Characterization of a Cryptic and Intriguing Low Molecular Weight Plasmid.

The complete nucleotide sequence of cryptic plasmid pVCM04 isolated from Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis was determined and analyzed. pVCM04 contains 3853 bp with 53.6 % GC content and has twelve ORFs with more than 50 amino acids. Five of these sequences showed homology with replication and mobilization proteins. ORF1 and ORF2 showed homology with replication proteins, while ORFs 3-5 showed homology with mobilization proteins. The pVCM04 possesses a region associated with the theta-type replication mechanism. BLASTn search analysis revealed unexpectedly no similarity with sequences deposited in GenBank. The nucleotide sequence of pVCM04 can be divided into two arms: the region between nucleotides 552-1774 (encoding RepA and RepB) and the region between nucleotides 1775-3853 (encoding MobA, MobB and MobC). Codon bias pattern is distinct between mobA and repA, so the program Modeltest was used to select the best evolutionary model to study these genes. The result of ModelTest (model GTR+G for mobA and model HKY+G for repA) suggests that these genes would be subject to different selective pressures. Considering the differences in the codon usage, the selection of two different evolutionary models, and the absence of plasmids with homology to pVCM04 in GenBank, we believe that pVCM04 is a chimeric molecule and represents a new plasmid lineage.

Development of culture medium using extruded bean as a nitrogen source for yeast growth.

In this study extruded bean was used as a nitrogen source substitute in culture medium formulation. A 3-factor simplex-lattice mixture design was used to establish better growth conditions. Completely substituted medium resulted in 43% of increase in the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mixtures containing 1% extruded bean and 1% yeast extract, or 1% extruded bean and 1% peptone presented growths of 76-79% higher than the commercial YPD medium for S. cerevisiae. Pichia pastoris (GS115) growth was enhanced by 20% using a completely substituted medium. The protein expression patterns in P. pastoris (GS115) remained unchanged when growth was conducted in a medium containing extruded bean as unique nitrogen source. The total amount of recombinant protein expressed in extruded bean medium was 88.5% higher than in control expression medium. These results evidenced that extruded bean can be successfully used as a substitute of peptone and yeast extract in culture media for S. cerevisiae's and P. pastoris' (GS115) growth.

Biodegradation of epoxyconazole and piraclostrobin fungicides by Klebsiella sp. from soil.

Three bacterial strains have been isolated from soil in which soybean had been continuously cropped and treated with Opera(®), a fungicide containing epoxyconazole and pyraclostrobin. The three strains (1,805, 2,801 and 3,803), obtained from soil at 80-100 cm depth, were selected on medium containing 0.03% Opera(®). Morphological examination revealed that the strains were Gram-negative, and two of them (1,805 and 2,801) exhibited polymorphism. The growth profiles demonstrated that 1,805 and 3,803 were more efficient growing in the presence of Opera(®) than 2,801. Maximum growth was reached between 24 and 48 h, however, 2,801 was not able to survive after this period. The total protein content produced by 1,805, 2,801 and 3,803 in liquid selective medium containing Opera(®) were 111.0 ± 0.02, 80.0 ± 0.05 and 130.5 ± 0.07 µg/ml, respectively. According to its biochemical and molecular features, strain 1,805 was identified as Klebsiella sp. On the basis of the characteristics presented (facultative anaerobic nature, polymorphic character and capacity of growing in the presence of Opera(®)) strain 1,805 seems to be able to degrade the epoxyconazole and pyraclostrobin.