{beta}-Naphthyl oligophosphates: Inhibitors of photophosphorylation and H+-ATPase of spinach chloroplasts

ß-Naphthyl di-, tri- or tetraphosphate inhibits photophosphorylationof spinach chloroplasts competitively with ADP, whereas ß-naphthylmonophosphate inhibits it competitively with Pi. The apparentKi of ß-naphthyl diphosphate for the ADP site was300 µM and that of ß-naphthyl monophosphatefor the Pi site was 1.45 mM. At 10 mM, both of these two organicphosphates inhibited photophosphorylation more than 90%. Noneof the above four ß-naphthyl phosphates were phosphorylatedby chloroplasts. ß-Naphthyl di-, tri- or tetraphosphateinhibits ATPase activity of isolated chloroplast coupling factor1 (CF₁) (EC 3.6.1.3 [EC] ) and light-triggered ATPase activity ofchloroplasts competitively with ATP, whereas ß-naphthylmonophosphate acts non-competitively. None of the four ß-naphthylphosphates were hydrolyzed by these two ATPase activities. Atconcentrations equal to ADP or ATP, ß-naphthyl di-,tri- or tetraphosphate inhibited these three reactions in theorder; ATPase of isolated CF₁> photophosphorylation>light-triggeredATPase of chloroplasts. The results suggest that the effect of the monophosphate isprincipally on the Pi site(s) and that of the di-, tri- or tetraphosphateis on the adenine nucleotide site(s) on the active center ofCF₁. ¹Part of this work was reported at the 1979 Annual Meeting ofthe Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists (Nagoya, April 7,1979) and the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese BiochemicalSociety (Tokyo, October 7, 1979). This work was supported inpart by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministryof Education, Science and Culture, Japan (311808 and 311909). (Received November 14, 1979; )     

An electron microscopic study on the mating tube formation in the heterobasidiomycete Tremella mesenterica

Ultrastructure of the mating tube formed in yeast haplont of the heterobasidiomycete Tremella mesenterica was studied by electron microscopy. Cell wall of the mating tube emerged as evagination of the inner layers, rupturing outer layers of the mother cell wall. Comparison with budding cells suggested that the tube emergence place at bud scar and the process of tube emergence was the same as that of bud emergence. Electron transparent vesicles of 0.1 m diameter were scattered in the cytoplasm of the mating tube. Nucleus-associated organelle was located at one side of the nuclear envelope which extended towards the mating tube. A few microtubules were detected in the mating tube, but their association with a nucleus was not clear. The cytoplasmic structure of the mating tube was discussed in comparison with that of hyphae of the filamentous fungi.     

Continuous culture of reuber hepatoma cells in serum-free,arginine-, glutamine-and tyrosine-deprived chemically defined medium

Summary The rat hepatoma cell line, H4-II-E, was grown serially over a I-year period and about 30 passages in arginine-, glutamine-, and tyrosine-deprived and ornithine-supplemented Eagle's mininum essential medium with no supplements other than biotin. The adapted cel line, R-Y121B, proliferates in the above mentioned medium with a doubling time of about 4 days and maintains hepatic “marker” enzymes such as tyrosine aminotransferase, phenylalanine hydroxylase, and all the enzymes of the urea cycle. This work was supported in part by Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research 301050 and Science Research Grant 337013 from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan.     

Identification of some abnormal metabolites in psoriatic nail using gas chromatography—mass spectrometry

A gas chromatographic—mass spectrometric analysis was used to separate and identify abnormal compounds in the nail of psoriatic patients. The nail was extracted with heated ethanol, and the extract was analyzed with and without trimethylsilylation. Tetradecanoic acid octadecyl ester, hexadecanoic acid octadecyl ester and octadecanoic acid octadecyl ester were first identified in the psoriatic nail, but were not detected in normal nail.     

Stimulation of DNA synthesis by heated human serum in primary cultured normal adult rat hepatocytes

In primary culture of normal adult rat hepatocytes, human serum heated at 56°C for 30 min stimulated dose-dependently [³H]thymidine incorporation into trichloroacetic acid insoluble fraction of the cells, most of which was solubilized into hot trichloroacetic acid solution. The solubilized fraction was reduced when hydroxyurea was added to the culture. The heated serum also increased dose-dependently protein synthesis and cell viability determined from morphological findings. These results suggest that human serum has heat-stable factors stimulating DNA synthesis and maintaining cell viability of cultured rat hepatocytes.     

Adjuvant actions of polyclonal lymphocyte activators: III. Two distinct types of T-initiating adjuvant action demonstrated under different experimental conditions

We demonstrated that each of various polyclonal lymphocyte activators (PLA) exhibits two types of adjuvant action to initiate the carrier-specific helper T-cell response to otherwise nonimmunogenic antigen. Type 1 action was characterized as that to initiate the T-cell response to subcutaneous injection of soluble bovine γ-globulin (BGG), and type 2 as that to initiate the response to intravenous injection of aggregated BGG. Each of various PLA showed these two types of adjuvant action in a dissociated fashion. The capsular polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPS-K) showed both types of action to the highest degrees. Lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli exhibited type 2 action as markedly as CPS-K, but failed to show type 1 action. Concanavalin A showed definite type 1 action, but not type 2 action. Polyadenylic-uridylic acid showed definite type 2 action, but not type 1 action. Type 1 and type 2 actions of dextran sulfate were minimal. A hypothetical view is presented to consider that type 1 adjuvant action is directed to two mutually independent sites whereas type 2 action is directed to one site.     

Steering responses of adult and nymphal crickets to light,with special reference to the head rolling movement

Most tethered adult crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) assumed flight postures with or without flapping their wings in a windstream. Nymphal crickets (sixth and seventh, i.e. final, instars) also displayed the flight posture in spite of the incompleteness of wing development. These adult nymphal crickets rolled their heads towards the light source in response to unequal illumination of the compound eyes only while maintaining the flight posture. The amphtude of the head rolling movements was proportional to the change of light position up to 120°C, and independent of the light intensity if the duration was longer than 1 sec. The unequal illumination could also induce a transient increase in discharge frequency of the wing muscles on both sides, a decrease in wing beat amplitude of the ipsilateral wing on the illuminated side, and bending movements of the legs and abdomen towards the light. Cutting either of the nerve connectives at any level between the subosophageal and metathoracic ganglia did not affect the response of either the head or the abdomen to illumination. These results are discussed in relation to the steering mechanism associated with the dorsal light reaction.     

One step purification procedure of elastase from pancreatic powder by affinity chromatography

Pancreatic elastase was isolated from acetone powder of porcine pancreas by a one step purification procedure on a trialanyl CH-Sepharose 4B affinity column. This column exhibited affinity not only for active elastase but also for trypsin and chymotrypsin which were present in the same pancreatic powder. However, as the extent of affinity toward elastase is considerably higher, the proper conditions were determined with which the adsorbed elastase was isolated in a highly purified form. The yield of elastolytic activity ranged from 60–85% and the purified elastase was shown to be one component by polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis.