牛支原体LRR5蛋白原核表达及其在牛支原体入侵宿主细胞过程中的作用分析

致病性支原体具有入侵宿主细胞的能力,这是其发挥致病作用的关键。介导支原体入侵宿主细胞的自身功能蛋白可能是一种潜在的药物或疫苗靶标。【目的】克隆表达牛支原体(Mycoplasmabovis) MBOVPG45_0564基因编码蛋白(命名为LRR5蛋白),并探究其在M. bovis入侵宿主细胞过程中的作用。【方法】利用NCBI数据库对MBOVPG45_0564基因进行同源性分析,用Discovery Studio Client系统对LRR5蛋白进行蛋白结构预测;原核表达LRR5蛋白并制备其小鼠多克隆抗体,利用免疫电镜对LRR5蛋白进行亚细胞定位;通过平板计数、激光共聚焦显微镜观察LRR5抗体封闭后M. bovis对胎牛肺(embryonic bovine lung, EBL)细胞入侵率的变化;将LRR5蛋白偶联至荧光微球表面后,以激光共聚焦显微镜及高内涵活细胞成像系统观察微球进入EBL细胞情况。【结果】MBOVPG45_0564基因在牛支原体属中为保守基因,其编码蛋白LRR5为膜相关蛋白,空间构象呈典型的月牙状,多个重复的亮氨酸基序以超螺旋方式组装并形成螺线管蛋白质结构单元。LRR5抗体封闭后,M. bovis对EBL细胞的入侵率显著降低(P<0.05),荧光微球偶联LRR5蛋白后,荧光微球可成功进入EBL细胞。【结论】MBOVPG45_0564基因编码的LRR5蛋白定位在M. bovis膜上,在M. bovis入侵宿主细胞过程中发挥着重要作用。     

苏云金芽胞杆菌杀线虫伴胞晶体蛋白基因cry6Aa的克隆与表达

通过对晶体蛋白N-末端氨基酸测序,设计简并探针,从对根结线虫高毒力苏云金芽胞杆菌YBT-1518菌株中克隆到1个含有杀线虫晶体蛋白基因的片段。序列测定表明该序列含有两个ORF(orf1和orf2),其中orf1与基因cry6Aa1同源性为98%,已在GenBank上登录(Acc.NO.AF499736),并被命名为cry6Aa2。将克隆的该片段克隆到穿梭载体pHT304上,并转化苏云金芽胞杆菌无晶体突变株BMB171,重组菌株可形成米粒状伴胞晶体。生物测定表明,表达的毒素蛋白对北方根结线虫的LC₅₀为9.47μg/mL,毒力与出发菌株(10.74μg/mL)相当。     

Defects in the nutrient-dependent methylation of a membrane-associated protein in spo mutants of Bacillus subtilis

Summary Methylation of a membrane-associated protein with an apparent molecular mass of 40000 daltons has been observed in Bacillus subtilis. The methylation was nutrient dependent and occurred with a doubling time of 4 ± 1 min. In wild-type strains, the half-life of turnover of the methyl group(s) was 17 ± 6 min. Several isogenic strains of B. subtilis containing spo0 mutations (spo0A and spo0H) were found to be normal in glutamate-dependent methylation of the protein and turnover of the methyl group(s). In strains containing spo0B and spo0E mutations, the methyl group(s) were incorporated in response to glutamate addition but turnover was not at a normal rate. The half-life of methyl group turnover was extended to 45 ± 3 min in these strains. In a spo0K mutant and in spoILI and spoIIF mutants, the protein was not significantly methylated. The methylation of a 40000 dalton protein was also found to be dependent on phosphate. This methylation was observed in wild-type and spo0A and spo0H strains with a doubling time of 4 ± 1 min and a half-life of turnover of the methyl group(s) of 11 + 3 min. In strains containing spo0B, spo0E, and spo0F mutations, the phosphate-dependent incorporation of the methyl group(s) was normal (5 ± 1 min) but the turnover half-life was extended to 46 ± 8 min. It is not known whether the nitrogen-dependent and phosphate-dependent systems methylated the same protein. The spo0 mutants are defective in the initial stages of sporulation, and it has been proposed that the spo0 gene products may play a role in nutrient sensing. The discovery of defects in the methylation of the 40 kDa protein in some of these spo0 mutants supports the proposal that the protein methylation may be part of a nutrient sensing system for the control of growth and sporulation in Bacillus species.     

Elimination of EVE protein by CALI in the short germ band insect Tribolium suggests a conserved pair-rule function for even skipped

The question of the degree of evolutionary conservation of the pair-rule patterning mechanism known from Drosophila is still contentious. We have employed chromophore-assisted laser inactivation (CALI) to inactivate the function of the pair-rule gene even skipped (eve) in the short germ embryo of the flour beetle Tribolium. We show that it is possible to generate pair-rule type phenocopies with defects in alternating segments. Interestingly, we find the defects in odd numbered segments and not in even numbered ones as in Drosophila. However, this apparent discrepancy can be explained if one takes into account that the primary action of eve is at the level of parasegments and that different cuticular markers are used for defining the segment borders in the two species. In this light, we find that eve appears to be required for the formation of the anterior borders of the same odd numbered parasegments in both species. We conclude that the primary function of eve as a pair rule gene is conserved between the two species.     

Effects of MULTIFOLIATE-PINNA, AFILA, TENDRIL-LESS and UNIFOLIATA genes on leafblade architecture in Pisum sativum

In order to dissect the genetic regulation of leafblade morphogenesis, 16 genotypes of pea, constructed by combining the wild-type and mutant alleles of MFP, AF, TL and UNI genes, were quantitatively phenotyped. The morphological features of the three domains of leafblades of four genotypes, unknown earlier, were described. All the genotypes were found to differ in leafblade morphology. It was evident that MFP and TL functions acted as repressor of pinna ramification, in the distal domain. These functions, with and without interaction with UNI, also repressed the ramification of proximal pinnae in the absence of AF function. The expression of MFP and TL required UNI function. AF function was found to control leafblade architecture multifariously. The earlier identified role of AF as a repressor of UNI in the proximal domain was confirmed. Negative control of AF on the UNI-dependent pinna ramification in the distal domain was revealed. It was found that AF establishes a boundary between proximal and distal domains and activates formation of leaflet pinnae in the proximal domain.     

Overexpression of the yeast MCK1 protein kinase suppresses conditional mutations in centromere-binding protein genes CBF2 and CBF5

We find that overexpression in yeast of the yeast MCK1 gene, which encodes a meiosis and centromere regulatory kinase, suppresses the temperature-sensitive phenotype of certain mutations in essential centromere binding protein genes CBF2 and CBF5. Since Mck1p is a known serine/threonine protein kinase, this suppression is postulated to be due to Mck1p-catalyzed in vivo phosphorylation of centromere binding proteins. Evidence in support of this model was provided by the finding that purified Mck1p phosphorylates in vitro the 110 kDa subunit (Cbf2p) of the multimeric centromere binding factor CBF3. This phosphorylation occurs on both serine and threonine residues in Cbf2p.     

The phylogenetic placement of the Leucogastrales, including Mycolevis siccigleba (Cribbeaceae), in the Albatrellaceae using morphological and molecular data

The morphology of many hypogeous fungi converges on a homogeneous reduced form, suggesting that disparate lineages are subject to a uniform selection pressure. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the morphology and infer the phylogeny of the Leucogastrales with Mycolevis siccigleba using a Bayesian methodology. A comprehensive morphological assessment was used for an a priori phylogenetic inference to guide the sequencing effort. All structures except spore ornamentation pointed to the Albatrellaceae as the most likely sister taxon. Polyporoletus sublividus, a close relative of Albatrellus, produces ornamented basidiospores with a similar structure to M. siccigleba basidiospores. The ITS from 30 taxa was used for the molecular phylogenetic analysis. P. sublividus was found sister to Mycolevis. Leucophleps spinispora and L. magnata formed a group sister to the Polyporoletus/Mycolevis group, whereas Leucogaster was polyphyletic with respect to the core of the Leucogastrales and sister to A. caeruleoporus. This relationship was expected as previously undescribed chlamydospores produced by members of Albatrellus had a similar morphology to the basidiospores of L. rubescens.     

Nomenclatural changes resulting from the transfer of tropical African Sarcostemma to Cynanchum ( Apocynaceae : Asclepiadoideae )

Summary  Four species of tropical African Sarcostemma are transferred to Cynanchum together with two subspecies of S. viminale. In addition, Sarcostemma mulanjense is reduced to subspecific rank under C. viminale.     

转Cry1Ac/1Ab基因棉花对异色瓢虫生长发育及其捕食功能的影响

【目的】为探究转Cry1Ac/1Ab基因棉花对异色瓢虫生长发育及其捕食功能的影响。【方法】以转Cry1Ac/1Ab基因棉与其亲本常规棉为实验材料,利用取食不同棉花品种叶片的棉铃虫饲喂异色瓢虫幼虫。【结果】与常规亲本棉相比,取食饲喂转基因棉花叶片的初孵棉铃虫幼虫的异色瓢虫幼虫从1龄发育至化蛹期时间延长0.77 d,但差异不显著;除1龄幼虫体重增加(0.0773 mg)外,其余各龄期幼虫体重均有所下降,但差异均不显著;异色瓢虫1、2、3、4龄幼虫对初孵棉铃虫捕食量均随棉铃虫密度的增加而增加,捕食功能反应均符合HollingⅡ圆盘方程。【结论】转Cry1Ac/1Ab基因棉花对异色瓢虫生长发育无显著影响,饲喂取食转Cry1Ac/1Ab基因棉花的棉铃虫对异色瓢虫捕食功能无显著差异。     

Presence of Rhizobium Etli bv . Phaseoli and Rhizobium Gallicum bv . Gallicum in Egyptian Soils

Seven bean rhizobial strains EBRI 2, 3, 21, 24, 26, 27 and 29 identified as Rhizobium etli, and EBRI 32 identified as Rhizobium gallicum, isolated from Egyptian soils and which nodulated Phaseolus vulgaris efficiently, were subjected to hybridization with a nifH probe in order to estimate the copy number of this gene. Seven strains (EBRI 2, 3, 21, 24, 26, 27 and 29) which were only able to nodulate Phaseolus vulgaris, contained three copies of the nifH gene, consistent with their identification as Rhizobium etli bv. phaseoli. Only one strain (EBRI 32) which nodulated both Phaseolus vulgaris and Leucaena leucocephala, had one copy of nifH gene. This confirmed the classification of this strain as Rhizobium gallicum bv. gallicum.     

PHO85, a negative regulator of the PHO system, is a homolog of the protein kinase gene, CDC28, of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary The product of the PHO85 gene, which encodes one of the negative regulatory factors of the PHO system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, shows significant amino acid sequence homology with the CDC28 protein kinase. However, overexpressing PHO85 did not suppress the temperature sensitive phenotype of the cdc28-1 mutation. The nucleotide sequence of the PHO85 gene strongly suggests the presence of an intron near the sequence encoding the N-terminal region.     

马齿苋内生菌橘青霉和波兰青霉中抗青枯菌的活性物质

为了挖掘农作物病害生物防治新资源,以药用植物马齿苋(Portulaca oleracea)为材料,通过培养基种植法分离和纯化其根、茎、叶中的内生菌,以青枯菌(Ralstonia solanacearum)的抑菌试验评价其活性,采用菌落形态观察和ITS序列分析鉴定菌种。结果表明,从马齿苋筛选出2种具有抑制青枯菌的内生菌橘青霉(Penicillium citrinum)和波兰青霉(P. polonicum),采用液相与四极杆飞行时间串联质谱(UPLC-QTOF-MS)鉴定2种内生菌的主要活性物质为橘霉素,其对青枯菌的抑制效果比链霉素更好。因此,这为植物青枯病的生物防治提供科学依据。     

特异腐质霉角质酶-OMP25融合蛋白在大肠杆菌中的高效表达

【目的】通过探究特异腐质霉角质酶-OMP25融合蛋白(HiC-OMP25)在不同大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)菌株中的表达情况、底物降解情况、热稳定性及宿主菌细胞膜通透性与细胞表面疏水性,揭示表达HiC-OMP25时不同宿主菌的差异性,并进一步提高HiC-OMP25在大肠杆菌中的表达量。【方法】分别在E.coli BL21(DE3)及E.coli C43(DE3)中表达HiC-OMP25,并测定其对对硝基苯丁酸酯(4-nitrophenol butyrate,pNPB)、聚丙烯酸乙酯(polyethyl acrylate,PEA)的降解效果、50℃稳定性;测定表达HiC-OMP25时宿主菌的细胞膜通透性及细胞表面疏水性变化;共表达伴侣蛋白提高HiC-OMP25在E.coli C43(DE3)中的表达量。【结果】HiC-OMP25在E.coli BL21(DE3)与E.coli C43(DE3)中均成功表达并降解pNPB,但前者对PEA的降解效果及50 ℃稳定性均低于后者。同时,表达HiC-OMP25显著增强了E.coli BL21(DE3)的细胞膜通透性及细胞表面疏水性。HiC-OMP25与巯基氧化酶(Erv1p)、二硫键异构酶(DsbC)在E.coli C43(DE3)中共表达时,其表达量为原始菌株的2.14倍,且对pNPB及PEA均有良好的降解效果。【结论】异源表达时,HiC-OMP25在E.coli C43(DE3)中正确折叠,而在E.coli BL21(DE3)中未完全正确折叠;通过共表达伴侣蛋白提高了HiC-OMP25在E.coli C43(DE3)中的表达量,为以后HiC-OMP25的工业化生产及应用奠定了基础。     

Conservation of xcp genes, involved in the two-step protein secretion process, in different Pseudomonas species and other gram-negative bacteria

Summary The two-step protein secretion pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is dependent on the xcp genes. We investigated whether a similar secretion mechanism is present in non-pathogenic Pseudomonas spp. and in other gram-negative bacteria. The plant growth stimulating Pseudomonas strains P. putida WCS358, P. fuorescens WCS374 and Pseudomonas 1310 appeared to secrete proteins into the extracellular medium. Southern hybridization experiments showed the presence of xcp genes in these strains and also in other gram-negative bacteria, including Xanthomonas campestris. Complementation experiments showed that the xcp gene cluster of P. aeruginosa restored protein secretion in an X. campestris secretion mutant. The secretion gene cluster of X. campestris however, restored secretion capacity in P. aeruginosa mutants only to a low degree. Two heterologous proteins were not secreted by P. fuorescens and P. aeruginosa. The results suggest the presence of a similar two-step protein secretion mechanism in different gram-negative bacteria, which however, is not always functional for heterologous proteins.     

Molecular phylogeny of the Acre clade (Crassulaceae): Dealing with the lack of definitions for Echeveria and Sedum

The phylogenetic relationships within many clades of the Crassulaceae are still uncertain, therefore in this study attention was focused on the “Acre clade”, a group comprised of approximately 526 species in eight genera that include many Asian and Mediterranean species of Sedum and the majority of the American genera (Echeveria, Graptopetalum, Lenophyllum, Pachyphytum, Villadia, and Thompsonella). Parsimony and Bayesian analyses were conducted with 133 species based on nuclear (ETS, ITS) and chloroplast DNA regions (rpS16, matK). Our analyses retrieved four major clades within the Acre clade. Two of these were in a grade and corresponded to Asian species of Sedum, the rest corresponded to a European–Macaronesian group and to an American group. The American group included all taxa that were formerly placed in the Echeverioideae and the majority of the American Sedoideae. Our analyses support the monophyly of three genera – Lenophyllum, Thompsonella, and Pachyphytum; however, the relationships among Echeveria, Sedum and the various segregates of Sedum are largely unresolved. Our analyses represents the first broad phylogenetic framework for Acre clade, but further studies are necessary on the groups poorly represented here, such as the European and Asian species of Sedum and the Central and South American species of Echeveria.     

Dominant mutant alleles of yeast protein kinase geneCDC15 suppress thelte1 defect in termination of M phase and genetically interact withCDC14

LTE1 encodes a homolog of GDP-GTP exchange factors for the Ras superfamily and is required at low temperatures for cell cycle progression at the stage of the termination of M phase inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. We isolated extragenic suppressors which suppress the cold sensitivity oflte1 cells and confer a temperature-sensitive phenotype on cells. Cells mutant for the suppressor alone were arrested at telophase at non-permissive temperatures and the terminal phenotype was almost identical to that oflte1 cells at non-permissive temperatures. Genetic analysis revealed that the suppressor is allelic toCDC15, which encodes a protein kinase. Thecdc15 mutations thus isolated were recessive with regard to the temperature-sensitive phenotype and were dominant with respect to suppression oflte1. We isolatedCDC14 as a low-copy-number suppressor ofcdc15-rlt1.CDC14 encodes a phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) and is essential for termination of M phase. An extra copy ofCDC14 suppressed the temperature sensitivity ofcdc15-rlt1 cells, but not that ofcdc15-1 cells. In addition, some residues that are essential for the Cdc14 PTPase activity were found to be non-essential for the suppression. These results strongly indicate that Cdc14 possesses dual functions; PTPase activity is needed for one function but not for the other. We postulate that the cooperative action of Cdc14 and Cdc15 plays an essential role in the termination of M phase.