Creep Properties of a High Niobium Containing γ-TiAl Alloy Sheet Material

In this study Ti-46Al-9Nb (at%) sheet material processed by a powder metallurgical route was examined. Subsequent to hot rolling the sheets were subjected to a stress-relief treatment at 1273K for 3 hours. During this heat treatment a fine-grained near gamma microstructure has been formed. 100 hours tensile creep tests under constant load were carried out at 700°C in rolling direction, transverse direction as well as 45° direction. Using the method of load changes a stress exponent of 4.1 was determined. Furthermore, the apparent activation energy was determined in the temperature range of 715 – 775°C. Both stress exponent and activation energy suggest that diffusion assisted dislocation climb is the dominant creep mode. A comparison of these results with those of so-called conventional or so-called “2nd generation” γ-TiAl based alloys, e.g. Ti-46.5Al-4(Cr,Nb,Ta,B) (at%) and Ti-47Al-4(Cr,Mn,Nb,Si,B) (at%), indicates a significantly better creep resistance and a higher activation energy of the high Nb containing alloy. Additionally, internal friction experiments were conducted in order to analyze the deformation behavior under very small strains at elevated temperatures.

The Listeria monocytogenes iap gene as an indicator gene for the study of PrfA-dependent regulation

The iap gene of Listeria monocytogenes encodes the extracellular protein p60, which possesses a murein hydrolase activity necessary for septum separation. We constructed L. monocytogenes EGD strains harbouring plasmids that carry the iap gene under the control of the PrfA-regulated promoters of the L. monocytogenes genes hly, mpl, and actA. After insertional inactivation of the chromosomal iap gene in L. monocytogenes EGD, p60 synthesis was strictly dependent on PrfA. Elevated temperature (40 degrees C) enhanced synthesis of p60 in L. monocytogenes when the iap gene was under the control of the hly promoter; this appeared to be associated with increased synthesis of PrfA at this temperature. Synthesis of p60 in L. monocytogenes was significantly lower when the iap gene was placed under the control of the actA or the mpl promoter. Transcription of the iap gene was repressed in L. monocytogenes in the presence of PrfA when iap expression was under the control of the prfA promoter P2. Under the control of the hly promoter the gene produced low levels of secreted p60 in the presence of low amounts of PrfA, and this in turn led to the generation of long listerial cell filaments consisting of bacteria that had failed to separate. Overexpression of p60 in the presence of high levels of PrfA caused formation of single cells, which showed reduced viability depending on the level of secreted p60. These data suggest that the iap gene may be a valuable tool for monitoring virulence gene regulation by PrfA under in vivo conditions, without disturbing the integrity of the infected host cells.

Differential regulation of the virulence genes of Listeria monocytogenes by the transcriptional activator PrfA

The two Listeria monocytogenes strains EGD and NCTC 7973 display a different regulation pattern of their PrfA-dependent genes. All PrfA-dependent genes from L. monocytogenes NCTC 7973 are much more efficiently transcribed in brain-heart infusion medium than those from strain EGD. Transcription of these genes in EGD is, however, induced after shift into Minimal Essential Medium (MEM) to a level that is comparable to that of strain NCTC 7973. Expression of the internalin gene (inlA) is also influenced by PrfA, but only one (P2) out of three mapped promoters is strictly dependent on PrfA. In contrast to the other PrfA-regulated genes, transcription of inlA even from the P2 promoter is reduced in both strains after shift to MEM. The prfA deletion mutant SLCC 53 complemented with multiple copies of prfA synthesizes large amounts of monocistronic prfA transcript, but there is no concomitant increase in the transcripts of the PrfA-dependent genes. However, upon a shift into MEM, transcription of the PrfA-dependent genes (with the exception of the inlA gene) is highly induced even in the absence of de novo protein synthesis. The PrfA proteins of the two studied L. monocytogenes strains differ in their ability to activate PrfA-dependent genes. This difference is probably the result of amino acid exchange(s) in the C-terminal part of these proteins. Strain EGD supplemented with multiple copies of prfA-7973 shows a similar regulation of the PrfA-dependent genes as strain NCTC 7973, whereas multiple copies of prfA-EGD introduced into strain EGD hardly change the rate of transcription of the PrfA-dependent genes. Our data thus suggest that PrfA-mediated gene expression depends not only on the amount of the PrfA protein and the 'quality' of the putative PrfA-binding sites, but also on the 'quality' of the PrfA protein which seems to be influenced by its amino acid composition and by environmental parameters.

Cloning and characterization of the S fimbrial adhesin II complex of an Escherichia coli O18:K1 meningitis isolate

S fimbrial adhesins (Sfa), which are able to recognize sialic acid-containing receptors on eukaryotic cells, are produced by Escherichia coli strains causing urinary tract infections or newborn meningitis. We recently described the cloning and molecular characterization of a determinant, termed sfaI, from the chromosome of an E. coli urinary tract infection strain. Here we present data concerning a S fimbria-specific gene cluster, designated sfaII, of an E. coli newborn meningitis strain. Like the SfaI complex, SfaII consists of the major subunit protein SfaA (16 kDa) and the minor subunit proteins SfaG (17 kDa), SfaS (15 kDa), and SfaH (29 kDa). The genes encoding the subunit proteins of SfaII were identified and sequenced. Their protein sequences were calculated from the DNA sequences and compared with those of the SfaI complex subunits. Although the sequences of the two major SfaA subunits differed markedly, the sequences of the minor subunits showed only a few amino acid exchanges (SfaG, SfaH) or were completely identical (SfaS). The introduction of a site-specific mutation into the gene sfaSII and subsequent analysis of an SfaS-negative clone indicated that sfaSII codes for the sialic acid-specific adhesin of the meninigitis isolate. These data were confirmed by the isolation and characterization of the SfaSII protein and the determination of its N-terminal amino acid sequence. The identity between the sialic acid-specific adhesins of SfaI and SfaII revealed that differences between the two Sfa complexes with respect to their capacities to agglutinate erythrocytes must result from sequence alterations of subunit proteins other than SfaS.

Induction of AIDS in rhesus monkeys by molecularly cloned simian immunodeficiency virus

Better understanding of the pathogenesis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) would be greatly facilitated by a relevant animal model that uses molecularly cloned virus of defined sequence to induce the disease. Such a system would also be of great value for AIDS vaccine research. An infectious molecular clone of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) was identified that induces AIDS in common rhesus monkeys in a time frame suitable for laboratory investigation. These results provide another strong link in the chain of evidence for the viral etiology of AIDS. More importantly, they define a system for molecular dissection of the determinants of AIDS pathogenesis.

Nucleotide sequence of the alpha ribosomal protein operon of Escherichia coli

In Escherichia coli some 19 transcription units encoding the 52 ribosomal proteins are scattered throughout the genome. One of the units, the alpha operon, encodes genes for the ribosomal proteins S13, S11, S4 and L17 as well as the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase. We report here the complete 3.0 kb nucleotide sequence of the alpha operon. In addition, we have determined by S1 nuclease mapping the site of transcription termination in this operon.