Variation in the ratio of curli and phosphoethanolamine cellulose associated with biofilm architecture and properties

Bacterial biofilms are communities of bacteria entangled in a self‐produced extracellular matrix (ECM). Escherichia coli direct the assembly of two insoluble biopolymers, curli amyloid fibers, and phosphoethanolamine (pEtN) cellulose, to build remarkable biofilm architectures. Intense curiosity surrounds how bacteria harness these amyloid‐polysaccharide composites to build biofilms, and how these biopolymers function to benefit bacterial communities. Defining ECM composition involving insoluble polymeric assemblies poses unique challenges to analysis and, thus, to comparing strains with quantitative ECM molecular correlates. In this work, we present results from a sum‐of‐the‐parts ¹³C solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis to define the curli‐to‐pEtN cellulose ratio in the isolated ECM of the E. coli laboratory K12 strain, AR3110. We compare and contrast the compositional analysis and comprehensive biofilm phenotypes for AR3110 and a well‐studied clinical isolate, UTI89. The ECM isolated from AR3110 contains approximately twice the amount of pEtN cellulose relative to curli content as UTI89, revealing plasticity in matrix assembly principles among strains. The two parent strains and a panel of relevant gene mutants were investigated in three biofilm models, examining: (a) macrocolonies on agar, (b) pellicles at the liquid‐air interface, and (c) biomass accumulation on plastic. We describe the influence of curli, cellulose, and the pEtN modification on biofilm phenotypes with power in the direct comparison of these strains. The results suggest that curli more strongly influence adhesion, while pEtN cellulose drives cohesion. Their individual and combined influence depends on both the biofilm modality (agar, pellicle, or plastic‐associated) and the strain itself.     

黄芩苷对嗜水气单胞菌生物膜形成的影响及体内外的抑菌作用

[目的] 探讨中药单体黄芩苷对嗜水气单胞菌在体内外生长及生物膜形成的影响。[方法] 体外实验中,利用牛津杯法检测抑菌圈直径,结晶紫法检测生物膜的形成,通过泳动实验检测黄芩苷对嗜水气单胞菌运动性的影响,紫外吸收法检测细胞膜完整性,用透射电镜技术观察黄芩苷对细菌形态的影响。体内实验利用草鱼为对象检测黄芩苷对嗜水气单胞菌增殖的影响。[结果] 黄芩苷在体外对嗜水气单胞菌有明显的抑菌效果,通过对生物膜的研究发现黄芩苷对生物膜形成具有抑制作用,并同时抑制其运动性。同时黄芩苷可以破坏细胞结构,并增加了细胞膜通透性。体内实验结果显示黄芩苷对嗜水气单胞菌具有清除作用,且具有一定的浓度依赖性。[结论] 黄芩苷在体内外均具有抑制嗜水气单胞菌增殖的作用,有望在水产养殖病害防治工作中得到应用。     

Therapeutic applications of lysostaphin against Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus, an opportunistic pathogen, causes diverse community and nosocomial-acquired human infections, including folliculitis, impetigo, sepsis, septic arthritis, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, implant-associated biofilm infections and contagious mastitis in cattle. In recent days, both methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections have increased. Highly effective anti-staphylococcal agents are urgently required. Lysostaphin is a 27 kDa zinc metallo antimicrobial lytic enzyme that is produced by Staphylococcus simulans biovar staphylolyticus and was first discovered in the 1960s. Lysostaphin is highly active against S. aureus strains irrespective of their drug-resistant patterns with a minimum inhibitory concentration of ranges between 0·001 and 0·064 μg ml⁻¹. Lysostaphin has activity against both dividing and non-dividing S. aureus cells; and can seep through the extracellular matrix to kill the biofilm embedded S. aureus. In spite of having excellent anti-staphylococcal activity, its clinical application is hindered because of its immunogenicity and reduced bio-availability. Extensive research with lysostaphin lead to the development of several engineered lysostaphin derivatives with reduced immunogenicity and increased serum half-life. Therapeutic efficacy of both native and engineered lysostaphin derivatives was studied by several research groups. This review provides an overview of the therapeutic applications of native and engineered lysostaphin derivatives developed to eradicate S. aureus infections.     

Antifungal activity of nanoemulsion from Cleome viscosa essential oil against food-borne pathogenic Candida albicans

Pathogenic and spoilage fungi cause enormous challenges to food related fatal infections. Plant essential oil based classical emulsions can functions as antifungal agents. To investigate the antifungal spectrum, that is the scope of the nanoemulsion composed of Cleome viscosa essential oil and Triton-x-100 fabricated by ultrasonication method. Minimum inhibitory and fungicidal concentration of essential oil nanoemulsion (EONE) was tested against food borne pathogenic C. albicans. The MIC and MFC values ranged from 16.5 to 33 µl/ml with significant reduction on biofilm of C. albicans isolates. The alteration of molecular fingerprints was confirmed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and subsequent reduction of chitin levels in cell walls was noted by spectroscopic analysis. The EONE and their bioactive compounds cause collateral damage on C. albicans cells.     

Application of Biofilm-Forming Bacteria on the Enhancement of Organophosphorus Fungicide Degradation

This study aimed to develop technology enhancing the biodegradation efficacy against organophosphorus fungicide with biofilm-forming bacteria in situ. Using the crystal violet staining method, two bacterial strains having biofilm formation capability were isolated and identified as Pseudomonas sp. C7 and Bacillus sp. E5. Compared with the culture of tolclofos-methyl degrader Sphingomonas sp. 224, biofilm formation was improved by co-inoculation with biofilm-forming bacterium Bacillus sp. E5. Evaluated in liquid culture conditions, this two-species mixed consortium was observed to degrade tolclofos-methyl more effectively than Sphingomonas sp. 224 alone, with an approximately 90% degradation efficiency within 48 h of dosing. The improved effectiveness of the consortium biofilm was reflected using soil in situ with an approximately 7% increased degradation ratio over Sphingomonas sp. 224 alone. This is the first report demonstrating improved bioremediation degradation efficacy against tolclofos-methyl exhibited by a consortium biofilm. This work presents a possible effective bioremediation strategy using a specific biofilm composition against pollutants containing organophosphorus compounds in situ.     

Wetlands serve as natural sources for improvement of stream ecosystem health in regions affected by acid deposition

For over 40 years, acid deposition has been recognized as a serious international environmental problem, but efforts to restore acidified streams and biota have had limited success. The need to better understand the effects of different sources of acidity on streams has become more pressing with the recent increases in surface water organic acids, or ‘brownification,’ associated with climate change and decreased inorganic acid deposition. Here, we carried out a large scale multi‐seasonal investigation in the Adirondacks, one of the most acid‐impacted regions in the United States, to assess how acid stream producers respond to local and watershed influences and whether these influences can be used in acidification remediation. We explored the pathways of wetland control on aluminum chemistry and diatom taxonomic and functional composition. We demonstrate that streams with larger watershed wetlands have higher organic content, lower concentrations of acidic anions, and lower ratios of inorganic to organic monomeric aluminum, all beneficial for diatom biodiversity and guilds producing high biomass. Although brownification has been viewed as a form of pollution, our results indicate that it may be a stimulating force for biofilm producers with potentially positive consequences for higher trophic levels. Our research also reveals that the mechanism of watershed control of local stream diatom biodiversity through wetland export of organic matter is universal in running waters, operating not only in hard streams, as previously reported, but also in acid streams. Our findings that the negative impacts of acid deposition on Adirondack stream chemistry and biota can be mitigated by wetlands have important implications for biodiversity conservation and stream ecosystem management. Future acidification research should focus on the potential for wetlands to improve stream ecosystem health in acid‐impacted regions and their direct use in stream restoration, for example, through stream rechanneling or wetland construction in appropriate hydrologic settings.     

结核分枝杆菌生物膜形成相关基因的筛选与鉴定

目的:通过菌落表型变化并结合生物膜生长缺陷筛选并鉴定可能与生物膜形成相关基因.方法:利用带有Himarl转座子的MycoMarT7转座子系统建立结核分枝杆菌H37Ra随机插入突变库;筛选细菌表面结构发生变化和生物膜形成有变化的突变菌株;运用T-A克隆法并结合抗性标记挽救法获得突变菌株的随机插入基因侧翼序列从而鉴定突变基因,并运用生物信息学方法分析预测突变基因的功能.结果:通过菌落形态变化及生物膜缺陷表型筛选出39株突变株,成功鉴定其中16株突变株,涉及16个基因发生突变,其中5个与脂质代谢相关,4个与细胞壁合成相关、2个与中间代谢和呼吸作用相关、1个调节蛋白相关基因,1个毒力相关基因,1个PE/PPE家族基因,还有2个功能未知基因.结合生物膜形成缺陷分析,其中8个基因可能与H37Ra体外生物膜的形成相关.结论:成功构建库容量约为l×104结核分枝杆菌转座子随机插入突变文库,筛选获得生物膜生长受损突变株及可能与结核分枝杆菌生物膜形成相关的基因信息,为后续深入开展生物膜形成机制研究奠定基础.     

新生隐球菌生物膜动物感染模型的构建及其活性的检测

目的 构建一种简便易行的新生隐球菌生物膜感染动物模型.方法 采用大鼠皮下置管法构建新生隐球菌生物膜感染动物模型,并使用电子扫描显微镜观察新生隐球菌体内形成生物膜的结构;采用MTT法对获得的体内生物膜结构进行活性的检测.结果 成功构建了新生隐球菌生物膜大鼠感染模型;MTT法检测体内生物膜活性表明,随着体内培养时间的延长,生物膜活性增强,与直接镜检和电镜观察结果一致.结论 新生隐球菌生物膜大鼠模型简单易行,便于操作,对于研究新生隐球菌生物膜体内活性的研究具有一定的实际应用价值.     

膜生物膜法在水污染控制及资源回收中的研究进展

传统以达标排放为核心目标的废水处理工艺往往以高能耗、高物耗换取污染物削减,形成了"减排污染物、增排温室气体"的尴尬局面,并不符合可持续发展理念。作为一种新型的膜处理技术,膜生物膜法可利用无泡曝气的方式将气态电子供体(甲烷、氢气)或受体(氧气)提供给附着在膜表面的微生物,从而驱动水体中的污染物去除,并产生一些极具回收潜力的物质,最终实现污染物削减、节能减排及资源回收三大目标的有机整合。本文系统介绍了膜生物膜的传质过程及其去除污染物的微观机制,探讨了膜生物膜法在水处理资源回收方面的研究前景,梳理了膜生物膜反应器在水污染控制方面的实验研究和中试应用现状,并总结了膜生物膜法面临的挑战及发展趋势。