Seasonal patterns of ammonium and nitrate uptake in nine temperate forest ecosystems

Summary Seasonal patterns of net N mineralization and nitrification in the 0–10 cm mineral soil of 9 temperate forest sites were analyzed using approximately monthlyin situ soil incubations. Measured nitrification rates in incubated soils were found to be good estimates of nitrification in surrounding forest soils. Monthly net N mineralization rates and pools of ammonium-N in soil fluctuated during the growing season at all sites. Nitrate-N pools in soil were generally smaller than ammonium-N pools and monthly nitrification rates were less variable than net N mineralization rates. Nitrate supplied most of the N taken up annually by vegetation at 8 of the 9 sites. Furthermore, despite the large fluctuations in ammonium-N pools and monthly net N mineralization, nitrate was taken up at relatively uniform rates during the growing season at most sites.     

Optimization of L-phenylalanine production of Corynebacterium glutamicum under product feedback inhibition by elevated oxygen transfer rate.

Production feedback inhibition both on cell growth and on product formation of phenylalanine fermentation might be alleviated by elevated oxygen supply. Batch fermentations by a high phenylalanine producing strain Corynebacterium glutamicum CCRC 18335 at various initial phenylalanine concentrations (P(0)) ranging from 0 to 20 g/L and different oxygen transfer rate coefficients (K(L)a) ranging from 23 to 76 h(-1) were studied. The fermentation parameters with respect to P(0) were strongly dependent on K(L)a. Cell yield favored higher K(L)a and lower P(0). Product yield with respect to varying phenylalanine concentration was evaluated by the relative oxygen availability (ROA). The optimal ROA for phenylalanine formation was strongly dependent on the product concentration. While P(0) was low, the product inhibition was less significant and the maximum product yield occurred while ROA was at 0.5-0.6. While P(0) was high, the product inhibition was significant and the maximum product yield occurred while ROA was at 0.8-0.9. These results suggest that the product feedback inhibition of phenylalanine fermentation processes can be alleviated by a gradual increase in oxygen supply rate while the increasing product concentration is taken into account. The strategy is demonstrated in a fed-batch culture with elevated oxygen supply. The final phenylalanine concentration was 23.2 g/L, which was 45% better than that of the fed-batch fermentation without elevated oxygen supply. Likewise, the maximum productivity was improved by 42% at 0.37 g/(L x h).     

Selection of thermotolerant bradyrhizobial strains for nodulation of soybean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Glycine max</Emphasis> L.) in semi-arid regions of Iran

Nodulation of soybeans grown in semi-arid region of southern parts of Iran is poor due to high air and soil temperatures. Here we identified thermotolerant isolates of soybean bradyrhizobia and evaluated the nitrogen fixation efficiency of the isolates under heat stress conditions in greenhouse and field experiments. The ability of fifty-six bradyrhizobial isolates to grow on solid or in liquid yeast extract mannitol medium at 38 and 41°C was evaluated. We identified 19 isolates, which were able to grow at 38°C and 10 isolates able to grow at 41°C. Greenhouse experiments were carried out at 28 and 38°C to study the nitrogen-fixing capacity of the isolates under optimal and high temperature conditions. Ten isolates had a symbiotic index of effectiveness of 80% or greater compared with nitrogen-fertilized treatments in greenhouse experiments at 28°C. Some thermotolerant isolates demonstrated good nitrogen-fixing performance at 38°C. Eight isolates were selected for use in a field trial in the natural high temperature environment of the Dezful region in Iran. Our results demonstrate that geographical origin can have a great influence on the successful selection of thermotolerant bradyrhizobia. Our thermotolerant isolates were mainly obtained from high-temperature regions, and improved shoot dry matter, nitrogen-uptake and seed yield of the plants.     

Species height and root symbiosis,two factors influencing antiherbivore defense of woody plants in East African savanna

In East African savanna we found that leaves of mature tree species with symbiotic N₂ fixation contained lower concentrations of polyphenols than leaves of species without this symbiosis. We suggest that the root symbiosis is costly to the plant in terms of photosynthate that otherwise could be used in chemical defense. Further, a negative relationship between concentration of polyphenols and the height of the species was found, independent of their ability to fix N₂. These findings suggest that root symbioses and apparency to herbivory are important factors mediating the production of chemical defenses in plants.     

Cloning of a DNA region from Bradyrhizobium japonicum encoding pleiotropic functions in heme metabolism and respiration

Random and site-directed Tn5-induced mutagenesis of Bradyrhizobium japonicum yielded two mutations, one in strain 2960 and the other in strain 2606::Tn5-20, which mapped close to each other but in separate genes. The corresponding wild-type genes were cloned, and their approximate location on the cloned DNA was determined. Mutant 2960 was Fix^- and formed green nodules on soybean, whereas strain 2606::Tn5-20 had ca. 4% of wild-type Fix activity and formed white nodules. Cytochrome oxidase assays (Nadi tests) showed a negative reaction with both mutants, indicating a functional deficiency of cytochrome c or its terminal oxidase or both. However, the mutants grew well under aerobic conditions on minimal media with different carbon sources. Furthermore, mutant 2960 had a reduced activity in hydrogen uptake, was unable to grow anaerobically with nitrate as the terminal electron acceptor and 2960-infected soybean nodules contained little, if any, functional leghemoglobin. Southern blot analysis showed that a B. japonicum heme biosynthesis mutant [strain LO505: O'Brian MR, Kirshbom PM, Maier RJ (1987) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84: 8390–8393] had its mutation close to the Tn5 insertion site of our mutant 2606::Tn5-20. This finding, combined with the observed phenotypes, suggested that the genes affected in mutants 2960 and 2606::Tn5-20 were involved in some steps of heme biosynthesis thus explaining the pleiotropic respiratory deficiencies of the mutants. Similar to strain LO505, the mutant 2606::Tn5-20 (but not 2960) was defective in the activity of protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase which catalyzes the penultimate step in the heme biosynthesis pathway. This suggests that one of the two cloned genes may code for this enzyme.     

Untersuchungen zum Einsatz von Pferdebohnen-Molkepräparat in den Milchaustauschfuttermitteln für frühabgesetzte Ferkel

Nach N‐Bilanzversuchen an Leghornhennen 5 unterschiedlicher genetischer Kombinationen in der Legespitze, bei fortgeschrittener Legeperiode sowie am Ende der Legepriode und Fütterung eines Sojaextraktionsschrot/Fischmehl‐Proteins erfolgte eine regressive Ermittlung des NEB/LM_kg ^0,67 durch Approximation der N‐Bilanzwerte aus N‐Steigerungsversuchen an eine Exponentialfunktion.

Als Eiweißverwertungsgrößen ließen sich aus den N‐Retentionskurven (e‐Funktion) die PNu‐Kurven (Physiologischer Nutzwert) und aus den N‐Bilanz‐Funktionen die PEW‐Funktionen (Produktiver Eiweißwert) beschreiben.

Weiterhin wurden die Beziehungen zwischen N‐Aufhahme und Ei‐N‐Abgabe, bezogen auf metabolische LM, regressiv errechnet und dargestellt. Eine Subtraktion der Ei‐N‐Abgabe von der N‐Bilanz ermöglichte jeweils die Abschätzung des Körper‐N‐Ansatzes. Abschließend wurde das Leistungsvermögen der 5 Herkünfte bei gleicher Eiweiß‐ bzw. schwefelhaltiger (‐ limitierende AS)‐Aufnahme verglichen.