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At least 37 records · Page 2

Syntrophus aciditrophicus sp. nov., a new anaerobic bacterium that degrades fatty acids and benzoate in syntrophic association with hydrogen-using microorganisms

Strain SBT is a new, strictly anaerobic, gram-negative, nonmotile, non-sporeforming, rod-shaped bacterium that degrades benzoate and certain fatty acids in syntrophic association with hydrogen/formate-using microorganisms. Strain SBT produced approximately 3 mol of acetate and 0.6 mol of methane per mol of benzoate in coculture with Methanospirillum hungatei strain JF1. Saturated fatty acids, some unsaturated fatty acids, and methyl esters of butyrate and hexanoate also supported growth of strain SBT in coculture with Desulfovibrio strain G11. Strain SBT grew in pure culture with crotonate, producing acetate, butyrate, caproate, and hydrogen. The molar growth yield was 17 +/- 1 g cell dry mass per mol of crotonate. Strain SBT did not grow with fumarate, iron(III), polysulfide, or oxyanions of sulfur or nitrogen as electron acceptors with benzoate as the electron donor. The DNA base composition of strain SBT was 43.1 mol% G+C. Analysis of the 16 S rRNA gene sequence placed strain SBT in the delta-subdivision of the Proteobacteria, with sulfate-reducing bacteria. Strain SBT was most closely related to members of the genus Syntrophus. The clear phenotypic and genotypic differences between strain SBT and the two described species in the genus Syntrophus justify the formation of a new species, Syntrophus aciditrophicus.

Non-NASA Center↗

A comparative study of the fatty acid composition of prochloron lipids

The chemical analysis of lipids of Prochloron isolated from several hosts is discussed. The object was to determine whether differences in lipid composition could be used to characterize organisms from different sources. Major lipid components are given. An analysis of fatty acid composition of individual lipids slowed a distinctive disstribution of fatty acids. While present results do not justify the use of fatty acid content in the taxonomy of Prochlon, the variations found in the lipids of cells from the same host harvested from different areas, or at different times in the same area, suggest that a study of the effects of temperature and light intensity on lipid composition would be rewarding.

Kenrick, J. R.↗

Origin of fatty acid synthesis - Thermodynamics and kinetics of reaction pathways

The primitiveness of contemporary fatty acid biosynthesis was evaluated by using the thermodynamics and kinetics of its component reactions to estimate the extent of its dependence on powerful and selective catalysis by enzymes. Since this analysis indicated that the modern pathway is not primitive because it requires sophisticated enzymatic catalysis, an alternative pathway of primitive fatty acid synthesis is proposed that uses glycolaldehyde as a substrate. In contrast to the modern pathway, this primitive pathway is not dependent on an exogenous source of phosphoanhydride energy. Furthermore, the chemical spontaneity of its reactions suggests that it could have been readily catalyzed by the rudimentary biocatalysts available at an early stage in the origin of life.

Weber, Arthur L.↗

Methyl sterol and cyclopropane fatty acid composition of Methylococcus capsulatus grown at low oxygen tensions

The sterol and fatty acid concentrations for M. capsulatus grown in fed-batch cultures over a wide range of oxygen tensions (0.1-10.6 percent) and at a constant methane level are evaluated. The analyses reveal that the biomass decreases as oxygen levels are lowered; the sterol concentration increases when the oxygen range is between 0.5-1.1 percent and decreases when the oxygen range is below 0.5 percent; and the amount of monounsaturated C16 decreases and the concentration of cyclopropane fatty acids increases after oxygen is reduced. It is noted that growth and membrane synthesis occur at low oxygen concentrations and that the synthesis of membrane lipids responds to growth conditions.

Jahnke, L. L.↗

The Effect of Fatty Acids to Protect Forward Osmosis Membranes from Damage

NASA has conducted research and development on forward osmosis (FO) membranes for wastewater reclamation in space since 1993. The lessons learned during operation of the International Space Station and FO based technologies on the ground taught us that reliability is a key limitation. Membranes are susceptible to organic fouling, oxidation and calcium scaling, and these factors tend to damage the membrane reducing their operating life and performance. The development of a Synthetic Biological Membrane (SBM), a membrane that mimics naturally occurring biological processes, will mitigate membrane damage and improve reliability. The SBM is a lipid-based membrane with a protective fatty acid layer configured for use in a FO water purification system. In this configuration, the protective layer on the surface of the lipid membrane is composed of fatty acids (FA). The FA interact with the chemicals found in the wastewater feed, and protect the membrane from damage. In this study, we conducted preliminary experiments to determine the feasibility of using fatty acids to alleviate damage from calcium scaling, oxidation and organic fouling.

Romero Mangado, Jaione↗

The behavior of fatty acids in the blood plasma of monkeys following exposure to short term stresses

Monkeys exposed to short term stresses (immobilization, jealousy) were found to develop hyperlipacidemia with a rise in concentration of unsaturated fatty acids in blood plasma, especially of oleic acid, and a relative decrease of saturated free fatty acids, chiefly of palmitinic acid. This finding was more pronounced under immobilization stress than in the jealousy situation. Meanwhile, the composition of triglycerides did not change essentially under the conditions used.

Michailov, M. L.↗

Dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids affect the development of renovascular hypertension in rats

The consequences of a dietary n-3 PUFA supply was investigated on the blood pressure (BP) increase elicited by left renal artery stenosis in rats distributed in 3 groups (n = 8) fed for 8 weeks a semi-purified diet either as control diet or enriched diets (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA, or eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA). The PUFA intake induced large alterations in heart and kidney phospholipid fatty acid profile, but did not influence body weight, cardiac hypertrophy, renal left atrophy and right hypertrophy. Within 4 weeks, BP raised from 120-180 +/- 2 mm Hg in the control group, but only to 165 +/- 3 mm Hg in the n-3 PUFA groups. After stabilization of BP in the 3 groups, the rats received a short administration of increasing dose of perindopril. The lower dose (0.5 mg/kg) moderately decreased BP only in the control group. With higher doses (1, 5 and 10 mg/kg) BP was normalized in the 3 groups, with a higher amplitude of the BP lowering effect in the control group. A moderate n-3 PUFA intake can contribute to prevent the development of peripheral hypertension in rats by a mechanism that may involve angiotensin converting enzyme.

Hypertension, Renovascular/etiology/pathology/phys↗