Desulfurization of model and diesel oils by resting cells of Gordona sp.

The desulfurization activity of the resting cells of Gordona sp. CYKS1 was strongly depended on harvest time and the highest value when the cells had been harvested in the early growth phase (0.12 mg sulfur g^–1 cell^–1 h^–1). For the model oil, hexadecane containing dibenzothiophene, the specific desulfurization rate decreased as the reaction proceeded. Both the specific and the volumetric desulfurization rates were not significantly affected by the aqueous-to-oil phase ratio. The diesel oils, light gas oil and a middle distillate unit feed were desulfurized at higher rates (ca. 0.34 mg sulfur g^–1 cell^–1 h^–1) than the model oil (0.12 mg sulfur g^–1 cell^–1 h^–1).     

Comparison of bone marrow extracellular matrices.

We have compared the structure and composition of adult and fetal bovine bone marrow extracellular matrices. In contrast to fetal bone marrow, adult bone marrow has more oval fenestration and accumulation of adipocytes as well as lower protein content. These differences could be due to remodeling of bone marrow tissue as it develops. Zymogram analysis of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP) activities showed that fetal, but not adult bone marrow extract contained a 96-kDa MMP and TIMP-1 and -2. These activities may contribute to the structural differences between adult and fetal bone marrow tissues.     

An Insertion Peptide in Yeast Glycyl-tRNA Synthetase Facilitates both Productive Docking and Catalysis of Cognate tRNAs

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae possesses two distinct glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) genes: GRS1 and GRS2. GRS1 is dually functional, encoding both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial activities, while GRS2 is dysfunctional and not required for growth. The protein products of these two genes, GlyRS1 and GlyRS2, are much alike but are distinguished by an insertion peptide of GlyRS1, which is absent from GlyRS2 and other eukaryotic homologues. We show that deletion or mutation of the insertion peptide modestly impaired the enzyme''s catalytic efficiency in vitro (with a 2- to 3-fold increase in K_m and a 5- to 8-fold decrease in k_cat). Consistently, GRS2 can be conveniently converted to a functional gene via codon optimization, and the insertion peptide is dispensable for protein stability and the rescue activity of GRS1 at 30°C in vivo. A phylogenetic analysis further showed that GRS1 and GRS2 are paralogues that arose from a gene duplication event relatively recently, with GRS1 being the predecessor. These results indicate that GlyRS2 is an active enzyme essentially resembling the insertion peptide-deleted form of GlyRS1. Our study suggests that the insertion peptide represents a novel auxiliary domain, which facilitates both productive docking and catalysis of cognate tRNAs.     

Effect of separator and inoculum type on electricity generation and microbial community in single-chamber microbial fuel cells

Single-chamber microbial fuel cell (SMFC)-I consisted of 4 separator-electrode assemblies (SEAs) with two types of cation exchange membrane (CEM: Nafion and CMI 7000) and an anion exchange membrane (AEM: AMI 7001). SMFC-II consisted of 4 SEAs with Nafion and three types of nonwoven fabric. SMFC-I and -II were inoculated with anaerobic digested and activated sludge, respectively, and operated under fed-batch mode. In SMFC I, AEM-SEA showed a maximum power density (PD_max). Nafion-SEA showed a PD_max in SMFC II, which was similar to that of Nafion–SEA of SMFC I. Although different bacteria were developed in SMFC-I (Deltaproteobacteria and Firmicutes) and SMFC-II (Gammaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes), the inoculum type little affects electricity generation. Variations of pH and oxygen in biofilm have influenced microbial community structure and electricity generation according to the electrode and separator material. Although the electricity generation of non-woven fabric-SEA was less than that of Nafion-SEA, the use of non-woven fabrics is expected to reduce the construction and operating costs of MFCs.     

Preference and performance of Lepidoptera varies with tree age in juniper woodlands

1. As trees age, they undergo significant physiological and morphological changes. Nevertheless, tree ontogeny and its impacts on herbivores are often overlooked as determinants of plant–herbivore population dynamics and the strength of plant–herbivore interactions. 2. Juniperus (Cupressaceae) is a dominant, long‐lived conifer that serves as the sole host to a specialised assemblage of caterpillars. Over the past 150 years, several juniper species in western North America have expanded their geographic occupancy at local and regional scales, which has resulted in an increase in the number of immature trees on the landscape. Using assays in the laboratory, the effects of tree ontogeny on caterpillar performance and oviposition preference for two juniper specialist caterpillars, Callophrys gryneus (Lycaenidae) and Glena quinquelinearia (Geometridae), were examined. The study considered whether responses to tree ontogeny were consistent across caterpillar species and juniper host species. 3. Tree age was found to be a reliable predictor of caterpillar performance, with caterpillars developing more quickly and growing larger when fed foliage from young trees. Differences in the phytochemical diversity between foliage from trees of different ages might help to explain observed differences in caterpillar performance. Interestingly, the specialist butterfly, C. gryneus, displayed an oviposition preference for foliage from old‐growth Juniperus osteosperma trees, despite the fact that larvae of this species performed poorly on older trees. 4. It is concluded that young juniper trees are an important resource for the specialised Lepidopteran community and that tree ontogeny is an important component of intraspecific variation, which contributes to the structure of plant–herbivore communities.     

The subunit composition of Portunus trituberculatus hemocyanin polymers

The subunit composition of isolated polymeric forms of Portunus trituberculatus hemocyanin were analysed by immunological techniques. The dodecamers contain four monomeric subunits corresponding to subunits I, II, III and IV, whereas the hexamers are devoid of subunit IV. These results suggest that subunit IV is required as a joining piece for the assembly of dodecamers.     

Polyphyly of Asian Tree Toads,Genus Pedostibes Günther, 1876 (Anura: Bufonidae), and the Description of a New Genus from Southeast Asia

The Asian Tree Toad genus Pedostibes, as currently understood, exhibits a conspicuously disjunct distribution, posing several immediate questions relating to the biogeography and taxonomy of this poorly known group. The type species, P. tuberculosus and P. kempi, are known only from India, whereas P. hosii, P. rugosus, and P. everetti are restricted to Southeast Asia. Several studies have shown that these allopatric groups are polyphyletic, with the Indian Pedostibes embedded within a primarily South Asian clade of toads, containing the genera Adenomus, Xanthophryne, and Duttaphrynus. Southeast Asian Pedostibes on the other hand, are nested within a Southeast Asian clade, which is the sister lineage to the Southeast Asian river toad genus Phrynoidis. We demonstrate that Indian and Southeast Asian Pedostibes are not only allopatric and polyphyletic, but also exhibit significant differences in morphology and reproductive mode, indicating that the Southeast Asian species’ are not congeneric with the true Pedostibes of India. As a taxonomic solution, we describe a new genus, Rentapia gen. nov. to accommodate the Southeast Asian species.     

State of aggregation of the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase studied using saturation-transfer electron spin resonance

The state of aggregation of the (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase in the membrane of sarcoplasmic reticulum and in reconstituted membrane systems has been studied using saturation-transfer electron spin resonance (ST-ESR). Saturation-transfer ESR spectra show that in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, the ATPase is relatively free to rotate, with an effective rotational correlation time of approx. 33 microseconds at 4 degrees C, consistent with a monomeric or dimeric structure. The rate of rotation is observed to decrease with decreasing molar ratio of lipid to protein. In reconstituted systems, rotational motion of the ATPase on the millisecond time scale ceases when the lipids are in the gel phase. Addition of decavanadate, which causes the formation of crystalline arrays in negatively stained electron micrographs, results in only a small reduction in rotation rate for the ATPase in the membrane. The experiments are interpreted in terms of a short-lived (on the millisecond time scale) protein-protein interaction, with the formation of crystalline clusters of ATPase molecules which form and melt rapidly.