Production of a Metal-Binding Exopolysaccharide by Paenibacillus jamilae Using Two-Phase Olive-Mill Waste as Fermentation Substrate

The present study investigated the use of two-phase olive mill waste (TPOMW) as substrate for the production of exopolysaccharide (EPS) by the endospore-forming bacilli Paenibacillus jamilae. This microorganism was able to grow and produce EPS in aqueous extracts of TPOMW as a unique source of carbon. The effects of substrate concentration and the addition of inorganic nutrients were investigated. Maximal polymer yield in 100-ml batch-culture experiments (2 g l⁻¹) was obtained in cultures prepared with an aqueous extract of 20% TPOMW (w/v). An inhibitory effect was observed on growth and EPS production when TPOMW concentration was increased. Nutrient supplementation (nitrate, phosphate, and other inorganic nutrients) did not increase yield. Finally, an adsorption experiment of Pb (II), Cd (II), Cu (II), Zn (II), Co (II), and Ni (II) by EPS is reported. Lead was preferentially complexed by the polymer, with a maximal uptake of 230 mg/g EPS.     

Use of Bottom Ash of Waste Coal as an Effective Microbial Carrier

An experiment was done to determine the efficacy of waste bottom ash as an effective microbial carrier. Bottom ash found to be a suitable microbial carrier. The average of viable cells of Paenibacillus polymyxa GS01 (as a test biocontrol agent) in bottom ash samples was about 10⁸ cfu/10±2 mg. The surface of bottom ash coated with 5% PVA w/v was most effective for improvement of cell viability. TSB medium containing 50 mg/L of MnSO₄·H₂O was the best for spore production of P. polymyxa GS01. Thus waste bottom ash coating with 5% PVA is likely to be suitable for use as a microbial carrier.     

Using an Industrial Waste Account to Facilitate National Level Industrial Symbioses by Uncovering the Waste Exchange Potential

The identification of potential by‐product exchanges is important for fostering industrial symbiosis. To discover these potential exchanges, this article extends the analysis of local industrial symbiosis to a national scale. A waste input‐output table, which is a material flow accounting tool, was compiled and used as a database to examine the existing exchanges of by‐products. The supplies and demands of industrial wastes or by‐products were compared to highlight their potential use for promoting higher exchange flows. The analysis of the linkages indicated that the majority of each of the by‐products were reused by the few industries that had the technology and operational capacity for reuse. This finding is useful for determining which industries are good candidates for promoting further industrial symbiosis (IS). Based on a nation‐wide analysis that considered the industrial characteristics of Taiwan comprehensively, 23 types of major by‐products with greater reuse flows and 216 potential exchange patterns were identified between the industries. In addition, three types of eco‐industrial networks were characterized as follows according to their dominant types: (1) fossil fuel, metal, and mineral‐dominated; (2) agricultural and synthetic material‐dominated; and (3) information and communications technology (ICT) and chemical industry‐dominated eco‐industrial networks. This analysis highlights the resource exchange potentials and provides information to new firms for networking with existing businesses.     

Associations between Schistosomiasis and the Use of Human Waste as an Agricultural Fertilizer in China

Background

Human waste is used as an agricultural fertilizer in China and elsewhere. Because the eggs of many helminth species can survive in environmental media, reuse of untreated or partially treated human waste, commonly called night soil, may promote transmission of human helminthiases.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We conducted an open cohort study in 36 villages to evaluate the association between night soil use and schistosomiasis in a region of China where schistosomiasis has reemerged and persisted despite control activities. We tested 2,005 residents for Schistosoma japonicum infection in 2007 and 1,365 residents in 2010 and interviewed heads of household about agricultural practices each study year. We used an intervention attributable ratio framework to estimate the association between night soil use and S. japonicum infection. Night soil use was reported by half of households (56% in 2007 and 46% in 2010). Village night soil use was strongly associated with human S. japonicum infection in 2007. We estimate cessation of night soil use would lead to a 49% reduction in infection prevalence in 2007 (95% CI: 12%, 71%). However, no association between night soil and schistosomiasis was observed in 2010. These inconsistent findings may be due to unmeasured confounding or temporal shifts in the importance of different sources of S. japonicum eggs on the margins of disease elimination.

Conclusions/Significance

The use of untreated or partially treated human waste as an agricultural fertilizer may be a barrier to permanent reductions in human helminthiases. This practice warrants further attention by the public health community.     

Baked-Bean Waste: a Potential Substrate for Producing Fungal Amylases

Baked-bean waste was found to be a favorable substrate for amylase production by Aspergillus foetidus NRRL 337. Under optimum conditions, the yields of α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) and glucoamylase (EC 3.2.1.3) were 47 and 226 U, respectively, per ml of the waste fermented.     

Characterization of Six Leuconostoc fallax Bacteriophages Isolated from an Industrial Sauerkraut Fermentation

Six bacteriophages active against Leuconostoc fallax strains were isolated from industrial sauerkraut fermentation brines. These phages were characterized as to host range, morphology, structural proteins, and genome fingerprint. They were exclusively lytic against the species L. fallax and had different host ranges among the strains of this species tested. Morphologically, three of the phages were assigned to the family Siphoviridae, and the three others were assigned to the family Myoviridae. Major capsid proteins detected by electrophoresis were distinct for each of the two morphotypes. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting showed that all six phages were genetically distinct. These results revealed for the first time the existence of bacteriophages that are active against L. fallax and confirmed the presence and diversity of bacteriophages in a sauerkraut fermentation. Since a variety of L. fallax strains have been shown to be present in sauerkraut fermentation, bacteriophages active against L. fallax are likely to contribute to the microbial ecology of sauerkraut fermentation and could be responsible for some of the variability observed in this type of fermentation.     

Substrate specificity of human glutamine transaminase K as an aminotransferase and as a cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase

Rat kidney glutamine transaminase K (GTK) exhibits broad specificity both as an aminotransferase and as a cysteine S-conjugate β-lyase. The β-lyase reaction products are pyruvate, ammonium and a sulfhydryl-containing fragment. We show here that recombinant human GTK (rhGTK) also exhibits broad specificity both as an aminotransferase and as a cysteine S-conjugate β-lyase. S-(1,1,2,2-Tetrafluoroethyl)-l-cysteine is an excellent aminotransferase and β-lyase substrate of rhGTK. Moderate aminotransferase and β-lyase activities occur with the chemopreventive agent Se-methyl-l-selenocysteine. l-3-(2-Naphthyl)alanine, l-3-(1-naphthyl)alanine, 5-S-l-cysteinyldopamine and 5-S-l-cysteinyl-l-DOPA are measurable aminotransferase substrates, indicating that the active site can accommodate large aromatic amino acids. The α-keto acids generated by transamination/l-amino acid oxidase activity of the two catechol cysteine S-conjugates are unstable. A slow rhGTK-catalyzed β-elimination reaction, as measured by pyruvate formation, was demonstrated with 5-S-l-cysteinyldopamine, but not with 5-S-l-cysteinyl-l-DOPA. The importance of transamination, oxidation and β-elimination reactions involving 5-S-l-cysteinyldopamine, 5-S-l-cysteinyl-l-DOPA and Se-methyl-l-selenocysteine in human tissues and their biological relevance are discussed.     

Evaluation of an Alkyne-containing Analogue of Farnesyl Diphosphate as a Dual Substrate for Protein-prenyltransferases

The development of tools for proteomic analysis is an active area of research. Here, we report on the synthesis of 12-propargoxyfarnesyl diphosphate (1), an alkyne-containing analogue of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP), and its enzymatic incorporation into peptide substrates by both protein-farnesyltransferase (PFTase) and protein-geranylgeranyltransferase type I (PGGTase-I). Compound 1 was prepared from farnesol in 6 steps. Kinetic analyses indicate that 1 is incorporated into cognate peptide substrates by PFTase or PGGTase at concentrations and rates comparable to those of the natural lipid substrates for these enzymes, and mass spectrometric analyses proved the structures of the prenylated peptide products. Incubation of 1 in the presence of PFTase and PGGTase peptide substrates, and the cognate transferases, results in the simultaneous prenylation of both peptides emphasizing the dual substrate nature of 1. Thus, because 1 is a substrate for both enzymes, it can be used to introduce alkyne functionality into proteins that are normally either farnesylated or geranylgeranylated. This approach should be useful for a broad range of applications ranging from selective protein labeling to proteomic analysis. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Bruce Merrifield (1921–2006) for his pioneering development of solid-phase peptide synthesis, which has made possible myriad advances in chemical biology. For the present study, we used SPPS to prepare protein fragments that incorporate spectroscopic probes to reveal critical features in enzyme substrate recognition that have implications for human health.     

Identification and Characterization of Leuconostoc fallax Strains Isolated from an Industrial Sauerkraut Fermentation

Lactic acid bacterial strains were isolated from brines sampled after 7 days of an industrial sauerkraut fermentation, and six strains were selected on the basis of susceptibility to bacteriophages. Bacterial growth in cabbage juice was monitored, and the fermentation end products were identified, quantified, and compared to those of Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Identification by biochemical fingerprinting, endonuclease digestion of the 16S-23S intergenic transcribed spacer region, and sequencing of variable regions V1 and V2 of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that the six selected sauerkraut isolates were Leuconostoc fallax strains. Random amplification of polymorphic DNA fingerprints indicated that the strains were distinct from one another. The growth and fermentation patterns of the L. fallax isolates were highly similar to those of L. mesenteroides. The final pH of cabbage juice fermentation was 3.6, and the main fermentation end products were lactic acid, acetic acid, and mannitol for both species. However, none of the L. fallax strains exhibited the malolactic reaction, which is characteristic of most L. mesenteroides strains. These results indicated that in addition to L. mesenteroides, a variety of L. fallax strains may be present in the heterofermentative stage of sauerkraut fermentation. The microbial ecology of sauerkraut fermentation appears to be more complex than previously indicated, and the prevalence and roles of L. fallax require further investigation.     

酱油曲霉发酵芝麻饼粕发酵基质的优化

采用响应面法对酱油曲霉发酵芝麻饼粕提高抗氧化能力的发酵基质组成进行了优化。通过Plackett-Burman设计法,评价了麦芽糖、葡萄糖、蔗糖、果糖、麦麸、玉米浆、酵母膏和硫酸铵等8个因素对DPPH自由基清除能力的影响。筛选出麦麸、葡萄糖和硫酸铵为影响芝麻饼粕发酵提取物抗氧化活性的3个显著因素,然后用Box-Behnken试验设计和响应面分析法,对3个关键因素进行了探讨与优化。优化的发酵条件为:葡萄糖、硫酸铵和麦麸添加量分别为:1.87%、1.54%和2.55%。在该试验条件下,DPPH自由基清除率为80.26%,比未发酵的芝麻饼粕高37%。     

Effect of Fluoride on Nitrification of a Concentrated Industrial Waste

The potential for biological nitrification of an industrial waste containing 4,000 mg of ammonia N (NH₄⁺-N) and 10,000 mg of fluoride per liter was investigated. Ammonium sulfate and sodium fluoride were tested in various combinations of 100 to 2,000 mg of NH₄⁺-N per liter and 0 to 5,000 mg of F⁻ per liter in suspended-growth stirred-tank reactors containing enriched cultures of nitrifying bacteria from a municipal sewage treatment plant. The stirred-tank reactors were fed once per day at a constant hydraulic retention period and cell retention time of 10 days. Temperature was 23°C, and pH was 7.0 to 7.5. Clarified secondary effluent was used to make up feeds and to provide minor nutrients. Steady-state data, confirmed by mass balances, were obtained after five to six retention periods. In the absence of fluoride, nitrification efficiency was near 100% for up to 500 mg of NH₄⁺-N per liter. The influence of fluoride was studied at a low ammonia concentration (100 mg/liter) and exerted no significant effect on nitrification at concentrations of up to 200 mg/liter. Maximum effect of fluoride was reached at 800 mg of F⁻ per liter, and no greater inhibition was observed for up to 5,000 mg of F⁻ per liter. At the highest concentrations studied, ion pairing of ammonium and fluoride may exert a significant effect on kinetic coefficients. Kinetic analyses showed maximum specific substrate removal rates (q_max) of NH₄⁺-N to be about 2.3 mg of N per mg of volatile suspended solids per day in the absence of fluoride and 0.85 mg of N per mg of volatile suspended solids per day in the presence of fluoride. The form of inhibition due to the presence of fluoride was shown to be not competitive, conforming to a mixed inhibition model.     

Extraction of Zinc from Industrial Waste by a Penicillium sp

Zinc was extracted from a filter residue of a copper works (58.6% zinc) by a Penicillium sp. isolated from a metal-containing location. By isotachophoresis citric acid was identified as the leaching agent. Citrate was only formed when the leaching substrate was present. This production of citrate was different in several ways from that achieved by Aspergillus niger: glucose was utilized before fructose; the initial concentration of zinc was 50 to 500 times higher than usual in citrate fermentations with A. niger; citrate production stopped when 80 to 90% of the zinc was leached, although sufficient sugar for further synthesis was still present; and in synthetic media citrate production by A. niger needs an acidic environment (pH 2), while the formation of citric acid by Penicillium sp. occurred in a pH range of 7 to 4. Tests with different concentrations of waste material (0.5, 2.5, and 5%) showed that the highest yield of solubilized zinc occurred with a 2.5% substrate (93% zinc extracted after 13 days).     

Primary Amine Oxidase of Escherichia coli Is a Metabolic Enzyme that Can Use a Human Leukocyte Molecule as a Substrate

Escherichia coli amine oxidase (ECAO), encoded by the tynA gene, catalyzes the oxidative deamination of aromatic amines into aldehydes through a well-established mechanism, but its exact biological role is unknown. We investigated the role of ECAO by screening environmental and human isolates for tynA and characterizing a tynA-deletion strain using microarray analysis and biochemical studies. The presence of tynA did not correlate with pathogenicity. In tynA+ Escherichia coli strains, ECAO enabled bacterial growth in phenylethylamine, and the resultant H₂O₂ was released into the growth medium. Some aminoglycoside antibiotics inhibited the enzymatic activity of ECAO, which could affect the growth of tynA+ bacteria. Our results suggest that tynA is a reserve gene used under stringent environmental conditions in which ECAO may, due to its production of H₂O₂, provide a growth advantage over other bacteria that are unable to manage high levels of this oxidant. In addition, ECAO, which resembles the human homolog hAOC3, is able to process an unknown substrate on human leukocytes.     

D-amino Acid Oxidase as an Industrial Biocatalyst

Biocatalysis driven by D-amino acid oxidase is a significant example of the commercial production of high value-added intermediates using enzyme-based technology. The results of the most recent research on this FAD-dependent catalyst are reported here. In particular, insight is given of how in the past few years the main industrial application of this enzyme, i.e. the stereospecific bioconversion of cephalosporin C to glutaryl-7-amino cephalosporanic acid in the two-step production of 7-amino cephalosporanic acid, has been implemented by improving its production and by engineering of the biocatalyst. The set-up and the optimization of different conditions for carrying out the process under different procedures have also been updated.     

Ionizing Radiation as an Industrial Health Problem

Ionizing radiation, first as x-rays, later in natural form, was discovered in Europe in the late 1890''s. Immediate practical uses were found for these discoveries, particularly in medicine. Unfortunately, because of the crude early equipment and ignorance of the harmful effects of radiation, many people were injured, some fatally. Because of these experiences, committees and regulatory bodies were set up to study the problem. These have built up an impressive fund of knowledge useful in radiation protection.With the recent development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy, sources of radioactivity have appeared cheaply and in abundance. A rapidly growing number are finding industrial application. Because of their potential risk to humans, the industrial physician must acquire new knowledge and skills so that he may give proper guidance in this new realm of preventive medicine.The Radiation Protection Program of one such industry, the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, is summarized.     

利用废弃物发酵法生产聚羟基烷酸PHAs

聚羟基烷酸(PHAs)是一种可降解聚合物,与石化塑料相比它具有生物降解性及生物相容性等优点,在不久的将来必然有广阔的应用前景。生产PHAs的主要方法是发酵法,在过去的几十年里传统的深层发酵法生产PHAs的工艺已经得到深入的研究,近些年固态发酵法生产PHAs也吸引了越来越多研究者的关注。     

D-amino Acid Oxidase as an Industrial Biocatalyst

Biocatalysis driven by D-amino acid oxidase is a significant example of the commercial production of high value-added intermediates using enzyme-based technology. The results of the most recent research on this FAD-dependent catalyst are reported here. In particular, insight is given of how in the past few years the main industrial application of this enzyme, i.e. the stereospecific bioconversion of cephalosporin C to glutaryl-7-amino cephalosporanic acid in the two-step production of 7-amino cephalosporanic acid, has been implemented by improving its production and by engineering of the biocatalyst. The set-up and the optimization of different conditions for carrying out the process under different procedures have also been updated.