Towards manipulation of post-biosynthetic events in secondary metabolism of plant cell cultures

Plant cell cultures have been suggested as a feasible technology for the production of a myriad of plant-derived metabolites. However, commercial application of plant cell culture has met limited success with only a handful of metabolites produced at the pilot- and commercial-scales. To improve the production of secondary metabolites in plant cell cultures, efforts have been devoted predominantly to the optimization of biosynthetic pathways by both process and genetic engineering approaches. Given that secondary metabolism includes-the synthesis. metabolism and catabolism of endogenous compounds by the specialized proteins, this review intends to draw attention to the manipulation and optimization of post-biosynthetic events that follow the formation of core metabolite structures in biosynthetic pathways. These post-biosynthetic events-the chemical and enzymatic modifications, transport, storage/secretion and catabolism/degradation have been largely unexplored in the past. Potential areas are identified where further research is needed to answer fundamental questions that have implications for advanced bioprocess design. Anthocyanin production by plant cell cultures is used as a case study for this discussion, as it presents a good example of compounds for which there are extensive research publications but still no commercial bioprocess. It is perceived that research on post-biosynthetic processes may lead to future opportunities for significant advances in commercial plant cell cultures. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of sediment transport on grain-size distributions

Changes in statistics (mean, sorting, and skewness) describing grain-size distributions have long been used to speculate on the direction of sediment transport. We present a simple model whereby the distributions of sediment in transport are related to their source by a sediment transfer function which defines the relative probability that a grain within each particular class interval will be eroded and transported. A variety of empirically derived transfer functions exhibit negatively skewed distributions (on a phi scale). Thus, when a sediment is being eroded, the probability of any grain going into transport increases with diminishing grain size throughout more than half of its size range. This causes the sediment in transport to be finer and more negatively skewed than its source, whereas the remaining sediment (a lag) must become relatively coarser and more positively skewed. Flume experiments show that the distributions of transfer functions change from having a highly negative skewness to being nearly symmetrical (although still negatively skewed) as the energy of the transporting process increases. We call the two extremes low-energy and high-energy transfer functions , respectively. In an expanded sediment-transport model, successive deposits in the direction of transport are related by a combination of two transfer functions. If energy is decreasing and the transfer functions have low-energy distributions, successive deposits will become finer and more negatively skewed. If, however, energy is decreasing, but the initial transfer function has a high-energy distribution, successive deposits will become coarser and more positively skewed. The variance of the distributions of lags, sediment in transport, and successive deposits in the down-current direction must eventually decrease (i.e., the sediments will become better sorted). We demonstrate that it is possible for variance first to increase, but suggest that, in reality, an increasing variance in the direction of transport will seldom be observed, particularly when grain-size distributions are described in phi units. This model describing changes in sediment distributions was tested in a variety of environments where the transport direction was known. The results indicate that the model has real-world validity and can provide a method to predict the directions of sediment transport

Brazos River bar; a study in the significance of grain size parameters

A bar on the Brazos River near Calvert, Texas, has been analyzed in order to determine the geologic meaning of certain grain size parameters and to study the behavior of the size fractions with transport. The bar consists of a strongly bimodal mixture of pebble gravel and medium to fine sand; there is a lack of material in the range of 0.5 to 2 mm, because the source does not supply particles of this size. The size distributions of the two modes, which were established in the parent deposits, are nearly invariant over the bar because the present environment of deposition only affects the relative proportions of the two modes, not the grain size properties of the modes themselves. Two proportions are most common; the sediment either contains no gravel or else contains about 60% gravel. Three sediment types with characteristic bedding features occur on the bar in constant stratigraphic order, with the coarsest at the base. Statistical analysis of the data is based on a series of grain size parameters modified from those of Inman (1952) to provide a more detailed coverage of non-normal size curves. Unimodal sediments have nearly normal curves as defined by their skewness and kurtosis. Non-normal kurtosis and skewness values are held to be the identifying characteristics of bimodal sediments even where such modes are not evident in frequency curves. The relative proportions of each mode define a systematic series of changes in numerical properties; mean size, standard deviation and skewness are shown to be linked in a helical trend, which is believed to be applicable to many other sedimentary suites. The equations of the helix may be characteristic of certain environments. Kurtosis values show rhythmic pulsations along the helix and are diagnostic of two-generation sediments.

Measures for describing the size distribution of sediments

Numerous measures are used in the literature to describe the grain-size distribution of sediments. Consideration of these measures indicates that parameters computed from quartiles may not be as significant as those based on more rigorous statistical concepts. In addition, the lack of standardization of descriptive measures has resulted in limited application of the findings from one locality to another. The use of five parameters that serve as approximate graphic analogies to the moment measures commonly employed in statistics is recommended. The parameters are computed from five percentile diameters obtained from the cumulative size-frequency curve of a sediment. They include the mean (or median) diameter, standard deviation, kurtosis, and two measures of skewness, the second measure being sensitive to skew properties of the "tails" of the sediment distribution. If the five descriptive measures are listed for a sediment, it is possible to compute the five percentile diameters on which they are based (phi 5 , phi 16 , phi 50 , phi 84 , and phi 95 ), and hence five significant points on the cumulative carve of the sediment. This increases the value of the data listed for a sediment in a report, and in many cases eliminates the necessity of including the complete mechanical analysis of the sediment. The degree of correlation of the graphic parameters to the corresponding moment measures decreases as the distribution becomes more skew. However, for a fairly wide range of distributions, the first three moment measures can be ascertained from the graphic parameters with about the same degree of accuracy as is obtained by computing rough moment measures.

Size-controlled synthesis and characterization of quantum-size SnO2 nanocrystallites by a solvothermal route

By using ethylenediamine as both an alkali and ligand, quantum size SnO2, nanocrystallites were synthesized with a solvothermal route. The transmission electron micrographs (TEM) were employed to characterize the morphologies of the products. The crystal sizes of the as-synthesized SnO2 were ranged form 2.5 to 3.6 nm. The crystal structure and optical properties of the products were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, optical absorption spectra, photoluminescence and Raman spectra.

Control for oriented growth of large size KCl crystals by the competition between spontaneous and induced nucleation/growth on a Langmuir-Blodgett film

Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film of stearic acid was used as template to induce the nucleation and growth of KCl crystals when the KCl solution was cooled from 50 to 25 degrees C. When the LB film template was vertically dipped into the solution, only induced crystals with (1 1 0) orientation were formed. However, if the template was horizontally placed into solutions, both the induced nuclei at the solution/film interface and spontaneous nuclei formed in solution were simultaneously absorbed onto the LB film, and then grew further to form crystals. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and optical microscopy images showed that the orientation and morphology of the crystals were controlled properly by changing the orientation and position of the LB films in the solutions.

Ultrathin-film growth of para-sexiphenyl (II): Formation of large-size domain and continuous thin film

The large-size domain and continuous para-sexiphenyl (p-6P) ultrathin film was fabricated successfully on silicon dioxide (SiO2) substrate and investigated by atomic force microscopy and selected area electron diffraction. At the optimal substrate temperature of 180 degrees C, the first-layer film exhibits the mode of layer growth, and the domain size approaches 100 mu m(2). Its saturated island density (0.018 mu m(-2)) is much smaller than that of the second-layer film (0.088 mu m(-2)), which begins to show the Volmer-Weber growth mode.

Size-controlled synthesis of monodispersed gold nanoparticles stabilized by polyelectrolyte-functionalized ionic liquid

The size-controlled synthesis of monodispersed gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stabilized by polyelectrolyte-functionalized ionic liquid (PFIL) is described. The resulting AuNPs' size, with a narrow distribution, can be tuned by the concentration of HAuCl4. Such PFIL-stabilized AuNPs (PFIL-AuNPs) showed a high stability in water at room temperature for at least one month; they were also quite stable in solutions of pH 7-13 and high concentration of NaCl.

Sonochemical synthesis of monodispersed KY3F10 : Eu3+ nanospheres with bimodal size distribution

Monodispersed KY3F10:Eu3+ nanospheres with bimodal size distribution have been successfully synthesized via a facile and efficient sonochemical method in a surfactant-free system. Rare-earth nitrate (Y, Eu)(NO3)(3) and potassium fluoborate (KBF4) were used as precursors. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to characterize the samples.

Effect of secondary ligands' size on energy transfer and electroluminescent efficiencies for a series of europium(III) complexes, a density functional theory study

In this paper, a quantum chemistry method was used to investigate the effect of different sizes of substituted phenanthrolines on absorption, energy transfer, and the electroluminescent performance of a series of Eu(TTA)(3)L (L = [1,10] phenanthroline (Phen), Pyrazino[2,3-f][1,10]phenanthroline (PyPhen), 2-methylprrazino[2,3-f][1,10] phenanthroline(MPP), dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine(DPPz), 11-methyldipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'c]phenazine(MDPz), 11.12-dimethyldipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine(DDPz), and benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (BDPz)) complexes. Absorption spectra calculations show that different sizes of secondary ligands have different effects on transition characters, intensities, and absorption peak positions.

Solvent size effect on the static and dynamic properties of polymer chains in athermal solvents

The static and dynamic properties of polymer chains in athermal solvents with different sizes are studied by molecular dynamics method. With increasing solvent size, the radius of gyration and the diffusion coefficient of the polymer decay fast until a critical solvent size is reached. For the polymer diffusion coefficients, this decay only depends on the solvent size; while for the radius of gyration of polymers, this decay depends on both solvent size and the length of the polymers. The increase of solvent size also makes the polymer tend to be thicker ellipsoid until a critical solvent size is reached. The static scaling exponent of the polymer also shows the solvent size dependence. Moreover, four regions are identified where the polymers show different dynamic behaviors according to the dynamic structure factors of the polymer.