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D S Feingold

Publications and source records attributed to D S Feingold.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Phenotypic differences among clinically isolated mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains.

Mucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis or urinary tract infections displayed many phenotypic differences. The ratios of D-mannuronosyl to L-guluronosyl moieties of the extracellular alginate-like polysaccharides produced by the 19 strains examined varied from 99 to 0.8; the acetyl content of the polymers varied from 0.38 to 0.02 mol per mole of uronosyl residue. The strains also differed with regard to the stability of the mucoid phenotype. Of 15 isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis, 7 displayed stable mucoid phenotypes; 8 isolates were unstable and reverted to the nonmucoid phenotype at high frequency. The four strains isolated from patients with urinary tract infections were also unstable. Strains from urinary tract infections expressed the mucoid phenotype on six different media, both minimal and complex, whereas cystic fibrosis-associated strains varied widely with regard to medium-dependent expression of the mucoid phenotype. Of 15 cystic fibrosis strains, 5 were mucoid on each of six different media, 4 were mucoid on five media, 1 was mucoid on four media, 4 were mucoid on three media, and 1 yielded mucoid colonies on only one of the six media tested. There was no obvious correlation among polysaccharide structure, stability of the mucoid phenotype, and medium-dependent expression of the mucoid phenotype for any of the 19 strains investigated. These data suggest that although mucoid strains of P. aeruginosa must share some common property related to their ability to colonize their host, this property seems to be unrelated to polysaccharide composition, medium-dependent expression of the mucoid phenotype, or stability of the mucoid phenotype.

Culture Media↗

Amino acid sequence of the tryptic peptide containing the catalytic-site thiol group of bovine liver uridine diphosphate glucose dehydrogenase.

The catalytic-site thiol groups of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase from bovine liver were carboxymethylated with iodo[2-14C]acetate or with iodoacetamidofluorescein. After the residual thiol groups were carboxymethylated with iodoacetate, the proteins were digested with trypsin. The 14C-labelled peptide from the carboxymethylated enzyme was purified to homogeneity by successive thick-layer chromatography on silica gel, paper electrophoresis and chromatography, and column chromatography on Bio-Gel P-6. Homogeneous fluoresceincarboxamidomethylated peptide was prepared from a tryptic digest of fluoresceincarboxamidomethylated enzyme by specific adsorption--desorption from Sephadex G-25. The sequences of either peptide determined by the manual Edman dansyl procedure is: Ala-Ser-Val-Gly-Phe-Gly-Gly-Ser-Cys-Phe-Glx-Glx-Gly-Lys.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Mechanisms of action of the antimycotic imidazoles.

The mechanism of the antifungal action of the imidazole antimycotics, miconazole ano clotrimazole, on Saccharomyces cerevisiae was explored. When grown aerobically both drugs were fungistatic at low concentrations and fungicidal at high concentrations. When grown anaerobically the fungistatic effect was not seen, but killing still occurred at high concentrations. The fungistatic effect correlated with inhibition of ergosterol synthesis and elevated lanosterol/ergosterol ratios in the organisms. The fungicidal effect involved rapid membrane damage and was unrelated to the imidazole-induced block in ergosterol synthesis. These agents each have 2 distinct antifungal actions.

Clotrimazole↗

Heterogeneity of action of mechanisms among antimycotic imidazoles.

The three imidazole antimycotics clotrimazole, miconazole, and ketoconazole all inhibit the demethylation of lanosterol to ergosterol, resulting in inhibition of growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae; this is a fungistatic action. At higher concentrations clotrimazole and miconazole are fungicidal, whereas ketoconazole is not. The fungicidal action reflects direct membrane damage by the imidazoles. Evidence for this is that ketoconazole is markedly less active than the other imidazoles in its ability to allow methylene blue entry into cells and to disrupt liposome model membranes. The possible clinical significance of these findings is discussed.

Aerobiosis↗

Induced versus pre-existing asymmetry models for the half-of-the-sites reactivity effect in bovine liver uridine diphosphoglucose dehydrogenase.

Half-of-the-sites reactivity of the catalytic site thiol groups of UDPglucose dehydrogenase (UDPglucose:NAD+ 6-oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.22) can be ascribed either to the induction of conformational asymmetry following derivatization of one half of the subunits or to intrinsic conformational differences in the subunits of the native enzyme. If the half-sites reactivity behavior is due to induction effects, the magnitude of the induction could be expected to depend on the nature of the covalent modification. On the other hand, if the half-sites reactivity behavior is due to pre-existing asymmetry and there is no communication between catalytic centers, the properties of unmodified sub-units should be independent of the nature of the covalent derivative introduced on the modified subunits. According to the induced asymmetry hypothesis, the catalytic activity of half-sites modified enzyme might be different for different covalent modifications, whereas for the rigid pre-existing asymmetry hypothesis the catalytic activity of half-sites modified enzyme should be the same regardless of the modifying group. During the course of catalytic site thiol group modification by a number of thiol specific reagents, the loss of enzyme activity was equivalent to the degree of modification for most of the reagents employed. However, with iodoacetate and 5-(iodoacetamidoethyl)aminonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid, half-sites modification of UDPglucose dehydrogenase reduced catalytic activity by 58 and 78%, respectively, of the initial activity. These observations are consistent with a model in which there is communication between catalytic sites. Electron microscopy shows that the six subunits of UDPglucose dehydrogenase are arranged as a hexagonal planar ensemble.

Animals↗

Biosynthesis of heparin. Partial purification of the uronosyl C-5 epimerase.

Heparosan N-sulfate D-glucuronosyl 5-epimerase, which catalyzes the conversion of beta-D-glucuronosyl to alpha-L-iduronosyl residues in the course of heparin biosynthesis, has been purified approximately 9000-fold from the high speed supernatant fraction of a homogenate of a mouse mastocytoma. Following ammonium sulfate fractionation, the material precipitating between 35 and 60% saturation was subjected to a series of affinity chromatography steps on matrices containing immobilized concanavalin A, heparan sulfate, O-desulfated heparin, and Cibacron blue, respectively. Epimerase purified by this procedure yielded two major components on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme had approximately the same Kav as bovine serum albumin when chromatographed on Sepharose 6B. The activity of the purified enzyme was increased 50-fold by addition of the fraction which was not adsorbed to concanavalin A-Sepharose. The stimulating factor is likely to be a protein since it was nondialyzable, heat labile, and lost activity on digestion with trypsin.

Animals↗

Preparation of water-soluble high-molecular weight substrates for beta-D-galactosidase.

Two types of high-molecular water-soluble substrates of beta-D-galactosidase were prepared. Substrate I contains beta-D-[3H]-galactopyranosyl moieties linked, through a hydrocarbon bridge, to a polymeric dialdehyde (oxidized starch) backbone (molecular weight 6,000); in substrate II the backbone is poly-L-lysine (molecular weight 80,000). In the presence of Triton X-100, but not in its absence, D-[3H]-galactose is split from the substrates by homogenates of normal mouse liver or pancreas. It is suggested that substrates I and II could be used to test the integrity of lysosomal and other cellular membranes, and to assess the extent of cellular injury.

Aldehydes↗

Detection of 3-hydroxy fatty acids at picogram levels in biologic specimens. A chemical method for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae?

A method for the detection of 3-hydroxy dodecanoic acid at low picogram levels is described. The procedure involves preparation of a heptafluorobutryl derivative of the butyl ester of the fatty acid and its detection by gas-liquid chromatography using an electron capture detector. The method was adapted for use with biological specimens. Potential of the method for screening for gonococcal infection is discussed. Limitations of the method are that about 105 Neisseria gonorrhoeae cells are required for detection and that interfering substances are a major problem working at maximum sensitivity of the electron capture detector necessitating complex purification procedures. The method eliminates the need to maintain the viability of cells in specimens, thus facilitating collection and transport of specimens.

Bacteriological Techniques↗

Lipid composition and sensitivity of Prototheca wickerhamii to membrane-active antimicrobial agents.

The lipid composition of Prototheca wickerhamii ATCC 16529 is presented and discussed in relation to the unique susceptibility of the organism to drugs of three membrane-active antimicrobial classes: the polyenes, the polymyxins, and the imidazoles. The presence of ergosterol in the neutral lipid fraction of the membrane is likely responsible for the exquisite susceptibility to amphotericin B. The presence of a large quantity of free fatty acids in the membrane appears responsible for imidazole susceptibility. The membrane determinants of polymyxin B susceptibility are less well defined.

Anti-Infective Agents↗

Effect of free fatty acids on liposome susceptibility to imidazole antifungals.

The presence of free fatty acids in liposome model membranes sensitizes these membranes to the action of the imidazole antifungals, clotrimazole, micronazole, and sulconazole. Unsaturation of the fatty acids is an important variable; the effect of linoleic and oleic acids is much greater than that of stearic acid. The imidazoles differ somewhat in action, with clotrimazole potency greatest both on membranes with and without fatty acids. Sulconazole has very little activity on membranes without fatty acids even at the highest concentrations tested. The data are discussed with reference to the susceptibility of various cells to the imidazoles and the specificity of imidazole action. A modification of the enzymatic method generally used for assay of marker glucose with liposome systems is also presented.

Antifungal Agents↗

Enhancement of resistance to murine osteogenic sarcoma in vivo by an extract of Brucella abortus (Bru-Pel): association with activation of reticuloendothelial system macrophages.

The administration of an aqueous-ether extracted residue of Brucella abortus (Bru-Pel) inhibits development of transplanted osteogenic sarcomas in mice as evidenced by a decrease in mortality. At least one mechanism through which Bru-Pel modulates host resistance is activation of macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system. Peritoneal macrophages harvested from mice receiving Bru-Pel were cytotoxic for osteogenic sarcoma cells in vitro, limited the replication of vaccinia virus in cell cultures, and demonstrated enhanced emittance of chemiluminescence during phagocytosis of zymosan particles of Candida albicans. The concept of reticuloendothelial system activation was further supported by the evidence that administration of Bru-Pel enhanced resistance of mice to challenge with a lethal inoculum of Listeria monocytogenes. These observation support the hypothesis that Bru-Pel shares a number of characteristics with recognized immunomodulating agents and that one mechanism by which it modulates host resistance to tumors, to virus infections, and to challenge with L. monocytogenes is through activation of macrophages.

Animals↗