Identification and evaluation of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR analysis in Passiflora edulis under stem rot condition

Molecular Biology Reports - Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), an important tropical and subtropical fruit, has a high edible and medicinal value. Stem rot disease is one of the most important...     

NADPH缺陷型Corynebacterium glutamicum重组菌株的构建及其性能分析

[目的]改造谷氨酸棒杆菌(Corynebacterium glutamicum)中NADPH合成途径,阻断胞内NADPH的合成,获得1株NADPH营养缺陷型菌株。[方法]通过失活L-赖氨酸高产菌C. glutamicum Lys-χ中葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶(Zwf)和苹果酸酶(MalE)并将NADP~+依赖型异柠檬酸脱氢酶(NADP~+-Icdcg)替换成变形链球菌(Streptococcus mutans)中的NAD~+-Icdsm,阻断胞内NADPH的合成。随后结合辅因子工程,引入大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)中膜结合吡啶核苷酸转氢酶(PntAB)并通过不同强度启动子控制PntAB的表达水平。最后,分析不同重组菌中胞内氧化还原水平和L-赖氨酸生产强度的变化。[结果]重组菌C.glutamicum Lys-χΔZMI_(Cg)::I_(Sm)(即Lys-x1)胞内检测不到NADPH,为1株NADPH营养缺陷型菌株。该重组菌只在以葡萄糖酸为碳源的基础培养基中生长和积累L-赖氨酸,而以葡萄糖、丙酮酸、α-酮戊二酸和草酰乙酸为碳源时无法生长。此外,表达E.coli中的PntAB可回补重组菌Lys-χ1胞内NADPH的水平,但由于不同强度启动子控制PntAB表达水平不同,重组菌胞内NADPH水平也不同,并影响L-赖氨酸的生产强度。[结论]重组菌Lys-χ1可作为有效的底盘细胞,用于考察不同的NADPH再生策略,获得不同胞内NADPH水平的重组菌株,为进一步阐明NADPH调控微生物细胞生理代谢功能的机制提供研究基础。     

Synergistical effect of 20-HETE and high salt on NKCC2 protein and blood pressure via ubiquitin–proteasome pathway

We previously generated a cytochrome P450 4F2 (CYP4F2) transgenic mouse model and demonstrated that overexpressed CYP4F2 and overproduced 20-HETE in the kidneys contribute to the increase of blood pressure in the CYP4F2 transgenic mice with normal salt intake. We currently expect to elucidate a potential mechanism of salt-related hypertension whereby diverse levels of 20-HETE interact with dietary salt on Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl^? cotransporter, isoform 2 (NKCC2) in the kidneys of the transgenic and wild-type mice with high salt intake. High salt intake reduced about 85 % abundance of renal NKCC2 protein in the transgenic mice and about 24 % in the wild-type mice by Western blot. Furthermore, we first found that NKCC2 was ubiquitinated and interacted with Nedd4-2 by immunoprecipitation in the transgenic mice with high salt intake. In addition, inhibition of 20-HETE synthesis or proteasome activity reversed the reduction of NKCC2 expression induced by 20-HETE and high salt intake. These results suggest that 20-HETE and high salt intake synergistically decrease the expression of NKCC2 protein via Nedd4-2-mediated ubiquitin–proteasome pathway, and thereby modulate natriuresis and blood pressure. We propose that diverse levels of 20-HETE have diverse effects on blood pressure in different salt concentrations.     

Down-regulation of human cytomegalovirus UL138, a novel latency-associated determinant, by hcmv-miR-UL36

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs, 19–23 nucleotides in length, which regulate a variety of cellular processes. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes only one intronic miRNA: human cytomegalovirus microRNA UL36 (hcmv-miR-UL36). In this study, we found that over-expression of hcmv-miR-UL36 resulted in a more than threefold increase in HCMV DNA synthesis at 24 h post infection. Fifteen putative targets of hcmv-miR-UL36 were identified using hybrid PCR, one being the HCMV UL138 gene that has previously been identified as a novel latency-associated determinant of HCMV infection. Down-regulation of UL138 expression by hcmv-miR-UL36 was validated using luciferase reporter assays and Western blot analysis in HEK293 cells. In the presence of hcmv-miR-UL36, we observed a 74.6% decrease in luciferase activity and a 46.2% decrease in HCMV UL138 protein expression. Our results indicate that hcmv-miR-UL36 may be a viral miRNA contributing to HCMV replication.     

Combined treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms with bacteriophages and chlorine

Bacterial biofilms are a growing concern in a broad range of areas. In this study, a mixture of RNA bacteriophages isolated from municipal wastewater was used to control and remove biofilms. At the concentrations of 400 and 4 × 10⁷ PFU/mL, the phages inhibited Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation by 45 ± 15% and 73 ± 8%, respectively. At the concentrations of 6,000 and 6 × 10⁷ PFU/mL, the phages removed 45 ± 9% and 75 ± 5% of pre‐existing P. aeruginosa biofilms, respectively. Chlorine reduced biofilm growth by 86 ± 3% at the concentration of 210 mg/L, but it did not remove pre‐existing biofilms. However, a combination of phages (3 × 10⁷ PFU/mL) and chlorine at this concentration reduced biofilm growth by 94 ± 2% and removed 88 ± 6% of existing biofilms. In a continuous flow system with continued biofilm growth, a combination of phages (a one‐time treatment at the concentration of 1.9 × 10⁸ PFU/mL for 1 h first) with chlorine removed 97 ± 1% of biofilms after Day 5 while phage and chlorine treatment alone removed 89 ± 1% and 40 ± 5%, respectively. For existing biofilms, a combined use of a lower phage concentration (3.8 × 10⁵ PFU/mL) and chlorination with a shorter time duration (12 h) followed by continuous water flushing removed 96 ± 1% of biofilms in less than 2 days. Laser scanning confocal microscopy supplemented with electron microscopy indicated that the combination treatment resulted in biofilms with lowest cell density and viability. These results suggest that the combination treatment of phages and chlorine is a promising method to control and remove bacterial biofilms from various surfaces. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 286–295. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

高浓度氯苯优势降解菌的筛选及其降解酶的纯化

[目的]分离纯化出一株高浓度氯苯优势降解菌株,对其所产氯苯降解酶进行分离与纯化,为该菌株及其氯苯降解酶的研究提供理论参考.[方法]利用梯度富集培养技术和无菌滤纸片平板法分离菌株,通过形态特征及16S rRNA基因序列分析初步鉴定菌株,用气相色谱法测定培养液中氯苯浓度,以单位细胞氯苯降解率评价菌株对氯苯的降解能力,以氯苯降解率表示氯苯降解酶的活性.取纯化菌株的发酵酶液制备粗酶液,经硫酸铵梯度盐析、透析脱盐、DE-52离子交换层析、G-100凝胶层析和透析浓缩后,进行SDS-PAGE凝胶电泳检验酶的纯度并测定酶的分子量.[结果]从氯苯长期驯化的成熟期活性污泥中筛选到一株以氯苯为唯一碳源和能源的氯苯优势降解细菌LW13,该菌株在以2000 mg/L氯苯为唯一碳源的无机盐培养基中仍能正常生长,其单位细胞氯苯降解率可达1.37 ×10-10.扫描电镜观察到该菌株细胞大小约为2.3 ×0.8μm,长有数根端生鞭毛.16S rRNA基因序列相似性比较表明该菌株与Lysinibacillus fusiformis(溶藻菌)的相似性达95.5％.所纯化的氯苯降解酶为胞外酶,带正电荷,其分子大小约为57 kDa.整个纯化过程中酶纯化倍数化达8.0倍,酶活回收率达52.51％,酶量回收率达6.57％.纯化后的氯苯降解酶在30℃-55℃和pH在6.0-8.0之间都保持较高的酶活性,其最适反应温度和pH分别在40℃和pH8.0左右.[结论]所分离的氯苯优势降解菌属于Lysinibacillus属菌株,该菌株能有效降解高浓度(500-2000 mg/L)氯苯废水,通过逐级分离纯化,可获得氯苯降解酶纯酶,纯化指标符合分离纯化基本规律,纯化效果较为理想.     

“伯杰氏系统细菌学手册(第二版)”第5卷与我国的放线菌系统学研究

"伯杰氏系统细菌学手册"(下文简称"伯杰氏手册"),是世界各国分类学家普遍接受的学术观点的汇总,集科学性、统一性和实用性于一身。2012年5月,随着"伯杰氏手册"第二版第5卷(放线菌专刊)分A、B两册出版,这部经典巨著在Michael Goodfellow等的领导下精心组织并顺利完成。"伯杰氏手册"第5卷对放线菌分类系统做出了重大调整,正式建立了放线菌门,包括6个纲、23个目(含一个未确定目)、53个科、222个属、近3000个种,其分类阶元为细菌域、放线菌门,在门下为纲、目、科、属和种。"伯杰氏手册"收录了我国放线菌分类学研究的大量成果,这是我国四代放线菌分类学家们共同努力的结果。但需要指出的是,由于"伯杰氏手册"过于严谨、保守的著书宗旨与漫长的出版周期,对DNA基因多位点序列分析(MLSA)技术、基因芯片技术和基因组技术等在分类学领域中所做出的新研究成果采纳不足,而这部分内容或许在不久的将来会使原核生物分类学发生深刻的改变。     

Discovery of natural estrogen receptor modulators with structure-based virtual screening

Eleven compounds were identified as estrogen receptor modulators from an in-house natural product database (NPD) by structure-based virtual screening for ERα and ERβ. Among them, 3 compounds were confirmed as ER agonists and 8 compounds were confirmed as ER antagonists by yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay, with EC₅₀ values ranging from several micromolar to 100 micromolar. In this study, a novel series of cycloartane triterpenoids isolated from Schisandra glaucescens Diels was found to have ER antagonistic effect, the most potent antagonist of which exhibited activity with EC₅₀ value of 2.55 and 4.68 μM for ERα and ERβ, respectively. Moreover, the types of modulation and subtype selectivity were also investigated through molecular docking simulation.