Berberine ameliorates CCl4­induced liver injury in rats through regulation of the Nrf2­Keap1­ARE and p53 signaling pathways.

Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid, reported to have multiple pharmacological functions. However, its effects against CCl4­induced oxidative damage remain poorly studied. Therefore, the present study investigated the protective action of BBR, and its antioxidant mechanisms, against CCl4­induced liver injury in rats. A total of 48 rats were randomly arranged into six groups: Control; model; positive control (PC); BBR low­dose (BL); BBR middle­dose (BM); and BBR high­dose (BH). The BL, BM and BH animals received BBR (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg by weight, respectively) orally for 7 consecutive days. Rats in the PC group were given silymarin (150 mg/kg), and the control and model groups were administered distilled water orally. At the end of the experiment, blood samples and livers were collected. To measure the liver biochemical indices, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the expression levels of related genes and protein, the following methods were used: An automatic biochemical analyzer; flow cytometry; spectrophotometry; reverse transcription­quantitative PCR; western blotting; and hematoxylin and eosin staining. The results revealed that BBR significantly decreased the serum levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase, and increased those of glutathione and superoxide dismutase, but decreased malondialdehyde activity in hepatic tissue, and significantly decreased the reactive oxygen species level in hepatocytes. In hepatic tissue, the expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2­related factor 2 (Nrf2), kelch­like ECH­associated protein 1 (Keap-1), NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO-1), heme oxygenase 1 (HO­1), Bcl­2 and Bcl­xL mRNA, and HO­1 protein were elevated, and the expression of p53 mRNA was decreased, particularly in the BH group (15 mg/kg). In conclusion, BBR exerts a protective action against CCl4­induced acute liver injury in rats via effectively regulating the expression of Nrf2­Keap1­antioxidant responsive element­related genes and proteins, and inhibiting p53 pathway­mediated hepatocyte apoptosis.

Roseomonas chloroacetimidivorans sp. nov., a chloroacetamide herbicide-degrading bacterium isolated from activated sludge.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, short rod-shaped, pink-pigmented, non-motile bacterium, designated BUT-13(T), was isolated from activated sludge of an herbicide-manufacturing wastewater treatment facility in Jiangsu province, China. Growth was observed at 0-5.5 % NaCl, pH 6.0-9.0 and 12-37 °C. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain BUT-13(T) is a member of the genus Roseomonas, and shows high sequence similarities to R. pecuniae N75(T) (98.0 %) and R. rosea 173-96(T) (97.5 %), and lower (<97 %) sequence similarities to all other Roseomonas species. Chemotaxonomic analysis revealed that strain BUT-13(T) possesses Q-10 as the predominant ubiquinone; summed feature 8 (C18:1 w7c and/or C18:1 w6c; 38.8 %), C18:0 (16.6 %), C16:0 (15.2 %), summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c and/or C16:1 ω7; 7.9 %) and C18:1 w9c (4.7 %) as the major fatty acids. The polar lipids were found to consist of two aminolipids, a glycolipid, a phospholipid, a phosphoglycolipid, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and diphosphatidylglycerol. Strain BUT-13(T) showed low DNA-DNA relatedness with R. pecuniae N75(T) (45.2 %) and R. rosea 173-96(T) (51.2 %). The DNA G+C content was determined to be 67.6 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization and chemotaxonomic analysis, as well as biochemical characteristics, strain BUT-13(T) can be clearly distinguished from all currently recognised Roseomonas species and should be classified as a novel species of the genus Roseomonas, for which the name Roseomonas chloroacetimidivorans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BUT-13(T) (CCTCC AB 2015299(T) = JCM 31050(T)).

[Effects of Trichoderma longbrachitum and Streptomyces jingyangensis combination on the growth and disease resistance of tobacco seedlings].

An agar plate antagonism experiment in combining with in vivo screening experiment was conducted to study the affinity and bacteriostasis spectrum of the combination of biocontrol agents Trichoderma longbrachitum and Streptomyces jingyangensis to Nicotiana tabacum seedlings, with the effects of each agent and their combination on the N. tabacum seedlings growth, induced resistance, and resistance to Phytophthora nicotianae analyzed. The two agents had no interactive inhibitory effect and showed higher affinity to N. tabacum, and the agents themselves as well as their metabolites had higher bacteriostasis activities and wider bacteriostasis spectrum to P. nicotiaonae, Pythium aphanidermatum, and Alternaria alternate in different habitats. The combination of the two agents affected the morphological characteristics of the seedlings underground and aboveground parts, promoted the growth of root, stem, and leaf, and increased the root volume, total surface area, length, and average diameter as well as the stem height and size and the leaf length, width, and biomass, with these promotion effects being superior than those of the single-agent treatment. The combination of the two agents also increased the activities of the defensive enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, and peroxidase in the seedlings root significantly, with the relative control efficiency against P. nicotianae reached 69.3%, as compared to the conventional treatment. This study showed that the combination of T. longbrachitum and S. jingyangensis was a compatible combination with higher affinity and efficiency. This combination showed a synergistic effect of the two agents in plant disease control and in promoting plant growth, being able to promote the tobacco seedlings growth and control the P. nicotianae effectively.

Enchanced levels of apolipoprotein M during HBV infection feedback suppresses HBV replication.

BACKGROUND: Chronic liver diseases can interfere with hepatic metabolism of lipoproteins, apolipoproteins. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major etiological agent causing acute and chronic liver diseases. Apolipoprotein M (ApoM) is a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) apolipoprotein and exclusively expressed in the liver parenchyma cells and in the tubular cells of the kidney. This study was to determine the correlation between HBV infection and ApoM expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum ApoM levels in patients with HBV infection and in healthy individuals were measured by ELISA, ApoM mRNA expression were determined by RT-PCR, and the expression of S and E proteins of HBV, as well as the synthesis of viral DNA were measured by ELISA and real-time PCR. RESULTS: The levels of serum ApoM was significantly elevated in patients as compared to healthy individuals (P < 0.001), ApoM promoter activity, mRNA and protein expression were all stimulated in cells transfected with infectious HBV clone. In addition, ApoM decreases the expression of S and E proteins of HBV and the synthesis of viral DNA. CONCLUSION: Raised ApoM levels in HBV infection may in turn suppress HBV replication, one of the protective mechanisms of nature.

Flavobacterium phragmitis sp. nov., an endophyte of reed (Phragmites australis).

A Gram-staining-negative bacterium, designated strain BLN2(T), was isolated from within the roots of reeds (Phragmites australis) in Beijing Cuihu Wetland (China) and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The cells were yellow-pigmented, rod-shaped, strictly aerobic and devoid of flagella, but showed gliding motility. Strain BLN2(T) produced yellow, translucent, circular and convex colonies, with optimal growth at 30 °C and pH 7.0. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone 6 (MK-6) and the predominant fatty acids were iso-C(15 : 0), summed feature 3 (comprising C(16 : 1)ω7c and/or C(16 : 1)ω6c), C(16 : 0) 3-OH, C(16 : 0,) iso-C(17 : 0) 3-OH and iso-C(15 : 0) 3-OH. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 34.8 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain BLN2(T) belonged to the genus Flavobacterium and was most closely related to Flavobacterium anhuiense CGMCC 1.6859(T) (97.0 % sequence similarity). The DNA-DNA relatedness between strain BLN2(T) and F. anhuiense CGMCC 1.6859(T) was 25.7 %. Based on the phenotypic data and phylogenetic inference presented, it is concluded that strain BLN2(T) represents a novel species within the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium phragmitis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BLN2(T) ( = DSM 23314(T) = CGMCC 1.10370(T)).

Mesorhizobium gobiense sp. nov. and Mesorhizobium tarimense sp. nov., isolated from wild legumes growing in desert soils of Xinjiang, China.

Twenty-four Mesorhizobium strains were isolated from desert soils in the Xinjiang region of China and were characterized by a polyphasic approach. These strains grouped into three clusters in IGS-RFLP, SDS-PAGE analysis of whole-cell proteins and BOX-PCR analysis, corresponding to genomic species V, VI and VII as found in a previous study. The results were supported by sequencing analyses of rrs, IGS, atpD and recA genes. Genospecies VII was most related to Mesorhizobium septentrionale, while genospecies V and VI were both most closely related to Mesorhizobium tianshanense, but were distinct from each other and from M. tianshanense. The DNA-DNA hybridization value between the representative strain CCBAU 83284 (genospecies VII) and the type strain of M. septentrionale was 90.1 %. Genospecies VII was thus defined as M. septentrionale. The DNA-DNA relatedness value for representative strains of genospecies V or VI with the related reference strains of recognized species were always lower than 60 %. Low values of DNA-DNA hybridization (32.79 %) between representative strains of genospecies V (CCBAU 83330(T)) and of VI (CCBAU 83306(T)) were also observed. Based upon these results, two novel species are proposed: Mesorhizobium gobiense sp. nov. represented by genospecies V (type strain, CCBAU 83330(T)=LMG 23949(T)=HAMBI 2974(T)) and Mesorhizobium tarimense sp. nov. represented by genospecies VI (type strain, CCBAU 83306(T)=LMG 24338(T)=HAMBI 2973(T)). Strain CCBAU 83278 grouped as the most peripheral member with genospecies VI in SDS-PAGE of whole-cell proteins and BOX-PCR analysis and in the phylogenetic tree of 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer (IGS) sequences. The results of analyses of rrs, atpD and recA gene sequences, as well as those of DNA-DNA hybridization studies, strongly supported the suggestion that this strain belonged to a species quite different from genospecies V and VI and from any other recognized species of the genus Mesorhizobium. As only one strain has been isolated to date, strain CCBAU 83278 was not proposed as a novel species in this study. Mesorhizobium gobiense sp. nov. and Mesorhizobium tarimense sp. nov. could be differentiated from each other as well as from recognized species of the genus Mesorhizobium on the basis of phenotypic characteristics. The symbiotic loci (nodC and nifH) of the two novel species formed two phylogenetic branches related to Mesorhizobium loti and M. tianshanense. The type strains of the two novel species were able to nodulate Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Lotus corniculatus, Oxytropis glabra and Robinia pseudoacacia but not Astragalus membranaceus, Leucaena leucocephala, Phaseolus vulgaris, Pisum sativum or Medicago sativa.