The use of Gracilaria tikvahiae (Gracilariales,Rhodophyta) as a model system to understand the nitrogen nutrition of cultured seaweeds

Seaweeds have physiological mechanisms to acquire, utilize, and store various forms of nitrogen in environments where nitrogen levels vary tremendously in space and time. Knowledge of the nitrogen relationships of seaweeds is required for the development of successful seaweed mariculture. For example, it would seem at first that continuous nitrogen enrichment would be desirable in such systems because maximal seaweed yields are possible only when growth is not nitrogen-limited. Yet such fertilization is wasteful and can result in yield reductions due to the enhancement of epiphyte growth. Because most seaweeds can rapidly taken up high concentrations of nitrogen, far in excess of what is required for current growth demands, enrichments are needed only when internal nitrogen concentrations fall to near the critical level (i.e., the minimal tissue concentration of nitrogen required for maximal growth). Nutrients are best applied at brief pulses of high nitrogen concentrations.Dedicated to the memory of Bud Brinkhuis, friend and colleague     

Macroevolution of desiccation-related morphology in plethodontid salamanders as inferred from a novel surface area to volume ratio estimation approach

Evolutionary biologists have long been interested in the macroevolutionary consequences of various selection pressures, yet physiological responses to selection across deep time are not well understood. In this paper, we investigate how a physiologically relevant morphological trait, surface area to volume ratio (SA:V) of lungless salamanders, has evolved across broad regional and climatic variation. SA:V directly impacts an organisms’ ability to retain water, leading to the expectation that smaller SA:Vs would be advantageous in arid, water-limited environments. To explore the macroevolutionary patterns of SA:V, we first develop an accurate method for estimating SA:V from linear measurements. Next, we investigate the macroevolutionary patterns of SA:V across 257 salamander species, revealing that higher SA:Vs phylogenetically correlate with warmer, wetter climates. We also observe higher SA:V disparity and rate of evolution in tropical species, mirrored by higher climatic disparity in available and occupied tropical habitats. Taken together, these results suggest that the tropics have provided a wider range of warmer, wetter climates for salamanders to exploit, thereby relaxing desiccation pressures on SA:V. Overall, this paper provides an accurate, efficient method for quantifying salamander SA:V, allowing us to demonstrate the power of physiological selection pressures in influencing the macroevolution of morphology.     

种群密度和培养体积对发头裸腹溞生长和繁殖的影响

研究了不同培养密度(D1=100 ind·L-1,D2=150 ind·L-1,D3 =300 ind·L-1)和培养体积(V1 =50 mL,V2=100 mL,V3 =400 mL)对发头裸腹溞生长和生殖的影响.结果表明:在相同培养密度下,发头裸腹溞首次怀卵体长、雌体第一窝幼溞数和后代总数均随着培养体积的增大而减少,而雌体所产后代的性比(雄体∶雌体)随着培养体积的增大而增大.在相同培养体积下,雌体产出后代总数随着培养密度的增加而减少.雌体最大首次怀卵体长(0.95±0.10 mm)和最大后代总数(171.3±19.8 ind)均出现在D1V1组合,最大性比(0.54±0.05)出现在D3V2组合.培养密度和培养体积及其协同作用对发头裸腹溞雌体后代总数、后代性比均具有显著影响(P＜0.001).     

A model of seaweed growth in an outdoor culture in Israel

The agarophyte red seaweed Gracilaria conferta was used as a model plant to study the relationship between growth and environmental factors. This species was cultured in small outdoor tanks with continuous seawater supply during three years. Seaweeds were kept under constant density by weekly thinning and were also pulse-fed weekly with nitrogen and phosphate. Water temperature and underwater irradiance increase had opposite effects on the weekly growth rate in two seasons: negative in summer and positive in non-summer. Therefore, a dichotomic separation between summer (June–August) and non-summer (September–May) seasons was utilized in the proposed linear model. The linear model, of the analysis of covariance type, accounted for an explained percentage of total variation (R²) of 0.567, with significant coefficients of all variables included. A standardized model showed that season was the dominant variable, with its coefficient being twice that of temperature in summer, and zero in the non-summer season. Water temperature affected the growth rate twice as much as irradiance, and epiphytes showed a significant negative effect on growth only in the summer. This model aids in the prediction of growth on a seasonal basis under local conditions.     

Selection of glucose-assimilating variants ofAcinetobacter calcoaceticus LMD 79.41 in chemostat culture

Glucose metabolism has been studied in two strains ofAcinetobacter calcoaceticus. Strain LMD 82.3, was able to grow on glucose and possessed glucose dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.99.17). Glucose oxidation by whole cells was stimulated by PQQ, the prosthetic group of glucose dehydrogenase. PQQ not only increased the rate of glucose oxidation and gluconic acid production but also shortened the lag phase for growth on glucose. Strain LMD 79.41 also possessed glucose dehydrogenase but was unable to grow on glucose. Batch cultures and carbon-limited chemostat cultures growing on acetate in the presence of glucose oxidized the sugar to gluconic acid, which was not further metabolized. However, after prolonged cultivation on mixtures of acetate and glucose, carbon-limited chemostat cultures suddenly acquired the capacity to utilize gluconate. This phenomenon was accompanied by the appearance of gluconate kinase and a repression of isocitrate lyase synthesis. In contrast to the starter culture, cells from chemostats which had been fully adapted to gluconate utilization, were able to utilize glucose as a sole carbon and energy source in liquid and solid media.     

Gelling agents for tissue culture of the seaweed Hizikia fusiformis

Callus and blade formation of the seaweed Hizikia fusiformis depended on the gelling agents used under axenic culture conditions. Excised cylindrical pieces (5 mm) of the hold fast were cultured on seven different gelling agents in seawater with added Provasoli's enrichment (PESI), at 40 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ light intensity, 18 −C for 1 month. The highest percent of callus formation (47%), from holdfast pieces, was produced on solid medium composed of 2.0% high gel strength agar. No callus was formed in liquid medium. Blades, from holdfast pieces, were formed in PESI liquid medium at the rate of 45%, while the high level of axenic blade formation (30%) on solid support was observed on 0.5% high gel strength agar. Callus and blade were identified with the original strain, at the DNA level, using random amplified polymorphic DNAs. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Application of a growth-promoting bacteria for stable mass culture of three marine microalgae

The practical mass culture of marine microalgae, facesoccasionally unexpected problems or collapse. The effect of amarine bacterium, Flavobacterium sp., which was found topromote growth of a marine diatom Chaetoceros gracilisin the axenic culture condition, was examined on the masscultures of three marine microalgae.Three marine microalgae (C. gracilis, Isochrysisgalbana, and Pavlova lutheri) were mass cultured in 3 lflatbottom flasks (2.5 l capacity of culture medium), in anindoor culture room at a commercial pearl oyster hatchery. Themicroalgal cells and the bacterium were inoculated at the sametime, in the culture media. The specific growth rate andmaximal cell density were determined in treated cultures (withadded bacterial strain) and in controls (without addedbacterial strain). The specific growth rate of C.gracilis in treated cultures was significantly higher thanthat of control cultures, and the stationary growth phase inthe treated cultures lasted longer till the end of the cultureperiod. However, the bacterium had no apparent effect on theexponential growth phase of two phytoflagellates, I.galbana and P. lutheri, but kept longer the high celldensity in the stationary growth phases. The added bacterialstrain (Flavobacterium sp.) was the dominant species(more than 45%) among the bacterial flora during the cultureperiod.     

The effects of the physical characteristics of the culture medium on the development of red seaweeds in tissue culture

Explants of Gelidium versicolor, Grateloupia doryphora and Laurencia sp. were cultivated in Provasoli enriched seawater culture medium (PES) adjusted to several osmolalities (0.5, 0.7, 1.0 and 1.5 Os kg^–1) and solidities (agar concentration = 3, 8 and 15 g L^–1). Osmolality was adjusted by dilution of seawater with distilled water (50, 70 and 100% seawater) and by NaCl addition. Explants of Laurencia sp. and Grateloupia doryphora showed bud regeneration and callus formation. Explants of Gelidium versicolor only showed bud regeneration. Osmolalities of 0.5 and 1.05 Os kg^–1. inhibited or drastically reduced bud regeneration and callus formation. The highest callus formation and bud regeneration were observed at 0.7 to 1.0 Os kg^–1. An increase in the agar concentration of the culture medium was positively correlated with callus formation and negatively correlated with bud regeneration. An increase in the percentage of seawater increased the solidity of the culture medium and was positively correlated with callus formation. Glycerol was an effective carbon source for the vegetative propagation of axenic explants of Grateloupia doryphora, promoting growth and bud regeneration. An increase in glycerol concentration in the culture medium increased its osmolality, inhibiting the growth of the explants and their morphogenetic development.     

Physiological functional traits explain morphological variation of Ulva prolifera during the drifting of green tides

Ulva prolifera green tides, one of the greatest marine ecological disasters, originate in the southern Yellow Sea of China and obtain the highest biomass in Haizhou Bay (latitude around 35° N) during northward drift. U. prolifera shows different morphologies from southern Haizhou Bay (SH) to northern Haizhou Bay (NH). Owing to the distinct nutrient environments between SH and NH, we hypothesized that thalli in NH with poor nutrients increased the surface area to volume ratio (SA:VOL) to better absorb nutrients. Here, we tested this hypothesis by comparing the SA:VOL of thalli in SH and NH. The results showed that the thalli in NH had a lower SA:VOL than those in SH, and SA:VOL had positive relationships with temperature and nutrients, contrary to the general hypothesis. The novel results suggested that morphological differences of U. prolifera were the result of developmental state rather than environmental acclimation. Indicators of reproduction (reproductive allocation ratio) were negatively related to variation in tissue contents of C, N, P, and crude protein, whereas indicators of growth (tissue contents of C, N, P, and crude protein) showed significant positive influences on SA:VOL. The results indicated that a trade‐off relationship between reproduction and growth existed in the northward drift. All the results suggested that physiological functional traits affected morphological variation of U. prolifera in different environmental conditions during the drifting of green tides. This study presents new insights into the opportunist species nature of U. prolifera through morphological variation and associated functional consequences.     

Changes in M:G ratios of extracted and residual alginate fractions on boiling with water the dried brown alga Kjellmaniella crassifolia (Laminariales,Phaeophyta)

Kjellmaniella crassifolia, the edible macro-brown alga in Japan contained nearly 27% of alginates of which nearly 7% was extractable from the fronds with boiling water for 6 h and the residual alginates in the frond were almost exhaustively extracted with a dilute alkali at 60 °C for 6 h. The alginates dissolved in all these extracts with both boiling water and dilute alkali were purified by fractionation with MgCl₂ and alcohol.The content of MM blocks in the boiling water-soluble alginate sample increased remarkably during heating for 6 h while that of GG blocks from the same sample decreased. In contrast, MM blocks in the alkali-soluble alginate sample decreased during 6 h heating while GG blocks continued to increase. Since the amounts of MG blocks showed slight fluctation, the M:G ratio of alginates extracted with boiling water increased towards the end of extraction whereas the reverse is true for the alkali-soluble alginates.     

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.     

A kinetic model for lutein production by the green microalga Chlorella protothecoides in heterotrophic culture

Production of lutein by the green microalga Chlorella protothecoides grown heterotrophically in a fermentor using glucose as the carbon source and urea as the nitrogen source was investigated. An unstructured kinetic model was proposed to describe the microalgal culture system including cell growth, lutein formation, as well as glucose and nitrogen consumption. The inhibition potentials of biomass, product and substrates on growth and lutein formation were examined and incorporated into the kinetic model. Values of the kinetic model parameters were estimated. The resulting model predictions were in good agreement with the experimental results. The model can be helpful in scale-up, optimization and control of the C. protothecoides culture process, and can also be used as a guideline for similar microalgal cultivation systems. Received 28 January 1999/ Accepted in revised form 27 August 1999     

响应面分析法用于微生物培养基浓度的优化

首次将响应面分析法 (RSM )用于延胡索酸酶产生菌产氨短杆菌MA 2和黄色短杆菌MA 3培养基成份的优选 ,并且取得了良好的结果。经优化后产氨短杆菌MA 2酶活达 2 7.88×10 3 μmol/g·h ,黄色短杆菌MA 3酶活达 32 .2 6× 10 3 μmol/g·h ,较国内外文献报道的其它产氨短杆菌、黄色短杆菌单位菌体延胡索酸酶活力有显著提高。     

种子培养基成分对裂殖壶菌发酵产DHA的影响

考察种子培养基中谷氨酸钠质量浓度和NaCl质量浓度（盐度）对Schizochytrium sp. HX-308菌种质量及发酵性能的影响。结果表明：40 g/L谷氨酸钠条件下培养菌种,发酵后DHA质量分数达到（53.25±0.48）%,而其油产量、油脂质量分数和DHA产量分别为（24.9±0.4）g/L、（45.2±0.6）%、（8.6±0.35）g/L; 利用不含谷氨酸钠的种子培养基发酵,其油产量、油脂质量分数和DHA产量分别为（30.1±0.8）g/L、（54.3±0.5）%、（12.1±0.5）g/L,比含40 g/L谷氨酸钠时分别提高了20.88%、20.13%和40.70%,为菌种驯化提供了新的思路和方向。此外,低盐度培养条件有利于菌种生产性能的发挥,6.25 g/L NaCl条件下发酵后油质量分数、DHA产量及DHA质量分数最高,分别为（62.1±0.8）%、（10.0±0.3）g/L、（48.97±0.42）%。     

Surface area‐to‐volume ratio,not cellular viscoelasticity,is the major determinant of red blood cell traversal through small channels

The remarkable deformability of red blood cells (RBCs) depends on the viscoelasticity of the plasma membrane and cell contents and the surface area to volume (SA:V) ratio; however, it remains unclear which of these factors is the key determinant for passage through small capillaries. We used a microfluidic device to examine the traversal of normal, stiffened, swollen, parasitised and immature RBCs. We show that dramatic stiffening of RBCs had no measurable effect on their ability to traverse small channels. By contrast, a moderate decrease in the SA:V ratio had a marked effect on the equivalent cylinder diameter that is traversable by RBCs of similar cellular viscoelasticity. We developed a finite element model that provides a coherent rationale for the experimental observations, based on the nonlinear mechanical behaviour of the RBC membrane skeleton. We conclude that the SA:V ratio should be given more prominence in studies of RBC pathologies.     

鹦鹉嗜衣原体禽鸟株的分离鉴定及小鼠呼吸道感染模型的建立

摘要：【目的】优化鹦鹉热嗜衣原体（Chlamydophila psittaci,C. psittaci,Cps）禽鸟株分离培养技术,建立Cps呼吸道感染的小鼠模型。【方法】从禽鸟肝组织中抽提总DNA,PCR法体外扩增Cps ompA基因,初步鉴定Cps阳性标本;同时将阳性标本的肝组织匀浆液接种到HeLa和Vero细胞中培养,Giemsa和免疫荧光染色法鉴定衣原体包涵体。将临床株扩大培养后,用2×104 、2×105 、2×106 IFU三个剂量鼻内接种小鼠,分别于感染后5d和10d处死小鼠,显微镜观察受染小鼠各脏器病理变化。【结果】采用PCR扩增Cps ompA基因,从100只禽鸟标本中检测到阳性Cps标本6例（6%）,并成功地在HeLa及Vero细胞中培养出3例,且Vero细胞内的衣原体包涵体体积大,结构致密,对衣原体感染引起的宿主细胞溶解耐受性较HeLa细胞强,更适合用于Cps的分离培养及体外研究。成功建立Cps的鼠呼吸道感染模型,105IFU 是建立Cps呼吸道感染小鼠模型的适宜菌量。【结论】优化了Cps临床株的分离培养技术,成功建立了Cps呼吸道感染小鼠模型,为Cps流行病学调查及研究衣原体的致病性和致病机制奠定基础。