结核分枝杆菌硫醇乙酰基转移酶基因敲除株的构建及其生物学特性分析

为探索硫醇乙酰基转移酶(mycothiol acetyltransferase,MshD)在结核分枝杆菌中的生物学特性,本实验利用噬菌体为载体的同源重组技术,构建结核分枝杆菌mshD基因敲除株、mshD基因回补株,用实时定量聚合酶链反应(real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, RT-qPCR)对所构建的菌株进行验证。分别收集H37Ra野生株、mshD基因敲除株、mshD基因回补株对数生长期菌液各5 mL, 离心收集菌体并培养,以观察菌落形态、生物膜形成及生长曲线测定;用5 mmol/L H₂O₂、0.05% SDS,50 ℃热激及低氧条件下分别处理基因敲出菌株和野生菌株,将菌液进行10倍梯度稀释,培养4～6周后检测抗胁迫能力并计算存活率。结果显示, 与野生株H37Ra相比,mshD基因敲除株菌落褶皱减少且菌落偏小,生长趋势较为缓慢;生物膜形成所需时间增长且褶皱明显减少;抗逆能力下降,存活率略低于野生株和回补株。揭示了mshD基因对结核分枝杆菌的生长具有重要作用,为进一步揭示该基因的功能和作用机制奠定了基础。     

肠出血性大肠杆菌O157∶H7前噬菌体CP-933Y缺失突变株的构建

目的:利用Red重组系统敲除肠出血性大肠杆菌O157∶H7前噬菌体片段CP-933Y,进而构建CP-933Y缺失突变株。方法:以肠出血性大肠杆菌O157∶H7菌株为模板,加入酶切位点PCR扩增前噬菌体CP-933Y上、下游各600 bp的同源臂序列;酶切后分别连接到p UC19-kan质粒的卡那霉素(包含FRT位点)抗性基因两侧,构建中间是卡那霉素抗性基因标记含有目的基因上、下游同源序列的线性片段;导入含有p KD46质粒的O157∶H7菌株中,利用Red编码的同源重组酶使该片段与目的基因上、下游发生同源重组,卡那霉素抗性基因置换菌株中CP-933Y前噬菌体片段,最后导入p CP20质粒去除卡那霉素抗性标记基因。结果:经PCR及测序验证,O157∶H7菌株中前噬菌体片段CP-933Y被敲除,敲除株与野生株具有相似的生长曲线。结论:构建了大肠杆菌O157∶H7前噬菌体CP-933Y缺失株,为进一步研究前噬菌体CP-933Y的功能奠定了基础。     

结核分枝杆菌同源重组基因敲除系统的构建和应用

【目的】结核分枝杆菌同源重组效率很低,突变株的构建需要半年之久。本研究的目的在于构建一种用于在结核分枝杆菌中进行基因快速敲除、且易于筛选的高效同源重组系统。【方法】野生型结核分枝杆菌转化含有SacB反向选择标记、且能诱导表达两种同源重组酶gp60和gp61的质粒pSL002。然后分别将靶基因的两个同源臂克隆入到含有hyg(潮霉素)抗性基因和gfp(绿色荧光蛋白)基因的重组质粒pSL001中,再将靶基因同源臂-loxP-hyg-gfp-loxP片段从pSL001切下,转化含有pSL002的野生型结核分枝杆菌,一步得到双交换突变株。再将含有SacB反向选择标记、且表达Cre重组酶的质粒pSL003转化入结核分枝杆菌双交换突变株中,切除两个loxP之间的hyg抗性基因和gfp基因,得到无痕缺失突变株。最后利用含有2%蔗糖的琼脂糖平板去除含有SacB反向选择标记的质粒pSL002和pSL003。【结果】在结核分枝杆菌中成功构建了高效同源重组系统,利用该系统构建了rv1364c、pstP跨膜区、pstP胞外区三个突变株,得到双交换突变株的效率为25%-62.5%,从双交换突变株得到无痕缺失突变株的效率为100%。通过gfp作为荧光标记基因,利用NightSea BlueStar蓝光手电筒和滤光眼镜,可以对平板上的基因缺失株直接进行快速判定。【结论】该同源重组系统利用gp60和gp61重组酶,在时间上将在结核分枝杆菌中无痕缺失突变株的构建从6个月缩短到3个月。这是目前为止在结核分枝杆菌中构建突变株最快且效率最高的方法,为加速分枝杆菌功能基因组的研究提供了新的遗传工具。     

λRed重组系统用于沙门菌质粒毒力基因spvC敲除株的构建

[目的]利用λRed重组系统敲除沙门菌质粒毒力基因spvC。[方法]首先以质粒p KD4为模板,扩增得到两侧含spvC同源臂、中间为卡那霉素抗性基因的线性DNA片段。再将此线性片段电转入具重组功能的感受态沙门菌菌株,发生重组后,卡那霉素平板筛选阳性转化子。最后利用表达FLP重组酶的质粒p CP20,将FRT位点之间的卡那霉素抗性基因消除,用PCR鉴定。Western Blot检测野生沙门菌和spvC敲除株感染的He La细胞ERK磷酸化水平。[结果]沙门菌质粒毒力基因spvC敲除株构建成功,spvC敲除株感染的He La细胞内ERK磷酸化水平升高。[结论]成功构建沙门菌质粒毒力基因spvC敲除株,验证了spvC基因的功能。     

分枝杆菌glpX基因的功能

摘要:【目的】构建耻垢分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium smegmatis)glpX基因敲除株,研究其在生理代谢中的功能。【方法】利用分枝杆菌噬菌体Che9c重组系统构建耻垢分枝杆菌glpX 基因敲除株;比较野生株及突变株在不同碳源培养条件下的生长差异;通过荧光实时定量PCR,比较野生株在以葡萄糖或油酸为唯一碳源培养下,glpX基因的表达水平。【结果】glpX突变株在以甘油或油酸为唯一碳源的培养基中无法生长;野生株在以油酸为唯一碳源培养下,glpX基因表达上调。【结论】glpX基因编码了分枝杆菌糖异生途径必需的和非冗余的果糖1,6-二磷酸酶(fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase,FBPase)。     

分枝杆菌噬菌体重组系统及其应用

噬菌体是微生物遗传学研究的有力工具及源泉.分枝杆菌噬菌体也是构建分枝杆菌,尤其是结核分枝杆菌遗传研究工具的基础.目前,基于分枝杆菌噬菌体重组酶的重组系统是国际热点.总结了近年来基于分枝杆菌噬菌体Che9c重组酶gp60、gp61所构建的分枝杆菌重组工程体系及其在分枝杆菌基因组研究方面的应用,并结合实验室工作展望了其研究前景.该体系不依赖细菌自身的RecA系统,不需要限制性内切核酸酶和DNA连接酶,不需要复杂的体外操作,只需表达分枝杆菌噬菌体重组酶,从而使结核分枝杆菌基因敲除、基因敲入及点突变和构建分枝杆菌噬菌体突变株更方便.这为分枝杆菌及其噬菌体基因诱变及基因功能研究提供了迅捷的新途径.     

分枝杆菌glpX基因的功能

【目的】构建耻垢分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium smegmatis)glpX基因敲除株,研究其在生理代谢中的功能。【方法】利用分枝杆菌噬菌体Che9c重组系统构建耻垢分枝杆菌glpX基因敲除株;比较野生株及突变株在不同碳源培养条件下的生长差异;通过荧光实时定量PCR,比较野生株在以葡萄糖或油酸为唯一碳源培养下,glpX基因的表达水平。【结果】glpX突变株在以甘油或油酸为唯一碳源的培养基中无法生长;野生株在以油酸为唯一碳源培养下,glpX基因表达上调。【结论】glpX基因编码了分枝杆菌糖异生途径必需的和非冗余的果糖1,6-二磷酸酶(fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase,FBPase)。     

利用细菌人工染色体同源重组对小鼠基因进行条件型敲除

目的:探索通过细菌人工染色体(BAC)同源重组系统构建条件基因敲除载体的高效率方法,提高条件基因敲除小鼠(Flox小鼠)的构建效率。方法:利用作者自己构建的噬菌体重组酶系统,通过BAC同源重组进行条件型基因敲除载体构建工作。首先通过亚克隆构建了一系列载体含有同源臂的靶向质粒,线性化后,打靶片段经电穿孔法转入大肠杆菌内,与相应的BAC同源重组,再经过三步同源重组和一步位点特异性重组,构建小鼠条件型基因敲除载体。结果:高效率构建了小鼠基因的最终条件基因敲除载体。结论:通过BAC同源重组高效构建条件基因敲除载体,为条件基因敲除载体的构建提供了全新思路,并为FLox小鼠的建立,及相应基因在发育、生理、致病机制等方面的功能研究奠定了基础。     

鼠伤寒沙门菌spvBC基因编辑株的构建

利用λRed重组系统和pBAD原核表达载体构建鼠伤寒沙门菌spvBC质粒毒力基因修饰菌株,为深入探究沙门菌毒力基因spv的功能和致病机制及宿主抗感染免疫提供工具菌。以pKD4为模板,PCR扩增含spvBC同源臂的卡那霉素抗性基因以构建同源打靶片段,再将其电转入含有质粒pKD46的鼠伤寒沙门菌中进行同源重组,随后将质粒pCP20电转导入阳性转化子,消除卡那霉素抗性基因,PCR鉴定敲除株的构建。PCR扩增含酶切位点的spvBC基因片段,扩增产物与原核表达载体pBAD/gⅢ分别双酶切后连接构建pBAD-spvBC重组质粒,PCR筛选阳性菌落并测序鉴定。将构建成功的pBAD-spvBC重组质粒电转导入spvBC敲除株中,Western blot测定不同浓度L-阿拉伯糖诱导SpvB和SpvC蛋白表达情况。PCR结果表明鼠伤寒沙门菌spvBC基因敲除成功;PCR及测序结果表明pBAD-spvBC重组质粒构建成功,Western blot结果表明13 mmol/L L-阿拉伯糖可诱导SpvB和SpvC蛋白正常表达。λRed重组系统可用于沙门菌质粒上大片段基因的敲除,pBAD原核表达载体可用于沙门菌质粒上大片段基因的回补,丰富了细菌质粒的基因修饰和编辑策略。     

猪链球菌2型强毒株sly基因敲除株构建及生物学特征分析北大核心

[目的]构建猪链球菌2型05ZYH33溶血素sly基因敲除突变株,比较突变株与野生株生物学特征。[方法]分别克隆sly上游序列L、下游序列R和壮观霉素抗性基因spcr,构建基因敲除质粒p UC18-LSR,并电转化入05ZYH33感受态细菌。用多重PCR、RT-PCR及Southern杂交对sly基因敲除突变株进行鉴定。比较突变株与野生株的生长速率和溶血现象。[结果]多重PCR和RT-PCR分别显示,野生株DNA和c DNA都能扩增出579 bp的sly内部片段,而突变株DNA和c DNA都未能扩增出此片段。Southern杂交显示,突变株中未见sly探针杂交条带。突变株生长速率较野毒株迟缓,溶血能力减弱,但依然存在。[结论]建立了高效稳定的电转化方法,成功构建出溶血能力减弱的双交换同源重组sly基因敲除突变株。     

结核杆菌eis基因的克隆及其在耻垢分枝杆菌中的表达

目的:构建结核分枝杆菌eis基因的穿梭表达载体,鉴定其在重组耻垢分枝杆菌中的生物活性。方法:采用PCR技术克隆结核分枝杆菌eis基因,构建大肠杆菌-分枝杆菌穿梭表达载体pMV-eis,经酶切和测序鉴定其正确性,用电穿孔法将重组质粒转化至耻垢分枝杆菌mc²155中,采用SDS-PAGE和Western blot检测eis基因在耻垢分枝杆菌中的表达。结果:成功构建结核杆菌eis基因穿梭表达载体pMV-eis;生长曲线说明重组质粒不会影响耻垢分枝杆菌的体外生长;SDS-PAGE 和Western blot检测证实eis在耻垢分枝杆菌中可表达出相对分子量约42kDa的Eis蛋白。结论:成功构建了eis基因穿梭表达质粒pMV-eis,且该重组质粒在耻垢分枝杆菌中具有生物活性,为下一步研究表达产物Eis的功能奠定了一定基础。     

Construction and complementation of a recA deletion mutant of Mycobacterium smegmatis reveals that the intein in Mycobacterium tuberculosis recA does not affect RecA function

A recA deletion mutant of Mycobacterium smegmatis has been isolated by homologous recombination using a sacB counterselection strategy. Deletion of the recA gene from the chromosome was demonstrated by Southern hybridizations and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Western analysis using anti-RecA antibodies confirmed that the RecA protein was not made by the mutant strain. The recA deletion strain exhibited enhanced sensitivity to UV irradiation and failed to undergo homologous recombination. The results obtained from the recombination assays suggest that in wild-type M. smegmatis the majority of colonies arise from single cross-over homologous recombination events with only a very minor contribution from random integrations. The deficiencies in UV survival and recombination were complemented by introduction of the cloned M. smegmatis recA gene. Overexpression of RecA was found to be toxic in the absence of recX , which is found downstream of and co-transcribed with recA and is thus also affected by the deletion of recA . The M. smegmatis recA deletion strain was also complemented by the M. tuberculosis recA gene with or without its intein; most importantly, the frequency of double cross-over homologous recombination events was identical regardless of whether the M. tuberculosis recA gene contained or lacked the intein. Thus, the low frequency of homologous recombination observed in M. tuberculosis is not due to the presence of an intein-coding sequence in its recA gene per se .     

A Mycobacterium avium PPE gene is associated with the ability of the bacterium to grow in macrophages and virulence in mice

PPE and PE gene families, which encode numerous proteins of unknown function, account for 10% of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome. Mycobacterium avium genome has similar PPE and PE gene families. Using a temperature-sensitive phage phAE94 transposon mutagenesis system, a M. avium transposon library was created in the strain MAC109. Screening of individual mutants in human U937 macrophages for the ability to replicate intracellularly, we identified several attenuated clones. One of them, the 2D6 mutant, has a transposon interrupting a PPE gene (52% homologous to Rv 1787 in M. tuberculosis) was identified. The mutant and the wild-type strain had comparable ability to enter macrophages. Challenge of mice with the 2D6 mutant resulted in approximately 1 log and 2 log fewer bacteria in the spleen, at 1 and 3 weeks after infection, compared with the wild-type bacterium. The 2D6 mutant grows like the wild-type bacterium in vitro. Vacuoles containing the 2D6 mutant acidified to pH 4.8; whereas, vacuoles containing wild-type bacterium were only slightly acidic. It was also observed that, in contrast to the wild-type bacterium, the 2D6 mutant did not prevent phagosome-lysosome fusion, and it is only expressed within macrophage but not in 7H9 broth. These results revealed a role for this PPE gene in the growth of M. avium in macrophages and in virulence in mice.     

Efficient introduction of cloned mutant alleles into the Escherichia coli chromosome.

An efficient method for moving mutations in cloned Escherichia coli DNA from plasmid vectors to the bacterial chromosome was developed. Cells carrying plasmids that had been mutated by the insertion of a resistance gene were infected with lambda phage containing homologous cloned DNA, and resulting lysates were used for transduction. Chromosomal transductants (recombinants) were distinguished from plasmid transductants by their ampicillin-sensitive phenotype, or plasmid transductants were avoided by using a recBC sbcB E. coli strain as recipient. Chromosomal transductants were usually haploid when obtained in a nonlysogen because of selection against the lambda vector and partially diploid when obtained in a lysogen. Pure stocks of phage that carry the resistance marker and transduce it at high frequency were obtained from transductant bacteria. The lambda-based method for moving mutant alleles into the bacterial chromosome described here should be useful for diverse analyses of gene function and genome structure.     

Gene replacement by homologous recombination in Mycobacterium bovis BCG

Gene replacement by homologous recombination is a powerful tool for fundamental studies of gene function, as well as allowing specific attenuation of pathogens, but has proved difficult to achieve for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We have used a plasmid-based test system to demonstrate the occurrence of homologous recombination in the tuberculosis vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis BCG, and we have successfully replaced a target gene in BCG by homologous recombination, using a shuttle plasmid. Specific inactivation of selected genes will facilitate study of virulence factors and drug resistance as well as allowing rational attenuation of M. tuberculosis for the production of new vaccines.     

Construction and evaluation of luciferase reporter phages for the detection of active and non-replicating tubercle bacilli

The luciferase reporter phages (LRP) show great promise for diagnostic mycobacteriology. Though conventional constructs developed from lytic phages such as D29 and TM4 are highly specific, they lack sensitivity. We have isolated and characterized Che12, the first true temperate phage infecting M. tuberculosis. Since the tuberculosis (TB) cases among HIV infected population result from the reactivation of latent bacilli, it would be useful to develop LRP that can detect dormant bacteria. During dormancy, pathogenic mycobacteria switch their metabolism involving divergent genes than during normal, active growth phase. Since the promoters of these genes can potentially function during dormancy, they were exploited for the construction of novel mycobacterial luciferase reporter phages. The promoters of hsp60, isocitrate lyase (icl), and alpha crystallin (acr) genes from M. tuberculosis were used for expressing firefly luciferase gene (FFlux) in both Che12 and TM4 phages and their efficiency was evaluated in detecting dormant bacteria from clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis. These LRP constructs exhibited detectable luciferase activity in dormant as well as in actively growing M. tuberculosis. The TM4 ts mutant based constructs showed about one log increase in light output in three of the five tested clinical isolates and in M. tuberculosis H37Rv compared to conventional lytic reporter phage, phAE129. By refining the LRP assay format further, an ideal rapid assay can be designed not only to diagnose active and dormant TB but also to differentiate the species and to find their drug susceptibility pattern.     

Cloning of Genomic DNA of Lactococcus lactis That Restores Phage Sensitivity to an Unusual Bacteriophage sk1-Resistant Mutant

An unusual, spontaneous, phage sk1-resistant mutant (RMSK1/1) of Lactococcus lactis C2 apparently blocks phage DNA entry into the host. Although no visible plaques formed on RMSK1/1, this host propagated phage at a reduced efficiency. This was evident from center-of-infection experiments, which showed that 21% of infected RMSK1/1 formed plaques when plated on its phage-sensitive parental strain, C2. Moreover, viable cell counts 0 and 4 h after infection were not significantly different from those of an uninfected culture. Further characterization showed that phage adsorption was normal, but burst size was reduced fivefold and the latent period was increased from 28.5 to 36 min. RMSK1/1 was resistant to other, but not all, similar phages. Phage sensitivity was restored to RMSK1/1 by transformation with a cloned DNA fragment from a genomic library of a phage-sensitive strain. Characterization of the DNA that restored phage sensitivity revealed an open reading frame with similarity to sequences encoding lysozymes (β-1,4-N-acetylmuramidase) and lysins from various bacteria, a fungus, and phages of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus and also revealed DNA homologous to noncoding sequences of temperate phage of L. lactis, DNA similar to a region of phage sk1, a gene with similarity to tRNA genes, a prophage attachment site, and open reading frames with similarities to sun and to sequences encoding phosphoprotein phosphatases and protein kinases. Mutational analyses of the cloned DNA showed that the region of homology with lactococcal temperate phage was responsible for restoring the phage-sensitive phenotype. The region of homology with DNA of lactococcal temperate phage was similar to DNA from a previously characterized lactococcal phage that suppresses an abortive infection mechanism of phage resistance. The region of homology with lactococcal temperate phage was deleted from a phage-sensitive strain, but the strain was not phage resistant. The results suggest that the cloned DNA with homology to lactococcal temperate phage was not mutated in the phage-resistant strain. The cloned DNA apparently suppressed the mechanism of resistance, and it may do so by mimicking a region of phage DNA that interacts with components of the resistance mechanism.