Expression of an ABA-induced gene of tomato in transgenic tobacco during periods of water deficit

The gene le25 is an abscisic acid (ABA)-induced gene of tomatowhich is expressed both in wilted vegetative organs and developingseeds. Spatial and temporal expression was analysed in tobaccoplants transformed with a chimeric gene in which 5'-upstreamDNA sequences of le25 were fused to the E. coli uidA gene, whichencodes ß-glucuronidase (GUS). Histochemical stainingrevealed that GUS was expressed in all tissues of vegetativeorgans in response to water deficit. Exogenous ABA induced expressionto a lesser extent, even though ABA content was the same asdroughtstressed leaves, indicating a difference in responseto endogenous ABA compared to exogenous ABA. Water-deficit-inducedGUS expression in floral tissues was examined in pre-anthesisfloral buds from four different stages (I–IV; 11, 16,33, 49 mm bud length, respectively). While non-stressed floralorgans showed no GUS activity except in pollen at stages IIIand IV, GUS activity was water-deficit-induced in sepals ofall stages, petals of stage II, and stigmas of stage II andIII. In seeds, GUS activity was detected in both the embryoand endosperm at 15 d post-anthesis, which coincided with alarge increase in the concentration of ABA in the seed. In transgenicplants, the le25 5'-flanking DNA drove expression of GUS duringwater deficit in two modes: non-tissue-specific expression invegetative organs, and tissue-specific expression in reproductiveorgans. The location of GUS activity indicated that ABA concentrationis elevated throughout the tissues of the leaf during periodsof water deficit. Key words: Tomato, ABA, drought stress, lea gene, water deficit     

Preparation of O-phosphotyrosine-containing peptides by Fmoc solid-phase synthesis: Evaluation of several Fmoc-Tyr(PO3R2)-OH derivatives

Summary The synthesis of two model Tyr(P)-containing peptides using Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃ tBu₂)-OH, Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃Bzl₂)-OH and Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃H₂)-OH established that the t-butylphosphate-protected derivative was the preferred derivative for use in Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis, since it afforded phosphopeptides in high purity and with the lowest amount of Tyr-peptide contamination. In addition, this study confirmed that commercially available Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃H₂)-OH is also suitable for use in Fmoc solid-phase synthesis but gives less pure phosphopeptides, along with the generation of 1–4% of the tyrosine-containing peptide for the model sequences studied. In view of the good performance of Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃ tBu₂)-OH, a large-scale three-step synthetic procedure was developed which involved phenacyl protection of the carboxyl group, phosphite-triester phosphorylation of the tyrosyl hydroxyl using di-t-butyl N,N-diethylphosphoramidite, and final removal of the phenacyl group by zinc reduction in acetic acid.Abbreviations BOP benzotriazol-1-yl-oxy-tris(dimethylamino)phosphonium hexafluorophosphate - tBu t-butyl - Bzl benzyl - DBU 1,8-diazabicyclo[5,4,0]undec-7-ene - DMF N,N-dimethylformamide - EDT ethanedithiol - Fmoc 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl - HOBt N-hydroxybenzotriazole - HPLC high performance liquid chromatography - NMM N-methylmorpholine - Pac phenacyl - TFA trifluoroacetic acid - THF tetrahydrofuran - Tyr(P) O-phosphotyrosine     

Quantitative transfer of the molybdenum cofactor from xanthine oxidase and from sulphite oxidase to the deficient enzyme of the nit-1 mutant of Neurospora crassa to yield active nitrate reductase

An assay method is described for measurement of absolute concentrations of the molybdenum cofactor, based on complementation of the defective nitrate reductase ('apo nitrate reductase') in extracts of the nit-1 mutant of Neurospora crassa. A number of alternative methods are described for preparing, anaerobically, molybdenum-cofactor-containing solutions from sulphite oxidase, xanthine oxidase and desulpho xanthine oxidase. For assay, these were mixed with an excess of extract of the nit-1 mutant, incubated for 24 h at 3.5 degrees C then assayed for NADPH:nitrate reductase activity. In all cases, the specific activity of the molybdenum cofactor, expressed as mumol of NO2-formed/min per ng-atom of Mo added from the denatured molybdoenzyme , was 25 +/- 4, a value that agrees with the known catalytic activity of the nitrate reductase of wild-type Neurospora crassa. This indicates that, under our conditions, there was quantitative transfer of the molybdenum cofactor from denatured molybdoenzyme to yield fully active nitrate reductase. Comparable cofactor assay methods of previous workers, apparently indicating transfer efficiencies of at best a few per cent, have never excluded satisfactorily the possibility that cofactor activity arose, not from stoichiometric constituents of the molybdoenzymes , but from contaminants. The following factors were investigated separately in developing the assay:the efficiency of extraction of the cofactor from the original enzyme, the efficiency of the complementation reaction between cofactor and apo nitrate reductase, and the assay of the resultant nitrate reductase, which must be carried out under non-inhibitory conditions. Though the cofactor is unstable in air (t1/2 about 15 min at 3.5 degrees C), it is stable when kept anaerobic in the presence of sodium dithionite, in aqueous solution or in dimethyl sulphoxide (activity lost at the rate of about 3%/24 h at 20-25 degrees C). Studies of stabilities, and investigations of the effect of added molybdate on the assay, permit conclusions to be drawn about the ligation of molybdenum to the cofactor and about steps in incorporation of the cofactor into the apoenzyme. Though the development of nitrate reductase activity is slow at 3.5 degrees C (t1/2 1.5-3 h) the complementation reaction may be carried out in high yield, aerobically. This is ascribed to rapid formation of an air-stable but catalytically inactive complex of the cofactor, as a precursor of the active nitrate reductase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Kinetic and e.p.r. studies on the inhibition of xanthine oxidase by alloxanthine (1 H-pyrazolo [3, 4-d] pyrimidine-4,6-diol).

The inhibition by alloxanthine of oxidation of xanthine by xanthine oxidase is characterized by a prolonged transient phase. Kinetic data accord with a mechanism that involves rapid formation of a reduced enzyme-alloxanthine complex that subsequently undergoes a relatively slow-reversible reaction. In this scheme the slowly formed complex cannot be fully reoxidized by oxygen. From the Ki value for the dissociation of alloxanthine from the rapidly formed complex (1.15 microM) and values of 0.37 min-1 and 0.011 min-1 for the forward and reverse rate constants of the slow reaction, an overall inhibition constant for alloxanthine of 35 nM was calculated. A molybdenum (V) e.p.r. signal from the slowly formed reduced enzyme-alloxanthine complex is described. The rate of appearance of this new signal is consistent with this assignment. The signal (the "Alloxanthine signal") was simulated with g1 2,0269, g2 1,9593, g3 11.9444 and shows indications of hyperfine coupling to nitrogen. Similarities between it and the Very Rapid signal are discussed. Close structural analogies between the catalytic intermediate represented by the Very Rapid signal and the inhibitor complex represented by the Alloxanthine signal are suggested.     

Two new species of Enenterum Linton, 1910 (Digenea) in the marine fish Neoscorpis lithophilus (Kyphosidae) from the south-western Indian Ocean

Enenterum elsti sp. nov. and E. prudhoei sp. nov. are described from the intestine of Neoscorpis lithophilus off Mapelane, Natal, South Africa. These species differ from others of the genus Enenterum in the ratio of oral sucker to body-length and in the length of the prepharynx. E. elsti differs from E. prudhoei in size, in sucker-ratio and in the number and configuration of the oral lobes. A key to the species of Enenterum is presented and the status of the genus briefly discussed.     

Activity of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase in the liver of animals with experimental obesity.

Sodium-potassium dependent adenosinetriphosphate (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase (E.C.3.6.1.3.) is significantly lower in the liver of diabetes (db/db) and obese (ob/ob) mice but the activity of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (E.C.1.1.99.5.) was similar. Obese yellow mice and goldthioglucose obese mice showed no differences from lean controls in the activity of either enzyme. Treatment with triiodothyronine increased the activity of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in the liver from lean and diabetes (db/db) mice but the activity of the (Na⁺ + K⁺)-ATPase was only stimulated in the lean animals. Treatment with triiodothyronine increased the activity of both enzymes in the liver of the fatty (Zucker) rat.     

Electron-paramagnetic-resonance spectroscopy of complexes of xanthine oxidase with xanthine and uric acid.

Rat fibrinogen was purified from rat plasma by using lysine–Sepharose chromatography, repeated precipitation with 25%-satd. (NH₄)₂SO₄ and gel chromatography on Sepharose 6B. To minimize proteolytic activity, rats were injected intravenously with Trasylol before bleeding and the collected blood was treated with Trasylol and di-isopropyl phosphorofluoridate. A 95%-clottable preparation was obtained in 70–75% yield; it proved to be free of factor XIII and plasminogen. It showed a single band on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and on disc electrophoresis in 8m-urea. Alanine was the only detectable N-terminal amino acid. After reduction and modification of the thiol groups, the material could be separated into three distinct chains (Aα, Bβ and γ) by pore-limit polyacrylamide slab-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. The amino acid compositions of the whole fibrinogen and of the separated modified chains were determined. The molecular weights were 61000, 58000 and 51000 for Aα-, Bβ- and γ-chains respectively. Our results for the chains are in contrast with previous reports on rat fibrinogen [Bouma & Fuller (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 4678–4683; Stemberger & Jilek (1976) Thromb. Res. 9, 657–660], in which no separation between Aα- and Bβ-chains was achieved on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis for 3h. Evidence is presented that this is probably due to Aα-chain degradation as a result of incomplete inhibition of proteolytic enzymes during the purification. Complete inhibition of proteolytic activities is essential in all steps of the present purification procedure.