Cellular and transcriptional responses of yeast to the cleavage of cytosolic tRNAs induced by colicin D

Colicin D is a plasmid‐encoded antibacterial protein that specifically cleaves the anticodon loops of four Escherichia coli tRNA^Arg species. Here, we report that the catalytic domain of colicin D, which is expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, impairs cell growth by cleaving specific tRNAs. DNA microarray analysis revealed that mating‐related genes were upregulated, while genes involved in a range of metabolic processes were downregulated, thereby impairing cell growth. The pheromone‐signalling pathway was activated only in α cells by tRNA cleavage, which was not observed in ‘a’ cells or diploid cells. On the basis of these results and on the recent identification of two killer toxins that cleave specific tRNAs, the relationship between tRNA depletion and the resultant cellular response is discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Processing of ethanol fermentation broths by Candida krusei to separate bioethanol by pervaporation using silicone rubber‐coated silicalite membranes

BACKGROUND: Pervaporation employing ethanol‐permselective silicalite membranes as an alternative to distillation is a promising approach for refining low‐concentration bioethanol solutions. However, to make the separation process practicable, it is extremely important to avoid the problems caused by the adsorption of succinate on the membrane during the separation process. In this work, the pervaporation of an ethanol fermentation broth without succinate was investigated, as well as the influence of several fermentation broth nutrient components. RESULTS: Candida krusei IA‐1 produces an extremely low level of succinate. The decrease in permeate ethanol concentration through a silicone rubber‐coated silicalite membrane during the separation of low‐succinate C. krusei IA‐1 fermentation broth was significantly improved when compared with that obtained using Saccharomyces cerevisiae broth. By treating the fermentation broth with activated carbon, bioethanol was concentrated as efficiently as with binary mixtures of ethanol/water. The total flux was improved upto 56% of that obtained from the separation of binary mixtures, compared with 43% before the addition of activated carbon. Nutrients such as peptone, yeast extract and corn steep liquor had a negative effect on pervaporation, but this response was distinct from that caused by succinate. CONCLUSION: For consistent separation of bioethanol from C. krusei IA‐1 fermentation broth by pervaporation, it is useful to treat the low nutrient broth with activated carbon. To further improve pervaporation performance, it will be necessary to suppress the accumulation of glycerol. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Brain activity in the resting state: default mode network as an inside story within the brain

As a promising research field after the turn of the new century, a default mode network (DMN) in the brain shows strong potential as a new breakthrough in neuroscience. This approach emphasizes the baseline of the brain’s activities when the brain is awake but is not receiving any external input signal. The study of DMN has recently been highlighted, and is expected to provide a key to understanding mental disorders. This article consists of two sections: (1) a brief tutorial on DMN is presented, together with some necessary fundamental knowledge of neuroscience, and (2) a framework of network informatics for the DMN is proposed based on network dynamics. Models of information networks are discussed to bridge the gap between the level of regions and the level of neurons in the brain, and major issues about analyzing the DMN by brain imaging technologies are also discussed. One of the inspirations arising from the DMN approach is how spontaneous collective behavior emerges within an autonomous system. This is crucial to a systematic understanding of the brain’s function, and to exploring some new design principles of autonomous robotics in order to demonstrate complex life-like behaviors in engineering.     

WO3–TiO2 monolithic catalysts for high temperature SCR of NO by NH3: Influence of preparation method on structural and physico-chemical properties, activity and durability

The WO₃–TiO₂ catalysts with different WO₃ loadings prepared by the coprecipitation method were investigated in comparison with those prepared by the conventional impregnation method for the activity and durability in the high temperature SCR of NO by NH₃ and the structural and physico-chemical properties which were characterized by BET and XRD measurements, IR, Raman and XPS spectroscopies. The catalyst prepared by coprecipitation, as compared with that prepared by impregnation, was found to exhibit a higher SCR activity at high temperatures and also to possess a larger surface area, higher Brønsted acidity and larger monolayer capacity of the support with WO₃. Increasing the WO₃ loading of the catalysts enhances the SCR activity and simultaneously increases the Brønsted acidity. The observed improvement of SCR activity for the catalyst prepared by coprecipitation is mainly attributed to the higher Brønsted acidity and the presence of the more highly dispersed WO₃ species which is suggested by the larger monolayer capacity of ca. 13 μmol(W)/m² and no crystalline WO₃ on TiO₂ detected with XRD at the high WO₃ loading up to 40 wt.%. The catalyst with 20 wt.% WO₃, as compared with that prepared by impregnation, was found to exhibit a better thermal durability at high temperatures from 550 to 600 °C. The better durability is attributed to that the reduction of the surface area and the formation and subsequent growth of crystalline WO₃ upon aging are more remarkably inhibited.     

Characterization of new types of mannosylerythritol lipids as biosurfactants produced from soybean oil by a basidiomycetous yeast, Pseudozyma shanxiensis

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) are glycolipid biosurfactants produced by the yeast strains of the genus Pseudozyma. These show not only the excellent surface-active properties but also versatile biochemical actions. In course of MEL production from soybean oil by P. shanxiensis, new extracellular glycolipids (more hydrophilic than the previously reported MELs) were found in the culture medium. As a result of the structural characterization, the glycolipids were identified as a mixture of 4-O-[(2', 4'-di-O-acetyl-3'-O-alka(e)noyl)-beta-D-mannopyranosyl]-D-erythritol and 4-O-[(4'-O-acetyl-3'-O-alka(e)noyl-2'-O-butanoyl)-beta-D-mannopyranosyl]-D-erythritol. Interestingly, the new MELs possessed a much shorter chain (C(2) or C(4)) at the C-2' position of the mannose moiety compared to the MELs hitherto reported, which mainly possess a medium-chain acid (C(10)) at the position. They would thus show higher hydrophilicity and/or water-solubility, and expand the development of the environmentally advanced yeast biosurfactants.     

Lead solubility in FeO x -CaO-SiO2 slags at iron saturation

Experiments have been carried out to determine the equilibria between FeO _x -CaO-SiO₂ slag and lead metal in iron crucibles at temperatures ranging from 1473 to 1573 K. It has been found that the highest lead solubilities are observed in the silica-saturated iron silicate slags, while the lowest solubilities are observed in the CaO-saturated calcium ferrite slags. The activity coefficient of PbO varies from 0.15 to 3, depending on the slag composition. Changes in temperature do not have a significant impact on the activity coefficient. The activity of FeO and pct Fe³⁺/pct Fe²⁺ ratios have been determined as a function of slag composition. These new experimental data have been incorporated into an optimized thermodynamic slag model using the computer package FACT.     

Evolution,Generality and Robustness of Emerged Surrounding Behavior in Continuous Predators-Prey Pursuit Problem

We present the result of our work on the use of strongly typed genetic programming with exception handling capabilities for the evolution of surrounding behavior of agents situated in an inherently cooperative environment. The predators-prey pursuit problem is used to verify our hypothesis that relatively complex surrounding behavior may emerge from simple, implicit, locally defined, and therefore—scalable interactions between the predator agents. Proposing two different communication mechanisms ((i) simple, basic mechanism of implicit interaction, and (ii) explicit communications among the predator agents) we present a comparative analysis of the implications of these communication mechanisms on evolution, generality and robustness of the emerged surrounding behavior. We demonstrate that relatively complex-surrounding behavior emerges even from implicit, proximity-defined interactions among the agents. Although the basic model offers the benefits of simplicity and scalability, compared to the enhanced model of explicit communications among the agents, it features increased computational effort and inferior generality and robustness of agents' emergent surrounding behavior when the team of predator agents is evolved in noiseless environment and then tested in noisy and uncertain environment. Evolution in noisy environment virtually equalizes the robustness and generality characteristics of both models. For both models however the increase of noise levels during the evolution is associated with evolving solutions, which are more robust to noise but less general to new, unknown initial situations.