酵母生物转化生产2-苯乙醇的研究进展

主要论述了利用酵母菌生物转化合成天然2苯乙醇的研究进展,从应用微生物学的角度介绍了2苯乙醇生产菌株的筛选,分析了2苯乙醇合成过程中几方面因素的影响和培养条件的选择,并对产物原位转移技术作了简要说明.并从分子生物学的角度出发,对生物转化的重点途径———艾利希途径在基因水平上作了诠释,且例举了利用从头合成途径进行的基因工程育种,旨在为利用微生物生产2苯乙醇的研究开发提供参考.图1参40     

Bacterial symbiosis in Northeast Pacific Vestimentifera: a TEM study

A number of new vestimentiferan species occur at northeast Pacific hydrothermal vent sites. The trophosome and bacterial symbionts of three species, collected from the Juan de Fuca and Explorer Ridges between 1984 and 1986, were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As in Riftia pachyptila, trophosome tissue is organised into lobules each having an axial blood vessel, and intracellular bacterial symbionts are contained in membrane vacuoles. The bacteria have many cytoplasmic inclusions including tubular membrane systems, glycogen-like particles and poly--hydroxybutyrate (PHB) or sulfur bodies. Glycogen production may be quantitatively important to both the symbionts and the host. Glycogen-like granules appear to first accumulate in the bacterial cells and then be released into the bacteriocyte cytoplasm as bacteria are degraded. Although various stages of bacterial growth and degradation are observed, data are insufficient to verify any across-lobule progression of these processes. Morphological comparison of the symbionts reveals that similar symbionts are found in different vestimentiferan species and that one to two bacterial types exist within single individuals. Two possible models of trophosome function and nutrient exchange are discussed.Deceased     

植物次生代谢:功能、调控及其基因工程

植物次生代谢物具有多种重要的生物学功能 ,在工农业生产和人们日常生活中具有广阔的应用前景 .随着可持续农业的发展 ,植物次生代谢物的化学生态学功能及其对农产品品质的影响倍受关注 .植物次生代谢调控的生物化学、分子生物学和基因工程已成了当今国际生物界十分活跃的前沿研究领域 .本文仅就植物次生代谢物功能、代谢调控及基因工程研究进行简要的概述 .1　植物次生代谢物的功能1.1　植物次生代谢物的化学生态学功能植物次生代谢物按其合成方式可分为组成型和诱导型两种类型 ,它们在植物与植物、植物与微生物及植物与昆虫之间的关系中行…     

EEDs对鱼类性激素合成途径干扰作用研究进展

环境内分泌干扰物(environmental endocrine disruptors,EEDs)是一类可以改变生物体内激素的合成、释放、运输、代谢、结合、作用或清除等一系列生物过程的外源物质。性激素的生物合成需要一系列酶的参与,体内和体外研究表明,性激素合成途径中的类固醇生成酶是EEDs通过非性激素受体介导途径发挥内分泌扰乱作用的重要靶点,性激素合成途径的扰乱可能导致生物体生殖系统受损。本文综述了EEDs对鱼类性激素合成底物和类固醇生成酶的影响、信号转导机制及其生殖危害;并对性激素合成途径中促性腺激素调控机理、多种转录因子间的相互作用、不同物种间类固醇生成酶的差异以及各内分泌轴线的相互作用研究进行了展望,以期为EEDs通过非性激素受体介导途径发挥内分泌干扰效应的机制研究提供思路。     

An autoradiographic examination of carbon fixation, transfer and utilization in the Riftia pachyptila symbiosis

Riftia pachyptila, the giant vestimentiferan tubeworm from the East Pacific Rise, harbors abundant chemolithoautotrophic, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria in an internal organ, the trophosome. Several facts, such as the lack of a digestive system in the host, stable carbon isotope values and net carbon dioxide uptake all suggest that the tubeworms obtain the bulk of their nutrition from their symbionts. Using tissue autoradiography, we investigated the mode of nutritional transfer between symbionts and host, and the site of early incorporation of symbiont fixed-carbon in the host. Fast labeling in the trophosome clearly demonstrates that the symbionts are the primary site of carbon fixation. Appearance of label in some symbiont-free host tissues in as little as 15 min indicates that the symbionts release a significant amount of organic carbon immediately after fixation. The organic carbon is largely incorporated into specific, metabolically active host tissues such as fast-growing body regions in the trunk and plume, and into tube-secreting glands. In addition to immediate release of fixed carbon by the symbionts, there is evidence of a second possible nutritional mode, digestion of the symbionts, which is consistent with previous suggestions based on trophosome ultrastructure. Results suggest that symbiont-containing host cells migrate in a predictable pattern within trophosome lobules and that symbiont division occurs predominately in the center of a lobule, followed eventually by autolysis/digestion at the periphery of the lobule. Received: 1 July 1999 / Accepted: 30 December 1999     

Effect of ambient oxygen concentration on activities of enzymatic antioxidant defences and aerobic metabolism in the hydrothermal vent worm, Paralvinella grasslei

The alvinellid Paralvinella grasslei is a common endemic polychaete from the deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities located on the East Pacific Rise (EPR). These organisms colonise a large range of microhabitats around active sites where physico-chemical conditions are thought to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, in this aerobic organism, ROS could also be generated by the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. In this paper, we investigated the effect of ambient oxygen concentration on the activities of three essential antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; glutathione peroxidase, GPX) and their relationships with the activity of enzymes involved in aerobic metabolism (cytochrome c oxidase, COX; citrate synthase, CS). Results of incubation of P. grasslei in a high-pressure vessel with circulating seawater at different oxygen partial pressures indicate that this worm regulates COX and CS activities differently in gills and body wall. CAT and GPX activities increase in these tissues when animals are maintained in filtered surface seawater. Moreover, levels of malondialdehyde increase in gills, testifying that oxidative damage occurs under these conditions. CAT and GPX activities are positively related to COX and CS activities, but no correlation was detected between SOD and the metabolic enzyme activities. In comparison with littoral annelids, SOD activities are very high whereas CAT activities are very low or absent in P. grasslei. The possible reasons for the occurrence of such differences are discussed.     

Response of hydrothermal vent vestimentiferan <Emphasis Type="Italic">Riftia pachyptila</Emphasis> to differences in habitat chemistry

Vestimentiferan tubeworms, which rely on intracellular sulfide-oxidizing autotrophic bacteria for organic carbon, flourish at deep-sea hydrothermal vents despite the erratic nature of their habitat. To assess the degree to which differences in habitat chemistry (sulfide, pH/CO₂) might impact host and symbiont metabolic activity, Riftia pachyptila tubeworms were collected from habitats with low (H₂S < 0.0001 mM) and high (up to 0.7 mM) sulfide concentrations. The elemental sulfur content of the symbiont-containing trophosome organ was lower in specimens collected from the low-sulfide site. Symbiont abundance, RubisCO activity, and trophosome carbon fixation rates were not significantly different for individuals collected from low- versus high-sulfide habitats. Carbonic anhydrase activities were higher in the anterior gas exchange organs of R. pachyptila from the low-sulfide habitat. Despite large differences in habitat chemistry, symbiont abundance and autotrophic potential were consistent, while the host appears to tailor carbonic anhydrase activity to environmental CO₂ availability.     

靛蓝的微生物合成研究新进展

靛蓝是一种广泛应用于印染、医药等行业的有机色素,利用微生物法合成靛蓝已引起国内外学者的广泛关注.本文综述了微生物法合成靛蓝的研究进展及动态.靛蓝的微生物合成可归纳为3个阶段:野生型微生物催化合成、基因工程菌全细胞催化转化及代谢工程调控转化.多数芳烃降解菌及其编码酶均具备催化吲哚合成靛蓝的能力,采用定向进化、宏基因组技术以及两相体系等对已知酶资源进行深尺度研究,将为靛蓝生物合成过程注入新的活力.同时,靛蓝合成过程中产生的羟基吲哚及靛蓝衍生物是新型药物及化工中间体,也具有较大的研究价值.然而,由于靛蓝合成过程涉及的中间产物及副产物间转化关系及合成脉络仍不明晰,靛蓝产率低,因此将分子生物学及代谢工程手段融入到靛蓝合成机理及产业化应用的探索将成为该方向的研究重点.     

Monolignol biosynthesis and genetic engineering of lignin in trees, a review

This paper summarizes our previous and current research on genetic engineering of lignin biosynthesis for the purposes of improving wood pulping and bleaching efficiency. For these purposes, our targets were to produce transgenic trees with low content of lignin that is also chemically reactive (high lignin S/G ratio). Using aspen as a model species, we have characterized the biochemical functions of various genes and the kinetic properties of these gene products involved in monolignol biosynthetic pathway. The results of these characterizations proved strong evidence for a principle phenolic flux leading to the formation of monolignols. Biochemical evidence further demonstrated that, in this principle flux, 4CL could be the enzyme limiting total lignin accumulation, whereas CAld5H might control the lignin S/G ratio. These propositions were fully supported by the in vivo functions of these enzymes. Transgenic trees with inhibited 4CL enzyme activity exhibited 5–45% reduction in lignin contents. The chemical structure of the resulting lignin remained essentially unchanged. More importantly, the lignin reduction was compensated for by a concomitant increase in cellulose content. When antisense 4CL and sense coniferaldehyde 5-hydroxylase (CAld5H) genes were simultaneously transferred into aspen via Agrobacterium, transgenic trees expressing each one and both of the transgenes were produced. Lignin reductions up to 55% were achieved in antisense 4CL plants and up to 3-fold S/G increases were observed in sense CAld5H plants. These effects were independent but additive, with plants expressing both transgenes having less lignin and higher S/G ratio. Consistent with our previous results, lignin reduction has always resulted in an increase in cellulose content. These transgenics could be potentially valuable for pulp production. But more importantly, these benchmark transgenics are rich sources of information for functional genomics and metabolic engineering, allowing the generation of the ultimate raw materials for wood pulp production.     

Low-temperature caproate production,microbial diversity,and metabolic pathway in xylose anaerobic fermentation

● Converting xylose to caproate under a low temperature of 20 °C by MCF was verified. ● Final concentration of caproate from xylose in a batch reactor reached 1.6 g/L. ● Changing the substrate to ethanol did not notably increase the caproate production. ● Four genera, including Bifidobacterium , were revealed as caproate producers. ● The FAB pathway and incomplete RBO pathway were revealed via metagenomic analysis. Mixed culture fermentation (MCF) is challenged by the unqualified activity of enriched bacteria and unwanted methane dissolution under low temperatures. In this work, caproate production from xylose was investigated by MCF at a low temperature (20 °C). The results showed that a 9 d long hydraulic retention time (HRT) in a continuously stirred tank reactor was necessary for caproate production (~0.3 g/L, equal to 0.6 g COD/L) from xylose (10 g/L). The caproate concentration in the batch mode was further increased to 1.6 g/L. However, changing the substrate to ethanol did not promote caproate production, resulting in ~1.0 g/L after 45 d of operation. Four genera, Bifidobacterium, Caproiciproducens, Actinomyces, and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_12, were identified as the enriched caproate-producing bacteria. The enzymes in the fatty acid biosynthesis (FAB) pathway for caproate production were identified via metagenomic analysis. The enzymes for the conversion of (C_n+2)-2,3-Dehydroxyacyl-CoA to (C_n+2)-Acyl-CoA (i.e., EC 1.3.1.8 and EC 1.3.1.38) in the reverse β-oxidation (RBO) pathway were not identified. These results could extend the understanding of low-temperature caproate production.     

Phaedon cochleariae and Gastrophysa viridula (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) produce defensive iridoid monoterpenes de novo and are able to sequester glycosidically bound terpenoid precursors

Summary. Larvae of the chrysomelid beetles Phaedon cochleariae and Gastrophysa viridula use iridoid monoterpenes for defense. The compounds are synthesized de novo in the glandular tissue and the reservoir. However, larvae feeding on leaves impregnated with thioglycosides of early precursors of iridoid biosynthesis such as the thioglycosides of 8-hydroxygeraniol, 8 and 9, rapidly accumulate in their defensive secretion. Thioglycosides combine a unique structural similarity to natural substrates with an exceptional chemical and biological stability against hydrolytic enzymes and can be, therefore, used to study transport phenomena of glycosides. The successful import suggests that the larvae possess, in addition to the de novo biosynthesis, the capability to sequester appropriate glycoside precursors that are transformed to iridoid monoterpenes in the reservoir. The uptake process displays a remarkable substrate selectivity, since the thioglycoside of geraniol 10 is not imported. From the two isomeric thioglycosides of 8-hydroxygeraniol, 8 and 9, the isomer 8 is preferred by a factor of ten. The data clearly support the existence of a highly selective transport system which enables the larvae to utilize plant derived terpenoid precursors in addition to their own de novo biosynthesis of iridoids.     

Time-dependent metabolomics uncover dynamic metabolic adaptions in MCF-7 cells exposed to bisphenol A

● Metabolomic temporal profiling of cells exposed to xenobiotics. ● Global metabolome dysregulation patterns with time-resolved landscapes. ● Synchronized regulation behavior and specific dysregulation sensitivity. ● Temporal metabolic adaptions indicated cellular emphasis transition. The biochemical consequences induced by xenobiotic stress are featured in dose-response and time-resolved landscapes. Understanding the dynamic process of cellular adaptations is crucial in conducting the risk assessment for chemical exposure. As one of the most phenotype-related omics, metabolome in response to environmental stress can vary from seconds to days. Up to now, very few dynamic metabolomics studies have been conducted to provide time-dependent mechanistic interpretations in understanding xenobiotics-induced cellular adaptations. This study aims to explore the time-resolved metabolite dysregulation manner and dynamically perturbed biological functions in MCF-7 cells exposed to bisphenol A (BPA), a well-known endocrine-disrupting chemical. By sampling at 11 time points from several minutes to hours, thirty seven significantly dysregulated metabolites were identified, ranging from amino acids, fatty acids, carboxylic acids and nucleoside phosphate compounds. The metabolites in different pathways basically showed distinct time-resolved changing patterns, while those within the common class or same pathways showed similar and synchronized dysregulation behaviors. The pathway enrichment analysis suggested that purine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis as well as glutamine/glutamate (GABA) metabolism pathways were heavily disturbed. As exposure event continued, MCF-7 cells went through multiple sequential metabolic adaptations from cell proliferation to energy metabolism, which indicated an enhancing cellular requirement for elevated energy homeostasis, oxidative stress response and ER-α mediated cell growth. We further focused on the time-dependent metabolite dysregulation behavior in purine and pyrimidine metabolism, and identified the impaired glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation by redox imbalance. Lastly, we established a restricted cubic spline-based model to fit and predict metabolite’s full range dysregulation cartography, with metabolite’ sensitivity comparisons retrieved and novel biomarkers suggested. Overall, the results indicated that 8 h BPA exposure leaded to global dynamic metabolome adaptions including amino acid, nucleoside and sugar metabolism disorders, and the dysregulated metabolites with interfered pathways at different stages are of significant temporal distinctions.     

The bacterial symbiont from the hydrothermal vent tubewormRiftia pachyptila is a sulfide specialist

We have investigated the metabolic adaptations of the chemolithotrophic bacterial symbionts ofRiftia pachyptila. Specimens of the tubeworm were collected by submersible from depths of 2600 m at 13°N on the East Pacific Rise in 1987, and 2450 m at the Galápagos Rift in 1988. Isolated bacteria utilize sulfide, but not thiosulfate or sulfite, as their sole reduced-sulfur energy source. The bacteria rapidly oxidize a wide range of sulfide concentrations (5µM to 2 mM), with maximal respiration rates at concentrations >1 mM, and unlike many sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, show no inhibition in oxygen consumption at sulfide concentrations up to 2 mM. Incubations of freshly homogenized trophosome tissue or isolated bacteria with sodium [³⁵S] sulfide and subsequent analysis of sulfur products by high-performance liquid chromatography and flow-through scintillation counting showed that sulfide disappeared almost completely within 1 min. Both soluble and insoluble products of sulfide oxidation were produced. The soluble fraction contained sulfate and polysulfides, with no thiosulfate produced. However, the majority of the radioactivity was in the water-insoluble fraction, mostly as elemental sulfur. Whole-worm experiments under pressure showed a rapid removal of³⁵S-sulfide from the incubation water, with sulfide, sulfate, and polysulfides appearing in the blood within 4 h. There was no utilization of thiosulfate by the whole worms, freshly homogenized trophosome tissue, or isolated bacteria.     

Relation of habitat to glycogen concentration and glycogen synthetase in polychaetes

The glycogen content of whole body or muscle of 14 species of polychaetes was determined, and the activity, co-factor requirements, and substrate affinity of glycogen synthetase from muscles of 4 of the species were measured. Species average glycogen concentrations were positively correlated with the risk of anoxia each species faced in the field. Total activity of glycogen synthetase was not correlated with glycogen concentration in muscle, but polychaetes most likely to experience anoxia had the highest proportion of the enzyme in the active (co-factor independent = I) form; moreover, in such species, the glycogen synthetase had the highest affinity for substrate. It was concluded that evolutionary adaptation to oxygen-poor habitats occurs through qualitative changes in enzyme properties rather than through quantitative changes in enzyme production.     

The color of the trophosome: elemental sulfur distribution in the endosymbionts of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Riftia pachyptila</Emphasis> (Vestimentifera; Siboglinidae)

Riftia pachyptila Jones, 1981, lives in association with a chemoautotrophic, sulfide-oxidizing -Proteobacterium that occurs in a specialized organ, the trophosome. Ultrastructurally different bacterial subpopulations occur in different regions of the trophosome lobules (central rods, median small cocci, peripheral large cocci) and contain vesicles, which have been proposed to be sites of elemental sulfur storage. Differently colored trophosomes have been suggested to reflect different amounts of elemental sulfur in the tissue. In this study, the presence of elemental sulfur (S⁰) was confirmed in the vesicles of the symbionts of R. pachyptila by electron energy loss spectrography (EELS). The proportion of (two-dimensional) area occupied by sulfur vesicles in the cells was found to be strongly correlated with trophosome color, both in individuals with uniformly colored trophosomes and individuals that exhibited a gradual color change along the length of their trophosomes. Elemental sulfur content was highly variable between individuals from a single collection, suggesting a high degree of microhabitat heterogeneity within vestimentiferan aggregations.Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe     

Ammonia production and kinetic properties of glutamate dehydrogenase in the sipinculid Phascolosoma arcuatum exposed to anoxia

The amounts of total NH ₄ ⁺ detected in the external media in which Phascolosoma arcuatum had been exposed to various periods of anoxia were significantly greater than those in which the worms were exposed to normoxia for a similar period. The increased NH ₄ ⁺ production by P. arcuatum during anoxic exposure was unlikely to be due to an increased catabolism of adenine nucleotides or urea. In contrast, there were significant decreases in the concentrations of several free amino acids in the coelomic plasma and body tissues of individuals during the 48 h of anoxic exposure. The amount of NH ₄ ⁺ produced by the anoxic P. arcuatum could be accounted for by the decreases in the concentrations of aspartate or glycine. Increases in the catabolism of free amino acids (FAA), leading to the increased production of NH ₄ ⁺ , in P. arcuatum during anoxia were supported by the detection of significant changes in the kinetic properties of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), in the deaminating direction, from worms exposed to anoxia for 48 h. The apparent increase in the affinity of GDH from the anoxic worm to glutamate would bring about a greater deaminating activity at physiological concentrations of ths substrate. P. arcuatum used in these experiments were collected from the mangrove swamp at Mandai, Singapore between 1990 and 1993.     

Reproductive investment reduces recuperation from exhaustive escape activity in the tropical scallop Euvola zizac

In scallops, mobilization of reserves from the adductor muscle to support maintenance and reproductive activity may impinge upon a major role of the adductor muscle, the movement of the valves during swimming and escape responses. The tropical scallop Euvola ziczac (Linnaeus 1758) invests energy reserves to different degrees during its two periods of reproduction each year. We evaluated the impact of reproductive investment on the escape responses (clapping capacity and recovery after exhaustive exercise) of E. ziczac sampled at different reproductive stages (immature, mature, spawned) during the two reproductive periods in 1997. We compared the escape response capacities with the levels of muscle energetic reserves (glycogen, proteins, and arginine phosphate) and muscle metabolic capacities [activity of the glycolytic enzymes: glycogen phosphorylase (GP), pyruvate kinase (PK), phosphofructokinase (PFK), octopine dehydrogenase (ODH), arginine kinase (AK), and the mitochondrial enzyme, citrate synthase (CS)]. Gonad size, gamete volume fraction, and levels of gonadal protein and lipid were greater for mature scallops during the first than during the second reproduction. Numbers of claps during escape responses (49–57) and levels of muscle arginine phosphate remained similar throughout the different reproductive stages in both reproductive periods. In contrast, recovery was slowed during gonadal maturation in both reproductive periods and during spawning in the first reproduction. Scallops generally took more time to regain their initial clapping capacity during the first (25–40 min) than during the second reproduction (20–30 min). Muscle glycogen decreased markedly during both gonadal maturation and spawning in both reproductions; whereas, muscle proteins decreased only in the first reproduction. The levels of most enzymes decreased during gonadal maturation in both reproductions, and also after spawning, particularly during the first reproduction. We concluded that gonadal maturation and spawning did not decrease clapping capacity of E. ziczac, but decreased its capacity to recover from exhaustive exercise most likely due to decreased levels of energetic reserves and a reduced metabolic capacity of the adductor muscle. Moreover, these effects were probably stronger during the first cycle because of the greater reproductive investment coincident with decreased food availability. Received: 28 April 2000 / Accepted: 21 September 2000     

青霉木质纤维素降解酶系研究进展

越来越多的研究表明青霉属(Penicillium)真菌中的一些种类不仅能分泌组成齐全、酶活较高的木质纤维素降解酶系,而且具有易培养和生长快的优势.本文就国内外对青霉菌木质纤维素降解酶系研究的最新动态进行了综述,包括菌株的选育、纤维素酶系的特性与合成调控,以及基因分析与克隆.同时介绍了斜卧青霉纤维素酶系的生产与发酵工艺,以及酶解过程分析等相关研究进展.表4参48     

Dynamics and physiology of saxitoxin production by the dinoflagellatesAlexandrium spp.

Toxin content (fmol cell^–1) and a suite of elemental and macromolecular variables were measured in batch cultures of the dinoflagellatesAlexandrium fundyense, A. tamarense andAlexandrium sp. from the southern New England region, USA. A different perspective was provided by semicontinuous cultures which revealed sustained, steady-state physiological adaptations by cells to N and P limitation. Two types of variability were investigated. In batch culture, changes in nutrient availability with time caused growth stage variability in toxin content, which often peaked in mid-exponential growth. A second type of variability that could be superimposed on growth stage differences is best exemplified by the high toxin content of cells grown at suboptimal temperatures. Calculations of the net rate of toxin production (R _tox ; fmol cell^–1 d^–1) for these different culture treatments and modes made it possible to separate the dynamics of toxin production from cell division. Over a wide range of growth rates, cells produced toxin at rates approximating those needed to replace losses to daughter cells during division. The exception to this direct proportionality was with P limitation, which was associated with a dramatic increase in the rate of toxin production as cells stopped dividing due to nutrient limitation in batch culture. Growth stage variability in batch culture thus reflects small imbalances (generally within a factor of two) between the specific rates of toxin production and cell division. N limitation and CO₂ depletion both affect pathways involved in toxin synthesis before those needed for cell division; P limitation does the opposite. The patterns of toxin accumulation were the same as for major cellular metabolites or elemental pools. The highest rates of toxin production appear to result from an increased availability of arginine (Arg) within the cell, due to either a lack of competition for this amino acid from pathways involved in cell division or to increased de novo synthesis. There were no significant changes in toxin content with either acclimated growth at elevated salinity, or with short term increases or decreases of salinity. These results demonstrate that toxin production is a complex process which, under some conditions, is closely coupled to growth rate; under other conditions, these processes are completely uncoupled. Explanations for the observed variability probably relate to pool sizes of important metabolites and to the differential response of key biochemical reactions to these pool sizes and to environmental conditions.     

Physioecology of zooplankton. IV. Effects of phytoplankton concentration,temperature, and body size on the net production efficiency ofCalanus pacificus

Weight-specific rates of individual production, total metabolic expenditure and assimilation, and net production efficiencies were estimated forCalanus pacificus Brodsky of selected body weights cultured at various phytoplankton concentrations and temperatures. The weight-specific rate of individual production increased hyperbolically with food concentration, and the maximum rate of individual production decreased logarithmically with a linear increase in body weight propotionally more at high than at low temperature. The weight-specific rate of total metabolic expenditure decreased logarithmically with increasing body weight and was unaffected by changes in food concentration. The effects of food concentration and temperature on the weight-specific rate of assimilation were similar to those on the rate of individual production, but the effect of body size differed considerably. The diversity in the temperature and body-size dependence of the maximum weight-specific rates of various physiological processes suggest (1) that, except for the metabolic rate, the allometric model (log-log relation) is inadequate for describing relationships between maximum rates of physiological processes and body size within species, and (2) that the common assumption that temperature affects the rates of various physiological processes in similar ways is not justified. Net production efficiency increased hyperbolically with food concentration, and the maximum production efficiency first increased slightly and then decreased gradually with increasing body weight. Small copepods attained higher efficiency at high temperature but larger ones did so at low temperature. The critical food concentrations for production efficiency and for the rate of individual production increased with increasing temperature and body size. Because of the effects of interactions among critical food concentration, temperature, and body size on the rates of growth and individual production and on net production efficiency, early development stages ofC. pacificus optimized growth and food conversion efficiency at high temperature, but late stages, particularly at low food concentrations, grew best and transformed food more efficiently at low temperature.Contribution No. 1130 From the Department of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA