Control of the activation/inactivation of pyruvate, Pi dikinase from the C4 plant maize by adenylate energy charge, pyruvate, and analogs of pyruvate

Pyruvate, Pi dikinase, which is localized in the mesophyll chloroplasts of C4 plants, requires a high adenylate energy charge for conversion of the enzyme from the inactive to the active form. The inactivation process is favored by a low energy charge, being maximal at values below 0.7. Pyruvate and analogs of pyruvate, oxamate and oxalate, strongly inhibit the inactivation process at millimolar levels. The results suggest that light activation of the enzyme in vivo may be mediated by an increased adenylate energy charge in the chloroplast. Pyruvate may allow a higher steady-state level of activation to be achieved in vivo by inhibiting inactivation.     

chlC (nar) operon of Escherichia coli includes structural genes for alpha and beta subunits of nitrate reductase.

The synthesis of the alpha and beta subunits of nitrate reductase by 20 chlC::Tn5 insertion mutants of Escherichia coli was determined by immune precipitation of the subunits from fractions of cell extracts. Only two of the mutants produced either subunit in detectable amounts; these two accumulated the alpha subunit, but no beta subunit. In both cases the alpha subunit was present in the cytosolic fraction, in contrast to wild-type cells, in which both subunits are present mainly in the membrane fraction. EcoRI restriction fragments containing the Tn5 inserts from five of the mutants were cloned into pBR322. The insertions were localized on two contiguous EcoRI fragments spanning a 5.6-kilobase region that overlapped the contiguous ends of the two fragments. An insertion that permitted alpha subunit formation defined one end of the 5.6-kilobase region. The results indicated that the genes encoding the alpha and beta subunits of nitrate reductase were part of a chlC (nar) operon that is transcribed in the direction alpha leads to beta.     

Developmental biochemistry of cottonseed embryogenesis and germination

Plant Molecular Biology - DNAs complementary to the mRNAs coding for the major cotton 48 kD and 52 kD storage proteins have been cloned and used to characterize the principal cotton storage protein...     

Initial-velocity kinetics of succinoyl-coenzyme A-3-oxo acid coenzyme A-transferase from sheep kidney.

The initial-velocity kinetics of sheep kidney CoA-transferase are consistent with a Ping Pong mechanism. A KAcAc-CoA of 2.7 X 10(-5) M, KSucc-CoA of 1.6 X 10(-4) M, KSucc of 5.6 X 10(-3) M and KAcAc of 6.7 X 10(-5) M were determined by using a direct assay system that monitors the concentration of magnesium acetoacetyl-CoA enolate. However, product-inhibition kinetics of sheep kidney CoA-transferase are inconsistent with a Ping Pong mechanism. The possible involvement of separate binding sites for succinate and acetoacetate are discussed.     

Postembryonic brain development in the monarch butterfly,Danaus plexippus plexippus L.

Development Genes and Evolution -