Comparative adsorption of human enteroviruses, simian rotavirus, and selected bacteriophages to soils.

Virus adsorption to soils is considered to be the most important factor in removing viruses after land treatment of wastewater. Most of the studies on virus adsorption to soils have utilized poliovirus as the model system. In the present study, comparative adsorption of a number of different types and strains of human enteroviruses and bacteriophages to nine different soil types was studied. Under the experimental conditions of this study, greater than 90% of all viruses adsorbed to a sandy loam soil except echovirus types 1, 12, and 29 and a simian rotavirus (SA-11), which adsorbed to a considerably lower degree. A great deal of variability was observed between adsorption of different strains of echovirus type 1, indicating that viral adsorption to soils is highly strain dependent. Of the five phages studied, f2 and phi X174 adsorbed the least. In addition to being dependent on type and strain of virus, adsorption was found to be influenced also by type of soil. Thus, soils having a saturated pH of less than 5 were generally good adsorbers. From these results, it appears that no one enterovirus or coliphage can be used as the sole model for determining the adsorptive behavior of viruses to soils and that no single soil can be used as the model for determining viral adsorptive capacity of all soil types.     

Distribution of Plasmids in Heterocystous Cyanobacteria

The distribution of plasmids was studied in 15 different heterocystous cyanobacteria using agarose gel electrophoresis. Out of these, six were found to possess only one plasmid DNA of size ranging from 30–33 mD. A simplified and less time consuming protocol for studying the plasmids has been suggested.     

Carbon Concentration Mechanism(s) in Unicellular Green Algae and Cyanobacteria

Unicellular green algae and cyanobacteria have mechanism(s) to actively concentrate dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) into the cells, only if they are grown with air levels of CO₂. The DIC concentration mechanisms are environmental adaptations to actively transport and accumulate inorganic carbon into the chloroplasts of green algae or into the carboxysomes of cyanobacteria. The current working model of cyanobacterial carbon concentration mechanism consists of at least two basic components: an active C_i transport system and a Rubisco-rich polyhedral carboxysome. In case of unicellular green algae, the working model for DIC concentration mechanism includes several isoforms of carbonic anhydrase (CA), and ATPase driven active bicarbonate transporters at the plasmalemma and at the inner chloroplast envelopes. In the past twenty years, significant progress has been made in isolating and characterizing the isoforms of carbonic anhydrase. However, active transporters are yet to be characterized. This mini-review summarizes the current status of research on DIC-pumps including its significance and possible application to increase the productivity of plants of economic importance.