Growth medium

About: Growth medium is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1889 publications have been published within this topic receiving 59171 citations. The topic is also known as: culture medium & culture media.

Isolation of a β-carotene over-producing soil bacterium, Sphingomonas sp.

Abstract: A carotenoid-accumulating bacterium isolated from soil, identified as a Sphingomonas sp., grew at 0.18 h−1 and produced 1.7 mg carotenoids g−1 dry cell, among which β-carotene (29% of total carotenoids) and nostoxanthin (36%). A mutant strain, obtained by treatment with ethyl methanesulfonate, accumulated up to 3.5 mg carotenoids g−1 dry cell. Accumulation of β-carotene by this strain depended on the oxygenation of the growth medium, with maximal accumulation (89%) occurring under limiting conditions. β-Carotene accumulation could be further enhanced by incubating the cells in the presence of glycerol (either not or only slowly assimilated) and yeast extract resulting in an accumulation of 5.7 mg β-carotene g−1 dry cell wt. The strain used lactose as carbon source with similar biomass and carotenoid production, providing a viable alternative use for cheese whey ultra-filtrate.

Ratios between contents of DNA, RNA and protein in different micro-organisms as a function of maximal growth rate.

Abstract: THE growth medium determines the macromolecular composition as well as the growth rate (number of doublings per hour) of micro-organisms in the steady state of growth. For a given micro-organism the ratios of RNA : protein and RNA : DNA are linear functions of the growth rate, whereas the ratio of DNA : protein is virtually independent of the rate of growth1–4. All these studies involved one micro-organism studied at different growth rates.

The differential effects of cell wall-associated phenolics, cell walls, and cytosolic phenolics of host and non-host roots on the growth of two species of AM fungi.

Abstract: Experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that cellular compounds, especially wall-associated compounds, released during emergence of secondary roots, stimulate the growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Purified cell walls, crude cell-wall extracts, crude cytoplasmic extracts, and phenolic compounds previously identified as cell wall-associated, from Ri T-DNA-transformed roots of host (Daucus carota L.) and non-host (Beta vulgaris L.) were incorporated into growth medium and tested for their effects upon growth of the AM fungi Gigaspora gigantea (Nicol. & Gerd.) Gerdemann and Trappe and Gigaspora margarita Becker and Hall. Purified cell walls of both plants had little effect on G. gigantea but non-host cell walls inhibited the growth of G. margarita. Ferulic acid, a major constituent of non-host root, depressed the growth of both fungi. Nothing tested which was unique to the non-host root affected hyphal growth to the point that contact would be prohibited. Caffeic acid, found in D. carota cytoplasm, also depressed growth of both fungi. Para-hydroxybenzoic acid, a constituent of D. carota roots, stimulated growth of G. margarita hyphae, but did not affect hyphal growth of G. gigantea. Vanillic acid, unique to D. carota root cell-wall extracts, stimulated hyphal growth and branching of both fungi, and should increase the probability of contact between fungus and host root.

A new method for the measurement of protein turnover.

Abstract: A new technique for the determination of rate constants of protein degradation is described. By using the method, half-lives of total soluble protein of Lemna minor during growth on full culture medium and distilled water were measured. The method involves incubating Lemna on a growth medium containing 3H2O. After a short exposure (20 min) to 3H-labelled culture medium, 3H was found in soluble amino acids, especially aspartate, glutamate, glutamine and alanine. After transfer to a 3H-free medium for 30 min, 80% of the 3H originally present in soluble amino acids was lost. These results suggest that 3H enters and leaves amino acids at the alpha-carbon atom, a conclusion supported by the observed labelling of glutamates. The exchange of H and 3H on the alpha-carbon atom is catalysed by transaminases and the speed of this exchange ensures that when the 3H2O is removed, the 3H in free amino acids is rapidly lost, thereby eliminating problems connected with metabolic pools and recycling. After an exposure of 20 min to 3H-labelled medium all protein amino acids, except for arginine, were found to be radioactive. The loss of radioactivity from protein amino acids was used to measure protein degradation.

The functional significance of glucose dehydrogenase in Klebsiella aerogenes.

Abstract: In order to assess the functional significance of the quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase recently found to be present in K+ -limited Klebsiella aerogenes, a broad study was made of the influence of specific environmental conditions on the cellular content of this enzyme. Whereas high activities were manifest in cells from glucose containing chemostat cultures that were either potassium- or phosphate-limited, only low activities were apparent in cells from similar cultures that were either glucose-, sulphate- or ammonia-limited. With these latter two cultures, a marked increase in glucose dehydrogenase activity was observed when 2,4-dinitrophenol (1 mM end concentration) was added to the growth medium. These results suggested that the synthesis of glucose dehydrogenase is not regulated by the level of glucose in the growth medium, but possibly by conditions that imposed an energetic stress upon the cells. This conclusion was further supported by a subsequent finding that K+ -limited cells that were growing on glycerol also synthesized substantial amounts of glucose dehydrogenase. The enzyme was found to be membrane associated, and preliminary evidence has been obtained that it is located on the periplasmic side of the cytoplasmic membrane and functionally linked to the respiratory chain. This structural and functional orientation is consistent with glucose dehydrogenase serving as a low impedance energy generating system.