DNA replication stress: Causes,resolution and disease

DNA replication is a fundamental process of the cell that ensures accurate duplication of the genetic information and subsequent transfer to daughter cells. Various pertubations, originating from endogenous or exogenous sources, can interfere with proper progression and completion of the replication process, thus threatening genome integrity. Coordinated regulation of replication and the DNA damage response is therefore fundamental to counteract these challenges and ensure accurate synthesis of the genetic material under conditions of replication stress. In this review, we summarize the main sources of replication stress and the DNA damage signaling pathways that are activated in order to preserve genome integrity during DNA replication. We also discuss the association of replication stress and DNA damage in human disease and future perspectives in the field.     

Molecular Epidemiology of Nontyphoidal Salmonella in Poultry and Poultry Products in India: Implications for Human Health

Human infections with non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars are increasingly becoming a threat to human health globally. While all motile Salmonellae have zoonotic potential, Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium are most commonly associated with human disease, for which poultry are a major source. Despite the increasing number of human NTS infections, the epidemiology of NTS in poultry in India has not been fully understood. Hence, as a first step, we carried out epidemiological analysis to establish the incidence of NTS in poultry to evaluate the risk to human health. A total of 1215 samples (including poultry meat, tissues, egg and environmental samples) were collected from 154 commercial layer farms from southern India and screened for NTS. Following identification by cultural and biochemical methods, Salmonella isolates were further characterized by multiplex PCR, allele-specific PCR, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) PCR and pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In the present study, 21/1215 (1.73 %) samples tested positive for NTS. We found 12/392 (3.06 %) of tissue samples, 7/460 (1.52 %) of poultry products, and 2/363 (0.55 %) of environmental samples tested positive for NTS. All the Salmonella isolates were resistant to oxytetracycline, which is routinely used as poultry feed additive. The multiplex PCR results allowed 16/21 isolates to be classified as S. Typhimurium, and five isolates as S. Enteritidis. Of the five S. Enteritidis isolates, four were identified as group D Salmonella by allele-specific PCR. All of the isolates produced different banding patterns in ERIC PCR. Of the thirteen macro restriction profiles (MRPs) obtained by PFGE, MRP 6 was predominant which included 6 (21 %) isolates. In conclusion, the findings of the study revealed higher incidence of contamination of NTS Salmonella in poultry tissue and animal protein sources used for poultry. The results of the study warrants further investigation on different type of animal feed sources, food market chains, processing plants, live bird markets etc., to evaluate the risk factors, transmission and effective control measures of human Salmonella infection from poultry products.     

Isolation of lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin, α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin B and β-lactoglobulin A from bovine rennet whey using ion exchange chromatography

A mild and rapid method is described for isolating various milk proteins from bovine rennet whey. β-Lactoglobulin from bovine rennet whey was easily adsorbed on and desorbed from a weak anion exchanger, diethylaminoethyl-Toyopearl. However, α-lactalbumin could not be adsorbed onto the resin. α-Lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin from rennet whey could also be adsorbed and separated using a strong anion exchanger, quaternary aminoethyl-Toyopearl. The rennet whey was passed through a strong cation exchanger, sulphopropyl-Toyopearl, to separate lactoperoxidase and lactoferrin. α-Lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin were adsorbed onto quaternary aminoethyl-Toyopearl. α-Lactalbumin was eluted using a linear (0–0.15 M) concentration gradient of NaCl in 0.05 M Tris–HCl buffer (pH 8.5). Subsequently, β-lactoglobulin B and β-lactoglobulin A were eluted from the column with 0.05 M Tris–HCl (pH 6.8), using a linear (0.1–0.25 M) concentration gradient of NaCl. The yields were 1260 mg α-lactalbumin, 1290 mg β-lactoglobulin B and 2280 mg β-lactoglobulin A from 1 l rennet whey.     

Direct Pressure Monitoring Accurately Predicts Pulmonary Vein Occlusion During Cryoballoon Ablation

Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) is an established therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF). Pulmonary vein (PV) occlusion is essential for achieving antral contact and PV isolation and is typically assessed by contrast injection. We present a novel method of direct pressure monitoring for assessment of PV occlusion.Transcatheter pressure is monitored during balloon advancement to the PV antrum. Pressure is recorded via a single pressure transducer connected to the inner lumen of the cryoballoon. Pressure curve characteristics are used to assess occlusion in conjunction with fluoroscopic or intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) guidance. PV occlusion is confirmed when loss of typical left atrial (LA) pressure waveform is observed with recordings of PA pressure characteristics (no A wave and rapid V wave upstroke). Complete pulmonary vein occlusion as assessed with this technique has been confirmed with concurrent contrast utilization during the initial testing of the technique and has been shown to be highly accurate and readily reproducible.We evaluated the efficacy of this novel technique in 35 patients. A total of 128 veins were assessed for occlusion with the cryoballoon utilizing the pressure monitoring technique; occlusive pressure was demonstrated in 113 veins with resultant successful pulmonary vein isolation in 111 veins (98.2%). Occlusion was confirmed with subsequent contrast injection during the initial ten procedures, after which contrast utilization was rapidly reduced or eliminated given the highly accurate identification of occlusive pressure waveform with limited initial training.Verification of PV occlusive pressure during CBA is a novel approach to assessing effective PV occlusion and it accurately predicts electrical isolation. Utilization of this method results in significant decrease in fluoroscopy time and volume of contrast.     

Radioprotective activity of neutral polysaccharides isolated from the fruiting bodies of Hohenbuehelia serotina

In this study, the radioprotective effect of neutral polysaccharides from Hohenbuehelia serotina (NTHSP) against the damages induced by ⁶⁰Co-γ radiation was investigated. The results showed that NTHSP could significantly improve the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and increase the contents of glutathione (GSH) and ceruloplasmin in plasma after treated with 6 Gy-radiation compared with the radiation controls (p < 0.05). Furthermore, administration with NTHSP could effectively increase the quantity of marrow DNA (p < 0.05) and reduce the rates of chromosome aberration and micronuclei (p < 0.01) in bone marrows of mice. In addition, NTHSP could markedly inhibit the expressions of Bax protein and promote the expressions of Bcl-2 protein, accordingly inhibit the releases of cytochrome c and expressions of activated Caspase-3, and therefore block the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway of splenocytes in mice induced by ⁶⁰Co-γ radiation. These results suggested that NTHSP might be a natural radioprotective agent against the injuries induced by radiation.     

Simple and Rapid Procedure Suitable for Quantitative Isolation of Low and High Molecular Weight Extracellular Nucleic Acids

The procedure based on binding of nucleic acids with glass surface in presence of chaotropic salts was adapted for efficient isolation of 100–10000 b.p. DNA fragments and 50–10,000 b. RNA fragments. The method provide 90% and 85% efficacy of isolation of 100 b.p. DNA and 100 b. RNA fragments respectively. High molecular weight nucleic acids are isolated with 98% efficacy. Isolated nucleic acids are free from contaminations, influencing nucleic acids modifying enzymes and fluorochromes. The method is rapid, simple and cost‐effective.     

牛源流行性出血病病毒(EHDV)血清10型毒株在我国的分离鉴定

我国存在多种血清型流行性出血热病毒(Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus,EHDV)的流行,但尚未有关于EHDV-10型毒株的分离报道。为了解云南省EHDV的流行情况,2012～2015年,本研究在云南省设立江城、师宗、芒市三个监控点,定期采集监控动物血液,接种幼仓鼠肾细胞(Baby hamster kidney cell,BHK-21)进行病毒分离;通过PCR检测、血清中和试验、琼脂糖凝胶电泳和电镜观察等方法对分离病毒进行鉴定;对分离毒株的Seg-2/VP2与Seg-3/VP3基因节段进行克隆、测序与序列分析。2013年在云南省师宗县的哨兵牛上分离出一株EHDV毒株(YNSZ-V277-2013),病毒可引起BHK-21细胞出现圆缩、裂解的细胞病变(Cytopathic effect,CPE);电镜下病毒粒子呈球形,无囊膜,表面有大量纤维突,直径在70～80nm之间;病毒基因组dsRNA的琼脂糖凝胶电泳显示分离毒株与其他血清型EHDV一致,呈现"3-3-3"的电泳带型;序列分析显示YNSZ-V277-2013毒株的Seg-2/VP2与Seg-3/VP3序列与日本EHDV-10型毒株(ON-4/N/98)相似度最高,分别为97.5%/98.5%与98.1%/99.8%,证实分离毒株为EHDV-10型;系统发育分析显示YNSZ-V277-2013毒株的Seg-2与日本EHDV-10型毒株(ON-4/N/98)的亲缘关系最近,Seg-3与分离至日本和澳大利亚的EHDV毒株同属Eastern型。本研究首次报道了EHDV-10型毒株在我国的分离以及分离毒株的Seg-2与Seg-3基因序列特征,为进一步开展中国EHDV-10型的流行病学调查与致病性研究提供了基础。     

川楝内生放线菌的分离及多样性研究

【目的】分离四川省各个地区川楝内生放线菌并研究其物种多样性。【方法】应用7种选择性分离培养基分离样品根、茎、叶、树皮和果实中的内生放线菌,采用16SrRNA基因RFLP分析代表菌株多样性。【结果】研究共获得403株内生放线菌。不同地点、不同植株部位、不同培养基分离得到的内生放线菌数目均有差异。广元采集的样品分离得到的数目最多,为86株;最少的是绵阳,仅有12株。从植物表皮中分离到148株放线菌,占获得菌株总数的36.7%;而从果中分离到31株,仅占获得菌株总数的7.6%;虽然从根部分离到的数量也很少,但是其出菌率却是最高的。5号和3号培养基的分离效果最为理想。16S rRNA基因RFLP分析结果显示所有供试菌株在68%的相似性上聚在一起,在84%的相似水平上分成了10个遗传类型。代表菌株的16SrRNA基因序列测定及系统发育分析结果表明:分离得到的放线菌包括4个属,分别是链霉菌属(Streptomyces)、北里孢菌属(Kitasatospora)、节杆菌属(Arthrobacter)、克里布所菌属(Kribbella)。其中,链霉菌是优势类群,占代表菌株数目的比例高达91%,而稀有放线菌的比例只有9%。【结论】研究发现的川楝内生放线菌主要属于链霉菌属(Streptomyces)、北里孢菌属(Kitasatospora)、节杆菌属(Arthrobacter)、克里布所菌属(Kribbella)。     

ε-聚赖氨酸发酵过程污染微生物的分离与鉴定

【目的】研究ε-聚赖氨酸发酵过程中污染微生物的种类。【方法】采用稀释涂布法、划线法、环境胁迫法和液体营养富集法等对污染样本进行微生物的分离与纯化,通过菌落形态和显微观察,再结合16S rRNA基因序列分析,确定分离菌株的系统发育地位,并对分离菌株的ε-聚赖氨酸耐受性进行考察。【结果】液体营养富集法实现了污染微生物的分离,通过16S rRNA基因序列分析鉴定其为一株Acinetobacter bereziniae,并证实该菌能在高浓度ε-聚赖氨酸条件下生长。【结论】Acinetobacter bereziniae是ε-聚赖氨酸发酵过程中的主要污染微生物,这为后期发酵污染防治提供了一定的指导作用。