Organic Solutes in Hyperthermophilic Archaea

We examined the accumulation of organic solutes under optimum growth conditions in 12 species of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic Archaea belonging to the Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. Pyrobaculum aerophilum, Thermoproteus tenax, Thermoplasma acidophilum, and members of the order Sulfolobales accumulated trehalose. Pyrococcus furiosus accumulated di-myo-inositol-1,1(prm1)(3,3(prm1))-phosphate and (beta)-mannosylglycerate, Methanothermus fervidus accumulated cyclic-2,3-bisphosphoglycerate and (beta)-mannosylglycerate, while the only solute detected in Pyrodictium occultum was di-myo-inositol-1,1(prm1)(3,3(prm1))-phosphate. Methanopyrus kandleri accumulated large concentrations of cyclic-2,3-bisphosphoglycerate. On the other hand, Archaeoglobus fulgidus accumulated three phosphorylated solutes; prominent among them was a compound identified as di-glycerol-phosphate. This solute increased in concentration as the salinity of the medium and the growth temperature were raised, suggesting that this compound serves as a general stress solute. Di-myo-inositol-1,1(prm1)(3,3(prm1))-phosphate accumulated at supraoptimal temperature only. The relationship between the accumulation of unusual solutes and high temperatures is also discussed.     

PCR-Based Identification of Hyperthermophilic Archaea of the Family Thermococcaceae

A method for rapid detection and identification of hyperthermophilic archaea of the family Thermococcaceae based on PCR amplification of 16S rRNA gene fragments with primers TcPc 173F (5′-TCCCCCATAGGYCTGRGGTACTGGAAGGTC-3′) and TcPc 589R (5′-GCCGTGRGATTTCGCCAGGGACTTACGGGC-3′) was developed and used for identification of new isolates.     

有机复合物H对纤维素CMC酶活的影响

采用3,5-二硝基水杨酸(DNS)为显色剂,CMC为底物,测定纤维素酶的酶活。考察了在不同的酶促反应温度、pH值、底物浓度、反应时间等反应条件下,有机复合物H对纤维素酶CMC酶活(CMCA)的影响。结果表明,有机复合物H对纤维素酶的CMCA活性有明显促进作用,且在不同条件下的促进效果有较大差异。     

有机相中超声辐照对脂肪酶活性的影响

酶在有机相中的催化作用是８０年代以来酶工程学研究的热点之一．虽然酶在有机相中的催化反应有许多优点［１］,但在工业生产上的应用却很有限,这主要是有机相中的酶促反应速度太慢,反应周期太长之故．１９９１年Ｖｕｌｆｓｏｎ等报道了超声辐照对有机相中枯草蛋白酶催...     

Organic Nutrients in the Media for Propagation of Cymbidium in vitro

Protocorms of Cymbidium (Orchidaceae) were grown on media containing different organic nutrients. Of the sugars tested sucrose was better than maltose, glucose and fructose, and sucrose had an optimum concentration of 3 to 4 %. D-Mannose was significantly less effective than the other sugars. The amino acid mixtures casamino acids (casein hydrolysate) and tryptone increased growth while yeast extract was inhibitory and malt extract without effect. Optimal concentrations were 2 to 3 g · l^-1 casamino acids and 3 to 4 g · l^-1 tryptone. It was to some extent possible to substitute the amino acid mixtures with a single amino acid (glutamine at 300 mg · l^-1). Arginine was inhibitory and asparagine was without any effect. Vitamins proved to be unnecessary although there was a tendency towards increased growth with nicotinic acid and meso-inositol. Purines and pyrimidines were added to the medium but with no effect. Liquid endosperm from coconuts (10 to 15%) increased growth while the liquid endosperm from Aesculus hippocastanum was inhibitory. On the basis of these results a revised medium is proposed for the in vitro propagation of Cymbidium.     

Preservation and Evolution of Organic Matter During Experimental Fossilisation of the Hyperthermophilic Archaea Methanocaldococcus jannaschii

Identification of the earliest traces of life is made difficult by the scarcity of the preserved microbial remains and by the alteration and potential contamination of the organic matter (OM) content of rocks. These factors can confuse interpretations of the biogenicity and syngenicity of fossilised structures and organic molecules found in ancient rocks. In order to improve our knowledge of the fossilisation processes and their effects at the molecular level, we made a preliminary study of the fate of OM during experimental fossilisation. Changes in the composition and quantity of amino acids, monosaccharides and fatty acids were followed with HPLC, GC and GC-MS analyses during 1 year of silicification of the hyperthermophilic Archaea Methanocaldococcus jannaschii. Although the cells themselves did not fossilise and the accompanying extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) did, our analyses showed that the OM initially present in both cells and EPS was uniformly preserved in the precipitated silica, with amino acids and fatty acids being the best preserved compounds. This study thus completes previous data obtained by electron microscopy investigations of simulated microbial fossilisation and can help better identification and interpretation of microbial biosignatures in both ancient rocks and in recent hydrothermal formations and sediments.     

Effect of the Concentration Gradient of Organic Matter and Nutrients on the Spatial Structure of Mixotrophic Phytophlagellate Plankton of Large East Siberian Rivers

Biology Bulletin - Using the methods of multivariate statistics, it was determined that the greatest species richness of mixotrophic river plankton in the region studied is characterized by the...     

铝对外生菌根真菌营养元素吸收和酶活性的影响

以褐环乳牛肝菌Suillus luteus (Sl)、乳牛肝菌Suillus bovines (Sb)、琥珀乳牛肝菌Suillus placidus (Sp)为供试菌株,采用液体培养法,分析不同浓度Al³⁺ (0、0.2、0.4、0.8、1.2和1.6 mmol·L^–1)处理对3种外生菌根真菌生物量、pH、养分吸收、抗氧化酶活性、MDA含量的影响,探讨外生菌根真菌耐铝机制。结果表明,铝处理显著增加3种菌株生物量、P含量和Al含量,降低培养液中pH。当Al³⁺浓度为0.8 mmol·L^–1时,菌株生物量增幅最大,各浓度Al³⁺处理的3种菌株Al含量为Sp＞Sb＞Sl;K含量随Al³⁺浓度增加呈先上升后下降的趋势,低浓度Al³⁺(≤0.4 mmol·L^–1)显著促进Sl菌株中N元素的积累,0.4 mmol·L^–1 Al³⁺处理菌株N含量较无铝处理增加42.65%。铝处理还显著降低菌株POD和SOD活性,增加菌株MDA含量。菌株生物量与菌丝N、P、K含量呈极显著正相关(P＜0.01),其中与P含量相关性最高(r=0.635)。综上,环境中Al³⁺浓度是影响外生菌根真菌吸收铝的关键因素,在一定Al³⁺浓度下,外生菌根真菌通过增加对营养元素N、P、K的吸收,提高菌丝酶活性,降低MDA含量以缓解铝毒害,增强其在铝胁迫下的生存能力。该研究为筛选抗(耐)铝性强的优良菌株提供理论依据。     

Effect of ammonia on the methanogenic activity of methylaminotrophic methane producing Archaea enriched biofilm

Ammonia is a metabolic product in the decomposition of protein wastes, and has a recognized inhibitory effect on methanogenesis; this effect has been slightly quantified on methanogenic biofilms and particularly those populated by methanogenic Archaea which produce ammonia as a catabolic product from methylated amines. This paper presents studies on the effect of ammonia on maximum methanogenic activity of anaerobic biofilms enriched by methylaminotrophic methane producing Archaea (mMPA). The effect of unionized free ammonia on the specific maximum methanogenic activity of a mMPA enriched biofilm was studied, using 250 mL flasks containing ceramic rings colonized by 30 day-old experimental biofilm and adding 48.8 (control system), 73.8, 98.8, 148.8, 248.8, 448.8 and 848.8 mg NH(3)-N/L. The systems were maintained for ten days at a pH of 7.5 and temperature of 37 degrees C. The results showed that at 848.8 mg NH(3)-N/L, biofilm methane production required 36 h adaptation period, prior to entering into maximum production phase. The highest maximum methanogenic activity reached a value of 2.337+/-0.213 g COD methane/g VSS *day when 48.8 mg NH(3)-N/L was added, and inhibition was clearly observed in those systems above 148.8 mg NH(3)-N/L, producing under 1.658+/-0.185 g COD methane/g VSS *day. The lowest methanogenic activity reached was 0.639+/-0.162 g COD methane/g VSS *day at the system added with 848.8 mg NH(3)-N/L. When applying the Luong and non-competitive inhibition models, the best fit was obtained with the non-competitive model, which predicted 50% inhibition of methanogenic activity at 365.288 mg NH(3)-N/L.     

Bioenergetics of the Archaea

In the late 1970s, on the basis of rRNA phylogeny, Archaea (archaebacteria) was identified as a distinct domain of life besides Bacteria (eubacteria) and Eucarya. Though forming a separate domain, archaea display an enormous diversity of lifestyles and metabolic capabilities. Many archaeal species are adapted to extreme environments with respect to salinity, temperatures around the boiling point of water, and/or extremely alkaline or acidic pH. This has posed the challenge of studying the molecular and mechanistic bases on which these organisms can cope with such adverse conditions. This review considers our cumulative knowledge on archaeal mechanisms of primary energy conservation, in relationship to those of bacteria and eucarya. Although the universal principle of chemiosmotic energy conservation also holds for Archaea, distinct features have been discovered with respect to novel ion-transducing, membrane-residing protein complexes and the use of novel cofactors in bioenergetics of methanogenesis. From aerobically respiring archaea, unusual electron-transporting supercomplexes could be isolated and functionally resolved, and a proposal on the organization of archaeal electron transport chains has been presented. The unique functions of archaeal rhodopsins as sensory systems and as proton or chloride pumps have been elucidated on the basis of recent structural information on the atomic scale. Whereas components of methanogenesis and of phototrophic energy transduction in halobacteria appear to be unique to archaea, respiratory complexes and the ATP synthase exhibit some chimeric features with respect to their evolutionary origin. Nevertheless, archaeal ATP synthases are to be considered distinct members of this family of secondary energy transducers. A major challenge to future investigations is the development of archaeal genetic transformation systems, in order to gain access to the regulation of bioenergetic systems and to overproducers of archaeal membrane proteins as a prerequisite for their crystallization.     

Evolution of the Archaea

Archaea, members of the third domain of life, are bacterial-looking prokaryotes that harbour many unique genotypic and phenotypic properties, testifying for their peculiar evolutionary status. The archaeal ancestor was probably a hyperthermophilic anaerobe. Two archaeal phyla are presently recognized, the Euryarchaeota and the Crenarchaeota. Methanogenesis was the main invention that occurred in the euryarchaeal phylum and is now shared by several archaeal groups. Adaptation to aerobic conditions occurred several times independently in both Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota. Recently, many new groups of Archaea that have not yet been cultured have been detected by PCR amplification of 16S ribosomal RNA from environmental samples. The phenotypic and genotypic characterization of these new groups is now a top priority for further studies on archaeal evolution.     

Media Formulation using Complex Organic Nutrients for Improved Activity,Productivity, and Yield of Candida rugosa Lipase and Esterase Enzymes

Abstract

Candida rugosa is an excellent source of multiple lipase and esterase enzymes; therefore, it is of technological importance to formulate the medium that provides high activity for each enzyme. In this work, the cultivation medium comprising complex nutrients that provided the highest activity, productivity, and yield of C. rugosa enzymes individually was formulated. Time courses of the extracellular and intracellular lipase and esterase activities of C. rugosa were represented and the role of protease in the cultivation progress was discussed. Urea, soy-peptone, yeast extract, a mixture of soy-peptone and yeast extract, cheese whey, and wheat mill bran were tested for their lipolytic and esterasic activities. Urea provided considerably higher extracellular lipase activity when compared to other nitrogen sources; however, soy-peptone provided the highest extracellular esterase activity. Hazelnut, olive, sesame, soybean, and flax seed oils affected the enzyme activities to different extents related to their fatty acid compositions. Hazelnut oil and olive oil provided the highest extracellular lipase and esterase activities, respectively, whereas sesame oil produced the highest biomass. High C₁₈ and C₁₆ ester contents of vegetable oils promoted high lipase and esterase productions, respectively. A temperature of 30°C yielded the highest extracellular and intracellular lipase and esterase activities; however, 35°C produced the highest biomass.     

矿质元素对毛头鬼伞菌丝体生长的影响

研究了4种矿质元素对栽培食用菌毛头鬼伞菌丝体生长的影响。4种矿质单元素添加试验结果表明,能使毛头鬼伞菌丝体旺盛生长的最佳浓度分别是CaCl20.1 mmol/L、MgSO48 mmol/L、KCl 1.22 mmol/L、NaH2PO413 mmol/L。4种元素协同作用试验结果表明,单元素浓度的最佳生长量与混合施用时的最佳生长量一致。以毛头鬼伞的主要栽培料之一的棉子壳估算,原料中的4种矿质元素浓度均偏低,必须补充矿质元素才能满足毛头鬼伞菌丝体的旺盛生长。     

The Effect of a Canine-assisted Activity on College Student Perceptions of Family Supports and Current Stressors

Using data from a previously published study on effects of a canine-assisted activity (CAA) on college student stress the week before final examinations, we examined whether participation in this activity had effects on perceptions of 1) family supports (i.e., emotional distance to family members and pets) and 2) current stressors. A total of 74 students completed the Family Life Space Diagram (FLSD), which uses an individual's structured drawings of distances between symbols of self and living entities, organizations, and stressors to reflect “emotional distances.” Participants were randomly assigned to order of CAA or FLSD, which was the intervention study control condition. Groups completed the FLSD after participating in CAA (Group A, n = 34) or prior to CAA (Group B, n = 40). Participants were primarily white (56.8%) females (75.7%) with a mean age of 19.38 years (SD = 1.75). Significant differences with large effect sizes were found for both groups in distances between 1) self-closest and self-average family member (Group A: t = 7.02, df = 33, p < 0.001, d = 1.205; Group B: t = 6.25, df = 39, p < 0.001, d = 0.987) and 2) self-closest personal stressor (t = 2.93, df = 18, p = 0.009, d = 1.311) and self-average personal stressor (t = 2.54, df = 18. p = 0.020, d = 1.138). In both cases, Group A (FLSD following CAA) placed personal stressors in closer proximity to self. Although CAA did not affect students’ current perceptions of family and pet relationships, the intervention may have increased their abilities to cope with personal stressors. Modified stress theory supports the proposition that positive emotions associated with CAA engage positive coping strategies, resulting in more positive perceptions of stressors.     

Environmental, biogeographic, and biochemical patterns of archaea of the family Ferroplasmaceae

About 10 years ago, a new family of cell wall-deficient, iron-oxidizing archaea, Ferroplasmaceae, within the large archaeal phylum Euryarchaeota, was described. In this minireview, I summarize the research progress achieved since then and report on the current status of taxonomy, biogeography, physiological diversity, biochemistry, and other research areas involving this exciting group of acidophilic archaea.