Extracellular Production of a Serratia marcescens Serine Protease in Escherichia coli

The Serratia marcescens serine protease (SSP) is one of the extracellular enzymes secreted from this Gram-negative bacterium. When the ssp gene, which encodes a SSP precursor (preproSSP) composed of a typical NH₂-terminal signal peptide, a mature enzyme domain, and a large COOH-terminal pro-region, is expressed in Escherichia coli, the mature protease is excreted through the outer membrane into the medium. The COOH-terminal pro-region, which is integrated into the outer membrane, provides the essential function for the export of the mature protein across the outer membrane. This is a very simple pathway, in contrast to the general secretory pathway exemplified by the secretion of a pullulanase from Klebsiella oxytoca, in which many separately encoded accessory proteins are required for the transport through the outer membrane. Moreover, the NH₂-terminal region of 71 amino acid residues of the COOH-terminal pro-sequence plays an essential role, as an “intramolecular chaperone,” in the folding of the mature enzyme in the medium. In addition to ssp, the S. marcescens strain contains two ssp homologues encoding proteins similar to SSP in amino acid sequence and size, but with no protease activity. Characterization of the homologue proteins and chimeric proteins between the homologues and SSP, all of which are produced in E. coli, has shown that they are membrane proteins that are localized in the outer membrane in the same manner as for SSP. By use of the COOH-terminal domain of SSP, pseudoazurin was exported to the cell surface of E. coli, which proves the usefulness of the SSP secretory system in the export of foreign proteins across the outer membrane.     

A major outer membrane protein of Serratia marcescens which was easily solubilized and had a capacity to bind to calcium

Easily solubilized major outer membrane protein was found in Serratia marcescens. The protein was originally obtained as a membrane-associated, insoluble protein in the outer membrane when the cells were slightly disrupted. However, the amount of this protein in the outer membrane gradually decreased with the time of sonication. The decrease was not due to decomposition of the protein but to solubilization into a soluble fraction after a long period of disruption. The molecular weight of this protein was 47 kDa and it bound calcium. Another 40 kDa calcium binding protein was also found in the outer membrane of S. marcescens.     

铜绿假单胞菌Ⅵ型分泌系统的研究进展

铜绿假单胞菌是一种能引起多部位急、慢性感染且难以用抗生素控制的机会致病菌,近年来已成为院内感染的主要致病菌之一。大量研究表明,细菌将毒力因子精准输送至宿主细胞是其致病的关键,分泌系统在这一过程中扮演重要作用,其中近期发现的Ⅵ型分泌系统(type Ⅵ secretion system,T6SS)在铜绿假单胞菌与宿主间的相互作用和促进生物膜的形成等机制中发挥重要作用,已引起国内外学者高度关注。着重对铜绿假单胞菌T6SS的结构组成、效应功能和调节机制等相关研究进行简要综述,旨在为铜绿假单胞菌感染患者的治疗提供新策略。     

Formation of Fine Oil-in-Water Emulsions by the Gel Emulsification Method with Saccharide and Protein

An emulsification method using a gel-like phase of a saccharide and protein mixture has been developed. In the method, which is called a gel emulsification method, an oil is added to the highly concentrated saccharide solution containing protein to form a clear gel-like phase, which followed by dilution with water to form a fine oil-in-water emulsion. This emulsion was investigated as to its emulsifying activity and emulsion stability as compared with that obtained by high-shear equipment, which was called a homomixer method. The emulsifying activity of the emulsions prepared by the gel emulsification method was much higher than that of the emulsions prepared by the homomixer method.

The emulsions prepared by both methods were highly stable in terms of the stability against coalescence. On the other hand, the stability against creaming of the emulsions prepared by the gel emulsification method was much higher than that of the emulsions prepared by the homomixer method.

The surface hydrophobicity of the protein and the unfreezable water content in the highly concentrated saccharide solution containing protein were not correlated to the emulsifying properties of the emulsions prepared by the gel emulsification method, which appeared to be dependent on the viscosity of the highly concentrated saccharide solution containing protein.     

柑橘黄龙病罹病植株显症差异组织内生细菌群落结构分析

【目的】分离鉴定同株罹病柑橘黄龙病植株不同显症状况组织的内生细菌,寻找与黄龙病菌[‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’(Ca.Las)]相互作用的优势菌株。【方法】利用基于16S rDNA的PCRDGGE(Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis)分析同一柑橘黄龙病罹病植株的显症和未显症组织内生细菌多样性,并用定量PCR方法,对果、枝、叶3种组织黄龙病菌、优势菌株及细菌总数进行检测。【结果】结果显示显症和无症组织所带黄龙病菌差异很大,显症部位病菌量明显高于无症部位。分析显症和无症组织内生细菌DGGE图谱显示,同一组织内生菌群结构基本相同;对图谱中17条明显条带回收克隆测序,发现其中8个条带均属于沙雷氏菌属(Serratia),占总条带数的47.06%。序列分析显示这8条序列为粘质沙雷氏菌(Serratia marcescens)不同的菌株(序列相似性为99.63%)。定量分析各差异显症部位单位组织内的粘质沙雷氏菌和细菌总数,发现相同部位的总细菌量差异不显著,但粘质沙雷氏菌与黄龙病菌的量呈负相关。【结论】柑橘黄龙病病株中,各部位所带病菌量不均匀,是否显症与组织内柑橘黄龙病菌的量呈正相关,内生菌群总量与显症无相关性,但粘质沙雷氏菌与黄龙病菌的量呈负相关。粘质沙雷氏菌与黄龙病菌在韧皮部细胞内增殖过程中的相互作用值得深入研究。     

细菌脂肪酶分泌的研究进展

细菌脂肪酶是一类重要的工业用酶,其分泌系统有着严谨的机制。革兰阳性细菌利用Sec-转运系统使脂肪酶跨过质膜完成分泌;革兰氏阴性细菌的外泌蛋白通过Sec-转运系统、Tat-转运系统或其他机制跨越内膜后,还必须利用Ⅰ型、Ⅱ型、Ⅲ型、Ⅳ型与Ⅴ型分泌系统来完成跨外膜分泌。详细介绍细菌脂肪酶分泌主要依赖的Sec-或Tat-跨内膜的转运系统及革兰氏阴性细菌的Ⅰ型、Ⅱ型与Ⅴ型自分泌系统的3种不同分泌方式。细菌脂肪酶分泌的研究对人们认识其分泌机制,并利用基因工程的手段提高其外泌产量等具有重要的指导意义。     

利用Red重组系统敲除鼠伤寒沙门氏菌VI型分泌系统相关基因

【背景】沙门氏菌是一种重要的人畜共患病原菌,可引起广泛的胃肠炎以及伤寒、副伤寒,其致病机制一直未被阐明。基因敲除技术在研究沙门氏菌致病性方面发挥了重要作用,然而目前的敲除技术仍存在费时、成功率低的问题。研究发现鼠伤寒沙门氏菌含有VI型分泌系统,其组成成分之一溶血素共调节蛋白(Hemolysin-coregulated protein,Hcp)可能在其致病过程中发挥了重要作用。【目的】拟通过对3个编码Hcp蛋白的基因进行敲除,在鼠伤寒沙门氏菌中建立一套方便快捷的重组系统,从而用于沙门氏菌致病性的研究。【方法】以pKD4为模板,扩增两端带有目的基因同源序列的卡那霉素抗性基因片段,将片段导入含重组酶系统的目的菌,重组后再导入质粒pCP20消除抗性基因片段,达到无痕敲除的效果。【结果】对3个单独的hcp基因及其组合进行了敲除,得到了所需的基因缺失株,并总结出了一些实验过程中可能遇到的问题的解决方案。【结论】Red重组系统可用于鼠伤寒沙门菌的基因敲除,通过优化同源片段的长度、PCR模板浓度、L-阿拉伯糖加入时间、实验过程中的温度等实验条件,提高Red重组系统在沙门氏菌中的重组效率。此方法简单、快速,重组效率高,值得推广。     

Comparative studies of chitinases A,B and C from Serratia marcescens

Serratia marcescens produces three chitinases, ChiA, ChiB and ChiC which together enable the bacterium to efficiently degrade the insoluble chitin polymer. We present an overview of the structural properties of these enzymes, as well as an analysis of their activities towards artificial chromogenic chito-oligosaccharide-based substrates, chito-oligosaccharides, chitin and chitosan. We also present comparative inhibition data for the pseudotrisaccharide allosamidin (an analogue of the reaction intermediate) and the cyclic pentapeptide argadin. The results show that the enzymes differ in terms of their subsite architecture and their efficiency towards chitinous substrates. The idea that the three chitinases play different roles during chitin degradation was confirmed by the synergistic effects that were observed for certain combinations of the enzymes. Studies of the degradation of the soluble heteropolymer chitosan provided insight into processivity. Taken together, the available data for Serratia chitinases show that the chitinolytic machinery of this bacterium consists of two processive exo-enzymes that degrade the chitin chains in opposite directions (ChiA and ChiB) and a non-processive endo-enzyme, ChiC.     

鲍曼不动杆菌VI型分泌系统溶血素-联合调节蛋白研究进展

鲍曼不动杆菌是一种革兰氏阴性的非发酵致病菌,在医院环境中广泛存在,并且已经成为医院获得性感染的重要病原体之一。近年来,由于抗菌药物的广泛应用,导致多重耐药鲍曼不动杆菌引起的感染和暴发流行,给临床治疗带来了极大的挑战。有研究表明,细菌Ⅵ型分泌系统与细菌的致病性相关。本文综述了鲍曼不动杆菌Ⅵ型分泌系统及主要功能蛋白(溶血素-联合调节蛋白)的研究进展,以期为进一步研究鲍曼不动杆菌的致病机制提供基础。     

Comparative studies of chitinases A, B and C from Serratia marcescens

Serratia marcescens produces three chitinases, ChiA, ChiB and ChiC which together enable the bacterium to efficiently degrade the insoluble chitin polymer. We present an overview of the structural properties of these enzymes, as well as an analysis of their activities towards artificial chromogenic chito-oligosaccharide-based substrates, chito-oligosaccharides, chitin and chitosan. We also present comparative inhibition data for the pseudotrisaccharide allosamidin (an analogue of the reaction intermediate) and the cyclic pentapeptide argadin. The results show that the enzymes differ in terms of their subsite architecture and their efficiency towards chitinous substrates. The idea that the three chitinases play different roles during chitin degradation was confirmed by the synergistic effects that were observed for certain combinations of the enzymes. Studies of the degradation of the soluble heteropolymer chitosan provided insight into processivity. Taken together, the available data for Serratia chitinases show that the chitinolytic machinery of this bacterium consists of two processive exo-enzymes that degrade the chitin chains in opposite directions (ChiA and ChiB) and a non-processive endo-enzyme, ChiC.     

Structure of an acidic microcapsular glycan from the reference strain (C.D.C. 866-57) for Serratia marcescens serogroup 01

The structure of the acidic polysaccharide from Serratia marcescens serogroup O1 has been investigated. NMR spectroscopy together with sugar and methylation analysis have been used as well as a uronic acid degradation. The polysaccharide consists of pentasaccharide repeating units having the following structure.

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The polysaccharide also contains one equivalent of O-acetyl groups per repeating unit present on, inter alia, a hydroxymethyl group.     

Rhizobial secreted proteins as determinants of host specificity in the rhizobium–legume symbiosis

Rhizobia are Gram-negative bacteria than can elicit the formation of specialized organs, called root nodules, on leguminous host plants. Upon infection of the nodules, they differentiate into nitrogen-fixing bacteroids. An elaborate signal exchange precedes the symbiotic interaction. In general, both rhizobia and host plants exhibit narrow specificity. Rhizobial factors contributing to this specificity include Nod factors and surface polysaccharides. It is becoming increasingly clear that protein secretion is important in determining the outcome of the interaction as well. This paper discusses our current understanding of the symbiotic role played by rhizobial secreted proteins, transported both by secretion systems that are of general use, such as the type I secretion system, and by specialized, host-targeting secretion systems, such as the type III, type IV and type VI secretion systems.     

The effect of nuclease on transformation efficiency in Serratia marcescens

No differences in the efficiency of transformation were observed from both plasmid and chromosomal DNA in Serratia marcescens 2170 and an extracellular nuclease defective isogenic strain. The efficiency of transformation was the same for Escherichia coli 5K and E. coli containing a recombinant plasmid conferring the ability to synthesize a S. marcescens nuclease. From these results we conclude that the extracellular nuclease of S. marcescens 2170 is not the main cause of the low efficiency of transformation observed in this bacterium.     

Extracellular haemolytic activity of Serratia marcescens

Blood agar medium with dialysis membrane mounted between two layers of agar was applied to study the haemolytic activity of 28 strains of Serratia marcescens. Two kinds of lytic substances differing with their ability to pass through dialysis membrane were found. Haemolytic activity was not detected in cell-free filtrates from liquid cultures. The discrepancies between haemolytic activity in blood agar media and activity of liquid cultures were observed. Stable attachment of bacterial cells to the erythrocytes was not necessary to lysis. The possibility of extracellular haemolysin is discussed.