Tissue Slice and Particulate beta-Glucan Synthetase Activities from Pisum Epicotyls

β-Glucan synthetase activity in growing regions of pea (Pisum sativum L.) epicotyls was assayed by supplying UDP-glucose to particulate fractions of tissue homogenates or to thin tissue slices. Particulate fractions are less active in forming alkali-insoluble glucan than slices from the same tissue, although many kinetic characteristics (pH and Mg²⁺ optimum, apparent K_m) are similar for the two systems. Synthesis by tissue slices progresses linearly without lag period for at least an hour and is proportional to cut surface area. It is much more rapid from UDP-glucose than from glucose, glucose-1-P, or sucrose. Tests with plasmolyzing agents and trypsin support the conclusion that synthesis from UDP-glucose by slices occurs at accessible surfaces of cut cells. Analyses of glucan products by GLC of partially methylated and acetylated derivatives and by hydrolysis with various β-glucanases all show that both β-1,3 and β-1,4 linkages are formed by particulate fractions and slices at substrate concentrations ranging from micro- to millimolar. β-1,4 Linkages predominate at low substrate (5 μm) concentration. Kinetic data indicate that the capacity to synthesize β-1,3-glucan is substrate-activated, and this product predominates in preparations supplied with high (5 mm) substrate.     

Indoleacetic acid stimulates cellulose deposition and selectively enhances certain β-glucan synthetase activities

Particulate preparations from growing regions of 8-day old Pisum sativum epicotyls catalysed glucosyl transfer to β-glucan from UDPglucose and GDP-glucose. The activities assayed with GDPglucose (6 or 600 μM) or low (6μM) concentrations of UDPglucose disappeared from decapitated epicotyls within 3 days, but were maintained when the cut apex was treated with the hormone indoleacetic acid. These activities re-appeared when indoleacetic acid was added 3 days after decapotation; cycloheximide prevented this response. The activity assayed with high (600 μM) concentrations of UDPglucose, in contrast, remained in the decapitated epicotyl unaffected by indoleacetic acid or cycloheximide during incubation periods of upt to 5 days. In competition experiments with the two substrates, the individual synthetase activities were not additive, and part of the activity with one substrate was still detectable in the presence of a large excess of the other.These observations indicate the existence in pea particles of at least 4 glucan synthetase activities which differ in substrate affinities, stability and developmental responses to treatments that affect growth and protein synthesis. Such treatments alo markedly influence the deposition of cellulose, e.g. indoleacetic acid caused an 8-fold increase in cellulose laid down in a 3-day period. It is suggested that indoleacetic acid-regulated synthetase activities account for the extra cellulose evoked by indoleacetic acid during sustained growth, and a different non-regulated synthetase activity is responsible for a basal rate of cellulose deposition which proceeds in the presence or absence of indoleacetic acid.     

Substrate Activation of beta-(1 --> 3) Glucan Synthetase and Its Effect on the Structure of beta-Glucan Obtained from UDP-d-glucose and Particulate Enzyme of Oat Coleoptiles

UDP-d-glucose, at a micromolar level in the presence of MgCl₂ and oat (Avena sativa) coleoptile particulate enzyme which contains both β-(1 → 3) and β-(1 → 4) glucan synthetases, produces glucan with mainly β-(1 → 4) glucosyl linkages. An activation of β-(1 → 3) glucan synthetase by UDP-d-glucose and a decrease in the formation of β-(1 → 3) glucan in the presence of MgCl₂ have been observed. However, at high substrate concentration (≥ 10⁻⁴m), the activation of β-(1 → 3) glucan synthetase is so pronounced that the formation of β-(1 → 3) glucosyl linkage predominates in synthesized glucan regardless of the presence of MgCl₂. These observations may explain the striking shift in the composition of glucan of particulate enzyme from a β-(1 → 4) to β-(1 → 3) glucosyl linkage when UDP-d-glucose concentration is raised from a low concentration (≤ 10⁻⁵m) to a higher concentration (≥ 10⁻⁴m).     

The Formation of beta, 1 --> 4 Glucan from UDP-alpha-d-Glucose Catalyzed by a Phaseolus aureus Enzyme

Particulate enzyme preparations from Phaseolus aureus hypocotyls catalyze the formation of an alkali insoluble β, 1 → 4 linked [¹⁴C]-glucan using UDP-α-d [¹⁴C]-glucose as substrate. Particulate enzymes prepared from root tissue also catalyzed the production of β, 1 → 4 glucan. UDP-β-d-[¹⁴C]-glucose would not serve as a substrate for these enzymes. The presence or absence of β, 1 → 4 glucan synthetase activity was independent of tissue source, substrate concentration, or homogenization method.     

UDP-glucose: Glucan Synthetase in Developing Cotton Fibers: I. Kinetic and Physiological Properties

A uridine diphosphate(UDP)-glucose:glucan synthetase can be demonstrated in detached cotton fibers (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and in an isolated particulate fraction from such fibers. When assayed with detached fibers, the kinetics of the glucan synthetase activity with respect to variation in substrate concentration is complex and indicates activation of the enzyme by the substrate. Activity is stimulated by Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) and beta-linked glucosides; the effect of the beta-linked glucosides is to shift the range in which substrate activation occurs to lower concentrations of UDP-glucose. At concentrations of UDP-glucose below 50 mum, addition of uridine triphosphate, in addition to beta-linked glucoside, results in significant stimulation of activity. This effect can be explained by the conversion of uridine triphosphate to UDP-glucose by UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, thereby raising substrate concentration to the activating range. In detached fibers, glucan synthetase activity is high at all stages of fiber development. The properties of the glucan synthetase of the isolated particulate fraction closely resemble those of the enzyme assayed in detached fibers; however, in contrast to detached fibers, the ability to detect enzyme activity is more dependent on fiber age, showing maximal activity between 16 and 18 days postanthesis, coincident with the time of rapid onset of secondary wall cellulose deposition.     

Solubilization and Separation of Uridine Diphospho-d-glucose: beta-(1 --> 4) Glucan and Uridine Diphospho-d-glucose:beta-(1 --> 3) Glucan Glucosyltransferases from Coleoptiles of Avena sativa

The particulate glucan synthetase preparation isolated from a homogenate of oat coleoptiles at 4 C lost 65% of its original activity after 1 day when the UDP-d-glucose substrate concentration was 5 × 10⁻⁷m to 1.0 × 10⁻⁶m. Storage of the particulate enzyme at −20 C or in liquid nitrogen did not prevent the enzyme from losing its activity. Incorporation of 0.5% hovine serum albumin into the medium stabilized the particulate enzyme at 0 C for 6 days and for at least 2 weeks in liquid nitrogen.     

beta-1,3-Glucan in Developing Cotton Fibers: Structure, Localization, and Relationship of Synthesis to That of Secondary Wall Cellulose

Evidence is presented for the existence of a noncellulosic β-1,3-glucan in cotton fibers. The glucan can be isolated as distinct fractions of varying solubility. When fibers are homogenized rigorously in aqueous buffer, part of the total β-1,3-glucan is found as a soluble polymer in homogenates freed of cell walls. The proportion of total β-1,3-glucan which is found as the soluble polymer varies somewhat as a function of fiber age. The insoluble fraction of the β-1,3-glucan remains associated with the cell wall fraction. Of this cell wall β-1,3-glucan, a variable portion can be solubilized by treatment of walls with hot water, a further portion can be solubilized by alkaline extraction of the walls, and 17 to 29% of the glucan remains associated with cellulose even after alkaline extraction. A portion of this glucan can also be removed from the cell walls of intact cotton fibers by digestion with an endo-β-1,3-glucanase. The glucan fraction which can be isolated as a soluble polymer in homogenates freed of cell walls is not associated with membranous material, and we propose that it represents glucan which is also extracellular but not tightly associated with the cell wall. Enzyme digestion studies indicate that all of the cotton fiber glucan is β-linked, and methylation analyses and enzyme studies both show that the predominant linkage in the glucan is 1 → 3. The possibility of some minor branching at C-6 can also be deduced from the methylation analyses. The timing of deposition of the β-1,3-glucan during fiber development coincides closely with the onset of secondary wall cellulose synthesis. Kinetic studies performed with ovules and fibers cultured in vitro show that incorporation of radioactivity from [¹⁴C]glucose into β-1,3-glucan is linear with respect to time almost from the start of the labeling period; however, a lag is observed before incorporation into cellulose becomes linear with time, suggesting that these two different glucans are not polymerized directly from the same substrate pool. Pulse-chase experiments indicate that neither the β-1,3-glucan nor cellulose exhibits significant turnover after synthesis.     

THE KINETICS OF TRYPSIN DIGESTION : V. SCHUTZ'S RULE.

The rate of digestion of concentrated casein solutions by low concentrations of trypsin at 0° has been followed. Under these conditions the enzyme is inhibited by the product of the reaction and under certain conditions this effect should lead to Schütz''s rule, i.e. the amount of hydrolysis should be proportional to the square root of the product of the time into the enzyme concentration. This is the result obtained. Both Schütz''s rule and Arrhenius'' equation fail to hold accurately owing to the incorrect relation assumed to hold between the rate of hydrolysis and the substrate concentration.     

An examination of factors affecting the instability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae glucan synthetase in cell free extracts

Yeast (1–3) glucan synthetase is stimulated and stabilized by EDTA. Sucrose protects the enzyme from selfinactivaton. Preincubation of cell free extracts at low sucrose concentrations indicates a slow transition of the enzyme towards dissociation. Transition kinetics at 30° C and 0° C in the presence and in the absence of sucrose are interpreted assuming that a subunit is thermolabile in the free state and that sucrose increases its stability. Magnesium is deletereous for glucan synthetase in cell-free extracts. Chaotropic agents inactivate glucan synthetase according to their capacity to solubilize and depolymerize biological compounds. Fluoride plays a special role in the activation of glucan synthetase. Its action appears to be dependent on the presence of GTP (or other nucleotides). The role of all these agents on the activity and stability of the enzyme is interpreted in a unified scheme.Abbreviations EDTA ethylene diamine tetraacetate - Tris tris-(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane - MMF mixed membrane fraction     

Isolation and partial characterization of a cyclic GMP-dependent cyclic GMP-specific phosphodiesterase from Dictyostelium discoideum

The cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum, contains at least two classes of phosphodiesterase activity. One class of enzymes hydrolyses cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP (cGMP) with approximately equal rates. Another enzyme, which is less than 5% of the total activity, specifically hydrolyses cGMP. The cGMP-specific enzyme does not bind to a Con A-Sepharose column, while all the cAMP-hydrolyzing activities are retarded by this column. The cGMP-specific enzyme is activated by low cGMP concentrations (10^?8-10^?6 M); the enzyme has normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics at high substrate concentrations with a K_m of about 3–6 μM. The cGMP-binding sites for activation and for catalysis show different cyclic nucleotide specificity, but they are probably located on one protein with a molecular weight of about 70 000. The enzyme is stable only under specific conditions, and the activation property of the enzyme is lost relatively easy. Irreversible modifications occur at temperatures below 0° and above 30°C, and at pH below 6.0. Several other conditions such as high ion concentrations, temperatures just above 0°C and pH above 8.0 lead to reversibel modifications of enzyme activity.     

Enzyme formation by a yeast cell wall lytic Arthrobacter sp.: formation of \(1,3)-glucanase

The kinetics of \-1,3-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.39; 1,3-\-d-glucan-glucano-hydrolase) formation by a yeast cell wall lytic Arthrobacter species was studied. Yeast glucan as a substrate yielded 360 units (U)/l, but it appeared to be unsuitable for fermentation purposes because of its insolubility and its residual content of glycogen. Growth on water-soluble \(1,3)-glucan [maximum specific growth rate (µ_max)=0.19 h^–1] was governed by different saccharides liberated by enzyme action on glucan. Enzyme formation was repressed by glucose and derepressed by its restricted availability during late exponential and stationary growth. At least 380 U/l of \(1,3)-glucanase were formed. Lactose and lactulose were detected as precursors of potent inducers for \(1,3)-glucanase, the first being a cheap and easily available substrate for large-scale cultivations. Growth rates were reduced (µ_max=0.18 h^–1 and µ_max=0.13 h^–1, respectively), enzyme synthesis occurred only during post-logarithmic growth. The \(1,3)-glucanase levels (260 U/l) formed were comparable to that attained with glucan as a substrate. In continuous culture no enzyme was formed under steady-state conditions but it occurred during transient states after shifting the dilution rate to lower values. Correspondence to: W. Hampel     

Biosynthesis of the Tetrapyrrole Pigment Precursor, delta-Aminolevulinic Acid, from Glutamate

δ-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), the common biosynthetic precursor of hemes, chlorophylls, and bilins, is synthesized by two distinct routes. Among phototrophic species, purple nonsulfur bacteria form ALA by condensation of glycine with succinyl-CoA, catalyzed by ALA synthase, in a reaction identical to that occurring in the mitochondria of animals, yeast, and fungi. Most or all other phototrophic species form ALA exclusively from the intact carbon skeleton of glutamic acid in a reaction sequence that begins with activation of the α-carboxyl group of glutamate by an ATP-dependent ligation to tRNA^Glu, catalyzed by glutamyl-tRNA synthetase. Glutamyl-tRNA is the substrate for a pyridine nucleotide-dependent dehydrogenase reaction whose product is glutamate-1-semialdehyde or a similar reduced compound. Glutamate-1-semialdehyde is then transaminated to form ALA. Regulation of ALA formation from glutamate is exerted at the dehydrogenase step through end product feedback inhibition and induction/repression. In some species, end product inhibition of the glutamyl-tRNA synthetase step and developmental regulation of tRNA^Glu level may also occur.     

Regulation of glucose metabolism and cell wall synthesis in Avena stem segments by gibberellic Acid

Gibberellic acid (GA) stimulated both the elongation of Avena sativa stem segments and increased synthesis of cell wall material. The effects of GA on glucose metabolism, as related to cell wall synthesis, have been investigated in order to find specific events regulated by GA. GA caused a decline in the levels of glucose, glucose 6-phosphate, and fructose 6-phosphate if exogenous sugar was not supplied to the segments, whereas the hormone caused no change in the levels of glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, UDP-glucose, or the adenylate energy charge if the segments were incubated in 0.1 m glucose. No GA-induced change could be demonstrated in the activities of hexokinase, phosphoglucomutase, UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, or polysaccharide synthetases using UDP-glucose, UDP-galactose, UDP-xylose, and UDP-arabinose as substrates. GA stimulated the activity of GDP-glucose-dependent β-glucan synthetase by 2- to 4-fold over the control. When glucan synthetase was assayed using UDP-glucose as substrate, only β-1,3-linked glucan was synthesized in vitro, whereas with GDP-glucose, only β-1,4-linked glucan was synthesized. These results suggest that one part of the mechanism by which GA stimulates cell wall synthesis concurrently with elongation in Avena stem segments may be through a stimulation of cell wall polysaccharide synthetase activity.     

Inhibition by light of growth and Golgi-localized glucan synthetase in the maize mesocotyl

When dark-grown maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings were exposed to red light (R), Golgi-localized glucan synthetase activity in the mesocotyl began to decrease within 1 h, and fell by approx. 70% in 12 h. The response required at least 10^-2 mol m^-2 R and saturated at 100 mol m^-2. Far-red light (FR) alone inhibited glucan synthetase, and FR reversed the inhibition by R back to the level caused by FR alone. Density gradient fractionation indicated that of the major membrane markers only the Golgi-localized glucan-synthetase activity was affected by R. Golgi-localized latent inosine-diphosphatase activity was unaffected. The kinetics of the response, the photon fluence dependence, and the reversibility by FR all correlated with the inhibition by light of elongation of the mesocotyl, indicating that light inhibits growth and glucan synthetase activity by a similar mechanism.Abbreviations FR far-red light - GS glucan synthetase - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - R red light     

Ligninolytic activity and levels of ammonia assimilating enzymes in Sporotrichum pulverulentum

Levels of ammonia-assimilating enzymes (glutamate dehydrogenase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase) were determined in extracts of Sporotrichum pulverulentum grown under different conditions with respect to both nitrogen source and concentration. Evolution of ¹⁴CO₂ from ¹⁴C-synthetic lignin by fungal cultures grown under parallel conditions was also determined as a measure of lignin decomposition and the suppressive effect of nitrogen on ligninolysis confirmed. Under low nitrogen conditions, fungal extracts exhibited relatively high levels of NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase dehydrogenase. Conversely, in high nitrogen extracts, lower levels of NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase activity, and higher levels of NAD-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase, were recorded. Possible effects of enzyme activities on intracellular pool concentrations of glutamate/glutamine, and the implications for the regulation of lignin metabolism, are discussed.A preliminary report was presented at The Ekman Days 1981, International Symposium on Wood and Pulping Chemistry, Stockholm, Sweden, June 9–12, 1981.     

Effects of the Fungal Endophyte Acremonium coenophialum on Nitrogen Accumulation and Metabolism in Tall Fescue

Infection by the fungal endophyte Acremonium coenophialum affected the accumulation of inorganic and organic N in leaf blades and leaf sheaths of KY 31 tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) grown under greenhouse conditions. Total soluble amino acid concentrations were increased in either the blade or sheath of the leaf from infected plants. A number of amino acids were significantly increased in the sheath, but only asparagine increased in the blade. Infection resulted in higher sheath NH₄⁺ concentrations, whereas NO₃⁻ concentrations decreased in both leaf parts. The effects on amino acid, NO₃⁻, and NH₄⁺ concentrations were dependent upon the level of N fertilization and were usually apparent only at the high rate (10 millimolar) of application. Administration of ¹⁴CO₂ to the leaf blades increased the accumulation of ¹⁴C in their amino acid fraction but not in the sheaths of infected plants. This may indicate that infection increased amino acid synthesis in the blade but that translocation to the sheath, which is the site of fungal colonization, was not affected. Glutamine synthetase activity was greater in leaf blades of infected plants at high and low N rates of fertilization, but nitrate reductase activity was not affected in either part of the leaf. Increased activities of glutamine synthetase together with the other observed changes in N accumulation and metabolism in endophyte-infected tall fescue suggest that NH₄⁺ reassimilation could also be affected in the leaf blade.     

UDP-Glucose: (1-->3)-beta-Glucan Synthases from Mung Bean and Cotton: Differential Effects of Ca and Mg on Enzyme Properties and on Macromolecular Structure of the Glucan Product

A re-examination of the kinetic properties of UDP-glucose: (1→3)-β-glucan (callose) synthases from mung bean seedlings (Vigna radiata) and cotton fibers (Gossypium hirsutum) shows that these enzymes have a complex interaction with UDP-glucose and various effectors. Stimulation of activity by micromolar concentrations of Ca²⁺ and millimolar concentrations of β-glucosides or other polyols is highest at low (<100 micromolar) UDP-glucose concentrations. These effectors act both by raising the V_max of the enzyme, and by lowering the apparent K_m for UDP-glucose from >1 millimolar to 0.2 to 0.3 millimolar. Mg²⁺ markedly enhances the affinity of the mung bean enzyme for Ca²⁺ but not for β-glucoside; with saturating Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ only slightly stimulates further production of glucan. However, the presence of Mg²⁺ during synthesis, or NaBH₄ treatment after synthesis, changes the nature of the product from dispersed, alkali-soluble fibrils to highly aggregated, alkali-insoluble fibrils. Callose synthesized in vitro by the Ca²⁺, β-glucoside-activated cotton fiber enzyme, with or without Mg²⁺, is very similar in size to callose isolated from cotton fibers, but is a linear (1→3)-β-glucan lacking the small amount of branches at C-0-6 found in vivo. We conclude that the high degree of aggregation of the fibrils synthesized with Mg²⁺in vitro is caused either by an alteration of the glucan at the reducing end or, indirectly, by an effect of Mg²⁺ on the conformation of the enzyme. Rate-zonal centrifugation of the solubilized mung bean callose synthase confirms that divalent cations can affect the size or conformation of this enzyme.     

Biosynthesis of Tetrapyrrole Pigment Precursors : Formation and Utilization of Glutamyl-tRNA for delta-Aminolevulinic Acid Synthesis by Isolated Enzyme Fractions from Chlorella Vulgaris

The universal tetrapyrrole precursor δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is formed from glutamate (Glu) in algae and higher plants. In the postulated reaction sequence, Glu-tRNA is produced by a Glu-tRNA synthetase, and the product serves as a substrate for a reduction step catalyzed by a pyridine nucleotide-requiring Glu-tRNA dehydrogenase. The reduced intermediate is then converted into ALA by a transaminase. An RNA and three enzyme fractions required for ALA formation from Glu have been isolated from soluble Chlorella extracts. The recombined fractions catalyzed ALA production from Glu or Glu-tRNA. The fraction containing the synthetase produced Glu-tRNA from Glu and tRNA in the presence of ATP and Mg²⁺. The isolated product of this reaction served as substrate for ALA production by the partially reconstituted enzyme system lacking the synthetase fraction and incapable of producing ALA from Glu. The production of ALA from Glu-tRNA by this partially reconstituted system did not require free Glu or ATP, and was not affected by added ATP. These results show that (a) free Glu-tRNA is an intermediate in the formation of ALA from Glu, (b) ATP is required only in the first step of the reaction sequence, and NADPH only in a later step, (c) Glu-tRNA production is the essential reaction catalyzed by one of the enzyme fractions, (d) this enzyme fraction is active in the absence of the other enzymes and is not required for activity of the others. The specific Glu-tRNA synthetase required for ALA formation has an approximate molecular weight of 73,000 ± 5,000 as determined by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Other Glu-tRNA synthetases were present in the cell extracts but were ineffective in the the ALA-forming process.     

Direct fermentation of various pure and crude starchy substrates to L(+) lactic acid using Lactobacillus amylophilus GV6

Lactobacillus amylophilus GV6 fermented a variety of pure and natural starches directly to L(+) lactic acid. Starch to lactic acid conversion efficiency was more than 90% by strain GV6 at low substrate concentrations with all starches. The strain GV6 produced high yields of lactic acid per g of substrate utilized with pure starches such as soluble starch, corn starch, and potato starch, yielding 92–96% at low substrate concentrations in 2 days and 78–89% at high substrate (10%) concentrations in 4–6 days. Strain GV6 also produced high yields of lactic acid per g of substrate utilized with crude starchy substrates such as wheat flour, sorghum flour, cassava flour, rice flour and barley flour yielding 90–93% at low substrate concentrations in 2 days and 80% or more at high substrate concentrations in 6–7 days. Lactic acid yields by L. amylophilus GV6 with pure starches were comparable when low cost crude starchy substrates were used. Lactic acid productivity by strain GV6 is higher than for any other previously reported strains of L. amylophilus.     

Particulate glucan synthetase activity: generation and inactivation after treatments with indoleacetic acid and cycloheximide

Growing regions from epicotyls of Pisum sativum L. var Alaska contain a particulate enzyme which transfers glucose from guanosine diphosphate glucose to alkali-soluble and -insoluble products (glucan synthetase activity). When the epicotyl is decapitated to remove the source of natural hormone, the tissue below ceases growth and loses synthetase activity as well as the capacity to continue forming cellulose in vivo. If indoleacetic acid (IAA) is added to the cut apex, massive amounts of cellulose are deposited in the next few days. Particulate glucan synthetase activity is either maintained or greatly increased depending on whether endogenous activity levels are relatively high or low at the time of hormone addition. These effects appear to be due in part to IAA-dependent generation of a protein essential for synthetase activity since they are severely inhibited by concentrations of cycloheximide which are effective at preventing protein synthesis. Nevertheless, the addition of cycloheximide alone to the epicotyl reduces the rate of disappearance of synthetase activity, i.e., a protective effect. Also, a soluble thermolabile component is present in the aging epicotyl which promotes loss of synthetase activity when added to the particulate enzyme in vitro. Accordingly, turnover of pea glucan synthetase activity may be controlled in part by an inactivating protein which is itself subject to turnover.