Mechanism of acid tolerance in a rhizobium strain isolated from Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi.

The Rhizobium sp. strain PR389 was isolated from the root nodules of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, which grows in acidic (pH 4.6) yellow soil of the Jinyun Mountains of Beibei, Chongqing, China. While rhizobia generally have a pH range of 6.5-7.5 for optimum growth, strain PR389 grew in a liquid yeast extract - mannitol agar medium at pH 4.6, as well as in a pH 4.1 soil suspension, suggesting acid tolerance in this specific strain of rhizobium . However, at pH 4.6, the lag phase before vigorous growth was 40 h compared with 4 h under neutral conditions (pH 7.0). For PR389, the generation time after the lag phase remained the same at different pH levels despite the different durations of the lag phase. Except in the pH 4.4 treatment, the pH of the culturing media increased from 4.6, 4.8, 5.0, and 5.5 to neutral and slightly alkaline after 70 h of culture. Chloramphenicol was added to determine if protein production was involved in the increasing pH process. Chloramphenicol significantly inhibited PR389 growth under acid stress but had little effect under neutral conditions. Proton flux measured during a short acid shock (pH 3.8) revealed that this strain has an intrinsic ability to prevent H(+) from entering cells when compared with acid-sensitive rhizobia. We propose that the mechanism for acid tolerance in PR389 involves both intracellular and extracellular processes. When the extracellular pH is lower than pH 4.4, the cell membrane blocks hydrogen from entering the cell. When the pH exceeds 4.4, the rhizobium strain has the ability to raise the extracellular pH, thereby, potentially decreasing the toxicity of aluminum in acid soil.

The analysis of bro genes of GD isolate of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus / 病毒学报

BmNPV GD isolate from China was plaque-purified and four bro genes were cloned termed as bro-a,b,c,d. The obtained sequences were aligned to the related sequences in GenBank and the BmNPV CQ1 isolate preserved in our laboratory. Compared with genome sequences of BmNPV T3 isolate, bro genes of GD isolate housed insertion and deletion, and the changes of amino acid mainly occured at the N terminal of corresponding protein. The phylogenetic analysis of bro genes indicated that GD bro-d gene belongs to subgroup A together with T3, CQ1 bro-d and SC7 bro- III; GD bro-a, c genes belong to subgroup B together with T3, CQ1 bro-a, c and SC7 bro-II; GD bro-b gene belongs to subgroup C together with T3, CQ1 bro-b, e and SC7 bro-I. The evolutionary relationship of bro genes showed vague relevance to their geographical location. The distribution character of bro genes in four BmNPV isolates is coincidence with the KANG's theory that the bro-d plays an irreplaceable functional role(s) during viral replication, while bro-a and bro-c functionally complement each other. Meanwhile, we postulate that 3 bro genes in SC7 isolate is probable the most simple form of bro genes.

Survey of long terminal repeat retrotransposons of domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori).

Long terminal retrotransposons are major components of eukaryotic transposable elements. We have surveyed the long terminal repeats (LTR) retrotransposons of domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori) by mining the data produced by Bombyx mori Genome Sequencing Project. At least 29 separate families of LTR retrotransposons are identified in this survey, comprising of 11.8% of the complete sequence. Families of domesticated silkworm LTR retrotransposons can be mainly classified into three groups: gypsy-like, copia-like, Pao-Bel. Fourteen families identified consist of gypsy-like elements, four families consist of copia-like elements and seven families consist of Pao-Bel elements. In addition to the three groups of LTR retrotransposons, two families of unusual non-coding elements are identified in the genome of this species. Further phylogenetic analysis of RT domain indicates that the elements of B.mori show high diversity and can form different clades in each group. An analysis of sequence variation from different families reveals distinct patterns of variation for the elements belonging to three groups. The analysis of the domesticated silkworm LTR retrotransposons should assist in our understanding of the roles of retroelement in lepidopteron insect genome evolution.

PRELIMINARY STUDY ON AN ANTIBIOTIC-PRODUCING BACTERIUM / 微生物学通报

An antibiotic-producing bacterium, which was numbered as 20 #-5, was separated from the soil in Chongqing. It was identified as the member of pseudomonas. Gram positive bacteria are badly suppressed by it. The antibiotic secreted by 20 #-5 can endure 100℃ for half an hour, and it can also go through the ultrafiltration membrane with pores of 0.22?m.