海分枝杆菌-斑马鱼模型的抗结核研究进展

斑马鱼(Danio rerio,Zebrafish)模型是研究宿主-病原体相互作用的有力平台。因为其光学透明特性,斑马鱼幼虫感染模型有利于探索在活脊椎动物体内实时观察海洋分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium marinum, M. marinum)感染的早期阶段的发病机制。此外,斑马鱼幼虫免疫系统提供了探索海洋分枝杆菌与宿主免疫作用机制的条件。还因斑马鱼发育周期短、繁殖产量高、饲养条件低而备受欢迎,而海分枝杆菌因其实验环境要求低,基因相似性与结核分枝杆菌高而作为研究结核的备选细菌。因此,斑马鱼-海分枝杆菌感染模型的使用成为揭示结核病发病机制并研发药物的有效途径之一。     

mkl基因在海分枝杆菌抵抗宿主免疫中的作用

本研究利用 MycoMarT7噬菌体建立了海分枝杆菌随机突变库,鉴定获得1株转座子插在基因MMAR＿0994（mkl）上的突变株。用野生株和突变株分别感染斑马鱼成鱼,通过观察斑马鱼的存活情况,研究 mkl基因对海分枝杆菌毒力的影响;利用尾静脉注射感染孵出48 h后的斑马鱼幼鱼,于荧光显微镜下观察突变株及野生株在幼鱼体内的播散情况,以检测 mkl基因在细菌与宿主天然免疫相互作用中的功能;将野生株和突变株分别感染小鼠来源巨噬细胞,检测其在巨噬细胞内的增殖。此外,还检测了突变株对酸性环境的耐受情况。结果显示,mkl基因突变株感染斑马鱼成鱼后25 d内没有鱼死亡;在斑马鱼幼鱼感染模型和细胞感染模型中,突变株的增殖明显减弱;突变株对酸性环境压力更敏感。以上结果提示,mkl基因在海分枝杆菌抵抗宿主免疫及致病中发挥重要作用。     

斑马鱼-海分枝杆菌模型研究对结核病致病机理的启示

全世界约三分之一的人口感染过结核分枝杆菌,其导致的结核病仍然是全球公共卫生的严重威胁。结核菌是典型的胞内致病菌。结核菌的致病性与其成功逃避和利用宿主免疫应答等密切相关。控制结核病需要深入了解致病菌和宿主之间的相互作用。不同的动物模型是揭示致病菌-宿主相互作用的关键。海分枝杆菌-斑马鱼模型是最近才得以发展并获得了不少新见解的研究系统之一。本文总结了该模型揭示的海分枝杆菌毒力因子Erp、Esx-1、pmiA、Mel1和Mel2、KasB等,以及该模型的优缺点。这些结果为大动物模型研究和深入了解结核分枝杆菌感染人体的致病机理提供了线索。     

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.     

分枝杆菌glpX基因的功能

【目的】构建耻垢分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium smegmatis)glpX基因敲除株,研究其在生理代谢中的功能。【方法】利用分枝杆菌噬菌体Che9c重组系统构建耻垢分枝杆菌glpX基因敲除株;比较野生株及突变株在不同碳源培养条件下的生长差异;通过荧光实时定量PCR,比较野生株在以葡萄糖或油酸为唯一碳源培养下,glpX基因的表达水平。【结果】glpX突变株在以甘油或油酸为唯一碳源的培养基中无法生长;野生株在以油酸为唯一碳源培养下,glpX基因表达上调。【结论】glpX基因编码了分枝杆菌糖异生途径必需的和非冗余的果糖1,6-二磷酸酶(fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase,FBPase)。     

分枝杆菌glpX基因的功能

摘要:【目的】构建耻垢分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium smegmatis)glpX基因敲除株,研究其在生理代谢中的功能。【方法】利用分枝杆菌噬菌体Che9c重组系统构建耻垢分枝杆菌glpX 基因敲除株;比较野生株及突变株在不同碳源培养条件下的生长差异;通过荧光实时定量PCR,比较野生株在以葡萄糖或油酸为唯一碳源培养下,glpX基因的表达水平。【结果】glpX突变株在以甘油或油酸为唯一碳源的培养基中无法生长;野生株在以油酸为唯一碳源培养下,glpX基因表达上调。【结论】glpX基因编码了分枝杆菌糖异生途径必需的和非冗余的果糖1,6-二磷酸酶(fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase,FBPase)。     

重组分枝杆菌噬菌体检测分枝杆菌的发光研究

采用生物发光方法检测重组的分支杆菌噬菌体对不同细菌的发光反应,并比较了仅在特定的温度范围内才能繁殖的温敏噬菌体Phage 88和正常噬菌体Phage 40对分枝杆菌感染活力测定时发光强度的差异,以建立用不同类型重组噬菌体检测结核分枝杆菌耐药性的方法和条件.结果显示两种噬菌体对各种分枝杆菌作用后均有发光,对非分枝杆菌发光值很低,两者差异有显著性;不同的分枝杆菌发光值有差异：卡介苗的发光值最高,结核分枝杆菌的发光值最低;温敏噬菌体Phage 88的检测灵敏度大于正常噬菌体Phage 40,差异显著.因此可认为两株噬菌体均可特异地检测结核分枝杆菌,但Phage 88的效果优于Phage 40.     

PNP降解相关基因温敏突变株的分离及其特性研究

通过接合转移将质粒pSC123上的转座子Tn5随机插入到DLL-E4基因组DNA中,从大约8,000个突变株中得到1株温度敏感型突变株MT54。根据转座子上的已知序列设计引物以MT54基因组DNA为模板进行PCR扩增,证实MT54的染色体中有转座子插入。MT54在30℃条件下能够以对硝基苯酚(p-nitrophenol,PNP)为唯一碳源生长,但在37℃不能生长。格里斯试色剂法检测NO_2~-的生成情况进一步证明了MT54的这种特性。通过30℃和37℃两种温度条件下MT54和原始出发菌株DLL-E4对PNP和对苯二酚降解情况的比较,推测温敏突变位点可能发生在与PNP降解相关的基因中。     

分枝杆菌制剂对小鼠细胞免疫功能影响的研究

以迟发性超敏反应与T淋巴细胞增殖反应分别作为体内,外细胞免疫功能的基本参数,探讨不同剂量的分枝杆菌,在不同时间对小鼠细胞免疫功能的影响。结果 显示免疫组的中和／或高剂量组的反应显著强于对照组（P＜0．05）,且随时间延长,剂量加大有增强的趋势。证实分枝杆菌制剂能增强机体细胞免疫功能。     

Mycobacterium marinum biofilm formation reveals cording morphology

Abstract The emergence of the nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) as clinically relevant pathogens has warranted the study of these ubiquitous organisms in the context of their likely environmental niche, the biofilm. We assayed the NTM bacterium Mycobacterium marinum strain 1218R, a fish outbreak isolate, for biofilm formation on different surfaces over time using three different methods. Using the MBEC system, biofilm development occurred continually over the 14-day culture period reaching a mature or stable biofilm state after 7 days postinoculation. Quantification of M. marinum biofilm formation on high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polycarbonate (PC) and silicon (Si) coupons over a 14-day period was evaluated using a continuous flow reactor system. M. marinum developed biofilms on all of the surfaces tested. However, substantially more biofilm accumulated on the silicon than on the other substrates (Si>HDPE>PC) under the same growth conditions indicating that silicon was the most effective substratum studied for the generation of M. marinum biofilms and suggesting a correlation between surface hydrophobicity and attachment. Finally, confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to visualize M. marinum biofilm development in situ over time and revealed an unusual biofilm ultrastructure. Large cell clusters attached to the surface grew in parallel sinuous arrays of cells that formed large cords.     

Unexpected link between lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis and surface protein release in Mycobacterium marinum

The mycobacterial cell envelope is characterized by the presence of a highly impermeable second membrane, which is composed of mycolic acids intercalated with different unusual free lipids, such as lipooligosaccharides (LOS). Transport across this cell envelope requires a dedicated secretion system for extracellular proteins, such as PE_PGRS proteins, which are specific mycobacterial proteins with polymorphic GC-rich sequence (PGRS). In this study, we set out to identify novel components involved in the secretion of PE_PGRS proteins by screening Mycobacterium marinum transposon mutants for secretion defects. Interestingly, most mutants were not affected in secretion but in the release of PE_PGRS proteins from the cell surface. These mutants had insertions in a gene cluster associated with LOS biosynthesis. Lipid analysis of these mutants revealed a role at different stages of LOS biosynthesis for 10 novel genes. Furthermore, we show that regulatory protein WhiB4 is involved in LOS biosynthesis. The absence of the most extended LOS molecule, i.e. LOS-IV, and a concomitant accumulation of LOS-III was already sufficient to reduce the release of PE_PGRS proteins from the mycobacterial cell surface. A similar effect was observed for major surface protein EspE. These results show that the attachment of surface proteins is strongly influenced by the glycolipid composition of the mycobacterial cell envelope. Finally, we tested the virulence of a LOS-IV-deficient mutant in our zebrafish embryo infection model. This mutant showed a marked increase in virulence as compared with the wild-type strain, suggesting that LOS-IV plays a role in the modulation of mycobacterial virulence.     

Outbreak of Mycobacterium marinum infection among captive snakes and bullfrogs

Since 1985 mycobacterial infection has been observed occasionally among snakes and bullfrogs housed in the Wisconsin exhibit at the Milwaukee Zoo. Prospective screening of animals was initiated in September 1990, after two cases occurred in March and June 1990. Overall, of 47 animals that were housed in the exhibit from 1981 through its closure in 1995, 15 (31.9%) were diagnosed with mycobacterial infection. That includes 10 cases (of 24 animals; 40% prevalence) that occurred during the final 5 years, when all animals were actively being screened for infection. Infection was documented by culture for seven animals, histology for four animals, and both histology and culture for four animals. Species determination of nine of the 10 isolates revealed Mycobacterium marinum. Genetic fingerprinting of the eight available isolates using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed that six animals (five snakes and one bullfrog) were infected with the same strain of M. marinum (strain A) and two snakes were infected with a second strain (strain B). Deaths of animals infected with strain A spanned 1992–1995, and for strain B 1990–1992. It is postulated that possible routes of transmission were inhalation of infected aerosols or ingestion of contaminated food, water, or fomites. These data suggest that in closed systems the presence of mycobacterial infection in one animal significantly increases the risk of infection for all animals. Moreover, individual pathogenic strains may persist for prolonged periods of time. Zoo Biol 21:233–241, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Identification of Mycobacterium marinum virulence genes using signature-tagged mutagenesis and the goldfish model of mycobacterial pathogenesis

Mycobacterium marinum, a causative agent of fish tuberculosis, is one of the most closely related Mycobacterium species (outside the M. tuberculosis complex) to M. tuberculosis, the etiologic agent of human tuberculosis. Signature-tagged mutagenesis was used to identify genes of M. marinum required for in vivo survival in a goldfish model of mycobacterial pathogenesis. Screening the first 1008 M. marinum mutants led to the identification of 40 putative virulence mutants. DNA sequence analysis of these 40 mutants identified transposon insertions in 35 unique loci. Twenty-eight out of 33 (85%) loci encoding putative virulence genes have homologous genes in M. tuberculosis.     

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of a gene upstream of the eaeA gene of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7

Abstract Conjugative, thermosensitive shuttle plasmids capable of transfer from Escherichia coli to Mycobacterium smegmatis were constructed. They contain both an E. coli replicon and a thermosensitive derivative of the pALS000 mycobacterial replicon. Using a temperature shift protocol, the conjugative plasmid, pJAZll was used to deliver the transposon Tn 611 from E. coli into the chromosome of M. smegmatis . Analysis of transconjugants revealed the random insertion of the transposon.     

In vivo and in vitro growth of Mycobacterium marinum at homoeothermic temperatures

Mycobacterium marinum can cause systemic infection in fishes and skin infection in humans. Most strains grow better at <37 degrees C, which can explain the rarity of infections in humans. The ability of strains from humans and fish to grow in various conditions, and in macrophages from carp, humans, and mouse was evaluated, as was the ability of the three fish isolates to infect mice. Significant differences of growth in vitro and in vivo were observed. All fish strains caused both footpad and deep tissue infections, and two, which grew very poorly or not all at 37 degrees C, proliferated in mammalian macrophages.     

The pathogen Mycobacterium marinum, a faster growing close relative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has a single rRNA operon per genome

Although Mycobacterium marinum and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are very closely related they differ significantly in their growth rates. The Type strain of M. marinum and one clinical isolate were investigated and, like M. tuberculosis, were found to have a single rRNA (rrn) operon per genome located downstream from murA gene and controlled by two promoters. No sequence differences were found that account for the difference in the growth rates of the two species. We infer that M. tuberculosis has the capacity to synthesize rRNA much faster than it actually does; and propose that the high number of insertion sequences in this species attenuate growth rate to lower values.     

Identification of the lipooligosaccharide biosynthetic gene cluster from Mycobacterium marinum

Lipooligosaccharides (LOSs) are antigenic glycolipids that are present in some species of Mycobacterium including the Canetti strain of M. tuberculosis. The core LOS structures from several mycobacterial organisms have been established, but the biosynthetic pathways of LOSs remain unknown. In this study, we describe two transposon insertion mutants of M. marinum that exhibit altered colony morphology. Cell wall analysis reveals that the MRS1271 mutant is defective in the synthesis of LOS-II, whereas the MRS1178 mutant accumulates an intermediate between LOS-I and -II. The genetic lesions were localized to two genes, MM2309 and MM2332. MM2309 encodes a UDP-glucose dehydrogenase that is involved in the synthesis of d-xylose. MM2332 is predicted to encode a decarboxylase. These two genes and a previously identified losA gene are localized in a gene cluster likely to be involved in the biosynthesis of LOSs. Our results also show that LOSs play an important role in sliding motility, biofilm formation, and infection of host macrophages. Taken together, our studies have identified, for the first time, a LOS biosynthetic locus. This is an important step in assessing the differential distribution of LOSs among Mycobacterium species and understanding the role of LOSs in mycobacterial virulence.