 nm) and a long non-contractile tail (340 nm) . This phage is characterized by a relatively long latent period (90-110 min) and a low yield (40-50 particles per cell) . The 1P+f phage is quite stable at pH values from 1 to 11, insensitive to osmotic shock, treatment with chloroform and acridine orange . The sensitivity of the phage to thermal treatment and UV-radiation has been studied . The nucleic acid of the P+f phage is double-stranded DNA of AT-type (GC equals 34.5 mole %) which contains 5-methylcytosine (0.18 mole %) and N6-methyladenine (0.32 mole%) . The level of methylation of cytosine and adenine residues in DNA of the 1 P+f phage does not depend on the host studied (Bac . brevis, P- and S variants) . The specificity of methylation of cytosine residues in the S and P- cells appears to be the same . DNA of the 1 P+f phage strongly differs from DNA of the host in nucleotide composition (GC equals 45.7 mole %) . Nevertheless, phage DNA is very similar to DNA from Bac . subtilis in the character of pyrimidine distribution (the amount of different pyrimidine isopliths) . This may testify to a somewhat common character of the nucleotide sequence organization in DNA of the phage and its host.

Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol, 1975 Jul-Aug, 11(4), 550 - 5
{Study of catalase and proteolytic activities of different variants of Bacillus mesentericus}; Vasilevskaya IA et al.; Catalase and proteolytic activity of the culures and morphological variants of Bacillus mesentericus fuscus, Bac . mesentericus vulgatus were studied . The variants were obtained as a result of prolonged cultivation of the stock strains in the potato mash under the layer of vaseline oil . The level of catalase activity varies in different morphological variants of the same culture, changes with age and depends on the storage conditions . The catalase activity in the rough, smooth and papillar variants that were freshly isolated from the potato mash was 1.5=2.5 times lower than that in the variants long kept on the agar medium . The quantitative indexes of the proteolytic activity of different variants also varied.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1975 Jul, 78(1), 115 - 21
A nucleoside triphosphate-dependent deoxyribonuclease from Bacillus laterosporus . The mode of action of the enzyme; Anai M et al.; The acid-soluble products of exhaustive digestion of native DNA with Bacillus laterosporus DNase consist of 6.5% of mononucleotides and 93.5% of oligonucleotides with an average chain length of 3.2 . The results of viscometric studies and inactivation of transforming DNA indicate the existence of acid-insoluble intermediates and the selective degradation of the population of substrate molecules rather than a random nucleolytic action . Furthermore, sucrose density gradient analysis of partially digested DNA showed that the initial DNA added as a substrate disappeared progressively during the reaction, being replaced by much more slowly sedimenting acid-insoluble materials, which were eventually degraded into acid-soluble end products during the reaction; products intermediate in size between these two components were not detectable . Studies with DNA labeled at the 3'-terminus indicate that Bacillus laterosporus DNase does not attack DNA from 3'-hydroxyl ends to yeild acid-soluble or acid-insoluble materials in a random manner . The results presented in this paper indicate that the nature of the attack of B . laterosporus nuclease is similar to that previously proposed for Micrococcus luteus DNase . The possibility of the sequential release of acid-insoluble intermediate fragments as well as acid-soluble products from the terminal portion of DNA by the enzyme is discussed.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jul, 123(1), 377 - 9
Evidence for a nonrandom base sequence in a Bacillus pumilus plasmid: EcoR1 endonuclease digestion of pPL576; Lovett PS et al.; EcoR1 endonuclease digested the Bacillus pumilus plasmid pPL576 (molecular weight similar to 28 X 10-6) into three distinct size classes of linear fragments . The molecular weights of the fragments are 13.0 X 10-6, 0.5 X 10-6, and 6.5 X 10-6 by sucrose gradient analysis . By electron microscope analysis the three fragments account for about 99% of the intact plasmid . These results indicate that pPL576 molecules contain a nonrandom base sequence, and are consistent with the interpretation that pPL576 is autonomous and not the result of cyclization of random chromosome fragments.

Surgery, 1975 Jul, 78(1), 66 - 75
Effect of bacillus Calmette-Guerin immunotherapy on tumor antigen-induced lymphocyte-stimulated protein synthesis in melanoma patients; Roth JA et al.; Changes in in vitro lymphocyte-stimulation protein synthesis (SPS) of 40 melanoma patients following incubation with 3M KCl extracts of allogenic melanoma, lung carcinoma, and sarcoma antigens and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were quantitated by measuring H-3-leucine uptake . One of eleven "untreated" melanoma patients stimulated significantly to the melanoma antigen . However, this lymphocyte response was not significantly different from that of the normal subjects . Patients who received systemic bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) by the tine technique for 3 months and for 6 months had significant increase in lymphocyte protein synthesis following incubation with melanoma antigen . There were no significant differences in PHA responses between the "untreated" melanoma patients and the BCG-treated group . Testing of serial lymphocyte samples from nine melanoma patients before treatment and at monthly intervals thereafter confirmed these observations . Furthermore, no change in serial complement-fixing antibody titers to melanoma antigen was noted in the BCG-treated patients . These results demonstrated that in vitro lymphocyte responses to melanoma antigen may be augmented by BCG therapy.

Cancer Res, 1975 Jul, 35(7), 1779 - 90
Effects of methanol extraction residue and therapeutic irradiation against established isografts and simulated local recurrence of mammary carcinomas; Yron I et al.; Female BALB/c mice carrying established isografts or simulated local recurrence implants of 2 rapidly growing mammary adenocarcinomas were treated either by injection of the methanol extraction residue (MER) fraction of killed Bacillus Calmette-Guerin organisms (given s.c . or into the tumor) or by focal X-irradiation or by both . None of the modalities of therapy effected cures, but in many instances there was a significant retardation of tumor cevelopment and prolongation of the lives of the mice . Administration of MER alone offered protection in a number of cases but less often than the other forms of treatment . Combined therapy with MER and irradiation was, on the whole, the most successful therapeutic intervention . MER or irradiation administered alone enhanced the neoplastic process only on rare occasions; this appeared to be the case even more infrequently with combined treatment . MER was most likely to be effective alone or in combination when small quantities were used and when only 1 treatment or 1 cycle of combined therapy was given . The therapeutic action of MER was not dependent on direct introduction of the agent into a neoplastic focus; s.c . administration distal to the tumor site was almost always at least as satisfactory as injection directly into the tumor mass and indeed was often more efficacious.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1975 Jul, (7), 68 - 72
{Current data on the polymorphism of Rickettsia prowazekii and burneti in cultured cells}; Gulevskaia SA et al.; In cultivation of Rickettsia prowazeki (strains Breinl and E) in the cell cultures of guinea pig kidneys (GPK) and chick embryo fibroblasts (CEF) ultrastructure of rickettsia of unusual shape (filamentous, irregularpleomorphic and spheroplast-like) were revealed along with rickettsia of the usual shape and size . The polymorphism was less pronounced in the GPK and the CEF cells of Rickettsia burneti (strain M-44) . It is supposed that rickettsial polymorphism was not associated with their developmental cycle and served as a morphological expression of the changes in the microorganism under the effect of unfavourable ecological conditions . The appearance of filamentous forms could be associated with disturbed cell division process; changed rigidity of the cell wall could serve as the cause of appearance of pleomorphic rickettsia . In difference from polymorphism, the cycle of rickettsial development is considered to be (in the basis of modern electron microscopic data) as a biological replacement of the vegetative (rod-like, bacillary) forms by those more stable in the external environment, resting (coccoid).

Mikrobiologiia, 1975 Jul-Aug, 44(4), 720 - 6
{Bacillus megaterium as a possible source of protein}; Zalabak V et al.; The amino acid composition of protein was studied with Bacillus megaterium . Most of the essential amino acids are present in sufficient amounts, with the exception of sulphur-containing amino acids and probably tryptophan . The content of methionine is 2 percent . The proteins of the biomass are easily digested by trypsin . The culture of Bac . megaterium grows in a mineral medium containing 5 percent of sucrose or glucose . The yield of dry biomass recalculated for the sugar consumed decreases from 0.6 to 0.3 with an increase of the sugar concentration . The addition of molasses or corn steep increases the yield of the biomass to 15--20 g of dry matter per one litre of the medium . The biomass grown under these conditions contains 8--9 percent of nitrogen, 40 percent of protein, up to 30 percent of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in the form of granular inclusions, and 10--14 percent of RNA.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1975 Jul, 112(1), 43 - 7
Tuberculin-induced lymphocyte transformation and skin reactivity in monkeys vaccinated or not vaccinated with Bacille Calmette-Guérin, then challenged with virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Chaparas SD et al.; The in vitro lymphocyte transformation test was compared to the skin test at intervals after aerogenic administration of bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine to monkeys, and also at monthly intervals after aerogenic challenge of monkeys vaccinated and not vaccinated with virulent strain H37Rv of Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Individual responses varied, but several consistent patterns of sensitivity development could be discerned . The lymphocyte transformation test was more sensitive, and often positive when the skin test was negative, doubtful, or feeble . Conversion to tuberculin reactivity was detected by lymphocyte transformation in vitro earlier in the disease or after vaccination, and persisted longer after sensitivity to the skin test had waned or after the animals had become anergic by the skin test . Monkeys not vaccinated, but challenged, developed larger in vitro skin reactions and responses than animals that were either vaccinated and challenged or only vaccinated; however, the unvaccinated, challenged monkeys developed anergy to tuberculin and progressive disease more rapidly than other groups, and their cells became less responsive to phytohemagglutinin in vitro.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jul, 123(1), 354 - 65
Properties of Bacillus cereus spore coat mutants; Aronson AI et al.; Two classes of spore mutants have been selected in Bacillus cereus T, those producing lysozyme-sensitive spores, and those producing spores dependent upon lysozyme for germination . One mutant from each class was studied in detail and found to have defective packing of the spore coat layers . The major spore coat poplypeptide appeared to be altered on the basis of gel electrophoretic profiles and/or peptide maps of half-syctine-containing peptides . The spores of the mutants of both classes were sensitive to lysozyme and failed to respond to the germinants L-alanine plus adenosine . The spores were also more sensitive to octanol than the parental strain, but contained the same amount of dipicolinic acid and were equally heat resistant . The reversion frequencies in both cases were consistent with an initial point mutation, suggesting that an alteration in the major coat polypeptide accounted for the phenotypic properties studied.

Mikrobiologiia, 1975 Jul-Aug, 44(4), 645 - 50
{Effect of hydrogen ions on the morphology and ultrastructure of Bacillus megaterium}; Poglazova MN et al.; The morphology and ultrastructure of the cells of Bacillus megaterium depend on the concentration of hydrogen ions in the medium which affect, first of all, the function of division . The changes induced by hydrogen ions are temporary and disappear when the cells are put under normal conditions of growth . The "acid-resistant" strain of Bac . megaterium remains viable at a very high concentration of hydrogen ions (pH=4.2) and, though its morphology changes drastically, no essential damages are found, i.e . the cells become adapted to new conditions . The changes are reversible.

Ann Surg, 1975 Jul, 182(1), 15 - 21
Wound infection during the Yom Kippur war: observations concerning antibiotic prophylaxis and therapy; Klein RS et al.; Eighty-eight episodes of wound associated infection were identified among 624 consecutively admitted battlefield casualties . Ninety-one per cent of infections occurred during the administration of antibiotic therapy or prophylaxis and 65% were associated with the use of multiple antibacterial agents . Gram negative bacillary and mixed microbial infection predominated and were found to increase in relative incidence after the second day of hospitalization . Appropriate therapy, based on disc sensitivity testing, was administered in only 33% of infectious episodes . The practice of antibiotic wound prophylaxis may contribute to the incidence and nature of infection in battlefield wounds . Problems unique to the handling of battlefield wounded are discussed in comparing the present data with those of other war associated and civilian studies.

J Gen Microbiol, 1975 Jul, 89(1), 93 - 101
The location of bacterial antigens on sections of Bacillus cereus by use of the soluble peroxidase--anti-peroxidase complex and unlabelled antibody; Short JA et al.; The location of antigens on sections of bacteria using the soluble peroxidase-anti-peroxidase complex in conjunction with unlabelled antibody is described . Using this technique, spore antigens have been detected in the cytoplasm of vegetative cells during forespore septum formation and subsequent stages of sporulation . Antigenic sites were first associated with poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid granules and subsequently were found in increasing quantities in the cytoplasm of the sporangium . Vegetative cell antigens were located on the cell wall and in the cortical region during sporulation . During germination antigens were located in the cortical region, and during outgrowth on the cell wall . These findings are discussed in the light of existing biochemical data.

Parazitologiia, 1975 Jul-Aug, 9(4), 373 - 6
{2 new species of microsporidians (Protozoa, Microsporidia) from mosquitoes of the family Chironomidae}; Voronin VN; Two new species of microsporidians are described from the mosquitoes of the genus Chironomus collected in water bodies of the north-eastern USSR . Bacillidium chironomi sp . n . injuring the adipose tissue of the fourth stage larvae of Chironomus dorsalis Mg . has rod-shaped spores 15 (11 to 19) x 0.7 (0.6 to 0.9) mu in size . Duboscqia chironomi sp . n . injures the adipose tissue of the fourth stage larvae of Chironomus plumosus L . Fresh spores of this species are egg-shaped, 6.2 (5.8 to 6.5) x 3.8 (3.6 to 4.0) mu in size . When stained according to the Romanovsky-Gimza method the spores are 5.4 (4.9 to 5.8) x 3.8 (3.6 to 4.1) mu in size . Some peculiarities of the nuclei fission in the sporants of Duboscqia chironomi sp . n., are discussed.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1975 Jul, 78(1), 105 - 14
A nucleoside triphosphate-dependent deoxyribonuclease from Bacillus laterosporus . Purification and characterization of the enzyme; Anai M et al.; A deoxyribonuclease, which requires nucleoside triphosphate for reaction, has been purified about 150-fold from extracts of Bacillus laterosporus . Potassium phosphate and ethylene glycol stabilize the purified enzyme . The enzyme degrades double-stranded DNA about 100 times faster than heat-denatured DNA in the presence of nucleoside triphosphate . Double-stranded DNA is not degraded to any measurable extent in the absence of ATP, but the enzyme exhibits activity toward denatured DNA in the absence of nucleoside triphosphate, and this activity seems to be an intrinsic property of this enzyme protein . The optimum pH is 8.5 and the maximum activity is obtained in the copresence of Mg2+ (8.0 X 10(-3)M) and Mn2+ (7.0 X 10(-5)M) . ATP and dATP are most effective and nucleoside di- or monophosphates are ineffective . ATP is converted to ADP and inorganic phosphate during the reaction and the ratio of the amount of ATP cleaved to that of hydrolyzed phosphodiester bonds of DNA is about 3:1 . An inhibitor of the enzyme was observed in bacterial extracts prepared by sonic disruption; the inhibitory substance is produced in the bacteria in the later stages of cell growth . Preliminary results show that the inhibitor emerged near the void volume of a Sephadex G-200 column, and was relatively heat-stable, RNase-resistant, and DNase-sensitive.

Boll Ist Sieroter Milan, 1975 Jun 26, 54(2), 98 - 104
Study of the sporulation of Bacillus thuringiensis var . thuringiensis; Rendic S et al.; During the submerged cultivation of Bacillus thuringiensis var . thuringiensis in 300- and 3000-liter fermentors, lysis occurred at the end of the exponential phase of growth . New vegetative cells were subsequently formed which usually sporulated . At time of lysis, the amount of soluble sugar was 1-12 g/liter, pH value dropped to 5.3-5.8 from the original PH 6.8 and started to rise after all the cells had lysed . The proteolytic activity was low during the lysis and increased as the sporulation commenced.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 Jun 24, 391(2), 435 - 47
Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase . Reaction with N-bromosuccinimide and the properties of the product; Ogawara H et al.; The effect of N-bromosuccinimide on the enzymatic activity and the conformation of a Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase (penicillin amido-beta-lactamase EC 3.5.2.6) was studied . Incubation with 10 muM N-bromosuccinimide caused over 95% decrease of the enzymatic activity within 15 min . Spectrophotometric titration with N-bromosuccinimide showed that the reaction proceeded in two steps . The half-inactivated enzyme was prepared by the reaction with N-bromosuccinimide and its properties examined . Amino acid analysis showed that the half-inactivated enzyme contained one residue of tryptophan less while other amino acid contents were similar . Neither the molecular weight nor the mobility in disc electrophoresis was changed . However, the affinity to a cephalexin-CH-Sepharose column was increased, and the Km value for cloxacillin was one-third that of the native enzyme, although that for benzylpenicillin was similar . These results indicate that a tryptophan residue sensitive to N-bromosuccinimide is essential for the maintenance of the rigid conformation and that its oxidation alters the enzyme in a manner such that a substrate with a bulky group in its side chain can form an enzyme-substrate complex more easily . In the native enzyme, the value of (f(a))(eff) (Lehrer, S.S . (1971) Biochemistry 10, 3254-3263), did not vary significantly in the absence or the presence of cloxacillin . In contrast, in the half-inactivated enzyme the presence of cloxacillin affected the conformation such that over two thirds of the tryptophyl fluorescence were accessible for quenching by KI, although about half was accessible in the absence of cloxacillin.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 Jun 24, 391(2), 326 - 33
The metal ion dependence of phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus; Little C et al.; 1 . The zinc content and metal ion dependence of phospholipase C(phosphatidylcholine cholinephosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.3) from Bacillus cereus have been examined . 2 . The native enzyme contained about 2 atoms of tightly bound zinc/molecule . 3 . Incubation of the enzyme with EDTA or with o-phenanthroline caused inactivation . The inactivation was accompanied by the removal of one zinc atom from the enzyme and could be fully reversed by the addition of Zn2+ or Co2+ to the enzyme and partly reversed by Mn2+ or Mg2+ . 4 . Prolonged exposure to o-phenanthroline removed the second zinc atom also and produced an enzyme species which was reactivated by Zn2+ only . Full reactivation was accompanied by the binding of about two zinc atoms to the enzyme . 5 . The results are consistent with the view that phospholipase C is a zinc metalloenzyme.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1975 Jun 23, 280(24), 2801 - 4
{Chemically controlled depolymerization of beta hydroxybutyric lipids (PHB) in Bacillus megaterium . Isolation and structure of the oligomers of D(-)beta hydroxybutyric acid}; Hauttecoeur B et al.; Partial depolymerisation of PHB by chemical means to the appearance of homologous polymers from PHB constituted of short carbon chains and oligomers which represent the first elements of this macromolecule . The chemical structure of these oligomers ranging from dimer to heptamer has been essentially deduced from their mass spectrum and then confirmed by studying their physical, chemical and biological properties.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 Jun 23, 388(3), 305 - 17
Omega-1, Omega-2 and Omega-3 hydroxylation of long-chain fatty acids, amides and alcohols by a soluble enzyme system from Bacillus megaterium; Miura Y et al.; A soluble enzyme preparation from Bacillus megaterium, previously shown to hydroxylate free fatty acids to isomeric mixtures of Omega-1, Omega-2 and Omega-3 monohydroxy fatty acids in the presence of NADPH and O2, has now been shown to act also on fatty amides but not only hydrocarbons or fatty acid methyl esters . Using 14-C-labelled substrates, both the chain-length specificity and the positional specificity of hydroxylation was determined for fatty acids, alcohols and amides . The most active saturated fatty acid (pentadecanoic) was hydroxylated at a rate 10 times greater than the most active amide (myristamide) and 14 times faster than the most active alcohol (1-tetradecanol) . Among the saturated fatty acids, the order of activity as hydroxylation substrates was C15 greater than C16 greater than C14 greater than C17 greater than C13 greater than C18 = C12 . For amides the order was C14 greater than C12 greater than C15 greater than C16 while for alcohols it was C14 greater than C13 = C15 greater than C12 greater than C15 . Four cis-monounsaturated fatty acids were also tested . Oleic, palmitoleic and cis-12-octadecenoic acids were more active than their saturated analogs but cis-5-tetradecenoate was less active than myristate . For all of the substrates mentioned above, with the possible exception of several unsaturated acids, the alkyl chains were monohydroxylated to give isomeric mixtures of the Omega-1, Omega-2 and Omega-3 derivatives . The distribution of these three isomers varied with chain-length and type of substrate but generally, the Omega-2 position was favored . The terminal methyl (Omega) group of these substrates was never hydroxylated and there did not appear to be significant hydroxylation of methylene carbons beyond the Omega-3 position . Based on the data presented here and in a previous paper, a model is proposed for the enzyme-substrate complex which involves hydrophobic binding and sequestering of the terminal methyl group of the substrate and electrostatic binding of the substrate's polar functional group.

Eur J Biochem, 1975 Jun 16, 55(1), 131 - 9
Morphogenesis of the membrane-bound electron-transport system in sporulating Bacillus megaterium KM; Wilkinson BJ et al.; The properties of electron transport systems present in soluble and particulate fractions of spores of Bacillus megaterium KM?HAVE BEEN COMPARED WIth those of similar fractions prepared from exponential-phase vegetative cells of this organism . The timing and localization of modifications of the electron transport system occurring during sporulation have been investigated by using a system for separating forespores from mother cells at all stages during development {8} . Spore membranes contained cytochromes a + a3, and o at lower concentrations than in vegetative membranes, and in addition cytochrome c, which was not found in exponential-phase vegetative membranes . An NADH oxidase activity of similar specific activity was found in both spore and vegetative membranes but DL-glycerol 3-phosphate and L-malate oxidase activities were found only in vegetative membranes . A soluble NADH oxidase of low specific activity was found in spores and vegetative cells which probably involves a flavoprotein reaction with oxygen because the activity was stimulated by FAD or FMN and difference spectra of concentrated soluble fractions showed spectra typical of a flavoprotein . Particulate NADH oxidase was sensitive to all classical inhibitors of electron transport tested whereas soluble NADH oxidase was insensitive to many of these inhibitors . Cytochrome c was formed between stage I and II of sporulation and this coincided with a five-fold increase in NADH-cytochrome c reductase activity . Forespore membranes had lower contents of cytochromes than sporangial cell membranes but similar levels of NADH and L-malate oxidases; DL-glycerol 3-phosphate oxidase activity could not be detected in either membranes by stage III of sporulation . This characterization of spore electron transport systems provides a basis for suggestions concerning initial metabolic events during spore germination and the effect of a number of germination inhibitors.

Int J Cancer, 1975 Jun 15, 15(6), 897 - 911
Tumour inhibition mediated by BCG in immunosuppressed rats; Moore M et al.; Two rat sarcomas (CC5 and P7) which grow progressively on transplantation into normal syngeneic hosts failed to develop when injected in admixture with the Glaxo strain of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) . Under comparable conditions, the local development of a third neoplasm (P8) was temporarily inhibited and the number of pulmonary metastases significantly reduced . Experiments were undertaken to determine the extent to which the anti-tumor action of BCG required an immunocompetent host . Rats were immunosuppressed by sub-lethal whole-body irradiation (450 R), with or without prior thymectomy and challenged with inocula of mixed BCG and tumour cells when their capacity to respond to bacterial, tumour and unrelated antigens was maximally depressed . In non-sensitized immunosuppressed rats, the ability of BCG to limit tumour outgrowth was abrogated only in the case of sarcoma CC5 . For this neoplasm, immunogenic in syngeneic hosts by conventional criteria, there was a statistically significant difference in the number of tumours in immunosuppressed rats (51%) compared with non-sensitized immunocompetent controls (6%) . Presensitization to either bacterial or tumour antigens, prior to thymectomy and/or irradiation, fully restored the tumour-inhibitory capacity of BCG . By contrast, sarcoma P7 was not significantly less susceptible to BCG-induced regression in non-sensitized immunosuppressed rats than in nonsensitized normal rats; and sarcoma P8 similarly failed to reveal any significant differences in susceptibility to BCG affecting primary or secondary tumour development . It is concluded that tumours may vary widely in their sensitivity to host reactions aroused by BCG . Certain neoplasms, exemplified by sarcoma CC5, require participation of an immune reaction of delayed hypersensitivity type for optimal destruction at BCG sites, while for others (e.g . sarcoma P7) an immunoreactive component of this type is not essential . By contrast, a third category of tumour (e.g . sarcoma P8) is relatively resistant to host reactions induced by the mycobacteria . An important component of BCG-mediated tumour inhibition is not dependent on an immunologically intact host.

Biochemistry, 1975 Jun 3, 14(11), 2367 - 70
A two-state conformational transition of the extracellular ribonuclease of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (barnase) induced by sodium dodecyl sulfate; Hartley RW; Barnase, the extracellular ribonuclease of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, is shown to undergo a reversible two-state conformational transition at 0.65 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) AAT 37 DEGREES . The prinicipal evidence is based on the equivalence of two independent values of the SDS-barnase binding ratio; about 14 mol of SDS/mol of barnase . Both were derived from fluorometric titration data, one being based on simple conservation of SDS and the other on the use of Wyman's theory of linked functions . No SDS is bound to barnase at SDS concentrations below the transition region.

Biochem J, 1975 Jun, 148(3), 513 - 20
Enzymological aspects of the pathways for trimethylamine oxidation and C1 assimilation of obligate methylotrophs and restricted facultative methylotrophs; Colby J et al.; Extracts of trimethylamine-grown W6A and W3A1 (type M restricted facultative methylotrophs) contain trimethylamine dehydrogenase whereas similar extracts of Bacillus PM6 and Bacillus S2A1 (type L restricted facultative methylotrophs) contain trimethylamine mono-oxygenase and trimethylamine N-oxide demethylase but no trimethylamine dehydrogenase . Extracts of the restricted facultatives and of the obligate methylotroph C2A1 contain hexulose phosphate synthase-hexulose phosphate isomerase activity; hydroxypyruvate reductase was not detected . Neither the restricted facultatives nor the obligates 4B6 and C2A1 contain all the enzymes of the hexulose phosphate cycle of formaldehyde assimilation as originally proposed by Kemp & Quayle (1967) . Organisms PM6 and S2A1 lack transaldolase and use a modified cycle involving sedoheptulose 1,7-diphosphate and sedoheptulose diphosphatase . The obligates 4B6 and C2A1, and the type M organisms W6A and W3A1, use a different modification of the assimilatory hexulose phosphate cycle involving the Entner-Doudoroff-pathway enzymes phosphogluconate dehydratase and phospho-2-keto-3-deoxygluconate aldolase . The lack of fructose diphosphate aldolase and hexose diphosphatase in these organisms may be a partial explanation of their restricted growth-substrate range . Enzymological evidence suggests that all the obligates and the restricted facultatives use a dissimilatory hexulose phosphate cycle to accomplish the complete oxidation of formaldehyde to CO2 and water.

J Gen Virol, 1975 Jun, 27(3), 305 - 12
Electron microscopical observations of the structure of the virus of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) of rainbow trout (salmo gairdneri); Olberding KP et al.; Negative staining of particles of the Danish F-1 strain of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus grown in rainbow trout gonad-2 cells revealed three different types of particles: bacilliform, bullet-shaped, and long particles . The average size of the first two types was 165 x 65 nm . The long particles had a length of up to 3000 nm and showed a close resemblance to Marburg virus . Well defined surface projections could be found in all particle types . Without any special treatment we were able to demonstrate different disintegration stages of VHS virus particles in all preparations.

Jpn J Microbiol, 1975 Jun, 19(3), 187 - 92
Changes of ultrastructure in spore coat of Bacillus thiaminolyticus during germination and outgrowth; Watabe K et al.; Electron microscopic observation showed that the spore coat of Bacillus thiaminolyticus consisted of at least four layers; a high electron dense outer spore coat layer with five prominent ridges, a middle spore coat layer including two layers of a high and a low electron density, and an inner spore coat layer composing six to seven laminated layers . Rapid breakdown of the cortex and swelling of the core occurred in spores which were allowed to germinate by L-alanine for 45 min, whereas no change of surface feature was observed by scanning electron microscopy . Germination and outgrowth of spores in nutrient broth proceeded, being accompanied by morphological changes, in three steps; the first is a rapid breakdown of the cortex and swelling of the core, the second degradation of the inner layer at prominent region of the spore coat, and the last rupture of the spore coat and emergence of a young vegetative cell.

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Jun, 29(6), 717 - 21
Inhibition of phenylamide hydrolysis by Bacillus sphaericus with methylcarbamate and organophosphorus insecticides; Engelhardt G et al.; The degradation of the phenylamide herbicides monolinuron, linuron, and solan by cultures of Bacillus sphaericus ATCC 12123 was inhibited by the methylcarbamate insecticides metmercapturon, aldicarb, propoxur, and carbaryl and by the organophosphorus insecticides fenthion and parathion . The extent of inhibition was largest with metmercapturon and smallest with parathion inhibition of hydrolysis of the two phenylurea herbicides was greater than of the acylanilide compound . Tests with crude enzyme preparations of aryl acylamidase derived from B . sphaericus showed that the inhibition of the hydrolysis of linuron with methylcarbamates is a competitive one . The insecticides tested did induce the enzyme, nor could they serve as its substrate.

Br J Exp Pathol, 1975 Jun, 56(3), 265 - 70
The effect of a tubercle lipid adjuvant on the distribution of injected foreign red blood cells; Donald KJ et al.; Increased localization occured of injected foreign red cells in the spleen and lungs of animals treated with a tubercle bacillary lipid adjuvant given intravenously . The distribution changes varied depending upon the time interval between injections of the adjuvant and the foreign red cells . These changes offer an explanation of the augmentation of haemolysins and haemagglutinins previously shown for the lipid.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jun, 122(3), 1322 - 38
Ultrastructural studies of sporulation in Bacillus sphaericus; Holt SC et al.; Spore septum formation in Bacillus sphaericus 9602 occurs 2 h after the end of exponential growth at one end of the vegetative cell, which retains a uniform diameter . The apparently rigid spore septum contains an inner cell wall layer which disappears when the sporulation septum "bulges" into the mother cell cytoplasm . This process occurs simultaneously with terminal swelling at the end of the cell containing the spore septum . It is suggested that the inner cell wall layer is peptidoglycan and that its dissolution and the terminal swelling are consequences of a localized autolysis . Engulfment of the forespore by membrane proliferation results in the production of a forespore surrounded by two flexible, closely apposed membranes . These membranes appear to become more rigid as a peptidoglycan-like layer appears between them, concomitant with the condensation of the forespore nucleoid into a crescent-shaped structure . After nuclear condensation, visible development of distinct cortex, primordial cell wall, and spore coat layers begin, and the forespore cytoplasm assumes an appearance similar to that of a refractile spore . The spore coats consist of an amorphous inner layer, a lamellar midlayer, and a structured outer layer . As cortex synthesis and spore coat assembly continue, exosporium development commences close to that portion of the mother cell plasma membrane which surrounds the forespore . The exosporium is lamellar and in tangential section is seen to have a hexagonal arrangement of subunits . The timing of these morphological events has the expected correlation with the appearance of unique enzyme activites required for cortex synthesis.

Can J Microbiol, 1975 Jun, 21(6), 896 - 901
Impairment of reactivity to lepromin by mycobacterial antigens related to, or identical with, Mycobacterium leprae; Kwapinski JB et al.; Three hundred and twenty young children were injected with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) saline, or with one of the mycobacterial cytoplasmic antigens related with Mycobacterium leprae . At an appropriate time thereafter they were tested for dermal hypersensitivity to the antigens and for reactions to lepromin . Whereas all the antigens induced cell-mediated immunity, the incidence and intensity of late response to lepromin were significantly reduced in children preinjected with the cytoplasmic mycobacterial antigens, as contrasted with increased lepromin reactivity in the BCG group and with the findings in saline-injected children.

Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig A}, 1975 Jun, 232(1), 83 - 90
Experimental infection of rabbits with Bacillus cereus; Stretton RJ et al.; Bacillus cereus was able to grow and produced local infections following subcutaneous or intramuscular injection . An inflammatory response was produced with necrosis of muscle fibres and calcification . The organism was sensitive to chemotherapeutic agents on in vitro tests.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1975 Jun, 77(6), 1177 - 83
Purification and characterization of inorganic pyrophosphatase from Bacillus stearothermophilus; Hachimori A et al.; Inorganic pyrophosphatase {EC 3.6.1.1} was purified from Bacillus stearothermophilus to a homogeneous state both ultracentrifugally and electrophoretically . Ultracentrifugal analysis revealed that the molecular weight of the enzyme is 122,000 and the sedimentation coefficient (S0.34%/20, W) is 5.2S . The enzyme molecule in 0.1% sodium dodecylsulfate solution containing 1 mM 2-mercaptoethanol had an estimated molecular weight of 70,000 on the basis of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis results, which indicates that the enzyme may consist of two subunits . Divalent cations such as Mg2+, Mn2+, and Co2+ are required for the enzymatic activity . Pyrophosphate is the only substrate for the enzyme . ATP and p-chloromercuribenzoate inhibit the enzyme reaction markedly.

Biochem J, 1975 Jun, 148(3), 505 - 11
Tricarboxylic acid-cycle and related enzymes in restricted facultative methylotrophs; Colby J et al.; The isolation is described of pure cultures of three non-methane-utilizing methylotrophic bacteria which, together with the previously described Bacillus PM6, have a very limited range of growth substrates; these organisms are designated "restricted facultative' methylotrophs . Two of these isolates, W6A and W3A1, grow only on glucose out of 50 non-C1 compounds tested, whereas the third isolate S2A1 and Bacillus PM6 grow on betaine, glucose, gluconate, alanine, glutamate, citrate and nutrient agar, but not on any of a further 56 non-C1 compounds . Crude sonic extracts of trimethylamine-grown and glucose-grown W6A and W3A1 isolates, and of trimethylamine-grown C2A1 (an obligate methylotroph) contain (i) no detectable 2-oxogltarate dehydrogenase activity, (ii) very low or zero specific activities of succinate dehydrogenase and succinyl-CoA synthetase and (iii) NAD+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase activity . Extracts of trimethylamine-grown PM6 and S2A1 methylotrophs have (i) very low 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase specific activities, (ii) comparatively high specific activities of succinate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and succinyl-CoA synthetase and (iii) NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase activity but no NAD+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase activity . The activities of most of these enzymes are increased during growth on glucose, alanine, glutamate or citrate, but only very low 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase activities are present under all growth conditions . The restricted facultative methylotrophs grow on certain non-C1 compounds in the absence of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and, in some cases, of other enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle; these lesions cannot therefore be the sole cause of obligate methylotrophy.

J Biol Chem, 1975 May 25, 250(10), 3904 - 8
Regulation of homoserine transacetylase in whole cells of Bacillus polymyxa; Wyman A et al.; The levels of homoserine transacetylase (EC 2.3.1.31) in Bacillus polymyxa grown in minimal medium can vary over a 40-fold range, depending on whether methionine limits growth or is present in excess . This suggests that the synthesis of the enzyme is under control by methionine or one of its metabolites . The stability of homoserine transacetylase in growing cells was measured after repression of further synthesis by the addition of methionine . At 30 degrees, the enzyme was stable for 2 hours, whereas at 37 degrees it decayed with a half-life of 40 min . This contrasts with the striking instability in cell-free extracts described in the preceding paper (Wyman, A., and Paulus, H . (1975) J . Biol . Chem . 250, 3897-3903) . The properties of homoserine transacetylase were also studied in cells of B . polymyxa that had been made permeable to small molecules by treatment with toluene . They differed in two important respects from those of the enzyme in cell-free extracts described in the preceding paper: the enzyme was relatively stable, with a half-life of 15 min at 37 degrees, and responded in a sigmoid manner to increasing concentrations of the inhibitors L-methionine and S-adenosylmethionine . These observations suggest that homoserine transacetylase is an oligomeric protein within the bacterial cell but dissociates into monomers in cell-free extracts . When B . polymyxa was transferred at 39 degrees from a rich medium to one without amino acids, growth resumed only very slowly . The growth lag after shift-down was not observed at 37 degrees or in the presence of methionine or cystathionine . This phenomenon appears to be due to a need for derepression of homoserine transacetylase upon shift-down which is thwarted at 39 degrees by the rapid thermal inactivation of the enzyme . A possible physiological function of the striking thermolability of the first enzyme in methionine biosynthesis is discussed.

J Biol Chem, 1975 May 25, 250(10), 3897 - 903
Purification and properties of homoserine transacetylase from Bacillus polymyxa; Wyman A et al.; Homoserine transacetylase (EC 2.3.1.31), the first enzyme of methionine biosynthesis, has been purified to near homogeneity from extracts of a methionine auxotroph of Bacillus polymyxa . The enzyme is subject to rapid irreversible inactivation . Its half-life at 0 degrees is 15 min and much less at higher temperatures, but ethylene glycol affords some protection . In addition, Zn2+ reversibly inhibits the enzyme with a K-I of 3 muM . The enzyme has a molecular weight of about 40,000 and consists of a single polypeptide chain . Besides catalyzing the acetyl transfer from acetyl-CoA to L-homoserine, homoserine transacetylase promotes a homoserine-O-acetylhomoserine exchange reaction in the absence of CoA, suggesting the formation of an acetyl-enzyme intermediate . The results of kinetic studies are consistent with a ping-pong mechanism . Homoserine transacetylase is subject to multivalent feedback inhibition by L-methionine and S-adenosylmethionine . Analysis of the inhibition data and specificity studies suggest that the inhibitors bind to separate sites on the enzyme which are distinct from the active site . Inhibition is competitive with respect to both substrates, and the saturation curves for the inhibitors, as well as substrate saturation curves in the absence or presence of the inhibitors, are hyperbolic . The absence of cooperativity is, in fact, a property which would be expected in a monomeric allosteric enzyme such as homoserine transacetylase.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 May 16, 390(3), 319 - 26
Effect of the exotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis on the biosynthesis and maturation of mouse liver nuclear RNA; Mackedonski VV; The effect of the exotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis on the in vivo incorporation of {14-C} orotic acid into mouse liver nuclear rRNA and low molecular weight RNA was studied . The following results were obtained . 1 . The exotoxin does not inhibit the synthesis of 45 S pre-rRNA, but causes a breakdown of these molecules . 2 . The exotoxin inhibits the conversion of 38 S pre-rRNA into 32 S and 21 S . 3 . The exotoxin inhibits the labelling of nuclear 5 S RNA, whereas the labelling of 4.6 S pre-tRNA is not affected . It is suggested that 5 S RNA may control the processing of 45 S pre-rRNA.

J Biol Chem, 1975 May 10, 250(9), 3375 - 80
Reconstitution of cell wall synthesis in toluene- and LiCl-treated Bacillus megaterium cells by addition of a soluble protein extract; Taku A et al.; Proteins required for the synthesis of peptidoglycan and incorporation of diaminopimelic acid into cell walls have been solubilized from Bacillus megaterium toluene-treated cells . Some of these proteins might have been removed from the cytoplasmic membrane through the cell wall by extraction with LiCl . The solubilized proteins have molecular weights in the range of 40,000 to 70,000 and can be added back to B . megaterium toluene-treated cells to reconstitute the synthetic reactions.

Eur J Biochem, 1975 May 6, 53(2), 493 - 8
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases from Bacillus stearothermophilus . Asymmetry of substrate binding to tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase; Bosshard HR et al.; The interaction of L-tyrosine, L-tyrosyladenylate and tRNA-Tyr with tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus stearothermophilus was studied by equilibrium dialysis, gel filtration and fluorescence spectroscopy . The enzyme, which consists of two identical subunits (mol . wt 2 x 44000), binds only a single molecule of L-tyrosine per dimer with a K-d of 2 x 10-5 M at pH 7.8 and 23 degrees C . The tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase--tyrosyladenylate complex which was isolated by gel filtration also has one adenylate bound per dimeric enzyme molecule . In contrast, two tRNA-Tyr molecules bind per enzyme dimer, but the two binding sites are not equivalent having K-d values of 2 x 10-7 M and 1.3 x 10-6 M respectively at pH 6.5 and 25 degrees C . Since crystallographic analysis of the free enzyme {2} shows that the monomer is the asymmetric unit, the data indicate that substrate binding induces asymmetry in the enzyme.

Eur J Biochem, 1975 May, 54(1), 175 - 84
Two enzymically active forms of glycyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus brevis . Purification and properties; Surguchov AP et al.; Using sucrose density centrifugation and gel filtration of a 105000 X g supernatant of Bacillus brevis two enzymic activities of glycyl-tRNA synthetase were separated . Enzyme catalyzing the aminoacylation of tRNA (E1) elutes in a high-molecular-weight region . Enzyme active in glycylhydroxamate formation (E2) elutes from a Sephadex gel column and sediments in sucrose density gradient in a region of relatively low molecular weight . The presence of two enzymic activities does not depend on the method of cell disruption; their proportion does not change when protease inhibitor (diisopropylphosphorofluoridate) is added to the extraction buffer . Both E1 and E2 were purified to a nearly homogeneous state . Sedimentation coefficients (sw,20) were found to be 8.6 S and 3.6 S and molecular weights 226000 and 66000 for E1 and E2, respectively . During storage, E1 dissociates into two components, one of which has electrophoretic mobility identical to E2 . The molecular weight of the other component is about 1600000 . Electrophoresis of E1 in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate reveals two bands corresponding to molecular weights of 81000 and 30000 . Under these conditions, E2 dissociates into a polypeptide with a molecular weight of 30000 . Valine was found to be the N-terminal amino acid for E2 and both valine and glutamic acid were N-terminal amino acids for E1 . It is concluded that E1 is a tetrameric protein consisting of two large and two small subunits (alpha2beta2) . E2 is a component of E1 with a structural formula alpha2.

J Bacteriol, 1975 May, 122(2), 412 - 7
Production of molybdenum-coordinating compound by Bacillus thuringiensis; Ketchum PA et al.; Bacillus thuringiensis (ATCC 10792) produces a molybdenum reactive compound (given the trivial name chelin) during growth on iron-deficient medium . This compound accumulates in the culture medium in direct relation to the amount of L-arginine added and reaches a maximum concentration 24 to 48 h after the stationary phase of growth . Chelin absorbs light in the ultraviolet region with absorption maxima at 315 and 248 nm and minima at 284 and 240 nm . Chelin reacts with Na2MoO4, but not with Mo2O4(H2O)6-2+, to form a bright yellow molybdo-chelin complex which absorbs light with an absorption maximum at 330 nm, a minimum at 288 nm, and shoulders at 255 and 400 nm . The differential absorption of molybdo-chelin versus chelin at 425 nm can be used to quantify chelin . This differential absorbance is linear with increasing concentrations of Na2MoO4 and was used to calculate the molar extinction coefficient of molybdochelin at 425 nm (epsilon similar to 6,200) . Chelin binds MoO4-2 minus to form a complex (molybdochelin) which migrates as a single band and elutes as a single peak, during acrylamide gel electrophoresis and Sephadex G-15 gel filtration . Molecular weight determinations using Sephadex G-15 gel filtration resulted in an estimated molecular weight of 550 for chelin and an estimated molecular weight of 760 for molybdo-chelin . The peptide nature of chelin is indicated by its positive ninhydrin reaction on thin-layer chromatography plates and by the presence of amino acids in acid-hydrolyzed samples . The major amino acid residues detected were threonine, glycine, and alanine.

Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig A}, 1975 May, 231(4), 525 - 34
A comparison of tests for nitrate reduction; Pacova Z et al.; 504 strains of different bacteria have been tested for nitrate reduction by a conventional method and two microtests . A quick microtest for nitrate reduction is suggested allowing to read results after 1 hr cultivation . Nitrate reduction is a valuable test particularly for the species differentiation of the genera Bacillus, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas, Alcalignes, Moraxella, and other ones.

Invest Urol, 1975 May, 12(6), 423 - 7
The effects of BCG on the dog bladder; Bloomberg SD et al.; Immunostimulation with agents such as Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) may represent an adjunctive treatment modality in patients with cancer of the bladder . To investigate the effects of direct inoculation, BCG was injected into the bladder of sensitized (PPD) and nonsensitized dogs . A marked and predictable inflammatory reaction was seen in all of the sensitized and in some of the nonsensitized dogs . This reaction was characterized by an extensive histiocytic infiltration with varying proportions of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, plasma cells, and lymphocytes . Follow-up examination of one dog 7 weeks after initial biopsy showed that this marked inflammatory reaction had resolved . Our findings suggest that in the future nonspecific immunopotentiators may play a role in the treatment of cancer of the bladder.

J Assoc Off Anal Chem, 1975 May, 58(3), 497 - 9
Microbiological assay of patulin, using Bacillus megaterium; Stott WT et al.; Bacillus megaterium NRRL 1368 was found to be sensitive to patulin and a suitable test organism for an accurate, quantitative bioassay of the toxin . The optimum conditions for the test were determined . The response of the organism to patulin was found to be linear between 2 and 80 mug . When compared to thin layer chromatographic and spectrophotometric assay methods, the bioassay was found to be comparable in accuracy, but less sensitive . The test was found to be sensitive to 1.7 mug patulin . The assay is rapid (12-15 hr), simple, and inexpensive and can be used to verify the toxicity of samples, as well as to quantitatively measure patulin in samples of liquid media, apple juice, and corn.

J Bacteriol, 1975 May, 122(2), 642 - 9
Protease and peptidase activities in growing and sporulating cells and dormant spores of Bacillus megaterium; Setlow P; Peptidase and protease activities on many different substrates have been determined in several stages of growth of Bacillus megaterium . Extracts of log-phase cells, sporulating cells, and dormant spores of B . megaterium each hydrolyzed 16 different di- and tripeptides . The specific peptidase activity was highest in dormant spores, and the activity in sporulating cells and log-phase cells was about 1.2-fold and 2- to 3-fold lower, respectively . This peptidase acticity was wholly intracellular since extracellular peptidase activity was not detected throughout growth and sporulation . In contrast, intracellular protease activity on a variety of common protein substrates was highest in sporulating cells, and much extracellular activity was also present at this time . The specific activity of intracellular protease in sporulating cells was about 50- and 30-fold higher than that in log-phase cells and dormant spores, respectively . However, the two unique dormant spores proteins known to be the major species degraded during spore germination were degraded most rapidly by extracts of dormant spores, and slightly slower by extracts from log-phase or sporulating cells . The specific activities for degradation of peptides and proteins are compared to values for intracellular protein turnover during various stages of growth.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1975 May, 28(5), 390 - 4
Studies on lankacidin-group (T-2636) antibiotics . X . Microbial conversion of lankacidin-group antibiotics; Nakahama K et al.; Lankacidin C, a component of lankacidin-group (T-2636) antibiotics, was esterified to lankacidin C 8-butyrate in the presence of methyl butyrate by culture broth and by cell-free extract of Bacillus megaterium IFO 12108 . In addition, methyl isobutyrate, methyl valerate and methyl isovalerate served as acyl donors for the esterification, and lankacidin C 8-isobutyrate, lankacidin C 8-valerate and lankacidin C 8-isovalerate were formed respectively . Lankacidin C 8, 14-dibutyrate was hydrolyzed to lankacidin C 14-butyrate by the same organism.

J Assoc Off Anal Chem, 1975 May, 58(3), 624 - 5
Mycotoxin bioassay, using Bacillus stearothermophilus; Reiss J; Spores of Bacillus stearothermophilus in standardized spore strips are pretreated with solutions of the mycotoxins aflatoxin B1, patulin, rubratoxin B, and diacetoxyscirpenol and subsequently incubated in a nutrient solution containing bromocresol purple as pH indicator . After 16.5 hr of inclubation the color of the indicator medium inoculated with untreated spore strips of B . stearothermophilus changes from purple to yellow; no color change occurs in the indicator medium inoculated with spore strips treated 15 min with 0.01 mug of any of the 4 mycotoxins/ml during a 60 hr incubation.

Biochem J, 1975 May, 148(2), 259 - 68
Inactivation of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase during germination and outgrowth of Bacillus cereus T endospores; Orlowski M et al.; The specific activity and total activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) under conditions of complete cell breakage fall 10-20-fold during a 3h period of spore germination and outgrowth . The spores must germinate (lose refractility), but do not have to undergo outgrowth, for the loss of activity to occur . Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity from cells as any stage of development is completely stable in extracts at 4 degrees C or 30 degrees C . All of the enzyme activity is found in a soluble (50000g supernatant) fraction and remains completely soluble throughout development . Soluble protein and total cellular protein remain constant for about 2h . Proteinases could not be detected or protein turnover demonstrated during the morphogenetic process . Phenylmethanesuophony fluoride and o-phenanthroline, inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes, do not prevent glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase inactivation when added to whole cells . Mixing experiments show no inhibitor of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase to be present in late-stage cells . The enzyme is not excreted into the culture medium . Chloramphenicol and rifampicine immediately stop protein synthesis and development but not the inactivation of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase . NaN3, 2,4-dinitrophenol or anaerobiosis immediately stop development and prevent the loss of enzyme activity . A requirement for metabolic energy is therefore probable . Extracts of spores pre-labelled with L{14C}leucine were made at various stages of morphogenesis and subjected to polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis . Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, which was identified by a specific stain, did not lose 14C label, and therefore may not be degraded during the inactivation process.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 May 1, 390(2), 246 - 52
Tyrocidine and the linear gramicidin . Do these peptide antibiotics play an antagonistic regulative role in sporulation?
Ristow H, Schazschneider B, Bauer K, Kleikauf H.
1 . The cyclic peptide antibiotic tyrocidine, synthesized by Bacillus brevis (ATCC 8185), inhibits RNA synthesis in an in vitro transcriptional system by forming a complex with the DNA . 2 . The linear peptide antibiotic gramicidin, synthesized by the same strain, reverses at least partly this inhibition . The molecular mechanism of this reactivation is unknown . Gramicidin by itself inhibits transcription in vitro . This inhibition is not due to a complex formation between DNA and the peptide . 4 . A possible regulative role of the two peptides in sporulation is discussed.

J Biol Chem, 1975 Apr 25, 250(8), 3212 - 3
Membrane penicillinase of Bacillus licheniformis 749/C, a phospholipoprotein; Yamamoto S et al.; The hydrophobic membrane penicillinase of Bacillus licheniformis 749/C has been characterized in view of its possible role in secretion of the hydrophilic exoenzyme . It differs from exoenzyme in carrying an additional phospholipopeptide chain of 25 amino acids that contains only Asx, Glx, Gly, and Ser residues . The NH2-terminal residues is phosphatidylserine . since the extra peptide chain is probably relatively polar, the phospholipid group may well be directly responsible for the hydrophobic properties of the membrane enzyme.

J Biol Chem, 1975 Apr 25, 250(8), 3024 - 33
Purification and regulation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase from Bacillus licheniformis; Opheim DJ et al.; The fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate 1-phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.11) from the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus licheniformis was purified approximately 800-fold (with a 20% yield of activity) by a procedure that included ammonium sulfate precipitation, precipitation by MnCl2, and gamma-alumina gel absorption . Catalysis by this enzyme in vitro was specific for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Km of approximately 20 muM) and proceeded optimally at pH 8.0 to 8.5 . Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase was found to be rapidly inactivated by incubation in the presence of AMP or in the absence of Mn2+ . The AMP inactivation was prevented by adding P-enolpyruvate to the incubation mixture . The enzyme was slowly inactivated when incubated in the presence of stabilizing concentrations of Mn2+ (5 mM) at protein concentrations of less than 8 mg of protein per ml . An additional system is produced during sporulation which specifically inactivates fructose bisphosphatase in vitro . This system, which is distinctly different from the AMP inactivating system, can be blocked by P-enolpyruvate . This fructose bisphosphatase, like fructose bisphosphatases from other sources, was strongly inhibited by AMP, exhibiting a Ki of approximately 5 muM . This inhibition, however, could be completely overcome by P-enolpyruvate . P-enolpyruvate was also found to be an activator of the enzyme and exhibited a Km of approximately 2 muM . This activation was prevented in a competitive manner by AMP, exhibiting a Ki of approximately 5 muM . No other effector of fructose bisphosphatase was identified in an extensive search . The specific activity of fructose bisphosphatase in crude extracts was found to be independent of the stage of the life cycle of the bacterium or of the nature of the carbon-energy source supporting growth . Immunoprecipitation studies indicate that no new species of fructose biphosphatase is produced during gluconeogenic growth or sporulation . The enzyme extracted from cells under a variety of physiological conditions exhibited a molecular weight of about 5 times 10-5 as determined by sucrose density centrifugation . Therefore, it is proposed that a single constitutively synthesized fructose bisphosphatase is present in B . licheniformis . Measurements of the intracellular level of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate indicate that the variation in the level of substrate throughout growth (1 mM) and sporulation (0.3 mM) does not regulate the in vivo activity of this enzyme, since the Km of the enzyme for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate is approximately 10-fold lower than the lowest in vivo concentration of substrate . P-enolpyruvate is proposed as the major regulator of fructose bisphosphatase activity in vivo.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 Apr 19, 384(2), 477 - 83
Production of 1, 3-beta-glucanase by Bacillus No . 221 . An alkalophilic microorganism; Horikoshi K et al.; A 1, 3-beta-glucanase of Bacillus No . 221 has been extensively purified by a DEAE-cellulose column followed by a Sephadex G-75 gel filtration, and crystallized in ammonium sulfate solution . The crystalline enzyme is homogenous on the basis of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, sedimentation in ultracentrifuge (3.2 S), Ampholine electrofocusing (pI=4.1) and dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Mr=36 000) . The enzyme has an optimum pH for enzyme action at 8.5 which is higher than those of other 1, 3-beta-glucanases so far reported . The enzyme is very thermostable; about 90% of activity remains after being heated at 70 degrees C for 10 min, and no effect of Ca-2's obversed . The enzyme does not hydrolyse laminaritriose, but hydrolyses laminaritetraose, and yields glucose and laminaritriose . The enzyme splits laminaran at random and yields glucose, laminaribiose, laminaritriose and higher oligosaccharides . From these results, this enzyme is a type of endo-1, 3-beta-glucanase.

Can J Microbiol, 1975 Apr, 21(4), 490 - 5
An experimentally pathogenic Bacillus species . II . The pathogenicity of the organism for mice; Stamper HB Jr et al.; The pathogenic effects produced in mice by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a Bacillus species (OSU 372) are presented . This organism belongs to group 3 of the genus, and members of this group have not heretofore been shown to be pathogenic for mice even under experimental conditions . However, this organism is capable of producing a fatal involvement in doses which are not considered to be overwhelming . The mean lethal dose (LD50) of the organism for 20-25 g mice by the i.p . route is about 1 times 10-8 bacteria/mouse . A rapid drop in body temperature along with severe dehydration were noted in infected animals, and hematologic studies indicated that leukopenia and hemoconcentration also occurred . Although a transient septicemia developed, the bacteria could not be recovered from the tissues of fatally infected mice after a certain point in time . Results prevented indicate that the animals died of hypovolemic shock . A possible parallel with human bacillary infection is drawn.

Can J Microbiol, 1975 Apr, 21(4), 485 - 9
An experimentally pathogenic Bacillus species . I . Description and characterization of the organism; Stamper HB Jr et al.; A previously underscribed Bacillus species has been characterized . The organism was isolated from a blood transfusion bottle implicated in a fatal bacteriogenic transfusion reaction and has been examined from a number of different aspects to characterize it as completely as necessary to provide identification . It was placed into group 3 of the genus Bacillus on the basis of its cellular morphology, the morphology of the sporangium, and the location of the spore within the cell . There are only three other species described in this group . Since the organism differed markedly from each of these, it appears to represent a new species.

Am J Ophthalmol, 1975 Apr, 79(4), 641 - 7
Effect of immunization with attenuated Mycobacterium bovis on experimental toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis; Tabbara KJ et al.; Administration of attenuated Mycobacterium bovis (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin or BCG) provides nonspecific resistance to a variety of microbial infections and tumors . This is associated with a state of augmented immunologic responsiveness . Mustering defenses against intracellular parasites, such as Toxoplasma gondii, presents a special problem that can be met only by measures that alter the intracellular environment . Our study was designed to evaluate the effect of prior immunization of rabbits with BCG on experimental toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis . One group of rabbits was immunized by the intravenous administration of BCG, another group by the retrobulbar injection of BCG, and a third group, unvaccinated, served as a control . Intravenous immunization provided significant protection against Toxoplasma organisms injected into the suprachoroidal space . In the immunized rabbits, the onset of Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis was delayed and the severity of the disease reduced . Although Toxoplasma was isolated from the chorioretinal tissues of both BCG-immunized and control rabbits, Toxoplasma antibody was not (with one exception) detected in the sera of BCG-immunized rabbits . While vaccination by the retrobulbar route produced little or no effect, intravenous administration of BCG provided nonspecific resistance to Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis in rabbits.

J Infect Dis, 1975 Apr, 131(4), 443 - 6
The generation of superoxide anion by various types of phagocyte; DeChatelet LR et al.; Polymorphonuclear leukocytes derived from human peripheral blood, rabbit peritoneal exudates, and guinea pig peritoneal exudates generate measurable quantities of superoxide anion when challenged with opsonized zymosan, but not when challenged with zymosan that has not been opsonized . The generation of superoxide is dependent upon the concentration of cells and closely parallels the stimulation of the hexose monophosphate shunt in the phagocytes . In contrast, no superoxide can be detected when rabbit alveolar macrophages (either normal or activated by prior vaccination of the animal with bacille Calmette-Guerin) or rabbit peritoneal macrophages are similarly treated . These data suggest that although superoxide anion may be involved in the bactericidal activity of the polymorphonuclear leukocyte, it is less likely to play a significant role in the bactericidal activity of the macrophage.

J Hyg (Lond), 1975 Apr, 74(2), 289 - 99
The problem and implications of chloramphenicol resistance in the typhoid bacillus; Anderson ES; Transferable chloramphenicol resistance has become common in the typhoid bacillus in countries such as Mexico, India, Vietnam and Thailand . Situations such as this, and others analogous to it in many parts of the world, are the result of the long-term indiscriminate use of chloramphenicol and other antibiotics in the affected areas . They can be rectified only by more rational antibiotic usage.

J Gen Microbiol, 1975 Apr, 87(2), 359 - 69
An insect toxin from spores of Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus; Somerville HJ et al.; Spores of Bacillus thuringiensis contain a toxin active against lepidopterous larvae . This toxin can be solubilized by extraction with reagents which dissolve the protein crystal of B thuringiensis . It is inactivated by crystal-specific antiserum . Spores of Bacillus cereus contain a similar toxin although the specific activity is much lower than the spores of B . thuringiensis . The B . cereus toxin contains a single major polypeptidecomponent . Toxic activity can be solubliized from spores of both species by incubation with gut juices from Pieris brassicae.

J Parasitol, 1975 Apr, 61(2), 194 - 8
Eimeria tenella in gnotobiotic chickens: hematocrit, weight change, cecal pathology, and mortality; Visco RJ; On days 5 to 8 after oral inoculation with 200,000 Eimeria tenella oocysts, the mean hematocrits of bacteria-free, Bacillus cereus-monoflora and conventional chickens were equally reduced below control values . Weight loss was first observed in bacteria-free and monoflora fowl between days 4 and 5 after E . tenella inoculation, whereas conventional fowl initially displayed weight loss between days 3 and 4 . Gross cecal lesion scores and total mortality of 4 experiments were not significantly different for the 2 gnotobiotic (bacteria-free and monoflora) groups, but these values for both groups were significantly less than those of infected conventional control animals . Since hematocrits were equally depressed in gnotobiotic and conventional animals, and survival was significantly greater in the former, it is suggested that factors in addition to blood loss cause mortality during E . tenella infections . The correlations between the severity of cecal lesions and per cent mortality suggests that these phenomena may be closely related . The present experiments with gnotobiotic fowl indicate that the normal flora is involved in the cecal pathology and mortality caused by cecal coccidiosis in conventional animals.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1975 Apr, 77(4), 739 - 43
Affinity chromatography of alpha-chymotrypsin, subtilism, and metalloendopeptidases on carbobenzoxy-L-phenylalanyl-triehtylenetetraminyl-sepharose; Fujiwara K et al.; Carbobenzoxy-L-phenylalanyl-triethylenetetraminyl-Sepharose (Z-L-Phe-T-Sepharose) was found to be an effective affinity adsorbent for bovine pancreatic alpha-chymotrypsin {EC 3.4.21.1} as well as neutral {EC 3.4.24.4} and alkaline {EC 3.4.21.14} proteases of Bacillus species . These enzymes were adsorbed in the neutral pH range . alpha-Chymotrypsin was recovered by elution with 0.1 A acetic acid while neutral subtilopeptidase was eluted with 0.5 M NaCl at pH 0 . Thermolysin and subtilisin were found in eluates with 1.5 and 2.0 M guanidine-HCl at pH 7.2, respectively . The resulting enzymes appeared homogeneous on disc-electrophoresis and showed higher specific activities than those of crystalline or highly purified preparations available commercially . Modifications of the active site serines of alpha-chymotrypsin and subtilisin by treatment with diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) or phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) resulted in loss in their binding abilities to the adsorbent . Complexes of porcine alpha2-macroglobulin with each of these four enzymes and that of Streptomyces-subtilisin inhibitor (S-SI) with subtilisin were also found in nonadsorbed fractions.

Antibiotiki, 1975 Apr, 20(4), 345 - 9
{Effect of gramicidin C on the formation and germination of Bacillus brevis var . GB (P+-variant) spores}; Egorov NS et al.; The effect of gramicidin C added to the medium at various periods of cultivation in concentrations of 20, 40 and 100 gamma/ml on sporulation of P+-variant of Bac . brevis var . GB was studied . The most effective increase in the sporulation rate and percentage of the cells germinating into the spores was observed on addition of the antibiotic to the medium in amounts of 20 and 40 gamma/ml in 13 hours of the culture development . The amount of gramicidin C during sporulation decreased and partially passed into the spores which did not differ after germination from those of P+-variant grown on the synthetic medium with glucose and without preliminary addition of the antibiotic . Addition of gramicidin C in an amount of 100 gamma/ml at the end of the lag phase, i.e . 4 hours after the culture inoculation suppressed sporulation and had no effect on growth of the cells of its own producing organism.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Apr, 122(1), 34 - 40
Release of extracellular enzymes from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; Gould AR et al.; Washed-cell suspensions of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens secrete significant amounts of the extracellular enzymes alpha-amylase and protease for about 15 min in the almost complete absence of protein synthesis . This apparently represents release of preformed enzyme en route to secretion . The release was independent of energy but was affected by temperature . Pulse-labeling experiments showed that newly synthesized enzyme molecules are either immediately released into the external medium or equilibrate with the preformed enzyme prior to eventual secretion . The results are compatible with a model of secretion whereby enzyme molecules emerging from the cell membrane become temporarily restricted by the cell wall so that a small pool of active enzyme accumulates in this region.

J Biol Chem, 1975 Mar 25, 250(6), 2376 - 82
The control of the synthesis of pyruvate carboxylase in Pseudomonas citronellolis . Evience from double labeling studies; Taylor BL et al.; The level of pyruvate carboxylase in Pseudmonas citronellolis is controlled by the carbon source of the growth medium . The activity of the enzyme is highest in cells grown on lactate or glucose and virtually absent in cells grown on malate or aspartate . Double labeling studies with 3H- and 14C-labeled leucine confirm that pyruvate carboxylase is synthesized in the presence of lactate but not in the presence of aspartate . The studies also show that coordinated regulation occurs at the level of the synthesis of the two polypeptides which make up pyruvate carboxylase in P . citronellolis, rather than at the stages of their assembly into protomers or the biotinylation of the apoenzyme . There is no evidence for control of the catalytic acitivity of the holoenzyme via effectors . In all other varieties of pyruvate carboxylase examined thus far, the enzyme appears to be constitutive with regulation accomplished either through effector modulation of holoenzyme activity (pyruvate carbox-lase from animal sources, yeast, several species of bacteria) or through control of the biotinylation of the apoenzyme by holocarboxylase synthetase (Bacillus stearothermophilus, yeast).

Minerva Med, 1975 Mar 7, 66(17), 801 - 18
{Tuberculosis of the tracheobronchial lymph nodes in ambulatory practice}; Bonini CA et al.; While endemic T.B . is undoubtedly receding, sources of infection are still widespread and knowledge of the pathology of the bacillus is still required . A short account of tracheobroncheal lymphadenopathy is accompanied by radiological illustration of personal cases treated without hospitalisation.

Mikrobiologiia, 1975 Mar-Apr, 44(2), 237 - 40
{Effect of different factors on the germination of spores in S and P- variants of Bacillus brevis}; Egorov NS et al.; The effect of temperature, duration of heating and the presence of L-alanine and L-glutamine in the medium on the spore germination was studied with the S and P- variants of Bacillus brevis which did not contain gramicidin S and with the R and P+ varants obtained on a defined medium with beta-phenyl-beta-alanine, an inhibitor of the biosynthesis of gramicidin S . The experiments were carried out according to the scheme of complete factor experiment . Germination of the spores was found upon their incubation in a defined medium with L-alanine within two hours after their preliminary heating at 80 degrees C during 45 minutes (S variant), at 60 degrees C during 45 minutes (R variant+trace amounts of gramicidin S), at 80 degrees C during 15 minutes (P+ variant/trace amounts of gramicidin S) . Germination of the spores of the P- variant was best upon heating to 60 degrees C during 45 minutes . Gramicidin S is presumed to inhibit, to a certain extent, germination of the spores of its producing culture.

Mikrobiologiia, 1975 Mar-Apr, 44(2), 233 - 6
{Change in Bacillus anthracoides spores and their content of dipicolinic acid during germination}; Bekhtereva MN et al.; The content of dipicolinic acid (DPA) was assayed in the spores of Bacillus anthracoides 96 during various stages of its growth . The content of DPA was ca . 10.7 per cent of the dry biomass weight in the seven-day-old culture containing 96 to 99 per cent of the spores in a "starvation" medium . The morphology of the culture was modified, and the content of DPA in the spores fell to 3.6 per cent half an hour after the inoculation into the medium favourable for the growth (MPA) . During the following one to four hours of the germination, the refraction index of the spores and the content of DPA in them decreased (the content of DPA to 2 per cent).

Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig B}, 1975 Mar, 160(2), 155 - 62
{The detection of spores of the bacillus species within the scope of the hygienic control of water pollution (author's transl)}; Schubert RH; Due to their differentiated nutritional requirements the species of the genus Bacillus found in large number in the waste matter and the upper layers of the soil and consequently in the surface water cannot multiply in biotopes of low nutritive content . However, they are spread to these areas as spores and are of extraordinary tenacity if not eliminated . Consequently, in the ground water and within the range of its utilization they represent an indicator of the degree of purification or contamination of the water with waste products or surface impurities; their number does not depend on the phase of self-purification (as e.g . the number of colonies) in the sense of the degradation of remaining substances still utilizable by pseudomonads . The concentration of spores of the Bacillus species in the surface water ranges from 1000-10000 per 50 ml of water . In undisturbed ground water 0-5 per 50 ml are found; in filtered ground water from near the banks and in such water that has been exposed to surface contamination 1000 per 50 ml have been found or even more; in the direction of infiltration - proportionate to the purification effect in the ground - decreasing numbers of spores of the Bacillus species are detectable . In "areas of subsequent germination" of the water supply and water utilization no multiplication of spores of the Bacillus species has been observed - provided no additional contamination occurs.

South Med J, 1975 Mar, 68(3), 260 - 9
Gram-negative bacillus pneumonia; Coker AS et al.; Our experience with gram-negativebacillus pneumonia (GNBP) was examined to assist us in the diagnosis and treatment of this serious condition . The patients were divided into three categories: those with primary GNBP, those with primary nosocomial GNBP, and those with superinfection GNBP . Mortality correlated highly with the severity of underlying disorders . Aspiration occurred or was suspected before most instances of primary GNBP . Tracheostomy, inhalation therapy, and aspiration were common events before development of primary nosocomial GNBP and superinfection GNBP . Half the patients survived the two primary varieties of GNBP . A striking leukocytosis developed at the onset of most cases of primary nosocomial GNBP and superinfection GNBP.

Z Klin Chem Klin Biochem, 1975 Mar, 13(3), 101 - 7
{A glucose dehydrogenase for the determination of glucose concentrations in body fluids (author's transl)}; Banauch D et al.; The isolation of glucose dehydrogenase from Bacillus megaterium M 1286 is outlined . Data on the specificity of the enzyme towards carbohydrates are given . A specific method for glucose determination using this enzyme was developed . Methods and results of four variants of this glucose determination are presented: End point determination in the UV range, determination with formazan as reaction product, kinetic determination in the UV range, and continuous flow analysis in the UV range (AutoAnalyzer method).

Ann Parasitol Hum Comp, 1975 Mar-Apr, 50(2), 209 - 22
{Development in mosquitoes of 3 filaria of the South American lizards of the genus Oswaldofilaria}; Bain O et al.; The development of O . petersi, O . belemensis and O . spinosa is similar to that of O . bacillaris: the larvae are in the adipose tissue of various mosquitoes; the infective stages are characterized by the longitudinal salient ridges of the cuticule, the long tail ended by two lappets, the well-developed glandular oesophagus; the female genital anlage lies in the anterior half part of the body, but is not very far from the median line . This character opposes these species to the other viviparous Filariae and stresses the originality of the Oswaldofilariinar.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1975 Mar, 77(3), 579 - 86
Synthesis of polyglycerol phosphate by Bacillus stearothermophilus; Cheang OO K; A particulate enzyme preparation from Bacillus stearothermophilus synthesized 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphage) from CDPglycerol at an optimum pH of 8.0 and the reaction was stimulated by divalent cations . Km for CDPglycerol was 0.18 mM . The synthesis was inhibited by CMP, CDP, and CTP and by concentrations of CDP-glycerol above 0.49 mM . The reaction was irreversible, The product had an average chain length of 8 glycerol units . About two thirds of the polymers were synthesized in entirety while the ramainder were attached to some acceptor by their phosphate end . The enzome was able to synthesize only a limited amount of polymer.

J Infect Dis, 1975 Mar, 131(3), 201 - 9
Specific immunity and nonspecific resistance to infection: listeria, protozoa, and viruses in mice and hamsters,; Frenkel JK et al.; Specific immunity developed by mice against protozoan (Toxoplasma gondii and Besnoitia jellisoni) and bacterial (Listeria monocytogenes) infections was compared with nonspecific protection conferred by prior infections . The results indicated that homologous immunity protected mice from more than 10-5 LD50 of T . gondii or B . jellisoni, but from only 10-2 LD50 of L . monocytogenes . Heterospecific protection among these organisms was for 10-0.4 minus 10-1.2 LD50 . In studies in hamsters specific immunity to protozoan (T . gondii and B . jellisoni) and viral (equine Herpesvirus type 1 and Oriboca virus) infections was compared with nonspecific protection conferred by prior infections with several heterospecific agents: T . gondii; B . jellison; equine Herpesvirus type 1; Oriboca, Ossa, vesicular stomatitis, yellow fever, and Newcastle disease viruses; L . monocytogenes; and the bacillus Calmette-Guerin strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The results indicated that homologous immunity in hamsters was effective against 10-6 minus 10-7 LD50 of T . gondii, B . jellisoni, equine Herpesvirus type 1, or Oriboca virus . Prior infection with Newcastle disease virus protected (probably by interferon induction) against 10-3 LD50 of equine Herpesvirus type 1 . Heterospecific protection among other agents was for less than 10 LD50 . This insignificant heterospecific protection in infections in which cellular immunity plays a role suggests that both the induction phase and the expression phase are specific.

J Natl Cancer Inst, 1975 Mar, 54(3), 721 - 6
Effect of bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunization in marmosets infected experimentally with Herpesvirus saimiri; Schauf V et al.; Eight white-lipped marmosets immunized with BCG and 3 sham-immunized marmosets were studied after inoculation with Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) . BCG immunization had no significant influence on the incidence of infection by HVS, incidence of fatal malignant lymphoma, time of leukemia onset, development or titer of HVS antibodies, or average survival time . One BCG-immunized, HVS-infected marmoset failed to develop malignant lymphoma, whereas the remaining 10 HVS-infected marmosets died of malignant lymphoma . Prolonged survival occurred also in 1 marmoset immunized with BCG 100 days after HVS inoculation . The development and disappearance of lymphocyte reactivity to tuberculin were followed in 4 BCG-immunized marmosets.

Biochemistry, 1975 Feb 25, 14(4), 841 - 7
Diol lipids of rat liver . Quantitation and structural characteristics of neutral lipids and phospholipids derived from ethanediol, propanediols, and butanediols; Baumann WJ et al.; Specific enzymatic and chemical degradation of neutral lipid and phospholipid fractions from rat liver revealed the presence of novel types of lipid metabolites bearing a short-chain diol backbone . Diol-derived lecithin and cephalin analogs were readily cleaved by phospholipase C (EC 3.1.4.3) from Bacillus cereus, although the cephalin analogs required "carrier" lecithin to sustain hydrolysis . The products of phosphilipase hydrolyses as well as the neutral lipid fractions were subjected to alkaline and acidic methanolysis, and constituent short-chain diols were analyzed as long-chain cyclic acetals . Gas chromatographymass spectrometry confirmed that 1,2-ethanediol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, and 1,3 butanediol can form the polyol backbone of neutral lipids and phospholipids . {1,1,2,2-2H}Ethanediol monohexadecanoate, dihexadecanoate, hexadecanoylphosphorylcholine, hexadecanoylphosphorylethanolamine were synthesized chemically and served as internal standards to assure accurate quantitation of the low levels of diol lipids (350 mug/g ot total lipid) present in rat liver.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1975 Feb 24, 280(8), 1031 - 4
{The mycotoxin sensitivity of several Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) strains sensitive and resistant to aflatoxin B1}; Boutibonnes P; Antimicrobial activity of pure preparations of seven mycotoxins, coumarin and dicoumarin, was studied against various strains of Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) . The acquisition of resistance to Aflatoxin B1, by a new strain designated "stable variant", obtained in the presence of mycotoxin lethal dose, is very specific . However, a relation seems to exist between Aflatoxin B1 susceptibility and sensitivity to compounds which possess a double furan ring . In vitro, coumarin exhibits an inhibitory effect against antibacterial activity of Aflatoxin B1.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1975 Feb 20, 380(2), 208 - 18
A method for the quantitative determination of glycerolipids containing O-alkyl and O-alk-1-enyl moieties; Blank ML et al.; We have developed a spectrophotometric procedure, based on a combination of established methods, for the quantitative determination of aklyl and alk-1-enyl (plasmalogens) ether-linked glycerolipids . It depends upon the release of alkylglycerols and alk-1-enylglycerols from phospholipids by phosphlipase C (Bacillus cereus) followed by saponification or by Vitride reduction the phospholipids; aldehydes are subsequently formed and measured colorimetrically after reacting them with a fuchsin reagent . The total alkyl and alk-1-enyl content of glycerolipids is determined oxidation of the sample withperiodate to form aldehydes and alkylglycolic aldehydes . The O-alk-1-enyl lipid content is determined on a separate sample by measuring the aldehydes produced after acid hydrolysis . The quantity of O-alkyl lipids is calculated from the difference between the values obtained for the total ether-lipid content and that of the O-alk-1enyl lipid content . Alternately, direct determination of alk-1-enylglycerols and alkylglycerols can be made if these hydrolytic products are first separated by thin-layer chromatography.

Biochemistry, 1975 Feb 11, 14(3), 463 - 8
A chemical approach to the fine structure of biomolecular complexes: the amino terminal region of the 50S ribosomal "A" protein from Bacillus stearothermophilus; Visentin LP et al.; An experimental approach and methodology are described for determining the reactive properties and ionization constants of individual functional groups of proteins within biomolecular complexes . The ionization constants and reactivities of the methionyl-l amino terminus and the lysyl-3 residue of the alanine rich 50S ribosomal "A" protein from Bacillus stearothermophilus have been determined by an extension of the competitive labeling technique used by H . Kaplan, K . J . Stevenson, and B . S . Hartley ((1971), Biochem . J . 124, 289-299) . This approach employs (1-14C)- and (3H)acetic anhydride in a double-labeling procedure . In 0.1 M KCl-0.02 M Mg2+-0.05 M Veronal at 10 degrees the methionyl-l amino terminus has a pKa of 7.5 and is exposed on the surface of the ribosome . The lysyl-3 has a pKa of 10 and is also exposed to solvent at the surface of the 50S subunit . Based on a linear free energy relationship (Bronsted plot) obtained with a series of standard amines the methionyl amino terminus has a substantially higher reactivity than expected from its ionization constant . The lysyl epsilon-amino group has the expected reactivity . The abnormally high reactivity of the methionyl amino terminus can only be accounted for by a specific interaction with other functional groups in the ribosome . These data support the proposal that the charged state of this residue is important in the structure and function of the "A" protein at the surface of the ribosome.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1975 Feb, 28(2), 129 - 31
Isolation of a new peptide antibiotic complex 61-26 . Studies on antibiotics from the geneus Bacillus . V; Shoji J et al.; A new antibiotic named 61-26 active against gram-positive bacteria and some fungi was isolated from a Bacillus strain . The antibiotic is a weakly basic peptide slightly soluble in aqueous alcohols . An approximate empirical formula of C50H93N11O17 and constituent amino acids of aspartic acid (1 mole), serine(2 moles), alanine (2moles), and sum of valine and isoleucine (2 moles) are indicated.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1975 Feb, 28(2), 122 - 5
Isolation of galantins I and II, water-soluble basic peptides . Studies on antibiotics from the genus Bacillus . III; Shoji J et al.; Two water-soluble basic antibiotics named galantins I and II were isolated from a strain resembling Bacillus pulvifaciens . Both antibiotics are peptides containing glycine, alanine, ornithine, lysine and some unknown ninhydrin-positive components . An approximate empirical formula C50 plus and minus H98plus and minus 2O17N16 is indicated for galantin I . These are active against some gram-positive, acid-fast and gram-negative bacteria.

J Hyg (Lond), 1975 Feb, 74(1), 133 - 48
Experimental studies on environmental contamination with infected blood during haemodialysis; Comparison of beta-lactamase II from Bacillus cereus 569/H/9 with a beta-lactamase from Bacillus cereus 5/B/6; A mutant of Bacillus cereus 5/B, strain 5/B/6, produces a beta-lactamase II-like enzyme but no beta-lactamase I . Beta-lactamases II and II 5/B/6 appear to show a high degree of homology, but there are significant differences in their enzymic properties.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Feb, 121(2), 518 - 23
Polarized relationship of bacterial spore loci to the "old" and "new" ends of sporangia; Hitchins AD; The frequency of association of spore loci with the "old" and "new" ends of rod-shaped sporangia in batch cultures of Bacillus megaterium ATCC 19213 was estimated by phase contrast microscopy . The analysis was facilitated by (i) the association of most of the sporangia into chains of two to five sporangia and (ii) the occurrence of two types of cross wall distinguishable by their degree of splitting . It was concluded that a newly formed spore is located at the "old" end of a sporangium . By inference, the sporulation division septum locus is distal to the ultimate normal cell division septum, i.e., proximal to the "old" pole of the B . megaterium sporangium . This result is discussed in relation to deoxyribonucleic acid segregation during sporulation.

J Gen Microbiol, 1975 Feb, 86(2), 259 - 66
The basis of the alkalophilic property of a species of bacillus; Ota K et al.; An alkalophilic bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus was isolated from an indigo ball . The bacterium exhibited a maximum growth rate at pH 10-0 TO 10-5 . The incorporation of 14C-labelled amino acids or {14C}uracil, uptake of 14C-labelled alpha-amino isobutyric acid into the bacterium and oxygen consumption of the bacterium with amino acids as substrates were all maximum at pH 9-0 to 10-5 . The uptake of {U-14C}glucose into the organism and oxygen consumption with carbohydrates, on the other hand, showed little variation of rate in the pH 8 to 10 region . The oxygen consumption of intact bacteria or protoplasts in culture medium was maximum at pH 10 . The membrane of the bacterium oxidized NADH maximally at pH 7-5, and ATPase bound to the membrane exhibited maximum activity at pH 7.L-Lactate, L-alanine and malate dehydrogenases in the soluble fraction exhibited maximum activities at pH 7-4 to 8-4 . The alkalophilic property of the bacterium may be due to the behaviour of the membrane towards charged substances admitted into the organisms.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Feb, 121(2), 531 - 6
Novel pathway for degradation of protocatechuic acid in Bacillus species; Crawford RL; A species of Bacillus, tentatively identified as B . circulans, degrades protocatechuic acid by a novel reaction involving meta-fission between C2 and C3 of the benzene nucleus . 2-Hydroxymuconic semialdehyde is then degraded to pyruvate and acetaldehyde by enzymatic reactions described in previous work . Protocatechuate 2,3-oxygenase exhibits a rather narrow substrate specificity; the methyl and ethyl esters of protocatechuic acid are oxidized, but other substrates for ring-fission oxygenases, notably catechol, gallic acid, and homoprotocatechuic acid, are not attached.

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Feb, 29(2), 287 - 92
Affinity of cellular constituents of two bacteria for fluorescent brighteners; Weaver RW et al.; Two fluorescent brighteners were used to stain an isolate of Bacillus cereus var . mycoides and soil pseudomonad . The stained organisms were fractionated by two procedures to determine which cellular constituents were reacting with the brighteners . Both fractionation procedures provided evidence that the brighteners were adsorbed to proteins within the cells . Microscopy examination of ghost cells of the bacillus showed that cell walls were not being stained . Spheroplasts of the bacillus and the pseudomonad were stained by the brighteners.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1975 Jan 27, 280(4), 499 - 502
{Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner mutants resistant to various antibiotics and showing alterations of sporulation}; Fargette F et al.; Mutants resistant to oxytetracyclin, erythromycin and neomycin but not to streptomycin, often shown, in the absence of antibiotic, alterations in sporulation: slight or pronounced temperature-sensitive character between 30 and 37 degrees C, slight thermoresistance of refractive spores formed at 30 degrees C, oligosporogenic character at 30 degrees C.

J Biol Chem, 1975 Jan 25, 250(2), 631 - 7
Protein metabolism during germination of Bacillus megaterium spores . II . Degradation of pre-existing and newly synthesized protein; Setlow P; Two distinct proteolytic systems have been detected during germination of Bacillus megaterium spores: one degrading a unique class of dormant spore proteins and the other degrading primarily protein synthesized during germination . Proteolysis of dormant spore protein began by the 3rd min of germination and by 25 min had degraded 15 to 20% of the pre-existing protein to free amino acids . This reaction was not significantly ( less than 20%) different with or without amino acids or a carbon or nitrogen source in the germination medium, or when RNA synthesis, protein synthesis, or energy metabolism were inhibited . Spore coat proteins and most enzymes were not degraded in this process, rather the major substrates were a unique class of low molecular weight (6,000 to 12,000) proteins which were soluble in acetic acid . Proteins synthesized early in germination (0 to 12 min) were also degraded rapidly (20% per hour) . However, proteins synthesized later in germination (90 to 100 min) were degraded more slowly (similar to 4% per hour) . At all times tested proteolysis of newly synthesized protein was identical in the presence or absence of amino acids or chloramphenical in the medium, but was abolished by inhibitors of energy metabolism . Most proteins degraded in this process had molecular weights greater than 12,000 and were insoluble in acetic acid.

J Biol Chem, 1975 Jan 25, 250(2), 623 - 30
Protein metabolism during germination of Bacillus megaterium spores . I . Protein synthesis and amino acid metabolism; Setlow P et al.; Protein synthesis during germination of Bacillus megayerium spores can be divided into two stages . During the first 75 min of germination (Stage I) endogenous nitrogen reserves are sufficient to support protein synthesis, and most amino acids are generated by proteolysis of dormant spore protein . The amino acids produced are excreted initially from the spore, but then reabsorbed and partially utilized for protein synthesis . Significant amino acid metabolism also occurs during Stage I, utilizing enzymes already present in the dormant spore . The biosynthesis of a number of amino acids is low or absent during Stage I due to the absence of biosynthetic enzymes . Subsequently, at defined times in Stage I, these missing enzymes are synthesized and amino acid biosynthesis is initiated . By the beginning of Stage II (from 75 min on) the developing spore has regained the capacity for synthesis of all amino acids and requires an exogenous nitrogen source for rapid protein synthesis.

J Biol Chem, 1975 Jan 25, 250(2), 684 - 90
A guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate-sensitive nuclease from Bacillus brevis; Sarkar N et al.; In toluene-treated cells of Bacillus brevis, newly synthesized RNA is rapidly degraded in a reaction that is inhibited by cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cGMP) and by 1,10-phenanthroline . This appears to be due to a ribonuclease found in cell-free extracts of B . brevis which is inhibited by cGMP and related compounds as well as by 1,10-phenanthroline . The cGMP-sensitive nuclease hydrolyzes synthetic polynucleotides, yielding nucleoside 5'-monophosphates as the sole products, even during the early stages of hydrolysis . Synthetic polynucleotides terminated by a 3'-phosphate are resistant to hydrolysis . While with 3'-hydrolysis of the polymer . The enzyme is therefore an exonuclease that degrades polynucleotides from the 3' end to product 5'-mononucleotides . It also acts on denatured but not on native DNA . Activity is greatest in the presence of Mn2+ and is not affected by the presence of monovalent cations . 1,10-Phenanthroline, but not 1,7-phenanthroline, inhibits the nuclease even when Mn2+ is present in excess . The inhibition of the enzyme by cGMP is noncompetitive, and cGMP itself is not hydrolyzed . The sensitivity of the nuclease to inhibition depends strikingly on the nature of the substrate and is lost when the enzyme is assayed at high pH . These observations suggest that cGMP inhibits the nuclease by combining with an allosteric site on the enzyme . Although cGMP was found to be the most effective inhibitor, other nucleoside 3':5'-monophosphates and derivatives of 5'-GMP can also inhibit the nuclease . Since measurements of cGMP in B . brevis have not revealed detectable amounts (less than 5 times 10-8 M), the substance that modulates the activity of the nuclease under physiological conditions remains to be identified.

Eur J Biochem, 1975 Jan 15, 50(3), 483 - 8
Purification and characterization of 30-S ribosomal proteins from Bacillus stearothermophilus; Isono S et al.; Twenty-three proteins were identified by two-dimensional eletrophoresis on polyacrylamide-gel slabs in the 30-S ribosomal subunit of Bacillus stearothermophilus strain 799 . They were designated as B-S1 through B-S21, B-Sa and B-Sb and purified on carboxymethyl-cellulose and Sephadex G100 in the presence of 6 M urea . Their molecular weight was estimated by dodecyl-sulfate-gel electrophoresis and their amino acid composition was determined after acid hydrolysis . Results obtained for the individual proteins were essentially similar to those for Escherichia coli 30-S proteins with some characteristic differences.

Biochemistry, 1975 Jan 14, 14(1), 5 - 12
Demonstration of two active sites on a monomeric aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase . Possible roles of negative cooperativity and half-of-the-sites reactivity in oligomeric enzymes; Fersht AR; The dimeric tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus stearothermophilus which binds (tightly) only one tyrosyl adenylate or tyrosine per dimer is shown from kinetic, equilibrium dialysis, and gel filtration methods to have a second active site . ATP and tyrosine bind strongly and synergistically to the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase tyrosyl adenylate complex, {E with Tyr similar to AMP}, to give the complex {E with Tyr similar to AMP,ATP,Tyr} . This complex probably slowly forms an {E with (Tyr similar to AMP)2} complex which hydrolyses rapidly and does not accumulate . Similarly, the monomeric valyl-enzyme is shown to have two active sites . An {E with Val similar AMP,ATP,Val} complex is formed which probably slowly gives an unstable {E with Val similar AMP)2} complex . In view of this and the recent demonstrations that several aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are composed of repeating sequences it is suggested that all of these enzymes have at least two active sites . The second site is difficult to detect by normal steady-state kinetic measurements and binding assays as these enzymes exhibit negative cooperativity of substrate binding hand half-of-the sites reactivity . A mechanism based on interacting sites is proposed that could account for these observations: changes in binding energy at one site may be coupled with catalysis at the other to give large rate enhancements . Howeever, this cannot account for the high specificity in the acylation of tRNA, A "VERIFICATION" PROCEDURE SEEMS ESSENTIAL . The proposed mechanism is quite general for catalysis and could be a reason why so many nonregulatory enzymes have subunits.

Biochemistry, 1975 Jan 14, 14(1), 1 - 4
Active site titration and aminoacyl adenylate binding stoichiometry of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases; Fersht AR et al.; A simple, rapid, and economical procedure is described for the determination of the number of catalytically competent active sites on aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases based on the stoichiometry of aminoacyl adenylate formation . On mixing tRNA synthetase, cognate amino acid, (gamma-32P)ATP, and inorganic pyrophosphatase under suitable conditions there is an initial rapid stoichiometric "burst" (rate constant k1) of depletion of ATP as enzyme bound aminoacyl adenylate is formed . There is then an initially linear decrease in ATP concentration as the complex hydrolyzes (with rate constant k2) releasing enzyme to form further adenylate . Provided k2 less than k1 the initial burst gives the stoichiometry of aminoacyl adenylate formation . Complexes which are too unstable to be isolated by the usual gel or nitrocellulose disk filtration procedure may be assayed in this way . This technique has been applied to five highly purified aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases . The tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus stearothermophilus is shown to bind only one aminoacyl adenylate per dimer.

Sem Hop, 1975 Jan 14, 51(3), 169 - 76
{Results of 79 hepatic biopsies in untreated bacillary pleurs pulmonary tuberculosis patients}; Coury Ch et al.; The authors report 79 needle biopsies of the liver, using a Menghini needle, carried out as routine in untreated cases of pulmonary tuberculosis with positive sputum . Apart from the histological study, the authors carried out, in 30 cases, a bacteriological study of the liver fragment . The bacteriological and histological results are reported here in detail, then compared with those in the world literature . No significant correlation was found between the histological type of the suggestive hepatic lesions, e.g . follicular appearances or appearances of nodular kupferian hyperplasia and the radioclinical variety of pulmonary tuberculosis, e.g . parenchymatous, pleural or miliary . The authors emphasize the significance of each type of pathological lesion encountered, in particular, the appearance of nodular kupferian hyperplasia or intralobular, lymphohistiocytic islets, which seem to them remarkable by their relative frequency and their chararacter fairly suggestive of tuberculosis . In spite of the low number of pathological appearances obtained in these liver biopsies, the present study nevertheless permitted a few interesting conclusions on the blood spread of the tubercle bacillus and the significance of changes in the Kupfer system during common pulmonary tuberculosis.

Biochemistry, 1975 Jan 14, 14(1), 13 - 8
Ligand binding and enzymic catalysis coupled through subunits in tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase; Fersht AR et al.; The interaction of the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus stearothermophilus with its substrates in the aminoacyl adenylation reaction has been studied by stopped-flow fluorescence . The observed changes have been assigned to their chemical and physical processes by comparison with equilibrium dialysis, pyrophosphate exchange kinetics and rapid quenching and sampling techniques to give the rate constants for ligand binding, the formation of tyrosyl adenylate, and the reverse reaction . The stoichiometry of tyrosine and ATP binding in the catalytic process has been determined directly by equilibrium dialysis and equilibrium gel filtration under pyrophosphate exchange conditions, i.e., where a steady state has been set up in which the equilibrium position favors starting materials . It is shown that the rate-determining step in the formation of tyrosyl adenylate involves 1 mole each of tyrosine and ATP . A second mole of tyrosine and ATP bind to the aminoacyl adenylate complex stabilizing the high-energy intermediate . The enzyme tyrosyl adenylate complex that is isolated by gel filtration is in a different conformational state from that in the presence of tyrosine and ATP.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jan, 121(1), 227 - 33
Lipid metabolism during bacterial growth, sporulation, and germination: kinetics of fatty acid and macromolecular synthesis during spore germination and outgrowth of Bacillus thuringiensis; Nickerson KW et al.; The timing and kinetics of fatty acid synthesis are delineated for Bacillus thuringiensis spore germination and outgrowth by analyzing {U-14C}acetate and {2-3H}glycerol incorporation into chloroform-methanol-extractable and trichloroacetic acid-precipitable lipids . In addition to measurement of pulsed and continuous labeling of fatty acids, monitoring the incorporation of radioactive phenylalanine, thymidine, and uridine from the onset of germination through first cell division provides a profile of biochemical activities related to membrane differentiation and cellular development . Upon germination, ribonucleic acid synthesis is initiated, immediately followed by rapid and extensive fatty acid synthesis that in turn precedes protein, deoxyribonucleic acid and triglyceride synthesis . Significantly, formation of fatty acids from acetate exhibits further developmental periodicity in which a large transient increase in fatty acid synthetic activity coincides with the approach of cell division . Radiorespirometric analyses indicates only slight oxidative decarboxylation of acetate and corroborates the extreme involvement of acetate in specific fatty acid biosynthetic reactions throughout cellular modification . These findings graphically demonstrate an intimate association of fatty acid metabolism with commitment to spore outgrowth and subsequent cell division.

Eur Urol, 1975, 1(2), 81 - 6
Destructive forms of renal tuberculosis; Petkovic S et al.; The incidence of renal tuberculosis has declined slowly in recent years, but its development has also changed . There are silent forms with few symptoms of spread and without very great bladder pain; nevertheless these forms can be very destructive, and even on first presentation may show a destroyed kidney . Our Urological Clinic in Belgrade treated 1,890 patients during a period of 23 years . We cannot incriminate streptomycin or PAS as the only causes of a tendency to fibrosis or for the silent forms of ureteric stenosis . Yet it seems certain that the pathogenesis of the tubercle bacillus changed in different persons under treatment with streptomycin and other antibiotics . The following represents the renal tuberculosis cases we have seen in the Urological Clinic in Belgrade during 1950--1972.

Acta Microbiol Acad Sci Hung, 1975, 22(4), 427 - 32
Biosynthesis of bacitracin on a protein thiotemplate; Froyshov O; The dodecapeptide bacitracin A is the major constitutent of a family of antibacterial peptides produced by Bacillus licheniformis . The non-ribosomal biosynthesis of bacitracin has been studied in cell-free extracts . Bacitracin synthetase has been fractionated on Sephadex G 200 column into two fractions; both fractions were required for bacitracin biosynthesis . On the other hand, on a Sepharose affinity chromatography column, using L-leucine as ligand, three fractions were obtained; all three were required for bacitracin biosynthesis . During bacitracin synthesis, the enzyme components contain a number of thioester bound peptides . The nature of the peptides suggested that the synthesis proceeds towards the C-terminal end of the molecule . It is assumed that by sequential addition of thioester-bound amino acids, bacitracin A could be synthesized on the surface of the enzyme containing phosphopantetheine.

Ann Microbiol (Paris), 1975 Jan, 126(1), 83 - 95
{Interest of some additional biochemical tests for the classification of "Bacillus" (author's transl)}; de Barjac H et al.; In addition to previous taxonomic work, eight biochemical tests have been applied to the study of 580 Bacillus strains belonging to 22 species . The attack of chitin, melibiose and amygdalin can be used for the differentiation of some species . It is the same with most of the enzymes studied here, although Tween-esterase and DNase are often present in the majority of the isolates . RNase is still more frequent, being found in nearly all the strains . On the other hand, arginin-dihydrolase appears to be very rare and ornithin-decarboxylase seems always absent.

Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis, 1975 Jan-Mar, 43(1), 45 - 54
Transmission of leprosy within households; Rao PS et al.; As part of the leprosy control program, population follow-up studies were carried out during 1962 to 1970 in Gudiyatham Taluk, an administrative unit in South India (population: 400,000) . More than 97% of the 23,285 contacts from 5,088 families having a leprosy patient were clinically examined using accepted methodology and confirmed as having or not having leprosy . New cases developing among household contacts of leprosy (secondary attack rates) were determined and studied in relation to characteristics of the index case and that of contacts . The secondary attack rate is defined as the number of new cases discovered in the contacts of leprosy patients per 1,000 person-years, which is equivalent to observing 1,000 persons per year . Nearly two-thirds of all new cases were of the tuberculoid type of leprosy and another one-sixth of indeterminate type . Lepromatous and borderline cases each constituted about ten percent of the total new cases . The total secondary attack rate was 6.8 per 1,000 person-years . Compared to an annual incidence rate of 0.8 per 1,000 in the total population, this incidence rate among the contacts is nearly ten times higher . Such enhanced risks are observed clearly and consistently when studied by the number of patients within a family for both sexes and in various age-groups . The rate for females (6.3 per 1,000 person-year) though less, was not significantly different from that of males (7.1 per 1,000 person-year) . The differences observed between males and females for each type of leprosy were also not statistically significant . The risks for children (less than 15 years) are significantly higher than those for adults . Among boys, the maximum risk was observed in the age-group 5-14 years, whereas for females the risk is highest in the age-group 5-9 years, dropping down significantly after that . Furthermore, it was observed that significant differences existed between children and adults only in males but not in females . The secondary attack rates almost doubled when there were multiple index cases in the family . Regardless of the number of index cases, the male-female differences were not statistically significant . Attack rates were significantly enhanced when there was a bacilliferous type of leprosy (lepromatous or borderline) in the family . This was true for the specific attack rates of each type of leprosy too . However, a significantly higher proportion of lepromatous and borderline types is also seen when there is a bacilliferous type of leprosy present . The study reiterates the differences in susceptibility to leprosy among males and females, especially during younger ages . Further immunological studies are necessary to determine the differences in host responses in males and females that produce such a characteristic sex-ratio in prevalence of leprosy . There is still a great need to obtain more data on incidence rates both in general population and among contacts on the basis of prospective observation using acceptable statistical technics in design and analysis.

J Gen Virol, 1975 Jan, 26(1), 71 - 86
Frog virus 3 replication: electron microscope observations on the sequence of infection in chick embryo fibroblasts; Kelly DC; The replication of frog virus 3 in primary chick embryo fibroblasts has been studied by examination of thin sections with the electron microscope and the assay of infectious viurs . Uptake of frog virus 3 by the cells was observed to occur by pinocytosis and this may be the method of entry . Early in infection (i h p.i.) marked margination of the nuclear chromatin occurred and the chromatin remained in this condition throughtout the infection . Foci of infection were first detected in the cytoplasm of cells 24 h p.i . when production of infectious virus commenced . These foci appeared as electron translucent areas containing fine grains, surrounded by degenerate mitochondria . The foci usually contained virus particles . At this time budding of virus particles at the plasma membrane occurred . Later in infection at 36 and 48 h p.i . large numbers of virus particles were detected in the cytoplasm of cells either scattered loosely throughtout the cell, arranged as clusters or in paracrystalline arrays . Extensive budding at the plasma membrane then took place . Virus particles were detected in the nucleus of the cells at these late stages and it is possible that the virus may infect and replicate at this site . Throughout the productive stages of infection aberrant forms of the virus, namely particles devoid of cores, incompletely assembled particles and elongated bacilliform particles were noticed.

Microbios, 1975, 12(50), 221 - 4
Solubilization of coat protein from Bacillus thiaminolyticus spores; Watabe K et al.; Solubilization of spore coat protein of Bacillus thiaminolyticus was investigated using various reagents, and partial characterization of solubilized protein was carried out . Five per cent of the sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) treatment was the most effective for solubilization of coat protein, and 5% SDS + 8 M urea and 0.06 N NaOH were also useful . Acrylamide gel disc electrophoresis indicated that the SDS-soluble fraction mainly consists of a single band of protein and its molecular weight was estimated at about 15,000 . The SDS+ urea-soluble fraction comprised two proteins with a molecular weight of 14,500 and 32,000, and an alkali-soluble fraction of 12,000 and 25,000 respectively.

Chemotherapy, 1975, 21(3-4), 181 - 8
Penetration of parenterally administered gentamicin into the cerebrospinal fluid in experimental meningitis; Goitein K et al.; The penetration of parenterally administered gentamicin into the CSF was examined in dogs . The experiments were carried out in three stages: (1) in healthy dogs, (2) in dogs with meningitis, and (3) during recovery from the acute inflammation . Gentamicin was found to penetrate poorly into the CSF, reaching mean peak levels of 0.7 mug/ml in healthy dogs . During the height of the meningeal inflammation the mean peak gentamicin level in the CSF was 0.9 mug/ml . The ratio of mean maximum CSF to mean maximum serum levels of gentamicin was 5.8% in healthy dogs, and 11.3% in dogs with meningitis . Thus, inflammation increases the penetration of parenterally administered gentamicin into the CSF, but therapeutically adequate levels for gram-negative bacillary meningitis are not achieved.

Biochem J, 1975 Jan, 146(1), 253 - 67
Peptidoglycan synthesis in Bacillus licheniformis . The inhibition of cross-linking by benzylpenicillin and cephaloridine in vivo accompanied by the formation of soluble peptidoglycan; Tynecka Z et al.; The synthesis of peptidoglycan by an autolysin-deficient beta-lactamase-negative mutant of Bacillus licheniformis was studied in vivo in the absence of protein synthesis . Benzylpenicillin and cephaloridine inhibited the formation of cross-bridges between newly synthesized peptidoglycan and the pre-existing cell wall . This inhibition, detected by measurement of the incorporation of N-acetyl{14C}glucosamine into the glycan fraction of the cell wall, was reversed by treatment with beta-lactamase and washing . Inhibition of D-alanine carboxypeptidase by benzylpenicillin was not reversed under similar conditions . Cells in which the initial penicillin inhibition of transpeptidation had been reversed showed an increased sensitivity to a subsequent addition of the antibiotic . Chemical analysis of peptidoglycan synthesized after reversal of penicillin inhibition revealed the presence of excess of alanine resulting from the continued inhibition of D-alanine carboxypeptidase . When the cell walls were digested to yield muropeptides so that the degree of cross-linking could be measured, the product after reversal of penicillin inhibition contained fewer cross-links than did the control preparation . Cultures treated with benzylpenicillin and cephaloridine continued to synthesize uncross-linked soluble peptidoglycan, which accumulated in the medium . This soluble material was all newly synthesized peptidoglycan and did not result from autolysis of the bacteria . The average chain lengths of the glycan synthesized in vivo and released as soluble peptidoglycan in the presence of both benzylpenicillin and cephaloridine were similar to those found previously in this organism.

Biochem J, 1975 Jan, 146(1), 157 - 72
Microbial metabolism of the pyridine ring . Metabolic pathways of pyridine biodegradation by soil bacteria; Watson GK et al.; 1 . Two bacteria, a Bacillus sp . and a Nocardia sp . (strain Z1) were isolated from soil by enrichment with 0.1 percent (v/v) pyridine and grew rapidly on this compound as sole C, N and energy source . The monohydroxypyridines, tetrahydropyridine, piperidine and some other analogues were not utilized for growth or oxidized by washed suspensions of either bacterium . 2 . Cell-free extracts were unable to metabolize pyridine even after supplementation with a variety of cofactors or protecting agents . Treatment of cells with toluene led to rapid loss of the ability to oxidize pyridine . 3 . In the presence of 10mM-semicarbazide at pH 6.0, Nocardia Z1 accumulated a semialdehyde idenditied as its 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone by chromatography, mixed melting point, mass spectrometry and isotope trapping from {2,6(-14)C}pyridine as glutarate semialdehyde . 4 . Extracts of this bacterium prepared from cells grown with pyridine or exposed to the gratuitous inducer 2-picoline, contained high activities of a specific glutarate semialdehyde dehydrogenase . 5 . Cells grown with pyridine or glutarate also contained a glutaric dialdehyde dehydrogenase, an acyl-CoA synthetase and elevated amounts of isocitrate lyase but no glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase . 6 . Bacillus 4 accumulated in the presence of 10mM-semicarbazide several acidic carbonyl compounds from pyridine among which was succinate semialdehyde . Extracts of this bacillus after growth of the cells with pyridine contained an inducible succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase in amounts at least 50-fold over those found in succinate-grown cells . 7 . Two mutants of this bacillus, selected for their inability to grow on pyridine were deficient in succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase . 8 . In the presence of 0.2mM-KCN, washed suspensions of Bacillus 4 accumulated formate and possibly formamide from pyridine . The use of {14C}pyridine showed that formate was derived from C-2 of the pyridine ring . 9 . The organism had a specific formamide amidohydrolase cleaving formamide quantitatively to formate and NH3 . 10 . Formate was further oxidized by the particle fraction . There was no soluble formate dehydrogenase in extracts.

Protoplasma, 1975, 84(1-2), 101 - 8
{Changes of lastids in virus-infected cells of the attraction-zone from Sarracenia purpurea L}; Barckhaus RH et al.; Viruslike particles 300-350 nm long and 70 nm in diameter were found in ultrathin sections of attraction-zone from Sarracenia purpurea . Epidermal- and mesophyll cells contained the bacilliform particles . The membrane-bound particles-most virions occured within ER-like membranes-consisted of an outer coat 70-90 A thick, an inner membrane and an axial core . The plastids of infected cells in which virus particles were localized show morphologicals changes of the organells.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1975 Jan, (1), 19 - 25
{Study of specific cellular receptors in delayed type hypersensitivity}; Artemova AG et al.; The effect of immunosera (rabbit) against the lymphoid cells of mice sensitized with antigens causing development of hypersensitivity of delayed type (tuberculosis bacillus, tissue antigen from rabbit kidney) on the specific activity of lymphoid cells of guinea pigs was tested . The mentioned sera blocked the capacity of lymphoid cells of guinea pigs to transfer the state of sensitization from the sensitized donors to the intact recipients . Blocking was strictly specific and this capacity was absent in the immunosera against the normal lymphoid cells.

Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1975, 20(1), 46 - 51
Production of extracellular lysine by a strain of Bacillus coagulans . Identification and requirements for growth and lysine accumulation; Chatterjee S et al.; A naturally deficient thiamine and methionine requiring strain of Bacillus coagulans (Ms 5) accumulates lysine in medium only when exogenous pyridoxine (optimal concentration, 0.1 mu g/ml) are supplied . Threonine exerts an inhibitory effect at higher concentrations but pyridoxine does not.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1975 Jan, 111(1), 52 - 61
Effect of light on tuberculin purified protein derivative solutions; Landi S et al.; The effect of light on the biologic potency of tuberculin purified protein derivative solutions at the concentrations commonly used in tuberculin skin testing programs in human and veterinary medicin was studied . Guinea pigs sensitized with bacille Calmette-Guerin were used to evaluate the potency of these solutions after exposure to light . The biologic potencies of solutions dispensed in colorless glass vials and exposed to daylight, fluorescent light, and ultraviolet light (366 nm) decreased significantly when compared to those of control solutions kept in the dark; solutions exposed to light assumed a deep brown color, whereas control solutions remained unaltered . The percentage loss of biologic potency decreased, whereas the absolute loss of potency, i.e., the loss expressed in tuberculin units, increased with tuberculin purified protein derivative concentration . In addition, after exposure to ultravoilet and, to a lesser degree, fluorescent light, the rubber stoppers of the colorless glass vials became sticky and adhered tightly to the glass . By contrast, the biologic potency of identical solutions dispensed in amber glass vials did not decrease significantly during 1 year of exposure to fluorescent or ultraviolet light . The solutions remained unaltered, and the rubber stoppers from all of the amber vials, whether exposed or not exposed to light, were not adversely affected . It is recommended that for storage of tuberculin the use of colorless glass or other containers that transmit ultraviolet light be discontinued.

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Jan, 29(1), 34 - 9
Characterization of Bacillus pumilus E601 spores after single sublethal gamma irradiation treatments; Parisi AN et al.; Eighteen survivor strains of Bacillus pumilus E601 have been isolated after single sublethal irradiation treatments with 60Co . Primary isolation was based on the loss of motility and pellicle formation . However, with subsequent subcultivation, eight isolates reverted back to the standard of exhibiting motility and pellicle formation . Characteristics of the isolates include alterations in space radiation resistance and in the amino acid requirements for spore germination and outgrowth . Other alterations in cultural and physiological characteristics were found . Three of the isolates were asporogenous.

J Med, 1975, 6(3-4), 213 - 6
A technique for intensifying BCG sensitivity; Parmett SR et al.; Sensitization to BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guerin) appears to be more effective when it is carried out at the site of a delayed hypersensitivity challenge reaction to DNCB (1-chloro, 2,4-dinitrobenzene) than when it is carried out at unchallenged sites in non-sensitized animals . The effectiveness of BCG sensitization was determined by measurement of the intensity of the PPD (Purified Protein Derivative of tuberculin) 24-hour skin test . Possible mechanisms for this phenomenon and its implications for cancer immunotherapy are considered.

Bull Soc Pathol Exot Filiales, 1975 Jan-Feb, 68(1), 33 - 7
{What was the fate of patients with leprosy during the plague pandemia in the middle ages (1348-1350)}; Girard G; The author thinks that, if lepra has suddenly decreased in Europe from the 14th century, it is because the most severe cases, i.e . the most contagious ones, disappeared during the hecatombs caused between 1348 and 1350 by the "Black Death", the black plague, which took most often the pulmonary form . The author disproves the opinion of those who think that lepers died from plague . He thinks that lepers' death was secondary to that of the monks who, at this time, cared for these outcases, and thanks to their self-sacrifice permitted these lepers' survival . The monks were more exposed to contagion; obliged by their vocation and by pope's command to help the dyings and to give them sacraments, they were obliged to leave lepers to their fate . Like domestic animals, the latter died of hunger probably, any corpse or carcass being considered as plague victims . Supporting this opinion, the author reports his observations at Madagascar, where no leper of the leper-houses of Madascar center, a plague focus still to-day but very active between 1922 and 1936, contracted plague . On the other hand, experiments with "leprous" rats (Stefansky bacillus) showed a significant resistance of these animals to an experimental plague infection.

Cancer Chemother Rep, 1975 Jan-Feb, 59(1), 157 - 63
Immunotherapy of prostatic carcinoma with bacillus Calmette-Guerin; Merrin C et al.; Seventeen patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the prostate were selected for evaluation of their immunologic competence and therapy with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) . All patients were in stage D . The immune response was explored in two main aspects: cell-mediated and humoral immunity . Delayed skin hypersensitivity reaction with purified protein derivative (PPD), streptokinase-streptodornase (varidase), Candida, mumps antigen, and Trichophyton were tested . Lymphocyte reactivity was measured by in vitro blastogenesis . Serum immunoglobulin levels and serum protein electrophoresis were also measured . The patients were then divided in two groups according to the skin test response to PPD . Group 1 (PPD-positive) consisted of seven patients . Group 2 (PPD-negative) consisted of ten patients . In group 1, two patients were treated with intraprostatic injection of BCG every week in the following doses: 1 cc the first week, 2 cc the second week, 4 cc the third week, and 6 cc the fourth week . The five remaining patients in this group received only 1 cc every week for 4 weeks . The group 2 patients (PPD-negative) were stimulated by oral intake of BCG in an attempt to convert their skin tests to positive . All patients revealed varying degrees of immunodepression . None of the patients in group 2 (stimulated by oral intake of BCG) converted to positive skin tests . Three patients in group 1 treated with BCG showed necrosis of the tumor . The different aspects of immunodepression in this disease are analyzed and correlated to the clinical staging, histologic grading, and response to therapy . The mechanism of BCG action in advanced prostatic carcinoma is discussed.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1975 Jan, 111(1), 43 - 51
Relative immunogenicity of streptomycin-susceptible and -resistant strains of BCG . II . Effect of the route of inoculation on growth and immunogenicity; Collins FM et al.; Normal CD-1 mice were infected intravenously, subcutaneously, or aerogenically with live bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) Tice or BCG streptomycin resistant (SM-res) and growth of the organisms in the footpad, the draining popliteal lymph node, the blood, lung, liver, and spleen was followed for as long as 50 days . The vaccinated mice were then challenged on day 50 with 10-5 viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis Erdman organisms introduced intravenously or subcutaneously . The growth of the Erdman challenge was followed in the appropriate organs for the next 20 days . Measurement of tuberculin hypersensitivity was carried out by footpad tests . The BCG Tice introduced aerogenically or subcutaniously into normal mice induced degrees of antituberculous resistance equivalent to those seen earlier in intravenously infected mice . The BCG SM-res was still nonimmunogenic when introduced subcutaneously or by the aerogenic route . Suspension of the organisms in sterile mineral oil before their injection into the footpad slowed their rate of inactivation and marginally increased the immune response seen later in the host . Introduction of BCG SM-res into T-cell depleted mice by the 3 inoculation routes was associated with no marked improvement in the survival of this organism in vivo, suggesting that BCG SM-res is inactivated in vivo by a nonimmunologically mediated mechanism.

Hum Pathol, 1975 Jan, 6(1), 7 - 29
Inflammatory bowel disease: the surgical pathology of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis; Price AB et al.; Ulcerative colitis and granulomatous colitis are distinct entities, but up to 10 per cent of colectomy specimens remain unclassified . Ulcerative colitis is primarily a mucosal disease, and other changes appear to be secondary to this process . By contrast, Crohn's disease, or granulomatous colitis, involves the whole thickness of the bowel wall . About 20 per cent of the cases of Crohn's disease involve the small and large bowel, while another 20 per cent are restricted to the large bowel . Since granulomatous colitis is a patchy disease, and many of the changes are deep within the bowel wall, rectal biopsy may not be as helpful as in ulcerative colitis . Fully developed granulomas are present in only a small minority of cases, and a diagnostic report of granulomatous colitis may be given in the absence of granulomas . In biopsy material, the differentiation of inflammatory bowel disease from ischemic colitis and pseudomembranous colitis may be difficult . In the absence of specific demonstration of an organism it may also be impossible on rectal biopsy to distinguish amebic or bacillary dysentery from ulcerative colitis . Even by colectomy, 29 of 300 specimens were sufficiently atypical so as not to warrant a label of Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis . Cancer of the colon, which is common in ulcerative colitis, is rare in Crohn's disease, but may also represent a definite complication in the latter . Immunologic studies are still confusing, but it is suggested that patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease may have a state of altered immunologic reactivity.

Acta Biol Med Ger, 1975, 34(1), 21 - 6
Some biochemical aspects of the enzymic transformation of cortisol with Bacillus cereus; Sallam LA et al.; The role of a variety of compounds including organic acids, vitamins, growth promoting substances, purines and pyrimidines in the bioconversion of cortisol with Bacillus cereus was investigated . The transformation of cortisol to prednisolone and pregn-4-en-11beta, 17alpha,20beta, 21-tetrol-3-one was affected by these compounds in different manners . The enzymatic delta1-dehydrogenation reaction was greatly induced with fumarate, menadione, and xanthine treatments . However, the enzymic reduction of the 20-carbonyl to the 20beta-ol was specifically stimulated with fumarate, nicotinic acid amide, and uracil treatments.

Microbios, 1975, 12(50), 167 - 74
Effect of the lanthanides, lanthanum and neodymium on the heat resistance of Bacillus cereus spores; Bulman RA et al.; The lanthanides, lanthanum and neodymium, do not completely replace calcium in producing heat-resistant spores in Bacillus cereus SV1 . The chelate stability of calcium-dipicolinic acid appears to be important in the heat resistance of bacterial spores as does the ability of calcium to produce a hydrophobic environment.

Int J Pept Protein Res, 1975, 7(3), 251 - 9
A Hg (II) induced conformational change in penicillinase; D'Souza L et al.; Penicillinase (E.C . 3.5.2.6) from Bacillus cereus 569/H is inhibited by Hg(II) . The inhibition is characterized by non-competitive kinetics and can be reversed by EDTA . A Hg(II) induced conformational change is indicated because: (1) The EDTA regenerated activity is unstable and is rapidly converted to an iodine-sensitive state, and (2) An irreversible change in the circular dichroism spectrum at 222 nm is found.

Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histol, 1975, 366(4), 341 - 51
{Incomplete, combined hereditary immunodeficiency with generalized tuberculosis after BCG-vaccination from bacille Calmette Guérin (author's transl)}; Radaszkiewicz T et al.; A case of hereditary incomplete, combined immunodeficiency is reported . The patient, a 20-week-old boy, suffered from severe, generalized tuberculosis after BCG-vaccination . A conspicuous discrepancy was found between the normal number of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and the severe morphological changes in the organs of the lymphoreticular system (deficient development of thymic structures; absence of lymphocytes in the thymus and the thymus-dependent areas of the periphery as well as in the bursa-dependent structures) . A partial primary defect of the stem cells and a secondary insufficiency of the functions with incomplete differentiation due to an insufficiency of the primary lymphatic organs are discussed as possible causative factors . The inability to develop epitheloid cells in connection with the tuberculous infection is interpreted in part as a sequence of a T-cell insufficiency.

Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1975, 20(3), 195 - 205
Spores of microorganisms . XXVI . Synthetic activities of germinating spores of Bacillus cereus prevented from outgrowth; Stastna J et al.; Spores of Bacillus cereus were germinated in a germination limited medium (GL-medium) which facilitates only germination but not the postgerminative development of spores . Under these conditions a limited protein synthesis occurs . However, this protein synthesis is stopped after a short time interval . The rate of synthesis of new proteins, as well as their total amount, is influenced by the length of the activation heat shock . Synthesis of the wall material continues for several hours and thick-walled cells with a changed ultrastructure are formed . Synthesis of the diaminopimelic acid (dap) containing material of the cell wall is sensitive to actinomycin D and relatively resistant to chloramphenicol . Similarly, protein synthesis is relatively chlorapmhenicol-resistant but is fully inhibited by azauracil or spiramycin . Whereas RNA formed in the control culture is partially decomposed after 30 min of incubation, chloramphenicol accelerates its synthesis and prevents its decay . Exudate components apparently stimulate synthesis of ribonucleic acid, proteins and the wall material . The 14-C-dap containing material released by prelabelled spores in the form of the exudate during the germination is not re-utilized by the spores germinated in the GL-medium . The results are discussed with respect to the atypical primary synthetic activities of spores under conditions when the postgerminative development is prevented and from the point of view of participation of the germination exudate during these syntheses.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1975 Jan, 28(1), 60 - 3
Chemical characterization of new antibiotics, cerexins A and B . (Studies on antibiotics from the genus Bacillus . II)
Shoji J, Hinoo H.
Acid hydrolysis revealed that the antibiotic cerexin A is constructed with aspartic acid (3), threonine (1), serine (1), valine (2), allo-isoleucine (1), gamma-hydroxylysine (1), tryptophan (1), and a variety of fatty acid residues . The essential difference between cerexins A and B is concluded to be replacement of serine and one valine residue in cerexin A by glycine and phenylalanine in cerexin B . Isolation of a new amino acid L-threo-gamma-hydroxylysine is also described.

Lipids, 1975 Jan, 10(1), 20 - 4
Synthesis and properties of phosphatidyl carnitine and phosphatidyl beta-methylcholine; Hintze U et al.; rac-Phosphatidyl carnitine and rac-phosphatidyl beta-methylcholine were synthesized by direct condensation of phosphatidic acid and the appropriate alcohols in the presence of 2,4,6-triiso-propylbenzenesulphonylchloride and pyridine . Tetraphenylborates of the quarternary ammonium compounds beta-methylcholine and carnitine benzyl ester were shown to be particularly convenient for synthesis in homogeneous phase . Physical and chemical properties of the two phosphoglycerolipids and some intermediates were described . Phosphatidyl carnitine and phosphatidyl beta-methylcholine were hydrolyzed by phospholipase A2 (phosphatide acyl-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.4), pancreatic lipase (triacylglycerol acyl-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.3), and phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus (phosphatidylcholine cholinephosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.3) . Neither hydrolysis nor transphosphatidylation of phosphatidyl carnitine and phosphatidyl beta-methylcholine was achieved by phospholipase D (phosphatidylcholine phosphatidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.4) . The occurrence of phosphatidyl carnitine in embryonic chicken tissue was suggested by comparison with the synthesized compound . Phosphatidyl carnitine could not be detected in the tissue of rat embryos.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jan, 121(1), 70 - 6
Tryptophan catabolism in Bacillus megaterium; Bouknight RR et al.; Bacillus megaterium grows in a medium containing L-tryptophan as the sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source . Kynurenine, anthranilic acid, and catechol are metabolic intermediates, suggesting that this organism used the anthranilic acid pathway for tryptophan degradation . Cells that grow on L-tryptophan oxidize kynurenine, alanine, and anthranilic acid and the presence of tryptophan oxygenase (EC 1.13.1.12), kynureninase (EC 3.7.1.3), and catechol oxygenase (EC 1.13.1.1) in cell extracts provide additional evidence for the degradative pathway in B . megaterium . Tryptophan oxygenase is inhibited by sodium azide, potassium cyanide, and hydroxylamine, indicating that the enzyme has a functional heme group . D-Tryptophan is not a substrate for tryptophan oxygenase, and the D-isomer does not inhibit this enzyme . Formamidase (EC 3.5.1.9) and anthranilate hydroxylase are not detectable in extracts . Tryptophan catabolism is inducible in B megaterium and is subject to catabolite repression by glucose and glutamate . Arginine does not cause repression, and kynurenine induces both tryptophan oxygenase and kynureninase.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jan, 121(1), 65 - 9
Transport of D- and L-tryptophan in Bacillus megaterium by an inducible permease; Bouknight RR et al.; Tryptophan-grown cells of Bacillus megaterium ATCC 19213 contain a permease system that transports both D- and L-tryptophan and is inhibited by sodium azide . Arginine-grown cells contain little tryptophan permease activity, suggesting that the system is inducible . Arginine represses the tryptophan permease as well as the transport system for leucine and phenylalanine . Kynurenine was a more effective inducer of the tryptophan transport system than either D- or L-tryptophan.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jan, 121(1), 390 - 1
Reversion of Bacillus megaterium protoplasts to the bacillary form; Fodor K et al.; Photomicrographic evidence of reversion of Bacillus megaterium protoplasts to the bacillary form on soft agar plates hypertonic medium is demonstrated.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jan, 121(1), 197 - 203
Properties of Bacillus megaterium temperature-sensitive germination mutants; Vary JC; Bacillus megaterium mutants JV-9 and JV-10 are temperature sensitive for initiation of spore germination . At 46 C, they did not lose heat resistance, dipicolinic acid, or absorbance, indicating that the temperature-sensitive blocks are very early in the sequence of initiation reactions . Strain JV-9 was temperature sensitive for initiation by glucose alone, and strain JV-10 was temperature sensitive for initiation by glucose, L-leucine, L-proline, KBr, or calcium dipicolinate . The kinetics of initiation were followed after two kinds of temperature change (shift-up and shift-down) experiments . Mutant spores incubated for different times at 46 C and then shifted down to 30 C showed no significant differences in the rates of absorbance decrease, i.e., no stimulation or inhibition . Conversely, when mutant spores were incubated for different times at 30 C, a fraction of the population initiated germination, and after shift-up to 46 C an additional fraction continued initiation while a third fraction stopped . This latter fraction did initiate germination when the temperature was lowered to 30 C . The kinetics of initiation after shift-up and shift-down in temperature suggest that the early events in initiation reagents, whereas the other four initiated sensitivity for all of the above initiation reagents, whereas the other four initiated very poorly . It was suggested that the lesion in strain JV-10 may result in the formation of one temperature-sensitive protein . Revertants of strain JV-9 could not be isolated.

Acta Microbiol Acad Sci Hung, 1975, 22(1), 58 - 9
Electron microscopy of phages liberated by megacin A producing lysogenic Bacillus megaterium strains; Tikhonenko AS et al.; Mitomycin C was added at fairly high concentration (5-10 mug/ml) to exponentially growing cultures of selected strains of Bacillus megaterium . Lysis of the bacteria followed, associated by liberation of phage and megacin A production . In contrast, a low concentration (0.5 mug/ml) of mitomycin induced only megacin A production . Electron microscopic examination of the lysates induced by 5-10 mug/ml of mitomycin in 19 strains of B . megaterium showed them all to contain phages; most of the strains proved polylysogenic . Their lysates contained distinct complete phages of different structures and dimensions . A few strains released defective phage particles . The significance of the electron microscopic findings is discussed in relation to megacinogeny.

Acta Microbiol Pol B, 1975, 7(3), 151 - 6
The effect of microorganisms on phytotoxicity of herbicides . III . Interaction of Bacillus sp . 72 with Venzar; Balicka N et al.; Interactions between Venzar and some metabolites of Bacillus ps . 72 were studied . This strain was found to produce flavonoids increasing the phytotoxicity of Venzar . Venzar action was also increased by NH4+ ions released aboundantly by the bacterial strain.

Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1975, 20(4), 277 - 88
Protease activity in cells of Bacillus megaterium during derepression; Chaloupka J et al.; A proteolytic activity hydrolyzing denatured proteins of Bacillus megaterium labelled with 35S or 14C amino acids was detected in cells of the asporogenic strain of Bacillus megaterium . The substrate is hydrolyzed by the enzyme or enzymes at optimum pH around 7, their activity being almost completely inhibited by EDTA and o-phenanthroline . PMSF, the inhibitor of serine proteases, is slightly inhibitory . Gel filtration on a Sephadex column separated the protease activity to two or three fractions . The protease activity in cells with the repressed synthesis of protease corresponds to 5-20 mug of substrate degraded per hour by 1 mg of protein at 37 degrees C . It increases five to ten-fold during the derepression . When the intracellular protease activity increases the extracellular enzyme begins to be excreted into the medium . The intracellular protease activity rapidly decreases after the addition of chloramphenicol or of a mixture of amino acids to the derepressed culture . Half or even more of the protease activity is released from the cells during their conversion to protoplasts by means of lysozyme . This "periplasmic" activity remains mostly in the supernatant also after mesosomes have been centrifuged down from the periplasm . A portion of the activity bound in protoplasts sediments together with membrane fraction after their lysis.

Mikrobiologiia, 1975 Jan-Feb, 44(1), 91 - 6
{Effect of low pH values on the chemical composition of a chemostat culture of Bacillus megaterium}; Sakharova ZV et al.; Inhibition of the growth of Bacillus megaterium was studied in the conditions of chemostat . Inhibition of the growth by hydrogen ions had almost no effect on the content of DNA, RNA, protein and polysaccharides, but the protein-synthesizing activity of RNA changed . The content of polyphosphates, of high and low molecular weight, depended on pH; the relationship was of a non-linear character . The total content of lipids increased with the concentration of hydrogen ions.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1975 Jan, 28(1), 56 - 9
Isolation of two new related peptide antibiotics, cerexins A and B (studies on antibiotics from the genus Bacillus . I); Shoji J et al.; Two new antibiotics cerexins A and B were isolated from different strains identified with Bacillus cereus . These two antibiotics are amphoteric in nature, soluble in particular solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylformamide and alkaline water, and show typical infrared absorptions of peptide . These also have similar antimicrobial properties active against gram-postive bacteria.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jan, 121(1), 83 - 90
Further evidence for a partially folded intermediate in penicillinase secretion by Bacillus licheniformis; Bettinger GE et al.; Protoplasis of Bacillus licheniformis 749/C (a mutant constitutive for penicillinase production) continued to synthesize and release penicillinase in hypertonic growth medium in the presence of trypsin and chymotrypsin at 25 mug each per ml . When the protoplasts were stripped of about half of their membrane-bound penicillinase by pretreatment at pH 9.5 or with a higher level of trypsin, penicillinase activity no longer increased in the presence of the proteases . This effect was immediately eliminated after addition of soybean trypsin inhibitor . These proteases do not significantly inhibit general protein synthesis . Stripped protoplasts of strain 749/C and of uninduced strain 749 (unable to synthesize penicillinase) were incubated with 50 mug of chymotrypsin per ml, and the supernatent fluids were examined immunochemically for peptides derived from the penicillinase chain . Such fargments were found only with the protoplasts capable of synthesizing penicillinase (strain 749/C) . The direct detection of the products of protease degradation of a susceptible form of penicillinase provides strong evidence that, in stripped protoplasts of B . licheniformis 749/C, penicillinase synthesis continues in the presence of trypsin or chymotrypsin and that, in these modified membranes, the protease is able to act on an early form of the enzyme that has not yet attained the protease-resistant conformation characteristic of the membrane-bound and exopenicillinases . This finding is discussed in terms of the current models of penicillinase secretion.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jan, 121(1), 363 - 72
Fine structure of mesosomal involvement during Bacillus macerans sporulation; Decker S et al.; The ultrastructure of endospore formation in Bacillus macerans ATCC 8244 is characterized by the examination of thin sections of cells grown synchronously in a defined medium . For the most part, sporulation in this organism proceeds as described in other Bacillus species . However, unusually extensive mesosomal involvement occurs during the early stages of sporulation, through the completion of engulfment . A large mesosome is associated with spore septum formation and a portion of this mesosome is included in the developing forespore . As engulfment continues, the forespore mesosome moves to the apex of the cell and participates in the completion of the double forespore membrane . This participation is morphologically similar to mesosome involvement in division and spore septation and seems to comprise a second sporal septation process . Based on this study, it is suggested that the mesosome functions to facilitate the "fusion" of membranes thought to occur during cell division and sporulation.

Appl Microbiol, 1975 Jan, 29(1), 68 - 73
Effect of pH and sodium chloride on growth of Bacillus cereus in laboratory media and certain foods; Raevuori M et al.; The effects of NaCl concentration, pH, and water activity (aw) on the ability of vegetative cells of Bacillus cereus to initiate aerobic growth in brain heart infusion broth at 30 C were studied in a factorial design experiment . By using multiple regression techniques, equations were derived which related the decimal reduction of the bacterial population to the concentration of NaCl and pH of broth to which the population was exposed . From these equations, the percentage of inoculated cells capable of initiating growth could be calculated . The reliability of these equations in foods was tested in laboratory-processed meat and rice media . The foods were less inhibitory than the broths, so that accurate prediction of growth initiation in foods was not possible by using the developed formulas . The impact of this type of quantitative study on the development of specific microbial standards for foods is discussed . When the NaCl concentration is increased, the aw is decreased and, with increased deviation of pH from optimum, more concentrated inoculum of B . cereus cells is needed to assure initiation of growth in culture media and foods.

Z Naturforsch {C}, 1975 Jan-Feb, 30(1), 120 - 3
Determination of exotoxin in Bacillus thuringiensis cells; Horska K et al.; The presence of exotoxin in Bacillus thuringiensis was demonstrated and its quantity in the cells determined . The concentration of exotoxin in the producing microorganism is approximately half the concentration of ATP . Exotoxin is produced at such a rate that the cell excretes 1/5 to 1/4 of its exotoxin content into the medium per minute.

Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig A}, 1975, 231(1-3), 187 - 96
Unit structures of macromolecular layer in the cell wall of Bacillus aneurinolyticus; Yoshii Z; In order to clarify the morphological details of the unit structures in the macromolecular layer (MML) of the bacterial cell wall, ghost cells of Bacillus aneurinolyticus were observed with the electron microscope in the negatively stained specimens . The unit structures usually showed a ring image with the central dot of PTA-deposit or an image of paired rodlets sandwiching a stripe of PTA-deposit between them even in the same wall . The author concluded from these images that an unit structure must be a cylindrical body with a central canal . Then, a new name "unit cylinder" was given to it . Rough measurements of the unit cylinder were also performed . Rigidity and elasticity of the cell wall were considered as based upon the morphological features and the array pattern of the unit cylinders . Therefore, the MML was regarded as a skeleton structure of the cell body . Besides, the MML consisting of the unit cylinders with central canals was considered to be an ultra-micro-filter from the viewpoint of metabolism in bacterial physiology.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1966 Feb, 93(2), 171 - 83
Long-term results of BCG vaccination in the southern United States; Comstock GW et al.; Publication Types:

	Clinical Trial
	Randomized Controlled Trial

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