Isolation, characterization and electron microscopic single particle analysis of the NADH : ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) from the hyperthermophilic eubacterium Aquifex aeolicus

The proton-translocating NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) has been purified from Aquifex aeolicus, a hyperthermophilic eubacterium of known genome sequence. The purified detergent solubilized enzyme is highly active above 50 degreesC. The specific activity for electron transfer from NADH to decylubiquinone is 29 U/mg at 80 degreesC. The A. aeolicus complex I is completely sensitive to rotenone and 2-n-decyl-quinazoline-4-yl-amine. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that it may contain up to 14 subunits. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of the bands indicates the presence of a stable subcomplex, which is composed of subunits E, F, and G. The isolated complex is highly stable and active in a temperature range from 50 to 90 degreesC, with a half-life of about 10 h at 80 degreesC. The activity shows a linear Arrhenius plot at 50-85 degreesC with an activation energy at 31.92 J/mol K. Single particle electron microscopy shows that the A. aeolicus complex I has the typical L-shape. However, visual inspection of averaged images reveals many more details in the external arm of the complex than has been observed for complex I from other sources. In addition, the angle (90degrees) between the cytoplasmic peripheral arm and the membrane intrinsic arm of the complex appears to be invariant.

Particle-attached and free-living bacterial communities in a contrasting marine environment: Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong

Diversity of particle-attached and free-living marine bacteria in Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong, and its adjacent coastal and estuarial environments was investigated using DNA fingerprinting and clone library analysis. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of 16S rRNA genes showed that bacterial communities in three stations of Victoria Harbor were similar, but differed from those in adjacent coastal and estuarine stations. Particle-attached and free-living bacterial community composition differed in the Victoria Harbor area. DNA sequencing of 28 bands from DGGE gel showed Alphaproteobacteria was the most abundant group, followed by the Bacteroidetes, and other Proteobacteria. Bacterial species richness (number of DGGE bands) differed among stations and populations (particle-attached and free-living; bottom and surface). BIOENV analysis indicated that the concentrations of suspended solids were the major contributing parameter for the spatial variation of total bacterial community structure. Samples from representative stations were selected for clone library (548 clones) construction and their phylogenetic distributions were similar to those of sequences from DGGE. Approximately 80% of clones were affiliated to Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria. The possible influences of dynamic pollution and hydrological conditions in the Victoria Harbor area on the particle-attached and free-living bacterial community structures were discussed.

Particle-attached and free-living bacterial communities in a contrasting marine environment: Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong

Diversity of particle-attached and free-living marine bacteria in Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong, and its adjacent coastal and estuarial environments was investigated using DNA fingerprinting and clone library analysis. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of 16S rRNA genes showed that bacterial communities in three stations of Victoria Harbor were similar, but differed from those in adjacent coastal and estuarine stations. Particle-attached and free-living bacterial community composition differed in the Victoria Harbor area. DNA sequencing of 28 bands from DGGE gel showed Alphaproteobacteria was the most abundant group, followed by the Bacteroidetes, and other Proteobacteria. Bacterial species richness (number of DGGE bands) differed among stations and populations (particle-attached and free-living; bottom and surface). BIOENV analysis indicated that the concentrations of suspended solids were the major contributing parameter for the spatial variation of total bacterial community structure. Samples from representative stations were selected for clone library (548 clones) construction and their phylogenetic distributions were similar to those of sequences from DGGE. Approximately 80% of clones were affiliated to Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria. The possible influences of dynamic pollution and hydrological conditions in the Victoria Harbor area on the particle-attached and free-living bacterial community structures were discussed.

Transient expression of lacZ in particle bombarded Gracilaria changii (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)

Using a Biolistic PDS 1000/He system, healthy thalli of Gracilaria changii were bombarded with gold particles coated with plasmid DNA containing the lacZ reporter gene. Transient expression of lacZ was observed in bombarded thalli under the rupture-disc pressures of 4482, 6206, 7584 and 8963 KPa, two days after bombardment. Although G. changii exhibits a slight blue background, positive expression and the background colour can be clearly differentiated. The results indicate that lacZ could be a useful reporter gene and that SV40 promoter could be an effective promoter for Gracilaria transformation.

Isolation of PSI from a siphonous marine green alga, Codium fragile

Three different forms of PS I complexes were isolated from a siphonous marine green alga, Codium fragile, by Triton X-100 sucrose gradient centrifugation. Zone III had a Chl a/b>20, and designated as PS I. core complex CC I because it created only CP I band in mild PAGE. Zone IV and V had absorption at 436 and 674 nm, 467 and 650 nm, and 540 nm, suggesting the presence of Chl a, Chl b, siphonaxanthin and siphonein, Chl a/b were 3.23 and 2.4, respectively. Both CP I and CP I a bands were observed when they were subjected to mild PAGE. Therefore, Zone IV and V were different forms of PS I complexes that consisted of CC I and different amount of light-harvesting complex LHC I. Zone III contained only 66 and 56 ku peptides in SDS-PAGE, while Zone IV and V had 4 different LHC I peptides of 25, 26, 26.2 and 27.5 ku in addition to 66, 56 ku peptides. Fluorescence emission spectra showed that efficient energy transfer were kept among pigments in isolated PS I complexes. Excitation energy absorbed by Chl b, siphonaxanthin and siphonein can be transferred to Chl a.

Modification to the Hardisty equation, regarding the relationship between sediment transport rate and particle size

Bagnold-type bed-load equations are widely used for the determination of sediment transport rate in marine environments. The accuracy of these equations depends upon the definition of the coefficient k(1) in the equations, which is a function of particle size. Hardisty (1983) has attempted to establish the relationship between k(1) and particle size, but there is an error in his analytical result. Our reanalysis of the original flume data results in new formulae for the coefficient. Furthermore, we found that the k(1) values should be derived using u(1) and u(1cr) data; the use of the vertical mean velocity in flumes to replace u(1) will lead to considerably higher k(1) values and overestimation of sediment transport rates.

管藻目绿藻 PSI 和 PSII 结构特异性研究

测定了管藻目绿藻刺松藻和假根羽藻的叶状体、叶绿体及类囊体膜的吸收光谱和低温荧光光谱，并同软丝藻等5种非管藻目绿藻和菠菜进行了比较。证实绿藻普遍缺少作为高等植物 PSI 标志的 730nm 的低温长波荧光，其长波发射峰在 710 ～ 715nm 以及 695nm 荧光也不明显。采用和的 PAGE 法从刺松藻、假根羽藻、软丝藻和菠菜中分别得到 11 种、11 种、7 种和 9 种色素蛋白复合物，并测定了各复合物的分子量、Chl a/b、叶绿素的分布、多肽组成和结构关系，以及吸收光谱、低温荧光发射和激发光谱等各种光谱特性。刺松藻和假根羽藻的 CPIa_(1-2) 复合物的荧光发射主峰分别在 698、690 和 685nm，软丝藻 CPIa 在 715nm，菠菜 CPIa_(1-2) 分别在 729 和 722nm。两种管藻目绿藻的 LHCI 与 CII 的结合程度较菠菜和软丝藻更紧密，其 CPI 复合物中仍含有一定量的，710 ～ 715nm 荧光呈隐现状态。用二次 PAGE 法将刺松藻和假根羽藻的 CPIa 和 CIP 再分离，得到 PSI 的捕光复合 LHCI，为管藻黄素-Chl a/b-蛋白复合物， Chl a/b=1.2，含有 27.5、26.2、26 和 24.5kDa 四种多肽，77K 荧光峰在 682 ～ 683nm。LHCI 没有发射高等植物 730nm 荧光的相应组分是管藻目绿藻缺少 730nm 荧光的主要原因。核心复合物 CCI 含有 67 和 56kDa 两种多肽，与软丝藻和菠菜相似，但 3 种藻类核心复合物的 77K 荧光峰在 715nm，而菠菜在 720nm。刺松藻和假根羽藻有 LHCI 存在时，715nm 荧光峰不明显，随着 LHCI 的解离，荧光逐渐显现。刺松藻 PSI 中与 CCI 结合最紧密的是 LHCI 的 27.5 和 24.5kDa 多肽，两个 26 kDa 多肽的结合较为松散。用差速离心法对刺松藻、假根羽藻、软丝藻及菠菜的 PSI 颗粒进行了初步的分离。PSI 粗提物的 77K 长波荧光发射峰分别在 710、712、713 和 730nm，与 PAGE 法得到的结果相符。刺松藻和假根羽藻的 PSII 核心复合物 CPa 与菠菜相同，都含有两个 33kDa 核心多肽及 40 ～ 47 kDa 的内天线蛋白。从两种管藻目绿藻中首次分离到 6 种 LHCII 捕光复合物，其中 LHCP_(1-3)，四种都是管藻黄素- Chl a/b-蛋白复合物， Chl a/b=0.7 ～ 0.9。刺松藻和假根羽藻中含量最高、最稳定的捕光复合物是分子量最大的 LHCP_1 由 34.4、31.5、29.5、28.1 和 26.5kDa 多肽构成，其中 34.4 和 31.5kDa 多肽在菠菜和软丝藻中没有对应组分。LHCP_1 再分离结果表明，分子量较小的捕光复合物都是 LHCP_1 的组成部分，但分子量最小的 Fca_1 和 Fca_2 与其它复合物的关系尚不确定。31.5 和 29.5 kDa 多肽是 LHCP_1 的核心，34.4、28.1 和 26.5kDa 多肽位于外侧；整个 LHCP_1 以 28.1 和 26.5kDa 多肽与 CCII 紧密结合，构成 PSII。根据刺松藻和假根羽藻光系统结构及其特异性的研究结果，提出了一个管藻目绿藻 PSI 和 PSII 色素蛋白复合物结构关系模型，并与高等植物的模型做了比较。讨论了光合作用两个光系统结构和特性的进化过程，指出 730nm 低温荧光峰不能作为管藻目乃至非管藻目绿藻 PSI 的表征。管藻目绿藻同杂色藻类在这方面有相似性。

Mesoporous spinel MgAl2O4 prepared by in situ modification of boehmite sol particle surface: I Synthesis and characterization of the unsupported membranes

Mesoporous spinel membranes as ultrafiltration membranes were prepared through a novel sol-gel technique. By in situ modification of the sol particle surface during the sol-gel process, control of the material structure on a nanometer scale from the earliest stages of processing was realized. Nano-particles with a chocolate-nut-like morphology, i.e. spinel MgAl2O4 as a shell and gamma -Al2O3 as a core, were first revealed by HRTEM results. The formation of the spinel phase was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). N-2 adsorption-desorption results showed that the mesoporous membranes had a narrow pore size distribution. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization and thermodynamic study of ultra-fine particle of Ni-B amorphous alloy

Ultra-fine particle of Ni-B amorphous alloy was prepared by chemical reduction of Ni2+ with NaBH4 and characterized with TEM and XRD. The heat capacity and thermal stability were measured with a high-precision automatic adiabatic calorimeter and DTA. The upper limit of applied temperature of the substance was found to be 684 K for use as catalyst. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Morphology transcription process from CMC micelles to inorganogel and its effect on the properties of alumina particle

In this study, a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-mediated sol-gel process was developed to synthesize the alumina hydoxide whiskers. During the process, inexpensive inorganic salts were used as precursors and supercritical drying method was used to extract the water in hydrogel. The influences of CMC on the gel formation and the particle morphology were investigated. The results show that the formation of CMC-aluminium hydroxide organic-inorganic hybridgels led to a morphology transcription process from CMC micelles to aluminium hydroxide gel, as a result, the precursor with whiskerious morphology was obtained.

The effect of Rh particle size on the catalytic performance of porous silica supported rhodium catalysts for CO hydrogenation

Silica-supported Rh catalysts with different Rh particle dimensions were investigated for CO hydrogenation. The catalysts were characterized by various techniques such as TEM, H-2-TPR and N-2 adsorption to study the catalyst morphology, the size distributions of Rh particles and the silica pores. It was found that the distribution and the size of Rh particles were affected by the silica pores, and the metal grains were enclosed in the pores of the support, and thereby their growth was limited. The catalytic activity and selectivity to C-2-oxygenates for CO hydrogenation were found to be significantly controlled by the Rh particle sizes, and the higher activity and selectivity to C2-oxygenates were obtained over bigger Rh particles, within the range of the reported particle sizes.