Screening of plant growth promoting traits in heavy metals resistant bacteria: Prospects in phytoremediation

Phytoremediation is considered as a novel environmental friendly technology, which uses plants to remove or immobilize heavy metals. The use of metal-resistant plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) constitutes an important technology for enhancing biomass production as well as tolerance of the plants to heavy metals. In this study, we isolated twenty seven (NF1-NF27) chromium resistant bacteria. The bacteria were tested for heavy metals (Cr, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb and Co) resistance, Cr(VI) reduction and PGPB characters (phosphate solubilization, production of IAA and siderophores). The results showed that the bacterial isolates resist to heavy metals and reduce Cr(VI), with varying capabilities. 37.14% of the isolates have the capacity of solubilizing phosphate, 28.57% are able to produce siderophores and all isolates have the ability to produce IAA. Isolate NF2 that showed high heavy metal resistance and plant growth promotion characteristics was identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis as a strain of Cellulosimicrobium sp.. Pot culture experiments conducted under greenhouse conditions showed that this strain was able to promote plant growth of alfalfa in control and in heavy metals (Cr, Zn and Cu) spiked soils and increased metal uptake by the plants. Thus, the potential of Cellulosimicrobium sp. for both bioremediation and plant growth promotion has significance in the management of environmental pollution.     

Conformational Plasticity of Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein Enables RNA-Induced Formation of Nucleocapsid-like Particles

Many of the unanswered questions associated with hepatitis C virus assembly are related to the core protein (HCVcp), which forms an oligomeric nucleocapsid encompassing the viral genome. The structural properties of HCVcp have been difficult to quantify, at least in part because it is an intrinsically disordered protein. We have used single-molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer techniques to study the conformational dimensions and dynamics of the HCVcp nucleocapsid domain (HCVncd) at various stages during the RNA-induced formation of nucleocapsid-like particles. Our results indicate that HCVncd is a typical intrinsically disordered protein. When it forms small ribonucleoprotein complexes with various RNA hairpins from the 3′ end of the HCV genome, it compacts but remains intrinsically disordered and conformationally dynamic. Above a critical RNA concentration, these ribonucleoprotein complexes rapidly and cooperatively assemble into large nucleocapsid-like particles, wherein the individual HCVncd subunits become substantially more extended.     

乳酸菌对重金属吸附作用的研究进展

重金属污染是人们关注的食品安全问题热点之一,使用食品安全级乳酸菌吸附重金属成为了新的研究方向。本文在分析环境和食品中汞、镉、铅污染的来源及对人类危害的基础上,对微生物与重金属的相互作用进行介绍,重点归纳了乳酸菌作为重金属吸附剂的潜能,以及吸附重金属的作用机制和研究现状,为研发高效吸附重金属的乳酸菌吸附剂提供了可行性的思路。     

Growth media in anaerobic fermentative processes: The underestimated potential of thermophilic fermentation and anaerobic digestion

Fermentation and anaerobic digestion of organic waste and wastewater is broadly studied and applied. Despite widely available results and data for these processes, comparison of the generated results in literature is difficult. Not only due to the used variety of process conditions, but also because of the many different growth media that are used. Composition of growth media can influence biogas production (rates) and lead to process instability during anaerobic digestion. To be able to compare results of the different studies reported, and to ensure nutrient limitation is not influencing observations ascribed to process dynamics and/or reaction kinetics, a standard protocol for creating a defined growth medium for anaerobic digestion and mixed culture fermentation is proposed. This paper explains the role(s) of the different macro- and micronutrients, as well as the choices for a growth medium formulation strategy. In addition, the differences in nutrient requirements between mesophilic and thermophilic systems are discussed as well as the importance of specific trace metals regarding specific conversion routes and the possible supplementary requirement of vitamins. The paper will also give some insight into the bio-availability and toxicity of trace metals. A remarkable finding is that mesophilic and thermophilic enzymes are quite comparable at their optimum temperatures. This has consequences for the trace metal requirements of thermophiles under certain conditions. Under non-limiting conditions, the trace metal requirement of thermophilic systems is about 3 times higher than for mesophilic systems.     

Antibacterial combination therapy using Co3+, Cu2+, Zn2+ and Pd2+ complexes: Their calf thymus DNA binding studies

Four Co(III)-, Cu(II)-, Zn(II)-, and Pd(II)-based potent antibacterial complexes of formula K₃[Co(ox)₃].3H₂O (I), [Cu(bpy)₂Cl]Cl.5H₂O (II), [Zn(bpy)₃]Cl₂ (III), and [Pd(bpy)₂](NO₃)₂ (IV) (where ox is oxalate and bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine) were synthesized. They were characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductance measurements, UV–Vis, FTIR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectra. These metal complexes were ordered in three combination series of I + II, I + II + III, and I + II + III + IV. Antibacterial activity was tested for each of these four metal complexes and their combinations against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. All compounds were more potent antibacterial agents against the Gram-negative than those of the Gram-positive bacteria. The four metal complexes showed antibacterial activity in the order I > II > III > IV and the activity of their combinations followed the order of I + II + III + IV > I + II + III > I + II. CT-DNA binding studies of complex I and its three combinations were carried out using UV–vis spectral titration, displacement of ethidium bromide (EB), and electrophoretic mobility assay. The results obtained from UV–vis studies indicated that all series interact effectively with CT-DNA. Fluorescence titration revealed that the complexes quench DNA-EB strongly through the static quenching procedures. The binding constant (K_b), the Stern–Volmer constant (K_sv), and the number of binding sites (n) were determined at different temperatures of 293, 300, and 310 K, respectively. The calculated thermodynamic parameters supported that hydrogen binding and Van der Waals forces play a major role in association of each series of metal complexes with CT-DNA and follow the above-binding affinity order for the series.     

Evaluations of the accuracies of DMol3 density functionals for calculations of experimental binding enthalpies of N2, CO,H2, C2H2 at catalytic metal sites

The density functionals that can be used with numerical basis sets in the density functional methodology of the programme DMol3 are evaluated by comparison with experimental data. The objective is to identify and validate the most accurate and computationally efficient density functional to be used in DMol3 simulations that use large molecular models (many hundreds of atoms) of the reaction steps involved in the chemical mechanisms of metalloenzymes and synthetic metallocatalysts. The experimental systems focus on enthalpy data for reactions analogous to those involved in the chemical mechanism of nitrogenase, including coordination of N₂, CO, H₂ and C₂H₄ and hydrogen bonding. Some geometric and vibrational frequency data are included in the 19 test systems. The conclusion is that the gradient-corrected functionals PBE, PW91 and BP provide acceptably accurate results, with the best functional being PBE, which yields reaction energies within or very close the experimental error range. These functionals are also the most computationally efficient.     

芜菁BrrHMA2.1和BrrHMA2.2基因的克隆与表达

该研究以芜菁(Brassica rapa var.rapa)为材料,克隆得到重金属ATP酶(HMA)家族1对同源基因BrrHMA2.1(GenBank登录号:MG_283237)和BrrHMA2.2(GenBank登录号:MG_283238),并对其蛋白质序列特征和基因表达模式进行分析。结果表明:(1)BrrHMA2.1和BrrHMA2.2基因的全长开放阅读框分别为2 619和2 724bp,分别编码872和907个氨基酸;序列结构分析显示,BrrHMA2.1和BrrHMA2.2蛋白含有6个跨膜区和HMA蛋白家族保守结构域;系统进化树结果显示,BrrHMA2.1和BrrHMA2.2蛋白与拟南芥HMA家族成员AtHMA2进化关系最近。(2)亚细胞定位结果表明,BrrHMA2.1和BrrHMA2.2蛋白都定位于细胞膜上。(3)qRT-PCR分析表明,芜菁生长初期BrrHMA2.1和BrrHMA2.2基因在叶中的表达量最高;随着生长时间的延长,叶中的表达量逐渐降低,而根中的表达量逐渐增加。(4)研究发现,BrrHMA2.1受Cd~(2+)、Zn~(2+)、Na~+、Mg~(2+)胁迫诱导表达,BrrHMA2.2受Cd~(2+)、Na~+、Cu~(2+)胁迫诱导表达,表明2个基因可能参与这些金属离子的转运过程。该研究结果为进一步研究植物HMA基因在重金属吸收和转运过程中的功能奠定了基础。