The complete 12 Mb genome and transcriptome of Nonomuraea gerenzanensis with new insights into its duplicated "magic" RNA polymerase.

In contrast to the widely accepted consensus of the existence of a single RNA polymerase in bacteria, several actinomycetes have been recently shown to possess two forms of RNA polymerases due the to co-existence of two rpoB paralogs in their genome. However, the biological significance of the rpoB duplication is obscure. In this study we have determined the genome sequence of the lipoglycopeptide antibiotic A40926 producer Nonomuraea gerenzanensis ATCC 39727, an actinomycete with a large genome and two rpoB genes, i.

Complete sequencing of Novosphingobium sp. PP1Y reveals a biotechnologically meaningful metabolic pattern.

Background: Novosphingobium sp. strain PP1Y is a marine α-proteobacterium adapted to grow at the water/fuel oil interface. It exploits the aromatic fraction of fuel oils as a carbon and energy source.

Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in seafood from the Gulf of Naples (Italy).

Seven target polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs; IUPAC nos. 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180) and the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its related metabolites (p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDD) were quantified in edible tissues from seven marine species (European hake, red mullet, blue whiting, Atlantic mackerel, blue and red shrimp, European flying squid, and Mediterranean mussel) from the Gulf of Naples in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy). PCBs 118, 138, and 153 were the dominant congeners in all the species examined.

Persistent organic pollutants in edible marine species from the Gulf of Naples, Southern Italy.

Edible tissues from 10 marine species, collected from the Gulf of Naples in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy) between February and July 2003, were analysed for the presence of organochlorine pesticides hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and DDTs (p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDD), and 20 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The PCB levels (calculated as the sum of all the determined congeners) were found to be the highest (from 56.8 to 47909.

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in European roe deer Capreolus capreolus resident in a protected area in Northern Italy.

In 2001, samples of liver (n = 38) and perirenal fat (n = 25) (only in males) were taken from European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) populating a hilly, wooded protected area in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. Samples were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocycloexane alpha-, beta- and gamma-isomers (alpha-, beta- and gamma-HCH), alpha-endosulfan, aldrin, dieldrin and endrin, and the seven PCB 'indicator' congeners IUPAC Nos. 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180, in order to investigate the current state of contamination of the area and to assess the possible toxicological risks for the monitored species.

Ochratoxin A affects COS cell adhesion and signaling.

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a metabolite produced by strains of Aspergillus and Penicillium, has nephritogenic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic activity in animals and humans. Nanomolar concentrations of OTA promote apoptosis in a cell-type specific fashion. In this study, we have analyzed the molecular mechanism by which OTA affects COS cell adhesion and signaling resulting in an apoptotic response.