从假根羽藻类囊体膜直接分离纯化主要捕光叶绿素a/b蛋白复合体

应用液相色谱层析技术从海生绿藻,即假根羽藻(Bryopsis corticulans Setch.)的类囊体膜直接分离纯化获得了主要捕光叶绿素a/b蛋白质复合体(LHCⅡ).类囊体膜提取物经3％n-Octyl-b-D-glucopyranoside去垢剂处理后,其中的LHCⅡ蛋白质获得与Q型阴离子交换层析柱的特异亲和力,因此LHCⅡ从类囊体膜中被高选择性分离出来.经过蔗糖密度梯度离心,获得了LHCⅡ单体、三聚体和聚集体.多肽组分的SDS-PAGE分析证明纯化获得的LHCⅡ单体、三聚体和寡聚体具有很高的纯度.该LHCⅡ制备物的吸收光谱也说明了其结构的完整性.首次提出了通过少数简单步骤从类囊体膜直接分离、纯化LHCⅡ是可以实现的.     

假根羽藻主要捕光叶绿素a/b-蛋白复合体的特性(英文)

应用阴离子交换和凝胶过滤层析技术,从假根羽藻(Bryopsis corticulans Setch. )类囊体膜中直接分离、纯化获得了主要叶绿素a/b-蛋白复合体(LHCⅡ)。经蔗糖密度梯度超速离心获得了该色素蛋白复合体的单体和三聚体。反相液相色谱的色素分析结果显示,假根羽藻LHCⅡ的色素组成含有叶绿素a、叶绿素b、新黄质、紫黄质和管藻素等。其单体的电子跃迁能谱与三聚体的相似。园二色光谱分析显示,在LHCⅡ脱辅基蛋白质上分别存在着很强的叶绿素a偶极子之间和叶绿素b偶极子之间的分子内相互作用,然而这些偶极子之间的分子间的相互作用在三聚体中得到明显增强。在能量传递方面,LHCⅡ单体有着与三聚体相似的从叶绿素b到叶绿素a以及从管藻素到叶绿素a的高效传能能力。实验结果表明,假根羽藻中LHCⅡ单体具有像三聚体那样可以高效发挥吸能和传能生理功能的色素组成形式。因此,这些单体可能是假根羽藻类囊体膜上具有功能作用的LHCⅡ的结构形式。     

假根羽藻主要捕光叶绿素a/b-蛋白复合体的特性

应用阴离子交换和凝胶过滤层析技术,从假根羽藻(Bryopsis corticulans Setch.)类囊体膜中直接分离、纯化获得了主要叶绿素a/b-蛋白复合体(LHCⅡ).经蔗糖密度梯度超速离心获得了该色素蛋白复合体的单体和三聚体.反相液相色谱的色素分析结果显示,假根羽藻LHCⅡ的色素组成含有叶绿素a、叶绿素b、新黄质、紫黄质和管藻素等.其单体的电子跃迁能谱与三聚体的相似.园二色光谱分析显示,在LHCⅡ脱辅基蛋白质上分别存在着很强的叶绿素a偶极子之间和叶绿素b偶极子之间的分子内相互作用,然而这些偶极子之间的分子间的相互作用在三聚体中得到明显增强.在能量传递方面,LHCⅡ单体有着与三聚体相似的从叶绿素b到叶绿素a以及从管藻素到叶绿素a的高效传能能力.实验结果表明,假根羽藻中LHCⅡ单体具有像三聚体那样可以高效发挥吸能和传能生理功能的色素组成形式.因此,这些单体可能是假根羽藻类囊体膜上具有功能作用的LHCⅡ的结构形式.     

捕光天线LHCⅡ的膜脂组成及PG在LHCⅡ 聚集中的作用

用去垢剂增溶及高速离心的方法,从菠菜类囊体膜中提取并纯化了光系统Ⅱ的捕光天线LHCⅡ异质三聚体。分析其膜脂组成和脂肪酸含量,发现其中磷脂酰甘油（PG）的含量特别高,是PSⅡ的两倍,而PG中含高达31.1%的反式十六碳一烯酸,采用特异作用于十六碳一烯酸链的磷脂酶A2（PLA2）消化PG和体外回加PG重组的方法证明,PLA2消化PG会引起LHCⅡ三聚体解聚为单体,使叶绿素b(Chlb）的吸收峰（475nm,655nm）和荧光激发峰（480nm）下降非常明显,而回加PG重组后,部分LHCⅡ单体又可重新聚集成三聚体。以上实验结果证明,PG及其反式十六碳一烯酸不仅在LHCⅡ三聚体的形成中具重要作用,而且还影响色素色子在LHCⅡ三聚体中的结合状态以及叶绿素b到叶绿素α的正常能量传递。     

冷害对黄瓜叶绿体类囊体膜的影响

研究了冷害温度(0℃,16h)对黄瓜(Cucumis sativus L.)叶绿体类囊体膜膜脂、膜蛋白成分的影响。在没有可见伤害症状的低温处理条件下,黄瓜叶片叶绿体类囊体膜膜脂成分已有变化,主要是磷脂酰甘油(PG)含量明显降低,但主要脂类成分单半乳糖基甘油二酯(MGDG)、双半乳糖基甘油二酯(DGDG)、硫代异鼠李糖甘油二酯(SQDC)和PG的脂肪酸组分没有明显的变化;类囊体膜上色素蛋白质复合体的变化以光系统Ⅱ捕光叶绿素a/b蛋白质(LHCⅡ)单体及寡聚体含量的变化最明显,低温处理使LHCⅡ单体比例增加。对提纯的LHCⅡ结合脂的分析表明,低温处理改变了LHCⅡ结合脂及其脂肪酸的组成,使PG含量降低。以上结果表明,LHCⅡ结合脂成分变化以及LHCⅡ寡聚体解聚可能是叶绿体类囊体膜受冷害的最初反应。     

不同聚集态LHCⅡ的组成及其光谱性质分析

不同聚集态的LHCⅡ在调节植物光能的吸收和传递上有重要意义. 用蔗糖密度梯度离心的方法从菠菜类囊体膜中分离出了LHCⅡ三聚体、二聚体和单体, 并分析了三者的多肽和色素组成, 以及吸收和荧光光谱特性. 结果表明, 它们都由分子量分别为29, 28和26 kD的3种多肽组成, 且结合有叶绿素a, 叶绿素b, 黄体素, 新黄素和紫黄素等5种色素, 但色素的含量各不相同. 三聚体中各色素的含量最多, 二聚体和单体中依次减少. 结构和组成的不同导致了功能的差异. 吸收及荧光光谱的分析结果显示, 三者在光能的吸收和传递效率上存在明显不同, 表现为三聚体 > 二聚体 > 单体, 推测植物体内3种聚集态LHCⅡ处在相互转换的动态平衡中, 并以此调节植物光能的吸收和传递, 从而适应光环境的变化.     

假根羽藻外周天线色素分子间能量传递

假根羽藻外周天线捕光色素蛋白复合物(L ight-harvesting Comp lex II,LHC II)在不同聚集态的情况下,它所包含色素分子间的能量传递是不同的。采用荧光发射光谱和激发光谱技术对不同聚集态(单体、三聚体和寡聚体)的LHC II进行研究,发现三聚体中色素分子间的能量传递效率比较高,单体要小一些。520 nm激发下,类胡萝卜素分子向叶绿素a分子的能量传递效率:三聚体约为64%、单体约为56%;650 nm激发下,叶绿素b分子向叶绿素a分子的能量传递效率:三聚体约为89%、单体约为78%。寡聚体的能量传递要复杂些,从光谱分析出它包含两种不同吸收光谱特性的叶绿素b分子,吸收峰分别为480 nm和468 nm,其中蓝区吸收峰为480 nm的叶绿素b分子向发射685 nm荧光的叶绿素a分子的能量传递效率要小于75%。     

叶绿体类囊体膜蛋白质磷酸酯酶

概述了植物蛋白质磷酸酯酶的研究现状,重点介绍了叶绿体类囊体膜蛋白质磷酸酯酶的分离、纯化、定位、影响酶活力的因子,以及酸在类囊体膜蛋白质磷酸化调节中表现出的多样性。     

抽薹期叶绿素缺乏油菜突变体类囊体膜的研究

以抽薹期野生型油菜和黄化突变体叶片为材料,分析了叶片和类囊体膜的不合色素组成、色素与蛋白相对含量;比较了类囊体膜光谱特性（室温吸收光谱、荧光光谱和圆二色谱）;用温和电泳、ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ分析了类囊体色素蛋白和多肽组成。结果显示：与野生型相比,突变体叶片的蛋白质含量不变,而Ｃhaa和Ｃhlb的含量均减少;突变体类囊体膜的Ｃhla/Chlb比值较高,Ｃhl/蛋白质比值较低,ＬＨＣⅡ色素蛋白复合物的单体和三聚体含量明显减少。突变体的天线系统相对较小、捕光效率较低。     

镉离子对菠菜叶绿体色素蛋白质复合物及激发能分配的影响

Cd~(2+)使叶绿体低温(77K)荧光发射光谱中 F686/F736及 F696/F736和激发光谱中F480/F436比值降低,说明 Cd~(2+)不利于激发能向 PSⅡ传递。SDS-PAGE 分析表明,Cd(2+)处理后叶绿体类囊体膜中光系统Ⅱ捕光叶绿素蛋白质复合物 LHCⅡ的部分寡聚体解聚成单体,且 LHCⅡ的总量也减少了。分析表明 Cd~(2+)使属于 LHCⅡ的多肽减少。已知LHCⅡ在光能吸收、传递以及激发能在两个光系统间的分配和调节方面起着重要作用,Cd~(2+)引起部分 LHCⅡ解聚和总量减少,必然导致由 LHCⅡ捕获和向光系统Ⅱ中心传递的能量减少。     

Heating of a Local Region of a Branching Streamer as a Starting Point of a Space Leader and a Negative-Leader Step

Plasma Physics Reports - Localized plasma formations called space leaders are observed in streamer coronas of negative leaders of long laboratory sparks. The main leader completes a step when the...     

Geminiviruses: a tale of a plasmid becoming a virus

Background  

Geminiviruses (family Geminiviridae) are small single-stranded (ss) DNA viruses infecting plants. Their virion morphology is unique in the known viral world – two incomplete T = 1 icosahedra are joined together to form twinned particles. Geminiviruses utilize a rolling-circle mode to replicate their genomes. A limited sequence similarity between the three conserved motifs of the rolling-circle replication initiation proteins (RCR Reps) of geminiviruses and plasmids of Gram-positive bacteria allowed Koonin and Ilyina to propose that geminiviruses descend from bacterial replicons.     

Effects of a disease affecting a predator on the dynamics of a predator-prey system

We study the effects of a disease affecting a predator on the dynamics of a predator-prey system. We couple an SIRS model applied to the predator population, to a Lotka-Volterra model. The SIRS model describes the spread of the disease in a predator population subdivided into susceptible, infected and removed individuals. The Lotka-Volterra model describes the predator-prey interactions. We consider two time scales, a fast one for the disease and a comparatively slow one for predator-prey interactions and for predator mortality. We use the classical “aggregation method” in order to obtain a reduced equivalent model. We show that there are two possible asymptotic behaviors: either the predator population dies out and the prey tends to its carrying capacity, or the predator and prey coexist. In this latter case, the predator population tends either to a “disease-free” or to a “disease-endemic” state. Moreover, the total predator density in the disease-endemic state is greater than the predator density in the “disease-free” equilibrium (DFE).     

Mechanisms of coexistence of a bacteria and a bacteriophage in a spatially homogeneous environment

When bacteriophage are added to laboratory bacteria populations, bacteria mutants that are resistant to the phage quickly dominate the population. The phage will only persist in the long‐term if there are sufficient bacteria in the population that show susceptibility to the phage. We investigated the mechanisms allowing for coexistence by adding the virulent bacteriophage φ6 to cultures of the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in a spatially homogeneous environment. We saw large differences between replicate cultures, in particular when one or both of the species persisted. These differences can be explained by variation in the timing of the appearance of various resistant phenotypes in the bacteria populations before the phage were added, which determines their relative frequencies within the populations. Although these resistant phenotypes have similar fitnesses in the presence and in the absence of the phage, they have a profound effect on the persistence of the phage. Our results give a clearer understanding of the ecological mechanisms that lead to the coexistence of bacteria and virulent phage in environments where there are no spatial refuges available to the bacteria population.     

Facile synthesis of a D-galactono-1,6-lactone derivative, a precursor of a copolyester

2,3,4,6-Tetra-O-methyl-d-galactonic acid (5) was readily prepared from d-galactono-1,4-lactone (1) in 47% yield. The sequence involves tritylation of HO-6 of 1, followed by O-permethylation and deprotection. Lactonization of 5 led to the per-O-methyl-d-galactono-1,6-lactone, which was copolymerized with epsilon-caprolactone by ring-opening polymerization catalyzed by scandium triflate. The incorporation of the sugar comonomer into the polyester chain was about 10%.     

Vegetation as a component of a non-nested hierarchy: a conceptual model

Abstract. A general conceptual model of vegetation based on hierarchy theory is presented. The model emphasizes that prediction of vegetation requires consideration of both mechanisms of vegetation change and the constraints within which it occurs. The mechanisms of vegetation change are the responses to and effects upon their surroundings of individual plants. The most general constraints upon vegetation are aspects of the environment not affected by vegetation over successional time, and the pool of species within dispersal range. Examples of such environmental factors include macroclimate and soil parent material. In some cases, vegetation may alter important labile environmental factors such as soil nutrient and water availability. Some vegetation compositions appear to be resistant to changes in the general constraints. Due to both sources, there are multiple possible vegetation compositions given the same general constraints. Disturbance is defined as an abrupt change in the constraints on the vegetation resulting in a change in the vegetation's state or dynamics. Both the recognition of disturbance and the distinction between independent and labile environmental factors depend on the spatial and temporal scale of observation. For example, a particular wildfire at a given stand may be a disturbance, whereas at a larger scale of observation the same event may contribute to the wildfire regime, part of the constraints at that scale. Similarly, levels of soil organic matter may constrain vegetation over short time scales, due to influencing availability of water and nutrients. Over long time scales, the vegetation itself is a primary determinant of soil organic matter content. This model contains elements of both the initial, holistic theory of vegetation and recent, reductionistic approaches. It reiterates the need to considerboth mechanisms and constraints, stressed by contemporary and earlier workers. Hierarchy theory provides new insights concerning sufficient conditions for prediction, possible limits on predictability, and appropriate research strategy.     

Characterization of a protease of a feather-degrading Microbacterium species

AIMS: To characterize a new feather-degrading bacterium. METHODS AND RESULTS: The strain kr10 producing a high keratinolytic activity when cultured on native feather broth was identified as Microbacterium sp., based on phenotypical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence. The bacterium presented optimum growth and feather-degrading activity at pH 7.0 and 30 degrees C. Complete feather degradation was achieved during cultivation. The keratinase was partially purified by gel filtration chromatography. It was optimally active at pH 7.0 and 55 degrees C. The enzyme was inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline, EDTA, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, 2-mercaptoethanol and metal ions like Hg(2+), Cu(2+) and Zn(2+). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: A new Microbacterium sp. strain was characterized presenting high feather-degrading activity, which appears to be associated to a metalloprotease-type keratinase. This micro-organism has enormous potential for use in biotechnological processes involving keratin hydrolysis.