[Detection of coronavirus in experimental pneumocystic pneumonia].

Transmission electron microscopy (of ultrathin sections) was used to examine the biomass of lung tissue in the immunodeficiency minipigs experimentally infected with Pneumocystis carinii. The material was found to contain pneumocysts, bacteria, and coronaviruses. There was a clear coronavirus-pneumocyst structural relationship. The findings suggest the combined effect of microorganisms of different systematic groups on the development of a pathological process in the experimental infection etiologically determined by Pneumocystis carinii.

[Detection of markers of the human T-cell leukemia virus in patients with T-cell lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma]. / Obnaruzhenie markerov virusa T-kletochnogo leikoza cheloveka u bol'nykh T-kletochnoi limfomoi i sarkomoi kaposhi.

Nine patients with Kaposi's sarcoma and five suffering from T-cell lymphoma have been examined. Antibodies to HTLV-1 were not found in these patients. The primary cellular cultures were isolated from blood and lymph nodes of the patients. Viral particles (type C) were found in the culture obtained from the patient with lymphoma of T-cell origin. DNAs from the primary cellular cultures from patients with lymphoma or sarcoma contained the sequences homologous to gag-gene of HTLV-1. The data suppose the patients with T-cell lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma to carry HTLV-1 virus.

[The morphological characteristics of the chondriome of human lymphoblastoid cells producing the human immunodeficiency virus]. / Morfologicheskaia kharakteristika khondrioma limfoblastoidnykh kletok cheloveka, produtsiruiushchikh virus immunodefitsita cheloveka.

The mitochondrial complex condition of continuous CEMT4 cell line infected by the human immunodeficiency virus has been investigated. The mitochondrial morphology of these and of intact cells was similar in great extent, though several changes were observed. For example, mitochondrial profiles with multiple dichotomous branches and anastomosis cristae were noted in the former. These changes resulted in the augmentation of the inner membrane square of mitochondrion. The formation of mitochondrial clusters connected with special junctions was a very characteristic part of the infected cell. Contacts were seen to be formed between the outer membranes neighboring profiles. These contacts look as X-like little bridges, or net-like or plate-like structures. The mutual transition of all these structures was observed using goniometer adapter. As has been shown by the three-dimensional reconstruction of mitochondrial junction zones, this area is presented by a single mitochondrion being structurally very complicated and very large in size compared to the neighbouring ones.

[Electron microscopic study of the usual and "minimal forms" of oncornaviruses in human embryonic lung cells cataminated with mouse cells]. / Elektronno-mikroskpoicheskoe issledovanie obychnykh i "minimal'nykh form" onkornavirusov kletok KLChKM.

Electron microscopic examinations of KLChKM (human embryo cells spontaneously contaminated with mouse cells) cell cultures revealed extracellular oncornaviruses of A and C types and intracisternal virions of A type which in their submicroscopical organization and morphogenesis were identical to oncornaviruses of mouse L cells. Also "minimal forms" (MiF) of oncornaviruses of A and C types the diameter of which was 30--70 nm were found. MiF of oncornaviruses were found to be formed in the process of budding through the cytoplasmic membrane or membranes of intracellular vacuoles.

[Use of immune electron microscopy for detecting the hepatitis A virus]. / Primenenie immunnoi élektronnoi mikroskopii dlia vyiavleniia virusa gepatita A.

Attempts were made to isolate and identify hepatitis A virus by the method of immune electron microscopy using also biophysical methods and the transfection procedure of cell cultures by nucleic acid preparations. In fecal specimens from patients with infectious hepatitis A, virus-like particles 25-30 nm in diameter were found which reacted with convalescent antisera and could be detected by the immune electron microscopy method. By the same method virus-like particles 22-25 nm in diameter were detected in the blood serum of the patients collected early in the disease. A method for their purification and concentration in cesium chloride density gradients has been developed. Attempts at transfection of the cell cultures with preparations of nucleic acids failed. In the course of the study, however, data were obtained which would subsequently facilitate isolation of the causative agent of hepatitis A.

[Biochemical and physiocochemical characteristics of a type C virus isolated from spontaneous lymphosarcoma of CC57Br strain mice]. / Biokhimicheskie i fiziko-khimicheskie kharakteristiki virusa tipa C, vydelennogo iz spontannoi limfosarkomy myshei linii CC57Br

The properties of murine oncornavirus produced by cells of spontaneous lymphosarcroma of CC57Br mice are described. In addition to the properties common for C-type RNA tumor viruses such as 60-70 S high molecular weight RNA, the presence of RNA-directed DNA polymerase and murine gs I (intraspecies) antigen and typical morphology in electron microscope, etc., the virus under study is characterized by instability of virions, unusual features of the DNA polymerase system and by the absence of demonstrable oncogenicity either in laboratory animals or in tissue cultures.

[Properties of influenza virus strains causing the influenza epidemic in Moscow in 1972-3]. / Svoistva Shtammov virusa grippa, obuslovivshikh épidemiiu grippa v Moskve v 1972-1973 ig

The antigenic and some biological properties of influenza virus strains isolated during 1972-1973 epidemic were studied. Altogether 114 strains were isolated from sick infants of the first months of life beginning from neonatality. The strains under study were found to have high adaptation and elution activity, to be highly sensitive to inhibitors and to produce polymorphous allantoic population in the adaptation period. The hemagglutinating and neuraminidase components were shown to be fairly closely related to those of the membrane of the reference A2/Hong Kong/1/68 strain (H3N2). At the same time, a low neutralizing activity of the antisera for this strain against Moscow strains of 1972-1973 in biological neutralization tests in chick embryos was observed, explaining very high susceptibility of the population to influenza type A infection in the winter of 1972-1973. The strains under study were antigenically homogenous and most closely related to the reference A2/England/42/72 (H3N2) strain.

[Influence of mycoplasma on the production of the oncogenic leukemia virus HTLV by HUT-102 T-lymphoblastoid cells]. / Vliianie mikoplazmy na produktsiiu onkogennogo leikoznogo virusa HTLV T-limfoblastoidnymi kletkami HUT-102.

A suspension culture of human T-lymphoblasts HUT-102 producing type C oncovirus (HTLV) was examined electron microscopically. Control decontaminated HUT-102 cells spontaneously contaminated with M. orale and exogenously infected with M. pneumoniae were examined in ultrathin sections. The variation statistics method demonstrated that in the mycoplasma-infected cells the number of HTLV virions was significantly higher than in control cultures. It is assumed that the increased production of HTLV is due to mycoplasma-induced changes of physico-chemical properties of the cell membrane which facilitate virion budding.

[Detection of an agent similar to rotavirus in infantile gastroenteritis]. / Obnaruzhenie agenta, skhodnogo s rotavirusom, pri detskom gastroénterite.

The etiology of nonbacterial enterovirus infections in children was studied in autumn and winter under conditions of focal outbreaks in Moscow hospitals. Electron microscopy revealed a reovirus-like agent in concentrated suspensions of feces collected in the acute period of the disease from children suffering from diarrhea. Examinations of paired sera from the patients by the CF test with the antigen of Nebraska calf disease virus established significant rises in antibody titers in 68.3% of cases. The results permit a conclusion that in this country a virus of acute gastroenteritis of children (viral gastroenteritis A) is circulating, causing outbreaks of the disease. The virus belongs to the genus Rotavirus of the Reoviridae family.

[Unfragmented nucleocapsid of influenza virus in infected cells]. / Nefragmentirovannyi nukleokapsid virusa grippa v zarazhennykh kletkakh

In the cytoplasms of chick embryo fibroblast and Ehrlich ascitic carcinoma cells infected with influenza virus (fowl plague virus), in addition to fragmented virus nucleocapsid larger nucleocapsid structures were found which sedimented in the region of 90 -120S. The structures were detected upon short 3H-uridine label of the cells. Their buoyant density in cesium chloride was higher than that of the fragmented nucleocapsid (1.34 -1.39 g/cm3). In electron microscope, the structures were visualized as thin nonhelical filaments 3.5 nm in diameter, their morphology being no different from that of a similar rapidly sedimenting structure isolated from the nucleoplasms of the same cells. To determine the possibility of transfer of the rapidly sedimenting structure from the nucleus into the cytoplasm, a cell-free system was used containing nuclei from influenza virus-infected cells labeled with 3H-uridine for 5 min, as well as the cytoplasm from uninfected and unlabeled cells. The presence of a labeled rapidly sedimenting structure in the cytoplasm of the cell-free system suggests that the structure is synthesized in the nucleus and then transported into the cytoplasm. The relation of this structure to the fragmented nucleocapsid is unknown. It may be assumed to be its intracellular precursor.

[Comparative study of antigens specific for hepatitis B in transfected cell cultures]. / Sravnitel'noe izuchenie antigenov, spetsifichnykh dlia gepatita tipa B, v transfitsirovannykh kletochnykh kul'turakh

A comparative study of antigens detected in the livers of patients with hepatitis B. in the mesonephros of the human tissue--chick embryo system infected with the agents isolated from the blood of hepatitis patients, as well as antigens detectable in cell cultures transfected by the DNA isolated from these tissues was carried out. The results are in favour of the hypothesis on the integrational nature of serum hepatitis.

[Isolation and study of biophysical properties of oncornaviruses type A and C minimal forms]. / Vydelenie i izuchenie biofizicheskikh svoistv minimal'nykh form onkornavirusov tipa A i C

The method of differential centrifugation was used for concentration and purification of the minimal form of oncornaviruses type A and C. The structures showed heterogeneous distribution in sucrose density gradient and formed a peak in the zone of 1.135 g/ml. Electron microscope examinations of negatively stained preparations showed that the size of the minimal forms of oncornaviruses type A and C was 25-60 nm, the diameter of nucleoids 10-30 nm.

[Increase in the production of oncovirus type C by an L929 cell culture as a result of BCG infection]. / Uvelichenie produktsii onkovirusa tipa C keltochnoi kul'turoi L929 v rezul'tate ee infitsiroavniia BTsZh.

The effect of BCG infection of L929 cells on replication of oncovirus type C was studied. Ultrathin sections of the BCG-infected culture were examined electron microscopically 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10 days postinfection. Most microorganisms with the morphology typical of mycobacteria were found inside phagosomes. The number of extracellular virions as well as budding and abnormal forms per one cell contour was counted. BCG-infected cells were found to produce significantly more virus than the controls. The difference was maximal 3 days postinoculation. Possible reasons for the increased oncovirus production by continuous cell lines after infection with BCG are discussed.

[The molecular bases of the pathogenesis of AIDS]. / Molekuliarnye osnovy patogeneza SPID.

The comparative study of the amino acid sequence of gp120 in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) strains HTLV-III and ARV-2 and the amino end areas of the growth hormone receptors of human skin and the insulin receptors has been carried out, thus making it possible to predict the existence of two compact domains connected with an area of a peptide chain. This area is incapable of the formation of a compact globular structure due to a high content of the remnants of proline. The data obtained as the result of electron microscopic study in combination with image processing have confirmed the predicted three-dimensional structure of gp120. This study has also shown that the amino acid sequence of some regions in the domains of gp120 has a significant degree of homology with similarly located regions of the growth hormone and insulin receptors; in its turn, this amino acid sequence is homologous to the framework regions of the VH domain of immunoglobulin. Antibodies to this VH domain specifically react with recombinant HTLV-III antigen. On the basis of the data obtained in our experiments and from the analysis clinico-immunological information, we have come to the conclusion that AIDS is an autoimmune disease induced by HIV due to the structural homology of gp120 with highly important receptors of human cells.

[The effect of interferon preparations on the ultrastructural organization of Legionella pneumophila]. / Vliianie preparatov interferona na ul'trastrukturnuiu organizatsiiu Legionella pneumophila.

The influence of the preparations of interferon on morphological changes in L. pneumophila on the ultrastructural level has been studied. Disturbances in the ultrastructure of L. pneumophila result from the direct bactericidal action of interferons without any interference of immune mechanisms. These disturbances are manifested by damages in the cell wall, plasma membrane, nuclear and ribosomal apparatuses of microbial cells. Leukinferon exhibits pronounced anti-Legionella activity, both in vitro in a liquid culture medium and in ovo, than reaferon.