Asparate transcarbamoylase catalyzes the first committed step in the de novo synthesis of pyrmidine nucleotides UMP, UDP, UTP, and CTP. The archetype enzyme found in Escherichia coli (310 kDa) exhibits sigmodial substrate binding kinetics with positive control by ATP and negative control with CTP and UTP. The ATCase characterized in this study is from the extreme thermophilic Archaebacterium, Methanococcus jannaschii. The enzyme was very stable at elevated temperatures and possessed activity from 20 degrees Celsius to 90 degrees Celsius. M. Jannaschii ATCase retained 75% of its activity after incubation at 100 degrees Celsius for a period of 90 minutes. No sigmodial allosteric response to substrate for the enzyme was observed. Velocity substrate plots gave Michaelis-Menten (hyperbolic) kinetics. The Km for aspartate was 7 mM at 30 degrees Celsius and the KM for carbamoylphosphate was .125 mM. The enzyme from M. jannaschii had a broad pH response with an optimum above pH 9. Kinetic measurements were significantly affected by changes in pH and temperature. The enzyme catalyzed reaction had an energy of activation of 10,300 calories per mole. ATCase from M. jannaschii was partially purified. The enzyme was shown to have a molecular weight of 110,000 Da., with a subunit molecular …

Aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) was purified from 16 selected bacterial species including existing Pseudomonas species and former species reassigned to new genera. An enormous diversity was seen among the 16 enzymes with each class of ATCase being represented. The smallest class, class C, with a catalytically active homotrimer, at 100 kDa, was found in Bacillus and other Gram positive bacteria. In this report, the ATCases from the Gram negatives, Shewanella putrefaciens and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were added to class C membership. The enteric bacteria typify class B ATCases at 310 kDa, with a dodecameric structure composed of two catalytic trimers coupled to three regulatory dimers. A key feature of class B ATCases is the dissociability of the holoenzyme into regulatory and catalytic subunits which were enzymatically active. In this report, the ATCase from Pseudomonas indigofera was added to class B ATCases. The largest class, at 480 kDa, class A, contains the fluorescent Pseudomonas including most members of the 16S rRNA homology group I. Two polypeptides are produced from overlapping pyrBC' genes. The former, pyrB, encodes a 34 kDa catalytic polypeptide while pyrC' encodes a 45 kDa dihydroorotase-like polypeptide. Two non active trimers are made from six 34 kDa chains which are cemented …

Linseed oil is very important in industry but its use is limited due to noxious vapors produced by oxidation on exposure to air. Since some of the products are toxic, release of linseed oil vapors to the environment is normally prohibited. In order to remove the odorous compounds, a biofilter system based on bacterial metabolism was designed and the major premises of bioremediation were studied. A total of five bacterial strains capable of using linseed oil vapors as their sources of carbon and energy were isolated from soil. The individual organisms were also mixed to form a bacterial consortium. The mixed population was able to degrade linseed oil vapors with more than 99 per cent efficiency. According to this research, a successful biodegradation system was designed and, theoretically, this system could be applied to the removal of linseed oil vapors in any industrial plant air stream.

A contaminant fate and transport computer model, Bioplume II, which allows simulation of bioremediation in ground water systems, was used to compare the effects of 11 remediation scenarios on a benzene plume. The plume was created in three different hydrogeologic settings from the simulation of an underground gasoline storage tank leak.

This study was designed to determine if impingement and entrainment by cooling water intake at the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station have an adverse impact upon the Squaw Creek Reservoir fish population. The yearly impingement of fish was estimated to be 262,994 of 14 species. The threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) accounted for 96% of this total. Entrainment of eggs and larvae for a five month period was estimated to be 15,989,987 and 42,448,794 respectively. Two fish population studies were performed on Squaw Creek Reservoir to help assess impact. It was determined that the losses due to impingement and entrainment have no adverse impact upon the fish population of Squaw Creek Reservoir.

A total of 192 largemouth bass were caught at Lake Ray Roberts, Texas (1995) to investigate five controversial bass angling techniques relative to hooking mortality. The bait types were Texas-rigged scented and non-scented plastic worms, Carolina-rigged scented and non-scented plastic worms, and live golden shiners. Overall hooking mortality was 21.87% and mortality was dependent upon bait type. Highest mortality resulted from the Texas-rigged scented lures, while the lowest mortality was generated by live golden shiners. A creel survey indicated that few anglers were having success with the investigated baits. Factors that had a confirmed effect on hooking mortality were hooking location and water temperature. Hooking mortality was not excessive compared to other similar studies.

A single plaque-pure lambda clone designated λBA84 that hybridized to a ˆ32P-labeled bovine arginine tRNA was isolated from a bovine genomic library harbored in a lambda bacteriophage vector. A 2.3-kilobase segment of this clone was found to contain an arginine transfer RNAccg gene by Southern blot hybridization analysis and dideoxyribonucleotide DNA sequencing. This gene contains the characteristic RNA polymerase III split promoter sequence found in all eukaryotic tRNAs and a potential RNA polymerase III termination site, consisting of four consecutive thymine residues, in the 3'-flanking region. Several possible cis-acting promoter elements were found within the 5'-flanking region of the sequenced gene. The function of these elements, if any, is unknown.