OBJECTIVES: The emergence of resistant bacteria is being increasingly reported around the world, potentially threatening millions of lives. Amongst resistant bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most challenging to treat. This is due to emergent MRSA strains and less effective traditional antibiotic therapies to Staphylococcal infections. The use of bacteriophages (phages) against MRSA is a new, potential alternate therapy. In this study, morphology, genetic and protein structure of lytic phages against MRSA have been analysed. METHODS: Isolation of livestock and sewage bacteriophages were performed using 0.4 μm membrane filters. Plaque assays were used to determine phage quantification by double layer agar method. Pure plaques were then amplified for further characterization. Sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and random amplification of polymorphic DNA were run for protein evaluation, and genotyping respectively. Transmission electron microscope was also used to detect the structure and taxonomic classification of phage visually. RESULTS: Head and tail morphology of bacteriophages against MRSA were identified by transmission electron microscopy and assigned to the Siphoviridae family and the Caudovirales order. CONCLUSION: Bacteriophages are the most abundant microorganism on Earth and coexist with the bacterial population. They can destroy bacterial cells successfully and effectively. They cannot enter mammalian cells which saves the eukaryotic cells from lytic phage activity. In conclusion, phage therapy may have many potential applications in microbiology and human medicine with no side effect on eukaryotic cells.
Agar ; Bacteria ; Bacteriophages ; Caudovirales ; Classification ; DNA ; Electrophoresis ; Eukaryotic Cells ; Head ; Humans ; Livestock ; Membranes ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Methods ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Sewage ; Siphoviridae ; Staphylococcal Infections ; Tail

Staphylococcal nuclease A (SNA) may be used to produce bacterial ghosts for further inactivation of host bacteria and elimination of residual genetic materials. It is still controversial if SNA without signal peptide can be secreted to extracellular matrix and if fusion with other peptide is required for its function in the cytoplasm of host bacteria. To clarify this dispute, a series of temperature-inducible plasmids carrying SNA alone or SNA fused with partial sequences of λ phage cro gene (cSNA) or Mycobacterium tuberculosis urease gene (uSNA) were constructed and evaluated in Escherichia coli. Results show that the percentages of inactivated E. coli by SNA, cSNA and uSNA after 4 h of induction were 99.9%, 99.8% and 74.2%, respectively. Moreover, SNA and cSNA in the cytoplasm of host bacteria were initially detectable after 30 min of induction, whereas uSNA was after 1 h. In comparison, SNA and cSNA in culture supernatant were initially detectable 1 h later, whereas uSNA was 2 h later. The nuclease activity in the cytoplasm or supernatant was ranked as follows: SNA > cSNA > uSNA, and the activity in the supernatant was significantly lower than that in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, host genomic DNA was degraded by SNA or cSNA after 2 h of induction but not by uSNA even throughout the whole experiment. In conclusion, this study indicates that SNA, cSNA and uSNA expressed in host bacteria all have nuclease activity, the enzymes can be released to culture media, and fusion with exogenous peptide negatively reduces the nuclease activity of SNA.
Bacteriolysis ; Bacteriophage lambda ; DNA ; chemistry ; Escherichia coli ; Genetic Vectors ; Micrococcal Nuclease ; chemistry ; Plasmids ; Protein Sorting Signals

To achieve efficient and stable expression of heterologous exogenetic protein or antigen in E. coli chromosome, the luciferase report gene was knocked in lacZ site of chromosome lac operon by using Red recombination system and selection-counterselection kan/sacB technology. The quantitative analysis of exogenous gene expression indicated that the target gene could be efficiently expressed at lacZ site of lac operon. The results confirmed the efficient screening and stable expression of heterologous protein or antigen on chromosome by using the recombinant engineering technique. This study demonstrated that the chromosome could be used as a vector for heterologous protein or antigen and the stable expression of exogenous gene on E. coli chromosome had no side effect on the bacterial growth and propagation.
Bacteriophage lambda ; genetics ; Chromosomes, Bacterial ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Knock-In Techniques ; methods ; Genes, Reporter ; genetics ; Lac Operon ; genetics ; Luciferases ; genetics ; Recombination, Genetic ; genetics

A new neo/E counterselection technique was set up using Red recombination, which could be used in constructing recombinant plasmid. Firstly, linear targeting cassettes were amplified by PCR; secondly, two steps of homology recombination occurred in vivo: (1) The neo/E counterselection targeting cassette, consisting of a unique endonuclease recognition site and an antibiotic resistance gene, was introduced into the targeted region. (2) The neo/E cassette was replaced in the second round of recombination by another linear targeting cassettes DNA fragment carrying the targeted gene. For selecting a correct recombinant plasmid from the mixture of nonrecombinant and recombinant clones, the unique endonuclease recognition site in the nonrecombinant clones was cut by endonuclease and then transformed into the E. coli competent cells, up to 20% correct recombinants were yielded. A recombinant plasmid of pGL3-Basic PC1900T was successfully constructed in this way. Application of this technique offers a new and highly efficient way for recombinant plasmids construction.
Bacteriophage lambda ; genetics ; DNA, Recombinant ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Genetic Engineering ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Rec A Recombinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics

pBR322-Red is a newly constructed recombineering plasmid, which contains a part of the pBR322 vector, a series of regulatory elements of lambda-prophage and Red recombination genes. In the beginning, we studied the best working conditions of pBR322-Red, and then modified lac operon in E. coli W3110 chromosome using the plasmid as follow: Firstly, we knockout the lacI gene using Red-mediated recombineering with overlapping single stranded DNA oligonucleotides. Secondly, we substituded the lacA and lacY genes with lacZ, a report gene, by Red-mediated linearized double strands DNA homologous recombination. Finally, we detected the expression of lacZ on these loci for the first time. The results suggested that pBR322-Red system is suitable for modifying W3110 chromosome with various recombination strategies.
Bacteriophage lambda ; genetics ; Chromosomes, Bacterial ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Gene Knock-In Techniques ; methods ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; methods ; Humans ; Lac Operon ; genetics ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Recombination, Genetic

The study of human new gene's function has become an increasingly active academic field basically relying on the gene knockout (KO) mouse. The construction of targeting vector economically and efficiently has turned into the key step to acquire a KO mouse because of the low efficiency of recombination with traditional constructed targeting vector. For study of the function of new gene-Resp18, we brought in a new DNA engineering platform-Red/ET recombination to construct Resp18 targeting vector. Red/ET recombineering differs from the conventional ways of vector construction (e.g., PCR, restriction enzyme digestion and ligation) and achieves genetic modification by acquisition, insertion, fusion or replacement of the target gene through small fragments mediated homologous recombination. Now Resp18 targeting vectors of three strategies were yielded successfully through two homologous recombination processes of retrieve and neo-targeting. Red/ET recombination has the advantage of getting longer homology regions without mutation, which makes it a new and reliable alternative to the construction of a targeting vector today.
Bacteriophage lambda ; genetics ; Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial ; genetics ; Gene Targeting ; methods ; Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Viral Proteins ; genetics

Hydantoinase can be widely used in enzymic production of various amino acids. In order to obtain the hydantoinase genes in Arthrobacter BT801, its chromatosomal DNA is isolated and partialy digested with Sau3A I to collect fragments of about 30kb. Then, this fragment is inserted into the Hpa I and Pst I site of cosmid pKC505. The genomic library was thus constructed by packing in vitro with lambda phage package protein and transfecting E. coli DH5alpha. A positive transformant was selected from the library using thin layer chromatography and other methods. A DNA fragment containing complete hydantoinase genes was sequenced by sub-cloning into pUC18. The gene can express active protein under control of its own promoter and T5 promoter in E. coli. The isolation of the gene established foundition for research and application of the hydantoinase.
Amidohydrolases ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Arthrobacter ; genetics ; Bacteriophage lambda ; genetics ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Cloning, Molecular ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Library ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics

Red/ET recombination, a powerful homologous recombination system based on the Red operon of lambda phage or RecE/ RecT from Rac phage, provides an innovative approach for DNA engineering. Deletion, insertion and mutation can be quickly and precisely performed on the target gene mediated by Red/ET recombination with PCR derived DNA fragments or oligonucleotides. This technical platform has extensive applications in biomedical field including bacterial artificial chromosome modification, gene knock-out construction and genetic modification of E. coli strains as well as some other kinds of microorganisms. Recently, Red/ET recombination was improved in several aspects so that it becomes more powerful and maneuverable. The characteristic and development of Red/ET recombination and its biomedical applications were described in this review.
Bacteriophage lambda ; genetics ; DNA, Recombinant ; genetics ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli Proteins ; genetics ; Exodeoxyribonucleases ; genetics ; Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Rec A Recombinases ; genetics ; Recombination, Genetic ; genetics

Bacterial ghost is intact envelope of Gram-negative bacteria, which is produced by the function of the lysis gene E from bacteriophage PhiX174. The expression of the lysis gene E is usually controlled by the thermosensitive lambdapL/pR-cI857 promoter. In this study, we described a mutation (T --> C) at the ninth nucleotide of the OR2 in the lambdapR promoter of the lambdapL/pR-cI857 system by overlap PCR. The bacteriolytic assay showed that the mutation in the lambdapL/pR-cI857 system enhanced the temperature of repressing the expression of gene E up to 37 degrees C. The lysis efficiency of altered lambdapR promoter in Escherichia coli DH5a and avian pathogenic E. coli DE17 was up to 99.9%. The expanded range of temperature will benefit for the production of bacterial ghost.
Bacteriolysis ; physiology ; Bacteriophage lambda ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Cell Membrane ; physiology ; DNA, Bacterial ; analysis ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; growth & development ; physiology ; virology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Viral Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

BmNPV bacmid constructed recently and Red recombinant system were used to rapidly disrupted Bombyx monri nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) orf60 in Escherichia coli (E. coli) BW25113. BmNPV bacmid isolated from E. coli BmDH10Bac was electroporated into E. coli BW25113, which harbors plasmid pKD46 encoding lamda Red recombinase,to produce E. coli BW25113-Bac, which could be used for gene deletion of BmNPV. A linear fragment was amplified by PCR from plasmid pKD3 (containing a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene cat) using a pair of primers with length of 63bp,which had 45 bp homologous to the orf60 gene and 18bp homologous to cat sequences. The linear fragment was electroporated into E. coli BW25113-Bac and homologous recombination occurred between the linear fragment and orf60 with the help of lamda Red recombinase. Three specific primer pairs were used to confirm the replacement of orf60 by cat gene. Western blot analysis showed that orf60 was not expressed in BmN cells infected with knockout bacmid.
Animals ; Bacteriophage lambda ; enzymology ; genetics ; Bombyx ; virology ; Electroporation ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Genes, Viral ; genetics ; Nucleopolyhedrovirus ; enzymology ; genetics ; Open Reading Frames ; genetics ; physiology ; Recombinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Viral Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism