Diagnostic potentials of the activities of lectins with whole cells of three bacterial diarrheagenic agents: Aeromonas, Plesiomonas, Campylobacter.

The reactiviteisofstrains ofPlesionmona shigeloides, Campylobater jejuni, Campylobacter coli and Aeromonas species with some lectins namely Soyabean agglutinin (SBA), Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA), Peanut agllutinin (PNA), Cancanavalin-A (Con-A), Lima bean agglutinin (LMA) and Abrin were investigated using the microtitre plate method. The results obtained show that all stains of A. hydrophila, A. caviae, A. Sobria and P. shigelloides reacted very strongly with PNA and SBA. All strains of C. jejuni studied failed to react with SBA but reacted with PNA Whereas C. coli did not show any reaction towards PNA but reacted very strongly with SBA. All strains of the different organisms were strongly agglutinated by RCA and LMA except A. Hydrophilia and A. sobria which did not react with RCA and LMA respectively. C. jejuni was not agglutinated by Con-A unlike C. coli. Only C. jejuni, C. coli and P. shigelloides reacted with abrin. This study suggests that the reactivities of lectins with the diarrheogenic bacteria studied may be used for their presumptive identifications and for epidemiological purposes.

A comparative study of the glycosylated plasma proteins in diabetic Nigerians.

The levels of glycosylated plasma proteins and haemoglobin in some Nigerian diabetic patients in Lagos metropolis have been investigated by the thiobarbaturic acid (TBA) assay technique. The mean values of the glycosylated plasma proteins: 40.8 +/- 5.89 umol/L fructose equivalent and glycosylated haemoglobin, 105.0 +/- 20.81 umol/L fructose equivalent were approximately twice that found in the controls, 23.5 +/- 3.00 and 64.7 +/- 5.87 umol/L fructose equivalent respectively. The glycosylated haemoglobin values were considerably higher in both diabetics and control than the corresponding glycosylated plasma proteins. Glycosylated plasma proteins had a high positive correlation with both plasma glucose level and glycosylated haemoglobin. These findings suggest that determination of glycosylated plasma proteins (GPP) could be employed to assess diabetic control given the shorter half-life of the plasma proteins. The GPP values are probably good indicators of integrated short-term glycaemia.

Isolation and characterisation of myoglobin from the fresh water tortoise, Trionyx niloticus.

Myoglobin was isolated from the skeletal muscle of the water tortoise, Trionyx niloticus. The myoglobin is monomeric with an apparent molecular weight of 18,000 daltons as determined on Sephadex G-75 (with a non-denaturing eluant) and 18,547 from the amino acid composition. Spectrophotometric characteristics for a variety of ferrous and ferric derivatives have been determined.

Histochemical distribution of certain biochemical constituents in the albumin glands of snails.

The presence in situ of the biochemical constituents galactans, proteinase-inhibitors, and erythro-agglutinin anti-A in snail's albumin gland tissues has been demonstrated by histochemical techniques using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated counterparts; namely, anti-galactan-specific lectins, different proteinases, and blood group A substance. Invariably, these constituents are localized as globular structures, predominantly within the lobules of the gland tissue. There is a good correlation between the histochemical findings and the previously reported biochemical and serological findings for these substances.

A novel extracellular proteinase from Bacillus pumilus.

Bacillus pumilus NCTC AII6/73 produces a novel extracellular alkaline proteinase whose optimum is pH 9.5. The purified product from ion-exchange chromatography (DEAE-cellulose) was resolved into two bands by polyacrylamide-sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gel electrophoresis. These had approximate molecular weights of 15.6 x 10(3) daltons, respectively, and a high content of glycine and proline, comprising roughly 50% of the total amino residues.