Molecular Characterisation and Co-cultivation of Bacterial Biofilm Communities Associated with the Mat-Forming Diatom Didymosphenia geminata.

Didymosphenia geminata (Lyngbye) M. Schmidt is a stalked freshwater diatom that is expanding its range globally. In some rivers, D.

Metamorphosis of the invasive ascidian Ciona savignyi: environmental variables and chemical exposure.

In this study, the effects of environmental variables on larval metamorphosis of the solitary ascidian Ciona savignyi were investigated in a laboratory setting. The progression of metamorphic changes were tracked under various temperature, photoperiod, substrate, larval density, and vessel size regimes. Metamorphosis was maximised at 18 °C, 12:12 h subdued light:dark, smooth polystyrene substrate, and 10 larvae mL(-1) in a twelve-well tissue culture plate.

A Rapid Microbioassay for Discovery of Novel Fungicides for Phytophthora spp.

ABSTRACT A microbioassay was developed for the discovery of compounds that inhibit Phytophthora spp. This assay uses a 96-well format for high-throughput capability and a standardized method for quantitation of initial zoospore concentrations for maximum reproducibility. Zoospore suspensions were quantifiable between 0.

Vulgarone B, the antifungal constituent in the steam-distilled fraction of Artemisia douglasiana.

Antifungal activity of the steam distilled essential oil fraction of Artemisia douglasiana was detected by bioautography on silica gel TLC plates against three Colletotrichum spp. The active principle was isolated by bioassay-directed fractionation using column chromatography followed by crystallization and was characterized as vulgarone B by 1H and 13C NMR and GC-MS. Antifungal activity of vulgarone B was further evaluated using 96-well microtiter assay against Colletotrichum acatatum, C.

Effects of the brominated phenol, lanosol, on cytochrome P-450 and glutathione transferase activities in Haliotis rufescens and Katharina tunicata.

The relationship between biochemical transformation mechanisms and dietary preferences has been little studied among marine herbivores. Here we report on basal activities and kinetic parameters of steroid hydroxylase and glutathione transferase from digestive gland tissue of the marine molluscan generalist herbivores Haliotis rufescens and Katharina tunicata and the differential effects of the brominated phenol lanosol [1,2-dihydroxy-3,4-dibromo-5-(hydroxymethyl)-benzene] on the activity of these enzymes. Lanosol and other brominated aromatic compounds are prevalent among filamentous red algae frequently consumed by K.

Podophyllum peltatum possesses a beta-glucosidase with high substrate specificity for the aryltetralin lignan podophyllotoxin.

A beta-glucosidase with high specificity for podophyllotoxin-4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside was purified from the leaves of Podophyllum peltatum. The 65-kDa polypeptide had optimum activity at pH 5.0 and was essentially inactive at pH 6.