Neoantimycins A and B, Two Unusual Benzamido Nine-Membered Dilactones from Marine-Derived Streptomyces antibioticus H12-15.

An actinomycete strain (H12-15) isolated from a sea sediment in a mangrove district was identified as Streptomycesantibioticus on the basis of 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis as well as the investigation of its morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics. Two novel benzamido nonacyclic dilactones, namely neoantimycins A (1) and B (2), together with the known antimycins A1ab (3a,b), A2a (4), and A9 (5), were isolated from the culture broth of this strain. Compounds 1 and 2 are the first natural modified ATNs with an unusual benzamide unit. The structures of these new compounds, including their absolute configuration, were established on the basis of HRMS, NMR spectroscopic data, and quantum chemical ECD calculations. Their cytotoxicities against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7, the human glioblastoma cell line SF-268, and the human lung cancer cell line NCI-H460 were also tested. All compounds exhibited mild cytotoxic activity. However, Compounds 1 and 2 showed no activity against C. albicans at the test concentration of 1 mg/mL via paper disc diffusion, while the known antimycins showed obvious antifungal activity.

Kitamycin C, a new antimycin-type antibiotic from Streptomyces antibioticus strain 200-09.

An actinomycete strain 200-09, isolated from a soil sample collected from the coast of Hawaii, USA, was identified as Streptomyces antibioticus on the basis of its morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics as well as 16S rDNA analysis. A new antimycin-type antibiotic, kitamycin C (1), together with kitamycin A (2), kitamycin B (3), urauchmycin B (4), deisovaleryblastomycin (5) was isolated from a cultured broth of strain 200-09. The structure of the new compound was determined by spectroscopic data, including HR-ESI-MS and NMR. All the compounds exhibited antifungal activities against Candida albicans with MIC of about 25.0 µg mL-1.

Genome Sequence of the Banana Pathogen Dickeya zeae Strain MS1, Which Causes Bacterial Soft Rot.

We report a draft genome sequence of Dickeya zeae strain MS1, which is the causative agent of banana soft rot in China, and we show several of its specific properties compared with those of other D. zeae strains. Genome sequencing provides a tool for understanding the genomic determination of the pathogenicity and phylogeny placement of this pathogen.

Analysis of risk factors for polypoid lesions of gallbladder among health examinees.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of polypoid lesions of gallbladder (PLG) among the health examinees in the Shanghai region, China. METHODS: A total of 11,816 subjects who underwent health examinations in our hospital between August 2010 and February 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, there were 7174 men and 4642 women. PLG was diagnosed by the real-time ultrasonography. Those with the body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 were considered to be obese. Blood biochemical indices were detected with the fully automatic biochemical analyzer and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was tested by the automated enzyme immunoassay. The correlations between the prevalence of PLG and age, sex, BMI, serum cholesterol (T-Cho), triglycerides (TG), blood sugar, HBsAg, high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), gallstone and fatty liver were investigated. After univariate analysis of 11 variables, stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the risk factors of PLG. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in sex, T-Cho, HBsAg, HDL-C, LDL-C and fatty liver between the PLG-positive group and the PLG-negative group (332/163 vs 6842/4479, P = 0.003; 22/473 vs 295/11,026, P =0.013; 92/403 vs 993/10,328, P = 0.001; 47/448 vs 332/10,989, P = 0.001; 32/463 vs 381/10,940, P = 0.001; 83/412 vs 3260/8061, P = 0.001). No significant difference was found in the age, BMI, TG, blood sugar and gallstone between the two groups (47.3 ± 26 vs 45.1 ± 33, P = 0.173; 59/436 vs 1097/10,224, P = 0.102; 52/443 vs 982/10,339, P = 0.158; 17/478 vs 295/11,026, P = 0.26; 24/471 vs 395/10,926, P = 0.109). Logistic regression analysis showed that the sex, HBsAg and HDL-C were independent risk factors for the development of PLG in a descending order of HDL-C > HBsAg > sex. CONCLUSION: In healthy people, the male gender, positive HBsAg, and low HDL-C confer higher risks of PLG development.