On the Nature of the Heat Stabilizing Effect of Inorganic Ions on Escherichia coli

The growth lag of Escherichia coli at 45°C was reduced by the addition of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium ions to the growth medium. A method to quantitatively determine the lag-reducing effect of these ions was developed. The results obtained showed that equivalent amounts of the ions produced the same reduction of the growth lag. According to the results of plasmolysis experiments cells of E. coli suspended in peptone broth were permeable to all four ions. The course of plasmolysis and subsequent deplasmolysis was registered as changes in the cells' ability to scatter light. The heat stability of catalase from E. coli was increased by addition of the four ions. This was observed in experiments with intact cells and with a crude cell-free preparation of catalase. The results of our experiments are most easily explained by assuming a stabilizing effect of the ions tested on the intracellular bacterial proteins.     

Lysis of Yeast Cells Showing Low Susceptibility to Zymolyase

Lysis of commercial baker’s yeast cells was examined using Zymolyase. The lysis was stimulated by the addition of sodium sulfite or potassium chloride or both. The effect of potassium chloride was less than that of sodium sulfite, but the two compounds acted synergistically. The cells were effectively lysed by Zymolyase in the presence of 0.1 M sodium sulfite and 0.8 M potassium chloride. The extent of lysis was similar to that of brewery yeast cells obtained from a brewhouse. Cells pretreated with sodium sulfite did not show much of an increase in susceptibility to Zymolyase, but were effectively lysed by the enzyme in the presence of potassium chloride. Potassium chloride stimulated lysis only in the presence of Zymolyase. Yeast cells treated with cupric ions in the presence of sodium sulfite became highly susceptible to Zymolyase, suggesting irreversible destruction of the sodium sulfite-sensitive and potassium chloride-sensitive structure of the cell wall.

Cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae prepared under various culture conditions were completely lysed by Zymolyase in the presence of sodium sulfite or potassium chloride or both.     

Further Investigations on the Nature of the Heat Resistance of Thermophilic Bacteria

When cells of Bacillus stearothermophilus, strain NCA 1503, were grown in tryptone starch broth and subsequently transferred to tris buffer, a fraction of the cells: rapidly died in ttie buffer. This fraction increased with increasing content of calcium chloride in the growth medium. The' addition of sodium, potassium or magnesium chloride to the growth medium had no such effect. The rapid dying of the cells in tris buffer was associated with a leakage of organic material and calcium ions from the cells. The results obtained are probably caused by a damage to the osmotic barrier of the cells during their contact with the buffer. Observations: made during the present investigation and a previous one (Ljunger 1970) indicate that the heat resistance of thermophilic bacteria depends on the maintenance of a high intracellular concentration of free calcium ions.     

Growth inhibition ofChlorella pyrenoidosa produced by sodium dihydrogen phosphate and its reversal by calcium

Summary The growth ofChlorella pyrenoidosa in a special medium based on the critical concentrations of nutrients for autotrophic growth has been shown to be stimulated more by chloride with the sodium salt than with the potassium salt, more by sulphate in the presence of sodium than in the presence of potassium, and to be inhibited by sodium dihydrogen phosphate and not by potassium dihydrogen phosphate. Furthermore, it has been found that calcium reversed the growth inhibition produced by sodium dihydrogen phosphate, and that strontium only partially substituted for calcium.     

Effects of gramicidin and tryptophan-N-formylated gramicidin on the sodium and potassium content of human erythrocytes

Summary

In order to get a better understanding in the mechanism by which tryptophan-N-formylated gramicidin (NFG) and gramicidin kill the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in vitro, we studied the capacity of these peptides to change the potassium, as well as the sodium, composition of normal human erythrocytes, and their ability to cause cell lysis. It is shown that both peptides are able to induce potassium leakage from, and sodium flux into, erythrocytes in such a manner that it is most likely that they are able to form cation channels in the membrane of these cells. For both peptides, potassium efflux proceeds at a faster rate than sodium influx, but this difference is greater for NFG than for gramicidin. This explains the observation that gramicidin is more lytic than NFG is, even when comparing concentrations that show the same antimalarial activity. The finding that gramicidin is approximately 10 times more active than NFG in causing potassium efflux from normal erythrocytes, as well as in killing the malaria parasite, supports the hypothesis that peptideinduced parasite death is related to their capacity to induce potassium leakage from infected erythrocytes. Finally, the observation that erythrocytes are able to restore their normal ion contents after losing more than 50% of their potassium content by incubation with NFG or gramicidin, suggests that, in vivo, and upon treatment with drug concentrations that cause full inhibition of parasite growth, these cells would not be irreversibly damaged by action of the drugs.     

Osmoregulation in Rhizobium meliloti: inhibition of growth by salts

A defined medium of low osmolarity was developed permitting growth of Rhizobium meliloti with generation times of approximately 2.8 h doubling^-1. The effects of sodium, potassium, magnesium, ammonium, chloride, sulfate, phosphate, bicarbonate and acetate ions on the growth rate of R. meliloti were determined. Sodium, potassium and ammonium ions had little effect on growth at concentrations of 100 mEq or less; magnesium ion inhibited growth severely at concentrations of 50 mEq (25 mM). Of the anions, chloride and sulfate appeared to have little effect while phosphate, bicarbonate, and acetate inhibited growth at concentrations of as little as 25 mEq. The addition of proline, glutamate, or betaine to cells growing in inhibitory concentrations of NaCl did not relieve the inhibition. When grown in the presence of inhibitory levels of NaCl, the intracellular concentration of glutamate but not of proline or gamma amino butyric acid increased 5-fold.     

The influence of potassium and sodium ions on the negative pasteur effect in Brettanomyces claussenii custers

Summary The present article deals with the negative Pasteur effect in Brettanomyces claussenii Custers, i.e. with the inhibition of the alcoholic fermentation under anaerobic conditions and its stimulation in presence of atmospheric oxygen.As distinct from the negative Pasteur effect in resting cells of Saccharomyces species the effect in Br. claussenii is not specific for cell suspensions prepared with succinic acid-succinate buffer but may at Ph 4.5–4.6 in addition be demonstrated in resting cells suspended in distilled water or phosphate buffer as well as in buffer solutions of a great number of organic acids and their alkali salts, e. g. in acetic acid-acetate, propionic acid-propionate, oxalic acid-oxalate, malonic acid-malonate, fumaric acid-fumarate, malic acid-malate, d-tartaric acid-tartrate, and citric acid-citrate mixtures.The aerobic fermentation of glucose by resting cells of Br. claussenii is quite sensitive to potassium and sodium ions. In all systems examined, except the succinic acid-succinate buffer and the buffer solutions inhibiting the fermentation completely or practically completely, the rate of the aerobic fermentation is considerably increased on increasing the concentration of the potassium ions and decreasing that of the sodium ions. Under anaerobic conditions the alcoholic fermentation is insusceptible to the ions mentioned.Because of the fact that the influence of the potassium ions or of the K⁺/Na⁺ ratio upon the rate of fermentation is comparatively large under aerobic conditions but small or even negligible under anaerobic conditions, the magnitude of the negative Pasteur effect will under the proper conditions be determined by the potassium ion concentration or by the ratio between the concentrations of the potassium and sodium ions. The negative Pasteur effect obtained in a buffer of an acid and its potassium salt may be considerably larger than that observed in a buffer of the same acid and its sodium salt. In solutions containing a mixture of the potassium and sodium salts in addition to an acid the magnitude of the negative Pasteur effect will increase with increasing potassium ion concentration and decreasing sodium ion concentration at constant total molar concentration of the alkali ions.To Professor Dr. E. G. Pringsheim with best wishes on his 80th birthday.     

STOMATAL MOVEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH POTASSIUM FLUXES

Association of potassium ions with stomatal movements is reported here for 22 different plants. These include Ophioglossum engelmanni, Ginkgo biloba, and Pinus sylvestris. In all 22 plants potassium migrates into the guard cells when stomata open in response to light. In addition, potassium migration into guard cells also occurs with night opening in Crassula argentea and with rhythmic opening in Mimosa pudica. Potassium inside the guard or subsidiary cells, conventionally detected through light microscopic observations of epidermal peels treated with sodium cobaltinitrite reagent, may also be mapped by x-ray microanalysis of such histochemically treated peels, as was the case in this study. In addition to the potassium migration, we also show the movement of chloride as an accompanying anion in Ophioglossum engelmanni, Ginkgo biloba, Plantago rugelii, Begonia sp., and Avena sativa. Eight plants are shown to accumulate potassium inside the stomatal initials or cells of immature stomatal apparatuses; ordinary, immature epidermal cells do not show such an accumulation of potassium. A list in the discussion indicates all the plants in which potassium fluxes associated with stomatal movements have so far been established, including the new examples reported in this paper.     

Growth and mineral nutrition in Stylosanthes fruticosa (Retz) Alston

Interacting effects of phosphorus, potassium and sodium on the growth and nutrient uptake in Stylosanthes fruticosa were studied in its native sandy soil and solution culture. High phosphorus in the medium had adverse effects on growth. High potassium level completely masked or lessened adverse effects of high phosphorus. High sodium level adversely affected growth only in combination with high phosphorus and low potassium. Shoot nutrient content data indicated that phosphorus per se may not inhibit growth. Selective uptake of potassium against sodium was eliminated by high phosphorus. It is suggested that high concentration of phosphorus in the medium effects membrane permeability and the effect of phosphorus on plant growth is primarily through its influence on uptake of other ions.     

The response of the filamentous cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis to salt stress

The responses of the filamentous cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis to increased NaCl concentrations (0.25–1.0 M) in addition to the concentration of sodium in the growth medium were studied. A two stage response to the salt stress was observed. This consisted of a relatively short shock stage, followed by adaptation process. It was shown that upon exposure to high salt concentrations of 0.5 M and above, immediate inhibition of photosynthesis and respiration, and complete cessation of growth occurred. After a time lag, the energy-yielding processes exhibited restored activity. At 0.5 and 1.0M NaCl photosynthesis reached 80% and 50% that of the control, while respiration was enhanced by 140 and 200%, respectively. The time lags were longer when the cells were exposed to higher NaCl concentrations. The resumption of growth and the establishment of new steady state growth rates were found to be correlated to the recovery in respiration. The relationship between the growth rates after adaptation and the increased NaCl concentrations was found to be inversely linear. The cellular sodium content was maintained at a constant low level, regardless of the external NaCl concentration, while potassium content declined linearly vs. the external NaCl concentration. The carbohydrate content of the cells rose exponentially with the increase in NaCl concentration.Publication No. 34 from the Micro-Algal Biotechnology Lab.     

Peptide Toxins in Sea Anemones: Structural and Functional Aspects

Sea anemones are a rich source of two classes of peptide toxins, sodium channel toxins and potassium channel toxins, which have been or will be useful tools for studying the structure and function of specific ion channels. Most of the known sodium channel toxins delay channel inactivation by binding to the receptor site 3 and most of the known potassium channel toxins selectively inhibit Kv1 channels. The following peptide toxins are functionally unique among the known sodium or potassium channel toxins: APETx2, which inhibits acid-sensing ion channels in sensory neurons; BDS-I and II, which show selectivity for Kv3.4 channels and APETx1, which inhibits human ether-a-go-go-related gene potassium channels. In addition, structurally novel peptide toxins, such as an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like toxin (gigantoxin I), have also been isolated from some sea anemones although their functions remain to be clarified.     

Factors Affecting Glucose and Maltose Phosphorylation by the Ruminal Bacterium Megasphaera elsdenii

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of growth substrate and extracellular pH on phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent glucose phosphorylation as well as to examine how maltose is phosphorylated by the ruminal bacterium Megasphaera elsdenii B159. Phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent glucose phosphorylation by toluene-treated cells was constitutive, and glucose phosphorylation was reduced by 69% at pH 5.0. When toluene-treated cells were incubated in histidine buffer, little maltose phosphorylation occurred in the absence of inorganic phosphate. However, the addition of increasing concentrations of either potassium or sodium phosphate increased maltose phosphorylation. Maximal phosphorylation activity was observed at between 25 and 50 mM of either inorganic phosphate source. Compared with the control incubations, maltose phosphorylation was increased over threefold with 25 mM of either potassium or sodium phosphate. Phosphoglucomutase activity was detected in cell extracts of M. elsdenii B159, and this enzyme had a K _m of 3.2 mM for glucose-1-P and a V _max of 1836 nmol of NADP⁺ reduced/mg of protein per min. Maltose was also hydrolyzed by an inducible maltase (K _m , 1.19 mM). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a maltose phosphorylase and a maltase in M. elsdenii. Received: 3 November 1999 / Accepted: 5 January 2000     

Effect of various salts on the growth and development of Geotrichum candidum,the causal agent of carrot sour rot

This study evaluated the efficacy of ammonium, calcium, potassium and sodium salts as possible alternatives to synthetic fungicides in the control of Geotrichum candidum, the causal agent of sour rot on carrots. In vitro mycelial growth of G. candidum was completely halted by ammonium bicarbonate and carbonate; calcium oxide; potassium benzoate, carbonate and sorbate; sodium benzoate, carbonate and fluoride (2% w/v). Potassium and sodium bicarbonate also reduced mycelial growth by 77.78% and 90.60%, respectively, and the difference between the effects of sodium bicarbonate and the first group of salts was not statistically significant (p < 0.05). With the exception of potassium and sodium bicarbonate, the above‐mentioned salts also halted or strongly reduced arthrospore germination. Potassium bicarbonate, and sodium bicarbonate, acetate and propionate significantly increased conidiation (p < 0.05). Of all the salts tested in vitro, only ammonium bicarbonate and carbonate, calcium oxide and sodium fluoride were toxic to G. candidum. In in vivo studies, all the calcium salts tested (acetate, chloride, citrate, formate, lactate, oxide, propionate and silicate), several of the sodium salts (acetate, bicarbonate, chloride and fluoride) and potassium bicarbonate exhibited both protective and curative activity against G. candidum, significantly reducing the severity of sour rot in comparison to pathogen‐inoculated controls (p < 0.05). Although no curative was observed with ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium carbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium chloride, sodium carbonate or sodium citrate, these salts also demonstrated significant protective activity against sour rot when compared to controls (p < 0.05). In sum, the study findings show that all of the selected salts may be used to control carrot sour rot, except for sodium fluoride, which exhibited phytotoxicity to carrots.     

The Effect of Deleterious Concentrations of Mercury on the Photosynthesis and Growth of Chlorella pyrenoidosa

The effect of mercury ions on the photosynthesis and growth of Chlorella pyrenoidosa in a balanced medium has been studied and compared with the effect of copper. In many ways Hg treated algae behave like algae treated with Cu in concentrations of the same molarity, but important deviations occur. Hg acts at a lower and in a more narrow range of concentrations than does Cu due to a more specific binding. The depressing effect of Hg is not counteracted by other cations such as potassium and sodium, and iron has only a slight effect. Cell division is stopped after Hg addition and there is no accumulation of assimilation products. On the contrary the cells become pale yellow. Preliminary studies indicate a light-independent leakage in the cytoplasmatic membrane leading to an outflow of potassium ions. This is the primary action of both Hg and Cu poisoning, but the leakage does not seem to be correlated with the decrease of photosynthesis. After a lapse of time — dependent on the mercury/cell concentration ratio — a detoxication takes place probably due to the binding of Hg to “insensitive sites” in the cells. Probable mechanisms for the action of Hg on photosynthesis and growth are discussed.     

Some Factors Governing Respiration,Glucose Metabolism and Iodoacetate Sensitivity in Tetrahymena pyriformis*

SYNOPSIS. The physiologic response of Tetrahymena pyriformis W to glucose, as measured by the respiratory rate in a buffered suspension, was found to be altered by exposure of the culture to this carbohydrate in the peptone-based growth medium. Glucose-grown cells had an elevated respiratory rate in the presence of glucose in the Tris-buffered suspension, while cells not grown with the glucose supplement required sodium and potassium for the response. Orthophosphate elevated the rate of oxygen consumption independently of the glucose effect. The endogenous respiratory of glucose and non-glucose cultured cells were significantly diffe The 2 types of cells responded differently to the cations, sod and potassium, and were not identical in sensitivity to iodoacet Iodoacetate poisoning was found to be due to inhibition of “uncompetitive” type, potentiated by glucose, orthophosphate, the absence of potassium.     

Sulphur and phosphorus requirements of Curvularia pallescens Boed

The effect of different sulphur and phosphorus compounds on the growth and sporulation ofCurvularia pallescens Boed. has been studied. Nine different sulphur sources were tried but among them only magnesium sulphate yielded the best dry weight of the fungus. Zinc sulphate, sodium sulphate, sodium thiosulphate, potassium sulphate and calcium sulphate supported good growth. Poor growth was recorded on sodium bisulphite, ammonium sulphate, sodium sulphide and control. Sporulation was excellent on magnesium sulphate. It was good on zinc sulphate, sodium sulphate and potassium sulphate. On sodium thiosulphate, calcium sulphate, sodium bisulphite and control it was fair. Sodium sulphide and ammonium sulphate had inhibitory effect as sporulation was poor and nil on these two compounds respectively.Six phosphorus compounds were studied. Tripotassium phosphate gave best growth and excellent sporulation. Good growth and excellent sporulation was recorded on monobasic potassium phosphate and magnesium phosphate. Growth and sporulation were good on dibasic potassium phosphate and sodium dihydrogen phosphate. Ammonium phosphate was poorly utilized.     

The Influence of Potassium on the Transpiration Rate and Stomatal Opening in Triticum aestivum andPisum sativum

The investigation concerns the influence of potassium on the transpiration rate of Triticum aestivum and Pisum sativum grown in nutrient solutions. Plants with high amounts of potassium were found to have the lowest transpiration rates. Shoot/root ratio, stomatal frequency, and stomatal aperture were correlated with the potassium concentration in the leaves. In Triticum no correlations with leaf concentration of Na were evident. Short term experiments were carried out in order to investigate the effects on the transpiration rate of a sudden increase in potassium concentration in the nutrient solution. An addition of potassium chloride to potassium deficient wheat plants resulted in a decrease in the transpiration rate of up to 50% within two hours. Comparative tests with sodium chloride resulted in a decrease in transpiration rate of the same magnitude, indicating that the short-time reaction is not specific to potassium. The experiments show that the transpiration rate can be regulated by varied potassium and sodium concentrations. The observed effect is supposed to be due to changes in the stomatal aperture.     

Nitrogen and sulphur requirements of Colletotrichum inamdarii Lal

Summary Nitrogen and sulphur requirements ofColletotrichum inamdarii Lal isolated from the leaves ofCarissa carandas L. have been studied. DL-serine, L-asparagine and L-phenylalanine have been found to be of good nitrogen source followed by potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, DL-alanine, ammonium nitrate, glutamic acid, ammonium sulphate, DL-valine, aspartic acid, ammonium chloride, ammonium hydrogencarbonate, L-histidine and potassium nitrite. There was no growth in the absence of nitrogen.Sporulation was excellent on calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate, Very good on DL-serine, potassium nitrate, and magnesium nitrate. Good on L-asparagine, L-phenylalanine and ammonium oxalate. Fair on DL-alanine, DL-leucine, ammonium sulphate, DL-valine, ammonium chloride and L-histidine whereas poor on glutamic acid, aspartic acid, ammonium tartarate and ammonium nitrate. Few spores were observed on ammonium hydrogencarbonate but potassium nitrite did not show any sporulation.Amongst the sulphur compounds sodium bisulphate gave the best growth and good sporulation, followed by sodium thiosulphate, magnesium sulphate, ammonium sulphate and potassium sulphate. Thiourea gave negligible growth whereas it failed to grow on zinc sulphate and potassium persulphate.     

Alkalotolerance of Yersinia enterocolitica as a basis for selective isolation from food enrichments.

Alkalotolerance of Yersinia enterocolitica measured in solutions of potassium hydroxide with 0.5% sodium chloride was influenced by the cell suspension medium, temperature, and growth phase. The rate of cell destruction (delta log N per minute) was five times greater at 30 degrees C than at 20 degrees C. Differences in the degree of cell destruction at various concentrations of potassium hydroxide were related to pH and not to osmolarity. The addition of peptones to potassium hydroxide provided a protective effect that was greater for cells suspended in Trypticase soy broth than for those suspended in phosphate-buffered sorbitol-bile salts broth. Log-phase cells were less alkalotolerant than cells in the stationary phase of growth. A modified procedure for alkali treatment, using peptone-supplemented 0.5% potassium hydroxide-0.5% sodium chloride and the addition of a pH 6.6 buffer after treatment to prevent further cell destruction, was used to observe a marked difference in alkalotolerance between Y. enterocolitica and other gram-negative bacteria. Despite this difference, alkali treatment was not highly successful for recovery of Y. enterocolitica from enrichments of seeded foods in comparison with selective enrichment in bile-oxalate-sorbose broth.     

Sulphur requirements of certain isolates ofAlternaria tenuis Auct

The sulphur nutrition of three isolates ofAlternaria tenuis Auct., isolated from the diseased leaves ofMangifera indica L.,Musa paradisiaca L. andPsidium guajava L., was studied. They were grown on the medium devoid of sulphur as well as on media containing various sources of sulphur viz., ammonium sulphate, sodium hyposulphite, sodium thiosulphate, magnesium sulphate, potassium sulphate, potassium metabisulphite, zinc sulphate and thiourea. Sodium hyposulphite, sodium thiosulphate, magnesium sulphate, potassium sulphate and zinc sulphate were generally found to be satisfactory sources for the growth of all the isolates under study. Poor growth of the different isolates was observed on the medium devoid of sulphur.