Treatment by polymyxin B sulfate and ethylenediaminetetraacetate separated a 40 kilodalton (kDa) protein from the nonpigmented Serratia marcescens and even from the nonpigmented bacteria of the pigmented strains, whereas the same treatment separated the 100kDa protein associated with the pigment formation from the pigmented bacteria. Lysozyme treatment separated the 100kDa and/or 40kDa proteins correlated with the pigment level. The 40kDa protein was not an outer membrane protein but a flagellin. These results suggest that the flagella formation was inversely related with the pigment formation.

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It has been noted that V. parahaemolyticus isolated from patients with food poisoning are almost always thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH)-positive, whereas, isolates from foods or environmental sources are usually TDH-negative. The virulence of V. parahaemolyticus in mice was examined by using intraperitoneal and orogastric challenge models, where the strains used were those isolated from patients and foods with food poisoning and included TDH-positive and -negative. The LD₅₀ in mice was estimated to be approximately 10⁷ in the former and 10⁸ in the latter challenge model. In the mice killed by challenge, either intraperitoneal or orogastric, the following pathological changes were almost always observed: swelling, redness and fluid accumulation in the small intestine, particularly the upper part of it. Histologically, congestion, edema, and vacuolation were observed in mucosal and submucosal tissues; furthermore, ulceration at tips of some villi was noticed. The lethality and pathological finding in mice due to V. parahaemolyticus were demonstrated similarly in both challenge models and irrespective of the TDH phenotype of the strain used. It will be suggested that the findings in challenged mice may be attributed to enteropathogenic factor(s) other than TDH of V. parahaemolyticus.

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Twenty-seven kinds of organic dye-inactivated Sendai virus vaccines were prepared by treatment in dark at 23C for 2 months or more, and selected with the high HA titers as a guide. Their nasal immunogenicities were examined in mice by contact infection and immunofluorescent method, and the relative merits of the dye-inactivants were determined. The strongest protection was elicited with acriflavine-, auramine O-, eosin Y-, neutral red-, night blue-, patent blue V-, thymol blue-, uranin-, and xylene cyanol FF-treated vaccines. Middling protective efficacy was induced by use of erio green B-, malachite green-, methyl green-, proflavine-, pyronin B-, and thionin-inactivated vaccines. Dye-inactivated vaccines that resulted in the weakest protection were Bindschedler's green-, bromothymol blue-, erythrosin B-, ethyl violet-, gallein-, light green SF yellowish-, methyl violet-, new methylene blue N-, phenol red-, rhodamine 6G-, spirit blue- and victoria blue B-treated ones. Serum HI titers developed by nasal vaccination were variable, and rose still more in most vaccinated groups postexposure. Elicitation of the most effective nasal immunogenicity in dye-inactivated vaccines appeared to depend on selective modification of capsid protein or ribose in viral core with dyes possessing definite functions, despite the different molecular structures.

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In order to understand the role of interleukin 1 (IL-1) in pregnancy, the amount of IL-1 in normal human amniotic fluid (AF) from various gestational ages and delivery was measured using an ELISA. AF samples were divided into three groups of varying gestational ages. Group 1 of AF was collected by amniocentesis from gestational ages <24 weeks (n=13). Group 2 was collected transvaginally during delivery following labor ≥36 weeks (n=36). Group 3 was transabdominally collected from elective cesarean section without labor ≥36 weeks (n=8). IL-1α was present in AF of early gestational age, 19.2±21.7pg/ml, in group 1, and appeared to increase with gestational age, 63.4±50.1pg/ml, in group 3. In contrast, IL-1β was not detectable in either group 1 or 3. However, the concentration of IL-1 in group 2 was extremely high (IL-1α, 233.1±351.9pg/ml; IL-1β, 1, 093.5±1, 369.7pg/ml) compared to the other groups. Moreover, these concentrations tended to increase with the duration of labor. IL-1α and IL-1β concentrations in AF were intimately related. These findings suggest that IL-1 has some roles during pregnancy and especially during labor.

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A new Vero toxin purified from Escherichia coli O91:H21 isolated from a patient with the hemolytic uremic syndrome (VT2vh) was shown to inhibit elongation factor 1-dependent aminoacyl-tRNA binding to ribosomes, resulting in inhibition of protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocytes. VT2vh, like Shiga toxin, VT1 and VT2, showed RNA N-glycosidase activity and cleaved the N-glycosidic bond of the adenosine residue at position 4324 in 28S ribosomal RNA.

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In vitro DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction was examined to detect Mycoplasma pulmonis. A pair of synthetic oligonucleotide primers was constructed, and used to amplify a unique sequence of M. pulmonis DNA. Amplified products were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and verified by blot hybridization with a synthetic oligonucleotide probe. This system detected cellular DNA of M. pulmonis but not M. arthritidis or M. neurolyticum, and thus appears to be useful for M. pulmonis diagnosis.

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A new invasive Escherichia coli strain which presented delayed or variable reactions in lactose, mucate, and acetate tests is described. It did not agglutinate with antisera for all known E. coli and Shigella groups A, B, C, D, and provisional Shigella serovar. We propose the designation of E. coli BH until the situation of its 0 antigen is settled.

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The monoclonal antibody against glycoprotein gp51 of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) envelope antigen was produced by in vitro immunization. This monoclonal antibody reacted with viral antigen was observed at the 69 kilodalton (kDa) glycoprotein. However, this monoclonal antibody was not involved in neutralizing. It was shown that in comparison with in vivo immunization, in vitro immunization has some advantages, namely a short immunization period and a small antigen quantity.

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Susceptibilities to brovavir [1-β-D-arabinofuranosyl-E-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil] and acyclovir of clinical isolates of varicella-zoster virus obtained from 58 patients with herpes zoster, included in a clinical trial of oral brovavir, were tested by a plaque reduction method. All 101 isolates were significantly susceptible to brovavir; 50% effective dose of brovavir for these isolates ranged between 0.6-4.0ng/ml (average: 1.29ng/ml). Brovavir was about 3, 000 times more potent than acyclovir against these isolates. No marked change in the susceptibility of isolates from these patients during treatment with brovavir was observed.

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