The cell surface polysaccharides and membrane protein required for bacteriophage infection of Lactococcus lactis

The bacteriophage receptor of lactococci was found on the cell walls. A carbohydrate analysis of the cell walls from phage-resistant mutants of L. lactis subsp. cremoris KR with reductions in phage binding indicated that a loss of galactose correlated with a loss in binding and infection of all phage tested: kh, 643, 1, c2 and m13. In addition, a loss of rhamnose correlated with a reduction in binding of phages kh and m13. Inhibition studies of phage binding by lectins specific to galactose suggested that phage kh does not bind directly to galactose. Incubation of any of the five phages with 0.5M rhamnose, but not galactose, completely inactivated the phage. Addition of rhamnose to a growing liquid culture infected with all five phages or with phage kh inhibited the infection. This suggested that the receptor of phage for L. lactis subsp. cremoris KR is the rhamnose of the extracellular polysaccharide. In a similar analysis, phage skl was found to require rhamnose and glucose of the extracellular polysaccharide of L. lactis subsp. lactis C2 for binding. The lectin studies suggests that phage ski does not bind directly to glucose. The partial inhibition of phage ski infection when rhamnOse, but not glucose, was added to a liquid culture suggests that phage ski binds directly to the rhamnose. The phage-resistant mutants isolated from superinfections of L. lactis subsp. lactis C2 with phage c2 did not form plaques, but bound normally to phage c2. The sensitivity of these mutants to phage ski was also reduced significantly. In another analysis of mutants isolated from superinfections with phage skl, none formed plaques with either phage c2 or skl, but bound normally to both phages. The mutations affected the cell membrane, as the membrane from wild type, but not from phage-resistant cells, inactivated phage c2. The phage-inactivation activity was eliminated by treatment with a protease, but not a glycosidase. The partially purified phage-inactivating protein was found to have an apparent molecular weight of 350,000 under nondenaturing conditions and an apparent subunit size of 32 kDa. It is proposed that a multimeric complex of the 32 kDa protein is required for phage c2 and skl infection of strain C2

To reach the poor: results from the ISNAR-IFPRI Next Harvest study on genetically modified crops, public research, and policy implications

"Local farming communities throughout the world face productivity constraints, environmental concerns, and diverse nutritional needs. Developing countries address these challenges in a number of ways. One way is public research that produces genetically modified (GM) crops and recognize biotechnology as a part of the solution. To reach these communities, GM crops, after receiving biosafety agreement, must be approved for evaluation under local conditions. However, gaps between approvals in the developed and developing world grow larger, as the process of advancing GM crops in developing countries becomes increasingly difficult. In several countries, only insect resistant cotton has successfully moved from small, confined experimental trials to larger, open trials and to farms. By far, most GM crop approvals have been for commercial products that perform well under tropical conditions. However, complete information on public GM crop research in developing countries has not been assessed. “Will policies and research institutions in the developing world stimulate the safe use of publicly funded GM food crops?” The relatively few GM crops approved from public research, coupled with growing regulatory, biosafety capacity, trade, and political concerns, argue to the contrary. To tackle this issue, we identified and analyzed public research pipelines for GM crops among 16 developing countries and transition economies. Respondents reported 209 genetic transformation events for 46 different crops at the time when the survey was conducted. The pipelines demonstrate scientific progress among publicly funded crop research institutes in participating countries. Information and findings are presented for GM crops nearing final stages of selection. Additional details are provided for the types of genes and traits used, the breadth of genetic resources documented, implications for regulation, and the type of research partnerships employed. Regulations, GM crop approvals, choice of transgene, and policy implications are discussed as they affect this research. Based on these findings, recommendations are presented that would help sustain and increase efficiency of publicly supported research while meeting biosafety requirements. To do so, the study examines results concerning investments and choices made in research, capacity, and policy development for biotechnology. These indicate the risk and potential for GM technologies in developing countries. Policy makers, those funding biotechnology, and other stakeholders can use this information to prioritize investments, consider product advancement, and assess relative magnitude of potential risks, and benefits." Authors' Abstract

Natrinema gari sp. nov., a halophilic archaeon isolated from fish sauce in Thailand

Two Gram-negative, rod-shaped, halophilic archaea, designated strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1, were isolated from anchovy fish sauce (nam-pla) collected from two different locations in Thailand. The two strains were able to grow at 20-60 6C (optimum 37-40 6C), at 1.7-5.1 M NaCl (optimum 2.6-3.4 M NaCl) and at pH 5.5-8.5 (optimum pH 6.0-6.5). Hypotonic treatment with less than 1.7 M NaCl caused cell lysis. The major polar lipids of the isolates were C 20 C 20 and C 20 C 25 derivatives of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, phosphatidylglycerol sulfate, two glycolipids and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G+C contents were 64.0-65.4 mol%. In addition to phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities showed that strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 were related most closely to species of the genus Natrinema. Levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 and the type strains of recognized Natrinema species were 99.1-96.6 %. The two novel strains could be distinguished from recognized Natrinema species on the basis of low levels of DNA-DNA relatedness and differences in whole-cell protein patterns and phenotypic properties. Levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and DNA-DNA relatedness between the two strains were 99.7 and 77.7 %, respectively, suggesting that they should be classified as representing a single species. Based on these taxonomic data, strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 are considered to represent a novel species of the genus Natrinema, for which the name Natrinema gari sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HIS40-3 T (5BCC 24370 Fish sauce (nam-pla) is a traditional fermented fish product commonly used as a condiment in South-East Asia. Apart from its unique and pleasant flavour, it provides an important supplementary source of nitrogen in the diet of people in this region. Fish sauce contains nitrogen at 20 g l 21 , of which 16 % is present as amino acids The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for the 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 are AB289741 and AB289743, respectively. Two-dimensional TLC of polar lipids extracted from strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1, maximum-parsimony and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and patterns of wholecell proteins are available as supplementary material with the online version of this paper. et al., 2000) and Natrinema altunense (Xu et al., 2005) were also included within the genus. Natrinema ejinorense has been described more recently Phenotypic characterization was carried out in accordance with the recommended minimal standards for the description of new taxa in the order Halobacteriales (Oren et al., 1997). Colony and cell morphology were examined for cells grown on agar plates at 37 u C for 14 days. Catalase and oxidase activities and hydrolysis of gelatin, casein, starch and Tween 80 were determined according to the methods of DNA was isolated and purified according to the method of Cells of strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 were motile, Gramnegative rods (0.5-0.862.0-3.0 mm) http://ijs.sgmjournals.org 2379 negative. Casein, starch and Tween 80 were not hydrolysed. Gelatin was liquefied. The strains showed anaerobic growth in the presence of DMSO but not with nitrate or arginine. Nitrate was not reduced and gas formation was not observed. The strains were sensitive to rifampicin, bacitracin and novobiocin. Strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 utilized several carbohydrates. Among them, strong acid formation was observed only from glycerol for both strains and from arabinose for strain HIS40-3 T . There were some differences in the utilization of carbon sources between strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1. Some characteristics that distinguish strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 from other members of the genus Natrinema are summarized in Strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 possessed two menaquinones, MK-8 (76.3 and 74.6 %, respectively) and MK-8(H 2 ) (23.7 and 25.5 %), which are commonly detected in species of the genus Natrinema The neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree constructed on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence data for the two new isolates and other representative Natrinema species is shown in The DNA-DNA hybridization study revealed that strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 were closely related, exhibiting levels of relatedness of 73.5-77.7 % to each other; however, strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 showed only low levels of DNA-DNA relatedness to Nnm. pallidum JCM 8980 T (40.5 and 42.5 %, respectively), Nnm. pellirubrum JCM 10476 T (18.7 and 22.0 %), Nnm. altunense JCM 12890 T (13.2 and 16.0 %) and Nnm. versiforme JCM 10478 T (19.5 and 18.2 %), indicating that these two novel strains are not members of any of these Natrinema species. Each of the values was obtained from two independent determinations. Moreover, the protein pattern of the novel strains was markedly different from those of the Natrinema species representatives analysed herein ( In conclusion, on the basis of growth requirements, poor utilization of carbohydrates, antibiotic susceptibility, menaquinone content, overall phospholipid composition, DNA G+C contents and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 are considered to represent a single species of the genus Natrinema. However, they could be differentiated from recognized Natrinema species based on levels of DNA-DNA relatedness and differences in whole-cell protein patterns. The results of the present study thus suggest that strains HIS40-3 T and HDS3-1 represent a novel species of the genus Natrinema, for which the name Natrinema gari sp. nov. is proposed. W. Tapingkae and others 2380 International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 58 Description of Natrinema gari sp. nov. Natrinema gari (ga9ri. L. gen. n. gari of a fish sauce, pertaining to the isolation of strains from fermented fish sauce). Cells are motile, Gram-negative rods, 0.5-0.862.0-3.0 mm in size. Colonies are pale orange, smooth, circular and elevated. Growth is chemo-organotrophic. Requires at least 1.7 M NaCl for growth (optimum 2.6-3.4 M NaCl). Growth occurs at 0-1.0 M MgCl 2 (optimum 0.1-0.2 M MgCl 2 ). The pH range for growth is 5.5-8.5 (optimum pH 6.0-6.5). The temperature range for growth is 20-60 u C (optimum 37-40 u C)

TO REACH THE POOR: RESULTS FROM THE ISNAR-IFPRI NEXT HARVEST STUDY ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS, PUBLIC RESEARCH, AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Local farming communities throughout the world face productivity constraints, environmental concerns, and diverse nutritional needs. Developing countries address these challenges in a number of ways. One way is public research that produces genetically modified (GM) crops and recognize biotechnology as a part of the solution. To reach these communities, GM crops, after receiving biosafety agreement, must be approved for evaluation under local conditions. However, gaps between approvals in the developed and developing world grow larger, as the process of advancing GM crops in developing countries becomes increasingly difficult. In several countries, only insect resistant cotton has successfully moved from small, confined experimental trials to larger, open trials and to farms. By far, most GM crop approvals have been for commercial products that perform well under tropical conditions. However, complete information on public GM crop research in developing countries has not been assessed. Will policies and research institutions in the developing world stimulate the safe use of publicly funded GM food crops? The relatively few GM crops approved from public research, coupled with growing regulatory, biosafety capacity, trade, and political concerns, argue to the contrary. To tackle this issue, we identified and analyzed public research pipelines for GM crops among 16 developing countries and transition economies. Respondents reported 209 genetic transformation events1 for 46 different crops at the time when the survey was conducted. The pipelines demonstrate scientific progress among publicly funded crop research institutes in participating countries. Information and findings are presented for GM crops nearing final stages of selection. Additional details are provided for the types of genes and traits used, the breadth of genetic resources documented, implications for regulation, and the type of research partnerships employed. Regulations, GM crop approvals, choice of transgene, and policy implications are discussed as they affect this research. Based on these findings, recommendations are presented that would help sustain and increase efficiency of publicly supported research while meeting biosafety requirements. To do so, the study examines results concerning investments and choices made in research, capacity, and policy development for biotechnology. These indicate the risk and potential for GM technologies in developing countries. Policy makers, those funding biotechnology, and other stakeholders can use this information to prioritize investments, consider product advancement, and assess relative magnitude of potential risks, and benefits

Future Topics of Common Interest for EU and SEA Partners in Food Quality, Safety and Traceability

SEA-EU-NET project is based on the program Capacities under the 7th Framework Program (FP7) of the EU Commission with the strategic objective of Integrating and Strengthening the EU-ASEAN Science and Technology Dialogue through coordination and supporting activities. It is a 4 years program started in January 2008, and is currently supported by 22 institutions from Europe and South-East Asia. The objective is to increase the quality, quantity, profile and impact of bi-regional Science and Technology cooperation between the 10 ASEAN countries and the Members and Associated States of the European Union. Every Thematic Priority of FP7 has to implement dedicated international cooperation activities to achieve the program's goals and to address specific problems of 'Third Countries/Regions' (non-EU Members States or non-Associated States). This activity is performed through the organization of annual Thematic Workshops, with the objective to produce a document containing duly justified proposals for Specific International Cooperation Actions. This paper presents the results of the Thematic Workshop on 'Food Quality, Safety and Traceability'. This expert meeting was done in Thailand in February 2009. Titles for 10 possible themes were identified on the following fields: Bacteria antibioresistance, Mycotoxins, Pathogens (bacteria), Pesticides, Heavy metals, Food traceability, Food Supply Chain, Preserving nutrients, Consumers attitudes, Peri-urban markets.JRC.D.5-Food Safety and Qualit