Selection and proliferation of rapid growing cell lines from embryo derived cell cultures of yew tree (Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc)

Calli were induced from 300,000 embryos isolated from immature to mature stage of seeds collected on late September from 14 elite trees. When the embryos were cultured onto plastic Petri-dish containing 20 mL of modified B5 basal medium supplemented with 3% (w/v) sucrose, 500 mg/L casein hydrolysate, 250 mg/L myo-inositol, 0.5% (w/v) polyvinyl polypyrrolidon (PVPP), 2×MS vitamins, 0.5 mg/L gibberellic acid, and 10 mg/L 2,4-D after 2 weeks of culture, yellowish-white calli were immediately formed on the surfaces of embryos, and subcultured for 4 weeks in same culture medium. Because most of calli maintained for more than 3 months were revealed differences in their colors, surface texture, and growth rate, visual selection was made for first round screening. When the size of visually selected calli larger than 19 mm in their diameter were inoculated, persistent proliferation was observed. Among the plating methods tested for the selection of rapid growing cell lines at single cell and/or small cell aggregate level, 2-layer spread plating revealed as the best for single cell cloning. To enhance cell growth and maintain high rate of viability for long-term culture of yew cells in bioreactor, final cell volume less than 50% in SCV seemed to be the best. Time course study revealed that 30% of inoculum density was suitable for fed batch culture. Among the tested conditional media, the rate of 1∶2 (old medium: fresh medium) was recorded at the best for cell growth.     

Simplified procedure for measurement of serum dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate with gas chromatography–ion trap mass spectrometry and selected reaction monitoring

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) are endogenous steroids that have recently been widely publicized as potential treatments for many disorders. This paper describes a gas chromatographic–ion trap mass spectrophotometric assay with selected reaction monitoring for measurement of DHEA and DHEAS levels. The hormones and internal standard (5-androsten-3β-ol-16-one methyl ester) are extracted from serum with Oasis solid-phase extraction tubes. The extracted steroids are dissolved in methanol and injected into a Finnigan GCQ ion trap mass spectrometer. In the selected reaction mode, both DHEA and DHEAS can be identified and quantified in a single injection. No derivatization or expensive deuterated internal standards are required.     

Antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes protect against pulmonary oxygen toxicity in the rabbit

Two major lines of defense exist against oxidant lung injury: tissue antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes. We studied pretreatment with the antioxidants, vitamin E and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, in rabbits exposed to 100% O2 for 48 h. BHA (200 mg/kg ip) or vitamin E (50-100 mg/kg po) were given for 2 or 3 days, respectively, before O2 exposure. Combined therapy with polyethylene glycol- (PEG) conjugated SOD (12 mg/kg) and catalase (200,000 U/kg) was given intraperitoneally 1 h before and 24 h after beginning 100% O2. Hyperoxia significantly increased the pulmonary content of malondialdehyde, indicating enhanced lipid peroxidation. One hundred percent O2 also increased lung weight gain and alveolar-capillary permeability to aerosolized 99mTc-labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (99mTc-DTPA, 500 mol wt) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran (7,000 mol wt). Pretreatment with vitamin E, BHA, or the combination of PEG-SOD and PEG-catalase prevented the increase in malondialdehyde, lung weight gain, and alveolar-capillary permeability caused by hyperoxia. These results indicate that augmenting either tissue antioxidants or antioxidant enzymes can prevent the pulmonary injury caused by 48 h of 100% O2 in rabbits.     

A strategy for high cell density culture of heterotrophic microalgae with inhibitory substrates

Substrate inhibition is one of the major problems preventing high cell densities of microalgae in heterotrophic culture, so the possibility of overcoming the problem by various culture techniques was examined. It was found that perfusion culture may be the most appropriate technique for high cell densities in heterotrophic culture using inhibitory substrates. An experimental example in which a hollow fibre cell recycle system (HFCRS) was employed to achieve high cell densities of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii on acetate under heterotrophic conditions of growth was demonstrated. The cell density in the HFCRS was much higher than that reported in the literature for this species.     

The specificity of fumarate as a switching factor of the bacterial flagellar motor

Fumarate restores to flagella of cytoplasm-free, CheY- containing envelopes of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium the ability to switch from one direction of rotation to another. To examine the specificity of this effect, we studied flagellar rotation of envelopes which contained, instead of fumarate, one of its analogues. Malate, maleate and succinate promoted switching, but to a lesser extent than fumarate. These observations were made both with wild-type envelopes and with envelopes of a mutant which lacks the enzymes succinate dehydrogenase and fumarase, indicating that the switching-promoting activity of the analogues was not caused by their conversion to fumarate. Aspartate and lactate did not promote switching. Using strains defective in specific enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and lacking the cytoplasmic chemotaxis proteins as well as some of the chemo-taxis receptors, we demonstrated that, in intact bacteria, unlike the situation in envelopes, fumarate promoted clockwise rotation via its metabolites acetyl phosphate and acetyladenylate, but did not promote switching (presumably because of the presence of cytoplasmic fumarate). All of the results are consistent with the notion that fumarate acts as a switching factor, presumably by lowering the activation energy of switching. Thus fumarate and some of its metabolites may serve as a connection point between the bacterial metabolic state and chemotactic behaviour.     

Subunit composition of a high molecular weight oligomer: Limulus polyphemus hemocyanin

The hemocyanin of Limulus polyphemus is a 48-subunit aggregate. This 3.3 × 10⁶-dalton oligomer is composed of structurally and functionally heterogeneous subunits. Using polyacrylamide electrophoresis J. Markl, A. Markl, W. Schartau, and B. Linzen (J. Comp. Physiol. Ser. B130,283–292, 1979) observed 12 bands; while using immunoelectrophoresis, M. Hoylaerts, G. Preaux, R. Witters, and R. Lontie (Arch. Int. Physiol. Biochem.87, 417–418, 1979) and J. Lamy, J. Lamy, J. Weill, J. Bonaventura, C. Bonaventura, and M. Brenowitz. (Arch. Biochem. Biophys.196, 324–339, 1979) observed 8 subunits. To proceed with an analysis of subunit roles in assembly it is first necessary to determine the number of distinct subunits. Refinement of the chromatographic separation procedures has led to the isolation of 8 immunologically distinct subunits as well as additional charge isomers which cannot be distinguished immunologically. Alkaline electrophoresis revealed 15 bands and isoelectric focusing up to 17. On the basis of extensive control experiments, including composit acrylamide-agarose immunoelectrophoresis and checks for conformational isomers, aggregation, proteolysis, and other types of degradation, we conclude that the electrophoretic heterogeneity of immunologically identical subunits is not artifactual. We have extended the nomenclature used by Lamy et al. (1979) to include the electrophoretic heterogeneity by using primes (′) to denote electrophoretically distinguishable subunits which are immunologically identical. A number of patterns have become apparent by correlating the results obtained by the different techniques. For example, immunologically pure subunit II, which shows 3 bands on alkaline electrophoresis, is in fact a mixture of electrophoretically distinct subunits II, II′, II″. Except for subunits II, II′, and II″ immunoelectrophoretically identical subunits are typically homogeneous on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gels. However, slight differences in the apparent molecular weight are observed on high-resolution gels between immunologically unrelated subunits. The immunological identity and electrophoretic differences suggest that the charge isomers which are immunologically identical have similar antigenic surfaces. If a charge substitution is not in a critical location, we would expect the electrophoretically distinct but immunologically identical subunits to have identical assembly roles. Comparison of the results for Limulus hemocyanin with the hemocyanin of related species Eurypelma californicum and Androctanus australis, which have 7 and 8 immunologically distinct subunits, respectively, suggests that the calcium-mediated aggregation from 24 to 48 subunits of Limulus does not require more extensive subunit complexity.     

Subcellular localization of acetyl-CoA synthetase in leaf protoplasts of Spinacia oleracea

The localization of acetyl-CoA synthetase in the spinach leaf cell was examined. When the different compartments of lysed spinach protoplasts were assayed for marker enzymes and acetyl-CoA synthetase, it was determined that the synthetase was totally localized in the chloroplast compartment. Analysis of spinach leaf for free acetate revealed that this acid was present at a 1 mm level in the leaf cell. It is suggested that free acetate probably derived from a number of sources in the cell diffuses into the chloroplast stroma compartment where it is converted to acetyl-CoA and thence employed for biosynthetic reactions. Thus, free acetate is metabolically inert in the leaf cell until it is transported to the only compartment that contains acetyl-CoA synthetase, namely the chloroplast.