Lactobacilli convert linoleic acid to the antifungal compound 10-hydroxy-12-octadecenoic acid (10-HOE) by linoleate 10-hydratase (10-LAH). However, the effect of this conversion on cellular membrane physiology and properties of the cell surface have not been demonstrated. Moreover, Lactobacillus plantarum produces 13-hydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid (13-HOE) in addition to 10-HOE, but the antifungal activity of 13-HOE was unknown. Phylogenetic analyses conducted in this study did not differentiate between 10-LAH and linoleate 13-hydratase (13-LAH). Thus, linoleate hydratases (LAHs) must be characterized through their differences in their activities of linoleate conversion. Four genes encoding putative LAHs from lactobacilli were cloned, heterologous expressed, purified and identified as FAD-dependent 10-LAH. The unsaturated fatty acid substrates stimulated the growth of lactobacilli. We also investigated the role of 10-LAH in ethanol tolerance, membrane fluidity and hydrophobicity of cell surfaces in lactobacilli by disruption of lah. Compared with the L. plantarum lah deficient strain, 10-LAH in wild-type strain did not exert effect on cell survival and membrane fluidity under ethanol stress, but influenced the cell surface hydrophobicity. Moreover, deletion of 10-LAH in L. plantarum facilitated purification of 13-HOE and demonstration of its antifungal activity against Penicillium roqueforti and Aspergillus niger.

Different kinds of REBa2Cu3O7−δ (RE = Sm, Sm−Y mixture) a/c grain boundaries are obtained by altering growth parameters such as temperature or oxygen partial pressure. We attribute the boundary structure variation to the a/c grain growth competition, which mainly depends on the supersaturation in the melt. A fine a/c boundary structure is obtained under certain growth conditions. The diffusion time, for which the growth atoms can stay on the growth interface, is considered as a unique kinetic limit in the growth orientation transition mechanism in the liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) process. The growth mechanism is suggested as a combined effect of thermodynamic and kinetic factors.

No abstract

> t c , LPE would produce a c-axis oriented film; if t a > t > t c , the LPE would result in an a-axis oriented film." In that sentence, t a > t > t c should be t c > t > t a .