Neiella holothuriorum sp. nov., isolated from the gut of a sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus.

A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, designated 126T, was isolated from the intestinal content of a sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus, in China. Strain 126T was found to grow optimally at 25-28 °C and pH 7.5-8.0 in marine 2216 E medium, with tolerance of 1-7% (w/v) NaCl. Strain 126T is motile by means of one to several polar flagella. The dominant fatty acids of strain 126T were identified as C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c (29.5%), C18:1 ω7c/C18:1 ω6c (19.8%) and C16:0 (16.7%). The respiratory quinone was found to be Q-8. The polar lipid profile was found to be mainly composed of phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The total length of the draft genome is approximately 4.2 × 106 bp, encoding 3655 genes and 3576 coding sequences. The G + C content of the genomic DNA is 48.0%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 126T belongs to the genus Neiella and is closely related to Neiella marina J221T (96.5%). Genomic comparisons of 126T to N. marina J221T revealed that they had similar genome size, G + C content and complement of clusters of orthologous groups. However, average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strains126T and N. marina J221T was 75.5% and 19.7%, which could distinguish the strains. On the basis of these phenotypic and genotypic data, strain 126T is concluded to represent a novel species, for which the name Neiella holothuriorum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 126T (= GDMCC 1.2530T = KCTC 82829T).

[The study of the secondary metabolites from fungus Paecilomyces sp].

OBJECTIVE: To get active secondary metabolites from the fungus Paecilomyces sp.. METHODS: The strain Paecilomyces sp. was further grown in solid-substrate fermentation cultures, the metabolites were got by application of different separation techniques, such as silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Their structures were identified by comprehensive spectroscopic methods. RESULTS: Four compounds were isolated and identified as Cerebroside C (1), Cerebroside D (2), 2-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol (3), 2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl) ethanol. CONCLUSION: Four compounds are isolated from Paecilomyces sp. for the first time.

[Study on the second metabolisms from fungus HS-1 Epicoccum spp. from the sea cucumber in Yellow Sea].

OBJECTIVE: To get active metabolites from the microbes associated with sea cucumber. METHODS: Fungus was isolated from the sea cucumber, and the species was identified by molecular biology, and then was cultivated in GYP medium, and the metabolites were got by chromatography. Their structures were identified by comprehensive spectroscopic methods. RESULTS: Fungus HS-1 Epicocum sp. was isolated from the sea cucumber in Weihai, Yellow Sea. Four compounds were got as 5-methyl-6-hydroxy-8-methyoxy-3-methylisochroman (1), 8-hydroxy-3-methylisochroman-1-one (2), peroxy-ergosterol (3) and succinic acid (4). CONCLUSION: Fungus HS-1 Epicocum spp. is first isolated from the sea cucumber sample, this research provides new idea for further development of sea cucumber.

[The secondary metabolites of the mangrove endophytic fungi ZZF13 and Guignardia sp. 4382 from the South China Sea].

OBJECTIVE: The secondary metabolites of the fungus ZZF13 isolated from the leaves of the mangrove sample Kandelia candel in Zhanjiang and Guignardia sp. 4382 isolated from bark of Kandelia candel (endophyte) of Mai Po, Hong Kong were studied. METHODS: The compounds were isolated by siliga gel, and their structures were identified by IR, MS and NMR. RESULTS: Four compounds were isolated from the culture of this strain. Their structures were identified as Bacillpsporin C (1), 5-carboxymellein (2), 5-methylmellein (3) and 1-(2,6-dihydroxyphenyl) butanone (4). CONCLUSION: The compounds 2 - 4 are isolated from the Guignardia sp. of Marine fungi for the first time.

Antioxidant activity of chito-oligosaccharides on pancreatic islet cells in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats.

AIM: To investigate the antioxidant activity of chito-oligosaccharides (COSs) on pancreatic islet cells in diabetic rats induced by streptozotocin. METHODS: The antioxidant effect of COSs on pancreatic islet cells was detected under optical microscopy and with colorimetric assay and gel electrophoresis. The activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity, and content of malondialdehyde in serum and tissue slices of pancreas were examined after 60 d to determine the effect of COSs in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats. RESULTS: COSs can prohibit the apoptosis of pancreatic islet cells. All concentrations of COSs can improve the capability of total antioxidant capacity and activity of superoxide dismutase and decrease the content of malondialdehyde drastically. Morphological investigation in the pancreas showed that COSs have resulted in the reduction of islets, loss of pancreatic cells, and nuclear pyknosis of pancreatic cells. CONCLUSION: COSs possess various biological activities and can be used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.