Charactererization of novel non-toxic Bacillus thuringiensis isoloates from Korea

J.Y. ROH, H.W. PARK, B.R. JIN, H.S. KIM, Y.M. YU AND S.K. KANG. 1996. Four Bacillus thuringiensis isolates from soil samples produced parasporal inclusions which were non-toxic to insects. The isolates were named B. thuringiensis NTB-1, NTB-2, NTB-3 and NTB-4. The parasporal inclusions were shown to be ovoid by phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy. The serotypes of the four isolates were determined by agglutination using 33 antisera; NTB-1 and NTB-4 seemed to be subsp. isruelensis ,and NTB-2 seemed to be subsp. pondzcheriensis . NTB-3 did not react with the 33 antisera. However, comparison of parasporal protein and plasmid DNA patterns of the four isolates with those of 15 known non-toxic B. thuringiensis strains demonstrated that the four isolates are novel.     

Role of acetylation on metal induced precipitation of alginates

Acetylation dramatically effects both the solution properties and the metal induced precipitation of alginates. The presence of acetyl groups on both bacterial and seaweed alginate polymers marginally increased the weight average molecular weight (M_w) of each polymer by 7% and 11%, respectively. Acetylated bacterial alginate showed a significant increase in solution viscosity compared to its deacetylated counterpart. However microbial acetylation of seaweed alginate did not change its solution viscosity. Acetylation altered the calcium induced precipitation of both alginates. The presence of acetyl groups decreased the ability of each polymer to bind with calcium but increased their ability to bind with ferric Ion (Fe³⁺). By controlling the degree of acetylation on the alginate chains, it was possible to modify solution viscosity and cation induced precipitation of these polymers.     

Cellobiose-oxidizing enzyme from a newly isolated cellulolytic bacterium Cytophaga sp. LX-7

Summary The cellobiose oxidizing enzyme of the newly isolated cellulolytic bacterium Cytophaga sp. LX-7 was produced extracellularly when grown on cellulose or other saccharides, which was previously noted only in fungi. The enzyme could use not only cellobiose, maltose, glucose and other saccharides but also cellulose as substrates, and use dichlorophenol indophenol and oxygen as electron acceptors.     

Comparative study of nickel toxicity to growth and photosynthesis in nickel-resistant and -sensitive strains of Scenedesmus acutus f. alternans (Chlorophyceae)

Nickel (Ni) toxicity to growth and photosynthesis was studied in four strains of Scenedesmus acutus f. alternans. Effects of Ni dosage and duration of exposure on growth and photosynthesis were strain specific. Large differences in responses of both growth and photosynthesis to Ni were detected between three resistant strains (B4, Cu-Tol, and Ni-Tol) and one sensitive strain (UTEX 72). Growth of UTEX 72 was 18 times more sensitive to Ni than those of the three resistant strains. The order of Ni dosages (fmol Ni/pg cell dry weight) causing 50% inhibition (D₁₅₀) of growth rates in the four strains was Ni-Tol (10.5) > B4 (8.19) > Cu-Tol (4.60) > UTEX 72 (0.25). The effect of Ni dosage on photosynthetic rate as percentage of control corresponded to a saturation curve and was a strong function of duration of exposure. The DI₅₀s of photosynthetic rates were 3.5 times lower in UTEX 72 than in the three resistant strains, and in all four strains they decreased sharply with the increase in duration of exposure. The order of the four strains in DI₅₀s of photosynthetic rate was B4 (58.2) > Cu-Tol (38.0) > Ni-Tol (28.9) > UTEX 72 (8.24) for 6-h exposure and Ni-Tol (2.88) > Cu-Tol (1.30) > B4 (1.01) > UTEX 72 (0.15) for 24-h exposure. The DI₅₀s of photosynthetic rate for 6-h exposure were higher than those of growth rate in all four strains, and for 24-h exposure they were lower, except in UTEX 72. Thus, the relative Ni sensitivity of growth and photosynthesis of the four strains depends on the duration of exposure. The results of factorial analysis of variance suggested that Ni toxicity to photosynthesis is a consequence of a strong interaction among strain, Ni dosage, and duration of exposure.     

生物复苏——大绝灭后生物演化历史的第一幕

生命史是一部生物界短期,快速剧变与长期,慢速稳定相互交替的历史。大绝灭（即集群绝灭）事件反映了全球环境的大突变,点断了地质历史中的生命记录及其发展历程,预示着生物界的演化出现了最有意义的飞跃,近年来尝试研究大绝灭后全球生物界的残存－复苏及其基本型式,并探索复苏的控制因素,标志着地质科学中一个重心的转移（即从大绝灭转向其后的生物残存与复苏的研究）。生物复苏揭示了大绝灭后生物演化历史的第一幕,其研究的     

Identification of molecular markers in soybean comparing RFLP,RAPD and AFLP DNA mapping techniques

Three different DNA mapping techniques—RFLP, RAPD and AFLP—were used on identical soybean germplasm to compare their ability to identify markers in the development of a genetic linkage map. Polymorphisms present in fourteen different soybean cultivars were demonstrated using all three techniques. AFLP, a novel PCR-based technique, was able to identify multiple polymorphic bands in a denaturing gel using 60 of 64 primer pairs tested. AFLP relies on primers designed in part on sequences for endonuclease restriction sites and on three selective nucleotides. The 60 diagnostic primer pairs tested for AFLP analysis each distinguished on average six polymorphic bands. Using specific primers designed for soybean fromEco RI andMse I restriction site sequences and three selective nucleotides, as many as 12 polymorphic bands per primer could be obtained with AFLP techniques. Only 35% of the RAPD reactions identified a polymorphic band using the same soybean cultivars, and in those positive reactions, typically only one or two polymorphic bands per gel were found. Identification of polymorphic bands using RFLP techniques was the most cumbersome, because Southern blotting and probe hybridization were required. Over 50% of the soybean RFLP probes examined failed to distinguish even a single polymorphic band, and the RFLP probes that did distinguish polymorphic bands seldom identified more than one polymorphic band. We conclude that, among the three techniques tested, AFLP is the most useful.     

拟夏孢锈属（Uredinopsis）新记录种

采到骨状拟夏孢锈（Ｕｒｅｄｉｎｏｐｓｉｓ ｏｓｓｉｆｏｒｍｉｓ Ｋａｍｅｉ）为中国新记录种。     

长白山常绿针叶树越冬期间光合能力的抑制

在长白山地区以红皮云杉、樟子松为材料,研究其冬季光合能力的变化,探讨了除红松外的其它针叶树是否在冬季也存在光合抑制以及遮荫是否可减轻抑制等问题,结果表明,红皮云杉、樟子松有与红松相似的冬季光合抑制,但程度较轻;遮荫对减轻光合抑制非常有效,可以推测,在长白山地区或冬季气候与之相似的地区,常绿针叶树在冬季均可能表现光合抑制,遭受冬季光氧化伤害,并且其释放的ＣＯ２（光越强,释放量越大）是空气中ＣＯ２含量     

新疆呼图壁盐化草甸群落的DCA, CCA及DCCA分析

 本文应用DCA、CCA及DCCA排序技术对新疆呼图壁盐化草甸群落进行了分析。分析中选取了地下水位、粘土层出现深度、粘土层厚度、地下水pH值及地下水矿化度5个环境因子;同时为了分析空间格局对植被分异影响的大小,建立了样地空间坐标矩阵。结果表明：地下水位和地下水的pH值是引起植被分异的两个主要因素,空间格局对植被分异的影响大于环境因子对植被分异的影响。     

Uniparental Mitochondrial Transmission in the Cultivated Button Mushroom, Agaricus bisporus

A uniparental mitochondrial (mt) transmission pattern has been previously observed in laboratory matings of the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus on petri dishes. In this study, four sets of specific matings were further examined by taking mycelial plugs from the confluent zone of mated homokaryons and inoculating these plugs into rye grain for laboratory fruiting and for fruiting under industrial conditions. Examination of the mt genotype of each individual fruit body for mt-specific restriction fragment length polymorphisms further confirmed that the mt genome was inherited uniparentally. The vegetative radial growth and the fruiting activity of two pairs of intraspecific heterokaryons, each pair carrying the same combination of nuclear genomes but different mt genotypes, were compared. Our results suggested that the mt genotype did not appreciably affect radial growth or fruiting activity. The failure to recover both heterokaryons, each carrying either parental mt genotype in any given cross, therefore clearly indicated that in matings of A. bisporus, the mt genome from one of the parental homokaryons is either selectively excluded in the newly formed heterokaryon or selectively eliminated in the immediate heterokaryotic mitotic progeny of the newly formed heterokaryon.