Bacteria cellular components

T-Lymphocytes (4,5) and other cellular components of the immune system also have equally wide implications in regulation of the normal immune system. The T-lymphocytes play a central role in the body s response to harmful antigens and tumor—host interaction (4). Responses involve antigens derived from vimses, bacteria, parasites, and tumors. T-ceUs also participate in the immune surveillance response, where self-antigens are recognized, but usually sequestered within the cell and, when exposed, become markers of cellular damage. 

C. trachomatis possesses characteristics resembling both bacteria and viruses. Its major membrane is comparable to that of gram-negative bacteria, although it lacks a peptidoglycan cell wall and requires cellular components from the host for replication. Chlamydia transmission risk is thought to be less than that of gonorrhea. 

The focus of this chapter is the development of a technique often called wholecell matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) or whole-cell MALDI-TOF MS. Some groups prefer to use terms such as intact or unprocessed rather than whole, but the intended meaning is the same regardless of which word is used. As noted in the first chapter of this book, there are many different methods for the analysis of bacteria. However, for the analysis of intact or unprocessed bacteria, whole-cell MALDI-TOF MS is the most commonly used approach. This method is very rapid. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of whole cells takes only minutes because the samples can be analyzed directly after collection from a bacterial culture suspension. Direct MALDI MS analysis of fungi or viruses is similar in approach1,2 but is not covered in this chapter. MALDI-TOF MS of whole cells was developed with very rapid identification or differentiation of bacteria in mind. The name (whole cell) should not be taken to imply that the cells are literally intact or whole. Rather, it should be taken to mean that the cells that have not been treated or processed in any way specifically for the removal or isolation of any cellular components from any others. In whole-cell analysis the cells have been manipulated only as necessary to... 

Whole cell biosensors are those devices that incorporate biological cells rather than cellular components such as enzymes, membrane fragments or spheroplasts. The biological material may be in the form of tissue slices or organelles [7-9] but the emphasis of this work is on the use of isolated cell cultures (bacteria, micoalgae, microfungi, invertebrate or mammalian cell cultures, etc.) or the use of consortia of cell populations (e.g., activated sludge). The number and variety of natural cell types is truly enor-... 

Cytoplasm - The cytoplasm, or protoplasm, of bacterial cells is where the functions for cell growth, metabolism, and replication are carried out. It is a gellike matrix composed of water, enzymes, nutrients, wastes, and gases and contains cell structures such as ribosomes, a chromosome, and plasmids. The cell envelope encases the cytoplasm and all its components. Unlike the eukaryotic (true) cells, bacteria do not have a membrane enclosed nucleus. The chromosome, a single, continuous strand of DNA, is localized, but not contained, in a region of the cell called the nucleoid. All the other cellular components are scattered throughout the cytoplasm. 

Production of the bacteria and the cellular components of bacterial vaccines... 

The treated toxins are sometimes referred to as formol toxoids. Toxoid vaccines are very effective in the prevention of those diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, botulism and clostridial infections of farm animals, in which the infecting bacteria produce disease through the toxic effects of secreted proteins which enzymically modify essential cellular components. Many of the clostridial toxins are lytic enzymes. Detoxification is also required for the pertussis toxin component of acellular pertussis vaccines. 

After death, cells self-destruct (the process of autolysis) under the influence of hydrolytic enzymes, which, in life, aided the recycling of cellular components. This process makes proteins and other components more readily available to the decomposers. Bacteria and fungi preferentially remove the more labile components from detritus and the residue becomes increasingly refract-ory. Much of the soluble product of the microbial breakdown of organic matter diffuses upward within pore waters to the sediment—water interface and is returned to the water column. Bacteria are important in all environments, but fungi are relatively... 

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