Urease activity of adherent bacteria and rumen fluid bacteria

In experiments on six sheep fed on a low nitrogen diet (3.7 g N/day), urease (EC 3.5.1.5) activity (nkat X mg-1 bacterial dry weight) 3 h after feeding was found to be highest in the bacteria adhering to the rumen wall (13.25 +/- 2.10), lower in the rumen fluid bacteria (8.96 +/- 1.35) and lowest in the bacteria adhering to feed particles in the rumen (5.69 +/- 2.13). The urease activity of bacteria adhering to the rumen wall and of the rumen fluid bacteria of six sheep fed on a high nitrogen diet (21 g N/day) was significantly lower than in sheep with a low N intake and in both cases was roughly the same (3.81 +/- 1.37 and 3.76 +/- 1.02 respectively); it was lowest in bacteria adhering to feed particles in the rumen (1.92 +/- 0.90). It is concluded from the results that the urease activity of rumen fluid bacteria and of bacteria adhering to the rumen wall and to feed particles in the rumen is different and that it falls significantly in the presence of a high nitrogen intake. From the relatively high ureolytic activity of bacteria adhering to the rumen wall in the presence of a low nitrogen intake it is assumed that this is one of the partial mechanisms of the hydrolysis of blood urea entering the rumen across the rumen wall and of its reutilization in the rumen-liver nitrogen cycle in ruminants.     

Interactions between amino-acid-degrading bacteria and methanogenic bacteria in anaerobic digestion

The degradation of amino acids in anaerobic digestion was examined in terms of the interactions between amino-acid-degrading bacteria and methanogenic bacteria. Certain amino acids were degraded oxidatively by dehydrogenation, with methanogenic bacteria acting as H(2) acceptors. The inhibition of methanogenesis by chloroform also inhibited the degradation of these amino acids and/or caused variations in the composition of volatile acids produced from them. The presence of glycine reduced the inhibitory effect caused by chloroform, probably because glycine acted as an H(2) acceptor in place of methanogenic bacteria. This fact suggested that the coupled oxidation-reduction reactions between two amino acids-one acting as the H(2) donor and the other acting as the H(2) acceptor-may occur in the anaerobic digestion of proteins or amino-acid mixtures. The conversion of some proteins to volatile acids was not affected when methanogenesis was inhibited by chloroform. This suggested that the component amino acids of proteins may be degraded by the coupled oxidation-reduction reactions and that the degradation of proteins may not be dependent on the activity of methanogenic bacteria as H(2) acceptors.     

Aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and petroleum-utilizing bacteria from cow dung and poultry manure

In this study, enumeration and identification of total aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and petroleum-utilizing bacteria as well as the degradative potential of petroleum-utilizing bacterial isolates were carried out. The average counts of total aerobic heterotrophic bacteria in cow dung and poultry manure were 74.25 × 10⁵ c.f.u. g⁻¹ and 138.75 × 10⁵ c.f.u. g⁻¹ respectively. Acinetobacter sp, Bacillus sp, Pseudomonas sp, and Serratia spp. occurred as aerobic heterotrophs in both cow dung and poultry manure. However, Alcaligenes spp. occurred only in cow dung while, Flavobacterium sp, Klebsiella sp, Micrococcus sp, and Nocardia spp. occurred only in poultry manure as aerobic heterotrophs. The average counts of petroleum-utilizing bacteria in cow dung and poultry manure were 9.25 × 10⁵ c.f.u. g⁻¹ and 17.25 × 10⁵ c.f.u. g⁻¹ respectively. Pseudomonas spp. occurred as petroleum utilizer in both cow dung and poultry manure. However, Bacillus spp. occurred only in cow dung while Acinetobacter spp. and Micrococcus spp. occurred only in poultry manure as petroleum utilizers. Relative abundance of petroleum utilizers in total aerobic heterotrophs ranged from 6.38% to 20.00% for cow dung and from 9.38% to 17.29% for poultry manure. Introduction of pure cultures of petroleum-utilizing bacteria from cow dung and poultry manure into sterile oil-polluted soil revealed oil degradation in one week period.     

Interdisciplinary bacteria and phages

A report of the meeting 'Molecular Genetics of Bacteria and Phages', Cold Spring Harbor, USA, 20-24 August 2008.     

Intestinal bacteria and ageing

Advancements in science and medicine, as well as improved living standards, have led to a steady increase in life expectancy, and subsequently a rise in the elderly population. The intestinal microbiota is important for maintenance of host health, providing energy, nutrients and protection against invading organisms. Although the colonic microbiota is relatively stable throughout adult life, age-related changes in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as well as changes in diet and host immune system reactivity, inevitably affect population composition. Recent studies indicate shifts in the composition of the intestinal microbiota, which may lead to detrimental effects for the elderly host. Increased numbers of facultative anaerobes, in conjunction with a decrease in beneficial organisms such as the anaerobic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, amongst other anaerobes, have been reported. These changes, along with a general reduction in species diversity in most bacterial groups, and changes to diet and digestive physiology such as intestinal transit time, may result in increased putrefaction in the colon and a greater susceptibility to disease. Therapeutic strategies to counteract these changes have been suggested in ageing people. These include dietary supplements containing prebiotics, probiotics and a combination of both of these, synbiotics. Limited feeding trials show promising results with these supplements, although further longer-term investigations are required to substantiate their use in elderly healthcare fields.     

Photosynthetic and quasi-photosynthetic bacteria

Abstract Nine different bacterial strains that utilise phenylacetic acid as the only carbon and energy source were isolated from samples of different geographical origin. The isolates were characterised taxonomically and physiologically. Evidence is presented that in all the isolates as well as in four previously isolated control strains with the ability to utilize phenylacetic acid, the enzyme phenylacetate-CoA ligase is specifically induced during growth on phenylacetic acid. The Michaelis constant ( K _m) in one Pseudomonas strain was sufficiently low (-1 mM) to suggest that the enzyme may have a role in phenylacetic acid metabolism.     

Methanopterin and methanogenic bacteria

Methanogenic bacteria comprise a selected group of microorganisms that derive their energy for growth from the hydrogen-dependent reduction of CO2 to methane or the disproportionation of reduced one-carbon compounds and acetate to CO2 and methane. In the reduction and oxidation steps at the formyl, hydroxymethyl and methyl level the one-carbon unit remains bound to the reduced form of methanopterin, a pterin derivative typical of methanogenic bacteria. In addition, the reduced methanopterin, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydromethanopterin, is involved in a number of anabolic reactions. Methanopterin is structurally and functionally the counterpart of folic acid found in other organisms. In this review the occurrence and properties of methanopterin and its derivatives, as well as the biosynthesis and the role in the different catabolic and anabolic reactions are discussed against the background of folic acid biochemistry.     

Mixed culture of nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification

A mixed culture containing nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria was investigated for aerobic simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. A mixture of NaHCO₃ and CH₃COONa was selected as the appropriate carbon source for cell growth and nitrogen removal, the concentrations of carbon and nitrogen sources were also examined. Ammonia could be oxidized aerobically to nitrite by the mixed culture, and the intermediate nitrite was then reduced to dinitrogen gas. No nitrite was detected during the process. 0.212 g of ammonia/l could be removed in 30 h and nitrate could not be utilized aerobically by the mixed culture. Nitrite could be degraded aerobically as well as anaerobically. Very little ammonia was degraded anaerobically, but the ability to degrade ammonia could be recovered even after oxygen had been supplied for 42 h.     

石油污染环境中固氮和寡氮营养细菌的分离鉴定及其特性

[背景]石油污染治理中的生物修复因无二次污染、处理成本低等优点受到人们的广泛关注,但由于石油烃向环境中大量输入,导致环境中氮源的相对不足成为制约生物修复效率的关键因素之一,因此筛选能够适应寡氮环境的微生物具有重要的生态意义.[目的]从辽河油田油藏水中筛选在不添加氮源培养基中生长的微生物,为石油污染环境生物修复提供候选菌...     

Factors affecting survival of test bacteria in sea water: marine bacteria,test bacteria and solid surfaces

Summary 1. The antibacterial activity of raw sea water varied considerably during incubation of successive inocula ofEscherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, andSerratia marinorubra. In most cases inactivation of second inocula was stronger than that of first ones. However, withS. aureus, contradictory results were obtained also.2. The bactericidal effect of filter-sterilized sea water was strengthened by inactivated cells ofEscherichia coli andStaphylococcus aureus. Contradictory findings were obtained from autoclaved sea water.3. Inactivation of test bacteria was greatly influenced by solid surfaces. In most cases, the kill ofEscherichia coli andStaphylococcus aureus in raw and sterile-filtered sea water was stronger at increased surface/volume ratios than under standard conditions. More rapid inactivation of these test strains in sterile-filtered, than in raw, sea water occurred more often at enlarged ratios of solid surface per unit volume. The survival ofSerratia marinorubra was positively affected by solid surfaces.4. It is concluded that changes in nutritive conditions occurring during the experiments are more important in regard to antibacterial activity of sea water than production of harmful matter by marine bacteria.

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Faktoren, welche das Überleben von Testbakterien in Meerwasser beeinflussen: Meeresbakterien, Testbakterien und feste Oberflächen

Kurzfassung Der Einfluß der vorstehend genannten Faktoren wurde auf die Überlebensfähigkeit vonEscherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus undSerratia marinorubra in Meerwasser untersucht. Aktivitäten mariner Bakterien führten nicht generell zu verstärkter antibakterieller Wirkung rohen Meerwassers. Häufig waren sie für das Überleben vonE. coli undS. aureus förderlich. Inaktivierte Zellen vonE. coli undS. aureus erhöhten die bakterizide Wirkung rohen und filtersterilisierten Meerwassers gegenüber sekundär inokulierten, gleichartigen Testbakterien, während sie die inaktivierende Potenz autoklavierten Meerwassers verminderten. Durch erhöhtes Angebot an Glasoberfläche/Volumeneinheit, welches die adsorptive Anreicherung organischer Substanzen verstärkt, wurde die Inaktivation vonE. coli undS. aureus meistens beschleunigt, während sich diejenige vonS. marinorubra um so stärker verminderte, je größer das Verhältnis Oberfläche/Volumen war. Raschere Abtötung vonE. coli undS. aureus in Sterilfiltraten als in rohem Meerwasser trat bei erhöhtem Oberfläche/Volumen-Verhältnis häufiger auf als unter Standardbedingungen. Aus den Ergebnissen wird geschlossen, daß die während der Versuche eintretenden Veränderungen des Nährstoffangebotes, hervorgerufen durch Nährstoffverbrauch sowie durch Lysis inaktivierter Testbakterien, bezüglich der bakteriziden Wirkung von Meerwasser generell von größerer Bedeutung sind als bakterizide Stoffwechselprodukte mariner Bakterien.

     

Ultrastructure of bacteria and the proportion of Gram-negative bacteria in marine sediments

Bacteria in sediments from the surface aerobic layer (0–1 cm) and a deeper anaerobic layer (20–21 cm) of a seagrass bed were examined in section by transmission electron microscopy. Bacteria with a Gram-negative ultrastructure made up 90% of bacteria in the surface layer, and Gram-positive bacteria comprised 10%. In the anaerobic zone, Gram-negative bacteria comprised 70% and Gram-positive bacteria 30% of the bacterial population. These differences were highly significant and support predictions of these proportions made from muramic acid measurements and direct counting with fluorescence microscopy. Most cells were enveloped in extracellular slime layers or envelopes, some with considerable structural complexity. The trophic value to animals of these envelopes is discussed. A unique organism with spines was observed.     

Competitive reaction kinetics of sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic bacteria in anaerobic filters

A kinetic model for the anaerobic filter (AF) that takes into account the mass fractions of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) (f(SRB)) and methanogenic bacteria (MB) (f(MB)) and an inhibiting effect of H(2)S on bacterial groups is proposed. When the acetate-fed AFs were maintained at the low organic loading rate of 2.5kg COD/m(3)d, variations of the influent COD/SO(4)(2-) ratio (0.5-3.0) does not materially affect the acetate removal efficiency (all varying between 98.1% and 99.7%). With an increase in influent COD/SO(4)(2-) ratio, both the biofilm thickness and the specific substrate utilization rate decreased slightly but f(SRB) decreased markedly. The estimated results of f(SRB) and f(MB) showed that SRB out-competed MB for bacterial growth if the influent COD/SO(4)(2-) ratio was maintained at less than 1.3, whereas MB out-competed SRB for bacterial growth if the influent COD/SO(4)(2-) ratio was maintained at greater than 2.0. The specific substrate utilization rate of SRB (0.19-0.24mg acetate/mg VSSd) was lower than that of MB (0.31-0.59mg acetate/mg VSSd). The estimated kinetic parameters disclosed that the affinity of acetate to MB was higher and unionized H(2)S imposed a greater inhibiting effect on MB. The model simulation results (acetate and sulfate removal) agreed well with the experimental results.     

Isolation of bacteria, transforming bacteria, and bacteroids from soybean nodules

Postnuclei supernatant of soybean (Glycine max cv. Chippewa 64) nodule homogenate was fractionated by stepwise sucrose density gradient centrifugation into supernatant, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and three distinct bands with 1.22, 1.25, and 1.27 g/cm³ of peak density. Based on their enzymic activities, composition of electron transport components, and ultrastructural characteristics, the lightest band appears to be the mature bacteroids; the intermediate band the transforming bacteria; and the heaviest, the bacteria. The isolation procedure separates nodule symbionts into different functional and developmental fractions, and it may be a valuable tool for studies involving development, regulation, and senescence of bacteroids in the nodule.