Life Sciences Commons^™

Indicator Bacteria Concentrations Of Two Northwest Arkansas Streams In Relation To Flow And Season, Dwayne R. Edwards, Mark S. Coyne, Tommy C. Daniel, P. F. Vendrell, J. F. Murdoch, P. A. Moore Jr.

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Concentrations of indicator bacteria such as fecal coliform (FC) and fecal streptococcus (FS) are often used to assess the suitability of waters for their intended use(s) and to allocate resources for water quality improvement measures. There is evidence, however, that concentrations of FC and FS can be influenced by variables such as season and flow rate during sampling, which could lead to biased results. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of season and flow rate on concentrations of FC and FS. Fecal indicator bacteria concentrations were measured for approximately three years at five sites on two …

Cellular Basis Of Decreased Immune Responses To Pneumococcal Vaccines In Aged Mice, Manju Garg, Wei Luo, Alan M. Kaplan, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Previously, model systems were developed in our laboratory to study murine immune responses to the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine Pnu-Imune, both in vivo and in vitro (M. Garg and B. Subbarao, Infect. Immun. 60:2329-2336, 1992; M. Garg, A. M. Kaplan, and S. Bondada, J. Immunol. 152: 1589-1596, 1994). Using these systems, we found that aged mice did not respond to the vaccine in vivo or in vitro. Cell separation studies showed that the unresponsiveness of the aged spleen cells to the vaccine was not due to an intrinsic B-cell defect or to T-cell-mediated immunosuppression but resulted from an accessory cell …

Metal-Resistance Genetically Engineered Bacteria, Sylvia Daunert, Donna Scott, Sridhar Ramanathan

KWRRI Research Reports

Bacterial-based electrochemical and optical sensing systems that respond in a highly selective and sensitive manner to antimonite and arsenite have been developed. This was accomplished by using genetically engineered bacteria bearing one of two plasmids constructed for our studies. The first plasmid, pBGD23, contains the operator/promoter region (O/P) and the gene of the ArsR protein from the ars operon upstream from the β-galactosidase gene. In the absence of antimonite/arsenite, ArsR binds to the 0/P site and prevents the transcription of the genes for ArsR and β-galactosidase, thus blocking expression of these proteins. When antimonite or arsenite is present in the …

Involvement Of P59FynT In Interleukin-5 Receptor Signaling, Mark W. Appleby, James D. Kerner, Sylvia Chien, Charles R. Maliszewski, Subbarao Bondada, Roger M. Perlmutter

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Previous studies implicate the nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) p59fyn in the propagation of signals from the B cell antigen receptor. To elucidate the functions of this kinase, we examined B cell responsiveness in mice engineered to lack the hematopoietic isoform of p59fyn. Remarkably, antigen receptor signaling was only modestly defective in fyn^Tnull B cells. In contrast, signaling from the interleukin (IL)-5 receptor which ordinarily provides a comitogenic stimulus with antiimmunoglobulin, was completely blocked. Our results document the importance of p59fyn^T in IL-5 responses in B cells, and they support a general model …

Reversal Of Age-Associated Decline In Immune Response To Pnu-Imune Vaccine By Supplementation With The Steroid Hormone Dehydroepiandrosterone, Manju Garg, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Recently, we reported that murine antibody responses to the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide (Pnu-Imune) vaccine declined with age. Here we present data to support the concept that age-associated immune defects are not only due to intrinsic defects in immune cells but are also due to extrinsic factors emanating from the neuroendocrine system. We found that supplementation with dehydroepiandrosterone, a steroid hormone known to be reduced in the aged, corrects the immune deficiency of aged mice and significantly enhanced their splenic immune responses to the Pnu-Imune vaccine.

Immune Responses Of Systemic And Mucosal Lymphoid Organs To Pnu-Imune Vaccine As A Function Of Age And The Efficacy Of Monophosphoryl Lipid A As An Adjuvant, Manju Garg, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

A murine model system was established to study immune responses to the Pnu-Imune vaccine, which is made up of 23 different pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides. In this animal model, antibody-forming cell responses to 21 of 23 individual polysaccharides in the vaccine were detected. The Pnu-Imune vaccine elicited good antibody responses from the spleens and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) of young mice, whereas a variety of other peripheral lymph nodes were unresponsive. The immunoglobulin M plaque-forming cell (PFC) response in the spleen to the Pnu-Imune vaccine (given intraperitoneally or subcutaneously) decreased dramatically with increasing age. However, the spleen and MLN differed in …

Effect Of Dietary Aluminum Sulfate On Calcium And Phosphorus Metabolism Of Broiler Chicks, Akmed S. Hussein, Austin H. Cantor, Thomas H. Johnson, Robert A. Yokel

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The effect of dietary aluminum sulfate on Ca and P metabolism was studied using 1-day-oldmale broiler chicks. In Experiment 1, practical diets providing .90% Ca plus .45% available P (P_av), .90% Ca plus .78% P_av, 1.80% Ca plus .45% P_av, or 1.80% Ca plus .90% P_av were fed with 0 or .392% Al as aluminum sulfate for 21 days. The control diet (.90% Caplus .45% P_av) without added A1 was fed to all chicks during Days 22 to 49. In general, Al significantly (Pi), tibia breaking strength, tibia weight, percentage of …

Relationship Of Dietary Aluminum, Phosphorus, And Calcium To Phosphorus And Calcium Metabolism And Growth Performance Of Broiler Chicks, Akmed S. Hussein, Austin H. Cantor, Thomas H. Johnson, Robert A. Yokel

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Dietary treatments providing three levels of added Al (0, .196, or .392%) as aluminum sulfate and of available phosphorus (P_av) (.45, .68, or .78%) in a factorial arrangement were administered to day-old chicks in Experiment 1. Plasma inorganic phosphorus (P_i) was significantly (P < .05) elevated by increasing P_av and was decreased by Al. Body weight gain, feed intake, and the gain:feed ratio at Day 21 were significantly decreased by increased concentrations of Al, but were unaffected by the P_av concentrations. Decreases of 39 and 73% in weight gain and of 34 and 66% in feed intake resulted from feeding …

The Aquatic Toxicity Of Organic Compounds To Embryo-Larval Stages Of Fish And Amphibians, Jeffrey A. Black, Wesley J. Birge, Willaim E. Mcdonnell, Albert G. Westerman, Barbara A. Ramey, Donald M. Bruser

KWRRI Research Reports

Aquatic toxicity tests were conducted on 11 organic compounds considered hazardous to water resources. The toxicity of each compound was evaluated using embryo-larval stages of two to eight fish and amphibian species. Exposure was initiated at fertilization and maintained through 4 days posthatching. The animal test species exhibited varying degrees of sensitivity to the selected toxicants. Combined frequencies for mortality and teratogenesis at 4 days posthatching gave LC₅₀ ranges of 3.66 to 8.25 mg/L for benzene, 1.16 to 22.42 mg/L for carbon tetrachloride, 0.11 to 1.20 mg/L for chlorobenzene, 2.03 to > 68 mg/L for chloroform, 3.01 to 5.56 mg/L …

Effects Of Organic Compounds On Amphibian Reproduction, Wesley J. Birge, Jeffrey A. Black, Robert A. Kuehne

KWRRI Research Reports

Aquatic toxicity tests were conducted with atrazine, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, methylene chloride, trisodium nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and phenol. Each compound was administered to developmental stages of three to five amphibian species. Exposure was initiated at fertilization and maintained through 4 days posthatching. Test responses included lethality and teratogenesis. Different amphibian species exhibited varying degrees of tolerance to the selected compounds. Greatest tolerance usually was observed for the more broadly adapted semi-aquatic and terrestrial species (e.g., Bufo americanus, Bufo fowleri). The more sensitive amphibians usually included those species which normally are restricted to aquatic or moist habitats (e.g., Rana …

A Study Of Naturally Occurring Algicides Produced By Freshwater Algae, Denny O. Harris, Harry D. Caldwell

KWRRI Research Reports

The mode of action of the algicide produced by Pandorina morum was examined by exposing Volvox globator and isolates spinach chloroplasts to a partially purified algicide preparation. Oxygen evolution of Volvox, whole chloroplasts and broken chloroplasts (minus the Calvin cycle),was reduced indicating that the algicide inhibits the light reactions of photosynthesis. Oxygen evolution studies of other Volvocaceae confirmed the observation that Pandorina morum is not significantly influenced by its own inhibitor. Molecular weight approximation by gel filtration established that the inhibitor has a low molecular weight (probably below 100 mw). Field studies indicate that this algicide has tremendous potential as …

Metabolic Capabilities Of Sulfur Oxidizing Bacteria And Their Role In Water Pollution, M. I. H. Aleem

KWRRI Research Reports

This report describes investigations into the physiology of microorganisms that are commonly involved in the oxidation of inorganic sulfur compounds. The metabolic activities of these bacteria play a potent role in several fields of economic importance such as strip mining operations, water pollution, corrosion, metallurgy, petroleum technology and soil fertility processes.

The oxidation of inorganic sulfur compounds was studied in the chemolithotrophs Thiobacillus denitrificans, Thiobacillus A₂, Thiobacillus neapolitanus, and a photolithotroph Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Cell suspensions from all of the thiobacilli catalyzed completely the oxidation of sulfide, thiosulfate, and sulfite to sulfate. The oxidation of thiosulfate in R. palustris …

A Study Of Water-Soluble Inhibitory Compounds (Algicides) Produced By Fresh-Water Algae, Denny O. Harris, Manhar C. Parekh

KWRRI Research Reports

A complex system of growth inhibitors was observed in the green algae (Volvocaceae). Inhibitors were found in the culture filtrates of some genera which limit their own growth (autoinhibitors) while others in the family produce substances which check the growth of other genera (heteroinhibitors). These inhibitors were destroyed by autoclaving. It was decided that Pandorina morum, which produced the strongest inhibitor and Volvox tertius, the most sensitive to the inhibitor would make an excellent model system for a study of the chemical and physical properties of these naturally occurring algicides. The algicide could be removed from actively growing cultures about …

Factors Regulating The Growth Of Algae In Continuous Culture In Diluted Secondary Sewage Treatment Plant Effluent And Subsequent Biodegradability, Edward G. Foree, Caroline P. Wade

KWRRI Research Reports

Heterogeneous algal cultures were grown in laboratory continuous culture in continuous flow, completely mixed chemostats in secondary sewage treatment plant effluent diluted to give an ammonia nitrogen concentration of 10 mg/1. Variables were lighting, pH, carbon dioxide availability, and hydraulic residence time.

Optimum growth occurred under pH 7.0, excess CO₂, and continuous lighting conditions. The availability of artificially supplied excess CO₂ greatly increased the mass (standing crop) at steady-state over that produced under otherwise identical conditions for all residence times studied. For the case of excess CO₂ availability, the nitrogen concentration in the algal cells regulated …

Algal Growth And Decomposition: Effects On Water Quality, Edward G. Foree, John S. Tapp Jr.

KWRRI Research Reports

The chemical composition of algae grown in batch culture depends mainly on environmental conditions, nutrient availability, presence of predators, cell age, and species. The effects of nutrient availability and cell age on the composition of three unialgal cultures (algae + bacteria) and one hetergeneous culture (algae + bacteria + microscopic animals) were evaluated. The cultures were grown in batch culture under both nutrient-abundant and nutrient deficient conditions and the changes in compositions were observed. Luxurious uptake where nutrients are incorporated into cellular protoplasm at levels greater than those necessary for growth, and super-luxurious uptake, where some nutrients are stored rather …