分子生物学在食品微生物检测中的应用

食品安全是百姓关注的大问题,目前食品安全监测技术正在蓬勃发展,随着现代分子生物学技术的发展,对微生物学的研究也进入到分子、基因水平。病原微生物的检测也逐渐进入分子时代,本文介绍了应用于病原微生物检测的PCR技术、DNA指纹图谱等技术。     

现代分子生物学技术在食品、药品微生物检测中的应用

食品与药品中存在的病原微生物直接关系到食品、药品的质量和安全,因此对食品和药品进行微生物检测对保护人类的身体健康具有非常重要的意义。近年来,随着现代分子生物学技术的飞速发展,其在食品和药品的微生物检测中得到了非常广泛的应用。本文主要通过对现代分子生物学技术在食品、药品微生物检测中的应用及进展进行相应的探讨,旨在为新型微生物检测及分型方法的发展提供依据。     

乳及乳制品中病原微生物溯源技术研究进展

牛奶营养丰富,素有"白色血液"之称,随着公众对食源性疾病原因和来源问责制的需求增加,准确追踪特定食源性病原微生物在暴发过程中所经过的途径变得越来越重要。微生物溯源研究有助于人们更深入地了解病原微生物种群结构及其多样性的起源和进化,为病原微生物的检验、流行监测、综合防治等研究提供重要的信息资料和科学依据。在牛奶中病原微生物溯源技术研究中,光谱技术、质谱技术、分子方法、全基因组测序等方法均发挥了重要作用。本文根据近年国内外相关文献资料,对检测奶及奶制品中病原微生物常用溯源技术的原理和应用进行了概述。     

基于核酸等温扩增的病原微生物微流控检测技术

病原微生物的快速检测对疫情的预防控制至关重要。基于PCR的病原微生物核酸检测方法克服了传统病原微生物培养方法耗时长、免疫学检测存在窗口期等问题,已成为目前最主要的病原微生物筛查方法。然而,对精确控温热循环仪的依赖却严重限制了其在资源匮乏地区的应用。虽然基于核酸等温扩增的病原微生物检测方法可摆脱对高精度温控设备的依赖,但仍需要进行样本核酸分离提取、扩增与检测等步骤。近年来,微流控技术与核酸等温扩增技术相结合,诞生了多种病原微生物等温扩增微流控检测技术。该技术通过设计芯片结构、优化进样模式及检测方式,实现了病原微生物核酸提取、扩增与检测一体化,并具备多重检测、定量检测等功能,具有对仪器依赖度小、对操作人员要求不高、样本量需求小和自动化程度高等优点,适合于在多种环境下的病原微生物快速检测。本文从核酸等温扩增原理、进样方式、检测方式等方面对核酸等温扩增病原微生物微流控检测技术进行了综述,以期为病原微生物的快速筛查提供更多的方案思路,提升公共卫生领域对传染性疾病的防控能力。     

异育银鲫养殖环境典型病原微生物检测和细菌群落解析

【背景】水产养殖病害是限制淡水渔业发展的一个重要因素,养殖环境的微生物状况与鱼类健康紧密相关,已引起人们广泛关注。【目的】阐明养殖水体和沉积物中病原微生物丰度和细菌群落多样性变化特征。【方法】利用荧光定量PCR方法和末端限制性片段长度多态性(Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism,T-RFLP)技术,对异育银鲫养殖环境水体和沉积物中的典型病原微生物进行定量检测,以及细菌群落多样性分析。【结果】养殖过程中病原菌丰度呈现不同的变化趋势,嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)、温和气单胞菌(A. sobria)和维氏气单胞菌(A. veronii)与鲤疱疹病毒Ⅱ型丰度变化呈显著正相关。水体中病原菌丰度受pH、温度和溶解氧等环境因子的影响显著。T-RFLP分析表明沉积物样品较水体样品细菌群落组成复杂,并且沉积物细菌群落动态变化幅度高于水体。水体和沉积物中细菌T-RFs数量范围分别在11-29和20-32之间,Shannon-wiener指数在1.44-2.87和2.44-3.25之间。【结论】养殖水体中的病原菌丰度高于沉积物,而沉积物细菌群落丰富度和多样性高于水体。病原菌丰度和细菌群落结构变化与环境因子密切相关,明确养殖池塘环境中病原微生物的生态分布和丰度变化,将为指导养殖过程中病原性疾病发生早期预警提供理论依据。     

现代微生物识别技术在水产养殖环境研究中的应用

养殖环境的恶化已成为制约水产业健康发展的瓶颈。鉴于微生物在养殖水体中的重要作用,本文从技术角度对近年来发展起来的现代微生物分子识别技术进行了概括介绍,并综述了以核酸为靶分子和以微生物表面抗原为靶分子的两类微生物识别技术在水产养殖中的应用进展,为水产养殖环境的改善及其病害防治提供参考。     

水体及沉积物中微生物的分离、检测与鉴定*

微生物在海洋环境中起着非常重要作用,对其的研究技术也在不断地发展。作者综述了海洋水体及沉积物环境中微生物的分离、检测与鉴定等方面的技术方法,并评价它们在微生物工作中的有效性及效率,指出各方法的优点和不足。     

用水体中大肠菌群的含量检测水质污染程度

微生物污染是水质污染的主要原因之一,常用某些与病原微生物有密切关系的微生物的含量来反映水体中病原微生物存在的可能性。水体中病原微生物污染主要来自人畜粪便。因而常选用存在于人体和哺乳动物肠道中的微生物如大肠菌群作为水质污染指示菌。利用指示菌反映水质污染状况具有快速、灵敏的优点。测定大肠菌群含量常用多管发酵法和滤膜法。     

水体及沉积物中微生物的分离、检测与鉴定

微生物在海洋环境中起着非常重要作用,对其的研究技术也在不断地发展。作综述了海洋水体及沉积物环境中微生物的分离、检测与鉴定等方面的技术方法,并评价它们在微生物工作中的有效性及效率,指出各方法的优点和不足。     

宏基因组学与动物病原微生物检测

宏基因组学（ metagenome）是直接从土壤、海水、人及动物胃肠道、口腔、呼吸道、皮肤等环境中获取样品DNA,利用载体将其克隆到替代宿主细胞中构建宏基因文库,以高通量检测为主要技术来研究特定环境中全部微生物的基因组及筛选活性物质和基因的新兴学科。利用宏基因组学技术不仅能够有效地检测特定环境的微生物群落结构,扩展了微生物资源的利用空间,发展了新兴的高通量检测技术,丰富了生物信息学内容。基于宏基因组学研究方法在环境微生物研究中的优势,对近年来相关领域、方法及其在人及动物病原微生物研究中的应用进行综述,以期将此方法用于实验动物病原微生物的调查分析及动物疫情、生物安全的监测。     

Molecular markers and sentinel organisms for environmental monitoring

Molecular methods are useful for both to monitor anthropogenic viral, bacterial, and protozoan enteropathogens, and to track pathogen specific markers in a complex environment in order to reveal sources of these pathogens. Molecular genetic markers for fecal viruses, bacteria, and protozoans hold promise for monitoring environmental pollution and water quality. The demand for microbiologically safe waters grows exponentially due to the global demographic rise of the human population. Economically important shellfish, such as oysters, which are harvested commercially and preferentially consumed raw can be of public health importance if contaminated with human waterborne pathogens. However, feral molluscan shellfish which do not have an apparent economic value serve as indicators in monitoring aquatic environments for pollution with human waterborne pathogens and for sanitary assessment of water quality. Current technology allows for multiplexed species-specific identification, genotyping, enumeration, viability assessment, and source-tracking of human enteropathogens which considerably enhances the pathogen source-tracking efforts.     

Molecular assessment of bacterial pathogens - a contribution to drinking water safety

Human bacterial pathogens are considered as an increasing threat to drinking water supplies worldwide because of the growing demand of high-quality drinking water and the decreasing quality and quantity of available raw water. Moreover, a negative impact of climate change on freshwater resources is expected. Recent advances in molecular detection technologies for bacterial pathogens in drinking water bear the promise in improving the safety of drinking water supplies by precise detection and identification of the pathogens. More importantly, the array of molecular approaches allows understanding details of infection routes of waterborne diseases, the effects of changes in drinking water treatment, and management of freshwater resources.     

Cryptosporidium parvum and Cyclospora cayetanensis: a review of laboratory methods for detection of these waterborne parasites

Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora are obligate, intracellular, coccidian protozoan parasites that infest the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals causing severe diarrhea illness. In this paper, we present an overview of the conventional and more novel techniques that are currently available to detect Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora in water. Conventional techniques and new immunological and genetic/molecular methods make it possible to assess the occurrence, prevalence, virulence (to a lesser extent), viability, levels, and sources of waterborne protozoa. Concentration, purification, and detection are the three key steps in all methods that have been approved for routine monitoring of waterborne oocysts. These steps have been optimized to such an extent that low levels of naturally occurring Cryptosporidium oocysts can be efficiently recovered from water. The filtration systems developed in the US and Europe trap oocysts more effectively and are part of the standard methodologies for environmental monitoring of Cryptosporidium oocysts in source and treated water. Purification techniques such as immunomagnetic separation and flow cytometry with fluorescent activated cell sorting impart high capture efficiency and selective separation of oocysts from sample debris. Monoclonal antibodies with higher avidity and specificity to oocysts in water concentrates have significantly improved the detection and enumeration steps.To date, PCR-based detection methods allow us to differentiate the human pathogenic Cryptosporidium parasites from those that do not infect humans, and to track the source of oocyst contamination in the environment. Cell culture techniques are now used to examine oocyst viability. While fewer studies have focused on Cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite has been successfully detected in drinking water and wastewater using current methods to recover Cryptosporidium oocysts. More research is needed for monitoring of Cyclospora in the environment. Meanwhile, molecular methods (e.g. molecular markers such as intervening transcribed spacer regions), which can identify different genotypes of C. cayetanensis, show good promise for detection of this emerging coccidian parasite in water.     

Innovative tools for detection of plant pathogenic viruses and bacteria

Detection of harmful viruses and bacteria in plant material, vectors or natural reservoirs is essential to ensure safe and sustainable agriculture. The techniques available have evolved significantly in the last few years to achieve rapid and reliable detection of pathogens, extraction of the target from the sample being important for optimising detection. For viruses, sample preparation has been simplified by imprinting or squashing plant material or insect vectors onto membranes. To improve the sensitivity of techniques for bacterial detection, a prior enrichment step in liquid or solid medium is advised. Serological and molecular techniques are currently the most appropriate when high numbers of samples need to be analysed. Specific monoclonal and/or recombinant antibodies are available for many plant pathogens and have contributed to the specificity of serological detection. Molecular detection can be optimised through the automatic purification of nucleic acids from pathogens by columns or robotics. New variants of PCR, such as simple or multiplex nested PCR in a single closed tube, co-operative-PCR and real-time monitoring of amplicons or quantitative PCR, allow high sensitivity in the detection of one or several pathogens in a single assay. The latest development in the analysis of nucleic acids is micro-array technology, but it requires generic DNA/RNA extraction and pre-amplification methods to increase detection sensitivity. The advances in research that will result from the sequencing of many plant pathogen genomes, especially now in the era of proteomics, represent a new source of information for the future development of sensitive and specific detection techniques for these microorganisms.     

Raman spectroscopy and chemical imaging for quantification of filtered waterborne bacteria

Rapid and reliable assessment of pathogenic microbial contamination in water is critically important. In the present work we evaluated the suitability of Raman Spectroscopy and Chemical Imaging as enumeration techniques for waterborne pathogens. The prominent C-H stretching band observed between 2800-3000 cm(-1) of the spectrum is used for quantification purposes. This band provides the highest intensity of the bacterial-spectrum bands facilitating the detection of low number of microorganisms. The intensity of the Raman response correlates with number of cells present in drops of sample water on aluminum-coated slides. However, concentration of pathogens in drinking and recreational water is low, requiring a concentration step, i.e., filtering. Subsequent evaluation of filtering approaches for water sampling for Raman detection showed significant background signal from alumina and silver membranes that reduces method sensitivity. Samples concentrated by filtration show good correlation between Raman spectroscopy and other quantification methods including turbidity (R(2)=0.92), plate counts (R(2)=0.87) and dry weight (R(2)=0.97). Background interferences did not allow for evaluation of this relationship at low cell concentrations.     

Towards a unified system for detecting waterborne pathogens

Currently, there is no single method to collect, process, and analyze a water sample for all pathogenic microorganisms of interest. Some of the difficulties in developing a universal method include the physical differences between the major pathogen groups (viruses, bacteria, protozoa), efficiently concentrating large volume water samples to detect low target concentrations of certain pathogen groups, removing co-concentrated inhibitors from the sample, and standardizing a culture-independent endpoint detection method. Integrating the disparate technologies into a single, universal, simple method and detection system would represent a significant advance in public health and microbiological water quality analysis. Recent advances in sample collection, on-line sample processing and purification, and DNA microarray technologies may form the basis of a universal method to detect known and emerging waterborne pathogens. This review discusses some of the challenges in developing a universal pathogen detection method, current technology that may be employed to overcome these challenges, and the remaining needs for developing an integrated pathogen detection and monitoring system for source or finished water.     

Tools for investigating the environmental transmission of Cryptosporidium and Giardia infections in humans

Cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis are major public health concerns. The role of water and food in the epidemiology of these diseases is now well recognized. Molecular techniques are available to determine the species and genotypes of Cryptosporidium and Giardia and to distinguish human from non-human pathogens. Validated methods to determine the species, genotype and subgenotype that are present in heterologous mixtures should be applied to environmental samples to enable the monitoring and characterization of infection sources, disease tracking and the establishment of causative links to both waterborne and foodborne outbreaks. Meaningful interpretation of population structures and occurrence-prevalence baselines can be performed only by analysing a well-planned set of samples from all possible sources taken regularly over time, rather than focusing on outbreak investigations. For food, this includes such analyses in the country of origin.     

Quantification of microcystin-producing cyanobacteria and E. coli in water by 5'-nuclease PCR

AIMS: 5'-Nuclease (real-time, quantitative) PCR methodologies were developed and applied as diagnostic tools for the detection of microcystin-producing cyanobacteria and Escherichia coli in water. METHODS AND RESULTS: PCR was used to detect regions of the lacZ gene in E. coli, and the microcystin synthetase gene in microcystin-producing cyanobacteria. In environmental water samples, natural inhibitors to PCR were effectively removed with a prefiltration step and an EDTA wash. A lower detection limit of 10 cells ml(-1) was obtained with endpoint PCR detection. 5'-Nuclease PCR was used for microbial quantification of 1 ml inoculated water samples. We were able to detect down to three copies of our target genes per sample within about 2 h (post-DNA isolation) for both E. coli and microcystin-producing cyanobacteria. CONCLUSIONS: 5'-Nuclease PCR offers a rapid and sensitive method of bacterial quantification in water samples. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: 5'-Nuclease PCR can be adopted as an effective diagnostic tool for monitoring microbiological water quality, through coliform quantification, and detection of other waterborne microbial pathogens.     

Elimination of viruses from domestic wastewater: requirements and technologies

Domestic wastewater contains various pathogens, which, if not sufficiently eliminated, may enter the receiving water bodies and cause water-transmitted diseases. Among the waterborne pathogens, viruses may occur, survive and/or decay much differently from bacteria in water. In many cases, the diseases caused by viruses are more severe. Therefore, research efforts are mainly directed at the behavior of viruses in water environments, as well as the elimination of viruses from wastewater. In this paper, an overview of the occurrence of viruses in wastewater is presented, together with their categories, methods of detection and potential to cause waterborne diseases. As wastewater treatment plants are critical nodes for the influx and termination of virus transmission, the behavior of viruses at each stage of treatment is reviewed. Particular attention is paid to the unit operations, which play crucial roles in virus removals, such as coagulation and membrane filtration, and that for virus inactivation, such as chemical disinfection and UV irradiation. Future needs for the development of new technologies for virus elimination, source control, and finding more suitable indicators of viral pathogens are also highlighted.     

Detection of pathogens in water: from phylochips to qPCR to pyrosequencing

Waterborne pathogens pose a significant threat to human health and a proper assessment of microbial water quality is important for decision making regarding water infrastructure and treatment investments and eventually to provide early warning of disease, particularly given increasing global disasters associated with severe public health risks. Microbial water quality monitoring has undergone tremendous transition in recent years, with novel molecular tools beginning to offer rapid, high-throughput, sensitive and specific detection of a wide spectrum of microbial pathogens that challenge traditional culture-based techniques. High-density microarrays, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and pyrosequencing which are considered to be breakthrough technologies borne out of the 'molecular revolution' are at present emerging rapidly as tools of pathogen detection and discovery. Future challenges lie in integrating these molecular tools with concentration techniques and bioinformatics platforms for unbiased guide of pathogen surveillance in water and developing standardized protocols.