[Gene yddG of Escherichia coli encoding the putative exporter of aromatic amino acids: constitutive transcription and dependence of the expression level on the cell growth rate].

Gene yddG of Escherichia coli encodes a protein of the inner membrane. Data obtained earlier demonstrated that under conditions of oversynthesis of aromatic amino acids, YddG promotes their export from E. coli cells. In this work, a method of primer extension was used to localize the P(yddG) promoter, which corresponds to E. coli promoters recognized by RNA polymerase in complex with sigma70 or sigma(S) subunits. By constructing a gene of the hybrid protein YddG'-LacZ at the intrinsic site of gene yddG location in the E. coli chromosome and analyzing the activity of beta-galactosidase in cells growing on laboratory media LB and M9, the constitutive type of yddG expression at a low level was demonstrated (the activity reached approximately 3 to 4% of the level of LacZ in E. coli wild-type cells under induction of the lac operon). The expression of yddG had a twofold increase under conditions of retarded cell growth upon the stress caused by the high NaCl content (0.6 M) or by the presence of phenylalanine excess quantities (> 1 mM) in the culture medium.

[Detection of osmoprotector ectoine content in methylotrophic bacteria using of normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography].

Detection and quantitative analysis of ectoine in bacterial biomass were performed by normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection at 230 nm. Quantitative analysis was not hindered by glutamate and sucrose accumulation in bacteria. Measurement of ectoine concentration in haloalkaliphilic methanotrophs Methylobacter marinus 7C and Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 5S showed that ectoine accumulation reached maximum (5 and 12% of dry cell weight) in the presence of NaCl at concentrations of 4 and 6%, respectively.

[Aerobic methanotrophic communities in the bottom sediments of Lake Baikal].

The results of the first methodical investigation into the aerobic methanotrophic communities inhabiting the bottom sediments of Lake Baikal are reported. Use of the radioisotopic method revealed methane consumption in 12 10- to 50-cm-long sediment cores. The maximum methane consumption rates (495-737 microl/(dm3 day) were recorded in sediments in the regions of hydrothermal vents and oil and gas occurrence. Methane consumption was most active in the surface layers of the sediments (0-4 cm); it decreased with the sediment depth and became negligible or absent at depths below 20 cm. The number of methanotrophic bacteria usually ranged from 100 to 1000 cells/cm3 of sediment and reached 1 million cells/cm3 in the regions of oil and gas occurrence. The 17 enrichment cultures obtained were represented mainly by morphotype II methanotrophs. Phylogenetic analysis of the enrichment cultures in terms of the amino acid sequence of the alpha subunit of the membrane-bound methane monooxygenase revealed the predominance of methanotrophs of the genus Methylocystis. The results obtained suggest the presence of an active aerobic methanotrophic community in Lake Baikal.