Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii from goats from Brazil

Goats are economically important in many countries, and little is known of caprine toxoplasmosis in Brazil. Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were assayed in the sera of 143 goats from 3 Brazilian states, using modified agglutination test (MAT titer > or = 1:25); 46 (32.2%) tested positive. Samples of brain, heart, diaphragm, and masseter of seropositive animals were pooled, digested in pepsin, and bioassayed in mice. Viable T. gondii specimens were isolated from tissue homogenates of 12 goats; the isolates were designated TgGtBr1-12. Ten of the 12 isolates killed 100% of infected mice, indicating that goats can harbor mouse-virulent T. gondii and, hence, can serve as a source of infection for humans.     

Isolation of protein from humic acid extracted from soil

Summary Chromatography of humic acid in a phenol containing solvent system reveals, in the case of the three types of soil analyzed, the presence of humoprotein containing 11 per cent of nitrogen. Isolation of a humoprotein complex from humic acid, according to the method used by Kirby, followed by paper chromatography allowed the isolation of a protein fraction containing 14.8 per cent nitrogen. This fraction is not dialysable; it has a maximum absorption in ultraviolet light between 260–280 mµ, a small electronegative charge and gives rise to twenty different amino acids. This is the first time that a protein has been separated from humus. Thereby demonstrating that part of the nitrogen contained in humic acid is in the form of protein protected from decomposition.Research supported by the Institut pour l'Encouragement de la Recherche Scientifique dans l'Industrie et l'Agriculture (I.R.S.I.A.).     

Identification of trypanosomes isolated from reduviidae from north Chile

Examination of 54 Triatoma infestans from a village near the European Southern Observatory La Silla in Chile and of 9 Triatoma spinolai from the territory of the observatory showed that 10 T. infestans were infected with trypanosomatids. Mice were infected with in vitro cultures initiated with five different trypanosomatid isolates and treated with the immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide to increase the parasitemia of the flagellates. Evidence of the presence of T. cruzi was provided by a comparative biometrical analysis of blood trypomastigotes and the occurrence of intracellular amastigotes. Three methods for further identification were used: examination of kDNA ultrastructure, disc electrophoresis of soluble proteins and the Aaptos papillata II lectin induced agglutination. We obtained the following results for all isolates: (1) presence of a central band of the kDNA; (2) T. cruzi specific double bands of the protein patterns; (3) positive reaction with Aaptos papillata II. No differences between the five isolates from Chile and T. cruzi or T. cruzi-like strains from other countries could be observed. Based on these results an infection of the bugs with T. rangeli and T. conorhini could be excluded.     

Guaianolides from two subspecies of Amphoricarpos neumayeri from Montenegro

Quantitative (1)H NMR measurements revealed delta(11(13)) sesquiterpene gamma-lactones as the main constituents ( >or= 1% per weight of dried plant material) in the crude extracts of the aerial parts of Amphoricarpos neumayeri ssp. neumayeri and ssp. murbeckii from mountains Orjen and Visitor (Montenegro), respectively. Preparative silica gel chromatography afforded thirteen guai-11(13)-en-12,6alpha-olides, named amphoricarpolides (1-13), with the same relative (1alphaH,4betaH,5alphaH,7betaH) configuration of the basic skeleton. The common structural feature of lactones 2-13 was 3beta,15-dioxygenation pattern. The only exception was 1 (3-deoxyamphoricarpolide), containing a single oxygen substituent (15-OH). Eight of them exhibited an additional oxygen substituent, 9beta-OH (5 and 6), 2alpha-OH (8-12), or 2alpha-OAc (13). Compound 7 was epoxydated at 10alpha(14)-position, whereas the remaining lactones contained a 10(14) double bond.     

Bioproduction of butanol from biomass: from genes to bioreactors

Butanol is produced chemically using either the oxo process starting from propylene (with H2 and CO over a rhodium catalyst) or the aldol process starting from acetaldehyde. The key problems associated with the bioproduction of butanol are the cost of substrate and butanol toxicity/inhibition of the fermenting microorganisms, resulting in a low butanol titer in the fermentation broth. Recent interest in the production of biobutanol from biomass has led to the re-examination of acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation, including strategies for reducing or eliminating butanol toxicity to the culture and for manipulating the culture to achieve better product specificity and yield. Advances in integrated fermentation and in situ product removal processes have resulted in a dramatic reduction of process streams, reduced butanol toxicity to the fermenting microorganisms, improved substrate utilization, and overall improved bioreactor performance.     

Isolation of intact plastids from protoplasts from castor bean endosperm

Protoplasts were prepared from castor bean (Ricinus communis) endosperm by treatment with a mixture of the commercial enzymes Macerozyme R-10 and Cellulose “Onozuka” R-10. The protoplasts were gently ruptured by forcing the suspension through a hypodermic needle and the homogenate centrifuged on a linear sucrose gradient. From such a homogenate the mitochondria are recovered at their typical isopycnic density of 1.18 g/ml, but the glyoxysomes are retained, with other membranes, at a density of 1.13. The plastids reach their typical density of 1.22 on the gradient and are thus clearly separated from other organelles. Moreover, since essentially all of the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase activity on the gradient is present in this fraction it can be concluded that the plastids are intact and have been recovered in high yield.     

Essential oils from two endemic species of Apiaceae from Iran

The composition of essential oils of Leutea glaucopruinosa (Rech.f.) Akhani & Salimian comb. nov., and Zeravschania (Boiss. & Hausskn.) Salimian & Akhani comb. nov. were analysed by GC-MS. 49 compounds are identified in the former and 33 compounds in the latter, comprising a total of 76 compounds in both species. Both species were originally described under Peucedanum, which are transferred in this paper into Leutea and Zeravschania, respectively. The chemical compounds of the essential oils show that there are only seven common compounds between two species. The major compounds of L. glaucopruinosa are mostly monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes, in which alpha-pinene (31.5%), sabinene (9.7%), beta-pinene (9.2%), exo-fenchyl acetate (4.5%) are dominant. In Z. pastinacifolia sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and phenylpropanoids dominate with beta-bisabolene (37.3%), 3,1-butyl-1,2-dimethoxy benzene (14.9%), 10,11-dimethylbicyclo[6.3.0]undec-(8)-en-9-one (12.9%), 4-t-butyl-1,2-dimethoxy benzene (6.8%), (E)-asarone (5.1%) and elemicine (4.1%) as major compounds.     

Regeneration of peach plants from callus derived from immature embryos

Summary Peach plants were repeatedly regenerated from immature embryos but not from callus derived from mature embryos. A white, nodular, highly regenerative callus was obtained when friable, primary callus from immature embryos was transferred from medium containing 4.5 M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.44 M benzyladenine (BA) to media containing 0.27 M -naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 2.2 M BA. This callus retained its morphogenetic potential for a minimum of three subcultures. Green nodular callus, that lacked regenerative capacity, was produced from primary callus derived from mature embryos. Maximum regeneration of shoots occurred when highly regenerative callus was transferred to a medium in which the NAA concentration was reduced five times and the BA concentration was increased two times. Regenerated shoots were rooted in the dark on a medium containing 28.5 M indoleacetic acid. Cytogenetic analysis of regenerated plants indicated that all plants were diploid, 2n = 2x = 16. Phenotypic evaluation of regenerated plants, grown under field conditions, is now in progress.     

Plant regeneration from protoplasts isolated from cotyledons of Sesbania bispinosa

Protoplasts were isolated from cotyledons of Sesbania bispinosa (Jacq.) W.F. Wight. In a liquid-over-agar culture system with Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1 mg l^-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-d, 2 mg l^-1 benzyladenine (BA), 1 mg l^-1 glutamine and 0.5 and formed callus. The first division occurred after 3–4 days. Callus formed from the protoplasts differentiated shoots by organogenesis on MS medium with 1 mg l^-1 indolebutyric acid (IBA) and 1 mg l^-1 BA. These shoots developed into complete plantlets when excised and cultured on MS medium with 0.5 mg l^-1 IBA.     

Antibiotic activity of fungi isolated from soil samples from Indonesia

Two hundred and thirteen fungal cultures were recovered from 88 soil samples from different parts of Indonesia; 39.4% belonged to the genusPenicillium, 19.7% to the genusAspergillus, 9.9% to the genusFusarium and the rest to different systematic groups. One hundred and fifty two cultures were antibiotically active; 80% of these were antagonists ofBacillus subtilis, 55% ofEscherichia coli, 20% ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae and 37% ofCandida pseudotropicalis. In agreement with previous observations it was found that the activity spectrum of antagonists was related to the altitude above sea level at which they were found. As the altitude increased, the incidence of antagonists with both antibacterial and antifungal activity decreased, but the incidence of antagonists with only antibacterial or only antifungal activity increased. Fungi of the generaPenicillium andAspergillus were the most frequent antibiotic producers. The incidence of penicillin producers was much lower than in collections of fungi isolated in higher latitudes (China, Bulgaria, Slovakia).