The production of biomass and lovastatin by spore-initiated submerged fermentations of Aspergillus terreus ATCC 20542 was shown to depend on the age of the spores used for inoculation. Cultures started from older spores produced significantly higher titers of lovastatin. For example, the lovastatin titer increased by 52% when the spore age at inoculation rose from 9 to 16 days. The lovastatin t...

Germinating Aspergillus nidulans conidiospores switch to polarized apical growth following an initial period of isotropic expansion. At the same time, they re-enter the nuclear division cycle. The relationship between spore polarization and nuclear division was investigated by testing the effect of cell cycle inhibitors and temperature-sensitive cell cycle mutations on spore morphogenesis. On r...

objective: organophosphorus (ops) compounds are widely used in many pesticides, insecticides and chemical nerve agents. these compounds are hazardous for humans and the environment. organophosphate hydrolase (oph) is a homodimeric protein initially isolated from pseudomonas diminuta mg and flavobacterium species. this enzyme is able to degrade a broad spectrum of toxic ops compounds. using immo...

Spore-cell differentiation in monolayers in vitro of two sporagenous mutants of Dictyostelium discoideum, HM18 and HM15, is markedly inhibited by relatively low concentrations of the exogenous lectins, Concanavalin A (ConA) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and by somewhat higher concentrations of the endogenous lectin, discoidin. The selective inhibition of spore cell formation by ConA occurs to...

Cap-snatching was first discovered in influenza virus. Structures of the involved domains of the influenza virus polymerase, namely the endonuclease in the PA subunit and the cap-binding domain in the PB2 subunit, have been solved. Cap-snatching endonucleases have also been demonstrated at the very N-terminus of the L proteins of mammarena-, orthobunya-, and hantaviruses. However, a cap-binding...

In order to obtain a more stable and reusable immobilized spore laccase for dye decolorization, the spores from Bacillus pumilus W3 were immobilized on diethylaminoethyl cellulose (DEAE-cellulose). Free and immobilized spore laccase retained 34.38% and 46.11% of their initial activity, respectively, after 10 days incubation at pH 9.0. Their residual activity remained at 27.36% and 31.84% after ...

Microsporidia spore surface proteins are an important, under investigated aspect of spore/host cell attachment and infection. For comparison analysis of surface proteins, we required an antibody control specific for an intracellular protein. An endoplasmic reticulum-associated heat shock protein 70 family member (Hsp70; ECU02_0100; "C1") was chosen for further analysis. DNA encoding the C1 hsp7...

Bacillus anthracis spore germination is usually detected in vitro by alterations in spore refractility, heat resistance, and stainability. We developed a more quantitative, sensitive, and semi-automated procedure for detecting germination by using a microtiter kinetic reader for fluorescence spectrophotometry. The procedure was based on the increase in fluorescence of spores with time during th...

The spore-forming bacterial pathogen Clostridium difficile is a leading cause of health care-associated infections in the United States. In order for this obligate anaerobe to transmit infection, it must form metabolically dormant spores prior to exiting the host. A key step during this process is the assembly of a protective, multilayered proteinaceous coat around the spore. Coat assembly depe...

The endospores of Bacillus anthracis are the infectious particles of anthrax. Spores are dormant bacterial morphotypes able to withstand harsh environments for decades, which contributes to their ability to be formulated and dispersed as a biological weapon. We monitored gene expression in B. anthracis during growth and sporulation using full genome DNA microarrays and matched the results again...