大肠杆菌鞭毛调控基因flhDC与生物材料植入感染的研究进展

随着生物材料被广泛应用于临床,生物材料植入感染成为令人棘手的常见医院内感染,有报道占院内感染的50%,大肠杆菌是临床以生物材料为中心感染的优势菌种。生物材料表面的细菌生物膜使其膜内细菌能有效抵御抗生素治疗和机体的防御反应,是导致生物材料为中心感染难以控制的根源。大肠杆菌的运动性与细菌生物膜形成密切相关,鞭毛是大肠杆菌的运动器官,鞭毛的生成需要三级基因的表达,操纵子flh DC编码鞭毛生成的一级主调控基因。我们推测:"鞭毛调控基因flh DC的表达→鞭毛的生成→细菌的运动性→细菌生物膜形成"之间存在着一一对应的关系,这为临床防治生物材料植入感染提供新思路。本文就以大肠杆菌鞭毛调控基因flh DC与生物材料植入感染做一简要综述。     

假结核耶尔森氏菌flhDC基因影响细菌运动性和生物膜形成

假结核耶尔森氏菌YPIII鞭毛系统的一级主调控基因flhDC缺失突变, 所得突变株在细菌泳动实验中丧失了泳动能力; 对fliA启动子融合报告菌株的检测发现, 与大肠杆菌一样, 在假结核耶尔森氏菌中二级调控基因fliA的表达也受到flhDC的调控; 对野生型和突变株在非生物活性表面和生物活性表面生物膜形成的观察和统计表明, flhDC突变株在不同表面上生物膜的形成明显减少, 并降低了对线虫表面侵染的严重度. 以上结果表明, flhDC的突变不仅直接使YPIII的运动性丧失, 而且影响了细菌在不同表面上生物膜的形成, 这一新功能的鉴定为细菌生物膜形成机制的研究提供了新的视点.     

光合细菌生物膜的研究进展

光合细菌生物产氢技术能够将有机废水处理和氢气制备有效结合起来。光合细菌的产氢能力在形成生物膜后变强, 这有利于实现光合细菌的工业化应用。介绍了光合细菌生物膜的形成过程和对光合细菌生物膜形成的模拟研究, 综述了光照、流速、载体等对光合细菌生物膜的形成和产氢性能的影响。借鉴免疫学对生物膜的研究方法和技术, 并深入对光合细菌生物膜形成机理的全面认识, 提高光合细菌生物膜的性能, 是光合细菌生物膜研究的重要方向。     

吲哚作为细菌细胞间信号分子的研究进展

吲哚广泛存在于自然界,目前已知超过145种革兰氏阳性和阴性细菌能产生吲哚,其中包括许多病原菌。随着细菌密度感应系统及其信号分子作用机制研究的深入,吲哚已被证实是肠道病原菌如致病性大肠杆菌、迟缓爱德华氏菌、霍乱弧菌等一类细胞间重要的信号分子,并参与细菌的多种生理活动,如毒力、抗药性、生物膜形成、运动性、质粒稳定性、抗酸性、孢子产生等。更为重要的是,吲哚及其衍生物还参与协调菌群竞争,有益于人体肠道菌群平衡和免疫系统。本文在吲哚作为细胞间信号分子参与迟缓爱德华氏菌的毒力、抗药性、生物膜形成和运动性的研究基础上,对近年来吲哚作为细菌细胞间信号分子的研究进展进行了综述。随着吲哚作用机制的进一步揭示,将有助于新型抗病原菌感染策略的研发和生物工程方面的应用。     

惰性材料表面细菌生物膜构建的研究

目的构建惰性材料塑料输液管内壁细菌生物膜体外模型,观察细菌生物膜的结构,探讨输液管内壁细菌生物膜形成影响因素。方法建立铜绿假单胞菌生物膜和铜绿假单胞菌、肺炎克雷伯菌混合生物膜,分别于培养1、3和7d用扫描电镜动态观察生物膜形成过程。结果混合菌生物膜的生长速度高于铜绿假单胞菌单独成膜。结论输液管是形成细菌生物膜的良好支持材料,混合细菌培养可以加速细菌形成生物膜。     

细菌生物膜的结构及形成机制研究进展

细菌生物膜是细菌在特定条件下形成的一种特殊细菌群体结构,菌体被包裹在其自身分泌的多聚物中。近年来,有关生物膜组成结构、形成机制、抗逆性机制及其应用防治等诸方面的研究工作进展迅速,本文主要针对细菌生物膜的结构及形成机制方面的研究进展进行了介绍。     

细菌生物膜的形成与调控机制

细菌通过自身合成的水合多聚物粘附在固体表面,以固着的方式生长从而形成生物膜,细菌生物膜的形成涉及到几个明显的阶段,包括起始的附着、细胞与细胞之间的吸附与增殖、生物膜的成熟、及最后细菌的脱离等四个阶段,生物膜的形成增加了细菌对抗生素的抗性以及帮助细菌逃逸寄主的免疫攻击等,从而引起临床上持续性的慢性感染等各种问题;生物膜结构非常复杂,除了细菌分泌的各种胞外多糖,胞外蛋白质外,最新的研究表明,DNA也是生物膜的一个重要成分.针对近年来的最新文献报道分别对生物膜的形成、结构以及调控机制等进行综述.     

芽孢杆菌鞭毛及其运动相关特性的研究进展

鞭毛是着生在很多细菌体表的细长弯曲丝状物,作为细菌的运动“器官”,鞭毛是微生物学中研究最深入的生理系统之一。细菌可以通过鞭毛运动更好地适应栖息环境,并在环境条件不利时及时逃离。此外,鞭毛运动对于有害细菌或者有益细菌在宿主表面的定殖、生物膜形成及其与宿主其他互作过程中都发挥着重要作用。芽孢杆菌(Bacillus sp.)是一类在自然界中广泛分布的细菌,其许多菌株在工农业生产及医药等领域都有重要的应用价值,本文对芽孢杆菌鞭毛及其运动相关特性的研究进展进行了综述：芽孢杆菌鞭毛的结构组成、组装过程及合成基因的表达调控;芽孢杆菌运动性与相关生物学特性,包括生物膜形成和分散、芽孢的形成、感受态形成、γ-聚谷氨酸和抗生素生产等方面之间的相互关系及其底层分子机制。本综述旨在为本领域的相关研究提供可参考的综合知识和理论指导依据。     

抗生物膜肽研究进展

细菌生物膜导致的细菌耐药性增加受到了广泛关注。抗生物膜肽是一类具有抑制和杀灭细菌生物膜独特优势的抗微生物肽,有望成为理想的抗细菌生物膜的新型抗菌药物。就抗生物膜肽与生物膜各组分间的相互作用、抗生物膜肽对生物膜形成的干预作用及其调控、抗生物膜肽目前存在的问题及其解决思路以及抗生物膜肽未来的应用领域等展开综述。     

群体感应系统介导细菌生物膜形成的研究进展

群体感应(QS)是微生物之间的通讯机制,通过信号分子调控基因表达,这种交流可使细菌表达不同的生理行为,包括病原微生物的毒性、对抗生素的形成、生物膜的形成与生长等。生物膜的形成对微生物的代谢、毒力因子的表达等密切相关。群体感应现象与生物膜的形成相互依赖,生物膜提供菌体聚集场所,避免群体感应信号分子的扩散,聚集菌体的群体感应现象为生物膜的形成提供基础。群体感应系统不仅可直接介导细菌生物膜的形成,还可调节胞内第二信使分子水平,间接调控生物膜的生成。本文中,笔者从直接和协同其他信号分子两方面对细菌生物膜形成机制研究进展进行综述,为在工业应用中降低细菌耐药性、指导食品生产安全、提高功能性生物膜产量等方面提供理论依据。     

Biofilm-defective mutants of Bacillus subtilis

Many bacteria can adopt organized, sessile, communal lifestyles. The gram-positive bacterium, Bacillus subtilis,forms biofilms on solid surfaces and at air-liquid interfaces, and biofilm development is dependent on environmental conditions. We demonstrate that biofilm formation by B. subtilis strain JH642 can be either activated or repressed by glucose, depending on the growth medium used, and that these glucose effects are at least in part mediated by the catabolite control protein, CcpA. Starting with a chromosomal Tn917-LTV3 insertional library, we isolated mutants that are defective for biofilm formation. The biofilm defects of these mutants were observable in both rich and minimal media, and both on polyvinylchloride abiotic surfaces and in borosilicate tubes. Two mutants were defective in flagellar synthesis. Chemotaxis was shown to be less important for biofilm formation than was flagellar-driven motility. Although motility is known to be required for biofilm formation in other bacteria, this had not previously been demonstrated for B. subtilis. In addition, our study suggests roles for glutamate synthase, GltAB, and an aminopeptidase, AmpS. The loss of these enzymes did not decrease growth or cellular motility but had dramatic effects on biofilm formation under all conditions assayed. The effect of the gltAB defect on biofilm formation could not be due to a decrease in poly-gamma-glutamate synthesis since this polymer proved to be nonessential for robust biofilm formation. High exogenous concentrations of glutamate, aspartate, glutamine or proline did not override the glutamate synthase requirement. This is the first report showing that glutamate synthase and a cytoplasmic aminopeptidase play roles in bacterial biofilm formation. Possible mechanistic implications and potential roles of biofilm formation in other developmental processes are discussed.     

Cyclic diguanylate regulation of Bacillus cereus group biofilm formation

Biofilm formation can be considered a bacterial virulence mechanism. In a range of Gram‐negatives, increased levels of the second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c‐di‐GMP) promotes biofilm formation and reduces motility. Other bacterial processes known to be regulated by c‐di‐GMP include cell division, differentiation and virulence. Among Gram‐positive bacteria, where the function of c‐di‐GMP signalling is less well characterized, c‐di‐GMP was reported to regulate swarming motility in Bacillus subtilis while having very limited or no effect on biofilm formation. In contrast, we show that in the Bacillus cereus group c‐di‐GMP signalling is linked to biofilm formation, and to several other phenotypes important to the lifestyle of these bacteria. The Bacillus thuringiensis 407 genome encodes eleven predicted proteins containing domains (GGDEF/EAL) related to c‐di‐GMP synthesis or breakdown, ten of which are conserved through the majority of clades of the B. cereus group, including Bacillus anthracis. Several of the genes were shown to affect biofilm formation, motility, enterotoxin synthesis and/or sporulation. Among these, cdgF appeared to encode a master diguanylate cyclase essential for biofilm formation in an oxygenated environment. Only two cdg genes (cdgA, cdgJ) had orthologs in B. subtilis, highlighting differences in c‐di‐GMP signalling between B. subtilis and B. cereus group bacteria.     

The role of c-di-GMP signaling in an Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria strain

Aeromonas is a ubiquitous gram-negative bacterium that persists in the environment. It is shown that all isolates of persistent Aeromonas clones show strong biofilm formation ability. C-di-GMP regulates biofilm formation in many bacteria. To investigate the impact of c-di-GMP signaling, we introduced heterologous GGDEF and EAL domain proteins from Salmonella Typhimurium to an Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria strain. Overexpression of the GGDEF domain protein AdrA increased c-di-GMP concentration and biofilm formation and reduced motility. Production of the quorum-sensing signaling molecule C4-homoserine lactone and adhesion to aquatic plant duckweed and amoeba surfaces were enhanced. On the other hand, overexpression of the EAL domain protein YhjH decreased biofilm formation and increased motility.     

The EpsE flagellar clutch is bifunctional and synergizes with EPS biosynthesis to promote Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation

Many bacteria inhibit motility concomitant with the synthesis of an extracellular polysaccharide matrix and the formation of biofilm aggregates. In Bacillus subtilis biofilms, motility is inhibited by EpsE, which acts as a clutch on the flagella rotor to inhibit motility, and which is encoded within the 15 gene eps operon required for EPS production. EpsE shows sequence similarity to the glycosyltransferase family of enzymes, and we demonstrate that the conserved active site motif is required for EPS biosynthesis. We also screen for residues specifically required for either clutch or enzymatic activity and demonstrate that the two functions are genetically separable. Finally, we show that, whereas EPS synthesis activity is dominant for biofilm formation, both functions of EpsE synergize to stabilize cell aggregates and relieve selective pressure to abolish motility by genetic mutation. Thus, the transition from motility to biofilm formation may be governed by a single bifunctional enzyme.     

Lack of O‐polysaccharide enhances biofilm formation by Bradyrhizobium japonicum

Aims: To reveal the effects of the O‐polysaccharide antigen of Bradyrhizobium japonicum LPS on biofilm formation and motility. Methods and Results: Wild type and O‐antigen‐deficient mutant strains of B. japonicum were tested for biofilm formation on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) surfaces and motility on semi‐solid (0·3%) agar media. After 7 days of incubation, the amount of biofilms formed by the mutant was c. 3·5‐fold greater than that of the wild type. Unlike biofilm formation, the motility assay revealed that the mutant strain was less motile than the wild type. Conclusions: This study shows enhanced biofilm formation and decreased motility by the O‐antigen‐deficient mutant, suggesting that the lack of the O‐polysaccharide of the rhizobial LPS is associated with biofilm‐forming ability and movement. Significance and Impact of the Study: LPS plays an important role in both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria. It has also been reported that LPS deficiency negatively affects biofilm formation. However, our results demonstrate that the O‐antigen‐deficient mutant enhances biofilm formation, presumably through a significant increase in hydrophobicity. It is notable that the hydrophobicity of cell walls might be a key regulator in controlling biofilm development in B. japonicum.     

Efficient rhizosphere colonization by Pseudomonas fluorescens f113 mutants unable to form biofilms on abiotic surfaces

Motility is a key trait for rhizosphere colonization by Pseudomonas fluorescens. Mutants with reduced motility are poor competitors, and hypermotile, more competitive phenotypic variants are selected in the rhizosphere. Flagellar motility is a feature associated to planktonic, free‐living single cells, and although it is necessary for the initial steps of biofilm formation, bacteria in biofilm lack flagella. To test the correlation between biofilm formation and rhizosphere colonization, we have used P. fluorescens F113 hypermotile derivatives and mutants affected in regulatory genes which in other bacteria modulate biofilm development, namely gacS (G), sadB (S) and wspR (W). Mutants affected in these three genes and a hypermotile variant (V35) isolated from the rhizosphere were impaired in biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces, but colonized the alfalfa root apex as efficiently as the wild‐type strain, indicating that biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces and rhizosphere colonization follow different regulatory pathways in P. fluorescens. Furthermore, a triple mutant gacSsadBwspR (GSW) and V35 were more competitive than the wild‐type strain for root‐tip colonization, suggesting that motility is more relevant in this environment than the ability to form biofilms on abiotic surfaces. Microscopy showed the same root colonization pattern for P. fluorescens F113 and all the derivatives: extensive microcolonies, apparently held to the rhizoplane by a mucigel that seems to be plant produced. Therefore, the ability to form biofilms on abiotic surfaces does not necessarily correlates with efficient rhizosphere colonization or competitive colonization.     

Evidence for Cyclic Di-GMP-Mediated Signaling in Bacillus subtilis

Cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a second messenger that regulates diverse cellular processes in bacteria, including motility, biofilm formation, cell-cell signaling, and host colonization. Studies of c-di-GMP signaling have chiefly focused on Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we investigated c-di-GMP signaling in the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis by constructing deletion mutations in genes predicted to be involved in the synthesis, breakdown, or response to the second messenger. We found that a putative c-di-GMP-degrading phosphodiesterase, YuxH, and a putative c-di-GMP receptor, YpfA, had strong influences on motility and that these effects depended on sequences similar to canonical EAL and RxxxR-D/NxSxxG motifs, respectively. Evidence indicates that YpfA inhibits motility by interacting with the flagellar motor protein MotA and that yuxH is under the negative control of the master regulator Spo0A～P. Based on these findings, we propose that YpfA inhibits motility in response to rising levels of c-di-GMP during entry into stationary phase due to the downregulation of yuxH by Spo0A～P. We also present evidence that YpfA has a mild influence on biofilm formation. In toto, our results demonstrate the existence of a functional c-di-GMP signaling system in B. subtilis that directly inhibits motility and directly or indirectly influences biofilm formation.     

信号分子调控细菌生物被膜形成的分子机制

细菌生物被膜(Bacterial biofilm,BF)是黏附于机体黏膜或生物材料表面、由细菌及其分泌的多聚糖、蛋白质和核酸等组成的被膜状生物群体,是造成持续性感染的重要原因之一。细菌在生长繁殖时会产生一些次级代谢产物,部分会作为生物信号分子在细胞内或细胞间传递信息,使细菌在多细胞水平协调统一相互配合,以完成一些重要的生理学功能,如生物发光、BF的形成、运动与固定态生活方式的转换等。信号分子在BF形成过程中起着重要的调控作用。文中从密度感应系统(Quorum-sensing systems,QS)、环二鸟苷酸(Cyclic diguanylate,c-di-GMP)、双组分系统(Two-component systems,TCS)和sRNA等方面介绍影响BF形成的相关信号分子,重点对BF形成过程中的信号分子调控机制进行概述,这对于深入揭示信号分子调控BF形成的机制十分必要。