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The malX malY operon of Escherichia coli encodes a novel enzyme II of the phosphotransferase system recognizing glucose and maltose and an enzyme abolishing the endogenous induction of the maltose system.

Mutants lacking MalK, a subunit of the binding protein-dependent maltose-maltodextrin transport system, constitutively express the maltose genes. A second site mutation in malI abolishes the constitutive expression. The malI gene (at 36 min on the linkage map) codes for a typical repressor protein that is homologous to the Escherichia coli LacI, GalR, or CytR repressor (J. Reidl, K. Römisch, M. Ehrmann, and W. Boos, J. Bacteriol. 171:4888-4899, 1989). We now report that MalI regulates an adjacent and divergently oriented operon containing malX and malY. MalX encodes a protein with a molecular weight of 56,654, and the deduced amino acid sequence of MalX exhibits 34.9% identity to the enzyme II of the phosphototransferase system for glucose (ptsG) and 32.1% identity to the enzyme II for N-acetylglucosamine (nagE). When constitutively expressed, malX can complement a ptsG ptsM double mutant for growth on glucose. Also, a delta malE malT(Con) strain that is unable to grow on maltose due to its maltose transport defect becomes Mal+ after introduction of malI::Tn10 and the plasmid carrying malX. MalX-mediated transport of glucose and maltose is likely to occur by facilitated diffusion. We conclude that malX encodes a phosphotransferase system enzyme II that can recognize glucose and maltose as substrates even though these sugars may not represent the natural substrates of the system. The second gene in the operon, malY, encodes a protein of 43,500 daltons. Its deduced amino acid sequence exhibits weak homology to aminotransferase sequences. The presence of plasmid-encoded MalX alone was sufficient for complementing growth on glucose in a ptsM ptsG glk mutant, and the plasmid-encoded MalY alone was sufficient to abolish the constitutivity of the mal genes in a malK mutant. The overexpression of malY in a strain that is wild type with respect to the maltose genes strongly interferes with growth on maltose. This is not the case in a malT(Con) strain that expresses the mal genes constitutively. We conclude that malY encodes an enzyme that degrades the inducer of the maltose system or prevents its synthesis.

Amino Acid Sequence

MalI, a novel protein involved in regulation of the maltose system of Escherichia coli, is highly homologous to the repressor proteins GalR, CytR, and LacI.

The maltose regulon of Escherichia coli comprises several operons that are under common regulatory control of the MalT activator protein. Five mal genes, organized in two divergent operons, code for a binding-protein-dependent transport system specific for maltose and maltodextrins. MalK, one of the subunits of this transport system, not only is essential for transport but also plays a role in regulation. Mutations abolishing MalK function not only result in inability to transport maltose but also cause constitutive expression of the maltose regulon. For this constitutivity to be exerted, the function of an additional gene product, MalI, is necessary. Using the constitutive expression of a malK-lacZ fusion as a signal, we cloned the malI gene, expressed it in minicells, and determined its DNA sequence. The sequence predicted a protein of 34,729 molecular weight, in agreement with the apparent molecular weight of the protein (35,000) when expressed in minicells and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. MalI exhibited high homology to the repressor proteins GalR, CytR, and LacI. When the amino acid sequences were appropriately aligned, MalI showed 28% identity to GalR, 21% to CytR, and 24% to LacI. Including conservative amino acid exchanges, these numbers increased to 69, 56, and 58%, respectively. The regions of high homology were clustered in particular at the N-terminal portion of the protein that includes the helix-turn-helix motif thought to be involved in DNA binding. The protein contained a short stretch of 30 amino acids that was surprisingly homologous to a sequence in MalT. The amino-terminal half of the protein exhibited significant homology with MalK. The transcriptional start of malI was determined by reverse transcriptase and by S1 nuclease mapping. We found a possible binding site for cyclic AMP receptor protein in the promoter region of malI as well as two perfect direct repeats of 14 base pairs with twofold symmetry indicating their possible role as operator sites. Upstream to malI we observed a divergent open reading frame that extended to the end of the sequenced DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence

[Differences in rubella immunity in Mali and Hamburg and their consequences].

The rare occurrence of rubella embryopathy in Mali stimulated us to investigate the rubella immunity of the population. Sera from females from Hamburg (n = 97) between 16 and 42 years old were in 84,5% seropositive (hemolysin-in-gel test) whilst a sample of Malien females (n = 99) were positive in 92,9%. Our investigations showed that the Malien children were significantly (p = less than 0.001) earlier infected by rubella than in Hamburg (Mali: children under 8 years [n = 196] in 46.9%; Hamburg [n = 151] in 20.5%). In Mali 7-8 years old children were already in 87.5% seropositive (Hamburg: only in 46.7%). The early immunity in childhood is due to the bigger African family in comparison with the smaller European family. The height of rubella serum titers was in grown-ups identical, but the relationship was vice versa in both studied newborn populations. Newborns from Mali showed lower rubella antibody titers than their mothers (newborns from Hamburg had a tendency to higher titers). Similar relationships were found already in the amount of neutralizing polioantibodies in newborns from both countries. A rubella immunisation in Mali seems not to be indicated.

Adolescent

Circadian rhythm of photosensitivity and the adaptation of reproductive function to the environment in two populations of Arvicanthis niloticus from Mali and Burkina Faso.

Previous studies have shown that there is a circadian rhythm of photosensitivity in different rodent species of the Sahel (Burkina Faso) and that, despite the low amplitude of seasonal variations in daylength, the photoperiod may control reproductive function. The present investigation of Arvicanthis niloticus provides additional support for this hypothesis. Populations of Arvicanthis niloticus from two regions at the same latitude 1000 km apart but with different climates were studied. Oursi, Burkina Faso, has an arid climate (annual rainfall 315 mm) and Kamalé, Mali has a wetter climate (annual rainfall 1114 mm). The circadian rhythm of photosensitivity had the same features in both populations, involving inhibition of testicular activity, but the photosensitive phase began 11 h 30 min after dawn in the population from Burkina Faso and 45 min later in that from Mali. Comparison of these results with the annual variation of daylength showed that the photoperiod inhibits the reproductive activity of A. niloticus from April to December in Burkina Faso and only from mid-May to mid-August in Mali. The population of Arvicanthis niloticus living in an environment with a large and seasonally stable food supply (Mali) thus has a longer reproductive period. This corroborates results from field studies on annual variations of population density.

Adaptation, Physiological

[Apropos of the Mali syndrome].

The authors report two original cases of profuse pigmentation associated with proliferative lesions of the lower limbs, in patients with venous incompetence, suggestive if the syndrome described by Mali and al. in 1963. One case was in fact of Kaposi's disease associated with severe thrombocytopenia which was the cause of death, despite the use of Chloraminophene-Cortancyl. The other case was a woman with profuse pigmentation of the lower limbs associated with multiple disseminated lesions of allergic vasculitis, probably of drug origin. Suppression of the drug and rest led to a marked improvement in the lesions. Although very different from each other, both of these cases are suggestive of Mali's syndrome, but their treatment was totally opposite. The first case, a real vascular neoplasia, required the combination of antimitotic-steroid ; the second case, on the contrary, resolved with rest and a simple elastic bandage, like allcutaneous venous lesions, in particular Mali's syndrome.

Aged

Nutritional status of adults in rural Mali.

An anthropometric assessment was conducted of 441 adults from six rural villages in southern Mali. As is typical for human populations, females are shorter and lighter than males. Both females (N = 320) and males (N = 121) are shorter and lighter than their U.S. counterparts. Mean weight in the sample is 53.4 +/- 8.5 kilos for females and 58.8 +/- 6.5 kilos for males. Mean height is 160.4 +/- 5.7 cm for females and 171.3 +/- 6.6 cm for males. The data for height in males are very similar to those reported from other surveys in Mali, and show no evidence for a positive secular trend in height. Mean body mass index (BMI) is 20.8 for females and 20.0 for males. These are lower than U.S. averages, but well above suggested cutoff points for malnutrition in adults. Average arm circumference is 26.5 cm for females and 26.4 cm for males. Females have relatively large arm circumferences due, in part, to the heavy manual labor they perform. Average head circumference is 53.0 cm for females and 54.8 cm for males. For both sexes, these values are more than 1 standard deviation (SD) below the U.S. means. Adult values for anthropometric measurements reflect childhood stresses of malnutrition and disease, and a lifetime of accommodation to a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet, and hard physical labor. Females are significantly closer to the U.S. standards than males for weight, height, BMI, and arm circumference; these findings support the idea that females are buffered from environmental stresses relative to males. In addition, females exhibit significantly more variability than males for weight, arm circumference, and head circumference, but not for height, suggesting that variability in adult height does not reflect the presence or absence of female buffering or the level of environmental adversity.

Adult

Infant feeding in Mali, West Africa: variations in belief and practice.

Research conducted in Mali during 1982 and 1983 reveals a wide range of variation in both the growth and development of infants and infant feeding practices. Overall, growth patterns of the Malian children (N = 136) are similar to those reported for children in other West African urban or rural poor populations. However, the use of the averages of growth measures disguises the fact that some children are severely malnourished, while others are growing at or above the 50th percentile of NCHS standards. Socio-economic status, as an indicator of the family's financial ability to provide food and medical care, does not account for the variation in nutritional status. From a series of open-ended interviews with mothers, fathers and other relatives of children in the study, as well as observation of mealtimes, several fundamental beliefs regarding infant feeding can be identified: (1) a child does not need to eat solid food before approx. 8 months; (2) if a child is hungry, he will eat, if he does not want to eat he should not be forced to eat; and (3) only the child himself knows when he is hungry and when he is full. These beliefs are expressed in the community in a variety of specific practices and behaviors. Additionally, mothers differ with respect to the importance they attach to medical care for sick children. These various beliefs and practices concerning infant feeding and, tangentially, medical care, tend to form divergent clusters, which allows the ranking of women on a three level scale of 'maternal attitude.' In the sample, growth performance, as indicated by membership in 'low weight' or 'high weight' groups, is positively correlated with maternal attitude (Chi2 = 13.85, P = 0.001). It is clear that in Mali, the cultural belief system regarding infant feeding and the variations in implementation of this system reflected in maternal attitudes, play an important role in determining the nutritional status and growth patterns of children, primarily through their effect on diet, and secondarily through their effect on medical care. The data show that within the same general cultural framework, and in the face of abject poverty, subtle differences in maternal attitudes result in some children who thrive, while others suffer varying degrees of malnutrition.

Attitude

The biocultural approach in nutritional anthropology: case studies of malnutrition in Mali.

Socioeconomic status is often cited as the most important factor influencing nutritional status and growth in children. Research in Mali, however, has shown that relative poverty is not an accurate predictor of nutritional status and growth, and that other factors may be more important. In Mali, these factors include maternal age, marital problems, untreated illness, allocation of household resources, maternal attitudes, maternal competence, support networks, and the social structure of a polygynous, patrilineal society. In this paper, case studies of children in three families illustrate how sociocultural malnutrition in young children can be viewed as an unintended consequence of the complex interactions among these factors.

Anthropology, Cultural

Nutritional status, migration, mortality, and measles vaccine coverage during the 1983-1985 drought period: Timbuktu, Mali.

Mali was affected by the drought across the Sahel in 1983-1985. The present study describes the demographic and nutritional status in the Timbuktu region in May 1985, and contributes to the little data available for Mali during this period; malnutrition rates are compared to two other drought affected areas in the Sahel. Sixty cluster samples were selected by proportional sampling methodology; thirty children less than 110 cm were selected in each cluster, to approximate children 'under 5 years'. Among the 1798 children 'under 5 years' studied, 28 per cent had weight-for-height less than -2 SD of the NCHS median. A total of 8291 persons were included in the demographic study. Nineteen per cent of the region's population emigrated during the year prior to the study; 40 per cent of all adult males were involved in this emigration. The annual Crude Mortality Rate was 39 per 1000 population. Measles vaccination coverage was 47 per cent based on vaccination card and 60 per cent based on history and card among children 12 months to 5 years of age.

Adolescent

A case of human ehrlichiosis acquired in Mali: clinical and laboratory findings.

We report on the clinical, epidemiologic, and laboratory characteristics of the first case of human ehrlichiosis acquired outside the United States caused by an Ehrlichia sp. other than E. sennetsu. The patient, a 24-year-old woman, presumably acquired the infection in Mali in northern Africa; the diagnosis was made when she returned to North America. The patient reported a fever and diarrhea a week before she left Mali; the diarrhea resolved, but the fever and chills continued. She also reported intermittent tingling in both hands and feet and muscle discomfort. Her temperature was 37.8 degrees C and her pulse rate was 100 per minute. She had two erythematous maculopapules (0.5 x 0.7 mm) on her thigh and ankle that resembled infected insect bites. Her hemoglobin level was 148 g/l with normal indices, and her white blood cell count was 10, 500/mm3 with many atypical lymphocytes and platelets. This report is intended to increase physicians' awareness of ehrlichiosis in foreign travelers and other patients, and suggests the need for further research to determine the prevalence and distribution of this disease.

Adult

Assessment of vitamin A deficiency in a rural area in Mali. Estimation of sample size for the impression cytology test.

The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among two to ten years old children in a rural area of Mali was assessed by ophthalmic examination, determination of plasma retinol levels and impression cytology with transfer tests. A Public Health problem of vitamin A deficiency was identified in this rural area by: the prevalence of nightblindness significantly (p < 0.001) above the cut-off (1%) defined by the World Health Organization (WHO); the prevalence of corneal scarring significantly (p < 0.001) above the WHO's cut-off (0.05%); the percentage of subjects with plasma retinol levels below 0.35 mumol/l (10 micrograms/dl) significantly (p < 0.001) higher than the WHO's threshold (5%); and 52.8 +/- 8.2% children with "Abnormal" impression cytology as determined by the impression cytology test (IC). This preliminary survey confirmed widespread vitamin A deficiency in Mali. The minimum sample size required for a study using the impression cytology test to determinate a Public Health problem in a population was calculated for different situations. Ophthalmic examination indicated a very high rate of active trachoma (29.6 +/- 7.0%), and a relationship between active trachoma and impression cytology results was identified.

Child

Facies leprosa: resorption of maxillary anterior alveolar bone and the anterior nasal spine in patients with lepromatous leprosy in Mali.

Resorption of the anterior nasal spine and alveolar bone in the anterior maxilla was measured in 39 patients with lepromatous leprosy in Mali. Bone resorption occurred in both of these sites, but resorption in one did not predict resorption in the other. These data are interpreted to mean that resorptions of bone anterior (nasal spine) or inferior (alveolar bone) to bacillary populations in the nasal mucosa of patients with lepromatous disease in Mali occur independently.

Adolescent

[African histoplasmosis in Mali].

Twenty-four cases of histoplasmosis have been diagnosed since 1945 in native Malians (20 cases) or Europeans living in Mali (4 cases). Seventeen cases have already been published and 7 other cases diagnosed recently in Bamako or Marseille are reported here. Mali is within the African histoplasmosis zone and the Kayes district may be a particularly endemic zone. The disease affected the skin (62 p. 100), lymph nodes (46 p. 100), bones (21 p. 100), gastrointestinal tract (26 p. 100) and lungs (4 p. 100). A rare lesion of the uvula is also reported. Direct fungal and histopathological techniques are the easiest and the most effective diagnostic investigations. All cases were due to Histoplasma duboisii. Amphotericin B was used in over 60 p. 100 of cases for an average period of 3 months. The total recovery rate was 66 p. 100.

Adolescent

[Hemoglobin C in a hospital milieu in Bamako (Mali)].

An hospital survey, performed in Bamako (Mali, West Africa) showed 7.5% haemoglobin AC, 0.4% haemoglobin CC, 1.6% haemoglobin SC and 0.2% haemoglobin CA (haemoglobin C-beta+thalassaemia). Haemoglobin C was mostly prevalent among Bobo, Mossi, Senoufo, Minianka and Dogon coming from the Southern border of Mali. Haemoglobin SC and to a lesser extent haemoglobins CC and CA often induce haemolysis and vasoocclusion. Microcytosis is common, even in the absence of anaemia.

Adolescent

[Overview of dermatophytes in Mali].

517 isolations of dermatophytes collected in Mali are reported. The various species are described and the main findings are: --Trichophyton species are more common (85.5% isolated from scalp lesions and 77.5% from skin scrapings) than Microsporum species. --Trichophyton verrucosum and Microsporum canis have been found found for the first time in Mali. --Ill-defined clinical forms of scalp lesions caused by either T. schonleinii or T. soudanense occur in the subsaharian areas of the country.

Adult

[Estrus synchronization in cattle using chlormadinone acetate ("Bovisynchron" Jenapharm) in the tropics. 1. On the effect of blocking the cycle using chlormadinone acetate and on the introduction of this biotechnical method in the Republic of Mali].

The oestrus synchronization in cattle is being tested as a biotechnical method supporting the implementation of the crossing programme in the Republic of Mali Using the latest results of sexual physiology, the effect is described of Bovisynchron Jenapharm (chlormadinonacetate). Bovisynchron is characterised by a high certainty of synchronization and a good toleration. It leads to a highly fertile oestrus of all animals and to a high rate of conception. An analysis of the situation in the Republic of Mali is used to discuss the advantages of this method.

Animals

[Human brucellosis in Mali. Results of a seroepidemiological study].

Prevalence of human brucellosis was evaluated in three contrasted ecoclimatic zones with different peopling of Mali. Rose bengal plate agglutination tests were carried out on capillary blood microsamples taken from 2173 subjects and indirect immunofluorescence tests were performed on 148 blood samples collected on filter paper disks. These seroepidemiological studies demonstrate the presence of the anthropozoonosis in the entire country and the influence of ecoclimatic and demographic factors on human brucellosis distribution in Mali. The high prevalence (24.4%) found in the sahelian region of Gourma shows the necessity of a national control programme. A similar prevalence has been found in other countries of tropical Africa which were formerly considered as almost free of human brucellosis. The findings suggest that seroimmunological tests should be performed systematically to detect brucellosis in immigrants coming to Europe from tropical Africa as well as in Europeans who have been travelling or staying in this region.

Agglutination Tests

Are flaviviruses again active in Mali?

Using a hemagglutinating yellow fever antigen, a serologic investigation was done on 1237 blood samples collected between 1979 and 1983 in five regions of Mali. The results showed that the percentage of positive reactions (greater than 1:10) was higher in the sera of mothers than in their new borns (24.8 versus 12.4). In young children (6 months to 3 years old) the percentages of positive sera varied between 4.4 and 9.6. The values were much higher for persons between 15 to 70 years (28.3% to 43.7%). The presence of high antibody titers in sera of adults, the occurrence of seroconversion in young children (less than 1:10 to 1:40) are arguments for supposing that yellow fever virus or other flaviviruses were active in Mali in the period of our investigation.

Adolescent