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.     

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.     

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.     

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...     

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.     

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.     

浙江省患病凡纳对虾副溶血弧菌的分离、鉴定及毒力基因分析

对浙江省发病凡纳对虾进行了弧菌分离、鉴定, 对分离菌株进行了API-20E生化鉴定, 不耐热毒素基因tlh、致病基因tdh、trh和毒力基因pir的PCR检测, 以及高致病性副溶血弧菌对小鼠致病性研究结果显示, 150个分离菌株中共检出tlh基因菌株61株(40.67%), ap阳性菌株21株(14.00%); 189个固定样品中检出副溶血弧菌阳性样品108个(57.14%), ap阳性样品24个(12.70%); 所有tlh阳性样品中均未检出tdh、trh毒力基因; ap阳性副溶血弧菌灌胃小鼠死亡率为20%, 且其培养上清液有弱溶血效价. 表明副溶血弧菌在浙江省凡纳对虾弧菌感染中占有重要地位, 高致病性副溶血弧菌在副溶血弧菌中占较高比例, ap阳性副溶血弧菌对小鼠具有一定毒力和溶血性.     

Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) by Vibrio alginolyticus Strains Isolated from Salt Fields

Vibrio alginolyticus is a halophilic organism usually found in marine environments. It has attracted attention as an opportunistic pathogen of aquatic animals and humans, but there are very few reports on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production using V. alginolyticus as the host. In this study, two V. alginolyticus strains, LHF01 and LHF02, isolated from water samples collected from salt fields were found to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) from a variety of sugars and organic acids. Glycerol was the best carbon source and yielded the highest PHB titer in both strains. Further optimization of the NaCl concentration and culture temperature improved the PHB titer from 1.87 to 5.08 g/L in V. alginolyticus LHF01. In addition, the use of propionate as a secondary carbon source resulted in the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). V. alginolyticus LHF01 may be a promising host for PHA production using cheap waste glycerol from biodiesel refining.