Cell structure degradation in Escherichia coli and Thermococcus sp. strain Tc-1-95 associated with thermal death resulting from brief heat treatment

The thermal death mechanism of microorganisms when heated at lethally high temperatures is still not fully understood. In this study, we examined the relationship between thermal death and degradation of the cell structure in the mesophilic bacterium Escherichia coli strain W3110 and the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus sp. strain Tc-1-95. By heating the microorganisms at lethally high temperatures only briefly (1.5 s duration) in a flow-type apparatus, we studied the microbial cells at very early and critical stages of the thermal death process. For E. coli, it was found that the loss of viability was not associated with thermal damage to the cell envelope. Deformation of the nucleoid was observed. These results suggest that the thermal death of E. coli is attributed to thermal denaturation or degradation of cytoplasmic molecules. On the other hand, the thermal death of Thermococcus sp. strain Tc-1-95 was strongly associated with rupture of the cell envelope. Furthermore, massive deformation of the S-layer with lethal thermal stress was observed. These results demonstrate that the thermal deaths of the two microorganisms investigated proceed via very different mechanisms. The contrast can be attributed to the difference in their cell envelope structures.     

Evaluation of live-culture-producing lacticin 3147 as a treatment for the control of Listeria monocytogenes on the surface of smear-ripened cheese

AIMS: A live Lactococcus lactis culture, producing the two-component broad spectrum bacteriocin lacticin 3147, was assessed for ability to inhibit the food pathogen Listeria monocytogenes on the surface of smear-ripened cheese. METHODS AND RESULTS: In initial experiments, the addition of Listeria to a lacticin 3147-containing fermentate produced with L. lactis DPC4275 (a transconjugant strain derived from L. lactis DPC3147) resulted in at least a 4 log reduction of the pathogen in 30 min. Two separate trials were performed in order to assess the most suitable method for application of the potential protective culture to smear-ripened cheese. In the initial trial, the L. lactis was sprayed onto the surface of the cheese either before or after Listeria was deliberately applied. Application of the culture following Listeria challenge, yielded up to a 1000-fold reduction of the pathogen in contrast to the pretreatment where Listeria numbers were unaffected. In a further trial, three applications of the live lacticin 3147-producing culture was used on a cheese surface containing Listeria. Listeria numbers were found to be up to 100-fold lower than in the cheese treated with L. lactis DPC4268 (control). CONCLUSION: While application of the live lacticin 3147 producer did not give complete elimination of the pathogen the results nonetheless demonstrate the potential of the bioprotectant for improving the safety of smear-ripened cheeses and particularly those that contain low level contamination with Listeria. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The application of lacticin 3147 as a live-culture can serve as a bioprotectant for the control of L. monocytogenes on the surface of smear-ripened cheese.     

不同培养基和三种金属离子对桦褐孔菌培养菌丝体的羊毛甾醇和麦角甾醇积累的影响

Lanosterol and ergosterol are the active principles with potential pharmacological activities in Inonotus obliquus. However, the two sterols are less accumulated in cultured mycelia of the fungus. In this study, different carbon and nitrogen sources and pH levels together with three metal ions were assayed for their effects on accumulation of the two sterols in the fungus. Among the tested media the growth medium consisting of glucose (1.5%), rice powder (0.5%), yeast extract (0.4%), wheat bran (0.1%), KH2PO4 (0.01%) and MgSO4?7H2O (0.05%) with pH level at 6.5 yielded a maximum production of the two sterols, which can further be increased following the treatment of Ag+, Cu2+ and Ca2+. Supplementing Ag+ at concentrations of 0.28 and 0.35?mol partially inhibited ergosterol biosynthesis, leading to an enhanced accumulation of lanosterol, the presence of intermediates of ergosterol biosynthetic pathway and a reduced accumulation of ergosterol in cultured mycelia of I. obliquus.     

Mechanisms to avoid photoinhibition in a desiccation-tolerant cyanobacterium, Nostoc commune

A desiccation-tolerant cyanobacterium, Nostoc commune, showsunique responses to dehydration. These responses are: (i) lossof PSII activity in parallel with the loss of photosynthesis;(ii) loss of PSI activity; and (iii) dissipation of light energyabsorbed by pigment–protein complexes. In this study,the deactivation of PSII is shown to be important in avoidingphotoinhibition when the Calvin–Benson cycle is repressedby dehydration. Furthermore, our evidence suggests that dissipationof light energy absorbed by PSII blocks photoinhibition understrong light in dehydrated states.     

Red white and blue – bright light effects in a diurnal rodent model for seasonal affective disorder

Despite the common use of bright light exposure for treatment of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the underlying biology of the therapeutic effect is not clear. Moreover, there is a debate regarding the most efficacious wavelength of light for treatment. Whereas according to the traditional approach full-spectrum light is used, recent studies suggest that the critical wavelengths are within the range of blue light (460 and 484 nm). Our previous work shows that when diurnal rodents are maintained under short photoperiod they develop depression- and anxiety-like behavioral phenotype that is ameliorated by treatment with wide-spectrum bright light exposure (2500 lux at the cage, 5000 K). Our current study compares the effect of bright wide-spectrum (3,000 lux, wavelength 420- 780 nm, 5487 K), blue (1,300 lux, wavelength 420-530 nm) and red light (1,300 lux, wavelength range 600-780 nm) exposure in the fat sand rat (Psammomys Obesus) model of SAD. We report results of experiments with six groups of sand rats that were kept under various photoperiods and light treatments, and subjected to behavioral tests related to emotions: forced swim test, elevated plus maze and social interactions. Exposure to either intense wide-spectrum white light or to blue light equally ameliorated depression-like behavior whereas red light had no effect. Bright wide-spectrum white light treatment had no effect on animals maintained under neutral photoperiod, meaning that light exposure was only effective in the pathological-like state. The resemblance between the effects of bright white light and blue light suggests that intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are involved in the underlying biology of SAD and light therapy.     

The isolation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae nuclear membranes with nuclease and high-salt treatment

Saccharomyces cerevisiae nuclear membranes were prepared from isolated nuclei by digesting chromatin with deoxyribonuclease and ribonuclease, washing of residual nuclei with 0.5 M MgCl₂, and discontinuous gradient centrifugation in buffered Ficoll solutions. Electron microscopic examination of the preparations showed single membrane and double membrane vesicles and membrane sheets. Pores or residual pores were often visible. In double membrane profiles the two unit membranes were often separated by the remains of the perinuclear cistern. The nuclear membrane fragments contained 58% protein, 23.8% phospholipid, 6% sterols, 7.1% neutral acylglycerols, 4.8% RNA, and 0.3% DNA. The phospholipid content of the membrane preparations was influenced by a phospholipase activity with acidic pH optimum.     

耐盐性不同的小麦根和根茎结合部的拒Na~ 作用

NaCl处理引起小麦幼苗干重下降 ,盐敏感品种比耐盐品种下降幅度要大。盐敏感品种的拒Na 能力为 35 %左右 ,耐盐品种的拒Na 能力为 5 0 %～ 6 0 %左右 ,这表明耐盐品种的拒Na 能力远远大于盐敏感品种。不同耐盐性小麦的拒Na 部位不同 ,盐敏感品种的拒Na 部位主要在根茎结合部 ,而耐盐品种的拒Na 部位主要在根部     

Proteogenomic Refinement of the Neomegalonema perideroedesT Genome Annotation

Neomegalonema perideroedes (formerly Meganema perideroedes) str. G1 is the type strain and only described isolate of the genus Neomegalonema (formerly Meganema) which belongs to the Alphaproteobacteria. N. perideroedes is distinguished by the ability to accumulate high amounts of polyhydroxyalkanoates and has been associated with bulking problems in wastewater treatment plants due to its filamentous morphology. In 2013, its genome was sequenced as part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA), which aims to improve the sequencing coverage of the poorly represented regions of the bacterial and archaeal branches of the tree of life. As N. perideroedes str. G1 is relatively distantly related to well described species—being the only sequenced member of its proposed family—the in silico prediction of genes by nucleotide homology to reference genes might be less reliable. Here, a proteomic dataset for the refinement of the N. perideroedes genome annotations is generated which clearly indicates the shortcomings of high‐throughput in silico genome annotation.     

Influence of fire and mechanical sagebrush reduction treatments on restoration seedings in Utah,United States

Overabundance of woody plants in semiarid ecosystems can degrade understory herbaceous vegetation and often requires shrub reduction and seeding to recover ecosystem services. We used meta‐analysis techniques to assess the effects of fire and mechanical shrub reduction over two post‐treatment timeframes (1–4 and 5–10 years) on changes in cover and frequency of 15 seeded species at 63 restoration sites with high potential for recovery. Compared to mechanical treatments, fire resulted in greater increases in seeded species. Native shrubs did not increase, and forbs generally declined over time; however, large increases in perennial grasses were observed, suggesting that seeding efforts contributed to enhanced understory herbaceous conditions. We found greater increases in a few non‐native species than native species across all treatments, suggesting the possibility that interference among seeded species may have influenced results of this regional assessment. Differences among treatments and species were likely driven by seedbed conditions, which should be carefully considered in restoration planning. Site characteristics also dictated seeded species responses: while forbs showed greater increases in cover over the long term at higher elevation sites considered to be more resilient to disturbance, surprisingly, shrubs and grasses had greater increases in cover and frequency at lower elevation sites where resilience is typically much lower. Further research is needed to understand the causes of forb mortality over time, and to decipher how greater increases of non‐native relative to native seeded species will influence species diversity and successional trajectories of restoration sites.