Characteristics of Cl−-dependentl-[35S]cysteic acid transport into rat brain synaptic membrane vesicles

Uptake ofl-[³⁵S]cysteic acid (L-CA) in rat synaptic membrane vesicles was investigated. Preincubation with either 10 mMl-glutamic acid (L-Glu), 25 mM L-CA, 10 mMdl-homocysteic acid, or 25 mMdl-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate on membrane vesicles enhanced L-[³⁵S]CA and L-[³H]Glu uptake. Na⁺ (5 mM) and omission of Cl^– from the assay medium decreased L-[³⁵S]CA uptake into both 10 mM L-Glu-loaded and non-loaded membrane vesicles. The anion transport blockers, 4-acetamide-4-isothiocyano-2,2-disulfonic acid stibene (SITS) and 4,4-diisothiocyano-2,2-disulfonic acid stilbene (DIDS), inhibited L-[³⁵S]CA uptake in a dose-dependent manner. The maximal uptake rate for L-[³⁵S]CA was decreased by 50 M SITS, while the apparent Km value of L-CA was not changed. SITS increased the EC₅₀ value of Cl^– for L-[³⁵S]CA uptake from 5 mM to 10 mM with reduction of the maximal effect. These results suggested that L-[³⁵S]CA uptake into synaptic membrane vesicles was mediated by a SITS-sensitive hetero-exchange transport with non-labeled substrates.Abbreviations SITS 4-Acetamide-4-isothiocyano-2,2-disulfonic acid stilbene - DIDS 4,4-Diisothiocyano-2,2-disulfonic acid stilbene - CA Cysteic acid - APB 2-Amino-4-phosphonobutyrate - CSA Cysteine sulfinic acid - EGTA Ethyleneglycol bis(aminoethylether) tetraacetate - GABA -Aminobutyric acid     

Soil organic sulfur dynamics in a coniferous forest

Sulfate microbial immobilization and the mineralization of organic S were measured in vitro in soil horizons (LFH, Ae, Bhf, Bf and C) of the Lake Laflamme watershed (47°17 N, 71°14 O) using ³⁵SO₄. LFH samples immobilized from 23 to 77% of the added ³⁵SO₄ within 2 to 11 days. The ³⁵SO₄ microbial immobilization increased with temperature and reached an asymptote after a few days. The mineral soil generally immobilized less than 20% of the added ³⁵SO₄, and an asymptote was reached after 2 days. An isotopic equilibrium was rapidly reached in mineral horizons. A two-compartment (SO₄ and organic S) model adequately described ³⁵SO₄ microbial immobilization kinetics. The active organic reservoir in the whole soil profile represented less than 1% of the total organic S. The average concentrations of dissolved organic S (DOS) in the soil solutions leaving the LFH, Bhf and Bf horizons were respectively 334, 282 and 143 µgL^–1. Assuming that the DOS decrease with soil depth corresponded to the quantities adsorbed in the B horizons, we estimated that 12 800 kgha^–1 of organic S could have been formed since the last glaciation, which is about 13 times the size of the actual B horizons reservoirs. Our results suggest that the organic S reservoirs present in mineral forest soils are mostly formed by the DOS adsorption resulting from incomplete litter decomposition in the humus layer. The capability of these horizons to immobilize SO₄ from the soil solution would be restricted to a 1% active fraction composed of microorganisms. Despite their refractory nature, these reservoirs can, however, be slowly decomposed by microorganisms and contribute to the S-SO₄ export from the watershed in the long term.     

1H, 15N, 13C and 13CO assignments and secondary structure determination of basic fibroblast growth factor using 3D heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy

Summary The assignments of the ¹H, ¹⁵N, ¹³CO and ¹³C resonances of recombinant human basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), a protein comprising 154 residues and with a molecular mass of 17.2 kDa, is presented based on a series of three-dimensional triple-resonance heteronuclear NMR experiments. These studies employ uniformly labeled ¹⁵N- and ¹⁵N-/¹³C-labeled FGF-2 with an isotope incorporation >95% for the protein expressed in E. coli. The sequence-specific backbone assignments were based primarily on the interresidue correlation of C, C and H to the backbone amide ¹H and ¹⁵N of the next residue in the CBCA(CO)NH and HBHA(CO)NH experiments and the intraresidue correlation of C, C and H to the backbone amide ¹H and ¹⁵N in the CBCANH and HNHA experiments. In addition, C and C chemical shift assignments were used to determine amino acid types. Sequential assignments were verified from carbonyl correlations observed in the HNCO and HCACO experiments and C correlations from the carbonyl correlations observed in the HNCO and HCACO experiments and C correlations from the HNCA experiment. Aliphatic side-chain spin systems were assigned primarily from H(CCO)NH and C(CO)NH experiments that correlate all the aliphatic ¹H and ¹³C resonances of a given residue with the amide resonance of the next residue. Additional side-chain assignments were made from HCCH-COSY and HCCH-TOCSY experiments. The secondary structure of FGF-2 is based on NOE data involving the NH, H and H protons as well as ³J_H n _H coupling constants, amide exchange and ¹³C and ¹³C secondary chemical shifts. It is shown that FGF-2 consists of 11 well-defined antiparallel -sheets (residues 30–34, 39–44, 48–53, 62–67, 71–76, 81–85, 91–94, 103–108, 113–118, 123–125 and 148–152) and a helix-like structure (residues 131–136), which are connected primarily by tight turns. This structure differs from the refined X-ray crystal structures of FGF-2, where residues 131–136 were defined as -strand XI. The discovery of the helix-like region in the primary heparin-binding site (residues 128–138) instead of the -strand conformation described in the X-ray structures may have important implications in understanding the nature of heparin-FGF-2 interactions. In addition, two distinct conformations exist in solution for the N-terminal residues 9–28. This is consistent with the X-ray structures of FGF-2, where the first 17–19 residues were ill defined.     

The role of ion antiporters in the maintenance of intracellular pH in rat vascular smooth muscle cells

Vascular smooth muscle intracellular pH is maintained by the Na⁺/H⁺ and Cl^–/HCO ₃ ^– antiporters. The Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger is a major route of H⁺ extrusion in most eukaryotic cells and is present in vascular smooth muscle cells in a similar capacity. It extrudes H^– into the extracellular space in exchange for Na⁺. The Cl^–/HCO ₃ ^– exchanger plays an analogous role to lower the pH of vascular smooth muscle cells when increases in intracellular pH occur. Its activity has also been demonstrated in A7r5 and A10 vascular smooth muscle cells. The Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger is regulated by a number of agents which act through inositol trisphosphate/diacylglycerol, to stimulate the antiporter. Calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase may also activate the antiporter in vivo. Phosphorylation of the Cl^–/HCO ₃ ^– exchanger has also been observed but its physiological role is not known. Both these antiporters exist in the plasma membrane as integral proteins with free acidic cytoplasmic termini. These regions may be important in sensing changes in intracellular pH, to which these antiporters respond.Abbreviations CaM Calmodulin - DCCD Dicylohexyl-Carbodiimide - DG Diacylglycerol - DIDS-4 4-Diisthiocyanostilbene-2,2-Disulfonic Acid - IP₃ Inositol Trisphosphate - PKC protein Kinase C - SITS-4 4-Acetamido-4-Isothiocyanstilbene-2,2-Disulfonate - VSMC Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell     

Crankshaft motions of the polypeptide backbone in molecular dynamics simulations of human type-α transforming growth factor

Summary Order parameters for the backbone N–H and C–H bond vectors have been calculated from a 150 ps molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of human type- transforming growth factor in H₂O solvent. Two kinds of crankshaft motions of the polypeptide backbone are observed in this MD trajectory. The first involves small-amplitude rocking of the rigid peptide bond due to correlated changes in the backbone dihedral angles _i–1 and _i. These high-frequency librational crankshaft motions are correlated with systematically smaller values of motional order parameters for backbone N–H bond vectors compared to C–H bond vectors. In addition, infrequent crankshaft flips of the peptide bond from one local minimum to another are observed for several amino acid residues. These MD simulations demonstrate that comparisons of N–H and C–H order parameters provide a useful approach for identifying crank-shaft librational motions in proteins.     

Sources of nitrate in rivers draining sixteen watersheds in the northeastern U.S.: Isotopic constraints

The feasibility of using nitrogen and oxygenisotope ratios of nitrate (NO₃ ^–) forelucidating sources and transformations ofriverine nitrate was evaluated in a comparativestudy of 16 watersheds in the northeastern U.S.A. Stream water was sampled repeatedly at theoutlets of the watersheds between January andDecember 1999 for determining concentrations,¹⁵N values, and ¹⁸Ovalues of riverine nitrate.In conjunction with information about land useand nitrogen fluxes,¹⁵N_nitrate and¹⁸O_nitrate values providedmainly information about sources of riverinenitrate. In predominantly forested watersheds,riverine nitrate had mean concentrations ofless than 0.4 mg NO₃ ^–-N L^–1,¹⁵N_nitrate values of lessthan +5, and ¹⁸O_nitratevalues between +12 and +19. This indicatesthat riverine nitrate was almost exclusivelyderived from soil nitrification processes withpotentially minor nitrate contributions fromatmospheric deposition in some catchments. Inwatersheds with significant agricultural andurban land use, concentrations of riverinenitrate were as high as 2.6 mg NO₃ ^–-NL^–1 with ¹⁵N_nitratevalues between +5 and +8 and¹⁸O_nitrate values generallybelow +15. Correlations between nitrateconcentrations, ¹⁵N_nitratevalues, and N fluxes suggest that nitrate inwaste water constituted a major, and nitrate inmanure a minor additional source of riverinenitrate. Atmospheric nitrate deposition ornitrate-containing fertilizers were not asignificant source of riverine nitrate inwatersheds with significant agricultural andurban land use. Although complementary studiesindicate that in-stream denitrification wassignificant in all rivers, the isotopiccomposition of riverine nitrate sampled at theoutlet of the 16 watersheds did not provideevidence for denitrification in the form ofelevated ¹⁵N_nitrate and¹⁸O_nitrate values. Relativelylow isotopic enrichment factors for nitrogenand oxygen during in-stream denitrification andcontinuous admixture of nitrate from theabove-described sources are thought to beresponsible for this finding.     

The Use of the [13C]/[12C] Ratio for the Assay of the Microbial Oxidation of Hydrocarbons

The study deals with a comparative analysis of the relative abundances of the carbon isotopes ¹²C and ¹³C in the metabolites and biomass of the Burkholderia sp. BS3702 and Pseudomonas putida BS202-p strains capable of utilizing aliphatic (n-hexadecane) and aromatic (naphthalene) hydrocarbons as sources of carbon and energy. The isotope compositions of the carbon dioxide, biomass, and exometabolites produced during the growth of Burkholderia sp. BS3702 on n-hexadecane (¹³C = –44.6 ± 0.2) were characterized by the values of ¹³C_{CO 2} = –50.2 ± 0.4, ¹³C_biom = –46.6 ± 0.4, and ¹³C_exo = –41.5 ± 0.4, respectively. The isotope compositions of the carbon dioxide, biomass, and exometabolites produced during the growth of the same bacterial strain on naphthalene (¹³C = –21 ± 0.4) were characterized by the isotope effects ¹³C_{CO 2} = –24.1 ± 0.4, ¹³C_biom = –19.2 ± 0.4, and ¹³C_exo = –19.1 ± 0.4, respectively. The possibility of using the isotope composition of metabolic carbon dioxide for the rapid monitoring of the microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the environment is discussed.     

Structural Specificity for the Inhibitory Effect of Calmodulin on Specific 125I-Omega-Conotoxin GVIA Binding

To clear the structural specificity of calmodulin (CaM) on the specific ¹²⁵I--CTX binding to crude membranes from whole chick brain, the following experiments were investigated in this study: (i) the attenuating effect of semisynthetic tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives on the inhibitory effect of Ca²⁺/CaM, (ii) the effects of chimeras of yeast and chicken Ca²⁺/CaM, and (iii) the effects of Ca²⁺-binding proteins (such as troponin c, S 100 a and b, and annexin I, III–V). The inhibitory effect of Ca²⁺/CaM was attenuated by isoquinoline derivatives (PX 28, 34, 216, 224, and CPU57) and a CaM antagonist W-7. PX 34, a typical synthesized isoquinoline derivative, showed the attenuating effect in a dose-dependent manner. The ED₅₀ value for the attenuating effect of PX 34 was about 20 M, which is similar to that of W-7 reported previously. Some chimeric CaMs such as YC 51–53 (which are close to the properties of vertebrate CaM) showed a significant inhibitory effect on the specific ¹²⁵I--CTX binding, but YC 129 and 130 (which retain the properties of yeast CaM), troponin c, S100 a, b, and annexin I, III–V had no effect on the specific ¹²⁵I--CTX binding. These results suggest that the characteristic structure containing the EF-hand structure of CaM itself is needed to cause the inhibitory effect on the specific ¹²⁵I--CTX binding.     

Natural<Superscript>15</Superscript> N Abundance of Plants and Soil N in a Temperate Coniferous Forest

Measurement of nitrogen isotopic composition (¹⁵N) of plants and soil nitrogen might allow the characteristics of N transformation in an ecosystem to be detected. We tested the measurement of ¹⁵N for its ability to provide a picture of N dynamics at the ecosystem level by doing a simple comparison of ¹⁵N between soil N pools and plants, and by using an existing model. ¹⁵N of plants and soil N was measured together with foliar nitrate reductase activity (NRA) and the foliar NO₃^– pool at two sites with different nitrification rates in a temperature forest in Japan. ¹⁵N of plants was similar to that of soil NO₃^– in the high-nitrification site. Because of high foliar NRA and the large foliar NO₃^– pool at this site, we concluded that plant ¹⁵N indicated a great reliance of plants on soil NO₃^– there. However, many ¹⁵N of soil N overlapped each other at the other site, and ¹⁵N could not provide definitive evidence of the N source. The existing model was verified by measured ¹⁵N of soil inorganic N and it explained the variations of plant ¹⁵N between the two sites in the context of relative importance of nitrification, but more information about isotopic fractionations during plant N uptake is required for quantitative discussions about the plant N source. The model applied here can provide a basis to compare ¹⁵N signatures from different ecosystems and to understand N dynamics.     

Synthesis of oligoguanylates on oligocytidylate templates

Summary Short oligocytidylates can act as templates for the self-condensation of guanosine 5-phosphorimidazolide. In the absence of a catalytic metal ion or in the presence of Pb²⁺ a noticeable template effect is already observed with the dimer and the yield of long oligomers reaches a plateau with a hexamer template. Short templates give oligomers longers than the template length. The products are predominantly 2-5 linked for the Pb²⁺-catalyzed reaction while mixed linkages are observed in the uncatalyzed reaction.In the presence of Zn²⁺, a template effect is first observed with the pentamer and is maximal by the heptamer. The products are predominantly 3-5 linked. Oligomers shorter than or as long as the template are obtained in substantial yield, and longer products in much lower yields.Abbreviations G Guanosine - Gp guanosine 2(3)-phosphate - pG guanosine 5-phosphate - Gp! guanosine cyclic 2,3-phosphate - ImpG guanosine 5-phosphorimidazolide - ImpG^* [8-¹⁴C]-guanosine 5-phosphorimidazolide - pGp 5-phosphoguanosine 2(3)-phosphate - G²pG guanylyl-[2-5]-guanosine - G³pG guanylyl-[3-5]-guanosine - ImpGpG 5-phosphorimidazolide of GpG - (pG)_n (n = 2,3) oligomers of pG - GppG P₁, P₂-diguanosine 5-diphosphate - GppGpG 5-[guanosine 5-pyrophosphate] of GpG - NH₂pG guanosine 5-phosphoramidate - (pG)₄₊ tetramer and higher oligoguanylates with 5 terminal phosphate - oligo(G) oligoguanylate - Cp cytidine 2(3)-phosphate - Cp! cytidine cyclic 2,3-phosphate - (Cp)_n–1 Cp! (n= 2,3,4) oligocytidylates terminated by 5-OH groups and 2,3-cyclic phosphates - oligo(C) oligocytidylate - poly(C) polycytidylic acid - poly(U) polyuridylic acid - poly(C,G) random copolymer of C and G - BAP bacterial alkaline phosphatase (E. coli) - EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid - R_f chromatographic mobility     

Effects of <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>rooting environments and irradiance on growth and photosynthesis of strawberry plantlets during acclimatization

Strawberry (Fragaria ananassaDuch. cv. Fengxiang) plantlets were cultured under two in vitroenvironments for rooting, and then acclimatized under two ex vitroirradiance conditions. At the end of rooting stage plant height, fresh weight and specific leaf area of T1-plants grown under high sucrose concentration (3 sucrose), low photosynthetic photon flux density (30 mol m^–2 s^–1) and normal CO₂ concentration (350–400 l l^–1) were significantly higher than those of T2-plantlets grown under low sucrose concentration (0.5), high photosynthetic photon flux density (90 mol m^–2 s^–1) and elevated CO₂ concentration (700–800 l l^–1). But T2-plantlets had higher net photosynthetic rate (Pn), effective photochemical quantum yield of PSII (_PSII), effective photosynthetic electron transport rate (ETR), photochemical quenching (q_P) and ratio of chlorophyll fluorescence yield decrease (Rfd). After transfer, higher irradiance obviously promoted the growth of plantlets and was beneficial for the development of photosynthetic functions during acclimatization. T2-plantlets had higher fresh weight, leaf area, _PSII and ETR under higher ex vitroirradiance condition.     

Interactions of growth inhibitory factor with hydroxyl and superoxide radicals

To show the effects of growth inhibitory factor (Cu₄Zn₃MT-III) involved in the scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a pulse radiolytic study was employed using N₂O-saturated Cu₄Zn₃MT-III aqueous solutions. It was demonstrated that the oxidizing OH radical efficiently reacted with Cu₄Zn₃MT-III by forming a thiyl radical RS with a second-order constant of 1.46×10¹¹ mol l^–1s^–1, which was determined by competition kinetics against KSCN. The thiyl radical RS reacted rapidly and reversibly with a thiolate in Cu₄Zn₃MT-III to form radical anion RSSR ^– with a constant of 1.65×10⁹ mol lL^–1s^–1 per thiolate, while the constant of the decay of this radical anion was 2.72×10⁵ s^–1, and the equilibrium constant of the formation for RSSR ^– was 6.08×10³ mol^–1 l. These values were close to those of Cd₅Zn₂MT-II. The SOD activity of Cu₄Zn₃MT-III to quench O₂ ^–was assayed by the riboflavine-methionine-nitrobluetetrazolium (NBT) method which catalyzed the dismutation of superoxide (O₂ ^–) at pH 7.8 with an IC₅₀ value of 1.50×10^–6 M for Cu₄Zn₃MT-III and 1.62×10^–6 M for Cd₅Zn₂MT-II. Additionally, the down-regulation of GIF may be a main factor in the decrease of the scavenging ability for the free OH and O₂ ^–radicals, which is possibly associated with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease.     

The dynamics of cGMP metabolism in neuroblastoma N1E-115 cells determined by18O labeling of guanine nucleotide α-phosphoryls

The rates of phosphodiesterase-promoted hydrolysis of cGMP and cAMP have been measuted in intact neuroblastoma N1E-115 cells by determining rates of¹⁸O incorporation from¹⁸O-water into the -phosphoryls of guanine and adenine nucleotides. The basal rate of guanine nucleotide -phosphoryl labeling ranged from 180 to 244 pmol·mg protein^–1·min^–1. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) caused a sustained 3,4-fold increase in this¹⁸O-labeling rate in conjunction with 28- and 50-fold increases in cellular cGMP concentration at 3 and 6 min, respectively. This¹⁸O-labeling rate (795 pmol·mg protein^–1·min^–1) corresponded with the sum of the low (1.7 M) and high (34 M) K_m phosphodiesterase activities assayable in cell lysates which exhibited a combined maximum velocity of 808 pmol·mg protein^–1·min^–1 to which the highK _m species contributed 84%. This information and the characteristics of the profile of¹⁸O-labeled molecular species indicate that cGMP metabolism was restricted to a very discrete cellular compartment(s) of approximately 12% of the cell volume. Carbachol (1 mM) produced a transient increase (6-fold) in cellular cGMP concentration and a transient increase (90%) in the rate of¹⁸O labeling of -GTP during the first minute of treatment which translates into 30 additional cellular pools of cGMP hydrolyzed in this period. IBMX (1 mM) produced a relatively rapid increase in cellular cGMP (3- to 5-fold) and cAMP (2-fold) concentrations and a delayed inhibition of¹⁸O labeling of guanine and adenine nucleotide -phosphoryls without further elevation of cyclic nucleotide levels. These results indicate that besides inhibiting cyclic nucleotide hydrolysis, IBMX also imparts a time-dependent inhibitory influence on the generation of cyclic nucleotides. The data obtained show that measurement of¹⁸O labeling of guanine and adenine nucleotide -phosphoryls combined with measurements of cyclic nucleotide steady state levels provides a means to assess the rates of cyclic nucleotide synthesis and hydrolysis within intact cells and to identify the site(s) of action of agents that alter cellular cyclic nucleotide metabolism.Special Issue dedicated to Dr. O. H. Lowry.     

Nucleotide sequence of cytoplasmic 5S ribosomal RNA fromEuglena gracilis

Summary The nucleotide sequence of cytoplasmic 5S ribosomal RNA fromEuglena gracilis has been determined to be: G- _A ^C -G-U-A-C-G-G-C-C-A-U-A-C-U-A-C-C-G-G-G-A-A-U-A-C-A-C-C-U-G-A-A-C-C-C-G--U-C-G-A-U-U-U-C-A-G-A-A-G-U-U-A-A-G-C-C-G-G-G-U-U-A-G-G-C-C-C-A-G-U-U-A-G-U-A-C-U-G-A-G-U-G-G-G-C-G-A-C-C-A-C-U-U-G-G-G-A-A-C-A-C-U-G-G-G-U-G-C-U-G-U-A-C-G-C-U-Up. This RNA is 119 nucleotides long and the sequence of a probable tRNA-binding site is GAUU (position 41–44 from the 5-terminus), which is the same as that of a trypanosoma species,Crithidia fasci-culata. TheEuglena 5S rRNA has a pseudouridine residue at position 38 and 3-terminus is phosphorylated. The 5S rRNA sequence ofEuglena resembles those of several other protozoa and higher animals rather than plants.On leave from Department of Zoology, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan     

Malate regulation of Mg2+-ATPase of chloroplast coupling factor 1

The regulatory effects of malate on chloroplast Mg²⁺-ATPase were investigated and the mechanism was discussed. Malate stimulated methanol-activated membrane-bound and isolated CF₁ Mg²⁺-ATPase activity. The subunit of CF₁ may be involved in malate regulation of the enzyme function. Modification of subunit at one site of the peptide by NEM may affect malate stimulation of ATPase while at another site may have no effect. The effect of malate on the Mg²⁺-ATPase was also controlled by the Mg²⁺/ATP ratio in the reaction medium. The enhancing effect of malate on Mg²⁺-ATPase activity depended on the presence of high concentrations of Mg²⁺ in the reaction mixture. Kinetic study showed that malate raised the V_max of catalysis without affecting the K_m for Mg²⁺ ATP. The experiments imply that the stimulation of Mg²⁺-ATPase by malate is probably correlated with the P_i binding site on the enzyme. The regulation of ATPase activity by malate in chloroplasts may be relevant to its function in vivo.Abbreviations CF₁ chloroplast coupling factor 1 - CF₁ (-) and CF₁ (-) CF₁ deficient in the and subunit - MF₁ mitochondria coupling factor 1 - NEM N-ethylmaleimide - PMS phenazine methosulfate - OG n-octyl--d-glucopyranoside     

Stereochemistry of protected ornithine side chains in gramicidin S derivatives and their resistance to N-methylation

Derivatives of gramicidin S (GS) and its mono- and di-d-cyclohexylalanine (d-Cha) analogs possessing various protecting groups on Orn side chains were prepared. ¹H NMR spectra of the unsymmetrically protected analogs [Orn(X)²,Orn(X)²,d-Cha⁴]GS were similar to the composites of the spectra of the symmetrical derivatives [Orn(X)²,2,d-Cha⁴,4]GS and [Orn(X)²,2]GS, revealing the proximity of the protecting groups of NH of Orn residues at the 2 and 2 positions to the side chains of d-Phe (or d-Cha) residues at the 4 and 4 positions, respectively. The results indicated the presence of H-bonds between the NH of Orn and the carbonyl of d-Phe residues in the i i + 2 sense and not in i i – 3, which was also supported by the ROESY analysis. The substantially strong H-bonds can explain the observed resistance of the urethane NH of the Orn side chains in the GS derivatives to the N-methylation with CH³I–Ag²O in DMF.     

Tolerance to Diazepam-Induced Motor Impairment: A Study with GABAA Receptor α6 Subunit Knockout Mice

Development of tolerance to motor-impairing effects of repeated administration of moderate diazepam doses (5.0–7.5 mg/kg; three times daily PO 3 weeks) was compared between mice deficient in the cerebellar granule cell–restricted GABA_A receptor 6 subunit and their wild-type controls. The 6–/– mice were more impaired by the initial challenge doses of diazepam (5 or 10 mg/kg) than their controls, but acquired partial tolerance by the second tests with the same doses 4–7 days later. Chronic treatment produced complete tolerance in both mouse lines. Ligand autoradiography revealed a significant reduction in baseline benzodiazepine and chloride channel site-bindings in various regions of the 6–/– brains, but the chronic diazepam treatment did not consistently alter baseline or benzodiazepine site agonist and inverse agonist-modulated binding in the 6–/– and wildtype mice. The results indicate that tolerance to motor-impairing actions of diazepam is independent of the diazepam-insensitive 6 subunit-containing receptors, which rules out the possibility that tolerance emerges as an increase in structurally benzodiazepine-insensitive receptor population.     

Photosynthesis of Cockspur [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.] at Sites of Naturally Elevated CO2 Concentration

High abundance of cockspur (Echinochloa crus-galli) at the geothermal carbon dioxide spring area in Staveinci indicates that this species is able to grow under widely varying CO₂ concentrations. Living cockspur plants can even be found very close to gas-releasing vents where growth is significantly reduced. Plant height correlated well with CO₂ exposure. The ¹³C value of the CO₂ spring air was –3.9 and ¹³C values of high-, medium-, and low-CO₂ plants were –10.14, –10.44, and –11.95 , respectively. Stomatal response directly followed the prevailing CO₂ concentrations, with the highest reduction of stomatal conductance in high CO₂ concentration grown plants. Analysis of the curves relating net photosynthetic rate to intercellular CO₂ concentration (P _N-C_i curves) revealed higher CO₂ compensation concentration in plants growing at higher CO₂ concentration. This indicates adjustment of respiration and photosynthetic carbon assimilation according to the prevailing CO₂ concentrations during germination and growth. There was no difference in other photosynthetic parameters measured.     

Analysis of the Global Architecture of Hemoglobin A2 by Heme Binding Studies and Molecular Modeling

The kinetics of CNProto- and CNDeutero-hemin binding to apohemoglobin A₂ was investigated in a stopped-flow device in 0.05 M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7, at 10°C. The overall kinetic profile exhibited multiple phases: Phases I–IV corresponding with heme insertion (8.5–13 × 10⁷ M^–1 s^–1), local structural rearrangement (0.21–0.23 s^–1), global structural event (0.071–0.098 s^–1), and formation of the Fe–His bond (0.009–0.012 s^–1), respectively. Kinetic differences observed between apohemoglobin A₂ and apohemoglobin A (previously studied) prompted an analysis of the structures of and chains through molecular modeling. This revealed a structural repositioning of the residues not only at, but also distant from the site of the amino acid substitutions, specifically those involved in the heme contact and subunit interface. A significant global change was observed in the structure of the exon-coded 3 region and provided additional evidence for the designation of this as the subunit assembly domain.     

Proton/electron stoichiometry of mitochondrialbc 1 complex. Influence of pH and transmembrane δpH

The effect of pH and transmembrane pH on the efficiency of the proton pump of the mitochondrialbc ₁ complex bothin situ and in the reconstituted state was studied. In both cases the H⁺/e ^– ratio for vectorial proton translocation by thebc ₁ complex respiring at the steady state, under conditions in which the transmembrane pH difference (pH) represents the only component of the proton motive force (p), was significantly lower than that measured under level flow conditions. The latter amounts, at neutral pH, to 1 (2 including the scalar H⁺ release). In the reconstituted system steady-state pH was modulated by changing the intravesicular buffer as well as the intra/extra-liposomal pH. Under these conditions the H⁺/e^– ratio varied inversely with the pH. The data presented show that pH exerts a critical control on the proton pump of thebc ₁ complex. Increasing the external pH above neutrality caused a decrease of the level flowH ⁺/e ^– ratio. This effect is explained in terms of proton/electron linkage inb cytochromes.