Changes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell membrane components and promotion to ethanol tolerance during the bioethanol fermentation

During bioethanol fermentation process, Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell membrane might provide main protection to tolerate accumulated ethanol, and S. cerevisiae cells might also remodel their membrane compositions or structure to try to adapt to or tolerate the ethanol stress. However, the exact changes and roles of S. cerevisiae cell membrane components during bioethanol fermentation still remains poorly understood. This study was performed to clarify changes and roles of S. cerevisiae cell membrane components during bioethanol fermentation. Both cell diameter and membrane integrity decreased as fermentation time lasting. Moreover, compared with cells at lag phase, cells at exponential and stationary phases had higher contents of ergosterol and oleic acid (C_18:1) but lower levels of hexadecanoic (C_16:0) and palmitelaidic (C_16:1) acids. Contents of most detected phospholipids presented an increase tendency during fermentation process. Increased contents of oleic acid and phospholipids containing unsaturated fatty acids might indicate enhanced cell membrane fluidity. Compared with cells at lag phase, cells at exponential and stationary phases had higher expressions of ACC1 and HFA1. However, OLE1 expression underwent an evident increase at exponential phase but a decrease at following stationary phase. These results indicated that during bioethanol fermentation process, yeast cells remodeled membrane and more changeable cell membrane contributed to acquiring higher ethanol tolerance of S. cerevisiae cells. These results highlighted our knowledge about relationship between the variation of cell membrane structure and compositions and ethanol tolerance, and would contribute to a better understanding of bioethanol fermentation process and construction of industrial ethanologenic strains with higher ethanol tolerance.     

鸭儿芹羟基肉桂酸转移酶基因的克隆及其对不同温度的响应

以贵州省野生鸭儿芹为研究对象,用RT-PCR克隆获得与木质素合成有关的羟基肉桂酸转移酶基因(CjHCT),并分析CjHCT基因对不同温度的响应,探索人工栽培鸭儿芹的适宜温度。结果表明:(1)CjHCT基因开放阅读框长度为1 290bp,编码429个氨基酸;蛋白质分子质量为47.58kD,等电点为6.67;进化树分析表明,CjHCT与茄科植物的HCT亲缘关系最近。(2)荧光定量PCR分析显示,CjHCT基因在贵州鸭儿芹根、叶柄、叶及花不同组织中的表达具有组织特异性,且在根中CjHCT基因的表达量最高,而在叶中表达量最低,花与叶中该基因表达量相近。(3)对鸭儿芹生长过程中主要面临的4种不同温度(10℃、18℃、30℃和38℃)分别处理0、0.5、1、2、4、8、12、24h,荧光定量PCR检测显示,CjHCT基因的表达量(以0h处理作为对照,表达量为1)在高温(30℃和38℃)处理下于0.5h时最高,其中30℃处理的CjHCT基因表达量高于38℃处理;在低温(10℃和18℃)下鸭儿芹CjHCT基因表达量于12h时最高,其中10℃处理0.5h时CjHCT基因较对照表现为下调;高温(30℃和38℃)下CjHCT基因表达量峰值比低温(10℃和18℃)下表达量峰值高,而且峰值出现的时间也较早。该实验意义在于初步研究发现低温栽培鸭儿芹能抑制CjHCT基因的表达,为人工栽培鸭儿芹温度调控提供了参考。     

Molecular Detection and Characterization of Chinese Yam Mild Mosaic Virus Isolates

An improved RT‐PCR was developed and validated for the detection of Yam mild mosaic virus (YMMV). Sequences of the coat protein core region of 19 Chinese isolates were obtained, and analysis indicated the presence of different genetic variants. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the Chinese isolates were divided into two distinct clusters. Complete genomic sequences of two distinct Chinese variants were determined to be 9527 and 9529 nucleotides long, excluding the 3′ poly (A) tail. Their genomic structure and organization were virtually identical to that of a Brazilian isolate. The two variants shared identity of 87.3% to one another and 83.9–84.6% to the Brazilian variant at the genomic sequence level. Phylogenetic analyses supported that they represented two distinct YMMV lineages.     

Constitutive presence of antibiotic resistance genes within the bacterial community of a large subalpine lake

The fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in environmental microbial communities is of primary concern as prodromal of a potential transfer to pathogenic bacteria. Although of diverse origin, the persistence of ARGs in aquatic environments is highly influenced by anthropic activities, allowing potential control actions in well‐studied environments. However, knowledge of abundance and space–time distribution of ARGs in ecosystems is still scarce. Using quantitative real‐time PCR, we investigated the presence and the abundance of twelve ARGs (against tetracyclines, β‐lactams, aminoglycosides, quinolones and sulphonamides) at different sampling sites, depths and seasons, in Lake Maggiore, a large subalpine lake, and in the area of its watershed. We then evaluated the correlation between each ARG and a number of ecological parameters in the water column in the deepest part of the lake. Our results suggest the constitutive presence of at least four ARGs within the bacterial community with a high proportion of bacteria potentially resistant to tetracyclines and sulphonamides. The presence of these ARGs was independent of the total bacterial density and temperature. The dynamics of tet(A) and sulII genes were, however, positively correlated with dissolved oxygen and negatively to chlorophyll a, suggesting that the resistant microbes inhabit specific niches. These observations indicate that the lake is a reservoir of antibiotic resistances, highlighting the need of a deeper understanding of the sources of ARGs and the factors allowing their persistence in waters.     

Intraspecific facilitation by allelochemical mediated grazing protection within a toxigenic dinoflagellate population

Dinoflagellates are a major cause of harmful algal blooms (HABs), with consequences for coastal marine ecosystem functioning and services. Alexandrium fundyense (previously Alexandrium tamarense) is one of the most abundant and widespread toxigenic species in the temperate Northern and Southern Hemisphere and produces paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins as well as lytic allelochemical substances. These bioactive compounds may support the success of A. fundyense and its ability to form blooms. Here we investigate the impact of grazing on monoclonal and mixed set-ups of highly (Alex2) and moderately (Alex4) allelochemically active A. fundyense strains and a non-allelochemically active conspecific (Alex5) by the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Polykrikos kofoidii. While Alex4 and particularly Alex5 were strongly grazed by P. kofoidii when offered alone, both strains grew well in the mixed assemblages (Alex4 + Alex5 and Alex2 + Alex5). Hence, the allelochemical active strains facilitated growth of the non-active strain by protecting the population as a whole against grazing. Based on our results, we argue that facilitation among clonal lineages within a species may partly explain the high genotypic and phenotypic diversity of Alexandrium populations. Populations of Alexandrium may comprise multiple cooperative traits that act in concert with intraspecific facilitation, and hence promote the success of this notorious HAB species.     

茉莉酸甲酯诱导大戟三萜类代谢的研究

京大戟是多年生草本药用植物,入药部分是其干燥根,但可入药的京大戟资源由于生长缓慢以及环境污染的加剧而越发匮乏,因此解决大戟资源日益紧张的问题是当今药用植物资源开发与利用方向的重要课题。京大戟含有三萜类、二萜类、黄酮类等丰富的活性成分,一些常见药用植物的有效成分是三萜类化合物,其在抗病毒、抗肿瘤、免疫调节等方面具有很好的活性。对植物萜类物质代谢起重要作用的关键酶,如3-羟基,3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶(hmgr)、鲨烯合酶(sqs)、法尼基焦磷酸合酶(fps)的基因克隆及活性研究取得了进展和突破,但通过调控萜类物质代谢途径中关键酶基因的表达来诱导终产物合成的研究鲜有报道。通过研究大戟萜类物质代谢途径进而利用基因工程手段提升目的物质的产量来解决京大戟药源短缺问题具有重要意义。该研究以大戟愈伤组织为材料,使用茉莉酸甲酯分别按时间梯度和浓度梯度进行诱导,将诱导后的愈伤组织分为两部分:一部分提取其总RNA,以actin为内参基因进行反转录,实时定量RT-PCR分析大戟三萜类代谢途径中hmgr、sqs与fps基因的相对表达差异;另一部分用于提取其总三萜并使用分光光度法进行含量测定。实时定量RT-PCR分析结果表明,茉莉酸甲酯可诱导3个基因的表达,但其表达模式不一样。相应的京大戟愈伤组织中总三萜的含量明显提高,最高可较未处理样品增加27%。研究结果可为茉莉酸甲酯促进药用植物大戟三萜类物质积累的分子机制研究提供参考。     

‘砀山酥梨’及其褐皮芽变果皮中多胺类物质含量和相关基因表达分析

为研究多胺类物质在‘砀山酥梨’芽变品系‘锈酥’果皮褐色形成中的作用,以‘砀山酥梨’和‘锈酥’花后不同时期果皮为试材,采用HPLC方法测定果皮中多胺类物质的含量,利用RACE技术克隆多胺合成过程中的关键基因,通过Protparam网站与MEGA5.0软件分析相关基因蛋白的理化性质及其系统进化,用荧光定量qRT-PCR方法分析不同时期果皮中相关基因的相对表达量。结果表明:(1)除花后50和150d外,其它时期‘砀山酥梨’果皮中腐胺含量均显著高于‘锈酥’,花后50d、75d、150d时,‘锈酥’果皮中的亚精胺、精胺含量显著高于‘砀山酥梨’果皮。(2)克隆出多胺合成的基因ADC、SPDS和SPMS(GenBank登录号分别为KM923903、KM923905和KM923906),预测ADC和SPMS均为水溶性蛋白、SPDS为疏水性蛋白,它们与苹果的亲缘关系最近。(3)荧光定量PCR结果显示,花后50d,多胺合成中ADC、SPDS和SPMS在‘锈酥’果皮中表达量均显著高于‘砀山酥梨’。研究推测,‘锈酥’果皮中多胺代谢及相关基因的上调表达可能与‘锈酥’的果皮褐色形成有关。     

Haemophilus influenzae: using comparative genomics to accurately identify a highly recombinogenic human pathogen

Background

Haemophilus influenzae is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that exclusively colonises humans and is associated with both acute and chronic disease. Despite its clinical significance, accurate identification of H. influenzae is a non-trivial endeavour. H. haemolyticus can be misidentified as H. influenzae from clinical specimens using selective culturing methods, reflecting both the shared environmental niche and phenotypic similarities of these species. On the molecular level, frequent genetic exchange amongst Haemophilus spp. has confounded accurate identification of H. influenzae, leading to both false-positive and false-negative results with existing speciation assays.

Results

Whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism data from 246 closely related global Haemophilus isolates, including 107 Australian isolate genomes generated in this study, were used to construct a whole-genome phylogeny. Based on this phylogeny, H. influenzae could be differentiated from closely related species. Next, a H. influenzae-specific locus, fucP, was identified, and a novel TaqMan real-time PCR assay targeting fucP was designed. PCR specificity screening across a panel of clinically relevant species, coupled with in silico analysis of all species within the order Pasteurellales, demonstrated that the fucP assay was 100 % specific for H. influenzae; all other examined species failed to amplify.

Conclusions

This study is the first of its kind to use large-scale comparative genomic analysis of Haemophilus spp. to accurately delineate H. influenzae and to identify a species-specific molecular signature for this species. The fucP assay outperforms existing H. influenzae targets, most of which were identified prior to the next-generation genomics era and thus lack validation across a large number of Haemophilus spp. We recommend use of the fucP assay in clinical and research laboratories for the most accurate detection and diagnosis of H. influenzae infection and colonisation.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1857-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.