1. Extracts of Escherichia coli A.T.C.C. 9723 and K(12)703 contain serine transacetylase and O-acetylserine sulphhydrase. Synthesis of the latter enzyme is repressed by growth on l-cyst(e)ine and other sulphur compounds. 2. O-Acetyl-l-serine added to cells growing on glutathione or sulphate as source of sulphur induces the enzymes that catalyse (a) the activation of sulphate to adenosine 3'-pho...

The molybdenum centre of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) nitrate reductase has been investigated by e.p.r. spectroscopy of molybdenum(V) in reduced forms of the enzyme. The resting enzyme gives no signals attributable to Mo(V). However, on reduction with NADH, Mo(V) signals appeared at relatively short reaction times but decreased again on prolonged exposure to excess of the substrate as the enzyme...

Lithium-ion batteries have been attracting much attention which enables the revolution of wireless global communication. Ionic liquids are regarded as promising candidates for lithium-ion battery electrolytes because they can overcome the limitations of high operating temperatures and flammability concerns of traditional electrolytes. However, at low temperatures they suffer from low ionic cond...

Molybdenum (Mo) is a micronutrient essential for plant growth, as several key enzymes of plant metabolic pathways contain Mo cofactor in their catalytic centres. Mo-containing oxidoreductases include nitrate reductase, sulphite oxidase, xanthine dehydrogenase, and aldehyde oxidase. These are involved in nitrate assimilation, sulphite detoxification, purine metabolism or the synthesis of abscisi...

In the purple sulphur bacterium Allochromatium vinosum, the prosthetic group of dissimilatory sulphite reductase (DsrAB) was identified as siroamide, an amidated form of the classical sirohaem. The genes dsrAB are the first two of a large cluster of genes necessary for the oxidation of sulphur globules stored intracellularly during growth on sulphide and thiosulphate. DsrN is homologous to coby...

Rhodococcus sp. strain IGTS8 (ATCC 53968) is able to utilize dibenzothiophene (DBT) as a sole source of sulphur. The carbon skeleton of DBT is not metabolized and is conserved as 2-hydroxybiphenyl (HBP), which accumulates in the medium. This phenotype is due to the expression of the plasmid-encoded DBT-desulphurization (dsz) operon, which encodes three proteins, DszA, B and C. In this paper it ...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of fermentation with Lactobacillus acidophilus CRL 1014 on the physicochemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics of a hamburger product like processed with chicken meat and okara flour, with reduction of curing salts. A mixture of ingredients containing 90% chicken meat and 10% okara flour was subjected to the following treatm...

The relative abundance of different groups of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in faecal DNA collected before and after therapy from patients suffering from Crohn's disease (CD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or ulcerative colitis (UC) has been compared with that from healthy controls. Growth tests revealed that SRB were not more abundant in samples from patients with CD before treatment than ...

A lignosulfonate was prepared from alkali-extracted corn stalk lignin (AEL) by oxidation under mild conditions and sulfomethylation. The oxidized AEL exhibited lower molecular weight, narrower molecular weight distribution, and higher phenolic hydroxyl content than AEL, demonstrating that oxidized AEL was more reactive than those before oxidation. The content of sulfonic groups was significantl...

Mortality among workers in the Finnish pulp and paper industry was evaluated in a retrospective cohort study of 3520 workers who had been employed continuously for at least one year between 1945 and 1961. Six subcohorts were formed according to six work areas: sulphite, sulphate, paper, and board mills, maintenance department, and power plant. National mortality rates were used for comparison. ...