Production of cyanophycin in Rhizopus oryzae through the expression of a cyanophycin synthetase encoding gene

Cyanophycin or cyanophycin granule peptide is a protein that results from non-ribosomal protein synthesis in microorganisms such as cyanobacteria. The amino acids in cyanophycin can be used as a feedstock in the production of a wide range of chemicals such as acrylonitrile, polyacrylic acid, 1,4-butanediamine, and urea. In this study, an auxotrophic mutant (Rhizopus oryzae M16) of the filamentous fungus R. oryzae 99-880 was selected to express cyanophycin synthetase encoding genes. These genes originated from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803, Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120, and a codon optimized version of latter gene. The genes were under control of the pyruvate decarboxylase promoter and terminator elements of R. oryzae. Transformants were generated by the biolistic transformation method. In only two transformants both expressing the cyanophycin synthetase encoding gene from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803 was a specific enzyme activity detected of 1.5 mU/mg protein. In one of these transformants was both water-soluble and insoluble cyanophycin detected. The water-soluble fraction formed the major fraction and accounted for 0.5% of the dry weight. The water-insoluble CGP was produced in trace amounts. The amino acid composition of the water-soluble form was determined and constitutes of equimolar amounts of arginine and aspartic acid

Legitimising Emerging Power Diplomacy: an Analysis of Government and Media Discourses on Brazilian Foreign Policy under Lula

Abstract This study analyses whether Brazilian foreign policy under Lula successfully legitimised the country's international identity as a rising power in the eyes of the domestic and international media. Based on a constructivist framework, we have applied French Discourse Analysis to a corpus of 36 official addresses by the President of the Republic and the Minister of Foreign Relations and 137 news articles from four news outlets, two Brazilian and two international, concerning two diplomatic episodes deemed representative of Brazil's quest for greater pre-eminence: the leadership of MINUSTAH (2004) and the Nuclear Deal signed with Iran and Turkey (2010). Results show that official discourse characterises Brazil's identity as a rising power chiefly by South-South diplomacy, while media discourse was more heterogeneous, being the discursive formation of each news outlet determinant in explaining their interpretation of Brazil's international identity

A competência da união para a elaboração de "plano nacional das atividades de exploração de petróleo e gás natural" no Brasil

O trabalho visa traçar as premissas básicas para a elaboração de um plano diretor nacional, tendo por escopo a orientação e o planejamento intertemporal da exploração dos campos petrolíferos brasileiros. Esse instrumento parte do reconhecimento do impacto ambiental do esgotamento dos reservatórios pelas atividades de exploração. A proposta procura fortalecer os instrumentos legais existentes e as políticas públicas de fontes alternativas de energia.The aim of this study is to lay down the basic premises of a national master plan, whose scope is to guide the intertemporal planning of the exploration of Brazilian oilfields. One purpose of this instrument is to acknowledge the environmental impact of the depletion of supplies by exploitation activities. The proposal also aims to strengthen the existing legal instruments and public policies for alternative energy sources

Monitoring of black grouse in the Belluno province (Eastern Italian Alps)

Grouse New

Relationships between livestock production systems and landscape changes in the Belluno province

Belluno province is a wide mountain area (approximately 3600 km2) in the northeastern Italy. In the last 50 years, this area has experienced a large exodus from the rural villages towards the main valleys and urban areas