Protein trafficking to plastids: one theme, many variations

Plastids are a diverse group of essential organelles in plants that include chloroplasts. The biogenesis and maintenance of these organelles relies on the import of thousands of nucleus-encoded proteins. The complexity of plastid structure has resulted in the evolution of at least four general import pathways that target proteins into and across the double membrane of the plastid envelope. Several of these pathways can be further divided into specialty pathways that mediate and regulate the import of specific classes of proteins. The co-ordination of import by these specialized pathways with changes in gene expression is critical for plastid and plant development. Moreover, protein import is acutely regulated in response to physiological and metabolic changes within the cell. In the present review we summarize the current knowledge of the mechanism of import via these pathways and highlight the regulatory mechanisms that integrate the plastid protein-trafficking pathways with the developmental and metabolic state of the plant.     

Microbial community analysis of field-grown soybeans with different nodulation phenotypes

Microorganisms associated with the stems and roots of nonnodulated (Nod(-)), wild-type nodulated (Nod(+)), and hypernodulated (Nod(++)) soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merril] were analyzed by ribosomal intergenic transcribed spacer analysis (RISA) and automated RISA (ARISA). RISA of stem samples detected no bands specific to the nodulation phenotype, whereas RISA of root samples revealed differential bands for the nodulation phenotypes. Pseudomonas fluorescens was exclusively associated with Nod(+) soybean roots. Fusarium solani was stably associated with nodulated (Nod(+) and Nod(++)) roots and less abundant in Nod(-) soybeans, whereas the abundance of basidiomycetes was just the opposite. The phylogenetic analyses suggested that these basidiomycetous fungi might represent a root-associated group in the Auriculariales. Principal-component analysis of the ARISA results showed that there was no clear relationship between nodulation phenotype and bacterial community structure in the stem. In contrast, both the bacterial and fungal community structures in the roots were related to nodulation phenotype. The principal-component analysis further suggested that bacterial community structure in roots could be classified into three groups according to the nodulation phenotype (Nod(-), Nod(+), or Nod(++)). The analysis of root samples indicated that the microbial community in Nod(-) soybeans was more similar to that in Nod(++) soybeans than to that in Nod(+) soybeans.     

Production of bioactive compounds based on phylogeny in the genus Penicillium preserved at NBRC

Penicillium strains (n=394) preserved at NBRC (the NITE Biological Resource Center) were compared as to groupings (11 species-clusters) based on phylogeny and the production of bioactive compounds. The strains in two clusters, of which P. chrysogenum and P. citrinum are representative, showed higher rates of positive strains with multi-biological activities.     

Stabilization of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 receptor in the human leukemia cell line, HL-60, with diisopropylfluorophosphate

We have investigated the reason for the lack of specific 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 binding activity in extracts of ATCC HL-60 cells. Although intact ATCC HL-60 cells specifically and saturably take up 1,25-dihydroxy[3H]vitamin D-3, whole cell extracts have little or no specific binding of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3. The absence of specific binding can now be explained by the action of a serine proteinase in these cells. When diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), a potent inhibitor of serine proteinase, is added to the buffer used for extraction, specific binding of 1,25-dihydroxy[3H]vitamin D-3 in the extract is observed. The loss of specific binding could not be prevented by hydrolyzed DFP or other serine proteinase inhibitors, such as phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride, benzamidine and aprotinin. The proteolytic activity from ATCC cells also destroyed specific 1,25-dihydroxy[3H]vitamin D-3 binding in high-salt extracts from pig intestinal nuclei or from another HL-60 cell line (LG HL-60 cells). However, the proteinase did not affect the levels of the specific binding in these preparations if the receptor was occupied with 1,25-dihydroxy[3H]vitamin D-3 prior to exposure to the proteinase. The binding and sedimentation characteristics of the receptors from various sources were not changed by the presence of DFP. The Kd of the receptor in ATCC HL-60 cells is 1.2.10(-10) M, which is identical to that in the LG HL-60 cells. The 1,25-dihydroxy[3H]vitamin D-3 receptor complex from the ATCC cells sediments as a single 3.5 S component and elutes from DNA-Sephadex column in two peaks at 0.09 and 0.15 M KCl. The material eluting at 0.15 M KCl has the same DNA-binding activity as preparations from pig intestine or LG HL-60 cells. Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that monoclonal antibodies to the pig receptor, IVG8C11, quantitatively precipitate the 1,25-dihydroxy[3H]vitamin D-3-binding activity from ATCC HL-60 cells as well as that from LG HL-60 cells or pig intestinal nuclei. Therefore, the previous failure to demonstrate the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 receptor in ATCC HL-60 cells is because of the presence of a potent serine proteinase and not because of an abnormal or absent receptor.     

The involvement of protein kinase C in activation-induced cell death in T-cell hybridoma.

T-cell hybridoma activated by a variety of stimuli such as anti-cell surface antigen, notably CD3 and T-cell receptors, and Con A undergoes a cell lysis process called activation-induced cell death (AICD). It was found that the major protein kinase C (PKC) isoform in the 2B4.11 T-cell hybridoma, PKC(alpha), was translocated from the cytosolic to the particulate fraction when these hybridoma cells were induced to die by plastic-adsorbed anti-CD3 antibodies. Inhibitors of protein phosphorylation rescued 2B4.11 cells from AICD as determined by the analysis of cellular metabolism and the proportion of living cells. Furthermore, PKC(alpha) down-regulation by phorbol ester treatment abolished AICD, and the degree of PKC down-regulation correlated well with the degree of AICD abolishment, suggesting that PKC activation represents an essential step in the molecular mechanisms underlying AICD in this T-cell hybridoma.     

Inhibition of sparteine oxidation in human liver by tricyclic antidepressants and other drugs

Testing for competitive inhibition of sparteine oxidation in the 9000 × g supernatant fraction from human liver provides an in vitro means to identify drugs which can bind to the same form of cytochrome P450 which oxidizes sparteine. There has so far been only two outcomes of this test: either the drug examined competed with sparteine for a common binding site, or it did not inhibit the reaction. The results of such in vitro testing implicated the involvement of guanoxan, nortriptyline, desipramine, imipramine, amitriptyline and chlorpromazine with this enzyme. Amobarbital, tolbutamide and guanethidine in therapeutic concentrations did not interfere with sparteine oxidation by this preparation.     

Ultraweak photoemission from dark-adapted leaves and isolated chloroplasts

Dark-adapted isolated spinach chloroplasts and leaves, unlike sub-chloroplast fractions, are capable of emitting ultraweak light spontaneously (50-125 counts/s per cm2). The emission of leaves is due to two processes with activation energies of 97 and 25 kJ/mol while in isolated chloroplasts, it is the result of a single process (98 kJ/mol), as indicated by the Arrhenius plots of the intensity. Emission spectra demonstrate that the terminal step of these reactions is the excitation of chlorophyll in both samples. We suggest that the additional component in the ultraweak light emission of leaves may be related to mitochondria.     

Effects of active site residues of 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from pseudomonas sp. b-0831 on its catalysis and cofactor binding

We overexpressed and purified 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas sp. B-0831 (Ps3αHSD) and its mutants where the active site residues known as the SYK triad, Ser114, Tyr153, and Lys157, were mutated. Ps3αHSD catalyzes the reaction by using a nucleotide cofactor. The NADH binding affinity of K157A mutant was much lower than that of the wild-type, mainly due to loss of a hydrogen bond. The decreased affinity would result in decreased k_cat. Compared to the wild-type, the mutants S114A and Y153F showed higher K_m and lower k_cat values in both oxidation and reduction reactions. Simultaneous mutation of S114A and Y153F resulted in a significant decrease in k_cat relative to the single mutant. These results are supported by the notion that Tyr153 is a catalytic base and Ser114 would be a substitute. Loss of hydrogen bonding with NADH upon the Y153F mutation resulted in increased enthalpy change, partially compensated by increased entropy change.