A controlled aquarium system and approach to study the role of sponge-bacteria interactions using Aplysilla rosea and Vibrio natriegens.

Sponge-bacteria interactions are very important due to their ecological and biological significance. To understand the impact of interactions between sponges and bacteria (both associated with and external to sponges) on sponge-associated microbial diversity, sponge metabolite profiles and bioactivity, we used a controlled aquarium system and designed an experimental approach that allows the study of sponge-bacteria interactions in a well-defined manner. To test the feasibility of this approach, this system was used to study the interaction between a sponge Aplysilla rosea and a marine bacterium commonly found in seawater, Vibrio natriegens.

Characterization of amniotic fluid of Dohne Merino ewes (Ovis aries) and its possible role in neonatal recognition.

Amniotic fluid (AF) was investigated as a possible source of the neonatal recognition cue that plays a crucial role in ewe-lamb bonding in sheep. A total of 70 of the 133 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), previously identified in the cranial wool of neonatal Dohne Merino lambs, was also identified in AF collected individually from neonatal twins. As in the case of the wool of neonatal lambs, the VOC profiles (GC-MS) of the AF of twins were remarkably similar.

Reuteran and levan as carbohydrate sinks in transgenic sugarcane.

The present study reports the effect of high molecular weight bacterial fructan (levan) and glucan (reuteran) on growth and carbohydrate partitioning in transgenic sugarcane plants. These biopolymers are products of bacterial glycosyltransferases, enzymes that catalyze the polymerization of glucose or fructose residues from sucrose. Constructs, targeted to different subcellular compartments (cell wall and cytosol) and driven by the Cauliflower mosaic virus-35S: maize-ubiquitin promoter, were introduced into sugarcane by biolistic transformation.

The role of bile after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in promoting weight loss and improving glycaemic control.

Gastric bypass leads to the remission of type 2 diabetes independently of weight loss. Our hypothesis is that changes in bile flow due to the altered anatomy may partly explain the metabolic outcomes of the operation. We prospectively studied 12 patients undergoing gastric bypass and six patients undergoing gastric banding over a 6-wk period.

Manipulation of L-ascorbic acid biosynthesis pathways in Solanum lycopersicum: elevated GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase activity enhances L-ascorbate levels in red fruit.

Ascorbate (AsA) plays a fundamental role in redox homeostasis in plants and animals, primarily by scavenging reactive oxygen species. Three genes, representing diverse steps putatively involved in plant AsA biosynthesis pathways, were cloned and independently expressed in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter. Yeast-derived GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMPase) and arabinono-1,4-lactone oxidase (ALO), as well as myo-inositol oxygenase 2 (MIOX2) from Arabidopsis thaliana, were targeted.

Olfactory cue mediated neonatal recognition in sheep, Ovis aries.

The strong bond between ewe and lamb formed shortly after parturition is an important factor in lamb survival. Evidence exists that a ewe can distinguish her lamb by its unique smell, but the constituents of such a putative olfactory cue have not yet been identified. We have now identified 133 volatile organic compounds associated with the wool of Döhne Merino lambs that we presume may be involved in neonatal recognition.

Exopolysaccharide production by lactose-hydrolyzing bacteria isolated from traditionally fermented milk.

With increasing consumer demands for safer, healthier and more natural products, bacterially produced exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are becoming a viable option as an additive in designer-type foods. Fresh milk samples from cattle and sheep were collected from informal settlements in South Africa. After a three day incubation period at 25 degrees C, 550 bacterial strains were isolated and evaluated for EPS production from lactose as sole carbon source.