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J K Davis

Publications and source records attributed to J K Davis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Purification, characterization, and sequence analysis of 2-aminomuconic 6-semialdehyde dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes JS45.

2-Aminonumconic 6-semialdehyde is an unstable intermediate in the biodegradation of nitrobenzene and 2-aminophenol by Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes JS45. Previous work has shown that enzymes in cell extracts convert 2-aminophenol to 2-aminomuconate in the presence of NAD+. In the present work, 2-aminomuconic semialdehyde dehydrogenase was purified and characterized. The purified enzyme migrates as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a molecular mass of 57 kDa. The molecular mass of the native enzyme was estimated to be 160 kDa by gel filtration chromatography. The optimal pH for the enzyme activity was 7.3. The enzyme is able to oxidize several aldehyde analogs, including 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde, hexaldehyde, and benzaldehyde. The gene encoding 2-aminomuconic semialdehyde dehydrogenase was identified by matching the deduced N-terminal amino acid sequence of the gene with the first 21 amino acids of the purified protein. Multiple sequence alignment of various semialdehyde dehydrogenase protein sequences indicates that 2-aminomuconic 6-semialdehyde dehydrogenase has a high degree of identity with 2-hydroxymuconic 6-semialdehyde dehydrogenases.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases

Detection of Mycoplasma pulmonis in cilia-associated respiratory bacillus isolates and in respiratory tracts of rats by nested PCR.

To improve the detection of Mycoplasma pulmonis contamination of isolates of cilia-associated respiratory (CAR) bacillus, we developed a nested PCR method using primers for 16S rRNA gene sequences. Of 140 samples of 16 different CAR bacillus isolates, 73 (52%) were inhibitory in the first PCR, as indicated by the absence of amplicons of the internal control, but only 11 of 140 (7.9%) were inhibitory in the second PCR. Of 27 samples known to contain M. pulmonis, only 12 (44%) were positive in the first PCR, but 25 of 27 (93%) were positive in the second PCR. Nested PCR also detected M. pulmonis in 21 of 61 (34%) CAR bacillus samples from which M. pulmonis could not be cultured and identified 2 additional M. pulmonis-contaminated CAR bacillus isolates. Of 359 respiratory and reproductive tract lavage samples from rats and mice, 35 (9.8%) were inhibitory in the first PCR, but only 15 (4.2%) were inhibitory in the second PCR. Of 72 lavage specimens from rats inoculated with an avirulent, poorly infective M. pulmonis strain, 14 (19%) were positive by nested PCR, but only 2 of 72 (2.8%) were positive by culture. Nested PCR also detected M. pulmonis in 14 of 20 (70%) paraffin sections of lung and trachea from rats and mice inoculated with CAR bacillus isolates known to contain M. pulmonis, whereas single PCR gave no positive results. We conclude that nested PCR is superior to single PCR or culture for detecting M. pulmonis, and that M. pulmonis is present in all but four CAR bacillus isolates in our collection that were from naturally infected rats; the four isolates that were exceptions were obtained from rats from a single colony.

Animals

Bioethical aspects of HIV infection in children.

The care of HIV-infected children is fraught with many bioethical conflicts and dilemmas that require careful attention if care is to be provided appropriately. Understanding of the interplay of such general principles as autonomy, nonmaleficence, confidentiality, and veracity helps to clarify the nature of specific conflicts. This article addresses both general principles and their specific applications to pediatric patients with HIV infection. It addresses these matters from the points of view both of patients and parents. It shows why conflict is practically inevitable, and it points the way toward prevention and resolution of conflict. Practical guidelines are provided in relation to the critical problem of disclosure of diagnosis to the patient.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Pathogenicity of cilia-associated respiratory (CAR) bacillus isolates for F344, LEW, and SD rats.

We conducted experiments to test whether rats of F344, LEW, and SD strains differ in susceptibility to mycoplasma-free isolates of cilia-associated respiratory (CAR) bacillus, whether Mycoplasma pulmonis can affect expression of CAR bacillus disease, and whether isolates of CAR bacillus differ in virulence for rats. In the first experiment, 24 rats of each strain were inoculated intranasally with 10(7) bacilli of CAR bacillus X1428D/AS, and 24 rats of each strain were inoculated with sterile medium (controls). Eight weeks later, eight inoculated rats and eight control rats of each strain were euthanatized, eight inoculated and eight control rats were given 10(6.5) colony-forming units of M. pulmonis X1428D, and eight inoculated rats and eight control rats were sham inoculated. Four rats of each group were euthanatized 4 or 8 weeks after the second inoculation. Severity of lesions in nasal passages, middle ear, trachea, and lungs was assessed by scoring. Rats of all three strains given CAR bacillus had typical lesions of similar severity; M. pulmonis X1428D was avirulent and did not exacerbate CAR bacillus disease. In the second experiment, groups of eight rats of F344 and SD strains were given 10(5) or 10(7) CAR bacillus X1328E, X1428D/AS, or X2450D and euthanatized 8 or 16 weeks later. Isolates X1428D/AS and X2450D caused similar lesions in rats of both strains and at both doses, but CAR bacillus X1328E was avirulent. Rats of the tested strains are similarly susceptible to CAR bacillus disease, but CAR bacillus isolates differ in virulence.

Animals

Detection of urogenital mycoplasmal infections in primates by use of polymerase chain reaction.

Urogenital mycoplasmal infections could affect use of primates as models for reproductive system studies and could affect reproduction in captive primates, but could be useful as animal models of similar human infections. We conducted a pilot study to assess detection of urogenital mycoplasmal infections in primates by use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Healthy animals were anesthetized, and vaginal, cervical, or endometrial and urethral swab specimens were collected from females and males, respectively. Specimens were tested by PCR supplemented with dot blotting and nonradiolabeled oligonucleotide probing for 16S rRNA sequences conserved among mollicutes. Specimens with positive results were tested by species-specific PCRs with primers for 16S rRNA sequences of Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis and for adhesin gene sequences of Mycoplasma genitalium. Spiked duplicate reactions were included as internal controls for each reaction. Results for 232 specimens from 166 animals indicate that naturally acquired urogenital infections are readily detected and suggest that urogenital mycoplasmal infections are common in laboratory primates (48/166 [29%] overall). M. hominis and U. urealyticum appeared to be common among the studied primates overall and especially in chimpanzees. Mycoplasmas other than M. genitalium, M. hominis, and U. urealyticum appeared to be at least as common as these three, with specimens from 18 of 48 animals (38%) having positive "generic" PCR results, but no positive results in species-specific PCRs.

Animals

Gene expression and production of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1, interleukin 6, and gamma interferon in C3H/HeN and C57BL/6N mice in acute Mycoplasma pulmonis disease.

Studies were conducted to determine whether the production of various cytokines is associated with Mycoplasma pulmonis disease expression. Susceptible C3H/HeN and resistant C57BL/6N mice were inoculated intranasally with 10(7) CFU of virulent M. pulmonis UAB CT or avirulent M. pulmonis UAB T. Expression of genes for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL-1 beta, IL-6, and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in whole lung tissue and TNF-alpha gene expression in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells was determined by reverse transcription-PCR using specific cytokine primers at various times postinoculation. In addition, concentrations of TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, and IFN-gamma were determined in BAL fluid and serum samples at various times postinoculation. Our results showed that there was a sequential appearance of cytokines in the lungs of infected mice: TNF-alpha, produced primarily by BAL cells, appeared first, followed by IL-1 and IL-6, which were followed by IFN-gamma. Susceptible C3H/HeN mice had higher and more persistent concentrations of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in BAL fluid than did resistant C57BL/6N mice, indicating that TNF-alpha and possibly IL-6 are important factors in pathogenesis of acute M. pulmonis disease in mice. Serum concentrations of IL-6 were elevated in C3H/HeN mice, but not C57BL/6N mice, following infection with M. pulmonis, suggesting that IL-6 has both local and systemic effects in M. pulmonis disease.

Acute Disease

Chronic respiratory mycoplasmosis in C3H/HeN and C57BL/6N mice: lesion severity and antibody response.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a leading, worldwide cause of death and disability due to pneumonia. Mycoplasma pulmonis infection in mice is an invaluable model for the study of host defenses against respiratory mycoplasmas in vivo. C3H/HeN mice are much more susceptible to acute inflammatory lung disease due to M. pulmonis than C57BL/6N mice, but little is known about the chronic disease in these mouse strains. We infected C3H/HeN and C57BL/6N mice with 10(4) CFU of M. pulmonis UAB CT and evaluated them at weekly intervals by quantitative mycoplasma culture of nasal passages, trachea, and lungs, assessment of lesion severity in nasal passages, trachea, and lungs, and determination of serum immunoglobulin classes and subclasses by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found that C3H/HeN mice had 2 to 5 logs more organisms in their lungs and far more severe lung disease than C57BL/6N mice through 63 days postinfection. Although both strains of mice developed the same classes of antibody, C3H/HeN mice had much greater anti-M. pulmonis immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses in the IgG1 and IgG2a subclasses than C57BL/6N mice. These results suggest that adaptive immunity does not effect resolution of chronic mycoplasma infection and disease in the lungs.

Animals

Comparative severity of respiratory lesions of sialodacryoadenitis virus and Sendai virus infections in LEW and F344 rats.

In several chronic diseases, lesions are more severe in LEW rats than in F344 rats. To determine whether or not acute viral diseases also are more severe in LEW rats than in F344 rats, we inoculated 6-7-week-old LEW and F344 rats with 10(7.2) cell culture infective units of sialodacryoadenitis virus or 10(4.7) infective units of Sendai virus. Twenty-four rats of each strain were given each virus. Lesions in nasal passages, tracheas, intrapulmonary airways, and pulmonary alveoli in 6 or 12 rats inoculated with each virus were assessed by scoring 5, 10, and 14 days after inoculation. Both viruses caused typical patchy necrotizing rhinitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis, with multifocal pneumonitis, in rats of both strains. Mean lesion indices for LEW rats given sialodacryoadenitis virus were significantly different from those for F344 rats for nasal passages on days 10 (0.999 vs. 0.680) and 14 (0.736 vs. 0.278), bronchi on day 5 (0.479 vs. 0.361), and alveoli on day 5 (0.677 vs. 0.275). Lesion indices for LEW rats given Sendai virus were significantly different from those for F344 rats for nasal passages on days 10 (1.000 vs. 0.611) and 14 (0.778 vs. 0.583); trachea on day 10 (0.625 vs. 0.028); bronchi on days 5 (0.476 vs. 0.331), 10 (0.123 vs. 0.013), and 14 (0.038 vs. 0); and alveoli on days 5 (0.413 vs. 0.114) and 10 (0.185 vs. 0.020). Thus, at the tested doses, both viruses caused more severe respiratory tract lesions in LEW rats than in F344 rats.

Analysis of Variance

In vitro effects of Mycoplasma pulmonis on murine natural killer cell activity.

We evaluated the effect of coculture of virulent and avirulent strains of Mycoplasma pulmonis with mononuclear cells from resistant and susceptible strains of mice on natural killer (NK) cell activity against YAC-1 cells in a standard 4-h 51Cr-release assay. Endogenous NK activity was minimal in the specific-pathogen-free-mice without an external stimulus. There was no correlation between in vivo virulence of the mycoplasmas or host resistance and the in vitro stimulation of NK cell activity. Only two of the avirulent strains of M. pulmonis tested induced significant increases in NK cell activity, and virulent M. pulmonis increased activity only in cells from susceptible C3H/HeN mice.

Animals

Acute Mycoplasma pulmonis infection associated with coagulopathy in C3H/HeN mice.

Experimentally induced infection with high doses of Mycoplasma pulmonis results in acute pneumonia characterized by severe pulmonary hemorrhage, edema, and, often, death in C3H/HeN mice. To determine whether specific disease manifestations were associated with coagulopathy, we measured serum fibrin, fibrinogen degradation products, and plasma fibrinogen concentrations in C3H/HeN mice infected with high doses of a virulent strain of M. pulmonis. We also examined the lungs and other tissues from infected mice for the presence of intravascular fibrin clots and other lesions. Increased concentrations of fibrinogen degradation products indicated that coagulopathy occurs in acute M. pulmonis infection; however, intravascular fibrin clots were not present. Rather than decreasing, as might be expected during a consumptive coagulopathy, fibrinogen concentrations increased. The hyperfibrinogenemia probably is associated with an acute phase response to M. pulmonis infection.

Animals

Role of neutrophils in breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier following intravitreal injection of platelet-activating factor.

Breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier occurs in inflammatory conditions and in ischemic retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent inflammatory mediator which increases vascular permeability. The purpose of this study was to determine if intravitreally-injected PAF would cause breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier and, if so, by what mechanism. Fluorescein angiography was performed before and at 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 hr after PAF injection into the vitreous cavity of rabbit eyes and the eyes were enucleated immediately for light and electron microscopy. Slow flowing thrombi were observed in all PAF-injected eyes. Complete vascular occlusion was observed in 10 of 16 eyes after 3 and 4 hr. There was no fluorescein leakage in any of eyes before or at 0.5 or 1 hr after PAF injection. Fourteen of 20 eyes had fluorescein leakage at 2, 3 and 4 hr after PAF injection. The extent of fluorescein leakage correlated with the degree of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) margination, disruption of the endothelial cell layer, infiltration into vascular walls and migration into the vitreous cavity. PMNs appeared to migrate by both intercellular and transcellular routes across the endothelium. Pretreatment of rabbits with a PAF inhibitor, BN52021, prevented most of the abnormal findings.

Animals

Interactions of mycoplasmas with B cells: antibody production and nonspecific effects.

Interactions between mycoplasmas and B cells consist primarily of the development of specific antibody and of nonspecific interactions with B lymphocytes or antibody. Antibody responses are important in the resistance to mycoplasmal disease in both humans and animals. However, the ability of mycoplasmas to survive in their host despite vigorous responses suggests that these play a limited role in the host's recovery from infection. Antibody also may prevent dissemination of mycoplasmal infections from mucosal sites and may account for the appearance of systemic mycoplasmal infections in immunocompromised patients. In some cases, antibody responses may contribute to disease pathogenesis through the development of hypersensitivity responses or the deposition of immune complexes. In addition, nonspecific interactions between mycoplasmas and B lymphocytes have been implicated in disease pathogenesis, possibly leading to autoimmune reactions, modulation of immunity, and/or promotion of lesion development. For example, several mycoplasmas, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pulmonis, are able to activate B cells polyclonally in vitro and in vivo, but the mechanisms and consequences of these responses have yet to be defined. In addition to activating B lymphocytes, mycoplasmas are capable of producing chemotactic factors, Fc receptors, and immunoglobulin proteases that may also be involved in lesion development and/or survival of the organisms. Thus, both specific and nonspecific interactions of mycoplasmas with B cells can have important effects on disease progression, especially since many mycoplasmal infections are chronic and the cumulative effect of these interactions may be substantial.

Animals

Cultivation of cilia-associated respiratory bacillus in artificial medium and determination of the 16S rRNA gene sequence.

Cilia-associated respiratory (CAR) bacillus, an unclassified gliding bacterium associated with respiratory disease in rats, mice, and rabbits, has previously been cultivated only in embryonated chicken eggs, cell culture, or cell culture medium supplemented with conditioned medium from cultured tracheas. A reference strain of CAR bacillus, originally isolated in eggs, grew in cell culture flasks as adherent individual bacilli and ropy, whorled fascicles in cell culture media supplemented only with fetal calf serum. Using Dulbecco's minimal essential medium, we isolated CAR bacillus from naturally infected rats and a naturally infected rabbit and from experimentally inoculated mice and rats. Isolates were maintained for up to 20 passages. Isolates from rats were similar in morphology to the reference strain, but most were more actively motile and formed pincushion-like aggregates. The rabbit bacilli were smaller and formed fewer aggregates. DNAs of rat isolates differed only slightly in restriction fragment patterns from that of the reference strain, whereas that of the rabbit isolate was distinctly different. Cultures of CAR bacilli of all strains from rats contained Mycoplasma fermentans, Mycoplasma pulmonis, or both, and cultures of the CAR bacillus from the rabbit contained an unidentified arginine-utilizing mycoplasma. The sequence of the 16S rRNA gene of the reference strain was determined by amplification by polymerase chain reaction, cloning of the product, and sequencing by the dideoxynucleotide chain termination method. Comparison of the sequence with sequences in the GenBank data base indicated that CAR bacillus is a unique organism most closely related to Flavobacterium ferrugineum and Flexibacter sancti.

3T3 Cells

IDDM patients' sera recognize a novel 30-kD pancreatic autoantigen related to chymotrypsinogen.

We have examined, by western immunoblot analysis, the sera of 16 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients (IDDM) for the presence of autoantibodies against proteins extracted from islet-cell enriched preparations of normal human pancreata. A novel putative autoantigen recognized by late stage IDDM patients sera was identified, and its amino acid sequence was partially determined. Islets of Langerhans were partially purified by a modified collagenase digestion procedure, and subsequent protein extracts were fractionated by one-dimensional or two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1-D or 2-D SDS-PAGE). Immunoblot analysis revealed a 30-kD species which was recognized by 4 of 16 IDDM patients sera, but none of 16 normal sera. The 30-kD protein, appeared as a single band on 1-D SDS-PAGE, but was resolved on 2-D gel electrophoresis as several distinct protein species with different isoelectric points (pI's), ranging from 7 to 9. The amino terminal sequence of one such species was partially determined by microsequencing, and the second through the fourteenth amino acids were found to be identical to the corresponding sequence in human chymotrypsinogen. The fifteenth through the eighteenth amino acids were different from the known chymotrypsinogen sequence. This region corresponds with the site that is cleaved to activate chymotrypsinogen. Based on the size and sequence homology, this antigen appears to be related to chymotrypsinogen. We conclude that this 30-kD species may be an autoantigen in some late stage IDDM patients.

Adolescent

Effects of viral and mycoplasmal infections, ammonia exposure, vitamin A deficiency, host age, and organism strain on adherence of Mycoplasma pulmonis in cultured rat tracheas.

Adherence to host cells is thought to be a pathogenetic mechanism in mycoplasmal diseases, thus, factors affecting adherence could affect disease expression. To determine whether factors that affect expression of Mycoplasma pulmonis respiratory disease in rats alter adherence of the organism to respiratory epithelium, we studied adherence of radiolabelled M. pulmonis in perfused whole rat tracheas. Adherence was significantly increased in tracheas from rats with sialodacryoadenitis virus infection or vitamin A deficiency (103 +/- 16% and 112 +/- 29% of control means, respectively), but Sendai virus infection, ammonia exposure, and host age (40 versus 8 weeks) were not associated with increased adherence. We also assessed the relationship between adherence and virulence of M. pulmonis strains. The virulent strain 5782C was more adherent (51 +/- 7%) than the type strain, PG34(Ash), and a polystyrene-adherent, hemadsorbing UAB CT subclone was more adherent (229 +/- 40%) than a UAB CT subclone that does not adhere to polystyrene or erythrocytes. PG34(Ash) and the UAB CT subclones caused rhinitis only; however, the adherent UAB CT subclone caused significantly more severe rhinitis than either the nonadherent subclone or PG34(Ash) as determined by scoring of histologic sections. To determine whether M. pulmonis itself induces changes in respiratory epithelium resulting in enhanced adherence, we studied adherence in tracheas from rats inoculated with M. pulmonis 3 weeks earlier. Adherence was increased 64 +/- 22%, compared with that in tracheas from control rats. Adherence in infected tracheas treated with tetracycline for 2 days was not increased, indicating that M. pulmonis-induced changes in epithelial adherence are rapidly resolved after elimination of infection.

Age Factors

Mycoplasma pulmonis possesses a novel chemoattractant for B lymphocytes.

Mycoplasma pulmonis causes chronic murine respiratory mycoplasmosis, which is characterized by extensive peribronchial and perivascular infiltration of mononuclear cells, including B lymphocytes. B-lymphocyte recruitment into sites of inflammation is presently poorly understood but must involve directed chemotaxis of these cells in response to some external recruitment stimulus. In these studies, picogram amounts of M. pulmonis membrane protein were found to possess potent chemoattractant activity for resting rat B lymphocytes. This report is the first description of a bacterially derived chemoattractant for B lymphocytes and offers a unique opportunity to study regulation of B-lymphocyte recruitment to a site of chronic pulmonary inflammation. Furthermore, M. pulmonis membrane activation of fresh rat serum was found to produce a potent stimulus for recruitment of peritoneal and alveolar macrophages. M. pulmonis-mediated recruitment of lymphocytes and macrophages may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of murine respiratory mycoplasmosis, a role in which organisms on the bronchiolar epithelial surfaces may release proteins which can directly or indirectly promote chemotaxis of inflammatory cells from the circulation.

Animals

Infection-induced airway fibrosis in two rat strains with differential susceptibility.

Chronic infections play a significant role in the morbidity and mortality of patients with chronic airflow limitation. By stimulating airway inflammation, persistent infection has the potential to cause airway fibrosis. However, in patient this condition is most typically found in lungs damaged by other factors, such as smoking, abnormal secretions, or barotrauma. We report the characterization of Mycoplasma pulmonis infection-induced lung fibrosis in two immunocompetent rat strains with no preexisting lung disease. The fibrosis was predominantly in the airways, as demonstrated by the findings for infected animals of increased airway inflammation, airway fibrosis, and airway wall thickness, which correlated with the collagen content of the lungs. Also, the physiological alterations were the opposite of those found in interstitial fibrosis, with a positive correlation between lung compliance and collagen content. The airway fibrosis was noted earlier and to a greater extent in Lewis rats than in Fisher rats, and this result apparently was related to regulation of the inflammatory response. Airway wall thickness, airway inflammation, and airway fibrosis are commonly reported in tissue specimens from patients with chronic airway diseases and have been shown to correlate with airflow limitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thus, this model may be useful in furthering our understanding of the role of chronic infection and airway inflammation in airflow obstruction.

Analysis of Variance

Decreased intrapulmonary killing of Mycoplasma pulmonis after short-term exposure to NO2 is associated with damaged alveolar macrophages.

Previous studies have shown that exposure of pathogen-free C57BL/6N mice to 5 or 10 ppm NO2 increases the severity of murine respiratory mycoplasmosis and that this effect is associated with decreased intrapulmonary killing of Mycoplasma pulmonis. The purposes of the present studies were to determine the effects of doses of NO2 lower than 5 ppm on pulmonary clearance and to provide experimental links between NO2 exposure, defects in intrapulmonary killing, and alterations in alveolar macrophages. Exposure to less than 5 ppm NO2 had no effect on intrapulmonary killing of M. pulmonis. Bronchoalveolar lavage cells killed M. pulmonis in vitro only if they were allowed to associate with mycoplasmas in vivo. Prior exposure to NO2 abrogated killing in this in vivo-in vitro model. More than 95% of the BAL cells were macrophages, and more than 98% of the cell-associated mycoplasmas were on or in alveolar macrophages. Immediately after exposure, the viability of alveolar macrophages was 89 +/- 4% in the control group, 56 +/- 19% in the group receiving M. pulmonis alone, 23 +/- 7% in the group receiving 10 ppm NO2, and 16 +/- 6% in the group receiving both M. pulmonis and NO2 exposures. Viability was significantly decreased following exposure to 10 and 5 ppm NO2 but not following exposure to 2 ppm. Both viability and intrapulmonary killing were depressed at 3 days after exposure to NO2 but were normal by 7 days after exposure. The cellular target of NO2 exposure in relation to intrapulmonary killing of M. pulmonis appears to be the alveolar macrophages.

Animals