- Volume 140, Issue 1, 1994

Summary: Electroporation with shuttle plasmids carrying a kanamycin resistance gene as a selectable marker failed to generate transformants in two mycobacterial species currently being used in human vaccine trials (Mycobacterium w and Mycobacterium vaccae). In contrast, efficient transformation [103-105 transformants (μg DNA)−1] was obtained using novel vectors with selection based on expression of resistance to hygromycin. The hygromycin resistance vector was also found to be more efficient than kanamycin resistance vectors for transformation of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG. The hygromycin resistance vector was used to overexpress superoxide dismutase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in M. vaccae in a form suitable for detailed structural analysis. The potential use of this approach for generation of novel recombinant mycobacterial vaccines is discussed.

Summary: Saccharopolyspora spinosa protoplasts were not transformable by several different streptomycete plasmids, and S. spinosa was not a host for plaque formation by the Saccharopolyspora bacteriophages ØSE60, ØSE45, ØSE57, ØSE60, ØSE69 or HP10. Extracts of S. spinosa contained DNA-modifying activities that blocked cleavage of plasmid DNA by Nael and Sail, and partially blocked cleavage by Ncol. Plasmid pOJ434, a derivative of the S. spinosa plasmid pSAS1, was modified in vitro by incubation with an extract of S. spinosa to circumvent restriction. Under optimal conditions, S. spinosa protoplasts were transformed to apramycin resistance by modified pOJ434 at frequencies of about 104 per μg of DNA. Transformants contained pOJ434 primarily integrated in the chromosome.

Summary: Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) detected in total DNA or in rRNA genes are widely used to differentiate strains of bacteria. The changes accounting for these polymorphisms and the extent of genomic difference that they reflect are generally unknown. In this report, several methods have been used to examine the DNA differences between nine Enterococcus faecalis isolates. Restriction fragments from total DNA and from rRNA genes were compared between isolates using four and five different restriction enzymes, respectively. The proportion of polymorphic fragments detected was greater with total DNA than with rRNA gene patterns, but depended considerably on the restriction enzyme used. DNA changes underlying nine RFLPs were investigated by using the polymorphic fragments as probes to test for alteration in the position of recognition sites of other enzymes. Two polymorphisms were deduced to result from point mutation in a restriction site. Six were judged to result from DNA rearrangements, five of which involved deletion/insertion of the entire probe fragment. The results demonstrate that DNA rearrangements may be responsible for a high proportion of RFLPs used to differentiate and type strains of bacteria. While this does not limit the utility of such methods, it does preclude calculation of overall DNA sequence conservation from similarities in restriction pattern between isolates. DNA sequence determination of the 16S–23S rRNA intergenic spacer of three isolates revealed minimal base substitutions (less than 1%), suggesting that overall sequence divergence between the isolates may be low.

Antibody-binding domains on the major subunits of Bordetella pertussis serotype 2 (Fim2) and 3 fimbriae (Fim3) have been identified using synthetic peptides which were screened for recognition by anti-protein monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The presence of non-contiguous fimbrial epitopes was demonstrated by both anti-Fim2 and anti-Fim3 mAbs, several of which recognized at least two peptides that were discontinuous in the amino acid sequence of the corresponding subunits. The specificity of one mAb, 51/24, directed against Fim2, was investigated by replacement-set analysis of a 10-residue peptide, and revealed that antibody binding to the peptide was dependent on the sequence N94PQ96 which is non-conserved in Fim3. Furthermore, proline at residue 95 was found to be essential for mAb 51/24 binding. The specific anti-Fim3 mAb, AG3A, was found to recognize the 10-residue carboxy-terminal peptide from both Fim3 and, unexpectedly, from Fim2. This result suggests that mAb AG3A serospecificity at the protein level is determined by a conformational constraint which prevents mAb AG3A binding to the Fim2 C-terminal domain. Several free peptides containing amino acid residues which comprise part of the Fim2 and Fim3 epitopic domains were prepared as immunogens. One of these peptides was immunogenic in the mouse, indicating the location of a T-helper cell epitope within the peptide sequence, and induced a strong anti-peptide antibody response. The other peptides each required immunization as a conjugate with a carrier protein for anti-peptide antibody stimulation. All four anti-peptide antibody preparations only weakly recognized fimbriae-coated ELISA plates. The results of this investigation demonstrate that although short linear peptides can mimic sub-domains of non-contiguous fimbrial epitopes, they are, however, poor candidate antigens for stimulating an anti-fimbrial antibody response.