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Biomedical subjects

A G Hay

Publications and source records attributed to A G Hay.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Natural selection for 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid mineralizing bacteria in agent orange contaminated soil.

Agent Orange contaminated soils were utilized in direct enrichment culture studies to isolate 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) mineralizing bacteria. Two bacterial cultures able to grow at the expense of 2,4,5-T and/or 2,4-D were isolated. The 2,4,5-T degrading culture was a mixed culture containing two bacteria, Burkholderia species strain JR7B2 and Burkholderia species strain JR7B3. JR7B3 was able to metabolize 2,4,5-T as the sole source of carbon and energy, and demonstrated the ability to affect metabolism of 2,4-D to a lesser degree. Strain JR7B3 was able to mineralize 2,4,5-T in pure culture and utilized 2,4,5-T in the presence of 0.01% yeast extract. Subsequent characterization of the 2,4-D degrading culture showed that one bacterium, Burkholderia species strain JRB1, was able to utilize 2,4-D as a sole carbon and energy source in pure culture. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) experiments utilizing known genetic sequences from other 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T degrading bacteria demonstrated that these organisms contain gene sequences similar to tfdA, B, C, E, and R (Strain JRB1) and the tftA, C, and E genes (Strain JR7B3). Expression analysis confirmed that tftA, C, and E and tfdA, B, and C were transcribed during 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D dependent growth, respectively. The results indicate a strong selective pressure for 2,4,5-T utilizing strains under field condition.

2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic Acid↗

The binary treatment of aqueous metribuzin using anodic fenton treatment and biodegradation.

An advanced oxidation process, anodic Fenton treatment (AFT), and a mixed microbial culture were used to degrade metribuzin [4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-methylthio-1,2,4- triazin-5(4H)-one], a broad-use triazinone herbicide. Complete and rapid removal of metribuzin was demonstrated. The appearance and subsequent degradation of metribuzin oxidation products--deaminated metribuzin (DA), diketo metribuzin (DK), as well as the production of deaminated diketo metribuzin (DADK)--were observed. To support the use of AFT as a chemical pretreatment, the ratio of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) as measured in the standard test to chemical oxygen demand (COD) was investigated, and an increase from 0.03, a nonbiodegradable solution, to 0.35, a biodegradable solution, was observed. This increase in biodegradability was associated with decreased metribuzin, DA, and DK concentrations and increased DADK concentration. AFT effluent was inoculated with either an enriched microbial culture or Polyseed, a commercially available inoculum. Although there was minimal biodegradation of the remaining metribuzin, there was a significant decrease in DA concentration in inoculated incubations compared with sterile controls after 5- and 10-minute AFT treatment. The enrichment inoculate appeared more adapted toward the less-oxidized, 5-minute-treated effluent, whereas the Polyseed culture, developed to degrade complex waste solutions, appeared to be more effective in a moreoxidized, 10-minute-treated, and potentially more complex effluent. This research supports the continued investigation of AFT and biodegradation as a binary treatment of aqueous pesticide wastes.

Agriculture↗

A bioluminescent whole-cell reporter for detection of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenol in soil.

A bioreporter was made containing a tfdRP(DII)-luxCDABE fusion in a modified mini-Tn5 construct. When it was introduced into the chromosome of Ralstonia eutropha JMP134, the resulting strain, JMP134-32, produced a sensitive bioluminescent response to 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) at concentrations of 2.0 microM to 5.0 mM. This response was linear (R(2) = 0.9825) in the range of 2.0 microM to 1.1 x 10(2) microM. Saturation occurred at higher concentrations, with maximal bioluminescence occurring in the presence of approximately 1.2 mM 2,4-D. A sensitive response was also recorded in the presence of 2,4-dichlorophenol at concentrations below 1.1 x 10(2) microM; however, only a limited bioluminescent response was recorded in the presence of 3-chlorobenzoic acid at concentrations below 1.0 mM. A significant bioluminescent response was also recorded when strain JMP134-32 was incubated with soils containing aged 2,4-D residues.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid↗

Cometabolism of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene by Pseudomonas acidovorans M3GY grown on biphenyl.

1,1-Dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE), a toxic breakdown product of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT), has traditionally been viewed as a dead-end metabolite: there are no published reports detailing enzymatic ring fission of DDE by bacteria in either soil or pure culture. In this study, we investigated the ability of Pseudomonas acidovorans M3GY to transform DDE and its unchlorinated analog, 1,1-diphenylethylene (DPE). While strain M3GY could grow on DPE, cells grown on DPE as a sole carbon source could not degrade DDE. Cells grown on biphenyl, however, did degrade DDE. Mass balance analysis of [14C]DDE showed transformation of more than 40% of the recoverable radioactivity. Nine chlorinated metabolites produced from DDE were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (GC-MS-FTIR) from cultures grown on biphenyl. Recovery of these metabolites demonstrates that biphenyl-grown cells degrade DDE through a meta-fission pathway. This study provides a possible model for biodegradation of DDE in soil by biphenyl-utilizing bacteria.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

Affective symptoms in women attending a menopause clinic.

All new attenders at the Menopause Clinic in Edinburgh over six months were interviewed to detect current depressive disorder (MADRS) and past psychiatric disorders (SADS-L), to find out whether women who were depressed at the time of clinic attendance had a history of depression. Of the 95 subjects who entered the study, 78 had gone through a natural menopause and 17 had undergone hysterectomy with or without oophorectomy. Of the 78 who had experienced a natural menopause, 35 were found to be depressed at the time of clinic attendance and 43 were not. A strong association was found between current and past depressive illness, 29 of the patients depressed at the time of clinic attendance having had depression previously. However, a clear peak of illness was seen in the perimenopausal period (four years either side of the last menstrual period): 35% of all patients with past or current depressive illness experienced their first episode of illness in this period.

Adult↗