Biorefining Process of Carbohydrate Feedstock (Agricultural Onion Waste) to Acetic Acid

The biorefining of agricultural waste into green chemicals has clear potential for improving global environmental sustainability. In this study, we evaluated the potential of acetic acid production from carbohydrate feedstock (onion waste, OW) as a more environmentally friendly source than feedstock produced from natural gas. In particular, OW is an ideal feedstock for the biorefining process as it contains a sufficient amount of carbohydrates (69.7%). Five days of the simultaneous saccharification and two-step fermentation (SSTF) process produced acetic acid from OW more efficiently than the simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF) process. SSTF produced 19.3 g/L acetic acid and recorded the highest conversion yield (90.5%) from OW (6% substrate loading, w/v). These results suggested that acetic acid can be efficiently and sustainably produced from OW by the SSTF process.

Advanced strategy to produce insecticidal destruxins from lignocellulosic biomass Miscanthus

BACKGROUND

Biorefineries are widely recognized as the most feasible solution to the problem of achieving environmental sustainability along with economic growth. Furthermore, pine wilt disease has caused severe environmental and economic damage worldwide to date. Herein, a highly efficient, advanced process for producing destruxins (DTXs) from Miscanthus (MCT) is reported, along with an application strategy.

RESULTS

The acetic acid-sodium chlorite pretreatment of MCT (AASC-MCT) is found to improve the monosaccharide production. Through biocatalytic conversion processes (simultaneous saccharification and cultivation), Metarhizium anisopliae JEF-279 can efficiently produce DTXs from 1% (w/v) AASC-MCT, i.e., DTX E (334.8 mg/L), A (288.8 mg/L), and B (48.6 mg/L). Monochamus alternatus (MA, Japanese pine sawyer) is known to act as a mediator transferring Bursaphelenchus xylophilus to pinewood. As B. xylophilus is associated with the occurrence of pine wilt disease, biological control of MA is a major strategy or controlling this disease. In this study, upon the application of a mixture of DTXs and protease-containing culture filtrate (PCF), complete mortality of MA is observed after a 5-day incubation. The MA immune system response is believed to cause an overexpression of actin and tropomyosin as a defense mechanism against the flaccid paralysis induced by the DTXs and PCF treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that MCT can be used as a major feedstock in the biorefinery industry and that DTXs can be applied as an insecticide for biological control of pine wilt disease via MA termination.

Continuous cropping of endangered therapeutic plants via electron beam soil-treatment and neutron tomography

Various medicinal plants are threatened with extinction owing to their over-exploitation and the prevalence of soil borne pathogens. In this study, soils infected with root-rot pathogens, which prevent continuous-cropping, were treated with an electron beam. The level of soil-borne fungus was reduced to ≤0.01% by soil electron beam treatment without appreciable effects on the levels of antagonistic microorganism or on the physicochemical properties of the soil. The survival rate of 4-year-old plant was higher in electron beam-treated soil (81.0%) than in fumigated (62.5%), virgin (78%), or untreated-replanting soil (0%). Additionally, under various soils conditions, neutron tomography permitted the monitoring of plant health and the detection of root pathological changes over a period of 4-6 years by quantitatively measuring root water content in situ. These methods allow continual cropping on the same soil without pesticide treatment. This is a major step toward the environmentally friendly production of endangered therapeutic herbs.

Evaluation of biomass quality in short-rotation bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) for bioenergy products

BACKGROUND

In order to improve the availability of biomass, the concept of growing high yield biomass with short rotations and intensive culture has been introduced. Bamboo has become a feedstock of potential interest for future energy production due to its high productivity and short rotation time. The growth age of biomass is an important factor affecting the efficiency of bioconversion and pretreatment for bioenergy production. In this regard, more information is required on the morphology and chemical composition of bamboo for short-rotation biomass production. In this study, we used a compositional assay to compare a bamboo of two different growth ages.

RESULTS

Bamboo of two different ages showed characteristics patterns of morphology, chemical composition, and bioconversion. In young-age (2-month-old) bamboo, the pattern of tissue organization was similar to that of old-age (3-year-old) bamboo, indicating that the former had reached its full height. There were significant differences between young-age and old-age bamboo in terms of chemical composition. The glucose contents in old-age bamboo did not differ significantly among its internodes. For young-age bamboo, the lignin contents were 14.6-18.3%, whereas those of old-age bamboo were considerably higher, ranging from 25.4 to 27.1% with increasing syringyl-to-guaiacyl ratio. The yield of total sugars following enzymatic hydrolysis of young-age bamboo was approximately eight times. However, following hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid pretreatment, the results of separate hydrolysis and fermentation and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation did not differ significantly between young- and old-age bamboo. However, ethanol production was higher in 2-month old than in 3-year old from initial raw biomass.

CONCLUSION

Our data show that the production of total sugar from raw material was high in young bamboo with low lignin content. With respect to short-rotation biomass, bamboo culm harvested after termination of height growth is more appropriate for use as a biomass resource to achieve a high yield for bioconversion process.

Strategy for dual production of bioethanol and d-psicose as value-added products from cruciferous vegetable residue

In this study, fermentable sugars and d-fructose were produced from cruciferous vegetable residue by enzymatic method without the use of either chemical or mechanical mechanisms. Production of d-psicose was effectively converted from hydrolyzed d-fructose in cabbage residue by d-psicose-3 epimerase; the presence of the borate increased the conversion rate by about two fold, and ethanol production yield was 85.7% of the theoretical yield. Both products, bioethanol and d-psicose, were successfully separated and purified by pervaporation and cation exchange chromatography, and their recovery yields were approximately 87% and 86.2%, respectively.

Cellulosic bioethanol production from Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) using hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid (HPAC) pretreatment

Jerusalem artichoke (JA) is recognized as a suitable candidate biomass crop for bioethanol production because it has a rapid growth rate and high biomass productivity. In this study, hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid (HPAC) pretreatment was used to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis and to effectively remove the lignin of JA. With optimized enzyme doses, synergy was observed from the combination of three different enzymes (RUT-C30, pectinase, and xylanase) which provided a conversion rate was approximately 30% higher than the rate with from treatment with RUT-C30 alone. Fermentation of the JA hydrolyzates by Saccharomyces cerevisiae produced a fermentation yield of approximately 84%. Therefore, Jerusalem artichoke has potential as a bioenergy crop for bioethanol production.

Efficient approach for bioethanol production from red seaweed Gelidium amansii

Gelidium amansii (GA), a red seaweed species, is a popular source of food and chemicals due to its high galactose and glucose content. In this study, we investigated the potential of bioethanol production from autoclave-treated GA (ATGA). The proposed method involved autoclaving GA for 60min for hydrolysis to glucose. Separate hydrolysis and fermentation processing (SHF) achieved a maximum ethanol concentration of 3.33mg/mL, with a conversion yield of 74.7% after 6h (2% substrate loading, w/v). In contrast, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) produced an ethanol concentration of 3.78mg/mL, with an ethanol conversion yield of 84.9% after 12h. We also recorded an ethanol concentration of 25.7mg/mL from SSF processing of 15% (w/v) dry matter from ATGA after 24h. These results indicate that autoclaving can improve the glucose and ethanol conversion yield of GA, and that SSF is superior to SHF for ethanol production.

Lignocellulose conversion for biofuel: a new pretreatment greatly improves downstream biocatalytic hydrolysis of various lignocellulosic materials

BACKGROUND

Lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive renewable resource for future liquid transport fuel. Efficient and cost-effective production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass depends on the development of a suitable pretreatment system. The aim of this study is to investigate a new pretreatment method that is highly efficient and effective for downstream biocatalytic hydrolysis of various lignocellulosic biomass materials, which can accelerate bioethanol commercialization.

RESULTS

The optimal conditions for the hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid (HPAC) pretreatment were 80 °C, 2 h, and an equal volume mixture of H2O2 and CH3COOH. Compared to organo-solvent pretreatment under the same conditions, the HPAC pretreatment was more effective at increasing enzymatic digestibility. After HPAC treatment, the composition of the recovered solid was 74.0 % cellulose, 20.0 % hemicelluloses, and 0.9 % lignin. Notably, 97.2 % of the lignin was removed with HPAC pretreatment. Fermentation of the hydrolyzates by S. cerevisiae resulted in 412 mL ethanol kg(-1) of biomass after 24 h, which was equivalent to 85.0 % of the maximum theoretical yield (based on the amount of glucose in the raw material).

CONCLUSION

The newly developed HPAC pretreatment was highly effective for removing lignin from lignocellulosic cell walls, resulting in enhanced enzymatic accessibility of the substrate and more efficient cellulose hydrolysis. This pretreatment produced less amounts of fermentative inhibitory compounds. In addition, HPAC pretreatment enables year-round operations, maximizing utilization of lignocellulosic biomass from various plant sources.

Rapid saccharification for production of cellulosic biofuels

The economical production of biofuels is hindered by the recalcitrance of lignocellulose to processing, causing high consumption of processing enzymes and impeding hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass. We determined the major rate-limiting factor in the hydrolysis of popping pre-treated rice straw (PPRS) by examining cellulase adsorption to lignin and cellulose, amorphogenesis of PPRS, and re-hydrolysis. Based on the results, equivalence between enzyme loading and the open structural area of cellulose was required to significantly increase productive adsorption of cellulase and to accelerate enzymatic saccharification of PPRS. Amorphogenesis of PPRS by phosphoric acid treatment to expand open structural area of the cellulose fibers resulted in twofold higher cellulase adsorption and increased the yield of the first re-hydrolysis step from 13% to 46%. The total yield from PPRS was increased to 84% after 3h. These results provide evidence that cellulose structure is one of major effects on the enzymatic hydrolysis.

Bioethanol production from the nutrient stress-induced microalga Chlorella vulgaris by enzymatic hydrolysis and immobilized yeast fermentation

The microalga Chlorella vulgaris is a potential feedstock for bioenergy due to its rapid growth, carbon dioxide fixation efficiency, and high accumulation of lipids and carbohydrates. In particular, the carbohydrates in microalgae make them a candidate for bioethanol feedstock. In this study, nutrient stress cultivation was employed to enhance the carbohydrate content of C. vulgaris. Nitrogen limitation increased the carbohydrate content to 22.4% from the normal content of 16.0% on dry weight basis. In addition, several pretreatment methods and enzymes were investigated to increase saccharification yields. Bead-beating pretreatment increased hydrolysis by 25% compared with the processes lacking pretreatment. In the enzymatic hydrolysis process, the pectinase enzyme group was superior for releasing fermentable sugars from carbohydrates in microalgae. In particular, pectinase from Aspergillus aculeatus displayed a 79% saccharification yield after 72h at 50°C. Using continuous immobilized yeast fermentation, microalgal hydrolysate was converted into ethanol at a yield of 89%.

Bioethanol production from rice straw by popping pretreatment

BACKGROUND

Rice straw has considerable potential as a raw material for bioethanol production. Popping pretreatment of rice straw prior to downstream enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation was found to increase cellulose to glucose conversion efficiency. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of popping pretreatment and determine the optimal enzyme loading using a surface response design.

RESULTS

The optimal doses of cellulase and xylanase enzymes were 23 FPU and 62 IU/g biomass, respectively. Using the optimized enzyme condition and popping pretreatment of rice straw (15% substrate loading, w/v), a sugar recovery of 0.567 g/g biomass (glucose; 0.394 g/g) was obtained in 48 h, which was significantly higher than that from untreated rice straw (total sugar recovery; 0.270 g/g biomass). Fermentation of the hydrolyzates by Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in 0.172 g ethanol/g biomass after 24 h, equivalent to 80.9% of the maximum theoretical yield (based on the amount of glucose in raw material). Changes in the chemical composition and surface area of rice straw were also investigated before and after popping pretreatment. The results showed little or no difference in chemical composition between the pretreated rice straw and the control. However, the surface area of pretreated rice straw increased twofold compared to the control.

CONCLUSION

Popping pretreatment of rice straw can effectively improve downstream saccharification and fermentation, important for bioethanol production.

Divergences in morphological changes and antioxidant responses in salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive rice seedlings after salt stress

Salinization plays a primary role in soil degradation and reduced agricultural productivity. We observed that salt stress reversed photosynthesis and reactive oxygen scavenging responses in leaves or roots of two rice cultivars, a salt-tolerant cultivar Pokkali and a salt-sensitive cultivar IR-29. Salt treatment (100 mM NaCl) on IR-29 decreased the maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) and the photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), thereby inhibiting photosynthetic activity. By contrast, the salt treatment on Pokkali had the converse effect on Fv/Fm and qP, while increasing the nonphotochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ), thereby favoring photosynthetic activity. Notably, chloroplast or root cells in Pokkali maintained their ultrastructures largely intact under the salt stress, but, IR-29 showed severe disintegration of existing grana stacks, increase of plastoglobuli, and swelling of thylakoidal membranes in addition to collapsed vascular region in adventitious roots. Pokkali is known to have higher hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-scavenging enzyme activities in non-treated seedlings, including ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and peroxidase activities. However, these enzymatic activities were induced to a greater extent in IR-29 by the salt stress. While the level of endogenous H2O2 was lower in Pokkali than in IR-29, it was reversed upon the salt treatment. Nevertheless, the decreased amount of H2O2 in IR-29 upon the salt stress didn't result in a high scavenging activity of total cell extracts for H2O2, as well as O2(·-) and (·)OH species. The present study suggests that the tolerance to the moderate salinity in Pokkali derives largely from the constitutively maintained antioxidant enzymatic activities as well as the induced antioxidant enzyme system.

Conversion of coffee residue waste into bioethanol with using popping pretreatment

Coffee residue waste (CRW), which is produced after coffee extraction for coffee powder and instant coffee preparation, is a primary industrial waste. In this study, the use of CRW for bioethanol production was evaluated. The carbohydrate content of CRW was analyzed for fermentable sugars such as glucose, galactose, and mannose, which can be fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Pretreatment at a pressure of 1.47 MPa for 10 min with popping pretreatment was required to increase enzymatic hydrolysis. CRW was well hydrolyzed following popping pretreatment at 1.47 MPa. The enzymatic conversion rate of CRW to fermentable sugars was 85.6%. Ethanol concentration and yield (based on sugar content) following enzymatic hydrolysis after simultaneous saccharification and fermentation were 15.3g/L and 87.2%, respectively.

Engineering of 2-Cys peroxiredoxin for enhanced stress-tolerance

A typical 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin (2-Cys Prx)-like protein (PpPrx) that alternatively acts as a peroxidase or a molecular chaperone in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 was previously characterized. The dual functions of PpPrx are regulated by the existence of an additional Cys(112) between the active Cys(51) and Cys(171) residues. In the present study, additional Cys residues (Cys(31), Cys(112), and Cys(192)) were added to PpPrx variants to improve their enzymatic function. The optimal position of the additional Cys residues for the dual functionality was assessed. The peroxidase activities of the S31C and Y192C mutants were increased 3- to 4-fold compared to the wild-type, while the chaperone activity was maintained at > 66% of PpPrx. To investigate whether optimization of the dual functions could enhance stress-tolerance in vivo, a complementation study was performed. The S31C and Y192C mutants showed a much greater tolerance than other variants under a complex condition of heat and oxidative stresses. The optimized dual functions of PpPrx could be adapted for use in bioengineering systems and industries, such as to develop organisms that are more resistant to extreme environments.

In planta differential targeting analysis of Thermotoga maritima Cel5A and CBM6-engineered Cel5A for autohydrolysis

The heterologous expression of glycosyl hydrolases in bioenergy crops can improve the lignocellulosic conversion process for ethanol production. We attempted to obtain high-level expression of an intact Thermotoga maritima endoglucanase, Cel5A, and CBM6-engineered Cel5A in transgenic tobacco plants for the mass production and autohydrolysis of endoglucanase. Cel5A expression was targeted to different subcellular compartments, namely, the cytosol, apoplast, and chloroplast, using the native form of the pathogenesis-related protein 1a (PR1a) and Rubisco activase (RA) transit peptides. Cel5A transgenic tobacco plants with the chloroplast transit peptide showed the highest average endoglucanase activity and protein accumulation up to 4.5% total soluble protein. Cel5A-CBM6 was targeted to the chloroplast and accumulated up to 5.2% total soluble protein. In terms of the direct conversion of plant tissue into free sugar, the Cel5A-CBM6 transgenic plant was 33% more efficient than the Cel5A transgenic plant. The protein stability of Cel5A and Cel5A-CBM6 in lyophilized leaf material is an additional advantage in the bioconversion process.

Enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis of rapeseed straw by popping pretreatment for bioethanol production

The objective of this study was to find a pretreatment process that enhances enzymatic conversion of biomass to sugars. Rapeseed straw was pretreated by two processes: a wet process involving wet milling plus a popping treatment, and a dry process involving popping plus dry milling. The effects of the pretreatments were studied both in terms of structural and compositional changes and change in susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis. After application of the wet and dry processes, the amounts of cellulose and xylose in the straw were 37-38% and 14-15%, respectively, compared to 31% and 12% in untreated counterparts. In enzymatic hydrolysis performance, the wet process presented the best glucose yield, with a 93.1% conversion, while the dry process yielded 69.6%, and the un-pretreated process yielded <20%. Electron microscopic studies of the straw also showed a relative increase in susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis with pretreatment.

Functional switching of a novel prokaryotic 2-Cys peroxiredoxin (PpPrx) under oxidative stress

Many proteins have been isolated from eukaryotes as redox-sensitive proteins, but whether these proteins are present in prokaryotes is not clear. Redox-sensitive proteins contain disulfide bonds, and their enzymatic activity is modulated by redox in vivo. In the present study, we used thiol affinity purification and mass spectrometry to isolate and identify 19 disulfide-bond-containing proteins in Pseudomonas putida exposed to potential oxidative damages. Among these proteins, we found that a typical 2-Cys Prx-like protein (designated PpPrx) displays diversity in structure and apparent molecular weight (MW) and can act as both a peroxidase and a molecular chaperone. We also identified a regulatory factor involved in this structural and functional switching. Exposure of pseudomonads to hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) caused the protein structures of PpPrx to convert from high MW complexes to low MW forms, triggering a chaperone-to-peroxidase functional switch. This structural switching was primarily guided by the thioredoxin system. Thus, the peroxidase efficiency of PpPrx is clearly associated with its ability to form distinct protein structures in response to stress.

Substrate specificity of the Bacillus licheniformis lyxose isomerase YdaE and its application in in vitro catalysis for bioproduction of lyxose and glucose by two-step isomerization

Enzymatic processes are useful for industrially important sugar production, and in vitro two-step isomerization has proven to be an efficient process in utilizing readily available sugar sources. A hypothetical uncharacterized protein encoded by ydaE of Bacillus licheniformis was found to have broad substrate specificities and has shown high catalytic efficiency on D-lyxose, suggesting that the enzyme is D-lyxose isomerase. Escherichia coli BL21 expressing the recombinant protein, of 19.5 kDa, showed higher activity at 40 to 45°C and pH 7.5 to 8.0 in the presence of 1.0 mM Mn²+. The apparent K(m) values for D-lyxose and D-mannose were 30.4 ± 0.7 mM and 26 ± 0.8 mM, respectively. The catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) for lyxose (3.2 ± 0.1 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹) was higher than that for D-mannose (1.6 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹). The purified protein was applied to the bioproduction of D-lyxose and D-glucose from d-xylose and D-mannose, respectively, along with the thermostable xylose isomerase of Thermus thermophilus HB08. From an initial concentration of 10 mM D-lyxose and D-mannose, 3.7 mM and 3.8 mM D-lyxose and D-glucose, respectively, were produced by two-step isomerization. This two-step isomerization is an easy method for in vitro catalysis and can be applied to industrial production.

Improvement of chaperone activity of 2-Cys peroxiredoxin using gamma ray

A typical 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin (2-Cys Prx) PaPrx can act alternatively as thioredoxin (Trx)-dependent peroxidase and molecular chaperone in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. In addition, the functional switch of PaPrx is regulated by its structural change which is dependently induced by stress conditions. In the present study, we examined the effect of gamma ray on structural modification related to chaperone activity of PaPrx. The structural change of PaPrx occupied with gamma ray irradiation (2 kGy) based on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analysis and the functional change also began. The enhanced chaperone activity was increased about 3-4 folds at 30 kGy gamma irradiation compared with nonirradiated PaPrx, while the peroxidase activity was significantly decreased. We also investigated the influence of the gamma ray on protein hydrophobicity as related to chaperone function. The exposure of hydrophobic domains reached a peak at 30 kGy gamma ray and then decreased dependently with increasing gamma irradiation. Our results suggest that highly enhanced chaperone activity could be adapted for use in bio-engineering systems and industrial applications such as enzyme stabilization during industrial process (inactivation protection), improvement of useful protein productivity (refolding and secretion) and industrial animal cell cultivation (stress protection).

Photosynthetic capacity of Arabidopsis plants at the reproductive stage tolerates γ irradiation

The developmental stage has an influence on the overall responses of plants under biotic or abiotic stress conditions. However, there is a lack of data about the effects of ionizing radiation in plants at different developmental stages. We examined radiation sensitivity of Arabidopsis plants in terms of photosynthetic ability and oxidative stress resistance at two distinct vegetative and reproductive stages, which correspond to 23 and 43 d after seeding (DAS), respectively. When plants were exposed to γ rays at a dose rate 50 Gy h(-1) for 4 h, they were characterized as various common or differential cellular responses depending on the developmental stage. Radial expansion of leaves, inhibition of non-photochemical quenching, and production of •O(2)(-) and H(2)O(2) under methyl viologen-induced photooxidative stress were commonly more conspicuous in the irradiated leaves of both plants than in the respective control. In contrast, the 23 and 43-DAS plants were explicitly discriminated in growth, chloroplast number & ultrastructure, photosynthetic pigment content & activity, and protein damage after γ irradiation. Natural leaf senescence was thereby enhanced in the irradiated leaves of the 23-DAS plants, while it was reversely alleviated in those of the 43-DAS ones. These results suggest that photosynthetic machineries of Arabidopsis plants at the reproductive stage can be relatively tolerant to γ rays of 200 Gy.

A new antioxidant with dual functions as a peroxidase and chaperone in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Thiol-based peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are conserved throughout all kingdoms. We have found that a conserved typical 2-Cys Prx-like protein (PaPrx) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria displays diversity in its structure and apparent molecular weight (MW), and can act alternatively as a peroxidase and molecular chaperone. We have also identified a regulatory factor involved in this structural and functional switching. Exposure of P. aeruginosa to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) causes PaPrx to convert from a high MW (HMW) complex to a low MW (LMW) form, which triggers a chaperone to peroxidase functional switch. This structural switching is primarily guided by either the thioredoxin (Trx) or glutathione (GSH) systems. Furthermore, comparison of our structural data [native and non-reducing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analysis, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis, and electron microscopy (EM) observations] and enzymatic analyses (peroxidase and chaperone assay) revealed that the formation of oligomeric HMW complex structures increased chaperone activity of PaPrx. These results suggest that multimerization of PaPrx complexes promotes chaperone activity, and dissociation of the complexes into LMW species enhances peroxidase activity. Thus, the dual functions of PaPrx are clearly associated with their ability to form distinct protein structures.

The potential value of the seaweed Ceylon moss (Gelidium amansii) as an alternative bioenergy resource

Sea weed (Ceylon moss) possesses comparable bioenergy production potential to that of land plants. Ceylon moss has high content of carbohydrates, typically galactose (23%) and glucose (20%). We have explored the possibility of sodium chlorite in Ceylon moss pretreatment that can ultimately increase the efficiency of enzymatic saccharification. In an acidic medium, chlorite generates ClO(2) molecules that transform lignin into soluble compounds without any significant loss of carbohydrate content and this procedure is widely used as an analytical method for holocellulose determination. Sodium chlorite-pretreated samples resulted in glucose yield up to 70% with contrast of only 5% was obtained from non-pretreated samples. The efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis is significantly improved by sodium chlorite pretreatment, and thus sodium chlorite pretreatment is potentially a very useful tool in the utilisation of Ceylon moss biomass for ethanol production or bioenergy purposes.

Effects of gamma irradiation on morphological changes and biological responses in plants

This review discusses the morphological changes and biological responses of plants irradiated with gamma rays. Seedlings exposed to relatively low doses of gamma rays (1-5 Gy) developed normally, while the growth of plants irradiated with a high dose gamma ray (50 Gy) was significantly inhibited. Based on TEM observations, chloroplasts were extremely sensitive to gamma irradiation compared to other cell organelles, particularly thylakoids being heavily swollen. In addition, some portions of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum were structurally altered, for example, distortion and swelling. The cerium perhydroxide deposition, as a maker for H(2)O(2) deposition, was typically manifest on the plasma membranes and cell walls of the tissues from both the control and irradiated plants. However, the intensities of cerium perhydroxide deposits (CPDs) were remarkably increased in the plasma membranes and cell walls of pumpkin tissues such as petiole, cotyledon, hypocotyl and especially leaf after gamma irradiation. These observations are in good agreement with the results of H(2)O(2) content in all tissues. The immuno-localization analysis for peroxidase (POD) on the tissues from pumpkin plant showed the same pattern between the control and irradiated plants, but the density of gold particles as indication of POD localization was significantly increased on the cell corner middle lamellae of parenchyma cells, especially in the petiole after gamma irradiation. However, accumulation and localization of H(2)O(2) and POD in vessels were not significantly different between both plants. The accumulation and localization of both H(2)O(2) and POD were differentially affected by gamma irradiation depending on the different tissue types. The deposition of both H(2)O(2) and POD in parenchyma cells appeared much higher than in vessels, suggesting that the former is more sensitive than the latter against gamma rays.

Simple and rapid methods for SEM observation and TEM immunolabeling of rubber particles

We developed a method involving air-drying of a rubber suspension after fixation in glutaraldehyde-tannic acid and postfixation in osmium tetroxide for SEM observation. For TEM immunolabeling the suspension was air-dried after osmium-only fixation. Whereas conventional methods failed to satisfactorily stabilize rubber particles, the methods described here proved successful in preserving their integrity.

The micromorphology and protein characterization of rubber particles in Ficus carica, Ficus benghalensis and Hevea brasiliensis

Rubber biosynthesis takes place on the surface of rubber particles. These particles are surrounded by a monolayer membrane in which the rubber transferase is anchored. In order to gain better insight into whether rubber particles from different plant species share common structural characteristics, the micromorphology of rubber particles from Ficus carica, Ficus benghalensis, and Hevea brasiliensis was examined by electron microscopy. Rubber particles of all three species were spherical in shape, and the size of rubber particles of H. brasiliensis was much smaller than those of F. carica and F. benghalensis. In addition, investigations were undertaken to compare the cross-reactivity of the antibody raised against either the H. brasiliensis small rubber particle protein (SRPP) which is suggested to be involved in rubber biosynthesis, or the cis-prenyltransferase (CPT) which has an activity similar to rubber transferase. Both western analysis and TEM-immunogold labelling studies showed that rubber particles of F. carica and F. benghalensis do not contain the SRPP. None of the rubber particles in F. carica, F. benghalensis and H. brasiliensis contained the CPT, suggesting that the CPT itself could not catalyse the formation of high molecular weight rubber. These results indicate that rubber particles in the three different plant species investigated share some degree of similarity in architecture, and that the SRPP and CPT themselves are not the core proteins necessary for rubber biosynthesis.