The Clostridium botulinum GerAB germination protein is located in the inner membrane of spores

Clostridium botulinum dormant spores germinate in presence of l-alanine via a specific receptor composed of GerAA, GerAB and GerAC proteins. In Bacillus subtilis spores, GerAA and GerAC proteins were located in the inner membrane of the spore. We studied the location of the GerAB protein in C. botulinum spore fractions by Western-blot analysis, using an antipeptidic antibody. The protein GerAB was in vitro translated and used to confirm the specificity of the antibodies. GerAB was not present in a coat and spore outer membrane fraction but was present in a fraction of decoated spores containing inner membrane. These results strongly suggest that the protein GerAB is located in the inner membrane of the spore.     

三化螟时间序列预测模型研究

本文用时间序列分析方法对三化螟灯下蛾量的变动以及各代发生程度的变化规律进行研究,建立了3个预测模型,并比较了世代差分、季节差分和距平移动平均三种数据处理方法对模型的影响.结果表明,所建模型的回报验证符合率分别为72%,70%和65%;世代差分和季节差分两种数据处理方法较适合于本文的材料,而距平移动平均方法则拟合效果不太理想。     

The genus Lactobacillus--a genomic basis for understanding its diversity

The genus Lactobacillus is a diverse group that includes many species used in food production and preservation. Some lactobacilli are considered probiotic, conferring health benefits upon the host. The heterogeneity of this genus poses challenges and opportunities when characterizing or exploiting individual strains. To date, 10 Lactobacillus genome sequences have been published, and at least 11 more sequencing projects are ongoing. These studies will dramatically improve one's understanding of metabolic processes, bioprocessing capabilities and potential roles in health and well-being of the Lactobacilli. This review describes the current status of Lactobacillus genome sequence projects, highlights the major findings and summarizes functional genomics or comparative genomics studies. The genomic basis for the unusual diversity of this genus is discussed, and the potential for comparative genomics to rigorously extend phylogenetic analysis of the Lactobacilli is described.     

康氏木霉B－7纤维素酶的产生条件及酶学性质研究

野生型康氏木霉（Ｔｒｉｃｈｏｄｅｒｍａｋｏｎｉｎｇｉ）８５４－Ｂ２经多种理化诱变因子及空间微重力辐射等因素的处理,选育到１株高活力纤维素酶变异株Ｂ－７。其固体培养物的纤维素酶,以滤纸为底物酶活力为３４μ／ｇ,以羧甲基纤维素（ＣＭＣ）为底物酶力为１４７２μ／ｇ。与野生菌８５４－Ｂ２相比,产酶活力水平分别提高５倍和７倍多。酶在滤纸上作用的最适条件为ｐＨ４．５—５．０,温度５５—６０°Ｃ;２５°Ｃ,保温２４ｈ,ｐＨ稳定范围为ｐＨ４．０—６．５;７０°Ｃ保温３０分钟,剩余酶活力３４．４％。     

Differential expression of InlB and ActA in Listeria monocytogenes in selective and nonselective enrichment broths

Aim: To investigate the effect of selective and nonselective media on the expression of ActA and InlB proteins in Listeria monocytogenes. Methods and Results: Polyclonal antibodies to InlB and ActA were used in western blotting to determine the effect of selective (BLEB, UVM, and FB) or nonselective (BHI and LB) enrichment broths or hotdog exudates. Of the 13 L. monocytogenes serotypes tested, 11 and 12 serotypes showed a strong InlB expression in brain heart infusion (BHI) and Luria‐Bertani (LB), respectively, while only seven and one serotypes showed a strong ActA expression in these two respective broths, and others showed a weaker or no expression. On the contrary, in selective broths, expression of InlB was either very weak or undetectable. However, ActA expression was stronger in 12 serotypes when grown in buffered Listeria enrichment broth (BLEB), 11 in University of Vermont medium (UVM), and 10 in Fraser broth (FB). When tested in hotdog exudates, InlB and ActA were detected in serotypes grown at 37°C but not at 4°C. Transmission electron microscopy, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and mRNA analysis further supported these observations. Conclusion: Overall, selective enrichment broths promote ActA while nonselective broths promote InlB expression. Significance and Impact of the study: As commonly recommended enrichment broths show differential InlB and ActA expression, proper media must be selected to avoid false results during antibody‐based detection of L. monocytogenes.     

自然博物馆的灵魂与血液

正1753年,全球第一座自然科学类博物馆、英国自然博物馆的前身——不列颠博物馆建成,象征现代意义的自然博物馆诞生;1794年,法国国家自然博物馆成立,在欧洲大陆掀起了探索自然的热潮;1868年,上海自然博物馆的前身——徐家汇博物院成立,拉开了中国近代自然博物馆事业的序幕;1869年,美国国家自然博物馆建立,掀起了美洲自然博物馆发展的热潮;1905年,张謇创办南通博物苑,自此,中     

Perceptual lateralization of vocal stimuli in goats

Functional asymmetries, for example, the preferential involvement of 1 brain hemisphere to process stimuli, may increase brain efficiency and the capacity to carry out tasks simultaneously. We investigated which hemisphere was primarily invoIved in processing acoustic stimuli in goats using a headorienting paradigm. Three playbacks using goat vocalizations recorded in different contexts: food anticipation (positive), isolation (negative), food frustration (negative), as well as 1 playback involving dog barks (negative) were presented on the left and right sides of the test subjects simultaneously. The head-orienting response (left or right) and latency to resume feeding were recorded. The direction of the head-orienting response did not differ between the various playbacks. However, when the head-orienting response was tested against chanee level, goats showed a right bias regardless of the stimuli presented. Goats responded more to dog barks than to food frustration calls, whereas responses to food anticipation and isolation calls were intermediate. In addition, the latency to resume feeding, an indicator of fear reaction, was not affected by the kind of vocalization presented. These results provide evidence for asymmetries in goat vocal perceptio n of emotional-li nked con specific and heterospecific calls. They also suggest involvement of the left brain hemisphere for processing acoustic stimuli, which might have been perceived as familiar and non -threate ning.     

Lateral Transfers of Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase (glyA) and UDP-N-Acetylglucosamine Enolpyruvyl Transferase (murA) Genes from Free-living Actinobacteria to the Parasitic Chlamydiae

The chlamydiae are important human and animal pathogens which form a phylogentically distinct lineage within the Bacteria. There is evidence that some genes in these obligate intracellular parasites have undergone lateral exchange with other free-living organisms. In the present work, we describe two interesting cases of lateral gene transfer between chlamydiae and actinobacteria, which have been identified based on the shared presence of conserved inserts in two important proteins. In the enzyme serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT or GlyA protein), which links amino acid and nucleotide metabolisms by generating the key intermediate for one-carbon transfer reactions, two conserved inserts of 3 and 31 amino acids (aa) are uniquely present in various chlamydiae species as well as in a subset of Actinobacteria and in the Treponema species. Similarly, in the enzyme UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyl transferase (MurA), which is involved in the synthesis of cell wall peptidoglycan, a 16-aa conserved insert is specifically present in various sequenced chlamydiae and a subset of actinobacteria (i.e., Streptomyces, Actinomyces, Tropheryma, Bifidobacterium, Leifsonia, Arthrobacter, and Brevibacterium). To determine the phylogenetic depths of the GlyA and MurA inserts, the fragments of these genes from two chlamydiae-like species, Simkania negevensis and Waddlia chondrophila, were PCR amplified and sequenced. The presence of the corresponding inserts in both these species strongly indicates that these inserts are distinctive characteristics of the Chlamydiales order. In phylogenetic trees based on GlyA and MurA protein sequences, the chlamydiae species (and also the Treponema species in the case of GlyA) branched with a high affinity with various insert-containing actinobacteria within a clade of other actinobacteria. These results provide strong evidence that the shared presence of these indels in these bacteria is very likely a consequence of ancient lateral gene transfers from actinobacteria to chlamydiae. Pairwise sequence identity and the branching pattern of the GlyA homologues in the phylogenetic tree indicates that the glyA gene was initially transferred from an actinobacteria to an ancestor of the Treponema genus and from there it was acquired by the common ancestor of the Chlamydiales. [Reviewing Editor: Dr. Siv Andersson]