Mutation strategies for obtaining chitooligosaccharides with longer chains by transglycosylation reaction of family GH18 chitinase

Enhancing the transglycosylation (TG) activity of glycoside hydrolases does not always result in the production of oligosaccharides with longer chains, because the TG products are often decomposed into shorter oligosaccharides. Here, we investigated the mutation strategies for obtaining chitooligosaccharides with longer chains by means of TG reaction catalyzed by family GH18 chitinase A from Vibrio harveyi (VhChiA). HPLC analysis of the TG products from incubation of chitooligosaccharide substrates, GlcNAc_n, with several mutant VhChiAs suggested that mutant W570G (mutation of Trp570 to Gly) and mutant D392N (mutation of Asp392 to Asn) significantly enhanced TG activity, but the TG products were immediately hydrolyzed into shorter GlcNAc_n. On the other hand, the TG products obtained from mutants D313A and D313N (mutations of Asp313 to Ala and Asn, respectively) were not further hydrolyzed, leading to the accumulation of oligosaccharides with longer chains. The data obtained from the mutant VhChiAs suggested that mutations of Asp313, the middle aspartic acid residue of the DxDxE catalytic motif, to Ala and Asn are most effective for obtaining chitooligosaccharides with longer chains.     

非O1群、非O139群霍乱弧菌致败血症1例报道

对襄阳市中心医院分离的2株疑似霍乱弧菌进行鉴定及药物敏感性试验。利用MicroScan WalkAway 40鉴定仪进行生化鉴定及药物敏感性试验,玻片凝集法确定血清型别,PCR扩增16SrRNA保守区基因并将产物进行测序分析。此2株疑似霍乱菌株O1群及O139群霍乱弧菌诊断血清均不凝集,16SrRNA扩增产物测序Blast比对分析与数据库中霍乱弧菌相似性达100％,药敏结果显示对氨苄西林、庆大霉素、环丙沙星、阿米卡星、氯霉素、复方新诺明（SXT）、四环素均敏感。该病例为非O1、非O139群霍乱弧菌导致的败血症,可能经胃肠道途径传播。     

Indigenous Vibrio cholerae strains from a non-endemic region are pathogenic

Of the 200+ serogroups of Vibrio cholerae, only O1 or O139 strains are reported to cause cholera, and mostly in endemic regions. Cholera outbreaks elsewhere are considered to be via importation of pathogenic strains. Using established animal models, we show that diverse V. cholerae strains indigenous to a non-endemic environment (Sydney, Australia), including non-O1/O139 serogroup strains, are able to both colonize the intestine and result in fluid accumulation despite lacking virulence factors believed to be important. Most strains lacked the type three secretion system considered a mediator of diarrhoea in non-O1/O13 V. cholerae. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) showed that the Sydney isolates did not form a single clade and were distinct from O1/O139 toxigenic strains. There was no correlation between genetic relatedness and the profile of virulence-associated factors. Current analyses of diseases mediated by V. cholerae focus on endemic regions, with only those strains that possess particular virulence factors considered pathogenic. Our data suggest that factors other than those previously well described are of potential importance in influencing disease outbreaks.     

创伤弧菌毒力相关因子的全基因组关联分析研究

【目的】创伤弧菌是致死率最高的弧菌物种,但目前尚无在全基因组层面挖掘毒力相关因子的研究。本研究以创伤弧菌分离来源(临床和环境)作为不同表型,通过与260株基因组序列进行关联分析,挖掘毒力相关因子,从而进一步了解创伤弧菌致病因素。【方法】对139株创伤弧菌分离株进行高通量测序,获取其全基因组序列;与公共数据库已公开发表的121株基因组整合,使用pyseer软件进行全基因组关联分析,对与不同分离来源显著相关的基因进行注释和解读。【结果】共发现11个基因与临床分离株显著相关,其中9个是本研究新发现的创伤弧菌潜在毒力相关因子。【结论】本研究使用群体基因组学和统计遗传学方法,在全基因组范围扫描挖掘了创伤弧菌毒力相关因子,为深入揭示该物种致病机制、设计新的疫苗和治疗靶点提供了重要依据。     

饲料中添加壳聚糖季铵盐对凡纳滨对虾生长及非特异免疫的影响

实验研究壳聚糖季铵盐对凡纳滨对虾生长性能及非特异性免疫能力的影响。在饲料中分别添加0、0.05%、0.10%、0.15%和0.20%的壳聚糖季铵盐, 制成5组等氮等能饲料。将900尾[初体质量(3.820.34) g]健康的凡纳滨对虾随机分成5组(45尾4平行), 养殖时间56d。结果表明:饲料中添加壳聚糖季铵盐显著影响凡纳滨对虾的生长, 0.15%实验组凡纳滨对虾的增重率和特定生长率最佳(P0.05)。饲料中添加壳聚糖季铵盐0.1%、0.15%和0.20%能显著提高凡纳滨对虾血清溶菌酶和碱性磷酸酶及酚氧化酶的活性(P0.05)。饲料中添加壳聚糖季铵盐可显著提高凡纳滨对虾抗副溶血弧菌感染的能力(P0.05), 0.15%组的保护效果最好, 其相对免疫保护率为33.24%。壳聚糖季铵盐能显著提高凡纳滨对虾的生长性能和抗病能力, 本实验条件下适宜的添加量为0.15%。     

研究报告：鳗弧菌（Vibrio anguillarum）核酸适配体的筛选及其结合蛋白的分离鉴定

目的鳗弧菌（Vibrio anguillarum）是水产养殖中的重要条件致病菌,每年给水产养殖业造成巨大的经济损失,研究其致病机制、对其进行快速的检测鉴定是其病害防治的前提和基础。核酸适配体因其高亲和力、高特异性等多种优点,在微生物的靶标分析、检测鉴定以及致病机制等多个领域都呈现出较好的应用潜力。因此,筛选鳗弧菌的核酸适配体,利用核酸适配体对鳗弧菌相关位点进行分析鉴定,不仅能为鳗弧菌的检测鉴定提供一个新的手段,对于探索鳗弧菌相关位点在其病害防治中的作用也具有重要意义。方法以鳗弧菌为靶目标,采用每轮测序的SELEX筛选方法,从高频序列中筛选鳗弧菌的核酸适配体;采用单链DNA浓度法测定核酸适配体的亲和力,研究核酸适配体对鳗弧菌的亲和特异性;采用Origin软件、选择反比例函数（Hyperbola函数）进行非线性拟合,获得核酸适配体的亲和常数（K_d）和最大亲和力（A_m）;采用磁分离技术和聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分离纯化出核酸适配体H5的结合蛋白,通过质谱对该蛋白质进行分析鉴定,并利用Prabi、Phyre2、Psortb 3.0等在线网站分析该结合蛋白的...     

副溶血弧菌SH112株OmpA蛋白的高效表达及免疫学特性

【目的】我们前期研究表明副溶血弧菌SH112株的OmpA蛋白在该菌的致病过程中发挥重要作用,是亚单位疫苗研制的潜在靶标抗原。本研究进一步对ompA(VPA1186)基因进行克隆表达,并研究其免疫学特性。【方法】扩增去除信号肽序列的成熟外膜蛋白OmpA的基因片段,定向克隆至表达载体,基因测序后对其编码蛋白质进行生物信息学分析。重组蛋白His-OmpA经纯化后,免疫ICR小鼠制备鼠多抗血清。Western blotting检测该蛋白的免疫原性及鼠多抗血清的特异性。动物实验验证其免疫保护率。【结果】成功表达分子量约为40.0 kDa的重组蛋白His-OmpA。制备的鼠多抗血清ELISA效价可达1∶50000以上。Westernblotting检测结果显示,该血清可与His-OmpA蛋白、总外膜蛋白和全菌蛋白发生特异性反应,说明所表达的目的蛋白保持原蛋白的免疫原性。此外,该高免血清可与其他主要血清型的副溶血弧菌发生特异性交叉反应,而与其他非副溶血弧菌菌株无交叉反应,表明该血清特异性较高,且提示OmpA蛋白可能是副溶血弧菌属的共同保护性抗原。小鼠免疫保护实验结果表明,该蛋白可提供约35%的免疫保护率。【结论】OmpA蛋白可作为诊断副溶血弧菌感染和亚单位疫苗研制的靶蛋白,为进一步开展该蛋白的功能研究提供了参考。     

ToxR负调控副溶血弧菌中c-di-GMP的合成

副溶血弧菌(Vibrio parahaemolyticus)是世界范围内引起海产品相关食物中毒的主要致病菌,具有很强的生物膜形成能力。ToxR是一种膜结合调控蛋白,对副溶血弧菌生物膜形成具有一定的调控作用,但具体机制尚未见报道。c-di-GMP是一种普遍存在于细菌中重要的第二信使,参与调控细菌的多种生物学行为包括生物膜的形成。本文探究ToxR对副溶血弧菌中c-di-GMP代谢的调控作用。利用酶联免疫吸附法(enzyme linked immunosorbent assay,ELISA)测定副溶血弧菌野生株(wild-type,WT)和toxR突变株(ΔtoxR)中c-di-GMP水平的差异。挑选c-di-GMP代谢相关基因scrA、scrG和vpa0198为进一步研究的靶标,采用实时定量qPCR实验检测靶基因在WT和ΔtoxR中的转录水平差异;将靶基因调控区DNA序列克隆入pHRP309质粒中无启动子的β半乳糖苷酶基因上游,采用lacZ报告基因融合实验进一步研究ToxR对靶基因的转录调控关系;将重组质粒分别导入含有pBAD33或pBAD33-toxR的EC100lpir中,采用lacZ报告基因融合实验研究ToxR是否能在异体宿主中调控靶基因的表达;PCR扩增靶基因上游调控区DNA序列,并纯化His-ToxR蛋白,用凝胶阻滞实验(electrophoresis mobility shift assay,EMSA)研究His-ToxR与靶基因启动子区DNA序列是否具有结合作用。ELISA结果显示ΔtoxR中c-di-GMP含量显著性高于WT中的,说明ToxR抑制c-di-GMP的产生;实时定量qPCR结果表明WT中scrA、scrG和vpa0198的转录水平显著性高于ΔtoxR中的,表明ToxR抑制它们的转录;lacZ报告基因融合实验结果表明ToxR可抑制副溶血弧菌和EC100lpir中scrA、scrG和vpa0198的启动子区活性;EMSA实验显示His-ToxR能特异性地结合到scrA和scrG的上游调控区DNA序列上,而对vpa0198的上游调控区DNA序列无结合作用。综上所述,ToxR通过直接调控相关酶蛋白基因的转录来抑制副溶血弧菌内c-di-GMP的合成,从而有助于精确调控生物膜形成等细菌行为。     

Identification of heme-binding proteins in the cell membranes of Vibrio anguillarum

Abstract Two strains of Vibrio anguillarum belonging to O1 and O2 serotypes were examined for their ability to bind hemin and hemoglobin. Whole cells as well as membrane extracts from both strains could clearly bind hemin and hemoglobin constitutively. Hemoglobin binding was completely inhibited by a 100-fold excess of unlabelled hemoglobin and also by hemin, suggesting the existence of specific receptors for heme groups in the cell membranes. Several hemin-binding and hemoglobin-binding bands with similar molecular sizes were detected in polyacrylamide gels as well as in Western blots. Only two of these protein bands in both strains were iron-regulated while the others were independent of the cell iron status. We conclude that both serotypes of V. anguillarum possess heme-binding abilities by means of membrane proteins.     

Monoclonal antibodies against pertussis toxin subunits

Abstract Twenty monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reacting with cholera toxin (CT) of Vibrio cholerae strain 569B were characterized in cross-section and G_M1 ganglioside inhibition assays. MAbs were characterized by reaction with CT and Escherichia coli heat-labile porcine strain (LT_p) and human strain (LTh) enterotoxins, and by G_M1 ganglioside inhibition of mAb binding. Eight of 10 CT-A specific and 3 of 10 CT-B-specific mAbs cross-reacted with LTh and LTp. G_M1 ganglioside inhibited reactions of the CT-B cross-reacting antibodies. Results showed that these epitodes common to the B subunit of CT and LT are located in or near the G_M1 ganglioside binding region, and that the G_M1 ganglioside-binding region of LT differs from that of CT.