A toxin protein from Xenorhabdus nematophila var. pekingensis and insecticidal activity against larvae of Helicoverpa armigera

Xenorhabdus nematophila var. pekingensis, which is highly virulent for many insects, is a symbiotic bacterium of Steinernema carpocapsae isolated from Beijing soil in China. Previous studies demonstrated that the bacterium had high antifeedant activity against larvae of Helicoverpa armigera, Plutella xylostella and Spodoptera exigua. Herein, we report the purification, molecular cloning and antifeedant activity of an intracellular toxic protein from the bacterium. The purified protein displayed a single band and a relative molecular weight of over 212 kDa determined by SDS-PAGE. We designated the protein as XnAFP2. Peptide segments were obtained by MALDI-TOF and covered 40% of the amino acid sequence of a toxin protein from X. nematophilus PMFI1296. The full cDNA sequence encoding for XnAFP2 (Genbank accession number FJ222606) was amplified from X. nematophlia var. pekingensis and consists of 7575 bp. The gene showed homology with up to 99% identity to the A2 gene from X. nematophila strain BP (GenBank accession number AY282763) and 92% identity to the insecticidal toxin xptA2 gene from X. nematophila PMFI 1296 (GenBank accession number AJ308438). The protein caused a rapid cessation in feeding and reduction in larval weight of H. armigera. When fed to third instar larvae of H. armigera in an artificial diet at 6.0 µg/g (w/w) toxin protein, growth reduction reached 97.9%. The insecticidal protein greatly decreased fourth instar larval weight, lengthened larval stage, and reduced pupation and emergence rates. The antifeedant rate in choice and no-choice leaf disk tests against fifth instar larvae was 78.4 and 87.6% in 24 h, respectively.     

北京红篓菌聚羟基烷酸合成酶基因的克隆与表达

以北京红篓菌基因组DNA为供体,pKC505 cosmid质粒为载体系统,λ噬菌体体外包装重组质粒并转染感受态细胞E.coli JM109,构建了该菌株基因组DNA文库。以聚羟基烷酸（PHA）合成酶基因通用简并引物扩增的PHA合成酶部分基因为探针,经DIG标记后利用菌落原位杂交技术对文库进行筛选,获得3个阳性克隆菌株,PCR检测证明这3个克隆具有PHA合成酶基因片段,酶活测定表明3个克隆都具有PHA合成酶及与PHA合成相关的乙酰乙酰辅酶A还原酶的活性。     

盐胁迫抑制槲栎2变种光合作用的机理研究

以不同浓度NaCl处理北京槲栎和锐齿槲栎的2年生幼苗,研究盐胁迫条件对其生长、光合作用及叶绿素荧光特性的影响。结果表明,(1)随着盐浓度的增加,总叶面积、植株鲜重和干重、叶片净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)、气孔限制值(Ls)、叶绿素含量(Chl)和光系统Ⅱ光合电子传递量子效率(ФPSⅡ)均显著降低,而光系统Ⅱ的初始荧光(F0)和光化学效率(Fv/Fm)无显著变化。(2)北京槲栎生长受盐胁迫的干扰小于锐齿槲栎,其净光合速率下降幅度相对较小,光合结构受胁迫的程度小于锐齿槲栎。     

北京红篓菌合成聚羟基烷酸的研究

报道从污水处理厂回流池废水中分离到的北京红篓菌 (Rcs.pekingensisstrain 3-p)合成PHAs的研究结果。实验结果表明 ,3 p菌株生长及积累PHAs的最佳培养条件为 :0 0 1 %酵母膏 ,0 0 1 %NH4 Cl,乙酸钠 5g L ;培养基最适pH值为 7 0～ 7 2。在此培养条件下 ,细胞内PHAs积累量达菌体干重的 60 %以上。酶活测定表明菌株 3 p含有与PHAs合成相关的β 酮硫解酶 ,乙酰乙酰CoA还原酶 ,PHA聚合酶 ,初步推断此菌株的代谢途径为