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Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an emerging gas transmitter, has been shown to be involved in multiple intracellular physiological and biochemical processes. In this study, the effects of hydrogen sulfide coupled with calcium on cadmium removal and resistance in Phanerochaete chrysosporium were examined. The results revealed that H2S enhanced the uptake of calcium by P. chrysosporium to resist cadmium stress. The removal and accumulation of cadmium by the mycelium was reduced by H2S and Ca2+ pretreatment. Moreover, oxidative damage and membrane integrity were alleviated by H2S and Ca2+. Corresponding antioxidative enzyme activities and glutathione were also found to positively respond to H2S and Ca2+, which played an important role in the resistance to cadmium-induced oxidative stress. The effects of hydroxylamine (HA; a hydrogen sulfide inhibitor) and ethylene glycol-bis-(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA; a calcium chelator) toward H2S and Ca2+ and their cross-interactions confirmed the positive roles and the potential crosstalk of H2S and Ca2+ in cadmium stress resistance. These findings imply that the protective effects of H2S in P. chrysosporium under cadmium stress may occur through a reduction in the accumulation of cadmium and promotion of the antioxidant system, and the H2S-regulated pathway may be associated with the intracellular calcium signaling system. Key points • Altered monoterpenoid tolerance mainly related to altered activity of efflux pumps. • Increased tolerance to geranic acid surprisingly caused by decreased export activity. • Reduction of export activity can be beneficial for biotechnological conversions.

Chemokines are important regulators of the immune system, inducing specific cellular responses by binding to receptors on immune cells. In SLE patients, decreased expression of CCL2 on mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) prevents inhibition of B-cell proliferation, causing the characteristic autoimmune phenotype. Nevertheless, the intrinsic role of CCL2 on B-cell autoimmunity is unknown. In this study using Ccl2 KO mice, we found that CCL2 deficiency enhanced BCR signaling by upregulating the phosphorylation of the MST1-mTORC1-STAT1 axis, which led to reduced marginal zone (MZ) B cells and increased germinal center (GC) B cells. The abnormal differentiation of MZ and GC B cells were rescued by in vivo inhibition of mTORC1. Additionally, the inhibition of MST1-mTORC1-STAT1 with specific inhibitors in vitro also rescued the BCR signaling upon antigenic stimulation. The deficiency of CCL2 also enhanced the early activation of B cells including B-cell spreading, clustering and signalosome recruitment by upregulating the DOCK8-WASP-actin axis. Our study has revealed the intrinsic role and underlying molecular mechanism of CCL2 in BCR signaling, B-cell differentiation, and humoral response.

As an important chemokine receptor, the role of CX3CR1 has been studied extensively on the migration of lymphocytes including T and B cells. Although CX3CR1+ B cells have immune suppressor properties, little is known about its role on the regulation of BCR signaling and B cell differentiation as well as the underlying molecular mechanism. We have used CX3CR1 KO mice to study the effect of CX3CR1 deficiency on BCR signaling and B cell differentiation. Interestingly, we found that proximal BCR signaling, such as the activation of CD19, BTK and SHIP was reduced in CX3CR1 KO B cells upon antigenic stimulation. However, the activation of mTORC signaling was enhanced. Mechanistically, we found that the reduced BCR signaling in CX3CR1 KO B cells was due to reduced BCR clustering, which is caused by the enhanced actin accumulation by the plasma membrane via increased activation of WASP. This caused an increased differentiation of MZ B cells in CX3CR1 KO mice and an enhanced generation of plasma cells (PC) and antibodies. Our study shows that CX3CR1 regulates BCR signaling via actin remodeling and affects B cell differentiation and the humoral immune response.

Due to the biomagnifying effect in the food chains, heavy metals will cause serious harm to the food produced in paddy soil, and then threaten human health. The remediation of soil heavy metals by the addition of amendments is a common method. However, the combination of the two amendments has been less studied and its effect is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of different concentrations of a lime and calcium-magnesium phosphate (CMP) amendments metal availability and paddy soil bacteria biodiversity. The experiment proves that the addition of 0.5 and 1.0‰ amendment can effectively reduce cadmium (Cd) availability and the cadmium content in rice to be below 0.2 mg/kg, meeting the national food safety level. The results demonstrate that increasing pH and phosphorous (P) in soil were two important factors decreasing available cadmium. Furthermore, biodiversity analysis of the treated soil showed that the amendment increased biodiversity. Proteobacteria and Chloroflex were the most abundant bacteria at the phylum level, followed by Acidobacterium and Nitrospirae. The abundance of Bacterodietes-vadinHA17, Syntrophaceae, and Thiobacillus increased as phosphorous increased. Cadmium passivation might induce those species.

Sanguinarine has strong inhibitory effects against the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. However, previous studies were mainly limited to laboratory tests. The efficacy of sanguinarine for mitigation of cyanobacterial blooms under field conditions, and its effects on aquatic microbial community structure remain unknown. To elucidate these issues, we carried out in situ cyanobacterial bloom mitigation tests. Our results showed that sanguinarine decreased population densities of the harmful cyanobacteria Microcystis and Anabaena. The inhibitory effects of sanguinarine on these cyanobacteria lasted 17 days, after which the harmful cyanobacteria recovered and again became the dominant species. Concentrations of microcystins in the sanguinarine treatments were lower than those of the untreated control except during the early stage of the field test. The results of community DNA pyrosequencing showed that sanguinarine decreased the relative abundance of the prokaryotic microorganisms Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes and eukaryotic microorganisms of Cryptophyta, but increased the abundance of the prokaryotic phylum Proteobacteria and eukaryotic microorganisms within Ciliophora and Choanozoa. The shifting of prokaryotic microbial community in water column was directly related to the toxicity of sanguinarine, whereas eukaryotic microbial community structure was influenced by factors other than direct toxicity. Harmful cyanobacteria mitigation efficacy and microbial ecological effects of sanguinarine presented in this study will inform the broad application of sanguinarine in cyanobacteria mitigation.

Oil adsorption sponges have attracted great attention in the field of oil-water mixture treatment, due to their low cost, high porosity, flexible design, and three dimensional skeleton structures. However, the hydrophilic-oleophilic of commercial sponge limits its application for oil-water treatment. To improve the adsorption performance and simplify the oil recovery process, various modification methods have been studied recently. Herein, we discuss the fabrication of hydrophobic/oleophilic sponges and summarize the recently reported modify materials onto sponges. Furthermore, some additional material properties are also presented, which make sponges superior capacity for addressing oil spills under extreme conditions. In addition, some oil collecting devices based on sponges, which are used to facilitate the oil collecting processes, are also shown. Meanwhile, the outlooks and challenges are also offered for future applications of sponges in the remediation of oil spill.

Microcystis aeruginosa has several morphological and physiological traits that frequently enable it to dominate in eutrophic waters. Sanguinarine is a promising algaecide of biological origin that ...

Microcystis aeruginosa frequently forms cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic water bodies, resulting in high concentrations of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the water column. The effects of M. aeruginosa EPS (MA-EPS) on the adsorption behavior of Cu(II) onto kaolinite and the possible mechanisms were investigated in this study. The results of potentiometric titration and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy determination show that carboxyl, phosphoryl and amino/hydroxyl groups were the main adsorption groups on MA-EPS. The combination of EPS with kaolinite created new adsorption sites. MA-EPS increased the adsorption of Cu(II) by kaolinite mainly through complexation. The adsorption kinetics of Cu(II) by kaolinite or kaolinite + EPS composite (Kao + EPS) was well fitted by a pseudo-second order kinetic model. The adsorption isotherm analyses show that the incorporation of MA-EPS onto kaolinite increased its surface heterogeneity. Rather than intercalating into the kaolinite interlayers, MA-EPS and/or Cu(II) were adsorbed onto the surface of this clay.

Background AKT2 is one of the key molecules that involves in the insulin-induced signaling and the development of cancer. In B cells, the function of AKT2 is unclear. Methods In this study, we used AKT2 knockout mice model to study the role of AKT2 in BCR signaling and B cell differentiation. Results AKT2 promotes the early activation of B cells by enhancing the BCR signaling and actin remodeling. B cells from AKT2 KO mice exhibited defective spreading and BCR clustering upon stimulation in vitro. Disruption of Btk-mediated signaling caused the impaired differentiation of germinal center B cells, and the serum levels of both sepecific IgM and IgG were decreased in the immunized AKT2 KO mice. In addition, the actin remodeling was affected due to the decreased level of the activation of WASP, the actin polymerization regulator, in AKT2 KO mice as well. As a crucial regulator of both BCR signaling and actin remodeling during early activation of B cells, the phosphorylation of CD19 was decreased in the AKT2 absent B cells, while the transcription level was normal. Conclusions AKT2 involves in the humoral responses, and promotes the BCR signaling and actin remodeling to enhance the activation of B cells via regulating CD19 phosphorylation.

Toxicity effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the freshwater bivalve Corbicula fluminea (C. fluminea) were investigated through experiments. In this study, C. fluminea promoted the sedimentation of AgNPs and affected the fate and transformation of AgNPs. A series of biomarkers of C. fluminea in vivo were evaluated after 14 days exposure to various doses (0–2 mg L−1) of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) coated AgNPs. The levels of antioxidants increased obviously in 2 mg L−1 AgNPs treatments to protect C. fluminea from oxidative damage. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione (GSH) played important roles in tissues detoxification in 0.1 and 0.5 mg L−1 exposure, respectively. The biological behaviors (feeding rate, ammonia excretion rate) were inhibited at 0.1 mg L−1, inducted at 0.5 mg L−1, and inhibited again at 2 mg L-1 AgNPs, which indicated that AgNPs influenced the physiological metabolism of C. fluminea. Ag contents in tissue and shell of C. fluminea were much higher than blank groups. In addition, in vivo tissues were more sensitive to low AgNPs concentration compared with shells, indicating that C. fluminea could be used as a good indicator for AgNPs freshwater pollution. No Ag was detected in feces probably implying that nanoparticles had long gut retention time in C. fluminea. Overall, this study reveals the interactions between AgNPs and C. fluminea and provides important implications about the fate and toxicity of AgNPs in natural aquatic environment.

Potential transformations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) upon interaction with naturally ubiquitous organic ligands in aquatic environments influence their transport, persistence, bioavailability, and subsequent toxicity to organisms. In this study, differential behaviors of AgNPs and silver ions (Ag+) towards cysteine (Cys), an amino acid representative of thiol ligands that easily coordinate to Ag+ and graft to nanoparticle surfaces, were investigated in the aspects of bioremediation and their toxicity to Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Total Ag removal, 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degradation, extracellular protein secretion, and cellular viability were enhanced to some extent after supplement of various concentrations of cysteine under stress of AgNPs and Ag+. However, an obvious decrease in total Ag uptake was observed after 5–50 μM cysteine addition in the groups treated with 10 μM AgNPs and 1 μM Ag+, especially at a Cys:Ag molar ratio of 5. More stabilization in uptake pattern at this ratio was detected under Ag+ exposure than that under AgNP exposure. Furthermore, in the absence of cysteine, all Ag+ treatments stimulated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) more significantly than high-dose AgNPs did. However, cysteine supply under AgNP/Ag+ stress aggravated ROS levels, albeit alleviated at 100 μM Ag+, indicating that the toxicity profiles of AgNPs and Ag+ to P. chrysosporium could be exacerbated or marginally mitigated by cysteine. The results obtained were possibly associated with the lability and bioavailability of AgNP/Ag+-cysteine complexes.

This study investigated the influence of silver ions (Ag + ) on the cytotoxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in Phanerochaete chrysosporium and noted the degree of extracellular secretions in response to the toxicant's stress. Oxalate production was elicited with moderate concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and AgNPs reaching a plateau at 10 mg/L and 10 μM, respectively. Increased oxalate accumulation was accompanied by higher activities of manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP). However, the secretion of oxalate, MnP and LiP was significantly inhibited owing to Ag + incorporation into AgNP solution. Production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) significantly elevated with an increase in 2,4-DCP concentrations; however, after 24 h of exposure to 100 mg/L 2,4-DCP, an obvious decrease in EPS occurred, indicating that part of EPS could be consumed as carbon and energy sources to ameliorate biological tolerance to toxic stress. Furthermore, AgNP-induced “particle-specific” cytotoxicity was substantially enhanced with additional Ag + as evidenced by its significant negative impact on cellular growth, plasma membrane integrity, and morphological preservation compared with AgNPs at equal Ag concentration.

The extensive use of neonicotinoid pesticides in the past two decades caused serious impacts on many kinds of living beings. Therefore, it has been strongly suggested to detoxify and eliminate neonicotinoids’ residual levels in environment. Here, the degradation and detoxification of thiamethoxam (THX) by white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was conducted. Results shown that P. chrysosporium can tolerate THX and degraded 49% of THX after incubation for 15 days, and then 98% for 25 days at the initial concentration of 10 mg/L, which indicates the excellent degradation ability of this fungus to THX. Based on the by-products identified, THX underwent dechlorination, nitrate reduction, and C–N cleavage between the 2-chlorothiazole ring and oxadiazine. (Z)-N-(3-methyl-1,3,5-oxadiazinan-4-ylidene)nitramide and 3-methyl-1,3,5-oxadiazinan-4-imine were identified as the main metabolites. The impacts of THX and its corresponding degradation intermediates on the growth of E. coil and Microcystis aeruginosa as well as the germination of rape and cabbage demonstrated that P. chrysosporium effectively degrades THX into metabolites and reduces its biotoxicity. The present work demonstrates that P. chrysosporium can be effectively used for degradation and detoxification of THX.

The growing potential of quantum dots (QDs) in biomedical applications has raised considerable concerns regarding their toxicological impact. Consequently, there has been a need to understand the underlying toxicity mechanism of QDs. In this work, we comprehensively investigated the bioaccumulation and toxicity of three CdSe/ZnS QDs (COOH CdSe/ZnS 525, NH2 CdSe/ZnS 525, and NH2 CdSe/ZnS 625) in Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium) using confocal laser scanning microscopy, reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurements, and cell viability assays. Confocal laser scanning microscopy analytical results indicated that all the CdSe/ZnS QDs, with the concentration ranging from 10 to 80nM, could accumulate largely in the hyphae and induce the generation of ROS, showing a direct toxicity to P. chrysosporium. And the bioaccumulation and toxicity of CdSe/ZnS QDs presented dose-dependent and time-dependent effects on P. chrysosporium. Furthermore, the CdSe/ZnS QDs-induced cytotoxicity was also related to their physicochemical properties, including particle size and surface charges: NH2 CdSe/ZnS 525 with small size was more cytotoxic as compared to NH2 CdSe/ZnS 625 with large size, and the smaller negative charged NH2 CdSe/ZnS 525 resulted in greater cytotoxicity than the larger negative charged COOH CdSe/ZnS 525. The obtained results provide valuable information for exploring and understanding of toxicity mechanism of QDs in living cells.

Biologically derived algicidal substances are regarded as environmentally friendly in the control of harmful cyanobacterial blooms. To evaluate the possible control of Microcystis-based water blooms using fruit from Macleaya cordata (MC-fruit), the effects of MC-fruit on the growth, polyphasic chlorophyll fluorescence transients, microcystin production and efficacy of in situ cyanobacterial bloom removal were investigated. The results showed that MC-fruit could effectively inhibit the growth of M. aeruginosa PCC7806 at a concentration of 1 mg l−1. MC-fruit stress caused severe damage to photosynthesis of M. aeruginosa and decreased the content of cellular microcystin-LR. The results of an in situ field test showed that MC-fruit effectively reduced the biomass of Microcystis and improved water quality. Accordingly, MC-fruit may be a useful biologically derived algicide for cyanobacterial bloom control.

Biochar and compost have been widely used for pollution remediation of heavy metals in soil. However, little research was conducted to explore the efficiency of biochar, compost and their combination to reduce heavy metals availability, and the effects of their additive on soil biological properties are often neglected. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of biochar, compost and their combination on availability of heavy metals, physicochemical features and enzyme activities in soil. Results showed that adding amendments to polluted soil significantly altered soil properties. Compared to the separate addition of biochar or compost, their combined application was more effective to improve soil pH, organic matter (OM), organic carbon (TOC) and available potassium (AK). All amendments significantly decreased the availability of Cd and Zn, but slightly activated As and Cu. In addition, soil enzyme activities were activated by compost and inhibited by biochar, but exhibited highly variable responses to their combinations. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that electrical conductivity (EC) and AK were the most important environmental factors affecting metal availability and soil enzyme activities including dehydrogenase, catalase, β-glucosidase, urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase, arylsulfatase except for protease and invertase. Availability of As, Cu, Cd and Zn affected dehydrogenase, catalase and urease activities. These results indicated that biochar, compost and their combination have significant effects on physicochemical features, metals availability and enzyme activities in heavy metal-polluted soil.

The ecological implications of livestock production intensification have received sustained attention across the globe. Anaerobic digestion is the main process for livestock waste treatment. However, the ecological consequences of dissolved organic matter originating from anaerobic digestion (AD-DOM) in eutrophic water bodies remain elusive. In this study, the physiological responses of a bloom-forming cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa , to AD-DOM were investigated. Moreover, the composition of AD-DOM was identified by using thermochemolysis followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. The growth of M. aeruginosa FACHB905 was not sensitive to low levels (0.625–1.25%, V/V) of AD-DOM but was inhibited by high levels (2.5–5%, V/V) of AD-DOM, resulting from photoinhibition damage to photosystem II (PSII). The main target of AD-DOM in PSII was the electron accepting side ( ψ 0 ) or the electron donor side ( φ P 0 ), depending on time variables. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) level showed a positive correlation with AD-DOM addition; however, it was higher than that of the control for 3.75–5% AD-DOM on the 6th day. The intracellular microcystin contents (including MC-LR and Dha 7 -MC-LR) decreased in response to AD-DOM addition, but extracellular microcystin increased after 6 days of exposure. In addition, GC–MS detection showed that AD-DOM is mainly composed of lignin-derived aromatic compounds, alkanes/alkene, nitrogen­containing compounds, and sterols. The results presented in this study suggested that AD-DOM released from the livestock industry may play a subtle role in affecting harmful algal blooms through level-dependent variables. In addition, the ecological consequences of microcystin released by toxin-producing species under AD-DOM stress are still worth considering.

The growing potential of quantum dots (QDs) in biological and biomedical applications has raised considerable concern due to their toxicological impact. Consequently, it is urgent to elucidate the underlying toxicity mechanism of QDs. In this work, we comprehensively investigated the cellular uptake of four CdSe/ZnS QDs (COOH CdSe/ZnS 525, COOH CdSe/ZnS 625, NH2 CdSe/ZnS 525, and NH2 CdSe/ZnS 625) and induced physiological responses in Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium) through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and the determination of malondialdehyde content, superoxide level, superoxide dismutase activity, catalase activity and glutathione level. The results showed that the four CdSe/ZnS QDs accumulated largely in the hyphae and caused oxidative stress to P. chrysosporium in the tested concentration range (10–80 nM). Furthermore, the cellular uptake and cytotoxicity were related to the physicochemical properties of the QDs, such as particle size and surface charges. Negatively charged CdSe/ZnS QDs with small size could be more easily ingested by P. chrysosporium than large ones; thus small size CdSe/ZnS QDs were more cytotoxic to P. chrysosporium. On the other hand, small negatively charged CdSe/ZnS QDs resulted in greater cytotoxicity than large negatively charged CdSe/ZnS QDs. The obtained results offer valuable information for revealing the toxicity mechanism of QDs in living cells.

The phytogenic algicide sanguinarine shows strong inhibitory effects on some bloom-forming cyanobacteria and exhibits great potential in cyanobacterial bloom mitigation. To evaluate the possible ecological effects of sanguinarine on microalgae, the effects and possible mechanisms of sanguinarine on the competition between bloom-forming cyanobacterium Raphidiopsis raciborskii (formerly named Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii) and green alga Scenedesmus obliquus were investigated through co-culture competition test and comparative toxicological study including growth characteristics, chlorophyll fluorescence transients, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and lipid peroxidation. The results of Raphidiopsis-Scenedesmus co-culture competition test showed that sanguinarine decreased the competition ability of R. raciborskii, which benefitted S. obliquus in winning the competition. Toxicological studies have shown that sanguinarine exhibited high inhibitory effects on the growth and photosynthesis of R. raciborskii but no obvious toxicity on S. obliquus at concentrations of no more than 80 μg L−1. Oxidative damage partially contributed but was not the primary mechanism for the toxicity of sanguinarine on R. raciborskii. The results presented in this study indicate that sanguinarine may be a good algicidal candidate in mitigation of Raphidiopsis-based water bloom.

This study systematically investigated the advanced oxidation processes driven by the white-rot fungus (WRF) Phanerochaete chrysosporium in the removal of the neonicotinoid pesticide imidacloprid (IMI). The quinone redox cycling driven by P. chrysosporium promotes the degradation of IMI in presence of Mn2+ and Fe (III)-oxalate. Results showed that the degradation efficiency varied with the type of quinine mediator, and gallic acid (GA) was a more effective mediator than 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ). The removal rate of IMI was increased by 1.8-fold in the presence of 100 μM of Mn2+ compared with that of the system without Mn2+. The addition of oxalic acid and EDTA promoted the degradation of IMI, and the effect of oxalic acid was more pronounced at the later stage (day 5 and day 6); the optimal Fe3+/oxalate ratio was 1:3. Time-course experiments revealed the maximum removal rates of IMI were 97.37%, 82.0% and 73.52% at the initial IMI concentration of 10, 20, and 30 mg/L, respectively, in the presence of 100 μM Mn2+, 100 μM Fe3+-300 μM of oxalate and 500 μM gallic acid. Under quinone redox cycling conditions, the good correlation between ·OH production rates and the enzymes activity was concluded, the quinines redox cycles promote enzyme activity, as well as the rate of ·OH production. Results from this study indicated the GA mediator-based system using P. chrysosporium offers a new method to advance the bio-oxidation process owing to its simple culture system, low-cost precursors, unique fungi, and degradation stability.

In this study, influences of cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+), anions (NO3-, Cl-, and SO42-), and humic acid (HA) on the antimicrobial efficacy of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)/Ag+ against Phanerochaete chrysosporium were investigated by observing cell viability and total Ag uptake. K+ enhanced the antimicrobial toxicity of AgNPs on P. chrysosporium, while divalent cations decreased the toxicity considerably, with preference of Ca2+ over Mg2+. Impact caused by a combination of monovalent and divalent electrolytes was mainly controlled by divalent cations. Compared to AgNPs, however, Ag+ with the same total Ag content exhibited stronger antimicrobial efficacy towards P. chrysosporium, regardless of the type of electrolytes. Furthermore, HA addition induced greater microbial activity under AgNP stress, possibly originating from stronger affinity of AgNPs over Ag+ to organic matters. The obtained results suggested that antimicrobial efficacy of AgNPs was closely related to water chemistry: addition of divalent electrolytes and HA reduced the opportunities directly for AgNP contact and interaction with cells through formation of aggregates, complexes, and surface coatings, leading to significant toxicity reduction; however, in monovalent electrolytes, the dominating mode of action of AgNPs could be toxic effects of the released Ag+ on microorganisms due to nanoparticle dissolution.

Background B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling, combined with CD19 and CD21 signals, imparts specific control of B-cell responses. Dedicator of cytokinesis protein 2 (DOCK2) is critical for the migration and motility of lymphocytes. Although absence of DOCK2 leads to lymphopenia, little is known about the signaling mechanisms and physiologic functions of DOCK2 in B cells. Objective We sought to determine the underlying molecular mechanism of how DOCK2 regulates BCR signaling and peripheral B-cell differentiation. Methods In this study we used genetic models for DOCK2, Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP), and lymphoid enhancer–binding factor 1 deficiency to study their interplay in BCR signaling and B-cell differentiation. Results We found that the absence of DOCK2 led to downregulation of proximal and distal BCR signaling molecules, including CD19, but upregulation of SH2-containing inositol 5 phosphatase 1, a negative signaling molecule. Interestingly, DOCK2 deficiency reduced CD19 and CD21 expression at the mRNA and/or protein levels and was associated with reduced numbers of marginal zone B cells. Additionally, loss of DOCK2 reduced activation of WASP and accelerated degradation of WASP, resulting into reduced actin accumulation and early activation of B cells. Mechanistically, the absence of DOCK2 upregulates the expression of lymphoid enhancer–binding factor 1. These differences were associated with altered humoral responses in the absence of DOCK2. Conclusions Overall, our study has provided a novel underlying molecular mechanism of how DOCK2 deficiency regulates surface expression of CD21, which leads to downregulation of CD19-mediated BCR signaling and marginal zone B-cell differentiation.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an important cellular signaling molecule, plays vital roles in mediating responses to biotic/abiotic stresses. Influences of H2S on metal removal, cell viability, and antioxidant response of Phanerochaete chrysosporium upon exposure to heavy metals and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the present study were investigated. An enhancement in Pb(ΙΙ) removal with an increase in concentration of the H2S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) was observed, and the maximum removal efficiencies increased by 31% and 17% under 100 and 200 mg/L Pb(ΙΙ) exposure, respectively, in the presence of 500 μM NaHS. Application of 500 μM NaHS increased the cell viability by 15%–39% under Pb(II) stress (10–200 mg/L) with relative to the untreated control. Increase in total Ag uptake and cell survival was also elicited by NaHS in a concentration-dependent manner under AgNP stress. Meanwhile, activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly enhanced with the introduction of NaHS under stresses of Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), and AgNPs. The inhibition in lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress was observed in P. chrysosporium cells exposed to these toxicants following NaHS pretreatment, which could be attributed to the upregulation in antioxidant enzymes. The results obtained suggest that H2S can alleviate heavy metals and AgNP-induced toxicity to P. chrysosporium and improve the removal efficiency of these toxicants from wastewater.

As an atypical guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), Dock5 has been extensively studied in cellular functions. However, the role of Dock5 on B-cell immunity still remain elusive. In this study, we generated a Dock5 knockout mouse model to study the effect of Dock5 deficiency on B cell development, differentiation and BCR signaling. We found that the absence of Dock5 leads to a moderate effect on B cell development in the bone marrow and reduces follicular (FO) and marginal zone (MZ) B cells. Mechanistically, the key positive upstream B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling molecules, CD19 and Brutons tyrosine kinase (Btk), whose activation determines the fate of FO and MZ B cells, is reduced in Dock5 KO B cells upon antigenic stimulation by using total internal reflection fluorscence microscopy (TIRF) and immunoblot. Interestingly we found that the cellular filamentous actin (F-actin), also decreased in Dock5 KO B cells upon stimulation, which, in turn, offers feedback to BCR signaling. Our study has unveiled that Dock5 regulates the peripheral B cell differentiation via controlling the CD19-Btk signaling axis as well as actin reorganization.

Antioxidative response of Phanerochaete chrysosporium induced by silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their toxicity mechanisms were comprehensively investigated in a complex system with 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and Ag+. Malondialdehyde content was elevated by 2,4-DCP, AgNPs, and/or Ag+ in concentration- and time-dependent manners within 24 h, indicating an increase in lipid peroxidation. However, beyond 48 h of exposure, lipid peroxidation was alleviated by upregulation of intracellular protein production and enhancement in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). Comparatively, POD played more major roles in cell protection against oxidative damage. Furthermore, the dynamic change in reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was parallel to that of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and ROS levels correlated well with GSSG contents (R2 = 0.953) after exposure to AgNPs for 24 h. This finding suggested that elimination of oxidative stress resulted in depletion of reduced glutathione. Coupled with the analyses of anoxidative responses of P. chrysosporium under the single and combined treatments of AgNPs and Ag+, HAADF-STEM, SEM, and EDX demonstrated that AgNP-induced cytotoxicity could originate from the original AgNPs, rather than dissolved Ag+ or the biosynthesized AgNPs.

This research was conducted to determine the effects of Phanerochaete chrysosporium inoculation on the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial (AOB) communities during agricultural waste composting. AOB communities with different inoculation regimes were investigated by quantitative PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Results showed that P. chrysosporium inoculation imposed certain stimulatory effects on the AOB amoA gene abundance. Samples with different inoculation regimes were dominated by different AOB species. Linear regression analysis indicated that the AOB community abundance had a significant positive correlation with pile pH (P < 0.05). The AOB amoA gene structure was best related to water soluble carbon (WSC) (P = 0.002, F = 14.17) and pile temperature (P = 0.04, F = 2.72). Variance partition analysis suggested that the sample property heterogeneity induced by inoculation imposed a greater impact (42.9%, P = 0.006) on the bacterial amoA gene structure than different inoculation regimes (23.6%, P = 0.022).

This study investigated the performance of immobilized Phanerochaete chrysosporium loaded with nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanoparticles in the treatment of raw landfill leachate with a very low biodegradability ratio (BOD5/COD) of 0.09. The effects of various operating parameters, such as initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration, pH, temperature, and biosorbent dosage, were evaluated with respect to the removal efficiency of total organic carbon (TOC) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N). For the immobilized biosorbents, an optimum pH of 6.0 for TOC and 7.0 for NH3-N were found suitable for TOC and NH3-N removal at temperature of 37°C, respectively. The most superior removal efficiencies of TOC and NH3-N of landfill leachate were over 75% and 74% in 72 h at an initial COD concentration of 200 mg L(-1), respectively. In addition, heavy metals were partly removed by the immobilized biosorbents during the process of landfill leachate treatment. The species and mass percentage of organic compounds in landfill leachate after the treatment were found to have considerably declined according to the gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) system. These results indicate that the immobilized P. chrysosporium loaded with nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanoparticles could be a convenient and efficient method for the treatment of landfill leachate.

Silica fertilization and nano-MnO2 amendment are reported as useful approaches in lowering the accumulation of arsenic in rice grains, but the effects of silica fertilization or nano-MnO2 amendment on microbial community in the paddy soils containing high concentration of arsenic are still unknown. In order to elucidate this question, the structures and composition of microbial community in the paddy soils, in response to silica fertilization and nano-MnO2 amendment, were investigated using pyrosequencing technique. The results indicated that Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteria were the main dominating phyla in these paddy soils. A decrease in the relative abundance of Chloroflexi and Cyanobacteria, but an increase in the relative abundance of Acidobacteria was observed after silica fertilization and nano-MnO2 amendment. The changes of Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Cyanobacteria were strongly correlated with pH and the concentration of bioavailable arsenic in the paddy soils. The α-diversity of bacteria in the paddy soils increased in response to silica fertilization at low amendment level, but decreased under silica or nano-MnO2 amendment at high amendment level. Results of β-diversity analysis indicated that the microbial communities in the control treatment shared more similarity with that of those received low level of nano-MnO2 amendment, and the two silica fertilization treatments also shared more similarity with each other.

The extracellular secretions are believed to have a significant influence on microorganisms physicochemical properties related to growth, morphological preservation, and environment stress defense. In this study, the response and potential detoxification role of the extracellular secretions in the widely used white-rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium , was investigated. The results indicated that the EPS production was elevated and the activities of two main ligninolytic enzymes (LiP and MnP) were generally inhibited by cadmium. At the early exposure period (0–8 h), the extracellular protein was induced by 50 μM cadmium. However, an opposite result was observed with further increase in exposure time. The oxalate secretion under cadmium stress increased by 73.2%–218.4% compared to control. The addition of oxalic acid resulted in elevation in P. chrysosporium viability up to 190.6%, which confirms the detoxification of oxalate. The extracellular secretions such as EPS, extracellular protein and oxalate were elevated in some extent by cadmium, which was probably a stress response for P. chrysosporium to bind cadmium ion and cope the toxicity. Moreover, extracellular biosynthesis of cadmium crystal particles was observed, which is a directly evidence of P. chrysosporium extracellular secretions to reduce the mobility and bioavailability of cadmium ion.

Immobilized Phanerochaete chrysosporium loaded with TiO 2 nanoparticles (PTNs) are novel high-value bioremediation materials for adsorbing cadmium and for degrading 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). The real-time changes in H + and O 2 fluxes were measured using the noninvasive microtest technique (NMT). The H + influx increased after the addition of 2,4-DCP, and shifted to efflux following the addition of Cd 2+ . The O 2 flux decreased after the addition of both 2,4-DCP and Cd 2+ . A larger Cd 2+ flux was immediately observed after exposure to 0.5 mM Cd 2+ (−351.25 pmol cm −2 s −1 ) than to 0.1 mM Cd 2+ (−107.47 pmol cm −2 s −1 ). The removal of Cd 2+ by the PTNs increased more after treatment with the 0.5 mM exposure solution (27.6 mg g −1 ) than with the 0.1 mM exposure solution (3.49 mg g −1 ). The enzyme activities were analyzed to review the antioxidative defense system of PTNs in a solution containing various concentrations of Cd 2+ . The activities of the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidase as well as the enzyme catalase (CAT) plateaued at 6.5 U g −1 FW and 9.7 U g −1 FW, respectively, after exposure to 0.25 mM Cd 2+ . The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased gradually in solutions containing 0.1–0.6 mM Cd 2+ , and eventually reached a maximum (68.86 U g −1 FW). These results illustrate how the antioxidative defense system and the physiological fluxes of PTNs respond to the stress caused by toxic pollutants.

A novel biosorbent, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-immobilized Phanerochaete chrysosporium, was applied to the bioremediation of composite-polluted wastewater, containing both cadmium and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). The optimum removal efficiency achieved was 78% for Cd(II) and 95.4% for 2,4-DCP at initial concentrations of 20 mg/L Cd(II) and 40 mg/L 2,4-DCP. PPBs had significantly enhanced the resistance of P. chrysosporium to 2,4-DCP, leading to the degradation rates of 2,4-DCP beyond 90% with varying initial 2,4-DCP concentrations. This research demonstrated that 2,4-DCP and secreted proteins might be used as carbon and nitrogen sources by PVA-immobilized P. chrysosporium beads (PPBs) for Cd(II) removal. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the surface of PPBs were dominant in Cd(II) binding. The mechanism underlying the degradation of 2,4-DCP into fumaric acid and 1-hexanol was investigated. The adsorption–desorption studies indicated that PPBs kept up to 98.9% of desorption efficiency over three cycles.

Despite the knowledge about increasing discharge of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into wastewater and its potential toxicity to microorganisms, the interaction of AgNPs with heavy metals in the biological removal process remains poorly understood. This study focused on the effect of AgNPs (hydrodynamic diameter about 24.3 ± 0.37 nm) on the removal of cadmium (Cd(II)) by using a model white rot fungus species, Phanerochaete chrysosporium . Results showed that the biological removal capacity of Cd(II) increased with the concentration of AgNPs increasing from 0.1 mg/L to 1 mg/L. The maximum removal capacity (4.67 mg/g) was located at 1 mg/L AgNPs, and then decreased with further increasing AgNPs concentration, suggesting that an appropriate concentration of AgNPs has a stimulating effect on the removal of Cd(II) by P. chrysosporium instead of an inhibitory effect. Results of Ag + and total Ag concentrations in the solutions together with those of SEM and XRD demonstrated that added AgNPs had undergone oxidative dissolution and transported from the solution to the surface of fungal mycelia (up to 94%). FTIR spectra confirmed that amino, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and other reducing functional groups were involved in Cd(II) removal, AgNPs transportation, and the reduction of Ag + to AgNPs.

Application of algicidal bacteria is a promising way in the control of harmful algal blooms. However, many environmental factors can strongly influence the algicidal efficiency of algicidal bacteria against harmful algae. Till now, the relationship between algicidal efficiency and environmental factors is still elusive. In order to explore the key factors which play important role in determining the algicidal efficiency of an algicidal bacterium Bacillus sp. B50 against Microcystis aeruginosa, the susceptibilities of thirteen M. aeruginosa strains to algicidal bacterium Bacillus sp. B50 were tested. The results indicated that these thirteen M. aeruginosa strains could be classified into three groups: high susceptive strains, moderate susceptive strains and, resistant ones. The susceptibility of these Microcystis strains to Bacillus sp. B50 did not correspond with microcystins-producing characteristics or cellular phenotype of M. aeruginosa. However, the susceptibility has a linear relationship with growth rate of these M. aeruginosa strains. Bacterial community in the culture of the resistant strains could modify the susceptibility of susceptive one to the stress from algicidal bacterium, but this modification could be diminished by enhancing inoculation density of algicidal bacterium. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Due to the widespread application of white-rot fungi for the treatment of pollutants, it's crucial to exploit the special effects of pollutants on the microbes. Here, we studied the effects of cadmium on calcium homeostasis in the most studied white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The response of P. chrysosporium to cadmium stress is concentration-dependent. A high concentration of cadmium caused the release of calcium from P. chrysosporium, while a hormesis effect was observed at a lower cadmium concentration (10 μM), which resulted in a significant increase in calcium uptake and reversed the decrease in cell viability. Calcium (50 μM) promoted cell viability (127.2% of control), which reflects that calcium can protect P. chrysosporium from environmental stress. Real-time changes in the Ca2+ and Cd2+ fluxes of P. chrysosporium were quantified using the noninvasive microtest technique. Ca2+ influx decreased significantly under cadmium exposure, and the Ca2+ channel was involved in Ca2+ and Cd2+ influx. The cadmium and/or calcium uptake results coupled with the real-time Ca2+ and Cd2+ influxes microscale signatures can enhance our knowledge of the homeostasis of P. chrysosporium with respect to cadmium stress, which may provide useful information for improving the bioremediation process.

Prevalence of heavy metals in the living environment causes chemical stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium). However, the mechanisms involved in ROS defense are still under investigation. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of lead- and cadmium-induced oxidative stress on the activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), lignin peroxidase (LiP), and manganese peroxidase (MnP). A time-dependent change in all enzyme activities was observed following exposure to 50 μM cadmium and 25 μM lead. The lowest values were recorded at 4 h after exposure. Both cadmium and lead inhibited CAT and POD. The cytochrome P450 (CYP450) levels increased under 50-100 μM cadmium or lead exposure and decreased when heavy metal concentration was under 50 μM; this suggested that ROS is not the only factor that alters the CYP450 levels. The cadmium removal rate in the sample containing 900 μM taxifolin (inhibitor of CYP450) and 100 μM cadmium was reduced to 12.34 %, 9.73 % lower than that of 100 μM cadmium-induced sample, indicating CYP450 may play an indirect but key role in the process of clearance of heavy metals. The pH of the substrate solution decreased steadily during the incubation process.

Traditional three-domain fungal and bacterial laccases have been extensively studied for their significance in various biotechnological applications. Growing molecular evidence points to a wide occurrence of more recently recognized two-domain laccase-like multicopper oxidase (LMCO) genes in Streptomyces spp. However, the current knowledge about their ecological role and distribution in natural or artificial ecosystems is insufficient. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity and composition of Streptomyces two-domain LMCO genes in agricultural waste composting, which will contribute to the understanding of the ecological function of Streptomyces two-domain LMCOs with potential extracellular activity and ligninolytic capacity. A new specific PCR primer pair was designed to target the two conserved copper binding regions of Streptomyces two-domain LMCO genes. The obtained sequences mainly clustered with Streptomyces coelicolor , Streptomyces violaceusniger , and Streptomyces griseus . Gene libraries retrieved from six composting samples revealed high diversity and a rapid succession of Streptomyces two-domain LMCO genes during composting. The obtained sequence types cluster in 8 distinct clades, most of which are homologous with Streptomyces two-domain LMCO genes, but the sequences of clades III and VIII do not match with any reference sequence of known streptomycetes. Both lignocellulose degradation rates and phenol oxidase activity at pH 8.0 in the composting process were found to be positively associated with the abundance of Streptomyces two-domain LMCO genes. These observations provide important clues that Streptomyces two-domain LMCOs are potentially involved in bacterial extracellular phenol oxidase activities and lignocellulose breakdown during agricultural waste composting.

Microorganisms are essential for maintaining ecosystem balance, and understanding their response to toxic pollutants is important in assessing the potential environmental impacts of such releases. In this study, the response to the heavy metal cadmium and the potential defense or adaptive mechanisms of the widely used white-rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, were investigated. The results indicated that cadmium causes plasma membrane damage, including rigidification of lipids, a decrease in H+-ATPase activity, and lipid peroxidation. The cellular death may be mediated by oxidative stress with mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) breakdown and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Parts of the cells were able to survive by activating antioxidant defense systems (antioxidant agents and enzymes). Extracellular synthesis of cadmium crystal particles was observed after exposure to dissolved cadmium ion, which is probably another detoxification mechanism in which the dissolved metal is precipitated, thus reducing its bioavailability and toxicity. These physiological responses of P. chrysosporium to cadmium together with the defense mechanisms can provide useful information for the development of fungal-based technologies to reduce the toxic effects of cadmium.

This research was conducted to search and identify spontaneously growing heavy metal-tolerant plant species that are potentially useful for phytoremediation in contaminated sediment. Five sites were selected for collection of plants growing on polluted shore (river bank) sediment of the Xiang River, China. The concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd in plants, sediments, and grasshoppers were determined using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS700, Perkin-Elmer, USA). Considering translocation factor and bioaccumulation factor, Rumex crispus (Polygonaceae), Rumex dentatus (Polygonaceae), and Lagopsis supina (Labiatae) could be potentially useful for phytostabilization of metals. R. crispus can be considered potentially useful for phytoextraction of Cd. In light of the biomagnification factors, grasshoppers are deconcentrators for Pb and Cd, microconcentrators for Zn and macroconcentrators for Cu to the plants, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first report on Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd accumulation in R. crispus and L. supina, providing a pioneer contribution to the very small volume of data available on the potential use of native plant species from contaminated sediments in phytostabilization and phytoremediation technologies.

Microorganisms need to resist the hazards posed by heavy metals during the process of metal adsorption. Phanerochaete chrysosporium is a fungus that is efficiently used for heavy-metal biosorption in wastewater treatment. Extraction and analysis of proteins induced by heavy metals can help to understand the regulatory mechanisms of P. chrysosporium in wastewater treatment. In this study, P. chrysosporium was exposed to 50 μM cadmium nitrate. A maximum cadmium adsorption capability of 77.1 mg/g dry biomass was found after 65 h, which was accompanied by a relatively higher protein concentration. After separation of the culture fluid proteins by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), three differentially expressed proteins were detected from 17 spots. By using 2D-DIGE, followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS), glutathione S-transferase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase were identified. All three enzymes play important roles in the oxidative stress caused by cadmium.

a b s t r a c t Laccases or laccase-like multicopper oxidases (LMCOs) could catalyze the oxidation of various substrates coupled to the reduction of oxygen to water. In this study, eight strains with laccase activity were isolated from composting samples in different phases, among which strain C1 isolated from the thermophilic- phase sample presented the highest laccase activity. The purified LMCO of strain C1 showed a single protein band on SDS-PAGE gel with a molecular mass of about 38 kDa. The novel laccase showed alkaline resistance and moderate thermostability. The enzyme activity was activated by some metal ions such as

Due to the particular activation and inhibition behavior of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on microbes at various concentrations, it’s crucial to exploit the special concentration effect in environment. Here, we studied the viability variation of Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium) under exposure to citrate-coated AgNPs (Citrate-AgNPs) in the presence of different sulfide sources (an inorganic sulfide, NaHS and an organic sulfide, thioacetamide (TAA)). The results indicated that both NaHS and TAA can promote activation of P. chrysosporium by Citrate-AgNPs at a higher concentration, which was initial at toxic level. Treatment with various concentrations of Citrate-AgNPs (0–9 mg/L) demonstrated a maximum activation concentration (MAC) at 3 mg/L. With the increase in sulfide concentration, MAC transferred to higher concentration significantly, indicating the obvious “toxicity to activation” transformation at a higher concentration. Ag+ testing exhibited that variations in sulfide-induced Ag+ concentration (3−7 μg/L Ag+) accounted for the “toxicity to activation” transformation. In addition, the similar results were observed on antibacterial application using Escherichia coli as the model species. Based on the research results, the application of this transformation in improving antibacterial activity was proposed. Therefore, the antibacterial activity of AgNPs can be controlled, even at concentration, via adjusting for the sulfide concentration.

Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been recognised as an effective bioremediation agent due to its unique degradation to xenobiotic and biosorption ability to heavy metals. However, few studies have focused on the simultaneous removal of heavy metals and organic pollutants. The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of simultaneous cadmium removal and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degradation in P. chrysosporium liquid cultures. The removal efficiencies were pH dependent and the maximum removal efficiencies were observed at pH 6.5 under an initial cadmium concentration of 5 mg/L and an initial 2,4-DCP concentration of 20 mg/L. The removal efficiencies for cadmium and 2,4-DCP reached 63.62% and 83.90%, respectively, under the optimum conditions. The high production levels of lignin peroxidase (7.35 U/mL) and manganese peroxidase (8.30 U/mL) resulted in an increase in 2,4-DCP degradation. The protein content decreased with increasing cadmium concentration. The surface characteristics and functional groups of the biomass were studied by scanning electron microscopy and a Fourier-transformed infrared spectrometer. The results showed that the use of P. chrysosporium is promising for the simultaneous removal of cadmium and 2,4-DCP from liquid media.

Biofertilizers have been widely used in many countries for their benefit to soil biological and physicochemical properties. A new microbial biofertilizer containing Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Bacillus thuringiensis was prepared to decrease nicotine content in tobacco leaves by regulating soil nitrogen supply. Soil NO3--N, NH4+-N, nitrogen supply-related enzyme activities, and nitrogen accumulation in plant leaves throughout the growing period were investigated to explore the mechanism of nicotine reduction. The experimental results indicated that biofertilizer can reduce the nicotine content in tobacco leaves, with a maximum decrement of 16-18 % in mature upper leaves. In the meantime, the total nitrogen in mature lower and middle leaves increased with the application of biofertilizer, while an opposite result was observed in upper leaves. Protein concentration in leaves had similar fluctuation to that of total nitrogen in response to biofertilizer. NO3--N content and nitrate reductase activity in biofertilizer-amended soil increased by 92.3 and 42.2 %, respectively, compared to those in the control, whereas the NH4+-N and urease activity decreased by 37.8 and 29.3 %, respectively. Nitrogen uptake was improved in the early growing stage, but this phenomenon was not observed during the late growth period. Nicotine decrease is attributing to the adjustment of biofertilizer in soil nitrogen supply and its uptake in tobacco, which result in changes of nitrogen content as well as its distribution in tobacco leaves. The application of biofertilizer containing P. chrysosporium and B. thuringiensis can reduce the nicotine content and improve tobacco quality, which may provide some useful information for tobacco cultivation.

Oleamide, a fatty acid derivative, shows inhibitory effect against the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. The EC50 of oleamide on the growth of M. aeruginosa NIES-843 was 8.60 ± 1.20 mg/L. In order to elucidate the possible mechanism of toxicity of oleamide against M. aeruginosa, chlorophyll fluorescence transient, cellular ultrastructure, fatty acids composition and the transcription of the mcyB gene involved in microcystins synthesis were studied. The results of chlorophyll fluorescence transient showed that oleamide could destruct the electron accepting side of the photosystem II of M. aeruginosa NIES-843. Cellular ultrastructure examination indicated that the destruction of fatty acid constituents, the distortion of thylakoid membrane and the loss of integrity of cell membrane were associated with oleamide treatment and concentration. The damage of cellular membrane increased the release of microcystins from intact cells into the medium. Results presented in this study provide new information on the possible mechanisms involved and potential utilization of oleamide as an algicide in cyanobacterial bloom control.

In this study, the H2S donor, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) was used to pretreat Phanerochaete chrysosporium in order to improve its ability to degrade 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). When pretreated with 100 μM NaHS, P. chrysosporium was able to degrade 2,4-DCP completely in 24 h, whereas the degradation efficiency of the untreated control was only 57%. The 2,4-DCP-induced oxidative stress was alleviated by NaHS, and the percentage of surviving cells increased by 32%. H2S or HS−, rather than other compounds derived from NaHS, were responsible for promoting 2,4-DCP degradation by P. chrysosporium. The results of this study suggest that H2S treatment is a potential strategy to alleviate environmental stress and improve the efficiency of the biological removal of pollutants from wastewater.

This study details a novel method for the extracellular microbial synthesis of cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots (QDs) by the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. P. chrysosporium was incubated in a solution containing cadmium nitrate tetrahydrate, which became yellow from 12h onwards, indicating the formation of CdS nanocrystals. The purified solution showed a maximum absorbance peak between 296 and 298 nm due to CdS particles in the quantum size regime. The fluorescence emission at 458 nm showed the blue fluorescence of the nanoparticles. X-ray analysis of the nanoparticles confirmed the production of CdS with a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure. The average grain size of the nanoparticles was approximately 2.56 nm, as determined from the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) measurement of the most intense peak using Scherer's equation. Transmission electron microscopic analysis showed the nanoparticles to be of a uniform size with good crystallinity. The changes to the functional groups on the biomass surface were investigated through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, the secretion of cysteine and proteins was found to play an important role in the formation and stabilization of CdS QDs. In conclusion, our study outlines a chemical process for the molecular synthesis of CdS nanoparticles.

Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been identified as an effective bioremediation agent for its biosorption and degradation ability. However, the applications of P. chrysosporium are limited owing to its long degradation time and low resistance to pollutants. In this research, nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were loaded on P. chrysosporium to improve the remediation capacity for pollutants. The removal efficiencies were maintained at a high level: 84.2% for Cd(II) and 78.9% for 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in the wide pH range of 4.0 to 7.0 in 60 h. The removal capacity of immobilized P. chrysosporium loaded with nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (PTNs) was strongly affected by the initial Cd(II) and 2,4-DCP concentrations. The hyphae of PTNs became tight, and a large amount of crystals adhered to them after the reaction. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that carboxyl, amino, and hydroxyl groups on the surface of PTNs were responsible for the biosorption. In the degradation process, 2,4-DCP was broken down into o-chlorotoluene and 4-hexene-1-ol. These results showed that PTNs is promising for simultaneous removal of Cd(II) and 2,4-DCP from wastewater.

Cyanobacterial blooms result in high level of cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in water. The effects of bloom-forming cyanobacterial EPS on the distribution of Cd(II) in the interface between sediment and water is unknown. Clay is a main component in sediment. The effects of EPS, originated from a typical bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, on the adsorption and desorption characteristics of Cd(II) by kaolinite were investigated in this study. Results of XRD analysis indicated that cyanobacterial EPS bound on the surface of kaolinite. The composite of kaolinite + EPS showed higher adsorption capacity toward Cd(II) than pure kaolinite, and hydroxyl groups were involved in the adsorption processes. The data for the adsorption of Cd(II) by kaolinite are well fitted by both Langmuir model and Freundlich model, whereas only Freundlich model well describes the adsorption data of Cd(II) by the composite of kaolinite + EPS. The adsorption of Cd(II) onto kaolinite was an exothermic process, but it became an endothermic process after EPS incorporation. Results of desorption showed that EPS incorporation increased the adsorption of kaolinite toward Cd(II) through physical adsorption, ion exchange and complexation.