[Isolation and characterization of lactose-fermenting yeasts Candida kefyr].

The search for lactose-fermenting yeast strains has been conducted among 162 strains isolated from various plants and 28 yeast strains isolated from cheese. Four yeast strains have been shown to ferment lactose. They have been identified as Candida kefyr. Specific beta-galactosidase activity of the studied strains grown on lactose-containing medium was 1501-2113 U/g cell. The ethanol production by strains C. kefyr C24 and C30 was significantly inhibited by the increase in substrate concentration (100 g/l).

[The influence of lectin isoforms of Bacillus subtilis saprophytic strain IMV B-7014 on viability of normal and cancer cells in vitro].

Structural and functional polymorphism of saprophytic bacterium lectin was demonstrated to be due to subunit organization of the molecule as it was shown for many lectins of plant and animal origin. Three isoforms of extracellular sialic acid-specific lectin produced by Bacillus subtilis saprophytic strain IMV B-7014 were discovered that differed for physicochemical and biological properties. The influence of the lectin isoforms on mammalian cells proliferation and morphology in vitro depends both on the subunit organization of the protein molecule and the type of cells under study.

[Destruction of motor oils by actinobacteria].

The influence of high concentrations of motor oils (MO) and additives to them on the growth of strains Dietzia maris UKM Ac-205, Gordonia rubripertincta UKM Ac-179 and Rhodococcus erythropolis UKM Ac-50 as well as the ability of these actinobacteria to destruction of different MO brands were investigated. It was shown that all strains were resistant to the used motor oils but showed sensitivity to fresh (unused) MO and additives containing zinc dithiophosphate. The oil "Esso Ultra" which had minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) within 200-400 mg/ml and the antiwear additive Multadit OB (MIC = 4-10 mg/ml) were most toxic for actinobacteria. It is established that the level of MO degradation at initial concentration of 10 g/l was 25.5-56.0% for 5 days. The studied strains utilized paraffine-naphthene (49.0-61.0%) better than aromatic (18.1-22.5%) and resinous-asphaltene (12.1-18.8%) fractions of motor oils.

[Chlorate reduction by immobilised bacteria in continuous conditions].

Chlorate reduction by the strain Aerococcus dechloraticans TGS-463 immobilized on the corncob under flow conditions has been studied. It has been established that under growth in the medium with chlorate the increase of the dilution rate (D) results in the lower efficacy of the process, i.e., a higher concentration of residual chlorates in the medium and a lower rate of chlorate reduction. The optimal D for chlorate reduction ranges from 1.12 to 1.5 hour(-1).

[Microbal reduction of chlorine oxyanions using plant raw material].

A possibility of chlorates reduction at the joint growing of chlorate-reducing and cellulose-degrading bacteria on the medium with paper as a carbon source was proved. The growth rate of associative culture on the medium with paper was by 18-25% lower than that on MPB. Enrichment culture of cellulose-degrading bacteria can reduce up to 10% of added chlorates. Ethanol is the cellulose hydrolysis product which is primarily consumed under chlorate reduction; then follows the consumption of acetic and propionic acids.

[Department of Physiology of Industrial Microorganisms: the history and present state].

The paper is devoted to investigations carried out in the recent years at the Department of Physiology of industrial Microorganisms. The basic trends and results of investigation are presented concerning the systematic position and biological activity of industrially important strains of lactic acid and bifido-bacteria, search and selection of yeast--producers of biologically active substances, effect of ionizing electromagnetic radiation of radio-frequency range on yeast viability, their sorptional activity. Surface biopolymers ofcorinebacteria cells, their ability to destruct mineral motor oils have been studied; preparations based on actinobacteria for bioremediation of oil pollutions have been developed; interaction of microorganisms with inorganic xenobiotics--oxygen-containing anions and heavy metals have been investigated. The author also presents data on the study of action mechanism of extracellular sialospecific lectins of saprophytic bacilli, their antiviral activity on the models of influenza, herpes, hepatitis C, and HIV-infection, as well the processes of shaping regulation in a number of micromycetes. Data are available concerning the maintenance of the collection cultures of yeast, lactic acid and corinebacteria, microorganisms which have been preserved in the depositary.

[Identification of probiotic lactic acid bacteria strains].

The identification of 5 probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria has been conducted by the method of analysis of physiological properties, API-testing as well as by molecular-genetic methods. It has been confirmed that 4 strains belong to Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus thermophilus species. S. thermophilus strain has been reidentified as E. durans. The importance of clear identification of microorganism species which is used in probiotics has been demonstrated.

[Isoforms of Bacillus subtilis IMV B-7014 lectin].

The subunit organization and regulatory features of extracellular sialic acid specific lectin produced by saprophytic strains Bacillus subtilis IMV B-7014 have been investigated. Autofocusing method was used to identify three lectin isoforms that were distinguished by physicochemical and biological properties. Using the transcription system in vitro it was established that one of the targets of bacterial lectin action was DNA-dependent RNA-synthesis. Lectin isoforms affect differently the synthesis: from its full inhibition to the absence of the effect on the yield of RNA-transcription product.

[Effect of probiotic lactic acid bacteria strains on virus infection].

The effect of probiotic lactic acid bacteria strains on viral infection was studied in experiments in vivo. It was shown that in investigations microbial substance based on living cells of L. plantarum and S. salivarius subsp. thermophilus strains manifested antiinfluenzal activity under administration of 0.3 ml of cultural medium per os at a dose of 3 x 10(8)/CFU mouse and antiherpetic activity at a dose of 0.3 x 10(9)/CFU mouse. The probiotic effectiveness was shown on the model of genital herpes of guinea-pigs at concentration of 1 x 10(9) cells/g.p. It was statistically established, that the lactic acid bacteria inhibited reproduction of HIV at a dose of cells of 0.1 x 10(9)/CFU ml.

[Elaboration of systematic position and some physiological characteristics of collection strains of Debaryomyces hansenii (Zopf) Looder et Kreger-Van Rij].

Morphological and physiological properties of 52 strains of yeast Debaryomyces hansenii from the Ukrainian collection of microorganisms has been investigated. The belonging of 40 strains to the given species is confirmed. According to new classification 35 of them are referred to D. hansenii var. hansenii, five strains--to D.hansenii var. fabryi. It is shown, that assimilation of hydrocarbons and antagonistic properties are inherent in a small amount of strains. One half of the investigated debaryomycetes are riboflavin producers. The osmo- and galofility is inherent in all the investigated strains. These characteristics are proposed to be applied as additional ones in identification of these yeast.

[Regulatory properties of Bacillus subtilis isolectins].

The ability of natural and mutant Bacillus subtilis cultures with imperfect reparation/recombination system to synthesis of extracellular and surface lectins was investigated, and dependence of lectin production process on cultures' genotype was proved. Mutant B. subtilis recP has practically lost its ability to produce the extracellular lectins as a result of mutation of a gene of the reparation/recombination system. The application of the method "autofocusing" allowed to investigate all the spectrum oflectin molecular forms of natural B. subtilis culture and to reveal isoforms distinguished by physico-chemical and hemagglutination properties. It was shown that lectin cathode forms inhibit the transcription process from plasmid promnoter completely, and anodic forms activate the transcript formation slightly in the transcription in vitro with T7 bacteriophage DNA-dependent RNA-polymerase.

[Colonization and destruction of concrete by mitosporic fungi in model experiment].

When investigating the action of microscopic fungi of genera Aspergillus, Alternaria, Cladosporium and Paecilomyces on concrete specimens in the model system, it was shown that the fungi can colonize successfully the concrete surface during 1 year and cause its destructive changes. However the fungi did not colonize those sections of concrete surface which were filled with granite. The fungi leached chemical elements of concrete into nutrition medium, accumulated them in their biomass and caused their transformation into newly-formed crystals of calcium oxalates on the surface of concrete.

[Effect of cultivation conditions on the velocity of active sludge microorganisms adaptation to various wastes]. / Vplyv umov kul'tyvuvannia na shvydkist' adaptatsiï mikroorhanyizmiv aktyvnoho mulu do riznykh stokiv.

The effect of cultivation conditions--redox potential; medium acidity, chromate concentration, availability and concentration of other heavy metals, immobilization by various carriers--on the velocity of active sludge adaptation to chromate-including sewage has been studied.

[Search for lectin-producers among representatives of some yeast genera]. / Poshuk produtsentiv lektyniv sered predstavnykiv deiakykh rodiv drizhdzhiv.

Hemagglutinating properties of the culture liquid and cells of 451 strains, 24 species, 7 genera of the museum and fresh yeast cultures have been investigated. The researchers have distinguished 333 strains (74%) capable for production of extracellular lectins and those bound to the cell surface with activity about 512-1024 hemagglutinating units. The extracellular lectins were found in 41% of lectin-synthesizing strains; the highest amount of their producers were found among representatives of genera Saccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, Cryptococcus. Strains of Debaryomyces genus mainly synthesized lectins of the bound form, and the yeast of Pichia genus--lectins of the both types. Affinity of the extracellular lectin Saccharomyces cerevisiae UCM Y-530 for D-gluconic acid has been established.

Influence of Bacillus subtilis sp. lectin on functional activity of phagocytes.

Intramuscular and intraperitoneal introduction of Bacillus subtilis sp. lectin to mongrel white mice is responsible for the increasing of values of functional activity of peripheral blood phagocytes and peritoneal macrophages of these animals. These results confirmed similar data obtained in vitro. Bactericidal activity of monocytes and neutrophils significantly increased at minimal doses of lectin (0.1-0.5 microgram/animal). But this increase was lower at middle doses (0.5-5.0 micrograms/animal) and again increased at higher ones (5.0-25.0 micrograms/animal). Dose-dependent effect of lectin on macrophages was similar, but it was observed at lower concentrations. Administration of lectin did not give increase of functional reserve of studied cells, but was responsible for the increase of the phagocyte number and phagocytic index of monocytes and neutrophils at relatively middle doses (1.0-5.0 micrograms/animal). Phagocytic activity of macrophages did not increase. Thus, lectin of B. subtilis sp. is the agent non-toxic during studies in vivo, stimulating functional activity of phagocytes and macrophages.

Lectin of Bacillus subtilis sp. as overinducer of gamma-interferonogenesis.

It has been demonstrated experimentally that lectin of Bacillus subtilis sp. in comparison with generally accepted Con A, PHA and lectin of "gold rain" grass--Laburnum anagyroides M e d i k in trials on white mice of CBA line gave in 4 hours of induction maximal titers of gamma-IFN in blood serum of animals--153.6 +/- 17.0 IU/ml. Practically identical titers had been obtained after induction by lectin "gold rain", some lower--after Con A and PHA. At swine gamma-IFN synthesis optimal density of cell suspension must contain 2.5 + 10(7) immunocytes in 1 ml, owing to which it is possible to obtain the titer equal 1 : 2150. Materials with using of bacterial lectins at various degree of purification had shown that maximal titers in blood serum of mongrel white mice were registered at administration to animals of non-purified lectin, 4 times lower--at using of half-purified and purified lectins. Data of these trials in vivo were confirmed by materials of gamma-IFN induction by immunocytes of swine, cattle and even man.