The Alternative Respiratory Pathway of Euglena Mitochondria

Mitochondria, isolated from heterotrophic Euglena gracilis , have cyanide-resistant alternative oxidase (AOX) in their respiratory chain. Cells cultured under a variety of oxidative stress conditions (exposure to cyanide, cold, or H2O2) increased the AOX capacity in mitochondria and cells, although it was significant only under cold stress; AOX sensitivity to inhibitors was also increased by cold and cyanide stress. The value of AOX maximal activity reached 50% of total respiration below 20 degrees C, whereas AOX full activity was only 10-30% of total respiration above 20 degrees C. The optimum pH for AOX activity was 6.5 and for the cytochrome pathway was 7.3. GMP, AMP, pyruvate, or DTT did not alter AOX activity. The reduction level of the quinone pool was higher in mitochondria from cold-stressed than from control cells; furthermore, the content of reduced glutathione was lower in cold-stressed cells. Growth in the presence of an AOX inhibitor was not affected in control cells, whereas in cold-stressed cells, growth was diminished by 50%. Cyanide diminished growth in control cells by 50%, but in cold-stressed cells this inhibitor was ineffective. The data suggest that AOX activity is part of the cellular response to oxidative stress in Euglena .     

Temperature Effects on the Activity of the Alternative Respiratory Pathway in Chill-Sensitive Cucumis sativus

After 48 hours at 2°C, hypocotyls from chill-sensitive Cucumis sativus seedlings showed a burst of O₂ uptake. The alternative pathway became engaged to close to 45% full capacity during this postchilling respiratory burst. However, it only accounted for up to 50% of this increased respiratory O₂ uptake. By 24 hours after chilling, when the seedlings were fully recovered from visible symptoms of chilling injury, the flux through the alternative pathway was back to the level (about 10%) found before chilling. Blocking chilling-induced ethylene production with aminoethoxyvinylglycine had no effect on this increased utilization of the alternative pathway.     

The Effect of Growth and Measurement Temperature on the Activity of the Alternative Respiratory Pathway

A postulated role of the CN-resistant alternative respiratory pathway in plants is the maintenance of mitochondrial electron transport at low temperatures that would otherwise inhibit the main phosphorylating pathway and prevent the formation of toxic reactive oxygen species. This role is supported by the observation that alternative oxidase protein levels often increase when plants are subjected to growth at low temperatures. We used oxygen isotope fractionation to measure the distribution of electrons between the main and alternative pathways in mung bean (Vigna radiata) and soybean (Glycine max) following growth at low temperature. The amount of alternative oxidase protein in mung bean grown at 19°C increased over 2-fold in both hypocotyls and leaves compared with plants grown at 28°C but was unchanged in soybean cotyledons grown at 14°C compared with plants grown at 28°C. When the short-term response of tissue respiration was measured over the temperature range of 35°C to 9°C, decreases in the activities of both main and alternative pathway respiration were observed regardless of the growth temperature, and the relative partitioning of electrons to the alternative pathway generally decreased as the temperature was lowered. However, cold-grown mung bean plants that up-regulated the level of alternative oxidase protein maintained a greater electron partitioning to the alternative oxidase when measured at temperatures below 19°C supporting a role for the alternative pathway in response to low temperatures in mung bean. This response was not observed in soybean cotyledons, in which high levels of alternative pathway activity were seen at both high and low temperatures.     

limitation of Alternative Respiratory Pathway Activity in Grapefruit Flavedo Tissue by Oxygen Availability

The capacity of the alternative respiratory pathway increased in the flavedo tissue of `Marsh' grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) stored at 5°C for 2 weeks or longer. Elevated O₂ levels during respiratory assays enhanced respiration by the tissue at 20°C but not at 5°C. At 20°C, salicylhydroxamic acid alone was inhibitory to O₂ uptake only in elevated O₂. In conventional Warburg studies, alternative pathway respiration may be limited by the low solubility and/or slow rate of O₂ diffusion into plant tissues, such as grapefruit flavedo, and may be responsible for the apparent low utilization of the alternative pathway potential observed in other studies.     

An Alternative Pathway Mediates the Mouse and Human Cone Visual Cycle

One of the fundamental mysteries of the human visual system is the continuous function of cone photoreceptors in bright daylight. As visual pigment is destroyed, or bleached, by light [1], cones require its rapid regeneration, which in turn involves rapid recycling of the pigment's chromophore. The canonical visual cycle for rod and cone pigments involves recycling of their chromophore from all-trans retinol to 11-cis retinal in the pigment epithelium, adjacent to photoreceptors [2]. However, shortcomings of this pathway indicate the function of a second, cone-specific, mechanism for chromophore recycling [3]. Indeed, biochemical [3], [4], [5], [6] and [7] and physiological [8] studies on lower species have described a cone-specific visual cycle in addition to the long-known pigment epithelium pathway. Two important questions remain, however: what is the role of this pathway in the function of mammalian cones, and is it present in higher mammals, including humans? Here, we show that mouse, primate, and human neural retinas promote pigment regeneration and dark adaptation selectively in cones, but not in rods. This pathway supports rapid dark adaptation of mammalian cones and extends their dynamic range in background light independently of the pigment epithelium. This pigment-regeneration mechanism is essential for our daytime vision and appears to be evolutionarily conserved.     

Methodological Considerations for the Use of Stable Isotope Probing in Microbial Ecology

Stable isotope probing (SIP) is a method used for labeling uncultivated microorganisms in environmental samples or directly in field studies using substrate enriched with stable isotope (e.g., ¹³C). After consumption of the substrate, the cells of microorganisms that consumed the substrate become enriched in the isotope. Labeled biomarkers, such as phospholipid-derived fatty acid (PLFA), ribosomal RNA, and DNA can be analyzed with a range of molecular and analytical techniques, and used to identify and characterize the organisms that incorporated the substrate. The advantages and disadvantages of PLFA-SIP, RNA-SIP, and DNA-SIP are presented. Using examples from our laboratory and from the literature, we discuss important methodological considerations for a successful SIP experiment.     

Stimulation of the Alternative Pathway by Succinate and Malate

Stimulation of the cyanide-resistant oxidation of exogenous NADH in potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv Bintje) tuber callus mitochondria was obtained with succinate, malate, and pyruvate. Half-maximal stimulation was observed at a succinate or malate concentration of 3 to 4 mM, which is considerably higher than that found for pyruvate (0.128 mM). No effect of succinate or malate addition was found when duroquinone was the electron acceptor. Duroquinol oxidation via the alternative pathway was poor and not stimulated by organic acids. Under stimulating conditions, no swelling or contraction of the mitochondria could be observed. Conversely, variation of the osmolarity did not affect the extent of stimulation. However, the assay temperature had a significant effect: no stimulation occurred at temperatures below 16 to 20[deg]C. Membrane fluidity measurements showed a phase transition at about 17[deg]C. Ubiquinone reduction levels were not significantly higher in the presence of succinate and malate, but the kinetics of the alternative oxidase were changed in a way comparable to that found for stimulation by pyruvate. At low temperatures the alternative oxidase displayed "activated" kinetics, and a role for membrane fluidity in the stimulation of the alternative pathway by carboxylic acids is suggested.     

Quantitative Modeling of the Alternative Pathway of the Complement System

The complement system is an integral part of innate immunity that detects and eliminates invading pathogens through a cascade of reactions. The destructive effects of the complement activation on host cells are inhibited through versatile regulators that are present in plasma and bound to membranes. Impairment in the capacity of these regulators to function in the proper manner results in autoimmune diseases. To better understand the delicate balance between complement activation and regulation, we have developed a comprehensive quantitative model of the alternative pathway. Our model incorporates a system of ordinary differential equations that describes the dynamics of the four steps of the alternative pathway under physiological conditions: (i) initiation (fluid phase), (ii) amplification (surfaces), (iii) termination (pathogen), and (iv) regulation (host cell and fluid phase). We have examined complement activation and regulation on different surfaces, using the cellular dimensions of a characteristic bacterium (E. coli) and host cell (human erythrocyte). In addition, we have incorporated neutrophil-secreted properdin into the model highlighting the cross talk of neutrophils with the alternative pathway in coordinating innate immunity. Our study yields a series of time-dependent response data for all alternative pathway proteins, fragments, and complexes. We demonstrate the robustness of alternative pathway on the surface of pathogens in which complement components were able to saturate the entire region in about 54 minutes, while occupying less than one percent on host cells at the same time period. Our model reveals that tight regulation of complement starts in fluid phase in which propagation of the alternative pathway was inhibited through the dismantlement of fluid phase convertases. Our model also depicts the intricate role that properdin released from neutrophils plays in initiating and propagating the alternative pathway during bacterial infection.     

H_2O_2和水杨酸对陈化马铃薯切片交替呼吸途径影响的比较(英文)

外源 5 .0mmol/LH2 O2 和 0 .1mmol/L水杨酸 (salicylicacid ,SA)处理均可明显提高陈化 2 4h的马铃薯切片的交替呼吸途径容量 (Valt)及其与总呼吸的比值 (Valt/Vt)。应用交替氧化酶的单克隆抗体进行Western杂交的结果表明 ,H2 O2 和SA处理均可明显提高陈化马铃薯切片中交替氧化酶的表达水平。用氧同位素分辨法研究 ,结果表明 :H2 O2 处理对陈化马铃薯切片中交替呼吸途径的实际运行没有影响 ,而SA处理对交替呼吸途径的实际运行具有明显的促进作用。上述结果表明 ,H2 O2 和SA对植物组织交替呼吸途径的影响存在差异 ,二者均可促进交替氧化酶的表达从而诱导交替呼吸途径容量的发生 ,但H2 O2 不影响其实际运行 ,而SA还可同时诱导其实际运行。     

外源~1O_2 和·OH及其清除剂对烟草愈伤组织交替途径发生与运行的影响(英文)

外源1 O2 和·OH处理继代培养 1 4d的烟草愈伤组织 2 4h后 ,愈伤组织内的交替途径的实际运行显著上升 ,但对交替途径容量影响不大 ;而经·OH处理后的愈伤组织交替途径容量和实际运行均明显地受到抑制 ,但交替途径的实际运行对·OH更加敏感。活性氧产生系统中加入相关清除剂进行实验 ,得到与此相对应的结果 :1 O2 的清除剂His处理能明显地降低或抑制1 O2 所增加的交替途径实际运行量 ,但对交替途径容量则几乎均无影响 ,而用·OH的清除剂DMSO和MAN分别处理愈伤组织后 ,DMSO和MAN均能解除·OH对交替途径容量和实际运行的抑制。这些结果表明 ,1 O2 诱导烟草愈伤组织交替途径的实际运行 ,但对其容量的作用不大 ,而·OH则明显地抑制交替途径容量和实际运行。推测1 O2 和·OH对抗氰途径的影响可能是通过对AOX活性的调节     

Equations for Lipid Normalization of Carbon Stable Isotope Ratios in Aquatic Bird Eggs

Stable isotope ratios are biogeochemical tracers that can be used to determine the source of nutrients and contaminants in avian eggs. However, the interpretation of stable carbon ratios in lipid-rich eggs is complicated because ¹³C is depleted in lipids. Variation in ¹³C abundance can therefore be obscured by variation in percent lipids. Past attempts to establish an algebraic equation to correct carbon isotope ratios for lipid content in eggs have been unsuccessful, possibly because they relied partly on data from coastal or migratory species that may obtain egg lipids from different habitats than egg protein. We measured carbon, nitrogen and sulphur stable isotope ratios in 175 eggs from eight species of aquatic birds. Carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopes were enriched in lipid-extracted egg samples compared with non extracted egg samples. A logarithmic equation using the C∶N ratio and carbon isotope ratio from the non extracted egg tissue calculated 90% of the lipid-extracted carbon isotope ratios within ±0.5‰. Calculating separate equations for eggs laid by species in different habitats (pelagic, offshore and terrestrial-influenced) improved the fit. A logarithmic equation, rather than a linear equation as often used for muscle, was necessary to accurately correct for lipid content because the relatively high lipid content of eggs compared with muscle meant that a linear relationship did not accurately approximate the relationship between percent lipids and the C∶N ratio. Because lipid extraction alters sulphur and nitrogen isotope ratios (and cannot be corrected algebraically), we suggest that isotopic measurement on bulk tissue followed by algebraic lipid normalization of carbon stable isotope ratio is often a good solution for homogenated eggs, at least when it is not possible to complete separate chemical analyses for each isotope.     

Thermolability of the Alternative Electron Transport Pathway in Higher Plant Mitochondria

Mitochondria from four plant species showing normal (Arum maculatum L., Arum italicum Mill., Sauromatum guttatum Schott) or induced (Solanum tuberosum L.) resistance to cyanide were submitted to temperature treatments up to 90 min at 45°C. The activity of the alternative, cyanide-resistant electron transport pathway was specifically and deeply altered by temperature treatments. Hydrogen sulfide was released in direct proportion to the reduction of activity of the alternative pathway. Only a small fraction (? 20%) of the total labile sulfide content of the mitochondria was associated with the operation of this pathway. In cyanide-resistant mitochondria, the cytochrome pathway was much more resistant to thermal inactivation than the alternative pathway. On the contrary, in cyanide-sensitive mitochondria (with no alternative pathway) the cytochrome pathway was highly sensitive to temperature treatments. These results indicate that the presence of a cyanide-resistant alternative pathway is correlated with a higher degree of resistance to thermal denaturation of the cytochrome pathway. They also strongly suggest that iron-sulfur proteins are regular components of the alternative pathway.     

An Alternative Root for the Eukaryote Tree of Life

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The Alternative Epac/cAMP Pathway and the MAPK Pathway Mediate hCG Induction of Leptin in Placental Cells

Pleiotropic effects of leptin have been identified in reproduction and pregnancy, particularly in the placenta, where it works as an autocrine hormone. In this work, we demonstrated that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) added to JEG-3 cell line or to placental explants induces endogenous leptin expression. We also found that hCG increased cAMP intracellular levels in BeWo cells in a dose-dependent manner, stimulated cAMP response element (CRE) activity and the cotransfection with an expression plasmid of a dominant negative mutant of CREB caused a significant inhibition of hCG stimulation of leptin promoter activity. These results demonstrate that hCG indeed activates cAMP/PKA pathway, and that this pathway is involved in leptin expression. Nevertheless, we found leptin induction by hCG is dependent on cAMP levels. Treatment with (Bu)₂cAMP in combination with low and non stimulatory hCG concentrations led to an increase in leptin expression, whereas stimulatory concentrations showed the opposite effect. We found that specific PKA inhibition by H89 caused a significant increase of hCG leptin induction, suggesting that probably high cAMP levels might inhibit hCG effect. It was found that hCG enhancement of leptin mRNA expression involved the MAPK pathway. In this work, we demonstrated that hCG leptin induction through the MAPK signaling pathway is inhibited by PKA. We observed that ERK1/2 phosphorylation increased when hCG treatment was combined with H89. In view of these results, the involvement of the alternative cAMP/Epac signaling pathway was studied. We observed that a cAMP analogue that specifically activates Epac (CPT-OMe) stimulated leptin expression by hCG. In addition, the overexpression of Epac and Rap1 proteins increased leptin promoter activity and enhanced hCG. In conclusion, we provide evidence suggesting that hCG induction of leptin gene expression in placenta is mediated not only by activation of the MAPK signaling pathway but also by the alternative cAMP/Epac signaling pathway.     

准噶尔盆地伊犁郁金香稳定碳同位素组成变化特征

选取准噶尔盆地古尔班通古特沙漠南缘9个样地中的伊犁郁金香（Tulipa iliensis）自然居群,通过测定各居群中伊犁郁金香的稳定碳同位素组成（δ^13C）、叶片和土壤中全氮、全磷、全钾以及水分含量,分析伊犁郁金香δ^13C值与上述因子之间的相互关系。结果表明：不同生境间伊犁郁金香δ^13C值差异不显著,水分利用方式可能受其基因型的控制而较为保守,同时在一定程度上也受生长环境中环境因子变化的影响,因而会有小的变幅：除了土壤中全钾含量之外,伊犁郁金香的叶片全氮、全磷、全钾、叶片水分含量以及土壤全氮、全磷和土壤水分含量在不同生境间均存在显著差异;其中伊犁郁金香叶片和土壤中的全氮含量与δ^13C值呈显著正相关：随着该植物叶片和土壤中水分含量的下降,伊犁郁金香δ^13C值显著增大,水分利用效率（WUE）明显提高。说明伊犁郁金香δ^13C值是植物的遗传学因子和环境因子共同作用的结果,其叶片及土壤中的氮素含量和有效水分含量是影响伊犁郁金香δ^13C值的关键因子。