Further observations on the bacteriology of jute retting

Bacteria capable of retting jute are present in pond water, in the soil of jute fields, and on the surface of jute plants. They probably enter stems over the whole surface through stomata, as well as through cut ends and leaf scars, after immersion for retting. Under laboratory conditions the shortest period of retting, three days, was achieved withBacillus polymyxa at a temperature of 40°. Retting in a tank was appreciably hastened by using the same water for successive batches of jute. Prolonged immersion involves the risk of over-retting, probably because of the action of cellulolytic bacteria. For natural retting, still the most appropriate process in East Pakistan, large clean ponds are thought to provide the most suitable conditions.     

Relationship of pectic enzyme of macrophomina phaseoli with stem-rot disease and retting of jute

Summary Culture filtrates of three strains ofM. phaseoli were found to have pectic enzymes which macerated potato discs and separated the fibre strands of jute stem, but were not toxic. The filtrates with this principle also caused, under controlled conditions, defoliation and wilting of jute plants which are the symptoms of the stem-rot disease.The pectic enzyme contained in the strain MP-C was found to be more virulent in causing the disease and more effective in retting Jute. Thus a relationship of pectic enzyme ofM. phaseoli with stemrot disease and retting of jute has been indicated.Microbiologist, Assistant Biochemist, Research Assistant and Director, respectively.     

Bacteria Responsible for the Retting of Brazilian Flax

Twenty-two species of bacteria were isolated from Linum usitatissimum stored for retting. Achromobacter parvulus, Clostridium beijerinckii, C. saprogenes, C. saccharoacetoperbutylicum, C. perenne, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its achromogenic variety are retting agents. The last species mentioned performs the retting in only 72 hr. This is the first time A. parvulus has been shown to be a retting agent.     

Bacterial Population Structure of the Jute-Retting Environment

Jute is one of the most versatile bast fibers obtained through the process of retting, which is a result of decomposition of stalks by the indigenous microflora. However, bacterial communities associated with the retting of jute are not well characterized. To investigate the presence of microorganisms during the process of jute retting, full-cycle rRNA approach was followed, and two 16S rRNA gene libraries, from jute-retting locations of Krishnanagar and Barrackpore, were constructed. Phylotypes affiliating to seven bacterial divisions were identified in both libraries. The bulk of clones came from Proteobacteria ( approximately 37, 41%) and a comparatively smaller proportion of clones from the divisions-Firmicutes ( approximately 11, 12%), Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroidetes group (CFB; approximately 9, 7%), Verrucomicrobia ( approximately 6, 5%), Acidobacteria ( approximately 4, 5%), Chlorobiales ( approximately 5, 5%), and Actinobacteria ( approximately 4, 2%) were identified. Percent coverage value and diversity estimations of phylotype richness, Shannon-Weiner index, and evenness confirmed the diverse nature of both the libraries. Evaluation of the retting waters by whole cell rRNA-targeted flourescent in situ hybridization, as detected by domain- and group-specific probes, we observed a considerable dominance of the beta-Proteobacteria (25.9%) along with the CFB group (24.4%). In addition, 32 bacterial species were isolated on culture media from the two retting environments and identified by 16S rDNA analysis, confirming the presence of phyla, Proteobacteria ( approximately 47%), Firmicutes ( approximately 22%), CFB group ( approximately 19%), and Actinobacteria ( approximately 13%) in the retting niche. Thus, our study presents the first quantification of the dominant and diverse bacterial phylotypes in the retting ponds, which will further help in improving the retting efficiency, and hence the fiber quality.     

Dust-borne bacteria in animal sheds, schools and children's day care centres

A total of 316 bacterial strains, including psychrophiles, mesophiles and thermophiles, were isolated and identified from indoor dusts in schools, children's day care centres and animal sheds. Several species which had not previously been reported from indoor environments were found: Sphingomonas, Brevibacterium, Nocardiopsis, Deinococcus and Rhodococcus/Gordona. A new psychrophilic actinomycete genus was also found in animal sheds, representing a new undescribed peptidoglycan type and an unusual whole-cell fatty acid composition. The indoor dusts of animal sheds contained mainly the Gram-negative genera Pseudomonas, Pantoea, Flavobacterium and Xanthomonas early in the indoor feeding season, but changed to a composition dominated by Bacillus, Micrococcus and mesophilic and thermophilic actinomycetes towards the end of the season. The dust contained, and air-borne bacterial flora in schools and day care centres were dominated by, Gram-positive bacilli and actinomycetes, notably Bacillus cereus, Brevibacillus brevis, B. licheniformis, B. subtilis and species of Arthrobacter, Corynebacterium, Rhodococcus/Gordona, Nocardiopsis sp., Deinococcus, Staphylococcus and Micrococcus. Indoor air and dust contained Klebsiella oxytoca, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Ac. lwoffi, Bacillus cereus and Nocardiopsis dassonvillei with the status of hazard group II. Indoor dusts of animal sheds contained eight different 3-hydroxy fatty acids, the 2-hydroxy fatty acid 14:0 and two 10-methyl fatty acids, whereas in dusts from schools and day care centres, these were below the detection level (< 3.5 ng mg-1). The 3-and 2-hydroxy fatty acids could be assigned to one or more of the dust-contained cultivable strains, but 10-methyl C16:0 was not present in any of the strains isolated. The dusts from schools and children's day care centres contained 0.2-0.3 ng of endotoxin mg-1 and 0.5-1.4 ng of beta-D-glucan mg-1, whereas the dusts from animal sheds contained more 0.3-41 ng mg-1 and 8-35 ng mg-1, respectively.     

Identification and Retting Efficiencies of Fungi Isolated from Dew-Retted Flax in the United States and Europe

Seven strains of filamentous fungi and one yeast were isolated from flax that was dew retted in the United States. These filamentous fungi were subcultured to purity and identified, and six appear not to have been reported earlier as isolates from dew-retted flax. Five of the purified U.S. strains, two fungi isolated from flax that was dew retted in Europe, and a laboratory culture of Aspergillus sojae were tested for their ability to ret flax stems. The monocultures were evaluated for the degree of retting, fiber strength, dry weight loss, and tactile response (i.e., feel of softness) as reflected in the retted fiber. Structural modifications of representative samples of the retted flax were assessed by scanning electron microscopy. All of the filamentous fungi were able to carry out some retting, whereas the isolated yeast could not. All organisms produced pectinases when they were cultivated in shake flasks on ball-milled flax as the sole carbon source. Some fungi also produced cellulases, mannanases, and xylanases. Rhizomucor pusillus and Fusarium lateritium were noteworthy as retting organisms by their high level of pectinase activity, ability to attack noncellulosic cell types without attacking cellulose, capacity to penetrate the cuticular surface of the stem, and efficient fiber release from the core. The results indicated that these organisms deserve further study as potential organisms for retting of bast fibers in industrial applications.     

Coimmobilized whole cells of Pseudomonas reptilivora and Micrococcus glutamicus in calcium alginate gel for the production of L-glutamic acid

A novel method of coimmobilized whole cells of Pseudomonas reptilivora and Micrococcus glutamicus, entrapped in calcium alginate beads have been used for the production of L-glutamic acid in a single stage fermentation process, using selected production medium enriched with glucose as substrate. The results obtained were compared with the L-glutamic acid production by free cells of Micrococcus glutamicus and by mixed culture of Pseudomonas reptilivora and Micrococcus glutamicus. The yield of glutamic acid obtained with mixed culture is relatively more than that the yield obtained with Micrococcus glutamicus alone. The properties of coimmobilized whole cells of Pseudomonas reptilivora and Micrococcus glutamicus in calcium alginate gel matrix have been investigated thoroughly and compared with those of free cells under most suitable conditions of fermentation.     

产生物活性物质海洋放线菌的筛选和鉴定

本实验从辽宁大连海域的海水、海泥和海参养殖圈的样品中分离得到38株海洋放线菌,以金黄色葡萄球菌、溶壁微球菌、枯草芽孢杆菌、副溶血性弧菌和铜绿假单胞杆菌为指示菌,筛选出两株抑菌活性高的菌株,分别命名为HS-B31和HS-B34。16S r DNA测序鉴定及构建系统发育树的结果显示,它们都属于放线菌目、链霉菌属的不同种。对两株链霉菌的发酵上清液进行萃取、粗提和浓缩得到粗提物,即B31和B34;抗菌作用的结果显示,这两种粗提物的抗菌效果均为显著。经薄层层析分析,并利用制备型层析板对粗提物B31和B34进行活性物质的分离制备,共得到八个组分,即B31-1、B31-2、B31-3、B31-4、B31-5和B34-1、B34-2、B34-3。用滤纸片法对这些组分进行抗菌检测,结果显示组分B31-3和B34-3不仅对革兰氏阳性菌金黄色葡萄球菌有较好的抑菌作用,而且对海洋致病菌革兰氏阴性菌副溶血性弧菌也显示出较强的抑菌效果。研究为新型抗生素的研制和应用提供了微生物新资源。     

The rheophilic fauna and invertebrate communities of the tundra zone: A case study of the Southern Yamal

The invertebrate fauna of rivers and streams of the Southern Yamal has been studied using original specimens (122 bottom and vegetation samples). A total of 158 taxa have been recorded, many of which are new for this region. Among them, 18 types of rheophilic macrobenthic communities have been distinguished which mainly correspond to certain types of habitats and watercourses. A depletion in the set of rheophilic communities (including the loss of almost all crenal and many phytal ones), the taxonomic structure of communities (the loss of large bivalves and most gastropods, hemipterans, and dragonflies), and the total species composition of the fauna, as well as changes in the balance of life forms towards filter feeders (larvae of the family Simuliidae midges and pea clams) and leveling of the differences between the communities of large and small watercourses when compared with the communities of the Russian forest zone, have been recorded. Widespread Eurosiberian species are the most abundant in the rheophilic fauna of the examined region, Arctic species account for ∼20% of all species, and six East Siberian species have been found. No endemic species have been discovered.     

Biosynthesis of Amino Acids from Hydrocarbons

Nine strains of bacteria, capable of synthesising amino acids from hydrocarbons, have been identified. Pseudomonas arvilla, Ps. fluorescens and Micrococcus ureae, previously reported as hydrocarbons assimilators, were found capable of synthesising amino acids. Pseudomonas taetrolens, Bacillus cereus var. mycoides, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus sphaericus also synthesised amino acids from hydrocarbons.     

The phylogenetic diversity of aerobic organotrophic bacteria from the Dagan high-temperature oil field

The distribution and species diversity of aerobic organotrophic bacteria in the Dagan high-temperature oil field (China), which is exploited via flooding, have been studied. Twenty-two strains of the most characteristic thermophilic and mesophilic aerobic organotrophic bacteria have been isolated from the oil stratum. It has been found that, in a laboratory, the mesophilic and thermophilic isolates grow in the temperature, pH, and salinity ranges characteristic of the injection well near-bottom zones or of the oil stratum, respectively, and assimilate a wide range of hydrocarbons, fatty acids, lower alcohols, and crude oil, thus exhibiting adaptation to the environment. Using comparative phylogenetic 16S rRNA analysis, the taxonomic affiliation of the isolates has been established. The aerobic microbial community includes gram-positive bacteria with a high and low G+C content of DNA, and gamma and beta subclasses of Proteobacteria. The thermophilic bacteria belong to the genera Geobacillus and Thermoactinomyces, and the mesophilic strains belong to the genera Bacillus, Micrococcus, Cellulomonas, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter. The microbial community of the oil stratum is dominated by known species of the genus Geobacillus (G. subterraneus, G. stearothermophilus, and G. thermoglucosidasius) and a novel species "Geobacillus jurassicus." A number of novel thermophilic oil-oxidizing bacilli have been isolated.     

Study on microbe retting of kenaf fiber

Retting is the predominant problem in the application of kenaf fiber in high-grade products. While the traditional retting method is water retting, that is, the harvested bast kenaf is immersed in natural water (rivers or tanks) in which indigenous bacteria colonize noncellulosic materials in an anaerobic process resulting in severe environmental problems and low-grade fiber, therefore it is inevitable to seek for a pollution-free or little-pollution retting method. With the more application of biotechnology in textile industry, the more biology-treatments have been researched recently. So microbe retting was employed in this work. The fungus strain was isolated from the river in which kenaf fiber was retted, then microbe retting was performed with this fungus. Substrate species, the initial pH of the culture medium, cultivation temperature, retting time and inoculum size are involved in the experiments and the evaluation of retting is based on the residual gum content in retted kenaf fiber. As a result, the removal of pectin in microbe retting of kenaf is 91.31% under the optimal retting conditions. In addition, the effective retting fungus is also observed with microscope as one kind of filamentous epiphyte.     

Evidence for high degrees of specialisation, evolutionary diversity, and morphological distinctiveness in the genus Bremia

Bremia lactucae is one of the most important pathogens in lettuce production. Recent molecular?studies revealed considerable genetic variation in this species complex. However, only few accessions from the same host have been examined for most species and no study investigating the morphological distinctiveness of phylogenetic lineages of Bremia has so far been reported. Thus it is believed that morphological species delimitation in Bremia is not feasible. In the present study, multiple accessions of neglected species, which had been described decades ago, but have not been widely accepted, were investigated, considering both multi-gene phylogenies and morphological characters. All previously described species from host genera other than Lactuca investigated, Bremia microspora, Bremia ovata, Bremia saussureae, and Bremia sonchicola, could be confirmed as distinct, host-specific entities. Also, morphological characteristics of their conidiophores and conidia allowed delimitation of these species. Therefore, not only the wide species concept to merge all Bremia species on the Asteraceae under B. lactucae is inappropriate but also their delimitation on the basis of morphological characters seems feasible. In addition, it has been shown that Bremia elliptica is phylogenetically distinct from the other species infecting the genus Lactuca, B. lactucae. It is therefore concluded that B. lactucae is most likely limited to Lactuca sativa and closely-related species, and that most species of Bremia are highly host specific. This finding might stimulate the search for durable resistance genes in genera closely related to the genus Lactuca and in divergent species of the genus itself.     

Essential oil analysis and antimicrobial activity of eight Stachys species from Greece

The volatile composition of eight Stachys species has been studied. The investigated taxa were St. alopecuros (L.) Bentham., St. scardica (Griseb.) Hayek, St. cretica L. ssp. cretica, St. germanica L. ssp. heldreichii (Boiss.) Hayek, St. recta L., St. spinulosa L., St. euboica Rech. and St. menthifolia Vis., growing wild in Greece. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation in a modified Clevenger-type apparatus, and their analyses were performed by GC and GC-MS. Identification of the substances was made by comparison of mass spectra and retention indices with literature records. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were shown to be the main group of constituents of all taxa. Furthermore, the obtained essential oils were tested against the following six bacteria: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Escherichia coli (ATCC 35210), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 10907), Bacillus cereus (clinical isolates), Micrococcus flavus (ATCC 10240), Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 2228), as well as against the following five fungi: Aspergillus niger (ATCC 6275), Penicillium ochrochloron (ATCC 9112), Epidermophyton floccosum (clinical isolates), Candida albicans (clinical isolates) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (clinical isolates). The tested essential oils showed better activity against bacterial species than against fungi. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most resistant strain, as none of the essential oils was active against this strain. The essential oil of St. scardica has been proven most active against both bacteria and fungi.     

Fauna of dust-dwelling mites in the Maritime Territory

The specific composition of acarid mites occurring in dust of rural dwellings in the Far East of the USSR has been first studied and characters of their fauna have been revealed. 3 species are most frequently encountered of which Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus accounts for 56% of all finds. 6 species happened to be new for the fauna of dwellings. The typical synanthropic species Glycyphagus domesticus is totally absent from dwellings but occurs in 90% of honey-bee hives.     

Distribution of the isopropylmalate pathway to leucine among diverse bacteria

alpha-Isopropylmalate synthase and beta-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase activities were detected in extracts of the following organisms: Chromatium D, Rhodopseudomonas spheroides, Hydrogenomonas H16, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Vibrio extorquens, Rhizobium japonicum, Alcaligenes viscolactis, Escherichia coli B, Proteus vulgaris, Aerobacter aerogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, Micrococcus sp., Micrococcus lysodeikticus, Bacillus polymyxa, Bacillus subtilis, and Nocardia opaca. The alpha-isopropylmalate synthase activity in these extracts was inhibited by low concentrations of l-leucine. Taken together with other data, these results suggest that the isopropylmalate pathway is widespread among organisms that can synthesize leucine.     

Nature, nomenclature and taxonomy of obligate methanol utilizing strains

In a screening program, a number of different bacterial strains with the ability to utilize methanol as a sole carbon and energy source were isolated and described. They are well known methanol utilizing genera Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Micrococcus, Methylomonas or, on the contrary, the new, unknown genera and species of methylotrophic bacteria. In the last category, Acinetobacter and Alcaligenes are the new reported genera of organisms able to use methanol as a sole carbon and energy source. The present paper reports the very complex physiological and biochemical modifications when very versatile bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus are cultured on methanol and when the obligate methylotrophic state is compared with the facultative methylotrophic state of the same bacterial strain. Based on experiments and comparisons with literature data, it seems that Methylomonas methanica is the obligate methylotrophic state of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and that Acinetobacter calcoaceticus is the facultative methylotrophic state of Methylococcus capsulatus, an obligate methylotroph. The relationship of the obligate to the facultative and of the facultative to the obligate methylotrophy were established. These new methylotrophic genera and species, the profound physiological and biochemical modifications as well as the new data concerning nature, nomenclature and taxonomy of methanol utilizing bateria were reported for the first time in 1983.     

Characterization of a lignified secondary phloem fibre-deficient mutant of jute (Corchorus capsularis)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: High lignin content of lignocellulose jute fibre does not favour its utilization in making finer fabrics and other value-added products. To aid the development of low-lignin jute fibre, this study aimed to identify a phloem fibre mutant with reduced lignin. METHODS: An x-ray-induced mutant line (CMU) of jute (Corchorus capsularis) was morphologically evaluated and the accession (CMU 013) with the most undulated phenotype was compared with its normal parent (JRC 212) for its growth, secondary fibre development and lignification of the fibre cell wall. KEY RESULTS: The normal and mutant plants showed similar leaf photosynthetic rates. The mutant grew more slowly, had shorter internodes and yielded much less fibre after retting. The fibre of the mutant contained 50 % less lignin but comparatively more cellulose than that of the normal type. Differentiation of primary and secondary vascular tissues throughout the CMU 013 stem was regular but it did not have secondary phloem fibre bundles as in JRC 212. Instead, a few thin-walled, less lignified fibre cells formed uni- or biseriate radial rows within the phloem wedges of the middle stem. The lower and earliest developed part of the mutant stem had no lignified fibre cells. This developmental deficiency in lignification of fibre cells was correlated to a similar deficiency in phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity, but not peroxidase activity, in the bark tissue along the stem axis. In spite of severe reduction in lignin synthesis in the phloem cells this mutant functioned normally and bred true. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the observations made, the mutant is designated as deficient lignified phloem fibre (dlpf). This mutant may be utilized to engineer low-lignin jute fibre strains and may also serve as a model to study the positional information that coordinates secondary wall thickening of fibre cells.     

Pseudomonas aeruginosa protease IV enzyme assays and comparison to other Pseudomonas proteases

Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes multiple proteases that have been implicated as virulence factors and the detection of each specific enzyme can be difficult to determine. Unlike the three Pseudomonas enzymes that have been well characterized (elastase A, elastase B, and alkaline protease), the activity of protease IV in multiple assays has yet to be described. This study defines new assays for Pseudomonas proteases and compares protease IV activity to the activities of elastase A, elastase B, and alkaline protease. Six in vitro assays were studied: zymography, elastin congo red assay, staphylolytic assay, colorimetric peptide assay, solid-phase colorimetric peptide assay, and poly-l-lysine degradation. Casein zymography distinguished protease IV from elastase B and alkaline protease, and gelatin zymography differentiated all four proteases. The elastin congo red assay detected mainly elastase B while the staphylolytic assay was specific for elastase A. Protease IV activity was assayed specifically by the colorimetric assay and two new assays, the solid-phase colorimetric assay and degradation of poly-L-lysine in the presence of EDTA. Alkaline protease could be specifically assayed by poly-L-lysine degradation in the presence of N-alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone. The results identified three specific assays for protease IV, a new assay specific for alkaline protease, and showed that protease IV has a distinct enzymatic specificity relative to the three other Pseudomonas proteases.     

Use of jute processing wastes for treatment of wastewater contaminated with dye and other organics

A study was conducted to examine the potential of jute processing waste (JPW) for the treatment of wastewater contaminated with dye and other organics generated from various activities associated with jute cultivation and fibre production. Adsorption studies in batch mode have been conducted using dye solution as an adsorbate and JPW as an adsorbent. A comparative adsorption study was made with standard adsorbents such as powdered and granular activated carbon (PAC and GAC, respectively). A maximum removal of 81.7% was obtained with methylene blue dye using JPW as compared to 61% using PAC and 40% using GAC under similar conditions. The adsorption potential of JPW was observed to be dependent on various parameters such as type of dye, initial dye concentration, pH and dosage of adsorbent. The batch sorption data conformed well to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. However, lower BOD (33.3%) and COD (13.8%) removal from retting effluent was observed using JPW as compared to 75.6% BOD removal and 71.1% COD removal obtained with GAC.