Genome-inferred spatio-temporal resolution of an uncultivated Roizmanbacterium reveals its ecological preferences in groundwater

Subsurface ecosystems like groundwater harbour diverse microbial communities, including small-sized, putatively symbiotic organisms of the Candidate Phyla Radiation, yet little is known about their ecological preferences and potential microbial partners. Here, we investigated a member of the superphylum Microgenomates (Cand. Roizmanbacterium ADI133) from oligotrophic groundwater using mini-metagenomics and monitored its spatio-temporal distribution using 16S rRNA gene analyses. A Roizmanbacteria-specific quantitative PCR assay allowed us to track its abundance over the course of 1 year within eight groundwater wells along a 5.4 km hillslope transect, where Roizmanbacteria reached maximum relative abundances of 2.3%. In-depth genomic analyses suggested that Cand. Roizmanbacterium ADI133 is a lactic acid fermenter, potentially able to utilize a range of complex carbon substrates, including cellulose. We hypothesize that it attaches to host cells using a trimeric autotransporter adhesin and inhibits their cell wall biosynthesis using a toxin–antitoxin system. Network analyses based on correlating Cand. Roizmanbacterium ADI133 abundances with amplicon sequencing-derived microbial community profiles suggested one potential host organism, classified as a member of the class Thermodesulfovibrionia (Nitrospirae). By providing lactate as an electron donor Cand. Roizmanbacterium ADI133 potentially mediates the transfer of carbon to other microorganisms and thereby is an important connector in the microbial community.     

Staphylococcus aureus Lpl protein triggers human host cell invasion via activation of Hsp90 receptor

Staphylococcus aureus is a facultative intracellular pathogen. Recently, it has been shown that the protein part of the lipoprotein‐like lipoproteins (Lpls), encoded by the lpl cluster comprising of 10 lpls paralogue genes, increases pathogenicity, delays the G2/M phase transition, and also triggers host cell invasion. Here, we show that a recombinant Lpl1 protein without the lipid moiety binds directly to the isoforms of the human heat shock proteins Hsp90α and Hsp90ß. Synthetic peptides covering the Lpl1 sequence caused a twofold to fivefold increase of S. aureus invasion in HaCaT cells. Antibodies against Hsp90 decrease S. aureus invasion in HaCaT cells and in primary human keratinocytes. Additionally, inhibition of ATPase function of Hsp90 or silencing Hsp90α expression by siRNA also decreased the S. aureus invasion in HaCaT cells. Although the Hsp90ß is constitutively expressed, the Hsp90α isoform is heat‐inducible and appears to play a major role in Lpl1 interaction. Pre‐incubation of HaCaT cells at 39°C increased both the Hsp90α expression and S. aureus invasion. Lpl1‐Hsp90 interaction induces F‐actin formation, thus, triggering an endocytosis‐like internalisation. Here, we uncovered a new host cell invasion principle on the basis of Lpl‐Hsp90 interaction.     

Heparan sulfate maintains adult midgut homeostasis in Drosophila

Tissue homeostasis is controlled by the differentiated progeny of residential progenitors (stem cells). Adult stem cells constantly adjust their proliferation/differentiation rates to respond to tissue damage and stresses. However, how differentiated cells maintain tissue homeostasis remains unclear. Here, we find that heparan sulfate (HS), a class of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains, protects differentiated cells from loss to maintain intestinal homeostasis. HS depletion in enterocytes (ECs) leads to intestinal homeostasis disruption, with accumulation of intestinal stem cell (ISC)‐like cells and mis‐differentiated progeny. HS‐deficient ECs are prone to cell death/stress and induced cytokine and epidermal growth factor (EGF) expression, which, in turn, promote ISC proliferation and differentiation. Interestingly, HS depletion in ECs results in the inactivation of decapentaplegic (Dpp) signaling. Moreover, ectopic Dpp signaling completely rescued the defects caused by HS depletion. Together, our data demonstrate that HS is required for Dpp signal activation in ECs, thereby protecting ECs from ablation to maintain midgut homeostasis. Our data shed light into the regulatory mechanisms of how differentiated cells contribute to tissue homeostasis maintenance.     

炼锌废渣-修复植物-凋落物体系的生态化学计量学研究

为揭示金属冶炼废渣堆场生态修复多年后,废渣-植物-凋落物系统中养分循环和系统维持机制。该研究以实现生态修复6 a的黔西北铅锌冶炼废渣堆场上土荆芥(Dysphania ambrosioides)、芦竹(Arundo donax)、刺槐(Robinia pseudoacacia)、构树(Broussonetia papyrifera)和柳杉(Cryptomeria fortunei)五种优势修复植物为对象,分析它们的主要营养器官(细根、粗根、茎/干、枝、叶片)、地表凋落物、植被下方表层废渣(0～10 cm)中碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)含量及化学计量特征,探讨它们之间的相互关系。结果表明:不同植物、不同营养器官间C、N、P的含量具有显著差异(P<0.05),C平均含量在两种草本植物中为茎>叶片>根>凋落物,在三种乔木中为干>枝>细根>粗根>叶片>凋落物; N和P的分布在草本植物中分别为叶片>凋落物>根>茎和叶片>根>凋落物>茎,在三种乔木中均为叶片>细根>凋落物>粗根>枝>干。五种植物中,柳杉各营养器官及凋落物中C含量均高于其他植物,N、P含量呈相反的规律; 刺槐中N含量最高。C:N和C:P在五种植物营养器官与凋落物中的变化规律跟N、P的分布相反,说明C:N和C:P分别主要受N和P含量影响。相关性分析指出,草本植物的N:P受N和P共同影响,三种乔木的N:P主要由N的分布决定,同时受到枝和叶片中P含量影响。五种植物中,仅豆科类刺槐的叶片N:P大于16,在系统中生长受P限制,其他植物生长均受N限制,说明刺槐更能适应贫瘠的废渣环境,建议在修复贫瘠的废渣堆场时优先选择豆科类植物作为先锋植物,改善基质养分条件。植被下方表层废渣中C、N、P含量基本都低于植物各营养器官及凋落物,不同修复植物下方对应的表层废渣中C、N、P含量间具有显著差异(P<0.05),草本植物修复下的废渣中C、N、P含量低于乔木修复下的含量。废渣-植物-凋落物体系中N、P、N:P之间的相关性分析显示,植物细根和凋落物中N、P含量与废渣中N、P含量及化学计量比关系更密切。     

甲状腺素对动脉瘤性蛛网膜下腔出血大鼠脑缺氧诱导因子-1α表达的影响及其机制*

目的:探讨甲状腺素(T4)对动脉瘤性蛛网膜下腔出血后大鼠脑缺氧诱导因子-1α(HIF-1α)表达的调节及其机制。方法:72只雄性成年SD大鼠随机分为以下4组:蛛网膜下腔出血模型组(SAH)(n=18)、蛛网膜下腔出血+甲状腺素组(SAH+T4)(n=18)、蛛网膜下腔出血+溶剂组(SAH+溶剂组)(n=18)、假手术组(n=18)。颈内动脉穿刺法建立蛛网膜下腔出血的模型,术后行颅脑CT平扫,建模后立即开始给药,按3 μg/100 g腹腔注射,每隔24 h一次,连续3 d,SAH+T4组予甲状腺素干预,SAH+溶剂组予等体积溶剂干预,均在建模后72 h处死;各组6只大鼠经多聚甲醛灌注处死后石蜡包埋切片行免疫组化染色检测HIF-1α及p-Akt蛋白、6只用TUNEL法检测凋亡,6只用干湿重法做脑水肿含量检测。结果:建模成功后SAH组及SAH+T4组、SAH+溶剂组大鼠的脑组织肿胀明显,蛛网膜下腔可见暗红色血凝块。SAH组神经行为学评分、脑含水量、凋亡率、HIF-1α蛋白、p-Akt蛋白均较假手术组明显增高(P＜0.05);SAH+T4组神经行为学评分、HIF-1α蛋白、p-Akt蛋白均较SAH组明显增高,其脑含水量、凋亡均较SAH组明显减少(P＜0.05)。结论:使用T4替代治疗可以上调动脉瘤性蛛网膜下腔出血后大鼠脑HIF-1α蛋白表达水平,可能是通过激活三磷酸肌醇激酶／蛋白激酶B(PI3K/Akt)信号通路,使凋亡率减小,最终大鼠行为学得以改善,对大鼠脑产生保护作用。     

Valproate-Induced Epigenetic Upregulation of Hypothalamic Fto Expression Potentially Linked with Weight Gain

Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology - Valproate (VPA), a widely-used antiepileptic drug, is a selective inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC) that play important roles in epigenetic regulation....     

Phosphorylation of Novel Interactors of Wild Soybean GsSnRK1 Protein Kinase

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter - Plant SnRK1 kinases have been reported to participate in regulating many aspects of plant biology including resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Wild...     

Cultivation and biomass production of the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii as a live feed for white-leg shrimp in hatcheries and commercial farms in Vietnam

This study investigated the biomass production process from the laboratory to the pilot scale in order to use the nutrient-rich biomass of the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii as live feed for white-leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) at larval stages (zoeal, mysis, and postlarval) and in commercial production in hatcheries in Vietnam. Our results showed that T. weissflogii was successfully cultured in 1–2 L Erlenmeyer flasks, 0.2–3.5 m³ composite tanks, and 6.5 m³ tubular photobioreactors, with the highest cell density of 1.6 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1 reached after 6 days of culture. Under optimal culture conditions, the protein, lipid, and carbohydrate contents in this algal biomass were 13.2%, 20.0%, and 10.0% of dry cell weight, respectively. The fatty acid composition contains high amount of palmitic acid (C16:0, 43.11% of total fatty acid), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5ω-3), approximated 16.5% of total fatty acid. In a 50 L larval rearing tank, at the optimal stocking density of 125 nauplii L^?1, the survival percentage (75.55%), the total body length (from 5.376 ± 0.007 to 10.860 ± 0.030 mm), and weight (at from PL₁ to PL₁₂ stages) (from 0.145 ± 0.002 to 1.158 ± 0.005 g) of the white-leg shrimp larvae reached the highest values but the metamorphosis time (234 h) was shortest compared with the other stocking densities. Further, adding living T. weissflogii biomass to the diet of white-leg shrimp larvae at the nauplii 6 stage led to an increase in the body length, weight, and survival percentage of white-leg shrimp larvae of 21.17%, 35.7%, and 33% higher compared with those of larvae fed the control diet (without the addition of T. weissflogii), respectively. At the same time, the metamorphosis time of larvae (from Z₁ to PL₁) decreased by 4 h compared to the control group. In intensive ponds (area of 6400 m² pond^?1), using seed stocks at the postlarvae 12 stage that had been fed T. weissflogii, the final weight, yield, and survival percentage of the shrimp were increased by 7.3%, 14.2%, and 16.3%, respectively, compared with those of the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in the protein and carbohydrate contents in the shrimp flesh among the experimental and control group (p > 0.05). The lipid, omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acid contents of shrimp flesh in experiment formula (per 100 g shrimp) were 1.21 g, 72.9 mg, 114 mg, and 86.1 mg, 11%, 29%, 21.6%, and 17.7% higher than that those in control, respectively. The obtained results show the great potential of using T. weissflogii as live feed on white-leg shrimp farms in Vietnam.