Nitrous oxide emissions and microbial communities variation in low dissolved oxygen and low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio anoxic-oxic wastewater treatment plant.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio affect nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by influencing the physiological and ecological dynamics of nitrifying and denitrifying microbial communities in activated sludge systems. For example, Nitrosomonas is a common N2O producing nitrifying bacteria in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and DO conditions can affect the N2O production capacity. Previous studies have reported N2O emission characteristics under adequate DO and C/N conditions in A/O WWTPs. However, in actual operation, owing to economic and managerial factors, some WWTPs have a long-term state of low DO levels in oxic tanks and low influent C/N. Research on N2O emission characteristics in low DO-limited and low C/N ratio WWTPs is limited. This study investigated N2O emissions and the corresponding shifts in microorganisms within an anoxic-oxic (A/O) WWTP over 9-month. Quantitative PCR was used to assess the abundance of ten functional genes related to nitrification and denitrification processes, and high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was employed to determine the composition change of microorganisms. The findings revealed that 1) the average N2O emission factor was 1.07% in the studied WWTP; 2) the DO-limited oxic tank primarily contributed to N2O; 3) NO2-, TOC, and C/N ratios were key factors for dissolved N2O in the aerobic tank; and 4) Nitrosomonas and Terrimonas exhibited a robust correlation with N2O emissions. This research provides data references for estimating N2O emission factors and developing N2O reduction policies in WWTPs with DO-limited and low C/N ratios.

Affinity-Guided Coevolution of Aptamers for Guanine, Xanthine, Hypoxanthine, and Adenine.

The simultaneous evolution of multiple aptamers can drastically increase the speed of aptamer discovery. Most previous studies used the same concentration for different targets, leading to the dominance of the libraries by one or a few aptamers and a low success rate. To foster the best aptamers to grow independently in the sequence space, it is important to (1) use low target concentrations close to their dissociation constants and (2) stop at an early round before any sequence starts to dominate. In this study, we demonstrate this affinity-guided selection concept using the capture-SELEX method to isolate aptamers for four important purines: guanine (5 µM), xanthine (50 µM), hypoxanthine (10 µM), and adenine (10 µM). The round 9 library was split, and in round 10, the four targets were individually used to elute the binding sequences. Using thioflavin T fluorescence spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry, we confirmed highly selective aptamers for xanthine, guanine, and adenine. These aptamers have Kd values below 1 µM and around 100-fold selectivity against most competing analytes, and they compare favorably with existing RNA aptamers and riboswitches. A separate selection was performed using hypoxanthine alone, and no selective aptamer was achieved, even with negative selection, explaining the lack of its aptamer in our mixed selection. This affinity-guided multiplex SELEX study offers fundamental insights into aptamer selection and provides high-quality aptamers for three important purines.

Selection and Characterization of DNA Aptamers for Cytidine and Uridine.

Cytidine and uridine are two essential pyrimidine ribonucleotides, and accurate detection of these nucleosides holds significant biological importance. While many aptamers were reported to bind purines, little success was achieved for pyrimidine binding. This study employs the library-immobilization capture-SELEX technique to isolate aptamers capable of selectively binding to cytidine and uridine. First, a selection was performed using a mixture of cytidine and uridine as the target. This selection led to the isolation of a highly selective aptamer for cytidine with a dissociation constant (Kd ) of 0.9 µM as determined by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). In addition, a dual-recognition aptamer was also discovered, which exhibited selective binding to both cytidine and uridine. Subsequently, a separate selection was carried out using uridine as the sole target, and the resulting uridine aptamer displayed a Kd of 4 µM based on a thioflavin T fluorescence assay and a Kd of 102 µM based on ITC. These aptamers do not have a strict requirement of metal ions for binding, and they showed excellent selectivity since no binding was observed with their nucleobases or nucleotides. This study has resulted three aptamers for pyrimidines, which can be employed in biosensors and DNA switches.

Selective Hemin Binding by a Non-G-quadruplex Aptamer with Higher Affinity and Better Peroxidase-like Activity.

Previous aptamers for porphyrins and metalloporphyrins were all guanine-rich sequences that can fold in G-quadruplex structures. Due to stacking-based binding, these aptamers can hardly tell different porphyrins apart, and they can also bind other planar molecules, hindering their practical applications. In this work, we used the capture selection method to obtain aptamers for hemin and protoporphyrin IX (PPIX). The hemin aptamer (Hem1) features two highly conserved repeating binding loops, and it cannot form a G-quadruplex, which was supported by its Mg2+ -dependent but K+ -independent hemin binding and CD spectroscopy. Isothermal titration calorimetry revealed much higher enthalpy change for the new aptamer, and the best aptamer showed a Kd of 43 nM hemin. Hem1 can also enhance the peroxidase-like activity of hemin. This work demonstrates that aptamers have alternative ways to bind porphyrins allowing selective recognition of different porphyrins.

Spatio-temporal distribution characteristics and influencing factors of protoporphyrin IX in the estuarine-coastal ecosystems.

Protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), a key precursor for the synthesis of chlorophyll and heme, is fundamental to photosynthetic eukaryotic cells and participates in light absorption, energy transduction, and numerous other cellular metabolic activities. Along with the application of genetic and biochemical techniques over the past few years, our understanding of the formation of PPIX has been largely advanced, especially regarding possible metabolic pathways. However, the ecological role and function of PPIX in natural ecosystems remains unclear. We have previously established a method for quantifying PPIX in marine ecosystems. Here, our results provide evidence that PPIX is not only subtly linked to nutrient uptake but also triggers phytoplankton productivity. PPIX and its derivatives are dynamic spatiotemporally in direct response to increased nutrient availability. Using 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, PPIX was revealed to interact strongly with many microorganisms, indicating that PPIX serves as a critical metabolite in maintaining microbial metabolism and community development. In summary, we observed that PPIX is linearly related to nutrient availability and microbial diversity. The levels of microbial PPIX reflect ecological health, and the availability of PPIX and nutrients jointly affect microbial community composition.

Capture-SELEX of DNA Aptamers for Sulforhodamine B and Fluorescein.

While many dye binding aptamers have been reported, most of them were for light-up aptamers that can significantly enhance the quantum yield of fluorophores. Sulforhodamine B (SRhB) was used as a target previously to select both DNA and RNA aptamers, and the DNA aptamer was a G-quadruplex that can bind to a number of rhodamine analogs. In addition, the previous selections were performed by immobilizing the target molecules. In this work, the library immobilization method was used to respectively select aptamers for SRhB and fluorescein. The SRhB aptamer has a non-G-quadruplex structure with a Kd of 1.0 µM measured from isothermal titration calorimetry. Upon titration of the aptamer, the fluorescence of SRhB increased 2.5-fold, and this aptamer does not require Mg2+ for binding. Rhodamine B has even tighter binding suggesting binding through the xanthene moiety of the dyes. No binding was detected for fluorescein. For the fluorescein selection, a dominant aptamer sequence with a Kd of 147 µM was obtained. This study provides two new aptamers for two important fluorophores that can be used to study aptamer-based separation, dye detection and catalysis. Comparison of these aptamers also provides insights into the effect of functional groups on aptamer binding.

Rapid Detection of Helicobacter pylori by the Naked Eye Using DNA Aptamers.

Helicobacter pylori was first isolated from gastritis patients by Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren in 1982, and more than 90% of duodenal ulcers and about 80% of gastric ulcers are caused by H. pylori infection. Most detection methods require sophisticated instruments and professional operators, making detection slow and expensive. Therefore, it is critical to develop a simple, fast, highly specific, and practical strategy for the detection of H. pylori. In this study, we used H. pylori as a target to select unique aptamers that can be used for the detection of H. pylori. In our study, we used random ssDNA as an initial library to screen nucleic acid aptamers for H. pylori. We used binding rate and the fluorescence intensity to identify candidate aptamers. One DNA aptamer, named HPA-2, was discovered through six rounds of positive selection and three rounds of negative selection, and it had the highest affinity constant of all aptamers tested (K d = 19.3 ± 3.2 nM). This aptamer could be used to detect H. pylori and showed no specificity for other bacteria. Moreover, we developed a new sensor to detect H. pylori with the naked eye for 5 min using illumination from a hand-held flashlight. Our study provides a framework for the development of other aptamer-based methods for the rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria.

Characterization and mechanism of the effects of Mg-Fe layered double hydroxide nanoparticles on a marine bacterium: new insights from genomic and transcriptional analyses.

BACKGROUND: Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have received widespread attention for their potential applications in catalysis, polymer nanocomposites, pharmaceuticals, and sensors. Here, the mechanism underlying the physiological effects of Mg-Fe layered double hydroxide nanoparticles on the marine bacterial species Arthrobacter oxidans KQ11 was investigated. RESULTS: Increased yields of marine dextranase (Aodex) were obtained by exposing A. oxidans KQ11 to Mg-Fe layered double hydroxide nanoparticles (Mg-Fe-LDH NPs). Furthermore, the potential effects of Mg-Fe-LDH NPs on bacterial growth and Aodex production were preliminarily investigated. A. oxidans KQ11 growth was not affected by exposure to the Mg-Fe-LDH NPs. In contrast, a U-shaped trend of Aodex production was observed after exposure to NPs at a concentration of 10 µg/L-100 mg/L, which was due to competition between Mg-Fe-LDH NP adsorption on Aodex and the promotion of Aodex expression by the NPs. The mechanism underling the effects of Mg-Fe-LDH NPs on A. oxidans KQ11 was investigated using a combination of physiological characterization, genomics, and transcriptomics. Exposure to 100 mg/L of Mg-Fe-LDH NPs led to NP adsorption onto Aodex, increased expression of Aodex, and generation of a new Shine-Dalgarno sequence (GGGAG) and sRNAs that both influenced the expression of Aodex. Moreover, the expressions of transcripts related to ferric iron metabolic functions were significantly influenced by treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide valuable information for further investigation of the A. oxidans KQ11 response to Mg-Fe-LDH NPs and will aid in achieving improved marine dextranase production, and even improve such activities in other marine microorganisms.

Selection of DNAzymes for Sensing Aquatic Bacteria: Vibrio Anguillarum.

Vibrio anguillarum is a bacterial pathogen that causes serious damage to aquatic fish, and its rapid detection and prevention are critical. DNAzymes are DNA-based catalysts with excellent stability. In this study, in vitro selection of DNAzymes was performed using the crude extracellular matrix (CEM) of V. Anguillarum as the target. Different from previous selections targeting bacterial CEM, this work used an unmodified DNA library, allowing easier adoption of the technology. After seven rounds of selection, a DNAzyme named VAE-2 with high activity and specificity was obtained. It showed the highest activity toward V. Anguillarum among eight types of tested bacterial strains. Polyvalent metal ions are needed for its activity. Protease treatment of the CEM and filtration studies indicated that the target is a protein with a molecular weight between 50 k and 100 k Da. A fluorescent biosensor was designed for V. anguillarum with a detection limit down to 4000 cfu/mL, and detection was demonstrated for real fish tissue and feeding water samples. Being the first work of DNAzyme-based sensing of aquatic bacteria, this study indicates that unmodified DNA can be used for targeting bacterial CEM, and it provides a new framework for developing other RNA-cleaving DNAzymes for rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria and water pollution.

Recognition of Helicobacter pylori by protein-targeting aptamers.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) is a disease-causing pathogen capable of surviving under acidic conditions of the human stomach. Almost half of the world's population is infected with H pylori, with gastric cancer being the most unsatisfactory prognosis. Although H pylori has been discovered 30 years ago, the effective treatment and elimination of H pylori continue to be problematic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our study, we screened nucleic acid aptamers using H pylori surface recombinant antigens as targets. Trypsin was used for separating aptamers that were bound to proteins. Following nine rounds of screening, we performed sequence similarity analyses to assess whether the aptamers can recognize the target protein. Two sequences with desirable recognition ability were selected for affinity detection. Aptamer Hp4 with the strongest binding ability to the H pylori surface recombinant antigen was chosen. After optimization of the binding conditions, we conducted specificity tests for Hp4 using Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrioanguillarum, and H pylori. RESULTS: The data indicated that the aptamer Hp4 had an equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd ) of 26.48 ± 5.72 nmol/L to the target protein. This aptamer was capable of exclusively detecting H pylori cells, without displaying any specificity for other bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: We obtained a high-affinity aptamer for H pylori, which is expected to serve as a new molecular probe for detection of H pylori.

Crystal Structure of GH49 Dextranase from Arthrobacter oxidans KQ11: Identification of Catalytic Base and Improvement of Thermostability Using Semirational Design Based on B-Factors.

The crystal structure of Dextranase from the marine bacterium Arthrobacter oxidans KQ11 (Aodex) was determined at a resolution of 1.4 Å. The crystal structure of the conserved Aodex fragment (Ala52-Thr638) consisted of an N-terminal domain N and a C-terminal domain C. The N-terminal domain N was identified as a ß-sandwich, connected to a right-handed parallel ß-helix at the C-terminus. Sequence comparisons, cavity regions, and key residues of the catalytic domain analysis all suggested that the Aodex was an inverting enzyme, and the catalytic acid and base were Asp439 and Asp420, respectively. Asp440 was not a general base in the Aodex catalytic domain, and Asp396 in Dex49A may not be a general base in the catalytic domain. The thermostability of the S357F mutant using semirational design based on B-factors was clearly better than that of wild-type Aodex. This process may promote the aromatic-aromatic interactions that increase the thermostability of mutant Phe357.

Identification of a highly specific DNA aptamer for Vibrio vulnificus using systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment coupled with asymmetric PCR.

Vibrio vulnificus is an important bacterial pathogen that causes serious infections in fish and is also highly pathogenic to humans. Many effective detection methods targeting this pathogen have previously been designed, but many of these methods are time-consuming, complicated and expensive. Thus, these approaches cannot be widely used by small aqacultural concerns. Although DNA aptamers have been used to detect pathogenic bacteria, these have not been applied to marine bacteria, including V. vulnificus. Therefore, we developed a highly specific DNA aptamer for V. vulnificus detection using systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), coupled with asymmetric PCR. After 13 rounds of cross-selection, we identified a novel DNA aptamer (Vapt2). We evaluated the affinity, specificity and limit of detection (LOD) of this aptamer for V. vulnificus. We found that Vapt2 had a high affinity for V. vulnificus (Kd  = 26.8 ± 5.3 nM) and detected this pathogen at a wide range of concentrations (8-2.0 × 108  cfu/ml). Vapt2 bound to V. vulnificus with high selectivity in the presence of other pathogenic bacteria. Our study increases our knowledge of the possible applications of aptamers with respect to marine bacteria. Moreover, our work might provide a framework for the rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria and water pollution.

Trypsin enhances aptamer screening: A novel method for targeting proteins.

A novel screening method for protein aptamer selection was developed in this study. Aptamers with high affinity and specificity to the surface recombinant antigen of Helicobacter pylori (HP-Ag) and to tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and cancer antigen 19-9(CA19-9) were screened using trypsin enhanced screening method. Briefly, the target proteins above were immobilized onto 96-well polystyrene plates and incubated with a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) library for aptamer selection. Then, trypsin was introduced to digest the proteins and obtain ssDNA that bound to the target proteins with high specificity. The concentration of ssDNA that shed from protein-ssDNA complexes was detected. After sequencing, the enrichment of target-specific aptamers was monitored and the affinity of each aptamer was analyzed. Urea, which has been reported in other article, was used to compare with trypsin. The results revealed that trypsin was more effective than urea for protein aptamer selection. The protocol used in this study provided a novel method for generating aptamers.

Research Progress on Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA)-Based Biomedical Sensing.

Enhancing the limit of detection (LOD) is significant for crucial diseases. Cancer development could take more than 10 years, from one mutant cell to a visible tumor. Early diagnosis facilitates more effective treatment and leads to higher survival rate for cancer patients. Rolling circle amplification (RCA) is a simple and efficient isothermal enzymatic process that utilizes nuclease to generate long single stranded DNA (ssDNA) or RNA. The functional nucleic acid unit (aptamer, DNAzyme) could be replicated hundreds of times in a short period, and a lower LOD could be achieved if those units are combined with an enzymatic reaction, Surface Plasmon Resonance, electrochemical, or fluorescence detection, and other different kinds of biosensor. Multifarious RCA-based platforms have been developed to detect a variety of targets including DNA, RNA, SNP, proteins, pathogens, cytokines, micromolecules, and diseased cells. In this review, improvements in using the RCA technique for medical biosensors and biomedical applications were summarized and future trends in related research fields described.

Reselection Yielding a Smaller and More Active Silver-Specific DNAzyme.

Ag10c is a recently reported RNA-cleaving DNAzyme obtained from in vitro selection. Its cleavage activity selectively requires Ag+ ions, and thus it has been used as a sensor for Ag+ detection. However, the previous selection yielded very limited information regarding its sequence requirement, since only ∼0.1% of the population in the final library were related to Ag10c and most other sequences were inactive. In this work, we performed a reselection by randomizing the 19 important nucleotides in Ag10c in such a way that a purine has an equal chance of being A or G, whereas a pyrimidine has an equal chance of being T or C. The round 3 library of the reselection was carefully analyzed and a statistic understanding of the relative importance of each nucleotide was obtained. At the same time, a more active mutant was identified, containing two mutated nucleotides. Further analysis indicated new base pairs leading to an enzyme with smaller catalytic loops but with ∼200% activity of the original Ag10c, and also excellent selectivity for Ag+. Therefore, a more active mutant of Ag10c was obtained and further truncations were successfully performed, which might be better candidates for developing new biosensors for silver. A deeper biochemical understanding was also obtained using this reselection method.

Acoustical study of classical Peking Opera singing.

Acoustic characteristics of classical opera singing differ considerably between the Western and the Chinese cultures. Singers in the classical Peking opera tradition specialize on one out of a limited number of standard roles. Audio and electroglottograph signals were recorded for four performers of the Old Man role and three performers of the Colorful Face role. Recordings were made of the singers' speech and when they sang recitatives and songs from their roles. Sound pressure level, fundamental frequency, and spectrum characteristics were analyzed. Histograms showing the distribution of fundamental frequency showed marked peaks for the songs, suggesting a scale tone structure. Some of the intervals between these peaks were similar to those used in Western music. Vibrato rate was about 3.5Hz, that is, considerably slower than in Western classical singing. Spectra of vibrato-free tones contained unbroken series of harmonic partials sometimes reaching up to 17 000Hz. Long-term-average spectrum (LTAS) curves showed no trace of a singer's formant cluster. However, the Colorful Face role singers' LTAS showed a marked peak near 3300Hz, somewhat similar to that found in Western pop music singers. The mean LTAS spectrum slope between 700 and 6000Hz decreased by about 0.2dB/octave per dB of equivalent sound level.

An automatic method to quantify the vibration properties of human vocal folds via videokymography.

The study offers an automatical quantitative method to obtain vibration properties of human vocal folds via videokymography. The presented method is based on image processing, which combines an active contour model with a genetic algorithm to improve detecting precision and processing speed, can accurately extract the vibration wave in videokymograms and quantify the vibration properties in terms of eight typical parameters automatically. To verify the precision of the proposed algorithm, an indirect simulation setup of vocal folds has been performed. The verification result shows that the relative error of the entire simulation system is less than 5%. Applying the method to analyzing hundreds of videokymograms from 12 subjects, the result indicates that the vibration characteristics of vocal folds can be recognized more exactly, and diseases of the vocal folds can be diagnosed quantitatively.