Distribution of Sorbitol, Neutral Sugars, Free Amino Acids, Malic Acid and Some Hydrolytic Enzymes in Vacuoles of Apple Cotyledons

Vacuoles of apple cotyledons (Malus pumila Mill. var. domesticaSchneid.) were obtained by purification with Ficoll densitygradient centrifugation after the protoplasts were lysed byboth osmotic shock and the addition of EDTA. High levels ofacid protease and carboxypeptidase activity were detected inthe vacuoles along with acid phosphatase, phosphodiesteraseand ATPase. The distribution of sorbitol and other sugars inthe vacuoles, the protoplast and extracellular free space wasdetermined. About 45, 60 and 90% of the sorbitol, glucose andsucrose, respectively, contained in whole tissue were foundin the extracellular free space, and 54% of the sorbitol inthe protoplast was detected in the vacuole. The sorbitol inthe vacuoles and the extravacuole of the protoplast was about80 and 70%, respectively, of the total sugar content of thecell. Arginine was the most abundant free amino acid in theprotoplast, and about 90% of it was contained in the vacuole.More than 80% of the total amino acids and 50% of the proteinwere also located in the vacuole, as well as most of the malate.The amounts of the total sugars, total amino acids, proteinand malate in the vacuoles were to 250, 400, 48 and 9 µg/10⁶cells, respectively. The results suggest that the vacuoles ofapple cotyledons contain a large pool of amino acids and proteinsrather than sugars, and have a close connection with proteinbody degradation. ¹ This paper is contribution A-l37 of the Fruit Tree ResearchStation. (Received January 20, 1982; Accepted May 18, 1982)     

Subcellular Localization of Sorbitol-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase in Protoplast from Apple Cotyledons

The subcellular localization of sorbitol-6-phosphate (S6P) dehydrogenasein protoplasts of apple cotyledons was examined by differentialcentrifugation and linear sucrose density gradient centrifugation(30–60%, w/w). The distribution of S6P dehydrogenase activitywas 55% in the 500 x g pellet of the homogenate and 35% in thesupernatant of 105,000 x g. When the x g pellet was recentrifugedin a linear sucrose density gradient, one major peak of activitywas found at a density of 1.23. This peak coincided with themajor peak of chlorophyll and NADP⁺-triose-P dehydrogenase activity.When the 500 x g pellet was sonicated, the major peak of S6Pdehydrogenase activity shifted to a lighter density (d=1.18).The shifted peak also coincided with the peak of chlorophyll.The enzyme detected in the major peak of chlorophyll (d=1.23)was partially solubilized by sonic or detergent treatment, butnot by hypotonic solution. The results supported the localizationof S6P dehydrogenase in chloroplasts, and presumably their associationwith thylakoid membranes. Part of the enzyme was assumed tobe naturally present in the cytosol, too. (Received November 4, 1980; Accepted January 21, 1981)     

A sorbitol oxidase that converts sorbitol to glucose in apple leaf

A new type of sorbitol oxidase which converts sorbitol to glucosein the absence of NAD or NADP was found in the leaf of the apple.The partially purified enzyme consumed 1/2 mole of oxygen inconverting one mole of sorbitol to glucose (sorbitol+1/2 O₂ glucose+H₂O). The enzyme had its optimum activity at pH 4.0,and it had a Km value of 100 mM for sorbitol and showed a weakdependency on divalent cations. This sorbitol oxidase seemsto play an important role in the utilization of accumulatedsorbitol. ¹This paper is contribution A-109, Fruit Tree Research Station (Received March 15, 1980; )     

Energy Coupled Transport of Sorbitol and Other Sugars into the Protoplast Isolated from Apple Fruit Flesh

The uptake kinetics of sorbitol, sucrose, glucose and fructoseacross the plasma membrane using protoplasts isolated from applefruit flesh (Malus pumila Mill. var. domestica Schneid.) wasinvestigated. When sorbitol was taken up into the cell, PCMBS-sensitivesaturable transport was distinguishable from the diffusive transport.At a low sorbitol concentration, the saturable transport systemaccounted for more than 50% of the total uptake, whereas ata high concentration the diffusive transport system was moredominant. The saturable transport was suggested be a carrier-mediatedtransport system coupled with ATP because the system was inhibitedCCCP or orthovanadate. The K_m value for sorbitol was computedto be 3.6mM. A carrier-mediated transport system coupled withATP was also observed for glucose and fructose with correspondingK_m values of 5.0 and 2.5 mM. However, no saturable transportfor sucrose was observed over a range of 0.1 to 10 mM sucroseconcentration. The relationship among these sugar transportsystems across the plasma membrane, apoplastic unloading, andsugar accumulation vacuoles are discussed. ¹Present address: Laboratory of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture,Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464, Japan. (Received April 8, 1988; Accepted June 8, 1988)     

Axial chirality in biaryl N,N-dialkylaminopyridine derivatives bearing an internal carboxy group

Axial chirality in N,N-dimethylaminopyridines as well as N,N-dipropylaminopyridines bearing an internal carboxy group were evaluated based on their racemization barriers and circular dichroism spectra. The half-life of racemization of N,N-dipropylaminopyridine derivative 2 was estimated to be 19.7 days at 20°C. Its enantiomers isolated as optically active forms showed positive-negative and negative-positive Cotton effects for (+)- 2 and (−)- 2 , respectively, from 310 to 210 nm. Furthermore, (−)- 2 was applied as a chiral nucleophilic catalyst and exhibited asymmetric induction in acylative kinetic resolution of 1-(1-naphthyl)ethane-1-ol.     

Arabidopsis Raf‐like kinases act as positive regulators of subclass III SnRK2 in osmostress signaling

Given their sessile nature, land plants must use various mechanisms to manage dehydration under water‐deficit conditions. Osmostress‐induced activation of the SNF1‐related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) family elicits physiological responses such as stomatal closure to protect plants during drought conditions. With the plant hormone ABA receptors [PYR (pyrabactin resistance)/PYL (pyrabactin resistance‐like)/RCAR (regulatory component of ABA receptors) proteins] and group A protein phosphatases, subclass III SnRK2 also constitutes a core signaling module for ABA, and osmostress triggers ABA accumulation. How SnRK2 is activated through ABA has been clarified, although its activation through osmostress remains unclear. Here, we show that Arabidopsis ABA and abiotic stress‐responsive Raf‐like kinases (AtARKs) of the B3 clade of the mitogen‐activated kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) family are crucial in SnRK2‐mediated osmostress responses. Disruption of AtARKs in Arabidopsis results in increased water loss from detached leaves because of impaired stomatal closure in response to osmostress. Our findings obtained in vitro and in planta have shown that AtARKs interact physically with SRK2E, a core factor for stomatal closure in response to drought. Furthermore, we show that AtARK phosphorylates S171 and S175 in the activation loop of SRK2E in vitro and that Atark mutants have defects in osmostress‐induced subclass III SnRK2 activity. Our findings identify a specific type of B3‐MAPKKKs as upstream kinases of subclass III SnRK2 in Arabidopsis. Taken together with earlier reports that ARK is an upstream kinase of SnRK2 in moss, an existing member of a basal land plant lineage, we propose that ARK/SnRK2 module is evolutionarily conserved across 400 million years of land plant evolution for conferring protection against drought.     

Transient rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinase (ROCK) inhibition on human retinal pigment epithelium results in persistent Rho/ROCK downregulation

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells is the outermost layer of the retina and RPE dysfunction is a key factor in the disease pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Transplantation therapy using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived RPEs has recently received much attention as a treatment for AMD. Preserving these cells under the best possible conditions is important, and preservation methods using Y-27632 have been reported. Rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinase (ROCK) inhibitors are known to inhibit cell death, emerging as important drug candidates for stem cell differentiation and regenerative medicine. However, it has recently been shown that ROCK inhibitors may have a vasodilatory effect on human retinal arterioles, a side effect that should ideally be avoided in RPE transplantation. Although ROCK inhibitors hold great potential, optimizing efficacy while minimizing adverse reactions is critical for translation into a clinical treatment. We examined the effect of transient exposure of RPE cells to ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 to determine whether the extracellular presence of the drug is necessary for ongoing Rho/ROCK downregulation. Human RPE cells were subcultured as a suspension for 4 h in drug-free medium following exposure to Y-27632 for 2 h. A Y-27632 concentration of >10 μM improved cell survival beyond 4 h and cell proliferation in recovery culture medium. ROCK2 expression levels were specifically downregulated by Y-27632 in the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the effect of Y-27632 is not dependent on its extracellular availability and can last beyond the 2 h of exposure. The lasting Rho/ROCK signaling pathway downregulation by Y-27632 suggests that RPE cell transplantation with ROCK inhibitor-free media is possible, which can minimize side effects to host tissue and have wider implications for transplantation methods requiring ROCK inhibition.     

Identification and Dynamics of Arabidopsis Adaptor Protein-2 Complex and Its Involvement in Floral Organ Development

The adaptor protein-2 (AP-2) complex is a heterotetramer involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis of cargo proteins from the plasma membrane in animal cells. The homologous genes of AP-2 subunits are present in the genomes of plants; however, their identities and roles in endocytic pathways are not clearly defined in plants. Here, we reveal the molecular composition of the AP-2 complex of Arabidopsis thaliana and its dynamics on the plasma membrane. We identified all of the α-, β-, σ-, and μ-subunits of the AP-2 complex and detected a weak interaction of the AP-2 complex with clathrin heavy chain. The μ-subunit protein fused to green fluorescent protein (AP2M-GFP) was localized to the plasma membrane and to the cytoplasm. Live-cell imaging using a variable-angle epifluorescence microscope revealed that AP2M-GFP transiently forms punctate structures on the plasma membrane. Homozygous ap2m mutant plants exhibited abnormal floral structures, including reduced stamen elongation and delayed anther dehiscence, which led to a failure of pollination and a subsequent reduction of fertility. Our study provides a molecular basis for understanding AP-2–dependent endocytic pathways in plants and their roles in floral organ development and plant reproduction.