Changes of the human liver GM3 ganglioside molecular species during aging.

Sialosyl-lactosylceramide, GM3, is the major ganglioside of human liver, where it constitutes more than 90% of the total lipid-bound sialic acid. When analyzed by thin-layer chromatography, human liver GM3 migrates as two main spots. They are representative of ganglioside molecular species which differ in the acyl moiety. The faster running spot is mainly composed of molecular species with non-hydroxylated C22-C24 acyl chains; the other contains mainly molecular species bearing non-hydroxylated C16-C18 and alpha-hydroxylated C16-C24 acyl chains. In this study the content of the two GM3 molecular species groups was investigated in 31 subjects ranging from 19 to 85 years of age. By thin-layer chromatography we observed that the group of molecular species containing non-hydroxylated C22-C24 acyl chains, decreased linearly with subject age, while that of non-hydroxylated C16-C18 acyl chains and hydroxylated C16-C24 acyl chains increased linearly. Fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry performed on seven samples from subjects ranging from 21 to 78 years of age demonstrated that the age-dependent increase of the lower spot is caused by an increase in the hydroxylated fatty acid form of GM3, the content of non-hydroxylated C16-C18 fatty acid species remaining constant with age.     

Comparative importance in vivo of conserved glutamate residues in the EX7E motif retaining glycosyltransferase Gpi3p, the UDP-GlcNAc-binding subunit of the first enzyme in glycosylphosphatidylinositol assembly.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Gpi3p is the UDP-GlcNAc-binding and presumed catalytic subunit of the enzyme that forms GlcNAc-phosphatidylinositol in glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis. It is an essential protein with an EX7E motif that is conserved in four families of retaining glycosyltransferases. All Gpi3ps contain a cysteine residue four residues C-terminal to EX7E. To test their importance for Gpi3p function in vivo, Glu289 and 297 in the EX7E motif of S. cerevisiae Gpi3p, as well as Cys301, were altered by site-specific mutagenesis, and the mutant proteins tested for their ability to complement nonviable GPI3-deleted haploids. Gpi3p-C301A supported growth but membranes from C301A-expressing cells had low in vitro N-acetylglucosaminylphosphatidylinositol (GlcNAc-PI) synthetic activity. Haploids harboring Gpi3p-E289A proved viable, although slow growing but Gpi3-E297A did not support growth. The E289D and E297D mutants both supported growth at 25 degrees C, but, whereas the E289D strain grew at 37 degrees C, the E297D mutant did not. Membranes from E289D mutants had severely reduced in vitro GlcNAc-PI synthetic activity and E297D membranes had none. The mutation of the first Glu in the EX7E motif of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Gpi3p (Glu277) to Asp complemented the lethal null mutation in gpi3+ and supported growth at 37 degrees C, but the E285D mutant was nonviable. Our results suggest that the second Glu residue of the EX7E motif in Gpi3p is of greater importance than the first for function in vivo. Further, our findings do not support previous suggestions that the first Glu of an EX7E protein is the nucleophile and that Cys301 has an important role in UDP-GlcNAc binding by Gpi3ps.     

Indirect determination of magnetic susceptibility tensors in peroxidases: a novel approach to structure elucidation by NMR

 The chemical shifts of several ¹³C nuclei positioned α to the haems in oxidised cyanide complexes of horseradish peroxidase and lignin peroxidase are reported and analysed in terms of π molecular orbitals with perturbed D_4h symmetry. The additional contributions to the paramagnetic shifts of ¹³C nuclei in the vinyl groups which arise from conjugation with the porphyrin π molecular orbitals are discussed, and an empirical correction factor is derived from a number of other compounds which contain haems b. The orbital mixing parameter which is obtained from the analysis of the experimental ¹³C shifts is compared with the orientation of the axial histidine ligands in X-ray structures of related compounds and found to be close to the orientation of the normal to the histidine ring. Comparison with the magnetic axes determined by fitting the dipolar shifts of several protons which have been assigned previously also shows close agreement with the negative in-plane rotation of the magnetic y axis. It is therefore possible to obtain the approximate orientation of the magnetic axes from ¹³C resonances of the haem and hence to determine the dipolar shifts at any point in space with respect to the haem by using these axes together with the anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility, which can be obtained by extrapolation from EPR g values. Excellent agreement is found between dipolar shifts obtained by fitting an empirical magnetic susceptibility tensor and predictions based on ¹³C NMR and EPR in the case of lignin peroxidase. The agreement is less good in the case of horseradish peroxidase, in which the empirical magnetic z axis appears to be tilted significantly away from the haem normal, though this may be due in part to the lack of accurate atomic coordinates. It is concluded that useful estimates of the magnetic susceptibility tensor may be obtained from ¹³C NMR and EPR studies even in large mammalian peroxidases for which no structural models are available. Received: 27 December 1995 / Accepted: 17 April 1996     

Reactions of the haloalcohols HO(CH2)nCl (n = 2, 3) with platinum(II) - alkynyl and -alkyne complexes. X-ray crystal structure of trans-[Pt(Me) {C(OCH2CH2Cl) (CH2Ph)} (PPh3)2] [BF4]

The chloro complexes trans-[Pt(Me)(Cl)(PPh₃)₂], after treatment with AgBF₄, react with 1-alkynes HC---C---R in the presence of NEt₃ to afford the corresponding acetylide derivatives trans-[Pt(Me) (C---C---R) (PPh₃)₂] (R = p-tolyl (1), Ph (2), C(CH₃)₃ (3)). These complexes, with the exception of the t-butylacetylide complex, react with the chloroalcohols HO(CH₂)_nCl (n = 2, 3) in the presence of 1 equiv. of HBF₄ to afford the alkyl(chloroalkoxy)carbene complexes trans-[Pt(Me) {C[O(CH₂)_nCl](CH₂R) } (PPh₃)₂][BF₄] (R = p-tolyl, N = 2 (4), N = 3 (5); R=Ph, N = 2 (6)). A similar reaction of the bis(acetylide) complex trans-[Pt(C---C---Ph)₂(PMe₂Ph)₂] with 2 equiv. HBF₄ and 3-chloro-1-propanol affords trans-[Pt(C---CPh) {C(OCH₂CH₂CH₂Cl)(CH₂Ph) } (PMe₂Ph)₂][BF₄] (7). T alkyl(chloroalkoxy)-carbene complex trans-[Pt(Me) {C(OCH₂CH₂Cl)(CH₂Ph) } (PPh₃)₂][BF₄] (8) is formed by reaction of trans-[Pt(Me)(Cl)(PPh₃)₂], after treatment with AgBF₄ in HOCH₂CH₂Cl, with phenylacetylene in the presence of 1 equiv. of n-BuLi. The reaction of the dimer [Pt(Cl)(μ-Cl)(PMe₂Ph)]₂ with p-tolylacetylene and 3-chloro-1-propanol yields cis-[PtCl₂{C(OCH₂CH₂CH₂Cl)(CH₂C₆H₄-p-Me}(PMe₂Ph)] (9). The X-ray molecular structure of (8) has been determined. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group Pna2₁, with a = 11.785(2), B = 29.418(4), C = 15.409(3) Å, V = 4889(1) ų and Z = 4. The carbene ligand is perpendicular to the Pt(II) coordination plane; the PtC(carbene) bond distance is 2.01(1) Å and the short C(carbene)-O bond distance of 1.30(1) Å suggests extensive electronic delocalization within the Pt---C(carbene)---O moietry.     

Hematology and plasma chemistry values in free-ranging Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) in Chile

To establish baseline hematologic and plasma biochemistry values in free-ranging Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti), heparinized blood samples were collected from 51 apparently healthy, adult Humboldt penguins residing at two colonies off the Chilean coast. Thirty samples were collected in April, 1992, from penguins inhabiting the Ex-islote de los Pájaros Niños in Algarrobo, Chile. In September, 1992, 21 samples were collected from birds inhabiting Isla de Cachagua, Chile. Hematologic values measured include packed cell volume, leucocyte count, leucocyte differential, and the presence of blood parasites. Plasma biochemistry values measured include glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid, calcium, inorganic phosphorous, sodium, potassium, chloride, total protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, and creatine kinase. Only the mean values for chloride and for the number of eosinophils differed significantly between the two sample groups. No blood parasites were seen. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

X-inactivation patterns in lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts of three cases of X-autosome translocations with abnormal phenotypes

Summary X-inactivation patterns were studied by replication analyses both in lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts of two patients carrying balanced X-autosome translocations, t(X;10)-(pter;q11) and t(X;17)(q11;q11), and one patient with an unbalanced translocation t(X;22)(p21;q11). Preferential late replication of the normal X chromosome was found in lymphocytes of both patients carrying balanced translocations and in skin fibroblasts of the patient carrying the translocation t(X;17). However, skin fibroblasts of the patient with a translocation t(X;10) showed preferential late replication of the abnormal der(X) chromosome with no spreading of late replication to the autosomal segment. In the case of unbalanced translocation t(X;22) there was preferential late replication of the der(X) chromosome both in lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts. The abnormal phenotype of the patients is discussed in relation to the observed X-inactivation patterns and the variability of the patterns in different tissues.     

Freeze-preservation of rice cells: A physiological study of freeze-thawed cells

Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) cells returning to in vitro culture after preservation at superlow temperature in liquid nitrogen are characterized by a number of physiological alterations. These include: reduction in respiration and glucose uptake, loss of intracellular potassium, decrease in the cellular level of key metabolites (ATP, glucose-6-phosphate and pyruvate) and fragility of protoplasts following the action of cell wall-degrading enzymes.
Nevertheless, cell growth resumes after a short lag phase (2–4 days) with an actual 70–100% cell survival, thus indicating that the observed damage is not lethal and can be repaired in a short time.     

Chemical modification of enzymes: Critical evaluation of the graphical correlation between residual enzyme activity and number of groups modified

In the study of chemical modification of enzymes and other biologically active proteins, plots of fractional residual activity as a function of number of groups modified per enzyme molecule are often used to establish a correlation between the chemical modification and enzyme inactivation reactions and to determine the stoichiometry of the modification reaction. This paper presents a critical examination of the underlying theoretical framework of such graphs. Whereas these plots are usually presented as linear functions, it is shown here that the general equation describing the relationship between inactivation and modification contains an exponential term; therefore, in the general case, the plot is actually a curve. It is suggested that caution be exercised in the interpretation of such plots and that equations such as those derived in the text be used to fit theoretical curves to the data, in order to maximize the information gained from chemical modification experiments.     

Somatic embryogenesis in suspension cultures of Gossypium klotzschianum anderss

Somatic embryoids differentiated in suspension cultures of G. klotzschianum after 3–4 weeks of culture in a liquid medium containing glutamine (optimally, 10–15 mM). Embryogenesis occurred after a preculture of callus on a medium containing 10 mg/l of the cytokinin, 2iP. The embryoids had meristematic regions, a well formed epidermis, and formed roots and vestigial leaves. Asparagine was much less effective than glutamine in promoting embryoid differentiation. The presence of 2,4-D in the medium resulted in increased vigor of the suspension cultures and subsequently in the formation of many embryoids, but does not seem to be necessary for somatic embryogenesis in cotton.Technical Article 14646 from the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station