On the function of the fluorescence quenchers in chloroplasts and their relation to the primary electron acceptor of photosystem II.

Redox titrations of the fluorescence quenching components in chloroplasts indicate the presence of two components, one with E_m7.6 = + 25 mV and the second with E_m7.6 = -270 mV. These midpoint potentials are almost the same as those of two Photosystem II components previously shown to contribute to the chloroplast electrogenic reaction measured at 518 nm (R. Malkin, 1978, FEBS Lett.87, 329–333). Comparison of light-induced fluorescence yield changes with those obtained by redox titration suggests that both fluorescence quenchers are photoreduced. A direct demonstration of the photoreduction of the low-potential fluorescence quencher was observed in experiments at defined redox potentials. Fluorescence induction curves measured at low light intensity in the presence of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) also showed a contribution from both fluorescence quenchers. An additional electron acceptor, other than the two fluorescence quenchers, was also identified in the acceptor complex. These results are discussed in terms of several electron acceptors functioning in the Photosystem II reaction center complex, and the possible function of these acceptors is considered.     

Is it always correct to use the Marcus cross relation for calculations of electron self-exchange rates?

The rate constant of the electron self-exchange reaction, which proceeds via the outer sphere mechanism, k₁₁, of a redox couple, reflects the basic tendency of the reaction to participate in redox processes. Often k₁₁ is derived from the rate constant of a redox reaction, k₁₂, by applying the Marcus cross relation: k₁₂ = (k₁₁k₂₂K₁₂f₁₂)^1/2W₁₂. This derivation is based on the assumption that the products of the cross reaction are formed in their ground states. However, the k₁₁ values obtained by this method for several redox systems, e.g. for [Co(NH₃)₆]^3+/2+, Cu^2+/+(aq) and Eu^3+/2+(aq), depend strongly on the redox reaction studied for its derivation. It is proposed that these discrepancies are due to the formation, in some of these reactions, of products in vibrationally excited states and/or as isomers of the final products. Thus, the lowest value of k₁₁ obtained experimentally is either correct or an upper limit for the correct value if correct k₂₂ are used.     

DNA-binding affinity and anticancer activity of β-carboline–chalcone conjugates as potential DNA intercalators: Molecular modelling and synthesis

A new series of DNA-interactive β-carboline–chalcone conjugates have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity and DNA-binding affinity. It has been observed that most of these new hybrids have shown potent cytotoxic activities on A-549 (lung adenocarcinoma) cell lines with IC₅₀ values lower than 10 μM. The hybrid 7b is more effective against some of the selected cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values less than 50 μM. In addition, compounds 7e, 7k, 7p–u has displayed significant elevation in ΔT_m of DNA in comparison to Adriamycin, suggesting significant interaction and remarkable DNA stabilization. The DNA intercalation of these new hybrids has been investigated by fluorescence titration, DNA viscosity measurements, molecular docking as well as molecular dynamics and the results are in agreement with the thermal denaturation studies.     

Univalent ions in phospholipid model membranes: Thermodynamic and hydration aspects

By means of differential scanning calorimetry, effects of systematic series of Group I and VII ions on the phase state of model multibilayer dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (di(14:0)PC) membranes have been studied at a lipid/ion molar ratio of 3/1. The sign-changing correlations between the ionic radii of cations and temperature shifts of di(14:0)PC phase transition were obtained. For cosmotropic Li⁺ and Na⁺, the observed shifts were positive (LiCl: ΔT _m = 0.6°C; ΔT _p = 1.9°C), whereas chaotropic K⁺ and Rb⁺ presence resulted in negative shifts (RbCl: ΔT _m = ?0.3°C; ΔT _p = ?2.5°C). The anions (Cl^?, Br^?, I^?) showed a similar effect increasing with the ion chaotropicity. An essentially weaker effect of Cs⁺ as compared to other alkali metal ions (CsCl: ΔT _m ≈ 0°C; ΔT _p = ?0.1°C) can be one of the reasons of its accumulation in living organisms. Generalization of all available data allowed us to specify some important factors of lipid-ion interactions that should be taken into account in further investigations in this field.     

Stabilization of glucoso-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by its substrate and cofactor in an ultrasonic field

The inactivation kinetics of glucoso-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) and its complexes with glucoso-6-phosphate and NADP⁺ was characterized in aqueous solutions at 36–47°C under treatment with low frequency (27 kHz, 60 W/cm²) and high frequency ultrasound (880 kHz, 1 W/cm²). To this end, we measured three effective first-order inactivation rate constants: thermal k _in ^* , total (thermal and ultrasonic) k _in, and ultrasonic k _in(US). The values of the constants were found to be higher for the free enzyme than for its complexes GPDH-GP and GPDH-NADP⁺ at all temperatures, which confirms the enzyme stabilization by its substrate and cofactor under both thermal and ultrasonic inactivation. Effective values of the activation energies (E _a) were determined and the preexponential factors of the rate constants and thermodynamic activation parameters of inactivation processes (ΔH*, ΔS*, and ΔG*) were calculated from the temperature dependences of the inactivation rate constants of GPDH and its complexes. The sonication of aqueous solutions of free GPDH and its complexes was accompanied by a reduction of E _a and ΔH* values in comparison with the corresponding values for thermal inactivation. The E _a, ΔH*, and ΔS* inactivation values for GPDH are lower than the corresponding values for its complexes. A linear dependence between the growth of the ΔH* and ΔS* values was observed for all the inactivation processes for free GPDH and its complexes.     

Xylem sap chemistry: seasonal changes in timberline conifers <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus cembra</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea abies</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Larix decidua</Emphasis>

The seasonal course of xylem sap parameters (electrical conductivity EC, potassium concentration [K⁺], and pH) of three conifers (Pinus cembra, Picea abies, and Larix decidua) growing at the alpine timberline was monitored. We also looked into possible effects of [K⁺] and pH on the difference in hydraulic conductivity (Δk_s). In all studied species, EC, [K⁺], and pH varied considerably over the year, with pH ranging between 7.3 (February) and 5.8 (June) and [K⁺] changing between 0.4 (January) and 2.5 mM (June). The Δk_s was overall low with positive values during winter (up to +20 %) and negative values in summer (-15 % in August). Samples perfused with alkaline solutions showed higher Δk_s. Xylem sap parameters in all conifers under study were surprisingly variable over the year thus indicating either effects upon seasonal changes in environmental factors or active adjustments, or both. Although Δk_s values over the year were minor, observed induction of Δk_s by high pH might indicate a role for hydraulic adjustment in harsh winter periods.     

Systematic investigation of interactions between papain and MPA-capped CdTe quantum dots

Fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) have been widely applied in biological and biomedical areas, but relatively little is known about the interaction of QDs with some natural enzymes. Herein, the interactions between 3-mercaptopropionic acid-capped CdTe QDs (MPA-QDs) and papain were systematically investigated by UV–Vis absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra and circular dichroism (CD) spectra under the physiological conditions. The fluorescence spectra results indicated that MPA-QDs quenched the fluorescence intensity of papain. The modified Stern–Volmer quenching constant K _a at different temperatures and the corresponding thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔG and ΔS were also calculated. The binding of MPA-QDs and papain is a result of the formation of QDs-papain complex and the electrostatic interactions play a major role in stabilizing the complex. The CD technique was further used to analyze the conformational changes of papain induced by MPA-QDs and the results indicated that the biological activity of papain was affected by MPA-QDs dramatically.     

Molecular interaction of cationic gemini surfactant with bovine serum albumin: A spectroscopic and molecular docking study

Herein, we report the effect of N,N′-bis(dodecyloxycarbonylmethyl)-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,2-ethanediammonium dibromide (dodecyl betainate gemini or DBG) on the structure and function of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by using fluorescence, time resolved fluorescence, circular dichroism and dynamic light scattering techniques. The Stern–Volmer quenching constants K_SV and the corresponding thermodynamic parameters viz ΔH, ΔG and ΔS have been estimated by the fluorescence quenching method. The results indicated that DBG binds spontaneously with BSA through hydrophobic interaction. Time resolved fluorescence data show that the quenching follows the static mechanism pathway. It can be seen from far-UV CD spectra that the α-helical network of BSA is disrupted and its content increases from 71% to 79% at lower concentrations which again decreases to 38% at higher concentration. DLS measurements suggested that hydrodynamic radius (R_h) decreases in the presence of 30 and 40 μM of DBG while it increases when the concentration of DBG was 70 and 100 μM. The molecular docking study indicated that DBG is embedded into subdomain IIA of BSA and binds with the R-914, R-195 and R-217 residues by hydrogen bonding and by hydrophobic interaction.     

Influence of leaf water status on stomatal response to humidity,hydraulic conductance,and soil drought in Betula occidentalis

Whole-canopy measurements of water flux were used to calculate stomatal conductance (g _s ) and transpiration (E) for seedlings of western water birch (Betula occidentalis Hook.) under various soil-plant hydraulic conductances (k), evaporative driving forces (ΔN; difference in leaf-to-air molar fraction of water vapor), and soil water potentials (Ψ_s). As expected, g _s dropped in response to decreased k or Ψ_S, or increased ΔN(> 0.025). Field data showed a decrease in mid-day g _s with decreasing k from soil-to-petiole, with sapling and adult plants having lower values of both parameters than juveniles. Stomatal closure prevented E and Ψ from inducing xylem cavitation except during extreme soil drought when cavitation occurred in the main stem and probably roots as well. Although all decreases in g _s were associated with approximately constant bulk leaf water potential (ψ_l), this does not logically exclude a feedback response between Ψ_L and g _s . To test the influence of leaf versus root water status on g _s , we manipulated water status of the leaf independently of the root by using a pressure chamber enclosing the seedling root system; pressurizing the chamber alters cell turgor and volume only in the shoot cells outside the chamber. Stomatal closure in response to increased ΔN, decreased k, and decreased Ψ_S was fully or partially reversed within 5 min of pressurizing the soil. Bulk Ψ_L remained constant before and after soil pressurizing because of the increase in E associated with stomatal opening. When ΔN was low (i.e., < 0.025), pressurizing the soil either had no effect on g _s , or caused it to decline; and bulk Ψ_L increased. Increased Ψ_l may have caused stomatal closure via increased backpressure on the stomatal apparatus from elevated epidermal turgor. The stomatal response to soil pressurizing indicated a central role of leaf cells in sensing water stress caused by high ΔN, low k, and low Ψ_S. Invoking a prominent role for feedforward signalling in short-term stomatal control may be premature.     

Kinetics and mechanism of malonate replacement in bis(malonato)oxovanadate(IV) by oxalate

The kinetics of malonate replacement in bis- (malonato)oxovanadate(IV), [VO(mal)₂H₂O]²⁻(hereafter water molecule will be omitted), by oxalate has been studied by the stopped-flow method. The reaction was found to consist of two consecutive steps (k₁ and k₂: first-order rate constants) passing through a mixed ligand complex, [VO(mal)(ox)]²⁻. The rates for each step depended linearly on the concentrations of free oxalate species, Hox⁻ and ox²⁻. The second-order rate constants for the replacement by ox²⁻ were much larger in the k₁ step than in the k₂ step and the activation parameters were determined as follows: ΔH^≠= 43.5 ± 5.6 kJ mol⁻¹, ΔS±-53 ± 19 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ and ΔH≠= 43.6 ± 0.5 kJ mol⁻¹, δS≠ = -62 ± 2 J K^−l mol⁻¹ for the k₁ and k₂ steps, respectively. The volume of activation was determined to be -0.65 ± 0.75 cm³ mol⁻¹ at 20.2 °C by the high-pressure stopped-flow method for the apparent rate constants.     

Design,synthesis and biological activity of a novel ethylenediamine derivatives as H1 receptor antagonists

In this study, a series of novel ethylenediamine compounds were obtained by structural modification of the lead compounds with thonzylamine, and using the principle of modifying by bioisostere formation and modification with alkyl groups. In vitro assay, the biological activities showed that the target compounds have good properties in inhibiting mast cell degranulation and releasing histamine and β-aminohexidase, such as the compounds 5c, 5g, 5k, 5l and 5o, especially of compound 5k to mast cell degranulation is IC₅₀ = 0.0106 ± 0.001 μmol?L^?1, histamine release was IC₅₀ = 0.0192 ± 0.005 μmol?L^?1 and β-hexosaminidase release was IC₅₀ = 0.0455 ± 0.002 μmol?L^?1 in vitro. At the same time, in vivo biological activities assay results showed that have a good Histamie induce bronchospasm effect with relatively long duration and good protective effect in vivo, among which the protective effect of compound 5k was 79.74 ± 0.30%, compounds 5c, 5g, 5k, 5l and 5o could inhibit the capillary permeability of increasing which were caused by histamine.     

Effects of sugars and polyols on the sol-gel transition of k-carrageenan: calorimetric study

The effects of sugars and polyols on the sol-gel transition of k-carrageenan were studied in 0.025 m KCl by means of differential scanning calorimetry. Addition of these compounds invariably raised the gelling temperature T_g, with an increase in their concentration, accompanying a decreased (less negative) enthalpy of gelation, ΔH_g. This indicates that it is not ΔH_g but the entropy of gelatin, ΔS_g, which plays an essential role in the gel stabilizatiion by them, thus differing from the enthalpy-driven stabilization by addition by KCl, ethanol or carrageenan. It seemed that such a large change in ΔS_g relative to ΔH_g predominantly occurs in the process of replacing polymer solvent hydrogen bonds by polymer—polymer hydrogen bonds with minor contribution of the conformational entropy of polymer chains. The gel-stabilizing ability of different sugars and polyols is discussed in terms of their different influences on the structure of water.     

Reversible Unfolding of a Thermophilic Membrane Protein in Phospholipid/Detergent Mixed Micelles

Folding mechanisms and stability of membrane proteins are poorly understood because of the known difficulties in finding experimental conditions under which reversible denaturation could be possible. In this work, we describe the equilibrium unfolding of Archaeoglobus fulgidus CopA, an 804-residue α-helical membrane protein that is involved in transporting Cu⁺ throughout biological membranes. The incubation of CopA reconstituted in phospholipid/detergent mixed micelles with high concentrations of guanidinium hydrochloride induced a reversible decrease in fluorescence quantum yield, far-UV ellipticity, and loss of ATPase and phosphatase activities. Refolding of CopA from this unfolded state led to recovery of full biological activity and all the structural features of the native enzyme. CopA unfolding showed typical characteristics of a two-state process, with ΔG_w° = 12.9 kJ mol^− 1, m = 4.1 kJ mol^− 1 M^− 1, C_m = 3 M, and ΔCp_w° = 0.93 kJ mol^− 1 K^− 1. These results point out to a fine-tuning mechanism for improving protein stability. Circular dichroism spectroscopic analysis of the unfolded state shows that most of the secondary and tertiary structures were disrupted. The fraction of Trp fluorescence accessible to soluble quenchers shifted from 0.52 in the native state to 0.96 in the unfolded state, with a significant spectral redshift. Also, hydrophobic patches in CopA, mainly located in the transmembrane region, were disrupted as indicated by 1-anilino-naphtalene-8-sulfonate fluorescence. Nevertheless, the unfolded state had a small but detectable amount of residual structure, which might play a key role in both CopA folding and adaptation for working at high temperatures.     

Identification and design of novel small molecule inhibitors against MERS-CoV papain-like protease via high-throughput screening and molecular modeling

The development of new therapeutic agents against the coronavirus causing Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a continuing imperative. The initial MERS-CoV epidemic was contained entirely through public health measures, but episodic cases continue, as there are currently no therapeutic agents effective in the treatment of MERS-CoV, although multiple strategies have been proposed. In this study, we screened 30,000 compounds from three different compound libraries against one of the essential proteases, the papain-like protease (PL^pro), using a fluorescence-based enzymatic assay followed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) direct binding analysis for hit confirmation. Mode of inhibition assays and competition SPR studies revealed two compounds to be competitive inhibitors. To improve upon the inhibitory activity of the best hit compounds, a small fragment library consisting of 352 fragments was screened in the presence of each hit compound, resulting in one fragment that enhanced the IC₅₀ value of the best hit compound by 3-fold. Molecular docking and MM/PBSA binding energy calculations were used to predict potential binding sites, providing insight for design and synthesis of next-generation compounds.     

Chloroplastic ATP synthase optimizes the trade-off between photosynthetic CO2 assimilation and photoprotection during leaf maturation

In the present study, we studied the role of chloroplastic ATP synthase in photosynthetic regulation during leaf maturation. We measured gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, P700 redox state, and the electrochromic shift signal in mature and immature leaves. Under high light, the immature leaves displayed high levels of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and P700 oxidation ratio, and higher values for proton motive force (pmf) and proton gradient (ΔpH) across the thylakoid membranes but lower values for the activity of chloroplastic ATP synthase (g_H⁺) than the mature leaves. Furthermore, g_H⁺ was significantly and positively correlated with CO₂ assimilation rate and linear electron flow (LEF), but negatively correlated with pmf and ΔpH. ΔpH was significantly correlated with LEF and the P700 oxidation ratio. These results indicated that g_H⁺ was regulated to match photosynthetic capacity during leaf maturation, and the formation of pmf and ΔpH was predominantly regulated by the alterations in g_H⁺. In the immature leaves, the high steady-state ΔpH increased lumen acidification, which, in turn, stimulated photoprotection for the photosynthetic apparatus via NPQ induction and photosynthetic control. Our results highlighted the importance of chloroplastic ATP synthase in optimizing the trade-off between CO₂ assimilation and photoprotection during leaf maturation.     

The role of water-water cycle in regulating the redox state of photosystem I under fluctuating light

The regulation of photosystem I (PSI) redox state under fluctuating light was investigated for four species using P700 measurement and electrochromic shift analysis. Species included the angiosperms Camellia japonica, Bletilla striata and Arabidopsis thaliana and the fern Cyrtomium fortunei. For the first seconds after transition from low to high light, all species showed relatively low levels of the proton gradient (ΔpH) across the thylakoid membranes. At this moment, PSI was highly oxidized in C. japonica and C. fortunei but was over-reduced in B. striata and A. thaliana. In B. striata and A. thaliana, the redox state of PSI was largely dependent on ΔpH. In contrast, the rapid oxidation of P700 in C. japonica was relatively independent of ΔpH, but was mainly dependent on the outflow of electrons to O₂ via the water-water cycle. In the fern C. fortunei, PSI redox state was rapidly regulated by the fast photo-reduction of O₂ rather than the ΔpH. These results indicate that mechanisms regulating PSI redox state under fluctuating light differ greatly between species. We propose that the water-water cycle is an important mechanism regulating the PSI redox state in angiosperms.     

Oral-aboral axis specification in the sea urchin embryo: III. Role of mitochondrial redox signaling via H2O2

In sea urchin embryos, specification of the secondary (oral-aboral) axis occurs via nodal, expression of which is entirely zygotic and localized to prospective oral ectoderm at blastula stage. The initial source of this spatial anisotropy is not known. Previous studies have shown that oral-aboral (OA) polarity correlates with a mitochondrial gradient, and that nodal activity is dependent both on mitochondrial respiration and p38 stress-activated protein kinase. Here we show that the spatial pattern of nodal activity also correlates with the mitochondrial gradient, and that the latter correlates with inhomogeneous levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species. To test whether mitochondrial H₂O₂ functions as a redox signal to activate nodal, zygotes were injected with mRNA encoding either mitochondrially-targeted catalase, which quenches mitochondrial H₂O₂ and down-regulates p38, or superoxide dismutase, which augments mitochondrial H₂O₂ and up-regulates p38. Whereas the former treatment inhibits the initial activation of nodal and entrains OA polarity toward aboral when confined to half of the embryo via 2-cell stage blastomere injections, the latter does not produce the opposite effects. We conclude that mitochondrial H₂O₂ is rate-limiting for the initial activation of nodal, but that additional rate-limiting factors, likely also involving mitochondria, contribute to the asymmetry in nodal expression.     

Thermodynamic parameters of stabilization of the Yersinia pestis Caf113-149 subunit in compact form

Several experimental methods (circular dichroism, viscosity, intrinsic fluorescence, and fluorescence labeling) were used to study the conformational folding/unfolding transitions in a compact monomeric form of the Caf1_13-149 subunit under the action of guanidine hydrochloride in the temperature range 5–45°C. It has been shown that transitions always occur between two major states (unfolded and compact). This has made it possible to determine all the main thermodynamic functions that characterize the compact state of the Caf1_13-149 subunit: stability temperature T _m, free energy of stabilization ΔG _st, enthalpy ΔH _tr, and heat capacity jump ΔC in collapse of the structure. These data have been confirmed by an independent experiment on melting of fluorescently labeled protein.