Significant Effect Of pH Research Articles

Understanding the importance of episodic acidification on fish predator–prey interactions: Does weak acidification impair predator recognition?

The ability of prey to recognize predators is a fundamental prerequisite to avoid being eaten. Indeed, many prey animals learn to distinguish species that pose a threat from those that do not. Once the prey has learned the identity of one predator, it may generalize this recognition to similar predators with which the prey has no experience. The ability to generalize reduces the costs associated with learning and further enhances the ability of the prey to avoid relevant threats. For many aquatic organisms, recognition of predators is based on odor signatures, consequently any anthropogenic alteration in water chemistry has the potential to impair recognition and learning of predators. Here we explored whether episodic acidification could influence the ability of juvenile rainbow trout to learn to recognize an unknown predator and then generalize this recognition to a closely related predator. Trout were conditioned to recognize the odor of pumpkinseed sunfish under circumneutral (~pH 7) conditions, and then tested for recognition of pumpkinseed or longear sunfish under both neutral or weakly acidic (~pH 6) conditions. When tested for a response to pumpkinseed odor, we found no significant effect of predator odor pH: trout responded similarly regardless of pH. Moreover, under neutral conditions, trout were able to generalize their recognition to the odor of longear sunfish. However, the trout could not generalize their recognition of the longear sunfish under acidic conditions. Given the widespread occurrence of anthropogenic acidification, acid-mediated impairment of predator recognition and generalization may be a pervasive problem for freshwater salmonid populations and other aquatic organisms.

The absorption and transport of magnolol in Caco-2 cell model

To investigate the absorption and transport mechanism of magnolol in Caco-2 cell model. A human intestinal epithelial cell model Caco-2 cell in vitro cultured was applied to study the absorption and transport of magnolol, the effects of time, donor concentration, P-gp inhibitor verapamil, pH and temperature on the absorption and transport of magnolol were investigated. The determination of magnolol was performed by high performance liquid chromatography, then the values of apparent permeability coefficient (P app ) and P ratio Basolateral-to-Apical (BL-to-AP)/Apical-to-Basolateral (AP-to-BL) were calculated. In Caco-2 cell model, comparing the amounts of transport of AP-to-BL and BL-to-AP, the latter was larger. At the same donor concentration, either the amounts of transport of AP-to-BL or BL-to-AP increased with increase in donor concentration and incubation time. Verapamil could significantly improve the amounts of transport of AP-to-BL. The transport of AP-to-BL and BL-to-AP depended on temperature, and there was no significant effect of pH on the transport of AP-to-BL. Magnolol could be transported through the intestinal mucosa via a passive diffusion mechanism primarily, coexisting with a carrier-mediated transport, at the same time, the efflux mechanism could be involved.

Assessment of the bioenergy and bioremediation potentials of the microalga Scenedesmus sp. AMDD cultivated in municipal wastewater effluent in batch and continuous mode

Municipal wastewater is a major source of nutrients and pollutants to freshwater and marine ecosystems and current treatment technologies are either expensive or only partially effective at removing them. We cultivated the alga Scenedesmus sp. AMDD at different pH in chemostats and batch photobioreactors in wastewater obtained from a local treatment plant. In batch mode, biomass productivities averaged 130mg dry weightL−1d−1, with no significant effect of growth pH detected. Maximum nitrogen and phosphorus removal rates were equivalent to 7% and 0.7% of the biomass productivity rates. Average hydraulic retention times for 90% N and P removal ranged from 6.55 to 6.65days and 6.50–6.56days, respectively. Recovered biomass yields ranged from 0.23 to 0.65kgm−3 wastewater, equivalent to approximately 5–15MJ bioenergym−3 wastewater based on an average calorific value of 23MJkg−1 d.w. algal biomass. Approximately 65% of energy equivalent could potentially be recovered from the biomass through anaerobic digestion to methane. Cellular N and P content varied, with cells held longer in stationary phase showing higher C:N and C:P ratios indicative of N- and P-limitation, respectively. Analysis of trace metals in the algal biomass indicated near total depletion of Fe, Zn and Cd from the wastewater, and lower, but substantial, uptake and/or adsorption of seven other elements. Cultivation in 2L continuous chemostats containing wastewater was also conducted. Biomass productivities in chemostats were almost 2-fold greater than the maximum rates in batch cultures. Dissolved N and P in chemostats were both either undetectable or >99% reduced compared to the wastewater. Production of bioenergy from the chemostats was estimated to be roughly 5.3–6.1MJm−3d−1, significantly higher than in batch culture.

Effect of brine marination on survival and growth of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria during processing and subsequent storage of ready-to-eat shrimp (Pandalus borealis)

The effect of brine marination at chill temperatures on survival and growth of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria during processing and subsequent storage of ready-to-eat cold water shrimp was studied. Survival and growth of Lactobacillus sakei, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus were examined. The effect of brine composition and pH was determined in 12 screening experiments without addition of shrimp. Sixteen challenge tests with shrimp were then carried out to examine the effect of brine composition and storage temperature on survival and growth during processing and subsequent storage of brined and drained shrimp in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Different brines with (i) acetic and lactic acids (AL) or (ii) benzoic, citric and sorbic acids (BCS) were studied. V. parahaemolyticus was inactivated in brine AL without shrimp whereas concentrations of all the examined microorganisms were reduced in brine BCS. A significant effect of brine pH on inactivation was observed and inactivation during chill marination of shrimp in brine was reduced compared to the effect of brine alone. This was explained by a relatively fast increase of pH in the brine during marination of shrimp. For shrimp in brine BCS, reductions were observed for V. parahaemolyticus and Salmonella, whereas inactivation in shrimp was only noticed for Salmonella in brine AL. The observed reductions were too small to be used in practise for decontamination of shellfish. None of the examined pathogens was able to grow at 7°C in brined and drained MAP shrimp that resembled commercial products. However, reducing the concentration of acetic and lactic acids by 50% resulted in relatively fast growth of L. monocytogenes in brined and drained MAP shrimp at 7°C. Growth of S. aureus and Salmonella was observed in similar products stored at 15°C. V. parahaemolyticus was reduced in brined and drained MAP shrimp stored at both 7 and 15°C. Based on the results of the present study, L. monocytogenes was identified as the greatest potential risk with respect to the safety of brined and drained MAP shrimp. The potential of L. sakei as spoilage bacterium in brined and drained MAP shrimp was confirmed. Importantly, growth rates of L. sakei and L. monocytogenes in brined and drained MAP shrimp were predicted accurately by available mathematical models. Thus, these models can be used for product development and establishment of shell-life for ready-to-eat shrimp taking into account both quality and safety aspects.

Effect of Low pH on the Growth, Physiological Characteristics and Nutrient Absorption of Sago Palm in a Hydroponic System

The dry matter production, photosynthetic characteristics and nutrient concentrations in the plant tissues of sago palmseedlings cultured for 4.5 months in a hydroponic system at pH 5.7, 4.5, and 3.6 were examined. Plant growth in weekly increment of length, leaf emergence, leaf senescence, and total leaflet area was similar at all pHs. There was no significanteffect of pH on the dry matter weight, although it tended to be lighter at pH 3.6 than at pH 5.7. Similarly, the photosynthetic rate and its related parameter were not significantly affected by the pH. However, the photosynthetic rate at pH 3.6tended to be lower than that at pH 5.7, which was attributed to a decrease in the stomatal conductance. The effect of the low pH on the nutrient concentration in plant tissues was not distinct. We concluded that sago palm seedlings could maintain leaf morphogenesis and nutrient uptake in growth media at a pH ranging from 5.7 to 3.6 for 4.5 months, which led to a high growth rate and maintenance of dry matter production even at pH 3.6.

Optimization of physicochemical parameters for bioleaching of sphalerite by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans using shaking bioreactors

Bioleaching processes for extraction of zinc from sphalerite are more environmentally friendly and consume less energy than conventional technologies but are as yet less economic. One necessary step towards arriving at a cost-effective sphalerite bioleaching process is the use of appropriate methodology for the optimization of pertinent factors in such processes. Previous studies on Zn bioleaching systems have reported a fairly wide range of values as the optimum level of relevant physicochemical parameters for Zn bioleaching processes. This is partly due to the different strains and Zn source type employed but another reason could be that important parameters in this process interact with each other. In order to shed more light on this matter, in the present work Response Surface Methodology was employed for the study and optimization of important factors in a sphalerite bioleaching process by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans using shaking bioreactors. The effect of change in the levels of temperature, pH, initial Fe(II) concentration and pulp density – in the range 30–36 °C, 1.4–2.0, 3–11 g L −1 and 4–6% wt/vol respectively – on the rate Zn bioleaching was studied using a Central Composite Design. The results showed a statistically significant effect of pH and pulp density – and to a lesser extent temperature and initial Fe(II) concentration – on the rate of bioleaching of Zn. A statistically significant interaction was found between pH and temperature, which means that the optimum values of these two parameters can only be correctly obtained through the use of factorial design of experiments. Additionally, the optimum level of temperature and pH was found to depend on the level of pulp density. This means that when employing shaking bioreactors for optimization of these parameters the level of pulp density should be carefully chosen. However, there was no statistically significant interaction between initial Fe(II) concentration and the other three factors studied.

PH-dependent release of alginate beads coated with polylysine

Alginate beads were coated with basic proteinoid, polylysine (PL), by taking advantage of an electrostatic interaction in order to obtain a controlled release in response to change in pH. When the amount of PL adsorbed on the surface of alginate beads was 1.77 g PL/1.0 g alginate, the loading efficiency of FITC-dextran was about 82%. In the range of pH 5.0–9.0, the degrees of release in 240 min were relatively high, around 70%, and there was no significant effect of pH on the degree of release. At pH 3.5 and pH 4.0, the releases were markedly suppressed and the degrees of release were about 33% and 50%, respectively. At lower pHs, the amino groups of PL will be more protonated, so the coating layer would become compact due to a strong electrostatic interaction. In fact, the degrees of swelling of alginate beads at pH 3.5 and pH 4.0 were lower than the values at the other pHs.

Effect of pH on the micellar properties of amphiphilic drugs in aqueous solution.

The influence of pH on the micellar properties of several amphiphilic drugs under conditions of constant ionic strength has been investigated. No significant effect of pH on the critical micelle concentration or micellar size of chlorpromazine hydrochloride was noted over a pH range well below the pKa. The micellar properties of opipramol, thiopropazate, flupenthixol, clopenthixol, and trifluoperazine, which contain a piperazine moiety showed considerable pH dependence. The concentration dependence of the pKa in these micellar systems was taken into consideration in the selection of pH values representative of complete protonation of either one or both of the piperazine N atoms. A lower aggregation number and higher critical micelle concentration was observed at a low pH corresponding to complete protonation of both charge centres. Mepyramine maleate exhibited a non-micellar mode of association at pH 5.5 which could be described by a stepwise association model in which association constants, KN, increased sequentially with aggregation number. N, according to the relationship, KN = K(N - 1)/N where K = 31.3 dm3mol-1. No significant association could be detected at pH 2 when the pyridine ring N was fully protonated.

Will variation among genetic individuals influence species responses to global climate change?

Increased anthropogenic CO2 emissions in the last two centuries have lead to rising sea surface temperature and falling ocean pH, and it is predicted that current global trends will worsen over the next few decades. There is limited understanding of how genetic variation among individuals will influence the responses of populations and species to these changes. A microcosm system was set up to study the effects of predicted temperature and CO2 levels on the bryozoan Celleporella hyalina. In this marine species, colonies grow by the addition of male, female and feeding modular individuals (zooids) and can be physically subdivided to produce a clone of genetically identical colonies. We studied colony growth rate (the addition of zooids), reproductive investment (the ratio of sexual to feeding zooids) and sex ratio (male to female zooids) in four genetically distinct clonal lines. There was a significant effect of clone on growth rate, reproductive investment and sex ratio, with clones showing contrasting responses to the various temperature and pH combinations. Overall, decreasing pH and increasing temperature caused reduction of growth, and eventual cessation of growth was often observed at the highest temperature, especially during the latter half of the 15‐day trials. Reproductive investment increased with increasing temperature and decreasing pH, varying more widely with temperature at the lowest pH. The increased production of males, a general stress response of the bryozoan, was seen upon exposure to reduced pH, but was not expressed at the highest temperature tested, presumably due to the frequent cessation of growth. Further to the significant effect of pH on the measured whole‐colony parameters, observation by scanning electron microscopy revealed surface pitting of the calcified exoskeleton in colonies that were exposed to increased acidity. Studying ecologically relevant processes of growth and reproduction, we demonstrate the existence of relevant levels of variation among genetic individuals which may enable future adaptation via non‐mutational natural selection to falling pH and rising temperature.

Arsenic(III) Remediation from Contaminated Water by Oxidation and Fe/Al Co-Precipitation

Battery grade γ-MnO2 powder was investigated as an oxidant and an adsorbent in combination with Fe/Al coagulants for removal of arsenic from contaminated water. Simultaneous oxidation of As(III) and removal by coprecipitation/adsorption (one step process) was compared with pre-oxidation and subsequent removal by coprecipitation/adsorption (two step process). The rate of As(III) oxidation with MnO2 is completed in two stages: rapid initially followed by a first order reaction. As(III) is oxidised to As(V) by the MnO2 with a release of approximately 1:1 molar Mn(II) into the solution. No significant pH effect on oxidation of As(III) was observed in the pH range 4 - 6. The rate showed a decreasing trend above pH 6. The removal of As(V) by adsorption on the MnO2 decreased significantly with increasing pH from 4 to 8. The adsorption capacity of the γ-MnO2 with particle size 90% passing 10 µm was determined to be 1.5 mg/g at pH 7. MnO2 was found to be more effective as an oxidant for As(III) in the two step process than in the one step process.

Statistical approach to determine the effect of combined environmental parameters on conidial development of Trichoderma atroviride (T‐15603.1)

Trichoderma atroviride (T-15603.1) is a promising fungal agent for biological control of wood decay fungi in urban tree wounds. The aim of this work was to determine the combined effects of water activity (a(w), 0.998-0.892), temperature (10-30 °C) and pH (3-7) on the development of conidia on low-nutrient agar (LNA). Lag phase prior to germination (h), germination rates (µ(m)) and germ-tube elongation were obtained at each set of conditions. The experimental data were used to fit a response surface model for predicting the germination rates of T-15603.1 and to analyze the effect of the abiotic parameters tested. The polynomial response surface model was mathematically evaluated using graphical plots and several statistical indices (RMSE, %SEP, A(f), B(f), pRE). Data analyses showed a highly significant effect on conidial development of a(w) and temperature (P < 0.001), whereas no significant effect of pH (P ≥ 0.05) was observed. The germination rate dropped and the lag prior to germination increased as the temperature and a(w) decreased, but T-15603.1 appeared to be more sensitive to a(w) reduction than to temperature. The minimum a(w) level for germination was 0.910 at 15-25 °C, and maximum germination rates were obtained at a(w) = 0.998, 25-30 °C and pH 5. The response surface model was useful and widely accurate (R² = 0.983) for predicting the germination rate of T-15603.1 and complemented the experimental results. These findings contribute to better understanding how combined environmental factors affect the environmental parameter tolerance levels of T-15603.1 and to the development of an adequate delivery system for optimized application of T-15603.

Supramolecular Coordination Complexes with 5-Sulfoisophthalic Acid and 2,5-Bipyridyl-1,3,4-Oxadiazole: Specific Sensitivity to Acidity for Cd(II) Species

A series of CdII, CoII, NiII, and PbII mixed-ligand coordination complexes 1−8 based on 5-sulfoisophthalic acid (H3sip) and the bent dipyridyl ligand 2,5-bis(3-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (3-bpo) or its 4-pyridyl N-donor analogue (4-bpo) have been synthesized and fully characterized by IR spectra, microanalyses, and single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction techniques. The significant pH effect on assembly of the CdII complexes 1−4 has been demonstrated, which leads to the formation of distinct crystalline products, whereas the CoII, NiII, and PbII systems 5−8 are independent to pH condition of the synthetic reaction. Complexes 1−8 display various coordination motifs with different existing forms, conformations, and coordination modes of the organic ligands. Further, extended supramolecular networks are constructed via secondary interactions such as hydrogen-bonding and aromatic stacking. Solid-state properties of thermal stability and fluorescence for these crystalline materials are also presented.

Partition and substrate concentration effect in the enzymatic synthesis of cephalexin in aqueous two-phase systems

Abstract The kinetically controlled synthesis of cephalexin in aqueous two-phase systems was studied, using immobilized penicillin acylase, 7-amino 3-desacetoxycephalosporanic acid as nucleophile and phenylglycine methyl ester as acyl donor. The organic phases used were 80% (v/v) polyethyleneglycol 400 and 600 and the aqueous phase was 2.5 M (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 . 7-amino 3-desacetoxycephalosporanic acid and cephalexin partition coefficients were determined at pH 7.4 and 7.8, at 14 °C and 20 °C. Highest partition coefficient for cephalexin was obtained for polyethyleneglycol 400–(NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 at pH 7.4 and 20 °C, while the lowest partition coefficient for 7-amino desacetoxycephalosporanic acid was obtained in the same system at pH 7.8 and 14 °C. No significant effect of pH was observed on conversion yield and productivity of cephalexin synthesis; however, higher values were obtained with polyethyleneglycol 400 as organic phase. Higher conversion yields with both biphasic systems were obtained at the lowest temperature, where product hydrolysis was lower; volumetric productivity was higher for the fully aqueous medium (control), being higher at 20 °C. All parameters of synthesis were improved at higher substrates concentrations, obtaining conversion yields of 78.2% and 65.4%, with 60 mM 7-amino desacetoxycephalosporanic acid for the polyethyleneglycol 400–(NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 system and the control, respectively.

Electrochemical degradation of azo dye C.I. Reactive Red 195 by anodic oxidation on Ti/SnO 2–Sb/PbO 2 electrodes

This study investigated the electrochemical degradation of C.I. Reactive Red 195 (RR195) in aqueous solution on a Ti/SnO 2–Sb/PbO 2 electrode. The influence of operating variables on the mineralization efficiency was studied as a function of the current density, the initial pH, the initial concentration of the dye and the addition of NaCl. The efficiency of RR195 mineralization decreased with increased initial concentration, from 100 mg L −1 to 400 mg L −1. The current density had both a positive and a negative effect on degradation rates, and no significant effect of initial pH on RR195 mineralization was observed. Measurement of absorbance was used to discriminate the effect of NaCl in the electro-oxidation process. We found that the decolouring efficiency increased whereas the mineralization efficiency decreased with the increasing concentration of NaCl. The intermediates formed during the degradation were detected by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and the major aromatic intermediates identified were 1-(3,6,8-trihydroxy-1-naphthyl)urea, nitrobenzene, benzo-1,4-quinone, (3,6,8-trihydroxy-1-naphthyl)carbamic acid and phthalic acid. Quantitative measurement of organic and inorganic ions was done by ion chromatography. On the basis of the reaction products identified, a possible degradation pathway for the anodic oxidation of RR195 in aqueous solution is proposed.

Fast and ultrafast spectroscopic investigation of tetracycline derivatives in organic and aqueous media

The photophysical properties of seven tetracycline derivatives (tetracycline, oxytetracycline, demeclocycline, chlortetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline and meclocycline) in organic solvents and aqueous solution were studied using steady-state absorption and fluorescence techniques and transient absorption spectroscopies with nanosecond and femtosecond time resolution. The molecular structure, solvent and pH effects on the optical properties of this class of pharmaceutically interesting compounds were investigated in detail. The investigation furnished a complete description of the nature, the spectral and kinetic properties of the excited states formed upon irradiation. All the tetracycline derivatives exhibited a similar behaviour, and the photophysics of these molecules is different in organic solvents and in aqueous medium, where they exhibit a significant pH dependence. In water, compared to organic solvents, these compounds showed a blue-shifted bathochromic absorption band, a red-shifted emission spectrum, an increased Stokes shift and a decreased fluorescence quantum yield. These findings, together with the overall investigated solvent effect, suggested that in aqueous solvent additional fast and non-radiative deactivation processes, responsible for the large Stokes Shift and for the reduced fluorescence efficiency, are present. In fact, in organic media just two transients were observed during the ultrafast time-resolved investigation: the vibrationally hot S(1) state which was quickly stabilized by solvent reorganization to the relaxed S(1) state. This state showed lifetimes of tens of picoseconds and relaxed by fluorescence and internal conversion. No longer-lived transients were detected. In aqueous solution the excited-state deactivation of tetracyclines was found to be more complicated. Different protonated and tautomeric forms of the S(1) state were detected: a component which showed decay times of tens of picoseconds and a component which was longer-lived. A significant pH effect on the nature and number of these components was found. In fact, a remarkable change in the Stokes shift and in the fluorescence efficiency was also observed on going from acidic to basic aqueous solutions. The most important variations in the absorption properties were found in the pH range in which the second acid-base equilibrium takes place. The tetracycline lowest excited triplet state was observed as a 'rest absorption' during the femtosecond-resolved measurements in aqueous solution; through the nanosecond-resolved laser flash photolysis study, lower-energy radical species were detected, characterized by lifetimes of tens of microseconds. The formation of these species may be involved in the observed phototoxicity of the tetracycline drugs.

The pH-related morphological variations of two acidophilic species of Desmidiales (Viridiplantae) isolated from a lowland peat bog, Czech Republic

Morphological variation related to pH was investigated in two acidophilic desmid species (Euastrum binale var. gutwinskii and Staurastrum hirsutum) utilizing geometric morphometric methods. Clones isolated from acidic habitats were cultured using a range of pH values from 3.5 to 6.5. The plasticity of ensuing populations was quantified and illustrated by the general Procrustes superimposition of landmarks placed along the outline of cells and subsequent statistical analyses of shape data. In both species, there was a significant effect of pH on the morphology of cells. In Staurastrum hirsutum, the pH-related morphological change was accompanied by a decrease in the size of cells cultured at a higher pH. However, in Euastrum binale, cell size did not differ in relation to pH, but cell shape was characterized by a deepening of the incisions between cell lobes at higher pH. In both species, cell complexity based on surface-to-volume ratio was positively correlated with increasing pH. We conclude that by manipulating their surface-to-volume ratios, these desmid species can respond to pH variations in their environment.

Effect of Environmental Factors on Estrogenic Compounds Adsorption by MIP

In this study, the effects of environmental factors, including humic acid (HA), pH, ionic strength, and the coexistence of competing estrogenic compounds, on the adsorption of four typical estrogenic compounds, estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), and bisphenol A (BPA), were studied by molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). The adsorption capacities of MIP for E2 were 116.3, 118.5, 127.0, and 109.0 µmol/g at HA concentrations of 0, 5, 15, and 20 mg/L in total organic carbon, respectively, while the corresponding adsorption capacities of nontemplate imprinted polymer (NIP) for E2 were 98.1, 109.4, 113.8, and 98.0 µmol/g. This implied that no significant trend could be found with the increasing HA concentrations. Furthermore, the selective adsorption capacity, represented by the difference in adsorption capacities between MIP and NIP, was not affected significantly. Similar observations were noted for E1, EE2, and BPA in the presence of HA. Ionic strength did not exert a considerable influence on the adsorption capacities of MIP and NIP for E1, E2, and BPA. However, at 0 mM of NaCl, EE2 adsorption capacities of MIP and NIP were 124.7 and 111.7 µmol/g, respectively, while the corresponding adsorption capacities were 144.7 and 138.2 µmol/g at 10 mM of NaCl due to the increased hydrophobic interactions. Nevertheless, the selective adsorption capacity was not significantly affected by the range of ionic strength tested in this study. The study demonstrated that there was no significant effect of pH on the adsorption capacity of both MIP and NIP from pH 3.1 to 9 and that no considerable effect of pH on selective adsorption capacity of MIP could be established. However, the adsorption capacities of MIP and NIP for E2 at pH 9 were 95.1 and 82.9 µmol/g, while at pH 11, the adsorption capacities were 12.1 and 5.9 µmol/g correspondingly. This means that adsorption capacity and selective adsorption capacity were influenced significantly due to the ionization of target compounds. A similar trend was observed for E1, EE2, and BPA. The study on the effect of the coexistence of competing estrogenic compounds demonstrated that selective adsorption capacities of MIP can be influenced. Differences between MIP and NIP for E1, E1, EE2, and BPA under competing conditions were 8.8, 6.8, 10.2, and 4.2 µmol/g, respectively, while the corresponding differences were 12.6, 18.2, 13.0, and 9.8 µmol/g, respectively, when adsorbed individually.

Distribution and Diversity of Archaeal and Bacterial Ammonia Oxidizers in Salt Marsh Sediments

Diversity and abundance of ammonia-oxidizing Betaproteobacteria (beta-AOB) and archaea (AOA) were investigated in a New England salt marsh at sites dominated by short or tall Spartina alterniflora (SAS and SAT sites, respectively) or Spartina patens (SP site). AOA amoA gene richness was higher than beta-AOB amoA richness at SAT and SP, but AOA and beta-AOB richness were similar at SAS. beta-AOB amoA clone libraries were composed exclusively of Nitrosospira-like amoA genes. AOA amoA genes at SAT and SP were equally distributed between the water column/sediment and soil/sediment clades, while AOA amoA sequences at SAS were primarily affiliated with the water column/sediment clade. At all three site types, AOA were always more abundant than beta-AOB based on quantitative PCR of amoA genes. At some sites, we detected 10(9) AOA amoA gene copies g of sediment(-1). Ratios of AOA to beta-AOB varied over 2 orders of magnitude among sites and sampling dates. Nevertheless, abundances of AOA and beta-AOB amoA genes were highly correlated. Abundance of 16S rRNA genes affiliated with Nitrosopumilus maritimus, Crenarchaeota group I.1b, and pSL12 were positively correlated with AOA amoA abundance, but ratios of amoA to 16S rRNA genes varied among sites. We also observed a significant effect of pH on AOA abundance and a significant salinity effect on both AOA and beta-AlphaOmicronBeta abundance. Our results expand the distribution of AOA to salt marshes, and the high numbers of AOA at some sites suggest that salt marsh sediments serve as an important habitat for AOA.

Functional expression of the oligopeptide transporter PepT1 from the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

Complementary RNA, derived from the intestine of the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax and putatively coding for a pH-dependent oligopeptide transporter PepT1 (SLC15 family), was injected in Xenopus oocytes that were subsequently tested with electrophysiological techniques. Transport-associated currents were observed when various di- or tripeptides were applied at concentrations ranging between 0.1 and 10 mM. No currents were generated by histidine nor by other single amino acids. Sea bass PepT1 also exhibited presteady-state currents in the absence of substrates. Acidic pH slowed down the relaxation time constant of these currents and shifted both Q/V and tau/V relationships toward more positive voltages. Michaelis-Menten analysis of the transport currents showed an increase in apparent substrate affinity at acidic pH, which was very similar to that exhibited by the related transporter from zebrafish (Danio rerio), but in contrast, did not demonstrate a significant effect of pH on the maximal transport current.

PH-dependent ciprofloxacin sorption to soils: Interaction mechanisms and soil factors influencing sorption

A study of ciprofloxacin sorption to 30 soils from the eastern United States revealed a statistically significant effect of pH on the solid–water distribution coefficient ( K d). Cation exchange capacity was the key soil factor influencing the extent of sorption at all pH values (3–8), with soil metal oxide content playing a smaller role at higher pH. Although, cation exchange, cation bridging and surface complexation mechanisms all appeared to contribute to the net extent of ciprofloxacin sorption to soils, the ciprofloxacin molecule appeared to be best suited for cation exchange. Notably, the ciprofloxacin cation (dominant at pH ≤ 5) exhibited a greater potential for cation exchange than the net neutral zwitterion (relevant at pH > 6). In addition to ciprofloxacin speciation in aqueous solution, the availability of surface sites for cation exchange (cation exchange capacity) and surface complexation (metal oxide content) played a key role in determining the shape of the pH edge and the potential contributions from individual sorption mechanisms to the net extent of sorption. Soils not limited by the availability of cation exchange sites and possessing a high effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC > 20 cmol c/kg), exhibited distinct pH edges (general decrease in sorption with pH) and the highest extent of sorption at all pH values. In these soils, cation exchange was found to be a dominant mechanism of sorption, with potential contributions from cation bridging and surface complexation being either unimportant or not discernable. In soils of lower cation exchange capacity (ECEC < 20 cmol c/kg), limited with respect to the availability of cation exchange sites, sorption initially increased with increasing pH, peaked at pH 5.5 and decreased at pH 7–8. In these soils, a specific contribution from surface complexation to the net extent of sorption was surmised at high pH values in metal oxide-rich soils, possessing low cation exchange capacities.