Microheterogeneity of N-glycosylation on a stylar self-incompatibility glycoprotein of Nicotiana alata

Gametophytic self-incompatibility, a mechanism that preventsinbreeding in some families of flowering plants, is mediatedby the products of a single genetic locus, the S-locus. Theproducts of the S-gene in the female sexual tissues of Nicotianaalata are an allelic series of glycoproteins with RNase activity.In this study, we report on the microheterogeneity of N-linkedglycosylation at the four potential N-glycosylation sites ofthe S²-glycoprotein. The S-glycoproteins from N.alata containfrom one to five potential N-glycosylation sites based on theconsensus sequence Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr. The S²-glycoprotein containsfour potential N-glycosylation sites at Asn²⁷, Asn³⁷, Asn¹³⁸and Asn¹⁵⁰, designated sites I, n, IV and V, respectively. SiteIII is absent from the S₂-glycoprotein. Analysis of glycopeptidesgenerated from the S₂-glycoprotein by trypsin and chymotrypsindigestions revealed the types of glycans and the degree of microheterogeneitypresent at each site. Sites I (Asn²⁷) and IV (Asn¹³⁸) displaymicroheterogeneity, site II (Asn³⁷) contains only a single typeof N-glycan, and site V (Asn¹⁵⁰) is not glycosylated. The microheterogeneityobserved at site I on the S₂-glycoprotein is the same as thatobserved at the only site, site I, on the Srglycoprotein (Woodwardet al., Glycobiology, 2, 241-250, 1992). Since the N-glycosylationconsensus sequence at site I is conserved in all S-glycoproteinsfrom other species of self-incompatible solanaceous plants,glycosylation at this site may be important to their function.No other post-translational modifications (e.g. O-glycosylation,phosphorylation) were detected on the S₂-glycoprotein. fertilization microheterogeneity N-glycans plants RNase     

Cellular inactivation by heat and shear

Summary Inactivation of Chinese hamster V79 cells in vitro by a temperature elevation to 43° C and with Couette shear flow was investigated. The shear stresses were chosen to mimic those produced by ultrasound of approximately 3 MHz and 3 W/cm² within the chambers employed by earlier investigators studying ultrasonic inactivation of cellular processes. The combined shear and thermal stresses produced survival curves exhibiting a summating effect among these two stresses and remarkably similar to the ultrasound/thermal survival curves.     

Effect of heat on virus inactivation by ammonia

The rate of inactivation of bacteriophage f2 and poliovirus 1 (CHAT) by NH3 was strongly influenced by temperature. The process was pseudo-first order at all temperatures and NH3 concentrations. Poliovirus was inactivated at a greater rate than f2, but the change in the rate of inactivation with increasing temperature in the range of approximately 10 to 40 degrees C was greater for f2 than for poliovirus. At higher temperatures, the rate of change was greater for poliovirus. Arrhenius plots of the data were biphasic, indicating that two inactivation processes were occurring, one for the low temperature range and another for the high temperature range. However, the magnitudes of the thermodynamic variables for f2 were low enough, as calculated for the low (10 to 35 degrees C) and high (35 to 60 degrees C) phases, that inactivation could have occurred by breakage of nucleic acid chains. For poliovirus, the sizes indicated possible involvement of nucleic acid at the low temperatures (10 to 40 degrees C) but some unknown mechanism for the high temperatures (40 and 50 degrees C).     

The inactivation of catalase by deuterons and heat

The inactivation of beef red cell catalase by fast deuterons, heat, and a combination of the two has been reported. The data have been analyzed quantitatively in terms of the target theory of ionizing radiation and the theory of absolute reaction rates. Evidence for the existence of at least two forms of stable catalase has been presented. The data are shown to indicate two possible alternative molecular weights (about 250,000 and 130,000) for catalase.     

Structural analysis of the N-linked glycan chains from a stylar glycoprotein associated with expression of self-incompatibility in Nicotiana alata.

Self-incompatibility in flowering plants of the family Solanaceae is mediated by the product of the S-allele. The allelic products of the S-gene in the female sexual tissues of the pistil are glycoproteins in the mol. wt range 28-32 kDa. These S-glycoproteins have been isolated from styles of Nicotiana alata, homozygous for the S1- and S2-alleles. Earlier studies have indicated that the single potential N-glycosylation site on the S1-glycoprotein bears a glycan chain, whereas of the four potential N-glycosylation sites on the S2-glycoprotein, three are glycosylated. This paper describes the purification and characterization of the N-linked glycan chains from these two glycoproteins. Oligosaccharides were cleaved off the glycoproteins using peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F (N-glycanase F) and separated by anion-exchange HPLC. Four types of hybrid structure were defined by chemical techniques, fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) and 1H-NMR. Although the relative amounts differed, all four structures were found on both the S1- and S2-glycoproteins, and are heterogeneous at some N-glycosylation sites. No O-linked glycans were detected on the S2-glycoprotein. These results are discussed in relation to the potential of the structural diversity residing in this array of glycoforms to play a r?le in allelic specificity.     

Effect of heat on virus inactivation by ammonia.

The rate of inactivation of bacteriophage f2 and poliovirus 1 (CHAT) by NH3 was strongly influenced by temperature. The process was pseudo-first order at all temperatures and NH3 concentrations. Poliovirus was inactivated at a greater rate than f2, but the change in the rate of inactivation with increasing temperature in the range of approximately 10 to 40 degrees C was greater for f2 than for poliovirus. At higher temperatures, the rate of change was greater for poliovirus. Arrhenius plots of the data were biphasic, indicating that two inactivation processes were occurring, one for the low temperature range and another for the high temperature range. However, the magnitudes of the thermodynamic variables for f2 were low enough, as calculated for the low (10 to 35 degrees C) and high (35 to 60 degrees C) phases, that inactivation could have occurred by breakage of nucleic acid chains. For poliovirus, the sizes indicated possible involvement of nucleic acid at the low temperatures (10 to 40 degrees C) but some unknown mechanism for the high temperatures (40 and 50 degrees C).     

Kinetics of catalase inactivation induced by ultrasonic cavitation

Kinetic patterns of sonication-induced inactivation of bovine liver catalase (CAT) were studied in buffer solutions (pH 4-11) within the temperature range from 36 to 55 degrees C. Solutions of CAT were exposed to low-frequency (20.8 kHz) ultrasound (specific power, 48-62 W/cm2). The kinetics of CAT inactivation was characterized by effective first-order rate constants (s-1) of total inactivation (kin), thermal inactivation (*kin), and ultrasonic inactivation (kin(us)). In all cases, the following inequality was valid: kin > *kin. The value of kin(us) increased with the ultrasound power (range, 48-62 W/cm2) and exhibited a strong dependence on pH of the medium. On increasing the initial concentration of CAT (0.4-4.0 nM), kin(us) decreased. The three rate constants were minimum within the range of pH 6.5-8; their values increased considerably at pH < 6 and pH > 9. At 36-55 degrees C, temperature dependence of kin(us) was characterized by an activation energy (Eact) of 19.7 kcal/mol, whereas the value of Eact for CAT thermoinactivation was equal to 44.2 kcal/mol. Bovine serum and human serum albumins (BSA and HSA, respectively) inhibited sonication-induced CAT inactivation; complete prevention was observed at concentrations above 2.5 micrograms/ml. Dimethyl formamide (DMFA), a scavenger of hydroxyl radicals (HO.), prevented sonication-induced CAT inactivation at 10% (kin and *kin increased with the content of DMFA at concentrations in excess of 3%). The results obtained indicate that free radicals generated in the field of ultrasonic cavitation play a decisive role in the inactivation of CAT, which takes place when its solutions are exposed to low-frequency ultrasound. However, the efficiency of CAT inactivation by the radicals is determined by (1) the degree of association between the enzyme molecules in the reaction medium and (2) the composition thereof.     

Transient-phase kinetics of enzyme inactivation induced by suicide substrates

This paper deals with the kinetic study of reaction mechanisms with enzyme inactivation induced by a suicide substrate in the presence or absence of an auxiliary substrate and in conditions of excess of substrates in relation to the enzyme concentration and vice versa. A transient-phase approach has been developed that enables explicit equations with one or two significant exponentials to be obtained, thereby showing the dependence of product concentration on time. The validity of these equations has been checked, and a comparison made with those previously obtained by other authors. We propose an experimental design to determine the corresponding parameters and kinetic constants. The simplicity of our method allows a systematic application to more complex mechanisms.     

Escherichia coli cell competence induced by calcium cations]

Escherichia coli K-12 cells grown to early and late exponential, and early and late stationary phases were treated with CA2+ and analysed for the ability of exogenous 14C-DNA uptake and genetic transformation. DNA-membrane complexes were detected detected by isopicnic centrifugation of cell lysates in sucrose density gradient. It is found that 1) during all the tested phases of the growth cycle, E. coli cells attain the ability of enhanced DNA uptake after Ca2+ treatment; 2) exogenous and host DNAs are associated with the cell membrane during all tested growth phases; 3) nevertheless, the ability to form transformants is strongly time-dependent: the cells can be transformed during logarithmic phase only; 4) Ca2+ protects exogenous DNA against its degradation by bovine pancreatic DNAase. The peculiarities of Ca2+-induced competence, actual and possible interference of Ca2+ at different transformation steps are briefly discussed.     

Strong and consistently synergistic inactivation of spores of spoilage-associated Bacillus and Geobacillus spp. by high pressure and heat compared with inactivation by heat alone

The inactivation of spores of four low-acid food spoilage organisms by high pressure thermal (HPT) and thermal-only processing was compared on the basis of equivalent thermal lethality calculated at a reference temperature of 121.1°C (F(z)(121.1)(°)(C, 0.1 MPa or 600 MPa)) and characterized as synergistic, not different or protective. In addition, the relative resistances of spores of the different spoilage microorganisms to HPT processing were compared. Processing was performed and inactivation was compared in both laboratory and pilot scale systems and in model (diluted) and actual food products. Where statistical comparisons could be made, at least 4 times and up to around 190 times more inactivation (log(10) reduction/minute at F(T)(z)(121.1)(°)(C)) of spores of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus sporothermodurans, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus was achieved using HPT, indicating a strong synergistic effect of high pressure and heat. Bacillus coagulans spores were also synergistically inactivated in diluted and undiluted Bolognese sauce but were protected by pressure against thermal inactivation in undiluted cream sauce. Irrespective of the response characterization, B. coagulans and B. sporothermodurans were identified as the most HPT-resistant isolates in the pilot scale and laboratory scale studies, respectively, and G. stearothermophilus as the least in both studies and all products. This is the first study to comprehensively quantitatively characterize the responses of a range of spores of spoilage microorganisms as synergistic (or otherwise) using an integrated thermal-lethality approach (F(T)(z)). The use of the F(T)(z) approach is ultimately important for the translation of commercial minimum microbiologically safe and stable thermal processes to HPT processes.     

Stabilization of poliovirus against heat inactivation

Fatty acids and related compounds, as well as many salts, stabilize poliovirus against heat inactivation. Addition of myristate to poliovirus prevents heat-induced conformational changes which are detected by trypsin degradation of the virion. Using equilibrium dialysis, we found that several molecules of myristate bind per virion. The relative stabilizing potencies of the salts can be explained by the Hofmeister effect.     

Selective inactivation of the infectivity of freeze-dried Sendai virus by heat

The infectivity of freeze-dried Sendai virus was destroyed after heating at 100 ° C for 20 min while the hemagglutinin (HA) titer and the hemolytic (HL) activity were not affected. The HA titer was unaltered after heating at up to 140 ° C for 30 min. The HL activity was increased after freeze-drying, further increased after heating of freeze-dried virus at 115 ° C for 20 min, but was destroyed after heating for 30 min at 140 ° C.The selective heat inactivation of freeze-dried Sendai virus could be of use in the production of myxovirus vaccines and inactivated virus for cell-fusion studies.