Laboratory studies on formation of bound residues and degradation of propiconazole in soils.

Laboratory studies on the formation of bound residues and on the degradation of the triazole fungicide propiconazole were conducted in two different soils. Soils treated with 14C-propiconazole were incubated at 22 degrees C and extracted exhaustively with a solvent at each sampling date until no further propiconazole was extracted. The solvent-extractable residues were used to measure propiconazole remaining in the soil, and the extracted soils were used to investigate bound residues of propiconazole.

Changes in membrane fluidity and fatty acid composition of Pseudomonas putida CN-T19 in response to toluene.

A bacterial isolate, Pseudomonas putida CN-T19, could grow in a two-phase medium with toluene up to 50% (v/v). Changes in fatty acid composition and membrane fluidity of the isolate were investigated to understand how this microorganism responds toluene. The changes in the ratios of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids were insignificant between cells grown with and without toluene.

Green fluorescent protein-labeled recombinant fluobody for detecting the picloram herbicide.

A green fluorescent protein-labeled fluobody was designed to develop a simple immunoassay method for detecting picloram herbicide in an environmental sample. The gfp gene was successfully inserted into the pSJF2 vector harboring the picloram-specific antibody fragment to yield pSJF2GFP. Picloram spiking in an environmental river sample could be indirectly detected by observing the fluorescence intensity value of the gfp-fluobody, exhibiting specific sensitivity to free picloram with an IC50 value of 50 ppb.