Phosphorylation of the yeast ribosomal stalk. Functional effects and enzymes involved in the process

The ribosomal stalk is directly involved in the interaction of the elongation factors with the ribosome during protein synthesis. The stalk is formed by a complex of five proteins, four small acidic polypeptides and a larger protein which directly interacts with the rRNA at the GTPase center. In eukaryotes the acidic components correspond to the 12-kDa P1 and P2 proteins, and the RNA binding component is the P0 protein. All these proteins are found phosphorylated in eukaryotic organisms, and previous in vitro data suggested this modification was involved in the activity of this structure. Results from mutational studies have shown that phosphorylation takes place at a serine residue close to the carboxy end of the P proteins. Modification of this serine residue does not affect the formation of the stalk and the activity of the ribosome in standard conditions but induces an osmoregulation-related phenotype at 37 degrees C. The phosphorylatable serine is part of a consensus casein kinase II phosphorylation site. However, although CKII seems to be responsible for part of the stalk phosphorylation in vivo, it is probably not the only enzyme in the cell able to perform this modification. Five protein kinases, RAPI, RAPII and RAPIII, in addition to the previously reported CKII and PK60 kinases, are able to phosphorylate the stalk proteins. A comparison of the five enzymes shows differences among them that suggest some specificity regarding the phosphorylation of the four yeast acidic proteins. It has been found that some typical effectors of the PKC kinase stimulate the in vitro phosphorylation of the stalk proteins. All the data suggest that although phosphorylation is not involved in the interaction of the acidic P proteins with the ribosome, it can affect the ribosome activity and might participate in a possible ribosome regulatory mechanism.     

Uricase from fish liver: isolation and some properties

The uricase (urate: oxygen oxidoreducase EC.1.7.3.3) activities in livers from rainbow trout, mackerel, lake trout, catfish, shark and tilapia were 1000, 1180, 920, 630, 490 and 420 units (n moles uric acid oxidized mg-1 protein min-1) per gram liver, respectively. The enzyme from lake trout was purified twenty fold by ammonium sulfate precipitation, protamine sulfate treatment and Sephacryl S-200 column chromatography. SDS-polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis indicated an oligomeric enzyme containing subunits of 32,500 daltons. The pH optimum was 8.8 but the enzyme had a relatively broad pH activity profile between pH 7.0-9.5. Apparent Km and Vmax values of 80 microM and greater than 1000 was obtained for the trout liver enzyme.     

Cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activity during self-regulation of heart period.

Fourteen subjects attempted to increase and 15 attempted to decrease cardiac interbeat interval (IBI) while being provided with biofeedback of IBI, T-wave vector magnitude (TWVM), or respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Subjects in both groups showed directional change in IBI relative to a tracking control task, but the three types of feedback did not differentially affect performance. Voluntary IBI increases were associated with significant increases in TWVM and RSA, and voluntary IBI decreases were associated with significant reductions in RSA and nonsignificant reductions in TWVM. This pattern of results suggests that alterations in cardiac vagal tone are involved in voluntary IBI increase and decrease tasks. The results also suggest a role for cardiac sympathetic nervous activity in voluntary IBI increase. The role of changing respiration cycle period was also investigated.     

Gynogenetic haploids of Citrus after in vitro pollination with triploid pollen grains

This study reports haploid plantlet regeneration through gynogenesis in Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan., cv. Nules, induced by in vitro pollination with pollen grains of Oroblanco, a triploid cultivar of grapefruit. It indicates that parthenogenesis induced in vitro by triploid pollen can be an alternative method to obtain haploids in monoembryonic cultivars of Citrus. Actually, despite considerable efforts, androgenesis has not been yet successful in many genotypes of Citrus. Pollination and mature stage of pistils was necessary for gynogenic embryo regeneration. Fourteen haploid gynogenic embryos of Nules clementine were obtained. Embryo conversion was high (85.7%) and embryos vigorously germinated producing twelve plantlets. Chromosome counting, performed in the roots of obtained embryos, showed the haploid level (n=x=9). Isozyme analyses confirmed the expected homozygous state of embryos and plantlets. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Comparative craniofacial variation in Navajo Indians and North American Caucasians

Landmarks digitized from lateral cephalometric radiographs of 107 Navajo Indians between 10 and 12 years of age were analyzed to determine coefficients of variation or standard deviations for 38 cephalometric measurements. These values were compared with the same measures of variation for identical measurements on North American whites derived from the Michigan and Philadelphia Growth Studies. For the majority of variables, there were no differences between groups. Variation for the genetically and environmentally isolated Navajo Indians was the same as that of the highly diverse Caucasian samples. However, measurements of upper, lower, and total anterior facial height (N-ANS, ANS-Me, and N-Me, respectively) indicate that these features are substantially less variable in Navajo Indians relative to the Michigan and Philadelphia populations.