Organic sulphur sources for the growth of the dermatophyte microsporum gypseum

The suitability of 30 organic compounds (of them 19 sulphur-containing amino acids) at a concentration of 1mm as sulphur sources for the growth of the dermatophyteMicrosporum gypseum was investigated. The dry mass of the mycelium after an 11-d growth served as a measure of utilizability. Of sulphur amino acids cystine, cysteine, reduced and oxidized glutathione, cysteic and cysteinesulphinic acids, S-sulphocysteine, lanthionine, taurine and serine sulphate were the best sources. Methionine and methionine-sulphone were utilized slightly less effectively. Other compounds were medium to poor sources and only S-carboxymethylcysteine was not utilized at all. All organic compounds that are not of amino acid type were poor sulphur sources or were utilized at all. Sodium dodecyl sulphate inhibited germination and growth completely.     

Conditioned pathogenicity of microsporum gypseum biochemical mutants

Experimental infections of guinea pigs with three biochemical mutants ofMicrosporum gypseum are described. Under normal conditions the mutants are avirulent. The virulence became manifested in two mutants (1) when substances necessary for growth of individual mutants were brought into the place of inoculation, (2) when the defense mechanism of the organism was altered with the application of immunosuppressive drugs. One of the mutants was permanently avirulent. The importance of experimental results for explanation of conditioned pathogenicity of some dermatophytes is discussed.     

Isolation and identification of the principal siderophore of the dermatophyte Microsporum gypseum

The dermatophyte Microsporum gypseum has been shown to produce two siderophores under conditions of low-iron stress. These compounds have been separated as Fe(III) complexes on silica gel, and the principal siderophore has been identified as ferricrocin using the methods of amino acid analysis, comparative thin-layer chromatography, partial sequencing by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the Al(III) complex.     

High-analysis granular sulphur assemblages as sources of sulphur for lucerne

Summary A growth chamber study was conducted to compare five granulated sulphur assemblages and a commercially available prilled sulphur with gypsum and flowers of sulphur as sources of sulphur for lucerne grown on two sulphur deficient soils, one from the Armstrong area of B.C. and one from California. Following one surface application of the various sulphur supplying materials at rates of 37.5 mg, 75 mg and 150 mg of sulphur per 3750 g of soil, four consecutive harvests were removed from the Enderby silt loam during a 145 day period and three cuttings were taken over a 119 day cropping interval on the Willits soil from California.Although gypsum and finely divided sulphur were the most effective sources, three of the five assemblages also had a favourable influence upon yield of lucerne, sulphur concentration and sulphur uptake. The three acceptable assemblages were sulphur-bentonite, sulphur-goulac-ammonium sulphate and sulphur-gypsum-goulac and they produced beneficial effects upon lucerne growth that were often comparable to those obtained with finely divided sulphur.On the basis of this investigation, it appears that certain granular high-analysis sulphur assemblages made from finely divided sulphur and binding agents, such as gypsum, ammonium sulphate, goulac and bentonite have satisfactory agronomic properties. Because these assemblages have suitable agronomic and physical properties they should be ideal for bulk blending with other granular fertilizer materials or for use in direct application to the soil. Wider scale testing of the sulphur-bentonite, sulphur-goulac-ammonium sulphate and sulphur-gypsum-goulac assemblages would seem to be justified.This paper was presented before the 12th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Soil Science, June 28, 1967, Macdonald College, Quebec.     

Formation of sulphate,sulphite and s-sulphocysteine by the fungusMicrosporum gypseum during growth on cystine

The dermatophyte Microsporum gypseum was cultivated in media containing 0.5% cystine in suspension, and 0.05% peptone or 1% glucose and 0.05% peptone. During growth on cystine the excess sulphur was oxidized and excreted into the medium not only in the form of sulphate but also in the form of sulphite. Sulphite was produced especially during first phases of growth, where its quantity was higher than that of sulphate and its maximum concentration exceeded 1 mg/ml. S-sulphocysteine, detected chromatographically and determined quantitatively, originated in large quantities by the reaction of sulphite with cystine in the medium. Both sulphite and S-sulphocysteine were further oxidized to sulphate. After exhaustion of cystine 90-93% of the sulphur present was converted to sulphate in the cultivation medium.     

Sulphate and methionine as sulphur sources for cysteine and cephalosporin C synthesis in Cephalosporium acremonium

Three prototrophic strains of Cephalosporium acremonium with different potentials for cephalosporin C production show pronounced differences in pools of intracellular sulphur amino acids. The superior strain exhibits the largest pool, particularly of cysteine (four times that of the non-producing strain). In fermentations with this strain methionine was found to be a much better sulphur source than sulphate for both cysteine and antibiotic synthesis. In the presence of methionine the utilization of sulphate is strongly depressed.     

Nutritive value of lupin-seed protein and leaf-protein concentrates supplemented with various sulphur sources

The effect of DL methionine, methionine hydroxyanalogue (MHA) and sodium sulphate on the nutritive value of lupin-seed protein and leaf-protein concentrate (LPC) from lucerne for rats and chicks was evaluated. Methionine and MHA markedly improved the biological value of both lupin- and LPC-proteins, but the effect of sodium sulphate was not significant.The supplement of organic sulphur-compounds improved the performance of chicks fed on lupin-seed meal, but the effect of sodium sulphate was negligible. There was no significant response to any of the organic and inorganic sulphur compounds in chicks fed on LPC diets. These results suggest that some factor other than methionine defiency is limiting the nutritive value of LPC for these animals.     

Carbon and sulphur utilization during growth of Pseudomonas fluorescens on potassium d-glucose 6-O-sulphate as the sole sulphur source

Pseudomonas fluorescens N.C.I.B. 8248 was adapted to grow on potassium d-glucose 6-O-sulphate as the sole carbon and sulphur source. Adapted bacteria grew optimally at 37 degrees C on 1.6% (w/v) sulphate ester and growth coincided with the disappearance of the ester from the culture medium at a rate of 2.4mg/h per ml. Three sulphated compounds were detected in the culture fluid at the termination of growth. One of these was present in traces only and has not been identified. The second was present in somewhat greater amounts and was identified as the 6-O-sulphate ester of d-gluconate, and the major metabolite was identified as d-glycerate 3-O-sulphate. Sulphur utilization by the organism was not associated with the appearance of a glycosulphatase enzyme in the cells. However, a novel enzyme system (or systems) was present that liberated inorganic (35)SO(4) (2-) ions from dipotassium d-gluconate 6[(35)S]-O-sulphate and from dipotassium dl-glycerate 3[(35)S]-O-sulphate. Activity towards the latter substrate could not be detected when the adapted or parent Pseudomonas strain was cultured on d-glucose and potassium sulphate as respective carbon and sulphur sources. Some properties of the enzyme acting on the glycerate ester are recorded.     

Utilization of various carbon sources for the growth of waterborne conidial fungi

Four isolates of waterborne conidial fungi (Tetracheatum elegans, Tetracladium marchalianum, Pestalotiopsis submersus and Flagellospora penicillioides) were investigated for their carbon requirement, using eight different carbon sources (viz. glucose, fructose, sucrose, xylose, starch, cellulose, dextrin and lactose). All fungi tested grew sparsely on the basal medium lacking in carbon, which was the control. However these fungi were found to vary in their ability to use the supplied sources of carbon. Glucose and sucrose were found to be suitable sources of carbon for all four fungal isolates, whereas fructose proved good for T. marchalianum and P. submersus. Starch and xylose also supported growth of T. marchalianum, P. submersus and F. penicillioides. Cellulose, a polysaccharide, was a poor source of carbon for the growth of these isolates. Four g/L of glucose was recorded as the most useful concentration that gives the maximum dry weight of selected fungi (262 mg and 400 mg for T. elegans and P. submersus respectively after 15 d).     

Amino adids as nitrogen sources for the growth of rice callus tissue

Availability of amino acids for the growth of rice callus tissuewas examined by supplying various kinds of amino acids to thetissue separately or in combination. When an amino acid wassupplied alone as the sole source of nitrogen, only the followingfive amino acids were found to favour the growth of callus tissue;arginine, alanine, asparagine, glutamine and proline. In combinationwith other acids, both AHCH and CMAA were very effective instimulating the growth of tissue, but EHCH was inhibitory. Whenmethionine or arginine was excluded from the CMAA medium, callusgrowth on the medium was reduced significantly. The effect producedby omitting methionine suggested that some amino acid interactionwas involved in this instance. (Received February 19, 1970; )     

Micro-scale sulphur isotope evidence for sulphur cycling in the late Archean shallow ocean

We report in situ secondary ion mass spectrometer sulphur isotope data for sedimentary pyrite from the 2.52 Ga Upper Campbellrand Subgroup, Transvaal, South Africa. The analysed sedimentary rocks represent a transition in depositional environment from very shallow to deeper water, with strong sedimentological, facies distribution and geochemical evidence for the presence of a shallow redox chemocline. Data were obtained directly in thin section in order to preserve petrographic context. They reveal a very large extent of isotopic fractionation both in mass‐independent (MIF) and in mass‐dependent fractionation (MDF) on unprecedentedly small scale. In the shallow‐water microbical carbonates, three types of pyrite were identified. The texturally oldest pyrite is found as small, isotopically little fractionated grains in the microbial mats. Large (several mm) spheroidal pyrite concretions, which postdate the mat pyrite, record strong evidence for an origin by bacterial sulphate reduction. Rare pyrite surrounding late fenestral calcite is inferred to have formed from recycled bacterial pyrite on account of the slope of its correlated MIF and MDF array. This latter type of pyrite was also found in an interbedded black shale and a carbonate laminite. In a deeper water chert, pyrite with very heavy sulphur indicates partial to almost complete sulphate reduction across a chemocline whose existence has been inferred independently. The combined picture from all the studied samples is that of a sulphate availability‐limited environment, in which sulphur was cycled between reservoirs according to changing redox conditions established across the chemocline. Cycling apparently reduced the extent of recorded sulphur isotope fractionation relative to what is expected from projection in the correlated MIF and MDF arrays. This is consistent with regionally relatively high free oxygen concentrations in the shallow water, permitting locally strong MDF. Our new observations add to the growing evidence for a complex, fluctuating evolution of free atmospheric oxygen between c. 2.7 Ga and 2.3 Ga.     

Evaluation of N-acetylchitooligosaccharides as the main carbon sources for the growth of intestinal bacteria

N-Acetylchitooligosaccharides ((GlcNAc)(n)) with different degrees of polymerization (n=1-6) were prepared as the main carbon sources in media for evaluating the growth of nine intestinal bacteria. A chitohydrolysate was prepared by hydrolyzing shrimp-shell chitin using HCl. After purification, the purity of each (GlcNAc)(1-6) was >86%. The growth of intestinal bacteria was carried out in a basal medium (BM) containing 0.2% (w/v) of each sugar or glucose as the main carbon source and was evaluated using maximum cell densities and specific growth rates. Bacteroides fragilis and Clostridium perfringens could respectively utilize GlcNAc and (GlcNAc)(2) more efficiently for growth than glucose. Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Eubacterium limosum could use (GlcNAc)(1-6) slightly as their main carbon source. Escherichia coli, Lactococcus lactis and Proteus vulgaris could utilize glucose more efficiently than (GlcNac)(1-6). GlcNAc was used more readily than (GlcNAc)(2-6) by Staphylococcus aureus, exhibiting almost the same specific growth rates. In BM, Streptococcus faecalis grew well even without adding each of the sugars tested.     

A method for the isolation of nuclei from the dermatophytic fungus,Microsporum gypseum

A method is reported for the isolation of nuclei from the dermatophytic fungus,Microsporum gypseum. The yield ranged from greater than 90% in crude preparations to less than 20% in highly purified preparations as judged by the recovery of DNA. Nuclei isolated in this manner appeared intact in electron microscopic observations and possessed chemical compositions, i.e. low protein/DNA and RNA/DNA ratios, which indicated a low degree of cytoplasmic contamination.     

A survey of available nitrogen sources for the growth of the blue-green alga,Agmenellum quadruplicatum

The growth response of the marine blue-green alga, Agmenellum quadruplicatum to 60 inorganic and organic nitrogen sources was studied. These compounds were offered as sole nitrogen sources. Most amino acids, most purines, and urea were good nitrogen sources for growth.     

Sea ice bacterial growth rate, growth efficiency and preference for inorganic nitrogen sources in the Baltic Sea

Seasonal Baltic Sea ice is structurally similar to polar sea ice and provides habitats for diverse ice organism assemblages that are integral to the biogeochemistry and ecology of the sea during winter. Temperature and inorganic nitrogen sources have been suggested to control bacterial growth, with increasing dependence on ammonium at low temperatures. To study the bacterial growth and preference for the nitrogen source, we conducted experiments at 0 and 4°C, using ammonium and nitrate as nitrogen sources at two coastal fast-ice stations in the Gulf of Finland and in the Gulf of Bothnia during three successive winters. The two study sites differ markedly in relation to the allochthonous dissolved organic matter supply from the catchment area. High levels of bacterial growth were recorded at both study sites, with community generation times of 15–37 h. The measured bacterial growth efficiencies of 20–58% suggest that the Baltic sea ice brines provide a rich medium for bacterial growth and efficient functioning of bacteria-based food webs. Our experiments with sea ice samples showed a preference for ammonium at both temperatures and high potential growth in both types of nitrogen supplies. No major differences in phosphorus depletion rates were found at the two temperatures, but rates were always highest when ammonium was added to the experiments. These experiments point out that ice maturity, presumably through changes in bacterial community structure, impacts nitrogen processes and that these processes are pronounced prior to melting of the ice.