Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 ferments ball-milled cellulose as fast as cellobiose until cellulose surface area is limiting

Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 grew rapidly on cellobiose (0.31 h(-1) and the absolute rate of increase in fermentation acids was 0.68 h(-1). Cultures that were provided with ball-milled cellulose initially produced fermentation acids and microbial protein as fast as those provided with cellobiose, but the absolute cellulose digestion rate eventually declined. If the inoculum size was increased, the kinetics decayed from first to zero order (with respect to cells) even sooner, but in each case the absolute rate declined after only 20 to 30% of the cellulose had been fermented. Congo red binding indicated that the cellulose surface area of individual cellulose particles was not decreasing, and the transition of ball-milled cellulose digestion corresponded with the appearance of unbound cells in the culture supernatant. When bound cells from partially digested cellulose were removed and the cellulose was re-incubated with a fresh inoculum, the initial absolute fermentation rate was as high as the one observed for undigested cellulose and cellobiose. Based on these results, cellulose digestion by F. succinogenes S85 appears to be constrained by cellulose surface area rather than cellulase activity per se.

Accounting for the effects of a ruminal nitrogen deficiency within the structure of the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System

The Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) prediction of fiber digestion and microbial mass production from ruminally degraded carbohydrate has been adjusted to accommodate a ruminal N deficiency. The steps for the adjustment are as follows: 1) the ruminal available peptide and ammonia pools are used to determine the N allowable microbial growth; 2) this value is subtracted from the energy allowable microbial growth to obtain the reduction in microbial mass; 3) this mass reduction is allocated between pools of bacteria digesting fiber (FC) and nonfiber (NFC) carbohydrate according to their original proportions in the energy allowable microbial growth; 4) the reduction in fermented FC is computed as the FC bacterial mass reduction divided by its yield (g bacteria/g FC digested); and 5) this reduction is added to the FC fraction escaping the rumen. Five published studies included information that allowed us to evaluate the response of animals to added dietary N. These evaluations compared observed and CNCPS-predicted ADG with and without this adjustment. The adjustment decreased the CNCPS overprediction of ADG from 19.2 to 4.7%, mean bias declined from .16 to .04 kg/d, and the r2 of the regression between observed and metabolizable energy (ME) or metabolizable protein allowable ADG was increased from .83 to .88 with the adjustment. When the observed dry matter intake was regressed against CNCPS-predicted DMI with an adjustment for reduction in cell wall digestibility, the r2 was increased from .77 to .88. These results indicated the adjustment for ruminal nitrogen deficiency increased the accuracy of the CNCPS model in evaluating diets of growing animals when ruminally degraded N is deficient.

Invited review: effects of diet shifts on Escherichia coli in cattle

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a pathogenic bacterium that causes acute illness in humans, but mature cattle are not affected. E. coli O157:H7 can enter the human food supply from cattle via fecal contamination of beef carcasses at slaughter. Previous attempts to correlate the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 with specific diets or feeding management practices gave few statistically significant or consistent findings. However, recent work indicates that cattle diets may be changed to decrease fermentation acid accumulation in the colon. When fermentation acids accumulate in the colon and pH decreases, the numbers of acid-resistant E. coli increase; acid-resistant E. coli are more likely to survive the gastric stomach of humans. When cattle were fed hay for a brief period (<7 d), acid-resistant E. coli numbers declined dramatically. Other workers have shown that brief periods of hay feeding can also decrease the number of cattle shedding E. coli O157:H7, and a similar trend was observed if cattle were taken off feed and exposed to simulated transport. These observations indicate that cattle feeding management practices may be manipulated to decrease the risk of foodborne illness from E. coli, but further work will be needed to confirm these effects.

Mathematical estimations of hyper-ammonia producing ruminal bacteria and evidence for bacterial antagonism that decreases ruminal ammonia production(1)

Mixed ruminal bacteria (MRB) from cattle fed hay produced ammonia from protein hydrolysate twice as fast as MRB from cattle fed mostly grain, and a mathematical model indicated that cattle fed hay had approximately four-fold more hyper ammonia-producing ruminal bacteria (HAB). HAB had a high maximum velocity of ammonia production (V(max)) and low substrate affinity (high K(m)), but simulations indicated that only large changes in V(max) or K(m) would cause a large deviation in HAB numbers. Some carbohydrate-fermenting ruminal bacteria produced ammonia at a slow rate (CB-LA), but many of the isolates had almost no activity (CB-NA). The model indicated that the ratio of CB-LA to CB-NA had little impact on HAB numbers. Validations based on predicted ratios of HAB, CB-LA and CB-NA over-predicted the specific activity of ammonia production by MRB, but co-culture incubations indicated that washed MRB from cattle fed grain could inhibit HAB. Because autoclaved MRB had virtually no effect on HAB and the incubations were always carried out at pH 7.0, the inhibition was not simply a chemical effect (e.g. low pH).

Variations in the ability of ruminal gram-negative Prevotella species to resist monensin

Gram-negative, ruminal Prevotella strains (n = 15) differed greatly in their sensitivity to the feed additive monensin. Strains that were repeatedly transferred with sublethal doses tolerated more monensin than those that were unadapted, but growth experiments indicated that the sensitivity range was as great as 2000-fold. Prevotella bryantii B(1)4 grew with monensin concentrations as high as 20 microM, but P. ruminicola H15a, D31d, 20-63, E40a, and D42f never initiated growth if monensin was greater than 0.01 microM. Washed cell preparations that were energized with glucose lost intracellular potassium when monensin was added, and potassium depletion could also be used as an index of monensin sensitivity. Adapted cells of P. bryantii B(1)4 had a half-maximal potassium depletion constant (K(d)) of 3.2 microM, but the K(d) values of P. ruminicola strains H15a, D31d, 20-63, E40a, and D42f were less than 0.04 microM. Maximal potassium depletion (K(max)) values range from 90% to 40%, and monensin-adapted cells always had lower K(max) values than unadapted cells. A linear regression of log K(d)/K(max) versus percentage decrease in optical density divided by monensin concentration had an r(2) of 0.75, and this regression indicated that potassium depletion from washed cells closely correlated with growth inhibition. P. bryantii B(1)4 had a K(d)/K(max) ratio that was sevenfold greater than other Prevotella strains, and this result indicated that P. bryantii may be unusual in its ability to grow with very high concentrations of monensin.

Alternative pathways of glucose transport in Prevotella bryantii B(1)4(1)

Prevotella bryantii B(1)4 grew faster on glucose than mannose (0.70 versus 0.45 h(-1)), but these sugars were used simultaneously rather than diauxically. 2-deoxy-glucose (2DG) decreased the growth rate of cells that were provided with either glucose or mannose, but 2DG did not completely prevent growth. Cells grown on glucose or mannose transported both (14)C-glucose and (14)C-mannose, but cells grown on glucose had over three-fold higher rates of (14)C-glucose transport than cells grown on mannose. The (14)C-mannose transport rates of glucose- and mannose-grown cells were similar. Woolf-Augustinsson-Hofstee plots were not linear, and it appeared that the glucose/mannose/2DG carrier acted as a facilitated diffusion system at high substrate concentrations. When cultures were grown on nitrogen-deficient (excess sugar) medium, isolates had three-fold lower (14)C-glucose transport, but the (14)C-mannose transport did not change significantly. (14)C-glucose and (14)C-mannose transport rates could be inhibited by 2DG and either mannose or glucose, respectively. The (14)C-glucose transport of mannose-grown cells was inhibited more strongly by mannose and 2DG than those grown on glucose. Cells grown on glucose or mannose had similar ATP-dependent glucokinase activity, and 2DG was a competitive inhibitor (K(i)=0.75 mM). Thin layer chromatography indicated that cell extracts also had ATP-dependent mannose phosphorylation, but only a small amount of phosphorylated 2DG was detected. Glucose, mannose or 2DG were not phosphorylated in the presence of PEP. Based on these results, it appeared that P. bryantii B(1)4 had: (1) two mechanisms of glucose transport, a constitutive glucose/mannose/2DG carrier and an alternative glucose carrier that was regulated by glucose availability, (2) an ATP-dependent glucokinase that was competitively inhibited by 2DG but was unable to phosphorylate 2DG at a rapid rate, and (3) virtually no PEP-dependent glucose, mannose or 2DG phosphorylation activities.

Potential effect of cattle diets on the transmission of pathogenic Escherichia coli to humans

Grain feeding seems to promote the growth and acid resistance of Escherichia coli in fattening beef cattle, and acid-resistant E. coli are more likely to survive the human gastric stomach. When cattle were fed hay for only five days, the number and acid resistance of E. coli decreased dramatically.

Selection of a highly monensin-resistant Prevotella bryantii subpopulation with altered outer membrane characteristics

Prevotella bryantii cultures treated with monensin grew more slowly than untreated cultures, but only if the monensin concentration was greater than 1 microM. Cultures that were repeatedly transferred (eight transfers or 25 doublings) with monensin always grew rapidly, even at a 10 microM concentration. The amount of monensin needed to facilitate half-maximal potassium depletion (K(d)) from monensin-selected cells was 16-fold greater than "unadapted" wild-type cultures (3,200 versus 200 nM). Cells taken from continuous culture had a K(d) of 100 nM, and these inocula could not grow in batch culture when the monensin concentration was greater than 300 nM. Continuous cultures treated with monensin nearly washed out, but the surviving cells had a K(d) of 1,300 nM. When wild-type cells were transferred in batch culture with 10 microM monensin, the K(d) did not reach its maximum value (3,200 nM) until after eight transfers (25 doublings). K(d) declined when monensin was removed, and it took eight transfers to reach the control value (200 nM). The most probable number of wild-type cells was 1,000-fold lower than of the monensin-selected cells, but calculations based on relative growth advantage and K(d) indicated that the wild-type culture had 1 to 10% highly monensin-resistant cells. Cell pellets of wild-type cultures were more difficult to disperse than were monensin-selected cells, and water-soluble phenol extracts of monensin-selected cells had 1.8-fold more anthrone-reactive material than did the wild type. Wild-type cultures that were washed in Tris buffer (pH 8.0) released little alkaline phosphatase and were agglutinated by lysozyme. Monensin-selected cultures leaked ninefold more alkaline phosphatase and were not agglutinated by lysozyme. Wild-type colonies taken from high-dilution agar roll tubes retained the lysozyme agglutination phenotype even if transferred with monensin, and monensin-selected colonies were never agglutinated. These observations indicated that wild-type P. bryantii cultures had a subpopulation with different outer membrane characteristics and increased monensin resistance.

The ability of "low G + C gram-positive" ruminal bacteria to resist monensin and counteract potassium depletion

Gram-negative ruminal bacteria with an outer membrane are generally more resistant to the feed additive, monensin, than Gram-positive species, but some bacteria can adapt and increase their resistance. 16S rRNA sequencing indicates that a variety of ruminal bacteria are found in the "low G + C Gram-positive group," but some of these bacteria are monensin resistant and were previously described as Gram-negative species (e.g., Selenomonas ruminantium and Megasphaera elsdenii). The activity of monensin can be assayed by its ability to cause potassium loss, and results indicated that the amount of monensin needed to catalyze half maximal potassium depletion (K(d)) from low G + C gram-positive ruminal bacteria varied by as much as 130-fold. The K(d) values for Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens 49, Streptococcus bovis JB1, Clostridium aminophilum F, S. ruminantium HD4, and M. elsdenii B159 were 10, 65, 100, 1020, and 1330 nM monensin, respectively. B. fibrisolvens was very sensitive to monensin, and it did not adapt. S. bovis and C. aminophilum cultures that were transferred repeatedly with sub-lethal doses of monensin had higher K(d) values than unadapted cultures, but the K(d) was always less than 800 nM. S. ruminantium and M. elsdenii cells were highly resistant (K(d) > 1000 nM), and this resistance could be explained by the ability of these low G + C Gram-positive bacteria to synthesize outer membranes.

Physiological characterization of Streptococcus bovis mutants that can resist 2-deoxyglucose-induced lysis

Streptococcus bovis JB1 does not normally lyse, but stationary phase lysis can be induced by including 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) in the growth medium. Isolates deficient in glucose/2DG phosphotransferase activity (PTS-) also lysed when 2DG was present (Lys+) and this result indicated that 2DG phosphorylation via the PTS was not an obligate requirement for 2DG-induced lysis. Cells and cell walls from 2DG-grown cultures lysed faster when proteinase K was added, but glucose-grown cultures and cell walls were not affected. A lipoteichoic acid (LTA) extract (aqueous phase from hot phenol treatment) from glucose-grown cells inhibited the lysis of 2DG-grown cultures, but a similar extract prepared from 2DG-grown cells was without effect. Thin-layer chromatography and differential staining indicated that wild-type and Lys+ PTS- cells incorporated 2DG into LTA, but lysis-resistant cultures (Lys- PTS+ and Lys- PTS-) did not. LTA from lysis-resistant (Lys- PTS+ and Lys- PTS-) cells grown with glucose and 2DG also prevented 2DG-dependent lysis of the wild-type. LTA could not inhibit degradation of cell walls isolated from 2DG-grown cultures, but LTA inhibited the lysis of Micrococcus lysodeikticus (Micrococcus luteus) cells that were exposed to supernatants from 2DG-grown S. bovis cultures. Group D streptococci (including S. bovis) normally have an alpha-1,2 linked glucose disaccharide (kojibiose) in their LTA, but kojibiose cannot be synthesized from 2DG. This observation suggested that the kojibiose moiety of LTA was involved in autolysin inactivation. Wild-type S. bovis had ATP- as well as PEP-dependent mechanisms of 2DG phosphorylation and one lysis-resistant phenotype (Lys- PTS-) had reduced levels of both activities. However, the Lys- PTS+ phenotype was still able to phosphorylate 2DG via ATP and PEP and this result indicated that some other step of 2DG incorporation into LTA was being inhibited. Based on these results, growth in the presence of 2DG appears to prevent synthesis of normal LTA, which is involved in the regulation of autolytic enzymes.

Immature oocyte retrieval with in-vitro oocyte maturation

Early studies of in-vitro fertilization used immature oocytes. The process evolved to retrieving metaphase II oocytes, and was eventually successful. At present, aggressive ovulation induction protocols are the mainstay of assisted reproductive technology programs, but not without increased cost, multiple gestations, morbidity, potential future risks and isolated mortalities. The ability to retrieve each month's cohort of immature oocytes transvaginally opened the door to search for a new option for infertile couples requiring assisted reproductive technology. Immature oocyte retrieval combined with in-vitro oocyte maturation eliminates the stimulation, costs and time that were required to monitor oocytes, along with the short- and long-term complications. The essential components are optimal maturation media and a synchronized endometrium in which the embryos transferred from a truncated follicular phase can implant. The process has been successful in several centers with an acceptable success rate when used in conjunction with a host uterus. Future research with maturation, culture, and endometrial synchronization may allow immature oocyte retrieval with in-vitro oocyte maturation to replace in-vitro fertilization in its present form.

Alternative schemes of butyrate production in Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and their relationship to acetate utilization, lactate production, and phylogeny

Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens strains D1 and A38 produced little lactate, but strain 49 converted as much as 75% of its glucose to lactate. Strain 49 had tenfold more lactate dehydrogenase activity than strains D1 or A38, this activity was stimulated by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, and had a pH optimum of 6.25. A role for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate or pH regulation of lactate production in strain 49 was, however, contradicted by the observations that very low concentrations (< 0.2 mM) of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate gave maximal activity, and continuous cultures did not produce additional lactate when the pH was decreased. The lactate production of strain 49 was clearly inhibited by the presence of acetate in the growth medium. When strain 49 was supplemented with as little as 5 mM acetate, lactate production decreased dramatically, and most of the glucose was converted to butyrate. Strain 49 did not possess butyrate kinase activity, but it had a butyryl-CoA/acetate CoA transferase that converted butyryl-CoA directly to butyrate, using acetate as an acceptor. The transferase had a low affinity for acetate (K(m) of 5 mM), and this characteristic explained the acetate stimulation of growth and butyrate formation. Strains D1 and A38 had butyrate kinase but not butyryl-CoA/acetate CoA transferase, and it appeared that this difference could explain the lack of acetate stimulation and lactate production. Based on these results, it is unlikely that B. fibrisolvens would ever contribute significantly to the pool of ruminal lactate. Since relatives of strain 49 (strains Nor37, PI-7, VV1, and OB156, based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis) all had the same method of butyrate production, it appeared that butyryl-CoA/acetate CoA transferase might be a phylogenetic characteristic. We obtained a culture of strain B835 (NCDO 2398) that produced large amounts of lactate and had butyryl-CoA/acetate CoA transferase activity, but this strain had previously been grouped with strains A38 and D1 based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Our strain B835 had a 16S rRNA sequence unique from the one currently deposited in GenBank, and had high sequence similarity with strains 49 and Nor37 rather than with strains A38 or D1.

The importance of pH in the regulation of ruminal acetate to propionate ratio and methane production in vitro

Grain feeding often causes a decrease in ruminal pH, and experiments were conducted to define the role of pH in regulating the acetate to propionate ratio and production of CH4. Cows that were fed 90% concentrate had lower ruminal pH values (6.22 vs. 6.86), higher VFA concentrations (85 vs. 68 mM), and lower acetate to propionate ratios (2.24 vs. 4.12) than did cows that were fed forage only. When mixed ruminal bacteria from cows that were fed 90% concentrate or 100% forage were incubated (48 h) with hay (10 g/L) or cracked corn (5 g/L) in a medium containing bicarbonate (38 mM) and tricarballylate (50 mM), the final pH values were less than 0.3 units lower than the initial pH. At final pH values less than 5.7, hay fermentation was inhibited, the acetate to propionate ratio and CH4 production declined more than twofold, and the inoculum source was without effect. Small amounts of H2 were detected at pH values less than 5.5. Total VFA production from cracked corn decreased when pH declined, but only if the inoculum was obtained from cows that were fed 90% concentrate. The acetate to propionate ratio of cracked corn incubations declined from 1.2 to 0.6 when final pH was decreased from 6.5 to 5.3, and CH4, as a percentage of total VFA production, also decreased. At pH values less than 5.3, the acetate to propionate ratio of cracked corn increased more than fourfold, and large amounts of H2 could be detected. Over the final pH range of 6.5 to 5.3, CH4 production was highly correlated with acetate to propionate ratio, which was dependent on pH and substrate (CH4 = 0.02 + 0.05 pH; r2 = 0.80). Calculations based on the differences between pH 6.5 and 5.8 indicated that as much as 25% of the decrease in acetate to propionate ratio could be explained by the effect of pH alone.

Grain feeding and the dissemination of acid-resistant Escherichia coli from cattle

The gastric stomach of humans is a barrier to food-borne pathogens, but Escherichia coli can survive at pH 2.0 if it is grown under mildly acidic conditions. Cattle are a natural reservoir for pathogenic E. coli, and cattle fed mostly grain had lower colonic pH and more acid-resistant E. coli than cattle fed only hay. On the basis of numbers and survival after acid shock, cattle that were fed grain had 10(6)-fold more acid-resistant E. coli than cattle fed hay, but a brief period of hay feeding decreased the acid-resistant count substantially.

The role of pH in regulating ruminal methane and ammonia production

When steers (n = 4) were fed increasing amounts of concentrate (0, 45, or 90% of DM) and decreasing amounts of forage, the VFA concentration increased (P < .001) and ruminal pH, acetate:propionate ratio, and dissociated ammonia declined (P < .001). Acetate:propionate ratio and dissociated ammonia were highly correlated (r2 = .82 and .65, respectively) with ruminal pH. In vivo acetate:propionate ratio was highly correlated (r2 = .78) with the capacity of the bacteria to produce methane from H2 and CO2 in vitro, and in vivo pH-dissociated ammonia was correlated (r2 = .59) with the capacity of the bacteria to produce ammonia from protein hydrolysate. The role of pH in regulating methane and ammonia production was supported by the effect of pH in vitro. When bacteria from cattle fed concentrate or forage were incubated at pH values from 6.5 to 5.7, methane production decreased (P < .001) from 48 to 7 nmol x mg protein(-1) x min(-1) and from 14 to 2 nmol x mg protein(-1) x min(-1), respectively. The reduction in in vitro pH (6.5 to 5.7) also decreased (P < .001) the rates of ammonia production, but only if the bacteria were obtained from cattle fed forage (28 to 15 nmol x mg protein(-1) x min(-1)). Bacteria from cattle fed 90% concentrate had similar (P > .05) rates of ammonia production at pH 6.5 to 5.7 (approximately 12 nmol x mg protein(-1) x min(-1)). These results indicated that ruminal pH affected ruminal methane production, acetate:propionate ratio, deamination, and ammonia concentration.

Strategies that ruminal bacteria use to handle excess carbohydrate

When ruminal bacteria have insufficient nitrogen and other nutrients, excess carbohydrate can be toxic. Pure cultures that are nitrogen-limited can convert only some of the excess carbohydrate to intracellular polysaccharide, but this pool can be quickly saturated. Fibrobacter succinogenes cultures that have excess cellobiose secrete glucose and cellotriose into the culture medium, and Prevotella ruminicola produces methylglyoxal, a highly toxic substance that causes a dramatic decrease in viability. Some ruminal bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus bovis and Selenomonas ruminantium) have mechanisms to decrease ATP production or spill the ATP that has already been produced. These mechanisms of decreasing intracellular ATP seem to protect the cell. Most ruminal bacteria can use ammonia as a nitrogen source, but amino nitrogen increases the growth efficiency of mixed ruminal bacteria. Amino nitrogen-dependent improvements in growth efficiency can be explained by an increase in growth rate and a decrease in energy spilling. Amino nitrogen is only beneficial if the rate of carbohydrate fermentation is rapid and carbohydrate is in excess.

Immature oocyte retrieval combined with in-vitro oocyte maturation

Immature oocyte retrieval combined with in-vitro oocyte maturation has a considerable potential to increase knowledge on the microenvironment and nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation, and may be an alternative or even replacement for routine in-vitro fertilization as practised today. Understanding the critical steps to accomplish this task demands ongoing research to produce a comparable microenvironment to that of the developing follicle. This will allow cytoplasmic maturation to occur, and clarify knowledge on the selection of the dominant follicle, and utilize novel aspects fertilization and embryo culture in vitro. A second aspect of the produce concerns its clinical aspects. These include a better understanding of the number of antral follicles that can be retrieved transvaginally and the nature of the endometrial window and its advancement in order to provide a window of opportunity for implantation to occur.

The diversion of lactose carbon through the tagatose pathway reduces the intracellular fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and growth rate of Streptococcus bovis

Twenty strains of Streptococcus bovis grew more slowly on lactose (1.21 +/- 0.12 h-1) then than on glucose (1.67 +/- 0.12 h-1), and repeated transfers or prolonged growth in continuous culture (more than 200 generations each) did not enhance the growth rate on lactose. Lactose transport activity was poorly correlated with growth rate, and slow growth could not be explained by the ATP production rate (catabolic rate). Batch cultures growing on lactose always had less intracellular fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Frul,6P2) than cells growing on glucose (6.6 mM compared to 16.7 mM), and this difference could be explained by the pathway of carbon metabolism. Glucose and the glucose moiety of lactose were metabolized by the Embden-Meyerhoff-Parnas (EMP) pathway, but the galactose moiety of lactose was catabolized by the tagatose pathway, a scheme that by-passed Frul,6P2. A mutant capable of co-metabolizing lactose and glucose grew more rapidly when glucose was added, even though the total rate of hexose fermentation did not change. Wild-type S. bovis grew rapidly with galactose and melibiose, but these galactose-containing sugars were activated by galactokinase and catabolized via EMP. On the basis of these results, rapid glycolytic flux through the EMP pathway is needed for the rapid growth (more than 1.2 h-1) of S. bovis.

Relationship between intracellular phosphate, proton motive force, and rate of nongrowth energy dissipation (energy spilling) in Streptococcus bovis JB1

When the rate of glucose addition to nongrowing Streptococcus bovis cell suspensions was increased, the fermentation was homolactic, fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP) increased, intracellular inorganic phosphate (P(i)) declined, and the energy-spilling rate increased. ATP and ADP were not significantly affected by glucose consumption rate, but the decrease in P(i) was sufficient to cause an increase in the free energy of ATP hydrolysis (delta G'p). The increase in delta G'p was correlated with an increase in proton motive force (delta p). S. bovis continuous cultures (dilution rate of 0.65 h-1) that were provided with ammonia as the sole nitrogen source also had high rates of lactate production and energy spilling. When Trypticase was added as a source of amino acids, lactate production decreased; a greater fraction of the glucose was converted to acetate, formate, and ethanol; and the energy-spilling rate decreased. Trypticase also caused a decrease in FDP, an increase in P(i), and a decrease in delta p. The change in delta p could be explained by P(i)-dependent changes in the delta G'p. When P(i) declined, delta G'p and delta p increased. The ratio of delta G'p to delta p (millivolt per millivolt) was always high (> 4) at low rates of energy spilling but declined when the energy-spilling rate increased. Based on these results, it appears that delta p and the energy-spilling rate are responsive to fluctuations in the intracellular P(i) concentration.

The effects of fermentation acids on bacterial growth

Anaerobic habitats often have low pH and high concentrations of fermentation acids, and these conditions can inhibit the growth of many bacteria. The toxicity of fermentation acids at low pH was traditionally explained by an uncoupling mechanism. Undissociated fermentation acids can pass across the cell membrane and dissociate in the more alkaline interior, but there is little evidence that they can act in a cyclic manner to dissipate protonmotive force. Fermentation acid dissociation in the more alkaline interior causes an accumulation of the anionic species, and this accumulation is dependent on the pH gradient (delta pH) across the membrane. Fermentation acid-resistant bacteria have low delta pH and are able to generate ATP and grow with a low intracellular pH. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is able to decrease its intracellular pH to 6.1 before growth ceases, but this modest decrease in delta pH can only partially counteract the toxic effect of fermentation anion accumulation. Fermentation acid-resistant bacteria are in most cases Gram-positive bacteria with a high intracellular potassium concentration, and even acid-sensitive bacteria like E. coli K-12 have increased potassium levels when fermentation acids are present. Intracellular potassium provides a counteraction for fermentation acid anions, and allows bacteria to tolerate even greater amounts of fermentation anions. The delta pH-mediated anion accumulation provides a mechanistic explanation for the effect of fermentation acids on microbial ecology and metabolism.

The ability of 2-deoxyglucose to promote the lysis of Streptococcus bovis JB1 via a mechanism involving cell wall stability

The non-metabolizable glucose analog, 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG), decreased the growth rate and optical density of Streptococcus bovis JB1 20%, but it had an even greater effect on stationary phase cultures. Control cultures receiving only glucose (2 mg/ml) lysed very slowly (<5% decline in optical density in 48 h), but cultures that had been grown with glucose and 2-DG (2 mg/ml each) lysed much faster (>85% decline in optical density in 48 h). Cultures that were treated with inhibitors that decreased intracellular ATP (sodium fluoride, nigericin, and valinomycin or tetrachlorosalicylanilide) or membrane potential (sodium fluoride, nigericin, and valinomycin, tetrachlorosalicylanilide, or phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride) did not promote lysis. 2-DG had its greatest effect when it was added at inoculation. If 2-DG was added at later times, less lysis was observed, and cells that were given 2-DG just prior to stationary phase were unaffected. Cells that were grown with glucose and 2-DG were more susceptible to cell wall-degrading enzymes (lysozyme and mutanolysin) than cells that had been grown only with glucose, but sublethal doses of penicillin during growth did not promote lysis after the cells had reached stationary phase. The idea that 2-DG might be affecting autolytic activity was supported by the observation that cultures washed and resuspended in fresh medium with or without 2-DG lysed at a slower rate than cultures that were not centrifuged or were resuspended in the culture supernatant.

A Prevotella ruminicola B(1)4 operon encoding extracellular polysaccharide hydrolases

When Escherichia coli XL1-Blue MRA (P2) was infected with lambda DNA containing Prevotella ruminicola B(1)4 chromosomal DNA, only a few plaques produced beta-1,4-endoglucanase activity, and all of these had mannanase activity. Positive phage contained a 17-kb SacI DNA fragment that gave six bands after EcoRI digestion. The EcoRI fragments were ligated into pBluescript and sequenced. The order of the fragments was verified by PCR and by restriction mapping. The DNA sequence contained 6 open reading frames (ORFs). The 4th and 5th ORFs encoded two related beta-1,4-endoglucanases. E. coli clones carrying ORF5 and ORF6 had beta-1,4-endoglucanase and mannanase activities, while a clone carrying only ORF6 hydrolyzed mannan but not carboxymethylcellulose. The 6th ORF had three regions of homology to mannanase A from Pseudomonas fluorescens. Based on these results, ORF6 encoded the mannanase gene. The 3rd ORF had 10 regions of homology with cellulose-binding protein A from Clostridium cellulovorans. The 1st and 2nd ORFs had no significant homology to genes or amino acid sequences in GeneBank or SwissProt. All of the ORFs except 1 encoded a potential signal peptide sequence. The upstream region of ORF1 contained four direct repeats and four inverted repeat elements, but no apparent sigma70 sequence-like promoter was present. The segment of DNA containing the 6 ORFs was preceded and followed by potential transcription termination signals suggesting a single transcriptional unit.

The endogenous polysaccharide utilization rate of mixed ruminal bacteria and the effect of energy starvation on ruminal fermentation rates

When mixed ruminal bacteria were starved in vitro for 24 h, cellular ATP decreased, but there was little change in cell protein. Starved ruminal bacteria derived most of their ATP from cellular polysaccharide. Because polysaccharide declined at a first-order rate of 23%/h, it was possible to estimate the endogenous polysaccharide utilization rate at various stages of starvation by multiplying the amount of utilizable polysaccharide remaining at each time point by 0.23. The bacteria initially had a rate of soluble carbohydrate fermentation that was > 717 micrograms of hexose equivalent/mg of protein per h. Starvation had little impact on the rate of soluble carbohydrate fermentation until 8 to 12 h, and the endogenous polysaccharide utilization rate was < 10 micrograms of hexose/mg of protein per h. The bacteria digested ball-milled cellulose at a rate of 24 micrograms of hexose/mg of protein per h for 8 to 12 h. Even bacteria that had been starved for 24 h fermented cellulose at a rate of 16 micrograms of hexose/mg of protein per h. The rate of methane production was initially 70 nmol of methane/mg of protein per min. Short periods of starvation (< 12 h) had little impact on methane production, but longer times caused an almost complete inhibition of methanogenesis. The rate of amino acid deamination was initially 31 nmol of ammonia/mg of protein per min, and the critical phase of starvation was again 8 to 12 h. Ruminal bacteria that were harvested at 24 h after feeding had 10-fold less polysaccharide than did bacteria that were harvested at 2 h after feeding, but this polysaccharide supported high rates of soluble carbohydrate and cellulose fermentation, deamination, and methane production.

Influence of monensin on Holstein steers fed high-concentrate diets containing soybean meal or urea

We conducted two growth trials to evaluate the effects of monensin on amino acid sparing. When Holstein steers were fed a 90% concentrate diet supplemented with soybean meal (13.5% CP), the DMI, ADG, and efficiencies of feed and nitrogen utilization were greater than with urea (P < .10). Monensin improved ADG with both nitrogen supplements (P < .01), but the positive effects of monensin on efficiencies of feed (P = .12) and nitrogen (P = .26) utilization were greater for soybean meal than for urea. Increasing amounts of monensin (0, 11, or 22 mg/kg of DM) caused a linear increase in DMI with urea. Diets with soybean had greater intakes than diets with urea (P < .01); the greatest intake was of a soybean diet with monensin at 11 mg/kg of DM. Holstein steers fed soybean meal at 13.5% CP had lower DMI and greater efficiencies of feed and nitrogen utilization than steers fed 16.7% CP (P < .10). Crude protein level had no effect on ADG (P > .10). Monensin always increased the efficiencies of feed and nitrogen utilization (P < .05), but these trends were greater for diets with 16.7 than for those with 13.5% CP. Overall, monensin decreased DMI (P < .01), but this effect was greater for 16.7% than for 13.5% CP. Because the positive effects of monensin on diet NEg (P = .16) and efficiency of nitrogen utilization (P = .26) were greater for soybean meal than for urea, it seemed that monensin was sparing amino acids.