The initiator protein DnaA contributes to keeping new origins inactivated by promoting the presence of hemimethylated DNA

The Escherichia coli replication origin oriC and other regions with high numbers of GATC sites remain hemimethylated after replication much longer than regions with average numbers of GATC sites. The prolonged period of hemimethylation has been attributed to the presence of bound SeqA protein. Here, it was found that a GATC cluster inserted at the datA site, which binds large amounts of DnaA in vivo, did not become remethylated at all, unless the availability of the DnaA protein was severely reduced. Sequestration of oriC was also found to be affected by the availability of DnaA. The period of origin hemimethylation was reduced by approximately 30% upon a reduction in the availability of DnaA. The result shows that not only SeqA binding but also DnaA binding to newly replicated origins contributes to keeping them hemimethylated. It was also found that the number of SeqA foci increased in cells with a combination of DnaA-mediated protection and sequestration at the GATC::datA cluster.     

An oriC-like distribution of GATC sites mediates full sequestration of non-origin sequences in Escherichia coli

Sequestration of newly replicated origins is one of the mechanisms required to limit initiation of Escherichia coli chromosome replication to once per generation. Origin sequestration lasts for a considerably longer period of time than the sequestration of other newly replicated regions of the chromosome. The reason for this may be the high number of GATC sites present in the origin. Alternatively, other sequence elements in the origin region may be important for its prolonged sequestration. To distinguish between these possibilities we constructed a DNA fragment containing ten GATC sites distributed with the same spacing as the ten GATC sites in the left half of oriC, but with random sequence between the GATC sites, and inserted it at a non-sequestered chromosome location. Sequestration of this GATC-cluster lasted as long as that of oriC, or even longer. The result shows that the presence of ten GATC sites, distributed as in oriC, is sufficient to cause full sequestration, and that other sequence elements most likely do not contribute to sequestration.     

In vitro roles of Escbericbia coli DnaJ and DnaK heat shock proteins in the replication of oriC plasmids

Summary Heat shock proteins have been shown to be involved in many cellular processes in procaryotic and eucaryotic cells. Using an in vitro DNA replication assay, we show that DNA synthesis initiated at the chromosomal origin of replication of Escherichia coli (oriC) is considerably reduced in enzyme extracts isolated from cells bearing mutations in the dnaK and dnaJ genes, which code for heat shock proteins. Furthermore, unlike DNA synthesis in wild-type extracts, residual DNA synthesis in dnaK and dnaJ extracts is thermosensitive. Although thermosensitivity can be complemented by the addition of DnaK and DnaJ proteins, restoration of near wild-type replication levels requires supplementary quantities of purified DnaA protein. This key DNA synthesis initiator protein is shown to be adsorbed to DnaK affinity columns. These results suggest that at least one of the heat shock proteins, DnaK, exerts an effect on the initiation of DNA synthesis at the level of DnaA protein activity. However, our observation of normal oriC plasmid transformation ratios and concentrations in heat shock mutants at permissive temperatures would suggest that heat shock proteins play a role in DNA replication mainly at high temperatures or under other stressful growth conditions.     

Characterization of recA genes and recA mutants of Rhizobium meliloti and Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae

Summary DNA fragments carrying the recA genes of Rhizobium meliloti and Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae were isolated by complementing a UV-sensitive recA ^– Escherichia coli strain. Sequence analysis revealed that the coding region of the R. meliloti recA gene consists of 1044 by coding for 348 amino acids whereas the coding region of the R. leguminosarum bv. viciae recA gene has 1053 bp specifying 351 amino acids. The R. meliloti and R. leguminosarum bv. viciae recA genes show 84.8% homology at the DNA sequence level and of 90.1% at the amino acid sequence level. recA ^– mutant strains of both Rhizobium species were constructed by inserting a gentamicin resistance cassette into the respective recA gene. The resulting recA mutants exhibited an increased sensitivity to UV irradiation, were impaired in their ability to perform homologous recombination and showed a slightly reduced growth rate when compared with the respective wild-type strains. The Rhizobium recA strains did not have altered symbiotic nitrogen fixation capacity. Therefore, they represent ideal candidates for release experiments with impaired strains.The accession numbers: X59956 R. LEGUMINOSARUM REC A ALAS-DNA; X59957 R. MELITOTI REC A ALAS-DNA     

猪支气管败血波氏杆菌hcp基因缺失株构建及其生物学特性研究

【目的】构建猪支气管败血波氏杆菌(Bordetella bronchiseptica,Bb)Ⅵ型分泌系统(T6SS)溶血素共调节蛋白hcp基因缺失株,并对其基本生物学特性进行初步的研究。【方法】使用自杀性质粒介导同源重组的方法敲除猪支气管败血波氏杆菌QH0814菌株hcp基因,并比较hcp基因缺失前后,菌体对细胞的黏附入侵、小鼠毒力及组织载菌量上的差异。【结果】成功构建支气管败血波氏杆菌hcp基因缺失株QH0814Δhcp,连续传50代且遗传稳定;缺失株与亲本株生长无明显差异;缺失株的黏附能力与亲本株差异不显著,但入侵能力显著降低(P0.05);与亲本株相比,半数致死量提高,同时,缺失株对昆明鼠的感染能力也显著降低(P0.05)。【结论】hcp基因的缺失对支气管败血波氏杆菌增殖无影响,但缺失后其入侵能力和定殖能力显著降低,由此推测hcp基因与支气管败血波氏杆菌的入侵和定殖相关。     

dam methylation and the initiation of DNA replication on oriC plasmids

Summary Plasmid DNA containing the replication origin of the Escherichia coli chromosome (oriC) has been shown to be inefficient as a template for DNA synthesis in vitro when isolated from dam mutants. here, we extend this study to hemimethylated oriC plasmids and to replication in dam-3 mutant enzyme extracts. The results show that: (1) hemimethylated oriC plasmids replicate with the same low efficiency as nonmethylated DNA; (2) DNA synthesis starts at oriC regardless of the methylated state of the template; (3) replication in dam-3 enzyme extracts is inefficient because this strain is deficient in DnaA protein; and (4) consistent with this observation, the copy number of the oriC plasmid pFH271 is reduced in the dam-3 mutant. However, we have found that low DnaA protein levels in dam-3 mutants are not sufficient to explain the reduced transformation efficiency of oriC plasmids. We suggest that there must exist in vivo inhibitory factors not present or present in low quantities in vitro which specifically recognize the hemimethylated or nonmethylated forms of the oric region.     

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。     

一株同时携带optrA和cfrC基因的猪源多重耐药结肠弯曲菌的全基因组测序

【背景】弯曲菌(Campylobacter)是一种世界范围内能引起胃肠炎的最常见食源性病原菌,对临床上重要的抗菌药物耐药越来越严重,对食品安全和公共健康造成重大威胁。【目的】研究一株同时携带optr A和cfr C基因的猪源结肠弯曲菌(Campylobactercoli)耐药表型和耐药基因,同时对该菌全基因组特征、毒力基因分布情况以及optr A和cfr C基因环境进行分析。【方法】采用琼脂平板稀释法进行最低抑菌浓度(minimal inhibitory concentration, MIC)测定,并且对该菌进行全基因组测序。【结果】该菌株对四环素、克林霉素、阿奇霉素、氟苯尼考和利奈唑胺呈现高度耐药,对环丙沙星和庆大霉素敏感。全基因组测序得到一条大小为1 436 486 bp的环状DNA (GC含量为31.63%),携带四大类抗生素中共计12种耐药基因,均定位于染色体上,其中氨基糖苷类耐药基因数量最多。此外,携带包含黏附、侵袭和移动等相关毒力基因83个,其中与移动相关的毒力基因数量最多。对4个基因岛分析发现,基因岛GIs002和GIs003中含有耐药基因序列,cfr C位于基因岛GIs...     

A new fungal genus, Teracosphaeria, with a phialophora-like anamorph (Sordariomycetes, Ascomycota)

The new genus and species Teracosphaeria petroica is described for a perithecial ascomycete and its anamorph occurring on decayed wood collected in New Zealand. The fungus produces immersed, non-stromatic ceratosphaeria-like perithecia in nature, with hyaline, septate ascospores produced in unitunicate, non-amyloid asci. The anamorph produced in vitro is phialophora-like with lightly pigmented phialides terminating in flaring, deep collarettes that are often noticeably brown with conspicuous periclinal thickening. Phylogenetic analysis of LSU rDNA sequence data indicates that this fungus is distinct from morphologically similar fungi classified in the Chaetosphaeriales, the Trichosphaeriales or the Magnaporthaceae. It forms a monophyletic group with recently described, chaetosphaeria-like ascomycetes, such as the pyrenomycete genus Mirannulata, and shows affinity with the anamorphic species Dictyochaeta cylindrospora. The usefulness of describing anamorph genera for morphologically reduced anamorphs, when anamorph characteristics are actually part of the holomorph diagnosis, is discussed. An apparently contradictory example of the so-called Cordana and Pseudobotrytis anamorphs of Porosphaerella spp. is also discussed.     

Phenotypic suppression of the Drosophila mitochondrial disease-like mutant tko by duplication of the mutant gene in its natural chromosomal context

A mutation in the Drosophila gene technical knockout (tko^25t), encoding mitoribosomal protein S12, phenocopies human mitochondrial disease. We isolated three spontaneous X-dominant suppressors of tko^25t (designated Weeble), exhibiting almost wild-type phenotype and containing overlapping segmental duplications including the mutant allele, plus a second mitoribosomal protein gene, mRpL14. Ectopic, expressed copies of tko^25t and mRpL14 conferred no phenotypic suppression. When placed over a null allele of tko, Weeble retained the mutant phenotype, even in the presence of additional transgenic copies of tko^25t. Increased mutant gene dosage can thus compensate the mutant phenotype, but only when located in its normal chromosomal context.     

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.     

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。     

空肠弯曲菌fliD基因突变株的构建及其生物学特性

【目的】研究fliD基因对空肠弯曲菌生物学特性的影响,为阐明该基因的功能和作用机制奠定基础。【方法】利用同源重组技术构建fliD基因的插入失活突变株NCTC11168△fliD,并通过与野生株比较,对fliD突变株生长速率、运动力、黏附力和侵袭力等生物学特性进行研究。【结果】与野生型NCTC11168相比,突变株NCTC11168△fliD的生理生化特性不变;突变株的生长速率无明显变化;MH半固体穿刺实验中,突变株只能在接种处生长,运动力明显减弱;在Caco-2细胞黏附、侵袭实验中,fliD突变株的黏附率和侵袭率分别为164.00±19.49、55.00±6.09,fliD基因失活使得突变株的黏附率和侵袭率显著降低(0P0.01)。【结论】fliD基因是空肠弯曲菌运动能力重要的分子基础,与空肠弯曲菌感染细胞的黏附侵袭作用密切相关,即与空肠弯曲菌的致病性密切相关。     

Cesariella, a new genus of Laboulbeniales

Cesariella graeca gen. sp. nov. is described to accommodate a new species of the Laboulbeniales (Fungi, Ascomycota) parasitic on the endogean ground beetles Reicheadella aetolica and R. bischoffi (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from Greece. Cesariella is distinguished from the allied genus Laboulbenia by the presence of two cells borne on the inner side of cell III, and by the presence of a conspicuous remnant of the spore apex protruding laterally near the base of the appendage.     

粘质沙雷氏菌几丁质酶基因ChiA克隆及生物信息学分析

通过生物信息学技术对Chi A基因序列进行分析预测,了解Chi A的基因结构及蛋白质性质。从自有菌株(粘质沙雷氏菌Serratia mareescens S68)中克隆到几丁质酶基因Chi A,利用相关软件对Chi A基因序列进行分析预测。Chi A基因全长1 714 bp,开放阅读框编码563个氨基酸,推测其编码的蛋白质分子量为60 983.8Da,等电点为6.35,是一种稳定的亲水性蛋白质。预测Chi A可能存在信号肽,切割位点在第23~24位氨基酸之间,1~23位氨基酸为其跨膜结构,其余肽链位于细胞外。Chi A主要存在3种二级结构元件,在二级、三级结构中都有体现。该Chi A是一种水溶性蛋白质,结构稳定且可以分泌到胞外。     

Evolutionary relationships among aquatic anamorphs and teleomorphs: Lemonniera, Margaritispora, and Goniopila

The hypothesis that similar conidial morphologies in aquatic hyphomycetes are a result of convergent evolution was tested using molecular sequence data. Cladistic analyses were performed on partial sequences of 28S rDNA of seven species of Lemonniera, one species of Margaritispora and one species of Goniopila. Lemonniera has tetraradiate conidia with long arms, whereas Margaritispora and Goniopila have typically globose (isodiametric) conidia, with short conical protuberances in a stellate or quadrangular arrangement. Lemonniera and Margaritispora have phialidic conidiogenesis and both produce dark, minute sclerotia in culture whereas Goniopila has holoblastic conidiogenesis and does not produce sclerotia in culture. Goniopila produces a microconidial phialidic synanamorph in culture. All three genera have schizolytic conidial secession. Molecular analyses demonstrate that Lemonniera species are placed in two distinct clades: one within Leotiomycetes; the other within Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes. Margaritispora is placed with Lemonniera species within Leotiomycetes. Goniopila and Lemonniera pseudofloscula are placed within Dothideomycetes. No morphological character was entirely congruent with the molecular derived phylogeny. This suggests that for the group of species studied, conidial shape is not a reliable indicator of phylogeny but more likely the result of convergent evolution in response to the aquatic environment.     

金黄色葡萄球菌tst-1基因敲除菌株的构建

抽提金黄色葡萄球菌834菌株的基因组DNA,PCR克隆扩增tst-1及tst-1的上、下游基因,通过将tst-1上、下游基因分别重组到载体质粒pAULA中,形成同源重组质粒pAULA Δtst-1,将pAULA-Δtst-1电转入细菌内,进行同源重组,以PCR、Western blot鉴定tst-1基因敲除菌株无tst-1基因片段,且无TSST-1蛋白表达,表明已成功构建金黄色葡萄球菌tst-1基因的敲除菌株。