Mannose production from fructose by free and immobilized <Emphasis Type=SmallCaps>d</Emphasis>-lyxose isomerases from <Emphasis Type=Italic>Providencia stuartii</Emphasis>

A recombinant d-lyxose isomerase from Providencia stuartii was immobilized on Duolite A568 beads which gave the highest conversion of d-fructose to d-mannose among the various immobilization beads evaluated. Maximum activities of both the free and immobilized enzymes for fructose isomerization were at pH 7.5 and 45°C in the presence of 1 mM Mn²⁺. Enzyme half-lives were 14 and 30 h at 35°C and 3.4 and 5.1 h at 45°C, respectively. The immobilized enzyme in 300 g fructose/l (replaced hourly), produced 75 g mannose/l at 35°C = 25% (w/w) yield with a productivity of 75 g mannose l⁻¹ h⁻¹ after 23 cycles.     

<Emphasis Type=SmallCaps>l</Emphasis>-Tryptophan catabolism by <Emphasis Type=Italic>Rubrivivax benzoatilyticus</Emphasis> JA2 occurs through indole 3-pyruvic acid pathway

Rubrivivax benzoatilyticus JA2 utilizes l-tryptophan as the sole source of nitrogen for growth, and it has a doubling time of ~11 h (compared to 8 h with ammonium chloride). With cell free extracts in the presence of 2-oxoglutarate, indole-3-pyruvic acid, indole-3-acetaldehyde, indole-3-acetic acid, isatin, benzaldehyde, gallic acid and pyrogallol were identified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy (LC–MS) analysis. The conversion of l-tryptophan into indole 3-pyruvic acid and glutamate by an enzyme aminotransferase was confirmed and the catabolism of indole-3-pyruvic acid via side chain oxidation followed by ring oxidation, gallic acid and pyrogallol were confirmed as metabolites. In addition, the proposed pathway sequential conversion of indole-3-pyruvic acid to the end product of pyrogallol was identified, including an enzymatic step that would convert isatin to benzaldehyde by an enzyme yet to be identified. At this stage of the study, the enzyme tryptophan aminotransferase in R. benzoatilyticus JA2 was demonstrated.     

Methyl jasmonate- and salicylic acid-induced <Emphasis Type=SmallCaps>d</Emphasis>-chiro-inositol production in suspension cultures of buckwheat (<Emphasis Type=Italic>Fagopyrum esculentum</Emphasis>)

The aim of this work is to investigate the effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJ) and salicylic acid (SA) on d-chiro-inositol (DCI) production in buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) suspension cultures. In this study, adding optimal concentrations of MeJ and SA at an appropriate time markedly increased DCI production (yield 6.141 and 5.521 mg/g DW, respectively). In addition, treatment of buckwheat cultures with a combination of 0.2 mM MeJ and 0.6 mM SA on days 0 and 9 increased the DCI yield to 7.579 mg/g DW, which was 3.726 times higher than that in the control; furthermore, the former yield was higher than that achieved by the addition of either elicitor alone. Moreover, unlike MeJ, SA did not exert a negative effect on cell growth.     

Manipulating the <Emphasis Type=Italic>Caenorhabditis elegans</Emphasis> genome using <Emphasis Type=Italic>mariner</Emphasis> transposons

Tc1, one of the founding members of the Tc1/mariner transposon superfamily, was identified in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans more than 25 years ago. Over the years, Tc1 and other endogenous mariner transposons became valuable tools for mutagenesis and targeted gene inactivation in C. elegans. However, transposition is naturally repressed in the C. elegans germline by an RNAi-like mechanism, necessitating the use of mutant strains in which transposition was globally derepressed, which causes drawbacks such as uncontrolled proliferation of the transposons in the genome and accumulation of background mutations. The more recent mobilization of the Drosophila mariner transposon Mos1 in the C. elegans germline circumvented the problems inherent to endogenous transposons. Mos1 transposition strictly depends on the expression of the Mos transposase, which can be controlled in the germline using inducible promoters. First, Mos1 can be used for insertional mutagenesis. The mobilization of Mos1 copies present on an extrachromosomal array results in the generation of a small number of Mos1 genomic insertions that can be rapidly cloned by inverse PCR. Second, Mos1 insertions can be used for genome engineering. Triggering the excision of a genomic Mos1 insertion causes a chromosomal break, which can be repaired by transgene-instructed gene conversion. This process is used to introduce specific changes in a given gene, such as point mutations, deletions or insertions of a tag, and to create single-copy transgenes.     

<Emphasis Type=Bold>Report from the 33rd</Emphasis><Emphasis Type=BoldItalic>Mycotoxin-Workshop</Emphasis><Emphasis Type=Bold>(Freising,Germany)</Emphasis>

Society for Mycotoxin Research – News and Announcements 2011/II

Report from the 33rd Mycotoxin-Workshop (Freising, Germany)     

Interaction of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus</Emphasis> with bacteria <Emphasis Type=Italic>Campylobacter jejuni</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type=Italic>Helicobacter pylori</Emphasis>

Interaction of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 100NCJB with bacteria Campylobacter jejuni (strains 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) and Helicobacter pylori, strain TX30a, was confirmed. The results indicate that lytic activity of bdellovibrios both in liquid media and cells attached to a surface was observed. The potential use of the antimicrobial activity of predatory bacteria for environmental bioprotection and public health is discussed.     

Attenuation of fibrosis <Emphasis Type=Italic>in vitro</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type=Italic>in vivo</Emphasis> with <Emphasis Type=Italic>SPARC</Emphasis> siRNA

Introduction  

SPARC is a matricellular protein, which, along with other extracellular matrix components including collagens, is commonly over-expressed in fibrotic diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine whether inhibition of SPARC can regulate collagen expression in vitro and in vivo, and subsequently attenuate fibrotic stimulation by bleomycin in mouse skin and lungs.     

Efficient separation and purification of allophycocyanin from <Emphasis Type=Italic>Spirulina</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type=Italic>Arthrospira</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type=Italic>platensis</Emphasis>

Allophycocyanin (APC) is a minor component of phycobiliproteins in cyanobacteria and red algae. This paper describes a simple and inexpensive extracting method for isolating APC from Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis with high efficiency. The crude phycobiliprotein extract was pretreated by ammonium sulfate fractionation. Then, by adding hydroxylapatite into crude phycobiliprotein extract dissolved in 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), APC was selectively adsorbed by hydroxylapatite but C-phycocyanin (C-PC) was not. The hydroxylapatite was collected and APC was extracted from the crude phycobiliprotein extract. Then, the enriched APC was washed off from the hydroxylapatite using 100 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0). In this simple extracting method it was easy to remove C-PC and isolate APC in large amounts. The absorbance ratio A ₆₅₀/A ₂₈₀ of extracted APC reached 2.0. The recovery yield was 70%, representing 4.61 mg · g⁻¹ wet weight. The extracted APC could be further purified by a simple anion-exchange chromatography with a pH gradient from 5.6 to 4.0. The absorbance ratio A ₆₅₀/A ₂₈₀ of the purified APC reached 5.0, and the overall recovery yield was 43%, representing 2.83 mg · g⁻¹ wet weight. Its purity was confirmed by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE.     

Fundamental analysis of real-time PCR quantification and modeling for thermophilic <Emphasis Type=SmallCaps>L</Emphasis>-lactate fermentation by <Emphasis Type=Italic>Bacillus coagulans</Emphasis> from glucose

Batch and semi-continuous thermophilic l-lactate fermentation experiments were performed using Bacillus coagulans and glucose as a substrate. Reactor performance and biomass concentrations were assessed using two methods: turbidity as a traditional biomass index and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantification of 16S rRNA genes. In the batch experiment, although the relationship between turbidity and real-time PCR assay differed depending on the growth phase, a correlation was observed between both assay methods. In the semi-continuous experiment, real-time PCR measurement was well suited for use as an index for evaluating bacterial mass under different organic loading conditions. A mathematical model was applied to evaluate the real-time PCR quantification to long-term, semi-continuous lactate fermentation. Lactate fermentation was well suited since only B. coagulans was involved in the reactions. The results obtained revealed a fundamental relationship between real-time PCR and traditional biomass analyses.     

<Emphasis Type=Italic>In vitro</Emphasis> organogenesis of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Passiflora alata</Emphasis>

Passiflora alata in vitro organogenesis was studied based on explant type, culture medium composition, and incubation conditions. The results indicated that the morphogenic process occurred more efficiently when hypocotyl segment-derived explants were cultured in media supplemented with cytokinin and AgNO₃ incubated under a 16-h photoperiod. The shoot bud elongation and plant development were obtained by transferring the material to MSM culture medium supplemented with GA₃ and incubated in flasks with vented lids. Histological analyses of the process revealed that the difficulties in obtaining plants could be related to the development of protuberances and leaf primordia structures, which did not contain shoot apical meristem. Roots developed easily by transferring elongated shoots to 1/2 MSM culture medium. Plant acclimatization occurred successfully, and somaclonal variation was not visually detected. The efficiency of this organogenesis protocol will be evaluated for genetic transformation of this species to obtain transgenic plants expressing genes that can influence the resistance to Cowpea aphid borne mosaic virus.     

Remobilization of <Emphasis Type=Italic>Tol2</Emphasis> transposons in <Emphasis Type=Italic>Xenopus tropicalis</Emphasis>

Background  

The Class II DNA transposons are mobile genetic elements that move DNA sequence from one position in the genome to another. We have previously demonstrated that the naturally occurring Tol2 element from Oryzias latipes efficiently integrates its corresponding non-autonomous transposable element into the genome of the diploid frog, Xenopus tropicalis. Tol2 transposons are stable in the frog genome and are transmitted to the offspring at the expected Mendelian frequency.