嗜冷酶及其工业应用

生物圈中超过 80 %的地方温度低于5℃ ,在生态学上低温环境的影响范围更广。生活在这些低温环境中的嗜冷菌对低温有特殊的适应性。相对于嗜温菌而言 ,嗜冷微生物在低温条件下调节其膜流动性和膜通透性的能力更强 ,含有更多的不饱和脂肪酸和短链脂肪酸 ,还可通过合成冷激蛋白来响应冷激作用。嗜冷菌也可通过基因调控和自身的抗生素作用来适应低温。近来有研究报道 ,南北极严寒地区的海洋鱼类依靠血液中的抗冻蛋白来适应低温。生物体内的大多数生化反应都是由酶催化而成的 ,所以考虑嗜冷微生物的适应机制时首先应研究嗜冷酶的适冷机制。1 .嗜…     

低温细菌与古菌的生物多样性及其冷适应机制

低温细菌与古菌广泛分布于地球的低温环境,包括南极、北极及高山地带的冻土、低温土壤和荒漠、冰川、湖泊、海冰,以及深海、冰洞和大气平流层等.栖息在这些低温环境中的细菌与古菌具有丰富的多样性,主要为α,p和γ-Proteobacteria分支、CFB类群分支和革兰氏阳性细菌分支等.由于低温环境中的微生物流动性低,因而是研究微生物地理学理想的生态系统,有助于理解地球微生物的多样性、分布规律乃至形成机制.由于长期生活在冰冻环境中,低温细菌与古菌形成了多种适应低温环境的生理机制,如它们通过细胞膜脂类的组成来调节膜的流动性以维持正常的细胞生理功能;利用相容性溶质、抗冻蛋白、冰核蛋白及抗冰核形成蛋白等实现低温保护作用;产生冷激蛋白、冷适应蛋白和DEAD-box RNA解旋酶保持低温下RNA的正确折叠、蛋白质翻译等重要的生命活动;另外还产生低温酶,提高能量产生和储存效率等以适应低温环境.随着DNA序列分析技术的飞速发展,各类组学方法也用于揭示微生物全局性的冷适应机制.     

不同细菌来源的3-酮脂酰ACP合成酶Ⅲ生物学特性分析

3-酮脂酰ACP合成酶Ⅲ(FabH)是催化细菌脂肪酸合成的起始反应.研究表明,革兰氏阳性细菌FabH对支链脂酰-CoA前体的选择性是其合成支链脂肪酸的关键.但部分革兰氏阴性细菌也产生一定量的支链脂肪酸,其合成机制还不清楚.为此,本研究选取了革兰氏阳性细菌枯草芽孢杆菌BsfabH1和BsfabH2、金黄色葡萄球菌SafabH、天蓝色链霉菌ScofabH、革兰氏阴性细菌茄科雷尔氏菌RsfabH、大肠杆菌EcfabH,以及产支链脂肪酸的水稻黄单胞菌XoofabH,共7种fabH同源基因进行生物学特性分析.异体遗传互补茄科雷尔氏菌fabH突变株RsmH,表明这7个基因编码蛋白都具有3-酮脂酰ACP合成酶Ⅲ活性.脂肪酸组成分析显示,4个革兰氏阳性菌fabH和XoofabH互补株类似,均能产生支链脂肪酸,而EcfabH和RsfabH互补株不产生支链脂肪酸,说明XooFabH不同于EcFabH,参与支链脂肪酸合成.体外酶学分析表明,XooFabH与4种革兰氏阳性菌FabH类似,对支链脂酰-CoA有较高的选择,但EcFabH和RsFabH对支链前体活性低.与革兰氏阳性细菌FabH不同,XooFabH对中短链长(C4~C10)脂酰-CoA也具有较高的活性.综合以上结果,不同细菌来源FabH的生物学特性差异明显,FabH能利用支链前体是细菌合成支链脂肪酸的关键因素.     

食品中低温微生物的适冷机制研究进展

低温贮藏是延长食品货架期、维持食品鲜度和质量安全的重要方法,然而仍有部分微生物能适应低温环境,使食品发生腐败变质。主要从细胞膜、适冷酶、冷休克蛋白、冷适应蛋白、代谢水平及低温防护剂等角度阐述国内外食品中低温微生物适冷机制的研究进展,为低温微生物在食品领域的应用与防护提供参考。     

2005-2011年血液科病房细菌分布及耐药情况

目的:探讨我院血液病房近7年临床分离细菌的分布及耐药特征,为临床合理选用抗生素提供参考依据.方法:回顾分析2005年～2011年间南京市鼓楼医院血液病房临床分离的细菌及药敏试验资料.鉴定菌种采用VITE-ATB系统并以Kirby-Bauer 纸片扩散法进行药敏试验,根据NCCLS标准判断结果.结果:7年间共送检标本5802例次,分离出细菌897株.其中革兰氏阴性菌占63.9％,革兰氏阳性菌占36.1％.革兰氏阴性菌中肠杆菌科细菌占48.8％,非发酵菌占38.8％;革兰氏阳性菌中葡萄球菌及肠球菌分别占70.9％及l9.5％.大肠埃希菌及肺炎克雷伯杆菌ESBLs的检出率分别为68.1％及27.3％;金黄色葡萄球菌及凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌中甲氧西林耐药株(MRSA和MRCNS)检出率分别为79.5％及85.3％.我科病房检出了替考拉宁中介金黄色葡萄球菌1株及万古霉素耐药人葡萄球菌.结论:血液病房病原菌分布仍以革兰氏阴性菌为主;总体细菌耐药性呈增长趋势,并出现对亚胺培南耐药的肠杆菌科、万古霉素耐药及替考拉宁不敏感的葡萄球菌属.     

低温微生物及其酶类的研究概况

广泛分布在地球寒冷生境 ,如南北两极、高山、深海以及冰川中的低温微生物 ,不但为研究低温生态系统、生命起源与进化以及生物适冷机制提供了丰富的材料 ,同时在生物工程方面也具有潜在的巨大开发价值。国内外越来越多的科研人员对低温微生物及其产物的研究表现出了浓厚的兴趣。关于细胞膜和低温酶的研究 ,是目前微生物适冷机制研究中的 2个热点。就低温微生物的研究现状和适冷机制以及低温酶类的研究进行了综述。     

北极海泥菌群的分离鉴定及生物学特性的初步研究

对从北极冰川海面下1500-4000m处的海泥样品中分离的8株冷适应细菌进行了生理特征和分子生物学研究。其中5株嗜冷菌、3株耐冷菌,利用16SrDNA通用引物对5株嗜冷菌基因组DNA进行扩增,测序得到其部分16SrDNA序列。经Blast调出与菌株16SrDNA同源的序列,按照Neighbor-Joining方法构建16SrDNA系统发育树。对8株细菌进行酶检测试验,结果表明其中有部分细菌产低温酶:N014产淀粉酶,R151产明胶酶,P371产纤维素酶。研究结果为进一步开发利用冷适应微生物产物提供参考依据。     

常温土壤中耐冷菌的分离、鉴定及产酶分析

目的:从常温土壤中筛选冷适应微生物,并进行初步鉴定和产低温酶分析。方法:采集吉首大学校园内土壤样品,通过低温富集培养筛选冷适应微生物;通过形态观察、生理生化特性检测和基于16S rRNA基因序列的系统发育分析,对分离的菌株进行初步鉴定;利用平板筛选法检测其产低温酶特性。结果:分离获得6株耐冷细菌JSBP-1～JSBP-6,初步鉴定其分属假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)、紫色杆菌属(Janthinobacterium)和节杆菌属(Arthrobacter);在5℃和15℃培养条件下,菌株JSBP-1产蛋白酶能力较强,JSBP-2和JSBP-6产淀粉酶能力较强,JSBP-5仅在5℃条件下有较强的产脂肪酶特性。结论:常温土壤中存在一定数量的冷适应微生物,其中假单胞菌是其优势菌群之一。这类适冷微生物菌群具有潜在的生产低温酶能力。     

塔河天然胡杨林地可培养细菌的生态分布研究

目的：研究塔里木河天然胡杨林部分地区可培养细菌的生态分布。方法：通过塔里木河胡杨林采样,可培养菌分离及16S rDNA序列鉴定。结果：从3种不同样品（水样、土样和胡杨树杆分泌物）中分离筛选了22株细菌,其中17株菌为革兰氏阳性菌,5株为革兰氏阴性菌。根据生理生化特征与16S rDNA序列分析结果表明,其中15株菌属于芽孢杆菌属,4株属于不动杆菌属、假单胞菌属、动性球菌属和Agrococcus属各含有1个分离株。结论：塔里木河胡杨林可培养微生物中芽孢杆菌比较丰富,其中有3个可能的新种。     

300例肿瘤患者痰培养及药敏结果的分析

本文通过对３００例肿瘤患者痰培养及药敏的实验结果进行分析,说明在肿瘤患者中呼吸道感染不仅见于革兰氏阳性菌,而且还常见于革兰氏阴性菌及真菌。其中革兰氏阳性菌主要是金黄色葡萄球菌（３８株）,肠球菌（３７株）,化脓性链球菌（９株）,革兰氏阴性菌主要是肺炎克雷伯氏菌（３９株）,铜绿假单胞菌（２７株）等,从药敏实验结果观察到革兰氏阳性菌对万古霉素较敏感,而对其它抗生素均有不同程度的耐药性,革兰氏阴性菌对另四代头孢菌素,头孢哌酮,头孢噻腭及对氧哌嗪青霉素的耐药率低于２０％。     

Fatty acid profiling: its usefulness in the evaluation of microbial associations with the green microalga Apatococcus constipatus

To determine differences in microbial community structures, fatty acids from two strains of the green microalga Apatococcus constipatus were isolated and identified by instrumental means. The main fatty acids found were 16:0 and 14:0. These predominant acids represented more than 53% of the total fatty acid (content in both algal isolates. In addition, saturated fatty acids were present in much greater quantity than unsaturated ones. Differences between the strains in the composition of other, modified fatty acids were also evident. The occurrence of fatty acid biomarkers characteristic of certain taxonomic groups confirmed the presence of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi. Those observed variations were undoubtedly due to distinct community structures of symbiotic microorganisms living in close associations with the alga. The results presented here indicate that different isolates of the same alga might exhibit different microbial community structures.     

Functional replacement of the FabA and FabB proteins of Escherichia coli fatty acid synthesis by Enterococcus faecalis FabZ and FabF homologues

The anaerobic unsaturated fatty acid synthetic pathway of Escherichia coli requires two specialized proteins, FabA and FabB. However, the fabA and fabB genes are found only in the Gram-negative alpha- and gamma-proteobacteria, and thus other anaerobic bacteria must synthesize these acids using different enzymes. We report that the Gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus faecalis encodes a protein, annotated as FabZ1, that functionally replaces the E. coli FabA protein, although the sequence of this protein aligns much more closely with E. coli FabZ, a protein that plays no specific role in unsaturated fatty acid synthesis. Therefore E. faecalis FabZ1 is a bifunctional dehydratase/isomerase, an enzyme activity heretofore confined to a group of Gram-negative bacteria. The FabZ2 protein is unable to replace the function of E. coli FabZ, although FabZ2, a second E. faecalis FabZ homologue, has this ability. Moreover, an E. faecalis FabF homologue (FabF1) was found to replace the function of E. coli FabB, whereas a second FabF homologue was inactive. From these data it is clear that bacterial fatty acid biosynthetic pathways cannot be deduced solely by sequence comparisons.     

Effect of unsaturated fatty acids in growth inhibition of some penicillin-resistant and sensitive bacteria

The growth of two penicillin-resistant Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus licheniformis (749/C, penicillin G-resistant) and Staphylococcus aureus (metR 18, methicillin-resistant) and one Gram-negative strain, Escherichia coli (cloxacillin-resistant) as well as that of their wild counterparts was inhibited by the long-chain unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acid. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of all the fatty acids were found to be 4-6 micrograms/ml for Staph. aureus (metR 18 & wild), 8-30 micrograms/ml for B. licheniformis (749/C & wild) and 70-90 micrograms/ml for E. coli (cloxacillin-resistant & wild). The inhibitory activity increased as the number of double bonds in the fatty acids increased. In most instances the concentrations of fatty acids required to inhibit the growth of the penicillin-resistant strains were lower than that required for their sensitive counterparts. This inhibition of growth in the presence of fatty acids may be due to an increase in permeability of the membrane as evidenced by the measurement of the leakage of 260 nm absorbing material and fluidity.     

Membrane lipid fluidity and its effect on the activation energy of membrane-associated enzymes.

1. The fatty acid composition of mitochondrial membranes from sheep and rats was altered by feeding these animals diets which were rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Changes in membrane lipid fluidity resulting from the altered membrane lipid composition were assessed by determining the upper temperature limit of the disorder-order transition (Tf) and the Arrhenius activation energy (Ea) of succinate oxidase. 2. After feeding the unsaturated fatty acid-rich diet to sheep the Ea, in the temperature range above Tf, increased from 8 to 63 kJ . mol-1 while Tf decreased from 32 to 15 degrees C. Rats fed an unsaturated fatty acid-rich diet exhibited an increase in Ea from 17 to 63 kJ . mol-1 and a decrease in Tf from 23 to 4 degrees C. 3. This decrease in Tf was related to an increase in the ratio of linoleic acid to stearic acid in the membrane lipid. Tf was not related to the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the membrane lipids, although an increase in unsaturation usually led to a decrease in Tf. 4. The results show that membrane lipid fluidity has a direct influence on the conformation of the active site of some membrane-associated enzymes, with the result that such enzymes display a higher Ea when the membrane lipids are comparatively more fluid. The increase in Ea of membrane-associated enzymes which accompanies changes in the physical state of membrane suggests that some proteins may phase separate with the more fluid lipids at low temperatures.     

Effect of unsaturated fatty acids in growth inhibition of some penicillin-resistant and sensitive bacteria

The growth of two penicillin-resistant Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus licheniformis (749/C, penicillin G-resistant) and Staphylococcus aureus (metR 18, methicillin-resistant) and one Gram-negative strain, Escherichia coli (cloxacillin-resistant) as well as that of their wild counterparts was inhibited by the long-chain unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic, linolenic and arachidonic acid. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of all the fatty acids were found to be 4–6 μg/ml for Staph. aureus (metR 18 & wild), 8–30 μg/ml for B. licheniformis (749/C & wild) and 70–90 μg/ml for E. coli (cloxacillin-resistant & wild). The inhibitory activity increased as the number of double bonds in the fatty acids increased. In most instances the concentrations of fatty acids required to inhibit the growth of the penicillin-resistant strains were lower than that required for their sensitive counterparts. This inhibition of growth in the presence of fatty acids may be due to an increase in permeability of the membrane as evidenced by the measurement of the leakage of 260 nm absorbing material and fluidity.     

龙眼叶片膜脂脂肪酸组分与龙眼耐寒性的关系

龙眼叶片膜脂不饱和脂肪酸含量和脂肪酸不饱和度与龙眼不同品种的耐寒性呈正相关;在年周期中,不饱和脂肪酸含量的变化与龙眼耐寒性的变化呈现平行关系;龙眼叶片膜脂脂肪酸组分含量反映着龙眼品种间耐寒性遗传上的差异,可作为耐寒性的鉴定指标。     

Stimulation of chloride transport by fatty acids in corneal epithelium and relation to changes in membrane fluidity.

The effect of altering cell membrane lipids on ion transport across isolated corneas was studied. Corneas mounted in Ussing-type chambers showed a rapid increase in short-circuit current following treatment with a variety of unsaturated fatty acids of varying chain length and unsaturation. Measurements of membrane fluidity which utilize immunofluorescence labelling of membrane proteins showed corneal epithelial cell membranes to be significantly more fluid following linoleic acid treatment. Uptake studies indicate rapid incorporation of [14C]linoleic acid into corneal cell membranes. Highly unsaturated fatty acids were found to have the greatest ability to stimulate chloride transport. Saturated fatty acids were tested and were found to have no effect on chloride transport at any concentration. It is proposed that unsaturated fatty acids activate chloride transport by increasing membrane lipid fluidity. The relationship of these parameters is discussed in terms of a mobile receptor model. We speculate that an increase in membrane lipid fluidity promotes lateral diffusion of membrane receptor proteins and enzymes, increasing protein-protein interactions within the membrane, ultimately resulting in the enhancement of cyclic AMP synthesis.     

Adaptation of fatty acid composition to temperature—a study on carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) liver slices

1. Liver slices obtained from warm-, and cold-adapted carp were incubated in the presence of [1-¹⁴C]sodium acetate, -stearate, -linoleate, and -linolenate at various temperatures and the distribution of radioactivity among different phospholipid fatty acids was determined.2. Relative labelling of saturated fatty acids is reduced, while that of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially of docosahexanoate, is increased with decreasing temperatures.3. Liver slices of cold adapted carp produced a fatty acid population at 25°C indistinguishable from that produced by warm adapted ones at the same temperature.4. Liver slices obtained from cold-, and warm-adapted animals start to reorganise the pattern of labelling immediately after the exposure to the opposite temperatures as evident from pulse-chase labelling experiments.5. Desaturation of saturated and various unsaturated fatty acids is initiated immediately after down-shift of the temperature. This cold induced increase in desaturase activity is prevented by cycloheximide in the incubation medium.6. It is concluded that phospholipid fatty acid composition is continuously adjusted to the temperature and is governed partly by temperature coefficient of fatty acid synthetase and partly by induction or deactivation of desaturases in cold and warm, respectively.     

Organic solvent adaptation of Gram positive bacteria: applications and biotechnological potentials

Organic-solvent-tolerant bacteria are considered extremophiles with different tolerance levels that change among species and strains, but also depend on the inherent toxicity of the solvent. Extensive studies to understand the mechanisms of organic solvent tolerance have been done in Gram-negative bacteria. On the contrary, the information on the solvent tolerance mechanisms in Gram-positive bacteria remains scarce. Possible shared mechanisms among Gram-(−) and Gram-(+) microorganisms include: energy-dependent active efflux pumps that export toxic organic solvents to the external medium; cis-to-trans isomerization of unsaturated membrane fatty acids and modifications in the membrane phospholipid headgroups; formation of vesicles loaded with toxic compounds; and changes in the biosynthesis rate of phospholipids to accelerate repair processes. However, additional physiological responses of Gram-(+) bacteria to organic solvents seem to be specific. The aim of the present work is to review the state of the art of responsible mechanisms for organic solvent tolerance in Gram-positive bacteria, and their industrial and environmental biotechnology potential.