Step changes in leaf oil accumulation via iterative metabolic engineering

Synthesis and accumulation of plant oils in the entire vegetative biomass offers the potential to deliver yields surpassing those of oilseed crops. However, current levels still fall well short of those typically found in oilseeds. Here we show how transcriptome and biochemical analyses pointed to a futile cycle in a previously established Nicotiana tabacum line, accumulating up to 15% (dry weight) of the storage lipid triacylglycerol in leaf tissue. To overcome this metabolic bottleneck, we either silenced the SDP1 lipase or overexpressed the Arabidopsis thaliana LEC2 transcription factor in this transgenic background. Both strategies independently resulted in the accumulation of 30-33% triacylglycerol in leaf tissues. Our results demonstrate that the combined optimization of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis, storage lipid assembly and lipid turnover in leaf tissue results in a major overhaul of the plant central carbon allocation and lipid metabolism. The resulting further step changes in oil accumulation in the entire plant biomass offers the possibility of delivering yields that outperform current oilseed crops.

Assessing perceived agency adherence to the values of community inclusion: implications for staff satisfaction

Measures of staff members' knowledge (N = 518) of the values of community inclusion, perception of agency adherence to community inclusion, and satisfaction with relevant components of their jobs were developed. Staff represented 130 agencies in a state-wide program of individualized community living supports for adults with developmental and/or mental disabilities. Results suggest relatively high levels of knowledge about values of inclusion and perceived agency adherence to the inclusion philosophy among employees regarding the need to provide individuals who have disabilities with opportunities for engaging in community daily activities and their rights for services. Employees, however, had significantly less knowledge of and noted less agency adherence to activities intended to provide consumers with opportunities to make choices. Staff who perceived more agency adherence to the philosophy of inclusion were more satisfied with their jobs.

Some aspects of thermophilic and extreme thermophilic anaerobic microorganisms

In this presentation, we have discussed that the acetogenic thermophilic bacterium, Clostridium thermoaceticum, ferments glucose almost quantitatively to acetate. That part of the acetate is formed from CO2, which functions as the electron sink. We have demonstrated that enzymes in the acetate formation contain trace elements such as iron, cobalt, nickel, selenium and tungsten. Furthermore, we have indicated that this bacterium must have an electron transport system, which is not yet completely understood. With Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum we have obtained results which indicate that this thermophile may selectively produce proteins dependent on the environmental temperature. We have presented a new bacterium, Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus, which ferments several sugars including starch, cellobiose, and xylose to ethanol. We have demonstrated the existence in a thermal environment of anaerobic bacteria that grow at temperatures of around 90 degrees C and which are capable of fermenting diverse substrates such as lactate, glucose, and cellulose.

The adsorption of aspartic acid and glycine on sparingly soluble inorganic solids

An investigation has been made of the adsorption of aspartic acid and glycine on a series of natural and synthetic sparingly soluble inorganic solids. The amino acids have been analysed by a photographic development of the Fisher-Parsons-Morrison relationship found to exist for paper chromatograms. Aspartic acid was found to be adsorbed in greater amounts than glycine. Natural samples showed higher adsorptive capacities for both acids than did the synthetic samples. Adsorption capacities of the solids investigated were considerably higher than those found by previous workers for similar solids. No correlation has been found between adsorptive capacities and known electrokinetic properties of the adsorbents.