Rhodobacter sphaeroides mutants which accumulate 5-aminolevulinic acid under aerobic and dark conditions

The photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides accumulates 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), which is a precursor in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, under light illumination and upon addition of levulinic acid as an inhibitor of ALA dehydratase. To generate an industrial strain which produces ALA in the absence of light, we sequentially mutated R. sphaeroides CR-286 using N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG). The mutant strains were screened by cultivating in the absence of light and assayed for ALA by the Ehrlich reaction in a 96-well microtiter plate. The mutant strain CR-386, derived from R. sphaeroides CR-286, was selected as a mutant that exhibited significant ALA accumulation. While CR-286 required light illumination for ALA production, CR-386 was able to accumulate 1.5 mM ALA in the presence of 50 mM glucose, 60 mM glycine, 15 mM levulinic acid and 1.0% (w/v) yeast extract under conditions of agitation in the absence of light. The mutant strain CR-450, derived from strain CR-386, was selected further as a mutant that exhibited significant ALA accumulation but no accumulation of aminoacetone, analogue of ALA. CR-450 accumulated 3.8 mM ALA under the same conditions. In the presence of 50 mM glucose, 60 mM glycine, 5 mM levulinic acid and 1.0% (w/v) yeast extract, the mutant strain CR-520, derived from strain CR-450, and strain CR-606, derived from strain CR-520, accumulated 8.1 mM and 11.2 mM ALA, respectively. In batch fermentation, the strain CR-606 accumulated 20 mM ALA over 18 h after the addition of glycine, levulinic acid, glucose and yeast extract.     

干旱胁迫下外源ALA对烤烟幼苗光合特性和抗氧化能力的影响

为进一步探究外源5-氨基乙酰丙酸（ALA）对干旱胁迫下烟草幼苗抗旱能力的作用机理，以烤烟品种豫烟10号幼苗为试验材料，采用营养液培养的方法，研究叶面喷施不同浓度的（0~80 mg/L）外源ALA对干旱胁迫下烤烟幼苗烤烟光合特性和抗氧化能力的影响。结果表明干旱胁迫下烤烟叶片细胞活性氧和硫代巴比妥酸（TBARS）含量增加，叶绿体遭到破坏，光合速率降低，植物生长受到抑制。干旱胁迫下外源ALA能够显著降低烤烟叶片活性氧水平，提高抗氧化酶活性，以喷施20 mg/L ALA效果最为显著。其中与PEG处理相比，净光合速率（P_n）、蒸腾速率（T_r）、气孔导度（G_s）分别提高96.19%、96.79%和132.43%，抗氧化物酶（SOD、POD、CAT、APX）活性分别提高49.05%，61.97%，64.17%和70.08%。喷施适宜浓度的外源ALA可有效提高烤烟叶片光合特性和抗氧化能力，缓解活性氧伤害，从而增强烤烟幼苗对干旱胁迫的适应能力。     

Functional magnetic particles for medical application

Magnetic particles for medical applications have been developed by many researchers. Since magnetic particles have unique magnetic features not present in other materials, they can be applied to special medical techniques. Separation, immunoassay, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), drug delivery, and hyperthermia are enhanced by the use of magnetic particles. Magnetite cationic liposomes (MCLs), one of the group of cationic magnetic particles, can be used as carriers to introduce DNA into cells since their positively charged surface associates with the negatively charged DNA. They can also be used as heat mediators for cancer therapy. Magnetic particles conjugated with tumor-specific antibodies have enabled tumor-specific contrast enhancement in MRI. In addition, antibody-conjugated magnetic particles were shown to target renal cell carcinoma cells, and are applicable to the hyperthermic treatment of carcinomas. The use of magnetic particles with their unique features will further improve medical techniques.     

5-氨基乙酰丙酸脱水酶缺失对大肠杆菌生长的影响

5-氨基乙酰丙酸(ALA)脱水酶直接关系到ALA的积累,研究该酶突变对细胞的影响对生物法生产ALA具有重要意义,然而目前这方面认识比较混乱.本研究通过无痕敲除Ecoli MG1655菌株的ALA脱水酶的结构基因hemB,发现ALA脱水酶酶活大幅降低,且突变株生长受到极大的影响,但是仍然有10%的残余酶活支持细胞微弱且不...     

光合细菌产氢及其影响因素

介绍了光合细菌的产氢机理,讨论了细菌种类、底物、光等对光合细菌产氢的影响,分析了光合细菌产氢存在的问题和未来的发展趋势.     

Biosorption of cadmium ions using a photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides S and a marine photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodovulum sp. and their biosorption kinetics

We examined the biosorption characteristics of cadmium ions onto a photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides S and a marine photosynthetic bacterium Rhodovulum sp. PS88 in a batch culture system. Both photosynthetic bacteria are capable of cadmium removal with 30 g/l sodium chloride and divalent cations (Mg2+ and Ca2+) in the culture medium. In particular, the strain PS88 shows a high removal ratio and high specific removal rate of cadmium ions from the culture medium under aerobic-dark (heterotrophic) and anaerobic-light (photoheterotrophic) conditions. The adsorption of cadmium onto strains PS88 and S is dependent on the cadmium concentration, and follows the Freundlich adsorption isotherm. In addition, biosorption isotherms for cadmium show that the strain PS88 exhibits higher values of the empirical constant for the cadmium adsorption capacity, Kr, than that of the strain S under both aerobic-dark (K(f)=17.44) and anaerobic-light (K(f)=1.270) conditions.     

Controlled release of alpha-lipoic acid through incorporation into natural polysaccharide-based gel beads

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is an essential cofactor for mitochondrial multi-enzyme complexes related to energy production. However, it is unstable under light and heat and its biological half-life (t_1/2) is short. In this study, ALA was incorporated into alginic acid (Alg) gel beads to achieve stabilisation and sustained release. The cationic polymer chitosan (CS) was also added to the Alg gel beads to better control ALA release. In artificial gastric juice (pH 1.2), ALA release from the Alg gel beads was controlled through simple diffusion from the gel matrix. However, in artificial intestinal juice (pH 6.8), the Alg gel beads were immediately disintegrated. On the other hand, Alg gel beads with CS were not disintegrated in artificial intestinal juice (pH 6.8), and achieved pH-independent sustained release of ALA through an electrostatic interaction between the carboxyl groups of Alg and the amino groups of CS. ALA contained within the Alg gel beads was protected from light (UV) and heat (65 °C) compared with ALA alone. Addition of CS to the Alg gel beads further increased the stability of ALA. Thus, stabilisation and controlled release of ALA was achieved through incorporation of ALA in Alg gel beads containing CS.     

α-亚麻酸研究进展

α-亚麻酸属于n-3系列多不饱和脂肪酸,分子结构为△9,12,15-18:3,主要来源于陆地植物, 如杜仲、藿香、亚麻、紫苏等。在体内代谢过程中,它主要作为EPA和DHA前体物质,并具有降低胆固醇、血脂,预防心血管疾病、保护视力和抑制过敏反应等功能。该文主要介绍α-亚麻酸的来源、分离提取方法进展及生理功能,并对α-亚麻酸发展前景进行展望。     

不产氧光合细菌抗氧化作用研究进展

不产氧光合细菌本身富含多种营养物质和生理活性物质,并能进行生物固氮、产氢以及降解多种有毒物质等生物功能,近年来受到广泛的关注。本文对不产氧光合细菌的分类、其抗氧化作用机理和应用进行系统的概述,并指出其中有待研究的问题。     

生物质纤维医用敷料研究进展

针对当前传统医用敷料在患者伤口护理中出现的易感染、造成二次伤害等问题,结合生物质原料的生物可降解性、生物相容性、无毒性等特点,以及部分生物质纤维良好的吸湿性、抑菌性和一定的生物活性等性质,介绍了生物质纤维作为医用敷料的优势.概述了用于医用敷料的不同生物质纤维的制备方式,提出不同伤口定制化处理时适用的生物质纤维.归纳了近...