[Clinico-immunological parallels in chronic bronchitis and the role of endobronchial immunostimulation in preventing recurrences]. / Kliniko-immunologicheskie paralleli khronicheskogo bronkhita i rol' éndobronkhial'noi immunostimuliatsii v profilaktike ego retsidivov.

The authors have demonstrated high efficacy of endobronchial immunostimulation with staphylococcal anatoxin in preventing exacerbations of chronic bronchitis in industrial workers. Prognostic criteria of the screening of the patients for prophylaxis have been developed.

[Morphologic mutant of Escherichia coli K12 having disorders in morphology, division and cell wall biosynthesis]. / Morfologicheskii mutant Escherichia coli K12, imeiushchii narusheniia v morfologii, delenii i biosintez kletochnykh stenok

A study was made of the properties of a spherical mutant obtained from the E. coli K12 HfrC strain under the effect of N-nitroso-N-methyl-urea. The growth of the mutant of full value media was characterized by a marked reduction of the cell division at the rest phase, but exponential growth phase failed to differ from the growth of the parental strain. Electron microscopic study of surface structures of the mutant cells which grew under physiological conditions permitted to distinguish two types: the first type had a typical structure of the cell wall characteristic of Gram negative microbes; the second type was framed by a bicontour membrane without any distinct structure. The presence of these two types of cells was also confirmed by their different sensitivity to the ionic detergents. On the basis of chemical analysis of peptidoglycan of the cell wall (which was markedly decreased in amount in the mutant cells), and also of the unsually high accumlation of the UDP-precursors of peptidoglycan under conditions of penicillin action it is supposed that normal regulation of metabolism of the cell walls was deranged. Mutation designated by 11rA symbol was plotted by phase PI transduction alongside of strA gene.

[Ultrastructure of LLR-mutants of E. coli K12]. / Ul'trastruktura LLR-mutantov E. coli K12

The author studied the ultrastructure of two spherical E. coli K12 mutants (llr) obtained under the effect of N-nitroso-N-methylurea. Seven morphological types of cells differing from one another by shape, size and cytoarchitectonics were distinguished. Superficial structures of the majority of the cells were represented by the membranes of the cell wall and the cytoplasmic membrane of common structure. Some of the cells had only one membrane coat and a high electron optic density of the cytoplasm. Transitional forms of cells were also encountered. The ultrastructure of each morphological type in the population of the llr-mutants was described in detail. The capacity of the mutants to vacuolization, to the intra- and extracellular budding, and also the ability to form multiple membrane structures resembled analogous structures of stable L-forms of the Gram-negative microbes. The problems of morphological differentiation of the L-forms and of the llr-mutants, and also problems connected with the formation of the multiple membrane structures and small elemental bodies in the cells of the llr-mutants are discussed.

[Morphological and physiological peculiarities of spherical (11r) mutants of Escherichia coli K12]. / Morfologicheskie i fiziologicheskie osobennosti sfericheskikh mutantov (11r) Escherichia coli K12

A study was made of morphology, character and the rate of reproduction in 8 11r mutants obtained from Hfr and F--strains of E. coli K12 under the effect of N-nitroso-N-methylurea. The capacity of 11r mutants to realize several types of reproduction: transverse division, budding, asymmetrical division, and formation of granular forms was demonstrated. The rate of cell division, total DNA, RNA and protein synthesis were lower at the phase of rest and early exponential growth phase in the 11r mutants than in the parent cultures. Hyperosmotic conditions created by various stabilizers, media with increased viscosity and of different chemical composition, and also cell wall hydrolysate and their precursors failed to stimulate the 11r mutant reversion. A change of morphology, but not the reversion was seen on the media containing glycine and penicillin. Reversion was spontaneous with low frequency; it was observed in induction of inverse mutations with N-nitroso-N-methylurea.

[Biology of spheroplast- and protoplast-like types of L-forms of Escherichia coli K12 converted with penicillin]. / Biologiia sferoplasto- i protoplastopodobnykh tipov L-form Escherichia coli K12, konversirovannykh penitsillinom

A total of 21 strains of stable L-forms were obtained under the action of penicillin on various Hfr and F- strains of E. coli K12. Three morphological types of the L-forms obtained differed by the character of the cell elements, sensitivity to chemical agents, antibiotics and to T4 and T6 phages. Cell wall was revealed in one type of the L-forms, but the rest L-form types were devoid of the cell walls. Reference of the L-forms which preserved the cell wall to the spheroplastic type, and the L-forms devoid of the cell wall to the protoplastic type is suggested. A possibility of L-forms of spheroplastic type obtained from the Hfr strains to retain the sensitivity to f2 phage and to transmit their chromosomes to bacterial recipients in conjugation was demonstrated. The results obtained are discussed.

[Ultrastructure of cells comprising an intact population of several strains of S. typhimurium and E. coli]. / Osobennosti ultrastruktury kletok, sostavliaiushchikh intaktnuiu populiatsiiu nekotorykh shtammov S. typhimurium i E. coli

The authors describe the ultrastructure of cells composing the intact population of several S. typhimurium and E. coli strains. Four morphological cell variants were revealed in the population of three salmonella strains. Cells of the first variant had the structure characteristic of all the Gram negative bacteria, and smooth contour surface structures, among which the membrane of the cell wall, its rigid component and the cytoplasmic membrane were differentiated readily. The second variant differed from the first one by the presence of deep individual folds of the surface structures invaginating into the cell. In comparison with the former two types of cells, the two latter variants were characterized by a lesser size, dense cytoplasm and a marked tortuosity of the cell contours in which only the wall components could be revealed. It is supposed that the fourth variant had a structure characteristic of the R-form of cells, the first one--of the S-form, and the second and third variants could be referred to the transitional S leads to R-forms. Increased density of the cytoplasm and rugose character of the surface structures could be attributed to increased dehydration of the cytoplasm of the dissociating cells. No marked polymorphism was revealed in the E. coli cells.

[Isolation under the influence of tetracycline of L-forms of Menchikov's vibrio and the NAG vibrio and their biological properties]. / Poluchennye pod vliianiem tetratsiklina L-formy vibriona Menchikova i NAG-vibiony i ikh biologicheskie svoistva

Stable L-forms were for the first time obtained under the effect of tetracycline on the Mec thnikov vibrio and NAG vibrio. The process of conversion of the L-forms under the effect of tetracycline was the same as under the action of penicilline. Three types of the L-forms were obtained: stable tetracycline-resistant L-forms, stable tetracyclin-superresistant and tetracycline-dependent L-forms. Under the reversion of the unstable L-forms strains with a typical complex of biological properties and atypical revertants were obtained.

[Production and biological properties of L-like mutants (11r) of Escherichia coli]. / Poluchenie i biologicheskie svoistv L-podobnykh mutantov (11r) Escherichia coli]

Treatment of the strains of E. coli K12 with the mutagen N-nitroso-N-methylurea yielded mutants with the morphology similar to that of stable penicillin L-forms. Studies of the biological properties of the cultures have shown that the mutation of the gen 11r increases the susceptibility to antibiotics of various action spectra, ionic and non-ionic detergents and the resistance to UV and gamma radiation. Biochemical analysis of peptidoglycan from the cell walls of the parent bacterial cultures and L-mutants revealed no differences in its chemical composition.