Assay of anti-pernicious anemia factor with Euglena

Selection and characterization of Euglena anabaena var. minor as a new candidate Euglena species for industrial application

Euglena gracilis is a microalgae used as a model organism. Recently, mass cultivation of this species has been achieved for industrial applications. The genus Euglena includes more than 200 species that share common useful features, but the potential industrial applications of other Euglena species have not been evaluated. Thus, we conducted a pilot screening study to identify other species that proliferate at a sufficiently rapid rate to be used for mass cultivation; we found that Euglena anabaena var. minor had a rapid growth rate. In addition, its cells accumulated more than 40% weight of carbohydrate, most of which is considered to be a euglenoid specific type of beta-1-3-glucan, paramylon. Carbohydrate is stored in E. anabaena var. minor cells during normal culture, whereas E. gracilis requires nitrogen limitation to facilitate paramylon accumulation. These results suggest the potential industrial application of E. anabaena var. minor.

Most harmful algal bloom species are vitamin B1 and B12 auxotrophs

Eutrophication can play a central role in promoting harmful algal blooms (HABs), and therefore many HAB studies to date have focused on macronutrients (N, P, Si). Although a majority of algal species require exogenous B vitamins (i.e., auxotrophic for B vitamins), the possible importance of organic micronutrients such as B vitamins (B(1), B(7), B(12)) in regulating HABs has rarely been considered. Prior investigations of vitamins and algae have examined a relatively small number of dinoflagellates (n = 26) and a paucity of HAB species (n = 4). In the present study, the vitamin B(1), B(7), and B(12) requirements of 41 strains of 27 HAB species (19 dinoflagellates) were investigated. All but one species (two strains) of harmful algae surveyed required vitamin B(12), 20 of 27 species required B(1), and 10 of 27 species required B(7), all proportions higher than the previously reported for non-HAB species. Half-saturation (K(s)) constants of several HAB species for B(1) and B(12) were higher than those previously reported for other phytoplankton and similar to vitamin concentrations reported in estuaries. Cellular quotas for vitamins suggest that, in some cases, HAB demands for vitamins may exhaust standing stocks of vitamins in hours to days. The sum of these findings demonstrates the potentially significant ecological role of B-vitamins in regulating the dynamics of HABs.

Activities of various cobalamins for Euglena gracilis with reference to vitamin B 12 assay with Euglena

Coenzyme B(12) and methylcobalamin in water are less active in promoting growth of Euglena gracilis Z strain than the same concentrations of cyanocobalamin and hydroxocobalamin which are equally active. When bound to human serum or human liver homogenate, however, the activities of these four cobalamins do not differ significantly with one exception. The results suggest that the Euglena assay using cyanocobalamin standards is not satisfactory for quantitation of coenzyme B(12) and methylcobalamin in water but acceptable when coenzyme B(12) and methylcobalamin are bound to serum or liver. Sulphitocobalamin in water is as active as cyanocobalamin and hydroxocobalamin but nitritocobalamin is less active. Factor B, the monocarboxylic acids of cyanocobalamin and hydroxocobalamin, and the dicarboxylic acid of cyanocobalamin in water were inactive.

Qualitative studies of soil microorganisms. XII. Characteristics of vitamin-B12-requiring bacteria

Ten types of bacteria isolated from soil are described for which vitamin B12acts as an essential nutrilite. In addition to vitamin B12, thiamine was found to be essential for the growth of all, and biotin for eight, of the 10 forms; in two cases riboflavin acted as a growth antagonist. For nine of the organisms thymidine, with or without the addition of purine and pyrimidine bases, was unable to replace vitamin B12in promoting growth; with one organism but slight response was noted. Methionine was equally ineffective as a substitute for B12. Three of the organisms were observed to be cocci and one a pleomorphic, curved, unbranched, filamentous form producing cocci in older culture. The remaining six types, representing approximately 80% of the isolates studied, were considered to belong to the genus Arthrobacter, the findings providing further evidence of the importance of this group as members of the indigenous soil microflora.