降香黄檀着叶期和无叶期次生韧皮部筛分子的超微结构

利用透射电镜技术研究了生长在海南岛的热带落叶树降香黄檀(Dalbegia odorifera T.Chen)1—2年生枝条着叶期和无叶期次生韧皮部筛分子的超微结构,并就这两个时期的筛分子进行了比较。着叶期每个成熟筛分子内有一个带尾的纺锤形P-蛋白质体,主体由稠密而散乱的P-蛋白质细纤维组成,尾部呈结晶状;筛分子具有横向端壁和单筛板,在邻近筛板处,细胞壁向筛分子腔内形成明显的突起。无叶期仍然保持着与着叶期大致相同厚度的有功能韧皮部,筛分子具有正常的原生质体,P-蛋白质和筛板孔的结构也与着叶期的相同,但筛分子内有较多的淀粉粒和囊泡。     

Ultrastructure of P-protein inHevea brasiliensis during sieve-tube development and after wounding

Summary P-protein and the changes it undergoes after wounding of sieve tubes of secondary phloem in one- to two-year old shoots ofHevea brasiliensis has been studied using electron microscopy. The P-protein in the form of tubules with a diameter of 8–9 nm and a lumen of 2–2.5 nm occurred in differentiating sieve elements and appeared as compact bodies which consisted of small aggregates of the tubules. As the sieve elements matured, these P-protein bodies dispersed with a disaggregation of the tubules before they turned into striated fibrils, 10–11 nm in diameter. In wounding experiments, as the mature sieve elements collapsed after cutting, their striated P-protein converted into tubules. These tubules were the same in ultrastructure as the tubules in differentiating sieve elements and they often were arranged in crystalline aggregates.     

Characterization of Ricinus communis phloem profilin,RcPRO1

The mature, functional sieve tube, which forms the conduit for assimilate distribution in higher plants, is dependent upon protein import from the companion cells for maintenance of the phloem long-distance translocation system. Using antibodies raised against proteins present in the sieve-tube exudate of Ricinus communis (castor bean) seedlings, a cDNA was cloned which encoded a putative profilin, termed RcPRO1. Expression and localization studies indicated that RcPRO1 mRNA encodes a phloem profilin, with some expression occurring in epidermal, cortex, pith and xylem tissue. Purified, recombinant RcPRO1 was functionally equivalent to recombinant maize profilin ZmPRO4 in a live cell nuclear displacement assay. The apparent equilibrium dissociation constant for RcPRO1 binding to plant monomeric (G-)actin was lower than the previously characterized maize profilins. Moreover, the affinity of RcPRO1 for poly-L-proline (PLP) was significantly higher than that for recombinant maize profilins. Within the sieve-tube exudate, profilin was present in 15-fold molar excess to actin. The data suggest that actin filament formation is prevented within the assimilate stream. These results are discussed in terms of the unique physiology of the phloem.     

Ultrastructure of Sieve Elements in Secondary Phloem of Dalbegia odorifera During Leaf-Bearing and Leaf-Absent Period

Ultrastructures of sieve elements of secondary phloem of 1–2 year old branchlet of tropical deciduous tree Dalbegia odorifera T. Chen growing on Hainan Island were studied under transmission electron microscope and a comparation was made between the sieve elements in leaf-bearing and leaf-absent period. During the leaf-bearing period, there was a tailed spindleshaped P-protein body in each mature sieve element. The main part of the P-protein body con sisted of a disordered fine fiber mass with two crystalline tails. The sieve elements had horizontal end walls with simple sieve plate. The inner layers of the wall near the sieve plate appeared intumescent, protruding into the sieve element lumen. During the leaf-absent period, a functional phloem remained about the same thickness as that during the leaf-bearing period. The sieve elements in the leaf-absent period contained normal protoplasts and the P-protein and the sieve plate pores had the same structures as those during the leaf-bearing period. More starch grains and vesicles were found in sieve elements in the leaf-absent period.     

Structure of the Homodimeric Glycine Decarboxylase P-protein from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Suggests a Mechanism for Redox Regulation

Glycine decarboxylase, or P-protein, is a pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme in one-carbon metabolism of all organisms, in the glycine and serine catabolism of vertebrates, and in the photorespiratory pathway of oxygenic phototrophs. P-protein from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is an α₂ homodimer with high homology to eukaryotic P-proteins. The crystal structure of the apoenzyme shows the C terminus locked in a closed conformation by a disulfide bond between Cys⁹⁷² in the C terminus and Cys³⁵³ located in the active site. The presence of the disulfide bridge isolates the active site from solvent and hinders the binding of PLP and glycine in the active site. Variants produced by substitution of Cys⁹⁷² and Cys³⁵³ by Ser using site-directed mutagenesis have distinctly lower specific activities, supporting the crucial role of these highly conserved redox-sensitive amino acid residues for P-protein activity. Reduction of the 353–972 disulfide releases the C terminus and allows access to the active site. PLP and the substrate glycine bind in the active site of this reduced enzyme and appear to cause further conformational changes involving a flexible surface loop. The observation of the disulfide bond that acts to stabilize the closed form suggests a molecular mechanism for the redox-dependent activation of glycine decarboxylase observed earlier.     

Evidence for graft transmission of structural phloem proteins or their precursors in heterografts of Cucurbitaceae

Interspecific and intergeneric grafts of Cucurbitaceae were used to study the mobility of structural P-proteins in the phloem. When Cucumis sativus L. scions were grafted onto Cucurbita rootstocks, at least nine additional proteins appeared on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels of scion exudate, 9–11 d after grafting. These proteins corresponded exactly to those of the respective Cucurbita sp. rootstock, including the filament-forming phloem protein PP1 and the phloem lectin PP2, as shown by the apparent molecular weights and peptide maps. According to probing at three sites, the additional proteins were evenly distributed within the scion. The appearance of additional proteins was correlated with the establishment of phloem bridges across the graft union. The developmental coincidence establishes that the structural proteins or their precursors are translocated in the phloem. This translocation was a universal phenomenon in Cucurbitaceae as shown by a comparative screening for additional proteins in eleven graft combinations, using Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn., Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad., Cucumis melo L, C. sativus, Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché, Cucurbita maxima Duchesne ex Lam., and Trichosanthes cucumerina var. lobata Roxb. According to this screening, the direction of transmission of additional proteins depended upon the combination tested. While some graft partners failed to show exchange, some behaved as “donor” for additional proteins and still others could be both “donor” or “acceptor”. However, whether used as scion or stock, C. sativus was consistently identified as an acceptor. The occurrence of additional proteins in heterografts is discussed with regard to the transport mechanism of structural P-proteins in the phloem and its relationship to assimilate transport. Received: 18 February 1998 / Accepted: 12 May 1998     

Immunocytochemical localisation of phloem lectin from Cucurbita maxima using peroxidase and colloidal-gold labels

Antibodies were raised against lectin purified from the sieve-tube exudate of Cucurbita maxima. Immunocytochemistry, using peroxidase-labelled antibodies and Protein A-colloidal gold, was employed to determine the location of the lectin within the tissues and cells of C. maxima and other cucurbit species. The anti-lectin antibodies bound to P-protein aggregates in sieve elements and companion cells, predominantly in the extrafascicular phloem of C. maxima. This may reflect the low rate of translocation in these cells. Under the electron microscope, the lectin was shown to be a component of P-protein filaments and was also found in association with the sieve-tube reticulum which lines the plasmalemma. The anti-lectin antibodies reacted with sieve-tube proteins from other species of the genus Cucurbita but showed only limited reaction with other genera. We suggest that the lectin serves to anchor P-protein filaments and associated proteins to the parietal layer of sieve elements.Abbreviation SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis     

Structure of P-protein of the glycine cleavage system: implications for nonketotic hyperglycinemia

The crystal structure of the P-protein of the glycine cleavage system from Thermus thermophilus HB8 has been determined. This is the first reported crystal structure of a P-protein, and it reveals that P-proteins do not involve the alpha(2)-type active dimer universally observed in the evolutionarily related pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes. Instead, novel alphabeta-type dimers associate to form an alpha(2)beta(2) tetramer, where the alpha- and beta-subunits are structurally similar and appear to have arisen by gene duplication and subsequent divergence with a loss of one active site. The binding of PLP to the apoenzyme induces large open-closed conformational changes, with residues moving up to 13.5 A. The structure of the complex formed by the holoenzyme bound to an inhibitor, (aminooxy)acetate, suggests residues that may be responsible for substrate recognition. The molecular surface around the lipoamide-binding channel shows conservation of positively charged residues, which are possibly involved in complex formation with the H-protein. These results provide insights into the molecular basis of nonketotic hyperglycinemia.     

大肠杆菌P蛋白和T蛋白的调节结构域互换研究

在细菌、真菌及植物中,分支酸是一种位于关键分叉点上的中间代谢物,是所有芳香族氨基酸合成的共同前体.它可在双功能酶分支酸变位酶(CM)和预苯酸脱水酶(PDT)的催化下合成苯丙氨酸,在另一个双功能酶分支酸变位酶和预苯酸脱氢酶(PDH)的催化下合成酪氨酸.前者被称为P蛋白,后者被称为T蛋白.大肠杆菌P蛋白和T蛋白有着类似的结构,P蛋白由CMp、PDT和调节结构域３个独立结构域组成,其变构调节因子是苯丙氨酸.T蛋白只有CMt和PDH两个独立结构域组成,起变构调节作用的调节结构域与PDH密不可分,其变构调节因子是酪氨酸.为了研究P蛋白和T蛋白的调节结构域的变构调节作用,应用融合蛋白技术将P蛋白和T蛋白的调节结构域进行了互换.结果发现,互换了的调节结构域仍然具有变构调节作用,而且调节结构域的互换导致了变构调节因子的互换,说明调节结构域对酶活性的调节作用是非专一的,而其R结构域与调节因子的结合却是专一的.