Article Abstract:
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired respiratory tract infections. Hamster tracheal segments were studied under isometric conditions in vitro, to establish whether M pneumoniae infection alters the contractile responses to tachykinins and bradykinin, and whether the effect is linked to changes in endogenous NEP activity. NEP activity in the tracheal epithelium was found to decrease in infected animals, indicating the M. pneumoniae infection leads to airway bronchoconstrictor hyper-responsiveness to neurokinin A and bradykinin.
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Article Abstract:
Sequence analysis of I-141 DNA fragment of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae shows 2 ORFs with sequence similarities to ABC transporter genes. The 2 proteins encoded by the 2 ORFs, PR1 and PR2, are highly similar to the mouse multidrug resistance protein MDR3. I-141 is found downstream of the 23S rRNA encoding gene. All field strains, except for those derived from strain J, possess the two ABC transporter genes. Further research may focus on the absence of PR1 and PR2 and the lack of virulence as strain J is unable to cause pneumonia in pigs.
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Article Abstract:
Mycoplasma capricolum and Mycoplasma pneumoniae were isolated and purified to understand the thioredoxin reductase system (NTS) in mycoplasmas. Results reveal that NTS activity on these mycoplasmas had an optimal ph of 6.5-7.5 and was dependent on NADPH as an electron donor. Furthermore, their cysteine dithiol active regions have isoleucine rather than threonine. Results also suggest that mycoplasmas may have evolved the NTS to protect themselves from the consequences of their self-generated oxidative challenge.
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