Population genomic analysis of a bacterial plant pathogen: novel insight into the origin of Pierce's disease of grapevine in the U.S

Invasive diseases present an increasing problem worldwide; however, genomic techniques are now available to investigate the timing and geographical origin of such introductions. We employed genomic techniques to demonstrate that the bacterial pathogen causing Pierce's disease of grapevine (PD) is not native to the US as previously assumed, but descended from a single genotype introduced from Central America. PD has posed a serious threat to the US wine industry ever since its first outbreak in Anaheim, California in the 1880s and continues to inhibit grape cultivation in a large area of the country. It is caused by infection of xylem vessels by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa, a genetically distinct subspecies at least 15,000 years old. We present five independent kinds of evidence that strongly support our invasion hypothesis: 1) a genome-wide lack of genetic variability in X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa found in the US, consistent with a recent common ancestor; 2) evidence for historical allopatry of the North American subspecies X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex and X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa; 3) evidence that X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa evolved in a more tropical climate than X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex; 4) much greater genetic variability in the proposed source population in Central America, variation within which the US genotypes are phylogenetically nested; and 5) the circumstantial evidence of importation of known hosts (coffee plants) from Central America directly into southern California just prior to the first known outbreak of the disease. The lack of genetic variation in X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa in the US suggests that preventing additional introductions is important since new genetic variation may undermine PD control measures, or may lead to infection of other crop plants through the creation of novel genotypes via inter-subspecific recombination. In general, geographically mixing of previously isolated subspecies should be avoided.     

Biochemical evidence for the presence of mixed membrane topologies of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus envelope protein expressed in mammalian cells

Coronavirus envelope (E) protein is a small integral membrane protein with multi-functions in virion assembly, morphogenesis and virus-host interaction. Different coronavirus E proteins share striking similarities in biochemical properties and biological functions, but seem to adopt distinct membrane topology. In this report, we study the membrane topology of the SARS-CoV E protein by immunofluorescent staining of cells differentially permeabilized with detergents and proteinase K protection assay. It was revealed that both the N- and C-termini of the SARS-CoV E protein are exposed to the cytoplasmic side of the membranes (N(cyto)C(cyto)). In contrast, parallel experiments showed that the E protein from infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) spanned the membranes once, with the N-terminus exposed luminally and the C-terminus exposed cytoplasmically (N(exo(lum)-)C(cyto)). Intriguingly, a minor proportion of the SARS-CoV E protein was found to be modified by N-linked glycosylation on Asn 66 and inserted into the membranes once with the C-terminus exposed to the luminal side. The presence of two distinct membrane topologies of the SARS-CoV E protein may provide a useful clue to the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV.     

Supreme™ laryngeal mask airway use in general Anesthesia for category 2 and 3 Cesarean delivery: a prospective cohort study

Background

The Supreme? laryngeal mask airway (SLMA) is a single-use LMA with double lumen design that allows separation of the respiratory and the alimentary tract, hence potentially reducing the gastric volume and risk of aspiration. The purpose of this prospective cohort study is to evaluate the the role of the SLMA as an airway technique for women undergoing category 2 and 3 Cesarean delivery under general anesthesia.

Methods

We recruited 584 parturients who underwent category 2 or 3 Cesarean delivery under general anesthesia, in which 193 parturients underwent category 2 and 391 parturients underwent category 3 Cesarean delivery. The primary outcome was insertion success rate at 1st attempt in SLMA insertion. The secondary outcomes included anaesthetic, obstetric outcomes and maternal side effects associated with airway device.

Results

The 1st attempt insertion success rate was 98.3%, while the overall insertion success rate was 100%. The mean (Standard deviation) time to effective ventilation was 15.6 (4.4) seconds. Orogastric tube insertion was successful at the 1st attempt in all parturients. There was no clinical evidence of aspiration or regurgitation. No episodes of hypoxemia, laryngospasm or bronchospasm were observed intra-operatively. The incidence of complications was low and with good maternal satisfaction reported.

Conclusions

The SLMA could be an alternative effective airway in category 2 and 3 parturients emergency Cesarean Delivery under general anesthesia in a carefully-selected obstetric population.

Trial registration

Clinical Trials Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov Registration NCT02026882. Registered on December 31, 2013.

     

Mapping one of the 2 genes controlling lemon ray flower color in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

In an F2 population of 120 plants derived from a cross between 2 breeding lines with yellow ray flowers, we observed 111 plants with yellow-colored and 9 plants with lemon-colored ray flowers. The segregation pattern fits a 15:1 (chi2(15:1) = 0.32, P > 0.5) ratio, suggesting that the lemon ray flower color is conditioned by 2 independent recessive genes that had been contributed individually by each of the parents. We sampled 111 plants from the 3 F(2:3) families displaying a 3 to 1 segregating ratio for genotyping with molecular markers. One of the genes, Yf(1), was mapped onto linkage group 11 of the public sunflower map. A targeted region amplified polymorphism marker (B26P17Trap13-68) had a genetic distance of 1.5 cM to Yf(1), and one simple sequence repeat marker (ORS733) and one expressed sequence tag (EST)-based marker (HT167) previously mapped to linkage group 11 were linked to Yf(1) with distances of 9.9 and 2.3 cM, respectively.     

Tumor extracellular acidity-activated nanoparticles as drug delivery systems for enhanced cancer therapy

pH-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) are currently under intense development as drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. Among various pH-responsiveness, NPs that are designed to target slightly acidic extracellular pH environment (pH_e) of solid tumors provide a new paradigm of tumor targeted drug delivery. Compared to conventional specific surface targeting approaches, the pH_e-targeting strategy is considered to be more general due to the common occurrence of acidic microenvironment in solid tumors. This review mainly focuses on the design and applications of pH_e-activated NPs, with special emphasis on pH_e-activated surface charge reversal NPs, for drug and siRNA delivery to tumors. The novel development of NPs described here offers great potential for achieving better therapeutic effects in cancer treatment.     

重组人干扰素—β的中试研究

从大肠杆菌中大规模纯化新型干扰素β(IFN-βser17).首先建立IFN-βser17发酵和纯化工艺,连续大量纯化三批,并对纯化终产品进行全面鉴定.建立了稳定的发酵和纯化工艺流程,中试三批菌产量平均为4.33g/L,IFNβser17的表达量平均为20%,经破碎、粗提、精制后IFN-βser17的比活达2×107IU/mg以上,纯度超过96%,其他检定项目也均符合规程要求.     

新疆艾比湖沉积物中免培养放线菌的多样性北大核心CSCD

【目的】采用免培养的方法研究新疆艾比湖湖底沉积物放线菌组成及多样性。【方法】采集并混合5份艾比湖湖底沉积物样本,并提取其总DNA,采用放线菌通用引物对其16S r RNA基因序列进行Touchdown PCR,构建放线菌16S r RNA基因文库。蓝白斑筛选后随机挑选白色克隆分析,利用限制性内切酶HhaⅠ进行酶切分型,挑选具有独特限制性片段差异的阳性克隆进行测序分析。序列经Chimera Check检测,BLAST同源比对及构建16S r RNA基因序列系统发育树。【结果】随机挑选192个白色克隆,其中166个为阳性克隆,选取51个具有独特限制性片段差异的克隆进行序列分析。测序结果进行比对以及Chimera Check检测后,共获得36个可操作单元(Operational Taxonomic Units,OTUs),Gen Bank注册号为KR182090-KR182131。文库覆盖度结果表明克隆文库涵盖了本环境中90.4%的放线菌类群。聚类结果显示,艾比湖湖底沉积物中放线菌分为2个类群,第1个类群属于放线菌门(Actinobacteria),放线菌纲(Actinobacteria)中的放线菌目(Actinomycetales)、丙酸杆菌目(Propionibacteriales)、微球菌目(Micrococcales)和棒杆菌目(Corynebacteriales)4个目,该类群占克隆文库18.1%;另外1个类群属于Unclassified Actinobacteria的类群,分为3个不同的group,占整个克隆文库的81.9%。【结论】新疆艾比湖湖底沉积物中存在多种未知的放线菌类群。     

靶向铜绿假单胞菌(Pseudomonas aeruginosa)粘肽合成酶PBP3的抗菌先导化合物的虚拟筛选及活性研究

【目的】开发出与铜绿假单胞菌粘肽合成酶PBP3有高亲和力,具有全新结构的先导化合物。【方法】以铜绿假单胞菌粘肽合成酶PBP3为靶点,通过分子对接软件DOCK6.5,对含有104万个小分子化合物的数据库进行了大规模虚拟筛选,选取结构相对简单的中选化合物进行合成,得到先导化合物,并验证其抑菌活性。【结果】通过grid score进行第一轮初筛,筛选出grid score分值小于–30 kcal/mol的6万个化合物,接着以amber score进行第二轮筛选,筛出amber score分值小于–20 kcal/mol的化合物约200个。最终,经过观察分析,从中挑选出4种打分高并且结构新颖的小分子化合物作为先导化合物。合成出的先导化合物及其衍生物对铜绿假单胞菌等常见微生物的最小抑菌浓度(MIC)在175–275μg/m L之间,对革兰氏阴性菌和阳性菌均有效,MIC值比作为阳性对照的磺胺嘧啶更低,说明先导化合物具有较好的抗菌活性。【结论】这些先导化合物可以进一步开发为新型抗菌药物,用于解决铜绿假单胞菌的耐药性问题。