金黄色葡萄球菌双组分系统反应调节蛋白AgrA的原核表达、纯化及活性鉴定

AgrA作为金黄色葡萄球菌双组分信号转导系统(two-component signal transduction system,TCST)的反应调节因子,能调控细菌毒力因子的表达,在金黄色葡萄球菌致病过程中起着重要的作用。采用无限制克隆法构建AgrA表达载体,在AgrA蛋白的C端融合绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)标签,通过实时监测GFP的荧光强度来快速检测重组蛋白的表达水平。首先利用单因素实验,筛选出宿主菌株BL21-(DE3)-PlysS;其次,结合Box-Behnken试验设计,筛选出最优蛋白质表达条件:诱导时间为22h、转速为222r/min、诱导剂浓度为0.5mmol/L,AgrA产量达到5.56mg/L。最后,基于AgrA蛋白LytTR区域的非放射性凝胶阻滞实验(non-radioactive electrophoretic mobility shift assay,EMSA)验证了AgrA的生物活性。提出了反应调节蛋白AgrA在大肠杆菌高效可溶性表达的策略,为双组分信号转导系统的体外研究奠定基础,也为其他反应调节蛋白的可溶性表达与分离纯化提供了一个可行借鉴。     

金黄色葡萄球菌基因调节系统研究进展

金黄色葡萄球菌是人类的一种重要病原菌,可以引起许多临床表现不同的感染性疾病。它所致感染的多样性和严重度取决于不同毒力因子的协同表达,而这些数量众多的毒力因子的表达会受到不同调节系统的控制,同时这些调节系统之间也存在着复杂的相互作用关系。这些基因调节系统主要有两大类：一类是双组分信号转导系统（如Agr、SaeRS、SrrAB、ArlSR、LytRS、WalKR）;另一类是转录因子f如Sar、Rot、MgrA、SigmaB）。它们的协同作用有助于金黄色葡萄球菌对外界环境信号做出反应,调节致病过程中毒力因子在不同情况下的表达。     

金黄色葡萄球菌agr系统受体蛋白AgrC的跨膜结构分析析

金黄色葡萄球菌agr 系统中,受体组氨酸蛋白激酶AgrC 能够被同源或非同源自诱导信号分子(autoinducing peptides,AIPs) 激活或抑制。通过TMHMM软件对四种agr 型AgrC蛋白的氨基酸序列进行分析及跨膜结构预测,发现agr玉型和agr郁型AgrC蛋白可能在胞外的第二个Loop 环与其AIP相互作用,agr域型可能与AIP域在胞外的第一个或第二个Loop 环相互作用。     

假单胞菌属双组分信号转导系统调控吩嗪生物合成研究进展

吩嗪是由假单胞菌或链霉菌产生的一类具有抗菌、抗肿瘤和抗寄生虫活性的含氮杂环代谢物,在农业和医疗领域具有广泛的应用.但吩嗪的合成受到复杂的级联网络调控.本文总结了假单胞菌属中双组分信号转导系统(two-component signal transduction system,TCS)对吩嗪生物合成的调控机制,阐明在双组分...     

金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜形成机制研究进展

金黄色葡萄球菌是医院和社区获得性感染最常见的病原菌之一,而且可形成生物膜,从而导致生物膜相关疾病的产生。患者一旦发生金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜感染,难以彻底治愈。深入研究金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜形成的分子机制和调控网络,对寻找有效的防治、治疗药物和手段具有重要意义。我们就金黄色葡萄球菌生物膜形成过程和调控机制的研究近况做一综述。     

金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素C的原核表达、纯化及活性鉴定

目的：在大肠杆菌中表达金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素C（SEC）,并对其活性进行检测。方法：以金黄色葡萄球菌基因组为模板扩增SEC基因,经测序正确后插入原核表达载体pBV220中,转化大肠杆菌DH5α后温度热诱导重组SEC表达;表达产物经阳离子柱纯化后,用ELISA鉴定其抗原性;通过观测表达产物对鼠脾淋巴细胞的刺激增殖情况,检测其超抗原活性。结果：构建了SEC-pBV220原核表达载体,在大肠杆菌中可快速、高效表达SEC蛋白,表达产物具有超抗原活性。结论：实现了SEC的原核表达。     

金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素 C2 的基因克隆、 表达及其生物学活性

利用 PCR 技术从金黄色葡萄球菌的基因组 DNA 中克隆 SEC2 全长基因, PCR 产物与 pGEM-T 载体连接,经测序证实后进行亚克隆,构建其表达载体 pET-28a-SEC2 ,在大肠杆菌 BL21(DE3) 中表达成熟重组蛋白 (rSEC2) , 纯化 rSEC2 蛋白并对其生物学活性进行研究 . 结果表明：成功克隆了 SEC2 全长基因,测序证实该基因共 717 bp ,编码 239 个氨基酸,与 GenBank 中收录的 SEC2 成熟蛋白质序列完全一致, SEC2 基因登录 GenBank(Accession number ： AY450554) ; 构建了 SEC2 的表达载体 pET-28a-SEC2 ,并在大肠杆菌 BL21(DE3) 中得到高效可溶性表达,可溶性的 rSEC2 经 Ni²⁺ 亲和层析纯化达到电泳纯,纯化的 rSEC2 蛋白经蛋白质印迹检测,并能有效刺激人外周血单个核细胞的增殖,被 rSEC2 刺激的外周血单个核细胞在体外对肿瘤细胞的生长有显著的抑制作用 .     

金黄色葡萄球菌arl双组分信号转导系统受体蛋白ArlS_(CA)的表达、纯化及活性研究

金黄色葡萄球菌是一类重要的病原菌,其毒力因子的表达及分泌过程由多种双组分信号转导系统(two component signal transduction system,TCSTS)共同调控,其中ArlRS双组分信号转导系统与细菌的生长和分裂密切相关。ArlRS双组份系统的信号传递通过组氨酸激酶ArlS磷酸化实现,ArlS的胞内域被认为是调控毒力因子表达的重要功能域,以ArlS蛋白的胞内域部分即ArlS_(CA)为目标蛋白进行相关的活性研究。首先,构建pProEX-HTa-arls和pProEX-HTa-arlr重组质粒,对目的蛋白进行诱导表达。其次,利用金属离子螯合层析、离子交换层析以及凝胶过滤层析方法对目的蛋白进行分离纯化,纯化后的ArlR蛋白纯度可达98%,产量约为25mg/L;纯化后的ArlS蛋白纯度可达90%,产量约为15mg/L。圆二色谱检测结果显示纯化后的目的蛋白有完整的二级结构,体外磷酸化结果显示,ArlS蛋白具有激酶活性,自磷酸化后可以将磷酸基团转移给反应调控蛋白ArlR。最后,利用定点突变的方法,构建了418位和420位氨基酸残基突变的表达载体pProEX-HTa-ArlS_(CAG418A)和pProEX-HTa-ArlS_(CAG420A)。ArlS_(CAG418A)和ArlS_(CAG420A)蛋白不具有激酶活性,说明418位和420位氨基酸残基在ArlS蛋白的自磷酸过程中起着关键作用。     

金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素C3单克隆抗体的制备与鉴定

目的制备稳定分泌抗金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素C3（SEC3）单克隆抗体的杂交瘤细胞株,并对单克隆抗体的性质进行鉴定。方法以SEC3重组蛋白免疫Balb／c小鼠,应用细胞融合技术将小鼠的脾细胞与sR／0骨髓瘤细胞进行融合,经间接ELISA法检测筛选及2次有限稀释法克隆化培养,获得目的杂交瘤细胞株,并对其所产生的单克隆抗体进行效价、亲和常数及抗原识别表位等相关性质的鉴定。结果最终获得了两株能分泌单克隆抗体的杂交瘤细胞1C12和2A2,两者细胞培养上清的效价分别为1：3200和1：1600。经分析可知1C12细胞株的亲和力高于2A2细胞株,同时相加实验表明两个单克隆抗体识别抗原表位相同。结论单克隆抗体制备成功,为进一步完善肠毒素SEC3的临床检测奠定了基础。     

表皮葡萄球菌vraSR-srrAB突变株的构建及生物学表型

【背景】形成生物被膜是表皮葡萄球菌的主要致病方式,双组分系统(two-component regulatory system, TCS) VraSR和SrrAB与细菌的生长、生物被膜形成等多种生物学表型密切相关。敲除表皮葡萄球菌SE1457 vraSR后细胞壁变薄,生物被膜形成量降低,而敲除srrAB后生长进入稳定期的时间延长,生物被膜形成量也降低,且TCS-VraSR和SrrAB均通过ica途径调控表皮葡萄球菌生物被膜的形成。ica操作子是表皮葡萄球菌生物被膜形成的重要调节元件,由icaADBC这4个开放阅读框(openreadingframe,ORF)和1个转录方向相反的icaR组成,IcaR是icaADBC的抑制子。【目的】探索TCS-VraSR和SrrAB协同调控表皮葡萄球菌生长及生物被膜形成中的作用,为防控表皮葡萄球菌引起的持续性感染奠定基础。【方法】构建pKOR1-ΔvraSR重组质粒,经大肠杆菌DC10B修饰后转入ΔsrrAB,通过同源重组在ΔsrrAB突变株的基础上进一步敲除vraSR基因,疑似ΔvraSR-srrAB突变株经PCR、RT-PCR和测序验证。检测Δvra...     

C55 bacteriocin produced by ETB‐plasmid positive Staphylococcus aureus strains is a key factor for competition with S. aureus strains

Exfoliative toxin (ET) produced by Staphylococcus aureus is closely associated with the onset of bullous impetigo. To date, three ETs (ETA, ETB and ETD) have been identified. The gene encoding ETB is located in a plasmid designated pETB. Bacteriocin synthesis genes are also located in this plasmid and pETB‐positive strains reportedly produce the C55 bacteriocin. In this study, the antibacterial activity against S. aureus strains of the bacteriocin produced by the pETB‐positive strain TY4 was investigated. This bacteriocin demonstrated antibacterial activity against all pETB‐negative but not pETB‐positive strains, including TY4. Additionally, a TY4? strain from which the pETB plasmid had been deleted exhibited susceptibility to the bacteriocin. Further experiments revealed that two immunity factors (orf 46‐47 and orf 48) downstream of the bacteriocin synthesis genes in the pETB plasmid are associated with immunity against the bacteriocin produced by TY4. The TY4? with orf46‐47 strain exhibited complete resistance to bacteriocin, whereas the TY4? with orf48 strain exhibited partial resistance. Whether bacteriocin affects the proportion of each strain when co‐cultured with S. aureus strains was also investigated. When TY4 or TY4? was co‐cultured with 209P strain, which is susceptible to the bacteriocin, the proportion of 209P co‐cultured with TY4 was significantly less than when 209P was co‐cultured with TY4?, whereas the proportion of TY4? with orf46‐48 co‐cultured with TY4 was greater than with TY4?. These results suggest that the C55 bacteriocin produced by pETB‐positive strains affects the proportion of each strain when pETB‐positive and ‐negative strains co‐exist.

     

Possible virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus in a mouse septic model

Twenty clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were examined to elucidate the virulence factors which are directly related to lethality in a mouse septic model. Heat or formalin treatment of the organism abolished the lethal activity of the live organism during challenge intravenously administered via the tail vein. Nevertheless, injection of ten times concentrated culture supernatant fluid (SUP) showed lethal activity in the mouse. However, there was no lethality when SUP was heated at 60 degrees C for 15 min. To examine variations of SUP lethality among strains, we collected 20 strains of S. aureus from four different hospitals. Then, we compared several factors for SUP lethality, which were the extracellular toxins and enzymes, such as toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, enterotoxin A, B, D, and hemolysins (alpha,beta,gamma), and also cytotoxic activity to human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and Vero cells. No difference was found among these factors except cytotoxic activity to Vero cells. Furthermore, we compared two strains in a mouse septic model according to the grade of bacteremia and lethal events. We found that mortality was higher with challenge by the strain whose SUP was lethal in comparison to the strain whose SUP was not lethal, even though the viable bacteria counts in the septic blood in both strains were not significantly different. This strongly supports the possibility that extracellular products, not the cell wall components, of S. aureus play the key role in the lethal event in this mouse septic model. In addition, among the extracellular products, those which have cytotoxic activity to Vero cells may contribute to the lethality in sepsis caused by S. aureus in this murine model.     

Identification of a two-component signal transduction system involved in fimbriation of Porphyromonas gingivalis

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontopathogen, is an oral anaerobic gram-negative bacterium with numerous fimbriae on the cell surface. Fimbriae have been considered to be an important virulence factor in this organism. We analyzed the genomic DNA of transposon-induced, fimbria-deficient mutants derived from ATCC 33277 and found that seven independent mutants had transposon insertions within the same restriction fragment. Cloning and sequencing of the disrupted region from one of the mutants revealed two adjacent open reading frames (ORFs) which seemed to encode a two-component signal transduction system. We also found that six of the mutants had insertions in a gene, fimS, a homologue of the genes encoding sensor kinase, and that the insertion in the remaining one disrupted the gene immediately downstream, fimR, a homologue of the response regulator genes in other bacteria. These findings suggest that this two-component regulatory system is involved in fimbriation of P. gingivalis.     

Temperature-assisted high hydrostatic pressure inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus in a ham model system: evaluation in selective and nonselective medium

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the inactivation kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus in a ham model system by high hydrostatic pressure at ambient (25°C) and selected temperatures (45, 55°C). Selective [Baird Parker (BP) agar] and nonselective [brain heart infusion (BHI) agar] growth media were used for enumeration in order to count viable and sublethally injured cells. Methods and Results: The micro‐organism was exposed to a range of pressures (450, 500, 550, 600 MPa) at ambient temperature (25°C) for up to 45 min. Additionally, the behaviour of the micro‐organism was evaluated at mild temperatures in combination with high pressure treatment, namely: (i) 350, 400 and 450 MPa at 45°C; and (ii) 350 and 400 MPa at 55°C, for up to 12 min. Inactivation kinetics were calculated in terms of D_p and z_p values. Survival curves of S. aureus at ambient temperature were mostly linear, whereas when temperature was applied, tailing was observed in most survival curves. The estimated D_p values and therefore the number of surviving cells, were substantially higher on the selective BP agar in the whole range of pressures applied, indicating that S. aureus showed greater recovery in the selective BP agar than the nonselective BHI agar. Samples pressurized at ambient temperature needed higher pressures (over 500 MPa) to achieve a reduction of the population of the pathogen more than 5 log CFU ml^?1. The same level of inactivation was achieved at lower pressure levels when mild heating was simultaneously applied. Indeed, more than 6 log CFU ml^?1 reductions were obtained at 400 MPa and 55°C within the first 7 min of the process in BHI medium. Conclusion: Elevated temperatures allowed lower pressure levels and shorter processing times of pathogen inactivation than at room temperature. Greater recovery of the pathogen was observed in the selective (BP agar) medium, regardless of pressure and temperature applied. Significance and Impact of the Study: The obtained kinetics could be employed by the industry in selecting optimum pressure/temperature processing conditions. Attention must be given to the selection of the enumeration medium, as the use of an inappropriate medium would lead to underestimation of the surviving cells, thus imposing a risk in the microbiological safety of the product.     

Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from bovine mastitis: virulence,antibody production and protection from challenge in a mouse model

Septic arthritis in mice was used as a model to evaluate the virulence of Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) isolated from cases of bovine mastitis. In addition, the model was used to evaluate the cross protection elicited by heterologous antibodies. Mice were intramuscularly inoculated with serial bacterial doses of different strains of S. aureus or CNS, for virulence determination; they were monitored for arthritis, gangrene or death up to 20 days. Antibody response, cross reactivity and resistance to challenge were tested by subcutaneous inoculation with a low dose of one of the S. aureus or CNS strains followed by challenge with two S. aureus strains. S. aureus alpha-hemolysin isolate was the most virulent, followed by alpha+beta-hemolysin and beta-hemolysin isolates. The least virulent isolates were the non-hemolytic S. aureus strains but even they were more virulent than the CNS strains tested. Antibodies against three different S. aureus antigens were detected by the ELISA in all mice that were inoculated with the S. aureus strains but not in any of those with the CNS strains. Immunoblot test against various S. aureus strains as antigens showed high cross-reactivity among the S. aureus strains but only a slight similarity, restricted to the bands above 36 kDa, with the CNS sera. Low-dose inoculation of alpha or alpha+beta strains before challenge with homologous and heterologous strains protected the mice, whereas the two beta strains provided only partial protection. The inoculations of non-hemolytic S. aureus or the CNS strains did not elicit any protection. Our findings demonstrate that pre-exposure of mice to a low dose of certain S. aureus strains could provide protection and that the antibodies produced could have an important protective role.     

TEMPO/STA法在水产品金黄色葡萄球菌计数检测中的应用

金黄色葡萄球菌能够引起细菌性食物中毒,其对水产品的污染将严重影响到食品安全和水产品加工出口贸易。本研究使用TEMPO/STA法和PetrifilmTM测试片法对535个出口水产品样品进行检测,并将检测结果进行比较。结果表明,TEMPO/STA法与PetrifilmTM测试片法一致性较好(符合率96.6%,准确度无差异),并具有操作简单、快速、准确和人为误差小的特点。