227 



- 1 9 5 - 



material from 5000 cc . S. t yphi cultures and l6 to 200 mg. from 

 S, paratyphi cultures. Both Mollsch and Fehllng tests were 

 positive. Both preparations fluoresced blue. Fifty gammas per 

 kg. of S. typhi pyrogen and 75 gammas of the paratyphi prepara- 

 tion produced febrile reactions In rabbits. 



The fluorescence of pyrogens In ultraviolet light was applied to 

 a method for detecting these substances In solution. Solutions 

 of dextrose, fructose. Invert sugar, CaClgj 10^ sodium citrate, 

 Salso-brocanon solution and Glynogen, were subjected to U.V. 

 light. Three per -cent of the tubes exhibited fluorescing phen- 

 omena; only eight of twenty such tubes were pyrexia -producing 

 for the rabbit. When compared with negative solutions, only 

 4^ of the latter produced fever. The pyrogen zone appears to be 

 around 2650 and absorption spectra at this wave length remain 

 consistent. 



649. HEIDELBERGER, M., MACLEOD, CM., MARKOWITZ, H. and ROE, A. S. 



Improved methods for the preparation of the specific polysac- 

 charides of pneuraococcus 



Neutralization of acidity in developing bacterial cultures should 

 be avoided if one wishes to Isolate certain cell constituents 

 in their native states. The specific polysaccharides of Type 

 I and V pneumococcus may be damaged by alkaline environmental 

 conditions and on precipitation yield smaller amounts of anti- 

 body-carrying materials. Degradative processes may also be 

 Initiated by bicarbonate disodium phosphate. 



650. HEILBRUNN, L. V., and WILSON, W. L. 



Effect of bacterial polysaccharide on cell division 

 Science, 112:56-57, 1950 



Recent experiments with a polysaccharide extracted from S. marces - 

 cens (Shear's polysaccharide) would tend to prove that it exerts 

 a heparin-like action on cell division. Both polysaccharides 

 have similar inhibiting Influences upon fertilization, although 

 such inhibition may be overcome by additions of sperm in excess 

 amounts. Both act to prevent mitotic gelation which may be pre- 

 liminary to cell division. The bacterial polysaccharide also 

 resembles heparin in preventing coagulation of human blood but 

 high concentrations are necessary. Its potency is about 1/300 

 that of heparin. 



In one experiment outlined, Chaetopterus eggs were immersed in 

 dilute solutions of bacterial polysaccharide (0.058^-0.125^) 

 before and after fertilization. The polysaccharide enters egg 

 cells more rapidly than heparin. A solution of Shear's P-25, 



