Non-fatal case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever imported into the United Kingdom (ex Bulgaria), June 2014

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) was diagnosed in a United Kingdom traveller who returned from Bulgaria in June 2014. The patient developed a moderately severe disease including fever, headaches and petechial rash. CCHF was diagnosed following identification of CCHF virus (CCHFV) RNA in a serum sample taken five days after symptom onset. Sequence analysis of the CCHFV genome showed that the virus clusters within the Europe 1 clade, which includes viruses from eastern Europe.

Analysis of errors in finished DNA sequences: the surfactin operon of Bacillus subtilis as an example

Increased productivity in DNA sequencing would not be valid without a straightforward detection and estimation of errors in finished sequences. The sequence of the surfactin operon from Bacillus subtilis was obtained by two different groups and by chance we were also working on the same chromosome region. Taking advantage of this situation we report in this paper, the number and nature of errors found in the overlapping part of the DNA sequences obtained by the three laboratories. The coincidence of some of the errors with compression in sequence ladders and with secondary DNA structures as well as the detection of frameshift errors using computer programs, are demonstrated. Finally we discuss the definition of a new sequencing strategy that might minimize both the error rate and the cost of sequencing.

Purification and properties of a periplasmic aminoendopeptidase from Escherichia coli

A periplasmic aminoendopeptidase from Escherichia coli has been purified to hemogeneity. It is a monomer of molecular weight 45000 and containing one -- SH group that is necessary for catalytic activity. The study of its substrate specificity indicated that the enzyme has both aminopeptidase and endopeptidase activity. The pH optimum for L-alanine p-nitroanilide hydrolysis is between 7 and 7.5 and that for 125I-labeled casein proteolysis between 7.3 and 7.6. The activation energy for the hydrolysis of L-anine p-nitroanilide was calculated to be 5.3 kcal X mol-1 (22.2 kJ X mol-1).