The Effect of Damage of a Plasma-Treated Polyurethane Surface on Bacterial Adhesion

Biophysics - Abstract—Elastic polyurethanes are flexible materials used in biomedical products. Plasma treatment is a promising method of surface modification. However, external deformation...     

Physiologo-biochemical properties of a strain of Beijerinckia mobilis 1phi Phn+--a degrader of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Beijerinckia mobilis 1f capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was isolated from a soil contaminated with creosote. Strain 1f could utilize phenanthrene and naphthalene as the sole sources of carbon. The mean rate of phenanthrene degradation during culture growth was 7-8 micrograms/(ml h). After cultivation under nonselective conditions, strain 1f retained its ability to degrade phenanthrene. Cometabolism considerably widened the range of PAHs that could be transformed by strain 1f. The strain was able to grow in a mineral medium with creosote as the sole source of carbon. After 30 days of cultivation in this medium, the total concentration of PAHs decreased from 665.5 mg/l to 170 mg/l.     

Influence of the degree of aeration on halotolerance of yeasts of the genera Candida,Rhodotorula, and Malassezia

The biochemical mechanisms were studied that determine different reactions of yeasts of different genera to two simultaneously imposed stressors, hypoxia and osmotic shock. For Candida lipolytica, these two stressors were antagonistic, which resulted in stimulation of yeast growth by NaCl (in a wide range of concentrations) under microaerobic conditions. The reaction of Malassezia sp. was different: the degree of halotolerance of this microorganism was lower under microaerobic conditions. An intervening reaction pattern was characteristic of Rhodotorula aurantiaca. These differences were found to be determined, above all, by the induction of a salt-resistant respiratory system (oxidase) in Candida lipolytica, which could not be induced in Malassezia sp. In addition, the synthesis of catalase was enhanced in Candida lipolytica, which provided for neutralization of the active forms of oxygen accumulating as a result of inhibition of other protective enzymes by salt.     

Phylogenetic diversity of aerobic saprotrophic bacteria isolated from the Daqing oil field

A diverse and active microbial community in the stratal waters of the Daqing oil field (China), which is exploited with the use of water-flooding, was found to contain aerobic chemoheterotrophic bacteria (including hydrocarbon-oxidizing ones) and anaerobic fermentative, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic bacteria. The aerobic bacteria were most abundant in the near-bottom zones of injection wells. Twenty pure cultures of aerobic saprotrophic bacteria were isolated from the stratal waters. Under laboratory conditions, they grew at temperatures, pH, and salinity values typical of the stratal water from which they were isolated. These isolates were found to be able to utilize crude oil and a wide range of hydrocarbons, fatty acids, and alcohols. Phylogenetic analysis carried out with the use of complete 16S rRNA sequences showed that the isolates could be divided into three major groups: gram-positive bacteria with a high and a low G + C content of DNA and gram-negative bacteria of the gamma-subclass of the Proteobacteria. Gram-positive isolates belonged to the genera Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Rhodococcus, Dietzia, Kocuria, Gordonia, Cellulomonas, and Clavibacter. Gram-negative isolates belonged to the genera Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. In their 16S rRNA sequences, many isolates were similar to the known microbial species and some probably represented new species.     

Efficiency of immunocorrection using cytokines in the therapy of papillomavirus infection

The data of the immunological examination and the results of treatment of 86 patients with papillomavirus infection (PVI) are presented. The multifactor suppression of cell-mediated and humoral immunity was established. The degree of immune disturbances correlated with the spread and severity of lesions. The use of systemic injections of cytokines (leukinferon and concentrated interferon) in low doses as adjuvant therapy with laser-radiosurgery led to the normalization of most immunological characteristics and the course of PVI without relapses.     

Clusterization of halophilic and halotolerant eubacteria using whole-cell protein electrophoresis data

Total cell proteins of the nineteen halophilic and halotolerant eubacteria isolated from marine sediments and highly mineralized formation waters of oil fields were investigated by SDS gel electrophoresis. The microorganisms studied, phenotypically identified as belonging to the genera Dietzia, Rhodococcus, Staphylococcus, Cytophaga, Brevibacterium, and Archangium, were found to form clearly distinguishable clusters (20-30% similarity at the generic level) on the dendrogram derived from electrophoretic protein patterns. Protein similarity data confirmed the heterogeneity of Rhodococcus maris and its relatedness to the genus Dietza.     

Microbiological and production characteristics of the high-temperature Kongdian bed revealed during field trial of biotechnology for the enhancement of oil recovery

Microbiological technology for the enhancement of oil recovery based on the activation of the stratal microflora was tested in the high-temperature horizons of the Kongdian bed (60 degrees C) of the Dagang oil field (China). This biotechnology consists in the pumping of a water-air mixture and nitrogen and phosphorus mineral salts into the oil stratum through injection wells in order to stimulate the activity of the stratal microflora which produce oil-releasing metabolites. Monitoring of the physicochemical, microbiological, and production characteristics of the test site has revealed large changes in the ecosystem as a result of the application of biotechnology. The cell numbers of thermophilic hydrocarbon-oxidizing, fermentative, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic microorganisms increased 10-10 000-fold. The rates of methanogenesis and sulfate reduction increased in the near-bottom zone of the injection wells and of some production wells. The microbial oil transformation was accompanied by the accumulation of bicarbonate ions, volatile fatty acids, and biosurfactants in the formation waters, as well as of CH4 and CO2 both in the gas phase and in the oil. Microbial metabolites promoted the additional recovery of oil. As a result of the application of biotechnology, the water content in the production liquid from the test site decreased, and the oil content increased. This allowed the recovery of more than 14000 tons of additional oil over 3.5 years.     

Description of Desulfotomaculum nigrificans subsp. salinus as a new species, Desulfotomaculum salinum sp. nov

This study focused on the physiological, chemotaxonomic, and genotypic characteristics of two thermophilic spore-forming sulfate-reducing bacterial strains, 435T and 781, of which the former has previously been assigned to the subspecies Desulfotomaculum nigrificans subsp. salinus. Both strains reduced sulfate with the resulting production of H2S on media supplemented with H2 + CO2, formate, lactate, pyruvate, malate, fumarate, succinate, methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, butyrate, valerate, or palmitate. Lactate oxidation resulted in acetate accumulation; butyrate was oxidized completely, with acetate as an intermediate product. Growth on acetate was slow and weak. Sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, and elemental sulfur, but not nitrate, served as electron acceptors for growth with lactate. The bacteria performed dismutation of thiosulfate to sulfate and hydrogen sulfide. In the absence of sulfate, pyruvate but not lactate was fermented. Cytochromes of b and c types were present. The temperature and pH optima for both strains were 60-65 degrees C and pH 7.0. Bacteria grew at 0 to 4.5-6.0% NaCl in the medium, with the optimum being at 0.5-1.0%. Phylogenetic analysis based on a comparison of incomplete 16S rRNA sequences revealed that both strains belonged to the C cluster of the genus Desulfotomaculum, exhibiting 95.5-98.3% homology with the previously described species. The level of DNA-DNA hybridization of strains 435T and 781 with each other was 97%, while that with closely related species D. kuznetsovii 17T was 51-52%. Based on the phenotypic and genotypic properties of strains 435T and 781, it is suggested that they be assigned to a new species: Desulfotomaculum salinum sp. nov., comb. nov. (type strain 435T = VKM B 1492T).