Diversity of Ferrous Iron-Oxidizing,Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria and their Involvement in Oxygen-Independent Iron Cycling

In previous studies, three different strains (BrG1, BrG2, and BrG3) of ferrous iron-oxidizing, nitrate-reducing bacteria were obtained from freshwater sediments. All three strains were facultative anaerobes and utilized a variety of organic substrates and molecular hydrogen with nitrate as electron acceptor. In this study, analyses of 16S rDNA sequences showed that strain BrG1 was affiliated with the genus Acidovorax, strain BrG2 with the genus Aquabacterium, and strain BrG3 with the genus Thermomonas. Previously, bacteria similar to these three strains were detected with molecular techniques in MPN dilution series for ferrous iron-oxidizing, nitrate-reducing bacteria inoculated with different freshwater sediment samples. In the present study, further molecular analyses of these MPN cultures indicated that the ability to oxidize ferrous iron with nitrate is widespread amongst the Proteobacteria and may also be found among the Gram-positive bacteria with high GC content of DNA. Nitrate-reducing bacteria oxidized ferrous iron to poorly crystallized ferrihydrite that was suitable as an electron acceptor for ferric iron-reducing bacteria. Biologically produced ferrihydrite and synthetically produced ferrihydrite were both well suited as electron acceptors in MPN dilution cultures. Repeated anaerobic cycling of iron was shown in a coculture of ferrous iron-oxidizing bacteria and the ferric iron-reducing bacterium Geobacter bremensis. The results indicate that iron can be cycled between its oxidation states +II and +III by microbial activities in anoxic sediments.     

Kinetics of pure cultures of hydrogen-oxidizing denitrifying bacteria and modeling of the interactions among them in mixed cultures

In this study we report the isolation of four denitrifying bacteria from a batch reactor, where the progress of hydrogenotrophic denitrification was examined. Only three of the strains had the ability to use hydrogen as electron donor. In the present work, kinetic batch experiments were carried out in order to study the dynamic characteristics of pure and defined mixed cultures of hydrogen-oxidizing denitrifying bacteria, under anoxic conditions, in a defined synthetic medium, in the presence of nitrates. Kinetic models were developed and the kinetic parameters were determined from the batch experiments for each bacterium separately. The behavior of mixed cultures and the interactions between the bacteria were described using kinetic models based on the kinetic models developed for each bacterium separately and their predictions were compared with the results from mixed culture experiments. The mathematical models that were developed and validated in the present work are capable of describing the behavior of the bacteria in pure and mixed cultures, and in particular, the kinetics of nitrate and nitrite reduction and cell growth.     

The ligase chain reaction distinguishes hepatitis B virus S-gene variants

Abstract The functional significance of charged amino acids of the anion-selective porin Omp34 from Acidovorax delafieldii was investigated by means of conductance measurements. Chemical modification of Lys and Arg as well as titration of charges by adjusting the pH value revealed that positively charged amino acid residues determine the major functional properties of the porin. Positive charges are involved in creating the protein surface potential, the selectivity filter inside the channels, and the voltage-sensing and/or gating mechanisms.     

西瓜食酸菌与黄瓜互作转录组分析

【背景】细菌性果斑病是一种严重的种传细菌病害,其病原菌为西瓜食酸菌。截至目前对该病病原菌与寄主的互作机制认识极为有限。葫芦科的模式植物黄瓜易被西瓜食酸菌侵染发病,对西瓜食酸菌-黄瓜互作体系进行转录组分析,可以为探究西瓜食酸菌与寄主互作机制奠定重要基础。【目的】解析西瓜食酸菌-黄瓜互作时的相互响应规律。【方法】以细菌悬液注射接种6d黄瓜子叶,处理48 h的子叶作为转录组测序样本。利用RNA-Seq技术分析西瓜食酸菌FC440菌株与黄瓜9930品种互作时基因的表达特征。【结果】测序数据质量分析发现,各样品不同重复间相关性较强,与参考基因组比对率达95%以上,聚类分析发现对照组与处理组表达模式相反,样品处理达到一定效果,表明数据整体质量较高。选取6个差异表达基因进行RT-qPCR验证,结果显示6个基因的表达模式与转录组结果基本一致,表明转录组测序结果比较可靠。西瓜食酸菌和黄瓜互作48 h后,在转录组水平分别检测到1 618个和8 698个差异表达基因。Gene Ontology (GO)功能注释显示,细菌的差异基因显著富集在细胞组分中的细胞膜(37.5%)和膜部分(27.0%),生物过程中的氧化还原过程(66.7%)以及分子功能中的水解酶活性(66.5%);黄瓜的差异基因显著富集在细胞组分中的质体(22.2%)和叶绿体(21.3%),分子功能中的催化活性(70.0%)以及生物过程中的碳水化合物衍生物代谢(32.2%)。Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)分析显示,细菌中致病相关基因显著富集在群体感应及细菌趋化性途径,而且群体感应系统基因下调更显著。黄瓜中调控钙依赖蛋白激酶(Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase,CDPK)、钙调素和类钙调素(Calmodulin and Calmodulin-Like,CaMCML)及呼吸氧暴发激酶(Respiratory Burst Oxidase Homologne,Rboh)的基因总体上调,调控苯丙氨酸裂解酶(Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase,PAL)的基因和谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(Glutathione S-Transferase,GST)的基因在相应代谢途径中数量最多且上调程度明显。【结论】获得较高质量的西瓜食酸菌与黄瓜互作的转录组测序结果。群体感应与西瓜食酸菌FC440菌株致病力密切相关;寄主黄瓜应对西瓜食酸菌侵染以Ca~(2+)信号激活的防御反应为主。PAL和GST在黄瓜抵抗西瓜食酸菌侵染中发挥重要作用。本研究为进一步深入解析西瓜食酸菌与寄主互作的机制奠定了基础。     

Comparative Proteomic Analysis for a Putative Pyridoxal Phosphate-Dependent Aminotransferase Required for Virulence in Acidovorax citrulli

Acidovorax citrulli (Ac) is the causative agent of bacterial fruit blotch disease in watermelon. Since resistant cultivars have not yet been developed, the virulence factors/mechanisms of Ac need to be characterized. This study reports the functions of a putative pyridoxal phosphate-dependent aminotransferase (PpdaAc) that transfers amino groups to its substrates and uses pyridoxal phosphate as a coenzyme. It was observed that a ppdaAc knockout mutant had a significantly reduced virulence in watermelon when introduced via germinated-seed inoculation as well as leaf infiltration. Comparative proteomic analysis predicted the cellular mechanisms related to PpdaAc. Apart from causing virulence, the PpdaAc may have significant roles in energy production, cell membrane, motility, chemotaxis, post-translational modifications, and iron-related mechanisms. Therefore, it is postulated that PpdaAc may possess pleiotropic effects. These results provide new insights into the functions of a previously unidentified PpdaAc in Ac.     

Effect of Aflatoxin B1 and Corticosterone on Ribosome-distributions between Free and Membrane-bound States and between Monosomes and Polysomes in Mouse Liver

The aim of this research was to examine the inhibitory effect of aflatoxin B₁, one of the most potent hepatocarcinogen, on the translational step in mouse liver. It has been shown that polysomes were released in vitro from microsomal membrane prepared from rat liver by incubation with aflatoxin B₁ and that this release of ribosomes was prevented by addition of corticosterone in the incubation medium.

In this paper, the same phenomenon was proved to occur in vivo by an improved fractionation methods, in which ribosome-distributions can be analyzed quantitatively, not only between free and membrane-bound states but also between monosomes and polysomes. Administration of aflatoxin B₂ to mice induced reductions of membrane-bound ribosomes and polysomes, with concomitant increases of free ribosomes and monosomes in liver. Simultaneous administration of corticosterone prevented this alteration of ribosome-distributions.

From these results, it was deduced that a release of polysomes from membrane occurred primarily by administrating aflatoxin, which then caused a shortening of half-life of mRNA on polysomes, resulting in an increase of the amount of monosomes.     

西瓜食酸菌RND蛋白家族外排转运体cusB基因抗铜功能研究

【目的】研究RND外排泵中cus B基因突变对西瓜食酸菌抗铜性的影响。【方法】采用Tn5转座子随机插入基因组制备筛选得到突变体,通过双亲杂交的方法构建功能互补菌株,并从西瓜食酸菌抗铜性、胞外纤维素酶和胞外蛋白酶分泌、胞外多糖产生、生物膜形成、致病性及过敏性反应等方面阐明RND外排泵中MFP蛋白亚基对西瓜食酸菌的影响。【结果】突变体Δcus B在含有1.25 mmol/L或2.5 mmol/L Cu SO4的KMB平板上不能生长,cus B基因的突变导致西瓜食酸菌的胞外多糖分泌和生物膜形成与野生型有差异,但不影响胞外纤维素酶、胞外蛋白酶、致病性及过敏性反应。【结论】RND外排泵相关基因cus B的突变会影响西瓜食酸菌的某些生物学特性,并导致病菌对铜十分敏感。研究以RND外排泵转运重金属为导向初步解析了西瓜食酸菌的抗铜机制。     

改良DAS-Dot-ELISA检测西瓜细菌性果斑病菌

以硝酸纤维素膜为载体,对Dot-ELISA法的封闭条件、包被抗体浓度、点样量等反应条件进行优化,建立改良DAS-Dot-ELISA法快速检测西瓜细菌性果斑病菌。研究发现,以含乙二胺四乙酸二钠(EDTA)的脱脂奶粉液高温处理后用于封闭,可有效降低背景;轻微振荡可提高杂交效率,减少非特异性结合。改良DAS-Dot-ELISA可快速、经济的检测西瓜果斑病菌,灵敏度达1.9×105CFU/mL。在对两批次种子样品的检测中,改良DAS-Dot-ELISA法检测带菌率分别为8.0%和6.0%,与微孔板ELISA结果完全一致;对每粒种子的检测结果,改良DAS-Dot-ELISA法与微孔板ELISA吻合率平均达99.0%,显示较好的实用前景,同时为快速检测西瓜果斑病菌提供一种新途径。