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Microbial Competition (microbial + competition)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Life Sciences	75%

Selected Abstracts

Microbial competition: Study of global branching phenomena

AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2000
Abdelhamid Ajbar
The stability characteristics of a bioreactor with cell recycle involving the competition between microbial cultures are investigated. The unstructured model, based on Andrew's inhibitory kinetics, involves the pure and simple competition between two microorganisms for a single pollutant. The singularity theory used for this study allows an in-depth analysis of both the static and dynamic bifurcation mechanisms occurring in the system. The hysteresis with five solutions is the highest singularity the system can exhibit. With inhibitory kinetic expressions, the model can also predict self-sustained oscillations for a wide range of parameters. The analysis of clean feed conditions shows that the model cannot exhibit periodic behavior regardless of the growth kinetics model. Analytical criteria are also derived for the coexistence of the competing cultures and for the prevention of wash-out conditions. The stability characteristics for Monod kinetics, derived as a limiting case of the inhibitory kinetic expressions, are incorporated in the general framework offered by the singularity theory. [source]

Soil animals influence microbial abundance, but not plant,microbial competition for soil organic nitrogen

FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2004
L. COLE
Summary 1In a microcosm experiment we examined the effects of individual species of microarthropods, and variations in microarthropod diversity of up to eight species, on soil microbial properties and the short-term partitioning of a dual-labelled organic nitrogen source (glycine-2- 13C- 15N) between a grassland plant, Agrostis capillaris, and the soil microbial biomass, to determine how soil fauna and their diversity influence plant,microbial competition for organic N. 2We hypothesized that variations in the diversity of animals would influence the partitioning of 15N inputs between plants and the microbial biomass, due to the effect of animal grazing on the microbial biomass, and hence its ability to sequester N. 3Certain individual species of Collembola influenced the microbial community of the soil. Folsomia quadrioculata reduced microbial biomass, whereas Mesaphorura macrochaeta enhanced arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization of A. capillaris roots. Effects of increasing species richness of microarthropods on microbial biomass and AM colonization were detected, but these effects could be interpreted in relation to the presence or absence of individual species. 4Microbial uptake of added 15N was not affected by the presence of any of the individual species of animal in the monoculture treatments. Similarly, increasing diversity of microarthropods had no detectable effect on microbial 15N. 5Root and shoot uptake of 15N was also largely unaffected by both single species and variations in diversity of microarthropods. However, one collembolan species, Ceratophysella denticulata, reduced root 15N capture when present in monoculture. We did not detect 13C in plant tissue under any experimental treatments, indicating that all N was taken up by plants after mineralization. 6Our data suggest that, while single species and variations in diversity of microarthropods influence microbial abundance in soil, there is no effect on microbial or plant uptake of N. Overall, these data provide little support for the notion that microbial-feeding soil animals are regulators of microbial,plant competition for N. [source]

Potato diseases caused by soft rot erwinias: an overview of pathogenesis

PLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
M. C. M. Pérombelon
Three soft rot erwinias, Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora, E. carotovora ssp. atroseptica and E. chrysanthemi are associated with potatoes causing tuber soft rot and blackleg (stem rot). Latent infection of tubers and stems is widespread. As opportunistic pathogens, the bacteria tend to cause disease when potato resistance is impaired. Pathogenesis or disease development in potato tubers and stems is discussed in terms of the interaction between pathogen, host and environment, microbial competition and recent findings on the molecular basis of pathogenicity. Emphasis is placed on the role of free water and anaerobiosis in weakening tuber resistance and in providing nutrient for erwinias to multiply. Blackleg symptoms are expressed when erwinias predominate in rotting mother tubers, invade the stems and multiply in xylem vessels under favourable weather conditions. Soft rot erwinias tend to out-compete other bacteria in tuber rots because of their ability to produce larger quantities of a wider range of cell wall-degrading enzymes. However, despite extensive studies on their induction, regulation and secretion, little is known about the precise role of the different enzymes in pathogenesis. The putative role of quorum-sensing regulation of these enzymes in disease development is evaluated. The role certain pathogenicity-related characters, including motility, adhesion, siderophores, detoxifying systems and the hrp gene complex, common to most bacteria including symbionts and saprophytes, could play in latent and active infections is also discussed. [source]