Oxygen sensitivity of C4 photosynthesis: evidence from gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence analyses with different C4 subtypes

Because photosynthetic rates in C₄ plants are the same at normal levels of O₂ (c, 20 kPa) and at c, 2 kPa O₂ (a conventional test for evaluating photorespiration in C₃ plants) it has been thought that C₄ photosynthesis is O₂ insensitive. However, we have found a dual effect of O₂ on the net rate of CO₂ assimilation among species representing all three C₄ subtypes from both monocots and dicots. The optimum O₂ partial pressure for C₄ photosynthesis at 30 °C, atmospheric CO₂ level, and half full sunlight (1000 μmol quanta m^?2 s^?1) was about 5–10 kPa. Photosynthesis was inhibited by O₂ below or above the optimum partial pressure. Decreasing CO₂ levels from ambient levels (32.6 Pa) to 9.3 Pa caused a substantial increase in the degree of inhibition of photosynthesis by supra-optimum levels of O₂ and a large decrease in the ratio of quantum yield of CO₂ fixation/quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) measured by chlorophyll a fluorescence. Photosystem II activity, measured from chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis, was not inhibited at levels of O₂ that were above the optimum for CO₂ assimilation, which is consistent with a compensating, alternative electron How as net CO₂ assimilation is inhibited. At suboptimum levels of O₂, however, the inhibition of photosynthesis was paralleled by an inhibition of PSII quantum yield, increased state of reduction of quinone A, and decreased efficiency of open PSII centres. These results with different C₄ types suggest that inhibition of net CO₂ assimilation with increasing O₂ partial pressure above the optimum is associated with photorespiration, and that inhibition below the optimum O₂ may be caused by a reduced supply of ATP to the C₄ cycle as a result of inhibition of its production photochemically.     

芽孢杆菌T3菌株对镉胁迫下蒌蒿生理特性和根际微生物的影响

为探讨镉(Cd)胁迫条件下蒌蒿对促生细菌(PGPB)的响应机制,以芽孢杆菌T3(Bacillus sp.)菌株为对象,通过盆栽试验,研究不同Cd处理水平下芽孢杆菌T3菌株对蒌蒿生长、生理、Cd富集转运以及根际微生物的影响。结果表明:(1)在Cd胁迫条件下,芽孢杆菌T3菌株可显著促进蒌蒿地上部、地下部及总干物质的积累,但对株高和根冠比的影响不明显。(2)芽孢杆菌T3菌株能显著促进Cd胁迫条件下蒌蒿对Cd的富集与转运,相比单一Cd胁迫,蒌蒿地上部生物富集系数(BCF)增加了8.3%~29.3%,地下部BCF减少了6.6%~11.1%,同时转运系数(TF)增加了20.8%~38.3%。(3)在Cd胁迫和芽孢杆菌T3菌株的共同作用下,蒌蒿叶绿素a、叶绿素b和总叶绿素含量明显增加。(4)芽孢杆菌T3菌株使Cd胁迫条件下蒌蒿体内丙二醛(MDA)含量显著减少,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性明显增加,可有效抵御由Cd胁迫所产生的氧化伤害。(5)芽孢杆菌T3菌株能显著增加Cd胁迫条件下蒌蒿根际土壤细菌、放线菌数量及微生物总量,可减少蒌蒿根际土壤真菌的数量,但与对照差异不显著。研究表明,在Cd胁迫条件下芽孢杆菌T3菌株对蒌蒿生长、生理和根际土壤微生物环境可产生积极影响,可增强蒌蒿植物对Cd胁迫环境的适应性,从而提高其对Cd的耐受能力。     

大鼠下丘脑弓状核抑制蓝斑神经元放电的机制及其在电针效应中的作用

本工作在清醒箭毒化大鼠人工呼吸条件下进行。实验显示下丘脑弓状核(AR)内微量注射谷氨酸钠(Glut)所兴奋的 AR 神经元可以显著抑制蓝斑(LC)神经元放电。这一效应可被 LC内注射纳洛酮(Nx)或抗β-内啡肽(β-End)血清,以及切断支配 LC 的β-End 能束取消。这些结果提示它主要是通过兴奋β-End 能神经元,使其在 LC 内的轴突末梢释放β-End 而实现的。由于 LC 内单纯注射 Nx 时 LC 神经元放电率无可见变化,似可认为 AR 对 LC 无明显紧张性抑制作用。实验还显示 LC 内注抗β-End 血清后,电针兴奋 LC 的后期效应增加;如在电针的同时向 AR 内注 Glut 则电针兴奋 LC 的后期效应被取消;表明电针过程中有弓状核β-End 能神经元对 LC 的抑制作用参与。但此抑制作用似弱于电针对 LC 的兴奋效应,故只能取消(较弱的)电针的后期效应。不能取消(较强的)电针的早期效应。     

Aminoacylation of Bisulphite-modified Yeast Tyrosine Transfer RNA

AS part of a search for the chemical rules underlying the recognition of a tRNA by its aminoacyl-tRNA ligase¹, we are examining the effect of C?U transitions on aminoacylation of tRNA. In this paper, we describe four well-characterized modifications of yeast tRNA^Tyr induced by reaction with bisulphite ions at pH 5.8. Three of the observed changes proved to be C-?U transitions produced by the series of reactions shown in Fig. 1 (refs. 2–5).     

The distribution and localization of the fucose-binding lectin in rat tissues and the identification of a high affinity form of the mannose/N-acetylglucosamine-binding lectin in rat liver

A small-scale affinity chromatographic procedure was developed to screen for the presence of fucose and mannose/N-acetylglucosamine-binding lectins in small amounts of rat tissues. Of all tissues examined, only the liver contained the fucose-binding lectin, whereas both liver and blood serum contained the mannose/N-acetylglucosamine lectin. By means of immunocytological methods using antibodies to hepatic lectins, the fucose lectin was shown to be uniquely present in Kupffer cells and absent in all other types of rat macrophages examined. The binding and uptake of different neoglycoproteins by nonparenchymal cell fractions of liver indicated that the fucose-binding lectin was either not responsible for the uptake or that more than one lectin was acting. With the identification of another lectin (Mr = 180,000) by the above screening procedure for hepatic lectins and the results of studies in the following paper (Haltiwanger, R.S., and Hill, R. L. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 7440-7444) two lectins appear to be involved. A small amount of the hepatic mannose/N-acetylglucosamine lectin was found by the above screening procedure to have a higher affinity for L-fucosyl-bovine serum albumin-Sepharose than the majority of the lectin in hepatocytes. This lectin, called the high affinity form, was purified and its properties examined. On a weight basis the high affinity form bound 7-12 times more ligand than the normal form. Its Ka for L-fucosyl-bovine serum albumin was 2.3 X 10(9) M-1 compared to 3.5 X 10(8) M-1 for the normal form. Moreover, the concentrations of monosaccharides required to inhibit the high affinity form were about 3 times less than those required to inhibit binding of the normal form. The two forms, however, have identical molecular weights (32,000) under reducing and nonreducing conditions, bind anti-lectin antibodies in the same way, and give identical peptide maps after V-8 protease digestion. The structural basis for the different binding affinities of the two forms remains unknown.     

The N-terminal 513 amino acids of the envelope glycoprotein gB of human cytomegalovirus stimulates both B- and T-cell immune responses in humans.

Host defense against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) involves both humoral and cell-mediated immunity. In this report, human immune responses to glycoproteins encoded by the HCMV gB homolog gene have been examined by using glycoproteins purified by immunoaffinity from HCMV virions and recombinant proteins expressed by vaccinia viruses containing either the entire gB open reading frame or a C-terminal deletion mutant, gBm165, coding for the N-terminal 513 amino acids of gB. Neutralizing antibodies, helper T cells, and cytotoxic T cells reactive with epitopes on the N-terminal portion of gB were detected in some seropositive individuals, suggesting that this region of gB may be important in eliciting protective immunity during natural infection for some individuals.     

The subcellular localization of apomucin and nonreducing terminal N-acetylgalactosamine in porcine submaxillary glands

Antibodies prepared against enzymatically deglycosylated porcine submaxillary gland mucin (apomucin), which were unreactive with native mucin and its partially deglycosylated derivatives, were used to immunolocalize apomucin in situ. Electron microscopy of sections of Lowicryl K4M-embedded tissue reacted successively with antibodies and protein A-gold complexes showed apomucin exclusively in mucous cells within the rough endoplasmic reticulum, transitional elements of the endoplasmic reticulum, and vesicles at the cis side of the Golgi apparatus. The Golgi apparatus, forming mucous droplets, and mucous droplets contained no apomucin. Although the rough endoplasmic reticulum contained most of the apomucin in mucous cells, some cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum and the nuclear envelope were devoid of apomucin. Examination of tissue sections treated with the glycosidases used to prepare apomucin revealed immunolabel for apomucin throughout the secretory pathway. Colloidal gold coated with Helix pomatia lectin was used to detect nonreducing N-acetylgalactosamine residues. In mucin-producing cells lectin-gold was found in the mucous droplets, the forming mucous droplets, and throughout the Golgi apparatus but mostly in the cis portion of this organelle. In tissue sections reacted successively with lectin-gold and anti-apomucin/protein A-gold, both types of gold complex could be found in the cis side of the Golgi apparatus. These data indicate that the O-glycosylation of mucin is a posttranslational event that occurs in the Golgi apparatus and begins in the cis side of the Golgi apparatus.