Molecular epidemiology of plasmid mediated resistance to fosfomycin among bacteria isolated from different environments

In this report we present data on the dispersion of a gene responsible for the plasmid-mediated resistance to fosfomycin among bacteria isolated from four hospitals and seven geographically separated domestic sewage treatment plants. Colony hybridization experiments, using a 0.85 kbp DNA fragment which carried the fosfomycin resistance determinant, have shown that the gene was present in isolates from three hospitals and six sewage plants although with different incidence and that it is carried by species of Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Staphylococcus and Bacillus .     

离体培养细胞系冷休克敏感差异性的研究

应用台盼蓝活体染色方法、Hoechst332 5 8荧光探针技术研究低温冷休克 (4℃ )对人肝癌细胞系 (74 0 2 )、秋行军虫细胞系 (Sf9)、幼蚊细胞系 (C6 36 )及草鱼肾细胞系 (CIK)的影响。结果显示 :在冷休克处理 6天后 ,Sf9、C6 36、CIK、74 0 2细胞系的死亡率分别是 2 0 .0 3%、10 0 %、2 8.6 9%、10 0 % ;凋亡率分别为 2 .4 5 %、38.38%、8.2 5 %、96 .4 7% ,其细胞的死亡率远远大于凋亡率。可见冷休克导致细胞死亡过程中 ,应是细胞坏死和凋亡并存。但就其细胞凋亡的敏感性而言 ,4种细胞顺序应为 74 0 2 >C6 36 >CIK >Sf9。研究结果为在细胞水平、分子水平深入研究低体温生物离体细胞冷休克机理奠定基础。     

F0F1-ATPase分子马达技术对单核细胞增生李斯特菌检测的研究

利用载色体chromatophore上的F₀F₁-ATPase分子马达生物传感器,建立了应用在食品检测中快速检测方法。首先从嗜热菌中提取载色体后,标记荧光探针F-DHPE,合成生物素化单增李氏菌prfA探针,在已标记F-DHPE的载色体ATP合酶的ε亚基上连接ε亚基抗体-生物素-链霉亲和素-生物素-prfA探针,将待测单核细胞增生李斯特菌标准菌株和阴性对照分别与此生物传感器结合,通过环境H+量测定ATP产生量,进而对单核细胞增生李斯特菌DNA进行检测。结果表明,chro prfA(连接在载色体chro上的prfA探针)的浓度在0.052 mg/mL,单核细胞增生李斯特菌DNA浓度在40 ng/mL为最适检测条件。通过传统检测方法及PCR检测方法对照,本方法具有良好的检测符合性。     

The essentials of direct xylem pressure measurement

This paper discusses the essentials of the oil‐filled pressure probe technique in the measurement of negative xylem pressures, focusing in particular on the technique and physics underlying our recent, successful experiment which has rekindled the debate on the validity of the Cohesion–Tension theory. We illustrate a number of general problems associated with the cell pressure probe and xylem pressure probe techniques, and propose appropriate criteria for micropipette construction. We enumerate factors dealing with the cavitation problem and suggest methods for eliminating air seeds in the system. We introduce reliable criteria for the successful measurement of xylem pressure, and emphasize the importance of the probe pressure relaxation test. Several problems regarding the controversy over the Cohesion–Tension theory are also discussed. We discuss the correlation between xylem pressure and the transpiration rate, the existence of absolute negative xylem pressure in intact plants, the most negative values of xylem pressure measured by the pressure probe, the agreement between the pressure probe and pressure bomb techniques, and the vulnerability to cavitation (tensile strength) of pressure probes.     

Environmental factors influencing the distribution of rRNA from Verrucomicrobia in soil

The Verrucomicrobia constitute a newly discovered division of the Bacteria identified as a numerically abundant component of soil microbial communities in numerous sites around the world. The relative abundance of rRNA from Verrucomicrobia was investigated in the soil to examine the influence of specific environmental factors on the distribution of Verrucomicrobia and to better understand the distribution of this group in terrestrial ecosystems. The abundance of the verrucomicrobial rRNA was determined by using a novel oligonucleotide probe that is specific for verrucomicrobial 16S rRNA. The abundance of verrucomicrobial 16S rRNA in soil microbial communities was determined in relation to plant community composition and soil management history over a period of 2 years. Additional samples were analyzed to determine if verrucomicrobial rRNA relative abundance changes in relation to either soil depth or soil moisture content. The Verrucomicrobia composed 1.9+/-0.2% of the microbial community rRNA present in the 85 soil samples examined. The distribution of verrucomicrobial rRNA in the soil reveals that Verrucomicrobia are significantly affected by environmental characteristics that change in relation to time, soil history, and soil depth, and reveals that a statistically significant amount of the variation in verrucomicrobial rRNA abundance can be explained by changes in soil moisture content.     

X-ray microanalysis of etoposide-induced apoptosis in the PC-3 prostatic cancer cell line.

Apoptosis comprises a critical intracellular defense mechanism against tumourigenic growth. We have been interested in the relationship between morphological changes and intracellular concentration of several cations after etoposide-induced apoptosis in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. SEM and X-ray microanalysis were performed on freeze-dried PC3 cells after etoposide treatment, and correlated with the morphological features observed after examination by light and fluorescence microscopy. Cell viability assays were also performed. A significant decrease in intracellular Cl(-) and K(+)and a progressive increase in Mg(2+) and Na(+) were observed, with parallel changes in cellular volume as cells passed through three morphological stages of apoptosis. The use of EPXRMA made it possible to evaluate alterations in element composition in prostate cancer cell apoptosis and may be a helpful tool for further studies on apoptosis in prostate cancer.     

Genome characterization of glucose-isomerase-producingStreptomyces sp. NCIM 2730: detection of sequences homologous to a rice repeat sequence

Restriction analysis of the genomic DNA from a high glucose/xylose-isomerase-yieldingStreptomyces sp. NCIM 2730 revealed a number of distinct bands on a background smear, indicating the occurrence of repeated DNA sequences in the genome. Optical renaturation analysis indicated that 25% of the genome comprised rapidly reannealing sequences with a copy number of 50 and a kinetic complexity of 3×10³. Hybridization of theStreptomyces genomic library with theStreptomyces DNA, supported the estimate of the repetitive DNA content derived from the re-association kinetics of the DNA. Hybridization of DNA from three differentStreptomyces species with a rice repetitive DNA probe revealed the presence of homologous sequences, which is a unique finding.M.S. Ghatge was and V.V. Deshpande and P.K. Ranjekar are with the Division of Biochemical Sciences, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune -41108, India; M.S. Ghatge is now with the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, 36th and Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, Kansas - 66103, USA.     

猪源大肠杆菌Nissle 1917菌株的分离鉴定

【目的】证实大肠杆菌Nissle 1917作为自然菌株存在于动物猪体内,并能从猪粪便中分离。建立大肠杆菌Nissle 1917的原位杂交鉴定方法。【方法】采集135份健康断奶仔猪的新鲜粪便制备DNA模板,以人源大肠杆菌Nissle 1917为阳性对照菌株,分别针对Nissle 1917的I型菌毛亚单位Fim A、F1C菌毛亚单位Foc A及两个质粒pMUT1和pMUT2的相关基因序列设计5对特异性引物进行PCR扩增;并将其中427 bp大小的质粒片段pMUT2(a)作为目的片段回收纯化,用地高辛随机引物标记法制成DNA探针。【结果】从其中的2份DNA模板中扩增出上述5对特异性引物PCR预期大小相符的片段,初步认为大肠杆菌Nissle 1917可能存在于猪体内。应用制备的探针通过菌落原位杂交的方法从2份阳性粪便样品中筛选出2株阳性菌落,通过血清学检验、PCR扩增和测序进一步鉴定为阳性Nissle 1917菌株。【结论】动物源益生菌Nissle 1917的分离鉴定,为优良动物源益生菌研究和应用奠定了基础。