Are you Kari Aa?

Claim your profile

Publications (3)7.59 Total impact

  • Article: Effects on microbial activity by extraction of indigenous cells from soil slurries
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Possible effects on the physiological activity and culturability of soil microorganisms by different soil dispersion procedures, and effects on activity caused by extracting bacteria from soil, were investigated. There was no apparent difference in cfu's with dispersion of a silty loam soil and a loamy sand soil with pyrophosphate as compared to dispersion in NaCl. Substrate-induced respiration was reduced in the silty loam soil, and methanol oxidation was reduced in the loamy sand soil with dispersion in pyrophosphate, and the soil pH was irreversibly increased by the treatment. Extracted bacterial fractions had lower numbers of culturable cells as percentage of the total number of bacteria in each fraction, lower respiration rates and no methanol oxidation activity as compared to the soil slurry both before and after extraction. The physiological activity was apparently not affected by the number of cells extracted. This indicates that the increased extraction rate of indigenous soil bacteria obtained by effective disruption of aggregates and detachment of cells from surfaces, only results in increased extraction of cells that have been physiologically changed as a result of the extraction process.
    FEMS Microbiology Ecology 01/2006; 21(3):221 - 230. · 3.41 Impact Factor
  • Article: Characterization of production and enzyme properties of an endo-β-1,4-glucanase fromBacillus subtilis CK-2 isolated from compost soil
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Bacillus subtilis CK-2, isolated from garden organic waste compost, was found to have high hydrolytic activity against carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) due to the secretion of an endo--1,4-glucanase. Enzyme production was related to the sporulation process, and was regulated by the concentration of readily metabolizable carbohydrate in growth medium. Enzyme production did not require CMC or other cellulose containing materials. The endo--1,4-glucanase activity was optimal at pH 5.6–5.8 and at 65 MoC, and achieved thermal stability up to 55 MoC. The activity was inhibited by Hg2+. The purified enzyme gave a single band corresponding to a MW of 35.5 kDa on SDS-PAGE, while the Sephadex G-75 chromatography revealed a molecular weight of the active enzyme around 70 kDa, indicating a dimeric form of the active enzyme. The enzyme activity was irreversibly inhibited by SDS. Native PAGE and IEF revealed three different isoelectric forms of the enzyme, all with an identical N-terminal amino-acid sequence.
    Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 11/1994; 66(4):319-326. · 2.09 Impact Factor
  • Article: Nucleotide sequence of an endo-β-1,4-glucanase gene fromBacillus subtilis CK-2
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The gene encoding endo--1,4-glucanase inBacillus subtilis CK-2 was cloned intoEscherichia coli DH5, and the nucleotide sequence determined. The 1500 bp gene encodes a protein of 499 amino-acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 55 261, and is equipped with a typicalB. subtilis signal peptide. Nucleotide sequence comparison revealed only 2 basepairs deviation between this gene and the endo--1,4-glucanase gene ofB. subtilis PAP115, and 93% to 95% homology was found between the amino acid sequences of these enzymes and otherB. subtilis endo--1,4-glucanases. Regions of similarity were also observed between the carboxy-terminal part of these enzymes and the part of theB. lautus PL236celA enzyme constituting the cellulose-binding domain.
    Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 01/1994; 66(4):327-332. · 2.09 Impact Factor