Towards the biological control of fungal and bacterial diseases of tomato using antagonistic Streptomyces spp.

This investigation was designed to explore the potential of microbial antagonism in the control of some tomato diseases including bacterial, Fusarium and Verticillium wilts; early blight; bacterial canker. Three Streptomyces spp. were used: S. pulcher, S. canescens and S. citreofluorescens.The in vitro studies showed that an 80% concentration of the culture filtrate of either S. pulcher or S. canescens significantly inhibited spore germination, mycelial growth and spotulation of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici, Verticillium albo-atrum and Alternaria solani. The same concentration of filtrate of either S. pulcher or S. citreofluorescens was detrimental to the bacterial populations of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and Pseudomonas solanacearum.The in vivo studies involved different treatments: soaking tomato seeds in filtrate of the antagonist prior to sowing, inoculation of the soil with the antagonist 7 days before sowing, and coating of tomato seeds with spores of the antagonist before sowing. The seed-coating treatment was the most effective in controlling all the pathogens at 42 and 63 days after sowing. Soil inoculation with the antagonist 7 days prior to sowing was less effective in controlling the tomato pathogens as compared to seed-coating. The seed-soaking treatment was the least effective in controlling the diseases concerned.The results also revealed that seed-coating with antagonistic Streptomyces spp. significantly improved tomato growth.     

Elektronenmikroskopische und experimentelle Untersuchungen über die Kragendrüse von Polyxenus lagurus (L.) (Diplopoda,Penicillata)

Zusammenfassung 1. Die unpaare Glandula perioesophagealis von Polyxenus lagurus ist eine endokrine Drüse. Sie liegt zwischen Pharynxdach und Gehirn. Im Bereich des Hinterkopfs umgibt sie den Vorderdarm manschettenförmig.2. Die Drüse ist am Nervus glandulae perioesophagealis, der sich in ihr aufzweigt, befestigt. Viele Axone dieses Nervs führen Neurosekret.3. Die Drüsenzellen sind typische Podocyten. Zwischen ihren Pedicellen erstrecken sich viele weitlumige Interzellularräume. In den Pedicellen findet man zahlreiche Vesikulationen. Benachbarte Pedicellen sind durch Diaphragmata verbunden. DarÜber hinaus sind die Drüsenzellen durch viele Lysosomen und unregelmäßig gewundene, elektronendichte tubuläre Strukturen gekennzeichnet. Das endoplasmatische Retikulum ist spärlich entwickelt.4. Tiere, bei denen experimentell die Häutung ausgelöst wurde, zeichnen sich durch aktivierte Drüsenzellen aus. Die Anzahl der Mitochondrien, Golgi-Komplexe, Lysosomen und freien Ribosomen steigt jetzt an. Das endoplasmatische Retikulum tritt stark in Erscheinung. Es ist tubulär, häufig angeschwollen und mit flockigem Material gefüllt. Seine Membranen sind überwiegend mit Ribosomen besetzt, stellenweise aber auch agranulär. Jetzt treten auch zusammengesetzte Körper auf.

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Electron microscopic and experimental studies on the collar gland of Polyxenus lagurus (L.) (diplopoda, penicillata)

Summary 1. The unpaired glandula perioesophagealis of Polyxenus lagurus is an endocrine gland. It is located in the head between the roof of the pharynx and the brain. In the region of the back of the head it surrounds the foregut like a cuff.2. The gland is attached to an unpaired nervus glandulae perioesophagealis which branches in it. Many axons of this nerve contain neurosecretory granules.3. The gland cells are typical podocytes. Between their pedicles there are many wide intercellular spaces. A large number of cytoplasmic vesicles are found in the pedicles. Neighbouring pedicles are connected by diaphragmata. Moreover, the cells are characterized by many lysosome-like structures and tubular irregularly-bent electron-dense structures. The endoplasmic reticulum is sparsely developed.4. In animals in experimentally-induced molting, the gland cells are activated: the numbers of mitochondria, Golgi complexes, lysosome-like structures and free ribosomes are increased. The endoplasmic reticulum is conspicuous; it is tubular, often swollen, and filled with floccular material. It is predominantly granular but smooth in places. Complex cytoplasmic bodies are detectable.

     

Inhibitory effect of hena (Lawsonia inermis leaves) and carrot root on aflatoxin production byAspergillus parasiticus

Experiments were undertaken to evaluate the effect of some natural products (hena, and carrot root) on growth and aflatoxins production byAspergillus parasiticus FRR 2752. Powdered hena (0.5 and 5%) inhibited mycelial growth and delayed 1 sporulation ofA parasiticus during 7 days. The inhibition of growth was increased with increasing the added amount. Aflatoxins production byA parasiticus was reduced with 40–100% in the presence of hena (Lawsonia inermis leaves). Carrot root extract stimulated the fungal growth and aflatoxin production, whereas carrot root fibers slightly enriched fungal growth, inhibited aflatoxins production (B₁, G₁, and G₂), but there was no inhibition of aflatoxin B₂ production byA parasiticus.     

Circular dichroism and photocycle kinetics of partially detergent solubilized and partially retinal regenerated bacteriorhodopsin

The circular dichroism (CD) spectra and the kinetics of the M₄₁₂ formation have been determined and compared for bacteriorhodopsin (bR) partially delipidated by the addition of Triton X-100 and partially reconstituted by the addition of retinal to apoprotein at pH 6.8 and 22°C. As the degree of delipidation increases or the fraction of reconstitution decreases, the following observations are made: (a) the shape of the visible CD band changes from biphasic, as found in bR, to a single monomer type band; (b) the CD spectra and the deprotonation rate constants change in a similar way; (c) the relative amplitudes of the components of the deprotonation kinetics do not change upon reconstitution, but change greatly upon delipidation. These results lead to the conclusion that the CD band shape as well as the deprotonation rate constants are sensitive to one type of perturbation, which is linked to the retinal structure within the protein environment, whereas the relative amplitudes of the components of the deprotonation kinetics are sensitive to another type, which may be linked to acid-base equilibria of the amino acid side groups within the active site.     

Production of dextransucrase by Leuconostoc mesenteroides immobilized in calcium-alginate beads: I. Batch and fed-batch fermentations

In batch fermentation Leuconostoc mesenteroides immobilized in calcium alginate beads produced a total dextransucrase activity equal to about 93% of that by free, suspended bacterial cells under comparable conditions in a bubble column reactor. Continuous sucrose feeding (5 g/L h) to the immobilized-cell culture in the airlift bioreactor increased production of enzymatic activity by about 107% compared with ordinary batch operation of this reactor. About 14% of the enzymatic activity produced by the immobilized cells appears as soluble activity in the cell-free broth compared with about 40% in case of free cells. In an airlift bioreactor, both the soluble and the intact (sorbed and entrapped) enzymatic activity produced by the immobilized bacterial cells was about 34% greater under automatic pH control, compared to that produced in a bubble column reactor with only manual pH control. During formation of dextran by intact enzyme within cells and beads, declines are observed in apparent enzymatic activity.     

Production via good manufacturing practice of exofucosylated human mesenchymal stromal cells for clinical applications

Background

The regenerative and immunomodulatory properties of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) have raised great hope for their use in cell therapy. However, when intravenously infused, hMSCs fail to reach sites of tissue injury. Fucose addition in α(1,3)-linkage to terminal sialyllactosamines on CD44 creates the molecule known as hematopoietic cell E-/L-selectin ligand (HCELL), programming hMSC binding to E-selectin that is expressed on microvascular endothelial cells of bone marrow (BM), skin and at all sites of inflammation. Here we describe how this modification on BM-derived hMSCs (BM-hMSCs) can be adapted to good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards.

Influence of PEG induced drought stress on molecular and biochemical constituents and seedling growth of Egyptian barley cultivars

In order to investigate the effects of drought stress on germination components of barley cultivars, a laboratory experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized complete design with four replications. The controlled experiment included ten of Egyptian barley cultivars namely; (Giza 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 129, 130, 134, 135 and 2000) as first factor. The second factor included 4 levels of drought stress inducer by applying 0, 5, 10 and 20% of polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG) which is equivalent to four osmotic potential levels including ?0.001, ?0.27, ?0.54 and ?1.09 MPa, respectively. The results showed that, the highest reduction was related to the drought level of 20% PEG among the barley cultivars. The best cultivars in terms of germination traits were Giza 134, Giza 127, and Giza 126 this indicate their tolerance to drought stress and Giza 130, 135, 2000 cultivars was moderately tolerance and remaining is less tolerance. The protein band 27 kDa and 78 kDa showed high intensity after stress in almost all cultivars. Those two protein bands their exciting was very clear in treated barley leaf tissue. It could be related to dehydrine and oxygen evolving enhancer protein 2 (OEE2) which involved in drought stress tolerance response. Cultivars Giza 127, 130 and 134 showed highest tolerance response under drought stress. The antioxidant enzymes PAGE pattern of Peroxidase (POX), Sodium dismutase (SOD) and Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) for Barley cultivars under drought stress revealed a high activities for Giza 126, 127, 134, 136 and 2000 under ?0.5 MPa osmotic stress by PEG in most of their isoforms. Based on similarity coefficient values the highest values were 1.0 with 100% similarly between tolerant cultivars Giza 130 and Giza 127. Similarly between the susceptible cultivars 125 and Giza 129 was 60%.These data confirmed by the growth parameters which we ranked as tolerant to drought stress.     

Andrenocorticotropin and β-lipotropin in the hypothalamus

Adrenocorticotropin and β-lipotropin (β-LPH) have been localized by immunoperoxidase methods in nerve cells and fibers of the hypothalamus and brain stem of the ewe. 6-μm sections were immunostained first for either ACTH or β-LPH. The reaction products and the antibody complexes were then eluted completely from the tissue, and the same section was immunostained for the second peptide. Absorption of the primary antisera with a variety of peptide fragments of ACTH and β-LPH demonstrated, immunocytochemically as well as by radioimmunoassay, that the ACTH and β-LPH antisera were directed to the COOH- and NH(2)-termini of the peptides, respectively. Neither antiserum recognized any portion of the heterologous peptide. In the sequential staining procedure on the same tissue section, preincubation of the antisera with the homologous peptide abolished the staining, whereas preincubation with the heterologous peptide did not affect it, regardless of the order followed. Every nerve cell in the arcuate nucleus that contained ACTH also contained β-LPH, but β-LPH cells appeared, probably falsely, to be twice as numerous as ACTH cells. β-LPH-positive fibers in and beyond the hypothalamus were also more numerous and stained more intensively than ACTH fibers. The salient exception was fibers in the infundibular zona externa, where the opposite was true. Our observations establish that ACTH and β-LPH are contained in the same nerve cells They stongly favor biosynthesis in brain, probably from a common precursor molecule, as has been demonstrated in the pituitary gland. The complexity of the cytologic distribution pattern described suggests that the two peptides are not processed in the same manner by the nerve cell.