Generation of high rapamycin producing strain via rational metabolic pathway‐based mutagenesis and further titer improvement with fed‐batch bioprocess optimization

Rapamycin is a triene macrolide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus. Besides its wide application as an effective immunosuppressive agent, other important bioactivities have made rapamycin a potential drug lead for novel pharmaceutical development. However, the low titer of rapamycin in the original producer strain limits further industrialization efforts and restricts its use for other applications. Predicated on knowledge of the metabolic pathways related to rapamycin biosynthesis in S. hygroscopicus, we have rationally designed approaches to generate a rapamycin high producer strain of S. hygroscopicus HD‐04‐S. These have included alleviation of glucose repression, improved tolerance towards lysine and shikimic acid, and auxotrophy of tryptophan and phenylalanine through the application of stepwise UV mutagenesis. The resultant strain produced rapamycin at 450 mg/L in the shake flask scale. These fermentations were further scaled up in 120 and 20,000 L fermentors, respectively, at the pilot plant. Selected fermentation factors including agitation speed, pH, and on‐line supplementation were systematically evaluated. A fed‐batch strategy was established to maximize rapamycin production. With these efforts, an optimized fermentation process in the larger scale fermentor was developed. The final titer of rapamycin was 812 mg/L in the 120 L fermentor and 783 mg/L in the 20,000 L fermentor. This work highlights a high rapamycin producing strain derived by mutagenesis and subsequent screening, fermentation optimization of which has now made it feasible to produce rapamycin on an industrial scale by fermentation. The strategies developed here should also be applicable to titer improvement of other important microbial natural products on an industrial scale. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107: 506–515. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Comparative Analysis of Growth and Photosynthetic Characteristics of (Populus simonii × P. nigra) × (P. nigra × P. simonii) Hybrid Clones of Different Ploidides

To evaluate differences among poplar clones of various ploidies, 12 hybrid poplar clones (P. simonii × P. nigra) × (P. nigra × P. simonii) with different ploidies were used to study phenotypic variation in growth traits and photosynthetic characteristics. Analysis of variance showed remarkable differences for each of the investigated traits among these clones (P < 0.01). Coefficients of phenotypic variation (PCV) ranged from 2.38% to 56.71%, and repeatability ranged from 0.656 to 0.987. The Pn (photosynthetic rate) photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) curves of the 12 clones were S-shaped, but the Pn-ambient CO₂ (Ca) curves were shaped like an inverted “V”. The stomatal conductance (Gs)-PPFD and transpiration rate (Tr)-PPFD curves had an upward tendency; however, with increasing PFFD, the intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci)-PPFD curves had a downward tendency in all of the clones. The Pn-PPFD and Pn-Ca curves followed the pattern of a quadratic equation. The average light saturation point and light compensation point of the triploid clones were the highest and lowest, respectively, among the three types of clones. For Pn-Ca curves, diploid clones had a higher average CO₂ saturation point and average CO₂ compensation point compared with triploid and tetraploid clones. Correlation analyses indicated that all investigated traits were strongly correlated with each other. In future studies, molecular methods should be used to analyze poplar clones of different ploidies to improve our understanding of the growth and development mechanisms of polyploidy.     

Generation of high-yield rapamycin-producing strains through protoplasts-related techniques

Rapamycin is a 31-member ring macrolide produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus and has many applications in clinical medicine. In the present work, several protoplasts-related techniques including protoplasts mutation, intraspecies and interspecies protoplasts fusion were tried to improve the rapamycin productivity in S. hygroscopicus. Although mutation and fusion of different protoplasts of S. hygroscopicus did not improve the productivity of rapamycin significantly, the interspecies fusion of protoplasts of S. hygroscopicus D7-804 and Streptomyces erythreus ZJU325 could have brought about one high-yield (345 mg/L) rapamycin producer with 23.6% higher than that of the parental strain. Then, with seven mutants of S. hygroscopicus with different features and rapamycin productivities as the parental strains, only one-round genome shuffling has generated a high-yield rapamycin-producing strain with an outstanding yield of 445 mg/L. The systematic research of protoplast-related techniques has established an applicable way to generate high-yield strains from original microorganisms which can only produce low amount of expected natural products, without information of target gene clusters and gene sequences.     

北方农牧交错带温性盐碱化草地土壤碳组分对模拟增温的响应机制

中国北方农牧交错带温性盐碱化草地土壤有机碳库对全球气候变暖的响应趋势存在较大不确定性。作为温性盐碱性草地的典型分布区,山西右玉农牧交错带是探索相关研究的理想生境。基于山西农业大学野外观测研究站开顶式气室模拟增温实验平台,通过采集生长旺季土壤样品,探索温性盐碱化草地不同土层有机碳、氮组分对模拟增温的响应与适应机制。结果表明：(1)不同增温处理对土壤有机碳(C)、总氮(N)、颗粒性有机碳(POM-C)和氮(POM-N)、矿物结合态有机碳(MAOM-C)和氮(MAOM-N)、可溶性有机碳(DOC)和氮(DON),以及微生物量碳(MBC)和氮(MBN)等组分无显著影响,但显著降低了MAOM-C/MBC的比值;(2)除土壤可溶性有机碳和微生物量碳外,土壤碳、氮各组分均随土层深度加深而呈现递减趋势,土壤碳、氮各组分之间的比值,除MAOM-N/N和MBC/C外,均随土层深度的增加而呈现显著上升趋势;(3)增温对POM-N/MBN和MAOM-N/MBN的影响与土层深度存在明显的交互效应;(4)不同土层氮组分比值对增温的响应与禾草丰度、杂类草丰度、凋落物量、土壤pH值及土壤含水量等因素有关。其中,凋落物...     

Fas and FasL Expression in the Spinal Cord Following Cord Hemisection in the Monkey

The changes of endogenous Fas/FasL in injured spinal cord, mostly in primates, are not well known. In this study, we investigated the temporal changes in the expression of Fas and FasL and explored their possible roles in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and associated precentral gyrus following T(11) spinal cord hemisection in the adult rhesus monkey. A significant functional improvement was seen with the time going on in monkeys subjected to cord hemisection. Apoptotic cells were also seen in the ventral horn of injured spinal cord with TUNEL staining, and a marked increase presents at 7 days post operation (dpo). Simultaneously, the number of Fas and FasL immunoreactive neurons in the spinal cords caudal and rostral to injury site and their intracellular optical density (OD) in the ipsilateral side of injury site at 7 dpo increased significantly more than that of control group and contralateral sides. This was followed by a decrease and returned to normal level at 60 dpo. No positive neurons were observed in precentral gyrus. The present results may provide some insights to understand the role of Fas/FasL in the spinal cord but not motor cortex with neuronal apoptosis and neuroplasticity in monkeys subjected to hemisection spinal cord injury.     

溶藻弧菌的毒力相关基因及其对小鼠的致病力

【目的】通过多重PCR检测和小鼠动物实验,对溶藻弧菌环境分离株的毒力因子进行评估,以期获得较强致病菌株和弱致病菌株之间的差别,并初步探讨该菌毒力因子对小鼠的致病机理。【方法】采用多重PCR体系检测毒力相关基因,我妻氏血平板溶血实验和平板酶活实验检测溶藻弧菌株的溶血素和胞外酶;以昆明小白鼠为实验动物,攻毒方式为灌胃和腹腔注射,根据小鼠的致病症状和死亡情况来分析和对比溶藻弧菌的胞外分泌物以及菌体本身的毒性。【结果】10株溶藻弧菌产淀粉酶、卵磷脂酶的比例为100%,脂肪酶、明胶酶次之(为70%),脲酶均未被检出;神奈川现象阳性菌株率为60%。毒力基因检测的结果显示10株溶藻弧菌中toxR、Collagenase、tlh、FlaA、ompW、AspA、fur这些与毒力有关的基因均有分布,而toxS、trh、tdh、UreR并未检出。10株溶藻弧菌中的VA009对小鼠显示了较强的致病性,能造成腹腔积液,经腹腔注射感染此菌后7 d内死亡率高达80%。【结论】不同的溶藻弧菌对小鼠的致病性存在较大差异,溶藻弧菌菌体本身比胞外分泌物对其毒性的贡献要大,而副溶血弧菌的毒性则由其胞外分泌物起主要作用;比较我们筛选出的强致病菌株与弱致病菌株,其上述毒力基因的分布并没有差别,说明溶藻弧菌可能存在一套与副溶血弧菌不同的独立的毒力基因系统。     

Biocompatible Poly(ε-caprolactone)-based Shape-memory Polyurethane Composite Scaffold with Bone-induced Activity

3D porous scaffold could provide suitable bone-like structure for cell adhesion and proliferation;however,surgical suffer-ing from large volume implantation is ...     

长白落叶松种子园亲本无性系生长性状变异研究

东北地区多个长白落叶松（Larix olgensis）种子园已经营建多年,但亲本生长情况往往被忽视。本研究以汪清林业局49个长白落叶松亲本无性系为材料,对其多个生长性状进行测定与遗传变异分析,方差分析结果表明49个无性系间的各测定性状差异均达极显著水平,各测定性状表型变异系数和遗传变异系数变化范围分别为7.71%~31.93%和2.05%~12.55%,重复力变化范围为0.44~0.76,高重复力、高变异系数有利于无性系的评价选择;树高、胸径等大部分生长性状的相关性达极显著水平,表明各生长性状在生长发育中相互影响;主成分分析结果表明第一主成分贡献率为61.44%,主要代表生物量性状;依托主成分分析结果对长白落叶松亲本无性系进行综合评价,初步筛选L76、L5、L7、L12和L4等5个优良无性系,这些无性系树高等性状遗传增益变化范围为3.55%~15.50%,入选无性系可以为长白落叶松良种选育提供材料。     

黄花倒水莲生长与内源激素水平动态变化关系研究北大核心CSCD

为探索黄花倒水莲春梢生理生化特性的差异以及不同内源激素的变化规律,该文对黄花倒水莲春梢的生长动态进行监测,采用间接酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)测定脱落酸(ABA)、生长素(IAA)、赤霉素(GA)、乙烯(ETH)和玉米素核苷(ZR)五种内源激素含量的动态变化,并对两者间的相关性进行分析。结果表明:(1)黄花倒水莲春梢生长发育过程可分为快速增长期(0~12 d)、生长转折期(16~20 d)和缓慢增长期(24~32 d)三个阶段。(2)内源激素ABA、GA、ETH和ZR含量在缓慢增长期显著高于快速增长期和生长转折期,IAA含量各时期差异较小。(3)春梢长、底部叶长和叶宽在快速增长期与ABA、GA、ETH和ZR含量呈负相关,且与ZR含量具有一定显著性,与IAA含量呈正相关;生长转折期,各指标与GA、ETH和ZR含量呈正相关,与GA含量具有一定显著性,与ABA含量呈负相关;缓慢增长期,各指标与五种内源激素含量均呈正相关,与IAA和ZR含量具有一定显著性。该研究结果为生产上利用外源激素调控黄花倒水莲春梢抽出以及生长提供了理论基础。