Production and purification of Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin using a protein-hyperproducing strain, Bacillus brevis 47

Abstract Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin was produced in a protein-hyperproducing strain, Bacillus brevis 47, by cloning the gene into the constructed expression-secretion vector which has the multiple promoters and the signal peptide coding region of an outer cell wall protein gene. The amount of alpha-toxin produced by the B. brevis 47 transformant carrying the gene was approximately 10 times greater than that produced by a B. subtilis transformant carrying the toxin gene. Biological activities and the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the toxin secreted by the B. brevis 47 transformant were identical to those of wild-type alpha-toxin.     

VIIRS captures phytoplankton vertical migration in the NE Gulf of Mexico

In summer 2014, a toxic Karenia brevis bloom (red tide) occurred in the NE Gulf of Mexico, during which vertical migration of K. brevis has been observed from glider measurements. The current study shows that satellite observations from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) can capture changes in surface reflectance and chlorophyll concentration occurring within 2 h, which may be attributed this K. brevis vertical migration. The argument is supported by earlier glider measurements in the same bloom, by the dramatic changes in the VIIRS-derived surface chlorophyll, and by the consistency between the short-term reflectance changes and those reported earlier from field-measured K. brevis vertical migration. Estimates using the quasi-analytical algorithm also indicate significant increases in both total absorption coefficient and backscattering coefficient in two hours. The two observations in a day from a single polar-orbiting satellite sensor are thus shown to be able to infer phytoplankton vertical movement within a short timeframe, a phenomenon difficult to capture with other sensors as each sensor can provide at most one observation per day, and cross-sensor inconsistency may make interpretation of merged-sensor data difficult. These findings strongly support geostationary satellite missions to study short-term bloom dynamics.     

亚硝酸盐影响Lactobacillus brevis 4903发酵的研究

通过研究可知,亚硝酸盐对Lactobacillusbrevis4903发酵有抑制作用,环境中亚硝酸盐一旦分解掉,这种抑制作用就会被解除。分析其原因:①亚硝酸盐抑制了乳酸菌生长,从而抑制了乳酸发酵;②在发酵初期可能因亚硝酸盐还原酶的作用,使亚硝酸盐酶解生成NH3,NH3中和了乳酸菌生成的酸(H ),从而使环境pH值的下降和酸的积累变得缓慢。     

利用短短小芽孢杆菌启动子和信号肽编码序列构建穿梭分泌表达载体

以短短小芽孢杆菌B15的总DNA为模板,利用PCR技术克隆到其细胞壁蛋白基因串联启动子和信号肽编码序列,测序分析后提交GenBank,登录号为AY956423。重新设计引物扩增该片段并在PCR产物两侧引入BamHⅠ和PstⅠ酶切位点,将PCR产物双酶切后克隆至穿梭载体pP43NMK的相应位点构建分泌表达载体pP15MK,插入片段置于该载体中mpd基因的上游,并使信号肽编码序列与去除了自身信号肽编码序列的mpd基因阅读框恰好融合。将pP15MK导入枯草杆菌构建表达菌株1A751(pP15MK),在短短小芽孢杆菌启动子和信号肽元件的带动下,mpd基因能够在表达菌株的对数生长期和稳定期持续性高效分泌表达,表达产物结合在细胞膜上;发酵液在48h酶活达到最高值7.79U/mL,是出发菌株邻单胞菌M6表达量的8.1倍。     

Sterol Composition in the Pollens of Citrus unshiu Marcov. and Citrus sinensis Osbeck

Bacillus brevis secretes a large amount of cell wall proteins into the culture medium. For construction of Bacillus brevis expression-secretion vectors of human erythropoietin (EPO) and the extracellular domain of mouse erythropoietin receptor (sEPOR), cDNA for each mature form was inserted into a plasmid containing the promoter region and the signal-peptide encoding region of a cell wall protein. Culture supernatants of transformants were affinity purified using a monoclonal antibody-fixed gel for EPO and an EPO-fixed gel for sEPOR. The affinity purification efficiently removed unwanted proteins, giving samples with sufficiently high purity to analyze amino acid sequences of N-terminal regions and biological activities. Combination of this secretory production and affinity purification may facilitate isolation of a large amount of pure EPO and sEPOR, and is useful for further understanding the molecular mechanism of interaction between EPO and EPOR.     

Structural Conversion from Non-native to Native form of Recombinant Human Epidermal Growth Factor by Brevibacillus choshinensis

Brevibacillus choshinensis (Bacillus brevis) HPD31 is a very efficient producer of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (EGF). The produced EGF is secreted into the medium with high efficiency. However part of the EGF that accumulates in the medium, exists as multimeric forms which are biologically inactive. We found the bacterium has the activity to structurally convert multimeric forms to the monomeric, native ones. Optimal temperature and pH for the conversion were 40°C and pH 9, respectively. The reaction was promoted in the presence of reduced glutathione or cysteine. But the cells which had been sonicated or exposed to moderate heat treatment completely lost the activity. Thus, it was presumed that the activity might be due to the enzyme(s) that catalyze the protein disulfide exchanging reaction, and that they resides on the surface of viable cells.     

基因组重排选育胸苷磷酸化酶高产菌株

以短乳杆菌为研究对象,通过基因组重排技术选育胸苷磷酸化酶高产菌株。首先采用紫外复合诱变筛选出EA42、EB27作为基因组重排育种的亲本并制备成原生质体,分别采用紫外照射50min和60℃水浴加热60min双亲灭活原生质体,然后用质量分数40％PEG6000,30℃恒温诱导融合10min进行基因组重排。经过3轮基因组重排育种,成功选育出3株胸苷磷酸化酶高产菌株,其中菌株F3-36在菌体发酵量提高的前提下,进行5次传代测试其胸苷磷酸化酶活均在2．500U／mg湿菌体,比原始菌株酶活提高了260％。     

酸胁迫下短乳杆菌NCL912蛋白质的差异表达及其作用

【目的】本文从蛋白质组水平,对本实验室分离的一株高产γ-氨基丁酸的短乳杆菌NCL912(Lactobacillus brevis)在酸胁迫下蛋白质的差异表达及其应激机理进行探讨。【方法】利用双向凝胶电泳技术对pH 5.0和pH 4.0条件下,不含L-谷氨酸钠的培养物的蛋白质组电泳图谱进行了分析,并对酸胁迫下差异表达的蛋白进行了比较。利用质谱检测技术和生物信息学技术对这些差异表达的蛋白进行了鉴定、功能分类和代谢途径分析等。【结果】通过双向凝胶电泳技术,可以得到均匀、背景清晰、分辨率高、重复性好的Lb.brevis NCL912的双向凝胶电泳图谱。对pH 5.0和pH 4.0条件下培养的该菌总蛋白质电泳图谱进行比较,发现有25个差异表达的蛋白点。对这25个差异表达的蛋白进行了质谱鉴定。由于缺乏短乳杆菌NCL912的全基因组,所以其中只有8个蛋白点被质谱鉴定和分析得到。它们分别参与了蛋白质的合成、核苷酸的合成、糖酵解代谢、细胞能量水平的调节等。【结论】酸应激下这些表达蛋白质可通过其相应的功能来保护细胞耐受酸胁迫,从而使菌能够在酸性环境下生存增值。这可能就是Lb.brevis NCL912的酸胁迫应激机理之一。     

Severe Karenia brevis red tides influence juvenile bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) behavior in Sarasota Bay,Florida

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are natural stressors in the coastal environment that may be increasing in frequency and severity. This study investigates whether severe red tide blooms, caused by Karenia brevis, affect the behavior of resident coastal bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida through changes to juvenile dolphin activity budgets, ranging patterns, and social associations. Behavioral observations were conducted on free‐ranging juvenile dolphins during the summer months of 2005–2007, and behavior during red tide blooms was compared to periods of background K. brevis abundance. We also utilized dolphin group sighting data from 2004 to 2007 to obtain comparison information from before the most severe recent red tide of 2005 and incorporate social association information from adults in the study area. We found that coastal dolphins displayed a suite of behavioral changes associated with red tide blooms, including significantly altered activity budgets, increased sociality, and expanded ranging behavior. At present, we do not fully understand the mechanism behind these red tide‐associated behavioral effects, but they are most likely linked to underlying changes in resource availability and distribution. These behavioral changes have implications for more widespread population impacts, including increased susceptibility to disease outbreaks, which may contribute to unusual mortality events during HABs.