Differentiation of vegetative cells into spores: a kinetic model applied toBacillus subtilis

AbstractBacterial spores are formed within vegetative cells as thick-walled bodies resistant to physical and chemical treatments which allow the persistence and dissemination of the bacterial species. Spore-forming bacteria are natural contaminants of food raw materials and sporulation can occur in many environments from farm to fork. In order to predict spore formation over time, we developed a model that describes both the kinetics of growth and the differentiation of vegetative cells into spores. The model includes a classical growth model with the addition of only two sporulation-specific parameters: the probability of each vegetative cell to sporulate, and the time needed to form a spore once the cell is committed to sporulation. The growth-sporulation model was evaluated using the spore-forming, Gram positive bacterium,Bacillus subtilisand the biological meaning of the sporulation-specific parameters was validated using a derivative strain that produces the green fluorescent protein as a marker of sporulation initiation. The model accurately describes the growth and the sporulation kinetics in different environmental conditions and further provides valuable, physiological information on the temporal abilities of vegetative cells to differentiate into spores.ImportanceThe growth-sporulation model we developed accurately describes growth and sporulation kinetics. It describes the progressive transition from vegetative cells to spores with sporulation parameters which are meaningful and relevant to the sporulation process. The first parameter is the mean time required for a vegetative cell to differentiate into a spore (i.e. the duration of the sporulation process). The second sporulation parameter is the probability of each vegetative cell forming a spore over time. This parameter assesses how efficient the sporulation process is, how fast vegetative cells sporulate and how synchronous the bacterial population is for sporulation. The model constitutes a very interesting tool to describe the growth and the sporulation kinetics in different environmental conditions and it provides qualitative information on the sporulation of a bacterial population over time.

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Differentiation of Vegetative Cells into Spores: a Kinetic Model Applied toBacillus subtilis

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.00322-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 85 (10) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Emilie Gauvry ◽

Anne-Gabrielle Mathot ◽

Olivier Couvert ◽

Ivan Leguérinel ◽

Matthieu Jules ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Subtilis ◽

Vegetative Cell ◽

Goodness Of Fit ◽

Fluorescent Protein ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Spore Formation ◽

Vegetative Cells ◽

Content Type ◽

Kinetics Of ◽

Over Time

ABSTRACTSpore-forming bacteria are natural contaminants of food raw materials, and sporulation can occur in many environments from farm to fork. In order to characterize and to predict spore formation over time, we developed a model that describes both the kinetics of growth and the differentiation of vegetative cells into spores. The model is based on a classical growth model and enables description of the kinetics of sporulation with the addition of three parameters specific to sporulation. Two parameters are related to the probability of each vegetative cell to commit to sporulation and to form a spore, and the last one is related to the time needed to form a spore once the cell is committed to sporulation. The goodness of fit of this growth-sporulation model was assessed using growth-sporulation kinetics at various temperatures in laboratory medium or in whey forBacillus subtilis,Bacillus cereus, andBacillus licheniformis. The model accurately describes the kinetics in these different conditions, with a mean error lower than 0.78 log10CFU/ml for the growth and 1.08 log10CFU/ml for the sporulation. The biological meaning of the parameters was validated with a derivative strain ofBacillus subtilis168 which produces green fluorescent protein at the initiation of sporulation. This model provides physiological information on the spore formation and on the temporal abilities of vegetative cells to differentiate into spores and reveals the heterogeneity of spore formation during and after growth.IMPORTANCEThe growth-sporulation model describes the progressive transition from vegetative cells to spores with sporulation parameters describing the sporulation potential of each vegetative cell. Consequently, the model constitutes an interesting tool to assess the sporulation potential of a bacterial population over time with accurate parameters such as the time needed to obtain one resistant spore and the probability of sporulation. Further, this model can be used to assess these data under various environmental conditions in order to better identify the conditions favorable for sporulation regarding the time to obtain the first spore and/or the concentrations of spores which could be reached during a food process.

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Quantifying the combined effects of attempt rate and swimming capacity on passage through velocity barriers

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f04-094 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 61 (9) ◽

pp. 1602-1615 ◽

Cited By ~ 68

Author(s):

Theodore Castro-Santos

Keyword(s):

Environmental Conditions ◽

Cumulative Effect ◽

Fish Passage ◽

Combined Effects ◽

White Sucker ◽

Catostomus Commersoni ◽

Time Required ◽

Hydraulic Variables ◽

Over Time ◽

Swimming Capacity

The ability of fish to migrate past velocity barriers results from both attempt rate and swimming capacity. Here, I formalize this relationship, providing equations for estimating the proportion of a population successfully passing a barrier over a range of distances and times. These equations take into account the cumulative effect of multiple attempts, the time required to stage those attempts, and both the distance traversed on each attempt and its variability. I apply these equations to models of white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) and walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) ascending a 23-m-long flume against flows ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 m·s1. Attempt rate varied between species, attempts, and over time and was influenced by hydraulic variables (velocity of flow and discharge). Distance of ascent was primarily influenced by flow velocity. Although swimming capacity was similar, white sucker had greater attempt rates, and consequently better passage success, than walleye. Over short distances, models for both species predict greater passage success against higher velocities owing to the associated increased attempt rate. These results highlight the importance of attraction to fish passage and the need for further investigation into the hydraulic and other environmental conditions required to simultaneously optimize both attempt rate and passage success.

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Variability in chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Rosa × damascena Herrm. from mountainous regions of Iran

Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture ◽

10.1186/s40538-021-00219-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mansureh Ghavam ◽

Afsaneh Afzali ◽

Maria Manconi ◽

Gianluigi Bacchetta ◽

Maria Letizia Manca

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Activity ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Essential Oil ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Rosa Damascena ◽

Mountainous Regions ◽

Aspergillus Brasiliensis ◽

Suitable Area

Abstract Background Essential oil of Rosa × damascena Herrm. is one of the most valuable and important raw materials for the flavor and fragrance industry. The cultivation of this plant has ancient origins, and Kashan was one of the first mountainous regions of Iran dealing with the cultivation of R. × damascena. In this study, both chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of different rose essential oils obtained from five mountainous areas of Kashan region (Maragh, Qamsar, Sadeh, Javinan, and Kamoo) has been investigated along with the influence of the environmental conditions on these properties. Results Results showed that yield and chemical composition of essential oils obtained from Rosa × damascena were significantly affected by the collection area. In particular, the yield of oils varied from ~0.08 to ~0.132% and citronellol (36.70-9.18%), geraniol (12.82-0.47%), nonadecane (22.73-10.36%), heneicosane (31.7-11.43%), and 1-nonadecene (6.03-3.93%) have been detected as main compounds in all the plants collected, but at different concentrations depending on the collection area. The best fragrance and the highest yield were found in the oil from Kamoo area. Similarly to the chemical composition, the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils was affected by their origin, and essential oil obtained from plants collected from Kamoo area disclosed the highest antibacterial and antifungal efficacy. Its inhibition halos were 17.33±0.58 mm against Aspergillus brasiliensis, 15.67±0.58 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, and 12.33±0. 58 mm against Streptococcus pyogenes. Essential oils of R. damascena were also effective against Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and they had a MIC value of 62.50 μg/mL irrespective of the collection area (except the oil from Javinan area). On the contrary, the highest antifungal power against Candida albicans yeast was reached using the essential oil obtained from plants collected in Javinan region (MIC and MBC ~62.50 μg/mL). Conclusions Overall results underline the influence of environmental conditions of the different areas of Kashan region, on the chemical composition of and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Rosa × damascena. In addition, results disclosed that Kamoo seemed to be the most suitable area for the competitive cultivation of R. × damascena to the intensive production of aromatic flower oil and natural antimicrobial essential oils.

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77 The effect of naturally occurring levels of multiple mycotoxins on growth performance and carcass parameters of grow-finish pigs

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa054.099 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. 54-55

Author(s):

Leigh Ruckman ◽

Stacie Gould ◽

John Patience

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Economic Impact ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Control Diet ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Carcass Parameters ◽

Low Levels ◽

Dietary Treatments ◽

Over Time

Abstract Mycotoxins may not be an issue every year, but the proper environmental conditions can cause a spike in contaminated grains and cause severe economic impact on pork producers. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of naturally occurring infections of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisins (DZF) on growth performance and carcass parameters in grow/finish pigs. One hundred pigs (BW 34.0 ± 0.9 kg; L337 × Camborough, PIC, Hendersonville, TN) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 dietary treatments with 10 split-sex pens/treatment. The control diet (CTL) contained low levels of DZF and the CTL+DFZ diet contained high levels of DZF. Diets were fed in 4 phases over the 126-d experiment period. The CTL diet contained 1.6, 1.6, 1.8 and 1.2 mg deoxynivalenol/kg and CTL+DZF contained 9.2, 6.9, 5.8 and 3.8 mg deoxynivalenol/kg in the 4 diet phases, respectively. The CTL contained 0.30, 0.32, 0.51 and 0.32 mg zearalenone/kg and 0.7, 0.8, 0.8 and 0.9 mg total fumonisins/kg; CTL+DFZ contained 0.59, 0.72, 0.86 and 0.57 mg zearalenone/kg and 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and 0.9 mg total fumonisins/kg for phases one through four, respectively. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS (9.4) with treatment, sex, and their interaction as fixed effects. Compared to CTL, feeding CTL+DFZ decreased final BW (130.3 vs 120.5 kg; P< 0.001), ADG (0.95 vs 0.79 kg/d; P< 0.001), ADFI (2.73 vs 2.49 kg/d; P=0.016), and G:F (0.35 vs 0.32; P=0.043). Feeding CTL+DFZ decreased HCW (92.3 vs 89.4 kg; P=0.024) and increased dressing percentage (70.9 vs 74.3%; P=0.009) and tended to reduce loin depth (7.0 vs 6.8 cm; P=0.057) compared to CTL. Diet did not affect backfat depth or lean percentage (P >0.10). In conclusion, diets naturally contaminated with multiple mycotoxins reduced growth performance and adversely affected carcass parameters; pigs did not adapt over time to the mycotoxins.

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Social Change and Psychological Change in Rural Mali

Journal of Asian and African Studies ◽

10.1177/0021909616632278 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 52 (7) ◽

pp. 965-981 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carmi Schooler ◽

Leslie J Caplan ◽

Pakuy Pierre Mounkoro ◽

Chiaka Diakité

Keyword(s):

Social Change ◽

Environmental Change ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Economic Hardship ◽

Psychological Change ◽

Self Confidence ◽

Personality Stability ◽

Psychological Reaction ◽

Using Data ◽

Over Time

We examine the effects of socio-environmental change on personality in Mali in three ways, using data from a longitudinal two-wave (1994, 2004) survey conducted in rural Mali. Firstly, we compare the between-wave personality stability of Anxiety, Self-confidence, Mastery/Fatalism, and Authoritarianism with that in USA, Japan, Poland, and Ukraine. Secondly, we examine socio-economic hardship and political instability in pre-industrial Mali. Thirdly, we examine patterns of psychological reaction to political and social change during the study period. Our findings have implications for comparisons and generalizations across times and cultures about the contribution of socio-environmental conditions to over-time change in personality.

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Temporal changes in DNA methylation and RNA expression in a small song bird: within- and between-tissue comparisons

BMC Genomics ◽

10.1186/s12864-020-07329-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Melanie Lindner ◽

Irene Verhagen ◽

Heidi M. Viitaniemi ◽

Veronika N. Laine ◽

Marcel E. Visser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Dna Methylation ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Temporal Changes ◽

Egg Laying ◽

Gene Body ◽

Cpg Site ◽

Repeated Sampling ◽

Over Time

Abstract Background DNA methylation is likely a key mechanism regulating changes in gene transcription in traits that show temporal fluctuations in response to environmental conditions. To understand the transcriptional role of DNA methylation we need simultaneous within-individual assessment of methylation changes and gene expression changes over time. Within-individual repeated sampling of tissues, which are essential for trait expression is, however, unfeasible (e.g. specific brain regions, liver and ovary for reproductive timing). Here, we explore to what extend between-individual changes in DNA methylation in a tissue accessible for repeated sampling (red blood cells (RBCs)) reflect such patterns in a tissue unavailable for repeated sampling (liver) and how these DNA methylation patterns are associated with gene expression in such inaccessible tissues (hypothalamus, ovary and liver). For this, 18 great tit (Parus major) females were sacrificed at three time points (n = 6 per time point) throughout the pre-laying and egg-laying period and their blood, hypothalamus, ovary and liver were sampled. Results We simultaneously assessed DNA methylation changes (via reduced representation bisulfite sequencing) and changes in gene expression (via RNA-seq and qPCR) over time. In general, we found a positive correlation between changes in CpG site methylation in RBCs and liver across timepoints. For CpG sites in close proximity to the transcription start site, an increase in RBC methylation over time was associated with a decrease in the expression of the associated gene in the ovary. In contrast, no such association with gene expression was found for CpG site methylation within the gene body or the 10 kb up- and downstream regions adjacent to the gene body. Conclusion Temporal changes in DNA methylation are largely tissue-general, indicating that changes in RBC methylation can reflect changes in DNA methylation in other, often less accessible, tissues such as the liver in our case. However, associations between temporal changes in DNA methylation with changes in gene expression are mostly tissue- and genomic location-dependent. The observation that temporal changes in DNA methylation within RBCs can relate to changes in gene expression in less accessible tissues is important for a better understanding of how environmental conditions shape traits that temporally change in expression in wild populations.

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Effects of the Chromosome Partitioning Protein Spo0J (ParB) on oriC Positioning and Replication Initiation in Bacillus subtilis

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.185.4.1326-1337.2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 185 (4) ◽

pp. 1326-1337 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

Philina S. Lee ◽

Daniel Chi-Hong Lin ◽

Shigeki Moriya ◽

Alan D. Grossman

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Subtilis ◽

Binding Sites ◽

Fluorescent Protein ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Subcellular Location ◽

Replication Initiation ◽

Null Mutant ◽

Protein Ratio ◽

Chromosome Partitioning

ABSTRACT Spo0J (ParB) of Bacillus subtilis is a DNA-binding protein that belongs to a conserved family of proteins required for efficient plasmid and chromosome partitioning in many bacterial species. We found that Spo0J contributes to the positioning of the chromosomal oriC region, but probably not by recruiting the origin regions to specific subcellular locations. In wild-type cells during exponential growth, duplicated origin regions were generally positioned around the cell quarters. In a spo0J null mutant, sister origin regions were often closer together, nearer to midcell. We found, by using a Spo0J-green fluorescent protein [GFP] fusion, that the subcellular location of Spo0J was a consequence of the chromosomal positions of the Spo0J binding sites. When an array of binding sites (parS sites) were inserted at various chromosomal locations in the absence of six of the eight known parS sites, Spo0J-GFP was no longer found predominantly at the cell quarters, indicating that Spo0J is not sufficient to recruit chromosomal parS sites to the cell quarters. spo0J also affected chromosome positioning during sporulation. A spo0J null mutant showed an increase in the number of cells with some origin-distal regions located in the forespore. In addition, a spo0J null mutation caused an increase in the number of foci per cell of LacI-GFP bound to arrays of lac operators inserted in various positions in the chromosome, including the origin region, an increase in the DNA-protein ratio, and an increase in origins per cell, as determined by flow cytometry. These results indicate that the spo0J mutant produced a significant proportion of cells with increased chromosome content, probably due to increased and asynchronous initiation of DNA replication.

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Protected Areas: offering security to whom, when and where?

Environmental Conservation ◽

10.1017/s0376892915000375 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 172-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

ALICE B. KELLY ◽

A. CLARE GUPTA

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Protected Area ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Local Population ◽

Well Being ◽

Economic Context ◽

Term Management ◽

Over Time

SUMMARYThis study considers the issue of security in the context of protected areas in Cameroon and Botswana. Though the literature on issues of security and well-being in relation to protected areas is extensive, there has been less discussion of how and in what ways these impacts and relationships can change over time, vary with space and differ across spatial scales. Looking at two very different historical trajectories, this study considers the heterogeneity of the security landscapes created by Waza and Chobe protected areas over time and space. This study finds that conservation measures that various subsets of the local population once considered to be ‘bad’ (e.g. violent, exclusionary protected area creation) may be construed as ‘good’ at different historical moments and geographical areas. Similarly, complacency or resignation to the presence of a park can be reversed by changing environmental conditions. Changes in the ways security (material and otherwise) has fluctuated within these two protected areas has implications for the long-term management and funding strategies of newly created and already existing protected areas today. This study suggests that parks must be adaptively managed not only for changing ecological conditions, but also for shifts in a protected area's social, political and economic context.

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Automated method for the isolation of collecting ducts

AJP Renal Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajprenal.00273.2005 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 291 (1) ◽

pp. F236-F245 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

R. Lance Miller ◽

Ping Zhang ◽

Tong Chen ◽

Andreas Rohrwasser ◽

Raoul D. Nelson

Keyword(s):

Flow Cytometry ◽

Large Particle ◽

Fluorescent Protein ◽

Collecting Duct ◽

Complex Object ◽

Cortical Collecting Duct ◽

Fluorescent Intensity ◽

Automated Method ◽

Collecting Ducts ◽

Time Required

The structural and functional heterogeneity of the collecting duct present a tremendous experimental challenge requiring manual microdissection, which is time-consuming, labor intensive, and not amenable to high throughput. To overcome these limitations, we developed a novel approach combining the use of transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the collecting duct with large-particle-based flow cytometry to isolate pure populations of tubular fragments from the whole collecting duct (CD), or inner medullary (IMCD), outer medullary (OMCD), or connecting segment/cortical collecting duct (CNT/CCD). Kidneys were enzymatically dispersed into tubular fragments and sorted based on tubular length and GFP intensity using large-particle-based flow cytometry or a complex object parametric analyzer and sorter (COPAS). A LIVE/DEAD assay demonstrates that the tubules were >90% viable. Tubules were collected as a function of fluorescent intensity and analyzed by epifluorescence and phase microscopy for count accuracy, GFP positivity, average tubule length, and time required to collect 100 tubules. Similarly, mRNA and protein from sorted tubules were analyzed for expression of tubule segment-specific genes using quantitative real-time RT-PCR and immunoblotting. The purity and yield of sorted tubules were related to sort stringency. Four to six replicates of 100 collecting ducts (9.68 ± 0.44–14.5 ± 0.66 cm or 9.2 ± 0.7 mg tubular protein) were routinely obtained from a single mouse in under 1 h. In conclusion, large-particle-based flow cytometry is fast, reproducible, and generates sufficient amounts of highly pure and viable collecting ducts from single or replicate animals for gene expression and proteomic analysis.

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Differentiation of vegetative cells into spores: a kinetic model applied toBacillus subtilis