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Importance Identification of the bacterium responsible for an outbreak can aid in disease management. However, traditional culture-based diagnosis can be difficult, particularly if no specific diagnostic test is available for an outbreak strain. Objective To explore the potential of metagenomics, which is the direct sequencing of DNA extracted from microbiologically complex samples, as an open-ended clinical discovery platform capable of identifying and characterizing bacterial strains from an outbreak without laboratory culture. Design, Setting, and Patients In a retrospective investigation, 45 samples were selected from fecal specimens obtained from patients with diarrhea during the 2011 outbreak of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) O104:H4 in Germany. Samples were subjected to high-throughput sequencing (August-September 2012), followed by a 3-phase analysis (November 2012-February 2013). In phase 1, a de novo assembly approach was developed to obtain a draft genome of the outbreak strain. In phase 2, the depth of coverage of the outbreak strain genome was determined in each sample. In phase 3, sequences from each sample were compared with sequences from known bacteria to identify pathogens other than the outbreak strain. Main Outcomes and Measures The recovery of genome sequence data for the purposes of identification and characterization of the outbreak strain and other pathogens from fecal samples. Results During phase 1, a draft genome of the STEC outbreak strain was obtained. During phase 2, the outbreak strain genome was recovered from 10 samples at greater than 10-fold coverage and from 26 samples at greater than 1-fold coverage. Sequences from the Shiga-toxin genes were detected in 27 of 40 STEC-positive samples (67%). In phase 3, sequences from Clostridium difficile, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter concisus, and Salmonella enterica were recovered. Conclusions and Relevance These results suggest the potential of metagenomics as a culture-independent approach for the identification of bacterial pathogens during an outbreak of diarrheal disease. Challenges include improving diagnostic sensitivity, speeding up and simplifying workflows, and reducing costs.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major human pathogen and the causative agent for the pulmonary disease, tuberculosis (TB). Current treatment programs to combat TB are under threat due to the emergence of multi-drug and extensively-drug resistant TB. As part of our efforts towards the discovery of new anti-tubercular leads, a number of potent tetrahydropyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-3-ca​rboxamide(THPP) and N-benzyl-6′,7′-dihydrospiro[piperidine-4,​4′-thieno[3,2-c]pyran](Spiro) analogues were recently identified against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG through a high-throughput whole-cell screening campaign. Herein, we describe the attractive in vitro and in vivo anti-tubercular profiles of both lead series. The generation of M. tuberculosis spontaneous mutants and subsequent whole genome sequencing of several resistant mutants identified single mutations in the essential mmpL3 gene. This ‘genetic phenotype’ was further confirmed by a ‘chemical phenotype’, whereby M. bovis BCG treated with both the THPP and Spiro series resulted in the accumulation of trehalose monomycolate. In vivo efficacy evaluation of two optimized THPP and Spiro leads showed how the compounds were able to reduce >2 logs bacterial cfu counts in the lungs of infected mice.

In previous work, a factor which enhances the ability of cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetyl neuraminic acid (CMP-NANA) to sialylate gonococcal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was liberated at 4 degrees C in diffusates from high M(r) fractions of blood cell sonicates. The diffusates also contained CMP-NANA and converted serum susceptible gonococci to resistance. The enhancer has now been separated from CMP-NANA and material absorbing at 260 nm by HPLC on mu Bondapak-10 NH2. Resistance inducing activity was found only in fractions containing CMP-NANA and recovery was poor (about 25%). However, addition of enhancer fractions to CMP-NANA substantially increased its resistance inducing activity. Blood cell sonicates dialysed at 18-20 degrees C released enhancer in diffusates. These were ultrafiltered (nominal cut off 3000 Da) and fractionated on Biogel P2 which removed saccharides and most material absorbing at 260 nm. Over 90% of a fraction which was enhancer-active in nanogram quantities was identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectometry (GC/MS) as lactic acid. A fraction with similar properties was obtained from a different batch of diffusate by fractionation on Dowex 1. Authentic lithium L-lactate in nanogram quantities enhanced LPS sialyation by CMP-NANA and increased its serum resistance inducing activity. These results have important implications for gonococcal pathogenicity.

A stable, sialyltransferase-deficient mutant of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain F62 totally defective in CMP-NANA-dependent lipopolysaccharide (LPS) sialylation was isolated by insertion mutagenesis with transposon Tn 1545-delta 3 and screened for unlabelled colonies following incubation with CMP-14C-NANA. In contrast to the parental strain which became serum resistant on incubation with CMP-NANA or blood cell extracts, the mutant, JB1, remained serum sensitive. French press extracts of strain F62 catalysed LPS sialylation, but corresponding extracts of the mutant were inactive. Five LPS components were detected by SDS-PAGE in the parental strain. Five components of the same Mr were also found in the mutant. Three identical components were detected by Western blotting using MAb 3F11, which recognizes the Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc groups in the conserved LPS components of F62 which can be sialylated. The mutant, JB1, is therefore deficient in the sialyltransferase that is essential for both LPS sialylation and conversion of serum-sensitive gonococci to serum resistance by either CMP-NANA or blood cell extracts. No evidence was obtained for an LPS sialylation pathway by blood cell extracts that is independent of CMP-NANA.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis–IBD (PSC–IBD) is an inflammatory autoimmune hepato–biliary–enteric disease in which it is predicted that gut microbiota have potential pathophysiological effects, relevant to disease initiation and outcome. The recent article by Kummen et al 1 who reported that the gut microbiota in PSC is distinct compared with those from healthy controls and patients with UC without liver disease, is therefore of interest. However, it remains unclear if these alterations in the gut microbiota are a cause or an effect of liver disease, and there remains a challenging task to link dysbiosis with disease pathogenesis, as well as clarify whether faecal microbiota are entirely representative of communities of mucosa-associated bacteria, which might uniquely interact with immune and epithelial cells. Nevertheless Kummen et al notably demonstrated that the Veillonella genus showed a marked increase in PSC–IBD, in comparison with both healthy controls and patients with UC alone. Given interest in the mechanism of lymphocyte tracking between the bowel and liver …

Here, we take a snapshot of the high-throughput sequencing platforms, together with the relevant analytical tools, that are available to microbiologists in 2012, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these platforms in obtaining bacterial genome sequences. We also scan the horizon of future possibilities, speculating on how the availability of sequencing that is 'too cheap to metre' might change the face of microbiology forever.

Background Microbial taxonomy remains a conservative discipline, relying on phenotypic information derived from growth in pure culture and techniques that are time-consuming and difficult to standardize, particularly when compared to the ease of modern high-throughput genome sequencing. Here, drawing on the genus Acinetobacter as a test case, we examine whether bacterial taxonomy could abandon phenotypic approaches and DNA-DNA hybridization and, instead, rely exclusively on analyses of genome sequence data. Results In pursuit of this goal, we generated a set of thirteen new draft genome sequences, representing ten species, combined them with other publically available genome sequences and analyzed these 38 strains belonging to the genus. We found that analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences were not capable of delineating accepted species. However, a core genome phylogenetic tree proved consistent with the currently accepted taxonomy of the genus, while also identifying three misclassifications of strains in collections or databases. Among rapid distance-based methods, we found average-nucleotide identity (ANI) analyses delivered results consistent with traditional and phylogenetic classifications, whereas gene content based approaches appear to be too strongly influenced by the effects of horizontal gene transfer to agree with previously accepted species. Conclusion We believe a combination of core genome phylogenetic analysis and ANI provides an appropriate method for bacterial species delineation, whereby bacterial species are defined as monophyletic groups of isolates with genomes that exhibit at least 95% pair-wise ANI. The proposed method is backwards compatible; it provides a scalable and uniform approach that works for both culturable and non-culturable species; is faster and cheaper than traditional taxonomic methods; is easily replicable and transferable among research institutions; and lastly, falls in line with Darwin’s vision of classification becoming, as far as is possible, genealogical.

The analysis of 16S-rDNA sequences to assess the bacterial community composition of a sample is a widely used technique that has increased with the advent of high throughput sequencing. Although considerable effort has been devoted to identifying the most informative region of the 16S gene and the optimal informatics procedures to process the data, little attention has been paid to the PCR step, in particular annealing temperature and primer length. To address this, amplicons derived from 16S-rDNA were generated from chicken caecal content DNA using different annealing temperatures, primers and different DNA extraction procedures. The amplicons were pyrosequenced to determine the optimal protocols for capture of maximum bacterial diversity from a chicken caecal sample. Even at very low annealing temperatures there was little effect on the community structure, although the abundance of some OTUs such as Bifidobacterium increased. Using shorter primers did not reveal any novel OTUs but did change the community profile obtained. Mechanical disruption of the sample by bead beating had a significant effect on the results obtained, as did repeated freezing and thawing. In conclusion, existing primers and standard annealing temperatures captured as much diversity as lower annealing temperatures and shorter primers.

Infections of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) result in annual multimillion-dollar losses to the poultry industry. Despite this, little is known about the mechanisms by which APEC survives and grows in the bloodstream. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify molecular mechanisms enabling APEC to survive and grow in this critical host environment. To do so, we compared the transcriptome of APEC O1 during growth in Luria-Bertani broth and chicken serum. Several categories of genes, predicted to contribute to adaptation and growth in the avian host, were identified. These included several known virulence genes and genes involved in adaptive metabolism, protein transport, biosynthesis pathways, stress resistance, and virulence regulation. Several genes with unknown function, which were localized to pathogenicity islands or APEC O1's large virulence plasmid, pAPEC-O1-ColBM, were also identified, suggesting that they too contribute to survival in serum. The significantly upregulated genes dnaK , dnaJ , phoP , and ybtA were subsequently subjected to mutational analysis to confirm their role in conferring a competitive advantage during infection. This genome-wide analysis provides novel insight into processes that are important to the pathogenesis of APEC O1.

In previous work, a low M(r) component from human blood which converts serum-sensitive gonococci to resistance was shown to be indistinguishable from cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetyl neuraminic acid (CMP-NANA) by seven criteria. However, the presence of CMP-NANA was not proved by physicochemical methods. Purified, high M(r) fractions from human blood cells, which confer serum resistance on gonococci and enhance the transfer of sialyl groups from CMP-NANA to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by a sialyltransferase in gonococcal extracts, were rechromatographed on DEAE Sepharose CL-6B. Both activities co-eluted from the column but on dialysis were found in the diffusate. After desalting the diffusate with Sephadex G10, the presence of CMP-NANA was proved by mass spectrometry. This confirmed previous work and is the first unequivocal demonstration of CMP-NANA in constituents of human blood cells.

Objectives: The use of triclosan within various environments has been linked to the development of multiple drug resistance (MDR) through the increased expression of efflux pumps such as AcrAB–TolC. In this work, we investigate the effect of triclosan exposure in order to ascertain the response of two species to the presence of this widely used biocide. Methods: The transcriptomes of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SL1344 and Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 after exposure to the MIC of triclosan (0.12 mg/L) were determined in microarray experiments. Phenotypic validation of the transcriptomic data included RT–PCR, ability to form a biofilm and motility assays. Results: Despite important differences in the triclosan-dependent transcriptomes of the two species, increased expression of efflux pump component genes was seen in both. Increased expression of soxS was observed in Salmonella Typhimurium, however, within E. coli, decreased expression was seen. Expression of fabBAGI in Salmonella Typhimurium was decreased, whereas in E. coli expression of fabABFH was increased. Increased expression of ompR and genes within this regulon (e.g. ompC, csgD and ssrA) was seen in the transcriptome of Salmonella Typhimurium. An unexpected response of E. coli was the differential expression of genes within operons involved in iron homeostasis; these included fhu, fep and ent. Conclusions: These data indicate that whilst a core response to triclosan exposure exists, the differential transcriptome of each species was different. This suggests that E. coli K-12 should not be considered the paradigm for the Enterobacteriaceae when exploring the effects of antimicrobial agents.

cueO encodes a periplasmic multicopper oxidase, which is known to be involved in copper homeostasis and protection against oxidative stress in Escherichia coli K12. Transcriptional profiling showed that expression of genes associated with motility was lowered in a cueO mutant while expression of genes associated with autoaggregation was elevated. Increased aggregation was correlated with increased expression of cell surface proteins antigen 43 and curli. Changes in gene expression caused by the deletion of cueO were essentially independent of SoxR and OxyR, the global regulators of oxidative stress response.

Successful pathogens must be able to protect themselves against reactive nitrogen species generated either as part of host defense mechanisms or as products of their own metabolism. The regulatory protein NsrR (a member of the Rrf2 family of transcription factors) plays key roles in this stress response. Microarray analysis revealed that NsrR represses nine operons encoding 20 genes in Escherichia coli MG1655, including the hmpA , ytfE , and ygbA genes that were previously shown to be regulated by NsrR. Novel NsrR targets revealed by this study include hcp-hcr (which were predicted in a recent bioinformatic study to be NsrR regulated) and the well-studied nrfA promoter that directs the expression of the periplasmic respiratory nitrite reductase. Conversely, transcription from the ydbC promoter is strongly activated by NsrR. Regulation of the nrf operon by NsrR is consistent with the ability of the periplasmic nitrite reductase to reduce nitric oxide and hence protect against reactive nitrogen species. Gel retardation assays were used to show that both FNR and NarL bind to the hcp promoter. The expression of hcp and the contiguous gene hcr is not induced by hydroxylamine. As hmpA and ytfE encode a nitric oxide reductase and a mechanism to repair iron-sulfur centers damaged by nitric oxide, the demonstration that hcp-hcr , hmpA , and ytfE are the three transcripts most tightly regulated by NsrR highlights the possibility that the hybrid cluster protein, HCP, might also be part of a defense mechanism against reactive nitrogen stress.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 subverts host cells through a type III secretion system encoded by the locus for enterocyte effacement (LEE). Genome sequencing of this pathotype revealed the existence of a gene cluster encoding components of a second cryptic type III secretion system, E. coli type III secretion system 2 (ETT2). Recently, we showed that the ETT2 gene cluster is present in whole or in part in the majority of E. coli strains but is unable to encode a functional secretion system in most strains, including EHEC O157:H7. However, here we show that mutational inhibition of two regulatory genes (ECs3720 or etrA and ECs3734 or eivF) from the ETT2 cluster in EHEC O157:H7 leads to greatly increased secretion of proteins encoded by the LEE and to increased adhesion to human intestinal cells. Studies in which transcriptional fusions and microarrays were used indicated that EtrA and EivF exert profound negative effects on gene transcription within the LEE. Consistent with these observations, expression of these regulators in an EHEC O26:H- strain led to suppression of protein secretion under LEE-inducing conditions. These findings provide fresh examples of the influence of mobile genetic elements on regulation of the LEE and of cross talk between type III secretion system gene clusters. In addition, they provide a cautionary tale because they show that the effects of regulatory genes can outlive widespread decay of other genes in a functionally coherent gene cluster, a phenomenon that we have named the “Cheshire cat effect.” It also seems likely that variations in the ETT2 regulator repertoire might account for strain-to-strain variation in secretion of LEE-encoded proteins.

The phloem transport system is a complex tissue that primarily carries photoassimilate from source to sink. Its function depends on anucleate sieve elements (SE) supported by companion cells (CC). In this study, SE sap was sampled and the protein identity of soluble proteins was determined with the aim of understanding the function of proteins within the conduit. Unlike many plants, SE sap exudes from incisions in the bark of Ricinus communis and, although there is a greater possibility of contamination from tissues other than SE, sap can be obtained in sufficient quantities to separate proteins using 2D electrophoresis. Spots were excised for trypsin digest, then analysed by quadrupole time of flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) and database searched to determine sequence identity. Overall, 18 proteins were identified in the SE-enriched sap. Proteins identified that have not previously been identified directly from SE sap included a glycine-rich RNA-binding protein, metallothionein, phosphoglycerate mutase, and phosphopyruvate hydratase. The potential role of the identified protein in SE function is discussed. The protein identification in this study provides a first step towards the goal of a greater understanding of the function of proteins within the SE.

The Escherichia coli cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) is a global regulator that controls transcription initiation from more than 100 promoters by binding to a specific DNA sequence within cognate promoters. Many genes in the CRP regulon have been predicted simply based on the presence of DNA-binding sites within gene promoters. In this study, we have exploited a newly developed technique, run-off transcription/microarray analysis (ROMA) to define CRP-regulated promoters. Using ROMA, we identified 176 operons that were activated by CRP in vitro and 16 operons that were repressed. Using positive control mutants in different regions of CRP, we were able to classify the different promoters into class I or class II/III. A total of 104 operons were predicted to contain Class II CRP-binding sites. Sequence analysis of the operons that were repressed by CRP revealed different mechanisms for CRP inhibition. In contrast, the in vivo transcriptional profiles failed to identify most CRP-dependent regulation because of the complexity of the regulatory network. Analysis of these operons supports the hypothesis that CRP is not only a regulator of genes required for catabolism of sugars other than glucose, but also regulates the expression of a large number of other genes in E.coli. ROMA has revealed 152 hitherto unknown CRP regulons.

Objectives: \ud Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common nosocomial pathogen responsible for significant morbidity and mortality internationally. Patients may become colonised or infected with P. aeruginosa after exposure to contaminated sources within the hospital environment. The aim of this study was to determine whether whole-genome sequencing (WGS) can be used to determine the source in a cohort of burns patients at high risk of P. aeruginosa acquisition.\ud \ud Study design: \ud An observational prospective cohort study.\ud \ud Setting: \ud Burns care ward and critical care ward in the UK.\ud \ud Participants: \ud Patients with >7% total burns by surface area were recruited into the study.\ud \ud Methods: \ud All patients were screened for P. aeruginosa on admission and samples taken from their immediate environment, including water. Screening patients who subsequently developed a positive P. aeruginosa microbiology result were subject to enhanced environmental surveillance. All isolates of P. aeruginosa were genome sequenced. Sequence analysis looked at similarity and relatedness between isolates.\ud \ud Results: \ud WGS for 141 P. aeruginosa isolates were obtained from patients, hospital water and the ward environment. Phylogenetic analysis revealed eight distinct clades, with a single clade representing the majority of environmental isolates in the burns unit. Isolates from three patients had identical genotypes compared with water isolates from the same room. There was clear clustering of water isolates by room and outlet, allowing the source of acquisitions to be unambiguously identified. Whole-genome shotgun sequencing of biofilm DNA extracted from a thermostatic mixer valve revealed this was the source of a P. aeruginosa subpopulation previously detected in water. In the remaining two cases there was no clear link to the hospital environment.\ud \ud Conclusions: \ud This study reveals that WGS can be used for source tracking of P. aeruginosa in a hospital setting, and that acquisitions can be traced to a specific source within a hospital ward.

Microaerophiles likeCampylobacter jejunimust resist oxidative stresses during transmission or infection. Growth ofC. jejuni81116 under iron limitation greatly increased the expression of two polypeptides of 26 and 55 kDa. The identification of these proteins by N-terminal amino acid sequencing showed both to be involved in the defense against oxidative stress. The 55-kDa polypeptide was identical toC. jejunicatalase (KatA), whereas the N terminus of the 26-kDa polypeptide was homologous to a 26-kDaHelicobacter pyloriprotein. The gene encoding theC. jejuni26-kDa protein was cloned, and the encoded protein showed significant homology to the small subunit of alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AhpC). The upstream region ofahpCencoded a divergent ferredoxin (fdxA) homolog, whereas downstream sequences containedflhBandmotBhomologs, which are involved in flagellar motility. There was no evidence for an adjacent homolog ofahpF, encoding the large subunit of alkyl hydroperoxide reductase. Reporter gene studies showed that iron regulation ofahpCandkatAis achieved at the transcriptional level. Insertional mutagenesis of theahpCgene resulted in an increased sensitivity to oxidative stresses caused by cumene hydroperoxide and exposure to atmospheric oxygen, while resistance to hydrogen peroxide was not affected. TheC. jejuniAhpC protein is an important determinant of the ability of this microaerophilic pathogen to survive oxidative and aerobic stress.

Although flagellar motility is essential for the colonisation of the stomach by Helicobacter pylori, little is known about the regulation of flagellar biosynthesis in this organism. We have identified a gene in H. pylori, designated fliI, whose deduced amino acid sequence revealed extensive homology with the FliI/LcrB/InvC family of proteins which energise the export of flagellar and other virulence factors in several bacterial species. An isogenic mutant of fliI was non-motile and synthesised reduced amounts of flagellin and hook protein subunits. The majority (>99%) of mutant cells were completely aflagellate. These results suggest that FliI is a novel ATPase involved in flagellar export in H. pylori.

Campylobacter jejuni are Gram-negative, microaerophilic, spiral rods, motile by means of a single, bi-polar, unsheathed flagellum. They are considered as one of the leading causes of bacterial diarrhoea throughout the world 15. Helicobacter pylori are also spiral, microaerophilic, Gram-negative and motile bacteria by means of a unipolar bundle of 3–6 sheathed flagella. H. pylori is generally acknowledged to be a major cause of gastritis in man. It is also associated with the occurrence of peptic ulceration (for reviews see Blaser 1,2).

Helicobacter pylori possesses up to six, unipolar sheathed flagella which appear essential for the colonization of the gastric mucosa.1 The flagellins, FlaA and FlaB, have been characterized and the genes which encode them thoroughly analyzed.5,8 However, relatively little is known about the flagellar sheath, which is an unusual structure common to all members of the genus.

Nat. Biotechnol. 30, 434–439 (2012); published online 22 April 2012; corrected online 23 April 2012; corrected after print 7 June 2012 In the version of this article initially published online, in the Online Methods “Ion Torrent Sequencing” section, the sentence beginning with “Ten milligrams of this DNA was fragmented with a Bioruptor instrument.

Serum resistance of gonococci in most patients is due to sialylation of a Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc group on a conserved 4.5 kDa lipopolysaccharide (LPS) component by host cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetyl neuraminic acid (CMP-NANA) catalysed by a gonococcal sialyl transferase. This sialylation is enhanced by a low M(r) factor(s) which, like CMP-NANA, is released in diffusates from high M(r) fractions obtained from sonicates dialysed at 4 degrees C. Also, as shown here, this factor(s) is released when the sonicates are dialysed at 18-20 degrees C. The enhancement of sialylation, first demonstrated using enzymes in gonococcal extracts, has been shown to occur in live gonococci and hence probably to have a role in pathogenicity. Gonococci, emerging from lag phase and incubated for 2 h with CMP-14CNANA fixed up to 90% more radiolabel than controls when the second factor(s) was present; their LPS separated by SDS-PAGE contained more radiolabel than control samples and label was not detected in any other component. Fractions with enhancing activity absorbed maximally at about 260 nm but a mixture of UDP-galactose (UDP-Gal), UDP-N-Acetyl galactosamine (UDP-GalNAc), UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) and UDP-N-Acetyl glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) showed no significant enhancing activity. The enhancing action of the low M(r) fractions was unaffected by incubation with beta-galactosidase.

Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli strains are increasingly being associated with intestinal pathologies. Here we present the genome sequence of E. coli HM605, a strain isolated from colonic biopsy specimens of a patient with Crohn's disease.

A high relative molecular mass (M r ) component which confers serum resistance on gonococci has been purified about 300-fold from a dialysed sonicate of human blood cells. Serum resistance conferred by the high M r factor (RIF), like that induced by cytidine-5′ monophospho-N acetyl neuraminic acid (CMP-NANA), decreased when gonococci were incubated with neuraminidase. Also, the resistance-inducing activities of both high M r RIF and CMP-NANA were inhibited by CMP and inactivated at pH 4.0. These activities were not additive but synergistic. Neuraminidase decreased the activity of high M r RIF but not CMP-NANA. In tests with 14 C CMP-NANA and gonococcal lipopolysaccharide, no sialyltransferase activity was detected, even in highly active samples of high M r RIF under conditions in which low activities of rat liver sialyltransferase were readily detected. Conversely, rat liver sialyltransferase was neither active in the RIF assay nor able to enhance the RIF activity of CMP-NANA. Nevertheless, high M r RIF greatly enhanced the sialyltransferase activity of a gonococcal extract; this enhancement suggests an explanation for the synergism between CMP-NANA and high M r RIF in inducing serum resistance in gonococci.