QsdH,a Novel AHL Lactonase in the RND-Type Inner Membrane of Marine Pseudoalteromonas byunsanensis Strain 1A01261

N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) are the main quorum-sensing (QS) signals in gram-negative bacteria. AHLs trigger the expression of genes for particular biological functions when their density reaches a threshold. In this study, we identified and cloned the qsdH gene by screening a genomic library of Pseudoalteromonas byunsanensis strain 1A01261, which has AHL-degrading activity. The qsdH gene encoded a GDSL hydrolase found to be located in the N-terminus of a multidrug efflux transporter protein of the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) family. We further confirmed that the GDSL hydrolase, QsdH, exhibited similar AHL-degrading activity to the full-length ORF protein. QsdH was expressed and purified to process the N-terminal signal peptide yielding a 27-kDa mature protein. QsdH was capable of inactivating AHLs with an acyl chain ranging from C₄ to C₁₄ with or without 3-oxo substitution. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analyses showed that QsdH functioned as an AHL lactonase to hydrolyze the ester bond of the homoserine lactone ring of AHLs. In addition, site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that QsdH contained oxyanion holes (Ser-Gly-Asn) in conserved blocks (I, II, and III), which had important roles in its AHL-degrading activity. Furthermore, the lactonase activity of QsdH was slightly promoted by several divalent ions. Using in silico prediction, we concluded that QsdH was located at the first periplasmic loop of the multidrug efflux transporter protein, which is essential to substrate selectivity for these efflux pumps. These findings led us to assume that the QsdH lactonase and C-terminal efflux pump might be effective in quenching QS of the P. byunsanensis strain 1A01261. Moreover, it was observed that recombinant Escherichia coli producing QsdH proteins attenuated the plant pathogenicity of Erwinia carotovora, which might have potential to control of gram-negative pathogenic bacteria.     

苏云金芽孢杆菌B-Pr-88菌株中cry2Ab4基因的表达和杀虫活性研究

以我室自行分离的对鳞翅目夜蛾科害虫具有高毒力的Bt菌株B-Pr-88为材料,用PCR-RFLP方法从其质粒DNA文库中筛选到含cry2Ab基因的一个阳性克隆pZF858,序列测定发现,该片段含有cry2Ab全长基因,开放读码框为1902bps,编码由633个氨基酸组成的70.7kD蛋白,氨基酸同源性与已公布的cry2Ab基因同源性均为99.8%,经Bt基因国际命名委员会正式命名为cry2Ab4。根据cry2Ab4基因开放阅读框架(ORF)两端序列,设计合成一对特异引物L2ab5和L2ab3,PCR扩增获得cry2Ab4完整ORF,与大肠杆菌表达载体pET-21b连接,构建了重组表达质粒pET-2Ab4,质粒导入大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),IPTG诱导后,SDS-PAGE电泳证实该基因表达了60kD的蛋白,生物测定表明,Cry2Ab4对棉铃虫和大豆食心虫具有高毒力,同时对小菜蛾和二化螟有一定的杀虫活性,而对亚洲玉米螟和甜菜夜蛾没有杀虫活性。     

Isolation and Identification of a Novel Antifungal Protein from a Rhizobacterium Bacillus subtilis Strain F3

Bacillus subtilis strain F3, isolated from peach rhizosphere soil, is an antifungal bacterium against many plant pathogens. In this study, the antifungal protein was isolated and purified by ammonium sulphate and chromatography, then identified by mass spectrum analysis. By sequential chromatography of Sephadex G‐50, DEAE‐Sephadex A‐25 anion exchange and Sephadex G‐100, a fraction designated as F3A was isolated to show a single protein band in SDS‐PAGE and be antagonistic towards Monilinia fructicola. The peptide mass fingerprinting of the protein band of F3A had high similarity with the amino acid sequences of several flagellin protein of B. subtilis. There were seven amino acid fragments matched with the protein having the highest score, and sequence coverage was 33%. F3A showed a strongly inhibitory effect to the growth and sporulation of M. fructicola. There were little aerial hyphae and conidia at the antifungal zone, and the hyphae were abnormal with some cell wall collapse and several vacuoles in cells.     

一株种内拮抗的海洋枯草芽孢杆菌的分离与鉴定

从中国东海海域筛选到好氧耐盐菌株A01,此菌株显示出抗枯草芽孢杆菌和白色念珠菌的活性采取对该菌株形态特征、培养特征、生理生化特征和遗传特性进行研究的方法,结果表明此菌株与枯草芽孢仟菌（Bacillus subitilis）的特征一致;将此菌株的16S rDNA序列在GenBank中进行序列比对,结果亦显示其与Bacillus subitilis的16SrDNA的序列片段的相似性为100％;以相似性为基础构建系统发育树,分析表明该菌株与Bacillus subitilis同源关系最近最终得出结论为菌株A01是一株来源于海洋的枯草芽孢杆菌,且具有种内拮抗的特性。     

Identification of Catalytic and Substrate-binding Site Residues in Bacillus cereus ATCC7064 Oligo-1,6-glucosidase

Three active site residues (Asp199, Glu255, Asp329) and two substrate-binding site residues (His103, His328) of oligo-1,6-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.10) from Bacillus cereus ATCC7064 were identified by site-directed mutagenesis. These residues were deduced from the X-ray crystallographic analysis and the comparison of the primary structure of the oligo-1,6-glucosidase with those of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis α-glucosidase, Aspergillus oryzae α-amylase and pig pancreatic α-amylase which act on α-1,4-glucosidic linkages. The distances between these putative residues of B. cereus oligo-1,6-glucosidase calculated from the X-ray analysis data closely resemble those of A. oryzae α-amylase and pig pancreatic α-amylase. A single mutation of Asp199→Asn, Glu255→Gln, or Asp329→Asn resulted in drastic reduction in activity, confirming that three residues are crucial for the reaction process of α-1,6-glucosidic bond cleavage. Thus, it is identified that the basic mechanism of oligo-1,6-glucosidase for the hydrolysis of α-1,6-glucosidic linkage is essentially the same as those of other amylolytic enzymes belonging to Family 13 (α-amylase family). On the other hand, mutations of histidine residues His103 and His328 resulted in pronounced dissimilarity in catalytic function. The mutation His328→Asn caused the essential loss in activity, while the mutation His103→Asn yielded a mutant enzyme that retained 59% of the κ₀/K_m of that for the wild-type enzyme. Since mutants of other α-amylases acting on α-1,4-glucosidic bond linkage lost most of their activity by the site-directed mutagenesis at their equivalent residues to His103 and His328, the retaining of activity by Hisl03→Asn mutation in B. cereus oligo-1,6-glucosidase revealed the distinguished role of His103 for the hydrolysis of α-1,6-glucosidic bond linkage.     

Identification and Characteristics of a Novel Burkholderia Strain with Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Activity

A Burkholderia strain isolated from soil is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria, plant-pathogenic fungi, pathogenic yeasts, and protozoa. Inhibition does not involve cell contact or the presence of living cells, suggesting that at least a substantial portion of the antimicrobial activity is due to the excretion of extracellular compounds.     

抗肿瘤海绵放线菌的分离及菌株HA01184的鉴定

目的：对采自海南、湛江等海域的海绵样品进行放线菌选择性分离,采用其发酵液进行抗肿瘤活性筛选,并对活性较好的菌株进行鉴定。方法：用含50μg／mL重铬酸钾为抑制剂的海水高氏一号合成培养基分离培养海绵放线菌;以MTT法进行菌株的抗肿瘤活性筛选;通过培养特征、形态特征、生理生化特征、16S rDNA序列测定及系统发育分析,对菌株HA01184进行鉴定。结果与结论：海水高氏一号合成培养基用于海绵放线菌分离培养具有很好的选择性,从海绵样品中共分离得到放线菌165株,细胞毒活性达80％以上的阳性菌株有10株,其中菌株HA01184的发酵液细胞毒活性为90％。结合形态观察、生理生化特征和16S rDNA序列比对分析,将HA01184归于链霉菌属,可能是来自海洋环境的一个潜在新种。     

Role of glutamate in the sporogenesis of Bacillus cereus.

Bacillus cereus T, sporulating in a chemically defined medium under optimum conditions, requires substrate quantities of glutamate during the first 4 h of sporogenesis. Seventy percent of the glutamate utilized was catabolized to CO2 during this period, with the remaining glutamate carbon assimilated into various spore constituents, principally protein and nucleic acid. The importance of glutamate as the primary source of reducing potential and energy for early stages of spore formation was investigated. Although the relative efficiency at which tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates substituted for glutamate was suggestive of oxidation via the tricarboxylic acid cycle, only partial inhibition of glutamate oxidation by fluoroacetate was observed.     

Novel method for the proteomic investigation of a dairy-associated Bacillus cereus biofilm

The biofilm proteome of a dairy-associated Bacillus cereus strain (B. cereus 5) was investigated. Biofilm biomass of sufficient concentration for 2D-PAGE was obtained by growing the culture in the presence of glass wool. B. cereus 5 readily attached to the glass wool and biofilms formed within 18 h. The biofilm proteome of whole-cell proteins revealed that 10 proteins were synthesized as a result of surface attachment of which four were unique to the biofilm profile. Seven proteins appeared to be absent in the biofilm profile. The altered proteomes indicated that changes took place in the regulation of protein expression when B. cereus 5 cells attached to surfaces.     

Production of a Novel Extracellular Polysaccharide by a Bacillus Strain Isolated from Soil

A bacterium that was isolated from soil and identified as Bacillus circulans was found to produce a highly viscous extracellular polysaccharide when it was grown aerobically in a medium containing glucose as a sole source of carbon. The product was characterized by TLC and GC analyses as a novel heteropolysaccharide consisted of rhamnose, mannose, galactose, and mannuronic acid as sugar components. A maximal yield of polysaccharide reached about 2 g/liter by jar-fermentor culture at 30°C for 48 hr with a medium containing 1% glucose, 0.05% asparagine, 0.005% yeast extract, and small amounts of inorganic salts. Some culture conditions for the production of polysaccharide were investigated with flask culture; an optimal production was attained with a medium containing 0.1–1 % glucose and 0.01–0.05% asparagine, pH 7–8, at 30°C under aerobic conditions.     

杀线虫海洋放线菌的筛选及菌株HA07011的鉴定

从海南、湛江等海洋环境样品中分离到256株放线菌,运用松材线虫筛选模型进行杀线虫活性菌株的筛选,得到23株对线虫有较高校正击倒率的放线菌。其中菌株HA07011的发酵滤液稀释10倍后对线虫校正击倒率仍达到68.9%,且具有较好的遗传稳定性。根据形态观察、生理生化特征和16S rDNA序列的对比分析,将HA07011归为链霉菌属。     

Identification of Novel Acetyltransferase Activity on the Thermostable Protein ST0452 from Sulfolobus tokodaii Strain 7

A 401-residue-long protein, ST0452, has been identified from a thermophilic archaeon, Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7, as a glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase (Glc-1-P TTase) homolog with a 170-residue-long extra C-terminus portion. Functional analyses of the ST0452 protein have confirmed that the protein possessed dual sugar-1-phosphate nucleotidylyltransferase (sugar-1-P NTase) activities. The 24 repeats of a signature motif sequence which has been found in bacterial acetyltransferases, (L/I/V)-(G/A/E/D)-XX-(S/T/A/V)-X, were detected at the C terminus of the ST0452 protein. This observation prompted our group to investigate the acetyltransferase activity of the ST0452 protein. Detection of the release of coenzyme A (CoA) from acetyl-CoA and the production of UDP-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) from glucosamine-1-phosphate (GlcN-1-P) and UTP in the presence of the ST0452 protein revealed that this protein possesses the GlcN-1-P-specific acetyltransferase activity. In addition, analyses of substrate specificity showed that acetyltransferase activity of the ST0452 protein is capable of catalyzing the change of galactosamine-1-phosphate (GalN-1-P) to N-acetyl-d-galactosamine-1-phosphate (GalNAc-1-P) as well as GlcN-1-P and that its sugar-1-P NTase activity is capable of producing UDP-GalNAc from GalNAc-1-P and UTP. This is the first report of a thermostable bifunctional enzyme with GalN-1-P acetyltransferase and GalNAc-1-P uridyltransferase activities. The observation reveals that the bacteria-type UDP-GlcNAc biosynthetic pathway from fructose-6-phospate is utilized in this archaeon and represents a novel biosynthetic pathway for producing UDP-GalNAc from GalN-1-P in this microorganism.The nucleotide-sugar molecule is used as a substrate for the construction of the polymer structure of carbohydrates and as a starting material for the biosynthesis of modified-sugar-nucleotide conjugates; for example, TDP-glucose is the starting material for the construction of TDP-rhamnose (25). Several sugar-1-phosphate nucleotidylyltransferases (sugar-1-P NTases) involved in some biosynthetic reactions, such as glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase (Glc-1-P TTase), N-acetyl-d-glucosamine-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GlcNAc-1-P UTase), and mannose-1-phosphate guanylyltransferase, have been identified from many bacteria, including pathogens, as well as from eukaryotes (5, 10, 11, 17, 25, 27, 29). However, only limited information on the archaeal enzyme with sugar-1-P NTase activity has been obtained.Our group has previously reported the first thermostable enzyme with sugar-1-P NTase activity from an acidothermophilic archaeon, Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7 (31). The sugar-1-P NTase activity of the ST0452 protein, which was primarily identified by sequence similarity with the Escherichia coli RmlA protein, indicated the utilization of Glc-1-P and GlcNAc-1-P as a sugar-1-P substrate and all deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) and UTP as nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) substrates, but glucosamine-1-phosphate (GlcN-1-P) was not utilized as a substrate. It was also reported that the GlcNAc-1-P UTase activity of the ST0452 protein was improved by the introduction of site-directed mutagenesis (30).The identification of GlcNAc-1-P UTase activity on the ST0452 protein suggests that the protein may have activities and features similar to those of the bacterial GlmU enzyme (19). However, the ST0452 protein exhibits only a low level of sequence identity (less than 20% identity) with E. coli GlmU (data not shown). The phylogenetic analysis of the ST0452 protein and related proteins indicates that the ST0452 protein and homologous proteins form a group independent of other related enzymes identified as RmlA or GlmU (Fig. ​(Fig.11).Open in a separate windowFIG. 1.Phylogenetic relationship among bacterial RmlA, bacterial GlmU, and ST0452 proteins. The phylogenetic positions of two bacterial RmlA proteins, two bacterial GlmU proteins, three archaeal ST0452 homologous proteins, and the ST0452 protein were determined with the ClustalW algorithm provided by the DNA Database of Japan (DDBJ). Evolutionary distance is shown by the horizontal bar. E_RmlA, S_RmlA, E_GlmU, S_GlmU, MJ1101, SSO0745, Saci0619, and ST0452 indicate the RmlA proteins from Escherichia coli (Uniprot accession number A1AHV8) and Streptococcus mutans (Uniprot accession number {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"P95778","term_id":"2500162"}}P95778), the GlmU proteins from E. coli (Uniprot accession number {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"A8A6J2","term_id":"166990434"}}A8A6J2) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (Uniprot accession number {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q04KU2","term_id":"122278758"}}Q04KU2), the MJ1101 protein from Methanocaldococcus janaschii (Uniprot accession number {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"Q58501","term_id":"38258700"}}Q58501), the SSO0745 protein from Sulfolobus solfataricus (Uniprot accession number Q9UXD3), the Saci0619 protein from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (Uniprot accession number Q4JB18), and the ST0452 protein used in this work, respectively.In spite of the low level of sequence similarity of the ST0452 protein with the bacterial GlmU, GlcNAc-1-P UTase activity was detected on the protein. Twenty-four incomplete repeats of the hexapeptide repeat motif sequences with the left-handed parallel beta-helix (LβH) structural feature (22) (L/I/V)-(G/A/E/D)-XX-(S/T/A/V)-X were also detected at the C-terminal region of the ST0452 protein (Fig. ​(Fig.2).2). This motif sequence has been identified in enzymes with acetyl- or acyltransferase (22), succinyltransferase (1), and carbonic anhydrase (12) activities. Sequences with this motif are detected at the C terminus of all three archaea-related genes shown in Fig. ​Fig.1,1, Saci0619, MJ1101, and SSO0745, but there is no information on the function or activities of Saci0619 and SSO0745. For MJ1101, activities were detected but detailed analysis was not performed (18). Therefore, we hypothesized that the acetyltransferase activity was also present on the ST0452 protein.Open in a separate windowFIG. 2.Repeat motif sequences identified at the C-terminal region of the ST0452 protein. The repeat motif sequence predicted at the C-terminal region from Val235 to Gly394 of the ST0452 protein, (L/I/V)-(G/A/E/D)-XX-(S/T/A/V)-X, is shown. The conserved residues at the first, second, and fifth positions within the motif sequences detected are indicated by boxes, boldface letters, and shaded boxes, respectively. Three repeat motif sequence units, which are predicted to make up one turn of the helix structure, are shown in each row. The residues from Val341 to Phe358, the sequence of which is different from the motif consensus sequence, are shown in parentheses.In this work, we analyzed the acetyltransferase activity of the recombinant ST0452 protein and confirmed the GlcN-1-P acetylation activity by two independent experiments, i.e., detection of conversion from acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) to CoA and construction of UDP-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc). The substrate specificity analyses indicated that the ST0452 protein was capable of utilizing galactosamine-1-phosphate (GalN-1-P) as the substrate for the acetyltransferase activity and N-acetyl-d-galactosamine-1-phosphate (GalNAc-1-P) as the substrate for the sugar-1-P NTase activity of the recombinant ST0452 protein. This is the first report describing a bifunctional enzyme with both GlcN-1-P and GalN-1-P acetyltransferase activities plus GlcNAc-1-P and GalNAc-1-P NTase activities and a high degree of stability; therefore, industrial applications of this enzyme are expected.     

Role of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 in experimental Bacillus cereus endophthalmitis

Bacillus cereus causes a uniquely rapid and blinding intraocular infection, endophthalmitis. B. cereus replicates in the eye, synthesizes numerous toxins, and incites explosive intraocular inflammation. The mechanisms involved in the rapid and explosive intraocular immune response have not been addressed. Because Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are integral to the initial recognition of organisms during infection, we hypothesized that the uniquely explosive immune response observed during B. cereus endophthalmitis is directly influenced by the presence of TLR2, a known gram-positive pathogen recognition receptor. To address this hypothesis, we compared the courses of experimental B. cereus endophthalmitis in wild type C57BL/6J mice to that of age-matched homozygous TLR2(-/-) mice. Output parameters included analysis of bacterial growth, inflammatory cell (PMN) infiltration, cytokine/chemokine kinetics, retinal function testing, and histology, with N≥4 eyes/assay/time point/mouse strain. B. cereus grew at similar rates to10(8) CFU/eye by 12 h, regardless of the mouse strain. Retinal function was preserved to a greater degree in infected TLR2(-/-) eyes compared to that of infected wild type eyes, but infected eyes of both mouse strains lost significant function. Retinal architecture was preserved in infected TLR2(-/-) eyes, with limited retinal and vitreal cellular infiltration compared to that of infected wild type eyes. Ocular myeloperoxidase activities corroborated these results. In general, TNFα, IFNγ, IL6, and KC were detected in greater concentrations in infected wild type eyes than in infected TLR2(-/-) eyes. The absence of TLR2 resulted in decreased intraocular proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine levels and altered recruitment of inflammatory cells into the eye, resulting in less intraocular inflammation and preservation of retinal architecture, and a slightly greater degree of retinal function. These results demonstrate TLR2 is an important component of the initial ocular response to B. cereus endophthalmitis.     

一株海洋细菌的初步鉴定及其产黑色素相关新基因(簇)的分离

对分离自近海沼泽地大米草根际的一株供试海洋细菌MWYL1进行了形态观察、生理特性检测以及16SrDNA序列分析。实验结果表明:该菌株属于海洋单胞菌属(Marinomonas),革兰氏染色呈阴性,直杆状,好氧生长,适于28℃生长。基于16SrDNA序列的Blast分析表明,菌株MWYL1与Marinomonas pontica和Marinomonas dokdonensis的序列相似性分别为97%和95%。通过基因组fosmid文库的构建,直接分离到一个产生黑色素的克隆,进一步亚克隆和测序后获得与黑色素产生相关的功能新基因(簇),并且对其进行了生物信息学的初步分析。     

Identification of β-Lactamase in Antibiotic-Resistant Bacillus cereus Spores

β-Lactamase type I is reported for the first time to occur in the sporulated form in a penicillin-resistant Bacillus species. The enzyme was readily characterized from the B. cereus 5/B line (ATCC 13061) by mass spectrometry and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.     

Potential Application in Mercury Bioremediation of a Marine Sponge-Isolated Bacillus cereus strain Pj1

Sponges are sessile marine invertebrates that can live for many years in the same location, and therefore, they have the capability to accumulate anthropogenic pollutants such as metals over a long period. Almost all marine sponges harbor a large number of microorganisms within their tissues. The Bacillus cereus strain Pj1 was isolated from a marine sponge, Polymastia janeirensis, and was found to be resistant to 100 μM HgCl₂ and to 10 μM methylmercury (MeHg). Pj1 was also highly resistant to other metals, including CdCl₂ and Pb(NO₃)₂, alone or in combination. The mer operon was located on the bacterial chromosome, and the volatilization test indicated that the B. cereus Pj1 was able to reduce Hg²⁺–Hg⁰. Cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry demonstrated that Pj1 volatilized 80 % of the total MeHg that it was exposed to and produced elemental Hg when incubated with 1.5 μM MeHg. Pj1 also demonstrated sensitivity to all antibiotics tested. In addition, Pj1 demonstrated a potential for biosurfactant production, presenting an emulsification activity better than synthetic surfactants. The results of this study indicate that B. cereus Pj1 is a strain that can potentially be applied in the bioremediation of HgCl₂ and MeHg contamination in aquatic environments.     

Isolation and Characterization of a Bacillus cereus Mutant Strain Hyperproductive of Exo-β-Amylase

Starting with a strain of Bacillus cereus excreting about 40-fold more β-amylase than does the original wild-type strain, we isolated, after mutagenesis with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, a strain designated BQ10-S1 SpoIII which showed under optimal conditions a further 5.5-fold increase in β-amylase activity. The amylase production of this strain was observed to increase in the presence of 0.5% glucose or 1% maltose and, more markedly, in the presence of 2% soluble starch in the culture medium. The enzyme produced by this strain was immunologically identical to the wild-type enzyme, suggesting that either the copy number of the gene or the efficiency of enzyme synthesis from it, or both, are altered in this strain.     

Identification of a collagenase produced by Bacillus cereus R75E isolated from human colostrum

Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology - Recent studies have shown that the human colostrum and milk are a continuous supply of commensal, mutualistic and/or potentially probiotic bacteria to the...