Lysis

About: Lysis is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 6072 publications have been published within this topic receiving 216978 citations.

Comparison of Six DNA Extraction Methods for Recovery of Fungal DNA as Assessed by Quantitative PCR

Abstract: The detection of fungal pathogens in clinical samples by PCR requires the use of extraction methods that efficiently lyse fungal cells and recover DNA suitable for amplification. We used quantitative PCR assays to measure the recovery of DNA from two important fungal pathogens subjected to six DNA extraction methods. Aspergillus fumigatus conidia or Candida albicans yeast cells were added to bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and subjected to DNA extraction in order to assess the recovery of DNA from a defined number of fungal propagules. In order to simulate hyphal growth in tissue, Aspergillus fumigatus conidia were allowed to form mycelia in tissue culture media and then harvested for DNA extraction. Differences among the DNA yields from the six extraction methods were highly significant (P<0.0001) in each of the three experimental systems. An extraction method based on enzymatic lysis of fungal cell walls (yeast cell lysis plus the use of GNOME kits) produced high levels of fungal DNA with Candida albicans but low levels of fungal DNA with Aspergillus fumigatus conidia or hyphae. Extraction methods employing mechanical agitation with beads produced the highest yields with Aspergillus hyphae. The Master Pure yeast method produced high levels of DNA from C. albicans but only moderate yields from A. fumigatus. A reagent from one extraction method was contaminated with fungal DNA, including DNA from Aspergillus and Candida species. In conclusion, the six extraction methods produce markedly differing yields of fungal DNA and thus can significantly affect the results of fungal PCR assays. No single extraction method was optimal for all organisms.

Induction of degranulation and lysis of haemocytes in the freshwater crayfish, Astacus astacus by components of the prophenoloxidase activating system in vitro.

Abstract: To study the role of the prophenoloxidase activating system, an enzyme cascade located in the haemocytes of crustaceans, in the cellular defences of the freshwater crayfish, Astacus astacus in vitro, monolayer cultures of mixed or separated haemocyte populations, isolated by density gradient centrifugation, were challenged with the bacterium, Moraxella sp. pre-coated with phenoloxidase and the other attaching proteins in crayfish haemocyte lysate (HLS), or in the case of controls, with saline or Moraxella sp. pre-incubated in saline alone. Examination of the coverslips 1 h after inoculation revealed that, in the mixed haemocyte cultures, most of the cells had undergone profound degranulation and lysis following exposure to the HLS-coated bacteria. Cell lysis was also evident in the experimental semigranular cell monolayers, but not in the controls, although in those controls treated with the saline-incubated bacteria, the semigranular haemocytes had undergone degranulation without lysis. In contrast, the granular cells appeared to be unaffected by the saline-incubated Moraxella sp., and with the HLS-coated bacteria displayed only marked degranulation. Greater numbers of bacteria were always associated with the cells or cell remnants in the experimental cultures compared to the controls. We suggest that the attaching proteins of the prophenoloxidase cascade are strong nonself signals for the haemocytes, causing them to degranulate and release previously cell-bound recognition factors into the haemolymph, where they are free to trigger activation of adjacent haemocytes.

Differential damage in bacterial cells by microwave radiation on the basis of cell wall structure.

Abstract: Microwave radiation in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis cell suspensions resulted in a dramatic reduction of the viable counts as well as increases in the amounts of DNA and protein released from the cells according to the increase of the final temperature of the cell suspensions. However, no significant reduction of cell density was observed in either cell suspension. It is believed that this is due to the fact that most of the bacterial cells inactivated by microwave radiation remained unlysed. Scanning electron microscopy of the microwave-heated cells revealed severe damage on the surface of most E. coli cells, yet there was no significant change observed in the B. subtilis cells. Microwave-injured E. coli cells were easily lysed in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), yet B. subtilis cells were resistant to SDS.