Biochemical methods were selected to evaluate the role of exopolymeric substances in the stability of biofilms used in bioremediation processes. Biofilms of Thiomonas arsenivorans formed on pozzolana were thus treated with pronase (protein target), lectins (Con A or PNA), calcofluor or periodic acid (polysaccharides target), DNase (DNA target), and lipase (triglycerides target). Neither proteas...

Relevance. A number of methods are used to diagnose dermatophytosis in the practice doctors, but their effectiveness varies. The aim study was compare different clinical and laboratory diagnosis dermatophytosis. Methods. 54 hair samples taken from small pets were examined for presence dermatophytes. Diagnostics carried out using a Wood lamp, direct microscopy, fluorescent microscopy with calcof...

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites, recognized as causing chronic diarrhea and systemic disease in AIDS patients, organ transplant recipients, travelers, and malnourished children. Species of microsporidia that infect humans have been detected in drinking-water sources, and methods are needed to ascertain if these microsporidia are viable and capable of causing infections. In th...

In this work, we highlight effects of pH on bacterial phenotypes when using the bacteriological dyes Aniline blue, Congo red, and Calcofluor white to analyze polysaccharide production. A study of galactose catabolism in Sinorhizobium meliloti led to the isolation of a mutation in dgoK1, which was observed to overproduce exopolysaccharides when grown in the presence of galactose. When this mutan...

Calcofluor White ST, stilbene derivative used commerically as an optical brightener for cellulose, increased the rate of glucose polymerization into cellulose by resting cells of the gram-negative bacterium Acetobacter xylinum. This bacterium normally produces a ribbon of cellulose that is a composite of crystalline microfibrils. In concentrations above 0.1 mM, Calcofluor disrupts the assembly ...

The Candida albicans CHS4 gene encoding chitin synthase 4 has been isolated using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae CHS4/SKT5 gene as a probe. The gene contains a 2061 bp open reading frame capable of encoding a protein of 687 amino acids (76053 Da). No intron was observed in the gene. Disruption of CHS4 in C. albicans yielded a Calcofluor-resistant phenotype, indicating that Chs4p contributes to ch...

Filamentous fungi are a ubiquitous and diverse group of eukaryotic organisms and may contribute, along with bacteria, yeasts, protozoa and viruses, to the formation of biofilms in water distribution systems. However, fungal involvement in biofilms has not been demonstrated unambiguously. Furthermore, these fungi may be responsible for the production of tastes, odours and mycotoxins in drinking ...

The CAL1 gene was cloned by complementation of the defect in Calcofluor-resistant calR1 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Transformation of the mutants with a plasmid carrying the appropriate insert restored Calcofluor sensitivity, wild-type chitin levels and normal spore maturation. Southern blots using the DNA fragment as a probe showed hybridization to a single locus. Allelic tests indica...

The structure and development of endodermal Casparian strips in Pinus bungeana needles and roots were studied by scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Primary pit fields (PFs) frequently occurred in radial walls of Casparian strips isolated from needles, whereas PFs were never detected in Casparian strips from roots. Formation of Casparian strips in needles as well as roots ...