The genes for cellobiose utilization are normally cryptic in Escherichia
coli. The cellobiose system was used as a model to understand the process
by which silent genes are maintained in microbial populations. Previously
reported was (1) the isolation of a mutant strain that expresses the
cellobiose-utilization (Cel) genes and (2) that expression of those genes
allows utilization of three beta- glucoside sugars: cellobiose, arbutin,
and salicin. The Cel gene cluster has now been cloned from that mutant
strain. In the course of locating the Cel genes within the cloned DNA
segment, it was discovered that inactivation of the Cel-encoded hydrolase
rendered the host strain sensitive to all three beta-glucosides as potent
inhibitors. This sensitivity arises from the accumulation of the
phosphorylated beta- glucosides. Because even the fully active genes
conferred some degree of beta-glucoside sensitivity, the effects of
cellobiose on a series of five Cel+ mutants of independent origin were
investigated. Although each of those strains utilizes cellobiose as a sole
carbon and energy source, cellobiose also acts as a potent inhibitor that
reduces the growth rate on glycerol 2.5-16.5-fold. On the other hand,
wild-type strains that cannot utilize cellobiose are not inhibited. The
observation that the same compound can serve either as a nutrient or as an
inhibitor suggests that, under most conditions in which cellobiose will be
present together with other resources, there is a strong selective
advantage to having the cryptic (Cel0) allele. In those environments in
which cellobiose is the sole, or the best, resource, mutants that express
the genes (Cel+) will have a strong selective advantage. It is suggested
that temporal alternation between these two conditions is a major factor in
the maintenance of these genes in E. coli populations. This alternation of
environments and fitnesses was predicted by the model for cryptic-gene
maintenance that was previously published.
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A strain of starch-assimilating yeast,Saccharomycopsis capsularis, isolated from Indian cereal-based fermented foods, produced significant levels of extracellular α-amylase and glucoamylase.
The enzymes reached their peak activities during the stationary phase at the end of the 5th and 4th day of cultivation, respectively.
The amylase yields were maximized by a proper choice of carbon and nitrogen sources, starting pH of the culture medium and
growth temperature. High activities of the enzymes were obtained through inexpensive agricultural commodities, such as wheat
bran and corn meal as carbon sources, and defatted soybean meal and peanut meal as nitrogen sources. A temperature of 28–32°C
and an initial pH of 4.5–5.0 were optimum. The crude amylase mixture could liquefy and saccharify a 1% starch solution completely
in 24 h at 50°C. 相似文献
Selection-induced mutations are nonrandom mutations that occur as specific
and direct responses to environmental challenge. Examples of
selection-induced mutations have been reported both in bacteria and in
yeast. I previously showed (Hall 1988) that excisions of the mobile genetic
element IS150 from within bglF are selection induced and argued that they
occurred because they were potentially advantageous under the selective
conditions employed. Mittler and Lenski (Mittler and Lenski 1992) have
argued that such excisions are not selection induced but that they occur
randomly in nondividing cells. Here I provide further evidence that IS150
excisions are induced by selection and that the excisions are immediately,
rather than only potentially, advantageous to the cell. I also provide
evidence that excisions, which Mittler and Lenski claim occur randomly in
saturated broth cultures, actually occur after samples from those cultures
are plated onto selective medium.
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In recent years, drug manufacturers and researchers have begun to consider the nanobiotechnology approach to improve the drug delivery system for tumour and cancer diseases. In this article, we review current strategies to improve tumour and cancer drug delivery, which mainly focuses on sustaining biocompatibility, biodistribution, and active targeting. The conventional therapy using cornerstone drugs such as fludarabine, cisplatin etoposide, and paclitaxel has its own challenges especially not being able to discriminate between tumour versus normal cells which eventually led to toxicity and side effects in the patients. In contrast to the conventional approach, nanoparticle-based drug delivery provides target-specific delivery and controlled release of the drug, which provides a better therapeutic window for treatment options by focusing on the eradication of diseased cells via active targeting and sparing normal cells via passive targeting. Additionally, treatment of tumours associated with the brain is hampered by the impermeability of the blood–brain barriers to the drugs, which eventually led to poor survival in the patients. Nanoparticle-based therapy offers superior delivery of drugs to the target by breaching the blood–brain barriers. Herein, we provide an overview of the properties of nanoparticles that are crucial for nanotechnology applications. We address the potential future applications of nanobiotechnology targeting specific or desired areas. In particular, the use of nanomaterials, biostructures, and drug delivery methods for the targeted treatment of tumours and cancer are explored. 相似文献
In vitro absorption of nutrients like glucose, leucine, protein hydrolysate and Ca2+ by ligated loops of small intestine was significantly affected in presence of lectins from peas and lentils. Except for sucrose, all other nutrients showed significant decrease in their absorption in presence of lectins. Lentil lectins had a greater inhibitory effect than pea lectins. 相似文献
The conformation of the acyclic biscystine peptide S,S'-bis(Boc-Cys-Ala-OMe) has been studied in the solid state by x-ray diffraction, and in solution by 1H- and 13C-nmr, ir, and CD methods. The peptide molecule has a twofold rotation symmetry and adopts an intramolecular antiparallel beta-sheet structure in the solid state. The two antiparallel extended strands are stabilized by two hydrogen bonds between the Boc CO and Ala NH groups [N...O 2.964 (3) A, O...HN 2.11 (3) A, and NH...O angle 162 (3) degrees]. The disulfide bridge has a right-handed conformation with the torsion angle C beta SSC beta = 95.8 (2) degrees. In solution the presence of a twofold rotation symmetry in the molecule is evident from the 1H- and 13C-nmr spectra. 1H-nmr studies, using solvent and temperature dependencies of NH chemical shifts, paramagnetic radical induced line broadening, and rate of deuterium-hydrogen exchange effects on NH resonances, suggest that Ala NH is solvent shielded and intramolecularly hydrogen bonded in CDCl3 and in (CD3)2SO. Nuclear Overhauser effects observed between Cys C alpha H and Ala NH protons and ir studies provide evidence of the occurrence of antiparallel beta-sheet structure in these solvents. The CD spectra of the peptide in organic solvents are characteristic of those observed for cystine peptides that have been shown to adopt antiparallel beta-sheet structures. 相似文献
Continuous light can be used as a tool to understand the diurnal rhythm of plants and it can also be used to increase the plant production. In the present research, we aimed to investigate the photosynthetic performance of V. radiata under continuous light as compared with the plants grown under normal light duration. Chlorophyll a fluorescence transient (OJIP test) technique was used to understand the effect on various stages of photosynthesis and their consequences under continuous light condition. Various Chl a Fluorescence kinetic parameters such as Specific energy fluxes (per QA-reducing PSII reaction center (RC)) (ABS /RC; TR0/RC; ET0/RC; DI0/RC), phenomenological fluxes, leaf model, (ABS/CSm; TR/CSm; ETo/CSm), Quantum yields and efficiencies (φPo; φEo; Ψo) and Performance index (PIabs) was extracted and analysed in our investigation. Conclusively, our study has revealed that continuous light alters the photosynthetic performance of V. radiata at a different point but also improve plant productivity. 相似文献
The milieu of male germline stem cells (mGSCs) is characterized as a low-oxygen (O2) environment, whereas, their in-vitro expansion is typically performed under normoxia (20–21% O2). The comparative information about the effects of low and normal O2 levels on the growth and differentiation of caprine mGSCs (cmGSCs) is lacking. Thus, we aimed to investigate the functional and multilineage differentiation characteristics of enriched cmGSCs, when grown under hypoxia and normoxia. After enrichment of cmGSCs through multiple methods (differential platting and Percoll-density gradient centrifugation), the growth characteristics of cells [population-doubling time (PDT), viability, proliferation, and senescence], and expression of key-markers of adhesion (β-integrin and E-Cadherin) and stemness (OCT-4, THY-1 and UCHL-1) were evaluated under hypoxia (5% O2) and normoxia (21% O2). Furthermore, the extent of multilineage differentiation (neurogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation) under different culture conditions was assessed. The survival, viability, and proliferation were significantly (p?<?0.05) improved, thus, yielding a significantly (p?<?0.05) higher number of viable cells with larger colonies under hypoxia. Furthermore, the expression of stemness and adhesion markers were distinctly upregulated under lowered O2 conditions. Conversely, the differentiated regions and expression of differentiation-specific genes [C/EBPα (adipogenic), nestin and β-tubulin (neurogenic), and COL2A1 (chondrogenic)] were significantly (p?<?0.05) reduced under hypoxia. Overall, the results demonstrate that culturing cmGSCs under hypoxia augments the growth characteristics and stemness but not the multilineage differentiation of cmGSCs, as compared with normoxia. These data are important to develop robust methodologies for ex-vivo expansion and lineage-committed differentiation of cmGSCs for clinical applications.