Salt tolerance in cultured cells of Spartina pectinata

Suspension cultures with cell doubling times of ca. 2 days were developed from the halophytic grass Spartina pectinata. Maximum rates of exponential growth measured by direct cell counts and by total culture packed-cell-volume were not significantly reduced by NaCl up to 200 mM but dropped beyond this point. In contrast, total cell production over a one week culture cycle, by both measures, was reduced in a roughly linear fashion between 0 and 500 mM NaCl. The pattern of growth in relation to NaCl is very similar to that of previously described cell suspensions derived from another halophyte, Distichlis spicata. In the field the latter is much more salt tolerant. The basis for the whole plant differences is not clear. They do not appear to reflect effectiveness of cell based salt tolerance or the presence of salt glands, which are reported here for the first time in S. pectinata and are found on the leaves of both species.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid     

Determination of population balances in a mixed culture by specific cell adhesion

Summary Specific cell adhesion can be used to monitor the population balance in a mixed culture. A mixture of twoEscherichia coli strains were separated and monitored based on their different expression of thelamB protein. The results are compared to those obtained by differential plate counts.     

Bacteriophage development in an immobilized lactic acid bacteria system

Summary Bacteriophages were added to milk fermented byStreptococcus raffinolactis cells immobilized in calcium alginate. Beads containing the immobilized streptococci were used for five consecutive fermentations; pH, free cell and bacteriophage counts were estimated. Free cells increased from 5×10⁶ to 3×10⁸ per mL of milk, over the successive fermentations. Addition of bacteriophages reduced the free cell count by almost 1000 after 3 fermentations, but a gradual increase occurred subsequently. Bacteriophages were inoculated at 100 per mL and gradually attained 5×10⁹ per mL in the system. Rinsing of the system did not have a substantial influence on free cell or phage counts. Presence of bacteriophage reduced slightly the acidification rate in the system.Bacteriophage numeration by two layer agar method gave better results than by most probable number (MPN). MPN counts were greatly influenced byS. raffinolactis inoculation level.Contribution # 099     

A comparison of methods for assessing yeast viability

Summary Eight different methods were used to assess the cell viability of four strains of Saccharomyces. Staining with Mg-ANS, primuline yellow, FITC and methylene blue gave a good index of yeast cell viability. The standard plate count technique and microcolony formation also gave a good measure of cell viability. Fluorescent staining with acridine orange was the least useful of the methods tested. INT dye reduction gave a good index of respiring cells depending upon the yeast strain tested.     

Plant cell suspension cultures as model systems for investigating growth regulating compounds

Several plant growth regulators were investigated for their activity in cell suspension cultures of Glycine max, Gossypium hirsutum and Zea mays. The effect on the growth of the cell cultures was traced by means of cell counting and determining packed cell volume and turbidity of the suspensions. The growth retardant 5-(4-chlorophenyl)-3,4,5,9,10-pentaaza-tetracyclo-5,4,10^2,6 ,0^8,11-dodeca-3,9-diene (NDA) and, to a slightly lesser extent, ancymidol proved to be the compounds with the greatest inhibitory action on cell division growth of all three cell cultures. In the case of cotton this effect was accompanied by increased synthesis and secretion of cell-wall material. Staining methods showed that, especially in the case of NDA, a high percentage of cells could be considered as viable, and showed thus that NDA inhibits the cell division process while the cells remain metabolically active. The effects of 1,1-Dimethyl-piperidiniumchloride (DPC), a genuine growth retardant of cell propagation, and, with less efficiency, N-trimethyl-(-chloroethyl)-ammoniumchloride (CCC) in cotton, the triazole LAB 117 682 in soybean and maize, and, to a lesser extent, (2-isopropyl-5-methyl-4-trimethyl-ammoniumchloride)-phenyl-l-piperidiniumcarboxylate (AM0-1618) in soybean can be regarded as species-specific. Otherwise, CCC and particularly daminozide exhibited no action at the concentrations used. A comparison of the data from hydroculture studies with soybean and maize seedlings showed considerable agreement with the effectiveness of the substances in the corresponding cell cultures. Thus, cell cultures can be used to identify and screen substances with growth-influencing activity, and may also offer new ways to elucidate the mode of action of plant growth regulators.     

Biocompatibility assessment of perfluorochemical oils in microbial and plant cell cultures

Summary The effects of various perfluorochemical (PFC) oils on growth and structure of microbial and plant cell cultures have been studied. Growth of microbial cells was unaffected by culture with PFCs and no obvious deleterious effects on cell structure or alterations in polypeptide profiles of cell extracts were observed. Incubation of S. dulcamara cells with FDC oil produced an increase in culture growth rate, as measured by changes in wet and dry cell weights, probably by providing protection against hydrodynamic damage.     

Effect of aeration on large-scale cultures of plant cells

Summary The large scale culture of plant cells in bioreactors presents problems of a different nature to those seen with micro-organisms. One particular problem is concerned with the mode of culture aeration and the effects of aeration on cell growth. Data is presented which illustrates this problem through the effects of varying rates of aeration on both the initial growth rate and maximum growth rate of cells of Catharanthus roseus.     

Benomyl: A broad spectrum fungicide for use in plant cell and protoplast culture

The systemic fungicide methyl-1-(butylcarbamoyl)-2-benzimidazole carbamate (benomyl), is a broad spectrum fungicide. Benomyl at concentrations up to 50 mg/l does not inhibit the growth of suspension cultures ofNicotiana tabacum, Datura innoxia, Daucus carota, Glycine canescens, andSolanum tuberosum nor growth ofN. tabacum orN. plumbaginifolia protoplasts if benomyl is dissolved by autoclaving or boiling. Addition of benomyl dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide results in a visible toxicity. Benomyl, at 6.25–50 mg/l preventsPenicillium spp. growth in both protoplast and cell cultures and can be used to remove fungal contaminates after one to three transfers without visibly retarding plant cell growth. Due to the broad spectrum of fungicidal activity, and nontoxicity at high concentrations when dissolved by boiling or autoclaving, benomyl can be used effectively to control or prevent fungal contamination in plant cell and protoplast cultures.     

The selection of lactose-utiljzing,polysaccharide-producing strains ofXanthomonas campestris

Summary A procedure was developed to discriminate between singleXanthomonas campestris colony isolates which differed in growth form on solid media and in viscosity production in liquid media. The method was used to assess degree of variability between colonies and between successive generations of isolates chosen for industrial application.     

A method for estimating biomass ofAgaricus bisporus in a solid substrate,composted wheat straw

Summary Growth ofAgaricus bisporus mycelium in liquid cultures, or linear growth in compost, was directly proportional to the quantity of extracellular laccase. Laccase activity measured during the mycelial colonisation of composted straw can therefore be used to quantify the mycelial growth. Immunological methods indicate that the laccase appears to be a specific product ofA. bisporus or very closely related species.     

A new micro-method for testing plant growth retardants in cell suspension cultures

A microtest sytem for detecting the growth retarding potential of chemosynthetic compounds in cell suspension cultures is presented. The new screening technique involves the cultivation of one millilitre of suspension in small sterile test tubes and indirect monitoring of growth by measuring conductivity changes in the medium. Highly significant correlations were obtained in experiments comparing the effects of a broad range of plant growth retardants on the growth of different suspensions in erlenmeyer flasks measured by cell counting and in test tubes with growth recorded by conductivity changes in the medium. The method described is suitable for all suspension cultures hitherto studied.For Abbreviations, see Materials and Methods     

Production of pullulan by a fed-batch fermentation

Summary In pullulan production from sucrose byAureobasidium pullulans, a sugar concentration higher than 5% (w/v) inhibited cell growth and the production of exopolysaccharide. By a fed-batch fermentation, the inhibitory effects of the high sugar concentration were overcome and 58.0 g/1 of exopolysaccharide were obtained from 10% sucrose.Abbreviations m, n relationship parameters for the growth and non-growth associated product formation - X, Xmax biomass and maximum biomass concentration (g cell/1) - P product concentration (g exopolysaccharide/1) - specific growth rate of cell (hr^–1)     

Inhibition of cultured cell growth by tungstate and molybdate

The growth of suspension cultured cells of Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) was inhibited completely by 100 M tungstate. Even though molybdate reversed the tungstate inactivation of nitrate reductase activity, the growth inhibition was not reversed. The growth inhibition of N. tabacum, Daucus carota, Glycine max and Solanum tuberosum suspension cultured cells by tungstate was similar in media with or without amino acids as a source of reduced nitrogen. Only in the case of G. max was a slight reversal caused by the amino acids. Tungstate was slightly less inhibitory to the growth of a nitrate reductase-lacking mutant N. tabacum line (nia-63) than to the line with nitrate reductase. These results indicate that tungstate must inhibit the cell growth of the four species used, predominantly, in some way other than by inhibiting nitrate reductase activity. Similar studies with molybdate, a sulfate analog which apparently competes with sulfate at the ATP sulfury-lase enzyme, showed that 1 mM concentrations were completely inhibitory to cell growth. The addition of sulfate or cysteine, as a source of reduced sulfur, and amino acids, as a source of reduced nitrogen, in most cases did not reverse the molybdate inhibition appreciably. Some reversal was seen only by sulfate with D. carota cells and by cysteine plus amino acids with D. carota and G. max. These results indicate that selection for tungstate or molybdate resistance will in general not select for higher levels or other alterations in the activity of nitrate reductase or ATP sulfurylase, respectively, since these ions do not inhibit growth by primarily affecting these enzymatic steps in cultured cells of the four species studied.     

12β-Hydroxylation of digitoxin by Digitalis lanata cells. Production of deacetyllanatoside C in a 20-litre airlift bioreactor

Digitalis lanata cell lines obtained via cell aggregate cloning have been characterized with regard to their growth and ability to form deacetyllanatoside C from digitoxin. Cell line W.1.4 achieved 12-hydroxylation rates as high as 200 mg/L d. It was thus used in biotransformation experiments on a 20-litre scale. Six fermentor runs were performed, the best of which yielded 13.2 g deacetyllanatoside C.     

Specific differences in tolerance to exogenous berberine among plant cell cultures

The tolerance of plant cells to exogenously administered berberine, an antimicrobial isoquinoline alkaloid, was studied using berberine-producing and nonproducing cell suspension cultures. Both Coptis japonica and Thalictrum flavum cells, which have an intrinsic ability to synthesize berberine, took up exogenous berberine from the culture medium by an energy-requiring active transport to accumulate it exclusively in vacuoles. By contrast, T. minus cells, which excrete indigenous berberine mostly into the medium, did not take up exogenously supplied berberine, indicating that the alkaloid transport in this species is unidirectional. No inhibition of cell growth by exogenous berberine was observed in the three berberine-producing cell cultures. On the other hand, a small amount of exogenous berberine strongly inhibited cell growth in the berberine-free cultures of Datura innoxia, Catharanthus roseus, and Paeonia albiflora. The berberine taken up actively by Datura cells could not be transported into vacuoles but was dispersed in the cytoplasm, causing a severe inhibition of cell growth.     

Growth of Dioscorea deltoidea at high sugar concentrations

Dioscorea deltoidea cell suspension cultures were grown at initial sucrose concentrations of 35 to 200 g/L. The growth rates were similar (about 0.50 day^–1) with all of the initial sugar concentrations examined. The ratio of fresh weight to dry weight of cells was dependent on the initial sugar concentration, however, it remained fairly constant as long as the sugar was present in the growth medium. These results are different from results recently published, claiming that the growth rate of D. deltoidea cells is dependent on sugar concentration and the fresh weight to dry weight ratio increases throughout growth.     

Design of a defined medium for growth ofCorynebacterium glutamicum in which citrate facilitates iron uptake

Summary An improved minimal medium for growth ofCorynebacterium glutamicum has been designed. In particular,C.glutamicum's inefficiency in assimilating iron has been overcome by optimization of the synergistic effects of sodium citrate and ferrous sulfate on the growth rate.     

An automatic,on-line glucose analyzer for feed-back control of fed-batch growth of Escherichia coli

Summary A computer-assisted on-line glucose analyzer was developed for feed-back control of cell growth. Using this system the glucose consumption rate for Escherichia coli was determined to be linear during batch culture at 0.37 g/hr. On-line feed-back control of glucose concentration at 1.5±0.5 g/L was used with fed-batch cultures to produce 31.2 g dry weight of E. coli cells/L in 12 h.     

Production of biosurfactants by the resting cells ofPseudomonas aeruginosa CFTR-6

A resting cell system was used for the production of glycolipids byPseudomonas aeruginosa CFTR-6. In this, the growth phase was separated from the production phase to overcome the inhibition of glycolipid production by inorganic phosphate. It was shown that when the cells were transferred after the growth phase into a medium devoid of phosphate, glycolipid production was increased nearly twofold. The maximum glycolipid concentration was attained much more rapidly than the conventional batch fermentation system, thus increasing the productivity.     

Dominant expression of a gene amplification-related herbicide resistance in medicago cell hybrids

Protoplasts from phosphinotricin resistant M. sativa and M. varia cell lines carrying an amplified glutamine synthethase gene were fused with leaf protoplasts of kanamycin resistant M. varia transformants. The dominant nature of both PPT and kanamycin resistant traits was shown by the double resistant phenotype of the intra- and interspecific cell hybrids obtained. The presence of amplified GS gene in the hybrid genomes and the expression of chimeric neomycin phosphotransferase II gene was detected. The highly embryogenic character of the M. varia parent was not expressed after cell fusion. All hybrid cell lines with the double resistant phenotype showed non-morphogenic growth similarly to the PPT resistant parent. The possible role of GS gene amplification and other factors in the dominant behaviour of unorganized cell growth in alfalfa somatic hybrids is discussed.