An Activatable Lanthanide Luminescent Probe for Time‐Gated Detection of Nitroreductase in Live Bacteria

Herein we report the development of a turn‐on lanthanide luminescent probe for time‐gated detection of nitroreductases (NTRs) in live bacteria. The probe is activated through NTR‐induced formation of the sensitizing carbostyril antenna and resulting energy transfer to the lanthanide center. This novel NTR‐responsive trigger is virtually non‐fluorescent in its inactivated form and features a large signal increase upon activation. We show that the probe is capable of selectively sensing NTR in lysates as well as in live bacteria of the ESKAPE family which are clinically highly relevant multiresistant pathogens responsible for the majority of hospital infections. The results suggest that our probe could be used to develop diagnostic tools for bacterial infections.     

Revisiting the Origin of Bacterial Bioluminescence: QM/MM Study on Oxygenation Reaction of Reduced Flavin in Protein

Bacterial bioluminescence is initiated by the oxygenation reaction of reduced flavin mononucleotide in luciferase. This enzymatic oxygenation occurs in a wide range of biological processes including cellular redox metabolism, biocatalysis, biosynthesis and homeostasis. However, little is known about the mechanism of the enzymatic reaction between singlet reduced flavin and triplet oxygen. To explore the enigmatic oxygenation, for the first time, the reaction of reduced flavin anion with oxygen was studied in bacterial luciferase by a combined quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics method as well as molecular dynamics simulation. The calculated results demonstrate that the reaction proceeds via a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) pathway, and the essential αHis44 acts as a catalytic acid to provide the proton. The currently proposed PCET mechanism clearly describes the initial steps of bacterial bioluminescence, and could be suitable for the other flavin oxygenation reactions in enzymes.     

Chemical diversity and anti-acne inducing bacterial potentials of essential oils from selected Elsholtzia species

Essential oils from the aerial parts of four Elsholtzia species; Elsholtzia stachyodes, Elsholtzia communis, Elsholtzia griffithii and Elsholtzia beddomei were obtained by steam distillation and their chemical components were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Principle Component Analysis was used to identify the chemical variations in the essential oils from these plants, which could be categorised into two groups according to their main chemical components which are acylfuran derivatives and oxygenated monoterpenes. Additionally, the anti-acne inducing bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were evaluated. The oil from E. stachyodes was the most efficacious against the growth of S. aureus and S. epidermidis having MIC values of 0.78 and 1.56 μL/mL, respectively, and exhibited five times more effective than erythromycin (standard antibiotic).     

基于模糊均值的细菌群体趋药性复杂网络社团结构发现

复杂网络的社团发现问题是网络数据挖掘中的重要问题之一.利用基于模糊C均值的细菌群体趋药性算法最大化网络的模块度,算法中模糊C均值的初始值由群体细菌取药性算法获得.模糊C均值算法在此基础上发现复杂网络的社团结构.其创新点在于最佳模块度的寻找.实验结果表明:该算法具有对现实世界网络社团划分的可行性和有效性.     

Spatio-Temporal Variation of the Bacterial Communities along a Salinity Gradient within a Thalassohaline Environment (Saline di Tarquinia Salterns,Italy)

The “Saline di Tarquinia” salterns have been scarcely investigated regarding their microbiological aspects. This work studied the structure and composition of their bacterial communities along the salinity gradient (from the nearby sea through different ponds). The communities showed increasing simplification of pond bacterial diversity along the gradient (particularly if compared to those of the sea). Among the 38 assigned phyla, the most represented were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Differently to other marine salterns, where at the highest salinities Bacteroidetes dominated, preponderance of Proteobacteria was observed. At the genus level the most abundant taxa were Pontimonas, Marivita, Spiribacter, Bordetella, GpVII and Lentibacter. The α-diversity analysis showed that the communities were highly uneven, and the Canonical Correspondence Analysis indicated that they were structured by various factors (sampling site, sampling year, salinity, and sampling month). Moreover, the taxa abundance variation in relation to these significant parameters were investigated by Generalized Linear Models. This work represents the first investigation of a marine saltern, carried out by a metabarcoding approach, which permitted a broad vision of the bacterial diversity, covering both a wide temporal span (two years with monthly sampling) and the entire salinity gradient (from the nearby sea up to the crystallisation ponds).     

Stimuli‐responsive polymer nanocomposites based on styrene‐butadiene rubber and bacterial cellulose whiskers

Water‐induced mechanically adaptive rubber nanocomposites were prepared by mixing bacterial cellulose whiskers (BCWs) suspension with styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR) latex, followed by evaporation method. The structure, morphology, dynamic mechanical properties, water stimuli‐responsive behavior, and biodegradability of SBR/BCWs nanocomposite films were investigated. The results showed that the hydrophilic whiskers had a significant reinforcement effect on the storage modulus of SBR matrix, which originated from the formation of a rigid three‐dimensional filler network within matrix by strong hydrogen bonding between whiskers. The SBR/BCWs nanocomposites showed pronounced water stimuli‐responsive behavior compared with neat SBR. The storage modulus of SBR/BCWs nanocomposite could be decreased by 99.2% after equilibrium water swelling. This remarkable water‐triggered modulus change is attributed to the disentanglement of BCWs network via competitive hydrogen bonding with water.     

Distinct Electron Conductance Regimes in Bacterial Decaheme Cytochromes

Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1 gains energy by extracellular electron transfer to solid surfaces. They employ c‐type cytochromes in two Mtr transmembrane complexes, forming a multiheme wire for electron transport across the cellular outer membrane. We investigated electron‐ and hole‐transfer mechanisms in the external terminal of the two complexes, MtrC and MtrF. Comparison of computed redox potentials with previous voltammetry experiments in distinct environments (isolated and electrode‐bound conditions of PFV or in vivo) suggests that these systems function in different regimes depending on the environment. Analysis of redox potential shifts in different regimes indicates strong coupling between the hemes via an interplay between direct Coulomb and indirect interactions through local structural reorganization. The latter results in the screening of Coulomb interactions and explains poor correlation of the strength of the heme‐to‐heme interactions with the distance between the hemes.     

基因重组人Gamma-干扰素发酵和提取优化工艺的研究

对基因重组人Ｇａｍｍａ－干扰素（ｒＩＦＮ－γ）ＰＢＶ２２０ＤＨ５α工程菌株的发酵工艺进行了研究．结果表明,采用在２５０ｍＬ摇瓶中装液量为１５０ｍＬ,按照１∶４０的稀释比进行两次扩大培养,并在大肠杆菌生长最为活跃的对数生长期内进行诱导表达效果最好．收集菌体以后,将菌体进行冷冻和超声破碎,并在２．０ｍｏｌ／Ｌ脲中浸泡８ｈ～９ｈ以清洗杂蛋白,然后用７．０ｍｏｌ／Ｌ盐酸胍（Ｇｕ·ＨＣｌ）提取．在优化工艺条件下,ｒＩＦＮ－γ的收量为９．０×１０６ＩＵ／Ｌ～１２．８×１０６ＩＵ／Ｌ,总蛋白为７９．５ｍｇ／Ｌ～１２７．２ｍｇ／Ｌ,比活为５．６×１０５ＩＵ／ｍｇ～８．０×１０５ＩＵ／ｍｇ,ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ电泳含量可达６０％～８０％,使ＰＢＶ２２０ＤＨ５α工程菌株获得了高效表达．     

细菌群体趋药性算法在多元非线性回归分析中的应用

利用细菌群体趋药性优化算法的优化速度和精度超过其他一些常见群体优化算法的优势,对多元非线性回归问题进行分析,并将该方法应用到混凝土重力坝顺河向位移的预测中,分析结果表明拟合效果较好,为解决回归问题提供了一种新思路.