Interconversion of polyamines in wild-type strains and mutants of yeasts and the effects of polyamines on their growth

Yeasts of wild-type strains, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Candida albicans were shown to have the ability to form aminopropylcadaverine and aminopropylhomospermidine from cadaverine and homospermidine, respectively. A polyamine autotroph S. cerevisiae 179-5, which lacks ornithine decarboxylase, produced both aminopropylcadaverine and aminopropylhomospermidine, while another mutant S. cerevisiae Y 260 A, which lacks spermine synthase, formed only aminopropylcadaverine. Naturally-occurring triamines and tetraamines except norspermidine and norspermine stimulated the growth of S. cerevisiae 179-5. All the six aliphatic diamines with carbon chain length ranging from one to six were effective in activating the growth of S. cerevisiae 179-5, though all of them were not converted to either triamines or tetraamines.     

Synthesis of protein and mRNA is necessary for transition of suspension-cultured Catharanthus roseus cells from the G1 to the S phase of the cell cycle

The effects of inhibition of the synthesis of protein, mRNA or rRNA on the progression of the cell cycle have been analyzed in cultures of Catharanthus roseus in which cells were induced to divide in synchrony by the double phosphate starvation method. The partial inhibition of protein synthesis at the G₁ phase by anisoniycio or cycloheximide caused the arrest of cells in the G₁ phase or delayed the entry of cells into the S phase. When protein synthesis was partially inhibited at the S phase, cell division occurred to about the same extent as in the control. When asynchronously dividing cells were treated with cycloheximide, cells accumulated in the G₁ phase, as shown by flow-cytometric analysis. The partial inhibition of mRNA synthesis by α-amanitin at the G₁ phase caused the arrest of cells in the G₁ phase, although partial inhibition of mRNA synthesis at the S phase had little effect on cell division. In the case of inhibition of synthesis of rRNA by actinomycin D at the G₁ phase, initiation of DNA synthesis was observed, but no subsequent DNA synthesis or the division of cells occurred. However, the addition of actinomycin D during the S phase had no effect on cell division. These results suggest that specific protein(s), required for the progression of the cell cycle, are synthesized in the G₁ phase, and that the mRNA(s) that encode these proteins are also synthesized at the G₁ phase.     

Application of ozone disinfection to remove Enterococcus seriolicida, Pasteurella piscicida, and Vibrio anguillarum from seawater.

Survival of bacterial fish pathogens, including Enterococcus seriolicida, Vibrio anguillarum, and Pasteurella piscicida, in ozonated seawater was determined in a batch system. Bacterial counts of all fish pathogens decreased at more than 0.040 to 0.060 mg of total residual oxidants (TROs) per liter, whereas no decrease in viable counts was observed at less than 0.018 to 0.028 mg of TROs per liter. The 99% inactivation point was achieved at concentrations of 0.111 mg/liter for E. seriolicida, 0.063 mg/liter for P. piscicida, and 0.064 mg/liter for V. anguillarum within 1 min. Moreover, the mean 99 and 99.9% killing concentration-contact time (C.t) products were 0.123 and 0.186 mg.min/liter for E. seriolicida, 0.056 and 0.084 mg.min/liter for P. piscicida, and 0.081 and 0.123 mg.min/liter for V. anguillarum, respectively. However, the mean 99 and 99.9% C.t products for the mixed population in coastal seawater were 0.200 and 0.621 mg.min/liter. These results strongly suggest that ozone treatment at more than 1.0 mg of TROs per liter for several minutes is able to disinfect seawater for mariculture efficiently.     

Bacterial dissolution of pyrite by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

The kinetics of the dissolution of pure pyrite (FeS₂) particles by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans were studied both theoretically and experimentally. Adsorption and dissolution experiments were carried out at 30 °C and pH=2, by using a batch reactor. The adsorption process of T. ferrooxidans to pyrite surface was rapid in comparison with the bacterial dissolution process. The experimental results for the adsorption equilibrium were well correlated by the Langmuir type isotherm. The growth rate of adsorbed bacteria was found to be proportional to the product of the number of adsorbed cells and the fraction of solid surface unoccupied by cells. A new kinetic model for the bacterial dissolution was presented, and shown to correlate well with the experimental data for the rate of bacterial dissolution and for the time variation in the number of cells in the liquid phase. The specific growth rate of adsorbed bacteria was also evaluated.List of Symbols f weight fraction of iron in pyrite - K _A m³/cells equilibrium constant for cell adsorption - R _A cells/d m³-mixture growth rate of bacteria adsorbed on solid surface - R _L cells/d m³-mixture growth rate of free bacteria in the liquid phase - t d time - V m³ volume of solid-liquid mixture - W kg weight of pyrite - W ₀ kg initial weight of pyrite - X _A cells/kg-solid number of adsorbed cells on solid surface - X _Am cells/kg-solid maximum adsorption capacity - X _L cells/m³-liquid number of free cells existing in the liquid phase - X _T cells/m³-mixture total number of cells - X _TO cells/m³ initial total number of cells - Y _A cells/kg-FeS₂ growth yield of adsorbed bacteria - Y _L cells/kg-Fe²⁺ growth yield of free bacteria - [Fe] _T kg/m³-liquid concentration of total iron in the liquid phase - fraction of pyrite dissolved - _V fraction of adsorption sites unoccupied by cells - _A d^–1 specific growth rate of adsorbed bacteria - _L d^–1 specific growth rate of free bacteria - volume fraction of solid particles in solid-liquid mixture     

Impairment of Mobility in Endodermal Cells by FAK Deficiency

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a novel nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase that localizes in focal adhesions. It is expressed in a variety of cell types, and we reported earlier that its deficiency causes a decrease of mobility in mesodermal cells with enhanced formation of focal adhesions. With embryoid bodies generated from embryonic stem cells, we also observed a decrease of mobility in FAK-deficient endodermal cells with enhanced focal adhesion formation.     

The DNA replication priming protein, PriA, is required for homologous recombination and double-strand break repair.

The PriA protein, a component of the phiX174-type primosome, was previously shown to be essential for damage-inducible DNA replication in Escherichia coli, termed inducible stable DNA replication. Here, we show that priA::kan null mutants are defective in transductional and conjugational homologous recombination and are hypersensitive to mitomycin C and gamma rays, which cause double-strand breaks. The introduction of a plasmid carrying the priA300 allele, which encodes a mutant PriA protein capable of catalyzing the assembly of an active primosome but which is missing the n'-pas-dependent ATPase, helicase, and translocase activities associated with PriA, alleviates the defects of priA::kan mutants in homologous recombination, double-strand break repair, and inducible stable DNA replication. Furthermore, spa-47, which was isolated as a suppressor of the broth sensitivity of priA::kan mutants, suppresses the Rec- and mitomycin C sensitivity phenotypes of priA::kan mutants. The spa-47 suppressor mutation maps within or very near dnaC. These results suggest that PriA-dependent primosome assembly is crucial for both homologous recombination and double-strand break repair and support the proposal that these processes in E. coli involve extensive DNA replication.     

Biological and physicochemical characterization of recombinant human erythropoietins fractionated by Mono Q column chromatography and their modification with sialytransferase

Ten erythropoietin (EPO) fractions differing in sialic acid content, ranging from 9.5 to 13.8 mol mol^–1 of EPO, were obtained from baby hamster kidney cell-derived recombinant human EPO by Mono Q column chromatography. The mean pI values of the EPO fractions determined by IEF-gel electrophoresis systematically shifted from 4.11 to 3.31, coinciding with the sialic acid content, without a change in the constitution of asialo N-linked oligosaccharides of each fraction. Although a linear relationship between thein vivo bioactivity and the sialic acid content of the fractionated, samples was observed until 12.1 mol mol^–1 of EPO, there was no further increase in their activity over 12.4 mol mol^–1 of EPO. On the other hand, an inverse relationship between thein vitro bioactivity and sialic acid content of EPO was observed. Also, we showed that thein vivo bioactivity of some fractions with low sialic acid contents was increased after treatment with 2,6-sialyltransferase, but thein vivo bioactivity of the other fractions with high sialic acid contents was either decreased or not affected.Abbreviations EPO erythropoietin - rHuEPO recombinant human erythropoietin - hCG human chorionic gonadotropin - BHK baby hamster kidney - CHO Chinese hamster ovary - NeuAc N-acetyl neuraminic acid - Gal galactose - HRCs hemolyser-resistant cells - WST-1 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium Na - IEF isoelectric focusing - pI isoelectric point     

Expression of NADH-Dependent Glutamate Synthase in Response to the Supply of Nitrogen in Rice Cells in Suspension Culture

The effects of inorganic and organic nitrogen on the levelsof mRNA for NADH-dependent glutamate synthase (GOGAT) and theprotein were examined in rice cells in suspension culture. Asupply of NH⁺₄, NO^-₃, glutamine, or asparagine induced the accumulationof the protein and mRNA, but levels of mRNA for ferredoxin-GOGATwere hardly affected. ¹Present address: P.C. Center Wakuya-cho, Toda-gun, Miyagi,Japan.     

Selective inhibitors of germination of legume seeds in activated sludge compost

Water extracts of the compost produced from activated sludge and coffee residue were found to be selectively inhibitory to seed germination of some legumes. Germination rate of white clover (Trifolium repens L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seeds were reduced to 2, 29 and 73% of the control, respectively, by water extracts of the compost (20 g l^–1). However, the extracts did not show any inhibition to seed germination of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench), African millet (Eleusine coracana Gaertn.), and Komatsuna (Brassica rapa L.) at the same concentration. The inhibitors in the compost extracts were separated by ion-exchange chromatography and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the inhibitory activities of seed germination were tested with white clover seeds. Five inhibitors were isolated and identified as 3,4-dichlorophenylacetic acid (3,4-DCP), 3,4-dichlorobenzoic acid (3,4-DCB), 3,4,5-trichlorophenylacetic acid, 3,4,5-trichlorobenzoic acid and mono-2-ethylhexylphthalate by ¹H-, ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The inhibitory activities of some authentic chemicals of the inhibitors and the related compounds were compared. The results indicated that the main inhibitor in the compost could be 3,4-DCB, which was contained at the concentration of 6.58 mg kg^–1 compost and showed the strongest inhibitory effect on seed germination of white clover among the tested compounds.