Geranylgeranyl reductase involved in the biosynthesis of archaeal membrane lipids in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus

Complete saturation of the geranylgeranyl groups of biosynthetic intermediates of archaeal membrane lipids is an important reaction that confers chemical stability on the lipids of archaea, which generally inhabit extreme conditions. An enzyme encoded by the AF0464 gene of a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, which is a distant homologue of plant geranylgeranyl reductases and an A. fulgidus menaquinone-specific prenyl reductase [Hemmi H, Yoshihiro T, Shibuya K, Nakayama T, & Nishino T (2005) J Bacteriol187, 1937-1944], was recombinantly expressed and purified, and its geranylgeranyl reductase activity was examined. The radio HPLC analysis indicated that the flavoenzyme, which binds FAD noncovalently, showed activity towards lipid-biosynthetic intermediates containing one or two geranylgeranyl groups under anaerobic conditions. It showed a preference for 2,3-di-O-geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate over 3-O-geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate in vitro, and did not reduce the prenyl group of respiratory quinones in Escherichia coli cells. The substrate specificity strongly suggests that the enzyme is involved in the biosynthesis of archaeal membrane lipids. GC-MS analysis of the reaction product from 2,3-di-O-geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate proved that the substrate was converted to archaetidic acid (2,3-di-O-phytanylglyceryl phosphate). The archaeal enzyme required sodium dithionite as the electron donor for activity in vitro, similarly to the menaquinone-specific prenyl reductase from the same anaerobic archaeon. On the other hand, in the presence of NADPH (the preferred electron donor for plant homologues), the enzyme reaction did not proceed.     

A novel 2A-peptide-containing plasmid to generate stable Perkinsus marinus cells expressing organelle-targeted genes

Genetic manipulation techniques for marine protists are not well-established, despite immense efforts. However, Perkinsus marinus is an exception and can be developed as a genetically tractable model organism for related protists. Here, we designed a new plasmid for P. marinus that allows two proteins from a single mRNA to be differently localized using a self-cleaving 2A peptide. This enabled us to establish a stable transfectant expressing a mitochondrially targeted fluorescent protein. The system can be applied to any protein in theory and would make a powerful tool for investigating unique organelles in P. marinus and related dinoflagellates.     

Search for species-specific mating signal in courtship songs of sympatric sibling species,Drosophila ananassae and D. pallidosa

Sexual isolation is one of the most important mechanisms that may lead to speciation. Drosophila ananassae and D. pallidosa are useful for the study of sexual isolation, because of their sympatric distribution and no postmating isolation between them. Courtship songs are considered to play a crucial role in sexual isolation between D. ananassae and D. pallidosa. We recorded and analyzed male courtship songs of D. ananassae and D. pallidosa for eight and four geographical strains, respectively. Courtship behaviors of the two species were consistent with those previously described, however, male's middle leg shaking, which had not before been described, was observed in both species. Males sing by wing vibration only during courtship. Their song oscillograms were distinct between species, but those of conspecific strains were very similar, in spite of their different geographical derivation. We found species-specificity in burst length, pulse length, cycle number in a pulse, and frequency spectra of bursts; these results suggest that these song parameters may play a role in mate recognition that enforces their sexual isolation. The specific values of interpulse interval, cycle number in a pulse and intrapulse frequency were involved with the determination of specificity in frequency spectra of bursts. We discussed the possibility that the specific frequency spectra of bursts are recognized by females as the species-specific signal rather than each parameter individually.     

A chromosome survey of induced abortuses in a Japanese population

Chromosomal studies were carried out on either cultured or noncultured embryonic tissues derived from 140 cases of induced abortuses which were randomly collected in Sapporo during a period from January, 1963 to April, 1966. The mean maternal age for this series was 27.5±5.8 (S.D.) years, and the mean gestational age was 9.6±3.1 (S.D.) weeks. Among the cases, 133 were found to have a normal chromosome constitution of either male (46-XY) or female (46-XX), with a sex-ratio of 8350. Seven cases were chromosomally abnormal: They were 3 mosaic cases with 45-XO/46-XY, 46-XY/47-XXY and 45-XO/46-XX karyotypes, 1 case of X-monosomy with the 45-XO karyotype, 1 case of X-trisomy with the 47-XXX karyotype, a male with an unusually long Y chromosome, and a female showing a high incidence of chromosome breakage. A high incidence of chromosome abnormalities was obtained in association, within a limited period, of epidemics for three viral diseases.Contribution No. 747 from the Zoological Institute, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. Supported by a grant from the Damon Runyon Memorial Fund for Cancer Research to S. Makino (DRG 889).     

Unbalanced 13q/21q translocation: A revised study of the case previously reported as 21-monosomy

Summary Reexamination was made on a male infant previously reported as 21-monosomy. Extensive chromosome banding analyses in the patient and parents disclosed an unbalanced de novo translocation between chromosomes 13 and 21. The patient's karyotype was interpreted as 45,XY,-13,-21,+der(13),t(13;21) (q2 or 3;q1 or 2)pat. The patient showed many clinical features characteristic of 13q- syndrome.     

Extensive frameshift at all AGG and CCC codons in the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene of Perkinsus marinus (Alveolata; Dinoflagellata)

Diverse mitochondrial (mt) genetic systems have evolved independently of the more uniform nuclear system and often employ modified genetic codes. The organization and genetic system of dinoflagellate mt genomes are particularly unusual and remain an evolutionary enigma. We determined the sequence of full-length cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) mRNA of the earliest diverging dinoflagellate Perkinsus and show that this gene resides in the mt genome. Apparently, this mRNA is not translated in a single reading frame with standard codon usage. Our examination of the nucleotide sequence and three-frame translation of the mRNA suggest that the reading frame must be shifted 10 times, at every AGG and CCC codon, to yield a consensus COX1 protein. We suggest two possible mechanisms for these translational frameshifts: a ribosomal frameshift in which stalled ribosomes skip the first bases of these codons or specialized tRNAs recognizing non-triplet codons, AGGY and CCCCU. Regardless of the mechanism, active and efficient machinery would be required to tolerate the frameshifts predicted in Perkinsus mitochondria. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of translational frameshifts in protist mitochondria and, by far, is the most extensive case in mitochondria.     

Cyanobacterial contribution to the genomes of the plastid-lacking protists

Background  

Eukaryotic genes with cyanobacterial ancestry in plastid-lacking protists have been regarded as important evolutionary markers implicating the presence of plastids in the early evolution of eukaryotes. Although recent genomic surveys demonstrated the presence of cyanobacterial and algal ancestry genes in the genomes of plastid-lacking protists, comparative analyses on the origin and distribution of those genes are still limited.     

Charge-transfer complexes of benzylviologen (1,1′-dibenzyl-4,4′-bipyridinium(2+) cation) with cyanocuprate(I) and the structure of (BzV)3Cu9(CN)15·H2O

Reactions between 1,1′-dibenzyl-4,4′-bipyridinium(2+) (benzylviologen, BzV) chloride and cyanocuprates(I) gave two charge-transfer complexes having different colors: dark brown (BzV)₃Cu₉(CN)₁₅·H₂O and light brown (BzV)Cu(CN)₃·2H₂O. An X-ray crystal analysis of the former compound showed that nine crystallographically nonequivalent Cu atoms form three kinds of triad ---Cu---(CN)---Cu--- screws, which are linked by CN groups resulting in a unique three-dimensional network structure. Three of the nine Cu atoms have distorted tetrahedral (td) coordination geometries while the others have triangular plane (tp) geometries. Each screw consists of a (-tp-td-tp-)_n array. There are three crystallographically nonequivalent viologen molecules. Certain CuCN moieties are located above a viologen ring or by the side of a viologen ring, with close interatomic contacts. These close contacts are characteristic of the charge-transfer complex and are responsible for the deep color of the complex.     

Chemotaxis of Kupffer Cells Isolated from Rodent Liver

Kupffer cells (KC) were isolated from the liver of guinea pigs, rats, and mice using enzymatic digestion with collagenase, followed by differential centrifugation and plastic adherence. Purity of the isolated KC was 96.0±2.2, 97.2±2.1, and 96.0±2.3 per cent in guinea pigs, rats, and mice respectively. These isolated KC were tested for migratory response to bacterial factor, which is one of the representative chemotactic factors for inflammatory macrophages, using a modified Boyden chamber technique. KC from the three animal species similarly migrated to the bacterial factor. The migratory response of the KC to the bacterial factor is due to Chemotaxis but not chemokinesis. These results show the possibility that KC may recognize a chemoattractant and directionally migrate to it.