Nucleotide pool in pho regulon mutants and alkaline phosphatase synthesis in Escherichia coli.

The intracellular nucleotide pool of Escherichia coli W3110 reproducibly changes from conditions of growth in phosphate excess to phosphate starvation, with at least two nucleotides appearing under starvation conditions and two nucleotides appearing only under excess phosphate conditions. Strains bearing a deletion of the phoA gene show the same pattern, indicating that dephosphorylation by alkaline phosphatase is not responsible for the changes. Strains with mutations in the phoU gene, which result in constitutive expression of the pho regulon, show the nucleotide pattern of phosphate-starved cells even during phosphate excess growth. These changes in nucleotides are therefore due to phoU mutation but not to alkaline phosphatase constitutivity. In fact, a phoR (phoR68) mutant strain has the patterns of the wild type in spite of being constitutive for alkaline phosphatase. That these nucleotides might be specific signals for pho regulon expression was supported by the fact that the two nucleotides appearing under phosphate starvation induced the synthesis of alkaline phosphatase in repressed permeabilized wild-type cells under conditions of phosphate excess.     

Induction of cat-86 by chloramphenicol and amino acid starvation in relaxed mutants of Bacillus subtilis

The chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene cat-86 is induced through a mechanism that is a variation of classical attenuation. Induction results from the destabilization of an RNA stem-loop that normally sequesters the cat-86 ribosome-binding site. Destabilization of the stem-loop is due to the stalling of a ribosome in the leader region of cat-86 mRNA at a position that places the A site of the stalled ribosome at leader codon 6. Two events can stall ribosomes at the correct location to induce cat-86 translation: addition of chloramphenicol to cells and starvation of cells for the amino acid specified by leader codon 6. Induction by amino acid starvation is an anomaly because translation of the cat-86 coding sequence requires all 20 amino acids. To explain this apparent contradiction we postulated that amino acid starvation triggers intracellular proteolysis, thereby providing levels of the deprived amino acid sufficient for cat-86 translation. Here we show that a mutation in relA, the structural gene for stringent factor, blocks intracellular proteolysis that is normally triggered by amino acid starvation. The relA mutation also blocks induction of cat-86 by amino acid starvation, but the mutation does not interfere with chloramphenicol induction. Induction by amino acid starvation can be demonstrated in relA mutant cells if the depleted amino acid is restored at very low levels (e.g., 2 micrograms/ml). A mutation in relC, which may be the gene for ribosomal protein L11, blocks induction of cat-86 by either chloramphenicol or amino acid starvation. We believe this effect is due to a structural alteration of the ribosome resulting from the relC mutation and not to the relaxed phenotype of the cells.     

Pho5p and newly identified nucleotide pyrophosphatases/ phosphodiesterases regulate extracellular nucleotide phosphate metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Extracellular nucleotides play many biological roles, including intercellular communication and modulation of nucleotide receptor signaling, and are dependent on the phosphorylation state of the nucleotide. Regulation of nucleotide phosphorylation is necessary, and a specialized class of enzymes, nucleotide pyrophosphatases/phosphodiesterases (E-NPPs), has been identified in mammals to perform this function. Although the E-NPP class is conserved among complex eukaryotes, this system has not yet been identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using genetic and biochemical experiments, we show that two orthologs of the E-NPP family, referred to as Npp1p and Npp2p, exist in budding yeast and can perform nucleotide phosphate hydrolysis. This activity is enhanced during phosphate starvation, where hydrolyzed phosphates can be imported from extracellular sources and utilized to overcome phosphate starvation through the activity of the Pho5p acid phosphatase. The added compensatory effect by Pho5p is also a newly established role for Pho5p. This study demonstrates that extracellular nucleotide phosphate metabolism appears to be controlled by at least two independent regulatory mechanisms, uniting phosphate starvation with extracellular nucleotide regulation.     

Xenobiotic biotransformation in the rainbow trout liver and kidney during starvation

Microsomal cytochrome P-450-dependent activities in the kidney of fish starved for 6 weeks were significantly lower than in fed fish whereas these activities in the liver were only depressed after 12 weeks of starvation. Hepatic cytochrome P-450-dependent activities were depressed to varying extents after 12 weeks of starvation when different substrates were used. The content of hepatic cytochrome P-450 was not affected by starvation. Hepatic UDP-glucuronosyl transferase activities were not affected by starvation. Induction of several hepatic cytochrome P-450-dependent activities by treatment of fish with beta-naphthoflavone was not influenced by starvation. In the kidneys of fish starved for 12 weeks induced levels of cytochrome P-450-dependent benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activities were significantly lower than in the kidneys of fed induced fish.     

Morphological observations on the formation and stability of the crystalline arrays in the plasma membrane of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Two-dimensional crystalline arrays of freeze-fracture particles are known to occur in abundant quantities in the plasma membrane of stationary state yeast cells. Although these crystalline arrays are seen only infrequently in cells during mid-exponential growth, we now observe that formation of crystalline arrays can be induced in such cells by a “metabolic starvation” protocol. Surprisingly, starvation-induced formation of crystalline patches can be prevented by inhibition of new protein synthesis during the starvation period. The size and quantity of crystalline arrays can be increased by removal of the cell wall prior to starvation. Induction of crystalline arrays in protoplasts has made it possible to investigate the surface morphology of the crystalline particles in isolated membranes as well as at the extracellular surface of intact protoplasts. The stability of isolated crystalline arrays to several detergents has been investigated and conditions have been found that result in improved morphological purity of the isolated crystalline patches.     

A type 5 acid phosphatase gene from Arabidopsis thaliana is induced by phosphate starvation and by some other types of phosphate mobilising/oxidative stress conditions

Low phosphorous availability, a common condition of many soils, is known to stimulate phosphatase activity in plants; however, the molecular details of this response remain mostly unknown. We purified and sequenced the N-terminal region of a phosphate starvation induced acid phosphatase (AtACP5) from Arabidopsis thaliana, and cloned its cDNA and the corresponding genomic DNA. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA predicted that AtACP5 is synthesised as a 338 amino acid-long precursor with a signal peptide. AtACP5 was found to be related to known purple acid phosphatases, especially to mammal type 5 acid phosphatases. Other similarities with purple acid phosphatases, which contain a dinuclear metal centre, include the conservation of all residues involved in metal ligand binding and resistance to tartrate inhibition. In addition, AtACP5, like other type 5 acid phosphatases, displayed peroxidation activity. Northern hybridisation experiments, as well as in situ glucuronidase (GUS) activity assays on transgenic plants harbouring AtACP5:GUS translational fusions, showed that AtACP5 is not only responsive to phosphate starvation but also to ABA and salt stress. It is also expressed in senescent leaves and during oxidative stress induced by H2O2, but not by paraquat or salicylic acid. Given its bifunctionality, as it displays both phosphatase and peroxidation activity, we propose that AtACP5 could be involved in phosphate mobilisation and in the metabolism of reactive oxygen species in stressed or senescent parts of the plant.     

External GTP binding and induction of cell division in starved Tetrahymena thermophila

The extracellular nucleotide, guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) is known to be a chemorepellent for ciliated protozoa such as Paramecium and Tetrahymena. Here, we studied the surface localization of GTP binding sites and also its effects on the cell division of Tetrahymena thermophila. When a ribose-modified and fluorescent analog of GTP, 2'-(or -3')-O-trinitrophenyl (TNP)-GTP was added to the cells starved in non-nutrient buffer, a remarkable fluorescence was observed at the compound cilia of the oral area, while it was weak at other cilia and the somatic membrane. Following transfer of the cells to the starvation medium, the intensity of TNP-GTP fluorescence at the oral area gradually increased and was saturated at 3-4 hours. Addition of GTP to the starved cell induced not only an avoiding reaction in swimming, but also induced a synchronous cell division that occurred 2 hours later. An attempt to search for other stimuli, which induced cell division, revealed that mechanical stimulation by a short period of centrifugation was almost as effective as the addition of GTP. The supernatant after centrifugation had the ability to induce cell division, and such activity was abolished after the supernatant was treated with the phosphatase, apyrase, suggesting the release of GTP by the mechanical stimulation. These results indicate that the released GTP binds mainly to the oral area and this then induces the cell division of starved T. thermophila.     

Alteration of cylindrospermopsin production in sulfate- or phosphate-starved cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon ovalisporum

The effect of sulfate and phosphate deprivation on cell growth and cylindrospermopsin level was studied in Aphanizomenon ovalisporum ILC-164. Sulfate starvation induced a characteristic reduction of cylindrospermopsin pool size on the basis of cell number and unit of dry mass of culture. Phosphorous starvation of A. ovalisporum cultures induced a lesser reduction of cylindrospermopsin pool size. This divergence in the pool size of cylindrospermopsin may be the consequence of different growth rate. To show the metabolic changes concomitant with reduction of cylindrospermopsin pool size were obtained by measurement of ATP sulfurylase and alkaline phosphatase activity. The present study is the first concerning the cylindrospermopsin content under sulfate starvation and discusses it in relation to phosphorous starvation.     

Strigolactone Regulates Anthocyanin Accumulation,Acid Phosphatases Production and Plant Growth under Low Phosphate Condition in Arabidopsis

Phosphate is an essential macronutrient in plant growth and development; however, the concentration of inorganic phosphate (Pi) in soil is often suboptimal for crop performance. Accordingly, plants have developed physiological strategies to adapt to low Pi availability. Here, we report that typical Pi starvation responses in Arabidopsis are partially dependent on the strigolactone (SL) signaling pathway. SL treatment induced root hair elongation, anthocyanin accumulation, activation of acid phosphatase, and reduced plant weight, which are characteristic responses to phosphate starvation. Furthermore, the expression profile of SL-response genes correlated with the expression of genes induced by Pi starvation. These results suggest a potential overlap between SL signaling and Pi starvation signaling pathways in plants.     

Induction of microvillar hydrolase activities by cell density and exogenous differentiation inducers in an established kidney epithelial cell line (LLC-PK1)

Several hydrolase activities characteristic of the apical brush border membrane of renal proximal tubule, leucine aminopeptidase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, maltase, and trehalase, were identified in cultures of the LLC-PK1 kidney epithelial cell line. A coordinate increase in activities of these enzymes was observed upon development of a confluent cell density and functional membrane polarization. Further large progressive increases in individual hydrolase activities were induced after the addition of compounds known as differentiation inducers. Hexamethylene bisacetamide preferentially induced increased trehalase and maltase activities. Induced trehalase activity exhibited an increased Vmax but a similar Km compared with activity in control extracts. Induction required protein synthesis and was dependent on inducer concentration and exposure time. Treatment of confluent cultures with N,N'-dimethylformamide triggered an induction of maltase, trehalase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities, whereas dimethylsulfoxide induced trehalase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities. Increased leucine aminopeptidase and maltase activities were observed after addition of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine. Induction of trehalase activity by N,N'-dimethylformamide was reversible over a 4-day period after removal of inducer, but effects of hexamethylene bisacetamide were irreversible. These results suggest that the LLC-PK1 cell line reproducibly develops differentiation-specific characteristics under defined conditions in cell culture, which can be individually modulated by chemicals known as inducers of cell differentiation.     

Akaline phosphatase: activity and variation in human diploid fibroblasts.

A method is introduced for the assay of alkaline phosphatase in homogenates of cultured human skin fibroblasts. In a first group of 11 strains, a four- to fifteen-fold increase of enzyme activity is consistently observed following a period of starvation. In the remaining 31 cell-strains similar specific activities of alkaline phosphatase are found irrespective of medium changes. In regularly fed cultures, an inverse exponential correlation between the specific activity of alkaline phosphatase and the age of the donor has been detected.     

Behavior of phosphatase isoforms during sclerotium formation in Physarum polycephalum

The behavior of phosphatase isoforms under dark-starvation from plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum were investigated to determine their possible roles in sclerotium formation. Two and a half days after dark-starvation, approximately 95% of plasmodia plates formed sclerotia. Specific phosphatase activity increased markedly up to ca. two-fold within the first day of starvation, after which the enzymatic activity decreased rapidly to a level less than the initial level within 2 days of the starvation period. Among the two isoforms of enzyme detected just before sclerotization under dark-starvation conditions, the enzymatic activity of the major isoform (Rm value of 0.6) decreased gradually within 1.5 days of starvation, then linearly to less than 20% of that at the beginning of the observation. Those of other major isoform (Rm value of 0.7) increased up to ca. two-fold within the first day of starvation, then decreased linearly to levels less than that of the first 2 days of the starvation period. Behavior of this isoform strongly suggests that it initiates the formation of sclerotium under dark-starvation conditions.     

The molecular basis of carbon-starvation-induced general resistance in Escherichia coli

At the onset of starvation Escherichia coli undergoes a temporally ordered program of starvation gene expression involving 40-80 genes which some four hours later yields cells possessing an enhanced general resistance. Two classes of genes are induced upon carbon starvation: the cst genes, requiring cyclic AMP, and the pex genes, not requiring this nucleotide for induction. The cst genes are not involved in the development of the resistant state and are concerned with escape from starvation, while the pex gene induction appears to be associated with resistance. Many of the latter are induced in response to a variety of starvation conditions. They include heat shock and oxidation resistance genes, and some utilize minor, stationary-phase-specific sigma factors for induction during starvation. The protective role of stress proteins may be due to their ability to rescue misfolded macromolecules. The starvation promoters can be potentially useful for selective expression of desired genes in metabolically sluggish populations, e.g. in high-density industrial fermentations and in situ bioremediation.     

The purple acid phosphatase GmPAP21 enhances internal phosphorus utilization and possibly plays a role in symbiosis with rhizobia in soybean

Induction of secreted and intracellular purple acid phosphatases (PAPs; EC 3.1.3.2) is widely recognized as an adaptation of plants to phosphorus (P) deficiency. The secretion of PAPs plays important roles in P acquisition. However, little is known about the functions of intracellular PAP in plants and nodules. In this study, we identified a novel PAP gene GmPAP21 in soybean. Expression of GmPAP21 was induced by P limitation in nodules, roots and old leaves, and increased in roots with increasing duration of P starvation. Furthermore, the induction of GmPAP21 in nodules and roots was more intensive than in leaves in both P‐efficient genotype HN89 and P‐inefficient genotype HN112 in response to P starvation, and the relative expression in the leaves and nodules of HN89 was significantly greater than that of HN112 after P deficiency treatment. Further functional analyses showed that over‐expressing GmPAP21 significantly enhanced both acid phosphatase activity and growth performance of hairy roots under P starvation condition, indicating that GmPAP21 plays an important role in P utilization. Moreover, GUS expression driven by GmPAP21 promoter was shown in the nodules besides roots. Overexpression of GmPAP21 in transgenic soybean significantly inhibited nodule growth, and thereby affected plant growth after inoculation with rhizobia. This suggests that GmPAP21 is also possibly involved in regulating P metabolism in nodules. Taken together, our results suggest that GmPAP21 is a novel plant PAP that functions in the adaptation of soybean to P starvation, possibly through its involvement in P recycling in plants and P metabolism in nodules.     

Induction of Carbon Starvation-Induced Proteins in Vibrio vulnificus

By using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of pulse-labelled proteins, carbon starvation-induced (Sti) proteins produced by Vibrio vulnificus were identified. At least 34 proteins were induced over a 26-h period of carbon starvation. Although the total rate of protein synthesis over the 26-h starvation period suggests that there is a dramatic decrease in total protein synthesis within the first hour of starvation, at least 23 of the Sti proteins were induced within the first 20 min of carbon depletion. Six temporal classes of proteins could be identified, with class A(ii) encompassing the largest (21 proteins) group. All of the proteins in this group could be characterized by one of two patterns of protein synthesis. The addition of chloramphenicol at sequential times throughout starvation revealed that proteins required for starvation survival are made within the first 4 h of starvation.     

Synchronous cultures in cytodifferentiation studies

Summary This paper summarizes work done on the induction of the cytodifferentiation of a soil amoeba. The differentiation involves the synthesis of two cyst walls and results in a dormant cell called a cyst. This cytodifferentiation is called encystment. The following observations result from work on synchronously differentiating cultures. The differentiation is under genetic control, is induced by starvation, and occurs only after an induction period. Massive erosion of intracellular components occurs prior to and during the differentiation and provides the materials for the induction and for the syntheses of the differentiation products. The effects of various inhibitors on this induction are also presented. From results obtained, mainly with FUdR and mitomycin C, the following tentative conclusions are drawn: encystment is normally induced when cells are stalled in the terminal portion of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthetic period. Induction of dormancy probably involves two steps, the unwrapping or loosening of material surrounding the differentiation genes, followed by a specific activation. Much of the work on inhibitors was performed during the tenure of PHS-NIH Special Fellowship 1-F3-GM-28567 to the author. Experiments were performed at the Carlsberg Foundation Biological Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, and will be reported in detail in the Comptes Rendus des Travaux du Laboratorie Carlsberg.