Distinct mutation sites in prlA suppressor mutant strains of Escherichia coli respond either to suppression of signal peptide mutations or to blockage of staphylokinase processing

We have cloned and sequenced some prlA mutant alleles of the Escherichia coli secY gene. From the mutation sites determined, it is strongly suggested that distinct regions in the SecY (PrlA) protein are involved in the recognition of different structural features of a signal peptide as it functions.

Molecular cloning and characterization of cellular genes whose expression is repressed by the adenovirus E1a gene products and growth factors in quiescent rat cells

Several cDNA clones of cellular genes, whose expression is repressed by the adenovirus type-12 E1a gene products, were isolated from a rat 3Y1 cell cDNA library by differential plaque hybridization with labeled cDNA probes prepared from 3Y1 and the derivative cell line expressing the E1a gene constitutively. The changes in the levels of these gene transcripts during cell-cycle progression from G0 to G1 to S phase were analyzed with 3Y1 cells and gMA cell lines, derived from 3Y1 cells, in which the expression of the E1a gene or its 13S, 12S cDNA can be switched on by the addition of dexamethasone. Quantitation of the transcripts by Northern-blot hybridizations and by nuclear run-on experiments revealed the following. (i) The level of clone-53 mRNA (which turned out to be the fibronectin (FN)-coding mRNA) is very high in resting gMA cells and decreased rapidly after switching on of the E1a gene or its 13S, or 12S cDNA. (ii) The addition of serum or platelet-derived growth factor to resting 3Y1 cells also resulted in a rapid decrease in the FN mRNA level, but the addition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) had little or no effect. (iii) The level of clone-56 mRNA in gMA cells was not affected by the induction of the E1a gene expression; however, the addition of EGF to resting gMA or 3Y1 cells resulted in a decrease of this mRNA after a 12- to 16-h lag period. Induction of the E1a gene expression in gMA cells treated with EGF shortened the lag period. The addition of serum to resting 3Y1 cells decreased the clone-56 mRNA level without a significant lag period.

Operon structure of flagellar genes in Salmonella typhimurium

In Salmonella typhimurium, more than 40 genes have been shown to be involved in flagellar formation and function and almost all of them have been assigned to three regions of the chromosome, termed region I, region II, and region III. In the present study, a large number of transposon-insertion mutants in these flagellar genes were isolated using Tn10 and Mud1. The flaV gene was found to be a strong hot spot for Tn10 insertion. Complementation analysis of the polarity effects exerted by the transposon-insertion mutants defined 13 different flagellar operons; 3 in region I, 4 in region II, and 6 in region III. These results are compared with the reported arrangement of the corresponding genes in Escherichia coli.

Identification and characterization of Tn4653, a transposon covering the toluene transposon Tn4651 on TOL plasmid pWW0

A Pseudomonas TOL plasmid pWW0 possesses toluene degradative pathway (xyl) genes. Unstable maintenance of a pWW0 derivative in Escherichia coli allowed us to identify two transposable elements each carrying all the xyl genes. One element corresponded to a 56 kb transposon, Tn4651, which we had previously characterized. The other element newly identified in this study was 70 kb long, and this element, designated Tn4653, completely included Tn4651. Genetic analysis of Tn4653 demonstrated that its transposition involves two steps, i.e. cointegrate formation and its subsequent resolution. The former step required a trans-acting factor, transposase, which was encoded in a 3.0 kb fragment at one end of Tn4653, and the latter step was inferred to be mediated by the factors necessary for resolution of the Tn4651-mediated cointegrate. The transposase functions were not interchangeable between the two transposons.

Identification and characterization of the products of six region III flagellar genes (flaAII.3 through flaQII) of Salmonella typhimurium

A portion of flagellar region III of the Salmonella typhimurium genome has been cloned and shown to contain six genes: flaAII.3, flaAIII, flaS, flaR, flaQI, and flaQII. Of these, all but flaQI were known to exist from mutant studies; the former flaQ has been renamed flaQII. The genes were shown by minicell analysis to encode proteins with apparent molecular masses of 28, 48, 15, 46, 17, and 37 kilodaltons, respectively. The presence of a flagellar-gene-specific promoter in the vicinity of flaQI was established by testing expression of the plasmid-encoded tetracycline resistance gene in artificial constructions. In minicell preparations, the flaAII.3 and flaR products were found principally in the cytoplasmic fraction; the rest were found principally in the membrane fraction. A comparison between the homologous genes of S. typhimurium and Escherichia coli confirmed that their genomic organizations were similar and that their products had similar molecular masses and isoelectric points.

Properties of light and heavy vesicles simultaneously prepared from hog gastric mucosae

We obtained two kinds of vesicle preparations which were of different density from the same gastric mucosae of hogs stimulated with food before slaughter. Both kinds contained H+,K+-ATPase. The light vesicle preparation differed from the heavy vesicle preparation as follows: the KCl permeability across the membrane of heavy vesicles was larger than that of light vesicles, the actin (46-kDa peptide on SDS-polyacrylamide gel) content of heavy vesicles was much higher than that of light vesicles, and the H+,K+-ATPase activity of heavy vesicles was less sensitive to a monoclonal antibody raised against light vesicles (HK2032) than that of light vesicles. Furthermore, there was a drastic difference in reactivity to SCH 28080, which is an H+,K+-ATPase-specific inhibitor and reacts competitively with the K+-high affinity site. SCH 28080 is more potent in light vesicles than in heavy vesicles. These results suggest that the conformation of H+,K+-ATPase changed during the translocation from tubulovesicles to the apical plasma membrane. On the other hand, H+,K+-ATPase activities in both vesicles had similar pH and [K+] dependences.

Genetic analysis of a transposon carrying toluene degrading genes on a TOL plasmid pWW0

Toluene degrading (xyl) genes on a Pseudomonas TOL plasmid pWW0 are located within a 39-kb DNA portion. The 56-kb region including these xyl genes and its 17-kb derivative with a deletion of the internal 39-kb portion transposed to various sites on target replicons such as pACYC184 and R388 in Escherichia coli recA strains. Thus the 56- and 17-kb regions were designated Tn4651 and Tn4652, respectively. Genetic analysis of Tn4652 demonstrated that its transposition occurs by a two-step process, namely, cointegrate formation and its subsequent resolution. The presence in cis of DNA sequences of no more than 150 bp at both ends of Tn4652 was prerequisite for cointegrate formation, and this step was mediated by a trans-acting factor, transposase, which was encoded in a 3.0-kb segment at one end of the transposon. Cointegrate resolution took place site-specifically within a 200-bp fragment, which was situated 10 kb away from the transposase gene. Based on the stability of cointegrates formed by various mini-Tn4652 derivatives, it was shown that the cointegrate resolution requires two trans-acting factors encoded within 1.0- and 1.2-kb fragments that encompass the recombination site involved in the resolution.

Isolation and genetic analysis of operator-constitutive mutants of the H1 operon in Salmonella typhimurium

In phase-2 cells of diphasic Salmonella strains, expression of H1 is repressor, coded for by the rh1 gene. A procedure for the isolation of operator-constitutive (H1-Oc) mutants of the H1 operon is described. Using three-factor crosses between an H1-Oc H1 strain and H1-O+ H1 strains, where motility recovery via H1-phase (or phase 1) flagellation was used as the selected marker and the H1-O character was the unselected marker, the relative position of the H1-Oc site to the H1 gene was determined. A diphasic H1-Oc strain produced, in phase 2, copolymer filaments composed of H1 and H2 flagellin.

Evaluation of diseased coronary arterial branches by polar representations of thallium-201 rotational myocardial imaging

The perfusion territories in polar representations of stress Tl-201 rotational myocardial imaging in patients with angina pectoris who had one diseased coronary segment were analyzed. The lesions proximal or distal to the first major septal perforator in left anterior descending arteries were detected by the presence or absence of defects at the base of the anterior septum. Right coronary artery lesions were detected by the presence of defects at the basal posterior septum, in contrast to the preservation of myocardial uptake at this portion in lesions of the left circumflex artery. The specific defect patterns were detected in cases with lesions at the first diagonal, obtuse marginal, and posterolateral branches. Recognition of these defects in the polar maps allows detailed detection of diseased coronary arterial branches.

Identification of flagellar hook and basal body gene products (FlaFV, FlaFVI, FlaFVII and FlaFVIII) in Salmonella typhimurium

The flagellar genes flaFV, flaFVII, and flaFVIII of Salmonella typhimurium were cloned, and their presence on a given plasmid was verified by complementation of Escherichia coli mutants defective in the homologous genes. The gene products were identified by radiolabeling in a minicell system as being proteins of the following molecular masses: FlaFV, 42 kilodaltons (kDa); FlaFVI, 32 kDa; FlaFVII, 30 kDA; and FlaFVIII, 27 kDa. These data, together with isoelectric focusing data, confirm gene product assignments of flagellar components made indirectly from mutant studies. Flagellar components are transported by either a signal peptide-dependent or a flagellar-specific pathway. Consistent with its location in the outer membrane ring of the basal body, protein FlaFVIII seems to use the signal peptide-dependent pathway, since it was synthesized in a precursor form and processed, presumably by peptide cleavage, to a mature form; the maturation process was inhibited by addition of a proton ionophore. Proteins synthesized in minicells were localized as follows: FlaFVI was localized to the soluble fraction (cytoplasm); pre-FlaFVIII and FlaFVIII were localized to the particulate fraction (membrane or high-molecular-weight aggregate); FlaFV and FlaFVII were localized to both fractions. The significance of these locations in terms of known or suspected roles in the flagellar apparatus is discussed.

Three-dimensional structures of the connective tissue papillae of the tongue in newborn dogs

Connective tissue papillae underlying epithelial cell layers of the lingual papillae of newborn mongrel dogs were exposed by long term hydrochloric acid treatment and observed by scanning electron microscopy. Each of the filiform papillae of ovoid shape (100-130 microns in diameter) contained a connective tissue papilla representing a smaller elliptical protrusion (90-100 microns in length, 70-80 microns in width). Its overview showed a horse-shoe shaped, opening anteriorly. Its posterior curvature projected a conical node with a rounded apex. Each of the fungiform papillae (150 microns in diameter) contained a connective tissue papilla of rounded shape (100 microns in diameter) whose upper surface was facetted with several slight depressions. The entire surface of the connective tissue papillae was found to be covered by networks of collagenous fibers of varying thickness, running in various directions. The basal surface of the epithelium revealed regularly distributed round holes that corresponded to the connective tissue papillae. In the filiform papillae, a small elliptical bulge was seen on the anterior side of each hole. Light microscope observation indicated that the anterior column of the filiform papillae contained a granular layer with moderate keratohyaline granules, whereas the posterior column did not show such a granular layer.

Role of amino-terminal positive charge on signal peptide in staphylokinase export across the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli

Staphylokinase mutants having amino acid substitutions within the amino-terminal charged segment of the signal peptide have been produced by in vitro oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. When the processing of the gene products was analyzed in Escherichia coli cells, the rate of processing of the mutant staphylokinase precursor decreased as the net charge became more negative. A net positive charge, but not specific amino acid residues, was required on the amino-terminal segment for efficient processing. Staphylokinase precursor having a net negative charge accumulated in the cytoplasm, tending to bind to the cytoplasmic membrane as determined by subcellular fractionation and immunoelectron microscopy. Although a mutant carrying an amino acid substitution in the hydrophobic segment and wild-type staphylokinases had an interfering effect on the processing of other normal secreted proteins, this effect was lost when they also contained charge-altering substitutions in the amino-terminal region. From these results, we concluded that a positive charge on the amino-terminal segment of the staphylokinase signal peptide is required for entrance into the protein export process.

Is the sleeve anastomosis a risky technique?

We report 15 free flap transfers using sleeve vascular anastomoses with minor modifications of the original method. There was partial necrosis of one flap and one other required reoperation due to kinking of the feeding artery and not to the method of anastomosis. We believe that the sleeve anastomosis is reliable in clinical microvascular surgery if proper cases are selected. Indications for the method are discussed.

Formation of flagella lacking outer rings by flaM, flaU, and flaY mutants of Escherichia coli

Among flagellar mutants of Escherichia coli, flaM or flaU mutants form basal bodies lacking the outer P and L rings, whereas flaY mutants predominantly form basal bodies lacking the L ring. In these mutants, hooks and filaments are occasionally assembled onto these incomplete basal bodies. When the hook protein gene, flaFV, of Salmonella typhimurium was cloned on the multicopy plasmid pBR322 and introduced into these mutants, the efficiency with which cells assembled hooks and filaments onto the incomplete basal bodies increased significantly. Such cells formed characteristic dotted swarms on semisolid plates, indicating that cells carrying flagella without the outer rings are weakly motile because of poor function of their flagella, a low flagellar number per cell, or both of these defects. FlaV mutants also produced incomplete basal bodies lacking the outer rings, but assembly of hooks and filaments did not occur in these mutants even after introduction of the plasmid carrying flaFV of S. typhimurium. The failure in the case of flaV mutants was attributed to their inability to modify the rod tip to the structure competent for assembly of hook protein.

The flaFIX gene product of Salmonella typhimurium is a flagellar basal body component with a signal peptide for export

flaFIX, the structural gene for the periplasmic P ring of the flagellar basal body of Salmonella typhimurium, was cloned. Two gene products with apparent molecular weights of 38,000 and 40,000 were identified by minicell analysis. Data from pulse-chase and membrane fractionation experiments and data on the inhibitory effect of the proton ionophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone all indicated that the 40-kilodalton protein was a precursor form which, after export across the cytoplasmic membrane accompanied by cleavage of a signal peptide, gave rise to the mature protein in the periplasm. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the FlaFIX protein, predicted from the DNA sequence, conformed well to known signal peptide sequences. The results indicate that the P-ring protein of the basal body (unlike flagellin and possible some other external flagellar components) crosses the cytoplasmic membrane in a conventional signal peptide-dependent manner.

Flagellation of Salmonella typhimurium treated with nalidixic acid

Filamentous cells of Salmonella typhimurium, obtained after treatment with nalidixic acid in the exponential phase of growth, elongated up to 10 micron, corresponding to 4 unit cell lengths, per nucleoid. During elongation, division of nucleoids and septum formation did not occur, but de novo formation of flagella continued. Most of the filamentous cells were motile, and flagella were evenly distributed on their surface.

Localization and stoichiometry of hook-associated proteins within Salmonella typhimurium flagella

The localization of hook-associated proteins (HAP1, HAP2, and HAP3) in Salmonella typhimurium flagella was studied by using specific antibodies together with a second antibody conjugated with colloidal gold. HAP1 and HAP3 were localized at the hook-filament junction, as has been suggested previously. HAP2, however, was localized at the filament tip. This finding supports the idea that HAP2 acts to induce polymerization of endogenous flagellin at the filament tip, and HAP1 and HAP3 are junction proteins to connect hook with filament. Analysis of the protein composition of short flagella from a mutant indicated that a single flagellum contains about 10 to 20 HAP1, 10 to 20 HAP2, and 10 to 40 HAP3 molecules.

Expression of a provirus of human T cell leukaemia virus type I by DNA transfection

We isolated the full length provirus of human T cell leukaemia virus type I (HTLV-I) from MT-2, a lymphoid cell line producing HTLV-I. In three non-lymphoid cell lines (COS7, human osteosarcoma HOS cells, and HeLa) this provirus expressed a trans-acting activity after co-transfection with a recombinant plasmid carrying a bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene under the control of a long terminal repeat of HTLV-I provirus. The trans-acting protein p40 was detected by immunoprecipitation in transfected HOS cells. Structural proteins of HTLV-I, the gag and env products, were also formed and processed in the same manner as observed in MT-2 cells. In transfected HeLa cells, the p40 protein was mainly localized in the nucleus, while other structural proteins were detected in the cytoplasm and/or the membrane by indirect immunofluorescence. Syncytium formation was observed in HeLa cells after transfection. These results demonstrated that non-lymphoid cells could produce the major proteins of HTLV-I after DNA transfection of the cloned provirus.

Regions of Salmonella typhimurium flagellin essential for its polymerization and excretion

Immunological methods were used to examine the flagellin production of Salmonella typhimurium strains that carried a mutation in one of the two possible genes for flagellin (H1 or H2) and also were incapable of expressing the other gene. Some mutants produced flagellin that was excreted into the culture medium; others accumulated flagellin intracellularly. These two phenotypes were detected in both H1 and H2 mutants. The mutation sites were mapped on the corresponding deletion map (consisting of 21 segments in the case of H1 and 31 segments in the case of H2). H1 and H2 mutations causing excretion of flagellin were clustered mainly in segment 12 and segment 6 from the proximal end, respectively, suggesting that the corresponding segments of the flagellins play a role in polymerization. Mutations causing accumulation in the cytoplasm were clustered in segments 19 to 21 of the H1 map and in segments 25 to 29 of the H2 map, suggesting that an essential region for flagellin transport exists toward the C terminus of flagellin.

The free ulnar forearm flap

Many flaps have been described based on the septocutaneous perforators; these have many advantages for the coverage of soft tissue defects. The ulnar forearm flap described by Lovie is a septocutaneous flap based on the septocutaneous perforators of the ulnar artery. We report the use of this flap in 2 patients who required soft tissue coverage. The ulnar forearm flap has the advantages of thin and pliable skin, constant and large pedicle, and the technical possibility of combination with the muscles, sensory or motor nerve, and ulna. Comparing it with the radial forearm flap, there is no possibility of exposure of flexor tendons, which usually results in the good take of skin grafts. After skin grafting, the donor scar is unnoticeable because of its position on the forearm. This flap is for the coverage of thin defects that require mobility, such as in the extremities or the intraoral region. It also could be used for the coverage of hand or arm defects as a distally or proximally based island flap, respectively.