Locust cellular defense against infections: sites of pathogen clearance and hemocyte proliferation.

The locust cellular defense is mediated by hemocytes and hematopoietic tissue. In Locusta migratoria, the hemocytes and hematopoietic tissue mutually assist each other in clearing invading pathogens from circulation. A ß-1, 3-glucan infection induces nodule formation and apoptotic, TUNEL positive, cells in the hematopoietic tissue and massive loss of hemocytes in the circulation, calling for instant proliferation of hemocytes and hematopoietic tissue cells to assure continued host cellular defense. As the locust hematopoietic tissue persists at the adult stage, it was originally designated as being the major source for the replenishment process. Revisiting post infection hemocyte proliferation, using immunofluorescence based tests for DNA synthesis and mitosis, evidenced the lack of ß-1, 3-glucan induced cell proliferation in the hematopoietic tissue. Instead these tests identified the circulating hemocytes as the major source for hemocyte replenishment in the circulation. The hematopoietic tissue, however, undergoes a continuous, slow and infection independent regeneration, thereby accumulating potential phagocytes despite infection, and might serve a prophylactic role in containing pathogens in this swarming insect.

A separation of staphylococci and micrococci based on serological reactivity with antiserum specific for polyglycerophosphate.

A serological reaction with the antiserum against heterophile polyglycerophosphate (PGP) was evaluated for genus level differentiation among strains of Staphylococcus and Micrococcus-Sarcina spp.. Hot saline extracts from whole cells of Staphylococcus spp. strongly reacted with the PGP antiserum, whereas those of Micrococcus-Sarcina spp. did not. Likewise, phenol-water extracts from whole cells of Micrococcus-Sarcina spp. were not reactive with the PGP antiserum, although the extracts of staphylococcal cells again gave a strong reaction with the antiserum. This study indicates that extracts from Micrococcus-Sarcina spp. have no antigen reactive with the PGP antiserum and can thus be differentiated from extracts of Staphylococcus spp. which react strongly with the PGP antiserum.

Enumeration and identification of human leukemic lymphocytes by their natural binding of bacteria.

The recently described property of bacteria to bind to human lymphocytes was used to distinguish between normal and chronic leukemic lymphocyte (CLL) populations. Strains of the following bacteria were used in this study: Arizona hinshawii, Escherichia coli strains 1 and 2, Bacillus globigii, Brucella melitensis, Corynebacterium diphtheriae strains 1 and 2, Corynebacterium xerosis, Sarcina lutea, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. For identification of immunoglobulin-bearing lymphocytes, a strain of E. coli that did not bind to human lymphocytes was coated with anti-human light-chain antibody. Labeling of lymphocytes with bacteria was promoted by centrifugation. In the eight CLL patients studied, in which greater than 90% of the lymphocytes were leukemic cells, 52 to 77% were labeled by anti-human light-chain antibody-E. coli, 80 to 93% were labeled by Br. melitensis, and 78 to 95% were labeled by E. coli 1 compared to 11 to 24, 11 to 22, and 30 to 44%, respectively, in normal individuals, Thus, Br. melitensis, E. coli 1, and the anti-human light-chain antibody-E. coli may have diagnostic value for CLL. The percentage of the lymphocyte population that bound each of the other bacteria varied from patient to patient. Preliminary results obtained by studying the pattern of binding of E. coli 2, B. globigii, Sa. lutea, or S. aureus by leukemic lymphocytes suggest that categories of CLL patients may be distinguished by this method.

[Studies on the specificity of an antiserum against denaturated DNA from Sarcina maxima]. / Untersuchungen zur Spezifität eines Antiserums gegen denaturierte DNS aus Sarcina maxima

An antiserum against denatured DNA from Sarcina maxima (71% (A + T)) reacted in complement fixation tests with denatured DNA's of various sources. The serological activity of the antibodies is in correlation with the (adenine + thymine)-content of the DNA's used as antigens. Haptene inhibition tests demonstrate a preferable reaction of the antibodies with T2-sequences. The heterogeneity of DNA-antisera and the increasing specificity of such antisera, if DNA with high (A + T) or (G + C)-content served as immunogen, are discussed.