Thermodynamics of the charge recombination in photosystem II

The temperature dependence of the electric field-induced chlorophyll luminescence in photosystem II was studied in Tris-washed, osmotically swollen spinach chloroplasts (blebs). The system II reaction centers were brought in the state Z⁺P⁺-Q_A ^-Q_B ^- by preillumination and the charge recombination to the state Z⁺PQ_AQ_B ^- was measured at various temperatures and electrical field strengths. It was found that the activation enthalpy of this back reaction was 0.16 eV in the absence of an electrical field and diminished with increasing field strength. It is argued that this energy is the enthalpy difference between the states IQ_A ^- and I^-Q_A and accounts for about half of the free energy difference between these states. The redox state of Q_B does not influence this free energy difference within 150 s after the photoreduction of Q_A. The consequences for the interpretation of thermodynamic properties of Q_A are discussed.Abbreviations DCMU 3(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea - I intermediary electron acceptor - Mops 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulphonic acid - P (P₆₈₀) primary electron donor - PS II photosystem II - Q_A and Q_B first and second quinone electron acceptors - Tricine N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methylglycine - Tris tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane - Z secondary electron donor Dedicated to Professor L.N.M. Duysens on the occasion of his retirement     

Detection of rapid induction kinetics with a new type of high-frequency modulated chlorophyll fluorometer

A newly developed modulation fluorometer is described which operates with 1 sec light pulses from a light-emitting diode (LED) at 100 KHz. Special amplification circuits assure a highly selective recording of pulse fluorescence signals against a vast background of non-modulated light. The system tolerates ratios of up to 1:10⁷ between measuring light and actinic light. Thus it is possible to measure the dark fluorescence yield and record the kinetics of light-induced changes. A high time resolution allows the recording of the rapid relaxation kinetic following a saturating single turnover flash. Examples of system performance are given. It is shown that following a flash the reoxidation kinetics of photosystem II acceptors are slowed down not only by the inhibitor DCMU, but by a number of other treatments as well. From a light intensity dependency of the induction kinetics the existence of two saturated intermediate levels (I₁ and I₂) is apparent, which indicates the removal of three distinct types of fluorescence quenching in the overall fluorescence rise from F₀ to F_max.Abbreviations Q_A and Q_B consecutive electron acceptors of photosystem II - PS II photosystem II - P 680 reaction center chlorophyll of photosystem II - F₀ minimum fluorescence yield following dark adaptation - F_max maximum fluorescence yield - DCMU 3-(3, 4-dichlorophenyl)-1, 1-dimethyl-urea - DCCD N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide - PQ plastoquinone - DAD diaminodurene Dedicated to Prof. L.N.M. Duysens on the occasion of his retirement.     

Enterotoxin A production in Staphylococcus aureus: inhibition by glucose

In this study, we investigated the relationship between carbohydrate metabolism and repression of staphylococcus enterotoxin A (SEA) in Staphylococcus aureus 196E and a pleiotrophic mutant derived from strain 196E. The mutant, designated at strain 196E-MA, lacked a functional phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system (PTS). The mutant produced acid, under aerobic conditions, from only glucose and glycerol. The parent strain contained an active PTS, and aerobically produced acid from a large number of carbohydrates. Prior growth in glucose led to repression of SEA synthesis in the parent strain; addition to the casamino acids enterotoxin production medium (CAS) led to more severe repression of toxin synthesis. The repression was not related to pH decreases produced by glucose metabolism. When S. aureus 196E was grown in the absence of glucose, there was inhibition of toxin production as glucose level was increased in CAS. The inhibition was related to pH decrease and was unlike the repression observed with glucose-grown strain 196E. The inhibition of SEA synthesis in mutant strain 196E-MA was approximately the same in cells grown with or without glucose and was pH related. Repression of SEA synthesis similar to that seen with glucose-grown S. aureus 196E could not be demonstrated in the mutant. In addition, glucose-grown S. aureus 196E neither synthesized -galactosidase nor showed respiratory activity with certain tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle compounds. Glucose-grown strain 196E-MA, however, did not show supressed respiration of TCA cycle compounds; -galactosidase was not synthesized because the mutant lacked a functional PTS. Cyclic adenosine-3, 5-monophosphate did not reverse the repression by glucose of SEA or -galactosidase synthesis in glucose-grown S. aureus 196E. An active PTS appears to be necessary to demonstrate glucose (catabolite) repression in S. aureus.Abbreviations SEA staphylococcal enterotoxin A - SEB staphylococcal enterotoxin B - SEC staphylococcal enterotoxin C - PTS phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system - CAS casamino acids salts medium - TCA tricarboxylic acid cycle     

Fed-batch culture technology

The use of fed-batch procedures offers distinct advantages over other modes of operation of bioreactors, and is a widely researched technique. These advantages are discussed; some uses of fed-batch procedures and the associated methods of modelling and control are reviewed.     

Maternal-effect mutations altering the anterior-posterior pattern of the Drosophila embryo

Summary Mutations in seven different maternal-effect loci on the second chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster all cause alterations in the anterior-posterior pattern of the embryo. Mutations in torso (tor) and trunk (trk) delete the anterior- and posterior-most structures of the embryo. At the same time they shift cellular fates which are normally found in the subterminal regions of the embryo towards the poles. Mutations in vasa (vas), valois (vls), staufen (stau) and tudor (tud) cause two embryonic defects. For one they result in absence of polar plasm, polar granules and pole cells in all eggs produced by mutant females. Secondly, embryos developing inside such eggs show deletions of abdominal segments. In addition, embryos derived from staufen mothers lack anterior head structures, embryos derived from valois mothers frequently fail to cellularize properly. Mutations in exuperantia (exu) cause deletions of anterior head structures, similar to torso, trunk and staufen. However in exu, these head structures are replaced by an inverted posterior end which comprises posterior midgut, proctodeal region, and often malpighian tubules.The effects of all mutations can be traced back to the beginning stages of gastrulation, indicating that the alterations in cellular fates have probably taken place by that time. Analysis of embryos derived from double mutant mothers suggests that these three phenotypic groups of mutants interfere with three different, independent pathways. All three pathways seem to act additively on the system which specifies anterior-posterior cellular fates within the egg.     

Studies on the lack of cooperativity in the melting of lipid bilayers

The gel-to-fluid first-order melting transition of lipid bilayers is simulated by the use of a microscopic interaction model which includes a variable number of lipid-chain conformational states. The results suggest that the experimental observation of ‘continuous melting’ in pure wet lipid bilayers, rather than being ascribed to the presence of impurities, may be explained as a result of kinetically caused metastability of intermediate lipid-chain conformations.     

Changes induced by hydrazine in optical spectra of cytochrome oxidase

Casein kinase-TS (Ck-TS), a type-2 casein kinase purified from rat liver cytosol which phosphorylates seryl and threonyl residues N-terminal to acidic clusters, is specifically inhibited by polyglutamyl peptides which are ineffective both on type-1 casein kinase and on cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The inhibition is competitive toward the protein substrate and non-competitive toward ATP. Among the polyglutamates tested (Glu)70 is the most effective (Ki 0.11 microM). (Glu)10 and (Glu)5 are also inhibitors, though less powerful than (Glu)70, while (Glu)3, (Glu)2 and free glutamic acid up to 5 mM are ineffective. These results disclose the possibility that naturally occurring polypeptides containing long stretches of acidic residues may act as physiological inhibitors of type-2 casein kinases.     

Philomena oncorhynchi: Effect of hormones on maturation in anadromous sockeye, Oncorhynchus nerka

Adult sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum), treated with salmon pituitary extract in July survived for up to 47 days and developed nuptial colours in both male and female fish during this period, whereas no such characteristics appeared in untreated control fish. Furthermore, results showed that 20 of 50 adult female Philomena oncorhynchi recovered from the 15 treated fish contained fully developed tailed larvae in the uterus as compared with only one of 44 female P. oncorhynchi from 31 untreated control fish. None of 51 worms from 13 stilboestrol treated adult sockeye showed development in utero beyond an elongated embryo, nor did the host fish develop nuptial colours. P. oncorhynchi and its immature sockeye host (approx. 1 year prior to spawning) remained unaffected by any of three separate hormone treatment experiments using injection of salmon pituitary extract, injection of 17-β-estradiol, and stilboestrol mixed in the food.     

The enzymatic determination of bicarbonate and CO2 in reagents and buffer solutions

A method for the determination of bicarbonate in buffer solutions between pH 7.5 and 8.75 and in stock solutions of NaHCO3 is described. The HCO-3 is reacted with phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) in the presence of PEP carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31) and the oxaloacetate formed reduced to malate by NADH in the reaction catalyzed by malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37). The extent of oxidation of NADH is measured spectrophotometrically. Experiments using standard solutions show that 1 mol of NADH is oxidized per mol of HCO-3 added. The method was used to establish the precautions needed to prepare buffer solutions containing less than 1% of the bicarbonate which would be present in the same buffers in equilibrium with air.     

Photochemical changes of fluorescent probes in membranes and their effect on the observed fluorescence anisotropy values

The fluorescence intensity of diphenylhexatriene (DPH) and of trimethylammonium-diphenylhexatriene (TMA-DPH) is measured when these probes are embedded in vesicles of dipalmitoyl- and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC and DOPC), in mixtures of these vesicles as well as in vesicles of the mixed phospholipids, in trout intestinal brush border membranes and in mitoplasts of rat liver cells. The intensity in DOPC vesicles is found to be significantly higher than in DPPC vesicles. When these systems are irradiated with strong ultraviolet light radiation, a decrease in the fluorescence intensity is observed; this effect is much stronger in DOPC than in DPPC vesicles. The fluorescence anisotropy values in the mixture of vesicles as well as in the membranes show an initial increase with irradiation which is followed by a significant decrease. A transfer of DPH molecules between DPPC and DOPC vesicles is observed. For TMA-DPH this transfer takes place only from DPPC to DOPC vesicles, but not vice-versa. These results are related to intensity and anisotropy measurements of these probes in cell cultures.