In silico genome-scale reconstruction and validation of the Corynebacterium glutamicum metabolic network

A genome-scale metabolic model of the Gram-positive bacteria Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 was constructed comprising 446 reactions and 411 metabolites, based on the annotated genome and available biochemical information. The network was analyzed using constraint based methods. The model was extensively validated against published flux data, and flux distribution values were found to correlate well between simulations and experiments. The split pathway of the lysine synthesis pathway of C. glutamicum was investigated, and it was found that the direct dehydrogenase variant gave a higher lysine yield than the alternative succinyl pathway at high lysine production rates. The NADPH demand of the network was not found to be critical for lysine production until lysine yields exceeded 55% (mmol lysine (mmol glucose)(-1)). The model was validated during growth on the organic acids acetate and lactate. Comparable flux values between in silico model and experimental values were seen, although some differences in the phenotypic behavior between the model and the experimental data were observed.     

基因组规模代谢网络模型构建及其应用

微生物制造产业的发展迫切需要进一步提高认识、设计和改造微生物细胞代谢的能力,以推动工业生物技术快速发展。随着微生物全基因组序列等高通量数据的不断积聚和生物信息学策略的持续涌现,使全局性、系统化地解析、设计、调控微生物生理代谢功能成为可能。而基于基因组序列注释和详细生化信息整合的基因组规模代谢网络模型(GSMM)构建为全局理解和理性调控微生物生理代谢功能提供了最佳平台。以下在详述GSMM的应用基础上,描述了如何构建一个高精确度的GSMM,并展望了未来的发展方向。     

基因组尺度代谢网络自动重构及分析工具研究进展

高通量数据的产出为基因组尺度代谢网络的构建提供了基础,但同时也对网络构建和分析方法的改进提出了挑战。随着数据量的不断增大,耗时耗力的人工构建及分析已经无法满足模型发展的需要,因而各种自动化的方法应运而生。模型构建和分析的自动化不仅能够大幅度提高模型构建和解析的速度,同时对于模型构建和分析方法的标准化和程序化也有着不可替代的作用。文中结合作者的实际研究经验,对基因组尺度代谢网络构建的自动化进程和主要的代谢网络分析工具进行了较为详细的介绍,总结了代谢网络自动重构的流程,并提出了目前面对的主要问题和未来的研究方向。     

一株金黄色葡萄球菌小菌落突变株的分离鉴定

摘要：【目的】由于金黄色葡萄球菌（金葡菌）小菌落突变株（small colony variants,简称SCVs ）可引起持续复发性感染,且对氨基糖苷类有抗药性,在临床诊断和治疗上造成很大的困扰。我国国内尚无金葡菌SCVs的报道,本研究旨在分离鉴定出金葡菌SCVs菌株,为国内进行SCVs的相关研究提供生物学材料。【方法】通过细菌的形态鉴定、种特异性基因（nuc）的PCR扩增鉴定以及系列生化实验,从人源、动物源及环境源共104株金葡菌分离株中筛选得到金葡菌SCVs,并通过甲萘醌、硫胺素、胸腺嘧啶和血红素等补     

Characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus, isolated from airways of cystic fibrosis patients, and their small colony variants

The colonization of respiratory tract by Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent feature of cystic fibrosis (CF), especially in pediatric patients. The formation of small colony variants (SCVs), which produce reduced amounts of alpha-toxin, is one of the proposed ways of staphylococcal accommodation in an intracellular niche. The aim of the present study was to compare some properties of S. aureus SCVs and their parent strains. A site-directed S. aureus hemB mutant and parent strain 8325-4 were included in the study (control pair). Normal and SCV strain pairs from CF patients as well as control strains were tested for the susceptibility to defensins, killing activity of professional phagocytes and adhesion to A549 cell line. Because S. aureus are exposed to many cationic proteins in the host, we challenged a clinical isolate with minimal subinhibitory concentration (subMIC) of protamine and found that hemin and menadione auxotrophic SCVs emerged. SCVs were more resistant than normal strains to protamine but not to dermaseptin. The susceptibility to the bactericidal activity of magainin was the same for normal and SCV strains. The protamine resistance of normal as well as SCVs was strongly enhanced by high salt concentration. The adhesion of some SCVs to A549 cells was higher than adhesion of parental strains. However, the number of adherent bacteria (SCVs) was diminished in the presence of hemin for hemin auxotrophs. The uptake of SCVs by granulocytes was lower than ingestion of normal strains, but SCVs were killed with equal or greater potency. SCVs are adapted to intracellular survival and persistence in the host under certain circumstances. The ability to form a variant subpopulation affords S. aureus additional survival options.     

全基因组范围代谢网络的构建和最小基因组研究

全基因组范围代谢网络（genome-scale metabolic network,GSMN）的构建是合成生物学研究的一个重要研究手段。通过整合各种组学数据和借助计算机进行模拟分析,将基因型与表型的关系进行定量关联,从而为从全局的角度探索和揭示生物代谢机制,进而对生物进行合理的重新设计和工程改造提供了有效的框架。该方法在最小基因组研究中也有着突出的优势,通过计算机辅助的基因组最小化模拟与分析,能够系统鉴定微生物基因组基因的必需性。迄今为止,已有近百个基因组范围的代谢网络发表,覆盖的生物包括原核生物、真核生物和古生生物,并广泛应用于医药、能源、环境、工业和农业等多个领域,展现出了广阔的应用前景。将对全基因组范围代谢网络构建的方法、应用,特别是其在最小基因组研究中的应用作简要的综述。     

金黄色葡萄球菌蛋白质相互作用网络及功能

【目的】金黄色葡萄球菌是一种革兰氏阳性菌,是目前最难以对付的病菌之一。它能引起多种感染,特别是在医院环境中。近年来,抗药性金黄色葡萄球菌传染更加严重,已成为公共卫生威胁。由于以前对于金黄色葡萄球菌的实验性研究大都是基于单个基因或者蛋白进行的,为了更好的研究这个物种,有必要从整体上把握金黄色葡萄球菌的蛋白作用机理。【方法】采用系统发生谱、操纵子法、基因融合法、基因邻近法、同源映射法等五种计算方法预测金黄色葡萄球菌蛋白质相互作用网络。【结果】从蛋白组的角度构建了金黄色葡萄球菌蛋白相互作用网络,并对网络进行功能分析。【结论】网络的分析表明金黄色葡萄球菌的蛋白质相互作用网络也服从scale-free属性,发现了SA0939、SA0868、rplD等重要的蛋白。通过对金黄色葡萄球菌的重要的细胞壁合成和信号转导调控蛋白局部网络分析,发现了一些对这两个系统十分重要的蛋白分子,这些信息将为更好的了解金黄色葡萄球菌的致病机理和开发新的药物靶点提供指导。     

Comparative Proteomic Profiling of Methicillin‐Susceptible and Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a highly successful human pathogen responsible for a wide range of infections. This study provides insights into the virulence, pathogenicity, and antimicrobial resistance determinants of methicillin‐susceptible and methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MSSA; MRSA) recovered from non‐healthcare environments. Three environmental MSSA and three environmental MRSA are selected for proteomic profiling using isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation tandem mass spectrometry (iTRAQ MS/MS). Gene Ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway annotation are applied to interpret the functions of the proteins detected. 792 proteins are identified in MSSA and MRSA. Comparative analysis of MRSA and MSSA reveals that 8 of out 792 proteins are upregulated and 156 are downregulated. Proteins that have differences in abundance are predominantly involved in catalytic and binding activity. Among 164 differently abundant proteins, 29 are involved in pathogenesis, antimicrobial resistance, stress response, mismatch repair, and cell wall synthesis. Twenty‐two proteins associated with pathogenicity including SPA, SBI, CLFA, and DLT are upregulated in MRSA. Moreover, the upregulated pathogenic protein ENTC2 in MSSA is determined to be a super antigen, potentially capable of triggering toxic shock syndrome in the host. Enhanced pathogenicity, antimicrobial resistance, and stress response are observed in MRSA compared to MSSA.     

In or out: Phagosomal escape of Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is internalised by host cells in vivo, and recent research results suggest that the bacteria use this intracellularity to persist in the host and form a reservoir for recurrent infections. However, in different cells types, the pathogen resorts to alternative strategies to survive phagocytosis and the antimicrobial mechanisms of host cells. In non‐professional phagocytes, S. aureus either escapes the endosome followed by cytoplasmic replication or replicates within autophagosomes. Professional phagocytes possess a limited capacity to kill S. aureus and hence the bacteria, well equipped with immune evasive mechanisms, replicate within the cells, eventually lyse out of the cells and thus persist in a continuous cycle of phagocytosis, host cell death, and bacterial release.     

金黄色葡萄球菌甲氧西林耐药辅助基因femB的克隆和原核表达

金黄色葡萄球菌femB基因与甲氧西林高水平耐药密切相关,可能成为开发抗MRSA药物的新靶位.以金葡菌基因组DNA为模板,PCR扩增femB全长基因,所得片段与pGM-T载体连接并转化感受态大肠杆菌DH5α,阳性克隆以PCR、双酶切及测序鉴定.将鉴定正确的目的片段定向克隆到pGEX-4T-1表达载体中,转化至大肠杆菌BL21后经IPTG诱导表达GST/FemB融合蛋白;采用SDS-PAGE及Western blot对融合蛋白进行鉴定.结果显示,重组质粒在宿主菌中获得了高效表达,融合蛋白相对分子质量为75 kD,该融合蛋白可与抗GST-tag抗体特异结合;表明femB基因的原核表达系统构建成功,为进一步研究其生物学功能奠定了基础.     

Two thermostable nucleases coexisted in Staphylococcus aureus: evidence from mutagenesis and in vitro expression

Thermostable nuclease is known to be an important pathogenic factor unique to Staphylococcus aureus and it is commonly presumed to have had the same genetic origin. However, two ORFs in S. aureus genomes were predicted to encode nucleases. One encoded an unnamed nuclease A (SNase) (termed nuc1 ), and the other encoded a thermonuclease (TNase) named nuc (termed nuc2 ). In order to verify whether the two thermostable nuclease proteins are coexpressed in S. aureus , the nuc1 and nuc2 genes were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli , and both of the recombinant proteins showed thermostable nuclease activity in a toluidine blue-DNA assay. Furthermore, a nuc1 -deleted mutant of S. aureus strain RN4220 (termed RNΔ nuc1 ) was successfully constructed by homologous recombination. Selection and characterization of this mutant strain revealed that it still exhibited thermostable nuclease activity, but at a relative lower level than that of the parent strain. The nucleases secreted by the parent strain and nuc1 -deleted strain still showed functional activity after 30 min at 121 °C. The findings indicated that two types of thermostable nucleases, encoded by two different genes, coexisted in S. aureus .     

金黄葡萄球菌fnbB基因的克隆及在大肠杆菌中的表达

金黄色葡萄球菌（Staphylococcus aureus）是引起奶牛乳房炎主要致病菌之一,主要通过其菌体表面的黏附素侵入寄主细胞引起疾病,为奶牛业造成巨大损失。金黄色葡萄球菌表面蛋白纤连蛋白结合蛋白(fibronectin-binding protein,FnBP)是其关键的黏附因子,在研制抗金黄色葡萄球菌的新型疫苗中占有重要地位.本文根据GenBank中纤连蛋白结合蛋白B基因（fnbB）序列设计特异性引物,以金黄葡萄球菌基因组DNA为模板,进行PCR扩增,获得3 458 bp 的DNA片段。使用T-A克隆技术,将PCR产物克隆至pGEM T easy Vector中,成功构建出了克隆质粒pGEM-fnbB。以 BamHI和XhoI 双酶切pGEM-fnbB和pET28a(+),并将纯化的基因fnbB 亚克隆至pET28a(+)中,构建出原核表达质粒pET28a-fnbB,并将其转化至E.coli BL21(DE3)感受态细胞中,经1 mmol/L的IPTG诱导和SDS-PAGE分析,在约165 ku 处出现了与预期目的蛋白相一致的外源蛋白带,Western blot分析结果表明该蛋白具有金黄葡萄球菌的抗原性。金黄葡萄球菌pET28a-fnbB成功表达为金黄葡萄球菌引起的奶牛乳房炎的诊断和研究新型疫苗奠定基础。     

Small colony variants of Staphylococcus aureus reveal distinct protein profiles

Small-colony variants (SCVs) of Staphylococcus aureus represent a slow-growing subpopulation causing chronic and relapsing infections due to their physiological adaptation on an intracellular lifestyle. In this first proteomic study on physiological changes associated with a natural, clinically derived SCV, its proteomic profile was investigated in comparison to corresponding isogenic strains displaying normal (clinical wild-type strain, complemented hemB mutant and spontaneous revertant of the clinical SCV) and SCV phenotypes (hemB mutant and gentamicin-induced SCV). Applying an ultra-high resolution chromatography and high mass accuracy MS(E) -based label-free relative and absolute protein quantification approach, the whole cytoplasmic proteome of this strain sextet was investigated in a growth phase-controlled manner covering early-exponential, late-exponential and stationary phases. Of 1019 cytoplasmic proteins identified, 154 were found to be differently regulated between strains. All SCV phenotypes showed down-regulation of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle-related proteins and of a protein cluster involved in purine/pyrimidine and folate metabolism. In contrast to hemB mutant and gentamicin-induced SCVs, the clinically derived SCVs showed no prominent up-regulation of glycolytic proteins. The spontaneous switch into the normal phenotype resulted in up-regulation of TCA cycle-related parts, while oxidative stress-related proteins were down-regulated. However, the natural revertant from the clinical SCV retained also dominant protein features of the clinical SCV phenotype. In conclusion, physiological changes between normal and SCV S. aureus phenotypes are more complex than reflected by defined electron transport chain-interrupting mutants and their complemented counterparts.     

金黄色葡萄球菌的分离及其抗药性的研究

从土壤中分离出金黄色葡萄球菌后,以其为出发菌株,采用梯度培养皿法,利用青霉素、四环素、红霉素、氯霉素和链霉素5种抗生素,对自然界中和经过NaNO2诱变的菌株进行了耐药性菌株的分离及抗性水平的确定。在自然界中分离的金黄色葡萄球菌只对青霉素(80μg/mL)和四环素(60μg/mL)有抗性,而对红霉素、氯霉素和链霉素则没有抗性。经过NaNO2诱变后,金黄色葡萄球菌对四环素(40μg/mL)的抗性降低,但对青霉素(120μg/mL)和其他3种抗生素的抗性均有所增加。     

RT-PCR检测金黄色葡萄球菌

目的探讨检测金黄色葡萄球菌及其活菌的RT-PCR方法。方法用RT-PCR方法对金黄色葡萄球菌的spa基因进行检测,并做灵敏度和特异性测定,用RT-PCR检测细菌灭活前后的spa基因。结果用spa基因检测金黄色葡萄球菌灵敏度为1.5×104CFU/mL;Spa引物能特异性扩增出金黄色葡萄球菌的标准株和14株临床株的目的片段,对大肠埃希菌、铜绿假单胞菌、表皮葡萄球菌和化脓性链球菌则无特异性扩增条带,而对白色念珠菌有较弱条带扩出;细菌灭活前可以检测出目的基因,灭活后4℃放置24、48和72 h均无目的基因片段扩出。结论可以用spa基因对金黄色葡萄球菌进行活菌检测。     

mecA基因PCR扩增法检测耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌

目的 应用mecA基因PCR扩增法检测耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus,MRSA）。方法 临床分离的70株金黄色葡萄球菌,应用mecA基因PCR扩增法鉴定MRSA,并与苯唑西林纸片扩散法进行比较。结果 70株金黄色葡萄球菌用PCR扩增法和纸片扩散法有6株鉴定有差异,4株。mecA基因阳性而纸片扩散法鉴定为敏感,1株mecA基因阳性纸片扩散法鉴定为临界耐药,1株mecA基因阴性却表现为苯唑西林耐药,2种方法符合率为91．43％。结论 mecA基因PCR扩增法可以准确、快速判定MRSA,特别是对隐匿型或低水平耐药菌株的检出有重要的价值。     

基于约束的基因组规模代谢网络模型构建方法研究进展

基因组规模代谢网络模型(Genome-scale metabolic network model,GSMM)正成为细胞代谢特性研究的重要工具,经过多年发展相关理论方法取得了诸多进展.近年来,在基础GSMM模型基础上,通过整合基因组、转录组、蛋白组和热力学数据,实现基于各种约束的GSMM构建,在基因靶点识别、系统代谢工程...     

Dynamic co‐culture metabolic models reveal the fermentation dynamics,metabolic capacities and interplays of cheese starter cultures

In this study, we have investigated the cheese starter culture as a microbial community through a question: can the metabolic behaviour of a co‐culture be explained by the characterized individual organism that constituted the co‐culture? To address this question, the dairy‐origin lactic acid bacteria Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, commonly used in cheese starter cultures, were grown in pure and four different co‐cultures. We used a dynamic metabolic modelling approach based on the integration of the genome‐scale metabolic networks of the involved organisms to simulate the co‐cultures. The strain‐specific kinetic parameters of dynamic models were estimated using the pure culture experiments and they were subsequently applied to co‐culture models. Biomass, carbon source, lactic acid and most of the amino acid concentration profiles simulated by the co‐culture models fit closely to the experimental results and the co‐culture models explained the mechanisms behind the dynamic microbial abundance. We then applied the co‐culture models to estimate further information on the co‐cultures that could not be obtained by the experimental method used. This includes estimation of the profile of various metabolites in the co‐culture medium such as flavour compounds produced and the individual organism level metabolic exchange flux profiles, which revealed the potential metabolic interactions between organisms in the co‐cultures.