Distribution and Solubilization of Particulate Gluconate Dehydrogenase and Particulate 2-Ketogluconate Dehydrogenase in Acetic Acid Bacteria

The distribution of two particulate enzymes, gluconate dehydrogenase (GDH) and 2-ketogluconate dehydrogenase (2KGDH), was investigated with cell free extract through 26 strains of genus Acetobacter and genus Gluconobacter. GDH activity was found in the cell free extracts from all strains of genus Gluconobacter and two species of genus Acetobacter, A. aceti and A. aurantium. High activity of 2KGDH was also found in the pigment-producing strains of genus Gluconobacter.

Best solubilization of particulate enzymes was attained with the highest recovery when 10 mg of Triton X–100 and 30 mg of protein of particulate fractions in 1 ml of 0.01 m phosphate buffer, pH 6.0, are incubated for 9 hr at 5°C with continuous stirring.

By comparison of the total enzyme activity of particulate enzymes with that of NAD(P)-linked enzymes in the cell free extract, it was obvious that the formation of ketogluconates by particulate enzymes was much more predominant, roughly over 100 times higher, as that of NAD(P)-linked enzymes.     

Ethanol Oxidase Respiratory Chain of Acetic Acid Bacteria. Reactivity with Ubiquinone of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone-dependent Alcohol Dehydrogenases Purified from Acetobacter aceti and Gluconohacter suhoxydans

Membrane-bound, pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent, alcohol dehydrogenase functions as the primary dehydrogenase in the respiratory chain of acetic acid bacteria. In this study, an ability of the enzyme to directly react with ubiquinone was investigated in alcohol dehydrogenases purified from both Acetobacter aceti and Gluconobacter suboxydans by two different approaches. First, it was shown that the enzymes are able to reduce natural ubiquinones, ubiquinone-9 or -t0, in a detergent solution as well as a soluble short-chain homologue, ubiquinone-I. In order to show the reactivity of the enzyme with natural ubiquinone in a native membrane environment, furthermore, alcohol dehydrogenase was reconstituted into proteoliposomes together with natural ubiquinone and a terminal ubiquinol oxidase. The reconstitution was done by binding the detergent-free dehydrogenase at room temperature to proteoliposomes that had been prepared in advance from a ubiquinol oxidase and phospholipids containing ubiquinone by detergent dialysis using octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside; the enzyme of A. aceti was reconstituted together with ubiquinone-9 and A. aceti cytochrome a₁ while G. suboxydans alcohol dehydrogenase was done into proteoliposomes containing ubiquinone-10 and G. suboxydans cytochrome o. The proteoliposomes thus reconstituted had a reasonable level of ethanol oxidase activity, the electron transfer reaction of which was also able to generate a ‘membrane potential. Thus, it has been shown that alcohol dehydrogenase of acetic acid bacteria donates electrons directly to ubiquinone in the cytoplasmic membranes and thus the ethanol oxidase respiratory chain of acetic acid bacteria is constituted of only three membranous respiratory components, alcohol dehydrogenase, ubiquinone, and terminal ubiquinol oxidase.     

Evaluation of Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis produced from a new culture medium for the control of the filariasis vector,Culex quinquefasciatus

The efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis (Bti) produced from a culture medium based on chicken feather extract was found to effectively control the filariasis vector, Culex quinquefasciatus for 3 weeks (>90% mortality). The results were on par with Bti produced from the conventional medium.     

Simultaneous Production of Amino Acid Dehydrogenases and Glucose Dehydrogenase by Bacillus Megaterium and Their Utilization for L-Valine Synthesis with Nadh Regeneration

An improved method for the simultaneous production of valine dehydrogenase and glucose dehydrogenase by Bacillus megaterium (ATCC 39118) is described. The highest yields in volumetric activities (8200 U.S^-1' of glucose dehydrogenase and 7200 U.S¹ of valine dehydrogenase) were obtained using a fed batch cultivation technique with glucose, yeast extract and corn steep liquor in the feed medium. The main characteristics (stability, optimal pH, Michaelis constants, substrate and product inhibitions) of valine dehydrogenase and glucose dehydrogenase from crude extracts were determined. B. megaterium crude extract was suitable for synthesis of L-valine from $aL-keto isovalerate with glucose dehydrogenase as the NADH-regenerating enzyme and the conditions of the conversion have been optimized. $aL-Keto acid was supplied in fed batch mode in order to avoid substrate inhibition and was not involved in side reactions. With the optimized system, a concentration of 95 mM L-valine was obtained in 45 hours with a molar conversion yield close to 100%.     

苏云金芽孢杆菌伴孢晶体20kbDNA中cry1Ac基因的克隆、高效表达和生物活性研究

已经证实苏云金芽孢杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis,Bt)伴孢晶体结合20kb DNA,但其序列特异性及作用有待进一步研究阐明.研究了选择性溶解Bt 4.0718菌株Cry1类原毒素所形成的菱形伴孢晶体,从中抽提出与其结合的20kb DNA.经Nde Ⅰ酶切消化后亚克隆构建文库,通过PCR-RFLP及测序筛选出含cry1Ac基因的转化子.然后设计引物PCR扩增出cry1Ac基因的ORF并与pET30a连接,转化E.coli BL21(DE3),高效表达了141kD蛋白.表达蛋白占总蛋白量的50%以上,且90%以上以包涵体形式存在.利用穿梭载体pHT304构建表达质粒pHTX42,电转化Bt无晶体突变株XBU001,获得重组菌株HTX42,经SDS-PAGE分析,cry1Ac基因得到强表达,蛋白质定量分析显示目的蛋白量占总蛋白量的79.28%,且其在细胞中累积达细胞干重的64.13%,比文献报道的25%左右高了1倍以上.原子力显微镜(Atomic Force Microscopy,AFM)检测显示,目的基因在大肠杆菌(E.coli)中表达的包涵体呈不规则形状且较小,而在无晶体突变株中表达的晶体呈典型菱形晶体,大小约为1.2 μm×2.0 μm.生测结果显示,包涵体与晶体对小菜蛾(Plutella xylostella)幼虫均有高效杀虫活性.本研究为构建高效杀虫工程菌及进一步阐明Bt伴孢晶体中20kb DNA分子的来源、结构和功能奠定了重要的基础.     

苏云金杆菌杀虫晶体蛋白活性预测的支持向量机模型

藉均匀设计(UD)方法,构建了苏云金杆菌(Bt)杀虫晶体蛋白氨基酸组成特征与其杀虫活性之间关系的支持向量机(SVM)模型。当惩罚系数为0·01、epsilon值为0·2、gamma值为0·05、域值为0·5时,该模型对Bt杀虫晶体蛋白杀虫活性的预测平均准确率达73%。     

Cry1A(b)16 toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis: Theoretical refinement of three‐dimensional structure and prediction of peptides as molecular markers for detection of genetically modified organisms

Transgenic maize produced by the insertion of the Cry transgene into its genome became the second most cultivated crop worldwide. Cry gene from Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki expresses protein derivatives of crystalline endotoxins which confer insect resistance onto the maize crop. Mandatory labeling of processed food containing or made by genetically modified organisms is in force in many countries, so, it is very urgent to develop fast and practical methods for GMO identification, for example, biosensors. In the absence of an available empirical structure of Cry1A(b)16 protein, a theoretical model was effectively generated, in this work, by homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulations based on two available homologous protein structures. Molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to refine the selected model, and an analysis of its global structure was performed. The refined models of Cry1A(b)16 showed a standard fold and structural characteristics similar to those seen in Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A(a) insecticidal toxin and Bacillus thuringiensis serovar kurstaki Cry1A(c) toxin. After in silico analysis of Cry1A(b)16, two immunoreactive candidate peptides were selected and specific polyclonal antibodies were produced resulting in antibody–peptide interaction. Biosensing devices are expected to be developed for detection of the Cry1A(b) protein as a marker of transgenic maize in food. Proteins 2017; 85:1248–1257. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A New Method for Calculating Net Reproductive Rate from Graph Reduction with Applications to the Control of Invasive Species

Matrix models are widely used for demographic analysis of age and stage structured biological populations. Dynamic properties of the model can be summarized by the net reproductive rate R ₀. In this paper, we introduce a new method to calculate and analyze the net reproductive rate directly from the life cycle graph of the matrix. We show, with examples, how our method of analysis of R ₀ can be used in the design of strategies for controlling invasive species.     

Diversity of rotifers from northeastern U.S.A. bogs with new species records for North America and New England

In order to assess the effects of pollution on recruitment of brown trout (Salmo trutta f. fario L.) exposure experiments with brown trout early life stages were performed in two differently contaminated small streams near Stuttgart, southwest Germany, and in a control situation in the laboratory. Pollution in the more polluted stream is mainly due to effluents of municipal sewage treatment plants and to the influx of surface waters from areas of intense agriculture activity. Additionally, the water carries high particle loads, especially after rainfall events. Water quality of the less polluted stream is occasionally influenced by agriculture activity in the vicinity. For the exposure of trout early life stages incubators were used, which allowed frequent examinations without serious disturbance of the exposed organisms and thus the development could be monitored over time. Compared to the less polluted stream and the control, in the more polluted stream high mortality rates, the lowest hatching success, and lowest values for growth occurred. In the less polluted stream, mortality rates were comparably low in prehatching stages, but high in hatchlings and juveniles due to heavy infestations with protozoic ectoparasites Chilodonella cyprini (Moroff, 1902) and Ichthyobodo necator (Henneguy, 1883). However, pollution-related effects were not detected in this stream. Differences in developmental rates between the different treatments were correlated with different water temperatures in the two streams and the control. For the more polluted stream, previous studies have indicated embryotoxic potentials mediated by pollutants. The present study indicates that in this steam, additionally, fine solids which infiltrate stream gravels may seriously affect development of brown trout early life stages.     

A survey for helminth parasites in feral New World non-human primate populations and its comparison with parasitological data from man in the region

A survey for helminth parasites in feral New World non-human primates was conducted and compared with parasitological data from man in the region. A total of 835 fecal samples were collected from feral Aotus nancymae, A. vociferans, Saguinus labiatus, S. mystax, Saimiri boliviensis peruviensis, S. sciureus macrodon, Lagothrix lagotricha and Cacajao calvus rubicundus. In addition, adult parasites were collected from necropsies performed on monkeys that died during quarantine and in captivity. Helminth parasites shared by non-human primates and man in Peru were Ancylostoma braziliensis and Ascaris lumbricoides, found in a captive L. lagotricha; Necator americanus, found in a captive C. calvus rubicundus; Hymenolepis diminuta, found in feral Aotus spp. and S. mystax; and a single Trichuris spp. specimen found in a feral S. sciureus macrodon.     

A New Lichen-Forming Fungus,Aspicilia humida,from a Forested Wetland in South Korea,with a Taxonomic Key for Aspicilioid Species of Korea

Aspicilia humida Lee is described as a new lichen-forming fungus from a wetland forest, South Korea. The new species is distinguishable from Aspicilia aquatica (Fr.) Körb., the most similar species, by the absence of prothallus, black disk without green color in water, olive-brown epihymenium, shorter hymenium, hymenium I + yellowish blue-green, wider paraphysial tips without a vivid pigment, smaller asci, smaller ascospores, and the presence of stictic acid. Molecular analyses employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) sequences strongly support A. humida as a distinct species in the A. cinerea group. A surrogate key is provided to assist in the identification of all 28 aspicilioid species of Korea.     

Construction of a Diverse Fab Expression Library from Autoimmunized Mice Based on an Improved Preparation of Cloning Arms from Bacteriophage Vectors: A New Library with Potential for Screening of Biocatalysts

This paper describes an improved procedure for the preparation of cloning arms from vectors Lc1 and Hc2 for the construction of cDNA libraries in phage δ for expression in E. coli of the combinatorial Fab fragments of the immunoglobulin repertoire from autoimmunized mice. It was found that annealing, dialysis and dephorphorylation after the restriction enzyme digestion of vectors were critical for the high efficient preparation of cloning arms. The construction of Fab cDNA libraries involves the use of primer-directed PCR amplification products of total RNA from autoimmunized mice. Fab production was confirmed by the immunoassay and sequence analysis. The partial sequenced genes for Fab fragments were different from each other in the FR4, CDR3 and FR3 regions, indicating a diverse nature of the library. This library may be used to screen for catalytic Fab's.