Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid production in a chromosomally non-scar triple-deleted mutant Pseudomonas aeruginosa using statistical experimental designs to optimize yield

We constructed a non-scar triple-deleted mutant Pseudomonas aeruginosa to improve phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) yield and then optimized the culture conditions for PCA production. Using a non-scar deletion strategy, the 5′-untranslated region of the phz1 gene cluster and two genes, phzM and phzS, were knocked out of the P. aeruginosa strain M18 genome. The potential ability for high-yield PCA production in this triple-deleted mutant M18MSU1 was successfully realized by using statistical experimental designs. A 2^5–1 fractional factorial design was used to show that the three culture components of soybean meal, corn steep liquor and ethanol had the most significant effect on PCA production. Using a central composite design, the concentration of the three components was optimized. The maximum PCA production was predicted to be 4,725.1 mg/L. With the optimal medium containing soybean meal 74.25 g/L, corn steep liquor 13.01 g/L and ethanol 21.84 ml/L, a PCA production of 4,771.2 mg/L was obtained in the validation experiments, which was nearly twofold of that before optimization and tenfold of that in the wild-type strain. This non-scar triple-deleted mutant M18MSU1 may be a suitable strain for industrial production of this biologically synthesized fungicide due to its high PCA production, presumed safety, thermal adaptability and cost-effectiveness.     

Fusaric acid induction of programmed cell death modulated through nitric oxide signalling in tobacco suspension cells

Fusaric acid (FA) is a nonhost-selective toxin mainly produced by Fusarium oxysporum, the causal agent of plant wilt diseases. We demonstrate that FA can induce programmed cell death (PCD) in tobacco suspension cells and the FA-induced PCD is modulated by nitric oxide (NO) signalling. Cells undergoing cell death induced by FA treatment exhibited typical characteristics of PCD including cytoplasmic shrinkage, chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, membrane plasmolysis, and formation of small cytoplasmic vacuoles. In addition, caspase-3-like activity was activated upon the FA treatment. The process of FA-induced PCD was accompanied by a rapid accumulation of NO in a FA dose-dependent manner. Pre-treatment of cells with NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (cPTIO) or NO synthase inhibitor N ^G-monomethyl-arginine monoacetate (L-NMMA) significantly reduced the rate of FA-induced cell death. Furthermore, the caspase-3-like activity and the expression of PAL and Hsr203J genes were alleviated by application of cPTIO or L-NMMA to FA-treated tobacco cells. This indicates that NO is an important factor involved in the FA-induced PCD. Our results also show that pre-treatment of tobacco cells with a caspase-3-specific inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-CHO, can reduce the rate of FA-induced cell death. These results demonstrate that the FA-induced cell death is a PCD and is modulated by NO signalling through caspase-3-like activation.     

Granulation of activated sludge in a continuous flow airlift reactor by strong drag force

Most aerobic granule cultivation has been based on the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and then the factors that affect aerobic granulations were developed in the SBR. However, little work has been done to cultivate aerobic granules in a continuous-flow bioreactor with simple structure that is realistic for engineering. This work is the first to cultivate aerobic granules in a continuous flow airlift fluidized bed reactor (CAFB) possesses a very simple structure and without settling time and starvation time controlling. The configuration of CAFB was the simplest continuous-flow aerobic granular bioreactor reported by now. The majority of granules could be formatted in the CAFB after 12 days cultivation. The effluent COD concentration maintained at 50 ± 10 mg/L for the variable COD loading rate of 3.5 g COD/L/d and 4.8 g COD/L/d, which confirmed that the CAFB performed good anti-shock abilities. CAFB performed good nitrification ability, however, little denitrification was found under the operating conditions of this study. The shear stress acting on the solid phase were hundreds of times stronger in the CAFB than in the SBR at the same aeration strength. It seems CAFB is very efficient for granulation due to the strong shear-force exertion, which is promising for continuous-flow aerobic granular bioreactor. Protein, positive to the hydrophobicity, was predominant in extracellular polymeric substances in the granules, and favored the granules formation in the CAFB combined with the polysaccharides. However, filamentous bulking always happened in 35 days operation of the CAFB, thus further study on the stability of this bioreactor is urgently necessary.     

Functional replacement of the Escherichia coli D-(-)-lactate dehydrogenase gene (ldhA) with the L-(+)-lactate dehydrogenase gene (ldhL) from Pediococcus acidilactici

The microbial production of L-(+)-lactic acid is rapidly expanding to allow increased production of polylactic acid (PLA), a renewable, biodegradable plastic. The physical properties of PLA can be tailored for specific applications by controlling the ratio of L-(+) and D-(-) isomers. For most uses of PLA, the L-(+) isomer is more abundant. As an approach to reduce costs associated with biocatalysis (complex nutrients, antibiotics, aeration, product purification, and waste disposal), a recombinant derivative of Escherichia coli W3110 was developed that contains five chromosomal deletions (focA-pflB frdBC adhE ackA ldhA). This strain was constructed from a D-(-)-lactic acid-producing strain, SZ63 (focA-pflB frdBC adhE ackA), by replacing part of the chromosomal ldhA coding region with Pediococcus acidilactici ldhL encoding an L-lactate dehydrogenase. Although the initial strain (SZ79) grew and fermented poorly, a mutant (SZ85) was readily isolated by selecting for improved growth. SZ85 exhibited a 30-fold increase in L-lactate dehydrogenase activity in comparison to SZ79, functionally replacing the native D-lactate dehydrogenase activity. Sequencing revealed mutations in the upstream, coding, and terminator regions of ldhL in SZ85, which are presumed to be responsible for increased L-lactate dehydrogenase activity. SZ85 produced L-lactic acid in M9 mineral salts medium containing glucose or xylose with a yield of 93 to 95%, a purity of 98% (based on total fermentation products), and an optical purity greater than 99%. Unlike other recombinant biocatalysts for L-lactic acid, SZ85 remained prototrophic and is devoid of plasmids and antibiotic resistance genes.     

The Molecular Events Involved in Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cell Proliferation Induced by the Conditioned Medium from B104 Neuroblastoma Cells

The conditioned medium from B104 neuroblastoma cells (B104CM) induces proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in vitro. However, the molecular events that occur during B104CM-induced proliferation of OPCs has not been well clarified. In the present study, using OPCs immunopanned from embryonic day 14 Sprague–Dawley rat spinal cords, we explored the activation of several signaling pathways and the expression of several important immediate early genes (IEGs) and cyclins in OPCs in response to B104CM. We found that B104CM can induce OPC proliferation through the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (Erk1/2), but not PI3K or p38 MAPK signaling pathways in vitro. The IEGs involved in B104CM-induced OPC proliferation include c-fos, c-jun and Id2, but not c-myc, fyn, or p21. The cyclins D1, D2 and E are also involved in B104CM-stimulated proliferation of OPCs. The activation of Erk results in subsequent expression of IEGs (such as c-fos, c-jun and Id-2) and cyclins (including cyclin D1, D2 and E), which play key roles in cell cycle initiation and OPC proliferation. Collectively, these results suggest that the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 is an important molecular event during OPC proliferation induced by B104CM.     

Polyamine derivatives as inhibitors of trypanothione reductase and assessment of their trypanocidal activities

Trypanothione reductase (TR) occurs exclusively in trypanosomes and leishmania, which are the etiological agents of many diseases. TR plays a vital role in the antioxidant defenses of these parasites and inhibitors of TR have potential as antitrypanosomal agents. We describe the syntheses of several spermine and spermidine derivatives and the inhibiting effects of these compounds on T. cruzi TR. All of the inhibiting compounds displayed competitive inhibition of TR-mediated reduction of trypanothione disulfide. The three most effective compounds studied were N⁴,N⁸-bis(3-phenylpropyl)spermine (12), N⁴,N⁸-bis(2-naphthylmethyl)spermine (14), and N¹,N⁸-bis(2-naphthylmethyl)spermidine (21), with K_i values of 3.5, 5.5 and 9.5 μM, respectively. Compounds 12, 14, and 21 were found to be potent trypanocides in vitro with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.19 to 0.83 μM against four T. brucei ssp. strains. However, these compounds did not prolong the lives of mice infected with trypanosomes. This work indicates that certain polyamine derivatives which target a unique pathway in Trypanosomatidae have potential as antitrypanosomal agents.     

慢性缺氧对大鼠左右心室功能、心肌肌原纤维Ca~（2＋），Mg~（2＋）－ATP

模拟５０００ｍ中度缺氧时,大鼠右室功能显著加强,而左室功能加强不显著;左右心室肌原纤维Ｃａ２＋,Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰ酶活性下降,肌球蛋白同功酶Ｖ２和Ｖ３百分含量增加,Ｖ１百分含量减少。８０００ｍ重度缺氧时,右室功能减弱,但无统计学意义,左室功能减弱有显著性;ＡＴＰ酶活性和同功酶的变化超过５０００ｍ组。此外,右室ＡＴＰ酶活性与ＰＡＰ呈反比且有显著性,左室ＡＴＰ酶活性与ＣＡＳＰ虽也呈反比但无显著性;右室同功酶Ｖ３百分含量与ＰＡＰ呈正比,左室同功酶Ｖ３百分含量与ＣＡＳＰ不呈比例。上述结果表明,因短期突发严重缺氧引起的心肌供氧不足对左心室心肌的直接损伤作用大于右心室心肌。     

转铁蛋白在低钾刺激Madin Darby狗肾细胞钠-钾ATP酶中的作用

体外低钾培养肾细胞能刺激细胞膜钠-钾ATP酶。本研究利用Madin Darby狗肾细胞能在无血清培养液中健康生存48h这一特征,研究体外低钾刺激细胞膜钠-钾ATP酶所依赖的血清中的活性因子,观察了表皮生长因子(EGF)、胰岛素样生长因子(IGF1)、前列腺素1(PGE1)和转铁蛋白(tranderrin)在这一过程中的作用。结果表明,在无血清培养液中低钾并不能刺激细胞膜钠—钾ATP酶,而添加转铁蛋白可模拟血清的作用。转铁蛋白能剂量依赖性地增加ouabain结合位点,对细胞膜钠-钾ATP酶作用呈良好的时间效应关系。在低钾无血清培养液中,细胞膜钠-钾ATP酶α1亚基启动子活性增强,α1与β1亚基蛋白质表达的增加依赖于转铁蛋白的存在。进一步研究结果表明,低钾在转铁蛋白的无血清培养液环境中能增加细胞对铁的摄取(^59Fe),该作用可被铁螯合剂(deferoxamine,DFO;35 μmol/L)所阻断。DFO也可阻断转铁蛋白依赖性低钾刺激细胞膜钠-钾ATP酶数目的增多,α1亚基启动子活性增强,α1与β1亚基蛋白质表达增加。以上结果表明,低钾对细胞膜钠-钾ATP酶活性的刺激作用依赖于转铁蛋白所调节的铁的摄取。