Phylogenetic Relatedness within the Internally Brooding Sea Anemones from the Arctic-Boreal Region.

Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial 16S rDNA, nuclear 28S rDNA, and morphological and ecological traits of Aulactinia, Urticina and Cribrinopsis sea anemones inhabiting the Arctic-boreal region indicate discordances between trees derived from molecular sequences and those based on morphological traits. Nuclear genes were more informative than mitochondrial and morphological datasets. Our findings indicate that 16S rDNA has limited applicability for phylogenetic analyses at lower taxonomic levels and can only be used for distinction of families. Although 28S rDNA allowed for the classification of distinct genera, it could not confirm that species of Urticina and Cribrinopsis, which appeared to be closely related, were correctly separated into two different genera. The nuclear tree revealed inconsistencies between specimens belonging to European Urticina crassicornis and Pacific U. crassicornis; the latter seems to be a different species. In contrast to Pacific U. crassicornis, the specimens collected from different localities in the Barents Sea are on the same tree branch. The same was observed for specimens of Aulactinia stella. Both species brood their young internally. The dispersal of sea anemones with brooding juveniles seems to be less limited than expected and might be sufficient to settle habitats more than a thousand kilometers away.

Ecological risk assessment for land contaminated by petrochemical industry.

Contamination with harmful chemical substances, including organic compounds of the BTEX and PAH groups, constitutes one of the major threats to the functioning of soil habitat. Excessive contents of the above substances can exert adverse effects on soil organisms, reduce biodiversity, and thus deteriorate soil quality. The threat to soil ecosystems within areas particularly exposed to contamination with accumulating chemical compounds was assessed using the Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) with a multi-stage Triad (triage rapid initial assessment) procedure (taking into account the different lines of evidence). The article presents the results of chemical and ecotoxicological study of soils sampled at sites affected by contamination from petrochemical industry. The study results provided foundations for developing the site specific ERA framework for the area examined.

Relationship between sensory attributes and volatile compounds of polish dry-cured loin.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to determine the relationship between objective sensory descriptors and volatile flavour compound composition of Polish traditional dry-cured loin. METHODS: The volatile compounds were investigated by using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). For sensory assessment, the quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) method was used. RESULTS: A total of 50 volatile compounds were found and assigned to 17 chemical families. Most of the detected volatile compounds derived from smoking, lipid oxidative reactions and seasoning (46.8%, 21.7%, and 18.9%, respectively). The dominant compounds were: aromatic hydrocarbon (toluene); alkanes (hexane, heptane, and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane); aldehyde (hexanal); alcohol (2-furanmethanol); ketone (3-hydroxy-2-butanone); phenol (guaiacol); and terpenes (eucalyptol, cymene, γ-terpinen, and limonene). Correlation analysis showed that some compounds derived from smoking were positively correlated with the intensity of cured meat odour and flavour and negatively with the intensity of dried meat odour and flavour, while terpenes were strongly correlated with odour and flavour of added spices. CONCLUSION: The analysed dry-cured loins were characterized by specific and unique sensory profile. Odour and flavour of studied loins was mainly determined by volatile compounds originating from smoking, seasoning and lipid oxidation. Obtained results suggest that smoking process is a crucial stage during Polish traditional dry-cured loins production.

Production of ligninolytic enzymes by cultures of white rot fungi.

Some Basidiomycota were chosen for studies of key ligninases synthesis (25°C, 30 days) in modified medium (shaken or not cultures) with added wheat straw. Liquid Czapek medium with straw yielded a higher amount of laccase than peroxidase, ground straw induced enzyme worse than chopped straw. With peroxidase the reverse dependencies were observed. Laccase of Lentinus edodes synthesized two enzyme isoforms (ca 30 and 16 kDa). In T. versicolor culture active laccase protein with highest molecular mass ca 65 kDa was found. P. sajor-caju yielded three different peroxidase isoforms. Ligninase biosynthesis depended on strain, straw fragmentation extent, culture method and growth medium.

Characterization and mass spectrometry analysis of aminopeptidase N from Pseudomononas putida Lup.

An intracellular aminopeptidase N synthesized by Pseudomonas putida Lup was purified and characterized. The approx. 150-fold purified enzyme showed highest activity against A-beta-naphthylamide at pH 7.5 and at temperature 40 degrees C and was 100% thermostable for 240 min at 40 degrees C. P putida lup aminopeptidase N is a monomer with molecular mass approx. 99 kDa determined by SDS-PAGE and gel permeation chromatography. The enzyme has broad substrate specificity, but is the most active against protein substrates with N-terminal alanine and arginine. The activity of P. putida Lup aminopeptidase N is strongly inhibited in the presence of specific metallopeptidase inhibitors and is partly recovered in the presence of Zn2+ and Co2+ ions. Co2+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions increased the activity of the enzyme. Moreover, the enzyme was inhibited by inhibitors of cysteine enzymes. Analysis of fragments of the amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme demonstrated high similarity to PepN of Pseudomonas putida GB-1.