Microorganisms asssociated with Withania somnifera leaves.

Microorganisms including bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi were recovered from the leaves of Withania somnifera, which were collected from two altitudinal ranges (0–300 m and 1700–2000 m) in the Asir region, Saudi Arabia. Types and numbers of microorganisms varied according to the altitude and the month of collection. The number of microorganisms was higher on old leaves than that on young ones in most cases. Low altitude exhibited more microorganisms than high altitude. The relationship between meteorological factors and type and number of the recovered microorganisms is discussed. Inoculation of detached healthy leaves of Withania by all recovered fungal species revealed only Alternaria solani as a pathogen of this plant. To confirm pathogenicity, scanning and transmission electron microscopic examination revealed the colonization of this pathogen inside the leaf tissue. Penetration of Withania leaves by the fungus occurred only through stomata, and the invading hyphae were located in the intercellular spaces of leaf tissues. Ultrastructural changes noted in infected cells included changes in chloroplasts and the invagination of the host plasma membrane.     

Microorganisms capable of metabolizing the herbicide metolachlor.

We screened several strains of microorganisms and microbial populations for their ability to mineralize or transform the herbicide metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)-acetami de] because such cultures would potentially be useful in the cleanup of contaminated sites. Although we used various inocula and enrichment culture techniques, we were not able to isolate microorganisms that could mineralize metolachlor. However, strains of Bacillus circulans, Bacillus megaterium, Fusarium sp., Mucor racemosus, and an actinomycete were found to transform metolachlor. Several metabolites could be determined with high-performance liquid chromatography. The tolerance of the strains to high concentrations of metolachlor was also evaluated for the usefulness of the strains for decontamination. Tolerance of the actinomycete to metolachlor concentrations over 200 ppm (200 micrograms/ml) was low and could not be increased by doubling the sucrose concentration in the growth medium or by using a large biomass as inoculum. However, a Fusarium sp. could grow and transform metolachlor up to a concentration of 300 ppm.     

Cryopreservation of Microorganisms

Abstract

A great deal of recent interest has been shown in the ability of some microbes to synthesize exopolysaccharides. Most attention has been directed toward the prokaryote producers, yet many filamentous fungi also produce exopolysaccharides that have chemical and physical properties of considerable commercial potential. Surprisingly little is known about how and why fungi overproduce these metabolites and how yields are affected by both the physical and chemical environments. This review attempts to critically appraise the current literature on fungal exopolysaccharides, considers their chemical diversity, and examines factors that seem to affect their production. Although much of the published work has been carried out with the α-glucan pullulan, there is considerable literature on the β-glucans and, hence, both of these are discussed.     

黄荆叶提取液抑菌作用的研究

用黄荆叶的乙醇提取物对 6种细菌、2种酵母菌、3种霉菌三大类微生物进行抑菌实验 ,得出其最低抑菌浓度 (MIC)。由结果推断出黄荆叶提取物不失为一种良好的天然抗菌剂 ,可添加于食品和药物中     

Microorganisms of the Upper Atmosphere: IV. Microorganisms of a Land Air Mass as It Traverses an Ocean

The viable micropopulation at three altitudes (152, 1,066, and 1,981 meters) of a land air mass as it traversed an ocean was determined. At the low altitude, a consistent pattern of decrease in numbers of land-originating microorganisms with increasing distance from shore was observed. At the higher altitudes, the observed pattern was one of irregularity. At the lower altitude the percentages of bacteria and fungi were approximately equal near the coast, but as distance from the coast increased, fungi predominated over the bacteria at all sampling locations. The greatest number of different genera of both bacteria and fungi were obtained at or near the coast. Fungi of the genera Alternaria, Hormodendron, Penicillium, and Aspergillus, and bacteria of the genera Micrococcus and Bacterium predominated at all altitudes and locations.     

Fossilization of Acidophilic Microorganisms

This study examines fossil microorganisms found in iron-rich deposits in an extreme acidic environment, the Tinto River in SW Spain. Both electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) and non-destructive in situ microanalytical techniques (EDS, EMP and XPS) were used to determine the role of permineralization and encrustation in preserving microorganisms forming biofilms in the sediments. Unicellular algae were preserved by silica permineralization of their cell walls. Bacterial biofilms were preserved as molds by epicellular deposition of schwertmannite around them. In the case of fungi and filamentous algae, we observed permineralization of cell structures by schwertmannite in the sediments. The extracellular polymeric matrix around the cells was also preserved through permineralization of the fibrillar component. The process of permineralization and deposition of iron-rich precipitates present in the acidic waters of Rio Tinto served to preserve many microfossils in an oxidizing environment, in which organic compounds would not normally be expected to persist. Studies of microbial fossil formation mechanisms in modern extreme environments should focus on defining criteria to identify inorganic traces of microbial life in past environments on Earth or other planets.     

Amine Oxidases of Microorganisms

The amine oxidase was found to be formed in mycelia of fungi when they were grown on monoamines or diamines as sole nitrogen sources. The maximal formation of enzyme was observed in the initial stage of growth, then the enzyme disappeared semilogarithmically. Other sources of nitrogen, such as ammonia, nitrate, urea and amino acids, were fully inactive for the enzyme formation. Furthermore, ammonia repressed the enzyme formation by fungi. The amine oxidase of fungi resembled in substrate specificity the monoamine oxidase of animal tissues. The enzyme oxidized preferentially aliphatic monoamines of C₃–C₆. Agmatine and histamine were also oxidized but in lower rates. Benzylamine was well oxidized by the enzymes of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum, but not by the enzymes of Monascus anka and Fusarium bulbigenum. Polyamines were not oxidized by the fungal enzymes.     

降解农药的微生物

按农药的品种综述了降解农药的微生物种类。降解农药的细菌主要有假单胞菌属、芽孢杆菌属、黄杆菌属、产碱菌属、节细菌属等 ;降解农药的真菌主要有曲霉属、青霉属、根霉属、木霉属、镰刀菌属等 ;降解农药的放线菌主要有诺卡氏菌属、链霉属等。     

Neural network modelling of fermentation processes. Microorganisms cultivation model

In the present paper the problem of chemostat modelling using the neural networks techniques is considered. A feedforward neural network with time delay feedback connections from and to the output neurons, which take into account the culture memory is proposed. A model of the growth of a strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae on a glucose limited medium is developed. Simulation investigations are carried out. The results are discussed.     

Microorganisms as indices of environmental pollution by smelting industry.

The aim of the study was to prove suitability of some microbiological tests for determination of the degree of soil pollution by copper industry. The microbiological tests reveal sensitivity to metal compounds present in dusts emitted by smelters. The sensitivity of the selected strains to the dust present in the agar medium and soil has been determined and 30 strains, of which 50% reacted to the presence of 1--2 g of the dust in medium, were recommended for the tests. The tests showed accumulation of heavy metals contained in the dust mainly in the upper soil horizons and the highest pollution with the dust approximately 800 m away from the emitor in northeastern direction, which is the direction of prevailing winds of that area. The results obtained are in accordance with theoretical assumption as well as with the literature based on chemical analyses of polluted soil.     

Microorganisms for lipids

Micro-organisms have often been considered for the production of oils and fats as an alternative to agricultural commodities. However, with the continuing low cost of agricultural production of oil-seeds, biotechnology has little to offer in the way of competition against such items as soybean oil, groundnut oil, and even polyunsaturated oil such as sunflower oil even though good facsimiles of these oils could be produced. It is now clear that if we are to use microorganisms to produce lipids, i.e. Single Cell Oil, then these must be highly specific ones which are currently expensive to obtain from agricultural sources. In particular, the possible production of a cocoa-butter substitute using mutated yeast cells is reviewed here as well as the production of highly polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) using various species of mould. With regard to producing a cocoa-butter equivalent fat, it is necessary to identify not only a cheap carbon source on which the yeast may grow (this is now considered likely to be lactose arising from whey) as well as deriving a mutant strain of the yeast which will accumulate large amounts of stearic acid within the oil. The recent work carried out in The Netherlands and New Zealand to achieve these goals is described. With regard to polyunsaturated fatty acid production, various prospects exist and indeed, the commercial production of one acid, gamma-linolenic acid, is now being produced commercially in both the U.K. and Japan. The background work leading to this product is described and opportunities for other PUFAs being produced biotechnologically are discussed.