Isolation of extremely halophilic phototrophic bacteria from the alkaline Wadi Natrun, Egypt

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Sulfate assimilation in Rhodopseudomonas globiformis

Rhodopseudomonas globiformis is able to grow on sulfate as sole source of sulfur, but only at concentrations below 1 mM. Good growth was observed with thiosulfate, cysteine or methionine as sulfur sources. Tetrathionate supported slow growth. Sulfide and sulfite were growth inhibitory. Growth inhibition by higher sulfate concentrations was overcome by the addition of O-acetylserine, which is known as derepressor of sulfate-assimilating enzymes, and by reduced glutathione. All enzymes of the sulfate assimilation pathway. ATP-sulfurylase, adenylylphosphate-sulfotransferase, thiosulfonate reductase and O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase are present in R. globiformis. Sulfate was taken up by the cells and the sulfur incorporated into the amino acids cysteine, methionine and homocysteine. It is concluded, that the failure of R. globiformis to grow on higher concentrations of sulfate is caused by disregulation of the sulfate assimilation pathway. Some preliminary evidence for this view is given in comparing the activities of some of the involved enzymes after growth on different sulfur sources and by examining the effect of O-acetylserine on these activities

Identification of Bacillus kaustophilus, Bacillus thermocatenulatus and Bacillus strain HSR as members of Bacillus thermoleovorans

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Geographical Structure of the Y-chromosomal Genetic Landscape of the Levant: A coastal-inland contrast

We have examined the male-specific phylogeography of the Levant and its surroundings by analyzing Y-chromosomal haplogroup distributions using 5874 samples (885 new) from 23 countries. The diversity within some of these haplogroups was also examined. The Levantine populations showed clustering in SNP and STR analyses when considered against a broad Middle-East and North African background. However, we also found a coastal-inland, east-west pattern of diversity and frequency distribution in several haplogroups within the small region of the Levant. Since estimates of effective population size are similar in the two regions, this strong pattern is likely to have arisen mainly from differential migrations, with different lineages introduced from the east and west

Modeling of Po river water quality in Torino (Italy)

The aim of this paper is to examine the Po river quality in a small stretch site between two stations in Piedmont in the north of Italy. In this stretch a large pollution load is introduced and diluted in the fluent water of the river. The load has been quantified and about it we performed mass balances and modeling in order to understand the entity, the origin and the final fate. In particular the objective of the work is to highlight the entity and the impact of Torino metropolitan area discharge on the quality of the same river. The results obtained show in particular, as well as the great impact of the Torino metropolitan area (the calculated pollution from Torino to the station downstream increase, for example for the COD of the 38%) the large contribute to the pollution by the Po river affluents (the pollution, for the COD, from Torino to the station downstream increase, considering the affluents too, of the 49%). The other fundamental point of investigation is the analysis of the impact produced by the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant (SMAT, Società Metropolitana Acque Torino) on the quality of the water. The results obtained show that the SMAT Plant determines the environmental state of the Po river in the station downstream the same treatment plant. At the end we have evaluated the general pollution state in the studied stretch in order to highlight which interventions are necessary in order to respect what is prescribed from the Italian law