Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R C Williams

Publications and source records attributed to R C Williams.

At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources
PubMed1971

Occurrence of protein a in staphylococcal strains: quantitative aspects and correlation to antigenic and bacteriophage types.

Protein A of Staphylococcus aureus can be detected on cell walls of intact bacteria by use of radioactively labeled myeloma globulin. Of 156 strains of S. aureus, 141 (90%) contained protein A. None of 47 S. epidermidis strains was positive for protein A. The production of protein A was influenced by incubation temperature but not by differences in incubation time or inoculum size. A medium containing a high concentration of NaCl suppressed the production of protein A by 90%. Formalin treatment of protein A-containing strains caused a decrease in the amount detected, but no further decrease was detected after storage at 4 C. No correlation was found between absence or presence of protein A and phage type or phage group. Sixteen S. aureus strains were studied extensively. There was no correlation between protein A and any of the 26 antigenic characteristics which have been previously described in these strains.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1971

Studies of human sera with cytotoxic activity.

42 human sera showing in vitro cytotoxic activity of restricted or broad HL-A specificities with test human lymphocytes were studied for the molecular and immunoglobulin class of cytotoxic antibody using sucrose gradient separations, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. Sera originated from patients with previous multiple pregnancies (19), multiply transfused patients (8), subacute bacterial endocarditis (4), systemic lupus (2), and human umbilical cord sera (9). In 32 of 42 instances, predominant cytotoxic activity was found in high molecular weight gradient fractions; however, DEAE chromatographic separations revealed cytotoxic activity in initial buffer fractions containing primarily gammaG globulin. Gradient separations of cytotoxic activity within initial gammaG DEAE fractions showed localization of cytotoxicity only in high molecular weight materials. Confirmation of high molecular weight gammaG cytotoxic activity was obtained by resistance to mercaptoethanol treatment, abolition of activity after absorption only with specific anti-gammaG antisera, and by the finding that high molecular weight cytotoxic activity in gradients or gel filtration run at neutral pH 7.4 became 7S when separations were rerun at an acidic pH of 4.0. Such 7S activity again became rapidly sedimenting when the same fractions were again rerun in gradients at neutral pH.19S gammaM cytotoxic activity was documented in a panel of 15 human sera containing anti-"I" cold agglutinins. In this instance the cytotoxic activity appeared to be related to the cold agglutinin antibody since it was mercaptoethanol sensitive and could be demonstrated in monoclonal antibody eluates containing primarily gammaM. No in vitro protection again cytotoxic effect was demonstrated when isolated human 19S anti-gamma-globulins were aded to the lymphocytotoxic assay system. With the exception of cold agglutinins, human cytotoxic antibodies appear to be primarily gammaG producing in vitro lymphocyte killing either as 7S gammaG globulin or as rapidly sedimenting aggregates or complexes of gammaG molecules.

Anemia, Hemolytic↗
PubMed1970

Indirect visualization of Staphylococcus aureus protein A.

Specific but nonimmunologic reaction between staphylococcal protein A and the Fc portion of gamma globulin provided the basis for ultrastructural studies to determine the localization of protein A, using intact staphylococci and labeled myeloma gamma G-globulin. Protein A appeared to be part of the outermost layer of the staphylococcal cell wall. Strains with protein A demonstrated a coating of myeloma globulin over the entire bacterial surface. There was no coating of strains without protein A. Identification of protein A on the surface of the staphylococcal cell wall provides evidence that this may be the first material in contact with host environment. It probably accounts for apparent cross-reactions of staphylococci with antibodies to many antigens. More importantly, even in the nonimmune host protein A immunoglobulin reactivity may initiate complement activation and inflammatory reactions including chemotaxis and pus formation.

Bacterial Proteins↗