The involvement of glutamate dehydrogenase in the adaptation of mitochondria to oxidize glutamate in sucrose starved pea embryos

Embryos of pea (Pisum sativum L. cv Sol) deprived of cotyledons were cultured for 3 days in medium with or without sucrose. Respiratory activity of embryos (intact) as well as the ability to oxidize glutamate by mitochondria isolated from embryos were studied. Respiration of intact embryos grown in sucrose supplemented medium was more intensive than in the starved ones. Transfer of the starved embryos to the sucrose-containing medium induced the increase in the intensity of O₂ consumption. Mitochondria isolated from both starved and control embryos exhibited respiratory control. Mitochondria isolated from embryos cultured in the absence of sucrose showed higher (about 60 %) ability to oxidize glutamate and α-ketoglutarate than mitochondria from embryos grown in sucrose containing medium. The absence of sucrose in the medium led to a rapid increase in the specific activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (NADH-GDH and NAD-GDH) and it was accompanied by changes in izoenzymatic pattern of enzyme. These results suggest that in the conditions of sucrose starvation glutamate dehydrogenase may be responsible for the increase of glutamate oxidation by mitochondria of pea embryos. Electrophoretic separation of glutamate dehydrogenase isolated from embryos cultured in medium without sucrose showed the presence of ca. 17 isoenzymes while in non-starved embryos only 7 isoenzymes were identified. However, the addition of sucrose to starved embryos after 24 hours of cultivation led to a decrease in glutamate dehydrogenase activity (up to 40 %) but it did not cause the changes in isoenzymatic pattern. These results suggest that in the conditions of sucrose starvation glutamate dehydrogenase maybe responsible for the increase of glutamate oxidation by mitochondria of pea embryos. The posibility of glutamate dehydrogenase regulation by sucrose is discussed.     

Isolation and partial characterization of clathrin-coated vesicles from pea (Pisum sativum L.) cotyledons

Summary Clathrin-coated vesicles have been isolated from cotyledons of both developing and germinating pea seeds using differential centrifugation, ribonuclease treatment, discontinuous sucrose gradients, and isopycnic centrifugation on a linear D₂O-Ficoll gradient. The yield of coated vesicles from developing pea cotyledons was exceptional, being 1.6 × higher than the yield from hog and bovine brain, 5.3 × higher than the yield from carrot suspension cultures, and 13 × the yield from cotyledons of germinating pea seeds. The pea coated vesicles are similar to other plant coated vesicles in size (approximately 80 nm in diameter) and in having a clathrin heavy chain of 190,000 M_r. The lipid phosphorus to protein ratio, 190–250 nmol P per mg protein, of the coated vesicles from plants is comparable to that reported for highly purified coated vesicles from animals. The nondenatured pea clathrin reacted weakly with an antiserum to bovine brain clathrin, but pea clathrin denatured by sodium dodecyl sulfate did not.Abbreviations CLC Clathrin light chain - CHC clathrin heavy chain - CV coated vesicle - DTT dithiothreitol - EGTA ethyleneglycol-bis-(-aminoethyl ether) N,N-tetraacetic acid - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - TBS Tris buffered saline     

2-Mercaptoethanol as a substrate for liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

An activity was identified in a phosphate buffer extract of calf liver acetone powder which utilized 2-mercaptoethanol and NAD⁺ as substrates and formed NADH as one product. The activity responsible for catalyzing this reaction is associated with calf liver alcohol dehydrogenase based on copurification, similarity in pH optima, and similarity in response to chelating agents and other inactivating agents. Crystalline horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase also catalyzes the formation of NADH from NAD⁺ using 2-mercaptoethanol as the substrate. Although the K_m for mercaptoethanol is much lower than that for ethanol, 30 μm as compared to 0.625 mm, the maximum velocity with mercaptoethanol as the substrate is only 7% of that when ethanol is the substrate. Because of this difference in maximum velocity, 2-mercaptoethanol is an apparent competitive inhibitor with respect to ethanol with crystalline horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase, consistent with ethanol and 2-mercaptoethanol binding at the same site. The apparent K_i for 2-mercaptoethanol is 14 μm. 2-Butanethiol is a competitive inhibitor with respect to both 2-mercaptoethanol and ethanol with horse and beef liver alcohol dehydrogenases.     

Losses of Alcohol and Alcohol Dehydrogenase Activity in Germinating Seeds

Losses of alcohol, which had accumulated under anaerobic conditions,occurred during the germination of several species of seedswhich could not be attributed to the volatility of the alcohol.It is suggested that utilization of the alcohol by the seedsmay occur. From the seeds, an active alcohol dehydrogenase,which is mainly confined to the cotyledons in pea seeds, canbe extracted. The activity of the enzyme decreases as the cotyledonsgrow older during germination. The properties of the enzymehave been investigated.     

Inhibition of Glycolysis by Adenosine Triphosphate

The effect of Adenosine triphosphate in inhibiting glycolysisin mitochondrial extracts from pea cotyledons was studied. Itwas possible to show a direct inhibition of adenosine triphosphateon glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase and on alcohol dehydrogenase.This inhibition was sufficient to explain the inhibition ofglycolytic phosphorlation observed previously.     

EDTA-binding and acylation of the Ca2+-sensitive photoprotein aequorin

The rate of phosphorylation and concomitant inactivation of purified pig heart muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase complex by intrinsic kinase (EC 2.7.1.99) is markedly accelerated by the addition of coenzyme A to the incubation medium, showing a half-maximum effect at 1.8 μM. The pantetheine moiety is the effective part of the coenzyme A molecule. The free thiol group is prerequisite for the stimulatory action, acetyl-CoA, benzoyl-CoA or CoAS-SCoA being ineffectual. The thiol's specificity is evidenced by showing that dithiothreitol, 2-mercaptoethanol or glutathione up to 5 mM failed to replace coenzyme A. The possibility is considered that coenzyme A might act as a physiological modifier of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activity.     

Oxidative and phosphorylative activity of mitochondria from pea cotyledons during maturation of the seed

Summary The respiration rate and the activity of some mitochondrial enzymes from pea cotyledons have been followed during the final phases of seed development, when the relative water content of the cotyledons dropped from 65 to 13%. Succinate, malate and -ketoglutarate oxidase activity, and succinate and malate dehydrogenase activity per cotyledon increased when the relative water content dropped from 65 to about 55%. A further drop of the relative water content was accompanied by a strong decrease of the activity of the succinate and malate oxidase system, but only a slight decrease of succinate and malate dehydrogenase activity. Mitochondrial fractions from air-dry, mature cotyledons showed a low activity of the succinate and malate oxidase system but their dehydrogenase activity was relatively high. The phosphorylation efficiency and respiratory control gradually decreased during maturation. These results indicate that during maturation of the pea seed certain mitochondrial enzymes partly lose their activity.     

The importance of root carbohydrate abundance in ammonium uptake

The influence of carbohydrates on ammonium uptake and ammonium transporter (AMT1) expression was investigated in roots of field pea (Pisum arvense) and rutabaga (Brassica napus var. rapifera). Ammonium transport into field pea seedlings diminished markedly following cotyledon removal, which indicated that uptake of ammonium was under control of reserves stored in the cotyledons. Excision of cotyledons decreased also the level of some amino acids, glucose and total reducing sugars in field pea roots. To investigate the importance of the sugar supply for the regulation of ammonium uptake at low external NH ₄ ⁺ level, 1 mM glucose or sucrose was supplied for several hours to the field pea seedlings deprived cotyledons or to intact rutabaga plants. Supply of both sugars resulted in a substantial increase in ammonium uptake by both plant species and enhanced markedly the expression of AMT1 in rutabaga roots. The results indicate that sugars may regulate ammonium transport at the genetic level.     

The distribution of phospholipase D in developing and mature plants

1. The distribution of phospholipase D (phosphatidylcholine phosphatido-hydrolase, EC 3.1.4.4) was examined in the tissues of a number of plants and seeds. 2. The highest activities were found in various swollen storage tissues of certain plants: cabbage, central stalk; cauliflower, flower; celery, swollen leaf stalk; Kohl rabi, swollen stem; carrot, root; pea and marrow, seed. 3. Appreciable activity was retained in pea seeds for at least 1 year after drying. After germination and growth in the dark the total activity present in the cotyledons and also in the whole seedling decreased. 4. In the growing pea seedling (7 days old), about 3% of the total activity was in the plumule, 9% in the root and the remainder in the cotyledons. However, the activity in the root on a dry-weight basis was higher than that in the cotyledons. In both the root and the plumule the activity on a wet- or a dry-weight basis was highest in the growing tip. 5. The activity per dry weight in the roots and aerial parts of pea plants declined to low values as growth continued, but roots struck from cuttings of mature plants showed the same high activity as found in roots from young seedlings with cotyledons attached. 6. The total phospholipids present in the cotyledons of pea seeds were depleted on germination and growth. Of the individual phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine showed the same loss in 11 days as the whole phospholipid fraction, whereas phosphatidylinositol was decreased to a greater extent and cardiolipin and phosphatidylserine were not decreased. There was no increase of phosphatidic acid, as might have been expected if the phospholipids had disappeared through phospholipase D hydrolysis. 7. It is concluded that phospholipase D in plant storage tissues and seeds may be related to the rapid growth involved in their formation rather than being necessary for the utilization of their food reserve substances.     

Purification and properties of pea (Pisum sativum L.) thioredoxin f,a plant thioredoxin with unique features in the activation of chloroplast fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase

Thioredoxin (Td) f from pea (Pisum sativum L.) leaves was purified by a simple method, which provided a high yield of homogeneous Td f. Purified Td f had an isoelectric point of 5.4 and a relative molecular mass (M_r) of 12 kilodaltons (kDa) when determined by filtration through Superose 12, but an M_r of 15.8 kDa when determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified protein remained fully active for several months when conserved frozen at — 20° C. The pea protein was able to activate fructose1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase; EC 3.1.3.11), but in contrast to other higher-plant Td f proteins, was not functional in the modulation of NADP⁺-malate dehydrogenase activity. In spite of the absence of immunological cross-reactions of pea and spinach Td f proteins with the corresponding antibodies, pea Td f activated not only the homologous FBPase, but also the spinach enzyme. The saturation curves for pea FBPase, either with fructose-1,6-bisphosphate in the presence of different concentrations of homologous Td f, or with pea Td f in the presence of excess substrate, showed sigmoid kinetics; this can be explained on the basis of a random distribution of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, and of the oxidized and reduced forms of the activator, among the four Td f- and substrate-binding sites of this tetrameric enzyme. From the saturation curves of pea and spinach Td f proteins against pea FBPase, a 4:1 stoichiometry was determined for the Td f-enzyme binding. This is in contrast to the 2:1 stoichiometry found for the spinach FBPase. The UV spectrum of pea Td f had a maximum at 277 nm, which shifted to 281 nm after reduction with dithiothreitol (s at 280 nm for 15.8-kDa M_r = 6324 M^–1 · cm^–1). The fluorescence emission spectrum after 280-nm excitation had a maximum at 334 nm, related to tyrosine residues; after denaturation with guanidine isothiocyanate an additional maximum appeared at 350 nm, which is concerned with tryptophan groups. Neither the native nor the denatured form showed a significant increase in fluorescence after reduction by dithiothreitol, which means that the tyrosine and tryptophan groups in the reduced Td f are similarly exposed. Pea Td f appears to have one cysteine residue more than the three cysteines earlier described for spinach and Scenedesmus Td f proteins.Abbreviations DDT dithiothreitol - ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay - FBPase fructose- 1,6-bisphosphatase - kDa kilodalton - M_r relative molecular mass - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - Td thioredoxin The authors are grateful to Mrs. Francisca Castro and Mr. Narciso Algaba for skilful technical assistance. This work was supported by grant PB87-0431 of Dirección General de Investigación Cientifica y Técnica (DGICYT, Spain).     

Gibberellin-like activity in cotyledons and embryonic axes during pea seed germination

Endogenous gibberellin-like activity was determined in dry pea seeds (Pisum sativum cv. Bördi), in cotyledons and axes of germinating pea seeds and also in excised cotyledons and axes. During the first two days of pea seed germination, neither the embryonic axes nor the cotyledons show a mutual influence on gibberellin activity, but this appears after 72–96 h of germination. The gibberellin-like activity m cotyledons and axes of germinating seeds increased during the same period, but it decreased in isolated axes and excised cotyledons.     

Coimmobilization of Lactate Dehydrogenase and Low-Molecular-Weight Thiols on Sepharose

Lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) and dithiothreitol (DTT) were coimmobilized on Sepharose activated with cyanogen bromide. It was demonstrated that the addition of 10 mM DTT (but not 2-mercaptoethanol) during immobilization increased the enzyme specific activity 1.5–5-fold depending on the initial extent of Sepharose activation by cyanogen bromide. The total activity increased two- to threefold. The lactate dehydrogenase preparations were rich in matrix-immobilized sulfhydryl groups (1.8–13.0 nmol per ml gel). The presence of DTT increased the stability of immobilized lactate dehydrogenase.     

Kinetic properties of 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli 080

Results on the kinetics of 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 7 alpha-HSDH showed that this enzyme could oxidize all bile acids having an -OH group at the C-7 position. Lineweaver-Burk plots showed Michaelis constant (Km) values of 0.83 and 0.12 mM for cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid, respectively. The effect of enzyme concentration on the reaction velocity showed a constant increase in the enzyme activity with increase in enzyme-protein concentration. 7 alpha-HSDH was activated by Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mn2+ ions and by reducing agents having a thiol group (dithiothreitol, 2-mercaptoethanol). Co2+, Hg2+, Fe3+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Ba2+, and Cu2+ ions, chelating agents (potassium oxalate, heparin, EDTA) oxidizing agents (sodium perchlorate, sodium periodate, sodium persulphate), and detergents (Tween 20, Tween 40, Tween 80, Triton X-100, sodium lauryl sulphate) were inhibitory to 7 alpha-HSDH activity.     

Trypsin inhibitor in mung bean cotyledons: purification, characteristics, subcellular localization, and metabolism

Trypsin inhibitor was purified to homogeneity from seeds of the mung bean (Vigna radiata [L.] Wilczek). The protease inhibitor has the following properties: inhibitory activity toward trypsin, but not toward chymotrypsin; isoelectric point at pH 5.05; molecular weight of 11,000 to 12,000 (sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis) or 14,000 (gel filtration); immunological cross-reactivity against extracts of black gram and black-eyed pea, but not against soybean; no inhibitory activity against vicilin peptidohydrolase, the principal endopeptidase in the cotyledons of mung bean seedlings.

The trypsin inhibitor content of the cotyledons declines in the course of seedling growth and the presence of an inactivating factor can be demonstrated by incubating crude extracts in the presence of β-mercaptoethanol. This inactivating factor may be a protease as vicilin peptidohydrolase rapidly inactivates the trypsin inhibitor. Removal of trypsin inhibitory activity from crude extracts by means of a trypsin affinity column does not result in an enhancement of protease activity in the extracts.

The intracellular localization of trypsin inhibitor was determined by fractionation of crude extracts on isopycnic sucrose gradients and by cytochemistry with fluorescent antibodies. Both methods indicate that trypsin inhibitor is associated with the cytoplasm and not with the protein bodies where reserve protein hydrolysis occurs. No convincing evidence was obtained which indicates that the catabolism of trypsin inhibitor during germination and seedling growth is causally related to the onset of reserve protein breakdown.

     

Gaba shunt in developing soybean seeds is associated with hypoxia

In the present study we investigated the proposal that the γ-aminobutyrate (Gaba) shunt in developing soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) seeds is associated with hypoxia. The ontogeny and pH profile of enzymes associated with glutamate metabolism (glutamate decarboxylase [EC 4.1.1.15]. Gaba transaminase [EC 2.6.1.19], succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase [EC 1.2.1.16], glutamate dehydrogenase [EC 1.4.1.2], glutamate:oxaloacetate transaminase [EC 2.6.1.1], glutamate:pyruvate transaminase [EC 2.6.1.2] and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex [EC 1.2.4.2]) and hypoxia (alcohol dehydrogenase [ADH, EC 1.1.1.1] and pyruvate decarboxylase [PDC, EC 4.1.1.1]) were determined in cotyledons, nucellus and seed-coat tissues. Gaba-shunt enzymes were ubiquitous in the developing seed. Activities of enzymes catalyzing glutamate-C entry into the Krebs cycle via 2-oxoglutarate were generally greater than those of Gaba-shunt enzymes. In cotyledons, the activity of ADH increased throughout seed development (up to 72 days after anthesis [DAA]), whereas PDC was static during early development, then increased. In contrast, the activities of ADH and PDC in maternal tissues (nucellus and seed coat) were initially high, then declined dramatically after 37 DAA. The adenylate energy charge (AEC) = ([ATP]+0.5 [ADP])/ ([ATP] + [ADP] + [AMP]) of soybean seeds from fruits (37 DAA) frozen in situ was low (0.67±0.01) compared to the AEC of adjacent pod tissue (0.82 ± 0.04) and cotyledons exposed to air (0.84 ± 0.01). A 60-min time-course study showed that the rate of [U-¹⁴C]-glutamate catabolism by an intact excised cotyledon at 37 DAA was markedly lower at 8 and 0% O₂ than at 21%; the pool size of [¹⁴C]-Gaba was unaffected. The data indicated that: (1) Gaba-shunt activity is not a response to limited glutamate deamination/transamination: (2) the soybean seed is hypoxic; and (3) the relative partitioning of glutamate-C through glutamate decarboxylase is increased by hypoxia.     

Sugar and starch changes in pea cotyledons during germination

Changes in starch and sugar contents in the cotyledons during germination have been compared in a smooth (cv. Alaska) and a wrinkled (cv. Progress) cultivar of the garden pea ( Pisum sativum L.). In both cultivars there was an initial accumulation of sucrose due to the hydrolysis of sucrosyl oligosaccharides, but galactose did not accumulate in the cotyledons. Starch mobilization in the Progress pea was linear with time and started before the rise in α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) activity in the cotyledons; sucrose was synthesized in the cotyledons, and their excision from the axis resulted in an additional accumulation of this sugar. In the Alaska pea, the onset of starch hydrolysis coincided with the rise in α-amylase activity; no accumulation of sucrose was found in excised cotyledons, whilst the sucrose content decreased continuously in attached cotyledons.
The same sugars were found in the cotyledons of both cultivars, suggesting a common pathway for starch breakdown. Maltose, maltotriose and linear malto-dextrins were not present and only trace amounts of glucose were detected, suggesting a degradation of starch by phosphorylase after an initial attack by α-amylase. α-Amylase activity in the cotyledons was higher in the presence of the axis, but was influenced by the water content of the cotyledons. Transient changes in α-amylase activity correlated well with changes in the rate of starch hydrolysis, but after 2–3 days starch mobilization was reduced in excised cotyledons probably due to the resynthesis of starch.     

Enzymes involved in vinyl acetate decomposition by Pseudomonas fluorescens PCM 2123 strain

Esterases are widely used in food processing industry, but there is little information concerning enzymes involved in decompositions of esters contributing to pollution of environment. Vinyl acetate (an ester of vinyl alcohol and acetic acid) is a representative of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in decomposition, of which hydrolyses and oxidoreductases are mainly involved. Their activities under periodically changing conditions of environment are essential for the removal of dangerous VOCs. Esterase and alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase activities were determined in crude cell extract from Pseudomonas fluorescens PMC 2123 after vinyl acetate induction. All examined enzymes exhibit their highest activity at 30–35 °C and pH 7.0–7.5. Esterase preferably hydrolyzed ester bonds with short fatty chains without plain differences for C₂ or C₄. Comparison of Km values for alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases for acetaldehyde suggested that this metabolite was preferentially oxidized than reduced. Activity of alcohol dehydrogenase reducing acetaldehyde to ethanol suggested that one mechanism of defense against the elevated concentration of toxic acetaldehyde could be its temporary reduction to ethanol. Esterase activity was inhibited by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, while β-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid had no inhibitor effect. From among metal ions, only Mg²⁺ and Fe²⁺ stimulated the cleavage of ester bond.     

Development of nuclease activity in cotyledons of Pisum sativum L.

Summary The RNA content of pea cotyledons shows little change during the first five days of germination at 22°C. From day five onwards there is a rapid net degradation of RNA, which continues until day thirteen. The DNA content of the cotyledons increases slightly during the first nine days of germination, after which there is a net decrease. Acid and alkaline ribonuclease activities increase markedly between day one and day five, and then decline between day five and day nine. There is a second increase in the activities of both enzymes from day nine onwards. Soluble deoxyribonuclease activity exhibits a single peak, seven days after the onset of germination. The first increase in acid ribonuclease activity is only partially inhibited by cycloheximide at concentrations which severely inhibit protein synthesis.     

Gas exchange of two CAM species of the genus Cissus (vitaceae) differing in morphological features

NADP-malate dehydrogenase extracted from darkened leaves of the C₃ plants pea, barley, wheat and spinach was activated by reduced glutathione, a monothiol, as well as by dithiothreitol (DTT). However, in the C₄ plants maize and Flaveria trinervia, only dithiothreitol could effectively activate the enzyme. There was no activation of the maize enzyme and little or no activation of the F. trinervia enzyme by glutathione. The failure of glutathione to activate NADP-MDH in leaf extracts of maize and F. trinervia may indicate there is some difference in disulfide groups of the protein compared to the C₃ plant enzyme. Both DTT and glutathione could activate NADP-malate dehydrogenase in a partially purified enzyme preparation from pea leaves with or without addition of partially purified thioredoxin. However, the required concentration of reductant was lower with addition of thioredoxin than in its absence. In extracts of C₃ species and the partially purified pea enzyme the level of activation after 40 to 60 min under aerobic conditions was higher (up to twofold) with DTT than with glutathione. Under anaerobic conditions, the initial rate of activation was about twice as high with DTT as with glutathione, but the total activation after 40 to 60 min was similar. Ascorbate was totally ineffective as a reducing agent in activating NADP-MDH from C₃ or C₄ plants, possibly due to its more positive redox potential.Abbreviations Chl Chlorophyll - DTT Dithiothreitol - GSH Reduced Glutathione - NADP-MDH NADP-malate Dehydrogenase     

Coimmobilization of lactate dehydrogenase and low molecular weight thiols on sepharose

Lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) and dithiothreitol (DTT) were coimmobilized on Sepharose activated with cyanogen bromide. It was demonstrated that addition of 10 mM DTT (but not 2-mercaptoethanol) during immobilization increased the enzyme specific activity 1.5-5-fold, depending on the initial extent of Sepharose activation by cyanogen bromide. The total activity increased two- to threefold. The lactate dehydrogenase preparations were rich in matrix-immobilized sulfhydryl groups (1.8-13.0 nmol per ml gel). The presence of DTT increased the stability of immobilized lactate dehydrogenase.