Defensins play a crucial role in protecting mice against oral Shigella flexneri infection

An earlier study revealed that 4-day-old mice, but not older mice, were infected with invasive Shigella strains. Here we attempted to determine the underlying mechanism that induces inflammation in the intestines of neonate mice after oral Shigella infection. Wild-type BALB/c mice of different ages (7, 14, and 35 days old) were orally administered GFP-expressing Shigella flexneri 5a M90T strain (5 × 10⁹ CFU) and analyzed for colonization 6 h following infection. We found that Shigella localized in the epithelium, lamina propria, and crypt regions of the small intestines of 7-day-old BALB/c mice. Microarray analysis revealed that expression levels of cryptdin and various types of cryptdin-related mRNA (e.g., cryptrs-2, -5, -7, -12 and lysozyme) in the small intestines were significantly lower in 7-day-old than in older mice regardless of Shigella infection status. Interestingly, matrix metalloprotease-7 (matrilysin)-deficient (MAT^−/−) mice of B6 background had more colonies and more severe symptoms of inflammation in the intestines than did wild-type B6 mice after oral Shigella challenge. This suggests that cryptdin-related antimicrobial molecules are indispensable for efficient protection against oral Shigella infection.     

Regulation of the Polycomb protein RING1B ubiquitination by USP7

The E3 ubiquitin ligase RING1B plays an important role in Polycomb-mediated gene silencing by monoubiquitinating histone H2A. Both the activity and stability of RING1B are controlled by ubiquitination in two distinct manners. Self ubiquitination of RING1B generates K6, K27 and K48-based mixed polyubiquitin chain, and is required for its activity as a ligase. On the other hand, its proteasomal degradation is mediated by another ligase; E6-AP catalyzes the formation of K48-based chains. Since these two modes of ubiquitination target the same lysine residues and are therefore mutually exclusive, an important mode of regulation of RING1B should be at the level of deubiquitination. Here we identify USP7 as a deubiquitinating enzyme that regulates the ubiquitination state of RING1B. RING1B interacts with USP7, which is mediated in part by its RING domain. In addition, USP7 was found in a complex with other Polycomb proteins, suggesting a broad role in regulating these complexes. Although, USP7 directly and specifically deubiquitinates RING1B in vitro and in vivo, it does not discriminate between the activating and proteolysis-targeting modes of ubiquitination, and therefore has a stabilizing effect on RING1B.     

Light harvesting, energy transfer and electron cycling of a native photosynthetic membrane adsorbed onto a gold surface

Photosynthetic membranes comprise a network of light harvesting and reaction center pigment-protein complexes responsible for the primary photoconversion reactions: light absorption, energy transfer and electron cycling. The structural organization of membranes of the purple bacterial species Rb. sphaeroides has been elucidated in most detail by means of polarized light spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Here we report a functional characterization of native and untreated membranes of the same species adsorbed onto a gold surface. Employing fluorescence confocal spectroscopy and light-induced electrochemistry we show that adsorbed membranes maintain their energy and electron transferring functionality. Gold-adsorbed membranes are shown to generate a steady high photocurrent of 10 μA/cm² for several minutes and to maintain activity for up to three days while continuously illuminated. The surface-adsorbed membranes exhibit a remarkable functionality under aerobic conditions, even when exposed to light intensities well above that of direct solar irradiation. The component at the interface of light harvesting and electron cycling, the LH1 complex, displays exceptional stability, likely contributing to the robustness of the membranes. Peripheral light harvesting LH2 complexes show a light intensity dependent decoupling from photoconversion. LH2 can act as a reversible switch at low-light, an increased emitter at medium light and photobleaches at high light.     

Role of guanidinium group in the insertion of l-arginine in DMPE and DMPC lipid interphases

l-Arginine (Arg) is a positively charged amino acid constituent of peptides and proteins, participating in diverse mechanisms of protein-membrane interaction. The effect of Arg on phosphatidylcholine (PC) membranes has been previously related to water structure changes and to the presence of water defects in the hydrocarbon region. However, no information is available with regard to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), another important component of lipid membranes. For this reason, the aim of this study is to determine the effect of Arg on DMPE membranes and partially methylated PEs in comparison to DMPC. The adsorption of the amino acid onto the lipid membranes was followed by determining the changes in the surface potential as a function of the bulk amino acid concentrations. The effects of Arg on the surface properties were also measured by changes in the surface pressure and the dipole potential. The onset of the transition temperature was measured with a fluorophore anchored at the membrane interphase. The results provide a new insight on amino acid—PE interactions, which can be ascribed to specific perturbations in the head group region induced by the guanidinium residue.     

麦麸饲料中细菌对家蝇幼虫生长发育的影响

从饲料用麦麸中分离出的12种细菌均能支持无菌家蝇Musca domestica L．幼虫在胰化酪蛋白大豆卵黄琼脂（TrypticaseSoy EggYolkAgar,TSEYA）培养基中完成整个生长发育过程。1）幼虫在接种香味类香味菌Myroidesodoratimimus的TSEYA培养基中生长时间最短,仅需97．61±1．14h;2）幼虫在接种醋酸钙不动杆菌Acinetobacter calcoaceticus的TSEYA培养基中的化蛹率可达到86．81％;3）从接种嗜水汽单胞菌Aeromonas hydrophila的TSEYA培养基中得到的蝇蛹重量最高,达到20．15±0．23mg／个;4）除铜绿假单胞菌Pseudomonasaeruginosa饲养的家蝇羽化率较低（60．87％）外,其余各种细菌饲养的羽化率在84．33％～97．47％之间。此外,枯草芽孢杆菌Bacillus subtilis、香味类香味菌、聚团肠杆菌Enterobacter agglomerans以及成团肠杆菌Pantoeaagglomerans可作为单一营养来源支持幼虫完成整个生长发育过程。对枯草芽孢杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌Staphylococcusaurous、成团肠杆菌、大肠杆菌Escherichiacoli、奇异变形杆菌Proteusmirabilis以及香味类香味菌中各种营养成分进行分析,结果发现,6种细菌均能提供大量的维生素如（0．105～1．08g／kg）。在氨基酸方面,香味类香味菌和枯草芽孢杆菌中的10种昆虫必需氨基酸含量与总氨基酸含量之比（Essential amino acid／Totalaminoacid,EAA／TAA）最高,而金黄色葡萄球菌最低。这个比例与蛹重呈正相关（p=0．031）。在脂肪酸相对含量方面,金黄色葡萄球菌具有最高的饱和脂肪酸含量（76．38％）,香味类香味菌含有56．79％的不饱和脂肪酸,而枯草芽孢杆菌则具有最高的支链脂肪酸含量（42．16％）。     

转tcdA1B1杀虫基因的阴沟肠杆菌对4种农业害虫的杀虫活性与毒力

tcdA1B1为昆虫病原细菌一发光杆菌Photorhabdus luminescens的杀虫毒素基因。本文测定了转tcdA1B1基因的阴沟肠杆菌对甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua、斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura、黄曲条跳甲Phyllotreta striolata和东亚飞蝗Locusta migratoria manilensis4种重要农业害虫的杀虫活性与毒力。在室内条件下,浓度为5．0×108cfu／mL的工程菌悬浮液,采用叶片浸渍法饲喂甜菜夜蛾2龄幼虫、斜纹夜蛾2龄幼虫、黄曲条跳甲成虫、东亚飞蝗2龄若虫,在11d、11d、15d、19d后的致死率分别为80．05％、81．83％、72．31％、39．74％;LT50分别为8．64d,8．38d、11．04d、28．22d。     

β-Galactosidase from Lactobacillus pentosus: Purification,characterization and formation of galacto-oligosaccharides

A novel heterodimeric β-galactosidase with a molecular mass of 105 kDa was purified from crude cell extracts of the soil isolate Lactobacillus pentosus KUB-ST10-1 using ammonium sulphate fractionation followed by hydrophobic interaction and affinity chromatography. The electrophoretically homogenous enzyme has a specific activity of 97 U_oNPG/mg protein. The K_m, k_cat and k_cat/K_m values for lactose and o-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (oNPG) were 38 mM, 20 s^-1, 530 M^-1·s^-1 and 1.67 mM, 540 s^-1, 325 000 M^-1·s^-1, respectively. The temperature optimum of β-galactosidase activity was 60–65°C for a 10-min assay, which is considerably higher than the values reported for other lactobacillal β-galactosidases. Mg²⁺ ions enhanced both activity and stability significantly. L. pentosus β-galactosidase was used for the production of prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) from lactose. A maximum yield of 31% GOS of total sugars was obtained at 78% lactose conversion. The enzyme showed a strong preference for the formation of β-(1→3) and β-(1→6) linkages, and the main transgalactosylation products identified were the disaccharides β-D-Galp-(1→6)-D -Glc, β-D-Galp-(1→3)-D -Glc, β-D -Galp-(1→6)-D -Gal, β-D -Galp-(1→3)-D -Gal, and the trisaccharides β-D -Galp-(1→3)-D -Lac, β-D -Galp-(1→6)-D -Lac.