Toxicity of Zn-Fe Layered Double Hydroxide to Different Organisms in the Aquatic Environment

The application of layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanomaterials as catalysts has attracted great interest due to their unique structural features. It also triggered the need to study their fate and behavior in the aquatic environment. In the present study, Zn-Fe nanolayered double hydroxides (Zn-Fe LDHs) were synthesized using a co-precipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analyses. The toxicity of the home-made Zn-Fe LDHs catalyst was examined by employing a variety of aquatic organisms from different trophic levels, namely the marine photobacterium Vibrio fischeri, the freshwater microalga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna, and the duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza. From the experimental results, it was evident that the acute toxicity of the catalyst depended on the exposure time and type of selected test organism. Zn-Fe LDHs toxicity was also affected by its physical state in suspension, chemical composition, as well as interaction with the bioassay test medium.     

Recent progress in the chemistry and chemical biology of microbial signaling molecules: quorum-sensing pheromones and microbial hormones

Communication among microorganisms is mediated by secretion and detection of microbial signaling molecules such as quorum-sensing pheromones and microbial hormones. The molecules elicit the regulation of important genes necessary for microbial survival and often play important roles in interspecies or even inter-kingdom communication. Recent progress in the study of the signaling molecules has enabled us to eavesdrop on microbial conversations to gain insight on their intercellular communication system. This review summarizes the recent advances in the chemistry and chemical biology of these important microbial signaling molecules: acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), AI-2, CAI-1 related α-hydroxy ketones (AHKs), ComX pheromones, diffusible signal factors (DSFs), diffusible extracellular factor (DF), and Phytophthora mating hormones.     

PFOS对哈维氏弧菌生长及外毒素基因的影响

探讨了全氟辛烷磺酸盐(PROS)对哈维氏弧菌密度及外毒素基因表达的影响.用含有不同浓度PFOS(5、50、500 mmol/L)的培养基培养哈维氏弧菌,分别在6、15、24 h取适量菌液,经4 000 r/min离心,磷酸盐缓冲液(PBS)洗涤3次,制成PBS菌悬液.采用实时荧光定量PCR检测其胞外蛋白酶、溶血素及保守...     

聚乙二醇对哈维氏弧菌疫苗免疫效果的影响

以聚乙二醇( PEG)作为超声介质及疫苗载体,用超声波瞬间高温、高压及剪切力作为灭活方式,将哈维氏弧菌制成PEG结合疫苗,该疫苗与传统疫苗分别经腹腔注射免疫接种锦鲤成鱼,检测了锦鲤血细胞吞噬百分率、吞噬指数、抗菌活力、抗体效价及免疫保护力等指标,评价疫苗效果.结果表明,PEG6000作为载体制备的疫苗,其各指标统计比较...     

QSAR-based toxicity classification and prediction for single and mixed aromatic compounds

Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) based on the octanol/water partition coefficient were employed to predict acute toxicities of 36 substituted aromatic compounds and their mixtures. In this study, the model developed by Verhaar et al. was modified and used to calculate octanol/water partition coefficients of chemical mixtures. To validate the model, acute toxicities of these chemicals were measured to Vibrio fischeri in terms of EC⁵⁰. The results indicated that the obtained QSAR models could be used to predict toxicities of samples consisting of these substituted aromatic compounds, individually or in combinations. The obtained equations were proved to be robust enough by using the leave-one-out test method. By classifying these chemicals into two groups, polar and non-polar, the toxicities of chemical mixtures within each group can be predicted accurately from their calculated partition coefficients.     

PCR技术检测海运船舶压载水病原弧菌初探

船舶压载水引起的外来物种入侵,及由此引发的经济、环境和卫生等方面的灾害性后果,已成为当前世界海洋所面临的最大威胁之一.弧菌作为一种广泛存在于海洋环境的病原微生物,其数量已成为船舶压载水是否可以排放的一项指标.本文采用PCR扩增病原弧菌特征基因技术,结合弧菌相关16S rRNA基因文库,初步探讨压载水中病原弧菌快速检测技术.从采集自舟山远洋船舶压载水水样S1中,检测到hlyA和vvh基因,表明样品中含有霍乱弧菌(Vibrio cholerae)和创伤弧菌(V.vulnificus)的毒力基因.文库序列分析结果显示,重组克隆子中部分序列与副溶血弧菌(V.parahaemolyticus)和费氏弧菌(V.fischeri)相似性较高.研究结果表明,压载水样品S1中含有多种对人和动植物有害的病原弧菌,对海洋生态平衡、公共卫生安全和海洋养殖业具有潜在危害.     

Analysing traces of autoinducer-2 requires standardization of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio harveyi</Emphasis> bioassay

Autoinducer-2 (furanosyl borate diester) is a biologically active compound whose role as a universal bacterial signalling molecule is currently under intense investigation. Because of its instability and the low concentrations of it found in biological samples, its detection relies at present on a bioassay that measures the difference in the timing of the luminescence of the Vibrio harveyi BB170 sensor strain with and without externally added AI-2. Here we systematically investigated which parameters affected the fold induction values of luminescence obtained in the bioassay and developed a modified protocol. Our experiments showed that growth and luminescence of V. harveyi BB170 are strongly influenced by trace elements. In particular, addition of Fe³⁺ within a certain concentration range to the growth medium of the preinoculum culture improved the reproducibility and reduced the variance of the bioassay. In contrast, trace elements and vitamins introduced directly into the bioassay caused inhibitory effects. The initial density and luminescence of the sensor strain are very important and the values required for these parameters were defined. Borate interferes with the detection of AI-2 by giving false positive results. The response of V. harveyi BB170 to chemically synthesized AI-2 in the bioassay is nonlinear except over a very small concentration range; it is maximum over three orders of magnitude and shows inhibition above 35 μM. Based on the modified protocol, we were able to detect AI-2 in the absence of inhibitors with maximum fold induction values for the positive control (chemically synthesized AI-2) of >120 with a standard deviation of ~30% in a reliable and reproducible way.     

The structures of three new shishididemniols from a tunicate of the family Didemnidae

Three new serinolipid derivatives, shishididemniols C (1), D (2), and E (3), were isolated as antibacterial constituents of a tunicate of the family Didemnidae. Their planar structures were elucidated by interpretation of NMR and MS data, whereas the absolute stereochemistry was determined by chemical conversions. Shishididemniols C (3), D (4), and E (5) exhibited antibacterial activity against the fish pathogenic bacterium Vibrio anguillarum.     

三疣梭子蟹溶藻弧菌疾病模型的构建

采用溶藻弧菌（107 CFU.mL-1）对三疣梭子蟹（Portunus trituberculatus）进行人工感染试验,于感染后0、24、48和72h分别观察蟹体的行动、体表及内部器官组织的病理变化,测定血细胞密度（THCs）及血淋巴、肌肉、肝胰腺3种主要组织中的碱性磷酸酶（AKP）、酸性磷酸酶（ACP）、过氧化物酶（POD）活性和总抗氧化能力（T-AOC）水平.结果表明：三疣梭子蟹感染溶藻弧菌24h后其行动、体表及内部器官组织等病理症状逐渐明显,肝胰腺、血淋巴、肌肉等3种主要组织中的AKP、ACP、POD活性和T-AOC水平及THCs变化显著,可作为疾病模型构建的指标.由于药物防治主要针对早期发病群体,因此,疾病模型构建的时间选择病原菌感染后24h.采用上述方法构建的三疣梭子蟹溶藻弧菌疾病模型在相同条件下可重复性较强,并便于观测感染前后蟹体的变化情况.