Arginine conversion to nitroxide by tetrahydrobiopterin-free neuronal nitric-oxide synthase. Implications for mechanism

We studied catalysis by tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B)-free neuronal nitric-oxide synthase (nNOS) to understand how heme and H4B participate in nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. H4B-free nNOS catalyzed Arg oxidation to N(omega)-hydroxy-l-Arg (NOHA) and citrulline in both NADPH- and H(2)O(2)-driven reactions. Citrulline formation was time- and enzyme concentration-dependent but was uncoupled relative to NADPH oxidation, and generated nitrite and nitrate without forming NO. Similar results were observed when NOHA served as substrate. Steady-state and stopped-flow spectroscopy with the H4B-free enzyme revealed that a ferrous heme-NO complex built up after initiating catalysis in both NADPH- and H(2)O(2)-driven reactions, consistent with formation of nitroxyl as an immediate product. This differed from the H4B-replete enzyme, which formed a ferric heme-NO complex as an immediate product that could then release NO. We make the following conclusions. 1) H4B is not essential for Arg oxidation by nNOS, although it helps couple NADPH oxidation to product formation in both steps of NO synthesis. Thus, the NADPH- or H(2)O(2)-driven reactions form common heme-oxy species that can react with substrate in the presence or absence of H4B. 2) The sole essential role of H4B is to enable nNOS to generate NO instead of nitroxyl. On this basis we propose a new unified model for heme-dependent oxygen activation and H4B function in both steps of NO synthesis.     

Effect of dust and anthropogenic aerosols on columnar aerosol optical properties over Darjeeling (2200 m asl), eastern Himalayas, India

Background

The loading of atmospheric particulate matter (aerosol) in the eastern Himalaya is mainly regulated by the locally generated anthropogenic aerosols from the biomass burning and by the aerosols transported from the distance sources. These different types of aerosol loading not only affect the aerosol chemistry but also produce consequent signature on the radiative properties of aerosol.

Methodology/Principal Findings

An extensive study has been made to study the seasonal variations in aerosol components of fine and coarse mode aerosols and black carbon along with the simultaneous measurements of aerosol optical depth on clear sky days over Darjeeling, a high altitude station (2200 masl) at eastern Himalayas during the year 2008. We observed a heavy loading of fine mode dust component (Ca²⁺) during pre-monsoon (Apr – May) which was higher by 162% than its annual mean whereas during winter (Dec – Feb), the loading of anthropogenic aerosol components mainly from biomass burning (fine mode SO₄ ²⁻ and black carbon) were higher (76% for black carbon and 96% for fine mode SO₄ ²⁻) from their annual means. These high increases in dust aerosols during pre-monsoon and anthropogenic aerosols during winter enhanced the aerosol optical depth by 25 and 40%, respectively. We observed that for every 1% increase in anthropogenic aerosols, AOD increased by 0.55% during winter whereas for every 1% increase in dust aerosols, AOD increased by 0.46% during pre-monsoon.

Conclusion/Significance

The natural dust transport process (during pre-monsoon) plays as important a role in the radiation effects as the anthropogenic biomass burning (during winter) and their differential effects (rate of increase of the AOD with that of the aerosol concentration) are also very similar. This should be taken into account in proper modeling of the atmospheric environment over eastern Himalayas.     

Effect of thiocyanate on the peroxidase and pseudocatalase activities of Leishmania major ascorbate peroxidase

We report here that the Leishmania major ascorbate peroxidase (LmAPX), having similarity with plant ascorbate peroxidase, catalyzes the oxidation of suboptimal concentration of ascorbate to monodehydroascorbate (MDA) at physiological pH in the presence of added H₂O₂ with concurrent evolution of O₂. This pseudocatalatic degradation of H₂O₂ to O₂ is solely dependent on ascorbate and is blocked by a spin trap, α-phenyl-n-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN), indicating the involvement of free radical species in the reaction process. LmAPX thus appears to catalyze ascorbate oxidation by its peroxidase activity, first generating MDA and H₂O with subsequent regeneration of ascorbate by the reduction of MDA with H₂O₂ evolving O₂ through the intermediate formation of O₂⁻. Interestingly, both peroxidase and ascorbate-dependent pseudocatalatic activity of LmAPX are reversibly inhibited by SCN⁻ in a concentration dependent manner. Spectral studies indicate that ascorbate cannot reduce LmAPX compound II to the native enzyme in presence of SCN⁻. Further kinetic studies indicate that SCN⁻ itself is not oxidized by LmAPX but inhibits both ascorbate and guaiacol oxidation, which suggests that SCN⁻ blocks initial peroxidase activity with ascorbate rather than subsequent nonenzymatic pseudocatalatic degradation of H₂O₂ to O₂. Binding studies by optical difference spectroscopy indicate that SCN⁻ binds LmAPX (Kd = 100 ± 10 mM) near the heme edge. Thus, unlike mammalian peroxidases, SCN⁻ acts as an inhibitor for Leishmania peroxidase to block ascorbate oxidation and subsequent pseudocatalase activity.     

The ferrous–dioxy complex of Leishmania major globin coupled heme containing adenylate cyclase: The role of proximal histidine on its stability

Recently we have described the globin-coupled heme containing adenylate cyclase from Leishmania major (HemAC-Lm) that shows an O₂ dependent cAMP signaling (Sen Santara, et. al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110, 16790–16795 (2013)). The heme iron of HemAC-Lm is expected to participate in oxygen binding and activates adenylate cyclase activity during catalysis, but its interactions with O₂ are uncharacterized. We have utilized the HemAC-Lm and stopped-flow methods to study the formation and decay of the HemAC-Lm oxygenated complex at 25 °C. Mixing of the ferrous HemAC-Lm with air-saturated buffer generates a very stable oxygenated complex with absorption maxima at 414, 540 and 576 nm. The distal axial ligand in the deoxygenated ferrous HemAC-Lm is displaced by O₂ at a rate of ~ 10 s^− 1. To prepare apoprotein of heme iron in HemAC-Lm, we have mutated the proximal His161 to Ala and characterized the mutant protein. The apo as well as heme reconstituted ferric state of the mutant protein shows a ~ 30 fold lower catalytic activity compared to oxygenated form of wild type protein. The oxygenated form of heme reconstituted mutant protein is highly unstable (decay rate = 6.1 s^− 1). Decomposition of the oxygenated intermediate is independent of O₂ concentration and is monophasic. Thus, the stabilization of ferrous-oxy species is an essential requirement in the wild type HemAC-Lm for a conformational alteration in the sensor domain that, sequentially, activates the adenylate cyclase domain, resulting in the synthesis of cAMP.     

Quantifying the thermal heat requirement of Brassica in assessing biophysical parameters under semi-arid microenvironments

Evaluation of the thermal heat requirement of Brassica spp. across agro-ecological regions is required in order to understand the further effects of climate change. Spatio-temporal changes in hydrothermal regimes are likely to affect the physiological growth pattern of the crop, which in turn will affect economic yields and crop quality. Such information is helpful in developing crop simulation models to describe the differential thermal regimes that prevail at different phenophases of the crop. Thus, the current lack of quantitative information on the thermal heat requirement of Brassica crops under debranched microenvironments prompted the present study, which set out to examine the response of biophysical parameters [leaf area index (LAI), dry biomass production, seed yield and oil content] to modified microenvironments. Following 2 years of field experiments on Typic Ustocrepts soils under semi-arid climatic conditions, it was concluded that the Brassica crop is significantly responsive to microenvironment modification. A highly significant and curvilinear relationship was observed between LAI and dry biomass production with accumulated heat units, with thermal accumulation explaining ≥80% of the variation in LAI and dry biomass production. It was further observed that the economic seed yield and oil content, which are a function of the prevailing weather conditions, were significantly responsive to the heat units accumulated from sowing to 50% physiological maturity. Linear regression analysis showed that growing degree days (GDD) could indicate 60–70% variation in seed yield and oil content, probably because of the significant response to differential thermal microenvironments. The present study illustrates the statistically strong and significant response of biophysical parameters of Brassica spp. to microenvironment modification in semi-arid regions of northern India.     

Transcriptional analysis of an immune-responsive serine protease from Indian malarial vector, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anopheles culicifacies</Emphasis>

Background  

The main vector for transmission of malaria in India is the Anopheles culicifacies mosquito species, a naturally selected subgroup of which is completely refractory (R) to transmission of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium vivax;     

Further studies on the effect of aging and mating history of males on cytoplasmic incompatibility inCulex pipiens fatigans

Previously reported effects of aging and mating history in causing partial loss of cytoplasmic incompatibility in males of Paris cytoplasmic type, have been shown also to occur in males with Delhi and Hamburg cytoplasmic types. It was unexpectedly found that increasing the ratio of females to males at the first mating did not lead to enhancement of the level of partial compatibility when the males were re-mated. The effect of aging is discussed in relation to the use of cytoplasmic incompatibility integrated with chromosomal abnormalities, for genetic control.     

In vitro efficacy of Bryophyllum pinnatum leaf extracts as potent therapeutics

Leaf extracts of Bryophyllum pinnatum (BPEs) are used in several countries. Contextually, evaluation of the therapeutic potential of these was carried out in this study to explore antioxidant and antityrosinase potential through different in vitro methods. The radical scavenging properties of BPEs were studied using various techniques, based on the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) dot blot thin-layer chromatography (TLC) method, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, metal chelation, β-carotene bleaching, inhibition of DNA breakage on agarose gel, and lipid peroxidation inhibition using liver and brain microsomes. EC₅₀ values of the results reflected that aqueous-methanolic BPE was the most active one. Antibrowning potential of the fresh leaf extract showed an antityrosinase property, with EC₅₀ values of enzymatic assay of tyrosinase inhibitory activity further advocating the findings.     

Urea Excretion in Isoparorchis hypselobagri (Billet, 1898)

To understand the nature and amount of excretory products of Isoparorchis hypselobagri, a digenetic trematode inhabiting the swim bladder of Wallago attu the parasites were kept in PBS media without glucose (control) and with glucose (treated) successfully up to 300 h and estimated different excretory products in the media after every alternate 12 h. The quantitative estimation of urea excreted by I. hypselobagri is done. It is lower when the flukes were kept in vitro in the control incubation media than in the treated incubation media. The highest amount of urea excreted in control media was 18.563 mg % at 276 h, and in treated condition 29.759 mg % after 216 h of incubation, while the lowest amount of urea excreted, 6.08 mg %, in control media and 10.343 mg % in treated media respectively after 12 h of incubation. The results were highly significant at 5 % level. The rate of change of excretion of urea in treated condition after every 12 h of incubation time interval was also studied. In the swim bladder washings of host urea is also present in significant amount and the amount excreted depends on the number of parasites harbor. From the results presence of both ammonotelic and ureotelic conditions are suggested.     

Uric Acid Excretion in Isoparorchis hypselobagri (Billet, 1898)

The nature and amount of excretory products of Isoparorchis hypselobagri, a digenetic trematode inhabiting the swim bladder of Wallago attu have been studied. The parasites were kept in PBS media without glucose (control) and with glucose (treated) successfully up to 300 h and different excretory products were estimated at an interval of 12 h. The quantitative estimation of excreted uric acid in I. hypselobagri was revealed less in amount in the flukes which were kept in vitro in the control incubation media than those considered from the treated incubation media. The highest amount of uric acid excreted in control media was 6.72 mg % at 204 h, and in treated condition 16.658 mg % after 216 h of incubation. The lowest amount of uric acid excreted, 0.186 mg % in control media after 252 h of incubation and 2.896 mg % in treated media after 192 h of incubation. The rate of excretion of uric acid in treated condition after every 12 h of incubation is much higher than the control. Significant amount of uric acid have also been recorded in the swim bladder washings of host. It is apparent that the amount of excreted uric acid depends on the number and weight of the parasites harbor. Results suggest that I. hypselobagri is ammonotelic, ureotelic and also uricotelic trematode.