结核分枝杆菌毒力的研究进展

结核分枝杆菌可以在人体内缓慢增殖,释放代谢产物,造成细胞损伤,引起结核病。其致病机制可能与其复杂的细胞壁成分密切相关。结核分枝杆菌细胞壁中的脂质、糖类及蛋白类物质在构成屏障结构,保护并辅助结核分枝杆菌在细胞内的生长及迁移,调节宿主免疫应答,造成宿主组织细胞损伤等方面发挥重要生物学作用。其表达受众多基因的精细调控。本文将对结核分枝杆菌细胞壁中的脂质阿拉伯甘露聚糖和分枝菌酸在其毒力中的作用,以及sig基因对毒力的调节作用作一综述。     

结核分枝杆菌eis基因对鼠巨噬细胞Raw264．7白噬影响的研究

目的探讨结核分枝杆菌eis基因对巨噬细胞自噬的影响。方法将鼠巨噬细胞Raw264．7以自噬体荧光表达质粒GFP-LC3转染,将含eis基因的重组耻垢分枝杆菌MS—pmv261-eis与不含eis基因的耻垢分枝杆菌MS—pmv261分别感染宿主巨噬细胞,透射电镜下观察自噬小体形成情况,荧光显微镜下观察自噬荧光并计数,Westernblot检测如基因表达的蛋白及自噬蛋白LC3-Ⅱ的表达水平。结果结核分枝杆菌eis基因可抑制感染宿主细胞自噬小体的形成,并显著抑制自噬荧光小点形成（P〈0．05）,显著降低了自噬蛋白LC3-Ⅱ表达水平。结论结核分枝杆菌e曲基因对Raw264．7细胞自噬有抑制作用。     

结核分枝杆菌持续感染相关基因及其调控网络分析

结核分枝杆菌是结核病的致病菌, 也是迄今最成功的人类致病菌之一. 结核分枝杆菌能逃避宿主免疫攻击, 在人体内持续感染或呈休眠状态. 当人体免疫功能低下时, 持续感染或休眠的致病菌可能被重新激活. 结核分枝杆菌的持续感染是制约结核病控制计划成功的主要障碍之一. 揭示结核分枝杆菌持续感染的分子机制、寻找其中薄弱环节、发现适当的药物靶标并开发全新药物及免疫干预措施, 被认为是遏制结核病蔓延的关键. 结核分枝杆菌持续感染和再激活是众多基因协同的系统适应过程. 本文在全面分析全球结核分枝杆菌持续感染相关基因研究文献的基础上, 通过文本挖掘, 综合本实验室前期研究结果, 提出了结核分枝杆菌持续感染相关基因的调控网络, 为揭示结核分枝杆菌持续感染的机制, 筛选控制结核病的新靶标和免疫干预节点提供研究基础.     

结核分枝杆菌耐药性的分子机理研究进展

结核分枝杆菌内,抗结核药物的作用靶编码基因已在细菌染色体上定位,使人们能在分子水平上研究耐药结核分枝杆菌,并对其耐药机理有了深刻了解,本文就结核分枝杆菌对几种主要抗结核药物耐药性的分子机理相关的基因等方面的研究作一综述。     

耐药结核分枝杆菌的适应性代价与补偿性进化

结核病耐药率的攀升是目前全球结核病防控面临的重大挑战。结核分枝杆菌主要通过其基因组中耐药相关基因发生点突变而获得耐药性。由于耐药相关基因通常具有重要的生理功能,其突变往往会导致结核分枝杆菌自身适应性下降,即产生“适应性代价”。然而,耐药结核分枝杆菌可通过进一步积累其他特定突变来回复其适应性,这种能使其适应性上升的突变称为“补偿性突变”。耐药结核分枝杆菌的补偿性进化被认为是耐药结核病广泛传播与流行的生物学基础。近年来,在结核病分子流行病学和基础研究领域,针对耐药结核分枝杆菌的补偿性进化开展了大量研究。本文从结核分枝杆菌的耐药分子机制、耐药突变的适应性代价与补偿性进化,以及补偿性进化如何影响耐药结核病传播等方面,综述耐药结核分枝杆菌补偿性进化的研究进展。     

结核分枝杆菌信号转导与耐药的研究进展

摘要:结核分枝杆菌感染每年导致200万人口死亡,而化疗已经产生了严重的广泛传播的耐药性。信号转导系统是细菌适应周围环境变化的重要分子机制,是否介导细菌耐药性的产生,尚无清楚的认识。本文主要介绍了结核分枝杆菌的12对二元信号转导系统并分析了其与耐药性产生的关系。通过对近期研究的分析,我们发现MprB/A、PhoR/P、DosR/S/T、SenX3/RegX3、MtrB/A五对二元信号转导系统有可能通过不同的机制使结核分枝杆菌对抗结核药物发生耐药性,因此二元信号转导系统是有效的调控靶位点,有可能应用小分子化合物靶向调节二元信号转导途径以逆转耐药。     

结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因的克隆及其原核表达

目的:构建结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因的原核表达质粒,获得结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因的表达蛋白。方法:制备结核分枝杆菌基因组DNA,采用聚合酶链反应技术扩增目的基因片段;通过pGEX-4T-1构建质粒载体pGEX-4T-1-Rv1884c,经序列测定证实正确后转化大肠杆菌DH5α,再经IPTG诱导表达GST-1884融合蛋白;用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分析重组蛋白的相对分子质量及表达形式。结果:扩增出了结核分枝杆菌Rv1884c基因,构建了具有正确基因序列的质粒载体pGEX-4T-1-Rv1884c,转化大肠杆菌DH5α后经诱导产生了高水平的表达产物。结论:构建了pGEX-4T-1-Rv1884c质粒载体,并诱导表达了GST-1884融合蛋白,为进一步研究Rv1884c蛋白的活性及其功能,探讨结核分枝杆菌快速促生长作用奠定了基础。     

结核分枝杆菌EF4敲除菌株的构建

EF4是一个由 lepA 基因编码的与蛋白质翻译密切相关的延伸因子,在细菌中高度保守,但其确切功能和分子机制尚不清楚,在结核分枝杆菌中的功能至今未见报道。为探索EF4在结核分枝杆菌中的功能,需构建一株结核分枝杆菌 lepA 基因敲除株。本研究以结核分枝杆菌H37Ra全基因组DNA为模板,设计并通过聚合酶链反应(polymerase chain reaction,PCR)扩增 lepA 基因左、右臂,连接到p0004S质粒,构建同源重组质粒p0004S-Δ lepA 。然后,通过噬菌体体外包装,将p0004S-Δ lepA 质粒连接到phAE159质粒,构建phAE159-Δ lepA 噬菌体包装质粒。在耻垢分枝杆菌mc 2155中大量扩增噬菌体并受结核分枝杆菌侵染进行同源重组,筛选阳性克隆,从基因组和蛋白质表达水平检测该突变株中 lepA 基因及EF4蛋白表达。PCR结果显示,敲除株基因组中 lepA 基因已被潮霉素抗性基因成功替换,蛋白免疫印迹结果显示该敲除株中无EF4表达,表明其为成功构建的Ra Δ lepA 。生长曲线分析显示,正常培养条件下,结核分枝杆菌野生株与敲除株生长趋势一致。敲除株与野生株在菌落形态上有一定差异,相比于野生株,Ra Δ lepA 菌落颜色发黄,凸起偏厚,生长过程中生物膜皱褶较少。耐胁迫能力分析显示,与野生株相比,Ra Δ lepA 耐热、抗去垢剂、抗氧化能力无显著差异,但耐酸性环境能力明显增强。本研究利用噬菌体介导的重组法成功构建了结核分枝杆菌 lepA 基因敲除株,为后续研究结核分枝杆菌EF4的功能提供了重要基础。     

细菌ClpX蛋白酶的结构和功能

ClpX是热休克蛋白Hsp100蛋白家族的成员之一,在生物体中非常保守。Hsp100/Clp分子伴侣家族功能主要涉及到细胞对环境的压力耐受、胞内蛋白质的周转、DNA复制和基因表达等。结核分枝杆菌所导致的结核病仍然是全球人类健康的主要威胁。致病菌中的ClpX蛋白酶在基因的表达调控、致病性以及宿主免疫压力耐受中都具有非常重要的功能。本文总结了ClpX蛋白酶的结构、底物以及所调控的基因;分析了结核分枝杆菌ClpX蛋白酶的进化特征,并探讨了结核分枝杆菌ClpX蛋白酶可能的生理功能和在致病性中的重要作用。     

酵母Pho80对Pho85蛋白激酶活性的调节

酵母pho80和pho85基因编码的蛋白质是阻遏型酸性磷酸酯酶基因表达调控系统中的2种负调控因子.其中pho85基因编码产物己被证明是1种类似于p34~(^cdc2/CDC28)的蛋白激酶,磷酸化该调控系统中的正调控因子Pho4,并使之失活,用抗pho85抗体从啤酒酵母YPH499及其衍生菌株的细胞抽提液中得到Pho85免疫复合物,对大肠杆菌表达的Pho4蛋白进行了体外磷酸化分析,证实酵母Pho80是Pho85蛋白激酶活力所必需,pho80基因的表达水平直接影响Pho85免疫复合物对Pho4蛋白的磷酸化程度.根据基因序列推导的Pho80蛋白氨基酸序列中,含有一段与几种cyclin同源的区域,通过寡核苷酸的插入或小片段缺失而对该区域及邻近部位在基因水平进行的微小改变均可导致Pho80丧失阻遏酸性磷酸酯酶基因表达的能力.     

The small membrane protein MgrB regulates PhoQ bifunctionality to control PhoP target gene expression dynamics

In Escherichia coli and other γ‐proteobacteria, the PhoQ‐PhoP two‐component signaling system responds to low extracellular Mg⁺⁺ and cationic antimicrobial peptides. On transition to inducing conditions, the expression of PhoP‐dependent genes increases rapidly, but then decays to a new, intermediate steady‐state level, a phenomenon often referred to as partial adaptation. The molecular basis for this partial adaptation has been unclear. Here, using time‐lapse fluorescence microscopy to examine PhoP‐dependent gene expression in individual E. coli cells we show that partial adaptation arises through a negative feedback loop involving the small protein MgrB. When E. coli cells are shifted to low Mg⁺⁺, PhoQ engages in multiple rounds of autophosphorylation and phosphotransfer to PhoP, which, in turn, drives the expression of mgrB. MgrB then feeds back to inhibit the kinase activity of PhoQ. PhoQ is bifunctional such that, when not active as a kinase, it can stimulate the dephosphorylation of PhoP. Thus, MgrB drives the inactivation of PhoP and the observed adaptation in PhoP‐dependent gene expression. Our results clarify the source of feedback inhibition in the E. coli PhoQ‐PhoP system and reveal how exogenous factors, such as MgrB, can combine with a canonical two‐component signaling pathway to produce complex temporal dynamics in target gene expression.     

Homology modeling, molecular dynamics and QM/MM study of the regulatory protein PhoP from Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a facultatively intracellular Gram-positive bacterium that causes caseous lymphadenitis, principally in sheep and goats, though sometimes in other species of animals, leading to considerable economic losses. This pathogen has a TCS known as PhoPR, which consists of a sensory histidine kinase protein (PhoR) and an intracellular response regulator protein (PhoP). This system is involved in the regulation of proteins present in various processes, including virulence. The regulation is activated by PhoP protein phosphorylation, an event that requires a magnesium (Mg²⁺) ion. Here we describe the 3D structure of the regulatory response protein (PhoP) of C. pseudotuberculosis through molecular modeling by homology. The model generated provides the first structural information on a full-length member of the OmpR/PhoP subfamily. Classical molecular dynamics was used to investigate the stability of the model. In addition, we used quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical techniques to perform (internal, potential) energy optimizations to determine the interaction energy between the Mg²⁺ ion and the structure of the PhoP protein. Analysis of the interaction energy residue by residue shows that Asp-16 and Asp-59 play an important role in the protein–Mg²⁺ ion interactions. These results may be useful for the future development of a new vaccine against tuberculosis based on genetic attenuation via a point mutation that results in the polar residue Asp-16 and/or Asp-59 being replaced with a nonpolar residue in the DNA-binding domain of PhoP of C. pseudotuberculosis.     

Cross‐talk between two global regulators in Streptomyces: PhoP and AfsR interact in the control of afsS,pstS and phoRP transcription

The regulatory proteins AfsR and PhoP control expression of the biosynthesis of actinorhodin and undecylprodigiosin in Streptomyces coelicolor. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that PhoP^DBD does not bind directly to the actII‐ORF4, redD and atrA promoters, but it binds to the afsS promoter, in a region overlapping with the AfsR operator. DNase I footprinting studies revealed a PhoP protected region of 26 nt (PHO box; two direct repeats of 11 nt) that overlaps with the AfsR binding sequence. Binding experiments indicated a competition between AfsR and PhoP; increasing concentrations of PhoP^DBD resulted in the disappearance of the AfsR–DNA complex. Expression studies using the reporter luxAB gene coupled to afsS promoter showed that PhoP downregulates afsS expression probably by a competition with the AfsR activator. Interestingly, AfsR binds to other PhoP‐regulated promoters including those of pstS (a component of the phosphate transport system) and phoRP (encoding the two component system itself). Analysis of the AfsR‐protected sequences in each of these promoters allowed us to distinguish the AfsR binding sequence from the overlapping PHO box. The reciprocal regulation of the phoRP promoter by AfsR and of afsS by PhoP suggests a fine interplay of these regulators on the control of secondary metabolism.