Growth of Gram-negative bacteria in the presence of organic solvents

The growth behavior of Gram-negative bacteria when exposed to high concentrations (50% v/v) of water-insoluble organic solvents was investigated. The solvents were chosen according to their polarity values as denoted by a logarithmically expressed parameter log P, where P is the partition coefficient of a given solvent in an equimolar mixture of octanol and water. The cell growth was measured by the number of colonies developed on a solid agar medium in direct contact with the solvents. All 31 strains tested showed characteristic growth patterns. The survival and subsequent growth of bacteria increased with the increase in the log P value and was found to be strain specific. For all the strains, 100% cell growth was reached from 0% within 0.1–0.4 log P units. Log P₅₀ values, defined as the log P values at which 50% of the cells form colonies, were determined for each bacterial strain. On the whole, Pseudomonas strains were found to be more resistant to apolar solvents than all other bacteria tested. This resistance was dependent not only on the polarities but also on the toxic nature of different organic solvents, the cell membrane components, and to a limited extent, the growth medium. A tenfold increase in the Mg²⁺ concentration in the growth medium enhanced the solvent resistance of E. coli but had no such effect on Pseudomonads. In general, different growth temperatures had no impact on the solvent resistance of the Gram-negative bacteria tested.     

Metabolic response of different osmo-sensitive Sacchromyces cerevisiae to ACA microcapsule

Microencapsulation technology is a convenient method to alter and regulate cell product formation. In order to probe the metabolic response of different osmo-sensitive Sacchromyces cerevisiae to ACA microcapsule, the hyper-osmo-sensitive type S. cerevisiae (Y02724) and wild type S. cerevisiae (BY4741) were encapsulated into liquid core ACA microcapsules. The behavior of cell growth, glucose consumption, ethanol production and the yields of glycerol and organic acids were determined. Free cell culture was used as control. The enzyme activities of NADP⁺-glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) on microencapsulation cells and free cultured cells were measured too. The results demonstrated that the growth of Y02724 in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions was seriously inhibited by ACA microcapsule, while the ethanol and acetatic acid yield of microencapsulation Y02724 in anaerobic condition were significantly higher than that of suspended cultivation. For Y02724, the microencapsulation cultivation significantly increased the GS and GOGAT activities and decreased the GDH activity in comparison with control group. ACA microcapsules did not significantly change the growth behavior and metabolic performance of BY4741, but decreased the GS activity. In conclusion, microcapsules microenvironment significantly changes the metabolism behavior of hyper-osmo-sensitive type S. cerevisiae (Y02724), but nearly had no effect on BY4741.     

Notes on Technic: Simple, Reliable Detection of Latex Microspheres in High Quality Tissue Sections

Latex microspheres used in biological research have been visualized by light microscopy in mounts of cell suspensions, disrupted cells, or cleared tissues (Mishima et al 1987, Koonce et al 1986, LeFevre et al 1978); in unembedded coverslip monolayers (Koerten et al 1980); in fixed (Cornwall and Phillipson 1988) or unfixed (Wells et al 1988) frozen sections; in paraffin sections cleared and deparaffinized with n-butyl alcohol (Callebaut and Meeussen 1989); and in tissues embedded in resins suitable for transmission electron microscopy, such as Spurr's (Hampton et al 1987), Epon (Herzog and Miller 1979), or Ladd Low Viscosity Epon (LeFevre et al 1985). Paraffin embedding, and some plastic embedments, are impractical for demonstration of latex beads because the beads are dissolved by such organic solvents as xylene, dioxane, or chloroform (Van Furth and Diesselhoff-Den Dulk 1980), propylene oxide (Lentzen et al 1984), amyl acetate (Okada et al 1981), or toluene, the solvent in commonly used mounting media such as Fisher Permount (personal observation). The space remaining after dissolution of a bead is not maintained with paraffin embedding as it is with resin embedding. Even after plastic embedding, the resolving power of light microscopes may be inadequate to distinguish such spaces from other spaces found in and between cells. Latex beads are stable in methanol (Van Furth and Diesselhoff-Den Dulk 1980), ethanol. and n-butyl alcohol (Callebaut and Meeussen 1989).     

Electronically modulated biological functions of molecular interfaced enzymes and living cells

Conducting polymer molecular interfaces have been implemented to modulate biological functions of fructose dehydrogenase, pyruvate oxidase and Saccharomyces cerevisiae at the electrode surface by adjustment of electrode potential. The enzyme activity of the polypyrrole-interfaced fructose dehydrogenase was electronically modulated by means of electron transfer between the enzyme and the electrode surface. The enzyme activity of polypyrrole-interfaced pyruvate oxidase was modulated by an electronically driven change of substrate concentration. The gene expression in polypyrrole-interfaced Saccharomyces cerevisiae was electronically induced by a change in the phosphate concentration.     

On the activity loss of hydrolases in organic solvents: I. Rapid loss of activity of a variety of enzymes and formulations in a range of organic solvents

Dehydrated enzyme powders have been used extensively as suspensions in organic solvents to catalyze synthetic reactions. Prolonged enzyme activity is necessary to make such applications commercially successful. However, it has recently become evident that the stability and thus activity of many enzymes is compromised in organic solvents. Herein we explore the stability of various hydrolases (i.e., lipases from Mucor meihei and Candida rugosa, -chymotrypsin, subtilisin Carlsberg, and pig-liver esterase) and various formulations (lyophilized powder, cross-linked enzyme crystals, poly(ethylene glycol)-enzyme conjugates) in different organic solvents. The results show a roughly exponential activity decrease for all enzymes and formulations studied after exposure to organic solvents. Inactivation was observed independent of the enzyme, formulation details, and the solvent. In addition, no relationship was found between the magnitude of inactivation and the value of initial activity. Thus, quite active formulations lost their activity as quickly as less active formulations. The estimated half-times (t_1/2) for all enzymes and preparations ranged from 1.8 h for subtilisin C. co-lyophilized with methyl-β-cyclodextrin to 61.6 h for the most stable poly(ethylene glycol)--chymotrypsin preparation. The data here presented indicates that the inactivation is likely not related to changes in enzyme structure and dynamics.     

Principal component analysis applied to bacterial cell behaviour in the presence of organic solvents

The behaviour of cells of Rhodococcus erythropolis DCL14, Xanthobacter Py2, Arthrobacter simplex and Mycobacterium sp. NRRL B-3805, in biphasic systems containing different organic solvents was evaluated and compared. The data, obtained mainly by fluorescence microscopy and image analysis, was interpreted using principal components analysis (PCA). With this technique, the variability of the data could be summarised in 7 components, representing 75.8% of the variance of the data. Over a third of the variance could be explained by the first two principal components which represent solvent toxicity. Apparently this is the major factor influencing cell behaviour in an organic:aqueous system. However, factors such as substrate concentration, cell adaptation ability (resulting in morphological changes and aggregation or separation of cells) and membrane composition (specific to each strain) also play an important role in cell resistance to solvent toxicity. The results regarding cell shape indicate that loss of viability occurs, in the tested bacterial strains, after incorporation of molecules of solvent in the cellular membrane. This should result in an increase in membrane fluidity, and thus, in an alteration of cell shape. The ability to form “self-defence” clusters was observed to be different amongst the four strains. X. Py2 showed, in general, a low tendency to form aggregates under the tested conditions; A. simplex and R. erythropolis aggregated mainly in the presence of low log P solvents; and Mycobacterium. sp. cells showed a high ability to aggregate.     

Activity and stability of native and modified alanine aminotransferase in cosolvent systems and denaturants

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is used in clinical diagnostics, amino acid synthesis and in biosensors. Here we describe the stabilization of soluble porcine ALT by chemical modification with mono- and bis-imidates. The apparent transition temperatures (‘T_m’, the temperature where 50% of initial activity was lost in 10 min) for native and DMS-modified ALT were 46 and 56 °C respectively. The effects of water-miscible organic solvents (methanol, dimethylformamide, dimethylsulphoxide and 1,4-dioxane) on the activity/stability of native and modified forms were determined. In all systems studied, an abrupt decrease in ALT catalytic activity was observed on reaching a certain threshold concentration of the organic solvent. The modified derivatives were more organotolerant than native enzyme. Comparison of the apparent V_max and K_m for 2-oxoglutarate as substrate, determined in 10% (v/v) organic solvent, with the results of thermal inactivation studies showed that the solvents have different effects on ALT's catalytic parameters and on its conformational stability. At 35 °C with no organic solvent the dimethylsuberimidate (DMS)-modified derivative's half-life was 16 times greater than that for native enzyme; in 30% (v/v) solvent at 35 °C, the DMS-modified ALT's half-life was up to 4.6 times greater than native enzyme's. DMS-modified ALT was also more stable in urea and guanidine HCl, and its refolding was more noticeable, than that of native enzyme.     

重组酿酒酵母表达幽门螺杆菌VacA蛋白及其免疫原性分析*

目的:利用酿酒酵母表面展示技术筛选幽门螺杆菌候选疫苗,并分析其免疫原性。方法:以幽门螺杆菌的空泡型细胞毒素A(vacA)基因作为研究对象,构建重组S.cerevisiae EBY100/pYD1-VacA,通过Western blot、免疫荧光标记和流式细胞仪对S.cerevisiae EBY100/pYD1-VacA进行体外表达分析。以PBS和S.cerevisiae EBY100/pYD1为对照组,S.cerevisiae EBY100/pYD1-VacA为实验组,口服免疫SPF级BALB/c小鼠。通过ELISA分析检测口服免疫后小鼠抗VacA特异性IgG及分泌型IgA效价。结果:VacA抗原蛋白被成功地展示在S.cerevisiae EBY100表面。小鼠经口服免疫S.cerevisiae EBY100/pYD1-VacA后可诱导产生较高的VacA特异性抗体。结论:表面展示型酿酒酵母可以作为幽门螺杆菌候选疫苗的递送载体,与此同时,这也为开发其他细菌或病毒疫苗提供新思路。     

表达透明颤菌血红蛋白基因对酿酒酵母生长及细胞内氧化状态的影响*

透明颤菌血红蛋白基因vgb在多种研究和工业发酵菌中异源表达很好的解决了高密度发酵中的溶氧率问题。酿酒酵母是经典的真核模型,且在发酵工业中具有重要的应用价值,但vgb在酿酒酵母中异源表达对细胞生长的影响并不清楚。以ADH1为启动子构建了含透明颤菌(Vistreoscilla)血红蛋白基因vgb的异源表达质粒YEplac195-ADH1pr-vgb,并转化至酿酒酵母BY4741。通过生长敏感性实验,发现在发酵碳源和非发酵碳源中,vgb的异源表达均抑制了菌株生长。接着,通过2',7'-二氯荧光黄双乙酸盐和PI染色和脂质过氧化产物检测分析,发现过表达vgb的酿酒酵母细胞中活性氧(ROS)的积累、细胞膜通透性改变以及脂质过氧化。结果表明,酿酒酵母中过表达vgb改变细胞的氧化状态促进活性氧的累积,氧化应激导致菌株的生长抑制。     

Whole-cell bioconversion of β-sitosterol in aqueous–organic two-phase systems

The selective cleavage of the β-sitosterol side-chain by free Mycobacterium sp. NRRL B-3805 cells was used as a model system for the study of solvent effects in a whole-cell bioconversion in two phase aqueous–organic media. This multi-step degradation pathway leads to the production of 4-androstene-4,17-dione (AD) and 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione (ADD) as a minor product. In an attempt to correlate the substrate and cell partition effects and solvent hydrophobicity (log P) with biocatalytic activity, 15 carboxylic acid esters with log P values between 3 and 10 were screened. The results indicated that the toxicity of the tested solvents in this system could not be correlated to their log P, but seemed to depend on their ability to accumulate in the cells, as these showed a strong affinity towards the organic phase. Different solvent/aqueous ratios and hydrodynamic conditions were further tested in the solvent systems (phthalates) showing significant biodegradation activity. The bioconversion rate was generally not much affected by the stirring speed in the employed range (150–300 rpm) but was strongly influenced by the aqueous/organic phase ratio. Results suggest that the bioconversion takes place at the interphase, its rate being possibly limited by mass transport inside the organic phase.     

Expression of a foreign eukaryotic gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: beta-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis

Three recombinant DNA vectors carrying the β-galactosidase structural gene, LAC4, from the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis were constructed and transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All transformants expressed the β-galactosidase activity of LAC4. However, the level of enzyme activity varied, being highest in cells transformed with vectors which are maintained as multicopy plasmids and lowest in cells transformed with a vector which integrates into chromosomes. Enzyme levels probably reflect gene dosage. LAC4 is very stable when integrated into a chromosome, but unstable when carried on a plasmid. Therefore, stability is a property of the recombinant vector rather than of LAC4, LAC4-coded β-galactosidase synthesized in either S. cerevisiae or in K. lactis is the same as judged by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. However, S. cerevisiae transformed with     

Fungi and humans: closer than you think

The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has long been used as a model system to study the functions of human genes. Now that the genome sequences from several other fungal species are nearly complete, we can characterize the genetic diversity in the fungal kingdom at the genomic level. This diversity means that the number of human genes with homologues in the fungal kingdom is double that with homologues in S. cerevisiae only. Therefore, functional studies of human genes in the fungal model systems should look beyond S. cerevisiae.     

Asymmetric syntheses of nitroalkanols using Pseudomonas sp. lipase: a proposal for the selection of the solvent system of lipase-catalyzed transesterification

By lipase-catalyzed stereoselective transesterification using Amano AK from Pseudomonas sp., nitroalcohols such as 1-nitro-2-butanol and 1-nitro-3-methyl-2-butanol were synthesized enantioselectively with enantiomeric ratios (E values) of 20.9 and 12.5, respectively, in n-propyl ether. Various results were obtained during the lipase-catalyzed transesterification by changing the organic solvents that were used. The plots of the E values against the reciprocal of the dielectric constants () of the various organic solvents produced a bell-shaped curve which had a maximum E value for n-propyl ether (1/=0.3). The distance between the enzyme and the substrate might be changed in response to a change in the organic solvent.     

酿酒酵母发酵与自然发酵过程中霍山石斛酵素的代谢物及抗氧化变化*

为实现霍山石斛的全质利用和高值化利用,以接种酿酒酵母发酵与自然发酵两种工艺制备霍山石斛酵素,研究不同工艺发酵过程中代谢物(有机酸、总酚、总糖等)和抗氧化活性(OH·清除率、ABTS·清除率、还原力)的变化趋势,并结合多元统计分析,建立综合评价指标。结果表明,酿酒酵母发酵组的酵母菌数量高于自然发酵组;自然发酵组检测到的4种有机酸的含量均高于酿酒酵母发酵组,其中乳酸和乙酸含量均呈上升趋势;酿酒酵母发酵组的草酸含量明显下降,而自然发酵组的草酸含量没有明显变化。酿酒酵母发酵组与自然发酵组的总酚含量分别下降了24.02%、24.98%;总糖含量分别下降了64.21%、22.89%;pH值分别下降了0.12和0.24,总酸含量分别增加了62.98%、70.98%;糖酸比分别降低了80.13%、59.47%,酿酒酵母生产的酵素口感以酸甜为主,自然发酵的酵素口感以甜为主。在抗氧化方面,酿酒酵母发酵组显著高于自然发酵组,OH·清除能力分别提高了42.57%和40.67%;ABTS·清除能力分别提高了55.36%和30.06%;还原力无显著变化。相关性分析和主成分分析结果表明乳酸、乙酸等有机酸具有一定的抗氧化性。酵母菌发酵第 14 d的综合评价指标达到阶段高点,酵母菌生长数量在14 d后趋于稳定,进入生长稳定期,可作为最佳发酵节点。综上结果表明酿酒酵母发酵相较于自然发酵霍山石斛提高了抗氧化活性,丰富了酵素口感,缩短了发酵时间,酵素品质较好。     

Pilot scale vinification process using immobilized Candida stellata cells and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Sequential grape juice fermentation first with immobilized Candida stellata and then with an inoculum of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was carried out at pilot scale and under non-sterile conditions in order to evaluate the dynamics of yeast microflora and their influence on the analytical profile of wine. Non-Saccharomyces yeast were adequately controlled while S. cerevisiae wild strains were consistently present after 3 days of fermentation and could compete with the inoculated S. cerevisiae strain. However, the metabolism of immobilized C. stellata cells strongly influenced the analytical profile of wines with a consistent increase in glycerol (70%) and succinic acid content in comparison with values for a S. cerevisiae fermentation control.     

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologue of ribosomal protein S26

The nucleotide sequence of RPS26, the gene encoding a homologue of ribosomal protein small subunit S26 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was determined. The deduced amino-acid sequence showed significant identity with its counter- parts from Neurospora crassa, human, rat and Arabidopsis thaliana. Disruption of RPS26 resulted in the formation of micro-colonies, suggesting that it is important for the normal cell growth of S. cerevisiae.     

Use of non-conventional media inMorinda citrifolia cell cultures

Non-conventional media, containing organic solvents as supplement, were exploited to obtain the non-lethal product release of plant cell secondary metabolites, using suspension cultures ofMorinda citrifolia as model system. The results of our preliminary studies about solvent biocompatibility show that the discrimination between biocompatible and toxic solvents can be achieved by means of two parameters: log P and critical solvent concentration. The last one seems to be a better indicator of solvent toxicity for living cells.Abbreviations log P logarithm of P - P solvent partition coefficient in a standard system n-octanol/water     

Enzymatic synthesis of nucleoside 5''-mono and -triphosphates

The transformation of fluorodeoxy-nucleosides into 5'-monophosphates with the use of whole bacterial cells of Erwinia herbicola as a biocatalyst and PNP as a phosphate donor and next into 5'-triphosphates by using an extract of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells has been demonstrated.     

Permeabilization, Staining and Culture of Living Drosophila Embryos

The organic solvent octane has been used routinely to permeabilize the hydrophobic vitelline membrane surrounding the Drosophila embryo, thereby allowing the movement of small molecules into the egg. We present evidence that hexane is a more effective permeabilizing agent than octane and compare the effects of these solvents on uniformity of permeabilization and embryonic viability. The ability of each solvent to make the embryo accessible to a range of biological stains was compared. The effect of octane versus hexane permeabilization on subsequent embryonic viability was measured at seven different stages during early embryogenesis. We found that although hexane is a superior solvent for permeabilizing the vitelline membrane, it decreases the viability of embryos exposed between 0 and 3 hr of age. Older embryos treated with either hexane or octane are usually viable. We also showed that molecules with a molecular mass of 984 Daltons or more did not diffuse into the embryo following treatment with either hexane or octane. Results presented here challenge a phase-partition model that has been proposed previously to explain the molecular basis of permeabilization of the Drosophila egg. An alternative model is described as well as an optimized protocol for permeabilizing and staining Drosophila embryos at any stage during early embryogenesis while maintaining viability for subsequent culture.