Growth advantage in stationary-phase (GASP) phenotype in long-term survival strains of Geobacter sulfurreducens

Geobacter sulfurreducens exists in the subsurface and has been identified in sites contaminated with radioactive metals, consistent with its ability to reduce metals under anaerobic conditions. The natural state of organisms in the environment is one that lacks access to high concentrations of nutrients, namely electron donors and terminal electron acceptors (TEAs). Most studies have investigated G. sulfurreducens under high-nutrient conditions or have enriched for it in environmental systems via acetate amendments. We replicated the starvation state through long-term batch culture of G. sulfurreducens, where both electron donor and TEA were scarce. The growth curve revealed lag, log, stationary, death, and survival phases using acetate as electron donor and either fumarate or iron(III) citrate as TEA. In survival phase, G. sulfurreducens persisted at a constant cell count for as long as 23 months without replenishment of growth medium. Geobacter sulfurreducens demonstrated an ability to acquire a growth advantage in stationary-phase phenotype (GASP), with strains derived from subpopulations from death- or survival phase being able to out-compete mid-log-phase populations when co-cultured. The molecular basis for GASP was not because of any detectable mutation in the rpoS gene (GSU1525) nor because of a mutation in a putative homolog to Escherichia coli lrp, GSU3370.     

安徽庐江鸭乙型肝炎病毒LJ-76转染细胞系的建立

为建立鸭乙型肝炎病毒ＬＪ－７６的转染细胞系,将ＬＪ－７６病毒ＤＮＡ插入到ｐＵＣ１９的ＥｃｏＲⅠ位点上,分离得到含有双拷贝ＬＪ－７６ＤＮＡ的重组质粒．通过磷酸钙沉淀方法,将经ＣｓＣｌ等密度离心纯化的ＬＪ－７６ＤＮＡ双体导入到人肝癌细胞ＢＥＬ７４０２中．收集转染细胞的培养液进行蔗糖密度梯度离心,所得沉淀经检测发现含有ＬＪ－７６ＤＮＡ并具有特异性ＤＨＢＶ内源性ＤＮＡ多聚酶活性;对上述样品通过ＤｏｔＥＩＡ检测ＤＨＢＶ核心抗原及表面抗原结果为阳性．Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎｂｌｏｔ分析表明转染细胞内存在病毒ＤＮＡ复制中间体ｃｃｃＤＮＡ、ｓｓＤＮＡ和ｒｃＤＮＡ,而ｃｃｃＤＮＡ被认为是复制活动较为活跃的标志．电镜观察转染细胞的上清发现有病毒颗粒的存在．     

Intracellular calcium buffering capacity in isolated squid axons

Changes in ionized calcium were studied in axons isolated from living squid by measuring absorbance of the Ca binding dye Arsenazo III using multiwavelength differential absorption spectroscopy. Absorption changes measured in situ were calibrated in vitro with media of ionic composition similar to axoplasm containing CaEGTA buffers. Calcium loads of 50-2,500 μmol/kg axoplasm were induced by microinjection, by stimulation in 112 mM Ca seawater, or by soaking in choline saline with 1-10 mM Ca. Over this range of calcium loading of intact axoplasm, the ionized calcium in the axoplasm rose about 0.6 nM/μM load. Similar loading in axons preteated with carbonyl cyanide 4- trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) to inhibit the mitochondrial proton gradient increased ionized calcium by 5-7 percent of the imposed load, i.e. 93-95 percent of the calcium load was buffered by a process insensitive to FCCP. This FCCP- insensitive buffer system was not saturated by the largest calcium loads imposed, indicating a capacity of at least several millimolar. Treatment of previously loaded axons with FCCP or apyrase plus cyanide produced rises in ionized calcium which could be correlated with the extent of the load. Analysis of results indicated that, whereas only 6 percent of the endogenous calcium in fresh axons is stored in the FCCP-sensitive (presumably mitochondrial) buffer system, about 30 percent of an imposed exogenous load in the range of 50-2,500 μM is taken up by this system.     

Sfp-Type 4′-Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase Is Indispensable for Fungal Pathogenicity

In filamentous fungi, Sfp-type 4′-phosphopantetheinyl transferases (PPTases) activate enzymes involved in primary (α-aminoadipate reductase [AAR]) and secondary (polyketide synthases and nonribosomal peptide synthetases) metabolism. We cloned the PPTase gene PPT1 of the maize anthracnose fungus Colletotrichum graminicola and generated PPTase-deficient mutants (Δppt1). Δppt1 strains were auxotrophic for Lys, unable to synthesize siderophores, hypersensitive to reactive oxygen species, and unable to synthesize polyketides (PKs). A differential analysis of secondary metabolites produced by wild-type and Δppt1 strains led to the identification of six novel PKs. Infection-related morphogenesis was affected in Δppt1 strains. Rarely formed appressoria of Δppt1 strains were nonmelanized and ruptured on intact plant. The hyphae of Δppt1 strains colonized wounded maize (Zea mays) leaves but failed to generate necrotic anthracnose disease symptoms and were defective in asexual sporulation. To analyze the pleiotropic pathogenicity phenotype, we generated AAR-deficient mutants (Δaar1) and employed a melanin-deficient mutant (M1.502). Results indicated that PPT1 activates enzymes required at defined stages of infection. Melanization is required for cell wall rigidity and appressorium function, and Lys supplied by the AAR1 pathway is essential for necrotrophic development. As PPTase-deficient mutants of Magnaporthe oryzea were also nonpathogenic, we conclude that PPTases represent a novel fungal pathogenicity factor.     

Omphalocarpoidone,a new lanostane-type furano-spiro-γ-lactone from the wood of Tridesmostemon omphalocarpoides Engl. (Sapotaceae)

Phytochemical studies of the wood and the stem bark of Tridesmostemon omphalocarpoides Engl. (Sapotaceae) led to the isolation of omphalocarpoidone (1), a new lanostane-type furano-spiro-γ-lactone together with β-amyrin acetate (2), taraxerol (3), spinasterol (4), lichexanthone (5), epi-catechin (6), spinasterol 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (7), tormentic acid (8), and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronorharman-1-one (9). Their structures were established on the basis of extensive NMR studies, mass spectrometry, and by comparison of the data with those previously reported in the literature. The structure of the new secondary metabolite was later confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Except for spinasterol, the antimicrobial activities of these secondary metabolites were investigated on ten bacterial strains and the alkaloid 9 showed a significant activity against Escherichia coli with a MIC at 16 μg/mL.     

Automated backbone assignment of labeled proteins using the threshold accepting algorithm

The sequential assignment of backbone resonances is the first step in the structure determination of proteins by heteronuclear NMR. For larger proteins, an assignment strategy based on proton side-chain information is no longer suitable for the use in an automated procedure. Our program PASTA (Protein ASsignment by Threshold Accepting) is therefore designed to partially or fully automate the sequential assignment of proteins, based on the analysis of NMR backbone resonances plus C information. In order to overcome the problems caused by peak overlap and missing signals in an automated assignment process, PASTA uses threshold accepting, a combinatorial optimization strategy, which is superior to simulated annealing due to generally faster convergence and better solutions. The reliability of this algorithm is shown by reproducing the complete sequential backbone assignment of several proteins from published NMR data. The robustness of the algorithm against misassigned signals, noise, spectral overlap and missing peaks is shown by repeating the assignment with reduced sequential information and increased chemical shift tolerances. The performance of the program on real data is finally demonstrated with automatically picked peak lists of human nonpancreatic synovial phospholipase A₂, a protein with 124 residues.