Nisin variants: What makes them different and unique?

Nisin A is a lantibiotic bacteriocin typically produced by strains of Lactococcus lactis. This bacteriocin has been approved as a natural food preservative since the late 1980 s and shows antimicrobial activity against a range of food-borne spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. The therapeutic potential of nisin A has also been explored increasingly both in human and veterinary medicine.

Comparing the responses of rumen ciliate protozoa and bacteria to excess carbohydrate.

When given excess carbohydrate, certain microbial species respond by storing energy (synthesizing reserve carbohydrate), but other species respond by dissipating the energy as heat (spilling energy). To determine the importance of these responses in the rumen microbial community, this study quantified the responses of mixed ciliate protozoa vs bacteria to glucose. We hypothesized that ciliates would direct more glucose to synthesis of reserve carbohydrate (and less to energy spilling) than would bacteria.

Transport of a Fluorescent Analogue of Glucose (2-NBDG) versus Radiolabeled Sugars by Rumen Bacteria and Escherichia coli.

Fluorescent tracers have been used to measure solute transport, but transport kinetics have not been evaluated by comparison of radiolabeled tracers. Using Streptococcus equinus JB1 and other bacteria, the objective of this study was to determine if a fluorescent analogue of glucose (2-NBDG) would be transported with the same kinetics and transporters as [(14)C]glucose. We uniquely modified a technique for measuring transport of radiolabeled tracers so that transport of a fluorescent tracer (2-NBDG) could also be measured.

Intake, digestibility, performance, and carcass traits of beef cattle of different gender.

The performance, intake, feed efficiency, and carcass traits of beef cattle from different gender profile were assessed. Fifteen animals (five steers, five spayed heifers, and five intact heifers) with ±250 kg of initial body weight were randomly assigned in individual pens and fed the same diet for 106 days. At the end of the trial, all the animals were slaughtered and the pH, temperature, and weight of the carcass were recorded.