Multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes (MMPs) are a group of aggregates composed of 7-45 gram-negative cells synthesizing intracellular magnetic crystals. Although they are thought to be globally distributed, MMPs ...Multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes (MMPs) are a group of aggregates composed of 7-45 gram-negative cells synthesizing intracellular magnetic crystals. Although they are thought to be globally distributed, MMPs have been observed only in marine environments in America and Europe. Most MMPs share a rosette-like morphology and biomineralize iron sulfide crystals. In the present study, abundant MMPs were observed, with a density of 26 ind./cm^3, in the sediments of a coastal lagoon, Lake Yuehu, in the Yellow Sea. Optical microscopy showed that all of them were rosette shaped with a diameter of 5.5±0.8 μm. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that these MMPs were composed of 10- 16 ovoid cells and flagellated peritrichously. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis indicated that they biomineralized bullet-shaped magnetite crystals in highly organized parallel chains within which the magnetosomes were oriented in the same direction. This is the first report of MMPs from Asia and demonstrates the ubiquitous distribution of MMPs.展开更多
Translation factor SelB is the key component for the specific decoding of UGA codons with selenocysteine at the ribosome. SelB binds selenocysteyl-tRNASec, guanine nucleotides and a secondary structure of the selenopr...Translation factor SelB is the key component for the specific decoding of UGA codons with selenocysteine at the ribosome. SelB binds selenocysteyl-tRNASec, guanine nucleotides and a secondary structure of the selenoprotein mRNA following the UGA at the 3' side. A comparison of the amino acid sequences of SelB species from E. coli,Desulfomicrobium baculatum, Clostridium thermoaceticum and Haemophilus influenzae showed that the proteins consist of at least four structural domains from which the Nterminal three are well conserved and share homology with elongation factor Tu whereas the C-terminal one is more variable and displays no similarity to any protein known. With the aid of the coordinates of EF-Tu the N-terminal part has been modelled into a 3D structure which exhibits intriguing features concerning its interaction with guanine nucleotides and other components of the translational apparatus. Cloning and expression of fragments of SelB and biochemical analysis of the purified truncated proteins showed that the C-terminal 19 kDa protein fragment is able to specifically bind to the selenoprotein mRNA. SelB, thus, is a translation factor functionally homologous to EF-Tu hooked up to the mRNA with its C-terminal end. The formation by SelB of a quaternary complex in vivo has been proven by overexpression of truncated genes of SelB and by demonstration that fragments comprising the mRNA or the tRNA binding domain inhibit selenocysteine insertion展开更多
Many investigations suggest that dissimilatory arsenate-respiring prokaryotes(DARPs)play a key role in stimulating reductive mobilization of As from solid phase into groundwater,but it is not clear how environmental ...Many investigations suggest that dissimilatory arsenate-respiring prokaryotes(DARPs)play a key role in stimulating reductive mobilization of As from solid phase into groundwater,but it is not clear how environmental Mn(Ⅱ)affects the DARPs-mediated reductive mobilization of arsenic.To resolve this issue,we collected soil samples from a realgar tailingsaffected area.We found that there were diverse arsenate-respiratory reductase(arr)genes in the soils.The microbial communities had high arsenate-respiring activity,and were able to efficiently stimulate the reductive mobilization of As.Compared to the microcosms without Mn(Ⅱ),addition of 10 mmol/L Mn(Ⅱ)to the microcosms led to 23.99%-251.79%increases in the microbial mobilization of As,and led to 133.3%-239.2%increases in the abundances of arr genes.We further isolated a new cultivable DARP,Bacillus sp.F11,from the arseniccontaminated soils.It completely reduced 1 mmol/L As(V)in 5 days under the optimal reaction conditions.We further found that it was able to efficiently catalyze the reductive mobilization and release of As from the solid phase;the addition of 2 mmol/L Mn(Ⅱ)led to 98.49%-248.78%increases in the F11 cells-mediated reductive mobilization of As,and70.6%-104.4%increases in the arr gene abundances.These data suggest that environmental Mn(Ⅱ)markedly increased the DARPs-mediated reductive mobilization of As in arseniccontaminated soils.This work provided a new insight into the close association between the biogeochemical cycles of arsenic and manganese.展开更多
High-density tiling arrays provide closer view of transcription than regular microarrays and can also be used for annotating functional elements in genomes. The identified transcripts usually have a complex overlappin...High-density tiling arrays provide closer view of transcription than regular microarrays and can also be used for annotating functional elements in genomes. The identified transcripts usually have a complex overlapping architecture when compared to the existing genome annotation. Therefore, there is a need for customized tiling array data analysis tools. Since most of the initial tiling arrays were conducted in eukaryotes, data analysis methods are well suited for eukaryofic genomes. For using whole-genome tiling arrays to identify previously unknown transcriptional elements like small RNA and antisense RNA in prokaryotes, existing data analysis tools need to be tailored for prokaryotic genome architecture. Furthermore, automation of such custom data analysis workflow is necessary for biologists to apply this powerful platform for knowledge discovery. Here we describe TAAPP, a web-based package that consists of two modules for prokaryotic tiling array data analysis. The transcript generation module works on normalized data to generate transcriptionally active regions (TARs). The feature extraction and annotation module then maps TARs to existing genome annotation. This module further categorizes the transcription profile into potential novel non-coding RNA, antisense RNA, gene expression and operon structures. The implemented workflow is microarray platform independent and is presented as a web-based service. The web interface is freely available for acedemic use at http://lims.lshi.mafes.msstate.edu/TAAPP-HTML/.展开更多
Prokaryotes play a fundamental role in global ocean biogeochemical cycles.However,how the abundance and metabolic activity of ecologically distinct subgroups(i.e.,high nucleic acid(HNA)and low nucleic acid(LNA)cells),...Prokaryotes play a fundamental role in global ocean biogeochemical cycles.However,how the abundance and metabolic activity of ecologically distinct subgroups(i.e.,high nucleic acid(HNA)and low nucleic acid(LNA)cells),and their regulating factors,change in response to changing marine environmental conditions remains poorly understood.Here,we delved into the time-evolving dynamic responses of the HNA and LNA prokaryotic subgroups to declining resource availability and selective grazing by protozoa by conducting a 73-day incubation experiment in a large-volume(117,000 L)macrocosm that facilitates community-level exploration.We found that the metabolic activity of the HNA subgroup was higher than that of the LNA subgroup when the macrocosm was resource replete but that the HNA subgroup declined more rapidly than the LNA subgroup as the resources became increasingly scarce,leading to a steadily increasing contribution of LNA cells to prokaryotic activity.Meanwhile,as resources in the macrocosm became limited,protozoan grazing preference shifted from the HNA to the LNA subgroup and the contributions of the LNA subgroup to the carbon flow within the macrocosm increased.The findings highlight the resilience of LNA cells in resource-limited environments,illuminate the critical role of selective grazing by protozoa in balancing distinct prokaryotic subgroups under changing resource conditions,and demonstrate the complex and adaptive interactions between protozoa and prokaryotes across diverse environmental contexts.展开更多
Ulva prolifera green tides are becoming aworldwide environmental problem,especially in the Yellow Sea,China.However,the effects of the occurrence of U.prolifera green tides on the community organization and stability ...Ulva prolifera green tides are becoming aworldwide environmental problem,especially in the Yellow Sea,China.However,the effects of the occurrence of U.prolifera green tides on the community organization and stability of surrounding microbiomes have still not been de-termined.Here,the prokaryotic microbial community network stability and assembly char-acteristics were systematically analyzed and compared between the green tide and non-green tide periods.U.prolifera blooms weaken the community complexity and robustness of surrounding microbiomes,increasing fragmentation and decreasing diversity.Bacteria and archaea exhibited distinct community distributions and assembly patterns under the influ-ence of green tides,and bacterial communities were more sensitive to outbreaks of green tides.The bacterial communities exhibited a greater niche breadth and a lower phyloge-netic distance during the occurrence of U.prolifera green tides compared to those during the non-green tide period while archaeal communities remained unchanged,suggesting that the bacterial communities underwent stronger homogeneous selection and more sensitive to green tide blooms than the archaeal communities.Piecewise structural equation model analysis revealed that the different responses of major prokaryotic microbial groups,such as Cyanobacteria,to environmental variables during green tides,were influenced by the variations in pH and nitrate during green tides and correlated with the salinity gradient during the non-green tide period.This study elucidates the response of the adaptability,associations,and stability of surrounding microbiomes to outbreaks of U.prolifera green tides.展开更多
[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the prokaryotic expression of pseudomonas aeruginosa Lipase gene.[Method]Lipase gene was amplified by PCR from the genome DNA of pseudomonas aeruginosa,and its nucl...[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the prokaryotic expression of pseudomonas aeruginosa Lipase gene.[Method]Lipase gene was amplified by PCR from the genome DNA of pseudomonas aeruginosa,and its nucleotide sequence was determined.The prokaryotic expression vector of Lipase gene was constructed by the gene recombination technique.The protein expression was induced for 4 hours by IPTG with the final concentration of 1.0 mmol/L,and then SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was analyzed.[Result]The sequence of mature peptides in Lipase gene cloned from pseudomonas aeruginosa had a 99.36% homology with that of pseudomonas aeruginosa lipase submitted in NCBI,so the prokaryotic expression vector of Lipase gene pET32a-Lip was successfully constructed.Furthermore,the results of SDS-PAGE electrophoresis showed that the target gene was expressed highly and effectively.[Conclusion]The cloned pseudomonas aeruginosa lipase with its signal peptide could be normally expressed in E.coli and also used for further study.展开更多
[Objective] The study aimed to clone the FnBP ligand binding gene of Staphylococcus aureus and run prokaryotic expression by constructing a prokaryotic expression vector. [Method] The gene encoding FnBP ligand binding...[Objective] The study aimed to clone the FnBP ligand binding gene of Staphylococcus aureus and run prokaryotic expression by constructing a prokaryotic expression vector. [Method] The gene encoding FnBP ligand binding gene was amplified from S.aureus chromosomal DNA by PCR technique. After T-A cloning, plasmid pMD18- FnBP was constructed. pMD18- FnBP and pET28a(+)were digested by BamH Ⅰ and EcoR Ⅰ double enzymes, then the purified FnBP ligand binding gene was subcloned into the expression vector pET28a(+), and the prokaryotic expression vector pET28a-FnBP was thus constructed. The constructed plasmid pET28a-FnBP was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) competent cells. The bacterium was induced by IPTG and the expressed products were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. [Result] The gene fragment with the length of 370 bp was amplified by PCR approach. One approximately 30 kD exogenous protein was observed in SDS-PAGE analysis. Western blot analysis indicates the protein has antigenicity of S.aureus. [Conclusion] The FnBP ligand binding gene of S.aureus was successfully cloned and expressed in prokaryotic cells.展开更多
A full-length sequence coding for △^12 fatty acid desaturase gene from peanut(Arachis hypogaea L.)was cloned into the expression vector, pRSETB, to generate recombinant plasmid pRSET/HO-A, which was subsequently tr...A full-length sequence coding for △^12 fatty acid desaturase gene from peanut(Arachis hypogaea L.)was cloned into the expression vector, pRSETB, to generate recombinant plasmid pRSET/HO-A, which was subsequently transformed into expression Escherichia. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS. The △^12 fatty acid desaturase was highly expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS in the presence of isopropyl-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The fusion protein was purified and used to form a reaction system in vitro by adding oleic acid as substrate and incubating it at 20℃ for 6 h. Total fatty acids was extracted and methlesterified and then analyzed with gas chromatography. A novel peak corresponding to linoleic acid methyl ester standards was detected with the same retention time. GC-MS (gas chromatogram and gas chromatogram-mass spectrometry) analysis showed that the novel peak was linoleic acid methyl ester. These results exhibited △^12 fatty acid desaturase activity, which could convert oleic acid to linoleic acid specifically.展开更多
Objective: To characterize the expression of ST13 protein in human tissuesfor investigation of the function of colorectal cancer related gene ST13. Methods: ST13 ORF wascloned and over-expressed in E.coli. The recombi...Objective: To characterize the expression of ST13 protein in human tissuesfor investigation of the function of colorectal cancer related gene ST13. Methods: ST13 ORF wascloned and over-expressed in E.coli. The recombinant ST13 protein was purified by affinitychromatography. ST13 monoclonal antibodies were generated and affinity purified with the recombinantprotein. Immunoblot and immunohistochemical staining were employed to analyze ST13 proteinexpression in human tissues. Results: The expression and purification of the recombinant ST13protein were confirmed by SDS-PAGE. The protein yield reached about 2.5 mg/L of induced bacterialculture with a purity of 91.3%. Three strains of hybridoma were obtained with antibody titers from10~4 to 10~5 in ascites fluids and with high specificity for ST13 protein. Immunoblot showed thatthe apparent Mr of ST13 protein in SW480 cells and human tissues estimated by SDS-PAGE mobility wasapproximately 50 000, which was about 10 000 larger than the 41 324 calculated, but theglycosylation of the protein was excluded. Computer modeling revealed the protein to be ahydrophilic molecule. Immunohistochemical staining showed that ST13 protein was evenly distributedin cytoplasm and expressed in colon, stomach, liver, and other epithelial cells. Differences in thestaining intensity of the protein were observed between normal and cancer tissues as well as amongdifferent normal or carcinoma tissues. Conclusion: ST13 protein is a cytoplasmic molecule with anapparent Mr of 50 000. The protein is expressed in colorectal and other epithelial tissues. Theexpression level of the protein is down-regulated in colorectal cancer and varies among differentnormal and/or carcinoma tissues. Comparison of cDNA sequences and protein characteristics indicatesthat ST13 protein and hsp70-interacting protein (Hip) are same proteins, raising the possibilitythat ST13 protein is involved in the development of colorectal cancer through Hsp70 molecularchaperone machinery.展开更多
[Objective] The research aimed to construct the prokaryotic expression vector of VP5 protein of IBDV.The transmembrane region sequence of VP5 protein was knocked out.Moreover,the expression,separation and purification...[Objective] The research aimed to construct the prokaryotic expression vector of VP5 protein of IBDV.The transmembrane region sequence of VP5 protein was knocked out.Moreover,the expression,separation and purification of objective protein were carried out.[Method] PCR technology was used to respectively amplify the extracellular and intracellular fragments of VP5 gene of IBDV.Then,the two fragments were simultaneously linked to pET-28b(+),and it was the vector-intracellular fragment-extracellular fragment-vector.The recombinant expression plasmid pET-VP5-FC and the improved pET-VP5-SC of VP5 whose transmembrane region gene fragment was knocked out were constructed.Then,the expression plasmid was transformed into BL21(DE3).After IPTG induction,the recombinant protein was purified by Ni affinity chromatography and the gel filtration chromatography.[Result] The soluble expressed VP5 of IBDV was obtained.[Conclusion] The research laid the foundation for further studying the structure and function of VP5 protein.展开更多
The mechanisms for the effects of ammonium-based fertilizers on soil acidification in subtropical regions are not well understood. Two Ultisols collected from cropland and a tea garden in Anhui and Jiangxi Provinces i...The mechanisms for the effects of ammonium-based fertilizers on soil acidification in subtropical regions are not well understood. Two Ultisols collected from cropland and a tea garden in Anhui and Jiangxi Provinces in subtropical southern China, respectively, were used to study the effects of urea and (NH4)aSO4 on the nitrification and acidification of soils with incubation experiments. Nitrification occurred at very low pH with no N fertilizer added and led to lowering of the soil pH by 0.53 and 0.30 units for the soils from Jiangxi and Anhui, respectively. Addition of urea accelerated nitrification and soil acidification in both Ultisols; while nitrification was inhibited by the addition of (NH4)2SO4, and greater input of (NH4)2SO4 led to greater inhibition of nitrification. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) played an important role in nitrification in cropland soil under acidic conditions. Addition of urea increased the soil pH at the early stages of incubation due to hydrolysis and stimulated the increase in the AOB population, and thus accelerated nitrification and soil acidification. At the end of incubation, the pH of Ultisol from Jiangxi had decreased by 1.25, 1.54 and 1.84 units compared to maximum values for the treatments with 150, 300 and 400 mg/kg of urea-N added, respectively; the corresponding figures were 0.95, 1.25 and 1.69 for the Ultisol from Anhui. However, addition of (NH4):SO4 inhibited the increase in the AOB population and thus inhibited nitrification and soil acidification. Soil pH for the treatments with 300 and 400 mg/kg of (NHn)2SOa-N remained almost constant during the incubation. AOB played an important role in nitrification of the cropland soil under acidic conditions. Addition of urea stimulated the increase in the AOB population and thus accelerated nitrification and soil acidification; while addition of (NH4)2SO4 inhibited the increase in the AOB population and thus inhibited nitrification.展开更多
[Objective] The research aimed to provide the theoretical basis for establishing a rapid diagnosis method for porcine parvovirus(PPV). [ Method] One pair of primers were designed according to PPV genome sequences on...[Objective] The research aimed to provide the theoretical basis for establishing a rapid diagnosis method for porcine parvovirus(PPV). [ Method] One pair of primers were designed according to PPV genome sequences on GenBank website and the sequences of prokaryotic expression vector pET30a ( + ) with multiple cloning sites. The whole sequence of NS1 gene in PPV SD1 strain was amplified by using PCR technology and the positive recombinant plasmid was analyzed by sequencing and homology comparison. The prokaryotic expression recombinant plasmid PET30a/NS1 was constructed to make its induction expression in Escherichia coll. [ Result] The target fragment with the length of 2 208 bp was obtained from PCR amplification. The nucleotide homologies between the cloned NS1 gene and the reported relevant PPV genes were from 97.3 % to 99.4 %, which indicated that NS1 gene had high conservation. But it had a 12-basepair successive deletion near the hydroxyl end. The cloned PPV NS1 gene was successfully expressed in prokaryotic cell, and its expression products existed mostly in inclusion bodies. [ Conclusion] The results of SDS-PAGE detection showed that the molecular weight of PPV NS1 protein was 86 KD.展开更多
Objective] This study aimed to clone ovine activin receptor type llB (Ac-tRIIB) gene, construct the prokaryotic expression vector and express the target gene in vitro, thus providing basis for further function verif...Objective] This study aimed to clone ovine activin receptor type llB (Ac-tRIIB) gene, construct the prokaryotic expression vector and express the target gene in vitro, thus providing basis for further function verification. [Method] The template cDNA which was reversely transcribed from total RNA of sheep liver tissue, was subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers of ActRIIB. The ful-length cDNA of ovine ActRIIB was obtained by pMD18-T cloning and sequencing for bioinformatics analysis. Ovine ActRIIB encoding sequence was subcloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET41a with restriction sites BamHl/Notl, and then transformed into BL21 (DE3). The induced products by lPTG were analyzed with SDS-PAGE and Western Blot. [Result] The amplified ful-length cDNA of ovine Ac-tRllB gene was 1 564 bp in length (Genbank accession number: JX422071.1) with an open reading frame of 1 539 bp, encoding 512 amino acides. Ovine ActRllB shared the highest homology (99.6%) with bovine ActRllB. ActRllB had highly ho-mologous C-terminal domains and belonged to the TGFβ family. After prokaryotic expression, an approximately 92 kD His-tagged ActRllB recombinant protein was obtained, which was consistent with the excepted result. [Conclusion] Cloning and successful expression of ovine ActRIIB laid solid foundation for further investigation of its biological function.展开更多
[Objective] The aim was to clone the conserved sequences of cry gene and express them in Rosetta (DE3). [Method] Specific primers were designed according to NCBI database information and the conserved sequences of c...[Objective] The aim was to clone the conserved sequences of cry gene and express them in Rosetta (DE3). [Method] Specific primers were designed according to NCBI database information and the conserved sequences of cry gene were amplified by PCR from Bt transgenic cotton. Then recombinant plasmids were constructed and expressed in E. coil strain Rosetta (DE3). Finally, the effects of different concentrations and inducing time of IPTG on the expression level of protein were investigated. [Result] Two conserved sequences (304 and 853 bp respectively) of cry gene were amplified. The result of SDS-PAGE confirmed that the recombinant plasmids pGEX-4t-I-304 and pGEX-4t-1-853 could express fusion proteins by IPTG induction and the molecular weight of protein products was 39 and 62.4 kDa respectively, which was in accordance with predicted result. The optimal protein ex- pression conditions were confirmed as induction with 0.15 mmol/L IPTG for 7 h. [Conclusion] This study prepared the ground for the further detection of Bt transgenic crops.展开更多
[Objective]The aim was to construct the wheat heat-shock protein 60 (HSP60) gene in prokaryotic expression vector and express HSP60 efficiently in E.coli. [Method]According to the wheat HSP60 gene sequence in GenBan...[Objective]The aim was to construct the wheat heat-shock protein 60 (HSP60) gene in prokaryotic expression vector and express HSP60 efficiently in E.coli. [Method]According to the wheat HSP60 gene sequence in GenBank,a pair of primers P1/P2 were designed and synthesized. The wheat HSP60 gene fragment was amplified from the wheat RNA by RT-PCR and inserted into bacterial expression vector of pGEX-4T-1. The construct of pGEX-4T-1-HSP60 was subsequently transformed into E.coli BL21. [Result]The construct of pGEX-4T-1-HSP60 was verified by restriction endonuclease digestion and sequenced. Compared with the sequences of wheat HSP60 genes in GenBank,homology accounted to 100%. Expression of the GST-HSP60 fusion protein was induced with IPTG. Its molecular weight was about 90 kD. The result was identified by electrophoresis of SDS-PAGE. Expression of the protein bands was consistent with the expected size. [Conclusion]The recombinant prokaryotic expression vector in pGEX-4T-1-HSP60 was constructed successfully and expressed stably in E.coli BL21. This will lay the foundation for further study on the functions of the protein and its mechanism.展开更多
[Objective] The aim was to better research the function and action mode of High Mobility Group B (HMGB) proteins in higher plants. [Method] At2G33450,At5G23405 and At5G23420 genes of HMGB protein family in Arabidops...[Objective] The aim was to better research the function and action mode of High Mobility Group B (HMGB) proteins in higher plants. [Method] At2G33450,At5G23405 and At5G23420 genes of HMGB protein family in Arabidopsis thaliana were cloned by the use of RT-PCR method,and the expression of these three proteins in E.coli and Arabidopsis thaliana were detected by using SDS-PAGE,Northern blot and subcellular localization methods. [Result] The results showed that the molecular weights of the three proteins were 17.5,17.0 and 27.0 kD respectively,and the expression levels of the proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana were At5G23420At5G23405At2G33450. In addition,all the three proteins were located in nucleus. [Conclusion] The study will provide a basis for the further research on the biological function of HMGB proteins in higher plants.展开更多
[Objective] To construct prokaryotic expression vectors encoding gene Erb3binding protein (EBP1), which plays important roles in regulating plant organ size from Nervilia fordii (Hance) Schltr. [Methods] PCR produ...[Objective] To construct prokaryotic expression vectors encoding gene Erb3binding protein (EBP1), which plays important roles in regulating plant organ size from Nervilia fordii (Hance) Schltr. [Methods] PCR products of NfEBP1 with particular restriction sites and expression vectors, pET-28 and pET-16b were digested. Ligation, transformation and selection were performed to construct the recombinant plasmids pET-28-NfEBP1 and pET-16-NfEBP1. The recombinant plasmids were transformed into E. coli BL21 using heat -shock transformation. [Results] Recombinant plasmids pET-28-NfEBP1-1188 and pET-16-NfEBP1-1188 were constructed and transformed into expressional host cells, E. coli BL21, and validated by colony PCR, sequencing and double digestion. [Conclusion] Prokaryotic expression vectors of EBP1 gene from N. fordii were successfully constructed, which laid the foundation for characterization of the gene function.展开更多
The diversity of prokaryotic communities in soil is shaped by both biotic and abiotic factors.However,little is known about the major factors shaping soil prokaryotic communities at a large scale in agroecosystems.To ...The diversity of prokaryotic communities in soil is shaped by both biotic and abiotic factors.However,little is known about the major factors shaping soil prokaryotic communities at a large scale in agroecosystems.To this end,we undertook a study to investigate the impact of maize production cropping systems,soil properties and geographic location(latitude and longitude)on soil prokaryotic communities using metagenomic techniques,across four distinct maize production regions in China.Across all study sites,the dominant prokaryotes in soil were Alphaproteobacteria,Gammaproteobacteria,Betaproteobacteria,Gemmatimonadetes,Acidobacteria,and Actinobacteria.Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that prokaryotic communities clustered into the respective maize cropping systems in which they resided.Redundancy analysis(RDA)showed that soil properties especially pH,geographic location and cropping system jointly determined the diversity of the prokaryotic communities.The functional genes of soil prokaryotes from these samples were chiefly influenced by latitude,soil pH and cropping system,as revealed by RDA analysis.The abundance of genes in some metabolic pathways,such as genes involved in microbe–microbe interactions,degradation of aromatic compounds,carbon fixation pathways in prokaryotes and microbial metabolism were markedly different across the four maize production regions.Our study indicated that the combination of soil pH,cropping system and geographic location significantly influenced the prokaryotic community and the functional genes of these microbes.This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the composition and function of the soil prokaryotic community across large-scale production systems such as maize.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos. 40906069,40776094)Shangdong 908 Project (No. SD-908-02-08)+1 种基金the Haiwaijiechuxuezhe-Fund of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No.2006-1-15)K. C. WONG Education Foundation
文摘Multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes (MMPs) are a group of aggregates composed of 7-45 gram-negative cells synthesizing intracellular magnetic crystals. Although they are thought to be globally distributed, MMPs have been observed only in marine environments in America and Europe. Most MMPs share a rosette-like morphology and biomineralize iron sulfide crystals. In the present study, abundant MMPs were observed, with a density of 26 ind./cm^3, in the sediments of a coastal lagoon, Lake Yuehu, in the Yellow Sea. Optical microscopy showed that all of them were rosette shaped with a diameter of 5.5±0.8 μm. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that these MMPs were composed of 10- 16 ovoid cells and flagellated peritrichously. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis indicated that they biomineralized bullet-shaped magnetite crystals in highly organized parallel chains within which the magnetosomes were oriented in the same direction. This is the first report of MMPs from Asia and demonstrates the ubiquitous distribution of MMPs.
文摘Translation factor SelB is the key component for the specific decoding of UGA codons with selenocysteine at the ribosome. SelB binds selenocysteyl-tRNASec, guanine nucleotides and a secondary structure of the selenoprotein mRNA following the UGA at the 3' side. A comparison of the amino acid sequences of SelB species from E. coli,Desulfomicrobium baculatum, Clostridium thermoaceticum and Haemophilus influenzae showed that the proteins consist of at least four structural domains from which the Nterminal three are well conserved and share homology with elongation factor Tu whereas the C-terminal one is more variable and displays no similarity to any protein known. With the aid of the coordinates of EF-Tu the N-terminal part has been modelled into a 3D structure which exhibits intriguing features concerning its interaction with guanine nucleotides and other components of the translational apparatus. Cloning and expression of fragments of SelB and biochemical analysis of the purified truncated proteins showed that the C-terminal 19 kDa protein fragment is able to specifically bind to the selenoprotein mRNA. SelB, thus, is a translation factor functionally homologous to EF-Tu hooked up to the mRNA with its C-terminal end. The formation by SelB of a quaternary complex in vivo has been proven by overexpression of truncated genes of SelB and by demonstration that fragments comprising the mRNA or the tRNA binding domain inhibit selenocysteine insertion
基金supported by the General Programs(No.41472219)the Foundations for Innovative Research Groups(No.41521001)from the National Natural Science Foundation of China。
文摘Many investigations suggest that dissimilatory arsenate-respiring prokaryotes(DARPs)play a key role in stimulating reductive mobilization of As from solid phase into groundwater,but it is not clear how environmental Mn(Ⅱ)affects the DARPs-mediated reductive mobilization of arsenic.To resolve this issue,we collected soil samples from a realgar tailingsaffected area.We found that there were diverse arsenate-respiratory reductase(arr)genes in the soils.The microbial communities had high arsenate-respiring activity,and were able to efficiently stimulate the reductive mobilization of As.Compared to the microcosms without Mn(Ⅱ),addition of 10 mmol/L Mn(Ⅱ)to the microcosms led to 23.99%-251.79%increases in the microbial mobilization of As,and led to 133.3%-239.2%increases in the abundances of arr genes.We further isolated a new cultivable DARP,Bacillus sp.F11,from the arseniccontaminated soils.It completely reduced 1 mmol/L As(V)in 5 days under the optimal reaction conditions.We further found that it was able to efficiently catalyze the reductive mobilization and release of As from the solid phase;the addition of 2 mmol/L Mn(Ⅱ)led to 98.49%-248.78%increases in the F11 cells-mediated reductive mobilization of As,and70.6%-104.4%increases in the arr gene abundances.These data suggest that environmental Mn(Ⅱ)markedly increased the DARPs-mediated reductive mobilization of As in arseniccontaminated soils.This work provided a new insight into the close association between the biogeochemical cycles of arsenic and manganese.
基金supported by a grant from the National Science foundation of USA (Mississippi EPSCoR-0903787)
文摘High-density tiling arrays provide closer view of transcription than regular microarrays and can also be used for annotating functional elements in genomes. The identified transcripts usually have a complex overlapping architecture when compared to the existing genome annotation. Therefore, there is a need for customized tiling array data analysis tools. Since most of the initial tiling arrays were conducted in eukaryotes, data analysis methods are well suited for eukaryofic genomes. For using whole-genome tiling arrays to identify previously unknown transcriptional elements like small RNA and antisense RNA in prokaryotes, existing data analysis tools need to be tailored for prokaryotic genome architecture. Furthermore, automation of such custom data analysis workflow is necessary for biologists to apply this powerful platform for knowledge discovery. Here we describe TAAPP, a web-based package that consists of two modules for prokaryotic tiling array data analysis. The transcript generation module works on normalized data to generate transcriptionally active regions (TARs). The feature extraction and annotation module then maps TARs to existing genome annotation. This module further categorizes the transcription profile into potential novel non-coding RNA, antisense RNA, gene expression and operon structures. The implemented workflow is microarray platform independent and is presented as a web-based service. The web interface is freely available for acedemic use at http://lims.lshi.mafes.msstate.edu/TAAPP-HTML/.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42188102,41861144018)the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China(Grant No.2023J05017)+3 种基金the Marine Economic Development Special Fund Project of Fujian Province of China(Grant No.FJHJF-L-2022-11)supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2021M691863)supported by the Innovation Team Project of Universities in Guangdong Province(Grant No.2023KCXTD028)supported by the Ph.D.Fellowship of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science at Xiamen University。
文摘Prokaryotes play a fundamental role in global ocean biogeochemical cycles.However,how the abundance and metabolic activity of ecologically distinct subgroups(i.e.,high nucleic acid(HNA)and low nucleic acid(LNA)cells),and their regulating factors,change in response to changing marine environmental conditions remains poorly understood.Here,we delved into the time-evolving dynamic responses of the HNA and LNA prokaryotic subgroups to declining resource availability and selective grazing by protozoa by conducting a 73-day incubation experiment in a large-volume(117,000 L)macrocosm that facilitates community-level exploration.We found that the metabolic activity of the HNA subgroup was higher than that of the LNA subgroup when the macrocosm was resource replete but that the HNA subgroup declined more rapidly than the LNA subgroup as the resources became increasingly scarce,leading to a steadily increasing contribution of LNA cells to prokaryotic activity.Meanwhile,as resources in the macrocosm became limited,protozoan grazing preference shifted from the HNA to the LNA subgroup and the contributions of the LNA subgroup to the carbon flow within the macrocosm increased.The findings highlight the resilience of LNA cells in resource-limited environments,illuminate the critical role of selective grazing by protozoa in balancing distinct prokaryotic subgroups under changing resource conditions,and demonstrate the complex and adaptive interactions between protozoa and prokaryotes across diverse environmental contexts.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2022YFC2807500)Laoshan Laboratory(No.LSKJ202203201)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.42206147,42120104006 and 42176111)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(Nos.ZR2022QD046,ZR2021QD051).
文摘Ulva prolifera green tides are becoming aworldwide environmental problem,especially in the Yellow Sea,China.However,the effects of the occurrence of U.prolifera green tides on the community organization and stability of surrounding microbiomes have still not been de-termined.Here,the prokaryotic microbial community network stability and assembly char-acteristics were systematically analyzed and compared between the green tide and non-green tide periods.U.prolifera blooms weaken the community complexity and robustness of surrounding microbiomes,increasing fragmentation and decreasing diversity.Bacteria and archaea exhibited distinct community distributions and assembly patterns under the influ-ence of green tides,and bacterial communities were more sensitive to outbreaks of green tides.The bacterial communities exhibited a greater niche breadth and a lower phyloge-netic distance during the occurrence of U.prolifera green tides compared to those during the non-green tide period while archaeal communities remained unchanged,suggesting that the bacterial communities underwent stronger homogeneous selection and more sensitive to green tide blooms than the archaeal communities.Piecewise structural equation model analysis revealed that the different responses of major prokaryotic microbial groups,such as Cyanobacteria,to environmental variables during green tides,were influenced by the variations in pH and nitrate during green tides and correlated with the salinity gradient during the non-green tide period.This study elucidates the response of the adaptability,associations,and stability of surrounding microbiomes to outbreaks of U.prolifera green tides.
基金Supported by Subproject of"Development and Utilization of Plant Resources under Special Environment"from the National Project"863"(2007AA021401)Corps Doctoral Foundation of"Study on Transgenic Breeding Technology"(2006JC07)~~
文摘[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the prokaryotic expression of pseudomonas aeruginosa Lipase gene.[Method]Lipase gene was amplified by PCR from the genome DNA of pseudomonas aeruginosa,and its nucleotide sequence was determined.The prokaryotic expression vector of Lipase gene was constructed by the gene recombination technique.The protein expression was induced for 4 hours by IPTG with the final concentration of 1.0 mmol/L,and then SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was analyzed.[Result]The sequence of mature peptides in Lipase gene cloned from pseudomonas aeruginosa had a 99.36% homology with that of pseudomonas aeruginosa lipase submitted in NCBI,so the prokaryotic expression vector of Lipase gene pET32a-Lip was successfully constructed.Furthermore,the results of SDS-PAGE electrophoresis showed that the target gene was expressed highly and effectively.[Conclusion]The cloned pseudomonas aeruginosa lipase with its signal peptide could be normally expressed in E.coli and also used for further study.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(30771596)Ph.D.Programs Foundation of Ministry of Education of China(20060183010)~~
文摘[Objective] The study aimed to clone the FnBP ligand binding gene of Staphylococcus aureus and run prokaryotic expression by constructing a prokaryotic expression vector. [Method] The gene encoding FnBP ligand binding gene was amplified from S.aureus chromosomal DNA by PCR technique. After T-A cloning, plasmid pMD18- FnBP was constructed. pMD18- FnBP and pET28a(+)were digested by BamH Ⅰ and EcoR Ⅰ double enzymes, then the purified FnBP ligand binding gene was subcloned into the expression vector pET28a(+), and the prokaryotic expression vector pET28a-FnBP was thus constructed. The constructed plasmid pET28a-FnBP was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) competent cells. The bacterium was induced by IPTG and the expressed products were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. [Result] The gene fragment with the length of 370 bp was amplified by PCR approach. One approximately 30 kD exogenous protein was observed in SDS-PAGE analysis. Western blot analysis indicates the protein has antigenicity of S.aureus. [Conclusion] The FnBP ligand binding gene of S.aureus was successfully cloned and expressed in prokaryotic cells.
基金This work was supported by Chinese National Programs for High Technology Research and Development (No. 2002AA207004).
文摘A full-length sequence coding for △^12 fatty acid desaturase gene from peanut(Arachis hypogaea L.)was cloned into the expression vector, pRSETB, to generate recombinant plasmid pRSET/HO-A, which was subsequently transformed into expression Escherichia. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS. The △^12 fatty acid desaturase was highly expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS in the presence of isopropyl-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The fusion protein was purified and used to form a reaction system in vitro by adding oleic acid as substrate and incubating it at 20℃ for 6 h. Total fatty acids was extracted and methlesterified and then analyzed with gas chromatography. A novel peak corresponding to linoleic acid methyl ester standards was detected with the same retention time. GC-MS (gas chromatogram and gas chromatogram-mass spectrometry) analysis showed that the novel peak was linoleic acid methyl ester. These results exhibited △^12 fatty acid desaturase activity, which could convert oleic acid to linoleic acid specifically.
文摘Objective: To characterize the expression of ST13 protein in human tissuesfor investigation of the function of colorectal cancer related gene ST13. Methods: ST13 ORF wascloned and over-expressed in E.coli. The recombinant ST13 protein was purified by affinitychromatography. ST13 monoclonal antibodies were generated and affinity purified with the recombinantprotein. Immunoblot and immunohistochemical staining were employed to analyze ST13 proteinexpression in human tissues. Results: The expression and purification of the recombinant ST13protein were confirmed by SDS-PAGE. The protein yield reached about 2.5 mg/L of induced bacterialculture with a purity of 91.3%. Three strains of hybridoma were obtained with antibody titers from10~4 to 10~5 in ascites fluids and with high specificity for ST13 protein. Immunoblot showed thatthe apparent Mr of ST13 protein in SW480 cells and human tissues estimated by SDS-PAGE mobility wasapproximately 50 000, which was about 10 000 larger than the 41 324 calculated, but theglycosylation of the protein was excluded. Computer modeling revealed the protein to be ahydrophilic molecule. Immunohistochemical staining showed that ST13 protein was evenly distributedin cytoplasm and expressed in colon, stomach, liver, and other epithelial cells. Differences in thestaining intensity of the protein were observed between normal and cancer tissues as well as amongdifferent normal or carcinoma tissues. Conclusion: ST13 protein is a cytoplasmic molecule with anapparent Mr of 50 000. The protein is expressed in colorectal and other epithelial tissues. Theexpression level of the protein is down-regulated in colorectal cancer and varies among differentnormal and/or carcinoma tissues. Comparison of cDNA sequences and protein characteristics indicatesthat ST13 protein and hsp70-interacting protein (Hip) are same proteins, raising the possibilitythat ST13 protein is involved in the development of colorectal cancer through Hsp70 molecularchaperone machinery.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Fundation Item of China(30970578,31070651)"Excellent Talent Support Plan in NewCentury"of Ministry of Education(NECT-08-0731)~~
文摘[Objective] The research aimed to construct the prokaryotic expression vector of VP5 protein of IBDV.The transmembrane region sequence of VP5 protein was knocked out.Moreover,the expression,separation and purification of objective protein were carried out.[Method] PCR technology was used to respectively amplify the extracellular and intracellular fragments of VP5 gene of IBDV.Then,the two fragments were simultaneously linked to pET-28b(+),and it was the vector-intracellular fragment-extracellular fragment-vector.The recombinant expression plasmid pET-VP5-FC and the improved pET-VP5-SC of VP5 whose transmembrane region gene fragment was knocked out were constructed.Then,the expression plasmid was transformed into BL21(DE3).After IPTG induction,the recombinant protein was purified by Ni affinity chromatography and the gel filtration chromatography.[Result] The soluble expressed VP5 of IBDV was obtained.[Conclusion] The research laid the foundation for further studying the structure and function of VP5 protein.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30821140538)the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (No.2009BADC6B02)
文摘The mechanisms for the effects of ammonium-based fertilizers on soil acidification in subtropical regions are not well understood. Two Ultisols collected from cropland and a tea garden in Anhui and Jiangxi Provinces in subtropical southern China, respectively, were used to study the effects of urea and (NH4)aSO4 on the nitrification and acidification of soils with incubation experiments. Nitrification occurred at very low pH with no N fertilizer added and led to lowering of the soil pH by 0.53 and 0.30 units for the soils from Jiangxi and Anhui, respectively. Addition of urea accelerated nitrification and soil acidification in both Ultisols; while nitrification was inhibited by the addition of (NH4)2SO4, and greater input of (NH4)2SO4 led to greater inhibition of nitrification. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) played an important role in nitrification in cropland soil under acidic conditions. Addition of urea increased the soil pH at the early stages of incubation due to hydrolysis and stimulated the increase in the AOB population, and thus accelerated nitrification and soil acidification. At the end of incubation, the pH of Ultisol from Jiangxi had decreased by 1.25, 1.54 and 1.84 units compared to maximum values for the treatments with 150, 300 and 400 mg/kg of urea-N added, respectively; the corresponding figures were 0.95, 1.25 and 1.69 for the Ultisol from Anhui. However, addition of (NH4):SO4 inhibited the increase in the AOB population and thus inhibited nitrification and soil acidification. Soil pH for the treatments with 300 and 400 mg/kg of (NHn)2SOa-N remained almost constant during the incubation. AOB played an important role in nitrification of the cropland soil under acidic conditions. Addition of urea stimulated the increase in the AOB population and thus accelerated nitrification and soil acidification; while addition of (NH4)2SO4 inhibited the increase in the AOB population and thus inhibited nitrification.
基金Supported by the Natural Science Foundation Program of Shandong Province(2007ZRA16001)~~
文摘[Objective] The research aimed to provide the theoretical basis for establishing a rapid diagnosis method for porcine parvovirus(PPV). [ Method] One pair of primers were designed according to PPV genome sequences on GenBank website and the sequences of prokaryotic expression vector pET30a ( + ) with multiple cloning sites. The whole sequence of NS1 gene in PPV SD1 strain was amplified by using PCR technology and the positive recombinant plasmid was analyzed by sequencing and homology comparison. The prokaryotic expression recombinant plasmid PET30a/NS1 was constructed to make its induction expression in Escherichia coll. [ Result] The target fragment with the length of 2 208 bp was obtained from PCR amplification. The nucleotide homologies between the cloned NS1 gene and the reported relevant PPV genes were from 97.3 % to 99.4 %, which indicated that NS1 gene had high conservation. But it had a 12-basepair successive deletion near the hydroxyl end. The cloned PPV NS1 gene was successfully expressed in prokaryotic cell, and its expression products existed mostly in inclusion bodies. [ Conclusion] The results of SDS-PAGE detection showed that the molecular weight of PPV NS1 protein was 86 KD.
基金Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2012211B54)~~
文摘Objective] This study aimed to clone ovine activin receptor type llB (Ac-tRIIB) gene, construct the prokaryotic expression vector and express the target gene in vitro, thus providing basis for further function verification. [Method] The template cDNA which was reversely transcribed from total RNA of sheep liver tissue, was subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers of ActRIIB. The ful-length cDNA of ovine ActRIIB was obtained by pMD18-T cloning and sequencing for bioinformatics analysis. Ovine ActRIIB encoding sequence was subcloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET41a with restriction sites BamHl/Notl, and then transformed into BL21 (DE3). The induced products by lPTG were analyzed with SDS-PAGE and Western Blot. [Result] The amplified ful-length cDNA of ovine Ac-tRllB gene was 1 564 bp in length (Genbank accession number: JX422071.1) with an open reading frame of 1 539 bp, encoding 512 amino acides. Ovine ActRllB shared the highest homology (99.6%) with bovine ActRllB. ActRllB had highly ho-mologous C-terminal domains and belonged to the TGFβ family. After prokaryotic expression, an approximately 92 kD His-tagged ActRllB recombinant protein was obtained, which was consistent with the excepted result. [Conclusion] Cloning and successful expression of ovine ActRIIB laid solid foundation for further investigation of its biological function.
基金Supported by Scientific Research Fund for Doctoral Program of Wuhan Polytechnic University (2006696)~~
文摘[Objective] The aim was to clone the conserved sequences of cry gene and express them in Rosetta (DE3). [Method] Specific primers were designed according to NCBI database information and the conserved sequences of cry gene were amplified by PCR from Bt transgenic cotton. Then recombinant plasmids were constructed and expressed in E. coil strain Rosetta (DE3). Finally, the effects of different concentrations and inducing time of IPTG on the expression level of protein were investigated. [Result] Two conserved sequences (304 and 853 bp respectively) of cry gene were amplified. The result of SDS-PAGE confirmed that the recombinant plasmids pGEX-4t-I-304 and pGEX-4t-1-853 could express fusion proteins by IPTG induction and the molecular weight of protein products was 39 and 62.4 kDa respectively, which was in accordance with predicted result. The optimal protein ex- pression conditions were confirmed as induction with 0.15 mmol/L IPTG for 7 h. [Conclusion] This study prepared the ground for the further detection of Bt transgenic crops.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(30870109)~~
文摘[Objective]The aim was to construct the wheat heat-shock protein 60 (HSP60) gene in prokaryotic expression vector and express HSP60 efficiently in E.coli. [Method]According to the wheat HSP60 gene sequence in GenBank,a pair of primers P1/P2 were designed and synthesized. The wheat HSP60 gene fragment was amplified from the wheat RNA by RT-PCR and inserted into bacterial expression vector of pGEX-4T-1. The construct of pGEX-4T-1-HSP60 was subsequently transformed into E.coli BL21. [Result]The construct of pGEX-4T-1-HSP60 was verified by restriction endonuclease digestion and sequenced. Compared with the sequences of wheat HSP60 genes in GenBank,homology accounted to 100%. Expression of the GST-HSP60 fusion protein was induced with IPTG. Its molecular weight was about 90 kD. The result was identified by electrophoresis of SDS-PAGE. Expression of the protein bands was consistent with the expected size. [Conclusion]The recombinant prokaryotic expression vector in pGEX-4T-1-HSP60 was constructed successfully and expressed stably in E.coli BL21. This will lay the foundation for further study on the functions of the protein and its mechanism.
文摘[Objective] The aim was to better research the function and action mode of High Mobility Group B (HMGB) proteins in higher plants. [Method] At2G33450,At5G23405 and At5G23420 genes of HMGB protein family in Arabidopsis thaliana were cloned by the use of RT-PCR method,and the expression of these three proteins in E.coli and Arabidopsis thaliana were detected by using SDS-PAGE,Northern blot and subcellular localization methods. [Result] The results showed that the molecular weights of the three proteins were 17.5,17.0 and 27.0 kD respectively,and the expression levels of the proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana were At5G23420At5G23405At2G33450. In addition,all the three proteins were located in nucleus. [Conclusion] The study will provide a basis for the further research on the biological function of HMGB proteins in higher plants.
基金Supported by Research Fund of the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (200805720004)Scientific Research Foundation for Returned Scholars, Ministry of Education of China ([2009]1001)~~
文摘[Objective] To construct prokaryotic expression vectors encoding gene Erb3binding protein (EBP1), which plays important roles in regulating plant organ size from Nervilia fordii (Hance) Schltr. [Methods] PCR products of NfEBP1 with particular restriction sites and expression vectors, pET-28 and pET-16b were digested. Ligation, transformation and selection were performed to construct the recombinant plasmids pET-28-NfEBP1 and pET-16-NfEBP1. The recombinant plasmids were transformed into E. coli BL21 using heat -shock transformation. [Results] Recombinant plasmids pET-28-NfEBP1-1188 and pET-16-NfEBP1-1188 were constructed and transformed into expressional host cells, E. coli BL21, and validated by colony PCR, sequencing and double digestion. [Conclusion] Prokaryotic expression vectors of EBP1 gene from N. fordii were successfully constructed, which laid the foundation for characterization of the gene function.
基金supported by the National Program for Support of Top-notch Young Professionals,Chinathe Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests,Institute of Plant Protection,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences(SKLQF201508)the Project of Plant Protection Key Discipline of Henan Province,China。
文摘The diversity of prokaryotic communities in soil is shaped by both biotic and abiotic factors.However,little is known about the major factors shaping soil prokaryotic communities at a large scale in agroecosystems.To this end,we undertook a study to investigate the impact of maize production cropping systems,soil properties and geographic location(latitude and longitude)on soil prokaryotic communities using metagenomic techniques,across four distinct maize production regions in China.Across all study sites,the dominant prokaryotes in soil were Alphaproteobacteria,Gammaproteobacteria,Betaproteobacteria,Gemmatimonadetes,Acidobacteria,and Actinobacteria.Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that prokaryotic communities clustered into the respective maize cropping systems in which they resided.Redundancy analysis(RDA)showed that soil properties especially pH,geographic location and cropping system jointly determined the diversity of the prokaryotic communities.The functional genes of soil prokaryotes from these samples were chiefly influenced by latitude,soil pH and cropping system,as revealed by RDA analysis.The abundance of genes in some metabolic pathways,such as genes involved in microbe–microbe interactions,degradation of aromatic compounds,carbon fixation pathways in prokaryotes and microbial metabolism were markedly different across the four maize production regions.Our study indicated that the combination of soil pH,cropping system and geographic location significantly influenced the prokaryotic community and the functional genes of these microbes.This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the composition and function of the soil prokaryotic community across large-scale production systems such as maize.