In vitro propagation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helleborus</Emphasis> species

A general in vitro cloning system was established for four Helleborus species: H. argutifolius, H. foetidus, H. niger and H. orientalis. The plant material was introduced in vitro from axillary buds. A Murashige and Skoog (MS)—based medium (Murashige and Skoog 1962) was used supplemented with 2% (w/v) sucrose, 2-isopentenyladenine (2-iP) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BA). Multiplication rates depended on the genotype and varied from 1.3 for H. foetidus till 3.8 for H. niger. The first results showed that the rooting phase could be done ex vitro. Rooting was induced by a drench for one week in a solution of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA -3 mg l⁻¹) and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA-1 mg l⁻¹) at 5°C.     

Unbalanced ribosome assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing mutant 5 S rRNAs.

Mutant 5 S rRNA genes were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to further define the function of the ribosomal 5 S RNA. RNA synthesis and utilization were assayed using previously constructed markers which have been shown to be functionally neutral and easily detected by gel electrophoresis. Most mutations were found not to affect the growth rate because they were poorly expressed or could be accommodated effectively in the ribosomal structure. Two of the mutants, Y5A99U56U57 and Y5U90i5 adversely affected cell growth as well as protein synthesis in vitro. Polyribosome profiles in both of these mutants were substantially shorter, and an analysis of the ribosomal subunit composition revealed a significant imbalance with a 25-35% excess in 40 S subunits. Kinetic analyses of RNA labeling indicated very low cellular levels of mutant RNA either because it was poorly expressed (Y5U90i5) or rapidly degraded before being incorporated into mature 60 subunits (Y5A99U56U57). The results suggest that the 5 S RNA is required for the assembly of stable ribosomal 60 S subunits and raise the possibility that this RNA or, more likely, its corresponding ribonucleoprotein complex is critical for subunit assembly or even RNA processing.     

Calcium-dependent binding of EDTA-extractable proteins to calf lens fiber membrane structures

Calf lens fiber membranes and fractions enriched in junction-like structures have been isolated in the absence and presence of EDTA. Their biochemical features have been studied. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting experiments have provided evidence that a distinct group of EDTA-extractable proteins, being one of the main protein components of calf lens fiber membranes and very likely also of junction-like structures, is bound to these membranes via calcium ions. In addition to these proteins, four polypeptides with apparent molecular weights between 14 000 and 17 000 are characteristic for detergent-insoluble lens fiber structures prepared in calcium-rich medium. The absence of EDTA-extractable proteins in the urea-soluble calcium-containing fraction implies that they are not components of the cytoskeleton and that the calcium-dependent binding of these proteins to the membrane is urea-resistant. The use of EDTA throughout the whole membrane isolation procedure results in their complete removal from the membranes which already starts during buffer washing. This indicates that EDTA-extractable proteins exclusively consist of extrinsic membrane proteins which probably are not involved in cytoskeleton binding.