Cloning, sequence analysis and heterologous expression of the DNA adenine-(N(6)) methyltransferase from the human pathogen Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans

We cloned and sequenced the DNA adenine-N(6) methyltransferase gene of the human pathogen Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (M.AacDAM). Restriction digestion shows that the enzyme methylates adenine in the sequence GATC. Expression of the enzyme in a DAM(-) background shows in vivo activity. A PSI-BLAST search revealed that M.AacDAM is most related to M.HindIV, M.EcoDAM, M.StyDAM, and M.SmaII. The ClustalW alignment shows highly conserved regions in the enzyme characteristic for type a MTases. Phylogenetic tree analysis shows a cluster of enzymes recognizing the sequence GATC, within a branch of orphan MTases harboring M.AacDAM. The cloning and sequencing of this first methyltransferase gene described for A. actinomycetemcomitans open the path for studies on the potential regulatory impact of DNA methylation on gene regulation and virulence in this organism.     

超高静压在琥珀酸生产菌株选育中的应用

采用超高静压对一株产琥珀酸放线杆菌A3进行诱变育种, 进一步提高其生产性能。考察了压力、变压速度、生长期对菌株致死率的影响。在压力为200 MPa, 50 MPa/min变压速度的诱变条件下对稳定期菌株进行诱变, 筛选到一株突变菌株产琥珀酸放线杆菌B19, 琥珀酸产量达到 32.2 g/L, 比出发菌株A3提高了17.9%, 代谢副产物乙酸的产量降低了11.5%, 经过6次传代表明突变菌株具有稳定的遗传特性。     

Actinomycetemcomitin: a new bacteriocin produced by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aggregatibacter</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Actinobacillus</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">actinomycetemcomitans</Emphasis>

Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans P_7–20 strain isolated from a periodontally diseased patient has produced a bacteriocin (named as actinomycetemcomitin) that is active against Peptostreptococcus anaerobius ATCC 27337. Actinomycetemcomitin was produced during exponential and stationary growth phases, and its amount decreased until it disappeared during the decline growth phase. It was purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation (30–60% saturation), and further by FPLC (mono-Q ionic exchange and Phenyl Superose hydrophobic interaction) and HPLC (C-18 reversed-phase). This bacteriocin loses its activity after incubation at a pH below 7.0 or above 8.0, following heating for 30 min at 45°C, and after treatment with proteolytic enzymes such as trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, and papain. Actinomycetemcomitin has a molecular mass of 20.3 KDa and it represents a new bacteriocin from A. actinomycetemcomitans.     

Heterogeneity in the immune response to serotype b LPS of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in inbred strains of mice

We investigated the heterogeneity of the humoral immune responses to whole cells and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype b and production of cytokines in inbred strains of mice. Nine such strains were tested: A/J (H-2(a)), C57BL/6 (H-2(b)), BALB/c (H-2(d)), DBA/2 (H-2(d)), B10.BR (H-2(k)), C3H/He (H-2(k)), C3H/HeJ (H-2(k)), DBA/1 (H-2(q)) and B10.S (H-2(s)). Mice were immunized intraperitoneally with whole cells of A. actinomycetemcomitans ATCC 43718 (serotype b) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS; pH 7.2) emulsified with an equal volume of Freund's incomplete adjuvant. Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels against A. actinomycetemcomitans were measured by an ELISA system. ELISA analysis, using LPS fractions from serotype a, b or c strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans as the coating antigens, revealed that mice strains C3H/He, C3H/HeJ, B10.BR and B10.S had an extremely high-IgM response against serotype b LPS. High-IgM titer sera contain also elevated levels of IgA antibodies to the antigen. To compare the cytokine production among inbred mice, the amounts of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-5 (IL-5), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) released from mouse splenocytes were measured using ELISA systems specific for these cytokines. A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b LPS stimulation induced IL-6 release from murine splenocytes of all tested strains. However, IL-4 and IL-5 were detected only in high-IgM/IgA responders to A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b LPS, not in low-IgM/IgA responders. Thus, we found a relationship between the humoral immune response to LPS of A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b and production of type 2 cytokines by splenocytes.     

Construction and immunogencity of a DeltaapxIC/DeltaapxIIC double mutant of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovar 1

The apxIC and apxIIC genes of the Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovar 1 strain SLW01, encoding the ApxI- and ApxII-activating proteins, respectively, were deleted successively by a method involving sucrose counterselection. The resulting strain, SLW03, contained no foreign DNA and could secrete unactivated ApxIA and ApxIIA RTX toxins with complete antigenicity. Strain SLW03 was attenuated at least 1000-fold in Balb/C mice and caused no adverse effects in pigs at doses of up to 1 x 10(9) CFU mL(-1). SLW03 was able to induce a significant immune response and provide complete protection from clinical signs upon homologous (serovar 1) and heterologous (serovar 9) challenge of A. pleuropneumoniae. Pigs vaccinated via the intranasal (i.n.) route had significantly higher serum titers and fewer pulmonary lesions than pigs vaccinated via the intramuscular route postchallenge. These results suggest that the mutant strain SLW03 could be used as a candidate live vaccine that can induce reliable cross-serovar protection following i.n. immunization.     

Demonstration of the third antigenically distinct outer membrane lipoprotein (OmlA) in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 7

The gene encoding an outer membrane lipoprotein (OmlA) of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae strain WF83 (serotype 7 reference strain), designated omlA₇, was sequenced. The amino acid sequence of OmlA₇ showed 64.5 and 71.6% identity to that of OmlA from serotypes 1 (OmlA₁) and 5 (OmlA₅), respectively. The first 134 amino acids of OmlA₇ were identical to those of OmlA₅. A Southern blot analysis revealed the presence of a gene highly homologous to the omlA₇ in the reference strains of serotypes 3, 4, 6, and 7. A Western blot analysis using a specific antiserum against a recombinant OmlA₇ detected expression of the homologous proteins in the serotypes 4, 6, and 7 reference strains and a serotype 3 field strain, but not in a serotype 3 reference strain. The data demonstrate the third antigenically distinct OmlA is expressed in A. pleuropneumoniae.