Alterations of NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase quantity and lipid composition in etiolated barley seedlings infected by Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV)

To understand the phenomenon by which infection of seed-transmitted Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) alters membrane structures and inhibits protochlorophyllide biosynthesis of dark-grown barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) plants, we analysed the presence of NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR, EC 1.3.1.33) and the galactolipid content and fatty acid composition. The amount of POR in etioplasts of infected leaves, compared with non-infected leaves, was reduced, as measured by immunoelectron microscopy and Western blot. These results are in agreement with the previously described reduction of the ratio of the photoactive 650 nm to non-photoactive 630 nm absorbing protochlorophyllide forms ( Harsányi et al. , 2002 . Physiol. Plant 114 , 149–155). The galactolipid content was lower in infected leaves. Monogalactosyl-diacylglycerol (MGDG) content was reduced to 40% and digalactosyl-diacylglycerol to 55% of control plants on a fresh weight basis. In infected plants, the proportion of linolenic acid decreased in both galactolipids. The lower amount of highly unsaturated fatty acids and the reduced abundance of MGDG correlated well with the previously detected reduction in the membrane ratio of prolamellar body (PLB) to prothylakoid ( Harsányi et al. , 2002 . Physiol. Plant 114 , 149–155). The reduced amount of POR and the above described alterations in the lipid composition resulted in a disturbed structure of PLBs. As a consequence, pigment synthesis and the greening process were inhibited in infected cells, in turn explaining the appearance of chlorotic stripes of BSMV-infected barley leaves. Our results show that BSMV infection can be detected at a very early stage of leaf development.     

The biogeochemistry of basic cations in two forest catchments with contrasting lithology in the Czech Republic

The biogeochemistry of Ca, Mg, K, and Nawere investigated in two forested catchments in theCzech Republic, one underlain by leucogranite, theother by serpentinite. High weathering rates at theserpentinite site at Pluhv Bor resultedin Mg²⁺ as the dominant cation on the soilexchange complex and in drainage water. Other basiccations (Ca²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺) showedrelatively low concentrations and outflow instreamwater. The catchment exhibited high basesaturation in mineral soils (>70%), and nearneutral soil and stream pH, despite elevated inputsof acidic deposition. Slow growth of Norway spruceat Pluhv Bor may be caused by K deficiency, Mgoversupply and/or Ni toxicity. In contrast, thegranitic site at Lysina showed low concentrations ofbasic cations on the soil exchange complex and instreamwater. Soil and drainage water at Lysina werehighly impacted by acidic deposition. Soil pH wasextremely acidic (<4.5) throughout the soilprofile, and the base saturation of the mineral soilwas very low (<5%). Supplies of basic cationsfrom atmospheric deposition and soil processes wereless than inputs of SO^2- ₄ on anequivalence basis, resulting in low pH and highconcentrations of total Al in drainage water. Needle yellowing in Norway spruce was possibly theresult of Mg deficiency at Lysina. Because of theirextremely different lithologies, these catchmentsserve as valuable end-members of ecosystemsensitivity to elevated levels of acidicdeposition.     

A canonical sequence organization at the 5'-end of the myosin heavy chain genes

The sequences encoding the 5'-ends of three chicken fast-white myosin heavy chain (MHC) genes have been determined. When compared with the sequences of two other MHC genes it is apparent that both the exon and intron positions are conserved. All exon sequences are highly conserved; there is absolute amino acid conservation in the second and third exons. In addition, while the first and third introns diverge among the genes, the second intron is highly conserved between the five. This intron contains a 24-bp sequence that is repeated twice in one of the introns and once in the other four. Analyses indicate that this sequence, which is partially homologous to 7SL RNA, appears to be largely restricted to the MHC gene family. Analysis of the 5'-flanking sequences show that while small homologies are present between some of the genes, they have extensively diverged in this region.     

Transformations of six isomers of dimethylbenzothiophene by three Pseudomonas strains

Dimethylbenzothiophenes are among the sulfur heterocycles in petroleum that are known to be degraded by microbial activity. Six of the 15 possible isomers of dimethylbenzothiophene were synthesized and used in biotransformation studies with three Pseudomonas isolates that oxidize a variety of condensed thiophenes including methylbenzothiophenes and methyldibenzothiophenes. The isomers of dimethylbenzothiophene were chosen to have a variety of substitution patterns: both methyl groups on the thiophene ring (the 2,3- isomer); a methyl group on each of the rings (the 2,7-, 3,5- and 3,7-isomers); and both methyl groups on the benzene ring (the 4,6- and 4,7- isomers). Each isolate was grown on 1-methylnaphthalene or glucose in the presence of one of the dimethylbenzothiophenes and culture extracts were analyzed to identify nearly 30 sulfur-containing metabolites in total. Sulfoxides and sulfones were commonly found metabolites in culture extracts from the 2,3-, 2,7- and 3,7-isomers, whereas 2,3-diones, 3(2H)-ones and 2(3H)-ones were formed from the 4,6- and 4,7-isomers. High-molecular-weight products, some of which were tentatively identified as tetramethylbenzo[b]naphtho[1,2-d]thiophenes, were detected in the extracts of cultures incubated with 4,6- or 4,7-dimethylbenzothiophene. The methyl groups of all of the isomers, except 4,6-, were oxidized to give hydroxymethyl-methylbenzothiophenes and methylbenzothiophene-carboxylic acids, and these were the only products detected from the oxidation of 3,5-dimethylbenzothiophene.     

Exploring the Impact of Short- and Long-Term Hydrocortisone Replacement on Cognitive Function,Quality of Life and Catecholamine Secretion: A Pilot Study

Hydrocortisone (HC) substitution is essential in the treatment for patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI). Current replacement regimens however only incompletely mimic the physiological circadian rhythm of cortisol secretion, thereby resulting in subclinical temporary hypo- and hypercortisolism. Several studies point toward impairment of cognitive functions under these conditions, in part due to affected catecholamine secretion. Aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of long-term versus short-term HC replacement therapy on the adrenomedullary system and cognitive functions. Fourteen patients with primary or secondary AI were divided into two groups, depending on the duration of disease and HC replacement therapy (<15 years). All subjects underwent standardized neurocognitive testing; in addition, cortisol and catecholamine levels as well as physiological parameters and quality of life (QoL) were assessed. Patients with HC replacement therapy ≥15 years (n = 7) received significantly higher equivalent glucocorticoid doses than those with a shorter lasting therapy (n = 7; p = 0.048). Neuropsychological tests, QoL, physiological parameters, and cortisol levels did not differ significantly between both groups. Of note, norepinephrine levels were significantly lower in patients on short-term HC replacement therapy (p = 0.025). However, there were no significant differences in catecholamines with respect to the underlying pathophysiology, gender, or age. Irrespective of the duration of use, male patients scored significantly better for single aspects of QoL, whereas females performed significantly better in the attention test. Overall, we showed that duration of cortisol replacement therapy may have an impact on catecholamine release, but does not seem to affect cognitive functions and QoL.     

The lactosylceramide binding specificity of Helicobacter pylori

The possible role of glycosphingolipids as adhesion receptors for the human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori was examined by use of radiolabeled bacteria, or protein extracts from the bacterial cell surface, in the thin-layer chromatogram binding assay. Of several binding specificities found, the binding to lactosylceramide is described in detail here, the others being reported elsewhere. By autoradiography a preferential binding to lactosylceramide having sphingosine/phytosphingosine and 2-D hydroxy fatty acids was detected, whereas lactosylceramide having sphingosine and nonhydroxy fatty acids was consistently nonbinding. A selective binding of H. pylori to lactosylceramide with phytosphingosine and 2-D hydroxy fatty acid was obtained when the different lactosylceramide species were incorporated into liposomes, but only in the presence of cholesterol, suggesting that this selectivity may be present also in vivo . Importantly, lactosylceramide with sphingosine and hydroxy fatty acids does not bind in this assay. Furthermore, a lactosylceramide-based binding pattern obtained for different trisaccharide glycosphingolipids is consistent with the assumption that this selectivity is due to binding of a conformation of lactosylceramide in which the oxygen of the 2-D fatty acid hydroxyl group forms a hydrogen bond with the Glc hydroxy methyl group, yielding an epitope presentation different from other possible conformers. An alternative conformation that may come into consideration corresponds to the crystal structure found for cerebroside, in which the fatty acid hydroxyl group is free to interact directly with the adhesin. By isolating glycosphingolipids from epithelial cells of human stomach from seven individuals, a binding of H.pylori to the diglycosylceramide region of the non-acid fraction could be demonstrated in one of these cases. Mass spectrometry showed that the binding-active sample contained diglycosylceramides with phytosphingosine and 2-D hydroxy fatty acids with 16-24 carbon atoms in agreement with the results related above.      

Delineation of the epitope recognized by an antibody specific for N- glycolylneuraminic acid-containing gangliosides

P3 is a mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) that binds to several NeuGc- containing gangliosides. It also reacts with antigens expressed in human breast tumors (Vazquez et al. (1995) Hybridoma , 14, 551-556). In this work, the binding specificity of P3 has been characterized in more detail using a panel of glycolipids that included several disialylated gangliosides and several chemical derivatives of NeuGc-GM3. The carboxyl group and the nitrogen function of sialic acid were found to play important roles in the antibody binding, whereas the glycerol tail appears to be nonrelevant. Molecular modeling was used to analyze the binding data, including the finding that P3 selectively recognizes the internal NeuGc in GD3. For this purpose, conformational studies of GD3 were performed using molecular dynamics. It was concluded that sialic acid binds the P3 antibody through its upper face (the one on which the carboxyl group is exposed) and the C4-C5 side of the sugar ring, whereas none or very little contact between the galactose residue and the protein is evident. Conformational analysis of GD3 revealed that, despite the large flexibility of the NeuGcalpha8NeuGc linkage, the P3 binding epitope on the external sialic acid is not well exposed for any of the possible conformations this linkage can adopt, whereas the internal sialic acid presents the epitope in a proper way for several of these conformations. As a final result, a coherent picture of the epitope that fits the wide binding data was obtained.      

Cloning and gene map assignment of the Xiphophorus DNA ligase 1 gene

Fishes represent the stem vertebrate condition and have maintained several gene arrangements common to mammalian genomes throughout the 450 Myr of divergence from a common ancestor. One such syntenic arrangement includes the GPI-PEPD enzyme association on Xiphophorus linkage group IV and human chromosome 19. Previously we assigned the Xiphophorus homologue of the human ERCC2 gene to linkage group U5 in tight association with the CKM locus. CKM is also tightly linked to the ERCC2 locus on human chromosome 19, leading to speculation that human chromosome 19 may have arisen by fusion of two ancestral linkage groups which have been maintained in fishes. To investigate this hypothesis further, we isolated and sequenced Xiphophorus fish genomic regions exhibiting considerable sequence similarity to the human DNA ligase 1 amino acid sequence. Comparison of the fish DNA ligase sequence with those of other species suggests several modes of amino acid conservation in this gene. A 2.2-kb restriction fragment containing part of an X. maculatus DNA ligase 1 exon was used in backcross hybrid mapping with 12 enzyme or RFLP loci. Significant linkage was observed between the nucleoside phosphorylase (NP2) and the DNA ligase (LIG1) loci on Xiphophorus linkage group VI. This assignment suggests that the association of four DNA repair-related genes on human chromosome 19 may be the result of chance chromosomal rearrangements.      

Basal lamina of human seminiferous tubule—Its role in material transport

Summary Electron microscopy of testicular biopsies obtained from two adult males with tunica vaginal hydrocele revealed some protrusions from the basal lamina to the germinal epithelium in the seminiferous tubule. The protrusions were of three types: some between the spermatogonia and Sertoli cells, some directly within the Sertoli cell cytoplasm and others inside the spermatogonia. The protrusions inside the spermatogonia were only 0.5 m deep whereas the other types were from 1–11 m deep. Occasionally some cut off portions of these protrusions were seen inside the ground cytoplasm of the Sertoli cell without an apparent connection with the original stalk. The matrix of the protrusions contained a homogenous component (composed of a fine filamentous element) and granular and membranous components. These components closely resemble the materials found in the basal lamina of the seminiferous tubule. It has been suggested that under mild pathological conditions, i.e., hydrocele, the junctions between the seminiferous tubule epithelium and the basal lamina become somewhat more flexible. As a result, the protrusions become longer and a passage might be formed to allow the flow of raw materials in or out of the seminiferous tubule.This work was supported by USPHS Research Grant HD-03266 and GRS 94802     

An Electron Microscope Study of Autoinfection in Neogregarines (Sporozoa, Neogregarinida)

SYNOPSIS. In an electron microscope study of the neogregarine Farinocystis tribolii Weiser 1953 in the fat body of the larvae of the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum , empty oocysts and adjacent sporozoites of the gregarine were found. The empty oocysts contained host cell cytoplasm, a residuum only slightly larger than that in mature oocysts, and some remnants of the oocyst membrane pressed tightly against the inner surface of the wall. Apparently normal sporozoites were found near the empty oocysts and no damaged ones were seen. It is assumed that the sporozoites go on developing in the host, i.e., that autoinfection takes place.