THE STRUCTURAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE INTERNAL MEMBRANE SYSTEMS OF IN SITU AND ISOLATED CHLOROPLASTS OF HORDEUM VULGARE

Healthy chloroplasts of Hordeum vulgare are compared with chloroplasts subjected to abnormal stresses such as in situ disruption, isolation, isolation plus washing in 0.5 m sucrose, and isolation plus washing in 0.5 m sucrose and distilled H₂O. Normal chloroplasts resemble those of Nicotiana rustica and Phaseolus vulgaris in being composed of compartmented grana connected by an anastomosing fretwork system. They differ in having a somewhat greater incidence of parallel frets and double partitions. Under conditions of stress both grana and fretwork undergo varying degrees of swelling, and the double partition maintains its structural integrity. Grana are more resistant to abnormal stresses than the fretwork. Fret connections with more than 3 grana do not generally occur, but in some micrographs a single pathway may be traced through several grana. Washing isolated chloroplasts in distilled water results in an enlargement involving compartments of 2 or more grana together with the associated fretwork membranes. These results indicate that the grana in mature chloroplasts of Hordeum vulgare, like those of Nicotiana rustica and Phaseolus vulgaris, are compartmented structural units and not a series of localized aligned thickenings in regular extensive discs. These enlargements are complex structures comprising the membranes and spaces of both grana and frets. The swelling indicates an increase of locular and fret channel substance and possibly an enlargement of membrane surfaces. Dried down on grids, the compartments and frets appear as flat discs with radial appendages.     

Preparation of intact chloroplasts by chemically induced lysis of the green alga Dunaliella marina

A method for the isolation in high yield of intact chloroplasts from the unicellular green alga Dunaliella marina (Volvocales) is described. This procedure uses chemically induced lysis of cells with the polycationic macromolecules, DEAE-dextran (M=500,000) or poly-D,l-lysine (M=30,000-70,000). Reaction conditions were optimized with respect to obtaining a high yield of intact chloroplasts, after isopycnic centrifugation in a linear sucrose density gradient, by varying the concentration of polycation and the temperature and pH of incubation. Broken chloroplasts devoid of the stromal marker enzymes fructosebisphosphate phosphatase and ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase, but containing mitochondrial (fumarase) and microbody (catalase) contamination, were banded at a bouyant density of 1.18 g cm^-3. Intact chloroplasts, as indicated by their retention of alkaline fructosebisphosphate phosphatase and ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase, were found in 30% yield (chlorophyll in intact cells, 100%) at an equilibrium density of 1.24 g cm^-3. Contamination by cytoplasmic material (pyruvate kinase), mitochondria, and microbodies was less than 8% each.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - DEAE-dextran diethylaminoethyl-dextran - DTT dithiothreitol - EDTA ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid - FBPase fructose-1,6-bisphosphate phosphatase, EC 3.1.3.11 - G6P-DH glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, EC 1.1.1.49 - HEPES N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-ethanesulphonic acid - MES 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulphonic acid - RuBP carboxylase D-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase or 3-phospho-D-glycerate carboxy-lyase (dimerizing), EC 4.1.1.39     

Die Bedeutung des Glucose-1-Phosphates für die Stärkesynthese in den Bündelscheidenzellen von Zea mays

Summary After illumination intact leaves of Zea mays contain sucrose and starch. The latter is located mainly in the bundle sheath cells. When 0.5 mm wide leaf strips are incubated with sucrose solution, the starch deposit in the bundle-sheath chloroplasts is greatly increased by light. When isolated bundle sheath cells are suspended in water or solutions of sucrose and various metabolites they are not capable of synthesizing starch. An appreciable production of starch in the chloroplasts of isolated bundle sheath cells can be observed only in the presence of glucose-1-phosphate.     

COMPARISON OF THE OSMOTIC VOLUME CHANGES IN CHLOROPLASTS ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT PLANTS

Chloroplasts were isolated from leaves of four plant species(spinach, New. Zealand spinach, Swiss Chard and tomato) andtheir osmotic behaviour was compared. Maximal contraction ofchloroplasts from all plant sources occurred at 0.3–0.4M sucrose. The volume of the particles at this sucrose concentrationwas also similar in all cases; 300 mm³ per 10¹⁰ chloroplasts.At higher and lower sucrose concentrations, the chloroplastsswell. The degree of swelling, especially in higher sucroseconcentrations, differed in chloroplasts from different sources.Tomato chloroplasts are most sensitive, and the spinach chloroplastsare the most resistant to all types of treatment. Tomato chloroplastsrequire rather high phosphate concentrations for good preservation. Changes in optical density at 520 mµ can be used to geta rough idea about the condition of the particles. (Received February 7, 1966; )     

Subcellular localization of the common shikimate-pathway enzymes in Pisum sativum L.

5-Enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase (3-phosphoshikimate 1-carboxyvinyltransferase; EC 2.5.1.19), 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.10) and shikimate: NADP⁺ oxidoreductase (EC 1.1.1.25) were present in intact chloroplasts and root plastids isolated from pea seedling extracts by sucrose and modified-silica density gradient centrifugation. In young (approx. 10-d-old) seedling shoots the enzymes were predominantly chloroplastic; high-performance anion-exchange chromatography resolved minor isoenzymic activities not observed in density-gradientpurified chloroplasts. The initial enzyme of the shikimate pathway, 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase (EC 4.1.2.15) was also associated with intact density-gradient-purified chloroplasts. 3-Dehydroquinate synthase (EC 4.6.1.3) and shikimate kinase (EC 2.7.1.71) were detected together with the other pathway enzymes in stromal preparations from washed chloroplasts. Plastidic EPSP synthase was inhibited by micromolar concentrations of the herbicide glyphosate.Abbreviations DAHP 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate - DEAE diethylaminoethyl - DHQase 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase - DTT dithiothreitol - EPSP 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate - SORase shikimate:NADP⁺ oxidoreductase     

Sucrose metabolism in green algae I. The presence of sucrose synthetase and sucrose phosphate synthetase

Summary The presence of sucrose synthetase and sucrose phosphate synthetase has been demonstrated in two species of green algae:Chlorella vulgaris andScenedesmus obliquus. Partial purification from crude extracts allowed the determination of the kinetic constants of algae enzymes. They are very similar to the ones reported for enzymes from higher plants.Dedicated toLuis F. Leloir on his seventieth birthday.     

Chloroplast Integrity and ATP-Dependent CO(2) Fixation in Spinacia oleracea

Washed whole chloroplasts of Spinacia oleracea isolated and assayed in a tris (hydroxymethyl aminomethane)-HCl buffered sucrose solution exhibited low dark CO₂ fixing activity, whereas washed whole chloroplasts isolated in the same buffer but assayed in that buffer without sucrose exhibited much greater dark CO₂ fixing activity. The lowered activity could be attributed to the impermeability of the chloroplast membrane to ribose-5-phosphate or adenosine triphosphate. The preservation of the integrity of the chloroplast membrane, as reflected by its impermeability to either or both of the abovementioned compounds, was measured by the fixation of ¹⁴CO₂ into acid-stable products in the presence of ribose-5-phosphate and adenosine triphosphate by the whole chloroplast as compared with fixation by the chloroplast extract. An effect (i.e., apparent resistance to the passage of ribose-5-phosphate or adenosine-5-triphosphate into the chloroplast) similar to, but less pronounced than, that produced by the presence of sucrose in the isolation medium was observed upon the addition of MnCl₂ or CaCl₂ to the buffered sucrose isolation medium. The addition of KCl enhanced slightly the effect produced by addition of sucrose alone to the isolation medium. The presence of MgCl₂ in the isolation medium, however, either caused the chloroplasts to become leaky or more fragile since more of the activity of the carboxylative phase enzymes appeared in the cytoplasm. When a mixture of all of the metal ions was added to the buffered sucrose suspending medium, the chloroplasts exhibited the same response observed with MgCl₂ alone. The addition of ethylene diaminetetraacetate or dithiothreitol appeared to alter the permeability of the chloroplast membrane nonspecifically when the assay was conducted in the absence of sucrose. Specific activities (μmoles CO₂ fixed/mg chlorophyll × hr) as high as 329.6 have been observed for dark fixation by chloroplasts. The phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity in the chloroplasts was only one-seventh that of ribulose diphosphate carboxylase. The phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity in the cytoplasm was 5 times that of the chloroplasts.     

Enzymic evidence for peroxisomes in a mutant of Chlorella vulgaris

Summary Isopycnic sucrose density gradient centrifugation of cell-free extracts of a yellow mutant of Chlorella vulgaris and its green parent strain showed a distribution of catalase and glycollate oxidoreductase activity consistent with their association with a particle/organelle fraction. Gradient centrifugation starting from a pellet of cell-free material resulted in a concentration of enzyme activity in the 1.5 M to 2.0 M sucrose fractions which coincided with a microbody-containing fraction as determined by electron microscopy. The algal glycollate-oxidizing enzyme coupled to oxygen, oxidized both d- and l-lactate and was insensitive to cyanide in vitro, showing it to be similar to that of higher plants. The association of glycollate oxidase together with catalase, with the microbody fraction, may be taken as evidence for the presence of algal peroxisomes in these organisms.Abbreviations DCPIP 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol     

Genetic analysis of aMicroseris douglasii (Asteraceae) population polymorphic for an alien chloroplast type

Recent evidence suggests chloroplast introgression fromMicroseris bigelovii intoM. douglasii. We have examined 23 plants from a population ofM. douglasii polymorphic forM. douglasii andM. bigelovii chloroplast types. All 23 plants were completely homozygous for morphological and RAPD markers, and inbred lines derived by selfing have been used for DNA analysis. Chloroplast RFLP analysis identified 16 plants withM. bigelovii chloroplasts and seven withM. douglasii chloroplasts. The nuclear genomes of the 16 plants withM. bigelovii chloroplasts were examined with 22 primers for RAPD amplification products shared exclusively withM. bigelovii. Five of 268 markers appeared to be shared betweenM. bigelovii and one or more of these 16 plants on the basis of their position in gels. Detailed examination of these five amplification products showed that none of them are nuclear DNA fromM. bigelovii. Very little, if any, nuclear DNA fromM. bigelovii can be present inM. douglasii plants with chloroplasts typical ofM. bigelovii. The study demonstrates the usefulness of the RAPD technique for screening large numbers of markers to select a few potentially informative ones for rigorous examination.Dedicated to emer. Univ.-Prof. DrFriedrich Ehrendorfer on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

Yeast strains from Livingston Island, Antarctica

Five yeast strains were isolated from soil and moss samples from the Livingston Island (Antarctica) and identified according to morphological, cultural and physiological characteristics. All strains had an optimum growth temperature of 15°C; none grew above 25°C. They assimilatedD-glucose.D-galactose, sucrose, cellobiose, trehalose, 2-keto-d-gluconate,D-xylose,d-ribose and melezitose. Four of them were nonfermentative, only one, which formed pseudomycelium fermented glucose, galactose, trehalose. Two strains were identified as pinkred yeasts belonging to genusRhodotorula—R. minuta andR. mucilaginosa; two were related to the genusCryptococcus—C. albidus andC. laurentii, one wasCandida oleophila.     

Sucrose phosphorylases catalyze transglycosylation reactions on carboxylic acid compounds

Two sucrose phosphorylases were employed for glycosylation of carboxylic acid compounds. Streptococcus mutans sucrose phosphorylase showed remarkable transglycosylating activity, especially under acidic conditions. Leuconostoc mesenteroides sucrose phosphorylase exhibited very weak transglycosylating activity. Three main products were detected from the reaction mixture using benzoic acid and sucrose as an acceptor and a donor molecule, respectively. These compounds were identified as 1-O-benzoyl α-d-glucopyranoside, 2-O-benzoyl α-d-glucopyranose, and 2-O-benzoyl β-d-glucopyranose by 1D-and 2D-NMR analyses of the isolated products and their acetylated products. Time-course analyses proved that 1-O-benzoyl α-d-glucopyranoside was initially produced by the transglycosylation reaction of the enzyme. 2-O-Benzoyl α-d-glucopyranose and 2-O-benzoyl β-d-glucopyranose were produced from 1-O-benzoyl α-d-glucopyranoside by intramolecular acyl migration reaction. S. mutans sucrose phosphorylase showed broad acceptor-specificity. This sucrose phosphorylase catalyzed transglycosylation to various carboxylic compounds such as short-chain fatty acids, hydroxy acids, dicarboxylic acids, and phenolic carboxylic acids. 1-O-Acetyl α-d-glucopyranoside was also enzymatically synthesized by transglucosylation reaction of the enzyme. The sensory test of acetic acid and the glucosides revealed that the sour taste of acetic acid glucosides was significantly lower than that of acetic acid.     

In vitro plantlet regeneration of Ocotea catharinensis,an endangered Brazilian hardwood forest tree

A successful system of somatic embryogenesis is described for the forest tree Ocotea catharinensis Mez., which used mature zygotic embryo explants cultured on a modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with activated charcoal, at 25°C in the dark. A medium composed of MS supplemented with 2% (w/v) sucrose, 0.3% (w/v) activated charcoal (AC), 362 M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-d) and 0.8% (w/v) Technical Agar Grade III was used for multiplication of embryogenic cultures. Development up to the globular-stage was achieved using Lloyd and McCown woody plant medium (WPM) with 2.0% sucrose, 0.3% AC, 181 M 2,4-d and 0.8% Technical Agar Grade III. Significant effects of media pH on differentiation of early pro-embryogenic Ocotea cell aggregates were found. Low pH of media (ca. 3–4) appeared to prevent differentiation of proembryogenic cell aggregates whereas higher pH levels (ca. 5–5.5) favoured the formation of globular structures. Once globular structures formed, they developed further to form cotyledonary somatic embryos, under the same set of culture conditions. Successful conversion of these somatic embryos to plantlets was achieved after culture on a medium composed of 1/2-strength WPM (minerals only) with 2% sucrose, 0.3% AC, 0.8% Technical Agar Grade III and 90.5 M 2,4-d, followed by transfer to a medium composed of 1/2-strength WPM (minerals only) with 2% sucrose, 0.8% Technical Agar Grade III and 0.905 M 2,4-d and 1.4 M gibberellic acid, in a 16-h photoperiod regime.     

Plant regeneration from cell suspension-derived protoplasts of Phalaenopsis

Protoplasts isolated from cell suspension culture of Phalaenopsis “Wataboushi” were cultured by (a) embedding in gellan gum-solidified hormone-free 1/2 New Dogashima medium (1/2 NDM) containing 0.44 M sorbitol, 0.06 M sucrose and 0.1 g/l l-glutamine (standard method) and (b) beads method using beads of gellan gum or sodium alginate as the gelling agents which were surrounded by liquid NDM. Although, the two beads methods gave less frequency of initial protoplast division than the standard method, the former finally resulted in higher frequency of microcolony formation than the latter. The highest frequency of microcolony formation (23%) was obtained when protoplasts were embedded in 1% Ca-alginate beads and subcultured every two weeks by replacing the surrounding liquid culture medium with a decrease in sorbitol concentration by 0.1 M. Colonies visible to the naked eyes were observed within 2 months of culture and the regenerated calluses were transferred onto hormone-free NDM supplemented with 10 g/l maltose and 0.3% (w/v) gellan gum, on which PLBs were formed and proliferated profusely. The PLBs were regenerated into plantlets after changing the carbon source to 10 g/l sorbitol and successfully acclimatized to greenhouse conditions.     

Structure of the peptidoglycans of Moraxella glucidolytica and Moraxella lwoffi grown on hydrocarbons

The peptidoglycans of Moraxella glucidolytica and Moraxella lwoffi grown on aliphatic hydrocarbons were isolated. They contained muramic acid. glucosamine, alanine, d-glutamic acid and meso-diaminopimelic acid in a molar ratio of about 0.5:0.5:1.6:1.0:1.0 (M. glucidolytica) and 0.8:0.7:1.3:1.0:1.0 (M. lwoffi).The peptidoglycans were lysozyme-resistant. However, when treated with formamide, they could be partially degraded by lysozyme. The fragments were purified and their structure determined. In both strains, the peptide subunits consisted mainly of tripeptides (l-Ala-d-Glu-meso-DAP) and tetrapeptides (l-Ala-d-Glu-meso-DAP-d-Ala), most of them being directly cross-linked. It is concluded that in both strains the primary structures of the peptidoglycans are closely related.     

Oxidation of short-chain fatty acids by sulfate-reducing bacteria in freshwater and in marine sediments

Colony counts of acetate-, propionate- and l-lactate-oxidizing sulfate-reducing bacteria in marine sediments were made. The vertical distribution of these organisms were equal for the three types considered. The highest numbers were found just beneath the border of aerobic and anaerobic layers.Anaerobic mineralization of acetate, propionate and l-lactate was studied in the presence and in the absence of sulfate. In freshwater and in marine sediments, acetate and propionate were oxidized completely with concomitant reduction of sulfate. l-Lactate was always fermented. Lactate-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing bacteria, belonging to the species Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, and lactate-fermenting bacteria were found in approximately equal amounts in the sediments. Acetate-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing bacteria could only be isolated from marine sediments, they belonged to the genus Desulfobacter and oxidized only acetate and ethanol by sulfate reduction. Propionate-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing bacteria belonged to the genus Desulfobulbus. They were isolated from freshwater as well as from marine sediments and showed a relatively large range of usable substrates: hydrogen, formate, propionate, l-lactate and ethanol were oxidized with concomitant sulfate reduction. l-Lactate and pyruvate could be fermented by most of the isolated strains.     

Photosynthesis in chloroplasts rapidly isolated from primary leaves of oat (Avena sativa L.): effects of orthophosphate, metal ion and chelators

Abstract A simple mechanical method for the rapid isolation of chloroplasts with high rates of photosynthesis from young leaves of oat (Avena sativa L.) was described. The photosynthetic activity of these chloroplasts was stable for at least 2 h with rates of CO₂-dependent O₂ evolution of 30–40 μmol g ¹ Chl s ¹. The photosynthetic properties of these chloroplasts were similar to those reported for spinach and pea chloroplasts isolated by mechanical disruption. The pH optimum for photosynthetic O₂ evolution was pH 7.6. The induction time was 0.5–2 min. Maximal rates of photosynthetic O₂ evolution in these chloroplast preparations were obtained in the absence of both divalent cations and EDTA. Addition of divilent cations strongly inhibited photosynthesis which could be partially restored by the subsequent addition of EDTA. But when these cations were not present in the assay medium the addition of EDTA greater than 1 mol m ³ decreased photosynthetic activity. The optimal orthophosphate concentration required for photosynthesis in these chloroplast preparations was 0.2–0.3 mol m ³. In contrast, the addition of pyrophosphate either in the light or dark inhibited photosynthesis. In a comparative study, chloroplasts were also isolated from oat and wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cultivar Hybrid C306) protoplasts. These chloroplast preparations were found to have properties similar to those determined for oat chloroplasts isolated by the mechanical method reported above.     

Influence of 2,4-d and lactose on pollen embryogenesis in anther culture of potato

Anthers of diploid genotypes of Solanum tuberosum capable of androgenesis were cultured on different media to examine the effect on induction of pollen embryogenesis of 2,4-d and lactose. Anthers cultured in callogenic medium with 2,4-d and sucrose produced pollen derived embryoids only exceptionally. When sucrose was replaced by lactose the frequency of embryogenesis was as high or higher than in embryogenic auxin-free medium. Substitution of lactose for sucrose in the embryogenic medium had no effect. Supplementing the embryogenic medium with 2,4-d strongly reduced the frequency of pollen embryoids in the presence of sucrose but not with lactose.Abbreviations 2,4-d 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid     

High yields of cytoplasts from protoplasts of Lolium perenne and Beta vulgaris using gradient centrifugation

Methods for the isolation of cytoplasts from suspension culture-derived protoplasts of the monocot Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) and the dicot Beta vulgaris (sugarbeet) have been determined. After comparing a range of gradients it was found that a discontinuous sucrose/mannitol gradient gave the highest cytoplast yields for both species tested: of the protoplasts loaded onto the gradient, for Beta >30% and for Lolium up to 45% could be recovered as cytoplasts. Sufficient protoplasts could be loaded onto the gradient to produce suitable numbers of cytoplasts for use in asymmetric somatic hybridisation experiments. Cytoplasts could be isolated from several suspension cultures of different ages. The cytoplast fraction was recovered from the upper part of the gradient in all cases and was only slightly contaminated (2–8%) with protoplasts. Lolium cytoplasts were small, evacuolate cells with granular cytoplasm. In contrast, Beta cytoplasts were larger and predominantly vacuolate. Both contained mitochondria as determined using fluorescence staining.Abbreviations 2,4-d 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - M mannitol - S sucrose - P Percoll - S/M sucrose/mannitol gradient     

Membranous localization and properties of ATPase of rat liver lysosomes

Summary Lysosomes isolated from rat liver were found to have ATPase activity (EC No. 3.6.1.3). Subfractionation of the lysosomes revealed a membranous localization of ATPase activity. The enzyme has half maximal activity at 0.2mm ATP and is inhibited by high concentrations of ATP. The apparentK _m for divalent metal is 0.2mm, and either ca²⁺ or Mg²⁺ give maximal activity.The ATPase activity has latency when lysosomes are isolated from rats treated with Triton WR-1339. This latency may be due to the presence of internalized sucrose because the activity ofL fraction lysosomes is much less latent and Triton WR-1339 itself is not inhibitory. The latency of glucosamindase, a marker enzyme for lysosomes, contrasts with the low latency of the ATPase and points to an ATPase with an exposed active site in intact lysosomes.     

Lytic action of strepzymes from micromonospora AS

Summary The effect of lytic enzymes of Micromonospora AS on isolated cell walls and intact or heat killed cells of Candida utilis was investigated. Several substances normally used as stabilizers during protoplast formation were tested for their effect on the lytic action of strepzyme M on intact and dead cells: NaCl and KCl markedly inhibited lysis, sucrose only to 40%. Sorbitol and MgSO₄ have no inhibitory effect. MgSO₄ was selected for further research as it was found to protect the protoplasts. Phosphate buffer pH 6.8 should not be used at concentrations above 0.01 m. When grown submerged in shaking flasks or in pilot fermentation tanks, in liquid medium containing yeast cells and salts, Micromonospora AS gave the highest yield of lytic enzymes. The strepzyme M preparation is thermolabile.