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Biomedical subjects

A Fukuda

Publications and source records attributed to A Fukuda.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

Chromosome replication in Caulobacter crescentus growing in a nutrient broth.

The pattern of chromosome replication in the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle was studied by examining the rate of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis during synchronous growth in a fast-growth nutrient broth. As reported previously for the cell cycle in a slow-growth minimal medium (Degnen and Newton, 1972), the Caulobacter cell cycle (at the fastest available growth rate) in nutrient broth consisted of three distinct periods in terms of DNA synthetic activity. The swarmer-cell cycle consisted of a presynthetic period (G1), synthetic period (S), and postsynthetic period (G2) of 30, 50, and 35 min, respectively, whereas the stalked-cell cycle consisted of S and G2 periods of 50 and 35 min, respectively. Synchronously growing cells in the nutrient broth were stained to visualize nuclear bodies. Two nuclear bodies could be discerned in both swarmer and stalked cells, and four could be discerned in predivisional cells. DNA content per cell was determined chemically and found to be about the same in swarmer and stalked cells; it was equivalent to roughly twice the value expected from the kinetic complexity reported previously (Wood et al., 1976) for Caulobacter DNA.

Bacteria↗

Effect of macromolecular synthesis on the coordinate morphogenesis of polar surface structures in Caulobacter crescentus.

The Caulobacter polar surface structures (flagella, pili, and the deoxyribonucleic acid phage phiCbK receptors), which are expressed at proximal sites of swarmer cells in a coordinate manner (Shapiro, Annu. Rev. Microbiol., 30:377-407, 1976) could be blocked by a single mutation. The mutant C. crescentus CB13 ple-801 did not form these surface structures when grown at 35 degrees C. Upon shift down to 25 degrees C, the mutant cells initiated the formation of the surface structures. When mitomycin C was added to the mutant culture upon shift down from 35 to 25 degrees C, phiCbK receptor formation was inhibited to a minimal level. Rifampin and chloramphenicol completely inhibited phiCbK receptor formation when added to the mutant culture upon shift down. Deoxyribonucleic acid as well as ribonucleic acid and protein synthesis seem to be required for the formation of phiCbK receptors. Penicillin V also inhibited phiCbK receptor formation, indicating the involvement of cell wall synthesis. When the mutant CB13 ple-801 cells were shifted down briefly from 35 to 25 degrees C and then shifted up to 35 degrees C, flagella and phiCbK receptors were formed even at 35 degrees C to different extents depending on how long the cells were incubated at 25 degrees C. This formation of the surface structures at 35 degrees C was inhibited by rifampin. From these results, it appears that translation, assembly, or localization processes for the formation of the surface structures are not temperature sensitive at 35 degrees C in the pleiotropic mutant CB13 ple-801. The syntheses of deoxyribonucleic acid and the cell wall do not appear to be temperature sensitive either, since the mutant grows normally at 35 degrees C. It is suggested that there exists a regulatory step that commits the cells to initiate the synthesis of requisite ribonucleic acid for the formation of the polar surface structures.

Adsorption↗

Stalkless mutants of Caulobacter crescentus.

A stalk, a single falgellum, several pili, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) phage receptors are polar surface structures expressed at a defined time in the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle. When mutants were isolated as DNA phage phiCbK-resistant or ribonucleic acid (RNA) phage phiCp2-resistant, as well as nonmotile, strains, 5 out of 30 such mutant isolates were found not to possess stalks, but did possess inactive flagella. These stalkless mutants were resistant simultaneously to both DNA and RNA phages and did not possess pili and DNA pendent stalkless mutants. All motile revertants simultaneously regained the capacity to form stalks and susceptibility to DNA and RNA phages. It is suggested that a single mutation pleiotropically affects stalk formation, flagella motility, and coordinate polar morphogenesis of pili and DNA phage receptors. The stalkless mutants grew at a generation time similar to that of the wild-type strain at 30 degrees C. Cell size and morphology of a stalkless mutant, C. crescentus CB13 pdr-819, were also similar to those of the wild-type strain, except for the absence of a stalk. In addition, the CB13 pdr-819 predivisional cells were partitioned into smaller and larger portions, indicating asymmetrical cell division, as in the wild-type strain. From these results, it is suggested that swarmer cells undergo transition to cells of a stalked-cell nature without stalk formation and that the cell cycle of the stalkless mutant proceeds in an ordered sequence similar to that defining the wild-type cell cycle.

Bacteria↗

Regulation of polar surface structures in Caulobacter crescentus: pleiotropic mutations affect the coordinate morphogenesis of flagella, pili and phage receptors.

A large number of Caulobacter mutants resistant to DNA or RNA phages were isolated. These phage-resistant mutants exhibited phenotypic variations with respect to cell motility and sensitivity to other phages. The majority of the mutants was resistant to both DNA and RNA phages tested. In addition, these mutants were either motile or non-motile. The analysis of spontaneous revertants from these mutants indicated that a single mutation is involved in these phenotypic variations. Other mutants were resistant to RNA phages and only to a certain DNA phage tested, and were also motile or non-motile. Several temperature-sensitive phage-resistant mutants were also isolated. One of them, CB13 ple-801, exhibited the wild type phenotype when grown at 25 degrees C. However, at a higher temperature (35 degrees C), the mutant cells became non-motile and resistant to both DNA and RNA phages. These phenotypes seem to be attributed to the concommitant loss of flagella, pili and phage receptors. In other respects (cell growth and morphology, and asymmetric stalk formation), CB13 ple-801 was normal at 35 degrees C. The spontaneous revertants from CB13 ple-801 simultaneously regained the wild type phenotypes in all respects. It is suggested that a single mutation pleiotropically affects the formation of flagella, pili and phage receptors.

Bacteria↗

Characterization of an early cytotoxicity-inducing factor in sera of Japanese quails after inoculation with Rous sarcoma virus.

By pre-treatment with serum of normal spleen cells used in the microcytotoxicity assay, a humoral factor which induces cytotoxic activity in normal spleen cells was demonstrated in about 40% of sera of Japanese quails as early as 3 days after inoculation with Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). This cytotoxicity-inducing activity was not present either in the IgM or the IgG fraction obtained by Sephadex gel filtration. In sera of quails with experimentally induced agammaglobulinemia, the cytotoxicity-inducing activity was demonstrated at the same frequency as in normal animals. Thus, it seems unlikely that the early cytotoxicity-inducing factor is an immunoglobulin. On the other hand, membrane fractions extracted with 3 M potassium chloride from the RSV-induced quail tumor (QT) cells used as target cells in the microcytotoxicity assay exhibited cytotoxicity-inducing activity. After spontaneous regression of an RSV-induced tumor the serum of the regressor quail contained antibodies specific to the QT cell extract. This serum removed the cytotoxicity-inducing activity of both QT cell extract and serum sampled 3 days after RSV inoculation. In contrast, serum without antibody to the QT cell extract failed to absorb the cytotoxicity-inducing activity of the extract. It is therefore suggested that soluble tumor antigens can act as an early cytotoxicity-inducing factor.

Agammaglobulinemia↗

Propidium diiodide-cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation for buoyant separations of duplex DNA molecules containing single-stranded regions.

At increasing dye concentrations in propidium diiodide-CsCl density gradients, the relative buoyant density shift was largest for open-circular duplex phiX174 DNA (RFII), next largest for single-stranded viral DNA, and least for closed-circular duplex DNA (RFI). These differential relative buoyant density shifts permitted discrete separations of these phiX DNA forms. Further, in propidium diiodide-CsCl density gradients, the distinctive density of single-stranded DNA permitted separations of rolling-circle intermediates with a single-stranded tail that occur during single-stranded phiX DNA synthesis. It is suggested that single-strandedness in a duplex DNA structure influences its buoyand density shift due to differential dye binding to the single-stranded region and is an additional physical basis for relative buoyant separations of DNA molecules in propidium diiodide-CsCl density gradients.

Centrifugation, Density Gradient↗

Amino acid composition of peptidoglycan in Caulobacter crescentus.

Peptidoglycan of a gram-negative stalked bacterium, Caulobacter crescentus CB13, contained alanine, diaminopimelic acid, and glutamic acid, in molar ratios of 2 : 1 : 1. The amino acid compositions of peptidoglycans isolated from cultures enriched in swarmer and stalked cells, and from a stalk-less mutant were similar. This finding conflicts with a previous observation that swarmer peptidoglycan does not contain diaminopimelic acid (Goodwin and Shedlarski (1975) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 170, 23-36). It appears that, despite the morphological differences, the Caulobacter cells all contain a similar peptidoglycan in the cell wall.

Alanine↗

Autoimmunity induced in rabbits by rinderpest virus.

During rinderpest virus infection in rabbits, 19S cold hemagglutinating antibody against rabbit erythrocytes and 7S anti-nuclear antibody, which reacts with the nuclei and/or the nuclear membranes in immunofluorescent staining, were demonstrated. Virus infection that affected the thymus-dependent immune functions was speculated to act as a trigger for the production of these two autoantibodies.

Animals↗

Process of infection with bacteriophage phi X 174 XXXVIII. Replication of phi chi 174 replicative form in vivo.

The replication of bacteriophage phi X 174 replicative-form DNA has been studied by structural analysis of pulse-labeled replicative-intermediate molecules. Such intermediates were identified by pulse-labeling with [13H]thymidine and separated into four major fractions (A, B, C, and D) in a propidium diiodide-cesium chloride buoyand density gradient. Sedimentation analysis of each of these fractions suggests the following features of phi X replicative-form DNA replication in vivo. (i) At the end of one cycle of replication, one daughter replicative form (RFII) contains a nascent plus (+) strand of the unit viral length, and the other daughter RFII contains small fragments of nascent minus (-) strand. (ii) Asymmetry is also associated with production of the first supercoiled RFI after addition of pulse label in that only the minus strand becomes radioactive. (iii) A supercoiled DNA (RFI') seems to occur in vivo. This DNA is observed at a position of greater density in a propidium diiodide-cesium chloride buoyant density gradient than normal RFI. (iv) A novel DNA component is observed, at a density greater than RFI, which releases, in alkali, a plus strand longer (1.5 to 1.7 times) than the unit viral length. These results are discussed in terms of the possible sequence of events in phi X 174 replicative-form replication in vivo.

Coliphages↗

Process of infection with bacteriophage phi chi 174. XL. Viral DNA replication of phi chi 174 mutants blocked in progeny single-stranded DNA synthesis.

Mutation in several different cistrons of bacteriophage phi chi 174 blocks net progeny single-stranded DNA synthesis at the late period of infection (15). For the study of the functions of these cistrons in single-stranded DNA synthesis, asymmetric replication of replicative form DNA was examined at the late period of infection with amber mutants of these cistrons. While the normal, rapid process of asymmetric single-stranded viral DNA synthesis is blocked at the late period of these mutant infections, an asymmetric synthesis of the viral strand of replicative-form DNA is observed in this period, though at a reduced level, together with degradation of prelabeled viral strand. Some intermediate replicative-form molecules were also detected. Asymmetric synthesis of the viral strand of replicative-form DNA at the late period of phi chi infection is completely inhibited in the presence of a low concentration (35mug/ml) of chloramphenicol (which also blocks net single-stranded viral DNA synthesis). These results are discussed in terms of the possible role of the specific viral proteins for normal single-stranded DNA synthesis.

Chloramphenicol↗

Synchronous cell differentiation in Caulobacter crescentus.

The growth of a stalked bacterium, Caulobacter crescentus, has been synchronized easily and reproducibly by a new method. When this bacterium is grown to a late log phase in nutrient broth at 30 C with aeration, swarmer cells are accumulated in the culture to 80% of the whole cell population. When this culture is inoculated into fresh pre-warmed broth at twentyfold dilution, it immediately initiates synchronous cell growth. Simultaneously, synchronous cell differentiation is monitored by the susceptibility of the cells to RNA phage infection. The swarmer cells accumulated in the late log phase of growth possess nearly the same susceptibility to RNA phage infection as those in the early log phase of growth while RNA phage-adsorbing capacity is lower in such swarmer cells. It is suggested that the swarmer cells accumulated in the late log phase of growth have lost some pili.

Bacteria↗

Pathogenesis of rinderpest virus infection in rabbits. I. Clinical signs, immune response, histological changes, and virus growth patterns.

Rabbits were intravenously inoculated with an attenuated rinderpest virus (L strain), and general patterns of the disease were investigated. The rabbits developed fever with concomitant occurrence of diarrhea and lymphopenia. Early production of interferon was followed by a rise of neutralizing antibody. Histological examinations revealed an involvement of all of the lymphoid tissues, with primary lesions consisting of necrosis of the lymphoid follicles and formation of giant cells. Immunofluorescent examinations suggested that the virus growth was present in almost all of the lymphoid tissues. The possibility of application of this experimental system for the study of systemic infection by measles virus was discussed.

Animals↗

Pathogenesis of rinderpest virus infection in rabbits. II. Effect of rinderpest virus on the immune functions of rabbits.

Rinderpest virus infection was shown to induce marked suppression of both humoral antibody response and cell-mediated immunity in rabbits. The virus exhibited a suppressive effect on primary antibody response as indicated by a decrease in numbers of plaque-forming cells (immunoglobulin [Ig]M) and hemagglutinating antibody titers of both IgM and IgG types to sheep red blood cells, whereas there was no detectable effect of the virus on the production of memory cells. Virus-induced suppression of cell-mediated immunity was demonstrated by a decreased rate of proliferative response of peripheral lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin stimulus and by a depression of delayed-type skin reactions to purified protein derivative. Such suppressive effects were indicated to persist for 14 days or longer. Alteration in phagocytic activity of the reticuloendothelial system was not observed. The relevance of the virus-induced histological lesions in the lymphoid tissues to the virus-induced immunosuppression was discussed.

Animals↗