Assimilation of benzoate byRhodotorula rubra,Rhodotorula glutinis andRhodosporidium toruloides,as affected by glucose or xylose

Xylose or glucose (5 g/l) was utilized simultaneously with benzoate (5 g/l) byRhodosporidium toruloides andRhodotorula rubra in batch culture. At a higher glucose concentration, benzoate was utilized only after glucose was depleted from the media. Both yeasts preferentially utilized benzoate before xylose even if there were more than 5 g xylose/l.Rhodotorula glutinis preferentially utilized glucose (10 g/l) before benzoate but utilized xylose and benzoate simultaneously.The authors are with the Department of Biochemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Slovak Technical University, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic     

Effect of growth supplements and whey pretreatment on butyric acid production by Clostridium butyricum

Improved production of butyrate (up to 19 g/l) from whey by Clostridium butyricum was achieved by adding either yeast extract (5 g/l) or biotin (50 g/l). Hydrolysed lactose and proteolysed whey were less effective even with added biotin.The authors are with the Department of Biochemical Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Slovak Technical University, Radlinského 9, Bratislava 812 37, Slovakia     

Effect of salt stress on fatty acid alterations in some strains of Dipodascopsis and Dipodascus spp.

The effect of salt stress (8% w/v NaCl) on fatty acid composition of eight strains of Dipodascus and Dipodascopsis spp. varied from being of slight influence only (Dipodascopsis uninucleata), to decreasing the content of 18:2 (D. reesii, D. tetrasperma and D. australiensis) and to decreasing both 18:1 and 18:2 (D. tothii and D. aggregatus) with a concomitant rise of 14:1 and 16:1. With the exception of D. aggregatus, NaCl inhibited lipid accumulation in all strains. Only trace amounts of fatty acids over C₁₈ in chain length were found.J. ajbidor, M. Lamaka, A. Chrastina and P. Pokreisz are with the Department of Biochemical Technology, Slovak Technical University, Radlinskeho 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovak Republic; E. Breirerová is with the Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Science, Dúbravská cesta 9, Slovak Republic. M. Certík is with the Research Institute of Gerontology, Zámocká ul, P.O. Box 25, 901 01 Malacky, Slovak Republic.     

Influence of carbohydrates and polyols on l-lactic acid production and fatty acid formation by Rhizopus arrhizus

Growth and l-lactic acid production on 24 different carbohydrates and polyols (glycerol, mannitol and sorbitol) by Rhizopus arrhizus CCM 8109 were determined. The d- but not the l-forms of xylose, fructose, galactose, mannose, glucose, cellobiose, maltose and sucrose and partially hydrolysed starch were converted to l-lactic acid. Changes in lipid formation and fatty acid composition were detected in biomass grown on the different sugars. In the presence of polyols, growth and considerable production of lipids were observed with little or no lactate production. Invertase was mainly associated with the mycelium during growth on sucrose, whereas glucoamylase and -amylase were produced extracellularly during growth on starch.The authors are with the Department of Biochemical Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Slovak Polytechnical University, Radlinského 9, SK-812 37 Bratislava, Slovak Republic     

Use of factor analysis to classify strains of yeasts: Application to genus torulopsis berlese

Summary A factor analytical approach, along with other statistical methods, was used to effect an orderly or scientific classification of 130 strains of yeasts designated as the genus Torulopsis, These strains were studied by means of 64 morphological, physiological and serological characteristics. From the correlations among these variables, factor analysis produced 12-dimensional profiles for the strains, which were then grouped according to these profiles. Initially 37 groups resulted, but these were classified again into 9 second-order groups or clusters. Discriminant analysis showed that the separations of the 9 clusters were statistically significant. Finally, the classifications of the strains were compared with the grouping into 9 phenons of 121 of these strains, reported in a previous paper (Kocková-Kratochvílová, 1973). These results corroborated the previous findings of agreement with published results of GC content in DNA.Laboratory measurements obtained at Institute of Chemistry of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, CSSR. Computer work at Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N. J., U.S.A.     

Effect of chlorobenzoates on the degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) by Pseudomonas stutzeri

Chlorobenzoic acids (CBA) are frequently dead-end products of partial aerobic biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). When CBA produced from PCB accumulate in the growth medium, they can inhibit the bacterial growth and consequently, slow down PCB biodegradation. In this study, the effects of seven mono- and dichlorinated CBA on growth of Pseudomonas stutzeri on different substrates and on the PCB degradation by this strain in a liquid mineral medium were tested. 3-CBA was the strongest growth inhibitor for P. stutzeri growing on glucose, benzoate and biphenyl. It was found to inhibit heavily the elimination of some di- and trichlorinated biphenyls. In contrast, its influence on the elimination of more chlorinated congeners was much less significant.The authors are with the Department of Biochemical Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Slovak Technical University, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia.     

Properties of S-adenosyl-L-methionine-magnesium-protoporphyrin IX methyltransferase from barley

S-Adenosyl-L-methionine-magnesium-protoporphyrin IX methyltransferase(EC 2.1.1.11 [EC] ) is present in greening barley seedlings associatedwith the particulate fraction. This enzyme was purified 20 foldusing protamine and ammonium sulfate precipitation. The enzymewas active over a wide pH range with highest activity at pH7.5. The Km values for Mg-protoporphyrin IX and S-adenosylmethioninewere 48 and 39 µM, respectively; S-adenosylethionine andS-adenosyihomocysteine were competitive inhibitors with respectto S-adenosylmethionine; hemin inhibition was non-competitivewith respect to Mg-protoporphyrin IX; thiol compounds exhibiteda stimulatory effect on enzyme activity. The properties of theenzyme are discussed and compared with the enzyme from otherorganisms. ¹ This research was supported in part by the Utah State AgriculturalExperiment Station. ² Present address: Department of Chemistry, Boston University,Boston, Massachusetts, U. S. A. ³ Present address: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology,Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. (Received February 20, 1978; )     

Diphasic production of secondary metabolites byPenicillium notatum westling S-52

During cultivation ofPenicillium notatum S-52 in, media with different C : N ratios under submerged conditions, two maxima of production of citrinin and other secondary metabolites are observed. The first maximum lies in the trophophase, the other at the beginning of the idiophase. The position of the maxima, as well as the quantity and quality, of the secondary metabolites can be controlled by changing the C : N ratio. Dedicated to Prof. P. Němec on his 60th birthday. Some of the results presented here were included in the diploma papers of Š. B., V. H. and A. N. and defended at the Slovak Polytechnical University in Bratislava.     

Technology transfer in biotechnology in Central Europe

A research commercialisation programme mapped the Slovak self-governing region of Bratislava for existing and potential spin-off companies. Identification and evaluation analyses of the technology transfer in biotechnology-oriented research were executed. Results of the study confirmed the quality of present level of science but a lack of commercialisation of professional services on the other hand. Financial plans for suggested spin-off business models were predicted by licensed BioBiz™ software programme.     

Meet the IUPAB Councilor—Hans-Joachim Galla

As one of the twelve Councilors, it is my pleasure to provide a short biographical sketch for the readers of Biophys. Rev. and for the members of the Biophysical Societies. I have been a member of the council in the former election period. Moreover, I served since decades in the German Biophysical Society (DGfB) as board member, secretary, vice president, and president. I hold a diploma degree in chemistry as well as PhD from the University of Göttingen. The experimental work for both qualifications has been performed at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen under the guidance of Erich Sackmann and the late Herman Träuble. When E. Sackmann moved to the University of Ulm, I joined his group as a research assistant performing my independent research on structure and dynamics of biological and artificial membranes and qualified for the “habilitation” thesis in Biophysical Chemistry. I have spent a research year at Stanford University supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and after coming back to Germany, I was appointed as a Heisenberg Fellow by the DFG and became Professor in Biophysical Chemistry in the Chemistry Department of the University of Darmstadt. Since 1990, I spent my career at the Institute for Biochemistry of the University of Muenster as full Professor and Director of the institute. I have trained numerous undergraduate, 150 graduate, and postdoctoral students from chemistry, physics, and also pharmacy as well as biology resulting in more than 350 published papers including reviews and book articles in excellent collaboration with colleagues from different academic disciplines in our university and also internationally, e.g., as a guest professor at the Chemistry Department of the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing.

     

Anti-mutagenic and immuno-stimulatory properties of lactic acid bacteria

Statistically significant antigenotoxic activity was exerted by six of nine strains of lactic acid bacteria tested (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Staphylococcus carnosus, Streptococcus thermophilus, L. rhamnosus, Enterococcus faecium and En. faecalis) against nitrovin and 2-aminofluorene in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA97. The mutagenic activity of both mutagens was substantially decreased by viable bacteria; cells heated to 100°C for 15 min were ineffective. In vitro, En. faecium stimulated the basic metabolic activities of human neutrophils which were essential for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity, whereas stimulation of guinea-pig macrophages was not so effective. Similar immuno-stimulatory effects were observed with both viable and heat-inactivated bacteria.L. Ebringer, M. Lahitová and D. Michálková are with the Institute of Molecular and Subcellular Biology, Comenius University, Odborárske nám. 5, SK-81107 Bratislava, Slovakia. M. Fereník and L. Kaáni are with the Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, SK-81108 Bratislava, Slovakia.     

In memoriam Professor Enrique Ega?a, MD (1912-1997).

Enrique Ega?a-Barahona. Born Santiago, Chile, 10 March 1912. Deceased Santiago, Chile, 23 November 1997. MD, University of Chile, 1936. Rockefeller Foundation Fellow at Harvard University Medical School, 1940-1944. Professor of Pathophysiology, 1963; Director, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of medicine, University of Chile. Author of a Textbook on General Pathophysiology (1963) and of many scientific articles in Chilean and American medical journals. Strong supporter of evidence-based medicine as well as of medical education by involving students in short research projects.     

Role of the reticular formation in motor control. Study of some intrareticular mechanisms and functional properties of the reticulospinal system

Participation of the reticular formation and descending reticulospinal system in the motor control functions of the spinal cord is examined. The data indicate that the reticular formation may participate in the regulation of specific motor actions. This is shown by the results of experiments to analyze the properties of membranes of reticulospinal neurons and the principles of organization of cortico-reticular monosynaptic relays, and to the investigation of characteristics of responses of "ensembles" of reticular neurons in cats, and also by data obtained in a study of correlation of unit activity in the reticular formation with movements elaborated in rats. The functional role of differential characteristics of the reticular formation is discussed and prospects for future research into reticular membranous, neurochemical, and neuronal mechanisms as a step toward the understanding of reticular control of motor functions are described.Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. 637–651, September–October, 1984.     

Suppression of photo-induced sporulation inTrichoderma viride by inhibitors

The mycelium ofTrichoderma viride grown in the dark under submerged conditions and transferred to membrane filters sporulated only after photoinduction. The optimum photoinduction of sporulation was reached when applying daylight for 3 min and near ultraviolet radiation (366 nm) for 10 to 30 sec. After the photoinduction pronounced synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein was observed. The photoinduced sporulation was partially or fully inhibited in the presence of phenethyl alcohol, actinomycin D, 5-fluorouracil, cycloheximide and ethidium bromide. The same inhibitors blocked also the photoinduced sporulation of surface growing colonies ofTrichoderma viride. Various inhibitors of synthesis of nucleic acids and protein, inhibitors impairing the function of membranes and certain other compounds were also effective. A part of the results presented here was included in the dissertation of J.S. and defended at the Slovak Polytechnical University in Bratislava.     

Isolation of mannan-utilizing bacteria and the culture conditions for mannanase production

A locally isolated strain, Bacillus subtilis NM-39, was selected as an active mannan-utilizing bacterium based on high saccharifying activities on coconut residue and locust bean gum galactomannan. The optimal pH and temperature ranges for activity of the crude enzyme were 5.0 to 6.0 and 50 to 60°C, respectively. The organism gave maximum mannanase activity when grown in liquid mineral salts medium containing 1% (w/v) each of coconut residue and soybean flour, as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, at pH 7.0 and in aerobic growth for 28 h at 37°C. High saccharifying activity on coconut mannan was also observed.The authors are with the Industrial Technology Development Institute, Department of Science and Technology, Manila, Philippines. M. Arai and T. Kawaguchi are also currently with the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture, Sakai, Osaka 593, Japan; T. Yoshida is also with the Faculty of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565, Japan.     

Increase in mitochondrial activity in diseased sweet potato root tissue

When infected with Ceratocystis fimbriata, sweet potato roottissue showed an increase in respiration concomitant with anincrement in mitochondrial activities, which was not in parallelwith the increase in mitochondrial numbers. ¹ This paper constitutes part 100 of the phytopathological chemistryof sweet potato with black rot and injury. ² Present address: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of NaturalSciences, Komensky University, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. (Received June 21, 1972; )     

Fermentation of starch to ethanol by a co-culture of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Static fermentation of starch to ethanol by a co-culture of Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Saccharomyces cerevisiae without addition of nutritional supplements was investigated with respect to initial starch concentration, pH of the media and initial dry weight ratio of Sps. fibuligera to Sacc. cerevisiae biomass (I _R).Optimal conditions for ethanol production were: starch from 20 to 30 g/l; initial pH values from 5.8 to 6.0; and I _R values of 2.0 or 3.0. The highest attained ethanol concentration, 13.7 g/l, represented 88% of the theoretical yield.K. Pirelová, D. mogroviová and . Balá are with the Department of Biochemical Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Slovak Polytechnic University, Radlinského 9, 81237 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.     

Stuart Schreiber

Stuart Schreiber is an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Morris Loeb Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University. His chemical biology research, which uses small molecules derived from diversity-oriented synthesis, observational screens and information science, has uncovered principles that underlie information transfer and storage in cells. Harvard's ICCB and its affiliated, NCI-sponsored Initiative for Chemical Genetics and the NIGMS-sponsored Center of Excellence in Chemical Methodologies and Library Development are facilitating his research.     

Purification and properties of mannanase from Bacillus subtilis

Extracellular mannanase from Bacillus subtilis NM-39, an isolate from Philippine soil, was purified about 240-fold with a yield of 7.3% by ammonium sulphate fractionation, DEAE-Toyopearl chromatography and Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration. Its M _r was 38 kDa and it had a pI of 4.8 and optimum activity at pH 5.0 and 55°C. It was stable at pH 4 to 9 and below 55°C. The amino acid composition of the enzyme was in the order Gly>Glx>Ser and Asx>Ala.N.S. Mendoza and L.M. Joson are with Industrial Technology Development Institute, Department of Science and Technology, Manila, Philippines. M. Arai and T. Kawaguchi are with Department of Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture, Sakai, Osaka 593, Japan; T. Yoshida is with Faculty of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565, Japan.