Search Results - (Author, Cooperation:E. J. Brown)

2015-11-05

Nature Publishing Group (NPG)

0028-0836

1476-4687

Biology

Chemistry and Pharmacology

Medicine

Natural Sciences in General

Physics

Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; *Bacteremia/drug therapy/microbiology ; Carrier State/drug therapy/microbiology ; Drug Design ; Female ; Immunoconjugates/chemistry/*pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Intracellular Space/drug effects/*microbiology ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects/pathogenicity ; Mice ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Phagosomes/drug effects/metabolism/microbiology ; Staphylococcal Infections/drug therapy/*microbiology/pathology ; Staphylococcus aureus/*drug effects/pathogenicity ; Vancomycin/*pharmacology/therapeutic use

1471-0528

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Electronic Resource

1365-2958

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Biology

Medicine

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) are opportunistic respiratory pathogens that infect non-immunocompromised patients with established lung disease, although they can also cause primary infections. The ability to bind fibronectin is conserved among many mycobacterial species. We have investigated the adherence of a sputum isolate of MAC to the mucosa of organ cultures constructed with human tissue and the contribution of M. avium fibronectin attachment protein (FAP) to the process. MAC adhered to fibrous, but not globular mucus, and to extracellular matrix (ECM) in areas of epithelial damage, but not to intact extruded cells and collagen fibres. Bacteria occasionally adhered to healthy unciliated epithelium and to cells that had degenerated exposing their contents, but never to ciliated cells. The results obtained with different respiratory tissues were similar. Two ATCC strains of MAC gave similar results. There was a significant reduction (P 〈 0.05) in the number of bacteria adhering to ECM after preincubation of bacteria with fibronectin and after preincubation of the tissue with M. avium FAP in a concentration-dependant manner. The number of bacteria adhering to fibrous mucus was unchanged. Immunogold labelling demonstrated fibronectin in ECM as well as in other areas of epithelial damage, but only ECM bound FAP. A Mycobacterium smegmatis strain had the same pattern of adherence to the mucosa as MAC. When the FAP gene was deleted, the strain demonstrated reduced adherence to ECM, and adherence was restored when the strain was transfected with an M. avium FAP expression construct. We conclude that MAC adheres to ECM in areas of epithelial damage via FAP and to mucus with a fibrous appearance via another adhesin. Epithelial damage exposing ECM and poor mucus clearance will predispose to MAC airway infection.

Electronic Resource

1570-7458

Azinphosmethyl ; time response tests ; resistance ; Trioxys pallidus ; biological control ; genetic improvement ; Hymenoptera ; Aphidiidae ; gene amplification

Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Biology

Abstract Homogeneity in azinphosmethyl resistance was assessed in males of a laboratory-selected (Select-17) and susceptible (Yolo) colony of Trioxys pallidus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) using a time response assay. No evidence of heterogeneity within the two colonies was found. Reciprocal crosses between the Yolo and the Select-19 (the Select-17 colony following two additional selections) colonies resulted in F1 females that exhibited a semidominant response to azinphosmethyl with a dominance value (D) of 0.32, as well as no evidence of maternal effects or sex linkage. Responses of F2 progeny to azinphosmethyl suggest that more than one gene may be involved because no inflection was observed in the time response lines of F2 males. Additional research is required to fully elucidate the mode of inheritance.

Electronic Resource

1573-2592

C8 deficiency ; recurrent meningococcal infection ; HLA linkage

Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Medicine

Abstract An adult male with recurrent meningococcal infections is reported whose serum lacked functional C8 activity but possessed antigenic C8. The addition of 1500 U of purified C8/ml of serum restored hemolytic activity to normal. Four to five times more C8 was required to restore bactericidal activity than to restore hemolytic activity. Bactericidal activity could also be restored by mixing the patient's serum with a second C8-deficient serum that lacked detectable antigenic or functional C8. The patient's serum contained bactericidal antibody for groups A, B, C, and Y meningococci and specific antibody to group Y capsular polysaccharide. There was two to three times more bactericidal antibody activity in the serum than in a pool of normal sera for the infecting strain. Family studies disclosed a sibling who was HLA identical to the patient but whose serum contained normal amounts of total hemolytic and C8 functional activity.

Electronic Resource

1618-2650

Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Chemistry and Pharmacology

Electronic Resource