香芹酚抑制金黄色葡萄球菌生物被膜的形成

【背景】生物被膜是细菌的一种自我保护形式,可以增强细菌对药物及宿主免疫应答的抵抗力,引起细菌耐药性和持续性感染。【目的】探究香芹酚对金黄色葡萄球菌生物被膜的作用机制,为开发新型抗生物被膜药物提供可靠的理论依据。【方法】通过结晶紫染色法检测香芹酚对供试菌株生物被膜形成的抑制和对成熟生物被膜的清除作用;使用刚果红平板法探究香芹酚对供试菌株生物被膜形成过程中细胞间多糖黏附素(polysaccharide intercellular adhesion,PIA)合成的作用;通过分光光度法检测香芹酚对胞外DNA (extracellular DNA,eDNA)分泌的抑制作用;利用RT-PCR技术检测香芹酚对供试菌株的生物被膜相关基因icaA、cidA和sarA转录水平的影响。【结果】香芹酚对生物被膜形成的抑制和生物被膜的清除均有较强作用效果。256μg/mL香芹酚抑制PIA合成和e DNA释放的效果显著。香芹酚可通过抑制相关基因转录从而抑制生物被膜的形成,当64μg/mL的香芹酚作用后,sarA的转录水平降低了60.44%±2.91%,cidA的转录水平降低了76.48%±1.67%,icaA的转录水平降低了70.00%±1.94%。【结论】香芹酚对金黄色葡萄球菌ATCC 25923生物被膜的抑制和清除作用显著,其作用机制主要是通过降低icaA、sarA和cidA基因转录水平抑制PIA的合成和eDNA的释放。     

黄芩素抑制金黄色葡萄球菌生物被膜的形成

细菌生物被膜的形成是导致细菌耐药和引起持续性感染的主要原因之一。本文通过检测黄芩素对金黄色葡萄球菌26112菌株（Staphylococcus aureus 26112,SA26112）多糖细胞间黏附素（polysaccharide intercellular adhesion, PIA）的合成和胞外DNA（extracellular DNA,eDNA）释放量的影响,及其对icaA和cidA基因表达量的影响,探讨黄芩素对金黄色葡萄菌生物被膜形成的抑制作用及其机制。结果显示,黄芩素能抑制SA26112生物被膜的形成,其抑杀SA26112的最低抑菌浓度和最低杀菌浓度均为0.04 mg/mL。0.16 mg/mL黄芩素和256 μg/mL环丙沙星单独作用时,均不能杀死其成熟生物被膜内的SA26112细菌,而当二者联用时则可杀死成熟生物被膜内的细菌。黄芩素能显著抑制SA26112菌株PIA的合成、eDNA的释放量及icaA和cidA基因的相对表达量。其中,0.04 mg/mL黄芩素作用SA26112菌株24 h,与对照组相比,eDNA的释放量减少97%,icaA和cidA基因的相对表达量分别减少62%和41%。上述结果表明,黄芩素能抑制SA26112菌株生物被膜的形成,其作用机制可通过降低icaA和cidA的基因表达量,进而影响PIA的合成和eDNA的释放,来抑制金黄色葡萄球菌生物被膜的形成。     

乳源耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌icaA/D基因缺失株的构建及其生物被膜形成能力与耐药性分析

【背景】耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus,MRSA)是一种具有多重耐药性的人畜共患病原菌,常引起奶牛乳房炎等疾病。形成生物被膜是MRSA重要的耐药机制之一。研究发现ica操纵子调控的胞间多糖黏附素(Polysaccharide Intercellular Adhesin,PIA)通过促进MRSA的黏附与聚集介导生物被膜形成,icaA和icaD基因共表达可显著提高MRSA的N-乙酰葡聚糖转移酶活性,但icaA/D蛋白对MRSA生物被膜形成和耐药性的影响仍不清楚。【目的】探讨icaA/D基因、MRSA生物被膜形成及耐药性三者之间的相关性,为寻找药物作用新靶点提供科学依据。【方法】以具有多重耐药性且生物被膜形成能力强的乳源MRSA M5分离株为研究对象,利用同源重组技术构建其icaA/D基因缺失株;利用FITC-ConA染色结合激光共聚焦显微镜观察野生株与icaA/D基因缺失株的生物被膜形成过程与能力;采用微量肉汤稀释法测定14种抗菌药物对野生株与icaA/D基因缺失株的最小抑菌浓度(MinimumInhibitoryConcentration,MIC)。【结果】构建了MRSA M5的icaA/D基因缺失株。激光共聚焦显微镜下观察到野生株在培养16 h后形成了一层厚的成熟生物被膜,随后开始解离,直至120 h完全解离;而icaA/D基因缺失株在培养后16 h仅形成一薄层生物被膜,48h完全解离。10种受试抗菌药物对缺失株的MIC较野生株减小,而且缺失株对8种药物的敏感性由原来的耐药或中介转变为中介或敏感。【结论】icaA/D基因缺失可明显降低MRSA的生物被膜形成能力与耐药性。     

冬凌草甲素对金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜的抑制机制

【背景】金黄色葡萄球菌是一种常见的食源性致病菌,易在食品及加工器具表面形成生物膜,引起食品腐败和疾病的传播,威胁食品安全。【目的】研究冬凌草甲素抑制金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜形成的作用机制。【方法】使用结晶紫染色法和扫描电镜观察冬凌草甲素对金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜形成的抑制作用,刚果红平板法定性检测冬凌草甲素对细胞间多糖黏附素(polysaccharideintercellular adhesion,PIA)合成的影响,分光光度法测定冬凌草甲素对供试菌株胞外DNA (eDNA)释放量的影响,RT-PCR技术检测冬凌草甲素对供试菌株ica A、cid A、agr A和sar A基因表达量的影响。【结果】冬凌草甲素对金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜形成有较强的抑制作用;冬凌草甲素能显著抑制PIA的合成,且呈浓度剂量依赖;冬凌草甲素能抑制供试菌株e DNA的释放量,其中1/4最小抑菌浓度(minimum inhibitory concentration,MIC)的冬凌草甲素作用金黄色葡萄球菌16 h后,与对照组相比,e DNA的释放量降低了48.62%;冬凌草甲素可显著抑制金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜形成相关基因的表达,其中1/2MIC的冬凌草甲素作用金黄色葡萄球菌16 h后,ica A、cid A、agr A和sar A基因的表达量分别比对照降低了91.6%、94.7%、77.6%和70.4%。【结论】冬凌草甲素通过抑制ica A和cid A基因的表达,影响PIA的合成和eDNA的释放,进而干预生物膜的形成。     

和厚朴酚对大肠埃希氏菌生物被膜形成的抑制机制

【目的】研究不同浓度的和厚朴酚(honokiol)抑制大肠埃希菌(Escherichia coli)的供试菌株10389生物被膜(biofilm,BF)形成的作用机制。【方法】用氯化三苯基四氮唑比色法(TTC)和四唑盐减低法(XTT)测定honokiol抑制E.coli10389生物被膜形成的药物最低抑菌浓度(MIC)和最低杀菌浓度(MBC)及其抑制作用与时间的关系;通过qRT-PCR法检测不同浓度的honokiol对E. coli 10389生物被膜形成基因和群体感应系统相关基因表达量的影响;通过生物发光法和qRT-PCR法检测亚-MIC honokiol对E. coli 10389呋喃糖基硼酸二酯(AI-2)及其调控的与生物被膜形成相关的下游基因表达量的影响。【结果】Honokiol能抑制E.coli10389生物被膜的形成,但不同浓度的honokiol抑制E. coli 10389 BF形成的作用机制不同。其中,与对照组相比,MIC的honokiol能使E. coli 10389 BF形成相关基因编码毒素(hha)和细菌酸性调节因子(ari R) mRNA的表达量显著提高,抗毒素...     

白花丹素对E.coli藻酸盐合成的抑制作用

细菌分泌的胞外多糖在生物被膜的形成和发展过程中发挥着重要作用。通过测定白花丹素对大肠埃希菌10389菌株(E.coli 10389)藻酸盐合成的影响及其对rse A和rpo E基因表达量的影响,探讨白花丹素对大肠埃希菌生物被膜(biofilm,BF)形成的抑制作用及机制。研究结果显示,白花丹素能抑制E.coli 10389生物被膜的形成,其抑杀E.coli 10389的最低抑菌浓度(minimum inhibitory concentration,MIC)和最低杀菌浓度(minimal bactericidal concentration,MBC)分别为16和64μg/mL。白花丹素对成熟BF内的细菌也有抑制和杀灭作用,其抑杀E.coli 10389成熟BF内细菌的MIC和MBC分别为64和128μg/mL。白花丹素能够抑制E.coli 10389藻酸盐的合成,其中1/2MIC的白花丹素作用E.coli 10389 24 h后,与对照组比,藻酸盐的合成量降低了34.83%(P0.01)。白花丹素可显著影响E.coli 10389 rse A和rpo E基因的相对表达量,其中1/2MIC的白花丹素作用E.coli 10389 24 h后,与对照组相比,rse A的表达量上调了17.43%,rpo E的表达量降低了12.8%(P0.05)。结果表明,白花丹素能够抑制E.coli 10389 BF的形成,其作用机制可通过影响rse A和rpo E的基因表达量,进而抑制藻酸盐的合成来抑制大肠埃希菌生物被膜的形成。     

嗜水气单胞菌生物被膜对其耐药性的影响

建立了嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila, Ah)的生物被膜(Bacterial biofilm, BF) 体外形成模型, 并对11种抗菌药物对BF细菌和浮游（Freecell, FC）细菌的清除作用进行了研究。将Ah J1株在放有硅胶膜的TSB中培养7d,用银染法鉴定,发现可形成良好的BF。FC细菌对青霉素具有耐药性, 最低杀菌浓度(MBC)为256μg/mL;对蒽诺沙星和氟哌酸最敏感,MBC分别为003μg/mL和0.25μg/mL。氟苯尼考对BF细菌的清除能力最强,作用于BF细菌和FC细菌的MBC之比为2∶1;卡那霉素、青霉素、新霉素的MBC比值在32∶1以上。扫描电镜观察蒽诺沙星作用于FC及BF细菌前后的形态变化,并测定其杀菌曲线。发现4×MBC时可完全清除FC细菌,但不能完全清除BF细菌;在32×MBC时,4h内可完全清除FC细菌,而24h内完全清除BF细菌。结果表明形成BF的Ah对抗菌药物可形成强耐受性,其潜在影响应引起足够重视。     

抗菌肽17BIPHE2对金黄色葡萄球菌生物被膜的抑制作用

【目的】研究抗菌肽17BIPHE2单独使用及联合抗生素对金黄色葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus aureus)生物被膜的抑制作用。【方法】采用刚果红平板测试法和结晶紫染色评估受试菌形成生物被膜的能力;微量肉汤稀释法和琼脂平板测试法测定金黄色葡萄球菌最小抑菌浓度(MIC)和最小杀菌浓度(MBC);利用抑制金黄色葡萄球菌黏附实验和生物被膜形成抑制实验观察17BIPHE2单独使用及联合抗生素对生物被膜黏附阶段和形成阶段的影响;通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察17BIPHE2单独使用及联合抗生素对成熟生物被膜的清除作用。【结果】17BIPHE2的MIC为8μmol/L,1/2×MIC就可以有效抑制浮游菌的生长。单独使用17BIPHE2在细菌黏附阶段抑制率为40%,在生物被膜形成阶段抑制率达到35%。17BIPHE2联合抗生素使用较单独使用抗生素其抑制率均有所下降。生物被膜成熟阶段17BIPHE2于1/4×MIC浓度即可促进生物被膜崩解,1×MIC生物被膜崩解同时细菌黏附量有所下降,联合万古霉素促进生物被膜崩解同时细菌胞质大量外泄。【结论】抗菌肽17BIPHE2具有良好的抑制金黄色葡萄球菌生物被膜作用,联合抗生素其抗生物被膜作用进一步提高。这将为治疗由金黄色葡萄球菌生物被膜引起的相关感染提供了一个新思路。     

顺反式肉桂醛对肉源隆德假单胞菌生物被膜和致腐性的抑制作用

【目的】为比较反式和顺式肉桂醛对肉源假单胞菌生物被膜和致腐性的影响。【方法】通过平板计数测定两种肉桂醛对隆德假单胞菌的最小抑菌浓度(MIC),结晶紫法、珠涡流法、激光共聚焦显微镜观察、福林法等检测亚抑菌浓度肉桂醛处理下隆德假单胞菌生物被膜形成、运动性和胞外酶活性变化。荧光定量RT-PCR检测肉桂醛对隆德假单胞菌粘附lapA、鞭毛fliC、蛋白酶aprX和脂肪酶lip基因表达量的影响。【结果】反式和顺式肉桂醛对隆德假单胞菌的MIC分别为200μg/mL和225μg/mL,1/8 MIC、1/4MIC、1/2MIC亚抑菌浓度肉桂醛显著降低隆德假单胞菌生物被膜结晶紫和粘附性,其中1/2MIC反式和顺式肉桂醛处理下被膜分别减少60.27%和52.05%,菌体粘附降低56.35%和61.10%。亚抑菌浓度肉桂醛显著减少被膜厚度,反式肉桂醛还能显著杀灭被膜菌。且肉桂醛能显著抑制菌体的泳动性,反式肉桂醛对生物被膜和泳动性的抑制效果更强。肉桂醛还能抑制隆德假单胞菌蛋白酶和脂肪酶活性,其中1/2MIC反式和顺式肉桂醛处理下菌体蛋白酶分别减少61.90%和76.19%,脂肪酶降低40.17%和47.01%。且发现肉桂醛显著降低lapA、fliC、aprX和lip表达量,其中1/2MIC反式和顺式肉桂醛分别降低4个基因表达量至对照组的0.05–0.16和0.02–0.12倍。【结论】两种亚抑菌浓度肉桂醛异构体显著抑制隆德假单胞菌生物被膜和致腐性,其中反式肉桂醛对生物被膜抑制较强,而顺式肉桂醛更有效地降低致腐酶活性,其与肉桂醛下调相应基因表达密切相关。     

鹰嘴豆芽素A对耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌外排系统的抑制作用

【目的】MRSA外排系统是其对多种药物耐药性的主要原因,为此研究鹰嘴豆芽素A对MRSA外排系统的抑制作用。【方法】以MRSA41577为供试菌株,通过二倍稀释法、双平板法和荧光分光光度法测定鹰嘴豆芽素A对MRSA41577的抑制作用及其对外排系统的影响;通过RT-PCR检测加药前后MRSA41577外排蛋白norA的表达量;SDS-PAGE检测加药前后与MRSA41577外排相关蛋白的变化,并用液相色谱质谱仪进行鉴定确认。【结果】鹰嘴豆芽素A本身无抑菌活性,但鹰嘴豆芽素A和环丙沙星联合作用后,MRSA41577对环丙沙星的敏感性显著提高,其中40μg/mL的鹰嘴豆芽素A能使环丙沙星对MRSA41577的MIC从64μg/mL降低到8μg/mL,且作用强度与药物浓度呈正相关。经鹰嘴豆芽素A处理MRSA41577后,菌体内环丙沙星的蓄积量随着药物处理时间的增加而增加,在处理15min时与对照组相比,菌体内环丙沙星蓄积量增加了83%(P﹤0.01),与阳性对照利血平的作用效果相当。鹰嘴豆芽素A能降低MRSA41577的norA表达量,与对照组相比,鹰嘴豆芽素A和环丙沙星作用MRSA41577 16h后,norA的相对表达量降低了65%,其抑制效果优于阳性对照利血平的48%。SDS-PAGE电泳结果显示,鹰嘴豆芽素A作用MRSA4157716h后,与对照组相比菌体的蛋白谱带发生了明显的变化,其中与外排系统相关的蛋白除norA蛋白明显减少外,ABC转运体ATP结合蛋白也明显减少。【结论】鹰嘴豆芽素A是MRSA41577的外排泵抑制剂,其作用机制是通过降低MRSA41577菌体内norA基因的表达量,进而减少norA蛋白的表达量,来抑制MRSA41577对环丙沙星等药物的排出而恢复其对药物的敏感性。     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Selection with two alleles and complete dominance

For a plant selection model with frequency-independent viabilities, fertilities and selfing rates, it is shown that apart from global fixation, for certain parameter combinations a protected polymorphism and facultative fixation (either allele may become fixed according to initial frequencies) may both occur. Facultative fixation requires different selling rates for the dominant and recessive type. Protection of the polymorphism requires resource allocation for male and female function. In this connection the problem of purely genetically caused population extinction is discussed.
For general frequency dependence and regular segregation, the chances for establishment of a completely recessive gene are compared to those of a completely dominant gene. It is proven that the process of establishment of the recessive gene, despite a fitness advantage, may be considerably endangered by drift effects if random mating prevails. The recessive gene may reach the same effectivity in establishment as a dominant gene, only if the recessive homozygote mates exclusively with its own type during the period of establishment.     

Composition and diversity of bird communities in Swedish farmland–forest mosaic landscapes

CapsuleThe amount of forest (at local and landscape scales) and occurrence of residual habitats at the local scale are shown to be the major factors influencing bird community composition in farmland–forest landscapes in central Sweden.

Aims To investigate the importance of local habitat and landscape structure for breeding birds in farmland–forest landscapes in central Sweden.

Methods Breeding birds were censused at 292 points. A detailed habitat mapping was made within 300 m of the points. Within a 300–600 m radius only two major habitats (forests and arable fields) were identified.

Results Cluster analyses of bird communities identified three site types that also differed in habitat composition: (i) partially forested sites in forested landscapes; (ii) heterogeneous sites with residual habitats in mosaic landscapes; and (iii) field-dominated farmland sites in open landscapes. A total of 19 of 25 farmland bird species (restricted to farmland or using both farmland and forest) had the highest abundance in farmland sites with mosaics of forest and farmland, while only six farmland species had the highest abundance in field-dominated sites. The bird community changed from being dominated by farmland species to being dominated by forest species (common in forest landscapes without farmland) at small proportions (10–20%) of forest at the local scale. A major difference in habitat composition between heterogeneous and field-dominated sites was the occurrence of different residual habitats (e.g. shrubby areas and seminatural grasslands). These habitats seemed to influence bird community composition more than land-use, despite covering <10% of the area. Seminatural grasslands were important for bird community composition and species-richness, but grazing seemed to be less important. Among different land-use types, cereal crops were the least preferred fields. Set-asides with tall vegetation and short rotation coppices were positively associated with species-richness of farmland birds.

Conclusion In general, the composition of the landscape was important for bird community composition, although amount and distribution of forests, occurrence of residual habitats and land-use of fields at the local scale had the strongest influence on bird community composition. The possible implications of these patterns for managing farmland–forest landscapes are discussed.     

Chemical constituents from the fruits of Rhus typhina L. and their chemotaxonomic significance

This work describes the isolation and characterization of twenty-nine compounds from the fruits of Rhus typhina L., including eleven flavonoids (1–11), eleven phenols (12–22), two pentacyclic triterpenes (23–24), two organic acids (25–26), one lumichrome (27), one courmarin (28) and one pyrimidine (29) on the basis of their spectroscopic data. Compounds apigenin (1), daidzein (4), orobol (5), 3′, 5, 5′, 7-tetrahydroxyflavanone (6), naringenin (7), butein (8), (-)-catechin (9), quercetin-3-O-α-L-(3″-O-galloyl)-rhamnoside (11), 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (13), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (14), vanillin (15), methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (16), 3,5-dihydroxybenzamide (18), tyrosol (19), caffeic acid (20), 3-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propan-1-one (21), phlorizin (22), friedelin (23), oleanolic acid (24), 4,4-dimethyl-heptanedioic acid (25), anthranilic acid (26), lumichrome (27), scoparone (28) and uracil (29) have not been recorded before in this plant. This is the first report on the occurrence of compounds 4–7, 9, 11, 13–14, 16, 18–21, 25–29 from the genus Rhus. Moreover, the chemotaxonomic significance of these isolated compounds was also summarized.