Production of the reserve material poly-β-hydroxybutyrate and its function in Azospirillum brasilense Cd

1985 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 608-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Tal ◽  
Yaacov Okon

Azospirillum brasilense Cd was grown in ammonium–malate mineral salts medium in batch culture and in chemostat continuous culture. It was found that poly-β-hydroxybutyrate synthesis was favored under oxygen limitation in chemostat culture and under high C/N ratios towards the end of exponential growth in batch culture. The degradation and synthesis of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate under starvation conditions occurred in a biphasic pattern and was affected by the poly-β-hydroxybutyrate content of the cells. During a 7-day incubation period in phosphate buffer, the survival and respiration rate of bacteria containing about 40% poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (dry weight) were higher than those of cells containing about 5% poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. Polymer-rich cells fixed atmospheric nitrogen in the absence of exogenous carbon and combined nitrogen. Biphasic nitrogenase activity was observed during starvation. When nitrogenase activity was high, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase activity was low and vice versa. Aerotactic response was higher in polymer-rich cells. In the presence of stress factors such as ultraviolet irradiation, dessication, and osmotic pressure poly-β-hydroxybutyrate-poor cells died more rapidly than poly-β-hydroxybutyrate-rich cells.


1972 ◽  
Vol 128 (5) ◽  
pp. 1193-1201 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Senior ◽  
G. A. Beech ◽  
G. A. F. Ritchie ◽  
E. A. Dawes

Azotobacter beijerinckii was grown in ammonia-free glucose–mineral salts media in batch culture and in chemostat cultures limited by the supply of glucose, oxygen or molecular nitrogen. In batch culture poly-β-hydroxybutyrate was formed towards the end of exponential growth and accumulated to about 74% of the cell dry weight. In chemostat cultures little poly-β-hydroxybutyrate accumulated in organisms that were nitrogen-limited, but when oxygen limited a much increased yield of cells per mol of glucose was observed, and the organisms contained up to 50% of their dry weight of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. In carbon-limited cultures (D, the dilution rate,=0.035–0.240h−1), the growth yield ranged from 13.1 to 19.8g/mol of glucose and the poly-β-hydroxybutyrate content did not exceed 3.0% of the dry weight. In oxygen-limited cultures (D=0.049–0.252h−1) the growth yield ranged from 48.4 to 70.1g/mol of glucose and the poly-β-hydroxybutyrate content was between 19.6 and 44.6% of dry weight. In nitrogen-limited cultures (D=0.053–0.255h−1) the growth yield ranged from 7.45 to 19.9g/mol of glucose and the poly-β-hydroxybutyrate content was less than 1.5% of dry weight. The sudden imposition of oxygen limitation on a nitrogen-limited chemostat culture produced a rapid increase in poly-β-hydroxybutyrate content and cell yield. Determinations on chemostat cultures revealed that during oxygen-limited steady states (D=0.1h−1) the oxygen uptake decreased to 100μl h−1 per mg dry wt. compared with 675 for a glucose-limited culture (D=0.1h−1). Nitrogen-limited cultures had CO2 production values in situ ranging from 660 to 1055μl h−1 per mg dry wt. at growth rates of 0.053–0.234h−1 and carbon-limited cultures exhibited a variation of CO2 production between 185 and 1328μl h−1 per mg dry wt. at growth rates between 0.035 and 0.240h−1. These findings are discussed in relation to poly-β-hydroxybutyrate formation, growth efficiency and growth yield during growth on glucose. We suggest that poly-β-hydroxybutyrate is produced in response to oxygen limitation and represents not only a store of carbon and energy but also an electron sink into which excess of reducing power can be channelled.



1985 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Rai

SummaryNitrosoguanidine-induced mutation frequencies for resistance to streptomycin, spectinomycin, erythromycin and novomycin were studied inAzospirillum brasilense.Lentil inoculated withA. brasilenseand its mutants andRhizobiumstrains produced increased nodule dry weight, nitrogenase activity of nodules and roots and grain yield compared with an uninoculated control.



1984 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 746-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary F. Lopez ◽  
Mark S. Fontaine ◽  
John G. Torrey

The levels of soluble trehalose were compared in Frankia sp. ArI3 under various conditions in batch culture. Trehalose appears to be a specialized carbon reserve which is synthesized upon transfer of cultures to fresh medium; thereafter it is metabolized and broken down. Levels reach a peak of 10–20% cell dry weight depending on cultural conditions, then drop to a minimum of 1–2% cell dry weight. A similar pattern is observed whether cells are grown in a medium containing NH4Cl or in a medium lacking nitrogen substrates; however, the total levels of trehalose are higher in the latter. The levels of endogenous trehalose showed an inverse correlation with a sharp increase in nitrogenase activity. When cells were inoculated into a medium lacking nitrogen to induce fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, trehalose levels reached their peak in 4 days. The nitrogenase activity (measured with the acetylene reduction technique) increased sharply on the 4th to 5th day. Trehalose levels fell sharply from day 4 to day 5; when they fell to half their maximum, nitrogenase activity decreased sharply. Thereafter, the decline in trehalose concentration paralleled that of nitrogenase activity. When cells were washed free of exogenous carbon, the endogenous trehalose levels dropped to half the initial value in 1 h. The cells continued to respire for 2 days on endogenous reserves. In addition to trehalose, glycogen reserves were extracted from Frankia. At its maximum, the glycogen totalled approximately 10% of the dry weight of cultures grown on a medium supplemented with NH4Cl as exogenous nitrogen source, and decreased to ca. 1.0% dry weight in starved cultures. Glycogen did not accumulate significantly in cultures that were induced to fix nitrogen.



2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8369
Author(s):  
Chintan Kapadia ◽  
R. Z. Sayyed ◽  
Hesham Ali El Enshasy ◽  
Harihar Vaidya ◽  
Deepshika Sharma ◽  
...  

Salinity significantly impacts the growth, development, and reproductive biology of various crops such as vegetables. The cultivable area is reduced due to the accumulation of salts and chemicals currently in use and is not amenable to a large extent to avoid such abiotic stress factors. The addition of microbes enriches the soil without any adverse effects. The effects of microbial consortia comprising Bacillus sp., Delftia sp., Enterobacter sp., Achromobacter sp., was evaluated on the growth and mineral uptake in tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) under salt stress and normal soil conditions. Salinity treatments comprising Ec 0, 2, 5, and 8 dS/m were established by mixing soil with seawater until the desired Ec was achieved. The seedlings were transplanted in the pots of the respective pH and were inoculated with microbial consortia. After sufficient growth, these seedlings were transplanted in soil seedling trays. The measurement of soil minerals such as Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn, and pH and the Ec were evaluated and compared with the control 0 days, 15 days, and 35 days after inoculation. The results were found to be non-significant for the soil parameters. In the uninoculated seedlings’ (control) seedling trays, salt treatment significantly affected leaf, shoot, root dry weight, shoot height, number of secondary roots, chlorophyll, and mineral contents. While bacterized seedlings sown under saline soil significantly increased leaf (105.17%), shoot (105.62%), root (109.06%) dry weight, leaf number (75.68%), shoot length (92.95%), root length (146.14%), secondary roots (91.23%), and chlorophyll content (−61.49%) as compared to the control (without consortia). The Na and K intake were higher even in the presence of the microbes, but the beneficial effect of the microbe helps plants sustain in the saline environment. The inoculation of microbial consortia produced more secondary roots, which accumulate more minerals and transport substances to the different parts of the plant; thus, it produced higher biomass and growth. Results of the present study revealed that the treatment with microbial consortia could alleviate the deleterious effects of salinity stress and improve the growth of tomato plants under salinity stress. Microbial consortia appear to be the best alternative and cost-effective and sustainable approach for managing soil salinity and improving plant growth under salt stress conditions.



1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Rai

SummaryHigh-temperature-adapted strains RAU 1, RAU 2 and RAU 3 ofAzospirillum brasilenseC 7 were isolated from stepwise transfer to higher temperature (30 to 42 °C). One of the strains (RAU 1) showed more growth, greater nitrogenase and hydrogenase activities at 30 and 42 °C than parental and other temperature-adapted strains. This strain also showed growth and more nitrogenase activity from pH 6·5 to 8·0. Strain RAU 1 showed cross-resistance to penicillin (300/µg/ml) but not to streptomycin, kanamycin, viomycin and polymixin B at 30 and 42 °C. It was demonstrated in field plots in calcareous soil that seed inoculation with RAU 1 enhanced mineral uptake of cheena. Inoculation with RAU 1 led to a significant increase in associative nitrogen fixation, dry weight of roots, grain and straw yield of cheena compared with the uninoculated control with or without applied N, but the effect of seed inoculation with high-temperature-adapted strains was variable with different genotypes of cheena.



Author(s):  
Andréia de L. Moreno ◽  
Jorge F. Kusdra ◽  
Angelita A. C. Picazevicz

ABSTRACT Rhizobacteria have a wide range of plant growth-promoting mechanisms of action, making them an alternative and/or complementary biological input for chemical fertilizers. In this respect, the present study aimed to assess growth and nitrogen accumulation in maize plants as a function of Azospirillum brasilense, Bacillus subtilis, zinc and nitrogen application at sowing. The experiment with the ‘AL Bandeirante’ maize variety was conducted in a greenhouse, using a completely randomized design. The treatments were arranged in a 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 factorial scheme, with six repetitions, considering the presence and absence of Azospirillum brasilense (5 g kg-1), Bacillus subtilis (5 mL kg-1) and zinc (20 g kg-1) in the seeds and addition or not of nitrogen (30 kg ha-1) to the soil. The variables assessed were plant height, stem diameter, leaf, stem, shoot, root and total dry weight, and shoot nitrogen content. Nitrogen fertilization in the absence of zinc increased shoot and total dry weight as well as shoot nitrogen content. Zinc applied to the seeds improved the total and stem dry weight of maize plants in the absence of Bacillus subtilis. Inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense and Bacillus subtilis increased the stem diameter and shoot nitrogen content of maize plants when nitrogen fertilization was not performed at sowing. There was no isolated or interaction effect between factors for plant height and root dry weight.



2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 213-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Glatzel ◽  
I. Forbrich ◽  
C. Krüger ◽  
S. Lemke ◽  
G. Gerold

Abstract. In Central Europe, most bogs have a history of drainage and many of them are currently being restored. Success of restoration as well as greenhouse gas exchange of these bogs is influenced by environmental stress factors as drought and atmospheric nitrogen deposition. We determined the methane and nitrous oxide exchange of sites in the strongly decomposed center and less decomposed edge of the Pietzmoor bog in NW Germany in 2004. Also, we examined the methane and nitrous oxide exchange of mesocosms from the center and edge before, during, and following a drainage experiment as well as carbon dioxide release from disturbed unfertilized and nitrogen fertilized surface peat. In the field, methane fluxes ranged from 0 to 3.8 mg m−2 h−1 and were highest from hollows. Field nitrous oxide fluxes ranged from 0 to 574 μg m−2 h−1 and were elevated at the edge. A large Eriophorum vaginatum tussock showed decreasing nitrous oxide release as the season progressed. Drainage of mesocosms decreased methane release to 0, even during rewetting. There was a tendency for a decrease of nitrous oxide release during drainage and for an increase in nitrous oxide release during rewetting. Nitrogen fertilization did not increase decomposition of surface peat. Our examinations suggest a competition between vascular vegetation and denitrifiers for excess nitrogen. We also provide evidence that the von Post humification index can be used to explain greenhouse gas release from bogs, if the role of vascular vegetation is also considered. An assessment of the greenhouse gas release from nitrogen saturated restoring bogs needs to take into account elevated release from fresh Sphagnum peat as well as from sedges growing on decomposed peat. Given the high atmospheric nitrogen deposition, restoration will not be able to achieve an oligotrophic ecosystem in the short term.



2015 ◽  
pp. 139-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Dan Li ◽  
Fritz K. Winkler ◽  
Luciano F. Huergo


Biomics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-454
Author(s):  
B.R. Kuluev ◽  
G.R. Gumerova ◽  
A.V. Knyazev ◽  
Kh.G. Musin ◽  
A.V. Chemeris

Kok-saghyz (Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin) is an alternative to Hevea brasiliensis source of high quality natural rubber that is able to grow in temperate climates. However, the field cultivation of kok-saghyz is associated with a number of problems, such as the need for seed stratification, seedlings that are very sensitive to stress factors, laboriousness in the fight against weeds and pests, uneven maturation of seeds, the lack of special equipment for sowing, collecting roots and seeds. In this regard, the use of hairy roots of kok-saghyz as a raw material for obtaining natural rubber seems to be promising. The aim of our work was to obtain cultures of hairy roots of kok-saghyz and to determine the content of natural rubber in them by the hexane method. In the course of the work, 10 lines of hairy roots of kok-saghyz were obtained, capable of growing in isolated cultures. It has been shown that these hairy roots accumulate an average of 7.5% hexane extract (rubber-like substances) per dry weight, which is about 1.5 times more than the roots of field kok-saghyz. Our data indicate that the use of the hairy roots of kok-saghyz is promising for the industrial production of natural rubber.



2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Singh ◽  
D. Wright

Effects of one pre-emergence herbicide (terbutryn/terbuthylazine) and one post-emergence herbicide (bentazone) along with unweeded and hand-weeded controls on weeds and on the nodulation, nitrogenase activity, nitrogen content, growth and yield of pea (Pisum sativum) were studied. Terbutryn/terbuthylazine was applied pre-emergence @ 1.40, 2.80 and 5.60 kg/hawhereas bentazone was sprayed 6 weeks after sowing @ 1.44, 2.88 and 5.76 kg/h. Terbutryn/terbuthylazine controlled all the weeds very effectively, whereas bentazone did not control some weeds such as Polygonum aviculare, Poa annua and Elymus repens. The herbicides decreased the number of nodules, the dry weight of nodules, the nitrogenase activity, the shoot dry weight, the nitrogen content in the straw and seeds, and the seed yield of peas, the effects generally being higher at higher rates of application. The adverse effects of herbicides on these parameters might be due to their effects on plant growth, as both the herbicides are known to adversely affect photosynthesis. Nitrogenase activity did not correlate well with plant-N content or shoot dry weight. However, there was a strong relationship between plant biomass and plant-N content, which suggests that researchers can rely on these parameters for studying the effects of treatments on nitrogen fixation, rather than measuring nitrogenase activity.



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