Bicarbonate gradients modulate growth and colony morphology in Aspergillus nidulans

A new insertion sequence (IS), IS 1642 , was identified in a Mycobacterium avium strain isolated from a human patient. IS 1642 had a size of 1642 bp and contained a single ORF encoding a probable transposase of 503 amino acid residues homologous (79% identity) to that of IS 1549 found in Mycobacterium smegmatis . The IS 1642 included imperfect inverted repeats (5'-cctgacttttatca-3', 5'-tgataaaagtcggg-3') on its ends, and was flanked by direct repeats of variable length ranging from 5 to 161 bp. It was suggested that the IS 1642 was widely distributed in many M. avium strains of human patients, and the Southern blot profile of IS 1642 was very diverse among the strains examined. The transposition event of IS 1642 was observed by in vitro repeated passages, showing that the IS 1642 is actually a transposable element. In light of these characteristics, IS 1642 could be a new useful marker when genotyping with high discrimination is required.     

The Oxidation of d-1-Thioglucose by Cell-free Extract from Aspergillus niger

It was found that d-1-thioglucose was quantitatively converted to the corresponding disulfide with oxygen uptake by incubation with cell-free extract of Asp. niger. The molar ratio of the oxygen uptake to the d-1-thioglucose consumption was 0.22. The oxygen uptake was not affected by KCN, NH₂OH and NaN₃, but decreased by dialysis of the cell-free extract. The decrease of the oxygen uptake due to dialysis for 4 hr was recovered by the addition of FMN. From these results, a tentative mechanism of the oxidation of d-1-thioglucose was proposed.     

Identification and characterisation of IS1383, a new insertion sequence isolated from Pseudomonas putida strain H

A new insertion sequence (IS1383) was identified on plasmids from Pseudomonas putida strain H and its nucleotide sequence was determined. IS1383 contains perfect terminal inverted repeats of 13-bp flanking a 1.4-kb internal sequence. A single significant open reading frame was identified that can encode a 342-amino acid polypeptide which was predicted to be highly basic and to have homology to polypeptides known from several other bacterial insertion sequences. At least six copies of IS1383 are present on the plasmids pPGH1 and pPGH2, whereas no copy could be detected on the chromosome of P. putida strain H. Target duplications did not flank the inverted repeats of any of the six IS1383 copies examined. Analysis of the integration sites of IS1383 revealed hints for a target specificity. Multiple sequence alignments of the transposases, the inverted repeats and the integration sites pointed to the assignment of IS1383 into a putative new family of insertion sequences defined as the IS1111 family.     

Stability of Thermostable Enzyme,Aqualysin I ; a Subtilisin-type Serine Protease from Thermus aquaticus YT-1

We characterized the heat stability and detergent stabilities of aqualysin I, produced by Thermus aquaticus YT-1, and compared them with those of fungal proteinase K and Bacillus subtilisin.

Aqualysin I displayed excellent heat and detergent stabilities. Proteinase K, another Cys-containing enzyme, was less stable than aqualysin I. All these enzymes maintained activities in the presence of urea or Tween-20.     

水稻Ds插入纯合体的筛选和鉴定

采用Basta抗性鉴定、潮霉素抗性鉴定和PCR检测相结合的方法筛选和鉴定了水稻Ds插入纯合体。在T1代236个转化株系中,有16个株系的全部植株表现出对Basta的敏感,其余220个株系的植株表现出对Basta的抗性。经过3代的纯合筛选,共鉴定出Ds插入纯合体203个．这些Ds插入纯合体可用于构建Ac／Ds系统和对Ds插入突变体进行筛选和鉴定,为水稻功能基因组学研究提供了材料。     

Screening for the presence of the insertion sequence IS1 in the genus Bacteroides

Abstract A specific DNA probe, containing a conserved region of the insertion sequence IS1, was hybridised to dot blots of total genomic DNA from 2 oral and 5 intestinal Bacteroides spp. Using Escherichia coli K12 as a positive control and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a negative control, DNA homologous to the probe could not be detected in Bacteroides corporis, Bacteroides intermedius, Bacteroides ovatus, Bacteroides vulgatus, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron or 2 strains of Bacteroides fragilis . The total DNA included plasmid DNA of 30.2, 42.7 and 42.7 MDa from B. fragilis, B. intermedius and B. corporis , respectively.
IS1 is commonly found in members of the Enterobacteriaceae, and it was concluded that the 2 groups of bacteria are not closely related.     

Application of a Metal Switch to Aqualysin I,a Subtilisin-type Bacterial Serine Protease,to the S3 Site Residues,Ser102 and Gly131

We applied ‘metal switch’ experiments to the S3 site residues, Ser102 and Gly131, of aqualysin I, a subtilisin-type serine protease. We showed that two histidines introduced at these positions did take part in histidine-metal-histidine bridge formation, and metal ions inhibited the protease activities. These results indicate that two histidines are near each other, and both side chains are metal-accessible. This is the first report on application of the metal-switch technique to a subtilisin-related enzyme.     

Identification and mapping of polymorphic SSR markers from expressed gene sequences of barley and wheat

The growing availability of EST sequences from a range of crop plantsprovides a potentially valuable source of new DNA markers. We have examined theInternational Triticeae EST Cooperative database for the presence ofdinucleotide and trinucleotide simple sequence repeats. Analysis of 24,344 ESTsidentified 388 dinucleotide repeats and 978 trinucleotide repeats in ESTs,representing 1.6% and 4.0% of the total number of ESTs, respectively. To testthe utility and cross-species transferability of EST-derived SSR markers,primers were designed to the flanking regions of 41 barley SSRs and used toscreen 11 barley and 15 wheat varieties. Sixteen of the barley SSR markers werepolymorphic in barley and five were polymorphic in wheat. This represents arelatively high level of transferability of SSR markers between barley andwheat, which has important implications for the development of new markers andcomparative mapping of barley, wheat and other cereals. An additional 56 SSRsfrom wheat ESTs were tested in the same barley and wheat varieties. Four wheatEST SSR markers were polymorphic in wheat and one in barley. Chromosomallocations in barley and wheat were determined for the majority of polymorphicmarkers.     

Editor's choice: The complete genome sequencing of Prevotella intermedia strain OMA14 and a subsequent fine-scale,intra-species genomic comparison reveal an unusual amplification of conjugative and mobile transposons and identify a novel Prevotella-lineage-specific repeat

Prevotella intermedia is a pathogenic bacterium involved in periodontal diseases. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of a clinical strain, OMA14, of this bacterium along with the results of comparative genome analysis with strain 17 of the same species whose genome has also been sequenced, but not fully analysed yet. The genomes of both strains consist of two circular chromosomes: the larger chromosomes are similar in size and exhibit a high overall linearity of gene organizations, whereas the smaller chromosomes show a significant size variation and have undergone remarkable genome rearrangements. Unique features of the Pre. intermedia genomes are the presence of a remarkable number of essential genes on the second chromosomes and the abundance of conjugative and mobilizable transposons (CTns and MTns). The CTns/MTns are particularly abundant in the second chromosomes, involved in its extensive genome rearrangement, and have introduced a number of strain-specific genes into each strain. We also found a novel 188-bp repeat sequence that has been highly amplified in Pre. intermedia and are specifically distributed among the Pre. intermedia-related species. These findings expand our understanding of the genetic features of Pre. intermedia and the roles of CTns and MTns in the evolution of bacteria.     

Complete sequence determination combined with analysis of transposition/site-specific recombination events to explain genetic organization of IncP-7 TOL plasmid pWW53 and related mobile genetic elements

Recent studies have indicated that the evolutionarily common catabolic gene clusters are loaded on structurally diverse toluene-catabolic (TOL) plasmids and their residing transposons. To elucidate the mechanisms supporting the diversification of catabolic plasmids and transposons, we determined here the complete 107,929 bp sequence of pWW53, a TOL plasmid from Pseudomonas putida MT53. pWW53 was found to belong to the IncP-7 incompatibility group that play important roles in the catabolism of several xenobiotics. pWW53 carried two distinct transposase-resolvase gene clusters (tnpAR modules), five short terminal inverted repeats (IRs), and three site-specific resolution (res) sites that are all typical of class II transposons. This organization of pWW53 suggested the four possible transposable regions, Tn4657 to Tn4660. The largest 86 kb region (Tn4657) spanned the three other regions, and Tn4657 and Tn4660 (62 kb) covered all of the 36 xyl genes for toluene catabolism. Our subsequent transposition experiments clarified that the three transposons, Tn4657 to Tn4659, indeed exhibit their transposability, and that pWW53 also generated another 37 kb toluene-catabolic transposon, Tn4656, which carried the two separated and inversely oriented segments of pWW53: the tnpRA-IR module of Tn4658 and a part of xyl gene clusters on Tn4657. The Tn4658 transposase was able to mediate the transposition of Tn4658, Tn4657, and Tn4656, while the Tn4659 transposase catalyzed only the transposition of Tn4659. Tn4656 was formed by the Tn4658 resolvase-mediated site-specific inversion between the two inversely oriented res sites on pWW53. These findings and comparison with other catabolic plasmids clearly indicate multiple copies of transposition-related genes and sites on one plasmid and their recombination activities contribute greatly to the diversification of plasmid structures as well as wide dissemination of the evolutionary common gene clusters in various plasmids.     

Substrate Specificity of Aqualysin I Altered by an Organic Solvent,DMSO

Aqualysin I is the alkaline serine protease isolated from an extreme thermophile, Thermus aquaticus YT-1. We have analyzed the kinetic properties of aqualysin I, using thirty-one kinds of chromogenic succinyl-tripeptide p-nitroanilides as substrates in the presence of 10% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Aqualysin I hydrolyzed many peptides in a DMSO-containing mixture, however the substrate specificity was different from that in the absence of DMSO. The K_m for each peptide was raised by the addition of 10% DMSO. Also, the P3- as well as P2-specificity of aqualysin I was altered. These results suggested that the side chains of the P2 and P3 residues are exposed to the solvent, and the hydrophobic interactions between the side chain of the substrate and the solvent may take a part in the substrate recognition of the enzyme.     

Formation of O-Alkylhomoserines from Alcohols,by Yeasts Capable of Assimilating 1,2-Propanediol

The less reactive SH groups of soybean β-amylase, SH4, SH5, and SH6, were modified with p-chloromercuribenzoic acid or N-ethylmaleimide, after the reactive SH groups, SHI, SH2, and SH3, were blocked with 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and cyanide. The enzyme activity decreased, accompanied by the modification of SH4. α-Cyclodextrin protected SH4 from the modification more effectively than maltose. The SH4-modified enzyme still bound to glucose, maltose, and α-cyclodextrin. SH4 was concerned with neither the catalysis nor substrate binding but its large substituent affected the substrate binding site. The sequencing of the 5-(iodoacetoamidoethyl)-aminonaphthalene-1-sulfonate-labeled peptides showed that SH4, SH5, and SH6 are Cys343, Cys82, and Cys208, respectively. Comparison of the primary structure of β-amylases also showed that the sequence around SH4 (Cys343), as well as SH2 (Cys95), is strongly conserved between higher plant and bacterial β-amylases. These results agree with the structure model deduced from X-ray crystallography of soybean β-amylase.     

Carbazole/dioxin-degrading car gene cluster is located on the chromosome of Pseudomonas stutzeri strain OM1 in a form different from the simple transposition of Tn4676

The carbazole-degrading (car) operon on the chromosome of Pseudomonas stutzeri strain OM1 showed >99% identity to that in the 72.8 kb catabolic transposon, Tn4676, on plasmid pCAR1. Southern hybridization using probes prepared from the pCAR1 sequence and sequencing analyses showed that the OM1 chromosome contained the 55 kb DNA region, almost all of which was a part of Tn4676, flanked by two copies of novel insertion sequence, ISPst3, and included the car gene.     

结核分枝杆菌生物膜形成相关基因的筛选与鉴定

目的:通过菌落表型变化并结合生物膜生长缺陷筛选并鉴定可能与生物膜形成相关基因.方法:利用带有Himarl转座子的MycoMarT7转座子系统建立结核分枝杆菌H37Ra随机插入突变库;筛选细菌表面结构发生变化和生物膜形成有变化的突变菌株;运用T-A克隆法并结合抗性标记挽救法获得突变菌株的随机插入基因侧翼序列从而鉴定突变基因,并运用生物信息学方法分析预测突变基因的功能.结果:通过菌落形态变化及生物膜缺陷表型筛选出39株突变株,成功鉴定其中16株突变株,涉及16个基因发生突变,其中5个与脂质代谢相关,4个与细胞壁合成相关、2个与中间代谢和呼吸作用相关、1个调节蛋白相关基因,1个毒力相关基因,1个PE/PPE家族基因,还有2个功能未知基因.结合生物膜形成缺陷分析,其中8个基因可能与H37Ra体外生物膜的形成相关.结论:成功构建库容量约为l×104结核分枝杆菌转座子随机插入突变文库,筛选获得生物膜生长受损突变株及可能与结核分枝杆菌生物膜形成相关的基因信息,为后续深入开展生物膜形成机制研究奠定基础.     

A comparative phylogenetic analysis of full-length<Emphasis Type="Italic">mariner</Emphasis> elements isolated from the Indian tasar silkmoth,<Emphasis Type="Italic">Antheraea mylitta</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: saturniidae)

Mariner like elements (MLEs) are widely distributed type II transposons with an open reading frame (ORF) for transposase. We studied comparative phylogenetic evolution and inverted terminal repeat (ITR) conservation of MLEs from Indian saturniid silkmoth,Antheraea mylitta with other full length MLEs submitted in the database. Full length elements fromA. mylitta were inactive with multiple mutations. Many conserved amino acid blocks were identified after aligning transposase sequences. Mariner signature sequence, DD(34)D was almost invariable although a few new class of elements had different signatures.A. mylitta MLEs(Anmmar) get phylogenetically classified under cecropia subfamily and cluster closely with the elements from other Bombycoidea superfamily members implying vertical transmission from a common ancestor. ITR analysis showed a conserved sequence of AGGT(2-8N)ATAAGT for forward repeat and AGGT(2-8N)ATGAAAT for reverse repeat. These results and additional work may help us to understand the dynamics of MLE distribution inA. mylitta and construction of appropriate vectors for mariner mediated transgenics.     

Introduction of the mercury transposon Tn501 into Rhizobium japonicum strains 31 and 110

Abstract Transposon Tn 501 , which encodes resistance to mercuric ions, was introduced into Rhizobium japonicum 110 and 31 by conjugal transfer. The transposon donor plasmid (pMD100) was able to mobilize into R. japonicum , but could not be maintained. Hg²⁺-resistant colonies were recovered at a frequency of 1.9 × 10⁻⁸/recipient for strain 110, and 1.7 × 10⁻⁷/recipient for strain 31. Presence of Tn 501 in Hg-resistant isolates was verified by Southern analysis and demonstrating transposition of Hg resistance. Transposon mutagenesis has been used to generate auxotrophic mutations at low frequency.     

转座因子IS10一个新的插入靶位点的序列分析

转座因子在生物体内广泛存在,它在研究基因的重组机理以及生物染色体的进化方面有着重要意义。IS10是细菌中的一种转座因子,它既能单独作为插入序列,也能作为Tn10的一部分进行转座。利用含sacB基因的质粒pXT3sacB,获得了由转座因子IS10插入而导致sacB基因失活的突变体。通过对插入突变体质粒DNA的序列测定（GenBank登记号为AY580883．1）,结果表明IS10两端分别包括22bp倒置重复区CTGAGAGATCCCCTCATAATTT和AAATCATTAGGGGATTCATCAG,这与前人的报道一致;而IS10两端的插入靶位点序列为TGCTTGGTT,该9bp靶位点序列与前人报道的序列NGCTNAGCN不同。根据文献资料,本研究中的靶位点序列是首次报道。此外,通过Southern blot杂交分析,插入sacB基因中的IS10来源于宿主大肠杆菌DH5α染色体DNA,并且IS10在DH5α染色体中为两个拷贝。此外,本研究利用sacB基因捕获到转座因子IS10,该方法为研究其他插入序列提供了一个有益的体系。     

产薯蓣皂甙华重楼内生菌的筛选与鉴定

从华重楼(Paris polyphylla chinensis Franch)的地下块茎中分离出107株内生菌,经TLC筛选检测,菌株RZ03和RZ07可产生薯蓣皂甙。进行了形态和生理生化鉴定并将菌株的16S rDNA序列分别与用BLAST调出GenBank EMBL DDBJ中的相关序列比较,用ClustalW绘制系统发育树,RZ03与DQ019167(Exiguobac-terium acetylicum)同源性为99%,鉴定为Exiguobacterium acetylicum,RZ03、RZ07与DQ207730(Bacillus subtilis)序列同源性为99%,初步鉴定为Bacillus subtilisRZ07。     

Identification of Products from Oxidation of Uric Acid Induced by Hydroxyl Radicals

The aim of the present study was to separate and characterise products formed by oxidation of uric acid by hydroxyl radicals with a view to probing for these products in vivo in clinical contexts. Aerated solutions of 200 μM uric acid, or its oxidation products, allantoin or parabanic acid, were exposed to gamma radiolysis, (52.0 Gy/min), as a source of HO- radicals, at pH 3.4 and 7.4. Aliquots were taken every 5 minutes for 20 minutes and oxidation products were separated by HPLC and analysed with a diode array detector. Identities of oxidation products were confirmed on the basis of similarity of retention times and absorbance spectra and peak purity parameters of known standards. Hydroperoxides were measured by tri-iodide formation in the 20 minute sample. Exposure of uric acid to such HO fluxes produced a net loss of the parent compound with formation of a complex mixture of products with allantoin and parabanic acid being the predominant products at pH 3.4. The rate of uric acid degradation at physiological pH was slower and the distribution of oxidation products was different. A small but significant amount of uric acid hydroperoxide was detected at both pHs. A mechanism for uric acid oxidation under these conditions is presented.