微量热法研究板蓝根中四种有机酸对微生物生长代谢的影响

微量热法研究传统中药板蓝根中四种有机酸对大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和痢疾杆菌生长代谢的影响。得到加药与不加药时大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和痢疾杆菌生长代谢的“效-时”曲线, 以生长速率常数(k1, k2)、最大产热功率(Pm)和最大达峰时间(tm)等热力学参数来评价四种有机酸对微生物生长代谢抑制的强度和程度。四种有机酸抗微生物活性作用的顺序为: 丁香酸>邻氨基苯甲酸>水杨酸>苯甲酸, 其中苯甲酸对金黄色葡萄球菌和痢疾杆菌的生长代谢具有促进作用。本研究对板蓝根的进一步研究提供了基础和依据。     

基于RS与GIS的乔木层物种多样性分布格局——以辽东山区水源涵养林为例

根据ETM+遥感影像与实地考察数据,通过建立乔木层物种多样性反演模型及模型地面验证等方法,对辽东山区水源涵养林乔木层物种多样性分布格局及其在不同海拔高度和坡向上的分布状况进行了研究.结果表明:归一化植被指数(NDVI)、湿度(TC3)和绿度(TC2)与Shannon-Wiener多样性指数相关性较高,3个植被指数与Shannon-Wiener多样性指数的回归模型可靠(R2=0.637,P<0.01).地面验证结果表明,模型能解释乔木层物种多样性的69.38%;乔木层物种多样性指数主要集中在1.0～2.2,并符合"中间海拔高度膨胀"理论;坡向对乔木层物种多样性分布的影响体现在东北坡出现高物种多样性的可能性最大,验证了由于坡向导致的水热差异,从而影响物种多样性的结论.     

Sorption and desorption of chromate by wood shavings impregnated with iron or aluminum oxide

This study examined the impregnation of hybrid poplar shavings with Fe or Al oxide and their reactivity with Cr(VI). The shavings were impregnated with an average of 1.24 ± 0.18 mmol Fe g⁻¹ or 1.51 ± 0.17 mmol Al g⁻¹, and the impregnated Fe or Al oxide was highly amorphous. Capacity of Cr(VI) sorption by impregnated shavings was high and rate of the sorption was rapid. While the freshly sorbed Cr on the Fe oxide-shavings was readily desorbed in 0.1M NaOH, nine weeks of ageing reduced the desorbability to only 6.5% of the sorbed Cr. Extraction with 0.1 M NaOH remained feasible to recover most sorbed Cr from the Al oxide-shavings over the same ageing period. Impregnation of the shavings with Fe or Al oxide turns the wood waste into a product for removing Cr(VI) or other oxyanions from wastewater.     

Influence of Glu-376 --> Gln mutation on enthalpy and heat capacity changes for the binding of slightly altered ligands to medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase

We showed that the alpha-CH(2) --> NH substitution in octanoyl-CoA alters the ground and transition state energies for the binding of the CoA ligands to medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD), and such an effect is caused by a small electrostatic difference between the ligands. To ascertain the extent that the electrostatic contribution of the ligand structure and/or the enzyme site environment modulates the thermodynamics of the enzyme-ligand interaction, we undertook comparative microcalorimetric studies for the binding of 2-azaoctanoyl-CoA (alpha-CH(2) --> NH substituted octanoyl-CoA) and octenoyl-CoA to the wild-type and Glu-376 --> Gln mutant enzymes. The experimental data revealed that both enthalpy (DeltaH degrees ) and heat capacity changes (DeltaC(p) degrees ) for the binding of 2-azaoctanoyl-CoA (DeltaH degrees (298) = -21.7 +/- 0.8 kcal/mole, DeltaC(p) degrees = -0.627 +/- 0.04 kcal/mole/K) to the wild-type MCAD were more negative than those obtained for the binding of octenoyl-CoA (DeltaH degrees (298) = -17.2 +/- 1.6 kcal/mole, DeltaC(p) degrees = -0.526 +/- 0.03 kcal/mole/K). Of these, the decrease in the magnitude of DeltaC(p) degrees for the binding of 2-azaoctanoyl-CoA (vis-à-vis octenoyl-CoA) to the enzyme was unexpected, because the former ligand could be envisaged to be more polar than the latter. To our further surprise, the ligand-dependent discrimination in the above parameters was completely abolished on Glu-376 --> Gln mutation of the enzyme. Both DeltaH degrees and DeltaC(p) degrees values for the binding of 2-azaoctanoyl-CoA (DeltaH degrees (298) = -13.3 +/- 0.6 kcal/mole, DeltaC(p) degrees = -0.511 +/- 0.03 kcal/mole/K) to the E376Q mutant enzyme were found to be correspondingly identical to those obtained for the binding of octenoyl-CoA (DeltaH degrees (298) = -13.2 +/- 0.6 kcal/mole, DeltaC(p) degrees = -0.520 +/- 0.02 kcal/mole/K). However, in neither case could the experimentally determined DeltaC(p) degrees values be predicted on the basis of the changes in the water accessible surface areas of the enzyme and ligand species. Arguments are presented that the origin of the above thermodynamic differences lies in solvent reorganization and water-mediated electrostatic interaction between ligands and enzyme site groups, and such interactions are intrinsic to the molecular basis of the enzyme-ligand complementarity.     

Microcalorimetric investigation of the effect of manganese(II) on the growth of Tetrahymena shanghaiensis S199

The heat output of and the effect of manganese (II) on Tetrahymena shanghaiensis S₁99 growth metabolism has been determined by means of a LKB-2277 BioActivity monitor. Different concentrations of manganese(II) ions have different effects on the growth of T. shanghaiensis. At low concentrations (0–40 μg/mL) culture growth is promoted, whereas high concentrations (60–800 μg/mL) slow growth. Furthermore, concentrations of 1200 μg/mL or greater stop the growth of this protozooa completely. Laboratory of Protozoology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, 430072, People’s Republic of China     

Development,growth and metabolic rate of Hermetia illucens larvae

The larvae of Hermetia illucens are known to successfully bio‐convert a vast range of organic substrates into high protein and fat biomass, but little is known about the larval instars. During this research, larval head capsules and biomass growth were measured daily and the specific metabolic rate of larger instars were considered. The head capsule measurements revealed that H. illucens pass through 6 actively feeding larval stadia before entering the last nonfeeding but migrating 7th stadium. Larval growth follows a sigmoid curve with slowly accelerating growth in the earlier stadia and decelerating growth in the latest stadia. In contrast, development was fast until reaching stadium 6 and then slowed down. Accordingly, the specific metabolic rate was high in instars 3, 4 and 5 and reduced in instars 6 and 7.     

Functional analysis of the GTPases EngA and YhbZ encoded by Salmonella typhimurium

The S. typhimurium genome encodes proteins, designated EngA and YhbZ, which have a high sequence identity with the GTPases EngA/Der and ObgE/CgtAE of Escherichia coli. The wild-type activity of the E. coli proteins is essential for normal ribosome maturation and cell viability. In order to characterize the potential involvement of the Salmonella typhimurium EngA and YhbZ proteins in ribosome biology, we used high stringency affinity chromatography experiments to identify strongly binding ribosomal partner proteins. A combination of biochemical and microcalorimetric analysis was then used to characterize these protein:protein interactions and quantify nucleotide binding affinities. These experiments show that YhbZ specifically interacts with the pseudouridine synthase RluD (KD=2 microM and 1:1 stoichiometry), and we show for the first time that EngA can interact with the ribosomal structural protein S7. Thermodynamic analysis shows both EngA and YhbZ bind GDP with a higher affinity than GTP (20-fold difference for EngA and 3.8-fold for YhbZ), and that the two nucleotide binding sites in EngA show a 5.3-fold difference in affinity for GDP. We report a fluorescence assay for nucleotide binding to EngA and YhbZ, which is suitable for identifying inhibitors specific for this ligand-binding site, which would potentially inhibit their biological functions. The interactions of YhbZ with ribosome structural proteins that we identify may demonstrate a previously unreported additional function for this class of GTPase: that of ensuring delivery of rRNA modifying enzymes to the appropriate region of the ribosome.     

Thermodynamics of conformational transition and chain association of ι-carrageenan in aqueous solution: Calorimetric and chirooptical data

Isothermal microcalorimetry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and chirooptical data obtained for ι-carrageenan in NaCl, LiCl, and NaI aqueous solutions are presented. The experiments have been performed as a function of concentration both for the polymer and for the simple salt as a cosolute. The experimental findings consistently show the occurrence of a salt-induced disorder-to-order transition. From microcalorimetric experiments the exothermic enthalpy of transition ΔH_tr is obtained as the difference between the theoretical, purely electrostatic ΔH_el enthalpy change and the actual mixing enthalpy ΔH_mix, measured when a ι-carrageenan salt-free solution at constant polymer concentration is mixed with a 1:1 electrolyte solution of variable concentration. In the case of added NaCl, the absolute values of enthalpy changes |ΔH_tr| are in good agreement with those obtained for the opposite process, at comparable polymer and salt concentrations, from DSC melting curves. The microcalorimetric results show that the negative maximum value of ΔH_tr corresponding to the interaction of Li⁺ counterion with ι-carrageenan polyion results to be significantly lower than the corresponding values obtained for Na⁺ counterion. At variance with the microcalorimetric data, chirooptical results show that the salt-induced disorder-to-order transition, occurring in the 0.02–0.2M salt concentration range, appears to be complete at a concentration of about 0.08–0.1M of the simple ion, irrespective of the polymer concentration and of the nature of added electrolyte. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 45: 105–117, 1998     

Advances in biosorption of metals: Selection of biomass types

Abstract: Within the past decade, the potential of metal biosorption has been well established. For economic reasons, of particular interest are abundant biomass types either generated as a waste by-product of large-scale industrial fermentations or certain metal-binding algae found in large quantities in the sea. Some of these high metal-sorbing biomass types serve as a basis for newly developed metal biosorption processes foreseen particularly as a very competitive means for detoxification of metal-bearing industrial effluents. Ions of lead and cadmium, for instance, have been found to be bound very efficiently from very dilute solutions by the dried biomass of some ubiquitous brown marine algae such as Ascophyllum and Sargassum which accumulate more than 30% of biomass dry weight in the metal. Mycelia of industrially steroid-transforming fungi Rhizopus and Absidia are excellent biosorbents lbr lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, and uranium, binding also other heavy metals up to 25% of the biomass dry weight. The common yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a 'mediocre' metal biosorbent. Construction of biosorption isotherm curves serves as a basic technique assisting in evaluation of the metal uptake by different biosorbents. The methodology is based on batch equilibrium sorption experiments extensively used for screening and quantitative comparison of new biosorbent materials. Experimental methodologies used in the study of biosorption and selected recent research results demonstrate the route to novel biosorbent materials some of which can even be repeatedly regenerated for re-use.