Between computational predictions and high-throughput transcriptional profiling: in depth expression analysis of the OppB trans-membrane subunit of Escherichia coli OppABCDF oligopeptide transporter.

Bacterial oligopeptide transporters encoded by arrays of opp genes are implicated in a wide variety of physiological functions including nutrient acquisition, cell-to-cell communication, host-pathogen interaction. Combining the five opp genes in one oppABCDF operon of Escherichia coli assumes unified principle of their transcriptional regulation, which should provide a comparable amounts of translated products. This, however, contradicts the experimentally detected disproportion in the abundance of periplasmic OppA and the trans-membrane subunits OppB and OppC.

Dissecting the mechanism of abscisic acid-induced dynamic microtubule reorientation using live cell imaging.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is involved in plant development and responses to environmental stress including the formation of longitudinal microtubule arrays in elongating cells, although the underlying mechanism for this is unknown. We explored ABA-induced microtubule reorientation in leek (Allium porrum L.) leaf epidermal cells transiently expressing a GFP-MBD microtubule reporter.

Inhibition of phospholipase C disrupts cytoskeletal organization and gravitropic growth in Arabidopsis roots.

The phospholipase protein superfamily plays an important role in hormonal signalling and cellular responses to environmental stimuli. There is also growing evidence for interactions between phospholipases and the cytoskeleton. In this report we used a pharmacological approach to investigate whether inhibiting a member of the phospholipase superfamily, phospholipase C (PLC), affects microtubules and actin microfilaments as well as root growth and morphology of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings.

Phospholipase D family interactions with the cytoskeleton: isoform delta promotes plasma membrane anchoring of cortical microtubules.

Phospholipase D (PLD) is a key enzyme in signal transduction - mediating plant responses to various environmental stresses including drought and salinity. Isotype PLDδ interacts with the microtubule cytoskeleton, although it is unclear if, or how, each of the 12 PLD isotypes in Arabidopsis may be involved mechanistically. We employed RNA interference in epidermal cells of Allium porrum L.

The phospholipase A inhibitor, aristolochic acid, disrupts cortical microtubule arrays and root growth in Arabidopsis.

The role of phospholipase A(2) in Arabidopsis root growth and microtubule organisation was investigated using a specific inhibitor, aristolochic acid. At 0.5-1.

The properties of Bacillus cereus hemolysin II pores depend on environmental conditions.

Hemolysin II (HlyII), one of several cytolytic proteins encoded by the opportunistic human pathogen Bacillus cereus, is a member of the family of oligomeric beta-barrel pore-forming toxins. This work has studied the pore-forming properties of HlyII using a number of biochemical and biophysical approaches. According to electron microscopy, HlyII protein interacts with liposomes to form ordered heptamer-like macromolecular assemblies with an inner pore diameter of 1.

Purification and cytotoxic properties of Bacillus cereus hemolysin II.

The hemolysin II from Bacillus cereus, HlyII, is a member of the beta-barrel pore-forming toxin family of secreted microbial proteins that includes the Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin. Compared with other proteins of the family, hemolysin II has 90 extra amino acids at its C-terminus. To examine more closely the cytotoxic and pore-forming properties of the protein, we have cloned and expressed it in Escherichia coli.

[Experience in preserving the viability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the laboratory].

Experiments with 39 type collection strains and 25 newly isolated strains of P. aeruginosa have demonstrated the possibility of preserving the culture viability for a long time in sterile tap water at 6-8 degrees C. The initial morphologic, cultural, biochemical, and antigenic characteristics of the cultures are unchanged in sealed ampules for up to 1 year and in glass tubes corked with rubber corks for up to 8 months.

[The use of the serum reference sample containing the antinuclear factor (homogeneous) to determine the working dilution of diagnostic fluorescing immunoglobulins against human IgG(H)].

A previously developed serum reference sample containing the antinuclear factor (homogeneous) in a standard dilution 1:40 was used to estimate the working dilution of commercial lots of diagnostic fluorescing immunoglobulins against human IgG (H) (IGF). Use of a working dilution of IGF in the diagnostic titer helps optimize the immunofluorescence test and save IGF.

[The identification of lactose-negative enterobacteria].

Study of the morphologic and enzymatic characteristics of 10 strains of lactose-negative enterobacteria, sent to the L. A. Tarasevich State Institute for Control and Standardization as B.

[The spectrum of extracellular proteins of staphylococci--the passport of a strain].

The possibility of detecting identical strains was analyzed by comparing extracellular protein spectra of Staphylococcus aureus strains from the collection of the L. A. Tarasevich Institute for Standardization and Control of Medical Preparations.

[The compositional characteristics of the cellular fatty acids in strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae serovar K 1].

Klebsiella pneumoniae, serovar K1 strains, differ essentially in the composition of cellular fatty acids from serovar strains K 2, K 3, K 7-K 72, K 74-K 80 of this species and are analogous to K. rhinoscleromatis and K. ozaenae by the given trait.

[The fatty acid composition of Haemophilus and Pasteurella multocida cells as a phylogenetic marker].

When grown on meat-peptone agar with heated blood, different Haemophilus species (H. influenzae, H. parahaemolyticus, H.

[The therapeutic efficacy of a gonococcal vaccine].

The therapeutic efficacies of 2 gonococcal vaccines are compared. One of them is made from gonococcal strains selected for their antigenic characteristics, the other is a commercial vaccine prepared from a random sample of gonococcal strains. The studies have demonstrated a higher therapeutic efficacy of the former vaccine.

[A comparative study of nutrient media for isolating Corynebacterium diphtheriae].

The diagnostic characteristics of 8 nutrient media most frequently employed at practical bacteriologic laboratories for the isolation of C. diphtheriae have been under study. Clauberg-2 medium and blood-tellurite agar have been found the most suitable for the diagnostic studies.

[Diagnostic meningococcal sera and their quality].

The findings evidence that preparation of highly active specific meningococcal sera depends on the selection of production strains and reference cultures for the assessment of their conformity to technological requirements. Meningococcal cultures selection conditions may be unified if standard immune sera are developed, characterized by stable titres of antibodies to group capsule antigens. Employment of such sera will improve the quality of commercial agglutinating sera.

[Tinctorial properties of microorganisms isolated from blood].

Cultures isolated from human and animal blood have been examined in tests with 3% KOH solution; their sensitivities to various concentrations of sulfanol have been tested in order to specify the tinctorial characteristics of these cultures; antibiotic sensitivity of this group of microorganisms has been studied with the use of discs. The findings evidence that gram-variable nonspore-carrying aerobic bacilli isolated from human and animal blood should be referred to gram-positive microorganisms; their antibiotic sensitivity has been detected. The tests employed in the study may be rationally used for the identification of polychromic bacteria isolated from the blood.

[Lytic ability, in relation to gram-positive microorganisms, of a preparation isolated from a Pseudomonas lytica culture].

A lytic enzyme isolated from P. lytica was studied with respect to its effect on pathogenic grampositive and gramnegative organisms. All the grampositive organisms were lyzed by the enzyme to this or that extent.

[Determination of the biological activity of Clostridium difficile toxins in in vivo and in vitro experiments].

The biological activity of the filtrates of 29 C. difficile strains was studied in vivo (suckling white mice) and in vitro (cell cultures of different species and origin). The action of the filtrates on the experimental models in vivo was evaluated from the cytotoxic effect index, while in vitro the intensity of the cytotoxic effect was evaluated from the percentage of dead cells in the monolayer.

[Use of interstitial antibiotic electrophoresis with chronic pneumonia patients].

Interstitial electrophoresis of antibiotics included in the complex of curative measures was shown to be highly effective for the treatment of chronic pneumonia. The conclusion was made on the basis of an analysis of results of treatment of 128 patients with chronic pneumonia.