Using appropriate yeast strains and exogenous acceptors, we have devised specific assays for four mannosyltransferase activities involved in biosynthesis of the carbohydrate outer chain of yeast mannoproteins. The assays utilize GDP-[14C]mannose as the donor and unlabeled oligosaccharides as the acceptors, the products being neutral radioactive oligosaccharides one mannose unit larger than the ...

The principal fungal species isolated from a contaminated library environment were tested for their microbial volatile organic compound (MVOC) production ability. Aspergillus creber, A. penicillioides, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Eurotium chevalieri, E. halophilicum, Penicillium brevicompactum and P. chrysogenum were cultivated on suitable culture media inside sample bottles specifically desi...

The mannans of Saccharomyces chevalieri, S. italicus, S. diastaticus, and S. carlsbergensis, were acetolyzed, and the fragments were separated by gel filtration. All gave similar acetolysis fingerprints, which were distinguished from S. cerevisiae by the presence of a pentasaccharide component in addition to the mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrasaccharides. All oligosaccharide fragments were composed...

This study explored the possibility of disinfecting water using aqueous extracts of medicinal plants. Seven medicinal plants used by Samburu herbalists for the treatment of stomach illnesses were investigated for water disinfection. Aqueous extracts of the dried powdered plant material were directly used to treat the water samples collected. Efficacy of water treatment with medicinal plants exp...

Restoration of a highly degraded forest, which had lost its natural capacity for regeneration, was attempted in the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest in Eastern Ghats of India. In field experiment, 12 native tree species were planted. The restoration included inoculation with a consortium of 5 native plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), with the addition of small amounts of compost and a chemical f...