Ethanol production from sweet sorghum by Saccharomyces cerevisiae DBKKUY-53 immobilized on alginate-loofah matrices

Abstract Ethanol production from sweet sorghum juice (SSJ) using the thermotolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain DBKKUY-53 immobilized in an alginate-loofah matrix (ALM) was successfully developed. As found in this study, an ALM with dimensions of 20 × 20 × 5 mm3 is effective for cell immobilization due to its compact structure and long-term stability. The ALM-immobilized cell system exhibited greater ethanol production efficiency than the freely suspended cell system. By using a central composite design (CCD), the optimum conditions for ethanol production from SSJ by ALM-immobilized cells were determined. The maximum ethanol concentration and volumetric ethanol productivity obtained using ALM-immobilized cells under the optimal conditions were 97.54 g/L and 1.36 g/L h, respectively. The use of the ALM-immobilized cells was successful for at least six consecutive batches (360 h) without any loss of ethanol production efficiency, suggesting their potential application in industrial ethanol production.

High-temperature ethanol production using thermotolerant yeast newly isolated from Greater Mekong Subregion

Abstract The application of high-potential thermotolerant yeasts is a key factor for successful ethanol production at high temperatures. Two hundred and thirty-four yeast isolates from Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries, i.e., Thailand, The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) and Vietnam were obtained. Five thermotolerant yeasts, designated Saccharomyces cerevisiae KKU-VN8, KKU-VN20, and KKU-VN27, Pichia kudriavzevii KKU-TH33 and P. kudriavzevii KKU-TH43, demonstrated high temperature and ethanol tolerance levels up to 45 °C and 13% (v/v), respectively. All five strains produced higher ethanol concentrations and exhibited greater productivities and yields than the industrial strain S. cerevisiae TISTR5606 during high-temperature fermentation at 40 °C and 43 °C. S. cerevisiae KKU-VN8 demonstrated the best performance for ethanol production from glucose at 37 °C with an ethanol concentration of 72.69 g/L, a productivity of 1.59 g/L/h and a theoretical ethanol yield of 86.27%. The optimal conditions for ethanol production of S. cerevisiae KKU-VN8 from sweet sorghum juice (SSJ) at 40 °C were achieved using the Box-Behnken experimental design (BBD). The maximal ethanol concentration obtained during fermentation was 89.32 g/L, with a productivity of 2.48 g/L/h and a theoretical ethanol yield of 96.32%. Thus, the newly isolated thermotolerant S. cerevisiae KKU-VN8 exhibits a great potential for commercial-scale ethanol production in the future.

Oxidative stress and antioxidant response in a thermotolerant yeast

Abstract Stress tolerance is a key attribute that must be considered when using yeast cells for industrial applications. High temperature is one factor that can cause stress in yeast. High environmental temperature in particular may exert a natural selection pressure to evolve yeasts into thermotolerant strains. In the present study, three yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, MC4, and Kluyveromyces marxianus, OFF1 and SLP1) isolated from hot environments were exposed to increased temperatures and were then compared with a laboratory yeast strain. Their resistance to high temperature, oxidative stress, and antioxidant response were evaluated, along with the fatty acid composition of their cell membranes. The SLP1 strain showed a higher specific growth rate, biomass yield, and biomass volumetric productivity while also showing lower duplication time, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and lipid peroxidation. In addition, the SLP1 strain demonstrated more catalase activity after temperature was increased, and this strain also showed membranes enriched in saturated fatty acids. It is concluded that the SLP1 yeast strain is a thermotolerant yeast with less oxidative stress and a greater antioxidant response. Therefore, this strain could be used for fermentation at high temperatures.

Scientific use of the finite element method in Orthodontics

INTRODUCTION: The finite element method (FEM) is an engineering resource applied to calculate the stress and deformation of complex structures, and has been widely used in orthodontic research. With the advantage of being a non-invasive and accurate method that provides quantitative and detailed data on the physiological reactions possible to occur in tissues, applying the FEM can anticipate the visualization of these tissue responses through the observation of areas of stress created from applied orthodontic mechanics. OBJECTIVE: This article aims at reviewing and discussing the stages of the finite element method application and its applicability in Orthodontics. RESULTS: FEM is able to evaluate the stress distribution at the interface between periodontal ligament and alveolar bone, and the shifting trend in various types of tooth movement when using different types of orthodontic devices. Therefore, it is necessary to know specific software for this purpose. CONCLUSIONS: FEM is an important experimental method to answer questions about tooth movement, overcoming the disadvantages of other experimental methods. .

INTRODUÇÃO: o Método de Elementos Finitos (MEF) é um recurso da Engenharia empregado para calcular o estresse e a deformação de estruturas complexas, e tem sido amplamente utilizado nas pesquisas em Ortodontia. Apresenta a vantagem de ser um método não-invasivo e preciso, que fornece dados quantitativos e detalhados acerca das reações fisiológicas que podem ocorrer nos tecidos. OBJETIVO: esse artigo pretende realizar uma revisão da literatura sobre as etapas para realização do Método de Elementos Finitos, bem como de sua aplicabilidade na Ortodontia. RESULTADOS: o MEF é capaz de avaliar a distribuição do estresse na interface entre o ligamento periodontal e o osso alveolar, bem como a tendência de deslocamento em diversos tipos de movimentos dentários, quando utilizados diferentes tipos de aparelhos. Para tanto, é necessário conhecimento de softwares específicos para esse fim. CONCLUSÕES: o MEF é um importante método experimental que pode esclarecer questionamentos acerca da movimentação dentária, superando as desvantagens de outros métodos experimentais. .

Balance de Flujos Metabólicos en Saccharomyces cerevisiae basado en Compartimentalización Intracelular / Metabolic Flows Balance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae based on Intracellular Compartmentalization

Una de las técnicas más utilizadas para la predicción de producción de bioproductos y distribución intracelular de flujos de microorganismos es el Análisis de Balance de Flujos - FBA por sus siglas en inglés. El FBA requiere de una función objetivo que represente el objetivo biológico del microorganismo estudiado. En este trabajo se propone un nuevo tipo de funciones objetivo basada en la combinación de objetivos de compartimentos físicos presentes en el microorganismo estudiado. Este tipo de funciones objetivo son examinadas junto con un modelo estequiométrico extraído de la reconstrucción iMM904 del microorganismo S. cerevisiae. Su desempeño se compara con la función objetivo más usada en la literatura, la maximización de biomasa, en condiciones experimentales anaeróbicas en cultivos continuos y aeróbicas en cultivos tipo lote. La función objetivo propuesta en este trabajo mejora las predicciones de crecimiento en un 10% y las predicciones de producción de etanol en un 75% respecto a las obtenidas por la función objetivo de maximización de biomasa, en condiciones anaeróbicas. En condiciones aeróbicas tipo lote la función objetivo propuesta mejora en un 98% las predicciones de crecimiento y en un 70% las predicciones de etanol con respecto a la función objetivo de biomasa.

Flux Balance Analysis - FBA - is one of the most used techniques in prediction of microorganism bioproducts. It requires an objective function that represents biological objective of the studied microorganism. This paper presents a new kind of objective functions based on individual physical compartment objetives in the studied microorganism. These kind of functions was tested with a stoichiometric model extracted from iMM904 reconstruction of S. cerevisiae and its performance is compared with the most used objective function in literature, growth maximization, in anaerobic and aerobic batch conditions. The presented objective function outperform growth predictions in 10% and ethanol predictions in 75% compared with obtained by maximization of growth objective function, in anaerobic conditions. In aerobic batch conditions the presented objective function outperforms in 98% growth preditions and 70% ethanol predictions compared with growth maximization.

Produção de glicose e frutose por invertase de Saccharomyces cerevisiae imobilizada em suporte MANAE-Agarose / Glucose and Fructose Production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae Invertase Immobilized on MANAE-Agarose Support

Invertase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was immobilized on agarose beads, activated with various groups (glyoxyl, MANAE or glutaraldehyde), and on some commercial epoxy supports (Eupergit and Sepabeads). Very active and stable invertase derivatives were produced by the adsorption of the enzyme on MANAE-agarose, MANAE-agarose treated with glutaraldhyde and glutaraldehyde-agarose supports. At pH 5.0, these derivatives retained full activity after 24h at 40 ºC and 50 ºC. When assayed at 40 °C and 50 °C, with the pH adjusted to 7.0, the invertase-MANAE-agarose derivative treated with glutaraldehyde retained 80% of the initial activity. Recovered activities of the derivatives produced with MANAE, MANAE treated with glutaraldehyde and glutaraldehyde alone were 73.5%, 44.4% and 36.8%, respectively. These three preparations were successfully employed to produce glucose and fructose in 3 cycles of sucrose hydrolysis.

Invertase de Saccharomyces cerevisiae foi imobilizada em agarose ativada com diferentes grupos (glioxil, MANAE ou glutaraldeído) e suportes epóxidos comerciais (Eupergit e Sepabeads). Derivados de invertase ativos e estabilizados foram produzidos pela adsorção da enzima em suportes MANAE-agarose, MANAE-agarose tratado com glutaraldeído e glutaraldeído-agarose. Em pH 5,0 estes derivados retiveram total atividade até 24h a 40 ºC e 50 ºC. Quando os ensaios foram a 40 °C e 50 °C com o pH alterado para 7,0, o derivado invertase-MANAE-agarose tratado com glutaraldeído apresentou 80% da atividade inicial. As atividades recuperadas dos derivados foram 73,5%, 44,4% e 36,8%, respectivamente para MANAE, MANAE tratado com glutaraldeído e glutaraldeído. Essas três preparações foram empregadas com sucesso em 3 ciclos de hidrólise da sacarose para produzir glicose e frutose.

Caracterização química do autolisado de levedura de alambique e avaliação da aceitabilidade do pão de queijo adicionado do autolisado desidratado / Chemical characterization of yeast autolysate and assessment of the acceptability of cheese buns containing dried autolysate

OBJETIVO: Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo estudar as propriedades do autolisado de levedura (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) proveniente de cachaça de alambique, investigando a composição centesimal, o perfil acídico e a análise microbiológica do material, bem como realizar análise sensorial do pão de queijo adicionado com o autolisado desidratado. MÉTODOS: O autolisado foi obtido pela lavagem e autólise da biomassa. A secagem foi realizada em secador de bandeja na temperatura de 70ºC. Realizaram-se as seguintes análises: caracterização físico-química (teor lipídico, proteico, fibras totais, fibras solúveis e insolúveis, e cinzas); composição de aminoácidos; análises microbiológicas do produto desidratado; e avaliação sensorial do pão de queijo contendo o autolisado desidratado, através de escala hedônica e teste de atitude. RESULTADOS: O autolisado desidratado apresentou: 1,2 por cento de lipídeos; 24,7 por cento de proteínas; 51,3 por cento de fibras totais, sendo 2,4 por cento de fibras solúveis e 48,9 por cento de insolúveis; e 6,2 por cento de cinzas. As análises microbiológicas mostraram-se dentro do limite recomendado pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária. O perfil aminoacídico mostrou deficiência de histidina e metionina+cistina. A análise sensorial do pão de queijo mostrou boa aceitação, tendo apenas cor e aparência recebido notas baixas. A maioria dos participantes disse que "gosta disto e compraria de vez em quando". CONCLUSÃO: Os valores de proteína e aminoácidos encontrados na levedura de cachaça de alambique foram inferiores ao mostrado na literatura para levedura de cervejaria e destilaria de álcool etílico. A levedura desidratada estava microbiologicamente apta para consumo humano. A baixa aceitabilidade da aparência do pão de queijo provavelmente ocorreu pelo fato de os consumidores não estarem habituados à cor escura do produto. Trabalhos futuros poderão sugerir adição em outros produtos que apresentem aparência mais atrativa.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to study the properties of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) autolysate obtained from pot still rum, including centesimal composition, amino acid profile and microbiological analysis, and perform a sensory analysis of cheese buns (also known as Brazilian cheese bread or rolls) enriched with dried autolysate. METHODS: Autolysate was obtained by rinsing and autolyzing the biomass and dried on a tray dryer at 70º. Its composition was then determined (fat, protein, total fiber, soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, ash and amino acid contents) followed by microbiological analysis. Finally, cheese buns enriched with dried autolysate were submitted to sensory analysis using the hedonic scale and attitude test. RESULTS: Dried autolysate contained 1.2 percent fats; 24.7 percent proteins; 51.3 percent total fiber, where 2.4 percent was soluble and 48.9 percent was insoluble; and 6.2 percent ash. According to microbiological analysis, the product complied with the microbiological limits established by the Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária. Amino acid profile showed that histidine and methionine-cystine levels were low. Sensory analysis indicated good acceptance of the cheese buns. Only their color and appearance received low scores. Most participants reported liking the cheese buns and willingness to buy them on occasion. CONCLUSION: The protein and amino acid levels found in pot still rum were lower than those reported in the literature for breweries and ethanol distilleries. Dried yeast was microbiologically suitable for human consumption. The low grades given to the appearance of the cheese buns were probably due to their unappealing dark color, as opposed to the usual pale yellow color. Future studies could suggest the addition of dried yeast to products whose visual appeal will not be as affected.

Efecto de adición de iones hierro y zinc sobre la producción de etanol de dos cepas recombinantes de Saccharomyces cerevisiae / The effect of adding iron and zinc ions to ethanol production from two recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

La producción de etanol por fermentación es influenciada por la presencia de iones metálicos como hierro y zinc dado que son cofactores de la enzima alcohol deshidrogenasa. El estudio de este efecto permitiría identificar el comportamiento de los microorganismos fermentadores en sustratos industriales que contienen altas concentraciones de este tipo de iones. Este trabajo evaluó la producción de biomasa, los azúcares residuales y la producción de etanol por fermentación de tres cepas de S. cerevisiae, CBS8066, recombinantes GG570-CIBI y GG570-CIBII, bajo el efecto de la adición de hierro a 0, 50 y 150 M, y zinc a 0 y 50 M. Las cepas presentaron inhibición en la producción de biomasa y etanol bajo efecto de iones de hierro y zinc, siendo dicha inhibición mayor al estar en presencia de zinc o alta concentración de hierro. GG570-CIBI mostró disminución en producción de biomasa de 4 g/L y una caída en producción de etanol de 40% en el tratamiento 150 M hierro-50 M zinc (con respecto al tratamiento basal). GG570-CIBII fue la menos afectada con inhibición en la producción de etanol inferior a 11% a las 20 h de fermentación. Adicionalmente, presentó la mayor producción de etanol cuando hubo adición de 150 M Fe con o sin adición de zinc, siendo dicha producción entre un 9 y 14% superior a la de las cepas CBS8066 y GG570-CIBI respectivamente, bajo las mismas condiciones. Posteriormente, GG570-CIBII será evaluada en sustratos industriales debido a su menor inhibición en la producción de etanol, permitiendo así obtener mejores rendimientos.

The ethanol production by fermentation is influenced by the presence of metallic ions like iron and zinc because these are alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme cofactors. The study of this effect would allow for identifying the behavior of microorganisms in industrial substrates that contain high concentrations of this kind of ions. This work evaluated biomass production, residual sugars and ethanol production by fermentation of three S. cerevisiae strains, CBS8066, recombinants GG570-CIBI and GG570-CIBII, under the effect of the addition of ferrous ion at 0, 50 and 150 M and zinc ion at 0 and 50 M. The strains showed inhibition on biomass and ethanol production under the effect of zinc and ferrous ions, however, this inhibition was greater in the presence of zinc or iron at high concentration. GG570-CIBI showed reduction in biomass production of 4 g/L and an ethanol production drop of 40 % in the treatment 150 M iron–50 M zinc (with respect to the basal treatment). GG570-CIBII was the less affected with an inhibition on ethanol production below 11 % at 20 h of fermentation. Additionally, GG570-CIBII presented the greatest ethanol production when 150 M iron was added to the culture medium with or without zinc addition. In this case, the production was 9 and 14 % greater than ethanol production of CBS8066 and GG570-CIBI respectively, at the same conditions. Later, GG570-CIBII will be evaluated in industrial substrates due to its lower ethanol production inhibition, allowing for obtaining better yields.

Estudo e caracterização do processo de glutatiolação e desglutatiolação da unidade 20S do proteassomo da levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Implicações na regulação do metabolismo redox intracelular e na geração de peptídeos / Study and characterization of the S-glutathiolation and deglutathiolation of the 20S proteasome core from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Implications on the intracellular redox metabolism and peptide generation

O proteassomo é o componente do sistema Ubiquitina-Proteassomo (UPS), responsável pela degradação de proteínas intracelulares marcadas com cauda de ubiquitina. No entanto, a unidade catalítica do proteassomo (20SPT), destituída de unidades regulatórias, é capaz de degradar proteínas de maneira ubiquitina-independente. Diversas modificações pós-traducionais já foram descritas para o 20SPT, incluindo a S-glutatiolação. De acordo com Demasi e col., (2003) o 20SPT da levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae possui a atividade tipo-quimiotripsina modulada por glutationa e o mecanismo de glutatiolação implica na formação do intermediário ácido sulfênico. No presente trabalho, identificamos por espectrometria de massas (MS/MS) um total de sete resíduos diferentes de cisteína glutatiolados no 20SPT, sendo seis in vitro por incubação com GSH e três in vivo, extraído de células crescidas até atingir fase estacionária tardia em meio rico. Analisando a estrutura 3D do 20SPT, observou-se que os resíduos de cisteína glutatiolados não estão localizados na entrada da câmara catalítica nem próximos aos sítios-ativos, indicando um mecanismo alostérico da modulação da atividade proteassomal...

The proteasome is the protease of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (UPS) responsible for the breakdown of intracellular ubiquitin-tagged proteins. However, the catalytic particle of the proteasome (20SPT) is capable of hydrolyzing some substrates in an ubiquitin-independent fashion. The S-glutathiolation of the 20SPT was described among several post-translational modifications and according to Demasi et. al. (2003), the chymotrypsin-like activity of proteasome from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is regulated by glutathione. The mechanism of S-glutathiolation is dependent on the formation of the sulfenic acid intermediate in the cisteine residues of the 20SPT. In this present work, we identified in vitro and in vivo, a total of seven different S-glutathiolated proteasomal cysteine residues by mass spectrometry studies (MS/MS) and, by analyzing the 3D structure of the 20SPT, the modified cysteine residues are not located either on the entrance of the catalytic core or near to the active sites, indicating an allosteric mechanism of proteasomal modulation. During protein degradation, the natively S-glutathiolated 20SPT produces different patterns of peptide products when compared to the DTT-reduced particle through distinct site-specific cleavage of the protein substrates, as herein demonstrated by HPLC and MS/MS analyses...

Boty-II, a novel LTR retrotransposon in Botrytis cinerea B05.10 revealed by genomic sequence

Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic pathogen causing pre- and post-harvest diseases in at least 235 plant species. It manifests extraordinary genotype and phenotype variation. One of the causes of this variation is transposable elements. Two transposable elements have been discovered in this fungus, the retrotransposon (Boty), and the transposon (Flipper). In this work, two complete (Boty-II-76 and Boty-II-103) and two partial (Boty-II-95 and Boty-II-141) long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons were identified by an in silico genomic sequence analysis. Boty-II-76 and Boty-II-103 contain 6439 bp nucleotides with a pair of LTRs at both ends, and an internal deduced pol gene encoding a polyprotein with reverse transcriptase and DDE integrase domains. They are flanked by 5 bp direct repeats (ACCAT, CTTTC). In Boty-II-141, two LTRs at both ends, and a partial internal pol gene encoding a protein with a DDE integrase domain were identified. In Boty-II-95, a right LTR and a partial internal pol gene encoding a protein with no conserved domains were identified. Boty-II uses a self-priming mechanism to initiate synthesis of reverse transcripts. The sequence of the presumed primer binding site for first-strand reverse transcription is 5’-TTGTACCAT-3’. The polypurine-rich sequence for plus-strand DNA synthesis is 5’-GCCTTGAGCGGGGGGTAC-3’. Fourteen Boty-II LTRs that contain 125-158 bp nucleotides and share 69.1 ~ 100 percent identities with the short inverted terminal repeats of 5 bp (TGTCA…TGACA) were discovered. Analysis of structural features and phylogeny revealed that Boty-II is a novel LTR retrotransposon. It could potentially be used as a novel molecular marker for the investigation of genetic variation in B. cinerea.

Identificación preliminar in vitro de propiedades probióticas en cepas de S. cerevisiae / In vitro preliminary identification of probiotic properties of S. cerevisiae strains

Objetivo. Evaluar preliminarmente in vitro algunas propiedades probióticas de dos cepas nativas de S.cerevisiae. Materiales y métodos. Las cepas fueron utilizadas en ensayos de tolerancia a sales biliares, pH, temperatura, adherencia a Salmonella spp., E.coli y Shigella spp., y antagonismo. Se realizó un diseño factorial 33 x 3, con tres niveles de cada factor (cepa, pH y concentración inicial de sustrato) por triplicado, para establecer las condiciones de cultivo de cada cepa. Como control se empleó una cepa comercial (B). La cepa seleccionada se empleó para la producción en biorreactor de 2L; la biomasa fue sometida a secado por temperatura; al producto resultante se le determinó concentración de N2 y la viabilidad celular. Resultados. La cepa A (obtenida de caña de azúcar), toleró pH 3 ± 0.2, 0.3% (p/v) de sales biliares y 42oC. El ANOVA del diseño factorial reportó diferencias significativas entre los 27 ensayos (p≤0.05), el análisis de superficies reportó que la interacción entre los factores cepa y Sustrato (S0) son significativos, sugiriendo para la optimización la cepa A y concentraciones crecientes de S0. Los resultados se reprodujeron en biorreactor con mx 0.31h-1, td 2.18h y Y(x/s) 0.126g/g; la biomasa seca obtenida fue viable y reportó entre 6.3 y 6.9% N2/g. Conclusiones. Se identificaron levaduras nativas con propiedades probióticas como tolerancia a pH, sales biliares, temperatura y adherencia a Salmonella spp., E.coli y Shigella spp.

Identification of the divergent calmodulin binding motif in yeast Ssb1/Hsp75 protein and in other HSP70 family members

Yeast soluble proteins were fractionated by calmodulin-agarose affinity chromatography and the Ca2+/calmodulin-binding proteins were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. One prominent protein of 66 kDa was excised from the gel, digested with trypsin and the masses of the resultant fragments were determined by MALDI/MS. Twenty-one of 38 monoisotopic peptide masses obtained after tryptic digestion were matched to the heat shock protein Ssb1/Hsp75, covering 37 percent of its sequence. Computational analysis of the primary structure of Ssb1/Hsp75 identified a unique potential amphipathic alpha-helix in its N-terminal ATPase domain with features of target regions for Ca2+/calmodulin binding. This region, which shares 89 percent similarity to the experimentally determined calmodulin-binding domain from mouse, Hsc70, is conserved in near half of the 113 members of the HSP70 family investigated, from yeast to plant and animals. Based on the sequence of this region, phylogenetic analysis grouped the HSP70s in three distinct branches. Two of them comprise the non-calmodulin binding Hsp70s BIP/GR78, a subfamily of eukaryotic HSP70 localized in the endoplasmic reticulum, and DnaK, a subfamily of prokaryotic HSP70. A third heterogeneous group is formed by eukaryotic cytosolic HSP70s containing the new calmodulin-binding motif and other cytosolic HSP70s whose sequences do not conform to those conserved motif, indicating that not all eukaryotic cytosolic Hsp70s are target for calmodulin regulation. Furthermore, the calmodulin-binding domain found in eukaryotic HSP70s is also the target for binding of Bag-1 - an enhancer of ADP/ATP exchange activity of Hsp70s. A model in which calmodulin displaces Bag-1 and modulates Ssb1/Hsp75 chaperone activity is discussed.

Gene networks as a tool to understand transcriptional regulation

Gene regulatory networks, or simply gene networks (GNs), have shown to be a promising approach that the bioinformatics community has been developing for studying regulatory mechanisms in biological systems. GNs are built from the genome-wide high-throughput gene expression data that are often available from DNA microarray experiments. Conceptually, GNs are (un)directed graphs, where the nodes correspond to the genes and a link between a pair of genes denotes a regulatory interaction that occurs at transcriptional level. In the present study, we had two objectives: 1) to develop a framework for GN reconstruction based on a Bayesian network model that captures direct interactions between genes through nonparametric regression with B-splines, and 2) to demonstrate the potential of GNs in the analysis of expression data of a real biological system, the yeast pheromone response pathway. Our framework also included a number of search schemes to learn the network. We present an intuitive notion of GN theory as well as the detailed mathematical foundations of the model. A comprehensive analysis of the consistency of the model when tested with biological data was done through the analysis of the GNs inferred for the yeast pheromone pathway. Our results agree fairly well with what was expected based on the literature, and we developed some hypotheses about this system. Using this analysis, we intended to provide a guide on how GNs can be effectively used to study transcriptional regulation. We also discussed the limitations of GNs and the future direction of network analysis for genomic data. The software is available upon request.

Further phenotypic characterization of pso mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with respect to DNA repair and response to oxidative stress

The sensitivity responses of seven pso mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae towards the mutagens N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), 1,2:7,8-diepoxyoctane (DEO), and 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) further substantiated their allocation into two distinct groups: genes PSO1 (allelic to REV3), PSO2 (SNM1), PSO4 (PRP19), and PSO5 (RAD16) constitute one group in that they are involved in repair of damaged DNA or in RNA processing whereas genes PSO6 (ERG3) and PSO7 (COX11) are related to metabolic steps protecting from oxidative stress and thus form a second group, not responsible for DNA repair. PSO3 has not yet been molecularly characterized but its pleiotropic phenotype would allow its integration into either group. The first three PSO genes of the DNA repair group and PSO3, apart from being sensitive to photo-activated psoralens, have another common phenotype: they are also involved in error-prone DNA repair. While all mutants of the DNA repair group and pso3 were sensitive to DEO and NDEA the pso6 mutant revealed WT or near WT resistance to these mutagens. As expected, the repair-proficient pso7-1 and cox11-Delta mutant alleles conferred high sensitivity to NDEA, a chemical known to be metabolized via redox cycling that yields hydroxylamine radicals and reactive oxygen species. All pso mutants exhibited some sensitivity to 8HQ and again pso7-1 and cox11-Delta conferred the highest sensitivity to this drug. Double mutant snm1-Delta cox11-Delta exhibited additivity of 8HQ and NDEA sensitivities of the single mutants, indicating that two different repair/recovery systems are involved in survival. DEO sensitivity of the double mutant was equal or less than that of the single snm1-Delta mutant. In order to determine if there was oxidative damage to nucleotide bases by these drugs we employed an established bacterial test with and without metabolic activation. After S9-mix biotransformation, NDEA and to a lesser extent 8HQ, lead to significantly higher mutagenesis in an Escherichia coli tester strain WP2-IC203 as compared to WP2, whereas DEO-induced mutagenicity remained unchanged

Isolation of NADH from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by ether permeabilization and its purification by affinity ultrafiltration.

Cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were permeabilized by ether for the isolation of coenzyme NADH. A 4-fold increase in the ether fraction to aqueous fraction resulted in the recovery of 80% of total NADH present in the cell. NADH was separated and purified by affinity ultrafiltration using yeast alcohol dehydrogenase as an affinity ligand. The binding characteristics of the enzyme and coenzyme were established at different pH and ionic strengths using gel filtration. The number of moles of NADH bound per mole of alcohol dehydrogenase (r) was found to be 5.7 at pH 8 and ionic strength (I) 0.1 M. The binary complex of NADH and alcohol dehydrogenase was cleaved by lowering the pH to 6.0. The crude cell permeate on purification by ultrafiltration with 2-fold dilution, gave NADH with an absorbance ratio (A260/A340) of 2.3 and overall yield of 68%. Alcohol dehydrogenase was recovered as retentate with 93% recovery and 15% loss in activity.

Glycerol production from holocellulose by a mixed culture system of TViride and S cerevisiae Y-1347

Production of glycerol by S. cerevisiae y-1347 through the fermentation of holocellulose by T. viride was studied. The accumulation and the yield of glycerol was dependent on the holocellulose level, pH control, nitrogen source and its level. The addition of trace elements during the fermentation resulted in a decrease in production of glycerol

Glycerol production by immobilized mixed culture of TViride and S cerevisiae Y-1347

Calcium alginate as an entrapping gel at a 2% concentration attains higher bioconversion activities and glycerol yields [700 mg%] by immobilized mixed cultures of T. viride and S. cervisae y-1347. the entrapped mixed cultures could be repeatedly used in batch wise bioconversion successfully for at least six times as suspended in diluted nutrient medium. However, entrapped mixed cultures could be reused three times only when suspended in distilled water and must then be reactivated in nutrient medium to be reused

Contribución al estudio del lúpulo / Lupulus humuls study

Tiene como finalidad contribuir a la motivación del cultivo de lupulo en el Perú, ya que es imprescindible e insustituible en la fabricación de cerveza ya que aporta características importantes como sabor y aroma e influye en el proceso de fabricación. Se brinda información sobre los cuidados en el cultivo, características del suelo, clima, temperatura, en las diferentes etapas del desarrollo de la planta y técnicas de cosechas así como preparados de las diferentes presentaciones que favorecen el transporte y su manipuleo en el momento de la aplicación. Esta planta se está adaptando a diferentes zonas geográficas de nuestro continente por lo que cremos que debido a las condiciones climaticas existen en los valles de Urubamba (Cuzco), Curahuasi (Apurimac). La Campiña (Arequipa), Mantaro (Junín), San Marcos y San Juan (Cajamarca), seria viable su adaptación y cultivo en el país. Se realizó análisis de humedad por el método de destilación directa y de resinas (alfa y beta ácidos) por el método espectrofotométrico de 10 muestras de pellets y 16 muestras de extractos de lupulo de diferentes procedencias obteniéndose los muestras de extractos de lupulo de diferentes procedencias obteniéndose los siguientes resultados:muestra de pellets: por ciento humedad (3,90-9,06), por ciento Ó-ácidos (4,50-10.90), por ciento ß-ácidos (3,50-8,10). Muestra de extractos de lupulo: por ciento humedad (1,57-5,20), por ciento Ó-ácidos (23,90-42.60), por ciento ß-ácidos (19.80-31,70).