scholarly journals The role of oxygen limitation in the formation of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate during batch and continuous culture of Azotobacter beijerinckii

1972 ◽  
Vol 128 (5) ◽  
pp. 1193-1201 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Senior ◽  
G. A. Beech ◽  
G. A. F. Ritchie ◽  
E. A. Dawes

Azotobacter beijerinckii was grown in ammonia-free glucose–mineral salts media in batch culture and in chemostat cultures limited by the supply of glucose, oxygen or molecular nitrogen. In batch culture poly-β-hydroxybutyrate was formed towards the end of exponential growth and accumulated to about 74% of the cell dry weight. In chemostat cultures little poly-β-hydroxybutyrate accumulated in organisms that were nitrogen-limited, but when oxygen limited a much increased yield of cells per mol of glucose was observed, and the organisms contained up to 50% of their dry weight of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. In carbon-limited cultures (D, the dilution rate,=0.035–0.240h−1), the growth yield ranged from 13.1 to 19.8g/mol of glucose and the poly-β-hydroxybutyrate content did not exceed 3.0% of the dry weight. In oxygen-limited cultures (D=0.049–0.252h−1) the growth yield ranged from 48.4 to 70.1g/mol of glucose and the poly-β-hydroxybutyrate content was between 19.6 and 44.6% of dry weight. In nitrogen-limited cultures (D=0.053–0.255h−1) the growth yield ranged from 7.45 to 19.9g/mol of glucose and the poly-β-hydroxybutyrate content was less than 1.5% of dry weight. The sudden imposition of oxygen limitation on a nitrogen-limited chemostat culture produced a rapid increase in poly-β-hydroxybutyrate content and cell yield. Determinations on chemostat cultures revealed that during oxygen-limited steady states (D=0.1h−1) the oxygen uptake decreased to 100μl h−1 per mg dry wt. compared with 675 for a glucose-limited culture (D=0.1h−1). Nitrogen-limited cultures had CO2 production values in situ ranging from 660 to 1055μl h−1 per mg dry wt. at growth rates of 0.053–0.234h−1 and carbon-limited cultures exhibited a variation of CO2 production between 185 and 1328μl h−1 per mg dry wt. at growth rates between 0.035 and 0.240h−1. These findings are discussed in relation to poly-β-hydroxybutyrate formation, growth efficiency and growth yield during growth on glucose. We suggest that poly-β-hydroxybutyrate is produced in response to oxygen limitation and represents not only a store of carbon and energy but also an electron sink into which excess of reducing power can be channelled.

1985 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 608-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Tal ◽  
Yaacov Okon

Azospirillum brasilense Cd was grown in ammonium–malate mineral salts medium in batch culture and in chemostat continuous culture. It was found that poly-β-hydroxybutyrate synthesis was favored under oxygen limitation in chemostat culture and under high C/N ratios towards the end of exponential growth in batch culture. The degradation and synthesis of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate under starvation conditions occurred in a biphasic pattern and was affected by the poly-β-hydroxybutyrate content of the cells. During a 7-day incubation period in phosphate buffer, the survival and respiration rate of bacteria containing about 40% poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (dry weight) were higher than those of cells containing about 5% poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. Polymer-rich cells fixed atmospheric nitrogen in the absence of exogenous carbon and combined nitrogen. Biphasic nitrogenase activity was observed during starvation. When nitrogenase activity was high, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase activity was low and vice versa. Aerotactic response was higher in polymer-rich cells. In the presence of stress factors such as ultraviolet irradiation, dessication, and osmotic pressure poly-β-hydroxybutyrate-poor cells died more rapidly than poly-β-hydroxybutyrate-rich cells.


2015 ◽  
pp. 913-919
Author(s):  
Antulio S Prieto A ◽  
Cenia Ramos ◽  
Dwight Arrieche

Production and biomass of Chione cancellata, an abundant species in Thalassia testudinum sea beds, were studied from March, 1984 to May, 1985 in Guaracayal, Cariaco Gulf, Venezuela. The population distribution ranges were stable. Many individuals were 20-30 mm long (80%) and recruitment was low. The mean density was 45.54 ind m' with a mean standing dry weight biomass of 7.37 g m', both changed significantly with time. Growth rates in marked bivalves of different size classes was maximum in the period between 14-X- 1984 and 10-V-1985. A production of 17 .34 g m' year' was obtained using a method designed to study populations with continuous reproduction and indistinguishable age classes. The greatest production values were obtained for cockles 20 to 30 mm in length. Highest production was between 28-Il-1985 and 27-IV-1985. The annual tumover rate (PIB) was 2.65 year'.


2005 ◽  
Vol 60 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 116-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emiliya Pisareva ◽  
Valentin Savov ◽  
Anna Kujumdzieva

Citrinin is a mycotoxin, which is produced by fungi belonging to the genus Monascus, known in biotechnology as producers of azaphilone pigments. The relation between biosynthesis of these secondary metabolites was investigated in different species of the genus Monascus in batch-culture at the following cultivation conditions: T = 28 °C, agitation 220 rpm, and a medium, which induce citrinin production, containing ethanol as a carbon source. The screening was carried out with 16 fungal strains and the biosynthesis of citrinin and pigments was monitored quantitatively at the standard conditions mentioned above. Some kinetic parameters of the process have been determined. The values of the growth yield coefficient YX/C were between 0.32 and 0.57. The amount of the extracellular red and orange pigments at the end of cultivation varied for the different strains between 0.09 and 1.33 OU/ mg dry weight, and 0.15 and 0.96 OU/mg dry weight, respectively. The amount of the total pigments measured was between 0.16 and 3.6 OU/mg dry weight, and between 0.21 and 3.39 OU/mg dry weight. The determined ratio 500 nm/400 nm, characterizing the pigment production, ranged between 0.60 and 1.06. Twelve of the investigated strains produced citrinin and pigments, two of them produced only pigments. Two strains were not able to produce neither pigments nor citrinin. Thus, the biosynthesis of citrinin appeared to be strain-specific and does not correlate with the pigments’ biosynthesis by the fungal strains belonging to the genus Monascus.


1986 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 605-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Li Tsai ◽  
Olli H. Tuovinen

The molar growth yield (YG) of Nitrobacter agilis was determined with the use of 14CO2 fixation and protein measurement. A low YG of 0.220 g dry weight per mole nitrite oxidized was obtained. Assuming 4 or 6 mol ATP utilized per NAD(P)+ reduced, 10.8 or 14.5% of the theoretical amount of ATP available is utilized for the observed YG.


2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nico E. Marcar ◽  
Richard S. Criddle ◽  
Jianmin Guo ◽  
Yale Zohar

Growth of sand-cultured Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. (river red gum) seedlings from six wide-ranging provenances was reduced in the presence of 150 mM NaCl, a high pH of 9.5, and combined NaCl and high pH, compared with no applied NaCl and neutral pH. Effects of these stress conditions on respiration rates and substrate carbon conversion efficiencies of rapidly-expanding leaf tissue were measured with calorespirometric techniques. Growth rates were calculated from respiration parameters. Respiration rate, measured as metabolic heat production rate (q), showed no consistent trend with either NaCl or high pH, whereas the rate measured as CO2 production rate (R CO2) was generally lower with both treatments. The ratio of heat lost per mole of CO2 produced [q/(R CO2)] was consistently increased by both stresses. Stress causes a larger fraction of metabolic energy produced by aerobic metabolism to be lost as heat, relative to non-stressed controls. Consequently, a larger fraction of photosynthetic product in stressed seedlings must be metabolized to CO2 per mole of C incorporated into biomass. Our results indicate that 0.42 mol substrate C is converted to CO2 per mole C incorporated into biomass for control plants, compared with 0.96 mol for plants treated with combined NaCl and high pH. Respiratory responses to treatment varied with provenance. Specific growth rates, calculated from repiratory parameters (q and RCO2) of stressed E. camaldulensis seedlings, generally paralleled experimentally-determined reduced growth (dry weight) of these seedlings. Thus, measurements of leaf respiration allow calculation of growth inhibition caused by NaCl and high pH stress. However, we could not discriminate among provenances in this experiment with only one level of NaCl and pH.


2000 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 189-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.-H. Chen ◽  
H.-K. Mo ◽  
S. Saby ◽  
W.-k. Yip ◽  
Y. Liu

Minimization of excess sludge production in activated sludge processes has been pursued around the world in order to meet stringent environmental regulations on sludge treatment and disposal. To achieve this goal, physical, chemical, and biological approaches have been proposed. In this paper, a chemical compound, 3,3′,4′,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TCS) was tested for enhancing microbial energy spilling of the sludgeso as to minimize its growth. In order to examine this, an exploratory study was conducted using both batch and continuous activated sludge cultures. Batch experiments with these two cultures were carried out at different initial concentrations of TCS. It has been confirmed that an addition of TCS is effective in reducing the production of both the sludge cultures, particularly the continuous culture where the observed growth yield was reduced by around 70%, when the initial TCS concentration was 0.8 ppm. Meanwhile, the substrate removal activity of this culture was found not to be affected at this TCS concentration. To further evaluate the TCS effect, a pure microbial culture of E. coli was employed. Batch experiment results with this culture implied that TCS might be able to reduce the cell density of E. coli drastically when an initial TCS concentration was greater than 0.12 ppm. It was also found that TCS was not toxic to this type of bacteria. Microscopic examinations with a 4′, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining technique revealed that TCS neither affected the cell division nor altered the cell size of E. coli. However, both the cell ATP content and the cell dry weight were reduced significantly with the addition of TCS.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1093-1104
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Kulczycki ◽  
Elżbieta Sacała

AbstractThis study aimed to examine the influence of increasing doses of chromium (Cr) (26, 39, and 52 mg kg−1 soil) and elemental sulfur (S) (60 mg kg−1 soil) on growth, yield, and mineral nutrition in wheat and maize. Macro- and micronutrients and Cr concentrations were determined in the aboveground parts of plants. All examined doses of Cr caused a marked decrease in the fresh and dry weight of maize. Wheat was more tolerant than maize, and lower Cr doses caused a small but statistically significant increase in the total yield. Wheat accumulated more than twofold Cr than maize, and the concentrations increased with higher Cr concentrations in the soil. The application of S significantly improved the total biomass production and lowered the Cr content in both plants. Cr changed the mineral nutrition in both cereals, but the pattern of changes observed was not the same. Applying S alleviated some adverse effects caused by the Cr. Hence, it is concluded that the application of elemental S may be an effective strategy to reduce adverse effects in plants grown on soil contaminated by heavy metals, especially Cr.


1971 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 529-537
Author(s):  
G. J. BLAKER ◽  
J. R. BIRCH ◽  
S. J. PIRT

The serum supplement in a defined medium for the growth of HeLa cells could be replaced by protamine-zinc-insulin (0.2 u./ml). Insulin (0.4 u./ml) replaced the growth-stimulatory properties of protamine-zinc-insulin, whilst protamine sulphate (5 µg/ml) was found to be toxic to the cells. The addition of insulin to cultures depleted of insulin increased both cell growth rates and maximum cell populations. In the defined medium, HeLa cells could only utilize glutamate when a small amount of glutamine was included. Glucose, at a level of 2 mg/ml, was shown to limit maximum cell populations. The growth yield from glucose was 295 µg cell dry weight/mg glucose. When the medium glucose concentration was increased to 4 mg/ml, HeLa cell populations in excess of 16 x 105 cells (i.e. 640 µg dry weight)/ml were routinely achieved in the defined medium supplemented with insulin. Growth is then limited by the amino acid supply. Increasing the amino acid concentration of the medium by 50% raised the maximum cell population to 23.5x105 cells (i.e. 940 µg dry weight)/ml.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-264
Author(s):  
MZ Hossain ◽  
Sushmita Dey ◽  
MS Islam

Groundwater arsenic contamination has become a threat to the crop production potential in the soils of vast areas of Bangladesh. Situation is grave in some districts of the country, particularly the southern part. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of arsenic treated irrigation water (0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 mgL-1), where a total of ten (10) irrigations were provided thus the treatments received 0, 10, 20, 50, and 100 mg arsenic (As) pot-1. Effects of applied levels of arsenic on Amaranthus gangeticus (Lal shak) were evaluated in terms of the growth, yield, major nutrients’ content, and their translocation in the plant. As treatments significantly reduced (p≤0.05) the dry weight of shoot and root by 19.31% and 44.03% respectively. Both total and available concentrations of nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and sulfur (S) were significantly (p≤ 0.05) suppressed by the As treatments, while only higher three doses significantly (p≤ 0.05) affected both levels of concentrations of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Translocation coefficients for soil to root for P, K, S, and Mg were significantly reduced (p≤ 0.05), while translocation coefficients for root to shoot were significantly increased (p≤ 0.05) for K and S by 5 and 10 mgL-1 of arsenic treatments.Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res.53(4), 259-264, 2018


2018 ◽  
pp. 310-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Zeb ◽  
Azhar Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Naveed ◽  
Allah Ditta ◽  
Shakeel Ahmad ◽  
...  

Zinc (Zn) is an essential element for humans, animals and plants, however, its deficiency has been widely reported around the world especially in flooded rice. Adequate amount of Zn is considered essential for optimum growth and development of rice. We hypothesised that management practices like Zn-mineral fertiliser, -compost, and -solubilising bacteria would improve Zn availability and uptake in flooded rice. A series of studies were conducted to find out the comparative efficacy of Zn-enriched composts (Zn-ECs) with Zn solubilising bacteria (ZnSB) vs. ZnSO4 for improved growth, yield and Zn accumulation in rice. There were six treatments viz. control, ZnSB, ZnO (80% Zn), ZnSO4 (33% Zn), Zn-EC80:20 and Zn-EC60:40. In all the treatments, Zn was applied at the rate of 5 kg ha–1 except the control. The treatment Zn-EC60:40 resulted in the maximum Zn release in soil as compared to ZnSO4 and all other treatments during incubation study. The treatment Zn-EC60:40 significantly improved root dry weight, grain yield and 100-grain weight of rice by 15, 22 and 28%, respectively as compared to ZnSO4. The same treatment resulted in the maximum increase in photosynthetic rate (11%), transpiration rate (21%), stomatal conductance (17%), chlorophyll contents (8%) and carbonic anhydrase activity (10%) while a decrease of 27% in electrolyte leakage was observed in comparison with ZnSO4 application. Moreover, the maximum increase in grain quality parameters and Zn bioaccumulation was observed with the application of Zn-EC60:40 in comparison with ZnSO4 application and all other treatments. We conclude that Zn-EC60:40 are not only an effective strategy to improve growth, physiology and yield parameters of rice, but also to improve the grain quality and Zn-bioaccumulation in rice compared to ZnSO4.


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