Storage protein accumulation patterns in somatic embryos of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Summary The storage protein content of somatic embryos of Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Coker 201 was determined using extinction level, antigen/antibody association detection methods. Mature storage protein was first detected in early globular-stage somatic embryos at a total concentration of 0.36% of the embryo protein mass. Tulip-stage and mature somatic embryos were comprised of 3.0% and 1.3% mature storage protein, respectively. Maximum storage protein synthesis was found to occur during early globular- and early heart-stages. During this period of development, significant levels of protein precursors were found also to accumulate. The pattern of storage protein synthesis, processing and accumulation paralleled the pattern that has been reported for the zygotic system, although somatic embryos accumulate storage protein at much earlier stages and to a lesser degree. The possibility of using complex biochemical pathways to monitor embryogenic systems in vitro is discussed.     

MlaC belongs to a unique class of non-canonical substrate-binding proteins and follows a novel phospholipid-binding mechanism

The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria acts as a formidable barrier against a plethora of detrimental compounds owing to its asymmetric nature. This is because the OM possesses lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) in the outer leaflet and phospholipids (PLs) in the inner leaflet. The maintenance of lipid asymmetry (Mla) system is involved in preserving the distribution of PLs in OM. The periplasmic component of the system MlaC serves as the substrate-binding protein (SBP) that shuttles PLs between the inner and outer membranes. However, an in-depth report highlighting its mechanism of ligand binding is still lacking. This study reports the crystal structure of MlaC from Escherichia coli (EcMlaC) at a resolution of 2.5 Å in a quasi-open state, complexed with PL. The structural analysis reveals that EcMlaC and orthologs comprise two major domains, viz. nuclear transport factor 2-like (NTF2-like) and phospholipid-binding protein (PBP). Each domain can be further divided into two subdomains arranged in a discontinuous fashion. This study further reveals that EcMlaC is polyspecific in nature and follows a reverse mechanism of the opening of the substrate-binding site during the ligand binding. Furthermore, MlaC can bind two PLs by forming subsites in the binding pocket. These findings, altogether, have led to the proposition of the unique “segmented domain movement” mechanism of PL binding, not reported for any known SBP to date. Further, unlike typical SBPs, MlaC has originated from a cystatin-like fold. Overall, this study establishes MlaC to be a non-canonical SBP with a unique ligand-binding mechanism.     

Biomass protein formation by filamentous fungi on woody substrates

Summary Growth and biomass protein formation by filamentous fungi grown on pretreated tropical woods of Mesta (Hibiscus cannabinus Linn.) and Subabul [Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Witt] as well as their isolated hemicellulose and cellulose fractions have been studied. Penicillium janthinellum and Penicillium funiculosum produced a biomass having 20 to 30% crude protein when grown on either hemicellulose, while growth on pretreated (autoclaved in 1% NaOH) wood or isolated cellulose fractions was comparatively poor and crude protein content only 5 to 8% in the biomass.NCL Communication no.3550     

Thermostable tryptophan synthase ofBacillus stearothermophilus expressed inEscherichia coli

Summary The tryptophan synthase genes,trpA andtrpB, from a moderate thermophile,Bacillus stearothermophilus IFO13737, were expressed efficiently inEscherichia coli. The recombinant tryptophan synthase amounted to 22% of the soluble cellular protein, and was purified to homogeneity by three steps. The enzyme is more thermostable thanE.coli tryptophan synthase, especially the subunit. The enzyme is also more resistant to sodium dodecylsulfate and methanol thanE.coli enzyme.     

Growth of selected fungi on leaf-protein supernatant

Summary Some 19 strains ofAspergillus niger,A. oryzae, andPaccilomyces spp. are tested for their ability to grow on the supernatant remaining after the expressed juice from sugar beet tops and meadow grass has been heat-treated to precipitate crude leaf protein, and supplemented as required by glucose or ammonium sulphate. With effective strains ofA. niger,A. oryzae,P. elegans orP. variotii and an optimized carbohydrate/nitrogen ratio, over 70% of the organic content of the supernatant is rapidly converted into mycelial biomass of high protein content.     

The D-xylose fermenting capacities of immobilizedPichia stipitis andPachysolen tannophilus

Summary The yeastsP. stipitis NRRL Y-7124 andP. tannophilus NRRL Y-2460 were entrapped in -carrageenan beads and used for repeated batch fermentation of D-xylose, in a series of four reactors. The operating conditions finally chosen gave an oxygen coefficient (K_La) of 0.83 min^–1, as measured by the sulphite method. Ethanol yields were 0.40 g/g forP. stipitis and 0.36 g/g forP. tannophilus (respectively 78.4% and 70.5% of the theoretical yields). In spite of its lower retention by the gel,P. stipitis exhibited greater fermenting capacities thanP. tannophilus.     

Simultaneous saccharification and protein enrichment fermentation of sugar beet pulp

Summary A product with 40 % protein content was obtained from sugar beet pulp (1.25–2.0 mm) in 48 h one stage (simultaneous) saccharification/fermentation process under optimized conditions using a specific enzyme mixture andCandida tropicalis strain, also saving about 40 % enzymes in comparison to a 2-stage process.     

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation by mixed cultures ofBrettanomyces clausenii andPichia spipitis R of SO2-prehydrolysed wood

Summary Using pilot scale Wenger and Stake II reactors for prehydrolysing aspen and coniferous wood chips in the presence of SO₂ catalyst, highly digestible lignocellulosic substrates were generated from which about 90% yields of hemicellulose mostly in monomeric form could be recovered. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of these SO₂ feedstocks by a mixed culture ofBrettanomyces clausenii andPichia stipitis R resulted in rapid and efficient fermentation giving a final yield of 369 and 360 L ethanol/tonne of the prehydrolysed woods, respectively. BecauseB. clausenii is an excellent cellobiose fermenter, no -glucosidase was needed during SSF.     

Formation of anti-plant viral protein by Mirabilis jalapa L. cells in suspension culture

The extract of Mirabilis jalapa cultured cells and its precipitate fraction with 90% saturated ammonium sulfate showed an anti-plant viral activity comparable to that of the roots and leaves of the original plant. In the immunodiffusion experiment, the extract of cultured cells positively reacted with MAP (Mirabilis Anti-plant viral Protein) anti-serum. The changes in MAP formation during cell growth and the MAP content of roots and leaves were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). MAP formation proceeded almost in parallel with cell growth. The MAP content of cultured cells reached the highest level (0.6 mg/g dry weight) on the 9th day after inoculation, which was less than one-third of the content of the roots but three times larger than that of the leaves.Abbreviations MAP Mirabilis anti-plant viral protein - TMV tobacco mosaic virus - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay Studies on the production of anti-plant viral substances of higher plant cells in suspension culture. Part 1     

Towards a classification ofE. coli ribosomal proteins: A hypothetical ‘small ribosome’ as a primitive protein-synthesizing apparatus

Homologies were searched among the published primary sequences of 51E. coli ribosomal proteins, partly by eye and partly by computer-assisted methods. By employing Moore and Goodman's alignment statistics for evaluating homology levels, 33 out of these 51 ribosomal proteins has been classified into 9 homology groups, some of which being yet tentative and remaining to be further analyzed. Taking it into consideration that most ribosomal protein genes are clustered atstr-stc region,rif region and several other regions, these results strongly suggest that most or all of the contemporary ribosomal proteins must have evolved by repeated gene duplications ofvery few (oronly one) primitive ancestral ribosomal protein gene(s). Thus it is most reasonable to propose that a small ribosome consisting of very few (or only one) ribosomal protein(s) must have existed as a primitive protein-synthesizing apparatus.     

Mechanisms of action of NIP71 on N-myristoyltransferase activity

N-Myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) is the enzyme that catalyses the transfer of myristate from myristoyl-CoA to the N-terminal glycine of protein substrates. NMT was highly purified from bovine brain by procedures involving sequential column chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, phosphocellulose, hydroxylapatite, and mono S and mono Q f.p.l.c.. The highly purified NMT (termed NMT·II) possessed high specific activity with peptide substrates derived from the N-terminal sequences of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase and pp60^src (29,800 and 47,600 pmol N-myristoylpeptide formed/min/mg, respectively), intermediate activity with a peptide based on the N-terminal sequence of a viral structural protein (l) (M2; 17,300 pmol N-myristoylpeptide formed/min/mg) and very low activity with a peptide derived from the N-terminal sequence ofmyristoylatedalanine-richC-kinasesubstrate (MARCKS; 1500 pmol myristoylpeptide formed/min/mg). An NMT protein inhibitor (NIP₇₁) isolated from the particulate fraction of bovine brain (King MJ and Sharma RK: Biochem J 291635-639, 1993) potently inhibited highly purified NMT activity (IC₅₀ 23.7 nM). A minor NMT activity (NMT·PU; 30% total NMT activity), which failed to bind to phosphocellulose, was insensitive to NIP₇₁ inhibition. Inhibition of NMT was observed to be via mixed inhibition with respect to both the myristoyl-CoA and peptide substrates with NIP₇₁ having an apparent higher affinity for NMT than the NMT·myristoyl·CoA complex. Inhibition by NIP₇₁ at subsaturating concentrations of myristolyl-CoA and peptide resulted in a sigmoidal pattern of inhibition indicating that bovine brain possesses a potent and delicate on/off switch to control NMT activity.Abbreviations NMT N-myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase - NMT·I mono Q N-myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase peak I - NMT·II mono Q N-myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase peak II - NMT·III mono Q N-myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase peak III - NIP₇₁ 71 kDa heat-stable N-myristoyltransferase inhibitor protein     

Growth of Candida utilis on enzymatically hydrolysed cassava

Summary Enzymatically hydrolysed cassava starch was used for C. utilis cultivation. Highly efficient starch hydrolysis was achieved with a 92% DE syrup obtained after 15–20h. Cyanide content fell during cassava processing to very low levels in the hydrolysate. Comparison of biomass yields and protein of C. utilis using molasses and cassava hydrolysate as substrates demonstrates the potential of the latter for yeast production.     

High level extracellular secretion of thermostable α-amylase ofBacillus stearothermophilus inEscherichia coli

Summary Bacillus stearothermophilus BR135 (ATCC 29609)amy gene was cloned in pBR322 from its plasmid DNA and was subcloned in a vector useful both forB. subtilis andE. coli.E.coli HB101 harboring the plasmid pSS099 when grown in L medium in presence of 5. g/ml chloramphenicol produces 70 units/ml of extracellular -amylase. This is nearly twice that ofE.coli cells harboring pSSO76, a plasmid havingamy ofB.stearothermophilus BR135 atHindIII site of pBR322. Characteristically the protein was a 58 kd protein and cross reacted with antiserum developed against purified -amylase of BR135.     

Improvement of growth ofRhizopus oligosporus on a model solid substrate

Summary Metal ions and cassava extracts stimulated growth ofRhizopus oligosporus on a model solid substrate. A large improvement in protein content was obtained by simultaneously increasing the nitrogen content and decreasing the particle size of the substrate. No improvement occurred when these conditions were applied to cassava, however, because of the sticky consistency of the cassava after gelatinization.     

Non-polluting wood and pulp delignification: Biomimetic ligninase system

Summary We report the delignification ofPinus radiata D Don,Eucalyptus globulus andEucalyptus grandis woods (formic acid treated and untreated) by 2 h treatment with a hemin/hydrogen peroxide system. The untreated chips and sawdust ofE. globulus were 30% and 50% delignified respectively. No significant effects were found forP. radiata sawdust;P. radiata treated chips (organosolv pulp) did not show any further delignification upon hemin/peroxide action, 25% delignification was achieved in untreated chips. In the case ofE. grandis untreated wood the delignification was better in sawdust than in chips, but in smaller percentage than in the otherEucalyptus species. This relation is maintained in substrates, treated with formic acid or untreated. The delignification of chips in both species ofEucalyptus was improved when they were pre-treated with formic acid. The loss of lignin in theE. grandis andE. globulus sawdust (pre-treated with formic acid) was 79% and 75% respectively.     

Characterization of two β-glucosidase genes fromClostridium thermocellum

Summary Two -glucosidase genes, designatedbglA andbglB, were isolated from a gene bank ofClostridium thermocellum DSM 1237. The coding sequences forbglA andbglB were located on non-homologous DNA fragments of 3.2– and 3.4-kb, respectively. Both genes direct inEscherichia coli the synthesis of cytoplasmic -glucosidases, which differ with respect to substrate specificity and temperature profile. The properties of thebglA-encoded -glucosidase A closely resemble that of a -glucosidase previously isolated fromC. thermocellum cultures.     

Anther culture of some perennial triticeae

Three field grown Agropyron spp. (crested wheatgrasses) and two Thinopyrum spp. (intermediate and tall wheatgrasses) were evaluated for anther culture response. Hormonally modified potato extract and 85D12 media induced pollen embryogenesis. Modified Murashige and Skoog media were tested for their effects on callus proliferation and plantlet regeneration. Callus induction frequency and plantlet production were highest (25.0% and 45.8%, respectively) for Thinopyrum ponticum (2N=70) (tall wheatgrass). One-hundred and nine albino plantlets were produced from T. ponticum Jose both by direct regeneration on 85D12 medium and through a callus phase from potato extract media. This is the first report of plantlet production from anther culture of a Triticeae perennial forage grass. Further experimentation with environmental and cultural conditions may result in the production of green plantlets.Abbreviations MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium - NAA naphthaleneacetic acid - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - 2-ip 2-isopentenyladenosine - 2,4,5-T 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid Cooperative investigations of the USDA-Agricultural Experiment Station and the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Logan, UT 84322. Approved as Journal Paper No. 3596     

Selection of preculture conditions for solid state fermentation of sugar beet pulp

Summary For the protein upgrading of sugar-beet pulp in solid state fermentation byTrichoderma reesei andFusarium oxysporum, serveral conditions were studied to prepare an economical preculture for large scale process. The best performance was shown by a preculture obtained in 24 h from 1.5 % molasses solution at pH 4.5–5.0 with 1.0 % milled beet pulp.     

Fates and expression ofBacillus subtilis endo-β-1, 4-glucanase gene andAlcaligenes faecalis β-glucosidase gene introduced inEscherichia coli andBacillus cells

Summary Two kinds of cellulase genes coding for endo--1, 4-glucanase and -glucosidase, isolated fromBacillus subtilis andAlcaligenes faecalis respectively, were separately or combinedly put on a newly constructedEscherichia coli-Bacillus shuttle vector plasmid. When the recombinant plasmids having cellulase gene(s) were introduced intoE. coli orBacillus cells, drastic differences in fates and expression of the two genes were observed.