Inhibitory effect of a lipopeptide biosurfactant produced by Bacillus subtilis on planktonic and sessile cells of Trichosporon spp.

The present study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of a bacterial biosurfactant (TIM96) on clinical strains of Trichosporon. Additionally, the effect of TIM96 on the ergosterol content, cell membrane integrity, and the hydrophobicity of planktonic cells was assessed. The inhibitory activity of TIM96 against Trichosporon biofilms was evaluated by analyzing metabolic activity, biomass and morphology. MIC values ranged from 78.125 to 312.5 μg ml^?1 for TIM96; time-kill curves revealed that the decline in the number of fungal cells started after incubation for 6 h with TIM96 at both MIC and 2×MIC. The biosurfactant reduced the cellular ergosterol content and altered the membrane permeability and the surface hydrophobicity of planktonic cells. Incubation at 10×MIC TIM96 reduced cell adhesion by up to 96.89%, thus interfering with biofilm formation. This concentration also caused up to a 99.2% reduction in the metabolic activity of mature biofilms. The results indicate potential perspectives for the development of new antifungal strategies.     

石蜡酪杆菌B126产生的糖脂的理化性质

通过纸层析、硅胶薄层层析和气相色谱分析表明,石蜡酪杆菌(Caseobacter paraffinicum)B126至少产生两种糖脂,其主要产物是海藻糖脂。它由海藻糖和两种以上的脂肪酸(十六碳酸和十八碳酸)所组成。其表面张力和界面张力(对重液体石蜡)分别为28～29和1～2mN/m,临界胶束浓度(CMC)较低,为64mg/L。     

石蜡酪杆菌B126产生糖脂的适宜条件

<正> 生物表面活性剂的研制是从本世纪70年代发展起来的。由于可产生表面活性剂的微生物种类、生物表面活性剂的类型及可作为其底物的原料较多,一些产品的性能与化学合成的相当,可降解性较大、比较安全,而日益受到注意。乙酸钙不动杆菌(Acinetobacter calcoaceticus)RAG-1产生的生物乳化剂Emulsan的商品化和生物表面活性剂在各种工业、尤其是石油工业中的可用性,也促进了该领域的发展。 糖脂是一类重要的生物表面活性剂。我们分离筛选到一株糖脂产生菌,鉴定为一新种:石蜡酪杆菌(caseobacter paraffinicnm)B126。本文报道该菌产生糖脂的适宜条件。     

Effect of Rhamnolipids on Chromium-Contaminated Kaolinite

Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) is a common environmental pollutant that is treated by its reduction to the trivalent form Cr(III). The latter can be re-oxidized to the toxic form, Cr(VI), under specific conditions. A study was conducted on the removal of Cr(III) to eliminate the hazard imposed by its presence in soil as there has been some evidence that organic compounds can decrease its sorption. The effect of addition of negatively-charged biosurfactants (rhamnolipids) on chromium contaminated kaolinite was studied. Results showed that the rhamnolipids have the capability of extracting 25% portion of the stable form of chromium, Cr(III), from the kaolinite, under optimal conditions. The removal of hexavalent chromium was also enhanced compared to water by a factor of 2 using a solution of rhamnolipids. Results from the sequential extraction procedure showed that rhamnolipids remove Cr(III) mainly from the carbonate and oxide/hydroxide portions of the kaolinite. The rhamnolipids had also the capability of reducing close to 100% of the extracted Cr(VI) to Cr(III) over a period of 24 days. This study indicated that rhamnolipids could be beneficial for the removal or long–term conversion of chromium Cr(VI) to Cr(III).     

环脂肽类生物表面活性剂结构、功能及生物合成

环脂肽是由微生物产生的一类生物表面活性剂,由亲水的肽环和亲油的脂肪烃链两部分组成,具有独特的化学结构和生理功能。除具表面活性外,环脂肽还具有抗真菌、抗细菌、抗病毒、抗肿瘤等生物活性,具有广阔的应用前景,但我国对这一领域的研究却刚刚起步。本文介绍了目前已知环脂肽的结构类型、结构与功能的关系、相关功能特点等,着重介绍了环脂肽生物合成的非核糖体多酶体系及合成酶基因操纵子,并对环脂肽的应用前景进行了展望。     

Physiological aspects. Part 1 in a series of papers devoted to surfactants in microbiology and biotechnology

Surfactants, both chemical and biological, are amphiphilic compounds which can reduce surface and interfacial tensions by accumulating at the interface of immiscible fluids and increase the solubility, mobility, bioavailability and subsequent biodegradation of hydrophobic or insoluble organic compounds. Investigations on their impacts on microbial activity have generally been limited in scope to the most common and best characterized surfactants. Recently a number of new biosurfactants have been described and accelerated advances in molecular and cellular biology are expected to expand our insights into the diversity of structures and applications of biosurfactants. Biosurfactants play an essential natural role in the swarming motility of microorganisms and participate in cellular physiological processes of signaling and differentiation as well as in biofilm formation. Biosurfactants also exhibit natural physiological roles in increasing bioavailability of hydrophobic molecules and can complex with heavy metals, and some also possess antimicrobial activity. Chemical- and indeed bio-surfactants may also be added exogenously to microbial systems to influence behaviour and/or activity, mimicking the latter effects of biosurfactants. They have been exploited in this way, for example as antimicrobial agents in disease control and to improve degradation of chemical contaminants. Chemical surfactants can interact with microbial proteins and can be manipulated to modify enzyme conformation in a manner that alters enzyme activity, stability and/or specificity. Both chemical- and bio-surfactants are potentially toxic to specific microbes and may be exploited as antimicrobial agents against plant, animal and human microbial pathogens. Because of the widespread use of chemical surfactants, their potential impacts on microbial communities in the environment are receiving considerable attention.     

Biotreatability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in brackish sediments: Preliminary studies of an integrated monitoring

An integrated monitoring, of chemical, microbiological and ecotoxicological parameters, was performed for a biotreatability study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—contaminated brackish sediments. Three slurry reactors were prepared, consisting of (a) a slurry with sediment and seawater called TQ slurry, to evaluate the intrinsic bioremediation potential, (b) a slurry with the addition of a selected microbial consotrium called BIO slurry, to evaluate the bioaugmentation effect, (c) a slurry with the addition of Soya lecithin called LEC slurry, to evaluate the effect of the addition of a natural surfactant. Biodegradation results showed that both BIO and LEC slurries enhanced PAHs removal, increasing the biodegradation rate for 5- and 6-ring PAHs. Furthermore, ecotoxicological response (Microtox® assay on whole sediment, aqueous extract and organic extract) demonstrated a detoxification of the PAHs initial mixture only for BIO slurry. The findings that aerobic PAHs degradation can be stimulated via inoculation with adapted sediment bacteria suggest that a bioaugmentation process may be a useful strategy for ex-situ treatment.     

Biosurfactant production and growth kinetics of bacteria in a designer marine medium: improved physiochemical properties

A combinatorial screening strategy was adopted for the development of a suitable medium for enhanced biosurfactant production by a marine strain. As a result, a modified marine medium (MMM) was developed, which contained urea and strontium chloride besides other salts important for the growth of marine bacteria. This medium supported growth, evident from a higher maximum growth rate value of 0.42 h(-1) and an enhanced biosurfactant production of 2.58 g/L. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) was determined for the biosurfactants obtained from all tested media combinations. The biosurfactant produced with this medium was stable at high temperature (100 °C), a wide range of pH (5-11) and salt concentration of 5-35%. The emulsifying activity and stability of the biosurfactant obtained using MMM was better than the biosurfactant obtained using conventional media. This biosurfactant with improved physiochemical properties is suitable for a wide range of applications in industry and for marine environmental cleaning.     

Turbinaria ornata and its associated epiphytic Bacillus sp. A promising molecule supplier to discover new natural product approaches

Marine ecosystems are highly dependent on macroalgea in providing food and shelter for aquatic organisms, interacting with many bacteria and mostly producing secondary metabolites of potent therapeutic antibacterial property. Screening of marine microbial secondary metabolites of valuable biotechnological and therapeutical applications are now extensively studied. In this study, Bacillus spp. identified by DNA sequencing and found associated with Turbinaria ornata, was screened and characterized for its cell free supernatant (CFS) possible antimicrobial and antibiofilm applications. Among the 7 microbial isolates tested, CFS greatly affected Bacillus subitilis (12 mm) and inhibited equally the yeast isolates Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida glabrata (10 mm) and had no or negligible effect on S.aureus, E.coli, P. aeruginosa. As for the CFS antibiofilm activity, no difference was revealed from the positive control. Algal crude extracts (methanol, acetone and aqueous), on the other hand, were similarly tested for their antimicrobial activity against the seven microbial isolates, where highest activity was observed with the aqueous crude extract against Staphylococcus aureus(10 mm) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9 mm) compared to the negligible effects of methanol and acetone crude extracts. Chemical analysis was performed to reveal the major constituents of both crude algal extracts and Bacillus spp. CFS. FTIR spectrum of the bacterial CFS indicated the presence of bacteriocin as the major lipopeptide responsible for its biological activity. Whereas, methanol and water crude algal extract GC–MS spectra revealed different chemical groups of various combined therapeutical activity mainly Naphthalene, amino ethane-sulfonic acid, pyrlene, Biotin and mercury chloromethyl correspondingly. Thus, the present study, demonstrated the moderate activity of both crude algal extract and the bacterial CFS, however, further investigations are needed for a better biological activity.     

假单胞菌23—1菌株烃代谢产生表面活性剂的研究

Ｐｓｅｕｄｏｍｏｎａｓ ２３—１菌株烃代谢产生一种胞外糖脂类表面活性剂。分析表明,糖脂的糖基为鼠李糖,脂肪酸是十碳癸酸。发酵液糖脂含量１１．５ｇ／Ｌ,其临界胶束浓度（ＣＭＣ）为２００ｍｇ／Ｌ,乳化性能稳定。产生糖脂类生物表面活性可能是该菌株微生物采油增油效果显著的主要原因。