Stereoselective reduction of ketones by Daucus carota hairy root cultures.

Reduction of acetophenone by Daucus carota hairy root cultures afforded (S)-phenylethanol in high yield (96%) and excellent enantiomeric excess (ee>or=98%). Aromatic ketones, keto esters, and a simple aliphatic ketone were reduced with good stereoselectivity (ee=62-98%) and moderate to high chemical yields (25-90%).

Differential morphogenesis of the extraradical mycelium of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus grown monoxenically on spatially heterogeneous culture media.

A new in vitro experimental system was developed to study the morphogenesis of discrete regions of a single extraradical mycelium of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus intraradices, growing simultaneously in six different agar-based media. The media were (i) unamended water agar (WA), (ii) WA+PO(4)(3-) (PO(4)(3-)), (iii) WA+NO(3)(-) (NO(3)(-)), (iv) WA+NH(4)(+) (NH(4)(+)), (v) WA+NH(4)(+)+MES (NH(4)(+)+MES) and (vi) minimal medium (M, complete nutrients). Each medium was amended with the pH indicator bromocresol purple.