Quantitation of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in HeLa cells

A synthetic DNA polymer containing [8-³H]O⁶-methylguanine m⁶G) was used as a substrate to assay the in situ demethylation of the alkylated base by an activity in HeLa cell extracts. The repair activity appears to be similar to the O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase of E. coli and to be inactivated by reaction with the substrate. Extracts of a methylation-repair proficient (Mer⁺) cell strain, HeLa CCL2, were found to contain m⁶G repair activity equivalent to approx. 100 000 molecules of methyltransferase per cell, assuming that each molecule can demethylate one m⁶G residue. No activity could be detected in the extract of a repair deficient (Mer⁻) cell strain, HeLa S3, and there is no evidence of an inhibitor of repair activity in this strain.     

Hemagglutinins in brown seaweeds

Twenty-eight brown seaweeds contain agglutinins that show activity against animal and human erythrocytes. Three brown seaweeds are described whose hemagglutinic activity has not been previously reported: Ectocarpus confervoides, Giffordia granulosa and Cutleria multifida. Hemagglutinic activity against different erythrocytes is as follows: rabbit, 100%; sheep, 71%; chicken, 64%; guinea-pig, 39%; human, 38%; horse, 25% and calf, 21%. The highest agglutinic activity was found with rabbit erythrocytes, with maximum titres of: Fucus serratus (2¹⁸), Laminaria saccharina (2¹⁷) and Himanthalia elongata (2¹⁷). The species Giffordia granulosa showed certain specificity against human erythrocytes. In general, the hemagglutinic activity of these brown seaweeds seems to be of a polyphenolic nature. Agglutinic activity of some of these brown seaweeds can be used as a taxonomic index.     

Determination of sialidase activities in HeLa cells using gangliosides specifically labeled in N-acetylneuraminic acid.

Radioactive gangliosides, N-[¹⁴C]-acetylneuraminylgalactosylglucosylceramide ([¹⁴C]G_M3) and N- [¹⁴C]-acetylneuraminylgalactosyl-N-acetylgalactosaminyl- [N-acetylneuraminyl]-galactosylglucosylceramide ([¹⁴C]G_D1a), were synthesized from CMP-[¹⁴C]sialic acid and the appropriate precursor glycolipid using specific sialyltransferase activities. These compounds were isolated and used as substrates to assay sialidase activity in HeLa cells. Although sodium butyrate added to the culture medium increased G_M3 biosynthesis in HeLa cells, sialidase activity, as well as that of other glycohydrolases, was the same in control and butyrate-treated HeLa cells. The same sialidase activity appeared to hydrolyze both [¹⁴C]G_M3 and [¹⁴C]G_D1a, but not fetuin; the enzyme had a pH optimum of 5.0 and a K_m of 75 μm for the ganglioside substrates. Although the cells contained a high sialidase activity (4–7 nmol/mg of protein/h) and could bind exogenously added [¹⁴C]G_M3, no “ecto”-sialidase activity would be detected in intact cells under conditions where a close to physiological pH is maintained. The results indicate that ganglioside sialidase is not involved directly in the morphological and biochemical differentiation induced in HeLa cells by exposure to sodium butyrate.     

Sodium stimulation of uptake hydrogenase activity in symbiotic Rhizobium

Initial observations showed a 100% increase in H₂-uptake (Hup) activity of Rhizobium leguminosarum strain 3855 in pea root nodules (Pisum sativum L. cv Alaska) on plants growing in a baked clay substrate relative to those growing in vermiculite, and an investigation of nutrient factors responsible for the phenomenon was initiated. Significantly greater Hup activity was first measured in the clay-grown plants 24 days after germination, and higher activity was maintained relative to the vermiculite treatment until experiments were terminated at day 32. The increase in Hup activity was associated with a decrease in H₂ evolution for plants with comparable rates of acetylene reduction. Analyses of the clay showed that it contained more Na⁺ (29 versus 9 milligrams per kilogram) and less K⁺ (6 versus 74 milligrams per kilogram) than the vermiculite. Analyses of plants, however, showed a large increase in Na⁺ concentration of clay-grown plants with a much smaller reduction in K⁺ concentration. In tests with the same organisms in a hydroponic system with controlled pH, 40 millimolar NaCl increased Hup activity more than 100% over plants grown in solutions lacking NaCl. Plants with increased Hup activity, however, did not have greater net carbon or total nitrogen assimilation. KCl treatments from 5 to 80 millimolar produced slight increased in Hup activity at 10 millimolar KCl, and tests with other salts in the hydroponic system indicated that only Na⁺ strongly promoted Hup activity. Treating vermiculite with 50 millimolar NaCl increased Na⁺ concentration in pea plant tissue and greatly promoted Hup activity of root nodules in a manner analogous to the original observation with the clay rooting medium. A wider generality of the phenomenon was suggested by demonstrating that exogenous Na⁺ increased Hup activity of other R. leguminosarum strains and promoted Hup activity of R. meliloti strain B300 in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).     

Differential expression of choline kinase isoforms in skeletal muscle explains the phenotypic variability in the rostrocaudal muscular dystrophy mouse

Choline kinase in mammals is encoded by two genes, Chka and Chkb. Disruption of murine Chka leads to embryonic lethality, whereas a spontaneous genomic deletion in murine Chkb results in neonatal forelimb bone deformity and hindlimb muscular dystrophy. Surprisingly, muscular dystrophy isn't significantly developed in the forelimb. We have investigated the mechanism by which a lack of choline kinase β, encoded by Chkb, results in minimal muscular dystrophy in forelimbs. We have found that choline kinase β is the major isoform in hindlimb muscle and contributes more to choline kinase activity, while choline kinase α is predominant in forelimb muscle and contributes more to choline kinase activity. Although choline kinase activity is decreased in forelimb muscles of Chkb^−/− mice, the activity of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase is increased, resulting in enhanced phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis. The activity of phosphatidylcholine phospholipase C is up-regulated while the activity of phospholipase A₂ in forelimb muscle is not altered. Regeneration of forelimb muscles of Chkb^−/− mice is normal when challenged with cardiotoxin. In contrast to hindlimb muscle, mega-mitochondria are not significantly formed in forelimb muscle of Chkb^−/− mice. We conclude that the relative lack of muscle degeneration in forelimbs of Chkb^−/− mice is due to abundant choline kinase α and the stable homeostasis of phosphatidylcholine.     

Response to environmental salinity of Na-KATPase activity in individual gills of the euryhaline crab Cyrtograpsus angulatus

The occurrence, localization and response to environmental salinity changes of Na⁺-K⁺ATPase activity were studied in each of the individual gills 4-8 of the euryhaline crab Cyrtograpsus angulatus from Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina). Na⁺-K⁺ATPase activity appeared to be differentially sensitive to environmental salinity among gills. Upon an abrupt change to low salinity, a differential response of Na⁺-K⁺ATPase activity occurred in each individual gill which could suggest a differential role of this enzyme in ion transport process in the different gills of C. angulatus. With the exception of gill 8, a short-term increase of Na⁺-K⁺ATPase specific activity was observed in posterior gills, which is similar to adaptative variations of this activity described in other euryhaline crabs. However, and conversely to that described in other hyperregulating crabs, the highest increase of activity occurred in anterior gills 4 by 1 day after the change to dilute media which could suggest also a role for these gills in ion transport processes in C. angulatus. The fact that variations of Na⁺-K⁺ATPase activity in anterior and posterior gills were concomitant with the transition to hyperregulation indicate that this enzyme could be a component of the branchial ionoregulatory mechanisms at the biochemical level in this crab. The results suggest a differential participation of branchial Na⁺-K⁺ATPase activity in ionoregulatory mechanisms of C. angulatus. The possible existence of functional differences as well as distinct regulation mechanisms operating in individual gills is discussed.     

Characterization of Mg2+- and (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase activity in adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum

The presence of an energy-dependent calcium uptake system in adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum (D. E. Bruns, J. M. McDonald, and L. Jarett, 1976, J. Biol. Chem.251, 7191–7197) suggested that this organelle might possess a calcium-stimulated transport ATPase. This report describes two types of ATPase activity in isolated microsomal vesicles: a nonspecific, divalent cation-stimulated ATPase (Mg²⁺-ATPase) of high specific activity, and a specific, calcium-dependent ATPase (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺-ATPase) of relatively low activity. Mg²⁺-ATPase activity was present in preparations of mitochondria and plasma membranes as well as microsomes, whereas the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase activity appeared to be localized in the endoplasmic reticulum component of the microsomal fraction. Characterization of microsomal Mg²⁺-ATPase activity revealed apparent K_m values of 115 μm for ATP, 333 μm for magnesium, and 200 μm for calcium. Maximum Mg²⁺-ATPase activity was obtained with no added calcium and 1 mm magnesium. Potassium was found to inhibit Mg²⁺-ATPase activity at concentrations greater than 100 mm. The energy of activation was calculated from Arrhenius plots to be 8.6 kcal/mol. Maximum activity of microsomal (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase was 13.7 nmol ³²P/mg/min, which represented only 7% of the total ATPase activity. The enzyme was partially purified by treatment of the microsomes with 0.09% deoxycholic acid in 0.15 m KCl which increased the specific activity to 37.7 nmol ³²P/mg/min. Characterization of (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase activity in this preparation revealed a biphasic dependence on ATP with a Hill coefficient of 0.80. The apparent K_m^s for magnesium and calcium were 125 and 0.6–1.2 μm, respectively. (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase activity was stimulated by potassium with an apparent K_m of 10 mm and maximum activity reached at 100 mm potassium. The energy of activation was 21.5 kcal/mol. The kinetics and ionic requirements of (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase are similar to those of the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase in sarcoplasmic reticulum. These results suggest that the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺)-ATPase of adipocyte endoplasmic reticulum functions as a calcium transport enzyme.     

Plasmalemma redox activity and h extrusion in roots of fe-deficient cucumber plants

Cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.) with incipient Fe deficiency showed increased root capacity to reduce chelated Fe³⁺ compared to Fe-sufficient plants. When Fe-ethylenediaminete-traacetate was added to the root medium of the Fe-deficient plants, the reductase activity was associated with acidification of the medium and an increase in the net apparent K⁺ efflux. In the presence of the H⁺-ATPase inhibitor N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide the net apparent H⁺ efflux was completely suppressed, though some reductase activity was preserved, and the net apparent K⁺ efflux was significantly increased. The inhibition of the reductase activity by N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide was similar whether the pH of the medium was buffered or not. Anoxia and the protonophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone also caused a similar inhibition of the reductase activity. It is proposed that this redox system transports electrons only and that its activity is inhibited by plasmamembrane depolarization and anoxia. The H⁺ and K⁺ efflux associated with the reductase activity may be a result of the plasmamembrane depolarization it causes.     

In vivo regulation of glutamine synthetase by ammonium in the cyanobacterium Anabaena L-31

In cell-free preparations of NH₄⁺-grown cultures of the cyanobacterium Anabaena L-31 the glutamine synthetase activity is only half as much as in N₂-grown cultures. Using a procedure which enables quantitative purification of the enzyme to homogeneity it has been shown that the decrease in the enzyme activity is caused by NH₄⁺-mediated repression. Glutamine synthetase activity in both N₂-grown and NH₄⁺-grown Anabaena remains stable for more than 24 h in the presence of chloramphenicol suggesting low enzyme turnover and an enzyme half-life greater than the generation time (16–18 h) of the cyanobacterium. In N₂-grown cultures, a drastic decrease in the enzyme activity by exogenous NH₄⁺ can be discerned when fresh protein synthesis is prevented by chloramphenicol. The enzyme purified from such cultures has K_m values for NH₄⁺, glutamate Mg²⁺, and ATP similar to those observed for the enzyme from N₂- and NH₄⁺-grown Anabaena, but shows depression in V for all the substrates, leading to drastic decrease in specific activity. The modified enzyme also shows a sharper thermal denaturation profile. These results indicate that NH₄⁺-mediated modification to a less active form may be a means of regulation of glutamine synthetase in N₂-fixing cultures of Anabaena.     

Enhancement effect of O6-Fluorobenzylguanines on chloroethylnitrosourea cytotoxicity in tumor cells

O⁶-Alkylguanine derivatives sensitize tumor cells to chloroethylnitrosourea (CENU) chemotherapy by inactivation of O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), which repairs CENU-induced O⁶-alkylguanines in DNA by accepting the alkyl group at a cysteine moiety. To test the biological significance of synthesized O⁶-fluorobenzylguanine derivatives, we measured their ability of inactivation of MGMT activity and their effects on the cytotoxicity of 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride (ACNU) in comparison with the effects of O⁶-benzylguanine and O⁶-phenylguanine. The O⁶-(4-and 3-fluorobenzyl)guanines considerably reduced the MGMT activity of HeLa S3 cell-free extract as did O⁶-benzylguanine. In contrast, O⁶-(2-fluorobenzyl)guanine and O⁶-phenylguanine had less of an effect on the activity. Two-hour pretreatment of O⁶-(4-and 3-fluorobenzyl)guanines potentiated ACNU cytotoxicity in HeLa S3 cells to a greater extent than did O⁶-(2-fluorobenzyl)guanine and O⁶-phenylguanine. The enhancement effects were consistent with the depletion of MGMT activity after the pretreatment of O⁶-fluorobenzylguanine derivatives. O⁶-Fluorobenzylguanines with a fluoro-substitution at the 4- or 3-position of the benzyl group were comparable to O⁶-benzylguanine and were powerful MGMT inactivators. The chemical features of the O⁶-benzyl group are a biologically important determinant in the reaction evolution with MGMT.     

Preparation of Membrane Vesicles Enriched in ATP-Dependent Proton Transport from Suspension Cultures of Tomato Cells

Membranes enriched in ATP-dependent proton transport were prepared from suspension cultures of tomato cells (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill cv VF36). Suspension cultures were a source of large quantities of membranes from rapidly growing, undifferentiated cells. Proton transport activity was assayed as quench of acridine orange fluorescence. The activity of the proton translocating ATPase and of several other membrane enzymes was measured as a function of the cell culture cycle. The relative distribution of the enzymes between the 3,000, 10,000, and 100,000g pellets remained the same throughout the cell culture cycle, but yield of total activity and activity per gram fresh weight with time had a unique profile for each enzyme tested. Maximal yield of the proton translocating ATPase activity was obtained from cells in the middle logarithmic phase of growth, and from 50 to 90% of the activity was found in the 10,000g pellet. The proton translocating ATPase activity was separable from NADPH cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome c oxidase on a sucrose gradient. Proton transport activity had a broad pH optimum (7.0-8.0), was stimulated by KCl with a K_m of 5 to 10 millimolar, stimulation being due to the anion, Cl⁻, and not the cation, K⁺, and was not inhibited by vanadate, but was inhibited by NO₃⁻. The activity is tentatively identified as the tonoplast ATPase.     

Pleiotropic effect of his gene mutations on nitrogen fixation in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Several his mutations were found to influence nitrogen fixation in Klebsiella pneumoniae: hisB, hisC, and hisD mutants had 50% of wild-type levels of nitrogenase activity when supplied with 30 μg or less histidine/ml although this concentration did not limit protein synthesis and the mutants retained a Nif⁺ plate phenotype. A hisA mutation had a similar but more dramatic effect. At low concentrations of histidine the hisA mutant strain had only 5% of the nitrogenase activity found at high histidine concentration or in a his⁺ strain, and was also Nif^- on low histidine agar plates. Addition of adenine restored nitrogenase activity in the hisA but not the hisB, hisC, or hisD mutants. Low levels of intracellular ATP, a consequence of hisG enzyme activity, correlated with loss of nitrogen-fixing ability in the hisA mutant which failed to sustain nif gene expression under these conditions. Synthesis of other major cell proteins was relatively unaffected indicating that nif gene expression is selectively regulated by the energy status of the organism.     

Evidence for the presence of ion pumps in the photophores of two mesopelagic fishes: Argyropelecus and maurolicus

• 1.l. Adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity has been measured on homogenates of photophores from the two mesopelagic fishes Argyropelecus and Maurolicus. This activity is equivalent for both fishes when reported to the protein content as is their O₂ consumption.
• 2.2. The activity is optimal at pH 6.8–7.5. It is not specific for ATP since GTP, ITP, UTP and CTP are also hydrolyzed to a significant extent. It is also not specific for Mg²⁺, the activity being equivalent (Argyropelecus) or higher (Maurolicus) with Ca²⁺ and high also with Co²⁺ and Mn²⁺
• 3.3. Twenty to 30 per cent of the activity measured at pH 7.4 is probably due to the mitochondrial ATPase as it is shown by oligomycin and venturicidin inhibition.
• 4.4. Activities of both fishes photophores are partly inhibited by N-N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), azide, LaCl₃, vanadate, diethylstilbestrol (DES) and N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) which are all inhibitors of ionic pumps.
• 5.5. Argyropelecus activity is sensitive to ouabaïn.
• 6.6. Our results show the presence of ionic pumps in Argyropelecus and Maurolicus photophores. If there is evidence for the absence or very low activity of a H⁺ pump, it is sure that Argyropelecus at least possess a Na⁺K⁺-ATPase.
• 7.7. The significance of a high protein content in Maurolicus photophores and of a large inorganic phosphate concentration in Argyropelecus is discussed.

     

Preliminary Characterization of Phospholipase A2 in Lagenidium giganteum

MacKichan, J. K., Tuininga, A. R., and Kerwin, J. L. 1994. Preliminary characterization of phospholipase A₂ in Lagenidium giganteum. Experimental Mycology 18, 180-192. Phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) hydrolyses the fatty acyl ester bond at the sn-2 position in glycerophospholipids. To better understand its regulatory roles, factors affecting PLA₂ activity in Lagenidium giganteum were investigated: divalent ions; chelators: inhibitors; pH; and substrate concentration. PLA₂ activity of L. giganteum whole cell homogenates was determined using 1-stearoyl-2-[1-¹⁴C]arachidonoyl phosphatidylcholine as substrate. The divalent cations Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Mn²⁺ all enhanced PLA² activity, while Co²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Zn²⁺ were either slightly inhibitory or without effect. High concentrations of EGTA enhanced activity, low concentrations of the chelators were slightly inhibitory, while high concentrations of EDTA had little effect. EGTA, which has a higher affinity for Ca²⁺ and Mn²⁺ than Mg²⁺, reduced hydrolysis less than a comparable concentration of EDTA. Two pH optima were found, at both acid (ca. 5.5) and alkaline (ca. 11.5) levels. Four classical inhibitors, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, ellagic acid, gossypol, and 4-bromophenacylbromide, reduced PLA₂ activity by about 80% at 5 mM concentration, 50% with 1 mM inhibitor, and had no effect at 100 μM. The relatively high levels of these compounds needed to inhibit PLA₂ hydrolysis may have been due to the presence of a cocktail of enzymes, some of which were not susceptible to inhibition. All inhibitors at 1 mM concentration in live cell cultures effectively shut down oosporogenesis, without adverse effects to the mycelia. PLA₂ activity was highest in the late oospore stage of the life cycle, although the enzymes were probably not metabolically active in these stationary cultures. Cultures grown on cholesterol-supplemented defined media had significantly higher levels of PLA₂ activity relative to cultures grown on sterol-free media. The enzyme was found to be associated primarily with microsomal membranes, but there was significant activity in cytosolic fractions. Separation of cell homogenates by column chromatography revealed that there were at least nine enzymes capable of cleaving fatty acids in the sn -2 position of phospholipids.     

Evidence for in vivo compartmentation of phenylalanyl-tRNA ligase in amphibian oocytes

The in vivo activity of phenylalanyl-tRNA ligase of Xenopus laevis oocytes was assayed by measuring the esterification of microinjected yeast tRNA^Phe with [¹⁴C]phenylalanine added to the extracellular medium. The three enzyme substrates, ATP, phenylalanine, and tRNA^Phe, are present in the in vivo assay at saturating concentrations as seen by the fact that microinjection into the cell of additional amounts of these compounds does not increase the quantity of [¹⁴C]Phe-tRNA^Phe formed. The in vivo activity of Phe-tRNA ligase in oocytes at several stages of development is less than 10% of the in vitro activity measured in homogenates of the same cells. The in vivo assay of Phe-tRNA ligase in oocytes that have been microinjected with this enzyme partially purified from X. laevis ovary shows that the enzyme is not inhibited by the cellular conditions. The conclusion drawn from these experiments is that a large fraction of the Phe-tRNA ligase present in oocytes is in a cellular compartment which is not available to the injected tRNA.     

VDAC1 serves as a mitochondrial binding site for hexokinase in oxidative muscles

Voltage-dependent anion channels (VDACs), also known as mitochondrial porins, are the main pathway for metabolites across the mitochondrial outer membrane and may serve as binding sites for kinases, including hexokinase. We determined that mitochondria-bound hexokinase activity is significantly reduced in oxidative muscles (heart and soleus) in vdac1^−/− mice. The activity data were supported by western blot analysis using HK2 specific antibody. To gain more insight into the physiologic mean of the results with the activity data, VDAC deficient mice were subjected to glucose tolerance testing and exercise-induced stress, each of which involves tissue glucose uptake via different mechanisms. vdac1^−/− mice exhibit impaired glucose tolerance whereas vdac3^−/− mice have normal glucose tolerance and exercise capacity. Mice lacking both VDAC1 and VDAC3 (vdac1^−/−/vdac3^−/−) have reduced exercise capacity together with impaired glucose tolerance. Therefore, we demonstrated a link between VDAC1 mediated mitochondria-bound hexokinase activity and the capacity for glucose clearance.     

Photoregulation of the Carotenoid Biosynthetic Pathway in Albino and White Collar Mutants of Neurospora crassa

The conversion of isopentenyl pyrophosphate to phytoene in Neurospora crassa requires both a soluble and a particulate fraction. Soluble and particulate enzyme fractions obtained from light-treated and dark-grown wild type, albino-1, albino-2, albino-3, and white collar-1 strains were mixed in various combinations, and the activity for conversion of [1-¹⁴C]isopentenyl pyrophosphate to phytoene was assayed. From such experiments it can be concluded that: (a) albino-3 is defective in the soluble fraction; (b) albino-2 is defective in the particulate fraction; (c) the in vivo light treatment increases the enzyme activity in the particulate fraction; (d) this light effect occurs in wild type, albino-1, and albino-3 strains; and (e) enzyme activity is present in the particulate fraction obtained from the white collar-1 mutant, but the in vivo light treatment does not cause an increase in this activity. To measure directly the level of particulate enzyme activity, [¹⁴C]geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate was used as a substrate. This compound, which is not available commercially, was synthesized enzymically using extracts of pea cotyledons. Particulate enzyme fractions obtained from wild type, albino-1, and albino-3 strains incorporate [¹⁴C]geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate into phytoene, and this activity is higher in extracts obtained from light-treated cultures. The particulate fraction obtained from the white collar-1 mutant also incorporates [¹⁴C]geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate into phytoene, but the in vivo light treatment does not cause an increase in this activity. No incorporation occurs when particulate fractions obtained from either dark-grown or light-treated albino-2 cultures are assayed. The soluble enzyme fraction obtained from the albino-3 mutant was shown to be almost totally defective in enzyme activity required for the biosynthesis of [¹⁴C]geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate from [1-¹⁴C]isopentenyl pyrophosphate. An in vivo light treatment increases the level of this activity in wild type, albino-1, albino-2, and albino-3 strains, but not in the white collar-1 mutant. A model is presented to account for all of the results obtained in this investigation. It is proposed that the white collar-1 strain is a regulatory mutant blocked in the light induction process, whereas the albino-1, albino-2, and albino-3 strains are each defective for a different enzyme in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway.     

Translational nonsense codon suppression as indicator for functional pre-tRNA splicing in transformed Arabidopsis hypocotyl-derived calli

The transient expression of three novel plant amber suppressors derived from a cloned Nicotiana tRNA^Ser(CGA), an Arabidopsis intron-containing tRNA^Tyr(GTA) and an Arabidopsis intron-containing tRNA^Met(CAT) gene, respectively, was studied in a homologous plant system that utilized the Agro bacterium-mediated gene transfer to Arabidopsis hypocotyl explants. This versatile system allows the detection of β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity by histochemical and enzymatic analyses. The activity of the suppressors was demonstrated by the ability to suppress a premature amber codon in a modified GUS gene. Co-transformation of Arabidopsis hypocotyls with the amber suppressor tRNA^Ser gene and the GUS reporter gene resulted in ~10% of the GUS activity found in the same tissue transformed solely with the functional control GUS gene. Amber suppressor tRNAs derived from intron-containing tRNA^Tyr or tRNA^Met genes were functional in vivo only after some additional gene manipulations. The G3:C70 base pair in the acceptor stem of tRNA^Met(CUA) had to be converted to a G3:U70 base pair, which is the major determinant for alanine tRNA identity. The inability of amber suppressor tRNA^Tyr to show any activity in vivo predominantly results from a distorted intron secondary structure of the corresponding pre-tRNA that could be cured by a single nucleotide exchange in the intervening sequence. The improved amber suppressors tRNA^Tyr and tRNA^Met were subsequently employed for studying various aspects of the plant-specific mechanism of pre-tRNA splicing as well as for demonstrating the influence of intron-dependent base modifications on suppressor activity.