解淀粉芽胞杆菌关键酶基因过表达对鸟苷积累的影响

【目的】研究鸟苷生物合成途径中的3个关键酶编码基因(prs,purF,guaB)过表达对解淀粉芽胞杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens)发酵生产鸟苷的影响。【方法】利用穿梭表达载体PBE43,构建含有prs、purF和guaB基因的单独表达载体和prs、purF基因的串联表达载体,将它们分别转入鸟苷生产菌B.amyloliquefaciens TA208后,通过实时定量PCR测定各工程菌株内相关基因的转录水平;通过酶活检测分析关键酶基因扩增对肌苷酸脱氢酶活性的影响;通过摇瓶发酵实验考察工程菌株与对照菌株的生长、耗糖和鸟苷积累情况。【结果】转录分析结果表明prs、purF和guaB基因过表达的同时都伴随着自身转录水平的显著上调。与此同时,prs和purF基因单独表达均轻微下调了嘌呤操纵子的转录水平,但是guaB基因的过表达并不影响嘌呤操纵子和prs基因的转录。酶活分析结果表明prs和purF基因扩增并不影响肌苷酸脱氢酶的活性,guaB基因的扩增使其活性提高了126%。摇瓶发酵实验发现prs和purF基因的单独过表达均未促进宿主菌合成鸟苷,而含guaB基因过表达载体的工程菌鸟苷产量较出发菌株提高20.7%。将prs和purF基因串联表达后,鸟苷产量提高14.4%,糖苷转化率增加6.8%。【结论】过表达guaB基因能够大幅提高鸟苷产量,而prs和purF基因只有实现协同表达才能对宿主菌积累鸟苷产生积极影响,为通过代谢工程技术提高鸟苷产量奠定了研究基础。     

大熊猫肠道纤维素分解菌的分离鉴定及产酶性质

【目的】从健康大熊猫新鲜粪便中分离具有纤维素酶活性的菌株,并对其进行菌种鉴定及产酶性质研究。【方法】利用羧甲基纤维素钠培养基分离纯化具有较高纤维素酶活性的菌株,根据形态学特征、生理生化特性以及16S rDNA分析对其进行分类鉴定,研究影响该菌株纤维素酶的产酶条件,以及对不同纤维素底物的降解情况。【结果】分离得到一株纤维素酶产生菌株P2,该菌株为好氧的革兰氏阳性细菌,生长温度范围20-50℃(最适温度37℃),pH范围6.0-9.0(最适pH7.0),NaCl浓度范围0%-15%(最适2%NaCl),培养24h达到产酶高峰。16S rDNA基因序列分析显示,菌株P2与解淀粉芽胞杆菌(Bacillusamyloliquefaciens)NBRC15535相似性为99.66%。该菌株对四种纤维素底物(滤纸、脱脂棉、秸秆、竹纤维)均有不同程度的降解,内切葡聚糖酶、外切葡聚糖酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶和总酶活具有不同的酶活变化。【结论】本研究首次从大熊猫粪便中分离出了好氧纤维素分解菌,并鉴定为解淀粉芽胞杆菌,对上述四种纤维结构均有一定的破坏和分解作用,为进一步研究大熊猫竹纤维消化机制提供了菌源。     

Defective retinal depolarizing bipolar cells in regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) 7 and 11 double null mice

Two members of the R7 subfamily of regulators of G protein signaling, RGS7 and RGS11, are present at dendritic tips of retinal depolarizing bipolar cells (DBCs). Their involvement in the mGluR6/Gα(o)/TRPM1 pathway that mediates DBC light responses has been implicated. However, previous genetic studies employed an RGS7 mutant mouse that is hypomorphic, and hence the exact role of RGS7 in DBCs remains unclear. We have made a true RGS7-null mouse line with exons 6-8 deleted. The RGS7(-/-) mouse is viable and fertile but smaller in body size. Electroretinogram (ERG) b-wave implicit time in young RGS7(-/-) mice is prolonged at eye opening, but the phenotype disappears at 2 months of age. Expression levels of RGS6 and RGS11 are unchanged in RGS7(-/-) retina, but the Gβ5S level is significantly reduced. By characterizing a complete RGS7 and RGS11 double knock-out (711dKO) mouse line, we found that Gβ5S expression in the retinal outer plexiform layer is eliminated, as is the ERG b-wave. Ultrastructural defects akin to those of Gβ5(-/-) mice are evident in 711dKO mice. In retinas of mice lacking RGS6, RGS7, and RGS11, Gβ5S is undetectable, whereas levels of the photoreceptor-specific Gβ5L remain unchanged. Whereas RGS6 alone sustains a significant amount of Gβ5S expression in retina, the DBC-related defects in Gβ5(-/-) mice are caused solely by a combined loss of RGS7 and RGS11. Our data support the notion that the role of Gβ5 in the retina, and likely in the entire nervous system, is mediated exclusively by R7 RGS proteins.     

Identification and characterization of a novel polysaccharide deacetylase C (PdaC) from Bacillus subtilis

Cell wall metabolism and cell wall modification are very important processes that bacteria use to adjust to various environmental conditions. One of the main modifications is deacetylation of peptidoglycan. The polysaccharide deacetylase homologue, Bacillus subtilis YjeA (renamed PdaC), was characterized and found to be a unique deacetylase. The pdaC deletion mutant was sensitive to lysozyme treatment, indicating that PdaC acts as a deacetylase. The purified recombinant and truncated PdaC from Escherichia coli deacetylated B. subtilis peptidoglycan and its polymer, (-GlcNAc-MurNAc[-L-Ala-D-Glu]-)(n). Surprisingly, RP-HPLC and ESI-MS/MS analyses showed that the enzyme deacetylates N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc) not GlcNAc from the polymer. Contrary to Streptococcus pneumoniae PgdA, which shows high amino acid sequence similarity with PdaC and is a zinc-dependent GlcNAc deacetylase toward peptidoglycan, there was less dependence on zinc ion for deacetylation of peptidoglycan by PdaC than other metal ions (Mn(2+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+)). The kinetic values of the activity toward B. subtilis peptidoglycan were K(m) = 4.8 mM and k(cat) = 0.32 s(-1). PdaC also deacetylated N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) oligomers with a K(m) = 12.3 mM and k(cat) = 0.24 s(-1) toward GlcNAc(4). Therefore, PdaC has GlcNAc deacetylase activity toward GlcNAc oligomers and MurNAc deacetylase activity toward B. subtilis peptidoglycan.     

The use of PIB-PET as a dual pathological and functional biomarker in AD

Amyloid imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) is presently used in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. In this study we investigated the possibility to use early frames (ePIB) of the PIB scans as a rough index of CBF by comparing normalised early PIB values with cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMRglc). PIB-PET and FDG-PET were performed in 37 AD patients, 21 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 6 healthy controls (HC). The patients were divided based on their PIB retention (amyloid load) as either PIB positive (PIB+) or PIB negative (PIB−). Data of the unidirectional influx K₁ from a subset of the subjects including 7 AD patients and 3 HC was used for correlative analysis. Data was analysed using regions of interest (ROI) analysis. A strong, positive correlation was observed across brain regions between K₁ and ePIB (r = 0.70; p ≤ 0.001). The ePIB values were significantly lower in the posterior cingulate (p ≤ 0.001) and the parietal cortices (p = 0.002) in PIB+ subjects compared to PIB−, although the group difference were stronger for rCMRglc in cortical areas (p ≤ 0.001). Strong positive correlations between ePIB and rCMRglc were observed in all cortical regions analysed, especially in the posterior cingulate and parietal cortices (p ≤ 0.001). A single dynamic PIB-PET scan may provide information about pathological and functional changes (amyloidosis and impaired blood flow). This might be important for diagnosis of AD, enrichment of patients in clinical trials and evaluation of treatment effects. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Imaging Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative disease.     

Microbial control of cotton pests. Part I: Use of the naturally occurring entomopathogenic fungus Aspergillus sp. (BC 639) in the management of Creontiades dilutus (Stal) (Hemiptera: Miridae) and beneficial insects on transgenic cotton crops

The development and adoption of transgenic (Bt) crops that express the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin has reduced the use of synthetic insecticide on transgenic crops to target Helicoverpa spp., the major insect pest of cotton in Australia. However, it has also increased the threat posed by sucking pests, particularly Creontiades dilutus (green mirid), which are unaffected by the Bt toxins in transgenic cotton crops. Here we report the efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Aspergillus sp. (BC 639) in controlling the infestation of transgenic cotton crops by C. dilutus and promoting interactions of transgenic cotton with beneficial insects. The results showed that the number of C. dilutus adults and nymphs recorded on plots treated with 1000, 750, 500, 250 ml/ha BC 639 fungus formulation were the same as on plots treated with the recommended concentration of the commercial insecticide Fipronil. The fungus was found to have minimal effect on predatory insects compared with Fipronil and was most effective against C. dilutus when applied at the rate of 500 ml/ha (equivalent to 50 g spores/ha). At this rate, the fungus was as effective as Fipronil for controlling C. dilutus populations and ensured the survival of predatory beetles, lacewings and spiders compared with Fipronil treatment. The yield from fungus-treated plots was 5.24 bales per acre compared with 5.40 and 3.88 bales per acre for Fipronil-treated and unsprayed plots, respectively. The ability of the BC 639 strain to control C. dilutus infestations of transgenic cotton crops while conserving beneficial insect populations suggests its potential for supplementing integrated pest management programs to reduce the use of synthetic insecticides for transgenic cropping systems.     

Isolation,cloning, and overexpression of vip3Aa gene isolated from a local Bacillus thuringiensis

Vegetative insecticidal protein (Vip) is a newly discovered family of toxin protein isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). An 88.5-kDa Vip3Aa protein was secreted by a local strain of the bacterium during the vegetative growth phase. The full length of the coding region ‘2.3 kbp’ of the vip3Aa gene was isolated from plasmid DNA, cloned in pGEM-T vector and finally cloned in pQE-30 expression vector. Nucleotide sequence revealed 98% homology with that of the previously isolated genes. Expression of the vip3Aa in Escherichia coli was carried out and the expressed protein was detected in the concentrated supernatant, not in the pellet. This indicated that vip3Aa is secreted into the culture medium. Expressed protein was purified, blotted, and assayed against the cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littoralis. The LC₅₀ was found to be 142.4 µ/mL while the LC₅₀ was 90 ppm for the wild strain. These results suggest the use of either the isolated Bt strains or the expressed vip3Aa in an integrated pest management program against lepidopteran insect pests.