Role of NADH-dependent chromium reductases,exopolysaccharides and antioxidants by Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus PS 5 against damage induced by reactive oxygen species

ABSTRACT

Cr (VI) being used in various activities of industries and its improper treatment lead to contamination of environment. Among different methods, biological is the most efficient method to control pollution from soils affected with metals. Present study was designed to assess the role of Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus PS5 for adsorption, Cr (VI) reduction and mechanism of reduction. Sorption of chromium (VI) by strain PS5 was obtained by batch equilibrium method. Cr (VI) reduction in both free and immobilised cells were evaluated by 1,5-Diphenyl Carbazide method. The formation of biofilm by Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus PS5 was observed for colour change as well as quantified spectrophotometrically. Analysis kits were used to measure the amount of eDNA, superoxide and malondialdehyde (MDA). Metal resistant strain PS5 was characterised as P. thiaminolyticus using 16S rRNA gene sequence. Maximum biosorption of Cr (VI) by strain PS5 was found at pH 6–8 and 100–400 µgCr/mL within 24 hours of incubation. Complete reduction of Cr (VI) by strain PS5 was achieved at pH 6–8 and100–300 µg/mL Cr (VI). Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus PS5 immmobilisation on sodium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol facilitated complete reduction of Cr (VI) within 18 hours due to the formation of more biofilm under metal stress conditions. Strain PS5 reduced almost all Cr (VI) into Cr (III) in supernatant, most of which was immobilised by cell debris. Experiments confirmed the reduction of Cr (VI) by cytosolic cell-free extracts which is a mechanism of detoxification. The release of exopolysaccharides and antioxidants by strain PS5 played a protective role against cell damage by Cr (VI) as Cr (VI) could not release the significant amount of eDNA, superoxide and MDA. The present study proved strain PS5 to be a super bioinoculant which has great capacity for adsorption, biotransformation and can activate cytosolic reductases, exopolysaccharides and antioxidants against oxidative damage.     

太阳能-TiO_2非均相光催化氧化染料污水脱色研究

采用开放式悬浮型光催化反应器，以太阳能中紫外光替代紫外灯，激发染料污水悬浮液中ＴｉＯ２产生ＯＨ自由基将染料催化氧化脱色，探讨了催化剂用量，催化剂活性，曝气，污水流速，反应器受辐射面积，Ｆｅ３＋离子等对染料污水脱色率的影响，实验结果表明：在一般晴天的条件下，经过２小时太阳能辐射后，阳离子蓝Ｘ－ＧＲＲＬ染料脱色率在８０％－９３％之间，说明太阳能是非均相光催化氧化染料污水脱色处理的有效紫外光源，太阳能非均相光催化氧化染料污水脱色处理是经济实用，效率高，很有发展前景的污水脱色处理技术     

东大湖养鱼场水质遗传毒理的检测研究

本文报道了利用蚕豆根尖微核技术和鱼周血有核红细胞微核技术检测东大潮5个渔场的水质污染情况。结果为：各渔场蚕豆根尖MCN‰与对照（自来水）存在显著差异（F＞F(0．01)，P＜0．01），根据污染指数划分：A、B两渔场为重污染，C、D为中度污染，E为轻污染。各渔场鱼周血有核红细胞MCN‰与无明显污染源水体（柏录）存在着显著性差异（F＞F(0．01)，P＜0．01）。两种方法检测结果呈一致性，污染程度为A≈B＞C≈D＞E。微核率变化主要受污染源性质及位置的影响。将两种遗传毒性检测方法与化学方法检测相配合．能全面、准确、快速地监测水体污染状况，具有广泛的应用前景。     

Fetal granulocytes in maternal venous blood detected by in situ hybridization

Fetal male cells from maternal venous blood were detected by a non-radioactive in situ hybridization method using the biotinylated Y-specific DNA probe pY431. The hybridizations were performed on Ficoll-Paque-isolated nucleated blood cells obtained from 11 pregnant women in the seventh to 31st week of gestation. A Y-specific signal was detected in both granulocytes and lymphocyte-like cells in seven of the 11 women studied. These women gave birth to boys. In one of the four remaining cases, a Y-specific signal was detected in the lymphocyte-like cells but not in the granulocytes. This woman gave birth to a girl. The other three women had no cells with a Y-specific signal and all three gave birth to girls. Altogether, 83 500 nucleated cells were analysed. One hundred and three cells showed a Y-specific signal. Of these Y-specific cells, 62 per cent were granulocytes and 38 per cent lymphocyte-like cells. Our results suggest that fetomaternal transfer of granulocytes is common and that it occurs as early as in the seventh week of gestation. None of the ten non-pregnant female control samples showed positive cells with the Y-chromosome-specific probe; approximately 97 per cent of the cells from the five adult male controls showed a Y-specific signal. Our results indicate that in situ hybridization using a Y-specific DNA probe performed on granulocytes in maternal blood can be used for fetal male sex determination.     

Amylo-1,6-glucosidase activity in cultured cells: A deficiency in type III glycogenosis with prenatal studies

Deficiency of amylo-1,6–glucosidase activity was expressed in parallel in liver and skin fibroblasts from a patient with type III glycogenosis. In crude extracts of control liver and muscle, amylo-1, 6–glucosidase (M.W. 164000) was identified by immunoprecipitation; no cross-reacting material was found in the patient's liver. Assay of amylo-1,6–glucosidase activity in cultured skin fibroblasts from the affected family revealed less than 10 per cent of control value in mutant homozygous cells whereas in cells from the parents, activity was reduced to 40–60 per cent of the control value. Activity in cultured amniotic fluid cells was similar to that of control fibroblasts. In cultured amniotic fluid cells obtained during the mother's subsequent pregnancy, the normal amylo–1,6–glucosidase activity measured, predicted correctly the outcome of this pregnancy prior to the 20th week of gestation.     

含硅熔渣对水稻养分吸收及产量的影响

采用盆栽试验方法，研究了不同含硅熔渣对水稻养分的吸收和产量的影响，结果表明，在施用氮、磷、钾肥的基础上，增施不同类型的含硅熔渣，可提高水稻中硅和磷的含量，降低根系、茎叶和籽粒中的氮、钾含量，增加水稻对氮、磷、钾、硅的总吸收量。不同含硅熔渣的增产效果差异较大，增产最显著的是铁渣和黄磷炉渣，分别比对照增产43．4％和31．6％，施用含硅熔渣的各处理比对照平均增产19．1％，各处理间的产量经方差分析和多重比较达显著或极显著差异水平。扩散方程、Elovich方程和多项式方程均能很好地描述水稻生长期内水稻对N、P、K、Si的吸收过程，尤以多项式方程拟合最佳。     

Bigger testes do work more: experimental evidence that testis size reflects testicular cell proliferation activity in the marine invertebrate,the free-living flatworm<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Macrostomum</Emphasis> sp.

Evolutionary theory predicts that more resources are allocated to sperm production when sperm competition is high. This prediction is supported by both comparative and experimental data on static measures of male allocation, such as testis and ejaculate size. However, resource allocation is a dynamic process, and it is therefore important to evaluate if the static measures reflect this. Such an evaluation has to our knowledge never been done. Immunocytochemical labelling with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) allows visualisation of cells in S-phase. BrdU becomes incorporated into cells if, and only if, they are actively undergoing DNA duplication, which is a dynamic process. The number of BrdU-positive cells in the testis can hence serve as a dynamic measure of male allocation, i.e. testicular activity. We evaluate the relationship between testis size and testicular activity in the marine flatworm Macrostomum sp. In a previous study, we showed that testis size is phenotypically plastic in this species, and that worms make larger testes when they are raised in larger groups. We use this plasticity to experimentally produce variation in testis size, and demonstrate that larger testes are associated with higher testicular activity. Moreover, testis size and testicular activity were related linearly. We have thus, for the first time, shown that testis size is a good measure of resource allocation to the male function. Moreover, increased testicular activity is probably one of the first steps in the upregulation of sperm production. It is thus expected that testicular activity is a more sensitive measure of short-term variation in male allocation than the commonly used static measures.Communicated by N. Wedell     

Chemical recognition of queen cells by honey bee workersApis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Summary Honey bee workers are able to nurse or to destroy and thus to recognize the capped queen cells containing a pupa. Fatty acid esters, especially methyl oleate, methyl palmitate and ethyl oleate were found in significant amounts on the queen pupal cuticle. Methyl oleate, the major component, along with smaller amounts of methyl linoleate and methyl linolenate, were involved in the recognition of queen cells by workers. In natural conditions of the colony, queen cells containing a paraffin pupal lure with methyl oleate were accepted 5.9 days by workers, releasing about 1.8 queen pupa equivalents during that period, when control cells (without ester) were kept only 2.1 days. Although these esters are non specific to honey bees, they are of great importance in social regulation of the honey bee colony.     

Protective effects of vitamin C and curcumin against acrylamide toxicity in embryonic fibroblast cells

Abstract

Acrylamide is a highly soluble and widely produced industrial chemical that has been shown to pose numerous health hazards. This study aimed to assess the effects of acrylamide on the cytotoxicity and oxidative damage in embryonic fibroblast cells (BALB/c 3T3) and to measure protective roles of the natural antioxidants vitamin C and curcumin. Embryonic fibroblast cells were exposed to acrylamide at concentrations of 1, 10, 100, and 1000?μmol/L and vitamin C (50?μmol/L) or curcumin (2.5?μmol/L) for 24?h. Cell viability, cytotoxicity, the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase, and the markers of oxidative lipid peroxidation, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide and glutathione were measured. Co-treatment of the acrylamide-exposed fibroblast cells with vitamin C or curcumin attenuated the cytotoxicity and formation of reactive oxygen species and decreased the antioxidant enzyme activity. Thus, it was concluded that vitamin C and curcumin may play a protective role against acrylamide toxicity; the treatment with 50?μmol/L vitamin C was found to be more effective than the treatment with 2.5?μmol/L curcumin.