Antibacterial alkaloids from Artabotrys crassifolius Hook.f. & Thomson

Chloroform extract of bark of Artabotrys crassifolius Hook.f. & Thomson exhibited antibacterial activities against both American Type Culture Collection and clinical bacterial strains in vitro with zones of inhibition ranging from 7 to 14 mm. Further analysis of this extract yielded artabotrine, liridine, lysicamine and atherospermidine. Artabotrine displayed a broad array of antibacterial activity mostly against Gram-positive bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 1.25 μg/mL to 5 μg/mL. Of note, artabotrine, liridine and lysicamine are bactericidal against Gram-negative extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella with MIC values equal 2.5, 2.5 and 10 μg/mL, respectively, and minimum bactericidal concentrations values equal to 2.5, 5 and 20 μg/mL.     

Biosynthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles from Acacia nilotica (L.) Extract to Overcome Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae

Recently, concerns have been raised globally about antimicrobial resistance, the prevalence of which has increased significantly. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC) is considered one of the most common resistant bacteria, which has spread to ICUs in Saudi Arabia. This study was established to investigate the antibacterial activity of biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) against KPC in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we used the aqueous extract of Acacia nilotica (L.) fruits to mediate the synthesis of ZnO-NPs. The nanoparticles produced were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, zetasizer and zeta potential analyses, X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antimicrobial activity of ZnO-NPs against KPC was determined via the well diffusion method, and determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), the results showed low MIC and MBC when compared with the MIC and MBC of Imipenem and Meropenem antibiotics. The results of in vitro analysis were supported by the results upon applying ZnO-NP ointment to promote wound closure of rats, which showed better wound healing than the results with imipenem ointment. The biosynthesized ZnO-NPs showed good potential for use against bacteria due to their small size, applicability, and low toxicity to human cells.     

Chemical Synthesis Elucidates the Immunological Importance of a Pyruvate Modification in the Capsular Polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 4

Carbohydrate modifications are believed to strongly affect the immunogenicity of glycans. Capsular polysaccharides (CPS) from bacterial pathogens are frequently equipped with a pyruvate that can be placed across the 4,6‐, 3,4‐, or 2,3‐positions. A trans‐2,3‐linked pyruvate is present on the CPS of the Gram‐positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 4 (ST4), a pathogen responsible for pneumococcal infections. To assess the immunological importance of this modification within the CPS repeating unit, the first total synthesis of the glycan was carried out. Glycan microarrays containing a series of synthetic antigens demonstrated how antibodies raised against natural ST4 CPS specifically recognize the pyruvate within the context of the tetrasaccharide repeating unit. The pyruvate modification is a key motif for designing minimal synthetic carbohydrate vaccines for ST4.     

Synthetic directions towards capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 18C

An efficient synthetic strategy has been developed for the synthesis of the tri, tetrasaccharide block and pentasaccharide corresponding to the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumonia serotype 18C as their 2-aminoethyl glycosides. A one-pot glycosylation-deprotection, sequential glycosylations strategy has been adopted for the construction of the fragments and pentasaccharide derivative, which were then transformed into target compound after a series of functional group transformations. The synthetic method relies on the use of p-methoxybenzyl ether as an in situ-removable protecting group to reduce the number of reaction steps significantly. Here H₂SO₄-silica has been used successfully as a promoter for all glycosylation reaction. In addition, the synthetic target also contained a free amino group at its reducing end, facilitating its conjugation with other molecules for various biological studies and applications.     

A Semi‐Synthetic Glycoconjugate Vaccine Candidate for Carbapenem‐Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

Hospital‐acquired infections are an increasingly serious health concern. Infections caused by carpabenem‐resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR‐Kp ) are especially problematic, with a 50 % average survival rate. CR‐Kp are isolated from patients with ever greater frequency, 7 % within the EU but 62 % in Greece. At a time when antibiotics are becoming less effective, no vaccines to protect from this severe bacterial infection exist. Herein, we describe the convergent [3+3] synthesis of the hexasaccharide repeating unit from its capsular polysaccharide and related sequences. Immunization with the synthetic hexasaccharide 1 glycoconjugate resulted in high titers of cross‐reactive antibodies against CR‐Kp CPS in mice and rabbits. Whole‐cell ELISA was used to establish the surface staining of CR‐Kp strains. The antibodies raised were found to promote phagocytosis. Thus, this semi‐synthetic glycoconjugate is a lead for the development of a vaccine against a rapidly progressing, deadly bacterium.     

AI-2 Key Enzyme S-Ribosylhomocysteinase from Strain Klebsiella pneumoniae CICC 10011 Producing 2,3-Butanediol

S-Ribosylhomocysteinase(LuxS) is the key enzyme in the synthetic pathway of a quorum sensing autoinducer AI-2. LuxS from a 2,3-butanediol produced strain Klebisella pneumoniae CICC 10011 was cloned and characterized. The luxS gene is composed of 540 bp with 172 amino acids encoded. The Km value for S-ribosylhomo- cysteine(SRH) was (27±1) umol/L, kcat was (0.112±0.004) s-1 and kcat/Km was 4.4×103 L umol-1·s-1 at 25 ℃. LuxS was activated by divalent metal ions, the highest activity was detected with Co2+ form...     

光纤荧光免疫分析系统的研制及应用

将光纤传感技术、荧光分析与免疫分析技术结合,自行设计了Y型分叉光纤、光强可调的光纤固定架及性能优良的荧光测定池,建立了新型光纤荧光免疫系统。系统性能可靠,操作简便,既可进行普通的荧光分析,又可进行光纤荧光免疫分析。将系统用于临床血清标本中肺炎支原体抗体的测试,结果与荧光显微镜法和ELISA法结果一致。该新型光纤荧光免疫系统在临床、环保等领域有广泛的应用前景。     

Production of 2,3- butanediol from pretreated corn cob byKlebsiella oxytoca in the presence of fungal cellulase

A simple and effective method of treatment of lignocellulosic material was used for the preparation of corn cob for the production of 2,3-butanediol byKlebsiella oxytoca ATCC 8724 in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process. During the treatment, lignin, and alkaline extractives were solubilized and separated from cellulose and hemicellulose fractions by dilute ammonia (10%) steeping. Hemicellulose was then hydrolyzed by dilute hydrochloric acid (1%, wJv) hydrolysis at 100°C at atmospheric pressure and separated from cellulose fraction. The remaining solid, with 90% of cellulose, was then used as the substrate. A butanediol concentration of 25 g/L and an ethanol concentration of 7 g/L were produced byK. oxytoca from 80 g/L of corn cob cellulose with a cellulase dosage of 8.5 IFPU/g corn cob cellulose after 72 h of SSF. With only dilute acid hydrolysis, a butanediol production rate of 0.21 g/L/h was obtained that is much lower than the case in which corn cob was treated with ammonia steeping prior to acid hydrolysis. The butanediol production rate for the latter was 0.36 g/L/h.     

Production of 1,3-propanediol by Klebsiella pneumoniae

1,3-Propanediol (1,3-PD) has numerous applications from polymers to cosmetics, foods, lubricants, and medicines. Recently, there are strong industrial interests in a new kind of polyester, polytrimethylene terephthalate, with 1,3-PD as a monomer. This new polyester shows significant promise for use in carpeting and textiles. In this article we introduce a mild aerobic fermentation process using a strain screened from Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 25955, which is insensitive to oxygen, to produce 1,3-PD. We also describe a two-step fermentation process starting with glucose that was converted into glycerol with a glycerol-producing yeast, followed by K. pneumoniae that converts glycerol into 1,3-PD without intermediate isolation and purification of glycerol.