Porphyromonas gingivalis Mediates Inflammasome Repression in Polymicrobial Cultures through a Novel Mechanism Involving Reduced Endocytosis

The interleukin (IL)-1β-processing inflammasome has recently been identified as a target for pathogenic evasion of the inflammatory response by a number of bacteria and viruses. We postulated that the periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis may suppress the inflammasome as a mechanism for its low immunogenicity and pathogenic synergy with other, more highly immunogenic periodontal bacteria. Our results show that P. gingivalis lacks signaling capability for the activation of the inflammasome in mouse macrophages. Furthermore, P. gingivalis can suppress inflammasome activation by another periodontal bacterium, Fusobacterium nucleatum. This repression affects IL-1β processing, as well as other inflammasome-mediated processes, including IL-18 processing and cell death, in both human and mouse macrophages. F. nucleatum activates IL-1β processing through the Nlrp3 inflammasome; however, P. gingivalis repression is not mediated through reduced levels of inflammasome components. P. gingivalis can repress Nlrp3 inflammasome activation by Escherichia coli, and by danger-associated molecular patterns and pattern-associated molecular patterns that mediate activation through endocytosis. However, P. gingivalis does not suppress Nlrp3 inflammasome activation by ATP or nigericin. This suggests that P. gingivalis may preferentially suppress endocytic pathways toward inflammasome activation. To directly test whether P. gingivalis infection affects endocytosis, we assessed the uptake of fluorescent particles in the presence or absence of P. gingivalis. Our results show that P. gingivalis limits both the number of cells taking up beads and the number of beads taken up for bead-positive cells. These results provide a novel mechanism of pathogen-mediated inflammasome inhibition through the suppression of endocytosis.     

Leaf morphology shift linked to climate change

Climate change is driving adaptive shifts within species, but research on plants has been focused on phenology. Leaf morphology has demonstrated links with climate and varies within species along climate gradients. We predicted that, given within-species variation along a climate gradient, a morphological shift should have occurred over time due to climate change. We tested this prediction, taking advantage of latitudinal and altitudinal variations within the Adelaide Geosyncline region, South Australia, historical herbarium specimens (n = 255) and field sampling (n = 274). Leaf width in the study taxon, Dodonaea viscosa subsp. angustissima, was negatively correlated with latitude regionally, and leaf area was negatively correlated with altitude locally. Analysis of herbarium specimens revealed a 2 mm decrease in leaf width (total range 1-9 mm) over 127 years across the region. The results are consistent with a morphological response to contemporary climate change. We conclude that leaf width is linked to maximum temperature regionally (latitude gradient) and leaf area to minimum temperature locally (altitude gradient). These data indicate a morphological shift consistent with a direct response to climate change and could inform provenance selection for restoration with further investigation of the genetic basis and adaptive significance of observed variation.     

Functional Genomics Approach to Identifying Genes Required for Biofilm Development by Streptococcus mutans

Streptococcus mutans, the primary etiological agent of human dental caries, is an obligate biofilm-forming bacterium. The goals of this study were to identify the gene(s) required for biofilm formation by this organism and to elucidate the role(s) that some of the known global regulators of gene expression play in controlling biofilm formation. In S. mutans UA159, the brpA gene (for biofilm regulatory protein) was found to encode a novel protein of 406 amino acid residues. A strain carrying an insertionally inactivated copy of brpA formed longer chains than did the parental strain, aggregated in liquid culture, and was unable to form biofilms as shown by an in vitro biofilm assay. A putative homologue of the enzyme responsible for synthesis of autoinducer II (AI-2) of the bacterial quorum-sensing system was also identified in S. mutans UA159, but insertional inactivation of the gene (luxS_Sm) did not alter colony or cell morphology or diminish the capacity of S. mutans to form biofilms. We also examined the role of the homologue of the Bacillus subtilis catabolite control protein CcpA in S. mutans in biofilm formation, and the results showed that loss of CcpA resulted in about a 60% decrease in the ability to form biofilms on an abiotic surface. From these data, we conclude that CcpA and BrpA may regulate genes that are required for stable biofilm formation by S. mutans.     

天目山常绿落叶阔叶林群落垂直结构与群落整体物种多样性的关系

以浙江省天目山1 hm²常绿落叶阔叶混交林样地调查数据为基础,运用K-means聚类方法将DBH≥1 cm的个体根据树高划分为不同林层,研究比较了各个林层的物种多样性特点;利用通径分析方法和决策系数定量计算各个林层物种多样性对群落整体物种多样性的直接作用和间接作用,天目山常绿落叶阔叶林垂直结构对群落物种多样性构成的影响。结果表明：（1）天目山常绿落叶阔叶林群落层次结构丰富,树高由1.4-36.5 m依次可分为灌木层、亚冠层、林冠下层、林冠中层和林冠上层。（2）天目山常绿落叶阔叶林群落从灌木层依次往向上,物种丰富度、多度、特有种数量、Shannon-Weiner指数和Simpson指数均呈下降趋势。（3）灌木层对群落物种多样性的贡献最大且远高于其他四个林层,其中灌木层对群落整体物种多样性Shannon-Wiener指数、Pielou指数以及Simpson指数的决策系数分别为0.850、0.651、0.755。（4）林冠下层、林冠中层和林冠上层密度的大小对灌木层的物种数目有明显的影响,林冠层密度越大,灌木层群落的物种数目越少,复杂程度越低;偶见种和稀有种对群落物种多样性的维持具有特殊作用。综上,研究认为森林群落的垂直结构在维持森林群落整体物种多样性中具有关键作用,而灌木层在群落整体物种多样性构成中具有决定作用,森林群落中稀有种、偶见种多少在群落物种多样性构成中具有特殊作用。     

甘肃不同矿区样品中的细菌多样性

甘肃矿产资源丰富,矿区酸性矿坑水(acid mine drainage,AMD)及周边土壤中嗜酸微生物种类丰富,具有相当大的研究价值.本研究通过Illumina高通量测序方法,对甘肃省4个矿区AMD及周边土壤中的细菌群落组成、相似性及功能组成进行分析.结果 表明,煤矿样品GNM细菌物种组成最为丰富,金矿样品LNJ1与紫金矿样品LNZJK细菌组成最相似,与属于铜矿的BYT物种较相近,与LNJ1同地区的LNJ2样品细菌组成相比较远.所有样品细菌主要分为放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteriodetes)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)和变形菌门(Proteobacteria)四大门,其中变形菌门(Proteobacteria)丰度最高.放线菌门(Actinobacteria)中不动杆菌属(Acinetobacter)、类诺卡氏属(Nocardioides)和芽球菌属(Blastococcus)表现出较高丰度;厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)中微小杆菌属(Exiguobacterium)和芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus)表现出较高丰度,且微小杆菌属(Exiguobacterium)丰度极高.通过功能预测发现,与煤矿样品GNM相比,LNJ1、LNJ2、BYT和LNZJK4个金属矿区样品中的微生物具有较强的氨基酸与碳源的转运与代谢、转录等功能以及较低的能量生产与转运、无机离子转运与代谢能力.通过探究AMD中的细菌多样性及其与重金属之间的相互关系,了解AMD采样区微生物群落结构,以期挖掘出更为丰富的具有重金属抗性的菌株资源,以应用于生物浸矿和环境修复等领域.     

海南4个菠萝品种果实品质比较

对海南地区4个菠萝品种的果实外观品质及内在品质进行比较分析与评价。结果表明,台农16号菠萝品种的综合品质最佳,其次是台农17号,沙捞越(台湾香蜜)品质最差。