Decolourisation of diverse industrial dyes by some Phlebia spp. and their comparison with Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Three species of Phlebia, viz. P. brevispora, P. fascicularia and P. floridensis have been evaluated for their potential to decolourise eight industrial dyes including; reactive yellow, reactive orange, reactive red, rathidol scarlet, coracryl black, coracryl pink, coracryl violet and coracryl red. The cultures used for the present study were pre adapted by growing these on yeast glucose agar medium supplemented with Poly-R 478, a reference dye. The fungal cultures were grown in mineral salts broth and harvested after different incubation periods to obtain their cell free enzyme extracts which were then used to assess their ability to decolourise the above mentioned dyes. The extracts obtained from the cultures grown for six days significantly decolourised the tested dyes. The study revealed Phlebia spp. to be better dye decolourisers than Phanerochaete chrysosporium.     

Properties of ligninase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and their possible applications

The wood-degrading fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium Burds produces a family of enzymes which degrade lignin and lignin-like substrates. These ligninases exhibit a high degree of homology in being hemeprotein peroxidases, in Mr, in cross reactivity to polyclonal antibodies, in being glycosylated, and in catalytic properties. The predominant ligninase is able to generate cation radicals in its aromatic substrates. These radicals can undergo a variety of reactions thus explaining the nonspecific nature of the enzyme. A similar mechanism is suggested for the other isoenzymes. There are numerous potential applications for ligninases. These include: biopulping, waste treatment of byproduct lignins, detoxification of environmental pollutants, and modification of lignins to produce small molecular weight organics.     

Relationship of chemical structures of anthraquinones with their effects on the suppression of immune responses

A series of 37 anthraquinones were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the induction of cytolytic T-lymphocytes in a mixed lymphocyte culture system, useful as a preliminary screen for immunosuppressive agents. These compounds were also tested for their ability to prevent the production of antibody in mice. It was demonstrated that 1,4-bis [(2-aminoethyl)amino]-5, 8-dihydroxy-9,10-anthracenedione dihydrochloride (AEAD, 2) derived from mitoxantrone (MX, 1) by removing hydroxyethyl groups from both side chains was extremely active in depressing immune responses in vitro and in vivo. Four additional anthraquinones related to AEAD were also identified to share similar suppressive activity. They include a Schiff base, 1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-bis[[2-[(3-pyridinylmethylene)amino]ethyl]amino] -9,10-anthracenedione; a dimer with N-terminals methylated, 1,1-[ethylenebis (iminoethyleneimino)]-bis [5,8-dihydroxy-4-[(2-methylamino-ethyl)amino] anthraquinone tetrahydrochloride; an oxazolidine, 1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-bis [[2-(2-propyl-3-oxazolidinyl)ethyl]amino] anthraquinone; and its polymeric oxazolidine, poly [5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-anthraquinonyleneiminoethylene-3,2-oxazolidine- diyltrimethylene-2,3-oxazolidinediylethyleneimino]. These compounds may warrant further consideration as candidates for the treatment of refractory autoimmune diseases and in organ transplantation.     

Comparison of the lignin-degrading white rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Sporotrichum pulverulentum at the DNA level

Summary DNA-hybridisation studies showed a close relationship between Phanerochaete chrysosporium ME446, most used in lignin degradation studies, and Sporotrichum pulverulentum Novobranova, the other standard lignin degrading strain. Two other strains of P. chrysosporium were both less related. We show that P. chrysosporium ME446 and S. pulverulentum Novobranova both have a GC-content of 59% for chromosomal DNA with the rRNA genes present as an AT-rich satellite; the mitochondrial DNA has a GC-content of 33%. The genome size estimated for P. chrysosporium ME446 is about 4–5 × 10⁷ bp.     

Enhancing bioremoval of textile dyes by eight fungal strains from media supplemented with gelatine wastes and sucrose

Eight Aspergillus strains were found to be successful in removing textile dyes from liquid media. These fungal strains were grown on medium containing: gelatine wastes and sucrose, as sources of nitrogen and carbon to test the possible speed up of the dyes removing while fungus biomass is building up in the media. The growth of fungal strains ranged from 10 to 110 mg biomass dry weight/100 ml medium. This growth induced high decolorization percentages, which ranged 33-95% within eight days. Two textile dyes Direct brown and Polar red were included in the study. The growth of the fungal strains as well as decolorization percentage of the dyes increased after 5, 6, and 8 days from incubation time with most tested strains. With Direct brown dye the strains number 2, 5, 31 and 37 recorded the highest percentage of decolorization (91, 92, 93 and 95 respectively) after incubation for 6 days. Fungal strains Aspergillus 5 and 31 gave the highest mycelium dry weight being 110 mg. Most of fungal strains induced 86 to 95 percentage of decolorization after 6 days incubation with Polar red dye. The possible toxicity of the remaining supernatant media after fungal biomass removal was tested by Ames test to assess the residual mutagenic agents remaining after dye removal, using three strains of Salmonella typhimurium (TA 1535, TA 1537, TA 1538). The results showed that the toxicity of the dyes, measured by Ames test could be removed by the dye absorption on the fungal biomass.     

Combining different assays and chemical analysis to characterize the genotoxicity of waters impacted by textile discharges

Waters receiving textile discharges can exhibit genotoxic and mutagenic activity, which has been related to the presence of dyes and aromatic amines as synthesis precursors or byproducts. The aim of this study was to identify dyes and aromatic amines in water samples impacted by textile discharges, and to evaluate the genotoxic responses of these samples using the Salmonella/microsome assay in strains TA98 and YG1041, and the Fpg‐modified comet assay in the RTL‐W1 fish cell line. The genotoxicity of river samples downstream of the discharge was greater than the upstream samples in both of the Ames tests. The Fpg‐modified comet assay detected similar levels of DNA damage in the upstream and downstream samples. Mutagenicity was not detected with TA98, except for the Quilombo River samples, but when YG1041 was used as the tester strain mutagenicity was detected for all sites with a very different profile in upstream sites relative to the other sites. The mutagenic response strongly indicated that aromatic amines or dyes were contributing to the mutagenic activity downstream. The impact of textile discharges was also confirmed by chemical analysis, because the highest concentrations of azo dyes and aromatic amines were detected in the river downstream. This study shows the value of combining assays measuring complementary endpoints to better characterize the mutagenicity of environmental samples, with the advantage that this approach provides an indication of what classes of compounds are responsible for the effect. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 57:559–571, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Relationship of cochlea with surrounding neurovascular structures and their implication in cochlear implantation

Purpose

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the topographic relations of cochlea with vital neurovascular structures and their implications for cochlear implantation (CI).

Methods

Sixty cadaveric human temporal bones were microdissected to expose the basal turn (BT) of cochlea, the carotid canal, the facial canal (FC) and the jugular fossa (JF). The minimum distances of BT of the cochlea from the carotid canal, the FC and roof of the JF were measured.

Results

The mean minimum distances of BT of the cochlea from the carotid canal, the FC and roof of the JF were found to be 1.38 ± 0.82, 1.06 ± 0.46 and 4.68 ± 2.21 mm, respectively. The abutment and impingement of carotid canal on anterior cochlear wall was found in three (5 %) and six (10 %) cases, respectively. Thin bone separation was observed between cochlea and FC (0.1 mm) in one case (1.67 %).

Conclusions

The preoperative knowledge of the variant anatomy of BT of cochlea in relation to adjacent vital structures like abutment and impingement of carotid canal and thin bone separation of the BT of cochlea from FC and JF is of immense importance in CI, which may otherwise lead to disastrous consequences during surgery.

     

Relationship between structures and biological activities of mycoplasmal diacylated lipopeptides and their recognition by toll-like receptors 2 and 6

The lipopeptide FSL-1 [S-(2,3-bispalmitoyloxypropyl)-Cys-Gly-Asp-Pro-Lys-His-Pro-Lys-Ser-Phe, Pam(2)CGDPKHPKSF] synthesized on the basis of the N-terminal structure of a Mycoplasma salivarium lipoprotein capable of activating normal human gingival fibroblasts to induce the cell surface expression of ICAM-1 revealed an activity to induce production of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-8. FSL-1 also activated macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factor alpha as the Mycoplasma fermentans-derived lipopeptide MALP-2 (Pam(2)CGNNDESNISFKEK), a potent macrophage-activating lipopeptide, did. The level of the activity of FSL-1 was higher than that of MALP-2. This result suggests that the difference in the amino acid sequence of the peptide portion affects the activity because the framework structure other than the amino acid sequence of the former is the same as that of the latter. To determine minimal structural requirements for the activity of FSL-1, the diacylglyceryl Cys and the peptide portions were examined for this activity. Both portions did not reveal the activity. A single amino acid substitution from Phe to Arg and a fatty acid substitution from palmitic acid to stearic acid drastically reduced the activity. Similar results were obtained in measuring the NF-kappaB reporter activity of FSL-1 to human embryonic kidney 293 cells transfected with Toll-like receptor 2 and 6, together with a NF-kappaB-dependent luciferase reporter plasmid. These results suggest that both the diacylglyceryl and the peptide portions of FSL-1 are indispensable for the expression of biological activities and for the recognition by Toll-like receptors 2 and 6 and that the recognition of FSL-1 by Toll-like receptors 2 and 6 appears to be hydrophobic.     

Application of optical methods to characterize textile materials and their influence on the human skin

The skin is not only the largest organ of the human body, but it is also a barrier to the environment. The major part of the human skin is in constant contact with textile materials. The objective of this study was to characterize textile materials and to investigate their influence on the skin properties. For this purpose, two different textile materials (polyamide and polyester) were objectively characterized by optical coherence tomography and surface structure 3D-profilometry. In addition, subjective textile properties like haptic sensation and stiffness, as tactile characteristics felt by volunteers, were analyzed. The objective textile characteristics and subjective parameters were compared to the barrier properties measured by in vivo laser scanning microscopy . Comparable results were achieved between barrier properties and subjective assessment in relation to the textile characteristics in favor of the polyester fabric. Consequently, the optical method used in dermatology for the analysis of the skin can be applied to characterize and evaluate textile fabrics and their interaction with human skin in vivo.     

Connection of ductlike structures induced by a chemical hepatocarcinogen to portal bile ducts in the rat liver detected by injection of bile ducts with a pigmented barium gelatin medium.

Newly found metaplastic ductlike structures that form in the liver of rats exposed to carcinogens are connected to preexisting bile ducts. Male Fischer rats fed a diet of N-2-acetylaminofluorene in a choline-deficient diet (CDAAF) develop a massive proliferation of oval cells which appear to differentiate into bile-ductlike structures. However, unlike normal or proliferating bile ducts, these ductlike structures contain alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and albumin, which are markers for proliferating hepatocytes and some hepatocellular carcinomas. Bile duct injections with a green pigmented barium gelatin medium filled the lumens of the ductlike structures and typical ductlike structures induced by the CDAAF diet, as well as the proliferating bile ducts induced by the noncarcinogenic alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT), and the ducts in the normal controls. AFP was present in the ductlike structures in the rats fed AAF, but not in the bile ducts of animals fed ANIT. These studies suggest that most, if not all, of the ductlike structures produced during chemical hepatocarcinogenesis are derived from bile ducts, yet have the capacity to produce AFP and albumin.     

The effect of phospholipids on the biodegradation of polyurethanes by lysosomal enzymes

Although biodegradation of model poly(ester-urethane)s and poly(ether-urethane)s has been demonstrated using a single enzyme system (cholesterol esterase (CE)) in vitro, in vivo biodegradation most likely involves many processes acting together. In this study, the physical (film vs textured surface) and chemical (poly(urethane)s containing polycaprolactone (PCL) vs poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO)) nature of the materials as well as the products of enzymatic reactions known to occur during the inflammatory response (CE and phospholipase A₂ (PLA)) were assessed for their effects on poly(urethane) (PU) biodegradation in vitro. A mixed micelle (phosphatidylcholine (PC) : lysoPC (LPC) : oleic acid (OA); 2:1:1) significantly increased the release of radiolabelled products from a ¹⁴C-labelled poly(ester-urethane) (TDI/PCL/ED) caused by CE. This effect was further enhanced when this material was cast as a textured surface. A model poly(ether-urethane) showed no significant enhancement of CE-mediated hydrolysis in the presence of phospholipids and their breakdown products whether cast as a film or a textured surface. PLA caused a small but significant release of radiolabel from TDI/PCL/ED which was enhanced in the presence of its substrate, PC, and a mixture of PC with its breakdown products, LPC and OA. Based on the results of this study, it may be possible to hypothesize that during the inflammatory response when PLA is activated, enhancement of the biodegradation of a PU could occur by direct action of PLA on the poly(ester-urethane) and by stimulation of CE due to the formation of LPC and OA occuring when PLA hydrolyses PC, its natural substrate.     

Study on the characteristics and mechanisms of nicosulfuron biodegradation by Bacillus velezensis CF57

Nicosulfuron is one of the main sulfonylurea herbicides that have been widely used to protect maize crops. A total of 10 nicosulfuron-degrading strains were isolated from the intestine tract of earthworm Eisenia foetida. Among them, Bacillus velezensis CF57 with the highest degradation efficiency was selected and studied in detail. The degradation characteristics of CF57 showed that it was able to effectively degrade nicosulfuron in a wide range of temperature, pH, and a low inoculation amount, and the response surface analysis revealed that the optimum degradation conditions were 30.8 °C, pH 6.31, and inoculation amount 3.04%. Meanwhile, CF57 could degrade high-concentration nicosulfuron efficiently and posed a broad degradation spectrum of other sulfonylurea herbicides. Furthermore, the localization of degradation enzyme indicated that the nicosulfuron-degrading enzyme was an extracellular fraction. By analyzing the metabolites of nicosulfuron, it could be further determined that the degradation of nicosulfuron by strain CF57 was mainly through the extracellular enzyme, and its possible degradation pathway was mainly derived from the cleavage of the C–N bond of the sulfonylurea bridge. These results may provide new insights into bioremediation of nicosulfuron-contaminated environments and enrich the resources of degrading bacteria of sulfonylurea herbicides.     

腰椎间关节及部分相关结构的神经支配

在20具成人腰骶部脊柱标本上,观察了腰椎间关节及部分相关结构的神经分布.腰椎间关节主要由腰神经后内侧支支配,为单源多节段分布模式。后内侧支的行程为双“S”形,可使神经缓冲牵拉免受损伤,它经过狭窄弯曲的骨纤维管时可能易受嵌压导致下背痛.