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Biomedical subjects

R Nakaya

Publications and source records attributed to R Nakaya.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Electron microscopic observation of new transposable elements inserted into P22 phage genome from R plasmids.

By using phage P22spl, a deletion mutant of phage P22, the structures of two new transposons on P22 genomes were studied by the electron microscopic heteroduplex method. One of these was the Cm (chloramphenicol) transposon derived from an R plasmid, NR1, and the other the Km (kanamycin) transposon frin obr502. the heteroduplex between P22 phage DNAs with and without the Cm transposon revealed that the Cm transposon was similar in structure to the Tn9 element, a well-known Cm transposon derived from the R plasmid pMS14. On the other hand, the Km transposon of pNR502 was quite different in structure from other Km transposons reported previously. This transposon consists of a 6.8 kilobase (kb) segment of DNA, in which a short inverted repeat is contained. The heteroduplex experiments showed that a 4.5 kb segment of DNA was deleted from the P22 genome in the P22spl genome. Because of a shorter unit length of the genome, phage P22spl is considered to be useful of assaying various kinds of transposable elements.

Chromosome Deletion↗
PubMed1978

R plasmids among Gram-negative bacteria with multiple drug resistance isolated in a general hospital.

The incidence of conjugative R plasmids in multiple drug-resistant strains of gram-negative bacteria isolated in 1973 from patients in a 700-bed general hospital in Tokyo and some properties of the R plasmids isolated are described. Conjugative R plasmids were found in 52 of the 96 strains (54%), from which 74 R plasmids were demonstrated. It is remarkable that the isolation frequency of R plasmids mediating quadruple- or five-drug resistance was rather low, and the complete pattern of multiple resistance of the original isolates was only rarely transferred by conjugation. These results revealed the existing state of the distribution of R plasmids among hospital strains with multiple drug-resistance.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1978

R plasmids with thermosensitive transferability in Salmonella strains isolated from humans.

Temperature dependence of transfer was examined with ten R plasmids originating from clinical isolates of Salmonella. Six of the plasmids were thermosensitive upon transfer, five of which were originally harbored in S. typhimurium and the remaining one in S. derby. One of these plasmids, pNR502, which conferred resistance to kanamycin, streptomycin (Sm) and tetracycline (Tc) on its host was stably maintained both in Salmonella and Escherichia coli at either 30, 37, or 43 C. Another plasmid, pNR516, which was resistant to chloramphenicol, sulfathiazole, Sm and Tc, was slightly unstable only at 43 C. The remaining four plasmids, pNR503, pNR510, pNR512 and pNR514, conferred resistance to Sm and Tc. Of these plasmids, the former two were stably maintained at both 30 and 37 C, but were unstable at 43 C. The latter two were slightly unstable at the lower temperatures and considerably unstable at 43 C. Kinetics of the transfer of the plasmid pNR503 revealed that the efficiency of transfer of the plasmid between E. coli strains was affected not only by the temperature of the conjugation but also by the preincubation temperature of the donor culture before the conjugation.

Drug Resistance, Microbial↗
PubMed1977

Rough mutant of Shigella flexneri 2a that penetrates tissue culture cells but does not evoke keratoconjunctivitis in guinea pigs.

A rough mutant, designated 5503-01, has been isolated from a virulent strain of Shigella flexneri 2a 5503. Strain 5503-01 produced smooth opaque colonies, whereas its parent strain produced characteristic green-gold translucent ones. Characterization of 5503-01 by agglutination tests, rhamnose content, and sensitivity spectra to "rough-specific" phages revealed that it had lost the specific somatic antigens. When 5503-01 was used to infect HeLa or L cells, it penetrated the cells and multiplied within the cytoplasm. On the other hand, it could not evoke keratoconjunctivitis in guinea pigs. The properties of this strain were remarkably stable against serial passages and preservation for a long period. The presence of a rough mutant with the ability to penetrate tissue culture cells suggest that specific O antigen is not of significance in the early step of the invasive process of shigellosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Control of replication and segregation of R plasmid Rts1.

A mutant plasmid, pTW2, which was derived from the integrated Rst1 genome in the Escherichia coli chromosome, was studied as to its mode of replication at 30 degrees C. When Proteus mirabilis Pm17 harboring pTW2 was grown in broth at 30 degrees C, a considerable number of R- segregants (approximately 40%) were consistently observed. This indicates that pTW2 is unstable even at the permissive temperature for the replication of Rts1. The pTW2+ cells in a culture were heterogeneous with respect to the level of kanamycin resistance, ranging from 500 to 4,000 mug of the drug per ml. The amount of pTW2 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) relative to the Pm17 chromosomal DNA was about fivefold as large as that of Rts1 DNA in an exponentially growing culture. In addition, pTW2 in P. mirabilis continued to replicate after the chromosome had ceased to replicate, which was shown in the study of the inhibition of protein synthesis. Contrary to pTW2, the parent plasmid Rts1 is highly stable, and the relative percent Rts1 DNA is maintained at approximately 7% in any cultural conditions at a permissive temperature. These results suggest that copies of pTW2 may not segregate evenly into the host progeny upon cell division and that the replication of pTW2 does not coordinate with that of the chromosome. A remarkable instability of pTW2 as well as an increase in the relative percent pTW2 DNA was also shown when E. coli were used as the host cells. These results suggest the possibility that there is a gene or a gene cluster on the Rst1 genome responsible for the control of both replication and segregation of Rts1.

Chloramphenicol↗
PubMed1975

Comparative studies on generalized transducing bacteriophages of Proteus mirabilis, phim and pi1.

Comparative studies were made on the generalized transducing bacteriophages of Proteus mirabilis phim (Nakaya and Rownd), pi1(Böhme), and a clear plaque-forming mutant phim-c, derived from phim. Electron microscopic observations revealed that these phages were morphologically identical, indicating that they belonged to the group C of Bradley's classification, or to the type C1 of Ackermann's classification. Phages phim and pi1 formed characteristic turbid plaques different from each other, and the plaques of pi1 were smaller in size than those of phim. The plaques of phage phim-c were clear and also were the largest in size among those studied. Average latent periods of phim and pi1 were 70 and 60 min, respectively. Average burst size was found to be 30 and 10 plaque-forming units per infected cell for phim and pi1, respectively. It was confirmed by cross neutralization tests that phim and pi1 differed serologically from each other. The host range of the two phages also differed, and phage phim was more sensitive to heat than pi1. These results indicate that phages phim and pi1 are different types of phages. Majority of the properties of phage phim-c were nearly identical with those of phage phim except that the multiplication of phim-c was more strongly inhibited by methylene blue than that of phim and pi1. Phage phim-c is considered to be a clear mutant of phim.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1975

Integration of R plasmid Rts1 to the gal region of the Escherichia coli chromosome.

An R plasmid Rts1 was integrated into the gal region of the chromosome of Escherichia coli XA-7012 (galE) strain by the directed transposition technique. The integration of the Rts1 genome was confirmed mainly by conjugation studies and also by transduction experiments using phage P1. As a result, it was found that the integrated genome contained genes responsible for kanamycin resistance, conjugal transferability, and for autonomous replication. As reported previously, Rts1 is temperature sensitive in replication and inhibits the growth of the host at nonpermissive temperature. However, although a plasmid derived from the integrated Rts1 genome still demonstrates temperature sensitivity upon transfer and high level of kanamycin resistance, this plasmid no longer displays temperature sensitivity in replication and the inhibitory effect on the host. These results indicate that the temperature sensitivity of replication of Rts1 and its inhibitory effect on the host cell are due to the presence of a gene or gene cluster on the Rts1 genome and that the gene(s) is clearly discriminated from the one responsible for the temperature sensitivity of transfer.

Centrifugation, Density Gradient↗
PubMed1974

Effects of inhibition and restoration of protein synthesis on the replication of the R factor Rts1 in Proteus mirabilis.

The effect of inhibition of protein synthesis on the replication of the R factor Rts1 in Proteus mirabilis was examined by using the technique of CsCl density gradient centrifugation. Only 12% of the copies of Rts1 were found to replicate during amino acid starvation, whereas there was a 30% increase in the amount of P. mirabilis chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) during the same period. Essentially the same amount of Rts1 and host chromosome replication was observed when chloramphenicol was used to inhibit protein synthesis. The replication of Rts1 DNA was also examined in experiments in which cultures were starved for amino acids in (14)N-labeled medium and then transferred to (15)N-labeled medium containing the required amino acids. These experiments showed that Rts1 replication took place throughout the first generation in (15)N-labeled medium and that each copy of Rts1 was replicated one time during the first generation of chromosomal DNA synthesis in (15)N-medium.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1971

Transduction of R factors by a Proteus mirabilis bacteriophage.

A transducing phage, designated phim, was isolated from a lysogenic strain of Proteus mirabilis and was characterized with respect to its physical and genetic properties. The phage contains double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with an S(20,w) degrees of 29 which corresponds to a molecular weight of 24 x 10(6) daltons. The base composition of phim DNA was estimated to be 40% guanine plus cytosine on the basis of the buoyant density of the DNA. phim carries out generalized transduction of chromosomal genes in P. mirabilis at a frequency of 5 x 10(-8) to 2 x 10(-6) per adsorbed phage. To obtain R-factor transduction, it was necessary to have a resident R factor in the recipient cells. In these experiments, different combinations of genetically distinguishable R factors were used in the donor and recipient cells. The frequencies of R-factor transduction were 10(-9) to 2 x 10(-8). The transduction of R factors using an R(-) recipient could not be detected. Transductant R factors were usually recombinant between donor and resident R factors. All of the transduced R factors were transferable by conjugation. A plausible explanation for the requirement for a resident R factor in the recipient cells is that phim transduces only a portion of the R-factor genome and therefore requires a resident R factor for genetic recombination. The reason for the low frequencies of R-factor transduction is not known, but some possible interpretations have been discussed.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗