TY - JOUR TI - The effect of potassium rate on the yield and quality of flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) AU - Vann, M.C. AU - Fisher, L.R. AU - Jordan, D. L. AU - Hardy, D.H. AU - Smith, W.D. AU - Stewart, A.M. T2 - Tobacco Science AB - Research was conducted at 2 locations in 2009 and 2010 to determine the effect of potassium rate on the yield and quality of flue-cured tobacco. Treatments included 8 rates of potassium from sulfate of potash magnesia (K-Mag, 0–0–22): 0, 84, 112, 140, 168, 196, 224, and 252 kg K2O ha−1. A complete (N–P–K) fertilizer that supplied 134 kg K2O ha−1 was also included as a control treatment. All fertilizer was applied in a single band application within 10 days after transplanting. Yield was measured and samples were assigned an official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grade. Crop value was determined based on yield and grade. Tissue samples were collected throughout the season at 3 separate times: at layby, at topping, and after curing. Tissue samples were analyzed for total alkaloid and reducing sugar content as well as N, P, K, and Mg content at North Carolina State University. Soil samples were also collected at transplanting, which corresponded with potassium fertilizer application, and were analyzed by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Agronomic Division in Raleigh, North Carolina. Data were subjected to an analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the use of the PROC GLM procedure in SAS. Treatment means were separated with the use of Fisher's protected least significant difference (LSD) test at P ≤ 0.05. A yield or quality response was not observed with potassium rates at and above 84 kg K2O ha−1. Current potassium recommendations are adequate, and in fact may be higher than necessary for fine-textured soils with medium to high potassium indices. In contrast, recommendations appear to be accurate for coarse-textured soils in tobacco-producing areas of North Carolina, where potassium indices are often low. DA - 2012/// PY - 2012/// DO - 10.3381/12-019r.1 VL - 49 SP - 14-20 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Prolidase function in proline metabolism and its medical and biotechnological applications AU - Kitchener, R. L. AU - Grunden, A. M. T2 - JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AB - Prolidase is a multifunctional enzyme that possesses the unique ability to degrade imidodipeptides in which a proline or hydroxyproline residue is located at the C-terminal end. Prolidases have been isolated from archaea and bacteria, where they are thought to participate in proline recycling. In mammalian species, prolidases are found in the cytoplasm and function primarily to liberate proline in the final stage of protein catabolism, particularly during the biosynthesis and degradation of collagen. Collagen comprises nearly one-third of the total protein in the body, and it is essential in maintaining tissue structure and integrity. Prolidase deficiency (PD), a rare autosomal recessive disorder in which mutations in the PEPD gene affect prolidase functionality, tends to have serious and sometimes life-threatening clinical symptoms. Recombinant prolidases have many applications and have been investigated not only as a possible treatment for PD, but also as a part of anti-cancer strategies, a component of biodecontamination cocktails and in the dairy industry. This review will serve to discuss the many in vivo functions of procaryotic and eucaryotic prolidases, as well as the most recent advances in therapeutic and biotechnological application of prolidases. DA - 2012/8// PY - 2012/8// DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2012.05310.x VL - 113 IS - 2 SP - 233-247 SN - 1365-2672 KW - biotechnology KW - degradation KW - diagnosis KW - enzymes KW - peptides ER - TY - JOUR TI - Tolerance of Tomato to Herbicides Applied through Drip Irrigation AU - Dittmar, Peter J. AU - Monks, David W. AU - Jennings, Katherine M. AU - Booker, Fitzgerald L. T2 - WEED TECHNOLOGY AB - Greenhouse and field studies were conducted to determine tolerance of tomato to halosulfuron, imazosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron herbicides applied through drip irrigation. In greenhouse studies, PRE- and POST-applied trifloxysulfuron caused greater tomato injury (14 and 54% injury, respectively) than PRE- and POST-applied halosulfuron (5 and 26% injury, respectively) or imazosulfuron (5 and 23% injury, respectively). All herbicide treatments in the greenhouse studies caused greater injury to tomato than the nontreated. Greater tomato injury was observed in the greenhouse from herbicides applied POST than when soil applied. Tomato injury from POST-applied halosulfuron, imazosulfuron, or trifloxysulfuron followed a linear relationship, with tomato injury increasing with increasing herbicide rate. Tomato photosynthetic rate did not differ among the herbicide treatments (32.7 to 55.0 μmol m −2 s −1 ) and the nontreated (38.0 to 55.0 μmol m −2 s −1 ). At 5 to 16 days after treatment (DAT), tomato treated with imazosulfuron POST (0.26 to 0.46 cm s −1 ) or trifloxysulfuron POST (0.27 to 0.51 cm s −1 ) had lower stomatal conductance compared to the stomatal conductance of the nontreated tomato (0.65 to 0.76 cm s −1 ). Chlorophyll content did not differ among treatments at 0 to 6 DAT. At 7 to 12 DAT, tomato treated with imazosulfuron POST (34.0 to 40.1 SPAD) and trifloxysulfuron POST (35.0 to 41.6 SPAD) had lower chlorophyll content compared to the nontreated (39.1 to 48.1 SPAD). In 2008 and 2009 field studies, no tomato injury was observed. Herbicide, herbicide application method, and herbicide rate had no effect on tomato height (73 to 77 cm 14 DAT, 79 to 84 cm 21 DAT) and total fruit yield (62,722 to 80,328 kg ha −1 ). DA - 2012/// PY - 2012/// DO - 10.1614/wt-d-11-00181.1 VL - 26 IS - 4 SP - 684-690 SN - 1550-2740 KW - Application method KW - drip applied KW - methyl bromide alternatives KW - sulfonylurea ER - TY - JOUR TI - A versatile method for preparation of hydrated microbial-latex biocatalytic coatings for gas absorption and gas evolution AU - Gosse, Jimmy L. AU - Chinn, Mari S. AU - Grunden, Amy M. AU - Bernal, Oscar I. AU - Jenkins, Jessica S. AU - Yeager, Chris AU - Kosourov, Sergey AU - Seibert, Michael AU - Flickinger, Michael C. T2 - JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MICROBIOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY AB - Abstract We describe a latex wet coalescence method for gas-phase immobilization of microorganisms on paper which does not require drying for adhesion. This method reduces drying stresses to the microbes. It is applicable for microorganisms that do not tolerate desiccation stress during latex drying even in the presence of carbohydrates. Small surface area, 10–65 μm thick coatings were generated on chromatography paper strips and placed in the head-space of vertical sealed tubes containing liquid to hydrate the paper. These gas-phase microbial coatings hydrated by liquid in the paper pore space demonstrated absorption or evolution of H2, CO, CO2 or O2. The microbial products produced, ethanol and acetate, diffuse into the hydrated paper pores and accumulate in the liquid at the bottom of the tube. The paper provides hydration to the back side of the coating and also separates the biocatalyst from the products. Coating reactivity was demonstrated for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CC124, which consumed CO2 and produced 10.2 ± 0.2 mmol O2 m−2 h−1, Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009, which consumed acetate and produced 0.47 ± 0.04 mmol H2 m−2 h−1, Clostridium ljungdahlii OTA1, which consumed 6 mmol CO m−2 h−1, and Synechococcus sp. PCC7002, which consumed CO2 and produced 5.00 ± 0.25 mmol O2 m−2 h−1. Coating thickness and microstructure were related to microbe size as determined by digital micrometry, profilometry, and confocal microscopy. The immobilization of different microorganisms in thin adhesive films in the gas phase demonstrates the utility of this method for evaluating genetically optimized microorganisms for gas absorption and gas evolution. DA - 2012/9// PY - 2012/9// DO - 10.1007/s10295-012-1135-8 VL - 39 IS - 9 SP - 1269-1278 SN - 1476-5535 KW - Latex coating immobilization on chromatography paper KW - Chlamydomonas KW - Rhodopseudomonas KW - Clostridium KW - Synechococcus ER - TY - JOUR TI - The Red clover necrotic mosaic virus capsid protein N-terminal lysine-rich motif is a determinant of symptomatology and virion accumulation AU - Park, Sang-Ho AU - Sit, Tim L. AU - Kim, Kook-Hyung AU - Lommel, Steven A. T2 - MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY AB - SUMMARY The interaction between viral capsid protein (CP) and its cognate viral RNA modulates many steps in the virus infection cycle, such as replication, translation and assembly. The N‐terminal 50 amino acids of the Red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV) CP are rich in basic residues (especially lysine) and are essential for the core functions of the CP, namely RNA binding and virion assembly. To further elucidate additional biological roles for these basic residues, a series of alanine substitution mutations was introduced into infectious clones of RCNMV RNA‐1 and assayed for symptomatology, virion formation and systemic infection. Infectivity assays conducted in Nicotiana benthamiana revealed that all nine alanine substitution mutants (ASMs) were competent for systemic infection. Two ASMs (K4A and K7A/K8A) induced severe symptoms and delayed the systemic spread of viral genomes when compared with wild‐type RCNMV. However, these ASMs were still competent for virion formation. Three other ASMs (K25A, K33A and K38A) displayed milder symptoms and significant reductions in virion accumulation when compared with wild‐type RCNMV, but retained the ability to spread systemically. Evidence from these last three ASMs, as well as a CP null mutant, showed that RCNMV is able to move systemically in N. benthamiana as a nonvirion form. These observations reaffirm the necessity of the N‐terminal lysine‐rich residues of the RCNMV CP for efficient virion accumulation. They also reveal additional roles for the CP in the modulation of host symptomatology, independent of its role in virion assembly and the rate of systemic viral movement in N. benthamiana . DA - 2012/9// PY - 2012/9// DO - 10.1111/j.1364-3703.2011.00784.x VL - 13 IS - 7 SP - 744-754 SN - 1364-3703 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Evaluation of a quantitative H2S MPN test for fecal microbes analysis of water using biochemical and molecular identification AU - McMahan, Lanakila AU - Grunden, Amy M. AU - Devine, Anthony A. AU - Sobsey, Mark D. T2 - WATER RESEARCH AB - The sensitivity and specificity of the H2S test to detect fecal bacteria in water has been variable and uncertain in previous studies, partly due to its presence–absence results. Furthermore, in groundwater samples false-positive results have been reported, with H2S-positive samples containing no fecal coliforms or Escherichia coli. False-negative results also have been reported in other studies, with H2S-negative samples found to contain E. coli. Using biochemical and molecular methods and a novel quantitative test format, this research identified the types and numbers of microbial community members present in natural water samples, including fecal indicators and pathogens as well as other bacteria. Representative water sources tested in this study included cistern rainwater, a protected lake, and wells in agricultural and forest settings. Samples from quantitative H2S tests of water were further cultured for fecal bacteria by spread plating onto the selective media for detection and isolation of Aeromonas spp., E. coli, Clostridium spp., H2S-producers, and species of Salmonella and Shigella. Isolates were then tested for H2S production, and identified to the genus and species level using biochemical methods. Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (TRFLP) was the molecular method employed to quantitatively characterize microbial community diversity. Overall, it was shown that water samples testing positive for H2S bacteria also had bacteria of likely fecal origin and waters containing fecal pathogens also were positive for H2S bacteria. Of the microorganisms isolated from natural water, greater than 70 percent were identified using TRFLP analysis to reveal a relatively stable group of organisms whose community composition differed with water source and over time. These results further document the validity of the H2S test for detecting and quantifying fecal contamination of water. DA - 2012/4/15/ PY - 2012/4/15/ DO - 10.1016/j.watres.2011.12.037 VL - 46 IS - 6 SP - 1693-1704 SN - 0043-1354 KW - Quantitative H2S test KW - Microbial water quality KW - TRFLP KW - Fecal indicator ER - TY - JOUR TI - Effect of processing on recovery and variability associated with immunochemical analytical methods for multiple allergens in a single matrix: Sugar cookies AU - Khuda, S. AU - Slate, A. AU - Pereira, M. AU - Al-Taher, F. AU - Jackson, L. AU - Diaz-Amigo, C. AU - Bigley, E. C. AU - Whitaker, T. AU - Williams, K. M. T2 - Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry DA - 2012/// PY - 2012/// VL - 60 IS - 17 SP - 4195-4203 ER -