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Biomedical subjects

A Hirashima

Publications and source records attributed to A Hirashima.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Distribution of ribonucleic acid coliphages in south and east Asia.

We investigated the distribution of ribonucleic acid (RNA) coliphages in the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, India, and Thailand by collecting sewage samples from domestic drainage in November 1976. Of the 221 samples collected from domestic drainage, 50 contained RNA phages (52 strains). By serological analysis, 46 of the 52 strains were found to belong to group III. It can thus be said that the most prevalent RNA phages in Southeast Asia (at least, in the Philippines, Singapore, and Indonesia) were group III phages. Investigations of sewage samples collected from domestic drainage in Japan indicate that the most prevalent RNA phages in mainland Japan (north of Kyushu) are group II phages, whereas group III phages are predominant in the southern part of Japan (south of Amamiohshima Island). We therefore propose a borderline between Kyushu and Amamiohshima Island for the geographical distribution of RNA coliphages in the domestic drainage of South and East Asia. Moreover, one strain (ID2) was inactivated to some extent with the antisera of four groups of RNA phages. This is thought to be significant from the evolutionary viewpoint.

Coliphages↗

The host-dependent restriction of growth of an RNA coliphage FI.

Phage FIC is a spontaneous host-dependent mutant of phage FI which is classified into the fourth group of RNA Escherichia coli phages (RNA coliphages). The mutant phage (FIC) grows normally in E. coli strain Q13 (permissive host), but poorly in strain A/lambda (non-permissive host) (9). Attempts to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of growth of the mutant phage in the non-permissive host revealed the following: (a) growth of the mutant phage was specifically restricted in E. coli strains that have certain suppressor genes for amber mutation; (b) the mutant phage RNA (FIC-RNA) could not produce progeny in the spheroplasts of the non-permissive host; (c) adsorption of the mutant phage to, and penetration of the mutant phage RNA into, the non-permissive host were normal; and (d) biosynthesis of the phage-specific late protein and RNA did not occur in the non-permissive host. Based on these results we conclude that phage FIC is a spontaneous azure-type mutant of the fourth group of RNA coliphage FI.

Adsorption↗

Puromycin-resistant biosynthesis of a specific outer-membrane lipoprotein of Escherichia coli.

The reported puromycin resistance of the in vivo biosynthesis of a specific outer-membrane lipoprotein of Escherichia coli was further investigated. The biosynthetic machinery making the lipoprotein was made more accessible to puromycin by disruption of the cell structure using ethylenediaminetetracetate or toluene, and finally in an in vitro protein biosynthesis system using polyribosomes. Puromycin sensitivity of overall protein synthesis increased by about 10-fold for each method of disruption of the cell structure; 50% inhibitions were obtained at 330, 35, 2.7, and 0.22 mug of puromycin per ml for intact cells, ethylenediaminetetraacetate-treated cells, toluene-treated cells, and the polyribosome system, respectively. However, the lipoprotein biosynthesis remained more resistant to puromycin than the biosynthesis of other proteins in all systems tested. These results strongly suggest that puromycin resistance of the lipoprotein biosynthesis is due to an intrinsic property of the lipoprotein biosynthetic machinery.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Lipoprotein from the outer membrane of Escherichia coli: purification, paracrystallization, and some properties of its free form.

In the envelope of Escherichia coli, is a lipoprotein of molecular weight 7,200 as a major envelope protein. This lipoprotein was previously shown to exist in two different forms in the outer membrane of E. coli: the free form and the boundform, which is covalently linked to the peptidoglycau. The free form of the lipoprotein has been purified and paracrystallized by adding acetone to a sodium dodecyl sulfate solution in the presence of magnesium ion. The paracrystals were needle shaped. An electron micrograph of the negatively stained paracrystals showed a highly ordered ultrastructure. The chemical structure of the free form was compared with that of the bound form by (i) the amino acid composition, (ii) the fatty acid composition, and (iii) the peptide analysis after cyanogen bromide cleavage. The alpha-helical content of the free form of the lipoprotein was measured from the circular dichroism spectrum of the lipoprotein in 0.01% sodium dodecyl sulfate and found to be 87%. Using the purified lipoprotein as antigen, antiserum against the free form of the lipoprotein was obtained. Immunoprecipitation of the lipoprotein with the antiserum was found to be very specific, since only the free form of the lipoprotein was found as a major peak when the antiserum was reacted with the whole envelope proteins solubilized in 0.2% sodium dodecyl sulfate, and the immunoprecipitate thus formed was analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Amino Acids↗

Novel mutation that causes a structural change in a lipoprotein in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli.

A novel mutation which caused a structural change in a lipoprotein in the outer-membrane has been found in Escherichia coli K-12. The lipoprotein of the wild-type strain is known to have a peculiar amino terminal structure: glycerylcysteine with two fatty acids attached by ester linkages and one fatty acid by an amide linkage. In contrast to the wild-type lipoprotein, the mutant lipoproteins is isolated from the E. coli envelope as a dimer of molecular weight of about 15,000. The dimer can be reduced by mercaptoethanol to the lipoprotein monomer of molecular weight of about 7,500. The monomer has a free thiol group which is susceptible to monoiodacetie mutant lipoprotein is extremely low in comparison with that into the wild-type lipoprotein. These results suggest that the mutant is defective in transferring a glycerol group to the thiol group of the amino terminal cysteine residue of the lipoprotein. The gene responsible for this modification reaction has been located at 36.5 min on the E. coli chromosome.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Biosynthesis of a specific lipoprotein of the Escherichia coli outer membrane on polyribosomes.

With use of polyribosomes isolated from Escherichia coli, biosynthesis of a specific lipoprotein of the E. coli outer membrane was investigated. The products of the cell-free system were analyzed by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoprecipitation with anti-lipoportein serum, followed by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was found that one of the major products was the lipoprotein of the E. coli outer membrane. The lipoprotein was also found to be preferentially synthsized on smaller polyribosomes.

Cell Fractionation↗

Cell-free synthesis of a specific lipoprotein of the Escherichia coli outer membrane directed by purified messenger RNA.

A specific lipoprotein of the E. coli outer membrane has been synthesized in a cell-free system directed by purified messenger RNA. The mRNA for the lipoprotein was purified as 7S RNA about 250-fold from exponentially growing cells. Protein synthesis of the cell-free system was totally dependent upon the addition of the purified mRNA. The product of the cell-free system was identified as the specific lipoprotein by immunoprecipitation and by peptide mapping.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Existence of a free form of a specific membrane lipoprotein in gram-negative bacteria.

The existence of a free form of a specific lipoprotein of molecular weight 7,200 was examined in the envelopes of several gram-negative bacteria. When the envelope proteins were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, distinct peaks were observed in Salmonella typhimurium, Serratia marcescens, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the same position as the free form of the lipoprotein of Escherichia coli. However, the peak was not observed in Proteus mirabilis. The protein at the peak in S. typhimurium was shown to contain little or no histidine as expected from the amino acid composition of the lipoprotein. Furthermore, antiserum against the highly purified lipoprotein from E. coli was shown to react with the proteins from S. typhimurium and S. marcescens and to form the specific immunoprecipitates. In contrast, the protein from P. aeruginosa did not react with the antiserum at all. Thus, it is concluded that S. typhimurium and S. marcescens have the free form of the lipoprotein in their envelopes as does E. coli. P. aeruginosa contains a protein of the same size as the lipoprotein, but it is not certain whether the protein is the same structural protein as the lipoprotein from E. coli. P. mirabilis may not have any free form of the lipoprotein, may have it in a very small amount, or may have a lipoprotein of different molecular weight serving the same function.

Arginine↗