Valine-Resistance, a Potential Marker in Plant Cell Genetics. II. Optimization of Uv Mutagenesis and Selection of Valine-Resistant Colonies Derived from Tobacco Mesophyll Protoplasts

The induction and selection of valine-resistant mutants from haploid tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) mesophyll protoplast-derived cells have been studied. Using cells from an original mutant plant obtained previously, we performed reconstruction experiments in order to determine the best conditions for the recovery of resistant cells among a population of sensitive cells. Optimal selective conditions were shown to depend on various factors including cell density, time of addition of valine and seasonal variations affecting the mother plants.-Using cell densities of approximately 10( 4) cells/ml, we defined efficient selective conditions: more than 25% of the putative mutant clones selected from UV-mutagenized protoplasts were reproducibly confirmed to be valine resistant. Further characterization of some regenerated mutant plants indicated that valine-resistance was associated with an uptake deficiency, as in the case of the original mutant plant of the Val(r)-2 line used for reconstruction experiments. Spontaneous mutation rates for valine-resistance were below accurately detectable levels, i.e., less than 10(-6) per cell per generation. Induced mutation frequency varied nonlinearily with UV dose from 10(-5) to 5 x 10(-4) resistant clones per surviving colony. Two independent loci (vr2 and vr3) were previously shown to be involved in valine-resistance due to amino acid uptake deficiency. Haploid tobacco plants were produced through anther culture from an F(1) double-heterozygous plant obtained from a cross between the original mutant plant and a wild-type plant. Study of the level of resistance to valine of protoplast-derived cells allowed the classification of these haploid plants in four types: sensitive, resistant and two intermediary resistant types believed to result from the presence of a mutant allele at only one of the two loci involved. The frequencies of UV-induced mutations in cells derived from haploid plants of one of the intermediary types were compared to those observed in wild-type cells. The results are considered in light of the amphidiploid structure of the tobacco genome.     

Ion Transport in Isolated Protoplasts from Tobacco Suspension Cells: III. Membrane Potential

The membrane electrical potential difference was measured in cultured cells and isolated protoplasts of tobacco (Nicotiana glutinosa L.) by inserting a microelectrode into cells held fast by a suction micropipette. The potential difference (± standard deviation) for unplasmolyzed tobacco cells was −52 ± 12 millivolts, for cells in 0.3 molar mannitol, −50 ± 11 millivolts; and for cells plasmolyzed in 0.7 molar mannitol, −49 ± 12 millivolts all inside negative. The potential difference for isolated protoplasts in 0.7 molar mannitol was −49 ± 16 millivolts, inside negative. In both cultured cells and protoplasts, the addition of 0.1 millimolar KCN caused a depolarization of the membrane potential. It was concluded that plasmolysis and enzymic release of the protoplast had no significant effect on the membrane potential of cultured tobacco cells.     

Synthesis of Polysaccharides in Phragmoplasts Isolated from Tobacco BY-2 Cells

Autoradiographic experiments using preparations of isolatedphragmoplast obtained from tobacco cultured cells revealed thatthe radioactivity incorporated into insoluble material fromUDP-[³H]glucose was exclusively present at the cell plate ofisolated phragmoplasts. Most of the radioactivity incorporatedinto isolated phragmoplasts from UDP-[¹⁴C]glucose was solubilizedby 1,3-ß-glucanase and the solubilized radioactivitywas associated only with glucose, indicating that most of theradioactivity was incorporated into 1,3-ß-glucan.In the presence of high concentrations of unlabeled UDP-glucose,isolated phragmoplasts incorporated radioactivity from UDP-[³H]xylose.Most of the radioactivity incorporated into insoluble materialwas present at several sites distributed around the nuclei,while only little was found at the cell plate. (Received October 2, 1991; Accepted February 24, 1992)     

籼稻体细胞无性系雄性不育突变的类型

1984—1988年5年间所获得的由体细胞无性系变异起源的雄性不育突变,按它们的性质,可分为花粉败育型,无花粉型和花药退化(或部分退化)型3类。在IR54中,于不同年份(1985和1986年)及不同世代(R_1和R_2代)发现了表型基本相似,基因型可能也相似的两例无花粉型雄性不育突变。在花粉败育型雄性不育突变中,发现1例(54257)为核质互作型雄性不育。以多个品种与之测交,杂种一代中有的表现为育性恢复,有的仍然为雄性不育。能保持其雄性不育的品种有珍汕97、二九矮、新锦粘、162-5(来自IR 52的稳定的体细胞无性系),连续回交3代以上均能基本保持不育(但桂朝2号的回交后代不育性尚不稳定)。能使其育性恢复的品种有IR 24、IR 36、IR 54、双二粘、测64等。初步遗传研究表明,54257表现出十分复杂的核质关系,看来可能具有与野败细胞质完全不同的特性。     

Ion Transport in Isolated Protoplasts from Tobacco Suspension Cells: II. Selectivity and Kinetics

Protoplasts were enzymically isolated from suspension cultured cells of Nicotiana glutinosa L. and aspects of transport selectivity and kinetics were studied. In the presence of Ca²⁺, transport was selective for K⁺ (⁸⁶Rb) over Na⁺. ³⁶Cl⁻ transport was inhibited by Br⁻ or I⁻ but not by H₂PO₄⁻. The kinetic data for short term (30 minutes) K⁺ influx over the range of 0.05 to 100 millimolar KCl were complex but similar to those observed in other plant tissues. In contrast, the kinetic data for Cl⁻ and H₂³²PO₄⁻ over the same concentration range were different from those observed for K⁺, and could be accounted for by a single isotherm in the range of 0.05 to 4 millimolar and by an almost linear increase in influx rate above 4 millimolar. The kinetic data for Cl⁻ transport into intact cultured cells were identical in character to those observed for isolated protoplasts. The results support the view that enzymic removal of the cell wall produced no significant alteration in the transport properties of the protoplast.     

Focus Issue on Plant Cell Walls: Potential Role for Purple Acid Phosphatase in the Dephosphorylation of Wall Proteins in Tobacco Cells

It is not yet known whether dephosphorylation of proteins catalyzed by phosphatases occurs in the apoplastic space. In this study, we found that tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) purple acid phosphatase could dephosphorylate the phosphoryl residues of three apoplastic proteins, two of which were identified as α-xylosidase and β-glucosidase. The dephosphorylation and phosphorylation of recombinant α-xylosidase resulted in a decrease and an increase in its activity, respectively, when xyloglucan heptasaccharide was used as a substrate. Attempted overexpression of the tobacco purple acid phosphatase NtPAP12 in tobacco cells not only decreased the activity levels of the glycosidases but also increased levels of xyloglucan oligosaccharides and cello-oligosaccharides in the apoplast during the exponential phase. We suggest that purple acid phosphatase controls the activity of α-xylosidase and β-glucosidase, which are responsible for the degradation of xyloglucan oligosaccharides and cello-oligosaccharides in the cell walls.Purple acid phosphatase (PAP) belongs to a large family of dinuclear metalloenzymes (LeBansky et al., 1992; Klabunde et al., 1996) and catalyzes the hydrolysis of a wide range of phosphate esters. It is distinguished from other acid phosphatases by its purple color, which is due to a Tyr-to-iron (III) charge transfer transition (Antanaitis et al., 1983). Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) contains a large family of PAPs composed of 29 genes, 28 of which have signal peptides that potentially transfer to the wall and/or vacuole. Only a few functions have been suggested for these phosphatases: AtPAP15 seems to modulate ascorbic acid biosynthesis (Zhang et al., 2008), and AtPAP17 may play a role in the metabolism of reactive oxygen species (del Pozo et al., 1999). In other plant species, soybean (Glycine max) GmPAP3 is induced by NaCl stress but not by phosphorus deficiency (Liao et al., 2003), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) PAP may release phosphate from extracellular phosphate ester under phosphate starvation (Bozzo et al., 2002), and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) NtPAP12 could be involved in the deposition of β-glucan (Kaida et al., 2003, 2009; Sano et al., 2003). Mammalian PAPs, which are secretory enzymes, may be involved in iron transport (Nuttleman and Roberts, 1990), generation of reactive oxygen species (Sibille et al., 1987), and bone resorption (Ek-Rylander et al., 1994).We previously demonstrated that the activities of cellulose and callose synthases are enhanced by overexpression of NtPAP12 in tobacco cells (Kaida et al., 2009). The phosphorylation/dephosphorylation process in those synthases may occur directly on the catalytic subunit itself, which has been predicted to be located on the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane (Nühse et al., 2004; Taylor, 2007). This is not compatible with the cell wall localization of NtPAP12. The data also indicate that phosphorylation may play a role in regulating the turnover of cellulose synthase by proteolysis through a proteasome-dependent pathway (Taylor, 2007), which again implies a cytoplasmic phosphorylation event. Thus, we suggested that NtPAP12 could be involved in the regulation of cellulose synthase activity, either by acting on an unidentified membrane protein or by enhancing its activity with an effector, which can lead to the promotion of cellulose synthesis. Nevertheless, this phosphatase may be involved in the activation of synthases indirectly by acting on either apoplastic proteins or unidentified membrane proteins, since the level of activation for glucan synthases was only a 2- to 3-fold increase in the transgenic tobacco cells overexpressing NtPAP12 compared with wild-type cells.The extracellular phosphorylation network has been proposed by proteomic analysis of Arabidopsis cells due to the identification of phosphorylated Tyr residues in xyloglucanase, putative lectin receptor-like kinase, and putative chitinase (Ndimba et al., 2003). The change in phosphorylation status was also identified in the extracellular peroxidase in maize (Zea mays) cells (Chivasa et al., 2005b). Another analysis has indicated that some potential phosphorylated proteins might be present in the apoplastic space during wall regeneration (Kwon et al., 2005). We previously showed that tobacco PAP had a higher catalytic efficiency for Tyr phosphopeptides (k_cat/K_m = 1,093–1,335) than for ATP (k_cat/K_m = 333) and p-nitrophenyl-phosphate (k_cat/K_m = 379), suggesting that the enzyme could dephosphorylate the phosphoryl residues of proteins in vivo (Kaida et al., 2008). There is still much to be learned, however, including the role that phosphorylation plays in the functions of these proteins. It is possible, for example, that extracellular PAPs might modify the functions of the phosphoproteins by dephosphorylating those proteins in the apoplasts, but to date no evidence has been reported demonstrating this activity. In this study, we searched for substrates of PAP using phosphoproteomic analyses of apoplastic proteins in tobacco cells.     

Sialyl-lactotetra,a Novel Cell Surface Marker of Undifferentiated Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Cell surface glycoconjugates are used as markers for undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells. Here, antibody binding and mass spectrometry characterization of acid glycosphingolipids isolated from a large number (1 × 10⁹ cells) of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines allowed identification of several novel acid glycosphingolipids, like the gangliosides sialyl-lactotetraosylceramide and sialyl-globotetraosylceramide, and the sulfated glycosphingolipids sulfatide, sulf-lactosylceramide, and sulf-globopentaosylceramide. A high cell surface expression of sialyl-lactotetra on hESC and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) was demonstrated by flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy, whereas sulfated glycosphingolipids were only found in intracellular compartments. Immunohistochemistry showed distinct cell surface anti-sialyl-lactotetra staining on all seven hESC lines and three hiPSC lines analyzed, whereas no staining of hESC-derived hepatocyte-like or cardiomyocyte-like cells was obtained. Upon differentiation of hiPSC into hepatocyte-like cells, the sialyl-lactotetra epitope was rapidly down-regulated and not detectable after 14 days. These findings identify sialyl-lactotetra as a promising marker of undifferentiated human pluripotent stem cells.     

Degradation of Benzophenone, a Potential Xenoestrogen, by a Yeast Isolated from the Activated Sludge of a Sewage Treatment Plant in Hokkaido

Summary Benzophenone (BPH) is an important intermediate in the production of medicines and cosmetics, but is also known as a xenoestrogen in its effect on mammals. We screened BPH-degrading microbes for potential bioremediation, and found degradation activity in the activated sludge of a sewage treatment plant in Hokkaido. A microbial strain with notable BPH-degrading activity (strain MU-1) was isolated from the sample. MU-1 degraded more than 95% of BPH (100–1000 ppm) as a sole carbon source within several days. However, it took a relatively long time for MU-1 to degrade a high concentration of BPH (5000–10,000 ppm), probably due to a toxic effect of BPH. The GC/MS analysis of the metabolites of BPH degradation suggested that BPH was degraded into hydrophilic compounds with very low molecular mass via conversion to phenol. The phylogenetic study based on rDNA sequences suggested that MU-1 was the black yeast Rhinocladiella aquaspersa. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing a BPH-degrading microbe.     

Studies on Freezing Injury of Plant Cells: I. Relation between Thermotropic Properties of Isolated Plasma Membrane Vesicles and Freezing Injury

The thermotropic transition of plasma membrane of Dactylis glomerata was studied by using fluorescence polarization of embedded fluorophore, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. Under the presence of 35% ethylene glycol, reversible thermotropic transitions were observed in isolated plasma membrane vesicles in nearly the same temperature range as the temperature of freezing injury to cells. In liposomes prepared from isolated plasma membranes, however, the thermotropic transitions occurred at much lower temperatures in comparison with those of intact membrane vesicles. Following treatment with pronase, the thermotropic transition also shifted downward.

Thus, the thermotropic properties of plasma membranes appeared to be dependent on the membrane proteins. In vitro freezing of the isolated plasma membrane vesicles without addition of any cryoprotectant, such as sorbitol, resulted in an irreversible alteration both in the fluorescence anisotropy values and the temperatures for the thermotropic transition, suggesting an irreversible alteration in the membrane structure, presumably changes in lipid-protein interactions and protein conformation.

     

Two Types of Pharmacologically Distinct Ca2+ Currents with Voltage-dependent Similarities in Zona Fasciculata Cells Isolated from Bovine Adrenal Gland

Voltage-activated Ca²⁺ currents, in zona fasciculata cells isolated from calf adrenal gland, were characterized using perforated patch-clamp recording. In control solution (Ca²⁺: 2.5 mm) a transient inward current was followed, in 40% of the cells, by a sustained one. In 20 mm Ba²⁺, 61% of the cells displayed an inward current, which consisted of transient and sustained components. The other cells produced either a sustained or a transient inward current. These different patterns were dependent upon time in culture. Current-voltage relationships show that both the transient and sustained components activated, peaked and reversed at similar potentials: −40, 0 and +60 mV, respectively. The two components, fully inactivated at −10 mV, were separated by double-pulse protocols from different holding potentials where the transient component could be inactivated or reactivated. The decaying phase of the sustained component was fitted by a double exponential (time constants: 1.9 and 20 sec at +10 mV); that of the transient component was fitted by a single exponential (time constant: 19 msec at +10 mV). Steady-state activation and inactivation curves of the two components were superimposed. Their half activation and inactivation potentials were similar, about −15 and −34 mV, respectively. The sustained component was larger in Ba²⁺ than in Sr²⁺ and Ca²⁺. Ni²⁺ (20 μm) selectively blocked the transient component while Cd²⁺ (10 μm) selectively blocked the sustained one. (±)Bay K 8644 (0.5 μm) increased the sustained component and nitrendipine (0.5–1 μm) blocked it selectively. The sustained component was inhibited by calciseptine (1 μm). Both components were unaffected by ω-conotoxin GVIA and MVIIC (0.5 μm). These results show that two distinct populations of Ca²⁺ channels coexist in this cell type. Although the voltage dependence of their activation and inactivation are comparable, these two components of the inward current are similar to T- and L-type currents described in other cells. Received: 12 July 1999/Revised: 5 October 1999     

Synthesis of Arabinose-Containing Cell Wall Precursors in Suspension-Cultured Tobacco Cells I. Intracellular Site of Synthesis and Transport

The distribution of arabinose-containing macromolecules in suspension-culturedtobacco cells was examined using sucrose density gradients.Exogenously applied ¹⁴Carabinose was scarcely converted intoother sugars, and concentrated in the Golgi-rich fraction (1.15g/cm³) and then secreted to the cell wall. ¹⁴C-Arabinose wasalso incorporated in a lower sucrose density fraction (1.11g/cm³), which contains small vesicles presumably originatedfrom the Golgi apparatus. The arabinose-containing macromoleculesin this fraction was more easily solubilized in water than thosein the Golgi-rich fraction. Alkaline hydrolysis of the macromoleculesindicated that cell-wall glycoprotein is a major component ofthe macromolecules and that the degree of glycosylation is slightlygreater in the lower density fractions than in the Golgi-richfraction. Based on these results, a scheme is suggested in whichthe glycoproteins and polysaccharides are glycosylated in theGolgi apparatus and secreted to the cell wall via secretionvesicles in the low density fraction. The possibility of ¹⁴C-arabinose-containingmacromolecules, in the early phase of synthesis, being a markerof the plant Golgi apparatus is also proposed. (Received September 21, 1980; Accepted January 27, 1981)     

Cells Persistently Infected with Newcastle Disease Virus: II. Ribonucleic Acid and Protein Synthesis in Cells Infected with Mutants Isolated from Persistently Infected L Cells

A comparison of the replication patterns in L cells and in chick embryo (CE) cell cultures was carried out with the Herts strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV(o)) and with a mutant (NDV(pi)) isolated from persistently infected L cells. A significant amount of virus progeny, 11 plaque-forming units (PFU)/cell, was synthesized in L cells infected with NDV(o), but the infectivity remained cell-associated and disappeared without being detectable in the medium. In contrast, in L cells infected with NDV(pi), progeny virus (30 PFU/cell) was released efficiently upon maturation. It is suggested that the term "covert" rather than "abortive" be used to describe the infection of L cells with NDV(o). In both L and CE cells, the latent period of NDV(pi) was 2 to 4 hr longer than for NDV(o). The delay in synthesis of viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the case of NDV(pi) coincided with the delay in the inhibition of host RNA and protein synthesis. Although both NDV(o) and NDV(pi) produced more progeny and more severe cell damage in CE cells than in L cells, the shut-off of host functions was significantly less efficient in CE cells than in L cells. Paradoxically, no detectable interferon was produced in CE cells by either of the viruses, whereas in L cells most of the interferon appeared in the medium after more than 90% of host protein synthesis was inhibited. These results suggest that the absence of induction of interferon synthesis in CE cells infected with NDV is not related to the general shut-off of host cell synthetic mechanisms but rather to the failure of some more specific event to occur. In spite of the fact that NDV(pi) RNA synthesis commenced 2 to 4 hr later than that of NDV(o), interferon was first detected in the medium 8 hr after infection with both viruses. This finding suggests that there is no relation between viral RNA synthesis and the induction of interferon synthesis.     

SCRG1, a Potential Marker of Autophagy in TSE

The Scrg1 gene was initially discovered as one of the genes up-regulated in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE). Scrg1 encodes a highly conserved, cysteine-rich protein expressed principally in the central nervous system. The protein is targeted to the Golgi apparatus and large dense-core vesicles/secretory granules in neurons. We have recently shown that the Scrg1 protein is widely induced in neurons of scrapie-infected mice, suggesting that Scrg1 is involved in the host response to stress and/or the death of neurons. At the ultrastructural level, Scrg1 is associated with dictyosomes of the Golgi apparatus and autophagic vacuoles of degenerative neurons. It is well known that apoptosis plays a major role in the events leading to neuronal cell death in TSE. However, autophagy has been identified in experimentally induced scrapie a long time ago and was recently re-evaluated as a possible cell death program in prion diseases. The consistent association of Scrg1 with autophagic structures typical of scrapie is in agreement with the recruitment of Golgi-specific proteins in this degradation process and we suggest that Scrg1 might be used as a specific probe to identify neuronal autophagy in TSE.

Addenda to:

Scrg1 is Induced in TSE and Brain injuries, and Associated with Autophagy

M. Dron, Y. Bailly, V. Beringue, A.-M. Haeberlé, B. Griffond, P.-Y. Risold, M.G. Tovey, H. Laude and F. Dandoy-Dron.

Eur J Neurosci 2005; 22:133-46     

Statistical Genetics of an Annual Plant, Impatiens Capensis. I. Genetic Basis of Quantitative Variation

Analysis of quantitative genetics in natural populations has been hindered by computational and methodological problems in statistical analysis. We developed and validated a jackknife procedure to test for existence of broad sense heritabilities and dominance or maternal effects influencing quantitative characters in Impatiens capensis. Early life cycle characters showed evidence of dominance and/or maternal effects, while later characters exhibited predominantly environmental variation. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that these jackknife tests of variance components are extremely robust to heterogeneous error variances. Statistical methods from human genetics provide evidence for either a major locus influencing germination date, or genes that affect phenotypic variability per se. We urge explicit consideration of statistical behavior of estimation and testing procedures for proper biological interpretation of statistical results.