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Biomedical subjects

G J Silverman

Publications and source records attributed to G J Silverman.

87 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1974

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B and nuclease production under controlled dissolved oxygen conditions.

Enterotoxin B, nuclease, and total exoprotein production by Staphylococcus aureus strain S-6 was studied in a 0.5-liter fermentor system. While these extracellular products were elaborated over a wide range of aeration rates, maximal production occurred within the very narrow range of 125 to 150 cm(3) of air per min. The levels attained at the optimal aeration rate were not increased by maintaining a constant pH, although yield of enterotoxin:cell mass was highest at a constant pH of 7.0. During the growth cycle of the cultures, when aeration rate alone or aeration rate and pH were held constant, the dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, initially set at 100% of saturation, decreased to 5 to 10% 4 to 5 h after inoculation. The oxygen demand of the culture then maintained this level for an additional 4 to 6 h. This interval of low DO was characterized by maximal growth and exoprotein production. When the DO was controlled at a constant value throughout growth (by increasing or decreasing the airflow rate as appropriate), the culture demonstrated different optima for maximal growth and exoprotein production. A constant DO of 100% stimulated growth to extremely high densities, but the accumulation of toxin and nuclease was not observed. On the other hand, maintaining constant DO levels at 50 or 10% raised exoprotein levels higher than those achieved in a culture grown at the optimal aeration rate. Compared to the optimal aeration rate culture, the 10% DO culture yielded 20% more nuclease, 25% more toxin, and 40 to 50% more total exoprotein. These results indicate that it is the DO and not the aeration rate, per se, that is influential in controlling growth, toxin, nuclease, and total exoprotein production.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1972

Effect of shaking speed on the secretion of enterotoxin B by Staphylococcus aureus.

The concentration of enterotoxin B secreted by four strains of Staphylococcus aureus was dependent upon the shaking speed. For the conditions established, each strain demonstrated an optimal shaking speed, and speeds in excess of the optimum resulted in decreased secretion of toxin. At the optimal shaking speed, maximum secretion occurred at 37 C. At 45 C, both growth and toxin secretion were absent. By using agar containing antienterotoxin B sera, studies with strain S-6 at optimal and suboptimal shaking speeds demonstrated that individual cells vary in their toxin-synthesizing ability and that the relative numbers of high and low producers change during the growth cycle. Although most of the toxin was secreted during the first 12 hr of growth, a portion was secreted during the subsequent 6 hr, even though growth as measured by colony-forming units per milliliter decreased and Klett units increased.

Agar↗
PubMed1970

Factors affecting the secretion of staphylococcal enterotoxin A.

The biosynthesis of enterotoxin A by replicating and nonreplicating cells was investigated. Unlike enterotoxin B, a secondary metabolite, enterotoxin A secretion resembled that of a primary metabolite by being secreted during the exponential phase of growth. The amount of toxin produced per unit of growth was not influenced by NaCl, NaNO(2), or NaNO(3). Several surfactants increased toxin secretion. Toxin secretion by nonreplicating cells was inhibited by chloramphenicol and 2, 4-dinitrophenol but not by streptomycin or penicillin G. The optimal pH for enterotoxin A production was 6.5 to 7.0. The findings suggest a number of possible reasons for the higher incidence of food poisonings caused by enterotoxin A as compared to enterotoxin B.

Chloramphenicol↗
PubMed1970

Characterization of injury incurred by Escherichia coli upon freeze-drying.

When cells of Escherichia coli ML30 were suspended in 2% gelatin and frozen at -40 C, no appreciable metabolic damage or death occurred. After freeze-drying for 8 hr at a platen temperature of 49 C and rehydration with a mineral salts medium, survival of the cells was 0.6%. Metabolic damage of the survivors was found to be 23%. Permeability alterations were detected by several criteria. Freeze-dried cells were susceptible to antibiotics normally ineffective against E. coli and leakage of ribonucleic acid (RNA) occurred. Analysis of ribosomal extracts of rehydrated freeze-dried cells demonstrated the presence of appreciable degradation products. Permeability alterations were shown to be reversible by the observation that antibiotic susceptibility was a time-dependent process and that the gratuitous inducer of beta-galactosidase was not concentrated by freeze-dried cells until the injured cells had been incubated in a nutrient medium for 300 min or more. At approximately the same time, metabolic damage was repaired. RNA synthesis preceded protein synthesis by about 150 min, and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis occurred with the resumption of normal growth. This was interpreted to be the result of repair of RNA taking place before protein synthesis and growth could resume. A pronounced increase in the lag time of freeze-dried cells was also observed. Peptides and Casamino Acids shortened the lag time for freeze-dried cells but not for the controls. Glycerol and glucose were found to be better carbon sources for growth of freeze-dried cells than sodium lactate or sodium succinate.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1969

Enterotoxin B synthesis by replicating and nonreplicating cells of Staphylococcus aureus.

Although 95% of the enterotoxin B produced by Staphylococcus aureus appears during the latter part of the exponential phase of growth, growth per se is not necessary for toxin synthesis. A procedure is described whereby a concentrated suspension (at least 6 x 10(10) cells per ml) of a 16-hr culture of S. aureus was found to be capable of producing toxin, without replication, when air and glucose were present. This technique allows the growth requirement to be separated from toxin formation. Although higher (100 mug/ml) concentrations of toxin appeared in the medium when nitrogen was present, lower levels (30 mug/ml) were produced in the absence of N-Z-amine A. Toxin production proceeded without any net increase in deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, or protein. Chloramphenicol did not inhibit toxin formation in a nitrogen-free medium. The optimal pH for toxin production in a nitrogen-free medium was 8.0 to 8.5; for synthesis in a medium where nitrogen was available, the optimal pH was 7.0 to 7.5. Increasing the rate of aeration increased toxin release during growth, but decreased the amount of toxin subsequently produced when the bacteria were resuspended. These results suggest the presence of a precursor pool in the cells collected after 16 hr of growth.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1967

Influence of platen temperatures and relative humidity during storage on the survival of freeze-dried Salmonella typhimurium.

Salmonella typhimurium survived freeze-drying at a platen temperature of 120 F (48.9 C) and also, though to a much lesser degree, at 160 F (82.6 C). The extent of the survival at these temperatures was dependent on the composition of the model system employed. The incidence of damage immediately after freeze-drying was greater for cells dried at the higher platen temperature and was influenced by the composition of the menstruum in which the cells were dried. In model systems having protein-dominant isotherms, survival during subsequent storage depended greatly on relative humidity, with recovery highest at relative humidities below those corresponding to moisture contents at which a monomolecular layer is formed. In menstrua having a higher sugar content, survival was best at low relative humidities corresponding to a very low equilibrium moisture content in the model system used. Damage during storage tended to be a function of the composition of the gels in which the organisms were freeze-dried, and also depended greatly on the presence of air and on the relative humidity. The maximal percentage of damage usually occurred at the low relative humidities as storage time increased.

Freeze Drying↗
PubMed1967

Resistivity of spores to ultraviolet and gamma radiation while exposed to ultrahigh vacuum or at atmospheric pressure.

Viability studies were conducted on microbial spores subjected to ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) in the 10(-9) to 10(-10) torr range. After 5 to 7 days in vacuum, they were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) or to gamma radiation either while still under vacuum or in the presence of dried air. Among the four test organisms subjected to UHV and ultraviolet radiation, Aspergillus niger was the most resistant; Bacillus megaterium, B. subtilis var. niger, and B. stearothermophilus were about equally less resistant. All four spores were more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation when UHV-dried than when desiccant-dried. Of the four test organisms subjected to UHV and gamma radiation, B. megaterium proved to be the most resistant; A. niger was the least resistant; and the remaining two organisms were of intermediate resistivity. All four organisms were less radiation resistant when UHV-dried than when irradiated in their normally hydrated state, and all showed an increased radiosensitivity after vacuum drying when oxygen was present. In addition, spores of B. subtilis var. niger and A. niger were less radiosensitive when UHV-dried and irradiated in vacuum than when "wet" and irradiated in air, whereas the reverse relationship was observed for the remaining two organisms. Based on the fact that microbial contaminants can be readily shielded from UV light by soils, metal particles, etc., and considering that the levels of ionizing radiations reported to be present in interstellar space are generally lower than those used in these experiments, the decrease in radioresistivity imparted by UHV drying is not of a sufficient magnitude to sterilize dependably portions of a spacecraft while on a mission.

Aspergillus↗
PubMed1964

Exposure of microorganisms to simulated extraterrestrial space ecology.

Spores of five test organisms, Bacillus subtilis var. niger, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Clostridium sporogenes and Aspergillus niger and soils were exposed, while under ultra high vacuum to temperatures of from -190 degrees C to +170 degrees C for 45 days. Up to a temperature of 25 degrees C no loss in viability of the test spores were noted when compared to original populations maintained at room temperature at atmospheric pressure over a desiccant. At elevated temperatures differences in resistivity occurred so that at 88 degrees C only B. subtilis var. niger and A. niger survived in appreciable numbers. At 107 degrees C only A. niger spores survived, but none were recoverable after exposure to 120 degrees C. In comparison B. subtilis var. niger survived at atmospheric pressure and 90 degrees C for 5 days while none of the other spores were viable after 48 hours. Four groups of organisms in soil, mesophilic aerobes and anaerobes, molds and actinomycetes were similarly tested in the vacuum chamber. From one soil sample only actinomycetes survived 120 degrees C, whereas one other soil sample yielded viable bacteria after exposure to 170 degrees C. The resistance of the isolates to high temperatures in the absence of soil is being evaluated. Several organisms have been found to resists 120 degrees C in ultra-high vacuum for 4-5 days, and experiments at higher temperatures are in progress. When irradiated with gamma rays from a cobalt-60 source, there was a difference between vacuum dried test spores irradiated while still under vacuum to those exposed to air immediately before irradiation. A reduction of from one-third to one-ninth of the viability of spores irradiated in vacuum occurred with vacuum-treated spores irradiated in air.

Aspergillus niger↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Regulation of rheumatoid factor synthesis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with high titers of IgM and IgG autoantibodies against IgG (rheumatoid factors, RF) and is prevalent in individuals with the HLA haplotypes Dw4, Dw14 and DR1. Our investigations have aimed to determine the molecular genetic basis for RF autoantibody synthesis in people, in an effort to understand eventually how RF production may become improperly regulated in rheumatoid patients. The results have defined several cross-reactive idiotypes on the heavy and light chains of RFs that are serologic markers for specific immunoglobulin variable region genes. These autoantibody associated genes are highly conserved in human populations and are preferentially rearranged and expressed during early B cell development, and in certain lymphoproliferative diseases. They may be associated with a B cell subpopulation that is important for the processing and presentation to T cells of protein antigens trapped in immune complexes. These RF-associated idiotypes are eventually lost during the T cell dependent antibody diversification that accompanies rheumatoid arthritis. The stimuli for the diversification have not been clearly established. However, the rheumatoid arthritis disease susceptibility determinant on the beta-1 chain of individuals with the HLA Dw4, Dw14 or DR1 haplotypes is reproduced by the gp110 protein of the Epstein-Barr virus, and is a potent stimulus for T cell proliferation. Moreover, anti-gp110 antibodies are abundant in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Thus, it is possible that their continual binding and processing of gp110-IgG immune complexes by RF precursor B cells in the joints and other extravascular sites may lead to the emergence of self-reactive T cells that can trigger anti-IgG autoantibody synthesis in the absence of an external antigen.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗