Characterization of an Insoluble and Soluble Form of Melanin Produced by Streptomyces cavourensis SV 21, a Sea Cucumber Associated Bacterium

Melanin is a widely distributed and striking dark-colored pigment produced by countless living organisms. Although a wide range of bioactivities have been recognized, there are still major constraints in using melanin for biotechnological applications such as its fragmentary known chemical structure and its insolubility in inorganic and organic solvents. In this study, a bacterial culture of Streptomyces cavourensis SV 21 produced two distinct forms of melanin: (1) a particulate, insoluble form as well as (2) a rarely observed water-soluble form. The here presented novel, acid-free purification protocol of purified particulate melanin (PPM) and purified dissolved melanin (PDM) represents the basis for an in-depth comparison of their physicochemical and biological properties, which were compared to the traditional acid-based precipitation of melanin (AM) and to a synthetic melanin standard (SM). Our data show that the differences in solubility between PDM and PPM in aqueous solutions may be a result of different adjoining cation species, since the soluble PDM polymer is largely composed of Mg²⁺ ions and the insoluble PPM is dominated by Ca²⁺ ions. Furthermore, AM shared most properties with SM, which is likely attributed to a similar, acid-based production protocol. The here presented gentler approach of purifying melanin facilitates a new perspective of an intact form of soluble and insoluble melanin that is less chemical altered and thus closer to its original biological form.     

Isolation and Characterization of a Yellow Xanthophyll Pigment-Producing Marine Bacterium,Erythrobacter sp. SDW2 Strain,in Coastal Seawater

Xanthophylls, a yellow pigment belonging to the carotenoid family, have attracted much attention for industrial applications due to their versatile nature. We report the isolation of a homo xanthophyll pigment-producing marine bacterium, identified as the Erythrobacter sp. SDW2 strain, from coastal seawater. The isolated Erythrobacter sp. SDW2 strain can produce 263 ± 12.9 mg/L (89.7 ± 5.4 mg/g dry cell weight) of yellow xanthophyll pigment from 5 g/L of glucose. Moreover, the xanthophyll pigment produced by the SDW2 strain exhibits remarkable antioxidative activities, confirmed by the DPPH (73.4 ± 1.4%) and ABTS (84.9 ± 0.7%) assays. These results suggest that the yellow xanthophyll pigment-producing Erythrobacter sp. SDW2 strain could be a promising industrial microorganism for producing marine-derived bioactive compounds with potential for foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.     

乙基多杀菌素及其代谢物在杨梅中的残留及消解动态

开展了 60g/L乙基多杀菌素悬浮剂在杨梅上的残留田间试验,对乙基多杀菌素及其代谢物在杨梅中的残留量及消解动态进行了分析,为乙基多杀菌素在杨梅上的膳食风险评估、合理使用及制定残留限量标准提供依据。建立了液相色谱串联质谱法(LC-MS/MS)测定杨梅中乙基多杀菌素及其代谢物的残留量的分析方法。当乙基多杀菌素及其代谢物在杨梅中的添加浓度为0.05、1.0, 2.0mg/kg时,平均回收率82.6%-96.6%,相对标准偏差为3.3%-7.4%,符合残留检测方法的要求。消解动态试验结果显示,乙基多杀菌素在杨梅中的消解动态规律符合一级动力学方程,半衰期为0.9~2.6d,属易降解农药。最终残留试验表明60g/L乙基多杀菌素悬浮剂按有效成分40和60mg/kg,施药1次和2次,末次施药后1、2、3、5、7d,杨梅中乙基多杀菌素最终残留量分别为<0.05 ~0.38mg/kg、<0.05 ~ 0.39mg/kg、< 0.05 ~ 0.32mg/kg、< 0.05 ~ 0.19mg/kg、< 0.05 -0.11 mg/kg0 建议在杨梅上使用60g/L乙基多杀菌素悬浮剂时,有效成分用药量40mg/kg,施药1次,安全间隔期7d。     

玉米自交系K 12花丝红色基因的分子标记

利用自交系K12和琼68的1套分离群体对玉米红花丝基因进行了遗传分析,发现K12的红花丝由1对显性基因控制,利用数量性状和质量性状基因定位的方法将K 12中控制红花丝的基因定位在第10染色体上,与SSR引物um c 1576的遗传距离为3.0 cM.     

黑加仑果汁色素稳定性的研究

以黑加仑为原料制取果汁,对不同添加物(Fe3 、Cu2 、Zn2 、Na 、Al3 、H2O2、葡萄糖、蔗糖、苯甲酸钠)和pH对果汁色素稳定性的影响进行了系统研究.研究结果表明:黑加仑果汁稀释液的最大吸收波长为520 nm;pH对黑加仑果汁色素影响很大;Cu2 、Zn2 、Na 、Al3 对黑加仑果汁色素无明显的不良影响;Fe3 则有显著的不良影响;不同浓度的葡萄糖、蔗糖对黑加仑果汁色素没有太大的不良影响;不同浓度的氧化剂H2O2、防腐剂苯甲酸钠对黑加仑果汁色素均都有严重的破坏作用.     

Cloning and expression analysis of innate immune genes from red sea bream to assess different susceptibility to megalocytivirus infection

As suggested by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), fishes belonging to the genus Oplegnathus are more sensitive to megalocytivirus infection than other fish species including red sea bream (Pagrus major). To assess the roles of the innate immune response to these different susceptibilities, we cloned the genes encoding inflammatory factors including IL‐8 and COX‐2, and the antiviral factor like Mx from red sea bream for the first time and performed phylogenetic and structural analysis. Analysed expression levels of IL‐1β, IL‐8 and COX‐2 and the antiviral factor like Mx genes performed with in vivo challenge experiment showed no difference in inflammatory gene expression or respiratory burst activity between red sea bream and rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus). However, the Mx gene expression levels in red sea bream were markedly higher than those in rock bream, suggesting the importance of type I interferon (IFN)‐induced proteins, particularly Mx, during megalocytivirus infection, rather than inflammation‐related genes. The in vitro challenge experiments using embryonic primary cultures derived from both fish species showed no difference in cytopathic effects (CPE), viral replication profiles, and inflammatory and Mx gene expression pattern between the two fish species.     

芙蓉鲤鲫(芙蓉鲤♀×红鲫♂)的性腺组织学及繁殖性能研究

采用解剖观察、组织切片及人工催情等方法,研究芙蓉鲤鲫(Cyprinus capiofurong.♀×Carassius auratus red var.♂)的性腺发育及繁殖性能。结果显示:解剖观察,芙蓉鲤鲫性腺发育异常的个体占83.64%,性腺外观基本正常的个体占16.36%。组织学观察,芙蓉鲤鲫性腺可分三类:两性嵌合体占21.13%,其中以精巢为主的16.90%,以卵巢为主的4.23%,它们性腺发育迟缓,在繁殖季节成熟系数也没有明显变化,性腺多为一侧发育或两侧不对称,两种性腺细胞均不能成熟;雌性个体占40.84%,在生殖季节卵巢可发育到第IV时相,但未见其细胞核发生偏移;雄性个体,占38.03%,在生殖季节只能发育到精子细胞阶段,不能产生成熟的精子。经人工催产,芙蓉鲤鲫少部分个体有发情产卵行为但不能正常受精。结果表明芙蓉鲤鲫为两性败育类型。     

Effect of salinity on growth and energy budget of red and green colour variant sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenca)

Sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus (Selenca), tolerates salinity fluctuations inhabiting intertide zone. This study deals with growth, food intake, food conversion and the bioenergetic responses of the red variant (wet weight of 2.60 ± 0.11g) and green variant (wet weight of 2.56 ± 0.08 g) A. japonicus to different salinities of 22, 26, 30, 34, and 38 psu at 16.5 ± 0.5°C. The results showed that salinity had a significant effect on specific growth rate (SGR) of both green and red variants A. japonicus (P < 0.05). Both colour variants of sea cucumber had highest SGR at 30 psu, and then decreased when salinity below or above this point. Maximum SGR (the green 1.07 ± 0.08% day^?1, the red 1.14 ± 0.09% day^?1 respectively) is related with maximum food intake (FI) and highest food conversion efficiency (FCE) (P < 0.05) occurring at 30 psu. Only under 22 psu, the green variant grew faster than the red variant (P < 0.05), and under other four salinity treatments there was no significant difference between SGR of two colour variant holothruians (P > 0.05). Values of adaptable salinity scope for green and red variants sea cucumber survival are 18.5~39 psu and 20.9~38.6 psu respectively. The average energy budget formula of sea cucumber at 30 psu was: 100C = 6G +42F +3U+49R (C, energy ingested; G, energy for growth; F, energy loss as faeces; U, energy used for ammonia excretion; R, energy loss for respiration). The sea cucumber had maximum energy ingested (C) and highest proportion of energy for growth (G) at 30 psu, and then decreased when salinity is above or below this salinity. Both red and green variants of A. japonicus deposited for growth were very low, and the energy loss in faeces and energy for respiration accounted for the majority of assimilation energy. The result clearly showed that the optimum condition for farming green and red variants A. japonicus, both with respect growth and energy allocation, is the salinity scope of 26 ~ 30 psu.     

Dietary carotenoids and skin melanin content influence the coloration of farmed red porgy (Pagrus pagrus)

The present study investigates the effects of dietary carotenoid sources on the coloration of the red porgy, Pagrus pagrus. Red porgies (131.9 ± 16.2 g; mean ± SD) were fed for 12 weeks on five different diets supplemented with red carotenoids (mainly astaxanthin esters) supplied from Haematococcus pluvialis algae and yellow carotenoids (mainly β‐carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) supplied from Alfalfa, Medicago sativa L. and Spirulina, Spirulina pacifica. The carotenoid‐supplemented diets did not have any marked effect on the growth rate, the feed conversion ratio, the daily feeding rate, or the hepatosomatic index of red porgy. The biochemical indices measured in plasma including cholesterol, total proteins, glucose, lactate, phospholipids, non‐esterified fatty acids, triglycerides, and thyroid hormones did not differ significantly among groups. Diet did not affect significantly the melanophore‐area coverage, the melanin skin concentration and skin lightness. Carotenoid‐supplemented diets affected significantly the carotenoid deposition in the skin, the presence and distribution of erythorphores and xanthophores, and skin hue and chroma. Overall, data have shown the efficacy of Haematococcus algae in promoting a reddish coloration in red porgy.