PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Xiong

Publications and source records attributed to G Xiong.

46 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytotoxin: the Asp197-Gly-Asp-Tyr-His-Tyr-His-Tyr202 containing loop is critical for plasma membrane binding.

The cytotoxin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pore-forming toxin that binds specifically to water channel-related molecules of the erythrocyte membrane. Here, we have defined a domain, Asp197-Gly-Asp-Tyr-His-Tyr202 of the cytotoxin, to be essential for receptor binding. Cytotoxin point mutants from the recombinant gene carrying substitutions in the domain were characterized in terms of inhibiting the binding of radioiodinated natural cytotoxin to rat erythrocyte and producing cytotoxic effects in human granulocytes. A synthetic peptide representing residues 191-211 of the cytotoxin acted as a competitive inhibitor at a concentration of 10(-5) M. In contrast, two other cytotoxin-specific peptides were inactive. Structure prediction of the binding sequence shows a loop structure with similarities to the sequence around His332 in Aeromonas aerolysin essential to receptor binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Studies on the deltamethrin-medicated bath of domestic dogs for interrupting visceral leishmaniasis transmission].

In a previous paper, it was reported that deltamethrin-medicated bath of domestic dogs had a strong killing effect against Ph. chinensis, and could also inhibit its blood sucking ability or cause its death shortly after blood sucking. The effect could last for 30 days to 114 days, and mostly for 2 months in the local area. Based on our previous study, three villages (Yongle, Yongfeng, Anle) and a town (Chengguan) were selected from the mountainous region with high incidence of visceral leishmaniasis in Nanping County, northern Sichuan for carrying out an extensive experiment of medicated bathing of domestic dogs, where there were 13 new infected cases in the year of 1991 before the experiment. During the sandfly season in 1992, two rounds of medicated bathing of dogs were conducted, the drug concentration used was 50 ppm. From September 1992 to August 1993, the number of new infected cases was 11 in the above mentioned three villages and a town. Another two rounds of medicated bathing of dogs had been conducted during the sandfly season in 1993. The results show that there was no new infection from September 1993 to October 1994 in the three villages and a town, indicating that through two years' consecutive extensive medicated bathing of dogs in the endemic areas, canine visceral leishmaniasis transmission had been significantly interrupted. The authors consider that in the mountainous region of southern Gansu and northern Sichuan where it has been difficult to treat dogs, it might be more practical to use deltamethrin bathing of dogs for interrupting the transmission of canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Animals↗

[Studies on the bionomics of Phlebotomus chinensis in mountain cave and its relation to control in northern Sichuan].

After a survey of the gonotrophic cycle of 5147 female Phlebotomus chinensis collected from the caves in the mountain area 1500 m above sea level in Nanping County, Sichuan Province where this sandfly was proved to be the typical predominant wild species living mostly in the wild cave at a very high density, a large cave was sprayed with alphamethrin at a dosage of 50 mg/m2 in July, 1993. As a result, the sandfly density dropped to zero spanning over a period of two peak seasons. The authors consider that the residual effect of alphamethrin as long enough to suppress sandfly density in the cave for at least two years, and stress that the spray is a favourable measure in all the year round in reducing the sandfly population density and preventing visceral leishmaniasis.

Animals↗

Pore-forming Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytotoxin.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa procytotoxin protein is processed C-terminally during bacterial autolysis to generate the active 29-kDa cytotoxin molecule. Binding to target cell membranes is dependent upon Cys23 and Cys215 and a domain flanked to Cys215. On rabbit erythrocytes, cytotoxin binds to a 28-kDa peptide of a glycoprotein, its N-terminus shows high homology to channel integral membrane protein CHIP28. At concentrations of more than 3 x 10(-9) M, cytotoxin increases plasma membrane permeability of most eucaryotic cells investigated. The role of cytotoxin in the formation of pores with a diameter of 2 nm on mammalian cells is discussed. The cytotoxin effects are coordinated with other pseudomonal products and the resultant concept of pathogenesis is presented.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Studies on the effect of deltamethrin bath treatment of hamsters infected with Leishmania donovani for interrupting kala-azar transmission].

Phlebotomus chinensis were fed respectively on two groups of Cricetulus barabensis infected with Leishmania donovani, of which one group had received deltamethrin bath and the other was not treated with insecticide bath. The results showed that all the sandflies in the former group died within 24 hours, while those in the latter group had a high survival rate. Among the 165 sandflies examined, 114 (69.1%) became infected. The promastigotes not only developed well in the midgut, but also invaded esophagus, pharynx and proboscis. In the control group, the mortality of sandflies in 24 hours was 5.1% (3/59). According to the data obtained in the present study, the authors consider that insecticide bath treatment of infected domestic dogs in endemic villages could be used for interrupting kala-azar transmission.

Animals↗

Nucleotide sequence of attP and cos sites of phage CTX and expression of cytotoxin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA158.

The gene for Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytotoxin (CTX) has been found to be part of a temperate phage with a total size of 35.5 kb. We have investigated several DNA fragments of this phage for CTX production. For phage integration, the phage genome cohesive (cos) ends covalently associate with host DNA of strain PA158. The cos ends and the CTX gene are found on a 3.4 kb EcoRI fragment B and are included in the 11 kb HindIII fragment A and the 8.5 kb BamHI fragment B of the phage DNA. The cos ends are 20 nucleotides long and are located at 338-357 nucleotides upstream of the CTX transcriptional initiation site. The phage attachment (attP) site is also present on the 3.4 kb EcoRI fragment B. The attP site consists of 34 bp and is located at 974-1007 nucleotides upstream of the CTX gene start site. Replication of the vegetative form of the phage is increased at 37 degrees C compared to that at 30 degrees C, while cytotoxin production in infected cells is similar at 30 degrees C and 37 degrees C. It can be concluded, therefore, that the integrated form of the CTX gene is responsible for CTX production. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed ten proteins in purified phage preparations; however, CTX could not be detected on Western blots using an enzyme-linked immunofluorescence assay.

Base Sequence↗

Site-directed mutagenesis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytotoxin for probing toxic activity.

The location of amino acids with direct influence on toxic activity in the pore-forming cytotoxin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was tested by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutant fragments obtained by the polymerase-chain reaction were subcloned into a cytotoxin gene-bearing plasmid to minimize the possibility of amplification error. Our data suggest an important role of cysteines for toxic activity of cytotoxin. Furthermore, domain-facilitating-binding to plasma membranes is located on the C-terminal side of Cys215.

Bacteriophages↗