Frequency of indicator bacteria,Salmonella and diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli pathotypes on ready‐to‐eat cooked vegetable salads from Mexican restaurants

The presence of coliform bacteria, faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, diarrhoeagenic E. coli pathotypes (DEP) and Salmonella were determined in ready‐to‐eat cooked vegetable salads (RECS) from restaurants in Pachuca city, Mexico. The RECS were purchased from three types of restaurants: national chain restaurants (A), local restaurants (B) and small restaurants (C). Two restaurants for each A and B, and three for C, were included. Forty RECS samples were purchased at each A and B restaurant and 20 at each C restaurant. Of the overall total of 220 analysed samples, 100, 98·2, 72·3, 4·1 and 4·1% had coliform bacteria, faecal coliforms, E. coli, DEP and Salmonella, respectively. Identified DEP included enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and Shiga toxin‐producing E. coli (STEC). The EPEC, ETEC and STEC were isolated each from 1·4% of samples. No E. coli O157:H7 were detected in any STEC‐positive samples. The analysis of Kruskal–Wallis anova and median test of microbiological data showed that the microbiological quality of RECS did not differ between the different restaurants (P > 0·05).

Significance and Impact of the Study

This is the first report regarding microbiological quality and Salmonella, enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and Shiga toxin‐producing E. coli (STEC) isolation from ready‐to‐eat cooked vegetable salads from Mexican restaurants. Ready‐to‐eat cooked vegetable salads could be an important factor contributing to the endemicity of EPEC, ETEC and STEC, and Salmonella caused gastroenteritis in Mexico.     

Multi‐scaled drivers of rural prairie stream metabolism along human activity gradients

1. Stream metabolism is increasingly used for monitoring and assessment of the biological condition of aquatic ecosystems. However, distal environmental drivers, such as land use, are typically not well connected to the proximate controls, such as stream chemistry, that are usually invoked as driving metabolism. This is particularly true for North American prairie streams and for grassland streams worldwide. 2. Stream metabolism was measured at the outflow of 19 subcatchments of the Red River in southern Manitoba, Canada. Subcatchments represented gradients of nutrient‐producing human activities present in the region, that is, wastewater treatment (WWT), livestock production and crop cultivation. Stream metabolism was estimated at all sites using diel changes in dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration over 1 week in the middle of summer. Environmental parameters hypothesised to control stream metabolism were sampled across three spatial scales (stream reach, stream segment and catchment). Model selection using Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) was used to determine linkages between environmental parameters and measures of stream metabolism. 3. Estimated rates of metabolism were within the range of past studies of metabolism in prairie streams, although most streams had negative values of net ecosystem metabolism. However, production‐to‐respiration ratios were >0.5, at all but three sites suggesting that autochthonous production was an important source of organic matter. 4. The a priori model that best predicted gross primary production (GPP) was the intensity of nutrient‐producing human activities (i.e. WWT, livestock and crop cultivation) measured at the catchment scale. Ecosystem respiration (ER) was best predicted by the a priori model comprised of GPP, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). However, model averaging revealed that prediction of ER could be improved by including riparian cover and removing TP from the model. The positive association between GPP and ER suggested that heterotrophic compartments of the ecosystem were modest contributors to variation in respiration rates. 5. Overall, this study suggests that variation of metabolism in prairie streams of southern Manitoba is controlled by human activities occurring at the catchment scale, a finding consistent with current hierarchically structured riverine paradigms. Moreover, increased understanding of the hierarchical structure of stream metabolism drivers will help to ensure that assessment results can be used more effectively to inform management strategies for prairie ecosystems.     

Contribution of multi-antimicrobial resistance to the population of antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli isolated from apparently healthy pigs in Japan

The aim of this study was to clarify the involvement of tetracycline usage in resistance rates against other antimicrobials. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out on 545 porcine Escherichia coli isolates throughout Japan. As the result of analyzing by regions, resistance rates against kanamycin, oxytetracycline and trimethoprim in the Kanto/Koshinetu district were higher than those in some other districts. High resistance rates against kanamycin or trimethoprim in oxytetracycline-resistant isolates were also observed in the Kanto/Koshinetu district. The prevalence of multi-antimicrobial resistance through co-selection of resistances against kanamycin or trimethoprim by tetracycline usage could be the cause of regional differences in these resistances in porcine E. coli. By a communicative surveillance, kanamycin- and trimethoprim-resistance rates were likely to be elevated with tetracycline usage. Thus, usage of specific antimicrobial(s) is a remarkable viewpoint to control antimicrobial resistant bacteria.     

Arsukibacterium ikkense gen. nov., sp. nov, a novel alkaliphilic, enzyme-producing gamma-Proteobacterium isolated from a cold and alkaline environment in Greenland

A novel aerobic, Gram-negative, non-pigmented bacterium, GCM72(T), was isolated from the alkaline, low-saline ikaite columns in the Ikka Fjord, SW Greenland. Strain GCM72(T) is a motile, non-pigmented, amylase- and protease-producing, oxidase-positive, and catalase-negative bacterium, showing optimal growth at pH 9.2-10.0, at 15 degrees C, and at 3% (w/v) NaCl. Major fatty acids were C(12:0) 3-OH (12.2+/-0.1%), C(16:00) (18.0+/-0.1%), C(18:1)omega7c (10.7+/-0.5%), and summed feature 3 comprising C(16:1)omega7c and/or iso-C(15:0) 2-OH (36.3+/-0.7%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that isolate GCM72(T) was most closely related to Rheinheimera baltica and Alishewanella fetalis of the gamma-Proteobacteria with a 93% sequence similarity to both. The G+C content of DNA isolated from GCM72(T) was 49.9mol% and DNA-DNA hybridization between GCM72T and R. baltica was 9.5%. Fatty acid analysis and G+C content supports a relationship primarily to R. baltica, but several different features, such as a negative catalase-response and optimal growth at low temperature and high pH, together with the large phylogenetic distance and low DNA similarity to its closest relatives, lead us to propose a new genus, Arsukibacterium, gen. nov., with the new species Arsukibacterium ikkense sp. nov. (type strain is GCM72(T)).     

Toxicants inhibiting anaerobic digestion: A review

Anaerobic digestion is increasingly being used to treat wastes from many sources because of its manifold advantages over aerobic treatment, e.g. low sludge production and low energy requirements. However, anaerobic digestion is sensitive to toxicants, and a wide range of compounds can inhibit the process and cause upset or failure. Substantial research has been carried out over the years to identify specific inhibitors/toxicants, and their mechanism of toxicity in anaerobic digestion. In this review we present a detailed and critical summary of research on the inhibition of anaerobic processes by specific organic toxicants (e.g., chlorophenols, halogenated aliphatics and long chain fatty acids), inorganic toxicants (e.g., ammonia, sulfide and heavy metals) and in particular, nanomaterials, focusing on the mechanism of their inhibition/toxicity. A better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms behind inhibition/toxicity will enhance the wider application of anaerobic digestion.     

果胶酶产生菌的分离及培养条件研究

从黑龙江省巴彦县亚麻厂不同发酵时期的沤麻液中 ,分离得到两株果胶酶产生菌MHZP 0 1和MHZP 0 2 ,经初步鉴定为芽孢杆菌属 (Bacillus)。在温度为 33～ 37℃ ,pH 5～ 6,工业级原料C N(质量比 )为 1∶1时 ,为这两株菌的最佳培养条件。     

窖泥群落结构及功能微生物研究进展

窖泥是浓香型白酒的特征发酵载体,包含多种功能微生物,这些功能微生物对浓香型白酒的风格特征和品质有着重要的影响。本文对不同窖龄窖泥、不同浓香型白酒产地的窖泥及不同质量窖泥的窖泥微生物研究进展进行总结分析,并在此基础上对窖泥主体微生物的功能进行阐述。以期为窖泥微生物的研究提供思路,为浓香型白酒的质量和香味成分研究提供思考,促进窖泥微生物的研究,加深对浓香型白酒窖泥的认知。     

三种荒漠灌木根际可培养固氮细菌类群及其固氮和产铁载体能力

【目的】揭示西鄂尔多斯荒漠孑遗灌木四合木(Tetraena mongolica)、沙冬青(Ammopiptanthus mongolicus)、白刺(Nitraria tangutorum)根际可培养固氮细菌类群,分析固氮酶活性和产铁载体能力,以期为认识和利用荒漠植物根际促生细菌提供依据。【方法】以Ashby无氮培养基、采用涂布划线法分离纯化根际固氮细菌;基于16S r RNA基因分析类群组成;以乙炔还原方法测定固氮酶活性;以铬天青S蓝色平板定性筛选产铁载体菌株,以分光光度计法定量产铁载体能力。【结果】共分离出固氮细菌22株,分别属于3个门与9个属,其中变形菌门(Proteobacteria,82%)为绝对优势门,假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas,27.27%)为优势属;Rhizobium和Bacillus分别是沙冬青和四合木的独有属,而白刺独有属有Enterobacter、Stenotrophomonas和Paenibacillus;10株在无氮培养基上生长迅速,它们的固氮酶活性在871.71-3 383.09 nmol C2H4/(H·Culture)之间,并且其中有7株具有产铁载体能力,其产铁载体的As/Ar值范围为0.35-0.79。【结论】鄂尔多斯荒漠珍稀孑遗灌木植物根际固氮细菌类群多样,植物间差异明显,包含多种高固氮酶活性和产铁载体能力的固氮细菌,可作为植物生长促进根际细菌的重要来源。     

石河子不同树龄蟠桃土壤中可培养酵母多样性分析及功能酵母的筛选

为了探究新疆本土蟠桃园可培养酵母菌多样性,并挖掘功能酵母资源,本研究以新疆石河子蟠桃园3年、8年、15年树龄的根际和非根际土壤以及桃树叶片为材料,经过传统的分离培养方法获得可培养的酵母菌菌株,并进行形态学、生理生化以及26S r DNA的D1/D2区序列分析,共获得可培养酵母菌129株,从属于12个属17个种,其中子囊菌酵母为优势菌群,占分离属的88%,分布于威克汉姆酵母属(Wickerhamomyces),Vanrija属,Barnettozyma属和有孢圆酵母属(Torulaspora)等11个属的15个种。担子菌占分离属的12%,分布于隐球酵母属(Cryptococcus)的2个种。其中优势属威克汉姆酵母属,包括异常威克汉姆酵母(W. anomalus)和W. pijperi两个种,占总比例的33%,优势种异常威克汉姆酵母所占总株数比例为17%。从可培养酵母中共筛选出23株功能酵母,其中富硒酵母21株,优势种为白地霉(Galactomyces candidum),产蛋白酶酵母2株均属于隐球酵母属的Cryptococcus albidus。结果表明,新疆桃园中蕴含丰富的酵母菌资源,非根际土壤中的酵母多样性大于根际及叶片酵母多样性,且分离得到富硒酵母及产蛋白酶酵母。本研究挖掘了新疆本土可培养酵母菌资源,同时也为功能酵母的开发和利用提供理论指导。     

远端霉素高产菌株的选育

目的：选育远端霉素高产菌株。方法：以远端霉素产生菌（Streptomyces distallicus）D32为出发菌株,经铜蒸汽激光和5-氟尿嘧啶（5-fu）及其复合处理。结果：在复合诱变组中获得一株远端霉素高产稳产突变株DZ-206,经发酵罐应用后,其产率较出发菌株提高1．38倍。结论：该方法诱变谱广,突变率高,能够快速有效获得抗生素高产菌株。