Novel Alkaloids from Marine Actinobacteria: Discovery and Characterization

The marine environment is an excellent resource for natural products with therapeutic potential. Its microbial inhabitants, often associated with other marine organisms, are specialized in the synthesis of bioactive secondary metabolites. Similar to their terrestrial counterparts, marine Actinobacteria are a prevalent source of these natural products. Here, we discuss 77 newly discovered alkaloids produced by such marine Actinobacteria between 2017 and mid-2021, as well as the strategies employed in their elucidation. While 12 different classes of alkaloids were unraveled, indoles, diketopiperazines, glutarimides, indolizidines, and pyrroles were most dominant. Discoveries were mainly based on experimental approaches where microbial extracts were analyzed in relation to novel compounds. Although such experimental procedures have proven useful in the past, the methodologies need adaptations to limit the chance of compound rediscovery. On the other hand, genome mining provides a different angle for natural product discovery. While the technology is still relatively young compared to experimental screening, significant improvement has been made in recent years. Together with synthetic biology tools, both genome mining and extract screening provide excellent opportunities for continued drug discovery from marine Actinobacteria.     

入侵昆虫基因组研究进展

随着全球贸易的加速发展,入侵物种对农林业、生态环境及人类健康的威胁日益严重。基因组学研究为阐明外来有害生物入侵的分子机制与生态适应性过程以及研发新型防控技术提供了新手段、新平台与大数据。本文综述了入侵昆虫基因组学研究的发展现状,系统总结了基因/基因家族、转座子/重复序列等基因组信息在决定昆虫入侵性中的重要作用,着力探讨了基因组学研究在助力害虫RNAi、昆虫不育技术(SIT)、化学生态防治和物理防治等防控新技术/新产品开发方面的潜力,并展望了基因组学研究应用于入侵昆虫综合防控的前景。     

棉铃虫膨胀线粒体基因组的鉴定与分析

以已公布的棉铃虫线粒体DNA序列对来自4头棉铃虫雄蛹的DNA的三代测序数据进行筛选,获得了11条与线粒体DNA有同源性的三代read序列,并根据其中的read 66003鉴定出了一种膨胀的线粒体基因组。该线粒体基因组大小为27 113 bp,其保守区域包含13个蛋白编码基因、2个rRNA基因、22个tRNA基因以及1个AT富集区,与已公布的棉铃虫线粒体基因组的结构相似。膨胀区域位于cox1基因编码区内部,大小为11 467 bp,经预测含有一个完整的真核基因(依赖ATP的RNA解旋酶)以及多种转座元件的片段,但与线粒体DNA无同源性,也无I类或Ⅱ类内含子存在的证据。对田间和室内棉铃虫DNA样品的PCR扩增未能检测到膨胀线粒体基因组的存在。以上结果表明膨胀片段可能是细胞核DNA序列通过偶然的水平转移事件而整合到线粒体基因组中的,且该种膨胀方式的发生概率极低。本文报道的膨胀线粒体基因组为日后动物线粒体基因组学的研究提示了一种独特的变异方式。     

水产生物基因组研究进展与趋势

本文综述了水产生物基因组研究相关技术的发展历程和关键技术的应用。以二代测序技术的出现为分界点,首先回顾了早期水产养殖生物在遗传学和分子生物学方面的研究结果,以及为开展全基因组测序所做的相关基础研究,然后重点介绍了二代测序技术应用于水产生物全基因组测序和经济性状遗传基础解析的研究进展,最后展望了水产生物基因组研究发展趋势。水产生物经济性状遗传机制高度复杂,从全基因组角度阐明其遗传机制仍有很多难题,但基因决定性状是生物学法则之一,探索这一过程的奥秘引人入胜。     

Putative virulence-related genes in Vibrio anguillarum identified by random genome sequencing

The genome of Vibrio anguillarum strain H775-3 was partially determined by a random sequencing procedure. A total of 2,300 clones, 2,100 from a plasmid library and 200 from a cosmid library, were sequenced and subjected to homology search by the BLAST algorithm. The total length of the sequenced clones is 1.5 Mbp. The nucleotide sequences were classified into 17 broad functional categories. Forty putative virulence-related genes were identified, 36 of which are novel in V. anguillarum, including a repeat in toxin gene cluster, haemolysin genes, enterobactin gene, protease genes, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis genes, capsule biosynthesis gene, flagellar genes and pilus genes.     

Detection and characterization of a rhabdovirus causing mortality in black bullhead catfish,Ameiurus melas

This study fully describes a severe disease outbreak occurred in 2016 in black bullhead catfish farmed in Italy. Affected fish showed nervous clinical signs as well as emaciations and haemorrhagic petechiae on the skin at the fin bases, abdomen and gills. Viral isolation in cell culture allowed the subsequent identification of a rhabdovirus, tentatively named ictalurid rhabdovirus (IcRV), through electron microscopy, immunofluorescence and whole genome sequencing (WGS). The newly isolated virus, together with 14 additional viral strains stored in our repository and detected during similar mortality episodes in the period 1993–2016, was phylogenetically analysed on the basis of the nucleoprotein and the glycoprotein nucleotide and amino acid sequences. The genetic distances among Italian IcRV strains were also estimated. Our results show that all the IcRV strains belong to the genus Sprivivirus and are closely related to the tench rhabdovirus (TenRV). Italian catfish production is constantly decreasing, mainly due to viral infections, which include the newly characterized IcRV. Data presented in this work will assist to investigate the molecular epidemiology and the diffusive dynamics of this virus and to develop adequate surveillance activities.     

脊尾白虾不同发育期mtDNA拷贝数变化特征分析

为了解脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)在不同发育期线粒体基因组(mtDNA)拷贝数的变化特征,本研究共采集其8个时期(受精卵期、溞状幼体Ⅰ期、溞状幼体Ⅱ期、溞状幼体Ⅲ期、溞状幼体Ⅳ期、溞状幼体Ⅴ期、仔虾期和成虾期)的DNA样品,利用TaqMan实时荧光定量PCR技术,对上述各发育期单个细胞中的mtDNA拷贝数进行了测定。检测结果显示,脊尾白虾受精卵期、溞状幼体Ⅰ期、溞状幼体Ⅱ期、溞状幼体Ⅲ期、溞状幼体Ⅳ期、溞状幼体Ⅴ期、仔虾期和成虾期的mtDNA拷贝数的均值分别为2366、2648、2644、2873、3559、9948、6452和8872。进一步统计分析结果显示,mtDNA拷贝数与发育时间存在正相关性,相关系数为0.83。研究表明,随着脊尾白虾不断生长,其单个细胞中mtDNA拷贝数总体呈上升趋势。     

斜带髭鲷线粒体DNA控制区序列的结构分析

采用PCR技术获得我国南海斜带髭鲷（Hapalogenys nitens）养殖及野生群体共50尾样品的mtDNA控制区全序列,长度范围788～790bp;测得序列与GenBank下载的其他鲈形目鱼类D-loop全序列利用CLUSTALX进行排序后,对控制区结构进行分析。识别了其终止结合序列区、中央保守区和保守序列区,指出了终止相关序列的主体是TACAT与其反向互补序列ATGTA以及一系列保守序列（CSB-F、CSB-E、CSB-D和CSB-1、CSB-2、CSB-3）,并给出了其一般形式;此外,基于斜带髭鲷D-Loop全长序列,利用贝叶斯法构建了分子系统进化树。结果显示,斜带髭鲷养殖群体与野生群体部分样品各自紧密聚成一小支,而在整棵进化树上,养殖样品与野生样品相互交错聚集在一起,可见本研究海区斜带髭鲷养殖群体与野生群体之间的遗传差异分化不显著。