Role of Salmonella surface components in immunomodulation of inflammatory mediators

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and its surface components were assessed for their inflammatory potential by footpad oedema test using plethysmometer. Inflammation was found to be the highest when outer membrane proteins (OMPs) were used as inflammagen followed by lipid associated protein-lipopolysaccharide complex (LAP-LPS) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Inflammation produced by OMPs was found to be comparable to that by carrageenan (a known positive inflammagen). However, injection of L-histidine (an antioxidant) prior to administration of carrageenan or Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium inhibited the inflammation, which indicated the involvement of oxidants during inflammatory response. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and nitric oxide (NO) production by peritoneal macrophages from infected mice exhibited a significant increase as compared to those of the immunized mice. In contrast, glutathione production was found to be the maximum in the macrophages taken from OMPs-immunized mice followed by LAP-LPS and LPS alone. The biochemical studies correlated well with histopathological studies of intestinal tissue of animals from various groups. Based upon these parameters, inflammation seems to be modulated by OMPs and LAP-LPS, which may be because of the protein moieties present in the components. Hence, immunization with protein moieties having L-histidine or L-histidine-like structures may suggest an alternative to the potential therapeutic values of anti-inflammatory drugs. Thus the results of this study form the basis for evaluating these antigens (either alone or in combination with polysaccharides) for preventive intervention rather than therapeutic. (Mol Cell Biochem 270: 167–175, 2005)     

创伤弧菌外膜蛋白免疫刺激复合物对欧洲鳗鲡的免疫保护性分析

创伤弧菌(Vibrio vulnificus)是一种革兰氏染色阴性、多形性、运动性、有荚膜的嗜盐性细菌, 属于弧菌属第5群, 主要生长于海水中、鱼类及贝母类等体内1。根据寄主范围和生化反应类型的不同, 将创伤弧菌分为3 个生物型: 生物Ⅰ型(产吲哚)2、生物Ⅱ型(不产吲哚)3以及1999 年以色列的研究人员报道的创伤弧菌生物Ⅲ型。       

细菌外膜蛋白参与革兰氏阴性细菌对异丙醇耐受的调节

细菌外膜蛋白与细菌对异丙醇耐受关系密切,但迄今为止尚未见相关研究.本文首先采用基于双向电泳(two dimensional electrophoresis,2-DE)的蛋白质组学技术,研究E.coli K-12 BW25113在有无异丙醇条件下外膜蛋白表达的差异.结果发现,外膜蛋白LamB、FadL和OmpC以及OmpT、Tsx、OmpA和OmpF在异丙醇应激条件下表达量分别上调和下调.然后通过基因敲除、补救和高表达等功能基因组学的方法,探讨这些功能外膜蛋白在异丙醇应激耐受中所起的作用,发现LamB、OmpA和OmpC在E.coli K-12 BW25113对异丙醇耐受过程中起到更重要的作用.最后,对EnvZ/OmpR双组分信号转导系统在对异丙醇耐受中的作用进行了研究,证实EnvZ/OmpR双组分信号转导系统确实参与细菌对异丙醇的耐受.因此,外膜蛋白的改变和EnvZ/OmpR双组分信号转导系统的调节是革兰氏阴性细菌对异丙醇耐受的一种重要机制。     

Anaerobe/aerobe environmental flux determines protein expression profiles of Bacteroides fragilis, a redox pathogen

The oxidation-reduction (redox) of the environment characterizes the Bacteroides fragilis pathogenic potential. Previously, using 3D confocal laser scanning microscopy, the bacteria prepared from cultures grown under oxidizing conditions (Eh(7)ca. + 100 mV) were able to penetrate into Hela cell monolayers. In contrast, when grown under reducing conditions (Eh(7)ca. - 60 mV), there were no bacteria evident within Hela cells. The influence of the anaerobe/aerobe environmental flux during the process of the anaerobe infection could be significant. In B. fragilis peritonitis, this may depend on the occurrence of aerobiosis as opposed to anaerobiosis. To this end, three clinical B. fragilis strains, two infectious and one non-infectious, were grown under oxidizing and reducing conditions; then, the outer membrane protein expressions derived from these strains were assessed, following sarcosyl extraction and SDS-PAGE. The differences between the protein profiles from these strains when cultured under oxidizing and reducing conditions were found to be statistically significant for the two infectious strains, but not for the non-infectious strain. OMP profiles under aerobic conditions compared to anaerobic conditions exhibited products with a range of apparent molecular weights suggestive of unique participation in the interaction with the host cell.     

幽门螺杆菌毒力因子进展研究

幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacter pylori,H.pylori)是一种革兰阴性杆菌,于1893年首次从慢性活动性胃炎患者的胃黏膜活检组织中被成功分离培养,是目前所知的少数能够在人胃中生存的微生物之一。H.pylori感染不仅可引起胃炎、消化道溃疡、胃黏膜组织相关性(MALT)淋巴瘤等消化系统疾病,其所携带的毒力因子还与胃癌的发生发展有关。不同基因型的H.pylori所携带的毒力因子不同,但只有小部分的感染个体会进展为胃癌的现象。虽然目前诸如CagA、VacA、BabA和OipA等许多毒力因子都已被证明与胃癌的发生有确切关系,但其具体机制仍在进一步的研究当中。本文将主要针对H.pylori中与胃癌相关的毒力因子及其致癌机制进行简要综述,以进一步明确其在胃癌发生发展中的生物学作用。     

鱼类病原菌外膜蛋白及其免疫原性研究进展

细菌性疾病是水产养殖病害中最常见且危害甚为严重的一类疾病1。长期以来,一直用于鱼类细菌性疾病防治的西药类药物,由于会导致病原菌产生耐药性,在鱼体内产生药物残留危害人类健康等副作用而被限制使用2。因此,为了选择更加安全有效的防治方法,疫苗免疫逐步得到了人们的重视。       

The lipopolysaccharide transport system of Gram-negative bacteria

The cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria consists of two distinct membranes, the inner (IM) and the outer membrane (OM) separated by the periplasm. The OM contains in the outer leaflet the lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a complex lipid with important biological activities. In the host it elicits the innate immune response whereas in the bacterium it is responsible for the peculiar permeability barrier properties exhibited by the OM. The chemical structure of LPS and its biosynthetic pathways have been fully elucidated. By contrast only recently details of the transport and assembly of LPS into the OM have emerged. LPS is synthesized in the cytoplasm and at the inner leaflet of the IM and needs to cross two different compartments, the IM and the periplasm, to reach its final destination at the OM. This review focuses on recent studies that led to our present understanding of the protein machine implicated in LPS transport and in assembly at the cell surface.     

Tight Turns of Outer Membrane Proteins: An Analysis of Sequence,Structure, and Hydrogen Bonding

As a structural class, tight turns can control molecular recognition, enzymatic activity, and nucleation of folding. They have been extensively characterized in soluble proteins but have not been characterized in outer membrane proteins (OMPs), where they also support critical functions. We clustered the 4 to 6 residue tight turns of 110 OMPs to characterize the phi/psi angles, sequence, and hydrogen bonding of these structures. We find significant differences between reports of soluble protein tight turns and OMP tight turns. Since OMP strands are less twisted than soluble strands, they favor different turn structures types. Moreover, the membrane localization of OMPs yields different sequence hallmarks for their tight turns relative to soluble protein turns. We also characterize the differences in phi/psi angles, sequence, and hydrogen bonding between OMP extracellular loops and OMP periplasmic turns. As previously noted, the extracellular loops tend to be much longer than the periplasmic turns. We find that this difference in length is due to the broader distribution of lengths of the extracellular loops not a large difference in the median length. Extracellular loops also tend to have more charged residues as predicted by the charge-out rule. Finally, in all OMP tight turns, hydrogen bonding between the side chain and backbone 2 to 4 residues away from that side chain plays an important role. These bonds preferentially use an Asp, Asn, Ser, or Thr residue in a beta or pro phi/psi conformation. We anticipate that this study will be applicable to future design and structure prediction of OMPs.