Bovine intestinal mucosal alkaline phosphatase is inactivated by the chelating agent EGTA. Several concentrations of the enzyme were incubated with EGTA and a range of concentrations of the substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate to determine the substrate concentration as a function of time. As predicted by a recently developed theory [Duggleby (1986) J. Theor. Biol. 123, 67-80], catalysis ceases before all substrate is exhausted. An analysis of these final substrate concentrations according to the theory revealed that, whereas the free enzyme is unstable, the effect of EGTA is counteracted when either the substrate or product (phosphate) is bound. Comparison of the results with those obtained by direct stability measurements and steady-state kinetic experiments gave a qualitatively and quantitatively consistent body of evidence in support of this interpretation.

A primer set designed to amplify the enterotoxin (yst) gene of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains generated two different electrophoretic profiles of the target sequence when a collection of strains of worldwide origin was screened. Serovars O:1,3; O:2a,3; O:3; O:5,27 and O:9, known as European strains, produced a 200-bp fragment that matched the size of the target sequence. However, serovars O:4,32; O:8; O:13a,13b; O:20 and O:21, known as American strains, generated two fragments of 1.4 and 1.6 kb. The amplified products of one American strain were sequenced and the presence of the yst gene was confirmed in both fragments. Thus, the potential of the polymerase chain reaction to be used as an epidemiological tool in differentiation between the two clusters of pathogenic strains of Y. enterocolitica could be demonstrated.

A primer set designed to amplify the enterotoxin (yst) gene of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains generated two different electrophoretic profiles of the target sequence when a collection of strains of worldwide origin was screened. Serovars O : 1,3; O : 2a,3; O : 3; O : 5,27 and O : 9, known as European strains, produced a 200‐bp fragment that matched the size of the target sequence. However, serovars O : 4,32; O : 8; O : 13a,13b; O : 20 and O : 21, known as American strains, generated two fragments of 1.4 and 1.6 kb. The amplified products of one American strain were sequenced and the presence of the yst gene was confirmed in both fragments. Thus, the potential of the polymerase chain reaction to be used as an epidemiological tool in differentiation between two clusters of pathogenic strains of Y. enterocolitica could be demonstrated.