Studies on nucleic acids in chloroplasts isolated from Chlorella protothecoides

1. 1. Subcellular fractions of Chlorella protothecoides were separatedby fractional centrifugation of the algal cell homogenate inmixtures of cyclohexane and CCl₄. The base composition, meltingprofiles and IRC-50 column chromatographic patterns of DNA preparationsfrom the chloroplast and non-chloroplast fractions were examined.It was shown that the algal chloroplast contains at least oneDNA species which is different from the nuclear DNA.
2. 2. RNApreparations from the subcellular fractions were subjectedtoMAK column chromatography, sucrose density gradient centrifugationand analysis for base composition. It was demonstrated thatthe chloroplast contains ribosomal RNA and soluble RNA. Twocomponents of the chloroplast ribosomal RNA were found to havethe same patterns as those of the E. coli ribosomal RNA in MAKcolumn chromatography and zone centrifugation. The major componentof the chloroplast ribosomal RNA was distinctly different fromthat of the non-chloroplastic (cytoplasmic) ribosomal RNA inall properties examined.

¹This work was partly reported at the Symposium on Mitochondriaand Chloroplasts as Self-duplicating Units sponsored by theBotanical Society of Japan in August, 1966, and at the Symposiumon Biogenesis of Subcellular Particles, the 7th Internatl. Congressof Biochemistry, Tokyo, 1967.     

Changes in carbohydrates,proteins and nucleic acids during cellular development in tomato fruit locule tissue

Summary The growth and development of tomato fruit locule tissue has been investigated. Changes in fresh weight, dry weight and cell volume have been recorded, and it has been found possible to express results for changes in proteins, nucleic acids, starch, reducing sugars and chlorophyll on a unit cell basis. The developmental pattern observed has been correlated with the marked cytological changes taking place, and this pattern of development is discussed in relation to the alteration in enzyme complement.     

Quantitative determination of nucleic acids in brown and white adipose tissue

The low-molecular-weight soybean antiprotease C-II is specifically phosphorylated by a cAMP-independent protein kinase (Casein kinase TS) much more readily than casein itself. Unlike the routinely used substrates casein and phosvitin, C-II is not affected either by casein kinases S or by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. It can be successfully employed therefore for the direct and reliable evaluation of casein kinase TS within preparations still contaminated by other protein kinases. Crude preparations of soybean antiproteases can replace C-II as specifically phosphorylatable substrate of casein kinase TS, though displaying a much lower phosphorylation efficiency.     

Release of nucleic acids by eukaryotic cells in tissue culture

Extracellular nucleic acids in cultures of A431 and HeLa cells were investigated. The data obtained demonstrate the presence of high weight DNA and RNA in the extracellular medium. Temporal changes of extracellular nucleic acids levels in growth medium were investigated.