The Sortase A Substrates FnbpA, FnbpB, ClfA and ClfB Antagonize Colony Spreading of Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that is renowned both for its rapid transmission within hospitals and the community, and for the formation of antibiotic resistant biofilms on medical implants. Recently, it was shown that S. aureus is able to spread over wet surfaces. This motility phenomenon is promoted by the surfactant properties of secreted phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs), which are also known to inhibit biofilm formation. The aim of the present studies was to determine whether any cell surface-associated S. aureus proteins have an impact on colony spreading. To this end, we analyzed the spreading capabilities of strains lacking non-essential components of the protein export and sorting machinery. Interestingly, our analyses reveal that the absence of sortase A (SrtA) causes a hyper-spreading phenotype. SrtA is responsible for covalent anchoring of various proteins to the staphylococcal cell wall. Accordingly, we show that the hyper-spreading phenotype of srtA mutant cells is an indirect effect that relates to the sortase substrates FnbpA, FnbpB, ClfA and ClfB. These surface-exposed staphylococcal proteins are known to promote biofilm formation, and cell-cell interactions. The hyper-spreading phenotype of srtA mutant staphylococcal cells was subsequently validated in Staphylococcus epidermidis. We conclude that cell wall-associated factors that promote a sessile lifestyle of S. aureus and S. epidermidis antagonize the colony spreading motility of these bacteria.     

人工栽培铁皮石斛菌根的细胞学研究

从细胞学水平上研究了人工栽培铁皮石斛的菌根特征。结果表明:真菌与铁皮石斛根成功地形成了菌根,真菌菌丝穿透根被细胞,并在根被的某个细胞中定殖,然后经由外皮层的通道细胞进入皮层薄壁细胞;皮层薄壁细胞层正是真菌与植物体相互作用的活跃部位;真菌侵染大多数的皮层薄壁细胞,并不能侵染内皮层及中柱细胞,从而使根仍然保持生活力。     

中国南方海域鲎的种类和分布

The northern sea area of the South China Sea is situated between 107.5°～122.5°East longitude and 17°～25° North latitude with high temperature and a large quantity of rainfall which belongs to the oceanic climate of the torrid zone and subtropical zone. From September, 1994 to June, 1998,during the research on the species of Horseshoe crab within the scope between the south from North gulf and the north to Xiamen, choosing Xiamen, Shantou, Wuchuan, Donghaidao and Qishui as fixed positions and irregularly going to Xuwen and Suixi in Guangdong province and Fangcheng in Guangxi province, we found that there was only Tachypleus tridentatus in the northern sea area of the South China Sea and the sea area from Wuchuan to Xiamen, and found that there were two species of horseshoe crab which were Tachypleus tridentatus and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda in the southern area to East Sea Island, referring to East Sea Island, Qishui, Xuwen, Suixi and Fangcheng, most of which were Tachypleus tridentatus, and found a great number of larvae of Tachypleus tridentatus including zooids with different sizes from 7cm bodily length to mature. In Minan we found not only big colonies of adult Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda , but also a great number of larvae of Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda with different body size from 7cm body length to maturity. All these show that the northern sea area of the South China Sea is the area where both Tachypleus tridentatus and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda distribute and reproduce. On January 1st, 1998 at the town of Qishui in Leizhou, we found an adult male Horseshoe crab and majority of its eggs was immature, while the eggs with above 4mm diameters were only 0.87 percent but the eggs with below 1.0mm diameter was 58 percent(1 160 pills). It shows that Qishui is a place where Tachyplers tridentatus survive in the winter.     

斜纹夜蛾抗药性及其防治对策的研究进展

斜纹夜蛾Spodopteralitura是多种作物的重要害虫 ,对有机氯、有机磷、氨基甲酸酯类、拟除虫菊酯类以及Bt制剂等杀虫剂均产生抗药性。本文对斜纹夜蛾抗药性的形成与发展、抗性机理及其防治对策等方面进行了综述     

Chronopharmacologic Effects of Recombinant Human Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (rhG-CSF) on Hematopoiesis in Mice

Chronopharmacologic effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) on circulating white blood cell and differential counts as well as bone marrow granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) counts were investigated in B6D2F1 mice. The animals were synchronized with an alternation of 12 h of light (L) and 12 h of darkness (D) (LD 12:12) for 3 weeks prior to study, then received a daily subcutaneous injection of rhG-CSF (400 µg/kg/day) for 4 consecutive days at 3, 9, 15 or 21 h ours a fter l ight o nset (HALO). Samples were obtained on the fifth day at the same circadian stage as that of rhG-CSF injection. rhG-CSF significantly increased the 24-h mean of leukocyte, neutrophil, lymphocyte and CFU-GM counts. Maximum increase in leukocyte and neutrophil counts was observed when rhG-CSF was administered in the middle of the dark span, while maximum stimulatory effect on circulating lymphocytes or on CFU-GM counts was obtained with rhG-CSF administration near the middle of the light span. The results indicate that choosing the dosing time of this cytokine may selectively orient its pharmacologic action. Appropriate chronomodulated delivery schemes of rhG-CSF may further reduce hematological toxicity following chemotherapy.