A cybernetic model to predict the effect of freely available nitrogen substrate on rifamycin B production in complex media

It is well-known that secondary metabolite production is repressed by excess nitrogen substrate available in the fermentation media. Although the nitrogen catabolite repression has been known, quantitative process models have not been reported to represent this phenomenon in complex medium. In this paper, we present a cybernetic model for rifamycin B production via Amycolatopsis mediterranei S699 in complex medium, which is typically used in industry. Nitrogen substrate is assumed to be present in two forms in the medium; available nitrogen (S _ANS) such as free amino acids and unavailable nitrogen (S _UNS) such as peptides and proteins. The model assumes that an inducible enzyme catalyzes the conversion of S _UNS to S _ANS. Although S _ANS is required for growth and product formation, high concentrations were found to inhibit rifamycin production. To experimentally validate the model, five different organic nitrogen sources were used that differ in the ratio of S _ANS/S _UNS. The model successfully predicts higher rifamycin B productivity for nitrogen sources that contain lower initial S _ANS. The higher productivity is attributed to the sustained availability of S _ANS at low concentration via conversion of S _UNS to S _ANS, thereby minimizing the effects of nitrogen catabolite repression on rifamycin production. The model can have applications in model-based optimization of substrate feeding recipe and in monitoring and control of fed batch processes.     

Hierarchical amino acid utilization and its influence on fermentation dynamics: rifamycin B fermentation using Amycolatopsis mediterranei S699, a case study

Background  

Industrial fermentation typically uses complex nitrogen substrates which consist of mixture of amino acids. The uptake of amino acids is known to be mediated by several amino acid transporters with certain preferences. However, models to predict this preferential uptake are not available. We present the stoichiometry for the utilization of amino acids as a sole carbon and nitrogen substrate or along with glucose as an additional carbon source. In the former case, the excess nitrogen provided by the amino acids is excreted by the organism in the form of ammonia. We have developed a cybernetic model to predict the sequence and kinetics of uptake of amino acids. The model is based on the assumption that the growth on a specific substrate is dependent on key enzyme(s) responsible for the uptake and assimilation of the substrates. These enzymes may be regulated by mechanisms of nitrogen catabolite repression. The model hypothesizes that the organism is an optimal strategist and invests resources for the uptake of a substrate that are proportional to the returns.     

干旱胁迫对宁夏枸杞生长及果实糖分积累的影响

文章研究不同干旱胁迫下宁夏枸杞生长及果实糖分积累的变化规律,为宁夏枸杞在干旱地区高产栽培提供参考依据。采用盆栽控水试验,设置正常灌水、轻度干旱、中度干旱和重度干旱处理,研究了干旱胁迫对宁夏枸杞植株生长、生物量分配以及果实糖分积累的影响。结果表明：干旱抑制宁夏枸杞新稍、果实、株高和地径的生长：随着干旱程度加剧,根和茎中干物质分配率逐渐升高,而枝条、叶和果实中干物质分配率大幅降低;轻度干旱有利于果实发育过程中果糖的积累,中度和重度干旱胁迫则不利于成熟期果糖和蔗糖积累;干旱胁迫明显降低成熟期转化酶、蔗糖磷酸合成酶（SPS）和蔗糖合成酶（SS）的活性;果实发育过程中果糖的含量与SPS和转化酶活性存在极显著相关。可见,在果实发育期,土壤含水量为田间持水量55％以上,能促进宁夏枸杞果实中糖分积累,有效提高果实品质。     

Enhanced sensitivity of aged fibrotic hearts to angiotensin II- and hypokalemia-induced early afterdepolarization-mediated ventricular arrhythmias

Unlike young hearts, aged hearts are highly susceptible to early afterdepolarization (EAD)-mediated ventricular fibrillation (VF). This differential may result from age-related structural remodeling (fibrosis) or electrical remodeling of ventricular myocytes or both. We used optical mapping and microelectrode recordings in Langendorff-perfused hearts and patch-clamp recordings in isolated ventricular myocytes from aged (24-26 mo) and young (3-4 mo) rats to assess susceptibility to EADs and VF during either oxidative stress with ANG II (2 μM) or ionic stress with hypokalemia (2.7 mM). ANG II caused EAD-mediated VF in 16 of 19 aged hearts (83%) after 32 ± 7 min but in 0 of 9 young hearts (0%). ANG II-mediated VF was suppressed with KN-93 (Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase inhibitor) and the reducing agent N-acetylcysteine. Hypokalemia caused EAD-mediated VF in 11 of 11 aged hearts (100%) after 7.4 ± 0.4 min. In 14 young hearts, however, VF did not occur in 6 hearts (43%) or was delayed in onset (31 ± 22 min, P < 0.05) in 8 hearts (57%). In patch-clamped myocytes, ANG II and hypokalemia (n = 6) induced EADs and triggered activity in both age groups (P = not significant) at a cycle length of >0.5 s. When myocytes of either age group were coupled to a virtual fibroblast using the dynamic patch-clamp technique, EADs arose in both groups at a cycle length of <0.5 s. Aged ventricles had significantly greater fibrosis and reduced connexin43 gap junction density compared with young hearts. The lack of differential age-related sensitivity at the single cell level in EAD susceptibility indicates that increased ventricular fibrosis in the aged heart plays a key role in increasing vulnerability to VF induced by oxidative and ionic stress.     

H2O2作为根源信号介导盐胁迫诱导的蚕豆气孔关闭反应

H2O2作为信号分子可被多种胁迫诱导产生并在细胞内积累,进而参与调节植物的抗逆反应。文章通过远红外热成像观察等实验发现,根部NaCl胁迫可诱导蚕豆气孔关闭,叶片温度上升,叶片内Na+和H2O2含量增加,蒸腾流汁液中H2O2浓度升高。另外,NaCl可直接诱导离体蚕豆根产生H2O2,却不能影响表皮条内H2O2含量。NaCl胁迫条件下产生的蒸腾流汁液可直接诱导表皮条气孔关闭,该过程可被抗氧化剂抗坏血酸(AsA)所逆转。这些结果表明,H2O2作为盐胁迫的根源信号,可能通过维管系统运输参与调节蚕豆气孔的关闭反应。     

Metabolic flexibility of d-ribose producer strain of Bacillus pumilus under environmental perturbations

The metabolic reaction rate vector is a bridge that links gene and protein expression alterations to the phenotypic endpoint. We present a simple approach for the estimation of flux distribution at key branch points in the metabolic network by using substrate uptake, metabolite secretion rate, and biomass growth rate for transketolase (tkt) deficient Bacillus pumilus ATCC 21951. We find that the glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) and pseudo catabolic/anabolic branch points are flexible in the D: -ribose-producing tkt deficient strain of B. pumilus. The normalized flux through the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) varied from 1.5 to 86?% under different growth conditions, thereby enabling substantial extracellular accumulation of D: -ribose under certain conditions. Interestingly, the flux through PPP was affected by the extracellular phosphate concentration and dissolved oxygen concentration. This metabolic flexibility may have been the underlying reason for this strain being selected from thousands of others in a screening for D: -ribose producers conducted in the 1970s.     

1962—2010年甘肃省黄土高原区干旱时空动态格局

借助ArcGIS 9.3和SPSS软件平台,根据甘肃省黄土高原区33个气象站1962—2010年气象资料,利用综合气象干旱指数(CI)从干旱率、干旱强度和干旱频率三方面对甘肃省黄土高原区近50年的干旱时空变化特征进行了分析。结果表明:春、秋季干旱率呈现显著增加趋势,夏、冬季干旱率呈略微增加趋势;夏季干旱频率最大,春季、秋季次之,冬季最少;春、秋季干旱以2000年来最为严重,夏季干旱以2000年以来、20世纪70年代和90年代均较严重,冬季干旱以20世纪80年代最为严重;甘肃省黄土高原区逐年干旱持续日数和干旱强度存在明显的年际波动,线性变化趋势明显;从空间分布来看,春、夏和秋季干旱多发区主要集中在甘肃省黄土高原区西北部,而106°E以西"临洮-通渭-天水"一线和庆阳东南部是干旱多发区变幅最大的地方,冬季干旱多发区主要集中在甘肃省黄土高原区南部。     

上海大莲湖退渔还湖工程水环境改善效果

于2010年4月-2011年2月逐月对上海大莲湖退渔还湖生态修复工程跟踪调查与监测,对工程前后大莲湖水环境理化指标进行分析比较,评估工程修复之后大莲湖水环境的改善效果.生态修复区内TP、TN、NO3--N、NH4+-N和COD比工程区外对照点分别降低了62.5％、72.2％、92.9％、63.3％和8.9％,溶解氧提高了11.1％,叶绿素a、浮游植物丰度和浮游植物生物量分别比工程区外降低了47.7％、15.3％和48.0％;生态修复工程区综合水质标识指数达到国家Ⅲ类水标准,而工程区外为Ⅳ类水;出水水质明显优于进水水质.修复工程区浮游植物区系得到良好改善,水生态系统具备了一定的自净能力.     

西藏蚋属一新种（双翅目：蚋科）

记述西藏自治区蚋属Simulium蚋亚属Simulium 1新种,以陈汉彬教授的名命名为汉彬蚋Simulium(Simulium) hanbini sp. nov.。该新种与Simulium (Simulium) jingfui Cai & An, 2008及Simulium (Simulium)liubaense Liu & An, 2009相似,但该蚋爪无基齿,拉氏器较长,食窦的形状也不同。模式标本保存在北京军事医学科学院医学昆虫标本馆。     

Construction, expression and identification of a recombinant streptococcal protein G

化学合成链球菌蛋白G的C3D基因片段,通过分子生物学的方法对蛋白G(proteinG)的C3[1]片段进行PCR扩增,拼接形成含有两个和三个重复C3片段的重组链球菌蛋白G,C3片段间以链接区D连接,即形成C3DC3和C3DC3DC3的形式,进而克隆到质粒pET21中,在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中表达.重组表达的蛋白经过DEAE - Sepharose和IgG- Sepharose纯化,得到纯化的重组蛋白.采用非竞争性酶免疫法对重组蛋白与不同来源IgG的结合常数进行测定,实验结果显示两种重组链球菌蛋白G均可有效地与小鼠、兔及山羊等多种不同来源抗体特异性结合.这些实验结果为下一步研究奠定了基础.