Dielectrical study of thermal transformation in Na DNA solutions

A dielectric method is presented to measure the ejection of counterion during the thermal fusion of Na DNA solutions. The dielectric conductivity behavior at fixed frequency versus temperature is a measure of the molar concentration of counterfoils formed from the macromolecules. A linear dependence between Na⁺ cations released and DNA concentration was verified. We consider the variation of sodium activity coefficient Δ during thermal transconformation to be in good agreement with other experimental data.     

Loss of thyroidal inducibility of Na,K-ATPase with neoplastic transformation in tissue culture

Thyroidal induction of the plasma membrane Na,K-ATPase is a characteristic of mammalian tissues that exhibit a thermogenic response to this hormone. To facilitate analysis of the pathways mediating this response, we defined the conditions needed for reproducible thyroidal induction of this enzyme, as well as mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, in established cell lines in tissue cultures. In confluent monolayers of nontransformed mouse embryo fibroblasts (C3H/10T1/2), triiodothyronine modulated Na,K-ATPase and cytochrome c oxidase activities in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Similar increases in Na,K-ATPase activity were obtained in other rodent embryo cells (SWISS/3T3 and NIH/3T3) and in human fibroblasts (WI-38). In contrast, neoplastic transformation of all of these cell lines resulted in loss of inducibility of Na,K-ATPase by thyroid hormone, regardless of the initiating mechanism (i.e. spontaneous, x-ray, chemicals, viruses).     

The Na,K-ATPase

The energy dependent exchange of cytoplasmic Na⁺ for extracellular K⁺ in mammalian cells is due to a membrane bound enzyme system, the Na,K-ATPase. The exchange sustains a gradient for Na⁺ into and for K⁺ out of the cell, and this is used as an energy source for creation of the membrane potential, for its de- and repolarisation, for regulation of cytoplasmic ionic composition and for transepithelial transport. The Na,K-ATPase consists of two membrane spanning polypeptides, an -subunit of 112-kD and a -subunit, which is a glycoprotein of 35-kD. The catalytic properties are associated with the -subunit, which has the binding domain for ATP and the cations. In the review, attention will be given to the biochemical characterization of the reaction mechanism underlying the coupling between hydrolysis of the substate ATP and transport of Na⁺ and K⁺.     

The multiple-infection transformation

Attention is drawn to the possibility of misinterpreting results which may arise when the incidence of an organism, or any other event, is expressed as percentage presence or absence on plots of standard area. Disease gradients when expressed as percentage presence are shown to be artificially flattened. The amount of flattening depends on incidence of the disease and the size of plot chosen. A table is given by which the necessary transformation can be made when the organism or event is distributed at random. Examples are given of leaf diseases: (1) distributed at random ( Phytophthora infestans ); and (2) aggregated ( Gymnosporangium juniperivirginianae and G. clavariaeforme ). Methods of detecting and measuring aggregation are briefly discussed.     

The myth of plant transformation

Technology development is innovative to many aspects of basic and applied plant transgenic science. Plant genetic engineering has opened new avenues to modify crops, and provided new solutions to solve specific needs. Development of procedures in cell biology to regenerate plants from single cells or organized tissue, and the discovery of novel techniques to transfer genes to plant cells provided the prerequisite for the practical use of genetic engineering in crop modification and improvement. Plant transformation technology has become an adaptable platform for cultivar improvement as well as for studying gene function in plants. This success represents the climax of years of efforts in tissue culture improvement, in transformation techniques and in genetic engineering. Plant transformation vectors and methodologies have been improved to increase the efficiency of transformation and to achieve stable expression of transgenes in plants. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of important issues related to plant transformation as well as advances made in transformation techniques during three decades.     

The Na+ cycle of extreme alkalophiles: A secondary Na+/H+ antiporter and Na+/solute symporters

Extremely alkalophilic bacteria that grow optimally at pH 10.5 and above are generally aerobic bacilli that grow at mesophilic temperatures and moderate salt levels. The adaptations to alkalophily in these organisms may be distinguished from responses to combined challenges of high pH together with other stresses such as salinity or anaerobiosis. These alkalophiles all possess a simple and physiologically crucial Na⁺ cycle that accomplishes the key task of pH homeostasis. An electrogenic, secondary Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter is energized by the electrochemical proton gradient formed by the proton-pumping respiratory chain. The antiporter facilitates maintenance of a pH_in that is two or more pH units lower than pH_out at optimal pH values for growth. It also largely converts the initial electrochemical proton gradient formed by respiration into an electrochemical sodium gradient that energizes motility as well as a plethora of Na⁺/solute symporters. These symporters catalyze solute accumulation and, importantly, reentry of Na⁺. The extreme nonmarine alkalophiles exhibit no primary sodium pumping dependent upon either respiration or ATP. ATP synthesis is not part of their Na⁺ cycle. Rather, the specific details of oxidative phosphorylation in these organisms are an interesting analogue of the same process in mitochondria, and may utilize some common features to optimize energy transduction.     

The reaction mechanism of Na, K-ATPase

To help characterize the Na,K-ATPase active site with enzyme incorporated into phospholipid vesicles, the activities with alternative substrates were compared, 22Na/Na-transport was equivalent with ATP, CTP, carbamylphosphate and acetylphosphate, but slower with CTP, 3-O-methylfluoresceinphosphate (3-O-MFP), nitrophenylphosphate and umbelliferonephosphate. It indicates a slower rate of formation of phosphorylating enzyme complex in conformation position of E1 (E1P) when the second group of substrates is bound with enzyme active center. 22Na/K-transport was half as effective with CTP as with ATP and was far slower with the other substrates. It indicates a more stringent selectivity at the low-affinity site of enzyme in conformation E2 that accelerates the slow step of this transport mode. Although enzyme modification with fluoresceinisothiocyanate blocks the high-affinity site to ATP, the K-phosphatase reaction catalyzed by E2 is retained, even with a substrate, 3-O-MFP, that binds to the adenine pocket. Dimethylsulfoxide inhibits hydrolysis of the nucleotides and of the carboxylic phosphate substrates of the K-phosphatase reaction, but stimulates hydrolysis of the phenolic phosphate substrates (nitrophenylphosphate and umbelliferone phosphate) which normally are hydrolyzed more slowly than the other substrates. On the basis of these data the authors propose the model of Na,K-ATPase active center.     

The Na,K-ATPase of nervous tissue

The Na,K-ATPase has been only partially purified from nervous tissue, yet it is clear that two forms (and +) of the catalytic subunit are present. is a component subunit of the glial Na,K-ATPase, which has a relatively low affinity for binding cardiac glycosides and + has been identified as a subunit of the Na,K-ATPase which has relatively high affinity for cardiac glycosides. The + form may also be sensitive to indirect modulation by neurotransmitters or hormones. The ratio of + / changes in the nervous system during development, and + appears to be the predominant species in adult neurones. Changes in Na,K-ATPase activity have been associated with several abnormalities in the nervous system, including epilepsy and altered nerve conduction velocity, but a causal relationship has not been definitively established. Although the Na,K-ATPase has a pivotal role in Na⁺ and K⁺ transport in the nervous system, a special role for the glial Na,K-ATPase in clearing extracellular K⁺ remains controversial.     

The bacterial transformation of abietic acid

An Alcaligenes species, which was isolated from soil, can utilize abietic acid as its sole carbon source. During growth, the bacterium transforms abietic acid into 5alpha-hydroxyabietic acid (I, R=OH), a product considered to be 7beta-hydroxy-13-isopropyl-8xi-podocarp-13-en-15-oic acid (II, R=H) and a compound, C(20)H(28)O(3), which is believed to be an epoxy-gamma-lactone.     

The transformation of chlorophenols by lactoperoxidase

The lactoperoxidase-catalyzed transformations of penta-, 2,3,4,6,-tetra-, 2,4,6,-tri, 2,4,-di- and 4-monochlorophenol were followed spectrophotometrically. Apparent stoichiometries of chlorophenol: H₂O₂ ranged from 1:1 for the tri- and tetrachlorophenol at pH 7 to 5:2 for pentachlorophenol at pH 4. The initial velocity (ν₀) was only slightly influenced by changes in [H₂O₂] ? 5 μM. ν₀ responded to [chlorophenol] according to the empirical expression ν₀ = [lactoperoxidase]·(k₁[chlorphenol] + k₂[chlorophenol]²). The constant k₁ was found to be 5.8 · 10⁵, 1.8 · 10⁶, 1.9 · 10⁶ M^?1 · s^?1 for the protonated forms of penta-, tetra- and trichlorophenol, respectively, at pH 7. With the di- and monochlorophenol the solution soon became opaque, and the reaction ceased. The results show that more than one reaction occurs. Some comparisons were also made with horseradish peroxidase A and C. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide prevented opaqueness, but was shown to be a substrate for lactoperoxidase. Assuming an average concentration of 0.1 μM for H₂O₂ and pentachlorophenol in man, the metabolic rate becomes 30 ng/h per g peroxidase-containing tissue, possibly with deposition of the products.