苏云金芽胞杆菌sigK 基因插入失活突变体的特点及其对cry3A基因启动子活性的影响

摘要: 【目的】构建苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis,简称Bt) sigK 基因插入失活突变体,分析突变体特点并明确其对cry3A 基因启动子的影响。【方法】采用同源重组技术在苏云金芽胞杆菌HD-73 菌株sigK 基因中插入卡那霉素抗性基因,构建了sigK 基因插入失活突变体。通过生长曲线测定、扫描电子显微镜观察晶体、芽胞形成情况和芽胞计数及SDS-PAGE 等方法分析了突变体的特点; 构建了遗传恢复菌株对上述性状进行了功能验证; 利用启动子融合lacZ 技术检测了cry3A 基因启动子的转录活性。【结果】获得了苏云金芽胞杆菌HD-73 菌株sigK 基因突变体,生长曲线测定表明,突变体较出发菌株在稳定期后期生长较慢; 扫描电子显微镜观察和芽胞计数分析显示,突变体丧失了形成芽胞和晶体的能力; SDS-PAGE 分析表明突变体中伴胞晶体蛋白的表达量明显低于出发菌株和恢复菌株。利用载体pHT315 携带sigK 基因及其启动子在突变株中表达,所获得的遗传恢复菌株恢复了突变株产生芽胞和晶体的能力; sigK 基因的突变可以提高cry3A 基因启动子在产胞后期的转录活性,对cry3A 启动子指导的Cry 蛋白表达量没有显著影响。【结论】本研究证明sigK 基因为苏云金芽胞杆菌芽胞形成所必需,并影响伴胞晶体蛋白的产量; sigK 基因功能的丧失有利于cry3A 基因启动子在产胞后期的转录。     

Bt群体信号应答因子nprR基因的缺失对cry1Ac基因表达的影响

摘要：【目的】研究群体信号应答蛋白编码基因nprR在苏云金芽胞杆菌（Bacillus thuringiensis,Bt）HD-73菌株晶体蛋白形成过程中的作用。【方法】通过同源重组,构建了HD-73 nprR基因缺失突变菌株HD73（ΔnprR ）。利用启动子-lacZ融合、SDS-PAGE方法,测定不同培养基中nprR基因转录活性及nprR基因缺失对cry1Ac转录及表达的影响。【结果】启动子转录活性分析表明,在LB和SSM培养基中nprR基因从对数期结束（T0）开始表达,稳定期持续表达。在LB培养基中,nprR基因的缺失使cry1Ac基因在生长过渡期和稳定期前期转录活性显著提高,同时HD73（ΔnprR ）菌株Cry蛋白生成量也明显高于出发菌株HD-73,但是在芽胞形成释放后,Cry蛋白的表达没有明显的区别。【结论】在丰富培养基中苏云金芽胞杆菌nprR基因的缺失在生长过渡期和稳定期前期能够提高cry1Ac基因转录和表达,从而缩短了cry基因表达时间,并且Cry蛋白总产量与出发菌株相当。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌spoⅢD基因缺失突变株的特点

微镜观察和芽胞计数分析显示,突变株基本丧失了形成芽胞的能力,但依然形成晶体.SDS-PAGE结果显示,在SSM培养基中,突变株对伴胞晶体蛋白的形成量影响并不显著;在营养较富集的Luria-Bertani培养基中,突变株中伴胞晶体蛋白的形成量较野生型和互补株明显降低.利用载体pHT315携带spoⅢD操纵子互补突变株,互补株恢复了产生晶体和芽胞的能力.[结论]本研究证明spoⅢD基因是苏云金芽胞杆菌芽胞形成所必需,同时与晶体蛋白的表达相关.     

苏云金芽胞杆菌HD-73菌株sigE基因敲除突变株的构建与特点

SigE因子是芽胞杆菌芽胞形成过程中起重要作用的sigma因子,它控制着众多芽胞形成相关基因的表达.在苏云金芽胞杆菌中,Cryl等杀虫晶体蛋白的表达也受SigE因子的控制.本研究利用同源重组技术构建了苏云金芽胞杆菌库斯塔克亚种标准菌株HD-73 sigE缺失突变株.研究表明:突变株衰亡期提前,丧失了形成芽胞和晶体的能力:cryIAa指导的β-半乳糖苷酶活性分析表明sigE基因对crylAa基因的转录有较大影响.利用载体pHT315携带sigE所在操纵子spoIIG及其启动子序列在突变株中表达,使突变株恢复了产生芽胞和形成杀虫晶体的能力,生长基本恢复正常,这些结果表明SigE因子是Bt库斯塔克亚种菌株产生芽胞和形成晶体所必需的.     

苏云金芽胞杆菌CTC菌株的S-层蛋白可以形成伴胞晶体

苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis)CTC菌株产生卵圆形伴胞晶体,晶体蛋白分子量为100kD;透射电子显微镜观察结果表明该菌株有S—层结构,而且在母细胞内可以形成伴胞晶体和S—层的初体结构;其蛋白基因导入苏云金芽胞杆菌无晶体突变株BMB171后,扫描电子显微镜观察结果表明转化子能形成晶体,而其形状与CTC菌株的相同;转化子晶体蛋白的分子量大小也与CTC菌株的相同,为100kD。以上实验结果结合以前晶体蛋白N—末端测序和基因核苦酸序列,表明苏云金芽胞杆菌CTC菌株的S—层蛋白可以形成伴胞晶体。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌CTC菌株的S-层蛋白可以形成伴胞晶体

苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis)CTC菌株产生卵圆形伴胞晶体,晶体蛋白分子量为100kD;透射电子显微镜观察结果表明该菌株有S层结构,而且在母细胞内可以形成伴胞晶体和S层的初体结构;其蛋白基因导入苏云金芽胞杆菌无晶体突变株BMB171后,扫描电子显微镜观察结果表明转化子能形成晶体,而其形状与CTC菌株的相同;转化子晶体蛋白的分子量大小也与CTC菌株的相同,为100kD。以上实验结果结合以前晶体蛋白N末端测序和基因核苷酸序列,表明苏云金芽胞杆菌CTC菌株的S层蛋白可以形成伴胞晶体。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌Sigma H对芽胞形成的影响

【目的】检测苏云金芽胞杆菌HD73中的转录调控因子Sigma H(σ~H)对spo0A基因转录的调控作用;异源表达纯化Sigma H蛋白,验证其对spo0A基因启动子的直接结合;检测sigH基因的缺失对苏云金芽胞杆菌HD73芽胞形成和晶体蛋白产生的影响。【方法】通过测定spo0A基因启动子指导的β-半乳糖苷酶活性评价spo0A基因在苏云金芽胞杆菌HD73野生型和sigH缺失突变体中的转录水平;通过PCR扩增苏云金芽胞杆菌HD73的sigH基因并插入到表达载体pET21b上,将质粒转入到表达菌株BL21(DE3)中,得到重组菌株BL21 (pETsigH);利用镍柱亲和纯化和阴离子交换纯化得到纯化的Sigma H蛋白;通过凝胶迁移实验(electrophoretic mobility shift assay,EMSA)验证Sigma H蛋白与spo0A基因启动子的直接结合;通过显微镜观察、活芽胞计数的方法对突变株HDΔsigH进行表型特征分析。【结果】sigH缺失后,spo0A基因转录活性降低;在大肠杆菌中正确表达并纯化出大小约为28kDa的Sigma H-His蛋白;EMSA结果表明纯化后的Sigma H-His蛋白可与spo0A基因启动子结合;镜检和活芽胞计数结果表明突变株HDΔsigH无法产生芽胞和蛋白晶体。【结论】Sigma H蛋白通过与spo0A基因启动子结合直接调控spo0A基因的表达且sigH基因的缺失阻断了苏云金芽胞杆菌中芽胞和晶体蛋白的产生。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌clpP基因缺失对碱刺激敏感性的影响

[目的]比较苏云金芽胞杆菌与枯草芽胞杆菌在碱性培养条件下生长情况,明确clpp基因在碱刺激条件下的作用.[方法]采用同源重组技术敲除苏云金芽胞杆菌HD73菌株clpP基因,通过在不同pH下生长曲线的测定明确了clpP基因缺失突变体对碱性环境的敏感性,测定clpp基因的缺失对芽胞形成率、芽胞萌发效率和盐胁迫的影响.[结果]苏云金芽胞杆菌在碱刺激后,当培养基pH值为8.9-9.1时可以恢复生长,而枯草芽胞杆菌在pH值为8.2-8.4时可以恢复生长,说明苏云金芽胞杆菌对碱性环境适应能力更强,这有助于作为病原菌的Bt适应昆虫中肠的碱性环境.clpp基因缺失对芽胞形成率和萌发效率没有明显的影响.在将培养基中NaOH终浓度调节至30 mmol/L NaOH时,clpp基因缺失突变体的生长较出发菌株慢.说明ClpP在苏云金芽胞杆菌对碱性环境的适应过程中具有重要作用.     

苏云金芽胞杆菌G03 spoIVF操纵子敲除对芽胞和晶体形成的影响

spoIVF是一个普遍存在于芽胞杆菌中的操纵子。在枯草芽胞杆菌中,它编码的两个蛋白是芽胞形成所必需的。采用基因重组技术敲除了苏云金芽胞杆菌G03菌株中的spoIVF操纵子,构建了spoIVF缺失株G03(spoIVF-)。研究表明:该突变株丧失了形成芽胞和晶体的能力。lacZ基因与cry1Aa基因的启动子融合表达分析发现:突变株中的cry1Aa基因的活性严重降低。利用载体pSTK携带spoIVF操纵子在突变株中的表达,使突变株部分恢复了产胞和形成杀虫晶体蛋白的能力。这说明spoIVF操纵子是所必需的,同时该操纵子还影响σE因子控制的cry1Aa基因表达。     

cry8E启动子指导的非晶体蛋白GabR在苏云金芽胞杆菌HD73菌株中的表达

【目的】利用cry8E基因启动子指导的高效表达载体pHT315-8E21b,构建一个能够在苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis,简称Bt)中正确表达非晶体蛋白GabR的重组菌株。【方法】将苏云金芽胞杆菌中的功能基因gabR装载到cry8E基因启动子指导的高效表达载体pHT315-8E21b上,转入到HD73-无晶体突变株后获得重组菌株HD-8E-gabR。通过SDS-PAGE和凝胶阻滞等方法对GabR蛋白的表达和功能进行分析。【结果】通过SDS-PAGE及蛋白定量等方法首次证明了在Bt表达体系中cry8E基因启动子指导的高效表达载体能够表达非晶体蛋白GabR,且通过碱裂解的方法可以提高GabR蛋白在Bt系统中的溶解性。进一步凝胶阻滞试验证明GabR能与其调控启动子PgabT结合。【结论】证明了cry8E基因启动子指导的Bt表达系统具有大量表达非晶体类蛋白的能力。     

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.     

Enterovirus 71 3C proteolytically processes the histone H3 N-terminal tail during infection

Highlights
1. The N-terminal tail of histone H3 is specifically cleaved during EV71 infection.
2. Viral protease 3C is identified as a protease responsible for proteolytically processing the N-terminal H3 tail.
3. Our finding reveals a new epigenetic regulatory mechanism for Enterovirus 71 in virus-host interactions.     

Detection of EBV and HHV6 in the Brain Tissue of Patients with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis

Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a rare pediatric neurological disorder, and the exact etiology is not clear. Viral infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of RE, but conflicting results have reported. In this study, we evaluated the expression of both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus (HHV) 6 antigens in brain sections from 30 patients with RE and 16 control individuals by immunohistochemistry. In the RE group, EBV and HHV6 antigens were detected in 56.7% (17/30) and 50% (15/30) of individuals, respectively. In contrast, no detectable EBV and HHV6 antigen expression was found in brain tissues of the control group. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in 20.0% (6/30) of individuals. In particular, a 4-year-old boy had a typical clinical course, including a medical history of viral encephalitis, intractable epilepsy, and hemispheric atrophy. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in neurons and astrocytes in the brain tissue, accompanied by a high frequency of CD8⁺ T cells. Our results suggest that EBV and HHV6 infection and the activation of CD8⁺ T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RE.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).     

Development of a Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

In conclusion, the novel visual RT-LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for detection of SARS-CoV-2, and it is ready for application in primary care and community hospitals or health care centers, and even patients' own houses in response to the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic because the assay does not require sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it is also ready to be used in fields for screening samples from wild animals and environments to facilitate the identification of potential intermediate hosts that mediate the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans.