The Separative Bioreactor: A Continuous Separation Process for the Simultaneous Production and Direct Capture of Organic Acids.

The replacement of petrochemicals with biobased chemicals requires efficient bioprocesses, biocatalysis, and product recovery. Biocatalysis (e.g., enzyme conversion and fermentation) offers an attractive alternative to chemical processing because biocatalysis utilize renewable feedstocks under benign reaction conditions. One class of chemical products that could be produced in large volumes by biocatalysis is organic acids. However, biocatalytic reactions to produce organic acids typically result in only dilute concentrations of the product because of product inhibition and acidification that drives the reaction pH outside of the optimal range for the biocatalyst. Buffering or neutralization results in formation of the acid salt rather than the acid, which requires further processing to recover the free acid product. To address these barriers to biocatalytic organic acid production, we developed the "separative bioreactor" based on resin wafer electrodeionization, which is an electro-deionization platform that uses resin wafers fabricated from ion exchange resins. The separative bioreactor simultaneously separates the organic acid from the biocatalyst as it is produced, thus it avoids product inhibition enhancing reaction rates. In addition, the separative bioreactor recovers the product in its acid form to avoid neutralization. The instantaneous separation of acid upon formation in the separative bioreactor is one of the first truly one-step systems for producing organic acids. The separative bioreactor was demonstrated with two systems. In the first demonstration, the enzyme glucose fructose oxidoreductase (GFOR) was immobilized in the reactor and later regenerated in situ. GFOR produced gluconic acid (in its acid form) continuously for 7 days with production rates up to 1000 mg/L/hr at >99% product recovery and GFOR reactivity >30mg gluconic acid/mg GFOR/hour. In the second demonstration, the E. coli strain CSM1 produced lactic acid for up to 24 hours with a productivity of >200 mg/L/hr and almost 100% product recovery.

Apoptosis as a possible cause of gradual development of complete heart block and fatal arrhythmias associated with absence of the AV node, sinus node, and internodal pathways.

BACKGROUND: Gradually progressive development of complete heart block in young people often is associated with cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death, but the pathogenesis remains unexplained. METHODS AND RESULTS: A young woman with complete heart block died suddenly. Her mother had serological but no clinical evidence of antiphospholipid syndrome. Five brothers of another family had arrhythmia and heart block. Three died suddenly; the other two have automatic defibrillators and are alive. The hearts from the young woman and two of the three brothers who died were available for our histological examination of their cardiac conduction systems. In two of the three hearts, the AV node was absent; in the third heart, only fragments of the AV node remained. In all three hearts, the sinus node was nearly destroyed by a noninflammatory degeneration with no abnormal fibrosis or infiltrate. In each heart, the interatrial and internodal pathways were similarly involved, and in the young woman, there were no myocardial cells in which these pathways normally exist. CONCLUSIONS: In these three subjects with progressive development of complete heart block and various arrhythmias, all of whom died suddenly, the histological abnormalities of their cardiac conduction systems are best interpreted as resulting from apoptosis. Programmed cell death is a logical explanation for the pathogenesis of this puzzling clinical picture.

Community health centers and quality of care: a goal to provide effective health care to the community.

The uniqueness of community health centers provides for a sound environment for total quality management (TQM). Structure, process, and outcome are valued equally under TQM. With strong management leadership and a framework for quality of care, community health care specialists (e.g., advanced practice nurses) can easily incorporate the TQM measurement criteria in their daily practice routines. By applying the principles of TQM, the community health center will advance toward its goal of enhancing the effectiveness of health care delivery to a community and its members in partnership with the community.

Leiomyoma of the female urethra.

Smooth muscle tumors of the female urethra are uncommon lesions. Only a few cases of leiomyoma of the female urethra have been reported in the literature. We describe 2 additional cases, review the literature on this rare neoplasm and discuss its management.

The frequency of in-vitro resistance development to fluoroquinolones and the use of a murine pyelonephritis model to demonstrate selection of resistance in vivo.

The frequency of development of resistance to the fluoroquinolones in vitro was generally low with Escherichia coli (in the order of 10(-7) to less than 10(-9) and high with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (in the order of 10(-5) to 10(-7)). Susceptibility to the fluoroquinolones also decreased after serial transfer in increasing concentrations of the drug. Although the MICs for the resistant E. coli variants were higher than that of the parent organism, they were still susceptible to achievable serum concentrations of all the quinolones except nalidixic acid. On the other hand some of the P. aeruginosa variants selected for resistance were resistant to achievable serum concentrations of all the quinolones. When E. coli pyelonephritis in mice was treated with the fluoroquinolones, difloxacin, A-56620, and ciprofloxacin were more effective than norfloxacin and nalidixic acid in lowering viable bacterial counts in the kidneys. The susceptibility of E. coli isolated from kidneys of mice treated with the quinolones was the same as that of the parent strain. When P. aeruginosa pyelonephritis in mice was treated with the fluoroquinolones an initial reduction in the cell count was seen, followed by an increase in the number of resistant variants. The resistant variants differed in their colony morphology and cell envelope proteins. The levels of resistance for the P. aeruginosa variants ranged from a two- to a 64-fold increase in the MIC.

Derepression of an NAD-linked dehydrogenase that serves an Escherichia coli mutant for growth on glycerol.

An Escherichia coli mutant using an NAD-linked dehydrogenase instead of an ATP-dependent kinase as the first enzyme for glycerol dissimilation excreted dihydroxyacetone during the initial phase of growth. The intermediate was salvaged as growth of the culture advanced. The transient loss of the intermediate into the medium appeared to be partly determined by variation of the level of glycerol dehydrogenase with growth conditions. With up to 2% casein hydrolysate as the carbon and energy source, the cellular level of the dehydrogenase increased 1 order of magnitude at the end of growth. This increase was probably caused by the depletion of certain metabolites and was prevented by the addition of pyruvate or glucose to the growth medium. The repressive effect of these compounds was not lifted by the addition of cyclic AMP. Diminution of oxygen tension in the culture medium with increased cell density was not directly responsible for the increase of the enzyme level. Thus, neither catabolite repression nor respiratory repression was implicated as an important control mechanism in the synthesis of this enzyme. Since increases in the specific activity of the enzyme in cell extracts reflected increases in the concentration of the enzyme protein, post-translational control was also not involved. A novel kind of regulation of gene expression is indicated.

Evidence for the involvement of proton motive force in the transport of glucose by a mutant of Streptococcus mutans strain DR0001 defective in glucose-phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase activity.

Streptococcus mutans DR0001 and a glucose-phosphotransferase (PTS)-defective mutant, DR0001/6, were grown anaerobically in a chemostat with a glucose limitation at dilution rates (D) of 0.04 to 0.6 h(-1) (mean generation time, 17 to 1.2 h). The mutant possessed only 15% of glucose-PTS activity of the wild type and gave cell yields (19%) less than those of the wild type. Glucose-PTS activity in strains DR0001 was maximum at D = 0.1 h(-1) and was adequate to account for transport in the chemostat at all dilution rates except D = 0.6 h(-1), at which it was 80% of the actual glucose uptake activity. The mutant DR0001/6, on the other hand, possessed only sufficient glucose-PTS activity to sustain growth at below D = 0.1 h(-1), indicating the presence of an alternate transport activity. This was confirmed in glycolytic rate experiments with washed cells, which demonstrated that the mutant showed rates 11- to 27-fold higher than that accountable via glucose-PTS activity alone. The wild-type organism contained both a high (K(s), 6.7 to 8.0 muM)- and a low (K(s), 57 to 125 muM)-affinity transport system, whereas the glucose-PTS-defective mutant contained only the low-affinity system (K(s), 62 to 133 muM). The glucose-PTS was shown to be the high-affinity system. Glucose uptake by the mutant was unaffected by 8 mM sodium arsenate, 10 mM azide, and 10 mM dinitrophenol but was completely inhibited by 0.05 mM sodium iodoacetate. Glycolysis in the organism was almost completely inhibited by 0.25 mM N',N' -dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), indicating the involvement of an ATPase in glucose uptake. The ionophores carbonylcyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone and tetrachlorosali-cylanilide were inhibitory at concentrations of 10 muM, suggesting that a proton gradient was important in the transport process. Higher levels of DCCD and the ionophores were required to inhibit the wild-type organism to the same degree. A mechanism is proposed for the alternative transport system whereby proton motive force is created by the extrusion of protons by the DCCD-sensitive ATPase and glucose is transported down a proton gradient in a symport with protons.

Regulation and function of ammonia-assimilating enzymes in Streptococcus mutans.

The ability of Streptococcus mutans to synthesize amino acids was examined. A total of 8 of 12 laboratory strains grew anaerobically on solid-defined medium that contained no amino acids. Several isolates, therefore, assimilated ammonia for the biosynthesis of amino acids. These strains included representatives of five serotypes. One strain, DR0001, was also grown in liquid-defined medium. The enzymes of two pathways by which ammonia can be fixed were detected in this strain DR0001 could use either a reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-coupled glutamate dehydrogenase or the combined action of adenosine 5'-triphosphate-driven glutamine synthetase with a reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-coupled glutamate synthase to assimilate ammonia for the biosynthesis of amino acids. Evidence that both pathways were functional was provided by an analysis of the influence of the nitrogen source on enzyme levels and by the isolation and characterization of glutamate dehydrogenase-negative mutants.

Biosynthesis and catabolism of 6-deoxy L-talitol by Klebsiella aerogenes mutants.

A mutant strain of Klebsiella aerogenes was constructed and, when incubated anaerobically with L-fucose and glycerol, synthesized and excreted a novel methyl pentitol, 6-deoxy L-talitol. The mutant was constitutive for the synthesis of L-fucose isomerase but unable to synthesize L-fuculokinase activity. Thus, it could convert the L-fucose to L-fuculose but was incapable of phosphorylating L-fuculose to L-fuculose 1-phosphate. The mutant was also constitutive for the synthesis of ribitol dehydrogenase, and in the presence of sufficient reducing power this latter enzyme catalyzed the reduction of the L-fuculose to 6-deoxy L-talitol. The reducing equivalents required for this reaction were generated by the oxidation of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone with an anaerobic glycerol dehydrogenase. The parent strain of K. aerogenes was unable to utilize the purified 6-deoxy L-talitol as a sole source of carbon and energy for growth; however, mutant could be isolated which had gained this ability. Such mutants were found to be constitutive for the synthesis of ribitol dehydrogenase and were thus capable of oxidizing 6-deoxy L-talitol to L-fuculose. Further metabolism of L-fuculose was shown by mutant analysis to be mediated by the enzymes of the L-fucose catabolic pathway.

Regulation and function of sucrose 6-phosphate hydrolase in Streptococcus mutans.

Sucrose catabolism by Streptococcus mutans is initiated by a phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sucrose phosphotransferase reaction that produces sucrose 6-phosphate the latter is then cleaved by a sucrose 6-phosphate hydrolase reaction that yields glucose 6-phosphate and fructose. We have examined the regulation of the sucrose 6-phosphate hydrolase and found that it was synthesized constitutively whereas sucrose phosphotransferase activity was inducible. However, the levels of both sucrose phosphotransferase and sucrose 6-phosphate hydrolase were repressed when fructose was used as a growth substrate. The specific activity of sucrose 6-phosphate hydrolase in permeabilized cells was approximately 30 mmol/min per mg (dry weight of cells), and it had an apparent Km for sucrose 6-phosphate of 0.3 mM. analysis of a mutant that was missing sucrose 6-phosphate hydrolase activity revealed that its ability to hydrolyze sucrose was reduced.

Characterization of a phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sucrose phosphotransferase system in Streptococcus mutans.

A phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sucrose phosphotransferase system has been identified in Streptococcus mutans. Sucrose phosphotransferase activity was inducible by sucrose and had an apparent Km for sucrose of 70 microM. The product of the sucrose phosphotransferase reaction was isolated and identified as sucrose phosphate. Additional analysis revealed that the phosphate group was on the glucose moiety. Mutants unable to grow in media containing low concentrations of sucrose were isolated and found to be missing either sucrose phosphotransferase activity or the ability to hydrolyze sucrose phosphate.

"Conjugal" transfer of plasmid DNA among oral streptococci.

The beta plasmid from Streptococcus faecalis strain DS5, which codes for resistance to erythromycin and lincomycin, was introduced into a Lancefield group F streptococcus, strain DR1501, by transformation. This strain, DR1501 (beta), was found to be an excellent donor of the beta plasmid and readily transferred the resistance markers to various lactic acid bacteria, including certain strains of S. mutans, S. sanguis, and S. salivarius. Evidence is presented indicating that the transfer of the beta plasmid is mediated by a mechanism that requires cell-to-cell contact. The transfer of plasmid DNA during conjugation has been confirmed by the isolation of beta plasmid from transconjugant clones and by their ability to then serve as donors of the erythromycin and lincomycin resistance markers.

A comparison of alternate metabolic strategies for the utilization of D-arabinose.

Mutants of Klebsiella aerogenes W70 that metabolize the uncommon pentose D-arabinose were isolated. These mutants were found to be either constitutive or indicible by D-arabinose for the synthesis of enzymes in the L-fucose pathway. Such mutants could then utilize L-fucose isomerase to convert the structurally similar D-arabinose molecule to D-ribulose. D-Ribulose is an intermediate and the inducer of an existing ribitol pathway and could thus be metabolized. In those D-arabinose-positive mutants where the ribitol pathway was blocked by mutation, D-ribulose could alternatively be metabolized by using the remaining L-fucose pathway enzymes. When the two D-arabinose catabolic routes were compared, catabolism of D-arabinose via the ribitol pathway was found to be more efficient. Catabolism of D-arabinose using the L-fucose pathway permitted D-ribulose to escape into the media and produced an unmetabolizable end product, L-glycolic acid. A comparison of growth using constitutive versus inducible control of the borrowed L-fucose isomerase did not reveal an advantage for one control type over the other. Several differences were observed, however, when we determined the degree to which these control mutations perturbed the normal functioning of the L-fucose and associated pathways. Growth of the constitutive mutant was impaired with L-fucose as substrate. The inducible-control mutant had altered growth characteristics on ribitol and L-rhamnose.

Kinase replacement by a dehydrogenase for Escherichia coli glycerol utilization.

A mutant of Escherichia coli that employs a glycerol:nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide 2-oxidoreductase (EC 1.1.1.6), instead of adenosine 5'-triphosphate:glycerol 3-phosphotransferase (EC 2.7.1.30), as the first enzyme for the dissimilation of glycerol was constructed. This mutant, like the wild-type strain, still cannot grow anaerobically on glycerol without an exogenous hydrogen acceptor.

Familial occurrence of Wilms' tumor: nephroblastoma in one of monozygous twins and in another sibling.

We report the occurrence of pathologically documented Wilm's tumor in a 24-month-old male twin and just 9 months later in his 12-month-old male sibling. We considered the twins to be monozygotic because of their phenotypic similarities, the probability computed from analysis of blood groups, and the comparison of their dermatoglphics. There were no other persons in the kindred with either tumor or associated malformations, and the parents were not consanguineous. Because of the frequency of Wilm's tumor, the few instances of demonstrated occurrence in siblings seem insufficient to postulate monogenic determination. Concordance in monozygotic twins has simply not been proven. The monozygotic unaffected twin of our first patient has remained without evidence of tumor to 5 years, and, as long as he remains so, he appears to represent an exception to the hypothesis of the mutagenic origin of this childhood tumor.