土拉弗朗西斯菌两种不同长度的外膜蛋白FopA抗原和抗体的制备

目的:根据外膜蛋白 FopA 的序列信息,建立土拉弗朗西斯菌 FopA蛋白全长(FopA-L)和部分(FopA-S)的特异性抗原的 BL21 表达系统,获得高活性的重组 FopA-L、FopA-S蛋白并制备相应的多克隆抗体,为土拉菌的监测、诊断和治疗提供依据。方法:通过 pET100 质粒构建FopA-L及FopA-S的表达载体,转化大肠杆菌BL21细胞并诱导表达FopA-L及FopA-S蛋白,螯合镍离子次氨基三乙酸(Ni-NTA)亲合层析纯化FopA蛋白,用重组蛋白免疫大耳白兔制备多克隆抗体,通过 ELISA、Western 印迹、胶体金免疫层析技术等方法进行检测。结果:构建了FopA-L及FopA-S的表达载体,获得相应的高表达目的蛋白 BL21 细胞株,用表达的蛋白为抗原成功制备了 FopA特异性的抗体,效价皆在1 ∶100000以上且特异性良好。结论:FopA-S与FopA-L两种抗原和相应抗体的制备为建立土拉菌快速检测方法奠定了基础。     

Method for the Isolation of Francisella tularensis Outer Membranes

Francisella tularensis is a Gram-negative intracellular coccobacillus and the causative agent of the zoonotic disease tularemia. When compared with other bacterial pathogens, the extremely low infectious dose (<10 CFU), rapid disease progression, and high morbidity and mortality rates suggest that the virulent strains of Francisella encode for novel virulence factors. Surface-exposed molecules, namely outer membrane proteins (OMPs), have been shown to promote bacterial host cell binding, entry, intracellular survival, virulence and immune evasion. The relevance for studying OMPs is further underscored by the fact that they can serve as protective vaccines against a number of bacterial diseases. Whereas OMPs can be extracted from gram-negative bacteria through bulk membrane extraction techniques, including sonication of cells followed by centrifugation and/or detergent extraction, these preparations are often contaminated with periplasmic and/or cytoplasmic (inner) membrane (IM) contaminants. For years, the "gold standard" method for the biochemical and biophysical separation of gram-negative IM and outer membranes (OM) has been to subject bacteria to spheroplasting and osmotic lysis, followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Once layered on a sucrose gradient, OMs can be separated from IMs based on the differences in buoyant densities, believed to be predicated largely on the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the OM. Here, we describe a rigorous and optimized method to extract, enrich, and isolate F. tularensis outer membranes and their associated OMPs.     

Chlorine disinfection of Francisella tularensis

Aims: To determine the range of free available chlorine (FAC) required for disinfection of the live vaccine strain (LVS) and wild‐type strains of Francisella tularensis. Methods and Results: Seven strains of planktonic F. tularensis were exposed to 0·5 mg·l^?1 FAC for two pH values, 7 and 8, at 5 and 25°C. LVS was inactivated 2 to 4 times more quickly than any of the wild‐type F. tularensis strains at pH 8 and 5°C. Conclusions: Free available chlorine residual concentrations routinely maintained in drinking water distribution systems would require up to two hours to reduce all F. tularensis strains by 4 log₁₀. LVS was inactivated most quickly of the tested strains. Significance and Impact of the Study: This work provides contact time (CT) values that are useful for drinking water risk assessment and also suggests that LVS may not be a good surrogate in disinfection studies.     

Genetic elements for selection, deletion mutagenesis and complementation in Francisella spp

Francisella novicida is a gram-negative pathogen that can induce disease in mice that mimics human tularemia, and is nearly identical to Francisella tularensis at the genomic level. In this work a number of antibiotic marker cassettes that incorporate a strong F. novicida promoter is constructed, which greatly enhances selection in F. novicida and F. tularensis. Two low-copy plasmid vectors based on a broad-host-range plasmid, and an integrating vector have also been made, and these can be used for genetic complementation. Two general approaches to deletion mutagenesis in F. novicida is also described.     

Seroprevalence study of Francisella tularensis among hunters in Germany

In 2005 and 2006, Francisella tularensis unexpectedly reemerged in western Germany, when several semi-free-living marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in a research facility died from tularemia and a group of hare hunters became infected. It is believed that hunters may have an elevated risk to be exposed to zoonotic pathogens, including F. tularensis. A previous cross-sectional study of the German population (n=6883) revealed a prevalence of 0.2%. Here, we investigated 286 sera from individuals mainly hunting in districts with emerging tularemia cases (group 1) and 84 sera from a region currently not conspicuous for tularemia (group 2). Methods included standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot analysis and indirect immunofluorescence assay. We found five out of the 286 hunters (1.7%; 95% CI 0.6-4.0%) in group 1 positive with standard ELISA and Western blot, but none in the Berlin area (group 2; 95% CI 0-0.04%). Group 1 showed an elevated risk for hunters to be seropositive for F. tularensis compared with the cross-sectional study (OR=7.7; P<0.001). This indicates a higher prevalence for tularemia in hunters of a suspected endemic region of Germany.     

Application of carbohydrate microarray technology for the detection of Burkholderia pseudomallei, Bacillus anthracis and Francisella tularensis antibodies

We developed a microarray platform by immobilizing bacterial 'signature' carbohydrates onto epoxide modified glass slides. The carbohydrate microarray platform was probed with sera from non-melioidosis and melioidosis (Burkholderia pseudomallei) individuals. The platform was also probed with sera from rabbits vaccinated with Bacillus anthracis spores and Francisella tularensis bacteria. By employing this microarray platform, we were able to detect and differentiate B. pseudomallei, B. anthracis and F. tularensis antibodies in infected patients, and infected or vaccinated animals. These antibodies were absent in the sera of na?ve test subjects. The advantages of the carbohydrate microarray technology over the traditional indirect hemagglutination and microagglutination tests for the serodiagnosis of melioidosis and tularemia are discussed. Furthermore, this array is a multiplex carbohydrate microarray for the detection of all three biothreat bacterial infections including melioidosis, anthrax and tularemia with one, multivalent device. The implication is that this technology could be expanded to include a wide array of infectious and biothreat agents.