细菌CRISPR-Cas 系统功能及其与噬菌体相互作用

摘要:近来研究发现,细菌CRISPR-Cas 系统在宿主菌抵抗可移动基因元件(mobile genetic elements,MGEs)的过程中发挥重要作用。CRISPR-Cas还参与宿主菌群体行为和毒力基因调控、DNA修复和基因组进化过程。本文着重综述细菌CRISPR-Cas系统的结构、类型、作用机制及其适应性免疫之外的其他功能(如对内源性基因表达的调控、促进基因组进化、DNA修复等);概述噬菌体抵抗CRISPR-Cas系统的机制,并对噬菌体-宿主菌相互作用进行探讨和展望。     

金黄色葡萄球菌壁磷壁酸致病与免疫的分子机制研究进展

金黄色葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus aureus)壁磷壁酸(wall teichoic acids, WTAs)是多元醇经由磷酸二酯键共价连接组成的细胞壁表面阴离子糖类聚合物,参与调节细胞壁的稳态并介导细菌毒力。金黄色葡萄球菌WTAs与宿主细胞表面特定的受体结合,可诱导天然免疫和获得性免疫应答。此外,金黄色葡萄球菌WTAs还参与调控毒力基因的表达,有助于细菌的定殖感染,在基因工程靶标治疗和噬菌体药物治疗方面具有广泛的应用前景。本文对金黄色葡萄球菌WTAs的合成进行了概述,综述了WTAs对宿主免疫应答的调控作用,以及在细菌对宿主侵袭与定殖中的致病机制,并归纳WTAs的耐药分子机制和作为药物治疗靶标的研究现状。这些研究为揭示WTAs的致病与免疫分子机制提供研究思路,为预防和治疗金黄色葡萄球菌的感染提供新的策略。     

细菌对细胞因子网络的干扰

在细菌感染中,细菌可通过多种方式参与宿主细胞因子网络的调控,对其调控方式和机制的探讨,有助于了解细菌的致病机制,对细菌性感染防治有重要意义。     

微生物-肠-脑轴的研究进展

肠道微生物群能够调节宿主肠道稳态,同时参与调节宿主神经系统功能和行为。肠道菌群失调可能导致宿主神经系统功能障碍,从而引发神经退行性疾病。因此,研究微生物在肠?脑轴中发挥的作用及其机制,靶向调控肠道微生物菌群结构和功能,将为神经系统疾病的诊断与治疗提供新的手段。近年来,有关肠道微生物与机体神经系统间的互作研究受到了广泛关注,然而其具体的调控机制还未明晰。因此,本文综述了肠道微生物对宿主神经健康的调节作用,以及肠道微生物与宿主间的互作在调节神经功能、行为的潜力等研究进展,为更好地了解肠道微生物在调控宿主神经系统功能和行为的作用机制提供参考。     

节肢动物内共生细菌研究进展

节肢动物门是动物界最大的门,占整个动物种数的80%,全世界约有120万现存种。节肢动物在生长发育过程中会感染多种微生物,这些微生物会与其形成协同进化和互利共生的关系。内共生细菌是一类广泛分布于节肢动物体内的共生微生物,能够进行垂直传播和水平传播,对宿主的生长发育、生殖代谢、适应性、免疫功能和进化等诸多方面均具有重要的作用。目前,随着现代分子生物学理论和技术的发展,节肢动物内共生细菌相关研究主要集中在对其宿主的生殖调控功能、与其宿主、宿主寄主植物以及其宿主体内微生物和宿主天敌间互作关系等方面。因此,利用内共生细菌对昆虫种群动态的生殖调控功能,阻断热带蚊虫带来的疾病或植物病害的传播并对宿主昆虫进行种群压制或种群替换,可达到防控害虫的目的。本文从节肢动物内共生细菌的传播方式、对其宿主生物学效应以及内共生细菌与其宿主、宿主寄主植物、宿主天敌和宿主体内微生物互作关系等多方面进行概述,并对内共生细菌今后研究方向进行展望,以期为生物进化、物种形成和种群压制提供参考。     

小RNA对胞内菌生长、毒力及铁水平的调节作用

细菌小RNA(small RNA,sRNA)是一类长度为50~500个碱基,具有调控转录、翻译和mRNA稳定性的非编码调节性RNA。随着越来越多的sRNA被鉴定,部分细菌的sRNA功能已逐步阐明,主要参与调控细菌的基因表达、增殖、毒力及对环境的应激反应等生物学过程。本文就胞内菌(如沙门菌、李斯特菌、嗜肺军团菌等)sRNA对其自身在宿主细胞内的生长、毒力和铁水平的调控作用进行综述。     

细菌功能调控的重要转录因子PerR

PerR是一类存在于多种细菌中的转录因子。研究证实PerR调控的靶基因包括过氧化氢酶katA、DNA结合蛋白mrgA、铁转运调控子fur、血红素合成基因簇hemAXCDBL以及自身perR等。PerR参与的调控作用在细菌的抗氧化作用、胞内的铁离子动态平衡、以及致病菌致病作用中具有重要的意义。本综述主要从PerR调控的靶基因、参与的生理代谢作用以及PerR转录调控的分子机制等方面进行介绍,以期对我们深入了解细菌的抗逆作用机制提供参考。     

细菌非编码小RNA功能及作用机制研究进展

生物体中除了编码蛋白质的mRNA外,还存在多种具有重要调控功能的非编码RNA。细菌中长度50~500 nt的非编码RNA通常定义为sRNA。sRNA在细菌的整个生命活动中发挥着极为广泛的作用,在感受环境压力、基因表达、细胞周期乃至个体发育等过程中均具有重要的调控作用。sRNA的功能学和调控机制的研究已成为当今细菌学研究的热点。本研究就细菌中的sRNA的特征,在细菌中的作用和作用机制进行文献综述。     

人巨细胞病毒博弈宿主免疫进展

人巨细胞病毒(HCMV)感染在人群中极其普遍,病毒一旦侵入机体,将长期存在于体内,且具有潜伏-活化的生物学特性。在病毒与宿主共同进化的漫长过程中,病毒靶向性的产生了多种免疫逃避机制,通过编码病毒自身免疫调节分子,参与调控机体主要组织相容性复合体、细胞免疫、体液免疫、细胞因子及趋化因子等方面的功能,以躲避宿主的免疫杀伤作用。HCMV的免疫调节基因被认为在病毒的致病机制中扮演重要角色。本文将对近年来有关HCMV的免疫调控机制研究作一综述,从病毒编码的免疫调节分子功能的角度并结合本实验室的相关研究成果,探讨病毒与宿主免疫的相互作用过程,从病毒干预宿主免疫关键分子作用的角度映射机体对抗病毒的免疫机理。     

宿主防御肽抗病毒感染机制研究进展

宿主防御肽是一类广泛存在于脊椎动物的小分子多肽,具有广谱的抗菌活性以及抗炎、细胞趋化、促进血管生成和修复损伤等免疫调节功能。以往的研究多集中在宿主防御肽抗细菌和真菌感染的研究上。近年来大量研究发现,宿主防御肽也具有广泛的抗病毒活性,在临床各类病毒病的预防和治疗上具有潜在的应用前景。本文围绕宿主防御肽直接杀伤病毒、调节病毒感染过程和参与宿主抗病毒天然免疫调节这3个方面的作用机制进行综述,为宿主防御肽抗病毒相关研究和相关抗病毒生物药物的研发提供参考和借鉴。     

Recent advances in the study of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replication and pathogenesis

It has now been over twenty years since a novel herpesviral genome was identified in Kaposi's sarcoma biopsies. Since then, the cumulative research effort by molecular biologists, virologists, clinicians, and epidemiologists alike has led to the extensive characterization of this tumor virus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV; also known as human herpesvirus 8(HHV-8)), and its associated diseases. Here we review the current knowledge of KSHV biology and pathogenesis, with a particular emphasis on new and exciting advances in the field of epigenetics. We also discuss the development and practicality of various cell culture and animal model systems to study KSHV replication and pathogenesis.     

The structure, reproduction and taxonomy of Vidalia and Osmundaria (Rhodophyta, Rhodomelaceae)

Comprises species occurring mostly in subtidal habitats in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate areas of the world. An analysis of the type species, V. spiralis (Sonder) Lamouroux ex J. Agardh, a species from Australia, establishes basic characters for distinguishing species in the genus. These characters are (1) branching patterns of thalli, (2) flat blades that may be spiralled on their axis, (3) width of the blade, (4) primary or secondary derivation of sterile and fertile branchlets and (5) position of sterile and fertile branchlets on the thalli. Application of the latter two characters provides an important basic method for separation of species into three major groups. Osmundaria , a genus known only in southern Australia, was studied in relation to Vidalia , and its separation from the Vidalia assemblage is not accepted. Species of Vidalia therefore are transferred to the older genus name, Osmundaria. Two new species, Osmundaria papenfussii and Osmundaria oliveae are described from Natal. Confusion in the usage of the epithet, Vidalia fimbriala Brown ex Turner has been clarified, and Vidalia gregaria Falkenberg, described as an epiphyte on Osmundaria pro/ifera Lamouroux, is revealed to be young branches of the host, Osmundaria prolifera.     

New or rare chromosome counts in Artemisia L. (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and related genera from Kazakhstan

Fifteen chromosome counts of six Artemisia taxa and one species of each of the genera Brachanthemum, Hippolytia, Kaschgaria, Lepidolopsis and Turaniphytum are reported from Kazakhstan. Three of them are new reports, two are not consistent with previous counts and the remainder are confirmations of very scarce (one to four) earlier records. All the populations studied have the same basic chromosome number, x = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 6x. Some correlations between ploidy level, morphological characters and distribution are noted.     

肝癌中HBV和HCV基因和抗原的分布及意义

采用原位分子杂交方法检测HCV RNA及HBV X基因;采用免疫组织化学方法研究HCV核心抗原,非结构区C33c抗原及HBxAg在肝细胞肝癌中的定位及分布.结果表明(1)HCV RNA、HBV X基因在肝细胞肝癌组织检出率分别为40%(55/136)和82%(112/136).HCV RNA定位于癌细胞的胞浆内,阳性细胞呈散在、灶状及弥漫分布三种形式;HBV X基因在肝癌细胞中的分布呈胞浆型、核型及核浆型,阳性细胞也呈上述三种分布形式;(2)HCV C33c抗原、核心抗原在肝细胞肝癌中的阳性率为81%(133/164)及86%(141/164).C33c抗原定位于癌细胞及肝细胞的胞浆内;核心抗原既定位于癌细胞核中,又可定位于胞浆中.C33c抗原阳性细胞以灶状分布为主;而核心抗原阳性细     

Selection with two alleles and complete dominance

For a plant selection model with frequency-independent viabilities, fertilities and selfing rates, it is shown that apart from global fixation, for certain parameter combinations a protected polymorphism and facultative fixation (either allele may become fixed according to initial frequencies) may both occur. Facultative fixation requires different selling rates for the dominant and recessive type. Protection of the polymorphism requires resource allocation for male and female function. In this connection the problem of purely genetically caused population extinction is discussed.
For general frequency dependence and regular segregation, the chances for establishment of a completely recessive gene are compared to those of a completely dominant gene. It is proven that the process of establishment of the recessive gene, despite a fitness advantage, may be considerably endangered by drift effects if random mating prevails. The recessive gene may reach the same effectivity in establishment as a dominant gene, only if the recessive homozygote mates exclusively with its own type during the period of establishment.