Vermifiltration as a stage in reuse of swine wastewater: Monitoring methodology on an experimental farm

Vermifiltration is a new technology using earthworms to process organically polluted water. A pilot associated with a swine facility (piggery) with 66 swine was developed to treat diluted manure, produce earthworms and vermicompost, and reduce air pollution. The aim of the experiment reported here was to devise an integrated method – biological, chemical and physical – for further research and development of vermifiltration in diluted swine manure, and provide some preliminary results. The earthworm population increased by 30% in 4 weeks, indicating the acclimation of the earthworms. A reduction in ammonia emission was observed of about 50% for the whole system. Higher water (+100%), carbon (+70%), and total nitrogen (+80%) gaseous losses were observed compared to conventional breeding on a slatted floor. This methodology can be used for further studies to develop vermifiltration for earthworm and vermicompost production from diluted animal manure, without pollution transfer.     

种植Bt水稻后的土壤对赤子爱胜蚓生长发育及酶活性的影响

【背景】转基因作物种植的安全问题一直备受关注。关于Bt蛋白对地下非靶标生物影响的研究是转基因作物安全评价的重要内容。【方法】在转Bt基因水稻收割后的稻田里分别种植豌豆、紫云英和油菜作为后茬作物。分别于2013年1、3和6月3次采集不同后茬作物田中的土壤作为材料,于室内饲养赤子爱胜蚓,4周和7周后,测定蚯蚓的生长发育指标、存活率以及体内酶活性的变化情况。此外,还测定了不同深度土壤中Bt蛋白的含量以及用Bt蛋白直接饲喂的赤子爱胜蚓的存活率。【结果】与种植过非转基因水稻MH63的土壤相比,分别种植过含cry2A和cry1C基因水稻后的土壤对赤子爱胜蚓的生长发育、存活率及体内酶活性无显著影响。1月份和3月份转cry2A基因水稻田以及1月份转cry1C基因水稻田采集的表层土样中的Bt蛋白含量显著高于地下10 cm和地下20 cm土壤中的含量,地下2层土样中的Cry2A蛋白含量之间无差异。3月份转cry1C基因水稻田以及6月份转cry2A和转cry1C基因水稻田的土壤中Bt蛋白的含量均不受土壤深度的影响。种植的后茬作物对土壤中的Bt蛋白无显著消解作用。室内模拟土壤最高Bt蛋白浓度的条件下,Cry2A蛋白处理的蚯蚓存活率为96.7%,Cry1C蛋白处理的蚯蚓存活率为95.0%,两者与对照相比无显著差异。【结论与意义】转cry2A和cry1C基因Bt水稻的种植对蚯蚓的生长发育和体内酶活性无显著影响。本研究为转基因水稻的安全评价提供了一定的依据。     

1H NMR spectroscopic investigations of tissue metabolite biomarker response to Cu II exposure in terrestrial invertebrates: identification of free histidine as a novel biomarker of exposure to copper in earthworms

High resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy of biofluids, cells and tissue extracts allows rapid, non destructive analysis for a wide range of metabolites and organic compounds with minimal sample pre treatment. We have applied high resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy to investigate the biochemical effects of Cu II in two earthworm species Eisenia andrei n =78 and Lumbricus rubellus n =45 exposed under laboratory and semi field conditions respectively. The most marked metabolic response was the elevation of endogenous whole body free histidine in animals which positively correlated with increasing copper exposure and total copper burden in the semi field experiment. Histidine forms thermodynamically stable copper complexes under a wide range of physico chemical conditions and we proposed that the elevation of free histidine in response to copper challenge provides an energetically low cost detoxification mechanism. Histidine elevation may also provide a novel molecular biomarker of Cu II exposure in environmental situations.     

An NMR-based metabonomic investigation of the toxic effects of 3-trifluoromethyl-aniline on the earthworm Eisenia veneta

¹H NMR spectra of earthworms Eisenia veneta treated with 3-trifluoromethyl-aniline in a 72-h contact filter paper test have been analysed using pattern recognition techniques to determine the biochemical response. Various strategies for data reduction of the metabolite profile, and illustration by principal components analysis are applied and discussed. The use of mean principal components plots in simplifying group data representation and highlighting the dose-response function is demonstrated. Hierarchical cluster analysis, and cluster significance analysis of the principal components were also used to examine the relative distribution of dose groups. Identification and assignment of metabolite responses to toxicity were found via correlation coefficient-shift plots. As measured by the correlation coefficients alanine was the most significant metabolite, but increased levels of other amino acids such as glycine and asparagine were also observed. Further, elevated levels of glucose, and the citric acid cycle intermediates citrate and succinate were noted as potential biomarkers of toxicity. This work provides a basis for examining the biochemical response of invertebrates to toxins. This should provide a framework to examine toxicity effects of other halogenated aromatic pollutants to earthworms used as environmental monitors.     

Monomer composition and sequence of sodium alginate extracted at pilot plant scale from three commercially important seaweeds from Mexico

The marine waters of the Baja California peninsula (Mexico) are a rich source of brown seaweeds with a great potential for exploitation. For that reason, Sargassum sinicola, Eisenia arborea, and Macrocystis pyrifera collected from different locations were subjected to extraction of sodium alginate using a pilot-plant scale process developed in our facilities. The composition and sequence parameters of the recovered alginate were studied by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The spectral analysis of the products revealed that sodium alginate from S. sinicola contains a greater proportion of guluronate monomers (64%) than that from E. arborea (48%), and M. pyrifera (38%). Computation of the frequencies of diads and triads indicated that the alginate from S. sinicola was constructed by intercalated guluronate-blocks of 14 residues in length. In contrast, the length of the G-block in the alginates from E. arborea and M. pyrifera were 7 and 4 residues, respectively. The results show that S. sinicola, E. arborea, and M. pyrifera are sources of sodium alginate with different mannuronate/guluronate ratios, as well as a varied building-block length. In consequence, aqueous dispersions of sodium alginate from the three studied species are expected to exhibit different physical properties.     

Ultrastrukturen der zellulären Autophagie

Zusammenfassung Im Laufe der Cytoplasmareduktion während der Spermiogenese von Eisenia foetida sind zwei Vorgänge zu unterscheiden: 1. Die Bildung autophagischer Vakuolen. Sie entstehen, indem Teile des Grundcytoplasmas in das Kompartiment des ER verlagert werden. Da sie keine Reaktion auf saure Phosphatase geben, sind sie als nicht lysosomale Anfangstadien der zellulären Autophagie zu betrachten. 2. Die Bildung primärer Lysosomen. Sie entstehen in Form von lytische Enzyme enthaltenden Golgivesikeln, die von einer neu im Cytoplasma entstehenden Membran zu größeren Einheiten zusammengefaßt werden: den multivesicular bodies. Autophagische Vakuolen und multivesicular bodies gelangen ins Cytophor das am Ende der Spermiogenese den Charakter eines ausgedehnten Autophagosoms annimmt. Als Struktureigentümlichkeit entstehen in ihm undulierende Tubulikörper. Der coat an den Hüllmembranen junger multivesicular bodies und am Plasmalemm der Spermatidenverbindung zum Cytophor wird in Zusammenhang mit der Membrandifferenzierung diskutiert.

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Ultrastructural equivalents of cellular autophagyElectronmicroscopical observations on spermatids of Eisenia foetida during the cytoplasmic reduction

Summary During the cytoplasmic reduction phase in the spermiogenesis of Eisenia foetida two different processes may be defined: 1. The formation of autophagic vacuoles, which arise by the displacement of cytoplasmic portions into the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum. Since they exhibit no acid phosphatase activity they are considered to be early stages in cellular autophagy. 2. The formation of primary lysosomes. They originate in Golgi vesicles and are then enveloped by a membrane, formed in the cytoplasm de novo, which transforms them into multivesicular bodies. Autophagic vacuoles and multivesicular bodies subsequently transfer to the cytophor, which contains at the end of the spermiogenesis the characteristics of a large autophagosom, showing aggregates of undulating tubules. The outer coat of the limiting membranes in the early multivesicular bodies and of the cell membrane of the connecting piece between spermatid and cytophor appear to be associated with the membrane development.

     

蚯蚓纤溶酶原激活剂的分离纯化及其性质

为了从赤子爱胜蚓中获得主要表现为纤溶酶原激活活性的蛋白酶,采用盐析、离子交换层析、凝胶过滤层析和疏水吸附层析从蚯蚓组织匀浆中纯化出6种具有纤溶活性的酶组分(F1、F2、F3、F4、F5和F6).它们均为单一多肽链;表观分子量分别为28500、29500、26100、26300、14850和32800;经非还原型SDSPAGE和扫描仪扫描,纯度分别为100%、95.2%、96.5%、93.6%、98%和97.8%;等电点(pI)均不高于3;SDSPAGE后,用Schiff试剂染色显示F5为糖蛋白;纯化的6种酶于20℃～50℃保温1h,酶活力基本不变;F1和F2、F3和F4、F5和F6分别在pH4～10、4～11、7～12范围内稳定;水解BAEE试验及纤溶活性抑制试验表明,F6既是丝氨酸蛋白酶,又是含金属离子的蛋白酶,其它5种酶为胰蛋白酶样的丝氨酸蛋白酶;免疫双扩散试验结果初步表明,F1和F5以及它们和其它4种组分之间无共同的抗原决定簇;用纤维蛋白平板法及以ChromozymU和ChromozymPL为底物测定,除F1外,其余5种酶的纤溶酶原激活活性明显强于其直接纤溶活性.     

Earthworm survival in oil contaminated soil

Earthworms are an important component of the soil biota and their response to oil pollution needs to be better understood. Laboratory investigations were undertaken to determine the concentrations of crude oil in soil that leads to death of Lumbricus terrestris and Eisenia fetida and to determine the propensity of L. terrestris to move away from contaminated soil. Clemville sandy clay loam was amended to contain maximum oil contents of 1.5 – 2.5% depending on the particular experiment. Additionally, the ability of L. terrestristo survive in bioremediated oil-contaminated soil was evaluated. An oil content of 0.5% was not harmful to survival of earthworms for 7 d but an oil concentration of 1.5% reduced survival to less than 40%. Bioremediated soil containing 1.2% oil did not reduce survival of L. terrestrisduring 10 d. Survival of L. terrestrisin unweathered oil was improved when free movement between contaminated and uncontaminated soil was possible. Casts of earthworms exposed to oil-containing soil contained 0.2% total petroleum hydrocarbons. An allowable regulatory level of 1% oil contamination in soil may not allow for survival of earthworms.     

赤子爱胜蚓（Eisenia foetida）中抗肿瘤与纤溶酶原激酶活性蛋白质的分离与鉴定

采用SephadexG 75和HiPrep 1 6 / 6 0DEAE离子交换等方法从赤子爱胜蚓 (Eiseniafoetida)中提取到一组活性蛋白质成分 ,双向电泳分析证明它们为一组pI在 3 .0～ 4 .0之间的酸性蛋白质 ;利用体外K5 6 2、HeLa、SY5Y等肿瘤细胞抑制实验和纤维蛋白平板实验 ,跟踪测定活性 ,证明乙醇沉淀组分D2 (8)是既具肿瘤抑制 ,又具有激酶活性的蛋白质成分。同时应用非变性电泳对乙醇沉淀组分进行分离 ,并利用电洗脱、凝胶原位酶解和ESI MS等蛋白质组学方法 ,鉴定了其中 6种蛋白质的分子量、氨基酸组成、N末端序列和肽质量指纹图信息 ,其中条带 9与D2 (8)组分为同一种蛋白质 ;研究证明蚯蚓中含有既具抗肿瘤活性又具有激酶活性的蛋白质成分。采用的方法可适用于活性蛋白质成分的整体分离与鉴定     

蚯蚓中抗肿瘤蛋白组分的提取分离及其抗肿瘤活性

以赤子爱胜蚓为原料 ,通过蛋白质的丙酮沉淀和凝胶过滤 ,分离得到一组抗肿瘤活性蛋白成分 (简称蚯蚓抽提物 ) ;这组成分富含Fe、Zn、Cu以及Se等微量元素 ,蛋白含量为 6 0 4 3± 2 36 %(n =5 ) .体外实验中 ,通过MTT法和SRB法测定了蚯蚓抽提物对多种人癌细胞株 (HCT 116、SY5Y、K5 6 2、MGc80 3和HeLa)以及正常细胞株 (HEK2 93和COS 7)的抑制杀伤率 .结果表明 ,蚯蚓抽提物对癌细胞的杀伤有一定的选择性 ,受试人癌细胞达到 5 0 %生长抑制率所需作用浓度约 6 0～110mg L ;但是 ,10 0℃煮沸 5min后 ,该抑制活性完全消失 .通过纤维蛋白平板法 ,测得蚯蚓抽提物同时具有纤溶酶和纤溶酶原激活酶的活性 .体外测得丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂aprotinin和PMSF能显著抑制蚯蚓抽提物的细胞杀伤活性 .体内实验中 ,蚯蚓抽提物能有效延长荷瘤 (S180 )小鼠的生存时间 ,并使其身体机能得到明显改善 .腹膜内注射剂量为 2 8mg kg和 36mg kg时 ,生命延长率分别为135 3%和 12 3 5 % ,和标准药物 (环磷酰胺 )治疗后结果 (76 5 % )相比 ,有显著性差异