细菌CRISPR-Cas 系统功能及其与噬菌体相互作用

摘要:近来研究发现,细菌CRISPR-Cas 系统在宿主菌抵抗可移动基因元件(mobile genetic elements,MGEs)的过程中发挥重要作用。CRISPR-Cas还参与宿主菌群体行为和毒力基因调控、DNA修复和基因组进化过程。本文着重综述细菌CRISPR-Cas系统的结构、类型、作用机制及其适应性免疫之外的其他功能(如对内源性基因表达的调控、促进基因组进化、DNA修复等);概述噬菌体抵抗CRISPR-Cas系统的机制,并对噬菌体-宿主菌相互作用进行探讨和展望。     

金黄色葡萄球菌壁磷壁酸致病与免疫的分子机制研究进展

金黄色葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus aureus)壁磷壁酸(wall teichoic acids, WTAs)是多元醇经由磷酸二酯键共价连接组成的细胞壁表面阴离子糖类聚合物,参与调节细胞壁的稳态并介导细菌毒力。金黄色葡萄球菌WTAs与宿主细胞表面特定的受体结合,可诱导天然免疫和获得性免疫应答。此外,金黄色葡萄球菌WTAs还参与调控毒力基因的表达,有助于细菌的定殖感染,在基因工程靶标治疗和噬菌体药物治疗方面具有广泛的应用前景。本文对金黄色葡萄球菌WTAs的合成进行了概述,综述了WTAs对宿主免疫应答的调控作用,以及在细菌对宿主侵袭与定殖中的致病机制,并归纳WTAs的耐药分子机制和作为药物治疗靶标的研究现状。这些研究为揭示WTAs的致病与免疫分子机制提供研究思路,为预防和治疗金黄色葡萄球菌的感染提供新的策略。     

细菌对细胞因子网络的干扰

在细菌感染中,细菌可通过多种方式参与宿主细胞因子网络的调控,对其调控方式和机制的探讨,有助于了解细菌的致病机制,对细菌性感染防治有重要意义。     

微生物-肠-脑轴的研究进展

肠道微生物群能够调节宿主肠道稳态,同时参与调节宿主神经系统功能和行为。肠道菌群失调可能导致宿主神经系统功能障碍,从而引发神经退行性疾病。因此,研究微生物在肠?脑轴中发挥的作用及其机制,靶向调控肠道微生物菌群结构和功能,将为神经系统疾病的诊断与治疗提供新的手段。近年来,有关肠道微生物与机体神经系统间的互作研究受到了广泛关注,然而其具体的调控机制还未明晰。因此,本文综述了肠道微生物对宿主神经健康的调节作用,以及肠道微生物与宿主间的互作在调节神经功能、行为的潜力等研究进展,为更好地了解肠道微生物在调控宿主神经系统功能和行为的作用机制提供参考。     

核内小体的复杂结构与多样化功能

核内小体是定位于细胞核内的无膜结构,为多蛋白-RNA复合体,通过招募相关蛋白参与基因转录、RNA剪切、表观遗传调控、肿瘤发生与抑制及抗病毒防御等多种细胞活动。明确核内小体蛋白的形成过程、功能和调控机制对研究相关疾病与病毒-宿主作用机制均具有重要意义。以下以几种核内小体蛋白为例,对核内小体的形成方式、结构与功能进行综述,并重点阐述其在抗病毒感染中的重要作用,期望为宿主抗病毒免疫机制研究提供一个新的靶标。     

小RNA对胞内菌生长、毒力及铁水平的调节作用

细菌小RNA(small RNA,sRNA)是一类长度为50~500个碱基,具有调控转录、翻译和mRNA稳定性的非编码调节性RNA。随着越来越多的sRNA被鉴定,部分细菌的sRNA功能已逐步阐明,主要参与调控细菌的基因表达、增殖、毒力及对环境的应激反应等生物学过程。本文就胞内菌(如沙门菌、李斯特菌、嗜肺军团菌等)sRNA对其自身在宿主细胞内的生长、毒力和铁水平的调控作用进行综述。     

细菌功能调控的重要转录因子PerR

PerR是一类存在于多种细菌中的转录因子。研究证实PerR调控的靶基因包括过氧化氢酶katA、DNA结合蛋白mrgA、铁转运调控子fur、血红素合成基因簇hemAXCDBL以及自身perR等。PerR参与的调控作用在细菌的抗氧化作用、胞内的铁离子动态平衡、以及致病菌致病作用中具有重要的意义。本综述主要从PerR调控的靶基因、参与的生理代谢作用以及PerR转录调控的分子机制等方面进行介绍,以期对我们深入了解细菌的抗逆作用机制提供参考。     

细菌非编码小RNA功能及作用机制研究进展

生物体中除了编码蛋白质的mRNA外,还存在多种具有重要调控功能的非编码RNA。细菌中长度50~500 nt的非编码RNA通常定义为sRNA。sRNA在细菌的整个生命活动中发挥着极为广泛的作用,在感受环境压力、基因表达、细胞周期乃至个体发育等过程中均具有重要的调控作用。sRNA的功能学和调控机制的研究已成为当今细菌学研究的热点。本研究就细菌中的sRNA的特征,在细菌中的作用和作用机制进行文献综述。     

人巨细胞病毒博弈宿主免疫进展

人巨细胞病毒(HCMV)感染在人群中极其普遍,病毒一旦侵入机体,将长期存在于体内,且具有潜伏-活化的生物学特性。在病毒与宿主共同进化的漫长过程中,病毒靶向性的产生了多种免疫逃避机制,通过编码病毒自身免疫调节分子,参与调控机体主要组织相容性复合体、细胞免疫、体液免疫、细胞因子及趋化因子等方面的功能,以躲避宿主的免疫杀伤作用。HCMV的免疫调节基因被认为在病毒的致病机制中扮演重要角色。本文将对近年来有关HCMV的免疫调控机制研究作一综述,从病毒编码的免疫调节分子功能的角度并结合本实验室的相关研究成果,探讨病毒与宿主免疫的相互作用过程,从病毒干预宿主免疫关键分子作用的角度映射机体对抗病毒的免疫机理。     

单核细胞增多性李斯特菌谷胱甘肽还原酶GR的生物学特性

【目的】本文旨在构建单核细胞增多性李斯特菌谷胱甘肽还原酶(glutathione reductase,GR)基因lmo1433(gr)缺失株,并研究GR在细菌生长和运动过程中发挥的作用及与谷氧还蛋白(glutaredoxin,Grx)系统间的调控关系,探究GR参与细菌抗氧化应激和致病力的生物学功能,为阐明氧化还原蛋白介导细菌环境适应和宿主内感染的机制奠定分子基础。【方法】利用细菌遗传操作系统构建获得gr缺失株及回补株后,通过分子生物学和感染生物学手段,比较野生株和突变株的运动性、生长能力、抗氧化应激、细胞黏附、侵袭和增殖能力;利用整合型质粒构建带GR启动子的荧光报告系统,并结合荧光定量分析GR受Grx调控的情况。【结果】缺失gr后李斯特菌在体外培养基中的生长能力未受明显影响,但在半固体培养基中的运动能力却显著增强;缺失gr后细菌在铜离子、镉离子以及肼中抗氧化应激能力增强,在H_2O_2中无差异;缺失gr后细胞黏附、侵袭和增殖能力均显著增强;荧光报告系统定量分析发现grx缺失后gr的启动子活性显著增强,表明Grx参与对GR的转录负调控。【结论】本研究首次证实了单增李斯特菌谷胱甘肽还原酶GR能调控细菌的运动能力,并且缺失GR增强了李斯特菌的抗氧化应激和感染宿主能力;首次证实了GR的自身转录受Grx负调控,但具体分子机制有待于深入探究。本研究有助于深入理解单增李斯特菌氧化还原蛋白的调控关系以及通过参与诸多生物学过程介导细菌体外环境适应及宿主内感染的分子机制,为防控胞内菌感染提供了新策略。     

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.