Development of a submerged-liquid sporulation medium for the potential smartweed bioherbicide Septoria polygonorum

Submerged culture experiments were conducted in three phases to determine the optimal medium for rapidly producing conidia of the fungal bioherbicide Septoria polygonorum. In phase I, 47 crude carbon sources were evaluated to determine which would support sporulation. Under the conditions tested, pea brine (5–10% v/v) provided best conidiation. In phase II, a fractional factorial design was utilized to screen 38 different medium adjuncts in combination with pea brine for improved sporulation. MgSO₄ was the only factor that resulted in a significant improvement. In phase III, a central composite design with response surface methodology was used to optimize concentrations of these critical factors. The model predicted optimal sporulation in a medium composed of 8.88% v/v pea brine+0.1 molar MgSO₄ with an expected titer of 1.78×10⁸ conidia/ml. Actual mean titer attained with the model-derived medium was 1.15×10⁸ conidia/ml. No significant difference was observed in virulence of conidia produced on agar vs. the model-derived (liquid) medium.     

Beauveria bassiana submerged conidia production in a defined medium containing chitin,two hexosamines or glucose

Summary Beauveria bassiana in liquid culture can produce blastospores and occasionally submerged conidia. For use as a bioinsecticide, conidia have definite advantages. Numerous studies have investigated conidia production in liquid cultures using synthetic and industrial grade media supplemented with glucose. We have studied growth, development and sporulation in microcultures using growth media containing chitin monomers. For the production of submerged conidia growth media containing N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc) proved to be better than yeast extract-peptone-glucose (YPG), glucose plus ammonium salts (Glc+NH₄Cl) or N-acetyl-d-galactosamine (GalNAc). Sixty-one percent of the spores in the GlcNAc medium were submerged conidia with the remainder being blastospores. The concentration of submerged conidia reached 8.0 × 10⁵/ ml after two days in GlcNAc medium as compared to 8.9 × 10⁵/ml in YPG medium. Therefore, in terms of percentage of submerged conidia produced, GlcNAc medium generated more submerged conidia in spite of its lower cell yields. Growth in a medium containing chitin, a polymer of GlcNAc, resulted in 86.3% of the spores as submerged conidia exceeding 10⁶/ml after 48 h. Growth under phosphate limitation resulted in an increased percentage of submerged conidia for all media tested. Electron microscopy and spore protein analysis by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that structural and compositional differences exist between the spore types.     

Riboflavin excretion byPachysolen tannophilus grown in synthetic medium supplemented withd-xylose

Pachysolen tannophilus excreted riboflavin (12.7 m g/ml) into a synthetic medium withd-xylose as carbon source, when the pH was below 2.0. The addition of glucose enhanced the quantity of riboflavin excreted. The greatest riboflavin production was at pH 1.6 after 5 days at 30°C.     

Repetitive somatic embryogenesis in peanut cotyledon cultures by continual exposure to 2,4-d

Somatic embryos from immature cotyledons in peanut (Arachis hypogaea) were initiated on media supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-d). Over 90% primary embryogenesis and 41–46% repetitive embryogenesis were obtained 12 weeks after initiation by maintaining embryogenic cultures on medium containing 20 mg 1^-1 2,4-d. Maintenance of cultures on medium with 30 or 40 mg I^-1 2,4-d resulted in lower primary and secondary embryogenesis, and proliferation of nonembryogenic callus. Transfer of embryogenic cultures to a secondary medium with 10 or 20 mg I^-1 2,4-d significantly enhanced secondary embryogenesis compared to basal medium without the growth regulator. The use of Murashige & Skoog versus Finer's media had no significant effect on embryogenesis (85–95%), repetitive embryogenesis (11–37%) or mean embryo number. Secondary embryogenesis was also maintained for over one year by repeated subculture of isolated somatic embryos on medium with 20 mg I^-1 2,4-d.Abbreviations B5 Gamborg et al. medium (Gamborg et al. 1968) - 2,4-d 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - FN Finer & Nagasawa medium (Finer & Nagasawa 1968) - MS Murashige & Skoog medium (Murashige & Skoog 1962)     

Production and characterization of polygalacturonase fromGeotrichum candidum

An extracellular polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15) fromGeotrichum candidum ATCC 34614 grown onsauerkraut brine was produced and characterized. Polygalacturonic acid markedly increased the enzyme yield in the brine. The fungus produced the highest activity (290 U/l) in brine with 0.3% (w/v) polygalacturonic acid. The pH and temperature optima of the enzymes were 4.5 to 5.0 and 30°C, respectively. It was stable from pH 4.0 to 5.8 and at 30°C but lost its activity at higher temperatures. The K_m and V_max values for polygalacturonic acid were 4.2 mg/ml and 0.19mm galacturonic acid/min, respectively. The enzyme was not substrate inhibited.     

Fermentation of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-glucose and <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-xylose mixtures by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida tropicalis</Emphasis> NBRC 0618 for xylitol production

The fermentation of d-glucose and d-xylose mixtures by the yeast Candida tropicalis NBRC 0618 has been studied under the most favourable operation conditions for the culture, determining the most adequate initial proportion in these sugars for xylitol production. In all the experiments a synthetic culture medium was used, with an initial total substrate concentration of 25 g L⁻¹, a constant pH of 5.0 and a temperature of 30 °C. From the experimental results, it was deduced that the highest values of specific rates of production and of overall yield in xylitol were achieved for the mixtures with the highest percentage of d-xylose, specifically in the culture with the initial d-glucose and d-xylose concentrations of 1 and 24 g L⁻¹, respectively, with an overall xylitol yield of 0.28 g g⁻¹. In addition, the specific rates of xylitol production declined over the time course of the culture and the formation of this bioproduct was favoured by the presence of small quantities of d-glucose. The sum of the overall yield values in xylitol and ethanol for all the experiments ranged from 0.26 to 0.56 g bioproduct/g total substrate.     

Purification and some properties of a starch debranching enzyme ofHendersonula toruloidea

An extracellular, debranching isoamylase fromHendersonula toruloidea ATCC 64930, grown on starch, was purified 12-fold to an electrophoretically homogeneous state. The purified enzyme (estimated mol wt 83000) was optimally active at pH 6.0 and 50°C and remained active when held at 70°C (30 min) and at pH 6 to 8 for 24 h. Na⁺, Fe²⁺ and Ba²⁺ (at 5mm) enhanced enzyme activity while Hg²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ (at 5mm) were inhibitory. The enzyme hydrolysed amylopectin (Km, 0.25 mg/ml), forming maltose, maltotriose and maltotetraose and hydrolyzed glycogen (Km, 0.29 mg/ml) and soluble starch (Km, 0.42 mg/ml) forming maltotriose and maltotetraose. Pullulan was not hydrolyzed.     

Rapid and high frequency shoot regeneration from hypocotyl protoplasts of Brassica nigra

Protoplasts, isolated from etiolated hypocotyls of seven day old seedlings of Brassica nigra, were cultured in Kao's liquid medium containing 7.2% glucose, 2,4-d (1 mg 1^-1), NAA (0.1 mg 1^-1) and zeatin riboside (0.5 mg 1^-1). After initial incubation for 3 days in dark at 25±1°C, cultures were transferred to a photoperiod cycle of 16/8 h and diluted on seventh and tenth day with MS medium containing 3.4% sucrose, 2,4-d (0.1 mg 1^-1) and BAP (1 mg 1^-1). About 62% of the cells divided at least once and 46% of them reached 8–16 cell stage in one week. The dividing cell clusters could be plated on agarose medium on the fifteenth day to obtain proliferating minicalli with a plating efficiency of 1.8%. 56.8% of minicalli, regenerated shoots on a regeneration medium containing 2 IP and IAA at 1 and 0.2 mg 1^-1 respectively. The in vitro produced shoots were rooted in MS medium containing 1 mg 1^-1 IBA and established in soil without difficulty. The time taken for protoplasts to develop into plants varied from 9 to 10 weeks.Abbreviations 2,4-d 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - 2 IP 2-isopentenyladenine - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - IBA indole-3-butyric acid - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid - Kn kinetin     

Production of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-lactic acid by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corynebacterium glutamicum</Emphasis> under oxygen deprivation

In mineral salts medium under oxygen deprivation, Corynebacterium glutamicum exhibits high productivity of l-lactic acid accompanied with succinic and acetic acids. In taking advantage of this elevated productivity, C. glutamicum was genetically modified to produce d-lactic acid. The modification involved expression of fermentative d-lactate dehydrogenase (d-LDH)-encoding genes from Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus delbrueckii in l-lactate dehydrogenase (l-LDH)-encoding ldhA-null C. glutamicum mutants to yield strains C. glutamicum ΔldhA/pCRB201 and C. glutamicum ΔldhA/pCRB204, respectively. The productivity of C. glutamicum ΔldhA/pCRB204 was fivefold higher than that of C. glutamicum ΔldhA/pCRB201. By using C. glutamicum ΔldhA/pCRB204 cells packed to a high density in mineral salts medium, up to 1,336 mM (120 g l⁻¹) of d-lactic acid of greater than 99.9% optical purity was produced within 30 h.     

Saccharide binding to three Gal/GalNAc specific lectins: Fluorescence,spectroscopic and stopped-flow kinetic studies

Fluorescence and stopped-flow spectrophotometric studies on three plant lectins fromPsophocarpus tetragonolobus (winged bean),Glycine max (soybean) andArtocarpus integrifolia (jack fruit) have been studied usingN-dansylgalactosamine as a fluorescent ligand. The best monosaccharide for the winged bean agglutinin I (WBA I) and soybean (SBA) is Me-GalNAc and for jack fruit agglutinin (JFA) is Me-Gal. Examination of the percentage enhancement and association constants (1.51×10⁶, 6.56×10⁶ and 4.17×10⁵ M^–1 for SBA, WBA I and JFA, respectively) suggests that the combining regions of the lectins SBA and WBA I are apolar whereas that of JFA is polar. Thermodynamic parameters obtained for the binding of several monosaccharides to these lectins are enthalpically favourable. The binding of monosaccharides to these lectins suggests that the-OH groups at C-1, C-2, C-4 and C-6 in thed-galactose configuration are important loci for interaction with these lectins. An important finding is that the JFA binds specifically to Galß1-3GaINAc with much higher affinity than the other disaccharides which are structurally and topographically similar.The results of stopped-flow spectrometry on the binding ofN-dansylgalactosamine to these lectins are consistent with a bimolecular single step mechanism. The association rate constants (2.4×10⁵, 1.3×10⁴, and 11.7×10⁵ M^–1 sec^–1 for SBA, WBA I and JFA, respectively) obtained are several orders of magnitude slower than the ones expected for diffusion controlled reactions. The dissociation rate constants (0.2, 3.2×10^–2, 83.3 sec^–1 for SBA, WBA I and JFA, respectively) obtained for the dissociation ofN-dansylgalactosamine from its lectin complex are slowest for SBA and WBA I when compared with any other lectin-ligand dissociation process.Abbreviations SBA Soybean agglutinin - WBA I Winged bean agglutinin (Basic) - JFA Jack fruit agglutinin - PNA Peanut agglutinin - Con A Concanavalin A - Dansyl (Dns) 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-I-sulphonyl - 2GaINDns N-dansylgalactosamine - dGal 2-deoxygalactose - l-Ara l-arabinose - d-Fuc d-fucose - l-Rha l-rhamnose - N-acetyllactosamine Galß4GlcNAc - melibiose Gal6Glc     

Xylose reductase activity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Debaryomyces hansenii</Emphasis> UFV-170 cultivated in semi-synthetic medium and cotton husk hemicellulose hydrolyzate

To develop a new enzymatic xylose-to-xylitol conversion, deeper knowledge on the regulation of xylose reductase (XR) is needed. To this purpose, a new strain of Debaryomyces hansenii (UFV-170), which proved a promising xylitol producer, was cultivated in semi-synthetic media containing different carbon sources, specifically three aldo-hexoses (d-glucose, d-galactose and d-mannose), a keto-hexose (d-fructose), a keto-pentose (d-xylose), three aldo-pentoses (d-arabinose, l-arabinose and d-ribose), three disaccharides (maltose, lactose and sucrose) and a pentitol (xylitol). The best substrate was lactose on which cell concentration reached about 20 g l⁻¹ dry weight (DW), while the highest specific growth rates (0.58–0.61 h⁻¹) were detected on lactose, d-mannose, d-glucose and d-galactose. The highest specific activity of XR (0.24 U mg⁻¹) was obtained in raw extracts of cells grown on d-xylose and harvested in the stationary growth phase. When grown on cotton husk hemicellulose hydrolyzates, cells exhibited XR activities five to seven times higher than on semi-synthetic media.     

Isolation and characterization of free glycans of the oligomannoside type from the extracellular medium of a plant cell suspension

The oligosaccharides Man₅GlcNAc and Man₃(Xyl)GlcNAc(Fuc)GlcNAc presumed to originate fromN-glycosyl proteins have been purified from an extracellular medium (concentration: 2–5 mg/l of 14 day cultures) of white campion (Silene alba) suspension culture. Their primary structures have been determined by¹H-400-MHz NMR spectroscopy and FAB-MS spectrometry. They are probably the result of an autophagic process including protein catabolism due to sucrose starvation. Additional identification of digalactosylglycerol (galactolipid breakdown) argues for this hypothesis.Abbreviations Fuc l-fucose - Man d-mannose - Xyl d-xylose - GlcNAc N-acetyl-d-glucosamine - Gal d-galactose - Glc d-glucose - FAB-MS fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance     

Characterization of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-tagatose-3-epimerase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodobacter sphaeroides</Emphasis> that converts <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-fructose into <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d-</Emphasis>psicose

A non-characterized gene, previously proposed as the d-tagatose-3-epimerase gene from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 64 kDa with two identical subunits. The enzyme specificity was highest with d-fructose and decreased for other substrates in the order: d-tagatose, d-psicose, d-ribulose, d-xylulose and d-sorbose. Its activity was maximal at pH 9 and 40°C while being enhanced by Mn²⁺. At pH 9 and 40°C, 118 g d-psicose l⁻¹ was produced from 700 g d-fructose l⁻¹ after 3 h. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Effect of inulin on yeast inulinase production in sauerkraut brine

Kluyveromyces marxianus NRRL Y-1196 produced the highest inulinase activity (38 U/mg protein) of six yeasts examined after 24 h growth in sauerkraut brine in shaking flasks at 30°C with 0.3% inulin as an enzyme inducer. The enzyme was recovered by acetone fractionation, with a yield of 81%. It had maximum activity at pH 4.4 and 55°C with K _m values for inulin and sucrose of 3.92 mm and 11.9 mm, respectively. The yeast raised the pH from 3.4 to above 7.0, using all the lactic acid in the brine. Growth of K. marxianus in sauerkraut brine with a small amount of inulin may usefully decrease the BOD and concomitantly produce inulinase.The authors are with the Department of Food Science and Technology, Cornell University, Geneva, New York 14456, USA     

Somatic embryogenesis in Ranunculus asiaticus L. hybr. thalamus cultivated in vitro

Calli derived from in vitro cultivated thalamus of Ranunculus asiaticus L. were initiated and maintained for 75 days on Murashige & Skoog's medium containing five concentrations of 2,4-d (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6 mg l^-1). Embryoid differentiation occurred on calli initiated on 1.6 mg l^-1 2,4-d 75 days after subculture onto hormone-free medium. Calli which were initiated and maintained for 75 days on lower 2,4-d concentrations, then transferred to medium without hormones for 75 days, showed the first embryoids one month after further subculture on medium containing 0.05 mg l^-1 2,4-d. All the somatic embryos developed into plants, and 96% survived transplantation to in vivo growth conditions.     

Betaine Tripled the Volumetric Productivity of d(-)-lactate by Escherichia coli Strain SZ132 in Mineral Salts Medium

Osmotic stress restricts glycolytic flux, growth (rate and yield), d-lactate productivity, and d-lactate tolerance in Escherichia coli B strain SZ132 during batch fermentation in mineral salts medium with 10% (w/v) sugar. Addition of 1 mm betaine, a non-metabolized protective osmolyte, doubled cell yield, increased specific productivity of d-lactate and glycolytic flux by 50%, and tripled volumetric productivity (from 8.6 to 25.7 mmol l⁻¹ h⁻¹; 0.8 to 2.3 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹). Glycolytic flux and specific productivity in mineral salts medium with betaine exceeded that in Luria broth, substantially eliminating the need for complex nutrients during d-lactate production. In mineral salts medium supplemented with betaine, SZ132 produced approximately 1 mol d-lactate (90 g) per 100 g sugar (glucose or sucrose). Revisions requested 17 January 2006; Revisions received 7 February 2006     

Isolation of a Novel <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-acetyl-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-lactosamine Specific Lectin from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alocasia cucullata</Emphasis> (Schott.)

An N-acetyl-d-lactosamine (LacNAc) specific lectin from tubers of Alocasia cucullata was purified by affinity chromatography on asialofetuin-linked amino activated silica. The pure lectin showed a single band in SDS-PAGE at pH 8.8 and was a homotetramer with a subunit molecular mass of 13.5 kDa and native molecular mass of 53 kDa. It was heat stable up to 55 °C for 15 min and showed optimum hemagglutination activity from pH 2 to 11. The lectin was affected by denaturing agents such as urea (2 m), thiourea (2 m) and guanidine–HCl (0.5 m) and did not require Ca²⁺ and Mn²⁺ for its activity. It was a potent mitogen at 10 μg/ml towards human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with 50% growth inhibitory potential towards SiHa (human cervix ) cancer cell line at 100 μg/ml.     

Endothelial heparan sulphate: Compositional analysis and comparison of chains from different proteoglycan populations

From cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells incubated with³H-glucosamine or³⁵S-sulphate, we have purified three heparan sulphate proteoglycans: 1) a low density (1.31 g/ml) proteoglycan from the cell extract, 2) a low density proteoglycan from the medium, and 3) a high density (>1.4 g/ml) proteoglycan from the medium. The disaccharide composition of heparan sulphate chains from the low density proteoglycan of the medium was examined, using specific chemical and enzymic degradations followed by gel chromatography and strong anion exchange HPLC. Chains released from each of the different proteoglycan populations were then compared by gel chromatography and gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis before and after various specific degradations. The results indicate that heparan sulphate from human endothelial cells are large polymers (MW>50,000) of low overall sulphation (32–35%N-sulphated glucosamine and an N/O-linked sulphate ratio of 2.0) with rare and solitary heparin-like disaccharides. Heparan sulphate from the different proteoglycan populations appeared to have similar structure except that chains from the high density fraction were larger polymers.Abbreviations HSPG heparan sulphate proteoglycan - DSPG dermatan sulphate proteoglycan - GlcNAc(6S) N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulphate - GlcNAc6R glucosamine with either-OH or-OSO₃ at C-6 - GlcNR glucosamine with either-SO₃ or-COCH₃ as N-substituent - GlcNSO₃ N-sulphated glucosamine - GlcNSO₃(3S) N-sulphated glucosamine 3-sulphate - GlcA d-glucuronic acid - IdoA l-iduronic acid - IdoA(2S) iduronic acid 2-sulphate - HexA hexuronic acid - DHexA hexuronic acid with a 4,5-double bond - Xyl xylose - SAX strong anion exchange - d.p. degree of polymerization (a disaccharide has d.p.=1 etc) - AUFS absorbance units full scale The codes used for proteoglycans denote in turn: C 2, low-density (1.35–1.28 g/ml) HSPG from the cell extract; M 1a, high density (>1.4 g/ml) HSPG fraction from the spent medium; M 2a, low-density (1.31 g/ml) HSPG from the spent medium [6].     

Application of a simple yeast extract from spent brewer's yeast for growth and sporulation of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki: a Physiological Study

The suitability of using a simple brewer's yeast extract (BYE), prepared by autolysis of complete beer slurry, for growth and sporulation of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki was studied in baffled shake flasks. In a standard buffered medium with 2.5% (w/v) glucose and 1% (w/v) brewer's yeast extract, growth of B. t. kurstaki resulted in a low biomass production with considerable byproduct formation, including organic acids and a concomitant low medium pH, incomplete glucose utilization and marginal sporulation, whereas growth in the same medium with a commercial laboratory-grade yeast extract (Difco) resulted in a high biomass concentration, complete glucose utilization, relatively low levels of byproducts and complete sporulation (2.6 × 10⁹ spores/ml). When glucose was left out of the medium, however, growth parameters and sporulation were comparable for BYE and commercial yeast extract, but absolute biomass levels and spore counts were low. Iron was subsequently identified as a limiting factor in BYE. After addition of 3 mg iron sulphate/l, biomass formation in BYE-medium more than doubled, low byproduct formation was observed, and complete sporulation occurred (2.8 × 10⁹spores/ml). These data were slightly lower than those obtained in media with commercial yeast extract (3.6 × 10⁹spores/ml), which also benefited, but to a smaller extent, from addition of iron.     

Characterization of ribose-5-phosphate isomerase of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clostridium thermocellum</Emphasis> producing <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-allose from <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-psicose

The rpiB gene, encoding ribose-5-phosphate isomerase (RpiB) from Clostridium thermocellum, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. RpiB converted d-psicose into d-allose but it did not convert d-xylose, l-rhamnose, d-altrose or d-galactose. The production of d-allose by RpiB was maximal at pH 7.5 and 65°C for 30 min. The half-lives of the enzyme at 50°C and 65°C were 96 h and 4.7 h, respectively. Under stable conditions of pH 7.5 and 50°C, 165 g d-allose l⁻¹ was produced without by-products from 500 g d-psicose l⁻¹ after 6 h.