[Prolonged cultivation of an anaerobic bacterial community producing hydrogen].

This paper studies various methods of long-term maintenance of the process of hydrogen evolution during the growth of an aerobic bacterial community on a starch-containing environment. When cultured in separable trip fermentation mode for 72 days, from 0.10 to 0.23 H2/l of medium/day was formed. The regime of regular reseeding lasted more than 100 days, forming an average of 0.81 1 H2/l of medium/day. The advantages and disadvantages of different methods of microbial hydrogen production during a dark starch fermentation process are presented. From the obtained H2 forming microbial communities, we isolated an anaerobic spore-forming bacterium (strain BF). Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S RNA gene sequence of the new strain showed that according to its genotype it belongs to the Clostridium butyricum species.

[Ratio [13C]/[12C] as an index for express estimation of hydrocarbon-oxidizing potential of microbiota in soil polluted with crude oil].

The hydrocarbon-oxidizing potential of soil microbiota and hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms introduced into soil was studied based on the quantitative and isotopic characteristics of carbon in products formed in microbial degradation of oil hydrocarbons. Comparison of CO2 production rates in native soil and that polluted with crude oil showed the intensity of microbial mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) in the presence of oil hydrocarbons to be higher as compared with non-polluted soil, that is, revealed a priming effect ofoil. The amount of carbon of newly synthesized organic products (cell biomass and exometabolites) due to consumed petroleum was shown to significantly exceed that of SOM consumed for production of CO2. The result of microbial processes in oil-polluted soil was found to be a potent release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

[Novel halotolerant bacterium from cryopeg in permafrost: description of Psychrobacter muriicola sp. nov].

A novel halotolerant psychrotrophic gram-negative bacterium, strain 2pS, was isolated from lenses of water brine in Arctic permafrost (cryopeg). The optimal growth of the new strain was observed at 16-18 degrees C; the maximal and minimal growth temperatures were 37 degrees C and -2 degrees C, respectively. The pH growth range was 5.8 to 8.5 (optimum 6.5-7.5) and the range of medium salinity was 0 to 100 g/l (optimum 3-8 g/l NaCl). The strain 2pS did not produce acid from carbohydrates and utilized acetate, yeast extract, pyruvate, glutarate, fumarate, caproate, heptanoate, butyrate, malate, DL-lactate, citrate, L-proline, L-tyrosine, butanol, and dulcitol as the sole carbon and energy sources. The major fatty acids of the cell wall at optimal growth temperature were C18:1(omega 7) and C18:1(omega 9). The G + C DNA content was 46.0 mol.%. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the studied strain was the closest (97% similarity) to Psychrobacter nivimaris DSM 16093T, a halotolerant psychrotrophic bacterium isolated from the Arctic sea's ice. Genotypic and phenotypic differences of the new bacterium from closely related species lead to the conclusion that strain 2pS belongs to a novel species of the genus Psychrobacter: Psychrobacter muriicola sp. nov.

[Detection of C-P-lyase activity in a cell-free extract of Escherichia coli].

A system has been developed for in vitro testing of E. coli C-P-lyase (the enzyme cleaving C-P bonds in phosphonates). NADH, ATP, and the system of ATP regeneration were necessary but not sufficient for expression of the C-P-lyase activity in cell-free extracts of E. coli. Experimental evidence suggests that glucose 6-phosphate and (or) glucose activate C-P-lyase, serving as precursors in the formation of (alkylphosphono)ribose, an intermediate in the reaction. Guanine is the most likely acceptor of the phosphate group.

Novel psychrophilic anaerobic spore-forming bacterium from the overcooled water brine in permafrost: description Clostridium algoriphilum sp. nov.

A gram-positive, motile, strict anaerobic spore-forming bacterium was isolated from the over-cooled brine in the permafrost. The optimal temperature for isolate growth was 5-6 degrees C at pH 6.8-7.2. The bacterium was growing on the medium rich in saccharides and disaccharides. Out of polysaccharides tested, only xylan sustained the growth. Fermentation of the hexoses led to the formation of acetate, butyrate, lactate, H2,CO2 and some formate and ethanol. Cell wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The major fatty acids of the cell wall were C(14:0) and C(16:1c9). The content of G-C pairs in DNA was 31.4 mol%. As phylogenetic analysis has shown, it is closely linked to the members of cluster 1 of Clostridium. It differs from the other species of the genus by the substrates necessary for the growth, products forming as a result of the fermentation and content of the fatty acids in the cell wall. Thus, it was suggested to describe this strain as a new species named Clostridium algoriphilum. Type strain 14D1 was deposited into the Russian Collection of the Microorganisms VKM B-2271T and German Collection of the Microorganisms DSM 16153T .

[Development of a technology for biodegradation of plant wastes in order to resolve the life support requirements of a Martian expedition]. / Razrabotka tekhnologii biodegradatsii otkhodov rastitel'nogo proiskhozhdeniia primenitel'no k zadacham poleta na Mars.

A two-phase technology has been developed for biodegradation of plant wastes. On the first phase, wastes are subjected to anaerobic fermentation by specially selected microbial associations processing solid wastes into a liquid mixture of organic acids. On the second phase, methanogenic bacteria are used to produce biogas out of the liquid, which then can be dumped out into open space or utilized as a cold propellant.

Toxic effect of surfactants and probable products of their biodegradation on methanogenesis in an anaerobic microbial community.

Surfactants used in household and various industries, are rather toxic; therefore, the accumulation of these compounds in the environment through wastewaters has challenged the problem of their biodegradation. In this research, an attempt was made to assess the toxic effect of various surfactants and the likely products of their biodegradation on the acetoclastic methanogens of an anaerobic microbial community. Among the substances investigated, cationic surfactants were found to be most toxic to methanogens: 154 mg/l alkamon DS and 345 mg/l catamin AB induced a 50% inhibition of methanogenesis. Toxicity studies of some aromatic and cyclic compounds, as the probable products of biodegradation of alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactants, showed that methanogenesis in the microbial community under study are rather tolerant to high concentrations of these compounds.

[Catabolism of methylphosphonic acid and its physiological regulation in Escherichia coli]. / Razlozhenie metilfosfonovoi kisloty i ego fiziologicheskaia reguliatsiia u Escherichia coli.

It was found that methyl phosphonic acid (Pn) was degraded by different Escherichia coli strains, which utilized it as the sole phosphorus source with resulting methane formation. This ability was influenced by mutations in the regulatory genes of the pho regulon. Thus, Pn was not degraded by an E. coli mutant defective in the regulatory phoB gene, responsible for the induction of pho-regulon proteins during phosphorus starvation. The intensity of Pn degradation depended on the age and concentration of the inoculum. Preincubation of bacteria in the presence of Pn accelerated subsequent degradation of both methyl phosphonic acid and its esters. Cultures developing from a small amount of inoculum degraded Pn more efficiently than heavily inoculated cultures that underwent only one cell division. However, cultures heavily inoculated with adapted cells degraded Pn as efficiently as cultures developing from a small amount of inoculum. Aeration was an important factor regulating Pn degradation: Pn was degraded more efficiently under anaerobic conditions regardless of the amount of inoculum.

[Microbiological aspects of fermenting chicken manure at various temperatures]. / Mikrobiologicheskie aspekty fermentatsii kurinogo pometa pri razlichnykh temperaturakh.

Mesophilic and thermophilic groups of methanogenic bacteria were found in untreated fowl manure. The thermophilic anaerobic fermentation of fowl manure leads to the development of both individual methanogens utilizing only some of the methane precursors, and syntrophic associations that are also able to utilize complex substrates. The selection of methanogenic bacteria during fowl manure anaerobic fermentation results in accumulation of thermophilic forms utilizing acetate and propionate.

[Pathways of degradation of organic components of waste water of (meth)acrylate-producing factories to methane by communities of microorganisms of adapted and unadapted sludge]. / Puti degradatsii organicheskikh komponentov stochnykh vod (met)akrilatnykh proizvodstv do metana soobshchestvom mikroorganizmov adaptirovannogo i neadaptirovannogo ila]

Pathways of the degradation of the main compounds of (meth)acrylate-producing factories wastewater (methyl methacrylate, methyl and butyl acrylate, acrylate and methacrylate, acetone, isopropanol, butanol and methanol) by the anaerobic microbial consortium of mesophilic unadapted granulated sludge from the "UASB" reactor and of adapted activated sludge from the contact reactor were comparatively studied. It was shown that the degradation of fatty acids and alcohols took place in both types of sludge. Methacrylate, acrylate and acetone degradation occurred only in adapted sludge. Both types of sludge were characterized by the reversible conversion of acetone and isopropanol and by the presence of the isomeric transition of butyrate and isobutyrate too. The present results allow to suggest that the adaptation of activated sludge to substrate includes the accumulation of biomass of microorganisms capable of hydrolyze specific substrates into such general intermediates as low-molecular-weight fatty acid and alcohols further metabolized to methane and carbon dioxide.