The role of AiiA, a quorum-quenching enzyme from Bacillus thuringiensis, on the rhizosphere competence

Bacteria sense their population density and coordinate the expression of target genes, including virulence factors in Gram-negative bacteria, by the N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs)-dependent quorum-sensing (QS) mechanism. In contrast, several soil bacteria are able to interfere with QS by enzymatic degradation of AHLs, referred to as quorum quenching. A potent AHL-degrading enzyme, AiiA, of Bacillus thuringiensis has been reported to effectively attenuate the virulence of bacteria by quorum quenching. However, little is known about the role of AiiA in B. thuringiensis itself. In the present study, an aiiA-defective mutant was generated to investigate the role of AiiA in rhizosphere competence in the root system of pepper. The aiiA mutant showed no detectable AHL-degrading activity and was less effective for suppression of soft-rot symptom caused by Erwinia carotovora on the potato slice. On the pepper root, the survival rate of the aiiA mutant significantly decreased over time compared with that of wild type. Interestingly, viable cell count analysis revealed that the bacterial number and composition of E. carotovora were not different between treatments of wild type and the aiiA mutant, although root application of the aiiA mutant in pepper failed to protect the plant from root rot. These results provide evidence that AiiA can play an important role in rhizosphere competentce of B. thuringiensis and bacterial quorum quenching to Gram-negative bacteria without changing bacterial number or composition.     

Transport functions and expression analysis of vacuolar membrane aquaporins in response to various stresses in rice

The vacuole, a multifunctional organelle of most plant cells, has very important roles in space filling, osmotic adjustment, storage and digestion. Previous researches suggested that aquaporins in the tonoplast were involved in vacuolar functions. The rice genome contains 33 aquaporin genes, 10 of which encode tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs). However, the function of each individual TIP isoform and the integrated function of TIPs under various physiological conditions remain elusive. Here, five rice TIP members were characterized with water and/or glycerol transport activities using the Xenopus oocyte expression system. OsTIP1;2, OsTIP2;2, OsTIP4;1 and OsTIP5;1 possessed water transport activity. OsTIP1;2, OsTIP3;2 and OsTIP4;1 were demonstrated with glycerol transport activity. Rice TIP expression patterns under various abiotic stress conditions including dehydration, high salinity, abscisic acid (ABA) and during seed germination were investigated by real-time PCR. OsTIP1s (OsTIP1;1 and OsTIP1;2) were highly expressed during seed germination, whereas OsTIP3s (OsTIP3;1 and OsTIP3;2) were specifically expressed in mature seeds with a decrease in expression levels upon germination. The results of this research provided a functional and expression profiles of rice TIPs.     

千金子不同极性部位对酪氨酸酶活性的影响

测定千金子醇提物不同极性部位对酪氨酸酶活性的影响。以L-酪氨酸为底物,采用比色法测定千金子不同极性部位对酪氨酸酶的抑制率。得到了千金子醇提物的乙酸乙酯相、正丁醇相和水相的半数抑制率(IC50值)分别为0.150 mg/mL,0.813 mg/mL,7.570 mg/mL,并对乙酸乙酯相进一步分离得到七叶内酯,其IC50值0.103 mg/mL。结果表明千金子中起到酪氨酸酶抑制性的物质为七叶内酯,主要分布在乙酸乙酯相中。为千金子中酪氨酸酶抑制性物质的筛选提供科学依据。     

马尼拉陡胸茧蜂对甜菜夜蛾的控害潜能

为评价幼虫寄生蜂马尼拉陡胸茧蜂对甜菜夜蛾的控害潜能,编制了寄主和寄生蜂的实验种群生命表,测定了马尼拉陡胸茧蜂对甜菜夜蛾幼虫的寄生功能反应。结果表明:甜菜夜蛾年龄特征生命表参数为:净生殖力(种群趋势指数)R0(I)=122.0172,内禀增长率rm=0.1522,世代平均历期T=40.8556(d),周限增长率λ=1.1644;马尼拉陡胸茧蜂寄生甜菜夜蛾幼虫的生殖力表参数为:R0(I)=20.2479,rm=0.3045,T=9.8788,λ=1.3559。马尼拉陡胸茧蜂对甜菜夜蛾幼虫的捕食功能反应符合HollingⅡ型模型,a=0.8952,Th=0.0205,Namax=48.78(头)。通过生命表参数比较和功能反应模型分析,可见马尼拉陡胸茧蜂对甜菜夜蛾幼虫的寄生能力强,繁殖速率高,对甜菜夜蛾种群有较强的控制能力;从世代平均历期T的比较可知,在甜菜夜蛾繁殖1代的时间内,马尼拉陡胸茧蜂可以繁殖4个世代,在时间上天敌对害虫的发生是"超前的"而不是"跟随的"。因此在放蜂技术上应采取相应的对策,才能充分发挥天敌的控害潜能。     

Melittin induces apoptotic features in Candida albicans

Melittin is a well-known antimicrobial peptide with membrane-active mechanisms. In this study, it was found that Melittin exerted its antifungal effect via apoptosis. Candida albicans exposed to Melittin showed the increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, measured by DHR-123 staining. Fluorescence microscopy staining with FITC-annexin V, TUNEL and DAPI further confirmed diagnostic markers of yeast apoptosis including phosphatidylserine externalization, and DNA and nuclear fragmentation. The current study suggests that Melittin possesses an antifungal effect with another mechanism promoting apoptosis.     

厌氧微生物降解多环芳烃研究进展

多环芳烃(PAHs)是一类普遍存在于环境介质中的难降解有机污染物,相对于好氧微生物降解PAHs的研究,厌氧微生物降解PAHs的研究则相对较少.本文从厌氧微生物降解PAHs的研究背景,厌氧降解微生物的特点和不同厌氧降解还原反应体系的角度综述了厌氧微生物降解PAHs的概况;结合厌氧微生物降解萘和菲转化途径的介绍,推断了其降解机制的内在原因;同时通过总结影响厌氧微生物降解PAHs的主要因素(包括:PAHs的生物可利用性、外源营养物质的添加、外源电子受体的添加、特定厌氧降解菌的筛选强化和部分环境因素等),指出了制约降解进程的潜在限制因子;并对厌氧微生物降解PAHs研究目前存在的问题和未来的发展方向作了简述与展望.     

Integrating Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 with Oxidative/Nitrosative Signaling Pathways in Neurons: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy for AD

The pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is comprised of complex metabolic abnormalities in different cell types in the brain. To date, there are not yet effective drugs that can completely inhibit the pathophysiological event, and efforts have been devoted to prevent or minimize the progression of this disease. Much attention has focused on studies to understand aberrant functions of the ionotropic glutamate receptors, perturbation of calcium homeostasis, and toxic effects of oligomeric amyloid beta peptides (Aβ) which results in production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and signaling pathways, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and synaptic impairments. Aberrant phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) activity has been implicated to play a role in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. However, mechanisms for their modes of action and their roles in the oxidative and nitrosative signaling pathways have not been firmly established. In this article, we review recent studies providing a metabolic link between cytosolic PLA(2) (cPLA(2)) and neuronal excitation due to stimulation of ionotropic glutamate receptors and toxic Aβ peptides. The requirements for Ca(2+) binding together with its posttranslational modifications by protein kinases and possible by the redox-based S-nitrosylation, provide strong support for a dynamic role of cPLA(2) in serving multiple functions to neurons and glial cells under abnormal physiological and pathological conditions. Therefore, understanding mechanisms for cPLA(2) in the oxidative and nitrosative pathways in neurons will allow the development of novel therapeutic targets to mitigate the detrimental effects of AD.     

HILI Inhibits TGF-β Signaling by Interacting with Hsp90 and Promoting TβR Degradation

PIWIL2, called HILI in humans, is a member of the PIWI subfamily. This subfamily has highly conserved PAZ and Piwi domains and is implicated in several critical functions, including embryonic development, stem-cell self-renewal, RNA silencing, and translational control. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a secreted multifunctional protein that controls several developmental processes and the pathogenesis of many diseases. TGF-β signaling is activated by phosphorylation of transmembrane serine/threonine kinase receptors, TGF-β type II (TβRII), and type I (TβRI), which are stabilized by Hsp90 via specific interactions with this molecular chaperone. Here, we present evidence that HILI suppresses TGF-β signaling by physically associating with Hsp90 in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). Our research shows that HILI mediates the loss of TGF-β-induced Smad2/3 phosphorylation. We also demonstrate that HILI interacts with Hsp90 to prevent formation of Hsp90-TβR heteromeric complexes, and improves ubiquitination and degradation of TβRs dependent on the ubiquitin E3 ligase Smurf2. This work reveals a critical negative regulation level of TGF-β signaling mediated by HILI (human PIWIL2) by its ability to interact with Hsp90 and promote TβR degradation.     

Critical role of Toll‐like receptor 2 in Bacteroides fragilis‐mediated immune responses in murine peritoneal mesothelial cells

In this study, the role of Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) in immune responses of murine peritoneal mesothelial cells against Bacteroides fragilis was investigated. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure cytokines and chemokines. Activation of nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB‐α) and mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAP kinases) was investigated by western blot analysis. B. fragilis induced production of interleukin‐6, chemokine (C‐X‐C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1) and chemokine (C‐C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) in wild type peritoneal mesothelial cells; this was impaired in TLR2‐deficient cells. In addition, in response to B. fragilis, phosphorylation of inhibitory NF‐κB‐α and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) was induced in wild type mesothelial cells, but not in TLR2‐deficient cells,. Inhibitor assay revealed that NF‐κB and MAPKs are essential for B. fragilis‐induced production of CXCL1 and CCL2 in mesothelial cells. These findings suggest that TLR2 mediates immune responses in peritoneal mesothelial cells in response to B. fragilis.     

Multiplex PCR assay for the detection and quantification of Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella serotypes in water samples

Three pathogens, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli, are leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in the United States and worldwide. Although these three bacteria are typically considered food-borne pathogens, outbreaks have been reported due to contaminated drinking water and irrigation water. The aim of this research was to develop two types of PCR assays that could detect and quantify three pathogens, Campylobacter spp., E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella spp., in watershed samples. In conventional PCR, three target strains were detected by multiplex PCR (m-PCR) using each specific primer pair simultaneously. Under optimized m-PCR conditions, the assay produced a 90-bp product for Campylobacter jejuni, a 150-bp product for E. coli O157:H7, and a 262-bp product for Salmonella Typhimurium, and the limitation of detection was approximately 700 copies for all three bacteria. In addition, real-time PCR was performed to quantify the three pathogens using SYBR green fluorescence. The assay was designed so that each target had a different melting temperature [C. jejuni (80.1 °C), E. coli O157:H7 (83.3 °C), and S. Typhimurium (85.9 °C)]. Therefore, this system could quantify and distinguish three pathogens simultaneously in a single reaction.