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Campylobacterjejuni is a prevalent cause of food-borne diarrhoeal illness in humans. Understanding of the physiological and metabolic capabilities of the organism is limited. We report a detailed analysis of the C. jejuni growth cycle in batch culture. Combined transcriptomic, phenotypic and metabolic analysis demonstrates a highly dynamic 'stationary phase', characterized by a peak in motility, numerous gene expression changes and substrate switching, despite transcript changes that indicate a metabolic downshift upon the onset of stationary phase. Video tracking of bacterial motility identifies peak activity during stationary phase. Amino acid analysis of culture supematants shows a preferential order of amino acid utilization. Proton NMR ([sup.1]H-NMR) highlights an acetate switch mechanism whereby bacteria change from acetate excretion to acetate uptake, most probably in response to depletion of other substrates. Acetate production requires pta (Cj0688) and ackA (Cj0689), although the acs homologue (Cj1537c) is not required. Insertion mutants in Cj0688 and Cj0689 maintain viability less well during the stationary and decline phases of the growth cycle than wild-type C. jejuni, suggesting that these genes, and the acetate pathway, are important for survival.

Chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-density microarrays have been used to monitor the distribution of the global transcription regulator Escherichia coli cAMP-receptor protein (CRP) and RNA polymerase along the E. coli chromosome. Our results identify targets occupied by CRP and genes transcribed by RNA polymerase in vivo. Many of the loci of CRP binding are at known CRP regulated promoters. However, our results show that CRP also interacts with thousands of weaker sites across the whole chromosome and that this 'background' binding can be used as a probe for organization within the E. coli folded chromosome. In rapidly growing cells, we show that the major sites of RNA polymerase binding are [approximately equal to] 90 transcription units that include genes needed for protein synthesis. Upon the addition of rifampicin, RNA polymerase is distributed among >500 functional promoters. We show that the chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-density-microarrays methodology can be used to study the redistribution of RNA polymerase induced by environmental stress, revealing previously uncharacterized aspects of RNA polymerase behavior and providing an alternative to the 'transcriptomics' approach for studying global transcription patterns. chromatin immunoprecipitation | genomics | stringent response | transcription

Russiamust take measures to maintain political reforms as soon as possible in order to ensure greaterprosperity, integration and democracy by the year 2020. The United Kingdom and the Westernworld must protect their own interests by supporting the transformations already in progress inRussia. Russia could eventually cooperate with NATO and the European Union if politicalreforms are sustained. The projected impact of Russia on the world economy in the year 2020 isexamined.

Douglas Hurd, CBE, MP and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs fears the new wave of Islamic fundamentalism that is rising in Iran and other parts of Central Asia, and the ethnic fights among the central Asian republics which is creating chaos in the region. The Royal Society for Asian Affairs should grant aids to Asian countries such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia which need economic reform. Britain entrepreneurs should invest in Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and strengthen ties with them.

The article cogitates on the influence of diplomats on world politics and international relations. In the modern society, diplomat appears to be the miscreant of the human family. This is supported by the theory which states that man is naturally inclined to live at peace with his neighbor, and that the wars and quarrels which disfigure the world are the result of the lusts and wickedness and appetite of particular tyrants. According to this theory, the job of the statesman and the diplomat is not to smooth the way of progress, but to try to alleviate patiently and probably quietly fears and suspicions between nations.