Performance of active Photosystem II centers in photoinhibited pea leaves

Effects of photoinhibition on photosynthesis in pea (Pisum sativum L.) leaves were investigated by studying the relationship between the severity of a photoinhibitory treatment (measured as F_v/F_m) and several photoacoustic and chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters. Because of the observed linear relationship between the decline of F_v/F_m and the potential oxygen evolution rate determined by the photoacoustic method, the parameter F_v/F_m was used as an indicator for the severity of photoinhibition. Our analysis revealed that part of the Photosystem II (PS II) reaction centers is inactive in oxygen evolution and is also less sensitive to photoinhibition. Correcting the parameter q_P (fraction of open PS II reaction centers) for inactive PS II centers unveiled a strong increase of q_P in severely inhibited pea leaves, indicating that the inactivated active centers do no longer contribute to q_P and that photoinhibition has an all or none effect on PS II centers. Analysis of q_E (energy quenching) demonstrated its initial increase possibly associated with dephosphorylation of LHC II. Analysis of q_I (photoinhibition dependent quenching) showed that the half-time of recovery of q_I increases steeply below an F_v/F_m of 0.65. This increase of the relaxation half-time corresponds with a decrease of the electron transport rate J and tentatively indicates that the supply of ATP, needed for the recovery, starts to decrease. The data indicate the necessity of correcting for inactive centers in order to make valuable conclusions about effects of photoinhibition on photosynthetic parameters.     

胜红蓟地上部化感作用物的分离与鉴定

 胜红蓟(Ageratum conyzoides)是华南地区的重要杂草,具有显著的化感作用。本文利用色谱和波谱技术对胜红蓟地上部化感活性成分进行分离和化学结构鉴定,得到两个化感作用物质：胜红蓟素(6,7—二甲氧基—2,2—二甲基色烯)和5,22—二烯—3β—豆甾醇。对这两个作用物的化感作用研究表明：胜红蓟素对受体幼苗生长有抑制作用,500×10-6处理对稗草生长达到完全抑制,对萝卜的抑制率也高达90％。浓度降到25×10-6对稗草和萝卜幼苗生长仍具有显著的抑制作用。     

Characterization of the complex interaction between the electron acceptor silicomolybdate and Photosystem II

Silicomolybdate (SiMo) and its effects on thylakoids have been characterized to evaluate its use as a probe for Photosystem II (PS II). It can accept electrons at two places in the electron transport chain: one at PS II and the other at PS I. In the presence of 1 M 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (DBMIB) only the site at PS II is available. It is suggested that SiMo must disp;ace bicarbonate from its binding site to be able to function as an electron acceptor. This displacement is non-competitive. The binding of SiMo is inhibited differentially by PS II inhibitors: dinoseb>ioxynil> diuron. This difference is determined by the different positions of the inhibitors within the Q_B binding niche and their interaction with bicarbonate. The experimental results show that the SiMo-binding niche is located between the parallel helices of the D1 and D2 proteins of PS II, close to the non-heme iron. We conclude that SiMo is an electron acceptor with unique characteristics useful as a probe of the acceptor side of PS II.     

Kinetics of the reactivation of the Hill reaction in CO2-depleted chloroplasts by addition of bicarbonate in the absence and in the presence of herbicides

In isolated broken chloroplasts photosynthetic electron transport requires the presence of CO₂ and/or bicarbonate. This bicarbonate effect on electron flow was measured in a medium containing 100 m M sodium formate. In this medium a dark incubation time with bicarbonate is required for the reactivation of the Hill reaction. We have measured the kinetics of the reactivation of electron flow by varying the dark incubation of CO₂-depIeted pea ( Pisum sativum L., cv. Rondo) chloroplasts with bicarbonate. The half-time of this reactivation appears to be 25 s when 2 m M bicarbonate is added.
The dinitrophenol herbicide, i -dinoseb, is shown to be a competitive inhibitor of the bicarbonate dependent Hill reaction with an inhibitor constant (K_i) of 31 n M . In the presence of 100 n M i-dinoseb or 100 n M DCMU the half-time of the reactivation by 2 m M bicarbonate appears to increase to about 58 s. We provide an explanation for these phenomena by analyzing the bicarbonate-thylakoid interaction on the basis of a simple reaction scheme. The binding of bicarbonate to the thylakoids appears to be a second order reaction with pseudo-first order kinetics. According to our analysis, any inhibitor, which is competitive with respect to the bicarbonate stimulation of the Hill reaction, should increase the half-time of the reactivation of the Hill reaction.     

Biochemical evidence for interaction between smoothelin and filamentous actin

The two major isoforms of smoothelin (A and B) contain a calponin homology (CH) domain, colocalize with alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in stress fibers and are only expressed in contractile smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Based on these findings, we hypothesized that smoothelins are involved in smooth muscle cell contraction, presumably via interaction with actin. The interaction between smoothelins and three different actin isoforms (alpha- and gamma-smooth muscle and alpha-skeletal actin [alpha-SKA]) was investigated using several in vitro assays. Smoothelin-B co-immunoprecipitated with alpha-smooth muscle actin from pig aorta extracts. In rat embryonic fibroblasts, transfected smoothelins-A and -B associated with stress fibers. In vitro dot blot assays, in which immobilized actin was overlaid with radio-labeled smoothelin, showed binding of smoothelin-A to actin filaments, but not to monomeric G-actin. A truncated smoothelin, containing the calponin homology domain, associated with stress fibers when transfected and bound to actin filaments in overlay, but to a lesser extent. ELISA results showed that the binding of smoothelin to actin has no significant isoform specificity. Our results indicate an interaction between smoothelin and actin filaments. Moreover, the calponin homology domain and its surrounding sequences appear to be sufficient to accomplish this interaction, although the presence of other domains is apparently necessary to facilitate and/or strengthen the binding to actin.     

丛枝菌根菌诱导植物抗病的内在机制

应用菌根真菌诱导植物抗病性是近年化学生态学和病害生物防治研究的热点．研究表明,丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)对土传病原物具有一定拮抗或抑制作用,能提高植物对土传病害的抗／耐病性．在菌根根际,各种菌群不断产生相互作用,AMF在其中起着抑制病原菌、促进有益菌生长的作用,可与其他桔抗菌结合,用做生防菌．AMF提高植物抗病性的机制还有这样几种假设：(1)植物营养得到改善;(2)竞争作用;(3)根系形态结构改变;(4)根际微生物区系变化;(5)诱导抗性及诱导系统抗性,即AMF侵染植物根系后,诱导植物体内酚酸类代谢产物增加,使植物产生局部或系统防御反应．深人研究AMF提高植物抗病性的机制,有助于正确理解菌根的抗病作用,使其能尽快地成为植物病害生物防治中的一种新方法,在生态农业中发挥作用。     

Familial longevity is characterized by high circadian rhythmicity of serum cholesterol in healthy elderly individuals

The biological clock, whose function deteriorates with increasing age, determines bodily circadian (i.e. 24h) rhythms, including that of cholesterol metabolism. Dampening of circadian rhythms has been associated with aging and disease. Therefore, we hypothesized that individuals with a familial predisposition for longevity have a higher amplitude circadian serum cholesterol concentration rhythm. The aim of this study was to investigate circadian rhythmicity of serum cholesterol concentrations in offspring of nonagenarian siblings and their partners. Offspring from nonagenarian siblings (n = 19), and their partners as controls (n = 18), were recruited from the Leiden Longevity Study. Participants (mean age 65 years) were studied in a controlled in‐hospital setting over a 24‐h period, receiving three isocaloric meals at 9:00 h, 12:00 h and 18:00 h. Lights were off between 23:00 h and 8:00 h. Serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDL‐C), non‐HDL‐C and triglycerides (TG) were determined every 30 min over a 24‐h period. Serum TC concentrations were higher during day than during night in offspring (5.2 vs. 4.7 mm , P < 0.001) and in controls (5.3 vs. 5.0 mm , P < 0.001). The difference in TC concentrations between day and night tended to be greater in offspring than in controls (0.5 vs. 0.3 mm , P = 0.109), reaching statistical significance in females (P = 0.045). Notably, the day–night serum differences in non‐HDL‐C were twofold greater in offspring than in controls (0.43 vs. 0.21 mm , P = 0.044) and most explicit in females (0.53 vs. 0.22, P = 0.078). We conclude that familial longevity is characterized by a high circadian rhythmicity of non‐HDL‐C in healthy elderly offspring from nonagenarian siblings.     

茉莉酸介导丛枝菌根真菌诱导番茄抗早疫病的机制

丛枝菌根真菌的定殖可以提高寄主植物的抗病性,但机制并不十分清楚。利用番茄茉莉酸信号转导途径前系统素过表达材料35S::PS、茉莉酸合成突变体spr2、茉莉酸信号识别突变体jai1及其野生型CM 4个不同基因型材料,分别在根系接种丛枝菌根真菌摩西斗管囊霉(Funneliformis mosseae, Fm),待菌根形成后,在叶片外源喷施10 mL 0.5μmol/L茉莉酸甲酯(MeJA)和接种番茄早疫病病原菌(Alternaria solani, As),比较不同基因型抗病防御反应以及对早疫病抗性的差异。结果表明:预先接种菌根真菌的CM和35S::PS番茄,在叶片接种病菌5 d和10 d后,其叶片中过氧化物酶(POD)、多酚氧化酶(PPO)和脂氧合酶(LOX)活性以及丙二烯氧化物环化酶基因(AOC)和茉莉酸信号受体基因(COI1)的转录水平显著高于只接种早疫病菌的处理、只接种菌根菌的处理以及未进行任何处理的健康植株,其早疫病发病率和病情指数也显著降低;外源喷施MeJA可增强预先接种菌根菌的CM和35S::PS番茄植抵抗早疫病的能力。与此同时,对预先接种菌根菌的spr2番茄外源喷施MeJA后接种早疫病菌,其酶活性和基因转录水平显著高于其他4个处理,发病率和病情指数也明显降低。然而,对jai1番茄进行MeJA处理不能增强其防御反应和抗病性。可见,丛枝菌根真菌侵染诱导番茄抗早疫病是与茉莉酸信号途径密切相关的。     

Evaluation of effect of measures taken after a DON outbreak

In April 1999 an amount of 2600 μg/kg DON was found in a sample breakfast cereals in the Netherlands. This event was the start of a lot of activities, which dealt with the prevention, control, health and consumer aspects of DON in food for human consumption. The Food Inspection Services started a monitoring program to measure DON in cereal products, flour and raw cereals. The National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, another part of the Ministry of Health in the Netherlands, was asked to carry out a risk analysis on DON. This was the basis for the Minister of Health to set an action limit for consumer products. She also informed Brussels and asked for a European limit. The Main Board on Agriculture set out to implement measures to be taken at harvesting, milling and bread baking industry. The Scientific Committee on Food of the EC expressed an opinion on DON in December 1999. Worldwide attention leads to discussion of a DON limit by JECFA in February 2001.In the period may 1999 until march 2002 a number of more than 1700 samples were analysed on DON. These originated from the cereal harvest of the years 1998 until 2001. The results showed a sharp decrease of DON content in samples of harvest 1999 when compared to 1998. This lower level was maintained in the 2000 and 2001 harvests. Apparently the measures taken to control the DON level succeeded to maintain values below the action limits. Despite these activities a smaller outbreak of DON appeared in 2001 in pasta products at a lower extent. This indicated that control should be done systematically, not sporadically, and at a European level, which is made possible since EC has set a limit in July 2000. Analytical results of the measurements are presented, together with the chronological order of the associated activities of national, EU and worldwide bodies on human health control. Special attention is paid to DON in bread, related to the level in flour.     

Effect of plasma triglyceride metabolism on lipid storage in adipose tissue: Studies using genetically engineered mouse models

The obesity epidemic is associated with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular morbidity and various types of cancer. A better insight into the molecular mechanisms that underlie adipogenesis and obesity may result in novel therapeutic handles to fight obesity and these associated diseases. Adipogenesis is determined by the balance between uptake of fatty acids (FA) from plasma into adipocytes, intracellular FA oxidation versus esterification of FA into triglycerides (TG), lipolysis of TG by intracellular lipases, and secretion of FA from adipocytes. Here, we review the mechanisms that are specifically involved in the entry of FA into adipose tissue. In plasma, these originating FA are either present as TG within apoB-containing lipoproteins (i.e. chylomicrons and VLDL) or as free FA bound to albumin. Kinetic studies, however, have revealed that TG are the major source of FA entering adipose tissue, both in the fed and fasted condition. In fact, studies with genetically engineered mice have revealed that the activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a major determinant for the development of obesity. As a general rule, high fat diet-induced adipogenesis is aggravated by stimulated LPL activity (e.g. by adipose tissue-specific overexpression of LPL or deficiency for apoCIII), and attenuated by inhibited LPL activity (e.g. by adipose-specific deficiency for LPL, overexpression of apoCI or angptl4, or by deficiency for apoE or the VLDL receptor). In addition, we describe that the trans-membrane transport of FA and cytoplasmic binding of FA in adipocytes can also dramatically affect adipogenesis. The relevance of these findings for human pathophysiology is discussed.