Studies on PVP hydrogel-supported luminol chemiluminescence: 2. Luminometer calibration and potential analytical applications.

The use of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) hydrogel-supported luminol chemiluminescence (CL) for the automatic determination of hydrogen peroxide and the quantification of the antiradical capacity of Trolox is described. The hydrogel containing luminol and hemin is prepared directly on a 96-well microplate and can be stored for up to 3 months without significant decrease in CL quantum yields. Furthermore, this system can also be used as a secondary light standard for the calibration of microplate luminometers.     

Photoadaptation in the Green Alga Spongiochloris Sp. A Three-Fluorometer Study

The dark-adapted cells of the green alga Spongiochloris sp. were exposed to "white light" of 1000 μmol(photon) m⁻² s⁻¹ for 2 h and then dark adapted for 1.5 h. Changes of photochemical activities during photoadaptation were followed by measurement of chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence kinetics, 77 K emission spectra, photosynthetic oxygen evolution, and pigment composition. We observed a build-up of slowly-relaxing non-photochemical quenching which led to a decrease of the F_v/F_m parameter and the connectivity. In contrast to the depression of F_v/F_m (35 %) and the rise of non-photochemical quenching (∼ 1.6), we observed an increase in effective absorption cross-section (20 %), Hill reaction (30 %), photosynthetic oxygen evolution (80 %), and electron transport rate estimated from the Chl fluorescence analysis (80 %). We showed an inconsistency in the presently used interpretation schemes, and ascribe the discrepancy between the increase of effective absorption cross-section and the photosynthetic activities on one side and the effective non-photochemical quenching on the other side to the build-up of a quenching mechanism which dissipates energy in closed reaction centres. Such a type of quenching changes the ratio between thermal dissipation and fluorescence without any effect on photochemical yield. In this case the F_v/F_m ratio cannot be used as a measure of the maximum photochemical yield of PS2. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Expression and localization of myotonic dystrophy protein kinase in human skeletal muscle cells determined with a novel antibody: possible role of the protein in cytoskeleton rearrangements during differentiation

Myotonic dystrophy is a multisystemic disorder, due to a CTG triplet expansion at the 3'UTR of the DM1 gene encoding for myotonic dystrophy protein kinase. Recent studies indicate that decreased DMPK levels could account for part of the symptoms suggesting a role of this protein in skeletal muscle differentiation. To investigate this aspect, polyclonal antibodies were raised against two peptides of the catalytic domain and against the human full-length DMPK (DMFL). In western blots, anti-hDMFL antibody was able to detect low amounts of purified human recombinant protein and recognized the splicing isoforms in heart and stomach of overexpressing mice. In human muscle extracts, this antibody specifically recognized a protein of apparent molecular weight of 85 kDa and it specifically stained neuromuscular junctions in skeletal muscle sections. In contrast, both anti-peptide antibodies demonstrated low specificity for either denatured or native DMPK, suggesting that these two epitopes are probably cryptic sites. Using anti-hDMFL, the expression and localization of DMPK was studied in human skeletal muscle cells (SkMC). Western blot analysis indicated that the antibody recognizes a main protein of apparent MW of 75 kDa, which appears to be expressed during differentiation into myotubes. Immunolocalization showed low levels of DMPK in the cytoplasm of undifferentiated cells; during differentiation the staining became more intense and was localized to the terminal part of the cells, suggesting that DMPK might have a role in cell elongation and fusion.     

Effects of in vivo copper treatment on the photosynthetic apparatus of two Triticum durum cultivars with different stress sensitivity

The effect of copper on the photosynthetic apparatus of two cultivars of durum wheat ( Triticum durum cvs Adamello and Ofanto) with different sensitivity to drought and nickel stress were investigated. Plants were grown in nutrient solution or in nutrient solution further supplemented with CuSO₄ to achieve final concentrations of 3.6 μM and 20 μM Cu. Several fluorescence analyses were performed, in presence or absence of DCMU, and with varying light intensities. Furthermore, light and electron microscopic investigations were carried out. In vivo treatment using 3.6 μ Cu produced a marked reduction in growth of the Cu-treated plants, but only mild effects on the fluorescence-related parameters. The Cu-induced reduction in the area above the fluorescence induction curve and in the time needed to reach the maximum of chlorophyll fluorescence (F_max) were more pronounced. These results favour the hypothesis that under such conditions copper affects photosynthesis mainly in an indirect way, causing a slowing down of the electron transport as a consequence of the reduced requirement for photosynthesis products. The morphological analyses corroborate this hypothesis, showing toxic effects on the chloroplast structure due to Cu treatment. The differences between the two cultivars were not as pronounced as reported in the case of nickel or drought stresses; nevertheless, cv. Ofanto seemed to be less sensitive also to Cu stress than cv. Adamello.     

Mitochondrial Changes in Platelets Are Not Related to Those in Skeletal Muscle during Human Septic Shock

Platelets can serve as general markers of mitochondrial (dys)function during several human diseases. Whether this holds true even during sepsis is unknown. Using spectrophotometry, we measured mitochondrial respiratory chain biochemistry in platelets and triceps brachii muscle of thirty patients with septic shock (within 24 hours from admission to Intensive Care) and ten surgical controls (during surgery). Results were expressed relative to citrate synthase (CS) activity, a marker of mitochondrial density. Patients with septic shock had lower nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase (NADH)/CS (p = 0.015), complex I/CS (p = 0.018), complex I and III/CS (p<0.001) and complex IV/CS (p = 0.012) activities in platelets but higher complex I/CS activity (p = 0.021) in triceps brachii muscle than controls. Overall, NADH/CS (r² = 0.00; p = 0.683) complex I/CS (r² = 0.05; p = 0.173), complex I and III/CS (r² = 0.01; p = 0.485), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)/CS (r² = 0.00; p = 0.884), complex II and III/CS (r² = 0.00; p = 0.927) and complex IV/CS (r² = 0.00; p = 0.906) activities in platelets were not associated with those in triceps brachii muscle. In conclusion, several respiratory chain enzymes were variably inhibited in platelets, but not in triceps brachii muscle, of patients with septic shock. Sepsis-induced mitochondrial changes in platelets do not reflect those in other organs.     

Imaging viral infection: studies on Nicotiana benthamiana plants infected with the pepper mild mottle tobamovirus

We have studied by kinetic Chl-fluorescence imaging (Chl-FI) Nicotiana benthamiana plants infected with the Italian strain of the pepper mild mottle tobamovirus (PMMoV-I). We have mapped leaf photosynthesis at different points of the fluorescence induction curve as well as at different post-infection times. Images of different fluorescence parameters were obtained to investigate which one could discriminate control from infected leaves in the absence of symptoms. The non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of excess energy in photosystem II (PSII) seems to be the most adequate chlorophyll fluorescence parameter to assess the effect of tobamoviral infection on the chloroplast. Non-symptomatic mature leaves from inoculated plants displayed a very characteristic time-varying NPQ pattern. In addition, a correlation between NPQ amplification and virus localization by tissue-print was found, suggesting that an increase in the local NPQ values is associated with the areas invaded by the pathogen. Changes in chloroplast ultrastructure in non-symptomatic leaf areas showing different NPQ levels were also investigated. A gradient of ultrastructural modifications was observed among the different areas. The paper is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Dr López Gorgé (1935–2004)     

Studies on PVP hydrogel-supported luminol chemiluminescence: 1. Kinetic and mechanistic aspects using multivariate factorial analysis.

The chemiluminescent oxidation of luminol by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of hemin is revisited in an UV-C cross-linked PVP hydrogel. Chemiluminescence properties such as initial light intensity (I(0)), area of emission (S) and observed rate constants (k(obs)) are studied, varying the concentration of all reactants using a multivariate factorial approach.     

A subpopulation of murine bone marrow cells fully differentiates along the myogenic pathway and participates in muscle repair in the mdx dystrophic mouse

Bone marrow (BM) transplantation in mice suggests the existence of pluripotent cells able to differentiate into skeletal muscle tissue, although sustained myofiber reconstitution has not yet been achieved. We investigated the myogenic potential of mouse BM cells and evaluated whether a BM fraction enriched for cells expressing skeletal muscle markers would ameliorate muscle repair, when compared to whole BM, into the dystrophic mdx mouse. We demonstrate that cells expressing striated-muscle-specific proteins are already present in the BM independently from experimentally forced myogenic conversion. We observed the presence of both markers of early myogenic program such as Pax3, Myf5, MyoD, desmin, and late myogenesis such as myosin heavy chain and alpha-sarcomeric actin. These myogenic cells are more represented in the early nonadherent BM fraction, which generates clones able to fully differentiate into myotubes. Transplantation in mdx mice by intravenous injection of whole BM and a tenfold BM myogenic enriched fraction resulted in BM reconstitution and limited dystrophin restoration. Taken together, these data show that a fraction of BM cells have a definite potential for differentiation along the skeletal muscle pathway and can be recruited by muscle repair mechanisms. They also indicate that factors limiting the degree of muscle recruitment and the host stem cell competition should be assessed in order to evaluate the usefulness of BM-derived myogenic cells into the context of cell-mediated gene therapy of inherited muscle diseases.