Do polyamines contribute to plant cell wall assembly by forming amide bonds with pectins?

Two new reducing glycoconjugates [N-D-galacturonoyl-putrescinamide (GalA-Put) and N,N'-di-D-galacturonoyl-putrescinamide (GalA-Put-GalA)] and homogalacturonan-putrescine (GalAn-Put) conjugates were synthesised as model compounds representing possible amide (isopeptide) linkage points between a polyamine and either one or two pectic galacturonate residues. The amide bond(s) were stable to cold acid and alkali (2M TFA and 0.1M NaOH at 25 degrees C) but rapidly hydrolysed by these agents at 100 degrees C. The amide bond(s) were resistant to Driselase and to all proteinases tested, although Driselase digested GalAn-Put, releasing fragments such as GalA3-Put-GalA3. To trace the possible formation of GalA-polyamine amide bonds in vivo, we fed Arabidopsis and rose cell-cultures and chickpea internodes with [14C]Put. About 20% of the 14C taken up was released as 14CO2, indicating some catabolism. An additional approximately 73% of the 14C taken up (in Arabidopsis), or approximately 21% (in rose), became ethanol-insoluble, superficially suggestive of polysaccharide-Put covalent bonding. However, much of the ethanol-inextractable 14C was subsequently extractable by acidified phenol or by cold 1M TFA. The small proportion of radioactive material that stayed insoluble in both phenol and TFA was hydrolysable by Driselase or hot 6M HCl, yielding 14C-oligopeptides and/or amino acids (including Asp, Glu, Gly, Ala and Val); no free 14C-polyamines were released by hot HCl. We conclude that if pectin-polyamine amide bonds are present, they are a very minor component of the cell walls of cultured rose and Arabidopsis cells and chickpea internodes.     

Characteristics of the Quenching of 9-Aminoacridine Fluorescence by Liposomes Made from Plant Lipids

Several laboratories have determined the surface charge density of membranes utilizing methods based on vesicle-induced quenching of the fluorescence of 9-aminoacridine and its relief by other cations. However, the computational methods by which surface charge density were calculated have not been verified in a model system. In this study, the quenching of 9-aminoacridine fluorescence by liposomes made from varying amounts of digalactosyldiacylglyceride and phosphatidic acid and relief of quenching by salts was examined. Quenching of 9-aminoacridine fluorescence increased with increasing amounts of phosphatidic acid added, independent of the composition of the added liposomes. In certain instances, the computational methods did not yield the surface charge density of the liposomes expected from their composition. However, when the effects of background ionic strength on surface potential were considered, there was a positive correlation between expected and calculated values. Therefore, the data support the contention that changes in the fluorescence of 9-aminoacridine can be used to calculate surface charge density of membranes. Received: 29 November 1999/Revised: 31 July 2000     

Sulfate anion stabilization of native ribonuclease A both by anion binding and by the Hofmeister effect

Data are reported for T(m), the temperature midpoint of the thermal unfolding curve, of ribonuclease A, versus pH (range 2-9) and salt concentration (range 0-1 M) for two salts, Na(2)SO(4) and NaCl. The results show stabilization by sulfate via anion-specific binding in the concentration range 0-0.1 M and via the Hofmeister effect in the concentration range 0.1-1.0 M. The increase in T(m) caused by anion binding at 0.1 M sulfate is 20 degrees at pH 2 but only 1 degree at pH 9, where the net proton charge on the protein is near 0. The 10 degrees increase in T(m) between 0.1 and 1.0 M Na(2)SO(4), caused by the Hofmeister effect, is independent of pH. A striking property of the NaCl results is the absence of any significant stabilization by 0.1 M NaCl, which indicates that any Debye screening is small. pH-dependent stabilization is produced by 1 M NaCl: the increase in T(m) between 0 and 1.0 M is 14 degrees at pH 2 but only 1 degree at pH 9. The 14 degree increase at pH 2 may result from anion binding or from both binding and Debye screening. Taken together, the results for Na(2)SO(4) and NaCl show that native ribonuclease A is stabilized at low pH in the same manner as molten globule forms of cytochrome c and apomyoglobin, which are stabilized at low pH by low concentrations of sulfate but only by high concentrations of chloride.     

Redox control in heme proteins: electrostatic substitution in the active site of leghemoglobin

The effects of electrostatic substitutions on the spectroscopic, ligand binding, and redox properties of the heme in leghemoglobin have been examined by replacement of the proximal leucine 88 residue with an aspartic acid residue (Leu88Asp). Electronic and resonance Raman spectra of the ferric derivative of Leu88Asp indicate a mixture of 6-coordinate, high-spin and 6-coordinate, low-spin hemes, analogous to that observed in the recombinant wild-type protein (rLb). At alkaline pH, formation of hydroxide-bound heme is indicated for Leu88Asp; the pK(a) for this transition (8.7 +/- 0.2, micro = 0.10 M, 25.0 degrees C) is 0.4 pH units higher than for rLb. Equilibrium dissociation constants (sodium phosphate, pH 7.0, micro = 0.10 M, 25.0 +/- 0.1 degrees C) for binding of anionic ligands (N(-)(3), nicotinate) to Leu88Asp are higher (K(d,nicotinate) = 6.8 +/- 0.2 microM; K(d,azide) = 33 +/- 0.6 microM) than the corresponding values for rLb (K(d,nicotinate) = 1.4 +/- 0.3 microM (pH 5.5, micro = 0.10 M, 25.0 +/- 0.1 degrees C); K(d,azide) = 4.8 +/- 0.2 microM). Resonance Raman spectra (sodium phosphate, pH 7.0, micro = 0.10 M) for the ferrous derivatives of Leu88Asp and rLb exhibit a strong nu(Fe-His) stretching frequency at 223 cm(-1) in both cases, indicating that the hydrogen bonding structure on the proximal side is not substantially altered in the variant. The reduction potential of Leu88Asp is -14 +/- 2 mV vs standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) (25.0 degrees C, micro = 0.10 M, pH 7.0), a decrease of 35 mV over the corresponding value for the wild-type protein under the same conditions (21 +/- 3 mV vs SHE). An assessment of these data in terms of electrostatic and hydrogen bonding considerations is presented.     

The size effect to O2−–Ce4+ charge transfer emission and band gap structure of Sr2CeO4

Sr₂CeO₄ phosphors with different crystalline sizes were synthesized by the sol–gel method or the solid‐state reaction. Their crystalline size, luminescence intensity of O^2??Ce⁴⁺ charge transfer and energy gaps were obtained through the characterization by X‐ray diffraction, photoluminescence spectra, as well as UV–visible diffuse reflectance measurements. An inverse relationship between photoluminescence (PL) spectra and crystalline size was observed when the heating temperature was from 1000°C to 1300°C. In addition, band energy calculated for all samples showed that a reaction temperature of 1200°C for the solid‐state method and 1100°C for sol–gel method gave the largest values, which corresponded with the smallest crystalline size. Correlation between PL intensity and crystalline size showed an inverse relationship. Band structure, density of states and partial density of states of the crystal were calculated to analyze the mechanism using the cambrige sequential total energy package (CASTEP) module integrated with Materials Studio software.     

Critical evaluation of electron transfer kinetics in P700–FA/FB, P700–FX, and P700–A1 Photosystem I core complexes in liquid and in trehalose glass

This work aims to fully elucidate the effects of a trehalose glassy matrix on electron transfer reactions in cyanobacterial Photosystem I (PS I). Forward and backward electron transfer rates from A_1A^? and A_1B^? to F_X, and charge recombination rates from A₀^?, A_1B^?, A_1A^?, F_X^?, and [F_A/F_B]^? to P₇₀₀⁺ were measured in P₇₀₀–F_A/F_B complexes, P₇₀₀–F_X cores, and P₇₀₀–A₁ cores, both in liquid and in a trehalose glassy matrix at 11% humidity. By comparing CONTIN-resolved kinetic events over 6 orders of time in increasingly simplified versions of PS I at 480?nm, a wavelength that reports primarily A_1A^?/A_1B^? oxidation, and over 9 orders of time at 830?nm, a wavelength that reports P₇₀₀⁺ reduction and A₀^? oxidation, assignments could be made for nearly all of the resolved kinetic phases. Trehalose-embedded PS I samples demonstrated partially arrested forward electron transfer. The fractions of complexes in which electron transfer did not proceed beyond A₀, A₁ and F_X were 53%, 16% and 22%, respectively, with only 10% of electrons reaching the terminal F_A/F_B clusters. The ~10?μs and ~150?μs components in both liquid and trehalose-embedded PS I were assigned to recombination between A_1B^? and P₇₀₀⁺ and between A_1A^? and P₇₀₀⁺, respectively. The kinetics and amplitudes of these resolved kinetic phases in liquid and trehalose-embedded PS I samples could be well-fitted by a kinetic model that allowed us to calculate the asymmetrical contribution of the A_1A^? and A_1B^? quinones to the electrochromic signal at 480?nm. Possible reasons for these effects are discussed.     

Conformational response to charge clustering in synthetic intrinsically disordered proteins

Background

Recent theoretical and computational studies have shown that the charge content and, most importantly, the linear distribution of opposite charges are major determinants of conformational properties of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Charge segregation in a sequence can be measured through κ, which represents a normalized measure of charge asymmetry. A strong inverse correlation between κ and radius of gyration has been previously demonstrated for two independent sets of permutated IDP sequences.

Glutaraldehyde fixation preserves the permeability properties of the ADH-induced water channels

Summary Unidirectional and net water movements were determined, in frog urinary bladders, before and after glutraldehyde fixation. Experiments were performed in three experimental conditions: 1) in nonstimulated preparations, 2) after the action of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and 3) in nonstimulated preparations to which amphotericin B was incorporated from the luminal bath. As previously observed for net water fluxes, the increase in the unidirectional water movement induced by ADH was well preserved by glutaraldehyde fixation. After correction for the effects of unstirred layers and nonosmotic pathways, the observed correlation between the ADH-induced increases in the osmotic (Pf) and diffusional (Pd) permeability coefficients was not modified by the fixative action (before glutaraldehyde: slope 11.19,r:0.87±0.07;n=12; after glutaraldehyde: slope 10.67,r:0.86±0.04,n=39). In the case of amphotericin B, Pf/Pd=3.08 (r: 0.83±0.08), a value similar to that observed in lipid bilayers or in nonfixed toad urinary bladders. It is concluded that 1) The experimental approach previously employed to study water channels in artificial lipid membranes and in amphibian urinary bladders, can be applied to the glutaraldehyde-fixed frog urinary bladder. 2) Glutaraldehyde fixation does not modify the permeability properties of the ADH-induced water channels. 3) Any contribution of exo-endocytic processes or cell regulatory mechanisms to the observed permeability parameters can probably be excluded. 4) Glutaraldehyde-fixed preparations are a good model to characterize these water pathways.     

Changes in adenine-nucleotide content in the apical bud of Sinapis alba L. during floral transition

The total adenylate pool of the apical buds of vegetative plants of Sinapis alba L. continuously grown in short days fluctuates over a 24-h cycle with the minimum occurring at the end of the dark period. In the buds of plants induced to flower by a single long-day treatment, total adenylate pool increases above the control level 16 h after the start of the long day, resulting mainly from a rise in ATP and ADP contents. This occurs 6 h after the increase in the soluble carbohydrate content previously shown to occur in the apical buds of plants induced to flower (Bodson 1977, Planta 135, 19–23). A transient rise of the energy charge occurs 22 h after the start of the inductive long day.Abbreviations LD long day - SD short day     

Energy metabolism in Streptococcus cremoris during lactose starvation

The ATP pool of Streptococcus cremoris in a lactose-limited chemostat depletes rapidly when lactose is consumed. The decrease of the intracellular ATP concentration parallels the dissipation of the electrochemical proton gradient. The adenylate energy charge of growing cells is 0.8 but drops rapidly to 0.2 when the cells enter the starvation phase.One of the early events of lactose starvation is a rapid increase of the pools of phosphoenolpyruvate and inorganic phosphate. The accumulation of phosphoenolpyruvate is temporarily and levels off at a much lower value than in growing cells; the accumulation of phosphate is of a more permanent nature. Despite the low PEP concentration starved cells are, after 24 h of incubation in the absence of lactose, still able to take up lactose, to synthesize ATP and to generate quickly an electrochemical proton gradient.Abbreviations PEP phosphoenolpyruvate Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Gerhart Drews on the occasion of his 60th birthday