Cytopathogenic action of strains of Escherichia coli containing similar heterogenetic antigens of the AB0 type on human cell cultures

The character of interaction between different strains ofEscherichia coli serotype O26 and cells of continuous cultures of human strains HeLa, Tg-33, and RH was studied in vitro. The phenomenon of cytopathogenic action (CPA) of uropathogenic strains ofE. coli containing heterogenetic type O(H) and B antigens on human cell strains with the corresponding isoantigens was detected after interaction for 6 h. The number of dead cells in these cultures was 1.5–3 times greater than their number in control cultures to whichE. coli cells not containing heterogenetic antigens or containing dissimilar heterogenetic antigens of the human AB0 type were added. It is postulated that this phenomenon plays an important role in the development of chronic forms of colibacillary pyelonephritis.Research Laboratory of Experimental Immunobiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 81, No. 5, pp. 568–570, May, 1976.     

Induction of antibodies against native DNA by components of Bordetella pertussis

Bordetella pertussis cells and some of their components, if injected into mice, cause an increase in the DNA-binding activity of their sera detectable at the ionic strength of physiological saline mainly on the 14th day. The inhibition method showed that interaction of the sera with native DNA is specific. The maximal increase in the content of serum protein reacting with DNA in solutions of low ionic strength (0.05 M NaCl) was observed on the seventh day. However, after injection ofB. pertussis cells and their cytoplasmic membranes the increased content of DNA-binding proteins continued until the 14th day.Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Preventive Medicine, Rostov Medical Institute, Rostov-on-Don. Department of Radiation Biochemistry, Research Institute of Medical Radiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Obninsk. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR M. P. Chumakov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 86, No. 8, pp. 218–220, August, 1978.     

Isolation and characteristics of high-frequency genetic donors of a serotyped strain of Escherichia coli

As a result of crossing cells of donor strainEscherichia coli K-12 (P4X) with serotyped (group 0100) recipient cellsE. coli trp^–lac^–, nine recombinants possessing sex factor and ability to carry out chromosome transfer with high frequency were isolated. The isolated strains of donor cells carry sex factor in the integrated state and retain their membership of serogroup 0100.Patrice Lumumba People's Friendship University, Moscow. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Virology, Central Asiatic Pediatric Medical Institute, Ministry of Health of the USSR. Research Laboratory of Experimental Immunobiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 79, No. 2, pp. 106–109, February, 1975.     

Enhancement of antibacterial and antiviral resistance and immune response by a pharmacopoeial preparation of RNA

Sodium nucleate (SN) substantially increased the resistance of mice to pathogenic strainEscherichia coli 026,Proteus vulgaris,Pseudomonas aeruginosa, andSerratia marcescens and had a general stimulating action on nonspecific antibacterial resistance; homologous low-polymer RNA from the liver had a similar stimulating activity. SN enhanced the resistance of animals to viruses of tick-borne encephalitis and encephalomyelitis and increased the number of antibody-forming cells (AFC). Manifestation of the side effect of heat-inactivated vaccine prepared from pathogenicE. coli cells was weakened in animals previously treated with SN.D. I. Ivanovskii Institute of Virology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. D. Timakov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 87, No. 3, pp. 256–259, March, 1979.     

On antigenic properties of genetic recombinants of Escherichia coli serotypes

A study of conjugation between typed strains ofEscherichia coli belonging to different O serogroups and of conjugation between typed and untyped strains showed that the genetic determinant controlling synthesis of the O100 antigen is closely linked with the histidine locus. Among recombinants isolated from crosses between typedE. coli cells some were found to have a different serotype from that of the donor and recipient cells.Department of Biology and General Genetics, Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University. Scientific-Research Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 8, pp. 181–182, August, 1977.     

Effect of Clostridium perfringens type a toxin and metabolic products of Clostridium butyricum on liver lysosomes in vitro

During incubation of the lysosomal fraction of the albino mouse liver withClostridium perfringens type A toxin and also with the toxin and filtrate of a broth culture ofClostridium butyricum, and increase in the specific acid phosphatase activity was observed. The action ofC. perfringer toxin on the lysosomal membrane was potentiated under the influence of metabolic products ofC. butyricum. Potentiation of the action ofC. perfringens toxin on the lysosomes was due to thermostable substances in theC. butyricum filtrate.Department of Microbiology, N. I. Pirogov Odessa Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. M. Chernukh.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 88, No. 8, pp. 181–183, August, 1979.     

Independent integration of genes controlling the invasive properties and streptomycin resistance of enteropathogenic strain Escherichia coli 0124

CrossingEscherichia Coli K12 Hfr AB313 with an enteropathogenic strain ofE. coli of the serological group 0124 yielded recombinants which had lost their invasiveness. The loss of invasiveness of these recombinants was not due to the acquisition of genes controlling resistance to streptomycin.I. P. Pavlov First Leningrad Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 82, No. 9, pp. 1144–1145, September, 1976.     

Pathways of penetration ofEscherichia coli 055 through the intestinal wall in germfree and ordinary animals

Permeability of the intestinal barrier in germfree animals for bacteria of the enteropathogenic strainEscherichia coli 055 was studied. Germfree and ordinary rats and guinea pigs were used. During the first 24 h after peroral infection withE. coli 055 an increase in the bacteriemia was observed in the germfree animals, whereas in the ordinary animals the bacteriemia was transient in character. Electron-microscopic investigation of the intestinal mucosa of the germfree animals revealed disturbances of intercellular contacts and the formation of spaces containing numerous microorganisms between the enterocytes. In the germfree animals more marked changes also were found in the microvessels of the mucosa. In ordinary animals ingestion and digestion of theE. coli cells by enterocytes and leukocytes was observed. Disturbances of the intestinal barrier discovered in the germfree animals explain the increased bacteriemia in these animals in the absence of a microflora. The results point to the important role of the microbial factor in the formation of the intestinal barrier.Institute of General Pathology and Pathological Physiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. Research Laboratory of Experimental Biological Models, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 85, No. 6, pp. 654–657, June, 1978.     

Analysis of a population of Bacillus subtilis L-forms in a ficoll density gradient

The distribution of cells of a population of L-forms ofBacillus subtilis during isopycnic centrifugation in a Ficoll density gradient was analyzed. Two basic functions of the L-forms differing from one another in their buoyant density were distinguished. A study of the fractions by various methods showed that a high proportion of the population of L-forms consists of nonviable cells of different sizes, containing fragments of the genome or not containing DNA.Laboratory of L-Forms of Bacteria, N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR P. A. Vershilova.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 88, No. 9, pp. 329–332, September, 1979.     

Role of substrate inducers in the mechanism of action of cortisone on β-galactosidase activity in various strains of escherichia coli K-12 and in rat liver

A comparative study of the effect of cortisone on -galactosidase synthesis in strains ofEscherichia coli K-12 with an induced (E. coli 200 PS/F lac), a constitutive (E. coli ML-308), and a superrepressed (E. coli 2000 i^S) type of enzyme synthesis and in rat liver cells showed that the hormone itself has no derepressive effect. In all cases an increase in -galactosidase synthesis takes place only in the presence of the specific substrate inducers. It is suggested that the principal stage in the mechanism of action of cortisone on the lactose operon ofE. coli and on enzyme production in rat liver cells is the preliminary derepression of regions of the genome through substrate inducers.Department of Biology and Fundamentals of Genetics, Central Postgraduate Medical Institute, Moscow. Department for the Study of the Molecular Mechanisms of Drug Addiction, N. I. Pirogov Second Moscow Medical Institute. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 1, pp. 24–25, January, 1977.     

Localization of common (cross-reacting) antigens with Neisseria perflava and Klebsiella pneumoniae in tissues of the human bronchopulmonary apparatus

Antigenic similarity was studied between the microsomal fraction of tissues of the human bronchopulmonary apparatus and bacterial cells living in the respiratory tract:Neisseria perflava andKlebsiella pneumoniae. Cross reactions were studied with antimicrosomal sera in the complement fixation test withN. perflava andK. pneumoniae. Fixation of antibacterial antibodies and antibodies against microsomal fractions of the lung tissues was investigated in tissue sections of the human lungs and bronchi. The presence of antigens cross reacting with the antimicrobial sera was demonstrated in the microsomal fraction of tissues of the human bronchopulmonary apparatus.Allergologic Research Laboratory, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 81, No. 2, pp. 210–212, February, 1976.     

Decrease of antitumor and suppressor activities of nonadherent bone marrow cells by culturing in medium conditioned with ehrlich adenocarcinoma cells

It was demonstrated that proliferation of bone marrow cells cultured in medium conditioned with tumor cells is somewhat increased. A much more potent stimulation of bone marrow cell proliferation is observed after the removal of cells carrying the erythroblast antigen. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. N ^o 5, pp. 514–517, May, 1994 Presented by N. V. Vasil'ev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Cross-reacting antigens of bacteria of the human bronchopulmonary system

Antigenic kinship of certain strains ofNeisseria perflava,Klebsiella pneumoniae, andStaphylococcus aureas, active sensitizers of the, human bronchopulm, onary system, was studied. The complement fixation test, Ouchterlony's precipitation test, and immunoelectrophoresis revealed the presence of a series of similar antigenic determinants common to all three bacteria and for the determinants responsible for cross-reactions between only two of these microorganisms.Allergologic Research Laboratory, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. D. Ado.) Translated from Byulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny Vol. 85, No. 1, pp. 57–60, January, 1978.     

Experimental study of the sensitizing activity of Neisseria perflava

The sensitizing activity ofNeisseria perflava isolated from the bronchial mucosa of patients with infectious asthma was studied in experiments on guinea pigs. It was shown that Ovary's passive cutaneous anaphylaxis test and the tracheal chain contraction test can be reproduced withNeisseria antigens. High sensitizing activity ofN. perflava was found compared with two other microorganisms:Klebsiella pneumoniae andStaphylococcus aureus, inhabiting the bronchi of patients with infectious asthma.Allergologic Scientific-Research Laboratory, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 8, pp. 191–193, August, 1977.     

Effect of contamination of germfree guinea pigs by individual members of the intestinal microflora on antibody and complement levels

On the 3rd day after birth germfree guinea pigs were contaminated by one of the following representatives of the normal intestinal microflora:Bacillus mesentericus,Bacillus subtilis,Staphylococous albus, andStreptococcus faecalis. The levels of antibodies against the microorganisms used for monocontamination and also againstEscherichia coli 055, which is pathogenic for guinea pigs, and the serum complement levels were studied in the animals at the age of 2 weeks. Contamination of the guinea pigs byB. mesentericus andB. subtilis did not significantly change the antibody levels against these microorganisms, whereasS. albus andS. faecalis appreciably stimulated antibody formation. Similar results were obtained with respect toE. coli 055. The complement level was significantly increased by the spore-bearing aerobes and byS. albus.Research Laboratory of Experimental Biological Models, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow Region. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. M. Chernukh.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 82, No. 9, pp. 1100–1102, September, 1976.     

A study of the agglutinating properties of phytohemagglutinin obtained from sax variety of phaseolus vulgaris

Summary A study was made of agglutinating properties of phytohemagglutinin obtained from the Sax variety ofPhaseolus vulgaris (according to Rigas and Osgood's method) in the form of a protein. Agglutinating properties of phytohemagglutinin were tested against human (A, B, O), rabbit, rat, rooster and frog erythrocytes; single-layered human tissue cultures—normal cutaneous epithelium (strain No. 580), fibroblasts (strain No. 558), amnion (strain A-1); malignant cells of multilayered human tissue cultures—stomach cancer (strain Cave), cancer of the uterus (strain HeLa), cancer of the larynx (strain HEp-2); against malignant cells of experimental mouse cancer (Ehrlich's strain), cancer of the rat ovary (strain OR). Agglutination properties were also tested against an intestinal group of bacteria:Bacterium coli (strains C-85 and K-12) andBacterium prodigiosum (strain No. 10).As shown, phytohemagglutinins obtained from the Sax variety ofPhaseolus vulgaris possessed high hemagglutinating properties. They were especially marked against mouse erythrocytes and comparatively weak against those of a frog. The preparation also possessed cytoagglutinating properties against all the cellular strains investigated. They were especially well pronounced in the instance of stomach cancer cells and least pronounced in that of uterus cancer cells, those of the larynx and cutaneous epithelium cancer. Phytohemagglutinin did not agglutinate the strains of bacteria examined. Agglutinating properties of the preparation are intensified after keeping it in a refrigerator (4°C).Presented by Acting Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences of USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 55, No. 2, pp. 73–77, February, 1963     

Stimulation of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase synthesis by cyclic AMP in bacterial cell systems

The effect of cyclic 3,5-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) on production of the enzyme chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) by whole bacterial cells was studied in strainsEscherichia coli CSH-2/R222 and WZ-78/R222 (cya₈₅₅). CAT synthesis in strainE. coli WZ-78/R222 was shown to have an intensity only half as great as that of strainE. coli CSH-2/R222. The production of CAT by strainE. coli CSH-2/R222 was increased only very slightly by cAMP, but its effect on the production of this enzyme in strain WZ-78/R222 was appreciable.Research Laboratory of Experimental Immunobiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 80, No. 10, pp. 65–66, October, 1975.     

Immunologic reactivity of (C57BL/6 × A/Sn)F1 mice in mixed Mycoplasma-virus infection

Mixed infection of hybrid mice, highly resistant to Rauscher virus, with this virus andMycoplasma arthritidis was accompanied by progressive inhibition of populations of splenic rosetteforming (REC) and plaque-forming (PFC) cells and led to induction of malignant erythroblastosis, cytologically identical with Rauscher's leukemia. During mixed infection of the hybrid mice withAcholeplasma laidlawii and Rauscher virus the immune response was almost completely suppressed on the 21st day and considerable splenomegaly was observed, but by the 62nd day of infection the RFC and PFC populations and also the weight of the spleens had regained the control level. The possible role of mycoplasmas in the induction and development of Rauscher's leukemia is discussed.N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician O. V. Baroyan.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 88, No. 9, pp. 327–329, September, 1979.     

Efficient expression of the apolipoprotein A-I gene transferred to human cells grownIn vitro

The human apolipoprotein A-I gene controlled by the promoter of the early cytomegalovirus gene was transferred to cultured HeLa cells. The cytoplasmic RNA of transformed cells was shown to contain apo A-I-specific mRNA. Immunoenzyme and immunohistochemical methods revealed the expression of a protein product of the transferred gene in the transformed cells. The amount of synthesized apo A-I protein attained 0.1–0.7% of the total protein of transformed cells. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 11, pp. 479–482, November, 1994 Presented by A. N. Klimov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Endogenous colony formation in mice under the influence of Mycoplasma arthritidis and Rauscher leukemia virus

Mycoplasma arthritidis was shown not to affect endogenous colony formation in lethally irradiated BALB/c mice. The number of endogenous foci in mice irradiated in sublethal doses and infected withM. arthritidis was sharply increased when the mycoplasma was injected 24 h before or 4 h after irradiation. Mixed infection of (C57BL/6×A/Sn)F₁ mice resistant to Rauscher virus with this virus and mycoplasma led to a marked increase in the number of endogenous colonies in the early stages of infection. This phenomenon may perhaps lie at the basis of the loss of resistance in the hybrid mice and the appearance of leukemia in them as a result of mixed infection with mycoplasma and virus.N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR O. V. Baroyan.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 88, No. 8, pp. 179–181, August, 1979.