First report of secondary metabolites,Violaceol I and Violaceol II produced by endophytic fungus,Trichoderma polyalthiae and their antimicrobial activity

Bioactive compounds of endophytic fungus Trichoderma polyalthiae were extracted from culture broth media. The crude extracts showed strong antimicrobial activity against human pathogens. Biologically active compounds were isolated and purified by chromatographic methods. The structures of the pure compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. They were identified as Violaceol I and Violaceol II. These compounds were detected as secondary metabolites produced by this genus for the first time. Violaceol I and II had a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against human pathogens, including Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella sonnei) and Candida albicans. Violaceol I exhibited Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values (<9.765–156.25 μg/mL) that were higher than Violaceol II (<9.765–312.5 μg/mL). Additionally, the MIC value of the phenol violaceol from this taxon was lower than the previous reports.     

病原菌调节宿主细胞泛素化途径的研究进展

泛素化是真核生物特有的蛋白质翻译后修饰,广泛地参与宿主细胞各种信号通路和生理过程.病原菌常通过分泌毒性效应蛋白,对泛素和泛素结合酶进行独特的共价修饰,或者利用泛素连接酶和去泛素化酶的酶学活性,调节宿主泛素化过程,从而干扰宿主细胞的信号转导,促进细菌的感染和生存.本文概述了病原菌效应蛋白调节宿主泛素化途径的主要研究进展和最新发现.     

Evolutionary trajectory of fish Piscine novirhabdovirus (=Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus) across its Laurentian Great Lakes history: Spatial and temporal diversification

Piscine novirhabdovirus = Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) first appeared in the Laurentian Great Lakes with large outbreaks from 2005 to 2006, as a new and novel RNA rhabdovirus subgenogroup (IVb) that killed >30 fish species. Interlude periods punctuated smaller more localized outbreaks in 2007, 2010, and 2017, although some fishes tested positive in the intervals. There have not been reports of outbreaks or positives from 2018, 2019, or 2020. Here, we employ a combined population genetics and phylogenetic approach to evaluate spatial and temporal evolutionary trajectory on its G‐gene sequence variation, in comparison with whole‐genome sequences (11,083 bp) from a subset of 44 individual isolates (including 40 newly sequenced ones). Our results show that IVb (N = 184 individual fish isolates) diversified into 36 G‐gene haplotypes from 2003 to 2017, stemming from two originals (“a” and “b”). G‐gene haplotypes “a” and “b” differed by just one synonymous single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) substitution, remained the most abundant until 2011, then disappeared. Group “a” descendants (14 haplotypes) remained most prevalent in the Upper and Central Great Lakes, with eight (51%) having nonsynonymous substitutions. Group “b” descendants primarily have occurred in the Lower Great Lakes, including 22 haplotypes, of which 15 (68%) contained nonsynonymous changes. Evolutionary patterns of the whole‐genome sequences (which had 34 haplotypes among 44 isolates) appear congruent with those from the G‐gene. Virus populations significantly diverged among the Upper, Central, and Lower Great Lakes, diversifying over time. Spatial divergence was apparent in the overall patterns of nucleotide substitutions, while amino acid changes increased temporally. VHSV‐IVb thus significantly differentiated across its less than two decades in the Great Lakes, accompanied by declining outbreaks and virulence. Continuing diversification likely allowed the virus to persist at low levels in resident fish populations, and may facilitate its potential for further and future spread to new habitats and nonacclimated hosts.     

甜菜夜蛾半胱天冬酶基因的克隆及对细胞凋亡 诱导剂和病原微生物感染的表达响应

【目的】本研究旨在明确甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua半胱天冬酶(caspase)在细胞凋亡诱导剂诱导和病原微生物胁迫下的表达模式,为丰富鳞翅目昆虫细胞凋亡机制研究奠定基础。【方法】利用RT-PCR技术从甜菜夜蛾3龄幼虫体内扩增两个半胱天冬酶基因(SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4)编码区的全长;利用qPCR技术分别检测两个半胱天冬酶基因在细胞凋亡诱导剂过氧化氢(hydrogen peroxide, H₂O₂)(100 μmol/L)、放线菌素D(actinomycin D, ActD)(10 μg/mL)和地塞米松(dexamethasone, DEX)(50 μg/mL)诱导后甜菜夜蛾脂肪体细胞中及病原菌苏云金芽孢杆菌Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk)(10⁸个细菌/mL)、大肠杆菌TG1菌株Escherichia coli TG1 (E. coli TG1)(10⁸个细菌/mL)、烟芽夜蛾囊泡病毒3h株(Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h, HvAV-3h)(1.16×10¹¹个基因组拷贝/mL)和苜蓿银纹夜蛾核型多角体病毒(Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus, AcMNPV)(5 000 OBs/μL)感染后甜菜夜蛾3龄幼虫体内的表达模式。【结果】SeCasp-3(GenBank登录号: MW183334)的编码区长942 bp,共编码313个氨基酸;SeCasp-4(GenBank登录号: MW183335)的编码区长843 bp,共编码280个氨基酸。SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4的假定蛋白序列与家蚕Bombyx mori Dronc的氨基酸序列一致性分别为45.54％和58.46％,且SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4之间具有较高的同源性。SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4在不同化学物质诱导下的甜菜夜蛾脂肪体细胞中的表达模式存在明显差异,在100 μmol/L H₂O₂和10 μg/mL ActD处理后24和48 h,脂肪体细胞中SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4的相对表达量均显著升高;50 μg/mL DEX处理后24和48 h,SeCasp-3的相对表达量未见显著变化,但SeCasp-4的相对表达量升高了数千倍。在不同病原微生物感染后的甜菜夜蛾3龄幼虫体内,SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4的表达模式基本相同。一般线性模型的分析结果表明,Btk和E. coli TG1的感染不造成SeCasp-3和SeCasp-4相对表达量的显著变化,而HvAV-3h和AcMNPV的感染则显著抑制了这两个基因的表达。【结论】本研究鉴定了两个甜菜夜蛾半胱天冬酶基因,并分析了其对细胞凋亡诱导剂和病原微生物感染的表达响应,为进一步探究半胱天冬酶功能和昆虫细胞凋亡过程提供了重要的理论基础。     

CRISPR在食源性致病菌进化分析、检测分型及毒力耐药调控中的应用进展

规律成簇间隔的短回文重复序列 (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats,CRISPR) 与其相关蛋白基因系统可通过限制基因的水平转移而有效防御噬菌体等外源基因元件的入侵,不同细菌之间的CRISPR结构有所差异。基于CRISPR系统的差异性,文中对近几年CRISPR在食源性致病菌进化分析、检测与分型、毒力与耐药中的应用研究进行概述,并对基于CRISPR序列特点开发的细菌检测分型方法以及CRISPR与食源性致病菌的毒力、耐药性之间的相关性进行重点总结分析。此外,文中探讨了CRISPR在进化分析、检测与分型、毒力与耐药应用中的不足,提出将CRISPR分型方法标准化、完善与扩充致病菌CRISPR数据库、进一步探究噬菌体与细菌之间的共进化关系等建议,为进一步探索CRISPR功能提供参考。     

Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of fungal pathogens isolated from diseased fish in Xinjiang,China

The outbreaks of fungal diseases in cultured fish have been severe in recent years, which is harmful to the healthy and sustainable development of fish farming. In this study, an investigation was conducted for significant fungal infections of 12 species of fish in four regions in Xinjiang, China, to understand the distribution of local fish fungal pathogens. Twenty-six fungal strains with pathogenicity were isolated, and the challenge experiment showed that eight strains from Changji area had high infection rate to fish eggs. Based on internal transcribed spacer sequence data and molecular analysis, the 26 strains were classified into nine different species of six fungal genera. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all strains were divided into two clades, namely Cluster 1 (contains only the genus Mucor) and Cluster 2 (consists of five small branches), and the distribution of strains from the same region was scattered in two clusters. There is no strict host selectivity for these fungi to infect fish. Mucor sp. are the main fungal pathogen of fish in these four regions, whereas Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Carassius auratus are two types of fish that were susceptible to pathogen. In addition, the environmental adaptability experiments showed that eight highly pathogenic strains have different adaptability to the environment, and their optimum temperature and pH were 25°C and 7.0, respectively, whereas the concentration of NaCl was negatively correlated with the growth of strains. Therefore, these results indicated that the coinfection of multiple fungal pathogens in a culture region should be considered in the future study.     

小檗碱通过JNK通路调控柯萨奇病毒B3感染心肌细胞凋亡的作用

小檗碱是具有细胞保护作用的生物碱,能够在柯萨奇病毒B3(CVB3)感染引起的病毒性心肌炎小鼠中发挥心肌保护作用,但具体的机制未阐明。在内皮细胞中,小檗碱通过c-Jun氨基末端激酶(JNK)通路抑制细胞凋亡,因此本研究将分析小檗碱通过JNK通路调控CVB3感染心肌细胞凋亡的作用。H9c2心肌细胞分为对照组(不含药物的DMEM处理)、模型组(含CVB3的DMEM处理)、小檗碱组(含CVB3及小檗碱的DMEM处理)、小檗碱+JNK质粒组(含CVB3、小檗碱、JNK质粒的DMEM处理),检测细胞凋亡率、肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白介素-6(IL-6)、活性氧(ROS)、丙二醛(MDA)的含量、p-JNK、cleaved caspase-3、bax、bcl-2的表达量。结果显示,模型组的细胞凋亡率、TNF-α、IL-6、ROS、MDA的含量、p-JNK、cleaved caspase-3、bax的表达量高于对照组,bcl-2的表达量低于对照组(P<0.05);小檗碱组的细胞凋亡率、TNF-α、IL-6、ROS、MDA的含量、p-JNK、cleaved caspase-3、bax的表达量低于模型组,bcl-2的表达量高于模型组(P<0.05);小檗碱+JNK质粒组的细胞凋亡率、TNF-α、IL-6、ROS、MDA的含量、p-JNK、cleaved caspase-3、bax的表达量高于小檗碱组,bcl-2的表达量低于小檗碱组(P<0.05)。以上结果表明小檗碱对CVB3感染心肌细胞的凋亡具有抑制作用,抑制JNK通路是介导这一作用可能的分子机制。     

Fur Seal Feces-Associated Circular DNA Virus Identified in Pigs in Anhui,China

Fur seal feces-associated circular DNA virus(FSfa CV) is an unclassified circular replication-associated protein(Rep)-encoding single-stranded(CRESS) DNA virus that has been detected in mammals(fur seals and pigs). The biology and epidemiology of the virus remain largely unknown. To investigate the virus diversity among pigs in Anhui Province,China, we pooled 600 nasal samples in 2017 and detected viruses using viral metagenomic methods. From the assembled contigs, 12 showed notably high nucleotide acid sequence similarities to the genome sequences of FSfa CVs. Based on these sequences, a full-length genome sequence of the virus was then obtained using overlapping PCR and sequencing, and the virus was designated as FSfa CV-CHN(Gen Bank No. MK462122). This virus shared 91.3% and 90.9% genome-wide nucleotide sequence similarities with the New Zealand fur seal strain FSfa CV-as50 and the Japanese pig strain FSfa CVJPN1, respectively. It also clustered with the two previously identified FSfa CVs in a unique branch in the phylogenetic tree based on the open reading frame 2(ORF2), Rep-coding gene, and the genome of the reference CRESS DNA viruses.Further epidemiological investigation using samples collected in 2018 showed that the overall positive rate for the virus was 56.4%(111/197) in Anhui Province. This is the first report of FSfa CVs identified in pigs in China, and further epidemiological studies are warranted to evaluate the influence of the virus on pigs.     

A Multicenter Study of Viral Aetiology of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Hospitalized Children in Chinese Mainland

Virologica Sinica - Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. In this study, we aimed to describe the aetiology of viral...