Changes in composition patterns of basic proteins in Chlorella cells during their life cycle

1. (1) Changes in the composition pattern of acid soluble basicproteins in Chlorella cells during their life cycle were studiedusing various methods of fractionation ; i. e., extraction,chromatography on CM-Sephadex column and electrophoresis onpolyacrylamide gel, etc.
2. (2) The content of basic proteinswas of the order of 1-2.5%of the dry weight of cells and showeda maximum at the D_n stageand a minimum at the formative stages(L₂, L₃). The change wasdue to basic proteins (I-HC1) whichwere insoluble in 0.14 MNaCl and were non-elutable with 2 MNaCl from CM-Sephadex. The0.14 M NaCl soluble basic proteincontent remained almost constantthroughout the life cycle.
3. (3) The I-HC1 fraction in question showed 20 bands and shouldersin electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels. Some components showedremarkable changes in their relative quantities during the lifecycle, while others exhibited relatively little change.
4. (4)Preliminary fractionation experiments of subcellular componentsby a non-aqueous method showed that the basic proteins showingmarked changes in their relative amounts were present in a nucleus-richfraction, and those exhibiting little change were found in achloroplast-rich fraction, except one main component which showedcharacteristic behavior.

(Received June 22, 1968; )     

PHOTOCONTROL AND TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF GERMINATION OF RUMEX SEEDS

1. Light is not obligatory for the germination of the seed ofRumex obtusifolius L. subsp.agrestis DANSER, which has beenregarded as being a typical light sensitive seed. Even in continuousdarkness, a short period of high (30°) or low temperature(5°) treatment evokes germination very readily. 2. Germination is markedly promoted by 1 min exposure to a redlight and this red light effect is completely removed by 1-hrexposure to a far-red light. Alternations of the red and far-redradiation bring about an alternate promotion and inhihibitionof germination. 3. When a dark interval is inserted between the red and thefar-red treatments, inhibition of germination becomes less distinctas the duration of darkness increases. When the seeds are irradiatedwith far-red prior to red, with an inserted darkness, germinationpromotion due to the red light also decreases with the durationof inserted darkness. 4. Complicated interdependence between the light and temperatureeffects are demonstrated. This suggests a participation of somereactants besides pigments in the photoreaction. 5. The observed interdependence between the light and temperatureeffects on the germination of Rumex seeds implies that, if,as BORTHWICK has assumed, two forms of pigment, viz., a far-red-absorbingform and a red-absorbing one, are participating in the photoreaction,they should be presumed to coexist from the start of imbibition. (Received September 27, 1960; )     

INSTABILITY OF MESSENGER AND RIBOSOMAL RNA IN A GLUE-PROTEIN MUTANT OF Bombyx mori

The mucous glands of Bombyx pupae secrete glue proteins which attach deposited eggs to the mounting sheet. A mutant of a dominant gene, named no glue (Ng) , produces nonadhesive eggs which have a low capacity for glue-protein synthesis. In the present study it was shown that the mucous glands of Ng silkworms showed rapid degradation of mRNA as well as rRNA during development; this may cause the low capacity for glue-protein synthesis in the mutant organ. In contrast, the mucous glands of normal silkworms showed a significant increase in content of RNA's until the maximum rate of glue-protein synthesis was achieved. The degradation of RNA in the Ng mucous gland was inhibited by actinomycin D injected into the body fluid. Thus it is supposed that the Ng gene codes for a presumptive controller RNA, which would be the mediator of RNA instability in the mucous glands of Ng pupae.     

Micronucleus‐Specific Bacterium Holospora elegans Irreversibly Enhances Stress Gene Expression of the Host Paramecium caudatum

ABSTRACT. The bacterium Holospora is an endonuclear symbiont of the ciliate Paramecium. Previously, we reported that paramecia bearing the macronuclear‐specific symbiont Holospora obtusa survived better than symbiont‐free paramecia, even under high temperatures unsuitable for growth. The paramecia with symbionts expressed high levels of hsp70 mRNAs even at 25 °C, a usual growth temperature. We report herein that paramecia bearing the micronuclear‐specific symbiont Holospora elegans also acquire the heat‐shock resistance. Even after the removal of the bacteria from the hosts by treatment with penicillin, the resulting aposymbiotic paramecia nevertheless maintained their heat shock‐resistant nature for over 1 yr. Like symbiotic paramecia, these aposymbiotic paramecia also expressed high levels of both hsp60 and hsp70 mRNAs even at 25 °C. Moreover, analysis by fluorescent in situ hybridization with a probe specific for Holospora 16S rRNA revealed that the 16S rRNA of H. elegans was expressed around the nucleoli of the macronucleus in the aposymbiotic cells. This result suggests the possible transfer of Holospora genomic DNA from the micronucleus into the macronucleus in symbiotic paramecia. Perhaps this exogenous DNA could trigger the aposymbiotic paramecia to induce a stress response, inducing higher expression of Hsp60 and Hsp70, and thus conferring heat‐shock resistance.     

应用飞秒时间分辨瞬态吸收光谱研究蛋白质中距离相关长程电荷转移:光合细菌天线复合体LH2与TiO2纳米颗粒超分子组装体个例初探

蛋白质在生物体内电荷转移过程中所起的作用迄今仍然是一个有争议的问题.其争论焦点是蛋白质在生物电荷转移过程中是否提供特殊的电子传递通道或者是仅仅作为普通的有机介质.应用飞秒时间分辨瞬态吸收光谱研究由光合细菌天线分子和平均粒径为8 nm的TiO2组装而成的超分子系统中长程电荷转移.晶体结构研究表明,光合细菌天线分子具有由多个α-脱辅基和β-脱辅基蛋白跨膜螺旋构成的双层空心柱面体结构,其中α-脱辅基蛋白跨膜螺旋构成的小环状体套于β-脱辅基蛋白跨膜螺旋构成的大环状体中.小环状体的空腔直径约为3.6 nm.光合色素细菌叶绿素和β-胡萝卜素分子处于两环之间.细菌叶绿素距离外周胞质膜最近,预计为1 nm.本研究试图将TiO2纳米颗粒部分装入光合细菌膜蛋白的腔体中,探讨细菌叶绿素与TiO2纳米颗粒间进行的光致长程电荷转移,进而揭示蛋白质在电荷转移过程中所起的作用.实验观察到细菌叶绿素B850在LH2/TiO2中的基态漂白恢复的时间常数明显地比在LH2中短,应用长程电荷转移模型,将蛋白质视为普通介电媒体,由电荷转移速率推算得到细菌叶绿素与TiO2纳米颗粒最近表面的距离为0.6 nm,表明TiO2纳米颗粒已经成功地部分装入光合细菌天线分子的空腔中.     

Photoperiodic regulation of CS-ACS2, CS-ACS4 and CS-ERS gene expression contributes to the femaleness of cucumber flowers through diurnal ethylene production under short-day conditions

Photoperiod and the plant hormone, ethylene, modify sex expression of flowers in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). In the present study, femaleness of cucumber occurred under short‐day (8 h photoperiod) conditions compared to that under long‐day (16 h photoperiod) conditions, although the effect of photoperiod was more pronounced in a monoecious than in an andromonoecious cucumber. Application of ethylene had a greater effect than photoperiod on the production of female and bisexual flowers in monoecious and andromonoecious cucumbers, respectively. Ethylene evolution and the expression of CS‐ACS2, CS‐ACS4 and CS‐ERS genes in the shoot apices of both monoecious and andromonoecious cucumber plants had a diurnal rhythm with a peak in the middle of an 8 h or a 16 h light period. Peak ethylene evolution and expression of CS‐ACS2 was greater under short‐day conditions than under long‐day conditions in a monoecious cucumber but not in an andromonoecious one. Expression of CS‐ACS4 in monoecious and andromonoecious cucumber plants did not differ, but the level was higher under short‐day conditions compared with that under long‐day conditions. Thus, CS‐ACS2 and CS‐ACS4 might be involved in the basic diurnal rhythm of ethylene evolution in cucumber. Because exogenous ethylene increased the expression of CS‐ACS2 and CS‐ERS in monoecious cucumber possessing the M locus, but not in andromonoecious cucumber in which the function of the M locus was lost (Yamasaki et al. Plant and Cell Physiology 42, 608–619, 2001), the CS‐ACS2 gene might also be involved in ethylene production by positive feedback via regulation of M locus under short‐day conditions.