Electrochemical checking of aerobic isolates from electrochemically active biofilms formed in compost

Aims:  To design a cyclic voltammetry (CV) procedure to check the electrochemical activity of bacterial isolates that may explain the electrochemical properties of biofilms formed in compost.
Methods and Results:  Bacteria catalysing acetate oxidation in garden compost were able to form electrochemically active biofilms by transferring electrons to an electrode under chronoamperometry. They were recovered from the electrode surface and identification of the isolates using 16S rRNA sequencing showed that most of them were Gammaproteobacteria, mainly related to Enterobacter and Pseudomonas spp. A CV procedure was designed to check the electrochemical activity of both groups of isolates. Preliminary CVs suggested that the bacteria were not responsible for the catalysis of acetate oxidation. In contrast, both groups of isolates were found to catalyse the electrochemical reduction of oxygen under experimental conditions that favoured adsorption of the microbial cells on the electrode surface.
Conclusions:  Members of the genera Enterobacter and Pseudomonas were found to be able to catalyse the electrochemical reduction of oxygen.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  This study has shown the unexpected efficiency of Enterobacter and Pseudomonas spp. in catalysing the reduction of oxygen, suggesting a possible involvement of these species in biocorrosion, or possible application of these strains in designing bio-cathode for microbial fuel cells.     

Overexpression of hns in the plant growth‐promoting bacterium Enterobacter cloacae UW5 increases root colonization

Aims: Plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) introduced into soil often do not compete effectively with indigenous micro‐organisms for plant colonization. The aim of this study was to identify novel genes that are important for root colonization by the PGPR Enterobacter cloacae UW5. Methods and Results: A library of transposon mutants of Ent. cloacae UW5 was screened for mutants with altered ability to colonize canola roots using a thermal asymmetric interlaced (TAIL)‐PCR‐based approach. A PCR fragment from one mutant was reproducibly amplified at greater levels from genomic DNA extracted from mutant pools recovered from seedling roots 6 days after seed inoculation compared to that from the cognate inoculum cultures. Competition assays confirmed that the purified mutant designated Ent. cloacae J28 outcompetes the wild‐type strain on roots but not in liquid cultures. In Ent. cloacae J28, the transposon is inserted upstream of the hns gene. Quantitative RT‐PCR showed that transposon insertion increased expression of hns on roots. Conclusions: These results indicate that increased expression of hns in Ent. cloacae enhances competitive colonization of roots. Significance and Impact of the Study: A better understanding of the genes involved in plant colonization will contribute to the development of PGPR that can compete more effectively in agricultural soils.     

Plantago lanceolata and Plantago rugelii Extracts are Toxic to Meloidogyne incognita but not to Certain Microbes

Extracts from the plants Plantago lanceolata and P. rugelii were evaluated for toxicity to the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita, the beneficial microbes Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma virens, and the plant-pathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. gladioli, Phytophthora capsici, Pythium ultimum, and Rhizoctonia solani. Wild plants were collected, roots were excised from shoots, and the plant parts were dried and ground to a powder. One set of extracts (10% w/v) was prepared in water and another in methanol. Treatments included extract concentrations of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%, and water controls. Meloidogyne incognita egg hatch was recorded after 7-day exposure to the treatments, and second-stage juvenile (J2) activity after 48 hours. All extracts were toxic to eggs and J2, with P. lanceolata shoot extract tending to have the most activity against M. incognita. Numbers of active J2 remained the same or decreased in a 24-hour water rinse following the 48-hour extract treatment, indicating that the extracts were lethal. When data from water- and methanol-extracted roots and shoots of both plant species were combined for analysis, J2 tended to be more sensitive than eggs to the toxic compounds at lower concentrations, while the higher concentrations (75% and 100%) were equally toxic to both life stages. The effective concentrations causing 50% reduction (EC₅₀) in egg hatch and in J2 viability were 44.4% and 43.7%, respectively. No extract was toxic to any of the bacteria or fungi in our assays.     

老年患者阴沟肠杆菌感染的临床特点及耐药性分析

目的了解我院老年患者阴沟肠杆菌感染的临床分布及耐药性变迁,为临床合理用药提供参考依据。方法采用回顾性分析方法,统计临床数据并分析我院2011年9月至2016年4月期间老年患者感染标本中分离出的阴沟肠杆菌的感染现状及耐药性。结果共检出149株阴沟肠杆菌,主要分离于痰液、全血和尿液中,分别占31.54%、24.16%和18.12%。在科室分布中,阴沟肠杆菌感染主要来源于普通外科、重症监护病房和呼吸内科,分别占26.84%、14.10%和14.10%。药敏结果显示阴沟肠杆菌对美罗培南、亚胺培南和阿米卡星具有较好的抗菌活性,敏感率分别为100.00%、96.64%和95.97%,而对阿莫西林/克拉维酸、氨苄西林、头孢替坦、头孢西丁和头孢唑啉的耐药率分别为96.36%、96.36%、97.67%、100.00%和100.00%。结论阴沟肠杆菌易引起呼吸道、泌尿道以及伤口的感染,且其耐药现象较为严重,应加强耐药性的监测,根据药敏结果合理选用抗菌药物,以控制医院感染。     

外加电场刺激对菲降解菌的影响

以菲为主要C源,吐温80作为增溶剂,研究细菌Enterobacter dissolvens在直流电和交流电条件下的生长和代谢过程。实验结果表明:当施加10 mA直流电时,通电8 h后,菌液中细胞的菲降解率较对照增长1.6倍,细胞生长亦有所加快;而施加交流电时,细菌生长和菲降解率均低于直流电刺激。     

阴沟肠杆菌感染的临床分布及耐药性变迁

目的:分析阴沟肠杆菌感染的临床分布及耐药性变迁,为临床合理用药提供指导。方法:采用临床微生物指南中的常规方法对医院各类标本进行分离培养,对医院近3年阴沟肠杆菌感染的临床分布及耐药性变迁情况进行总结分析。结果:2009年12月~2011年12月,从临床标本中共分离出165株阴沟肠杆菌,菌株的主要来源为痰液、尿液和其他分泌物,分别占50.3%、32.7%和27%;临床药物敏感试验结果显示,阴沟肠杆菌对头孢菌素类、青霉素类、氯霉素和氨基糖苷类的抗菌药物呈现较高的耐药率,对亚胺培南、头孢吡肟比较敏感,而头孢西丁、氨苄西林及头孢唑林对阴沟肠杆菌无效。结论:阴沟肠杆菌主要导致呼吸道和尿路感染,是一种对多种抗菌素耐药的高耐药性细菌,临床医生应结合临床药敏结果合理地选用抗菌药物,以减少耐药菌株的产生和蔓延。     

路德维希肠杆菌噬菌体的分离及生物学特性

【背景】噬菌体能够特异性杀死宿主细菌,特别是耐药性细菌,可以作为新型杀菌剂,而关于路德维希肠杆菌噬菌体的研究尚属空白。【目的】分离路德维希肠杆菌噬菌体,并对其生物学特性进行研究。【方法】通过双层平板法分离、纯化、鉴定噬菌体;通过SDS-PAGE电泳分析结构蛋白;通过透射电子显微镜分析噬菌体的形态;通过结晶紫染色法和刚果红平板法分析生物被膜。【结果】以路德维希肠杆菌X20为指示菌从环境样品中分离获得了噬菌体GM20,噬菌斑透明且有较小晕环,直径大小平均为0.47 mm。透射电镜观察显示,噬菌体GM20具有可伸缩尾部,属于肌尾噬菌体科(Myoviridae)。GM20的滴度为7.65×10~9PFU/mL,为烈性噬菌体。一步生长曲线结果显示,噬菌体的潜伏期约为15 min,释放量约为164.3 PFU/infection center。进一步分析显示,GM20具有较好的抑菌效果,耐噬菌体菌株突变株平均突变率为1.06×10~(-5)。【结论】烈性噬菌体GM20能够杀死路德维希肠杆菌X20,有可能应用于路德维希肠杆菌感染的预防与控制。     

突变肠杆菌株NRS-1中5个草甘膦逆境应答基因的克隆与功能研究

【目的】微生物对草甘膦的抗性受复杂的遗传体系调控,涉及靶基因和大量相关调控基因。对肠杆菌属细菌NRS-1突变菌株在高浓度草甘膦逆境下的5个重要差异表达基因进行功能研究,以期深入了解非靶标基因在抗草甘膦微生物的作用特点,为发掘优异基因资源,服务抗草甘膦转基因生物育种提供参考。【方法】NRS-1的差异表达基因可能在蛋白质合成、代谢、细胞膜等水平发挥作用,保护细胞免受高浓度草甘膦逆境,因此分别选取易位酶延伸因子fus A、丁二酸脱氢酶sdh A、胸苷磷酸化酶deo A、鸟氨酸氨甲酰转移酶arg F、周质蛋白osm Y进行克隆,采用大肠杆菌原核表达、转化拟南芥实验研究其功能,并通过细菌双杂及KEGG pathway分析基因间互作特点。【结果】在明确5个基因结构特点基础上,通过大肠杆菌原核表达及转基因拟南芥鉴定,发现这5个基因及草甘膦的靶基因5-烯醇式丙酮莽草酸-3-磷酸合成酶基因aro A对提高2种生物的草甘膦耐性均有不同程度的作用,其中arg F、deo A的抗性较好,与aro A相当,表明在应对草甘膦逆境时,芳香族、含有胸腺嘧啶氨基酸及精氨酸的合成代谢通路可能起重要作用;利用基因互作与KEGG分析发现5个基因与靶基因aro A间形成复杂的调控网络,但无直接的蛋白互作。【结论】NRS-1的5个差异表达基因对草甘膦逆境具有抗性,arg F、deo A优于其他3个基因,其与靶基因aro A间表现复杂的基因互作关系。     

金银花水提物对肠道微生态失调大鼠的调整作用

目的研究金银花水提取物作为微生态调节剂对肠道微生态失调大鼠肠道菌群的调整作用。方法结扎大鼠胆总管造成肠道菌群失调模型后分别以金银花、丽珠肠乐、金银花与丽珠肠乐合剂、生理盐水灌胃,于灌胃4d后测定各组大鼠肠道菌群组分、乙酸含量及肝脏中肠杆菌易位情况。结果大鼠肠道菌群失调得到恢复,肠道内乙酸含量增加,易位至肝脏的肠杆菌数量减少,与自然恢复组相比,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）,金银花与丽珠肠乐合剂组效果最佳。结论金银花水提物作为益生元对大鼠肠道菌群失调具有调整作用。     

亚胺培南不敏感的阴沟肠杆菌碳青霉烯酶基因检测

为了解亚胺培南不敏感的阴沟肠杆菌碳青霉烯酶的主要基因型及其流行情况,收集哈尔滨医科大学附属第一医院临床分离出的亚胺培南不敏感的阴沟肠杆菌24株,采用Vitek-2 Compact进行细菌鉴定、药敏试验,聚合酶链反应（PCR）扩增,DNA测序确定菌株产碳青霉烯酶基因型情况。结果显示,24株阴沟肠杆菌均表现为多重耐药,20株菌扩增出KPC-2条带,经测序证实为KPC-2型碳青霉烯酶基因。该院亚胺培南不敏感的阴沟肠杆菌产碳青霉烯酶的主要基因型别为KPC-2型,临床与实验室应加强监测和控制。