Interaction of sortase A and lipase 2 in the inhibition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis> biofilm formation

Recombinant sortase A (SrtA) was used to immune rabbit, and the inhibitory activity of anti-SrtA serum on Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation was tested. Biofilm formation was inhibited by anti-SrtA rabbit serum in S. aureus ATCC25923 and two clinical isolated strains. The antiserum was separated into two fractions, and the main component with the inhibitory activity was demonstrated to be the IgG fraction. Two proteins interact with the IgG fraction were identified by using an in vitro pull-down assay and were confirmed to be lipase 2 and γ-hemolysin by mass spectrometry. Cross-interaction between SrtA and lipase 2 was further confirmed by Western blotting. Addition of anti-lipase 2 serum in the culture medium also showed inhibitory effect against biofilm formation. Together, our study suggests anti-SrtA serum inhibits S. aureus biofilm formation and lipase 2 is one of the targets of anti-SrtA serum in this inhibition process. This is the first study to demonstrate the roles of antisera against SrtA and lipase 2 in the inhibition of biofilm formation in S. aureus.     

免疫荧光染色检测克隆牛X染色体组蛋白H3 Lys 4 二甲基化修饰

利用免疫荧光染色, 检测胎儿成纤维细胞(FFB)和输卵管上皮细胞(FOV)来源的克隆牛X中期染色体组蛋白H3 K4m2修饰状况。结果发现, 这两种细胞系来源的克隆牛耳组织细胞系X染色体H3 K4m2修饰与供体核FFB细胞系和常规繁殖牛耳组织细胞系的修饰基本一致, 而与供体核FOV细胞系有较大差异。     

DNA methylation changes in cell line from beta-lactoglobulin gene targeted fetus

The gene targeting combined somatic cell nuclear transfer is very useful in agriculture and medicine. Epigenetic modification of DNA by methylation is significant in regulating gene expression during mammalian development. During gene targeting, epigenetic status of donor cell nuclei may be changed in a series of processes, including homologous recombination, cell selection and cloning. We examined DNA methylation of six genes (beta-actin, VEGF, oct4, TERT, H19 and Igf2) and a repetitive sequence art2 in blg(+/-) cell line from beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) gene targeted fetus and the cells used for BLG gene targeting serve as control. The results demonstrated that the widespread changes of DNA methylation were found in blg(+/-) cell line. But the degree of variation was different. DNA methylation of VEGF in blg(+/-) was noticeably decreased. These observations suggest that DNA methylation variations may impact gene expression and finally induce abnormalities and lethality in later developmental stages.     

XC1028 from Xanthomonas campestris adopts a PilZ domain‐like structure without a c‐di‐GMP switch

The crystal structure of XC1028 from Xanthomonas campestris has been determined to a resolution of 2.15 Å using the multiple anomalous dispersion approach. It bears significant sequence identity and similarity values of 64.10% and 70.09%, respectively, with PA2960, a protein indispensable for type IV pilus‐mediated twitching motility, after which the PilZ motif was first named. However, both XC1028 and PA2960 lack detectable c‐di‐GMP binding capability. Although XC1028 adopts a structure comprising a five‐stranded β‐barrel core similar to other canonical PilZ domains with robust c‐di‐GMP binding ability, considerable differences are observed in the N‐terminal motif; XC1028 assumes a compact five‐stranded β‐barrel without an extra long N‐terminal motif, whereas other canonical PilZ domains contain a long N‐terminal sequence embedded with an essential “c‐di‐GMP switch” motif. In addition, a β‐strand (β1) in the N‐terminal motif, running in exactly opposite polarity to that of XC1028, is found inserted into the parallel β3/β1′ strands, forming a completely antiparallel β4↓β3↑β1↓β1′↑ sheet in the canonical PilZ domains. Such dramatic structural differences at the N‐terminus may account for the diminished c‐di‐GMP binding capability of XC1028, and suggest that interactions with additional proteins are necessary to bind c‐di‐GMP for type IV fimbriae assembly. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Current status and future prospects of Zoige Marsh in Eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Zoige Marsh, located in the Northeastern Qianghai-Tibet Plateau, is the largest highland marsh in the world. The marsh is one of the hotspots for biodiversity, harboring many endemic and endangered species, including Grus nigricollis, the only plateau crane. Zoige Marsh has a large area of high-quality grasslands, serving as the fifth largest livestock base in China, and it is also the major water source to the headstream of the Yellow River. However, due to global warming and unwise use of the marsh resources, including ditching for grassland enlargement, peat exploitation, and livestock grazing, since the 1970s, Zoige Marsh has suffered severe ecosystem degradations such as vegetation recessive succession, biodiversity loss, soil deterioration, and rodent disasters. It is therefore imperative to restore the damaged marsh. We propose in this paper that ecological engineering and livestock population control must be taken as measures for ecological restoration and biodiversity protection.     

Ectopic expression of S-RNase of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Petunia inflata</Emphasis> in pollen results in its sequestration and non-cytotoxic function

The specificity of S-RNase-based self-incompatibility (SI) is controlled by two S-locus genes, the pistil S-RNase gene and the pollen S-locus-F-box gene. S-RNase is synthesized in the transmitting cell; its signal peptide is cleaved off during secretion into the transmitting tract; and the mature “S-RNase”, the subject of this study, is taken up by growing pollen tubes via an as-yet unknown mechanism. Upon uptake, S-RNase is sequestered in a vacuolar compartment in both non-self (compatible) and self (incompatible) pollen tubes, and the subsequent disruption of this compartment in incompatible pollen tubes correlates with the onset of the SI response. How the S-RNase-containing compartment is specifically disrupted in incompatible pollen tubes, however, is unknown. Here, we circumvented the uptake step of S-RNase by directly expressing S₂-RNase, S₃-RNase and non-glycosylated S₃-RNase of Petunia inflata, with green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused at the C-terminus of each protein, in self (incompatible) and non-self (compatible) pollen of transgenic plants. We found that none of these ectopically expressed S-RNases affected the viability or the SI behavior of their self or non-self-pollen/pollen tubes. Based on GFP fluorescence of in vitro-germinated pollen tubes, all were sequestered in both self and non-self-pollen tubes. Moreover, the S-RNase-containing compartment was dynamic in living pollen tubes, with movement dependent on the actin–myosin-based molecular motor system. All these results suggest that glycosylation is not required for sequestration of S-RNase expressed in pollen tubes, and that the cytosol of pollen is the site of the cytotoxic action of S-RNase in SI.     

S100和GFAP在猫上丘表浅层表达差异的免疫组织化学观察

目的比较青、老年猫上丘表浅层（superricial Superior Colliculus,sSC）星形胶质细胞中S100蛋白与胶质原纤维酸性蛋白（glial fibrillary acidic protein,GFAP）表达的老年性变化,并探讨其在动物视觉功能衰退中的意义。方法采用免疫组织化学方法（SABC法）示青、老年猫上丘表浅层S100免疫阳性反应（S100-immunoreactive,S100-IR）细胞及胶质纤维酸性蛋白免疫反应阳性（GFAP-immunoreactive,GFAP-IR）细胞。光镜下观察、拍照,并利用Image-ProExpress图像分析软件对上丘表浅层各层S100和GFAP免疫反应阳性细胞密度及其灰度值进行测量。结果与青年猫相比,老年猫上丘表浅层中S100蛋白与GFAP表达均有不同程度的显著增强（P〈0.01）。结论衰老进程中,上丘表浅层出现S100、GFAP表达增强,星形胶质细胞存在明显的反应性活化与增生,这对维持上丘表浅层神经元的活性和神经元之间的通讯联系,从而延缓老年性视觉功能衰退具有重要意义。     

1．3倍体HBV YIDD变异株真核表达载体构建及鉴定

构建HBV YIDD拉米夫定耐药株1．3倍全基因真核表达载体,为进一步探讨乙肝病毒变异株的生物学特性及筛选抗病毒药物奠定基础。参考GenBankHBV序列设计并合成一系列引物,以临床证实为拉米夫定耐药的病人HBV DNA为模板,通过PCR扩增得到HBV全基因组并克隆至pGEM—T Easy载体中,经测序证实聚合酶基因存在YIDD变异,然后以该病人的HBV全基因组为模板构建1．3倍全基因HBV—YIDD变异真核表达载体pcDNA3．1（＋）-1．3HBV。通过PCR扩增,酶切及测序证明pcDNA3．1（＋）-1．3HBV表达载体构建成功,该表达载体的构建为后期建立稳定表达HBV—YIDD变异的细胞模型提供材料。     

氨基酸强化饵料对大鲮鲆诱食活性的研究

以平均体长为3~5 cm大鲮鲆为实验对象,采用触球法、迷宫法等实验方法,通过8种氨基酸对实验大鲮鲆进行诱食活性试验研究,每组实验重复3次,使用SPSS软件进行分析。结果表明,其中L-赖氨酸、L-甘氨酸、L-组氨酸的诱食活性呈显著性差异(P<0.01)。其中以甘氨酸的诱食活性最大,其它次之。