Analysis of metabolic fluxes for hyaluronic acid (HA) production by Streptococcus zooepidemicus

Summary A detailed metabolic flux analysis (MFA) for hyaluronic acid (HA) production by Streptococcus zooepidemicus was carried out. A metabolic network was constructed for the metabolism of S. zooepidemicus. Fluxes through these reactions were estimated by MFA using accumulation rates of biomass and product, consumption rate of glucose in batch fermentation and dissolved oxygen-controlled fermentation. The changes of the fluxes were observed at different stages of batch fermentation and in different dissolved oxygen tension (DOT)-controlled fermentation processes. The effects of metabolic nodes on HA accumulation under various culture conditions were investigated. The results showed that high concentration of glucose in the medium did not affect metabolic flux distribution, but did influence the uptake rate of glucose. HA synthesis was influenced by DOT via flux redistribution in the principal node. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) produced in the fermentation process are associated with cell growth and HA synthesis.     

The iron regulatory hormone hepcidin reduces ferroportin 1 content and iron release in H9C2 cardiomyocytes

Iron plays a key pathophysiological role in a number of cardiac diseases. Studies on the mechanisms of heart iron homeostasis are therefore crucial for understanding the causes of excessive heart iron. In addition to iron uptake, cellular iron balance in the heart also depends on iron export. We provided evidence for the existence of iron exporter ferroportin 1 (Fpn1) in the heart in a recent study. The presence of hepcidin, a recently discovered iron regulatory hormone, was also confirmed in the heart recently. Based on these findings and the inhibiting role of hepcidin on Fpn1 in other tissues, we speculated that hepcidin might be able to bind with, internalize and degrade Fpn1 and then decrease iron export in heart cells, leading to an abnormal increase in heart iron and iron mediated cell injury. We therefore investigated the effects of hepcidin on the contents of Fpn1 and iron release in H9C2 cardiomyocyte cell line. We demonstrated that hepcidin has the ability to reduce Fpn1 content as well as iron release in this cell. The similar regulation patterns of hepcidin on the Fpn1 and iron release suggested that the decreased iron release resulted from the decreased content of Fpn1 induced by hepcidin. We also found that hepcidin has no significant effects on ceruloplasmin (CP) and hephaestin (Heph) — two proteins required for iron release from mammalian cells. The data imply that Fpn1, rather than Heph and CP, is the limited factor in the regulation of iron release from heart cells under physiological conditions.     

Dimerization of Hepatitis E Virus Capsid Protein E2s Domain Is Essential for Virus–Host Interaction

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), a non-enveloped, positive-stranded RNA virus, is transmitted in a faecal-oral manner, and causes acute liver diseases in humans. The HEV capsid is made up of capsomeres consisting of homodimers of a single structural capsid protein forming the virus shell. These dimers are believed to protrude from the viral surface and to interact with host cells to initiate infection. To date, no structural information is available for any of the HEV proteins. Here, we report for the first time the crystal structure of the HEV capsid protein domain E2s, a protruding domain, together with functional studies to illustrate that this domain forms a tight homodimer and that this dimerization is essential for HEV–host interactions. In addition, we also show that the neutralizing antibody recognition site of HEV is located on the E2s domain. Our study will aid in the development of vaccines and, subsequently, specific inhibitors for HEV.     

An antioxidant system required for host protection against gut infection in Drosophila

A fundamental question that applies to all organisms is how barrier epithelia efficiently manage continuous contact with microorganisms. Here, we show that in Drosophila an extracellular immune-regulated catalase (IRC) mediates a key host defense system that is needed during host-microbe interaction in the gastrointestinal tract. Strikingly, adult flies with severely reduced IRC expression show high mortality rates even after simple ingestion of microbe-contaminated foods. However, despite the central role that the NF-kappaB pathway plays in eliciting antimicrobial responses, NF-kappaB pathway mutant flies are totally resistant to such infections. These results imply that homeostasis of redox balance by IRC is one of the most critical factors affecting host survival during continuous host-microbe interaction in the gastrointestinal tract.     

Chemiluminescence determination of fluoroquinolone antibiotics using a soluble manganese (IV)-sulphite system.

The reaction of soluble manganese (IV) with sulphite in acidic condition was found to elicit weak chemiluminescence (CL). The CL signal was remarkably enhanced in the presence of three fluoroquinolones, viz. norfloxacin, ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Based on these observations, a new flow-injection CL method was developed for the determination of these fluoroquinolones. The method allows determination in the range 5.0 x 10(-8)-1.0 x 10(-6) mol/L for norfloxacin, 1.0 x 10(-7)-8.0 x 10(-6) mol/L for ofloxacin and 1.0 x 10(-7)-3.0 x 10(-5) mol/L for ciprofloxacin, with detection limits of 3 x 10(-8) mol/L, 5 x 10(-8) mol/L and 3 x 10(-8) mol/L, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of fluoroquinolones in pharmaceutical preparations.     

拟南芥RopGEFs家族基因在外源脱落酸处理下的表达分析

ABA不同浓度和不同时间处理拟南芥野生型7天龄幼苗,采用实时荧光定量PCR方法,分析小G蛋白ROP10和ROP乌苷酸交换因子RopGEFs基因的表达水平差异。结果表明,RopGEF7-10,12及33没有检测到表达,而RopGEFI-6,11,14ROP10在ABA处理下表现出不同的应答趋势,其中RopGEF5基因的表达变化与ROP10的变化相似。推测RopGEF5有可能在ROP10介导的ABA信号转导途经中起调控作用。     

细菌素Paracin 1.7的纯化与性质

[目的]分离纯化(Lactobacillus paracasei)HD1.7所产生的细菌素并分析其特性.[方法]细菌素Paracin1.7的纯化采用色谱技术,其分子量检测采用十二烷基磺酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(SDS-PAGE),利用琼脂扩散法测定细菌素活力.[结果]Paracin 1.7分离于我国传统发酵食品酸菜发酵液中,其产生菌为副干酪乳杆菌.Paracin 1.7可以抑制其它微生物的生长,为细菌素.该菌在稳定期可产生大量Paracin 1.7.经过阳离子交换层析、凝胶过滤层析以及高效液相色谱(HPLC),对该细菌素进行了初步纯化,并经Tricine-SDS-PAGE检测其分子量大约为11 kDa.Paracin 1.7抑菌谱较广,其抑菌范围包括Proteus,Bacillus,Enterobacter,Staphylococcus,Escherichia,Lactobacillus,Microccus,Pseudomonas,Salmonella,Saccharomyces,其中有些为食品源致病菌.该细菌素在酸性及高温下稳定,对几种蛋白质酶敏感.该细菌素对敏感菌株的作用方式为抑菌.在4℃保存4个月后,Paraein 1.7的抑菌活性保持稳定.[结论]基于细菌素Paracin 1.7的性质,该细菌素可用作食品防腐剂.