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Fossils document the existence of trees and wood-associated organisms from almost 400 million years ago, and today there are between 400,000 and 1 million wood-inhabiting species in the world. This is the first book to synthesise the natural history and conservation needs of wood-inhabiting organisms. Presenting a thorough introduction to biodiversity in decaying wood, the book studies the rich diversity of fungi, insects and vertebrates that depend upon dead wood. It describes the functional diversity of these organisms and their specific habitat requirements in terms of host trees, decay phases, tree dimensions, microhabitats and the surrounding environment. Recognising the threats posed by timber extraction and forest management, the authors also present management options for protecting and maintaining the diversity of these species in forests as well as in agricultural landscapes and urban parks.

Tetrachloroethene is a prominent groundwater pollutant that can be reductively dechlorinated by mixed anaerobic microbial populations to the nontoxic product ethene. Strain 195, a coccoid bacterium that dechlorinates tetrachloroethene to ethene, was isolated and characterized. Growth of strain 195 with H2 and tetrachloroethene as the electron donor and acceptor pair required extracts from mixed microbial cultures. Growth of strain 195 was resistant to ampicillin and vancomycin; its cell wall did not react with a peptidoglycan-specific lectin and its ultrastructure resembled S-layers of Archaea. Analysis of the 16S ribosomal DNA sequence of strain 195 indicated that it is a eubacterium without close affiliation to any known groups

A diesel-oil and n-hexadecane-degrading novel bacterial strain, designated DR1∨T, was isolated from a rice paddy in Deok-So, South Korea. The strain DR1∨T cells were Grain-negative, aerobic coccobacilli, and grew at 20-37℃ with the optimal temperature of 30℃, and an optimal pH of 6-8. Interestingly, strain DR1∨T was highly motile (swimming and swarming motility) using its fimbriae, and generated N-acyl homoserine lactones as quorum-sensing signals. The predominant respiratory quinone as identified as ubiquinone-9 (Q-9) and DNA G+C content was 4:1.4 mol%. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phylogenetic analysis placed the strain in a clade with the species A. calcoaceticus, A. haemolyticus, A. baumannii, A. baylyi, and A. beijerinckii, with which it evidenced sequence similarities of 98.2%, 97.4%, 97.2%, 97.1%, and 97.0%, respectively. DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain DR1∨T and other Acinetobacter spp. were all less than 20%. The physiological and taxonomic characteristics with the DNA-DNA hybridization data supported the identification of strain DR1∨T in the genus Acinetobacter as a,novel species, for which the name Acinetobacter oleivorans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DR1∨T (=KCTC 23045∨T =JCM 16667∨T).

The potential contribution of mechanical disruption by ultrasonics and endogenous proteolytic enzymes on the tenderisation of hen muscle were investigated. The importance of endogenous enzymes was evaluated using various specific inhibitors. Freshly obtained breast muscles of culled hens (6 groups) were treated with different proteolytic enzyme inhibitors and/or ultrasonics, each group was treated with different methods, and then stored at 4 deg C for 0, 1, 3, and 7 days. Shear force decreased by 1.19 kg, and shear force and cooking loss were reduced by 0.69 kg and 4.27%, respectively, in the incorporated group treatment. The calpastatin activity was affected by almost all treatments. Our results suggest that ultrasonics and endogenous proteases contributed to muscle degradation, thereby improving hen meat tenderness and decreasing the cooking loss. Muscle degradation, tenderness, and water-retaining properties of hens were improved by a combination of ultrasound and exogenous proteolytic enzyme inhibitors.

:  Antibiotic residues in marine sediments of fish farms negatively influence microbial ecologic systems. The microbial degradation of antibiotic residues was experimentally examined in the marine sediments of Uranouchi Bay, to which one of five antibiotics was added. After incubation reducing physical factors, ampicillin, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and thiamphenicol were significantly degraded, while josamycin maintained most of the initial amounts. The isolates resistant to ampicillin, josamycin, oxytetracycline, or thiamphenicol degraded each antibiotic in wide ranges of degrees, whereas the isolates degrading doxycycline were not obtained. Microbial degradation may contribute to the disappearance of ampicillin, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and thiamphenicol in the fish farm. In contrast, the disappearance of josamycin would depend on physical factors, but the bacteria degrading josamycin at least exist in the marine sediments. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rDNA sequences demonstrated that the antibiotic‐resistant isolates formed several clusters in the Gram‐positive bacterial group, the Flavobacterium–Cytophaga–Bacteroides group, and the proteobacteria subdivisions. The antibiotic‐resistant bacterial population would be composed of various species including ubiquitous coastal bacterial groups. Several species of antibiotic resistant bacteria show antibiotic degradation activities, and appear to contribute to the disappearance of antibiotics in Uranouchi Bay.

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that interspecific variation in rates of leaf litter decomposition arises as a consequence of differences in the anti-herbivore defences of the living leaf. Leaf palatability was assayed in 54 vascular plant species of widespread occurrence in the British Isles, using the generalist herbivore Helix aspersa (garden snail) and the omnivore Acheta domestica (a cricket). The results were then compared with published standardised measurements of litter decomposition rate available for 43 of the species. There was convincing support for the hypothesis, in the form of a significant positive correlation between leaf palatability and litter decomposition rate. The correlation was also evident within subsets consisting of monocots or dicots. The results suggest a critical role for anti-herbivore defences in the link between aboveground and belowground processes in ecosystems.

The strength and generality of the relationship between decomposition rates and detritus carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations was assessed by comparing published reports of decomposition rates of detritus of photosynthetic organisms, from unicellular algae to trees. The results obtained demonstrated the existence of a general positive, linear relationship between plant decomposition rates and nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations. Differences in the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations of plant detritus accounted for 89% of the variance in plant decomposition rates of detritus originating from photosynthetic organisms ranging from unicellular microalgae to trees. The results also demonstrate that moist plant material decomposes substantially faster than dry material with similar nutrient concentrations. Consideration of lignin, instead of carbon, concentrations did not improve the relationships obtained. These results reflect the coupling of phosphorus and nitrogen in the basic biochemical processes of both plants and their microbial decomposers, and stress the importance of this coupling for carbon and nutrient flow in ecosystems.

Contextualización: el poliestireno expandido (PS) es un material hidrofóbico, por lo cual puede permanecer en la naturaleza sin descomponerse durante años; además es difícil de reciclar. Por lo tanto, se investiga implementar tecnologías para su degradación, entre las cuales están los procesos biotecnológicos con el uso de hongos. Vacío de conocimiento: se desconoce el efecto de degradación de PS por los hongos del género Aspergillus sp. en suelo, en diferentes periodos, a través del uso de PS pretratado con luz UV, como fuente de carbono y energía para los hongos. Propósito: evaluar la biodegradación de PS con los hongos Aspergillus flavus y Aspergillus niger, individualmente y en consorcio en el suelo. Metodología: se usaron muestras de PS con las dimensiones 4 cm x 4 cm x 0,3 cm, estas se lavaron y posteriormente se trataron con luz ultravioleta a 254 nm. Los hongos Aspergillus flavus y Aspergillus niger se sembraron en agar Sabouraud para obtener el inóculo. El suelo fue esterilizado durante una hora a 121 °C, 103,4 KPa y, posteriormente, se agregaron 70 g de este en macetas de aluminio al cual se le adicionó la muestra de PS y el inóculo de acuerdo con el diseño experimental. Después del proceso, se lavaron y se pesaron las muestras para determinar el porcentaje de biodegradación. Además, se cuantificó la presencia de los hongos en el suelo para verificar su supervivencia. Resultados y conclusiones: los hongos Aspergillus flavus y Aspergillus niger pueden biodegradar el PS, alcanzando valores entre el 14 % y el 18 % de manera individual y en consorcio sin presentar diferencias significativas entre ellos. Contextualization: expanded polystyrene (EP) is a hydrophobic material, so it can remain in nature without decomposing for years; it is also difficult to recycle. Therefore, research is being carried out to implement technologies for its degradation, among which are biotechnological processes using fungi. Knowledge gap: the effect of EP degradation by fungi of the genus Aspergillus sp. in soil in different periods of time, through the use of PS pretreated with UV light, as a source of carbon and energy for the fungi, is unknown. Purpose: to evaluate the biodegradation of EP with the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger individually and in consortium in soil. Methodology: EP samples with dimensions 4 cm x 4 cm x 0.3 cm were used, washed and then treated with ultraviolet light at 254 nm. The fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger were grown on Sabouraud agar to obtain the inoculum. The soil was sterilized during one hour at 121 °C, 103,4 KPa and then 70 g of soil were added in aluminium pots to which the EP sample and inoculum were added according to the experimental design. After the process, the samples were washed and weighed to determine the percentage of biodegradation. In addition, the presence of the fungi in the soil was quantified to verify their survival. Results and conclusions: The fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger can biodegrade EP reaching values between 14-18% individually and in consortium without significant differences between them.

Organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) was displayed and anchored onto the surface of Escherichia coli using an Lpp-OmpA fusion system. Production of the fusion proteins in membrane fractions was verified by immunoblotting with OmpA antisera. Inclusion of the organophosphorus hydrolase signal sequence was necessary for achieving enzymatic activity on the surface. More than 80% of the OPH activity was located on the cell surface as determined by protease accessibility experiments. Whole cells expressing OPH on the cell surface degraded parathion and paraoxon very effectively without any diffusional limitation, resulting in sevenfold higher rates of parathion degradation compared with whole cells with similar levels of intracellular OPH. Immobilization of these live biocatalysts onto solid supports could provide an attractive means for pesticide detoxification in place of immobilized enzymes, affording a reduced diffusional barrier.

The role of the cinnamate pathway in monolignol biosynthesis based on feeding experiments with lignifying plant stems and characterization of the enzymes in the pathway, O-methyltransferase (OMT), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), etc. is discussed. Monolignol biosynthesis via metabolic grids according to newly characterized enzymes in the pathway is also reviewed and discussed. The cleavage mechanisms of side chains and aromatic rings by lignin peroxidase and laccase elucidated by using 18O, 2H, and 13C labeled lignin substructure dimers and DHP with 18O2 and H218O are reviewed. Finally, the prospects of lignin biochemistry in the wood and paper industries are discussed according to the recent progress on gene technology on wood formation and microbial degradation of lignin.