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Meetings and Reviews
Code Number: AC90005
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Graphics: No associated graphics filesINTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE ON SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of the Actinomycetales Minutes of the Meeting, 25th May 1988, Tokyo, Japan S.T.WILLIAMS Department of Botany, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, U'K Minute 1. Call to order. The closed meeting was called to order by Chairman R. Locci at 11.45 a.m. on 25th May 1988. Minute 2. Record of attendance. The members present were T.Arai, T.Cross, R.M.Kroppenstedt, D.P. Labeda, A.J. McCarthy, T.Okami, K.P.Schaal and S.T.Williams. Minute 3. Apologies for absence. Apologies for absence were received from G. Alderson and H. Prauser. Minute 4. Minutes of previous meeting. The minutes of the meeting held in Manchester, England, in September 1986, were approved. Minute 5. Election of officers. The Chairman (R. Locci) and the Secretary (S.T.Williams) offered their resignations which were accepted. D.P.Labeda was elected Chairman and A.J. McCarthy was elected Secretary. Minute 6. Current membership. There were no changes from those agreed at the last meeting. Minute 7. Minimal standards for description of new taxa. As agreed at the last meeting, Volumes 2 and 4 of Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology would serve as a basis. The publication of Volume 4 was awaited. Minute 8. Future activities. These will be reviewed before the next meeting. The need to increase participation of subcommittee members was emphasised. Minute 9. Next meeting. The next meeting of the subcommittee will be held in 1990 at Tokyo, Japan, during the XV International Congress of Microbiology. The closed meeting will be followed by an open one. The meeting was adjourned at 12.45 p.m. THE SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE BIOLOGY OF ACTINOMYCETES (Tokyo, May 1988) R.LOCCI Chair of Mycology, University, Udine, Italy The Seventh International Symposium on the Biology of Actinomycetes (ISBA '88) was held at the Takanawa Prince Hotel in Tokyo from May 22 through 26, 1988. The program consisted of four plenary lectures and twelve symposia, covering genetics, taxonomy, ecology, antibiotic resistance, morphology and differentiation, physiology and biochemistry. Over six-hundred scientists, a figure never previously recorded, attended the meeting. The symposium was run perfectly and the organizers should be congratulated on their successful effort. Another record was set in terms of efficiency by the Japanese organization. Less than six months later actinomycetologists had in their hands the proceedings of the meeting. Biology of Actinomycetes, edited by Y.Okami, T.Beppu and H.Ogawara and published by Japan Scientific Societies Press (Y 10,000), collects in 508 pages over eighty main papers presented in Tokyo. Being used to a nearly two-year interval between presentation and actual publication of the proceedings, this really represented a very pleasant surprise. In addition, though maybe selfishly, the editor of this journal appreciates not having to write a report on the meeting, as readers can review, for themselves the final product. THE THIRD CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN ACTINOMYCETES GROUP (Budapest, Hungary, September 2-4, 1988) G. ALDERSON Biomedical Sciences, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, U.K. I am glad to report that the European Actinomycetes Group continues to flourish and acts as a focus for collaboration and discussion amongst 'actinomycetologists'. Our third conference was a success and this was thanks to our host in Budapest, I.M.Szabo of the Eotvos Lorand University. Professor Szabo was ably and enthusiastically assisted by K.Marialigeti and K.Jager and together they organised an excellent scientific and social programme. The twenty five contributions which formed the basis of the conference concentrated on two main topics -'Actinomycetes differentiation and adaptation' and 'Gene exchange in nature'. Professor G.Szabo (Debrecen, Hungary) opened the conference and introduced H.Prauser (Jena, DDR) who discussed the nature and delineation of 'the actinomycetes' in the 1980s. A discussion on the actinomycetes concept was germane to many of the papers that followed. The next contribution was a paper by E.M.H.Wellington, N.Cresswell and V.A.Sauders (Warwick and Liverpool, U.K.) in which results of preliminary experiments on the fate of marked plasmids were discussed. Such plasmids were used as indicators of the frequency of gene transfer within streptomycete populations in a model soil system. P.R.Heron reported more work on gene transfer from this Warwick group (P.R.Heron and E.M.H. Wellington) but using actinophage as the mediator of gene transfer. He pointed out that there were still problems with variable and low recovery rates for actinophages in soil. A.D.L.Akkermans presented work on behalf of D.Hahn, T.M. Meesters, A.D.L. Akkermans, M. Dorsch and E.Stackebrandt (Wageningen, The Netherlands and Kiel, FRG) and discussed the use of both 16S rRNA oligonucleotide probes and cloned nitrogenase gene probes in work with Frankia. It was concluded that hybridization probes could be used in detection and identification work and could be powerful tools in molecular ecology. The use of nucleic acid probes for streptomycetes was described in two papers by scientists from Wroclaw, Poland - DNA probes (K.Kuczek) and ribosomal RNA gene probes (J.Zakrzewska- Czerwinska). Clearly such molecular probes will be valuable in both actinomycete systematics and ecology. The first session concluded with a discussion on A-factor and factor C autoregulators of streptomycete differentiation and secondary metabolism by F. Szeszak, S.Vitalis and G. Szabo (Debrecen, Hungary). The first paper of the afternoon session of our first day was given over to A.P.Keinath and R.Loria from Cornell University, USA. Dr. Keinath, who was visiting Hungary, was awarded 'honorary european actinomycetologist' status so that he could enlighten us as to the effects of planted potatoes on actinomycete populations in soil. Discussion was promoted by D.Noack (Jena, DDR) following his paper on patterns of differentiation of streptomycete mycelium grown at different dilution rates in chemostat culture. G.Vobis (Marburg, FRG) described the geographical distribution of rare-spore forming actinomycetes whilst K.Marialigeti (Budapest, Hungary) out- lined some differences in differentiation and adaptation of actinomycetes, especially streptomycetes, in a rendzina type soil under conditions disturbed or undisturbed by pine afforestation. The stability of a new trifunctional shuttle plasmid vector in Micromonospora purpurea was reported by G.H. Kelemen, I.Financsek and M.Jarai (Budapest, Hungary). This first day was concluded with a wide-ranging and stimulating open forum/round table discussion. Our second day of proceedings opened with the presentation of data on the content and distribution of protein synthesis elongation factor Tu in mycelium and spores of Streptomyces aureofaciens (J.Weiser, P.Morava, I.Vohradsky and Z.Hostalek, Prague, Czechoslovakia). A new actinomycete that changes wall composition during sporulation was described by G. Alderson, M.Eke and T.Cross (Bradford, U.K.). This contribution was followed by a paper on a not too dissimilar theme concerning wall composition in actinoplanetes. R. Vettermann (Jena, DDR) proposed the description of a new genus, Caeruleoplanes, for strains of Actinoplanes caeruleus which contain no diaminopimelic acid. J.Stastna and J.Caslavska (Prague, Czechoslovakia) described differentiation responses of streptomycetes in submerged cultural conditions and K.Marialigeti presented a paper on a novel Arthrobacter strain on behalf of scientists in Moscow State University (USSR) who could not be with us in Budapest. Collaborative work between colleagues in Warsaw, Poland and Liege, Belgium, on the localisation of penicillin binding proteins in Streptomyces strain R61 was described by W.Kurzatkowski, J.Filipek, W.Kurylowicz, B.Rozbicka, J.D. Kurzaktowski, M.Leyh-Bouille, M.Nguyen-Disteche, J. Dusart and J.M.Ghuysen. This contribution was followed by a further presentation of internationally collaborative work, this time collaboration between Debrecen, Hungary and Madison, USA. G.Barabas described post-translational protein modification by ADP-ribosylation and found some correlation between such events and sporulation in Streptomyces strains (G. Barabes, A.Penyige, I.Szabd, J.Barabas and J.C.Ensign). I.D. Kurtboke and S.T.Williams (Liverpool, UK) proposed a new approach to improve the isolation of non-streptomycetes from soil which utilises relevant polyvalent actinophages whilst environmental effects on germination and sporulation in streptomycetes and streptoverticillia which had been investigated using scanning electron microscopy were reported by G. Firrao, S.Cardinali and R.Locci (Udine, Italy). The mycelial growth of actinomycetes immobilised on a porous support was described by M.Cresswell, R.W.Attwell and M.J.Dempsey (Manchester, UK) and the potential of continuous actinomycete based fermentations in such fluidised bed bioreactors was discussed. Micromonosporae isolated from alkaline river and lake ooze were described in terms of their capacity for physiological adaptation under alkaline conditions by M.V.Bibicova, E.M.Singal and L.P.Ivanitskaya (Moscow, USSR) whilst the development of a model compost system for risk assessment of experiments involving deliberate release of thermophilic actinomycetes into the environment was described by W. Amner, C.Edwards and A.J.McCarthy (Liverpool, UK). The final session began with the presentation of a mathematical model of pellet formation in liquid culture by A.J.Tough and J.I. Prosser (Aberdeen, UK). E.Greiner-Mai, F.Korn-Wendish and H.J. Kutzner (Darmstadt, FRG) then described new methods to characterise thermophilic actinomycetes in the genera Streptomyces, Saccharopolyspora, Faenia, Saccharomonospora and Thermoactinomyces. The final presentations were a summing up of the conference proceedings by M.Goodfellow (Newcastle, UK) and concluding remarks by myself as Secretary General of the EAG. The organisers were heartedly thanked and congratulated for their efforts on behalf of the Group. I also paid tribute to all participants for their enthusiasm, hard work and valuable contributions. How many colleagues would give up a whole weekend to attend a scientific meeting? MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR ACTINOMYCETES SYMPOSIA S.G. BRADLEY Basic Health Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA During the VII ISBA, Dr.S.G. Bradley convened the meeting with the following attendees: T.Arai (Japan), G. Barabes (Hungary), B. Beaman (USA), T.Beppu (Japan), J.- S.Chiao (PRC), T.Cross (UK), J. Ensign (USA), M. Goodfellow (UK), C.Hardisson (Spain), T.Ioneda (Brazil), W.Kurylowicz (Poland), V. Kuznetsov (USSR), R.Locci (Italy), M.Mordarski (Poland), T. Myoda, Y. Okami, M.Okanishi and S. Omura (Japan), J.-S.Ruan (PRC), K.P. Schaal (FRG), G.Szabo (Hungary), I. Tarnok (FRG), Z.Vanek (Czech.) and S.T.Williams (UK). After introductions, R. Locci announced that the journal The Actinomycetes would be transferred from Rutgers University, Institute of Microbiology (H. Lechevalier) to the University of Udine, Italy. Dr. Locci encouraged his colleagues to subscribe, to submit technical articles and to send it announcements of international interest. Dr.J.Ensign presented an invitation for the VIII ISBA to meet in Madison Wisconsin USA, second week of August 1991. Dr. Ensign distributed print material about available facilities. After discussion, the International Committee unanimously accepted the USA invitation. The International Committee endorsed in concept a nine year cycle: Europe, Asia and the Americas. The International Committee recommends that the 1994 Congress be held in Europe, possibly USSR, DDR, or Spain. The International Committee agreed to explore the feasibility of these three venues. It was noted that there are potential conflicting meetings in 1994. Dr. J.-S. Chiao and Dr. J.-S. Ruan proposed that the 1997 meeting be held in the People's Republic of China. The International Committee was enthusiastic about the possible venue. The Republic of Korea was also mentioned. The International Committee discussed possible sites for the year 2000, namely Venezuela or Mexico. The International Committee endorsed growth of the Congress in breadth and number of participants. The International Committee reaffirmed the authority of the local arrangements committee with respect to scope and logistics. The International Committee discussed means to held defray expenses of young scientists and scientists from "developing" nations. The International Committee expressed its appreciation to the Japanese organizing committee and saluted past organizing committees. The International Committee adjourned with a sense of pride and accomplishment, realizing that each member needed to follow through on planning for the future. REVIEWS A.S.Khokhlov: Low Molecular Weight Microbial Autoregulators. Nauka, Moscow, 16 chapters, 271 pp., 1988 (in Russian). G. SZABO Institute of Biology, Debrecen University Medical School, Hungary This is a very special and pioneering work. I wish to emphasize: it is really a new book, not a compilation of chapters from sources by other authors. Prof Khokhlov is himself one of the first scientist to start, in the sixties, looking for endogenous regulatory substances in microorganisms. He and his co-workers found A- factor, a relatively small molecule which can be looked upon as a model molecule of regulatory function. If it is added to certain Streptomyces strains which do not sporulate and do not produce for example streptomycin, this small butyrolacton (Mr: 242 Da) in minute amounts induces the synthesis of large quantities of a whole series of enzymes, proteins and secondary metabolites. It is a pleiotropic regulatory molecule. The main merit of this book is that the author, starting with his own discovery, collected facts from a sea of publications sorting out their connection to the phenomenon of autoregulation of life processes by small molecules in microorganisms. The result is most stimulating. It turns out that there are many different biological phenomena, like spore production in prokaryotes, sexual differentiation in yeasts, antibiotic production in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, morphogenesis, etc., that are all regulated by autoregulatory molecules which are chemically as diverse as are the biological phenomena they bring about. The 16 chapters of the book deal with Mating Type Regulators in Streptococcus faecalis, Autoinducers from Vibrio fischeri, Cosynthetic Factor I, Factor C, A- Factor and Analogous Lactone Type Autobioregulators from Actinomycetes, B-Factor, Pamamycin and Other Autoregulators of Streptomyces alboniger, Anteridiol and Dehydro- oogonioles, Sirenines, Trisporic Acid and Related Regulators of Mucorales, Sex Pheromones (Hormones) of Yeasts (Saccharomycetes), Li~ popeptide Sexual Hormones (Pheromones), Sclerosporines and Other Sporulation Regulators from Sclerotinia fructicola, Autoregulators of Cellular Slime Moulds (Acrasiomycetes), Effect of Antibiotics upon the Organisms which Produce the Same, Microbial Autoregulators not yet Investigated in Detail. The difficulty in covering the vast area of biological phenomena connected to the one common object - autoregulators - is not felt. Indeed the book is easy to read and clearly and concisely written. Not only are facts described but the contradictory results are also critically discussed. The author's vantage point is that he is a chemist and mainly deals with the purity of the natural products and the structure of the new compounds and less with the genetics and metabolic connections of the problems described in the book. The generality of the biological role of an autoregulator is often questioned throughout the book because a marker, e.g. spore formation, may ensue in some mutants even in the absence of the autoregulator that normally is necessary for spore production in the wild type strain. I think that autoregulators are signal molecules which trigger evolutionary fixed metabolic pathways. In the absence of specific signals nonspecific factors may trigger (perhaps less efficiently) the same pathway. Such results do not contradict the significance of autoregulators in natural regulatory processes. It is not easy to conjecture that the reader will have in his/her hands a book of basic significance which will be followed soon by a series of new monographs about similar topics by other authors. I hope that the successors will not forget the pioneer too soon. It is a pity that it took such a long time to publish this monograph, the latest references are from 1985 and the book became available only last year. I am sure that the authors agrees with me on this point. The monograph should be translated into English as soon as possible. There is a large number of microbiologists, geneticists, biochemists, developmental biologists, etc., in the world to whom this book should be made available. Copyright 1990 C.E.T.A., The International Centre for Theoretical and Applied Ecology, Gorizia
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