bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fungi and Bacteria in or on Leaves of Eelgrass (
Zostera marina
L.) from Chesapeake Bay
Authors: Newell Steven Y.
Published: January 2020

Samples of green and brown leaves of eelgrass (
Zostera marina
L.) were incubated in seawater without an additional carbon source. Parallel leaf samples were used for acridine orange bacterial counting and water-soluble aniline blue estimation of fungal biovolume. The incubations produced no evidence that there is an eelgrass counterpart for the chytridialean symbiont which is very common in turtlegrass (
Thalassia testudinum
König). Sterile mycelium (i.e., living mycelium without identifiable propagules) was the most prevalent fungal form on incubated samples from submerged sites, whereas
Dendryphiella salina
and
Sigmoidea
sp. (
marina
?) were prevalent on brown leaves from the wrack line. Attempts to assay fungal biovolume in field samples indicated that the sterile mycelium observed after incubation represented the outgrowth of formerly dormant propagules or weakly established microcolonies. It was calculated that fungal biomass could not account for more than 0.5% of leaf mass, and it was probably much smaller than this, for no fungal structures were observed even in concentrated leaf homogenates. Bacterial densities fell within the range reported for other particulate substrates. A speculative estimate of bacterial productivity was 1.4× the standing stock per day.
Microbiological Systems in Organic Synthesis: Preparative-Scale Resolution of (
R
S
)-Glaucine by
Fusarium solani
and Stereospecific Oxidation of (
R
)-(−)-Glaucine by
Aspergillus flavipes
Authors: Davis Patrick J. , Talaat R. E.
Published: January 2020

The destructive resolution of (6a
R
,
S
)-glaucine (Ic) was accomplished by oxidation of the (6a
S
)-(+)-enantiomer (Ia), using
Fusarium solani
ATCC 12823 to yield the unnatural alkaloid (6a
R
)-(−)-glaucine (Ib). Eighteen cultures were examined for their ability to metabolize the (6a
R
)-(−)-enantiomer (Ib), and
Aspergillus flavipes
ATCC 1030 was found to catalyze the stereoselective oxidation of this substrate to didehydroglaucine. Thus, it has been demonstrated that “
R
” and “
S
” organisms exist with regard to the oxidation of aporphines to didehydroaporphines.
Effect of Silicate Grain Shape, Structure, and Location on the Biomass and Community Structure of Colonizing Marine Microbiota
Authors: Nickels Janet S. , Bobbie Ronald J. , Martz Robert F. , Smith Glen A. , White David C. , Richards Norman L.
Published: January 2020

Microbiota colonizing silica grains of the same size and water pore space, but with a different microtopography, showed differences in biomass and community structure after 8 weeks of exposure to running seawater. The absence of surface cracks and crevices resulted in a marked diminution of the total microbial biomass measured as lipid phosphate and total extractable palmitic acid. With increasing smoothness of the sand grain surface, examination of the community structure showed a marked decrease in procaryotes and algal microeucaryotes, with a relative increase in microeucaryotic grazers. A comparison of the colonizing sediment incubated in running seawater or at 32 m on the sea floor with a sediment core showed a decreased bacterial biomass with a different community structure and a decreased total microeucaryotic population of both grazers and algae. The quantitative differences in microbial biomass and community structure between the microcosms and the actual benthic population in the core were determined.
Production of Hemolysin by
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
in a Chemically Defined Medium
Authors: Karunasagar Iddya
Published: January 2020

A chemically defined medium capable of supporting the production of heat-stable and heat-labile hemolysins by
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
is described. The indispensability of serine and glutamic acid for hemolysin production is also demonstrated.
Incidence of
Vibrio alginolyticus
and Bacteria of Sanitary Significance in the Bering Sea
Authors: Kaysner Charles A.
Published: January 2020

The incidence of bacteria of sanitary significance and isolation of
Vibrio alginolyticus
during a subtidal clam assessment study in the Bering Sea are described.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
was not detected in clams, sediment, or seawater.
Automation of the Limulus amoebocyte lysate test by using the Abbott MS-2 microbiology system
Authors: Jorgensen J H , Alexander G A
Published: January 2020

A rapid, automated method for the performance of the Limulus amoebocyte lysate endotoxin assay has been developed by using the Abbott MS-2 Microbiology System. This instrument automatically determines sequential changes in the optical density of up to 176 samples at 1- or 5-min increments during a 1-h assay period. Graphic representation of optical density changes can be viewed on a cathode-ray tube or reproduced by using a hard-copy printer. Limulus amoebocyte lysate preparations that were obtained from different commercial producers and that had similar endotoxin sensitivities by the conventional gelation method varied somewhat in reactivity when determinations were based upon rate changes in optical density. Lysates from Associates of Cape Cod, Difco Laboratories, and M. A. Bioproducts were the most readily adaptable to the MS-2 System. Use of the MS-2 system increased the sensitivity of these preparations from 60- to 250-fold, and as little as 1 pg/ml was detected. Adaptation of the MS-2 instrument for this purpose provides an objective, reproducible, automated method for the performance of Limulus amoebocyte lysate tests on a variety of fluids.
Effect of Steam Sterilization and Gamma Irradiation of Peat on Quality of
Rhizobium
Inoculants
Authors: Strijdom Barend W. , van Rensburg Henri Jansen
Published: January 2020

Data obtained by independent tests on each of 483 batches of
Rhizobium
inoculants for
Glycine max, Medicago sativa
, and
Arachis hypogaea
, manufactured commercially in South Africa, are reported and discussed. Whereas the average cell count per gram per batch was well in excess of 10
9
, inoculants for
G. max
and
M. sativa
manufactured with peat treated with gamma irradiation at a dose of 50 kGr contained significantly higher numbers of
Rhizobium
cells than inoculants from peat which received 25 kGr. Inoculants for
M. sativa
manufactured with steam-sterilized peat were similar in quality to those prepared with peat irradiated at a dose of 50 kGr. Contrary to the inoculants for
G. max
and
M. sativa
, the
Rhizobium
strain used in inoculants for
A. hypogaea
was apparently insensitive to the effect on peat of the higher gamma irradiation dosage.
Transient loss of plasmid-mediated mercuric ion resistance after stress in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Calcott P H
Published: January 2020

After freezing and thawing, Pseudomonas aeruginosa harboring a drug resistance plasmid (Hg2+r, Strr), became acutely sensitive to mercuric ions but not to streptomycin in the plating medium, whereas its sensitivity to both agents became more pronounced indicating a synergistic effect. This freeze-thaw-induced sensitivity was transient and capable of being repaired to a simple salts medium. Transient outer and cytoplasmic membrane damage was also observed in frozen and thawed preparations. From kinetics studies, repair of cytoplasmic membrane damage superseded repair of outer membrane damage and damage measured by mercuric ions and mercuric ions plus streptomycin. Osmotically shocked cells were also sensitive to mercuric ions, mercuric ions plus streptomycin, and sodium lauryl sulfate, but not to sodium chloride or streptomycin alone. This sensitivity was again transient and capable of repair in the same simple salts medium. Active transport of a non-metabolizable amino acid, alpha-amino isobutyric acid, was sensitive to mercuric ions and became more so after freezing and thawing. A freeze-thaw-resistant mercuric ion-dependent reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidoreductase was localized in the cytoplasm of this organism. This enzyme and an intact outer membrane appear to be required for mercuric ion resistance in this strain.
Heat Resistance and Population Stability of Lyophilized
Bacillus subtilis
Spores
Authors: Odlaug Theron E. , Caputo Ross A. , Graham Gary S.
Published: January 2020

Bacillus subtilis
5230 spores were lyophilized in 0.067 M phosphate buffer and stored at 2 to 8°C for 9 to 27 months. The lyophilized spores were reconstituted with buffer or 0.9% saline, and the heat resistance was determined in a thermoresistometer. Lyophilization had no effect on the heat resistance of the spores but did result in a slight decrease in population (≤0.3-logarithm reduction). The lyophilized spores maintained heat resistance and population levels over the test periods. The
D
-values ranged from 0.44 to 0.54 min at 121.1°C, and the
z
-values ranged from 6.1 to 6.6°C. Lyophilization was concluded to be an acceptable alternative for storage of bacterial spores that are to be used as biological indicators in sterilization processes.
Field Observations on the Acute Effect of Crude Oil on Glucose and Glutamate Uptake in Samples Collected from Arctic and Subarctic Waters
Authors: Griffiths Robert P. , McNamara Thomas M. , Caldwell Bruce A. , Morita Richard Y.
Published: January 2020

The acute effects of crude oil on glucose uptake rates by marine microorganisms were studied in 215 water and 162 sediment samples collected from both arctic and subarctic marine waters. The mean percentage reduction of glucose uptake rates ranged from 37 to 58 in the water samples exposed to crude oil and from 14 to 36 in the sediment samples. Substrate uptake kinetic studies indicated that the observed reductions by microbial populations exposed to crude oil were caused by metabolic inhibition. The effect of crude oil was less in sediments than in the water samples, with the difference being significant at the
P
< 0.0002 level. With the exception of one sediment study, all of the differences observed in the uptake rates between treated and nontreated samples were statistically significant. A high degree of variability was observed in the degree which glucose and glutamate uptake rates were altered in water samples exposed to crude oil. In some cases, uptake rates were greater in the samples exposed to crude oil. Data on samples collected in Cook Inlet suggested that areas where pelagic microorganisms are most probably chronically exposed to crude oil are also the areas where the effects of crude oil on glucose uptake are the lowest. Two studies indicated that after pelagic populations are exposed to crude oil for several days, the heterotrophic population adjusts to the presence of crude oil.
6-Methylsalicylic Acid Production in Solid Cultures of
Penicillium patulum
Occurs Only When an Aerial Mycelium Is Present
Authors: Peace J. N. , Bartman C. D. , Doerfler D. L. , Campbell I. M.
Published: January 2020

When
Penicillium patulum
was grown on Czapek-Dox agar, 6-methylsalicylic acid was produced as an aerial mycelium was forming. Nutrients were often plentiful in the medium when biosynthesis began. If the formation of an aerial mycelium was prevented by growing the fungus between two sheets of dialysis membrane, no 6-methylsalicylic acid was produced even when nutrients were completely consumed. If the upper sheet of dialysis membrane was stripped off cultures of the latter type, an aerial mycelium formed; concomitantly, 6-methylsalicylic acid biosynthesis was observed. We conclude that 6-methylsalicylic acid was produced only by
P. patulum
colonies that possessed an aerial mycelium.
Nitrogen Fixation (Acetylene Reduction) Associated with Decaying Leaves of Pond Cypress (
Taxodium distichum
var.
nutans
) in a Natural and a Sewage-Enriched Cypress Dome
Authors: Dierberg Forrest E. , Brezonik Patrick L.
Published: January 2020

Surface litter from a natural and a sewage-enriched cypress dome in north-central Florida showed a pronounced seasonal pattern of nitrogenase (acetylene reduction) activity associated with seasonal leaf fall from deciduous trees in the domes. Samples of peat from cores indicated negligible nitrogenase activity below the surface layer. Integrating the monthly rates of nitrogen fixation (based on the theoretical molar ratio of 3:2 for C
2
H
4
/NH
3
) yielded 0.39 and 0.12 g of N/m
2
per year fixed in the litter of the natural and sewage-enriched domes, respectively. The nitrogen fixed in the first 3 months after leaf fall in the natural dome represented about 14% of the nitrogen increment in the decomposing cypress leaves, but fixation contributed a negligible amount of nitrogen (<1%) to decomposing litter in the sewage-enriched dome.
Characterization of
Vibrio cholerae
Isolated from Oysters
Authors: Twedt Robert M. , Madden Joseph M. , Hunt Jan M. , Francis David W. , Peeler James T. , Duran Anthony P. , Hebert William O. , McCay Steven G. , Roderick Charles N. , Spite George T. , Wazenski Theodore J.
Published: January 2020

Of 790 samples of oyster shellstock freshly harvested during a 12-month survey, 111 (most of which were harvested from June through August) contained
Vibrio cholerae
non-O1 (611 strains), and seven contained O1 Inaba (11 strains) organisms. None of the
V. cholerae
strains isolated were enterotoxigenic by immunological and biological tests.
Heat Inactivation of In Vivo- and In Vitro-Grown Mycobacteria in Meat Products
Authors: Merkal R. S. , Lyle Patricia Sneed , Whipple Diana L.
Published: January 2020

Heat inactivation of mycobacteria from lesions and from culture was compared in meat products. In vivo-grown organisms were more easily heat inactivated than were in vitro-grown organisms.
Citric Acid Fermentation by
Aspergillus niger
on Low Sugar Concentrations and Cotton Waste
Authors: Kiel Hildegard , Guvrin Rumia , Henis Yigal
Published: January 2020

The possible use of cotton waste as a carbohydrate source of citric acid production by
Aspergillus niger
was examined. No citric acid was produced when
A. niger
was grown on cotton waste as a sole carbon source. In two-stage fermentations, however, mycelium obtained from surface cultures in cotton waste medium yielded more citric acid when transferred to sucrose-containing media than when directly inoculated to sucrose-containing media. It is concluded that cotton waste can be used for saving sucrose and for increasing yields of citric acid fermentation by
A. niger.
Features of rumen and sewage sludge strains of Eubacterium limosum, a methanol- and H2-CO2-utilizing species
Authors: Genthner B R , Davis C L , Bryant M P
Published: January 2020

Eubacterium limosum was isolated as the most numerous methanol-utilizing bacterium in the rumen fluid of sheep fed a diet in which molasses was a major component (mean most probable number of 6.3 X 10(8) viable cells per ml). It was also isolated from sewage sludge at 9.5 X 10(4) cells per ml. It was not detected in the rumen fluid of a steer on a normal hay-grain diet, although Methanosarcina, as expected, was found at 9.5 X 10(5) cells per ml. The doubling time of E. limosum in basal medium (5% rumen fluid) with methanol as the energy source (37 degree C) was 7 h. Acetate, cysteine, carbon dioxide, and the vitamins biotin, calcium-D-pantothenate, and lipoic acid were required for growth on a chemically defined methanol medium. Acetate, butyrate, and caproate were produced from methanol. Ammonia or each of several amino acids served as the main nitrogen source. Other energy sources included adonitol, arabitol, erythritol, fructose, glucose, isoleucine, lactate, mannitol, ribose, valine, and H2-CO2. The doubling time for growth on H2-CO2 (5% rumen fluid, 37 degree C) was 14 h as compared with 5.2 h for isoleucine and 3.5 h for glucose. The vitamin requirements for growth on H2-CO2 were the same as those for methanol; however, acetate was not required for growth on H2-CO2, although it was necessary for growth on valine, isoleucine, and lactate and was stimulatory to growth on glucose. Acetate and butyrate were formed during growth on H2-CO2, whereas branched-chain fatty acids and ammonia were fermentation products from the amino acids. Heat tolerance was detected, but spores were not observed. The type strain of E. limosum (ATCC 8486) and strain L34, which was isolated from the rumen of a young calf, grew on methanol, H2-CO2, valine, and isoleucine and showed the same requirements for acetate as the freshly isolated strains.
Microbial Formation of Ethane in Anoxic Estuarine Sediments
Authors: Oremland Ronald S.
Published: January 2020

Estuarine sediment slurries produced methane and traces of ethane when incubated under hydrogen. Formation of methane occurred over a broad temperature range with an optimum above 65�C. Ethane formation had a temperature optimum at 40�C. Formation of these two gases was inhibited by air, autoclaving, incubation at 4 and 80�C, and by the methanogenic inhibitor, 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid. Ethane production was stimulated by addition of ethylthioethanesulfonic acid, and production from ethylthioethanesulfonic acid was blocked by 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid. A highly purified enrichment culture of a methanogenic bacterium obtained from sediments produced traces of ethane from ethylthioethanesulfonic acid. These results indicate that the small quantities of ethane found in anaerobic sediments can be formed by certain methanogenic bacteria.
Attachment of Salmonella spp. to chicken muscle surfaces
Authors: Thomas C J , McMeekin T A
Published: January 2020

Immersion of chicken muscle fascia in water or physiological saline caused collagen associated with the connective tissue to expand and form a dense network of fibers on the surface. Similar changes were noted for muscle perimysium. Two test strains of Salmonella spp. attached to the collagen fibers only when muscle was immersed for extended times in water. Bacteria did not attach to the fascia or perimysium of muscle that was transiently immersed in suspensions. The presence of sodium chloride in the suspension media prevented firm attachment, whereas saline rinses removed many attached cells.
Effect of Light on Biomass and Community Structure of Estuarine Detrital Microbiota
Authors: Bobbie R. J. , Nickels J. S. , Smith G. A. , Fazio S. D. , Findlay R. H. , Davis W. M. , White D. C.
Published: January 2020

Comparison of estuarine detrital microbiota grown with and without light in the absence of macroscopic grazing showed shifts in the community structure that enabled correlation between various biochemical measures. Analysis of these biochemical measures showed that growth in light induces the smallest increases in procaryotic attributes such as muramic acid; wall glucosamine; lipid phosphate; total extractable adenosine nucleotides; short-branched, cyclopropane, and
cis
-vaccenic fatty acids; lipid glucose and mannose; the incorporation of acetate into lipid; and the formation of deoxyribonucleic acid from thymidine. Measures of the microfauna such as lipid inositol and the γ-linolenic series of polyenoic fatty acids also increased minimally in the light-grown microbiota. Measures of sulfo-lipid synthesis, lipid glycerol, total extractable palmitate, 18-carbon polyenoic fatty acids, and total polyenoic fatty acids longer than 20 carbons increased 10- to 15-fold in algae and fungi. Chlorophyll
a
, lipid galactose, and the 16- and 20- carbon polyenoic fatty acids characteristic of diatoms increased maximally in the light. This increase of diatom measure correlated with the sheets of diatoms detected by scanning electron microscopy.
Oxidation of Ethylene Glycol by a Salt-Requiring Bacterium
Authors: Caskey William H. , Taber Willard A.
Published: January 2020

Bacterium T-52, cultured on ethylene glycol, readily oxidized glycolate and glyoxylate and exhibited elevated activities of ethylene glycol dehydrogenase and glycolate oxidase. Labeled glyoxylate was identified in reaction mixtures containing [
14
C]-ethylene glycol, but no glycolate was detected. The most likely pathway of ethylene glycol catabolism by bacterium T-52 is sequential oxidation to glycolate and glyoxylate.
Modification of the standard most-probable-number procedure for fecal coliform bacteria in seawater and shellfish
Authors: Dexter F
Published: January 2020

To determine whether or not presumptive tubes which take 48 h to become positive need to be transferred to EC medium during the fecal coliform multitube most-probable-number procedure, 572 seawater and shellfish samples were considered. When the 24-hour positive tubes alone were transferred to EC, it appeared that incorrect dilution data would be rare.
Frequency of Dividing Cells as an Estimator of Bacterial Productivity
Authors: Newell Steven Y. , Christian Robert R.
Published: January 2020

It has recently been proposed that the frequency of dividing bacterial cells (FDC) can be used to predict growth rates of natural aquatic bacterial assemblages. We have examined the relationship between FDC and growth rate in bacteria from southern-temperate, coastal marine waters by using incubation under conditions of manipulated nutrient availability and exclusion of bacterivores. The regression of the natural logarithm of bacterial instantaneous growth rate (μ) on FDC resulted in a better fit than regression of untransformed μ on FDC. The regression equation was ln μ = 0.299FDC − 4.961. The coefficient of variation for predicted ln μ at mean FDC was 7%. The range of FDC-estimated bacterial instantaneous generation times for coastal Georgia waters was 12 to 68 h, and range of calculated bacterial production rates was 0.6 to 17.6 mg of C·m
−3
· h
−1
. Unresolved problems of and suggested improvements on the FDC method of predicting growth rate are discussed.
Enrichment and Isolation of Naphthalenesulfonic Acid-Utilizing Pseudomonads
Authors: Brilon C. , Beckmann W. , Hellwig M. , Knackmuss H.-J.
Published: January 2020

Naphthalenesulfonate-degrading bacteria were obtained by continuous enrichment from a naphthalene-degrading population from sewage. In addition to naphthalene,
Pseudomonas
sp. A3 can utilize 2-naphthalenesulfonate (2NS) and
Pseudomonas
sp. C22 can utilize both 1-naphthalenesulfonate (1NS) and 2NS as sole carbon sources. In a mixture of 1NS and 2NS, the former substrate is utilized by strain C22 only after complete consumption of 2NS. During exponential growth, approximately 10% of the organic carbon of naphthalenesulfonates is temporarily excreted. These unidentified metabolites can readily be used by other bacteria, which, by supplying strain C22 with vitamins, allow optimal growth in stable mixed cultures. The degradative capability of
Pseudomonas
sp. A3 for 2NS was irreversibly lost under nonselective growth conditions and could be transferred from the wild type to a distinguishable cured strain of the wild type.
Catabolism of Naphthalenesulfonic Acids by
Pseudomonas
sp. A3 and
Pseudomonas
sp. C22
Authors: Brilon C. , Beckmann W. , Knackmuss H.-J.
Published: January 2020

Naphthalene and two naphthalenesulfonic acids were degraded by
Pseudomonas
sp. A3 and
Pseudomonas
sp. C22 by the same enzymes. Gentisate is a major metabolite. Catabolic activities for naphthalene, 1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, and 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid are induced by growth with naphthalene, 1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid, methylnaphthalene, or salicylate. Gentisate is also an inducer in strain A3. Inhibition kinetics show that naphthalene and substituted naphthalenes are hydroxylated by the same naphthalene dioxygenase. Substrates with nondissociable substituents such as CH
3
, OCH
3
, Cl, or NO
2
are hydroxylated in the 7,8-position, and 4-substituted salicylates are accumulated. If CO
2
H, CH
2
CO
2
H, or SO
3
H are substituents, hydroxylation occurs with high regioselectivity in the 1,2-position. Thus, 1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene-2-carboxylic acids are formed quantitatively from the corresponding naphthalenecarboxylic acids. Utilization of naphthalenesulfonic acids proceeds by the same regioselective 1,2-dioxygenation which labilizes the C—SO
3
−
bond and eliminates sulfite.
Volatile Fatty Acids and Hydrogen as Substrates for Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in Anaerobic Marine Sediment
Authors: S�rensen Jan , Christensen Dorte , J�rgensen Bo Barker
Published: January 2020

The addition of 20 mM MoO
4
2−
(molybdate) to a reduced marine sediment completely inhibited the SO
4
2−
reduction activity by about 50 nmol g
−1
h
−1
(wet sediment). Acetate accumulated at a constant rate of about 25 nmol g
−1
h
−1
immediately after MoO
4
2−
addition and gave a measure of the preceding utilization rate of acetate by the SO
4
2−
-reducing bacteria. Similarly, propionate and butyrate (including isobutyrate) accumulated at constant rates of 3 to 7 and 2 to 4 nmol g
−1
h
−1
, respectively. The rate of H
2
accumulation was variable, and a range of 0 to 16 nmol g
−1
h
−1
was recorded. An immediate increase of the methanogenic activity by 2 to 3 nmol g
−1
h
−1
was apparently due to a release of the competition for H
2
by the absence of SO
4
2−
reduction. If propionate and butyrate were completely oxidized by the SO
4
2−
-reducing bacteria, the stoichiometry of the reactions would indicate that H
2
, acetate, propionate, and butyrate account for 5 to 10, 40 to 50, 10 to 20, and 10 to 20%, respectively, of the electron donors for the SO
4
2−
-reducing bacteria. If the oxidations were incomplete, however, the contributions by propionate and butyrate would only be 5 to 10% each, and the acetate could account for as much as two-thirds of the SO
4
2−
reduction. The presence of MoO
4
2−
seemed not to affect the fermentative and methanogenic activities; an MoO
4
2−
inhibition technique seems promising in the search for the natural substrates of SO
4
2−
reduction in sediments.
Enzymatic and Microbial Preparation of
d
-Xylulose from
d
-Xylose
Authors: Chiang Lin-Chang , Hsiao Humg-Yu , Ueng Pear P. , Tsao George T.
Published: January 2020

A high-
d
-xylulose mixture (
d
-xylose-
d
-xylulose = 33:67) was prepared from the cold ethanol extract of preisomerized
d
-xylose solution (
d
-xylose-
d
-xylulose = 77:23).
Fusarium oxysporum
f. sp.
lini
and
Aspergillus niger
were demonstrated to preferentially utilize
d
-xylose in the mixture of
d
-xylose and
d
-xylulose. Chromatographically pure
d
-xylulose was thus obtained in 90% yield. A high-
d
-xylulose mixture was also incubated with
Rhodotorula toruloides, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida utilis
, or
Mucor rouxii.
d
-Xylose and
d
-xylulose were simultaneously consumed. When borate was added to the mixture, a
d
-xylulose-borate complex was formed, and it could be used to protect
d
-xylulose from being utilized.
Methanol-Oxidizing Bacteria Used as an Index of Soil Methane Content
Authors: Mancinelli Rocco L. , Shulls Wells A. , McKay Christopher P.
Published: January 2020

A problem currently encountered by government agencies concerned with environmental health and safety is the determination of the methane content of soil in and around sanitary landfills. The feasibility of using methanol-oxidizing bacteria (methylotrophs) as an index of the methane content of soils from sanitary landfills was tested in this study. A statistically significant correlation was shown to exist between the methane content of soil and the number of methanol-oxidizing bacteria in soil.
Enumeration and Identification of Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria from Forage Grass Roots
Authors: Wright Sara F. , Weaver R. W.
Published: January 2020

Root-soil cores were collected from forage grasses growing in a subtropical region of Texas and tested for acetylene reduction activity. The population density of nitrogen-fixing bacteria was measured, using various media and incubation conditions. Bacteria were confirmed as nitrogen fixing, using the acetylene reduction assay, and were classified according to standard biochemical and cultural methods. The majority of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria isolated from roots were
Enterobacter cloacae
or
Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Root-associated, nitrogen-fixing bacteria were isolated from 21 of 24 root-soil cores. The population densities of nitrogen-fixing bacteria ranged from approximately 10
4
to 3 � 10
7
per g of root. Population density on roots was significantly correlated with the rate of acetylene reduction but the relationship was not linear.
Regio-Selective 10-Hydroxylation of Patchoulol, a Sesquiterpene, by
Pithomyces
Species
Authors: Suhara Yasuji , Itoh Sayuri , Ogawa Mayumi , Yokose Kazuteru , Sawada Toyoaki , Sano Takashi , Ninomiya Rieko , Maruyama Hiromi B.
Published: January 2020

Of some 350 microorganisms screened, four strains of
Pithomyces
species were found to carry out regio-selective hydroxylation of patchoulol, a sesquiterpene, to 10-hydroxypatchoulol:
Pithomyces
sp. NRJ201,
P. chartarum
NRJ210, and, to a lesser extent,
P. cynodontis
ATCC 26150 and
P. atro-olivaceus
IFO 6651 were found to catalyze this reaction. A method has been developed by which 10-hydroxypatchoulol was obtained in 25 to 45% yields in 1- to 5-liter fermentation jars at 2 to 4 g of patchoulol per liter and isolated as pure material in 30% yields.
Role of Carboxydobacteria in Consumption of Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide by Soil
Authors: Conrad Ralf , Meyer Ortwin , Seiler Wolfgang
Published: January 2020

The carbon monoxide consumption rates of the carboxydobacteria
Pseudomonas (Seliberia) carboxydohydrogena, P. carboxydovorans
, and
P. carboxydoflava
were measured at high (50%) and low (0.5 μl liter
−1
) mixing ratios of CO in air. CO was only consumed when the bacteria had been grown under CO-autotrophic conditions. As an exception,
P. carboxydoflava
consumed CO also after heterotrophic growth on pyruvate. At low cell densities the CO consumption rates measured at low CO mixing ratios were similar in cell suspensions and in mixtures of bacteria in soil. CO consumption observed in natural soil (loess, eolian sand, chernozem) as well as in suspensions or soil mixtures of carboxydobacteria showed Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The
K

m

values for CO of the carboxydobacteria (
K

m

= 465 to 1,110 μl of CO liter
−1
) were much higher than those of the natural soils (
K

m

= 5 to 8 μl of CO liter
−1
). Considering the difference of the
K

m

values and the observed
V
max
values, carboxydobacteria cannot contribute significantly to the consumption of atmospheric CO.
Precision of the all-glass impinger and the andersen microbial impactor for air sampling in solid-waste handling facilities
Authors: Lembke L L , Kniseley R N , van Nostrand R C , Hale M D
Published: January 2020

A method was devised to determine the precision of the all-glass impinger and the Andersen six-stage microbial impactor over a wide range of aerosol concentrations like those found in facilities which process solid waste. Simultaneous samples were collected inside a municipal solid-waste recovery system, and the data were treated statistically to estimate the precision of each air-sampling device. All-glass impingers yielded colony counts which indicated a linear relationship between samplers over an observed aerosol concentration of 1.1 X 10(3) to 2.8 X 10(7) colony-forming units per m3 of air. Impactors also yielded colony counts which indicated a linear relationship over an observed aerosol concentration range of 3.9 X 10(3) to 1.9 X 10(5) colony-forming units per m3 of air. The coefficients of variation for the all-glass impinger and the six-stage impactor in an environment with a high and variable dust level were determined to be 0.38 and 0.23, respectively.
Aflatoxin Contamination of Preharvest Corn as Influenced by Timing and Method of Inoculation
Authors: Widstrom Neil W. , Wilson David M. , McMillian William W.
Published: January 2020

Four corn (
Zea mays
L.) hybrids were grown in 1977 and 1978 and inoculated with
Aspergillus flavus
Link 20 or 40 days after silking. Inoculation methods included needle, knife, and multiple-puncture injury to the kernels. The level of aflatoxin contamination, insect damage to the ear, and the percentage of ears having visible greenish
A. flavus
Link-type mold were determined. Differences among hybrids were not significant for any of the three characteristics measured, although aflatoxin levels of the early-maturing, loose-husked hybrids were approximately twice as high as those of two later-maturing, tight-husked types. Differences among treatments for insect damage rating were not statistically significant. Delaying inoculation until 40 days after silking significantly reduced the aflatoxin contamination level of samples harvested at maturity. Fewer than one-half the ears inoculated at 40 days after silking (35.3%) exhibited visible signs of infection compared with ears inoculated 20 days after silking (82.9%). The needle inoculations were less effective in eliciting aflatoxin production (163 μg/kg and 45.1% visibly infected ears) than were knife (202 μg/kg and 61.8% visibly infected ears) and multiple puncture (305 μg/kg and 70.4% visibly infected ears) methods of inoculation.
Role of Sulfate Reduction Versus Methanogenesis in Terminal Carbon Flow in Polluted Intertidal Sediment of Waimea Inlet, Nelson, New Zealand
Authors: Mountfort Douglas O. , Asher Rodney A.
Published: January 2020

An investigation of the terminal anaerobic processes occurring in polluted intertidal sediments indicated that terminal carbon flow was mainly mediated by sulfate-reducing organisms in sediments with high sulfate concentrations (>10 mM in the interstitial water) exposed to low loadings of nutrient (equivalent to <10
2
kg of N · day
−1
) and biochemical oxygen demand (<0.7 × 10
3
kg · day
−1
) in effluents from different pollution sources. However, in sediments exposed to high loadings of nutrient (>10
2
kg of N · day
−1
) and biochemical oxygen demand (>0.7 × 10
3
kg · day
−1
), methanogenesis was the major process in the mediation of terminal carbon flow, and sulfate concentrations were low (≤2 mM). The respiratory index [
14
CO
2
/(
14
CO
2
+
14
CH
4
)] for [2-
14
C]acetate catabolism, a measure of terminal carbon flow, was ≥0.96 for sediment with high sulfate, but in sediments with sulfate as little as 10 μM in the interstitial water, respiratory index values of ≤0.22 were obtained. In the latter sediment, methane production rates as high as 3 μmol · g
−1
(dry weight) · h
−1
were obtained, and there was a potential for active sulfate reduction.
Kinetics of the Removal of Iron Pyrite from Coal by Microbial Catalysis
Authors: Hoffmann Michael R. , Faust Bruce C. , Panda Fern A. , Koo Hong H. , Tsuchiya Henry M.
Published: January 2020

Different strains of
Thiobacillus ferrooxidans
and
Thiobacillus thiooxidans
were used to catalyze the oxidative dissolution of iron pyrite, FeS
2
, in nine different coal samples. Kinetic variables and parametric factors that were determined to have a pronounced effect on the rate and extent of oxidative dissolution at a fixed Po
2
were: the bacterial strain, the nitrogen/phosphorus molar ratio, the partial pressure of CO
2
, the coal source, and the total reactive surface area of FeS
2
. The overall rate of leaching, which exhibited a first-order dependence on the total surface area of FeS
2
, was analyzed mathematically in terms of the sum of a biochemical rate, ν
1
, and a chemical rate, ν
2
. Results of this study show that bacterial desulfurization (90 to 98%) of coal samples which are relatively high in pyritic sulfur can be achieved within a time-frame of 8 to 12 days when pulp densities are ≤20% and particle sizes are ≤74 μm. The most effective strains of
T. ferrooxidans
were those that were isolated from natural systems, and
T. ferrooxidans
ATCC 19859 was the most effective pure strain. The most effective nutrient media contained relatively low phosphate concentrations, with an optimal N/P molar ratio of 90:1. These results suggest that minimal nutrient additions may be required for a commercial desulfurization process.
Growth of
Rhizobium japonicum
Strains at Temperatures Above 27°C
Authors: Munévar Fernando , Wollum Arthur G.
Published: January 2020

A study was conducted to examine the growth responses of different
Rhizobium japonicum
strains to increasing temperatures, determine the degree of variability among strains in those responses, and identify temperature-related growth characteristics that could be used to select temperature-tolerant strains. Each of 42 strains was grown in liquid culture for 96 h at 19 incubation temperatures ranging from 27.4 to 54.1°C in a temperature gradient apparatus. Growth was estimated by measuring the change in optical density over time. Strains differed in their responses to increasing temperatures. Three characteristic temperatures were determined for each strain: the temperature giving the maximum optical density at 96 h (optimum temperature), the maximum temperature allowing a continuous increase in optical density during the 96-h period (maximum permissive temperature), and the maximum temperature allowing growth of the cultures after they were transferred to a uniform incubation temperature of 28°C (maximum survival temperature). The three characteristic temperatures varied among strains and had the following ranges: optimum temperature, from 27.4 to 35.2°C; maximum permissive temperature, from 29.8 to 38.0°C; and maximum survival temperature, from 33.7 to 48.7°C. Significant positive correlations were found between maximum permissive temperature and optimum temperature and between maximum permissive temperature and maximum survival temperature. Eight strains which had the highest maximum permissive temperature, optimum temperature, and maximum survival temperature were considered tolerant of high temperatures and were able to grow at temperatures higher than those previously reported for the most tolerant
R. japonicum
strains. The strains were of diverse geographical origin, but the response to high temperatures was not related to their origin. Evaluation of the temperature responses in pure culture may be useful in the search for
R. japonicum
strains better suited to environments in which high soil temperature is a limiting factor.
Usefulness of Electrophoretic Pattern of Cell Envelope Protein as a Taxonomic Tool for Fishhold Slime
Moraxella
Species
Authors: Chai Tuu-Jyi
Published: January 2020

Nine independent
Moraxella
cultures were isolated from the accumulated slime in fishholds of fishery trawlers. It is significant that none of these isolates was viable above 30°C, a temperature well below the usual incubation temperature for plate counts of food samples. The traditional taxonomic parameters showed no significant dissimilarities among these closely related marine organisms or between them and conventional moraxellas. However, cell envelope protein profiles examined on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels revealed that the organisms fell into several distinct groups. The cell envelope protein profile could be a simple and quick test to determine the fine relationships between individual isolates.
Transformation of bile acids by Clostridium perfringens
Authors: Hirano S , Masuda N , Oda H , Mukai H
Published: January 2020

Thirty-five strains of Clostridium perfringens were examined for their ability to transform bile acids, both in growing cultures and by washed whole cells. All of the strains oxidized the 3 alpha-hydroxy group to an oxo group, and all except three converted the same alpha-hydroxy group into a beta-configuration. The oxidative 3 alpha-dehydrogenation was barely detectable under anaerobic cultural conditions but was clearly demonstrated in an aerated system using washed whole cells, with a pH optimum between 7.0 and 9.0. The epimerizing reaction amounting to 10 to 20% conversion was observed in anaerobic cultures and also with resting cells, irrespective of oxygen supply. Both reactions were carried out with seven conventional 3 alpha-hydroxy bile acids, thus producing a series of 3-oxo and 3 beta-hydroxy derivatives that could be examined for gas-liquid chromatographic and mass spectrometric behavior. No evidence for the occurrence of 7 alpha- and 12 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities among the test strains was found. A highly potent deconjugating hydrolase was elaborated by all of the strains.
Quantitative procedure for enumeration of bifidobacteria
Authors: Resnick I G , Levin M A
Published: January 2020

A membrane filter technique has been developed for the enumeration of bifidobacteria in natural aquatic environments. The technique is quantitative, selective, and differential. The medium (YN-6) contains: yeast extract, 2.0 g; agar, 1.5 g; polypeptone peptone, 1.0 g; vitamin-free Casamino Acids, 0.8 g; sodium chloride, 0.32 g; and L-cysteine hydrochloride, 0.003 g; in 100 ml of deionized water. The medium is adjusted to pH 7.0 before autoclaving. Nalidixic acid (80 micrograms/ml), neomycin sulfate (2.5 micrograms/ml), and bromcresol green (300 micrograms/ml) are included as selective and differential agents. After incubation for 48 h at 37 degrees C in an anaerobic environment, Gram-stained smears from green, glistening, smooth entire colonies are examined microscopically for typical bifidobacterial morphology. No significant difference in recoveries was observed when YN-6 was compared with reinforced clostridial agar, using bifidobacteria freshly isolated from feces and raw sewage. Using this technique with aquatic and fecal samples, less than 9% false-positive and 8% false-negative isolates were observed. These results indicated that the medium was able to satisfactorily recover organisms from a variety of situations.
Persistence and distribution of pollution indicator bacteria on land used for disposal of piggery effluent
Authors: Chandler D S , Farran I , Craven J A
Published: January 2020

Numbers of pollution indicator bacteria (fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci) were assessed on land to which effluent from intensively housed pigs had been applied. Topsoil (to a 30-mm depth) was found to provide a more favorable environment for fecal coliform persistence than was pasture or subsoil. Times required for a 90% reduction in number (T90) in topsoil (calculated by linear regression of log counts obtained in a 6-week period after effluent application) ranged from 7 to 20 days (mean T90, 11 days). T90 values for fecal coliforms fell within this range irrespective of the season of application and for a number of soil types and climatic conditions. The range in die-off times was encountered irrespective of the fecal coliform count in the applied effluent or the application regimen (125 to 1,000 kg of elemental nitrogen in the form of effluent per ha; return periods, 3 to 12 months). Autumn and winter conditions were conducive to the persistence of a survivor tail of these bacteria at 10(1) to 10(3) cells per g of topsoil. Fecal streptococci survived similarly on soil and pasture (T90, ca. 14 days) and appeared slightly more suited to survival in the environment than did fecal coliforms. Contamination of subsoils after effluent applications occurred at a rate well in excess of the infiltration capacity of the soil, presumably by percolation of the effluent through soil cracks. Contamination levels of subsoils in the experimental area generally remained low.
Inactivation of poliovirus by chloramine-T
Authors: Gowda N M , Trieff N M , Stanton G J
Published: January 2020

Since concern has recently been expressed about the presence of genotoxic substances due to chlorination of water and wastewater, chloramine-T (CAT) is proposed as an alternative disinfectant to chlorine. The viricidal properties of chlorine and CAT were compared. Kinetics of inactivation of poliovirus type 2 by chlorine and CAT in chlorine demand-free water were investigated by using a kinetic apparatus. Inactivation of the virus by chlorine and CAT occurred in two steps. The initial linear part of the inactivation curve followed a pseudo-first-order reaction with the virus. An obvious dose-response relationship was demonstrated with CAT. The rate of inactivation of the virus by CAT was faster in acid medium than in alkaline medium. Inactivation kinetic studies were performed at different temperatures, and the kinetic, Arrhenius, and thermodynamic parameters were evaluated. The rate of inactivation of poliovirus type 2 by chlorine was faster than that by CAT under identical conditions. A mechanism for the viral inactivation in acid conditions was proposed which led to a rate equation consistent with the experimental results. The results indicate that CAT may be an effective viricide against poliovirus type 2 in an acid medium.
Nonselectivity of Rimler-Shotts Medium for
Aeromonas hydrophila
in Estuarine Environments
Authors: Davis John W. , Sizemore Ronald K.
Published: January 2020

Thirty presumptive
Aeromonas hydrophila
isolates were collected from estuarine sources using Rimler-Shotts media. Many of the isolates, especially the strains from a low-salinity site, were also identified as
A. hydrophila
using the API 20E system and two differential techniques devised for the identification of
A. hydrophila
. All of the isolates, however, had deoxyribonucleic acid base compositions with guanine-plus-cytosine ratios between 40 and 49 mol%, which excludes these strains from the genus
Aeromonas
.
Characterization of plasmids in Erwinia stewartii
Authors: Coplin D L , Rowan R G , Chisholm D A , Whitmoyer R E
Published: January 2020

Plasmids in 39 strains of Erwinia stewartii were examined by agarose gel electrophoresis. Most virulent strains had from 11 to 13 plasmids ranging in molecular mass from 2.8 to 210 megadaltons and contained plasmids of 210, 70, 49, 43, 29.5, 16.8, 8.8, and 2.8 megadaltons. Plasmids in strains SW2 and SS104 were characterized by both electron microscopy and agarose gel electrophoresis and may be useful as convenient references for sizing plasmids by electrophoresis. Specific size classes of plasmids could not be associated with antibiotic and heavy metal resistance, carbohydrate utilization, bacteriocin production, or pathogenicity to corn. However, avirulent strains tended to have fewer plasmids than virulent strains.
Isolation of Citreoviridin from
Penicillium charlesii
Cultures and Molded Pecan Fragments
Authors: Cole Richard J. , Dorner Joe W. , Cox Richard H. , Hill Robert A. , Cluter Horace G. , Wells John M.
Published: January 2020

The extraction and systematic fractionation of
Penicillium charlesii
Smith cultures and contaminated pecan fragments yielded the yellow mycotoxin citreoviridin. Citreoviridin proved acutely toxic to 1-day-old chickens, with an oral 50% lethal dose of 37.5 mg/kg, and showed plant growth inhibition in wheat coleoptiles even at concentrations as low as 10
−4
M. It was toxic to corn seedlings but did not affect young tobacco seedlings.
Moisture Requirements for Growth and Metabolite Production by Lactic Acid Bacteria
Authors: Troller J. A. , Stinson J. V.
Published: January 2020

The effect of water activity (
a
w
) reduction on growth and acid and diacetyl production by three lactic streptococci was studied. In addition, the influence of low moisture conditions on several bacteria of significance in the fermentation of sauerkraut was examined. The minimal
a
w
supporting growth of dairy lactics was 0.93 in a medium adjusted with glycerol. Media adjusted with sucrose generally were more inhibitory than those in which glycerol was the humectant. Titratable acidity, although not related to the type of humectant, did depend on the
a
w
of the medium and was directly related to the extent of growth. Diacetyl concentration increased in cultures of reduced
a
w
when the media were adjusted with both humectants; however, the effect was greatest with glycerol. A lactic strain associated with sauerkraut fermentation appeared to grow at a lower minimal
a
w
in a glycerol-adjusted medium than in a system adjusted with NaCl; however, none of the sauerkraut organisms grew at
a
w
levels of <0.95 when NaCl was the solute. Acid production appeared to be related to the presence and extent of growth at all of the
a
w
levels studied.