Localization of heat shock proteins in clinical Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans strains and their effects on epithelial cell proliferation

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is an important pathogen in periodontitis. In the present study we localized the GroEL- and DnaK-like heat shock proteins (Hsp) in subcellular fractions of 12 A. actinomycetemcomitans strains of various clinical origin and compared their effects on periodontal epithelial cell proliferation and viability. In all strains, GroEL-like protein was found in the membrane, cytoplasm, and periplasm, whereas DnaK-like protein was present in the cytoplasm and periplasm. No correlation was observed between the Hsp expression and the serotype or origin of A. actinomycetemcomitans strains. The bacterial membrane fractions that expressed the GroEL-like protein moderately or strongly induced epithelial cell proliferation more strongly than strains that expressed the protein weakly. The results suggest that GroEL-like Hsp may play a role in the virulence of A. actinomycetemcomitans by increasing epithelial proliferation.     

Properties of cellulose-binding modules in endoglucanase F from Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 by means of surface plasmon resonance

Properties of the recombinant proteins derived from Fibrobacter succinogenes endoglucanase F (EGF), AD2 and AD4, were characterized using surface plasmon resonance. Because AD2, which contains two reiterated regions, showed stronger affinity to immobilized carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) than did AD4, which contains only the first reiterated region, it has been assumed that the reiterated regions of EGF are cellulose-binding modules. While calcium enhanced the binding of AD2 to the immobilized CMC, it did not enhance the binding of AD4. Moreover, the results obtained from experiments using cellooligosaccharides showed that the binding sites of AD4 and AD2 span approximately four and nine glucosyl units, respectively.     

Prospects for a bio-based succinate industry

Bio-based succinate is receiving increasing attention as a potential intermediary feedstock for replacing a large petrochemical-based bulk chemical market. The prospective economical and environmental benefits of a bio-based succinate industry have motivated research and development of succinate-producing organisms. Bio-based succinate is still faced with the challenge of becoming cost competitive against petrochemical-based alternatives. High succinate concentrations must be produced at high rates, with little or no by-products to most efficiently use substrates and to simplify purification procedures. Herein are described the current prospects for a bio-based succinate industry, with emphasis on specific bacteria that show the greatest promise for industrial succinate production. The succinate-producing characteristics and the metabolic pathway used by each bacterial species are described, and the advantages and disadvantages of each bacterial system are discussed.     

Expression of the Apx toxins ofActinobacillus pleuropneumoniae inSaccharomyces cerevisiae and its induction of immune response in mice

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is an important pig pathogen, which is responsible for swine pleuropneumonia, a highly contagious respiratory infection. To develop subunit vaccines forA. pleuropneumoniae infection, the Apx toxin genes,apxI andapxII, which are thought to be important for protective immunity, were expressed inSaccharomyces cerevisiae, and the induction of immune responses in mice was examined. TheapxI andapxII genes were placed under the control of a yeast hybridADH2-GPD promoter (AG), consisting of alcohol dehydrogenase II (ADH2) and theGPD promoter. Western blot analysis confirmed that both toxins were successfully expressed in the yeast. The ApxIA and ApxIIA-specific IgG antibody response assays showed dose dependent increases in the antigen-specific IgG antibody titers. The challenge test revealed that ninety percent of the mice immunized with ApxIIA or a mixture of ApxIA and ApxIIA, and sixty percent of mice immunized with ApxIA survived, while none of those in the control groups survived longer than 36 h. These results suggest that vaccination of the yeast expressing the ApxI and ApxII antigens is effective for the induction of protective immune responses againstA. pleuropneumoniae infections in mice.     

复合PCR鉴定胸膜肺炎放线杆菌方法的建立及初步应用

根据胸膜肺炎放线杆菌(Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae,App)apxIVA毒素基因序列和16SrRNA序列分别设计了一对特异性引物P1P4和一对通用引物S7S10,建立了检测App全部15个血清型的复合PCR方法。对App的15个血清型国际参考株和国内的11个App菌株进行检测,都能得到363bp和692bp的两个扩增片段。而放线杆菌等13株参考菌株只能得到692bp的扩增片段。该方法能将15个血清型的App菌株鉴定到种。检测的灵敏度达9pgDNA1300CFU。用建立的方法检测临床分离的302株可疑菌株,阳性4株,与其它鉴定方法相符。结果表明复合PCR可用于App菌株的鉴定。     

猪传染性胸膜肺炎放线杆菌apxIA基因在大肠杆菌中的融合表达与纯化

选取猪传染性胸膜肺炎放线杆菌(APP)apx1A基因序列中的抗原决定簇集中的区域,采用PCR方法从APP血清1型参考株259的基因组DNA中,扩增apxIA基因中约954 bp的片段,连接到pMD-18T载体,经测序正确后,以EcoR I和Not I双酶切,亚克隆到原核表达载体pGEX-4T-1中,转化大肠杆菌DH5α,经0.4 mmol/L IPTG诱导表达,产物通过尿素变性复性,并以Glutathione Sepharose 4B亲和层析的方法对目的蛋白进一步纯化.SDS-PAGE分析结果显示,目的基因在大肠杆菌DH5ct中以包涵体形式高效表达,经薄层凝胶扫描分析占菌体总蛋白的32%,纯化后的GST融合蛋白纯度达到95%,为亚单位疫苗和诊断抗原的研究奠定了基础.     

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.     

发酵法生产丁二酸的化学合成培养基的筛选

以产琥珀酸放线杆菌Actinobacillus succinogenes NJ113 为出发菌株,针对该菌株筛选出含有关键生长因子的化学合成培养基,其关键因子为谷氨酸（Glu）、蛋氨酸（Met）和生物素（VH）和烟酸（VPP）。结合原发酵培养基中的磷酸缓冲盐成分,最终得到的化学合成培养基配方（g/L）： CH3COONa 1.36,NaCl 1.0,MgCl2 0.2,CaCl2 0.2,Na2HPO4 0.31,NaH2PO4 1.6, KH2PO4 3,NH4HCO3 1.57,Glu 0.87,Met 0.11,VH 0.010,VPP 0.025。在3 L发酵罐上进行验证实验,50 g/L初始葡萄糖发酵70 h,丁二酸的质量浓度为45.2 g/L,丁二酸收率达到90.4%。与之前的半合成培养基发酵制备丁二酸相比,丁二酸的收率提高了25.2%,副产物也有很大幅度的减少。