Change of Mating Type in an EU1 Lineage Isolate of Phytophthora ramorum

All Phytophthora ramorum EU1 lineage isolates tested are of A1 mating type, except for three rare isolates from 2002 to 2003 from Belgium, which were originally assigned the A2 mating type. In one of these isolates (2338), a switch from A2 to A1 mating type was observed in 2006. This observation initiated a larger study in which all cultures and subcultures of the original three EU1 A2 isolates, maintained in three laboratories under different storage conditions, were checked for mating type change. The A2 to A1 mating type switch was observed in four of seven independently maintained isolates that were derived from isolate 2338 in two laboratories, using different transfer regimes and storage conditions. Following the mating type switch to A1 in these four derived isolates, no reversion back to A2 mating was observed, even after up to 5 years of additional isolate maintenance and several more subculturing events. The three other isolates that were derived from isolate 2338 as well as the other EU1 A2 isolates collected in 2002 and 2003 and stored in the same conditions did not display such mating type change. The potential causes of the mating type conversions as well as their epidemiological implications are discussed.     

Optimization of culture conditions in CO2 fixation for succinic acid production using Actinobacillus succinogenes

The culture conditions in CO(2) fixation by Actinobacillus succinogenes for succinic acid production were investigated by a model of available CO(2) in a 3-l fermentor. The results from the model analysis showed that the available CO(2) for succinic acid production in the fermentation broth is the sum of HCO(3) (-), CO(3) (2-), and CO(2) influenced by external culture conditions such as medium components, CO(2) partial pressures, and temperature. The optimized conditions for CO(2) supply in a 3-l fermentor were determined as follows: CO(2) partial pressure and stirring speed were maintained at 0.1 MPa and 200 r min(-1), respectively, with a pH of 6.8 and a temperature of 37°C; 0.15 mol l(-1) NaHCO(3) was added. Under the optimized conditions, a CO(2) fixation rate of 0.57 g l(-1) h(-1) was obtained, and a succinic acid concentration of 51.6 g l(-1) with a yield of 75.8% was reached. These results suggest that optimized conditions of CO(2) supply are effective in high succinic acid production and thus have potential applications in succinic acid production and CO(2) fixation.     

Conserved polynucleotide sequences among the genomes of papillomaviruses.

The DNAs of different members of the Papillomavirus genus of papovaviruses were analyzed for nucleotide sequence homology. Under standard hybridization conditions (Tm - 28 degrees C), no homology was detectable among the genomes of human papillomavirus type 1 (HPV-1), bovine papillomavirus type 2 (BPV-2), or cottontail rabbit (Shope) papillomavirus (CRPV). However, under less stringent conditions (i.e., Tm - 43 degrees C), stable hybrids were formed between radiolabeled DNAs of CRPV, BPV-1, or BPV-2 and the HindIII-HpaI A, B, and C fragments of HPV-1. Under these same conditions, radiolabeled CRPV and HPV-1 DNAs formed stable hybrids with HincII B and C fragments of BPV-2 DNA. These results indicate that there are regions of homology with as much as 70% base match among all these papillomavirus genomes. Furthermore, unlabeled HPV-1 DNA competitively inhibited the specific hybridization of radiolabeled CRPV DNA to bpv-2 DNA fragments, indicating that the homologous DNA segments are common among these remotely related papillomavirus genomes. These conserved sequences are specific for the Papillomavirus genus of papovaviruses as evidenced by the lack of hybridization between HPV-1 DNA and either simian virus 40 or human papovavirus BK DNA under identical conditions. These results indicate a close evolutionary relationship among the papillomaviruses and further establish the papillomaviruses and polyoma viruses as distinct genera.     

斑马鱼胚胎细胞和中国仓鼠卵巢细胞远缘杂交融合条件的优化

以斑马鱼胚胎细胞(ZEM-2s)和中国仓鼠卵巢细胞(CHO-k1)为实验材料,采用聚乙二醇(PEG)作为促融剂,从PEG的相对分子质量、浓度、作用温度和时间等方面进行单因子实验,以期寻找两种细胞融合的最佳条件。实验结果表明,融合的最适条件是融合温度为37℃,浓度为40%,分子量为2 000的PEG处理斑马鱼胚胎细胞和中国仓鼠卵巢细胞100sec,平均融合率高达25.3%,与未加入PEG的细胞相比,最佳条件下处理的两种细胞融合现象明显(p<0.05),表明该条件下的处理能够显著促进细胞的融合。     

Hydrazinolysis-N-reacetylation of glycopeptides and glycoproteins. Model studies using 2-acetamido-1-N-(L-aspart-4-oyl)-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosy lamine

2-Acetamido-1-N-(L-aspart-4-oyl)-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyla mine (1) was used as a model glycopeptide to study the hydrazinolysis-N-reacetylation procedure. The major, initial product was the beta-acetohydrazide derivative of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose (2) which gave 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose (5) after exposure to acidic conditions. Very mild conditions of hydrolysis of 2 gave a 75-80% overall yield of 5 from 1 after the hydrazinolysis-N-reacetylation procedure. Several other minor compounds were detected which were not converted into 5 upon mild acid hydrolysis, indicating that 20-25% of product cannot be recovered as 5 at the reducing end of oligosaccharides.     

5种植物生长抑制剂对香果树种质离体保存的影响

以香果树带芽茎段为外植体,采用单因子实验法研究了5种植物生长抑制剂在不同温度、不同光照条件下对香果树试管苗离体保存的影响。结果表明,在25℃条件下,香果树种质离体保存的最佳CCC、MH、B₉、S3307和ABA浓度分别为4、4、2、1和4 mg/L;在9℃条件下,香果树种质离体保存的最佳CCC、MH、B₉、S3307和ABA浓度分别为2、1、1、0.5和2 mg/L。在光照和黑暗条件下,香果树种质离体保存的最佳CCC、MH、B₉、S3307和ABA浓度分别为4、4、2、1和4 mg/L。与常温条件相比,低温条件下5种植物生长抑制剂的成活率更高,最佳浓度普遍降低。与光照培养比较,在黑暗条件下5种植物生长抑制剂的成活率也更高,但处理的最佳浓度相同。离体保存后的试管苗没有发生遗传变异。     

Bax Inhibitor-1 Is a pH-dependent regulator of Ca2+ channel activity in the endoplasmic reticulum

In this study, Bax inhibitor-1 (BI-1) overexpression reduces the ER pool of Ca(2+) released by thapsigargin. Cells overexpressing BI-1 also showed lower intracellular Ca(2+) release induced by the Ca(2+) ionophore ionomycin as well as agonists of ryanodine receptors and inositol trisphosphate receptors. In contrast, cells expressing carboxyl-terminal deleted BI-1 (CDelta-BI-1 cells) displayed normal intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization. Basal Ca(2+) release rates from the ER were higher in BI-1-overexpressing cells than in control or CDelta-BI-1 cells. We determined that the carboxyl-terminal cytosolic region of BI-1 contains a lysine-rich motif (EKDKKKEKK) resembling the pH-sensing domains of ion channels. Acidic conditions triggered more extensive Ca(2+) release from ER microsomes from BI-1-overexpressing cells and BI-1-reconstituted liposomes. Acidic conditions also induced BI-1 protein oligomerization. Interestingly subjecting BI-1-overexpressing cells to acidic conditions induced more Bax recruitment to mitochondria, more cytochrome c release from mitochondria, and more cell death. These findings suggest that BI-1 increases Ca(2+) leak rates from the ER through a mechanism that is dependent on pH and on the carboxyl-terminal cytosolic region of the BI-1 protein. The findings also reveal a cell death-promoting phenotype for BI-1 that is manifested under low pH conditions.     

Physiological response to anaerobicity of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in which one or both of the genes encoding the two isoforms of NAD-dependent glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase had been deleted, were studied in aerobic batch cultures and in aerobic-anaerobic step change experiments. The respirofermentative growth rates under aerobic conditions with semisynthetic medium (20 g of glucose per liter) of two single mutants, gpd1 delta and gpd2 delta, and the parental strain (mu = 0.5 h-1) were almost identical, whereas the growth rate of a double mutant, gpd1 delta gpd2 delta, was approximately half that of the parental strain. Upon a step change from aerobic to anaerobic conditions in the exponential growth phase, the specific carbon dioxide evolution rates (CER) of the wild-type strain and the gpd1 delta strain were almost unchanged. The gpd2 delta mutant showed an immediate, large (> 50%) decrease in CER upon a change to anaerobic conditions. However, after about 45 min the CER increased again, although not to the same level as under aerobic conditions. The gpd1 delta gpd2 delta mutant showed a drastic fermentation rate decrease upon a transition to anaerobic conditions. However, the CER values increased to and even exceeded the aerobic levels after the addition of acetoin. High-pressure liquid chromatographic analyses demonstrated that the added acetoin served as an acceptor of reducing equivalents by being reduced to butanediol. The results clearly show the necessity of glycerol formation as a redox sink for S. cerevisiae under anaerobic conditions.     

Symbiotic Characteristics of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii Isolates Which Represent Major and Minor Nodule-Occupying Chromosomal Types of Field-Grown Subclover (Trifolium subterraneum L.)

The symbiotic effectiveness and nodulation competitiveness of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii soil isolates were evaluated under nonsoil greenhouse conditions. The isolates which we used represented both major and minor nodule-occupying chromosomal types (electrophoretic types [ETs]) recovered from field-grown subclover (Trifolium subterraneum L.). Isolates representing four ETs (ETs 2, 3, 7, and 8) that were highly successful field nodule occupants fixed between 2- and 10-fold less nitrogen and produced lower herbage dry weights and first-harvest herbage protein concentrations than isolates that were minor nodule occupants of field-grown plants. Despite their equivalent levels of abundance in nodules on field-grown subclover plants, ET 2 and 3 isolates exhibited different competitive nodulation potentials under nonsoil greenhouse conditions. ET 3 isolates generally occupied more subclover nodules than isolates belonging to other ETs when the isolates were mixed in 1:1 inoculant ratios and inoculated onto seedlings. In contrast, ET 2 isolates were less successful at nodulating under these conditions. In many cases, ET 2 isolates required a numerical advantage of at least 6:1 to 11:1 to occupy significantly more nodules than their competitors. We identified highly effective isolates that were as competitive as the ET 3 isolates despite representing serotypes that were rarely recovered from nodules of field-grown plants. When one of the suboptimally effective isolates (ET2-1) competed with an effective and competitive isolate (ET31-5) at several different inoculant ratios, the percentages of nodules occupied by the former increased as its numerical advantage increased. Although subclover yields declined as nodule occupancy by ET2-1 increased, surprisingly, this occurred at inoculant ratios at which large percentages of nodules were still occupied by ET31-5.     

4-丁内酰胺水解酶法制备γ-氨基丁酸

以吡咯烷酮为唯一碳源,从采集的土样中分离、筛选得到具有4-丁内酰胺水解酶活性的菌株.采用响应面分析法对该菌株的产酶培养基组分进行了优化研究并对酶促转化反应条件也进行了研究.结果表明:编号为HHSW-16的菌株水解活性最高.优化后的培养基组成为:葡萄糖11.50 g·L-1,牛肉膏6.35 g·L-1,酵母粉5.58 g...     

Decolorization of anthraquinone dye intermediate and its accelerating effect on reduction of azo acid dyes by Sphingomonas xenophaga in anaerobic–aerobic process

Decolorization of 1-aminoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (ASA-2) and its accelerating effect on the reduction of azo acid dyes by Sphingomonas xenophaga QYY were investigated. The study showed that ASA-2 could be efficiently decolorized by strain QYY under aerobic conditions according to the analysis of total organic carbon removal and UV-VIS spectra changes. Moreover, strain QYY was able to reduce azo acid dyes under anaerobic conditions. The effects of various operating conditions such as carbon sources, temperature, and pH on the reduction rate were studied. It was demonstrated that ASA-2 used as a redox mediator could accelerate the reduction process. Consequently the reduction of azo acid dyes mediated by ASA-2 and the decolorization of ASA-2 with strain QYY could be achieved in an anaerobic-aerobic process.     

Conformational analysis of r(CGCGCG) in aqueous solution: an A-type double helical conformation studied by two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy.

The conformation of the hexanucleoside pentaphosphate r( CGCGCG ) in aqueous solution was studied by circular dichroism, 1H- and 31P-NMR spectroscopy. The base-, H1'- and H2'-proton resonances were assigned by means of 2D-NOE spectroscopy. The base- and H1'-proton chemical shifts were studied as a function of temperature. Proton-proton distances are computed in A- and A'-RNA as well as in A-, B- and Z-DNA. A qualitative interpretation of the observed 2D-NOE intensities shows that r( CGCGCG ) adopts a regular A-type double helical conformation under our experimental conditions. The CD- and 31P-NMR experiments described in this paper are in agreement with this structure both under low- and high-salt conditions.     

Existence of a tightly regulated water channel in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain Sigma1278b possesses two putative aquaporins, Aqy1-1p and Aqy2-1p. Previous work demonstrated that Aqy1-1p functions as a water channel in Xenopus oocyte. However, no function could be attributed to Aqy2-1p in this system. Specific antibodies were used to follow the expression of Aqy1-1p and Aqy2-1p in the yeast. Aqy1-1p was never detected whatever the growth phase and culture conditions tested. In contrast, Aqy2-1p was detected only during the exponential growth phase in rich medium containing glucose. Aqy2-1p expression was repressed by hyper-osmotic culture conditions. Both immunocytochemistry and biochemical subcellular fractionation demonstrated that Aqy2-1p is located on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as well as on the plasma membrane. In microsomal vesicles enriched in ER, a water channel activity due to Aqy2-1p was detected by stopped-flow analysis. Our results show that the expression of aquaporins is tightly controlled. The physiological relevance of aquaporin-mediated water transport in yeast is discussed.