Decolorization of industrial effluents containing reactive dyes by actinomycetes

Abstract Actinomucete strains have been identified which decolorize effluents containing different types of reactive dyes. Adsorption of anthraquinone, phthalocyanine and azo dyes to the cells of some of the strains resulted in the decolorization of the effluents, but no degradation of the dyes was observed. In contrast, effluents containing an azo-copper complex and a formazan-copper complex dye were almost completely decolorized by several of the strains without adsorption to the cells. The observed changes in the visible spectra indicated a degradation during incubation with she strains.     

一株放线菌次生代谢产物化学成分的研究

目的：研究放线菌这类重要的可再生资源的次生代谢产物的化学成分。方法：通过对一株采集于云南西部土壤放线菌的发酵培养,发酵液经TLC分离纯化、高效液相分析检测、核磁共振和质谱测定。结果：从其次生代谢产物中分离获取了8个化合物,其中4个化合物的结构已经初步确定。结论：4个化合物中两个具有抗肿瘤活性,两个具有抑菌活性。     

Ammonium assimilation inNocardia asteroides

Specific enzymes of ammonium assimilation were measured in cell-free extracts ofNocardia asteroides grown in a synthetic medium with glutamate as the nitrogen source. Cell-free extracts had active glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) and alanine dehydrogenase (ADH) but glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) could not be detected in the enzyme preparation. This shows that GS/GOGAT is the major pathway of ammonium assimilation inN. asteroides.     

Enzyme inhibitors and other bioactive compounds from marine actinomycetes

Several enzyme-inhibitor-producing actinomycetes were isolated from various samples collected from the marine environment and characterized. Most of them produced novel compounds that are useful in medicine and agriculture. Actinomycete strain no. 18, which produces antibiotics against Gram-positive bacteria only in the presence of seawater, was isolated from sediment sampled from neritic sea water and characterized. The production of antibiotics was observed at seawater concentrations ranging from 60 to 110% (v/v). Thus, the production was seawater-dependent. The production of tetrodotoxin (TTX), known otherwise as puffer fish toxin, was investigated in various actinomycetes collected from the marine environment. Of 10 isolates from various sea areas, 9 produced TTX as judged by their retention times on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). To our knowledge, this is the first report of actinomycetes from the marine environment that produce TTX.     

Antifungal activities of actinomycete strains associated with high-altitude sagebrush rhizosphere

The antifungal-producing potential of actinomycete populations from the rhizosphere of low-altitude sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, has been examined. In a continued investigation of new sources of antifungal-producing microorganisms, this study examined the antifungal-producing potential of actinomycetes from the rhizosphere of high-altitude A. tridentata. With high-altitude sagebrush, rhizosphere soil actinomycete numbers were one to four orders of magnitude higher than those found in nonrhizosphere bulk soils and different from those found with the low-altitude plants. A total of 122 actinomycete isolates was screened against nine fungal species and six bacterial species for the production of antimicrobial compounds. Four rhizosphere isolates, Streptomyces amakusaensis, S. coeruleorubidus, S. hawaiiensis and S. scabies, showed broad-spectrum antifungal activity against three or more fungal species in plate assays. In liquid antagonism assays, mycelium production by Aspergillus niger was reduced by up to 50% by two of the actinomycete isolates. These results demonstrate the potential of rhizosphere microbiology in the search for new antimicrobials.     

链霉菌基因组中放线菌型整合性接合元件的识别

【目的】链霉菌染色体重组和外源DNA片段插入是影响其遗传多样性的主要因素。旨在考察放线菌型整合性接合元件(AICE)在链霉菌遗传多样性中所发挥的作用。【方法】基于AICE的特征性模块, 采用隐马尔科夫模型预测链霉菌基因组序列中的AICEs。【结果】在已全测序的12条链霉菌染色体和35个质粒中, 共识别出29个AICEs, 其中12个为首次报道。Streptomyces coelicolor基因组中发现了4个AICEs, 而其近缘的Streptomyces lividans却没有。【结论】AICEs都整合在链霉菌染色体的核心区, 且都具有典型的整合环出、复制和接合转移等核心模块, 这些可自行转移的元件在链霉菌基因组可塑性中扮演了重要角色。     

Influence of inoculation on yield ofAlnus glutinosa in the Netherlands

Summary The occurrence and the infectivity of Frankia, the root-nodule endophyte ofAlnus glutinosa, were studied in different kinds of soil in the Netherlands. Both field and pot experiments indicated that many soils, on which alders have not been grown before, had low numbers of endogenous Frankia or none at all. Inoculation of these soils usually enhanced growth and nodulation of alders.The effect of fertilizer treatments on growth and nodulation ofA. glutinosa were studied in experimental plots. Alders grown in sandy soils, dressed with farmyard manure had the highest yield and the most nodules. The influence of inoculation with homogenates of Sp(+) and Sp(–) nodules and with a pure culture of Frankia AvcIl were studied in pot experiments. The quantity of different kinds of inoculum needed to obtain good growth and nodulation of alder was estimated. The results indicated that addition of a nodule homogenate of 90 g fresh AvcIl Sp(+) nodules is sufficient to inoculate one hectare of nursery soil to produce 10 nodules per plant, while a thousand times larger amount of inoculum is necessary when Sp(–) nodules are used. The limitations and the potentials of using nodule homogenates and pure cultures of Frankia for inoculation in forestry are discussed.     

A method for the quantification ofFrankia by estimation of hyphal length

Summary The cellular mass ofFrankia, a filamentous actinomycete, was readily quantified by estimating hyphal length, using a modification of Tennant's method for the estimation of root length. Each sample ofFrankia was stained with Coomassie Brilliant blue G 250, dispersed well, and suspended in a 0.5% agar solution. One drop of the suspension was placed in a Petroff-Hausser counting chamber with 0.05 by 0.05mm grid squares. The number of intersections betweenFrankia hyphae and the grid lines in a standard area were counted under a microscope and converted to hyphal length. Using the formula: hyphal length (HL) in mm equals (11/14) times the number of intersections (n) times the grid dimension (0.05 mm). The validity of the line intersection method was tested by comparison with total protein estimates of replicate aliquots ofFrankia culture. Correlations between total protein and hyphal length estimates were strong (r² from 0.76 to 0.95; standard errors of 3 to 9% of estimated length). These results show that line intersection counts may be a satisfactory routine method for quantifyingFrankia in culture and may be especially suitable for detecting small amounts of livingFrankia in less time than with other methods.Dedicated to the memory of Professor John G. Torrey     

Symbiotic vesicle ultrastructure in high pressure-frozen,freeze-substituted actinorhizae

Summary Using tissue stained en bloc with chromic acid or tissue prepared by high pressure-freezing and freeze-substitution, it was possible to analyze quantitatively the ultrastructure of symbiotic vesicle envelopes (SVE) inAlnus serrulata, Ceanothus americanus, Elaeagnus umbellata, andMyrica cerifera. The lamina measured about 4.7 nm in thickness in thin section. Despite diverse symbiotic vesicle morphology, the SVE thickness was similar in all of these symbioses: 36–71 nm, which corresponded to 6–15 laminae based on counts of chromic acid-stained SVEs. This similarity in structure suggests that a similar environmental signal regulates envelope thickness in the different root nodules. Based on previous studies, this is likely to be pO₂. Three types of envelope morphologies were distinguished: (1) theAlnus-type (as inAlnus andElaeagnus), which had localized thickenings around the vesicle and had thickest dimensions over the stalk; (2) theCeanothus-type. characterized as a relatively uniform envelope over both vesicle and attached hypha, and (3) theMyrica-type, which had no stalk region and a basal SVE thickness of about six laminae throughout except where localized thickening occurred. Localized thickening of the SVE resulted from extra numbers of laminae being deposited, generally over regions where septa contacted the edge of the vesicle. Freeze-substituted symbiotic vesicles had a variety of novel structures that are poorly preserved in chemically-fixed tissue. A paracrystalline body inAlnus symbiotic vesicles may be composed of particles that also exist free in the symbiotic vesicle cytoplasm. In addition, a previously unknown complex at the base of theAlnus-type symbiotic vesicle and within its stalk was evident in freeze-substituted tissues.Abbreviations HPF/FS high pressure-frozen/freeze-substituted - SV symbiotic vesicle - SVE symbiotic vesicle envelope Dedicated to the memory of Professor John G. Torrey