不同基质多代培养对蚧虫病原真菌蜡蚧霉致病力的影响

【目的】研究昆虫病原真菌蜡蚧霉Lecanicilliurn lecanii(Zimmermann.)菌株No.V3.4504在不同培养基上继代培养,对菌种的菌落生长特性、胞外酶活力和对蚧虫致病力的影响。【方法】试验菌种蜡蚧霉菌株No.V3.4504是从染病蚧虫上分离的。试验蚧虫是沙里院褐球蚧Rhodococcus sariuoni Borchsenius和日本龟蜡蚧Ceroplastes japonicus Green。采用7种培养基继代培养多代。观察菌落形态特征、测定生长速率、产孢量、胞外蛋白酶和几丁质酶活性及对蚧虫的致死率。【结果】在PDA培养基上,菌落生长速率最快,但产孢量最低,胞外蛋白酶和几丁质酶的活性均呈逐代下降趋势,对两种蚧虫致死率也最低;增加蛋白胨对改善菌种致病力没有明显效果;在增加蚧虫尸体的D、E、F培养基上,菌落生长速率虽然较慢,但产孢量上升为8.83×106-9.13×106孢子/cm2。蛋白酶和几丁质酶的活性平均达到2.16-2.13 U/g和1.01-1.03 U/g,对两种蚧虫的致死率分别在55%-58%和39%-42%;在活蚧虫上连续培养3代,蛋白酶和几丁质酶的活性最高,为3.08-2.92 U/g和1.45-1.42 U/g,是PDA培养基上的1.6倍。对两种蚧虫的致死率也最高,分别达到71.30%和58.89%。蛋白酶和几丁质酶的活性与蚧虫死亡率呈正直线相关关系。【结论】采用PDA培养基连续多代培养会引起菌株No.V3.4504明显退化;在培养基中加入蚧虫尸体,对于保持菌种活力有明显效果;在活蚧虫体上继代培养对复壮菌种,提高菌种毒力的效果最佳。     

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases‐1‐induced scattered liver metastasis is mediated by host‐derived urokinase‐type plasminogen activator

Paradoxically, not only proteinases but also their inhibitors can correlate with bad prognosis of cancer patients, underlining the evolving concept of the protease web as the complex interplay between proteinases, their inhibitors and effector molecules. Elevated levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases‐1 (TIMP‐1) render the liver more susceptible to metastasis by triggering urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) expression as well as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signalling, thereby leading to the fatal scattered infiltration of metastasizing tumour cells throughout the parenchyma of the target organ. Here, we investigated whether host uPA is a crucial protagonist for the TIMP‐1‐induced modulation of a pro‐metastatic microenvironment in the liver. Indeed, in livers of uPA‐ablated mice elevated TIMP‐1 levels did not trigger HGF signalling and did not promote metastasis of a murine T‐lymphoma cell line. In contrast, lack of tumour cell‐derived uPA induced by gene silencing did not interfere with this pro‐metastatic pathway. Furthermore, host uPA was necessary for the recruitment of neutrophilic granulocytes and the associated increase of HGF in livers with elevated TIMP‐1 levels. This newly identified co‐operation between TIMP‐1 and host uPA suggests that therapies, simultaneously interfering with pro‐ and anti‐proteolytic pathways may be beneficial for patients with metastatic disease.     

汞对外生菌根真菌氮素利用酶活性的影响

在含有0、5、50和150μmol/L Hg2+的液体培养基中培养土生空团菌Cenococcum geophilum Fr.菌株Cg SIV、彩色豆马勃Pisolithus tinctorius(Pers.)Coker et Couch菌株Pt715、松乳菇Lactarius sp.菌株Ld-1和Ld-3,研究汞对外生菌根真菌生长和氮素利用酶活性的影响。结果表明,汞对外生菌根真菌生长有不同程度的抑制作用,其中Cg SIV生物量降幅最小,在高汞浓度的培养基中生物量仅比对照减少9.7%,具有较高的耐汞性。供试菌株均能合成蛋白酶、几丁质酶、脲酶和硝酸还原酶,但不同菌株之间酶活性差异显著。说明外生菌根真菌既有益于寄主植物利用氮源的多样性,又具有对不同氮源的偏嗜性。汞对外生菌根真菌氮素利用酶活性的影响因菌株、酶类和汞浓度的不同而异,原因可能是不同菌株遗传特性的差异,使其在汞胁迫条件下产酶量不同,并表达对汞敏感性不同的等位酶。此外,低浓度(5μmol Hg2+/L)~中浓度(50μmol Hg2+/L)的汞提高或不影响氮素利用酶的活性,对外生菌根真菌氮素利用能力应无抑制作用。在正常和汞胁迫条件下,Pt715和Ld-3的蛋白酶、脲酶、硝酸还原酶和几丁质酶的活性均最高,表现出较强的氮素利用能力。推断在汞污染的土壤上种植桉树和松树,接种Pt715和Ld-3可能改善寄主植物的氮素营养。     

Colonization of the Gastrointestinal Tract of the Farmed South African Abalone Haliotis midae by the Probionts Vibrio midae SY9, Cryptococcus sp. SS1, and Debaryomyces hansenii AY1

Viable cell counts and/or in situ hybridization were used to determine whether the probionts Vibrio midae SY9, Cryptococcus sp. SS1, and Debaryomyces hansenii AY1 can colonize the gastrointestinal tract of the South African abalone Haliotis midae. The number of culturable probiotic cells reisolated from H. midae fed probiotic-supplemented feed for 3 weeks ranged from 10⁶ to 10⁷ cfu/g gut material. A significant decrease (P < 0.05) in probiont numbers 2 days after feeding the probiotic-supplemented feed had been halted correlated with a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in intestinal protease and amylase activity. There was a positive correlation between Cryptococcus sp. SS1 and amylase activity (r² = 0.681) and V. midae SY9.8 and protease activity (r² = 0.711) in the H. midae intestine. Although culturable probionts were isolated from abalone that had not been fed probiotic-supplemented feed for a 2-week period, the drop in the number of probiotic cells colonizing the abalone digestive tract 2 days after feeding with the probiotic-supplemented feed had been halted indicates that farmed abalone should be fed probiotic-supplemented feed at least every second day for maximum benefit.     

High-level expression and purification of Escherichia coli oligopeptidase B

Oligopeptidase B (OpdB) of Escherichia coli, previously called protease II, has a trypsin-like specificity, cleaving peptides at lysine and arginine residues and belongs to the prolyl oligopeptidase family of new serine peptidases. In this study, we report the fusion expression of E. coli oligopeptidase B with an N-terminal histidine tag using pET28a as the expression vector. Although most of the recombinant OpdB was produced as inclusion bodies, the solubility of the recombinant protease increased significantly when the expression temperature shifted from 37 to 30 degrees C. Recombinant OpdB (approximately 10 mg) could be purified from the soluble fraction of the crude extract of 1L log-phase E. coli culture containing 1.5 g wet bacterial cells. The purified OpdB has a molecular weight of approximately 80 kDa and a specific activity of 4.8 x 10(4) U/mg. OpdB could also be purified from the inclusion bodies with a lower yield. The recombinant enzyme was very stable under 40 degrees C. By comparison of the substrate specificity of the purified OpdB with that of OpdA, another trypsin-like protease in E. coli, we found that Boc-Glu-Lys-Lys-MCA is a specific substrate for E. coli OpdB. We also found that compared to OpdA, OpdB is much more sensitive to GMCHA-OPh(t)Bu, a synthetic trypsin inhibitor that can retard the growth of E. coli.     

Purification and properties of a keratinolytic metalloprotease from Microbacterium sp

AIMS: This study was developed to purify and to characterize a keratinolytic protease from the bacterium Microbacterium sp. strain kr10. METHODS AND RESULTS: Enzyme purification was carried out by sequential liquid chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and Q-Sepharose columns. The purification was about 255-fold, with a yield of 34%, as determined with azocasein as substrate. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated as 42,000 Da by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme had pH and temperature optima of 7.5 and 50 degrees C respectively. This keratinase was inhibited by EDTA and 1,10-phenanthroline, and analysis of metal content indicates that Zn(2+) and Mg(2+) are present. A 2(2) factorial design was developed to investigate the effect of keratinase and mercaptoacetate concentration on feather keratinolysis. Statistical analysis showed that both variables have a significant effect on hydrolysis of keratin. CONCLUSIONS: A new keratinase produced by Microbacterium sp. was purified and characterized. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This keratinolytic enzyme offers an interesting potential for the hydrolysis of keratin wastes to be used as feed supplement or bioconversion to added-value products.     

The Escherichia coli heat shock protease HtrA participates in defense against oxidative stress

The serine protease HtrA (DegP), which is indispensable for cell survival at elevated temperatures, is a peripheral membrane protein, localized on the periplasmic side of the inner membrane in Escherichia coli, and the biochemical and genetic evidence indicates that the physiological role of HtrA is to degrade denatured proteins formed in the cellular envelope during heat shock. The aim of this study was to find out if the HtrA protease contributes to protection of the cell against oxidative stress. We compared the influence of various oxidizing agents on htrA mutant cells with their effects on wild-type bacteria, and found that the htrA mutation did not increase sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide or paraquat but made the cell extremely sensitive to ferrous [Fe(II)] ions, which are known to enhance oxidation of proteins. Treatment with ferrous ions caused a larger increase in the level of protein carbonyl groups in the membrane fraction of the cell than in the periplasm and cytoplasm. Iron-induced oxidation of membrane proteins was enhanced in the htrA mutant relative to wild-type cells. Inhibition of the growth of the htrA mutant by iron could be alleviated more efficiently by a nitroxide antioxidant that localizes in the membranes (A-TEMPO) than by a derivative (4OH-TEMPO) that acts mainly in the soluble fraction of the cell. Inhibition of the growth of the htrA mutant was more pronounced following treatment with cumene hydroperoxide, which partitions into membranes, than with t-butyl hydroperoxide, which forms radical mainly in the cytosol. Both ferrous ions and cumene hydroperoxide, but not hydrogen peroxide, paraquat or t-butyl hydroperoxide, induced synthesis of HtrA. Our results show that HtrA plays a role in defense against oxidative shock and support the hypothesis that HtrA participates in the degradation of oxidatively damaged proteins localized in the cell envelope, especially those associated with the membranes. Received: 9 March 1999 / Accepted: 31 May 1999     

A novel human dendritic cell-derived C1r-like serine protease analog inhibits complement-mediated cytotoxicity

Trypsin-like serine proteases are involved in diverse biological processes such as complement activation, tissue remodeling, cellular migration, tumor invasion, and metastasis. Here we report a novel human C1r-like serine protease analog, CLSPa, derived from dendritic cells (DC). The 487-residue CLSPa protein contains a CUB domain and a serine protease domain, possessing characteristic catalytic triad but lacking typical activation/cleavage sequence. It shares great homology with complement C1r/C1s and mannose-associated serine proteases. CLSPa mRNA is widely expressed, especially abundant in placenta, liver, kidney, pancreas, and myeloid cells, which are a major resources of serine proteases. Upon stimulation by agonistic anti-CD40 Ab, TNF-alpha, or LPS, CLSPa mRNA expression was significantly up-regulated in monocytic cells and monocyte-derived immature DC. When overexpressed in 293T cells, CLSPa protein was synthesized into the culture supernatants as a secretory protein, which had an inhibitory effect on complement-mediated cytotoxicity to antibody-sensitized erythrocytes. However, CLSPa itself possesses little protease activity, but it plays an inhibitory role in other active protease catalytic processes. The identification of human CLSPa as a novel Clr-like protein might facilitate future investigation of the regulatory mechanism of CLSPa in complement pathways during inflammation.