Enumeration of Bacteroides succinogenes in the rumen of sheep fed maize-straw diets

Abstract Estimates of Bacteroides succinogenes in the rumen of two sheep fed a maize-straw diet exceeded 10⁸ per g of rumen ingesta and were even higher when the straw was supplemented with pelleted maize grain. A number of B. succinogenes strains were characterized in some detail and very few were found to ferment starch. Cells of freshly isolated strains lost viability more rapidly when grown on agar medium than did cells of strains which had been subjected to more transfers.     

Structural and functional characterization of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas2 protein under different pH conditions

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins constitute an RNA-guided microbial defense system against invading foreign genetic materials. Cas2 is one of the core Cas proteins found universally in all the subtypes of CRISPR-Cas systems and is required for incorporating new spacers into CRISPR loci. Cas2 homologues from different CRISPR-Cas subtypes were characterized previously as metal-dependent nucleases with different substrate preferences, and it was proposed that a pH-dependent conformational change mediates metal binding and catalysis. Here, we report the crystal structures of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas2 at three different pHs (5.6, 6.5, and 7.5), as well as the results of its nuclease activity assay against double-stranded DNAs at varying pHs (6.0–9.0). Although S. pyogenes Cas2 exhibited strongly pH-dependent catalytic activity, there was no significant conformational difference among the three crystal structures. However, structural comparisons with other Cas2 homologues revealed structural variability and the flexible nature of its putative hinge regions, supporting the hypothesis that conformational switching is important for catalysis. Taken together, our results confirm that Cas2 proteins have pH-dependent nuclease activity against double-stranded DNAs, and provide indirect structural evidence for their conformational changes.     

Critical role of Toll‐like receptor 2 in Bacteroides fragilis‐mediated immune responses in murine peritoneal mesothelial cells

In this study, the role of Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) in immune responses of murine peritoneal mesothelial cells against Bacteroides fragilis was investigated. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure cytokines and chemokines. Activation of nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB‐α) and mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAP kinases) was investigated by western blot analysis. B. fragilis induced production of interleukin‐6, chemokine (C‐X‐C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1) and chemokine (C‐C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) in wild type peritoneal mesothelial cells; this was impaired in TLR2‐deficient cells. In addition, in response to B. fragilis, phosphorylation of inhibitory NF‐κB‐α and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) was induced in wild type mesothelial cells, but not in TLR2‐deficient cells,. Inhibitor assay revealed that NF‐κB and MAPKs are essential for B. fragilis‐induced production of CXCL1 and CCL2 in mesothelial cells. These findings suggest that TLR2 mediates immune responses in peritoneal mesothelial cells in response to B. fragilis.     

类杆菌的超微结构观察

对类杆菌属常见的9个菌种25个菌株作电镜观察,观察到类杆菌表面凹凸不平和纤维状物质,其细胞壁与其它革兰氏阴性杆菌一样具有三个电子致密层和二个电子透明层在菌细胞中央有电子透明区的丝状结构和电子密度高的核蛋白体。还观察到荚膜及菌体外的微泡结构。使用电予显微镜作超微结构观察有助于深入研究厌氧菌细胞的结构和功能。     

口腔各种产黑色素类杆菌外膜结构的电镜观察

本文对从根管中分离的产黑色素类杆菌群的部分菌株:牙髓类杆菌、牙龈类杆菌、中间型类杆菌、产黑色素类杆菌的表面结构进行了电镜观察。观察发现牙髓类杆菌、牙龈类杆菌表面有放射状排列的菌毛样结构;牙龈类杆菌表面有荚膜;多数细菌的细胞膜外有多个小泡状结构;这些结构可能在细菌吸附于组织的过程中起着重要的作用。     

类杆菌5-硝基咪唑抗性质粒pIP419的研究

5-硝基咪唑类药物广泛应用于厌氧菌感染症的临床治疗,近几年厌氧菌5-硝基咪唑抗性菌株的报道有所增加。本文介绍分离自类杆菌的编码抗5-硝基咪唑抗性质粒pIP419的研究结果。pIP419分子量为10kb,已建立了限制性内切酶物理图谱。该质粒可通过接合和转化在不同的菌种或菌株间转移。质粒上负责质粒复制和转移的基因片段已被定位和克隆。     

儿童牙齿表面的菌群分布与龋齿的关系

本实验从幼儿园和小学一年级的学生中选择５－８岁的无龋齿和有龋齿的儿童各４５例,进行牙齿表面的菌群分布与龋齿关系的研究,结果在有龋组中分离到变形链球菌８株,放线菌６株及拟杆菌２６株,而在无龋组中未分离到变形链球菌,分离到放线菌１株,拟杆菌１４株,两组比较,以上三种菌有显著差异（Ｘ２检验Ｐ＜０．０５）。说明除变形链球菌是主要的致龋菌外〔１,２〕,还应考虑放线菌和拟杆菌在龋齿发生上的作用。此外,我们还发现两组的兼性厌氧菌的分布也有所不同,无龋组中分离到棒状杆菌２９株,而有龋组中分离到棒状杆菌１１株,小肠结肠炎耶尔森氏菌７株,两组也有明显差异,故我们认为龋齿发生的原因可能是多方面的,就病原菌来说,也可能是多种细菌的混合作用,从两组兼性厌氧菌与无芽胞厌氧菌的分布不同来看,亦应考虑龋齿的发生与口腔内生态平衡有关     

脆弱拟杆菌的研究进展

脆弱拟杆菌是定殖于哺乳动物肠道中的共生菌,同时也是临床感染病例中常见的条件致病菌。本文从致病及益生特性两大方面综述脆弱拟杆菌的研究现状,着重讨论了脆弱拟杆菌作为潜在益生菌在预防和治疗糖尿病及免疫性疾病中所起的重要作用,从而为筛选及应用益生脆弱拟杆菌菌株提供一定的参考。     

Acetivibrio cellulolyticus and Bacteroides cellulosolvens are members of the greater clostridial assemblage

Abstract The nucleotide sequences of the 16S rRNA genes of Acetivibrio cellulolyticus, A. cellulosolvens , and Bacteroides cellulosolvens were determined and shown to be affiliated with the low G+C members of Gram-positive bacteria. The sequences for A. cellulolyticus and A. cellulosolvens were revealed to be identical, supporting the proposal by W.D. Murray [Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. (1986) 36, 314–316] that A. cellulosolvens be correctly classified as A. cellulolyticus . The closest relative to A. cellulolyticus is Clostridium aldrichii , related at 98.5% sequence similarity. B. cellulosolvens and A. cellulolyticus are related at 94.4% sequence similarity.