Glucans in the Cell Walls Regenerated from Vinca rosea Protoplasts

Protoplasts prepared from suspension-cultured Vinca rosea cellswere cultured for 5 days. The cell walls regenerated from theprotoplasts were mainly composed of glucans having 1,3- and1,4-linkages. To investigate the molecular species, these glucanswere separated into four fractions: EDTA (50 mM, pH 4.5)-soluble(fraction E), KOH (24%)- soluble but not precipitatable by neutralizationwith acetic acid (fraction K-S), KOH (24%)-soluble and precipitatableby neutralization with acetic acid (fraction K-P), and KOH (24%)-insoluble(fraction C). By means of sugar composition analysis, methylationanalysis, periodate oxidation and enzymatic digestion, the molecularspecies of the glucans contained in the regenerated cell wallswere deduced to be ß-1,4-glucan (cellulose) and ß-1,3-glucan.Fraction C was mainly composed of ß-1,4-glucan; ß-1,3-glucanwas mainly recovered in fraction K-P. The ß-l,3-glucanwas soluble in dilute alkali solution, but was only slightlysoluble in water. The ß-1,3-glucan had an essentiallyunbranched structure, and its weight average molecular weightestimated by gel permeation chromatography was 4.5–5.0x 10⁴. ¹ Present address: Division of Environmental Biology, NationalInstitute for Environmental Studies, Yatabe, Tsukuba, Ibaraki305, Japan (Received May 21, 1981; Accepted October 13, 1981)     

Soluble and bound forms of intracellular acid carboxypeptidase inAspergillus saitoi

The enzymological, physical, and immunological properties of soluble and bound forms of intracellular acid carboxypeptidase isolated from fresh mycelia ofAspergillus saitoi are reported. In the broken mycelia, about 60% of the total activity was found in the 2,000×g precipitate, with most of the remainder in the 100,000×g supernantant. The highly purified enzymes, I_a and I_b, from the 100,000×g supernatant were found to be homogeneous by such criteria as disc gel electrophoresis at pH 9.4 The bound enzyme, II, was solubilized from the 2,000×g precipitate by self-digestion at pH 6.4 and was highly purified by chromotography. The two forms of intracellular enzymes, the soluble enzymes (I_a and I_b) from the 100,00×g supernatant and the solubilized enzyme (II) from the 2,000×g precipitate, were closely related to, but not completely identical with, the extracellular acid carboxypeptidase.     

Dynamic states of phospholipids in Escherichia coli B membrane. Electron spin resonance studies with biosynthetically generated phospholipid spin labels

Mobility of phospholipid hydrocarbons in the Escherichia coli B membrane fractions was studied by labeling phosphatidylethanolamine or phosphatidylglycerol in situ by biosynthetic incorporation of the spin label. For this purpose, CDP-diacylglycerol spin label was synthesized from phosphatidic acid spin label and cytidine 5'-phosphoromorpholidate and purified by thin-layer chromatography. DCP-diacylglycerol spin label was then incorporated into phospholipids biosynthetically. ESR spectra of these E. coli B membrane fractions showed that phosphatidylglycerol tended to interact with membrane proteins through the mediation of Mg2+, whereas phosphatidylethanolamine had less of this tendency and was more involved in the formation of the bulk of the bilayer continuum of the membrane. These conclusions were also supported by labeling membranes with exogenous spin-labeled phospholipids, although there was some indication that exogenous phospholipids were incorporated into sites different from the sites of incorporation of phospholipids newly synthesized in situ.     

Entamoeba histolytica: localization and characterization of ca2+-dependent nucleotidases

An activity of Ca²⁺-dependent nucleotidase was detected in axenically-cultivated trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica. The enzyme was concentrated by differential and sucrose density gradient centrifugation and catalyzed hydrolysis of nucleoside tri- and diphosphates and also thiamine pyrophosphate. Hydrolysis of nucleoside mono-phosphates was not affected by Ca²⁺. Among substrates tested, ATP was most active. Addition of Zn²⁺ or heat treatment almost abolished the enzyme activity. The enzyme exhibited almost the identical activity at acid and neutral pH. Among 6 bands isolated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, 4 were stained with ATP, UTP, CTP and ADP, whereas the other 2 were stained only with ATP, UTP and CTP. The concentrated enzyme preparation, primarily composed of membrane fragments, also had activities of acid phosphatase, acid inorganic pyrophosphatase, 5'-nucleotidase and Mg²⁺-dependent ATPase. These observations suggest that E. histolytica has 2 Ca²⁺-dependent nucleotidases, i.e. one Ca²⁺-dependent ATPase and the other Ca²⁺-dependent nucleoside diphosphatase or an apyrase-like enzyme, and that these nucleotidases are at least partially associated with the plasma membrane or an organelle of lysosomal nature in this parasite.     

Structural study of the sugar chains of alpha-amylases produced ectopically in tumors

About thirty percent of two alpha-amylases produced from a serous papillary cystadenocarcinoma of the ovarium (case 1) and a bronchioloalveolar adenocarcinoma of the lung (case 2) was glycoproteins containing 1 mol of asparagine-linked sugar chain, respectively. The structures of the sugar moieties were found by sequential enzymatic degradation and methylation analysis to be as follows: [(Gal beta 1 leads to 4)0 or 1GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6(3)][GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3(6)]Man beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAc and [(Gal beta 1 leads to 4)0 or 1GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6][NeuAc alpha 2 leads to 6Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3]Man beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAc. Structures of asparagine-linked sugar chains were the same in the tumors of cases 1 and 2 and were incomplete in comparison with those of the parotid amylase.     

One step purification procedure of elastase from pancreatic powder by affinity chromatography

Pancreatic elastase was isolated from acetone powder of porcine pancreas by a one step purification procedure on a trialanyl CH-Sepharose 4B affinity column. This column exhibited affinity not only for active elastase but also for trypsin and chymotrypsin which were present in the same pancreatic powder. However, as the extent of affinity toward elastase is considerably higher, the proper conditions were determined with which the adsorbed elastase was isolated in a highly purified form. The yield of elastolytic activity ranged from 60–85% and the purified elastase was shown to be one component by polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis.     

Premature induction of amylase in pancreas and parotid gland of growing rats by dexamethasone

Studies were made on changes in the contents of α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) in the pancreas and parotid gland of rats during postnatal devlopment, on the premature induction of this enzyme by hormones and on the existence of specific glucocorticoid receptors in these tissues.The amylase content in the pancreas increased from the 9th day after birth and reached the adult level on the 28th day, its content in the parotid gland increased rapidly from the 16th to 28th day after birth and then rose more gradually to the adult level.Injection of dexamethasone into rats 6–8 days after birth induced increase in the amylase of the pancreas but not the parotid gland. However, injection of dexamethasone into weanling rats 21–23 days after birth resulted in precocious induction of amylase in both tissues.Specific glucocorticoid receptors were detectable in the parotid gland of rats from 6 days after birth but were almost undetectable in the pancreas until adolescence.     

Respiration-dependent uncoupler-stimulated ATPase activity in castor bean endosperm mitochondria and submitochondrial particles

1. The uncoupler-stimulated ATPase activity of castor bean endosperm mitochondria and submitochondrial particles has been studied. The rate of ATP hydrolysis catalyzed by intact mitochondria was slow and little enhanced by addition of uncouplers at the concentration required for uncoupling the oxidative phosphorylation. ATPase activity was stimulated at higher concentrations of uncouplers.

2. 1-Anilinonaphthalene 8-sulfonate fluorescence was decreased when the mitochondria were oxidizing succinate. Carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone and antimycin reversed the succinate-induced fluorescence diminution. ATP did not induce the fluorescence response.

3. The addition of succinate, NADH or ascorbate/N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine as electron donor induced high ATPase activity in the presence of low concentrations of uncouplers. Stimulating effect of uncouplers was completely abolished by further addition of antimycin.

4. Submitochondrial particles were prepared by sonication. The particles catalyzed a rapid hydrolysis of ATP and carbonylcyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone at 10^-8 M did not stimulate the ATPase activity. Addition of succinate induced uncoupler-stimulated ATPase activity. The effect of succinate was completely abolished by further addition of antimycin.

5. The treatment of submitochondrial particles by trypsin or high pH also induced uncoupler-stimulated ATPase activity.

6. The above results were interpreted to indicate that ATPase inhibitor regulated the back-flow reaction of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation.