Antibody induced capping and endocytosis of surface antigens in Naegleria fowleri

Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba-flagellate responsible for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in man, was observed to cap and internalize surface-bound antibody. These results suggest that the ability of N. fowleri to remove antibody from its surface may allow the amoeba to resist the action of the host's immune system.     

Isolation of Naegleria fowleri from artificially heated water

Water samples were collected from artificially heated and ambient temperature water and processed for the presence of Naegleria fowleri. Samples taken from thermally altered habitats were positive 43% of the time, whereas ambient temperature habitats were positive 2% of the time. The data suggests that thermally altered aquatic systems in the south-eastern United States may provide habitats conducive to the proliferation of N. fowleri.     

A genetic approach to species criteria in the amoeba genus Naegleria using allozyme electrophoresis

The present study employs allozyme electrophoresis to characterize and inter-relate 61 isolates of Naegleria. Diploidy was confirmed, with heterozygotes observed at 29 of the 33 loci established and in all but two isolates. With a single exception, isolates clustered at two levels of similarity, either below 21% or above 52%. It is argued that such a major discontinuity provides a sound biological basis for a species concept in Naegleria. On this basis the present species-level taxonomy does not reflect the genetic diversity of the genus. The study recognized 18 genetic groups of species rank. The subspecies N. australiensis italica deserves specific rank; additional thermophilic species not closely related to N. fowleri and N. lovaniensis are recognized; and N. gruberi as currently conceived is a complex of 10 species, at least five of which are represented in the formal culture collections. Most species are genetically too different for relationships to be elucidated by allozyme electrophoresis, supporting the view that some of the times of divergence within the genus are extremely ancient.     

Phylogeny of trichostome ciliates (Ciliophora, Litostomatea) endosymbiotic in the Yakut horse (Equus caballus)

Ciliates of the subclass Trichostomatia inhabit the fermentative regions of the digestive tract of herbivores. Most available small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSrRNA) gene sequences of trichostomes are from species isolated from the rumen of cattle or sheep and from marsupials. No ciliate species endosymbiotic in horses has yet been analyzed. We have sequenced the SSrRNA genes of five ciliate species, isolated from the cecum and colon of four Yakut horses: Cycloposthium edentatum, Cycloposthium ishikawai, Tripalmaria dogieli, Cochliatoxum periachtum, and Paraisotricha colpoidea.

Based on their morphology, Cycloposthium, Tripalmaria, and Cochliatoxum are classified as Entodiniomorphida, while Paraisotricha is considered a member of the Vestibuliferida. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference, distance, and parsimony methods confirm these placements. The two Cycloposthium species cluster together with the published Cycloposthium species isolated from a wallaby in Australia. Tripalmaria and Cochliatoxum branch as a sister group to or basal within the Entodiniomorphida. The Vestibuliferida remain paraphyletic with Paraisotricha and Balantidium branching basal to all other trichostome species, but not closely related to Isotricha and Dasytricha.     

The endocrine systems of isolated and crowded Locusta and Schistocerca in relation to oöcyte growth, and the effects of flying upon maturation

In isolated Schistocerca and crowded Locusta, oöcyte growth is slow compared with that in crowded Schistocerca and isolated Locusta. Slow oöcyte growth in both species is correlated with an accumulation of material in the pars intercerebralis-corpora cardiaca neurosecretory system. Release of neurosecretory material is prevented in isolated Schistocerca by the absence of adequate stimulation, and in crowded Locusta by the action of some inhibiting agent. Daily flying on a roundabout accelerates the rate of oöcyte growth in crowded Locusta and in isolated and crowdedSchistocerca, but apparently has little effect upon the growth of the oöcytes in isolated Locusta. Where it occurs, the increased rate of growth of the oöcytes is correlated with the more rapid release of material from the neurosecretory systems of the locusts. The effects of flying and crowding in Schistocerca together equal the stimulating effect of the male pheromone, but the effect of flying in Locusta opposes the inhibitory effect of crowding. Cyclic changes in the volumes of the corpora allata are correlated with oöcyte growth in flown and unflown, isolated and crowded Schistocerca and seem to follow upon the activity of the neurosecretory system, the greatest volume of the glands being attained sooner in the flown than in the unflown females. In isolated Locusta, the pattern of volume changes in the corpora allata is identical in both the flown and unflown females and is similar to that in Schistocerca. In unflown crowded Locusta, the corpora allata increase greatly in size without any corresponding oöcyte growth. Flying gradually reduces the size of the glands as the oöcytes develop. The enlarged glands in the unflown crowded Locusta probably represent a prolonged synthetic phase without concomitant release of hormone.     

安徽黄山红豆杉内生真菌多样性与生态分布

为了了解红豆杉Taxus chinensis内生真菌的种类及分布特点,通过采样,分离,培养与鉴定,对安徽黄山红豆杉内生真菌的群落结构及生态分布进行了研究.结果共分离出14属107株内生真菌,其中青霉属Penicillium,曲霉属Aspergillus,交链孢属Alternaria和拟青霉属Paecilomyces为优势种群.同时内生真菌的多样性具有组织专一性,以根和皮中分布较多,分别是分离菌株总数的37.38%和26.17%.     

山田胶锈菌和亚洲胶锈菌吸器提取体系建立

利用锈菌吸器特异性结合伴刀豆球蛋白Concanavalin A（ConA）的特性,用ConA-sepharose 4b作为层析介质,对自然状态下感染山田胶锈菌Gymnosporangium yamadae的绚丽海棠叶片以及接种亚洲胶锈菌G. asiaticum后不同发病时期沙梨叶片中胶锈菌的吸器进行分离,构建了吸器提取体系。结果表明,在感病叶片产生大量花斑时提取到这两种胶锈菌的完整吸器,经光学显微镜与透射电子显微镜观察,发现这两种胶锈菌的吸器形态相似,呈菌丝状或肾形或不规则形状,吸器体与叶绿体含量接近1:1。研究中提取得到了G. yamadae吸器总RNA,为胶锈菌的吸器转录组中候选效应分子筛选以及病原与寄主互作分子机制研究奠定了重要基础。     

烟草内生真菌多样性和种群结构

从云南“世界烟草品种园”10种烟草的根、茎、叶中分离得到199株内生真菌,根据rDNA-ITS系统发育分析鉴定为17属25种,其中格孢腔菌目Pleosporales内生真菌的种类和数量最多;茎点霉属Phoma、链格孢属Alternaria和镰孢菌属Fusarium为主要优势属,相对频率分别为25.1%、24.6%和11.6%,优势度Y值分别为0.251、0.172和0.104。烟草不同组织内生真菌的种群结构存在显著差异,分离自根的内生真菌的主要优势属为Fusarium和Phoma,Y值分别为0.235和0.123;分离自茎的内生真菌的主要优势属为Phoma和Alternaria,Y值分别为0.186和0.155;分离自叶片的内生真菌的主要优势属为Alternaria,Y值为0.286。Phoma从烟草根茎叶中均可分离得到,而Alternaria只分布在地上部茎叶中,Fusarium只分布在根茎中,表明这3个优势属真菌对根茎叶组织的专化性不同。     

皂角发酵物对红托竹荪病害防治及土壤主要微生物群落影响

为了研究皂角发酵物对贵州当地特色产业红托竹荪的病害防治及促生长作用,本研究在室内分离病原菌并进行平板对峙实验,田间试验设计4个处理：不施用药剂的常规处理、解淀粉芽孢杆菌HN11菌液、皂角粉末、皂角发酵物,调查防治效果,测量菌蛋大小及个数,检测土壤微生物群落变化。从发病组织中分离出一株病原菌,鉴定为阴沟肠杆菌Enterobacter cloacae。皂角发酵物对竹荪病害田间防治效果达77.86%,生长面积提高61.22%。土壤微生物群落中细菌和真菌分析结果显示,相较于其他处理组,皂角发酵物处理组中竹荪相对丰度占比最大,达25.83%。皂角发酵物能有效防治红托竹荪病害,促进红托竹荪菌蛋生长,减少化学农药的用量,促进生态循环,保障农产品食用安全,提升皂角和竹荪产业综合效益。     

Trichosporon mycotoxinivorans sp. nov., a new yeast species useful in biological detoxification of various mycotoxins

A yeast strain isolated from the hindgut of the lower termite Mastotermes darwiniensis (Mastotermitidae) was found to represent a new member of the genus Trichosporon. Trichosporon mycotoxinivorans is closely related to T. loubieri on the basis of the phylogenetic trees based on the D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA, an approx. 600 bp fragment of the 18S rDNA and both ITS regions. However, the two species differ at nine positions in the D1/D2 region of 26S rDNA. The IGS1 region of T. mycotoxinivorans is 401 bp long. T. mycotoxinivorans is distinguished from T. loubieri by its ability to assimilate inulin and galactitol, and its inability to grow at 40 °C. The name of this newly isolated strain refers to an important characteristics of T. mycotoxinivorans to detoxify mycotoxins such as ochratoxin A and zearalenone. Therefore this strain can be used for the deactivation of the respective mycotoxins in animal feeds.     

昆虫肠道木霉及其对芒果炭疽病菌拮抗作用

为获得优良生防木霉菌株,本研究以昆虫肠道为样本,从中分离鉴定木霉菌株,并以芒果炭疽病菌盘长孢状刺盘孢为靶标菌,通过对峙培养、挥发性物质和非挥发性物质筛选拮抗效果最优的木霉菌株,测定其孢子悬浮液对芒果炭疽病的室内防效研究.结果 显示,从105份昆虫肠道中共分离获得10株木霉,通过形态学特征和Tef1-Rpb2双基因联合建...     

南方红豆杉内生真菌的抗肿瘤产物震颤毒素的研究

从红豆杉内生真菌青霉菌Penicillum sp. H⑥.1发酵产物中自然析出一种化合物,经图谱检测和文献比对,鉴定为震颤毒素Penitrem A。四唑盐（MTT）比色法研究表明Penitrem A对恶性黑色素瘤细胞A375有一定的抑制作用,且抑制作用随浓度的增大而增强,IC₅₀为27.24μg/mL。本研究是首次从红豆杉内生真菌发酵产物中分离得到震颤毒素Penitrem A,为抗肿瘤药物开发提供了理论参考。     

武夷山自然保护区土壤可培养芽胞杆菌 的物种多样性及分布

为了解武夷山自然保护区土壤中可培养芽胞杆菌的分布状况, 2012年6月从该保护区的黄岗山顶部、中部、底部和桐木关、挂墩、大竹岚等6个地点采集土样75份。用80℃水浴加热、稀释平板法进行芽胞杆菌的分离, 并根据16S rRNA基因序列分析对菌株进行初步鉴定。从土样中分离出芽胞杆菌418株, 鉴定为8个属42个种, 其中Bacillus属的种数最多, 有20种, Paenibacillus属和Lysinibacillus属分别有8种和7种。不同地点分离到的芽胞杆菌在种类、数量上存在差异: 从大竹岚土壤中分离到的芽胞杆菌种类最多, 从黄岗山中部和底部分离到的种类数则较少; 挂墩、大竹岚土壤中芽胞杆菌的数量较大, 达3.6×10⁶ cfu/g以上, 而黄岗山顶部和中部土壤中的数量则少于4.9×10⁵ cfu/g。Bacillus cereus、B. mycoides、B. thuringiensis和Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus等4个种在6个地点的土样中均有分离到, 其中B. thuringiensis、L. xylanilyticus是该保护区土壤中的优势种。桐木关土壤中芽胞杆菌的种类多样性和均匀度指数都比其他5个地点的高, 而挂墩土壤中芽胞杆菌的Shannon-Wiener多样性、均匀度和优势度指数都最低。B. mycoides和B. thuringiensis的数量与海拔显著相关, 相关系数分别为0.852和-0.834, B. cereus、B. mycoides、B. thuringiensis的分离频度与海拔的相关性极显著, 相关系数分别为0.960、0.952和-0.931。研究结果表明, 武夷山自然保护区土壤中可培养芽胞杆菌的种类丰富、数量较大, 具有较高的多样性。     

Antibacterial constituents from the berries of Piper nigrum

Piper nigrum finds an extensive application in antibacterial preparations belonging to Ayurvedic system of medicine. A bioguided extraction and fractionation of the petroleum ether extract of the berries of P. nigrum afforded 2E, 4E, 8Z-N-isobutyleicosatrienamide (1), pellitorine (2), trachyone (3), pergumidiene (4) and isopiperolein B (5). Pergumidiene and trachyone are isolated for the first time from P. nigrum. All the isolated compounds were active against Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus sphaericus, and Staphylococcus aureus amongst Gram +ve bacteria, and Klebsiella aerogenes and Chromobacterium violaceum among Gram –ve bacterial strains.     

Isolation and identification of yeasts associated with vineyard and winery by RFLP analysis of ribosomal genes and mitochondrial DNA

Yeast colonies isolated from vineyard and cellar substrates were analysed in the present study. Yeast species assessment was carried out by amplification and digestion of a region of the ribosomal RNA gene repeat unit. Saccharomyces strains were also characterised using mitochondrial DNA restriction analysis. Oxidative basidiomycetous yeasts without enological potential were predominant in the vineyard environment. Yeasts associated with grape skin depend on grape variety, vintage and degree of grape maturation. These species from grape surface constituted the predominant microbiota in must and they developed during the first stages of the process. Yeasts colonies were also isolated and identified from the walls of a fermentation vat some days before the harvest. Contrary to what was expected, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was not the major species isolated as Candida sorbosa represented 76% of the species isolated. Saccharomyces strains isolated from the fermentation vat had been previously isolated in wine fermentations in this cellar. Therefore, these strains should be considered as constant residents of this winery.     

Characteristics of apolipophorin-III of the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella

Apolipophorin-III was isolated from the lipophorin-free fraction of larval plasma of the southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella, because significant amounts of apolipophorin-III were found to be present in the hemolymph not associated with lipophorin. Apolipophorin-III, purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation, cation exchange chromatography, and gel filtration, was shown to be a nonglycosylated polypeptide with 17 kDa mol. wt, as determined by SDS-PAGE and silver staining. The amino acid composition of apolipophorin-III showed similarities to published compositions of apolipophorin-III isolated from other insects. The N-terminal sequence of apolipophorin-III (DAPSTTPPQDXEKKAAEFQKTFTEQXNQLANK), is highly homologous to that of apolipophorin-III of Manduca sexta. Antiserum raised against purified apolipophorin-III was used to demonstrate an immunochemical identity between the isolated apolipophorin-III and that associated with lipophorin. This antiserum cross-reacted with apolipophorin-III of M. sexta, and antiserum raised against M. sexta apolipophorin-III cross-reacted with apolipophorin-III isolated from D. grandiosella, demonstrating an immunochemical relationship between the proteins, and providing confirmatory evidence for the identity of the isolated protein. These antisera did not react with the putative apolipophorin-III of the cricket, Acheta domesticus. Using immunoprecipitation by the apolipophorin-III antiserum of D. grandiosella, the synthesis and secretion of [³H]apolipophorin-III by the fat body in vitro was shown to be maximal in 13–15 day-old larvae, with a transit time of ca 23 min.     

New mutations in cloned Escherichia coli umuDC genes: novel phenotypes of strains carrying a umuC125 plasmid

The umuDC locus of Escherichia coli is required for most mutagenesis by UV and many chemicals. Mutations in E. coli umuDC genes cloned on pBR322-derived plasmids wer e isolated by two methods. First, spontaneously-arising mutant umuDC plasmids that failed to confe cold-sensitive growth on a lexA51(Def) strain were isolated by selection. Second, mutant umuDC plasmids that affected apparent mutant yield after UV-irradiation in a strain carrying umuD⁺C⁺ in the chromosome were isolated by screening hydroxylamine-mutagenized umuD⁺C⁺ plasmids. pBR322-derived umuD⁺C⁺ plasmids inhibited the induction of the SOS response of lexA⁺ strains as measured by expression of din::Mu dl(lac) Ap) fusionsbut most mutant plasmids did not. Mutant plasmids defective in complementation of chromosomal umuD44, umuC36, or both were found among those selected for failure to confer cold-sensitivity, whereas those identified by the screening procedure yielded mostly mutant plasmids with more complex phenotypes. We studied in greater detail a plasmid pLM109, carrying the umuC125 mutation. This plasmid increased the sensitivity of lexA⁺ strainsto killing by UV-irradiation but was able to complement the deficiencies of umuC mutants in UV mutagenesis. pLM109 failed to confer cold-sensitive growth on lexA(Def) strains but inhibited SOS induction in lexA⁺ strains. The effect of pLM109 on the UV sensitivity of lexA(Def)strains was similar to that of the parental umuD⁺C⁺ plasmid. The mutation responsible for the phenotypes of pLM109 was localized to a 615-bp fragment. DNA sequencing revealed that the umuC125 mutation was a G:C → A:T transition that changed codon 39 of umuC from GCC → GTC thus changing Ala39 to Val39. The implications of the umuC125 mutation for umuDC-dependent effects on UV-mutagenesis and cell survival after UV damage are discussed.     

Cardenolides from Asclepias asperula subsp. Capricornu and A. Viridis

6′-O-(E-4-hydroxycinnamoyl) Desglucouzarin, the first cardenolide containing a cinnamoyl ester moiety, has been isolated from the ethanolic extract of the milkweed, Asclepias asperula. In addition, five known cardenolides were isolated and identified from A. asperula and A. viridis.     

Effect of some leaf essential oil phenotypes in coastal redwood on the growth of several fungi with endophytic stages

Experiments assessed the effect of four foliar essential oil phenotypes from a coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) population on isolates of six fungus species with leaf endophytic stages. The hypothesis tested was that leaf essential oil phenotypes would have differential effects in vitro on these endophytic species. Another objective was to determine whether differences in response to redwood essential oils existed among pathogens isolated from redwood and a mutalistic endophtye never isolated from redwood. These species were: Botrytis cinerea, an opportunist generalist pathogen able to attack redwood; Pestalotiopsis funerea, Phomopsis occulta and Seiridium juniperi, actual or potential conifer pathogens isolated as leaf endophytes in redwood; Cryptosporiopsis abietna, a common conifer endophyte with uncertain ecological status isolated from redwood; and Meria parkeri, a mutalistic endophyte known only from Douglas fir. The four essential oil phenotypes were uniformly inhibitory for some species and differentially so for others. Susceptibility to the four phenotypes varied widely within and among fungus species. The conifer-specific pathogens were the least susceptible and the Douglas fir endophyte the most; the other two displayed intermediate susceptibility. The diversity of responses by these fungus species suggests that these redwood terpenoids may have a differential intra- and interspecific importance in preventing pathogenic activity in the species found within redwood foilage.     

Isarfelin, a peptide with antifungal and insecticidal activities from Isaria felina

Isarfelin, a peptide with inhibitory activity on mycelial growth in Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and insecticidal activity toward Leucania separata, was isolated from the mycelia of Isaria felina. The IC₅₀ value of its antifungal activity against R. solani was 3.1 μg mL⁻¹. However, it was devoid of activity toward several bacterial species including Bacillus subtilis, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The isolation procedure involved ethanol extraction, adsorption on YPR II macropore adsorption resin, ethyl acetate extraction, petroleum ether precipitation and recrystallization from ethyl acetate.