Enhancement of symbiotic nitrogen fixation by vitamin-secreting fluorescent Pseudomonas

Fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. strain 267 promotes growth of nodulated clover plants under gnotobiotic conditions. In the growth conditions (60 M FeCl₃), the production of siderophores of the pseudobactin-pyoverdin group was repressed. Plant growth enhancement results from secretion of B vitamins by Pseudomonas sp. strain 267. This was proven by stimulation of clover growth by naturally auxotrophic strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii and marker strains E. coli thi^- and R. meliloti pan^- in the presence of the supernatant of Pseudomonas sp. strain 267. The addition of vitamins to the plant medium increased symbiotic nitrogen fixation by the clover plants.     

Genes of the R-phycocyanin II locus of marine Synechococcus spp., and comparison of protein-chromophore interactions in phycocyanins differing in bilin composition

R-phycocyanin II (RPCII) is a recently discovered member of the phycocyanin family of photosynthetic light-harvesting proteins. Genes encoding the and subunits of RPCII were cloned and sequenced from marine Synechococcus sp. strains WH8020 and WH8103. The deduced amino acid sequences of RPCII were compared to two other types of phycocyanin, C-phycocyanin (CPC) and phycoerythrocyanin (PEC). These three types vary in the composition of their covalently bound bilin prosthetic groups. In terms of amino acid sequence identity RPCII is highly homologous to CPC and PEC, suggesting that the known three-dimensional structures of the latter two are representative of RPCII. Thus the amino acid residues contacting the three bilins of RPCII could be inferred and compared to those in CPC and PEC. Certain residues were identified among the three phycocyanins as possibly correlating with specific bilin isomers. In overall sequence RPCII and CPC are more homologous to one another than either is to PEC. This probably reflects functional homology in the roles of RPCII and CPC in the transfer of light energy to the core of the phycobilisome, a function not attributed to PEC. The genomes of Synechococcus sp. strains WH8020, WH8103 and WH7803 share homologous open reading frames in the vicinity of RPCII genes. The nucleotide sequence extending 3 from RPCII genes in strain WH8020 revealed two open reading frames homologous to components of an CPC phycocyanobilin lyase. These open reading frames may encode a lyase specific for the attachment of phycoerythrobilin to RPCII.     

衣藻(Chlamydomonas sp)中间纤维及核纤层存在的证实(简报)

衣藻(Chlamydomonas sp)是属于绿藻门的最低等单细胞植物,为典型的真核生物。迄今以衣藻为材料所作的有关细胞骨架方面的研究多集中在微管蛋白(tubulin)。C.J.Miller等曾以衣藻(Chlamydomonas reinhardtii)全蛋白与几种中间纤维抗体进行免疫印迹实验有阳性反应,但是衣藻中是否存在中间纤维与核纤层是不清楚的问题。衣藻中间纤维与核纤层的形态研究更未见报道。目前认为中间纤维-核纤     

中国食蚜蝇科—新属新种(英文)

本文记述了中国食蚜蝇科Syrphidae、管蚜蝇亚科Eristalinae、管蚜蝇族Eristalini的一新属:艳管蚜蝇属Pseudomeromacrus gen.nov.和新种 刺茎艳管蚜蝇Pseudomeromacrus setipenitus Li,sp.nov.模式标本保存于华南农业大学植保系昆虫标本室。     

PROROCENTRUM BELIZEANUM,PROROCENTRUM ELEGANS,AND PROROCENTRUM CARIBBAEUM,THREE NEW BENTHIC SPECIES (DINOPHYCEAE) FROM A MANGROVE ISLAND,TWIN CAYS,BELIZE1

Three new benthic dinoflagellate species, Prorocentrum belizeanum, Prorocentrum elegans, and Prorocentrum caribbaeum, from mangrove floating detritus are described from scanning electron micrographs. Species were identified based on shape, size, surface micromorphology, ornamentation of thecal plates, and architecture of the periflagellar area and intercalary band. Cells of P. belizeanum are round to slightly oval with a cell size of 55–60 μm long and 50–55 μm wide. Areolae are round and numerous (853–1024 per valve) and range from 0.66 to 0.83 μm in size. The periflagellar area of P. belizeanum is a broad V-shaped depression; it accommodates a flagellar and an auxiliary pore and a flared, curved apical collar. The intercalary band of P. belizeanum is horizontally striated. Prorocentrum elegans is a small species 15–20 μm long and 10–14 μm wide, with an ovate cell shape. The thecal surface is smooth. Two sizes of valve pores were recognized: large, round pores (20–22 per valve) arranged in a distinct pattern and smaller pores situated in an array along the intercalary band. The periflagellar area is V-shaped; it accommodates an uneven sized flagellar pore, an auxiliary pore, and an angled protuberant flagellar plate. The intercalary band is transversely striated. It is a bloom-forming species. Prorocentrum caribbaeum cells are heart-shaped with a rounded anterior end and a pointed posterior end. Cells range from 40 to 45 μm long and 30 to 35 μm wide. Thecal surface has two different-sized pores: large, round pores (145–203 per valve) arranged perpendicularly from the posterior margins, and small, round pores unevenly distributed on the thecal surface. The periflagellar area is ornate. It is V-shaped with a curved apical collar located next to the auxiliary pore; a smaller protuberant apical plate is adjacent to the flagellar pore. The intercalary band is transversely striated and sinuous. Cells are active swimmers.     

Overexpression of cloned genes using recombinant Escherichia coli regulated by a T7 promoter: II. Two-stage continuous cultures and model simulations

A two-stage culture strategy was studied for continuous high-level production of a foreign protein in the chemically inducible T7 expression system. The first stage is dedicated to the maintenance of plasmid-bearing cells and the second stage to the target protein synthesis by induction of cells coming from the first stage. On entering the second stage, recombinant cells undergo a gradual induction of the target gene expression. These plasmid-bearing cells experience dynamic changes in intracellular compositions and specific growth rates with their individual residence times. Therefore, the overall cultural characteristics in the production stage are really averages of the contributions from the various cells with different residence times. The behavior of the two-stage culture is described by a model, which accounts for dynamic variations of cell growth and protein synthesis rates with cell residence times. Model simulations were compared with experimental results at a variety of operating conditions such as inducer concentration and dilution rate. This model is useful for understanding the behavior of two-stage continuous cultures. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Kinetics of cell growth and heterologous glucoamylase production in recombinant Aspergillus nidulans

In the work, a study of cell growth and the regulation of heterologous glucoamylase synthesis under the control of the positively regulated alcA promoter in a recombinant Aspergillus nidulans is presented. We found that similar growth rates were obtained for both the host and recombinant cells when either glucose or fructose was employed as sole carbon and energy source. Use of the potent inducer cyclopentanone in concentrations greater than 3 mM resulted n maximum glucoamylase concentration and maximum overall specific glucoamylase concentration over 80 h of batch cultivation. However, cyclopentanone concentrations in excess of 3 mM also showed an inhibitory effect on spore germination as well as fungal growth. In contrast, another inducer, threonine, had no negative effect on spore germination even when concentrations of up to 100 mM were used with either glucose or fructose as carbon source. Glucoamylase synthesis in the presence of glucose plus either inducer did not begin until glucose was totally depleted, suggesting strong catabolite repression. Similar results were obtained when fructose was employed, although low levels of glucoamylase were detected before fructose depletion, suggesting partial catabolite repression. The highest enzyme concentration (570 mg/L) and overall specific enzyme concentration (81 mg/g cell) were observed in batch culture when cyclopentanone was the inducer and fructose the primary carbon source. A maximum glucoamylase concentration of 1.1 g/L and an overall specific glucoamylase concentration of 167 mg/g cell were obtained in a bioreactor using cyclopentanone as the inducer and limited-fructose feeding strategy, which nearly doubles the glucoamylase productivity from batch cultures. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Comparison of three different promoter systems for secretory alpha-amylase production in fed-batch cultures of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cloned gene expression in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae 20B-12 containing three different plasmids was compared in batch and fed-batch cultures. The plasmids pNA3, pNA7, and pNA9 contain the alpha-amylase gene under the control of SUC2, PGK, and GAL7 Promoters, respectively. The synthesis of alpha-amylase was therefore induced by low glucose concentration for the SUC2 and PGK promoters, and by galactose for GAL7 promoter. The specific cell growth rates were similar among cells harboring the three different plasmids; they decreased from 0.35 to 0.38 h(-1) during the cell growth phase to 0.03 to 0.06h(-1) during the production phase. The secretory alpha-amylase activity of cells harboring plasmid pNA7 was 129 U/mL in fed-batch culture, which was 1.4 and 2 times as high as the activities of cells harboring plasmids pNA3 and pNA9, respectively. The secretion ratios (amount of extracellular alpha-amylase activity/amounts of total alpha-amylase activity) of cells harboring plasmids pNA3, pNA7, and pNA9 were 91.4%, 94.5%, and 95.3%, respectively. (c) 1993 Wiley & Sons, Inc.