Aims: To determine the microbial succession of the dominating taxa and functional groups of microorganisms and the total microbial activity during the composting of biowaste in a monitored process. Methods and Results: Biowaste (vegetable, fruit and garden waste) was composted in a monitored composting bin system. During the process, taxonomic and functional subpopulations of microorganisms were enumerated, and dominating colonies were isolated and identified. All counts decreased during the thermophilic phase of the composting, but increased again when the temperature declined. Total microbial activity, measured with an enzyme activity assay, decreased during the thermophilic phase, increased substantially thereafter, and decreased again during maturation. Bacteria dominated during the thermophilic phase while fungi, streptomycetes and yeasts were below the detection limit. Different bacterial populations were found in the thermophilic and mesophilic phases. In fresh wastes and during the peak-heating phase, all bacterial isolates were bacilli. During the cooling and maturation phase the bacterial diversity increased, including also other Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Among the fungi, Aspergillus spp. and Mucor spp. were predominant after the thermophilic phase. Conclusions: The microbial abundance, composition and activity changed substantially during composting and compost maturity was correlated with high microbial diversity and low activity. Significance and Impact of the Study: A more complete overview of the whole composting process of biowaste, based on microbial counts, species diversity and functional groups and abiotic parameters is presented, and the potential of a simple enzyme assay to measure total microbial activity was demonstrated.

No abstract

A small 45 amino acid residue antifungal polypeptide was isolated from the bark of spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus L.). Though the primary structure of this so-called E. europaeus chitin-binding protein or Ee-CBP is highly similar to the hevein domain, it distinguishes itself from most previously identi¢ed hevein-type antimicrobial peptides (AMP) by the presence of two extra cysteine residues that form an extra disul¢de bond. Due to these ¢ve disul¢de bonds Ee-CBP is a remarkably stable protein. Agar di¡usion and microtiterplate assays demonstrated that Ee-CBP is a potent antimicrobial protein. IC 50 -values as low as 1 W Wg/ml were observed for the fungus Botrytis cinerea. Comparative assays further demonstrated that Ee-CBP is a stronger inhibitor of fungal growth than Ac-AMP2 from Amaranthus caudatus seeds, which is considered one of the most potent antifungal hevein-type plant proteins.

No abstract

Three Gram-negative, yellow-pigmented strains were isolated from the rhizospheres of Spathiphyllum plants grown in a compost-amended potting mix. The strains showed biological control activity towards the root-rot plant pathogen Cylindrocladium spathiphylli, and were characterized to determine their taxonomic position. Cells of the strains were non-motile rods, and the strains were oxidase-and catalase-positive and unable to ferment most sugars tested. The three strains showed differences in growth temperature range, optimal growth temperature and some biochemical reactions. The majority of the fatty acids were branched, and large amounts of 15 : 0 iso and 17 : 1 iso v9c were present. The 16S rRNA gene sequence (1497 bp sequence similarity was observed for other members of the Gammaproteobacteria. The mean DNA-DNA reassociation value for the three strains was 100 % and was 25 % when the strains were compared with DNA from R. fulvus LMG 23003