紫苏对医院绿地土真菌群落组成及生态功能群结构的影响

医院绿地土壤是医院人体病原真菌或潜在人体病原真菌重要的物种储存库。这些携带真菌孢子的土粒和灰尘在空气中的传播增加了医院院内真菌感染的风险,已成为一个日趋严重的公共卫生问题。现研究表明,不少高等植物,尤其是药用植物具很强的抗真菌特性。基于高通量测序及模拟盆栽试验,本研究观察了种植药用植物紫苏Perilla frutescens对医院绿地土壤真菌群落组成及生态功能群结构的影响。研究结果表明,医院绿地土壤真菌群落优势类群随紫苏生育期变化而发生明显变化。优势属由原初医院土（PTS）的绿僵菌属Metarhizium（60.94%）,依次变为紫苏生长期样本（GZS）的被孢霉属Mortierella（21.34%）、开花期样本（FZS）的亚隔孢壳科Didymellaceae中一未定属（47.22%）和枯萎期样本（WZS）的粪壳菌目Sordariales中一未定属（12.67%）。经FUNGuild平台对序列数据集作进一步解析发现,种植紫苏后能够驱动医院绿地土壤真菌生态功能群发生明显变化,一些分类单元由动物病原向腐生型和/或共生型生态功能群转变。动物病原菌群（包括人体潜在病原）相对丰度,由原初医院土（PTS）的61.36%,下调至紫苏生长期样本（GZS）的2.48%、开花期样本（FZS）的1.40%和枯萎期样本（WZS）的6.09%。研究揭示紫苏对医院绿地土壤真菌群落组成及相对丰度具有一定调控作用,尤其是可降低其中人体潜在病原相对丰度以减轻对人类健康的威胁,为引种药用植物增强医院绿地土壤健康水平及维护医院院内公共卫生安全提供了参考。     

针叶树病原菌异担子菌属的物种多样性及相关检疫建议

异担子菌属Heterobasidion种类是北半球针叶树最严重的森林病原菌,在世界范围内能侵染27种针叶树,对欧洲和北美洲的经营林已造成重大损失。基于传统形态学研究,认为异担子菌属有2个种,即多年异担子菌H. annosum和岛生异担子菌H. insulare,然而单孢交配实验研究证明2个种为复合种。分子系统发育分析研究表明：异担子菌属包括15个种,其中5个种为森林病原菌[冷杉异担子菌H. abietinum、多年异担子菌（狭义）H. annosum s. str.、变孔异担子菌H. irregulare、西方异担子菌H. occidentale和小孔异担子菌H. parviporum];10个种为腐生菌（淀粉孢异担子菌H. amyloideum、南洋杉异担子菌H. araucariae、阿曼德异担子菌H. armandii、南方异担子菌H. australe、岛生异担子菌H. insulare、林芝异担子菌H. linzhiense、东方异担子菌H. orientale、拟岛生异担子菌H. subinsulare、拟小孔异担子菌H. subparviporum和西藏异担子菌H. tibeticum）。多年异担子菌（狭义）H. annosum s. str.、小孔异担子菌H. parviporum和冷杉异担子菌H. abietinum分布于欧洲,分别是松属、云杉属和冷杉属林木的病原菌。变孔异担子菌H. irregulare和西方异担子菌H. occidentale分布于北美洲,前者侵染松属和柏属树木,后者侵染冷杉属、铁杉属、黄杉属和巨杉属树木。虽然广义的多年异担子菌H. annosum sensu lato曾在我国报道,但基于目前研究结果表明该种为拟小孔异担子菌H. subparviporum。目前世界上最具侵染力的5种病原菌即狭义的多年异担子菌H. annosum s. str.、小孔异担子菌H. parviporum、冷杉异担子菌H. abietinum、变孔异担子菌H. irregulare和西方异担子菌H. occidentale还未在我国发现,也未列为对外检疫对象,因此建议将其列为进境植物检疫性有害生物。RNA聚合酶II大亚基序列（RPB1）在异担子菌属种类鉴定中敏感性和特异性最高,研究证明该分子方法可应用于鉴别不同异担子菌种类的有效基因标记,在海关部门进行原木和木质产品的检疫中可运用该分子标记进行林木病原异担子菌的检测。     

Antifungal activity of nanoemulsion from Cleome viscosa essential oil against food-borne pathogenic Candida albicans

Pathogenic and spoilage fungi cause enormous challenges to food related fatal infections. Plant essential oil based classical emulsions can functions as antifungal agents. To investigate the antifungal spectrum, that is the scope of the nanoemulsion composed of Cleome viscosa essential oil and Triton-x-100 fabricated by ultrasonication method. Minimum inhibitory and fungicidal concentration of essential oil nanoemulsion (EONE) was tested against food borne pathogenic C. albicans. The MIC and MFC values ranged from 16.5 to 33 µl/ml with significant reduction on biofilm of C. albicans isolates. The alteration of molecular fingerprints was confirmed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and subsequent reduction of chitin levels in cell walls was noted by spectroscopic analysis. The EONE and their bioactive compounds cause collateral damage on C. albicans cells.     

植物糖基转移酶在植物抗病过程中的研究进展

植物在复杂的环境中进化出了各种反应来应对危害,其中糖基化作用就是植物利用的一种主要的生理机制.糖基化作用通过改变受体化合物的生物活性及其细胞内的定位来降低外物质对自身的影响,从而达到植物体生理代谢的稳态.植物中的糖基转移酶就是专门负责实现这种糖基化反应的酶类.简要概述了糖基转移酶在植物抗性过程中的研究方法、分类及生物学功能,并对其研究方向加以展望.     

Beyond Eyeballing: Fitting Models to Experimental Data

Abstract

As we learn more about the biology of the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), a wide range of molecules that can activate this fascinating family of pattern recognition receptors emerges. In addition to conserved pathogenic components, endogenous danger signals created upon tissue damage are also sensed by TLRs. Detection of these types of stimuli results in TLR mediated inflammation that is vital to fight pathogenic invasion and drive tissue repair. Aberrant activation of TLRs by pathogenic and endogenous ligands has also been linked with the pathogenesis of an increasing number of infectious and autoimmune diseases, respectively. Most recently, allergen activation of TLRs has also been described, creating a third broad class of TLR stimulus that has helped to shed light on the pathogenesis of allergic disease. To date, microbial activation of TLRs remains best characterized. Each member of the TLR family senses a specific subset of pathogenic ligands, pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPS), and a wealth of structural and biochemical data continues to reveal the molecular mechanisms of TLR activation by PAMPs, and to demonstrate how receptor specificity is achieved. In contrast, the mechanisms by which endogenous molecules and allergens activate TLRs remain much more mysterious. Here, we provide an overview of our current knowledge of how very diverse stimuli activate the same TLRs and the structural basis of these modes of immunity.     

Proteomes of pathogenic Escherichia coli/Shigella group surveyed in their host environments

Proteomic studies on Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella flexneri, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) are reviewed. UPEC causes infections in the urogenital tract, whereas the other species colonize and, to varying degrees, invade the intestinal tract. Type III secretion systems used to breach the mucosal barrier by the intestinal pathogens revealed distinct expression patterns in different host environments. Dynamic adaptations to changes in nutrient availability and oxygen were observed, including increased reliance on anaerobic respiration and mixed acid fermentation in vivo. Utilization of carbon and nitrogen resources by the bacteria varied considerably depending on the host model investigated. Shigellae and UPEC adapted to metal ion sequestration in the mammalian host by enhancing expression of various receptors and transporters for iron and zinc. This appears to reflect the preferred intracellular life stage of Shigella spp. and responses of UPEC to high levels of lipocalin and lactotransferrin in the urinary tract.     

Influence of the forest caterpillar hunter Calosoma sycophanta on the transmission of microsporidia in larvae of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar

• 1 The behaviour of predators can be an important factor in the transmission success of an insect pathogen. We studied how Calosoma sycophanta influences the interaction between its prey [Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera, Lymantriidae)] and two microsporidian pathogens [Nosema lymantriae (Microsporidia, Nosematidae) and Vairimorpha disparis (Microsporidia, Burellenidae)] infecting the prey.
• 2 Using laboratory experiments, C. sycophanta was allowed to forage on infected and uninfected L. dispar larvae and to disseminate microsporidian spores when preying or afterwards with faeces.
• 3 The beetle disseminated spores of N. lymantriae and V. disparis when preying upon infected larvae, as well as after feeding on such prey. Between 45% and 69% of test larvae became infected when C. sycophanta was allowed to disseminate spores of either microsporidium.
• 4 Laboratory choice experiments showed that C. sycophanta did not discriminate between Nosema‐infected and uninfected gypsy moth larvae. Calosoma sycophanta preferred Vairimorpha‐infected over uninfected gypsy moth larvae and significantly influenced transmission.
• 5 When C. sycophanta was allowed to forage during the latent period on infected and uninfected larvae reared together on caged, potted oak saplings, the percentage of V. disparis infection among test larvae increased by more than 70%. The transmission of N. lymantriae was not affected significantly in these experiments.
• 6 Beetles never became infected with either microsporidian species after feeding on infected prey.
• 7 We conclude that the transmission of N. lymantriae is not affected. Because no V. disparis spores are released from living larvae, feeding on infected larvae might enhance transmission by reducing the time to death and therefore the latent period.

     

Bacterial pathogen phytosensing in transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis plants

Plants are subject to attack by a wide range of phytopathogens. Current pathogen detection methods and technologies are largely constrained to those occurring post‐symptomatically. Recent efforts were made to generate plant sentinels (phytosensors) that can be used for sensing and reporting pathogen contamination in crops. Engineered phytosensors indicating the presence of plant pathogens as early‐warning sentinels potentially have tremendous utility as wide‐area detectors. We previously showed that synthetic promoters containing pathogen and/or defence signalling inducible cis‐acting regulatory elements (RE) fused to a fluorescent protein (FP) reporter could detect phytopathogenic bacteria in a transient phytosensing system. Here, we further advanced this phytosensing system by developing stable transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis plants containing candidate constructs. The inducibility of each synthetic promoter was examined in response to biotic (bacterial pathogens) or chemical (plant signal molecules salicylic acid, ethylene and methyl jasmonate) treatments using stably transgenic plants. The treated plants were visualized using epifluorescence microscopy and quantified using spectrofluorometry for FP synthesis upon induction. Time‐course analyses of FP synthesis showed that both transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis plants were capable to respond in predictable ways to pathogen and chemical treatments. These results provide insights into the potential applications of transgenic plants as phytosensors and the implementation of emerging technologies for monitoring plant disease outbreaks in agricultural fields.     

Comparative metabolomics implicates threitol as a fungal signal supporting colonization of Armillaria luteobubalina on eucalypt roots

Armillaria root rot is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of trees and crops around the world. Despite being a widespread disease, little is known about the plant molecular responses towards the pathogenic fungi at the early phase of their interaction. With recent research highlighting the vital roles of metabolites in plant root–microbe interactions, we sought to explore the presymbiotic metabolite responses of Eucalyptus grandis seedlings towards Armillaria luteobuablina, a necrotrophic pathogen native to Australia. Using a metabolite profiling approach, we have identified threitol as one of the key metabolite responses in E. grandis root tips specific to A. luteobubalina that were not induced by three other species of soil-borne microbes of different lifestyle strategies (a mutualist, a commensalist, and a hemi-biotrophic pathogen). Using isotope labelling, threitol detected in the Armillaria-treated root tips was found to be largely derived from the fungal pathogen. Exogenous application of d- threitol promoted microbial colonization of E. grandis and triggered hormonal responses in root cells. Together, our results support a role of threitol as an important metabolite signal during eucalypt-Armillaria interaction prior to infection thus advancing our mechanistic understanding on the earliest stage of Armillaria disease development. Comparative metabolomics of eucalypt roots interacting with a range of fungal lifestyles identified threitol enrichment as a specific characteristic of Armillaria pathogenesis. Our findings suggest that threitol acts as one of the earliest fungal signals promoting Armillaria colonization of roots.