库尔勒香梨黑头病拮抗菌的筛选和鉴定

【背景】库尔勒香梨黑头病是近年来发现的一种由芸薹生链格孢菌(Alternaria brassicicola)XL2引起的采后病症,由于其高侵染率和高腐烂率造成了极大的经济损失,目前已成为库尔勒香梨采后储运的主要防治病症之一。【目的】发掘高效的库尔勒香梨黑头病拮抗菌,探索拮抗菌株的抑菌作用,为其生物防治提供潜在资源菌。【方法】从采后健康果蔬表面分离不同微生物,采用平板对峙法,以A.brassicicola XL2为靶标菌筛选具有拮抗作用的菌株,结合形态学观察、生理生化检测和16S rRNA基因序列分析鉴定拮抗菌株分类地位;检测拮抗菌无菌滤液对A. brassicicola XL2的抑制效应,显微观察拮抗菌对A.brassicicola XL2菌丝生长的影响;验证拮抗菌发酵液在库尔勒香梨果实上的抑菌活性。【结果】从新疆油桃表面分离获得90株菌,其中菌株Y2对A. brassicicola XL2有较强拮抗作用,经鉴定其为枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)。菌株Y2的无菌滤液对A. brassicicola XL2菌落生长具有明显抑制作用,2%的无菌滤液抑菌率达到70.96%;Y2无菌滤液造成A.brassicicola XL2菌丝扭曲变形、分枝增加、尖端出现致密结构等异常现象;Y2发酵液和无菌滤液明显抑制A.brassicicola XL2的孢子萌发;Y2发酵液在库尔勒香梨果实上具有较高抑菌活性,对库尔勒香梨病斑直径抑制率达到37.66%,深度抑制率达到42.74%。【结论】枯草芽孢杆菌(B.subtilis)Y2能有效抑制A. brassicicola XL2的生长,对库尔勒香梨黑头病具有显著的生物防治效果。     

Heterogeneity as an adaptive trait of microbial populations

The review deals with heterogeneity of bacterial populations, a superorganismic characteristic providing for their adaptation to environmental conditions at the population-communication level. This phenomenon attracts increasing attention as an example of collective forms of microbial behavior and the mechanisms of cell survival in communities. Heterogeneity of bacterial populations may be discrete or continuous and may result from both phenotypic and genotypic variations. Heterogeneity of microbial cells results from the interaction of internal and environmental factors, as well as from random fluctuations of the biochemical and physiological characteristics. Cell heterogeneity improves the survival of bacterial populations under heterogeneous or variable environmental conditions, as well as under the effect of stress factors. This phenomenon should be taken into account for the development of strategies for cultivation of the biotechnologically important microorganisms and for the rational therapy of infections.     

The role as inoculum sources of Xanthomonas citri pv. citri surviving on the infected Satsuma mandarin fruits

Importing citrus fruits infected by Asiatic citrus canker caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. citri (Xcc) can act as an inoculum source for the disease epidemic in citrus canker-free countries. In this study, the pathogenicity of the causal agent of Asiatic citrus canker surviving on infected Satsuma mandarin fruits was evaluated. The washing solution of infected Satsuma mandarin fruits did not cause lesion formation on the citrus leaves. However, a typical citrus canker lesion was formed on the leaves after inoculation with higher concentrations of the inoculum from the washing solution (washing solution II). It indicated that the pathogenicity of the citrus canker surviving on the symptomatic Satsuma mandarin fruits was not changed. Scanning electron microscopic observation showed that the numbers of bacterial cells on the leaves of Satsuma mandarin which inoculated with the washing solution directly (washing solution I) was less compared to those of leaves inoculated with the washing solution II. This result spports that the pathogenicity of Xcc surviving on Satsuma mandarin fruits may not be changed but that the sucessful infection of citrus caker may depend on the concentration of the inoculum.     

Expressing an antibacterial protein in bacteria for raising antibodies

Magainins are small peptides with broad-spectrum activity against a range of plant and animal microbial pathogens. To detect magainin peptides in applications such as Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, specific antibodies that recognize magainin peptides are required. The production of antibodies against small peptides injected into host animals poses problems with respect to eliciting an adequate immunogenic response due to the small size of the molecules. To increase the immunogenicity of a target peptide, it may be expressed as part of a larger fusion protein. However, expression of an antimicrobial peptide in bacteria may be cytotoxic to the host or subjected to degradation by host-derived peptidases. To overcome these potential problems, we fused the DNA coding sequence of a magainin gene analogue within the sequence of a bacterial thioredoxin gene. The subsequent gene fusion comprising a bacterial thioredoxin gene with a magainin coding sequence ligated at the active site of thioredoxin was successfully translated in a bacterial expression system. The fusion protein was non-toxic to the host bacteria. This represents a novel strategy to express antimicrobial peptides in a bacterial expression system. The fusion protein, purified by molecular size separation, was recovered in a soluble form following electroelution from polyacrylamide gels. Sufficient fusion protein was obtained for injection into rabbits and antibodies were obtained from rabbit sera that selectively recognized magainin peptides in Western blot analysis.     

一株蒽降解细菌的分离及降解特性研究

【目的】从盐碱土壤中筛选蒽降解菌株并分析其降解特性。【方法】采用极度稀释结果流式细胞检测法筛选分离纯化菌株,通过16S rRNA基因序列分析对菌株进行初步鉴定,采用气质联用仪(GC-MS)分析蒽的降解特性。【结果】从盐碱土壤中筛选出一株高效蒽降解菌株。经过16S rRNA基因序列分析,鉴定该菌株为Demequina salsinemorus BJ1。菌株可以利用蒽作为唯一碳源生长,降解率可达92%。在一定浓度范围内,随着蒽浓度的降低,细菌生长速率变快,降解率升高。添加外加碳源后,细菌生长速率明显变快,而对蒽降解率变低。对萃取中间代谢产物的质谱分析表明,降解蒽的中间代谢产物主要有9,10-anthracenedione (9,10-蒽醌)和Phthalic acid (邻苯二甲酸)等,说明它可能通过邻苯二甲酸途径降解蒽。【结论】筛选得到一株新的耐盐碱蒽降解菌,该菌降解效率高,对修复石油污染的土壤有一定的现实意义。     

Characterization of an HPV-negative cell line (FR-car) derived from a cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion

Summary A new cell line, FR-car, has been established from a biopsy of a low-grade human cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL). We confirmed the epithelial origin of the cells by keratin staining using polykeratin, AE1/AE3 and CAM 5.2 antibodies. Sixty percent to 80% of the cultured cells stained positive for proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki-67. There was no overexpression of p53. Karyotyping revealed that the cell line was hypodiploid with clonal abnormalities on chromosome 6 and 16. Sections of a biopsy adjacent to the lesion from which the culture was initiated tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) 18 DNA by the polymerase chain reaction, but cultured cells tested at several passages were HPV-negative by either type-specific or consensus PCRs. This HPV-negative SIL line may be useful in studies into the cell biology of dysplastic epithelium.     

Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and circulating cell-free DNA from plasma of chronic fatigue syndrome and non-fatigued subjects

Background  

The association of an infectious agent with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been difficult and is further complicated by the lack of a known lesion or diseased tissue. Cell-free plasma DNA could serve as a sentinel of infection and disease occurring throughout the body. This type of systemic sample coupled with broad-range amplification of bacterial sequences was used to determine whether a bacterial pathogen was associated with CFS. Plasma DNA from 34 CFS and 55 non-fatigued subjects was assessed to determine plasma DNA concentration and the presence of bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences.     

Microflora associated with the skin of the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus)

A study of the microbiological flora isolated from cultures of normal and lesional skin tissue samples collected from 19 bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) over a 4 yr period is presented. These cultures were obtained from 30 tissue samples (17 normal, 13 lesion) and 248 swab samples (157 normal, 91 lesion). Seven hundred-thirty bacterial and yeast isolations were made (285 normal, 445 lesion). Distribution revealed that 56% of the gram positive bacterial isolates, 75% of the gram negative bacterial isolates and 64% of the yeast isolates recovered were associated with lesional skin. It was found that 80% of one group of Corynebacterium sp. isolates, 90% of the Acinetobacter sp. isolates and 94% of the Moraxella sp. isolates were associated with lesional skin. Although the primary yeasts recovered were Candida spp., they were found on both normal and lesional skin. Enzymatic assays of isolates from normal and lesional skin demonstrated production of enzymes capable of causing necrosis. The majority of the microorganisms recovered were facultative anaerobes and many of them could be considered potential pathogens of mammalian hosts.     

Glial repair in an insect

The repair of cockroach central nervous connectives, following selective glial disruption, involves an initial invasion of the lesion by a novel cell class. The available evidence, including that obtained using monoclonal antibodies, shows that these cells arise from circulating haemocytes. These invasive exogenous cells are restricted to the lesion zone. They are not only involved in initial repair of the peripheral glial elements, but may also be responsible for initiating recruitment and division of endogenous reactive cells. There is a clear anterior polarity in this recruitment, with significantly higher numbers of cells appearing anterior to, and then within, the lesion area. Characteristically, recognizable exogenous cells decline in number after 3 days, although there is no overall reduction in cell numbers within the lesion at this stage, nor has significant cell division begun. This suggests that the haemocyte-derived cells transform into, or are replaced by, functional perineurial glia, between 3 and 5 days, coincident with the restoration of the blood-brain barrier and the onset of endogenous cell division. Glial repair in the insect CNS can thus be divided into three phases which show striking similarities to the repair sequence in vertebrate brain. These include: an initial invasion of the lesion by exogenous cells, subsequent glial proliferation and then longer term fluxes in cell numbers and distribution.     

Bacterial community structure associated with white band disease in the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata determined using culture-independent 16S rRNA techniques

Culture-independent molecular (16S ribosomal RNA) techniques showed distinct differences in bacterial communities associated with white band disease (WBD) Type I and healthy elkhorn coral Acropora palmata. Differences were apparent at all levels, with a greater diversity present in tissues of diseased colonies. The bacterial community associated with remote, non-diseased coral was distinct from the apparently healthy tissues of infected corals several cm from the disease lesion. This demonstrates a whole-organism effect from what appears to be a localised disease lesion, an effect that has also been recently demonstrated in white plague-like disease in star coral Montastraea annularis. The pattern of bacterial community structure changes was similar to that recently demonstrated for white plague-like disease and black band disease. Some of the changes are likely to be explained by the colonisation of dead and degrading tissues by a micro-heterotroph community adapted to the decomposition of coral tissues. However, specific ribosomal types that are absent from healthy tissues appear consistently in all samples of each of the diseases. These ribotypes are closely related members of a group of alpha-proteobacteria that cause disease, notably juvenile oyster disease, in other marine organisms. It is clearly important that members of this group are isolated for challenge experiments to determine their role in the diseases.     

Monoclonal antibodies against an HLA-B27-derived peptide react with an epitope present on bacterial proteins.

The role of molecular mimicry in the spondyloarthropathies was investigated with respect to the epitopes involved. mAb were produced against a synthetic peptide whose sequence was derived from a polymorphic region of the HLA-B27 molecule (amino acids 63-83). Two antibodies (J7F2 and H2B6) were selected for study on the basis of their ability to react with bacterial envelope proteins (ELISA) and B27-positive cells (immunofluorescence). J7F2 reacted preferentially with B27-positive cells and neither antibody reacted with MHC class I negative cells. Based on SDS-PAGE blot analysis of bacterial envelope proteins, the pattern of reactivity for both antibodies (against 36- and 19-kDa proteins) was the same as that for a third monoclonal produced against bacterial envelope and reactive with B27-positive cells. This apparent epitope similarity was investigated by using synthetic peptides to inhibit binding of the monoclonals. The B27 synthetic peptide and a smaller peptide derived from it were efficient inhibitors of antipeptide and antibacterial antibody binding to bacterial Ag and B27-positive cells. These studies provide insight into the molecular basis of cross-reactivity between bacterial proteins and MHC class I molecules.     

Histopathology of Incontinence-Associated Skin Lesions: Inner Tissue Damage Due to Invasion of Proteolytic Enzymes and Bacteria in Macerated Rat Skin

A common complication in patients with incontinence is perineal skin lesions, which are recognized as a form of dermatitis. In these patients, perineal skin is exposed to digestive enzymes and intestinal bacterial flora, as well as excessive water. The relative contributions of digestive enzymes and intestinal bacterial flora to skin lesion formation have not been fully shown. This study was conducted to reveal the process of histopathological changes caused by proteases and bacterial inoculation in skin maceration. For skin maceration, agarose gel containing proteases was applied to the dorsal skin of male Sprague-Dawley rats for 4 h, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa inoculation for 30 min. Macroscopic changes, histological changes, bacterial distribution, inflammatory response, and keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation were examined. Proteases induced digestion in the prickle cell layer of the epidermis, and slight bleeding in the papillary dermis and around hair follicles in the macerated skin without macroscopic evidence of erosion. Bacterial inoculation of the skin macerated by proteolytic solution resulted in the formation of bacteria-rich clusters comprising numerous microorganisms and inflammatory cells within the papillary dermis, with remarkable tissue damage around the clusters. Tissue damage expanded by day 2. On day 3, the proliferative keratinocyte layer was elongated from the bulge region of the hair follicles. Application of proteases and P. aeruginosa induced skin lesion formation internally without macroscopic erosion of the overhydrated area, suggesting that the histopathology might be different from regular dermatitis. The healing process of this lesion is similar to transepidermal elimination.     

犬巴斯德菌感染致化脓性脑膜炎及脑室管膜炎1例

本文报道1例8月龄婴儿因犬巴斯德菌感染引起的化脓性脑膜炎、脑室管膜炎。患儿因"发热、呕吐5d,双眼凝视2d"入院,无明确动物接触史。入院后立即给予敏感抗生素治疗,病情仍持续进展,出现脑疝、中枢性呼吸衰竭,家属放弃继续治疗后死亡。本文着重强调儿童易感染许多成人少见的机会性致病菌,家长应尽量避免让儿童与动物密切接触。     

Sperm counts and reproductive tract lesions in male Syrian hamsters exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol

Pregnant hamsters were administered diethylstilbestrol (DES) orally on day 14 of gestation. Sperm counts from F1 adult males were lower than controls. Significant and consistent lesions were confined to the epididymides of DES exposed males, in which epididymal granulomas were the most common lesion. Epididymal granulomas of the tail have been associated with a bacterial etiology while granulomas of the head may be related to blind ductules or a lack of ductule connection.     

SDR7-6, a short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase family protein,regulates light-dependent cell death and defence responses in rice

Lesion mimic mutants resembling the hypersensitive response without pathogen attack are an ideal material to understand programmed cell death, the defence response, and the cross-talk between defence response and development in plants. In this study, mic, a lesion mimic mutant from cultivar Yunyin treated with ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS), was screened. By map-based cloning, a short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase with an atypical active site HxxxK was isolated and designated as SDR7-6. It functions as a homomultimer in rice and is localized at the endoplasmic reticulum. The lesion mimic phenotype of the mutant is light-dependent. The mutant displayed an increased resistance response to bacterial blight, but reduced resistance to rice blast disease. The mutant and knockout lines showed increased reactive oxygen species, jasmonic acid content, antioxidant enzyme activity, and expression of pathogenicity-related genes, while chlorophyll content was significantly reduced. The knockout lines showed significant reduction in grain size, seed setting rate, 1000-grain weight, grain weight per plant, panicle length, and plant height. SDR7-6 is a new lesion mimic gene that encodes a short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase with atypical catalytic site. Disruption of SDR7-6 led to cell death and had adverse effects on multiple agricultural characters. SDR7-6 may act at the interface of the two defence pathways of bacterial blight and rice blast disease in rice.     

Glycolipid receptor depletion as an approach to specific antimicrobial therapy

Mucosal pathogens recognize glycoconjugate receptors at the site of infection, and attachment is an essential first step in disease pathogenesis. Inhibition of attachment may prevent disease, and several approaches have been explored. This review discusses the prevention of bacterial attachment and disease by agents that modify the glycosylation of cell surface glycoconjugates. Glycosylation inhibitors were tested in the urinary tract infection model, where P-fimbriated Escherichia coli rely on glycosphingolipid receptors for attachment and tissue attack. N-butyldeoxynojirimycin blocked the expression of glucosylceramide-derived glycosphingolipids and attachment was reduced. Bacterial persistence in the kidneys was impaired and the inflammatory response was abrogated. N-butyldeoxynojirimycin was inactive against strains which failed to engage these receptors, including type 1 fimbriated or nonadhesive strains. In vivo attachment has been successfully prevented by soluble receptor analogues, but there is little clinical experience of such inhibitors. Large-scale synthesis of complex carbohydrates, which could be used as attachment inhibitors, remains a technical challenge. Antibodies to bacterial lectins involved in attachment may be efficient inhibitors, and fimbrial vaccines have been developed. Glycosylation inhibitors have been shown to be safe and efficient in patients with lipid storage disease and might therefore be tested in urinary tract infection. This approach differs from current therapies, including antibiotics, in that it targets the pathogens which recognize these receptors.     

Effect of sheep urine deposition on the bacterial community structure in an acidic upland grassland soil

The effect of the addition of synthetic sheep urine (SSU) and plant species on the bacterial community composition of upland acidic grasslands was studied using a microcosm approach. Low, medium, and high concentrations of SSU were applied to pots containing plant species typical of both unimproved (Agrostis capillaris) and agriculturally improved (Lolium perenne) grasslands, and harvests were carried out 10 days and 50 days after the addition of SSU. SSU application significantly increased both soil pH (P < 0.005), with pH values ranging from pH 5.4 (zero SSU) to pH 6.4 (high SSU), and microbial activity (P < 0.005), with treatment with medium and high levels of SSU displaying significantly higher microbial activity (triphenylformazan dehydrogenase activity) than treatment of soil with zero or low concentrations of SSU. Microbial biomass, however, was not significantly altered by any of the SSU applications. Plant species alone had no effect on microbial biomass or activity. Bacterial community structure was profiled using bacterial automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis. Multidimensional scaling plots indicated that applications of high concentrations of SSU significantly altered the bacterial community composition in the presence of plant species but at different times: 10 days after application of high concentrations of SSU, the bacterial community composition of L. perenne-planted soils differed significantly from those of any other soils, whereas in the case of A. capillaris-planted soils, the bacterial community composition was different 50 days after treatment with high concentrations of SSU. Canonical correspondence analysis also highlighted the importance of interactions between SSU addition, plant species, and time in the bacterial community structure. This study has shown that the response of plants and bacterial communities to sheep urine deposition in grasslands is dependent on both the grass species present and the concentration of SSU applied, which may have important ecological consequences for agricultural grasslands.     

Analysis of the plant bos1 mutant highlights necrosis as an efficient defence mechanism during D. dadantii/Arabidospis thaliana interaction

Dickeya dadantii is a broad host range phytopathogenic bacterium provoking soft rot disease on many plants including Arabidopsis. We showed that, after D. dadantii infection, the expression of the Arabidopsis BOS1 gene was specifically induced by the production of the bacterial PelB/C pectinases able to degrade pectin. This prompted us to analyze the interaction between the bos1 mutant and D. dadantii. The phenotype of the infected bos1 mutant is complex. Indeed, maceration symptoms occurred more rapidly in the bos1 mutant than in the wild type parent but at a later stage of infection, a necrosis developed around the inoculation site that provoked a halt in the progression of the maceration. This necrosis became systemic and spread throughout the whole plant, a phenotype reminiscent of that observed in some lesion mimic mutants. In accordance with the progression of maceration symptoms, bacterial population began to grow more rapidly in the bos1 mutant than in the wild type plant but, when necrosis appeared in the bos1 mutant, a reduction in bacterial population was observed. From the plant side, this complex interaction between D. dadantii and its host includes an early plant defence response that comprises reactive oxygen species (ROS) production accompanied by the reinforcement of the plant cell wall by protein cross-linking. At later timepoints, another plant defence is raised by the death of the plant cells surrounding the inoculation site. This plant cell death appears to constitute an efficient defence mechanism induced by D. dadantii during Arabidopsis infection.     

Triclosan - an update

The discovery in 1998 that triclosan has a site-specific action in the bacterial cell as an inhibitor of NADH- or NADPH-dependent enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase led to a lively debate in the scientific press. The thesis of this debate was that such a mode of action may allow triclosan to induce resistance and cross-resistance in bacterial cells. The debate last saw review in 2004, and this paper aims at updating our knowledge in this area, given recent research on the topic.