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Sample records for nostoc punctiforme atcc

  1. Transcript analysis of the extended hyp-operon in the cyanobacteria Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120 and Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Cyanobacteria harbor two [NiFe]-type hydrogenases consisting of a large and a small subunit, the Hup- and Hox-hydrogenase, respectively. Insertion of ligands and correct folding of nickel-iron hydrogenases require assistance of accessory maturation proteins (encoded by the hyp-genes). The intergenic region between the structural genes encoding the uptake hydrogenase (hupSL) and the accessory maturation proteins (hyp genes) in the cyanobacteria Nostoc PCC 7120 and N. punctiforme were analysed using molecular methods. Findings The five ORFs, located in between the uptake hydrogenase structural genes and the hyp-genes, can form a transcript with the hyp-genes. An identical genomic localization of these ORFs are found in other filamentous, N2-fixing cyanobacterial strains. In N. punctiforme and Nostoc PCC 7120 the ORFs upstream of the hyp-genes showed similar transcript level profiles as hupS (hydrogenase structural gene), nifD (nitrogenase structural gene), hypC and hypF (accessory hydrogenase maturation genes) after nitrogen depletion. In silico analyzes showed that these ORFs in N. punctiforme harbor the same conserved regions as their homologues in Nostoc PCC 7120 and that they, like their homologues in Nostoc PCC 7120, can be transcribed together with the hyp-genes forming a larger extended hyp-operon. DNA binding studies showed interactions of the transcriptional regulators CalA and CalB to the promoter regions of the extended hyp-operon in N. punctiforme and Nostoc PCC 7120. Conclusions The five ORFs upstream of the hyp-genes in several filamentous N2-fixing cyanobacteria have an identical genomic localization, in between the genes encoding the uptake hydrogenase and the maturation protein genes. In N. punctiforme and Nostoc PCC 7120 they are transcribed as one operon and may form transcripts together with the hyp-genes. The expression pattern of the five ORFs within the extended hyp-operon in both Nostoc punctiforme and Nostoc PCC 7120 is similar to

  2. The Nostoc punctiforme Genome

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    John C. Meeks

    2001-12-31

    Nostoc punctiforme is a filamentous cyanobacterium with extensive phenotypic characteristics and a relatively large genome, approaching 10 Mb. The phenotypic characteristics include a photoautotrophic, diazotrophic mode of growth, but N. punctiforme is also facultatively heterotrophic; its vegetative cells have multiple development alternatives, including terminal differentiation into nitrogen-fixing heterocysts and transient differentiation into spore-like akinetes or motile filaments called hormogonia; and N. punctiforme has broad symbiotic competence with fungi and terrestrial plants, including bryophytes, gymnosperms and an angiosperm. The shotgun-sequencing phase of the N. punctiforme strain ATCC 29133 genome has been completed by the Joint Genome Institute. Annotation of an 8.9 Mb database yielded 7432 open reading frames, 45% of which encode proteins with known or probable known function and 29% of which are unique to N. punctiforme. Comparative analysis of the sequence indicates a genome that is highly plastic and in a state of flux, with numerous insertion sequences and multilocus repeats, as well as genes encoding transposases and DNA modification enzymes. The sequence also reveals the presence of genes encoding putative proteins that collectively define almost all characteristics of cyanobacteria as a group. N. punctiforme has an extensive potential to sense and respond to environmental signals as reflected by the presence of more than 400 genes encoding sensor protein kinases, response regulators and other transcriptional factors. The signal transduction systems and any of the large number of unique genes may play essential roles in the cell differentiation and symbiotic interaction properties of N. punctiforme.

  3. Diversity and transcription of proteases involved in the maturation of hydrogenases in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    Background The last step in the maturation process of the large subunit of [NiFe]-hydrogenases is a proteolytic cleavage of the C-terminal by a hydrogenase specific protease. Contrary to other accessory proteins these hydrogenase proteases are believed to be specific whereby one type of hydrogenases specific protease only cleaves one type of hydrogenase. In cyanobacteria this is achieved by the gene product of either hupW or hoxW, specific for the uptake or the bidirectional hydrogenase respectively. The filamentous cyanobacteria Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and Nostoc sp strain PCC 7120 may contain a single uptake hydrogenase or both an uptake and a bidirectional hydrogenase respectively. Results In order to examine these proteases in cyanobacteria, transcriptional analyses were performed of hupW in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and hupW and hoxW in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120. These studies revealed numerous transcriptional start points together with putative binding sites for NtcA (hupW) and LexA (hoxW). In order to investigate the diversity and specificity among hydrogeanse specific proteases we constructed a phylogenetic tree which revealed several subgroups that showed a striking resemblance to the subgroups previously described for [NiFe]-hydrogenases. Additionally the proteases specificity was also addressed by amino acid sequence analysis and protein-protein docking experiments with 3D-models derived from bioinformatic studies. These studies revealed a so called "HOXBOX"; an amino acid sequence specific for protease of Hox-type which might be involved in docking with the large subunit of the hydrogenase. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the hydrogenase specific proteases are under similar regulatory control as the hydrogenases they cleave. The result from the phylogenetic study also indicates that the hydrogenase and the protease have co-evolved since ancient time and suggests that at least one major horizontal gene transfer has occurred. This co

  4. Diversity and transcription of proteases involved in the maturation of hydrogenases in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120

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    Lindblad Peter

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The last step in the maturation process of the large subunit of [NiFe]-hydrogenases is a proteolytic cleavage of the C-terminal by a hydrogenase specific protease. Contrary to other accessory proteins these hydrogenase proteases are believed to be specific whereby one type of hydrogenases specific protease only cleaves one type of hydrogenase. In cyanobacteria this is achieved by the gene product of either hupW or hoxW, specific for the uptake or the bidirectional hydrogenase respectively. The filamentous cyanobacteria Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and Nostoc sp strain PCC 7120 may contain a single uptake hydrogenase or both an uptake and a bidirectional hydrogenase respectively. Results In order to examine these proteases in cyanobacteria, transcriptional analyses were performed of hupW in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and hupW and hoxW in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120. These studies revealed numerous transcriptional start points together with putative binding sites for NtcA (hupW and LexA (hoxW. In order to investigate the diversity and specificity among hydrogeanse specific proteases we constructed a phylogenetic tree which revealed several subgroups that showed a striking resemblance to the subgroups previously described for [NiFe]-hydrogenases. Additionally the proteases specificity was also addressed by amino acid sequence analysis and protein-protein docking experiments with 3D-models derived from bioinformatic studies. These studies revealed a so called "HOXBOX"; an amino acid sequence specific for protease of Hox-type which might be involved in docking with the large subunit of the hydrogenase. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the hydrogenase specific proteases are under similar regulatory control as the hydrogenases they cleave. The result from the phylogenetic study also indicates that the hydrogenase and the protease have co-evolved since ancient time and suggests that at least one major horizontal gene transfer

  5. Characterization of the hupSL promoter activity in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    Background In cyanobacteria three enzymes are directly involved in the hydrogen metabolism; a nitrogenase that produces molecular hydrogen, H2, as a by-product of nitrogen fixation, an uptake hydrogenase that recaptures H2 and oxidize it, and a bidirectional hydrogenase that can both oxidize and produce H2.Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 is a filamentous dinitrogen fixing cyanobacterium containing a nitrogenase and an uptake hydrogenase but no bidirectional hydrogenase. Generally, little is known about the transcriptional regulation of the cyanobacterial uptake hydrogenases. In this study gel shift assays showed that NtcA has a specific affinity to a region of the hupSL promoter containing a predicted NtcA binding site. The predicted NtcA binding site is centred at 258.5 bp upstream the transcription start point (tsp). To further investigate the hupSL promoter, truncated versions of the hupSL promoter were fused to either gfp or luxAB, encoding the reporter proteins Green Fluorescent Protein and Luciferase, respectively. Results Interestingly, all hupsSL promoter deletion constructs showed heterocyst specific expression. Unexpectedly the shortest promoter fragment, a fragment covering 57 bp upstream and 258 bp downstream the tsp, exhibited the highest promoter activity. Deletion of the NtcA binding site neither affected the expression to any larger extent nor the heterocyst specificity. Conclusion Obtained data suggest that the hupSL promoter in N. punctiforme is not strictly dependent on the upstream NtcA cis element and that the shortest promoter fragment (-57 to tsp) is enough for a high and heterocyst specific expression of hupSL. This is highly interesting because it indicates that the information that determines heterocyst specific gene expression might be confined to this short sequence or in the downstream untranslated leader sequence. PMID:19284581

  6. Characterization of the hupSL promoter activity in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133

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    Lindberg Pia

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In cyanobacteria three enzymes are directly involved in the hydrogen metabolism; a nitrogenase that produces molecular hydrogen, H2, as a by-product of nitrogen fixation, an uptake hydrogenase that recaptures H2 and oxidize it, and a bidirectional hydrogenase that can both oxidize and produce H2.Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 is a filamentous dinitrogen fixing cyanobacterium containing a nitrogenase and an uptake hydrogenase but no bidirectional hydrogenase. Generally, little is known about the transcriptional regulation of the cyanobacterial uptake hydrogenases. In this study gel shift assays showed that NtcA has a specific affinity to a region of the hupSL promoter containing a predicted NtcA binding site. The predicted NtcA binding site is centred at 258.5 bp upstream the transcription start point (tsp. To further investigate the hupSL promoter, truncated versions of the hupSL promoter were fused to either gfp or luxAB, encoding the reporter proteins Green Fluorescent Protein and Luciferase, respectively. Results Interestingly, all hupsSL promoter deletion constructs showed heterocyst specific expression. Unexpectedly the shortest promoter fragment, a fragment covering 57 bp upstream and 258 bp downstream the tsp, exhibited the highest promoter activity. Deletion of the NtcA binding site neither affected the expression to any larger extent nor the heterocyst specificity. Conclusion Obtained data suggest that the hupSL promoter in N. punctiforme is not strictly dependent on the upstream NtcA cis element and that the shortest promoter fragment (-57 to tsp is enough for a high and heterocyst specific expression of hupSL. This is highly interesting because it indicates that the information that determines heterocyst specific gene expression might be confined to this short sequence or in the downstream untranslated leader sequence.

  7. The global response of Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 to UVA stress, assessed in a temporal DNA microarray study.

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    Soule, Tanya; Gao, Qunjie; Stout, Valerie; Garcia-Pichel, Ferran

    2013-01-01

    Cyanobacteria in nature are exposed not only to the visible spectrum of sunlight but also to its harmful ultraviolet components (UVA and UVB). We used Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 as a model to study the UVA response by analyzing global gene expression patterns using genomic microarrays. UVA exposure resulted in the statistically detectable differential expression of 573 genes of the 6903 that were probed, compared with that of the control cultures. Of those genes, 473 were up-regulated, while only 100 were down-regulated. Many of the down-regulated genes were involved in photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis, indicating a significant shift in this metabolism. As expected, we detected the up-regulation of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes and the sunscreen, scytonemin. However, a majority of the up-regulated genes, 47%, were unassignable bioinformatically to known functional categories, suggesting that the UVA stress response is not well understood. Interestingly, the most dramatic up-regulation involved several contiguous genes of unassigned metabolism on plasmid A. This is the first global UVA stress response analysis of any phototrophic microorganism and the differential expression of 8% of the genes of the Nostoc genome indicates that adaptation to UVA in Nostoc has been an evolutionary force of significance. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Photochemistry and Photobiology © 2012 The American Society of Photobiology.

  8. Mutational studies of putative biosynthetic genes for the cyanobacterial sunscreen scytonemin in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133

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    Daniela eFerreira

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The heterocyclic indole-alkaloid scytonemin is a sunscreen found exclusively among cyanobacteria. An 18-gene cluster is responsible for scytonemin production in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133. The upstream genes scyABCDEF in the cluster are proposed to be responsible for scytonemin biosynthesis from aromatic amino acid substrates. In vitro studies of ScyA, ScyB and ScyC proved that these enzymes indeed catalyze initial pathway reactions. Here we characterize the role of ScyD, ScyE and ScyF, which were logically predicted to be responsible for late biosynthetic steps, in the biological context of N. punctiforme. In-frame deletion mutants of each were constructed (∆scyD, ∆scyE and ∆scyF and their phenotypes studied. Expectedly, ∆scyE presents a scytoneminless phenotype, but no accumulation of the predicted intermediaries. Surprisingly, ∆scyD retains scytonemin production, implying that it is not required for biosynthesis. Indeed, scyD presents an interesting evolutionary paradox: it likely originated in a duplication event from scyE, and unlike other genes in the operon, it has not been subjected to purifying selection. This would suggest that it is a pseudogene, and yet scyD is highly conserved in the scytonemin operon of cyanobacteria. ∆scyF also retains scytonemin production, albeit exhibiting a reduction of the production yield compared with the wild-type. This indicates that ScyF is not essential but may play an adjuvant role for scytonemin synthesis. Altogether, our findings suggest that these downstream genes are not responsible, as expected, for the late steps of scytonemin synthesis and we must look for those functions elsewhere. These findings are particularly important for biotechnological production of this sunscreen through heterologous expression of its genes in more tractable organisms.

  9. A high constitutive catalase activity confers resistance to methyl viologen-promoted oxidative stress in a mutant of the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133.

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    Moirangthem, Lakshmipyari Devi; Bhattacharya, Sudeshna; Stensjö, Karin; Lindblad, Peter; Bhattacharya, Jyotirmoy

    2014-04-01

    A spontaneous methyl viologen (MV)-resistant mutant of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 was isolated and the major enzymatic antioxidants involved in combating MV-induced oxidative stress were evaluated. The mutant displayed a high constitutive catalase activity as a consequence of which, the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species in the mutant was lower than the wild type (N. punctiforme) in the presence of MV. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity that consisted of a SodA (manganese-SOD) and a SodB (iron-SOD) was not suppressed in the mutant following MV treatment. The mutant was, however, characterised by a lower peroxidase activity compared with its wild type, and its improved tolerance to externally added H₂O₂ could only be attributed to enhanced catalase activity. Furthermore, MV-induced toxic effects on the wild type such as (1) loss of photosynthetic performance assessed as maximal quantum yield of photosystem II, (2) nitrogenase inactivation, and (3) filament fragmentation and cell lysis were not observed in the mutant. These findings highlight the importance of catalase in preventing MV-promoted oxidative damage and cell death in the cyanobacterium N. punctiforme. Such oxidative stress resistant mutants of cyanobacteria are likely to be a better source of biofertilisers, as they can grow and fix nitrogen in an unhindered manner in agricultural fields that are often contaminated with the herbicide MV, also commonly known as paraquat.

  10. A hydrogen-producing, hydrogenase-free mutant strain of Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133

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    Lindberg, P.; Lindblad, P. [Uppsala Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Physiological Botany; Schuetz, K.; Happe, T. [Universitaet Bonn (Germany). Botanisches Inst.

    2002-12-01

    The hupL gene, encoding the uptake hydrogenase large subunit, in Nostoc sp. strain ATCC 29133, a strain lacking a bidirectional hydrogenase, was inactivated by insertional mutagenesis. Recombinant strains were isolated and analysed, and one hupL{sup -} strain, NHM5, was selected for further study. Cultures of NHM5 were grown under nitrogen-fixing conditions and H{sub 2} evolution under air was observed using an H{sub 2} electrode. (Author)

  11. Molecular Cloning and Biochemical Characterization of the Iron Superoxide Dismutase from the Cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and Its Response to Methyl Viologen-Induced Oxidative Stress.

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    Moirangthem, Lakshmipyari Devi; Ibrahim, Kalibulla Syed; Vanlalsangi, Rebecca; Stensjö, Karin; Lindblad, Peter; Bhattacharya, Jyotirmoy

    2015-12-01

    Superoxide dismutase (SOD) detoxifies cell-toxic superoxide radicals and constitutes an important component of antioxidant machinery in aerobic organisms, including cyanobacteria. The iron-containing SOD (SodB) is one of the most abundant soluble proteins in the cytosol of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133, and therefore, we investigated its biochemical properties and response to oxidative stress. The putative SodB-encoding open reading frame Npun_R6491 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli as a C-terminally hexahistidine-tagged protein. The purified recombinant protein had a SodB specific activity of 2560 ± 48 U/mg protein at pH 7.8 and was highly thermostable. The presence of a characteristic iron absorption peak at 350 nm, and its sensitivity to H2O2 and azide, confirmed that the SodB is an iron-containing SOD. Transcript level of SodB in nitrogen-fixing cultures of N. punctiforme decreased considerably (threefold) after exposure to an oxidative stress-generating herbicide methyl viologen for 4 h. Furthermore, in-gel SOD activity analysis of such cultures grown at increasing concentrations of methyl viologen also showed a loss of SodB activity. These results suggest that SodB is not the primary scavenger of superoxide radicals induced by methyl viologen in N. punctiforme.

  12. Identification and topographical characterisation of microbial nanowires in Nostoc punctiforme.

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    Sure, Sandeep; Torriero, Angel A J; Gaur, Aditya; Li, Lu Hua; Chen, Ying; Tripathi, Chandrakant; Adholeya, Alok; Ackland, M Leigh; Kochar, Mandira

    2016-03-01

    Extracellular pili-like structures (PLS) produced by cyanobacteria have been poorly explored. We have done detailed topographical and electrical characterisation of PLS in Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73120 using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM). TEM analysis showed that N. punctiforme produces two separate types of PLS differing in their length and diameter. The first type of PLS are 6-7.5 nm in diameter and 0.5-2 µm in length (short/thin PLS) while the second type of PLS are ~20-40 nm in diameter and more than 10 µm long (long/thick PLS). This is the first study to report long/thick PLS in N. punctiforme. Electrical characterisation of these two different PLS by CAFM showed that both are electrically conductive and can act as microbial nanowires. This is the first report to show two distinct PLS and also identifies microbial nanowires in N. punctiforme. This study paves the way for more detailed investigation of N. punctiforme nanowires and their potential role in cell physiology and symbiosis with plants.

  13. Quantitative analysis of UV-A shock and short term stress using iTRAQ, pseudo selective reaction monitoring (pSRM) and GC-MS based metabolite analysis of the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133.

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    Wase, Nishikant; Pham, Trong Khoa; Ow, Saw Yen; Wright, Phillip C

    2014-09-23

    A quantitative proteomics and metabolomics analysis was performed using iTRAQ, HPLC and GC-MS in the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 to understand the effect of short and long term UV-A exposure. Changes in the proteome were measured for short-term stress (4-24h) using iTRAQ. Changes in the photosynthetic pigments and intracellular metabolites were observed at exposures of up to 7days (pigments) and up to 11days (intracellular metabolites). To assess iTRAQ measurement quality, pseudo selected reaction monitoring (pSRM) was used, with this confirming underestimation of protein abundance levels by iTRAQ. Our results suggest that short term UV-A radiation lowers the abundance of PS-I and PS-II proteins. We also observed an increase in abundance of intracellular redox homeostasis proteins and plastocyanin. Additionally, we observed statistically significant changes in scytonemin, Chlorophyll A, astaxanthin, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene. Assessment of intracellular metabolites showed significant changes in several, suggesting their potential role in the Nostoc's stress mitigation strategy. Cyanobacteria under UV-A radiation have reduced growth due to intensive damage to essential functions, but the organism shows a defense response by remodeling bioenergetics pathway, induction of the UV protection compound scytonemin and increased levels of proline and tyrosine as a mitigation response. The effect of UV-A radiation on the proteome and intracellular metabolites of N. punctiforme ATCC 29133 including photosynthetic pigments has been described. We also verify the expression of 13 iTRAQ quantified protein using LC-pSRM. Overall we observed that UV-A radiation has a drastic effect on the photosynthetic machinery, photosynthetic pigments and intracellular amino acids. As a mitigation strategy against UV-A radiation, proline, glycine, and tyrosine were accumulated. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. Enhancement of stability of L-tryptophan dehydrogenase from Nostoc punctiforme ATCC29133 and its application to L-tryptophan assay.

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    Matsui, Daisuke; Okazaki, Seiji; Matsuda, Motoki; Asano, Yasuhisa

    2015-02-20

    Microbial NAD(+)-dependent L-tryptophan dehydrogenase (TrpDH, EC1.4.1.19), which catalyzes the reversible oxidative deamination and the reductive amination between L-tryptophan and indole-3-pyruvic acid, was found in the scytonemin biosynthetic pathway of Nostoc punctiforme ATCC29133. The TrpDH exhibited high specificity toward L-tryptophan, but its instability was a drawback for L-tryptophan determination. The mutant enzyme TrpDH L59F/D168G/A234D/I296N with thermal stability was obtained by screening of Escherichia coli transformants harboring various mutant genes, which were generated by error-prone PCR using complementation in an L-tryptophan auxotroph of E. coli. The specific activity and stability of this mutant enzyme were higher than those of the wild type enzyme. We also revealed here that in these four mutation points, the two amino acid residues Asp168 and Ile296 contributed to increase the enzyme stability, and the Leu59, Ala234 residues to increase its specific activity. Growth of the strain harboring the gene of above 4 point mutated enzyme was accelerated by the enhanced performance. In the present study, we demonstrated that TrpDH L59F/D168G/A234D/I296N was available for determination of L-tryptophan in human plasma. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Gene expression of a two-component regulatory system associated with sunscreen biosynthesis in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133.

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    Janssen, Jacob; Soule, Tanya

    2016-01-01

    Long-wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UVA) can damage cells through photooxidative stress, leading to harmful photosensitized proteins and pigments in cyanobacteria. To mitigate damage, some cyanobacteria secrete the UVA-absorbing pigment scytonemin into their extracellular sheath. Comparative genomic analyses suggest that scytonemin biosynthesis is regulated by the two-component regulatory system (TCRS) proteins encoded by Npun_F1277 and Npun_F1278 in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133. To understand the dynamics of these genes, their expression was measured following exposure to UVA, UVB, high visible (VIS) irradiance and oxidative stress for 20, 40 and 60 min. Overall, both genes had statistically similar patterns of expression for all four conditions and were generally upregulated, except for those exposed to UVB by 60 min and for the cells under oxidative stress. The greatest UVA response was an upregulation by 20 min, while the response to UVB was the most dramatic and persisted through 40 min. High VIS irradiance resulted in a modest upregulation, while oxidative stress caused a slight downregulation. Both genes were also found to occur on the same transcript. These results demonstrate that these genes are positively responding to several light-associated conditions, which suggests that this TCRS may regulate more than just scytonemin biosynthesis under UVA stress. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Photoinduced reduction of the medial FeS center in the hydrogenase small subunit HupS from Nostoc punctiforme.

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    Raleiras, Patrícia; Hammarström, Leif; Lindblad, Peter; Styring, Stenbjörn; Magnuson, Ann

    2015-07-01

    The small subunit from the NiFe uptake hydrogenase, HupSL, in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133, has been isolated in the absence of the large subunit (P. Raleiras, P. Kellers, P. Lindblad, S. Styring, A. Magnuson, J. Biol. Chem. 288 (2013) 18,345-18,352). Here, we have used flash photolysis to reduce the iron-sulfur clusters in the isolated small subunit, HupS. We used ascorbate as electron donor to the photogenerated excited state of Ru(II)-trisbipyridine (Ru(bpy)3), to generate Ru(I)(bpy)3 as reducing agent. Our results show that the isolated small subunit can be reduced by the Ru(I)(bpy)3 generated through flash photolysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. The response regulator Npun_F1278 is essential for scytonemin biosynthesis in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133.

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    Naurin, Sejuti; Bennett, Janine; Videau, Patrick; Philmus, Benjamin; Soule, Tanya

    2016-08-01

    Following exposure to long-wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UVA), some cyanobacteria produce the indole-alkaloid sunscreen scytonemin. The genomic region associated with scytonemin biosynthesis in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme includes 18 cotranscribed genes. A two-component regulatory system (Npun_F1277/Npun_F1278) directly upstream from the biosynthetic genes was identified through comparative genomics and is likely involved in scytonemin regulation. In this study, the response regulator (RR), Npun_F1278, was evaluated for its ability to regulate scytonemin biosynthesis using a mutant strain of N. punctiforme deficient in this gene, hereafter strain Δ1278. Following UVA radiation, the typical stimulus to initiate scytonemin biosynthesis, Δ1278 was incapable of producing scytonemin. A phenotypic characterization of Δ1278 suggests that aside from the ability to produce scytonemin, the deletion of the Npun_F1278 gene does not affect the cellular morphology, cellular differentiation capability, or lipid-soluble pigment complement of Δ1278 compared to the wildtype. The mutant, however, had a slower specific growth rate under white light and produced ~2.5-fold more phycocyanin per cell under UVA than the wildtype. Since Δ1278 does not produce scytonemin, this study demonstrates that the RR gene, Npun_F1278, is essential for scytonemin biosynthesis in N. punctiforme. While most of the evaluated effects of this gene appear to be specific for scytonemin, this regulator may also influence the overall health of the cell and phycobiliprotein synthesis, directly or indirectly. This is the first study to identify a regulatory gene involved in the biosynthesis of the sunscreen scytonemin and posits a link between cell growth, pigment synthesis, and sunscreen production. © 2016 Phycological Society of America.

  18. Isolation and characterization of the small subunit of the uptake hydrogenase from the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

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    Raleiras, Patrícia; Kellers, Petra; Lindblad, Peter; Styring, Stenbjörn; Magnuson, Ann

    2013-06-21

    In nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, hydrogen evolution is associated with hydrogenases and nitrogenase, making these enzymes interesting targets for genetic engineering aimed at increased hydrogen production. Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 is a filamentous cyanobacterium that expresses the uptake hydrogenase HupSL in heterocysts under nitrogen-fixing conditions. Little is known about the structural and biophysical properties of HupSL. The small subunit, HupS, has been postulated to contain three iron-sulfur clusters, but the details regarding their nature have been unclear due to unusual cluster binding motifs in the amino acid sequence. We now report the cloning and heterologous expression of Nostoc punctiforme HupS as a fusion protein, f-HupS. We have characterized the anaerobically purified protein by UV-visible and EPR spectroscopies. Our results show that f-HupS contains three iron-sulfur clusters. UV-visible absorption of f-HupS has bands ∼340 and 420 nm, typical for iron-sulfur clusters. The EPR spectrum of the oxidized f-HupS shows a narrow g = 2.023 resonance, characteristic of a low-spin (S = ½) [3Fe-4S] cluster. The reduced f-HupS presents complex EPR spectra with overlapping resonances centered on g = 1.94, g = 1.91, and g = 1.88, typical of low-spin (S = ½) [4Fe-4S] clusters. Analysis of the spectroscopic data allowed us to distinguish between two species attributable to two distinct [4Fe-4S] clusters, in addition to the [3Fe-4S] cluster. This indicates that f-HupS binds [4Fe-4S] clusters despite the presence of unusual coordinating amino acids. Furthermore, our expression and purification of what seems to be an intact HupS protein allows future studies on the significance of ligand nature on redox properties of the iron-sulfur clusters of HupS.

  19. Genetic analysis reveals the identity of the photoreceptor for phototaxis in hormogonium filaments of Nostoc punctiforme.

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    Campbell, Elsie L; Hagen, Kari D; Chen, Rui; Risser, Douglas D; Ferreira, Daniela P; Meeks, John C

    2015-02-15

    In cyanobacterial Nostoc species, substratum-dependent gliding motility is confined to specialized nongrowing filaments called hormogonia, which differentiate from vegetative filaments as part of a conditional life cycle and function as dispersal units. Here we confirm that Nostoc punctiforme hormogonia are positively phototactic to white light over a wide range of intensities. N. punctiforme contains two gene clusters (clusters 2 and 2i), each of which encodes modular cyanobacteriochrome-methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) and other proteins that putatively constitute a basic chemotaxis-like signal transduction complex. Transcriptional analysis established that all genes in clusters 2 and 2i, plus two additional clusters (clusters 1 and 3) with genes encoding MCPs lacking cyanobacteriochrome sensory domains, are upregulated during the differentiation of hormogonia. Mutational analysis determined that only genes in cluster 2i are essential for positive phototaxis in N. punctiforme hormogonia; here these genes are designated ptx (for phototaxis) genes. The cluster is unusual in containing complete or partial duplicates of genes encoding proteins homologous to the well-described chemotaxis elements CheY, CheW, MCP, and CheA. The cyanobacteriochrome-MCP gene (ptxD) lacks transmembrane domains and has 7 potential binding sites for bilins. The transcriptional start site of the ptx genes does not resemble a sigma 70 consensus recognition sequence; moreover, it is upstream of two genes encoding gas vesicle proteins (gvpA and gvpC), which also are expressed only in the hormogonium filaments of N. punctiforme. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  20. Lack of Methylated Hopanoids Renders the Cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme Sensitive to Osmotic and pH Stress.

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    Garby, Tamsyn J; Matys, Emily D; Ongley, Sarah E; Salih, Anya; Larkum, Anthony W D; Walter, Malcolm R; Summons, Roger E; Neilan, Brett A

    2017-07-01

    To investigate the function of 2-methylhopanoids in modern cyanobacteria, the hpnP gene coding for the radical S -adenosyl methionine (SAM) methylase protein that acts on the C-2 position of hopanoids was deleted from the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133S. The resulting Δ hpnP mutant lacked all 2-methylhopanoids but was found to produce much higher levels of two bacteriohopanepentol isomers than the wild type. Growth rates of the Δ hpnP mutant cultures were not significantly different from those of the wild type under standard growth conditions. Akinete formation was also not impeded by the absence of 2-methylhopanoids. The relative abundances of the different hopanoid structures in akinete-dominated cultures of the wild-type and Δ hpnP mutant strains were similar to those of vegetative cell-dominated cultures. However, the Δ hpnP mutant was found to have decreased growth rates under both pH and osmotic stress, confirming a role for 2-methylhopanoids in stress tolerance. Evidence of elevated photosystem II yield and NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductase activity in the Δ hpnP mutant under stress conditions, compared to the wild type, suggested that the absence of 2-methylhopanoids increases cellular metabolic rates under stress conditions. IMPORTANCE As the first group of organisms to develop oxygenic photosynthesis, Cyanobacteria are central to the evolutionary history of life on Earth and the subsequent oxygenation of the atmosphere. To investigate the origin of cyanobacteria and the emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis, geobiologists use biomarkers, the remnants of lipids produced by different organisms that are found in geologic sediments. 2-Methylhopanes have been considered indicative of cyanobacteria in some environmental settings, with the parent lipids 2-methylhopanoids being present in many contemporary cyanobacteria. We have created a Nostoc punctiforme Δ hpnP mutant strain that does not produce 2-methylhopanoids to assess the

  1. Nostopeptolide plays a governing role during cellular differentiation of the symbiotic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liaimer, Anton; Helfrich, Eric J N; Hinrichs, Katrin; Guljamow, Arthur; Ishida, Keishi; Hertweck, Christian; Dittmann, Elke

    2015-02-10

    Nostoc punctiforme is a versatile cyanobacterium that can live either independently or in symbiosis with plants from distinct taxa. Chemical cues from plants and N. punctiforme were shown to stimulate or repress, respectively, the differentiation of infectious motile filaments known as hormogonia. We have used a polyketide synthase mutant that accumulates an elevated amount of hormogonia as a tool to understand the effect of secondary metabolites on cellular differentiation of N. punctiforme. Applying MALDI imaging to illustrate the reprogramming of the secondary metabolome, nostopeptolides were identified as the predominant difference in the pks2(-) mutant secretome. Subsequent differentiation assays and visualization of cell-type-specific expression of nostopeptolides via a transcriptional reporter strain provided evidence for a multifaceted role of nostopeptolides, either as an autogenic hormogonium-repressing factor or as a chemoattractant, depending on its extracellular concentration. Although nostopeptolide is constitutively expressed in the free-living state, secreted levels dynamically change before, during, and after the hormogonium differentiation phase. The metabolite was found to be strictly down-regulated in symbiosis with Gunnera manicata and Blasia pusilla, whereas other metabolites are up-regulated, as demonstrated via MALDI imaging, suggesting plants modulate the fine-balanced cross-talk network of secondary metabolites within N. punctiforme.

  2. A Nostoc punctiforme sugar transporter necessary to establish a Cyanobacterium-plant symbiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekman, Martin; Picossi, Silvia; Campbell, Elsie L; Meeks, John C; Flores, Enrique

    2013-04-01

    In cyanobacteria-plant symbioses, the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium has low photosynthetic activity and is supplemented by sugars provided by the plant partner. Which sugars and cyanobacterial sugar uptake mechanism(s) are involved in the symbiosis, however, is unknown. Mutants of the symbiotically competent, facultatively heterotrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme were constructed bearing a neomycin resistance gene cassette replacing genes in a putative sugar transport gene cluster. Results of transport activity assays using (14)C-labeled fructose and glucose and tests of heterotrophic growth with these sugars enabled the identification of an ATP-binding cassette-type transporter for fructose (Frt), a major facilitator permease for glucose (GlcP), and a porin needed for the optimal uptake of both fructose and glucose. Analysis of green fluorescent protein fluorescence in strains of N. punctiforme bearing frt::gfp fusions showed high expression in vegetative cells and akinetes, variable expression in hormogonia, and no expression in heterocysts. The symbiotic efficiency of N. punctiforme sugar transport mutants was investigated by testing their ability to infect a nonvascular plant partner, the hornwort Anthoceros punctatus. Strains that were specifically unable to transport glucose did not infect the plant. These results imply a role for GlcP in establishing symbiosis under the conditions used in this work.

  3. 2-Methylhopanoids are maximally produced in akinetes of Nostoc punctiforme: geobiological implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doughty, David M.; Hunter, Ryan C.; Summons, Roger E.; Newman, Dianne K.

    2010-01-01

    2-Methylhopanes, molecular fossils of 2-methylbacteriohopanepolyol (2-MeBHP) lipids, have been proposed as biomarkers for cyanobacteria, and by extension, oxygenic photosynthesis. However, the robustness of this interpretation is unclear, as 2-methylhopanoids occur in organisms besides cyanobacteria and their physiological functions are unknown. As a first step towards understanding the role of 2-MeBHP in cyanobacteria, we examined the expression and intercellular localization of hopanoids in the three cell types of Nostoc punctiforme: vegetative cells, akinetes, and heterocysts. Cultures in which N. punctiforme had differentiated into akinetes contained approximately 10-fold higher concentrations of 2-methylhopanoids than did cultures that contained only vegetative cells. In contrast, 2-methylhopanoids were only present at very low concentrations in heterocysts. Hopanoid production initially increased 3-fold in cells starved of nitrogen but returned to levels consistent with vegetative cells within two weeks. Vegetative and akinete cell types were separated into cytoplasmic, thylakoid, and outer membrane fractions; the increase in hopanoid expression observed in akinetes was due to a 34-fold enrichment of hopanoid content in their outer membrane relative to vegetative cells. Akinetes formed in response either to low light or phosphorus limitation, exhibited the same 2-methylhopanoid localization and concentration, demonstrating that 2-methylhopanoids are associated with the akinete cell type per se. Because akinetes are resting cells that are not photosynthetically active, 2-methylhopanoids cannot be functionally linked to oxygenic photosyntheis in N. punctiforme. PMID:19811542

  4. 2-Methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO) synthase expression in Nostoc punctiforme leads to over production of phytols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Dinesh; Ip, Tina; Summers, Michael L; Basu, Chhandak

    2015-01-01

    Phytol is a diterpene alcohol of medicinal importance and it also has potential to be used as biofuel. We found over production of phytol in Nostoc punctiforme by expressing a 2-Methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO) synthase gene. MBO synthase catalyzes the conversion of dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) into MBO, a volatile hemiterpene alcohol, in Pinus sabiniana. The result of enhanced phytol production in N. punctiforme, instead of MBO, could be explained by one of the 2 models: either the presence of a native prenyltransferase enzyme with a broad substrate specificity, or appropriation of a MBO synthase metabolic intermediate by a native geranyl diphosphate (GDP) synthase. In this work, an expression vector with an indigenous petE promoter for gene expression in the cyanobacterium N. punctiforme was constructed and MBO synthase gene expression was successfully shown using reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and SDS-PAGE. Gas chromatography--mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) was performed to confirm phytol production from the transgenic N. punctiforme strains. We conclude that the expression of MBO synthase in N. punctiforme leads to overproduction of an economically important compound, phytol. This study provides insights about metabolic channeling of isoprenoids in cyanobacteria and also illustrates the challenges of bioengineering non-native hosts to produce economically important compounds.

  5. Multiple ketolases involved in light regulation of canthaxanthin biosynthesis in Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73102.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schöpf, Lotte; Mautz, Jürgen; Sandmann, Gerhard

    2013-05-01

    In the genome of Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73102, three functional β-carotene ketolase genes exist, one of the crtO and two of the crtW type. They were all expressed and their corresponding enzymes were functional inserting 4-keto groups into β-carotene as shown by functional pathway complementation in Escherichia coli. They all synthesized canthaxanthin but with different efficiencies. Canthaxanthin is the photoprotective carotenoid of N. punctiforme PCC 73102. Under high-light stress, its synthesis was enhanced. This was caused by up-regulation of the transcripts of two genes in combination. The first crtB-encoding phytoene synthase is the gate way enzyme of carotenogenesis resulting in an increased inflow into the pathway. The second was the ketolase gene crtW148 which in high light takes over β-carotene conversion into canthaxanthin from the other ketolases. The other ketolases were down-regulated under high-light conditions. CrtW148 was also exclusively responsible for the last step in 4-keto-myxoxanthophyll synthesis.

  6. A Nostoc punctiforme Sugar Transporter Necessary to Establish a Cyanobacterium-Plant Symbiosis1[C][W

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekman, Martin; Picossi, Silvia; Campbell, Elsie L.; Meeks, John C.; Flores, Enrique

    2013-01-01

    In cyanobacteria-plant symbioses, the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium has low photosynthetic activity and is supplemented by sugars provided by the plant partner. Which sugars and cyanobacterial sugar uptake mechanism(s) are involved in the symbiosis, however, is unknown. Mutants of the symbiotically competent, facultatively heterotrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme were constructed bearing a neomycin resistance gene cassette replacing genes in a putative sugar transport gene cluster. Results of transport activity assays using 14C-labeled fructose and glucose and tests of heterotrophic growth with these sugars enabled the identification of an ATP-binding cassette-type transporter for fructose (Frt), a major facilitator permease for glucose (GlcP), and a porin needed for the optimal uptake of both fructose and glucose. Analysis of green fluorescent protein fluorescence in strains of N. punctiforme bearing frt::gfp fusions showed high expression in vegetative cells and akinetes, variable expression in hormogonia, and no expression in heterocysts. The symbiotic efficiency of N. punctiforme sugar transport mutants was investigated by testing their ability to infect a nonvascular plant partner, the hornwort Anthoceros punctatus. Strains that were specifically unable to transport glucose did not infect the plant. These results imply a role for GlcP in establishing symbiosis under the conditions used in this work. PMID:23463784

  7. Role of Phosphate Transport System Component PstB1 in Phosphate Internalization by Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudek, L; Premachandra, D; Webster, W A J; Bräu, L

    2016-11-01

    In bacteria, limited phosphate availability promotes the synthesis of active uptake systems, such as the Pst phosphate transport system. To understand the mechanisms that facilitate phosphate accumulation in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme, phosphate transport systems were identified, revealing a redundancy of Pst phosphate uptake systems that exists across three distinct operons. Four separate PstB system components were identified. pstB1 was determined to be a suitable target for creating phenotypic mutations that could result in the accumulation of excessive levels of phosphate through its overexpression or in a reduction of the capacity to accumulate phosphate through its deletion. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), it was determined that pstB1 mRNA levels increased significantly over 64 h in cells cultured in 0 mM added phosphate and decreased significantly in cells exposed to high (12.8 mM) phosphate concentrations compared to the level in cells cultured under normal (0.8 mM) conditions. Possible compensation for the loss of PstB1 was observed when pstB2, pstB3, and pstB4 mRNA levels increased, particularly in cells starved of phosphate. The overexpression of pstB1 increased phosphate uptake by N. punctiforme and was shown to functionally complement the loss of PstB in E. coli PstB knockout (PstB - ) mutants. The knockout of pstB1 in N. punctiforme did not have a significant effect on cellular phosphate accumulation or growth for the most part, which is attributed to the compensation for the loss of PstB1 by alterations in the pstB2, pstB3, and pstB4 mRNA levels. This study provides novel in vivo evidence that PstB1 plays a functional role in phosphate uptake in N. punctiforme IMPORTANCE: Cyanobacteria have been evolving over 3.5 billion years and have become highly adept at growing under limiting nutrient levels. Phosphate is crucial for the survival and prosperity of all organisms. In bacteria, limited phosphate availability promotes the

  8. Characterization of two cation diffusion facilitators NpunF0707 and NpunF1794 in Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudek, L; Pearson, L; Michalczyk, A A; Bräu, L; Neilan, B A; Ackland, M L

    2015-11-01

    To characterize genes involved in maintaining homeostatic levels of zinc in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme. Metal efflux transporters play a central role in maintaining homeostatic levels of trace elements such as zinc. Sequence analyses of the N. punctiforme genome identified two potential cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) metal efflux transporters, Npun_F0707 (Cdf31) and Npun_F1794 (Cdf33). Deletion of either Cdf31or Cdf33 resulted in increased zinc retention over 3 h. Interestingly, Cdf31(-) and Cdf33(-) mutants showed no change in sensitivity to zinc exposure in comparison with the wild type, suggesting some compensatory capacity for the loss of each other. Using qRT-PCR, a possible interaction was observed between the two cdf's, where the Cdf31(-) mutant had a more profound effect on cdf33 expression than Cdf33(-) did on cdf31. Over-expression of Cdf31 and Cdf33 in ZntA(-) - and ZitB(-) -deficient Escherichia coli revealed function similarities between the ZntA and ZitB of E. coli and the cyanobacterial transporters. The data presented shed light on the function of two important transporters that regulate zinc homeostasis in N. punctiforme. This study shows for the first time the functional characterization of two cyanobacterial zinc efflux proteins belonging to the CDF family. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  9. Composition and occurrence of lipid droplets in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peramuna, Anantha; Summers, Michael L

    2014-12-01

    Inclusions of neutral lipids termed lipid droplets (LDs) located throughout the cell were identified in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme by staining with lipophylic fluorescent dyes. LDs increased in number upon entry into stationary phase and addition of exogenous fructose indicating a role for carbon storage, whereas high-light stress did not increase LD numbers. LD accumulation increased when nitrate was used as the nitrogen source during exponential growth as compared to added ammonia or nitrogen-fixing conditions. Analysis of isolated LDs revealed enrichment of triacylglycerol (TAG), α-tocopherol, and C17 alkanes. LD TAG from exponential phase growth contained mainly saturated C16 and C18 fatty acids, whereas stationary phase LD TAG had additional unsaturated fatty acids characteristic of whole cells. This is the first characterization of cyanobacterial LD composition and conditions leading to their production. Based upon their abnormally large size and atypical location, these structures represent a novel sub-organelle in cyanobacteria.

  10. Arabinogalactan proteins occur in the free-living cyanobacterium genus Nostoc and in plant-Nostoc symbioses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Owen; Taylor, Oliver; Adams, David G; Knox, J Paul

    2012-10-01

    Arabinogalactan proteins (AGP) are a diverse family of proteoglycans associated with the cell surfaces of plants. AGP have been implicated in a wide variety of plant cell processes, including signaling in symbioses. This study investigates the existence of putative AGP in free-living cyanobacterial cultures of the nitrogen-fixing, filamentous cyanobacteria Nostoc punctiforme and Nostoc sp. strain LBG1 and at the symbiotic interface in the symbioses between Nostoc spp. and two host plants, the angiosperm Gunnera manicata (in which the cyanobacterium is intracellular) and the liverwort Blasia pusilla (in which the cyanobacterium is extracellular). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated that three AGP glycan epitopes (recognized by monoclonal antibodies LM14, MAC207, and LM2) are present in free-living Nostoc cyanobacterial species. The same three AGP glycan epitopes are present at the Gunnera-Nostoc symbiotic interface and the LM2 epitope is detected during the establishment of the Blasia-Nostoc symbiosis. Bioinformatic analysis of the N. punctiforme genome identified five putative AGP core proteins that are representative of AGP classes found in plants. These results suggest a possible involvement of AGP in cyanobacterial-plant symbioses and are also suggestive of a cyanobacterial origin of AGP.

  11. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the GluR0 ligand-binding core from Nostoc punctiforme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jun Hyuck; Park, Soo Jeong; Rho, Seong-Hwan; Im, Young Jun; Kim, Mun-Kyoung; Kang, Gil Bu; Eom, Soo Hyun

    2005-01-01

    The GluR0 ligand-binding core from N. punctiforme was expressed, purified and crystallized in the presence of l-glutamate. A diffraction data set was collected to a resolution of 2.1 Å. GluR0 from Nostoc punctiforme (NpGluR0) is a bacterial homologue of the ionotropic glutamate receptor. The ligand-binding core of NpGluR0 was crystallized at 294 K using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The l-glutamate-complexed crystal belongs to space group C222 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 78.0, b = 145.1, c = 132.1 Å. The crystals contain three subunits in the asymmetric unit, with a V M value of 2.49 Å 3 Da −1 . The diffraction limit of the l-glutamate complex data set was 2.1 Å using synchrotron X-ray radiation at beamline BL-4A of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (Pohang, Korea)

  12. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the GluR0 ligand-binding core from Nostoc punctiforme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jun Hyuck; Park, Soo Jeong; Rho, Seong-Hwan; Im, Young Jun; Kim, Mun-Kyoung; Kang, Gil Bu; Eom, Soo Hyun, E-mail: eom@gist.ac.kr [Department of Life Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of)

    2005-11-01

    The GluR0 ligand-binding core from N. punctiforme was expressed, purified and crystallized in the presence of l-glutamate. A diffraction data set was collected to a resolution of 2.1 Å. GluR0 from Nostoc punctiforme (NpGluR0) is a bacterial homologue of the ionotropic glutamate receptor. The ligand-binding core of NpGluR0 was crystallized at 294 K using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The l-glutamate-complexed crystal belongs to space group C222{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 78.0, b = 145.1, c = 132.1 Å. The crystals contain three subunits in the asymmetric unit, with a V{sub M} value of 2.49 Å{sup 3} Da{sup −1}. The diffraction limit of the l-glutamate complex data set was 2.1 Å using synchrotron X-ray radiation at beamline BL-4A of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (Pohang, Korea)

  13. The non-metabolizable sucrose analog sucralose is a potent inhibitor of hormogonium differentiation in the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Splitt, Samantha D; Risser, Douglas D

    2016-03-01

    Nostoc punctiforme is a filamentous cyanobacterium which forms nitrogen-fixing symbioses with several different plants and fungi. Establishment of these symbioses requires the formation of motile hormogonium filaments. Once infected, the plant partner is thought to supply a hormogonium-repressing factor (HRF) to maintain the cyanobacteria in a vegetative, nitrogen-fixing state. Evidence implies that sucrose may serve as a HRF. Here, we tested the effects of sucralose, a non-metabolizable sucrose analog, on hormogonium differentiation. Sucralose inhibited hormogonium differentiation at a concentration approximately one-tenth that of sucrose. This result implies that: (1) sucrose, not a sucrose catabolite, is perceived by the cell and (2) inhibition is not due to a more general osmolarity-dependent effect. Additionally, both sucrose and sucralose induced the accrual of a polysaccharide sheath which bound specifically to the lectin ConA, indicating the presence of α-D-mannose and/or α-D-glucose. A ConA-specific polysaccharide was also found to be expressed in N. punctiforme colonies from tissue sections of the symbiotically grown hornwort Anthoceros punctatus. These findings imply that plant-derived sucrose or sucrose analogs may have multiple effects on N. punctiforme, including both repression of hormogonia and the induction of a polysaccharide sheath that may be essential to establish and maintain the symbiotic state.

  14. Molecular and cellular characterisation of the zinc uptake (Znu) system of Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudek, Lee; Pearson, Leanne A; Michalczyk, Agnes; Neilan, Brett A; Ackland, M Leigh

    2013-11-01

    Metal homoeostasis in cyanobacteria is based on uptake and export systems that are controlled by their own regulators. This study characterises the zinc uptake (Znu) system in Nostoc punctiforme. The system was found to comprise of three subunits in an ACB operon: a Zn(2+)-binding protein (ZnuA18), a transmembrane domain (ZnuB) and an ATPase (ZnuC). These proteins are encoded within the znu operon regulated by a zinc uptake transcription repressor (Zur). Interestingly, a second Zn(2+)-binding protein (ZnuA08) was also identified at a distal genomic location. Interactions between components of the ZnuACB system were investigated using knockouts of the individual genes. The znuA08(-), znuA18(-), znuB(-) and znuC(-) mutants displayed overall reduced znuACB transcript levels, suggesting that all system components are required for normal expression of znu genes. Zinc uptake assays in the Zn(2+)-binding protein mutant strains showed that the disruption of znuA18 had a greater negative effect on zinc uptake than disruption of znuA08. Complementation studies in Escherichia coli indicated that both znuA08 and znuA18 were able to restore zinc uptake in a znuA(-) mutant, with znuA18 permitting the highest zinc uptake rate. The N. punctiforme zur was also able to complement the E. coli zur(-) mutant. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Analysis of the early heterocyst Cys-proteome in the multicellular cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme reveals novel insights into the division of labor within diazotrophic filaments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandh, Gustaf; Ramström, Margareta; Stensjö, Karin

    2014-12-04

    In the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133, removal of combined nitrogen induces the differentiation of heterocysts, a cell-type specialized in N2 fixation. The differentiation involves genomic, structural and metabolic adaptations. In cyanobacteria, changes in the availability of carbon and nitrogen have also been linked to redox regulated posttranslational modifications of protein bound thiol groups. We have here employed a thiol targeting strategy to relatively quantify the putative redox proteome in heterocysts as compared to N2-fixing filaments, 24 hours after combined nitrogen depletion. The aim of the study was to expand the coverage of the cell-type specific proteome and metabolic landscape of heterocysts. Here we report the first cell-type specific proteome of newly formed heterocysts, compared to N2-fixing filaments, using the cysteine-specific selective ICAT methodology. The data set defined a good quantitative accuracy of the ICAT reagent in complex protein samples. The relative abundance levels of 511 proteins were determined and 74% showed a cell-type specific differential abundance. The majority of the identified proteins have not previously been quantified at the cell-type specific level. We have in addition analyzed the cell-type specific differential abundance of a large section of proteins quantified in both newly formed and steady-state diazotrophic cultures in N. punctiforme. The results describe a wide distribution of members of the putative redox regulated Cys-proteome in the central metabolism of both vegetative cells and heterocysts of N. punctiforme. The data set broadens our understanding of heterocysts and describes novel proteins involved in heterocyst physiology, including signaling and regulatory proteins as well as a large number of proteins with unknown function. Significant differences in cell-type specific abundance levels were present in the cell-type specific proteomes of newly formed diazotrophic filaments

  16. A Putative O-Linked β-N-Acetylglucosamine Transferase Is Essential for Hormogonium Development and Motility in the Filamentous Cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khayatan, Behzad; Bains, Divleen K; Cheng, Monica H; Cho, Ye Won; Huynh, Jessica; Kim, Rachelle; Omoruyi, Osagie H; Pantoja, Adriana P; Park, Jun Sang; Peng, Julia K; Splitt, Samantha D; Tian, Mason Y; Risser, Douglas D

    2017-05-01

    Most species of filamentous cyanobacteria are capable of gliding motility, likely via a conserved type IV pilus-like system that may also secrete a motility-associated polysaccharide. In a subset of these organisms, motility is achieved only after the transient differentiation of hormogonia, which are specialized filaments that enter a nongrowth state dedicated to motility. Despite the fundamental importance of hormogonia to the life cycles of many filamentous cyanobacteria, the molecular regulation of hormogonium development is largely undefined. To systematically identify genes essential for hormogonium development and motility in the model heterocyst-forming filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme , a forward genetic screen was employed. The first gene identified using this screen, designated ogtA , encodes a putative O-linked β- N -acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT). The deletion of ogtA abolished motility, while ectopic expression of ogtA induced hormogonium development even under hormogonium-repressing conditions. Transcription of ogtA is rapidly upregulated (1 h) following hormogonium induction, and an OgtA-GFPuv fusion protein localized to the cytoplasm. In developing hormogonia, accumulation of PilA but not HmpD is dependent on ogtA Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis indicated equivalent levels of pilA transcript in the wild-type and Δ ogtA mutant strains, while a reporter construct consisting of the intergenic region in the 5' direction of pilA fused to gfp produced lower levels of fluorescence in the Δ ogtA mutant strain than in the wild type. The production of hormogonium polysaccharide in the Δ ogtA mutant strain is reduced compared to that in the wild type but comparable to that in a pilA deletion strain. Collectively, these results imply that O -GlcNAc protein modification regulates the accumulation of PilA via a posttranscriptional mechanism in developing hormogonia. IMPORTANCE Filamentous cyanobacteria are among

  17. Hopanoids play a role in stress tolerance and nutrient storage in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ricci, J N; Morton, R; Kulkarni, G; Summers, M L; Newman, D K

    2017-01-01

    Hopanes are abundant in ancient sedimentary rocks at discrete intervals in Earth history, yet interpreting their significance in the geologic record is complicated by our incomplete knowledge of what their progenitors, hopanoids, do in modern cells. To date, few studies have addressed the breadth of diversity of physiological functions of these lipids and whether those functions are conserved across the hopanoid-producing bacterial phyla. Here, we generated mutants in the filamentous cyanobacterium, Nostoc punctiforme, that are unable to make all hopanoids (shc) or 2-methylhopanoids (hpnP). While the absence of hopanoids impedes growth of vegetative cells at high temperature, the shc mutant grows faster at low temperature. This finding is consistent with hopanoids acting as membrane rigidifiers, a function shared by other hopanoid-producing phyla. Apart from impacting fitness under temperature stress, hopanoids are dispensable for vegetative cells under other stress conditions. However, hopanoids are required for stress tolerance in akinetes, a resting survival cell type. While 2-methylated hopanoids do not appear to contribute to any stress phenotype, total hopanoids and to a lesser extent 2-methylhopanoids were found to promote the formation of cyanophycin granules in akinetes. Finally, although hopanoids support symbiotic interactions between Alphaproteobacteria and plants, they do not appear to facilitate symbiosis between N. punctiforme and the hornwort Anthoceros punctatus. Collectively, these findings support interpreting hopanes as general environmental stress biomarkers. If hopanoid-mediated enhancement of nitrogen-rich storage products turns out to be a conserved phenomenon in other organisms, a better understanding of this relationship may help us parse the enrichment of 2-methylhopanes in the rock record during episodes of disrupted nutrient cycling. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. The ZntA-like NpunR4017 plays a key role in maintaining homeostatic levels of zinc in Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudek, L; Bräu, L; Michalczyk, A A; Neilan, B A; Meeks, J C; Ackland, M L

    2015-12-01

    Analysis of cellular response to zinc exposure provides insights into how organisms maintain homeostatic levels of zinc that are essential, while avoiding potentially toxic cytosolic levels. Using the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme as a model, qRT-PCR analyses established a profile of the changes in relative mRNA levels of the ZntA-like zinc efflux transporter NpunR4017 in response to extracellular zinc. In cells treated with 18 μM of zinc for 1 h, NpunR4017 mRNA levels increased by up to 1300 % above basal levels. The accumulation and retention of radiolabelled (65)Zn by NpunR4107-deficient and overexpressing strains were compared to wild-type levels. Disruption of NpunR4017 resulted in a significant increase in zinc accumulation up to 24 % greater than the wild type, while cells overexpressing NpunR4107 accumulated 22 % less than the wild type. Accumulation of (65)Zn in ZntA(-) Escherichia coli overexpressing NpunR4017 was reduced by up to 21 %, indicating the capacity for NpunR4017 to compensate for the loss of ZntA. These findings establish the newly identified NpunR4017 as a zinc efflux transporter and a key transporter for maintaining zinc homeostasis in N. punctiforme.

  19. Comparative transcriptomics with a motility-deficient mutant leads to identification of a novel polysaccharide secretion system in Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Risser, Douglas D; Meeks, John C

    2013-02-01

    Many filamentous cyanobacteria are capable of gliding motility by an undefined mechanism. Within the heterocyst-forming clades, some strains, such as the Nostoc spp. and Fisherella spp., are motile only as specialized filaments termed hormogonia. Here we report on the phenotype of inactivation of a methyl-accepting chemotaxis-like protein in Nostoc punctiforme, designated HmpD. The gene hmpD was found to be essential for hormogonium development, motility and polysaccharide secretion. Comparative global transcriptional profiling of the ΔhmpD strain demonstrated that HmpD has a profound effect on the transcriptional programme of hormogonium development, influencing approximately half of the genes differentially transcribed during differentiation. Utilizing this transcriptomic data, we identified a gene locus, designated here as hps, that appears to encode for a novel polysaccharide secretion system. Transcripts for the genes in the hps locus are upregulated in two steps, with the second step dependent on HmpD. Deletion of hpsA, hpsBCD or hpsEFG resulted in the complete loss of motility and polysaccharide secretion, similar to deletion of hmpD. Genes in the hps locus are highly conserved in the filamentous cyanobacteria, but generally absent in unicellular strains, implying a common mechanism of motility unique to the filamentous cyanobacteria. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  20. Characterization of a novel debranching enzyme from Nostoc punctiforme possessing a high specificity for long branched chains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Ji-Hye; Lee, Heeseob; Kim, Young-Wan; Park, Jong-Tae; Woo, Eui-Jeon; Kim, Myo-Jeong; Lee, Byong-Hoon; Park, Kwan-Hwa

    2009-01-01

    A novel debranching enzyme from Nostoc punctiforme PCC73102 (NPDE) exhibits hydrolysis activity toward both α-(1,6)- and α-(1,4)-glucosidic linkages. The action patterns of NPDE revealed that branched chains are released first, and the resulting maltooligosaccharides are then hydrolyzed. Analysis of the reaction with maltooligosaccharide substrates labeled with 14 C-glucose at the reducing end shows that NPDE specifically liberates glucose from the reducing end. Kinetic analyses showed that the hydrolytic activity of NPDE is greatly affected by the length of the substrate. The catalytic efficiency of NPDE increased considerably upon using substrates that can occupy at least eight glycone subsites such as maltononaose and maltooctaosyl-α-(1,6)-β-cyclodextrin. These results imply that NPDE has a unique subsite structure consisting of -8 to +1 subsites. Given its unique subsite structure, side chains shorter than maltooctaose in amylopectin were resistant to hydrolysis by NPDE, and the population of longer side chains was reduced.

  1. Cellular and functional specificity among ferritin-like proteins in the multicellular cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekman, Martin; Sandh, Gustaf; Nenninger, Anja; Oliveira, Paulo; Stensjö, Karin

    2014-03-01

    Ferritin-like proteins constitute a remarkably heterogeneous protein family, including ferritins, bacterioferritins and Dps proteins. The genome of the filamentous heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme encodes five ferritin-like proteins. In the present paper, we report a multidimensional characterization of these proteins. Our phylogenetic and bioinformatics analyses suggest both structural and physiological differences among the ferritin-like proteins. The expression of these five genes responded differently to hydrogen peroxide treatment, with a significantly higher rise in transcript level for Npun_F3730 as compared with the other four genes. A specific role for Npun_F3730 in the cells tolerance against hydrogen peroxide was also supported by the inactivation of Npun_F3730, Npun_R5701 and Npun_R6212; among these, only the ΔNpun_F3730 strain showed an increased sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide compared with wild type. Analysis of promoter-GFP reporter fusions of the ferritin-like genes indicated that Npun_F3730 and Npun_R5701 were expressed in all cell types of a diazotrophic culture, while Npun_F6212 was expressed specifically in heterocysts. Our study provides the first comprehensive analysis combining functional differentiation and cellular specificity within this important group of proteins in a multicellular cyanobacterium. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  2. Second-chance forward isomerization dynamics of the red/green cyanobacteriochrome NpR6012g4 from Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Peter W; Freer, Lucy H; Rockwell, Nathan C; Martin, Shelley S; Lagarias, J Clark; Larsen, Delmar S

    2012-01-11

    The primary ultrafast Z-to-E isomerization photodynamics of the phytochrome-related cyanobacteriochrome NpR6012g4 from Nostoc punctiforme was studied by transient absorption pump-dump-probe spectroscopy. A 2 ps dump pulse resonant with the stimulated emission band depleted 21% of the excited-state population, while the initial photoproduct Lumi-R was depleted by only 11%. We observed a red-shifted ground-state intermediate (GSI) that we assign to a metastable state that failed to isomerize fully. Multicomponent global analysis implicates the generation of additional Lumi-R from the GSI via crossing over the ground-state thermal barrier for full isomerization, explaining the discrepancy between excited-state and Lumi-R depletion by the dump pulse. This second-chance ground-state dynamics provides a plausible explanation for the unusually high quantum yield of 40% for the primary isomerization step in the forward reaction of NpR6012g4. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  3. Extracellular Polysaccharide Production in a Scytonemin-Deficient Mutant of Nostoc punctiforme Under UVA and Oxidative Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soule, Tanya; Shipe, Dexter; Lothamer, Justin

    2016-10-01

    Some cyanobacteria can protect themselves from ultraviolet radiation by producing sunscreen pigments. In particular, the sheath pigment scytonemin protects cells against long-wavelength UVA radiation and is only found in cyanobacteria which are capable of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production. The presence of a putative glycosyltransferase encoded within the scytonemin gene cluster, along with the localization of scytonemin and EPS to the extracellular sheath, prompted us to investigate the relationship between scytonemin and EPS production under UVA stress. In this study, it was hypothesized that there would be a relationship between the biosynthesis of scytonemin and EPS under both UVA and oxidative stress, since the latter is a by-product of UVA radiation. EPS production was measured following exposure of wild-type Nostoc punctiforme and the non-scytonemin-producing strain SCY59 to UVA and oxidative stress. Under UVA, SCY59 produced significantly more EPS than the unstressed controls and the wild type, while both strains produced more EPS under oxidative stress compared to the controls. The results suggest that EPS secretion occurs in response to the oxidative stress by-product of UVA rather than as a direct response to UVA radiation.

  4. Peroxide reduction by a metal-dependent catalase in Nostoc punctiforme (cyanobacteria).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudek, L; Torriero, A A J; Michalczyk, A A; Neilan, B A; Ackland, M L; Bräu, Lambert

    2017-05-01

    This study investigated the role of a novel metal-dependent catalase (Npun_R4582) that reduces hydrogen peroxide in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that npun_R4582 relative mRNA levels were upregulated by over 16-fold in cells treated with either 2 μM added Co, 0.5 μM added Cu, 500 μM Mn, 1 μM Ni, or 18 μM Zn. For cells treated with 60 μM H 2 O 2 , no significant alteration in Npun_R4582 relative mRNA levels was detected, while in cells treated with Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, or Zn and 60 μM peroxide, relative mRNA levels were generally above control or peroxide only treated cells. Disruption or overexpression of npun_R4582 altered sensitivity to cells exposed to 60 μM H 2 O 2 and metals for treatments beyond the highest viable concentrations, or in a mixed metal solution for Npun_R4582 - cells. Moreover, overexpression of npun_R4582 increased cellular peroxidase activity in comparison with wild-type and Npun_R4582 - cells, and reduced peroxide levels by over 50%. The addition of cobalt, manganese, nickel, and zinc increased the capacity of Npun_R4582 to reduce the rate or total levels of peroxide produced by cells growing under photooxidative conditions. The work presented confirms the function of NpunR4582 as a catalase and provides insights as to how cells reduce potentially lethal peroxide levels produced by photosynthesis. The findings also show how trace elements play crucial roles as enzymatic cofactors and how the role of Npun_R4582 in hydrogen peroxide breakdown is dependent on the type of metal and the level available to cells.

  5. Biochemical characterization of an L-tryptophan dehydrogenase from the photoautotrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogura, Ryutaro; Wakamatsu, Taisuke; Mutaguchi, Yuta; Doi, Katsumi; Ohshima, Toshihisa

    2014-06-10

    An NAD(+)-dependent l-tryptophan dehydrogenase from Nostoc punctiforme NIES-2108 (NpTrpDH) was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant NpTrpDH with a C-terminal His6-tag was purified to homogeneity using a Ni-NTA agarose column, and was found to be a homodimer with a molecular mass of 76.1kDa. The enzyme required NAD(+) and NADH as cofactors for oxidative deamination and reductive amination, respectively, but not NADP(+) or NADPH. l-Trp was the preferred substrate for deamination, though l-Phe was deaminated at a much lower rate. The enzyme exclusively aminated 3-indolepyruvate; phenylpyruvate was inert. The pH optima for the deamination of l-Trp and amination of 3-indolpyruvate were 11.0 and 7.5, respectively. For deamination of l-Trp, maximum enzymatic activity was observed at 45°C. NpTrpDH retained more than 80% of its activity after incubation for 30min at pHs ranging from 5.0 to 11.5 or incubation for 10min at temperatures up to 40°C. Unlike l-Trp dehydrogenases from higher plants, NpTrpDH activity was not activated by metal ions. Typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics were observed for NAD(+) and l-Trp for oxidative deamination, but with reductive amination there was marked substrate inhibition by 3-indolepyruvate. NMR analysis of the hydrogen transfer from the C4 position of the nicotinamide moiety of NADH showed that NpTrpDH has a pro-S (B-type) stereospecificity similar to the Glu/Leu/Phe/Val dehydrogenase family. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The two Dps proteins, NpDps2 and NpDps5, are involved in light-induced oxidative stress tolerance in the N2-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moparthi, Vamsi K; Li, Xin; Vavitsas, Konstantinos; Dzhygyr, Ievgen; Sandh, Gustaf; Magnuson, Ann; Stensjö, Karin

    2016-11-01

    Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes that are considered biotechnologically prominent organisms for production of high-value compounds. Cyanobacteria are subject to high-light intensities, which is a challenge that needs to be addressed in design of efficient bio-engineered photosynthetic organisms. Dps proteins are members of the ferritin superfamily and are omnipresent in prokaryotes. They play a major role in oxidative stress protection and iron homeostasis. The filamentous, heterocyst-forming Nostoc punctiforme, has five Dps proteins. In this study we elucidated the role of these Dps proteins in acclimation to high light intensity, the gene loci organization and the transcriptional regulation of all five dps genes in N. punctiforme was revealed, and dps-deletion mutant strains were used in physiological characterization. Two mutants defective in Dps2 and Dps5 activity displayed a reduced fitness under increased illumination, as well as a differential Photosystem (PS) stoichiometry, with an elevated Photosystem II to Photosystem I ratio in the dps5 deletion strain. This work establishes a Dps-mediated link between light tolerance, H 2 O 2 detoxification, and iron homeostasis, and provides further evidence on the non-redundant role of multiple Dps proteins in this multicellular cyanobacterium. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Enabling cell-cell communication via nanopore formation: structure, function and localization of the unique cell wall amidase AmiC2 of Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Büttner, Felix M; Faulhaber, Katharina; Forchhammer, Karl; Maldener, Iris; Stehle, Thilo

    2016-04-01

    To orchestrate a complex life style in changing environments, the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme facilitates communication between neighboring cells through septal junction complexes. This is achieved by nanopores that perforate the peptidoglycan (PGN) layer and traverse the cell septa. The N-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine amidase AmiC2 (Npun_F1846; EC 3.5.1.28) in N. punctiforme generates arrays of such nanopores in the septal PGN, in contrast to homologous amidases that mediate daughter cell separation after cell division in unicellular bacteria. Nanopore formation is therefore a novel property of AmiC homologs. Immunofluorescence shows that native AmiC2 localizes to the maturing septum. The high-resolution crystal structure (1.12 Å) of its catalytic domain (AmiC2-cat) differs significantly from known structures of cell splitting and PGN recycling amidases. A wide and shallow binding cavity allows easy access of the substrate to the active site, which harbors an essential zinc ion. AmiC2-cat exhibits strong hydrolytic activity in vitro. A single point mutation of a conserved glutamate near the zinc ion results in total loss of activity, whereas zinc removal leads to instability of AmiC2-cat. An inhibitory α-helix, as found in the Escherichia coli AmiC(E. coli) structure, is absent. Taken together, our data provide insight into the cell-biological, biochemical and structural properties of an unusual cell wall lytic enzyme that generates nanopores for cell-cell communication in multicellular cyanobacteria. The novel structural features of the catalytic domain and the unique biological function of AmiC2 hint at mechanisms of action and regulation that are distinct from other amidases. The AmiC2-cat structure has been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession number 5EMI. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

  8. Dynamic localization of HmpF regulates type IV pilus activity and directional motility in the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Ye Won; Gonzales, Alfonso; Harwood, Thomas V; Huynh, Jessica; Hwang, Yeji; Park, Jun Sang; Trieu, Anthony Q; Italia, Parth; Pallipuram, Vivek K; Risser, Douglas D

    2017-10-01

    Many cyanobacteria exhibit surface motility powered by type 4 pili (T4P). In the model filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme, the T4P systems are arrayed in static, bipolar rings in each cell. The chemotaxis-like Hmp system is essential for motility and the coordinated polar accumulation of PilA on cells in motile filaments, while the Ptx system controls positive phototaxis. Using transposon mutagenesis, a gene, designated hmpF, was identified as involved in motility. Synteny among filamentous cyanobacteria and the similar expression patterns for hmpF and hmpD imply that HmpF is part of the Hmp system. Deletion of hmpF produced a phenotype distinct from other hmp genes, but indistinguishable from pilB or pilQ. Both an HmpF-GFPuv fusion protein, and PilA, as assessed by in situ immunofluorescence, displayed coordinated, unipolar localization at the leading pole of each cell. Reversals were modulated by changes in light intensity and preceded by the migration of HmpF-GFPuv to the lagging cell poles. These results are consistent with a model where direct interaction between HmpF and the T4P system activates pilus extension, the Hmp system facilitates coordinated polarity of HmpF to establish motility, and the Ptx system modulates HmpF localization to initiate reversals in response to changes in light intensity. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Characterization and in vivo regulon determination of an ECF sigma factor and its cognate anti-sigma factor in Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Nicole; Lee, Jamie J; Summers, Michael L

    2017-04-01

    Based on primary sequence comparisons and genomic context, Npun_F4153 (SigG)/Npun_F4154 (SapG) of the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme were hypothesized to encode an ECF sigma factor/anti-sigma factor pair. Transcription of sigG increased in heterocysts and akinetes, and after EDTA treatment. Interaction between SigG and the predicted cytoplasmic domain of SapG was observed in vitro. A SigG-GFP translational fusion protein localized to the periphery of vegetative cells in vivo, but lost this association following heat stress. A sigG mutant was unable to survive envelope damage caused by heat or EDTA, but was able to form functional heterocysts. Akinetes in the mutant strain appeared normal, but these cultures were less resistant to lysozyme and cold treatments than those of the wild-type strain. The SigG in vivo regulon was determined before and during akinete differentiation using DNA microarray analysis, and found to include multiple genes with putative association to the cell envelope. Mapped promoters common to both arrays enabled identification of a SigG promoter-binding motif that was supported in vivo by reporter studies, and in vitro by run-off transcription experiments. These findings support SigG/SapG as a sigma/anti-sigma pair involved in repair of envelope damage resulting from exogenous sources or cellular differentiation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Discovery of Rare and Highly Toxic Microcystins from Lichen-Associated Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. Strain IO-102-I

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oksanen, Ilona; Jokela, Jouni; Fewer, David P.; Wahlsten, Matti; Rikkinen, Jouko; Sivonen, Kaarina

    2004-01-01

    The production of hepatotoxic cyclic heptapeptides, microcystins, is almost exclusively reported from planktonic cyanobacteria. Here we show that a terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain IO-102-I isolated from a lichen association produces six different microcystins. Microcystins were identified with liquid chromatography-UV mass spectrometry by their retention times, UV spectra, mass fragmentation, and comparison to microcystins from the aquatic Nostoc sp. strain 152. The dominant microcystin produced by Nostoc sp. strain IO-102-I was the highly toxic [ADMAdda5]microcystin-LR, which accounted for ca. 80% of the total microcystins. We assigned a structure of [DMAdda5]microcystin-LR and [d-Asp3,ADMAdda5]microcystin-LR and a partial structure of three new [ADMAdda5]-XR type of microcystin variants. Interestingly, Nostoc spp. strains IO-102-I and 152 synthesized only the rare ADMAdda and DMAdda subfamilies of microcystin variants. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated congruence between genes involved directly in microcystin biosynthesis and the 16S rRNA and rpoC1 genes of Nostoc sp. strain IO-102-I. Nostoc sp. strain 152 and the Nostoc sp. strain IO-102-I are distantly related, revealing a sporadic distribution of toxin production in the genus Nostoc. Nostoc sp. strain IO-102-I is closely related to Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73102 and other symbiotic Nostoc strains and most likely belongs to this species. Together, this suggests that other terrestrial and aquatic strains of the genus Nostoc may have retained the genes necessary for microcystin biosynthesis. PMID:15466511

  11. Clear differences in metabolic and morphological adaptations of akinetes of two Nostocales living in different habitats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez, Rebeca; Forchhammer, Karl; Salerno, Graciela; Maldener, Iris

    2016-02-01

    Akinetes are resting spore-like cells formed by some heterocyst-forming filamentous cyanobacteria for surviving long periods of unfavourable conditions. We studied the development of akinetes in two model strains of cyanobacterial cell differentiation, the planktonic freshwater Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413 and the terrestrial or symbiotic Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133, in response to low light and phosphate starvation. The best trigger of akinete differentiation of Anabaena variabilis was low light; that of N. punctiforme was phosphate starvation. Light and electron microscopy revealed that akinetes of both species differed from vegetative cells by their larger size, different cell morphology and large number of intracellular granules. Anabaena variabilis akinetes had a multilayer envelope; those of N. punctiforme had a simpler envelope. During akinete development of Anabaena variabilis, the amount of the storage compounds cyanophycin and glycogen increased transiently, whereas in N. punctiforme, cyanophycin and lipid droplets increased transiently. Photosynthesis and respiration decreased during akinete differentiation in both species, and remained at a low level in mature akinetes. The clear differences in the metabolic and morphological adaptations of akinetes of the two species could be related to their different lifestyles. The results pave the way for genetic and functional studies of akinete differentiation in these species.

  12. Molecular and phylogenetic characterization of two species of the genus Nostoc (Cyanobacteria based on the cpcB-IGS-cpcA locus of the phycocyanin operon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    IVANKA TENEVA

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Traditionally, the taxonomy of the genus Nostoc is based on morphological and physiological characters. The extreme morphological variability of the Nostoc species, due to their life cycle and environmental conditions, hampers the correct identification of the individual species. This is also one of the reasons for the disputed taxonomic positions and relationships between the genera Anabaena–Aphanizomenon as well as between Anabaena–Nostoc. Therefore, it is necessary to use additional markers for development of a polyphasic classification system of order Nostocales. In light of this, we here present the first molecular and phy-logenetic characterization of two species of the genus Nostoc (Nostoc linckia and Nostoc punctiforme based on the cpcB-IGS-cpcA locus of the phycocyanin oper-on. The phylogenetic position of these two species within order Nostocales as well as within division Cyanobacteria has been determined. Our results indicate that genus Nostoc is heterogeneous. Analysis of the IGS region between cpcB and cpcA showed that Nostoc and Anabaena are distinct genera. Reported molecular and phylogenetic data will be useful to solve other problematic points in the tax-onomy of genera Aphanizomenon, Anabaena and Nostoc.

  13. Morphological characterization and molecular fingerprinting of Nostoc strains by multiplex RAPD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hillol, Chakdar; Pabbi, Sunil

    2012-01-01

    Morphological parameters studied for the twenty selected Nostoc strains were mostly found to be consistent with the earlier reports. But the shape of akinetes observed in this study was a little deviation from the existing descriptions and heterocyst frequency was also found to be different in different strains in spite of growing in the same nitrogen free media. Multiplex RAPD produced reproducible and completely polymorphic amplification profiles for all the strains including some strain specific unique bands which are intended to be useful for identification of those strains. At least one to a maximum of two unique bands was produced by different dual primer combinations. For ten strains out of twenty, strain specific bands were found to be generated. Cluster analysis revealed a vast heterogeneity among these Nostoc strains and no specific clustering based on geographical origin was found except a few strains. It was also observed that morphological data may not necessarily correspond to the genetic data in most of the cases. CCC92 (Nostoc muscorum) and CCC48 (Nostoc punctiforme) showed a high degree of similarity which was well supported by high bootstrap value. The level of similarity of the strains ranged from 0.15 to 0.94. Cluster analysis based on multiplex RAPD showed a good fit revealing the discriminatory power of this technique.

  14. Structural Insights into l-Tryptophan Dehydrogenase from a Photoautotrophic Cyanobacterium, Nostoc punctiforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wakamatsu, Taisuke; Sakuraba, Haruhiko; Kitamura, Megumi; Hakumai, Yuichi; Fukui, Kenji; Ohnishi, Kouhei; Ashiuchi, Makoto; Ohshima, Toshihisa

    2017-01-15

    l-Tryptophan dehydrogenase from Nostoc punctiforme NIES-2108 (NpTrpDH), despite exhibiting high amino acid sequence identity (>30%)/homology (>50%) with NAD(P) + -dependent l-Glu/l-Leu/l-Phe/l-Val dehydrogenases, exclusively catalyzes reversible oxidative deamination of l-Trp to 3-indolepyruvate in the presence of NAD + Here, we determined the crystal structure of the apo form of NpTrpDH. The structure of the NpTrpDH monomer, which exhibited high similarity to that of l-Glu/l-Leu/l-Phe dehydrogenases, consisted of a substrate-binding domain (domain I, residues 3 to 133 and 328 to 343) and an NAD + /NADH-binding domain (domain II, residues 142 to 327) separated by a deep cleft. The apo-NpTrpDH existed in an open conformation, where domains I and II were apart from each other. The subunits dimerized themselves mainly through interactions between amino acid residues around the β-1 strand of each subunit, as was observed in the case of l-Phe dehydrogenase. The binding site for the substrate l-Trp was predicted by a molecular docking simulation and validated by site-directed mutagenesis. Several hydrophobic residues, which were located in the active site of NpTrpDH and possibly interacted with the side chain of the substrate l-Trp, were arranged similarly to that found in l-Leu/l-Phe dehydrogenases but fairly different from that of an l-Glu dehydrogenase. Our crystal structure revealed that Met-40, Ala-69, Ile-74, Ile-110, Leu-288, Ile-289, and Tyr-292 formed a hydrophobic cluster around the active site. The results of the site-directed mutagenesis experiments suggested that the hydrophobic cluster plays critical roles in protein folding, l-Trp recognition, and catalysis. Our results provide critical information for further characterization and engineering of this enzyme. In this study, we determined the three-dimensional structure of l-Trp dehydrogenase, analyzed its various site-directed substitution mutants at residues located in the active site, and obtained the

  15. Production of 10S-hydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid from oleic acid by whole recombinant Escherichia coli cells expressing 10S-dioxygenase from Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73102 with the aid of a chaperone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Min-Ji; Seo, Min-Ju; Shin, Kyung-Chul; Oh, Deok-Kun

    2017-01-01

    To increase the production of 10S-hydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid from oleic acid by whole recombinant Escherichia coli cells expressing Nostoc punctiforme 10S-dioxygenase with the aid of a chaperone. The optimal conditions for 10S-hydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid production by recombinant cells co-expressing chaperone plasmid were pH 9, 35 °C, 15 % (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide, 40 g cells l -1 , and 10 g oleic acid l -1 . Under these conditions, recombinant cells co-expressing chaperone plasmid produced 7.2 g 10S-hydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid l -1 within 30 min, with a conversion yield of 72 % (w/w) and a volumetric productivity of 14.4 g l -1 h -1 . The activity of recombinant cells expressing 10S-dioxygenase was increased by 200 % with the aid of a chaperone, demonstrating the first biotechnological production of 10S-hydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid using recombinant cells expressing 10S-dioxygenase.

  16. Traceless splicing enabled by substrate-induced activation of the Nostoc punctiforme Npu DnaE intein after mutation of a catalytic cysteine to serine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheriyan, Manoj; Chan, Siu-Hong; Perler, Francine

    2014-12-12

    Inteins self-catalytically cleave out of precursor proteins while ligating the surrounding extein fragments with a native peptide bond. Much attention has been lavished on these molecular marvels with the hope of understanding and harnessing their chemistry for novel biochemical transformations including coupling peptides from synthetic or biological origins and controlling protein function. Despite an abundance of powerful applications, the use of inteins is still hampered by limitations in our understanding of their specificity (defined as flanking sequences that permit splicing) and the challenge of inserting inteins into target proteins. We examined the frequently used Nostoc punctiforme Npu DnaE intein after the C-extein cysteine nucleophile (Cys+1) was mutated to serine or threonine. Previous studies demonstrated reduced rates and/or splicing yields with the Npu DnaE intein after mutation of Cys+1 to Ser+1. In this study, genetic selection identified extein sequences with Ser+1 that enabled the Npu DnaE intein to splice with only a 5-fold reduction in rate compared to the wild-type Cys+1 intein and without mutation of the intein itself to activate Ser+1 as a nucleophile. Three different proteins spliced efficiently after insertion of the intein flanked by the selected sequences. We then used this selected specificity to achieve traceless splicing in a targeted enzyme at a location predicted by primary sequence similarity to only the selected C-extein sequence. This study highlights the latent catalytic potential of the Npu DnaE intein to splice with an alternative nucleophile and enables broader intein utility by increasing insertion site choices. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Sequestration of chromium by exopolysaccharides of Nostoc and Gloeocapsa from dilute aqueous solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharma, Mona [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar-125 001 (India); Kaushik, Anubha [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar-125 001 (India)], E-mail: aks_10@yahoo.com; Somvir,; Bala, Kiran; Kamra, Anjana [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar-125 001 (India)

    2008-09-15

    This article reports the chromium removal potential of exopolysaccharides (EPS) of two indigenously isolated cyanobacterial strains, Gloeocapsa calcarea and Nostoc punctiforme. The biosorption was studied by varying pH from 2 to 6 and initial chromium concentration from 5 to 20 mg/L to find out the optimized conditions for maximum chromium removal by EPS. Two equilibrium models, Langmuir and Freundlich, were used to explain these results. The Freundlich model was found to be better applicable to the experimental data as compared to Langmuir as inferred from high value of coefficient of determination whereas the optimal conditions were found to be same for the two (pH 2 and initial chromium concentration 20 mg/L). EPS production by the two strains was also studied which was found to be higher for Gloeocapsa. On the basis of experimental results and model parameters, it can be inferred that the EPS extracted from Nostoc has comparatively high biosorption capacity and can be utilized for the removal of chromium from dilute aqueous solution. Adsorption of chromium on EPS was further confirmed by surface morphology observed in scanning electron micrographs.

  18. Sequestration of chromium by exopolysaccharides of Nostoc and Gloeocapsa from dilute aqueous solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, Mona; Kaushik, Anubha; Somvir,; Bala, Kiran; Kamra, Anjana

    2008-01-01

    This article reports the chromium removal potential of exopolysaccharides (EPS) of two indigenously isolated cyanobacterial strains, Gloeocapsa calcarea and Nostoc punctiforme. The biosorption was studied by varying pH from 2 to 6 and initial chromium concentration from 5 to 20 mg/L to find out the optimized conditions for maximum chromium removal by EPS. Two equilibrium models, Langmuir and Freundlich, were used to explain these results. The Freundlich model was found to be better applicable to the experimental data as compared to Langmuir as inferred from high value of coefficient of determination whereas the optimal conditions were found to be same for the two (pH 2 and initial chromium concentration 20 mg/L). EPS production by the two strains was also studied which was found to be higher for Gloeocapsa. On the basis of experimental results and model parameters, it can be inferred that the EPS extracted from Nostoc has comparatively high biosorption capacity and can be utilized for the removal of chromium from dilute aqueous solution. Adsorption of chromium on EPS was further confirmed by surface morphology observed in scanning electron micrographs

  19. Protein (Cyanobacteria): 35831 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available etical protein Npun_F5100 Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73102 MKTLVNLTQQSVVGEIESVLDTYPYHPYQKAFAIPDLRQELIVFVLTRLPSFDGAMSEGHISLAEAEQGSLAYYKLPRKPLEQQLHLQNLIHQGICLIVQEKSDWINDRVCEIVQPACEASHWFG ...

  20. Growth kinetic and fuel quality parameters as selective criterion for screening biodiesel producing cyanobacterial strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gayathri, Manickam; Shunmugam, Sumathy; Mugasundari, Arumugam Vanmathi; Rahman, Pattanathu K S M; Muralitharan, Gangatharan

    2018-01-01

    The efficiency of cyanobacterial strains as biodiesel feedstock varies with the dwelling habitat. Fourteen indigenous heterocystous cyanobacterial strains from rice field ecosystem were screened based on growth kinetic and fuel parameters. The highest biomass productivity was obtained in Nostoc punctiforme MBDU 621 (19.22mg/L/day) followed by Calothrix sp. MBDU 701 (13.43mg/L/day). While lipid productivity and lipid content was highest in Nostoc spongiaeforme MBDU 704 (4.45mg/L/day and 22.5%dwt) followed by Calothrix sp. MBDU 701 (1.54mg/L/day and 10.75%dwt). Among the tested strains, Nostoc spongiaeforme MBDU 704 and Nostoc punctiforme MBDU 621 were selected as promising strains for good quality biodiesel production by Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE) and Graphical Analysis for Interactive Assistance (GAIA) analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. A sustainable route to produce the scytonemin precursor using Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malla, Sailesh; Sommer, Morten O. A.

    2014-01-01

    moiety of scytonemin from tryptophan and tyrosine in Escherichia coli. We heterologously expressed the biosynthetic pathway from Nostoc punctiforme and discovered that only three enzymes from N. punctiforme are required for the in vivo production of the monomer moiety of scytonemin in E. coli. We also...

  2. Protein (Cyanobacteria): 186682931 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 63737:1993 ... hypothetical protein Npun_R2630 Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73102 MDTLDLQSVSTEDVMLRYGIKSRTTLNKFLENAGVNSFKEGRKTFIRMYQLGVLDRSAH...ELNYPINQSSNQSIQSIHPTDSIKSEQMELAESTGLFPLTTVDLLYITCEYENLPRLAKWLAGYAFLEKMSSGRVILPRDVVLKILDYKRLPTCKDGYFRYGNFVFLMIGDHKKEWLVSKK

  3. Enhancement of soybean (Glycine max L.) growth by bio-fertilizers of Nostoc muscorum and Nostoc rivulare

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sholkamy, E.N.; Komy, H.M.E.

    2015-01-01

    In the present study the nitrogenase activity of Nostoc muscorum and Nostoc rivulare was evaluated in vitro; the test showed that Nostoc muscorum and Nostoc rivulare have the ability to fix nitrogen. In a pot experiment under field conditions, the results of the present study showed that inoculation of the soybean plant with Nostoc muscorum and Nostoc rivulare, either alone or in combination with N-fertilizer at 50 and 100 kg N/ha, caused a significant increase in the growth of these plants, as reflected in plant height, leaf area, weight of plant as well as the legume weight of soybeans. The combination of biofertilization and N-fertilization, especially at 100 kg N/ha, had more effect on both the growth of soybeans and nitrogenase activity compared to biofertilization alone. Nostoc muscorum and Nostoc rivulare are a promising biofertilizers for achieving an efficient association between N2 fixing cyanobacteria and soybeans; and thus enhancement of the growth. (author)

  4. Heterologous expression of an algal hydrogenase in a heterocystous cyanobacterium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thorsten Heidorn; Peter Lindblad [Dept. of Physiological Botany, Uppsala University, Villavogen 6, SE-752 36 Uppsala, (Sweden)

    2006-07-01

    For the expression of an active algal [FeFe] hydrogenase in the heterocystous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme A TCC 29133 the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii hydrogenase gene hydA1 and the accessory genes hydEF and hydG are to be introduced into the cyanobacteria cells. The genes were amplified by PCR from EST clones, cloned into the cloning vector pBluescript SK+ and sequenced. An expression vector for multi-cistronic cloning, based on pSCR202, was constructed and for a functional test GFP was inserted as a reporter gene. The GFP construct was transformed into Nostoc punctiforme A TCC 29133 by electroporation and expression of GFP was visualized by fluorescence microscopy. (authors)

  5. Heterologous expression of an algal hydrogenase in a hetero-cystous cyanobacterium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thorsten Heidorn; Peter Lindblad [Dept. of Physiological Botany, Uppsala University, V illavagen 6, SE-752 36 Uppsala, (Sweden)

    2006-07-01

    For the expression of an active algal [FeFe] hydrogenase in the hetero-cystous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme A TCC 29133 the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii hydrogenase gene hydA1 and the accessory genes hydEF and hydG are to be introduced into the cyano-bacterial cells. The genes were amplified by PCR from EST clones, cloned into the cloning vector pBluescript SK+ and sequenced. An expression vector for multi-cistronic cloning, based on pSCR202, was constructed and for a functional test GFP was inserted as a reporter gene. The GFP construct was transformed into Nostoc punctiforme A TCC 29133 by electroporation and expression of GFP was visualized by fluorescence microscopy. (authors)

  6. Heterologous expression of an algal hydrogenase in a heterocystous cyanobacterium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorsten Heidorn; Peter Lindblad

    2006-01-01

    For the expression of an active algal [FeFe] hydrogenase in the heterocystous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme A TCC 29133 the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii hydrogenase gene hydA1 and the accessory genes hydEF and hydG are to be introduced into the cyanobacteria cells. The genes were amplified by PCR from EST clones, cloned into the cloning vector pBluescript SK+ and sequenced. An expression vector for multi-cistronic cloning, based on pSCR202, was constructed and for a functional test GFP was inserted as a reporter gene. The GFP construct was transformed into Nostoc punctiforme A TCC 29133 by electroporation and expression of GFP was visualized by fluorescence microscopy. (authors)

  7. Heterologous expression of an algal hydrogenase in a hetero-cystous cyanobacterium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorsten Heidorn; Peter Lindblad

    2006-01-01

    For the expression of an active algal [FeFe] hydrogenase in the hetero-cystous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme A TCC 29133 the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii hydrogenase gene hydA1 and the accessory genes hydEF and hydG are to be introduced into the cyano-bacterial cells. The genes were amplified by PCR from EST clones, cloned into the cloning vector pBluescript SK+ and sequenced. An expression vector for multi-cistronic cloning, based on pSCR202, was constructed and for a functional test GFP was inserted as a reporter gene. The GFP construct was transformed into Nostoc punctiforme A TCC 29133 by electroporation and expression of GFP was visualized by fluorescence microscopy. (authors)

  8. Viruses Infecting a Freshwater Filamentous Cyanobacterium (Nostoc sp. Encode a Functional CRISPR Array and a Proteobacterial DNA Polymerase B

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caroline Chénard

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Here we present the first genomic characterization of viruses infecting Nostoc, a genus of ecologically important cyanobacteria that are widespread in freshwater. Cyanophages A-1 and N-1 were isolated in the 1970s and infect Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7210 but remained genomically uncharacterized. Their 68,304- and 64,960-bp genomes are strikingly different from those of other sequenced cyanophages. Many putative genes that code for proteins with known functions are similar to those found in filamentous cyanobacteria, showing a long evolutionary history in their host. Cyanophage N-1 encodes a CRISPR array that is transcribed during infection and is similar to the DR5 family of CRISPRs commonly found in cyanobacteria. The presence of a host-related CRISPR array in a cyanophage suggests that the phage can transfer the CRISPR among related cyanobacteria and thereby provide resistance to infection with competing phages. Both viruses also encode a distinct DNA polymerase B that is closely related to those found in plasmids of Cyanothece sp. strain PCC 7424, Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120, and Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413. These polymerases form a distinct evolutionary group that is more closely related to DNA polymerases of proteobacteria than to those of other viruses. This suggests that the polymerase was acquired from a proteobacterium by an ancestral virus and transferred to the cyanobacterial plasmid. Many other open reading frames are similar to a prophage-like element in the genome of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7524. The Nostoc cyanophages reveal a history of gene transfers between filamentous cyanobacteria and their viruses that have helped to forge the evolutionary trajectory of this previously unrecognized group of phages.

  9. Distinctive characters of Nostoc genomes in cyanolichens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagunashvili, Andrey N; Andrésson, Ólafur S

    2018-06-05

    Cyanobacteria of the genus Nostoc are capable of forming symbioses with a wide range of organism, including a diverse assemblage of cyanolichens. Only certain lineages of Nostoc appear to be able to form a close, stable symbiosis, raising the question whether symbiotic competence is determined by specific sets of genes and functionalities. We present the complete genome sequencing, annotation and analysis of two lichen Nostoc strains. Comparison with other Nostoc genomes allowed identification of genes potentially involved in symbioses with a broad range of partners including lichen mycobionts. The presence of additional genes necessary for symbiotic competence is likely reflected in larger genome sizes of symbiotic Nostoc strains. Some of the identified genes are presumably involved in the initial recognition and establishment of the symbiotic association, while others may confer advantage to cyanobionts during cohabitation with a mycobiont in the lichen symbiosis. Our study presents the first genome sequencing and genome-scale analysis of lichen-associated Nostoc strains. These data provide insight into the molecular nature of the cyanolichen symbiosis and pinpoint candidate genes for further studies aimed at deciphering the genetic mechanisms behind the symbiotic competence of Nostoc. Since many phylogenetic studies have shown that Nostoc is a polyphyletic group that includes several lineages, this work also provides an improved molecular basis for demarcation of a Nostoc clade with symbiotic competence.

  10. Nostoc thermotolerans sp. nov., a soil-dwelling species of Nostoc (Cyanobacteria).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suradkar, Archana; Villanueva, Chelsea; Gaysina, Lira A; Casamatta, Dale A; Saraf, Aniket; Dighe, Gandhali; Mergu, Ratnaprabha; Singh, Prashant

    2017-05-01

    A filamentous, soil-dwelling cyanobacterial strain (9C-PST) was isolated from Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, India, and is described as a new species of the genus Nostoc. Extensive morphological and molecular characterization along with a thorough assessment of ecology was performed. The style of filament orientation, type and nature of the sheath (e.g. distribution and visibility across the trichome), and vegetative and heterocyte cell dimensions and shape were assessed for over one year using both the laboratory grown culture and the naturally occurring samples. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene showed 94 % similarity with Nostocpiscinale CENA21 while analyses of the secondary structures of the 16S-23S ITS region showed unique folding patterns that differentiated this strain from other species of Nostoc. The level of rbcl and rpoC1 gene sequence similarity was 91 and 94 % to Nostocsp. PCC 7524 and Nostocpiscinale CENA21, respectively, while the nifD gene sequence similarity was found to be 99 % with Nostocpiscinale CENA21. The phenotypic, ecological, genetic and phylogenetic observations indicate that the strain 9C-PST represents a novel species of the genus Nostoc with the name proposed being Nostoc thermotolerans sp. nov. according to the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants.

  11. Consumption of fa cai Nostoc soup: a potential for BMAA exposure from Nostoc cyanobacteria in China?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roney, Britton R; Renhui, Li; Banack, Sandra Anne; Murch, Susan; Honegger, Rosmarie; Cox, Paul Alan

    2009-01-01

    Grown in arid regions of western China the cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme--called fa cai in Mandarin and fat choy in Cantonese--is wild-harvested and used to make soup consumed during New Year's celebrations. High prices, up to $125 USD/kg, led to overharvesting in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang. Degradation of arid ecosystems, desertification, and conflicts between Nostoc harvesters and Mongol herdsmen concerned the Chinese environmental authorities, leading to a government ban of Nostoc commerce. This ban stimulated increased marketing of a substitute made from starch. We analysed samples purchased throughout China as well as in Chinese markets in the United States and the United Kingdom. Some were counterfeits consisting of dyed starch noodles. A few samples from California contained Nostoc flagelliforme but were adulterated with starch noodles. Other samples, including those from the United Kingdom, consisted of pure Nostoc flagelliforme. A recent survey of markets in Cheng Du showed no real Nostoc flagelliforme to be marketed. Real and artificial fa cai differ in the presence of beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). Given its status as a high-priced luxury food, the government ban on collection and marketing, and the replacement of real fa cai with starch substitutes consumed only on special occasions, it is anticipated that dietary exposure to BMAA from fa cai will be reduced in the future in China.

  12. Systems Level Approaches to Understanding and Manipulating Heterocyst Differentiation in Nostoc Punctiforme: Sites of Hydrogenase and Nitrogenase Synthesis and Activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meeks, John C. [University of California, Davis, CA (United States)

    2015-04-02

    Heterocysts are specialized cells that establish a physiologically low oxygen concentration; they function as the sites of oxygen-sensitive nitrogen fixation and hydrogen metabolism in certain filamentous cyanobacteria. They are present at a frequency of less than 10% of the cells and singly in a nonrandom spacing pattern in the filaments. The extent of differential gene expression during heterocyst differentiation was defined by DNA microarray analysis in wild type and mutant cultures of Nostoc punctiforme. The results in wild-type cultures identified two groups of genes; approximately 440 that are unique to heterocyst formation and function, and 500 that respond positively and negatively to the transient stress of nitrogen starvation. Nitrogen fixation is initiated within 24 h after induction, but the cultures require another 24 h before growth is reinitiated. Microarray analyses were conducted on strains with altered expression of three genes that regulate the presence and spacing of heterocysts in the filaments; loss of function or over expression of these genes increases the heterocyst frequency 2 to 3 fold compared to the wild-type. Mutations in the genes hetR and hetF result in the inability to differentiate heterocysts, whereas over expression of each gene individually yields multiple contiguous heterocysts at sites in the filaments; they are positive regulatory elements. Mutation of the gene patN results in an increase in heterocysts frequency, but, in this case, the heterocysts are singly spaced in the filaments with a decrease in the number of vegetative cells in the interval between heterocysts; this is a negative regulatory element. However, over expression of patN resulted in the wild-type heterocyst frequency and spacing pattern. Microarray results indicated HetR and HetF influence the transcription of a common set of about 395 genes, as well as about 350 genes unique to each protein. HetR is known to be a transcriptional regulator and HetF is

  13. Isolation and in silico analysis of Fe-superoxide dismutase in the cyanobacterium Nostoc commune.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesheri, Minu; Kanchan, Swarna; Richa; Sinha, Rajeshwar P

    2014-12-15

    Cyanobacteria are known to endure various stress conditions due to the inbuilt potential for oxidative stress alleviation owing to the presence of an array of antioxidants. The present study shows that Antarctic cyanobacterium Nostoc commune possesses two antioxidative enzymes viz., superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase that jointly cope with environmental stresses prevailing at its natural habitat. Native-PAGE analysis illustrates the presence of a single prominent isoform recognized as Fe-SOD and three distinct isoforms of catalase. The protein sequence of Fe-SOD in N. commune retrieved from NCBI protein sequence database was used for in silico analysis. 3D structure of N. commune was predicted by comparative modeling using MODELLER 9v11. Further, this model was validated for its quality by Ramachandran plot, ERRAT, Verify 3D and ProSA-web which revealed good structure quality of the model. Multiple sequence alignment showed high conservation in N and C-terminal domain regions along with all metal binding positions in Fe-SOD which were also found to be highly conserved in all 28 cyanobacterial species under study, including N. commune. In silico prediction of isoelectric point and molecular weight of Fe-SOD was found to be 5.48 and 22,342.98Da respectively. The phylogenetic tree revealed that among 28 cyanobacterial species, Fe-SOD in N. commune was the closest evolutionary homolog of Fe-SOD in Nostoc punctiforme as evident by strong bootstrap value. Thus, N. commune may serve as a good biological model for studies related to survival of life under extreme conditions prevailing at the Antarctic region. Moreover cyanobacteria may be exploited for biochemical and biotechnological applications of enzymatic antioxidants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Impacts of varying light regimes on phycobiliproteins of Nostoc sp. HKAR-2 and Nostoc sp. HKAR-11 isolated from diverse habitats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kannaujiya, Vinod K; Sinha, Rajeshwar P

    2015-11-01

    The adaptability of cyanobacteria in diverse habitats is an important factor to withstand harsh conditions. In the present investigation, the impacts of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; 400-700 nm), ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280-315 nm), and PAR + UV-B radiations on two cyanobacteria viz., Nostoc sp. HKAR-2 and Nostoc sp. HKAR-11 inhabiting diverse habitats such as hot springs and rice fields, respectively, were studied. Cell viability was about 14 % in Nostoc sp. HKAR-2 and Nostoc sp. HKAR-11 after 48 h of UV-B exposure. PAR had negligible negative impact on the survival of both cyanobacteria. The continuous exposure of UV-B and PAR + UV-B showed rapid uncoupling, bleaching, fragmentation, and degradation in both phycocyanin (C-PC) and phycoerythrin (C-PE) subunits of phycobiliproteins (PBPs). Remarkable bleaching effect of C-PE and C-PC was not only observed with UV-B or PAR + UV-B radiation, but longer period (24-48 h) of exposure with PAR alone also showed noticeable negative impact. The C-PE and C-PC subunits of the rice field isolate Nostoc sp. HKAR-11 were severely damaged in comparison to the hot spring isolate Nostoc sp. HKAR-2 with rapid wavelength shifting toward shorter wavelengths denoting the bleaching of both the accessory light harvesting pigments. The results indicate that PBPs of the hot spring isolate Nostoc sp. HKAR-2 were more stable under various light regimes in comparison to the rice field isolate Nostoc sp. HKAR-11 that could serve as a good source of valuable pigments to be used in various biomedical and biotechnological applications.

  15. Evolution of space food in Nostoc sp. HK-01

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomita-Yokotani, Kaori; Yamashita, Masamichi; Hashimoto, Hirofumi; Sato, Seigo; Kimura, Yasuko; Katoh, Hiroshi; Arai, Mayumi

    2012-07-01

    Habitation in outer space is one of our challenges. We have been studying future space agriculture to provide food and oxygen for the habitation area in the space environment, on Mars. A cyanobacteria, Nostoc sp. HK-01, has high several outer space environmental tolerance. We have already confirmed that Nostoc sp.HK-01 had an ability to grow for over several years on the Martian regolith simulant in a laboratory experiment. Nostoc sp HK-01 would have high contribution to change the atmosphere in Mars as a photosynthetic creature. In outer environment, all of materials have to circulate for all of creature living in artificial eco-systems on Mars. This material has several functions as the utilization in space agriculture. Here, we are proposing using them as a food after its growing on Mars. We are trying to determine the best conditions and evolution for space food using Nostoc sp.HK-01 and studying the proposal of utilization of cyanobacteria, Nostoc sp HK-01, for the variation of meal as space agriculture.

  16. Viruses Infecting a Freshwater Filamentous Cyanobacterium (Nostoc sp.) Encode a Functional CRISPR Array and a Proteobacterial DNA Polymerase B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chénard, Caroline; Wirth, Jennifer F; Suttle, Curtis A

    2016-06-14

    Here we present the first genomic characterization of viruses infecting Nostoc, a genus of ecologically important cyanobacteria that are widespread in freshwater. Cyanophages A-1 and N-1 were isolated in the 1970s and infect Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7210 but remained genomically uncharacterized. Their 68,304- and 64,960-bp genomes are strikingly different from those of other sequenced cyanophages. Many putative genes that code for proteins with known functions are similar to those found in filamentous cyanobacteria, showing a long evolutionary history in their host. Cyanophage N-1 encodes a CRISPR array that is transcribed during infection and is similar to the DR5 family of CRISPRs commonly found in cyanobacteria. The presence of a host-related CRISPR array in a cyanophage suggests that the phage can transfer the CRISPR among related cyanobacteria and thereby provide resistance to infection with competing phages. Both viruses also encode a distinct DNA polymerase B that is closely related to those found in plasmids of Cyanothece sp. strain PCC 7424, Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120, and Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413. These polymerases form a distinct evolutionary group that is more closely related to DNA polymerases of proteobacteria than to those of other viruses. This suggests that the polymerase was acquired from a proteobacterium by an ancestral virus and transferred to the cyanobacterial plasmid. Many other open reading frames are similar to a prophage-like element in the genome of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7524. The Nostoc cyanophages reveal a history of gene transfers between filamentous cyanobacteria and their viruses that have helped to forge the evolutionary trajectory of this previously unrecognized group of phages. Filamentous cyanobacteria belonging to the genus Nostoc are widespread and ecologically important in freshwater, yet little is known about the genomic content of their viruses. Here we report the first genomic analysis of cyanophages infecting

  17. Lietuvos Nostoc ir Desmonostoc genčių melsvabakterių morfologija, ekologija ir filogenija

    OpenAIRE

    Špakaitė, Ina

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate the morphology, ecology and phylogeny of cyanobacteria belonging to genera Nostoc and Desmonostoc in Lithuania. The detailed research of freshwater and terrestrial Nostoc and Desmonostoc species provided new data on taxonomy, biology and ecology of these cyanobacteria and the overall diversity of algae in Lithuania. 20 Nostoc species and two intraspecific taxa, and 18 taxa to the Nostoc genus level were identified. Twelve Nostoc species and intraspecifi...

  18. Morphology, ecology and phylogeny of cyanobacteria belonging to genera Nostoc and Desmonostoc in Lithuania

    OpenAIRE

    Špakaitė, Ina

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate the morphology, ecology and phylogeny of cyanobacteria belonging to genera Nostoc and Desmonostoc in Lithuania. The detailed research of freshwater and terrestrial Nostoc and Desmonostoc species provided new data on taxonomy, biology and ecology of these cyanobacteria and the overall diversity of algae in Lithuania. 20 Nostoc species and two intraspecific taxa, and 18 taxa to the Nostoc genus level were identified. Twelve Nostoc species and intraspecifi...

  19. Analysis of current and alternative phenol based RNA extraction methodologies for cyanobacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lindblad Peter

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The validity and reproducibility of gene expression studies depend on the quality of extracted RNA and the degree of genomic DNA contamination. Cyanobacteria are gram-negative prokaryotes that synthesize chlorophyll a and carry out photosynthetic water oxidation. These organisms possess an extended array of secondary metabolites that impair cell lysis, presenting particular challenges when it comes to nucleic acid isolation. Therefore, we used the NHM5 strain of Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 to compare and improve existing phenol based chemistry and procedures for RNA extraction. Results With this work we identify and explore strategies for improved and lower cost high quality RNA isolation from cyanobacteria. All the methods studied are suitable for RNA isolation and its use for downstream applications. We analyse different Trizol based protocols, introduce procedural changes and describe an alternative RNA extraction solution. Conclusion It was possible to improve purity of isolated RNA by modifying protocol procedures. Further improvements, both in RNA purity and experimental cost, were achieved by using a new extraction solution, PGTX.

  20. Genetic Diversity of Nostoc Symbionts Endophytically Associated with Two Bryophyte Species

    OpenAIRE

    Costa, José-Luis; Paulsrud, Per; Rikkinen, Jouko; Lindblad, Peter

    2001-01-01

    The diversity of the endophytic Nostoc symbionts of two thalloid bryophytes, the hornwort Anthoceros fusiformis and the liverwort Blasia pusilla, was examined using the tRNALeu (UAA) intron sequence as a marker. The results confirmed that many different Nostoc strains are involved in both associations under natural conditions in the field. The level of Nostoc diversity within individual bryophyte thalli varied, but single DNA fragments were consistently amplified from individual symbiotic col...

  1. Photo- and heterotrophic nitrogenase activity by the cyano-bacterium Nostoc in symbiosis with the bryophyte Anthoceros

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinberg, N.A.; Meeks, J.C.

    1987-01-01

    In symbiosis with Anthoceros, Nostoc is thought to do little or no photosynthesis. However, light-dependent 14 CO 2 fixation by symbiotic Nostoc, freshly isolated from pure cultures of the reconstituted Anthoceros-Nostoc association, was 16% of that by free-living Nostoc. A DCMU-resistant mutant of Nostoc was isolated that fixed CO 2 at rates comparable to wild-type in both symbiotic and free-living growth states. To determine if symbiotic Nostoc can use its photosynthate directly to fix nitrogen, acetylene reduction by Anthoceros associations reconstituted with wild-type Nostoc was compared to associations with the DCMU-resistant mutant. In wild-type Anthoceros-Nostoc acetylene reduction was inhibited 97% by 5 μM DCMU, while inhibition of the DCMU-resistant Nostoc association was only 63%. Additions of glucose, fructose, maltose or sucrose to wild-type associations completely restored DCMU-inhibited acetylene reduction in the light. Acetylene reduction in the dark was stimulated by glucose, attaining 84% of the uninhibited light-dependent value. The authors conclude that symbiotic Nostoc maintains a pool of photosynthate which supports nitrogenase activity. The pool can also be supplemented from plant sources

  2. Root colonization and phytostimulation by phytohormones producing entophytic Nostoc sp. AH-12.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Anwar; Hamayun, Muhammad; Shah, Syed Tariq

    2013-11-01

    Nostoc, a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium, has great potential to make symbiotic associations with a wide range of plants and benefit its hosts with nitrogen in the form of nitrates. It may also use phytohormones as a tool to promote plant growth. Phytohormones [cytokinin (Ck) and IAA] were determined in the culture of an endophytic Nostoc isolated from rice roots. The strain was able to accumulate as well as release phytohormones to the culture media. Optimum growth conditions for the production of zeatin and IAA were a temperature of 25 °C and a pH of 8.0. Time-dependent increase in the accumulation and release of phytohormones was recorded. To evaluate the impact of cytokinins, an ipt knockout mutant in the background of Nostoc was generated by homologous recombination method. A sharp decline (up to 80 %) in the zeatin content was observed in the culture of mutant strain Nostoc AHM-12. Association of the mutant and wild type strain with rice and wheat roots was studied under axenic conditions. The efficacy of Nostoc to colonize plant root was significantly reduced (P Nostoc to colonize plant root and promote its growth.

  3. Arsenic biotransformation by a cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Xi-Mei; Yan, Yu; Xiong, Chan; Raber, Georg; Francesconi, Kevin; Pan, Ting; Ye, Jun; Zhu, Yong-Guan

    2017-09-01

    Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 (Nostoc), a typical filamentous cyanobacterium ubiquitous in aquatic system, is recognized as a model organism to study prokaryotic cell differentiation and nitrogen fixation. In this study, Nostoc cells incubated with arsenite (As(III)) for two weeks were extracted with dichloromethane/methanol (DCM/MeOH) and the extract was partitioned between water and DCM. Arsenic species in aqueous and DCM layers were determined using high performance liquid chromatography - inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICPMS/ESIMSMS). In addition to inorganic arsenic (iAs), the aqueous layer also contained monomethylarsonate (MAs(V)), dimethylarsinate (DMAs(V)), and the two arsenosugars, namely a glycerol arsenosugar (Oxo-Gly) and a phosphate arsenosugar (Oxo-PO4). Two major arsenosugar phospholipids (AsSugPL982 and AsSugPL984) were detected in DCM fraction. Arsenic in the growth medium was also investigated by HPLC/ICPMS and shown to be present mainly as the inorganic forms As(III) and As(V) accounting for 29%-38% and 29%-57% of the total arsenic respectively. The total arsenic of methylated arsenic, arsenosugars, and arsenosugar phospholipids in Nostoc cells with increasing As(III) exposure were not markedly different, indicating that the transformation to organoarsenic in Nostoc was not dependent on As(III) concentration in the medium. Our results provide new insights into the role of cyanobacteria in the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Genetic diversity of Nostoc microsymbionts from Gunnera tinctoria revealed by PCR-STRR fingerprinting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guevara, R; Armesto, J J; Caru, M

    2002-08-01

    The cyanobacteria belonging to the genus Nostoc fix atmospheric nitrogen, both as free-living organisms and in symbiotic associations with a wide range of hosts, including bryophytes, gymnosperms (cycads), the small water fern Azolla (Pteridophyte), the angiosperm genus Gunnera, and fungi (lichens). The Gunnera-Nostoc symbiosis is the only one that involves a flowering plant. In Chile, 12 species of Gunnera have been described with a broad distribution in the temperate region. We examined the genetic diversity of Nostoc symbionts from three populations of Gunnera tinctoria from Abtao, Chiloé Island, southern Chile, and microsymbionts from other two species of Gunnera from southern Chile, using PCR amplification of STRR (short tandemly repeated repetitive) sequences of the Nostoc infected tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first report of PCR fingerprinting obtained directly from symbiotic tissue of Gunnera. Genetic analyses revealed that Nostoc symbionts exhibit important genetic diversity among host plants, both within and between Gunnera populations. It was also found that only one Nostoc strain, or closely related strains, established symbiosis with an individual plant host.

  5. Genomic Changes Associated with the Evolutionary Transitions of Nostoc to a Plant Symbiont

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liaimer, Anton; Pederson, Eric; Kim, Sea-Yong; Shapiro, Nicole; Woyke, Tanja; Altermark, Bjørn; Pawlowski, Katharina; Weyman, Philip D; Dupont, Christopher L

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Cyanobacteria belonging to the genus Nostoc comprise free-living strains and also facultative plant symbionts. Symbiotic strains can enter into symbiosis with taxonomically diverse range of host plants. Little is known about genomic changes associated with evolutionary transition of Nostoc from free-living to plant symbiont. Here, we compared the genomes derived from 11 symbiotic Nostoc strains isolated from different host plants and infer phylogenetic relationships between strains. Phylogenetic reconstructions of 89 Nostocales showed that symbiotic Nostoc strains with a broad host range, entering epiphytic and intracellular or extracellular endophytic interactions, form a monophyletic clade indicating a common evolutionary history. A polyphyletic origin was found for Nostoc strains which enter only extracellular symbioses, and inference of transfer events implied that this trait was likely acquired several times in the evolution of the Nostocales. Symbiotic Nostoc strains showed enriched functions in transport and metabolism of organic sulfur, chemotaxis and motility, as well as the uptake of phosphate, branched-chain amino acids, and ammonium. The genomes of the intracellular clade differ from that of other Nostoc strains, with a gain/enrichment of genes encoding proteins to generate l-methionine from sulfite and pathways for the degradation of the plant metabolites vanillin and vanillate, and of the macromolecule xylan present in plant cell walls. These compounds could function as C-sources for members of the intracellular clade. Molecular clock analysis indicated that the intracellular clade emerged ca. 600 Ma, suggesting that intracellular Nostoc symbioses predate the origin of land plants and the emergence of their extant hosts. PMID:29554291

  6. COMPONENŢA AMINOACIZILOR DIN BIOMASA ALGEI CIANOFITE NOSTOC GELATINOSUM (SCHOUSB ELENK.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergiu DOBROJAN

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available În articol este analizată componenţa aminoacizilor din biomasa algei cianofite Nostoc gelatinosum (Schousb Elenk. colectate de pe mediul nutritiv Drew. Din grupa aminoacizilor esenţiali în biomasa algei Nostoc gelatinosum (Schousb Elenk. se conţine în cantităţi majore leucina (2,142±0,06 mg/100 mg, treonina (1,188±0,02 mg/100 mg şi valina (1,085±0,03 mg/100 mg. Din aminoacizii neesenţiali predomină acidul aspartic (4,523±0,11 mg/100 mg şi acidul glutamic (2,774±0,07 mg/100 mg. Alga Nostoc gelatinosum (Schousb Elenk. are un conţinut bogat de aminoacizi şi poate servi ca sursă pentru vaste domenii de aplicare.THE AMINO ACIDS COMPOSITION OF THE BLUE-GREEN ALGANOSTOC GELATINOSUM (SCHOUSB ELENKThis article presents the amino acid content of the blue-green alga Nostoc gelatinosum (Schousb Elenk. collected from the Drew nutritive medium. From the essential amino group in Nostoc gelatinosum (Schousb Elenk. biomass, major amounts are contained leucine (2,142 ± 0,06 mg/100 mg, threonine (1,188 ± 0,02 mg/100 mg and valine (1,085 ± 0,03 mg/100 mg. From nonessential amino acids predominates aspartic acid (4,523 ± 0,11 mg/100 mg and glutamic acid (2,774 ± 0.07 mg/100 mg. The alga Nostoc gelatinosum (Schousb Elenk. has a high content of amino acids and can serve as a source for vast areas of application. 

  7. Biochemical changes induced by fungicides in nitrogen fixing Nostoc sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deviram, G V N S; Pant, Gaurav; Prasuna, R Gyana

    2013-01-01

    The present study indicates the effect of fungicides (approved by WHO) and their behavior on nitrogen fixer of rice eco system Nostoc sp. Application of plant protecting chemicals at recommended levels braced up the growth of blue green algae thereby enhancing heterocyst formation and nitrogenase activity. Nostoc sp demoed varying degrees of sensitivity to fungicides. Biomass yield, protein, carbohydrate content reduced after 3pg/mL concentration. Heterocyst damage was observed from 4μg/mL, Proline content increased with increase in fungicide concentration, utmost yellowing of the culture started from 4μg/mL. The decreasing order of the toxicity to Nostoc sp with fungicides was Mancozeb> Ediphenphos> Carbendazim> Hexaconazole.

  8. Metabolism and resources of spherical colonies of Nostoc zetterstedtii

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Kaj Sand; Raun, Ane-Marie Løvendahl; Borum, Jens

    2009-01-01

    Constraints imposed by the spherical form and gelatinous matrix of centimeter-thick colonies of the cyanobacterium Nostoc zetterstedtii on its functional properties were tested by examining the scaling of its composition, light absorption, photosynthesis, and respiration to individual size....... Nostoc absorbed 96% of incident light from the surface to the center because of high areal pigment density, but absorbed photons were used with low quantum efficiency (11- 38 mmol O2 mol21 photon) and photosynthesis was low relative to dark respiration (2.0-5.4). Therefore, N. zetterstedtii is threatened...... by reduced light availability and only extended to lake depths receiving about 12% of surface irradiance, whereas mosses, characeans, and angiosperms with thin photosynthetic tissues grew deeper (3.1-7.5% of surface irradiance). Nostoc ameliorated the restrictions of low lake DIC and long diffusion paths...

  9. Biochemical characterization of sunscreening mycosporine-like amino acids from two Nostoc species inhabiting diverse habitats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richa; Sinha, Rajeshwar P

    2015-01-01

    We have screened two Nostoc species inhabiting diverse habitats for the presence of sunscreening mycosporine-like amino acid (MAA) compounds. The identification and characterization of one MAA (RT 3.1-3.8 min, λmax -334 nm) from both Nostoc species were performed using absorption spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Shinorine and porphyra-334 were commonly present in both Nostoc sp. strain HKAR-2 and Nostoc sp. strain HKAR-6. Nostoc sp. strain HKAR-2 also showed the presence of an unknown MAAs with retention time of 6.9 min and a corresponding λmax of 334 nm. Present investigation clearly demonstrated the presence of diverse profile of MAAs in the hot spring cyanobacterium in comparison to the rice field isolate. Thus, Nostoc sp. strain HKAR-2 would be a better source for the production of MAAs that can be used as a potent natural sunscreen against UV-B irradiation.

  10. Phycobiliprotein accumulation in cyanobacterium Nostoc linckia and modification of antioxidant activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana VALUTA

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with iron(III coordination compounds with Schiff bases as ligands and their impact on phycobiliprotein accumulation by cyanobacterium Nostoc linckia. Stimulatory effect depends on the applied dose and in case of three compounds, the concentration 20 mg/L was determined as one with moderate intensity. Lower concentrations resulted in an increase of the phycobiliprotein synthesis. There was found a significant positive correlation between phycobiliprotein content and ABTS (2.2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid assay values displayed by aqueous extracts from Nostoc linckia biomass cultivated in nutrient medium with these coordination compounds. Hence, it is possible to modify the antioxidant activity of Nostoc biomass by applying low concentrations of chemical stimuli.

  11. Synthetic Peptides Derived from Bovine Lactoferricin Exhibit Antimicrobial Activity against E. coli ATCC 11775, S. maltophilia ATCC 13636 and S. enteritidis ATCC 13076.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huertas Méndez, Nataly De Jesús; Vargas Casanova, Yerly; Gómez Chimbi, Anyelith Katherine; Hernández, Edith; Leal Castro, Aura Lucia; Melo Diaz, Javier Mauricio; Rivera Monroy, Zuly Jenny; García Castañeda, Javier Eduardo

    2017-03-12

    Linear, dimeric, tetrameric, and cyclic peptides derived from lactoferricin B-containing non-natural amino acids and the RWQWR motif were synthesized, purified, and characterized using RP-HPLC, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and circular dichroism. The antibacterial activity of peptides against Escherichia coli ATCC 11775, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ATCC 13636, and Salmonella enteritidis ATCC 13076 was evaluated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. The synthetic bovine lactoferricin exhibited antibacterial activity against E. coli ATCC 11775 and S. enteritidis ATCC 13076. The dimeric peptide (RRWQWR)₂K-Ahx exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial strain. The monomeric, cyclic, tetrameric, and palindromic peptides containing the RWQWR motif exhibited high and specific activity against E. coli ATCC 11775. The results suggest that short peptides derived from lactoferricin B could be considered as potential candidates for the development of antibacterial agents against infections caused by E. coli .

  12. Characterization of a microcystin and detection of microcystin synthetase genes from a Brazilian isolate of Nostoc.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genuário, Diego Bonaldo; Silva-Stenico, Maria Estela; Welker, Martin; Beraldo Moraes, Luiz Alberto; Fiore, Marli Fátima

    2010-04-01

    A nostocalean nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium isolated from an eutrophic freshwater reservoir located in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil, was evaluated for the production of hepatotoxic cyclic heptapeptides, microcystins. Morphologically this new cyanobacterium strain appears closest to Nostoc, however, in the phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene it falls into a highly stable cluster distantly only related to the typical Nostoc cluster. Extracts of Nostoc sp. CENA88 cultured cells, investigated using ELISA assay, gave positive results and the microcystin profile revealed by ESI-Q-TOF/MS/MS analysis confirmed the production of [Dha(7)]MCYST-YR. Further, Nostoc sp. CENA88 genomic DNA was analyzed by PCR for sequences of mcyD, mcyE and mcyG genes of microcystin synthetase (mcy) cluster. The result revealed the presence of mcyD, mcyE and mcyG genes with similarities to those from mcy of Nostoc sp. strains 152 and IO-102-I and other cyanobacterial genera. The phylogenetic tree based on concatenated McyG, McyD and McyE amino acids clustered the sequences according to cyanobacterial genera, with exception of the Nostoc sp. CENA88 sequence, which was placed in a clade distantly related from other Nostoc strains, as previously observed also in the 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis. The present study describes for the first time a Brazilian Nostoc microcystin producer and also the occurrence of demethyl MCYST-YR variant in this genus. The sequenced Nostoc genes involved in the microcystin synthesis can contribute to a better understanding of the toxigenicity and evolution of this cyanotoxin. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Synthetic Peptides Derived from Bovine Lactoferricin Exhibit Antimicrobial Activity against E. coli ATCC 11775, S. maltophilia ATCC 13636 and S. enteritidis ATCC 13076

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataly De Jesús Huertas Méndez

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Linear, dimeric, tetrameric, and cyclic peptides derived from lactoferricin B–containing non-natural amino acids and the RWQWR motif were synthesized, purified, and characterized using RP-HPLC, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and circular dichroism. The antibacterial activity of peptides against Escherichia coli ATCC 11775, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ATCC 13636, and Salmonella enteritidis ATCC 13076 was evaluated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC were determined. The synthetic bovine lactoferricin exhibited antibacterial activity against E. coli ATCC 11775 and S. enteritidis ATCC 13076. The dimeric peptide (RRWQWR2K-Ahx exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial strain. The monomeric, cyclic, tetrameric, and palindromic peptides containing the RWQWR motif exhibited high and specific activity against E. coli ATCC 11775. The results suggest that short peptides derived from lactoferricin B could be considered as potential candidates for the development of antibacterial agents against infections caused by E. coli.

  14. Secondary metabolites of cyanobacteria Nostoc sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Akio; Kajiyama, Shin-Ichiro

    1998-03-01

    Cyanobacteria attracted much attention recently because of their secondary metabolites with potent biological activities and unusual structures. This paper reviews some recent studies on the isolation, structural, elucidation and biological activities of the bioactive compounds from cyanobacteria Nostoc species.

  15. Antagonistic interactions between filamentous heterotrophs and the cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolf Sarah

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Little is known about interactions between filamentous heterotrophs and filamentous cyanobacteria. Here, interactions between the filamentous heterotrophic bacteria Fibrella aestuarina (strain BUZ 2 and Fibrisoma limi (BUZ 3 with an axenic strain of the autotrophic filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum (SAG 25.82 were studied in mixed cultures under nutrient rich (carbon source present in medium and poor (carbon source absent in medium conditions. Findings F. aestuarina BUZ 2 significantly reduced the cyanobacterial population whereas F. limi BUZ 3 did not. Physical contact between heterotrophs and autotroph was observed and the cyanobacterial cells showed some level of damage and lysis. Therefore, either contact lysis or entrapment with production of extracellular compounds in close vicinity of host cells could be considered as potential modes of action. The supernatants from pure heterotrophic cultures did not have an effect on Nostoc cultures. However, supernatant from mixed cultures of BUZ 2 and Nostoc had a negative effect on cyanobacterial growth, indicating that the lytic compounds were only produced in the presence of Nostoc. The growth and survival of tested heterotrophs was enhanced by the presence of Nostoc or its metabolites, suggesting that the heterotrophs could utilize the autotrophs and its products as a nutrient source. However, the autotroph could withstand and out-compete the heterotrophs under nutrient poor conditions. Conclusions Our results suggest that the nutrients in cultivation media, which boost or reduce the number of heterotrophs, were the important factor influencing the outcome of the interplay between filamentous heterotrophs and autotrophs. For better understanding of these interactions, additional research is needed. In particular, it is necessary to elucidate the mode of action for lysis by heterotrophs, and the possible defense mechanisms of the autotrophs.

  16. Nodularin, a cyanobacterial toxin, is synthesized in planta by symbiotic Nostoc sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gehringer, Michelle M; Adler, Lewis; Roberts, Alexandra A; Moffitt, Michelle C; Mihali, Troco K; Mills, Toby J T; Fieker, Claus; Neilan, Brett A

    2012-10-01

    The nitrogen-fixing bacterium, Nostoc, is a commonly occurring cyanobacterium often found in symbiotic associations. We investigated the potential of cycad cyanobacterial endosymbionts to synthesize microcystin/nodularin. Endosymbiont DNA was screened for the aminotransferase domain of the toxin biosynthesis gene clusters. Five endosymbionts carrying the gene were screened for bioactivity. Extracts of two isolates inhibited protein phosphatase 2A and were further analyzed using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS)/MS. Nostoc sp. 'Macrozamia riedlei 65.1' and Nostoc sp. 'Macrozamia serpentina 73.1' both contained nodularin. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) HESI-MS/MS analysis confirmed the presence of nodularin at 9.55±2.4 ng μg-1 chlorophyll a in Nostoc sp. 'Macrozamia riedlei 65.1' and 12.5±8.4 ng μg-1 Chl a in Nostoc sp. 'Macrozamia serpentina 73.1' extracts. Further scans indicated the presence of the rare isoform [L-Har(2)] nodularin, which contains L-homoarginine instead of L-arginine. Nodularin was also present at 1.34±0.74 ng ml(-1) (approximately 3 pmol per g plant ww) in the methanol root extracts of M. riedlei MZ65, while the presence of [L-Har(2)] nodularin in the roots of M. serpentina MZ73 was suggested by HPLC HESI-MS/MS analysis. The ndaA-B and ndaF genomic regions were sequenced to confirm the presence of the hybrid polyketide/non-ribosomal gene cluster. A seven amino-acid insertion into the NdaA-C1 domain of N. spumigena NSOR10 protein was observed in all endosymbiont-derived sequences, suggesting the transfer of the nda cluster from N. spumigena to terrestrial Nostoc species. This study demonstrates the synthesis of nodularin and [L-Har(2)] nodularin in a non-Nodularia species and the production of cyanobacterial hepatotoxin by a symbiont in planta.

  17. A comparative genomics approach to understanding the biosynthesis of the sunscreen scytonemin in cyanobacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Potrafka Ruth M

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The extracellular sunscreen scytonemin is the most common and widespread indole-alkaloid among cyanobacteria. Previous research using the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 revealed a unique 18-gene cluster (NpR1276 to NpR1259 in the N. punctiforme genome involved in the biosynthesis of scytonemin. We provide further genomic characterization of these genes in N. punctiforme and extend it to homologous regions in other cyanobacteria. Results Six putative genes in the scytonemin gene cluster (NpR1276 to NpR1271 in the N. punctiforme genome, with no previously known protein function and annotated in this study as scyA to scyF, are likely involved in the assembly of scytonemin from central metabolites, based on genetic, biochemical, and sequence similarity evidence. Also in this cluster are redundant copies of genes encoding for aromatic amino acid biosynthetic enzymes. These can theoretically lead to tryptophan and the tyrosine precursor, p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, (expected biosynthetic precursors of scytonemin from end products of the shikimic acid pathway. Redundant copies of the genes coding for the key regulatory and rate-limiting enzymes of the shikimic acid pathway are found there as well. We identified four other cyanobacterial strains containing orthologues of all of these genes, three of them by database searches (Lyngbya PCC 8106, Anabaena PCC 7120, and Nodularia CCY 9414 and one by targeted sequencing (Chlorogloeopsis sp. strain Cgs-089; CCMEE 5094. Genomic comparisons revealed that most scytonemin-related genes were highly conserved among strains and that two additional conserved clusters, NpF5232 to NpF5236 and a putative two-component regulatory system (NpF1278 and NpF1277, are likely involved in scytonemin biosynthesis and regulation, respectively, on the basis of conservation and location. Since many of the protein product sequences for the newly described genes, including ScyD, ScyE, and ScyF, have

  18. Light influences cytokinin biosynthesis and sensing in Nostoc (cyanobacteria).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frébortová, Jitka; Plíhal, Ondřej; Florová, Vendula; Kokáš, Filip; Kubiasová, Karolina; Greplová, Marta; Šimura, Jan; Novák, Ondřej; Frébort, Ivo

    2017-06-01

    Cytokinins are an important group of plant hormones that are also found in other organisms, including cyanobacteria. While various aspects of cytokinin function and metabolism are well understood in plants, the information is limited for cyanobacteria. In this study, we first experimentally confirmed a prenylation of tRNA by recombinant isopentenyl transferase NoIPT2 from Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, whose encoding gene we previously identified in Nostoc genome along with the gene for adenylate isopentenyl transferase NoIPT1. In contrast to NoIPT2, the transcription of NoIPT1 was strongly activated during the dark period and was followed by an increase in the cytokinin content several hours later in the light period. Dominant cytokinin metabolites detected at all time points were free bases and monophosphates of isopentenyladenine and cis-zeatin, while N-glucosides were not detected at all. Whole transcriptome differential expression analysis of cultures of the above Nostoc strain treated by cytokinin compared to untreated controls indicated that cytokinin together with light trigger expression of several genes related to signal transduction, including two-component sensor histidine kinases and two-component hybrid sensors and regulators. One of the affected histidine kinases with a cyclase/histidine kinase-associated sensory extracellular domain similar to the cytokinin-binding domain in plant cytokinin receptors was able to modestly bind isopentenyladenine. The data show that the genetic disposition allows Nostoc not only to produce free cytokinins and prenylate tRNA but also modulate the cytokinin biosynthesis in response to light, triggering complex changes in sensing and regulation. © 2017 Phycological Society of America.

  19. [Response of Nostoc flageliforme cell to Cu2+, Cr2+ and Pb2+ stress].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Jinying; Shi, Mingke; Zhao, Yanli; Ren, Guoyan; Yi, Junpeng; Niu, Leilei; Li, Juan

    2013-06-04

    This study aimed to investigate the effects of Cu2+, Cr2+ and Pb2+ stress on Nostoc flagelliforme cell. The response of Nostoc flagelliforme cell was analyzed under the stress. The modified BG11 culture medium containing different heavy metal ions of 0, 0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 mg/L was used to cultivate Nostoc flagelliforme cell at 25 degrees C and light intensity of 80 micromol/(m x s). Electrolyte leakage, the activities of superoxide dismutase, the content of malondialdehyde, proline, soluble protein and trehalose were analyzed. Under 1 - 100 mg/L Cu2+, Cr2+ and Pb2+ stress, electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde contents in Nostoc flagelliforme cell were higher than those in the control group during heavy metal ions stress. Meanwhile, superoxide dismutase activity increased slightly under 10 mg/L, but was lower afterwards. The contents of proline, soluble protein and trehalose increased under 10 mg/L heavy metal ions stress, while declined under extreme heavy metal ions stress (100 mg/L). Nostoc flagelliforme cell has resistance to low heavy metal ions stress, but is damaged badly under extreme heavy metal ions stress.

  20. Cellulase producing microorganism ATCC 55702

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dees, H. Craig

    1997-01-01

    Bacteria which produce large amounts of cellulase--containing cell-free fermentate have been identified. The original bacterium (ATCC 55703) was genetically altered using nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) treatment to produce the enhanced cellulase producing bacterium (ATCC 55702), which was identified through replicate plating. ATCC 55702 has improved characteristics and qualifies for the degradation of cellulosic waste materials for fuel production, food processing, textile processing, and other industrial applications. ATCC 55702 is an improved bacterial host for genetic manipulations using recombinant DNA techniques, and is less likely to destroy genetic manipulations using standard mutagenesis techniques.

  1. Effect of IAA on in vitro growth and colonization of Nostoc in plant roots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Anwar; Shah, Syed T.; Rahman, Hazir; Irshad, Muhammad; Iqbal, Amjad

    2015-01-01

    Nostoc is widely known for its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and the establishment of symbiotic relationship with a wide range of plants from various taxonomic groups. Several strains of Nostoc produce phytohormones that promote growth of its plant partners. Nostoc OS-1 was therefore selected for study because of the presence of putative ipdC gene that encodes a key enzyme to produce Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The results indicated that both cellular and released IAA was found high with increasing incubation time and reached to a peak value (i.e., 21 pmol mg-1ch-a) on the third week as determined by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Also the Nostoc OS-1 strain efficiently colonized the roots and promoted the growth of rice as well as wheat under axenic conditions and induced ipdC gene that suggested the possible involvement of IAA in these phenotypes. To confirm the impact of IAA on root colonization efficiency and plant promoting phenotypes of Nostoc OS-1, an ipdC knockout mutant was generated by homologous recombinant method. The amount of releasing IAA, in vitro growth, root colonization, and plant promoting efficiency of the ipdC knockout mutant was observed significantly lower than wild type strain under axenic conditions. Importantly, these phenotypes were restored to wild-type levels when the ipdC knockout mutant was complemented with wild type ipdC gene. These results together suggested that ipdC and/or synthesized IAA of Nostoc OS-1 is required for its efficient root colonization and plant promoting activity. PMID:25699072

  2. Nodularin, a cyanobacterial toxin, is synthesized in planta by symbiotic Nostoc sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gehringer, Michelle M; Adler, Lewis; Roberts, Alexandra A; Moffitt, Michelle C; Mihali, Troco K; Mills, Toby J T; Fieker, Claus; Neilan, Brett A

    2012-01-01

    The nitrogen-fixing bacterium, Nostoc, is a commonly occurring cyanobacterium often found in symbiotic associations. We investigated the potential of cycad cyanobacterial endosymbionts to synthesize microcystin/nodularin. Endosymbiont DNA was screened for the aminotransferase domain of the toxin biosynthesis gene clusters. Five endosymbionts carrying the gene were screened for bioactivity. Extracts of two isolates inhibited protein phosphatase 2A and were further analyzed using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS)/MS. Nostoc sp. ‘Macrozamia riedlei 65.1' and Nostoc sp. ‘Macrozamia serpentina 73.1' both contained nodularin. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) HESI-MS/MS analysis confirmed the presence of nodularin at 9.55±2.4 ng μg−1 chlorophyll a in Nostoc sp. ‘Macrozamia riedlei 65.1' and 12.5±8.4 ng μg−1 Chl a in Nostoc sp. ‘Macrozamia serpentina 73.1' extracts. Further scans indicated the presence of the rare isoform [L-Har2] nodularin, which contains ℒ-homoarginine instead of ℒ-arginine. Nodularin was also present at 1.34±0.74 ng ml−1 (approximately 3 pmol per g plant ww) in the methanol root extracts of M. riedlei MZ65, while the presence of [L-Har2] nodularin in the roots of M. serpentina MZ73 was suggested by HPLC HESI-MS/MS analysis. The ndaA-B and ndaF genomic regions were sequenced to confirm the presence of the hybrid polyketide/non-ribosomal gene cluster. A seven amino-acid insertion into the NdaA-C1 domain of N. spumigena NSOR10 protein was observed in all endosymbiont-derived sequences, suggesting the transfer of the nda cluster from N. spumigena to terrestrial Nostoc species. This study demonstrates the synthesis of nodularin and [L-Har2] nodularin in a non-Nodularia species and the production of cyanobacterial hepatotoxin by a symbiont in planta. PMID:22456448

  3. Investigation of a Quadruplex-Forming Repeat Sequence Highly Enriched in Xanthomonas and Nostoc sp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charlotte Rehm

    Full Text Available In prokaryotes simple sequence repeats (SSRs with unit sizes of 1-5 nucleotides (nt are causative for phase and antigenic variation. Although an increased abundance of heptameric repeats was noticed in bacteria, reports about SSRs of 6-9 nt are rare. In particular G-rich repeat sequences with the propensity to fold into G-quadruplex (G4 structures have received little attention. In silico analysis of prokaryotic genomes show putative G4 forming sequences to be abundant. This report focuses on a surprisingly enriched G-rich repeat of the type GGGNATC in Xanthomonas and cyanobacteria such as Nostoc. We studied in detail the genomes of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris ATCC 33913 (Xcc, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri str. 306 (Xac, and Nostoc sp. strain PCC7120 (Ana. In all three organisms repeats are spread all over the genome with an over-representation in non-coding regions. Extensive variation of the number of repetitive units was observed with repeat numbers ranging from two up to 26 units. However a clear preference for four units was detected. The strong bias for four units coincides with the requirement of four consecutive G-tracts for G4 formation. Evidence for G4 formation of the consensus repeat sequences was found in biophysical studies utilizing CD spectroscopy. The G-rich repeats are preferably located between aligned open reading frames (ORFs and are under-represented in coding regions or between divergent ORFs. The G-rich repeats are preferentially located within a distance of 50 bp upstream of an ORF on the anti-sense strand or within 50 bp from the stop codon on the sense strand. Analysis of whole transcriptome sequence data showed that the majority of repeat sequences are transcribed. The genetic loci in the vicinity of repeat regions show increased genomic stability. In conclusion, we introduce and characterize a special class of highly abundant and wide-spread quadruplex-forming repeat sequences in bacteria.

  4. Investigation of a Quadruplex-Forming Repeat Sequence Highly Enriched in Xanthomonas and Nostoc sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehm, Charlotte; Wurmthaler, Lena A; Li, Yuanhao; Frickey, Tancred; Hartig, Jörg S

    2015-01-01

    In prokaryotes simple sequence repeats (SSRs) with unit sizes of 1-5 nucleotides (nt) are causative for phase and antigenic variation. Although an increased abundance of heptameric repeats was noticed in bacteria, reports about SSRs of 6-9 nt are rare. In particular G-rich repeat sequences with the propensity to fold into G-quadruplex (G4) structures have received little attention. In silico analysis of prokaryotic genomes show putative G4 forming sequences to be abundant. This report focuses on a surprisingly enriched G-rich repeat of the type GGGNATC in Xanthomonas and cyanobacteria such as Nostoc. We studied in detail the genomes of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris ATCC 33913 (Xcc), Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri str. 306 (Xac), and Nostoc sp. strain PCC7120 (Ana). In all three organisms repeats are spread all over the genome with an over-representation in non-coding regions. Extensive variation of the number of repetitive units was observed with repeat numbers ranging from two up to 26 units. However a clear preference for four units was detected. The strong bias for four units coincides with the requirement of four consecutive G-tracts for G4 formation. Evidence for G4 formation of the consensus repeat sequences was found in biophysical studies utilizing CD spectroscopy. The G-rich repeats are preferably located between aligned open reading frames (ORFs) and are under-represented in coding regions or between divergent ORFs. The G-rich repeats are preferentially located within a distance of 50 bp upstream of an ORF on the anti-sense strand or within 50 bp from the stop codon on the sense strand. Analysis of whole transcriptome sequence data showed that the majority of repeat sequences are transcribed. The genetic loci in the vicinity of repeat regions show increased genomic stability. In conclusion, we introduce and characterize a special class of highly abundant and wide-spread quadruplex-forming repeat sequences in bacteria.

  5. Laboratory tools to quantify biogenic dissolution of rocks and minerals: a model rock biofilm growing in percolation columns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Franz eSeiffert

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Sub-aerial biofilms (SAB are ubiquitous, self-sufficient microbial ecosystems found on mineral surfaces at all altitudes and latitudes. SABs, which are the principal causes of weathering on exposed terrestrial surfaces, are characterised by patchy growth dominated by associations of algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and heterotrophic bacteria. A recently developed in vitro system to study colonisation of rocks exposed to air included two key SAB participants - the rock-inhabiting ascomycete Knufia petricola (CBS 123872 and the phototrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC29133. Both partners are genetically tractable and we used them here to study weathering of granite, K-feldspar and plagioclase. Small fragments of the various rocks or minerals (1 to 6 mm were packed into flow-through columns and incubated with 0.1% glucose and 10 µM thiamine-hydrochloride (90 µL.min-1 to compare weathering with and without biofilms. Dissolution of the minerals was followed by: analysing (i the degradation products in the effluent from the columns via Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy and (ii by studying polished sections of the incubated mineral fragment/grains using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analyses. K. petricola/N. punctiforme stimulated release of Ca, Na, Mg and Mn. Analyses of the polished sections confirmed depletion of Ca, Na and K near the surface of the fragments. The abrupt decrease in Ca concentration observed in peripheral areas of plagioclase fragments favoured a dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism. Percolation columns in combination with a model biofilm can thus be used to study weathering in closed systems. Columns can easily be filled with different minerals and biofilms, the effluent as well as grains can be collected after long-term exposure under axenic conditions and easily analysed.

  6. Laboratory tools to quantify biogenic dissolution of rocks and minerals: a model rock biofilm growing in percolation columns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seiffert, Franz; Bandow, Nicole; Kalbe, Ute; Milke, Ralf; Gorbushina, Anna

    2016-04-01

    Sub-aerial biofilms (SAB) are ubiquitous, self-sufficient microbial ecosystems found on mineral surfaces at all altitudes and latitudes. SABs, which are the principal causes of weathering on exposed terrestrial surfaces, are characterised by patchy growth dominated by associations of algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and heterotrophic bacteria. A recently developed in vitro system to study colonisation of rocks exposed to air included two key SAB participants - the rock-inhabiting ascomycete Knufia petricola (CBS 123872) and the phototrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme ATCC29133. Both partners are genetically tractable and we used them here to study weathering of granite, K-feldspar and plagioclase. Small fragments of the various rocks or minerals (1 to 6 mm) were packed into flow-through columns and incubated with 0.1% glucose and 10 µM thiamine-hydrochloride (90 µL.min-1) to compare weathering with and without biofilms. Dissolution of the minerals was followed by: analysing (i) the degradation products in the effluent from the columns via Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy and (ii) by studying polished sections of the incubated mineral fragment/grains using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analyses. K. petricola/N. punctiforme stimulated release of Ca, Na, Mg and Mn. Analyses of the polished sections confirmed depletion of Ca, Na and K near the surface of the fragments. The abrupt decrease in Ca concentration observed in peripheral areas of plagioclase fragments favoured a dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism. Percolation columns in combination with a model biofilm can thus be used to study weathering in closed systems. Columns can easily be filled with different minerals and biofilms, the effluent as well as grains can be collected after long-term exposure under axenic conditions and easily analysed.

  7. Screening for biohydrogen production by cyanobacteria isolated from the Baltic Sea and Finnish lakes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allahverdiyeva, Yagut; Leino, Hannu; Shunmugam, Sumathy; Aro, Eva-Mari [Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Turku, Tykistokatu 6 A, FIN-20014 Turku (Finland); Saari, Lyudmila; Fewer, David P.; Sivonen, Kaarina [Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, FI-00014 (Finland)

    2010-02-15

    Cyanobacteria are the only bacteria capable of performing oxygenic photosynthesis in which they harness solar energy and convert it into chemical energy stored in carbohydrates. Under specific conditions, cyanobacteria can use solar energy to produce also molecular hydrogen. Biodiversity among cyanobacteria for H{sub 2} production has not been efficiently studied. Here we report the screening of 400 cyanobacterial strains isolated from the Baltic Sea and Finnish lakes for efficient H{sub 2} producers. Approximately 50% of these strains produced detectable amounts of H{sub 2}. Ten strains produced similar or up to 4 times as much of H{sub 2} as the hydrogenase mutants of Anabaena PCC 7120 and Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 specifically engineered in different laboratories to produce higher amounts of H{sub 2}. All ten H{sub 2} producers are N{sub 2}-fixing filamentous, heterocystous strains, seven of them are benthic and three are planktonic strains. Different culturing parameters, such as light intensity, cell density, pH and temperature had a pronounced effect on the H{sub 2} production rates of the two good H{sub 2} producers, Calothrix 336/3 and XPORK 5E strains. Notably, the culture conditions for optimal H{sub 2} production varied between different cyanobacterial strains. (author)

  8. Dried Colony in Cyanobacterium, Nostoc sp. HK-01 — Several high Space Environment Tolerances for ``Tanpopo'' Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomita-Yokotani, K.; Kimura, S.; Kimura, Y.; Igarashi, Y.; Ajioka, R.; Sato, S.; Katoh, H.; Baba, K.

    2013-11-01

    A cyanobacterium, Nostoc sp. HK-01, has high several space environmental tolerance. Nostoc sp HK-01 would have high contribution for the “Tanpopo” mission in Japan Experimental Module of the International Space Station.

  9. Simultaneous Production of Anabaenopeptins and Namalides by the Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. CENA543.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shishido, Tânia K; Jokela, Jouni; Fewer, David P; Wahlsten, Matti; Fiore, Marli F; Sivonen, Kaarina

    2017-11-17

    Anabaenopeptins are a diverse group of cyclic peptides, which contain an unusual ureido linkage. Namalides are shorter structural homologues of anabaenopeptins, which also contain an ureido linkage. The biosynthetic origins of namalides are unknown despite a strong resemblance to anabaenopeptins. Here, we show the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. CENA543 strain producing new (nostamide B-E (2, 4, 5, and 6)) and known variants of anabaenopeptins (schizopeptin 791 (1) and anabaenopeptin 807 (3)). Surprisingly, Nostoc sp. CENA543 also produced namalide B (8) and the new namalides D (7), E (9), and F (10) in similar amounts to anabaenopeptins. Analysis of the complete Nostoc sp. CENA543 genome sequence indicates that both anabaenopeptins and namalides are produced by the same biosynthetic pathway through module skipping during biosynthesis. This unique process involves the skipping of two modules present in different nonribosomal peptide synthetases during the namalide biosynthesis. This skipping is an efficient mechanism since both anabaenopeptins and namalides are synthesized in similar amounts by Nostoc sp. CENA543. Consequently, gene skipping may be used to increase and possibly broaden the chemical diversity of related peptides produced by a single biosynthetic gene cluster. Genome mining demonstrated that the anabaenopeptin gene clusters are widespread in cyanobacteria and can also be found in tectomicrobia bacteria.

  10. A new UV-A/B protecting pigment in the terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scherer, S.; Chen, T.W.; Boeger, P.

    1988-01-01

    A new ultraviolet (UV)-A/B absorbing pigment with maxima at 312 and 330 nanometers from the cosmopolitan terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune is described. The pigment is found in high amounts (up to 10% of dry weight) in colonies grown under solar UV radiation but only in low concentrations in laboratory cultures illuminated by artificial light without UV. Its experimental induction by UV as well as its capacity to efficiently protect Nostoc against UV radiation is reported

  11. Probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri strains ATCC PTA 5289 and ATCC 55730 differ in their cariogenic properties in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalasvuori, Heli; Haukioja, Anna; Tenovuo, Jorma

    2012-12-01

    The effects of probiotics on cariogenic biofilms remain controversial. Our aim was to characterise two probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri strains, ATCC PTA 5289 and ATCC 55730 from a cariogenic standpoint in vitro. These strains are used in commercial products designed for oral health purposes. The adhesion and biofilm formation were studied on saliva-coated hydroxyapatite. The effects of glucose or sucrose on the biofilm formation were also tested. Arginine metabolism was assessed by measuring the pH in the presence of glucose and arginine. The degradation of hydroxyapatite was measured in three different growth media. Streptococcus mutans strains Ingbritt and MT 8148 were used as positive controls for bacterial adhesion and degradation of hydroxyapatite. Strain ATCC PTA 5289 adhered on saliva-coated hydroxyapatite and formed detectable biofilm, but strain ATCC 55730 was poor in both adhesion and biofilm formation. Both strains were arginolytic and raised the pH in the presence of arginine. The amount of dissolved calcium from hydroxyapatite correlated with bacterial growth rate and the final pH of the growth medium. L. reuteri strains ATCC PTA 5289 and ATCC 55730 differed in their adhesion, biofilm formation and arginine metabolism in vitro. Thus, these probiotic lactobacilli are likely to differ in their behaviour and cariogenic potential also in an oral environment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. POTENŢIALUL NUTRIŢIONAL AL BIOMASEI ALGALE DE NOSTOC FLAGELLIFORME (BERK ET CURT ELENK.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irina STRATULAT

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available În prezentul studiu este prezentată componenţa biochimică a biomasei algei cianofite Nostoc flagelli­forme (Berk et Curt Elenk. cultivată în condiţii de laborator pe mediul mineral Z-8. Biomasa algei conţine: Mn – 683,9 mg/kg, Zn – 131,5 mg/kg, Pb – <10 mg/kg, Fe – 1,09 g/kg, Na+ – 2,10 g/kg, K+ – 8,01 g/kg, Mg 2+ – 5,40 g/kg, Ca2+ – 7,94 g/kg. În componenţa aminoacizilor predomină: acidul glutamic – 3,8012 mg/100 mg, acidul aspartic – 2,7838 mg/100 mg, leucina – 2,4651 mg/100 mg, alanina – 2,3513 mg/100 mg. Conform acestor rezultate, biomasa algei cianofite Nostoc flagelliforme poate fi utilizată ca sursă importantă de supli­mente alimentare. THE NUTRITIONAL POTENTIAL OF ALGAL BIOMASS OF NOSTOC FLAGELLIFORME (BERK ET CURT ELENK. In this study is presented the biochemical components of algal biomass Nostoc flagelliforme (Berk et Curt Elenk. cultivated in laboratory conditions in Z-8 medium. The algal biomass has the following chemical content: Mn – 683,9 mg/kg, Zn – 131,5 mg/kg, Pb – <10 mg/kg, Fe – 1,09 g/kg, Na+ - 2,10 g/kg, K+ – 8,01 g/kg, Mg2+ – 5,40 g/kg, Ca2+ – 7,94 g/kg. The highest amount of amino acids are specific for: glutamic acid – 3,8012 mg/100 mg, aspartic acid – 2,7838 mg/100 mg, leucine – 2,4651 mg/100 mg, alanine – 2,3513 mg/100 mg. According to these results the blue-green alga Nostoc flagelliforme can be considered an important potential source of nutritional supplements. 

  13. Growth response to temperature and irradiance in Nostoc spongiaeforme

    Science.gov (United States)

    California water-seeded rice fields are typically shallow and have high nutrient levels, which are ideal growing conditions for algae and cyanobacteria. Nostoc spongiaeforme is problematic in California rice fields because floating mats may dislodge seedlings or smother them when the mats accumulat...

  14. Proteomic Analysis of the Secretome of Cellulomonas fimi ATCC 484 and Cellulomonas flavigena ATCC 482.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Warren W Wakarchuk

    Full Text Available The bacteria in the genus Cellulomonas are known for their ability to degrade plant cell wall biomass. Cellulomonas fimi ATCC 484 and C. flavigena ATCC 482 have been the subject of much research into secreted cellulases and hemicellulases. Recently the genome sequences of both C. fimi ATCC 484 and C. flavigena ATCC 482 were published, and a genome comparison has revealed their full spectrum of possible carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes. Using mass spectrometry, we have compared the proteins secreted by C. fimi and C. flavigena during growth on the soluble cellulose substrate, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC, as well as a soluble xylan fraction. Many known C. fimi CAZymes were detected, which validated our analysis, as were a number of new CAZymes and other proteins that, though identified in the genome, have not previously been observed in the secretome of either organism. Our data also shows that many of these are co-expressed on growth of either CMC or xylan. This analysis provides a new perspective on Cellulomonas enzymes and provides many new CAZyme targets for characterization.

  15. Colour evaluation of a phycobiliprotein-rich extract obtained from Nostoc PCC9205 in acidic solutions and yogurt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de O Moreira, Isabela; Passos, Thaís S; Chiapinni, Claudete; Silveira, Gabrielle K; Souza, Joana C M; Coca-Vellarde, Luis Guillermo; Deliza, Rosires; de Lima Araújo, Kátia G

    2012-02-01

    Phycobiliproteins are coloured proteins produced by cyanobacteria, which have several applications because of their colour properties. However, there is no available information about the colour stability of phycobiliproteins from Nostoc sp. in food systems. The aim of this work was to study the colour stability of a purple-coloured phycobiliprotein-rich extract from the cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC9205 in acidic solutions and yogurt. Variations of pH for Nostoc PCC9205 extract have shown stability for the L* (lightness) and a* (redness) indexes in the range 1.0-7.0. The b* index (blueness), however, increased at pH values below 4.0, indicating loss of the blue colour. The Nostoc PCC9205 extract was used as colorant in yogurt (pH 4.17) stored for 60 days. Instrumental colour analysis showed no changes for the L* and a* indexes during storage, whereas the b* index changed after 20 days of storage. A multiple comparison test showed colour instability after 20 days of storage. A hedonic scale test performed on the 60th day of storage showed acceptability of the product. The red component of the phycobiliprotein-rich extract from Nostoc PCC9205 presented an improved stability in acidic media and yogurt compared with the blue component of this extract. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

  16. [Promotion effects of vitamin B12 on the degradation of 2, 4, 4'-trichlorobiphenyl by Nostoc PD-2].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jia-Yu; Xiao, Wen-Feng; Lu, Li-Ping; Zhang, Hang-Jun

    2014-08-01

    Polychlorinated biphenyls are typical persistent chlorinated organic compounds in the environment. Bioremediation of PCB-contaminated environment has become one of the hot issues. In this study, vitamin B12 (VB12) and chlorine-free culture medium were applied to study the effects of VB12 on the degradation of 2,4,4'-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB28) by Nostoc PD-2 and the gene expression during the PCB-degradation process. Results showed that addition of different concentrations of vitamin B12 could improve the PCB-biodegradation rates by Nostoc PD-2. Compared with the control group, the 7-day degradation rate in 10 microg x L(-1), 100 microg x L(-1), and 1 000 microg x L(-1) VB12-treated groups increased by 11.0%, 19.7%, and 21.9% , respectively. The degradation half-time decreased from 5.53 days (treated with 10 microg x L(-1) VB12) to 3.08 days (treated with 100 microg x L(-1) VB12). The expression of cytochrome b6f complex iron-sulfur protein gene and dioxygenase gene showed significant correlation with PCB28-degradation by Nostoc PD-2. While the expression of iron-sulfur protein gene showed more significant correlation with PCB28-degradation. Results in this study indicated that adding VB12 could promote PCB28-degradation by Nostoc PD-2. Moreover, VB12 addition improved the PCB-degradation activity of Nostoc PD-2 at the gene level. The above conclusions could provide a new choice for developing efficient bioremediation technology for PCB-contaminated environment and a new insight into the PCB-biodegradation mechanism by Nostoc PD-2.

  17. Nostoc sphaeroides Kützing, an excellent candidate producer for CELSS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Zongjie; Li, Dunhai; Li, Yanhui; Wang, Zhicong; Xiao, Yuan; Wang, Gaohong; Liu, Yongding; Hu, Chunxiang; Liu, Qifang

    2011-11-01

    Some phytoplankton can be regarded as possible candidates in the establishment of Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) for some intrinsic characteristics, the first characteristic is that they should grow rapidly, secondly, they should be able to endure some stress factors and develop some corresponding adaptive strategies; also it is very important that they could provide food rich in nutritious protein and vitamins for the crew; the last but not the least is they can also fulfill the other main functions of CELSS, including supplying oxygen, removing carbon dioxide and recycling the metabolic waste. According to these characteristics, Nostoc sphaeroides, a potential healthy food in China, was selected as the potential producer in CELSS. It was found that the oxygen average evolution rate of this algae is about 150 μmol O 2 mg -1 h -1, and the size of them are ranged from 2 to 20 mm. Also it can be cultured with high population density, which indicated that the potential productivity of Nostoc sphaeroides is higher than other algae in limited volume. We measured the nutrient contents of the cyanobacterium and concluded it was a good food for the crew. Based on above advantages, Nostoc sphaeroides was assumed to a suitable phytoplankton for the establishment of Controlled Ecological Life Support System. We plan to develop suitable bioreactor with the cyanobacterium for supplying oxygen and food in future space missions.

  18. Phylogenetically distant clade of Nostoc-like taxa with the description of Aliinostoc gen. nov. and Aliinostoc morphoplasticum sp. nov.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagchi, Suvendra Nath; Dubey, Neelam; Singh, Prashant

    2017-09-01

    Nostoc is a complex and tough genus to differentiate, and its morphological plasticity makes it taxonomically complicated. Its cryptic diversity and almost no distinguishable morphological characteristics make this genus incredibly heterogeneous to evaluate on taxonomic scales. The strain NOS, isolated from a eutrophic water body, is being described as a new genus Aliinostoc with the strain showing motile hormogonia with gas vesicles as an atypical feature, which is currently considered as the diacritical feature of the genus but should be subjected to critical evaluation in the near future. The phylogenetic placement of Aliinostoc along with some other related sequences of Nostoc clearly separated this clade from Nostoc sensu stricto with high bootstrap support and robust topology in all the methods tested, thus providing strong proof of the taxa being representative of a new genus which morphologically appears to be Nostoc-like. Subsequent phylogenetic assessment using the rbcL, psbA, rpoC1 and tufA genes was done with the aim of facilitating future multi-locus studies on the proposed genus for better taxonomic clarity and resolution. Folding of the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer region and subsequent comparisons with members of the genera Nostoc, Anabaena, Aulosira, Cylindrospermum, Sphaerospermopsis, Raphidiopsis, Desmonostoc and Mojavia gave entirely new secondary structures for the D1-D1' and box-B helix. Clear and separate clustering from Nostoc sensu stricto supports the establishment of Aliinostoc gen. nov. with the type species being Aliinostoc morphoplasticum sp. nov. in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants.

  19. Understanding nutrient exchange between Azolla and its symbiont, Nostoc

    OpenAIRE

    Eily, Ariana

    2017-01-01

    This is an in-depth look at the research I am doing for my doctoral degree at Duke University, investigating the exchange of nutrients between the aquatic fern genus, Azolla, and its cyanobacterial symbiont, Nostoc azollae. All of the illustrations and microscopy images within this presentation are my own.

  20. Inactivation of Bacteria S. aureus ATCC 25923 and S. Thyphimurium ATCC 14 028 Influence of UV-HPEF

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakri, A.; Hariono, B.; Utami, M. M. D.; Sutrisno

    2018-01-01

    The research was objected to study the performance of the UV unit - HPEF in inactivating bacteria population of Gram-positive (S aureus ATCC 25923) and Gram-negative (S Thyphimurium ATCC 14028) inoculated in sterilized goat’s milk. UV pasteurization instrument employed three reactors constructed in series UV-C system at 10 W, 253.7 nm wavelength made in Kada (USA) Inc. with 1.8 J/cm2 dose per reactor. HPEF instrument used high pulsed electric field at 31.67 kV/cm, 15 Hz and goat’s milk rate at 4:32 ± 0.71 cc/second. Pathogenic bacteria was observed According to Indonesian National Standard 01-2782-1998. Inactivation rate of pathogenic bacteria ie S Thyphimurium ATCC 14028 and S. aureus ATCC 25923 was 0.28 and 0.19 log cycle or 6.35 and 4.34 log cfu/ml/hour, respectively; D value was 0.16 and 0.23 hour with k value was 14.62 and 10 hour-1 respectively.

  1. Efeitos das cepas probioticas de Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356, Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 1465 e ATCC 7469 sobre o crescimento planctonico e formação de biofilme de Streptococcus mutans UA 159

    OpenAIRE

    Carneiro, Tamara Rodrigues de Andrade [UNESP

    2015-01-01

    Most probiotic bacteria used in commercial products belong to the genus Lactobacillus. However, the effects of Lactobacillus probiotic strains in the oral health need to be further investigated. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of probiotic Lactobacillus strains, on Streptococcus mutans. Lactobacillus strains acidophilus ATCC 4356, Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 1465, Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 were tested on planktonic and biofilm growth of Streptococcus mutans (UA...

  2. Genus .i.Nostoc./i. - a source of novel trypsin inhibitors

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Drápalová, P.; Štys, D.; Lukešová, Alena; Kopecký, Jiří

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 127, č. 1 (2008), s. 61-82 ISSN 1864-1318 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ME 874 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60660521; CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : cyanobacteria * LC/MS * Nostoc Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour

  3. Diversity of endosymbiotic Nostoc in Gunnera magellanica from Tierra del Fuego, Chile [corrected].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Martínez, M A; de Los Ríos, A; Sancho, L G; Pérez-Ortega, S

    2013-08-01

    Global warming is causing ice retreat in glaciers worldwide, most visibly over the last few decades in some areas of the planet. One of the most affected areas is the region of Tierra del Fuego (southern South America). Vascular plant recolonisation of recently deglaciated areas in this region is initiated by Gunnera magellanica, which forms symbiotic associations with the cyanobacterial genus Nostoc, a trait that likely confers advantages in this colonisation process. This symbiotic association in the genus Gunnera is notable as it represents the only known symbiotic relationship between angiosperms and cyanobacteria. The aim of this work was to study the genetic diversity of the Nostoc symbionts in Gunnera at three different, nested scale levels: specimen, population and region. Three different genomic regions were examined in the study: a fragment of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (16S), the RuBisCO large subunit gene coupled with its promoter sequence and a chaperon-like protein (rbcLX) and the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The identity of Nostoc as the symbiont was confirmed in all the infected rhizome tissue analysed. Strains isolated in the present study were closely related to strains known to form symbioses with other organisms, such as lichen-forming fungi or bryophytes. We found 12 unique haplotypes in the 16S rRNA (small subunit) region analysis, 19 unique haplotypes in the ITS region analysis and 57 in the RuBisCO proteins region (rbcLX). No genetic variability was found among Nostoc symbionts within a single host plant while Nostoc populations among different host plants within a given sampling site revealed major differences. Noteworthy, interpopulation variation was also shown between recently deglaciated soils and more ancient ones, between eastern and western sites and between northern and southern slopes of Cordillera Darwin. The cell structure of the symbiotic relationship was observed with low-temperature scanning

  4. Discovery of Rare and Highly Toxic Microcystins from Lichen-Associated Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. Strain IO-102-I

    OpenAIRE

    Oksanen, Ilona; Jokela, Jouni; Fewer, David P.; Wahlsten, Matti; Rikkinen, Jouko; Sivonen, Kaarina

    2004-01-01

    The production of hepatotoxic cyclic heptapeptides, microcystins, is almost exclusively reported from planktonic cyanobacteria. Here we show that a terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain IO-102-I isolated from a lichen association produces six different microcystins. Microcystins were identified with liquid chromatography-UV mass spectrometry by their retention times, UV spectra, mass fragmentation, and comparison to microcystins from the aquatic Nostoc sp. strain 152. The dominant micr...

  5. Punctiform and Polychromatophilic Dominant Pre-Descemet Corneal Dystrophy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagrou, Lisa; Midgley, Julian; Romanchuk, Kenneth Gerald

    2016-04-01

    To describe the slit-lamp appearance and corneal confocal microscopy of autosomal dominant punctiform and polychromatophilic pre-Descemet corneal dystrophy in 3 members of the same family. Slit-lamp examination of a 9-year-old boy showed bilateral polychromatophilic corneal opacities in a pre-Descemet membrane location evenly deposited limbus to limbus, both horizontally and vertically, with an intervening clear cornea. The corneal endothelium was normal on corneal confocal microscopy, with hyperreflective opacities of various sizes located pre-Descemet membrane. Slit-lamp examination of the patient's father and brother revealed identical crystalline deposition in the pre-Descemet corneal stroma. The remainders of the eye examinations were otherwise normal in all 3 individuals, and all were asymptomatic. The general physical examination and laboratory investigations of the patient were all normal, as were the laboratory investigations of the other 2 family members. There was no progression in the corneal findings over 6 months of follow-up. These patients likely illustrate a rare autosomal dominant pre-Descemet crystalline keratopathy that has been reported only once previously.

  6. INFLUENCE OF NOSTOC VAUCHER EX BORNET ET FLAHAULT STRAINS ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF PISUM SATIVUM L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maltsev Ye. I.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available We investigated the positive impact of cultures cyanobacteria genus Nostoc Vaucher ex Bornet et Flahault on growth and development of higher plants as an example Pisum sativum L. All the Nostoc species have a positive effect on the viability, germination energy, and biometric characteristics of Pisum sativum. The greatest positive influence was registered for N. entophytum Born. et. Flah. and N. linckia (Roth Bornetet Flahault f. linckia.

  7. Active accumulation of internal DIC pools reduces transport limitation in large colonies of Nostoc pruniforme

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raun, Ane-Marie Løvendahl; Borum, Jens; Jensen, Kaj Sand

    2009-01-01

    Nostoc pruniforme is a freshwater cyanobacterium forming large spherical colonies of up to several centimeters in diameter. The size and shape result in low surface area to volume (SA/V) ratios that potentially put severe constraints on resource acquisition. In the present study we have specifica......Nostoc pruniforme is a freshwater cyanobacterium forming large spherical colonies of up to several centimeters in diameter. The size and shape result in low surface area to volume (SA/V) ratios that potentially put severe constraints on resource acquisition. In the present study we have...

  8. Evaluation of Lactobacillus sanfransicencis (ATCC 14917)and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The effect of sourdoughs, produced with Lactobacillus sanfransicencis (ATCC 14917) and Lactobacillus plantarum (ATCC 43332) at different fermentation time, fermentation temperature and type of starter culture on the staling and microbiological shelf life of Iranian Barbari wheat bread was studied. For statistical analysis a ...

  9. Studies of polysaccharides from three edible species of Nostoc (cyanobacteria) with different colony morphologies : structural characterization and effect on the complement system of polysaccharides from Nostoc commune

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brüll, L.P.; Huang, Z.; Thomas-Oates, J.E.; Smestad-Paulsen, B.; Cohen, E.H.; Michaelsen, T.E.

    2000-01-01

    The cyanobacterium Nostoc commune Vaucher produces quite complex extracellular polysaccharides. The cyanobacterium is nitrogen fixing, and on growing the cyanobacterium in media with and without nitrogen, different types of extracellular polysaccharides were obtained. These were also different from

  10. Light influences cytokinin biosynthesis and sensing in Nostoc (cyanobacteria)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Frébortová, J.; Plíhal, O.; Florová, P.; Kokáš, F.; Kubiasová, K.; Greplová, M.; Šimura, J.; Novák, Ondřej; Frébort, I.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 53, č. 3 (2017), s. 703-714 ISSN 0022-3646 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1204 Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : cytokinin * expression profiling * miaA * Nostoc * RNA-seq * sensor kinase * tRNA IPT Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Plant sciences, botany Impact factor: 2.608, year: 2016

  11. Life cycle as a stable trait in the evaluation of diversity of Nostoc from biofilms in rivers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mateo, Pilar; Perona, Elvira; Berrendero, Esther; Leganés, Francisco; Martín, Marta; Golubić, Stjepko

    2011-05-01

    The diversity within the genus Nostoc is still controversial and more studies are needed to clarify its heterogeneity. Macroscopic species have been extensively studied and discussed; however, the microscopic forms of the genus, especially those from running waters, are poorly known and likely represented by many more species than currently described. Nostoc isolates from biofilms of two Spanish calcareous rivers were characterized comparing the morphology and life cycle in two culture media with different levels of nutrients and also comparing the 16S rRNA gene sequences. The results showed that trichome shape and cellular dimensions varied considerably depending on the culture media used, whereas the characteristics expressed in the course of the life cycle remained stable for each strain independent of the culture conditions. Molecular phylogenetic analysis confirmed the distinction between the studied strains established on morphological grounds. A balanced approach to the evaluation of diversity of Nostoc in the service of autecological studies requires both genotypic information and the evaluation of stable traits. The results of this study show that 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity serves as an important criterion for characterizing Nostoc strains and is consistent with stable attributes, such as the life cycle. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Multiple Roles of Soluble Sugars in the Establishment of Gunnera-Nostoc Endosymbiosis1[OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khamar, Hima J.; Breathwaite, Erick K.; Prasse, Christine E.; Fraley, Elizabeth R.; Secor, Craig R.; Chibane, Fairouz L.; Elhai, Jeff; Chiu, Wan-Ling

    2010-01-01

    Gunnera plants have the unique ability to form endosymbioses with N2-fixing cyanobacteria, primarily Nostoc. Cyanobacteria enter Gunnera through transiently active mucilage-secreting glands on stems. We took advantage of the nitrogen (N)-limitation-induced gland development in Gunnera manicata to identify factors that may enable plant tissue to attract and maintain cyanobacteria colonies. Cortical cells in stems of N-stressed Gunnera plants were found to accumulate a copious amount of starch, while starch in the neighboring mature glands was nearly undetectable. Instead, mature glands accumulated millimolar concentrations of glucose (Glc) and fructose (Fru). Successful colonization by Nostoc drastically reduced sugar accumulation in the surrounding tissue. Consistent with the abundance of Glc and Fru in the gland prior to Nostoc colonization, genes encoding key enzymes for sucrose and starch hydrolysis (e.g. cell wall invertase, α-amylase, and starch phosphorylase) were expressed at higher levels in stem segments with glands than those without. In contrast, soluble sugars were barely detectable in mucilage freshly secreted from glands. Different sugars affected Nostoc’s ability to differentiate motile hormogonia in a manner consistent with their locations. Galactose and arabinose, the predominant constituents of polysaccharides in the mucilage, had little or no inhibitory effect on hormogonia differentiation. On the other hand, soluble sugars that accumulated in gland tissue, namely sucrose, Glc, and Fru, inhibited hormogonia differentiation and enhanced vegetative growth. Results from this study suggest that, in an N-limited environment, mature Gunnera stem glands may employ different soluble sugars to attract Nostoc and, once the cyanobacteria are internalized, to maintain them in the N2-fixing vegetative state. PMID:20833727

  13. Secondary metabolite from Nostoc XPORK14A inhibits photosynthesis and growth of Synechocystis PCC 6803.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shunmugam, Sumathy; Jokela, Jouni; Wahlsten, Matti; Battchikova, Natalia; Ateeq ur Rehman; Vass, Imre; Karonen, Maarit; Sinkkonen, Jari; Permi, Perttu; Sivonen, Kaarina; Aro, Eva-Mari; Allahverdiyeva, Yagut

    2014-06-01

    Screening of 55 different cyanobacterial strains revealed that an extract from Nostoc XPORK14A drastically modifies the amplitude and kinetics of chlorophyll a fluorescence induction of Synechocystis PCC6803 cells.After 2 d exposure to the Nostoc XPORK14A extract, Synechocystis PCC 6803 cells displayed reduced net photosynthetic activity and significantly modified electron transport properties of photosystem II under both light and dark conditions. However, the maximum oxidizable amount of P700 was not strongly affected. The extract also induced strong oxidative stress in Synechocystis PCC 6803 cells in both light and darkness. We identified the secondary metabolite of Nostoc XPORK14A causing these pronounced effects on Synechocystis cells. Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses revealed that this compound, designated as M22, has a non-peptide structure. We propose that M22 possesses a dualaction mechanism: firstly, by photogeneration of reactive oxygen species in the presence of light, which in turn affects the photosynthetic machinery of Synechocystis PCC 6803; and secondly, by altering the in vivo redox status of cells, possibly through inhibition of protein kinases.

  14. Ecological-floristic analysis of soil algae and cyanobacteria on the Tra-Tau and Yurak-Tau Mounts, Bashkiria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakieva, G. R.; Khaibullina, L. S.; Gaisina, L. A.; Kabirov, R. R.

    2012-09-01

    The species composition of the soil algae and cyanobacteria in the Tra-Tau and Yurak-Tau mountains is represented by 136 species belonging to five phyla: Cyanobacteria (56 species), Chlorophyta (52 species), Xanthophyta (13 species), Bacillariophyta (12 species), and Eustigmatophyta (3 species). Hantzschia amphioxys var. amphioxys, Hantzschia amphioxys var. constricta, Klebsormidium flaccidum, Leptolyngbya foveolarum, Luticola mutica, Navicula minima var. minima, Nostoc punctiforme, Phormidium jadinianum, Phormidium autumnale, and Pinnularia borealis were identified more often than other species. The composition of the algal flora depended on the soil properties; the higher plants also had a significant influence on the species composition of the soil algae.

  15. Nezha, a novel active miniature inverted-repeat transposable element in cyanobacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Fengfeng; Tran Thao; Xu Ying

    2008-01-01

    Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) were first identified in plants and exerted extensive proliferations throughout eukaryotic and archaeal genomes. But very few MITEs have been characterized in bacteria. We identified a novel MITE, called Nezha, in cyanobacteria Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413 and Nostoc sp. PCC 7120. Nezha, like most previously known MITEs in other organisms, is small in size, non-coding, carrying TIR and DR signals, and of potential to form a stable RNA secondary structure, and it tends to insert into A+T-rich regions. Recent transpositions of Nezha were observed in A. variabilis ATCC 29413 and Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, respectively. Nezha might have proliferated recently with aid from the transposase encoded by ISNpu3-like elements. A possible horizontal transfer event of Nezha from cyanobacteria to Polaromonas JS666 is also observed

  16. The epistemological and historical concept of nostoc from an indiciary lecture of George Canguilhem's "The cell theory"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurício de Carvalho Ramos

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Through an indiciary lecture of Canguilhem's article  "The cell theory", I propose, methodically guided by a epistemological-historical style research, the construction of the concept of nostoc as a metamorphic concept that integrated the concepts of primordial blastema and biblical slime of the French botanist Charles Naudin, set up a scientific culture of broad reach committed to solving the riddle of the morphological unity of organic and vital beings. The concept of Nostoc refers alchemically a gelatinous substance from the stars and endowed with balsamic medical virtues and botanically, a cianoficea algae of Nostoc genus. Examined the ideas of Canguilhem, Naudin, Jung and Paracelsus, this concept is proposed as a nucleoplasmatic oscillation, understood as a specific form of expression of the mythical-scientific theme of tension between continuity and discontinuity, as shown by Canguilhem in his history of cell concept.

  17. Nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction activity) and diversity of six soil Nostoc strains

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hrouzek, P.; Šimek, Miloslav; Komárek, Jiří

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 108, - (2003), s. 87-101 ISSN 0342-1120 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KSK6005114 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z6066911 Keywords : cyanobacteria * Nostoc * morphology Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour

  18. Physicochemical Characterization and Functional Analysis of the Polysaccharide from the Edible Microalga Nostoc sphaeroides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haifeng Li

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Nostoc colonies have been used as food and medicine for centuries, and their main supporting matrix is polysaccharides, which help Nostoc cells resist various environmental stresses including oxidative stress. Here we isolated a polysaccharide, nostoglycan, from cultured Nostoc sphaeroides colonies and determined its physicochemical properties, which revealed a characteristic infrared absorption spectrum typical of polysaccharides and an amorphous morphology with rough surfaces. We also show that nostoglycan has strong moisture absorption and retention capacities and a high relative viscosity. Using Caenorhabditis elegans models, we then demonstrate that nostoglycan is capable of improving overall survival rate of the animals under increased oxidative stress caused by paraquat. Nostoglycan also reduces reactive oxygen species level, inhibits protein carbonyl formation and lipid peroxidation, and increases activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in paraquat-exposed nematodes. As oxidative stress may drive tumor progression, we further demonstrate that nostoglycan can suppress the proliferation of several types of tumor cells and induce apoptosis of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells via caspase-3 activation. Together, our results yield important information on the physicochemical characteristics and demonstrate the antioxidant and anti-proliferative functions of nostoglycan, and thus provide an insight into its potential in food and health industries.

  19. Nostoc PCC7524, a cyanobacterium which contains five sequence-specific deoxyribonucleases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reaston, J.; Duybesteyn, M.G.C.; Waard, Adrian de

    1982-01-01

    Five nucleotide sequence-specific deoxyribonucleases present in cell-free extracts of the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC7524 have been purified and characterized. One of these enzymes, designated Nsp(7524)I cleaves at a new kind of nucleotide sequence i.e. 5'-PuCATG λ Py-3'. The other four

  20. Draft Genome Sequence of Type Strain Streptococcus gordonii ATCC 10558

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Louise Hesselbjerg; Dargis, Rimtas; Christensen, Jens Jørgen Elmer

    2016-01-01

    Streptococcus gordonii ATCC 10558T was isolated from a patient with infective endocarditis in 1946 and announced as a type strain in 1989. Here, we report the 2,154,510-bp draft genome sequence of S. gordonii ATCC 10558T. This sequence will contribute to knowledge about the pathogenesis of infect......Streptococcus gordonii ATCC 10558T was isolated from a patient with infective endocarditis in 1946 and announced as a type strain in 1989. Here, we report the 2,154,510-bp draft genome sequence of S. gordonii ATCC 10558T. This sequence will contribute to knowledge about the pathogenesis...

  1. Lactobacillus fermentum ATCC 23271 Displays In vitro Inhibitory Activities against Candida spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    do Carmo, Monique S.; Noronha, Francisca M. F.; Arruda, Mariana O.; Costa, Ênnio P. da Silva; Bomfim, Maria R. Q.; Monteiro, Andrea S.; Ferro, Thiago A. F.; Fernandes, Elizabeth S.; Girón, Jorge A.; Monteiro-Neto, Valério

    2016-01-01

    Lactobacilli are involved in the microbial homeostasis in the female genital tract. Due to the high prevalence of many bacterial diseases of the female genital tract and the resistance of microorganisms to various antimicrobial agents, alternative means to control these infections are necessary. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the probiotic properties of well-characterized Lactobacillus species, including L. acidophilus (ATCC 4356), L. brevis (ATCC 367), L. delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii (ATCC 9645), L. fermentum (ATCC 23271), L. paracasei (ATCC 335), L. plantarum (ATCC 8014), and L. rhamnosus (ATCC 9595), against Candida albicans (ATCC 18804), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (ATCC 9826), and Streptococcus agalactiae (ATCC 13813). The probiotic potential was investigated by using the following criteria: (i) adhesion to host epithelial cells and mucus, (ii) biofilm formation, (iii) co-aggregation with bacterial pathogens, (iv) inhibition of pathogen adhesion to mucus and HeLa cells, and (v) antimicrobial activity. Tested lactobacilli adhered to mucin, co-aggregated with all genital microorganisms, and displayed antimicrobial activity. With the exception of L. acidophilus and L. paracasei, they adhered to HeLa cells. However, only L. fermentum produced a moderate biofilm and a higher level of co-aggregation and mucin binding. The displacement assay demonstrated that all Lactobacillus strains inhibit C. albicans binding to mucin (p < 0.001), likely due to the production of substances with antimicrobial activity. Clinical isolates belonging to the most common Candida species associated to vaginal candidiasis were inhibited by L. fermentum. Collectively, our data suggest that L. fermentum ATCC 23271 is a potential probiotic candidate, particularly to complement candidiasis treatment, since presented with the best probiotic profile in comparison with the other tested lactobacilli strains. PMID:27833605

  2. Lactobacillus fermentum ATCC 23271 displays in vitro inhibitory activities against Candida spp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monique Santos Carmo

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Lactobacilli are involved in the microbial homeostasis in the female genital tract. Due to the high prevalence of many bacterial diseases of the female genital tract and the resistance of microorganisms to various antimicrobial agents, alternative means to control these infections are necessary. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the probiotic properties of well-characterized Lactobacillus species, including L. acidophilus (ATCC 4356, L. brevis (ATCC 367, L. delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii (ATCC 9645, L. fermentum (ATCC 23271, L. paracasei (ATCC 335, L. plantarum (ATCC 8014, and L. rhamnosus (ATCC 9595, against Candida albicans (ATCC 18804, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (ATCC 9826, and Streptococcus agalactiae (ATCC 13813. The probiotic potential was investigated by using the following criteria: i adhesion to host epithelial cells and mucus, ii biofilm formation, iii co-aggregation with bacterial pathogens, iv inhibition of pathogen adhesion to mucus and HeLa cells, and v antimicrobial activity. Tested lactobacilli adhered to mucin, co-aggregated with all genital microorganisms, and displayed antimicrobial activity. With the exception of L. acidophilus and L. paracasei, they adhered to HeLa cells. However, only L. fermentum produced a moderate biofilm and a higher level of co-aggregation and mucin binding. The displacement assay demonstrated that all Lactobacillus strains inhibit C. albicans binding to mucin (p < 0.001, likely due to the production of substances with antimicrobial activity. Clinical isolates belonging to the most common Candida species associated to vaginal candidosis were inhibited by L. fermentum. Collectively, our data suggest that L. fermentum ATCC 23271 is a potential probiotic candidate, particularly to complement candidosis treatment, since presented with the best probiotic profile in comparison with the other tested lactobacilli strains.

  3. The cyanobiont in an Azolla fern is neither Anabaena nor Nostoc.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Judith A; Entsch, Barrie; McKay, David B

    2003-12-05

    The cyanobacterial symbionts in the fern Azolla have generally been ascribed to either the Anabaena or Nostoc genera. By using comparisons of the sequences of the phycocyanin intergenic spacer and a fragment of the 16S rRNA, we found that the cyanobiont from an Azolla belongs to neither of these genera.

  4. Phylogeny of Indonesian Nostoc (Cyanobac teria Isolated from Paddy Fields as Inferred from Partial Se quence of 16S rRNA Gene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dian Hendrayanti

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In order to collect Indonesian Nostoc, isolation of soil microflora from several paddy fields in West Java, Bali, andSouth Celebes was carried out. Fast-growing isolates of Nostoc were selected to describe and perform molecular identification using partial sequences of 16S rRNA. The results showed that partial sequences of 16S rRNA could not resolve the phylogeny of the isolates. However, it supported the morphological studies that recognize isolates as different species of Nostoc. Potential use of Nostoc as a nitrogen source for paddy growth was carried out using six strains as single inoculums. A total biomass of 2 g (fresh weight for each strain was inoculated, respectively, into the pot planted with three paddy plants. This experiment was conducted in the green house for 115 days. Statistical analyses (ANOVA; α = 0.05 showed that of six strains tested in this study, only strain GIA13a had influence on the augmentation of root length and the total number of filled grains.

  5. Transcription and Regulation of the Bidirectional Hydrogenase in the Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. Strain PCC 7120▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sjöholm, Johannes; Oliveira, Paulo; Lindblad, Peter

    2007-01-01

    The filamentous, heterocystous cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120 (Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120) possesses an uptake hydrogenase and a bidirectional enzyme, the latter being capable of catalyzing both H2 production and evolution. The completely sequenced genome of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120 reveals that the five structural genes encoding the bidirectional hydrogenase (hoxEFUYH) are separated in two clusters at a distance of approximately 8.8 kb. The transcription of the hox genes was examined under nitrogen-fixing conditions, and the results demonstrate that the cluster containing hoxE and hoxF can be transcribed as one polycistronic unit together with the open reading frame alr0750. The second cluster, containing hoxU, hoxY, and hoxH, is transcribed together with alr0763 and alr0765, located between the hox genes. Moreover, alr0760 and alr0761 form an additional larger operon. Nevertheless, Northern blot hybridizations revealed a rather complex transcription pattern in which the different hox genes are expressed differently. Transcriptional start points (TSPs) were identified 66 and 57 bp upstream from the start codon of alr0750 and hoxU, respectively. The transcriptions of the two clusters containing the hox genes are both induced under anaerobic conditions concomitantly with the induction of a higher level of hydrogenase activity. An additional TSP, within the annotated alr0760, 244 bp downstream from the suggested translation start codon, was identified. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays with purified LexA from Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120 demonstrated specific interactions between the transcriptional regulator and both hox promoter regions. However, when LexA from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 was used, the purified protein interacted only with the promoter region of the alr0750-hoxE-hoxF operon. A search of the whole Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120 genome demonstrated the presence of 216 putative LexA binding sites in total, including recA and rec

  6. Characterization and Optimization of Bioflocculant Exopolysaccharide Production by Cyanobacteria Nostoc sp. BTA97 and Anabaena sp. BTA990 in Culture Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, Onkar Nath; Khangembam, Romi; Shamjetshabam, Minerva; Sharma, Aribam Subhalaxmi; Oinam, Gunapati; Brand, Jerry J

    2015-08-01

    Bioflocculant exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by 40 cyanobacterial strains during their photoautotrophic growth was investigated. Highest levels of EPS were produced by Nostoc sp. BTA97 and Anabaena sp. BTA990. EPS production was maximum during stationary growth phase, when nitrogenase activity was very low. Maximum EPS production occurred at pH 8.0 in the absence of any combined nitrogen source. The cyanobacterial EPS consisted of soluble protein and polysaccharide that included substantial amounts of neutral sugars and uronic acid. The EPS isolated from Anabaena sp. BTA990 and Nostoc sp. BTA97 demonstrated high flocculation capacity. There was a positive correlation between uronic acid content and flocculation activity. The flocculant bound a cationic dye, Alcian Blue, indicating it to be polyanionic. The 16S rRNA gene sequences for Nostoc sp. BTA97 and Anabaena sp. BTA990 were deposited at NCBI GenBank, and accession numbers were obtained as KJ830951 and KJ830948, respectively. The results of these experiments indicate that strains Anabaena sp. BTA990 and Nostoc sp. BTA97 are good candidates for the commercial production of EPS and might be utilized in industrial applications as an alternative to synthetic and abiotic flocculants.

  7. Spectrophotometric evaluation of selenium binding by Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC MYA-2200 and Candida utilis ATCC 9950 yeast.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kieliszek, Marek; Błażejak, Stanisław; Płaczek, Maciej

    2016-05-01

    In this study, the ability of selenium binding the biomas of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC MYA-2200 and Candida utilis ATCC 9950 was investigated. Sodium selenite(IV) salts were added to the experimental media at concentrations of 10, 20, 40, and 60 mg Se(4+) L(-1). In the tested concentration range, one concentration reported a significant reduction in the biomass yield of both yeast strains. Intense growth was observed for C. utilis yeast, which reached the highest biomass yield of 15 gd.w.L(-1) after 24h cultivation in the presence of 10mg Se(4+) L(-1). Based on the use of spectrophotometric method for the determination of selenium content by using Variamine Blue as a chromogenic agent, efficient accumulation of this element in the biomass of the investigated yeast was observed. The highest amount of selenium, that is, 5.64 mg Se(4+)gd.w.(-1), was bound from the environment by S. cerevisiae ATCC MYA-2200 cultured in the presence of 60 mg Se(4+) L(-1) medium 72h Slightly less amount, 5.47 mg Se(4+) gd.w.(-1), was absorbed by C. utilis ATCC 9950 during similar cultural conditions. Based on the results of the biomass yield and the use of selenium from the medium, it can be observed that yeasts of the genus Candida are more efficient in binding this element, and this property finds practical application in the production of selenium-enriched yeast. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  8. Production of High Amounts of Hepatotoxin Nodularin and New Protease Inhibitors Pseudospumigins by the Brazilian Benthic Nostoc sp. CENA543

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jouni Jokela

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Nostoc is a cyanobacterial genus, common in soils and a prolific producer of natural products. This research project aimed to explore and characterize Brazilian cyanobacteria for new bioactive compounds. Here we report the production of hepatotoxins and new protease inhibitors from benthic Nostoc sp. CENA543 isolated from a small, shallow, saline-alkaline lake in the Nhecolândia, Pantanal wetland area in Brazil. Nostoc sp. CENA543 produces exceptionally high amounts of nodularin-R. This is the first free-living Nostoc that produces nodularin at comparable levels as the toxic, bloom-forming, Nodularia spumigena. We also characterized pseudospumigins A–F, which are a novel family of linear tetrapeptides. Pseudospumigins are structurally related to linear tetrapeptide spumigins and aeruginosins both present in N. spumigena but differ in respect to their diagnostic amino acid, which is Ile/Leu/Val in pseudospumigins, Pro/mPro in spumigins, and Choi in aeruginosins. The pseudospumigin gene cluster is more similar to the spumigin biosynthetic gene cluster than the aeruginosin gene cluster. Pseudospumigin A inhibited trypsin (IC50 4.5 μM after 1 h in a similar manner as spumigin E from N. spumigena but was almost two orders of magnitude less potent. This study identifies another location and environment where the hepatotoxic nodularin has the potential to cause the death of eukaryotic organisms.

  9. Production of High Amounts of Hepatotoxin Nodularin and New Protease Inhibitors Pseudospumigins by the Brazilian Benthic Nostoc sp. CENA543

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jokela, Jouni; Heinilä, Lassi M. P.; Shishido, Tânia K.; Wahlsten, Matti; Fewer, David P.; Fiore, Marli F.; Wang, Hao; Haapaniemi, Esa; Permi, Perttu; Sivonen, Kaarina

    2017-01-01

    Nostoc is a cyanobacterial genus, common in soils and a prolific producer of natural products. This research project aimed to explore and characterize Brazilian cyanobacteria for new bioactive compounds. Here we report the production of hepatotoxins and new protease inhibitors from benthic Nostoc sp. CENA543 isolated from a small, shallow, saline-alkaline lake in the Nhecolândia, Pantanal wetland area in Brazil. Nostoc sp. CENA543 produces exceptionally high amounts of nodularin-R. This is the first free-living Nostoc that produces nodularin at comparable levels as the toxic, bloom-forming, Nodularia spumigena. We also characterized pseudospumigins A–F, which are a novel family of linear tetrapeptides. Pseudospumigins are structurally related to linear tetrapeptide spumigins and aeruginosins both present in N. spumigena but differ in respect to their diagnostic amino acid, which is Ile/Leu/Val in pseudospumigins, Pro/mPro in spumigins, and Choi in aeruginosins. The pseudospumigin gene cluster is more similar to the spumigin biosynthetic gene cluster than the aeruginosin gene cluster. Pseudospumigin A inhibited trypsin (IC50 4.5 μM after 1 h) in a similar manner as spumigin E from N. spumigena but was almost two orders of magnitude less potent. This study identifies another location and environment where the hepatotoxic nodularin has the potential to cause the death of eukaryotic organisms. PMID:29062311

  10. Effect of a combination of two rice herbicides on the cyanobacterium, Nostoc spongiaeforme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cyanobacteria grow in California rice fields where they form large mats that may smoother seedlings or cause them to dislodge, resulting in yield loss. The most troublesome species is Nostoc spongiaeforme. It is very difficult to control using currently accepted methods, i.e., aerial applications of...

  11. Ecophysiology of gelatinous Nostoc colonies: unprecedented slow growth and survival in resource-poor and harsh environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sand-Jensen, Kaj

    2014-07-01

    The cyanobacterial genus Nostoc includes several species forming centimetre-large gelatinous colonies in nutrient-poor freshwaters and harsh semi-terrestrial environments with extended drought or freezing. These Nostoc species have filaments with normal photosynthetic cells and N2-fixing heterocysts embedded in an extensive gelatinous matrix of polysaccharides and many other organic substances providing biological and environmental protection. Large colony size imposes constraints on the use of external resources and the gelatinous matrix represents extra costs and reduced growth rates. The objective of this review is to evaluate the mechanisms behind the low rates of growth and mortality, protection against environmental hazards and the persistence and longevity of gelatinous Nostoc colonies, and their ability to economize with highly limiting resources. Simple models predict the decline in uptake of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and a decline in the growth rate of spherical freshwater colonies of N. pruniforme and N. zetterstedtii and sheet-like colonies of N. commune in response to a thicker diffusion boundary layer, lower external DIC concentration and higher organic carbon mass per surface area (CMA) of the colony. Measured growth rates of N. commune and N. pruniforme at high DIC availability comply with general empirical predictions of maximum growth rate (i.e. doubling time 10-14 d) as functions of CMA for marine macroalgae and as functions of tissue thickness for aquatic and terrestrial plants, while extremely low growth rates of N. zetterstedtii (i.e. doubling time 2-3 years) are 10-fold lower than model predictions, either because of very low ambient DIC and/or an extremely costly colony matrix. DIC uptake is limited by diffusion at low concentrations for all species, although they exhibit efficient HCO3(-) uptake, accumulation of respiratory DIC within the colonies and very low CO2 compensation points. Long light paths and light attenuation by

  12. Antimicrobial Activity of Truncated and Polyvalent Peptides Derived from the FKCRRQWQWRMKKGLA Sequence against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923

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    Nataly de Jesús Huertas

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Peptides derived from LfcinB were designed and synthesized, and their antibacterial activity was tested against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. Specifically, a peptide library was constructed by systemically removing the flanking residues (N or C-terminal of Lfcin 17–31 (17FKCRRWQWRMKKLGA31, maintaining in all peptides the 20RRWQWR25 sequence that corresponds to the minimal antimicrobial motif. For this research, also included were (i a peptide containing an Ala instead of Cys ([Ala19]-LfcinB 17–31 and (ii polyvalent peptides containing the RRWQWR sequence and a non-natural amino acid (aminocaproic acid. We established that the lineal peptides LfcinB 17–25 and LfcinB 17–26 exhibited the greatest activity against E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 25923, respectively. On the other hand, polyvalent peptides, a dimer and a tetramer, exhibited the greatest antibacterial activity, indicating that multiple copies of the sequence increase the activity. Our results suggest that the dimeric and tetrameric sequence forms potentiate the antibacterial activity of lineal sequences that have exhibited moderate antibacterial activity.

  13. Reconstruction of structural evolution in the trnL intron P6b loop of symbiotic Nostoc (Cyanobacteria).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsson, Sanna; Kaasalainen, Ulla; Rikkinen, Jouko

    2012-02-01

    In this study we reconstruct the structural evolution of the hyper-variable P6b region of the group I trnLeu intron in a monophyletic group of lichen-symbiotic Nostoc strains and establish it as a useful marker in the phylogenetic analysis of these organisms. The studied cyanobacteria occur as photosynthetic and/or nitrogen-fixing symbionts in lichen species of the diverse Nephroma guild. Phylogenetic analyses and secondary structure reconstructions are used to improve the understanding of the replication mechanisms in the P6b stem-loop and to explain the observed distribution patterns of indels. The variants of the P6b region in the Nostoc clade studied consist of different combinations of five sequence modules. The distribution of indels together with the ancestral character reconstruction performed enables the interpretation of the evolution of each sequence module. Our results indicate that the indel events are usually associated with single nucleotide changes in the P6b region and have occurred several times independently. In spite of their homoplasy, they provide phylogenetic information for closely related taxa. Thus we recognize that features of the P6b region can be used as molecular markers for species identification and phylogenetic studies involving symbiotic Nostoc cyanobacteria.

  14. Enhanced biohydrogen production by the N{sub 2}-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena siamensis strain TISTR 8012

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khetkorn, Wanthanee [Program of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330 (Thailand); Laboratory of Cyanobacterial Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Bangkok, 10330 (Thailand); Department of Photochemistry and Molecular Science, Uppsala University, Box 523, SE-75120, Uppsala (Sweden); Lindblad, Peter [Department of Photochemistry and Molecular Science, Uppsala University, Box 523, SE-75120, Uppsala (Sweden); Incharoensakdi, Aran [Laboratory of Cyanobacterial Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Bangkok, 10330 (Thailand)

    2010-12-15

    The efficiency of hydrogen production depends on several factors. We focused on external conditions leading to enhanced hydrogen production when using the N{sub 2}-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena siamensis TISTR 8012, a novel strain isolated from a rice paddy field in Thailand. In this study, we controlled key factors affecting hydrogen production such as cell age, light intensity, time of light incubation and source of carbon. Our results showed an enhanced hydrogen production when cells, at log phase, were adapted under N{sub 2}-fixing condition using 0.5% fructose as carbon source and a continuous illumination of 200 {mu}E m{sup -2} s{sup -1} for 12 h under anaerobic incubation. The maximum hydrogen production rate was 32 {mu}mol H{sub 2} mg chl a{sup -1} h{sup -1}. This rate was higher than that observed in the model organisms Anabaena PCC 7120, Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 and Synechocystis PCC 6803. This higher production was likely caused by a higher nitrogenase activity since we observed an upregulation of nifD. The production did not increase after 12 h which was probably due to an increased activity of the uptake hydrogenase as evidenced by an increased hupL transcript level. Interestingly, a proper adjustment of light conditions such as intensity and duration is important to minimize both the photodamage of the cells and the uptake hydrogenase activity. Our results indicate that A. siamensis TISTR 8012 has a high potential for hydrogen production with the ability to utilize sugars as substrate to produce hydrogen. (author)

  15. Antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria isolated from bekasam against staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and salmonella sp

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sari, Melia; Suryanto, Dwi; Yurnaliza

    2018-03-01

    Bekasam is an Indonesian fermented food made of fish. As a fermented food, this food may contain some beneficial bacteria like lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which usually have antimicrobial properties such as organic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and a bacteriocin. A study on antimicrobial activity of LAB isolated from bekasam against some pathogenic bacteria has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to know the ability of crude bacteriocin produced LAB of bekasam against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Salmonella sp. Bekasam sample was taken from South Sumatera. LAB isolation was done using de Man Rogosa and Sharpe agar. A bacterial colony with clear zone was selected and purified to get a single colony. The antagonistic assay of the LAB was conducted in Muller-Hinton agar Selected isolates with higher clearing zone were assayed for antibacterial effect of their crude bacteriocin of different culture incubation time of 6, 9, and 12 hours. The results showed that the crude extract bacteriocin of isolate MS2 of 9 hours culture incubation time inhibited more in Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 with inhibition zone of 13.1 mm, whereas isolate MS9 of 9 hours culture incubation time inhibited more in Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Salmonella sp. with inhibition zone of 12.7 and 7.3 mm, respectively.

  16. Structure-Function, Stability, and Chemical Modification of the Cyanobacterial Cytochrome b6f Complex from Nostoc sp. PCC 7120*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baniulis, Danas; Yamashita, Eiki; Whitelegge, Julian P.; Zatsman, Anna I.; Hendrich, Michael P.; Hasan, S. Saif; Ryan, Christopher M.; Cramer, William A.

    2009-01-01

    The crystal structure of the cyanobacterial cytochrome b6f complex has previously been solved to 3.0-Å resolution using the thermophilic Mastigocladus laminosus whose genome has not been sequenced. Several unicellular cyanobacteria, whose genomes have been sequenced and are tractable for mutagenesis, do not yield b6f complex in an intact dimeric state with significant electron transport activity. The genome of Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 has been sequenced and is closer phylogenetically to M. laminosus than are unicellular cyanobacteria. The amino acid sequences of the large core subunits and four small peripheral subunits of Nostoc are 88 and 80% identical to those in the M. laminosus b6f complex. Purified b6f complex from Nostoc has a stable dimeric structure, eight subunits with masses similar to those of M. laminosus, and comparable electron transport activity. The crystal structure of the native b6f complex, determined to a resolution of 3.0Å (PDB id: 2ZT9), is almost identical to that of M. laminosus. Two unique aspects of the Nostoc complex are: (i) a dominant conformation of heme bp that is rotated 180° about the α- and γ-meso carbon axis relative to the orientation in the M. laminosus complex and (ii) acetylation of the Rieske iron-sulfur protein (PetC) at the N terminus, a post-translational modification unprecedented in cyanobacterial membrane and electron transport proteins, and in polypeptides of cytochrome bc complexes from any source. The high spin electronic character of the unique heme cn is similar to that previously found in the b6f complex from other sources. PMID:19189962

  17. Role of enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidant in ameliorating salinity induced damage in nostoc muscorum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hend, A.; Abeer, A.; Allah, A.

    2015-01-01

    Presence of high salt concentration in the growth medium adversely affected the plant growth and productivity by altering its metabolic activities. Experiments were conducted on cyanobacteriaum Nostoc muscorum grown in nitrogen free medium supplemented with 250 mM NaCl to evaluate the salt stress induced changes in growth, antioxidants and lipid composition. Salt stress significantly reduced the growth and physio-biochemical attributes. Salt stress increased malonaldehyde content thereby causing alterations in the lipid fraction. Significant reduction in polyunsaturated fatty acids including phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylserine (PS) was observed. Where as diacylglycerol, sterol ester and non-esterified fatty acids were increased. Activities of antioxidant enzymes and contents of non-enzymatic antioxidants including glutathione enhanced due to salt stress. An increase in accumulation of proline was also observed. Hence increased activity of antioxidants and altered fatty acid composition was observed in salt stressed Nostoc muscorum. (author)

  18. Transcription of the extended hyp-operon in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agervald, Åsa; Stensjö, Karin; Holmqvist, Marie; Lindblad, Peter

    2008-01-01

    Background The maturation of hydrogenases into active enzymes is a complex process and e.g. a correctly assembled active site requires the involvement of at least seven proteins, encoded by hypABCDEF and a hydrogenase specific protease, encoded either by hupW or hoxW. The N2-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120 may contain both an uptake and a bidirectional hydrogenase. The present study addresses the presence and expression of hyp-genes in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120. Results RT-PCRs demonstrated that the six hyp-genes together with one ORF may be transcribed as a single operon. Transcriptional start points (TSPs) were identified 280 bp upstream from hypF and 445 bp upstream of hypC, respectively, demonstrating the existence of several transcripts. In addition, five upstream ORFs located in between hupSL, encoding the small and large subunits of the uptake hydrogenase, and the hyp-operon, and two downstream ORFs from the hyp-genes were shown to be part of the same transcript unit. A third TSP was identified 45 bp upstream of asr0689, the first of five ORFs in this operon. The ORFs are annotated as encoding unknown proteins, with the exception of alr0692 which is identified as a NifU-like protein. Orthologues of the four ORFs asr0689-alr0692, with a highly conserved genomic arrangement positioned between hupSL, and the hyp genes are found in several other N2-fixing cyanobacteria, but are absent in non N2-fixing cyanobacteria with only the bidirectional hydrogenase. Short conserved sequences were found in six intergenic regions of the extended hyp-operon, appearing between 11 and 79 times in the genome. Conclusion This study demonstrated that five ORFs upstream of the hyp-gene cluster are co-transcribed with the hyp-genes, and identified three TSPs in the extended hyp-gene cluster in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120. This may indicate a function related to the assembly of a functional uptake hydrogenase, hypothetically in the assembly of the small subunit of

  19. Draft Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli K-12 (ATCC 10798)

    OpenAIRE

    Dimitrova, Daniela; Engelbrecht, Kathleen C.; Putonti, Catherine; Koenig, David W.; Wolfe, Alan J.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Escherichia coli ATCC 10798. E.?coli ATCC 10798 is a K-12 strain, one of the most well-studied model microorganisms. The size of the genome was 4,685,496?bp, with a G+C content of 50.70%. This assembly consists of 62 contigs and the F plasmid.

  20. The biological soil crusts of the San Nicolas Island: Enigmatic algae from a geographically isolated ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flechtner, V.R.; Johansen, J.R.; Belnap, J.

    2008-01-01

    Composite soil samples from 7 sites on San Nicolas Island were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively for the presence of cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microalgae. Combined data demonstrated a rich algal flora with 19 cyanobacterial and 19 eukaryotic microalgal genera being identified, for a total of 56 species. Nine new species were identified and described among the cyanobacteria and the eukaryotic microalgae that were isolated: Leibleinia edaphica, Aphanothece maritima, Chroococcidiopsis edaphica, Cyanosarcina atroveneta, Hassallia californica, Hassallia pseudoramosissima, Microchaete terrestre, Palmellopsis californiens, and Pseudotetracystis compactis. Distinct distributional patterns of algal taxa existed among sites on the island and among soil algal floras of western North America. Some algal taxa appeared to be widely distributed across many desert regions, including Microcoleus vaginatus, Nostoc punctiforme, Nostoc paludosum, and Tolypothrix distorta, Chlorella vulgaris, Diplosphaera cf. chodatii, Myrmecia astigmatica, Myrmecia biatorellae, Hantzschia amphioxys, and Luticola mutica. Some taxa share a distinctly southern distribution with soil algae from southern Arizona, southern California, and Baja California (e.g., Scenedesmus deserticola and Eustigmatos magnus). The data presented herein support the view that the cyanobacterial and microalgal floras of soil crusts possess significant biodiversity, much of it previously undescribed.

  1. Impact of warming on Nostoc colonies (Cyanobacteria) in a wet hummock meadow, Spitsbergen

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Elster, Josef; Kvíderová, Jana; Hájek, Tomáš; Láska, K.; Šimek, Miloslav

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 33, č. 4 (2012), 395-420 ISSN 0138-0338 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ME 934; GA MŠk LA341 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60050516; CEZ:AV0Z60660521 Institutional support: RVO:67985939 ; RVO:60077344 Keywords : global climate change * Nostoc * OTC Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 0.745, year: 2012

  2. Nostoc sphaeroides Kütz, a candidate producer par excellence for CELSS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Gaohong; Hao, Zongjie; Liu, Yongding

    A lot of aquatic organisms could be regarded as suitable candidates par excellence in the establishment of CELSS, since they are relatively easy and fast to grow and resistant to changes in environmental condition as well as providing nutritious, protein-and vitamin-rich foods for the crew, which can fulfill the main functions of CELSS, including supplying oxygen, water and food, removing carbon dioxide and making daily life waste reusable. Our labotory has developed mass culture of Nostoc sphaeroides Kütz, which is one of traditional healthy food in China and. The oxygen evolution rate of the cyanobacterium is about 150 molO2.mg-1.h-1, and it usually grows into colony with size between 2-20mm, which is easy to be harvested. It also can be cultured with high density, which show that the productivity of the cyanobacterium in limited volume is higher than other microalgae. We had measured the nutrient content of the cyanobacterium and developed some Chinese Dishes and Soups with Nostoc sphaeroides Kütz, which showed that it was a good food for crew. Using remote sensing technique, we also investigated its growth in Closed System under microgravity by SHENZHOU-2 spacecraft in January 2001. We plan to develop suitable bioreactor with the cyanobacterium for supplying oxygen and food to crew in future.

  3. Novel Aeruginosin-865 from Nostoc sp. as a potent anti-inflammatory agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapuścik, Aleksandra; Hrouzek, Pavel; Kuzma, Marek; Bártová, Simona; Novák, Petr; Jokela, Jouni; Pflüger, Maren; Eger, Andreas; Hundsberger, Harald; Kopecký, Jiří

    2013-11-25

    Aeruginosin-865 (Aer-865), isolated from terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. Lukešová 30/93, is the first aeruginosin-type peptide containing both a fatty acid and a carbohydrate moiety, and is the first aeruginosin to be found in the genus Nostoc. Mass spectrometry, chemical and spectroscopic analysis as well as one- and two-dimensional NMR and chiral HPLC analysis of Marfey derivatives were applied to determine the peptidic sequence: D-Hpla, D-Leu, 5-OH-Choi, Agma, with hexanoic and mannopyranosyl uronic acid moieties linked to Choi. We used an AlphaLISA assay to measure the levels of proinflammatory mediators IL-8 and ICAM-1 in hTNF-α-stimulated HLMVECs. Aer-865 showed significant reduction of both: with EC50 values of (3.5±1.5) μg mL(-1) ((4.0±1.7) μM) and (50.0±13.4) μg mL(-1) ((57.8±15.5) μM), respectively. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that the anti-inflammatory effect of Aer-865 was directly associated with inhibition of NF-κB translocation to the nucleus. Moreover, Aer-865 did not show any cytotoxic effect. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Draft Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli K-12 (ATCC 10798).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimitrova, Daniela; Engelbrecht, Kathleen C; Putonti, Catherine; Koenig, David W; Wolfe, Alan J

    2017-07-06

    Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Escherichia coli ATCC 10798. E. coli ATCC 10798 is a K-12 strain, one of the most well-studied model microorganisms. The size of the genome was 4,685,496 bp, with a G+C content of 50.70%. This assembly consists of 62 contigs and the F plasmid. Copyright © 2017 Dimitrova et al.

  5. A genomic island provides Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 53993 additional copper resistance: a possible competitive advantage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orellana, Luis H; Jerez, Carlos A

    2011-11-01

    There is great interest in understanding how extremophilic biomining bacteria adapt to exceptionally high copper concentrations in their environment. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 53993 genome possesses the same copper resistance determinants as strain ATCC 23270. However, the former strain contains in its genome a 160-kb genomic island (GI), which is absent in ATCC 23270. This GI contains, amongst other genes, several genes coding for an additional putative copper ATPase and a Cus system. A. ferrooxidans ATCC 53993 showed a much higher resistance to CuSO(4) (>100 mM) than that of strain ATCC 23270 (<25 mM). When a similar number of bacteria from each strain were mixed and allowed to grow in the absence of copper, their respective final numbers remained approximately equal. However, in the presence of copper, there was a clear overgrowth of strain ATCC 53993 compared to ATCC 23270. This behavior is most likely explained by the presence of the additional copper-resistance genes in the GI of strain ATCC 53993. As determined by qRT-PCR, it was demonstrated that these genes are upregulated when A. ferrooxidans ATCC 53993 is grown in the presence of copper and were shown to be functional when expressed in copper-sensitive Escherichia coli mutants. Thus, the reason for resistance to copper of two strains of the same acidophilic microorganism could be determined by slight differences in their genomes, which may not only lead to changes in their capacities to adapt to their environment, but may also help to select the more fit microorganisms for industrial biomining operations. © Springer-Verlag 2011

  6. Unprecedented slow growth and mortality of the rare colonial cyanobacterium, Nostoc zetterstedtii, in oligotrophic lakes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Kaj Sand; Møller, Claus Lindskov

    2011-01-01

    Centimeter-large colonies of Nostoc zetterstedtii from a Swedish oligotrophic lake had the lowest growth and mortality rates of any studied temperate macrophyte. Annual growth rates at two shallow sites averaged 0.57– 0.73 3 1023 d21, corresponding to doubling times of colony dry weight in 2...

  7. 40 CFR 180.1205 - Beauveria bassiana ATCC #74040; exemption from the requirements of a tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Beauveria bassiana ATCC #74040... RESIDUES IN FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1205 Beauveria bassiana ATCC #74040; exemption from the... the insecticide Beauveria bassiana (ATCC #74040) in or on all food commodities when applied or used as...

  8. In vivo assessment of the hepatotoxicity of a new Nostoc isolate from the Nile River: Nostoc sp. strain NRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu-Serie, Marwa M; Nasser, Nermine; Abd El-Wahab, Abeer; Shehawy, Rehab; Pienaar, Harrison; Baddour, Nahed; Amer, Ranya

    2018-03-01

    Nostoc sp. is one of the most widely distributed cyanobacterial genera that produce potentially protein phosphatase (PP) inhibitor; microcystins (MCs). MCs have posed a worldwide concern due to predominant hepatotoxicity to human health. We have previously isolated a Nostoc strain (NR1) from the Nile River (the main water supply in Egypt) and this strain exerted production of rare and highly toxic MC; demethylated microcystin-LR. There is no data concerning risk factors of liver diseases for human and animal exposure to NR1-contaminated drinking water yet. It is thus important to evaluate acute (LD 50 dose), subacute (0.01% and 10% of LD 50 dose) and subchronic (0.01% and 10% of LD 50 dose) hepatotoxicity's NR1 extract using experimental mice. Mice groups, who orally received 0.01% LD 50 , represented a permissible concentration of the World Health Organization (WHO) for MC in drinking water. Several parameters were detected, including hepatotoxicity (i.e. PP activity, liver function, oxidative stress markers and DNA fragmentation), pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α) and liver histopathology. Our results demonstrated LD 50 of NR1 extract was at 15,350 mg/kg body weight and caused hepatotoxicity that attributed to PP inhibition and a significant increase of hepatic damage biomarkers with lipid accumulation. Moreover, NR1 extract induced hepatic oxidative damage that may have led to DNA fragmentation and production of TNF-α. As demonstrated from the histopathological study, NR1 extract caused a severe collapse of cytoskeleton with subsequent focal degeneration of hepatocytes, necroinflammation and steatosis. The grade of hepatotoxicity in subacute (10% of LD 50 ) group was higher than that in the subchronic (10% of LD 50 and 0.01% of LD 50 , WHOch, respectively) groups. No significant hepatotoxicity was detectable for subacute (0.01% of LD 50 , WHOac) group. NR1 is therefore considered as one of the harmful and life-threatening cyanobacteria for Egyptian people

  9. Transcription of the extended hyp-operon in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lindblad Peter

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The maturation of hydrogenases into active enzymes is a complex process and e.g. a correctly assembled active site requires the involvement of at least seven proteins, encoded by hypABCDEF and a hydrogenase specific protease, encoded either by hupW or hoxW. The N2-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120 may contain both an uptake and a bidirectional hydrogenase. The present study addresses the presence and expression of hyp-genes in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120. Results RT-PCRs demonstrated that the six hyp-genes together with one ORF may be transcribed as a single operon. Transcriptional start points (TSPs were identified 280 bp upstream from hypF and 445 bp upstream of hypC, respectively, demonstrating the existence of several transcripts. In addition, five upstream ORFs located in between hupSL, encoding the small and large subunits of the uptake hydrogenase, and the hyp-operon, and two downstream ORFs from the hyp-genes were shown to be part of the same transcript unit. A third TSP was identified 45 bp upstream of asr0689, the first of five ORFs in this operon. The ORFs are annotated as encoding unknown proteins, with the exception of alr0692 which is identified as a NifU-like protein. Orthologues of the four ORFs asr0689-alr0692, with a highly conserved genomic arrangement positioned between hupSL, and the hyp genes are found in several other N2-fixing cyanobacteria, but are absent in non N2-fixing cyanobacteria with only the bidirectional hydrogenase. Short conserved sequences were found in six intergenic regions of the extended hyp-operon, appearing between 11 and 79 times in the genome. Conclusion This study demonstrated that five ORFs upstream of the hyp-gene cluster are co-transcribed with the hyp-genes, and identified three TSPs in the extended hyp-gene cluster in Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120. This may indicate a function related to the assembly of a functional uptake hydrogenase, hypothetically in the

  10. Merocyclophanes C and D from the Cultured Freshwater Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. (UIC 10110).

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, Daniel S; Chen, Wei-Lun; Lantvit, Daniel D; Zhang, Xiaoli; Krunic, Aleksej; Burdette, Joanna E; Eustaquio, Alessandra; Orjala, Jimmy

    2017-04-28

    Merocyclophanes C and D (1 and 2) were isolated from the cell extract of the cultured cyanobacterium UIC 10110. The structures were determined by one-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and confirmed by 2D NMR techniques. The absolute configurations were determined using electronic circular dichroism spectroscopy. Merocyclophanes C and D represent the first known analogues of the merocyclophane core structure, a recently discovered scaffold of [7,7] paracyclophanes characterized by an α-branched methyl at C-1/C-14; 1 and 2 showed antiproliferative activity against the MDA-MB-435 cell line with IC 50 values of 1.6 and 0.9 μM, respectively. Partial 16S analysis determined UIC 10110 to be a Nostoc sp., and it was found to clade with UIC 10062 Nostoc sp., the only other strain known to produce merocyclophanes. The genome of UIC 10110 was sequenced, and a biosynthetic gene cluster was identified that is proposed to encode type I and type III polyketide synthases that are potentially responsible for production of the merocyclophanes; however, further experiments will be required to verify the true function of the gene cluster. The gene cluster provides a genetic basis for the observed structural differences of the [7,7] paracyclophane core structures.

  11. Effects of Halide Ions on the Carbamidocyclophane Biosynthesis in Nostoc sp. CAVN2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preisitsch, Michael; Heiden, Stefan E.; Beerbaum, Monika; Niedermeyer, Timo H. J.; Schneefeld, Marie; Herrmann, Jennifer; Kumpfmüller, Jana; Thürmer, Andrea; Neidhardt, Inga; Wiesner, Christoph; Daniel, Rolf; Müller, Rolf; Bange, Franz-Christoph; Schmieder, Peter; Schweder, Thomas; Mundt, Sabine

    2016-01-01

    In this study, the influence of halide ions on [7.7]paracyclophane biosynthesis in the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. CAVN2 was investigated. In contrast to KI and KF, supplementation of the culture medium with KCl or KBr resulted not only in an increase of growth but also in an up-regulation of carbamidocyclophane production. LC-MS analysis indicated the presence of chlorinated, brominated, but also non-halogenated derivatives. In addition to 22 known cylindrocyclophanes and carbamidocyclophanes, 27 putative congeners have been detected. Nine compounds, carbamidocyclophanes M−U, were isolated, and their structural elucidation by 1D and 2D NMR experiments in combination with HRMS and ECD analysis revealed that they are brominated analogues of chlorinated carbamidocyclophanes. Quantification of the carbamidocyclophanes showed that chloride is the preferably utilized halide, but incorporation is reduced in the presence of bromide. Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of 30 [7.7]paracyclophanes and related derivatives against selected pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria exhibited remarkable effects especially against methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant staphylococci and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. For deeper insights into the mechanisms of biosynthesis, the carbamidocyclophane biosynthetic gene cluster in Nostoc sp. CAVN2 was studied. The gene putatively coding for the carbamoyltransferase has been identified. Based on bioinformatic analyses, a possible biosynthetic assembly is discussed. PMID:26805858

  12. Screening and selection of most potent diazotrophic cyanobacterial isolate exhibiting natural tolerance to rice field herbicides for exploitation as biofertilizer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Surendra; Datta, Pallavi

    2006-01-01

    Periodic applications of heavy dosages of herbicides in modern rice-agriculture are a necessary evil for obtaining high crop productivity. Such herbicides are not only detrimental to weeds but biofertilizer strains of diazotrophic cyanobacteria also. It is therefore, essential to screen and select such biofertilizer strains of diazotrophic cyanobacteria exhibiting natural tolerance to common rice-field herbicides that can be further improved by mutational techniques to make biofertilizer technology a viable one. Therefore, efforts have been made to screen five dominant diazotrophic cyanobacterial forms e.g. filamentous heterocystous Nostoc punctiforme , Nostoc calcicola , Anabaena variabilis and unicellular Gloeocapsa sp. and Aphanocapsa sp. along with standard laboratory strain Nostoc muscorum ISU against increasing concentrations (0-100 mg l(-1) of four commercial grade common rice-field herbicides i.e. Arozin, Butachlor, Alachlor and 2,4-D under diazotrophic growth conditions. The lethal and IGC(50) concentrations for all four herbicides tested were found highest for A. variabilis as compared to other test cyanobacteria. The lowest reduction in chlorophyll a content, photosynthetic oxygen evolution, and N(2)-fixation was found in A. variabilis as compared to other rice field isolates and standard laboratory strain N. muscorum ISU. On the basis of prolong survival potential and lowest reductions in vital metabolic activities tested at IGC(50) concentration of four herbicides, it is concluded that A. variabilis is the most potent and promising cyanobacterial isolate as compared with other forms. This could be further improved by mutational techniques for exploitation as most potential and viable biofertilizer strain.

  13. A Genetic and Chemical Perspective on Symbiotic Recruitment of Cyanobacteria of the Genus Nostoc into the Host Plant Blasia pusilla L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anton Liaimer

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Liverwort Blasia pusilla L. recruits soil nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria of genus Nostoc as symbiotic partners. In this work we compared Nostoc community composition inside the plants and in the soil around them from two distant locations in Northern Norway. STRR fingerprinting and 16S rDNA phylogeny reconstruction showed a remarkable local diversity among isolates assigned to several Nostoc clades. An extensive web of negative allelopathic interactions was recorded at an agricultural site, but not at the undisturbed natural site. The cell extracts of the cyanobacteria did not show antimicrobial activities, but four isolates were shown to be cytotoxic to human cells. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were mapped by MALDI-TOF MS, and the most prominent ions were further analysed by Q-TOF for MS/MS aided identification. Symbiotic isolates produced a great variety of small peptide-like substances, most of which lack any record in the databases. Among identified compounds we found microcystin and nodularin variants toxic to eukaryotic cells. Microcystin producing chemotypes were dominating as symbiotic recruits but not in the free-living community. In addition, we were able to identify several novel aeruginosins and banyaside-like compounds, as well as nostocyclopeptides and nosperin.

  14. A Genetic and Chemical Perspective on Symbiotic Recruitment of Cyanobacteria of the Genus Nostoc into the Host Plant Blasia pusilla L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liaimer, Anton; Jensen, John B.; Dittmann, Elke

    2016-01-01

    Liverwort Blasia pusilla L. recruits soil nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria of genus Nostoc as symbiotic partners. In this work we compared Nostoc community composition inside the plants and in the soil around them from two distant locations in Northern Norway. STRR fingerprinting and 16S rDNA phylogeny reconstruction showed a remarkable local diversity among isolates assigned to several Nostoc clades. An extensive web of negative allelopathic interactions was recorded at an agricultural site, but not at the undisturbed natural site. The cell extracts of the cyanobacteria did not show antimicrobial activities, but four isolates were shown to be cytotoxic to human cells. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were mapped by MALDI-TOF MS, and the most prominent ions were further analyzed by Q-TOF for MS/MS aided identification. Symbiotic isolates produced a great variety of small peptide-like substances, most of which lack any record in the databases. Among identified compounds we found microcystin and nodularin variants toxic to eukaryotic cells. Microcystin producing chemotypes were dominating as symbiotic recruits but not in the free-living community. In addition, we were able to identify several novel aeruginosins and banyaside-like compounds, as well as nostocyclopeptides and nosperin. PMID:27847500

  15. Comparative transcriptome analysis of biofilm and planktonic cells of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wijman, Janneke; Mols, M.; Tempelaars, Marcel; Abee, Tjakko

    2015-01-01

    Planktonic and biofilm cells of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 and ATCC 10987 were studied using microscopy and transcriptome analysis. By microscopy, clear differences could be observed between biofilm and planktonic cells as well as between the two strains. By using hierarchical clustering of the

  16. Comparative transcriptome analysis of biofilm and planktonic cells of Bacillus cereus ATCC 10987

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wijman, Janneke; Mols, M.; Tempelaars, Marcel; Abee, Tjakko

    2015-01-01

    Planktonic and biofilm cells of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 and ATCC 10987 were studied using microscopy and transcriptome analysis. By microscopy, clear differences could be observed between biofilm and planktonic cells as well as between the two strains. By using hierarchical clustering of the

  17. Note: A flexible light emitting diode-based broadband transient-absorption spectrometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gottlieb, Sean M.; Corley, Scott C.; Madsen, Dorte; Larsen, Delmar S.

    2012-05-01

    This Note presents a simple and flexible ns-to-ms transient absorption spectrometer based on pulsed light emitting diode (LED) technology that can be incorporated into existing ultrafast transient absorption spectrometers or operate as a stand-alone instrument with fixed-wavelength laser sources. The LED probe pulses from this instrument exhibit excellent stability (˜0.5%) and are capable of producing high signal-to-noise long-time (>100 ns) transient absorption signals either in a broadband multiplexed (spanning 250 nm) or in tunable narrowband (20 ns) operation. The utility of the instrument is demonstrated by measuring the photoinduced ns-to-ms photodynamics of the red/green absorbing fourth GMP phosphodiesterase/adenylyl cyclase/FhlA domain of the NpR6012 locus of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme.

  18. Antimicrobial mechanism of flavonoids against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 by model membrane study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Mengying; Wu, Ting; Pan, Siyi; Xu, Xiaoyun

    2014-01-01

    Antimicrobial mechanism of four flavonoids (kaempferol, hesperitin, (+)-catechin hydrate, biochanin A) against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 was investigated through cell membranes and a liposome model. The release of bacterial protein and images from transmission electron microscopy demonstrated damage to the E. coli ATCC 25922 membrane. A liposome model with dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) (0.6 molar ratio) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) (0.4 molar ratio), representative of the phospholipid membrane of E. coli ATCC 25922, was used to specify the mode of action of four selected flavonoids through Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. It is suggested that for flavonoids, to be effective antimicrobials, interaction with the polar head-group of the model membrane followed by penetration into the hydrophobic regions must occur. The antimicrobial efficacies of the flavonoids were consistent with liposome interaction activities, kaempferol > hesperitin > (+)-catechin hydrate > biochanin A. This study provides a liposome model capable of mimicking the cell membrane of E. coli ATCC 25922. The findings are important in understanding the antibacterial mechanism on cell membranes.

  19. Antimicrobial mechanism of flavonoids against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 by model membrane study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Mengying; Wu, Ting; Pan, Siyi; Xu, Xiaoyun, E-mail: xiaoyunxu88@gmail.com

    2014-06-01

    Antimicrobial mechanism of four flavonoids (kaempferol, hesperitin, (+)-catechin hydrate, biochanin A) against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 was investigated through cell membranes and a liposome model. The release of bacterial protein and images from transmission electron microscopy demonstrated damage to the E. coli ATCC 25922 membrane. A liposome model with dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) (0.6 molar ratio) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) (0.4 molar ratio), representative of the phospholipid membrane of E. coli ATCC 25922, was used to specify the mode of action of four selected flavonoids through Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. It is suggested that for flavonoids, to be effective antimicrobials, interaction with the polar head-group of the model membrane followed by penetration into the hydrophobic regions must occur. The antimicrobial efficacies of the flavonoids were consistent with liposome interaction activities, kaempferol > hesperitin > (+)-catechin hydrate > biochanin A. This study provides a liposome model capable of mimicking the cell membrane of E. coli ATCC 25922. The findings are important in understanding the antibacterial mechanism on cell membranes.

  20. Feathermoss and epiphytic Nostoc cooperate differently: expanding the spectrum of plant–cyanobacteria symbiosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warshan, Denis; Espinoza, Josh L; Stuart, Rhona K; Richter, R Alexander; Kim, Sea-Yong; Shapiro, Nicole; Woyke, Tanja; C Kyrpides, Nikos; Barry, Kerrie; Singan, Vasanth; Lindquist, Erika; Ansong, Charles; Purvine, Samuel O; M Brewer, Heather; Weyman, Philip D; Dupont, Christopher L; Rasmussen, Ulla

    2017-01-01

    Dinitrogen (N2)-fixation by cyanobacteria in symbiosis with feathermosses is the primary pathway of biological nitrogen (N) input into boreal forests. Despite its significance, little is known about the cyanobacterial gene repertoire and regulatory rewiring needed for the establishment and maintenance of the symbiosis. To determine gene acquisitions and regulatory changes allowing cyanobacteria to form and maintain this symbiosis, we compared genomically closely related symbiotic-competent and -incompetent Nostoc strains using a proteogenomics approach and an experimental set up allowing for controlled chemical and physical contact between partners. Thirty-two gene families were found only in the genomes of symbiotic strains, including some never before associated with cyanobacterial symbiosis. We identified conserved orthologs that were differentially expressed in symbiotic strains, including protein families involved in chemotaxis and motility, NO regulation, sulfate/phosphate transport, and glycosyl-modifying and oxidative stress-mediating exoenzymes. The physical moss–cyanobacteria epiphytic symbiosis is distinct from other cyanobacteria–plant symbioses, with Nostoc retaining motility, and lacking modulation of N2-fixation, photosynthesis, GS-GOGAT cycle and heterocyst formation. The results expand our knowledge base of plant–cyanobacterial symbioses, provide a model of information and material exchange in this ecologically significant symbiosis, and suggest new currencies, namely nitric oxide and aliphatic sulfonates, may be involved in establishing and maintaining the cyanobacteria–feathermoss symbiosis. PMID:28800136

  1. Feathermoss and epiphytic Nostoc cooperate differently: expanding the spectrum of plant-cyanobacteria symbiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warshan, Denis; Espinoza, Josh L; Stuart, Rhona K; Richter, R Alexander; Kim, Sea-Yong; Shapiro, Nicole; Woyke, Tanja; C Kyrpides, Nikos; Barry, Kerrie; Singan, Vasanth; Lindquist, Erika; Ansong, Charles; Purvine, Samuel O; M Brewer, Heather; Weyman, Philip D; Dupont, Christopher L; Rasmussen, Ulla

    2017-12-01

    Dinitrogen (N 2 )-fixation by cyanobacteria in symbiosis with feathermosses is the primary pathway of biological nitrogen (N) input into boreal forests. Despite its significance, little is known about the cyanobacterial gene repertoire and regulatory rewiring needed for the establishment and maintenance of the symbiosis. To determine gene acquisitions and regulatory changes allowing cyanobacteria to form and maintain this symbiosis, we compared genomically closely related symbiotic-competent and -incompetent Nostoc strains using a proteogenomics approach and an experimental set up allowing for controlled chemical and physical contact between partners. Thirty-two gene families were found only in the genomes of symbiotic strains, including some never before associated with cyanobacterial symbiosis. We identified conserved orthologs that were differentially expressed in symbiotic strains, including protein families involved in chemotaxis and motility, NO regulation, sulfate/phosphate transport, and glycosyl-modifying and oxidative stress-mediating exoenzymes. The physical moss-cyanobacteria epiphytic symbiosis is distinct from other cyanobacteria-plant symbioses, with Nostoc retaining motility, and lacking modulation of N 2 -fixation, photosynthesis, GS-GOGAT cycle and heterocyst formation. The results expand our knowledge base of plant-cyanobacterial symbioses, provide a model of information and material exchange in this ecologically significant symbiosis, and suggest new currencies, namely nitric oxide and aliphatic sulfonates, may be involved in establishing and maintaining the cyanobacteria-feathermoss symbiosis.

  2. Biochemical Characterization of Putative Adenylate Dimethylallyltransferase and Cytokinin Dehydrogenase from Nostoc sp. PCC 7120.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frébortová, Jitka; Greplová, Marta; Seidl, Michael F; Heyl, Alexander; Frébort, Ivo

    2015-01-01

    Cytokinins, a class of phytohormones, are adenine derivatives common to many different organisms. In plants, these play a crucial role as regulators of plant development and the reaction to abiotic and biotic stress. Key enzymes in the cytokinin synthesis and degradation in modern land plants are the isopentyl transferases and the cytokinin dehydrogenases, respectively. Their encoding genes have been probably introduced into the plant lineage during the primary endosymbiosis. To shed light on the evolution of these proteins, the genes homologous to plant adenylate isopentenyl transferase and cytokinin dehydrogenase were amplified from the genomic DNA of cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 and expressed in Escherichia coli. The putative isopentenyl transferase was shown to be functional in a biochemical assay. In contrast, no enzymatic activity was detected for the putative cytokinin dehydrogenase, even though the principal domains necessary for its function are present. Several mutant variants, in which conserved amino acids in land plant cytokinin dehydrogenases had been restored, were inactive. A combination of experimental data with phylogenetic analysis indicates that adenylate-type isopentenyl transferases might have evolved several times independently. While the Nostoc genome contains a gene coding for protein with characteristics of cytokinin dehydrogenase, the organism is not able to break down cytokinins in the way shown for land plants.

  3. Dry heat tolerance of the dry colony in Nostoc sp. HK-01 for useful usage in space agriculture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Shunta; Tomita-Yokotani, Kaori; Yamashita, Masamichi; Sato, Seigo; Katoh, Hiroshi

    Space agriculture producing foods is important as one of approach for space habitation. Nostoc sp. HK-01 is one of terrestrial cyanobacterium having a high dry tolerance and it has several ability, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation and usefulness as a food, it is thought that it can be used for space agriculture. Besides, a study on each tolerance predicted at the time of introduction to space agriculture is necessary. Therefore, as one of the tolerance that are intended to space environment, dry heat ( 100(°) C, 10 h ) tolerance of dry colony in Nostoc sp. HK-01 has been investigated, but the detail function of them has not yet been elucidated. We focused on the extracellular polysaccharides ( EPS ) having the various tolerance, desiccation, low temperature, NaCl, and heavy particle beam. We will consider the function and useful usage of this cyanobacterum in space agriculture after the consideration of the results of contribution of the possibility that EPS improves dry heat tolerance under a dry condition.

  4. Optimization of macronutrient kinetics for biomass production in Nostoc calcicola

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aiyer, Subramanian Seshadri C.; Akshai, A.; Kumar, B. G. Prakash; Ramachandran, S.

    2018-04-01

    To assess the feasibility of Allen and Arnon’s (AA) media addition to increase the biomass productivity, (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 ml of 10x media concentrate - MC) was added to aerated culture every six days, in two separate conditions i.e., single harvest (SH) and continuous harvest (CH) after 15th day. Results show that with addition of 5 ml of MC produced maximum amount of biomass is 1.32 g/L and 2.88 g/L for Sh and CH respectively. These results show that with addition of 5 ml of MC to an aerated culture every six days with continuous biomass harvesting leads to maximum growth of Nostoc calcicola @25°C

  5. Two-Step Separation of Nostotrebin 6 from Cultivated Soil Cyanobacterium (Nostoc sp.) by High Performance Countercurrent Chromatography

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Cheel, José; Kučerová, P.; Garrard, I.; Ignatova, S.; Hrouzek, Pavel; Kopecký, Jiří

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 19, č. 4 (2014), s. 8773-8787 ISSN 1420-3049 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ED2.1.00/03.0110; GA MŠk EE2.3.30.0059 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : nostotrebin 6 * cyanobacterium * Nostoc * HPLC separation Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.416, year: 2014

  6. Draft Genome Sequences of Sanguibacteroides justesenii, gen. nov., sp. nov., Strains OUH 308042T (= ATCC BAA-2681T) and OUH 334697 (= ATCC BAA-2682), Isolated from Blood Cultures from Two Different Patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sydenham, Thomas Vognbjerg; Hasman, Henrik; Justesen, Ulrik Stenz

    2015-01-01

    We announce here the draft genome sequences of Sanguibacteroides justesenii, gen. nov., sp. nov., strains OUH 308042T (= DSM 28342T = ATCC BAA-2681T) and OUH 334697 (= DSM 28341 = ATCC BAA-2682), isolated from blood cultures from two different patients and composed of 51 and 39 contigs for totals...

  7. Antioxidative activity of ethanol extracts from Spirulina platensis and Nostoc linckia measured by various methods

    OpenAIRE

    Liliana CEPOI; Ludmila RUDI; Vera MISCU; Angela COJOCARI; Tatiana CHIRIAC; Daniela SADOVNIC

    2009-01-01

    The goal of this work is to determine the level of antioxidative activity of various ethanol extracts from Spirulina platensis and Nostoc linckia biomass, and also to demonstrate the possibility to select suitable methods for evaluation of these characteristics. The methods for determination of antioxidative activity were selected concerning their possible use for complex preparations: phosphomolybdenum method for evaluation of antioxidant capacity (PMRC), radical-scavenging activity by DPPH ...

  8. Genome sequence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 8530.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pittet, Vanessa; Ewen, Emily; Bushell, Barry R; Ziola, Barry

    2012-02-01

    Lactobacillus rhamnosus is found in the human gastrointestinal tract and is important for probiotics. We became interested in L. rhamnosus isolate ATCC 8530 in relation to beer spoilage and hops resistance. We report here the genome sequence of this isolate, along with a brief comparison to other available L. rhamnosus genome sequences.

  9. Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 8530

    OpenAIRE

    Pittet, Vanessa; Ewen, Emily; Bushell, Barry R.; Ziola, Barry

    2012-01-01

    Lactobacillus rhamnosus is found in the human gastrointestinal tract and is important for probiotics. We became interested in L. rhamnosus isolate ATCC 8530 in relation to beer spoilage and hops resistance. We report here the genome sequence of this isolate, along with a brief comparison to other available L. rhamnosus genome sequences.

  10. Reclassification of the Specialized Metabolite Producer Pseudomonas mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 as a Member of the Burkholderia cepacia Complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loveridge, E Joel; Jones, Cerith; Bull, Matthew J; Moody, Suzy C; Kahl, Małgorzata W; Khan, Zainab; Neilson, Louis; Tomeva, Marina; Adams, Sarah E; Wood, Andrew C; Rodriguez-Martin, Daniel; Pinel, Ingrid; Parkhill, Julian; Mahenthiralingam, Eshwar; Crosby, John

    2017-07-01

    Pseudomonas mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 is a Gram-negative bacterium, first isolated from Japanese soil samples, that produces the monobactam isosulfazecin and the β-lactam-potentiating bulgecins. To characterize the biosynthetic potential of P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433, its complete genome was determined using single-molecule real-time DNA sequence analysis. The 7.8-Mb genome comprised four replicons, three chromosomal (each encoding rRNA) and one plasmid. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 was misclassified at the time of its deposition and is a member of the Burkholderia cepacia complex, most closely related to Burkholderia ubonensis The sequenced genome shows considerable additional biosynthetic potential; known gene clusters for malleilactone, ornibactin, isosulfazecin, alkylhydroxyquinoline, and pyrrolnitrin biosynthesis and several uncharacterized biosynthetic gene clusters for polyketides, nonribosomal peptides, and other metabolites were identified. Furthermore, P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 harbors many genes associated with environmental resilience and antibiotic resistance and was resistant to a range of antibiotics and metal ions. In summary, this bioactive strain should be designated B. cepacia complex strain ATCC 31433, pending further detailed taxonomic characterization. IMPORTANCE This work reports the complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas mesoacidophila ATCC 31433, a known producer of bioactive compounds. Large numbers of both known and novel biosynthetic gene clusters were identified, indicating that P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 is an untapped resource for discovery of novel bioactive compounds. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 is in fact a member of the Burkholderia cepacia complex, most closely related to the species Burkholderia ubonensis Further investigation of the classification and biosynthetic potential of P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 is warranted. Copyright © 2017

  11. Comparative genome and transcriptome analysis reveals distinctive surface characteristics and unique physiological potentials of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853

    KAUST Repository

    Cao, Huiluo

    2017-06-12

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was isolated from a hospital blood specimen in 1971 and has been widely used as a model strain to survey antibiotics susceptibilities, biofilm development, and metabolic activities of Pseudomonas spp.. Although four draft genomes of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 have been sequenced, the complete genome of this strain is still lacking, hindering a comprehensive understanding of its physiology and functional genome.Here we sequenced and assembled the complete genome of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 using the Pacific Biosciences SMRT (PacBio) technology and Illumina sequencing platform. We found that accessory genes of ATCC 27853 including prophages and genomic islands (GIs) mainly contribute to the difference between P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and other P. aeruginosa strains. Seven prophages were identified within the genome of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853. Of the predicted 25 GIs, three contain genes that encode monoxoygenases, dioxygenases and hydrolases that could be involved in the metabolism of aromatic compounds. Surveying virulence-related genes revealed that a series of genes that encode the B-band O-antigen of LPS are lacking in ATCC 27853. Distinctive SNPs in genes of cellular adhesion proteins such as type IV pili and flagella biosynthesis were also observed in this strain. Colony morphology analysis confirmed an enhanced biofilm formation capability of ATCC 27853 on solid agar surface compared to Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. We then performed transcriptome analysis of ATCC 27853 and PAO1 using RNA-seq and compared the expression of orthologous genes to understand the functional genome and the genomic details underlying the distinctive colony morphogenesis. These analyses revealed an increased expression of genes involved in cellular adhesion and biofilm maturation such as type IV pili, exopolysaccharide and electron transport chain components in ATCC 27853 compared with PAO1. In addition, distinctive expression profiles of the

  12. The application of two-step linear temperature program to thermal analysis for monitoring the lipid induction of Nostoc sp. KNUA003 in large scale cultivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Bongmun; Yoon, Ho-Sung

    2015-02-01

    Recently, microalgae was considered as a renewable energy for fuel production because its production is nonseasonal and may take place on nonarable land. Despite all of these advantages, microalgal oil production is significantly affected by environmental factors. Furthermore, the large variability remains an important problem in measurement of algae productivity and compositional analysis, especially, the total lipid content. Thus, there is considerable interest in accurate determination of total lipid content during the biotechnological process. For these reason, various high-throughput technologies were suggested for accurate measurement of total lipids contained in the microorganisms, especially oleaginous microalgae. In addition, more advanced technologies were employed to quantify the total lipids of the microalgae without a pretreatment. However, these methods are difficult to measure total lipid content in wet form microalgae obtained from large-scale production. In present study, the thermal analysis performed with two-step linear temeperature program was applied to measure heat evolved in temperature range from 310 to 351 °C of Nostoc sp. KNUA003 obtained from large-scale cultivation. And then, we examined the relationship between the heat evolved in 310-351 °C (HE) and total lipid content of the wet Nostoc cell cultivated in raceway. As a result, the linear relationship was determined between HE value and total lipid content of Nostoc sp. KNUA003. Particularly, there was a linear relationship of 98% between the HE value and the total lipid content of the tested microorganism. Based on this relationship, the total lipid content converted from the heat evolved of wet Nostoc sp. KNUA003 could be used for monitoring its lipid induction in large-scale cultivation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) and platelet aggregation in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korpela, R; Moilanen, E; Saxelin, M; Vapaatalo, H

    1997-06-17

    Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is an experimentally and clinically well documented probiotic used in different dairy products. The present study aimed to investigate the safety aspects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, particularly with respect to platelet aggregation, the initiating event in thrombosis. Platelet rich plasma was separated from the blood of healthy volunteers, and the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (ATCC 7469) and Enterococcus faecium T2L6 in different dilutions on spontaneous, ADP- and adrenaline-induced aggregation were tested. The bacteria did not influence spontaneous aggregation. Only Enterococcus faecium T2L6 enhanced the adrenaline-induced aggregation, with a less clear effect on ADP-induced aggregation.

  14. Arsenic Demethylation by a C·As Lyase in Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Yu; Ye, Jun; Xue, Xi-Mei; Zhu, Yong-Guan

    2015-12-15

    Arsenic, a ubiquitous toxic substance, exists mainly as inorganic forms in the environment. It is perceived that organoarsenicals can be demethylated and degraded into inorganic arsenic by microorganisms. Few studies have focused on the mechanism of arsenic demethylation in bacteria. Here, we investigated arsenic demethylation in a typical freshwater cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120. This bacterium was able to demethylate monomethylarsenite [MAs(III)] rapidly to arsenite [As(III)] and also had the ability to demethylate monomethylarsenate [MAs(V)] to As(III). The NsarsI encoding a C·As lyase responsible for MAs(III) demethylation was cloned from Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 and heterologously expressed in an As-hypersensitive strain Escherichia coli AW3110 (ΔarsRBC). Expression of NsarsI was shown to confer MAs(III) resistance through arsenic demethylation. The purified NsArsI was further identified and functionally characterized in vitro. NsArsI existed mainly as the trimeric state, and the kinetic data were well-fit to the Hill equation with K0.5 = 7.55 ± 0.33 μM for MAs(III), Vmax = 0.79 ± 0.02 μM min(-1), and h = 2.7. Both of the NsArsI truncated derivatives lacking the C-terminal 10 residues (ArsI10) or 23 residues (ArsI23) had a reduced ability of MAs(III) demethylation. These results provide new insights for understanding the important role of cyanobacteria in arsenic biogeochemical cycling in the environment.

  15. Cell wall amidase AmiC1 is required for cellular communication and heterocyst development in the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120 but not for filament integrity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berendt, Susanne; Lehner, Josef; Zhang, Yao Vincent; Rasse, Tobias M; Forchhammer, Karl; Maldener, Iris

    2012-10-01

    Filamentous cyanobacteria of the order Nostocales display typical properties of multicellular organisms. In response to nitrogen starvation, some vegetative cells differentiate into heterocysts, where fixation of N(2) takes place. Heterocysts provide a micro-oxic compartment to protect nitrogenase from the oxygen produced by the vegetative cells. Differentiation involves fundamental remodeling of the gram-negative cell wall by deposition of a thick envelope and by formation of a neck-like structure at the contact site to the vegetative cells. Cell wall-hydrolyzing enzymes, like cell wall amidases, are involved in peptidoglycan maturation and turnover in unicellular bacteria. Recently, we showed that mutation of the amidase homologue amiC2 gene in Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 distorts filament morphology and function. Here, we present the functional characterization of two amiC paralogues from Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. The amiC1 (alr0092) mutant was not able to differentiate heterocysts or to grow diazotrophically, whereas the amiC2 (alr0093) mutant did not show an altered phenotype under standard growth conditions. In agreement, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) studies showed a lack of cell-cell communication only in the AmiC1 mutant. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged AmiC1 was able to complement the mutant phenotype to wild-type properties. The protein localized in the septal regions of newly dividing cells and at the neck region of differentiating heterocysts. Upon nitrogen step-down, no mature heterocysts were developed in spite of ongoing heterocyst-specific gene expression. These results show the dependence of heterocyst development on amidase function and highlight a pivotal but so far underestimated cellular process, the remodeling of peptidoglycan, for the biology of filamentous cyanobacteria.

  16. Short Communication: Effects of temperature on growth, pigment composition and protein content of an Antarctic Cyanobacterium Nostoc commune

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    RANJANA TRIPATHI

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Tripathi R, Dhuldhaj UP, Singh S. 2012. Short Communication: Effects of temperature on growth, pigment composition and protein content of an Antarctic Cyanobacterium Nostoc commune. Nusantara Bioscience 4: 134-137. Effect of temperature variation on biomass accumulation, pigment composition and protein content were studied for the cyanobacterium Nostoc commune, isolated from Antarctica. Results confirmed the psychrotrophic behavior (optimum growth temperature 25◦C of the cyanobacterium. Low temperature increased the duration of lag phase and exponential growth phase. Maximum increase in biomass was recorded on 24th day at 25◦C and on 12th day at 50C. The downshift from 25 to 5◦C had almost negligible effect on chl a content. Maximal protein content was recorded for cultures growing at 50C on 12th day. The carotenoids/chl a ratio was maximum (2.48 at 50C on 9th day. It remained almost constant for cultures growing at 5 and 350C. There was an induction in protein synthesis following downshift in temperature from 25 to 5◦C.

  17. Contribution of two ζ-carotene desaturases to the poly-cis desaturation pathway in the cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC 7120.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breitenbach, Jürgen; Bruns, Marius; Sandmann, Gerhard

    2013-07-01

    The presence of two completely unrelated ζ-carotene desaturases CrtQa and CrtQb in some Nostoc strains is unique. CrtQb is the ζ-carotene desaturase, which was acquired by almost all cyanobacteria. The additional CrtQa can be regarded as an evolutionary relict of the CrtI desaturase present in non-photosynthetic bacteria. By reconstruction of the carotene desaturation pathway, we showed that both enzymes from Nostoc PCC 7120 were active. However, they differed in their preferred utilization of ζ-carotene Z isomers. CrtQa converted ζ-carotene isomers that were poorly metabolized by CrtQb. In this respect, CrtQa complemented the reactions of CrtQb, which is an advantage avoiding dead ends in the poly-cis desaturation pathway. In addition to ζ-carotene desaturation, CrtQa still possesses the Z to E isomerase function of the ancestral desaturase CrtI. Biochemical characterization showed that CrtQb is an enzyme with one molecule of tightly bound FAD and acts as a dehydrogenase transferring hydrogen to oxidized plastoquinone.

  18. Fungal lectin of Peltigera canina induces chemotropism of compatible Nostoc cells by constriction-relaxation pulses of cyanobiont cytoskeleton.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz, Eva Maria; Vicente-Manzanares, Miguel; Sacristan, Mara; Vicente, Carlos; Legaz, Maria-Estrella

    2011-10-01

    A glycosylated arginase acting as a fungal lectin from Peltigera canina is able to produce recruitment of cyanobiont Nostoc cells and their adhesion to the hyphal surface. This implies that the cyanobiont would develop organelles to motility towards the chemoattractant. However when visualized by transmission electron microscopy, Nostoc cells recently isolated from P. canina thallus do not reveal any motile, superficial organelles, although their surface was covered by small spindles and serrated layer related to gliding. The use of S-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)isothiourea, blebbistatin, phalloidin and latrunculin A provide circumstantial evidence that actin microfilaments rather than MreB, the actin-like protein from prokaryota, and, probably, an ATPase which develops contractile function similar to that of myosin II, are involved in cell motility. These experimental facts, the absence of superficial elements (fimbriae, pili or flagellum) related to cell movement, and the appearance of sunken cells during of after movement verified by scanning electron microscopy, support the hypothesis that the motility of lichen cyanobionts could be achieved by contraction-relaxation episodes of the cytoskeleton induced by fungal lectin act as a chemoattractant.

  19. Improvement of endophytic Azospirillum colonization by co-inoculation with Cellulomonas Uda ATCC 491

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Javad Mehdipour Moghaddam

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Most of the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR such as Azopirillum if accompanied with strong cellulase producing bacteria such as Cellulomonas, their colonization may be increased and their host plants growth improved. Materials and methods: Six endophytic Azospirilla which isolated from three rice and three wheat cultivars and also one strain from commercial biofertilizer (Green Biotech Co., identified by biochemical tests and 16S rDNA analysis and were studied on the basis of cellulase, pectinase and auxin production and also their chemotaxis toward rice and wheat cultivars exudates was investigated. Two cellulase positive (A5 and A6 and two negative (A2 and A3 strains were selected and their interaction with C. uda ATCC 491 on auxin production and colonization on roots were compared. Results: This study showed that none of the strains had pectinase activity, but the strain isolated from rice had more Carboxy methyl cellulase (CMCase activity. Selected isolates and C. uda ATCC 491 showed chemotaxis toward roots exudates. In most of the isolates, rate of auxin production increased by coculture with C. uda ATCC 491. Also, it was determined that C. uda ATCC 491 promoted the colonization of Azospirillum without or with cellulase activity on rice and wheat roots, respectively. Discussion and conclusion: Co-inoculation Azospirillum with C. uda ATCC 491 improves plant root system due to stimulation or additive effect of auxin production and cellulase activity, followed by more uptakes of water and minerals by roots. Also, it raises the number of colonization niches for useful bacteria such as Azospirillum and finally quantitative and qualitative plant parameters.

  20. Establishment of an isolation method of Nostoc commune cells free from extracellular polysaccharides (EPS using Percoll centrifugation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Makiko Kosugi

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune Vaucher ex Bornet et Flahault occurs worldwide, including in Japan and Antarctica. N. commune has a large amount of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS that hold moisture and protect the cells and at the same time accumulate light-blocking substances which is believed to play an important part in adaptation to a severe environment. To evaluate the photoadaptation processes in N. commune and clarify the role(s of EPS under ambient environmental condition at Antarctica, separation of cells from EPS is necessary. High yield is a prerequisite for the use of only small amount of natural N. commune from Antarctica. For this purpose, we developed a separation method by improving the Percoll density gradient centrifugation method using an EPS-coated field-grown Nostoc population. We established the most suitable condition to separate naked cells from EPS at high yield retaining high photosynthetic activity. The method is composed of centrifugation of cell homogenated N. commune in 10% (v/v Percoll to separate cells efficiently from EPS followed by fractionating centrifugation to remove impurities using the gradient of Percoll (80% and 50%, v/v.

  1. Isoprenoid hydrocarbons produced by thermal alteration of Nostoc muscorum and Rhodopseudomonas spheroides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philp, R. P.; Brown, S.; Calvin, M.

    1978-01-01

    The potential of algae and photosynthetic bacteria to serve as precursors of kerogen was studied to determine what factors affect the relative rates of formation of precursor hydrocarbons. Cells of Nostoc muscorum and Rhodopseudomonas spheroides were subjected to thermal alteration (by heating samples in glass tubes sealed under nitrogen) for two, four, and twelve weeks. Both unextracted and extracted cells in the absence and presence of montmorillonite were investigated, and the isoprenoid hydrocarbons produced in these experiments were determined. Phytane and five isomeric phytenes were the main hydrocarbons observed; their relative rates of formation in the different experimental conditions are described. No phytadienes, pristane, or pristenes were detected.

  2. Expression of arsenic resistance genes in the obligate anaerobe Bacteroides vulgatus ATCC 8482, a gut microbiome bacterium

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Jiaojiao; Mandal, Goutam; Rosen, Barry P.

    2016-01-01

    The response of the obligate anaerobe Bacteroides vulgatus ATCC 8482, a common human gut microbiota, to arsenic was determined. B. vulgatus ATCC 8482 is highly resistant to pentavalent As(V) and methylarsenate (MAs(V)). It is somewhat more sensitive to trivalent inorganic As(III) but 100-fold more sensitive to methylarsenite (MAs(III)) than to As(III). B. vulgatus ATCC 8482 has eight continuous genes in its genome that we demonstrate form an arsenical-inducible transcriptional unit. The first...

  3. The mechanisms of protection of antioxidants on Nostoc sphaeroides against UV-B radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, G. H.

    UV radiation is one of space harmful factor for earth organisms in space exploration In the present work we studied on the role of antioxidant system in Nostoc sphaeroides K u tz Cyanobacteria and the effects of exogenous antioxidant molecules on its photosynthetic rate under UV-B radiation It was found that UV-B radiation decreased the photosynthetic activity of cyanobacterium but promoted the activity of antioxidant system to protect photosystem II PSII and exogenous antioxidant sodium nitroprusside SNP N-acetylcysteine NAC had an obvious protection on PSII activity under UV-B radiation The activity of SOD Superoxide Dismutase EC 1 15 1 1 CAT Catalase EC 1 11 1 6 POD Peroxidase EC 1 11 1 7 and content of MDA and ASC were improved by 0 5mM and 1mM SNP but 0 1mM SNP decreased the activity of antioxide system Exogenous NAC addition decreased the activity of SOD POD CAT and the content MDA and ASC but exogenous NAC addition increased the content of GSH The results suggested that exogenous SNP and NAC may protect algae by different mechanisms in which SNP maybe play double roles as sources of reactive free radicals or ROS scavengers in formation of algae s protection of PSII under UV-B radiation while NAC does function as antioxidant reagent or precursor of glutathione which could protect PSII directly from UV-B radiation Keyword antioxidant system exogenous or endogenous antioxidant Nostoc sphaeroides photosynthesis UV-B radiation

  4. Stability of free and encapsulated Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 in yogurt and in an artificial human gastric digestion system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortakci, F; Sert, S

    2012-12-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the effect of encapsulation on survival of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 (ATCC 4356) in yogurt and during artificial gastric digestion. Strain ATCC 4356 was added to yogurt either encapsulated in calcium alginate or in free form (unencapsulated) at levels of 8.26 and 9.47 log cfu/g, respectively, and the influence of alginate capsules (1.5 to 2.5mm) on the sensorial characteristics of yogurts was investigated. The ATCC 4356 strain was introduced into an artificial gastric solution consisting of 0.08 N HCl (pH 1.5) containing 0.2% NaCl or into artificial bile juice consisting of 1.2% bile salts in de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe broth to determine the stability of the probiotic bacteria. When incubated for 2h in artificial gastric juice, the free ATCC 4356 did not survive (reduction of >7 log cfu/g). We observed, however, greater survival of encapsulated ATCC 4356, with a reduction of only 3 log cfu/g. Incubation in artificial bile juice (6 h) did not significantly affect the viability of free or encapsulated ATCC 4356. Moreover, statistically significant reductions (~1 log cfu/g) of both free and encapsulated ATCC 4356 were observed during 4-wk refrigerated storage of yogurts. The addition of probiotic cultures in free or alginate-encapsulated form did not significantly affect appearance/color or flavor/odor of the yogurts. However, significant deficiencies were found in body/texture of yogurts containing encapsulated ATCC 4356. We concluded that incorporation of free and encapsulated probiotic bacteria did not substantially change the overall sensory properties of yogurts, and encapsulation in alginate using the extrusion method greatly enhanced the survival of probiotic bacteria against an artificial human gastric digestive system. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Effect of UV-B and high visual radiation on photosynthesis in freshwater (nostoc spongiaeforme) and marine (Phormidium corium) cyanobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhandari, Rupali; Sharma, Prabhat Kumar

    2007-08-01

    Human activity is causing depletion of ozone in stratosphere, resulting in increased UV-B radiation and global warming. However, impact of these climatic changes on the aquatic organism (especially marine) is not fully understood. Here, we have studied the effect of excess UV-B and visible radiation on photosynthetic pigments, fatty acids content, lipid peroxidation, nitrogen content, nitrogen reductase activity and membrane proteins, induction of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in freshwater (Nostoc spongiaeform) and marine (Phormidium corium) cyanobacteria. UV-B treatment resulted in an increase in photosynthetic pigments in Nostoc and decrease in Phormidium, but high light treatment caused photobleaching of most of the pigments in both the species. Unsaturation level of fatty acids of both total and glycolipids remained unchanged in both the cyanobacteria, as a result of UV-B and high light treatments. Saturated fatty acids of total and glycolipids declined slightly in Nostoc by both the treatments. but remained unchanged in Phormidium. No changes in the unsaturated lipid content in our study probably suggested adaptation of the organism to the treatments. However, both treatments resulted in peroxidation of membrane lipids, indicating oxidative damage to lipids without any change in the level of unsaturation of fatty acid in the cell membrane. Qualitative and quantitative changes were observed in membrane protein profile due to the treatments. Cyanobacteria were able to synthesize MAAs in response to the UV-B treatment. Both treatments also increased the activities of SOD and APX. In conclusion, the study demonstrated induction of antioxidants such as SOD and APX under visible light treatment and screening pigment (MAAs) under UV-B treatment, which might protect the cyanobacteria from oxidative damage caused by high light and UV-B radiation.

  6. Antibacterial activity of synthetic peptides derived from lactoferricin against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212.

    Science.gov (United States)

    León-Calvijo, María A; Leal-Castro, Aura L; Almanzar-Reina, Giovanni A; Rosas-Pérez, Jaiver E; García-Castañeda, Javier E; Rivera-Monroy, Zuly J

    2015-01-01

    Peptides derived from human and bovine lactoferricin were designed, synthesized, purified, and characterized using RP-HPLC and MALDI-TOF-MS. Specific changes in the sequences were designed as (i) the incorporation of unnatural amino acids in the sequence, the (ii) reduction or (iii) elongation of the peptide chain length, and (iv) synthesis of molecules with different number of branches containing the same sequence. For each peptide, the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 was evaluated. Our results showed that Peptides I.2 (RWQWRWQWR) and I.4 ((RRWQWR)4K2Ahx2C2) exhibit bigger or similar activity against E. coli (MIC 4-33 μM) and E. faecalis (MIC 10-33 μM) when they were compared with lactoferricin protein (LF) and some of its derivate peptides as II.1 (FKCRRWQWRMKKLGA) and IV.1 (FKCRRWQWRMKKLGAPSITCVRRAE). It should be pointed out that Peptides I.2 and I.4, containing the RWQWR motif, are short and easy to synthesize; our results demonstrate that it is possible to design and obtain synthetic peptides that exhibit enhanced antibacterial activity using a methodology that is fast and low-cost and that allows obtaining products with a high degree of purity and high yield.

  7. Antibacterial Activity of Synthetic Peptides Derived from Lactoferricin against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María A. León-Calvijo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Peptides derived from human and bovine lactoferricin were designed, synthesized, purified, and characterized using RP-HPLC and MALDI-TOF-MS. Specific changes in the sequences were designed as (i the incorporation of unnatural amino acids in the sequence, the (ii reduction or (iii elongation of the peptide chain length, and (iv synthesis of molecules with different number of branches containing the same sequence. For each peptide, the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 was evaluated. Our results showed that Peptides I.2 (RWQWRWQWR and I.4 ((RRWQWR4K2Ahx2C2 exhibit bigger or similar activity against E. coli (MIC 4–33 μM and E. faecalis (MIC 10–33 μM when they were compared with lactoferricin protein (LF and some of its derivate peptides as II.1 (FKCRRWQWRMKKLGA and IV.1 (FKCRRWQWRMKKLGAPSITCVRRAE. It should be pointed out that Peptides I.2 and I.4, containing the RWQWR motif, are short and easy to synthesize; our results demonstrate that it is possible to design and obtain synthetic peptides that exhibit enhanced antibacterial activity using a methodology that is fast and low-cost and that allows obtaining products with a high degree of purity and high yield.

  8. Draft Genome Sequence of the Microbispora sp. Strain ATCC-PTA-5024, Producing the Lantibiotic NAI-107

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sosio, M.; Gallo, G.; Pozzi, R.

    2014-01-01

    We report the draft genome sequence of Microbispora sp. strain ATCC-PTA-5024, a soil isolate that produces NAI-107, a new lantibiotic with the potential to treat life-threatening infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. The draft genome of strain Microbispora sp. ATCC...

  9. UV-induced developmental abnormalities in the filamentous blue-green alga Nostoc linckia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tiwari, D.N.

    1978-01-01

    Germinating spores of Nostoc linckia showed higher resistance against UV-irradiation compared to resting spores, maximal resistance being attained more rapidly in the presence of ammonium nitrogen. UV-irradiated germinating spores on further growth formed colonies consisting of abnormally large and spheroidal cells under non-photoreactivating conditions. The formation and fate of these abnormal cells was followed in detail in a mutant clone (M-5) raised from such a colony. Many of these cells formed spores which on return to growth-conducdive conditions germinated giving rise to different types of germlings from the abnormals which in certain cases proved lethal. The possibility of a transient polyenergidic and/or heterozygous state of these 'giant' cells has been discussed. (author)

  10. Cytotoxicity and Secondary Metabolites Production in Terrestrial Nostoc Strains, Originating From Different Climatic/Geographic Regions and Habitats: Is Their Cytotoxicity Environmentally Dependent?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hrouzek, Pavel; Tomek, P.; Lukešová, Alena; Urban, J.; Voloshko, L.; Pushparaj, B.; Ventura, S.; Lukavský, Jaromír; Štys, D.; Kopecký, J.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 26, č. 4 (2011), s. 345-358 ISSN 1520-4081 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60050516; CEZ:AV0Z60660521; CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : cytotoxicity * cyanobacteria * nostoc Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.407, year: 2011

  11. Characterization of germination receptors of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hornstra, L.M.; Vries, de Y.P.; Wells-Bennik, M.H.J.; Vos, de W.M.; Abee, T.

    2006-01-01

    Specific amino acids, purine ribonucleosides, or a combination of the two is required for efficient germination of endospores of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579. A survey including 20 different amino acids showed that L-alanine, L-cysteine, L-threonine, and L-glutamine are capable of initiating the

  12. Functional characterization of a cadmium resistance operon in Staphylococcus aureus ATCC12600: CadC does not function as a repressor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoogewerf, Arlene J; Dyk, Lisa A Van; Buit, Tyler S; Roukema, David; Resseguie, Emily; Plaisier, Christina; Le, Nga; Heeringa, Lee; Griend, Douglas A Vander

    2015-02-01

    Sequencing of a cadmium resistance operon from a Staphylococcus aureus ATCC12600 plasmid revealed that it is identical to a cadCA operon found in MRSA strains. Compared to plasmid-cured and cadC-mutant strains, cadC-positive ATCC12600 cells had increased resistance to cadmium (1 mg ml(-1) cadmium sulfate) and zinc (4 mg ml(-1) zinc sulfate), but not to other metal ions. After growth in media containing 20 µg ml(-1) cadmium sulfate, cadC-mutant cells contained more intracellular cadmium than cadC-positive ATCC12600 cells, suggesting that cadC absence results in impaired cadmium efflux. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were performed with CadC proteins encoded by the S. aureus ATCC12600 plasmid and by the cadC gene of pI258, which is known to act as a transcriptional repressor and shares only 47% protein sequence identity with ATCC12600 CadC. Mobility shifts occurred when pI258 CadC protein was incubated with the promoter DNA-regions from the pI258 and S. aureus ATCC12600 cadCA operons, but did not occur with S. aureus ATCC12600 CadC protein, indicating that the ATCC12600 CadC protein does not interact with promoter region DNA. This cadCA operon, found in MRSA strains and previously functionally uncharacterized, increases resistance to cadmium and zinc by an efflux mechanism, and CadC does not function as a transcriptional repressor. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Monitoring the ethanol stress response of a sigM deletion strain of B. cereus ATCC 14579.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voort, van der M.

    2008-01-01

    Here, the role of σM and its regulon in stress response and survival of B. cereus ATCC 14579 was assessed by comparative transciptome and phenotypic analysis of this strain and its sigM deletion strain. Exposure of B. cereus ATCC 14579 to a wide range of stresses revealed expression of sigM,

  14. Complete genome sequence of cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. NIES-3756, a potentially useful strain for phytochrome-based bioengineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirose, Yuu; Fujisawa, Takatomo; Ohtsubo, Yoshiyuki; Katayama, Mitsunori; Misawa, Naomi; Wakazuki, Sachiko; Shimura, Yohei; Nakamura, Yasukazu; Kawachi, Masanobu; Yoshikawa, Hirofumi; Eki, Toshihiko; Kanesaki, Yu

    2016-01-20

    To explore the diverse photoreceptors of cyanobacteria, we isolated Nostoc sp. strain NIES-3756 from soil at Mimomi-Park, Chiba, Japan, and determined its complete genome sequence. The Genome consists of one chromosome and two plasmids (total 6,987,571 bp containing no gaps). The NIES-3756 strain carries 7 phytochrome and 12 cyanobacteriochrome genes, which will facilitate the studies of phytochrome-based bioengineering. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Influence of a non-copper algicide on the cyanobacterium, Nostoc spongiaeforme, and the green alga, Hydrodictyon reticulatum, in field and laboratory experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cyanobacteria grow in California rice fields where they form large mats that may smoother seedlings or cause them to dislodge, resulting in yield loss. The most troublesome species is Nostoc spongiaeforme. It is very difficult to control using currently accepted methods, i.e., aerial applications of...

  16. [Influence of cross-protection on the survival of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Feng; Zhang, Juan; Du, Guocheng; Chen, Jian

    2010-04-01

    In this study, we investigated the cross-protection of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 under multi-stress conditions. Cells pre-adapted to mild conditions (heat, H2O2, acid or bile salts) were then treated at lethal temperature (> 60 degrees C) or hydrogen peroxide stress (> 5 mmol/L). Furthermore, the changes of survival rate intracellular pH and membrane fatty acid under lethal conditions with or without acid adaption were compared. The cross-protection in Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 were affected by different stress conditions. Acid pre-adaption, especially hydrochloride treatment, would increase the resistance of cells to lethal heat and peroxide stresses significantly, with the survival rate of 305-fold and 173-fold, respectively. Further study suggested that the effect of acid pre-adaption might be related to the regulation on intracellular pH and the saturation of cell membrane. Hydrochloride adaption was the best inducer for the cross-protection of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 to maintain relatively stable physiological status of cells. The results supplied a novel way to investigate the relationship between different protective mechanisms in L. casei under different kinds of stresses.

  17. Stability Comparison of Free and Encapsulated Lactobacilus casei ATCC 393 in Yoghurt for Long Time Storage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oana Lelia POP

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available An innovative method of L. casei ATCC 393 encapsulation has been reported in the present study using pectin combined with alginate. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of encapsulation on the survival of L. casei ATCC 393 in yoghurt during long time storage, free or encapsulated in alginate and alginate pectin microspheres, and influence over yoghurt properties, particularly acidification. Over 35 days of storage in yoghurt, the encapsulated probiotic cells proved a higher viability compared with free probiotic cells. An even higher viability and stability was observed for the samples where pectin was used. Pectin acts as prebiotic during encapsulation of L. casei ATCC 393.

  18. Antibacterial activity of antagonistic bacterium Bacillus subtilis DJM-51 against phytopathogenic Clavibacter michiganense subsp. michiganense ATCC 7429 in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, W J; Mabood, F; Souleimanov, A; Whyte, L G; Niederberger, T D; Smith, D L

    2014-12-01

    To investigate antibacterial activity against the tomato pathogen Clavibacter michiganense subsp. michiganense ATCC 7429 (Cmm ATCC 7429), Bacillus subtilis DJM-51 was isolated from rhizosphere soil. For isolation of bacteria, samples were taken from rhizosphere soil. The isolate, DJA-51, had strong antagonistic ability against Tomato pathogen Cmm ATCC 7429 on nutrient-broth yeast extract agar (NBYA) as indicated by inhibition zones around colonies. On the basis of the nucleotide sequence of a conserved segment of the 16S rRNA gene, the bacterium has been identified as B. subtilis DJM-51. The growth of Cmm ATCC 7429 on NBYA plates was inhibited by culture broth of B. subtilis DJM-51 including cells, by the supernatant of culture broth of B. subtilis DJM-51, and by the liquid material resulting from butanol extract of bacterial cultures. The OD value in co-culture mixture was lower than the control throughout the entire incubation period. Antibiotics obtained from B. subtilis DJM-51 inhibited the growth of Tomato pathogen Cmm ATCC 7429. These results provide potentially information about the protection of tomato from pathogen Cmm ATCC 7429 under greenhouse conditions in Quebec. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Space-environmental tolerances in a cyanobacterium, Nostoc sp. HK-01

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomita-Yokotani, Kaori; Yokobori, Shin-ichi; Kimura, Shunta; Sato, Seigo; Katoh, Hiroshi; Ajioka, Reiko; Yamagishi, Akihiko; Inoue, Kotomi

    2016-07-01

    We have been investigating the tolerances to space-environments of a cyanobacterium, Nostoc sp. HK-01 (hereafter referred to as HK-01). Dry colonies of HK-01 had high tolerance to dry conditions, but more detailed information about tolerance to high-temperature, UV, gamma-ray and heavy particle beams were not deeply investigated. The obtained dry colonies of HK-01 after exposure to each of the conditions described above were investigated. In all of the tested colonies of HK-01 after exposure, all or some of the cells in the colonies were alive. One of the purposes of space agriculture is growing plants on Mars. In the early stages, of our research, cyanobacteria are introduced on Mars to promote the oxidation of the atmosphere and the formation of soil from Mars's regolith. HK-01 will contribute to each of these factors in the future.

  20. Complete Genome Sequence of Mycobacterium vaccae Type Strain ATCC 25954

    KAUST Repository

    Ho, Y. S.

    2012-10-26

    Mycobacterium vaccae is a rapidly growing, nontuberculous Mycobacterium species that is generally not considered a human pathogen and is of major pharmaceutical interest as an immunotherapeutic agent. We report here the annotated genome sequence of the M. vaccae type strain, ATCC 25954.

  1. Complete Genome Sequence of Mycobacterium vaccae Type Strain ATCC 25954

    KAUST Repository

    Ho, Y. S.; Adroub, S. A.; Abadi, Maram; Al Alwan, B.; Alkhateeb, R.; Gao, G.; Ragab, A.; Ali, Shahjahan; van Soolingen, D.; Bitter, W.; Pain, Arnab; Abdallah, A. M.

    2012-01-01

    Mycobacterium vaccae is a rapidly growing, nontuberculous Mycobacterium species that is generally not considered a human pathogen and is of major pharmaceutical interest as an immunotherapeutic agent. We report here the annotated genome sequence of the M. vaccae type strain, ATCC 25954.

  2. Investigation of the Amycolatopsis sp. strain ATCC 39116 vanillin dehydrogenase and its impact on the biotechnical production of vanillin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleige, Christian; Hansen, Gunda; Kroll, Jens; Steinbüchel, Alexander

    2013-01-01

    The actinomycete Amycolatopsis sp. strain ATCC 39116 is capable of synthesizing large amounts of vanillin from ferulic acid, which is a natural cell wall component of higher plants. The desired intermediate vanillin is subject to undesired catabolism caused by the metabolic activity of a hitherto unknown vanillin dehydrogenase (VDH(ATCC 39116)). In order to prevent the oxidation of vanillin to vanillic acid and thereby to obtain higher yields and concentrations of vanillin, the responsible vanillin dehydrogenase in Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 was investigated for the first time by using data from our genome sequence analysis and further bioinformatic approaches. The vdh gene was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, and the encoded vanillin dehydrogenase was characterized in detail. VDH(ATCC 39116) was purified to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity and exhibited NAD(+)-dependent activity toward vanillin, coniferylaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, and benzaldehyde. The enzyme showed its highest level of activity toward vanillin at pH 8.0 and at a temperature of 44°C. In a next step, a precise vdh deletion mutant of Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 was generated. The mutant lost its ability to grow on vanillin and did not show vanillin dehydrogenase activity. A 2.3-times-higher vanillin concentration and a substantially reduced amount of vanillic acid occurred with the Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 Δvdh::Km(r) mutant when ferulic acid was provided for biotransformation in a cultivation experiment on a 2-liter-bioreactor scale. Based on these results and taking further metabolic engineering into account, the Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 Δvdh::Km(r) mutant represents an optimized and industrially applicable platform for the biotechnological production of natural vanillin.

  3. Optimization of the medium composition for production of antimicrobial substances by bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rončević Zorana Z.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In the effort to overcome the increase in antimicrobial resistance of different pathogens, natural products from microbial sources appear to be the most favorable alternative to current antibiotics. Production of antimicrobial compounds is highly dependent on the nutritional conditions. Hence, in order to achieve high product yields, selection of the media constituents and optimization of their concentrations are required. In this research, the possibility of antimicrobial substances production using Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 was investigated. Also, optimization of the cultivation medium composition in terms of contents of glycerol, sodium nitrite and phosphates was done. Response surface methodology and the method of desirability function were applied for determination of optimal values of the examined factors. The developed model predicts that the maximum inhibition zone diameters for Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876 (33.50 mm and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (12.00 mm are achieved when the initial contents of glycerol, sodium nitrite and phosphates were 43.72 g/L, 1.93 g/L and 5.64 g/L, respectively. The results of these experiments suggest that further research should include the utilization of crude glycerol as a carbon source and optimization of composition of such media and cultivation conditions in order to improve production of antimicrobial substances using Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633.

  4. Effect of UV-B on enzymes of nitrogen metabolism in the cyanobacterium Nostoc calcicola

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, A.; Sinha, R.P.; Häder, D. P.

    1996-01-01

    The effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280–315 nm) irradiation on nitrogenase and nitrate reductase (NR) activity have been studied in the filamentous and heterocystous N 2 -fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc calcicola. Exposure of cultures to UV-B (5W/m 2 ) for as little as 30 min caused complete inactivation of nitrogenase activity whereas nitrate reductase activity was stimulated twofold in comparison to one exposed to fluorescent white light. GS activity was also inhibited by UV-B treatment, but there was no total loss of activity even after 4 h. NR activity showed a gradual stimulation up to 4 h and thereafter it became constant. Stimulation was also obtained in reductant deficient cultures (12 h incubation in the dark) suggesting independence of NR of PS-II under UV-B. NR activity was also unaffected in the presence of DCMU, a known inhibitor of PS-II. However, both O 2 evolution and 14 CO 2 uptake were completely abolished following 30 min of UV-B treatment. Addition of the protein synthesis inhibitor chloramphenicol (25 μg/mL) to cultures did not show any inhibitory effect on NR activity. SDS-PAGE analysis of UV-B treated cultures elicited gradual loss of protein bands with increasing duration of exposure. Our findings suggest that UV-B irradiance has differential effects on the enzymes of the nitrogen metabolism in the cyanobacterium Nostoc calcicola. Further studies are needed to reveal the exact mechanism involved in the stimulation of NR activity by UV-B. Whether UV-B has a direct effect on NO 2 − accumulation in the cells needs detailed investigation. (author)

  5. Effect of nitrogen source concentration on curdlan production by Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 grown on prairie cordgrass hydrolysates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Thomas P

    2016-01-01

    The effect of nitrogen source concentration on the production of the polysaccharide curdlan by the bacterium Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 from hydrolysates of prairie cordgrass was examined. The highest curdlan concentrations were produced by ATCC 31749 when grown on a medium containing a solids-only hydrolysate and the nitrogen source ammonium phosphate (2.2 mM) or on a medium containing a complete hydrolysate and 3.3 mM ammonium phosphate. The latter medium sustained a higher level of bacterial curdlan production than the former medium after 144 hr. Biomass production by ATCC 31749 was highest after 144 hr when grown on a medium containing a solids-only hydrolysate and 2.2 or 8.7 mM ammonium phosphate. On the medium containing the complete hydrolysate, biomass production by ATCC 31749 was highest after 144 hr when 3.3 mM ammonium phosphate was present. Bacterial biomass production after 144 hr was greater on the complete hydrolysate medium compared to the solids-only hydrolysate medium. Curdlan yield produced by ATCC 31749 after 144 hr from the complete hydrolysate medium containing 3.3 mM ammonium phosphate was higher than from the solids-only hydrolysate medium containing 2.2 mM ammonium phosphate.

  6. The role of filamentous hemagglutinin adhesin in adherence and biofilm formation in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC19606(T).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darvish Alipour Astaneh, Shakiba; Rasooli, Iraj; Mousavi Gargari, Seyed Latif

    2014-09-01

    Filamentous hemagglutinin adhesins (FHA) are key factors for bacterial attachment and subsequent cell accumulation on substrates. Here an FHA-like Outer membrane (OM) adhesin of Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC19606(T) was displayed on Escherichia coli. The candidate autotransporter (AT) genes were identified in A. baumannii ATCC19606(T) genome. The exoprotein (FhaB1) and transporter (FhaC1) were produced independently within the same cell (FhaB1C1). The fhaC1 was mutated. In vitro adherence to epithelial cells of the recombinant FhaB1C1 and the mutant strains were compared with A. baumanni ATCC19606(T). A bivalent chimeric protein (K) composed of immunologically important portions of fhaB1 (B) and fhaC1 (C) was constructed. The mice vaccinated with chimeric protein were challenged with A. baumannii ATCC19606(T) and FhaB1C1 producing recombinant E. coli. Mutations in the fhaC1 resulted in the absence of FhaB1 in the OM. Expression of FhaB1C1 enhanced the adherence of recombinant bacteria to A546 bronchial cell line. The results revealed association of FhaB1 with bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Immunization with a combination of recombinant B and K proteins proved protective against A. baumanni ATCC19606(T). The findings may be applied in active and passive immunization strategies against A. baumannii. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. An Engineered Split Intein for Photoactivated Protein Trans-Splicing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stanley Wong

    Full Text Available Protein splicing is mediated by inteins that auto-catalytically join two separated protein fragments with a peptide bond. Here we engineered a genetically encoded synthetic photoactivatable intein (named LOVInC, by using the light-sensitive LOV2 domain from Avena sativa as a switch to modulate the splicing activity of the split DnaE intein from Nostoc punctiforme. Periodic blue light illumination of LOVInC induced protein splicing activity in mammalian cells. To demonstrate the broad applicability of LOVInC, synthetic protein systems were engineered for the light-induced reassembly of several target proteins such as fluorescent protein markers, a dominant positive mutant of RhoA, caspase-7, and the genetically encoded Ca2+ indicator GCaMP2. Spatial precision of LOVInC was demonstrated by targeting activity to specific mammalian cells. Thus, LOVInC can serve as a general platform for engineering light-based control for modulating the activity of many different proteins.

  8. Study on activity measurement of Nostoc flagelliforme cells based on color identification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yizhong; Su, Jianyu; Liu, Tiegen; Kong, Fanzhi; Jia, Shiru

    2008-12-01

    In order to measure the activities of Nostoc flagelliforme cells, a new method based on color identification was proposed in this paper. N. flagelliforme cells were colored with fluoreseein diaeetate. Then, an image of colored N. flagelliforme cells was taken, and changed from RGB model to HIS model. Its histogram of hue H was calculated, which was used as the input of a designed BP network. The output of the BP network was the description of measured activity of N. flagelliforme cells. After training, the activity of N. flagelliforme cells was identified by the BP network according to the histogram of H of their colored image. Experiments were conducted with satisfied results to show the feasibility and usefulness of activity measurement of N. flagelliforme cells based on color identification.

  9. Effect of nitrogen source on curdlan production by Alcaligenes faecalis ATCC 31749.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Longfa

    2013-01-01

    This study aims to investigate the effect of nitrogen source on curdlan production by Alcaligenes faecalis ATCC 31749. Curdlan production fell when excess nitrogen source was present, while biomass accumulation increased as the level of nitrogen source raised. Curdlan production and biomass accumulation were greater with urea compared with those with other nitrogen sources. The highest production of curdlan and biomass accumulation by A. faecalis ATCC 31749 was 28.16 g L(-1) and 9.58 g L(-1), respectively, with urea, whereas those with NH(4)Cl were 15.17 g L(-1) and 6.25 g L(-1), respectively. The optimum fermentation time for curdlan production was also affected by the nitrogen source in the medium. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Identification of the n-1 fatty acid as an antibacterial constituent from the edible freshwater cyanobacterium Nostoc verrucosum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oku, Naoya; Yonejima, Kohsuke; Sugawa, Takao; Igarashi, Yasuhiro

    2014-01-01

    The cyanobacterium Nostoc verrucosum occurs in cool, clear streams and its gelatinous colonies, called "ashitsuki," have been eaten in ancient Japan. Its ethanolic extract was found to inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and activity-guided fractionation yielded an unusual n-1 fatty acid, (9Z,12Z)-9,12,15-hexadecatrienoic acid (1), as one of the active principles. It inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus at MIC 64 μg/mL.

  11. Effects of macro nutrient concentration on biological N2 fixation by Azotobacter vinelandii ATCC 12837

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liew Pauline Woan Ying; Nazalan Najimudin; Jong Bor Chyan; Latiffah Noordin; Khairuddin Abdul Rahim; Amir Hamzah Ahmad Ghazali

    2010-01-01

    The dynamic changes of biological N 2 fixation by Azotobacter vinelandii ATCC 12837 under the influence of various macro nutrients, specifically phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), was investigated. In this attempt, Oryza sativa L. var. MR 219 was used as the model plant. Results obtained showed changes in the biological N 2 fixation activities with different macro nutrient(s) manipulations. The research activity enables optimisation of macro nutrients concentration for optimal/ enhanced biological N 2 fixation by A. vinelandii ATCC 12837. (author)

  12. Construction of expression vectors for metabolic engineering of the vanillin-producing actinomycete Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleige, Christian; Steinbüchel, Alexander

    2014-01-01

    Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 is able to synthesize the important flavoring agent vanillin from cheap natural substrates. The bacterium is therefore of great interest for the industry and used for the fermentative production of vanillin. In order to improve the production of natural vanillin with Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116, the strain has been genetically engineered to optimize the metabolic flux towards the desired product. Extensive metabolic engineering was hitherto hampered, due to the lack of genetic tools like functional promoters and expression vectors. In this study, we report the establishment of a plasmid-based gene expression system for Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 that allows a further manipulation of the genotype. Four new Escherichia coli-Amycolatopsis shuttle vectors harboring different promoter elements were constructed, and the functionality of these regulatory elements was proven by the expression of the reporter gene gusA, encoding a β-glucuronidase. Glucuronidase activity was detected in all plasmid-harboring strains, and remarkable differences in the expression strength of the reporter gene depending on the used promoter were observed. The new expression vectors will promote the further genetic engineering of Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 to get insight into the metabolic network and to improve the strain for a more efficient industrial use.

  13. BMAA Inhibits Nitrogen Fixation in the Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berntzon, Lotta; Erasmie, Sven; Celepli, Narin; Eriksson, Johan; Rasmussen, Ulla; Bergman, Birgitta

    2013-01-01

    Cyanobacteria produce a range of secondary metabolites, one being the neurotoxic non-protein amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), proposed to be a causative agent of human neurodegeneration. As for most cyanotoxins, the function of BMAA in cyanobacteria is unknown. Here, we examined the effects of BMAA on the physiology of the filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120. Our data show that exogenously applied BMAA rapidly inhibits nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction assay), even at micromolar concentrations, and that the inhibition was considerably more severe than that induced by combined nitrogen sources and most other amino acids. BMAA also caused growth arrest and massive cellular glycogen accumulation, as observed by electron microscopy. With nitrogen fixation being a process highly sensitive to oxygen species we propose that the BMAA effects found here may be related to the production of reactive oxygen species, as reported for other organisms. PMID:23966039

  14. Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 and L22 display probiotic potential in vitro and protect against Salmonella-induced pullorum disease in a chick model of infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Dexian; Li, Rui; Li, Jichang

    2012-08-01

    Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 (L. reuteri ATCC 55730) and L. reuteri L22 were studied for their probiotic potential. These two strains were able to produce an antimicrobial substance, termed reuterin, the maximum production of reuterin by these two strains was detected in the late logarithmic growth phase (16 h in MRS and 20 h in LB broths). These two strains could significantly reduce the growth of Salmonella pullorum ATCC 9120 in MRS broth, L. reuteri ATCC 55730 with a reduction of 48.2±4.15% (in 5 log) and 89.7±2.59% (in 4 log) respectively, at the same time, L. reuteri L22 was 69.4±3.48% (in 5 log) and 80.4±3.22% respectively. L. reuteri ATCC 55730 was active against the majority of the pathogenic species, including S. pullorum ATCC 9120 and Escherichia coli O(78), while L. reuteri L22 was not as effective as L. reuteri ATCC 55730. The two potential strains were found to survive variably at pH 2.5 and were unaffected by bile salts, while neither of the strains was haemolytic. Moreover, L. reuteri ATCC 55730 exhibited variable susceptibility towards commonly used antibiotics; but L. reuteri L22 showed resistant to most antibiotics in this study. L. reuteri ATCC 55730 consequently was found to significantly increase survival rate in a Salmonella-induced pullorum disease model in chick. To conclude, strain L. reuteri ATCC 55730 possesses desirable probiotic properties, such as antimicrobial activity and immunomodulation in vitro, which were confirmed in vivo by the use of animal models. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Highly hydrolytic reuteransucrase from probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri strain ATCC 55730

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kralj, S.; Stripling, E.; Sanders, P.; Geel-Schutten, G.H. van; Dijkhuizen, L.

    2005-01-01

    Lactobacillus reuteri strain ATCC 55730 (LB BIO) was isolated as a pure culture from a Reuteri tablet purchased from the BioGaia company. This probiotic strain produces a soluble glucan (reuteran), in which the majority of the linkages are of the α-(1→4) glucosidic type (∼70%). This reuteran also

  16. Higher production of C-phycocyanin by nitrogen-free (diazotrophic) cultivation of Nostoc sp. NK and simplified extraction by dark-cold shock.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Na Kyeong; Oh, Hee-Mock; Kim, Hee-Sik; Ahn, Chi-Yong

    2017-03-01

    Nostoc sp. NK (KCTC 12772BP) was isolated and cultivated in a BG11 medium and a nitrate-free BG11 medium (BG11 0 ). To enhance C-phycocyanin (C-PC) content in the cells, different fluorescent lamps (white, plant, and red) were used as light sources for complementary chromatic adaptation (CCA). The maximum biomass productivity was 0.42g/L/d and 0.32g/L/d under BG11 and BG11 0 conditions, respectively. The maximum C-PC contents were 8.4% (w/w) under white lamps, 13.6% (w/w) under plant lamps, and 18% (w/w) under BG11 0 and the red light condition. The maximum C-PC productivity was 57.4mg/L/d in BG11 0 under the red lamp condition. These results indicate that a higher C-PC content could be obtained under a diazotrophic condition and a CCA reaction. The C-PC could be released naturally from cells without any extraction processes, when Nostoc sp. NK was cultivated in the BG11 0 medium with CO 2 aeration and put in dark conditions at 5°C. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Magnetic response in cultures of Streptococcus mutans ATCC-27607.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamkiewicz, V W; Bassous, C; Morency, D; Lorrain, P; Lepage, J L

    1987-01-01

    Streptococcus mutans ATCC-27607 produces exopolysaccharides that adhere to glass. In the normal geomagnetic field about 50% more polysaccharide adhere preferentially to glass surfaces facing North as compared to South facing surfaces. Reversal of the direction of the magnetic field by 180 degrees produces a similar reversal in the direction of the preferential accumulation. Reduction of the field by 90% abolishes the preferential accumulation.

  18. Inducible transport of citrate in Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Figueroa, R M; Benito de Cárdenas, I L; Sesma, F; Alvarez, F; de Ruiz Holgado, A P; Oliver, G

    1996-10-01

    Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 exhibited diauxie when grown in a medium containing both glucose and citrate as energy source. Glucose was used as the primary energy source during the glucose-citrate diauxie. Uptake of citrate was carried out by an inducible citrate transport system. The induction of citrate uptake system was repressed in the presence of glucose. This repression was reversible and mediated by cAMP.

  19. Characterisation of the nitrile biocatalytic activity of rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC BAA-870

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Frederick, J

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available rhodochrous ATCC BAA-870, was explored. The biocatalyst expressed a two enzyme system with sequential nitrile-converting activity: nitrile hydratase and amidase. This biocatalytic nitrile hydrolysis affords valuable applications in industry, including...

  20. Metabolism of amino acid amides in Pseudomonas putida ATCC 12633

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hermes, H.F.M.; Croes, L.M.; Peeters, W.P.H.; Peters, P.J.H.; Dijkhuizen, L.

    1993-01-01

    The metabolism of the natural amino acid L-valine, the unnatural amino acids D-valine, and D-, L-phenylglycine (D-, L-PG), and the unnatural amino acid amides D-, L-phenylglycine amide (D, L-PG-NH2) and L-valine amide (L-Val-NH2) was studied in Pseudomonas putida ATCC 12633. The organism possessed

  1. HupW Protease Specifically Required for Processing of the Catalytic Subunit of the Uptake Hydrogenase in the Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. Strain PCC 7120

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindberg, Pia; Devine, Ellenor; Stensjö, Karin

    2012-01-01

    The maturation process of [NiFe] hydrogenases includes a proteolytic cleavage of the large subunit. We constructed a mutant of Nostoc strain PCC 7120 in which hupW, encoding a putative hydrogenase-specific protease, is inactivated. Our results indicate that the protein product of hupW selectively cleaves the uptake hydrogenase in this cyanobacterium. PMID:22020512

  2. BMAA Inhibits Nitrogen Fixation in the Cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Birgitta Bergman

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Cyanobacteria produce a range of secondary metabolites, one being the neurotoxic non-protein amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA, proposed to be a causative agent of human neurodegeneration. As for most cyanotoxins, the function of BMAA in cyanobacteria is unknown. Here, we examined the effects of BMAA on the physiology of the filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120. Our data show that exogenously applied BMAA rapidly inhibits nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction assay, even at micromolar concentrations, and that the inhibition was considerably more severe than that induced by combined nitrogen sources and most other amino acids. BMAA also caused growth arrest and massive cellular glycogen accumulation, as observed by electron microscopy. With nitrogen fixation being a process highly sensitive to oxygen species we propose that the BMAA effects found here may be related to the production of reactive oxygen species, as reported for other organisms.

  3. Composición bioquímica y toxicidad de colonias comestibles de la cianobacteria andina Nostoc sp. Llayta

    OpenAIRE

    Galetovic, Alexandra; E. Araya, Jorge; Gómez-Silva, Benito

    2017-01-01

    RESUMEN Llayta es el nombre asignado a la biomasa seca de macrocolonias de una cianobacteria filamentosa, clasificada como Nostoc sp. Llayta crece en humedales andinos de Sudamérica y ha sido considerada como un ingrediente alimenticio desde tiempos precolombinos. Este estudio pretende contribuir a la definición de la calidad nutritiva de la Llayta, proporcionando información sobre su composición bioquímica e identificar aspectos críticos de interés toxicológico. Los resultados mostraron que ...

  4. The Pkn22 Ser/Thr kinase in Nostoc PCC 7120: role of FurA and NtcA regulators and transcript profiling under nitrogen starvation and oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yingping, Fan; Lemeille, Sylvain; González, Andrés; Risoul, Véronique; Denis, Yann; Richaud, Pierre; Lamrabet, Otmane; Fillat, Maria F; Zhang, Cheng-Cai; Latifi, Amel

    2015-07-29

    The filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120 can fix N2 when combined nitrogen is not available. Furthermore, it has to cope with reactive oxygen species generated as byproducts of photosynthesis and respiration. We have previously demonstrated the synthesis of Ser/Thr kinase Pkn22 as an important survival response of Nostoc to oxidative damage. In this study we wished to investigate the possible involvement of this kinase in signalling peroxide stress and nitrogen deprivation. Quantitative RT-PCR experiments revealed that the pkn22 gene is induced in response to peroxide stress and to combined nitrogen starvation. Electrophoretic motility assays indicated that the pkn22 promoter is recognized by the global transcriptional regulators FurA and NtcA. Transcriptomic analysis comparing a pkn22-insertion mutant and the wild type strain indicated that this kinase regulates genes involved in important cellular functions such as photosynthesis, carbon metabolism and iron acquisition. Since metabolic changes may lead to oxidative stress, we investigated whether this is the case with nitrogen starvation. Our results rather invalidate this hypothesis thereby suggesting that the function of Pkn22 under nitrogen starvation is independent of its role in response to peroxide stress. Our analyses have permitted a more complete functional description of Ser/Thr kinase in Nostoc. We have decrypted the transcriptional regulation of the pkn22 gene, and analysed the whole set of genes under the control of this kinase in response to the two environmental changes often encountered by cyanobacteria in their natural habitat: oxidative stress and nitrogen deprivation.

  5. Metabolic adaptation, a specialized leaf organ structure and vascular responses to diurnal N2 fixation by nostoc azollae sustain the astonishing productivity of azolla ferns without nitrogen fertilizer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brouwer, Paul; Bräutigam, Andrea; Buijs, Valerie A.; Tazelaar, Anne O.E.; van der Werf, Adrie; Schlüter, Urte; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Bolger, Anthony; Usadel, Björn; Weber, Andreas P.M.; Schluepmann, Henriette

    2017-01-01

    Sustainable agriculture demands reduced input of man-made nitrogen (N) fertilizer, yet N2 fixation limits the productivity of crops with heterotrophic diazotrophic bacterial symbionts. We investigated floating ferns from the genus Azolla that host phototrophic diazotrophic Nostoc azollae in leaf

  6. Effects of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase desensitization on glutamic acid production in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wada, Masaru; Sawada, Kazunori; Ogura, Kotaro; Shimono, Yuta; Hagiwara, Takuya; Sugimoto, Masakazu; Onuki, Akiko; Yokota, Atsushi

    2016-02-01

    Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13032, a glutamic-acid producing actinobacterium, is subject to feedback inhibition by metabolic intermediates such as aspartic acid and 2-oxoglutaric acid, which implies the importance of PEPC in replenishing oxaloacetic acid into the TCA cycle. Here, we investigated the effects of feedback-insensitive PEPC on glutamic acid production. A single amino-acid substitution in PEPC, D299N, was found to relieve the feedback control by aspartic acid, but not by 2-oxoglutaric acid. A simple mutant, strain R1, having the D299N substitution in PEPC was constructed from ATCC 13032 using the double-crossover chromosome replacement technique. Strain R1 produced glutamic acid at a concentration of 31.0 g/L from 100 g/L glucose in a jar fermentor culture under biotin-limited conditions, which was significantly higher than that of the parent, 26.0 g/L (1.19-fold), indicative of the positive effect of desensitized PEPC on glutamic acid production. Another mutant, strain DR1, having both desensitized PEPC and PYK-gene deleted mutations, was constructed in a similar manner using strain D1 with a PYK-gene deleted mutation as the parent. This mutation had been shown to enhance glutamic acid production in our previous study. Although marginal, strain D1 produced higher glutamic acid, 28.8 g/L, than ATCC13032 (1.11-fold). In contrast, glutamic acid production by strain DR-1 was elevated up to 36.9 g/L, which was 1.42-fold higher than ATCC13032 and significantly higher than the other three strains. The results showed a synergistic effect of these two mutations on glutamic acid production in C. glutamicum. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Utilization of a terrestrial cyanobacterium, Nostoc sp. HK-01, for space habitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Shunta; Tomita-Yokotani, Kaori; Arai, Mayumi; Yamashita, Masamichi; Katoh, Hiroshi; Ajioka, Reiko; Inoue, Kotomi

    2016-07-01

    A terrestrial cyanobacterium, Nostoc sp. HK-01 (hereafter HK-01), has several useful abilities for space habitation; photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, and space environmental tolerances to vacuum, UV, gamma-ray, heavy particle beam, low and high temperature. Space environmental tolerances are important for transportation to Mars. HK-01 can grow on Martian regolith simulant (MRS) in vitro. Furthermore, HK-01 is useful as food. HK-01 may be utilized as oxygen supply, soil formation and food material for bio-chemical circulation in closed bio-ecosystems, including space habitation such as Mars. HK-01 was adopted as a biological material for the "TANPOPO" mission (JAXA et al.,), because of their high environmental tolerances. The "TANPOPO" mission is performing the space exposure experiments on the Japan Experimental Module (JEM) of the International Space Station (ISS). The results of these experiments will show the ability of HK-01 to survive in space.

  8. Immunomodulatory Potential of the Polysaccharide-Rich Extract from Edible Cyanobacterium Nostoc commune

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui-Fen Liao

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available A dry sample of Nostoc commune from an organic farm in Pingtung city (Taiwan was used to prepare polysaccharide-rich (NCPS extract. The conditioned medium (CM from NCPS-treated human peripheral blood (PB-mononuclear cells (MNC effectively inhibited the growth of human leukemic U937 cells and triggered differentiation of U937 monoblast cells into monocytic/macrophagic lines. Cytokine levels in MNC-CMs showed upregulation of granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulatory factor and IL-1β and downregulation of IL-6 and IL-17 upon treatment with NCPS. Moreover, murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells treated with NCPS exhibited the stimulatory effects of nitric oxide and superoxide secretion, indicating that NCPS might activate the immunity of macrophages. Collectively, the present study demonstrates that NCPS from N. commune could be potentially used for macrophage activation and consequently inhibited the leukemic cell growth and induced monocytic/macrophagic differentiation.

  9. Physicochemical parameters optimization, and purification of phycobiliproteins from the isolated Nostoc sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Eldin M; Kumar, Kanhaiya; Das, Debabrata

    2014-08-01

    The present study investigated the effects of several physicochemical parameters on the improvement of phycobiliproteins (especially phycocyanin) synthesis in a newly isolated species of Nostoc sp. Standard BG11₀ medium was modified to enhance the biomass productivity in different photobioreactors. The initial pH of 8, light intensity of 40 μmol m(-2)s(-1), temperature of 35 °C, diurnal cycle of 16:8 h (light:dark regime), 75.48 μM Na₂CO₃ and 17.65 mM NaNO₃ were found most suitable for the phycobiliproteins synthesis. Cyanobacteria exhibited chromatic adaptation, causing overexpression of phycocyanin in red and phycoerythrin in green light. The maximum phycobiliproteins yield of 0.13 gg(-1) dry cell weight was obtained in green light. Phycocyanin was further purified using thin layer chromatography (TLC), anion exchange chromatography and SDS-PAGE (denaturing gel) electrophoresis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. System analysis of salt and osmotic stress induced proteins in Nostoc muscorum and Bradyrhizobium japonicum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vipin Kaithwas

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In this study the proteome response of the two diazotrophic organism’s viz. Nostoc muscorum and Bradyrhizobium japonicum exposed to salt (NaCl and osmotic (sucrose stresses was compared. Out of the total over expressed proteins; we have selected only three over expressed proteins viz. GroEL chaperonin, nitrogenase Mo-Fe protein and argininosuccinate synthase for further analysis, and then we analyzed the amino acid frequencies of all the three over expressed proteins. That led to the conclusion that amino acids e.g. alanine, glycine and valine that were energetically cheaper to produce were showing higher frequencies. This study would help in tracing the phylogenetic relationship between protein families.

  11. 40 CFR 180.1102 - Trichoderma harzianum KRL-AG2 (ATCC #20847) strain T-22; exemption from requirement of a tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Trichoderma harzianum KRL-AG2 (ATCC... PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1102 Trichoderma harzianum KRL-AG2... of a tolerance is established for residues of the biofungicide Trichoderma harzianum KRL-AG2 (ATCC...

  12. Effects of light intensity on components and topographical structures of extracellular polysaccharides from the cyanobacteria Nostoc sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Hongmei; Xia, Ling; Zhou, Xuping; Zhang, Delu; Hu, Chunxiang

    2014-02-01

    A study on the effects of light intensity (40 and 80 μE/m(2)/sec) on the components and topographical structures of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) was carried out in cyanobacteria Nostoc sp.. EPS yield increased with light intensity. However, light intensity did not significantly affect the EPS fractions and monosaccharide composition. Higher light intensity generally resulted in higher protein content of EPS in similar fractions. The topographical structure of EPS, investigated by atomic force microscopy, appeared as spherical lumps, chains and networks. The long chains were observed at higher light intensity. Thus, light intensity affected the yield and nature of EPS.

  13. Interactions of copper and lead with Nostoc muscorum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schecher, W.D.; Driscoll, C.T.

    1985-01-01

    Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of cell concentration, time of exposure, cellular activity and solution chemistry, on Pb (10/sup -6/ M) and Cu (10/sup -5/ M) uptake by the alga Nostoc muscorum. Surface equilibrium, with respect to aqueous metal levels, was established within an equilibration period of 8 h and maximum metal removal was observed in the pH range of 7.5 to 8.0. The observed removal of Cu and Pb from solution was similar to adsorption observed for inorganic surfaces at pH values less than 8.0. Removal of metallic ions decreased at pH values greater than 8.0 which was thought to be due to aqueous complexation with organic extracellular material. The extent to which the cells were able to remove trace metals from solution in the presence of citrate, sulfate, and Ca ion (10/sup -3/ M) was also evaluated. Additions of citrate and Ca ion mitigated metal uptake by algal suspensions. The presence of sulfate resulted in a reduction of Cu removal below pH values of 5.6 but enhanced the removal of Pb over the entire pH range. The chemical equilibrium model MINEQL was utilized to compare theoretical and observed phenomena so that possible mechanisms for metal-cell interactions could be assessed.

  14. Uso do açafrão (Curcuma longa L. na redução da Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922 e Enterobacter aerogenes (ATCC 13048 em ricota The use of turmeric in the reduction of Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922 and Enterobacter aerogenes (ATCC 13048 in ricotta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandra Ribeiro Maia

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available Considerando o envolvimento de queijos como veículo de microrganismos patogênicos, foi avaliada a eficiência do extrato alcoólico de cúrcuma adicionado à ricota, na redução de Escherichia coli e Enterobacter aerogenes. Foram fabricados três lotes de ricota cremosa e inoculados com 104 UFC/mL de Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922 e 105 UFC/mL de Enterobacter aerogenes (ATCC 13048. Às ricotas, foram adicionados 0,4% de NaCl e extrato alcoólico de Curcuma longa L., em concentrações que variaram de 0,0% a 2,0%. As ricotas foram avaliadas físico-química e microbiologicamente em 0, 1, 7, 14 e 21 dias de armazenamento refrigerado. O percentual de umidade das ricotas foi, em média, de 73%. O pH médio observado foi de 5,4 e o percentual de gordura de 3%. Pelos resultados, evidenciou-se, após 21 dias, uma redução do número de Escherichia coli de aproximadamente dois ciclos logaritmicos nos tratamentos utilizados de 0,5%, 1,0%, 1,5% e 2,0% de cúrcuma. Já para Enterobacter aerogenes, a redução foi menor, de aproximadamente um ciclo logaritmico, de 105 UFC/mL para 104 UFC/mL, também nos tratamentos utilizados de 0,5%, 1,0%, 1,5% e 2,0% de cúrcuma. Apesar de os resultados evidenciarem uma redução do número de células viáveis dos microrganismos avaliados, a cúrcuma não deverá ser o único meio preservativo, considerando uma contaminação inicial de 104 UFC/mL de Escherichia coli e 105 UFC/mL de Enterobacter aerogenes, pois não atenderia à legislação vigente quanto aos requisitos microbiológicos para queijos.Considering the cheese involvement as a vehicle of pathogenic microorganisms it was evaluated the eficciency of the ethanolic turmeric extract added to ricotta, in the reduction of Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes. Three lots of creamy ricotta were manufacturated and inoculated with 104 UFC/mL of Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922 and 105 UFC/mL of Enterobacter aerogenes (ATCC 13048. It was added 0,4% of NaCl and

  15. Comparison of bacterial community structures of terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme in three different regions of China using PCR-DGGE analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Pei-pei; Shen, Shi-gang; Jia, Shi-ru; Wang, Hui-yan; Zhong, Cheng; Tan, Zhi-lei; Lv, He-xin

    2015-07-01

    Filamentous Nostoc flagelliforme form colloidal complex, with beaded cells interacting with other bacteria embedded in the complex multilayer sheath. However, the species of bacteria in the sheath and the interaction between N. flagelliforme and associated bacteria remain unclear. In this study, PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was used to investigate the bacterial communities of N. flagelliforme from three regions of China. DGGE patterns showed variations in all samples, exhibiting 25 discrete bands with various intensities. The diversity index analysis of bands profiles suggested the high similarity of bacterial communities to each other but also the dependence of microbial composition on each location. Phylogenetic affiliation indicated that the majority of the sequences obtained were affiliated with Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, of which Cyanobacteria was dominant, followed the Proteobacteria. Members of the genus Nostoc were the most abundant in all samples. Rhizobiales and Actinobacteria were identified, whereas, Craurococcus, Caulobacter, Pseudomonas, Terriglobus and Mucilaginibacter were also identified at low levels. Through comparing the bacterial composition of N. flagelliforme from different regions, it was revealed that N. flagelliforme could facilitate the growth of other microorganisms including both autotrophic bacteria and heterotrophic ones and positively contributed to their harsh ecosystems. The results indicated N. flagelliforme played an important role in diversifying the microbial community composition and had potential application in soil desertification.

  16. Suitability of Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis ATCC 11454 as a protective culture for lightly preserved fish products

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wessels, Stephen Wallace; Huss, Hans Henrik

    1996-01-01

    This study is part of strategy to control the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in lightly preserved fish products by using food-grade lactic acid bacteria. When the nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis ATCC 11454 was cultured in the same vessel as L-monocytogenes Scott A in brain......-heart infusion broth (BHI) at 30-degrees C, the pathogen declined from 5x10(5) to fewer than 5 cfu ml(-1) within 31 h. The effect was not due to lactic acid inhibition. Growth and nisin production by L- lactis ATCC 11454 were investigated under the conditions of temperature and salt used for light preservation...... and no detectable nisin. On slices of commercial cold-smoked salmon at 10-degrees C, no net propagation pf L-lactis ATCC 11454 could be detected within 21 days. However, when salmon slices were inoculated with L- mycocytogenes at 10(4) cfu g(-1) and a 300-fold excess of washed lactococcus cells, the pathogen...

  17. Mesosomes are a definite event in antibiotic-treated Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santhana Raj, L; Hing, H L; Baharudin, Omar; Teh Hamidah, Z; Aida Suhana, R; Nor Asiha, C P; Vimala, B; Paramsarvaran, S; Sumarni, G; Hanjeet, K

    2007-06-01

    Mesosomes of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 treated with antibiotics were examined morphologically under the electron microscope. The Transmission Electron Microscope Rapid Method was used to eliminate the artifacts due to sample processing. Mesosomes were seen in all the antibiotic treated bacteria and not in the control group. The main factor that contributes to the formation of mesosomes in the bacteria was the mode of action of the antibiotics. The continuous cytoplasmic membrane with infolding (mesosomes) as in the S. aureus ATCC 25923 is therefore confirmed as a definite pattern of membrane organization in gram positive bacteria assaulted by amikacin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, vancomycin and oxacillin antibiotics. Our preliminary results show oxacillin and vancomycin treated bacteria seemed to have deeper and more mesosomes than those treated with amikacin, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin. Further research is needed to ascertain whether the deep invagination and the number of mesosomes formed is associated with the types of antibiotic used.

  18. Retinal is formed from apo-carotenoids in Nostoc sp. PCC7120: in vitro characterization of an apo-carotenoid oxygenase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherzinger, Daniel; Ruch, Sandra; Kloer, Daniel P.; Wilde, Annegret; Al-Babili, Salim

    2006-01-01

    The sensory rhodopsin from Anabaena (Nostoc) sp. PCC7120 is the first cyanobacterial retinylidene protein identified. Here, we report on NosACO (Nostoc apo-carotenoid oxygenase), encoded by the ORF (open reading frame) all4284, as the candidate responsible for the formation of the required chromophore, retinal. In contrast with the enzymes from animals, NosACO converts β-apo-carotenals instead of β-carotene into retinal in vitro. The identity of the enzymatic products was proven by HPLC and gas chromatography–MS. NosACO exhibits a wide substrate specificity with respect to chain lengths and functional end-groups, converting β-apo-carotenals, (3R)-3-hydroxy-β-apo-carotenals and the corresponding alcohols into retinal and (3R)-3-hydroxyretinal respectively. However, kinetic analyses revealed very divergent Km and Vmax values. On the basis of the crystal structure of SynACO (Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 apo-carotenoid oxygenase), a related enzyme showing similar enzymatic activity, we designed a homology model of the native NosACO. The deduced structure explains the absence of β-carotene-cleavage activity and indicates that NosACO is a monotopic membrane protein. Accordingly, NosACO could be readily reconstituted into liposomes. To localize SynACO in vivo, a Synechocystis knock-out strain was generated expressing SynACO as the sole carotenoid oxygenase. Western-blot analyses showed that the main portion of SynACO occurred in a membrane-bound form. PMID:16759173

  19. Wet season cyanobacterial N enrichment highly correlated with species richness and Nostoc in the northern Australian savannah

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Wendy; Büdel, Burkhard; Williams, Stephen

    2018-04-01

    The Boodjamulla National Park research station is situated in the north-western Queensland dry savannah, where the climate is dominated by summer monsoons and virtually dry winters. Under shrub canopies and in between the tussock grasses cyanobacterial crusts almost entirely cover the flood plain soil surfaces. Seasonality drives N fixation, and in the savannah this has a large impact on both plant and soil function. Many cyanobacteria fix dinitrogen that is liberated into the soil in both inorganic and organic N forms. We examined cyanobacterial species richness and bioavailable N spanning 7 months of a typical wet season. Over the wet season cyanobacterial richness ranged from 6 to 19 species. N-fixing Scytonema accounted for seasonal averages between 51 and 93 % of the biocrust. Cyanobacterial richness was highly correlated with N fixation and bioavailable N in 0-1 cm. Key N-fixing species such as Nostoc, Symploca and Gloeocapsa significantly enriched soil N although Nostoc was the most influential. Total seasonal N fixation by cyanobacteria demonstrated the variability in productivity according to the number of wet days as well as the follow-on days where the soil retained adequate moisture. Based on total active days per month we estimated that N soil enrichment via cyanobacteria would be ˜ 5.2 kg ha-1 annually which is comparable to global averages. This is a substantial contribution to the nutrient-deficient savannah soils that are almost entirely reliant on the wet season for microbial turnover of organic matter. Such well-defined seasonal trends and synchronisation in cyanobacterial species richness, N fixation, bioavailable N and C fixation (Büdel et al., 2018) provide important contributions to multifunctional microprocesses and soil fertility.

  20. Characterization of the binding of Actinomyces naeslundii (ATCC 12104) and Actinomyces viscosus (ATCC 19246) to glycosphingolipids, using a solid-phase overlay approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stroemberg, N.K.; Karlsson, K.A.

    1990-01-01

    Actinomyces naeslundii (ATCC 12104) and Actinomyces viscosus (ATCC 19246) were radiolabeled externally (125I) or metabolically (35S) and analyzed for their ability to bind glycosphingolipids separated on thin layer chromatograms or coated in microtiter wells. Two binding properties were found and characterized in detail. (i) Both bacteria showed binding to lactosylceramide (LacCer) in a fashion similar to bacteria characterized earlier. The activity of free LacCer was dependent on the ceramide structure; species with 2-hydroxy fatty acid and/or a trihydroxy base were positive, while species with nonhydroxy fatty acid and a dihydroxy base were negative binders. Several glycolipids with internal lactose were active but only gangliotriaosylceramide and gangliotetraosylceramide were as active as free LacCer. The binding to these three species was half-maximal at about 200 ng of glycolipid and was not blocked by preincubation of bacteria with free lactose or lactose-bovine serum albumin. (ii) A. naeslundii, unlike A. viscosus, showed a superimposed binding concluded to be to terminal or internal GalNAc beta and equivalent to a lactose-inhibitable specificity previously analyzed by other workers. Terminal Gal beta was not recognized in several glycolipids, although free Gal and lactose were active as soluble inhibitors. The binding was half-maximal at about 10 ng of glycolipid. A glycolipid mixture prepared from a scraping of human buccal epithelium contained an active glycolipid with sites for both binding specificities

  1. Effects of light intensity and quality on phycobiliprotein accumulation in the cyanobacterium Nostoc sphaeroides Kützing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Rui; Lu, Fan; Bi, Yonghong; Hu, Zhengyu

    2015-08-01

    To assess the effects of light intensity and quality on the growth and phycobiliproteins (PBP) accumulation in Nostoc sphaeroides Kützing (N. sphaeroides). Dry weights, dry matter, protein, chlorophyll and PBP contents were higher under 90 μmol m(-2) s(-1) than under other intensities (both higher and lower). Phycocyanin and allophycocyanin increased with light intensity while phycoerythrin decreased. Fresh weights, protein and PBP contents increased at the highest rates under blue light. Red light resulted in higher values of dry matter, phycocyanin and chlorophyll a. White light at 90 μmol m(-2) s(-1) or blue light 30 μmol m(-2) s(-1) were optimal for the growth and phycobiliprotein accumulation in N. sphaeroides.

  2. Meta-analysis: Lactobacillus reuteri strain DSM 17938 (and the original strain ATCC 55730) for treating acute gastroenteritis in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szajewska, H; Urbańska, M; Chmielewska, A; Weizman, Z; Shamir, R

    2014-09-01

    Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 has been shown to provide a moderate clinical effect in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children. However, as the L. reuteri ATCC 55730 strain was found to carry potentially transferable resistance traits for tetracycline and lincomycin, it was replaced by a new strain, L. reuteri DSM 17938, without unwanted plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance. Bioequivalence of the two strains has been suggested. We aimed to systematically evaluate data on the effectiveness of L. reuteri DSM 17938 and the original strain, L. reuteri ATCC 55730, in the treatment of AGE in children. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases, reference lists, and abstract books of major scientific meetings were searched in August 2013, with no language restrictions, for relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Two RCTs (n=196) that evaluated L. reuteri DSM 17938 and three RCTs (n=156) that evaluated L. reuteri ATCC 55730, which involved hospitalised children aged 3 to 60 months, met the inclusion criteria. Compared with placebo or no treatment, DSM 17938 significantly reduced the duration of diarrhoea (mean difference -32 h, 95% confidence interval (CI): -41 to -24) and increased the chance of cure on day 3 (relative risk: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.2 to 10.8, random effects model). Similar results were obtained with the original strain, L. reuteri ATCC 55730. In conclusion, in hospitalised children, use of both strains of L. reuteri reduced the duration of diarrhoea, and more children were cured within 3 days. Data from outpatients and countryspecific cost-effectiveness analyses are needed. Given the limited data and the methodological limitations of the included trials, the evidence should be viewed with caution.

  3. Pathway analysis for intracellular Porphyromonas gingivalis using a strain ATCC 33277 specific database

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Tiansong

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative intracellular pathogen associated with periodontal disease. We have previously reported on whole-cell quantitative proteomic analyses to investigate the differential expression of virulence factors as the organism transitions from an extracellular to intracellular lifestyle. The original results with the invasive strain P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 were obtained using the genome sequence available at the time, strain W83 [GenBank: AE015924]. We present here a re-processed dataset using the recently published genome annotation specific for strain ATCC 33277 [GenBank: AP009380] and an analysis of differential abundance based on metabolic pathways rather than individual proteins. Results Qualitative detection was observed for 1266 proteins using the strain ATCC 33277 annotation for 18 hour internalized P. gingivalis within human gingival epithelial cells and controls exposed to gingival cell culture medium, an improvement of 7% over the W83 annotation. Internalized cells showed increased abundance of proteins in the energy pathway from asparagine/aspartate amino acids to ATP. The pathway producing one short chain fatty acid, propionate, showed increased abundance, while that of another, butyrate, trended towards decreased abundance. The translational machinery, including ribosomal proteins and tRNA synthetases, showed a significant increase in protein relative abundance, as did proteins responsible for transcription. Conclusion Use of the ATCC 33277 specific genome annotation resulted in improved proteome coverage with respect to the number of proteins observed both qualitatively in terms of protein identifications and quantitatively in terms of the number of calculated abundance ratios. Pathway analysis showed a significant increase in overall protein synthetic and transcriptional machinery in the absence of significant growth. These results suggest that the interior of host cells

  4. Oxygen-Inducible Conversion of Lactate to Acetate in Heterofermentative Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 367.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Tingting; Zhang, Li; Xin, Yongping; Xu, ZhenShang; He, Huiying; Kong, Jian

    2017-11-01

    Lactobacillus brevis is an obligatory heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium that produces high levels of acetate, which improve the aerobic stability of silages against deterioration caused by yeasts and molds. However, the mechanism involved in acetate accumulation has yet to be elucidated. Here, experimental evidence indicated that aerobiosis resulted in the conversion of lactate to acetate after glucose exhaustion in L. brevis ATCC 367 (GenBank accession number NC_008497). To elucidate the conversion pathway, in silico analysis showed that lactate was first converted to pyruvate by the reverse catalytic reaction of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); subsequently, pyruvate conversion to acetate might be mediated by pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) or pyruvate oxidase (POX). Transcriptional analysis indicated that the pdh and pox genes of L. brevis ATCC 367 were upregulated 37.92- and 18.32-fold, respectively, by oxygen and glucose exhaustion, corresponding to 5.32- and 2.35-fold increases in the respective enzyme activities. Compared with the wild-type strain, the transcription and enzymatic activity of PDH remained stable in the Δ pox mutant, while those of POX increased significantly in the Δ pdh mutant. More lactate but less acetate was produced in the Δ pdh mutant than in the wild-type and Δ pox mutant strains, and more H 2 O 2 (a product of the POX pathway) was produced in the Δ pdh mutant. We speculated that the high levels of aerobic acetate accumulation in L. brevis ATCC 367 originated mainly from the reuse of lactate to produce pyruvate, which was further converted to acetate by the predominant and secondary functions of PDH and POX, respectively. IMPORTANCE PDH and POX are two possible key enzymes involved in aerobic acetate accumulation in lactic acid bacteria (LAB). It is currently thought that POX plays the major role in aerobic growth in homofermentative LAB and some heterofermentative LAB, while the impact of PDH remains unclear. In this study, we

  5. Genome sequence of the Bacteroides fragilis phage ATCC 51477-B1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hawkins Shawn A

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The genome of a fecal pollution indicator phage, Bacteroides fragilis ATCC 51477-B1, was sequenced and consisted of 44,929 bases with a G+C content of 38.7%. Forty-six putative open reading frames were identified and genes were organized into functional clusters for host specificity, lysis, replication and regulation, and packaging and structural proteins.

  6. Subcellular trace element distribution in Geosiphon pyriforme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maetz, Mischa; Schuessler, Arthur; Wallianos, Alexandros; Traxel, Kurt

    1999-01-01

    Geosiphon pyriforme is a unique endosymbiotic consortium consisting of a soil dwelling fungus and the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme. At present this symbiosis becomes very interesting because of its phylogenetic relationship to the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Geosiphon pyriforme could be an important model system for these obligate symbiotic fungi, which supply 80-90% of all land plant species with nutrients, in particular phosphorous and trace elements. Combined PIXE and STIM analyses of the various compartments of Geosiphon give hints for the matter exchange between the symbiotic partners and their environment and the kind of nutrient storage and acquisition, in particular related to nitrogen fixation and metabolism. To determine the quality of our PIXE results we analysed several geological and biological standards over a time period of three years. This led to an overall precision of about 6% and an accuracy of 5-10% for nearly all detectable elements. In combination with the correction model for the occurring mass loss during the analyses this holds true even for biological targets

  7. Subcellular trace element distribution in Geosiphon pyriforme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maetz, Mischa E-mail: mischa.maetz@mpi-hd.mpg.de; Schuessler, Arthur; Wallianos, Alexandros; Traxel, Kurt

    1999-04-02

    Geosiphon pyriforme is a unique endosymbiotic consortium consisting of a soil dwelling fungus and the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme. At present this symbiosis becomes very interesting because of its phylogenetic relationship to the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Geosiphon pyriforme could be an important model system for these obligate symbiotic fungi, which supply 80-90% of all land plant species with nutrients, in particular phosphorous and trace elements. Combined PIXE and STIM analyses of the various compartments of Geosiphon give hints for the matter exchange between the symbiotic partners and their environment and the kind of nutrient storage and acquisition, in particular related to nitrogen fixation and metabolism. To determine the quality of our PIXE results we analysed several geological and biological standards over a time period of three years. This led to an overall precision of about 6% and an accuracy of 5-10% for nearly all detectable elements. In combination with the correction model for the occurring mass loss during the analyses this holds true even for biological targets.

  8. Component identification of electron transport chains in curdlan-producing Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 and its genome-specific prediction using comparative genome and phylogenetic trees analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hongtao; Setubal, Joao Carlos; Zhan, Xiaobei; Zheng, Zhiyong; Yu, Lijun; Wu, Jianrong; Chen, Dingqiang

    2011-06-01

    Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 (formerly named Alcaligenes faecalis var. myxogenes) is a non-pathogenic aerobic soil bacterium used in large scale biotechnological production of curdlan. However, little is known about its genomic information. DNA partial sequence of electron transport chains (ETCs) protein genes were obtained in order to understand the components of ETC and genomic-specificity in Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749. Degenerate primers were designed according to ETC conserved sequences in other reported species. DNA partial sequences of ETC genes in Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 were cloned by the PCR method using degenerate primers. Based on comparative genomic analysis, nine electron transport elements were ascertained, including NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase, succinate dehydrogenase complex II, complex III, cytochrome c, ubiquinone biosynthesis protein ubiB, cytochrome d terminal oxidase, cytochrome bo terminal oxidase, cytochrome cbb (3)-type terminal oxidase and cytochrome caa (3)-type terminal oxidase. Similarity and phylogenetic analyses of these genes revealed that among fully sequenced Agrobacterium species, Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 is closest to Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58. Based on these results a comprehensive ETC model for Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 is proposed.

  9. Enhancing fructooligosaccharides production by genetic improvement of the industrial fungus Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jing; Liu, Caixia; Xie, Yijia; Li, Ning; Ning, Zhanguo; Du, Na; Huang, Xirong; Zhong, Yaohua

    2017-05-10

    Aspergillus niger ATCC20611 is one of the most potent filamentous fungi used commercially for production of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which are prospective components of functional food by stimulating probiotic bacteria in the human gut. However, current strategies for improving FOS yield still rely on production process development. The genetic engineering approach hasn't been applied in industrial strains to increase FOS production level. Here, an optimized polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated protoplast transformation system was established in A. niger ATCC 20611 and used for further strain improvement. The pyrithiamine resistance gene (ptrA) was selected as a dominant marker and protoplasts were prepared with high concentration (up to 10 8 g -1 wet weight mycelium) by using mixed cell wall-lysing enzymes. The transformation frequency with ptrA can reach 30-50 transformants per μg of DNA. In addition, the efficiency of co-transformation with the EGFP reporter gene (egfp) was high (approx. 82%). Furthermore, an activity-improved variant of β-fructofuranosidase, FopA(A178P), was successfully overexpressed in A. niger ATCC 20611 by using the transformation system. The transformant, CM6, exhibited a 58% increase in specific β-fructofuranosidase activity (up to 507U/g), compared to the parental strain (320U/g), and effectively reduced the time needed for completion of FOS synthesis. These results illustrate the feasibility of strain improvement through genetic engineering for further enhancement of FOS production level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Genome-scale reconstruction of metabolic networks of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334 and 12A.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Vinay-Lara

    Full Text Available Lactobacillus casei strains are widely used in industry and the utility of this organism in these industrial applications is strain dependent. Hence, tools capable of predicting strain specific phenotypes would have utility in the selection of strains for specific industrial processes. Genome-scale metabolic models can be utilized to better understand genotype-phenotype relationships and to compare different organisms. To assist in the selection and development of strains with enhanced industrial utility, genome-scale models for L. casei ATCC 334, a well characterized strain, and strain 12A, a corn silage isolate, were constructed. Draft models were generated from RAST genome annotations using the Model SEED database and refined by evaluating ATP generating cycles, mass-and-charge-balances of reactions, and growth phenotypes. After the validation process was finished, we compared the metabolic networks of these two strains to identify metabolic, genetic and ortholog differences that may lead to different phenotypic behaviors. We conclude that the metabolic capabilities of the two networks are highly similar. The L. casei ATCC 334 model accounts for 1,040 reactions, 959 metabolites and 548 genes, while the L. casei 12A model accounts for 1,076 reactions, 979 metabolites and 640 genes. The developed L. casei ATCC 334 and 12A metabolic models will enable better understanding of the physiology of these organisms and be valuable tools in the development and selection of strains with enhanced utility in a variety of industrial applications.

  11. Wet season cyanobacterial N enrichment highly correlated with species richness and Nostoc in the northern Australian savannah

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Williams

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The Boodjamulla National Park research station is situated in the north-western Queensland dry savannah, where the climate is dominated by summer monsoons and virtually dry winters. Under shrub canopies and in between the tussock grasses cyanobacterial crusts almost entirely cover the flood plain soil surfaces. Seasonality drives N fixation, and in the savannah this has a large impact on both plant and soil function. Many cyanobacteria fix dinitrogen that is liberated into the soil in both inorganic and organic N forms. We examined cyanobacterial species richness and bioavailable N spanning 7 months of a typical wet season. Over the wet season cyanobacterial richness ranged from 6 to 19 species. N-fixing Scytonema accounted for seasonal averages between 51 and 93 % of the biocrust. Cyanobacterial richness was highly correlated with N fixation and bioavailable N in 0–1 cm. Key N-fixing species such as Nostoc, Symploca and Gloeocapsa significantly enriched soil N although Nostoc was the most influential. Total seasonal N fixation by cyanobacteria demonstrated the variability in productivity according to the number of wet days as well as the follow-on days where the soil retained adequate moisture. Based on total active days per month we estimated that N soil enrichment via cyanobacteria would be  ∼  5.2 kg ha−1 annually which is comparable to global averages. This is a substantial contribution to the nutrient-deficient savannah soils that are almost entirely reliant on the wet season for microbial turnover of organic matter. Such well-defined seasonal trends and synchronisation in cyanobacterial species richness, N fixation, bioavailable N and C fixation (Büdel et al., 2018 provide important contributions to multifunctional microprocesses and soil fertility.

  12. Effects of light wavelengths on extracellular and capsular polysaccharide production by Nostoc flagelliforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Pei-pei; Sun, Ying; Jia, Shi-ru; Zhong, Cheng; Tan, Zhi-lei

    2014-05-25

    The influences of different wavelengths of light (red 660nm, yellow 590nm, green 520nm, blue 460nm, purple 400nm) and white light on extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) and capsular polysaccharide (CPS) production by Nostoc flagelliforme in liquid culture were demonstrated in this study. The results showed that, compared with white light, red and blue lights significantly increased both EPS and CPS production while yellow light reduced their production; purple and green lights stimulated EPS production but inhibited CPS formation. Nine constituent monosaccharides and one uronic acid were detected in both EPS and CPS, and their ratios showed significant differences among treatment with different light wavelengths. However, the advanced structure of EPS and CPS from various light conditions did not present obvious difference through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction characterization. These findings establish a basis for development of high-yielding polysaccharide production process and understanding their regulation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Bacterial Species and Biochemical Characteristic Investigations of Nostoc flagelliforme Concentrates during its Storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Lifang; Lv, Hexin; Zhen, Jing; Jiang, Shengping; Jia, Shiru; Shen, Shigang; Gao, Lu; Dai, Yujie

    2016-04-28

    Preservation of fresh algae plays an important role in algae seed subculture and aquaculture. The determination and examination of the changes of cell viability, composition, and bacterial species during storage would help to take suitable preservation methods to prolong the preservation time of fresh algae. Nostoc flagelliforme is a kind of edible cyanobacterium with important herbal and dietary values. This article investigated the changes of bacterial species and biochemical characteristics of fresh N. flagelliforme concentrate during natural storage. It was found that the viability of cells decreased along with the storage time. Fourteen bacteria strains in the algae concentrate were identified by PCR-DGGE and were grouped into four phyla, including Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Among them, Enterococcus viikkiensis may be a concern in the preservation. Eleven volatile organic compounds were identified from N. flagelliforme cells, in which geosmin could be treated as an indicator of the freshness of N. flagelliforme. The occurrence of indole compound may be an indicator of the degradation of cells.

  14. Mixotrophic growth of Nostoc sp. on glucose, sucrose and sugarcane molasses for phycobiliprotein production = Crescimento mixotrófico de Nostoc sp. Glucose, sacarose e melaço de cana-de-açúcar foram testados como substratos para produção de biomassa e ficobiliproteinas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Helena Pimenta Pinotti

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Glucose, sacarose, and sugarcane molasses were tested as substrates for production of biomass and phycobiliproteins by Nostoc sp., varying their concentrations in relation to a mineral medium, BG11. All substrates increased the biomass and phycobiliproteins when compared with the control. Sugarcane molasses showed to be thebest substrate for production of both biomass and phycobiliproteins. Greater biomass production occurred in sugarcane molasses 1.0 g L-1 and it was 5.7 times greater than the control. With glucose, it was in 2.5 g L-1 and sucrose, in 1.5 g L-1, reaching 2.5 and 4.8 timesgreater than the control, respectively. For phycobiliproteins, the major production was in sugarcane molasses 1.0 g L-1, 12.5 times greater than the control. With glucose, it was in 1.0 g L-1 and sucrose, in 0,5 g L-1, reaching 3.0 and 4.5 times greater than the control, respectively. The Nostoc sp. assayed can grow mixotrophically, using glucose, sucrose, and sugarcane molasses as organic substrates, and a greater production of biomass andphycobiliproteins can be reached when compared with the autotrophic growth.Todos os substratos aumentaram a biomassa e ficobiliproteinas emrelação ao controle, meio mineral BG11. Melaço de cana-de-açúcar foi o melhor substrato tanto para a produção de biomassa como de ficobiliproteinas. A maior produção de biomassa ocorreu usando melaço de cana-de-açúcar 1,0 g L-1 sendo 5,7 vezes maior que o controle. Com glucose foi em 2,5 g L-1 e sacarose 1,5 g L-1, sendo 2,5 e 4,8 vezes maior que o controle, respectivamente. A maior produção de ficobiliproteinas ocorreu usando melaço de cana-de-açúcar 1,0 g L-1 sendo 12,5 vezes maior que o controle. Com glucose foi em 1,0g L-1 e sacarose 0,5 g L-1, 3,0 e 4,5 vezes maior que o controle, respectivamente. Nostoc sp. testado pode crescer mixotroficamente, usando glucose, sacarose e melaço de cana-deaçúcar como substratos orgânicos, uma maior produção de biomassa e

  15. Influence of controlled atmosphere on thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 in almond powder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Teng; Li, Rui; Kou, Xiaoxi; Wang, Shaojin

    2017-06-01

    Heat controlled atmosphere (CA) treatments hold potential to pasteurize Salmonella enteritidis PT 30 in almonds. Nonpathogenic Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 was used as a surrogate species of pathogenic Salmonella for validation of thermal pasteurization to meet critical safety requirements. A controlled atmosphere/heating block system (CA-HBS) was used to rapidly determine thermal inactivation of E. coli ATCC 25922. D- and z-values of E. coli ATCC 25922 inoculated in almond powder were determined at four temperatures between 65 °C and 80 °C under different gas concentrations and heating rates. The results showed that D- and z-values of E. coli under CA treatment were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those under regular atmosphere (RA) treatment at 4 given temperatures. Relatively higher CO 2 concentrations (20%) and lower O 2 concentrations (2%) were more effective to reduce thermal inactivation time. There were no significant differences in D-values of E. coli when heating rates were above 1 °C/min both in RA and CA treatments. But D-values significantly (P < 0.05) increased under RA treatment and decreased under CA treatment at lower heating rates. Combination of rapid heat and CA treatments could be a promising method for thermal inactivation of S. enteritidis PT 30 in almond powder. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. In situ hydrogen, acetone, butanol, ethanol and microdiesel production by Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 from oleaginous fungal biomass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, Elhagag Ahmed; Abd-Alla, Mohamed Hemida; Bagy, Magdy Mohamed Khalil; Morsy, Fatthy Mohamed

    2015-08-01

    An in situ batch fermentation technique was employed for biohydrogen, acetone, butanol, ethanol and microdiesel production from oleaginous fungal biomass using the anaerobic fermentative bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824. Oleaginous fungal Cunninghamella echinulata biomass which has ability to accumulate up to 71% cellular lipid was used as the substrate carbon source. The maximum cumulative hydrogen by C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 from crude C. echinulata biomass was 260 ml H2 l(-1), hydrogen production efficiency was 0.32 mol H2 mole(-1) glucose and the hydrogen production rate was 5.2 ml H2 h(-1). Subsequently, the produced acids (acetic and butyric acids) during acidogenesis phase are re-utilized by ABE-producing clostridia and converted into acetone, butanol, and ethanol. The total ABE produced by C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 during batch fermentation was 3.6 g l(-1) from crude fungal biomass including acetone (1.05 g l(-1)), butanol (2.19 g l(-1)) and ethanol (0.36 g l(-1)). C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 has ability to produce lipolytic enzymes with a specific activity 5.59 U/mg protein to hydrolyze ester containing substrates. The lipolytic potential of C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 was used as a biocatalyst for a lipase transesterification process using the produced ethanol from ABE fermentation for microdiesel production. The fatty acid ethyl esters (microdiesel) generated from the lipase transesterification of crude C. echinulata dry mass was analyzed by GC/MS as 15.4% of total FAEEs. The gross energy content of biohydrogen, acetone, butanol, ethanol and biodiesel generated through C. acetobutylicum fermentation from crude C. echinulata dry mass was 3113.14 kJ mol(-1). These results suggest a possibility of integrating biohydrogen, acetone, butanol and ethanol production technology by C. acetobutylicum with microdiesel production from crude C. echinulata dry mass and therefore improve the feasibility and commercialization of bioenergy production

  17. Degradation of the Phosphonate Herbicide Glyphosate by Arthrobacter atrocyaneus ATCC 13752

    OpenAIRE

    Pipke, Rüdiger; Amrhein, Nikolaus

    1988-01-01

    Of nine authentic Arthrobacter strains tested, only A. atrocyaneus ATCC 13752 was capable of using the herbicide glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] as its sole source of phosphorus. Contrary to the previously isolated Arthrobacter sp. strain GLP-1, which degrades glyphosate via sarcosine, A. atrocyaneus metabolized glyphosate to aminomethylphosphonic acid. The carbon of aminomethylphosphonic acid was entirely converted to CO2. This is the first report on glyphosate degradation by a bacte...

  18. Role of Two Cell Wall Amidases in Septal Junction and Nanopore Formation in the Multicellular Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Bornikoel

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Filamentous cyanobacteria have developed a strategy to perform incompatible processes in one filament by differentiating specialized cell types, N2-fixing heterocysts and CO2-fixing, photosynthetic, vegetative cells. These bacteria can be considered true multicellular organisms with cells exchanging metabolites and signaling molecules via septal junctions, involving the SepJ and FraCD proteins. Previously, it was shown that the cell wall lytic N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase, AmiC2, is essential for cell–cell communication in Nostoc punctiforme. This enzyme perforates the septal peptidoglycan creating an array of nanopores, which may be the framework for septal junction complexes. In Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, two homologs of AmiC2, encoded by amiC1 and amiC2, were identified and investigated in two different studies. Here, we compare the function of both AmiC proteins by characterizing different Anabaena amiC mutants, which was not possible in N. punctiforme, because there the amiC1 gene could not be inactivated. This study shows the different impact of each protein on nanopore array formation, the process of cell–cell communication, septal protein localization, and heterocyst differentiation. Inactivation of either amidase resulted in significant reduction in nanopore count and in the rate of fluorescent tracer exchange between neighboring cells measured by FRAP analysis. In an amiC1 amiC2 double mutant, filament morphology was affected and heterocyst differentiation was abolished. Furthermore, the inactivation of amiC1 influenced SepJ localization and prevented the filament-fragmentation phenotype that is characteristic of sepJ or fraC fraD mutants. Our findings suggest that both amidases are to some extent redundant in their function, and describe a functional relationship of AmiC1 and septal proteins SepJ and FraCD.

  19. Comparative transcriptome and phenotype analysis of acid-stressed Bacillus cereus strain ATCC 14579

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mols, J.M.; Kranenburg, van Richard; Melis, van Clint; Moezelaar, Roy; Abee, Tjakko

    2009-01-01

    The food-borne human pathogen Bacillus cereus is found in environments that often have a low pH, such as food and soil. The physiological response upon exposure to several levels of acidity were investigated of B. cereus model strain ATCC 14579, to elucidate the response of B. cereus to acid stress.

  20. Comparative transcriptome and phenotype analysis of acid-stressed Bacillus cereus strain ATCC 10987

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mols, J.M.; Kranenburg, van Richard; Melis, van Clint; Moezelaar, Roy; Abee, Tjakko

    2009-01-01

    The food-borne human pathogen Bacillus cereus is found in environments that often have a low pH, such as food and soil. The physiological response upon exposure to several levels of acidity were investigated of B. cereus model strain ATCC 10987, to elucidate the response of B. cereus to acid stress.

  1. Identification and characterization of a carboxysomal γ-carbonic anhydrase from the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Araujo, Charlotte; Arefeen, Dewan; Tadesse, Yohannes; Long, Benedict M; Price, G Dean; Rowlett, Roger S; Kimber, Matthew S; Espie, George S

    2014-09-01

    Carboxysomes are proteinaceous microcompartments that encapsulate carbonic anhydrase (CA) and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco); carboxysomes, therefore, catalyze reversible HCO3 (-) dehydration and the subsequent fixation of CO2. The N- and C-terminal domains of the β-carboxysome scaffold protein CcmM participate in a network of protein-protein interactions that are essential for carboxysome biogenesis, organization, and function. The N-terminal domain of CcmM in the thermophile Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1 is also a catalytically active, redox regulated γ-CA. To experimentally determine if CcmM from a mesophilic cyanobacterium is active, we cloned, expressed and purified recombinant, full-length CcmM from Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 as well as the N-terminal 209 amino acid γ-CA-like domain. Both recombinant proteins displayed ethoxyzolamide-sensitive CA activity in mass spectrometric assays, as did the carboxysome-enriched TP fraction. NstCcmM209 was characterized as a moderately active and efficient γ-CA with a k cat of 2.0 × 10(4) s(-1) and k cat/K m of 4.1 × 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) at 25 °C and pH 8, a pH optimum between 8 and 9.5 and a temperature optimum spanning 25-35 °C. NstCcmM209 also catalyzed the hydrolysis of the CO2 analog carbonyl sulfide. Circular dichroism and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence analysis demonstrated that NstCcmM209 was progressively and irreversibly denatured above 50 °C. NstCcmM209 activity was inhibited by the reducing agent tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine, an effect that was fully reversed by a molar excess of diamide, a thiol oxidizing agent, consistent with oxidative activation being a universal regulatory mechanism of CcmM orthologs. Immunogold electron microscopy and Western blot analysis of TP pellets indicated that Rubisco and CcmM co-localize and are concentrated in Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 carboxysomes.

  2. GAMMA Radiation Effect On Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 19095) in Cheese MINAS FRESCALIRRADIATED

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amaral Gurgel, M.S.C.C. DO; Spoto, M.H.F.; Domarco, R.E.

    1999-01-01

    Milk is an excellent medium of culture for development of Staphylococcus aureus. Gamma radiation can be an alternative method to guarantee the safety of the contaminated cheeses. The objective of this research was determine the effects of the gamma radiation on the resistance of S.aureus (ATCC 19095) in cheese M inas Frescal i rradiated. The cheeses elaborated in the Laboratory of Food Irradiation of CENA/USP, were contaminated during their production with 10 6 CFU/mL of culture of S.aureus (ATCC 19095). The cheeses were irradiated with 0; 1; 2; 3 and 4 kGy, maintained under refrigeration condition (5 0C ) and analyzed at 1, 7 and 14 days of storage. The evaluation microbiology was made through the S.aureus survival analysis using Baird Parker selective medium and confirmative test of coagulase, catalase and fermentation aerobics of the manitol. The capacity of enterotoxins production by irradiated S.aureus was detected by the method of Passive Reverse Agglutination Latex. Results showed that 3 kGy is enough to destroy the S.aureus and 2 kGy to inhibited its toxins production

  3. Glycerol metabolism of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469: cloning and expression of two glycerol kinase genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez, María de Fátima; Medina, Roxana; Pasteris, Sergio E; Strasser de Saad, Ana M; Sesma, Fernando

    2004-01-01

    Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 was able to grow in glycerol as the sole source of energy in aerobic conditions, producing lactate, acetate, and diacetyl. A biphasic growth was observed in the presence of glucose. In this condition, glycerol consumption began after glucose was exhausted from the culture medium. Glycerol kinase activity was detected in L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469, a characteristic of microorganisms which catabolize glycerol in aerobic conditions. Genetic analysis revealed that this strain possesses two glycerol kinase genes: gykA and glpK, that encode for two different glycerol kinases GykA and GlpK, respectively. The glpK geneis associated in an operon with alpha-glycerophosphate oxidase (glpO) and glycerol facilitator (glpF) genes. Transcriptional analysis revealed that only glpK is expressed when L. rhamnosus was grown on glycerol. Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

  4. Improvement in citric acid production of Aspergillus niger ATCC 11414 by radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pewlong, Wachiraporn; Sansakorn, Sujittra; Puntharakratchadej, Chanin

    2003-10-01

    Ultraviolet and gamma irradiation were used to induce mutation of Aspergillus niger ATCC 11414 in order to increase ability of citric acid production. Five mutants of high-producing citric acid were 7UV-18, A2-14, 9UV-2, 9UV-27 and 8UV-10. The yields of citric acid were 2.0 to 3.84 fold higher than that of the wild type strain

  5. Effect of probiotic-fermented milk administration on gastrointestinal survival of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 and modulation of intestinal microbial flora.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sidira, Marianthi; Galanis, Alex; Ypsilantis, Petros; Karapetsas, Athanasios; Progaki, Zoi; Simopoulos, Constantinos; Kourkoutas, Yiannis

    2010-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to assess the survival of free and immobilized Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 on apple pieces, contained in probiotic-fermented milk, after gastrointestinal (GI) transit and to investigate the potential regulation of intestinal microbial flora in a rat model. In in vitro GI stress tolerance tests, immobilized L. casei ATCC 393 exhibited significantly higher survival rates compared to free cells. At a second stage, probiotic-fermented milk produced by either free or immobilized cells was administered orally at a single dose or daily for 9 days in Wistar rats. By 12 h after single-dose administration, both free and immobilized cells were detected by microbiological and molecular analysis at levels ≥6 logCFU/g of feces. Moreover, daily administration led to significant reduction of staphylococci, enterobacteria, coliforms and streptococci counts. In conclusion, L. casei ATCC 393 contained in fermented milk survived GI transit and modulated intestinal microbiota. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  6. Expression of arsenic resistance genes in the obligate anaerobe Bacteroides vulgatus ATCC 8482, a gut microbiome bacterium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jiaojiao; Mandal, Goutam; Rosen, Barry P

    2016-06-01

    The response of the obligate anaerobe Bacteroides vulgatus ATCC 8482, a common human gut microbiota, to arsenic was determined. B. vulgatus ATCC 8482 is highly resistant to pentavalent As(V) and methylarsenate (MAs(V)). It is somewhat more sensitive to trivalent inorganic As(III) but 100-fold more sensitive to methylarsenite (MAs(III)) than to As(III). B. vulgatus ATCC 8482 has eight continuous genes in its genome that we demonstrate form an arsenical-inducible transcriptional unit. The first gene of this ars operon, arsR, encodes a putative ArsR As(III)-responsive transcriptional repressor. The next three genes encode proteins of unknown function. The remaining genes, arsDABC, have well-characterized roles in detoxification of inorganic arsenic, but there are no known genes for MAs(III) resistance. Expression of each gene after exposure to trivalent and pentavalent inorganic and methylarsenicals was analyzed. MAs(III) was the most effective inducer. The arsD gene was the most highly expressed of the ars operon genes. These results demonstrate that this anaerobic microbiome bacterium has arsenic-responsive genes that confer resistance to inorganic arsenic and may be responsible for the organism's ability to maintain its prevalence in the gut following dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Production and Rheological Properties of Welan Gum Produced by Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555 with Different Nitrogen Sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xiaopeng; Nie, Zuoming; Zheng, Zhiyong; Zhu, Li; Zhan, Xiaobei

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the effect of nitrogen sources on the production and rheological properties of welan gum produced by Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555. Six different nitrogen sources were used for ATCC 31555 fermentation, and 2 of these were further analyzed due to their more positive influence on welan gum production and bacterial biomass. Bacterial biomass, welan gum yield, welan viscosity, molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, acyl content, and welan structure were analyzed. Welan gum production and the biomass concentration of ATCC 31555 were higher in media containing NaNO3 and beef extract. Welan viscosity decreased at higher temperatures of 30-90°C, and it increased with a higher welan concentration. In the media containing NaNO3 (3 g·L-1), welan viscosity was higher at 30-70°C and a welan solution concentration of 6-10 g·L-1. With a reduced NaNO3 concentration, the molecular weight of welan gum and the molar ratio of mannose decreased, but the molar ratio of glucuronic acid increased. With different nitrogen sources, the acetyl content of welan gum differed but its structure was similar. NaNO3 and beef extract facilitated welan production. A reduced NaNO3 concentration promoted welan viscosity. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  8. Selection of lactose-fermenting yeast for ethanol production from whey. [Candida pseudotropicalis ATCC 8619

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Izaguirre, M E; Castillo, F J

    1982-01-01

    Candida pseudotropicalis ATCC 8619 was selected from among 9 strains of lactose-fermenting yeasts on the basis of its ability to ferment concentrated whey. In 28% deproteinized whey solutions it produced an average of 12.4% EtOH. This yeast could be used in a process for whey treatment.

  9. Transcriptomic Analysis of (Group I) Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3502 Cold Shock Response

    OpenAIRE

    Dahlsten, Elias; Isokallio, Marita; Somervuo, Panu; Lindström, Miia; Korkeala, Hannu

    2014-01-01

    Profound understanding of the mechanisms foodborne pathogenic bacteria utilize in adaptation to the environmental stress they encounter during food processing and storage is of paramount importance in design of control measures. Chill temperature is a central control measure applied in minimally processed foods; however, data on the mechanisms the foodborne pathogen Clostridium botulinum activates upon cold stress are scarce. Transcriptomic analysis on the C. botulinum ATCC 3502 strain upon t...

  10. Identification of proteins involved in the heat stress response of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Periago, P.M.; Schaik, van W.; Abee, T.; Wouters, J.A.

    2002-01-01

    To monitor the ability of the food-borne opportunistic pathogen Bacillus cereus to survive during minimal processing of food products, we determined its heat-adaptive response. During pre-exposure to 42°C, B. cereus ATCC 14579 adapts to heat exposure at the lethal temperature of 50°C (maximum

  11. Complete Genome Sequence of the Quality Control Strain Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus ATCC 25923.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treangen, Todd J; Maybank, Rosslyn A; Enke, Sana; Friss, Mary Beth; Diviak, Lynn F; Karaolis, David K R; Koren, Sergey; Ondov, Brian; Phillippy, Adam M; Bergman, Nicholas H; Rosovitz, M J

    2014-11-06

    Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus ATCC 25923 is commonly used as a control strain for susceptibility testing to antibiotics and as a quality control strain for commercial products. We present the completed genome sequence for the strain, consisting of the chromosome and a 27.5-kb plasmid. Copyright © 2014 Treangen et al.

  12. Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of UgdG, an UDP-glucose dehydrogenase from Sphingomonas elodea ATCC 31461

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rocha, Joana; Granja, Ana Teresa; Sá-Correia, Isabel; Fialho, Arsénio; Frazão, Carlos

    2009-01-01

    Crystals of S. elodea ATCC 31461 UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.22) were obtained in space groups P622 and P4 3 2 1 2 and diffracted to 2.4 and 3.4 Å resolution, respectively. Gellan gum, a commercial gelling agent produced by Sphingomonas elodea ATCC 31461, is a high-value microbial exopolysaccharide. UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UGD; EC 1.1.1.22) is responsible for the NAD-dependent twofold oxidation of UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid, one of the key components for gellan biosynthesis. S. elodea ATCC 31461 UGD, termed UgdG, was cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized in native and SeMet-derivatized forms in hexagonal and tetragonal space groups, respectively; the crystals diffracted X-rays to 2.40 and 3.40 Å resolution, respectively. Experimental phases were obtained for the tetragonal SeMet-derivatized crystal form by a single-wavelength anomalous dispersion experiment. This structure was successfully used as a molecular-replacement probe for the hexagonal crystal form of the native protein

  13. Identification of lactose phosphotransferase systems in Lactobacillus gasseri ATCC 33323 required for lactose utilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Francl, Alyssa L; Hoeflinger, Jennifer L; Miller, Michael J

    2012-04-01

    Improving the annotation of sugar catabolism-related genes requires functional characterization. Our objective was to identify the genes necessary for lactose utilization by Lactobacillus gasseri ATCC 33323 (NCK334). The mechanism of lactose transport in many lactobacilli is a lactose/galactose-specific permease, yet no orthologue was found in NCK334. Characterization of an EI knockout strain [EI (enzyme I) is required for phosphotransferase system transporter (PTS) function] demonstrated that L. gasseri requires PTS(s) to utilize lactose. In order to determine which PTS(s) were necessary for lactose utilization, we compared transcript expression profiles in response to lactose for the 15 complete PTSs identified in the NCK334 genome. PTS 6CB (LGAS_343) and PTS 8C (LGAS_497) were induced in the presence of lactose 107- and 53-fold, respectively. However, L. gasseri ATCC 33323 PTS 6CB, PTS 8C had a growth rate similar to that of the wild-type on semisynthetic deMan, Rogosa, Sharpe (MRS) medium with lactose. Expression profiles of L. gasseri ATCC 33323 PTS 6CB, PTS 8C in response to lactose identified PTS 9BC (LGAS_501) as 373-fold induced, whereas PTS 9BC was not induced in NCK334. Elimination of growth on lactose required the inactivation of both PTS 6CB and PTS 9BC. Among the six candidate phospho-β-galactosidase genes present in the NCK334 genome, LGAS_344 was found to be induced 156-fold in the presence of lactose. In conclusion, we have determined that: (1) NCK334 uses a PTS to import lactose; (2) PTS 6CB and PTS 8C gene expression is strongly induced by lactose; and (3) elimination of PTS 6CB and PTS 9BC is required to prevent growth on lactose.

  14. Presence and expression of hydrogenase specific C-terminal endopeptidases in cyanobacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lindblad Peter

    2003-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hydrogenases catalyze the simplest of all chemical reactions: the reduction of protons to molecular hydrogen or vice versa. Cyanobacteria can express an uptake, a bidirectional or both NiFe-hydrogenases. Maturation of those depends on accessory proteins encoded by hyp-genes. The last maturation step involves the cleavage of a ca. 30 amino acid long peptide from the large subunit by a C-terminal endopeptidase. Until know, nothing is known about the maturation of cyanobacterial NiFe-hydrogenases. The availability of three complete cyanobacterial genome sequences from strains with either only the uptake (Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133/PCC 73102, only the bidirectional (Synechocystis PCC 6803 or both NiFe-hydrogenases (Anabaena PCC 7120 prompted us to mine these genomes for hydrogenase maturation related genes. In this communication we focus on the presence and the expression of the NiFe-hydrogenases and the corresponding C-terminal endopeptidases, in the three strains mentioned above. Results We identified genes encoding putative cyanobacterial hydrogenase specific C-terminal endopeptidases in all analyzed cyanobacterial genomes. The genes are not part of any known hydrogenase related gene cluster. The derived amino acid sequences show only low similarity (28–41% to the well-analyzed hydrogenase specific C-terminal endopeptidase HybD from Escherichia coli, the crystal structure of which is known. However, computational secondary and tertiary structure modeling revealed the presence of conserved structural patterns around the highly conserved active site. Gene expression analysis shows that the endopeptidase encoding genes are expressed under both nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing conditions. Conclusion Anabaena PCC 7120 possesses two NiFe-hydrogenases and two hydrogenase specific C-terminal endopeptidases but only one set of hyp-genes. Thus, in contrast to the Hyp-proteins, the C-terminal endopeptidases are the only known

  15. Antibacterial effect of four endodontic cements against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. An in vitro study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos J. Carruitero

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To compare the in vitro antibacterial effect of the root canal cements Endobalsam®, Top Seal®, Apexit® and Endofill® against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212. Materials and method: Eighty-five applications of cements on Enterococcus faecalis, cultured in vitro on solid media in Petri dishes, were analyzed. Five groups were evaluated: four for each cement, and the fifth for the positive control (amoxicillin. The antibacterial effect was measured by the diameters of the bacterial inhibition halos at 24 hours, 48 hours, and seven days. Student´s t-test, ANOVA and the Tukey test were used for the statistical analysis. Results: No statistically significant differences were found at 24 hours (p>0.05; at 48 hours and seven days, Endofill® and Apexit® had the greatest effect (p0.05. Conclusion: Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 was susceptible to all cements. Endofill® had greater in vitro antibacterial effect than Apexit®, Top Seal® and Endobalsam®.

  16. [Proteomic analysis of curdlan-producing Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 in response to dissolved oxygen].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Xiaomeng; Yang, Libo; Zheng, Zhiyong; Chen, Haiqin; Zhan, Xiaobei

    2015-08-04

    Curdlan is produced by Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 under nitrogen limiting condition. The biosynthesis of crudlan is a typical aerobic bioprocess, and the production of curdlan would be severely restricted under micro-aerobic and anoxic conditions. Proteomic analysis of Agrobacterium sp. was conducted to investigate the effect of dissolved oxygen on the crucial enzymes involved in curdlan biosynthesis. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was performed to separate and visualize the differential expression of the intracellular proteins extracted from Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 cultured under various dissolved oxygen levels (75%, 50%, 25% and 5%). In addition, a comparative proteomic analysis of the intracellular proteins expression level under various dissolved oxygen levels was done. Significant differently expressed proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF. Finally, we identified 15 differently expressed proteins involved in polysaccharide synthesis, fatty acid synthesis, amino acid synthesis pathway. Among these proteins, phosphoglucomutase and orotidine 5-phosphate decarboxylase were the key metabolic enzymes directing curdlan biosynthesis. Oxygen could affect the expression of the proteins taking charge of curdlan synthesis significantly.

  17. Cloning and characterization of genes involved in nostoxanthin biosynthesis of Sphingomonas elodea ATCC 31461.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liang Zhu

    Full Text Available Most Sphingomonas species synthesize the yellow carotenoid nostoxanthin. However, the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway of these species remains unclear. In this study, we cloned and characterized a carotenoid biosynthesis gene cluster containing four carotenogenic genes (crtG, crtY, crtI and crtB and a β-carotene hydroxylase gene (crtZ located outside the cluster, from the gellan-gum producing bacterium Sphingomonas elodea ATCC 31461. Each of these genes was inactivated, and the biochemical function of each gene was confirmed based on chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis of the intermediates accumulated in the knockout mutants. Moreover, the crtG gene encoding the 2,2'-β-hydroxylase and the crtZ gene encoding the β-carotene hydroxylase, both responsible for hydroxylation of β-carotene, were confirmed by complementation studies using Escherichia coli producing different carotenoids. Expression of crtG in zeaxanthin and β-carotene accumulating E. coli cells resulted in the formation of nostoxanthin and 2,2'-dihydroxy-β-carotene, respectively. Based on these results, a biochemical pathway for synthesis of nostoxanthin in S. elodea ATCC 31461 is proposed.

  18. Cloning and characterization of genes involved in nostoxanthin biosynthesis of Sphingomonas elodea ATCC 31461.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Liang; Wu, Xuechang; Li, Ou; Qian, Chaodong; Gao, Haichun

    2012-01-01

    Most Sphingomonas species synthesize the yellow carotenoid nostoxanthin. However, the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway of these species remains unclear. In this study, we cloned and characterized a carotenoid biosynthesis gene cluster containing four carotenogenic genes (crtG, crtY, crtI and crtB) and a β-carotene hydroxylase gene (crtZ) located outside the cluster, from the gellan-gum producing bacterium Sphingomonas elodea ATCC 31461. Each of these genes was inactivated, and the biochemical function of each gene was confirmed based on chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis of the intermediates accumulated in the knockout mutants. Moreover, the crtG gene encoding the 2,2'-β-hydroxylase and the crtZ gene encoding the β-carotene hydroxylase, both responsible for hydroxylation of β-carotene, were confirmed by complementation studies using Escherichia coli producing different carotenoids. Expression of crtG in zeaxanthin and β-carotene accumulating E. coli cells resulted in the formation of nostoxanthin and 2,2'-dihydroxy-β-carotene, respectively. Based on these results, a biochemical pathway for synthesis of nostoxanthin in S. elodea ATCC 31461 is proposed.

  19. Direct-Imaging-Based Quantification of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 Population Heterogeneity at a Low Incubation Temperature

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Besten, den H.M.W.; Garcia, D.; Moezelaar, R.; Zwietering, M.H.; Abee, T.

    2010-01-01

    Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 was cultured in microcolonies on Anopore strips near its minimum growth temperature to directly image and quantify its population heterogeneity at an abusive refrigeration temperature. Eleven percent of the microcolonies failed to grow during low-temperature incubation,

  20. Allophycocyanin forms isolated from Nostoc sp. phycobilisomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zilinskas, B.A.; Zimmerman, B.K.; Gantt, E.

    1978-01-01

    Allophycocyanin from dissociated phycobilisomes of Nostoc sp. occurs in three spectrally identifiable forms that fractionate on calcium phosphate adsorption chromatography as: allophycocyanin (APC) I (15 to 20%), APC II (40 to 50%), and APC III (30 to 40%). APC I has a single absorption maximum at 654 nm, and a fluorescence emission peak at 678 nm. The absorption peaks of APC II and III are both at 650 nm, but the relative absorbance at 620/650 nm of APC III is less than that of APC II. The emission of both is maximum at 660 nm. On zone sedimentation in sucrose, their S/sub 20 w/ values of 6.0 +- 0.1 (APC I), 5.0 +- 0.1 (APC II), and 5.3 +-0.2 (APC III) were comparable to the order of their elution from Sephadex G-200. On SDS acrylamide gel electrophoresis two subunits were resolved with apparent molecular weights of 16,900 and 18,400 daltons. When stained by Coomassie blue, they were present in a ratio of 1..cap alpha..:1..beta.. in APC II and III, and a probable ratio of 2..cap alpha..:3..beta.. in APC I. The larger size of APC I may be accounted for by additional ..beta.. subunits, by the presence of an additional polypeptide of 35,000 daltons, or both. Over several days, bleaching as noted by a decrease in absorbance at 650 nm, occurred in all three forms; in addition, the more pronounced bleaching at 650 nm, relative to 620 nm, results in APC III becoming spectrally identical to APC II. A trace of a fourth pigment, probably comparable to allophycocyanin-B, was occasionally detected. The results suggest that several in vitro APC forms (sharing similar subunits) arise upon phycobilisome dissociation, and that APC I is the form most closely related to the final fluorescence emitter of intact phycobilisomes. In this form it probably serves as the bridging pigment in energy transfer from the phycobilisomes to chlorophyll.

  1. [Effect of glucose and lactose on the utilization of citrate by Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus ATCC 7469].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benito de Cárdenas, I L; Medina, R; Oliver, G

    1992-01-01

    The utilization of citrate by Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus ATCC 7469 in a complex medium containing glucose, lactose or citrate was investigated, as an approach to the question of the transport of this acid and the possible relationship with the production of flavour compounds (diacetyl and acetoin). This lactobacillus uses citrate as an energy source in the absence of carbohydrates. External pH and growth increases when citrate is added to complex medium. The presence of citrate does not affect glucose uptake. L. casei ATCC 7469 possibly uses a transport system for citrate utilization, and citrate uptake seems to be under glucose or lactose control. Lactose only inhibits the entrance of citrate at high concentration while the utilization of this acid was negatively regulated by low glucose concentration.

  2. Raman spectroscopic analysis of the responds of desert cyanobacterium Nostoc sp under UV-B radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Gaohong; Hao, Zongjie; Hu, Chunxiang; Liu, Yongding

    Cyanobacteria are renowned for tolerating extremes of desiccation, UV radiation, freezethaw cycles, hypersalinity and oligotrophy, which make them as candidate par excellence for terraforming in extraterrestrial planet. Recently Raman spectrum was applied to study the biochemical information changes in different field of life science. In this study, we investigated the respond of desert cyanobactreium Nostoc sp under UV-B radiation via FT-Raman spectra. It was found that the spectral biomarkers of protectant molecular of UV radiation such as β-carotene and scytonemin were induced by UV-B radiation, but Chlorophyll a content was decreased, and also the photosynthesis activity was inhibited significantly. After light adaptation without UV-B radiation, the Chlorophyll a content and photosynthesis activity returned to high level, butβ-carotene and scytonemin content remained in the cells. Those results indicated that desert Cyanobacteria have good adaptation ability for UV-B radiation and synthesis of protectant molecular may be an effective strategy for its adaptation in evolution.

  3. Limnology and cyanobacterial diversity of high altitude lakes of Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Y; Khattar, Jis; Singh, D P; Rahi, P; Gulati, A

    2014-09-01

    Limnological data of four high altitude lakes from the cold desert region of Himachal Pradesh, India, has been correlated with cyanobacterial diversity. Physico-chemical characteristics and nutrient contents of the studied lakes revealed that Sissu Lake is mesotrophic while Chandra Tal, Suraj Tal and Deepak Tal are ultra-oligotrophic. Based on morphology and 16S rRNA gene sequence, a total of 20 cyanobacterial species belonging to 11 genera were identified. Canonical correspondence analysis distinguished three groups of species with respect to their occurrence and nutrient/physical environment demand. The first group, which included Nostoc linckia, N. punctiforme, Nodularia sphaerocarpa, Geitlerinema acutissimum, Limnothrix redekii, Planktothrix agardhii and Plank. clathrata, was characteristic of water with high nutrient content and high temperature. The second group, including Gloeocapsopsis pleurocapsoides, Leptolyngbya antarctica, L. frigida, Pseudanabaena frigida and N. spongiaeforme, occurred in oligotrophic water with high pH and low temperature. The distribution of third group of Cyanobium parvum, Synechocystis pevalekii, L. benthonica, L. foveolarum, L. lurida, L. valderiana, Phormidium autumnale and P. chalybeum could not be associated with a particular environmental condition because of their presence in all sampling sites.

  4. Elevated Atmospheric CO2 and Warming Stimulates Growth and Nitrogen Fixation in a Common Forest Floor Cyanobacterium under Axenic Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zoë Lindo

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The predominant input of available nitrogen (N in boreal forest ecosystems originates from moss-associated cyanobacteria, which fix unavailable atmospheric N2, contribute to the soil N pool, and thereby support forest productivity. Alongside climate warming, increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations are expected in Canada’s boreal region over the next century, yet little is known about the combined effects of these factors on N fixation by forest floor cyanobacteria. Here we assess changes in N fixation in a common forest floor, moss-associated cyanobacterium, Nostoc punctiforme Hariot, under elevated CO2 conditions over 30 days and warming combined with elevated CO2 over 90 days. We measured rates of growth and changes in the number of specialized N2 fixing heterocyst cells, as well as the overall N fixing activity of the cultures. Elevated CO2 stimulated growth and N fixation overall, but this result was influenced by the growth stage of the cyanobacteria, which in turn was influenced by our temperature treatments. Taken together, climate change factors of warming and elevated CO2 are expected to stimulate N2 fixation by moss-associated cyanobacteria in boreal forest systems.

  5. Physico Chemical Characteristics of Lakhna Devi Temple Water Tank, Lakhna, Bakewar, Etawah, U.P. with reference to Cyanobacterial Diversity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omesh Bajpai

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Fresh water bodies in populated plains of tropical countries face various disturbances in the form of pollutant and nutrient inflow, heavy metal and elemental precipitation (wet or dry and constant silt inflow (natural or anthropogenic. The physico-chemical characteristics are very much important for any water body. In lentic water bodies these characteristics shows very much variation because in summer they have less and in rains large amount of water. These adverse constrain effectively influence the algal assemblage and can be a good indicator of overall health of the water body. In the study different Physico-chemical characteristics and algal diversity were monthly observed for one year duration (Jun. 2008 to May 2009. Some of 31 species of Cyanobacteria recorded from the study site viz. Microcystis aerughinosa, M. flos-aquae, M. robusta, Chroococcus minor, C.minutes, Gloeocapsa magma, Aphanocapsa littoralis, Aphanothece microscopis, Coelosphaerium kuetzingianum, Merismopedia glauca, M. tenuissima, Arthrospira spriulinoides, Spirulina gigantean, S. major, Oscillatoria formosa, O. subuliformis, O. princeps, Phormidium ambiguum, P. fragile, P. lucidum, Lyngbya contorta, O. epiphytica, O.majuscule, Cylindrospermum minutissimum, Nostoc commune, N. punctiforme, Anabaena oscillarioides, A. oryzae, Calothrix gloeocola, Rivularia aquatic and Gloeotrichia pisum.

  6. Novel Photodynamics in Phytochrome & Cyanobacteriochrome Photosensory Proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, Delmar

    2015-03-01

    The photodynamics of recently characterized phytochrome and cyanobacteriochrome photoreceptors are discussed. Phytochromes are red/far-red photosensory proteins that utilize the photoisomerization of a linear tetrapyrrole (bilin) chromophore to detect the red to far-red light ratio. Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are distantly related cyanobacterial photosensors with homologous bilin-binding GAF domains, but exhibit greater spectral diversity. The excited-state mechanisms underlying the initial photoisomerization in the forward reactions of the cyanobacterial photoreceptor Cph1 from Synechocystis, the RcaE CBCR from Fremyella diplosiphon, and Npr6012g4 CBCR from Nostoc punctiforme were contrasted via multipulse pump-dump-probe transient spectroscopy. A rich excited-state dynamics are resolved involving a complex interplay of excited-state proton transfer, photoisomerization, multilayered inhomogeneity, and reactive intermediates, and Le Chatelier redistribution. NpR6012g4 exhibits a high quantum yield for its forward photoreaction (40%) that was ascribed to the activity of hidden, productive ground-state intermediates via a ``second chance initiation dynamics'' (SCID) mechanism. This work was supported by a grant from the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, United States Department of Energy (DOE DE-FG02-09ER16117).

  7. Rare 1,2’-binaphthyls Produced by Nodulisporium hinnuleum Smith (ATCC 36102

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerhard Schlingman

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In the course of processing extracts from fermentations with Nodulisporium hinnuleum Smith (ATCC 36102 to obtain demethoxyvirdin, we noticed that this fungus produced several other secondary metabolites as well. In an effort to identify these components, four new, related natural products designated hinnulin A-D (1-4 were isolated and characterized. Structure elucidation of the hinnulins, primarily by NMR spectroscopy, revealed that these belong to the rare class of 1,2’-binaphthyl natural products.

  8. Comparative genomics of citric-acid producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andersen, Mikael R.; Salazar, Margarita; Schaap, Peter; van de Vondervoort, Peter; Culley, David E.; Thykaer, Jette; Frisvad, Jens C.; Nielsen, Kristian F.; Albang, Richard; Albermann, Kaj; Berka, Randy; Braus, Gerhard; Braus-Stromeyer, Susanna A.; Corrochano, Luis; Dai, Ziyu; van Dijck, Piet; Hofmann, Gerald; Lasure, Linda L.; Magnuson, Jon K.; Menke, Hildegard; Meijer, Martin; Meijer, Susan; Nielsen, Jakob B.; Nielsen, Michael L.; van Ooyen, Albert; Pel, Herman J.; Poulsen, Lars; Samson, Rob; Stam, Hein; Tsang, Adrian; van den Brink, Johannes M.; ATkins, Alex; Aerts, Andrea; Shapiro, Harris; Pangilinan, Jasmyn; Salamov, Asaf; Lou, Yigong; Lindquist, Erika; Lucas, Susan; Grimwood, Jane; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Kubicek, Christian P.; Martinez, Diego; van Peij, Noel; Roubos, Johannes A.; Nielsen, Jens B.; Baker, Scott E.

    2011-06-01

    The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compels additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild type strain (ATCC 1015), and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15 gaps are present in the sequence and half the telomeric regions have been elucidated. Moreover, sequence information from ATCC 1015 was utilized to improve the genome sequence of CBS 513.88. Chromosome-level comparisons uncovered several genome rearrangements, deletions, a clear case of strain-specific horizontal gene transfer, and identification of 0.8 megabase of novel sequence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms per kilobase (SNPs/kb) between the two strains were found to be exceptionally high (average: 7.8, maximum: 160 SNPs/kb). High variation within the species was confirmed with exo-metabolite profiling and phylogenetics. Detailed lists of alleles were generated, and genotypic differences were observed to accumulate in metabolic pathways essential to acid production and protein synthesis. A transcriptome analysis revealed up-regulation of the electron transport chain, specifically the alternative oxidative pathway in ATCC 1015, while CBS 513.88 showed significant up regulation of genes associated with biosynthesis of amino acids that are abundant in glucoamylase A, tRNA-synthases and protein transporters.

  9. Investigation on characteristics of 3D printing using Nostoc sphaeroides biomass.

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Yan-Jun; Guo, Chao-Fan; Zhang, Min; Zhong, Ze-Ping

    2018-06-27

    Gel-like constructs can be produced using an extrusion-based 3D food printing (3D-FP) technique. Nostoc sphaeroides biomass is a natural gel material. Considering its good nutrition and rheological properties, these algae were chosen in this study as supply material (ink) for 3D-FP. With this gel material, the extrusion-based 3D printing system was set as a model, and the printing behavior was investigated. Furthermore, the 3D-FP mechanisms were explained through low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and rheological measurements. Results indicated that although fresh biomass gel was printable, nonuniformity and instability occurred during printing. Blanched inks showed nonsmooth printing behavior, which was associated with a decrease in elasticity and viscosity. The printability was improved by increasing the rehydration time to 24 h when rehydrated powder was used. Increasing the rehydration time increased the water-binding degree. Pre-gelatinized potato starch was added to the mixture at ratios ranging from 1 to 100 g kg -1 . The best printing outcome was observed at 40 g kg -1 potato starch. We emphasize that elasticity and viscosity balance is an essential parameter to achieve printability. The strategies adopted in this work provide new insights into the development of personalized food regarding texture and nutritional additive content. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  10. Effect of light with different wavelengths on Nostoc flagelliforme cells in liquid culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Yu-Jie; Li, Jing; Wei, Shu-Mei; Chen, Nan; Xiao, Yu-Peng; Tan, Zhi-Lei; Jia, Shi-Ru; Yuan, Nan-Nan; Tan, Ning; Song, Yi-Jie

    2013-04-01

    The effects of lights with different wavelengths on the growth and the yield of extracellular polysaccharides of Nostoc flagelliforme cells were investigated in a liquid cultivation. N. flagelliforme cells were cultured for 16 days in 500 ml conical flasks containing BG11 culture medium under 27 micromol·m-2·s-1 of light intensity and 25 degrees C on a rotary shaker (140 rpm). The chlorophyll a, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, and phycoerythrin contents in N. flagelliforme cells under the lights of different wavelengths were also measured. It was found that the cell biomass and the yield of polysaccharide changed with different wavelengths of light. The biomass and the yield of extracellular polysaccharides under the red or violet light were higher than those under other light colors. Chlorophyll a, phycocyanin, and allophycocyanin are the main pigments in N. flagelliforme cells. The results showed that N. flagelliforme, like other cyanobacteria, has the ability of adjusting the contents and relative ratio of its pigments with the light quality. As a conclusion, N. flagelliforme cells favor red and violet lights and perform the complementary chromatic adaptation ability to acclimate to the changes of the light quality in the environment.

  11. A Proposal on the Restoration of Nostoc flagelliforme for Sustainable Improvement in the Ecology of Arid Steppes in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiang Gao

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Nostoc flagelliforme, a filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium, is widely distributed in arid steppes of the west and northwestern parts of China. However, as a food delicacy this species has been overexploited from 1970 to 2000. Moreover, overgrazing, land reclamation and the removal of medicinal herbs have caused severely reduced vegetation coverage there. In this communication, a badly damaged but slowly rehabilitating N. flagelliforme-inhibiting steppe is described, and the rehabilitation of desertified steppes by the renewed growth of N. flagelliforme is proposed. The restoration of this dominant nitrogen supplier would be an ecologically sustainable solution for supplementing current measures already taken in the desertified regions. In addition, a goal of 50%–60% vegetation coverage is proposed by the N. flagelliforme restoration.

  12. Selection of the Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 43121 and Its Application to Brewers' Spent Grain Conversion into Lactic Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liguori, Rossana; Soccol, Carlos Ricardo; Vandenberghe, Luciana Porto de Souza; Woiciechowski, Adenise Lorenci; Ionata, Elena; Marcolongo, Loredana; Faraco, Vincenza

    2015-01-01

    Six Lactobacillus strains were analyzed to select a bacterium for conversion of brewers' spent grain (BSG) into lactic acid. Among the investigated strains, L. acidophilus ATCC 43121 showed the highest yield of lactic acid production (16.1 g/L after 48 hours) when grown in a synthetic medium. It was then analyzed for its ability to grow on the hydrolysates obtained from BSG after acid-alkaline (AAT) or aqueous ammonia soaking (AAS) pretreatment. The lactic acid production by L. acidophilus ATCC 43121 through fermentation of the hydrolysate from AAS treated BSG was 96% higher than that from the AAT treated one, although similar yields of lactic acid per consumed glucose were achieved due to a higher (46%) glucose consumption by L. acidophilus ATCC 43121 in the AAS BSG hydrolysate. It is worth noting that adding yeast extract to the BSG hydrolysates increased both the yield of lactic acid per substrate consumed and the volumetric productivity. The best results were obtained by fermentation of AAS BSG hydrolysate supplemented by yeast extract, in which the strain produced 22.16 g/L of lactic acid (yield of 0.61 g/g), 27% higher than the value (17.49 g/L) obtained in the absence of a nitrogen source. PMID:26640784

  13. Single-cell confocal spectrometry of a filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc at room and cryogenic temperature. Diversity and differentiation of pigment systems in 311 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugiura, Kana; Itoh, Shigeru

    2012-08-01

    The fluorescence spectrum at 298 and 40 K and the absorption spectrum at 298 K of each cell of the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. was measured by single-cell confocal laser spectroscopy to study the differentiation of cell pigments. The fluorescence spectra of vegetative (veg) and heterocyst (het) cells of Nostoc formed separate groups with low and high PSII to PSI ratios, respectively. The fluorescence spectra of het cells at 40 K still contained typical PSII bands. The PSII/PSI ratio estimated for the veg cells varied between 0.4 and 1.2, while that of het cells varied between 0 and 0.22 even in the same culture. The PSII/PSI ratios of veg cells resembled each other more closely in the same filament. 'pro-het' cells, which started to differentiate into het cells, were identified from the small but specific difference in the PSII/PSI ratio. The allophycocyanin (APC)/PSII ratio was almost constant in both veg and het cells, indicating their tight couplings. Phycocyanin (PC) showed higher fluorescence in most het cells, suggesting the uncoupling from PSII. Veg cells seem to vary their PSI contents to give different PSII/PSI ratios even in the same culture, and to suppress the synthesis of PSII, APC and PC to differentiate into het cells. APC and PC are gradually liberated from membranes in het cells with the uncoupling from PSII. Single-cell spectrometry will be useful to study the differentiation of intrinsic pigments of cells and chloroplasts, and to select microbes from natural environments.

  14. Production of L-lactic acid from metabolically engineered strain of Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 29007.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thapa, Laxmi Prasad; Lee, Sang Jun; Park, Chulhwan; Kim, Seung Wook

    2017-07-01

    In this study, L-lactic acid production was investigated from metabolically engineered strain of E. aerogenes ATCC 29007. The engineered strain E. aerogenes SUMI01 (Δpta) was generated by the deletion of phosphate acetyltransferase (pta) gene from the chromosome of E. aerogenes ATCC 29007 and deletion was confirmed by colony PCR. Under the optimized fermentation conditions, at 37°C and pH 6 for 84h, the L-lactic acid produced by engineered strain E. aerogenes SUMI01 (Δpta) in flask fermentation using 100g/L mannitol as the carbon source was 40.05g/L as compared to that of the wild type counterpart 20.70g/L. At the end of the batch fermentation in bioreactor the production of L-lactic acid reached to 46.02g/L and yield was 0.41g/g by utilizing 112.32g/L mannitol. This is the first report regarding the production of L-lactic acid from Enterobacter species. We believe that this result may provide valuable guidelines for further engineering Enterobacter strain for the improvement of L-lactic acid production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Murein Hydrolase Activity in the Surface Layer of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356▿

    OpenAIRE

    Prado Acosta, Mariano; Palomino, María Mercedes; Allievi, Mariana C.; Rivas, Carmen Sanchez; Ruzal, Sandra M.

    2008-01-01

    We describe a new enzymatic functionality for the surface layer (S-layer) of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356, namely, an endopeptidase activity against the cell wall of Salmonella enterica serovar Newport, assayed via zymograms and identified by Western blotting. Based on amino acid sequence comparisons, the hydrolase activity was predicted to be located at the C terminus. Subsequent cloning and expression of the C-terminal domain in Bacillus subtilis resulted in the functional verificati...

  16. Genome Sequence of Streptomyces viridosporus Strain T7A ATCC 39115, a Lignin-Degrading Actinomycete

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davis, Jennifer R. [Brown University; Goodwin, Lynne A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Teshima, Hazuki [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Detter, J. Chris [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Tapia, Roxanne [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Han, Cliff [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Huntemann, Marcel [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Wei, Chia-Lin [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Han, James [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Chen, Amy [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Kyrpides, Nikos C [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Mavromatis, K [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Szeto, Ernest [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Markowitz, Victor [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Ivanova, N [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Mikhailova, Natalia [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Ovchinnikova, Galina [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Pagani, Ioanna [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Pati, Amrita [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Woyke, Tanja [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Pitluck, Sam [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Peters, Lin [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Nolan, Matt [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Land, Miriam L [ORNL; Sello, Jason K. [Brown University

    2013-01-01

    We announce the availability of the genome sequence of Streptomyces viridosporus strain T7A ATCC 39115, a plant biomass- degrading actinomycete. This bacterium is of special interest because of its capacity to degrade lignin, an underutilized compo- nent of plants in the context of bioenergy. It has a full complement of genes for plant biomass catabolism.

  17. Accumulation of radioactive cesium released from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in terrestrial cyanobacteria Nostoc commune.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasaki, Hideaki; Shirato, Susumu; Tahara, Tomoya; Sato, Kenji; Takenaka, Hiroyuki

    2013-01-01

    The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident released large amounts of radioactive substances into the environment and contaminated the soil of Tohoku and Kanto districts in Japan. Removal of radioactive material from the environment is an urgent problem, and soil purification using plants is being considered. In this study, we investigated the ability of 12 seed plant species and a cyanobacterium to accumulate radioactive material. The plants did not accumulate radioactive material at high levels, but high accumulation was observed in the terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune. In Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, N. commune accumulated 415,000 Bq/kg dry weight (134)Cs and 607,000 Bq kg(-1) dry weight (137)Cs. The concentration of cesium in N. commune tended to be high in areas where soil radioactivity was high. A cultivation experiment confirmed that N. commune absorbed radioactive cesium from polluted soil. These data demonstrated that radiological absorption using N. commune might be suitable for decontaminating polluted soil.

  18. Control of light-dependent keto carotenoid biosynthesis in Nostoc 7120 by the transcription factor NtcA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandmann, Gerhard; Mautz, Jürgen; Breitenbach, Jürgen

    2016-09-01

    In Nostoc PCC 7120, two different ketolases, CrtW and CrtO are involved in the formation of keto carotenoids from β-carotene. In contrast to other cyanobacteria, CrtW catalyzes the formation of monoketo echinenone whereas CrtO is the only enzyme for the synthesis of diketo canthaxanthin. This is the major photo protective carotenoid in this cyanobacterium. Under high-light conditions, basic canthaxanthin formation was transcriptionally up-regulated. Upon transfer to high light, the transcript levels of all investigated carotenogenic genes including those coding for phytoene synthase, phytoene desaturase and both ketolases were increased. These transcription changes proceeded via binding of the transcription factor NtcA to the promoter regions of the carotenogenic genes. The binding was absolutely dependent on the presence of reductants and oxo-glutarate. Light-stimulated transcript formation was inhibited by DCMU. Therefore, photosynthetic electron transport is proposed as the sensor for high-light and a changing redox state as a signal for NtcA binding.

  19. Comparative genome and transcriptome analysis reveals distinctive surface characteristics and unique physiological potentials of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853

    KAUST Repository

    Cao, Huiluo; Lai, Yong; Bougouffa, Salim; Xu, Zeling; Yan, Aixin

    2017-01-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was isolated from a hospital blood specimen in 1971 and has been widely used as a model strain to survey antibiotics susceptibilities, biofilm development, and metabolic activities of Pseudomonas spp.. Although four

  20. Unravelling the cross-talk between iron starvation and oxidative stress responses highlights the key role of PerR (alr0957) in peroxide signalling in the cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC 7120.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yingping, Fan; Lemeille, Sylvain; Talla, Emmanuel; Janicki, Annick; Denis, Yann; Zhang, Cheng-Cai; Latifi, Amel

    2014-10-01

    The cyanobacterial phylum includes oxygenic photosynthetic prokaryotes of a wide variety of morphologies, metabolisms and ecologies. Their adaptation to their various ecological niches is mainly achieved by sophisticated regulatory mechanisms and depends on a fine cross-talk between them. We assessed the global transcriptomic response of the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC 7120 to iron starvation and oxidative stress. More than 20% of the differentially expressed genes in response to iron stress were also responsive to oxidative stress. These transcripts include antioxidant proteins-encoding genes that confirms that iron depletion leads to reactive oxygen accumulation. The activity of the Fe-superoxide dismutase was not significantly decreased under iron starvation, indicating that the oxidative stress generated under iron deficiency is not a consequence of (SOD) deficiency. The transcriptional data indicate that the adaptation of Nostoc to iron-depleted conditions displays important differences with what has been shown in unicellular cyanobacteria. While the FurA protein that regulates the response to iron deprivation has been well characterized in Nostoc, the regulators in charge of the oxidative stress response are unknown. Our study indicates that the alr0957 (perR) gene encodes the master regulator of the peroxide stress. PerR is a peroxide-sensor repressor that senses peroxide by metal-catalysed oxidation.

  1. Comparative genomics of citric-acid producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grigoriev, Igor V.; Baker, Scott E.; Andersen, Mikael R.; Salazar, Margarita P.; Schaap, Peter J.; Vondervoot, Peter J.I. van de; Culley, David; Thykaer, Jette; Frisvad, Jens C.; Nielsen, Kristen F.; Albang, Richard; Albermann, Kaj; Berka, Randy M.; Braus, Gerhard H.; Braus-Stromeyer, Susanna A.; Corrochano, Luis M.; Dai, Ziyu; Dijck, Piet W.M. van; Hofmann, Gerald; Lasure, Linda L.; Magnusson, Jon K.; Meijer, Susan L.; Nielsen, Jakob B.; Nielsen, Michael L.; Ooyen, Albert J.J. van; Panther, Kathyrn S.; Pel, Herman J.; Poulsen, Lars; Samson, Rob A.; Stam, Hen; Tsang, Adrian; Brink, Johannes M. van den; Atkins, Alex; Aerts, Andrea; Shapiro, Harris; Pangilinan, Jasmyn; Salamov, Asaf; Lou, Yigong; Lindquist, Erika; Lucas, Susan; Grimwood, Jane; Kubicek, Christian P.; Martinez, Diego; Peij, Noel N.M.E. van; Roubos, Johannes A.; Nielsen, Jens

    2011-04-28

    The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compels additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild type strain (ATCC 1015), and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15 gaps are present in the sequence and half the telomeric regions have been elucidated. Moreover, sequence information from ATCC 1015 was utilized to improve the genome sequence of CBS 513.88. Chromosome-level comparisons uncovered several genome rearrangements, deletions, a clear case of strain-specific horizontal gene transfer, and identification of 0.8 megabase of novel sequence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms per kilobase (SNPs/kb) between the two strains were found to be exceptionally high (average: 7.8, maximum: 160 SNPs/kb). High variation within the species was confirmed with exo-metabolite profiling and phylogenetics. Detailed lists of alleles were generated, and genotypic differences were observed to accumulate in metabolic pathways essential to acid production and protein synthesis. A transcriptome analysis revealed up-regulation of the electron transport chain, specifically the alternative oxidative pathway in ATCC 1015, while CBS 513.88 showed significant up-regulation of genes relevant to glucoamylase A production, such as tRNA-synthases and protein transporters. Our results and datasets from this integrative systems biology analysis resulted in a snapshot of fungal evolution and will support further optimization of cell factories based on filamentous fungi.[Supplemental materials (10 figures, three text documents and 16 tables) have been made available

  2. CrdR function in a curdlan-producing Agrobacterium sp. ATCC31749 strain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xiaoqin; Zhang, Chao; Yang, Liping; Zhao, Lamei; Lin, Chun; Liu, Zhengjie; Mao, Zichao

    2015-02-10

    Agrobacterium sp. ATCC31749 is an efficient curdlan producer at low pH and under nitrogen starvation. The helix-turn-helix transcriptional regulatory protein (crdR) essential for curdlan production has been analyzed, but whether crdR directly acts to cause expression of the curdlan biosynthesis operon (crdASC) is uncertain. To elucidate the molecular function of crdR in curdlan biosynthesis, we constructed a crdR knockout mutant along with pBQcrdR and pBQNcrdR vectors with crdR expression driven by a T5 promoter and crdR native promoter, respectively. Also, we constructed a pAG with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene driven by a curdlan biosynthetic operon promoter (crdP) to measure the effects of crdR expression on curdlan biosynthesis. Compared with wild-type (WT) strain biomass production, the biomass of the crdR knockout mutant was not significantly different in either exponential or stationary phases of growth. Mutant cells were non-capsulated and planktonic and produced significantly less curdlan. WT cells were curdlan-capsulated and aggregated in the stationery phase. pBQcrdR transformed to the WT strain had a 38% greater curdlan yield and pBQcrdR and pBQNcrdR transformed to the crdR mutant strain recovered 18% and 105% curdlan titers of the WT ATCC31749 strain, respectively. Consistent with its function of promoting curdlan biosynthesis, curdlan biosynthetic operon promoter (crdP) controlled GFP expression caused the transgenic strain to have higher GFP relative fluorescence in the WT strain, and no color change was observed with low GFP relative fluorescence in the crdR mutant strain as evidenced by fluorescent microscopy and spectrometric assay. q-RT-PCR revealed that crdR expression in the stationary phase was greater than in the exponential phase, and crdR overexpression in the WT strain increased crdA, crdS, and crdC expression. We also confirmed that purified crdR protein can specifically bind to the crd operon promoter region, and we inferred

  3. Transcriptomic analysis of (group I Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3502 cold shock response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elias Dahlsten

    Full Text Available Profound understanding of the mechanisms foodborne pathogenic bacteria utilize in adaptation to the environmental stress they encounter during food processing and storage is of paramount importance in design of control measures. Chill temperature is a central control measure applied in minimally processed foods; however, data on the mechanisms the foodborne pathogen Clostridium botulinum activates upon cold stress are scarce. Transcriptomic analysis on the C. botulinum ATCC 3502 strain upon temperature downshift from 37°C to 15°C was performed to identify the cold-responsive gene set of this organism. Significant up- or down-regulation of 16 and 11 genes, respectively, was observed 1 h after the cold shock. At 5 h after the temperature downshift, 199 and 210 genes were up- or down-regulated, respectively. Thus, the relatively small gene set affected initially indicated a targeted acute response to cold shock, whereas extensive metabolic remodeling appeared to take place after prolonged exposure to cold. Genes related to fatty acid biosynthesis, oxidative stress response, and iron uptake and storage were induced, in addition to mechanisms previously characterized as cold-tolerance related in bacteria. Furthermore, several uncharacterized DNA-binding transcriptional regulator-encoding genes were induced, suggesting involvement of novel regulatory mechanisms in the cold shock response of C. botulinum. The role of such regulators, CBO0477 and CBO0558A, in cold tolerance of C. botulinum ATCC 3502 was demonstrated by deteriorated growth of related mutants at 17°C.

  4. Characterization of the Phthalate Permease OphD from Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 17616†

    OpenAIRE

    Chang, Hung-Kuang; Zylstra, Gerben J.

    1999-01-01

    The ophD gene, encoding a permease for phthalate transport, was cloned from Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 17616. Expression of the gene in Escherichia coli results in the ability to transport phthalate rapidly into the cell. Uptake inhibition experiments show that 4-hydroxyphthalate, 4-chlorophthalate, 4-methylphthalate, and cinchomeronate compete for the phthalate permease. An ophD knockout mutant of 17616 grows slightly more slowly on phthalate but is still able to take up phthalate at rates eq...

  5. Microbial Corrosion of API 5L X-70 Carbon Steel by ATCC 7757 and Consortium of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arman Abdullah

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Various cases of accidents involving microbiology influenced corrosion (MIC were reported by the oil and gas industry. Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB have always been linked to MIC mechanisms as one of the major causes of localized corrosion problems. In this study, SRB colonies were isolated from the soil in suspected areas near the natural gas transmission pipeline in Malaysia. The effects of ATCC 7757 and consortium of isolated SRB upon corrosion on API 5L X-70 carbon steel coupon were investigated using a weight loss method, an open circuit potential method (OCP, and a potentiodynamic polarization curves method in anaerobic conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS were then used to determine the corrosion morphology in verifying the SRB activity and corrosion products formation. Results from the study show that the corrosion rate (CR of weight loss method for the isolated SRB is recorded as 0.2017 mm/yr compared to 0.2530 mm/yr for ATCC 7757. The Tafel plot recorded the corrosion rate of 0.3290 mm/yr for Sg. Ular SRB and 0.2500 mm/yr for Desulfovibrio vulgaris. The results showed that the consortia of isolated SRB were of comparable effects and features with the single ATCC 7757 strain.

  6. Toxicity of nickel and silver to Nostoc muscorum: interaction with ascorbic acid, glutathione, and sulfur-containing amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rai, L C; Raizada, M

    1987-08-01

    Exposure of Nostoc muscorum to different concentrations of Ni and Ag brought about reduction in growth, carbon fixation, heterocyst production, and nitrogenase activity and increase in the loss of ions (K+, Na+). In an attempt to ameliorate the toxicity of test metals by ascorbic acid, glutathione, and sulfur-containing amino acids (L-cysteine and L-methionine), it was found that the level of protection by ascorbic acid and glutathione was more for Ag than Ni. However, metal-induced inhibition of growth and carbon fixation was equally ameliorated by methionine. But the level of protection by cysteine was quite different, i.e., 27% for Ni and 22% for Ag. Protection of metal toxicity in N. muscorum by amino acids lends further support to self-detoxifying ability of cyanobacteria because they are known to synthesize all essential amino acids.

  7. Antioxidative activity of ethanol extracts from Spirulina platensis and Nostoc linckia measured by various methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liliana CEPOI

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this work is to determine the level of antioxidative activity of various ethanol extracts from Spirulina platensis and Nostoc linckia biomass, and also to demonstrate the possibility to select suitable methods for evaluation of these characteristics. The methods for determination of antioxidative activity were selected concerning their possible use for complex preparations: phosphomolybdenum method for evaluation of antioxidant capacity (PMRC, radical-scavenging activity by DPPH method (DPPH, antioxidant activity by the ABTS+ radical cation assay (ABTS, Folin-Ciocalteu reducing capacity (FCRC. We showed the presence of antioxidative substances in ethanol extractions from 2 species of cyanobacteria, and possibility to increase their activity varying ethanol concentration. It facilitates the extraction both water- and lipid-soluble components from biomass. Regarding used methods for antioxidative activity determination, we have used only those based on reaction of electrons return (which widely used nowadays in vitro. Obtained in different ways results demonstrate high reduction capacity of the extracts and possibility to select suitable analytical methods for each case.

  8. Differential effect of ultraviolet-B radiation on certain metabolic processes in a chromatically adapting Nostoc

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tyagi, R.; Srinivas, G.; Vyas, D.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, H.D. (Banaras Hindu Univ., Varanasi (India))

    1992-03-01

    The impact of UV-B radiation on growth, pigmentation and certain physiological processes was studied in a N{sub 2}-fixing chromatically adapting cyanobacterium, Nostoc spongiaeforme. A brownish form (phycoerythrin rich) was found to be more tolerant to UV-B than the blue-green (phycocyanin rich) form of N. spongiaeforme. Continuous exposure to UV-B (5.5 W m{sup -2}) for 90 min caused complete killing of the blue-green strain whereas the brown strain showed complete loss of survival after 180 min. Pigment content was more strongly inhibited in the blue-green strain than in the brown. Nitrogenase activity was completely abolished in both strains within 35 min of UV-B treatment. Restoration of nitrogenase occurred upon transfer to fluorescent or incandescent light after a lag of 5-6 h, suggesting fresh synthesis of nitrogenase. In vivo nitrate reductase activity was stimulated by UV-B treatment, the degree of enhancement being significantly higher in the blue-green strain. {sup 14}CO{sub 2} uptake was also completely abolished by UV-B treatment in both strains. (author).

  9. Differential effect of ultraviolet-B radiation on certain metabolic processes in a chromatically adapting Nostoc

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tyagi, R.; Srinivas, G.; Vyas, D.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, H.D.

    1992-01-01

    The impact of UV-B radiation on growth, pigmentation and certain physiological processes was studied in a N 2 -fixing chromatically adapting cyanobacterium, Nostoc spongiaeforme. A brownish form (phycoerythrin rich) was found to be more tolerant to UV-B than the blue-green (phycocyanin rich) form of N. spongiaeforme. Continuous exposure to UV-B (5.5 W m -2 ) for 90 min caused complete killing of the blue-green strain whereas the brown strain showed complete loss of survival after 180 min. Pigment content was more strongly inhibited in the blue-green strain than in the brown. Nitrogenase activity was completely abolished in both strains within 35 min of UV-B treatment. Restoration of nitrogenase occurred upon transfer to fluorescent or incandescent light after a lag of 5-6 h, suggesting fresh synthesis of nitrogenase. In vivo nitrate reductase activity was stimulated by UV-B treatment, the degree of enhancement being significantly higher in the blue-green strain. 14 CO 2 uptake was also completely abolished by UV-B treatment in both strains. (author)

  10. Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19115 on ham steak by tea bioactive compounds incorporated into chitosan-coated plastic films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vodnar Dan C

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The consumer demands for better quality and safety of food products have given rise to the development and implementation of edible films. The use of antimicrobial films can be a promising tool for controlling L. monocytogenes on ready to eat products. The aim of this study was to develop effective antimicrobial films incorporating bioactive compounds from green and black teas into chitosan, for controlling L. monocytogenes ATCC 19115 on vacuum-packaged ham steak. The effectiveness of these antimicrobial films was evaluated at room temperature (20°C for 10 days and at refrigerated temperature (4°C for 8 weeks. Results The HPLC results clearly show that relative concentrations of catechins and caffeine in green tea ranked EGCG>EGC>CAF>ECG>EC>C while in black tea extracts ranked CAF>EGCG>ECG>EGC>EC>C. The chitosan-coated plastic films incorporating green tea and black tea extracts shows specific markers identified by FTIR. Incorporating natural extracts into chitosan showed that the growth of L monocytogenes ATCC 19115 was inhibited. The efficacy of antimicrobial effect of tea extracts incorporated into chitosan-coated plastic film was dose dependent. However, chitosan-coated films without addition of tea extracts did not inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes ATCC 19115. Chitosan-coated plastic films incorporating 4% Green tea extract was the most effective antimicrobial, reducing the initial counts from 3.2 to 2.65 log CFU/cm2 during room temperature storage and from 3.2 to 1–1.5 log CFU/cm2 during refrigerated storage. Conclusions Incorporation of tea extracts into the chitosan-coated films considerably enhanced their effectiveness against L. monocytogenes ATCC 19115. 4% Green tea incorporated into chitosan-coated plastic film had a better antilisterial effect than 2% green tea or 2% and 4% black tea. Data from this study would provide new formulation options for developing antimicrobial packaging films using tea

  11. Influence of glutamate on growth, sporulation, and spore properties of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 in defined medium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vries, de Y.P.; Atmadja, R.D.; Hornstra, L.M.; Vos, de W.M.; Abee, T.

    2005-01-01

    A chemically defined medium in combination with an airlift fermentor system was used to study the growth and sporulation of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579. The medium contained six amino acids and lactate as the main carbon sources. The amino acids were depleted during exponential growth, while lactate

  12. Bio desulfurization of a system containing synthetic fuel by rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 4277; Remocao de compostos sulfurosos de sitema bifasico contendo combustivel sintetico por Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 4277

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maass, Danielle; Souza, Antonio Augusto Ulson de; Souza, Selene Maria de Arruda Guelli Ulson de [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), SC (Brazil)

    2012-07-01

    For decades the burning of fossil fuels released a lot of pollutants in the atmosphere. Among the most harmful is sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}), which reacts with the moisture in the air and turns into sulfuric acid, being the main cause of acid rain. Acid rain is very harmful to animal and plant kingdoms; accelerates the corrosion's processes of buildings and monuments, and causes serious health problems for humans. As a result, many countries have reformed their legislation to require the sale of fuels with very low sulfur content. The existing processes of desulfurization are not capable of removing sulfur so low. Therefore, there has developed a new process called bio desulfurization. In this process, the degradation of sulfur occurs through the action of microorganisms that act as catalysts. The bacterium Rhodococcus erythropolis has emerged as one of the most promising for bio desulfurization because it removes the sulfur without breaking the benzene rings, thereby maintaining the potential energy of the same. Using dibenzothiophene as a model of sulfur compounds, the products of the bio desulfurization process are 2- hydroxybiphenyl and sulfate. In this study we sought to examine the desulfurizing capacity of national Rhodococcus erythropolis strain ATCC4277 in a batch reactor using concentrations of organic phase (n-dodecane) of 20 and 80% (v/v). Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC4277 was capable of degrading DBT in 93.3 and 98.0% in the presence of 20 and 80% (v/v) of synthetic fuel, respectively. (author)

  13. Impacts of diurnal variation of ultraviolet-B and photosynthetically active radiation on phycobiliproteins of the hot-spring cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain HKAR-2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kannaujiya, Vinod K; Sinha, Rajeshwar P

    2017-01-01

    The effects of diurnal variation of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; 400-700 nm) and ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280-315 nm) radiation on phycobiliproteins (PBPs) and photosynthetic pigments (PP) have been studied in the hot-spring cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. strain HKAR-2. The variations in PBPs and PP were monitored by alternating light and dark under PAR, UV-B, and PAR + UV-B radiations over a period of 25 h. There was a decline in the amount of Chl a and PBPs during light periods of UV-B and PAR + UV-B and an increase during dark periods showing a circadian rhythm by destruction and resynthesis of pigment-protein complex. However, a marked induction in carotenoids was recorded during light periods of the same radiations. Moreover, the ratio of Chl a/PE and Chl a/PC was increased in dark periods showing the resynthesis of bleached Chl a. The wavelength shift in emission fluorescence of PBPs toward shorter wavelengths further indicated the bleaching and destruction of PBPs during light periods. Oxidative damage upon exposure to PAR, UV-B, and PAR + UV-B was alleviated by induction of antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The studied cyanobacterium exhibits a significant increase in the activities of SOD, CAT, and APX upon exposure to UV-B and PAR + UV-B radiations. The results indicate that pigment-protein composition of Nostoc sp. stain HKAR-2 was significantly altered during diurnal variation of light/radiation, which might play an important role in optimization for their productivity in a particular cyanobacterium.

  14. The biotechnology of hydrogen production by Nostoc flagelliforme grown under chemostat conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lichtl, R.R.; Bazin, M.J.; Hall, D.O. [Div. of Life Sciences, King`s College, London Univ. (United Kingdom)

    1997-11-01

    The potential of using N{sub 2}-fixing cyanobacteria to produce hydrogen photobiologically has stimulated research on the physiology and biotechnology of species exhibiting high H{sub 2} production rates over long periods of time. In this work Nostoc flagelliforme, a terrestrial N{sub 2}-fixing cyanobacterium, has been examined to establish its physiology and potential for H{sub 2} production under controlled conditions. Cell filaments of N. flagelliforme were purified and grown in liquid culture to optimize its H{sub 2} metabolism. In batch-grown cultures the activity of nitrogenase, the key enzyme for H{sub 2} production in N{sub 2}-fixing organisms, was found to be high only during a short phase of exponential growth. A chemostat system was thus constructed for long-term experiments using continuous cultures, with the aim of exploiting the exponential growth phase. The dilution rate (D) and environmental factors, such as N{sub 2} concentration in the gas phase and temperature, significantly influenced H{sub 2} production. Cells grown continuously under the optimized conditions of D=0.022 h{sup -1}, 34 C and 5.1 kPa N{sub 2} in the gas phase exhibited H{sub 2} production rates that were more than four times higher than the maximal rates under standard batch growth conditions. (orig.)

  15. Different nitrogen sources change the transcriptome of welan gum-producing strain Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xiaopeng; Nie, Zuoming; Zheng, Zhiyong; Zhu, Li; Zhang, Hongtao; Zhan, Xiaobei

    2017-09-01

    To reveal effects of different nitrogen sources on the expressions and functions of genes in Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555, it was cultivated in medium containing inorganic nitrogen (IN), organic nitrogen (ON), or inorganic-organic combined nitrogen (CN). Welan gum production and bacterial biomass were determined, and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the different ATCC 31555 groups were identified, and their functions were analyzed. Welan gum production and bacterial biomass were significantly higher in the ON and CN groups compared with those in the IN group. RNA-seq produced 660 unigenes, among which 488, 731, and 844 DEGs were identified between the IN vs. ON, IN vs. CN, and ON vs. CN groups, respectively. All the DEGs were related significantly to metabolic process and signal transduction. DEGs between the IN vs. CN and ON vs. CN groups were potentially associated with bacterial chemotaxis. Real-time PCR confirmed the expressions of selected DEGs. Organic nitrogen led to higher bacterial biomass and welan gum production than inorganic nitrogen, which might reflect differences in gene expression associated with metabolic process, signal transduction, and bacterial chemotaxis induced by different nitrogen sources.

  16. Feathermoss and epiphytic Nostoc cooperate differently: expanding the spectrum of plant–cyanobacteria symbiosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Warshan, Denis; Espinoza, Josh L.; Stuart, Rhona; Richter, Alexander R.; Kim, Sea-Yong; Shapiro, Nicole; Woyke, Tanja; Kyripides, Nikos; Barry, Kerrie W.; Singan, Vasanth; Lindquist, Erika; Ansong, Charles K.; Purvine, Samuel O.; Brewer, Heather M.; Weyman, Philip D.; Dupont, Chris; Rasmussen, Ulla

    2017-12-31

    Dinitrogen (N2)-fixation by cyanobacteria in symbiosis with feather mosses represents the main pathway of biological N input into boreal forests. Despite its significance, little is known about the gene repertoire needed for the establishment and maintenance of the symbiosis. To determine gene acquisitions or regulatory rewiring allowing cyanobacteria to form this symbiosis, we compared closely related Nostoc strains that were either symbiosis-competent or non-competent, using a proteogenomics approach and a unique experimental setup allowing for controlled chemical and physical contact between partners. Thirty-two protein families were only in the genomes of competent strains, including some never before associated with symbiosis. We identified conserved orthologs that were differentially expressed in competent strains, including gene families involved in chemotaxis and motility, NO regulation, sulfate/phosphate transport, sugar metabolism, and glycosyl-modifying and oxidative stress-mediating exoenzymes. In contrast to other cyanobacteria-plant symbioses, the moss-cyanobacteria epiphytic symbiosis is distinct, with the symbiont retaining motility and chemotaxis, and not modulating N-fixation, photosynthesis, GS-GOGAT cycle, and heterocyst formation. Our work expands our knowledge of plant cyanobacterial symbioses, provides an interaction model of this ecologically significant symbiosis, and suggests new currencies, namely nitric oxide and aliphatic sulfonates, may be involved in establishing and maintaining this symbiosis.

  17. The production of lactic acid on liquid distillery stillage by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469

    OpenAIRE

    Đukić-Vuković, Aleksandra; Mojović, Ljiljana; Pejin, Dušanka; Vukašinović-Sekulić, Maja; Rakin, Marica; Nikolić, Svetlana; Pejin, Jelena

    2011-01-01

    The production of lactic acid on a liquid distillery stillage remaining after the bioethanol production on a mixture of waste bread and waste water from the production of wheat gluten was studied in this work. The lactic acid fermentation was performed with a probiotic lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469. During the fermentation, parameters such as the concentration of lactic acid (according to Taylor method), the concentration of reducing sugars (spectrophotometric method ...

  18. Comparative genomics and transcriptome analysis of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 11443 and the mutant strain SCT-10-10-60 with enhanced L-lactic acid production capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Liang; Lu, Zhilong; Li, Jianxiu; Sun, Feifei; Huang, Ribo

    2018-02-01

    Mechanisms for high L-lactic acid production remain unclear in many bacteria. Lactobacillus rhamnosus SCT-10-10-60 was previously obtained from L. rhamnosus ATCC 11443 via mutagenesis and showed improved L-lactic acid production. In this study, the genomes of strains SCT-10-10-60 and ATCC 11443 were sequenced. Both genomes are a circular chromosome, 2.99 Mb in length with a GC content of approximately 46.8%. Eight split genes were identified in strain SCT-10-10-60, including two LytR family transcriptional regulators, two Rex redox-sensing transcriptional repressors, and four ABC transporters. In total, 60 significantly up-regulated genes (log 2 fold-change ≥ 2) and 39 significantly down-regulated genes (log 2 fold-change ≤ - 2) were identified by a transcriptome comparison between strains SCT-10-10-60 and ATCC 11443. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that "pyruvate metabolism" was significantly different (P < 0.05) between the two strains. The split genes and the differentially expressed genes involved in the "pyruvate metabolism" pathway are probably responsible for the increased L-lactic acid production by SCT-10-10-60. The genome and transcriptome sequencing information and comparison of SCT-10-10-60 with ATCC 11443 provide insights into the anabolism of L-lactic acid and a reference for improving L-lactic acid production using genetic engineering.

  19. Crescimento mixotrófico de Nostoc sp. Glucose, sacarose e melaço de cana-de-açúcar foram testados como substratos para produção de biomassa e ficobiliproteinas - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v29i1.121 Mixotrophic growth of Nostoc sp. on glucose, sucrose and sugarcane molasses for phycobiliprotein production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Helena Pimenta Pinotti

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Todos os substratos aumentaram a biomassa e ficobiliproteinas em relação ao controle, meio mineral BG11. Melaço de cana-de-açúcar foi o melhor substrato tanto para a produção de biomassa como de ficobiliproteinas. A maior produção de biomassa ocorreu usando melaço de cana-de-açúcar 1,0 g L-1 sendo 5,7 vezes maior que o controle. Com glucose foi em 2,5 g L-1 e sacarose 1,5 g L-1, sendo 2,5 e 4,8 vezes maior que o controle, respectivamente. A maior produção de ficobiliproteinas ocorreu usando melaço de cana-de-açúcar 1,0 g L-1 sendo 12,5 vezes maior que o controle. Com glucose foi em 1,0 g L-1 e sacarose 0,5 g L-1, 3,0 e 4,5 vezes maior que o controle, respectivamente. Nostoc sp. testado pode crescer mixotroficamente, usando glucose, sacarose e melaço de cana-deaçúcar como substratos orgânicos, uma maior produção de biomassa e ficobiliproteinas podendo ser alcançada nessas condições quando comparadas com o crescimento autotrófico.Glucose, sacarose, and sugarcane molasses were tested as substrates for production of biomass and phycobiliproteins by Nostoc sp., varying their concentrations in relation to a mineral medium, BG11. All substrates increased the biomass and phycobiliproteins when compared with the control. Sugarcane molasses showed to be the best substrate for production of both biomass and phycobiliproteins. Greater biomass production occurred in sugarcane molasses 1.0 g L-1 and it was 5.7 times greater than the control. With glucose, it was in 2.5 g L-1 and sucrose, in 1.5 g L-1, reaching 2.5 and 4.8 times greater than the control, respectively. For phycobiliproteins, the major production was in sugarcane molasses 1.0 g L-1, 12.5 times greater than the control. With glucose, it was in 1.0 g L-1 and sucrose, in 0,5 g L-1, reaching 3.0 and 4.5 times greater than the control, respectively. The Nostoc sp. assayed can grow mixotrophically, using glucose, sucrose, and sugarcane molasses as organic substrates, and a

  20. Hydrogen production by the engineered cyanobacterial strain Nostoc PCC 7120 ΔhupW examined in a flat panel photobioreactor system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyberg, Marcus; Heidorn, Thorsten; Lindblad, Peter

    2015-12-10

    Nitrogenase based hydrogen production was examined in a ΔhupW strain of the filamentous heterocystous cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC 7120, i.e., cells lacking the last step in the maturation system of the large subunit of the uptake hydrogenase and as a consequence with a non-functional uptake hydrogenase. The cells were grown in a developed flat panel photobioreactor system with 3.0L culture volume either aerobically (air) or anaerobically (Ar or 80% N2/20% Ar) and illuminated with a mixture of red and white LED. Aerobic growth of the ΔhupW strain of Nostoc PCC 7120 at 44μmolar photons m(-2)s(-1) PAR gave the highest hydrogen production of 0.7mL H2 L(-1)h(-1), 0.53mmol H2 mg chlorophyll a(-1)h(-1), and a light energy conversion efficiency of 1.2%. Anaerobic growth using 100% argon showed a maximal hydrogen production of 1.7mLL(-1)h(-1), 0.85mmol per mg chlorophyll a(-1) h(-1), and a light energy conversion efficiency of 2.7%. Altering between argon/N2 (20/80) and 100% argon phases resulted in a maximal hydrogen production at hour 128 (100% argon phase) with 6.2mL H2L(-1)h(-1), 0.71mL H2 mg chlorophyll a(-1)h(-1), and a light energy efficiency conversion of 4.0%. The highest buildup of hydrogen gas observed was 6.89% H2 (100% argon phase) of the total photobioreactor system with a maximal production of 4.85mL H2 L(-1)h(-1). The present study clearly demonstrates the potential to use purpose design cyanobacteria in developed flat panel photobioreactor systems for the direct production of the solar fuel hydrogen. Further improvements in the strain used, environmental conditions employed, and growth, production and collection systems used, are needed before a sustainable and economical cyanobacterial based hydrogen production can be realized. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Viability of dried filaments, survivability and reproduction under water stress, and survivability following heat and UV exposure in Lyngbya martensiana, Oscillatoria agardhii, Nostoc calcicola, Hormidium fluitans, Spirogyra sp. and Vaucheria geminata

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agrawal, S.C.; Singh, V.

    2002-01-01

    The aim of our study was to determine how long and to what extent Lyngbya martensiana, Oscillatoria agardhii, Nostoc calcicola, Hormidium fluitans and Vaucheria geminata tolerate dry storage at different temperatures, UV-light radiation and water stress imposed by growing them on media with a high agar content and/or in NaCl-containing liquid media. Dried vegetative filaments of Spirogyra sp., Vaucheria geminata and Nostoc calcicola died within 0,5, 1 and 4 h, respectively; those of Hormidium fluitans, Oscillatoria agardhii and Lyngbya martensiana retained viability for 3, 5 and 10 d, respectively. L. martensiana and O. agardhii tolerated 0.8 mol/L NaCl. The resistance to desiccation in L. martensiana and O. agardhii exhibited similar dependence as that to frost, to heat and UV light. The water stress imposed on growing algae either on high-agar solid media or in NaCl-containing liquid media reduced hormogonium formation in L. martensiana and O. agardhii; hetero-cyst and akinete formation in N. calcicola and fragmentation in H. fluitans. In all studied algae the stress reduced at various levels the survival of vegetative parts. Generally, algal body form and composition rather than habitats seem to decide primarily the level of resistance against various stress conditions

  2. Purification and Characterization of an Extracellular Proteinase from Brevibacterium-Linens ATCC-9174

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rattray, F P; Bockelmann, W; Fox, P F

    1995-01-01

    An extracellular serine proteinase from Brevibacterium linens ATCC 9174 was purified to homogeneity. pH and temperature optima were 8,5 and 50 degrees C, respectively. The results for the molecular mass of the proteinase were 56 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis...... and 126 kDa by gel filtration, indicating that the native enzyme exists as a dimer. Mg2+ and Ca2+ activated the proteinase, as did NaCl; however, Hg2+ Fe2+, and Zn2+ caused strong inhibition. The sequence of the first 20 N-terminal amino acids was NH2-Ala-Lys- Asn...

  3. Evolution of the tRNALeu (UAA) Intron and Congruence of Genetic Markers in Lichen-Symbiotic Nostoc.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaasalainen, Ulla; Olsson, Sanna; Rikkinen, Jouko

    2015-01-01

    The group I intron interrupting the tRNALeu UAA gene (trnL) is present in most cyanobacterial genomes as well as in the plastids of many eukaryotic algae and all green plants. In lichen symbiotic Nostoc, the P6b stem-loop of trnL intron always involves one of two different repeat motifs, either Class I or Class II, both with unresolved evolutionary histories. Here we attempt to resolve the complex evolution of the two different trnL P6b region types. Our analysis indicates that the Class II repeat motif most likely appeared first and that independent and unidirectional shifts to the Class I motif have since taken place repeatedly. In addition, we compare our results with those obtained with other genetic markers and find strong evidence of recombination in the 16S rRNA gene, a marker widely used in phylogenetic studies on Bacteria. The congruence of the different genetic markers is successfully evaluated with the recently published software Saguaro, which has not previously been utilized in comparable studies.

  4. Evolution of the tRNALeu (UAA Intron and Congruence of Genetic Markers in Lichen-Symbiotic Nostoc.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulla Kaasalainen

    Full Text Available The group I intron interrupting the tRNALeu UAA gene (trnL is present in most cyanobacterial genomes as well as in the plastids of many eukaryotic algae and all green plants. In lichen symbiotic Nostoc, the P6b stem-loop of trnL intron always involves one of two different repeat motifs, either Class I or Class II, both with unresolved evolutionary histories. Here we attempt to resolve the complex evolution of the two different trnL P6b region types. Our analysis indicates that the Class II repeat motif most likely appeared first and that independent and unidirectional shifts to the Class I motif have since taken place repeatedly. In addition, we compare our results with those obtained with other genetic markers and find strong evidence of recombination in the 16S rRNA gene, a marker widely used in phylogenetic studies on Bacteria. The congruence of the different genetic markers is successfully evaluated with the recently published software Saguaro, which has not previously been utilized in comparable studies.

  5. Antagonistic activity of isolated lactic acid bacteria from Pliek U against gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli ATCC 25922

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiti, A. A.; Jamilah, I.; Rusmarilin, H.

    2017-09-01

    Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is one group of microbes that has many benefits, notably in food and health industries sector. LAB plays an important role in food fermentation and it has bacteriostatic effect against the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. The research related LAB continued to be done to increase the diversity of potential isolates derived from nature which is indigenous bacteria for biotechnological purposes. This study was aimed to isolate and characterize LAB derived from pliek u sample and to examine the potency to inhibits Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 bacteria growth. A total of 5 isolates were isolated and based on morphological and physiological characteristics of the fifth bacteria, they are allegedly belonging to the genus Bacillus. Result of antagonistic test showed that the five isolates could inhibits the growth of E. coli ATCC 25922. The highest inhibition zone is 8.5 mm was shown by isolates NQ2, while the lowest inhibition is 1.5 mm was shown by isolates NQ3.

  6. Resistance to pentamidine is mediated by AdeAB, regulated by AdeRS, and influenced by growth conditions in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 17978.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Felise G; Stroeher, Uwe H; Hassan, Karl A; Marri, Shashikanth; Brown, Melissa H

    2018-01-01

    In recent years, effective treatment of infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii has become challenging due to the ability of the bacterium to acquire or up-regulate antimicrobial resistance determinants. Two component signal transduction systems are known to regulate expression of virulence factors including multidrug efflux pumps. Here, we investigated the role of the AdeRS two component signal transduction system in regulating the AdeAB efflux system, determined whether AdeA and/or AdeB can individually confer antimicrobial resistance, and explored the interplay between pentamidine resistance and growth conditions in A. baumannii ATCC 17978. Results identified that deletion of adeRS affected resistance towards chlorhexidine and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride, two previously defined AdeABC substrates, and also identified an 8-fold decrease in resistance to pentamidine. Examination of ΔadeA, ΔadeB and ΔadeAB cells augmented results seen for ΔadeRS and identified a set of dicationic AdeAB substrates. RNA-sequencing of ΔadeRS revealed transcription of 290 genes were ≥2-fold altered compared to the wildtype. Pentamidine shock significantly increased adeA expression in the wildtype, but decreased it in ΔadeRS, implying that AdeRS activates adeAB transcription in ATCC 17978. Investigation under multiple growth conditions, including the use of Biolog phenotypic microarrays, revealed resistance to pentamidine in ATCC 17978 and mutants could be altered by bioavailability of iron or utilization of different carbon sources. In conclusion, the results of this study provide evidence that AdeAB in ATCC 17978 can confer intrinsic resistance to a subset of dicationic compounds and in particular, resistance to pentamidine can be significantly altered depending on the growth conditions.

  7. Statistical Optimization of Medium Compositions for High Cell Mass and Exopolysaccharide Production by Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nor Zalina Othman

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objective: Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 is known as a good producer of water soluble exopolysaccharide. Therefore, the aim of this study is to optimize the medium composition concurrently for high cell mass and exopolysaccharide production by Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014. Since both are useful for food and pharmaceutical application and where most studies typically focus on one outcome only, the optimization process was carried out by using molasses as cheaper carbon source.Material and Methods: The main medium component which is known significantly give high effect on the cell mass and EPS production was selected as variables and statistically optimized based on Box-Behnken design in shake flask levels. The optimal medium for cell mass and exopolysaccharide production was composed of (in g l -1: molasses, 40; yeast extract, 16.8; phosphate, 2.72; sodium acetate, 3.98. The model was found to be significant and subsequently validated through the growth kinetics studies in un-optimized and optimized medium in the shake flask cultivation.Results and Conclusion: The maximum cell mass and exopolysaccharide in the new optimized medium was 4.40 g l-1 and 4.37 g l-1 respectively after 44 h of the cultivation. As a result, cell mass and exopolysaccharide production increased up to 4.5 and 16.5 times respectively, and the maximal exopolysaccharide yield of 1.19 per gram of cells was obtained when molasses was used as the carbon source. In conclusion, molasses has the potential to be a cheap carbon source for the cultivation of Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 concurrently for high cell mass and exopolysaccharide production.Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

  8. Efficient Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation of Inulin to 2,3-Butanediol by Thermophilic Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 14580

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Lixiang; Chen, Chao; Li, Kun; Wang, Yu; Gao, Chao; Ma, Cuiqing

    2014-01-01

    2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BD) is an important starting material for the manufacture of bulk chemicals. For efficient and large-scale production of 2,3-BD through fermentation, low-cost substrates are required. One such substrate, inulin, is a polydisperse fructan found in a wide variety of plants. In this study, a levanase with high inulinase activity and high pH and temperature stability was identified in Bacillus licheniformis strain ATCC 14580. B. licheniformis strain ATCC 14580 was found to efficiently produce 2,3-BD from fructose at 50°C. Then, the levanase was used for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of inulin to 2,3-BD. A fed-batch SSF yielded 103.0 g/liter 2,3-BD in 30 h, with a high productivity of 3.4 g/liter · h. The results suggest that the SSF process developed with the thermophilic B. licheniformis strain used might be a promising alternative for efficient 2,3-BD production from the favorable substrate inulin. PMID:25107977

  9. Role of cysteine residues in the structure, stability, and alkane producing activity of cyanobacterial aldehyde deformylating oxygenase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuuki Hayashi

    Full Text Available Aldehyde deformylating oxygenase (AD is a key enzyme for alkane biosynthesis in cyanobacteria, and it can be used as a catalyst for alkane production in vitro and in vivo. However, three free Cys residues in AD may impair its catalytic activity by undesired disulfide bond formation and oxidation. To develop Cys-deficient mutants of AD, we examined the roles of the Cys residues in the structure, stability, and alkane producing activity of AD from Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73102 by systematic Cys-to-Ala/Ser mutagenesis. The C71A/S mutations reduced the hydrocarbon producing activity of AD and facilitated the formation of a dimer, indicating that the conserved Cys71, which is located in close proximity to the substrate-binding site, plays crucial roles in maintaining the activity, structure, and stability of AD. On the other hand, mutations at Cys107 and Cys117 did not affect the hydrocarbon producing activity of AD. Therefore, we propose that the C107A/C117A double mutant is preferable to wild type AD for alkane production and that the double mutant may be used as a pseudo-wild type protein for further improvement of the alkane producing activity of AD.

  10. Draft genome sequences of four uropathogenic escherichia coli 04:H5 isolates (ATCC 700414,700415,700416 and 700417)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uropathogenic Escherichia coli O4: H5 isolates ATCC 700414, 700415, 700416, and 700417 were recovered from women with first-time urinary tract infections. Here, we report the draft genome sequences for these four E. coli isolates, which are currently being used to validate food safety processing tec...

  11. Isolation, characterization, and investigation of surface and hemolytic activities of a lipopeptide biosurfactant produced by Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehghan-Noude, Gholamreza; Housaindokht, Mohammadreza; Bazzaz, Bibi Sedigeh Fazly

    2005-06-01

    Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 was grown in BHIB medium supplemented with Mn2+ for 96 h at 37 degrees C in a shaker incubator. After removing the microbial biomass, a lipopeptide biosurfactant was extracted from the supernatant. Its structure was established by chemical and spectroscopy methods. The structure was confirmed by physical properties, such as Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance (HLB), surface activity and erythrocyte hemolytic capacity. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) and erythrocyte hemolytic capacity of the biosurfactant were compared to those of surfactants such as SDS, BC (benzalkonium chloride), TTAB (tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide) and HTAB (hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide). The maximum hemolytic effect for all surfactants mentioned was observed at concentrations above cmc. The maximum hemolytic effect of synthetic surfactants was more than that of the biosurfactant produced by B. subtilis ATCC 6633. Therefore, biosurfactant would be considered a suitable surface-active agent due to low toxicity to the membrane.

  12. Formation and conversion of oxygen metabolites by Lactococcus lactis subsp lactis ATCC 19435 under different growth conditions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Niel, van E.W.J.; Hofvendahl, K.; Hahn Hagerdal, B.

    2002-01-01

    A semidefined medium based on Casamino Acids allowed Lactococcus lactis ATCC 19435 to grow in the presence of oxygen at a slow rate (0.015 h-1). Accumulation of H2O2 in the culture prevented a higher growth rate. Addition of asparagine to the medium increased the growth rate, whereby H2O2

  13. Crystal Structure of the Zorbamycin-Binding Protein ZbmA, the Primary Self-Resistance Element in Streptomyces flavoviridis ATCC21892

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rudolf, Jeffrey D. [Scripps Research Inst., Jupiter, FL (United States); Bigelow, Lance [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Chang, Changsoo [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Cuff, Marianne E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Lohman, Jeremy R. [Scripps Research Inst., Jupiter, FL (United States); Chang, Chin-Yuan [Scripps Research Inst., Jupiter, FL (United States); Ma, Ming [Scripps Research Inst., Jupiter, FL (United States); Yang, Dong [Scripps Research Inst., Jupiter, FL (United States); Clancy, Shonda [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Babnigg, Gyorgy [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Joachimiak, Andrzej [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Phillips, George N. [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States); Shen, Ben [Scripps Research Inst., Jupiter, FL (United States)

    2015-11-17

    The bleomycins (BLMs), tallysomycins (TLMs), phleomycin, and zorbamycin (ZBM) are members of the BLM family of glycopeptide-derived antitumor antibiotics. The BLM-producing Streptomyces verticillus ATCC15003 and the TLM-producing Streptoalloteichus hindustanus E465-94 ATCC31158 both possess at least two self-resistance elements, an N-acetyltransferase and a binding protein. The N-acetyltransferase provides resistance by disrupting the metal-binding domain of the antibiotic that is required for activity, while the binding protein confers resistance by sequestering the metal-bound antibiotic and preventing drug activation via molecular oxygen. We recently established that the ZBM producer, Streptomyces flavoviridis ATCC21892, lacks the N-acetyltransferase resistance gene and that the ZBM-binding protein, ZbmA, is sufficient to confer resistance in the producing strain. To investigate the resistance mechanism attributed to ZbmA, we determined the crystal structures of apo and Cu(II)-ZBM-bound ZbmA at high resolutions of 1.90 and 1.65 angstrom, respectively. A comparison and contrast with other structurally characterized members of the BLM-binding protein family revealed key differences in the protein ligand binding environment that fine-tunes the ability of ZbmA to sequester metal-bound ZBM and supports drug sequestration as the primary resistance mechanism in the producing organisms of the BLM family of antitumor antibiotics.

  14. Near infrared fluorescent biliproteins generated from bacteriophytochrome AphB of Nostoc sp. PCC 7120.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Che; Li, Hui-Zhen; Tang, Kun; Gärtner, Wolfgang; Scheer, Hugo; Zhou, Ming; Zhao, Kai-Hong

    2016-04-01

    The genome of the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 encodes a large number of putative bacteriophytochrome and cyanobacteriochrome photoreceptors that, due to their long-wavelength absorption and fluorescence emission, might serve as fluorescent tags in intracellular investigations. We show that the PAS-GAF domain of the bacteriophytochrome, AphB, binds biliverdin covalently and exhibits, besides its reversible photochemistry, a moderate fluorescence in the near infrared (NIR) spectral region. It was selected for further increasing the brightness while retaining the NIR fluorescence. In the first step, amino acids assumed to improve fluorescence were selectively mutated. The resulting variants were then subjected to several rounds of random mutagenesis and screened for enhanced fluorescence in the NIR. The brightness of optimized PAS-GAF variants increased more than threefold compared to that of wt AphB(1-321), with only insignificant spectral shifts (Amax around 695 nm, and Fmax around 720 nm). In general, the brightness increases with decreasing wavelengths, which allows for a selection of the fluorophore depending on the optical properties of the tissue. A spectral heterogeneity was observed when residue His260, located in close proximity to the chromophore, was mutated to Tyr, emphasizing the strong effects of the environment on the electronic properties of the bound biliverdin chromophore.

  15. Preparation of desiccation-resistant aquatic-living Nostoc flagelliforme (Cyanophyceae) for potential ecological application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Xiang; Yang, Yi-Wen; Cui, Li-Juan; Zhou, De-Bao; Qiu, Bao-Sheng

    2015-01-01

    Nostoc flagelliforme is a terrestrial edible cyanobacterium that grows in arid and semi-arid steppes. The continued over-exploitation in the last century has led to a sharp decline of this resource and a severe deterioration of the steppe ecology. Liquid-cultured N. flagelliforme serves as promising algal ‘seeds’ for resource restoration. In this study, macroscopic (or visible) aquatic-living colonies (MaACs) of N. flagelliforme were developed under weak light and high nitrogen conditions. In a 24 day shake-flask culture, MaACs were propagated by about 4.5-fold in biomass without loss of their macro-morphology; at the same time, the addition of weak UV-B treatment resulted in slightly bigger MaACs. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) k30, a water-soluble polymer, was used to generate the coating around MaACs, and after full desiccation, the coated MaACs could recover their photosynthetic physiological activity when rehydrated, with 4% PVP k30 for coating being most effective. In contrast, PVP k30-coated microscopic aquatic-living colonies of N. flagelliforme and non-coated MaACs showed no resistance to full desiccation. The macroscopic morphology or structure of MaACs should be crucial for the formation of protection by PVP k30 coating. PVP k30-coated MaACs were more approaching to actual application for resource restoration. PMID:25847617

  16. Antimicrobial activity optimization of nisin, ascorbic acid and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA against Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 13076 using response surface methodology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nongpanga Sangcharoen

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Nisin is a commercial bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and widely used as a natural preservative in the food industry. However, while nisin alone cannot inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria, it can in combination with a chelating agent or organic acid. This study combined nisin with some chelating agents, weak organic acids and their salts to inhibit Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 13076. The combinations of nisin (2000 parts per million; ppm and ascorbic acid (2000 ppm or ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA; 7400 ppm showed significant inhibitory effects on the target strain. Due to regulatory limits, the second part of the study reduced the concentrations of nisin, ascorbic acid and EDTA to 500 ppm, 2000 ppm and 250 ppm, respectively. The mixture of nisin, ascorbic acid and EDTA showed the highest inhibitory effect with a reduction number of 3.41 log colony forming units (p < 0.05. To minimize the growth of S. Enteritidis ATCC 13076, central composite design and response surface methodology were applied to investigate the combined effect of nisin (0–500 ppm, ascorbic acid (0–2000 ppm, and EDTA (0–250 ppm on the target strain growth. Among the three factors, nisin had a higher antimicrobial effect than ascorbic acid or EDTA, while an increase in nisin resulted in a decrease in S. Enteritidis ATCC 13076 growth. The optimum concentration was 500 ppm nisin with 1515 ppm ascorbic acid and 250 ppm EDTA. Under these conditions, the growth of S. Enteritidis ATCC 13076 predicted by the model was 24.99%. Keywords: Antimicrobial activity, Ascorbic acid, Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA, Nisin, Salmonella enteritidis

  17. Gentamicin-Containing Peptone-Yeast Extract Medium for Cocultivation of Hartmannella vermiformis ATCC 50256 and Virulent Strains of Legionella pneumophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadowsky, R M; Wang, L; Laus, S; Dowling, J N; Kuchta, J M; States, S J; Yee, R B

    1995-12-01

    We evaluated the use of peptone-yeast extract (PY) medium, different strains of Hartmannella vermiformis, and gentamicin in a coculture system to improve the discrimination of virulent and avirulent strains of Legionella pneumophila. H. vermiformis ATCC 50256 was unique among four strains of H. vermiformis, in that it multiplied equally well in Medium 1034 and PY medium (Medium 1034 without fetal calf serum, folic acid, hemin, and yeast nucleic acid and with a 50% reduction of peptone). However, both a virulent strain of L. pneumophila and its avirulent derivative strain multiplied in cocultures when PY medium was used. The multiplication of this avirulent strain was greatly reduced by incorporating gentamicin (1 (mu)g/ml) into the cocultivation system. Five virulent-avirulent sets of L. pneumophila strains were then tested for multiplication in cocultures with H. vermiformis ATCC 50256 and the gentamicin-containing PY medium. Only the virulent strains multiplied. The modified cocultivation system can discriminate between virulent and avirulent strains of L. pneumophila.

  18. Distinct substrate specificities of three glycoside hydrolase family 42 β-galactosidases from Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ATCC 15697

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Viborg, Alexander Holm; Katayama, Takane; Abou Hachem, Maher

    2014-01-01

    resembling various milk and plant galactooligosaccharides distinguishes the three GH42 members, Bga42A, Bga42B and Bga42C, encoded by the probiotic B. longum subsp. infantis ATCC 15697 and revealed the glycosyl residue at subsite +1 and its linkage to the terminal Gal at subsite −1 to be key specificity...

  19. EFEITO DE Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil. e Coffea arabica L. SOBRE O CRESCIMENTO DE Fonsecaea pedrosoi ATCC 46428

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Lucia Scroferneker

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho avaliou o efeito de extratos aquosos de Ilex paraguariensis (erva-mate e Coffea arabica (café em ágar Sabouraud dextrose no crescimento de Fonsecaea pedrosoi ATCC 46428. F. pedrosoi foi cultivada em placas de Petri contendo ágar Sabouraud dextrose suplementado com extratos aquosos derivados de 0,5; 1; 2; 3; 4 e 5g de pó de erva-mate ou de café fervidos em 100ml de água destilada por 30 min. Os diâmetros das colônias do fungo foram determinados após 7 dias. A incorporação dos extratos de erva-mate ou café no meio de crescimento não causou diferenças significativas no crescimento radial de F. pedrosoi ATCC 46428 comparado ao controle. Entretanto, estudos sobre o requerimento nutricional são importantes na sistematização do perfil bioquímico, o que pode contribuir na elucidação da bioquímica funcional do microrganismo.

  20. Growth and sporulation of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 under defined conditions: temporal expression of genes for key sigma factors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vries, de Y.P.; Hornstra, L.M.; Vos, de W.M.; Abee, T.

    2004-01-01

    An airlift fermentor system allowing precise regulation of pH and aeration combined with a chemically defined medium was used to study growth and sporulation of Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579. Sporulation was complete and synchronous. Expression of sigA, sigB, sigF, and sigG was monitored with real-time

  1. Complete Genome Sequence of Mycoplasma hominis Strain Sprott (ATCC 33131), Isolated from a Patient with Nongonococcal Urethritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calcutt, Michael J; Foecking, Mark F

    2015-07-09

    Presented here is the complete and annotated genome sequence of Mycoplasma hominis Sprott (ATCC 33131). The chromosome comprises 695,214 bp, which is approximately 30 kb larger than the syntenic genome of M. hominis PG21(T). Tetracycline resistance of strain Sprott is most probably conferred by the tetM determinant, harbored on a mosaic transposon-like structure. Copyright © 2015 Calcutt and Foecking.

  2. Response of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 to low-shear modeled microgravity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro-Wallace, Sarah; Stahl, Sarah; Voorhies, Alexander; Lorenzi, Hernan; Douglas, Grace L.

    2017-10-01

    The introduction of probiotic microbes into the spaceflight food system has the potential for use as a safe, non-invasive, daily countermeasure to crew microbiome and immune dysregulation. However, the microgravity effects on the stress tolerances and gene expression of probiotic bacteria must be investigated to confirm that benefits of selected strains will still be conveyed under microgravity conditions. The goal of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 in a microgravity analog environment. L. acidophilus was cultured anaerobically under modeled microgravity conditions and assessed for differences in growth, survival through stress challenge, and gene expression compared to control cultures. No significant differences were observed between the modeled microgravity and control grown L. acidophilus, suggesting that this strain will behave similarly in spaceflight.

  3. Involvement of Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3502 sigma factor K in early-stage sporulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirk, David G; Dahlsten, Elias; Zhang, Zhen; Korkeala, Hannu; Lindström, Miia

    2012-07-01

    A key survival mechanism of Clostridium botulinum, the notorious neurotoxic food pathogen, is the ability to form heat-resistant spores. While the genetic mechanisms of sporulation are well understood in the model organism Bacillus subtilis, nothing is known about these mechanisms in C. botulinum. Using the ClosTron gene-knockout tool, sigK, encoding late-stage (stage IV) sporulation sigma factor K in B. subtilis, was disrupted in C. botulinum ATCC 3502 to produce two different mutants with distinct insertion sites and orientations. Both mutants were unable to form spores, and their elongated cell morphology suggested that the sporulation pathway was blocked at an early stage. In contrast, sigK-complemented mutants sporulated successfully. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of sigK in the parent strain revealed expression at the late log growth phase in the parent strain. Analysis of spo0A, encoding the sporulation master switch, in the sigK mutant and the parent showed significantly reduced relative levels of spo0A expression in the sigK mutant compared to the parent strain. Similarly, sigF showed significantly lower relative transcription levels in the sigK mutant than the parent strain, suggesting that the sporulation pathway was blocked in the sigK mutant at an early stage. We conclude that σ(K) is essential for early-stage sporulation in C. botulinum ATCC 3502, rather than being involved in late-stage sporulation, as reported for the sporulation model organism B. subtilis. Understanding the sporulation mechanism of C. botulinum provides keys to control the public health risks that the spores of this dangerous pathogen cause through foods.

  4. Sorption and desorption studies of chromium(VI) from nonviable cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum biomass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gupta, V.K. [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India)], E-mail: vinodfcy@iitr.ernet.in; Rastogi, A. [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India)

    2008-06-15

    This communication presents results pertaining to the sorptive and desorptive studies carried out on chromium(VI) removal onto nonviable freshwater cyanobacterium (Nostoc muscorum) biomass. Influence of varying the conditions for removal of chromium(VI), such as the pH of aqueous solution, the dosage of biosorbent, the contact time with the biosorbent, the temperature for the removal of chromium, the effect of light metal ions and the adsorption-desorption studies were investigated. Sorption interaction of chromium on to cyanobacterial species obeyed both the first and the second-order rate equation and the experimental data showed good fit with both the Langmuir and freundlich adsorption isotherm models. The maximum adsorption capacity was 22.92 mg/g at 25 {sup o}C and pH 3.0. The adsorption process was endothermic and the values of thermodynamic parameters of the process were calculated. Various properties of the cyanobacterium, as adsorbent, explored in the characterization part were chemical composition of the adsorbent, surface area calculation by BET method and surface functionality by FTIR. Sorption-desorption of chromium into inorganic solutions and distilled water were observed and this indicated the biosorbent could be regenerated using 0.1 M HNO{sub 3} and EDTA with upto 80% recovery. The biosorbents were reused in five biosorption-desorption cycles without a significant loss in biosorption capacity. Thus, this study demonstrated that the cyanobacterial biomass N. muscorum could be used as an efficient biosorbent for the treatment of chromium(VI) bearing wastewater.

  5. Sorption and desorption studies of chromium(VI) from nonviable cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum biomass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, V.K.; Rastogi, A.

    2008-01-01

    This communication presents results pertaining to the sorptive and desorptive studies carried out on chromium(VI) removal onto nonviable freshwater cyanobacterium (Nostoc muscorum) biomass. Influence of varying the conditions for removal of chromium(VI), such as the pH of aqueous solution, the dosage of biosorbent, the contact time with the biosorbent, the temperature for the removal of chromium, the effect of light metal ions and the adsorption-desorption studies were investigated. Sorption interaction of chromium on to cyanobacterial species obeyed both the first and the second-order rate equation and the experimental data showed good fit with both the Langmuir and freundlich adsorption isotherm models. The maximum adsorption capacity was 22.92 mg/g at 25 o C and pH 3.0. The adsorption process was endothermic and the values of thermodynamic parameters of the process were calculated. Various properties of the cyanobacterium, as adsorbent, explored in the characterization part were chemical composition of the adsorbent, surface area calculation by BET method and surface functionality by FTIR. Sorption-desorption of chromium into inorganic solutions and distilled water were observed and this indicated the biosorbent could be regenerated using 0.1 M HNO 3 and EDTA with upto 80% recovery. The biosorbents were reused in five biosorption-desorption cycles without a significant loss in biosorption capacity. Thus, this study demonstrated that the cyanobacterial biomass N. muscorum could be used as an efficient biosorbent for the treatment of chromium(VI) bearing wastewater

  6. Preparation of desiccation-resistant aquatic-living Nostoc flagelliforme (Cyanophyceae) for potential ecological application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Xiang; Yang, Yi-Wen; Cui, Li-Juan; Zhou, De-Bao; Qiu, Bao-Sheng

    2015-11-01

    Nostoc flagelliforme is a terrestrial edible cyanobacterium that grows in arid and semi-arid steppes. The continued over-exploitation in the last century has led to a sharp decline of this resource and a severe deterioration of the steppe ecology. Liquid-cultured N. flagelliforme serves as promising algal 'seeds' for resource restoration. In this study, macroscopic (or visible) aquatic-living colonies (MaACs) of N. flagelliforme were developed under weak light and high nitrogen conditions. In a 24 day shake-flask culture, MaACs were propagated by about 4.5-fold in biomass without loss of their macro-morphology; at the same time, the addition of weak UV-B treatment resulted in slightly bigger MaACs. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) k30, a water-soluble polymer, was used to generate the coating around MaACs, and after full desiccation, the coated MaACs could recover their photosynthetic physiological activity when rehydrated, with 4% PVP k30 for coating being most effective. In contrast, PVP k30-coated microscopic aquatic-living colonies of N. flagelliforme and non-coated MaACs showed no resistance to full desiccation. The macroscopic morphology or structure of MaACs should be crucial for the formation of protection by PVP k30 coating. PVP k30-coated MaACs were more approaching to actual application for resource restoration. © 2015 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  7. Provision of water by halite deliquescence for Nostoc commune biofilms under Mars relevant surface conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jänchen, Jochen; Feyh, Nina; Szewzyk, Ulrich; de Vera, Jean-Pierre P.

    2016-04-01

    Motivated by findings of new mineral related water sources for organisms under extremely dry conditions on Earth we studied in an interdisciplinary approach the water sorption behaviour of halite, soil component and terrestrial Nostoc commune biofilm under Mars relevant environmental conditions. Physicochemical methods served for the determination of water sorption equilibrium data and survival of heterotrophic bacteria in biofilm samples with different water contents was assured by recultivation. Deliquescence of halite provides liquid water at temperatures <273 K and may serve as water source on Mars during the morning stabilized by the CO2 atmosphere for a few hours. The protecting biofilm of N. commune is rather hygroscopic and tends to store water at lower humidity values. Survival tests showed that a large proportion of the Alphaproteobacteria dominated microbiota associated to N. commune is very desiccation tolerant and water uptake from saturated NaCl solutions (either by direct uptake of brine or adsorption of humidity) did not enhance recultivability in long-time desiccated samples. Still, a minor part can grow under highly saline conditions. However, the salinity level, although unfavourable for the host organism, might be for parts of the heterotrophic microbiota no serious hindrance for growing in salty Mars-like environments.

  8. Anti-MRSA-acting carbamidocyclophanes H-L from the Vietnamese cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. CAVN2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preisitsch, Michael; Harmrolfs, Kirsten; Pham, Hang T L; Heiden, Stefan E; Füssel, Anna; Wiesner, Christoph; Pretsch, Alexander; Swiatecka-Hagenbruch, Monika; Niedermeyer, Timo H J; Müller, Rolf; Mundt, Sabine

    2015-03-01

    The methanol extract of the Vietnamese freshwater cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. CAVN2 exhibited cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 and 5637 cancer cell lines as well as against nontumorigenic FL and HaCaT cells and was active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Streptococcus pneumoniae. High-resolution mass spectrometric analysis indicated the presence of over 60 putative cyclophane-like compounds in an antimicrobially active methanol extract fraction. A paracyclophanes-focusing extraction and separation methodology led to the isolation of 5 new carbamidocyclophanes (1-5) and 11 known paracyclophanes (6-16). The structures and their stereochemical configurations were elucidated by a combination of spectrometric and spectroscopic methods including HRMS, 1D and 2D NMR analyses and detailed comparative CD analysis. The newly described monocarbamoylated [7.7]paracyclophanes (1, 2, 4 and 5) differ by a varying degree of chlorination in the side chains. Carbamidocyclophane J (3) is the very first reported carbamidocyclophane bearing a single halogenation in both butyl residues. Based on previous studies a detailed phylogenetic examination of cyclophane-producing cyanobacteria was carried out. The biological evaluation of 1-16 against various clinical pathogens highlighted a remarkable antimicrobial activity against MRSA with MICs of 0.1-1.0 μM, and indicated that the level of antibacterial activity is related to the presence of carbamoyl moieties.

  9. Biosorption of Cd(II) and Zn(II) by nostoc commune: isotherm and kinetics studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morsy, Fatthy M. [Faculty of Science, Botany Department, Assiut University, Assiut (Egypt); Hassan, Sedky H.A. [Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Kangwon-do (Korea, Republic of); Koutb, Mostafa [Faculty of Science, Botany Department, Assiut University, Assiut (Egypt); Umm Al-Qura University, Faculty of Applied Science, Biology Department, Mecca (Saudi Arabia)

    2011-07-15

    In this study, Nostoc commune (cyanobacterium) was used as an inexpensive and efficient biosorbent for Cd(II) and Zn(II) removal from aqueous solutions. The effect of various physicochemical factors on Cd(II) and Zn(II) biosorption such as pH 2.0-7.0, initial metal concentration 0.0-300 mg/L and contact time 0-120 min were studied. Optimum pH for removal of Cd(II) and Zn(II) was 6.0, while the contact time was 30 min at room temperature. The nature of biosorbent and metal ion interaction was evaluated by infrared (IR) technique. IR analysis of bacterial biomass revealed the presence of amino, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and carbonyl groups, which are responsible for biosorption of Cd(II) and Zn (II). The maximum biosorption capacities for Cd(II) and Zn(II) biosorption by N. commune calculated from Langmuir biosorption isotherm were 126.32 and 115.41 mg/g, respectively. The biosorption isotherm for two biosorbents fitted well with Freundlich isotherm than Langmuir model with correlation coefficient (r{sup 2} < 0.99). The biosorption kinetic data were fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Thus, this study indicated that the N. commune is an efficient biosorbent for the removal of Cd(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  10. DNA Probes Show Genetic Variation in Cyanobacterial Symbionts of the Azolla Fern and a Closer Relationship to Free-Living Nostoc Strains than to Free-Living Anabaena Strains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plazinski, Jacek; Zheng, Qi; Taylor, Rona; Croft, Lynn; Rolfe, Barry G.; Gunning, Brian E. S.

    1990-01-01

    Twenty-two isolates of Anabaena azollae derived from seven Azolla species from various geographic and ecological sources were characterized by DNA-DNA hybridization. Cloned DNA fragments derived from the genomic sequences of three different A. azollae isolates were used to detect restriction fragment length polymorphism among all symbiotic anabaenas. DNA clones were radiolabeled and hybridized against southern blot transfers of genomic DNAs of different isolates of A. azollae digested with restriction endonucleases. Eight DNA probes were selected to identify the Anabaena strains tested. Two were strain specific and hybridized only to A. azollae strains isolated from Azolla microphylla or Azolla caroliniana. One DNA probe was section specific (hybridized only to anabaenas isolated from Azolla ferns representing the section Euazolla), and five other probes gave finer discrimination among anabaenas representing various ecotypes of Azolla species. These cloned genomic DNA probes identified 11 different genotypes of A. azollae isolates. These included three endosymbiotic genotypes within Azolla filiculoides species and two genotypes within both A. caroliniana and Azolla pinnata endosymbionts. Although we were not able to discriminate among anabaenas extracted from different ecotypes of Azolla nilotica, Azolla mexicina, Azolla rubra and Azolla microphylla species, each of the endosymbionts was easily identified as a unique genotype. When total DNA isolated from free-living Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120 was screened, none of the genomic DNA probes gave detectable positive hybridization. Total DNA of Nostoc cycas PCC7422 hybridized with six of eight genomic DNA fragments. These data imply that the dominant symbiotic organism in association with Azolla spp. is more closely related to Nostoc spp. than to free-living Anabaena spp. Images PMID:16348182

  11. Genome sequences of three tunicamycin-producing Streptomyces strains; S. chartreusis NRRL 12338, S. chartreusis NRRL 3882, and S. lysosuperificus ATCC 31396

    Science.gov (United States)

    S. chartreusis strains NRRL 12338 and NRRL 3882, S. clavuligerus NRRL 3585, and S. lysosuperificus ATCC 31396, are known producers of tunicamycins, and also of charteusins, clavulinate, cephalosporins, holomycins, and calcimycin. Here we announce the sequencing of the S. lysosuperificus and the two...

  12. Metabolic Engineering of the Actinomycete Amycolatopsis sp. Strain ATCC 39116 towards Enhanced Production of Natural Vanillin

    OpenAIRE

    Fleige, Christian; Meyer, Florian; Steinbüchel, Alexander

    2016-01-01

    The Gram-positive bacterium Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 is used for the fermentative production of natural vanillin from ferulic acid on an industrial scale. The strain is known for its outstanding tolerance to this toxic product. In order to improve the productivity of the fermentation process, the strain's metabolism was engineered for higher final concentrations and molar yields. Degradation of vanillin could be decreased by more than 90% through deletion of the vdh gene, which codes for ...

  13. Fed-batch production of concentrated fructose syrup and ethanol using Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 36859

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koren, D W [CANMET, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Duvnjak, Z [Univ. of Ottawa, ON (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    1992-01-01

    A fed-batch process is used for the production of concentrated pure fructose syrup and ethanol from various glucose/fructose mixtures by S.cerevisiae ATCC 36859. Applying this technique, glucose-free fructose syrups with over 250 g/l of this sugar were obtained using High Fructose Corn Syrup and hydrolyzed Jerusalem artichoke juice. Bey encouraging ethanol evaporation from the reactor and condensing it, a separate ethanol product with a concentration of up to 350 g/l was also produced. The rates of glucose consumption and ethanol production were higher than in classical batch ethanol fermentation processes. (orig.).

  14. МОРФОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ И МОЛЕКУЛЯРНАЯ ХАРАТЕРИСТИКА ЦИАНОБАКТЕРИИ NOSTOC SP., ИЗОЛИРОВАННОЙ ИЗ ПОЧВЫ МУРМАНСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

    OpenAIRE

    ШАЛЫГИНА Р.Р.; ШАЛЫГИН С.С.; РЕДЬКИНА В.В.

    2016-01-01

    Штамм Nostoc sp., выделенный в чистую культуру из почв Кольского полуострова в районе Кандалакшского алюминиевого завода (КАЗ), отличается намного большим размером гетероцит и акинет по сравнению с другими видами рода Nostoc. Филогенетический анализ участка 16S рРНК показал, что данный штамм располагается точно в середине Nostoc sensu lato в кладе с Nostoc Bashkir 6A и Nostoc PCC9709. Мы предполагаем, что выделенный штамм является новым видом рода Nostoc sp., но для точного определения видово...

  15. Oscillating behavior of carbohydrate granule formation and dinitrogen fixation in the cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. strain ATCC 51142

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneegurt, M. A.; Sherman, D. M.; Nayar, S.; Sherman, L. A.; Mitchell, C. A. (Principal Investigator)

    1994-01-01

    It has been shown that some aerobic, unicellular, diazotrophic cyanobacteria temporally separate photosynthetic O2 evolution and oxygen-sensitive N2 fixation. Cyanothece sp. ATCC strain 51142 is an aerobic, unicellular, diazotrophic cyanobacterium that fixes N2 during discrete periods of its cell cycle. When the bacteria are maintained under diurnal light-dark cycles, N2 fixation occurs in the dark. Similar cycling is observed in continuous light, implicating a circadian rhythm. Under N2-fixing conditions, large inclusion granules form between the thylakoid membranes. Maximum granulation, as observed by electron microscopy, occurs before the onset of N2 fixation, and the granules decrease in number during the period of N2 fixation. The granules can be purified from cell homogenates by differential centrifugation. Biochemical analyses of the granules indicate that these structures are primarily carbohydrate, with some protein. Further analyses of the carbohydrate have shown that it is a glucose polymer with some characteristics of glycogen. It is proposed that N2 fixation is driven by energy and reducing power stored in these inclusion granules. Cyanothece sp. strain ATCC 51142 represents an excellent experimental organism for the study of the protective mechanisms of nitrogenase, metabolic events in cyanobacteria under normal and stress conditions, the partitioning of resources between growth and storage, and biological rhythms.

  16. Development of a low-cost oxy-hydrogen bio-fuel cell for generation of electricity using Nostoc as a source of hydrogen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sangeeta Dawar; Behera, B.K. [Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak (India). Dept. of Biosciences; Prasanna Mohanty [Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (India). School of Life Sciences

    1998-10-10

    An oxy-hydrogen bio-fuel cell, based on a carbon-carbon electrode has been fabricated. The electrode pellets were prepared by taking carbon powder mixed with polyvinylalcohol as a binder. The anode was charged with Co-Al spinel mixed oxide at 700{sup o}C, 30% KOH acted as an electrolyte. For the cyanobacterial bioreactor, a potential heterocystous blue green alga of Nostoc spp. has been used for hydrogen production and electrical energy generation. Various nutrient enrichment techniques are employed to increase the hydrogen generation efficiency of the algae. One litre free cell algal reactor attached to the fuel cell, at the anode end for hydrogen gas input, generated about 300 mV of voltage and 100 mA of current. Our present findings on the development of a low cost fuel cell with high efficiency of current output may be helpful in commercializing this technology. (author)

  17. ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF HYDROXYAPATITE COATINGS CONTAINING OF CHITOSAN AND SILVER ON TITANIUM SUBSTRATES IN RELATION TO MICROORGANISMS E.COLI ATCC 25922

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sukhodub LB

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available In this work it was studied the antibacterial properties of coatings based on HA, with Chitosan and silver ions additions, produced by substrates termodeposition method from aqueous solutions with varying concentrations of Chitosan (0.025 and 0.1 g/l and silver (1 mg/l as the antimicrobial components as well as three-part cover, consisting of a film of Chitosan, HA and silver. Study on antibacterial properties of composite coatings on the pathogen E.coli ATCC 25922 was held by Spectrophotometric measurement and analysis of optical density of suspensions, containing samples. 3 series of measurements data were averaged. The results showed that the concentration of antimicrobial components have indicated a bacteriostatic effect of coatings on the culture of E. coli AS ATCC 25922 in physiological solution at a temperature of 37 °C. The most effective was the three-part cover consisting of a film of chitosan, HA and silver.

  18. Modeling the Combined Effects of Temperature, pH, and Sodium Chloride and Sodium Lactate Concentrations on the Growth Rate of Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francieli Dalcanton

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, microorganisms with probiotic or antimicrobial properties are receiving major attention as alternative resources for food preservation. Lactic acid bacteria are able to synthetize compounds with antimicrobial activity against pathogenic and spoilage flora. Among them, Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 has exhibited this capacity, and further studies reveal that the microorganism is able to produce bacteriocins. An assessment of the growth of L. plantarum ATCC 8014 at different conditions becomes crucial to predict its development in foods. A response surface model of the growth rate of L. plantarum was built in this study as a function of temperature (4, 7, 10, 13, and 16°C, pH (5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, and 7.5, and sodium chloride (0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0% and sodium lactate (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4% concentrations. All the factors were statistically significant at a confidence level of 90%  (p<0.10. When temperature and pH increased, there was a corresponding increase in the growth rate, while a negative relationship was observed between NaCl and Na-lactate concentrations and the growth parameter. A mathematical validation was carried out with additional conditions, demonstrating an excellent performance of the model. The developed model could be useful for designing foods with L. plantarum ATCC 8014 added as a probiotic.

  19. Metabolomic approach to optimizing and evaluating antibiotic treatment in the axenic culture of cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Pei-pei; Jia, Shi-ru; Sun, Ying; Tan, Zhi-lei; Zhong, Cheng; Dai, Yu-jie; Tan, Ning; Shen, Shi-gang

    2014-09-01

    The application of antibiotic treatment with assistance of metabolomic approach in axenic isolation of cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme was investigated. Seven antibiotics were tested at 1-100 mg L(-1), and order of tolerance of N. flagelliforme cells was obtained as kanamycin > ampicillin, tetracycline > chloromycetin, gentamicin > spectinomycin > streptomycin. Four antibiotics were selected based on differences in antibiotic sensitivity of N. flagelliforme and associated bacteria, and their effects on N. flagelliforme cells including the changes of metabolic activity with antibiotics and the metabolic recovery after removal were assessed by a metabolomic approach based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with multivariate analysis. The results showed that antibiotic treatment had affected cell metabolism as antibiotics treated cells were metabolically distinct from control cells, but the metabolic activity would be recovered via eliminating antibiotics and the sequence of metabolic recovery time needed was spectinomycin, gentamicin > ampicillin > kanamycin. The procedures of antibiotic treatment have been accordingly optimized as a consecutive treatment starting with spectinomycin, then gentamicin, ampicillin and lastly kanamycin, and proved to be highly effective in eliminating the bacteria as examined by agar plating method and light microscope examination. Our work presented a strategy to obtain axenic culture of N. flagelliforme and provided a method for evaluating and optimizing cyanobacteria purification process through diagnosing target species cellular state.

  20. Isolation and partial characterization of protease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LIDIJA IZRAEL-ŽIVKOVIĆ

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Enzymatic characteristics of a protease from a medically important, referent strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 were determined. According to sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE, and gel filtration, it was estimated that the molecular mass of the purified enzyme was about 15 kDa. Other enzymatic properties were found to be: pH optimum 7.1, pH stability between 6.5 and 10; temperature optimum around 60 °C while the enzyme was stable at 60 °C for 30 min. Inhibition of the enzyme was observed with metal chelators, such as EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline, suggesting that the protease is a metalloenzyme. Furthermore, the enzyme contains one mole of zinc ion per mole of enzyme. The protease was stable in the presence of different organic solvents, which enables its potential use for the synthesis of peptides.

  1. AÇÃO DA TERAPIA FOTODINÂMICA EM Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 4352 UTILIZANDO MODELO DE INFECÇÃO Galleria mellonella

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel Teles de Menezes

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Klebsiella pneumoniae é um dos patógenos que possui grande resistência a vários antimicrobianos. A Terapia Fotodinâmica Antimicrobiana (PDT vem sendo estudada como novo recurso no combate à resistência bacteriana. Objetivo: Avaliar a ação antimicrobiana da PDT em K. pneumoniae utilizando como modelo de infecção in vivo Galleria mellonella. Métodos: Foram inoculados 10µL da suspensão padronizada de K. pneumoniae ATCC 4352 na última proleg esquerda de cada larva selecionada de G. mellonella. Decorridos 30 minutos, as larvas foram submetidas a PDT, com o uso do fotossensibilizador Azul de metileno e Laser de Arseneto de Gálio Alumínio. Passadas 24h, por sete dias o número de lagartas mortas foi anotado para a realização da curva de sobrevivência. Resultados: A PDT contribuiu para melhora da sobrevida das larvas, porém sem apresentar diferença estatística significante. Conclusão: A PDT apresentou atividade antimicrobiana contra a cepa de K. pneumoniae ATCC 4352.

  2. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 53103 (LGG) and “gastro-intestinal health” (ID 906) and maintenance of tooth mineralisation (ID 3018) pursuant to Article 13

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tetens, Inge

    claims in relation to Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 53103 (LGG) and “gastrointestinal health” and maintenance of tooth mineralisation. The scientific substantiation is based on the information provided by the Member States in the consolidated list of Article 13 health claims and references that EFSA has...... received from Member States or directly from stakeholders. The food constituent that is the subject of the health claims is L. rhamnosus ATCC 53103 (LGG). The Panel considers that L. rhamnosus ATCC 53103 (LGG) is sufficiently characterised....

  3. Heterologous Production of Cyanobacterial Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids Mycosporine-Ornithine and Mycosporine-Lysine in Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katoch, Meenu; Mazmouz, Rabia; Chau, Rocky; Pearson, Leanne A.; Pickford, Russell

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are an important class of secondary metabolites known for their protection against UV radiation and other stress factors. Cyanobacteria produce a variety of MAAs, including shinorine, the active ingredient in many sunscreen creams. Bioinformatic analysis of the genome of the soil-dwelling cyanobacterium Cylindrospermum stagnale PCC 7417 revealed a new gene cluster with homology to MAA synthase from Nostoc punctiforme. This newly identified gene cluster is unusual because it has five biosynthesis genes (mylA to mylE), compared to the four found in other MAA gene clusters. Heterologous expression of mylA to mylE in Escherichia coli resulted in the production of mycosporine-lysine and the novel compound mycosporine-ornithine. To our knowledge, this is the first time these compounds have been heterologously produced in E. coli and structurally characterized via direct spectral guidance. This study offers insight into the diversity, biosynthesis, and structure of cyanobacterial MAAs and highlights their amenability to heterologous production methods. IMPORTANCE Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are significant from an environmental microbiological perspective as they offer microbes protection against a variety of stress factors, including UV radiation. The heterologous expression of MAAs in E. coli is also significant from a biotechnological perspective as MAAs are the active ingredient in next-generation sunscreens. PMID:27520810

  4. Reactive ground-state pathways are not ubiquitous in red/green cyanobacteriochromes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Che-Wei; Gottlieb, Sean M; Kim, Peter W; Rockwell, Nathan C; Lagarias, J Clark; Larsen, Delmar S

    2013-09-26

    Recent characterization of the red/green cyanobacteriochrome (CBCR) NpR6012g4 revealed a high quantum yield for its forward photoreaction [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 130-133] that was ascribed to the activity of hidden, productive ground-state intermediates. The dynamics of the pathways involving these ground-state intermediates was resolved with femtosecond dispersed pump-dump-probe spectroscopy, the first such study reported for any CBCR. To address the ubiquity of such second-chance initiation dynamics (SCID) in CBCRs, we examined the closely related red/green CBCR NpF2164g6 from Nostoc punctiforme. Both NpF2164g6 and NpR6012g4 use phycocyanobilin as the chromophore precursor and exhibit similar excited-state dynamics. However, NpF2164g6 exhibits a lower quantum yield of 32% for the generation of the isomerized Lumi-R primary photoproduct, compared to 40% for NpR6012g4. This difference arises from significantly different ground-state dynamics between the two proteins, with the SCID mechanism deactivated in NpF2164g6. We present an integrated inhomogeneous target model that self-consistently fits the pump-probe and pump-dump-probe signals for both forward and reverse photoreactions in both proteins. This work demonstrates that reactive ground-state intermediates are not ubiquitous phenomena in CBCRs.

  5. Efecto antibacteriano in vitro del colutorio a base de matricaria chamomilla (manzanilla) sobre el fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC 25586

    OpenAIRE

    Delgado Asmat, Edith Esther

    2015-01-01

    This research study was to determine the in vitro antibacterial mouthwash based Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile) Fusobacterium nucleatum against ATCC 25586. The study was conducted in laboratory environments Farmaconogsia of the National University of Trujillo and microbiology laboratories of the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Trujillo. The sample consisted of 16 discs broadcast, divided into 5 groups; that is, a group with Chlorhexidine samples, chamomile three groups...

  6. Quality evaluation of the edible blue-green alga Nostoc flagelliforme using a chlorophyll fluorescence parameter and several biochemical markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Xiang; Yang, Yiwen; Ai, Yufeng; Luo, Hongyi; Qiu, Baosheng

    2014-01-15

    Nostoc flagelliforme is an edible blue-green alga with herbal and dietary values. Due to the diminishing supply of natural N. flagelliforme and the large investment on the development of its cultivation technology, it is anticipated that artificially cultured N. flagelliforme will soon sustain the market supply. Once this change occurs, the storage-associated quality problem will become the focus of attention for future trade. In this paper, we used a chlorophyll fluorescence parameter, maximum quantum efficiency of Photosystem II (Fv/Fm), and several biomarkers to evaluate the quality of several N. flagelliforme samples. It was found that longer storage times resulted in darker coloured solutions (released pigments) and decreased amounts of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and water-soluble sugars (WSS). Additionally, a higher Fv/Fm value suggests better physiological recovery and quality. In actual application, determination of Fv/Fm would be the first step for evaluating the quality of N. flagelliforme, and the biochemical indexes would serve as good secondary markers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Differential physiological and biochemical responses of two cyanobacteria Nostoc muscorum and Phormidium foveolarum against oxyfluorfen and UV-B radiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheeba; Pratap Singh, Vijay; Kumar Srivastava, Prabhat; Mohan Prasad, Sheo

    2011-10-01

    In the present study, degree of tolerance and tolerance strategies of two paddy field cyanobacteria viz. Nostoc muscorum and Phormidium foveolarum against oxyfluorfen (10 and 20 μg ml(-1)) and UV-B (7.2 kJ m(-2)d(-1)) stress were investigated. Oxyfluorfen and UV-B decreased growth, photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, nitrate reductase, acid and alkaline phosphatase activities, which accompanied with the increase in the level of oxidative stress. However, growth was more affected in N. muscorum than P. foveolarum. Antioxidants exhibited differential responses against oxyfluorfen and UV-B stress. Ascorbate and proline levels were higher in P. foveolarum. A protein of 66 kDa was expressed in N. muscorum, however, it was absent in P. foveolarum than those of N. muscorum. Besides this, a protein of 29 kDa appeared in P. foveolarum under all the treatments, but it was present only in control cells of N. muscorum cells. Overall results indicated resistant nature of P. foveolarum against oxyfluorfen and UV-B stress in comparison to N. muscorum. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Complete Genome Sequence of Spiroplasma floricola 23-6T (ATCC 29989), a Bacterium Isolated from a Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Yi-Ming; Wu, Pei-Shan; Lo, Wen-Sui; Kuo, Chih-Horng

    2018-04-19

    Spiroplasma floricola 23-6 T (ATCC 29989) was isolated from the flower surface of a tulip tree ( Liriodendron tulipifera L.). Here, we report the complete genome sequence of this bacterium to facilitate the investigation of its biology and the comparative genomics among Spiroplasma species. Copyright © 2018 Tsai et al.

  9. The extracellular phage-host interactions involved in the bacteriophage LL-H infection of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis ATCC 15808.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munsch-Alatossava, Patricia; Alatossava, Tapani

    2013-12-24

    The complete genome sequence of Lactobacillus bacteriophage LL-H was determined in 1996. Accordingly, LL-H has been used as a model phage for the infection of dairy Lactobacillus, specifically for thermophilic Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis host strains, such as ATCC 15808. One of the major goals of phage LL-H research consisted of the characterization of the first phage-host interactions at the level of phage adsorption and phage DNA injection steps to determine effective and practical methods to minimize the risks associated with the appearance and attack of phages in the manufacture of yogurt, and Swiss or Italian hard type cheeses, which typically use thermophilic lactic acid bacteria starter cultures containing L. delbrueckii strains among others. This mini review article summarizes the present data concerning (i) the special features, particle structure, and components of phage LL-H and (ii) the structure and properties of lipoteichoic acids (LTAs), which are the phage LL-H receptor components of L. delbrueckii ssp. lactis host strains. Moreover, a model of the first, extracellular, phage-host interactions for the infection of L. delbrueckii ssp. lactis ATCC 15808 by phage LL-H is presented and further discussed.

  10. The extracellular phage-host interactions involved in the bacteriophage LL-H infection of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis ATCC 15808

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia eMunsch-Alatossava

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The complete genome sequence of Lactobacillus bacteriophage LL-H was determined in 1996. Accordingly, LL-H has been used as a model phage for the infection of dairy Lactobacillus, specifically for thermophilic Lb. delbrueckii ssp. lactis host strains, such as ATCC 15808. One of the major goals of phage LL-H research consisted of the characterization of the the first phage-host interactions at the level of phage adsorption and phage DNA injection steps to determine effective and practical methods to minimise the risks associated with the appearance and attack of phages in the manufacture of yoghurt, and Swiss or Italian type hard cheeses, which typically use thermophilic LAB starter cultures containing Lb. delbrueckii strains among others. This mini review article summarises the present data concerning (i the special features, particle structure and components of phage LL-H and (ii the structure and properties of lipoteichoic acids (LTAs, which are the phage LL-H receptor components of Lb. delbrueckii ssp. lactis host strains. Moreover, a model of the first, extracellular, phage-host interactions for the infection of Lb. delbrueckii ssp. lactis ATCC 15808 by phage LL-H is presented and further discussed.

  11. Production and characterization of thermostable alkaline protease of Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633) from optimized solid-state fermentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatterjee, Joyee; Giri, Sudipta; Maity, Sujan; Sinha, Ankan; Ranjan, Ashish; Rajshekhar; Gupta, Suvroma

    2015-01-01

    Proteases are the most important group of enzymes utilized commercially in various arenas of industries, such as food, detergent, leather, dairy, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and waste management, accounting for nearly 20% of the world enzyme market. Microorganisms of specially Bacillus genera serve as a vast repository of diverse set of industrially important enzymes and utilized for the large-scale enzyme production using a fermentation technology. Approximately 30%-40% of the cost of industrial enzymes originates from the cost of the growth medium. This study is attempted to produce protease from Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633) after optimization of various process parameters with the aid of solid-state fermentation using a cheap nutrient source such as wheat bran. B. subtilis (ATCC 6633) produces proteases of molecular weight 36 and 20 kDa, respectively, in the fermented medium as evident from SDS zymogram. Alkaline protease activity has been detected with optimum temperature at 50 °C and is insensitive to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. This thermostable alkaline protease exhibits dual pH optimum at 7 and 10 with moderate pH stability at alkaline pH range. It preserves its activity in the presence of detergent such as SDS, Tween 20, and Triton X-100 and may be considered as an effective additive to detergent formulation with some industrial importance. © 2014 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. (1)H, (13)C, (15)N backbone and side-chain resonance assignment of Nostoc sp. C139A variant of the heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding (H-NOX) domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexandropoulos, Ioannis I; Argyriou, Aikaterini I; Marousis, Kostas D; Topouzis, Stavros; Papapetropoulos, Andreas; Spyroulias, Georgios A

    2016-10-01

    The H-NOX (Heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding) domain is conserved across eukaryotes and bacteria. In human soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) the H-NOX domain functions as a sensor for the gaseous signaling agent nitric oxide (NO). sGC contains the heme-binding H-NOX domain at its N-terminus, which regulates the catalytic site contained within the C-terminal end of the enzyme catalyzing the conversion of GTP (guanosine 5'-triphosphate) to GMP (guanylyl monophosphate). Here, we present the backbone and side-chain assignments of the (1)H, (13)C and (15)N resonances of the 183-residue H-NOX domain from Nostoc sp. through solution NMR.

  13. Reducing the Bitterness of Tuna (Euthynnus pelamis) Dark Meat with Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei ATCC 393

    OpenAIRE

    Ernani S. Sant’Anna; Luiz H. Beirão; Fabiano Cleber Bertoldi

    2004-01-01

    During the process of canning tuna fish, considerable amounts of dark tuna meat are left over because of its bitterness, which are then used in the production of animal food. Fermentation with Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei ATCC 393 was used as an alternative to reduce this bitter taste. Samples of meat were prepared, vacuum packed and then stored at –18 °C. The frozen dark meat was used immediately after defrosting and the experiment was carried out with 2 and 4 % of NaCl with the addition...

  14. Comparative genomics of citric-acid-producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Mikael Rørdam; Salazar, Margarita Pena; Schaap, Peter J.

    2011-01-01

    The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme......-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compel additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole-genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild-type strain (ATCC 1015) and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15...

  15. Expression of cbsA encoding the collagen-binding S-protein of Lactobacillus crispatus JCM5810 in Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393T

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Martínez, B.; Sillanpää, J.; Smit, E.; Korhonen, T.K.; Pouwels, P.H.

    2000-01-01

    The cbsA gene encoding the collagen-binding S-layer protein of Lactobacillus crispatus JCM5810 was expressed in L. casei ATCC 393T. The S-protein was not retained on the surface of the recombinant bacteria but was secreted into the medium. By translational fusion of CbsA to the cell wall sorting

  16. Microbial conversion of ethylbenzene to 1-phenethanol and acetophenone by Nocardia tartaricans ATCC 31190.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, D P; Goldsmith, C D

    1979-09-01

    A culture of Nocardia tartaricans ATCC 31190 was capable of catalyzing the conversion of ethylbenzene to 1-phenethanol and acetophenone while growing in a shake flask culture with hexadecane as the source of carbon and energy. This subterminal oxidative reaction with ethylbenzene appears not to have been previously reported for Nocardia species. When N. tartaricans was grown on glucose as its source of carbon and energy and ethylbenzene was added, no subsequent production of 1-phenethanol or acetophenone was observed. The mechanisms of 1-phenethanol and acetophenone production from ethylbenzene are thought to involve a subterminal oxidation of the alpha-carbon of the alkyl group to 1-phenethanol followed by biological oxidation of the latter to acetophenone.

  17. Quality-control ranges for antimicrobial susceptibility testing by broth dilution of the Brachyspira hyodysenteriae type strain (ATCC 27164(T))

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pringle, M.; Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Bergsjø, B.

    2006-01-01

    There are no approved standards for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the fastidious spirochete Brachyspira hyodysenteriae. An interlaboratory study was performed to establish MIC quality control ranges for six antimicrobial agents for the type strain of B. hyodysenteriae using broth diluti....... The results showed that B. hyodysenteriae B78(T) ATCC 27164(T) is a suitable quality control strain. This is a first step toward standardization of methods regarding this anaerobe....

  18. Hydrogen production and metal-dye bioremoval by a Nostoc linckia strain isolated from textile mill oxidation pond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mona, Sharma; Kaushik, Anubha; Kaushik, C P

    2011-02-01

    Biohydrogen production by Nostoc linckia HA-46, isolated from a textile-industry oxidation-pond was studied by varying light/dark period, pH, temperature and ratio of carbon-dioxide and argon in the gas-mixture. Hydrogen production rates were maximum under 18 h of light and 6 h of darkness, pH 8.0, 31°C, a CO(2):Ar ratio 2:10. Hydrogen production of the strain acclimatized to 20 mg/L of chromium/cobalt and 100 mg/L of Reactive red 198/crystal violet dye studied in N-supplemented/deficient medium was 6-10% higher in the presence of 1.5 g/L of NaNO(3). Rates of hydrogen production in the presence of dyes/metals by the strain (93-105 μmol/h/mg Chlorophyll) were significantly higher than in medium without metals/dyes serving as control (91.3 μmol/h/mg Chlorophyll). About 58-60% of the two metals and 35-73% of dyes were removed by cyanobacterium. Optimal conditions of temperature, pH and metals/dyes concentration for achieving high hydrogen production and wastewater treatment were found practically applicable as similar conditions are found in the effluent of regional textile-mills. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. INFLUENCE OF HIGH LIGHT INTENSITY ON THE CELLS OF CYANOBACTERIA ANABAENA VARIABILIS SP. ATCC 29413

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    OPRIŞ SANDA

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In this article is presented the result of research regardind the effect of high light intensity on the cells of Anabaena variabilis sp. ATCC 29413, the main objective is to study the adaptation of photosynthetic apparatus to light stress. Samples were analyzed in the present of herbicide diuron (DCMU which blocks electron flow from photosystem II and without diuron. During treatment maximum fluorescence and photosystems efficiency are significantly reduced, reaching very low values compared with the blank, as a result of photoinhibition installation. Also by this treatment is shown the importance of the mechanisms by which cells detect the presence of light stress and react accordingly.

  20. Evolutive and structural characterization of Nostoc commune iron-superoxide dismutase that is fit for modification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Y; Lu, M; Li, J-Y; Qin, Y; Gong, X-G

    2012-10-04

    Superoxide dismutase (SOD) has extensive clinical applications for protecting organisms from toxic oxidation. In this study, the integrated iron-superoxide dismutase gene (fe-sod) coding sequence of Nostoc commune stain CHEN was cloned from genomic DNA and compared to sods from other reported algae. These analyses of immunology and phylogenetics indicated that this Fe-SOD is considerably homologous with SODs from lower prokaryotes (Fe-SOD or Mn-SOD) but not those from higher animals (Cu/Zn-SOD). In addition, the N. commune Fe-SOD shows 67 to 93% protein sequence identity to 10 other algal Fe-SODs (or Mn-SODs) and 69 to 93% gene sequence identity. Rare nonsynonymous substitutions imply that algal SODs are being subjected to strong natural selection. Interestingly, the N. commune Fe-SOD enzyme molecule has a compact active center that is highly conserved (38.1% of residues are absolutely conserved), and 2 loose ends localized outside the molecule and inclined to mutate (only 11.5% of residues are absolutely conserved). Based on associative analyses of evolution, structure, and function, this special phenomenon is attributed to function-dependent evolution through negative natural selection. Under strong natural selection, although the mutation is random on the gene level, the exterior region is inclined to mutate on the protein level owing to more nonsynonymous substitutions in the exterior region, which demonstrates the theoretical feasibility of modifying Fe-SOD on its ends to overcome its disadvantages in clinical applications.

  1. [Sequencing and analysis of the resistome of Streptomyces fradiae ATCC19609 in order to develop a test system for screening of new antimicrobial agents].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vatlin, A A; Bekker, O B; Lysenkova, L N; Korolev, A M; Shchekotikhin, A E; Danilenko, V N

    2016-06-01

    The paper provides the annotation and data on sequencing the antibiotic resistance genes in Streptomyces fradiae strain ATCC19609, highly sensitive to different antibiotics. Genome analysis revealed four groups of genes that determined the resistome of the tested strain. These included classical antibiotic resistance genes (nine aminoglycoside phosphotransferase genes, two beta-lactamase genes, and the genes of puromycin N-acetyltransferase, phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase, and aminoglycoside acetyltransferase); the genes of ATP-dependent ABC transporters, involved in the efflux of antibiotics from the cell (MacB-2, BcrA, two-subunit MDR1); the genes of positive and negative regulation of transcription (whiB and padR families); and the genes of post-translational modification (serine-threonine protein kinases). A comparative characteristic of aminoglycoside phosphotransferase genes in S. fradiae ATCC19609, S. lividans TK24, and S. albus J1074, the causative agent of actinomycosis, is provided. The possibility of using the S. fradiae strain ATCC19609 as the test system for selection of the macrolide antibiotic oligomycin A derivatives with different levels of activity is demonstrated. Analysis of more than 20 semisynthetic oligomycin A derivatives made it possible to divide them into three groups according to the level of activity: inactive (>1 nmol/disk), 10 substances; with medium activity level (0.05–1 nmol/disk), 12 substances; and more active (0.01–0.05 nmol/disk), 2 substances. Important for the activity of semisynthetic derivatives is the change in the position of the 33rd carbon atom in the oligomycin A molecule.

  2. Investigation of the Amycolatopsis sp. Strain ATCC 39116 Vanillin Dehydrogenase and Its Impact on the Biotechnical Production of Vanillin

    OpenAIRE

    Fleige, Christian; Hansen, Gunda; Kroll, Jens; Steinbüchel, Alexander

    2013-01-01

    The actinomycete Amycolatopsis sp. strain ATCC 39116 is capable of synthesizing large amounts of vanillin from ferulic acid, which is a natural cell wall component of higher plants. The desired intermediate vanillin is subject to undesired catabolism caused by the metabolic activity of a hitherto unknown vanillin dehydrogenase (VDHATCC 39116). In order to prevent the oxidation of vanillin to vanillic acid and thereby to obtain higher yields and concentrations of vanillin, the responsible vani...

  3. Difference in cellular damage and cell death in thermal death time disks and high hydrostatic pressure treated Salmonella Enteritidis (ATCC13076) in liquid whole egg

    Science.gov (United States)

    Differences in membrane damage including leakage of intracellular UV-materials and loss of viability of Salmonella Enteritidis (ATCC13076) in liquid whole egg (LWE) following thermal-death-time (TDT) disk and high hydrostatic pressure treatments were examined. Salmonella enteritidis was inoculated ...

  4. Structural and functional analysis of the S-layer protein crystallisation domain of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 : evidence for protein : protein interaction of two subdomains

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smit, E.; Jager, D.; Martinez, B.; Tielen, F.J.; Pouwels, P.H.

    2002-01-01

    The structure of the crystallisation domain, SAN, of the S A-protein of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 was analysed by insertion and deletion mutagenesis, and by proteolytic treatment. Mutant S A-protein synthesised in Escherichia coli with 7-13 amino acid insertions near the N terminus or

  5. Design of mineral medium for growth of Actinomadura sp.ATCC 39727, producer of the glycopeptide A40926: effects of calcium ions and nitrogen sources

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dobrová, Zuzana; Damiano, F.; Tredici, S. M.; Vigliotta, G.; Di Summa, R.; Palese, L.; Abbrescia, A.; Labonia, N.; Gnoni, G. V.; Alifano, P.

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 65, - (2004), s. 671-677 ISSN 0175-7598 Grant - others:IT(CZ) Progetto MIUR 488 Aventis Bulk S.P.A.; Italy "Nuovetecnologie per lo studio di microorganismy altoproduttoridi antibiotici"(CZ) - Keywords : actinomadura * atcc Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 2.358, year: 2004

  6. Determination of the toxicity level of the fluoropolymers production wastes by reaction of soil microflora and cyanobacteria Nostoc paludosum Kütz

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elkina Tatyana

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The environment is constantly receiving the substances that are artificially synthesized by human, hence, not inherent in nature, that are circulating in it. One of the most common wastes of fluoroelastomer SKF-26 production is the mother solution entering the environment together with the wastewater of chemical enterprises. Until now limits of allowable concentrations of these compounds have not been established, as they are considered practically safe. By determining the toxicity level of the waste of fluoropolymers production conducted by reaction of soil algae , cyanobacteria and micromycetes it was showed that the waste of fluorine rubber SKF-26 production are not safe or neutral for these groups of microorganisms. The toxicity of high concentrations of the mother solution SKF-26 was particularly evident in the damaging effects to the of the test organism Nostoc paludosum in aqueous medium. Field experiments confirmed that not only mother solutions, but also the possible products of their transformations are toxic. This fact clearly illustrates the change in the structure of mikocenoses where a progressive increase in populations with melanized mycelium takes place.

  7. CRECIMIENTO DE Lactobacillus casei ssp casei ATCC 393 EN SUERO CLARIFICADO

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    JOHN ALEXANDER VELASQUEZ-TELLEZ

    Full Text Available En este trabajo se evaluó el efecto del pH y la temperatura sobre el crecimiento de Lactobacillus casei ssp casei ATCC 393, cultivado en suero de leche clarificado en fermentación por lotes. Se observó el efecto de los factores sobre la velocidad específica de crecimiento y la producción de biomasa, utilizando para cada parámetro evaluado la metodología de superficie de respuesta, empleando un diseño central compuesto rotable 22. Los resultados obtenidos del modelo para maximizar la velocidad de crecimiento especifica a 0,061h-1 el proceso debe ser realizado a pH cercano de 7,1 y temperatura de 36,9°C, y para maximizar la producción de biomasa a 11,58 g/L debe realizarse a pH de 7,0 y temperatura de 35,7°C, estos resultados ratifican el efecto del pH y la temperatura sobre el crecimiento de Lactobacillus casei

  8. Effects of radio frequency and high pressure steam sterilisation on the colour and flavour of prepared Nostoc sphaeroides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jicheng; Zhang, Min; An, Yanjun; Roknul, Azam Sm; Adhikari, Benu

    2018-03-01

    Nostoc sphaeroides has been used as a highly effective herbal medicine and dietary supplement for thousands of years. The desired dark green colour of fresh N. sphaeroides is converted into an undesirable dark brown during conventional high pressure (HP) steam sterilisation. Radio frequency (RF) sterilisation technology was used in this study to determine its effectiveness in sterilising N. sphaeroides and to achieve better preservation of natural colour and desirable flavour. Sterilisation was carried out using a 6 kW, 27 MHz RF instrument for 10, 20 and 30 min. The degree of microbial kill and the effects of RF sterilisation on colour and flavour were determined and compared with those obtained from HP steam (121 °C, 30 min) sterilisation. The effects of RF sterilisation on colour and flavour (measured using electronic nose) parameters were significantly lower than that in HP steam sterilisation. The RF sterilisation carried out for 20 min achieved logarithmic reduction of bacterial population and met China's national standard while preserving the colour and flavour better. Results of the present study indicated that application of RF sterilisation would improve the quality of sterilised N. sphaeroides and broaden its application in the food and health food industries. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  9. The effects of the exopolysaccharide and growth rate on the morphogenesis of the terrestrial filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lijuan Cui

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme, which contributes to carbon and nitrogen supplies in arid and semi-arid regions, adopts a filamentous colony form. Owing to its herbal and dietary values, this species has been overexploited. Largely due to the lack of understanding on its morphogenesis, artificial cultivation has not been achieved. Additionally, it may serve as a useful model for recognizing the morphological adaptation of colonial cyanobacteria in terrestrial niches. However, it shows very slow growth in native habitats and is easily disintegrated under laboratory conditions. Thus, a novel experimental system is necessary to explore its morphogenetic mechanism. Liquid-cultured N. flagelliforme has been well developed for exopolysaccharide (EPS production, in which microscopic colonies (micro-colonies are generally formed. In this study, we sought to gain some insight into the morphogenesis of N. flagelliforme by examining the effects of two external factors, the EPS and environmental stress-related growth rate, on the morphological shaping of micro-colonies. Our findings indicate that the EPS matrix could act as a basal barrier, leading to the bending of trichomes during their elongation, while very slow growth is conducive to their straight elongation. These findings will guide future cultivation and application of this cyanobacterium for ecological improvement.

  10. Crude glycerol from biodiesel industry as substrate for biosurfactant production by Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marylane de Sousa

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Glycerol, a co-product of the biodiesel industry, may be a suitable raw material for the production of high added-value compounds by the microorganisms. This study aimed to use the glycerol obtained from the biodiesel production process as the main carbon source for biosurfactant production by Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. Results indicated that the strain lowered the surface tension of the cell-free fermented broth to 31.5 ± 1.6 mN/m, indicating the production of biosurfactant. The critical micelle concentration (CMC = 33.6 mN/m obtained was similar to the previously reported for biossurfactants isolated from other Bacillus. The produced biosurfactant was able to emulsify n-hexadecane and soybean oil.

  11. Physiological and transcriptional response of Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334 to acid stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broadbent, Jeff R; Larsen, Rebecca L; Deibel, Virginia; Steele, James L

    2010-05-01

    This study investigated features of the acid tolerance response (ATR) in Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334. To optimize ATR induction, cells were acid adapted for 10 or 20 min at different pH values (range, 3.0 to 5.0) and then acid challenged at pH 2.0. Adaptation over a broad range of pHs improved acid tolerance, but the highest survival was noted in cells acid adapted for 10 or 20 min at pH 4.5. Analysis of cytoplasmic membrane fatty acids (CMFAs) in acid-adapted cells showed that they had significantly (P L. casei survival at pH 2.5 was improved at least 100-fold by chemical induction of the stringent response or by the addition of 30 mM malate or 30 mM histidine to the acid challenge medium. To our knowledge, this is the first report that intracellular histidine accumulation may be involved in bacterial acid resistance.

  12. Isolation and Purification of Complex II from Proteus Mirabilis Strain ATCC 29245

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shabbiri, Khadija; Ahmad, Waqar; Syed, Quratulain; Adnan, Ahmad

    2010-01-01

    A respiratory complex was isolated from plasma membrane of pathogenic Proteus mirabilis strain ATCC 29245. It was identified as complex II consisting of succinate:quinone oxidoreductase (EC 1.3.5.1) containing single heme b. The complex II was purified by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The molecular weight of purified complex was 116.5 kDa and it was composed of three subunits with molecular weights of 19 kDa, 29 kDa and 68.5 kDa. The complex II contained 9.5 nmoles of cytochrome b per mg protein. Heme staining indicated that the 19 kDa subunit was cytochrome b. Its reduced form showed absorptions peaks at 557.0, 524.8 and 424.4 nm. The α-band was shifted from 557.0 nm to 556.8 nm in pyridine ferrohemochrome spectrum. The succinate: quinone oxidoreductase activity was found to be high in this microorganism. PMID:24031557

  13. Comparative genomics of citric-acid-producing Aspergillus niger ATCC 1015 versus enzyme-producing CBS 513.88

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Mikael R.; Salazar, Margarita P.; Schaap, Peter J.; van de Vondervoort, Peter J.I.; Culley, David; Thykaer, Jette; Frisvad, Jens C.; Nielsen, Kristian F.; Albang, Richard; Albermann, Kaj; Berka, Randy M.; Braus, Gerhard H.; Braus-Stromeyer, Susanna A.; Corrochano, Luis M.; Dai, Ziyu; van Dijck, Piet W.M.; Hofmann, Gerald; Lasure, Linda L.; Magnuson, Jon K.; Menke, Hildegard; Meijer, Martin; Meijer, Susan L.; Nielsen, Jakob B.; Nielsen, Michael L.; van Ooyen, Albert J.J.; Pel, Herman J.; Poulsen, Lars; Samson, Rob A.; Stam, Hein; Tsang, Adrian; van den Brink, Johannes M.; Atkins, Alex; Aerts, Andrea; Shapiro, Harris; Pangilinan, Jasmyn; Salamov, Asaf; Lou, Yigong; Lindquist, Erika; Lucas, Susan; Grimwood, Jane; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Kubicek, Christian P.; Martinez, Diego; van Peij, Noël N.M.E.; Roubos, Johannes A.; Nielsen, Jens; Baker, Scott E.

    2011-01-01

    The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger exhibits great diversity in its phenotype. It is found globally, both as marine and terrestrial strains, produces both organic acids and hydrolytic enzymes in high amounts, and some isolates exhibit pathogenicity. Although the genome of an industrial enzyme-producing A. niger strain (CBS 513.88) has already been sequenced, the versatility and diversity of this species compel additional exploration. We therefore undertook whole-genome sequencing of the acidogenic A. niger wild-type strain (ATCC 1015) and produced a genome sequence of very high quality. Only 15 gaps are present in the sequence, and half the telomeric regions have been elucidated. Moreover, sequence information from ATCC 1015 was used to improve the genome sequence of CBS 513.88. Chromosome-level comparisons uncovered several genome rearrangements, deletions, a clear case of strain-specific horizontal gene transfer, and identification of 0.8 Mb of novel sequence. Single nucleotide polymorphisms per kilobase (SNPs/kb) between the two strains were found to be exceptionally high (average: 7.8, maximum: 160 SNPs/kb). High variation within the species was confirmed with exo-metabolite profiling and phylogenetics. Detailed lists of alleles were generated, and genotypic differences were observed to accumulate in metabolic pathways essential to acid production and protein synthesis. A transcriptome analysis supported up-regulation of genes associated with biosynthesis of amino acids that are abundant in glucoamylase A, tRNA-synthases, and protein transporters in the protein producing CBS 513.88 strain. Our results and data sets from this integrative systems biology analysis resulted in a snapshot of fungal evolution and will support further optimization of cell factories based on filamentous fungi. PMID:21543515

  14. L-Lactic Acid Production by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 10863

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Lívia Chemeli Senedese

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Lactic acid has been shown to have the most promising application in biomaterials as poly(lactic acid. L. rhamnosus ATCC 10863 that produces L-lactic acid was used to perform the fermentation and molasses was used as substrate. A solution containing 27.6 g/L of sucrose (main composition of molasses and 3.0 g/L of yeast extract was prepared, considering the final volume of 3,571 mL (14.0% (v/v inoculum. Batch and fed batch fermentations were performed with temperature of 43.4°C and pH of 5.0. At the fed batch, three molasses feed were applied at 12, 24, and 36 hours. Samples were taken every two hours and the amounts of lactic acid, sucrose, glucose, and fructose were determined by HPLC. The sucrose was barely consumed at both processes; otherwise the glucose and fructose were almost entirely consumed. 16.5 g/L of lactic acid was produced at batch and 22.0 g/L at fed batch. Considering that lactic acid was produced due to the low concentration of the well consumed sugars, the final amount was considerable. The cell growth was checked and no substrate inhibition was observed. A sucrose molasses hydrolysis is suggested to better avail the molasses fermentation with this strain, surely increasing the L-lactic acid.

  15. Isolation and Purification of C-phycocyanin from Nostoc muscorum (Cyanophyceae and Cyanobacteria Exhibits Antimalarial Activity In vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sukla Biswas

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available The Phycobilin pigments are intensively fluorescent and water soluble. They are categorized into three types, such as pigments containing high, intermediate and low energies are Phycoerythrins (Phycoerythrocyanins, Phycocyanins and Allophycocyanins, respectively. Besides light harvesting, the Phycobiliproteins have shown industrial and biomedical importance. Among them, C-phycocyanin (C-PC has been considered to be the most preferred one. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antimalarial activity of C-PC isolated from a Nitrogen-fixing Cyanobacterium and Nostoc muscorum. C- PC was extracted and purified by acetone extraction and ammonium sulfate precipitation and dialysis followed by amicon filtration. It was isolated as a~124 kDa water soluble protein molecule. It showed antimalarial activity in vitro against Chloroquine sensitive and resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains. Inhibitory concentrations at 50%, 90% and 95% were determined as 10.27±2.79, 53.53±6.26 and 73.78±6.92 µg/ml against the Chloroquine-sensitive strains; 10.37±1.43, 56.99±11.07 and 72.79±8.59 µg/ml against Chloroquine resistant of Plasmodium falciparum strains. C-PC was found to have antimalarial activity even at a concentration of 3.0 µg/ml. The possible mechanism might be relied on the destruction of polymerization of Haemozoin by binding of C-PC with Ferriprotoporphyrin-IX at the water surface of the plasma membrane.

  16. Structural analysis of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 glycoside hydrolase from CAZy family GH105

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Germane, Katherine L.; Servinsky, Matthew D.; Gerlach, Elliot S.; Sund, Christian J.; Hurley, Margaret M.

    2015-01-01

    The crystal structure of the protein product of the C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 gene CA-C0359 is structurally similar to YteR, an unsaturated rhamnogalacturonyl hydrolase from B. subtilis strain 168. Substrate modeling and electrostatic studies of the active site of the structure of CA-C0359 suggests that the protein can now be considered to be part of CAZy glycoside hydrolase family 105. Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 gene CA-C0359 encodes a putative unsaturated rhamnogalacturonyl hydrolase (URH) with distant amino-acid sequence homology to YteR of Bacillus subtilis strain 168. YteR, like other URHs, has core structural homology to unsaturated glucuronyl hydrolases, but hydrolyzes the unsaturated disaccharide derivative of rhamnogalacturonan I. The crystal structure of the recombinant CA-C0359 protein was solved to 1.6 Å resolution by molecular replacement using the phase information of the previously reported structure of YteR (PDB entry (http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/cr.cgi?rm)) from Bacillus subtilis strain 168. The YteR-like protein is a six-α-hairpin barrel with two β-sheet strands and a small helix overlaying the end of the hairpins next to the active site. The protein has low primary protein sequence identity to YteR but is structurally similar. The two tertiary structures align with a root-mean-square deviation of 1.4 Å and contain a highly conserved active pocket. There is a conserved aspartic acid residue in both structures, which has been shown to be important for hydration of the C=C bond during the release of unsaturated galacturonic acid by YteR. A surface electrostatic potential comparison of CA-C0359 and proteins from CAZy families GH88 and GH105 reveals the make-up of the active site to be a combination of the unsaturated rhamnogalacturonyl hydrolase and the unsaturated glucuronyl hydrolase from Bacillus subtilis strain 168. Structural and electrostatic comparisons suggests that the protein may have a slightly different substrate

  17. Structural analysis of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 glycoside hydrolase from CAZy family GH105

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Germane, Katherine L., E-mail: katherine.germane.civ@mail.mil [Oak Ridge Associated Universities, 4692 Millennium Drive, Suite 101, Belcamp, MD 21017 (United States); Servinsky, Matthew D. [US Army Research Laboratory, 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20783 (United States); Gerlach, Elliot S. [Federal Staffing Resources, 2200 Somerville Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 (United States); Sund, Christian J. [US Army Research Laboratory, 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20783 (United States); Hurley, Margaret M., E-mail: katherine.germane.civ@mail.mil [US Army Research Laboratory, 4600 Deer Creek Loop, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005 (United States); Oak Ridge Associated Universities, 4692 Millennium Drive, Suite 101, Belcamp, MD 21017 (United States)

    2015-07-29

    The crystal structure of the protein product of the C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 gene CA-C0359 is structurally similar to YteR, an unsaturated rhamnogalacturonyl hydrolase from B. subtilis strain 168. Substrate modeling and electrostatic studies of the active site of the structure of CA-C0359 suggests that the protein can now be considered to be part of CAZy glycoside hydrolase family 105. Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 gene CA-C0359 encodes a putative unsaturated rhamnogalacturonyl hydrolase (URH) with distant amino-acid sequence homology to YteR of Bacillus subtilis strain 168. YteR, like other URHs, has core structural homology to unsaturated glucuronyl hydrolases, but hydrolyzes the unsaturated disaccharide derivative of rhamnogalacturonan I. The crystal structure of the recombinant CA-C0359 protein was solved to 1.6 Å resolution by molecular replacement using the phase information of the previously reported structure of YteR (PDB entry (http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/cr.cgi?rm)) from Bacillus subtilis strain 168. The YteR-like protein is a six-α-hairpin barrel with two β-sheet strands and a small helix overlaying the end of the hairpins next to the active site. The protein has low primary protein sequence identity to YteR but is structurally similar. The two tertiary structures align with a root-mean-square deviation of 1.4 Å and contain a highly conserved active pocket. There is a conserved aspartic acid residue in both structures, which has been shown to be important for hydration of the C=C bond during the release of unsaturated galacturonic acid by YteR. A surface electrostatic potential comparison of CA-C0359 and proteins from CAZy families GH88 and GH105 reveals the make-up of the active site to be a combination of the unsaturated rhamnogalacturonyl hydrolase and the unsaturated glucuronyl hydrolase from Bacillus subtilis strain 168. Structural and electrostatic comparisons suggests that the protein may have a slightly different substrate

  18. Dinitrogenase-Driven Photobiological Hydrogen Production Combats Oxidative Stress in Cyanothece sp. Strain ATCC 51142

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sadler, Natalie C.; Bernstein, Hans C.; Melnicki, Matthew R.; Charania, Moiz A.; Hill, Eric A.; Anderson, Lindsey N.; Monroe, Matthew E.; Smith, Richard D.; Beliaev, Alexander S.; Wright, Aaron T.; Nojiri, H.

    2016-10-14

    ABSTRACT

    Photobiologically synthesized hydrogen (H2) gas is carbon neutral to produce and clean to combust, making it an ideal biofuel.Cyanothecesp. strain ATCC 51142 is a cyanobacterium capable of performing simultaneous oxygenic photosynthesis and H2production, a highly perplexing phenomenon because H2evolving enzymes are O2sensitive. We employed a system-levelin vivochemoproteomic profiling approach to explore the cellular dynamics of protein thiol redox and how thiol redox mediates the function of the dinitrogenase NifHDK, an enzyme complex capable of aerobic hydrogenase activity. We found that NifHDK responds to intracellular redox conditions and may act as an emergency electron valve to prevent harmful reactive oxygen species formation in concert with other cell strategies for maintaining redox homeostasis. These results provide new insight into cellular redox dynamics useful for advancing photolytic bioenergy technology and reveal a new understanding for the biological function of NifHDK.

    IMPORTANCEHere, we demonstrate that high levels of hydrogen synthesis can be induced as a protection mechanism against oxidative stress via the dinitrogenase enzyme complex inCyanothecesp. strain ATCC 51142. This is a previously unknown feature of cyanobacterial dinitrogenase, and we anticipate that it may represent a strategy to exploit cyanobacteria for efficient and scalable hydrogen production. We utilized a chemoproteomic approach to capture thein situdynamics of reductant partitioning within the cell, revealing proteins and reactive thiols that may be involved in redox sensing and signaling. Additionally, this method is widely applicable across biological systems to achieve a greater understanding of how cells

  19. Complete structure of the cell surface polysaccharide of Streptococcus oralis ATCC 10557: A receptor for lectin-mediated interbacterial adherence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abeygunawardana, C.; Bush, C.A.; Cisar, J.O.

    1991-01-01

    Lectin-carbohydrate binding is known to play an important role in a number of different cell-cell interactions including those between certain species of oral streptococci and actinomyces that colonize teeth. The cell wall polysaccharides of Streptococcus oralis ATCC 10557, S. oralis 34, and Streptococcus mitis J22, although not identical antigenically, each function as a receptor molecule for the galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine reactive fimbrial lectins of Actinomyces viscosus and Actinomyces naeslundii. Carbohydrate analysis of the receptor polysaccharide isolated from S. oralis ATCC 10557 shows galactose (3 mol), glucose (1 mol), GalNAc (1 mol), and rhamnose (1 mol). 1 H NMR spectra of the polysaccharide show that is partially O-acetylated. Analysis of the 1 H NMR spectrum of the de-O-acetylated polysaccharide shows that it is composed of repeating subunits containing six monosaccharides and that the subunits are joined by a phosphodiester linkage. The 1 H and 13 C NMR spectra were completely assigned by two-dimensional homonuclear correlation methods and by 1 H-detected heteronuclear multiple-quantum correlation ( 1 H[ 13 C]HMQC). The complete 1 H and 13 C assignment of the native polysaccharide was carried out by the same techniques augmented by a 13 C-coupled hybrid HMQC-COSY method, which is shown to be especially useful for carbohydrates in which strong coupling and overlapping peaks in the 1 H spectrum pose difficulties

  20. Supplementation of Carbohydrate to Enhance the α-amylase Production by Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 6346 in Presence of Seed Cakes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vengadaramana, A.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims: The effect of carbohydrate and amino acids on the production of a-amylase by Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 6346 was investigated. Methodology and results: To find out the influence of carbohydrate the total carbohydrate content of the medium containing different concentration (2-18 g/L of defatted seed cake powder of sesamum and mustard containing medium was kept constant by the addition of soluble starch separately. The highest a-amylase activity obtained in the medium containing 18g/L mustard (59.11+b1.48 U/mL and sesamum seed cake powder (55.23+b1.55 U/mL. The results indicated that under these conditions the carbohydrate content had no effect on the production of a-amylase. Effect of amino acids (0.2g/L of glycine, methionine, proline, lysine, leucine, threonine, serine, arginine, alanine, glutamic acid, tryptophan, glutamine, asparagine, histidine, valine, phenylalanine, isoleucine and mixture of amino acids on the production of a-amylase in fermentation medium was investigated. Among the different amino acids supplemented, eight amino acids improved the a-amylase production but casaminoacids slightly inhibited the enzyme production. In presence of tryptophan highest enzyme activity was obtained than control. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: In these study amino acids especially tryptophan takes part in a particular role rather than carbohydrate in the production of a-amylase from B. licheniformis ATCC 6346.

  1. Structural elucidation and molecular docking of a novel antibiotic compound from cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. MGL001

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niveshika No Name

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Cyanobacteria are rich source of array of bioactive compounds. The present study reports a novel antibacterial bioactive compound purified from cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. MGL001 using various chromatographic techniques viz. thin layer chromatography (TLC and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. Further characterization was done using electrospray ionisation mass spectroscopy (ESIMS and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR and predicted structure of bioactive compound was 9-Ethyliminomethyl-12-(morpholin - 4 - ylmethoxy -5, 8, 13, 16 – tetraaza – hexacene - 2, 3 dicarboxylic acid (EMTAHDCA. Structure of EMTAHDCA clearly indicated that it is a novel compound that was not reported in literature or natural product database. The compound exhibited growth inhibiting effects mainly against the gram negative bacterial strains and produced maximum zone of inhibition at 150 μg/mL concentration. The compound was evaluated through in silico studies for its ability to bind 30S ribosomal fragment (PDB ID: 1YRJ, 1MWL, 1J7T and 1LC4 and OmpF porin protein (4GCP, 4GCQ and 4GCS which are the common targets of various antibiotic drugs. Comparative molecular docking study revealed that EMTAHDCA has strong binding affinity for these selected targets in comparison to a number of most commonly used antibiotics. The ability of EMTAHDCA to bind the active sites on the proteins and 30S ribosomal fragments where the antibiotic drugs generally bind indicated that it is functionally similar to the commercially available drugs.

  2. Microbial Corrosion of API 5L X-70 Carbon Steel by ATCC 7757 and Consortium of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria

    OpenAIRE

    Abdullah, Arman; Yahaya, Nordin; Md Noor, Norhazilan; Mohd Rasol, Rosilawati

    2014-01-01

    Various cases of accidents involving microbiology influenced corrosion (MIC) were reported by the oil and gas industry. Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) have always been linked to MIC mechanisms as one of the major causes of localized corrosion problems. In this study, SRB colonies were isolated from the soil in suspected areas near the natural gas transmission pipeline in Malaysia. The effects of ATCC 7757 and consortium of isolated SRB upon corrosion on API 5L X-70 carbon steel coupon were i...

  3. Alternative Sigma Factors SigF, SigE, and SigG Are Essential for Sporulation in Clostridium botulinum ATCC 3502

    OpenAIRE

    Kirk, David G.; Zhang, Zhen; Korkeala, Hannu; Lindström, Miia

    2014-01-01

    Clostridium botulinum produces heat-resistant endospores that may germinate and outgrow into neurotoxic cultures in foods. Sporulation is regulated by the transcription factor Spo0A and the alternative sigma factors SigF, SigE, SigG, and SigK in most spore formers studied to date. We constructed mutants of sigF, sigE, and sigG in C. botulinum ATCC 3502 and used quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and electron microscopy to assess their expression of the sporulation pathway on transcription...

  4. New Insight into the Cleavage Reaction of Nostoc sp. Strain PCC 7120 Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase in Natural and Nonnatural Carotenoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heo, Jinsol; Kim, Se Hyeuk

    2013-01-01

    Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) are enzymes that catalyze the oxidative cleavage of carotenoids at a specific double bond to generate apocarotenoids. In this study, we investigated the activity and substrate preferences of NSC3, a CCD of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120, in vivo and in vitro using natural and nonnatural carotenoid structures. NSC3 cleaved β-apo-8′-carotenal at 3 positions, C-13C-14, C-15C-15′, and C-13′C-14′, revealing a unique cleavage pattern. NSC3 cleaves the natural structure of carotenoids 4,4′-diaponeurosporene, 4,4′-diaponeurosporen-4′-al, 4,4′-diaponeurosporen-4′-oic acid, 4,4′-diapotorulene, and 4,4′-diapotorulen-4′-al to generate novel cleavage products (apo-14′-diaponeurosporenal, apo-13′-diaponeurosporenal, apo-10′-diaponeurosporenal, apo-14′-diapotorulenal, and apo-10′-diapotorulenal, respectively). The study of carotenoids with natural or nonnatural structures produced by using synthetic modules could provide information valuable for understanding the cleavage reactions or substrate preferences of other CCDs in vivo and in vitro. PMID:23524669

  5. Complete genome sequence and lifestyle of black-pigmented Corynebacterium aurimucosum ATCC 700975 (formerly C. nigricans CN-1 isolated from a vaginal swab of a woman with spontaneous abortion

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    Gartemann Karl-Heinz

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Corynebacterium aurimucosum is a slightly yellowish, non-lipophilic, facultative anaerobic member of the genus Corynebacterium and predominantly isolated from human clinical specimens. Unusual black-pigmented variants of C. aurimucosum (originally named as C. nigricans continue to be recovered from the female urogenital tract and they are associated with complications during pregnancy. C. aurimucosum ATCC 700975 (C. nigricans CN-1 was originally isolated from a vaginal swab of a 34-year-old woman who experienced a spontaneous abortion during month six of pregnancy. For a better understanding of the physiology and lifestyle of this potential urogenital pathogen, the complete genome sequence of C. aurimucosum ATCC 700975 was determined. Results Sequencing and assembly of the C. aurimucosum ATCC 700975 genome yielded a circular chromosome of 2,790,189 bp in size and the 29,037-bp plasmid pET44827. Specific gene sets associated with the central metabolism of C. aurimucosum apparently provide enhanced metabolic flexibility and adaptability in aerobic, anaerobic and low-pH environments, including gene clusters for the uptake and degradation of aromatic amines, L-histidine and L-tartrate as well as a gene region for the formation of selenocysteine and its incorporation into formate dehydrogenase. Plasmid pET44827 codes for a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase that plays the pivotal role in the synthesis of the characteristic black pigment of C. aurimucosum ATCC 700975. Conclusions The data obtained by the genome project suggest that C. aurimucosum could be both a resident of the human gut and possibly a pathogen in the female genital tract causing complications during pregnancy. Since hitherto all black-pigmented C. aurimucosum strains have been recovered from female genital source, biosynthesis of the pigment is apparently required for colonization by protecting the bacterial cells against the high hydrogen peroxide concentration in

  6. Light structures phototroph, bacterial and fungal communities at the soil surface.

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    Lawrence O Davies

    Full Text Available The upper few millimeters of soil harbour photosynthetic microbial communities that are structurally distinct from those of underlying bulk soil due to the presence of light. Previous studies in arid zones have demonstrated functional importance of these communities in reducing soil erosion, and enhancing carbon and nitrogen fixation. Despite being widely distributed, comparative understanding of the biodiversity of the soil surface and underlying soil is lacking, particularly in temperate zones. We investigated the establishment of soil surface communities on pasture soil in microcosms exposed to light or dark conditions, focusing on changes in phototroph, bacterial and fungal communities at the soil surface (0-3 mm and bulk soil (3-12 mm using ribosomal marker gene analyses. Microbial community structure changed with time and structurally similar phototrophic communities were found at the soil surface and in bulk soil in the light exposed microcosms suggesting that light can influence phototroph community structure even in the underlying bulk soil. 454 pyrosequencing showed a significant selection for diazotrophic cyanobacteria such as Nostoc punctiforme and Anabaena spp., in addition to the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus. The soil surface also harboured distinct heterotrophic bacterial and fungal communities in the presence of light, in particular, the selection for the phylum Firmicutes. However, these light driven changes in bacterial community structure did not extend to the underlying soil suggesting a discrete zone of influence, analogous to the rhizosphere.

  7. In vivo and in vitro protein ligation by naturally occurring and engineered split DnaE inteins.

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    A Sesilja Aranko

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Protein trans-splicing by naturally occurring split DnaE inteins is used for protein ligation of foreign peptide fragments. In order to widen biotechnological applications of protein trans-splicing, it is highly desirable to have split inteins with shorter C-terminal fragments, which can be chemically synthesized. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We report the identification of new functional split sites in DnaE inteins from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and from Nostoc punctiforme. One of the newly engineered split intein bearing C-terminal 15 residues showed more robust protein trans-splicing activity than naturally occurring split DnaE inteins in a foreign context. During the course of our experiments, we found that protein ligation by protein trans-splicing depended not only on the splicing junction sequences, but also on the foreign extein sequences. Furthermore, we could classify the protein trans-splicing reactions in foreign contexts with a simple kinetic model into three groups according to their kinetic parameters in the presence of various reducing agents. CONCLUSION: The shorter C-intein of the newly engineered split intein could be a useful tool for biotechnological applications including protein modification, incorporation of chemical probes, and segmental isotopic labelling. Based on kinetic analysis of the protein splicing reactions, we propose a general strategy to improve ligation yields by protein trans-splicing, which could significantly enhance the applications of protein ligation by protein trans-splicing.

  8. Produção de exopolissacarídeos pela cianobactéria Nostoc sp em diferentes concentrações de nitrogênio e glicose

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    Liege Abdallah Kawai

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Cianobactérias são microrganismos procariontes que, durante o crescimento celular, são capazes de produzir exopolissacarídeos (EPS. Devido à diversidade bioquímica destes, podem ser excelentes para vários fins biotecnológicos, tendo aplicações em indústrias alimentícias, têxteis, de tintas, cosméticos, de papel, e farmacêuticas, como floculantes, espessantes ou estabilizadores, substituindo os polissacarídeos de macroalgas e plantas. Além disso, as cianobactérias apresentam taxas maiores de crescimento e são mais fáceis de manipular do que plantas e macroalgas. Este estudo teve por objetivo otimizar a produção de EPS no meio BG11, com relação a diferentes concentrações de nitrogênio e glicose do meio de cultivo na produção de EPS e biomassa pela cianobactéria Nostoc sp.

  9. Spectral and Temporal Properties of the Alpha and Beta Subunits and (alpha Beta) Monomer Isolated from Nostoc SP. Using Picosecond Laser Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dagen, Aaron J.

    1985-12-01

    The fluorescence decay profiles, relative quantum yield and transmission of the (alpha), (beta) and ((alpha)(beta)) complexes from phycoerythrin isolated from the photosynthetic antenna system of Nostoc sp. and measured by single picosecond laser spectroscopic techniques is studied. The fluorescence decay profiles of all three complexes are found to be intensity independent for the intensity range investigated ((TURN)4 x 10('13) to (TURN)4 x 10('15) photons-cm('-2) per pulse). The apparent decrease in the relative quantum yield of all three complexes as intensity increases is offset by a corresponding increase in the relative transmission. This evidence, along with the intensity independent fluorescence kinetics, suggests that exciton annihilation is absent in these complexes. The decay profiles are fit to models assuming energy transfer amongst fluorescing chromophores. The intraprotein transfer rate is found to be 100 ps in the (alpha) subunit, 666 ps in the (beta) subunit. Constraining these rates to be identical in the monomer results in explaining the monomer kinetics by an increase in the nonradiative rate of the f(,(beta)) chromophore, an apparent result of aggregation effects.

  10. Effect of Light Intensity and Photoperiod on Growth and Biochemical Composition of a Local Isolate of Nostoc calcicola.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khajepour, Fateme; Hosseini, Seyed Abbas; Ghorbani Nasrabadi, Rasoul; Markou, Giorgos

    2015-08-01

    A study was conducted to investigate the effect of light intensity (21, 42, and 63 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1)) and photoperiod (8:16, 12:12, and 16:8 h light/dark) on the biomass production and its biochemical composition (total carotenoids, chlorophyll a, phycoerythrin (PE), phycocyanin (PC) and allophycocyanin (APC), total protein, and carbohydrates) of a local isolate of Nostoc calcicola. The results revealed that N. calcicola prefers dim light; however, the most of the levels of light intensity and photoperiod investigated did not have a significant impact on biomass production. Increasing light intensity biomass content of chlorophyll a, PE, PC, APC, and total protein decreased, while total carotenoids and carbohydrate increased. The same behavior was observed also when light duration (photoperiod) increased. The interaction effect of increasing light intensity and photoperiod resulted in an increase of carbohydrate and total carotenoids, and to the decrease of chlorophyll a, PE, PC, APC, and total protein content. The results indicate that varying the light regime, it is capable to manipulate the biochemical composition of the local isolate of N. calcicola, producing either valuable phycobiliproteins or proteins under low light intensity and shorter photoperiods, or producing carbohydrates and carotenoids under higher light intensities and longer photoperiods.

  11. Influence of temperature on flavour compound production from citrate by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Figueroa, R M; Oliver, G; Benito de Cárdenas, I L

    2001-03-01

    The citrate utilization by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 was found to be temperature-dependent. The maximum citrate utilization and incorporation of [1,5-14C]citrate rate were observed at 37 degreesC. At this temperature, maximum citrate lyase activity and specific diacetyl and acetoin production (Y(DA%)) were observed. The high levels of alpha-acetolactate synthase and low levels of diacetyl reductase, acetoin reductase and L-lactate dehydrogenase found at 37 degreesC led to an accumulation of diacetyl and acetoin. Optimum lactic acid production was observed at 45 degreesC, according to the high lactate dehydrogenase activity. The NADH oxidase activity increased with increasing culture temperature from 22 degreesC to 37 degreesC. Thus there are greater quantities of pyruvate available for the production of alpha-acetolactate, diacetyl and aceotin, and less diacetyl and acetoin are reduced.

  12. Effect of bioconversion conditions on vanillin production by Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 through an analysis of competing by-product formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xiao-kui; Daugulis, Andrew J

    2014-05-01

    This study investigated the effects of transformation conditions such as initial pH, the initial concentration of glucose and yeast extract in the medium, and the separate addition of ferulic acid and vanillic acid, on the production of vanillin through an analysis of competing by-product formation by Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116. The extent and nature of by-product formation and vanillin yield were affected by initial pH and different initial concentrations of glucose and yeast extract in the medium, with a high yield of vanillin and high cell density obtained at pH 8.0, 10 g/l glucose, and 8 g/l yeast extract. High concentrations of ferulic acid were found to negatively affect cell density. Additional supplementation of 100 mg/l vanillic acid, a metabolically linked by-product, was found to result in a high concentration of vanillin and guaiacol, an intermediate of vanillin. Via an analysis of the effect of these transformation conditions on competing by-product formation, high concentrations of ferulic acid were transformed with a molar yield to vanillin of 96.1 and 95.2 %, by Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 and Streptomyces V1, respectively, together with a minor accumulation of by-products. These are among the highest performance values reported in the literature to date for Streptomyces in batch cultures.

  13. Bactericidal Activity of TiO2 on Cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853

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    J. L. Aguilar Salinas

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The photocatalytic activity of semiconductors is increasingly being used to disinfect water, air, soils, and surfaces. Titanium dioxide (TiO2 is widely used as a photocatalyst in thin films, powder, and in mixtures with other semiconductors or metals. This work presents the antibacterial effects of TiO2 and light exposure (at 365 nm on Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. TiO2 powder was prepared from a mixture of titanium isopropoxide, ethanol, and nitric acid using a green and short time sol-gel technique. The obtained gel annealed at 450°C was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The nanocomposite effectively catalyzed the inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Following 90 minutes exposure to TiO2 and UV light, logarithm of cell density was reduced from 6 to 3. These results were confirmed by a factorial design incorporating two experimental replicates and two independent factors.

  14. Studies of linear Gramicidin synthesis in Bacillus brevis ATCC 8185

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubota, Kou; Kagawa, Kenichi

    1976-01-01

    Bacillus brevis ATCC 8185 was grown in polypepton and Ehrlich's meat extract medium, and this strain produced two kinds of peptide antibiotics, Tyrocidine and linear Gramicidin. A simple chromatographic method was developed for the isolation of linear Gramicidin from mixture Tyrothricin, applied on the column. Trimethoprim, an inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase, inhibits the synthesis of both peptides in the growing culture with slight inhibition to cell growth. Serine- 14 C is incorporated in the Gramicidin, and recovered as ethanol amine and glycine by the hydrolysis of 14 C-labeled Gramicidin, but deoxypyridoxine-HCl, B 6 antagonist, has no effect on the production of antibiotics in the culture. Linear Gramicidin gives two spots on the thin layer chromatogram (TLC) developed by ethyl acetate-pyridine-water system of 16:4:2, and by chloroform-methanol-water system of 17:3:0.3. The incorporations of constitutive 14 C-labeled amino acids, ethanol amine, and sodium formate into linear Gramicidin were studied by growing cells. These labeled specimens were identified to correspond to authentic specimens which migrated on TLC. Cells were hydrolysed with Lysozyme, and the crude extract was prepared between 0.33 and 0.45 saturation of ammonium sulfate. It activated constituent amino acids including D-leucine by ATP- 32 PPi exchange reaction, but hardly activated L-serine, D-valine, and formyl L-valine. (Kobatake, H.)

  15. Sequence and transcriptional analysis of the genes responsible for curdlan biosynthesis in Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 under simulated dissolved oxygen gradients conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hong-Tao; Zhan, Xiao-Bei; Zheng, Zhi-Yong; Wu, Jian-Rong; Yu, Xiao-Bin; Jiang, Yun; Lin, Chi-Chung

    2011-07-01

    Expression at the mRNA level of ten selected genes in Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 under various dissolved oxygen (DO) levels during curdlan fermentation related to electron transfer chain (ETC), tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, peptidoglycan/lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, and uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucose biosynthesis were determined by qRT-PCR. Experiments were performed at DO levels of 30%, 50%, and 75%, as well as under low-oxygen conditions. The effect of high cell density on transcriptional response of the above genes under low oxygen was also studied. Besides cytochrome d (cyd A), the transcription levels of all the other genes were increased at higher DO and reached maximum at 50% DO. Under 75% DO, the transcriptional levels of all the genes were repressed. In addition, transcription levels of icd, sdh, cyo A, and fix N genes did not exhibit significant fluctuation with high cell density culture under low oxygen. These results suggested a mechanism for DO regulation of curdlan synthesis through regulation of transcriptional levels of ETCs, TCA, and UDP-glucose synthesis genes during curdlan fermentation. To our knowledge, this is the first report that DO concentration apparently regulates curdlan biosynthesis in Agrobacterium sp. ATCC 31749 providing essential lead for the optimization of the fermentation at the industrial scale.

  16. Application of the Response Surface Methodology to Optimize the Fermentation Parameters for Enhanced Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Production by Thraustochytrium sp. ATCC 26185.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Kang; Ding, Lijian; Zhu, Peng; Li, Shuang; He, Shan

    2018-04-22

    The aim of this study was to determine the cumulative effect of fermentation parameters and enhance the production of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by Thraustochytrium sp. ATCC 26185 using response surface methodology (RSM). Among the eight variables screened for effects of fermentation parameters on DHA production by Plackett-Burman design (PBD), the initial pH, inoculum volume, and fermentation volume were found to be most significant. The Box-Behnken design was applied to derive a statistical model for optimizing these three fermentation parameters for DHA production. The optimal parameters for maximum DHA production were initial pH: 6.89, inoculum volume: 4.16%, and fermentation volume: 140.47 mL, respectively. The maximum yield of DHA production was 1.68 g/L, which was in agreement with predicted values. An increase in DHA production was achieved by optimizing the initial pH, fermentation, and inoculum volume parameters. This optimization strategy led to a significant increase in the amount of DHA produced, from 1.16 g/L to 1.68 g/L. Thraustochytrium sp. ATCC 26185 is a promising resource for microbial DHA production due to the high-level yield of DHA that it produces, and the capacity for large-scale fermentation of this organism.

  17. Homologous stress adaptation, antibiotic resistance, and biofilm forming ability of Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg (ATCC8326) on different food-contact surfaces following exposure to sub-lethal chlorine concentrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg (American Type Culture Collection; ATCC 8326) was examined for the ability to adapt to the homologous stress of chlorine through exposure to increasing chlorine concentrations (25 ppm daily increments) in tryptic soy broth (TSB). The tested strain exhibited an ...

  18. A common transport system for methionine, L-methionine-DL-sulfoximine (MSX), and phosphinothricin (PPT) in the diazotrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Arvind Kumar; Syiem, Mayashree B; Singh, Rajkumar S; Adhikari, Samrat; Rai, Amar Nath

    2008-05-01

    We present evidence, for the first time, of the occurrence of a transport system common for amino acid methionine, and methionine/glutamate analogues L-methionine-DL-sulfoximine (MSX) and phosphinothricin (PPT) in cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum. Methionine, which is toxic to cyanobacterium, enhanced its nitrogenase activity at lower concentrations. The cyanobacterium showed a biphasic pattern of methionine uptake activity that was competitively inhibited by the amino acids alanine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, proline, valine, glutamine, and asparagine. The methionine/glutamate analogue-resistant N. muscorum strains (MSX-R and PPT-R strains) also showed methionine-resistant phenotype accompanied by a drastic decrease in 35S methionine uptake activity. Treatment of protein extracts from these mutant strains with MSX and PPT reduced biosynthetic glutamine synthetase (GS) activity only in vitro and not in vivo. This finding implicated that MSX- and PPT-R phenotypes may have arisen due to a defect in their MSX and PPT transport activity. The simultaneous decrease in methionine uptake activity and in vitro sensitivity toward MSX and PPT of GS protein in MSX- and PPT-R strains indicated that methionine, MSX, and PPT have a common transport system that is shared by other amino acids as well in N. muscorum. Such information can become useful for isolation of methionine-producing cyanobacterial strains.

  19. No evidence of harms of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 in healthy elderly-a Phase I Open Label Study to assess safety, tolerability and cytokine responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Although Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 (LGG) has been consumed since the mid 1990s by between 2 and 5 million people daily, the scientific literature lacks rigorous clinical trials that describe the potential harms of LGG, particularly in the elderly. The primary objective of this open label...

  20. Long-term kinetics of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 survival on peanuts and peanut confectionery products.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maristela S Nascimento

    Full Text Available Due to recent large outbreaks, peanuts have been considered a product of potential risk for Salmonella. Usually, peanut products show a low water activity (aw and high fat content, which contribute to increasing the thermal resistance and survival of Salmonella. This study evaluated the long-term kinetics of Salmonella survival on different peanut products under storage at 28°C for 420 days. Samples of raw in-shell peanuts (aw = 0.29, roasted peanuts (aw = 0.39, unblanched peanut kernel (aw = 0.54, peanut brittle (aw = 0.30, paçoca (aw = 0.40 and pé-de-moça (aw = 0.68 were inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 at two inoculum levels (3 and 6 log cfu/ g. The Salmonella behavior was influenced (p420 days, especially in products with aw around 0.40.

  1. The Small Protein HemP Is a Transcriptional Activator for the Hemin Uptake Operon in Burkholderia multivorans ATCC 17616.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Takuya; Nonoyama, Shouta; Kimura, Akane; Nagata, Yuji; Ohtsubo, Yoshiyuki; Tsuda, Masataka

    2017-08-15

    Iron and heme play very important roles in various metabolic functions in bacteria, and their intracellular homeostasis is maintained because high concentrations of free forms of these molecules greatly facilitate the Fenton reaction-mediated production of large amounts of reactive oxygen species that severely damage various biomolecules. The ferric uptake regulator (Fur) from Burkholderia multivorans ATCC 17616 is an iron-responsive global transcriptional regulator, and its fur deletant exhibits pleiotropic phenotypes. In this study, we found that the phenotypes of the fur deletant were suppressed by an additional mutation in hemP The transcription of hemP was negatively regulated by Fur under iron-replete conditions and was constitutive in the fur deletant. Growth of a hemP deletant was severely impaired in a medium containing hemin as the sole iron source, demonstrating the important role of HemP in hemin utilization. HemP was required as a transcriptional activator that specifically binds the promoter-containing region upstream of a Fur-repressive hmuRSTUV operon, which encodes the proteins for hemin uptake. A hmuR deletant was still able to grow using hemin as the sole iron source, albeit at a rate clearly lower than that of the wild-type strain. These results strongly suggested (i) the involvement of HmuR in hemin uptake and (ii) the presence in ATCC 17616 of at least part of other unknown hemin uptake systems whose expression depends on the HemP function. Our in vitro analysis also indicated high-affinity binding of HemP to hemin, and such a property might modulate transcriptional activation of the hmu operon. IMPORTANCE Although the hmuRSTUV genes for the utilization of hemin as a sole iron source have been identified in a few Burkholderia strains, the regulatory expression of these genes has remained unknown. Our analysis in this study using B. multivorans ATCC 17616 showed that its HemP protein is required for expression of the hmuRSTUV operon, and the

  2. Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 13525 Containing an Artificial Oxalate Operon and Vitreoscilla Hemoglobin Secretes Oxalic Acid and Solubilizes Rock Phosphate in Acidic Alfisols

    OpenAIRE

    Yadav, Kavita; Kumar, Chanchal; Archana, G.; Naresh Kumar, G.

    2014-01-01

    Oxalate secretion was achieved in Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 13525 by incorporation of genes encoding Aspergillus niger oxaloacetate acetyl hydrolase (oah), Fomitopsis plaustris oxalate transporter (FpOAR) and Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (vgb) in various combinations. Pf (pKCN2) transformant containing oah alone accumulated 19 mM oxalic acid intracellularly but secreted 1.2 mM. However, in the presence of an artificial oxalate operon containing oah and FpOAR genes in plasmid pKCN4, Pf (pKCN4) s...

  3. Effect of Low Shear Modeled Microgravity (LSMMG) on the Probiotic Lactobacillus Acidophilus ATCC 4356

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stahl, S.; Voorhies, A.; Lorenzi, H.; Castro-Wallace, S.; Douglas, G.

    2016-01-01

    The introduction of generally recognized as safe (GRAS) probiotic microbes into the spaceflight food system has the potential for use as a safe, non-invasive, daily countermeasure to crew microbiome and immune dysregulation. However, the microgravity effects on the stress tolerances and genetic expression of probiotic bacteria must be determined to confirm translation of strain benefits and to identify potential for optimization of growth, survival, and strain selection for spaceflight. The work presented here demonstrates the translation of characteristics of a GRAS probiotic bacteria to a microgravity analog environment. Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 was grown in the low shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG) orientation and the control orientation in the rotating wall vessel (RWV) to determine the effect of LSMMG on the growth, survival through stress challenge, and gene expression of the strain. No differences were observed between the LSMMG and control grown L. acidophilus, suggesting that the strain will behave similarly in spaceflight and may be expected to confer Earth-based benefits.

  4. Detecting protein-protein interactions in the intact cell of Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winters, Michael S; Day, R A

    2003-07-01

    The salt bridge, paired group-specific reagent cyanogen (ethanedinitrile; C(2)N(2)) converts naturally occurring pairs of functional groups into covalently linked products. Cyanogen readily permeates cell walls and membranes. When the paired groups are shared between associated proteins, isolation of the covalently linked proteins allows their identity to be assigned. Examination of organisms of known genome sequence permits identification of the linked proteins by mass spectrometric techniques applied to peptides derived from them. The cyanogen-linked proteins were isolated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Digestion of the isolated proteins with proteases of known specificity afforded sets of peptides that could be analyzed by mass spectrometry. These data were compared with those derived theoretically from the Swiss Protein Database by computer-based comparisons (Protein Prospector; http://prospector.ucsf.edu). Identification of associated proteins in the ribosome of Bacillus subtilis strain ATCC 6633 showed that there is an association homology with the association patterns of the ribosomal proteins of Haloarcula marismortui and Thermus thermophilus. In addition, other proteins involved in protein biosynthesis were shown to be associated with ribosomal proteins.

  5. Producão de goma xantana por X. Campestris ATCC 13951 utilizando soro de queijo desproteinado

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jenny Sobenes G.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A goma xantana é um biopolímero microbiano producido pela bactéria Xanthomonas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a produção de goma xantana por processo fermentativo utilizando a linhagem X. campestris ATCC 13951 e como fonte de carbono: soro de queijo desproteinado suplementado com extrato de levedura e sulfato de amônia como fontes de nitrogênio; soro de queijo desproteinado suplementado só com extrato de levedura como fonte de nitrogênio e só soro de queijo desproteinado sem suplementos, tempo de fermentação de 72h para os três meios. Dos meios em análise aquele constituido apenas por soro de queijo desproteinado, atingiu o maior rendimento com valor de 58% e a melhor qualidade de goma.

  6. Microencapsulation of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 spores in gellan gum microspheres for the production of biobutanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathore, Sweta; Wan Sia Heng, Paul; Chan, Lai Wah

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to provide further insights on the applicability of microencapsulation using emulsification method, to immobilise Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 spores, for biobutanol production. The encapsulated spores were revived using heat shock treatment and the fermentation efficiency of the resultant encapsulated cells was compared with that of the free (non-encapsulated) cells. The microspheres were easily recovered from the fermentation medium by filtration and reused up to five cycles of fermentation. In contrast, the free (non-encapsulated) cells could be reused for two cycles only. The microspheres remained intact throughout repeated use. Although significant cell leakage was observed during the course of fermentation, the microspheres could be reused with relatively high butanol yield, demonstrating their role as microbial cell nurseries. Both encapsulated and liberated cells contributed to butanol production.

  7. Elucidating the molecular physiology of lantibiotic NAI-107 production in Microbispora ATCC-PTA-5024

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gallo, Giuseppe; Renzone, Giovanni; Palazzotto, Emilia

    2016-01-01

    by a complex regulatory and metabolic network that may be elucidated by the integration of genomic, proteomic and bioinformatic tools. Accordingly, an extensive evaluation of the proteomic changes associated with NAI-107 production was performed on Microbispora ATCC-PTA-5024 by combining two......; ii) during three time-points (117, 140, and 162 h) at D stage characterized by different profiles of NAI-107 yield accumulation (117 and 140 h) and decrement (162 h). Regulatory, metabolic and unknown-function proteins, were identified and functionally clustered, revealing that nutritional signals......, regulatory cascades and primary metabolism shift-down trigger the accumulation of protein components involved in nitrogen and phosphate metabolism, cell wall biosynthesis/maturation, lipid metabolism, osmotic stress response, multi-drug resistance, and NAI-107 transport. The stimulating role on physiological...

  8. 2,3-butanediol production from Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus, by Bacillus polymyxa ATCC 12321. Optimization of k/sub L/ a profile

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fages, J.; Mulard, D.; Rouquet, J.J.; Wilhelm, J.L.

    1986-12-01

    Optimization of D-(-)-2,3-butanediol production from the Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus, by Bacillus polymyxa ATCC 12 321 is described. The effects of initial sugar concentration and oxygen transfer rate were examined. The latter appears to be the most important parameter affecting the kinetics of the process. The best results (44 g.l/sup -1/ 2,3-butanediol, productivity of 0.79 g.l/sup -1/.h/sup -1/) were obtained by setting an optimal k/sub L/a profile during batch culture.

  9. Sonication reduces the attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 cells to bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models and cut plant material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Michelle S F; Rahman, Sadequr; Dykes, Gary A

    2017-04-01

    This study investigated the removal of bacterial surface structures, particularly flagella, using sonication, and examined its effect on the attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 cells to plant cell walls. S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028 cells were subjected to sonication at 20 kHz to remove surface structures without affecting cell viability. Effective removal of flagella was determined by staining flagella of sonicated cells with Ryu's stain and enumerating the flagella remaining by direct microscopic counting. The attachment of sonicated S. Typhimurium cells to bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models and cut plant material (potato, apple, lettuce) was then evaluated. Varying concentrations of pectin and/or xyloglucan were used to produce a range of bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models. As compared to the non-sonicated controls, sonicated S. Typhimurium cells attached in significantly lower numbers (between 0.5 and 1.0 log CFU/cm 2 ) to all surfaces except to the bacterial cellulose-only composite without pectin and xyloglucan. Since attachment of S. Typhimurium to the bacterial cellulose-only composite was not affected by sonication, this suggests that bacterial surface structures, particularly flagella, could have specific interactions with pectin and xyloglucan. This study indicates that sonication may have potential applications for reducing Salmonella attachment during the processing of fresh produce. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of carbonyl reductase from Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, Nidhi; Mandal, P. K.; Gautham, Namasivayam; Chadha, Anju

    2013-01-01

    The expression, purification, crystallization, preliminary X-ray diffraction and molecular-replacement studies on C. parapsilosis carbonyl reductase are reported. The NAD(P)H-dependent carbonyl reductase from Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330 catalyses the asymmetric reduction of ethyl 4-phenyl-2-oxobutanoate to ethyl (R)-4-phenyl-2-hydroxybutanoate, a precursor of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors such as Cilazapril and Benazepril. The carbonyl reductase was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by GST-affinity and size-exclusion chromatography. Crystals were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method and diffracted to 1.86 Å resolution. The asymmetric unit contained two molecules of carbonyl reductase, with a solvent content of 48%. The structure was solved by molecular replacement using cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a search model

  11. The response of antioxidant systems in Nostoc sphaeroides against UV-B radiation and the protective effects of exogenous antioxidants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Gaohong; Hu, Chunxiang; Li, Dunhai; Zhang, Delu; Li, Xiaoyan; Chen, Kun; Liu, Yongding

    UV radiation is one of many harmful factors found in space that are detrimental to organisms on earth in space exploration. In the present work, we examined the role of antioxidant system in Nostoc sphaeroides Kütz (Cyanobacterium) and the effects of exogenously applied antioxidant molecules on its photosynthetic rate under UV-B radiation. It was found that UV-B radiation promoted the activity of antioxidant system to protect photosystem II (PSII) and exogenously applied antioxidant: sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) had an obvious protection on PSII activity under UV-B radiation. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7) and content of MDA (malondialdehyde) and ASC (ascorbate) were improved by 0.5 mM and 1 mM SNP, but 0.1 mM SNP decreased the activity of antioxidant system. Addition of exogenous NAC decreased the activity of SOD, POD, CAT and the content MDA and ASC. In contrast, exogenously applied NAC increased GSH content. The results suggest that exogenous SNP and NAC may protect algae by different mechanisms: SNP may play double roles as both sources of reactive free radicals as well as ROS scavengers in mediating the protective role of PSII on algae under UV-B radiation. On the other hand, NAC functions as an antioxidant or precursor of glutathione, which could protect PSII directly from UV-B radiation.

  12. Effects of UV-B Radiation and Periodic Desiccation on the Morphogenesis of the Edible Terrestrial Cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Yan-Na; Zhang, Zhong-Chun; Feng, Jun-Li

    2012-01-01

    The terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc flagelliforme Berk. et M. A. Curtis has been a popular food and herbal ingredient for hundreds of years. To meet great market demand and protect the local ecosystem, for decades researchers have tried to cultivate N. flagelliforme but have failed to get macroscopic filamentous thalli. In this study, single trichomes with 50 to 200 vegetative cells were induced from free-living cells by low light and used to investigate the morphogenesis of N. flagelliforme under low UV-B radiation and periodic desiccation. Low-fluence-rate UV-B (0.1 W m−2) did not inhibit trichome growth; however, it significantly increased the synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides and mycosporine-like amino acids and promoted sheath formation outside the trichomes. Under low UV-B radiation, single trichomes developed into filamentous thalli more than 1 cm long after 28 days of cultivation, most of which grew separately in liquid BG11 medium. With periodic desiccation treatment, the single trichomes formed flat or banded thalli that grew up to 2 cm long after 3 months on solid BG11 medium. When trichomes were cultivated on solid BG11 medium with alternate treatments of low UV-B and periodic desiccation, dark and scraggly filamentous thalli that grew up to about 3 cm in length after 40 days were obtained. In addition, the cultivation of trichomes on nitrogen-deficient solid BG11 medium (BG110) suggested that nitrogen availability could affect the color and lubricity of newly developed thalli. This study provides promising techniques for artificial cultivation of N. flagelliforme in the future. PMID:22865081

  13. Agroindustrial Byproducts For The Production Of Hyaluronic Acid By Streptococcus Zooepidemicus ATCC 39920

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole Caldas Pan

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Agroindustrial derivatives are alternative nutritional sources employed in bioprocesses that reduce costs and corroborate with social sustainability. In this study alternative carbon sugarcane juice sugarcane molasses and soy molasses and nitrogen sources corn steep liquor soy protein and whey protein were evaluated for hyaluronic acid production by Streptococcus zooepidemicus ATCC 39920. The medium containing sugarcane molasses archived high yield of hyaluronic acid 0.066 g.g-1 when compared to the medium composed of glucose or sucrose. The replacement of yeast extract by soy protein was also effective for the production of the polymer resulting in 0.219 g.L-1. In general the organic acids production was also evaluated and the results showed that the main metabolic products were lactate. In contrast the acetate synthesis was detected only in the medium containing yeast extract. This study showed that sugarcane molasses is a promising carbon source for the hyaluronic acid production. This is the first study in which a culture media containing sugarcane molasses a cheap substrate extensively produced in Brazil has been successfully used for the microbial hyaluronic acid production.

  14. Xanthan biosynthesis by Xanthomonas campestris ATCC 13951 on wastewaters from white grape processing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rončević Zorana

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Wastewaters from grape processing in wineries are characterized by large seasonal fluctuations in volume and composition, and are often discarded into environment with little or no treatment. The biotechnological production of valuable products is the most promising alternative for reducing the negative environmental impact and recycling these effluents. Results from previous study show that mixed winery wastewaters, after additional optimization of the medium preparation, may be a suitable raw material for industrial xanthan production. Therefore, the aim of this work was to examine the possibility of xanthan production by Xanthomonas campestris ATCC 13951 on mixed wastewaters from different stages of white grape processing in winery with initial sugars content of 20 g/L. In addition to the media characteristics and indicators of biopolymer quality, raw xanthan yield and degree of sugars conversion into product were determined in order to examine the success of performed bioprocess. The results for biopolymer yield (14.66 g/L and sugars conversion into desired product (70.21% obtained in applied experimental conditions confirm that wastewaters from white grape processing have a great potential to be used as a substrate for xanthan biosynthesis.

  15. Bioconversion of mixed volatile fatty acids into microbial lipids by Cryptococcus curvatus ATCC 20509.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jia; Yuan, Ming; Liu, Jia-Nan; Huang, Xiang-Feng

    2017-10-01

    The oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus ATCC 20509 can use 5-40g/L of acetic, propionic, or butyric acid as sole carbon source to produce lipids. High concentrations (30g/L) of mixed volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were used to cultivate C. curvatus to explore the effects of different ratios of mixed VFAs on lipid production and composition. When mixed VFAs (VFA ratio was 15:5:10) were used as carbon sources, the highest cell mass and lipid concentration were 8.68g/L and 4.93g/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than those when 30g/L of acetic acid was used as sole carbon source. The highest content and yield of odd-numbered fatty acids were 45.1% (VFA ratio was 0:15:15) and 1.62g/L (VFA ratio was 5:15:10), respectively. These results indicate that adjusting the composition ratios of mixed VFAs effectively improves microbial lipid synthesis and the yield of odd-numbered fatty acids. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Branched chain amino acids maintain the molecular weight of poly(γ-glutamic acid) of Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 9945 during the fermentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitsunaga, Hitoshi; Meissner, Lena; Büchs, Jochen; Fukusaki, Eiichiro

    2016-10-01

    Poly(γ-glutamic acid) mainly produced by Bacillus spp. is an industrially important compound due to several useful features. Among them, molecular weight is an important characteristic affecting on the physical properties such as viscosities and negative charge densities. However, it is difficult to control the molecular size of PGA since it decreases during fermentation. Previous study reported that PGA produced in the media containing different carbon sources such as glucose and glycerol showed differences in molecular weight. Therefore in this study, the effect of carbon source on the PGA molecular weight was examined; with the aim of developing a strategy to maintain the high molecular weight of PGA during fermentation. Our result showed that the weight average molecular weight (Mw) of PGA of Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 9945 cultivated in the media containing PTS-sugars were higher than the medium containing glycerol (non-PTS). The result of metabolome analysis indicated the possibility of CodY (a global regulator protein) activation in the cells cultivated in the media containing PTS-sugars. To mimic this effect, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are activators of CodY, were added to a medium containing glycerol. As the result, the Mw of PGA in the BCAAs-supplemented media were maintained and high during the early production phase compared to the non BCAAs-supplemented medium. These results indicate that BCAAs can repress the PGA molecular weight reduction during fermentation in B. licheniformis ATCC 9945. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Complementary UV-Absorption of Mycosporine-like Amino Acids and Scytonemin is Responsible for the UV-Insensitivity of Photosynthesis in Nostoc flagelliforme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferroni, Lorenzo; Klisch, Manfred; Pancaldi, Simonetta; Häder, Donat-Peter

    2010-01-01

    Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and scytonemin are UV-screening compounds that have presumably appeared early in the history of life and are widespread in cyanobacteria. Natural colonies of the UV-insensitive Nostoc flagelliforme were found to be especially rich in MAAs (32.1 mg g DW−1), concentrated in the glycan sheath together with scytonemin. MAAs are present in the form of oligosaccharide-linked molecules. Photosystem II activity, measured using PAM fluorescence and oxygen evolution, was used as a most sensitive physiological parameter to analyse the effectiveness of UV-protection. Laboratory experiments were performed under controlled conditions with a simulated solar radiation specifically deprived of UV-wavebands with cut-off filters (295, 305, 320, 345 and 395 nm). The UV-insensitivity of N. flagelliforme was found to cover the whole UV-A (315–400 nm) and UV-B (280–320 nm) range and is almost certainly due to the complementary UV-absorption of MAAs and scytonemin. The experimental approach used is proposed to be suitable for the comparison of the UV-protection ability in organisms that differ in their complement of UV-sunscreen compounds. Furthermore, this study performed with a genuinely terrestrial organism points to the relevance of marine photoprotective compounds for life on Earth, especially for the colonization of terrestrial environments. PMID:20161974

  18. Complementary UV-Absorption of Mycosporine-like Amino Acids and Scytonemin is Responsible for the UV-Insensitivity of Photosynthesis in Nostoc flagelliforme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donat-Peter Häder

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs and scytonemin are UV-screening compounds that have presumably appeared early in the history of life and are widespread in cyanobacteria. Natural colonies of the UV-insensitive Nostoc flagelliforme were found to be especially rich in MAAs (32.1 mg g DW-1, concentrated in the glycan sheath together with scytonemin. MAAs are present in the form of oligosaccharide-linked molecules. Photosystem II activity, measured using PAM fluorescence and oxygen evolution, was used as a most sensitive physiological parameter to analyse the effectiveness of UV-protection. Laboratory experiments were performed under controlled conditions with a simulated solar radiation specifically deprived of UV-wavebands with cut-off filters (295, 305, 320, 345 and 395 nm. The UV-insensitivity of N. flagelliforme was found to cover the whole UV-A (315–400 nm and UV-B (280–320 nm range and is almost certainly due to the complementary UV-absorption of MAAs and scytonemin. The experimental approach used is proposed to be suitable for the comparison of the UV-protection ability in organisms that differ in their complement of UV-sunscreen compounds. Furthermore, this study performed with a genuinely terrestrial organism points to the relevance of marine photoprotective compounds for life on Earth, especially for the colonization of terrestrial environments.

  19. Characterization of the extracellular polysaccharide produced by a marine cyanobacterium, Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, and its exploitation toward metal removal from solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, V; Ray, A; Garg, N; Madamwar, D

    2000-04-01

    Cyanobacterium, Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 produces an exopolysaccharide at a high level. Physical analysis of the exopolysaccharide (EPS), such as nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectrum, were done to determine its possible structure. Thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter, and differential thermal analysis of the polymer were done to find out the thermal behavior. Calcium content within the sample was found out. Some of the physicochemical properties, such as relative viscosity, specific viscosity, and intrinsic viscosity of the EPS were studied under different conditions. The phenomenon of gel formation by the EPS was investigated for its potential application in metal removal from solutions.

  20. Production of sorbitol and ethanol from Jerusalem artichokes by Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 36859

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duvnjak, Z.; Duan, Z.D. (Ottawa Univ., ON (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering); Turcotte, G. (Acadia Univ., Wolfville, NS (Canada). Dept. of Food Science)

    1991-09-01

    This study shows the possible use of Jerusalem artichokes for the production of sorbitol and ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 36859. Ethanol was produced from the beginning of the process, while sorbitol production started after glucose had been entirely consumed from Jerusalem artichoke (J.a.) juice. The importance of yeast extract and inoculum concentrations on the production of sorbitol from the above raw material was demonstrated. With a low initial biomass concentration sorbitol was not produced in pure J.a. juice. When the juice was supplemented with 3% yeast extract, the concentration of sorbitol was 4.6%. The sorbitol, ethanol and biomass yields (gram of product produced per gram of sugars consumed) were 0.259, 0.160 and 0.071 at the end of the process respectively. Adding glucose to increase its concentration to about 9% in the J.a. juice with 3% yeast extract had a positive effect on the production of ethanol, while commencement of the production of sorbitol was delayed and its final concentration was less than 50% of its concentration in the medium without added glucose. The effect of glucose was much stronger when it was added during the process than when added at the beginning of the process. (orig.).

  1. Metabolic flux analysis of Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 under mixotrophic conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alagesan, Swathi; Gaudana, Sandeep B; Sinha, Avinash; Wangikar, Pramod P

    2013-11-01

    Cyanobacteria are a group of photosynthetic prokaryotes capable of utilizing solar energy to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide to biomass. Despite several "proof of principle" studies, low product yield is an impediment in commercialization of cyanobacteria-derived biofuels. Estimation of intracellular reaction rates by (13)C metabolic flux analysis ((13)C-MFA) would be a step toward enhancing biofuel yield via metabolic engineering. We report (13)C-MFA for Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, a unicellular nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium, known for enhanced hydrogen yield under mixotrophic conditions. Rates of reactions in the central carbon metabolism under nitrogen-fixing and -non-fixing conditions were estimated by monitoring the competitive incorporation of (12)C and (13)C from unlabeled CO2 and uniformly labeled glycerol, respectively, into terminal metabolites such as amino acids. The observed labeling patterns suggest mixotrophic growth under both the conditions, with a larger fraction of unlabeled carbon in nitrate-sufficient cultures asserting a greater contribution of carbon fixation by photosynthesis and an anaplerotic pathway. Indeed, flux analysis complements the higher growth observed under nitrate-sufficient conditions. On the other hand, the flux through the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway and tricarboxylic acid cycle was greater in nitrate-deficient conditions, possibly to supply the precursors and reducing equivalents needed for nitrogen fixation. In addition, an enhanced flux through fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase possibly suggests the organism's preferred mode under nitrogen-fixing conditions. The (13)C-MFA results complement the reported predictions by flux balance analysis and provide quantitative insight into the organism's distinct metabolic features under nitrogen-fixing and -non-fixing conditions.

  2. Random mutagenesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 using an IS6100-based transposon vector identified the last unknown gene in the histidine biosynthesis pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaigalat Lars

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Corynebacterium glutamicum, a Gram-positive bacterium of the class Actinobacteria, is an industrially relevant producer of amino acids. Several methods for the targeted genetic manipulation of this organism and rational strain improvement have been developed. An efficient transposon mutagenesis system for the completely sequenced type strain ATCC 13032 would significantly advance functional genome analysis in this bacterium. Results A comprehensive transposon mutant library comprising 10,080 independent clones was constructed by electrotransformation of the restriction-deficient derivative of strain ATCC 13032, C. glutamicum RES167, with an IS6100-containing non-replicative plasmid. Transposon mutants had stable cointegrates between the transposon vector and the chromosome. Altogether 172 transposon integration sites have been determined by sequencing of the chromosomal inserts, revealing that each integration occurred at a different locus. Statistical target site analyses revealed an apparent absence of a target site preference. From the library, auxotrophic mutants were obtained with a frequency of 2.9%. By auxanography analyses nearly two thirds of the auxotrophs were further characterized, including mutants with single, double and alternative nutritional requirements. In most cases the nutritional requirement observed could be correlated to the annotation of the mutated gene involved in the biosynthesis of an amino acid, a nucleotide or a vitamin. One notable exception was a clone mutagenized by transposition into the gene cg0910, which exhibited an auxotrophy for histidine. The protein sequence deduced from cg0910 showed high sequence similarities to inositol-1(or 4-monophosphatases (EC 3.1.3.25. Subsequent genetic deletion of cg0910 delivered the same histidine-auxotrophic phenotype. Genetic complementation of the mutants as well as supplementation by histidinol suggests that cg0910 encodes the hitherto unknown

  3. Effect of Cyanobacteria Isolates on Rice Seeds Germination in Saline Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mostafa M. El -Sheekh

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Cyanobacteria are prokaryotic photosynthetic communities which are used in biofertilization of many plants especially rice plant. Cyanobacteria play a vital role to increase the plant's ability for salinity tolerance. Salinity is a worldwide problem which affects the growth and productivity of crops. In this work three cyanobacteria strains (Nostoc calcicola, Anabaena variabilis, and Nostoc linkia were isolated from saline soil at Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate; North Egypt. The propagated cyanobacteria strains were used to withstand salinity of the soil and increase rice plant growth (Giza 178. The length of roots and shoot seedlings was measured for seven and forty days of cultivation, respectively. The results of this investigation showed that the inoculation with Nostoc calcicola, Anabaena variabilis, and Nostoc linkia increased root length by 27.0, 4.0, 3.0 % and 39, 20, 19 % in EC5 and 10 (ds/m, respectively. Similarly, they increased shoot length by 121, 70, 55 %, 116, 88, 82 % in EC5 and 10 (ds/m, respectively. In EC15and more concentrations, control rice plants could not grow while those to which cyanobacteria were inoculated could withstand only EC15 but not other elevated concentrations. These results encourage using Nostoc calcicola,Anabaena variabilis, and Nostoc linkia as biofertilizer for rice plant in the saline soil for increasing growth and decrease soil electrical conductivity.

  4. Organization and characterization of genetic regions in Bacillus subtilis subsp. krictiensis ATCC55079 associated with the biosynthesis of iturin and surfactin compounds.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young Tae Kim

    Full Text Available Bacillus subtilis subsp. krictiensis ATCC55079 produces the cyclic lipopeptide antibiotics iturin A-F as well as several surfactins. Here, we analyzed and characterized the biosynthetic genes associated with iturin and surfactin production in this strain. We aligned the sequences of each iturin and surfactin synthetase ORF obtained from a genomic library screen and next generation sequencing. The resulting 37,249-bp and 37,645-bp sequences associated with iturin and surfactin production, respectively, contained several ORFs that are predicted to encode proteins involved in iturin and surfactin biosynthesis. These ORFs showed higher sequence homologies with the respective iturin and surfactin synthetase genes of B. methylotrophicus CAU B946 than with those of B. subtilis RB14 and B. subtilis ATCC6633. Moreover, comparative analysis of the secondary metabolites produced by the wild-type and surfactin-less mutant (with a spectinomycin resistance cassette inserted into the srfAB gene within the putative surfactin gene region strains demonstrated that the mutant strain showed significantly higher antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum than the wild-type strain. In addition, the wild-type strain-specific surfactin high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC peaks were not observed in the surfactin-less mutant strain. In contrast, the iturin A peak detected by HPLC and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS in the surfactin-less mutant strain was 30% greater than that in the wild-type strain. These results suggested that the gene cluster we identified is involved in surfactin biosynthesis, and the biosynthetic pathways for iturin and surfactin in Bacillus strains producing both iturin and surfactin may utilize a common pathway.

  5. Organization and characterization of genetic regions in Bacillus subtilis subsp. krictiensis ATCC55079 associated with the biosynthesis of iturin and surfactin compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sung Eun; Lee, Won Jung; Moon, Jae Sun; Cho, Min Seop; Park, Ho-Yong; Hwang, Ingyu

    2017-01-01

    Bacillus subtilis subsp. krictiensis ATCC55079 produces the cyclic lipopeptide antibiotics iturin A–F as well as several surfactins. Here, we analyzed and characterized the biosynthetic genes associated with iturin and surfactin production in this strain. We aligned the sequences of each iturin and surfactin synthetase ORF obtained from a genomic library screen and next generation sequencing. The resulting 37,249-bp and 37,645-bp sequences associated with iturin and surfactin production, respectively, contained several ORFs that are predicted to encode proteins involved in iturin and surfactin biosynthesis. These ORFs showed higher sequence homologies with the respective iturin and surfactin synthetase genes of B. methylotrophicus CAU B946 than with those of B. subtilis RB14 and B. subtilis ATCC6633. Moreover, comparative analysis of the secondary metabolites produced by the wild-type and surfactin-less mutant (with a spectinomycin resistance cassette inserted into the srfAB gene within the putative surfactin gene region) strains demonstrated that the mutant strain showed significantly higher antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum than the wild-type strain. In addition, the wild-type strain-specific surfactin high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) peaks were not observed in the surfactin-less mutant strain. In contrast, the iturin A peak detected by HPLC and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) in the surfactin-less mutant strain was 30% greater than that in the wild-type strain. These results suggested that the gene cluster we identified is involved in surfactin biosynthesis, and the biosynthetic pathways for iturin and surfactin in Bacillus strains producing both iturin and surfactin may utilize a common pathway. PMID:29267290

  6. Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 exopolysaccharides synergizes with low level ionizing radiation to modulate signaling molecular targets in colorectal carcinogenesis in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahran, Walid E; Elsonbaty, Sawsan M; Moawed, Fatma S M

    2017-08-01

    Combination therapy that targets cellular signaling pathway represents an alternative therapy for the treatment of colon cancer (CRC). The present study was therefore aimed to investigate the probable interaction of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 exopolysaccharides (EPS) with low level ionizing γ radiation (γ-R) exposure against dimethylhydrazine (DMH)- induced colorectal carcinogenesis in rats. Colon cancer was induced with 20mg DMH/kg BW. Rats received daily by gastric gavage 100mg EPS/Kg BW concomitant with 1Gy γ-R over two months. Colonic oxidative and inflammatory stresses were assessed. The change in the expression of p-p38 MAPK, p-STAT3, β-catenin, NF-kB, COX-2 and iNOS was evaluated by western blotting and q-PCR. It was found that DMH treatment significantly induced colon oxidative injury accompanied by inflammatory disturbance along with increased protein expression of the targeted signaling factors p-p38 MAPK, p-STAT3 and β-catenin. The mRNA gene expression of NF-kB, COX-2 and iNOS was significantly higher in DMH-treated animals. It's worthy to note that colon tissues with DMH treatment showed significant dysplasia and anaplasia of the glandular mucosal lining epithelium with loses of goblet cells formation, pleomorphism in the cells and hyperchromachia in nuclei. Interestingly, EPS treatment with γ-R exposure showed statistically significant amelioration of the oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers with modulated signaling molecular factors accompanied by improved histological structure against DMH-induced CRC. In conclusion, our findings showed that Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 EPS with low level γ-R in synergistic interaction are efficacious control against CRC progression throughout the modulation of key signaling growth factors associated with inflammation via antioxidant mediated anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  7. Effect of a probiotic beverage consumption (Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 and Bifidobacterium longum ATCC 15707 in rats with chemically induced colitis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larissa Sbaglia Celiberto

    Full Text Available Some probiotic strains have the potential to assist in relieving the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. The impact of daily ingestion of a soy-based product fermented by Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 and Lactobacillus helveticus 416 with the addition of Bifidobacterium longum ATCC 15707 on chemically induced colitis has been investigated thereof within a period of 30 days.Colitis was induced by dextran sulfate sodium. The animals were randomly assigned into five groups: Group C: negative control; Group CL: positive control; Group CLF: DSS with the fermented product; Group CLP: DSS with the non-fermented product (placebo; Group CLS: DSS with sulfasalazine. The following parameters were monitored: disease activity index, fecal microbial analyses, gastrointestinal survival of probiotic microorganisms and short-chain fatty acids concentration in the feces. At the end of the protocol the animals' colons were removed so as to conduct a macroscopical and histopathological analysis, cytokines and nitrite quantification.Animals belonging to the CLF group showed fewer symptoms of colitis during the induction period and a lower degree of inflammation and ulceration in their colon compared to the CL, CLS and CLP groups (p<0.05. The colon of the animals in groups CL and CLS presented severe crypt damage, which was absent in CLF and CLP groups. A significant increase in the population of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. at the end of the protocol was verified only in the CLF animals (p<0.05. This group also showed an increase in short-chain fatty acids (propionate and acetate. Furthermore, the intestinal survival of E. faecium CRL 183 and B. longum ATCC 15707 in the CLF group has been confirmed by biochemical and molecular analyzes.The obtained results suggest that a regular intake of the probiotic product, and placebo to a lesser extent, can reduce the severity of DSS-induced colitis on rats.

  8. Transcriptome Sequence and Plasmid Copy Number Analysis of the Brewery Isolate Pediococcus claussenii ATCC BAA-344T during Growth in Beer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pittet, Vanessa; Phister, Trevor G.; Ziola, Barry

    2013-01-01

    Growth of specific lactic acid bacteria in beer leads to spoiled product and economic loss for the brewing industry. Microbial growth is typically inhibited by the combined stresses found in beer (e.g., ethanol, hops, low pH, minimal nutrients); however, certain bacteria have adapted to grow in this harsh environment. Considering little is known about the mechanisms used by bacteria to grow in and spoil beer, transcriptome sequencing was performed on a variant of the beer-spoilage organism Pediococcus claussenii ATCC BAA-344T (Pc344-358). Illumina sequencing was used to compare the transcript levels in Pc344-358 growing mid-exponentially in beer to those in nutrient-rich MRS broth. Various operons demonstrated high gene expression in beer, several of which are involved in nutrient acquisition and overcoming the inhibitory effects of hop compounds. As well, genes functioning in cell membrane modification and biosynthesis demonstrated significantly higher transcript levels in Pc344-358 growing in beer. Three plasmids had the majority of their genes showing increased transcript levels in beer, whereas the two cryptic plasmids showed slightly decreased gene expression. Follow-up analysis of plasmid copy number in both growth environments revealed similar trends, where more copies of the three non-cryptic plasmids were found in Pc344-358 growing in beer. Transcriptome sequencing also enabled the addition of several genes to the P . claussenii ATCC BAA-344T genome annotation, some of which are putatively transcribed as non-coding RNAs. The sequencing results not only provide the first transcriptome description of a beer-spoilage organism while growing in beer, but they also highlight several targets for future exploration, including genes that may have a role in the general stress response of lactic acid bacteria. PMID:24040005

  9. Succinate, iron chelation, and monovalent cations affect the transformation efficiency of Acinetobacter baylyi ATCC 33305 during growth in complex media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leong, Colleen G; Boyd, Caroline M; Roush, Kaleb S; Tenente, Ricardo; Lang, Kristine M; Lostroh, C Phoebe

    2017-10-01

    Natural transformation is the acquisition of new genetic material via the uptake of exogenous DNA by competent bacteria. Acinetobacter baylyi is model for natural transformation. Here we focus on the natural transformation of A. baylyi ATCC 33305 grown in complex media and seek environmental conditions that appreciably affect transformation efficiency. We find that the transformation efficiency for A. baylyi is a resilient characteristic that remains high under most conditions tested. We do find several distinct conditions that alter natural transformation efficiency including addition of succinate, Fe 2+ (ferrous) iron chelation, and substitution of sodium ions with potassium ones. These distinct conditions could be useful to fine tune transformation efficiency for researchers using A. baylyi as a model organism to study natural transformation.

  10. A Refined Model for the Structure of Acireductone Dioxygenase from Klebsiella ATCC 8724 Incorporating Residual Dipolar Couplings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pochapsky, Thomas C., E-mail: pochapsk@brandeis.edu; Pochapsky, Susan S.; Ju Tingting [Brandeis University, Department of Chemistry (United States); Hoefler, Chris [Brandeis University, Department of Biochemistry (United States); Liang Jue [Brandeis University, Department of Chemistry (United States)

    2006-02-15

    Acireductone dioxygenase (ARD) from Klebsiella ATCC 8724 is a metalloenzyme that is capable of catalyzing different reactions with the same substrates (acireductone and O{sub 2}) depending upon the metal bound in the active site. A model for the solution structure of the paramagnetic Ni{sup 2+}-containing ARD has been refined using residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) measured in two media. Additional dihedral restraints based on chemical shift (TALOS) were included in the refinement, and backbone structure in the vicinity of the active site was modeled from a crystallographic structure of the mouse homolog of ARD. The incorporation of residual dipolar couplings into the structural refinement alters the relative orientations of several structural features significantly, and improves local secondary structure determination. Comparisons between the solution structures obtained with and without RDCs are made, and structural similarities and differences between mouse and bacterial enzymes are described. Finally, the biological significance of these differences is considered.

  11. Reducing the Bitterness of Tuna (Euthynnus pelamis Dark Meat with Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei ATCC 393

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ernani S. Sant’Anna

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available During the process of canning tuna fish, considerable amounts of dark tuna meat are left over because of its bitterness, which are then used in the production of animal food. Fermentation with Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei ATCC 393 was used as an alternative to reduce this bitter taste. Samples of meat were prepared, vacuum packed and then stored at –18 °C. The frozen dark meat was used immediately after defrosting and the experiment was carried out with 2 and 4 % of NaCl with the addition of 2 and 4 % of glucose, respectively. The dark tuna meat was inoculated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB and fermented at 10 °C for 30 days. The fermentation process was monitored through bacteriological and chemical analyses, when an increase of acidity and the corresponding decrease of pH were observed due to the prevalence of LAB. Sensorial analysis, using a test of multiple comparison, was carried out with pastes of fermented dark tuna meat and presented a significant difference when compared to the paste control, indicating the reduction of bitter taste.

  12. Characterization of the cyanobacteria and associated bacterial community from an ephemeral wetland in New Zealand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Secker, Nick H; Chua, Jocelyn P S; Laurie, Rebecca E; McNoe, Les; Guy, Paul L; Orlovich, David A; Summerfield, Tina C

    2016-10-01

    New Zealand ephemeral wetlands are ecologically important, containing up to 12% of threatened native plant species and frequently exhibiting conspicuous cyanobacterial growth. In such environments, cyanobacteria and associated heterotrophs can influence primary production and nutrient cycling. Wetland communities, including bacteria, can be altered by increased nitrate and phosphate due to agricultural practices. We have characterized cyanobacteria from the Wairepo Kettleholes Conservation Area and their associated bacteria. Use of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing identified several operational taxonomic units (OTUs) representing filamentous heterocystous and non-heterocystous cyanobacterial taxa. One Nostoc OTU that formed macroscopic colonies dominated the cyanobacterial community. A diverse bacterial community was associated with the Nostoc colonies, including a core microbiome of 39 OTUs. Identity of the core microbiome associated with macroscopic Nostoc colonies was not changed by the addition of nutrients. One OTU was highly represented in all Nostoc colonies (27.6%-42.6% of reads) and phylogenetic analyses identified this OTU as belonging to the genus Sphingomonas. Scanning electron microscopy showed the absence of heterotrophic bacteria within the Nostoc colony but revealed a diverse community associated with the colonies on the external surface. © 2016 Phycological Society of America.

  13. Supporting data for comparative proteomic analysis of Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644 exposed to a sublethal concentration of nisin

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    Kendi Nishino Miyamoto

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Here we provide the LC–MS/MS data from a comparative analysis of Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644 treated and non-treated with a sublethal concentration of nisin (10−3 mg/mL. Protein samples were analyzed by multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT approach, in an off-line configuration. The raw MS/MS data allowed the detection of 49,591 spectra which resulted in 576 protein identifications. After Scaffold validation, 179 proteins were identified with high confidence. A label-free quantitative analysis based of normalized spectral abundance factor (NSAF was used and 13 proteins were found differentially expressed between nisin-treated and non-treated cells. Gene ontology analysis of differentially expressed proteins revealed that most of them are correlated to metabolic process, oxidative stress response mechanisms and molecular binding. A detailed analysis and discussion of these data may be found in Miyamoto et al. [1].

  14. Influence of polysorbate 80 and cyclopropane fatty acid synthase activity on lactic acid production by Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334 at low pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broadbent, J R; Oberg, T S; Hughes, J E; Ward, R E; Brighton, C; Welker, D L; Steele, J L

    2014-03-01

    Lactic acid is an important industrial chemical commonly produced through microbial fermentation. The efficiency of acid extraction is increased at or below the acid's pKa (pH 3.86), so there is interest in factors that allow for a reduced fermentation pH. We explored the role of cyclopropane synthase (Cfa) and polysorbate (Tween) 80 on acid production and membrane lipid composition in Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334 at low pH. Cells from wild-type and an ATCC 334 cfa knockout mutant were incubated in APT broth medium containing 3 % glucose plus 0.02 or 0.2 % Tween 80. The cultures were allowed to acidify the medium until it reached a target pH (4.5, 4.0, or 3.8), and then the pH was maintained by automatic addition of NH₄OH. Cells were collected at the midpoint of the fermentation for membrane lipid analysis, and media samples were analyzed for lactic and acetic acids when acid production had ceased. There were no significant differences in the quantity of lactic acid produced at different pH values by wild-type or mutant cells grown in APT, but the rate of acid production was reduced as pH declined. APT supplementation with 0.2 % Tween 80 significantly increased the amount of lactic acid produced by wild-type cells at pH 3.8, and the rate of acid production was modestly improved. This effect was not observed with the cfa mutant, which indicated Cfa activity and Tween 80 supplementation were each involved in the significant increase in lactic acid yield observed with wild-type L. casei at pH 3.8.

  15. Erythromycin and azithromycin transport into Haemophilus influenzae ATCC 19418 under conditions of depressed proton motive force (delta mu H)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Capobianco, J.O.; Goldman, R.C. (Abbott Laboratories, IL (USA))

    1990-09-01

    The effect of collapsing the electrochemical proton gradient (delta mu H) on ({sup 3}H)erythromycin and ({sup 14}C)azithromycin transport in Haemophilus influenzae ATCC 19418 was studied. The proton gradient and membrane potential were determined from the distribution of (2-{sup 14}C)dimethadione and rubidium-86, respectively. delta mu H was reduced from 124 to 3 mV in EDTA-valinomycin-treated cells at 22{degrees}C with 150 mM KCl and 0.1 mM carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. During the collapse of delta mu H, macrolide uptake increased. Erythromycin efflux studies strongly suggested that this increase was not due to an energy-dependent efflux pump but was likely due to increased outer membrane permeability. These data indicated that macrolide entry was not a delta mu H-driven active transport process but rather a passive diffusion process.

  16. Metabolic Engineering of the Actinomycete Amycolatopsis sp. Strain ATCC 39116 towards Enhanced Production of Natural Vanillin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleige, Christian; Meyer, Florian; Steinbüchel, Alexander

    2016-06-01

    The Gram-positive bacterium Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 is used for the fermentative production of natural vanillin from ferulic acid on an industrial scale. The strain is known for its outstanding tolerance to this toxic product. In order to improve the productivity of the fermentation process, the strain's metabolism was engineered for higher final concentrations and molar yields. Degradation of vanillin could be decreased by more than 90% through deletion of the vdh gene, which codes for the central vanillin catabolism enzyme, vanillin dehydrogenase. This mutation resulted in improvement of the final concentration of vanillin by more than 2.2 g/liter, with a molar yield of 80.9%. Further improvement was achieved with constitutive expression of the vanillin anabolism genes ech and fcs, coding for the enzymes feruloyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase (fcs) and enoyl-CoA hydratase/aldolase (ech). The transcription of both genes was shown to be induced by ferulic acid, which explains the unwanted adaptation phase in the fermentation process before vanillin was efficiently produced by the wild-type cells. Through the constitutive and enhanced expression of the two genes, the adaptation phase was eliminated and a final vanillin concentration of 19.3 g/liter, with a molar yield of 94.9%, was obtained. Moreover, an even higher final vanillin concentration of 22.3 g/liter was achieved, at the expense of a lower molar yield, by using an improved feeding strategy. This is the highest reported vanillin concentration reached in microbial fermentation processes without extraction of the product. Furthermore, the vanillin was produced almost without by-products, with a molar yield that nearly approached the theoretical maximum. Much effort has been put into optimization of the biotechnological production of natural vanillin. The demand for this compound is growing due to increased consumer concerns regarding chemically produced food additives. Since this compound is toxic to most

  17. USE OF WASTE WATER OF LIVESTOCK IN ORDER TO OBTAIN BIOMASS FODDER CHEAP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MELNICIUC CRISTINA

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was the combination of two directions for use of algae: algae biomass obtaining fodder minor and wastewater purification. Subject research have served cianofite species of algae: Nostoc gelatinosum, N. flagelliforme and Anabaena propinqua. As nutrient medium were used wastewater from livestock complexes (poultry and pigs with a rich content of organic substances. Investigations carried out indicate that the largest quantity of biomass of Nostoc flageliforme is achieved in the cultivation with wastewater by 1% from pig complexes -13.2 g / l, Nostoc gelatinosum-1% -68 g / l. and Anabaena propinqua-5%-8.8g/l.

  18. Acridine orange as an alternative to optical density to study growth kinetics of Lactobacillus bulgaricus ATCC 7517.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pak, Dolar; Koo, Ok Kyung; Story, Robert S; O'Bryan, Corliss A; Crandall, Philip G; Lee, Sun-Ok; Ricke, Steven C

    2013-01-01

    In this study we assessed the use of acridine orange as an alternative to optical density to quantify the growth of Lactobacillus bulgaricus ATCC 7517. The growth of bacteria in Lactobacillus de Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) medium was measured by both acridine orange (AO) and optical density (OD) measurements for 24 h. The relationship between both methods was compared via correlation analysis. The doubling time of bacteria based on the values of OD600 and AO obtained during 24 h growth were also calculated. The result shows strong correlation of cell growth between OD600 and AO during the first 10 hours of growth, but the correlation was less strong when analyzing the data from 0 to 24 hours. Growth rates, generation time and lag time were also similar. This study indicates that AO could be used in place of OD to prepare growth curves of Lactobacillus bulgaricus during the exponential phase of growth, and to compare growth rates, generation times or lag times.

  19. Overcoming hydrolysis of raw corn starch under industrial conditions with Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 9945a α-amylase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Šokarda Slavić, Marinela; Pešić, Milja; Vujčić, Zoran; Božić, Nataša

    2016-03-01

    α-Amylase from Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 9945a (BliAmy) was proven to be very efficient in hydrolysis of granular starch below the temperature of gelatinization. By applying two-stage feeding strategy to achieve high-cell-density cultivation of Escherichia coli and extracellular production of BliAmy, total of 250.5 U/mL (i.e. 0.7 g/L) of enzyme was obtained. Thermostability of amylase was exploited to simplify purification. The hydrolysis of concentrated raw starch was optimized using response surface methodology. Regardless of raw starch concentration tested (20, 25, 30 %), BliAmy was very effective, achieving the final hydrolysis degree of 91 % for the hydrolysis of 30 % starch suspension after 24 h. The major A-type crystalline structure and amorphous domains of the starch granule were degraded at the same rates, while amylose-lipid complexes were not degraded. BliAmy presents interesting performances on highly concentrated solid starch and could be of value for starch-consuming industries while response surface methodology (RSM) could be efficiently applied for the optimization of the hydrolysis.

  20. Degradation of waste waters from olive oil mills by Yarrowia lipolytica ATCC 20255 and Pseudomonas putida

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Felice, B.; Pontecorvo, G.; Carfagna, M. [Univ. of Naples, Caserta (Italy). Inst. of Biology

    1997-12-31

    Waste water from olive oil processing may cause severe pollution in the Mediterranean area, since they have a high level of chemical oxygen demand (COD) (100-200 g/l) and contain other organic and inorganic compounds. In all olive oil producing countries, the reduction of pollution in olive oil mill waste waters at reasonable costs and using techniques suitable for most industrial applications is an unsolved problem. For this paper, the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica ATCC 20255 was grown on waste waters from an olive oil mill in a 3.5 l fermenter under batch culture conditions. The results showed that the yeast was capable of reducing the COD value by 80% in 24 h. In this way, a useful biomass of 22.45 g/l as single cell protein (SCP) and enzyme lipase were produced. During this process, most of the organic and inorganic substances were consumed, only aromatic pollutants were still present in the fermentation effluents. Therefore, we used a phenol degrader, namely Pseudomonas putida, to reduce phenolic compounds in the fermentation effluents after removing Yarrowia lipolytica cells. P. putida was effective in reducing phenols in only 12 h. (orig.)

  1. Efeito e modo de ação das bacteriocinas produzidas por Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis ITAL 383, ATCC 11454 e CNRZ 150 contra Listeria innocua LIN 11 Effect and mode of action of the bacterioncin produced by Lactococcus. lactis subsp. lactis ITAL 383, ATCC 11454 e CNRZ 150 against Listeria innocua LIN 11

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izildinha MORENO

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available O efeito e o modo de ação das bacteriocinas produzidas por L. lactis subsp. lactis ITAL 383 e CNRZ 150 são similares à nisina de L. lactis subsp. lactis ATCC 11454. Estas bacteriocinas apresentaram um modo de ação bactericida, causando a lise de células de L. innocua LIN 11, associada ao decréscimo da absorbância e da viabilidade celular. O efeito letal foi maior para células em fase exponencial comparativamente à fase estacionária de crescimento. A adsorção dessas bacteriocinas às células de L. innocua LIN 11 foi muito rápida e influenciada pelo pH do meio de suspensão; adsorção máxima foi verificada a pH 6,0 e logo após o contato inicial. Perda completa de adsorção ocorreu em pH 2,0.The effect and mode of action of the bacteriocin produced by L. lactis subsp. lactis ITAL 383 and CNRZ 150 are similar to the nisin produced by L. lactis subsp. lactis ATCC 11454. It was clearly bactericidal, and caused lysis of a strain of L. innocua LIN 11 detected by the decrease of absorbance values and the cell viability. Their lethal effect was considerably higher during the logarithmic growth when compared to the stationary phase. Adsorption developed rapidly and was influenced by the pH value of the suspension medium. Maximum adsorption was observed at pH 6,0 and immediately after initial contact and loss at pH 2,0.

  2. NaCl-induced physiological and biochemical changes in two cyanobacteria Nostoc muscorum and Phormidium foveolarum acclimatized to different photosynthetically active radiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Jitendra; Singh, Vijay Pratap; Prasad, Sheo Mohan

    2015-10-01

    The present study is aimed at investigating physiological and biochemical behavior of two cyanobacteria Nostoc muscorum and Phormidium foveolarum acclimatized to different levels (sub-optimum; 25 ± 0.5, optimum; 75 ± 2.5 and supra-optimum; 225 ± 3.5 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1)) of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), and subsequently treated with two doses (30 and 90 mM) of NaCl. PAR influences growth in tested cyanobacteria being maximum in supra-optimum PAR acclimatized cells. NaCl-induced maximum percent decline in growth was observed in sub-optimum PAR acclimatized cells, which was in consonance with a decrease in chlorophyll content. Sub-optimum PAR acclimatization stimulated phycocyanin content in control cells, whereas maximum carotenoids content was observed in supra-optimum PAR acclimatized cells. Photosystem II photochemistry viz. Fv/F0, Fv/Fm, Ψ0, ϕE0, PIABS, ABS/RC, TR0/RC, ET0/RC and DI0/RC was also influenced by PAR and NaCl. Maximum percent rise in superoxide radical (SOR), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and lipid peroxidation was observed in sub-optimum PAR acclimatized cells exposed to NaCl, which could be correlated with lower values of enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase) and non-enzymatic (NP-SH and cysteine) antioxidants. In supra-optimum PAR acclimatized cells level of oxidative stress markers was in parallel with enhanced antioxidants. The results suggest that PAR significantly changes physiological and biochemical responses of studied cyanobacteria under NaCl stress. Besides this, this study also shows that P. foveolarum is more tolerant than N. muscorum under test conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Canonical Analysis Technique as an Approach to Determine Optimal Conditions for Lactic Acid Production by Lactobacillus helveticus ATCC 15009

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    Marcelo Teixeira Leite

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The response surface methodology and canonical analysis were employed to find the most suitable conditions for Lactobacillus helveticus to produce lactic acid from cheese whey in batch fermentation. The analyzed variables were temperature, pH, and the concentrations of lactose and yeast extract. The experiments were carried out according to a central composite design with three center points. An empiric equation that correlated the concentration of lactic acid with the independent variables was proposed. The optimal conditions determined by the canonical analysis of the fitted model were 40°C, pH 6.8, 82 g/L of lactose, and 23.36 g/L of yeast extract. At this point, the lactic acid concentration reached 59.38 g/L. A subsequent fermentation, carried out under optimal conditions, confirmed the product concentration predicted by the adjusted model. This concentration of lactic acid is the highest ever reported for Lactobacillus helveticus ATCC 15009 in batch process using cheese whey as substrate.

  4. Antibiofilm activity of Streptomyces toxytricini Fz94 against Candida albicans ATCC 10231

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    Sheir DH

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Candida albicans is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients worldwide. Biofilm formation by Candida species is a significant virulence factor for disease pathogenesis. Keeping in view the importance of Streptomyces' metabolites, the present study was initiated during the bioprospecting programme of Egyptian Streptomyces carried by the authors since 2013. Native Streptomyces isolates were recovered from soil samples collected from different governorates. Antifungal activity of forty isolates of Streptomyces were performed against planktonic (free cells of C. albicans ATCC 10231 and resistant clinical Candida isolates. Streptomyces isolates showed high inhibition activity against free cells of Candida were further assayed against biofilm of C. albicans reference strain. The most active Streptomyces sp. (no.6 was identified phenotypically, biochemically and by using 16S rRNA. The 16S rRNA sequences obtained were compared with those deposited in the GenBank Database and registered with accession number KM052378 as S. toxytricini Fz94. Screening of S. toxytricini Fz94 extract capability in prevention and destruction of C. albicans reference strain biolfilm was assessed by resazurin dye adopted technique. In the pre-exposure scheme, the lowest concentration of 5 gL-1 showed biofilm viability inhibition of 92% after 120 min, while Ketoconazole® gave 90 % inhibition at concentration of 2 gL-1. In post exposure, the concentration of S. toxytricini Fz94 extract 7gL-1 caused 82 % inhibition of biofilms viability after 120 min, while Ketoconazole did not show any destruction capability. The cytotoxicity of S. toxytricini Fz94 crude extract results showed that it was nontoxic at 10 gL-1. S. toxytricini Fz94 is maintained in the Fungarium of Arab Society for Fungal Conservation (ASFC with accession number FSCU-2017-1110.

  5. EFFECT OF CULTURE MEDIUM ON BACTERIOCIN PRODUCTION BY LACTOBACILLUS RHAMNOSUS HN001 AND LACTOBACILLUS REUTERI ATCC 53608

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    Aguilar-Uscanga B. R.

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of media on bacteriocin production by Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 53608 using three different media: YPM, YPF and MRS supplemented with glucose and K2HPO4. The optimum temperature was 37°C and initial pH 6.5. Bacteriocin-like substances produced by tested bacteria in MRS medium supplemented with glucose and K2HPO4 exhibited a broad antimicrobial spectrum determined by well diffusion assay against indicator bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, Lactobacillus sakei, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus acidophilus, but no antimicrobial spectrum against E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus was detected. Bacteriocin was sensitive to protease IV, trypsin, pepsin and -amylases, but resistant to lipase. It was also resistant to detergents such as Tween 80, Triton-X and SDS. This bacteriocin was thermo-stable (resistant at 60°C, 90°C and 100°C for 30 min. Tested bacteria showed the best antimicrobial (bacteriocin-like activity after growth in MRS medium. Bacteriocin substances produced by tested bacteria showed promising thermo-stable technological properties.

  6. Ethanol production from sunflower meal biomass by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with Kluyveromyces marxianus ATCC 36907.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camargo, Danielle; Gomes, Simone D; Sene, Luciane

    2014-11-01

    The lignocellulosic materials are considered promising renewable resources for ethanol production, but improvements in the processes should be studied to reduce operating costs. Thus, the appropriate enzyme loading for cellulose saccharification is critical for process economics. This study aimed at evaluating the concentration of cellulase and β-glucosidase in the production of bioethanol by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of sunflower meal biomass. The sunflower biomass was pretreated with 6% H2SO4 (w/v), at 121 °C, for 20 min, for hemicellulose removal and delignificated with 1% NaOH. SSF was performed with Kluyveromyces marxianus ATCC 36907, at 38 °C, 150 rpm, for 72 h, with different enzyme concentrations (Cellulase Complex NS22086-10, 15 and 20 FPU/gsubstrate and β-Glucosidase NS22118, with a cellulase to β-glucosidase ratio of 1.5:1; 2:1 and 3:1). The best condition for ethanol production was cellulase 20 FPU/gsubstrate and β-glucosidase 13.3 CBU/gsubstrate, resulting in 27.88 g/L ethanol, yield of 0.47 g/g and productivity of 0.38 g/L h. Under this condition the highest enzymatic conversion of cellulose to glucose was attained (87.06%).

  7. Biosurfactant Production by Cultivation of Bacillus atrophaeus ATCC 9372 in Semidefined Glucose/Casein-Based Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das Neves, Luiz Carlos Martins; de Oliveira, Kátia Silva; Kobayashi, Márcio Junji; Vessoni Penna, Thereza Christina; Converti, Attilio

    Biosurfactants are proteins with detergent, emulsifier, and antimicrobial actions that have potential application in environmental applications such as the treatment of organic pollutants and oil recovery. Bacillus atrophaeus strains are nonpathogenic and are suitable source of biosurfactants, among which is surfactin. The aim of this work is to establish a culture medium composition able to stimulate biosurfactants production by B. atrophaeus ATCC 9372. Batch cultivations were carried out in a rotary shaker at 150 rpm and 35°C for 24 h on glucose- and/or casein-based semidefined culture media also containing sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate, and soy flour. The addition of 14.0 g/L glucose in a culture medium containing 10.0 g/L of casein resulted in 17 times higher biosurfactant production (B max=635.0 mg/L). Besides, the simultaneous presence of digested casein (10.0 g/L), digested soy flour (3.0 g/L), and glucose (18.0 g/L) in the medium was responsible for a diauxic effect during cell growth. Once the diauxie started, the average biosurfactants concentration was 16.8% less than that observed before this phenomenon. The capability of B. atrophaeus strain to adapt its own metabolism to use several nutrients as energy sources and to preserve high levels of biosurfactants in the medium during the stationary phase is a promising feature for its possible application in biological treatments.

  8. Expression of organophosphorus-degradation gene ( opd) in aggregating and non-aggregating filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qiong; Tang, Qing; Xu, Xudong; Gao, Hong

    2010-11-01

    Genetic engineering in filamentous N2-fixing cyanobacteria usually involves Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 and several other non-aggregating species. Mass culture and harvest of such species are more energy consuming relative to aggregating species. To establish a gene transfer system for aggregating species, we tested many species of Anabaena and Nostoc, and identified Nostoc muscorum FACHB244 as a species that can be genetically manipulated using the conjugative gene transfer system. To promote biodegradation of organophosphorus pollutants in aquatic environments, we introduced a plasmid containing the organophosphorus-degradation gene ( opd) into Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 and Nostoc muscorum FACHB244 by conjugation. The opd gene was driven by a strong promoter, P psbA . From both species, we obtained transgenic strains having organophosphorus-degradation activities. At 25°C, the whole-cell activities of the transgenic Anabaena and Nostoc strains were 0.163±0.001 and 0.289±0.042 unit/μg Chl a, respectively. However, most colonies resulting from the gene transfer showed no activity. PCR and DNA sequencing revealed deletions or rearrangements in the plasmid in some of the colonies. Expression of the green fluorescent protein gene from the same promoter in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 showed similar results. These results suggest that there is the potential to promote the degradation of organophosphorus pollutants with transgenic cyanobacteria and that selection of high-expression transgenic colonies is important for genetic engineering of Anabaena and Nostoc species. For the first time, we established a gene transfer and expression system in an aggregating filamentous N2-fixing cyanobacterium. The genetic manipulation system of Nostoc muscorum FACHB244 could be utilized in the elimination of pollutants and large-scale production of valuable proteins or metabolites.

  9. An indigoidine biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces chromofuscus ATCC 49982 contains an unusual IndB homologue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Dayu; Xu, Fuchao; Valiente, Jonathan; Wang, Siyuan; Zhan, Jixun

    2013-01-01

    A putative indigoidine biosynthetic gene cluster was located in the genome of Streptomyces chromofuscus ATCC 49982. The silent 9.4-kb gene cluster consists of five open reading frames, named orf1, Sc-indC, Sc-indA, Sc-indB, and orf2, respectively. Sc-IndC was functionally characterized as an indigoidine synthase through heterologous expression of the enzyme in both Streptomyces coelicolor CH999 and Escherichia coli BAP1. The yield of indigoidine in E. coli BAP1 reached 2.78 g/l under the optimized conditions. The predicted protein product of Sc-indB is unusual and much larger than any other reported IndB-like protein. The N-terminal portion of this enzyme resembles IdgB and the C-terminal portion is a hypothetical protein. Sc-IndA and/or Sc-IndB were co-expressed with Sc-IndC in E. coli BAP1, which demonstrated the involvement of Sc-IndB, but not Sc-IndA, in the biosynthetic pathway of indigoidine. The yield of indigoidine was dramatically increased by 41.4 % (3.93 g/l) when Sc-IndB was co-expressed with Sc-IndC in E. coli BAP1. Indigoidine is more stable at low temperatures.

  10. Effects of UV-B irradiation on growth, survival, pigmentation and nitrogen metabolism enzymes in Cyanobacteria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sinha, R.P.; Hader, D.P. [Institut fuer Botanik und Pharmazeutische Biologie, Friedrich-Alexander Universitaet, Erlangen (Germany); Kumar, H.D.; Kumar, A. [Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (India)

    1995-12-31

    The effects of artificial UV-B irradiation on growth, survival, pigmentation, nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS) and total protein profile have been studied in a number of N{sub 2}-fixing cyanobacterial strains isolated from rice (paddy) fields in India. Different organisms show different effects in terms of growth and survival. Complete killing of Anabaena sp. and Nostoc carmium occurs after 120 min of UV-B exposure, whereas the same occurs only after 150 min of exposure in the case of Nostoc commune and Scytonema sp. Growth patterns of the cells treated with UV-B revealed that Nostoc commune and Scytonema sp. are comparatively more tolerant than Anabaena sp. and Nostoc carmium. Pigment content, particularly phycocyanin, was severely decreased following UV-B irradiation in all strains tested so far. In vivo NR activity was found to increase, while in vivo GS activity was decreased following exposure to UV-B for different durations in all test organisms; although complete inhibition of GS activity did not occur even after 120 min of UV-B exposure. (author). 37 refs, 6 figs.

  11. Effects of UV-B irradiation on growth, survival, pigmentation and nitrogen metabolism enzymes in Cyanobacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sinha, R.P.; Hader, D.P.; Kumar, H.D.; Kumar, A.

    1995-01-01

    The effects of artificial UV-B irradiation on growth, survival, pigmentation, nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS) and total protein profile have been studied in a number of N 2 -fixing cyanobacterial strains isolated from rice (paddy) fields in India. Different organisms show different effects in terms of growth and survival. Complete killing of Anabaena sp. and Nostoc carmium occurs after 120 min of UV-B exposure, whereas the same occurs only after 150 min of exposure in the case of Nostoc commune and Scytonema sp. Growth patterns of the cells treated with UV-B revealed that Nostoc commune and Scytonema sp. are comparatively more tolerant than Anabaena sp. and Nostoc carmium. Pigment content, particularly phycocyanin, was severely decreased following UV-B irradiation in all strains tested so far. In vivo NR activity was found to increase, while in vivo GS activity was decreased following exposure to UV-B for different durations in all test organisms; although complete inhibition of GS activity did not occur even after 120 min of UV-B exposure. (author)

  12. Expression and characterization of a recombinant psychrophilic γ-carbonic anhydrase (NcoCA) identified in the genome of the Antarctic cyanobacteria belonging to the genus Nostoc.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Luca, Viviana; Del Prete, Sonia; Vullo, Daniela; Carginale, Vincenzo; Di Fonzo, Pietro; Osman, Sameh M; AlOthman, Zeid; Supuran, Claudiu T; Capasso, Clemente

    2016-10-01

    Carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) catalyze the CO2 hydration/dehydration reversible reaction: CO2 + H2O ⇄ [Formula: see text] + H(+). Living organisms encode for at least six distinct genetic families of such catalyst, the α-, β-, γ-, δ-, ζ- and η-CAs. The main function of the CAs is to quickly process the CO2 derived by metabolic processes in order to regulate acid-base homeostasis, connected to the production of protons (H(+)) and bicarbonate. Few data are available in the literature on Antarctic CAs and most of the scientific information regards CAs isolated from mammals or prokaryotes (as well as other mesophilic sources). It is of great interest to study the biochemical behavior of such catalysts identified in organism living in the Antarctic sea where temperatures average -1.9 °C all year round. The enzymes isolated from Antarctic organisms represent a useful tool to study the relations among structure, stability and function of proteins in organisms adapted to living at constantly low temperatures. In the present paper, we report in detail the cloning, purification, and physico-chemical properties of NcoCA, a γ-CA isolated from the Antarctic cyanobacterium Nostoc commune. This enzyme showed a higher catalytic efficiency at lower temperatures compared to mesophilic counterparts belonging to α-, β-, γ-classes, as well as a limited stability at moderate temperatures.

  13. Cadmium uptake capacity of an indigenous cyanobacterial strain, Nostoc entophytum ISC32: new insight into metal uptake in microgravity-simulating conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alidoust, Leila; Soltani, Neda; Modiri, Sima; Haghighi, Omid; Azarivand, Aisan; Khajeh, Khosro; Shahbani Zahiri, Hossein; Vali, Hojatollah; Akbari Noghabi, Kambiz

    2016-02-01

    Among nine cyanobacterial strains isolated from oil-contaminated regions in southern Iran, an isolate with maximum cadmium uptake capacity was selected and identified on the basis of analysis of morphological criteria and 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity as Nostoc entophytum (with 99% similarity). The isolate was tentatively designated N. entophytum ISC32. The phylogenetic affiliation of the isolates was determined on the basis of their 16S rRNA gene sequence. The maximum amount of Cd(II) adsorbed by strain ISC32 was 302.91 mg g(-1) from an initial exposure to a solution with a Cd(II) concentration of 150 mg l(-1). The cadmium uptake by metabolically active cells of cyanobacterial strain N. entophytum ISC32, retained in a clinostat for 6 days to simulate microgravity conditions, was examined and compared with that of ground control samples. N. entophytum ISC32 under the influence of microgravity was able to take up cadmium at amounts up to 29% higher than those of controls. The activity of antioxidant enzymes including catalase and peroxidase was increased in strain ISC32 exposed to microgravity conditions in a clinostat for 6 days, as catalase activity of the cells was more than three times higher than that of controls. The activity of the peroxidase enzyme increased by 36% compared with that of the controls. Membrane lipid peroxidation was also increased in the cells retained under microgravity conditions, up to 2.89-fold higher than in non-treated cells. Images obtained using scanning electron microscopy showed that cyanobacterial cells form continuous filaments which are drawn at certain levels, while the cells placed in a clinostat appeared as round-shaped, accumulated together and distorted to some extent.

  14. Inoculation effects of two South African cyanobacteria strains on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Two South African cyanobacteria strains (coded 3g and 7e) of the genus Nostoc were evaluated for improvement of the aggregate stability of a silty loam soil with low organic C content and compared with Nostoc strain 9v isolated from a Tanzanian soil. The soil was either cropped with maize or non-cropped and inoculated ...

  15. Mario Aguilera Peña, coordinador. El orden desarmado. La resistencia de la Asociación de Trabajadores Campesinos del Carare (ATCC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leidy Carolina Navarro Antolínez

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Esta investigación representa el doceavo informe del Grupo de Memoria Histórica de la Comisión Nacional de Reparación y Reconciliación (CNRR, que hasta la fecha ha publicado diecinueve investigaciones. El proyecto surgió con la Ley de Justicia y Paz, del año 2005, con el propósito de "presentar informes sobre el origen y evolución de los grupos armados ilegales" (artículo 51. En este informe, el historiador y abogado Mario Aguilera Pena presenta una investigación que, como su titulo lo advierte, tiene por objeto reconstruir la historia de un orden social desarmado, como programa y proceso liderado por la Asociación de Trabajadores y Campesinos del Carare (ATCC, creada en 1987, en el corregimiento de La India, Santander.

  16. Myo-inositol hexakisphosphate degradation by Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum ATCC 27919 improves mineral availability of high fibre rye-wheat sour bread.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Mantrana, Izaskun; Monedero, Vicente; Haros, Monika

    2015-07-01

    The goal of this investigation was to develop baking products using Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum ATCC27919, a phytase producer, as a starter in sourdough for the production of whole rye-wheat mixed bread. This Bifidobacterium strain contributed to myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (phytate) hydrolysis, resulting in breads with higher mineral availability as was predicted by the phytate/mineral molar ratios, which remained below the inhibitory threshold values for Ca and Zn intestinal absorption. The products with sourdough showed similar technological quality as their homologous without sourdough, with levels of acetic and d/l lactic acids in dough and bread baking significantly higher with the use of sourdough. The overall acceptability scores showed that breads with 25% of whole rye flour were highly accepted regardless of the inclusion of sourdough. This work emphasises that the in situ production of phytase during fermentation by GRAS/QPS microorganisms constitutes a strategy which is particularly appropriate for reducing the phytate contents in products for human consumption. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Investigating the influence of pH, temperature and agitation speed on yellow pigment production by Penicillium aculeatum ATCC 10409.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afshari, Majid; Shahidi, Fakhri; Mortazavi, Seyed Ali; Tabatabai, Farideh; Es'haghi, Zarin

    2015-01-01

    In this study, the combined effect of pH, temperature and agitation speed on yellow pigment production and mycelial growth of Penicillium aculeatum ATCC 10409 was investigated in whey media. Different pH levels (5, 6.5 and 8), temperatures (25, 30 and 35°C) and agitation speed levels (100 and 150 rpm) were tested to determine the best conditions to produce a fungal yellow pigment under submerged fermentation. The best production of yellow pigment (1.38 g/L) was obtained with a pH value of 6.5, a temperature of 30°C and an agitation speed of 150 rpm. In contrast, the maximal biomass concentration (11.12 g/L) was obtained at pH value of 8, a temperature of 30°C and an agitation speed of 100 rpm. These results demonstrated that biomass and yellow pigment production were not directly associated. The identification of the structure of unknown P. aculeatum yellow pigment was detected using UV absorption spectrum and FT-IR spectroscopy.

  18. Alterations in Aspergillus brasiliensis (niger) ATCC 9642 membranes associated to metabolism modifications during application of low-intensity electric current.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velasco-Alvarez, Nancy; Gutiérrez-Rojas, Mariano; González, Ignacio

    2017-12-01

    The effects of electric current on membranes associated with metabolism modifications in Aspergillus brasiliensis (niger) ATCC 9642 were studied. A 450-mL electrochemical cell with titanium ruthenium-oxide coated electrodes and packed with 15g of perlite, as inert support, was inoculated with A. brasiliensis spores and incubated in a solid inert-substrate culture (12 d; 30°C). Then, 4.5days after starting the culture, a current of 0.42mAcm -2 was applied for 24h. The application of low-intensity electric current increased the molecular oxygen consumption rate in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, resulting in high concentrations of reactive oxygen species, promoting high lipoperoxidation levels, according to measured malondialdehyde, and consequent alterations in membrane permeability explained the high n-hexadecane (HXD) degradation rates observed here (4.7-fold higher than cultures without current). Finally, cell differentiation and spore production were strongly stimulated. The study contributes to the understanding of the effect of current on the cell membrane and its association with HXD metabolism. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Novel α-L-arabinofuranosidase from Cellulomonas fimi ATCC 484 and its substrate-specificity analysis with the aid of computer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ying; Zhang, Lujia; Guo, Mingrong; Sun, Jiaqi; Matsukawa, Shingo; Xie, Jingli; Wei, Dongzhi

    2015-04-15

    In the process of gene mining for novel α-L-arabinofuranosidases (AFs), the gene Celf_3321 from Cellulomonas fimi ATCC 484 encodes an AF, termed as AbfCelf, with potent activity, 19.4 U/mg under the optimum condition, pH 6.0 and 40 °C. AbfCelf can hydrolyze α-1,5-linked oligosaccharides, sugar beet arabinan, linear 1,5-α-arabinan, and wheat flour arabinoxylan, which is partly different from some previously well-characterized GH 51 AFs. The traditional substrate-specificity analysis for AFs is labor-consuming and money costing, because the substrates include over 30 kinds of various 4-nitrophenol (PNP)-glycosides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Hence, a preliminary structure and mechanism based method was applied for substrate-specificity analysis. The binding energy (ΔG, kcal/mol) obtained by docking suggested the reaction possibility and coincided with the experimental results. AbfA crystal 1QW9 was used to test the rationality of docking method in simulating the interaction between enzyme and substrate, as well the credibility of the substrate-specificity analysis method in silico.

  20. Genome-guided exploration of metabolic features of Streptomyces peucetius ATCC 27952: past, current, and prospect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thuan, Nguyen Huy; Dhakal, Dipesh; Pokhrel, Anaya Raj; Chu, Luan Luong; Van Pham, Thi Thuy; Shrestha, Anil; Sohng, Jae Kyung

    2018-05-01

    Streptomyces peucetius ATCC 27952 produces two major anthracyclines, doxorubicin (DXR) and daunorubicin (DNR), which are potent chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of several cancers. In order to gain detailed insight on genetics and biochemistry of the strain, the complete genome was determined and analyzed. The result showed that its complete sequence contains 7187 protein coding genes in a total of 8,023,114 bp, whereas 87% of the genome contributed to the protein coding region. The genomic sequence included 18 rRNA, 66 tRNAs, and 3 non-coding RNAs. In silico studies predicted ~ 68 biosynthetic gene clusters (BCGs) encoding diverse classes of secondary metabolites, including non-ribosomal polyketide synthase (NRPS), polyketide synthase (PKS I, II, and III), terpenes, and others. Detailed analysis of the genome sequence revealed versatile biocatalytic enzymes such as cytochrome P450 (CYP), electron transfer systems (ETS) genes, methyltransferase (MT), glycosyltransferase (GT). In addition, numerous functional genes (transporter gene, SOD, etc.) and regulatory genes (afsR-sp, metK-sp, etc.) involved in the regulation of secondary metabolites were found. This minireview summarizes the genome-based genome mining (GM) of diverse BCGs and genome exploration (GE) of versatile biocatalytic enzymes, and other enzymes involved in maintenance and regulation of metabolism of S. peucetius. The detailed analysis of genome sequence provides critically important knowledge useful in the bioengineering of the strain or harboring catalytically efficient enzymes for biotechnological applications.