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Biomedical subjects

E Weiss

Publications and source records attributed to E Weiss.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1970

Deoxyribonucleic Acid Heterogeneity Between Human and Murine Strains of Chlamydia trachomatis.

We compared the polynucleotide sequence relationships of three strains of Chlamydia trachomatis of human origin (MRC-1/G, TW-3, and Lgv), one of murine origin (MoPn), and the MN strain of C. psittaci. The four strains of C. trachomatis have the same base ratio, about 42.5 moles per cent guanine plus cytosine, which is significantly higher than the base ratio of MN (39.5). Single strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments of MRC-1/G reassociated with immobilized DNA of TW-3 and Lgv almost as well as with the homologous DNA. The duplexes produced in these reactions were about equally thermostable. On the other hand, reassociations between MRC-1/G and MoPn involved 60 or 30% of the DNA, depending on the stringency of the conditions for reassociation, and the duplexes were thermolabile. MoPn reassociated only to a very small degree with MN. We also compared glucose catabolism of MRC-1/G, MoPn, and MN under several sets of conditions. These tests failed to reveal any qualitative phenotypic differences among the three strains. It can be concluded that, judging by polynucleotide sequence, the three human strains of C. trachomatis are closely related but appreciably different from a murine strain.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1970

Catabolic activities of Neisseria meningitidis: utilization of glutamate.

Glutamate was catabolized at a rapid rate by Neisseria meningitidis, group B. Surprisingly, there was a lag of 5 to 30 min in respiration, but not in CO(2) production from C(1), and an appreciable amount of succinate accumulated. The eventual rapid rate of respiration was not prevented by the addition of chloramphenicol. The lag period was eliminated by combinations of substrates that favored the activity of a glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase. It is suggested that with glutamate as the sole substrate, the reaction terminated at succinate, required only moderate O(2) uptake, and did not result in the transport of succinate to enzymatic sites. The lag period represented the time required for the accumulation of succinate and its transport to enzymatic sites by energy provided by the metabolism of the remaining glutamate. When the transaminase was operative, on the other hand, successive products of the reaction were immediately placed in contact with enzymatic sites.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed1970

Catabolic Activities of Neisseria meningitidis: Utilization of Succinate.

When resting cells of Neisseria meningitidis group B were incubated with either succinate, fumarate, or malate, respiration and CO(2) production were not significantly stimulated. These dicarboxylic acids were readily utilized, however, when they were added in association with a combination of alpha-ketoglutarate and aspartate or with glucose or with glutamate. The amounts of these substrates required for exogenous succinate utilization were relatively large. Both the alpha-ketoglutarate-aspartate combination and glutamate greatly stimulated succinate uptake into the cells, but glutamate was far more effective than the alpha-ketoglutarate-aspartate combination in eliciting exogenous succinate utilization. This difference is explained on the basis of evidence reported in another article that succinate derived from the alpha-ketoglutarate-aspartate mixture is metabolized more rapidly-and thus more rapidly dilutes the specific activity of added succinate-than the succinate derived from glutamate.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1969

Simplified method for the production of carbohydrate antigen from Neisseria meningitidis.

The Gotschlich procedure for the production of carbohydrate antigens from the supernatant fluids of cultures of Neisseria meningitidis groups A and C was modified. Steps involving digestion with nucleases and gel filtration through Sephadex G-50 were added, the number of extractions was greatly reduced, and high-speed centrifugations were eliminated. The antigens thus obtained appeared to be entirely comparable to those described by Gotschlich et al. in physical, chemical, and antigenic properties. A slight degree of protection of mice was repeatedly demonstrated with extraordinarily large doses of antigen (50 mug/mouse), but not with smaller doses. Toxicity of the antigens for laboratory animals was very slight.

Absorption↗
PubMed1969

Lipid synthesis by isolated Chlamydia psittaci.

The isolated cells of the host-dependent meningopneumonitis agent, Chlamydia psittaci, were shown to incorporate radioactive carbon from aspartate, isoleucine, and glucose-6-phosphate into cell lipids. The nature of this incorporation was investigated. Radioactivity was found only in the fatty acids and primarily in the phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and, to a lesser extent, in the phosphatidyl choline fractions. Branched-chain fatty acids, not found in host lipid, were shown to constitute a large proportion of the fatty acid content of phosphatidyl ethanolamine. The reasons why only fatty acid synthesis took place under the conditions of our experiments with isolated meningopneumonitis agent cells remain obscure.

Aspartic Acid↗
PubMed1969

Role of exogenous adenosine triphosphate in catabolic and synthetic activities of Chlamydia psittaci.

The synthetic activities of isolated cells of the meningopneumonitis strain (MN) of Chlamydia psittaci were investigated and further observations were made on their catabolic reactions. These observations included the demonstration of CO(2) production from aspartate in the presence of pyruvate and the formation of pyruvate from glucose-6-phosphate. Both reactions were enhanced by added adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Of a large number of compounds tested, only glucose-6-phosphate, pyruvate, aspartate, and isoleucine were shown to furnish carbons that were incorporated into molecules precipitated by trichloroacetic acid. The reactions with pyruvate, aspartate, and isoleucine were dependent entirely, or almost entirely, on added ATP, and the reaction with glucose-6-phosphate was enhanced by ATP. Except for CO(2), which greatly stimulated the reactions, the addition of a number of other compounds or a combination of compounds, such as cofactors, amino acids, and purine and pyrimidine bases, did not greatly affect incorporation. About 95% of the activity of the trichloroacetic acid precipitates was recovered in the chloroform-methanol soluble fraction.

Acetates↗
PubMed1968

Glutamate catabolism of Rickettsia rickettsi and factors affecting retention of metabolic activity.

Glutamate catabolism and the factors contributing to metabolic stability of purified suspensions of Rickettsia rickettsi were investigated. By use of (14)C-glutamate, it was shown that CO(2) was produced from all carbons of glutamate and that (14)CO(2) production was reduced by the addition of most of the unlabeled intermediates of the citric acid cycle and pyruvate. Oxalacetate, added in various concentrations, did not stimulate glutamate utilization. When the cells were suspended in bovine plasma albumin (BPA), CO(2) production from glutamate proceeded at a nearly uniform rate for 8 hr at 32 C and for 24 hr at 15 C. When BPA was used, the cells retained their metabolic activity at 0 or 30 C regardless of cell concentration, and were not influenced by the addition of varoius metabolites. Without BPA, metabolic stability was directly related to concentration. Of the stabilizers tested on low concentrations of rickettsiae, reduced glutathione was the most effective, provided that the gas phase contained predominantly N(2). Under these conditions of low partial pressure of O(2), glutamate further stabilized metabolic activity and was actively metabolized. The cells were also stabilized by oxidized glutathione in a gas phase of air, but under these conditions glutamate was utilized at a more moderate rate and it impaired metabolic stability.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed1968

Influence of gas environment on catabolic activities and on reoxidation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate in Chlamydia.

We investigated the effect of the gas environment on the enzymatic reactions of intact isolated cells of the agents of trachoma and of meningopneumonitis of the host-dependent genus Chlamydia. In comparison with the reactions taking place in a gas phase of air, O(2) depressed CO(2) production from pyruvate and glutamate by trachoma and from glutamate by meningopneumonitis. O(2) enhanced the degradation of pyruvate by meningopneumonitis, but this effect was due to increased H(2)O(2), and was reversed by added catalase. Both dehydrogenation of alpha-ketoglutarate and was reversed by added catalase. Dehydrogenation of alpha-ketoglutarate by both agents and production of CO(2) from C(1) of glucose-6-phosphate were stimulated by O(2) and depressed in N(2). The latter activity was stimulated in air, O(2), and N(2) by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) in relation to the amount added, and also in air or O(2), but not in N(2), by moderate amounts of NADP and an excess of oxidized glutathione with concomitant formation of H(2)O(2). A small but significant amount of O(2) was consumed during the course of these reactions. It is suggested that glutathione reductase activity can occur only when accompanied by an oxidative reaction, and that this close link between the two reactions represents a mechanism of electron transport which transfers hydrogen to molecular O(2).

Air↗