Change in electron and spin density upon electron transfer to haem

Haems are the cofactors of cytochromes and important catalysts of biological electron transfer. They are composed of a planar porphyrin structure with iron coordinated at the centre. It is known from spectroscopy that ferric low-spin haem has one unpaired electron at the iron, and that this spin is paired as the haem receives an electron upon reduction (I. Bertini, C. Luchinat, NMR of Paramagnetic Molecules in Biological Systems, Benjamin/Cummins Publ. Co., Menlo Park, CA, 1986, pp. 165-170; H.M. Goff, in: A.B.P. Lever, H.B. Gray (Eds.), Iron Porphyrins, Part I, Addison-Wesley Publ. Co., Reading, MA, 1983, pp. 237-281; G. Palmer, in: A.B.P. Lever, H.B. Gray (Eds.), Iron Porphyrins, Part II, Addison-Wesley Publ. Co., Reading, MA, 1983, pp. 43-88). Here we show by quantum chemical calculations on a haem a model that upon reduction the spin pairing at the iron is accompanied by effective delocalisation of electrons from the iron towards the periphery of the porphyrin ring, including its substituents. The change of charge of the iron atom is only approx. 0.1 electrons, despite the unit difference in formal oxidation state. Extensive charge delocalisation on reduction is important in order for the haem to be accommodated in the low dielectric of a protein, and may have impact on the distance dependence of the rates of electron transfer. The lost individuality of the electron added to the haem on reduction is another example of the importance of quantum mechanical effects in biological systems.     

Ascorbic acid prolongs the viability and stability of isolated perfused lungs: A mechanistic study using 31P and hyperpolarized 13C nuclear magnetic resonance

Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) has recently shown promise as a means of more accurately gauging the health of lung grafts and improving graft performance post-transplant. However, reperfusion of ischemic lung promotes the depletion of high-energy compounds and a progressive loss of normal mitochondrial function, and it remains unclear how and to what extent the EVLP approach contributes to this metabolic decline. Although ascorbate has been used to mitigate the effects of ischemia–reperfusion injury, the nature of its effects during EVLP are also not clear. To address these uncertainties, this study monitored the energy status of lungs during EVLP and after the administration of ascorbate using ³¹P and hyperpolarized ¹³C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). Our experiments demonstrated that the oxidative phosphorylation capacity and pyruvate dehydrogenase flux of lungs decline during ex vivo perfusion. The addition of ascorbate to the perfusate prolonged lung viability by 80% and increased the hyperpolarized ¹³C bicarbonate signal by a factor of 2.7. The effect of ascorbate is apparently due not to its antioxidant quality but rather to its ability to energize cellular respiration given that it increased the lung’s energy charge significantly, whereas other antioxidants (glutathione and α-lipoic acid) did not alter energy metabolism. During ascorbate administration, inhibition of mitochondrial complex I with rotenone depressed energy charge and shifted the metabolic state of the lung toward glycolysis; reenergizing the electron transport chain with TMPD (N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine) recovered metabolic activity. This indicates that ascorbate slows the decline of the ex vivo perfused lung’s mitochondrial activity through an independent interaction with the electron transport chain complexes.     

Possible existence of ion pairs at the mouths of ion channels

An electrostatic calculation suggests that when an ion is bound near the mouth of a channel penetrating a low-dielectric membrane, a counter ion may form an ion pair with this ion. The tendency towards ion-pair formation is remarkably enhanced at channel mouths by forces (image forces) arising from the charges induced on the boundaries between different dielectrics. The binding constant for the formation of ion-pairs of monovalent ions is estimated under the assumption that local interactions between the counter ion and the channel wall are negligibly small. It is of the order of 1–10 molal^?1 or more for the binding of a Cl^? (F^?) counter ion to an $\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ ($\text{Li}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$) ion if appropriate conditions are fulfilled. The binding constant depends on the position of the binding site, the dimensions and geometries of the channel and channel mouth, and the state of ion loading of the channel, as well as the ionic species. The present results also indicate that when cation (anion) channels have anionic (cationic) groups as integrant parts of their channel walls, interactions between these charged groups and permeant ions are markedly enhanced by the image forces.     

Lignin degradeation by white rot fungi

Abstract. The wood-degrading white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium , has been the subject of intensive research in recent years and, based upon isolation of the extracellular enzyme ligninase, major advances have now been made toward elucidating the mechanism by which this fungus degrades lignin. From these developments, a model emerges which could explain the process by which wood-degrading fungi in general, attack lignin.     

Waterlogging responses in dune,swale and marsh populations of Spartina patens under field conditions

Summary Soil waterlogging responses were examined in three Spartina patens populations along a steep flooding gradient in coastal Louisiana. Root anatomy and physiological indicators of anaerobic metabolism were examined to identify and compare flooding responses in dune, swale and marsh populations, while soil physicochemical factors were measured to characterize the three habitats. Soil waterlogging increased along the gradient from dune to marsh habitats and was accompanied by increases in root porosity (aerenchyma). Aerenchyma in marsh roots was apparently insufficient to provide enough oxygen for aerobic respiratory demand, as indicated by high root alcohol dehydrogenase activities and low energy charge ratios. Patterns of root metabolic indicators suggest that dune and swale roots generally respired aerobically, while anaerobic metabolism was important in marsh roots. However, in each population, relatively greater soil waterloging was accompanied by differences in enzyme activities leading to malate accumulation. In dune and swale roots under these circumstances, depressed adenylate energy charge ratios may have been the result of an absence of increased ethanol fermentation. These trends suggest that: 1) Aerenchyma formation was an important, albeit incomplete, long-term adaptation to the prevalent degree of soil waterlogging. 2) All populations adjusted root metabolism in response to a relative (short-term) increase in soil waterlogging.     

Cationic interactions with Na+-H+ exchange and passive Na+ flux in cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles

Na⁺-H⁺ exchange and passive Na⁺ flux were investigated in cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles as a function of changing the ionic composition of the reaction media. The inclusion of EGTA in the reaction medium resulted in a potent stumulation of Na⁺ uptake by Na⁺-H⁺ exchange. It was found that millimolar concentrations of Mg²⁺ and Li⁺ were capable of inhibiting Na⁺-H⁺ exchange by 80%. One mechanism by which these ions may inhibit intravesicular Na⁺ accumulation by Na⁺-H⁺ exchange is via an increase in Na⁺ efflux. An examination of Na⁺ efflux kinetics from vesicles pre-loaded with Na⁺ revealed that Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Li⁺ could stimulate Na⁺ efflux. Na⁺-H⁺ exchange was potently inhibited by an organic divalent cation, dimenthonium, which screens membrane surface charge. This would suggest that Na⁺-H⁺ exchange occurs in the diffuse double layer region of cardiac sarcolemma and this phenomenon is distinctly different from other Na⁺ transport processes. The results in this study indicate that in addition to a stimulation of Na⁺ efflux, the inhibitory effects of Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Li⁺ on Na⁺-H⁺ exchange may also involve a charge dependent screening of Na⁺ interactions with the membrane.     

Morphological adaptation of shape to flow: Microcurrents around lotic macroinvertebrates with known Reynolds numbers at quasi-natural flow conditions

Summary Using Laser Doppler Anemometry we measured current velocities in the median plane around dead lotic macroinvertebrates in a flume which reproduced natural near bottom hydraulics. We investigated specimens of the gastropods Ancylus, Acroloxus, and Potamopyrgus, the amphipod Gammarus, and the larval caddisflies Anabolia, Micrasema, and Silo of various size, various alignment to the flow or which were otherwise manipulated in order to clarify certain questions of adaptation of shape or case building style to flow, or the effects of flow on field distribution patterns. The steepest velocity gradients close to the animals were found near areas of their bodies protruding furthest into the flow. In such regions the rates of potential diffusive exchange processes, the potential corrasion (abrasion through suspended solids), and, for larger specimens, the lift forces (directed towards the water surface) must be highest. Posterior of these areas growing boundary layers formed above those species whose upper contour was approximately parallel to the upstream-downstream direction of the flow. All specimens removed momentum from the flow and thus experience a drag force (directed downstream). From the complete data set we derived the following general conclusions about the physical effects of potential morphological adaptations, taking into consideration diffusion through boundary layers, corrasion, lift forces, friction and pressure drag forces: The physical significance of these five factors generally depends on the Reynolds number of an animal and is largely affected by flow separation, which was significantly related to the ratio of body length to height and the slope of the posterior contour. A simultaneous effective morphological adaptation to all five factors is physically impossible and, in addition, would have to change from life at low (e.g. a young, small specimen of a species) to life at high (e.g. a fully grown specimen of the same species) Reynolds number.     

Analysis of the H+/sugar symport in yeast under conditions of depolarized plasma membrane

H⁺/sugar symport in the obligatory aerobic yeastRhodotorula glutinis was analyzed under conditions where the plasma membrane was selectively depolarized by the lipophilic cation tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP⁺). Control experiments showed that this treatment did not impair the transmembrane pH, the cell energy charge, and the function of plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase. The kinetic data were fitted to elementary functions derived from a model constructed on the basis of some simplifying premises for ordered (either C + H⁺ + S or C + S + H⁺) and random reaction mechanisms. In addition, the comparison of the kinetic parameters in fully energized and depolarized cells provided information about the free carrier charge. It was concluded that the binding sequence of formation of the ternary carrier/H⁺/substrate complex follows a random mechanism and that the carrier bears a negative charge.     

Primary photosynthetic processes in Heliobacterium chlorum at 15K

Absorbance changes induced by 25-ps laser flashes were measured in membranes of Heliobacterium chlorum at 15 K. Absorbance difference spectra, measured at various times after the flash showed negative bands in the Q_y region at 812, 793 and 665 nm. The first of these bands was attributed to the formation of excited singlet states of a long-wavelength form of antenna bacteriochlorophyll g (BChl g 808). Absorbance changes of shorter wavelength absorbing antenna BChls g were at least an order of magnitude smaller, indicating rapid excitation energy transfer (i.e. within the time resolution of the apparatus) from these BChls to BChl g 808. Excited BChl g 808 showed a bi-exponential decay with time constants of 50 and 200 ps. The bands at 793 and 665 nm may be attributed to the primary charge separation and reflect the photooxidation of the primary electron donor P-798 and photoreduction of a primary electron acceptor absorbing near 670 nm, presumably a BChl c or Chl a-like pigment. The bleaching of this pigment reversed with a time constant of 300 ps at 15 K and of 800 ps at 300 K. This indicates that electron transfer from the primary to the secondary electron acceptor is approximately 2.5 times faster at 15 K than at room temperature.Abbreviations BChl bacteriochlorophyll - FWHM full width at half maximum - P-798 primary electron donor - Tris tris(hydroxymethyl)amino methane     

The surface potential on the purple membrane measured using a modified bacteriorhodopsin chromophore as the spectroscopic probe

The surface potential of the purple membrane was measured by a novel method by using an artificial bacteriorhodopsin whose chromophore was 13-CF₃ retinal instead of retinal. When attached to the apoprotein by a Schiff base, the intrinsic pK of the 13-CF₃ chromophore is around 7.3. The apparent p_K of this pigment depends on the surface potential and thus on the electrolyte concentration. This allowed us to determine the surface charge density using the Gouy-Chapman equation. The surface charge density was found to be −1.65 ± 0.15 × 10⁻³ electronic charges per Ų or about 2 negative charges/bacteriorhodopsin. This large value for the surface potential probably explains both part of the strong apparent association of divalent cations with the membrane and the effect of low salt concentrations on light-induced proton release from the purple membrane.