Fluorescent enzyme immunoassay for rapid screening of Salmonella in foods: collaborative study

A collaborative study was performed in 13 laboratories to validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) procedure for rapid detection of Salmonella in foods. The EIA was compared with the standard culture procedure for detection of Salmonella in 6 food types: ground black pepper, soy flour, dried whole eggs, milk chocolate, nonfat dry milk, and raw deboned turkey. Uninoculated and inoculated samples were included in each food group analyzed. There was no significant difference in the proportion of samples positive by the EIA and culture procedures at the 5% level for any of the 6 foods. The enzyme immunoassay screening method has been adopted official first action as a rapid screening method for detection of Salmonella.     

Evaluation of enrichment and plating media for isolating Listeria monocytogenes

We compared selective enrichment broths used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service, for their efficiency in the quantitative recovery of Listeria monocytogenes from a naturally contaminated Brie cheese that was obtained as part of an epidemic investigation. Quantitative recovery of Listeria in FDA broth (greater than 2.4 x 10(5) colony forming units/mL) was significantly better than recovery in USDA broth (9.3 x 10(3) colony forming units/mL). When USDA broth was supplemented with D-glucose and Phytone (papaic digest of soy protein), its recovery efficiency improved but did not equal that of FDA broth for isolating L. monocytogenes from Brie cheese. A comparison of 4 selective plating media [modified McBride's agar, gum base nalidixic acid agar, lithium chloride-phenylethanol-moxalactam agar (LPM), and acriflavine-ceftazidime agar (AC)] showed that 3 L. monocytogenes strains belonging to serotype 1/2a were partially or completely inhibited on LPM and AC agars. One strain of serotype 1/2a formed microcolonies on modified McBride's agar after 48 h of incubation.     

Mutations: Incidence in Drosophila melanogaster Reared on Irradiated Medium

An increase in the rate of mutation has been found in Drosophila melanogaster reared on a basic medium that was irradiated with a sterilizing dose (150,000 rads) of cobalt-60 gamma rays. In Muller-5 tests, sex-linked recessive lethals occurred only in the F(2) progenies of the male test flies obtained from breeding the parent flies on irradiated medium, while visible changes occurred in experimental cultures from both the control and irradiated media. The frequency of sex-linked recessive lethals was 0.35, 0.55, and 0.8 percent in three independent experiments. Visible changes were two to six times more frequent in the irradiated series than in the controls.     

Frequency of Mutations Induced by Radiations in Hexaploid Species of Triticum

The frequency of visible mutations induced by x-rays, phosphorus-32, and sulfur-35 was calculated in six hexaploid Triticum species. The species with spelted ears and winter habit showed a much lower mutation rate than the freethreshing, spring wheats.     

Thymine dimerization in DNA is an ultrafast photoreaction

Femtosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopy was used to study the formation of cyclobutane dimers in the all-thymine oligodeoxynucleotide (dT)18 by ultraviolet light at 272 nanometers. The appearance of marker bands in the time-resolved spectra indicates that the dimers are fully formed approximately 1 picosecond after ultraviolet excitation. The ultrafast appearance of this mutagenic photolesion points to an excited-state reaction that is approximately barrierless for bases that are properly oriented at the instant of light absorption. The low quantum yield of this photoreaction is proposed to result from infrequent conformational states in the unexcited polymer, revealing a strong link between conformation before light absorption and photodamage.     

An analysis of genes for resistance against Indian stem rust races in two bread wheat cultivars

Summary The genetic constitution of two bread wheat accessions from the International Spring Wheat Rust Nurseries (E 5883 and E 6032) has been studied for reaction to four Indian races of stem rust. Analysis of E 5883 has revealed that for each of the races 15C, 21 and 40 a single dominant gene operates for resistance. The dominant gene against race 15C was identified as Sr6. The dominant genes for resistance against races 21 and 40 were found to be different from the genes described so far. Resistance against race 122 is controlled by a single recessive gene producing characteristically a 2 type of reaction. This gene was identified as Sr8.The resistance of E 6032 against each of the races 15C, 21 and 40 is controlled by two genes, one dominant and one recessive, which act independently. Dominant genes effective against 15C, 21 and 40 were conclusively identified as Sr6, Sr5 and Sr9b, respectively. From the correlated behaviour against races 15C and 40 as well as from the phenotypes of the resistance reactions rhe same recessive gene, undescribed so far, operates against the two races. The second recessive gene operating against race 21 was also observed to be different from those so far designated. E 6032 was, however, found to be susceptible to races 122.The presence of Sr6 both in E 5883 and E 6032 against race 15C was further confirmed through F₂ and F₃ segregation data.     

Development,characterization, conservation and storage of fish cell lines: a review

Cell lines provide an important biological tool for carrying out investigations into physiology, virology, toxicology, carcinogenesis and transgenics. Teleost fish cell lines have been developed from a broad range of tissues such as ovary, fin, swim bladder, heart, spleen, liver, eye muscle, vertebrae, brain, skin. One hundred and twenty-four new fish cell lines from different fish species ranging from grouper to eel have been reported since the last review by Fryer and Lannan (J Tissue Culture Methods 16: 87–94, 1994). Among the cell lines listed, more than 60% were established from species from Asia, which contributes more than 80% of total fish production. This includes 59 cell lines from 19 freshwater, 54 from 22 marine and 11 from 3 brackish water fishes. Presently, about 283 cell lines have been established from finfish around the world. In addition to the listing and a scientific update on new cell lines, the importance of authentication, applications, cross-contamination and implications of overpassaged cell lines has also been discussed in this comprehensive review. The authors feel that the review will serve an updated database for beginners and established researchers in the field of fish cell line research and development.