Competition in the gradostat: the role of the communication rate

In this paper we study a mathematical model of competition between two species of microorganisms for a single limiting nutrient in a laboratory device called a gradostat. A gradostat consists of several (we consider only two) chemostats (CSTR's) connected together so that material can flow between the vessels in such a way that a nutrient gradient is established. Our model is a slightly modified version of one considered recently by Jäger et al. [3], in that the rate of exchange of material between the two vessels (the communication rate) is allowed to differ from the dilution rate. The outcome of competition turns out to be surprisingly sensitive to variation of the communication rate. We identify several coexistence regimes in parameter space and describe a method for obtaining operating diagrams for given pairs of competing microorganisms.Research supported in part by NSF Grant DMS 8521605     

Torque generation in the flagellar motor of Escherichia coli: evidence of a direct role for FliG but not for FliM or FliN.

Among the many proteins needed for assembly and function of bacterial flagella, FliG, FliM, and FliN have attracted special attention because mutant phenotypes suggest that they are needed not only for flagellar assembly but also for torque generation and for controlling the direction of motor rotation. A role for these proteins in torque generation is suggested by the existence of mutations in each of them that produce the Mot- (or paralyzed) phenotype, in which flagella are assembled and appear normal but do not rotate. The presumption is that Mot- defects cause paralysis by specifically disrupting functions essential for torque generation, while preserving the features of a protein needed for flagellar assembly. Here, we present evidence that the reported mot mutations in fliM and fliN do not disrupt torque-generating functions specifically but, instead, affect the incorporation of proteins into the flagellum. The fliM and fliN mutants are immotile at normal expression levels but become motile when the mutant proteins and/or other, evidently interacting flagellar proteins are overexpressed. In contrast, many of the reported fliG mot mutations abolish motility at all expression levels, while permitting flagellar assembly, and thus appear to disrupt torque generation specifically. These mutations are clustered in a segment of about 100 residues at the carboxyl terminus of FliG. A slightly larger carboxyl-terminal segment of 126 residues accumulates in the cells when expressed alone and thus probably constitutes a stable, independently folded domain. We suggest that the carboxyl-terminal domain of FliG functions specifically in torque generation, forming the rotor portion of the site of energy transduction in the flagellar motor.     

以淀粉珠为载体的亲和层析法分离纯化高温α淀粉酶

 以淀粉珠为载体的亲和层析法分离纯化高温α淀粉酶张学忠,宋伦,王群,吴晓霞,唐锌进（吉林大学酶工程国家重点实验室,长春１３００２３;南京师范大学生物系,南京２１００２４）金凤燮等人从酒曲中筛选出高产热稳定α淀粉酶的菌株,命名为Ｂａｃｉｌｌｕｓｓｐ－ＪＦ...     

Bi（Ⅲ）与金属硫蛋白作用性质研究

 Ｂｉ（Ⅲ）与金属硫蛋白作用性质研究张保林,黄辉,朱凌燕,岳晟,唐雯霞（南京大学配位化学研究所,配位化学国家重点实验室,南京２１００９３）如何降低顺铂或其它抗癌铂的毒性,一直是癌症化疗中的重要课题之一,最近研究发现预先给大鼠或肺癌病人服用铋盐,可以极大...     

EFFECTS OF HELPER PROTEINS ENCODED BY p19 AND orf1-orf2 GENES ON Cyt1Aa PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN ACRYSTALLIFEROUS STRAIN OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS

A series of plasmids were constructed to examine the effects of p19 and orf1‐orf2 genes from Bacillus thuringiensis on Cyt1Aa synthesis and inclusion formation. The plasmids expressed the cyt1Aa gene along with either p19 or orf1‐orf2, or each of them coordinatively with p20 in the acrystalliferous strain of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis 4Q7. No effect on the expression of Cyt1Aa protein was found when P19 or Orf1‐Orf2 co‐expressed with Cyt1Aa. However, when including p20 gene, the constructs with p19 or orf1‐orf2 gene produced lower yield of Cyt1Aa proteins than without p19 or orf1‐orf2 gene. Electron microscopy observation and bioassay showed that P19 and Orf1‐Orf2 have no influence on the crystal size and toxicity of Cyt1Aa protein. It is presumed that P19 and Orf1‐Orf2 might have negative effects on Cyt1Aa synthesis in B. thuringiensis.     

肿瘤坏死因子－α（TNF－α）及白细胞介素1β（IL1－β）对胶质增生的影响及机理

本文利用小鼠大脑机械损伤模型及体外培养的胶质细胞,采用同位素渗入法观察了细胞介素及其抗体对胶质细胞增生的影响。结果表明：体外培养时ＴＮＦ－α在浓度为１０～２００ｕ／ｍｌ培养液时均能促进胶质细胞增生（Ｐ＜０．０５）,ＩＬ１－β在浓度为５～２００ｕ／ｍｌ培养液时能促进胶质细胞增生,ＴＮＦ－α＋ＩＬ１－β其促进胶质细胞增生作用更强烈,ＴＮＦ－α抗体能完全阻断ＴＮＦ－α的促增生作用,部分阻断ＴＮＦ－α＋ＩＬ１－β的促增生作用。在体实验时,ＩＬ１－β及ＴＮＦ－α的作用与离体时相似,ＩＬ１－β及ＴＮＦ－α亦能促进胶质细胞增生,二者共同作用时促细胞增生作用更强。以上结果提示,外源性ＴＮＦ－α及ＩＬ１－β能促进中枢神经损伤后胶质细胞增生且具有协同作用。     

Carcinogen activation by human liver enzymes in the Ames mutagenicity test.

Liver post-mitochondrial supernatants derived from 10 individuals were used as the source of metabolic activation for carcinogens in the Ames quantitative mutagenicity test using Salmonella typhimurium TA 100. The liver samples were obtained from brain-dead donors and autopsy cases. The ability of human enzymes to activate aromatic amines ranged from the undetectable to highly active for 2-acetylaminofluorene. None of the samples exhibited any ability to activate benzidine. A generally low activity was observed in the capability of human enzymes to activate the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, 3-methylcholanthrene and benzo(a)pyrene. Most samples were positive for activating 4-nitrobiphenyl. However, the highest mutagenic activity in the presence of human enzymes was consistently observed for aflatoxin B1 and sterigmatocystin. These results indicated that (a) human enzyme systems, like rodent systems, are more effective in inducing mutagenic activity from mycotoxins than aromatic amines and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and (b) samples derived from different individuals exhibited considerable variation in the ability to activate carcinogens belonging to a same class of compound.