Carotenoids and cholesterol in membranes of Mycoplasma laidlawii.
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Acetates↗
Biomedical subjects
S Razin
Publications and source records attributed to S Razin.
Localization of Enzymes in Mycoplasma.
Pollack, J. D. (University of Connecticut, Storrs), Shmuel Razin, and Robert C. Cleverdon. Localization of enzymes in Mycoplasma. J. Bacteriol. 90:617-622. 1965.-Cells of eight parasitic and two saprophytic Mycoplasma strains were lysed by use of osmotic shock, and the membranes were separated from the soluble fraction by use of differential centrifugation. Cell fractions were tested for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH(2)) oxidase, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH(2)) oxidase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, adenosine triphosphatase, ribonuclease, and deoxyribonuclease activities. Adenosine triphosphatase was confined to the membrane fraction of all Mycoplasma strains. The NADH(2) oxidase activity was associated with the membranes of the saprophytic M. laidlawii and with the soluble fraction of the parasitic Mycoplasma strains. NADPH(2) oxidase activity was detected only in the soluble fraction of the parasitic strains. Glusose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was demonstrated only in the soluble fraction of M. laidlawii. Ribonuclease activity was found usually in both membrane and soluble fractions, but was generally higher in the membrane fraction. In the human and bovine Mycoplasma strains, deoxyribonuclease activity could not be demonstrated in the soluble fraction; in the remaining strains, activity was highest in the soluble fraction. Dissolution of M. laidlawii strain B membranes by sodium deoxycholate significantly increased membrane-NADH(2) oxidase and adenosine triphosphatase activities.
Journal Article↗
Comparison by autoradiography of macromolecular biosynthesis in "young" and "old" human diploid fibroblast cultures. A brief note.
The biosynthetic abilities of WI-38 fibroblasts from early and late population-doubling-level cultures were compared by autoradiography of cells grown with labeled precursors of DNA, RNA, protein and lipids. Incorporation of radioactive thymidine, uridine, protein-hydrolysate, acetate, oleic acid and cholesterol, as measured by the number of grains per cell surface, decreased with the progressive aging of the culture. However, the decrease in the incorporation of acetate, oleic acid and cholesterol was much smaller than that of the other precursors, indicating that lipid synthesis is affected to a lesser degree than protein and nucleic acid synthesis on aging. This result is in accord with the higher lipid content and proliferation of intracellular membranes in cells of "old" WI-38 cultures reported by others.
Acetates↗
Molecular and biological features of mollicutes (mycoplasmas).
The small size of the mollicute genome considerably restricts the amount of genetic information available to the organisms. This is reflected in the relatively small number of cell proteins synthesized, the lack of many biosynthetic pathways and the marked dependence on exogenous nutrients for growth. The protein synthesizing machinery of mollicutes resembles that of eubacteria and is sensitive to the same antibiotics, except for rifampicin, to which RNA polymerases of mollicutes appear resistant. The mollicute ribosomes are built of 50 S and 30 S subunits and contain about 50 different proteins and 5 S, 16 S and 23 S rRNA, as in eubacteria. However, the 5 S rRNA in mollicutes appears shorter (107-112 nucleotides) than in eubacteria (116-120 nucleotides). We hybridized restriction endonuclease-digested DNA from a variety of Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, Acholeplasma and Spiroplasma species with nick-translated probes consisting of defined portions of the rrnB rRNA operon of Escherichia coli and the rRNA operon of M. capricolum. The results suggest the presence of only one or two sets (operons) of rRNA genes in the genome of Mollicutes, a number falling considerably below that of the eubacteria examined so far but resembling that found in archaebacteria. Our data also indicate a marked nucleotide sequence homology along the rrnB rRNA operon of E. coli and the rRNA operons of the various mollicutes, indicating that the rRNA genes in mollicutes are linked in the classical prokaryotic fashion 16 S-23 S-5 S. Each mollicute appeared to possess, on its genome, different flanking sequences adjacent to the rRNA operon(s), resulting in species-specific hybridization patterns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Acholeplasma↗
Competitive inhibition and attachment assays in cell cultures to detect pathogenic binding components of mycoplasmas: a review.
A microattachment assay for quantitating adherence of radiolabelled Mycoplasma pneumoniae to human WiDr cell culture monolayers is described. Preincubating the WiDr cell monolayers with a protein-rich extract of M. pneumoniae inhibited the subsequent attachment of radiolabelled organisms. Competitive attachment inhibition provided a quantitative procedure to determine M. pneumoniae-binding components in the extract. The microattachment assays also measured attachment inhibition by the sialoglycoconjugates ceruloplasmin, orosomucoid and gangliosides, indicating that these reagents may be structural analogues of the mammalian cell receptor. Attachment of virulent M. pneumoniae strains to glutaraldehyde-treated monolayers was reduced approximately 60% and showed a different temperature dependence compared with untreated cells. These results suggest that maximal attachment of virulent M. pneumoniae may require two or more different receptors and binding components.
Adhesiveness↗
Attachment of mycoplasmas to host cell membranes.
Pathogenic mycoplasmas rarely invade the tissues or bloodstream. Their adherence to epithelial cell surface, the first stage in disease, involves protein binding sites on the mycoplasmal cell membrane and receptors on the host cell membrane. Strong evidence indicates that Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma pneumoniae adhere with the aid of sialic acid residues on host cells, but the data do not preclude participation by other host-cell membrane components. Several studies indicate that these mycoplasmas adhere by blebs or terminal structures; others suggest that binding occurs via other cell areas. Scanning electron microscopy suggests tight interaction between these mycoplasmas and red blood cell membranes, causing imprints resembling those from interaction of viruses with red blood cells. Because sialoglycoproteins are major sites for attachment of M. pneumoniae to respiratory epithelium and red blood cells, glycophorin--the major sialoglycoprotein of human red blood cells--was the ligand used in affinity chromatography for isolation of the binding sites specific for sialic acid receptors from M. pneumoniae membranes solubilized by detergents. The fraction eluted with 0.2% sodium dodecylsulfate from the glycophorin-Sepharose column, highly enriched with two proteins, exhibited high binding capacity to glycophorin-Sepharose beads and lower binding capacity to human red blood cells. The latter capacity was nearly abolished by glycophorin, but not by its hydrophobic moiety.
Adhesiveness↗
Cholesterol and phospholipid uptake by mycoplasmas.
Mycoplasma offer several unique advantages for investigating the mechanism controlling transfer and uptake of exogenous cholesterol and phospholipids by biomembranes, as their plasma membrane interacts directly with exogenous lipid donors and their endogenous lipid synthesis is restricted. Growing cells of five species of Mycoplasma were found to take up significant quantities of phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin as well as free and esterified cholesterol. In contrast, growing cells of three species of Acholeplasma failed to take up any of the exogenous phospholipids and incorporated only low amounts of free cholesterol and no esterified cholesterol. It is hypothesized that Mycoplasma species have receptors for serum lipoproteins and phospholipid-cholesterol vesicles that facilitate the transfer of cholesterol and phospholipids to the growing cell membrane. Our finding that gentle trypsin treatment of growing Mycoplasma capricolum cells decreased their cholesterol uptake ability by about 50% but did not affect cholesterol uptake by growing Acholeplasma laidlawii cells appears to support the existence of protein receptors for lipoproteins on the surface of Mycoplasma but not on Acholeplasma species. Digestion of membrane phospholipids by phospholipase A2 decreased the cholesterol-binding capacity of isolated A. laidlawii and M. capricolum membranes, roughly in proportion to the amount of phospholipid digested. The total removal of phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol from A. laidlawii membranes by phospholipase A2 only decreased but did not abolish cholesterol uptake, an indication that glycolipids also participate in cholesterol uptake.
Acholeplasma↗
Genetic relatedness among Ureaplasma urealyticum serotypes (serovars).
Fourteen serotypes (serovars) are currently recognized in the species Ureaplasma urealyticum. DNA-DNA hybridization tests, cleavage of genomic DNA by restriction endonucleases, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cell proteins indicate that the U. urealyticum serotypes fall into two genotypically distinct, but related, clusters. Southern hybridization tests of mycoplasmal ribosomal RNA gene probes with DNAs of the various serotypes digested by restriction endonucleases showed that the U. urealyticum chromosome carries two sets (operons) of ribosomal RNA genes. However, the hybridization patterns produced by the serotypes showed differences which were most pronounced among serotypes belonging to the two different clusters.
Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗
Ribosomal RNA gene probes to detect intraspecies heterogeneity in Mycoplasma gallisepticum and M. synoviae.
Intraspecies genotypic heterogeneity among strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and M. synoviae was tested using genomic fingerprints with a ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene probe. The organism's DNA was digested by a restriction endonuclease, electrophoresed, transferred to a nitrocellulose sheet, and hybridized with 32P-labeled pMC5 plasmid carrying the highly conserved rRNA genes of M. capricolum. The resulting hybridization patterns indicated a degree of genotypic heterogeneity among M. gallisepticum strains more pronounced than among the M. synoviae strains tested. Most importantly, the live vaccine F strain of M. gallisepticum could be distinguished from virulent field isolates of this species, enabling the detection and identification of the F strain in areas in which vaccination with this strain has taken place. Genomic fingerprints with an rRNA gene probe can thus be added to the battery of tools useful in taxonomy at the intraspecies level and in epidemiology of mycoplasmosis in poultry.
Animals↗
Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of cell proteins of Enterobacteriaceae. A possible taxonomic aid.
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Bacterial Proteins↗
Characterization of the mycoplasma genome.
Recent advances on the properties of the mycoplasma genome, including size, base composition, replication, extrachromosomal DNA, and transfer of genetic material are briefly reviewed, with emphasis on their phylogenetic implications. The use of cleavage patterns of the mycoplasma genome by restriction endonucleases as "finger-prints" indicating genetic relatedness among strains is discussed. The data support the notion that strains of mycoplasma species of strict host and tissue specificity exhibit marked genetic homogeneity, suggesting a clonal origin for some species. The regions of the mycoplasma genome carrying the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes have been studied using restriction endonucleases, cloning, and hybridization procedures. The mycoplasmal rRNA cistrons cross-hybridized among themselves, and with the seven rRNA cistrons of Escherichia coli, demonstrating the marked conservation of structure during evolution of this part of the procaryotic genome. In most of the mollicutes tested so far the number of rRNA cistrons is two, but a few species appear to carry only one rRNA cistron in their genome.
Acholeplasma↗
Mycoplasma attachment to solid surfaces: a review.
Mycoplasma attachment to glass in a protein-containing environment requires energization of the cells, probably to provide more accessibility of binding sites. The substance mediating attachment is of protein nature. Studies with monoclonal antibodies on M. pneumoniae suggest a concentration of the binding sites at the tip structure.
Adhesiveness↗
On the distribution and characteristics of isozyme expression in Mycoplasma, Acholeplasma, and Ureaplasma species.
A summary of a survey of three genera of mycoplasmatales (Mycoplasma, Acholeplasma, and Ureaplasma) for isozyme expression is presented. Isozyme analysis of mycoplasmas has been employed in at least three distinct areas: (1) as genetic markers for identification, individualization, and taxonomic classification; (2) as markers for cell culture contamination; and (3) as a qualitative measure of the operative metabolic pathways in the diverse species. We have found five ubiquitous enzymes: purine nucleoside phosphorylase, adenylate kinase, inorganic pyrophosphatase, dipeptidase, and esterase. Three enzymes, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and superoxide dismutase, were restricted to Acholeplasma species and were not detected in Mycoplasma or Ureaplasma. Four glycolytic enzymes, glucose phosphate isomerase, triose phosphate isomerase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and lactate dehydrogenase, were restricted to those species of Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma capable of glucose fermentation. Two of these glycolytic enzymes, glucose phosphate isomerase and lactate dehydrogenase, were detected in serovars I and II of U. urealyticum, which is inconsistent with the non-glycolytic activity in this genus.
Acholeplasma↗
The minimal cellular genome of mycoplasma.
The mycoplasmas are the smallest and simplest self-replicating organisms, being built of a plasma membrane, ribosomes, and a circular double-stranded DNA molecule-the typical prokaryotic genome. The idea of using mycoplasmas as models for defining in molecular terms the entire machinery of a living cell was raised by Morowitz in 1984. The goal has been to prove the dogma of the completeness of molecular biology, that is, that the logic of life is finite, relatively simple and subject to full exploration. The recent complete sequencing of the genome of the human pathogen Mycoplasma genitalium brings us much closer to achieving this goal. The M. genitalium genome is only 580 kb long and contains only 470 predicted coding sequences(genes), as compared with 1727 in Haemophilus influenzae and about 4000 in E. coli. Thus, M. genitalium is apparently the simplest organism capable of independent life with a minimal set of genes. The drastic economization in genetic information must be associated with the parasitic mode of life of the mycoplasmas. Mycoplasmas evolved by reductive evolution from Gram-positive bacteria with low G + C genomes. During evolution the mycoplasmas have lost the cell wall and many biosynthetic systems involved in synthesis of macromolecule building blocks provided by their host. Thus, the M. genitalium genome carries only one gene involved in amino acid biosynthesis, and very few genes for vitamin and nucleic acid precursors; the lack of genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, leads to dependence on exogenous fatty acids, enabling the introduction of controlled variations in membrane acyl chains and the use of mycoplasmas as models in studying membrane fluidity. Moreover, the dependence of mycoplasmas on exogenous cholesterol for growth was exploited to show the role of cholesterol as a buffer of membrane fluidity. The mycoplasma genome carries the minimal set of energy metabolism genes, being content with a restricted supply of ATP needed for their parasitic mode of life. Being limited by a single permeability barrier enabled the saving of a considerable number of transport system genes. Nevertheless, these minimal organisms were shown to carry all the essential genes needed for DNA replication, transcription and translation, but even here gene saving is expressed in a minimal number of rRNA and tRNA genes. A genomic price had been paid to maintain parasitism, so that a significant number of mycoplasmal genes is devoted to adhesins, attachment organelles and variable membrane surface antigens directed towards evasion of the host immune system.
Genome, Bacterial↗