PROTEIN AND AMINO ACID COMPOSITION OF THE OBLIGATE HALOPHILE APHANOTHECE HALOPHYTICA (CYANOPHYTA)1

Total protein was determined for cells of Aphanothece halophytica Fremy harvested during early log, mid-log and linear growth phases in media containing 1, 2, and 3 M NaCl. Cells grown in medium containing 1 M NaCl showed a progressive increase in protein content up to a maximum of 76% of dry weight (linear phase). Total protein also increased in cells grown in 2 M NaCl. medium (56.5–72.0%). Cells grown in 3 M NaCl medium showed a progressive decrease in total protein (59.9–43%). Although amounts of protein varied, the percentages of the respective amino acids of hydrolyzed bulk protein were consistent to within 1% for linear phase cells grown in 1, 2, and 3 M NaCl cultures. Percentages of acidic amino acids were 2.3–2.6 times greater than those of the basic amino acids. The amino acid composition of phycocyanin was similar to that of bulk protein. Free amino acids varied with both age of the culture and the concentration of NaCl. The high quantity and quality of the protein observed suggest that A. halophytica might be a useful food organism.     

Arginine modifiers as energy transfer inhibitors in photophosphorylation.

Photophosphorylation by spinach chloroplasts is inhibited after they have been incubated in the dark with either phenylglyoxal or butanedione. Inhibition by phenylglyoxal is strongest when N-ethylmorpholine is the buffer used during the incubation; that by butanedione requires the presence of borate as buffer. The inhibitions are not reversed by simply washing out the inhibitor, suggesting that a covalent modification of one or more arginine residues is responsible. This is supported by the reversibility of the butanedione inhibition if both the inhibitor and borate buffer are removed. ATPase of the chloroplasts, and of extracted protein, is inhibited, whether activated by trypsin or by heating. This indicates that arginine residues of the coupling factor are the probable major site(s) for attack by these modifiers, leading to the observed inhibitions.     

Specific binding and pharmacological interactions of apamin,the neurotoxin from bee venom,with guinea pig colon

This paper describes the interaction of apamin, the bee venom neurotoxin, with its receptor in the guinea pig colon. The pharmacological activity of the toxin was assayed by measuring its contracting effect on guinea pig colon preparations that had been previously relaxed by neurotensin. The IC₅₀ value of apamin in this $\text{in vitro}$ bioassay is 7 nM. These pharmacological data are compared to the binding properties of apamin to smooth muscle membranes prepared from guinea pig colon. The highly radiolabeled monoiododerivative of apamin binds to its colon receptor with a dissociation constant $\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>d</mtext>}}{}^1\text{= 36}\text{pM}$. The maximal binding capacity of colonic membranes is 30^dfmol/mg of protein. The dissociation constant of the unmodified toxin is 23 pM. The difference between the toxin concentrations that produce half-maximal effects in the binding and pharmacological studies arises from the different experimental conditions used for the two assays.     

The ribosomal protein composition of the archaebacterium Sulfolobus

Summary Ribosomal subunits from the thermoacidophilic Archaebacterium Sulfolobus were purified and their protein composition analyzed by gel electrophoretic methods. A tentative nomenclature was proposed. 30S subunits contained 27, and 50S subunits 34, electrophoretically distinguishable proteins. Three additional proteins were present on both the 30S and 50S subunits. The protein pattern of three geographically different isolates of Sulfolobus (Italy, Japan, Yellowstone) were nearly identical.     

Relationships among raffinose plasmids determined by the immunochemical cross-reaction of their alpha-galactosidases.

Plasmid-encoded alpha-galactosidase served as a marker enzyme for the recognition and comparison of raffinose (Raf) plasmids present in strains of Escherichia coli. Immunochemical relationships were established among Raf plasmids of 39 independent isolates from man and domestic animals (from three continents) by using antiserum against alpha-galactosidase. Immunodiffusion revealed three serological subclasses of alpha-galactosidase, which are correlated with the biological and geographical origin of the host strains. It is concluded that the raf determinants of all Raf plasmids tested have evolved from a common ancestor.     

The rate of interconversion between the two unfolded forms of ribonuclease A does not depend on guanidinium chloride concentration.

The interconversion between the fast-folding and slow-folding forms of ribonuclease A is unaffected by the protein denaturant guanidinium chloride, between 2.8 m and 7.0 m, at 10 °C. Thus the rate of this reaction is insensitive to denaturants, in contrast to the model proposed by Kanehisa &; Tsong (1979). This result is consistent with other evidence that the interconversion reaction is proline isomerization.     

Wall morphogenesis in diatoms: Deposition of silica by cytoplasmic vesicles

Summary Several TEM and SEM techniques were applied to examine developing structures in valves of the centric diatomThalassiosira eccentrica (Ehrenb.) Cleve after cytokinesis. It was possible to confirm that in each stage of the silicification process there is a distinction between a growing zone with a loose assemblage of silica spheres and a compacting zone in an older phase of development. The spherical structure of the silica in the growing zone results from the addition of silica by small cytoplasmic vesicles of about 300 to 400 Å in diameter. The vesicle membrane fuses with the silicalemma and the vesicle content is released into the silica-deposition vesicle. The origin of these vesicles, named STV, is still unknown.     

Photooxidation reactions of diphenylcarbazide and their DCMU-sensitivity in thylakoids of the blue-green alga Oscillatoria chalybea

Thylakoids of Oscillatoria chalybea are able to split water. The Hill reaction of these thylakoids is sensitive to DCMU. Diphenylcarbazide can substitute for water as the electron donor to photosystem II with these fully functioning thylakoids. However, the diphenylcarbazide photooxidation is completely insensitive to 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N-N-dimethyl urea (DCMU) at high diphenylcarbazide concentrations. In with Tris-treated Oscillatoria thylakoids the water splitting capacity is lost and diphenylcarbazide restores electron transport through photosystem II as occurs with higher plant chloroplasts. However, also these photoreactions are insensitive to DCMU. If diphenylcarbazide acts in Oscillatoria as an electron donor to photosystem II the result suggests that diphenylcarbazide feeds in its electrons behind the DCMU inhibition site. This in turn indicates that in Oscillatoria the site of inhibition of DCMU is on the donor side of photosystem II.Abbreviations Used DCMU 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N-N-dimethyl urea - DPC diphenylcarbazide - DCPiP 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol - TMB tetramethyl benzidine - A-2-sulf anthraquinone-2-sulfonate