Microbial characterization of the Japanese traditional pickle senmaizuke produced by two different manufacturing processes.

Senmaizuke, a traditional turnip pickle, prepared in Kyoto, Japan, is produced via two types of manufacturing processes: with and without vinegar for fermentation. The aim of this study was to reveal the microbial community and growth behavior in the products and manufacturing processes of two types of senmaizuke. Microbial growth analysis of commercial senmaizuke products showed that both types harbored 10-10 colony forming units (CFU)/g of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and 10-10 of yeast.

Methanol bioeconomy: promotion of rice crop yield in paddy fields with microbial cells prepared from natural gas-derived C compound.

Methylotrophs, which can utilize methanol as a sole carbon source, are promising microorganisms to be exploited in a methanol-based bioeconomy, in which a variety of useful compounds are biotechnologically produced from natural gas-derived methanol. Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) are common plant phyllospheric bacteria and are known to enhance seedling growth and total biomass of various plants. However, improvement of crop yield by inoculation of PPFMs at the field level has not been well investigated.

Community composition and methane oxidation activity of methanotrophs associated with duckweeds in a fresh water lake.

Methanotrophs are the only biological sink of the greenhouse gas methane. To understand the ecological features of methanotrophs in association with plants in the methane emitting environments, we investigated the community composition and methane oxidation of methanotrophs associated with duckweeds in a fresh water lake. Duckweeds collected from Lake Biwa, Japan over three summers showed methane consumption activity between 0.

Pantothenate auxotrophy of Methylobacterium spp. isolated from living plants.

A number of pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) belonging to Methylobacterium spp. isolated from living plant samples were found to require B vitamins for their growth in minimal medium, and most B vitamin-auxotrophic PPFMs required pantothenate (vitamin B). Further investigation of pantothenate auxotrophy using the representative strain Methylobacterium sp.

KaiC family proteins integratively control temperature-dependent UV resistance in Methylobacterium extorquens AM1.

KaiC protein is the pivotal component of the circadian clock in cyanobacteria. While KaiC family proteins are well-conserved throughout divergent phylogenetic lineages, studies of the physiological roles of KaiC proteins from other microorganisms have been limited. We examined the role of the KaiC proteins, KaiC1 and KaiC2, in the methanol-utilizing bacterium Methylobacterium extorquens AM1.

Characterization of AvaR1, a butenolide-autoregulator receptor for biosynthesis of a Streptomyces hormone in Streptomyces avermitilis.

Streptomyces hormones, sometimes called as autoregulators, are important signaling molecules to trigger secondary metabolism across many Streptomyces species. We recently identified a butenolide-type autoregulator (termed avenolide) as a new class of Streptomyces hormone from Streptomyces avermitilis that produces important anthelmintic agent avermectin. Avenolide triggers the production of avermectin with minimum effective concentration of nanomolar.

Draft genomes of gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs isolated from terrestrial ecosystems.

Genome sequences of Methylobacter luteus, Methylobacter whittenburyi, Methylosarcina fibrata, Methylomicrobium agile, and Methylovulum miyakonense were generated. The strains represent aerobic methanotrophs typically isolated from various terrestrial ecosystems.

Interactions of Methylotrophs with Plants and Other Heterotrophic Bacteria.

Methylotrophs, which can utilize methane and/or methanol as sole carbon and energy sources, are key players in the carbon cycle between methane and CO₂, the two most important greenhouse gases. This review describes the relationships between methylotrophs and plants, and between methanotrophs (methane-utilizers, a subset of methylotrophs) and heterotrophic bacteria. Some plants emit methane and methanol from their leaves, and provide methylotrophs with habitats.

Methyloparacoccus murrellii gen. nov., sp. nov., a methanotroph isolated from pond water.

Two novel methanotrophic strains, R-49797(T) and OS501, were isolated from pond water in South Africa and Japan, respectively. Strains R-49797(T) and OS501 shared 99.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity.

Aquatic plant surface as a niche for methanotrophs.

This study investigated the potential local CH4 sink in various plant parts as a boundary environment of CH4 emission and consumption. By comparing CH4 consumption activities in cultures inoculated with parts from 39 plant species, we observed significantly higher consumption of CH4 associated with aquatic plants than other emergent plant parts such as woody plant leaves, macrophytic marine algae, and sea grass. In situ activity of CH4 consumption by methanotrophs associated with different species of aquatic plants was in the range of 3.

Stress resistance and C1 metabolism involved in plant colonization of a methanotroph Methylosinus sp. B4S.

Methanotrophs are widespread and have been isolated from various environments including the phyllosphere. In this study, we characterized the plant colonization by Methylosinus sp. B4S, an α-proteobacterial methanotroph isolated from plant leaf.

Dominant colonization and inheritance of Methylobacterium sp. strain OR01 on perilla plants.

Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) are major inhabitants of the phyllosphere. In a preceding study, we found that perilla plants harbor a dominant population of PPFMs on their leaves and seeds, and that the closest relative of PPFMs (Methylobacterium sp. strain OR01 as representative strain) isolated from red perilla seeds was M.

Polyester-Containing α-Cyclodextrin-Based Polyrotaxane: Synthesis by Living Ring-Opening Polymerization, Polypseudorotaxanation, and End Capping Using Nitrile -Oxide.

The first synthesis of polyrotaxanes consisting of polyester axles and α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) wheels was achieved by the catalyst-free click end-capping reaction of polypseudorotaxanes using nitrile -oxide. The polypseudorotaxanes contain acrylate-functionalized polyesters that are obtained by the living ring-opening polymerization of lactones. The yield and coverage ratio of polyrotaxanes are highly dependent on the reaction time, molecular weight of the polyester, polyester structure, and solvent used.

Distribution of methanotrophs in the phyllosphere.

Plants have been reported to emit methane as well as methanol originating in their cell-wall constituents. We investigated methanotrophs in the phyllosphere by the enrichment culture method with methane as sole carbon source. We enriched methanotrophs from the leaves, flowers, bark, and roots of various plants.

Distribution of pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs on leaves of vegetables.

The distribution of pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) on the leaves of various vegetables was studied. All kinds of vegetable leaves tested gave pink-pigmented colonies on agar plates containing methanol as sole carbon source. The numbers of PPFMs on the leaves, colony-forming units (CFU)/g of fresh leaves, differed among the plants, although they were planted and grown at the same farm.

Stimulation of methanotrophic growth in cocultures by cobalamin excreted by rhizobia.

Methanotrophs play a key role in the global carbon cycle, in which they affect methane emissions and help to sustain diverse microbial communities through the conversion of methane to organic compounds. To investigate the microbial interactions that cause positive effects on methanotrophs, cocultures were constructed using Methylovulum miyakonense HT12 and each of nine nonmethanotrophic bacteria, which were isolated from a methane-utilizing microbial consortium culture established from forest soil. Three rhizobial strains were found to strongly stimulate the growth and methane oxidation of M.

Avenolide, a Streptomyces hormone controlling antibiotic production in Streptomyces avermitilis.

Gram-positive bacteria of the genus Streptomyces are industrially important microorganisms, producing >70% of commercially important antibiotics. The production of these compounds is often regulated by low-molecular-weight bacterial hormones called autoregulators. Although 60% of Streptomyces strains may use γ-butyrolactone-type molecules as autoregulators and some use furan-type molecules, little is known about the signaling molecules used to regulate antibiotic production in many other members of this genus.

Soluble and particulate methane monooxygenase gene clusters of the type I methanotroph Methylovulum miyakonense HT12.

The gene clusters encoding soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) and particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) were cloned and sequenced from a new type I methanotroph, Methylovulum miyakonense HT12. The sMMO gene cluster consisted of the structural genes mmoXYBZDC, the regulatory genes mmoG and mmoR and another ORF orf1. Transcriptional analysis revealed that these sMMO genes were transcribed as a single unit from a σ(54) -dependent promoter located upstream of mmoX.

Methylovulum miyakonense gen. nov., sp. nov., a type I methanotroph isolated from forest soil.

A novel methanotroph, designated strain HT12(T), was isolated from forest soil in Japan. Cells of strain HT12(T) were Gram-reaction-negative, aerobic, non-motile, coccoid and formed pale-brown colonies. The strain grew only with methane and methanol as sole carbon and energy sources.