Blue-light-activated histidine kinases: two-component sensors in bacteria

Histidine kinases, used for environmental sensing by bacterial two-component systems, are involved in regulation of bacterial gene expression, chemotaxis, phototaxis, and virulence. Flavin-containing domains function as light-sensory modules in plant and algal phototropins and in fungal blue-light receptors. We have discovered that the prokaryotes Brucella melitensis, Brucella abortus, Erythrobacter litoralis, and Pseudomonas syringae contain light-activated histidine kinases that bind a flavin chromophore and undergo photochemistry indicative of cysteinyl-flavin adduct formation. Infection of macrophages by B. abortus was stimulated by light in the wild type but was limited in photochemically inactive and null mutants, indicating that the flavin-containing histidine kinase functions as a photoreceptor regulating B. abortus virulence.     

水稻基腐病菌HrpX/HrpY在致病性中的功能分析

【目的】由Dickeya zeae引起的水稻基腐病是水稻上重要细菌病害之一,迄今对该病原细菌的致病性调控研究尚不完善。论文旨在分析水稻基腐病菌（Dickeya zeae）双组分调控系统HrpX/HrpY的序列特征,研究该系统在水稻基腐细菌中的功能作用以及与下游基因的调控关系。【方法】对HrpX/HrpY序列进行生物信息学分析,构建带有反向筛选标记基因scaB的自杀重组质粒pKNG-ΔhrpX和pKNG-ΔhrpY,通过三亲转化方法分别将重组质粒导入野生型菌株EC1中,通过2次等位基因同源重组筛选获得基因缺失突变体ΔhrpX和ΔhrpY;比较突变体与野生菌的生长速率、胞外酶活性、毒素活性、运动性、菌膜形成能力,以及对水稻的致病性和对烟草的过敏性反应（HR）;进一步提取细菌总RNA,采用实时荧光定量PCR研究HrpX/HrpY双组分系统对下游基因表达量的影响。【结果】水稻基腐病菌EC1基因组中,hrpX和hrpY均为单拷贝,hrpX编码区长1 473 bp,编码490个氨基酸,hrpY长642 bp,编码213个氨基酸,hrpX和hrpY两者之间相隔32 bp,具有相同的转录方向,在功能上具有相关性。其中,HrpX是一个结合在膜上的组氨酸蛋白激酶,HrpY是存在细胞质中的效应调节蛋白,HrpX/HrpY两者构成双组分系统,并对下游hrp基因的表达具有调控作用。进一步通过遗传操作手段,成功构建了基因缺失突变体ΔhrpX和ΔhrpY,表型测定结果表明,突变体ΔhrpX和ΔhrpY的运动性减弱、菌膜形成能力降低、对水稻种子萌发的抑制作用减弱,且降低了对水稻的致病力,但ΔhrpX和ΔhrpY的生长速率、胞外酶和毒素的活性变化不明显,也不影响其在烟草上的HR。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,突变体菌株ΔhrpX和ΔhrpY相对野生菌EC1表达量明显下降的基因有hrpA、hrpF和hrpN,而对毒素合成基因zmsA表达量的差异不明显,HrpX/HrpY双组分系统对hrp基因簇中大部分下游基因都有正调控作用,且HrpY的调控作用更加明显。【结论】HrpX/HrpY是水稻基腐病细菌中的一个双组分系统,调节病原细菌的运动性、菌膜的形成和病菌的致病力,正向调控一些下游hrp基因的表达。     

水稻细菌性基腐病研究进展

水稻细菌性基腐病（rice bacterial foot rot）是中国及东南亚国家水稻产区重要细菌病害之一,不同年份在局部水稻产区致灾流行。本文对该病害在中国的发生危害情况、病原细菌的分类现状、侵染特性、寄主范围、致病因子、致病性等相关研究进展进行了分析,提出了该病害发生与防控研究中存在的问题。     

水稻白叶枯病菌毒性表达的负调控因子PXO_02944的分子鉴定

【目的】水稻黄单胞水稻致病变种（Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, 简称Xoo）侵染引起水稻白叶枯病,在侵染过程中Xoo可产生胞外多糖(EPS)、胞外酶、黏附因子、T3SS以及其产生的效应因子等毒性因子。细菌第二信使环鸟苷二磷酸（c-di-GMP）的水平在Xoo毒性调控中发挥了重要的作用,而PXO_02944是包含REC、GGDEF和EAL结构域的蛋白,是c-di-GMP信号蛋白家族的成员,研究旨在阐明水稻白叶枯病菌的环鸟苷二磷酸信号蛋白家族成员PXO_02944的基因结构和功能。【方法】根据PXO_02944基因序列信息,以PXO99A基因组DNA为模板,设计引物扩增PXO_02944基因全长,将其GGDEF结构域和EAL结构域分别与已经报道的保守的GGDEF结构域或EAL结构域蛋白进行氨基酸序列比对分析;分别扩增PXO_02944左右臂片段,将其与目的载体pK18mobsacB载体连接,得到质粒pK2944,将pK2944与pMD-GmR载体回收获得的GmR基因片段进行连接,获得重组质粒pK2944-GmR,用于构建基因突变体。将PXO_02944全长基因克隆到载体pHM1上,获得重组质粒pHM1-2944并转化到ΔPXO_02944中,即获得互补菌株ΔPXO_02944::C。对野生型菌株、突变体和互补菌株进行表型测定,分析PXO_02944 基因缺失突变对Xoo致病性和EPS产生、生物膜形成、胞外酶活性和鞭毛运动性的影响,并通过qRT-PCR方法测定EPS合成基因和毒性相关基因的表达。【结果】用特异性引物进行PCR扩增,成功地从野生型菌株PXO99A中克隆了PXO_02944;生物信息学分析发现,PXO_02944蛋白具有磷酸化信号接收的REC输入结构域和GGDEF、EAL输出结构域,但GGDEF和EAL结构域保守序列发生了突变。与野生型菌株PXO99A相比,虽然PXO_02944突变体胞外纤维素酶和木聚糖酶活性、鞭毛运动性都无明显变化, 但其对水稻的致病性、EPS产生和生物膜形成能力显著增强,T3SS调控基因hrpG和EPS合成基因gumG的转录水平也明显升高。【结论】应答调控因子PXO_02944负调控了水稻白叶枯病菌致病性、EPS产生和生物膜形成这些毒性因子的表达。     

Molecular detection of virulence genes in Campylobacter species isolated from livestock production systems in South Africa

Campylobacter species are a major cause of foodborne bacterial infections in both developed and developing countries worldwide. Campylobacter jejuni is responsible for the majority of infections. This study was conducted to identify virulenceassociated genes in Campylobacter species isolated from livestock production systems in South Africa. A total of 250 fecal samples consisting of cattle(n=50), chickens(n=50), goats(n=50), sheep(n=50) and pigs(n=50) were randomly collected from livestock in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa between April and October 2018. The samples were analyzed for the presence of virulence genes in Campylobacter species using molecular PCR-based methods. It was found that 77 and 23% of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli respectively were isolated from all the livestock samples. There were positive significant(P0.05) correlations amongst all the virulence genes that were investigated. Chisquare and Fisher's exact tests were implemented to test for the effect of livestock species on the presence or absence of virulence genes. The study demonstrated that most of livestock species can potentially cause zoonotic infections and food poisoning due to the high prevalence of Campylobacter. The high prevalence of virulence genes highlights the significance of Campylobacter in livestock production systems in South Africa. This requires the implementation of one-health approaches to reduce the impact of foodborne and zoonotic diseases for the welfare of human and animal health.     

CrxV对水稻白叶枯病菌致病力的调控

为分析GGDEF和EAL结构域的蛋白CrxV对水稻黄单胞菌（Xanthomonas oryzaepv.oryzae,Xoo）致病性及相关致病因子的影响,通过同源重组法构建了crxV的突变体及其互补菌株;采用剪叶法比较了突变体、野生型和互补菌株对水稻叶片的侵染能力;分析了这3个菌株产生相关致病因子（运动性、胞外多糖、生物被膜和胞外酶）的能力。结果显示,crxV突变体的致病力比野生型和互补菌株的低。crxV突变导致病原菌生物被膜含量显著升高,但对运动性、胞外多糖和胞外酶均无明显影响。结果表明,CrxV可能通过负调控生物被膜影响Xoo的致病性。     

牛角地黄汤对金葡菌外毒素分泌的影响及调控作用

牛角地黄汤是用于清热解毒、凉血化瘀的基础方剂,由水牛角、地黄、赤芍、丹皮等主要成分组成。【目的】本研究旨在探讨牛角地黄汤对金黄色葡萄球菌外毒素分泌的影响。【方法】将亚抑菌剂量的牛角地黄汤水煎液与金黄色葡萄球菌共同培养,用Western blotting检测培养液上清中外毒素蛋白的表达,用RT-q-PCR法检测细菌相关基因mRNA表达水平。【结果】牛角地黄汤水煎液在40.0mg/mL以上剂量对金黄色葡萄球菌的增殖有明显抑制作用。亚抑菌剂量的牛角地黄汤水煎液能抑制金葡菌毒素蛋白HLα、SEA、SPA的转录和蛋白分泌。同时抑制金葡菌agr系统和SarA调控系统相关基因的表达。【结论】牛角地黄汤在亚抑菌剂量下能抑制金葡菌毒力因子的转录和蛋白表达。其作用机制可能与牛角地黄汤剂抑制金葡菌agr二元调控系统及SarA蛋白家族中毒素相关的调控子转录表达有关。     

细菌毒力与细菌数量对鸡胚致死率的影响

将不同来源的鸡大肠杆菌梯度稀释后进行鸡胚致死率试验,探讨细菌毒力与细菌数量对鸡胚致死率的影响。结果表明,大肠杆菌菌数在100~1 000 CFU范围内,菌数与其致病力间相关性不显著(P0.05),鸡胚死亡率表现为菌株毒力的影响。     

Male-killing bacteria in a parasitic wasp

A rod-shaped bacterium has been isolated that kills male eggs of the wasp Nasonia vitripennis, a pupal parasite of flies. Only some wasps of this species express this son-killer trait, and these wasps have bacterial infections in various organs. The bacterium was isolated from son-killer wasp tissue and from the hemolymph of fly pupae parasitized by wasps expressing the son-killer trait. Bacteria are apparently transferred to parasitized fly pupae during wasp oviposition, and developing wasp offspring are subsequently infected perorally. Sex-ratio distortion by microorganisms is found in a variety of plants and animals. The infectious peroral transmission of this trait variety of plants and animals. The infectious peroral transmission of this trait is in contrast to the typical pattern of cytoplasmic inheritance of sex-ratio distortion in these other systems.     

蝴蝶兰软腐病研究进展

蝴蝶兰软腐病是蝴蝶兰生产中最常见的细菌病害之一,因其防治难、危害严重,越来越引起人们的关 注与粮食作物蔬菜及果树等经济作物相比蝴蝶兰软腐病的研究开展较迟,研究的深度及广度远不及前者。综述 了蝴蝶兰软腐病的病原细菌种类病原分离鉴定方法,软腐病菌研究进展以及蝴蝶兰与软腐病菌相互作用等方面 的内容为今后蝴蝶兰软腐病的研究打下理论基础。