Conversion of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quinolone Signal and Related Alkylhydroxyquinolines by Rhodococcus sp. Strain BG43

A bacterial strain, which based on the sequences of its 16S rRNA, gyrB, catA, and qsdA genes, was identified as a Rhodococcus sp. closely related to Rhodococcus erythropolis, was isolated from soil by enrichment on the Pseudomonas quinolone signal [PQS; 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolone], a quorum sensing signal employed by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The isolate, termed Rhodococcus sp. strain BG43, cometabolically degraded PQS and its biosynthetic precursor 2-heptyl-4(1H)-quinolone (HHQ) to anthranilic acid. HHQ degradation was accompanied by transient formation of PQS, and HHQ hydroxylation by cell extracts required NADH, indicating that strain BG43 has a HHQ monooxygenase isofunctional to the biosynthetic enzyme PqsH of P. aeruginosa. The enzymes catalyzing HHQ hydroxylation and PQS degradation were inducible by PQS, suggesting a specific pathway. Remarkably, Rhodococcus sp. BG43 is also capable of transforming 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide to PQS. It thus converts an antibacterial secondary metabolite of P. aeruginosa to a quorum sensing signal molecule.     

Differentiation in Quinolone Resistance by Virulence Genotype in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading pathogen that has become increasingly resistant to the fluoroquinolone antibiotics due to widespread prescribing. Adverse outcomes have been shown for patients infected with fluoroquinolone-resistant strains. The type III secretion system (TTSS) is a major virulence determinant during acute infections through the injection of effector toxins into host cells. Most strains exhibit a unique TTSS virulence genotype defined by the presence of either exoS or exoU gene encoding two of the effector toxins, ExoS and ExoU, respectively. Specific TTSS effector genotype has been shown previously to differentially impact virulence in pneumonia. In this study, we examined the relationship between TTSS effector genotype and fluoroquinolone resistance mechanisms in a collection of 270 respiratory isolates. We found that a higher proportion of exoU+ strains were fluoroquinolone-resistant compared to exoS+ strains (63% vs 49%, p = 0.03) despite its lower overall prevalence (38% exoU+ vs 56% exoS+). Results from sequencing the quinolone resistance determining regions (QRDRs) of the 4 target genes (gyrA, gyrB, parC, parE) indicated that strains containing the exoU gene were more likely to acquire ≥2 mutations than exoS+ strains at MICs ≤8 µg/ml (13% vs none) and twice as likely to have mutations in both gyrA and parC than exoS+ strains (48% vs 24% p = 0.0439). Our findings indicate that P. aeruginosa strains differentially develop resistance-conferring mutations that correlate with TTSS effector genotype and the more virulent exoU+ subpopulation. Differences in mutational processes by virulence genotype that were observed suggest co-evolution of resistance and virulence traits favoring a more virulent genotype in the quinolone-rich clinical environment.     

Caenorhabditis elegans Recognizes a Bacterial Quorum-sensing Signal Molecule through the AWCON Neuron

In a process known as quorum sensing, bacteria use chemicals called autoinducers for cell-cell communication. Population-wide detection of autoinducers enables bacteria to orchestrate collective behaviors. In the animal kingdom detection of chemicals is vital for success in locating food, finding hosts, and avoiding predators. This behavior, termed chemotaxis, is especially well studied in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Here we demonstrate that the Vibrio cholerae autoinducer (S)-3-hydroxytridecan-4-one, termed CAI-1, influences chemotaxis in C. elegans. C. elegans prefers V. cholerae that produces CAI-1 over a V. cholerae mutant defective for CAI-1 production. The position of the CAI-1 ketone moiety is the key feature driving CAI-1-directed nematode behavior. CAI-1 is detected by the C. elegans amphid sensory neuron AWC^ON. Laser ablation of the AWC^ON cell, but not other amphid sensory neurons, abolished chemoattraction to CAI-1. These analyses define the structural features of a bacterial-produced signal and the nematode chemosensory neuron that permit cross-kingdom interaction.     

植物细胞程序性死亡分子机制和信号转导

细胞程序化死亡(PCD)在植物的发育、抗病及植物与环境互作等过程中发挥着极其重要的作用.总结了植物细胞凋亡发生的特征及其检测技术,概括了植细胞凋亡的分子机制,综述了植物细胞凋亡相关激素种类及其信号转导机制,并对植物细胞凋亡存在的问题进行分析和展望.     

Structure-Activity Relationship of Anthelmintic Cyclooctadepsipeptides

The relationship between cyclooctadepsipeptides and their anthelmintic efficacy was examined by converting the natural products, PF1022A, PF1022E and PF1022H. Some analogues substituted at the para position of the phenyllactate moiety showed higher or equivalent activity against the parasitic nematode, Ascaridia galli in chicken when compared with the parent compounds. It is suggested that lipophilicity and the polar surface area, in addition to structural requirements of the derivatives, influenced the anthelmintic efficacy in vivo.     

Quinolone therapy in the prevention of mortality after irradiation

The effect of oral therapy with three quinolones (ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and pefloxacin) in the prevention of postirradiation bacteremia and mortality was tested in B6D2F1 mice given 9.5 Gy 60Co gamma radiation. Only 8 of 60 (13%) untreated mice survived for 30 days, compared to 47 of 60 (78%) mice treated with ofloxacin, 44 of 60 (74%) mice treated with ciprofloxacin, and 42 of 60 (70%) mice treated with pefloxacin (P less than 0.05). The organisms recovered from the mice were Streptococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae. More Enterobacteriaceae were recovered from the livers of untreated animals than from the mice treated with the quinolones. However, no reduction in the number of Streptococcus spp. was noted in the animals given quinolones when compared to controls. This study shows that quinolones prolonged survival and decreased systemic spread of Enterobacteriaceae up to 30 days after exposure of mice to lethal irradiation.     

Structure-Activity Relationships of Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitors

Abstract

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is an important catabolic enzyme which converts adenosine and deoxyadenosine to inosine and deoxyinosine, respectively. ADA exists in two different isoenzymes, namely ADA1 and ADA2, whose balance in monocytes-macrophages seems to guarantee the homeostasis of adenine nucleosides. Modifications of the purine moiety or/and substitution of the sugar moiety of adenosine with aliphatic chains led to derivatives which are good ADA inhibitors.     

毛细管电泳芯片信号分析系统的UML建模研究

集成毛细管电泳芯片(Integrate Cpillary Electrophoresis Chip,ICEC)属于分析型生物芯片,近年来发展迅速。ICEC过程复杂,实现困难,有必要前期通过建模等方式,进行必要的系统设计。统一建模语言(Unified Modeling Language,UML)是一种用来描述系统、构造系统模型的面向对象建模语言,运用UML语言对ICEC信号分析系统进行建模研究,可使ICEC的设计逐步优化,从而最终实现混合物高效分析和分离的目的。本文系统描述UML语言和毛细管电泳芯片工作原理,并介绍运用UML语言对ICEC信号分析系统建模方法。     

Three-Dimension Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis of Some Cinnamamides Using Comparative Molecular Similarity Indices Analysis (CoMSIA)

Comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) has been applied to a data set of cinnamamides. Five different properties: steric, electrostatic, hydrophobic, H-bond donor and H-bond acceptor, assumed to cover the major contributions to ligand binding, were used to generate the 3D-QSAR model. A significant cross-validated correlation coefficient q ² (0.691) was obtained, indicating the statistical significance of the model for untested compounds of this class. The model was used to predict the anticonvulsant activities of five test-set compounds, and the predicted values were in good agreement with the experimental results. Moreover, from the contour maps, the key features vital to ligand binding have been identified, which are important for us to trace the important properties and gain insight into the potential mechanisms of intermolecular interactions between ligand and receptor.Electronic Supplementary Material available.     

Analysis of the lipopolysaccharide of Pseudomonas maltophilia 555

The phenol phase soluble lipopolysaccharide of Pseudomonas maltophilia strain 555, obtained from cells by the hot aqueous phenol method, was of the smooth type. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, hydrolysis, methylation, and 13C and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance analyses showed that this lipopolysaccharide has an O-chain polysaccharide composed of a repeating pentasaccharide unit, containing D-rhamnose (D-Rha, one part), 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-D-galactose (D-Fuc3NAc, one part), and 4-acetamido-4,6-dideoxy-D-mannose (D-Rha4NAc, three parts) and having the structure (formula; see text) The serological cross-reactions between P. maltophilia 555 and Brucella species can now be related to the occurrence of N-acyl derivatives of 4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-D-mannopyranosyl residues in the O-chains of their respective lipopolysaccharide components.     

头孢菌素类抗生素的定量构效关系研究

目的:建立一种预测精度较高的定量构效关系(QSAR)模型,为设计和合成活性更高的头孢菌素类抗生素提供理论依据。方法:发展了一种基于支持向量回归(SVR)和k-最近邻(KNN)的非线性组合预测方法(SVR-KNN),系统研究了48种抗流感嗜血杆菌头孢菌素衍生物的QSAR。结果:留一法预测结果表明,非线性筛选描述符和子模型能明显提高预测精度,汰选子模型后的组合预测精度优于单一子模型,SVR-KNN的MSE、MAPE分别为0.019、1.81%;独立样本预测结果显示,SVR-KNN在所有参比模型中具有最优的预测精度及稳定性,其MSE、MAPE分别为0.010、1.33%。结论:SVR-KNN模型具有较强的预测能力和优异的泛化推广能力,在抗生素及其他药物的QSAR研究中有广泛应用前景。     

Chemical Modification and Structure-Activity Correlation of Salinomycin

A number of the chemically modified compounds of salinomycin have been prepared and the structure-activity correlation between complexation affinity for cations, ion transport ability and antimicrobial activity have been investigated.

The results indicate that the terminal carboxylic acid, β-hydroxyketone and allylic alcohol functions in the molecule played an important role in the exhibition of biological activity of the antibiotic.

On the basis of these data, it was concluded that there is a closer parallelism between the antimicrobial and ion-transport activities of salinomycin and its derivatives.     

Structure-Activity Relationship of Pyrimidine Heterosubstituted Nucleoside Analogues

Abstract

The structure-activity relationship of sixteen 3-deaza, C-4 substituted pyrimidines and imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidine bases of 1,3-oxathiolanes and 1,3-dioxolanes revealed good anti-HBV activity in 2.2.15 cells transfected with human hepatitis B virus of the imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidine nucleosides 21, 25 and 29. Two procedures for the preparation of C-4 substituted analogues are reported based on nucleophilic displacement of a sulfonamide or imidazole by a variety of nitrogen nucleophiles.