Effectivity of dolichyl phosphates with different chain lengths as acceptors of nucleotide activated sugars

Chemical synthesis of different S-forms of dolichyl-P was performed in order to investigate the use of these polyprenes in mannosyl, glucosyl and glucosaminyl transferase reactions. Determination of the Vmax values for a series of dolichyl-P demonstrated that the velocities of transferase reactions with all those dolichyl-P derivatives present in animal tissues are largely the same. The apparentK _m values for the various dolichyl-P in the transferase system studied differed, but this property does not appear to have physiological importance.     

In vitro measurement of translation accuracy of ribosomes isolated from streptomycin-resistant mutant ofStreptomyces granaticolor

Accuracy of activity of ribosome isolated from UV-light-induced streptomycin-resistant R-21 mutant ofStreptomyces granaticolor was measured in anE. coli-derived system translating poly(U) with a high rate and accuracy. Ribosomes from the R-21 mutant strain were shown to be resistant to streptomycin and about two-fold more accurate than those from the wild type. The mutant strain was found to be resistant to 1000 mg/L streptomycin (Stm) during vegetative growth while it sporulated on agar plates containing only up to 200 mg/L of Stm. The growth rate of the R-21 mutant in complex liquid medium was indistinguishable from that of the wild-type strain.     

Nonlinearity in the Growth of Bacterial Colonies: Conditions and Causes

The universally recognized kinetic model of colony growth, introduced by Pirt, predicts a linear increase of colony size. The linearity follows from the assumption that the colony expands through the growth of only such cells that are located immediately behind the moving colony front, in the so-called peripheral zone of constant width and density. In this work, Pirt's model was tested on two bacteria—Alcaligenes sp. and Pseudomonas fluorescens—having markedly distinct cultural properties and grown on an agarized medium with pyruvate. The colony size dynamics was followed for different densities of the inoculum, ranging from a single cell to a microdroplet of bacterial suspension (10⁵–10⁶ cells), and for different depths of the agar layer, determining the amount of available substrate. A linear growth mode was observed only with P. fluorescens and only in the case of growth from a microdroplet. When originating from a single cell, colonies of both organisms displayed nonlinear growth with a distinct peak of K _r (the rate of colony radius increase) occurring after 2–3 days of growth. The growth of P. fluorescens colonies showed virtually no dependence on the depth of the agarized medium, whereas the rate of colony size increase of Alcaligenes sp. turned out to be directly related to the medium layer thickness. The departure from linearity is consistently explained by a new kinetic scheme stipulating a possible contribution to the colony growth not only of peripheral cells but also (much more distinct in Alcaligenes) of cells at the colony center. The colony growth dynamics is determined not only by the concentration of the limiting substrate but also by the amount of autoinhibitor, the synthesis of which is governed by the age of cells. The distinctions of growth from a single cell and microdroplet could also originate as a result of dissociation into the R- and S-forms and competition between the corresponding subpopulations for oxygen and the common substrate.     

Fraktionierung von Inhaltsstoffen der Zuckerrübenmelasse,die toxisch für die Citronensäureproduktion mit Aspergillus niger sind

The toxic fractions were isolated from unsuitable molasses,not accepted for citrie acid fermentation. When the strains of A. niger: Z-208, R-8, P-16, R-65/4, all good producers of citric acid, were cultivated on the medium containing such molasses, the growth patterns were altered and the strains lost their acid-forming properties. After dialysis of the molasses samples fractions of low and high molecular weight were obtained but the latter had no effect neither on growth nor on fermentation patterns. The low molecular part, responsible for the toxicity of molasses against A. niger, was fractionated with Sephadex G-25. In such a way a low coloured fraction which inhibited the growth of A. niger strains could be separated. However there were no toxic compounds in the fractions with the highest values of absorbancy. The susceptibility of the strains,to some extent, depended on their ability for adaptation to the toxic fractions of molasses.     

Kinetic characteristics and enantioselective action of penicillinase in the hydrolysis reaction of N-phenylacetyl derivatives of 1-aminoethylphosphonic acid and its esters

Penicillin acylase from E. coli (EC 3.5.1.11) was found to hydrolyze N-phenylacetylated 1-aminoethylphosphonic acid and its esters. The enzyme preferentially converts the R-form of the substrates: the ratios of the bimolecular rate constants of penicillin acylasecatalyzed hydrolysis of R- and S-forms of 1-(N-phenylacetamino)-ethylphosphonic acid and its dimethyl- and diisopropyl-esters are 58000, 2300, 1800; these derivatives were shown to have the greatest values of the catalytic constants for enzymatic hydrolysis of all known substrates for penicillin acylase: 237, 148 and 134 s-1; the corresponding Km values are 3.7 10(-5), 6.8 10(-4) and 6.2 10(-4) M at pH 7.0. The kinetics of enzymatic hydrolysis of 1-(N-phenylacetamino)-ethylphosphonic acid was investigated up to high degrees of conversion. The inhibition of penicillin acylase by high concentrations of the R-form of the substrate (with substrate inhibition constant of 0.07 M) and competitive inhibition by the reaction product, phenylacetic acid (Ki = 3.5 10(-5) M), was observed.     

Modeling of microbial substrate conversion,growth and product formation in a recycling fermentor

Paracoccus denitrificans and Bacillus licheniformis were grown in a carbon- and energy source-limited recycling fermentor with 100% biomass feedback. Experimental data for biomass accumulation and product formation as well as rates of carbon dioxide evolution and oxygen consumption were used in a parameter optimization procedure. This procedure was applied on a model which describes biomass growth as a linear function of the substrate consumption rate and the rate of product formation as a linear function of the biomass growth rate. The fitting procedure yielded two growth domains for P. denitrificans. In the first domain the values for the maximal growth yield and the maintenance coefficient were identical to those found in a series of chemostat experiments. The second domain could be described best with linear biomass increase, which is equal to a constant growth yield. Experimental data of a protease producing B. licheniformis also yielded two growth domains via the fitting procedure. Again, in the first domain, maximal growth yield and maintenance requirements were not significantly different from those derived from a series of chemostat experiments. Domain 2 behaviour was different from that observed with P. denitrificans. Product formation halts and more glucose becomes available for biomass formation, and consequently the specific growth rate increases in the shift from domain 1 to 2. It is concluded that for many industrial production processes, it is important to select organisms on the basis of a low maintenance coefficient and a high basic production of the desired product. It seems less important that the maximal production becomes optimized, which is the basis of most selection procedures.     

黄杜鹃提取物对亚洲玉米螟生物活性的研究

本文报道了闹羊花素 - ( Rhodojaponin- ,简称 R- )和黄杜鹃花乙酸乙酯 ( Et OAc)提取物对亚洲玉米螟 Ostrenia furnacalis Guenée3龄幼虫的拒食、生长抑制和毒杀作用。以饲料柱法测定 R- 和 Et OAc提取物的非选择性拒食作用 AFC50 为 77.0 2和 384 .30 mg/ kg,而以虫重法表示时 ,则分别为15.60和 2 55.4 4 mg/ kg。以 R- 2 0 0 mg/ kg连续饲喂 4天后 ,换为无毒饲料至 15天 ,试虫死亡率为86.67% ,L T50 为 2 .99天 ;以 Et OAc提取物 2 0 0 0 mg/ kg处理时 ,同期的死亡率 66.67% ,LT50 为 3.85天。R- 和 Et OAc提取物的生长抑制中浓度 IC50 分别为 9.30和 39.64mg/ kg。文中还讨论了亚洲玉米螟拒食作用的测定方法和 R- “取食后效应”等作用特点     

山西平朔露天矿区不同年限复垦地植被重建特征对比分析

平朔矿区是中国首个露井联采的亿t级矿区,剧烈的采煤活动导致矿区局部植被彻底损毁,植被重建是矿区生态系统恢复重建的保障,目前针对长期复垦序列下矿区复垦地植被重建特征与演替规律的研究较少。以复垦年限分别为6 a、7 a、25 a和27 a的复垦排土场和原地貌样地为研究对象,采用时空替代法和描述性统计分析法分析了不同复垦年限下复垦地的植被重建特征,并与原地貌进行了对比分析。研究结果表明：(1)植被重建工作显著提高了复垦地的物种丰富度,各复垦地乔灌植株的物种丰富度明显高于原地貌。但在重建植被演替过程中,并非随复垦年限增加,物种丰富度越来越高;复垦地Shannon-Wiener指数随复垦年限增加呈先增后减的变化趋势,该值在R-25a样地达到峰值(0.62),其与复垦地的植物物种组成及其自身生长习性、土壤条件、降水等自然条件和人为干扰等息息相关。(2)从乔木植株的生长状况来看,刺槐作为先锋树种,是植被重建时可优先选择的乔木树种。从复垦地草本植株组成来看,草本植物以多年生为主,占比77.78%;从草本植株的重要值来看,草本优势种以禾本科(Gramineae)、菊科(Compositae)和豆科(Le...     

Effect of R plasmid RPI on the nutritional requirements of Escherichia coli in batch culture.

The minimal nutritional requirements of Escherichia coli have been quantitatively determined in batch culture for cells with (R+) and without (R-) the R plasmid RP1. In these conditions R+ cells have a greater requirement than R- for several nutrients, particularly Mg2+, K+, Fe2+ and PO43-. The maximum growth rate in a simple salts medium was the same for R+ and R- cells. At low concentrations of phosphate, the specific growth rate of R+ cells differed from that found for R- cells. The R plasmid was stable in simple salts medium, irrespective of the nutrient ultimately depleted by growth, but, on storage, R+ cells survived for a shorter time than R- cells.     

Variability of Bacillus thuringiensis under various growth conditions

When a lysogenic culture of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. galleriae 69-6 was grown under the batch conditions, 93-99% of cells in the population produced R-form colonies and ca. 1% yielded S-form colonies. The amount of spore-forming cells was 99% in R-variants and 8% in S-variants. The quantity of S-variants rose abruptly to 99% when the culture was grown under the chemostat conditions. The number of S-variants increased with the rate and the duration of growth. The process was influenced by growth-limiting factors. Temperate phage variants capable of host culture lysis on solid media (i.e. h-mutants) were not found under the conditions of batch cultivation. However, such phage particles (h-mutants) appeared under the conditions of chemostat. The titre of these phage particles reached 10(8), 10(7) and 10(4) particles per 1 ml at limitation with yeast extract, glucose and phosphorus, respectively. Under the conditions of chemostat, the particles behaved as temperate ones and their growth was not found. Irrespective of the limitation, the phage titre did not correlate with the ratio of R and S-forms in the population. When the growth was limited with phosphorus, the quantity of S-forms increased abruptly while the spontaneous induction of the phage was inhibited. The quantity of cells capable of spore formation decreased in the cultures isolated from the chemostat and grown on MPA: 69-80% of the cells in R-forms and merely 8% in S-forms.     

Ecological niche breadth and microhabitat guild structure in temperate Australian reptiles: Implications for natural resource management in endangered grassy woodland ecosystems

Ecological theory predicts that species with narrow niche requirements (habitat specialists) are more vulnerable to anthropocentric disturbances than those with broad niche requirements (habitat generalists). Hence, understanding a species ecological niche and guild membership would serve as a valuable management tool for providing a priori assessments of a species extinction risk. It also would help to forecast a species capacity to respond to land use change, as what might be expected to occur under financial incentive schemes to improve threatened ecological vegetation communities. However, basic natural history information is lacking for many terrestrial species, particularly reptiles in temperate regions of the world. To overcome this limitation, we collated 3527 reptile observations from 52 species across an endangered woodland ecoregion in south‐eastern Australia and examined ecological niche breadth and microhabitat guild structure. We found 30% of species had low ecological niche values and were classified as habitat specialists associated with large eucalypt trees, woody debris, surface rock or rocky outcrops. Cluster analysis separated species into six broad guilds based on microhabitat similarity. Approximately 80% of species belonged to guilds associated with old growth vegetation attributes or non‐renewable litho‐resources such as surface rock or rocky outcrops. Our results suggest that agri‐environment schemes that focus purely on grazing management are unlikely to provide immediate benefits to broad suites of reptiles associated with old growth vegetation and litho‐resources. Our classification scheme will be useful for identifying reptile species that are potentially vulnerable to anthropocentric disturbances and may require alternative strategies for improving habitat suitability and reptile conservation outcomes in grassy woodland ecosystems.     

Studies on the nutrition of rice cell culture I. A simple, defined medium for rapid growth in suspension culture

We investigated the nutrient requirements of rice in liquidculture and developed a revised medium of mineral salts, sucrose,thiamine and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. The following majornutrients at the indicated concentrations were beneficial: NO₃-N(40 mM), NH₄-N (5.0 mM), P (2.0 mM) and K (40 mM). Cobalt, iodine,pyridoxine, nicotinic acid and m-inositol were not essentialand were excluded from the revised R-2 medium. Growth was betterwith ammonium and nitrate together than with nitrate as thesole nitrogen source. Cell growth in the R-2 medium was superiorto that obtained in B5, Heller, Murashige-Skoog and White media. (Received March 31, 1973; )     

Comparison of interactions of R-(+)- and S-(-)-isomers of beta-adrenergic partial agonists, befunolol and carteolol, with high affinity site of beta-adrenoceptors in isolated rabbit ciliary body and guinea-pig taenia caeci.

The stereoselectivities of beta-adrenergic partial agonists for the high affinity binding site of beta-adrenoceptors in the rabbit ciliary body and the guinea-pig taenia caeci were studied. The pA2 values of the S-(-)-isomers of befunolol and carteolol against S-(-)-isoprenaline, which were calculated from the shift of each concentration - response curve in increasing cyclic AMP levels, were significantly larger than those of the R-(+)-isomers in the guinea-pig taenia caeci, while the pA2 values of the S-(-)-isomers were not significantly larger than those of the R-(+)-isomers in the rabbit ciliary body. The pK1 values determined from the binding experiments were in good agreement with the pA2 values from the increases in cyclic AMP levels. These results suggest that the high affinity binding site of beta-adrenoceptors in the guinea-pig taenia caeci may be able to discriminate stereoselectively between the R-(+)- and S-(-)-isomers, while in the rabbit ciliary body there is no stereo-selectivity between the two enantiomers.     

Nonlinearity in the growth of bacterial colonies: conditions and causes

The universally recognized kinetic model of colony growth, introduced by Pirt, predicts a linear increase of colony size. The linearity follows from the assumption that the colony expands through the growth of only such cells that are located immediately behind the moving colony front, in the so-called peripheral zone of constant width and density. In this work, Pirt's model was tested on two bacteria--Alcaligenes sp. and Pseudomonas fluorescens--having markedly distinct cultural properties and grown on agarized medium with pyruvate. The colony size dynamics was followed for different densities of the inoculum, ranging from a single cell to a microdroplet of bacterial suspension (10(5)-10(6) cells), and for different depths of the agar layer, determining the amount of available substrate. A linear growth mode was observed only with P. fluorescens and only in the case of growth from a microdroplet. When originating from a single cell, colonies of both organisms displayed nonlinear growth with a distinct peak of Kr (the rate of colony radius increase) occurring after 2-3 days of growth. The growth of P. fluorescens colonies showed virtually no dependence on the depth of the agarized medium, whereas the rate of colony size increase of Alcaligenes sp. turned out to be directly related to the medium layer thickness. The departure from linearity is consistently explained by a new kinetic chart stipulating a possible contribution to the colony growth not only of peripheral cells but also (much more distinct in Alcaligenes) of cells at the colony center. The colony growth dynamics is determined not only by the concentration of the limiting substrate but also by the amount of autoinhibitor, the synthesis of which is governed by age of cells. The distinctions of growth from a single cell and microdroplet could also originate as a result of dissociation into the R- and S-forms and competition between the corresponding subpopulations for oxygen and the common substrate.     

Chemical Characterization of Ceramide and Cerebroside in Soybean Leaves

During experiments on protoplast fusion of complementary auxotrophic mutants (194 and 11M-21) of Streptomyces antibioticus for strain improvement, the clones (typified by F-40) regenerated on minimal regeneration medium (MRM) were found to be prototrophs, and to produce an antibiotic different from those produced by the parent strain. The protoplast regeneration of each parent was examined as a negative control experiment.

In the regenerated clones of 194, half of them produced actinomycins similar to those produced by the original mutant 194, but others (typified by R-20) seemed to produce antibiotics similar to those produced by F-40. In the taxonomic characterization of morphological, cultural, and physiological properties of each strain, F-40, R-20, and the parent mutant 194 had no significant differences with a few exceptions. The problem here is whether the antibiotic of R-20 is the same as that of F-40, which was first isolated and found to be a peptide antibiotic different from actinomycins, with activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.     

Proposed molten globule intermediates in fd phage penetration and assembly

The fd filamentous phage can be contracted to short rods called I-forms and to spheroidal particles called S-forms. The conversions from fd----I-forms----S-forms were previously suggested to mimic steps in fd penetration. The same conversions, in reverse order, were suggested to mimic steps in fd assembly. The I-forms and S-forms bind the hydrophobic probe, 1-anilino-napthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS); under the same conditions, fd binds this probe very poorly. Rigidly packed side chains in fd and nonrigidly packed side chains in I-forms and S-forms would explain the differences in ANS binding. A compilation of the properties of I-forms and S-forms indicate that: (i) they have compact structures; (ii) they have secondary structures of the same type as native phage; (iii) they have non-native morphologies; and (iv) they may have nonrigid side chain packing. These are the properties of molten globules.     

Effects of Temperature on BYDV Concentration in Oat Plants and Virus Purification Efficiency, and Detection of a Putative Associated Satellite Virus

RPV and MAV-like serotypes of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), designated R-568 and F, were found during sucrose density gradient centrifugation to suspend at 10 °C and 4 °C but to totally sediment at 15 °C and 12 °C, respectively. These properties were used to purify these serotypes, and antisera were then prepared.
Partially purified IgG from antiserum was used in immunosorbent electron microscopy (ISEM) and in enzyme-labelled immunosorbent (ELISA) tests to detect BYDV RPV-like serotypes. Using anti-BYDV R-568 polyclonal antiserum and the BYDV R-568 serotype in ISEM tests, isometric virus particles of two sizes were trapped: the 28 nm particles of BYDV R-568, and others 17 nm in diameter which may be those of a satellite virus.
The effects of temperatures on virus concentrations in oat plants infected with BYDV serotypes F and R-568 were investigated. BYDV F and R-568 concentrations in the roots and shoots were sensitive to changes in temperature between 10 °C and 25 °C. The concentrations of both viruses in the roots and shoots of infected plants could be manipulated by varying the temperature at which plants were grown. The ELISA absorbance values related to detection of F MAV-like serotypes were higher in roots and shoots of oats grown at 10 °C than for oats grown at 25 °C. Conversely, cool temperatures reduced the absorbance values for R-568 RPV-like serotype in the roots, but less significantly in the shoots.     

Tree seedling survivorship,growth, and allocation in the Cross Timbers ecotone of Oklahoma,USA

In order to better understand tree dynamics and maintenance of the ecotone between eastern deciduous forest and tallgrass prairie, I planted seedlings of five different species into a Cross Timbers area in North West Oklahoma for one-year. The seedlings were planted in four different patch-types under two different herbivore treatments. I found that (1) out of the original 200 seedlings, 58 survived after one-year with lacebark elm (Ulmus parrifolia), osage orange (Maclura pomifera), and eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) surviving the most and protection from herbivores increasing survivorship by more than an order of magnitude, (2) elm (Ulmus parrifolia) showed the slowest stem growth but protection from herbivory increased stem growth rate by approximately 50%, leaf area ratio was largest for elm (Ulmus parrifolia) but seedlings growing in sumac (Rhus copallina) patches had the smallest values, specific leaf area was the largest for orange (Maclura pomifera) seedlings with tree seedlings growing in grass patches showing greater values than those grown in other patches, and (3) leaf mass ratio was largest for elm (Ulmus parrifolia) with seedlings grown in sumac (Rhus copallina) patches showing the smallest values and rough-leaf dogwood (Cornus drummondii) had the most root biomass relative to shoot biomass compared to all other species. Results suggest tree invasion and establishment across this ecotone is influenced both by species identity and by the variation in resources associated with the distribution and patch dynamics of vegetation from both eastern deciduous forest and tallgrass prairie.     

Can filter‐feeding Asian carp invade the Laurentian Great Lakes? A bioenergetic modelling exercise

1. There is much concern that filter‐feeding Asian carp will invade the Laurentian Great Lakes and deplete crucial plankton resources. We developed bioenergetic models, using parameters from Asian carp and other fish species, to explore the possibility that planktonic food resources are insufficient to support the growth of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (H. nobilis) in the Great Lakes. 2. The models estimated basic metabolic requirements of silver and bighead carp under various body sizes, swimming speeds and reproductive stages. These requirements were then related to planktonic food resources and environmental temperature to predict when and where silver and bighead carp may survive in the Great Lakes, and how far they may travel. 3. Parameter values for respiration functions were derived experimentally in a coordinated study of silver and bighead carp, while consumption parameters were obtained from the literature on silver carp. Other model parameters lacking for Asian carp, such as those for egestion and excretion, were obtained from the literature on other fish species. 4. We found that full‐sized bighead carp required 61.0 kJ d^?1 just to maintain their body mass at 20 °C, approximately equivalent to feeding in a region with 255 μg L^?1 macrozooplankton (dry) or 10.43 μg L^?1 chlorophyll a. Silver carp energy requirements were slightly higher. 5. When applied to various habitats in the Great Lakes, our results suggest that silver and bighead carp will be unable to colonise most open‐water regions because of limited plankton availability. However, in some circumstances, carp metabolism at lower temperatures may be low enough to permit positive growth even at very low rations. Positive growth is even more likely in productive embayments and wetlands, and the modelled swimming costs in some of these habitats suggest that carp could travel >1 km d^?1 without losing biomass. 6. The simulation (and firmly hypothetical) results from this modelling study suggest when and where Asian carp could become established in the Great Lakes. Given the potential consequences to Great Lakes ecosystems if these filter feeders do prove capable of establishing reproducing populations, efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes must not be lessened. However, we do encourage the use of bioenergetic modelling in a holistic approach to assessing the risk of Asian carp invasion in the Great Lakes region.     

The effects of lack of normality and homogeneity of variance on analysis of variance and clonal heritability in <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> clonal propagation traits

We studied the fulfilment of assumptions of normality and homogeneity of error variance, prior to application of analysis of variance (ANOVA), for in vitro clonal propagation data. We assessed the use of data transformations and mean values for situations when the original data did not satisfy the required assumptions. The purpose of the study was to establish whether the use of original, transformed or mean values had any effect on F values, significance levels and clonal heritability values. The F values, significance levels and values of clonal heritability obtained showed analysis of variance to be reliable, despite deviations with respect to normality and homogeneity of variance and despite the fact that samples sizes were unequal. Original data may be used for ANOVA applied to measured variables such as number of shoots per explant, length of tallest shoot, number of 1-cm segments per explant and also derived variables such as the multiplication coefficient. Frequency data can be used for analysis of variance of categorical-type variables such as apical necrosis and percentage of responsive explant. For shoot colour variables, the distributions were very skewed and the variances were very different, but even though the sample sizes were not identical in all cases, lack of homogeneity of variance did not significantly affect F values, significance levels or clonal heritability values, and thus analysis of variance may be applied to the original data. The use of original and frequency data makes interpretation of the results easier than when transformed data are used and also allows us to calculate variance components more accurately than when using mean values, which do not provide as much information. Clonal heritability values from transformed data and mean values showed differences of less than one hundredth compared with those from original data. Box–Cox-transformed data showed slightly lower heritability values than those corresponding to original data, whereas clonal heritability values from both mean data and angular-transformed data were slightly higher than those obtained using original data. In clonal variability studies with single growth medium, nutritional conditions that encouraged highly unequal growth or characteristics among clones gave rise to data that were unlikely to satisfy the conditions of normality or homogeneity of variance.