Cloning,expression, and purification of a new antimicrobial peptide gene from Musca domestica larva

Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae), the housefly, exhibits unique immune defences and can produce antimicrobial peptides upon stimulation with bacteria. Based on the cDNA library constructed using the suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method, a 198-bp antimicrobial peptide gene, which we named MDAP-2, was amplified by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) from M. domestica larvae stimulated with Salmonella pullorum (Enterobacteriaceae: Salmonella). In the present study, the full-length MDAP-2 gene was cloned and inserted into a His-tagged Escherichia coli prokaryotic expression system to enable production of the recombinant peptide. The recombinant MDAP-2 peptide was purified using Ni-NTA HisTrap FF crude column chromatography. The bacteriostatic activity of the recombinant purified MDAP-2 protein was assessed. The results indicated that MDAP-2 had in vitro antibacterial activity against all of the tested Gram − bacteria from clinical isolates, including E. coli (Enterobacteriaceae: Escherichia), one strain of S. pullorum (Enterobacteriaceae: Salmonella), and one strain of Pasteurella multocida. DNA sequencing and BLAST analysis showed that the MDAP-2 antimicrobial peptide gene was not homologous to any other antimicrobial peptide genes in GenBank. The antibacterial mechanisms of the newly discovered MDAP-2 peptide warrant further study.     

Cloning, Sequence, and Expression Analysis of a New MnSOD-Encoding Gene from the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita

A gene encoding a manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) enzyme (Mi-mnsod) was identified and characterized in second-stage juveniles of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. The Mi-mnsod gene was found to possess five exons and four introns with (GT/AG) consensus splice-site junctions. The deduced amino acid sequence of Mi-mnsod encodes a putative 25 KDa protein, with conserved amino acid residues of the MnSOD family, including the Parker-Blake signature and four metal-binding sites. The derived amino acid sequence showed high similarity to other eukaryotic MnSODs, including a 23 amino acid N-terminal putative mitochondrial transit peptide. Gene expression was observed throughout the posterior nematode body region with elevated signal intensities at the anterior portion of the intestine. DNA blot analysis and sequencing data showed the occurrence of three putative copies of the MnSOD gene with nucleotide polymorphisms found at the fourth exon and the 3' un-translated region.     

Two hytrosaviruses, MdSGHV and GpSGHV, induce distinct cytopathologies in their respective host insects

Recently, a new virus family (Hytrosaviridae) was proposed for double-stranded DNA viruses that cause salivary gland hypertrophy in their dipteran hosts. The two type species, MdSGHV and GpSGHV, induce similar gross pathology and share several morphological, biological, and molecular characteristics. This histological study revealed profound differences in the cytopathology of these viruses supporting their previously proposed placement in different genera.     

苋菜IRT1基因克隆、序列及表达分析

通过对镉超积累苋菜品种天星米铁转运蛋白基因( IRT1)的克隆、序列及表达分析,旨在为植物修复镉污染土壤奠定基础.依据同源克隆原理,通过RACE技术克隆苋菜IRT1基因及生物信息学方法分析基因序列结构和功能,Northern杂交研究基因表达.苋菜IRT1基因cDNA全长1135 bp,包含完整的阅读框,编码322个氨基酸.苋菜IRT1蛋白与已知铁转运蛋白相似性在53.70％-63.04％,具有铁转运蛋白典型的功能结构特征,即N端含有1个信号肽、氨基酸序列上具有完整的ZIP家族功能结构域( Pfam:Zip)和7个跨膜结构域(TMs).苋菜IRT1蛋白还具有1个COG0428超级家族(转运二价金属离子功能)、2个蛋白激酶C磷酸化位点和2个酪蛋白Ⅱ磷酸化位点.低铁胁迫时苋菜根中IRT1基因表达量增加,加镉处理没有改变IRT1基因表达量.因此,推断苋菜IRT1基因是ZIP家族的一员,具有转运二价金属离子功能,将基因在GenBank中注册,序列号为:GU363501,命名为AmIRT1.     

Ap-let neurons--a peptidergic circuit potentially controlling ecdysial behavior in Drosophila

Here we describe a novel set of peptidergic neurons conserved throughout all developmental stages in the Drosophila central nervous system (CNS). We show that a small complement of 28 apterous-expressing cells (Ap-let neurons) in the ventral nerve cord (VNC) of Drosophila larvae co-express numerous gene products. The products include the neuroendocrine-specific bHLH regulator called Dimmed (Dimm), four neuropeptide biosynthetic enzymes (PC2, Fur1, PAL2, and PHM), and a specific dopamine receptor subtype (dDA1). For the PC2, Fur1, and PAL2 enzymes, and for the dDA1 receptor, this neuronal pattern represents the vast majority of their total expression in the VNC. In addition, while Dimm and PHM are present in the peritracheal Inka cells in larvae, pupae, and adults, Ap, PC2, Fur1, PAL2, and dDA1 are not. PC2, PAL2, and DA1 receptor expression were all controlled by both dimm and ap. Previous genetic analysis of animals deficient in PC2 revealed an abnormal larval ecdysis phenotype. Together, these data support the hypothesis that the small cohort of Ap-let interneurons regulates larval ecdysis behavior by secretion of an unidentified amidated peptide(s). This hypothesis further predicts that the production of the Ap-let neuropeptide(s) is dependent on each of four specific enzymes, and that a certain aspect(s) of its production and/or release is regulated by dopamine input.     

Solution conformation, backbone dynamics and lipid interactions of the intrinsically unstructured malaria surface protein MSP2

Merozoite surface protein 2 (MSP2), one of the most abundant proteins on the surface of the merozoite stage of Plasmodium falciparum, is a potential component of a malaria vaccine, having shown some efficacy in a clinical trial in Papua New Guinea. MSP2 is a GPI-anchored protein consisting of conserved N- and C-terminal domains and a variable central region. Previous studies have shown that it is an intrinsically unstructured protein with a high propensity for fibril formation, in which the conserved N-terminal domain has a key role. Secondary structure predictions suggest that MSP2 contains long stretches of random coil with very little α-helix or β-strand. Circular dichroism spectroscopy confirms this prediction under physiological conditions (pH 7.4) and in more acidic solutions (pH 6.2 and 3.4). Pulsed field gradient NMR diffusion measurements showed that MSP2 under physiological conditions has a large effective hydrodynamic radius consistent with an intrinsic pre-molten globule state, as defined by Uversky. This was supported by sedimentation velocity studies in the analytical ultracentrifuge. NMR resonance assignments have been obtained for FC27 MSP2, allowing the residual secondary structure and backbone dynamics to be defined. There is some motional restriction in the conserved C-terminal region in the vicinity of an intramolecular disulfide bond. Two other regions show motional restrictions, both of which display helical structure propensities. One of these helical regions is within the conserved N-terminal domain, which adopts essentially the same conformation in full-length MSP2 as in corresponding peptide fragments. We see no evidence of long-range interactions in the full-length protein. MSP2 associates with lipid micelles, but predominantly through the N-terminal region rather than the C terminus, which is GPI-anchored to the membrane in the parasite.     

Identification and characterisation of microRNAs in young adults of Angiostrongylus cantonensis via a deep-sequencing approach

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is an important causative agent of eosinophilic meningitis and eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that participate in a wide range of biological processes. This study employed a deep-sequencing approach to study miRNAs from young adults of A. cantonensis. Based on 16,880,456 high-quality reads, 252 conserved mature miRNAs including 10 antisense miRNAs that belonging to 90 families, together with 10 antisense miRNAs were identified and characterised. Among these sequences, 53 miRNAs from 25 families displayed 50 or more reads. The conserved miRNA families were divided into four groups according to their phylogenetic distribution and a total of nine families without any members showing homology to other nematodes or adult worms were identified. Stem-loop real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of aca-miR-1-1 and aca-miR-71-1 demonstrated that their level of expression increased dramatically from infective larvae to young adults and then decreased in adult worms, with the male worms exhibiting significantly higher levels of expression than female worms. These findings provide information related to the regulation of gene expression during the growth, development and pathogenesis of young adults of A. cantonensis.