Differentiation of Bacillus anthracis and other 'Bacillus cereus group' bacteria using IS231-derived sequences

Abstract Sequences based on the conserved 20 bp inverted repeat of IS 231 variants were used as polymerase chain reaction-based fingerprinting primers of the member species of the Bacillus cereus group ( B. anthracis, B. cereus, B. thuringiensis and B. mycoides ), because of their close association with transposons, principally Tn 4430 in B. thuringiensis . Fingerprints of B. anthracis were simple, and specifically allowed its identification and sub-differentiation from other members of the group. Fingerprints for B. cereus were strain-specific; those for B. thuringensis gave a 1650 bp product, characteristic of 1S 231 variants A-F. The same reaction conditions gave one or two bands for both B. anthracis and B. cereus that differed by restriction endonuclease mapping from the B. thuringiensis PCR product and established IS 231 restriction maps; this does not preclude some kind of relationship between these products and IS 231 .     

Changes in Morphology of Trichostrongylus colubriformis Eggs and Juveniles Caused by Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis

Eggs and rhabditiform juveniles of the ruminant parasite Trichostrongylus colubriformis developed normally in Caenorhabditis briggsae Maintenance Medium. A toxin from a crystal-enriched preparation of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis was lethal to nematode eggs and juveniles within 24 hours and to eggs and juveniles after 24 hours of development. Treated eggs had refractive granules and development was arrested, whereas nontreated eggs developed normally. Eggs treated after 24 hours of development contained juveniles that were granulated, had esophageal derangements, and were moribund or dead. The ovicidal toxin from B. t. israelensis may facilitate microbial control of parasitic nematodes.     

Interspecies Comparison of the Bacterial Response to Allicin Reveals Species‐Specific Defense Strategies

Allicin, a broad‐spectrum antimicrobial agent from garlic, disrupts thiol and redox homeostasis, proteostasis, and cell membrane integrity. Since medicine demands antimicrobials with so far unexploited mechanisms, allicin is a promising lead structure. While progress is being made in unraveling its mode of action, little is known on bacterial adaptation strategies. Some isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli withstand exposure to high allicin concentrations due to as yet unknown mechanisms. To elucidate resistance and sensitivity‐conferring cellular processes, the acute proteomic responses of a resistant P. aeruginosa strain and the sensitive species Bacillus subtilis are compared to the published proteomic response of E. coli to allicin treatment. The cellular defense strategies share functional features: proteins involved in translation and maintenance of protein quality, redox homeostasis, and cell envelope modification are upregulated. In both Gram‐negative species, protein synthesis of the majority of proteins is downregulated while the Gram‐positive B. subtilis responded by upregulation of multiple regulons. A comparison of the B. subtilis proteomic response to a library of responses to antibiotic treatment reveals 30 proteins specifically upregulated by allicin. Upregulated oxidative stress proteins are shared with nitrofurantoin and diamide. Microscopy‐based assays further indicate that in B. subtilis cell wall integrity is impaired.     

构建重组枯草芽孢杆菌催化制备D-对羟基苯甘氨酸

目的: 在Bacillus subtilis中表达异源D-海因酶基因(hyd)和D-氨甲酰水解酶基因(adc),构建重组细胞作为催化剂,用于生产D-对羟基苯甘氨酸(D-HPG)。方法: 构建hyd表达质粒,考察培养基中二价金属离子对D-海因酶活性的影响。过表达acoR基因,考察AcoR蛋白胞内水平与P_acoA-hyd基因拷贝数的关系。筛选表达adc基因的启动子,构建hyd和adc基因共表达质粒,考察双酶活性菌株的催化特性。结果: 成功构建了海因酶表达质粒pHPS和pUBS,培养基中添加0.8mmol/L的MnCl₂·4H₂O,使168N/pUBS菌株的D-海因酶活性达到956U/gDCW。整合表达P_cdd-acoR基因,使LSL02/pUBS菌株的D-海因酶活性达到1 470U/gDCW。单拷贝P_AE-adc基因的表达水平相对最高。双酶共表达质粒pUBSC被成功构建,菌株LSL02/pUBSC的最适催化温度为40℃45℃,催化活性能够持续12h,当底物起始浓度为20g/L时,反应12h生成的D-HPG达到14.32g/L,转化率达到95%,收率超过80%。结论: 构建具有D-海因酶和D-氨甲酰水解酶双酶活性的重组Bacillus subtilis作为全细胞催化剂,用于海因酶法生产D-HPG,具有技术上的可行性和优势。     

Surfactin and fengycin contribute to the protection of a Bacillus subtilis strain against grape downy mildew by both direct effect and defence stimulation

Bacillus subtilis GLB191 (hereafter GLB191) is an efficient biological control agent against the biotrophic oomycete Plasmopara viticola, the causal agent of grapevine downy mildew. In this study, we show that GLB191 supernatant is also highly active against downy mildew and that the activity results from both direct effect against the pathogen and stimulation of the plant defences (induction of defence gene expression and callose production). High-performance thin-layer chromatography analysis revealed the presence of the cyclic lipopeptides fengycin and surfactin in the supernatant. Mutants affected in the production of fengycin and/or surfactin were thus obtained and allowed us to show that both surfactin and fengycin contribute to the double activity of GLB191 supernatant against downy mildew. Altogether, this study suggests that GLB191 supernatant could be used as a new biocontrol product against grapevine downy mildew.     

三种模式微生物基因组中GC含量的比较

GC含量是核酸序列组成的重要特征,其含量可作为反映进化的一种指标。为了探索GC含量作用于基因组的进化压力,本研究研究了大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)和枯草杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)、真核生物酿酒酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)三种模式微生物基因组编码序列的GC含量,分析了其基因组中蛋白质编码序列的GC含量与编码序列长度的关联,结果发现编码序列的GC含量与序列相对频数有一定的相关性,且编码序列的GC含量随序列相对频数的分布具有一定的规律。根据分布曲线我们推测这种规律应该符合某种分布,并用各种分布函数进行拟合,研究结果发现基因组中编码序列的GC含量随序列频数的分布与高斯分布相符合,且这种分布在真核生物和原核生物间有显著区别。另外,不同长度的编码序列GC含量的分析结果表明,编码序列的GC含量与序列长度有一定的相关性。     

苏云金杆菌ZLL13晶体蛋白分析及其菌糠液态培养基的优化

食用菌栽培废料,简称菌糠(spent mushroom substrate, SMS)是食用菌栽培和生产的残留物,其含有丰富的甲壳素、木质纤维和蛋白质等,可为苏云金芽孢杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt)的生长提供所需的营养物质。本研究以优化后的前处理条件制备的菌糠浸提液(2%硫酸, 121℃, 1 h)作为主要碳源,通过单因素试验、Plackett-Burman设计、最陡爬坡和响应面分析等方法来优化最佳培养基组分,结果表明,54%SMS浸提液,31.9 g/L大豆饼粉、0.88 g/L CaCO3、0.4 g/L MnSO4、0.5 g/L K2HPO4和0.4 g/L吐温100为最佳培养基配方,且优化后培养基(1.8×108/mL)产生的孢子数是原始SMS培养基(0.065×108/mL)的27倍,这不仅为菌糠的二次利用提供一种新的有效方法,而且也可以大大降低生产Bt所需要的发酵成本,具有良好的应用前景。     

Mosquito control actions affect chironomid diversity in temporary wetlands of the Upper Rhine Valley

The Upper Rhine Valley, a “hotspot of biodiversity” in Germany, has been treated with the biocide Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) for mosquito control for decades. Previous studies discovered Bti nontarget effects in terms of severe chironomid abundance reductions. In this study, we investigated the impact of Bti on species level and addressed the community composition of the nontarget family Chironomidae by use of community metabarcoding. Chironomid emergence data were collected in three mosquito‐control relevant wetland types in the Upper Rhine Valley. For all three sites the chironomid species composition, based on operational taxonomic units (OTUs), was different to varying degrees in the Bti‐treated samples versus control samples, ranging from a significant 63% OTU reduction to an OTU replacement. We assumed that predatory chironomids are less prone to Bti than filter feeders, as the latter feed on floating particles leading to direct ingestion of Bti. However, a comparable percentage of predators and filter feeders (63% and 65%, respectively) was reduced in the Bti samples, suggesting that the feeding strategy is not the main driver for Bti sensitivity in chironomids. Finally, our data was compared to a three‐year‐old data set, indicating possible chironomid community recovery due to species recolonization a few years after the last Bti application. Considering the currently discussed worldwide insect decline we recommend a rethinking of the usage of the biocide Bti, and to prevent its ongoing application especially in nature protection reserves to enhance ecological resilience and to prevent boosting the current biodiversity loss.     

枯草芽孢杆菌中一种新型双向启动子的功能鉴定

本研究旨在通过转录组分析预测的方法,由地衣芽孢杆菌中筛选获得一种新型双向启动子,鉴定其启动强度。以已知强组成型启动子pShuttle-09为对照,检测其对克劳氏芽孢杆菌碱性蛋白酶基因的表达活性。成功构建了3种重组碱性蛋白酶表达载体及对应的工程菌株。在新型启动子pLA和其反向启动子pLB调控转录下,克劳氏芽孢杆菌碱性蛋白酶表达活性达到164 U/mL和111 U/mL。结果表明,pLA的启动强度明显高于pShuttle-09和pLB,pLA启动子与pLB启动子均可表达碱性蛋白酶。从而为枯草芽孢杆菌表达系统中异源基因的表达提供一个新的方向,也为原核生物中共同表达两种基因提供了新的思路。