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H F Jenkinson

Publications and source records attributed to H F Jenkinson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Lipoprotein receptors in oral streptococci.

Streptococcus gordonii produces cell-surface lipopolypeptides that have been implicated in the determination of cell adherence and aggregation properties. SarA lipopolypeptide produced by S. gordonii is highly similar to the oligopeptide-binding protein AmiA in Streptococcus pneumoniae and to the OppA and SpoOKA oligopeptide-binding proteins in Bacillus subtilis. Insertional mutagenesis was used to inactivate the genes encoding SarA (76kDa) lipoprotein and a related 78-kDa lipoprotein denoted SarG. SarA- mutants were defective in serum-induced aggregation, competence, growth on complex nitrogen sources, and ability to colonize the oral cavity. Conversely, SarG- mutants were unaltered in the above properties, but were deficient in growth on simple nitrogen sources. It is proposed that SarA plays a central role in environmental sensing of extracellular factors by streptococci leading to modulation of cell-surface composition and growth responses of cells.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

Cell surface protein receptors in oral streptococci.

Streptococci have a vast repertoire of adherence properties which include binding to human tissue components, epithelial cells and to other bacterial cells. These interactions are determined by the expression of cell-surface receptors some of which are species-specific. In the oral streptococci, two families of surface protein receptors with highly conserved amino acid sequences have been identified. The antigen I/II family of polypeptides are wall-associated high molecular mass proteins (158-166 kDa) with several binding functions that may be attributed to different domains of the receptor molecules. The LraI family of polypeptides are surface-associated lipoproteins (32-33 kDa) involved in adherence of streptococci to salivary glycoprotein pellicle and to oral Actinomyces. A region of amino acid sequence similarity is evident amongst members of the two protein families in Streptococcus gordonii. Ligand-binding specificities of these receptor polypeptides may account for species-specific adherence and site-directed colonization of streptococci within the human oral cavity.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

Adherence and accumulation of oral streptococci.

Oral streptococci adhere to human salivary components and coadhere with specific partner oral bacteria. These interactions may favour the ordered development of plaque communities. The primary sequences of several streptococcal polypeptide adhesins are conserved, indicating that similar colonization mechanisms may have evolved. Critical amino acid changes within binding domains of adhesins might account for species- and site-specific adherence and accumulation.

Bacterial Adhesion↗

Cell-surface-associated polypeptides CshA and CshB of high molecular mass are colonization determinants in the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii.

The human oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii expresses, on the cell surface, two antigenically related high-molecular-mass polypeptides denoted CshA and CshB, encoded by genes at separate chromosomal loci. The precursor form of CshA is composed of four distinct segments: (i) a 41-amino-acid residue leader peptide, (ii) N-terminal 42-878 residues, (iii) residues 879-2417 comprising 13 repeat blocks of 101 amino acid residues and three shorter blocks, and (iv) a C-terminal anchor domain similar to those present in some other Gram-positive bacterial cell-wall polypeptides. Insertional mutations within cshA reduced both cell-surface hydrophobicity and ability to adhere to oral Actinomyces naeslundii. Insertional mutations in cshB had less effect on hydrophobicity and coadherence. However, expression of both polypeptides was found to be necessary for streptococci to colonize the murine oral cavity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Changes in cytokeratins following treatment of hamster cheek pouch epithelia with hyperplastic or neoplastic agents.

The effects of four different hyperplastic agents and of the carcinogen DMBA on cytokeratin expression in hamster cheek pouch epithelia were compared. Reversible hyperplasia was produced by the application of either oil of turpentine, vitamin A or TPA. No hyperplastic changes were produced by application of EPP. Apart from the transient appearance of a 45 kDa cytokeratin in one group treated with vitamin A, the immunohistochemical staining patterns and immunoblot profiles of cytokeratins from cheek pouches treated with each of the hyperplastic agents were identical to controls. Following application of DMBA, the cytokeratins stained with increased intensity in the spinous and granular cell layers. This was associated with increased amounts of 42-56 kDa cytokeratins and decreased production of 62-75 kDa cytokeratins. Monoclonal antibody AE1 detected a 45 kDa cytokeratin in extracts of DMBA-treated epithelia that was not detected in untreated epithelial extracts. Monoclonal antibody AE3 detected an additional 54 kDa cytokeratin band in extracts of DMBA-treated epithelia. These cytokeratin changes were present in preneoplastic epithelia and maintained in neoplastic epithelia.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

Colonization of the murine oral cavity by Streptococcus gordonii.

Streptococcus gordonii DL1 (Challis) colonized the oral cavities of BALB/c mice that lacked streptococci, enterococci, and lactobacilli (LF mice) as members of an otherwise complex digestive tract microflora. Conventional mice, in comparison, were refractory to colonization by S. gordonii. Mice that harbored lactobacilli but were free of streptococci and enterococci (EF mice) had a lower incidence of colonization by S. gordonii than LF animals. The LF mouse system should be useful in the study of the molecular mechanisms that enable S. gordonii to inhabit the oral cavity.

Animals↗

Molecular cloning and expression of the Candida albicans beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (HEX1) gene.

beta-N-Acetylglucosaminidase was purified from the spent culture medium of Candida albicans A72 grown in the presence of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein was determined, two degenerate oligonucleotide probes were constructed, and a 3.9-kb BamHI fragment of DNA that hybridized to both probes was subcloned from a lambda EMBL4 library of C. albicans A72 genomic DNA. This fragment of DNA contained the entire beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (HEX1) gene, which consisted of an open reading frame coding for a polypeptide precursor of 562 amino acids with a putative 22-amino-acid leader sequence. The deduced HEX1 amino acid sequence showed similarity to hexosaminidases from a variety of organisms. Growth of C. albicans on GlcNAc induced transcription of HEX1, resulting in increased specific beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. HEX1 mRNA (2.35 kb) from GlcNAc-grown cells was approximately 200 bp larger than HEX1 mRNA from cells grown on glucose. This size difference was suggested to result from the use of alternative transcription termination sites. The cloned HEX1 gene introduced into C. albicans SGY-243 on a plasmid also responded to GlcNAc induction.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

Detection of Candida albicans and other yeasts in blood by PCR.

Primers complementary to the region of genes coding for rRNA in Candida albicans were used in PCRs to detect yeast DNA extracted from blood samples containing various Candida species. One fragment (105 bp) was amplified from all yeasts tested, whereas a second (684 bp) was only amplified when C. albicans DNA was present. The level of sensitivity was 15 +/- 5 (mean +/- standard error) CFU of C. albicans per ml of blood.

Base Sequence↗

Interactions of Actinomyces naeslundii strains T14V and ATCC 12104 with saliva, collagen and fibrinogen.

Approximately similar numbers of actinomyces cells adhered to hydroxylapatite beads coated with saliva, collagen or fibrinogen. Adherence generally was unaffected by the presence of free saliva. Binding of cells to collagen- or fibrinogen-coated beads was reduced in the presence of either free collagen or fibrinogen. Glucan inhibited bacterial adherence only to collagen-coated hydroxylapatite beads. It is suggested that actinomyces bind to saliva-, collagen- or fibrinogen-coated surfaces by different mechanisms, but that these mechanisms involve some common bacterial cell-surface components.

Actinomyces↗

Inactivation of the gene encoding surface protein SspA in Streptococcus gordonii DL1 affects cell interactions with human salivary agglutinin and oral actinomyces.

Cell surface protein SSP-5 in the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii M5 binds human salivary agglutinin in a Ca(2+)-dependent reaction (D.R. Demuth, E.E. Golub, and D. Malamud, J. Biol. Chem. 265:7120-7126, 1990). The region of the gene encoding an N-terminal segment of a related polypeptide (SspA) in S. gordonii DL1 (Challis) was isolated following polymerase chain reaction amplification of genomic DNA. The sspA gene in S. gordonii DL1 was insertionally inactivated by homologous recombination of the erythromycin resistance (Emr) determinant ermAM onto the streptococcal chromosome. The SspA polypeptide (apparent molecular mass, 210 kDa) was detected on Western blots (immunoblots) of spheroplast extracts and extracellular culture medium proteins from wild-type strain DL1 but was absent from Emr mutants. One SspA- mutant (designated OB220) was not altered in rate or extent of aggregation by whole saliva or parotid saliva but showed reduced aggregation in the presence of purified salivary agglutinin. Mutant bacteria were unaffected in their ability to adhere to hydroxylapatite beads coated with whole or parotid saliva and were unaltered in cell surface hydrophobicity. However, the SspA- strain OB220 was deficient in binding salivary agglutinin and in binding to six strains of Actinomyces naeslundii. Therefore, expression of SspA polypeptide in S. gordonii is associated with both agglutinin-dependent and agglutinin-independent aggregation and adherence reactions of streptococcal cells.

Actinomyces↗

Cloning and expression of Candida albicans ADE2 and proteinase genes on a replicative plasmid in C. albicans and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A plasmid vector (denoted pRC2312) was constructed, which replicates autonomously in Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans. It contains LEU2, URA3 and an autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) from C. albicans for selection and replication in yeasts, and bla (ampicillin resistance) and ori for selection and replication in E. coli. S. cerevisiae AH22 (Leu-) was transformed by pRC2312 to Leu+ at a frequency of 1.41 x 10(5) colonies per microgram DNA. Transformation of C. albicans SGY-243 (Ura-) to Ura+ with pRC2312 resulted in smaller transformant colonies at a frequency of 5.42 x 10(3) per microgram DNA where the plasmid replicated autonomously in transformed cells, and larger transformant colonies at a frequency of 32 per microgram DNA, in which plasmid integrated into the genome. Plasmid copy number in yeasts was determined by a DNA hybridization method and was estimated to be 15 +/- 3 per haploid genome in S. cerevisiae and 2-3 per genome in C. albicans replicative transformants. Multiple tandem integration occurred in integrative transformants and copy number of the integrated sequence was estimated to be 7-12 per diploid genome. The C. albicans ADE2 gene was ligated into plasmid pRC2312 and the construct transformed Ade- strains of both C. albicans and S. cerevisiae to Ade+. The vector pRC2312 was also used to clone a fragment of C. albicans genomic DNA containing an aspartic proteinase gene. C. albicans transformants harboring this plasmid showed a two-fold increase in aspartic proteinase activity. However S. cerevisiae transformants showed no such increase in proteinase activity, suggesting the gene was not expressed in S. cerevisiae.

Candida albicans↗

Yeast-specific DNA probes and their application for the detection of Candida albicans.

Two DNA fragments cloned from the genome of Candida albicans ATCC 10261 may be useful in the rapid diagnosis of disseminated candidosis. One sequence (probe EOB1) was specific for C. albicans (positive hybridisation with 45 strains tested). The second sequence (probe EOB2) detected C. albicans, as well as five other pathogenic Candida spp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but did not react with human or bacterial DNA. Both probes were repetitive sequences in the genome of C. albicans. Probe EOB1 was used to detect, without DNA amplification, 500 C. albicans yeast cells in 1 ml of human blood.

Candida albicans↗

Gene disruption identifies a 290 kDa cell-surface polypeptide conferring hydrophobicity and coaggregation properties in Streptococcus gordonii.

The C-terminal coding region of the gene (denoted cshA) encoding a high-molecular-mass (290 kDa) cell-surface polypeptide in the oral bacterium Streptococcus gordonii was cloned and sequenced. Insertion of ermAM into the S. gordonii chromosome at the 3' end of the coding region of cshA led to the production of isogenic mutants that secreted a truncated form (260 kDa) of the CshA polypeptide into the growth medium. Mutants had reduced cell-surface hydrophobicity and were impaired in their ability to coaggregate with oral actinomyces. The results identify a carboxyl terminus-anchored cell-surface protein determinant of hydrophobicity and coaggregation in S. gordonii.

Actinomyces↗

Adherence, coaggregation, and hydrophobicity of Streptococcus gordonii associated with expression of cell surface lipoproteins.

Streptococcus gordonii Challis incorporated exogenous [3H]palmitate into 13 polypeptides extractable from intact cells with sodium dodecyl sulfate. A 76-kDa surface-exposed polypeptide, implicated previously as a cell aggregation determinant, was shown to be one of these lipid-modified polypeptides. Differences in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis patterns of lipopolypeptides were detected with mutants of S. gordonii that were altered in adherence, aggregation, coaggregation, or hydrophobicity. Lipid-modified polypeptides, tightly associated with the cell membrane, may be involved in the expression of cell surface properties of S. gordonii important for colonization of the human oral cavity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Mutants of Streptococcus gordonii Challis over-producing glucosyltransferase.

Two mutants of Streptococcus gordonii which over-produced extracellular polysaccharide when grown on sucrose-containing medium were isolated after mutagenesis of strain Challis with ethyl methanesulphonate. The mutants, designated strains OB20 and OB30, expressed 2.6-fold and 4.7-fold respectively more glucosyltransferase (GTF) activities than the wild-type strain. Transformation experiments suggested that the two mutants carried different mutations, denoted gtf-20 and gtf-30. A double mutant (gtf-20 gtf-30) was constructed and this strain produced 6.4-fold more GTF. Enzymes from wild-type and mutant strains were biochemically indistinguishable and they synthesized structurally identical glucans. Increasing the Na+ concentration of the bacterial growth medium reduced GTF production in all strains by about 60%. Tween 80 also inhibited enzyme production and more specifically reduced GTF synthesis by the mutants. The mutations gtf-20 and gtf-30 appear to define separate genetic loci involved in regulating expression of GTF activity in S. gordonii.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel↗

Comparison of the effects of four hyperplastic agents on hamster cheek pouch mucosa.

Hyperplasia in the hamster cheek pouch was examined using 4 different hyperplastic agents: oil of turpentine 50% v/v in liquid paraffin; vitamin A palmitate 10% w/v in liquid paraffin; 12-O-tetradeconyl-phorbol-13-acetate 16nM in acetone; and ethylphenylpropiolate 0.04mM in acetone. Acetone, paraffin and untreated control groups were also examined. Cheek pouches were painted 3 times a week for up to 4 weeks with each solution. Samples were removed and prepared for light microscopy 24 hours after 2 weeks of painting and 24 hours, 6, 12 and 18 weeks after 4 weeks of painting. Hyperplasia was produced by application of turpentine, vitamin A and TPA after 2 weeks of application. Further increases in epithelial width occurred after 4 weeks of painting in the turpentine and vitamin A groups but a decrease was seen in the TPA group. Six weeks (vitamin A and TPA groups) or 12 weeks (turpentine group) after the completion of treatment the epithelium had a normal histological appearance. No differences between the control or EPP treated cheek pouch mucosa could be detected. Turpentine and vitamin A can be used as models of reversible hyperplasia in the hamster cheek pouch.

Alkynes↗

Isolation and nucleotide sequence of an autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) element functional in Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

An 8.6-kb fragment was isolated from an EcoRI digest of Candida albicans ATCC 10261 genomic DNA which conferred the property of autonomous replication in Saccharomyces cervisiae on the otherwise non-replicative plasmid pMK155 (5.6 kb). The DNA responsible for the replicative function was subcloned as a 1.2-kb fragment onto a non-replicative plasmid (pRC3915) containing the C. albicans URA3 and LEU2 genes to form plasmid pRC3920. This plasmid was capable of autonomous replication in both S. cerevisiae and C. albicans and transformed S. cerevisiae AH22 (leu2-) to Leu+ at a frequency of 2.15 x 10(3) transformants per microgram DNA, and transformed C. albicans SGY-243 (delta ura3) to Ura+ at a frequency of 1.91 x 10(3) transformants per microgram DNA. Sequence analysis of the cloned DNA revealed the presence of two identical regions of eleven base pairs (5'TTTTATGTTTT3') which agreed with the consensus of autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) cores functional in S. cerevisiae. In addition there were two 10/11 and numerous 9/11 matches to the core consensus. The two 11/11 matches to the consensus, CaARS1 and CaARS2, were located on opposite strands in a non-coding AT-rich region and were separated by 107 bp. Also present on the C. albicans DNA, 538 bp from the ARS cores, was a gene for 5S rRNA which showed sequence homology with several other yeast 5S rRNA genes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Base Sequence↗