Bacillus

Can J Microbiol, 1978 Nov, 24(11), 1289 - 95
Production and characterization of two hemolysins of Bacillus cereus; Coolbaugh JC et al.; Bacillus cereus strain B-48 produced two hemolysins with molecular weights of 52,000 (H-I) and 31,000 (H-II) . A mutant was isolated that produced only H-II but was identical with the wild type in all other respects . We exploited this mutant to produce H-II for study that was free of contamination by H-I . By manipulation of media composition, we produced H-I in the absence of H-II . The hemolysins were precipitated differently by ammonium sulfate, and both exhibited the Arrhenius effect when heated . Both hemolysins attached rapidly to erythrocytes; however, lysis by H-I was immediate, while lysis by H-II followed after a lag . Hemolysis by H-I and H-II increased in rate with increasing temperature and was absent at 0 degrees C . Only H-I was inhibited by cholesterol . The hemolysins of B . cereus appeared similar to the hemolysins of B . thuringiensis . H-I probably is identical with cereolysin.

Chin Med J (Engl), 1978 Nov, 4(6), 497 - 500
Experience in emergency treatment of shock due to infection; Wang ST et al.; PIP: 188 cases of shock due to infection were treated at the People's Hospital in Peking between 1964-1965 and 1972-1974 . 133 (70.7%) of the cases were due to pneumonia or toxic bacillary dysentary . 71 of the 133 cases were treated with vasoconstrictors and 62 with vasodilators . Those treated with vasoconstrictors had a mortality rate of 16.9% while the 62 treated with vasodilators were cured . Average duration of treatment was shorter with the vasodilator group (23.6 hours in 52 cases) than vasoconstrictors (54.6 hours in 48 cases) . As a result of the study it is now believed that hypotension in shock is due to relative or absolute lack of effective circulatory blood volume as a result of microcirculatory impairment . Rather than focusing solely on maintenance of blood pressure primary emergency measures for shock should focus on restoring blood perfusion of body tissue . Comments were made regarding blood volume, selection of vasoactive agents with anisodamine the preferred drug and prevention of acute renal failure and pulmonary endema .

Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig A}, 1978 Nov, 242(1), 137 - 40
Induced chain formation in Bacillus megaterium by suramin (Bayer 205); Shaikh D et al.; B . megaterium NCTC 5637 has been shown to grow into long chains in 1% glucose and 1% suramin (w/v) . This effect was not noticeable in lower concentration of the inhibitor . The effect diminished in suramin free medium, indicating the change to be phenotypic.

Cancer Treat Rep, 1978 Nov, 62(11), 1613 - 21
Pharmacologic factors and manipulation of immunity systemic adjuvants in cancer therapy; Mathe G et al.; Because of the experimental and clinical studies which have been extensively conducted with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) as a systemic adjuvant in cancer immunotherapy, we have analyzed the main factors and conditions which determine its beneficial action and have underlined some of these (eg, the dose factor which controls the amplification of suppressor cells which is probably responsible for failures and even the possible tumor-enhancing effect of immunotherapy) . Knowing those factors and conditions, we have been able to establish a systematic immunopharmacologic study of systemic immunity adjuvants, which has resulted in the discovery of agents whose actions are more rapid than that of BCG on one or a few populations of cells involved in immunity and which, unlike BCG, do not induce suppressor cell amplification . This amplification may explain the difference in the results obtained with this mycobacterium in various clinical immunotherapy trials in which it was applied differently . It is proposed to combine these mono- or pauc-functional adjuvants in order to try to obtain all of the beneficial effects of BCG without the amplification of suppressor cells.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1978 Nov, 31(11), 1162 - 9
Clavulanic acid inhibition of beta-lactamase I from Bacillus cereus 569/H; Durkin JP et al.; Inactivation of beta-lactamase I by clavulanic acid was investigated . Clavulanic acid induced inhibition of the enzyme was found to be progressive with time . Benzylpenicillin provided protection against the adverse effects of the inhibitor initially, however, the enzyme was irreversibly inhibited in a progressive manner even in the presence of substrate . Reaction of beta-lactamase I with clavulanic acid, in the presence of ampicillin, led to a very rapid inactivation of the enzyme.

Am J Med, 1978 Nov, 65(5), 873 - 80
Whipple's disease of the lung; Winberg CD et al.; Described here is a unique case of Whipple's disease in a 54 year old man with chronic severe cough and gastrointestinal symptoms in whom the initial diagnosis of Whipple's disease was made by lung biopsy . This is, to our knowledge, the first reported case in which the bacilliform structures of Whipple's disease have been demonstrated in tissues from other than the gastrointestinal tract of lymph nodes . Subsequently, a peroral biopsy of the small intestine was performed and revealed identical and pathognomonic features of Whipple's disease . The pulmonary roentgenologic findings are described and the histologic differential diagnosis of histiocytic infiltrates in the lung, which may be histologically similar to Whipple's disease, are briefly reviewed.

Biochem J, 1978 Nov 1, 175(2), 441 - 7
Histidine residues of zinc ligands in beta-lactamase II; Baldwin GS et al.; 1 . The Zn(II)-requiring beta-lactamase from Bacillus cereus 569/H/9, which has two zinc-binding sites, was examined by 270 MHz 1H n.m.r . spectroscopy . Resonances were assigned to five histidine residues . 2 . Resonances attributed to three of the histidine residues in the apoenzyme shift on the addition of one equivalent of Zn(II) . 3 . Although these three histidine residues are free to titrate in the apoenzyme, none of them titrates over the pH range 6.0--9.0 in the mono-zinc enzyme . 4 . The ability of the C-2 protons of these three histidine residues to exchange with solvent (2H2O) is markedly decreased on Zn(II) binding . 5 . It is proposed that these three histidine residues act as zinc ligands at the tighter zinc-binding site . 6 . Resonances attributed to a fourth histidine residue shift on addition of further zinc to the mono-zinc enzyme . It is proposed that this histidine residue acts as a Zn(II) ligand at the second zinc-binding site.

J Biol Chem, 1978 Oct 10, 253(19), 6738 - 43
Membrane bioenergetic parameters in uncoupler-resistant mutants of Bacillus megaterium; Decker SJ et al.; Mutants of Bacillus megaterium displaying malate-driven ATP synthesis resistant to uncouplers of oxidative posphorylation are further characterized . Both the pH gradient and electrical potential generated across the membrane by malate respiration are equally sensitive to uncouplers in the wild type and uncoupler-resistant mutants . The mutants possess 0 to 10% of the wild type ATPase activity which is not activated by pretreatment with heat or trypsin . Despite this inability to measure ATPase activity, the mutants demonstrate acid-pulse-driven ATPase synthesis which is sensitive to uncouplers as well as malate-driven ATP synthesis which becomes uncoupler sensitive at pH 5.5 . N,N' -Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and valinomycin plus potassium inhibition of ATP synthesis is reversed by uncouplers in the mutants but not in the wild type . The data support the existence of a specific site on the ATPase complex for uncoupler binding which, if altered by mutation, affects uncoupler binding to the complex . The retention of malate-driven ATP synthesis in the absence of a significant pH gradient or electrical potential suggests that an alternative intermediate is involved in coupling oxidation to phosphorylation.

Arch Dermatol, 1978 Oct, 114(10), 1501 - 4
Combined immunotherapy of malignant melanoma . Unusual survival following cerebral metastasis; Spitler LE et al.; An 18-year-old woman was found to have solitary cerebral, choroidal, and pulmonary metastases of malignant melanoma three years after excision of a primary malignant melanoma . The cerebral metastasis was excised, and the patient's condition was treated with CNS irradiation followed by combined immunotherapy with transfer factor and Bacille bilie de Calmette-Guerin . The transfer factor donor was her father, who showed cellular immunity to melanoma extracts on in vitro testing . Histologic examination of the pulmonary nodule, which was excised after the initiation of immunotherapy, revealed a dense lymphocytic infiltrate associated with the metastatic melanoma . The patient is currently free of detectable melanoma more than three years after the cerebral metastasis . Studies in a second patient also demonstrated the appearance of inflammatory infiltrate in metastatic melanoma following transfer factor therapy.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Oct, 136(1), 24 - 34
Modulation of an apparent mRNA pool for extracellular protease in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; O'Connor R et al.; Late-log-phase cells of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens have the unusual capacity to produce extracellular protease for over 60 min in the presence of rifampin or actinomycin D at levels which strongly inhibit incorporation of amino acids into cellular protein . If cells are incubated in the presence of high levels of amino acids for 75 min this capacity is exhausted, but it is retained if the incubation is carried out in low levels of amino acids . Transfer of exhausted cells from high to low concentrations of amino acids results in a progressive recovery of the capacity for rifampin-actinomycin-insensitive protease production . The results seem best explained on the basis of the accumulation of a reserve pool of mRNA for extracellular protease . Measurement of the apparent mRNA pool size over 12 h shows a cyclical rise and fall, and these changes correlate with a periodic variation of the rate of protease production . A working hypothesis is presented to account for these observations in terms of a novel control situation over protease mRNA transcription.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Oct, 36(4), 625 - 6
Purification of the protein crystal from Bacillus thuringiensis by zonal gradient centrifugation; Ang BJ et al.; A method is described for the large-scale purification of the Bacillus thuringiensis protein crystal by zonal gradient centrifugation . NaBr gradients are employed in a Beckman J21-B centrifuge equipped with a JCF-Z rotor.

Cancer Res, 1978 Oct, 38(10), 3150 - 3
Controlled trial of methotrexate and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy for advanced head and neck cancer; Papac R et al.; Thirty-eight patients with advanced, inoperable squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were randomized to receive methotrexate alone or methotrexate with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin . The response rates with methotrexate (3 of 19) and methotrexate plus B . Calmette-Guerin (4 of 16) were similar, as was the duration of response and survival of the two groups . The results of in vitro immunological studies of lymphocytes were assessed . Marked weight loss, poor performance status, and distant metastases were the most important prognostic factors . The presence of anergy was significantly correlated with weight loss . This study also indicated that a large tumor burden is a frequent occurrence in advanced head and neck cancer and may account for the lack of efficacy of B . Calmette-Guerin.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1978 Oct, 75(10), 5142 - 4
Systemic bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) activates natural suppressor cells; Bennett JA et al.; Addition of normal C57BL/6 mouse bone marrow cells to an in vitro culture of normal C57BL/6 spleen cells and allogeneic P815-Y tumor cells inhibited the development of cell-mediated immunity . Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) enhanced the suppressive activity of these bone marrow cells as early as 2 days after its intravenous administration to donor mice and elicited similar activity in the spleen by 7 days . Concomitant with the appearance of suppressor cells in the spleen there was a decrease in bone cell number and an increase in spleen cell number . While normal spleen cells failed to inhibit immunization, spleen cells from thymectomized, irradiated, bone marrow-reconstituted mice were inhibitory . Administration of BCG further increased the suppressive activity of spleen cells in these T cell-deprived mice . From this evidence it appears that systemic administration of BCG activates natural suppressor cells in the bone marrow and elicits suppressor cells in the spleen through the migration and colonization of the spleen by bone marrow elements.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Oct, 136(1), 433 - 6
Levels of cyclic GMP in dormant, germinated, and outgrowing spores and growing and sporulating cells of Bacillus megaterium; Setlow B et al.; The level of cyclic GMP was less than one molecule per organism in dormant, germinated, and outgrowing spores of Bacillus megaterium . A significant level (approximately 8 pmol/g, dry weight) of cyclic GMP was found in early to mid-log phase cells, but the level fell to below 0.2 pmol/g, dry weight, in late-log phase and only rose slightly to approximately 0.9 pmol/g, dry weight, in stationary phare . No significant amount of cyclic GMP was detected in the growth medium at any time.

Can J Microbiol, 1978 Oct, 24(10), 1227 - 35
Chromosome age and segregation during sporulation of Bacillus megaterium; Hitchins AD; The effect of chromosome age on segregation during sporulation was investigated . Vegetative cells of Bacillus megaterium were labeled with {Me-3H}thymine and then were grown at 30 degrees C in nonradioactive medium for various times before being allowed to sporulate . The ratio of the amount of label in sporal DNA to that in sporangial DNA, obtained after minor correction for the sporulation frequency, remained essentially constant as the postlabeling growth period was increased from one to seven generations . The spores were preferentially located at the older poles of sporangia, i.e . the poles formed by divisions occurring prior to those forming the sporangia . Therefore, it seems that old (labeled) chromosomes segregate randomly with respect to both the morphological and genealogical polarities of sporangia . Examination of total cell lysates by dye-buoyant density gradient centrifugation revealed the presence of covalently closed circular DNA from cells grown at 37 degrees C, but none was obtained from cells grown at 30 degrees C . Thus, possible interference by large amounts of extrachromosomal DNA in the determination of the chromosomal segregation pattern is unlikely.

Ann Ophthalmol, 1978 Oct, 10(10), 1367 - 70
Endogenous endophthalmitis associated with bacillus cereus bacteremia in a cocaine addict; Masi RJ; A 22-year-old black female intravenous cocaine addict presented with an endophthalmitis of the right eye . Diagnostic evaluation included an immediate anterior chamber paracentesis and a delayed vitreous aspiration . Although cultures from the involved eye were negative, all 7 blood cultures grew Bacillus cereus suggesting that this organism was the responsible agent of an endogenous endophthalmitis . The patient was treated with appropriate systemic and local antibiotics with resolution of the acute inflammatory signs . However, a phthisical eye has been noted on follow-up examinations.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Oct, 136(1), 331 - 40
Purification and characterization of additional low-molecular-weight basic proteins degraded during germination of Bacillus megaterium spores; Setlow P; Dormant spores Bacillus megaterium contained a group of low-molecular-weight (5,000 to 11,000) basic (pI greater than 9.4) proteins (termed D, E, F, and G proteins) which could be extracted from disrupted spores with strong acids . These proteins were distinct from the previously described A, B, and C proteins which are degraded during spore germination . However, the D, E, F, and G proteins were also rapidly degraded during spore germination, accounting for 10 to 15% of the protein degraded . Proteins similar to the D, E, F, and G species were also present in spores of other bacterial species . In B . megaterium, the D, E, F, and G proteins were low or absent (less than 15% of the spore level) in vegetative and young sporulating cells and appeared only late in sporulation . The D, E, F, and G proteins were purified to homogeneity, and all contained a high percentage of hydrophilic amino acids; one protein (G) contained 31% basic amino acids and also contained tryptophan . All four proteins were rapidly degraded in vitro by dormant spore extracts . Two proteins (D and F) were degraded in vitro by the previously described spore protease which initiates degradation of the A, B, and C proteins in vivo; the spore enzyme (s) degrading proteins E and G have not been identified.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Oct, 136(1), 209 - 18
Isolation of stable ribosomal subunits from spores of Bacillus cereus; Kieras RM et al.; Analyses of ribosomes extracted from spores of Bacillus cereus T by a dryspore disruption technique indicated that previously reported defects in ribosomes from spores may arise during the ribosome extraction process . The population of ribosomes from spores is shown to cotain a variable quantity of free 50S subunits which are unstable, giving rise to slowly sedimenting particles in low-Mg2+ sucrose gradients and showing extremely low activity in in vitro protein synthesis . The majority of the ribosomal subunits in spores, obtained by dissociation of 70S ribosomes and polysomes, are shown to be as stable as subunits from vegetative cells, though the activity of spore polysomes was lower than that of vegetative ribosomes . In spite of the instability and inactivity of a fraction of the spore's ribosomal subunits, the activity of the total population obtained from spores by the dry disruption technique was 32% of vegetative ribosome activity, fivefold higher than previously obtained with this species . The improvement in activity and the observed variability of subunit destabilization are taken as evidence for partial degradation of spore ribosomes during extraction.

Immunology, 1978 Oct, 35(4), 573 - 9
Adjuvant effect of a peptidoglycan attached covalently to a synthetic antigen provoking anti-phage antibodies; Langbeheim H et al.; The synthetic antigen denoted P2-A--L, comprising the fragment P2 of the coat protein of MS-2 coliphage attached to multichain poly-DL-alanine, served for the immunization of guinea-pigs . Immunization was carried out either in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or in Freund's incomplete adjuvant (FIA) in the presence or absence of a small molecular weight peptidoglycan prepared from Bacillus megaterium, which was checked for its adjuvant effect . The various antisera were assessed by their capacity to neutralize MS-2 bacteriophage viability . When injected in PBS or FIA, P2-A--L did not elicit any measurable anti-phage activity . Addition of the peptidoglycan by simple mixing did not bring about a significant increase in antibody production . However, when the peptidoglycan was chemically linked to the P2-A--L conjugate, it had a marked adjuvant effect when the material was administered in FIA, almost identical to the extent of the effect of Freund's complete adjuvant.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Oct, 36(4), 549 - 51
Effect of hydrostatic tensile stress on the growth of Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus; O'Brien WJ et al.; The specific growth rates of Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus were measured for growth media in a flask, a lens-plate arrangement simulating an isolated capillary space, and a lens-plate arrangement under hydrostatic tensile stress . The specific growth rates of the bacteria were the same for the flask and lens-plate arrangement without hydrostatic tensile stress, but were enhanced when the growth media were subjected to hydrostatic tensile stress . The enhanced specific growth rates reached steady values at a tensile stress of 40 pascals . The effect was observed up to tensile stresses of around 100 pascals . The maximum increase in specific growth rate was 25% for E . coli and 22% for B . cereus.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Oct, 36(4), 539 - 43
Microbial catabolism of vanillate: decarboxylation to guaiacol; Crawford RL et al.; A novel catabolic transformation of vanillic acid (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid) by microorganisms is reported . Several strains of Bacillus megaterium and a strain of Streptomyces are shown to convert vanillate to guaiacol (o-methoxyphenol) and CO2 by nonoxidative decarboxylation . Use of a modified most-probable-number procedure shows that numerous soils contain countable numbers (10(1) to 10(2) organisms per g of dry soil) of aerobic sporeformers able to convert vanillate to guaiacol . Conversion of vanillate to guaiacol by the microfloras of most-probable-number replicates was used as the criterion for scoring replicates positive or negative . Guaiacol was detected by thin-layer chromatography . These results indicate that the classic separations of catabolic pathways leading to specific ring-fashion substrates such as protocatechuate and catechol are often interconnectable by single enzymatic transformations, usually a decarboxylation.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1978 Oct, 31(10), 966 - 9
Ribostamycin production by a mutant of butirosin producing bacteria; Fujiwara T et al.; By the use of our improved colony selection technique, xylostasin and ribostamycin producing mutants were isolated from nitrosoguanidine treated Bacillus circulans B15M, a producer of butirosins A and B . Among these structurally related aminoglycosides, ribostamycin is the well-known product of a Steptomyces and has not been isolated as a bacterial metabolite . A selected mutant of strain 306, which produces xylostasin and ribostamycin, was futher mutagenized in expectation of getting an improved strain having the ability to accumulate a large amount of ribostamycin in the culture broth . One mutant, strain 451, derived from strain 306, produced ribostamycin free of xylostasin.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1978 Oct, 31(10), 1023 - 30
Mutational biosynthesis of butirosin analogs . I . Conversion of neamine analogs into butirosin analogs by mutants of Bacillus circulans; Takeda D et al.; By N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine treatment, neamine-negative mutants which required neamine for biosynthesis of butirosins were obtained from a butirosin-producing organism Bacillus circulans . These mutants also produced butirosins from paromamine and could be divided into two types I and II . Mutants of type I could not produce butirosins from 2-deoxystreptamine, whereas those of type II could . Two typical mutants MCRL 5003 (type I) and MCRL 5004 (type II) could produce butirosin analogs, 3', 4'-dideoxybutirosins, 6'-N-methylbutirosins, 3', 4'-dideoxy-6'-N-methylbutirosins and 3', 4'-dideoxy-6'-C-methyl-butirosins from neamine analogs, gentamine Cla, 6'-N-methylneamine, 6'-N-methylgentamine Cla and gentamine C2, respectively.

Can J Microbiol, 1978 Oct, 24(10), 1164 - 72
Production and properties of polygalacturonate lyase by an alkalophilic microorganism Bacillus sp . RK9; Kelly CT et al.; Bacillus sp . RK9 was isolated from soil and produced a constitutive polygalacturonate lyase . Production of the enzyme required the presence of complex nitrogen (peptone and yeast extract) . Highest activity was obtained with an initial pH of 9.7 . The organism was alkalophilic . No growth occurred below pH 7.5 . The enzyme was purified by salt precipitation and diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose ion-exchange chromatography . The pH optimum for activity was 10.0 in 0.01 M glycine-NaOH buffer . Calcium alone, of divalent cations, activated the enzyme by 2.9-fold . Complete inhibition of enzyme activity was achieved by 1 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) . Hydrolysis of substrate occurred in a random fashion and the enzyme was 50% more active towards acid soluble pectic acid (ASPA) than towards sodium polypectate.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1978 Sep 26, 536(1), 172 - 83
Nitrogenase from Bacillus polymyxa . Purification and properties of the component proteins; Emerich DW et al.; A purification procedure is described for the components of Bacillus polymyxa nitrogenase . The procedure requires the removal of interfering mucopolysaccharides before the two nitrogenase proteins can be purified by the methods used with other nitrogenase components . The highest specific activities obtained were 2750 nmol C2H4 formed . min-1 . mg-1 MoFe protein and 2521 nmol C2H4 formed . min-1 . mg-1 Fe protein . The MoFe protein has a molecular weight of 215 000 and contains 2 molybdenum atoms, 33 iron atoms and 21 atoms of acid-labile sulfur per protein molecule . The Fe protein contains 3.2 iron atoms and 3.6 acid-labile sulfur atoms per molecule of 55 500 molecular weight . Each Fe protein binds two ATP molecules . The EPR spectra are similar to those of other nitrogenase proteins . MgATP changes the EPR of the Fe protein from a rhombic to an axial-type signal.

J Biol Chem, 1978 Sep 25, 253(18), 6516 - 22
Formation and function of N-acetyloglucosamine-linked phosphoryl- and pyrophosphorylundecaprenols in membranes from Bacillus cereus; Yamamori S et al.; Membranes from Bacillus cereus AHU 1356 incorporated radioactivity from UDP-N-acetyl{14C}glucosamine into three alkaline-stable and acid-labile lipids which were extracted into chloroform:methanol (2:1) and separated from each other by thin layer chromatography on silica gel plates . The major labeled lipid (Lipid 1) and a minor one (Lipid 2) were identified as N-actetylglucosaminyl phosphorylundecaprenol from several analytical criteria involving mass spectral data and from reversal of their formation by UDP . These two lipids appear to differ in geometry of their polyprenol moieties . The third labeled lipid (Lipid 3) was identified as N-acetylglucosaminyl pyrophosphorylundecaprenol . Antibiotic 24010, a tunicamycin-like antibiotic, at 1 microgram/ml was found to inhibit almost completely the formation of Lipid 3, whereas it inhibited the formation of Lipid 1 much more weakly and rather enhanced the formation of Lipid 2 . Radioactivity was also incorporated into a polymer from UDP-GlcNAc and from Lipid 3 . UDP-N-acetylmannosamine, UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine, and UDP-glucose supported the incorporation . Antibiotic 24010 strongly inhibited the incorporation of radioactivity from UDP-GlcNAc into polymer, whereas it did not affect the incorporation from Lipid 3 . Thus, it is concluded that N-acetylglucosaminyl pyrophosphorylundecaprenol serves as a precursor in the synthesis of a polymer presumed as the cell wall polysaccharide of this bacterial strain.

J Biol Chem, 1978 Sep 10, 253(17), 5899 - 901
Unusual COOH-terminal structure of staphylococcal protease; Drapeau GR; The extracellular enzyme, staphylococcal protease, carries a COOH-terminal tryptic peptide of 43 amino acid residues most of which are aspartic acid, asparagine, and proline . This peptide might have a function equivalent to that of a similar segment previously observed at the NH2-terminal end of the membrane-bound penicillinase precursor of Bacillus licheniformis (Yamamoto, S., and Lampen, J . O . (1976) Proc . Natl . Acad . Sci . U . S . A . 73, 1457-1461) . These observations would suggest that bacterial exoproteins which are secreted in the form of precursors differ from extracellular proteins by the presence of an extra segment at their NH2- and/or COOH-terminal ends.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Sep, 36(3), 457 - 64
Effect of phosphate buffer concentration on the heat resistance of Bacillus stearothermophilus spores suspended in parenteral solutions; Gauthier CA et al.; The effect of various quantities of Butterfield phosphate buffer added to four parenteral solutions on the survival of Bacillus stearothermophilus spores heated at 121 degrees C was determined . The effect of the addition of phosphate buffer on spore survival varied with the parenteral solution . Spore survival was increased or decreased, depending upon the composition of the parenteral solution and the buffer concentration . The results obtained in these experiments attest to the fact that environmental factors, including the type of ions present and ionic concentration, affect the heat destruction rate of B . stearothermophilus spores . Therefore, the sterilization requirements of a product such as a parenteral solution may be affected by small changes in formulation.

Eur J Biochem, 1978 Sep 1, 89(2), 523 - 9
Biochemical characterization of the restriction-modification system of Bacillus sphaericus; Koncz C et al.; A type II restriction endonuclease (endo R . Bsp) has been purified from Bacillus sphaericus to electrophoretic homogeneity . The enzyme appears to be a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 35000 . Its pH optimum is around 8.2, it requires 20 mM Mg2+ for optimal activity and it is inhibited by Zn2+ . The yield of the enzyme is higher than that of any type II restriction endonuclease so far reported . The enzyme also cleaves single-stranded DNA, albeit at a slower rate . It seems likely that single-stranded DNA is cleaved at the same sequences as double-stranded DNA . Bacillus sphaericus also contains a modification methylase (meth M . Bsp) which completely protects the cell's own DNA against cleavage by its restriction endonuclease . The methylase activity has been partially purified, it copurifies with the nuclease until the next to the last step . The enzyme does not require ATP or Mg2+, it transfers the methyl group of S-adenosyl-methionine to cytosine residues of DNA . As the action of this methylase completely protects any DNA from endo R . Bsp cleavage, it seems likely that the methylase recognizes and methylates the same sequence (dG-dG-dC-dC) as the nuclease.

J Virol, 1978 Sep, 27(3), 819 - 22
Sporulation-converting bacteriophages for Bacillus pumilus; Keggins KM et al.; Thirty-three sporulation-converting bacteriophages for Bacillus pumilus NRS576 were assigned to two apparently unrelated groups on the basis of morphology and antiserum neutralization . Bacterial sporulation mutants responded similarly (conversion or nonconversion) to representatives of both phage groups . Evidence is presented indicating that PMB1 and related phages specify a restriction and/or modification system.

Carbohydr Res, 1978 Sep, 65(2), 219 - 27
beta-D-xylosidase from Bacillus pumilus PRL B12: hydrolysis of aryl beta-D-xylopyranosides; Kersters-Hilderson H et al.; The influence of substituents on the binding and hydrolysis of several substituted beta-D-xylopyranosides by beta-D-xylosidase from Bacillus pumilus PRL B12 has been investigated . From a comparison of the inhibition constants of 1-thio-beta-D-xylopyranosides with the apparent Michaelis-Menten constants of the substrates, it followed that the latter constants are good approximations of the true equilibrium constants . The influence of the substituent on the rate and activation parameters is small . The results are in agreement with, but do not prove, a one-step mechanism without the formation of a glycosyl-enzyme intermediate.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Sep, 135(3), 920 - 7
Oxygen and nitrate in utilization by Bacillus licheniformis of the arginase and arginine deiminase routes of arginine catabolism and other factors affecting their syntheses; Broman K et al.; Bacillus licheniformis has two pathways of arginine catabolism . In well-aerated cultures, the arginase route is present, and levels of catabolic ornithine carbamoyltransferase were low . An arginase pathway-deficient mutant, BL196, failed to grow on arginine as a nitrogen source under these conditions . In anaerobiosis, the wild type contained very low levels of arginase and ornithine transaminase . BL196 grew normally on glucose plus arginine in anaerobiosis and, like the wild type, had appreciable levels of catabolic transferase . Nitrate, like oxygen, repressed ornithine carbamoyltransferase and stimulated arginase synthesis . In aerobic cultures, arginase was repressed by glutamine in the presence of glucose, but not when the carbon-energy source was poor . In anaerobic cultures, ammonia repressed catabolic ornithine carbamoyltransferase, but glutamate and glutamine stimulated its synthesis . A second mutant, derived from BL196, retained the low arginase and ornithine transaminase levels of BL196 but produced high levels of deiminase pathway enzymes in the presence of oxygen.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Sep, 135(3), 754 - 9
Effect of growth temperature on membrane fatty acid composition and susceptibility to cold shock of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; Paton JC et al.; We investigated the fatty acid composition of the membrane of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens grown at different temperatures . A decrease in growth temperature was accompanied by an increase in the ratio of branched- to straight-chain fatty acids and a marked increase in the level of unsaturation of branched-chain fatty acids . When cells of this organism grown at 30 degrees C were cold shocked, viability and ability to secrete extracellular protease were lost . Growth of this organism at lower temperatures or addition of Tween 80 to cells caused the critical temperature zone for cold shocking to be lowered significantly . These results suggest a direct correlation between membrane fluidity and the susceptibility to cold shock.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1978 Sep, 75(9), 4349 - 53
Modulation of macrophage tumoricidal capability by polyene antibiotics: support for membrane lipid as a regulatory determinant of macrophage function; Chapman HA Jr et al.; We have examined the effects of the sterol-binding polyene antibiotics on macrophage tumoricidal capability . Incubation for 2 hr of activated macrophages from bacillus Calmette-Guerin-infected mice with amphotericin B at 0.5--2 microgram/ml or amphotericin B methyl ester at 0.5--10 microgram/ml enhanced the capability of activated macrophages to kill 3T12 cells . These polyenes did not make normal or stimulated macrophages tumoricidal . Experiments with the ionophores gramicidin, alamethecin, nigericin, and valinomycin indicate that the ionophoretic properties of amphotericin B may not account for its enhancing effect on macrophage tumoricidal potential . Two polyenes with a smaller ring structure, filipin and pimaricin, were also ineffective suggesting that stereospecific modifications in membrane lipid organization underlie the enhancing effect of amphotericin B . The results suggest that the clinical efficacy of amphotericin B in promoting resistance to fungal disease and possibly to neoplasia may operate in part through potentiation of macrophage effector functions.

J S Afr Vet Assoc, 1978 Sep, 49(3), 219 - 21
Tuberculosis in laboratory animals; Fourie PB et al.; Tuberculosis can cause great losses in captive colonies of various animal species . In South Africa the culprit is the human type of tubercle bacillus . Interspecific transmission of tuberculosis infection amongst laboratory animals, notably primates, is known to occur, and often handlers and caretakers act as the source of infection . The need for preventive measures in laboratory colonies and procedures for case finding and treatment of tuberculous animals are discussed . Indiscriminate destruction of diseased animals is opposed . The South African situation as revealed by questionnaire survey is described.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Sep, 135(3), 841 - 50
Isolation and characterization of Bacillus megaterium mutants containing decreased levels of spore protease; Postemsky CJ et al.; A proteolytic activity present in spores of Bacillus megaterium has previously been implicated in the initiation of hydrolysis of the A, B, and C proteins which are degraded during spore germination . Four mutants of B . megaterium containing 20 to 30% of the normal level of spore proteolytic activity have been isolated . Partial purification of the protease from wild-type spores by a reviewed procedure resulted in the resolution of spore protease activity on the A, B, and C proteins into two peaks--a major one (protease II) and a minor one (protease I) . The protease mutants tested lacked active protease II . All of the mutants exhibited a decreased rate of degradation of the A, B, and C proteins during spore germination at 30 degrees C, but degradation of the proteins did occur . Degradation of the A, B, and C proteins during germination of the mutant spores was decreased neither by blockade of ATP production nor by germination at 44 degrees C . Initiation of spore germination was normal in all four mutants, and all four mutants went through outgrowth, grew, and sporulated normally in rich medium . Similarly, outgrowth of spores of two of the four mutants was normal in minimal medium at 30 degrees C . In the two mutants studied, the kinetics of loss of spore heat resistance and spore UV light resistance during germination were identical to those of wild-type spores . This indicates that the A, B, and C proteins alone are not sufficient to account for the heat or UV light resistance of the dormant spore.

Mikrobiologiia, 1978 Sep-Oct, 47(5), 881 - 7
{DNA synthesis and degradation in the cells of Bacillus stearothermophilus}; Trofimenko AF et al.; ATP-dependent and ATP-independent synthesis of DNA was studied on nucleotide-permeable cells of Bacillus stearothermophilus . The effect of temperature, pH, ionic strength, and bivalent metal ions on both types of DNA synthesis was investigated as well as their susceptibility to an SH-blocking agent . The level of ATP-independent synthesis of DNA in the cells of Bac . stearothermophilus was found to be ten times higher than that in E . coli . In the semipermeable cells of Bac . stearothermophilus, 90% of DNA of the chromosome was accessible to their nucleases . The temperature optimum of the activity of DNA polymerases and nucleases in the cells treated with toluene coincided with the optimum of the bacterial growth.

J Biol Chem, 1978 Aug 25, 253(16), 5719 - 25
Properties of crystalline leucine dehydrogenase from Bacillus sphaericus; Ohshima T et al.; The distribution of bacterial leucine dehydrogenase (L-leucine:NAD+ oxidoreductase, deaminating, EC 1.4.1.9) was investigated, and Bacillus sphaericus (IFO 3525) was found to have the highest activity of the enzyme . Leucine dehydrogenase, which was purified to homogeneity and crystallized from B . sphaericus, has a molecular weight of about 245,000 and consists of six identical subunits (Mr = 41,000) . The enzyme catalyzes the oxidative deamination of L-leucine, L-valine, L-isoleucine, L-norvaline, L-alpha-aminobutyrate, and L-norleucine, and the reductive amination of their keto analogues . The enzyme requires NAD+ as a cofactor, which cannot be replaced by NADP+ . D-Enantiomers of the substrate amino acids inhibit competitively the oxidation of L-leucine . The enzyme activity is significantly reduced by both sulfhydryl reagents and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate . Purine and pyrimidine bases, nucleosides and nucleotides have no effect on the enzyme activity . Initial velocity and product inhibition studies show that the reductive amination proceeds through a sequential ordered ternary-binary mechanism . NADH binds first to the enzyme followed by alpha-ketoisocaproate and ammonia, and the products are released in the order of L-leucine and NAD+ . The Michaelis constants are as follows: L-leucine (1 mM), NAD+ (0.39 mM), NADH (35 micrometer), alpha-ketoisocaproate (0.31 mM), and ammonia (0.2 M) . The pro-S hydrogen at C-4 of the dihydronicotinamide ring of NADH is exclusively transferred to the substrate; the enzyme is B-stereospecific.

Biochemistry, 1978 Aug 22, 17(17), 3468 - 74
Isolation and characterization of polyadenylate-containing RNA from Bacillus brevis; Sarkar N et al.; A substantial fraction (30--40%) of pulse-labeled RNA from exponentially growing cells of Bacillus brevis contains polyadenylate sequences, as measured by adsorption to oligo(dT)-cellulose . The weight-average length of poly(A) tracts obtained after digestion with pancreatic and T1 ribonucleases is 60 nucleotide residues . Susceptibility to degradation by snake venom phosphodiesterase after ribonuclease degradation indicates that the poly(A) sequences are located near the 3' ends of the RNA chains, but that in 40% of the material at least one internal pyrimidine nucleotide residue intervenes between the poly(A) tract and the 3'-hydroxyl terminus . These pyrimidine nucleotides consist of 65% cytidylate and 35% uridylate residues . In the remaining RNA chains, the poly(A) sequence is directly at the 3'-terminus, but the possibility cannot be excluded that a small fraction of this material may contain a 3'-hydroxyl terminal guanylate residue . The weight-average sedimentation coefficient of poly(A)-containing RNA is 12.5 S, corresponding to a polynucleotide chain length of 800--900 residues . This is in a size range expected for messenger RNA, a possibility which is also supported by the observation that pulse-labeled RNA has a considerably higher poly(A) content than long-term labeled RNA.

Mol Gen Genet, 1978 Aug 17, 164(2), 195 - 204
Isolation and characterization of plasmid from the Bacillus brevis var . G.-B . cells; Dobritsa AP et al.; The plasmid designated pAD1 was isolated from the cells of four variants of Bacillus brevis var . G.-B . The plasmid DNA has a molecular weight of about 47.1 x 10(6) daltons and contains 43.4 mole % G+C . The bulk of pAD1 DNA (96--98%) is associated with the fraction of chromosome DNA and membranes . Restriction endonucleases Sma I, Sal I and Bam HI cleaved the plasmid DNA into two, two and six fragments, respectively . The cleavage map of the pAD1 genome has been constructed for these three endonucleases . Restriction enzymes Eco RI, Hind III, Kpn I and Pst I hydrolized the plasmid DNA into 16, 21, 10 and 9 fragments, respectively . The presence of repeated sequences in the plasmid genome was shown based on pAD1 DNA cleavage by these endonucleases.

Biochem J, 1978 Aug 15, 174(2), 635 - 40
Metabolism and the triggering of germination of Bacillus megaterium . Use of L-{3H}alanine and tritiated water to detect metabolism; Scott IR et al.; L-{2,3-3H}Alanine was used to probe for metabolism of alanine during triggering of germination of spores of Bacillus megaterium KM . No detectable incorporation of label into any compound, including water, was found, indicating that any metabolism involving the alanine germinant must be at a very low rate and also that alanine racemase is absent from spores of this strain . Spores were germinated in 3H2O to find if any of the many metabolic reactions causing irreversible incorporation of 3H into reaction products took place during triggering of germination . No incorporation was detected until 2-3 min after addition of germinants . It is therefore concluded that a wide variety of metabolic routes, including glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, the pentose phosphate pathway and amino acid metabolism are either not involved in the reactions causing the triggering of germination or operate at an extremely low rate during this process.

Biochem J, 1978 Aug 15, 174(2), 627 - 34
Metabolism and the triggering of germination of Bacillus megaterium . Concentrations of amino acids, organic acids, adenine nucleotides and nicotinamide nucleotides during germination; Scott IR et al.; A considerable amount of evidence suggests that metabolism of germinants or metabolism stimulated by them is involved in triggering bacterial-spore germination . On the assumption that such a metabolic trigger might lead to relatively small biochemical changes in the first few minutes of germination, sensitive analytical techniques were used to detect any changes in spore components during the L-alanine-triggered germination of Bacillus megaterium KM spores . These experiments showed that no changes in spore free amino acids or ATP occurred until 2-3 min after L-alanine addition . Spores contained almost no oxo acids (pyruvate, alpha-oxoglutarate, oxaloacetate), malate or reduced NAD . These compounds were again not detectable until 2-3 min after addition of germinants . It is suggested, therefore, that metabolism associated with these intermediates is not involved in the triggering of germination of this organism.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Aug, 36(2), 392 - 3
D-values of Bacillus pumilus spores on irradiated devices (inoculated product); Prince HN; The D-values of Bacillus pumilus spores on various devices ranged from 0.14 to 0.23 Mrads . The majority of devices displayed D-values equal to or less than the value obtained on filter paper . Increased resistivity was also encountered.

Can J Microbiol, 1978 Aug, 24(8), 909 - 14
Growth characteristics of three bacterial isolates from an arctic soil; Nelson LM et al.; Three bacterial isolates, a Pseudomonas sp., a Bacillus sp., and an Arthrobacter sp., commonly isolated from a hummocky sedge-moss meadow at Devon Island, N.W.T., Canada, were selected for further taxonomic characterization and for a study of the effects of temperature and limiting carbon source on growth . Pseudomonas M216 resembled P . putida and Bacillus M153, B . carotarum . Arthrobacter M51 had growth-factor requirements which were more complex than those of any named species of that genus . The temperature ranges of growth indicated that Pseudomonas M216 and Arthrobacter M51 were psychrotrophic while Bacillus M153 was mesophilic . Growth in batch culture at limiting glucose concentrations enabled the calculation of Ks and Y values for each isolate . These were similar to those obtained for other organisms and Pseudomonas M216 and Bacillus M153 showed a high affinity for glucose . The nutritional versatility of Arthrobacter M51 and its ability to grow at low temperatures and the high growth rates and affinity of Pseudomonas M216 for low substrate concentrations may account for their competitive abilities in the natural environment, while the inability of Bacillus M153 to grow at low temperatures may limit its activity in tundra soils.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Aug, 135(2), 393 - 401
Membrane phospholipid asymmetry in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens; Paton JC et al.; The phospholipid distribution in the membrane of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was studied by using phospholipase C (B . cereus), phospholipase A2 (Crotalus), and the nonpenetrating chemical probe trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid . After treatment of intact protoplasts of B . amyloliquefaciens with either phospholipase, about 70% of total membrane phospholipid was hydrolyzed; specifically, about 90, 90, and 30% of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and cardiolipin, respectively . Under these conditions, protoplasts remained intact and sealed . However, when protoplasts that were permeabilized by cold-shock treatment were incubated with either of the phospholipases, up to 80% of cardiolipin was hydrolyzed and phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine were hydrolyzed virtually to completion . In intact cells, 92% of the phosphatidylethanolamine could be labeled with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid under conditions in which the reagent did not penetrate the membrane to any significant extent . These results indicate that 70% of total phospholipid of this bacillus exists in the outer half of the bilayer . The distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine in this bilayer is highly asymmetric with it being located predominantly in the outer half . The results with phospholipases suggest that the distributions of cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol are also asymmetric but independent confirmation of this is required.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Aug, 135(2), 363 - 72
Effect of cultural conditions on the concentrations of metabolic intermediates during growth and sporulation of Bacillus licheniformis; Donohue TJ et al.; Intracellular concentrations of adenine nucleotides and intermediates of the Embden-Meyerhof pathway and the tricarboxylic acid cycle have been determined during growth and sporulation of Bacillus licheniformis in a variety of different media . The ATP pool was independent of growth rate and nitrogen source, but the use of glucose as a carbon source resulted in a twofold elevation in the ATP pool during exponential growth . The intracellular phosphoenolpyruvate pool was at least twofold higher during gluconeogenesis than during glycolysis . The finding that the use of glutamate as the sole nitrogen source resulted in at least a fivefold elevation of the alpha-ketoglutarate pool suggests a role for alpha-ketoglutarate in the repression of the enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle responsible for alpha-ketoglutarate synthesis . Not one of the metabolites assayed appears to function as a signal of the nutrient deprivation which accompanies the initiation of sporulation.

J Protozool, 1978 Aug, 25(3 Pt 2), 380 - 2
Effect of immunization of cats with Isospora felis and BCG on immunity to reexcretion of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts; Dubey JP; The effect of pretreatment with Isospora felis and bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) on the reexcretion of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts was studied in 16 coccidia-free cats . The following conclusions were drawn: (A) Chronically T . gondii-infected cats reexcreted T . gondii oocysts after superinfection with I . felis, and this reexcretion was prevented in cats infected with I . felis before T . gondii infection . (B) Administration of BCG before Toxoplasma infection had no apparent effect on the outcome of the infection.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1978 Aug, 84(2), 435 - 41
Studies on gramicidin S synthetase . Purification and properties of the light enzyme obtained from some mutants of Bacillus brevis; Kanda M et al.; The phenylalanine-activating and/or-racemizing enzyme, i.e., the light enzyme, of gramicidin S synthetase was purified to a homogenous state by D-phenylalanine-Sepharose 4B chromatography from a wild and some gramicidin S-lacking mutant strains of Bacillus brevis . The light enzyme obtained from a mutant strain E-1 could activate phenylalanine but not racemize it, and had no phenylalanine-dependent ATP-{14C}AMP exchange activity, whereas the same enzyme obtained from other mutants and the wild strain had all three activities . Furthermore, the light enzyme of the mutant E-1 could form only acid-labile enzyme-bound phenylalanine, while the same fraction of the wild strain carried half of the enzyme-bound phenylalanine as acid-labile adenylate and half as a acid-stable thioester . These results suggest that the thiol site of the light enzyme of mutant E-1 might be damaged.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1978 Aug, 84(2), 425 - 34
Studies on gramicidin S synthetase . Purification of the heavy enzyme obtained from some mutants of Bacillus brevis; Hori K et al.; The heavy enzyme of gramicidin S synthetase was purified to an almost homogeneous state by a combination of ammonium sulfate fractionation, ornithine-Sepharose 4B chromatography, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and Ultrogel AcA 22 chromatography . The enzyme was proved to be essentially homogeneous by ultracentrifugation and polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis . The heavy enzymes of gramicidin S synthetase from various groups of mutant strains lacking the ability to form gramicidin S were also purified to a similar extent . The sedimentation rates of the purified enzymes from a wild strain and the mutant strains (BI-3, BII-3, BI-9) were studied by analytical centrifugation and sucrose density gradient centrifugation . The enzymes from the wild strain and these mutant strains were all found to have an S20,W value of 12.2 at a protein concentration of 2.5 mg per ml . These results strongly suggest that the failure of specific amino acid activation in the heavy enzyme of these gramicidin-lacking mutants might be due to some modification at the active center of the corresponding amino acid-activating enzyme rather than to a complete absence of the amino acid-activating enzyme protein in the heavy enzyme.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1978 Aug, 84(2), 467 - 76
Purification and characterization of L-pyrrolidonecarboxylate peptidase from Bacillus amyloiliquefaciens; Tsuru D et al.; Microorganisms capable of producing L-pyrrolidonecarboxylate peptidase {L-pyrrolidonyl peptidase, EC 3.4.11.8} were screened and a strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was chosen as one of the most potent producers of the enzyme . The enzyme was purified from lysozyme-lysate of the bacterial cells by salting out with ammonium sulfate, adsorption on DEAE-cellulose, covalent chromatography on PCMB-Sepharose and by gel filtration on Sephadex G-150 . By these procedures, the enzyme was purified about 800-fold with an activity recovery of 9%, and the preparation was electrophoretically homogenous . The enzyme was most active and stable at pH 7-8 . The presence of 2-mercaptoethanol and EDTA was effective for stabilizing the enzyme . The molecular weight was estimated to be 72,000 by the gel filtration method and to be 24,000 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, suggesting that the enzyme is a subunit oligomer, presumably trimer . The enzyme was inactivated by the addition of PCMB, sodium tetrathionate, Hg2+ and Cu2+, but the activity lost was restored by the addition of 2-mercaptoethanol and EDTA . The purified enzyme split amide and ester linkages in L-pyroglutamyl derivatives of L-alanine, beta-naphthylamine, alpha-naphthol, and 4-methylumbelliferone, but was completely inert towards various peptides and esters used as substrates for usual amino- and carboxy-peptidases, and for endopeptidases such as trypsin, subtilisin and alpha-chymotrypsin.

Eur J Biochem, 1978 Jul 17, 88(1), 135 - 41
Interpretation of the Mössbauer spectra of the four-iron ferredoxin from Bacillus stearothermophilus; Middleton P et al.; The Mossbauer spectra of both oxidized and reduced ferredoxin from Bacillus stearothermophilus have been analysed using computer fits to theoretical spectra obtained from a spin Hamiltonian . A consistent set of parameters was obtained from fits to spectra obtained over a wide range of temperature and magnetic field . These results are interpreted in terms of a model for the active centre which is consistent with its electronic and magnetic properties in both redox states . In the model for the oxidized centre all four iron atoms have essentially the same valence, intermediate between ferric and ferrous, with one pair spin-up and the other pair spin-down . On reduction the extra electron goes predominantly to one pair of iron atoms which become ferrous with the other pair remaining substantially unchanged . Using this model it is possible to obtain relationships between the spin Hamiltonian parameters for individual iron atoms and those for the coupled centre . This can give further insight into the relation between the observed electron paramagnetic resonance and Mossbauer spectra.

Eur J Biochem, 1978 Jul 17, 88(1), 275 - 85
Purification and characterization of the penicillin-binding protein that is the lethal target of penicillin in Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus licheniformis . Protein exchange and complex stability; Chase HA et al.; The penicillin-binding protein that is thought to be the lethal target of penicillin in Bacillus megaterium (protein 1) has been purified to greater than 95% homogeneity . The membrane-bound penicillin-binding proteins were solubilized with a non-ionic detergent and partially separated from each other by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B . Protein 1 was subsequently purified by covalent affinity chromatography on ampicillin-affinose . Bacillus licheniformis contains an equivalent penicillin-binding protein (protein 1) that can be more readily purified to virtual homogeneity in a one-step procedure . It was separated from the other penicillin-binding proteins by utilizing the observation that in this organism, this particular protein is the only one whose covalent complex with benzylpenicillin subsequently breaks down . Membranes were treated with saturating concentrations of benzylpenicillin followed by the removal of free penicillin and further incubation to allow the complex between benzylpenicillin and protein 1 to break down . The penicillin-binding proteins were then solubilized and applied to a column of ampicillin-affinose to which only protein 1 was bound as the other penicillin-binding proteins still had benzylpenicillin bound to them . Pure protein 1 was eluted from the affinity resin with hydroxylamine . The interaction of benzylpenicillin with purified protein 1 has been studied by separating unbound antibiotic from the benzylpenicillin . protein complex by paper electrophoresis . Benzylpenicillin reacts with the protein rapidly to form a covalent complex and the fully saturated complex has a molar ratio of bound {14C} benzylpenicillin: protein of 0.7:1 . The complex breaks down, obeying first-order kinetics, with a half-life of 16 min at 35 degrees C, a value identical to that obtained with the membrane-bound protein . The concentration of benzylpenicillin that results in the formation of 50% of the maximum amount of benzylpenicillin . protein complex is that at which the molar amount of benzylpenicillin present is equal to 50% of the molar amount of penicillin-binding protein, rather than being a measure of any of the kinetic parameters of the binding reaction . This observation may be significant in the interpretation of previous results where the amounts of penicillins needed to kill cells or to inhibit penicillin-sensitive reactions have been expressed as concentrations . The possible importance of the breakdown of beta-lactam . protein complexes in the clinical use of these antibiotics is discussed.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1978 Jul 3, 541(3), 301 - 11
An evaluation of respiration chain-associated functions during initiation of germination of Bacillus megaterium spores; Dills SS et al.; In Bacillus megaterium QM B1551, spore germination could be initiated by glucose in the absence of detectable oxygen consumption, ATP synthesis or a pH decrease in the external media, suggesting that none of those reactions were mandatory . In addition, initiation of germination was insensitive to a variety of inhibitors of energy production or protonmotive force uncouplers . Therefore the respiratory chain-associated functions are not prerequisites for initiation of germination but these functions may be necessary to drive energy-dependent transport systems and other biosynthetic reactions during outgrowth.

Rev Rhum Mal Osteoartic, 1978 Jul-Sep, 45(7-9), 463 - 8
{Multifocal tuberculous osteoarthritis and synovitis . 10 cases}; David-Chausse J et al.; Synovial or osteo-articular tuberculosis is multifocal in about 10 percent of cases . Here, this form strikes older people and quite frequently the patients receive corticotherapy because of confusion with rheumatism . This premature treatment delays the diagnosis and at the same time favors the spreading of the germ . The 10 patients observed in this study had an average of 3 focuses simultaneously, the sites most often involved being the synovialis of the flexors of the fingers, the discovertebral articulations, the knee and the tibiotarsalis . The diagnosis is based on the presence of fistula (4 times out of 10), x-ray of the lungs (4 miliaries and 1 infiltrate), films of the spine (characteristic images of Pott, 6 times), the bacteriological study (recovery of Koch bacillus 3 times upon direct examination and 6 times after culture) and finally the biopsy of the synovialis (specific synovitis 3 times out of 4 biopsies) . Antituberculosis treatment often involved tolerance problems . It helped to cure 7 patients with few sequelae on the whole . The 3 other patients died either because of old age or complications due to corticosteroids.

Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol, 1978 Jul-Aug, 14(4), 510 - 4
{Biosynthesis of L-asparaginase-2 by cultures of Bacillus polymyxa var . Ross}; Nefelova MV et al.; Cell extracts of Bacillus polymyxa var . Ross.--producer of the polypeptide antibiotic polymyxin M . showed activity of L-asparaginase-2 (L-asparagine aminohydrolase EC 3.5.1.1) . The enzyme activity in the growing culture increased with the biomass . The highest specific activity was detected in the cells at the onset of the stationary stage . The synthesis of L-asparaginase-2 was subjected to glucose catabolite repression in response to its addition to the culture at the logarithmic stage . After purification L-asparaginase-2 was obtained that was 350 times more active than the initial preparation . The enzyme properties were examined.

Lab Anim, 1978 Jul, 12(3), 149 - 50
Water-borne Bacillus licheniformis infection in mice; Wright DJ et al.; A water-borne Bacillus licheniformis infection was associated with depressed haemoglobin content, white cell and platelet count . The epidemic was resolved by changing from tanked to mains water supply.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1978 Jul, 31(7), 652 - 61
The structure of tridecaptin A (studies on antibiotics from the genus Bacillus . XXIV); Kato T et al.; On examining the structure of the antibiotic tridecaptin A, the constituent amino acids were determined to be: 2,4-diaminobutyric acid(2D, 1L), Ser(1D, 1L), Glu(1L), Gly(1), Ala(1L), Val(1D, 1L), aIle(1D), Phe(1L) and Trp(1D) . The constituent fatty acid was identified as beta-hydroxy anteisononanoic acid by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry . Cleavage reaction with N-bromosuccinimide, sequential analysis by EDMAN degradation, partial acid hydrolysis and some additional evidences clarified the structure of tridecaptin A.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1978 Jul, 31(7), 646 - 51
Isolation of tridecaptins A, B and C (studies on antibiotics from the genus Bacillus . XXIII); Shoji J et al.; Three new antibiotics, tridecaptins A, B and C, were isolated from culture broths of strains of Bacillus polymyxa AR-110, B-2 and E-23, respectively . All are acyl tridecapeptides differing from each other in the fatty acid components and amino acid residues . They are weakly active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in vitro and in vivo.

J Clin Microbiol, 1978 Jul, 8(1), 108 - 9
Group IVe-like gram-negative bacillemia in a patient with obstructive uropathy; Rockhill RC et al.; A nonfermentative, gram-negative bacillus, resembling Center for Disease Control group IVe, was isolated from the blood of a patient with obstructive uropathy . Prior studies implicating this organism in septicemia could not be found in the literature . It is suggested that this is the first time that this bacillus has been reported to cause bacillemia in humans.

Cancer Treat Rep, 1978 Jul, 62(7), 1085 - 7
Chemoimmunotherapy for disseminated malignant melanoma: a prospective randomized study; Ramseur WL et al.; Twenty-eight patients with disseminated malignant melanoma were treated with DTIC (250 mg/m2 iv, Days 1--5) and actinomycin D (0.5 mg/day iv, Days 1--5) at 5-week intervals . Patients were randomly allocated to receive no immunotherapy or immunotherapy consisting of methanol extracted residue of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (0.5 mg intradermally; 100 microgram in five separate sites) every 5 weeks, concomitant with chemotherapy . Of these 28 evaluable patients, 13 received chemoimmunotherapy with one complete response (CR) and 15 received chemotherapy alone with one CR . Both responses occurred in lymph node metastases . No partial responses were seen.

Nucleic Acids Res, 1978 Jul, 5(7), 2267 - 88
Binding sites of E . coli and B . stearothermophilus ribosomal proteins on B stearothermophilus 5S RNA; Zimmermann J et al.; The primary binding sites for Bacillus stearothermophilus proteins B-L5 and B-L22 and the Escherichia coli proteins E-L5, E-L18 and E-L25 on B . stearothermophilus 5S RNA were determined by limited ribonuclease digestion of the corresponding 5S RNA-protein complexes . The results obtained in this study are in agreement with our previous experiments in which the binding sites of E . coli and B . stearothermophilus proteins were determined for E . coli 5S RNA and lead to the conclusion that the proteins interact with the most conserved regions of 5S RNA . A comparison of the results obtained in this study with those of other published experiments suggest that the proposed interaction of nucleotides 16-21 with those of 58-63 is facilitated by protein binding to 5S RNA.

J Exp Med, 1978 Jul 1, 148(1), 288 - 300
Trypanosoma cruzi: in vitro induction of macrophage microbicidal activity; Nogueira N et al.; Normal, resident and inflammatory mouse peritoneal macrophages can be induced to display microbicidal activity against trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi by exposure to products from antigen-pulsed, sensitized spleen cell populations . Optimal macrophage microbicidal activity was achieved by constant exposure and daily renewal of the spleen cell factors . Macrophages obtained after an intraperitoneal injection of mild inflammatory agents were rapidly induced, displaying trypanocidal activity 24 h after exposure to the active spleen cell factor(s), and by 48 h, parasites were no longer observed . Resident peritoneal macrophages required 24 h longer for activation . Removal of the factor(s) before achieving complete disappearance of intracellular parasites led to resumed growth of the surviving organisms . The spleen cell factor(s) is effective when added either before or after exposure of the macrophages to trypomastigotes, and does not itself alter parasite viability . Dilution of the factor(s) up to 1:16 still results in significant trypanocidal activity . In vivo activated cells, obtained after a specific secondary challenge of animals infected with T . cruzi or Bacille Calmette-Guerin, lose their trypanocidal activity under in vitro conditions . This loss of activity can be prevented or restored by the addition of the active spleen cell factor(s) . Induction of trypanocidal activity is also obtained with products from Concanavalin A- or lipopolysaccharide-stimulated normal spleen cells.

Rev Ig Bacteriol Virusol Parazitol Epidemiol Pneumoftiziol Pneumoftiziol, 1978 Jul-Sep, 27(3), 161 - 8
{Clinical studies of the role of the fluorescent circulating antibody test in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis}; Albu I et al.; The value was studied, of the test of circulating fluorescent antibodies against M . tuberculosis in establishing the diagnosis of active tuberculosis in 610 patients classified in 4 groups: 1 . active tuberculosis bacteriologically confirmed; 2 . active tuberculosis with negative bacteriological examination, but confirmed by other methods of criteria; 3 . stabilized tuberculosis; 4 . non-tuberculous affections . The specificity of the test in active tuberculosis was of 80% in adults and of 91,5% in children . The test was negative in 80,3% of stabilized tuberculosis cases and in 69% of non-tuberculous affections . The sensitivity was lower in active tuberculosis with positive bacilloscopy (67%) against active tuberculosis with negative bacilloscopy (90,6%), a fact explained by a high consumption of anti-bacillary antibodies, demonstrated by positivation of the test when bacilloscopy becomes negative . The use of the test is indicated in establishing a therapeutic test, and in the context of clinical and radiologic explorations, as well as in the expertising of working capacities of previous tuberculosis patients.

Biochem J, 1978 Jul 1, 173(1), 45 - 52
Purification and properties of glutamate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase from Bacillus megaterium; Hemmila IA et al.; Bacillus megaterium N.C.T.C . no . 10342 exhibits glutamate synthetase (EC 2.6.1.53) and glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.4) activities . Concentrations of glutamate synthase were high when the bacteria were grown on 3mM-NH4Cl and low when they were grown on 100mM-NH4Cl, whereas glutamate dehydrogenase concentrations were higher when the bacteria were grown on 100mM-NH4Cl than on 3mM-NH4Cl . Glutamate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase were purified to homogeneity from B . megaterium grown in 10mM-glucose/10mM-NH4Cl . The purified enzymes had mol.wts . 840000 and 270000 for glutamate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase respectively . The Km values for substrates with NADPH and coenzyme were (glutamate synthase activity shown first) 9 micron and 360 micron for 2-oxoglutarate, 7.1 micron and 8.7 micron for NADPH, and 0.2 mM for glutamine and 22 mM for NH4Cl, similar values to those of enzymes from Escherichia coli . Glutamate synthase contained NH3-dependent activity (different from authentic glutamate dehydrogenase), which was enhanced 4-fold during treatment at pH 4.6 NH3-dependent activity was generally about 2% of the glutamine-dependent activity . Amidination of glutamate synthase by the bi-functional cross-linking reagent dimethyl suberimidate inactivated glutamine-dependent glutamate synthase activity, but increased NH3-dependent activity . A cross-linked structure of mol.wt . approx 200000 was the main product formed.

Tumori, 1978 Jul-Aug, 64(4), 353 - 60
Bacillus of Calmette and Guérin and 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)-anthracene carcinogenesis in mice; Scelsi R et al.; The effects of single or repeated Bacillus of Calmette and Guerin (BCG) treatment on the onset of tumors induced by the carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) injected at birth into Swiss mice were studied . Multiple doses of BCG, given at regular intervals significantly lowered the incidence of carcinogen-induced tumors . The DMBA-induced lung adenomas did not differ morphologically from the ones that appeared in mice simultaneously treated with both DMBA and BCG.

Can J Microbiol, 1978 Jul, 24(7), 818 - 26
{Study of lysogeny in Bacillus thuringiensis and B . cereus}; Ackermann HW et al.; Forty-eight strains of Bacillus thuringiensis and 12 strains of B . cereus were treated with ultraviolet light and mitomycin C . The former agent was the more effective inducer . Bacillus thuringiensis produces at least seven different phage particles with long, non-contractile tails . The frequencies of lysogeny and polylysogeny are 83 and 25% respectively . Morphologically defective phages occur in 25% of strains, whereas five of them produce low molecular-weight bacteriocins . One strain of B . cereus harbors "killer-particles." There is no apparent correlation between the presence of phage-like particles, phage senstivity, and serotypes, biotypes, or the origin of B . thuringiensis strains.

Can J Microbiol, 1978 Jul, 24(7), 798 - 803
Microbial degradation of {C14C}polystyrene and 1,3-diphenylbutane; Sielicki M et al.; Microbial degradation of {beta-14C}polystyrene and 1,3-diphenylbutane, a compound structurally representing the smallest repeating unit of styrene (dimer), was investigated in soil and liquid enrichment cultures . Degradation rates in soil, as determined by 14CO2 evolution from applied {14C}polystyrene, varied from 1.5 to 3.0% for a 4-month period . Although relatively low, these percentages were 15 to 30 times greater than values previously reported . Enrichment cultures, containing 1,3-diphenylbutane as the only carbon souce, were used to determine the mechanisms of microbial oxidation of the polymer chain ends . Metabolism of 1,3-diphenylbutane appeared to involve the attack by a monooxygenease to form 2-phenyl-4-hydroxyphenylbutane followed by a further oxidation and subsequent fission of the benzene ring to yield 4-phenylvaleric acid and an unidentified 5-carbon fragment via the classic meta-fission pathway . Phenylacetic acid was probably formed from 4-phenylvaleric acid by subsequent beta-oxidation of the side chain, methyl-oxidation and decarboxylation . An initial examination of the population of microorganisms in the diphenylbutane enrichment cultures indicated that these oxidative reactions are carried out by common soil microorganism of the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Micrococcus, and Nocardia.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Jul, 135(1), 68 - 70
Polyethylene glycol-induced fusion of heat-inactivated and living protoplasts of Bacillus megaterium; Fodor K et al.; Protoplasts of Bacillus megaterium, incubated at 50 degrees C for 120 min, lost the ability to revert to bacillary form . Such heat-inactivated protoplasts, however, produced recombinants when fused by polyethylene glycol treatment with normal protoplasts . Although this differential inactivation effect is not yet fully reproducible, reciprocal inactivations of the parental protoplasts in genetic crosses have clearly shown that for protoplast fusion (i) either of the parents may serve as the viable recipient for markers coming from the heated parental protoplasts, and (ii) either of the parents may be rendered nonviable and yet, when fused with a viable partner, contribute to formation of a recombinant . Heat inactivation seems to provide a way to counterselect when few markers are available and one of the parents is prototrophic.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Jul, 135(1), 133 - 7
Study of calcium dipicolinate release during bacterial spore germination by using a new, sensitive assay for dipicolinate; Scott IR et al.; The release of calcium and dipicolinic acid from spores of Bacillus megaterium KM during L-alanine-induced triggering of germination has been studied using a new, simple, and rapid assay for dipicolinic acid capable of detecting a concentration of 0.5 micron . The release of both calcium and dipicolinate started within seconds of exposure of the spores to L-alanine, thus preceding other measurable changes associated with germination . From the earliest times, the two substances were released in equimolar quantities, although later in germination calcium predominated.

Digestion, 1978 Jul-Aug, 17(4), 332 - 45
Bacillus cereus-induced malabsorption in young mice; Madge DS; Following a single, oral dose of Bacillus cereus (2 X 10(8) bacteria) in vitro intestinal absorption of D-glucose, D-galactose, L-arginine, L-histidine, L-ornithine and L-proline in young mice (aged 2--3 1/2 months) decreased . Malabsorption of D-glucose was dose- and time-dependent . Impaired absorption of D-glucose occurred throughtout the length of the small intestine, particularly distally . Following hydrolysis of D-maltose at the brush border, D-glucose absorption in infected mice and that of the untreated controls was similar . Using D-glucose, fluid transfer in the infected intestine and that of the controls was alike . Although slightly lower, fluid transfer in the infected intestine using the other solutes was not significantly different compared with the controls . Glucose-dependent and glucose-independent intestinal fluid transfer in infected animals was like that of the controls . Using old infected mice (aged 8--9 months) intestinal absorption of D-glucose and L-histidine was unchanged compared with young mice . The fresh small intestinal weight in infected mice and the controls was alike . Changes in the histology of the small intestine in young infected mice were small and inconsistent.

Ann Intern Med, 1978 Jul, 89(1), 64 - 6
Lymph-node bacilliform bodies resembling those of Whipple's disease in a patient without intestinal involvement; Mansbach CM 2nd et al.; A 38-year-old man developed symptoms of arthalgias and arthritis, lymphadenopathy, and weight loss . An axillary lymph-node biopsy was done in the diagnostic study; a periodic acid Schiff stain, done for evidence of fungal infection, showed periodic acid Schiff reagent-positive macrophages . Electron microscopy showed the typical morphologic features of the bacilliform bodies associated with Whipple's disease to be present in the macrophages of the lymph node . The patient had no intestinal symptoms . The absorption of a variety of substrates was found to be normal . Nine intestinal biopsies showed no organisms similar to those found in his lymph node . On tetracycline therapy, he symptomatically improved . The findings raise the question of the route of infection in Whipple's disease and point up the usefulness of periodic acid Schiff staining of lymph-node biopsies.

Biochem J, 1978 Jul 1, 173(1), 53 - 8
Inactivation of glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamate synthase from Bacillus megaterium by phenylglyoxal, butane-2,3-dione and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate; Hemmila IA et al.; Reaction of phenylglyoxal with glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.4), but not with glutamate synthase (EC 2.6.1.53), from Bacillus megaterium resulted in complete loss of enzyme activity . NADPH alone or together with 2-oxoglutarate provided substantial protection from inactivation by phenylglyoxal . Some 2mol of {14C}Phenylglyoxal was incorporated/mol of subunit of glutamate dehydrogenase . Addition of 1mM-NADPH decreased incorporation by 0.7mol . The Ki for phenylglyoxal was 6.7mM and Ks for competition with NADPH was 0.5mM . Complete inactivation of glutamate dehydrogenase by butane-2,3-dione was estimated by extrapolation to result from the loss of 3 of the 19 arginine residues/subunit . NADPH, but not NADH, provided almost complete protection against inactivation . Butane-2,3-dione had only a slight inactivating effect on glutamate synthase . The data suggest that an essential arginine residue may be involved in the binding of NADPH to glutamate dehydrogenase . The enzymes were inactivated by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and this inactivation increased 3--4-fold in the borate buffer . NADPH completely prevented inactivation by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate.

Experientia, 1978 Jun 15, 34(6), 762 - 3
Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin: evidence that toxin acts at the surface of susceptible cells; Fast PG et al.; Enzymically activated delta-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis covalently bound to Sephadex beads, has the same effect on insect cells in tissue culture as free toxin . The effect is prevented by antitoxin antibody and heat denaturation and is not due to a nonspecific protein effect, the beads, or toxin released from the beads . The toxin, therefore, probably acts at the cell surface.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1978 Jun, 31(6), 525 - 32
Aurantinin, a new antibiotic of bacterial origin; Nishikiori T et al.; A new polyene class antibiotic, aurantinin (KM-214), was isolated from the fermentation broth of Bacillus aurantinus MASUMA and OMURA sp . nov . The substance is a conjugated triene with a molecular weight of 618 and molecular formula C35H54O9, and melts at 139 approximately 140 degrees C . The antibiotic is active in vitro against Gram-positive bacteria, but not against yeast and fungi.

Antibiotiki, 1978 Jun, 23(6), 506 - 8
{Antibacterial activity and bacteriophages of Bacillus pumilus}; Abramova MA et al.; Inducable defective phages analogous to those in Bac . subtilis were found in 5 strains of Bac . pumilus, 3 of which possessed antibacterial activity . A moderate bacteriophage was also induced in addition to the defective phage in strain ATCC 12140 not producing the antibiotic . It was found that the antibacterial activity was not associated with the presence of phages in the cultures . The data on the electron microscopic investigations are presented.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1978 Jun, 69(6), 637 - 41
Malacoplakia of the endometrium, a probable cause of postmenopausal bleeding; Thomas W Jr et al.; A 60-year-old woman, 20 years post-menopausal, who had deforming rheumatoid arthritis of 7 years' duration and Sjogren's syndrome of 1 year's duration, had had postmenopausal bleeding for a month prior to admission to the hospital . A diagnosis dilatation and curettage was interpreted as showing acute suppurative endometritis . The patient was discharged, only to have recurrent vaginal bleeding . She was readmitted five weeks later, at which time results of another dilatation and curettage were interpreted as showing xanthromatous endometritis . Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was done . Examination of Epon-embedded endometrium 1 micrometer thick by light microscopy and subsequently by electron microscopy disclosed intracellular bacilliform organisms within phagolysosomes of atypical histiocytes, lamellar bodies, and various developing stages of calcospherites, Michaelis-Gutmann bodies . The curettings were then received and classic Michaelis-Gutmann bodies were identified in periodic acid--Schiff-stained sections.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Jun, 134(3), 699 - 705
Relationship between the heat resistance of spores and the optimum and maximum growth temperatures of Bacillus species; Warth AD; Heat resistance of spores of Bacillus strains was compared with the temperature adaptation of each strain as measured by the optimum and maximum growth temperatures and the heat resistance of vegetative cells . Maximum growth temperatures ranged from 31 to 76 degrees C and were little affected by the nature of the growth medium . The temperature giving maximum growth rate was closely correlated to the maximum temperature for growth, and about 6 degrees C lower . Vetetative-cell heat resistance, determined on exponential-phase cells, was also correlated with maximum growth temperature . The temperature at which spores were inactivated with a decimal reduction time of 10 min was in the range of 75 to 121 degrees C . This temperature was 46 +/- 7 degrees C higher than the maximum growth temperature and correlated with it and the other cell parameters . Spore heat resistance can be considered to have two components, the temperature adaptation characteristic of the species and the stabilization conferred by the spore state.

Cancer, 1978 Jun, 41(6), 2456 - 63
Intralesional treatment of recurrent metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma: a randomized prospective study of intralesional Bacillus Calmette-Guerin versus intralesional dinitrochlorobenzene; Cohen MH et al.; Eighteen patients with multiple recurrences of malignant melanoma without evident distant spread were randomly assigned to treatment with either intralesional Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) or intralesional dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) . Both agents were able to destroy approximately 90% of the injected intradermal nodules . Intradermal disease was more easily obliterated than subcutaneous disease with intralesional treatment with either agent, and local control of satellitosis with elimination of all clinically evident tumor was achieved in the patients who had intradermal without subcutaneous satellitosis, regardless of whether the patient was receiving BCG or DNCB . The clinical courses of the treated patients were essentially the same . Although PHA reactivity was depressed, the patients in both groups were responsive to recall and melanoma skin test antigens, demonstrated leukocyte migration inhibition with melanoma antigen and were generally within normal limits when assayed for 29 degrees C E rosettes . Our study demonstrated a dramatic difference in toxicity between the two intralesional agents without a similar difference in therapeutic efficacy or immune testing.

Cancer Res, 1978 Jun, 38(6), 1626 - 32
Generation of anti-MOPC-315 cytotoxicity in uneducated or in vitro educated spleen cells from normal or MOPC-315 tumor-bearing mice pretreated in vivo with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin; Braun DP et al.; Cultured spleen cells from normal or MOPC-315 tumor-bearing BALB/c mice that were pretreated in vivo with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) exhibited in vitro cytotoxicity against MOPC-315 plasmacytoma . In vitro education of BALB/c spleen cells from normal or tumor-bearing mice by cocultivation with mitomycin C-treated MOPC-315 stimulator cells also resulted in antitumor cytotoxicity . The combination of BCG pretreatment of donor mice with the in vitro education of their spleen cells resulted in a level of anti-MOPC-315 cytotoxicity that was greater than the sum of the levels of cytotoxicity exhibited by spleen cells subjected to either process alone . The levels of cytotoxicity exhibited by educated or uneducated spleen cells from BCG-pretreated mice were dependent on the dose of BCG used and on the time interval between in vivo pretreatment and the initiation of in vitro culture . Thus, our findings suggest that educated spleen cells from tumor-bearing hosts that were pretreated with BCG might be useful in immunotherapeutic regimens requiring histocompatible cells with augmented antitumor cytotoxicity.

Surgery, 1978 Jun, 83(6), 677 - 81
Randomized trial of adjuvant therapy for "high risk" primary malignant melanoma; Wood WC et al.; Retrospective pathological classification of 213 patients with malignant melanoma identified a group at high risk of recurrence (25% developed recurrence in 12 months, 50% by 5 years) after resection for apparent cure . Using these criteria, 70 patients were identified after resection of all apparent disease as being at high risk for recurrent melanoma . They were randomly assigned to one of the three adjuvant treatment arms: chemotherapy with dimethyl triazeno imidazole carboxamide (DTIC), immunotherapy with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), or combined chemoimmunotherapy . Six of 20 patients receiving DTIC developed recurrence (30%) and four died (20%) . Five of 28 patients receiving BCG developed recurrence (18%) and two died (7.5%) . There have been no recurrences or deaths in 22 patients receiving combined chemoimmunotherapy . In the prevention of early recurrence, the combined therapy arm was significantly superior to both the immunotherapy arm (p less than 0.05) and the chemotherapy arm (p less than 0.01) . In terms of survival, combined therapy also was superior to chemotherapy alone (p less than 0.05).

J Hyg (Lond), 1978 Jun, 80(3), 321 - 5
The sensitization of children by opportunist mycobacteria in Lagos, Nigeria; Ogunmekan DA; Groups of school children aged 6-14 years were tested with PPDS and one of the following five antigens simultaneously, namely PPDA, PPDF, PPDG, PPDPL and PPDY, PPDS was prepared from the human tubercle bacillus, and the others were prepared from M . avium, M . fortuitum, the 'Gause' organisms, M . marinum and M . kansasii respectively . It was observed that there was some increase in induration size to PPDA, PPDG, PPDL, PPDS and PPDY with increase in age, while M . fortuitum gave a preponderance of small reactions with no increase of size with age . It was also observed that there was evidence of cross sensitization between PPDS and all the other antigens, particularly in those who had negative or doubtful reactions.

Hautarzt, 1978 Jun, 29(6), 331 - 6
{Psoriasis and leprosy in the light of common history . A contribution on epidemiology and differential diagnosis}; Eckes LK; Over the centuries psoriasis was described as a variety of leprosy . It is only in the last century, however, that it was described as a separate entity . Many early medical descriptions of this woridwide affliction can be found, which attempt to distinguish between the various kinds of leprosy . These attempts led to cultural-religious consequences on one hand and to different theories about their contagiousness and curability on the other . Today the current conviction, that with the proof for the existence of a lepra bacillus the question of heritability of the disease can finally be discarded, is being reconsidered . For both psoriasis and leprosy the search for relationships between these diseases and genetically determined markers in the blood-, serum protein- and enzyme-group systems has led to applicable results which, insofar as they can be interpreted as indications of selective factors, will enable us to understand the geographical distribution of both diseases.

P N G Med J, 1978 Jun, 21(2), 158 - 61
Sepik granuloma; Aiken GH et al.; An unusual infection occuring in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea is reported . The patients come from villages on the Sepik River or its tributaries . The lesions consist of cutaneous nodules and papillomas which are slowly progressive . An unidentified organism, apparently a gram positive bacillus, is seen in large numbers in the lesions; a natural habitat in soil or water or on vegetation seems likely.

Inflammation, 1978 Jun, 3(2), 159 - 76
The effect of cortisone on the accumulation, activation, and necrosis of macrophages in tuberculous lesions; McCue RE et al.; Rabbits were injected intramuscularly with cortisone acetate (2 mg/kg) on alternate days . Six days after the first injection these rabbits and controls were injected intradermally in multiple sites with BCG (the vaccine strain of tubercle bacillus) . Periodically, over the next 2 months, the resulting lesions were measured and surgically biopsied, and the animals were tuberculin-tested . Macrophage activation in the BCG lesions was evaluated histochemically by staining for beta-galactosidase activity . Both BCG lesions (and tuberculin reactions) in the cortisone-treated group were considerably smaller than those in the control group . Cortisone was highly effective in reducing the number of infiltrating mononuclear cells (MN), the amount of caseous necrosis and ulceration, and the percent of NM that were beta-galactosidase-positive . The decreased activation and reduced number of macrophages readily explains the increased susceptibility to tuberculosis found amoung patients receiving glucocorticosteroids . In the BCG lesions, the local decrease in the number and function of leukocytes probably explains the decreased tissue necrosis . Such antiinflammatory effects of corticosteroids may offset, in selected antimicrobial-treated cases, the hormone's detrimental effect on host resistance to infectious agents.

Br J Cancer Suppl, 1978 Jun, 37(3), 34 - 7
Effects of some hypoxic cell radiosensitizers on the decay of potentially lethal oxygen-dependent damage in fully hydrated spores; Tallentire A et al.; Using a stopped-flow mixing and pulsed irradiation apparatus, a study has been made of the decay, to a harmless form, of radiation-induced species that would otherwise be lethal to spores on contact with oxygen . Aqueous suspensions of Bacillus megaterium spores were irradiated with electrons for approximately 1 s; at various times after irradiation oxygen in solution was added . As the interval between anoxic irradiation and introduction of oxygen increased, the fraction of spores surviving increased . This change in survival reflects the decay of potentially lethal species . The presence of electron-affinic radiosensitizers during irradiation enhanced the decay rate of this damage, the greatest enhancement being seen with sensitizers of the highest electron affinity . In contrast, the nitroxyl-free radical sensitizer TAN fixed the radiation-induced damage so that no increase in survival, and hence no decay, was seen.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1978 Jun, 286(22), 1629 - 32
{Cytological study of the action of Bacillus thuringiensis var . israelensis on mosquito larvae}; Barjac H; A comparison is made between the cytopathological effects of B . thuringiensis var . israelensis on Aedes aegypti larvae and the cytopathological effects of the other varieties of B . thuringiensis on Lepidoptera larvae . The same primary action is observed, with the loss of integrity of the gut epithelium, the cells of which appear swollen, distorted and finally burst.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Jun, 134(3), 1157 - 70
Properties of Bacillus cereus temperature-sensitive mutants altered in spore coat formation; Stelma GN Jr et al.; Three conditional Bacillus cereus mutants altered in the assembly or formation of spore coat layers were analyzed . They all grew as well as the wild type in an enriched or minimal medium but produced lysozyme and octanol-sensitive spores at the nonpermissive temperature (35 to 38 degrees C) . The spores also germinated slowly when produced at 35 degrees C . Temperature-shift experiments indicated that the defective protein or regulatory signal is expressed at the time of formation of the outer spore coat layers . Revertants regained all wild-type spore properties at frequencies consistent with initial point mutations . Spore coat defects were evident in thin sections and freeze-etch micrographs of mutant spores produced at 35 degrees C . In addition, one mutant contained an extra surface deposit, perhaps unprocessed spore coat precursor protein . A prevalent band of about 65,000 daltons (the same size as the presumptive precursor) was present in spore coat extracts of this mutant and may be incorrectly processed to mature spore coat polypeptides . Another class of mutants was defective in the late uptake of half-cystine residues into spore coats . Such a defect could lead to improper formation of the outer spore coat layers.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Jun, 134(3), 1081 - 8
Hybridization analysis of restriction endonuclease DNA fragments of Bacillus cereus transcribed during spore outgrowth; Silberstein Z et al.; Transcribing Bacillus cereus DNA was visualized by means of autoradiography of electrophoretically separated EcoRI restriction endonuclease DNA fragments hybridizing 32P-labeled RNA . Hybridization of RNA of dormant spores, vegetative cells, and outgrowing spores indicates the following . (i) A large fraction of the nonribosomal RNA in dormant spores is transcribed at a limited number of regions on the bacterial chromosome . (ii) After induction of spore germination, transcription activity is not limited to a single short region on the chromosome, but rather is distributed along the chromosome . The DNA/RNA hybridization technique has been used to identify restriction endonuclease DNA fragments homologous to RNA species that are present in dormant spores but absent from vegetative cells, RNA species that are synthesized immediately after germination induction and are present at a relatively low concentration in vegetative cells, and RNA species that are transcribed at a late stage of outgrowth but are absent or present at low concentration at an early stage of outgrowth.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Jun, 35(6), 1155 - 9
Simple method for the isolation of astaxanthin from the basidiomycetous yeast Phaffia rhodozyma; Johnson EA et al.; A method is described for the quantitative and, possibly, large-scale extraction of astaxanthin from the yeast Phaffia rhodozyma . The method utilizes extracellular enzymes produced by the bacterium Bacillus circulans WL-12, which partially digests the yeast cell wall and renders the carotenoid pigments extractable by acetone or ethanol . Complete recovery of astaxanthin from heat-killed P . rhodozyma cells was obtained after growing B . circulans WL-12 on these yeast cells for 26 h and then extracting the yeast-bacterium mixture with acetone . A bacteria-free lytic system, which gave quantitative extraction of astaxanthin from P . rhodozyma, was obtained by concentrating the culture broth from the growth of B . circulans WL-12 on P . rhodozyma cells . Hydrolytic enzyme activities detected in this concentrate included beta-(1 leads to 3)-glucanase, beta-(1 leads to 6)-glucanase, alpha-(1 leads to 3)-glucanase, xylanase, and chitinase . The lytic system was found to work most efficiently at pH 6.5 and with low concentrations of yeast.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1978 May 29, 286(21), 1535 - 8
{Modes of tetracycline resistance in Bacillus thuringiensis}; Fargette F et al.; The sensitive strain and tetracycline-resistant mutants exhibit two types of growth curves after addition of tetracycline . The level of resistance of these strains is enhanced by a short period of preincubation with a non-inhibitive concentration of tetracycline.

J Biol Chem, 1978 May 25, 253(10), 3660 - 5
Stability of D-5,5-dimethyl-delta2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid in relation to its possible occurrence as a degradation product of penicillin by the exocellular DD-carboxypeptidase-transpeptidase from Streptomyces R61 and the membrane-bound dd-carboxypeptidase from Bacillus stearothermophilus; Adriaens P et al.; The stability of D-5,5-dimethyl-delta2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid has been studied under various conditions . In 10 mM cacodylate, pH 6.5, and at 55 degrees C, D-5,5-dimethyl-delta2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (at concentrations lower than 1 mM) is hydrolyzed into N-formyl-D-penicillamine with a half-life of 3 to 4 min . On this basis, it is very unlikely that D-5,5-dimethyl-delta2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid could be one of the end products resulting from the cleavage of benzylpenicillin by the DD-carboxypeptidase of Bacillus stearothermophilus (as reported by Hammarstrom and Strominger (1976) J . Biol . Chem . 251, 7947--7949) . In 3 mM phosphate, pH 7.5, and at 37 degrees C, D-5,5-dimethyl-delta2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (at concentrations lower than 1 mM) has a half-life of 45 min . On the basis of kinetic experiments carried out under these conditions with phenoxymethylpenicillin and the DD-carboxypeptidase-transpeptidase of Streptomyces R61, it is concluded that the primary product which arises from the thiazolidine moiety of the antibiotic molecule and gives rise to N-formyl-D-penicillamine, has a half-life of 10 min, a value which is not compatible with the hypothesis that D-5,5-dimethyl-delta2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid would be an intermediate involved in the fragmentation pathway.

J Biol Chem, 1978 May 25, 253(10), 3595 - 601
Enzymatic formation of uridine diphosphate N-acetyl-D-mannosamine; Kawamura T et al.; An enzyme that catalyzes the interconversion of UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and UDP-N-acetyl-D-mannosamine was purified about 700-fold from the supernatant fraction of Bacillus cereus, and the properties of this enzyme were studied . This enzyme was not stimulated by NAD+, NADH, or any metal ions . The optimum pH was between 7.5 and 8.0 . At equilibrium of the reaction, the ratio of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to UDP-N-acetylmannosmaine was about 9:1 . The enzyme was inactive toward free N-acetylhexosamines, their phosphate esters, UDP-glucose, and UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine . A stimulatory role of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine was demonstrated . In the reaction with UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, the rate as a function of substrate concentration showed a sigmoidal relationship with a Hill coefficient of 1.8 and an apparent Km value for UDP-N-acetylglucosamine of 1.1 mM . The reverse reaction with UDP-N-acetylmannosamine required the presence of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine . The UDP-N-acetylglucosamine concentration required for half-maximal activation was about 0.5 mM . The apparent Km for UDP-N-acetylmannosamine measured in the presence of 0.5 mM UDP-N-acetylglucosamine was 0.22mM . Other nucleotides or hexosamine derivatives were not stimulatory . The same activity was found in cell extracts from several bacterial species.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1978 May 16, 286(19), 1403 - 5
{Isolation of bacteria that use that use nitric oxide as a respiratory electron acceptor under anaerobiosis}; Pichinoty F et al.; Ten bacteria of the genus Bacillus were isolated from pasteurized soils, in anaerobiosis and at 32 degrees C, on peptone broth containing 0.5% KNO2 . They are Gram variable rods producing oval spores . They are oxidase positive and have catalase . They grow, in anaerobiosis, on NO-3, NO-2, N2O, and NO as respiratory electron acceptors . These compounds are reduced to N2.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1978 May 4, 509(1), 129 - 35
Biochemical aspects of the visual process . XXXVII . Evidence for lateral aggregation of rhodopsin molecules in phospholipase C-treated bovine photoreceptor membranes; Olive J et al.; Photoreceptor membranes derived from isolated bovine rod outer segments, are subjected to treatment with phospholipase C (Bacillus cereus) . This results in varying degrees of hydrolysis of the membrane phospholipids into diglycerides and water soluble phosphate esters without loss of rhodopsin . Electron microscopic observations of thin sections and freeze-fractured preparations indicate extrusion of diglycerides from the membranes and their coalescence to lipid droplets, beginning at 20% hydrolysis of phospholipids . After 90% hydrolysis of phospholipids membranous structures are still present . The rhodopsin is located in these structures, presumably in the form of two-dimensional lateral aggregates . This explains the cross-fracturing of the membranous structures, regularly observed upon freeze-fracturing of the phospholipase-treated photoreceptor membranes.

Int J Pept Protein Res, 1978 May, 11(5), 340 - 4
Purification of milk-clotting protease from Bacillus mesentericus strain 76; Mesrob BK et al.; A two-step procedure for the isolation of pure enzyme from Bacillus mesentericus strain 76 is developed . Ion-exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex-C50 is used as a second step after precipitation from ethanol . The pure enzyme preparation, obtained after gel filtration on Sephadex-G25 of the ion-exchange chromatographically separated product, possess the highest specific activity achieved . The homogeneity of the final preparation is proved by determination of the N-terminal amino acid (Arg) and by SDS-PAGDE (single disc).

Mikrobiologiia, 1978 May-Jun, 47(3), 436 - 41
{Effect of exogenous factors on extracellular alkaline ribonuclease synthesis in Bacillus mesentericus}; Kapranova MN et al.; Bacillus mesentericus was found to assimilate nucleic acids as a source of nitrogen and phosphorus . Nucleic acids added to the medium as a source of nitrogen or phosphorus stimulated synthesis of ribonuclease . When washed bacterial cells were incubated for a short period of time in a fresh nutrient medium containing RNA, synthesis of RNAase was also induced . Synthesis of the enzyme was inhibited by high concentrations of chloramphenicol and actinomycin D, and stimulated by low concentrations of actinomycin D . Therefore, alkaline RNAase is an inducible enzyme which participates in the nutrition processes of bacteria.

J Bacteriol, 1978 May, 134(2), 434 - 9
Evidence linking penicillinase formation and secretion to lipid metabolism in Bacillus licheniformis; Fishman Y et al.; The formation of penicillinase by cultures of Bacillus licheniformis was preferentially suppressed by cerulenin, an antibiotic known to specifically inhibit fatty acid synthesis in microorganisms . The effect was studied at cerulenin concentrations that had almost no effect on the rate of cell growth and overall protein synthesis, but that reduced the rate of {14C}acetate incorporation (by 50 to 70%), indicating partial inhibition of lipid synthesis . The levels of both the released enzyme (exopenicillinase) and its cell-bound precursor were reduced to the same extent (70% to 80%) . Enzyme formation was gradually resumed after the removal of cerulenin or the addition of a mixture of fatty acids prepared from lipids extracted from B . licheniformis . Reversal was less effective as the time interval between treatment with cerulenin and addition of fatty acids increased . We conclude that de novo synthesis of fatty acids is required for the formation of both the membrane-bound and extracellular penicillinase . Suppression of the membrane-bound enzyme is a likely consequence of the altered membrane (decreased lipid-to-lipid ratio and increased density) seen in cerulenin-treated preparations . The corresponding suppression of exopenicillinase is consistent with the view that it is derived from the membrane-bound form . A mechanism linking the general class of exportable proteins to specific aspects of lipid synthesis is discussed.

Biokhimiia, 1978 May, 43(5), 865 - 71
{Isolation and some properties of restriction endonuclease from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens}; Sokolov NN et al.; A partially purified preparation of restriction endonuclease Bam I was isolated from the cells of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens . The purification procedure was a modification of a method described by Wilson and Young . Isolation and purification of the enzyme involved disruption of the cells by ultrasonication, treatment with streptomycin sulfate, fractionation by ammonium sulfate, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and hydroxylapatite and rechromatography on DEAE-cellulose . Restrictase Bam I splits the linear double-chain DNA molecule of phage gamma into six fragments . The enzyme retained its stability under storage on the ice for 1,5--2 months in a Na- or K-phosphate buffer with beta-mercaptoethanol (10 mM).

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 May, 35(5), 906 - 10
Inactivation of Bacillus thuringiensis spores by ultraviolet and visible light; Griego VM et al.; The inactivation of Bacillus thuringiensis spores and spores treated with two protectants, one proteinaceous and the other a commercial product, Shade, at wavelengths of the near-ultraviolet and visible spectra and at 254 nm is described . Determination of the inactivating wavelengths may be used to establish an efficient sunlight protective system for B . thuringiensis when used as a microbial insecticide.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1978 May, 75(5), 2088 - 92
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases: affinity labeling of the ATP binding site by 2', 3' -ribose oxidized ATP; Fayat G et al.; Homogeneous Escherichia coli methionyl-, isoleucyl-, tryptophanyl-, and phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetases and Bacillus stearothermophilus methionyl- and tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases are irreversibly inactivated by reaction of their active ATP sites with the 2',3'-dialdehyde derivative of ATP obtained by periodate oxidation . In each case, the amount of 14C-labeled dialdehyde derivative incorporated per molecule of inactivated enzyme appears consistent with the expected active stoichiometry of the synthetase . These results strongly support the presence, at the active site of the studied aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, of a common residue, probably a lysine whose epsilon-NH2 group is known, from the work of others, to form a Schiff's base specifically with the 2',3'-dialdehyde derivatives of ribonucleotides.

J Immunol, 1978 May, 120(5), 1532 - 6
Biochemical and functional characteristics of the plasma membrane of macrophages from BCG-infected mice; Edelson PJ et al.; A set of quantitative signs of activation, previously developed in studies of inflammatory peritoneal macrophages, has been applied to the study of immunologically stimulated peritoneal cells . Mice that are infected systemically with Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) and then challenged locally with soluble mycobacterial antigens generate populations of cells that spread rapidly in culture, display an elevated pinocytic rate, ingest IgMC-coated sheep erythrocytes, and have diminished levels of 5'-nucleotidase activity . These effects depend on sensitization with live organisms, require secondary antigenic challenge, and develop on the same schedule as does effective cell-mediated immunity . The challenge is antigen specific and cannot be replaced by a nonspecific inflammatory stimulus . Thus, the characteristics of inflammatory macrophages that were previously defined are applicable to the study of immunologically mediated macrophage activation . Cells sharing this pattern of characteristics, whatever their mode of generation, are proposed to represent a distinct class of differentiated macrophages, as compared with the resident macrophage population.

Can J Microbiol, 1978 May, 24(5), 537 - 43
Inhibition of RNA polymerase from Bacillus thuringiensis and Escherichia coli by beta-exotoxin; Johnson DE; The characteristics of exotoxin inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) dependent ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase isolated from Escherichia coli and Bacillus thuringiensis were investigated . RNA polymerase isolated from a variety of growth stages was partially purified and assayed using several different native and synthetic DNA templates, and exotoxin inhibition patterns were recorded for each . Although 8 to 20-h RNA polymerase extracts of E . coli retained normal sensitivity to exotoxin (50% inhibition at a concentration of 7.5 X 10(-6) M exotoxin), RNA polymerase isolated from late exponential and ensuing stationary-phase cultures of B . thuringiensis were nearly 50% less sensitive than exponential RNA polymerase activity . Inhibition patterns relating culture age at the time of RNA polymerase extraction to exotoxin inhibition suggested a direct correlation between diminishing exotoxin sensitivity and sporulation . Escherichia coli RNA polymerase could be made to mimic the B . thuringiensis exotoxin inhibition pattern by removal of sigma from the holoenzyme . After passage through phosphocellulose, exotoxin inhibition of the core polymerase was 30% less than the corresponding inhibition of E . coli holoenzyme . Heterologous enzyme reconstruction and assay were not possible due to loss of activity from the B . thuringiensis preparation during phosphocellulose chromatography, apparently from the removal of magnesium . In enzyme velocity studies, inhibition with exotoxin was noncompetitive with respect to the DNA template in the RNA polymerase reaction.

J Bacteriol, 1978 May, 134(2), 389 - 93
alpha-amylase from five strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens: evidence for identical primary structures; Borgia PT et al.; The alpha-amylases from five strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens were compared to determine whether differences in primary structure are responsible for variations in catalytic properties previously reported among the enzymes . Amino acid analysis established virtually identical compositions for the proteins . Reaction with dimethylaminoaphthylene sulfonylchloride indicated the amino-terminal amino acid of each amylase to be valine . Carboxyl termini of the enzymes have been determined by digestion with carboxypeptidase A . The resulting kinetic data indicate tyrosine as the carboxyl terminus and leucine as the penultimate residue for all five proteins . Isoelectric focusing of the enzymes yielded isoelectric points in the pH range of 5.09 to 5.18 . Tryptic digests of the enzymes chromatographed on a cation-exchange column showed identical elution patterns . It is concluded that the primary structure of the amylase from the five strains is identical or exhibits only conservative substitutions.

Cancer Res, 1978 May, 38(5), 1414 - 9
Induction of myeloid colony-stimulating activity in murine monocyte tumor cell lines by macrophage activators and in a T-cell line by concanavalin A; Ralph P et al.; Certain fibrosarcoma lines in culture and the WEHI-3 myelomonocytic leukemia cell line have previously been shown to secrete myeloid colony-stimulating activity (CSA) spontaneously . We describe here other hematopoietic tumor cell lines in which CSA is either produced constitutively or inducible by immunostimulators . CSA production in macrophage and monocyte tumor lines is induced by lipopolysaccharide, zymosan, Mycobacterium strain Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, tuberculin purified protein-derivative preparation from mycobacteria, and dextran sulfate . Myeloma, mastocytoma, and T-lymphoma lines do not produce CSA with or without these agents . In contrast, the T-lymphocyte mitogen concanavalin A (but not phytohemagglutinin) induces CSA synthesis in one of seven T-lymphomas tested . In most cases induction of CSA is correlated with conditions of cell growth inhibition by the immunomodulators . However, other drugs that cause cytostasis or cytotoxicity do not lead to CSA production . Leukemic cells thus may retain sensitivity to normal regulatory events with resultant effects on host hematopoietic cell functions.

Vet Med (Praha), 1978 May, 23(5), 305 - 15
{Study of the spiral and spindle-shaped formations in cultures of Bacillus larvae (White 1906) causing foulbrood in bees}; Krizanova H et al.; The authors have been studying the bacterial diseases of the brood for a fairly long time . American and European foul brood has been studied with the highest attention . Cultures of Bacillus larvae (White, 1906) were examined both in freshly isolated strains and in collection strains of this micro-organism . In cases of foul brood, the pathological material was found to contain not only the typical rods of B . larvae but also immobile spiral forms which are usually referred to in literature as fragments or developmental forms of B . larvae . These spiral forms were found to constitute spindle-shaped formations in the culture of B . larvae; the multiplication of these spindles depends on the presence of the rods of B . larvae and their development and reproduction can be observed on wet gelatine agar in a Petri dish turned upside down under a normal microscope (10 X 10 magnification) . In the combined liquid medium, used in the experiments, these formations disintegrate into immobile spirals; if re-cultivated on a solid medium they re-assume their spindle shape with transverse meridian arrangement (in different amounts) . Staining for proving the presence of nucleic acids does not eliminate the possibility of these formations being separate micro-organisms which cannot be stained by current staining methods but can be represented by the contrast method according to Burri, or by silvering according to Klein . The authors succeeded to separate these micro-organisms, but without the rods of B . larvae the colonies of these formations are feeble.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1978 May, 83(5), 1219 - 29
Enzyme-bound formylvaline and formylvalylglycine; an initiation complex for gramicidin A biosynthesis; Akashi K et al.; Gramicidin A is an antibiotic peptide produced by Bacillus brevis ATCC 8185, which also produces tyrocidines . An attempt was made to establish a cell-free enzyme system for gramicidin A synthesis . An enzyme fraction, Component I, was partially purified from crude extracts of the organism and proven to be involved in the synthesis of the formyl-Val-Gly- region of gramicidin A . The initiation of gramicidin A biosynthesis is a function of Component I, which activates valine and binds it as a thioester, and further formylates it in the presence of formyltetrahydrofolic acid . The formylvaline thus synthesized is transferred to the glycine moiety, which is also thioesterified to Component I . Elongation of the peptide chain takes place by a mechanism similar to those found for tyrocidines, gramicidin S, and bacitracin.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 May, 35(5), 937 - 44
Anaerobic utilization of phosphite and hypophosphite by Bacillus sp; Foster TL et al.; A Bacillus sp . capable of utilizing phosphite and hypophosphite under anaerobic conditions was isolated from Cape Canerval soil samples . The organism was isolated on a glucose-mineral salts medium with phosphate deleted . Anaerobic cultivation of this isolate resulted in decreases in the hypophosphite or phosphite concentration, increases in turbidity, cell count, and dry-cell weight, and decreases in pH and glucose concentration . The optimum hypophosphite concentration for this isolate was 60 microgram/ml, whereas the optimum phosphate concentration was greater than 1,000 microgram/ml, suggesting that higher concentrations of hypophosphite may be toxic to this isolate . Hypophosphite or phosphite utilization was accompanied by little or no detectable accumulation of phosphate in the medium, and 32P-labeled hypophosphite was incorporated into the cell as organic phosphate . When phosphate was present in the medium, the isolate failed to metabolize phosphite . In the presence of phosphite and hypophosphite, the isolate first utilized phosphite and then hypophosphite.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1978 Apr 17, 286(15), 1175 - 8
{Toxicity of Bacillus thuringienses var . israelensis for larvae of Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi}; de Barjac H; The comparative study of the larvicidal action of B . thuringiensis var . israelensis on A . aegypti and A . stephensi shows the greater sensitivity of A . aegypti, with 100% of mortality in 30 to 40 min . at high doses . But, for both species of Mosquito, the toxicity of these bacteria is very high, as shown by the mortality regression curves and by the LC50 . This toxicity is associated with the crystals and can be extracted from them by dilute alkali solution, like the general case of the other serotypes of B . thuringiensis . In contrast with these serotypes, B . thuringiensis var . israelensis is not pathogenic to the tested larvae of Lepidoptera.

S Afr Med J, 1978 Apr 8, 53(14), 556 - 7
Bacillus cereus endocarditis . A case report; Block CS et al.; Bacillus cereus may cause infective problems in compromised patients . No previous record of infective endocarditis due to this organism could be found . A 51-year-old White woman with B . cereus endocarditis after prosthetic mitral valve replacement is described . The problems of interpreting the significance of B . cereus bacteraemia, delayed diagnosis, and the inherent resistance of the organism are discussed.

Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1978 Apr, 86(2), 67 - 70
Bacitracin production by the high-yielding mutant Bacillus licheniformis strain AL: stimulatory effect of L-leucine; Haavik HI et al.; The high-yielding mutant Bacillus licheniformis AL produced only small amounts of bacitracin in the chemically defined M2 medium . L-leucine markedly stimulated bacitracin production and restored the mutant strain to its place as a superior producer as compared to Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 10716 . Leucine also stimulated the growth rate of the mutant . The stimulatory effect of leucine on bacitracin production is discussed in relation to control mechanisms and overproduction of antibiotics.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Apr, 134(1), 338 - 44
Biochemical and genetic properties of site-specific restriction endonucleases in Bacillus globigii; Duncan CH et al.; Bacillus globigii contains two site-specific endonucleases, BPGLI AND BglI . A rapid technique for selection of mutants deficient in each of these enzymes was developed using sensitivity to infection by bacteriophage SP50 as an indication of the levels of enzyme . Mutants defective in BglI, BglII, and both BglI and BglII retained the wild-type modification phenotype . Genetic and biochemical studies have established that these enzymes are involved in restriction in vivo . Simplified purification procedures for BglI and BglII using these mutants are described.

Scott Med J, 1978 Apr, 23(2), 121 - 4
Legionnaires' Disease--the Benidorm episode; Lawson JH; The clinical pattern of illness in 2 fatal cases of Legionnaires' Disease is described . Common factors in the 2 patients were residence in a hotel in Benidorm, Spain, a severe and progressive pneumonia unaffected by wide-spectrum antibiotics and failure to incriminate an infecting organism . The similarities with the Philadelphia outbreak, in which a bacillus known as the Legionnaire agent was isolated, led to a retrospective diagnosis in the Benidorm episode . Subsequent serological surveys indicate that Legionnaires' Disease is widespread in nature; it is not a new disease.

Lab Anim Sci, 1978 Apr, 28(2), 193 - 8
Naturally occurring Tyzzer's disease and intestinal spirochetosis in guinea pigs; Zwicker GM et al.; Bacillus piliformis infection (Tyzzer's disease) occurred in two young guinea pigs, causing unthriftiness and diarrhea which resulted in death . There was necrosis and inflammation of the ileum, cecum, and colon . Intestinal epithelial cells contained organisms resembling Bacillus piliformis . Spirochetes were found in the cecum and colon, mainly in crypts . Acute diarrhea occurred in another guinea pig which became cachetic and was killed . Histologically, large numbers of spirochetes were present in the wall of both the cecum and colon, and they were associated with severe necrosis and inflammation . Bacillus pilformis was not found in this animal.

Cancer Res, 1978 Apr, 38(4), 1049 - 51
Acceleration of myeloid recovery from cyclophosphamide-induced leukopenia by pretreatment with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin; Ladisch S et al.; Treatment of C57BL/6 mice with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin i.p . 8 days prior to the induction of leukopenia by cyclophosphamide (300 mg/kg i.p.) significantly (p less than 0.002) increased peripheral granulocyte counts on each day during the recovery from leukopenia . The recovery of lymphocyte counts was unaffected by Bacillus Calmette-Guerin treatment . Further experiments indicated that the accelerated granulocyte recovery was the result of an earlier initiation of the recovery process rather than of the release of stored granulocytes . Bacillus Calmette-Guerin may have clinical value as a stimulator of myelopoiesis in patients rendered leukopenic by antineoplastic chemotherapy.

Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis, 1978 Apr-Jun, 46(2), 172 - 4
Cardiac dysautonomia in leprosy; Khattri HN et al.; Responses to various tests of cardiovascular reflexes were studied in 15 patients with leprosy . Heart rate was continuously monitored by electrocardiogram and blood pressure was recorded simultaneously . Three patients showed evidence of cardiac dysautonomia, showing involvement of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems . These three patients belonged to the bacilliferous group.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Apr, 35(4), 800 - 8
Osmotically induced increase in thermal resistance of heat-sensitive, dipicolinic acid-less spores of Bacillus cereus Ht-8; Bhothipaksa K et al.; Thermal resistance in heat-sensitive, dipicolinic acid (DPA)-less spores of Bacillus cereus Ht-8 heated in sucrose solutions increased at and above a concentration of 2 M sucrose . The decimal reduction times at 75 degrees C for spores heated in 0.0, 1.8, 2.2, and 2.6 M sucrose were 2.0, 2.8, 4.5, and 12 min, respectively . Maltose, fructose, and glucose increased heat resistance above that observed in water but did not elevate resistance to the level observed with sucrose at the same osmolality . Cation-induced loss of thermal resistance in chemically sensitized spores was reversed in the presence of sucrose . Spores germinated in brain heart infusion were resistant when heated in sucrose . In the presence of sucrose, spores exhibited an increase in optical density at 700 nm . Electron micrographs of the DPA-less spores suspended in 2.2 M sucrose revealed a shrinkage of outer coats and exosporium membranes . The results suggested that the osmotic property of sugars increased thermal resistance in DPA-less spores . The osmotic pressure exerted by sugars may be similar to the pressure that usually exists within the cortex of normal spores containing DPA and may cause the dehydration of the protoplast and the consequent thermal resistance . The role of dehydration and the nonessential nature of DPA for thermal resistance in spores were confirmed.

Antibiotiki, 1978 Apr, 23(4), 291 - 4
{Antibiotic formation in plasmid and plasmid-free strains}; Abramova MA et al.; Antibiotic activity of three plasmid and three plasmid-free strains of Bacillus pumilus was studied . The antibiotic activity was found in one plasmid and two plasmid-free strains . It was supposed that both the chromosomic and extrachromosomic genes could participate in regulation of the antibiotic production in Bac . pumilus . It was shown that the antibiotics produced by Bac . pumilus had a very narrow spectrum and inhibited multiplication only of several grampositive bacteria.

Eur J Biochem, 1978 Apr, 85(1), 309 - 16
The binding site of ribosomal protein L1 from Escherichia coli on the 23-S ribosomal RNA from Bacillus stearothermophilus . A possible base-pairing scheme differing from that proposed for Escherichia coli; Stanley J et al.; The region of Bacillus stearothermophilus strain NCA 1503 23-S ribosomal RNA protected from T1 ribonuclease digestion by the 50-S ribosomal subunit protein L1 from Escherichia coli has been established . The sequence of 115 nucleotides is compared to the analogous region in E . coli . The similar behaviour of the RNA towards the recognition of protein L1 may be explained in terms of secondary base-pairing, even though there exists almost 40% difference between the primary nucleotide sequences.

Can J Microbiol, 1978 Apr, 24(4), 386 - 96
Effects of growth temperature on protoplast membrane properties in Bacillus megaterium; Eisenberg AD et al.; Changes in the protoplast membrane of the KM strain of Bacillus megaterium were assessed after growth at 20, 30, or 37 degrees, C . Although the overall membrane concentrations of lipids and proteins were virtually unchanged, increased culture temperature resulted in cells with membranes that contained relatively more unbranched and long-chain fatty acids and more acidic phospholipids, as well as different proportions and numbers of individual proteins . Electrophoretic analysis revealed 23, 31, or 29 protein bands, respectively, in membranes from cells grown at the three temperatures . Protoplasts from cells grown at higher temperatures were considerably less susceptible to lysis by shearing forces . As judged by passive leakage at 30 degrees C, intact cells from cultures grown at 37 degrees C were the least permeable to erythritol . Relatively low ambient concentrations of Ca2+ or Mg2+ protected protoplasts from osmotic lysis but even much higher concentrations left erythritol leakage virtually unaffected . Thus, growth temperature affected not only membrane lipis but also membrane proteins and these changes resulted in membranes with altered mechanical properties and permeabilities.

Int J Lepr Other Mycobact Dis, 1978 Apr-Jun, 46(2), 125 - 32
Study of a growth factor for Mycobacterium lepraemurium . I . Minimal medium; Mori T; A growth promoting factor is contained in the petroleum ether or acetone extracted residue of lyophilized dry egg yolk . Egg white, horse serum, soybean powder, bovine serum albumin, egg albumin and milk were used in M . lepraemurium culture attempts as protein sources instead of yolk lipoprotein . None of these substances promoted the growth of M . lepraemurium . One percent egg white medium was prepared from the mixture of one part 1% Ogawa basal medium to two parts egg white, adjusted to pH 6.1 . This medium does not permit the growth of M . lepraemurium but permits bacillary survival for two months . This medium is most suitable as a minimal medium to investigate growth factors of M . lepraemurium . Utilizing the minimal medium, the following substances were tested for growth promoting activity: lecithin, cholesterol, petroleum ether extracted fraction of yolk, butanol extracted fraction of yolk, retinol, hemin, yeast extract, broth, farnesol and dolichol fraction of chicken liver . None of these supported growth of M . lepraemurium . The following neutralizing agents of free radicals were tried in the minimal medium: triethylenediamine, beta-carotin, potassium iodide, potassium bromide, 2-aminoethylisothio-uranium-bromide, 2-aminoethyl-isothio-uranium-bromide-hydrobromide and cysteamine . None of these supported growth of M . lepraemurium.

Cancer Treat Rep, 1978 Apr, 62(4), 551 - 2
Recurrent bladder papillomata treated with bacillus Calmette-Guérin: a preliminary report (phase I trial); Douville Y et al.; Six patients with recurrent bladder papillomata were treated both by abdominal scarification with bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and by intravesical BCG, without resection . Four patients responded favorably (two showing major systemic complications), and the other two, who failed to respond, underwent further surgery.

J Exp Med, 1978 Apr 1, 147(4), 1175 - 88
Bacille Calmette-Guérin infection in the mouse . Regulation of macrophage plasminogen activator by T lymphocytes and specific antigen; Gordon S et al.; High levels of plasminogen activator (PA) were induced in mouse peritoneal macrophages by infection with BCG, 2-6 X 10(7) viable organisms intravenously, followed 3-4 wk later by intraperitoneal challenge with purified protein derivative (PPD) 2 days before harvest . Macrophages obtained from infected animal without boosting showed little fibrinolytic activity, but challenge of Bacille-Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-primed peritoneal cells with PPD in culture also enhanced macrophage PA 4- to 10-fold . Stimulation of macrophage PA by PPD depended on specifically sensitized thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes because it was abolished by pretreatment of BCG-primed peritoneal cells with anti-thy 1.2 antiserum and complement . A direct assay was developed in which nylon wool separated sensitized lymphocytes and PPD induced PA in macrophages from uninfected animals under defined conditions on 125I-fibrin . Enhanced macrophage fibrinolysis was proportional to concentration of PPD and the number of sensitized lymphocytes transferred . An indirect two-stage assay was also used to show that BCG-sensitized peritoneal cells released a soluble inducer of macrophage PA into the culture medium, after challenge with PPD . Induction of macrophage PA by PPD challenge in vitro made it possible to study the generation and activity of sensitized peritoneal lymphocytes at different stages of infection . Our results show that nonadherent peritoneal cells of BCG-infected mice provide a rich source of specifically sensitized lymphocytes and that macrophage activation is limited by continued availability of antigen, as well as sensitized lymphocytes . Induction of macrophage PA provides a sensitive, versatile, and rapid in vitro assay to study the role of lymphocytes and specific antigen in macrophage activation by BCG.

Cancer Res, 1978 Apr, 38(4), 1003 - 7
Similarities among factors that render macrophages tumoricidal in lymphokine and interferon preparations; Schultz RM et al.; Lymphokine preparations, including supernatants derived from antigen-stimulated Bacillus Calmette-Guerin-immune spleen cell cultures and normal spleen cells incubated with insoluble concanavalin A, were compared with partially purified L-cell interferon for the ability to render resting macrophages nonspecifically tumoricidal in vitro . Significant activation of macrophages by lymphokine preparations occurred at concentrations as low as 0.5 and 0.25% of the assay mixture for antigen-stimulated and concanavalin A-induced lymphokine, respectively . These end point concentrations were each determined to contain 0.3 unit of interferon per ml . Supernatants obtained from unstimulated normal spleen cells, concanavalin A-treated nu/nu spleen cells, or Bacillus Calmette-Guerin-immune spleen cells in the absence of sensitizing antigen did not enhance macrophage tumoricidal function and lacked interferon . Activation by L-cell interferon required at least 1 unit/ml . The macrophage-activating factors contained in lymphokine and interferon preparations were stable at pH 2 and at 56 degrees, but they were destroyed when heated at 80 degrees for 30 min, and were inactivated by trypsin . The data demonstrate common properties for the induction of tumoricidal macrophages by these divese preparations.

Can J Microbiol, 1978 Apr, 24(4), 492 - 4
A method for the isolation of asporogenic mutants of Bacillus thuringiensis; Yousten AA; Asporogenic and oligosporogenic mutants of Bacillus thuringiensis can be isolated by streaking the bacteria onto a solid medium, incubating at 42 degrees C, and picking small, raised areas of growth which appear on the streaks after 48 h.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1978 Apr, 83(4), 1145 - 9
New chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates for pyrrolidonyl peptidase; Fujiwara K et al.; L-Pyroglutamyl derivatives of p-nitroaniline and 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin were synthesized as new sensitive substrates for pyrrolidonyl peptidase (pyrrolidonecarboxylyl peptidase) from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens . Their hydrolyses could be followed by conventional colorimetric and fluorometric procedures; i.e., in terms of the increase in absorbance at 410 nm caused by the liberation of p-nitroaniline and the emission at 440 nm after excitation at 370 nm depending on the liberation of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin . Values of Km were estimated to be 0.69 mM for anilide substrate and 0.33 mM for methylcoumarin substrate in the pyrrolidonyl peptidase reaction at pH 8.0 . The methylcoumarin compound was about one thousand fold more sensitive than the anilide substrate.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Apr, 134(1), 353 - 5
Enolase from spores and cells of Bacillus megaterium: two-step purification of the enzyme and some of its properties; Singh RP et al.; A simple two-step procedure for purification of enolase from germinated spores or vegetative cells of Bacillus megaterium is described . The procedure resulted in a 1,200-fold purification with production of homogeneous enzyme in approximately 75% yield; the enzymes from spores and cells seemed identical . The molecular weight of the native enzyme was 335,000, with a subunit molecular weight of 42,000 . The enzyme required Mg2+ and was inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and fluoride ions . The Michaelis constants for 2-phosphoglyceric acid and Mg2+ were 7.1 X 10(-4) and 4.7 X 10(-4) M, respectively.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1978 Mar 28, 533(1), 98 - 104
Binding of 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-ribopyranoside to beta-D-xylosidase from Bacillus pumilus; Claeyssens M et al.; The determination of the binding parameters of 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-ribopyranoside, a fluorescent ligand of beta-D-xylosidase (exo-1,4-beta-xylosidase, EC 3.2.1.37) from Bacillus pumilus, is described . A single binding site per polypeptide chain (60 000 daltons) was found and the homogeneity of the binding sites in the dimeric or tetrameric forms of the enzyme were shown . The association constants, as a function of temperature and ionic strength, were obtained from equilibrium binding experiments and compared to the kinetically determined inhibition constants . The apparent discrepancies are attributed to a temperature, ionic strength and concentration dependent shift in the dimer-tetramer equilibrium of the enzyme and different affinities of the ligand for both oligomeric forms . Sedimentation velocity experiments seem to corroborate this hypothesis.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1978 Mar 13, 286(10), 797 - 800
{A new variety of Bacillus thuringinesis very toxic to mosquitoes: B . thuringiensis var . israelensis serotype 14}; de Barjac H; A new strain of B . thuringiensis is described, the flagllar antigen of which is a new one named H14 . This strain produces unusual crystals, with all shapes and sizes, and shows a high toxicity for larvae of Aedes aegypti.

Mikrobiologiia, 1978 Mar-Apr, 47(2), 357 - 61
{Use of a mass spectrometric method for studying the oxygen demand of suspensions of resting Bacillus anthracoides spores}; Miller IuM et al.; Oxygen assimilation by the spore suspensions of Bacillus anthracoides under sterile conditions was continuously registered by means of a modified mass-spectrometry technique using an original reaction vessel . The sensitivity of the technique is 2.10(-2) mcl O2 per 1 mg of dry biomass per hour . The technique made it possible to determine the level of endogenous respiration activity in the spore suspensions of Bacillus anthracoides.

Mikrobiologiia, 1978 Mar-Apr, 47(2), 312 - 8
{Virulent and temperate phages of Bacillus licheniformis, the producer of bacitracin antibiotic}; Klepikova FS et al.; Virulent and temperate bacterial phages were isolated from the cultural broth of Bacillus licheniformis obtained under the industrial conditions when synthesis of the antibiotic bacitracin was interfered with . The following properties of the phages were studied: the fine structure, the morphology of negative colonies, the spectrum of lytic action, the rate of adsorption, the individual growth cycle, as well as the lysogenic state of certain strains of Bac . licheniformis . Some phages were serologically related and morphologically identical whereas others differed sharply in their morphology and antigenic properties.

Genetika, 1978 Mar, 14(3), 510 - 8
{Comparative characteristics of spore-forming and asporogenic strains of Bacillus thuringiensis}; Azizbekian RR et al.; Comparative characteristics of sporogenous and asporogenous Bacillus thuringiensis strains is carried out . Asporogenous strains are found to differ from wild type strains in a number of criteria, including colony morphology, character of growth on rich and poor media and UV-sensitivity . Sporogenous strains form R colonies, they are more stable and more rare produce variants forming S colonies . S colonies are typical for asporogenous mutants, and under the cultivation in unfavourable conditions (elevated temperature, a shift of pH, a change of an incubation regime) asporogenous strains dissociate with a high frequency into R form . Initial strains, which are multiple auxotrophs, under certain conditions can form "prototrophic" revertants which are unstable when incubated on rich media . Suppressor mutation is supposed to be a possible mechanism of the origination of "prototrophs".

Ann Intern Med, 1978 Mar, 88(3), 294 - 302
Legionnaires' disease in non-Legionnaires . A report of five cases; Friedman HM; Seventeen patients with illness resembling Legionnaires' disease were evaluated for antibodies to the Legionnaires' bacillus . Three patients were Legionnaires who developed pneumonia after attending the July 1976 convention . All three were seropositive (titers greater than or equal to 1:128) to the Legionnaires' bacillus . None of the remaining 14 patients were Legionnaires . Five were seropositive and nine, seronegative (titers less than or equal to 1:32) . The seropositive patients had illnesses best explained by Legionnaires' disease, whereas the seronegative patients had illnesses better explained by other diagnoses . This correlation between serology and clinical findings supports the specificity of the antibody test for Legionnaires' disease . Of the five non-Legionnaire seropositive cases, two occurred before, and one 3 months after, the convention . The case histories of these five patients are presented . Disease generally involved the lungs, kidneys, and the central nervous system . Although the pathogenesis of this multiple organ involvement is unclear, a possible explanation is the production of a toxin by the Legionnaires' bacillus.

Am J Pathol, 1978 Mar, 90(3), 701 - 21
The morphology of the Legionnaires' disease organism; Katz SM; The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Laboratories, has isolated the Legionnaires disease organism from two patients with Legionnaires' disease proved by serologic techniques . We have studied the morphology which the isolate assumes in yolk sac tissue and on bacteriologic media . The organism was Gimenez-positive and gram-variable . Using an indirect immunofluorescent procedure, it was shown to react with convalescent serum samples taken from patients who had Legionnaires' disease . The organism multiplies by binary fission extracellularly and intracellulary; is both coccoid and bacillary in form; and contains characteristic cytoplasm, nucleoids, a cytoplasmic membrane, and a small cell wall of variable size . It may produce spores of unusual appearance . Intracellular replication characteristically occurs within vacuoles . The Legionnaires' disease organism conforms to the morphologic criteria for a prokaryocyte.

Res Vet Sci, 1978 Mar, 24(2), 248 - 53
Ultrastructural features of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in tracheal explants under transmission and stereoscan electron microscopy; Abu-Zahr MN et al.; Ultrastructural features of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in tracheal explants were examined using the transmission and stereoscan electron microscope . The organisms were characteristically cocco-bacilliform except when in close contact with the host cells when they assumed an elongated and irregular form characteristically terminating in a bleb which was often embedded in the cell surface . In such organisms there were peripherally aligned fibrillar structures oriented towards the bleb which may have a functional relationship with a probing or moving habit of the mycoplasma.

Can J Microbiol, 1978 Mar, 24(3), 261 - 7
{Effect of surface-active agents on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis . Obtaining chromogenic mycobacteria}; Lafont J et al.; In 18 strains of M . tuberculosis and M . bovis it has been possible to demonstrate the existence, in pure cultures, of elements able to grow in vitro in scotochromogenic mycobacteria . The experimental method used includes a dispersion, under shaking, of organisms in different surface-active agents . The chromogenic strains isolated during the experimentation are eugonic, and PAS- and INH-resistant . Their experimental virulence is different from that of tubercle bacillus . We discuss the signification of this dissociation phenomenon inductible by surface-active agents.

J Urol, 1978 Mar, 119(3), 347 - 9
Levamisole in the treatment of non-invasive and invasive bladder cancer: a preliminary report; Smith RB et al.; We have done a double-blind, randomized, controlled study on 37 patients with transitional cell carcinoma in which levamisole was used as an immune adjuvant in addition to the standard therapy for non-invasive and invasive bladder cancer . Levamisole is administered easily and is well tolerated, especially when compared to other immune adjuvants, such as bacillus Calmette-Guerin or Corynecbacterium parvum . Recall antigens, dinitrochlorobenzene reactivity and total lymphocyte count demonstrated little correlation to the initial stage of disease . Monocyte chemotaxis was increased significantly in patients receiving levamisole . Since our study is ongoing on data exist as yet to make any statement regarding the efficacy of levamisole in the treatment of bladder cancer.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Mar, 35(3), 601 - 9
Characteristics of the constituent substrains of Bacillus popilliae growing in batch and continuous cultures; Sharpe ES et al.; Continuous culture of Bacillus popilliae was achieved for the first time in a small chemostat . Initially, variable cell yields during steady-state chemostat growth led to a re-examination of growth rates in batch cultures . B . popilliae NRRL B-2309 and a wild strain were both found to be natural mixtures of three substrains characterized by different growth rates and colony morphologies and varying stability . Selected subcultures grown continuously provided data for three different cell production curves . Cell yields were two to three times greater per unit of medium in continuous than in batch culture, and about 1% of slow-growing chemostat cells formed typical spores.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1978 Mar, 75(3), 1227 - 31
Cardiolipin: a stereospecifically spin-labeled analogue and its specific enzymic hydrolysis; Cable MB et al.; The spin-labeled cardiolipin 1-(3-sn-phosphatidyl)-3-{1-acyl-2-(16-doxylstearoyl)glycero(3)phosphol}-sn-glycerol has been prepared . The stereoselective synthesis makes use of the monolysocardiolipin 1-(3-sn-phosphatidyl)-3-{1-acyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero(3)phospho}-sn-glycerol, available from the stereospecific hydrolysis of cardiolipin by phospholipase A2 (phosphatide 2-acylhydrolase, EC 3.1.1.4) of Trimeresurus flavoviridis . The results of treatment of the spin-labeled cardiolipin with the cardiolipin-specific phospholipase D (phosphatidylcholine phosphatidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.4) (Hemophilus parainfluenzae) of known specificity and with phospholipase C (phosphatidylcholine cholinephosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.3) of Bacillus cereus are consistent with the assigned structure . The spin-labeled cardiolipin is further characterized and the unique features of this diastereomer are discussed in the context of the unusual stereochemistry of the natural phospholipid.

Vet Med (Praha), 1978 Mar, 23(3), 185 - 90
{Diagnosis of Bacillus larvae --the causative agent of American foulbrood}; Drobnikova V; The authoress studied the growth of Bacillus larvae on different nutrient media and its ability of decomposing hydrogen peroxide and reducing nitrates . There are also instructions for rapid cultivation and biochemical diagnosis of Bacillus larvae . It can be performed in any microbiological laboratory, the culture medium can be prepared from available commercially produced preparations, and B . larvae can be detected in suspected material even out of the season, if the method of selective cultivation and repeated pasteurizing is used . Catalase test is proposed to be added to the examination; the result of this test was negative in all 96 strains studied . Photographic documentation of different developmental stages of B . larvae can serve as an aid in microbiological examination.

Carbohydr Res, 1978 Mar, 61, 229 - 38
Purification and some properties of Bacillus macerans cycloamylose (cyclodextrin) glucanotransferase; Kobayashi S et al.; Bacillus macerans cycloamylose (cyclodextrin) glucanotransferase (EC 2.4.1.19) was purified by the technique of starch adsorption and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, and then crystallized from an ammonium sulfate solution containing mM calcium chloride . The crystals of the enzyme were rod-shaped and showed a single band by disc-gel electrophorsis . The purified enzyme was dissociated into two subunits by sodium dodecyl sulfate-disc electrophoresis . The subunits had no enzyme activity . Details of each purification step and some properties of the enzyme are described in this paper.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1978 Feb 27, 528(2), 247 - 56
Studies on sphingomyelinase of Bacillus cereus . I . Purification and properties; Ikezawa H et al.; A sphingomyelinase was purified 980-fold with recovery of 25.6% from the culture broth of Bacillus cereus, by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and chromatography on CM-Sephadex, DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-75 . The purified preparation was free of lipase, protease and other phospholipases . The enzyme specifically hydrolyzed sphingomyelin to ceramide and phosphorylcholine . Lysophosphatidylcholine was also attacked by the enzyme . The enzyme (Mr = 24 000) was maximally active at pH 6-7 . Other properties of the enzyme, including hemolytic activity and activation/inhibition studies, are reported.

Science, 1978 Feb 24, 199(4331), 896 - 7
Legionnaires' disease: structural characteristics of the organism; Katz SM et al.; The Legionnaires' disease organism was isolated from lung tissue taken from two fatalities of the Legionnaires' disease epidemic that occurred in Philadelphia during 1976 . In yolk sac tissue the agent grew as a small coccobacillary microorgansim, which was Gram variable and Gimenez positive . Intracellular coccoid and bacillary forms, detected by electron microscopy, within and without vacuoles, underwent multiplication by septate binary fission . Some of the intracellular forms resembled obligate intracellular pathogens . On defined bacteriologic media, the organisms were predominantly bacillary . The organism conforms to the morphologic criteria of a prokaryocyte.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1978 Feb 21, 507(2), 198 - 206
Phospholipid dependence of UDP-glucuronyltransferase; Berry C et al.; Very extensive hydrolysis of phospholipids with pure Bacillus cereus phospholipase C at 5 degrees C greatly inhibited the maximum demonstrable rate of glucuronidation of p-nitrophenol by UDPglucuronyltransferase in guinea pig liver microsomes . Lysophosphatidylcholine restored much of the inhibited activity but non-phospholipid surfactants or hydrolysis of diglycerides failed to reactivate . Phospholipid depletion likewise inhibited o-aminophenol glucuronidation and phospholipids restored activity . It is concluded that glucuronyltransferase specifically requires phospholipids for optimal activity . It seems unlikely that these phospholipids only serve to dissolve aglycones, or that they are direct physiological regulators of the transferase . Instead, a permissive role is ascribed to phospholipids, allowing glucuronyltransferase to be regulated by other means.

Surg Gynecol Obstet, 1978 Feb, 146(2), 230 - 2
Adjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy in high risk patients with melanoma; El-Domeiri AA et al.; Thirty-one patients with Stage II cutaneous melanoma received adjuvant chemotherapy or immunotherapy after radical excision of the primary and regional lymph nodes . Vaccinations with bacille Calmette Guerin produced minimal systemic reactions and was better tolerated by the patients than was chemotherapy . A higher survival rate and disease-free interval were noted in patients treated with bacille Calmette Guerin than those receving dimethyl Triazeno-imidazole carboximide . These results suggest that adjuvant chemotherapy with dimethyl Triazenoimidazole carboximide alone is not beneficial in the treatment of high risk patients with melanoma . In this study, adjuvant bacille Calmette Guerin therapy appears to be more advantageous than does chemotherapy.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Feb, 35(2), 453 - 5
Determination of fatty acid compositions of Bacillus cereus and related bacteria: a rapid gas chromatographic method using a glass capillary column; Niskanen A et al.; A rapid gas chromatographic method for the determination of fatty acid compositions of Bacillus cereus and related bacteria is presented . By the use of a free fatty acid phase-coated glass capillary column, the complete separation of fatty acids, including the branched ones, was achieved . The method enables a more distinct differentiation of Bacillus species than can be obtained with packed columns.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Feb, 35(2), 435 - 8
Production of penicillic acid and patulin by an atypical Penicillium roqueforti isolate; Olivigni FJ et al.; Simultaneous production of penicillic acid and patulin by an atypical strain of Penicillium roqueforti isolated from cheddar cheese is reported . Mycotoxin production was confirmed by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography and by ultraviolet, infrared, and mass spectral analyses . Culture extracts were toxic to Bacillus megaterium and chicken embryos . Commercial strains of P . roqueoforti used in production of blue-veined cheeses were shown not to produce penicillic acid and patulin.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Feb, 133(2), 576 - 83
Membrane-bound nucleotidase of Bacillus cereus; Schrader WP et al.; A membrane-bound nucleotidase of Bacillus cereus T was solubilized by digestion with trypsin and subsequently purified more than 300-fold . The purified nucleotidase was most active on ribonucleoside 5'-monophosphates and was slightly less active (40 to 60%) on deoxyribonucleoside 5'-monophosphates and ribonucleoside 3'-monophosphates . In addition to hydrolytic activity, the nucleotidase preparation possessed phosphotransferase activity by which phosphate is transferred from a phosphate donor to the 5' position of nucleosides.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Feb, 133(2), 1024 - 6
Spore location patterns in sporulating doublets of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus megaterium, derived from single doublet isolates with differing sporulation geometry; Johnstone K et al.; The distribution of spore loci in pairs of Bacillus cereus and B . megaterium showed different degrees of polarization from random location towards location at the old end of the sporangium . When individual doublets containing both spores at either the old or new ends of the sporangia were isolated by micromanipulation, subsequent culture showed the same spore location patterns.

Can J Biochem, 1978 Feb, 56(2), 123 - 8
The purification and characterization of a DNA nicking-closing enzyme from Bacillus megaterium; Burrington MG et al.; Although several eucaryote DNA nicking--closing (N--C) enzymes have been characterized, only the Escherichia coli enzyme has been extensively studied amongst procaryotes . The latter enzyme is distinctly different from the eucaryotic enzymes and we have therefore purified the N--C enzyme from Bacillus megaterium to determine if procaryotes form a distinctive class of N--C enzymes . The purified B . megaterium N--C enzyme has a molecular weight of 120,000, only partly relaxes negative supercoils, does not affect positive supercoils, requires Mg2+, and is inhibited by 0.2 M KCl . The enzyme is also inhibited by 1 mM nalidixic or oxolinic acids but unaffected by novobiocin . A crude N--C enzyme preparation from Micrococcus luteus shows very similar properties.

Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1978 Feb, 86(1), 25 - 8
The effect of nalidixic acid, rifampicin and chloramphenicol on the synthesis of phospholipase C in Bacillus cereus; Valle KJ et al.; The effect of nalidixic acid, rifampicin and chloramphenicol on the synthesis of phospholipase C (EC 3.1.4.3) has been studied in washed Bacillus cereus cells resuspended in nutrient broth . In the absence of inhibitors, the synthesis showed a biphasic pattern . No synthesis of release of enzyme was found in the presence of chloramphenicol . When rifampicin was added, phospholipase C synthesis continued for 10-15 min . Nalidixic acid, at concentrations which inhibited DNA synthesis completely, permitted the synthesis of phospholipase C at the same rate and for a similar length of time as rifampicin.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1978 Jan 18, 538(2), 284 - 92
Biochemical studies on glucose initiated germination in Bacillus megaterium; Shay LK et al.; Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 spores contained the enzymes for the Embden-Meyerhof pathway and the initial reactions in the hexose monophosphate pathway but not the Entner-Doudoroff pathway . With {U-14C}glucose no metabolism was detected until after about 30% of the spores had lost heat resistance . Mutants that lacked either phosphofructokinase or 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were able to initiate germination on glucose like wild type . Purified methyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside, 6-deoxyglucose and 6-deoxy-methyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside were not substrates for spore enzymes yet these compounds still initiated germination . Therefore, metabolism of exogenously added glucose is probably not the primary stimulatory effect in germination.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1978 Jan 12, 522(1), 161 - 73
alpha-Glucosidase, a membrane-bound enzyme of alpha-glucan metabolism in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens . Purification and partial characterization; Urlaub H et al.; The organism Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is capable of producing alpha-amylase (1,4-alpha-D-glucan glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.1) and isoamylase (glycogen 6-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.68) extracellurlarly and a membrane-bound, intracellular alpha-glucosidase (alpha-D-glucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.20) . The amounts of alpha-glucosidase in cells of B . amyloliquefaciens grown on amylaceous polysaccharides were significantly higher then in cells grown on non-carbohydrate carbon sources . alpha-Glucosidase was exclusively found associated with membranes from ruptured spheroplasts by subcellular fractionation and solubilization studies . Salt solutions and chelating agents alone did not dislodge alpha-glucosidase from membranes, but in combination with detergents were most effective in solubilizing active enzyme (0.1% sodium cholate (pH 8.0)/0.4 M sodium chloride) . Purified alpha-glucosidase very rapidly hydrolized p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside and sucrose . Maltose, maltotriose, isomaltose and isomaltotriose were hydrolized at slower rates, whereas beta-glucosides and polymeric alpha-glucans were not attacked . Other properties of the purified enzyme were as follows: Temperature optimum for catalysis = 39 +/- 1 degrees C; pH optimum = 6.8; molecular weight = 27,000 +/- 1000 . alpha-Glucosidase is proposed to function in the endogenous metabolism of alpha-glucans provided extracellularly as carbon sources for growth of B . amyloliquefaciens.

Eur J Biochem, 1978 Jan 2, 82(1), 169 - 74
Control of teichoic acid synthesis in Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 9945; Hussey H et al.; Analysis of cell walls of Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 9945 grown under phosphate limitation showed that teichoic acid could be replaced by teichuronic acid under these conditions . Teichuronic acid, however, was always present in the walls to some extent irrespective of the growth conditions . The enzymes involved in teichoic acid synthesis were investigated and the synthesis of these was shown to be repressed when the intracellular Pi level fell . CDP-glycerol pyrophosphorylase was studied in some detail and evidence is presented to show that the enzyme is inactivated under phosphate-limited conditions . The mechanism of inactivation is unknown but it has been shown that it does not require protein synthesis de novo.

Biochem Exp Biol, 1978, 14(4), 375 - 82
Toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 on Bacillus brevis; Uwaifo AO et al.; At a concentration of 50 microgram/ml and below, aflatoxin B1 inhibited Bacillus brevis (2611) bacteristatically, but at a concentration of 100 microgram/ml the inhibition was bactericidal . Bactericidal inhibition was further studied by determining the mean single survivor times of the bacterium in 100 microgram/ml aqueous solutions of aflatoxin B1 (18.2 mins.) and phenol (16.6 mins.) . Further study on the bacteriostatic inhibition within the bacteriostatic concentration limit of 50 microgram/ml shows that the doubling time of B . brevis exposed to 5 microgram/ml aflatoxin B1 is approximately half that of the bacterium exposed to 10 microgram/ml . At the molecular level, 50 microgram/ml aflatoxin B1 inhibited the synthesis of DNA (78%), RNA (15%) and Protein (18%) in B . brevis . The strength of the affinity of subcellular fractions of B . brevis for aflatoxin B1 during inhibition was studied by assessing the resistance of aflatoxin B1 bound to cell fractions to removal by water . 66% (w/w) of the aflatoxin B1 bound to B . brevis after six successive washes in 50 ml distilled water, remained bound to the cell membrane fraction . The implication of this preferential strong binding to cell membrane was studied by investigating its effect on oxygen uptake . Results of inhibition of oxygen uptake is compatible with aflatoxin B1 binding to cell membrane . Vitamin k, however, reversed this inhibition.

Acta Biol, 1978, 29(2), 189 - 91
Metaphase arrest in the bone marrow cells of Rattus norvegicus by the Beta-exotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis; Dash SK et al.; The beta-exotoxin, thuringiensin A, from Bacillus thuringiensis var . thuringiensis has been found to be C-mitotic in the bone marrow cells of Rattus norvegicus . This exotoxin therefore appears to be a potential tool for metaphase arrest in karyological studies . The delta-endotoxin protein has no similar activity.

J Surg Oncol, 1978, 10(5), 447 - 55
BCG immunotherapy: effects of dose and route of administration on survival of mice bearing established tumors; Codish SD et al.; Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) was administered in various doses by four different routes to C3H/HeJ mice bearing well-established syngeneic MC-42 fibrosarcomas . Injections of BCG into established primary tumors decreased survival of tumor-bearing mice as compared to saline-injected controls . Of the three dosage groups, high-dose (10(8) viable organisms) intralesional BCG was most detrimental . The injection of low-dose BCG (10(4) organisms) into established tumors or subcutaneously at a distant site also shortened host survival times . Other subcutaneous injections and injections of BCG into the peritoneal or pleural cavities had no significant effect on survival, regardless of dosage . The dose-dependent effects of BCG immunotherapy which may prolong or shorten survival are discussed.

J Surg Oncol, 1978, 10(5), 389 - 97
Surgical adjuvant immunotherapy for colorectal cancer; Enker WE et al.; One hundred forty-four Wistar-Furth rats in 12 therapeutic groups have been studied in a long-term comparison of the effectiveness of nonspecific immunotherapy with MER (methanol extraction residue) vs active-specific immunotherapy with neuraminidase-modified tumor cells . Six months after surgical adjuvant immunotherapy a 100% improvement in survival was achieved with MER immunotherapy compared to untreated control animals . In addition, the use of MER enhanced the value of active-specific immunotherapy where both modalities were combined in sequence . The predicted value of MER-BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) for the immunotherapy of solid tumors was borne out by these results suggesting that present ongoing clinical trials of MER as adjuvant therapy for large bowel cancer should prove to be successful if properly controlled . The pattern of survival in these experiments suggests that surgical adjuvant immunotherapy is cytostatic rather than cytocidal, and implies the need for long-term, repeated immunizations.

Prep Biochem, 1978, 8(4), 241 - 57
Purification of antibiotics from Physarum gyrosum by high pressure liquid chromatography; Taylor RL et al.; A family of five antibiotic substances was isolated from the slime mold Physarum gyrosum by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) . For this purpose, mold was cultured for two weeks in a liquid medium . Soluble products were harvested by rotary evaporation of medium and extraction with 1-butanol . Paper chromatography in ethyl acetate:pyridine:water (2:2:1 v/v) was used for preliminary fractionation . Active components were separated by HPLC with a reverse-phase column packed with Bondapack C18/Porasil B (Waters Associates) and were eluted with a linear gradient of methanol:water increasing from 70 to 100% methanol over 90 minutes . Purification was completed by rechromatographing individual fractions . Purity of the active components was verified by HPLC and thin layer chromatography . Activity assays against Bacillus cereus showed these materials to be bacteriostatic rather than bacteriocidal.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Naturwiss, 1978, 133(3), 232 - 4
Isolation of Bacillus thuringiensis for microbiological control of insects; Ali SA et al.; Eleven of 180 local isolates, belonging to Bacillus thuringiensis, were tested for their pathogenicity to pinkbollworm larvae (Pectinophora gossypiella) . Three strains, namely RS-25, RS-35, and RS-45, showed a positive insecticidal activity . Their activities based on the crystalline inclusion bodies . The LD50 (hours) for larvae was 8, 12, and 6 hours, respectively.

Chemotherapy, 1978, 24(3), 172 - 8
Amikacin therapy of serious gram-negative bacillary infections in chronic hemodialysis patients; Meyer RD et al.; Amikacin was used to treat 7 serious gram-negative bacillary infections in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis . 4 were caused by pathogens resistant to gentamicin . 5 infections were cured; 1 was improved and another failed to respond . Mean 1-hour peak serum levels of amikacin ranged from 25.8 to 44.3 microgram/ml . Mean serum levels of amikacin after 6 h of hemodialysis were 61.5% of predialysis levels . Amikacin is highly effective but doses must be reduced in patients requiring hemodialysis and serum levels monitored to avoid ototoxicity.

Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1978, 23(1), 60 - 3
Effect of various inhibitors on the multiplication of BLE bacteriophage in Bacillus licheniformis; Lipavska H et al.; A total of 40 substances were tested for their inhibitory effect on the multiplication of a bacteriophage in a growing culture of Bacillus licheniformis and their influence on bacitracin production . Acriflavine was the only substance which, at a concentration of 3 microgram ml-1, completely suppressed phage multiplication while having no effect on the growth of Bacillus licheniformis and on the production of the antibiotic.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1978 Jan, 35(1), 121 - 3
Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis spores to the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta; Schesser JH et al.; Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis spores to the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, is described . The numbers of larvae killed were in relation to spore dry weight . At a surface application of 6.8 ng/cm2, there was an 85 percent survival, but less than 50 percent survived at 68.2 ng/cm2 . Striking similarity of spores to parasporal crystals is revealed by slope of mortality curves, inhibition of stadial growth, and 50 percent lethal dose values based on protein content.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1978, 44(3-4), 353 - 66
The occurrence and taxonomic value of PBS X-like defective phages in the genus Bacillus; Steensma HY et al.; 72 strains of 24 Bacillus species were induced with mitomycin C . The lysates were examined for the presence of defective phages resembling PBS X in morphology . All strains tested of B . amyloliquefaciens . B, licheniformis, B . pumilus and B . subtilis contained such phages . Five morphological types of defective, PBS X-like phage could be distinguished, differing in their tail lengths and in the number of cross-striations on the tail . The quaternary structure of the tail, the molecular weight of the main tail protein and the antigenic properties of the phages were identical . The killing ranges of the defective phages have been determined and their possible use in taxonomy discussed.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1978, 44(3-4), 283 - 92
Bacterial breakdown of benomyl . I . Pure cultures; Fuchs A et al.; With different soil and water samples as inoculum and the benzimidazole fungicides benomyl (either as Benlate or as the pure compound) and thiabendazole as selective agents, a large number of, mainly fluorescent, Pseudomonas strains were isolated which nearly all were able to grow in a mineral medium with benomyl as the sole source of carbon . However, no growth occurred with any of a series of other benzimidazole compounds, viz . benzimidazole, 2-aminobenzimidazole (2-AB), thiabendazole and fuberidazole . Although benomyl--or rather its non-enzymatic breakdown product methyl benzimidazol-2-yl carbamate (MBC)--was partially degraded to 2-AB, most probably n-butylamine, which arises after splitting off of the butylcarbamoyl side chain, was the actual carbon source for the Pseudomonas isolates . When incorporated in a lactate medium, 2-AB markedly inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas spp . at a concentration of 250 microgram/ml, with complete inhibition being attained at 500 microgram/ml . For Bacillus spp . grown in liquid peptone media benzimidazole compounds were inhibitory at concentrations of 500-1000 microgram/ml, with a toxicity increasing in the order: benzimidazole less than thiabendazole less than MBC less than 2-AB.

Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol, 1978 Jan-Feb, 14(1), 67 - 72
{Effect of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen on the physiological and biochemical properties of Bacillus brevis and Pseudomonas mycophaga}; Cherniaeva II et al.; The pattern of oxido-reductive processes and antifungal properties of the bacteria Bacillus brevis and Pseudomonas mycophaga were studied as related to the type and ratio of nitrogen sources (NH4, NO3) in the nutrient medium . The biosynthesis of antibiotics was coupled with the anaerobic pattern of metabolism, and energetic processes of metabolism varied with respect to the nitrogen source . Nitrates exerted an inhibitory effect on the enzymic systems responsible for utilization of ammonium nitrogen.

Biochem J, 1978 Jan 1, 169(1), 197 - 204
Reversible inhibitors of penicillinases; Kiener PA et al.; Reversible competitive inhibitors of a penicillinase, beta-lactamase 1 from Bacillus cereus, were studied . These represent the first inhibitors of a penicillinase that lack the beta-lactam ring . The products of the enzymic reaction, namely penicilloic acids, are inhibitors; their decarboxylation products, the penilloic acids, are also inhibitors, and have somewhat lower Ki values . Inhibitors have been prepared from benzylpenicillin, phenoxymethyl-penicillin, methicillin (2,6-dimethoxybenzamidopenicillanic acid) and 3-hydroxy-4-nitrobenzamidopenicillanic acid . Decarboxylation of the penicilloic acids from benzyl-penicillin, or from phenoxymethylpenicillin, leads to epimerization (at C-5) of the penilloic acid . Nuclear-magnetic resonance spectroscopy at a frequency of 270 MHz can distinguish the epimers . Other competitive inhibitors studied were boric acid, benzene boronic acid and m-aminobenzeneboronic acid . Boric acid itself was the best inhibitor of beta-lactamase I so far found.

J Bacteriol, 1978 Jan, 133(1), 336 - 44
Characterization of a Bacillus cereus protease mutant defective in an early stage of spore germination; Cheng YS et al.; Temperature-sensitive sporulation mutants of Bacillus cereus were screened for intracellular protease activity that was more heat labile than that of the parental strain . One mutant grew as well as the wild type at 30 and 37 degrees C but sporulated poorly at 37 degrees C in an enriched or minimal medium . These spores germinated very slowly in response to alanine plus adenosine or calcium dipicolinate . During germination, spores produced by the mutant rapidly became heat sensitive, but released dipicolonic acid and mucopeptide fragments more slowly than the wild type and decreased only partially in density while remaining phase white (semirefractile) . In freeze-etch electron micrographs, the mature spores were deficient in the outer cross-patched coat layer . During germination, the spore coat changes associated with wild-type germination occurred very slowly in this mutant . Although the original mutant was also a pyrimidine auxotroph, reversion to prototrophy did not alter any of the phenotypic properties discussed . Selection of revertants that germinated rapidly or sporulated well at 37 degrees C, however, resulted in restoratin of all wild-type properties (exclusive of the pyrimidine requirement) including heat-stable protease activity . The reversion frequency was consistent with an initial point mutation, indicating that a protease alteration resulted in production of spores defective in a very early stage of germination.

Infection, 1978, 6(5), 236 - 40
Therapy of serious infections with cefamandole; Parry MF et al.; Forty-four patients with serious bacterial infections were treated with cefamandole in a dose 1--2 g every four to six hours . Thirty-two patients were cured and six were markedly improved . Three of six failures were due to superinfection with cephalothin-resistant microorganisms . The over-all bacteriologic response was 80% . In 12 of 13 patients with bacteremia the blood was sterilized . Ten of 14 patients with gram-negative bacillary infections responded to treatment . Six of these were due to cephalothin-resistant microorganisms, three of which responded . Fifteen patients who were treated had a history of penicillin allergy . There were no serious reactions although skin rash did develop . Phlebitis was uncommon.

Nucleic Acids Res, 1978 Jan, 5(1), 23 - 36
The nucleoside sequence of tyrosine tRNA from Bacillus stearothermophilus; Brown RS et al.; The nucleotide sequence of tRNATyr from B . stearothermophilus has been determined: pG-G-A-G-G-G-G-s4U-A-G-C-G-A-A-G-U-Gm-G-C-U-A-A-m1A-C-G-C-G-G-C-G-G-A-C-U-Q-U-A-ms2i6A-A-psi-C-C-G-C-U-C-C-C-U-U-U-G-G-G-U-U-C-G-G-C-G-G-T-psi-C-G-A-A-U-C-C-G-U-C-C-C-C-C-U-C-C-A-C-C-AOH . A combination of classical fingerprinting methods, partial nuclease P1 digestion and two-dimensional homochromatography and a rapid "read off" sequencing gel technique were used to establish the complete nucleotide sequence.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1978 Jan, 75(1), 167 - 71
Translational specificity of Bacillus stearothermophilus ribosomes; Chen CS et al.; The translational specificity of Bacillus stearothermophilus ribosomes was studied by determining the effectiveness of various synthetic RNAs as templates at 37 degrees and at higher temperatures . The effectiveness of poly(G,U) was maximal at a G:U ratio of 1:3; it declined with lower G content because of reduced ribosomal affinity for the RNA and, with higher G, because of interference by secondary structure . The effectiveness of poly(A,C,G,U) also declined when secondary structure was increased by increasing (G+C) content . Escherichia coli ribosomes exhibited a similar specificity for poly-(G,U), but had a lower sensitivity to interference by RNA secondary structure . In both bacterial species, sensitivity to secondary structure was determined by the 30S ribosomal subunit.

J Immunol, 1978 Jan, 120(1), 254 - 61
Infection with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin activates murine thymus-independent (B) lymphocytes; Sultzer BM; Thymus-independent (B) lymphocytes from BCG-infected mice respond with enhanced or depressed levels of proliferation relative to the nonspecific levels of stimulation induced by tuberculin . The type of response obtained depends on how BCG was administered and the source of the lymphocytes . The proliferation of splenic B lymphocytes was depressed when BCG was given i.v . and unchanged when BCG was given subcutaneously, whereas the lymph node B cell response was enhanced regardless of the route of injecting BCG . BCG was found also to be a mitogen for normal B cells in vitro and to stimulate polyclonal activation of B cells in vivo . Finally, evidence is presented which indicates that the depressed splenic B cell response to tuberculin may be due to the activation of suppressor T cells.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1978 Jan, 117(1), 5 - 13
Chronic experimental interstitial pneumonitis in the rabbit; Richerson HB et al.; The effects on the lungs of chronic aerosol and intravenous antigen challenges in preimmunized and control rabbits were studied . Soluble and particulate antigens included ovalbumin, keyhole limpet hemocyanin, antigen-adsorbed latex particles, glutaraldehyde cross-linked ovalbumin, and killed bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) . Despite the development of acute alveolitis in sensitized animals, chronic aerosol challenge with both soluble and particulate antigens failed to produce chronic interstitial lung disease . Chronic intravenous challenge with killed BCG, but not other particulate antigens, resulted in a progressive interstitial pneumonitis, with evidence of fibrogenesis in animals that had been presensitized to tuberculin by toepad injection of complete Freund's adjuvant . Adaptive alveolar clearance mechanisms thus appear to protect rabbits from chronically inhaled antigen . Pulmonary circulatory clearance of BCG, however, results in an interstitial pneumonitis that is dependent on previous sensitization.

Cancer Res, 1978 Jan, 38(1), 204 - 9
Immunotherapy of established micrometastases with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin tumor cell vaccine; Hanna MG Jr et al.; We evaluated the use of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin admixed with tumor cells as a vaccine to induce systemic tumor immunity for therapy of subclinical (micrometastatic) disease . In several experiments inbred strain 2 guinea pigs were given i.v . injections of either 10(4), 10(5), or 10(6) syngeneic L10 hepatocarcinoma cells, and initial vaccinations were administered either 1 or 4 days after tumor inocluation . Variables in vaccine preparation, such as ratio of viable Bacillus Calmette-Guerin organisms to tumor cells, procedures for freezing the tumor cells, X-ray treatment of tumor cells, and vaccination regimen were evaluated . The studies demonstrated that under defined conditions nontumorigenic vaccines of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin and tumor cells can cure the majority of animals of otherwise lethal visceral micrometastases.

C R Seances Soc Biol Fil, 1978, 172(5), 902 - 4
{Effect of Bacillus Callmette Guerin (BCG) on the receptivity of nude mice to Schistosoma mansoni}; Tribouley J et al.; "Nude" mice are injected intravenously with 1 mg live BCG each . Pulmonary schistosomules, counted 5 days after infestation with Schistosoma mansoni cercaria are observed to be fewer in injected mice than in non-injected controls . This show that BCG immunostamulation can be obtained when mature T lymphocytes are absent.

Lab Anim, 1978 Jan, 12(1), 23 - 6
Demonstration of antibodies to Bacillus piliformis in SPF colonies and experimental transplacental infection by Bacillus piliformis in mice; Fries AS; Antibodies to Bacillus piliformis were demonstrated by the immunofluorescence antibody technique in sera from mice and rabbits from SPF breeding colonies . Mice in various stages of pregnancy were experimentally infected with Bacillus piliformis and killed 2 to 3 days later . The organism was demonstrated in the uterus, foetal membranes and in the liver of the foetuses . Infection was not limited to any particular stage of pregnancy.

Lab Anim, 1978 Jan, 12(1), 1 - 4
Studies on Tyzzer's disease in rats; Fries AS et al.; An outbreak of an epidemic disease occurred in a specified-pathogen-free (SPF) breeding colony of rats . The clinical signs and the post-mortem findings were characteristic for Tyzzer's disease . The causative agent, Bacillus piliformis, was demonstrated microscopically in ileum, liver and myocardium, and transmitted to mice where its pathogenicity appeared to be similar to that of another strain isolated from mice . B . piliformis from spontaneously-infected rats was demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence technique . By means of the same technique it was found that the fluorescence antibody titre obtained of the individual sera from spontaneously-infected mice, rats and rabbits was the same, whether the antigen employed was organisms isolated from rats or mice . By testing sera from healthy rats in 3 different colonies by use of immunofluorescence technique, antibodies were found in several sera.

Microbios, 1978, 21(85-86), 153 - 60
Ultrastructure of the capsule of Bacillus megaterium ATCC 19213; Cassity TR et al.; The ultrastructure of the firmly adherent capsule produced by Bacillus megaterium cultured on fructose mineral salts medium was examined using thin sectioning, freeze-etching, and critical point drying by transmission and scanning electron microscopy . The capsule material was shown to be fibrillar, with most fibrils containing bulbous protrusions . Two types of fibres were resolved . These were termed primary and cross-linking fibres . Primary fibres originated at the cell wall and had a diameter of 34-50 nm . They also contained bulbous protrusions and enlarged areas where branching occurred . Cross-linking fibres connected the primary fibres . The cross-linking fibres were much smaller, usually 15 micro m in diameter, and contained few enlarged areas . The primary fibres originated at sites on the cell wall approximately equidistant and 0.26 micro m apart.

Microbiol Immunol, 1978, 22(8), 443 - 52
Inhibition by potassium ion of the pregerminative response to L-alanine of unactivated spores of Bacillus cereus T; Shibata H et al.; The effect of potassium ion on L-alanine-inosine-induced germination of unactivated spores of Bacillus cereus T was studied . Unactivated spores germinated in 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer (NaPB), but not 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer (KPB), at pH 8.0 and at 30 C . Inhibition of germination was also observed on incubation of unactivated spores in NaPB containing potassium chloride . Previously it was demonstrated that germination of unactivated spores involves at least two steps, one induced by L-alanine, and the other by inosine . Potassium ion seems to inhibit the response of the spores to inosine, because: (1) Spores that had been preincubated with L-alanine in NaPB or KPB, germinated in NaPB but not KPB in the presence of inosine . (2) During germination in NaPB, incorporation of L-{14C}alanine showed bimodal kinetics with a rapid first phase and a second continuous phase, but in KPB the second phase of incorporation did not occur . The events occurring before germination of unactivated spores are discussed with reference to the initiation of germination.

Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1978, 23(5), 329 - 36
Functional half-life of the exocellular protease mRNA of Bacillus megaterium; Cechova J et al.; Functional half-life of the exocellular protease mRNA was determined in in exponentially growing and stationary cells of the asporogenic strain of Bacillus megaterium KM and in the sporogenic strain of B . megaterium 27 during sporulation . No reserve of the protease mRNA could be detected in the cells and the half-lives were determined to be 6--7 min in the exponential and stationary cells of B . megaterium KM and 7.5--8.5 min in B . megaterium 27 . The mean half-life of mRNA for cell proteins was determined to be 3.5--4.5 min . Thus, as compared with the mean half-life of mRNA for cell proteins that of mRNA for the exocellular protease is slightly longer.

Microbiol Immunol, 1978, 22(3), 123 - 31
Inhibition by ammonium ion of germination of unactivated spores of Bacillus cereus T induced by l-alanine and inosine; Shibata H et al.; Studies were carried out on the inhibitory effect of NH4+ on germination of spores of Bacillus cereus T induced by L-alanine and inosine . Kinetic analysis showed that NH4+ inhibited the germination competitively . Its inhibitory effect was greater when the unactivated spores had been preincubated with L-alanine . NH4+ did not inhibit the response of unactivated spores to L-alanine during preincubation . These results suggest that L-alanine sensitizes the spores to the inhibitory effect of NH4+.

Microbios, 1978, 18(73-74), 159 - 67
Divalent cation mobility throughout exponential growth and sporulation of Bacillus megaterium; Krueger WB et al.; Each of the five elements considered was taken up by Bacillus megaterium during exponential growth . Initial Mg and Mn uptake was rapid and ended by mid-log . For Ca, Fe, and Zn, uptake continued throughout exponential growth . Elements were released from the cells immediately following initial uptake . For Mn, egression continued to t2, with release of 36% of total accumulated . Secondary uptake followed immediately and continued through stage V . Magnesium egression continued to t1 with release of 33% accumulated . Secondary uptake began by t5 (stage IV) and continued slowly through sporulation . Calcium egression ceased by t4 with release of 25% total accumulated . Secondary uptake began by t6 (stage V) and continued until depleted . Zinc egression stopped by t5 with release of 34% accumulated with some secondary uptake by stage V . Iron egression terminated at t4 with release of 59% of total accumulated . This was followed by secondary uptake after t12 (stage VI).

Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1978, 23(6), 469 - 80
Production of L-glutamic acid by a Bacillus sp; Chattopadhyay SP et al.; A strain of Bacillus cereus var . mycoides isolated from Burdwan soil produces L-glutamate in the medium . The strain is able to grow and produce in a synthetic medium but supplementation with casamino acid or yeast extract improves the yield . Maintenance of pH of the fermentation medium near neutrality prolongs the active growth period and improves the yield . Glucose and ammonium nitrate were found to be most suitable carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively . Cane sugar molasses (as a substitute for glucose) significantly stimulated the growth but glutamate production was less . Various B vitamins stimulate the growth and glutamate yield . The yield of glutamate under optimal condition is 5.2 g/l.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1978, 44(1), 105 - 13
Reisolation and growth conditions of bacillus agar-exedens; Hunger W et al.; Several agarolytic Bacillus strains have been isolated . The properties agree with those described by Wieringa (1941) for Bacillus agar-exedens . These strains are the first reisolates since the original cultures were lost . A second group of isolates is related to the agarolytic B . palustris var . gelaticus of Sickles and Shaw (1934) . B . agar-exedens requires carbohydrates for growth . In mineral-glucose media growth is inhibited by peptone at pH values of about 7 or less . Under alkaline conditions no inhibition by peptone is observed . A method for the enrichment of B . agar-exedens is described.

Mikrobiologiia, 1978 Jan-Feb, 47(1), 61 - 6
{Metal content in Bacillus megaterium cells under different cultivation conditions}; Sakharova ZV et al.; The content of K, Na, Mg, Fe, Al, Ba, Sr and Cu was studied in the cells of a chemostal culture of Bacillus megaterium whose growth was limited with citrate, the growth rates being D=mu=0.2, 0.4 and 0.7 hr(-1) . The growth was affected also by acid and alkaline values of pH . The content of metals in the cells could change tenfold, depending on their physiological state . The content of Ca, Mg and Fe increased with the growth rate while that of K remained constant . The content of metals changed even more sharply, depending on pH . In the alkaline medium, the content of K, Na, Mg, Ca and Fe decreased, in contrast to that of Al, Ba, Sr and Cu, probably as a result of damaged transport.

Acta Hepatogastroenterol (Stuttg), 1977 Dec, 24(6), 426 - 33
Jaundice in typhoid hepatitis: a light and electron microscopy study based on liver biopsies; de Brito T et al.; Light and electron microscopy study of fourteen liver biopsies in typhoid fever disclosed a mild hepatitis in which there is marked reticulo-endothelial hyperplasia, with many lymphoid cells in the hepatic sinusoids . The hepatic cell lesion was non specific, manifested by reticulum endoplasmic dilatation, mitochondrial alteration and biliary canaliculus injury . Such findings were particularly evident in the jaundiced patients.Jaundice was, in our series, a more frequent complication of acute typhoid fever than commonly reported . Usually it is of short duration and the serum bilirubin was not markedly elevated . However, there were instances when the jaundice was so accentuated as to lead the clinician to a first diagnosis of virus hepatitis or leptospirosis . The pathogenesis of the intrahepatic cholestasis in typhoid fever is still obscure, but apparently it is, as has been described in other infectious diseases, due to an injury of the bile secretory apparatus brought out by the bacillary endotoxin.

Arch Ophthalmol, 1977 Dec, 95(12), 2214 - 7
Calmette-Guerin bacillus treatment of experimental conjunctival malignant melanoma; Rutgard J et al.; Malignant melanoma of the conjunctival region was induced in the golden Syrian hamster . Inoculation of this lesion with Calmette-Guerin bacillus (BCG), 48 hours after injection of 10(3) tumor cells, either slowed, limited, or completely prevented the growth of the tumor in 56% of the treated eyes . In 98% of the control eyes, malignant melanoma grew rapidly and extensively.

Tubercle, 1977 Dec, 58(4), 201 - 5
The extent and importance of sensitization by opportunist mycobacteria in Lagos, Nigeria; Ogunmekan DA; 3505 school children aged 6 to 15 years were tested with PPDS and at the same time one of the following tuberculins, namely, PPDG, PPDPL, PPDA, PPDF and PPDY . The tuberculins were prepared from human tubercle bacillus, the Gause organism, M . marinum, M . avium, M . fortuitum and M . kansasii respectively . PPDY, PPDA and PPDG gave more reactions of greater than 2 mm induration than did PPDS . Furthermore, tests with PPDY, PPDA, PPDG and PPDPL showed a significant proportion of children with reactions of 10 mm or more, suggesting that many of them had been sensitized to these antigens, particularly in the older age groups . The tuberculin sensitivity profile of these children resembled that found for a small community in Georgia, U.S.A., which had been studied previously . The profile also resembled that of guinea pigs which had been experimentally infected with the Gause organism . This supports the conclusion that a high proportion of these children had past or present infection with either the Gause organism or antigenically related mycobacteria . Finally, PPDS gave the highest percentage of children who had reactions greater than 10 mm . It is suggested that 10 mm might be a useful size of induration to divide opportunist mycobacterial infection from infection by M . tuberculosis in Lagos.

J Natl Cancer Inst, 1977 Dec, 59(6), 1723 - 6
Inhibition of tumor growth by the peptidoglycan from Bacillus megaterium; Nauciel C et al.; When injected in admixture with tumor cells, the peptidoglycan extracted from Bacillus megaterium inhibited the growth of a chemically induced fibrosarcoma in syngeneic rats . In some instances, the tumor growth was totally suppressed . Animals rejecting mixed inocula exhibited a tumor-specific immunity . Peptidoglycan was not cytotoxic for tumor cells; it rendered macrophages nonspecifically cytotoxic.

Biull Eksp Biol Med, 1977 Dec, 84(12), 703 - 5
{Enterotoxic activity of live cultures of Sonne dysentery microbes and formation of enterotoxin in vivo}; Kamzolkina NB et al.; The great majority of virulent Sonne dysentery bacillus cultures caused an accumulation of the fluid in the lumen of the isolated segment of the rabbit small intestine containing a great amount of mucus and sometimes of the blood as well; the segment mucosa was hyperemic and had punctate hemorrhages . Avirulent microbial cultures as a rule caused no exudation in the intestinal lumen . Sterile and concentrated contents of the intestinal loops responding to the centrated contents of the intestinal loops responding to the administration of the virulent culture of Sonne bacillus or a toxigenic strain of Grigoriev-Shiga dysentery bacillus caused a positive response in other rabbits . The character of the exudate and the changes in the mucosa failed to differ from such following the administration of live cultures.

Arch Ophthalmol, 1977 Dec, 95(12), 2210 - 3
Ocular tolerance of bacillus Calmette-Guerin organisms; Rutgard J et al.; The results of this investigation indicate that 5 X 10(6) and 5 X 10(8) viable bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) organisms (Mycobacterium bovis strain) can be safely administered in the subconjunctival region of the eye of New Zealand albino rabbits without producing toxic effects locally or within the eye . This study provides a format for testing the applicability of BCG immunotherapy for experimental melanomas.

N Engl J Med, 1977 Dec 1, 297(22), 1197 - 203
Legionnaires' disease: isolation of a bacterium and demonstration of its role in other respiratory disease; McDade JE et al.; To identify the etiologic agent of Legionnaire's disease, we examined patients' serum and tissue specimens in a search for toxins, bacteria, fungi, chlamydiae, rickettsiae and viruses . From the lungs of four of six patients we isolated a gram-negative, non-acid-fast bacillus in guinea pigs . The bacillus could be transferred to yolk sacs of embryonated eggs . Classification of this organism is incomplete . We used yolk-sac cultures of the bacillus as antigen to survey suspected serum specimens, employing antihuman-globulin fluorescent antibody . When compared to controls, specimens from 101 to 111 patients meeting clinical criteria of Legionnaires' disease showed diagnostic increases in antibody titers . Diagnostic increases were also found in 54 recent sporadic cases of severe pneumonia and, retrospectively, in stored serum from most patients in two other previously unsolved outbreaks of respiratory disease . We conclude that Legionnaires' disease is caused by a gram-negative bacterium that may be responsible for widespread infection.

Arch Ophthalmol, 1977 Dec, 95(12), 2187 - 9
Bacillus laterosporus endophthalmitis; Yabbara KF et al.; A strain of Bacillus laterosporus was isolated from the aqueous and vitreous humors of a patient with endophthalmitis that developed after a penetrating injury of the cornea . Intravitreal inoculation of the isolate into rabbits produced severe panophthalmitis, corneal perforation, orbital cellulitis, and even meningitis . These observations suggest that B laterosporus, hitherto classified as nonpathogenic, is an opportunist that can cause disease when conditions are favorable.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1977 Dec, 30(12), 1042 - 8
The structure of polymyxin T1 . (Studies on antibiotics from the genus Bacillus . XXII); Shoji J et al.; Amino acid analysis of the acid hydrolyzate of polymyxin T1 revealed the amino acid composition . Isolation of the constituent amino acids and measurement of their optical activities clarified their chiralities . These were 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (6L), Thr(1L), Leu(2L) and Phe(1D) . The constituent fatty acid was identified as anteisononanoic acid by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry . Deacylation with polymyxin acylase afforded deacyl polymyxin T . Successive EDMAN degradation on deacyl polymyxin T revealed most of its amino acid sequence . The chemical cleavage reaction for fragmentation of threonyl peptide amino acid sequence . The chemical cleavage reaction for fragmentation of threonyl peptide on penta(DNP)-polymyxin T1 cleaved it at the C-terminal side of the Thr residue to afford a DNP-octapeptide, whose sequence was clarified by EDMAN degradation . Thus, the structure of polymyxin T1 was determined.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1977 Dec, 30(12), 1035 - 41
The structure of polymyxin S . (Studies on antibiotics from the genus Bacillus . XXI); Shoji J et al.; Amino acid analysis on the acid hydrolyzate of polymyxin S1 revealed its amino acid composition . Isolation of the constituent amino acids and measurement of their optical activities clarified their chiralities: Dab(5L), Thr(3L), Ser(1D) and Phe(1D) . The constituent fatty acid was identified with anteisononanoic acid by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry . By the action of polymyxin acylase, deacyl polymyxin S was obtained . Successive EDMAN degradation reaction on deacyl polymyxin S revealed the amino acid sequence . Further evidence for the structure of polymyxin S1 was obtained by partial acid hydrolysis on tetra-(DNP)-polymyxin S1.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1977 Dec, 30(12), 1029 - 34
Isolation of two new polymyxin group antibiotics . (Studies on antibiotics from the genus Bacillus . XX); Shoji J et al.; Two new members of polymyxin group antibiotics, polymyxins S1 and T1, were isolated from the culture broths of strains identified as Bacillus polymyxa Rs-6 and Bacillus polymyxa E-12, respectively . These antibiotics are strongly basic substances, their hydrochloric acid salts are soluble in water and methanol . They are primarily active against Gram-negative bacteria in vitro and in vivo though polymyxin T1 exhibits higher activities against Gram-positive bacteria than other polymyxin group antibiotics.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1977 Nov 21, 285(14), 1259 - 62
{Physicochemical properties of an extracellular polysaccharide isolated from culture media of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens}; Samor B et al.; A new extracellular polysaccharide has been isolated by chromatography on anion exchanger of a fraction obtained from highly viscous culture media of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens . This polysaccharide is characterised by high molecular weight (1,000,000 dalton) and intrinsic viscosity (323 ml/g) . It contains 24% neutral sugar (galactose and mannose 5:1), 35% glucuronic acid and 51.5% N-acetylhexosamines (N-actylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine and N-acetylbacillosamine 6:9:1).

J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1977 Nov 1, 171(9), 833 - 6
Tyzzer's disease in Syrian hamsters; Zook BC et al.; Tyzzer's disease was diagnosed in 18 Syrian hamsters . The clinical signs included sudden onset of diarrhea, dehydration, and lethargy; all affected hamsters died within 48 hours . Gross lesions consisted of multiple white nodules in the heart; dilated cecum and colon containing semiliquid feces, sometimes bearing necrotic plaques on the mucosa; and occasionally, a few small scattered white spots in the liver . Microscopic study of those lesions revealed areas of necrosis and mixed cellular inflammation . The causative agent, Bacillus piliformis, was demonstrated within myocardial fibers, hepatocytes, and colonic epithelial cells . Inoculation of chicken embryos and a clinically normal hamster with a homogenate of cecal wall prepared from affected hamsters resulted in reproduction of the agent and transmission of the disease.

Eur J Biochem, 1977 Nov 1, 80(2), 401 - 9
Structure and function of ornithine carbamoyltransferases; Legrain C et al.; The reaction catalyzed by ornithine carbamoyltransferase can participate in either the anabolism or the catabolism of arginine . The carbamoylation of ornithine, yielding citrulline, is involved in the biosynthetic sequence; the reverse reaction, the phosphorolysis of citrulline, is the second step of the arginine deiminase pathway . The ornithine carbamoyltransferases of a number of microorganisms which can fulfil both of these functions have been studied in this work . This group of organisms was found to possess two distinct ornithine carbamoyltransferases . The functions of these enzymes were surmised by determining the type of genetic regulation to which they were subjected . The kinetic properties of these various enzymes have been determined . All of them, regardless of the role they play in the cell, catalyze both the synthesis and arsenolysis of citrulline . The anabolic transferase of Pseudomonas is the only enzyme which displays functional irreversibility . A comparison of the quaternary structure of these transferases was performed and reveals interesting features in relation to the metabolic function of these enzymes . All well-characterized anabolic enzymes have low molecular weights (from 150000--105000) and are likely to be trimers . Catabolic enzymes, with the exception of those of Bacillus licheniformis and Halobacterium salinarium, display much higher molecular weights and more elaborate quaternary structure . The properties of these two groups of transferases are discussed in relation to their metabolic role in the cells.

Can J Microbiol, 1977 Nov, 23(11), 1518 - 25
A light and electron microscope study of the interaction of soil bacteria with Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands; Malajczuk N et al.; Light- and electron-microscopic examination showed that bacteria became associated with the hyphae and asexual reproductive structures of P . cinnamomi in soil . In suppressive soils this association appears to be correlated with hyphal lysis, inhibition of zoospore production, and sporangial breakdown . One notable feature of the microbial association between P . cinnamomi and soil bacteria is the formation of extensive slime material . Many of the bacteria isolated from the fungal hyphosphere display antagonism to the growth of P . cinnamomi in vitro . The bacteria are morphologically varied and include Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Streptomyces spp . These observations suggest that the appropriate manipulation of the antagonistic bacteria may provide a means of biological control of P . cinnamomi.

Arch Intern Med, 1977 Nov, 137(11), 1518 - 21
Tuberculous meningitis in an urban general hospital; Haas EJ et al.; We analyzed the clinical and laboratory findings of 19 patients with tuberculous meningitis seen between 1966 and 1974 at the Henry Ford Hospital . Eighteen patients were adults at the time of diagnosis . In eight patients, the history suggested that the infection with the tubercle bacillus had occurred in the remote past . Cerebrospinal fluid analysis was often typical for tuberculous meningitis; stains for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were usually negative . Of 16 patients who were treated, five died and five suffered permanent neurological sequelae . The addition to rifampin to isoniazid therapy did not improve either survival or permanent sequelae . We were not able to analyze the effect of steroids on the disease.

Mikrobiologiia, 1977 Nov-Dec, 46(6), 1057 - 63
{Conditions for formation of heteromorphic forms of Bacillus brevis and their cytology}; Peshkov MA et al.; The conditions of formation of Bacillus brevis var . GB heteromorphous forms were studied both under natural conditions and in the course of action of various factors . Natural polymorphism of the culture is low . It increases as the temperature of cultivation is lowered down to 28 degrees C or when the culture is kept at 5--6 degrees C in a refigerator . The P- and S forms of dissociation display higher polymorphism than than P+ and R variants . Cytological investigation has shown that heteromorphous forms are very large and contain gigantic nuclear formations in the form of solid bodies or bands . The sharp increase in the size of the nucleoids, their aggregation and splitting (breaking down of a band into sepraate units, transverse division of large nucleoids), as well as the data of biochemical analysis suggest the polygenomic or polyenergid nature of the giant heteromorphous forms of Bacillus brevis var . GB.

Mikrobiologiia, 1977 Nov-Dec, 46(6), 1050 - 6
{Electron microscopic study of the cells of variants of Bacillus thuringiensis var . galleriae forming colonies with altered morphology}; Smirnova TA et al.; Colonial-morphological variants of Bacillus thuringiensis var . Galleriae were studied by electron microscopy . The S variant was found to be asporogenous, whereas the R variant produced mature spores . Morphological modifications in the cell were followed in the course of sporulation . Spores were shown to have thin filamentous and tubular protrusions which had not been so far described in crystalliferous bacteria . Preparations from colonies of the R variant contained peculiar structures which resembled phage tails . A possible function of these structures is discussed.

Mikrobiologiia, 1977 Nov-Dec, 46(6), 1039 - 43
{Monosaccharide composition of the exopolysaccharides of oligonitrophilic bacteria}; Kosenko LV et al.; Exopolysaccharides from ten strains of oligonitrophilic bacteria were found to contain galactose, glucose and mannose . Strains belonging to the genus Mycobacterium contained also fucose, ramnose and three sugars that had not been identified: two of them were lipophilic and one had a lower Rf than ramnose . A correlation has been established between the composition of monosaccharides, their molar ratios in exocellular polysaccharides of oligonitrophilic bacteria, and the taxonomy of these microorganisms . Sporeforming bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus produce polysaccharides which contain galactose, glucose and mannose at a ratio of 10:19: : (13--15) . The molar ratio between the same sugars in exopolysaccharides of bacteria belonging to the genera Pseudomonas and Azotomonas is 10:(12--19) : (4--6) . The ratio between galactose, glucose, mannose, fucose, ramnose, the unknown sugar and the sum of two lipophilic sugars in exocellular polysaccharides of the genus Mycobacterium is 10:(15--16) : (5--6) : (7--10) : (0.1--9) : (0.3--0.5) : (0.4--0.8).

Biochem J, 1977 Nov 1, 167(2), 399 - 404
The histidine residues of phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus; Little C; The inactivation of phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus at pH6 by diethyl pyrocarbonate parallelled the N-ethoxyformylation of a single histidine residue in the enzyme . The inactivation arose from a decrease in the maximum velocity of the enzymic reaction with no effect on the Km value . The inactivation did not apparently alter the ability of the enzyme to bind to a substrate-based affinity gel . The native enzyme contained only one reactive histidine residue . Removal of the two zinc atoms from the enzyme increased the number of reactive histidine residues to five, whereas in the totally denatured enzyme nearly eight such residues were available for reaction with diethyl pyrocarbonate . The enzyme thus appears to contain one histidine residue that is essential for catalytic activity and four that may be involved in co-ordinating the zinc atoms in the structure.

Int J Radiat Biol Relat Stud Phys Chem Med, 1977 Nov, 32(5), 447 - 55
The decay of potentially lethal oxygen-dependent damage in fully hydrated Bacillus megaterium spores exposed to pulsed electron irradiation; Stratford IJ et al.; Using a stopped-flow mixing and pulsed irradiation apparatus, a study has been made of the decay, to a harmless form, of radiation-induced species which would otherwise be lethal to spores on contact with oxygen . Aqueous suspensions of Bacillus megaterium spores were irradiated with 600 krad of electrons given over approximately 1 s; at various times after irradiation oxygen in solution was added . As the interval between irradiation and introduction of oxygen increased, the fraction of spores surviving increased . For spores irradiated in a deoxygenated condition the decay of the potentially lethal species, reflected by this change in survival, proceeded as if two parallel first-order reactions with half-lives of 9 and 120 s operate . In contrast, for spores equilibrated with oxygen and then irradiated, the decay is described by a single first-order expression with an associated half-life similar to that of the faster of the two reactions operating in anoxia.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 Nov, 34(5), 512 - 7
Determination of pools of tricarboxylic acid cycle and related acids in bacteria; Siegel WH et al.; Methods for sampling, extracting, and quantitating the metabolic pools of organic acids from bacteria have been developed . The concentration of these metabolites was determined by a new gas chromatographic method that can quantitatively determine the levels of lactate, pyruvate, fumarate, succinate, malate, alpha-ketoglutarate, and citrate . Values obtained were confirmed by fluorimetric analyses of five of the individual acids . In Escherichia coli, pools range from about 1 to 5 mumol/g of dry weight, with a variation in replicate samples of 5 to 15% . Under similar conditions, these pools in Bacillus licheniformis are in the same range, although the pyruvic acid pool is significantly larger.

Cancer, 1977 Nov, 40(5 Suppl), 2731 - 9
Chemoimmunotherapy of metastatic large bowel cancer: nonspecific stimulation with BCG and levamisole; Valdivieso M et al.; The administration of two chemoimmunotherapy programs to 103 consecutive patients with metastatic colorectal cancer resulted in improved survival for patients who achieved either objective tumor regressions or disease stabilization for more than 8 weeks . Objective tumor regression was observed in 47% of patients treated with the Ftorafur-methyl-CCNU-methotrexate-Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (FTOR-MeM-BCG) program and in 34% of patients treated with the 5-fluorouracil-methotrexate-Baker's antifol (FU-M-BAF) +/- Levamisole program . The combinated median duration of survival for patients who achieved objective tumor regression and disease stabilization with FTOR-MeM-BCG was 13 months compared with 6 months for patients who had progression of disease (p = 0.001) . The corresponding values for patients treated with FU-M-BAF +/- levamisole were 11 months and seven months, respectively (p = 0.001) . While the role of BCG immunotherapy in these results remains speculative, the administration of levamisole immunotherapy did not appear to have influenced results significantly . Patients who presented at diagnosis with Dukes A, B and C lesions, and therefore had longer disease-free intervals, responded more frequently to chemoimmunotherapy and survived longer than patients who presented at diagnosis with Dukes D lesions . Similarly, greater antitumor effect was observed in patients with lower pretreatment plasma CEA levels evaluation of these pretreatment characteristics may have insignificant implications for the design of future clinical trials.

J Bacteriol, 1977 Nov, 132(2), 744 - 6
Production of large amounts of acetate during germination of Bacillus megaterium spores in the absence of exogenous carbon sources; Setlow B et al.; When Bacillus megaterium spores germinate in the absence of an exogenous carbon source, the first minutes of germination are accompanied by production of large amounts (approximately 70 nmol/mg of dry spores) of acetate and much smaller amounts of pyruvate and lactate . The majority of these compounds are excreted into the medium . Exogenous pyruvate and alanine are also converted to CO2 and acetate by germinating spores, presumably by using the pyruvate dehydrogenase that is present in dormant spores . These data suggest that the 3-phosphoglyceric acid stores in the dormant spore and alanine generated by proteolysis early in germination can be catabolized to acetate during germination with production of large amounts of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, acetyl coenzyme A, and adenosine 5'-triphosphate.

Cancer Res, 1977 Nov, 37(11), 3990 - 4
Intralesional Bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapy of canine venereal tumors; Hess AD et al.; Canine transmissible venereal tumors were studied for response to intralesional Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy . Six pairs of littermates, identical for the major histocompatibility complex, were evaluated . One member of each pair received intralesional BCG to one of two growing tumors . Lesions of control animals received 0.9% NaCl solution . Both injected and noninjected lesions of BCG-treated animals underwent regression within 63 days, as compared to an extended period of tumor growth (beyond 100 days) for controls (p less than 0.05) . Serial in vitro assays during therapy included; (a) mixed lymphocyte-tumor culture, (b) phytohemagglutinin stimulation, and (c) assessment of lymphocyte surface markers . Lymphocytes from BCG-treated dogs were significantly more responsive to tumor cells in mixed lymphocyte-tumor culture assay than were those from controls (p less than 0.05) . Maximal responses occurred during tumor regression . T- and B-lymphocyte levels as assayed by rosette formation and surface marker immunoglobulins were not influenced by BCG therapy . It was concluded that intralesional BCG therapy of canine venereal tumors was highly effective in causing regression of injected and noninjected lesions . This tumor model system may be useful for the evaluation of the effectiveness of new immunotherapeutic approaches on established neoplasms in large, randomly bred animals.

Mikrobiologiia, 1977 Nov-Dec, 46(6), 1014 - 8
{Relationship between spore formation and synthesis of extracellular protheases in Bacillus mesentericus}; Loriia ZhK et al.; Two phases were established in the synthesis of extracellular proteases by Bacillus mesentericus 73 . When the growth rate was high, the synthesis of proteases was small . The maximum rate of the enzyme synthesis was observed when the growth decelerated and the production of spores started . The synthesis of alkaline protease and the formation of spores are susceptible to nitrogen-metabolite and catabolite repression . The ability to produce spores was not found in the S variant of Bacillus mesentericus that did not synthesize extracellular proteases.

Biochem J, 1977 Nov 1, 167(2), 419 - 28
Affinity chromatography of aminoacyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetases . Cognate transfer ribonucleic acid as a ligand; Clarke CM et al.; The use of tRNA affinity columns for the purification of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases was investigated . A purification method for valyl-tRNA synthetase from Bacillus stearothermophilus is described that uses two affinity columns, one containing the pure cognate tRNA, and the other containing all tRNA species except the cognate tRNA . A method for the rapid preparation of the two columns was developed, which does not require prior isolation of cognate tRNA but makes use of the ability of the target synthetase to select its cognate tRNA . The usefulness of tRNA columns is compared with that of affinity columns derived from the aminoalkyladenylate reported in the preceding paper {Clarke & Knowles (1977) Biochem J . 167, 405-417}.

Arch Microbiol, 1977 Oct 24, 115(1), 61 - 6
Characterization and function of intracellular proteases in sporulating Bacillus cereus; Cheng YS et al.; Intracellular proteases from sporulating Bacillus cereus have been purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, heat treatment and DEAE cellulose column chromatography . After the last purification step, two protease activities, with an activity ratio of about thirty to one are resolved . Both proteases are resistant to o-phenanthroline but sensitive to phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride . Their separation by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and DEAE cellulose column chromatography, their difference in heat sensitivity and a mutation affecting only the major intracellular protease (IP1) suggest that the two are products of distinct genes . An IP1 mutant previously shown to produce coat defective spores (4) also turnsover protein with a reduced rate during late sporulation stages . Correlated with the slower turnover rate in this mutant is the more rapid disappearance of IP1 . A partial revertant of this mutant has a protein turnover rate intermediate between that of the original mutant and wild type . These correlations imply that IP1 has an important role in protein turnover during sporulation.

Biochemistry, 1977 Oct 18, 16(21), 4591 - 4
Characterization of the "microprotease" from Bacillus cereus . A zinc neutral endoprotease; Holmquist B; The neutral protease isolated from Bacillus cereus (BRL-70) has been purified by affinity chromatography and characterized . The enzyme exhibits a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, has a molecular weight of 34 000 by ultracentrifugation, and contains one enzymatically essential zinc atom per 34 000 g . These data together with the amino acid composition, response to metal substitution, chemical modification, and substrate specificity all indicate that this protease is monomeric and is a typical bacterial neutral metalloprotease.

Eur J Biochem, 1977 Oct 17, 80(1), 119 - 33
Inhibition of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase from rabbit muscle and Bacillus stearothermophilus; Lewis DJ et al.; Phosphoglycollohydroxamic acid and phosphoglycollamide are inhibitors of rabbit muscle fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase . The binding dissociation constants determined by enzyme inhibition and protein fluorescence quenching suggest that two distinct enzyme inhibitor complexes may be formed . The binding dissociation constants of the two inhibitors to Bacillus stearothermophilus cobalt (II) fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase have also been determined . The hydroxamic acid is an exceptionally potent inhibitor (Ki = 1.2 nM) probably due to direct chelation with Co(II) at the active site . The inhibition, however, is time-dependant and the association and dissociation constants have been estimated . Ethyl phosphoglycollate irreversibly inhibits rabbit muscle fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase in the presence of sodium borohydride, presumably by forming a stable secondary amine through the active-site lysine reside . A new condensation assay for fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolases has been developed which is more sensitive than currently used assay procedures.

J Biol Chem, 1977 Oct 10, 252(19), 6806 - 12
Interrelationship of carbohydrate metabolism and alkaline phosphatase synthesis in Bacillus licheniformis 749/c; Hydrean C et al.; Membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase of Bacillus licheniformis 749/c is derepressed by glucose in complex and chemically defined media . In the presence of lactate, pyruvate, or succinate the synthesis is repressed . The lactate repression neither affects total protein synthesis nor inhibits penicillinase synthesis . Thus, carbon sources specifically influence alkaline phosphatase synthesis . Although variations in the inorganic phosphate content of the growth media directly affect alkaline phosphatase synthesis, the intracellular inorganic and total phosphate pools appear to be unrelated to its repression or derepression . During lactate repression there is preferential incorporation of lactate molecules into glycogen, whereas no such incorporation could be detected from glucose . Net glycogen synthesis remains the same in glucose- or lactate-grown cells . It is postulated that, in phosphate-deficient growth medium, gluconeogenic metabolism regulates alkaline phosphatase synthesis.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1977 Oct 3, 285(7), 833 - 6
{Mutants of Bacillus thuringiensis with altered sporulation: morphologic responses to several treatments applied in the exponential phase}; Fargette F et al.; During log-phase of growth, wild strain and and oxytetracycline-resistant mutants with altered sporulation exhibit distinct responses to some treatments, autolysis, osmotic pressure, ultraviolet irradiation and bacteriophage infection.

Cancer Res, 1977 Oct, 37(10), 3679 - 83
Preoperative intralesional Bacillus Calmette-Guérin for mammary adenocarcinoma in rats; Lee YT; The optimal time interval between intralesional Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and resection of s.c . tumor was studied in 70 female Fischer rats implanted with syngeneic 13762 mammary adenocarcinoma . If this tumor is resected about 17 days after implantation, all animals die from spontaneous pulmonary metastasis . Injection of BCG to tumor 3 to 7 days before resection, significantly improved the survival rates over rats that had resection of tumor only . About 22% of the rats so treated are long-term cures . The therapeutic effect of intralesional BCG was most pronounced in rats with smaller tumors, although BCG was effective in tumors over 2 cm . Intralesional BCG given 1 day prior to resection decreased survival for rats bearing larger tumors . The addition of postoperative systemic (s.c.) BCG immunotherapy did not improve the beneficial effect of preoperative intralesional BCG and resection of primary tumor.

Lepr India, 1977 Oct, 49(4), 492 - 4
Evaluation of thyroid functions in leprosy . II . Histopathology of the thyroid; Kaur S et al.; Open thyroid biopsies from seven patients of bacilliferous leprosy were studied for leprous granuloma or amyloid deposition . None of the patients had clinical evidence of thyroid involvement . Histopathology did not reveal any specific abnormality.

Nord Vet Med, 1977 Oct, 29(10), 429 - 35
{The occurrence of Bacillus cereus in dairy products (authors transl)}; Sogaard H et al.; During one year 1390 samples of pasteurized milk products from five different dairies were examined for content of B . cereus . The examination was done on the day of packaging and after incubation at 17 degrees C for 24 hrs . as well . On examination on the day of packaging 8.1 % were positive . No difference could be demonstrated between low-temperature pasteurized and high-temperature pasteurized products . However, differences were found from one plant to another (2.1 %--14.5 %) . After incubation B . cereus were isolated from 17.2 % of low-temperature pasteurized samples and from 22.8 % of high-temperature pasteurized products . The occurrence of B . cereus varied according to season . In July-September the level of contamination was 40 % . It is concluded that during summer months bacteriological examination of dairy products should be supplemented with an examination for B . cereus . This could provide a valuable tool in checking the efficiency of dairy cleaning.

J Clin Microbiol, 1977 Oct, 6(4), 340 - 2
Microwave oven irradiation as a method for bacterial decontamination in a clinical microbiology laboratory; Latimer JM et al.; Exposure of 10 frequently isolated clinical pathogens to microwave irradiation resulted in total sterilization with 60 s . Time exposure experiments done with commercially prepared test strips containing Bacillus stearothermophilus spores indicated that 5-min exposure was adequate to insure sterility of small, contaminated loads.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1977 Oct, (10), 111 - 5
{Origin of plague moderate phages of serotype 2}; Novosel'tsev NN et al.; Results of study of the negative colonies morphology, the structure of corpuscles, antigenic properties, specificity, and the action range permitted to refer the phages obtained from 18 E . coli strain, 1 plaque strain, and 1 pseudotoberculosis bacillus strain to the same group and to identify them with plague phages of serological type 2 . Isolation of the same phage type from different bacterial species permits to regard them as "polyhostal" ones . E . coli should be considered as the main carrier of phages belonging to serological type 2 . It is suggested that phages existing on microbes belonging to different species should be called "polyhostal".

Gut, 1977 Oct, 18(10), 800 - 4
Myopathy in Whipple's disease; Swash M et al.; We report a patient with Whipple's disease who developed a myopathy that improved during antibiotic therapy . The muscle biopsy showed mild type 2 fibre atrophy, type 1 fibre preponderance, variability in fibre size, and changes in the myofibrillar pattern of affected fibres . Interfascicular macrophages contained PAS-positive material . With the electron microscope these macrophages contained membranous inclusions and bacillary bodies, similar to those seen in the jejunal biopsy.

J Biol Chem, 1977 Sep 10, 252(17), 5936 - 8
Mutants of Bacillus megaterium resistant to uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation; Decker SJ et al.; Mutants of Bacillus megaterium displaying malate-stimulated ATP synthesis resistant to uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation were isolated and partially characterized . ATP synthesis in such mutants was resistant to carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone as well as to other uncouplers including 2,4-dinitrophenol, pentachlorophenol, and sodium azide . ATP synthesis in the wild type and in resistant mutants was sensitive to N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, tributyltin, valinomycin plus potassium, and potassium cyanide . Active transport of glycine and glutamine which are sensitive to uncouplers in the wild type was also uncoupler-sensitive in the mutants.

Rev Can Biol, 1977 Sep, 36(3), 253 - 63
Regression of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in BCG-sensitized mice; Turcotte R; Intraperitoneal inoculation of CF1 mice with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) protected many of them against the ascites form of Ehrlich carcinoma; and, for those that developed cancer, complete regression occurred in up to 50% of the cases at an advanced state of the neoplastic disease . In contrast, when a booster dose of BCG was administered in admixture with tumor cells, the incidence of the tumor was lower and tumor regressions were very rarely observed in mice that developed cancer . Trypan blue, an inhibitor of lysosomal enzymes of macrophages, was found to markedly suppress the natural (innate) antitumor resistance of control mice as well as the acquired resistance and tumor regressions of BCG-sensitized mice . Moreover, a comparison of the cytotoxic activity of the adherent (macrophages) and nonadherent (predominantly lymphocytes) cells isolated from the peritoneal cavity of BCG-sensitized mice, as measured by the inhibition of DNA synthesis, revealed that the effector cells were amongst the macrophages . In contrast, spleen macrophages were devoid of cytotoxicity . The spleen lymphocytes from both BCG-sensitized and control mice possessed about the same significant cytotoxic activity . These results indicate that the activated peritoneal macrophages, induced by a local injection of BCG, could play an important role in the antitumor immunity against Ehrlich carcinoma.

Cancer, 1977 Sep, 40(3), 1052 - 9
Treatment of lung cancer by radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and methanol extraction residue of BCG (MER): clinical and immunological studies; Robinson E et al.; Fifty-one patients with advanced lung cancer were divided at random into two groups . One group of 29 patients received the methanol extraction residue (MER) of Bacille-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) in addition to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy . The other group of 22 patients was treated by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy alone . The immune status of the patients was evaluated by skin tests to three recall antigens and KLH and by in vitro lymphocyte stimulation to PHA and three recall antigens . The immune status of both groups was similar before and after conventional treatment . The cutaneous reactivity, as well as the in vitro lymphocyte reactivity, became stronger in the MER-treated group, as compared with the control group . The MER-treated patients had less distant metastases . In a comparable clinical stage the survival in the MER treated group was slightly but not significantly better . This study has shown that MER stimulates the immune response, can be well tolerated and has few side effects . Therefore, MER treatment of patients with minimal tumor load can ethically be done with hope of obtaining better results.

J Bacteriol, 1977 Sep, 131(3), 897 - 905
In vitro production of bacitracin by proteolysis of vegetative Bacillus licheniformis cell protein; Vitkovic L et al.; The action of a sporulation-specific seryl protease on antibiotic-free extracts of Bacillus licheniformis cells yields a peptide that is identified as bacitracin by its biological activity, its spectral properties, and its comigration with genuine bacitracin in both paper and thin-layer chromatography . During proteolysis, a chemical structure is generated with the spectral properties of a delta-2 thiazoline ring . The yield in vitro, 4 microgram of bacitracin per mg of protein, is less than the maximal yield from sporulating cells, 75 microgram of bacitracin per mg of cell protein, but is a linear function of the amount of protein in the reaction system . Approximately 30% of the protein yielding the antibiotic is ribosomal associated, and only 25% of that amount can be removed by washing with 1 M NH4Cl . The substrate protein is a constant fraction of the cell protein throughout exponential growth and very early sporulation stages of culture development.

J Bacteriol, 1977 Sep, 131(3), 891 - 6
Purification of the extracellular protease of Bacillus licheniformis and its inhibition by bacitracin; Vitkovic L et al.; Sporulating cells of Bacillus licheniformis excrete three seryl proteases that are of similar size, 28,000 daltons, but of different charge at pH 6 . The peptide antibiotic bactracin is released from the cells at the same time and exists, in part, as a bacitracin-protease complex that is stable throughout chromatographic procedures employed in enzyme purification . However, preextraction of crude protease with CHCl3 and subsequent gel filtration effect separation of the antibiotic and the enzyme . Three purified, bacitracin-free proteases, designated CMC I, CMC II, and CMC III and whose ratios of total activity are 1:3.7:10.3, respectively, are obtained by chromatography on carboxymethyl cellulose . The major component, CMC III, is inhibited by commercial bacitracin at near-physiological concentrations of the antibiotic.

J Bacteriol, 1977 Sep, 131(3), 1029 - 32
Selective plasmid transduction in Bacillus pumilus; Bramucci MG et al.; The inducible temperate bacteriophage phi75 and a clear-plaque-forming variant, phi75C1, mediated transduction of a 4.4 X 10(6)-dalton multicopy Bacillus pumilus plasmid, pPL10, at frequencies of 10(-5) to 10(-6) transductants per plaque-forming unit . phi75- and phi75C1-mediated transduction of several chromosome markers tested did not occur at a detectable frequency . phi75-mediated plasmid transducing activity resides in particles that are similar to infectious particles in sedimentation velocity and buoyant density.

J Assoc Off Anal Chem, 1977 Sep, 60(5), 1116 - 8
Detection of residual penicillins in milk by using a Bacillus stearothermophilus disk assay; Ouderkirk LA; A paper disk method based on a procedure described by the International Dairy Federation is presented for the detection of 4 beta-lactam antibiotics (penicillin G, ampicillin, cephapirin, and cloxacillin) in whole milk . Bacillus stearothermophilus var . calidolactis, prepared as a stable spore suspension, was used as the test organism . Levels of 0.005 unit penicillin G/ml, 0.005 microgram ampicillin or cephapirin/ml, and 0.05 microgram cloxacillin/ml were readily detected in whole milk . Results were produced in 3-4 hr . The method offers several advantages, including greater simplicity, sensitivity, and rapidity, over methods now commonly used to detect residual levels of these drugs in milk.

Cancer Res, 1977 Sep, 37(9), 3338 - 43
Association of macrophage activation with antitumor activity by synthetic and biological agents; Schultz RM et al.; Treatment of normal BALB/c mice i.p . with a number of adjuvants, including pyran copolymer, the copolymer of polyinosinic and polycytidylic acids, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, glucan, and dextran sulfate, rendered macrophages nonspecifically cytostatic for syngeneic tumor cells . Macrophage activation was highly dose dependent . The validity of the inhibition of DNA synthesis assay for measuring macrophage-induced cytostasis of target cells was proven by demonstrating a concurrent decrease in RNA synthesis and a reduction in viable tumor cell number . Moreover, conditioned supernatants from pyran-activated macrophages did not significantly decrease {3H}thymidine incorporation by freshly added leukemia cells . Biological or synthetic agents that activated macrophages were generally effective systemic antitumor agents against the M109 lung carcinoma . Drugs that did not activate macrophages, such as typhoid vaccine, tilorone, levamisole, WY-13876, and thymosin, were ineffective in prolonging the life of tumor-bearing mice . Pyran treatment i.p . was the most effective antitumor adjuvant in two separate tumor models, and suppression of tumor growth appeared to be related not only to an increase in macrophage tumoricidal function, but also to a larger influx of macrophages responding at the tumor site.

Mikrobiologiia, 1977 Sep-Oct, 46(5), 954 - 9
{Changes in the chemical composition of Bacillus popilliae vegetative cells in the course of their growth on a chemically defined medium}; Bagdasarian SN et al.; The growth, development and changes in the chemical composition of Bacillus popilliae cells were studied in the course of their growth on a liquid chemically defined medium containing casein hydrolysate, complex vitamin mixtures and glucose . Growth of the culture on this medium was accompanied with diauxia which could be registered by changes in the rate of growth and synthesis of the main cellular polymers (DNA, RNA, protein, phospholipids) . The rate of protein synthesis correlated with the specific growth rate which was maximal when the reserve substances of the cells or the compounds of partly digested biomass were used . The rate of protein synthesis in the experiment depended mainly on the protein synthesizing activity of RNA rather than on its content in the cells . The low rates of growth and protein synthesis, which suggest that the growth of the culture is being interested with in the course of utilization of the components of the nutrient medium, may account for the absence of spore formation by this strain on the medium used.

J Gen Virol, 1977 Sep, 36(3), 547 - 50
Isolation and characterization of a Bacillus megaterium QMB1551 bacteriophage; Carvalho PM et al.; A bacteriophage specific for Bacillus megaterium QM B1551 was isolated . This phage (MP-7) was a lytic phage of typical morphology and distinct stability properties . The DNA was double-stranded, with a mole % G+C of 38.9 +/- 0.7 and a mol . wt . of 42 to 44 X 10(6).

Clin Exp Immunol, 1977 Sep, 29(3), 393 - 400
Circulating T-cell numbers and their mitogenic potential in leprosy--correlation with mycobacterial load; Nath I et al.; The effect of treatment and mycobacterial load on circulating T-cell numbers and their functional ability was investigated in forty-one patients with leprosy . Both early binding T cells and their responses to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) were profoundly and uniformly depressed in untreated, and partially treated, bacilleferous lepromatous leprosy (LL) patients as compared with normal subjects and tuberculoid patients . On elimination of mycobacteria, subsequent to chemotherapy, LL patients regain normality in T-cell numbers and their functions . On the other hand, the specific response of lymphocytes to M . leprae did not alter with decrease in mycobacterial load . It appears that the decrease in T-cell numbers and the deficit in their mitogenic potential is a secondary consequence of disease and is related to the antigenic load in patients with lepromatous leprosy.

J Immunol, 1977 Sep, 119(3), 889 - 96
Macrophage activation for tumor cytotoxicity: induction of tumoricidal macrophages by supernatants of PPD-stimulated Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-immune spleen cell cultures; Ruco LP et al.; Resident peritoneal macrophages from normal mice were activated for tumor cytotoxicity in vitro by co-cultivation with BCG1-immune spleen cells and PPD and by incubation with supernatants of PPD-stimulated BCG-immune spleen cell cultures (lymphokine supernatants) . Lymphokine activation of macrophages occurred in unfractionated PC suspensions as well as in macrophage monolayers depleted of nonadherent PC . Tumor cytotoxicity by lymphokine-activated macrophages was evident by 3 to 4 hr of culture in active supernatants, reached maximal levels by 8 to 12 hr . and was absent by 20 hr . Continued incubation in lymphokines or even re-exposure after washing did not maintain macrophage cytotoxicity . The capacity of normal resident macrophages to be activated by lymphokines in vitro progressively decreased and was absent by 20 hr in culture . This decrease did not necessarily reflect cell death; macrophage viability as estimated by exclusion of trypan blue or by phagocytic responses did not change over the 20-hr culture period . The short lived nature of both macrophage tumoricidal capacity and capacity of precursor cells to be activated by lymphokines may function as negative feedback mechanisms in immune reactions.

J Immunol, 1977 Sep, 119(3), 1152 - 8
BCG-induced murine effector cells . II . Characterization of natural killer cells in peritoneal exudates; Wolfe SA et al.; The cytotoxic activity in peritoneal exudates harvested from C57BL/6 mice 4 to 6 days after they had received viable Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) organisms i.p . was associatee with a nonadherent, nonphagocytic cell . The cytotoxic cell lacked demonstrable surface immunoglobulin and Thy 1 antigen and bore no readily detectable Fc receptors . Lytic activity was labile at 37 degrees C and was diminished after trypsinization of the effector cells . Preincubating effector cells with immune complexes was without effect on lytic expression . These features make it likely that the cytolytic activity was associated with "natural killer" (NK) cells, previously described in unimmunized mouse spleens and mesenteric lymph nodes . Whether BCG induced "activation" of resident NK cells, the de novo production of NK cells, or "homing" into the peritoneum of cells normally resident in other lymphoid tissue is not known.

Biokhimiia, 1977 Sep, 42(9), 1660 - 7
{Proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin crystals}; Chestukhina GG et al.; Pure crystals (at least 99% purification) of sigma-endotoxin were isolated from Bac . thuringiensis var . galleriae . The complete dissolution of crystals might be achieved by the increase of pH up to 12 and higher or by a combined action of S = S-reducing and denaturing agents . Electrophoresis of the solubilized crystal proteins in 5% polyacrylamide gels containing 0,1% sodium dodecyl sulfate and 8 M urea reveals two major bands corresponding to molecular weights of 120000--140000 (65%) and 65000 (8-10%), and some minor components whose molecular weights varied from 65000 to 340000 . Urea (3--8 M) causes to partial dissolution of the crystals; the component with molecular weight of 65000 is mainly found in the solution (component A) . In dithioerythritol extracts at pH 9 the major component of the crystal is the protein with molecular weight 120000--140000 (component B) . The crystals, alkali-soluble components and proteins isolated from crystals by selective extraction (3--8 M urea or 0.01 M dithioerythrytol, pH 9) were found toxic for the larvae of Galleria mellonella.

J Bacteriol, 1977 Sep, 131(3), 784 - 8
Sodium ion-stimulated alpha-{1-14C}aminoisobutyric acid uptake in alkalophilic Bacillus species; Kitada M et al.; Alkalophilic Bacillus no . 8-1 grows well in alkaline media containing 2.5 to 5% NaCl . The uptake of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) into the cells is stimulated by the addition of NaCl (Na+) up to a concentration of 0.2 M, but other monovalent cations such as K+, Li+, or NH4+ cannot substitute for Na+ . The kinetic studies reveal that, when the Na+ concentration increases from 0.02 to 0.2 M in alkaline medium, the Km for transport decreases, whereas Vmax remains almost constant . Competition studies indicate that glycine, L-alanine, L-serine, and AIB share common carriers for the transport of the compounds into cells . Other alkalophilic bacteria are also found to require Na+ for the uptake of AIB into the cells.

Arch Microbiol, 1977 Aug 26, 114(2), 189 - 91
Induction of microcycle sporulation in Bacillus brevis spp . AG4 by amethopterin; Pandey NK et al.; Addition of amethopterin to medium before inoculation inhibited DNA synthesis and induced microcycle sporogenesis in Bacillus brevis spp . AG4 . Synthesis of RNA and proteins occurred at a considerably reduced rate.

Z Rechtsmed, 1977 Aug 26, 80(2), 139 - 51
{A fatal food poisoning caused by bacillus cereus (author's transl)}; Dirnhofer R et al.; The autopsy of a 37 year old man who had died under extraordinary circumstances showed a bromatoxism by bacillus cereus . The verification of the bacillus was possible although the man had already died 2-3 days before; and that in spite of the existence of early beginning rottenness . With the help of morphological findings the pathogenetic effect of the toxins (exotoxin and enterotoxin) of bacillus cereus is discussed . Blood cultures of the heart alone are not sufficient to prove a causal connexion between infection and death . For this purpose bacteriological examination of the organs (liver, spleen, kidney, lungs and brain) is at the same time necessary . An aseptic method, which is described in detail, is the absolute condition for useful results . The forensic value of proof of the bacteriological examination is secured and improved by an additional verification of bacteria in histological specimen coloured by Gram.

Biochem J, 1977 Aug 1, 165(2), 279 - 85
Substrate-induced deactivation of penicillinases . Studies of beta-lactamase I by hydrogen exchange; Kiener PA et al.; The conformational motility of beta-lactamase I from Bacillus cereus was studied by hydrogen exhange . The time course of the isotopic replacement of peptide hydrogen atoms was followed by 'exchange-in' or 'exchange-out' experiments . Many of the substrates for this enzyme that have o-substituted aromatic or heterocyclic side chains (e.g . methicillin or cloxacillin) are known to effect a decrease in enzymic activity ('substrate-induced deactivation') . There was a marked discontinuity in the exchange-out curve when methicillin or cloxacillin was diffused into the enzyme solution . About one-half of the hydrogen atoms that were probed were affected by the presence of these substrates, and the change in the reactivity of the hydrogen atoms was also large . Substrates that do not bring about deactivation (benzylpenicillin and cephalosporin C) do not affect the hydrogen exchange, nor do reversible competitive inhibitors such as the penicilloic acid or penilloic acid . On the other hand, Zn2+ ions do affect the hydrogen exchange; their effect is similar to that of methicillin or cloxacillin.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 Aug, 34(2), 120 - 4
Seasonal distribution of vitamin B12 in Lake Kinneret; Cavari B et al.; Vitamin B12 is formed in Lake Kinneret in the hypolimnion and in the sediment . The highest value of B12 recorded in the lake water was about 100 ng/liter in November and December of 1975 at a 40-m depth . The vitamin was liberated from the hypolimnion during the turnover period . This supply of the vitamin to the photic zone was accompanied by increasing biomass of Dinoflagellates, Bacillariophyta, and Chlorophyta . The decrease in the vitamin concentration, followed by an increase, is correlated with a decline and subsequent rise in the algal biomass, respectively . Cyanophyta biomass, on the other hand, increased when the vitamin concentration in the photic zone was at its lowest level.

J Urol, 1977 Aug, 118(2), 244 - 6
Aggressive versus conservative management of stage IV renal cell carcinoma; Klugo RC et al.; Improved modalities to treat metastatic renal cell carcinoma will require an aggressive surgical and chemotherapeutic approach . Nephrectomy with hormonal and non-hormonal chemotherapy does improve median survival and 3-year survival significantly . The use of xenogeneic specific immune ribonucleic acid and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin offers promising immunotherapeutic modalities that may be combined with surgical and chemotherapeutic regimens . Early diagnosis of metastatic disease is important to evaluate properly the results of various modalities of treatment and possibly to improve the efficiency of these modalities . The management of solitary metastatic nodules should involve aggressive resection of the primary and metastatic nodule . Adjuvant hormonal and non-hormonal chemotherapy should be considered in all stages of the disease.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Aug, 136(2), 171 - 5
Nonspecific protection of mice against influenza virus infection by local or systemic immunization with Bacille Calmette-Guérin; Spencer JC et al.; Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) has been used effectively to protect nonspecifically against bacterial infections and neoplasms, probably by enhancement of cell-mediated immunity . It has been suggested that cell-mediated immunity plays a role in the host defense against certain viral infections . In recent in vitro studies, macrophages from animals sensitized by BCG were more effective in lowering the titer of influenza virus than were macrophages from control animals . The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo effectiveness of nonspecific immune stimulation with BCG on influenza virus infection in mice . Immunization with BCG resulted in significant protection of mice . Also, the local (nasal) route of immunization was more effective than the systemic (intraperitoneal) route against the intranasal inoculum of virus, a finding which suggests that important role of local immunity, i.e., either earlier stimulation of secretory antibody or nonspecific cell-mediated immunity . The time course of the resistance ot infection suggests that interferon was not the protective mechanism.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Aug, 136 Suppl, S246 - 51
Chemically defined bacterial products with immunopotentiating activity; Chedid L et al.; The adjuvant activity of two chemically well-defined bacterial products is reviewed: (1) lipopolysaccharides of gram-negative bacillis and their acylated detoxified derivatives, and (2) mycobacterial water-soluble fractions and synthetic analogues . Water-soluble adjuvant can substitute for mycobacteria in Freund's adjuvant, but if it is administered in saline, it has little activity . In contrast, lipopolysaccharide under the same conditions markedly increases the humoral antibody response . However, the use of lipopolysaccharide is limited by its toxicity . Water-soluble adjuvant treated with phthalic or succinic anhydride was shown to be an adjuvant when administered in saline . Furthermore, synthetic M-acetyl-muramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine also increased the humoral immune response when given in aqueous medium instead of in the usual water-in-oil emulsion . This compound, which has a small molecular weight, is not mitogenic, immunogenic, or toxic in mice, and was shown to have adjuvant activity even when given by the oral route.

Infect Immun, 1977 Aug, 17(2), 430 - 8
Suppression of babesiosis in BCG-infected mice and its correlation with tumor inhibition; Clark IA et al.; Infection of mice with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) provided good protection against Babesia species . The intensity and duration of this protection was similar to that established after natural recovery from babesiosis . It developed too soon after the first exposure to the parasite, and was too radioresistant, to be attributable to specific antibody production . In addition, the parasites degenerated within circulating erythrocytes . This phenomenon is inconsistent with phagocytosis or lysis of parasites or parasitized cells, or prevention of entry of parasites into erythrocytes, causing the observed protection . Hence the phenomenon is best explained by the release of a nonspecific mediator that can limit multiplication of parasites within erythrocytes . These results not only throw light on mechanisms of immunity against hemoprotozoa . There are many points of similarity between the nonspecific protection BCG and Corynebactium parvum provide against Babesia species and inhibition of tumor growth by these agents . Therefore, babesiosis in mice may be a convenient experimental model for assessing stimulation of the mononuclear phagocyte system, which appears to be the basis of nonspecific immunity against bacteria, parasites, and tumors.

Pediatr Res, 1977 Aug, 11(8), 906 - 9
Protection against experimental necrotizing enterocolitis by maternal milk . I . Role of milk leukocytes; Pitt J et al.; A rat model of necrotizing enterocolitis of the neonate in which maternal milk had been protective was studied to determine what components of the milk afforded protection and by what mechanism . Frozen and thrawed rat milk was not protective, but formula supplemented with rat milk cells was . It was concluded that the cells provided protection . The cells, which are principally mononuclear phagocytes, can phagocytize and kill the Klebsiella pneumoniae strain used in the animal model . Animals with necrotizing enterolitis had peritonitis and bacteremia caused by this bacillus.

J Exp Med, 1977 Aug 1, 146(2), 611 - 6
Immunostimulators induce granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating activity and block proliferation in a monocyte tumor cell line; Ralph P et al.; Monocyte tumor cell line PU5-1.8 does not normally produce colony-stimulating activity (CSA) required by granulocyte and macrophage progenitors to proliferate and mature in agar . However, CSA is induced in the culture line by as little as 10 ng/ml endotoxic lipopolysaccharide (LPS), with maximum CSA production and release to the medium between 2 and 3 days of incubation . Derived lipid A, but not alkali-treated LPS, is also active . Induction requires RNA and protein synthesis, but is not blocked by mitomycin C or Colcemid . Other inducers of CSA include Mycobacterium Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, tuberculin protein preparation purified protein derivative, zymosan, and phorbol myristate . All inducing agents are specific inhibitors of the monocyte tumor cell proliferation in vitro . Latex beads, another macrophage-activating agent, are rapidly phagocytosed by PU5-1.8 cells, but neither inhibit growth nor induce CSA.

Br Med J, 1977 Jul 30, 2(6082), 293 - 5
BCG and vole bacillus vaccines in the prevention of tuberculosis in adolescence and early adult life; Hart PD et al.; The Medical Research Council's trial of BCG and vole bacillus vaccines in the prevention of tuberculosis in Great Britain has ended after 20 years' follow-up of the 54 239 participants, who were aged 14 to 15 years when the entered the trial in 1950-2 . Participants who were tuberculin positive on entry were left unvaccinated; those who were tuberculin negative were allocated at random to an unvaccinated or to a vaccinated group . The protective efficacy of each of the two vaccines, among those initially tuberculin negative, was 84% during the first five years, and gradually decreased, averaging 77% for each vaccine over the whole period . The incidence of tuberculosis decreased substantially in all groups during the trial, however, and of the total of 610 cases of tuberculosis only 27 developed between 15 and 20 years . Thus we cannot make a reliable assessment of efficacy during this final period . The prevalence and incidence of tuberculosis in Great Britain have decreased radically since this trial began . The expected benefit from large-scale BCG-vaccination of children is now far less, and may decrease further if the incidence of tuberculosis continues to decline.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1977 Jul 15, 477(2), 177 - 84
The peptide antibiotic gramicidin D . A specific reactivator of tyrocidine-inhibited transcription; Ristow H; The sporulating bacterial strain Bacillus brevis (ATCC 8185) produces two types of peptide antibiotics, the linear gramicidins and the cyclic tyrocidines . Their effects on transcription in vitro were studied: 1 . RNA synthesis catalized by RNA polymerase and DNA as template, both from B . brevis cells, is inhibited by the addition of gramicidin maximally to 50% as compared to controls without gramicidin . This inhibition is dependent on the concentration of gramicidin as well as on that of RNA polymerase . 2 . Transcription of DNA is also inhibited by tyrocidine . This inhibition is partially compensated by the addition of gramicidin . Here, the action of gramicidin is again dependent on its concentration and on that of RNA polymerase . 3 . This counteraction of gramicidin occurs only with RNA polymerase from B . brevis . Enzyme preparations of other origin are additively inhibited by gramicidin when previously inhibited by tyrocidine . The specific action pattern of gramicidin and tyrocidine in connection with the B . brevis RNA polymerase supports the notion that the two peptide antibiotics may be involved in a gene regulatory mechanism during sporogenesis.

C R Acad Sci Hebd Seances Acad Sci D, 1977 Jul 11, 285(2), 201 - 3
{Morphologic alterations induced by aflatoxin B1 in Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner)}; Lemarinier S et al.; Significative ultrastructural alterations shown in aflatoxin B1, treated cells of Bacillus thuringiensis are: increase of number of mesosomes which are hypertrophied, decrease of ribosomes and formation of imperfect cell septa.

What Is Nitrification?, What Is Cell Biology?, What Is Genetic Engineering?, What Is Water Purification?, What Is Biofilter?, n, Microorganisms, n, Microbes, e, Bacteriology, i, Microorganism, e, Bacterium, n, Salmonella typhimurium, e, Enterobacteriacea, a, Haemophilus, r, Candida tropicalis, c, Microorganisms, a, Escherichia coli, n, Paracocci, a, Agrobacterium, n, Antimicrobials, s, Streptococci, e, Cell suspensions, o, Microorganism, e, Escherichia coli, i, Staphylococcus aureus, r, Escherichia coli, i, Streptococci, o, Bacteria, a, Escherichia coli, n, Yeasts, s, Microorganism, o, Haemophilus

Scientific Publications - Work Done by Microbiology Reader Bioscreen C
Agricultural Microbiology Anaerobic Microbiology Antimicrobial Susceptibility Artificial Atmosphere Bioassay of Antibiotics Biofilm Microbiology Bioreactor Technology Biotechnology Cell Biology Clinical Microbiology Environmental Microbiology Experiments with Yeast	Fermentation Food Microbiology Functional Genomics Gene Technology Growth Media Development Growth Rate and Lag Time Industrial Microbiology Medical/Pharmaceutical Field Microbiological Assay Microbiological Research Microbiology of Cosmetics go to a specific theme...	Military Microbiology Molecular Microbiology Mutagenicity and Genotoxicity Oral Microbiology Patents Postantibiotic Studies Soil Microbiology Spore Microbiology Veterinary Microbiology Waste/Wastewater Treatment Water Microbiology Wine Microbiology

� 2005 Transgalactic Ltd (manufacturer of Bioscreen C software) | Privacy Statement | P.O. Box 1393, 00101 Helsinki, Finland, phone: +358 9 85172920, fax: +358 9 8749481, e-mail: microbiology@bionewsonline.com

Last modified: May 25, 2005