Background: While viruses have long been shown to capitalize on their limited genomic size by utilizing both strands of DNA or complementary DNA/RNA intermediates to code for viral proteins, it has been assumed that human retroviruses have all their major proteins translated only from the plus or sense strand of RNA, despite their requirement for a dsDNA proviral intermediate. Several studies, however, have suggested the presence of antisense transcription for both HIV-1 and HTLV-1. More recently an antisense transcript responsible for the HTLV-1 bZIP factor (HBZ) protein has been described. In this study we investigated the possibility of an antisense gene contained within the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) long terminal repeat (LTR).

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Isoenzyme profiles were obtained following polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of crude extracts of Candida albicans and C. tropicalis. The two species were separated by distinct isoenzyme patterns. Within each species, variations were found for several isoenzymes. This allowed the development of a method for biotyping these fungi. Isoenzyme patterns of the sucrose-negative variants "C. stellatoidea" and "C. paratropicalis Baker, Salkin, Pincus, and D'Amato" were obtained and subjected to cluster analysis. This procedure failed to place the variants into clusters that were clearly distinct from the conventional sucrose-positive strains. All sucrose-negative strains were found to have a-glucosidase activity. There was an almost complete lack of heterogeneity in the isoenzyme patterns of 11 C. stellatoidea type I strains.

The cellular protein profiles and malate dehydrogenases, superoxide dismutases, alkaline phosphatases, and esterases from whole cell extracts of Candida spp. were studied with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We investigated isolates that differed in their ability to assimilate sucrose as the sole carbon source. The protein and enzyme patterns of Candida tropicalis and its sucrose-negative variant "Cdndida paratropicalis Baker, Salkin, Pincus et D'Amato" were indistinguishable. Although the cellular protein and superoxide dismutase patterns of Candida albicans and its sucrose-negative variant "Candida stellatoidea'" were quite similar, differences were noted in the profiles of the other enzymes studied. In addition, the C. stellatoidea isolates were found to be