In vivo repackaging of recombinant cosmid molecules for analyses of Salmonella typhimurium, Streptococcus mutans, and mycobacterial genomic libraries

Strains of Escherichia coli K-12 were constructed that permitted the amplification of in vitro-packaged recombinant cosmid-transducing particles by in vivo repackaging of recombinant cosmid molecules. Thermal induction of these thermoinducible, excision-defective lysogens containing recombinant cosmid molecules yielded high titers of packaged recombinant cosmids and low levels of PFU. These strains were used to amplify packaged recombinant cosmid libraries of Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium vaccae, Salmonella typhimurium, and Streptococcus mutans DNA. Contiguous and noncontiguous libraries were compared for the successful identification of cloned genes. Construction of noncontiguous libraries allowed the dissociation of desired genes from genes that were deleterious to the survival of a cosmid recombinant and permitted selection for unlinked traits that resulted in a selected phenotype. In vivo repackaging of recombinant cosmids permitted amplification of the original in vitro-packaged collection of transducing particles, storage of cosmid libraries as phage lysates, facilitation of complementation screening, expression analysis of repackaged recombinant cosmids after UV-irradiated cells were infected, in situ enzyme or immunological screening, and facilitation of recovery of recombinant cosmid molecules containing transposon inserts.

Expression of Mycobacterium leprae genes from a Streptococcus mutans promoter in Escherichia coli K-12

Genomic libraries of Mycobacterium leprae DNA partially digested with Pst I were constructed in the expression vector pYA626, which contains the promoter region from the Streptococcus mutans gene encoding aspartate beta-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, which is very efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli. We have detected several clones that complement a mutation in the citrate synthase gene of E. coli. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that the complementing DNA was M. leprae DNA. Sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel analysis of polypeptides produced by minicells containing the citrate synthase-complementing recombinant molecules demonstrated the production of a 46-kDa polypeptide. When the citrate synthase-complementing fragment was cloned in pYA626 in the reverse orientation, the recombinant molecule was no longer able to complement the mutation in the citrate synthase gene and no longer produced the 46-kDa polypeptide. When the DNA fragment was cloned in the Pst I site of pHC79, so as to allow expression from the beta-lactamase promoter, the resulting recombinant failed to complement the mutation in the E. coli citrate synthase gene yet still produced the 46-kDa polypeptide, but in one-fourth the amount than when expressed from the S. mutans asd promoters. This demonstrates that M. leprae translational sequences can be recognized by E. coli translational machinery. Promoter expression vectors can be used to obtain expression of protein antigens to be used for early diagnosis of leprosy or components of a vaccine and proteins that are targets of potential antileprosy drugs.

Molecular analysis of DNA and construction of genomic libraries of Mycobacterium leprae

Molecular analysis of DNA from Mycobacterium leprae, "Mycobacterium lufu," and Mycobacterium vaccae has demonstrated that the G + C (guanine plus cytosine) contents of the DNAs are 56, 61, and 65%, respectively, and that the genome sizes are 2.2 X 10(9), 3.1 X 10(9), and 3.1 X 10(9) daltons, respectively. Because of the significant differences in both G + C content and genome size among M. leprae, "M. lufu," and M. vaccae DNAs, these species are not related, although hybridization experiments under nonstringent conditions, with two separate cloned M. leprae DNA inserts as probes, indicate that there are some conserved sequences among the DNAs. The G + C content of Dasypus novemcinctus (armadillo, the animal of choice for cultivating M. leprae) DNA was determined to be 36%. Genomic libraries potentially representing more than 99.99% of each genome were prepared by cloning into the cosmid vector, pHC79, in Escherichia coli K-12. A genomic library representing approximately 95% of the genome of M. vaccae was prepared in pBR322. M. leprae DNA was subcloned from the pHC79::M. leprae library into an expression vector, pYA626. This vector is a 3.8-kilobase derivative of pBR322 in which the promoter region of the asd (aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase) gene from Streptococcus mutans has been inserted in place of the EcoRI-to-PstI fragment of pBR322. Several (44% of those tested) pYA626::M. leprae recombinants and one pBR322::M. vaccae recombinant synthesized new polypeptides in minicells of E. coli, indicating that mycobacterial DNA can be expressed in E. coli K-12, although expression is probably dependent upon use of nonmycobacterial promoters recognized by the E. coli transcription-translation apparatus.

Lack of ouabain effect on pacing-induced myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease

Sixteen patients with significant two and three vessel coronary artery disease but without clinical congestive heart failure were studied during rapid atrial pacing before and after infusion of 0.015 mg/kg of ouabain. Seven patients with a decreased (less than 50 percent) ejection fraction and nine patients with a normal ejection fraction had a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in resting arterial systolic pressure after the administration of ouabain. However, resting values for coronary sinus flow, coronary vascular resistance, myocardial oxygen consumption and myocardial lactate extraction did not change significantly in either group. During pacing, patients with a decreased ejection fraction demonstrated more ischemia than patients with a normal ejection fraction; however, the administration of ouabain did not significantly alter pacing-related changes in coronary sinus flow, myocardial oxygen consumption, myocardial lactate extraction, ischemic electrocardiographic changes or onset of chest pain in either group. The administration of ouabain has a negligible effect on coronary hemodynamics, myocardial metabolism or clinical signs of ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease with normal or abnormal left ventricular function.

Echocardiographic interpretation of pericardial effusion

Echocardiography has proved to be quite useful in the detection of pericardial effusion. As little as 15 ml of fluid within the pericardial space can be detected. Specific signs of pericardial effusion, such as electrical alternans and paradoxical pulse, have become better understood by echocardiographic study. Yet, with all the benefits of echocardiography, the detection of pericardial effusion still may be quite difficult if careful attention is not given to technique. False-positive diagnosis of anterior pericardial effusion can be seen with epicardial fat pad, pericardial cyst, or foramen of Morgagni hernia. False-positive posterior pericardial effusion can be seen in large left pleural effusion, calcified mitral anulus, or excessively medial transducer angulation. New "switched-gain" circuits have helped detection of pericardial effusion by enhancement of pericardial echoes.

Comparative responses to dobutamine and nitroprusside in patients with chronic low output cardiac failure

The acute hemodynamic effects of dobutamine and nitroprusside were compared in 19 patients with low output cardiac failure. At dosage levels yielding similar increases in cardiac index (12 patients), nitroprusside resulted in significantly lower arterial systolic and wedge pressures and did not increase heart rate suggesting advantages over dobutamine when reduction in myocardial oxygen requirement or pulmonary congestion is a major goal. Systemic arterial mean and diastolic pressures were minimally changed with dobutamine, but fell significantly with nitroprusside suggesting advantages of dobutamine over nitroprusside in patients where hypotension could limit coronary blood flow or perfusion of other vital organs. Reduction in pulmonary arteriolar resistance occurred only with nitroprusside. Arterial hypoxemia developed in three patients during nitroprusside infusion suggesting the possibility of increased right-to-left intrapulmonary shunting resulting from a direct vasodilating effect of nitroprusside on pulmonary arteriole smooth muscle. Although both inotropic and vasodilator drugs can result in hemodynamic improvement when administered to patients with chronic low output cardiac failure, significant differences of potential clinical importance exist between these two modes of therapy.