具核梭杆菌CarRS双组分系统组氨酸激酶CarS的表达、纯化及生化活性测定

具核梭杆菌(Fusobacterium nucleatum)是一种条件致病菌,能够在结直肠癌组织中富集,影响结直肠癌发生发展的多个阶段。双组分系统在病原菌耐药性、致病性相关基因的调控和表达中起重要作用。本文以具核梭杆菌CarRS双组分系统为研究对象,重点对其组氨酸激酶蛋白CarS进行重组表达和性质研究。利用在线软件SMART、CCTOP和AlphaFold2对CarS二级结构和三级结构进行预测,其结果表明CarS蛋白具有2个跨膜螺旋区,包含9个α螺旋和12个β折叠结构;由两个结构域构成,一是位于N末端的跨膜域(氨基酸1–170),另一个是位于C末端的胞内域,胞内域由信号接收域(histidine kinases,adenylyl cyclases,methyl-accepting proteins,prokaryotic signaling proteins,HAMP)、磷酸受体结构域(histidine kinase domain,HisKA)和组氨酸激酶催化结构域(histidine kinase-like ATPase catalytic domain,HATPase_c)组成。由于全长的CarS蛋白未能在宿主细胞中表达,因此根据其二级、三级结构特点,构建了CarS胞内蛋白的融合表达载体pET-28a(+)-MBP-TEV-CarScyto,并在大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)BL21-CodonPlus(DE3)-RIL中进行过表达。经亲和层析、离子交换层析和凝胶过滤层析,最终获得纯度较高的CarScyto-MBP蛋白,终浓度达20 mg/mL。活性实验结果表明,CarScyto-MBP具有蛋白激酶和磷酸转移酶双活性,麦芽糖结合蛋白(maltose binding protein,MBP)标签对CarScyto蛋白的生物活性无影响。上述结果为深入解析CarRS双组分系统在具核梭杆菌中的生物学功能提供了一定的理论基础。     

Detection of antibodies against Fusobacterium necrophorum and Porphyromonas levii‐like species in dairy cattle with papillomatous digital dermatitis

Bovine digital epidermitis involves different pathologies, including PDD, interdigital dermatitis, and foot rot. Bacteriological and molecular biological studies suggest that these are multimicrobial infections. During our study on the isolation of treponemes from biopsies of PDD, colonies producing black pigment were isolated frequently from the primary cultures, suggesting that Porphyromonas species were present. Moreover, 16S rRNA genes of Fusobacterium necrophorum and Porphyromonas levii‐like species were detected in the lesions. We therefore determined whether an immunological response could be elicited by a P. levii‐like organism isolated from a PDD lesion, as well as two subspecies of F. necrophorum in the sera from cows with and without PDD. A total of 151 serum samples were collected from 85 cows with PDD lesions and 33 cows without lesions on 12 PDD‐positive farms and from 33 cows on two PDD‐free farms. ELISA data showed that IgG antibody levels against antigens of P. levii‐like species and F. necrophorum subsp. necrophorum were significantly higher in cows on PDD‐positive farms than in cows on PDD‐free farms, regardless of the presence of PDD lesions in the cows on the PDD‐positive farms. However, F. necrophorum subsp. funduliforme was present at low levels in both groups. The ELISA results were confirmed by western blot analysis. Furthermore, antigens of these bacteria were detected in PDD‐biopsy sections examined by immunohistochemical staining. F. necrophorum subsp. necrophorum and P. levii‐like species may be involved in the pathogenesis of PDD.     

Blastogenesis and polyclonal immunoglobulin synthesis in murine spleen cells stimulated with lipoolysaccharide, lipid A and acid-degrade polysaccharide from Fusobacterium nucleatum

Abstract Lipopolysaccharide of Fusobacterium nucleatum strain Fevl was split by acid hydrolysis. The split products, i.e. lipid A and degraded polysaccharide were mitogenic for murine spleen cells as measured by uptake of [³H]thymidine. The uptake of [³H]thymidine was dose-dependent. Incubation of spleen cells with stimulants for 3 days resulted in a polyclonal activation of immunoglobulin synthesis. Higher mitogenic response and immunoglobulin production were found in spleen cells of athymic mice compared to those of thymic mice. The activity of lipid A in stimulating immunoglobulin synthesis was comparable with the parent lipopolysaccharide-Fevl, the degraded polysaccharide being the less potent stimulator.     

2-Hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Fusobacterium nucleatum (subsp. nucleatum): an iron-sulfur flavoprotein

Anaerobically prepared cell-free extracts from Fusobacterium nucleatum contain 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase with a specific activity of 20 nkat mg^-1. The enzyme was purified 24-fold to a specific activity of 480 nkat mg^-1 by anion exchange chromatography, gel filtration and chromatography on Blue-Sepharose. The activity of the purified enzyme was strictly dependent on the reductant Ti(III)citrate and stimulated 25-fold by 0.15 mM ATP and 5 mM MgCl₂. ATP is hydrolysed to ADP during incubation with 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase in the presence or absence of the substrate. The enzyme is extremely sensitive towards oxygen and is inhibited by 10 M chloramphenicol, 10 M 2,4-dinitrophenol or 0.15 mM hydroxylamine. The pure enzyme consists of three subunits (49 kDa), (39 kDa) and (24 kDa) in approximately equal amounts. In this respect the enzyme differs from the related 2-hydroxy-glutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Acidaminococcus fermentans and lactyl-CoA dehydratase from Clostridium propionicum both of which are composed of only two subunits with sizes comparable to those of and but require an additional protein for activity. The relative molecular mass of the native enzyme of about 100 kDa suggests a trimeric -structure. The homogeneous enzyme contains riboflavin (0.5 mol/112 kDa), iron and sulfur (3.5 mol/112 kDa each). Polyclonal antibodies directed against the 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from A. fermentans did not crossreact with cell free extracts or purified dehydratase from F. nucleatum. A comparison of the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the dehydratase subunits from A. fermentans and F. nucleatum, however, showed some similarities in the -subunits.Non-standard abbreviations DTT dithiothreitol - PAGE polyaccrylamide gel electrophoresis - VIS visible     

Preliminary Extraction and Identification of the 44.5 kDa Outer Membrane Proteins Isolated from Bovine Fusobacterium necrophorum (AB)

Fusobacterium necrophorum (AB) in the pharynx, respiratory tract, female reproductive tract or urinary system is the causative agent of footrot and hepatic abscesses in animals and acute Lemierre’s syndrome in humans. Current methods do not effectively protect animals and humans against F. necrophorum (AB). The outer membrane proteins (OMP) of F. necrophorum (AB) can be used as new material to protect against the diseases induced by F. necrophorum (AB). The aim of this study was to extract OMP and examine the immunogenic response of OMP. The preliminary extraction of OMP of F. necrophorum (AB) was identified by SDS-PAGE and stained by Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 (CB B R-250) and silver staining methods. The results showed that only a major band of 44.5 kDa was observed when staining the gel using CB B R-250. This band represented the target protein. In contrast, many small bands were observed by the silver staining method. The OMP also exhibited immune biological activities according to western blot analysis. The brightest band among the multi-banding observed was the OMP. Thus, the OMP was obtained and had immunogenic activity. The results provide a new direction to protect animals and humans against F. necrophorum (AB) in the clinical setting.     

Coaggregation of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum PK 1594 is mediated by capsular polysaccharide and lipopolysaccharide

Previous reports have shown that coaggregation between Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, two important periodontopathogens, is mediated by a galactoside on the surface of P. gingivalis and a lectin on F. nucleatum. In the present study, purified capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of P. gingivalis PK 1924 (serotype K5) were found to be able to bind to F. nucleatum cells and to inhibit binding of F. nucleatum to P. gingivalis serotype K5. Sugar binding studies showed that the requirements for binding of P. gingivalis serotype K5 CPS and LPS to the F. nucleatum lectin are: the presence of a metal divalent ion, an axial free hydroxyl group at position 4 and free equatorial hydroxyl groups at position 3 and 6 of d-galactose. These data suggest that P. gingivalis serotype K5- CPS and LPS act as receptors mediating coaggregation between P. gingivalis and fusobacteria.     

具核梭杆菌与结直肠癌关系的研究进展

结直肠癌(Colorectal cancer,CRC)是世界第三大癌症,涉及因素众多,而肠道菌群失调、菌群致病性与结直肠癌的发生、发展有着密不可分的关系。近期的研究发现具核梭杆菌(Fusobacterium nucleatum,F.nucleatum)与结直肠癌的发生存在显著的相关性。具核梭杆菌为革兰阴性厌氧菌,广泛存在于人体肠道中。分子机制研究发现,其能影响宿主细胞因子水平,促进血管生成、巨噬细胞M2极化和抑制机体免疫调节能力,进而增强肿瘤细胞增殖、侵袭及转移。本文就具核梭杆菌与结直肠癌相关机制研究进展作一综述。     

Proteomic investigation of amino acid catabolism in the indigenous gut anaerobe Fusobacterium varium

The butyrate-producing anaerobe Fusobacterium varium is an integral constituent of human gut microflora. Unlike many gut microorganisms, F. varium is capable of fermenting both amino acids and glucose. Although F. varium has been implicated in beneficial as well as pathological bacterium-host interactions, its genome has not been sequenced. To obtain a better understanding of the metabolic processes associated with amino acid fermentation by F. varium, we used a gel-based proteomic approach to examine the changes in the soluble proteome accompanying the utilization of eight different growth substrates: glucose, L- and D-glutamate, L-histidine, L- and D-lysine, and L- and D-serine. Using LC-MS/MS to analyze approximately 25% of the detected protein spots, we were able to identify 47 distinct proteins. While the intracellular concentrations of enzymes characteristic of a catabolic pathway for a specific amino acid were selectively increased in response to the presence of an excess of that amino acid in the growth medium, the concentrations of the core acetate-butyrate pathway enzymes remained relatively constant. Our analysis revealed (i) high intracellular concentrations of glutamate mutase and beta-methylaspartate ammonia-lyase under all growth conditions, underscoring the importance of the methylaspartate pathway of glutamate catabolism in F. varium (ii) the presence of two enzymes of the hydroxyglutarate pathway of glutamate degradation in the proteome of F. varium ((R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase and NAD-specific glutamate dehydrogenase) specifically when L-glutamate was the main energy source (iii) the presence of genes in the genome of F. varium encoding each of the enzymes of the hydroxyglutarate pathway (iv) the presence of both L- and D-serine ammonia-lyases (dehydratases) which permit F. varium to thrive on either L- or D-serine, respectively, and (v) the presence of aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase and dihydrodipicolinate synthase, consistent with the ability of F. varium to synthesize meso-2,6-diaminopimelic acid as a component of its peptidoglycan. Proteins involved in other cellular processes, including oxidation-reduction reactions, protein synthesis and turnover, and transport were also identified.     

Proteomic investigation of glucose metabolism in the butyrate-producing gut anaerobe Fusobacterium varium

A proteome survey and MS analysis were conducted to investigate glucose metabolism in Fusobacterium varium, a butyrate-producing constituent of the indigenous human gut microflora. The bacterium was capable of catabolizing glucose as the main energy source via the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway. 2-DE analyses revealed that the apparent concentrations of the six identified glycolytic enzymes (pyruvate kinase, enolase, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, phosphoglycerate kinase, triosephosphate isomerase, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) were specifically increased in response to the presence of glucose in the chemically defined minimal growth medium, and did not diminish when the medium was additionally supplemented with L-glutamate, an amino acid readily fermented by members of the Fusobacterium genus. A substrate pool depletion study revealed that the sugar, and not the amino acid, is the more efficient growth substrate. Both proteomics and substrate pool depletion studies revealed that F. varium can simultaneously utilize both glucose and L-glutamate as energy sources. Enzymes involved in L-glutamate metabolism were also identified, including an NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase and two enzymes of the methylaspartate pathway of L-glutamate catabolism (glutamate mutase and methylaspartate ammonia-lyase). Their apparent intracellular concentrations were elevated when the bacterium was cultured in media supplemented with excess L-glutamate. Our observation that the apparent concentrations of specific proteins were elevated in response to a particular growth substrate supplied as an energy source provides the first evidence for the presence of a nutrient-responsive mechanism governing intracellular protein concentration in F. varium.