Isolation and characterization of a cellulase-free pectinolytic and hemicellulolytic thermophilic fungus

A thermophilic fungus belonging to the Deuteromyces, having pectinase and xylanase activities, was grown at its optimum temperature of 55°C. It grew over a wide pH range of 4 to 10, being optimal at 6. The fungus grew well on modified Mandels' medium in which cellulose was substituted either with hemicellulose or pectin. With citrus pectin as carbon source, 121 units/ml of pectinase activity were obtained and with larch wood xylan as carbon source, 83 units/ml of xylanase activity were obtained.     

Initiating and promoting the aquatic ecosystem health concept: the Society and the Journal

Since the 1970's the management of aquatic habitats has changed from piecemeal monitoring to the ecosystem approach; this was initiated in the North American Great Lakes, comprising social, economic, and environmental aspects. The information included in this paper is based on the presentation made at the Seminar On Ecosystem Approach To Water Management held in Oslo, Norway during 1991. Recently, the multidisciplinary, holistic, and integrated concept of ecosystem health has emerged, and is being advanced for the implementation of an ecosystem approach to environmental management, which has resulted in the formation of an international society (Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management Society) and the publication of a primary journal (Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Health). The information has been updated to incorporate new developments and recent progress about the Society and the journal since the Oslo Seminar.     

The ultrastructural indicators of aquatic ecosystem health

Analyses by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the smallest organisms in surface waters can be used to assess ecosystem health; the evidence for this statement is reviewed and recommendations are made for optimal use of TEM technology in providing such assessments. Those groups of small organisms currently being considered as indicators of ecosystem health (viruses, bacteria, autotrophic picoplankton, and autotrophic nanoplankton) are reviewed briefly as subjects for monitoring by TEM. New information on direct counting by TEM of viral femtoplankton indicates that viruses can be present in numbers 10³ to 10⁷ times greater than previously estimated by the traditional counts of plaque-forming units using various host bacteria. Such concentrations indicate that virus infections may exert ecological control over planktonic microbes. Ultrastructural research on prokaryotic picoplankton suggests that TEM analyses of cells in ultra-thin sections can be used to speciate the picoplankton and to diagnose them for cytological modifications related to environmental stress. Considering their great importance, episodically, to primary productivity and to modulating the speciation of higher levels in the food web, such picoplankton ultrastructural analyses could be pursued with profit as a diagnostic tool. For decades, the ultrastructure of some eukaryotic nanoplankton has been known to vary in specific ways to specific stresses in laboratory experiments. An extension of these structure-function correlations is potentially a useful tool to provide indicators of ecosystem health. The barriers to progress in such research are now understood and can be overcome.     

Metabolic regulation analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">icd</Emphasis>-gene knockout <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> based on 2D electrophoresis with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and enzyme activity measurements

An integrated study of cell growth characteristics, enzyme activities and protein expression patterns was carried out to investigate how the central metabolism of Escherichia coli changes upon knockout of the isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) gene (icd) in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Deletion of the icd gene led to reduced specific growth rate and reduced specific glucose consumption rate. The reduced specific growth rate in the icd mutant was due mainly to the lower intracellular ATP/ADP ratio as well as to the lower NADPH/NADP⁺ ratio compared with those in the parent strain. However, the specific carbon dioxide evolution rate was found to be higher in the icd mutant strain compared to the parent E. coli. This may be due to the higher activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase and NADP⁺-dependent malic enzymes. The glyoxylate pathway was also utilized, as evidenced by the significant upregulation of isocitrate lyase and malate synthase activity in the icd mutant E. coli. The appearance of the glyoxylate pathway caused lower acetate production. Of 21 proteins showing altered expression levels, 17 were successfully identified with the aid of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The results showed that the abolition of ICDH activity significantly affected the respiratory system and electron transport chain, as evidenced by the significant downregulation of proteins encoded by the genes nuoE, nuoH, cydA and cyoA in icd mutant E. coli compared to the parent.     

Curcumin inhibits ultraviolet light induced human immunodeficiency virus gene expression

Recently, we reported that the herbal drug St. John's Wort is a potent inhibitor of UV-induced HIV-LTR activation in stably transfected HIVcat/HeLa cells [35]. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the activation of p38 MAP kinase (stress-activated protein kinase-2) and NF-B are both required for a full UV-induced HIV gene expression response. In this study we have investigated the mechanism by which curcumin inhibits UV-activated HIV-LTR gene expression. We found that treatment of HIVcat/HeLa cells with micromolar concentrations of curcumin completely abolished UV activation of HIV gene expression. Curcumin treatment at similar doses as those used to inhibit HIV gene expression also effectively blocked UV activation of NF-B, as demonstrated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. In contrast, curcumin did not inhibit UV-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase. This observation was also supported by findings that curcumin did not inhibit UV-induced phosphorylation of CREB/ATF-1 and ATF-2. Although curcumin was ineffective in preventing UV-induced p44/42 MAP kinase phosphorylation, the JNK (1 and 2) and AP-1 activation were efficiently blocked by curcumin in HeLa cells. We conclude that the mechanism by which curcumin modulates UV activation of HIV-LTR gene expression mainly involves the inhibition of NF-B activation.     

Functional dendritic polymer architectures as stimuli-responsive nanocarriers

Stimuli-responsive polymer architectures are molecular systems which evolve with an external signal. The observed changes are mainly decomposition, isomerization, polymerization, activation, supramolecular aggregation, and structural modifications of these molecules. The external stimuli, which can be combined in order to provoke these molecular changes, are numerous. In this review, we have chosen to present an overview on different mechanisms to impart responsiveness to dendritic polymers, with the particular aim of delivery and release of bioactive molecules.     

Exogenous thermospermine has an activity to induce a subset of the defense genes and restrict cucumber mosaic virus multiplication in Arabidopsis thaliana

We previously proposed the defensive role of a signal pathway triggered by the polyamine spermine (Spm) in the reaction against avirulent viral pathogens in Nicotiana tabacum and Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, we showed that thermospermine (T-Spm), an isomer of Spm, is also active in inducing the expression of the genes involved in the Spm-signal pathway at a similar dose as Spm. Furthermore, we found that T-Spm enhances the expression of a subset of pathogenesis-related genes whose expression is induced during cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)-triggered hypersensitive response. In consistent with the above observation, we further showed that exogenous T-Spm can repress CMV multiplication with same efficiency as Spm. KEY MESSAGE: Polyamine thermospermine, an isomer of spermine, is able to induce a subset of hypersensitive response-related defense genes and can suppress cucumber mosaic virus multiplication in Arabidopsis thaliana.