Ionic composition and pH of the vacuolar sap in marine dinoflagellate Noctiluca

Ionic composition of the vacuolar sap of Noctiluca miliariswas as follows: [Na⁺] = 487.3 mM, [K⁺]=24.1 mM, [Ca²⁺]=6.6 mM,[Mg²⁺]=2.8 mM, [Cl^–]=500mM, [NH₄⁺]=15–25 mM, and[SO₄^2–]=undetectable. To measure the vacuolar pH of singleliving cells, a pH-sensitive glass microelectrode was used.The vacuolar pH value was 3.50 ±0.18. When the cellswere transferred from normal sea water into osmotically adjusted50% sea water for one day, the vacuolar ion concentrations remainedalmost constant. Upon immersing the cells in osmotically unadjustedsea water of various concentrations for one day, the observedincrements or decrements of the vacuolar ion concentrationscould be accounted for largely by the migration of water outof or into the cells. The intrinsic ionic composition of thevacuole seems to be constant against changes in ion concentrationsof the bathing medium. (Received October 20, 1975; )     

Adenylate regulation of photosynthetic electron transport and the coupling sites of phosphorylation in spinach chloroplasts

The regulation by adenylates of activities of various partial electron transport systems in spinach chloroplasts was studied using systems from H₂O to 2,5-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone, H₂O to 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, reduced 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol to methyl viologen, and H₂O to methyl viologen or ferricyanide. Adenylates regulated all of them. The ratio of the amount of esterified Pi (P) to that of electrons transported (e) in coupling with phosphorylation manifested that there are two phosphorylation sites: one between H₂O and 2,5-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone or 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol and another between reduced 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol and methyl viologen, under the proposed stoichiometries,i.e., P/H⁺=0.5 and H⁺/e=1, where H⁺ is the amount of protons pumped by electron transport (= those translocated during phosphorylation), when the basal electron transport (the part not regulated by adenylates) was excluded. The effects of pH, phlorizin, and methylamine on the adenylate regulation of electron transport, and the stimulation profile of electron transport coupled with quasiarsenylation suggested no distinction between the two phosphorylation sites.     

Thermodynamics of equilibria of hemoglobins M Milwaukee-I and Saskatoon and isolated chains of hemoglobin a with carbon monoxide

The thermodynamic parameters of the CO-equilibria of isolated chains of hemoglobin A and of two α-chains in hemoglobins M Milwaukee-I and Saskatoon at 25°, pH 7.0 were determined. The parameters for the binding of the first CO molecule to the hemoglobins M were ΔH′=?17 and ?18 kcal/mole heme and ΔS′=?30 and ?29 e.u. for hemoglobins M Milwaukee-I and Saskatoon, respectively. In contrast to this the characteristics of the second step of the binding were ΔH′=+5.9^· and +4.3 kcal/mole and ΔS′=+51 and +49 e.u. These values for the second step were also significantly different from those of the isolated α-chain (ΔH′=?15 kcal/mole and ΔS′=?11 e.u.).     

Mass spectrometry of trimethylsilyl derivatives of gibberellin glucosides and glucosyl esters

The mass spectra of trimethylsilyl ethers of six gibberellin-β-d-glucopyranosyl ethers and five gibberellin-β-d-glucopyranosyl esters are discussed. The fragmentation patterns are shown to be affected by the structural variations of the aglycones.     

Studies on the phosphomannose isomerase of Amorphophallus konjac C. Koch I. Its isolation and some enzymic properties

A method is described for isolating phosphomannose isomerasefrom young konjak corms. The enzyme is believed to catalyzethe mannose forming reaction in growing corm tissues. The purifiedenzyme preparation was free from phosphoglucose isomerase activity,and was stable at pH 6–9. Maximum enzyme activity wasobserved at pH 6.5–7.0. The molecular weight of the enzymewas estimated as 45,000 using Sephadex gel filtration. The followingkinetic parameters were obtained: Km (mannose-6-P), 0.73 mM,K_eq (fructose-6-P/mannose-6-P), 1.06 at pH 6.5, and activationenergy, 11,600 cal/mole. The enzyme was inhibited by the metalbinding agents EDTA, o-phenanthroline, and a,a'-bipyridyl. Theinhibitory effect of these agents was markedly influenced bythe pH level of the incubation mixture, being more pronouncedat pH 6 than at pH 8. ¹ This paper constitutes part 3 of studies on konjak mannanbiosynthesis. (Received March 3, 1975; )     

Inhibition and uncoupling of the ADP-regulated electron transport in isolated chloroplasts

The effects of energy transfer inhibitors, electron transport inhibitors and uncouplers on the ADP-regulated and ADP-independent activity of ferricyanide reduction in isolated spinach chloroplasts were studied. Phlorizin and sulfate did not affect the ADP-independent ferricyanide reduction. In the ADP-regulated reduction, these reagents did not affect the ADP inhibition process but inhibited the activity restoration process due to phosphorylation. 3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea and linolenic acid depressed both ADP-regulated and ADP-independent activity of ferricyanide reduction. Gramicidin S and 2-amino-1-butanol depressed ADP-regulated activity and stimulated ADP-independent activity. The decrease in the ADP-regulated ferricyanide-reducing activity (restoration) due to (incomplete) uncoupling paralleled the decrease in phosphorylation activity (P/Δe=1).     

Further studies on the biosynthesis of mangiferin in Anemarrhena asphodeloides: hydroxylation of the shikimate-derived ring

The hydroxylation at C-3′ of maclurin, an intermediate in mangiferin biosynthesis, has been studied. Labelled cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, iriflophenone and maclurin were fed to Anemarrhena asphodeloides. Cinnamic acid and p-coumaric acid were better precursors than caffeic acid for mangiferin, and iriflophenone as well as maclurin was effectively incorporated into mangiferin and isomangiferin. These results show that maclurin is biosynthesized via hydroxylation of iriflophenone derived from p-coumarate in this plant.     

T-maze Forced Alternation and Left-right Discrimination Tasks for Assessing Working and Reference Memory in Mice

Forced alternation and left-right discrimination tasks using the T-maze have been widely used to assess working and reference memory, respectively, in rodents. In our laboratory, we evaluated the two types of memory in more than 30 strains of genetically engineered mice using the automated version of this apparatus. Here, we present the modified T-maze apparatus operated by a computer with a video-tracking system and our protocols in a movie format. The T-maze apparatus consists of runways partitioned off by sliding doors that can automatically open downward, each with a start box, a T-shaped alley, two boxes with automatic pellet dispensers at one side of the box, and two L-shaped alleys. Each L-shaped alley is connected to the start box so that mice can return to the start box, which excludes the effects of experimenter handling on mouse behavior. This apparatus also has an advantage that in vivo microdialysis, in vivo electrophysiology, and optogenetics techniques can be performed during T-maze performance because the doors are designed to go down into the floor. In this movie article, we describe T-maze tasks using the automated apparatus and the T-maze performance of α-CaMKII+/- mice, which are reported to show working memory deficits in the eight-arm radial maze task. Our data indicated that α-CaMKII+/- mice showed a working memory deficit, but no impairment of reference memory, and are consistent with previous findings using the eight-arm radial maze task, which supports the validity of our protocol. In addition, our data indicate that mutants tended to exhibit reversal learning deficits, suggesting that α-CaMKII deficiency causes reduced behavioral flexibility. Thus, the T-maze test using the modified automatic apparatus is useful for assessing working and reference memory and behavioral flexibility in mice.     

Notes on some plant-inhabiting fungi collected from the Nansei Islands (2)

In this paper, four fungi collected in Nansei Islands are reported. One is Strasseria garciniae, which must be transferred to the genus Phyllosticta. This fungus was collected in Okinawa Main Island and Iriomote Island. The other three fungi are newly added to the Japanese fungal flora. Phyllosticta ghaesembillae on Codiaeum variegatum and Cercospora asplenii on Asplenium antiquum were collected in Yoron Island. The last one, Coniella australiensis on Eucalyptus robusta was collected in Okinawa Main Island. Their morphology and symptoms on the host plant are described, with some mycological notes.     

Genome-Wide and Locus Specific Alterations in CDC73/HRPT2-Mutated Parathyroid Tumors

Mutations in the hyperparathyroidism type 2 (HRPT2/CDC73) gene and alterations in the parafibromin protein have been established in the majority of parathyroid carcinomas and in subsets of parathyroid adenomas. While it is known that CDC73-mutated parathyroid tumors display specific gene expression changes compared to CDC73 wild-type cases, the molecular cytogenetic profile in CDC73-mutated cases compared to unselected adenomas (with an expected very low frequency of CDC73 mutations) remains unknown. For this purpose, nine parathyroid tumors with established CDC73 gene inactivating mutations (three carcinomas, one atypical adenoma and five adenomas) were analyzed for copy number alterations and loss of heterozygosity using array-comparative genomic hybridization (a-CGH) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarrays, respectively. Furthermore, CDC73 gene promoter methylation levels were assessed using bisulfite Pyrosequencing. The panel included seven tumors with single mutation and three with double mutations of the CDC73 gene. The carcinomas displayed copy number alterations in agreement with previous studies, whereas the CDC73-mutated adenomas did not display the same pattern of alterations at loci frequently deleted in unselected parathyroid tumors. Furthermore, gross losses of chromosomal material at 1p and 13 were significantly (p = 0.012) associated with parathyroid carcinomas as opposed to adenomas. Quantitative PCR-based copy number loss regarding CDC73 was observed in three adenomas, while all the carcinomas were diploid or showed copy number gain for CDC73 gene. Hypermethylation of the CDC73 gene promoter was not observed. Our data could suggest that CDC73-mutated parathyroid adenomas exhibit a partly unique cytogenetic profile in addition to that of carcinomas and unselected adenomas. Furthermore, CDC73-mutated carcinomas displayed losses at 1p and 13 which are not seen in CDC73-mutated adenomas, making these regions of interest for further studies regarding malignant properties in tumors from CDC73-mutated cases. However, due to the small sample size, validation of the results in a larger cohort is warranted.