Characterization of the first step involved in enzymatic pathway for microcystin-RR biodegraded by Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05

Enzymes encoded by genes biodegrading microcystins (MCs) can help reveal the function of genes and biodegradation pathway of MCs. Here the first and important gene (USTB-05-A, 1,008 bp) involved in biodegradation of microcystin-RR (MC-RR) was cloned from Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05 and firstly expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) with an expression vector of pGEX4T-1 successfully. The nucleotide sequences of cloned USTB-05-A possessed 92.5% homology to that of mlA reported in Sphingomonas sp. strain ACM-3962. The deduced amino acid sequences containing the cleavage sites of 26th (alanine) and 27th (leucine) showed 83% identical to that of MlrA. The cell-free extract (CE) of recombinant E. coli BL21 (DE3) containing USTB-05-A had high activity for biodegrading MC-RR. Initial MC-RR of 40 mg L⁻¹ was completely biodegraded under total protein of 350 mg L⁻¹ within 0.25 h. A product derived from MC-RR appeared distinctly with the decrease of MC-RR peak on the profile of HPLC. The product (m/z 1056.5) had molecular weight of 18 higher than that of MC-RR (m/z 1038.7). The findings provided the positive evidences that biodegradation of MC-RR began with the breakage of cyclic MC-RR and then it was converted to linear MC-RR as the first product catalyzed by first enzyme of Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05.     

Analysis of the toxicogenomic effects of exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Slovakian girls: correlations between gene expression and disease risk

The chemical composition of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment is not uniform throughout the world, and these contaminants contain many structurally different lipophilic compounds. In a well-defined study cohort in the Slovak Republic, the POP chemicals present in the peripheral blood of exposed children were chemically analyzed. The chemical analysis data revealed that the relative concentration and profile of structurally different organic pollutants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 2,2′-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene (p,p′-DDE), 2,2′-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloro-ethane (p,p′-DDT), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), may vary from individual to individual, even within the same exposure area. These chemicals can be broadly classified into two groups. The first group, the PCB congeners, primarily originated from industrial compounds and their byproducts. The second group of compounds originated from or was commonly used in the agricultural sector (e.g., DDT, HCB). The objective of this study was to examine the effects of the two POP exposure profiles on gene expression. For the study population, we selected pre-pubertal girls (mean age of 46.2 ± 1.4 months) with high POP concentrations in their blood (> 75% tile of total POP) and classified them in the high ‘PCB’ group when the total PCB concentration was significantly higher than the total concentration of other POP components and in the ‘Other Than PCB’ (OTP) group, when the total PCB concentration was significantly lower than the concentration of the other major POP constituents. A matched control group of girls (< 25% tile of total POP) was selected for comparison purpose (n = 5 per group). Our aims were to determine whether there were any common effects of high POP exposure at a toxicogenomic level and to investigate how exposure may affect physiological functions of the children in two different exposure scenarios. Global gene expression analysis using a microarray (Affymetrix Gene Chip Human genome U133 Plus 2.0 Array) platform was conducted on the total RNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the girls. The results were analyzed by Partek GS, Louis, MI, which identified twelve genes (ATAD2B, BIVM, CD96, CXorf39, CYTH1 ETNK1, FAM13A, HIRA, INO80B, ODG1, RAD23B, and TSGA14) and two unidentified probe sets, as regulated differentially in both the PCB and OTP groups against the control group. The qRT-PCR method was used to validate the microarray results. The Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software package identified the possible molecular impairments and disease risks associated with each gene set. Connective tissue disorders, genetic disorders, skeletal muscular disorders and neurological diseases were associated with the 12 common genes. The data therefore identified the potential molecular effects of POP exposure on a genomic level. This report underscores the importance of further study to validate the results in a random population and to evaluate the use of the identified genes as biomarkers for POP exposure.     

Tissue bioaccumulation patterns, xenobiotic biotransformation and steroid hormone levels in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fed a diet containing perfluoroactane sulfonic or perfluorooctane carboxylic acids

In the present study, groups of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were fed gelatine capsules containing fish-food spiked with PFOA or PFOS (0.2 mg kg⁻¹ fish) and solvent (methanol). The capsules were given at days 0, 3 and 6. Blood, liver and whole kidney samples were collected prior to exposure (no solvent control), and at days 2, 5, 8 and 14 after exposure (Note: that day 14 after exposure is equal to 7 d recovery period). We report on the differences in the tissue bioaccumulation patterns of PFOS and PFOA, in addition to tissue and compound differences in modulation pattern of biotransformation enzyme genes. We observed that the level of PFOS and PFOA increased in the blood, liver and kidney during the exposure period. Different PFOS and PFOA bioaccumulation patterns were observed in the kidney and liver during exposure- and after the recovery periods. Particularly, after the recovery period, PFOA levels in the kidney and liver tissues were almost at the control level. On the contrary, PFOS maintained an increase with tissue-specific differences, showing a higher bioaccumulation potential (also in the blood), compared with PFOA. While PFOS and PFOA produced an apparent time-dependent increase in kidney CYP3A, CYP1A1 and GST expression, similar effects were only temporary in the liver, significantly increasing at sampling day 2. PFOA and PFOS exposure resulted in significant decreases in plasma estrone, testosterone and cortisol levels at sampling day 2, and their effects differed with 17α-methyltestostrerone showing significant decrease by PFOA (also for cholesterol) and increase by PFOS. PFOA significantly increased estrone and testosterone, and no effects were observed for cortisol, 17α-methyltestosterone and cholesterol at sampling day 5. Overall, the changes in plasma steroid hormone levels parallel changes in CYP3A mRNA levels. Given that there are no known studies that have demonstrated such tissue differences in bioaccumulation patterns with associated differences in toxicological responses in any fish species or lower vertebrate, the present findings provide some potential insights and basis for a better understanding of the possible mechanisms of PFCs toxicity that need to be studied in more detail.     

Evaluation of ABC efflux transporters genes expression in kidney of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed with melamine and cyanuric acid diets

Gene expression experiments were targeted in order to monitor the ABC efflux transporters, which is potentially involved in cellular detoxification/defense. Changes in expression levels of different ABC genes in kidney of Oncorhynchus mykiss fed with melamine and melamine + cyanuric acid enriched diets were recorded in both treated groups by mRNA ΔΔ_CT relative quantification method. Expression profiles of eight different ABC genes basically showed low alterations in melamine group and more consistent changes in melamine + cyanuric acid treated fish, compared with own control. In the last group ABCC2 gene over expression was the more evident alteration. These results suggest that ABC efflux system could be involved in mobilization of hydrophilic molecules in the forcing condition of chronic exposure.     

2种烷基多环芳烃对仿刺参CYP450和p53基因表达的影响研究

海洋环境中多环芳烃类(PAHs)主要来源于海洋溢油事故以及沿海石油化工企业的废水排放,国内外大量研究发现海洋中的多环芳烃对海洋生物造成了潜在的生态风险。为了揭示不同浓度多环芳烃类污染物对海参的生态毒理效应,将仿刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)分别暴露于不同浓度的2种烷基多环芳烃3-甲基菲(5、10、100μg·L~(-1))和2-甲基蒽(5、10、50μg·L~(-1))中,检测暴露3 d、7 d和14 d后,3-甲基菲和2-甲基蒽胁迫下仿刺参CYP450和p53基因的相对表达量。结果表明,3-甲基菲和2-甲基蒽胁迫下,仿刺参CYP450和p53基因的表达均对毒物产生了不同程度的响应。与对照组相比,3-甲基菲各处理组对仿刺参CYP450和p53基因的表达均产生显著的抑制作用(P0.05); 2-甲基蒽各处理组对仿刺参CYP450和p53基因的表达影响作用不同,暴露7 d后,2-甲基蒽各处理组对仿刺参CYP450基因的表达表现出抑制作用,对p53基因的表达表现出诱导作用。相同浓度与时间胁迫下,2-甲基蒽对仿刺参CYP450和p53基因表达的影响比3-甲基菲的影响大。上述研究结果表明,3-甲基菲和2-甲基蒽均可不同程度影响仿刺参CYP450和p53基因的表达,且与3-甲基菲相比,2-甲基蒽对仿刺参CYP450和p53基因表达的影响较明显。上述结果为多环芳烃类污染物对仿刺参的生物毒性评价提供了基础数据。     

嗜吡啶红球菌多氯联苯降解基因的克隆与表达

建立了多氯联苯/联苯降解菌嗜吡啶红球菌 R04 的基因组文库.活性筛选得到 1 个18kb的阳性片断,内含 1个 921个核苷酸的新的开环酶2,3-二羟基联苯双加氧酶基因 bphC2,该基因能够在大肠杆菌中表达,其蛋白分子量约为34kDa.此外,在该基因上游39bp处还发现另外一个 2,3-二羟基联苯双加氧酶基因 bphC1 的部分序列.     

木聚糖酶基因xynB在不同大肠杆菌表达系统中的表达比较

从黑曲霉(Aspergillus niger)nl-1中克隆获得木聚糖酶基因xynB.该基因全长745 bp,含有67 bp内含子,与公布的黑曲霉xynB基因有较高的同源性.将PCR扩增的木聚糖酶成熟肽基因和含有信号肽的基因分别连接到表达载体肠杆菌Top10 F’、DH10B和两种BL21宿主中获得重组菌株.通过IPTG诱导,xynB基因在重组菌株中获得特异性表达.表达产物以胞内可溶性蛋白和不溶性包涵体形式存在.诱导4 h,重组菌株pTrc-99a-xynB[BL21 condon plus(DE3)]表达量最高,胞内酶活达到299 IU/L.重组质粒pTrc-99a-xyn B(S)在不同宿主胞内和胞外均能分泌目的蛋白,诱导10 h,胞外酶活pTrc-99a-xynB(S)[BL21 condon plus(DE3)]达到347 IU/L.而pET-20b-xynB(S)在两种BL21宿主中均不表达.经SDS-PAGE分析,以pTrc-99a和pET-20b作为表达载体时,重组蛋白相对分子质量分别约为45×103和30×103.与pET-20b相比,pTrc-99a以及自身信号肽的引导更有利于重组木聚糖酶的表达.     

黑曲霉耐热木聚糖酶XYNB在毕赤酵母中的高效表达

高比活木聚糖酶的高效表达是进一步提高木聚糖酶发酵效价、降低生产成本的有效途径.将黑曲霉木聚糖酶基因XynB(不含信号肽)克隆到分泌型表达载体pPIC9K上,线性化后电击转化巴斯德毕赤酵母GS115,G418和PCR鉴定的阳性转化子经0.5%甲醇、在28℃诱导表达.SDS-PAGE分析表明,该蛋白相对分子质量为20×103左右.优化的诱导表达条件为,每隔12 h添加0.5%的甲醇,发酵5 d后,比活达4 757 U/mg;其最适温度为55℃,最适pH为5.0,80℃处理30min后仍有74%的残余酶活.