Catalytic properties and amino acid sequence of endo-1→3-β-D-glucanase from the marine mollusk <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tapes literata</Emphasis>

A specific 1→3-β-D-glucanase with molecular mass 37 kDa was isolated in homogeneous state from crystalline style of the commercial marine mollusk Tapes literata. It exhibits maximal activity within the pH range from 4.5 to 7.5 at 45dgC. The 1→3-β-D-glucanase catalyzes hydrolysis of β-1→3 bonds in glucans as an endoenzyme with retention of bond configuration, and it has transglycosylating activity. The K _m for hydrolysis of laminaran is 0.25 mg/ml. The enzyme is classified as a glucan endo-(1→3)-β-D-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.39). The cDNA encoding this 1→3-β-D-glucanase from T. literata was sequenced, and the amino acid sequence of the enzyme was determined. The endo-1→3-β-D-glucanase from T. literata was assigned to the 16th structural family (GHF 16) of O-glycoside hydrolases.     

Sluggish methane discharge and biological traits of benthic invertebrates in Lake Baikal

Hydrobiologia - The biological traits of invertebrates inhabiting freshwater methane seeps are poorly understood. We analysed the relationship between invertebrate abundance and environmental...     

Efficient hydrogen production from the lignocellulosic energy crop Miscanthus by the extreme thermophilic bacteria Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus and Thermotoga neapolitana

Background  

The production of hydrogen from biomass by fermentation is one of the routes that can contribute to a future sustainable hydrogen economy. Lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive feedstock because of its abundance, low production costs and high polysaccharide content.     

Effects of cyanobacterial extracellular products and gibberellic acid on salinity tolerance in Oryza sativa L

The XI International Rotifer Symposium was held during 11–18 March, 2006 at the National Autonomous University of Mexico Campus Iztacala located at the North Mexico City (Mexico). These triennial international meetings, first organized in Austria by Late Ruttner-Kolisko in September 1976, are gradually becoming the focal point of discussion and collaboration from rotifer workers across the world. The present XI symposium was attended by 125 participants from 20 nations. During this meeting, different themes of rotifer research from morphology to molecular biology were considered. In addition, there were four invited lectures and four workshops covering different themes of the symposium. During the last 30 years, rotifer research has witnessed gradual shift from the conventional morphological taxonomy to molecular and evolutionary systematics. While the basic rotifer ecological studies continue today, applied areas such as ecotoxicology and aquaculture have taken key roles in the recent meetings. The international rotifer meetings provide ample opportunities not only for exchange of ideas and recent research, but also for material and in establishing inter-personal relationships. Over the last 30 years, the number of participants attending the rotifer meetings has increased.     

Aflatoxin contamination of rice in the United Arab Emirates

Many people in the United Arab Emirates store rice in large quantities for long periods of time before use. Five hundred samples of rice were collected from households in Al-Ain city during the summers of 1992-1994. Aflatoxin B₁ was detected in 160 samples (64%) of long grain rice and 81 Samples (32%) of short grain rice at levels ranging from 1.2 to 16.5 μg/kg. The moisture content of samples varied between 5.7% and 15.3%. Species ofAspergillus andPenicillium (includingA. flavus andA. parasiticus) were isolated from discoloured, broken and insect damaged grain and it was confirmed that at least two of the isolates ofA. flavus were aflatoxigenic. These findings demonstrate that rice may contribute to dietary exposure to aflatoxins which are known to be carcinogenic and immunosuppressive.     

The immunological efficacy of one, two and three inoculations against diphtheria in adults

The outbreak of diphtheria in the Republic of Belarus developed in the presence of a sharp deficiency of immunity among the population aged 35 years and over. In connection with a higher initial immunity level resulting from vaccination made in one injection the minimum antibody level (> or = 0.01 I.U./ml) was found in 79.7% of the examinees among the population under 35 years. For the age group of 35-60 years vaccination in one and two injections proved to be insufficiently effective (the minimum protective antibody titer was found, respectively, in 64.3% and 63.3% of the vaccinees). To achieve the full protection of this group of the population, vaccination in three injections was necessary; after that the minimum protective antibody titer was found in 90.7%, the protective antibody titer (0.1 I.U./ml) was found in 53.5% and the highly protective antibody titer (1.0 I.U./ml) was found in 11.6% of the examinees. The low level of highly protected persons among vaccinees receiving three injections was due to a low dose of diphtheria toxoid (2 Lf) in adsorbed DT-m vaccine with reduced antigen content.     

A genome-wide scan for signatures of directional selection in domesticated pigs

Background

Animal domestication involved drastic phenotypic changes driven by strong artificial selection and also resulted in new populations of breeds, established by humans. This study aims to identify genes that show evidence of recent artificial selection during pig domestication.

Results

Whole-genome resequencing of 30 individual pigs from domesticated breeds, Landrace and Yorkshire, and 10 Asian wild boars at ~16-fold coverage was performed resulting in over 4.3 million SNPs for 19,990 genes. We constructed a comprehensive genome map of directional selection by detecting selective sweeps using an F_ST-based approach that detects directional selection in lineages leading to the domesticated breeds and using a haplotype-based test that detects ongoing selective sweeps within the breeds. We show that candidate genes under selection are significantly enriched for loci implicated in quantitative traits important to pig reproduction and production. The candidate gene with the strongest signals of directional selection belongs to group III of the metabolomics glutamate receptors, known to affect brain functions associated with eating behavior, suggesting that loci under strong selection include loci involved in behaviorial traits in domesticated pigs including tameness.

Conclusions

We show that a significant proportion of selection signatures coincide with loci that were previously inferred to affect phenotypic variation in pigs. We further identify functional enrichment related to behavior, such as signal transduction and neuronal activities, for those targets of selection during domestication in pigs.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1330-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

The genetic transfer, heredity and phenotypic expression of plasmid RP4::Mu cts genes in Bacillus cereus

The transcipients were obtained in intrageneric matings of E.coli donor harbouring the plasmid PR4::Mu cts 62 with Bac. cereus GP7 recipient cells with the frequency 10(-9). The transcipient clone Bac. cereus 682 was selected having stably inherited and expressed the hybrid plasmid PR4::Mu cts 62 genes for antibiotic resistance and temperature sensitivity. Production of the bacteriophage Mu cts 62 particles was not registered in the bacillary transcipient cells. The plasmid RP4::Mu cts 62 genes were localized in the chromosome of Bac. cereus 682 transcipient by the blot-hybridization technique with 32P-labelled DNA of the bacteriophage Mu cts 62 and the plasmid PR4. The transcipient of Bac. cereus 682 has the donor properties and transfers the RP4::Mu cts 62 genes to recipient cells of Bac. cereus DSM 318 with the frequency of 10(-6)-10(-7). The expression and transfer of the gram-negative plasmid genes in gram-positive bacterial cells are discussed.