Dr.Fernando ChaconI've been asked for a good friend from South America to inform to the readers of my blog about the works of a Spanish microbiologist named Fernando Chacon Mejias, who apparently discovered the "prions" in the 1960 (he called them "living enzimes"). But more importantly, he discoveried how these prions are connected with cancer and other diseases, and how they could be desactivated to favor the treatment of cancer.
Lacking technical knowledge about medicine or biology, I'll avoid any personal comment about Chacon's research. I don't feel qualified to judge it. I publish it here for the consideration of my readers, especially of the ones trained in medicine or biology and other people interested in cancer.
I'll copy here the first chapter of Chacon's book available online (and in other posts, I'll copy the restant ones). All of this information is extracted from this Spanish website (Chacon's texts are in English).
Before reading Chacon's ideas, you should know what a prion is. According to wikipedia: "A prion (pronounced /ˈpriː.ɒn/ (Speaker Icon.svg listen)[1]) is an infectious agent that is composed primarily of protein. To date, all such agents that have been discovered propagate by transmitting a mis-folded protein state; the protein itself does not self-replicate and the process is dependent on the presence of the polypeptide in the host organism.[2] The mis-folded form of the prion protein has been implicated in a number of diseases in a variety of mammals, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as "mad cow disease") in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and AIDS in humans. All known prion diseases affect the structure of the brain or other neural tissue, and all are currently untreatable and are always fatal.[3] In general usage, prion refers to the theoretical unit of infection. In scientific notation, PrPC refers to the endogenous form of prion protein (PrP), which is found in a multitude of tissues, while PrPSc refers to the misfolded form of PrP, that is responsible for the formation of amyloid plaques and neurodegeneration."
A explanation for lay people about a "prion" is given by Dr.Michael Geschwind in this video:
Another interesting video on prions is this:
Now, let's see the first part of Chacon's text:
FOREWORD
Dr. Chacón's research, published at the time, shows an evolution which arrives to a final conclusion. BIO-BAC is not fruit of one day. It is the result of 50 years of work, since when Dr. Chacón started to publish he had already been researching for years. By reading the book, you will be able to observe the development of the work of a pure scientist who sacrificed his life for mankind.
CLASSIC VIRUS AND CANCER VIRUS - I
January 20th 1959 - by Fernando Chacón Mejías
FORMATION AND NATURE OF THE VIRUS
The fact of having achieved to conclusions that I judge to be interesting in this field of science and our belief that, at obtaining them, we have acquired an ethical obligation with our equals, moves us to give account of the concepts reached along eighteen years of research on virus in this series of works.
We are only exposing fundamental ideas, perhaps rather schematically, but enough to be understood easily.
As every experiment that embraces a wide field - impossible to explore by a single person with few media -maybe it has lack of details, but the matter of profoundness has been confirmed by a thorough and detailed observation through time in numerous cases of epi and enzooties.
In order to get a better efficiency, we united in only one person the microbiologist and the clinic and we moved the experimental laboratory to the country. The conclusions of the clinic passed through the sanction of the microbiologist and vice versa.
We judge that the problems studied have become partially solved and some of them seem in a definitive and practical route of solution.
From the beginning, we considered it the problem as directly related to cancer. We have fought in this field without fainting year after year, encouraged by several members of the medical class who supplied us with extracted tumours of diverse characteristics.Without more introduction, I want you to enter with me in this marvellous world where life is born in its most elemental shape. Where the addition of inert molecules that are lacking of own life cause, by association, a molecular complex gifted with own life and susceptible of multiplying, although this multiplication is related to the presence of live cells. The concepts exposed here do not modify at all the current points of view, but they complete wide sectors that are completely unknown.
We have always considered, and so it is admitted, that a determined virus comes, from the point of view of ontogeny, from another that is equal, because it is a biologically defined specie and even included as such in the microbiologic systematic. We see the matter as a whole with a less simple point of view and partially wider also.
It is true that any virus comes by multiplication in live cells from another equal macromolecule, but we have arrived at the conclusion that, at their origin, viruses do not come from other that are equal, but are formed by enzymatic aggregations, that come from different bacteria, and, only when these aggregations have been quantitative and qualitative made, in a determined proportion, the virus appears as such, with its entourage of pathogenic effects and is studied by the virologist.
We are going to explain how viruses are formed and the mechanism that enzymes employ to become virus by association.
Luis Pasteur believed that unfolding of sugars into alcohol and carbonic acid was due to the vital action of yeasts or "figured ferments," but in 1897, Buchner tore the yeast with sand in a mortar and, by filtration, he obtained a juice free of yeast. This filtrated had the capacity of fermenting glucose, demonstrating that the unfolding of sugars is done catalytically by a not living substratum. These substances were called " not figured ferments", and later, enzymes.
In yeast, as in all micro organisms, there are enzymes, made by them, which although being substances that are not live, perform a bio-chemical function, with absolute autonomy of the being that created them.
The presence of the organism, creator of enzymes, is not necessary for them to act, having, besides, each enzyme a specific biochemical function. Fischer said that the enzyme is to the substratum on which it acts as the key to its lock.
Everybody knows that the complete enzyme or halo-ferment is formed by two fractions: one fraction is called apoferment, of protean nature and specific character, and another called co-ferment, of lipid nature, that gives the character of specificity to the enzyme.
From the experiences of Buchner it is concluded that, although, the enzymes are not live substances; they are created by live beings and act with independence from them.
Really, these autonomous functions of the enzymes cannot be considered as vital manifestations, because the enzymes do not multiply by themselves, but they have to be produced by more or less organized beings.
However, these autonomous manifestations have an activity, that is, itself, the most elemental manifestation of vitality.
From this stammering of vitality stems the series of phenomena that will cause the formation of phage first, and, after, the formation of virus, as a superior organization.
An isolated enzyme is only a link of a chain of enzymes elaborated by a determined living being, with the aim of transforming the feeding substratum and take care of its synthesis and energetic capture.
But the isolated enzyme tries to get independence from the organism that created it, trying to form an enzymatic independent equipment that, completing a biochemical cycle outstandingly heterotroph, gives it the necessary resources - by the capture of vital cycles of the cell in which they live to its own synthesis.
The enzymes that have to meet in a equipment have to compound a defined series and these different enzymes are not found together in only one bacteria or inferior micro-organism.
When an isolated enzyme meets one of its complement - not of the complements produced by a determined bacteria, but of the ones that are going to form independent equipment from the bacteria to constitute the virus - joins it, forming a bi-enzymatic being.
This bi-enzymatic being can go on adding exo-enzymes coming from other bacteria, but if it is one enzyme that it needs to add, then it acts as phage and sets free the enzyme from the soma of the bacteria by lysis of it.
In this last case, the bi, tri, etc. enzyme multiplies actively around or inside the bacteria whose enzyme is trying to set free, and so, either by voluntary donation or by forced donation, the bacteria gives up the new enzyme, that begins to form part of the elemental team that attacked it.
We are so at the presence of the multiplication process of the most elemental being, the phage, produced by the aggregation of two or more enzymes without the capacity of isolated multiplication.
However, the phage is an enzymatic incomplete equipment that tries to complete itself, it is virus that is not yet bio-chemically gifted to set free energy of the vital cycles of the live cells.
Therefore, it stays in the most complete inactivity, capturing exo-enzymes, maybe using chemo tactile; but it multiplies again actively at the presence of a bacteria from which it has to liberate an endo-enzyme.
Well: when the enzymatic equipment completes itself by the capture of the enzyme that was missing, then it acquires a different type of autonomy. It can already multiply itself, using the vital cycles of the living cells. It is already a virus the way the virologist knows it.
Explaining this phenomenon simply, as it has been done, it would come up that all enzymes tend to form enzymatic equipment that are complete and independent, and, in consequence, the emergence of saprophyte or pathogenic virus would be of alarming frequency.
However, for starting the chain association an induction is needed. It is necessary that an activated and induced enzyme starts the associative tendency.
This induction or activation is provoked through different route. First, let us consider the immune induction.It is done as follows: a bacteria, generally pathogenic, of any nature determines a chronic or acute type infection in a superior being, who, because of the attack, saturates itself with defences against such bacteria, and so natural immunity is produced.
The virulent, ordinary bacteria are blocked by the organic defences that stop its normal development, being, at the end, thrown out, destroyed or inactivated. It is in this moment when certain enzymes of this bacteria are activated and induced to get independent, trying to create an enzymatic equipment through its union with other enzymes of different origin, determining first the formation of a phage element and, after, at completing, a virus.
This must occur in some endemic typhus because, first the phage appears in convalescents and after, in the cured patient, a viral encephalitis is produced which, often is mortal.
The encephalitic virus has not come from contagion, but has been created inside the ill person by the explained mechanism.
All virosis come up due to this mechanism. The initial virus is elaborated by this mechanism and, if it can be spread, the epidemic chain starts from the individual or individuals that first created it. Once the chain of transmission has started, the virus already works as a being gifted with life, and all the viruses that come after have their origin from the ones initially created. We no longer can prejudge their formation.
From this reasoning, a logical consequence comes up and this is that if in a determined country there are not all the bacteria that quantitative and qualitative have to give the different enzymes to form a virus, this stays incomplete and such virus is never formed. The most that can happen is that a more or less complicated provirus or phage will be formed, that does not multiply in the presence of live cells of superior animals. This way this virus cannot be constituted endemically or through enzootic route in the country.
When in this country all the bacteria able to complete the enzymatic equipment of a determined virus are found, and then the virosis will be endemic in the country. If not, it has to come by epidemic via.
When a bacteria that is donator of enzymes is habitual guest of insects, the phage provirus, formed in man or animal, has to pass through vector insects in order that the provirus, at completing the equipment in the insect, becomes a virus.
In addition, through this mechanism, a series of facts can occur that produce the different antigenic variants of a determined virus. Let us suppose a virus with antigenic variants, as for example the glossopedic virus. Let us calculate for it, as a minimum quantity of enzymes that can form it, seven. This virus is of a determined antigenic quality; but that virus that multiplies in front of the live cell as a perfect virus, can meet, at a determined moment and in other region of the country from where the epizooty started, a determined bacteria that can give it another exo or endo-enzyme and then, though it is already a perfect virus, it acts on the bacteria or in its exo-enzyme as a phage, adding itself to the new enzyme. This brings as a consequence that the final product of its metabolism, because of having widen the range of action of the biochemical equipment, is different, with which it has changed from an anti-gene point of view, emerging, through an apparent mutation a new antigenic variant.
However, there are other procedures of activation or enzymatic induction, and another of them is the telluric or radioactive activation. Let us put an example that will explain us the mechanism of such activation.
There are bacteria, like the bacillus of the red evil of pig, that do not act in summer, at least in this zone- and that however provoke real massive invasions in stormy and cold autumn weather. It is a matter of telluric factors that we are far from knowing, but that observation and practice give us the evidence doubtlessly.
It is also possible to proof that cyclically, each twelve or thirteen years approximately -maybe coinciding with periods of maximum solar radioactive activity- devastating red evil epizooties appear. In almost all the springs of red evil, an enormous quantity of bacillus do not act as visible bacillary forms, but in an invisible corpuscular form. That this is like that is demonstrated by the following observation.
If we take with the handle of sowing, from the viscosities of the dead pig, two equal quantities, and we extend one of them in frolements to observe, after colouring, at microscope, and we extend the other on the surface of agar, we will observe that, while, at the frolement, after being passed through all its extension, only a quantity of bacilli that is not more than ten is observed, but on the surface of the agar, after incubation, more than 300 colonies appear.
As each colony has emerged of a vital unity, it comes that at the frolement, these same vital unities existed, but they were invisible. We see how the environmental factors decide on the pathogenecity of a determined bacterium .The same way these factors can induce, activate or excite the enzymatic aggregations, and virus like grip or cold appear.
Another type of induction could be determined by attack of bacteria through antibiotic action. Once examined the inductor causes, let us check other as interesting aspects.Virus, in their pathogenic action, keeps the bacteria that donated their enzymes. If they are gifted with a determined tropism, the virus will have it increased, because it is a more heterotroph organization and, for this, more exalted in its actuation.
We have seen pest springs where the first pigs attacked, without any pest symptom yet, had the lungs completely invaded by Hemophilus suis and totally massive.
In the pigs that are, coming up ill afterwards the Hemophilus of the lung has disappeared completely but the mass of the lung continues with an already clear picture of lung pest. The Hemophilus has been, in this case, the supplier of the last enzyme and the resultant virus continues with the same characteristic in its pathogenic actuation and with its same tropisms, being the pneumonia produced exclusively by the pest virus.
The dermic, nervous, intestinal and septicemic tropism of the virus of porcine pest at the different sprouts of the illness obey, as a cause, to the fact that the fundamental nucleus of the virus, or its enzyme of pathogenic actuation, is gifted by a bacteria of the same affinity.
We have been also able to prove that, although there is an unitary criterion upon the anti-genicity of the virus of porcine pest, it is not less true that it is constituted by a real antigenic mosaic, result of the different qualities of the aggregated enzymes and that, when it is used in a serum vaccination, a very heterogeneous serum respect the employed virus simultaneously, the serum neutralizes a series of common enzymes, but not others of the enzymatic mosaic of the virus, because its anti is not present in the serum. The macromolecules not totally neutralized are degraded to phage virus, with which they stay inactive; but if the not neutralized enzymes are many, this provirus can complete itself with other types of enzymes different from the ones neutralized by the serum and settle in other bacteria and, occurs, after, then, sooner or later, depending on the time, that the virus has taken in, completing again a pest explosion or a dropping of chronic ills. These are cases known by everybody and have their explanation in these facts.It concludes, in consequence, that pest virus has antigens or common enzymes neutralized by all the anti-serums, but that these common enzymes can be replaced if part of the rest of the antigenic mosaic is left without neutralizing.
From here the necessity of using homologous serums that totally destroy the enzymatic equipment of the virus that we have inoculated simultaneously, because the pest virus - because of the enormous quantity of bacteria that are in contact with the pig - is formed in fraction differently, depending on the quality of the enzymes supplied by different bacteria, although their common and fundamental structure is almost identical in all them.
We have another observation that supports the fact that the viruses are formed by enzymatic aggregations and it is the following: it is known by all veterinaries and dealers how dangerous it is to join in one group pigs of different origin, because pest explosions occur frequently.
The explanation is the following: each lot of pigs had remained healthy because they had not been in contact, at their origin place, with the complete group of bacteria suppliers of enzymes, carrying each lot, either a supplier bacteria or an inactive phage provirus. At common coexistence, they interchange the different pro-viruses and supplier bacteria, being very probable that the enzymatic equipment is completed and, as the enzymatic equipment is the virus, the pest explosion appears.
With these considerations, we finish the part dedicated to the study of formation of classic virus. Before finishing this first work, we will do also a study on the formation of virus of cancer.We have seen before how classic virus are formed by phagic aggregation of a series of enzymes coming from bacteria.
We have also seen how, in their pathogenic performance and tissue tropisms that they carry the impression of the supplier bacteria and, specifically of the pathogenic bacterium that supplied their enzymes. It is logic that, being the virus a more exalted pathogenic entity, because it is more heterotrophic than the pathogenic supplier bacteria, from part of their enzymes, is the virus transmissible in series if the supplier bacteria also are, although at a smaller scale.
With these considerations, it is easy to understand how cancer virus behaves and which is its nature when we do the remarks that follow.
Cancer viruses are not formed by aggregations of bacterial enzymes, but by aggregation of fungi enzymes and of a certain class of fungus and bacteria located biologically in the actinomycetal order; order that is a bridge link between the world of the bacteria and of the fungi.
Among the genders of this order, we find the tuberculosis bacillus, producer, already on its own, thousands of new formations.
The Actinomyces, producer of osseous tumours, the nocardias- producers in some places of the farcinosis of the ox - chronic illness that produces ganglionar tumours very similar in their evolution to the lymphogranuloma of Hodgkins and, at last, the streptomyces gender, producer of almost all the known antibiotics.
The fact that, precisely, a streptomyces has been isolated by us many times in cancerous blood and that this is a supplier of enzymes for the cancer virus, would be a cause that would explain the lack of efficacy of antibiotics in cancer.
The fact that the Hodgkins lymphogranuloma starts usually from tuberculosis lesions would demonstrate the fact that the tuberculosis bacillus can also be supplier of enzymes that contributes to the formation of the virus of lymphogranuloma.
We would like to finish making the following remarks. The mycosis processes, and even the tuberculosis itself, are not transmissible in series by natural contagious, because for that it is necessary a certain individual susceptibility and, besides, in their pathogenic action they tend to locate and to be chronic.
We have said that the viruses carry in their pathogenic actuation the characteristics of the supplier agents of their enzymes and it results of easy understanding that the virus of cancer have the inclination to produce chronic processes, with tendency to location and without tendency to the transmission in series.
As to denounce the presence of a virus it is necessary that it is transmissible in series, causing in animals of experimentation visible pathologic effects, it results that the virus of cancer can not be put in evidence with the current technology, because they are not transmissible in series, and to get this series it would be necessary to discover the 3 or 4 per 1000 of the sensitive persons and establish it with them. However, as sensitivity is not demonstrable, we are at the impossibility of putting them in evidence.
It is very probable that like all the persons suffer an attack of the tuberculosis bacillus that produces a prime infection, calcificated in resistant individuals, we suffer a cancerous prime infection that produces, in not sensitive, a state of particular resistance.
March,5th,1959
We had thought to dedicate this second work to the study of metabolism of filterable virus, but I have considered that the concepts developed in the first work must be widened in order that the mechanism that is exposed becomes clear in all its extension. We leave, so, for the next work all the considerations that refer to metabolic biochemistry of the virus with other derived considerations.
At making a revision of what was exposed before, we are going to examine the problem of the formation of virus from the most elemental to the most complicated, according to the following scale:
- Proenzyme. Enzyme. Phages or virus of bacteria. or provirus. Classic virus. Exit bacterial germs.
The proenzymes, or precursors of enzymes, are apoenzymes produced in a state of catalytic inactivity. The trypsinogen, by example, is produced by the pancreas in an inactive way, and it lacks of action on proteins; but when it arrives to intestine, it is activated by an enzymoide type of substance called enteroquinase, present at intestinal secretions, whose precise nature is unknown, becoming an active protiolytic enzyme: tripsine.
A kind of conjugation of a protein coming from pancreas or proenzyme or inactive apopherment with a factor of another nature, which acting as coenzyme, produces the halopherment tripsine.
We see, then, how to the formation of an enzyme it is necessary, as we said in the first work, a protein nucleus- apopherment - and a fraction of another nature - the coenzyme -, and we have seen how the protein nucleus can have an origin that is completely different from the prosthetic group or coenzyme. These protean nucleuses are real proenzymes, and can come from proteins of the most diverse and multiple origins. The enzymatic proteins are of relative high molecular weight, varying from 40.000,for peroxidase to 250.000,for catalase. They have in common with the rest of the proteins the characteristic of reacting with the action of heat.
Having into account that the viruses have a molecular weight between two and forty million- those of plants -, we will deduce that they are formed by associations of a great number of enzymes.
If we analyze the functions of enzymes in cells and their distribution, we find that almost all cellular enzymes are found in protoplasm. Some of them are soluble compounds of proto and cytoplasm and even it seems very probable that the protein matter of these is formed on the base of enzymatic proteins. There are other many that are firmly joint and form a part of the granular structure of the protoplasm.
In plants, real enzymatic equipments are found, associated to chloroplasts and, others, to mitochondria, as it happens with all the group of enzymes that have a performance in the respiratory oxidation of sugars.
On interpretation of the presence of such enzymatic equipment is that the close aggregation of several enzymes is essential so that the metabolic processes take place and whose reactions go one after the other in a continuous phase series. A consequence of one of these reactions is immediately the next substrate, it is easy to understand that the enzymes that act on them are associated in only one unity, well integrated and organized.
All complex chains of reactions, like breathing, photosynthesis, etc.. have their respective enzymes joint among them, forming complex particles.
We see, in these cases, how activated enzymes can have a tendency to conjugate with independence of the bacterial cells that originated them to suffer a process of vitalization at transforming into Phages and viruses.
Some enzymes seem to be formed only by one protein, others, however, have two portions, as we have said repeatedly.
The creative part, or coenzyme, is of varied nature. In the tirosinase it is constituted by a metallic atom of copper. In addition, zinc, manganesium, magnesium and iron form the prosthetic group of many enzymes. In other cases, the prosthetic
groups are formed by organic substances that are relatively complex, and, it is curious that substances, discovered first as vitamins, we know today that they work as part of the prosthetic group of enzymes.
The prosthetic group of the hidrogenases is the phosphopiridinic nucleotide and the one of the phlavoprotein enzymes, the riboflavin.
With these considerations we can have an idea of the structure of the virus and the provirus, or Phages or virus of bacteria, because from the preceding ideas one deduces that they are formed by a mass of conjugated protein apoenzymes, covered by a mosaic of prosthetic groups in chain, forming an appendix or tail. Each prosthetic group owns in the metabolic cycle a function of link of the chain, at the end of which the energetic liberation is produced.
We must do now a reminding of the current ideas about Phages to deduce after the opportune consequences.
D´Herelle arrived to the conclusion that the bacteria-phage was an ultra-microbe that parasited bacteria, getting their destruction.He also concluded that the bacteriumphage plays a great role in the infection and in the immunity, being the main defence against pathogen invader bacteria, concept, and this last one that was hardly discussed.
About its exact nature some researchers supported D´Herell´s opinion that it was a tiny microbe that lives on the bacteria, while others thought it should be considered an unanimated lisic substance, and others, as an enzyme.Apart from its exact nature, it is undutiful that Phages have a great facility for growing and multiplying, having been demonstrated one time after the other that they have no action on dead germs, and that it shows itself inactive in live organism.
The phage has many characteristics of filterable virus. If virus are of a special structure, the same happens with ph. Through the use of collodion membranes, very carefully graduated in their porosity, it has been demonstrated that there is an outstanding difference in the size of the particles of different pure strains of Phages.From these considerations the proviric nature of the phage comes up clear, because we will agree in the fact that bacteria are live cells, and, however, virus do no multiply in them, whereas Phages act on live cells of superior animals.
Is it not clearly logical then that phages use the bacteria for, besides getting biochemical energy of the metabolic cycles of the bacteria, having it donate voluntary or violently enzymes that are necessary to complete its equipment?
From the size of the Phages, does it not follow that this depends on the aggregated number of enzymes in its aspiration to major autonomy of biochemical actuation?
In addition, why if the concept of D´Herelle is true, the ingest of typhic Phages, by example, does not cure the typhic, as he thought it would happen?The metabolic cycles of bacteria and of live cells of organized beings are so similar - at least some of them - that there would not be a fundamental motive that they multiply at the presence of live bacteria and in growing and not at the presence of live cells of animals or plants.
It is very probable that the phage, acting on the surface of the bacteria or getting through them, derivates an energetic cycle to multiply actively, obtaining that the bacteria release certain enzymes that it is interested in and aggregate it to their structure.
It is because of this that some Phages only attack bacteria with antigen Vi. What it is interested in is only these antigens that can become enzymes and not the cellular structure of the bacteria itself.
We are not trying to set a discussion about Phages being provirus or not.
Still very gar from knowing the secrets of the enzymatic activities - because there are cells whose enzymes are more than hundreds and whose mechanisms we do not know almost in their totality - we do not aim that there is a taxative separation between the concept of phage and virus, over all when we have established that a virus, as in the case of formation of variants in the virus of the glosopeda, can act also as a phage in certain circumstances.
It is proved that the Phages of low molecular weight - consequently with few enzymes - produce, in the culture of bacteria in solid media, big lytic bald patches, whereas the ones of high molecular weight - of major enzymatic complexity - produce smaller bald patches as their size increases.
Therefore, there is a relation between the size of the phage and its lytic activity, being curious that that the Phages of greater size own progressively less lytic activity. When it should occur on the contrary, since in a more perfect organization there should be a lytic activity.
As the enzymatic equipment becomes bigger, the activity of bacteria decreases, until, sensibleness, it passes from being a bacterial virus to a parasite virus of live animal cells or pants. This could have its explanation. The live cells of superior animals are gifted of a great number of enzymes, but due to the sharing of the physiologic work in these beings, they own quite less than the bacterial cell, that, because it is autonomous, has to carry complete enzymatic equipments to make multiple biochemical actions.
Because the Phages have little molecular weight, few enzymes are more in need of them than the ones of great volume, and, because of this they rest to the bacterial molecule they attack a great number of enzymes, which makes them more virulent to them.
The enzymes of great molecular weight, because they need less enzymes, allow the bacterial cell to be able to substitute the extracted ones, but on behalf on a wide mutation in its biochemical action, and, therefore, in its antigenic constitution.
Due to the new adaptation enzymes that the bacteria puts into action in order to substitute the lost ones, the bacteria does not die, but suffers a vitreous degeneration or just a mutation that is more or less profound depending on the quantity of enzymes lost.
When the enzymatic equipment is completed it does not need to capture more bacteria from bacteria any more, and, it is in conditions of intercepting the metabolic cycles of live cells of organized beings.
Of course, it is clear that the fact of the completion of the enzymatic equipment does not mean they have acquired a superior grade of autotrophy, but, on the contrary, they have to start from defined substrates and previously obtained by alive cells as a consequence of their metabolism, but already from this substrate they can free energy.
If, going out of the field of the virus, we go up to the field of the germs, immediately more autotrophous, we see, by example, how the Pertusis Bacillus grows well around colonies of staphylococcus, and how, many other germs need factors that are in animal blood.
These factors they need are enzymes produced by the staphylococcus, in the first case, and, enzymes produced by blood, in the second case; as it happens in the germs of the Haemophilus.
We are going out of the links of the virus to the live cells because of peremptory necessities of substrata and because of defect of wideness of enzymatic equipments, since its smallness demonstrates that they can not own a great enzymatic complexity, and we find other germs that although already can live outside the live cell, need enzymes produced by live cells, like the case of the Pertusis. In these germs there still are enzymatic deficiencies, and although they already use wider substrates, they still need a support or a help of enzymes elaborated by other beings in their metabolic cycles.
Another fact would confirm the concepts established until now. We know that gutter water, rivers and in general places where there are bacterial accumulations coming from numerous places are outsprings of Phages, virus of bacteria.
We find ourselves, then, in the same case quoted in the previous work, that the reunion of pigs of different background causes, in the majority of the cases, explosion with the apparition of the virus of porcine pest. It is logic that this occurs, in the case of porcine pest, by accumulation of numerous bacteria of different class and origin and the apparition of Phages in cloacal waters, gutters, rivers in the outskirts of towns, by the accumulation of bacteria of different origin. The mechanic of the formation is the same.
Therefore, well, the formation of the classic virus is much more difficult than the virus of bacteria, since its enzymatic complexity is much bigger. Virus and Phages are, then, autonomous enzymatic equipments that vitalize when they are able to derivate their own metabolic cycle of energetic detachment.
As they are very elemental equipments, they are, essentially heterotroph, needing, ones, the vital cycles of bacteria and the others, the vital cycles of superior animals.
But, as bacteria are living cells, their only difference is in the amount of their enzymatic equipments and, in consequence, in their volume.
The phage, uses, then, the bacteria in two senses: one, to derivate its own metabolic cycles, that allow it to grow and multiply, and another, to aggregate part of its enzymes.
In many cases, the phage penetrates inside the bacteria and multiplies actively after having added new enzymes, and the bacteria, because of the increase of volume by the multiplication that is taking place inside of it, blows up.
In other cases, when the bacteria can substitute qualitatively the enzymes taken away by the phage with other that are complementary, but different, it survives, but on behalf of a mutation in its structure.
In other occasions, when the phage captures exoenzymes, the bacteria is not alterated and there is no bacteriphagia nor other visible phenomena.
There are still other considerations to make that refer to the formation in certain, determinate type of virus of bacterial forms. of exit.
We have said that virus are formed by protein little spheres associated in a unique mass, that constitute the addition of all joint apoenzymes and by series of coenzymes that can be found in the form of a slight mosaic membrane or in an appendicular form.
Well then: we have been able to prove hundreds of times, and these were sorks done around l942, that in certain virus and in certain conditions, these complex spheres, which form the protean nucleus of the virus, grow and is surrounded by a membrane, and, in a show off of autotrophism, become bacteria.
In the virus of porcine pest, we obtained it several times in the form of a diplococus coming from the transformation of the virus. However, this transformation has, as a consequence the loss of pathogenecity and the antigenic specificity.
We have seen that this mass is formed by proteins; but these proteins are linked by a structure of ribonucleinic acids or nucleotids.
It is, then, a structure of proteins of relatively high molecular weight associated with nucleonic acids for constituting a chemical structure of a desoxiribo or ribo nucleoprotein.
It is curious that genes have also the same constitution, because, although they form a physiologically well defined unit, cytological they would be formed by one or more active zones of polipeptidic chains and chains of nucleonic acids more or less extended and separated by inactive zones formed by other polipeptidic chains.
The cromosomic gene has inside the volitive act of duplication, and starts in the cell the process of multiplying.
The virus and Phages that have the same structure, are also able to, in determinate specific conditions, start volitive a duplication of the matter.
We are in front of the fact that a determinate physical and chemical structure in which proportionally and quantitatively certain combinations of polypeptides or proteins and nucleic acids intervene has inside a vitalization desire, accomplished practically when special circumstances concur.
However, this will be treated widely in the following work.
I'll copy here the first chapter of Chacon's book available online (and in other posts, I'll copy the restant ones). All of this information is extracted from this Spanish website (Chacon's texts are in English).
Before reading Chacon's ideas, you should know what a prion is. According to wikipedia: "A prion (pronounced /ˈpriː.ɒn/ (Speaker Icon.svg listen)[1]) is an infectious agent that is composed primarily of protein. To date, all such agents that have been discovered propagate by transmitting a mis-folded protein state; the protein itself does not self-replicate and the process is dependent on the presence of the polypeptide in the host organism.[2] The mis-folded form of the prion protein has been implicated in a number of diseases in a variety of mammals, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as "mad cow disease") in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and AIDS in humans. All known prion diseases affect the structure of the brain or other neural tissue, and all are currently untreatable and are always fatal.[3] In general usage, prion refers to the theoretical unit of infection. In scientific notation, PrPC refers to the endogenous form of prion protein (PrP), which is found in a multitude of tissues, while PrPSc refers to the misfolded form of PrP, that is responsible for the formation of amyloid plaques and neurodegeneration."
A explanation for lay people about a "prion" is given by Dr.Michael Geschwind in this video:
Another interesting video on prions is this:
Now, let's see the first part of Chacon's text:
FOREWORD
Dr. Chacón's research, published at the time, shows an evolution which arrives to a final conclusion. BIO-BAC is not fruit of one day. It is the result of 50 years of work, since when Dr. Chacón started to publish he had already been researching for years. By reading the book, you will be able to observe the development of the work of a pure scientist who sacrificed his life for mankind.
CLASSIC VIRUS AND CANCER VIRUS - I
January 20th 1959 - by Fernando Chacón Mejías
FORMATION AND NATURE OF THE VIRUS
The fact of having achieved to conclusions that I judge to be interesting in this field of science and our belief that, at obtaining them, we have acquired an ethical obligation with our equals, moves us to give account of the concepts reached along eighteen years of research on virus in this series of works.
We are only exposing fundamental ideas, perhaps rather schematically, but enough to be understood easily.
As every experiment that embraces a wide field - impossible to explore by a single person with few media -maybe it has lack of details, but the matter of profoundness has been confirmed by a thorough and detailed observation through time in numerous cases of epi and enzooties.
In order to get a better efficiency, we united in only one person the microbiologist and the clinic and we moved the experimental laboratory to the country. The conclusions of the clinic passed through the sanction of the microbiologist and vice versa.
We judge that the problems studied have become partially solved and some of them seem in a definitive and practical route of solution.
From the beginning, we considered it the problem as directly related to cancer. We have fought in this field without fainting year after year, encouraged by several members of the medical class who supplied us with extracted tumours of diverse characteristics.Without more introduction, I want you to enter with me in this marvellous world where life is born in its most elemental shape. Where the addition of inert molecules that are lacking of own life cause, by association, a molecular complex gifted with own life and susceptible of multiplying, although this multiplication is related to the presence of live cells. The concepts exposed here do not modify at all the current points of view, but they complete wide sectors that are completely unknown.
We have always considered, and so it is admitted, that a determined virus comes, from the point of view of ontogeny, from another that is equal, because it is a biologically defined specie and even included as such in the microbiologic systematic. We see the matter as a whole with a less simple point of view and partially wider also.
It is true that any virus comes by multiplication in live cells from another equal macromolecule, but we have arrived at the conclusion that, at their origin, viruses do not come from other that are equal, but are formed by enzymatic aggregations, that come from different bacteria, and, only when these aggregations have been quantitative and qualitative made, in a determined proportion, the virus appears as such, with its entourage of pathogenic effects and is studied by the virologist.
We are going to explain how viruses are formed and the mechanism that enzymes employ to become virus by association.
Luis Pasteur believed that unfolding of sugars into alcohol and carbonic acid was due to the vital action of yeasts or "figured ferments," but in 1897, Buchner tore the yeast with sand in a mortar and, by filtration, he obtained a juice free of yeast. This filtrated had the capacity of fermenting glucose, demonstrating that the unfolding of sugars is done catalytically by a not living substratum. These substances were called " not figured ferments", and later, enzymes.
In yeast, as in all micro organisms, there are enzymes, made by them, which although being substances that are not live, perform a bio-chemical function, with absolute autonomy of the being that created them.
The presence of the organism, creator of enzymes, is not necessary for them to act, having, besides, each enzyme a specific biochemical function. Fischer said that the enzyme is to the substratum on which it acts as the key to its lock.
Everybody knows that the complete enzyme or halo-ferment is formed by two fractions: one fraction is called apoferment, of protean nature and specific character, and another called co-ferment, of lipid nature, that gives the character of specificity to the enzyme.
From the experiences of Buchner it is concluded that, although, the enzymes are not live substances; they are created by live beings and act with independence from them.
Really, these autonomous functions of the enzymes cannot be considered as vital manifestations, because the enzymes do not multiply by themselves, but they have to be produced by more or less organized beings.
However, these autonomous manifestations have an activity, that is, itself, the most elemental manifestation of vitality.
From this stammering of vitality stems the series of phenomena that will cause the formation of phage first, and, after, the formation of virus, as a superior organization.
An isolated enzyme is only a link of a chain of enzymes elaborated by a determined living being, with the aim of transforming the feeding substratum and take care of its synthesis and energetic capture.
But the isolated enzyme tries to get independence from the organism that created it, trying to form an enzymatic independent equipment that, completing a biochemical cycle outstandingly heterotroph, gives it the necessary resources - by the capture of vital cycles of the cell in which they live to its own synthesis.
The enzymes that have to meet in a equipment have to compound a defined series and these different enzymes are not found together in only one bacteria or inferior micro-organism.
When an isolated enzyme meets one of its complement - not of the complements produced by a determined bacteria, but of the ones that are going to form independent equipment from the bacteria to constitute the virus - joins it, forming a bi-enzymatic being.
This bi-enzymatic being can go on adding exo-enzymes coming from other bacteria, but if it is one enzyme that it needs to add, then it acts as phage and sets free the enzyme from the soma of the bacteria by lysis of it.
In this last case, the bi, tri, etc. enzyme multiplies actively around or inside the bacteria whose enzyme is trying to set free, and so, either by voluntary donation or by forced donation, the bacteria gives up the new enzyme, that begins to form part of the elemental team that attacked it.
We are so at the presence of the multiplication process of the most elemental being, the phage, produced by the aggregation of two or more enzymes without the capacity of isolated multiplication.
However, the phage is an enzymatic incomplete equipment that tries to complete itself, it is virus that is not yet bio-chemically gifted to set free energy of the vital cycles of the live cells.
Therefore, it stays in the most complete inactivity, capturing exo-enzymes, maybe using chemo tactile; but it multiplies again actively at the presence of a bacteria from which it has to liberate an endo-enzyme.
Well: when the enzymatic equipment completes itself by the capture of the enzyme that was missing, then it acquires a different type of autonomy. It can already multiply itself, using the vital cycles of the living cells. It is already a virus the way the virologist knows it.
Explaining this phenomenon simply, as it has been done, it would come up that all enzymes tend to form enzymatic equipment that are complete and independent, and, in consequence, the emergence of saprophyte or pathogenic virus would be of alarming frequency.
However, for starting the chain association an induction is needed. It is necessary that an activated and induced enzyme starts the associative tendency.
This induction or activation is provoked through different route. First, let us consider the immune induction.It is done as follows: a bacteria, generally pathogenic, of any nature determines a chronic or acute type infection in a superior being, who, because of the attack, saturates itself with defences against such bacteria, and so natural immunity is produced.
The virulent, ordinary bacteria are blocked by the organic defences that stop its normal development, being, at the end, thrown out, destroyed or inactivated. It is in this moment when certain enzymes of this bacteria are activated and induced to get independent, trying to create an enzymatic equipment through its union with other enzymes of different origin, determining first the formation of a phage element and, after, at completing, a virus.
This must occur in some endemic typhus because, first the phage appears in convalescents and after, in the cured patient, a viral encephalitis is produced which, often is mortal.
The encephalitic virus has not come from contagion, but has been created inside the ill person by the explained mechanism.
All virosis come up due to this mechanism. The initial virus is elaborated by this mechanism and, if it can be spread, the epidemic chain starts from the individual or individuals that first created it. Once the chain of transmission has started, the virus already works as a being gifted with life, and all the viruses that come after have their origin from the ones initially created. We no longer can prejudge their formation.
From this reasoning, a logical consequence comes up and this is that if in a determined country there are not all the bacteria that quantitative and qualitative have to give the different enzymes to form a virus, this stays incomplete and such virus is never formed. The most that can happen is that a more or less complicated provirus or phage will be formed, that does not multiply in the presence of live cells of superior animals. This way this virus cannot be constituted endemically or through enzootic route in the country.
When in this country all the bacteria able to complete the enzymatic equipment of a determined virus are found, and then the virosis will be endemic in the country. If not, it has to come by epidemic via.
When a bacteria that is donator of enzymes is habitual guest of insects, the phage provirus, formed in man or animal, has to pass through vector insects in order that the provirus, at completing the equipment in the insect, becomes a virus.
In addition, through this mechanism, a series of facts can occur that produce the different antigenic variants of a determined virus. Let us suppose a virus with antigenic variants, as for example the glossopedic virus. Let us calculate for it, as a minimum quantity of enzymes that can form it, seven. This virus is of a determined antigenic quality; but that virus that multiplies in front of the live cell as a perfect virus, can meet, at a determined moment and in other region of the country from where the epizooty started, a determined bacteria that can give it another exo or endo-enzyme and then, though it is already a perfect virus, it acts on the bacteria or in its exo-enzyme as a phage, adding itself to the new enzyme. This brings as a consequence that the final product of its metabolism, because of having widen the range of action of the biochemical equipment, is different, with which it has changed from an anti-gene point of view, emerging, through an apparent mutation a new antigenic variant.
However, there are other procedures of activation or enzymatic induction, and another of them is the telluric or radioactive activation. Let us put an example that will explain us the mechanism of such activation.
There are bacteria, like the bacillus of the red evil of pig, that do not act in summer, at least in this zone- and that however provoke real massive invasions in stormy and cold autumn weather. It is a matter of telluric factors that we are far from knowing, but that observation and practice give us the evidence doubtlessly.
It is also possible to proof that cyclically, each twelve or thirteen years approximately -maybe coinciding with periods of maximum solar radioactive activity- devastating red evil epizooties appear. In almost all the springs of red evil, an enormous quantity of bacillus do not act as visible bacillary forms, but in an invisible corpuscular form. That this is like that is demonstrated by the following observation.
If we take with the handle of sowing, from the viscosities of the dead pig, two equal quantities, and we extend one of them in frolements to observe, after colouring, at microscope, and we extend the other on the surface of agar, we will observe that, while, at the frolement, after being passed through all its extension, only a quantity of bacilli that is not more than ten is observed, but on the surface of the agar, after incubation, more than 300 colonies appear.
As each colony has emerged of a vital unity, it comes that at the frolement, these same vital unities existed, but they were invisible. We see how the environmental factors decide on the pathogenecity of a determined bacterium .The same way these factors can induce, activate or excite the enzymatic aggregations, and virus like grip or cold appear.
Another type of induction could be determined by attack of bacteria through antibiotic action. Once examined the inductor causes, let us check other as interesting aspects.Virus, in their pathogenic action, keeps the bacteria that donated their enzymes. If they are gifted with a determined tropism, the virus will have it increased, because it is a more heterotroph organization and, for this, more exalted in its actuation.
We have seen pest springs where the first pigs attacked, without any pest symptom yet, had the lungs completely invaded by Hemophilus suis and totally massive.
In the pigs that are, coming up ill afterwards the Hemophilus of the lung has disappeared completely but the mass of the lung continues with an already clear picture of lung pest. The Hemophilus has been, in this case, the supplier of the last enzyme and the resultant virus continues with the same characteristic in its pathogenic actuation and with its same tropisms, being the pneumonia produced exclusively by the pest virus.
The dermic, nervous, intestinal and septicemic tropism of the virus of porcine pest at the different sprouts of the illness obey, as a cause, to the fact that the fundamental nucleus of the virus, or its enzyme of pathogenic actuation, is gifted by a bacteria of the same affinity.
We have been also able to prove that, although there is an unitary criterion upon the anti-genicity of the virus of porcine pest, it is not less true that it is constituted by a real antigenic mosaic, result of the different qualities of the aggregated enzymes and that, when it is used in a serum vaccination, a very heterogeneous serum respect the employed virus simultaneously, the serum neutralizes a series of common enzymes, but not others of the enzymatic mosaic of the virus, because its anti is not present in the serum. The macromolecules not totally neutralized are degraded to phage virus, with which they stay inactive; but if the not neutralized enzymes are many, this provirus can complete itself with other types of enzymes different from the ones neutralized by the serum and settle in other bacteria and, occurs, after, then, sooner or later, depending on the time, that the virus has taken in, completing again a pest explosion or a dropping of chronic ills. These are cases known by everybody and have their explanation in these facts.It concludes, in consequence, that pest virus has antigens or common enzymes neutralized by all the anti-serums, but that these common enzymes can be replaced if part of the rest of the antigenic mosaic is left without neutralizing.
From here the necessity of using homologous serums that totally destroy the enzymatic equipment of the virus that we have inoculated simultaneously, because the pest virus - because of the enormous quantity of bacteria that are in contact with the pig - is formed in fraction differently, depending on the quality of the enzymes supplied by different bacteria, although their common and fundamental structure is almost identical in all them.
We have another observation that supports the fact that the viruses are formed by enzymatic aggregations and it is the following: it is known by all veterinaries and dealers how dangerous it is to join in one group pigs of different origin, because pest explosions occur frequently.
The explanation is the following: each lot of pigs had remained healthy because they had not been in contact, at their origin place, with the complete group of bacteria suppliers of enzymes, carrying each lot, either a supplier bacteria or an inactive phage provirus. At common coexistence, they interchange the different pro-viruses and supplier bacteria, being very probable that the enzymatic equipment is completed and, as the enzymatic equipment is the virus, the pest explosion appears.
With these considerations, we finish the part dedicated to the study of formation of classic virus. Before finishing this first work, we will do also a study on the formation of virus of cancer.We have seen before how classic virus are formed by phagic aggregation of a series of enzymes coming from bacteria.
We have also seen how, in their pathogenic performance and tissue tropisms that they carry the impression of the supplier bacteria and, specifically of the pathogenic bacterium that supplied their enzymes. It is logic that, being the virus a more exalted pathogenic entity, because it is more heterotrophic than the pathogenic supplier bacteria, from part of their enzymes, is the virus transmissible in series if the supplier bacteria also are, although at a smaller scale.
With these considerations, it is easy to understand how cancer virus behaves and which is its nature when we do the remarks that follow.
Cancer viruses are not formed by aggregations of bacterial enzymes, but by aggregation of fungi enzymes and of a certain class of fungus and bacteria located biologically in the actinomycetal order; order that is a bridge link between the world of the bacteria and of the fungi.
Among the genders of this order, we find the tuberculosis bacillus, producer, already on its own, thousands of new formations.
The Actinomyces, producer of osseous tumours, the nocardias- producers in some places of the farcinosis of the ox - chronic illness that produces ganglionar tumours very similar in their evolution to the lymphogranuloma of Hodgkins and, at last, the streptomyces gender, producer of almost all the known antibiotics.
The fact that, precisely, a streptomyces has been isolated by us many times in cancerous blood and that this is a supplier of enzymes for the cancer virus, would be a cause that would explain the lack of efficacy of antibiotics in cancer.
The fact that the Hodgkins lymphogranuloma starts usually from tuberculosis lesions would demonstrate the fact that the tuberculosis bacillus can also be supplier of enzymes that contributes to the formation of the virus of lymphogranuloma.
We would like to finish making the following remarks. The mycosis processes, and even the tuberculosis itself, are not transmissible in series by natural contagious, because for that it is necessary a certain individual susceptibility and, besides, in their pathogenic action they tend to locate and to be chronic.
We have said that the viruses carry in their pathogenic actuation the characteristics of the supplier agents of their enzymes and it results of easy understanding that the virus of cancer have the inclination to produce chronic processes, with tendency to location and without tendency to the transmission in series.
As to denounce the presence of a virus it is necessary that it is transmissible in series, causing in animals of experimentation visible pathologic effects, it results that the virus of cancer can not be put in evidence with the current technology, because they are not transmissible in series, and to get this series it would be necessary to discover the 3 or 4 per 1000 of the sensitive persons and establish it with them. However, as sensitivity is not demonstrable, we are at the impossibility of putting them in evidence.
It is very probable that like all the persons suffer an attack of the tuberculosis bacillus that produces a prime infection, calcificated in resistant individuals, we suffer a cancerous prime infection that produces, in not sensitive, a state of particular resistance.
March,5th,1959
We had thought to dedicate this second work to the study of metabolism of filterable virus, but I have considered that the concepts developed in the first work must be widened in order that the mechanism that is exposed becomes clear in all its extension. We leave, so, for the next work all the considerations that refer to metabolic biochemistry of the virus with other derived considerations.
At making a revision of what was exposed before, we are going to examine the problem of the formation of virus from the most elemental to the most complicated, according to the following scale:
- Proenzyme. Enzyme. Phages or virus of bacteria. or provirus. Classic virus. Exit bacterial germs.
The proenzymes, or precursors of enzymes, are apoenzymes produced in a state of catalytic inactivity. The trypsinogen, by example, is produced by the pancreas in an inactive way, and it lacks of action on proteins; but when it arrives to intestine, it is activated by an enzymoide type of substance called enteroquinase, present at intestinal secretions, whose precise nature is unknown, becoming an active protiolytic enzyme: tripsine.
A kind of conjugation of a protein coming from pancreas or proenzyme or inactive apopherment with a factor of another nature, which acting as coenzyme, produces the halopherment tripsine.
We see, then, how to the formation of an enzyme it is necessary, as we said in the first work, a protein nucleus- apopherment - and a fraction of another nature - the coenzyme -, and we have seen how the protein nucleus can have an origin that is completely different from the prosthetic group or coenzyme. These protean nucleuses are real proenzymes, and can come from proteins of the most diverse and multiple origins. The enzymatic proteins are of relative high molecular weight, varying from 40.000,for peroxidase to 250.000,for catalase. They have in common with the rest of the proteins the characteristic of reacting with the action of heat.
Having into account that the viruses have a molecular weight between two and forty million- those of plants -, we will deduce that they are formed by associations of a great number of enzymes.
If we analyze the functions of enzymes in cells and their distribution, we find that almost all cellular enzymes are found in protoplasm. Some of them are soluble compounds of proto and cytoplasm and even it seems very probable that the protein matter of these is formed on the base of enzymatic proteins. There are other many that are firmly joint and form a part of the granular structure of the protoplasm.
In plants, real enzymatic equipments are found, associated to chloroplasts and, others, to mitochondria, as it happens with all the group of enzymes that have a performance in the respiratory oxidation of sugars.
On interpretation of the presence of such enzymatic equipment is that the close aggregation of several enzymes is essential so that the metabolic processes take place and whose reactions go one after the other in a continuous phase series. A consequence of one of these reactions is immediately the next substrate, it is easy to understand that the enzymes that act on them are associated in only one unity, well integrated and organized.
All complex chains of reactions, like breathing, photosynthesis, etc.. have their respective enzymes joint among them, forming complex particles.
We see, in these cases, how activated enzymes can have a tendency to conjugate with independence of the bacterial cells that originated them to suffer a process of vitalization at transforming into Phages and viruses.
Some enzymes seem to be formed only by one protein, others, however, have two portions, as we have said repeatedly.
The creative part, or coenzyme, is of varied nature. In the tirosinase it is constituted by a metallic atom of copper. In addition, zinc, manganesium, magnesium and iron form the prosthetic group of many enzymes. In other cases, the prosthetic
groups are formed by organic substances that are relatively complex, and, it is curious that substances, discovered first as vitamins, we know today that they work as part of the prosthetic group of enzymes.
The prosthetic group of the hidrogenases is the phosphopiridinic nucleotide and the one of the phlavoprotein enzymes, the riboflavin.
With these considerations we can have an idea of the structure of the virus and the provirus, or Phages or virus of bacteria, because from the preceding ideas one deduces that they are formed by a mass of conjugated protein apoenzymes, covered by a mosaic of prosthetic groups in chain, forming an appendix or tail. Each prosthetic group owns in the metabolic cycle a function of link of the chain, at the end of which the energetic liberation is produced.
We must do now a reminding of the current ideas about Phages to deduce after the opportune consequences.
D´Herelle arrived to the conclusion that the bacteria-phage was an ultra-microbe that parasited bacteria, getting their destruction.He also concluded that the bacteriumphage plays a great role in the infection and in the immunity, being the main defence against pathogen invader bacteria, concept, and this last one that was hardly discussed.
About its exact nature some researchers supported D´Herell´s opinion that it was a tiny microbe that lives on the bacteria, while others thought it should be considered an unanimated lisic substance, and others, as an enzyme.Apart from its exact nature, it is undutiful that Phages have a great facility for growing and multiplying, having been demonstrated one time after the other that they have no action on dead germs, and that it shows itself inactive in live organism.
The phage has many characteristics of filterable virus. If virus are of a special structure, the same happens with ph. Through the use of collodion membranes, very carefully graduated in their porosity, it has been demonstrated that there is an outstanding difference in the size of the particles of different pure strains of Phages.From these considerations the proviric nature of the phage comes up clear, because we will agree in the fact that bacteria are live cells, and, however, virus do no multiply in them, whereas Phages act on live cells of superior animals.
Is it not clearly logical then that phages use the bacteria for, besides getting biochemical energy of the metabolic cycles of the bacteria, having it donate voluntary or violently enzymes that are necessary to complete its equipment?
From the size of the Phages, does it not follow that this depends on the aggregated number of enzymes in its aspiration to major autonomy of biochemical actuation?
In addition, why if the concept of D´Herelle is true, the ingest of typhic Phages, by example, does not cure the typhic, as he thought it would happen?The metabolic cycles of bacteria and of live cells of organized beings are so similar - at least some of them - that there would not be a fundamental motive that they multiply at the presence of live bacteria and in growing and not at the presence of live cells of animals or plants.
It is very probable that the phage, acting on the surface of the bacteria or getting through them, derivates an energetic cycle to multiply actively, obtaining that the bacteria release certain enzymes that it is interested in and aggregate it to their structure.
It is because of this that some Phages only attack bacteria with antigen Vi. What it is interested in is only these antigens that can become enzymes and not the cellular structure of the bacteria itself.
We are not trying to set a discussion about Phages being provirus or not.
Still very gar from knowing the secrets of the enzymatic activities - because there are cells whose enzymes are more than hundreds and whose mechanisms we do not know almost in their totality - we do not aim that there is a taxative separation between the concept of phage and virus, over all when we have established that a virus, as in the case of formation of variants in the virus of the glosopeda, can act also as a phage in certain circumstances.
It is proved that the Phages of low molecular weight - consequently with few enzymes - produce, in the culture of bacteria in solid media, big lytic bald patches, whereas the ones of high molecular weight - of major enzymatic complexity - produce smaller bald patches as their size increases.
Therefore, there is a relation between the size of the phage and its lytic activity, being curious that that the Phages of greater size own progressively less lytic activity. When it should occur on the contrary, since in a more perfect organization there should be a lytic activity.
As the enzymatic equipment becomes bigger, the activity of bacteria decreases, until, sensibleness, it passes from being a bacterial virus to a parasite virus of live animal cells or pants. This could have its explanation. The live cells of superior animals are gifted of a great number of enzymes, but due to the sharing of the physiologic work in these beings, they own quite less than the bacterial cell, that, because it is autonomous, has to carry complete enzymatic equipments to make multiple biochemical actions.
Because the Phages have little molecular weight, few enzymes are more in need of them than the ones of great volume, and, because of this they rest to the bacterial molecule they attack a great number of enzymes, which makes them more virulent to them.
The enzymes of great molecular weight, because they need less enzymes, allow the bacterial cell to be able to substitute the extracted ones, but on behalf on a wide mutation in its biochemical action, and, therefore, in its antigenic constitution.
Due to the new adaptation enzymes that the bacteria puts into action in order to substitute the lost ones, the bacteria does not die, but suffers a vitreous degeneration or just a mutation that is more or less profound depending on the quantity of enzymes lost.
When the enzymatic equipment is completed it does not need to capture more bacteria from bacteria any more, and, it is in conditions of intercepting the metabolic cycles of live cells of organized beings.
Of course, it is clear that the fact of the completion of the enzymatic equipment does not mean they have acquired a superior grade of autotrophy, but, on the contrary, they have to start from defined substrates and previously obtained by alive cells as a consequence of their metabolism, but already from this substrate they can free energy.
If, going out of the field of the virus, we go up to the field of the germs, immediately more autotrophous, we see, by example, how the Pertusis Bacillus grows well around colonies of staphylococcus, and how, many other germs need factors that are in animal blood.
These factors they need are enzymes produced by the staphylococcus, in the first case, and, enzymes produced by blood, in the second case; as it happens in the germs of the Haemophilus.
We are going out of the links of the virus to the live cells because of peremptory necessities of substrata and because of defect of wideness of enzymatic equipments, since its smallness demonstrates that they can not own a great enzymatic complexity, and we find other germs that although already can live outside the live cell, need enzymes produced by live cells, like the case of the Pertusis. In these germs there still are enzymatic deficiencies, and although they already use wider substrates, they still need a support or a help of enzymes elaborated by other beings in their metabolic cycles.
Another fact would confirm the concepts established until now. We know that gutter water, rivers and in general places where there are bacterial accumulations coming from numerous places are outsprings of Phages, virus of bacteria.
We find ourselves, then, in the same case quoted in the previous work, that the reunion of pigs of different background causes, in the majority of the cases, explosion with the apparition of the virus of porcine pest. It is logic that this occurs, in the case of porcine pest, by accumulation of numerous bacteria of different class and origin and the apparition of Phages in cloacal waters, gutters, rivers in the outskirts of towns, by the accumulation of bacteria of different origin. The mechanic of the formation is the same.
Therefore, well, the formation of the classic virus is much more difficult than the virus of bacteria, since its enzymatic complexity is much bigger. Virus and Phages are, then, autonomous enzymatic equipments that vitalize when they are able to derivate their own metabolic cycle of energetic detachment.
As they are very elemental equipments, they are, essentially heterotroph, needing, ones, the vital cycles of bacteria and the others, the vital cycles of superior animals.
But, as bacteria are living cells, their only difference is in the amount of their enzymatic equipments and, in consequence, in their volume.
The phage, uses, then, the bacteria in two senses: one, to derivate its own metabolic cycles, that allow it to grow and multiply, and another, to aggregate part of its enzymes.
In many cases, the phage penetrates inside the bacteria and multiplies actively after having added new enzymes, and the bacteria, because of the increase of volume by the multiplication that is taking place inside of it, blows up.
In other cases, when the bacteria can substitute qualitatively the enzymes taken away by the phage with other that are complementary, but different, it survives, but on behalf of a mutation in its structure.
In other occasions, when the phage captures exoenzymes, the bacteria is not alterated and there is no bacteriphagia nor other visible phenomena.
There are still other considerations to make that refer to the formation in certain, determinate type of virus of bacterial forms. of exit.
We have said that virus are formed by protein little spheres associated in a unique mass, that constitute the addition of all joint apoenzymes and by series of coenzymes that can be found in the form of a slight mosaic membrane or in an appendicular form.
Well then: we have been able to prove hundreds of times, and these were sorks done around l942, that in certain virus and in certain conditions, these complex spheres, which form the protean nucleus of the virus, grow and is surrounded by a membrane, and, in a show off of autotrophism, become bacteria.
In the virus of porcine pest, we obtained it several times in the form of a diplococus coming from the transformation of the virus. However, this transformation has, as a consequence the loss of pathogenecity and the antigenic specificity.
We have seen that this mass is formed by proteins; but these proteins are linked by a structure of ribonucleinic acids or nucleotids.
It is, then, a structure of proteins of relatively high molecular weight associated with nucleonic acids for constituting a chemical structure of a desoxiribo or ribo nucleoprotein.
It is curious that genes have also the same constitution, because, although they form a physiologically well defined unit, cytological they would be formed by one or more active zones of polipeptidic chains and chains of nucleonic acids more or less extended and separated by inactive zones formed by other polipeptidic chains.
The cromosomic gene has inside the volitive act of duplication, and starts in the cell the process of multiplying.
The virus and Phages that have the same structure, are also able to, in determinate specific conditions, start volitive a duplication of the matter.
We are in front of the fact that a determinate physical and chemical structure in which proportionally and quantitatively certain combinations of polypeptides or proteins and nucleic acids intervene has inside a vitalization desire, accomplished practically when special circumstances concur.
However, this will be treated widely in the following work.
0 comments:
Post a Comment