Chloroplast envelope membranes: a dynamic interface between plastids and the cytosol

Chloroplasts are bounded by a pair of outer membranes, the envelope, that is the only permanent membrane structure of the different types of plastids. Chloroplasts have had a long and complex evolutionary past and integration of the envelope membranes in cellular functions is the result of this evolution. Plastid envelope membranes contain a wide diversity of lipids and terpenoid compounds serving numerous biochemical functions and the flexibility of their biosynthetic pathways allow plants to adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions (for instance phosphate deprivation). A large body of knowledge has been generated by proteomic studies targeted to envelope membranes, thus revealing an unexpected complexity of this membrane system. For instance, new transport systems for metabolites and ions have been identified in envelope membranes and new routes for the import of chloroplast-specific proteins have been identified. The picture emerging from our present understanding of plastid envelope membranes is that of a key player in plastid biogenesis and the co-ordinated gene expression of plastid-specific protein (owing to chlorophyll precursors), of a major hub for integration of metabolic and ionic networks in cell metabolism, of a flexible system that can divide, produce dynamic extensions and interact with other cell constituents. Envelope membranes are indeed one of the most complex and dynamic system within a plant cell. In this review, we present an overview of envelope constituents together with recent insights into the major functions fulfilled by envelope membranes and their dynamics within plant cells. Special Issue of Photosynthesis Research in honor of Andrew A. Benson.     

Temporal and spatial trends in nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to the watershed of the Altamaha River,Georgia, USA

The watershed of the Altamaha River, Georgia, is one of the largest in the southeastern U.S., draining 36,718 km² (including parts of metro Atlanta). We calculated both nitrogen (fertilizer, net food and feed import, atmospheric deposition, and biological N fixation in agricultural and forest lands) and phosphorus (fertilizer and net food and feed import) inputs to the watershed for 6 time points between 1954 and 2002. Total nitrogen inputs rose from 1,952 kg N km⁻² yr⁻¹ in 1954 to a peak of 3,593 kg N km⁻² yr⁻¹ in 1982 and then declined to 2,582 kg N km⁻² yr⁻¹ by 2002. Phosphorus inputs rose from 409 kg P km⁻² yr⁻¹ in 1954 to 532 kg P km⁻² yr⁻¹ in 1974 before declining to 412 kg P km⁻² yr⁻¹ in 2002. Fertilizer tended to be the most important input of both N and P to the watershed, although net food and feed import increased in importance over time and was the dominant source of N input by 2002. When considered on an individual basis, fertilizer input tended to be highest in the middle portions of the watershed (Little and Lower Ocmulgee and Lower Oconee sub-watersheds) whereas net food and feed imports were highest in the upper reaches (Upper Oconee and Upper Ocmulgee sub-watersheds). Although the overall trend in recent years has been towards decreases in both N and P inputs, these trends may be offset due to continuing increases in animal and human populations.     

Removal of agricultural non-point source pollutants by ditch wetlands: implications for lake eutrophication control

Ditches grown with nature reed (Phragmites communis Trin) and wild rice (Zizania latifolia Turcz) were selected to study the removal capacity of agricultural non-point source pollutants so as to find a way to alleviate eutrophication in Lake Taihu. Ditches sediment from depths below 40 cm can accumulate organic matter and total nitrogen (TN). TN is correlated positively to organic matter in reed populated sediment and wild rice populated sediment. This suggests that the main composition of TN is organic nitrogen derived from plant decomposition. A significant negative relationship between TN and pH was found in reed and wild rice sediments. Seasonal harvest of helophyte vegetation is an effective method to remove N and P from wetlands. Organic matter and TN concentrations in water and sediments (0–20 cm) in areas where reeds were removed are lower than non-harvested areas (control). Reeds and wild rice have high uptake ability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). However, the low economic value of these plants will not stimulate voluntary harvest of farmers. Zizania caduciflora Turez Hand-mazt is a kind of vegetable widely cultivated in ditches around the lake. It can also absorb N and P effectively. Thus, large scale cultivation of Z. caduciflora to replace nature plants may improve water quality.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis> retinophilin contains MORN repeats and is conserved in humans

The function of conserved novel human genes can be efficiently addressed in genetic model organisms. From a collection of genes expressed in the Drosophila visual system, cDNAs expressed in vertebrates were identified and one similar to a novel human gene was chosen for further investigation. The results reported here characterize the Drosophila retinophilin gene and demonstrate that a similar gene is expressed in the human retina. The Drosophila and human retinophilin sequences are 50% identical, and they share an additional 16% conserved substitutions. Examination of the cDNA and genomic sequence indicates that it corresponds to the gene CG10233 of the annotated genome and predicts a 22.7 kDa protein. Polyclonal antibodies generated to a predicted retinophilin peptide recognize an antigen in Drosophila photoreceptor cells. The retinophilins encode 4 copies of a repeat associated with a Membrane Occupation and Recognition Nexus (MORN) function first discovered in junctophilins, which may interact with the plasma membrane. These results therefore show that Drosophila retinophilin is expressed in fly photoreceptor cells, demonstrate that a conserved human gene is expressed in human retina, and suggest that a mutational analysis of the Drosophila gene would be valuable.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Strboh A</Emphasis> homologue of NADPH oxidase regulates wound-induced oxidative burst and facilitates wound-healing in potato tubers

During 30-months of storage at 4°C, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers progressively lose the ability to produce superoxide in response to wounding, resist microbial infection, and develop a suberized wound periderm. Using differentially aged tubers, we demonstrate that Strboh A is responsible for the wound-induced oxidative burst in potato and aging attenuates its expression. In vivo superoxide production and NADPH oxidase (NOX) activity from 1-month-old tubers increased to a maximum 18–24 h after wounding and then decreased to barely detectable levels by 72 h. Wounding also induced a 68% increase in microsomal protein within 18 h. These wound-induced responses were lost over a 25- to 30-month storage period. Superoxide production and NOX activity were inhibited by diphenylene iodonium chloride, a specific inhibitor of NOX, which in turn effectively inhibited wound-healing and increased susceptibility to microbial infection and decay in 1-month-old tubers. Wound-induced superoxide production was also inhibited by EGTA-mediated destabilization of membranes. The ability to restore superoxide production to EGTA-treated tissue with Ca⁺² declined with advancing tuber age, likely a consequence of age-related changes in membrane architecture. Of the five homologues of NOX (Strboh A-D and F), wounding induced the expression of Strboh A in 6-month-old tubers but this response was absent in tubers stored for 25–30 months. Strboh A thus mediates the initial burst of superoxide in response to wounding of potato tubers; loss of its expression increases the susceptibility to microbial infection and contributes to the age-induced loss of wound-healing ability.     

Strong coupling effects during <Emphasis Type="Italic">X</Emphasis>-pulse CPMG experiments recorded on heteronuclear <Emphasis Type="Italic">ABX</Emphasis> spin systems: artifacts and a simple solution

Simulation and experiment have been used to establish that significant artifacts can be generated in X-pulse CPMG relaxation dispersion experiments recorded on heteronuclear ABX spin-systems, such as ¹³C _i –¹³C _j –¹H, where ¹³C _i and ¹³C _j are strongly coupled. A qualitative explanation of the origin of these artifacts is presented along with a simple method to significantly reduce them. An application to the measurement of ¹H CPMG relaxation dispersion profiles in an HIV-2 TAR RNA molecule where all ribose sugars are protonated at the 2′ position, deuterated at all other sugar positions and ¹³C labeled at all sugar carbons is presented to illustrate the problems that strong ¹³C–¹³C coupling introduces and a simple solution is proposed.     

Regulation of differential pro- and anti-apoptotic signaling by glucocorticoids

More than a quarter of a century ago, the phenomenon of glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis in the majority of hematological cells was first recognized. More recently, glucocorticoid-induced antiapoptotic signaling associated with apoptosis resistance has been identified in cells of epithelial origin, most of malignant solid tumors and some other tissues. Despite these huge amount of data demonstrating differential pro- and anti-apoptotic effects of glucocortioids, the underlying mechanisms of cell type specific glucocorticoid signaling are just beginning to be described. This review summarizes our present understanding of cell type-specific pro- and anti-apoptotic signaling induced by glucocorticoids. In the first section we give a summary and update of known glucocorticoid-induced pathways mediating apoptosis in hematological cells. We shortly introduce mechanisms of glucocorticoid resistance of hematological cells. We highlight and discuss the emerging molecular evidence of a general induction of survival signaling in epithelial cells and carcinoma cells by glucocorticoids. We provide a model for glucocorticoid-induced resistance in cells growing in a tissue formation. Thus, attachment to the extracellular matrix and cell-cell contacts typical for e.g. epithelial and tumor cells may be crucially involved in switching the balance of several interacting pathways to survival upon treatment with glucocorticoids.     

Optimization of covalent immobilization of pectinase on sodium alginate support

Pectinase was immobilized on a sodium alginate support using glutaraldehyde and retained 66% activity. The optimal pH for activity shifted from 3.0 to 3.5 after immobilization; however, the optimum temperature remained unchanged at 40°C. The immobilized enzyme also had a higher thermal stability and reusability than the free enzyme, and retained 80% of initial activity after 11 batch reactions.