Transfer of high copy number plasmid into mammalian cells by calcium phosphate transfection

Using flow cytometry, single cell sorting, confocal microscopy and fluorescent plasmids, a thorough study of DNA uptake, DNA fate and DNA expression in mammalian cells transfected with the widely used calcium-phosphate precipitation method was executed. We show for the first time that up to 100,000 plasmid molecules can be delivered into individual cells, but also that DNA transfer into cells is a dynamic process that follows a defined kinetics of uptake and intracellular processing. Analyses by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy have also supported results suggesting endocytosis during Ca-Pi transfection. We also demonstrate that expression-enhancing treatment with glycerol during transfection did not result in increased DNA uptake. While cells with maximal DNA load appear to express the highest level of the transgene, these cells are negatively impacted in terms of growth and survival.     

A feasibility study of an in vitro differentiation potential toward insulin-producing cells by dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells have been proposed as an alternative source for mesenchymal stem cells. Here, we investigated the differentiation ability toward insulin producing cells (IPCs) of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). These cells expressed mesenchymal stem cell surface markers and were able to differentiate toward osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. Upon 3 step-IPCs induction, hDPSCs exhibited more colony number than hPDLSCs. The mRNA upregulation of pancreatic endoderm/islet markers was noted. However, the significant increase was noted only for PDX-1, NGN-3, and INSULIN mRNA expression of hDPSCs. The hDPSCs-derived IPCs expressed PRO-INSULIN and released C-PEPTIDE upon glucose stimulation in dose-dependent manner. After IPCs induction, the Notch target, HES-1 and HEY-1, mRNA expression was markedly noted. Notch inhibition during the last induction step or throughout the protocol disturbed the ability of C-PEPTIDE release upon glucose stimulation. The results suggested that hDPSCs had better differentiation potential toward IPCs than hPDLSCs. In addition, the Notch signalling might involve in the differentiation regulation of hDPSCs into IPCs.     

瑞拉菌素产生菌S-5120菌株防治黄瓜霜霉病害的研究初报

经黄瓜霜霉病孢子萌发试验和离体叶片抑菌试验表明,瑞拉菌素产生菌S-5120菌株和瑞拉菌素均对黄瓜霜霉病有较强抑制作用。温室防病试验表明,瑞拉菌素产生菌S-5120发酵液对黄瓜霜霉病有明显的保护和治疗作用。相对保护效果达75．17％;治疗效果达69．69％,且高于农抗-120的相对防效62．65％。     

Plasmid transformation in Bacillus subtilis NB22, an antifungal-antibiotic iturin producer

A transformation system with plasmids was developed for Bacillus subtilis NB22, an antibiotic iturin producing strain. Treatment of B. subtilis NB22 with 4 M KCl was effective for the induction of competence, followed by uptake of plasmid DNA in the presence of polyethylene glycol. The efficiency of transformation of this bacterium with pC194 and pUB110 was 4.1 X 10(3) and 1.5 X 10(3) transformants per micrograms DNA, respectively and the transformation frequency was 3.3 X 10(-3) and 7.2 X 10(-4), transformants per viable cell, respectively. This method was much faster and three orders of magnitude more efficient in transformation efficiency than protoplast transformation methods.     

Pathogenic potential and horizontal gene transfer in ovine gastrointestinal Escherichia coli

Aims: To demonstrate that a thorough characterization and virulotyping of Escherichia coli strains isolated from sheep over time leads to new insights into ovine E. coli potentially becoming human pathogens through horizontal gene transfer. Methods and Results: One hundred and fifty E. coli isolates from two sheep, sampled over 3 weeks, were characterized by serotyping, virulotyping, genotyping using multiple locus variable number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) and susceptibility to phage infection in vitro. The 35 MLVA profiles and the serotype and virulotypes of the strains were closely associated. Many MLVA profiles differed in one locus independent of serotypes. Escherichia coli isolates of the same serotype or virulotype had identical or very similar MLVA profiles. No transductants that incorporated the bacteriophages were found in vivo, but six E. coli isolates were susceptible to the phage infection in vitro. Changes in MLVA profiles were seen after acquisition of Stx phages in vitro only. Conclusions: The sheep carried Stx phage susceptible E. coli that possessed virulence markers associated with human pathogenicity. Changes in bacterial genomes by phage transfer may complicate outbreak source investigations. Serotype has to be taken into account when evaluating strain relationships by MLVA. Significance and Impact of the Study: Sheep carry E. coli that encode for virulence markers and belong to serogroups known to be human pathogens. In addition, a selection of isolates was found to be susceptible to horizontal transfer of Shiga toxin genes by means of bacteriophages in vitro, and the transfer resulted in a discernible change of the MLVA patterns of E. coli.     

产木聚糖酶白地霉培养特性及部分纯化的酶学特性

本文对白地霉Ref1的培养特性、产酶条件和酶学特性进行了初步研究。结果表明:该菌为低温型菌株,其最佳生长条件为pH6、20℃和酵母膏作为氮源;最佳产酶条件为pH3-7、15℃及以酵母膏氮源;条件优化后产酶可达118.7U/mL,可溶蛋白含量可达到60μg/mL,酶溶液的比活可达到1250U/mg蛋白质;该木聚糖酶的最适反应温度和pH分别为50℃和5,金属离子Mg2+、Na+和8mmol/L的Fe2+、Cu2+、Zn2+等对木聚糖酶的活性有抑制作用,而Ca2+、4mmol/L的Fe2+、Cu2+、Zn2+和8mmol/L的Mn2+等对该酶反应则有促进作用;该木聚糖酶在保温2h后在15-40℃范围内能保持80%以上的酶活性,在50℃时能保持68%的酶活性;用lineweaver-Burk作图法(双倒数作图法)求得该酶的最大反应速度Vmax和Km值分别为163.38mmol/mg/min和0.75mg/mL。     

节杆菌K1108乙内酰脲酶产酶条件研究

研究了乙内酰脲酶产生菌节杆菌K1108的产酶条件。该菌乙内酰脲酶为诱导酶,存在于细胞内,乙内酰脲水解酶和N氨甲酰氨基酸水解酶是同时被诱导产生。最适诱导物为5苄基乙内酰脲,而5吲哚甲基乙内酰脲和5苯基乙内酰脲等不能诱导其酶的产生。筛选到一种安慰诱导物,诱导活性提高了2倍多。对产酶培养基进行了筛选和优化,在最适条件下,K1108产酶能力可达108U/mL。     

A structural model of PpoA derived from SAXS-analysis—Implications for substrate conversion

In plants and mammals, oxylipins may be synthesized via multi step processes that consist of dioxygenation and isomerization of the intermediately formed hydroperoxy fatty acid. These processes are typically catalyzed by two distinct enzyme classes: dioxygenases and cytochrome P450 enzymes. In ascomycetes biosynthesis of oxylipins may proceed by a similar two-step pathway. An important difference, however, is that both enzymatic activities may be combined in a single bifunctional enzyme. These types of enzymes are named Psi-factor producing oxygenases (Ppo). Here, the spatial organization of the two domains of PpoA from Aspergillus nidulans was analyzed by small-angle X-ray scattering and the obtained data show that the enzyme exhibits a relatively flat trimeric shape. Atomic structures of the single domains were obtained by template-based structure prediction and docked into the enzyme envelope of the low resolution structure obtained by SAXS. EPR-based distance measurements between the tyrosyl radicals formed in the activated dioxygenase domain of the enzyme supported the trimeric structure obtained from SAXS and the previous assignment of Tyr374 as radical-site in PpoA. Furthermore, two phenylalanine residues in the cytochrome P450 domain were shown to modulate the specificity of hydroperoxy fatty acid rearrangement.     

一株油藏嗜热厌氧杆菌的分离、鉴定及代谢产物特征

[目的]了解油藏环境中细菌的生理生化特性及代谢产物.[方法]采用Hungate厌氧操作技术从胜利油田罗801区块油层采出水中分离到一株厌氧杆菌SC-2.采用生理生化鉴定结合16S rDNA序列的系统发育学分析确定该菌株的系统发育地位,用气相色谱分析其代谢产物.[结果]菌株SC-2为严格厌氧的革兰氏阴性杆菌,菌体大小为0.38 um×1.7um-3.9um,单生、成对或成串生长,产端生芽孢.温度生长范围40℃-75℃(最适温度70℃);pH范围5.5-9.5(最适pH 6.5);NaCl浓度范围0%～5%(最适NaCl浓度0%).能够利用葡萄糖、麦芽糖、甘露糖、木糖等多种碳水化合物,发酵葡萄糖的产物是乙醇、乙酸、丙酸、H2、CO2及少量的乳酸.菌株SC-2的(G C)mol%含量为30.8%,与Thermoanaerobacter mathranii subsp.mathranii的16S rDNA序列相似性为99.85%.菌株利用葡萄糖产乙酸、乙醇的最佳初始pH为8.0;酵母粉能刺激生长并显著提高发酵葡萄糖的产酸、产醇率;培养基中添加4%(V/V)的乙醇能明显抑制菌体生长.[结论]菌株SC-2是从特殊生境(油层采出水)中分离到的一株嗜热、耐盐的厌氧菌,其发酵葡萄糖产生的代谢产物有利于改善油藏中的微环境.菌株SC-2与T.mathranii subsp.mathranii 11426T的最适pH和最大耐受NaCl浓度有所不同,且二者的(G C)mol%含量差异较大.     

The isolation and microbial community analysis of hydrogen producing bacteria from activated sludge

AIMS: To profile the fractions of bacteria in heat-treated activated sludge capable of producing hydrogen and subsequently to isolate those organisms and confirm their ability to produce hydrogen. METHODS AND RESULTS: Profiling the community composition of the microflora in activated sludge using 16S rRNA gene-directed polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis suggested that a majority of bacteria were various Clostridium species. This was confirmed by clone library analysis, where 80% of the cloned inserts were Clostridium sp. A total of five isolates were established on solid media. Three of them, designated as W1, W4 and W5, harboured the hydrogenase gene as determined by PCR and DNA sequence analysis (99% similarity). These isolates were similar to Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium diolis as determined by 16S rRNA gene sequence. A maximum hydrogen production yield of 220 ml H(2) g(-1) glucose was achieved by W5, which was grown on improved mineral medium by batch fermentation without pH adjustment and nitrogen sparging during fermentation. Accumulation of malic acid and fumaric acid during hydrogen fermentation might lead to higher hydrogen yields for W4 and W5. W1 is the first reported Clostridium species that can tolerate microaerobic conditions for producing hydrogen. CONCLUSION: Clostridium species in heat-treated activated sludge were the most commonly identified bacteria responsible for hydrogen production. Specific genetic markers for strains W1, W4 and W5 would be of great utility in investigating hydrogen production at the molecular level. Two previously described primer sets targeting hydrogenase genes were shown not to be specific, amplifying other genes from nonhydrogen producers. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Clostridium species isolated from heat-treated activated sludge were confirmed as hydrogen producers during dark hydrogen fermentation. The isolates will be useful for studying hydrogen production from wastewater, including the process of gene regulation and hydrogenase activity.