A dissimilatory nitrite reductase in Paracoccus halodenitrificans

Paracoccus halodenitrificans produced a membrane-associated nitrite reductase. Spectrophotometric analysis showed it to be associated with a cd-cytochrome and located on the inner side of the cytoplasmic membrane. When supplied with nitrite, membrane preparations produced nitrous oxide and nitric oxide in different ratios depending on the electron donor employed. The nitrite reductase was maximally active at relatively low concentrations of sodium chloride and remained attached to the membranes at 100 mM sodium chloride.     

Nitrite reduction in Paracoccus sp. is affected by a novel plasmid pYR1

Two relatively low-copy plasmids of 9 and 16 kb were found to comprise the extrachromosomal DNA of a Paracoccus strain. Reduction of nitrate by plasmid-cured cells resulted in a significant intermediate nitrite accumulation as compared to wild-type cells. By examining nitrate reduction by transformants containing one of the two plasmids, it was found that nitrite accumulation was influenced by the 9.0-kb plasmid, designated as pYR1. Subcloning analysis showed that a 1.8-kb fragment of this plasmid affected nitrite accumulation. Sequence analysis of this fragment revealed the presence of five open reading frames. One of the six deduced proteins showed a strong homology to ABC transporters.     

Chemolithoautotrophic oxidation of thiosulfate, tetrathionate and thiocyanate by a novel rhizobacterium belonging to the genus Paracoccus

Two tropical leguminous-rhizospheric strains, SST and JT 001, phylogenetically closest to Paracoccus thiocyanatus and Paracoccus pantotrophus, respectively, were isolated on reduced sulfur compounds as sole energy and electron sources. While SST had versatile chemolithotrophic abilities to oxidize thiosulfate, tetrathionate, thiocyanate, sulfide and elemental sulfur, JT 001 could oxidize thiosulfate, soluble sulfide, elemental sulfur and a relatively lesser amount of tetrathionate. Positive hybridization signals were detected for JT 001 but not SST, when their genomic DNAs were probed with DIG-labeled sulfur oxidation genes amplified from the chemolithotrophic alphaproteobacterium Pseudaminobacter salicylatoxidans KCT001. Though the new isolate SST exhibited high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with the monotypic species P. thiocyanatus, it was found to be considerably distinct from the latter in terms of phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics. Polyphasic systematic analysis, however, confirmed that JT 001 was a strain of P. pantotrophus.     

Non-reciprocal regulation of Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides recA genes expression

Abstract The Rhodobacter capsulatus recA gene has been isolated and sequenced. Its deduced amino acid sequence showed the closest identity with the Rhodobacter sphaeroides RecA protein (91% identity). However, the promoter regions of both R. capsulatus and R. sphaeroides recA genes are only 64% similar. An Escherichia coli -like LexA binding site was not present in the upstream region of the R. capsulatus recA gene. Nevertheless, the R. capsulatus recA gene is inducible by DNA damage in both hetero- and phototrophically growing conditions. The R. capsulatus recA gene is poorly induced when inserted into the chromosome of R. sphaeroides , indicating that the recA gene of both bacteria possess different control sequences despite their phylogenetically close relationship.     

The fine structure of Micrococcus radiophilus and Micrococcus radioproteolyticus

The radiation resistant bacteria Micrococcus radiophilus and M. radioproteolyticus were studied by thin sectioning and freeze-etching techniques and the two species were found to be similar in the fine structure. The only significant difference was in the appearance of the surfaces of the cell walls in freeze-etched preparations.Since the two species, together with M. radiodurans, possess a unique cell wall structure and a cell wall peptidoglycan, which is different from that of other micrococci and Gram-positive cocci, it is recommended that they be reclassified into a new genus.     

Effects of macrocyclic polyamines and polymethylenediamines on reactions influenced by polyamines

The effects of macrocyclic polyamines and polymethylenediamines on various reactions influenced by polyamines have been studied. Among the amines tested, 2,3,4,3- and 3,3,3,4-cyclic polyamines, NH₂(CH₂)₆NH₂ and NH₂(CH₂)₈NH₂ had some ability to stimulate polyphenylalanine synthesis, globin synthesis and rat liver isoleucyl-tRNA formation. The degree of stimulation was at most 40% of that obtained by polyamines. In the degradation of poly(C) by bovine pancreatic RNAase A, all tested amines stimulated the degradation. In the NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation of rat liver microsomes, the degree of inhibition by 2,3,2,3- or 2,3,3,3-cyclic polyamine was greater than that by spermine. The hydrolysis of ATP by an oligomycin-sensitive ATPase was inhibited by 2,3,4,3- and 3,3,3,4-cyclic polyamines, NH₂(CH₂)₁₀NH₂ and spermine at somewhat comparable levels. None of the macrocyclic polyamines or polymethylenediamines stimulated the growth of a polyamine-requiring mutant of Escherichia coli. Possible explanations for the differences in the effects of amines on the various reactions are discussed.     

产新型类胡萝卜素微球菌的鉴定

从野外土壤中分离得到1株产类胡萝卜素菌株。根据其形态特征、生理生化特征的测定结果分析,该菌株应归为微球菌属(Micrococcus)玫瑰色微球菌(Micrococcus roseus)。对其所产类胡萝卜素进行了吸收光谱扫描及高效液相分析,研究表明为新型类胡萝卜素。     

对一株藤黄微球菌合成海藻糖能力的鉴定

报道了一株藤黄微球菌 (Micrococcusluteus)具有产酶能力 ,可以淀粉糊精为底物合成海藻糖 ,从还原糖含量变化、纸层析和高效阴离子交换 脉冲安培法检测几方面对酶反应予以证实。     

山梨糖脱氢酶在脱氮副球菌中的表达

目的:在脱氮副球菌PD1222中表达山梨糖脱氢酶(SDH)。方法:从质粒pMD-18T上复制氨苄西林抗性基因Ampr,从酮古龙酸菌中复制SDH基因sdh,先后酶切连接到pIND4质粒上,构建pIND4-Ampr-sdh穿梭质粒;再把pIND4-Ampr-sdh电转入大肠杆菌S17-1λpir作为供体菌,脱氮副球菌PD1222为受体菌进行双亲本接合转移;挑取壮观霉素和氨苄西林双抗平板上的接合子进行培养,菌液PCR复筛接合子,测序鉴定,通过DCIP法和非变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳法检测阳性克隆的SDH活性。结果:构建的质粒pIND4-Ampr-sdh成功转入脱氮副球菌PD1222中,SDH获得表达并检测到其蛋白活性。结论:实现了SDH在脱氮副球菌中的表达,为在脱氮副球菌中研究SDH的下游电子传递链奠定了基础。     

可降解吡啶的全食副球菌B21-3的筛选鉴定及降解特性

【背景】吡啶作为一种难降解的有机污染物普遍存在于焦化、炼油、皮革和制药等行业的废水中,并对环境造成危害。【目的】治理废水中残留的有机污染物吡啶,筛选高效降解菌。【方法】采用富集培养和选择培养,以石家庄某污水处理厂的活性污泥为材料进行吡啶降解菌的筛选,通过形态特征、生理生化特性、(G+C)mol%测定及16S rRNA基因序列系统发育分析对筛选到的降解菌进行鉴定,并分析其对吡啶的降解特性。【结果】分离筛选到一株能以吡啶为唯一碳源和氮源生长代谢的降解菌B21-3,经鉴定该菌株为全食副球菌(Paracoccuspantotrophus)。菌株B21-3对吡啶的最适降解温度为32°C,最适降解pH为7.0,吡啶浓度为100mg/L时降解率为48.50%±0.02%;通过逐步提高吡啶初始浓度对菌株进行驯化,驯化后菌株可耐受较高浓度吡啶且吡啶降解率显著增加,吡啶浓度为100 mg/L时驯化后菌株B21-3对吡啶的降解率为90.26%±1.70%。驯化后菌株在含吡啶的无机盐平板上传代培养15代后,对吡啶的降解率为89.39%±2.03%。【结论】菌株B21-3具有较强的吡啶降解能力及降解稳定性,该菌株可作为吡啶污染水体生物修复的潜在资源。     

浑球红假单胞菌及其谷氨酸合成酶突变株氢酶活性和合成

浑球红假单胞菌野生型菌株的氢酶表达被有机碳、氮底物所抑制。在光照和黑暗时,氧浓度变化对氢酶的作用不同,但高氧浓度都阻遏氢酶的表达。微量Ni~(2+)能专一性地促进氢酶活性,固氮酶的产氢也可以调节氢酶的表达水平。该野生菌株的GOGAT突变株缺乏固氮酶和氢酶活性,在加入谷氨酰胺合成酶抑制剂MSX后,固氮酶和氢酶以相关联的方式合成出来,固氮酶产生的氢看来诱导了氢酶的合成。然而在固氮酶不表达的情况下,外源氢也可诱导氢酶的合成。     

The cytochromes c-550 of Paracoccus denitrificans and Thiosphaera pantotropha: a need for re-evaluation of the history of Paracoccus cultures

Abstract The c -type cytochrome and protein profiles were compared for a number of cultures of Paracoccus denitrificans obtained from a range of culture collections. The cultures fell into two groups corresponding to the two original isolates of this bacterial species. One group, which included NCIMB 8944, ATCC 13543, ATCC 17741, ATCC 19367, Pd 1222 and DSM 413, were similar or identical to LMD 22.21. The second group, including DSM 65 and LMG 4218, were similar or identical to LMD 52.44. These groupings were not compatible with the recorded history of culture deposition. Mass spectrometry and amino acid sequence comparisons showed that the cytochrome c -550 of the LMD 52.44 culture group differed by 16% from that of the LMD 22.21 group, and yet was only 1% different from the cytochrome c -550 of Thiosphaera pantotropha . These results suggest that consideration should be given to creation of a new species of Paracoccus pantotropha , which would include Thiosphaera pantotropha and Paracoccus denitrificans LMD 52.44.     

Catabolism of polyamines in the rat: Polyamines and their non-α-amino acid metabolites

The metabolic fate of stable isotopically labeled polyamines was investigated after their first and second intraperitoneal injection in rats. Using gas chromatographic and mass fragmentographic analyses of acid-hydrolyzed 24-h urines, some aspects of the polyamine metabolism could be elucidated. After the injections with hexadeutero-1,3-diaminopropane, obly labeled 1,3-diaminopropane was recovered from the urine samples. The rat injected with tetradeuteroputrescine excreted labeled putrescine excreted labeled putrescine, γ-amino-n-butyric acid, 2-hydroxyputrescine and spermidine, while the urine samples of the rat after the injections with tetradeuterocadaverine contained labeled cadaverine and δ-aminovaleric acid. The injections of hexadeuterospermidine led to the appearance of labeled spermidine, isoputreanine, putreanine, N-(2-carboxyethyl)-4-amino-n-butyric acid, putrescine, γ-amino-n-butyric acid, 1,3-diaminopropane, β-alanine and spermine. After the injections with octadeuterospermine, labeled spermine, N-(3-aminopropyl)-N′-(2-carboxyethyl)-1,4-diaminobutane, N,N′-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-1,4-diaminobutane, spermidine, isoputreanine, putreanine, N-(2-carboxyethyl)-4-amino-n-butyric acid, putrescine, 1,3-diaminopropane, β-alanine, 2-hydroxyputrescine and possibly γ-amino-n-butyric acid were recovered. Clear differences between the metabolism after the first and second injection were noted for putrescine, spermidine and spermine, which is suggestive for enzyme induction and/or the existence of salvage pathways.     

Rhodobacter sphaeroides,a novel tumor‐targeting bacteria that emits natural near‐infrared fluorescence

Several optical imaging techniques have been used to monitor bacterial tropisms for cancer. Most such techniques require genetic engineering of the bacteria to express optical reporter genes. This study investigated a novel tumor‐targeting strain of bacteria, Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 (R. sphaeroides), which naturally emits near‐infrared fluorescence, thereby facilitating the visualization of bacterial tropisms for cancer. To determine the penetration depth of bacterial fluorescence, various numbers of cells (from 10⁸ to 10¹⁰ CFU) of R. sphaeroides and two types of Escherichia coli, which stably express green fluorescent protein (GFP) or red fluorescent protein (RFP), were injected s.c. or i.m. into mice. Bacterial tropism for cancer was determined after i.v. injection of R. sphaeroides (10⁸ CFU) into mice implanted s.c. with eight types of tumors. The intensity of the fluorescence signal in deep tissue (muscle) from R. sphaeroides was much stronger than from E. coli‐expressing GFP or RFP. The near‐infrared fluorescence signal from R. sphaeroides was visualized clearly in all types of human or murine tumors via accumulation of bacteria. Analyses of C‐reactive protein and procalcitonin concentrations and body weights indicated that i.v. injection of R. sphaeroides does not induce serious systemic immune reactions. This study suggests that R. sphaeroides could be used as a tumor‐targeting microorganism for the selective delivery of drugs to tumor tissues without eliciting a systemic immune reaction and for visualizing tumors.     

不同农药对木瓜秀粉蚧的毒力及复配增效作用

为筛选对入侵害虫木瓜秀粉蚧毒力较好的农药及复配增效配比,为该虫的化学药剂防治提供理论依据,本文采用叶面喷雾法测定了11种农药对木瓜秀粉蚧2龄若虫的室内毒力,挑选毒力较好的两种药剂进行复配,筛选增效配比,并进行田间药效试验。结果表明,11种农药对木瓜秀粉蚧的毒力大小依次为:螺螨酯>哒螨灵>噻虫胺>联苯菊酯>矿物油>高效氯氰菊酯>炔螨特>啶虫脒>吡虫啉>噻螨酮>四螨嗪。哒螨灵与螺螨酯(60∶40)复配共毒系数最大,为182.47。田间药效试验发现,混配药剂防效均高于单剂且达到差异显著。     

Interconversion of polyamines in wild-type strains and mutants of yeasts and the effects of polyamines on their growth

Yeasts of wild-type strains, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Candida albicans were shown to have the ability to form aminopropylcadaverine and aminopropylhomospermidine from cadaverine and homospermidine, respectively. A polyamine autotroph S. cerevisiae 179-5, which lacks ornithine decarboxylase, produced both aminopropylcadaverine and aminopropylhomospermidine, while another mutant S. cerevisiae Y 260 A, which lacks spermine synthase, formed only aminopropylcadaverine. Naturally-occurring triamines and tetraamines except norspermidine and norspermine stimulated the growth of S. cerevisiae 179-5. All the six aliphatic diamines with carbon chain length ranging from one to six were effective in activating the growth of S. cerevisiae 179-5, though all of them were not converted to either triamines or tetraamines.     

Oxygen increases the steady-state level of nitrate in denitrifying cells of, Paracoccus denitrificans

Abstract The levels of nitrate in denitrifying cells of Paracoccus denitrificans were determined by centrifugation through silicone oil into phosphoric acid and ion-exchange HPLC analysis of the cell lysates, using [¹⁴C]sucrose to correct for the trapped external medium. Introduction of oxygen brought about a significant upward shift in the intracellular nitrate concentration. This result calls into question the current thinking that oxygen blocks nitrate respiration primarily due to the inhibition of nitrate transport into the cell.     

Synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles from marine Micrococcus sp. OUS9

Studies on biological synthesis techniques of nanoparticles have been significantly expanded in recent years. This reduced adverse effects of chemical processing techniques. We describe the synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles from marine Micrococcus sp. OUS9 for potential application in nanobiotechnology.     

Isolation and characterization of a denitrifying monocrotophos-degrading Paracoccus sp. M-1

A bacterium strain, which is capable of degrading monocrotophos, was isolated from sludge collected from the bottom of a wastewater treatment system of a chemical factory, and named M-1. On the basis of the results of the cellular morphology, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics and phylogenetic similarity of 16S rDNA gene sequences, the strain was identified as a Paracoccus sp. The ability of the strain to mineralize monocrotophos was investigated under different culture conditions. Other organophosphorus insecticides and amide herbicides were also degraded by M-1. The key enzyme (s) involved in the initial biodegradation of monocrotophos in M-1 was shown to be a constitutively expressed cytosolic protein. The addition of M-1 (10(6) CFU g(-1)) to fluvo-aquic soil and a high-sand soil containing monocrotophos (50 mg kg(-1)) resulted in a higher degradation rate than that obtained from noninoculated soil. This microbial culture has great potential utility for the bioremediation of wastewater or soil contaminated with organophosphorus pesticides and amide herbicides.