肺炎支原体P1蛋白的研究现状

P1蛋白是肺炎支原体的一种与黏附有关的跨膜蛋白,它只有正确定位于肺炎支原体顶端结构才能介导其黏附作用;P1蛋白结构基因的多态性是构成肺炎支原体抗原多态性的基础;P1蛋白本身也是一种重要的免疫原,可刺激机体产生强烈的免疫应答。因此,探讨P1蛋白基因结构与功能将有助于肺炎支原体的致病机制及其感染的诊断和预防等方面的研究。     

肺炎支原体P1蛋白的研究进展

肺炎支原体(MP)是引起呼吸系统感染常见的病原微生物,P1蛋白是肺炎支原体上一种与黏附相关的跨膜蛋白,其黏附作用是引发炎症作用的重要原因.目前新发现的一种被称为孤立岛3的P1变异体引起了各学者的广泛关注.另外,还可以利用P1蛋白进行MP感染的实验室诊断.因此,探讨P1蛋白基因结构、致病机制和实验室诊断方法具有重要意义.     

北京地区肺炎支原体蛋白抗原分析

肺炎支原体(Mp)是人类呼吸道常见的病原之一,以学龄儿童发病率较高,可引起咽炎、支气管炎、肺炎。此外,Mp可引起多种肺外并发症。Mp感染的诊断主要依靠病原分离培养及血清抗体测定,不能达到早期诊断的目的.由于糖脂抗原的非专一性,近10年来国外主要开展了对Mp结构蛋白的研究,目前国内尚未见有关报导。本文采用SDS—PAGE结合免疫印迹技术对北京地区Mp地方株进行蛋白分析.现将结果报告如下:     

肺炎支原体P1重组蛋白的提取纯化及应用研究

提取纯化肺炎支原体(Mycoplasma pneumoniae,Mp)P1重组蛋白,建立酶联免疫吸附实验(ELISA)的方法,协助临床肺炎支原体感染的诊断。以GST融合蛋白层析柱提取、纯化Mp P1重组蛋白做抗原,以全肺炎支原体菌体成分做抗原对照,建立间接ELISA实验方法,检测40份正常献血者血清标本和51份疑似MP感染临床血清标本的IgG抗体。重组蛋白经SDS-PAGE可见诱导表达的样品在分子量大约59 ku处有明显条带,经Western blotting可与肺炎支原体免疫血清发生反应。ELISA实验检测51份临床标本,由P1重组蛋白抗原检测阳性31份,阳性率为60.78%。Mp检测阳性20份,阳性率为39.22%。实验精确度检测阳性混合血清的变异系数(CV值)为5.40%,阴性混合血清变异系数为1.10%。用Mp P1重组蛋白抗原建立的ELISA检测方法,其敏感性高于全肺炎支原体抗原,可用于临床肺炎支原体感染的诊断。     

肺炎支原体表面黏附蛋白的研究进展

肺炎支原体感染可引发非典型肺炎和多种上呼吸道疾病。其致病过程主要由表面黏附蛋白介导完成。本文综述了肺炎支原体表面黏附蛋白的研究进展。     

假丝酵母黏附相关糖基磷脂酰肌醇锚定细胞壁蛋白的研究进展

假丝酵母（俗称念珠菌）是人类重要的条件致病性真菌,可导致人体浅表组织感染,甚至入侵血流引起念珠菌血症和播散性念珠菌病。黏附是念珠菌机会性感染的第1步,该过程受黏附蛋白的精确调控。糖基磷脂酰肌醇锚定细胞壁蛋白（GPI-CWP）家族中有许多成员参与调控念珠菌的黏附。本文就几种重要的念珠菌黏附相关GPI-CWP：凝集样序列（Als）、菌丝壁蛋白1（Hwp1）、上皮细胞黏附素（Epa）、聚苯乙烯黏附增强蛋白1（Eap1）等的致病机制展开综述。     

白念珠菌侵袭宿主毒力因子研究进展

白念珠菌是一种寄生于人类黏膜表面的条件致病菌,是导致免疫功能低下人群侵袭性真菌感染的主要病原菌。白念珠菌形成侵袭性感染的过程主要分为黏附、侵袭、播散、形成感染灶等步骤,其中黏附和侵袭过程最为关键。黏附是白念珠菌入侵宿主的前提,该过程主要依赖于细胞壁表面的黏附素。侵袭阶段主要与菌丝形成、细胞壁表面毒力蛋白表达和蛋白水解酶分泌增加有关。形成菌丝是白念珠菌侵袭宿主的关键因素,主要由细胞内cAMP/PKA和MAPK等信号通路调控;侵袭素主要位于白念珠菌细胞壁表面,可以协助其穿刺宿主上皮细胞、诱导内吞作用;白念珠菌还可分泌多种蛋白水解酶,它能够破坏宿主组织细胞,协助白念珠菌形成感染灶。该文主要对白念珠菌黏附和侵袭宿主过程中关键的毒力因子进行综述,为理解白念珠菌致病机制以及选择潜在的药物靶点提供参考。     

肺炎支原体重组蛋白抗原的初步鉴定

克隆并表达肺炎支原体(Mycoplasma pneumoniae,Mp)P1黏附蛋白D-2区基因片段,进而对重组蛋白的抗原特异性进行鉴定。应用PCR技术获取目的基因片段,并构建含有目的基因片段的重组质粒,用重组质粒酶切图谱法、PCR扩增及核苷酸测序方法鉴定重组质粒。而后将其转入大肠杆菌BL21菌株,用IPTG诱导目的基因表达,用SDS-PAGE分析重组蛋白的相对分子量,免疫印迹实验鉴定其免疫反应性,并用ELISA实验测定重组蛋白抗原的特异性。结果重组质粒中的p1基因片段经测序后,与GenBank中p1基因核苷酸序列比较,其同源性为99.66%~100%;经SDS-PAGE分析,重组蛋白的相对分子量约为59 ku;免疫印迹实验和ELISA实验证实,Mp免疫血清和Mp感染患者血清都能与重组蛋白发生特异反应。研究中的含P1黏附因子D-2区基因的重组质粒已成功构建,其表达的重组蛋白具有特异的免疫反应性,初步ELISA实验证实,本研究获得的重组蛋白可用于临床标本检测。     

衣原体质粒蛋白Pgp3的研究进展

衣原体中普遍含有一个7.5 kb左右的隐蔽性质粒,在衣原体物种中高度保守。Pgp3为该质粒编码的相对分子质量约28 000的免疫原性蛋白,能分泌到宿主细胞胞质中。在衣原体感染期间人类抗体可识别Pgp3的天然三聚体结构。Pgp3在衣原体致病机制中起重要作用,是诱导输卵管积液的主要毒力因子,能中和抗菌肽LL37的抗衣原体活性,且其DNA疫苗对衣原体感染具有一定的保护作用。本文就Pgp3的结构、在衣原体致病中的作用及其在疫苗与诊断抗原方面的应用进行简要概述,为进一步研究衣原体感染的发病机制及其诊断与预防提供新的思路。     

沙眼衣原体质粒蛋白pgp3的研究进展

沙眼衣原体分泌性蛋白在沙眼衣原体致病过程中起重要作用,质粒编码的蛋白pgp3(即pORF5)是迄今为止发现的唯一由沙眼衣原体质粒编码的分泌性蛋白。pgp3在沙眼衣原体感染早期即可表达,在感染人群中具有很强的免疫原性,且人抗体对pgp3的识别具有高度的结构依赖性,对该蛋白的研究将有助于进一步了解衣原体质粒编码蛋白的作用及衣原体致病机制,以寻找更好的衣原体诊断方法和防治措施。本文就沙眼衣原体质粒编码蛋白pgp3的生物学性质及其致病机制作一简要综述。     

Visualization of the attachment organelle and cytadherence proteins of Mycoplasma pneumoniae by immunofluorescence microscopy

A method was developed for protein localization in Mycoplasma pneumoniae by immunofluorescence microscopy. The P1 adhesin protein was revealed to be located at least at one cell pole in all adhesive cells, as has been observed by immunoelectron microscopy. Cell images were classified according to P1 localization and assigned by DNA content. Cells with a single P1 focus at one cell pole had a lower DNA content than cells with two foci, at least one of which was positioned at a cell pole. Those with one focus at each cell pole had the highest DNA content, suggesting that the nascent attachment organelle is formed next to the old one and migrates to the opposite cell pole before cell division. Double staining revealed that the accessory proteins for cytadherence-HMW1, HMW3, P30, P90, P40, and P65-colocalized with the P1 adhesin in all cells. The localization of cytadherence proteins was also examined in cytadherence-deficient mutant cells with a branched morphology. In M5 mutant cells, which lack the P90 and P40 proteins, HMW1, HMW3, P1, and P30 were focused at the cell poles of short branches, and P65 showed no signal. In M7 mutant cells, which produce a truncated P30 protein, HMW1, HMW3, P1, P90, and P40 were focused, and P65 showed no signal. In M6 mutant cells, which express no HMW1 and a truncated P30 protein, the P1 adhesin was distributed throughout the entire cell body, and no signal was detected for the other proteins. These results suggest that the cytadherence proteins are sequentially assembled to the attachment organelle with HMW1 first, HMW3, P1, P30, P90, and P40 next, and P65 last.     

The 40- and 90-kDa membrane proteins (ORF6 gene product) of Mycoplasma pneumoniae are responsible for the tip structure formation and P1 (adhesin) association with the Triton shell

After Triton X-100 treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae cells, a portion of the adhesin P1 (transmembrane protein) proved to remain tightly associated with the Triton insoluble material (Triton shell) as shown previously by several authors. However, the spontaneous loss of two cytadherence-associated membrane proteins of 90 and 40 kDa (gene product of the open reading frame 6 of the P1 operon) in a hemadsorption-negative mutant, designated M5, resulted in a 100% release of the P1 protein into the Triton phase and in the lack of the characteristic tip-like attachment organelle of M. pneumoniae indicating an essential role of the open reading frame 6 gene product in tip structure formation.     

Attachment organelle formation represented by localization of cytadherence proteins and formation of the electron-dense core in wild-type and mutant strains of Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Cytadherence proteins of Mycoplasma pneumoniae are localized at the attachment organelle, which is involved in adhesion, gliding motility, and cell division. The localization of these proteins in cytadherence-deficient mutants was examined by immunofluorescence microscopy. In the class I-2 mutant, which has a frameshift mutation in the hmw2 gene, fluorescent foci for HMW1 and HMW3 were found with reduced intensity, and P1 adhesin showed reduced focusing. However, foci for P90, P40, P30, and P65 were not observed in this mutant. In the class IV-22 mutant, which lacks expression of P1, P90, and P40, the other cytadherence proteins (HMW1, HMW3, P30, and P65) were focused. In a mutant lacking HMW1, signals for HMW3, P90, P40, P30, and P65 were not found, and P1 was distributed throughout the cell. These results suggest that HMW1 is essential for the localization of all other cytadherence proteins, while HMW2 is essential for the localization of P90, P40, P30, and P65. The electron-dense core in cytadherence mutants was observed by thin-section electron microscopy, suggesting that its formation depends on HMW1 and HMW2 and that P1 localization occurs independent of the formation of the electron-dense core. Doubly stained preparations visualized by immunofluorescence microscopy showed that the P1 adhesin, P90, and P40 colocalized to a subregion of the attachment organelle in the wild-type strain. HMW1 and HMW3 also colocalized to a different subregion of the attachment organelle, while P30 and P65 localized at more distal ends of cell poles than HMW1 and HMW3. These differences were more pronounced in cytadherence mutants. These results suggest that there are three distinct subcellular protein localization sites in the attachment organelle, which were represented by HMW1-HMW3, P1-P90-P40, and P30-P65.     

Mycoplasma pneumoniae Protein P30 Is Required for Cytadherence and Associated with Proper Cell Development

The attachment organelle of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a polar, tapered cell extension containing an intracytoplasmic, electron-dense core. This terminal structure is the leading end in gliding motility, and its duplication is thought to precede cell division, raising the possibility that mutations affecting cytadherence also confer a defect in motility or cell development. Mycoplasma surface protein P30 is associated with the attachment organelle, and P30 mutants II-3 and II-7 do not cytadhere. In this study, the recombinant wild-type but not the mutant II-3 p30 allele restored cytadherence when transformed into P30 mutants by recombinant transposon delivery. The mutations associated with loss of P30 in mutant II-3 and reacquisition of P30 in cytadhering revertants thereof were identified by nucleotide sequencing of the p30 gene. Morphological abnormalities that included ovoid or multilobed cells having a poorly defined tip structure were associated with loss of P30. Digital image analysis confirmed quantitatively the morphological differences noted visually. Transformation of the P30 mutants with the wild-type p30 allele restored a normal morphology, as determined both visually and by digital image analysis, suggesting that P30 plays a role in mycoplasma cell development. Finally, the P30 mutants localized the adhesin protein P1 to the terminal organelle, indicating that P30 is not involved in P1 trafficking but may be required for its receptor-binding function.     

HMW1 Is Required for Cytadhesin P1 Trafficking to the Attachment Organelle in Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Mycoplasma pneumoniae proteins HMW1-HMW3 collectively are essential for cytadherence, but the function or requirement for each has not been defined. Cytadherence mutant M6 lacks HMW1 because of a frameshift in hmw1 and produces a truncated adherence-associated protein P30 because of a deletion at the 3′ end of p30. Genetic manipulation of this mutant was used to evaluate the role of HMW1 in cytadherence. Mutant M6 was transformed with a recombinant transposon containing a wild-type p30 allele. Transformants synthesized both truncated and full-length P30, from the resident and recombinant alleles, respectively. However, these transformants remained hemadsorption negative, suggesting that HMW1 is required for cytadherence. Wild-type M. pneumoniae cells are generally elongated, tapering to form the attachment organelle at one end of the cell. The cytadhesin protein P1 is normally densely clustered on the mycoplasma surface at this differentiated terminal structure. However, both mutant M6 and M6 transformed with recombinant p30 had a striking ovoid morphology with no tapering at the tip structure, making the attachment organelle indistinguishable. Furthermore, protein P1 was randomly distributed on the mycoplasma surface rather than clustered at a polar location. In contrast, mutant M6 transformed with a recombinant transposon expressing the wild-type hmw1 allele exhibited a near-normal morphology and localized P1 to the attachment organelle. Significantly, M6 transformed with an hmw1 gene truncated slightly at the 3′ end failed to restore proper morphology or P1 localization to the attachment organelle, suggesting a functional importance to the C-terminal domain of HMW1.     

Characterization of a Mycoplasma pneumoniae hmw3 mutant: implications for attachment organelle assembly

The proteins required for adherence of the pathogen Mycoplasma pneumoniae to host respiratory epithelial cells are localized to a polar structure, the attachment organelle. A number of these proteins have been characterized functionally by analysis of noncytadhering mutants, and many are components of the mycoplasma cytoskeleton. Mutations in some cytadherence-associated proteins have pleiotropic effects, including decreased stability of other proteins, loss of adherence and motility, and abnormal morphology. The function of protein HMW3, a component of the attachment organelle, has been difficult to discern due to lack of an appropriate mutant. In this paper, we report that loss of HMW3 resulted in decreased levels and more diffuse localization of cytoskeletal protein P65, subtle changes in morphology, inability to cluster the adhesin P1 consistently at the terminal organelle, reduced cytadherence, and, in some cells, an atypical electron-dense core in the attachment organelle. This phenotype suggests a role for HMW3 in the architecture and stability of the attachment organelle.     

A minimized motile machinery for Mycoplasma genitalium

The cell wall‐less bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium uses specialized adhesins located at the terminal organelle to adhere to host cells and surfaces. The terminal organelle is a polar structure protruding from the cell body that is internally supported by a cytoskeleton and also has an important role in cell motility. We have engineered a M. genitalium null mutant for MG491 protein showing a massive downstream destabilization of proteins involved in the terminal organelle organization. This mutant strain exhibited striking similarities with the previously isolated MG_218 null mutant strain. Upon introduction of an extra copy of MG_318 gene in both strains, the amount of main adhesins P140 and P110 dramatically increased. These strains were characterized by microcinematography, epifluorescence microscopy and cryo‐electron microcopy, revealing the presence of motile cells and filaments in the absence of many proteins considered essential for cell adhesion and motility. These results indicate that adhesin complexes play a major role in the motile machinery of M. genitalium and demonstrate that the rod element of the cytoskeleton core is not the molecular motor propelling mycoplasma cells. These strains containing a minimized motile machinery also provide a valuable cell model to investigate the adhesion and gliding properties of this human pathogen.     

Initiation of assembly and association of the structural elements of a bacterial pilus depend on two specialized tip proteins.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli produce heteropolymeric surface fibers called P pili, which present an adhesin at their tip that specifically recognizes globoside receptors on the host uroepithelium. The initial attachment step is thought to be essential for pathogenesis. P pili are composite fibers consisting of a thin tip fibrillum joined end to end to a rigid helical rod. Here we show that the ordered assembly of these structures requires the activity of two proteins that are minor components of the tip fibrillum, PapF and PapK. PapF is required for the correct presentation of the adhesin at the distal end of the tip fibrillum. PapK regulates the length of the tip fibrillum and joins it to the pilus rod. We propose that these subunits function as adaptors, by providing complementary surfaces to different substructures of the pilus and promoting their proper associations. In addition, the conversion of chaperone-subunit complexes into pili depends on PapF and PapK since a papF- papK- double mutation abolishes piliation. We suggest that in addition to the adaptor functions of PapF and PapK, they are also required to initiate the formation of tip fibrillae and pilus rods.     

Mycoplasma pneumoniae J-domain protein required for terminal organelle function

The cell wall-less prokaryote Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes tracheobronchitis and primary atypical pneumonia in humans. Colonization of the respiratory epithelium requires proper assembly of a complex, multifunctional, polar terminal organelle. Loss of a predicted J-domain protein also having domains unique to mycoplasma terminal organelle proteins (TopJ) resulted in a non-motile, adherence-deficient phenotype. J-domain proteins typically stimulate ATPase activity of Hsp70 chaperones to bind nascent peptides for proper folding, translocation or macromolecular assembly, or to resolve stress-induced protein aggregates. By Western immunoblotting all defined terminal organelle proteins examined except protein P24 remained at wild-type levels in the topJ mutant; previous studies established that P24 is required for normal initiation of terminal organelle formation. Nevertheless, terminal organelle proteins P1, P30, HMW1 and P41 failed to localize to a cell pole, and when evaluated quantitatively, P30 and HMW1 foci were undetectable in >40% of cells. Complementation of the topJ mutant with the recombinant wild-type topJ allele largely restored terminal organelle development, gliding motility and cytadherence. We propose that this J-domain protein, which localizes to the base of the terminal organelle in wild-type M. pneumoniae , functions in the late stages of assembly, positioning, or both, of nascent terminal organelles.     

Loss of co-chaperone TopJ impacts adhesin P1 presentation and terminal organelle maturation in Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a wall-less human respiratory tract pathogen that colonizes mucosal epithelium via a polar terminal organelle having a central electron-dense core and adhesin-related proteins clustered at a terminal button. A mutant lacking J-domain co-chaperone TopJ is non-cytadherent and non-motile, despite having a core and normal levels of the major cytadherence-associated proteins. J-domain co-chaperones work with DnaK to catalyse polypeptide binding and subsequent protein folding. Here we compared features of the topJ mutant with other cytadherence mutants to elucidate the contribution of TopJ to cytadherence function. The topJ mutant was similar ultrastructurally to a non-cytadherent mutant lacking terminal organelle proteins B/C, including aberrant core positioning and cell morphology in thin sections, but exhibited a hybrid satellite growth pattern with features of mutants both having and lacking a core. Time-lapse images of mycoplasmas expressing a YFP fusion with terminal organelle protein P41 suggested that terminal organelle formation/positioning was delayed or poorly co-ordinated with cell growth in the absence of TopJ. TopJ required a core for localization, perhaps involving HMW1. P1 trypsin accessibility on other non-cytadherent mutants was significantly enhanced over wild type but unexpectedly was reduced with topJ mutant cells, suggesting impaired processing, translocation and/or folding of this adhesin.