Forage conservation is a neglected nitrous oxide source.

Agricultural activities are the major anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide ( ), an important greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance. However, the role of forage conservation as a potential source of has rarely been studied. We investigated production from the simulated silage of the three major crops-maize, alfalfa, and sorghum-used for silage in the United States, which comprises over 90% of the total silage production.

The relative contributions of Mn(III) and Mn(IV) in manganese dioxide polymorphs to bisphenol A degradation.

Polymorphs of MnO comprise Mn(III) and Mn(IV), which are both strong oxidants capable of BPA degradation, but their relative contributions are unclear. To advance process understanding, the reactivities of biogenic MnO prepared using Roseobacter sp. AzwK-3b and synthetic MnO (i.

Mn(III)-mediated bisphenol a degradation: Mechanisms and products.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production volume chemical with potential estrogenic effects susceptible to abiotic degradation by MnO. BPA transformation products and reaction mechanisms with MnO have been investigated, but detailed process understanding of Mn(III)-mediated degradation has not been attained. Rapid consumption of BPA occurred in batch reaction vessels with 1 mM Mn(III) and 63.

Evaluation and optimization of lysis method for microbial DNA extraction from epiphytic phyllosphere samples.

Analysis of microbial communities in the epiphytic phyllosphere can be challenging, especially when applying sequencing-based techniques, owing to the interference of plant-derived biomolecules such as nucleic acids. A review of recent studies on the epiphytic microbiome revealed that both mechanical and enzymatic lysis methods are widely used. Here, we evaluated the effects of the two lysis methods on DNA extraction yield, purity, integrity, and microbial 16S rRNA gene copy number per ng of template genomic DNA under different extraction conditions.

Degradation of Adsorbed Bisphenol A by Soluble Mn(III).

Bisphenol A (BPA), a high production volume chemical and potential endocrine disruptor, is found to be associated with sediments and soils due to its hydrophobicity (log of 3.42). We used superfine powdered activated carbon (SPAC) with a particle size of 1.

Biologically mediated abiotic degradation (BMAD) of bisphenol A by manganese-oxidizing bacteria.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical of environmental concern, is recalcitrant under anoxic conditions, but is susceptible to oxidative degradation by manganese(IV)-oxide (MnO). Microbial Mn(II)-oxidation generates MnO; however, BPA degradation in cultures of Mn(II)-oxidizing bacteria has not been explored. We assessed MnO-mediated BPA degradation using three Mn(II)-oxidizing bacteria, Roseobacter sp.

sp. nov., isolated from conserved forages.

A Gram-stain-negative, long-rod-shaped and facultative aerobic bacterium, designated HB-1, was isolated from a round hay bale at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. The results of phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain HB-1 clustered within the genus and its closest relatives were A1-9 (98.0 %), YJ-T1-11 (98.

Biotic and Abiotic Dehalogenation of 1,1,2-Trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (CFC-113): Implications for Bacterial Detoxification of Chlorinated Ethenes.

Chlorofluorocarbons including 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (CFC-113) often occur in groundwater plumes comingled with chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene (TCE). We show that CFC-113 inhibits reductive dechlorination by () in a concentration-dependent manner, causing -1,2-dichloroethene (-DCE) stalls. Following a 17-day exposure of -containing consortium SDC-9 to 76 μM CFC-113, -DCE dechlorination activity did not recover after CFC-113 removal.

Chlorothalonil biotransformation by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases in Sclerotinia homoeocarpa.

Cytochrome P450s have been shown to play a vital role in the xenobiotic detoxification system of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, the causal agent of the turfgrass disease dollar spot. A previous study indicated that three CYP450s were validated to play a functional role in resistance against different fungicide classes including propiconazole and plant growth regulator, flurprimidol. In this study, we present these CYP450s possess the capability to modify the multi-site mode of action fungicide chlorothalonil.

A Xenobiotic Detoxification Pathway through Transcriptional Regulation in Filamentous Fungi.

Fungi are known to utilize transcriptional regulation of genes that encode efflux transporters to detoxify xenobiotics; however, to date it is unknown how fungi transcriptionally regulate and coordinate different phases of detoxification system (phase I, modification; phase II, conjugation; and phase III, secretion). Here we present evidence of an evolutionary convergence between the fungal and mammalian lineages, whereby xenobiotic detoxification genes (phase I coding for cytochrome P450 monooxygenases [CYP450s] and phase III coding for ATP-binding cassette [ABC] efflux transporters) are transcriptionally regulated by structurally unrelated proteins. Following next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses of a filamentous fungus, , the causal agent of dollar spot on turfgrasses, a multidrug resistant (MDR) field strain was found to overexpress phase I and III genes, coding for CYP450s and ABC transporters for xenobiotic detoxification.

Natural Attenuation in Streambed Sediment Receiving Chlorinated Solvents from Underlying Fracture Networks.

Contaminant discharge from fractured bedrock formations remains a remediation challenge. We applied an integrated approach to assess the natural attenuation potential of sediment that forms the transition zone between upwelling groundwater from a chlorinated solvent-contaminated fractured bedrock aquifer and the receiving surface water. In situ measurements demonstrated that reductive dechlorination in the sediment attenuated chlorinated compounds before reaching the water column.

Fate of Bisphenol A in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments.

Bisphenol A (2,2-bis[4-hydroxyphenyl]propane, BPA), the monomer used to produce polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, is weakly estrogenic and therefore of environmental and human health interest. Due to the high production volumes and disposal of products made from BPA, polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, BPA has entered terrestrial and aquatic environments. In the presence of oxygen, diverse taxa of bacteria, fungi, algae and even higher plants metabolize BPA, but anaerobic microbial degradation has not been documented.

Simplified extraction of bisphenols from bacterial culture suspensions and solid matrices.

We demonstrate the utility of a simple and fast methanol extraction method that achieves similar bisphenols recovery efficiencies from microbial culture suspensions and sediment material than more laborious and costly extraction procedures. The methanol extraction method may have broad application for the rapid analysis of hydrophobic compounds in biodegradation studies.

A Data Mining Approach to Predict In Situ Detoxification Potential of Chlorinated Ethenes.

Despite advances in physicochemical remediation technologies, in situ bioremediation treatment based on Dehalococcoides mccartyi (Dhc) reductive dechlorination activity remains a cornerstone approach to remedy sites impacted with chlorinated ethenes. Selecting the best remedial strategy is challenging due to uncertainties and complexity associated with biological and geochemical factors influencing Dhc activity. Guidelines based on measurable biogeochemical parameters have been proposed, but contemporary efforts fall short of meaningfully integrating the available information.

Identification of 4-Hydroxycumyl Alcohol As the Major MnO2-Mediated Bisphenol A Transformation Product and Evaluation of Its Environmental Fate.

Bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental contaminant with weak estrogenic activity, resists microbial degradation under anoxic conditions but is susceptible to abiotic transformation by manganese dioxide (MnO2). BPA degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.96 (±0.

Environmental fate of the next generation refrigerant 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf).

The hydrofluoroolefin 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf) has been introduced to replace 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) as refrigerant in mobile, including vehicle, air conditioning systems because of its lower global warming potential. HFO-1234yf is volatile at ambient temperatures; however, high production volumes and widespread handling are expected to release this fluorocarbon into terrestrial and aquatic environments, including groundwater. Laboratory experiments explored HFO-1234yf degradation by (i) microbial processes under oxic and anoxic conditions, (ii) abiotic processes mediated by reactive mineral phases and zerovalent iron (Fe(0), ZVI), and (iii) cobalamin-catalyzed biomimetic transformation.

4-methylphenol produced in freshwater sediment microcosms is not a bisphenol A metabolite.

4-Methylphenol (4-MP), a putative bisphenol A (BPA) degradation intermediate, was detected at concentrations reaching 2.1 mg L(-1) in anoxic microcosms containing 10 mg L(-1) BPA and 5 g of freshwater sediment material collected from four geographically distinct locations and amended with nitrate, nitrite, ferric iron, or bicarbonate as electron acceptors. 4-MP accumulation was transient, and 4-MP degradation was observed under all redox conditions tested.

Regulation of ethanol-related behavior and ethanol metabolism by the Corazonin neurons and Corazonin receptor in Drosophila melanogaster.

Impaired ethanol metabolism can lead to various alcohol-related health problems. Key enzymes in ethanol metabolism are alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH); however, neuroendocrine pathways that regulate the activities of these enzymes are largely unexplored. Here we identified a neuroendocrine system involving Corazonin (Crz) neuropeptide and its receptor (CrzR) as important physiological regulators of ethanol metabolism in Drosophila.

Interference of ferric ions with ferrous iron quantification using the ferrozine assay.

The ferrozine assay is a widely used colorimetric method for determining soluble iron concentrations. We provide evidence for a heretofore unrecognized interference of ferric ions (Fe(3+)) on ferrous iron (Fe(2+)) measurements performed in the dark. Fe(3+) concentrations affected the absorbance measurements, which linearly increased with incubation time.

A field trial of nutrient stimulation of methanotrophs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfill cover soils.

Unlabelled: Landfills are among the major sources of anthropogenic methane (CH4) estimated to reach 40 x 10(9) kg per year worldwide by 2015 (IPCC, 2007). A 2 1/2-year field experiment was conducted at a closed landfill in western Michigan where methanotrophs, methane-consuming bacteria, were stimulated by nutrient addition to the soil without significantly increasing biogenic nitrous oxide (N2O) production. The effects of the nitrogen amendments (KNO3 and NH4Cl), phenylacetylene (a selective inhibitor of nitrifying bacteria that contribute to N2O production), and a canopy (to reduce direct water infiltration) on the vertical soil gas profiles of CH4, CO2, and O2 were measured in the top meter of the soil.

Guided cobalamin biosynthesis supports Dehalococcoides mccartyi reductive dechlorination activity.

Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains are corrinoid-auxotrophic Bacteria and axenic cultures that require vitamin B12 (CN-Cbl) to conserve energy via organohalide respiration. Cultures of D. mccartyi strains BAV1, GT and FL2 grown with limiting amounts of 1 µg l(-1) CN-Cbl quickly depleted CN-Cbl, and reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated ethenes was incomplete leading to vinyl chloride (VC) accumulation.

Constitutive expression of pMMO by Methylocystis strain SB2 when grown on multi-carbon substrates: implications for biodegradation of chlorinated ethenes.

The particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) in Methylocystis strain SB2 was found to be constitutively expressed in the absence of methane when the strain was grown on either acetate or ethanol. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription-PCR showed that the expression of pmoA decreased by one to two orders of magnitude when grown on acetate as compared with growth of strain SB2 on methane. The capability of strain SB2 to degrade a mixture of chlorinated ethenes in the absence of methane was examined to verify the presence and activity of pMMO under acetate-growth conditions as well determine the effectiveness of such conditions for bioremediation.

Characterization of a novel facultative Methylocystis species capable of growth on methane, acetate and ethanol.

A non-motile strain of Methylocystis, strain SB2, isolated from a spring bog in southeast Michigan, had a curved rod morphology with a typical type II intracytoplasmic membrane system. This organism expressed the membrane-bound or particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) as well as a chalkophore with high affinity for copper and did not express the cytoplasmic or soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO). Strain SB2 was found to grow within the pH range of 6-9, with optimal growth at 6.

Pollutant degradation by a Methylocystis strain SB2 grown on ethanol: bioremediation via facultative methanotrophy.

A facultative methanotroph, Methylocystis strain SB2, was examined for its ability to degrade chlorinated hydrocarbons when grown on methane or ethanol. Strain SB2 grown on methane degraded vinyl chloride (VC), trans-dichloroethylene (t-DCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA), and chloroform (CF), but not dichloromethane (DCM). Growth on methane was reduced in the presence of any chlorinated hydrocarbon.