Electronic and spatial structure of dimethyl orthophosphate and orthophosphate

The applicability of different variants of the semiempirical CNDO method to calculate the electronic structure of different conformations of all possible ionic forms of dimethyl orthophosphate and orthophosphate is considered. The CNDO/BW (Boyd-Whitehead parameterization) approximation with selected parameters for the P-O bond is shown to provide the best qualitative and sometimes quantitative agreement with ab initio methods. The dependences of energy and P-O bond strengths in P-O-CH₃ (P-O-H) groups on torsion angles at P-O bonds are obtained in this approximation for dimethyl orthophosphate and orthophosphate. The rotation of these groups is found to stremgthen one P-O bond stronger and labilize another. The energy minima of dimethyl orthophosphate and orthophosphate anions are shown to correspond to conformations where the strengths of the studied P-O bonds are almost the same, i.e., none of the bonds is weakened to a minimum. Protonation of these compounds increases the strength of P-O bonds and decreases the dependence of bond strength on torsion angles. The di-and trianions of dimethyl orthophosphate and orthophosphate are also studied. The growth of negative charge is shown to progressively weaken the P-O bond. The dependence of bond strength on torsion angle for the dianion is less pronounced than that for the monoanion. Calculation results are compared with experimental data known from literature. The significance of the data obtained for revealing essential features of the enzyme cleaving and forming the P-O bond is discussed.     

IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE FOR AUTECOLOGICAL STUDY OF A UNICELLULAR BLUEGREEN ALGA12

Fluorescent antibody (FA) preparations were developed and tested as an approach to recognition and enumeration of a specific unicellular bluegreen alga in a natural ecosystem. Antibodies made against an axenic culture of Synechococcus cedrorum Näg. gave a high agglutination titer and an excellent homologous staining reaction. Antibody specificity was tested with 28 heterologous cultures of bluegreen algae, known cultures of chemoautotrophic bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria, and randomly selected unknown bacteria from soil, sewage and aquatic habitats. FA staining of bluegreen algae was restricted to S. cedrorum and six heterologous isolates, all indistinguishable microscopically from S. cedrorum. The ability to enumerate S. cedrorum FA-reactive cells in nature was demonstrated with data on population densities for samples taken from water columns of stratified holomictic lakes in northcentral Minnesota.     

SOME ASPECTS OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF REACTIVE PHOSPHORUS IN LAKE McILWAINE,RHODESIA: PHOSPHORUS LOADING AND ABIOTIC RESPONSES

SUMMARY

This study was designed to investigate the apparent loss from the water column in Lake McIlwaine This study of significant quantities of reactive phosphorus. The Total Reactive Phosphorus mass-balance for the lake for 1977/78 was calculated, and both in situ and laboratory experiments were carried out to determine the effect of the lake sediments on the phosphorus loading of the lake. The experimental results showed that both uptake and release of phosphorus occurs in the lake, but that uptake of phosphorus by the sediments was by far the dominant process, thus accounting for the observed loss of phosphorus from the water column. The availability of the bound phosphorus for algal growth was also studied and it is suggested that algal uptake of bound phosphorus is possible. Various factors affecting phosphorus uptake by the sediments are discussed.     

Botryococcus braunii: A Renewable Source of Hydrocarbons and Other Chemicals

ABSTRACT:?

Botryococcus braunii, a green colonial microalga, is an unusually rich renewable source of hydrocarbons and other chemicals. Hydrocarbons can constitute up to 75% of the dry mass of B. braunii. This review details the various facets of biotechnology of B. braunii, including its microbiology and physiology; production of hydrocarbons and other compounds by the alga; methods of culture; downstream recovery and processing of algal hydrocarbons; and cloning of the algal genes into other microorganisms. B. braunii converts simple inorganic compounds and sunlight to potential hydrocarbon fuels and feedstocks for the chemical industry. Microorganisms such as B. braunii can, in the long run, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and because of this B. braunii continues to attract much attention.     

Bioreactor seaweed cell culture for production of bioactive oxylipins

Liquid cell suspension cultures derived from marine plants have the potential to biosynthesize novel biomedicinal compounds in a controlled environment. Of particular interest are the eicosanoids and related oxylipins emanating from the 15-lipoxygenase manifold of the arachidonic acid cascade, which is active in the brown algaLaminaria saccharina. Filamentous cell clumps ofL. saccharina isolated from female gametophytes were cultured in an illuminated bubble-column bioreactor in GP2 artificial seawater nutrient medium at 13 °C and air flow rate of 0.35 L air min^–1 L^–1 culture (vvm). Growth kinetics and biomass productivity data were obtained as a function of incident light intensity (2.4 to 98mol photon m^–2 s^–1) and initial cell density (27 to 149 mg DCW L^–1). Maximum cell densities exceeded 1200 mg DCW L^–1 after a 20 day cultivation time at optimal conditions of 98mol photon m^–2 s^–1 and 118 mg DCW L^–1 initial cell density. Qualitative analysis of chloroform/methanol extracts of the cell culture biomass by GC-MS confirmed the presence of the hydroxy fatty acids 13-HODTA and 13-HOTE, the likely products of 15-lipoxygenase catalyzed oxidation of linoleic or linolenic acids.     

南海北部海域Synechococcus和Prochlorococcus生长率和被摄食消亡率——变化范围及其与环境因子的关系

2004年首次在南海北部海域使用选择性代谢抑制剂技术进行了Synechococcus和Prochlorococcus生长率和被摄食消亡率的研究.研究结果表明,ynechococcus高丰度值出现在次表层（15 m或20m）,位于温跃层之上,高生长率往往出现在丰度最大值水层上方;Prochlorococcus丰度在夏季出现次表层最大值,与温跃层深度基本一致,表层生长率高于真光层底部.Synechococcus真光层平均生长率为0.11～1.18 d^-1,被摄食消亡率为0.11～0.76 d^-1,分布格局均为从沿岸向外海方向升高.Prochlorococcus真光层平均生长率为0.23～0.49 d^-1,存在较明显的季节变化,夏季近岸略高于外海,而冬季的趋势正好相反;真光层平均被摄食消亡率为0.12～0.33 d^-1,冬夏两季均是近岸高于外海。温度、营养盐和光是影响Synechococcus生长率变化的重要因子.Synechococcus和Prochlorococcus丰度与群落生长率之间不存在相关关系,而与被摄食消亡率之间则存在显著的指数相关.根据Synechococcus和Prochlorococcus的生长率估算了它们的生产力及其对Pico-生产力的贡献.     

Biotechnology of algal biomass production: a review of systems for outdoor mass culture

Microalgae are very efficient solar energy converters and they can produce a great variety of metabolites. Man has always tried to take advantage of these proporties through algal mass culture. Despite the fact that many applications for microalgae have been described in the literature, these micro-organisms are still of minor economic importance. Industrial reactors for algal culture are at present, all designed as open race-ways (shallow open ponds where culture is circulated by a paddle-wheel). Technical and biological limitations of these open systems have given rise to the development of enclosed photoreactors (made of transparent tubes, sleeves or containers and where light source may be natural or artificial). The present review surveys advances in these two technologies for cultivation of microalgae. Starting from published results, the advantages and disadvantages of open systems and closed photobioreactors are discussed. A few open systems are presented for which particularly reliable results are available. Emphasis is then put on closed systems, which have been considered as capital intensive and are justified only when a fine chemical is to be produced.     

Development of paratransgenic Artemia as a platform for control of infectious diseases in shrimp mariculture

Aim: To study the accumulation and retention of recombinant proteins in Artemia gut for optimizing paratransgenic disease control in shrimp aquaculture. Methods and Results: Transgenic Escherichia coli expressing fluorescent marker proteins and the transgenic cyanobacterium Synechococcus bacillarus expressing a functional murine single chain antibody, DB3, were fed to Artemia franciscana. Stable expression and retention of several marker molecules (e.g. GFP, DS Red and DB3) up to 10 h after of feeding with E. coli were evident within the gut of Artemia. Engineered strains of S. bacillarus expressing DB3 accumulated within the gut of Artemia with detectable antibody activity for 8–10 h of feeding via ELISA, coincident with the time period of the highest density of transgenic S. bacillarus in the Artemia gut. Conclusions: Artemia fed transgenic bacteria or algae accumulated recombinant proteins for up to 10 h that retained biological activity. Co‐delivery of multiple recombinant proteins simultaneously in the gut of Artemia was also demonstrated. Significance and Impact of the Study: Expression of molecules that target infectious agents of mariculture in shrimp via commonly deployed feed organisms such as Artemia could potentially offer powerful new tools in the ongoing global effort to increase food supply.     

Factors affecting antimicrobial activity of Synechococcus leopoliensis

An antimicrobial agent is produced by the cyanobacterium Synechococcus leopoliensis which was found to be active against the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. The effects of temperature, pH, incubation period, some media and different nitrogen and carbon sources on both growth and antimicrobial activity were investigated. Temperature 35 °C and pH 8 were the best for growth and antimicrobial agent production and 14 and 15 days of incubation were found to be the best for maximum growth and antimicrobial activity, respectively, in the medium BG-11.

No antimicrobial activity could be detected by the use of G medium, moderate activity was recorded with Chu 10 medium, while high activity was reported in BG-11 medium. Leucine was the best nitrogen source for antimicrobial activity, while maximum antimicrobial activity was introduced by using the carbon sources, citrate and acetate. Very high antimicrobial activity could be detected by using the carbon source galactose in combination with the nitrogen source alanine or by using arabinose with methionine.     

Application of the flowing soulution culture techniques to studies involving mycorrhizas

Summary A technique to study mycorrhizal effects on growth and P-uptake of cassava (Manihot escultenta, Crantz) grown in flowing solution culture is described. Phosphorus concentrations were carefully maintained constant at 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 M by daily analyses and adjustment of the nutrient solutions. Inoculation with mycorrhizal roots hada positiveeffect on P content of plant tissue and/or plant growth only at the two lowest P-concentrations in soulution. These concentrations are two to three orders of magnitude lower than those normally used in conventional nutrient solution cultures.     

Inorganic phosphate determination in the presence of a labile organic phosphate: assay for carbamyl phosphate phosphatase activity

A periodate-resorcinol method for bound sialic acid using the Technicon Autoanalyzer II is presented. It has a sensitivity similar to the manual method, is linear between 5 and 65 nmol/ml, requires less than 0.2 ml of sample, and can be run at the rate of 70 samples/h. Little cross-reaction with common matrix and cell components was found. The method is compatible with many commonly used volatile and nonvolatile chromatographic buffers. The use of a bound sialic acid standard such as N-acetylneuraminyl lactose is recommended.     

不同磷浓度植株残体降解对紫色土磷素有效性的影响

植株残体降解可直接或间接地影响土壤磷素的有效性,为探讨不同磷浓度植株残体降解对紫色土磷分级体系的影响,结合31P核磁共振分析技术,选取了3种磷浓度不同的植物残体与两种紫色土进行室内模拟培养试验,得出了以下研究结论:(1)添加植株残体显著增强了紫色土呼吸强度,且紫色土分级体系中的活性磷含量均高于对照处理(2)31P-NMR分析结果得知,植株残体的正磷酸盐、磷酸单酯占浓缩液全磷比例的90%以上,高磷植株的正磷酸盐和磷酸单酯含量显著高于中磷和低磷植株,土壤磷素有效性的变化与植株残体的正磷酸盐和磷酸单酯含量有关;(3)紫色土分级体系中的活性磷在0 d含量最高,随着培养周期的延长,土壤磷素有效性会出现降低的趋势;酸性紫色土的累积呼吸强度、分级体系中活性磷(Resin-P、Na HCO3-Pt)所占比例均高于中性紫色土,与土壤钙含量有关。综上所述,植株残体的磷浓度越高,更有利于提高土壤磷素的有效性,本研究结果为农业生产中秸秆还田技术提供了理论参考。