Thesis (Ph. D.)--Duke University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Title from title page of PDF (University of Missouri--St. Louis, viewed March 22, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rutgers University, 2008. / "Graduate Program in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics." Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-68).

Thesis (M.S.)--Missouri State University, 2008. / "August 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-75). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--Missouri State University, 2009. / "May 2009." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-42). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Aberdeen University, 2009. / Title from web page (viewed on July 14, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of St Andrews, June 2009.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Phenolic acids (principally p-coumaric and ferulic acids), which are generally esterified with tartaric acid, are natural constituents of grape must and wine, and can be released as free acids during the winemaking process by certain cinnamoyl esterase activities. Free phenolic acids can be metabolised into 4-vinyl and 4-ethyl derivatives by several microorganisms present in wine. These volatile phenols contribute to the aroma of the wine. The Bretfanomyces yeasts are well known for their ability to form volatile phenols in wine. However, these species are associated with the more unpleasant and odorous formation of the ethylphenols and the formation of high concentrations of volatile phenols. Other organisms, including some bacterial species, are responsible for the formation of volatile phenols at low concentrations, especially the 4-vinylphenols, and this enhances the organoleptic properties of the wine. The enzymes responsible for the decarboxylation of phenolic acids are called phenolic acid decarboxylases; and several bacteria and fungi have been found to contain the genes encoding these enzymes. The following genes have been characterised: PAD1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fdc from Bacillus pumilus, pdc from Lactobacillus plantarum and padc from Bacillus subtilis. PadA from Pediococcus pentosaceus was also identified. S. cerevisiae contains the PAD1 (phenyl acrylic acid decarboxylase) gene, which is steadily transcribed in yeast. The activity of the PAD1-encoded enzyme is low. Phenolic acid decarboxylase from B. subtilis, as well as p-coumaric acid decarboxylase from L. plantarum displays substrate inducible decarboxylating activity with phenolic acids. Both the p-coumaric acid decarboxylase (pdc) and phenolic acid decarboxylase (padc) genes were cloned into PGK1 PT expression cassette. The PGK1 PT expression cassette consisted of the promoter (PGK1 p) and terminator (PGK1 T) sequence of the yeast phosphoglyceratekinase I gene (PGK1). Episomal and yeast integration plasmids were constructed for the PAD1 gene under the control of the PGK1 PT for overexpresion in yeast. Industrial strains with the PAD1 gene disrupted were also made. Overexpression of pcoumaric acid decarboxylase (pdc) and phenolic acid decarboxylase (padc) in S. cerevisiae showed high enzyme activity in laboratory strains. The overexpressed PAD1 gene did not show any higher enzyme activity than the control strain. Both bacterial genes, under the control of the PGK1 PT cassette, were also cloned into a yeast-integrating plasmid, with the SMR1 gene as selective marker. The cloning and transformation of pdc and padc into industrial wine yeast strains can therefore be used to detect the effect of phenolic acid decarboxylase genes in the winemaking process for the possible improvement of wine aroma. Wine was made with all three strains (the bacterial genes overexpressed and PAD1 disrupted). The effect of these genes in wine was determined through GC analysis. The results showed that the bacterial genes could effectively produce higher levels of volatile phenols in the wine. The manipulated strains also produced enzymes capable of producing large amounts of favourable monoterpenes in the wine. This study paves the way for the development of wine yeast starter culture strains for the production of optimal levels of volatile phenols, thereby improving the sensorial quality of wine. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die fenoliese sure (p-kumaarsuur en ferolsuur), wat as natuurlike komponente in mos en wyn voorkom, word gewoonlik as esterverbindings in wynsteensuur gevind. Seker esterase-aktiwiteite kan die fenoliese sure as vrye sure vrystel gedurende die wynmaakproses. Hierdie vrye fenoliese sure kan dan weer deur verskillende mikroorganismes na 4-viniel en 4-etiel derivate omgesit word. Hierdie derivate staan as vlugtige fenole bekend en kan tot die aroma van wyn bydra. Die Brettanomyces giste is baie bekend vir hulle vermoeë om vlugtige fenole in wyn te vorm, maar dit is gewoonlik die formasie van hoë konsentrasies van vlugtige fenole, veral die 4-etiel derivate, wat met af geure geassosieer word. Ander organismes besit egter die vermoeë om vlugtige fenole teen lae konsentrasies te vorm, veral die 4-viniel derivate, wat 'n aanvullende effek op die wyn aroma kan hê. . Die ensieme wat verantwoordelik is vir die dekarboksilasie van fenoliese sure staan as fenolsuurdekarboksilases bekend. Verskeie bakterieë en fungi bevat gene wat vir hiedie ensieme kodeer. Die volgende gene is reeds gekarakteriseer: PAD1 van Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fdc van Bacillus pumilus, pdc van Lactobacillus plantarum en padc van Bacillus subtilis. PadA van Pediococcus pentosaceus is ook reeds geïdentifiseer. S. cerevisiae bevat die PAD1- (fenielakrielsuurdekarboksilase) geen, wat teen 'n vaste tempo in gis getranskribeer word. Die aktiwiteit van hierdie ensiem is egter laag. Fenolsuurdekarboksilase van B. subtilis, sowel as p-kumaarsuurdekarboksilase van L. plantarum, vertoon "n substraat-induseerbare dekarboksilerende aktiwiteit met fenoliese sure. Beide die p-kumaarsuur dekarboksilase en die fenolsuurdekarboksilase gene is in die PGK1PT ekspressie kasset gekloneer. Episomale en gisintegreringsplasmiede is vir die PAD1-geen onder beheer van die PGK1 PT ekspressiekasset gekonstrueer vir die ooruitdrukking van hierdie geen in gis. Die PGK1 PT ekspressiekasset het bestaan uit die promotor- (PGK1 p) en termineerdersekwense (PGK1 T) van die gisfosfogliseraatkinasegeen (PGK1). Industriële gisrasse is ontwikkel waarin die PAD1-geen onderbreek is. Ooruitdrukking van p-kumaarsuurdekarboksilase (Pdc) en fenolsuurdekarboksilase (pade) in S. cerevisiae toon hoë ensiemaktiwiteit in laboratoriumgisrasse. Die ooruitdrukking van die PAD1-geen het nie hoër aktiwiteit as die kontroleras gewys nie. Albei die bakteriële gene, onder die beheer van die PGK1 PT ekspressiekasset, is ook in "n gisintegreringsplasmied met die SMR1-geen as selektiewe merker geplaas. Die klonering en transformasie van pdc en padc in industriële wyngiste kan dus gebruik word vir die bepaling van die effek van fenolsuur dekarboksilases in die wynmaakproses en die moontlike verbetering van wynaroma. Wyn is met al drie die industriële rasse (die ooruitgedrukte bakteriële gene en die ontwrigte PAD1- geen) gemaak. Die effek van die teenwoordigheid van hierdie gene in die wynmaakproses is deur gaschromatografie bepaal. Die resultate het aangedui dat die bakteriële gene op In effektiewe wyse vlugtige fenole in die wyn kan produseer. Sekere monoterpene is ook in In verhoogde mate gedurende hierdie proses gevorm. Hierdie studie baan die weg vir die ontwikkeling van reingisinentingskulture vir die produksie van optimale vlakke van vlugtige fenole om sodoende die sensoriese gehalte van die wyn te verbeter.

Orientador: Jose Francisco Hofling / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-05T23:53:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mariano_PriscilladeLaetSan'Ana_D.pdf: 1702939 bytes, checksum: 0dccafa4ba01badcfb8fc5a7d8d8592a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: A preservação de microrganismos é um importante recurso para a manutenção e conservação de espécies microbianas em laboratórios clínicos, técnicos e de pesquisa. Diferentes métodos de armazenamento de espécies de leveduras em laboratório foram descritos, objetivando principalmente, melhores resultados quanto à manutenção da viabilidade e das propriedades celulares por tempos prolongados. Métodos ideais de armazenamento de leveduras e outros microrganismos necessitam promover a sobrevida das células, bem como a pureza da cultura e a estabilidade de suas características. Alguns pesquisadores, no entanto, têm mencionado a ocorrência de alterações fenotípicas e/ou genotípicas em amostras mantidas em laboratório, as quais podem influenciar estudos, tipagem e a aplicabilidade destes organismos nos diversos setores. Há, portanto, uma necessidade de estudos adicionais que avaliem a estabilidade das propriedades das amostras de leveduras após serem mantidas em laboratório por diferentes métodos. Assim, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar a influência de métodos de manutenção laboratorial de leveduras sobre as suas características morfológicas e bioquímicas. Para isso, foram testadas seis cepas padrão de leveduras do gênero Candida, sendo quatro espécies de interesse médico e duas de interesse industrial, submetidas a cinco diferentes métodos de armazenamento, a saber: transferências seriadas em meio sólido, óleo mineral, água destilada, congelamento em glicerol a -70ºC e liofilização. As amostras foram caracterizadas fenotipicamente antes de serem armazenadas, e após o armazenamento em diferentes intervalos de tempos por um período de 18 meses. Foram avaliadas as características das colônias em meio CHROMagar Candida®, micromorfologia em ágar fubá, assimilação e fermentação de carboidratos, produção de proteinases e fosfolipases, teste de crescimento a 45°C e crescimento em meio hipertônico. O DNA das amostras foi extraído nos tempos zero, 06, 12 e 18 meses, para análise genotípica por Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD), utilizando-se dois diferentes primers para cada cepa. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que todos os métodos de conservação avaliados permitiram a manutenção da viabilidade das amostras durante todo o período analisado (18 meses). A exceção ocorreu com a amostra de Candida dubliniensis que perdeu sua viabilidade em óleo mineral após 12 meses de conservação. Não foram observadas alterações fenotípicas nos resultados dos testes morfológicos e bioquímicos, após a preservação laboratorial através de todos os métodos utilizados no estudo. Entretanto, variações não estáveis foram observadas para algumas amostras nos testes de produção de fosfolipases e proteinases, e para o crescimento em meio hipertônico. Tais variações não estavam relacionadas com uma condição específica de manutenção da cepa e o resultado alterado foi reversível em testes subseqüentes. Alterações no padrão de RAPD não foram detectadas em pelo menos duas reações independentes para cada um dos primers testados. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que os métodos de conservação aplicados neste estudo permitem a manutenção da estabilidade das características fenotípicas e genotípicas relacionadas aos testes aplicados, em amostras de leveduras preservadas durante o período avaliado. Desta forma, a aplicabilidade do ponto de vista técnico ou de pesquisa não é inviabilizada para amostras preservadas por estes métodos. Cepas destinadas ao uso em finalidades específicas devem ser testadas individualmente quanto ao método de conservação mais indicado / Abstract: The maintenance of microorganisms is useful to preserve microbial species in clinical, technical and research laboratories. Different methods to yeast stocking are available in order to obtain long time viability and stability of cell properties. The best methods to store microorganisms need to provide the cell survival as well as purity and stability of their properties. Some researches, however, have mentioned phenotypic and/or genotytpic changes in laboratorial samples, which may influence yeast typing, studies and the applications of those organisms in different areas. Therefore, additional studies are needed to evaluate the yeast samples properties stability after stocking through different methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the yeast storage methods in terms of their morphological and biochemistry characteristics. Candida spp. standard strains, four of medical importance and two industrial species were evaluated. Those strains were submitted to five storage methods: serial transferences in agar medium, mineral oil, distilled water, freeze with glycerol at -70ºC and freeze-drying. The samples were characterized with phenotypic techniques before being stocked, and after that in different periods of time up to 18 months. It was tested the characteristics of the colonies in CHROMagar Candida® medium, micromorphology in corn meal agar, carbohydrates assimilation and fermentation, phospholipases and proteinases production in solid medium, growth test in 45ºC and growth test in hypertonic medium. In addition, the DNA extraction of all samples was carried out in time zero, 6, 12 and 18 months, in order to posterior genotypic analyses by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) using two different primers for each strain. The results showed that all yeast preservation methods tested were able to maintain the viability of the samples during the period of the study, except the strain Candida dubliniensis stocked in mineral oil, which not survived after 12 months in these conditions. It was not observed phenotypic alterations in the results of morphological and biochemistry tests after laboratorial preservation with all used methods. However, some non stable variations were observed in phospholipase and proteinase production and in the hypertonic growth for some samples. Such variations were not related to one specific maintenance method and the altered result could be reversible in subsequent tests. Changes in the RAPD pattern were not detected in, at least, two independent reactions for both tested primers. The results showed that the maintenance methods applied in this study were able to preserve the stability of the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, in all yeast samples stocked during the analyzed period of time. Therefore, the technical and research applicability of the samples are not unfeasible when they are preserved with those methods. Strains designated to use for specific purposes must be tested individually, in order to select the best preservation method / Doutorado / Microbiologia e Imunologia / Doutor em Biologia Buco-Dental

This project considered the use of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a biosorbent for the removal and recovery of a range of metals from contaminated waters. S. cerevisiae, as a biosorbent, has the potential to provide a cost effective, selective and highly efficient purification system. Initial studies focused on metal accumulation by an immobilized baker's S. cerevisiae biosorbent. The parameters affecting metal uptake were investigated, these included metal concentration, time and solution pH. Metal uptake was rapid. Gold and cobalt reached saturation within 5 min of contact with the biosorbent in batch reactors. Copper, zinc, nickel, cadmium and chromium reached saturation within 30 min of contact. Metal accumulation was pH dependent and was generally unaffected at a solution pH ≥ 4, and was substantially decreased at pH ≤ 2. The exception was gold which was preferentially accumulated at a solution pH of 2. The immobilized baker's yeast accumulated metals with maximum binding capacities in the order of gold > cadmium > cobalt > zinc > copper > chromium > nickel. A rapid method to assess metal recovery was developed. Bioaccumulated metal was efficiently recovered using dilute mineral acids. Copper recovery of ≥ 80 % was achieved by decreasing the solution pH of the reaction mixture to 2 with the addition of nominal quantities of HCl, H₂SO₄ or RNO₃. Adsorption-desorption over 8 cycles had no apparent adverse effect on metal uptake or recovery in batch reactors. Transmission electron microscopy showed no evidence of damage to cells used in copper adsorption-desorption investigations. Biosorption columns were investigated as bioreactors due to their application potential. The metals investigated were effectively removed from solution. At a saturation threshold, metal uptake declined rapidly. Most metals investigated were desorbed from the columns by eluting with 0.1 M HCl. Initially recoveries of copper, cobalt and cadmium were as high as 100%. Desorbed copper, zinc, cadmium, nickel and cobalt were concentrated in 10 to 15 ml of eluent, representing up to a 40 fold decrease in solution volume. Cadmium, nickel and zinc uptake increased with the second application to the columns. Initial accumulation of gold and chromium was 42.2 μmol/g and 28.6 μmol/g, however, due to the low recoveries of these two metals, a second application was not investigated. Copper was applied to a single column for 8 consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles. Uptake increased from an initial 31.3 μmol/g to 47.8 μmol/g at cycle 7. The potential for selective metal recovery was demonstrated using two biosorption columns in series. Copper was accumulated and recovered most efficiently. Zinc, cobalt and cadmium were displaced to the second column. Copper bound preferentially to zinc at a ratio of 6:1. Copper bound preferentially to cobalt at a ratio of 4:1. Cadmium was only displaced at a ratio of 2:1. The successful transfer of the bioremediation technology from the laboratory to an industrial application has yet to be realized. Bioremediation of a Plaatjiesvlei Black Mountain mine effluent, which contained copper, zinc, lead and iron, was investigated in this project. The removal of the metals was most effective at pH 4. A combined strategy of pH adjustment and bioremediation using immobilized S. cerevisiae decreased the copper concentration by 92.5%, lead was decreased by 90% and zinc was decreased by 60%. Iron was mostly precipitated from solution at pH ≥ 4. An ageing pond at the mine with conditions such as; pH, water volume and metal concentration, which were more conducive to biological treatment was subsequently identified. The investigation indicated a possible application of the biomass as a supplement to chemical remediation. The metal removal capability of a waste brewer's yeast was subsequently investigated. A yeast conditioning step increased metal uptake up to 100% and enhanced reproducibility. Metal removal from solution was rapid and pH dependent. The metals were efficiently removed from solution at pH ≥ 4. Uptake was substantially inhibited at pH ≤ 3. The waste brewer's yeast accumulated metals with maximum binding capacities in the order of copper (25.4 μmol/g) > lead (19.4 μmol/g) > iron (15.6 μmol/g) > zinc (12.5 μmol/g). No correlation between cell physiology and metal uptake was observed. Uptake of the four metals was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. The interference of lead, zinc and iron on copper uptake by the waste brewer's yeast, and the interference of copper on the uptake of lead, zinc and iron was investigated. Maximum copper uptake was not decreased in the presence of lead. The Bmax remained constant at approximately 25 μmol/g. The dissociation constants increased with increasing lead concentrations. Lead bioaccumulation was significantly decreased in the presence of copper. The type of inhibition was dependent on the initial copper concentrations. Zinc had a slight synergistic effect on copper uptake. The copper Bmax increased from 30.8 μmol/g in a single-ion system to 34.5 μmol/g in the presence of 200 μmol/l of zinc. Zinc uptake was severely inhibited in the presence of copper. The maximum uptake and dissociation constant values were decreased in the presence of copper, which suggested an uncompetitive inhibition. The affinity of copper was substantially higher than zinc. The presence of higher levels of copper than zinc in the yeast cells was confirmed by energy dispersive microanalysis. Copper uptake was decreased in the presence of iron, with the copper Bmax being decreased from 25.4 μmol/g in a single-ion system to 20.1 μmol/g in the presence of 200 μmol/l iron. Iron Bmax values remained constant at 16.0 μmol/g. Combined biosorption and EDXA results suggested the iron bound at a higher affinity than copper to the cell wall. Total copper removal was higher as larger quantities of copper were deposited in the cell cytoplasm. Metal removal from the Plaatjiesvlei effluent by free cell suspensions of the waste brewer's yeast was satisfactory. Copper levels were decreased by 96%, iron by 42%, lead 25% and zinc 2%. Waste brewer's yeast is a cheap source of biomass in South Africa, and could potentially provide the basis for the development of an innovative purification system for metal-contaminated waters.