Immunostimulatory activity of Bacillus spores

Bacillus species, typically Bacillus subtilis, are being used as probiotics and mounting evidence indicates that Bacillus species are important for development of a robust gut-associated lymphoid system (GALT). We used a number of gut isolates of Bacillus incorporating three species, B. subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus flexus to evaluate the nature of interaction between spores and the GALT. In mice orally administered with spores, evidence of cell proliferation was determined in the germinal centers of Peyer's patches. Stimulation of antigen-presenting cells and T lymphocytes was also markedly enhanced. Cytokines were shown to be induced in spleens and mesenteric lymph nodes of mice including the proinflammatory cytokines, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and IL-6. We also demonstrated that vegetative cells of B. subtilis can stimulate expression of the toll-like receptor (TLR) genes for TLR2 and TLR4. However, we were able to show that spores could not stimulate either and must, by default, interact with another TLR and by this mechanism help activate innate immunity.     

Control of foliar diseases of mustard by Bacillus from reclaimed soil

Bacillus subtilis strain UK-9, an isolate from reclaimed soils, was studied for its biological control activity against Alternaria leaf spot disease of mustard. In dual culture, production of antifungal metabolites by the bacteria caused morphological alterations of vegetative cells and spores, disruption and lysis of their cell wall. The antagonist reduced spore germination on leaves and disease incidence of the pathogen in plant trial as well as it also demonstrated plant-growth-promoting ability.     

Identification of novel mimicry epitopes for cardiac myosin heavy chain-α that induce autoimmune myocarditis in A/J mice

Myocarditis is one cause of sudden cardiac death in young adolescents, and individuals affected with myocarditis can develop dilated cardiomyopathy, a frequent reason for heart transplantation. Exposure to environmental microbes has been suspected in the initiation of heart autoimmunity, but the direct causal link is lacking. We report here identification of novel mimicry epitopes that bear sequences similar to those in cardiac myosin heavy chain (MYHC)-α 334–352. These epitopes represent Bacillus spp., Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense, Cryptococcus neoformans and Zea mays. The mimicry peptides induced varying degrees of myocarditis in A/J mice reminiscent of the disease induced with MYHC-α 334–352. We demonstrate that the mimics induce cross-reactive T cell responses for MYHC-α 334–352 as verified by MHC class II IA^k/tetramer staining and Th-1 and Th-17 cytokines similar to those of MYHC-α 334–352. The data suggest that exposure to environmental microbes which are otherwise innocuous can predispose to heart autoimmunity by molecular mimicry.     

Functional characterization of truncated fragments of Bacillus sphaericus binary toxin BinB

Bacillus sphaericus produces a mosquitocidal binary toxin composed of two subunits, BinA (42 kDa) and BinB (51 kDa). Both components are required for maximum toxicity against mosquito larvae. BinB has been proposed to provide specificity by binding to the epithelial gut cell membrane, while BinA may be responsible for toxicity. To identify regions in BinB responsible for receptor binding and for interaction to BinA, we used six BinB shorter constructs derived from both the N-terminal and the C-terminal halves of the protein. All constructs expressed as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli, similarly to the wild-type protein. A marked decrease in larvicidal activity was observed when BinA was used in combination with these BinB constructs, used either individually or in pairs from both N and C-halves of BinB. Nevertheless, immunohistochemistry analyses demonstrate that these constructs are able to bind to the epithelium gut cell membrane, and in vitro protein-protein interaction assays revealed that these constructs can bind to BinA. These results show that fragments corresponding to both halves of BinB are able to bind the receptor and to interact with BinA, but both halves are required by the toxin to exhibit full larvicidal activity.     

The structures of Thermoplasma volcanium phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase bound to ribose-5-phosphate and ATP analogs

Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase catalyzes the transfer of the pyrophosphate group from ATP to ribose-5-phosphate (R5P) yielding PRPP and AMP. PRPP is an essential metabolite that plays a central role in cellular metabolism. The enzyme from a thermophilic archaeon Thermoplasma volcanium (Tv) was expressed in Escherichia coli, crystallized, and its X-ray molecular structure was determined in a complex with its substrate R5P and with substrate analogs β,γ-methylene ATP and ADP in two monoclinic crystal forms, P2₁. The β,γ-methylene ATP- and the ADP-bound binary structures were determined from crystals grown from ammonium sulfate solutions; these crystals diffracted to 1.8 Å and 1.5 Å resolutions, respectively. Crystals of the ternary complex with ADP-Mg²⁺ and R5P were grown from a polyethylene glycol solution in the absence of sulfate ions, and they diffracted to 1.8 Å resolution; the unit cell is approximately double the size of the unit cell of the crystals grown in the presence of sulfate. The Tv PRPP synthetase adopts two conformations, open and closed, at different stages in the catalytic cycle. The binding of substrates, R5P and ATP, occurs with PRPP synthetase in the open conformation, whereas catalysis presumably takes place with PRPP synthetase in the closed conformation. The Tv PRPP synthetase forms a biological dimer in contrast to the tetrameric or hexameric quaternary structures of the Methanocaldococcus jannaschii and Bacillus subtilis PRPP synthetases, respectively.     

First structures of an active bacterial tyrosinase reveal copper plasticity

Tyrosinase is a member of the type 3 copper enzyme family that is involved in the production of melanin in a wide range of organisms. The crystal structures of a tyrosinase from Bacillus megaterium were determined at a resolution of 2.0-2.3 Å. The enzyme crystallized as a dimer in the asymmetric unit and was shown to be active in crystal. The overall monomeric structure is similar to that of the monomer of the previously determined tyrosinase from Streptomyces castaneoglobisporus, but it does not contain an accessory Cu-binding “caddie” protein. Two Cu(II) ions, serving as the major cofactors within the active site, are coordinated by six conserved histidine residues. However, determination of structures under different conditions shows varying occupancies and positions of the copper ions. This apparent mobility in copper binding modes indicates that there is a pathway by which copper is accumulated or lost by the enzyme. Additionally, we suggest that residues R209 and V218, situated in a second shell of residues surrounding the active site, play a role in substrate binding orientation based on their flexibility and position. The determination of a structure with the inhibitor kojic acid, the first tyrosinase structure with a bound ligand, revealed additional residues involved in the positioning of substrates in the active site. Comparison of wild-type structures with the structure of the site-specific variant R209H, which possesses a higher monophenolase/diphenolase activity ratio, lends further support to a previously suggested mechanism by which monophenolic substrates dock mainly to CuA.     

苏云金芽胞杆菌大质粒pBMB28的克隆

苏云金芽胞杆菌幕虫亚种YBT-020具有典型的晶胞粘连表型。在前期的研究中,通过质粒消除实验,推测晶胞粘连现象与YBT-020内生质粒pBMB28有关。为了定位质粒pBMB28上控制晶胞粘连表型的基因,首先对质粒pBMB28进行克隆。利用穿梭载体pEMB0557,成功构建了苏云金芽胞杆菌YBT-020的基因组人工染色体(BAC)文库。前期的研究表明晶体蛋白基因cry28Aa定位在质粒pBMB28上,根据cry28Aa基因序列设计引物,从文库中筛选到含有cry28Aa的重组质粒pBMB231。镜检和SDS-PAGE证明质粒pBMB231转化无晶体突变株BMB171形成的重组子BMB231可以产生Cry28Aa晶体蛋白,但不能恢复晶胞粘连表型。对重组质粒pBMB231的插入片段末端序列测定并设计引物筛选文库,通过染色体步移方式得到4个可以重叠覆盖质粒pBMB28不同区域的克隆子,从而克隆了该质粒。对这4个克隆子末端测序和酶切分析,测算出该质粒的大小约为140 kb。进一步确定应用基因组BAC文库以及重叠片段筛选的方法,可以快速有效的克隆苏云金芽胞杆菌大质粒。     

Chlorine dioxide inactivation of bacterial threat agents

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) against seven species of bacterial threat (BT) agents in water. Methods and Results: Two strains of Bacillus anthracis spores, Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Burkholderia mallei and Brucella species were each inoculated into a ClO₂ solution with an initial concentration of 2·0 (spores only) and 0·25 mg l^?1 (all other bacteria) at pH 7 or 8, 5 or 25°C. At 0·25 mg l^?1 in potable water, six species were inactivated by at least three orders of magnitude within 10 min. Bacillus anthracis spores required up to 7 h at 5°C for the same inactivation with 2·0 mg l^?1 ClO₂. Conclusions: Typical ClO₂ doses used in water treatment facilities would be effective against all bacteria tested except B. anthracis spores that would require up to 7 h with the largest allowable dose of 2 mg l^?1 ClO₂. Other water treatment processes may be required in addition to ClO₂ disinfection for effective spore removal or inactivation. Significance and Impact of Study: The data obtained from this study provide valuable information for water treatment facilities and public health officials in the event that a potable water supply is contaminated with these BT agents.     

Unfolding analysis of the mature and unprocessed forms of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus licheniformis</Emphasis> γ-glutamyltranspeptidase

Bacillus licheniformis γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (BlGGT) undergoes an autocatalytic process to generate 44.9 and 21.7 kDa subunits; however, a mutant protein (T399A) loses completely the processing ability and mainly exists as a precursor. For a comprehensive understanding of their structural features, the biophysical properties of these two proteins were investigated by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. Tryptophan fluorescence and circular dichroism spectra were nearly identical for BlGGT and T399A, but unfolding analyses revealed that these two proteins had a different sensitivity towards temperature- and guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl)-induced denaturation. BlGGT and the unprocessed T399A displayed T _m values of 61.4°C and 68.1°C, respectively, and thermal unfolding of both proteins was found to be highly irreversible. Fluorescence quenching analysis showed that T399A had a dynamic quenching constant similar to that of the wild-type enzyme. BlGGT started to unfold beyond ∼2.14 M GdnHCl and reached an unfolded intermediate, [GdnHCl]_{0.5, N − U}, at 2.85 M, corresponding to free energy change ( DG_H2O )\left( {{\Delta }G_{\rm{H}_{2}{O}} } \right) of 12.34 kcal mol^− 1, whereas the midpoint of the denaturation curve for T399A was approximately 3.94 M, corresponding to a DG_H2O\Delta G_{\rm{H}_{2}{O}} of 4.45 kcal mol^− 1. Taken together, it can be concluded that the structural stability of BlGGT is superior to that of T399A.