Glutamine synthetase of Chlamydomonas: its role in the control of nitrate assimilation

Work is described which suggests that glutamine synthetase (GS) could play an important and direct regulatory role in the control of NO₃ assimilation by the alga. In both steady-state cells and ones disturbed physiologically by changes in light or nitrogen supply the assimilation of NO₃ appears to be limited by the activity of GS. Moreover although in normal cells NH₃ can completely inhibit NO₃ uptake, promote the deactivation of nitrate reductase (NR) and repress the synthesis of NR and nitrite reductase (NIR), these controls are relaxed in cells in which GS is deactivated by treatment with L-methionine-DL-sulfoximine (MSO). It is proposed that the reversible deactivation of GS may play an important part in the regulation of NO₃ assimilation although it is still not clear whether the enzyme itself or products of its metabolism are responsible.Abbreviations GS glutamine synthetase - GS_s glutamine synthetase, synthetase activity - GS_t glutamine synthetase, transferase activity - NR nitrate reductase - NIR nitrite reductase - GDH glutamate dehydrogenase - CHX cycloheximide - MSO L-methionine-DL-sulfoximine - FAD flavine adenine dinucleotide     

The association of bacterial mutagenicity of hydrocarbon-derived 'bay-region' dihydrodiols with the Iball indices for carcinogenicity and with the extents of DNA-binding on mouse skin of the parent hydrocarbons.

The mutagenic activities of benz[alpha]anthracene, 7-methylbenz[alpha]anthracene, 7,12-dimethylbenz[alpha]anthracene, 3-methylcholanthrene and benzo[alpha]pyrene, together with those of the trans-dihydrodiols derived from these hydrocarbons that would be expected to yield 'bay-region' vicinal diolepoxides on further metabolism have been examined in assays with S. typhimurium TA100 using post-mitochondrial supernatant fractions prepared from the livers of 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats. Mutagenic activities obtained have been compared with: (a) the extents of reaction with DNA that occur in mouse skin following treatment with these hydrocarbons; (b) the carcinogenicities of the hydrocarbons expressed as Iball indices; (c) their activities as tumour-initiating agents on mouse skin. Close positive associations were found between the microsome-mediated mutagenicities of the dihydrodiols that could yield "bay-region" diol-epoxides and: (a) the extents of reaction with DNA in hydrocarbon-treated mouse skin; (b) the carcinogenic potencies of the parent hydrocarbons; although these correlations are not perfect, the mutagenic activities of the hydrocarbons themselves in microsome-mediated assays with S. typhimurium show no correlation with their extents of DNA binding on mouse skin and a poor correlation with their activities as initiating agents. These comparisons also indicated a statistically-significant positive correlation between carcinogenicity and the in vivo DNA binding on mouse skin treated with the hydrocarbons. Differences in the metabolic pathways by which polycyclic hydrocarbons are activated in vivo and in vitro are discussed in relation to the improved correlations found with the dihydrodiols.     

The formation of dihydrodiols in the chemical or enzymic oxidation of dibenz[a,c]anthracene, dibenz[a,h]-anthracene and chrysene.

The formation of trans-dihydrodiols from dibenz[a,c]anthracene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene and chrysene by chemical oxidation in an ascorbic acid-ferrous sulphate-EDTA system and by rat-liver microsomal fractions has been studied using a combination of thin-layer (TLC) and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) to separate the mixtures of isomeric dihydrodiols. The 1,2- and 3,4-dihydrodiols of dibenz[a,c]anthracene, the 1,2-,3,4- and 5,6-dihydrodiols of dibenz[a,h]anthracene and the 1,2-, 3,4- and 5,6-dihydrodiols of chrysene were formed in chemical oxidations. These dihydrodiols were also formed when the three parent hydrocarbons were metabolized by rat-liver microsomal fractions and, in addition, dibenz[a,c]anthracene yielded the 10,11-dihydrodiol. The 1,2- and 3,4-dihydrodiols of dibenz[a,c]anthracene have not been reported previously either as metabolites of the hydrocarbon or as products of chemical syntheses and the 5,6-dihydrodiol of chrysene was not detected in earlier metabolic studies.     

Abnormal ribosome assembly in a mutant of Escherichia coli.

The mutant strain, 15--28, of Escherichia coli accumulates ribonucleoprotein ('47S') particles that were previously shown [Markey, Sims & Wild (1976) Biochem. J. 158, 451--456] to be an unusual intermediate in the assembly of 50S ribosomal subunits...     

The conversion of benzo(alpha)pyrene 4,5-oxide into 4-hydroxybenzo(alpha)pyrene in the presence of polyriboguanylic acid.

Incubation of benzo[alpha] pyrene 4,5-oxide with poly(G) in neutral aqueous ethanol resulted in the formation of covalent adducts and in the production of free 4-hydroxybenzo[alpha]pyrene. This phenol, which was identified by its UV spectral properties and by its chromatographic characteristics, was also formed but at a much slower rate when the epoxide was incubated with DNA or with GMP. Phenol formation was not detected when benzo[alpha]-pyrene 4,5-oxide was incubated for prolonged periods in the presence of poly(A), poly(C) or poly(U) or in the absence of nucleic acid. Formation of 4-hydroxybenzo[alpha] pyrene from the epoxide in the presence of poly(G) was not accompanied by detectable base modifications or by breakage of phosphodiester linkages.     

Some physiological observations on the uptake of d-glucose and 2-deoxy-d-glucose by starving and exponentially-growing yeasts

Some methods for measuring the uptake of sugars by yeasts were investigated critically. A study was made of the effects of starvation of Pichia pinus, Candida utilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rhodosporidium toruloides on their uptake of d-glucose and 2-deoxy-d-glucose. Marked changes in the rates of uptake of these sugars occurred during 10 h of starvation, including (a) an immediate increase of up to 75% above that for growing cells and (b) a continuous decline to as little as 4%. Each yeast behaved differently. The rates did not remain constant during the periods of starvation often used for studies on the transport of sugars into yeasts. For Pichia pinus, there were striking differences, associated with starvation, between the transport of 2-deoxy-d-glucose and d-glucose, despite evidence that the two sugars enter this yeast by means of the same carrier. Some physiological explanations for these findings are discussed.     

Chemistry of the collagen cross-links. Nature of the cross-links in the polymorphic forms of dermal collagen during development.

Both the type I and type III collagens present in embryonic dermis are stabilized by the intermolecular cross-link, hydroxylysino-5-oxonorleucine, derived from hydroxylysine-aldehyde, although the type I collagen possesses a significant proportion of dehydrohydroxylysinonorleucine. However, concurrent with the change in the proportion of the two types of collagen during postnatal development there is a change-over with both type I and III collagens to the labile cross-link, dehydrohydroxylysinonorleucine, derived from lysine aldehyde. The results indicate that the change in the nature of the cross-link with development is determined primarily by the change in the extent of hydroxylation of the lysine residues in the terminal non-helical regions rather than being due to the change in the type of collagen.     

Effects of nicotinamide on NAD and poly (ADP-ribose) metabolism in DNA-damaged human lymphocytes

The effect of nicotinamide on unscheduled DNA synthesis was studied in resting human lymphocytes. In cells treated with UV irradiation or with MNNG, nicotinamide caused a two-fold stimulation of unscheduled DNA synthesis and retarded the rate of NAD⁺ lowering caused by these treatments. Nicotinamide also reduced the burst of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis caused by MNNG treat-ment. Thus under conditions that it enhances unscheduled DNA synthesis, nicotinamide causes marked effects on the metabolism of NAD⁺ and poly(ADP-ribose). The effect of nicotinamide on unscheduled DNA synthesis was shown to be independent of protein or polyamine synthesis.