鼎湖山国家自然保护区林下土壤微生物新结构生物活性代谢产物的研究进展

鼎湖山国家自然保护区特殊的地理位置和气候条件造就了独特的生态环境,孕育了丰富的植物和微生物资源。为了挖掘其中的微生物资源,对近年来鼎湖山林下土壤来源的真菌和放线菌次生代谢物研究进行了综述。     

盐碱环境放线菌多样性研究

放线菌因产生多种多样的生物活性物质而受到重视。但极端环境放线菌的研究甚少。采用DGGE、纯培养法,重点研究了新疆、青海及埃及的重盐碱环境的放线菌分布情况,种类组成,生物学特性。发现了1个新科,8个新属及30多个新种。从嗜(耐)盐碱放线菌筛选到许多带有PKS基因的菌株。认为极端环境放线菌是生物活性物质的重要来源;改进分离程序,分离未知放线菌,是放线菌多样性研究及开发利用的前提之一;并对极端环境放线菌研究作了论述。     

西藏地区土壤放线菌种群多样性及拮抗活性研究

从西藏不同海拔、不同气候条件的5个地区采集的10份土样中,使用选择分离培养基、ISP 2（Yeast extract_malt extract agar）和高氏一号培养基,通过分散差速离心法（Dispersion and differential centrifugation,DDC）分离得到放线菌156株。根据形态和培养特征将其归入32个类群,并从中选出65个代表菌株进行全细胞壁氨基酸组分分析,结果表明：９株菌为非链霉菌胞壁类型,其余为链霉菌胞壁类型。16S rDNA扩增片段长度多态性（ARDRA）分析得到不同带型,对其序列分析结果表明：分离菌株分属链霉菌属（Streptomyces）和5个稀有放线菌属。同时测试了代表菌株抗耐药细菌和真菌的活性,其中38.5%的菌株具有拮抗活性。     

Characterization and Culture on Sugarcane Molasses of Gordonia Polyisoprenivorans CCT 7137, a New Strain Isolated from Contaminated Groundwater in Brazil

Summary The actinomycete strain Lg, which was isolated from groundwater contaminated with leachate flowing out of a former municipal landfill site (upstate S?o Paulo, Brazil) and found to produce exopolysaccharides, was analysed by polyphasic taxonomy. The growth of this strain on sugarcane molasses, at various concentrations from 2% to 10%, and on the standard glucose-yeast-maltose (GYM) medium was observed by monitoring the optical density of the culture at 600 nm. Lg was found to be Gram-positive, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, non-motile, non-sporing and did not reduce nitrate. Morphological, biochemical, chemotaxonomic and molecular tests indicated that Lg has properties typical of Gordonia polyisoprenivorans and this new strain was thus named G. polyisoprenivorans CCT 7137. Growth of the bacterium in the experimental media was notably affected by the molasses content, being fastest at 2% and 3%, the lowest contents, the maximum specific growth-rates being 0.157 h⁻¹ and 0.168 h⁻¹, respectively. These rates were greater than those achieved at higher concentrations and of the same order as the rate in GYM medium, 0.175 h⁻¹. CCT 7137 is one of six strains of G. polyisoprenivorans so far isolated and recorded in the literature, and one of the two found in contaminated groundwater. This is the first known study of the growth of a strain of G. polyisoprenivorans in GYM medium and on sugarcane molasses as sole source of nutrients. The latter is proposed as a potential substrate for production of this strain.     

β-Lactamases from Actinopolyspora halophila,an extremely halophilic actinomycete

Actinopolyspora halophila, an extremely halophilic actinomycete, produced both cellular and exocellular -lactamases when grown in liquid media containing 20% (w/v) NaCl. Maximal exocellular -lactamase production occurred at 48 h growth and exceeded cellular enzyme levels 7-fold. Maximal cellular -lactamase was observed at 72 h as cultures achieved full growth.Both -lactamases were purified to molecular homogeneity by a sequence involving gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-100, DEAE Bio-Gel A chromatography, preparative isoelectric focusing, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75. Cellular -lactamase was purified 99-fold with 12% recovery and had a molecular weight of 42,200, and an isoelectric point of 4.15. Exocellular -lactamase was 12-fold purified with 1.2% recovery of initial activity and had a molecular weight of 38,000 and an isoelectric point of 3.85. Its specific activity was 7-fold greater than that of the cellular enzyme.A variety of penicillin and cephalosporin substrates were degraded by both enzymes. While the cellular -lactamase degraded phenoxymethylpenicillin, methicillin, and cephaloglycin most efficiently, the exocellular enzyme was most active against methicillin, carbenicillin, ampicillin, and cephalosporin C. Both enzymes were stimulated and protected from thermal deactivation by NaCl but not KCl or MgCl₂-Neither enzyme was inhibited by iodine.Abbreviations IEF Isoelectric focusing - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis - PEG polyethyleneglycol - DTT dithiothreitol - DEAE diethylaminoethyl Issued as NRCC 25164     

Endophyte sporulation in root nodules of actinorhizal plants

All strains of isolated Frankia possess the genetic capacity to form sporangia since, when grown in vitro, they usually sporulate freely, depending on the physical and chemical environment in which they are cultured. Endophytic sporulation involving Frankia differentiation of sporangia within root nodules has been described in only 16 host species in 9 genera within six families of actinorhizal plants. From studies published to date, endophytic sporulation cannot be correlated with specific environmental conditions surrounding the host plants. Based on the literature and on previously unpublished observations from field and greenhouse studies, an account is given of the occurrence of sporulation in actinorhizal plants with emphasis on Alnus, Casuarina, Comptonia, Elaeagnus and Myrica . The possible role of the host plant in controlling Frankia sporulation as contrasted to the control exerted by the genetic constitution of the microbial symbiont is explored.     

辐射污染区土壤中放线菌的分离及多样性

从辐射污染区采集42份土样, 分别采用6种分离培养基进行放线菌的分离, 共获得152株放线菌。经形态、核糖体DNA扩增片段限制性内切酶(Amplifed ribosomal DNA restriction analysis, ARDRA)分析比较, 选取其中的60株进行16S rRNA基因测序。通过序列比对、聚类分析, 60株菌分布在放线菌纲中的12个属, 链霉菌属占大多数, 有大量稀有放线菌, 这表明辐射污染区具有较丰富的放线菌属种多样性。     

Actinomycete integrative and conjugative elements

This paper reviews current knowledge on actinomycete integrative and conjugative elements (AICEs). The best characterised AICEs, pSAM2 of Streptomyces ambofaciens (10.9 kb), SLP1 (17.3 kb) of Streptomyces coelicolor and pMEA300 of Amycolatopsis methanolica (13.3 kb), are present as integrative elements in specific tRNA genes, and are capable of conjugative transfer. These AICEs have a highly conserved structural organisation, with functional modules for excision/integration, replication, conjugative transfer, and regulation. Recently, it has been shown that pMEA300 and the related elements pMEA100 of Amycolatopsis mediterranei and pSE211 of Saccharopolyspora erythraea form a novel group of AICEs, the pMEA-elements, based on the unique characteristics of their replication initiator protein RepAM. Evaluation of a large collection of Amycolatopsis isolates has allowed identification of multiple pMEA-like elements. Our data show that, as AICEs, they mainly coevolved with their natural host in an integrated form, rather than being dispersed via horizontal gene transfer. The pMEA-like elements could be separated into two distinct populations from different geographical origins. One group was most closely related to pMEA300 and was found in isolates from Australia and Asia and pMEA100-related sequences were present in European isolates. Genome sequence data have enormously contributed to the recent insight that AICEs are present in many actinomycete genera. The sequence data also provide more insight into their evolutionary relationships, revealing their modular composition and their likely combined descent from bacterial plasmids and bacteriophages. Evidence is accumulating that AICEs act as modulators of host genome diversity and are also involved in the acquisition of secondary metabolite clusters and foreign DNA via horizontal gene transfer. Although still speculative, these AICEs may play a role in the spread of antibiotic resistance factors into pathogenic bacteria. The novel insights on AICE characteristics presented in this review may be used for the effective construction of new vectors that allows us to engineer and optimise strains for the production of commercially and medically interesting secondary metabolites, and bioactive proteins.     

Insights into the microbial world associated with ants

Insects are among the most successful animals of the world in terms of species richness as well as abundance. Their biomass exceeds that of mammals by far. Among insects, ants are of particular interest not only because of their enormous ecological role in many terrestrial ecosystems, but also because they have developed an impressive behavioural repertoire. In fact, a key feature of the evolutionary success of ants is their ability to form complex societies with division of labour among individuals in a colony belonging to different castes such as workers and soldiers. In addition to these complex social interactions of ants, they have shown an extraordinary capacity to build up close associations with other organisms such as other insects, plants, fungi and bacteria. In the present review we attempt to provide an overview of the various symbiotic interactions that ants have developed with microorganisms.     

Comparative analysis and insights into the evolution of gene clusters for glycopeptide antibiotic biosynthesis

The bal, cep, dbv, sta and tcp gene clusters specify the biosynthesis of the glycopeptide antibiotics balhimycin, chloroeremomycin, A40926, A47934 and teicoplanin, respectively. These structurally related compounds share a similar mechanism of action in their inhibition of bacterial cell wall formation. Comparative sequence analysis was performed on the five gene clusters. Extensive conserved synteny was observed between the bal and cep clusters, which direct the synthesis of very similar compounds but originate from two different species of the genus Amycolatopsis. All other cluster pairs show a limited degree of conserved synteny, involving biosynthetically functional gene cassettes: these include those involved in the synthesis of the carbon backbone of two non-proteinogenic amino acids; in the linkage of amino acids 1–3 and 4–7 in the heptapeptide; and in the formation of the aromatic cross-links. Furthermore, these segments of conserved synteny are often preceded by conserved intergenic regions. Phylogenetic analysis of protein families shows several instances in which relatedness in the chemical structure of the glycopeptides is not reflected in the extent of the relationship of the corresponding polypeptides. Coherent branchings are observed for all polypeptides encoded by the syntenous gene cassettes. These results suggest that the acquisition of distinct, functional genetic elements has played a significant role in the evolution of glycopeptide gene clusters, giving them a mosaic structure. In addition, the synthesis of the structurally similar compounds A40926 and teicoplanin appears as the result of convergent evolution.