炭疽杆菌致病性研究进展

炭疽杆菌是人类历史上第一个被发现的病原菌。炭疽杆菌的研究在近几年取得了较大进展 ,特别是本年度其基因组序列测定已完成并向全世界公布 ,进一步深化了对炭疽杆菌的研究。炭疽杆菌致病性的研究一直是炭疽杆菌研究的重点 ,近年来此方面的研究取得了很多新进展 ,从基因组、致病物质及致病机制 3个方面对此作一个简单的介绍。     

突发疫情中炭疽芽孢杆菌的分离及鉴定

对疑似炭疽感染病牛牛肉标本和牛血污染土壤标本进行了病原菌分离,经菌落形态和菌体形态观察、血清学实验和生化鉴定,证明分离到的细菌为炭疽芽孢杆菌。为进一步了解其特性,分别用保护性抗原、水肿因子和荚膜基因特异性引物对2株菌进行PCR扩增。结果显示,这两株菌有两个毒力相关质粒pX01和pX02,为有毒株。序列测定表明,这两株菌基因间同源性达99%,这两株菌与GenBank中炭疽芽孢杆菌A2012株、Ames Ancestor株和A16R疫苗株同源性达99%。     

炭疽杆菌水肿因子基因的克隆与序列测定

采用聚合酶链反应（ＰＣＲ）从炭疽芽孢杆菌减毒株ＹＢ１中扩增其水肿因子（ＥＦ）的编码区基因,将其克隆至ｐＧＥＭ－Ｔ载体中,并分步测定其序列。序列测定表明,该基因长２ ３０１ ｂｐ,编码７６７个氨基酸,与已报道的Ｓｔｅｒｎｅ标准株的ＥＦ基因完全一致。     

炭疽杆菌保护性抗原基因的克隆与序列测定

采用聚合酶链反应从炭疽芽孢杆菌减毒株ＹＢ１中扩增其保护性抗原（ＰＡ）的编码区基因,将其克隆至ｐＧＥＭ－Ｔ载体中,并分步测定其序列。序列测定表明,该基因长２２０５ｂｐ,编码７３５个氨基酸残基,与献报道的标准菌株Ｓｔｅｒｎｅ株的ＰＡ序列只有４个碱基的差异。     

Formaldehyde gas inactivation of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores on indoor surface materials

AIMS: To evaluate the decontamination of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores on indoor surface materials using formaldehyde gas. METHODS AND RESULTS: B. anthracis, B. subtilis, and G. stearothermophilus spores were dried on seven types of indoor surfaces and exposed to approx. 1100 ppm formaldehyde gas for 10 h. Formaldehyde exposure significantly decreased viable B. anthracis, B. subtilis, and G. stearothermophilus spores on all test materials. Significant differences were observed when comparing the reduction in viable spores of B. anthracis with B. subtilis (galvanized metal and painted wallboard paper) and G. stearothermophilus (industrial carpet and painted wallboard paper). Formaldehyde gas inactivated>or=50% of the biological indicators and spore strips (approx. 1x10(6) CFU) when analyzed after 1 and 7 days. CONCLUSIONS: Formaldehyde gas significantly reduced the number of viable spores on both porous and nonporous materials in which the two surrogates exhibited similar log reductions to that of B. anthracis on most test materials. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These results provide new comparative information for the decontamination of B. anthracis spores with surrogates on indoor surfaces using formaldehyde gas.     

A preliminary assessment of Bacillus anthracis spore inactivation using an electrochemically activated solution (ECASOL)

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of electrochemically activated solution (ECASOL) in decontaminating Bacillus anthracis Ames and Vollum 1B spores, with and without changing the source water hardness and final ECASOL pH. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five different ECASOL formulations were generated, in which the source water hardness and final ECASOL pH were varied, resulting in cases where significant changes in free available chlorine (FAC) and oxidative-reduction potential (ORP) were observed. B. anthracis Ames and Vollum 1B spores were suspended in the various ECASOL formulations for 30 min, and decontamination efficacy was determined; calcium hypochlorite [5% high-test hypochlorite (HTH)] was used as a positive control. The five different ECASOL formulations yielded mean FAC levels ranging from 305 to 464 ppm, and mean ORP levels ranging from +826 to +1000 mV. Exposure to all the ECASOL formulations and 5% HTH resulted in >or=7.0 log reductions in both B. anthracis Ames and Vollum 1B spores. CONCLUSIONS: The present testing demonstrated that ECASOL with a minimum of c. 300-ppm FAC levels and +800-mV ORP inactivated the B. anthracis spores in suspension, similar to 5% HTH. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results provide information for decontaminating B. anthracis Ames and Vollum 1B spores in suspension using ECASOL.     

Efficacy of liquid spray decontaminants for inactivation of Bacillus anthracis spores on building and outdoor materials

Aims: To obtain data on the efficacy of various liquid and foam decontamination technologies to inactivate Bacillus anthracis Ames and Bacillus subtilis spores on building and outdoor materials. Methods and Results: Spores were inoculated onto test coupons and positive control coupons of nine different materials. Six different sporicidal liquids were spray‐applied to the test coupons and remained in contact for exposure times ranging from 10 to 70 min. Following decontamination, spores were recovered from the coupons and efficacy was quantified in terms of log reduction. Conclusions: The hydrogen peroxide/peracetic acid products were the most effective, followed by decontaminants utilizing hypochlorous acid chemistry. Decontamination efficacy varied by material type. Significance and Impact of the Study: The study results may be useful in the selection of technologies to decontaminate buildings and outdoor areas in the event of contamination with B. anthracis spores. These results may also facilitate selection of decontaminant liquids for the inactivation of other spore‐forming infectious disease agents.     

Expression and secretion of the protective antigen of Bacillus anthracis in Bacillus brevis

We used the Bacillus brevis-pNU212 system to develop a mass production system for the protective antigen (PA) of Bacillus anthracis. A moderately efficient expression-secretion system for PA was constructed by fusing the PA gene from B. anthracis with the B. brevis cell-wall protein signal-peptide encoding region of pNU212, and by introducing the recombinant plasmid, pNU212-mPA, into B. brevis 47-5Q. The clone producing PA secreted about 300 microg of recombinant PA (rPA) per ml of 5PY-erythromycin medium after 4 days incubation at 30 degrees C. The rPA was fractionated from the culture supernatant of B. brevis 47-5Q carrying pNU212-mPA using ammonium sulfate at 70% saturation followed by anion exchange chromatography on a Hitrap Q, a Hiload 16/60 Superdex 200 gel filtration column and a phenyl sepharose hydrophobic interaction column, yielding 70 mg rPA per liter of culture. The N-terminal sequence of the purified rPA was identical to that of native PA from B. anthracis. The purified rPA exhibited cytotoxicity towards J774A.1 cells when combined with lethal factor. The rPA formulated in either Rehydragel HPA or MPL-TDM-CWS adjuvant (Ribi-Trimix) elicited the expression of a large amount of anti-PA and neutralizing antibodies in guinea pigs and completely protected them against a 100 LD50 challenge with fully virulent B. anthracis spores.     

中国的炭疽杆菌DNA分型及其地理分布

炭疽广泛分布于中国各地,特别是西部地区,并经常造成人畜疾病,在一项合作研究中,用多位点VNTR分析（MLVA）对从1952-1998年自中国主要地理流行区域分离的病人,病畜和土壤等来源的炭疽杆菌进行了基因分型,MLVA分析结果揭示了21种新的基因型,其等位基因组合在以前世界范围分离物的研究中未曾发现,此外,分离物的分群显示,A3b组是地理上最广泛分布的基因组,说明该组可能是中国的“地方流行株”。而来自古丝绸之路重要贸易中心新疆的大量分离株其基因型特别分散。     

炭疽芽胞杆菌A16D2株BA2380基因缺失突变株的构建

本课题组早期研究结果表明,炭疽芽胞杆菌BA2380蛋白可能与炭疽芽胞杆菌毒力有关,因而有必要对其功能进行深入研究。选取炭疽芽胞杆菌A16D2株为出发菌株,以其BA2380基因为目的缺失基因,参照A16D2株基因组序列及质粒pSET4s序列,利用软件设计上下游同源臂及抗性基因引物,用本实验室改造的“Golden Gate”克隆方法将3个片段同时连入温敏型穿梭载体pKMBK中(本实验室构建的受体质粒),从而构建基因打靶质粒。将该基因打靶质粒导入炭疽芽胞杆菌A16D2感受态细胞中,利用同源重组原理,筛选获得炭疽芽胞杆菌A16D2 BA2380基因缺失突变株,并对其进行验证。结果验证了本课题组构建的“Golden Gate”克隆体系进行多片段克隆的高效性,也为后续探索其基因功能奠定了基础。     

Comparative analysis of 23S ribosomal RNA gene sequences of Bacillus anthracis and emetic Bacillus cereus determined by PCR-direct sequencing

The primary structures of the 23S ribosomal RNA genes of Bacillus anthracis and an emetic strain of Bacillus cereus were determined by direct sequencing of enzymatically amplified chromosomal DNA. The 23S rRNA gene sequences of B. anthracis and B. cereus were found to be almost identical and showed only two differences (a single nucleotide change, and a single base insertion in B. cereus). The feasibility of using PCR-direct sequencing for the rapid sequence determination of large-subunit rRNA genes is demonstrated.     

ClpC-Mediated Sporulation Regulation at Engulfment Stage in Bacillus anthracis

Bacterial sporulation is a conserved process utilized by members of Bacillus genus and Clostridium in response to stress such as nutrient or temperature. Sporulation initiation is triggered by stress signals perceived by bacterial cell that leads to shutdown of metabolic pathways of bacterial cells. The mechanism of sporulation involves a complex network that is regulated at various checkpoints to form the viable bacterial spore. Engulfment is one such check point that drives the required cellular rearrangement necessary for the spore assembly and is mediated by bacterial proteolytic machinery that involves association of various Clp ATPases and ClpP protease. The present study highlights the importance of degradation of an anti-sigma factor F, SpoIIAB by ClpCP proteolytic machinery playing a crucial role in culmination of engulfment process during the sporulation in Bacillus anthracis.     

炭疽芽胞杆菌假想S-层蛋白SLP缺失突变体的构建

目的：构建炭疽芽胞杆菌假想S-层蛋白SLP缺失突变体,以进行后续SLP的功能研究,为炭疽芽孢杆菌重要基因功能的研究建立技术平台。方法：利用PCR技术,分别扩增得到目的基因的上游同源臂（slp-F）和下游同源臂（slp-R）,将抗性基因（S）和上、下游同源臂先后连入穿梭质粒pKSV7,构建打靶载体pKSV7-FSR,经去甲基化后,电转化入炭疽芽胞杆菌A16R,通过同源重组敲除slp基因,并通过DNA测序和Western blot实验验证;对野生株和突变株37℃时的生长曲线及生化反应进行比较研究。结果：分别从DNA水平和蛋白质水平证实slp基因被成功敲除;突变株对数期生长较快,衰退较慢,与野生株的生化反应差异不明显。结论：获得了炭疽芽胞杆菌假想S-层蛋白SLP缺失突变体。     

环介导等温扩增技术在快速检测炭疽芽胞杆菌中的应用

本文旨在建立适合国境口岸现场应用的生物恐怖防控快速检测方法,从而保障口岸安全.针对生物恐怖炭疽芽胞杆菌,选择目标菌种特异性基因片段,设计引物,运用环介导等温扩增(LAMP)技术建立一套简便、高效的检测方法,并模拟生物恐怖炭疽芽胞杆菌可能存在的基质条件,评价LAMP技术在快速筛查中的适用性.结果显示,LAMP技术排查生物恐怖炭疽芽胞杆菌简便、快速、特异,检测灵敏度为102～103 CFU/ml;且能有效检出在偏酸、偏碱及黏稠基质中的炭疽芽胞杆菌.而高盐环境对该反应影响较大,有必要采用能有效去除盐分的核酸抽提方法.     

PlcR在炭疽芽胞杆菌A16R中的功能研究

炭疽芽胞杆菌(Bacillus anthracis)、蜡样芽胞杆菌(B. cereus)和苏云金芽胞杆菌(B. thuringiensis)均属于蜡样芽胞杆菌群,在遗传学上有很高的相似性。PlcR (Phospholipase C regulator)在蜡样芽胞杆菌中是十分重要的调控因子,但plcR基因在炭疽芽胞杆菌中发生一个无义突变导致在炭疽芽胞杆菌中产生一个截短PlcR蛋白。为了研究plcR基因对炭疽芽胞杆菌功能的影响,文章以蜡样芽胞杆菌CMCC6330基因组为模板,构建重组表达质粒pBE2A-plcR后导入炭疽芽胞杆菌疫苗株A16R中获得重组菌株,对其进行表型分析。结果显示,炭疽芽胞杆菌重组菌株的溶血活性基本没有恢复,但恢复了部分神经鞘磷脂酶活性,表明将蜡样芽胞杆菌的plcR基因导入炭疽芽胞杆菌后,可以直接激活神经鞘磷脂酶活性。     

炭疽芽孢杆菌保护性抗原在大肠杆菌中的表达及纯化

按照炭疽芽孢杆菌保护性抗原（PA）基因成熟肽编码序列设计引物,从炭疽杆菌pOX1质粒中扩增出PA基因片段,将该片段定向插入到原核表达载体pET-28a中,获得了pET-PA原核表达重组质粒,限制性酶切分析和DNA序列测定均证实该克隆插入片段为PA基因的成熟呔编码序列。将该重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）,经IPTG诱导,重组蛋白在大肠杆菌表达系统中获得了高效表达;Western印迹分析表明表达产物具有良好的免疫学活性。     

炭疽杆菌噬菌体裂解酶基因在大肠杆菌中的表达及鉴定

利用PCR方法扩增炭疽杆菌噬菌体裂解酶 (γlysin)基因 ,克隆至大肠杆菌表达载体pET2 2b中 ,经菌落PCR筛选、序列测定和酶切鉴定证实表达载体pET22b-γlysin构建成功 ,并在EscherichiacoliBL21(DE3)中获得了高表达。目的蛋白约占菌体总蛋白的40% ,5L发酵罐中的产酶水平高达 15g L。菌体经超声破碎 ,制备无细胞抽提液 ,StreamlineSP和SPHP柱层析以及SephacrylS-100凝胶过滤三步纯化 ,得到分子量为 2 7kD单一条带的目的蛋白 ,薄层扫描分析显示其纯度大于 95 %。目的蛋白的收率为19.1% ,纯化倍数为350。生物活性鉴定重组的γ噬菌体裂解酶具有特异性 :可快速裂解炭疽杆菌 ,比活为 1400u mg左右 ;而对大肠杆菌、枯草杆菌及蜡样芽孢杆菌没有裂解活性。