Electron transfer between horse heart and Candida krusei cytochromes c in the free and bound states

Electron transfer between horse heart and Candida krusei cytochromes c in the free and phosvitin-bound states was examined by difference spectrum and stopped-flow methods. The difference spectra in the wavelength range of 540–560 nm demonstrated that electrons are exchangeable between the cytochromes c of the two species. The equilibrium constants of the electron transfer reaction for the free and phosvitin-bound forms, estimated from these difference spectra, were close to unity at 20°C in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.4). The electron transfer rate for free cytochrome c was (2–3) · 10⁴ M^?1 · s^?1 under the same conditions. The transfer rate for the bound form increased with increase in the binding ratio at ratios below half the maximum, and was almost constant at higher ratios up to the maximum. The maximum electron exchange rate was about 2 · 10⁶ M^?1 · s^?1, which is 60–70 times that for the free form at a given concentration of cytochrome c. The activation energy of the reaction for the bound cytochrome c was equal to that for the free form, being about 10 kcal/mol. The dependence of the exchange rate on temperature, cytochrome c concentration and solvent viscosity suggests that enhancement of the electron transfer rate between cytochromes c on binding to phosvitin is due to increase in the collision frequency between cytochromes c concentrated on the phosvitin molecule.     

Factors Contributing to the Poor Myelination in the Brain of the Snell Dwarf Mouse

Abstract: Conventional histological examination of the pituitary does not distinguish Snell dwarf mutants (dw/dw) from their normal littermates (+/?) in the neonatal stage. However, immunohistochemical examination of pituitaries of litters born to heterozygous Snell parents revealed that in approximately 25% of the glands examined, the number of positive cells was very low in the neonatal stage. We attempted to delineate the events resulting in the poor myelination in the brain of the Snell dwarf mouse, and to devise an immunohistochemical method for identifying the mutant neonate. Differences in the brain weights of the dw/dw and +/? mice first became apparent on the 10th day of age, and from this time on no further increase in the weight of the dwarf mouse brain was recorded. Increase in CNPase activity was found to be suppressed in the cerebrum and brain stem throughout the developmental stage, but not in the other parts of the brain. The yield of isolated myelin decreased by 58% in the mutant mouse, but CNPase activity was equivalent to that of control myelin. Differences in DNA content per cerebrum from the dw/dw and +/? mice first became apparent on the 10th day of age. Henceforth, the dw/dw mice showed no further increase, although the +/? mice continued to increase. [³H]Thymidine incorporation into the DNA fraction in vivo on the 7th day of age, when glial cell proliferation in the cerebrum is most active, was suppressed to about 50% of the control level in all parts of the dwarf brain. These findings indicate that the poor myelination found in the mutant cerebrum is a hypomyelination due to reduced oligodendroglial proliferation caused by lack of circulating growth hormone.     

Purification and properties of phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.11) of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

A procedure for the purification of phosphofructokinase from brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) is reported. Treatments with organic solvents and heat were avoided and chromatographic and filtration techniques in the presence of phenylmethane sulfonyl fluoride were mainly used. The purified enzyme is homogeneous in disc gel electrophoresis and according to sedimentation velocity and equilibrium measurements in the ultracentrifuge. The isoelectric point determined by focusing was 5.3. Absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra and circular dichroism spectrum are given. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme determined by gel filtration was 720 000, in agreement with that of the enzyme in the raw extract. This confirms the results of sedimentation velocity experiments which gave a value of SO20, W equals 19.4. Alkaline treatment leads to a dissociation of the native enzyme, yielding an inactive species with a molecular weight of 360 000. In 6M guanidine hydrochloride the enzyme dissociates into subunits with a mean molecular weight of 90 000 as obtained by ultracentrifugation analysis. This suggests a structure composed of 8 monomers. The specific activity of the enzyme was 116 U/mg under optimum conditions. The enzyme activity was proportional to the enzyme concentration in the range of 6 times 10- minus 12 M to 3 times 10- minus 7 M. The Michaelis constants and Hill coefficients for fructose 6-phosphate and AMP, the pH optima, and the stability properties of the enzyme are reported. Furthermore, the activation energy is given and it is shown that under saturating conditions, a straight Arrhenius plot obtains, whereas the plot is discontinuous at high ATP concentrations and at pH 7.6.     

Subunit structure of 6-phosphofructokinase from brewers' yeast.

An analysis of 6-phosphofructokinase from brewers' yeast in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate reveals the occurrence of four components with the following molecular weights: alpha = 140000, beta = 130000, and alpha' = 92000, beta' = 87000. It was found that the alpha- and beta-components can be converted to the alpha' and beta' components by treatment of the native preparation with hyaluronidase. A comparison of the molecular weight obtained by ultracentrifugation and gel filtration with the results obtained by dodecylsulfate electrophoresis after treatment with hyaluronidase reveals that the alpha' and beta' components are the smallest molecular structures obtained upon dissociation of the native enzyme. The mechanism of action of hyaluronidase suggests a desensitization of the alpha and beta components of the enzyme towards dodecylsulfate. Thus, in the absence of hyaluronidase treatment; only an apparent molecular weight for the alpha and beta component is obtained. The analysis indicates that the native enzyme might be composed of four different subunits with an alpha, beta, alpha' and beta' configuration. It is not excluded that the native enzyme consists only of alpha- and beta-chains.     

Formation of sulfhydryl groups in the culture medium by human diploid fibroblasts

When human diploid fibroblasts IMR-90 are cultured in routinely used medium (Eagle's basal medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum), sulfhydryl compounds appear in the medium. The major component of these sulfhydryl compounds is cysteine, and it is shown that a part of medium cystine is converted into cysteine by the cells. It is also shown that the sulfhydryl groups of serum albumin, which are masked and barely detectable before the culture, are restored. Probably cysteine formed by the cells reacts with serum albumin to give rise to the protein sulfhydryl groups via sulfhydryl–disulfide exchange reactions. Total sulfhydryl concentrations in the medium are maintained in a considerable level throughout the culture, and a possible physiological function of these sulfhydryl groups is discussed.     

Semilunar postlarval settlement periodicity ensuing from semilunar larval release cycle in the Nihonotrypaea harmandi (Crustacea,Decapoda, Axiidea,Callianassidae) population on an intertidal sandflat in an open marine coastal embayment

Many decapod crustaceans in marine intertidal habitats release larvae toward coastal oceans, from which postlarvae (decapodids: settling-stage larvae) return home. Decapodid settlement processes are poorly understood. Previous studies showed that in Kyushu, Japan, the callianassid shrimp population on an intertidal sandflat of an open bay joining the coastal ocean near a large estuary released eight batches of larvae basically in a semilunar cycle from June through October and that decapodids performed diel vertical migration, occurring in the water column nocturnally. We conducted (a) frequent sampling for population density and size-composition on the sandflat through one reproductive season, (b) planktonic and benthic sampling for decapodids around the bay mouth, and (c) current meter deployment at three points across the bay mouth for tidal harmonic analysis. On the sandflat, six batches of newly-settled decapodids (settlers) occurred in a semilunar periodicity until October, with peaks occurring 0–3 days before syzygy dates except for the first one. For larval Batches 1–4, buoyancy-driven shoreward subsurface currents during July to mid-October would transport some pre-decapodid-stage larvae (zoeae) toward the bay. The absence of expected settler Batches 7–8 would be due to the converse subsurface currents caused by water-column mixing and seasonal winds after mid-October, carrying zoeae offshore. Once in the bay, phasing of night and nighttime-averaged shoreward tidal current explained the settlement pattern for Batches 1–4. For Batches 5–6 occurring in mid-September to mid-October, water currents generated by seasonal wind and tidal forcings may have caused peak settlement after the time expected from tidally-driven decapodid transport.     

Genetic diversity,structure, and demography of Pandanus boninensis (Pandanaceae) with sea drifted seeds,endemic to the Ogasawara Islands of Japan: Comparison between young and old islands

Pandanus boninensis, endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, is distributed on both the older Bonin and younger Volcano Islands. In this study, we conducted population genetic analyses of P. boninensis on these islands to examine the population diversity and structure across old and young islands, to assess potential differences in population demography with island age, and to collect any evidence of migration between old and young islands. We found that the genetic diversity of expressed sequence tag (EST)–based microsatellite (SSR) markers, the nucleotide diversity of nuclear DNA sequences, and the haplotype diversity of chloroplast DNA on young islands were lower than those on old islands. Clustering analyses of EST‐SSR indicated that populations on old islands were strongly diverged from those on young islands. Approximate Bayesian computation analysis of EST‐SSR suggested that population expansion occurred on old islands while population reduction occurred on young islands. We also found evidence of migration among old islands (mostly from south to north), while it appears that there have been very few migration events between old and young islands. These differences could be due to the fact that young islands tend to be geographically isolated and support smaller populations that began a shorter time ago from limited founders. The P. boninensis populations on the Volcano Islands are interesting from an evolutionary perspective as they constitute a classic example of the early stages of progressive colonization on oceanic islands with small effective population sizes and low genetic diversity.     

Site‐specific rapid deamidation and isomerization in human lens αA‐crystallin in vitro

Recent studies have suggested that the isomerization/racemization of aspartate residues in proteins increases in aged tissues. One such residue is Asp151 in lens‐specific αA‐crystallin. Although many isomerization/racemization sites have been reported in various proteins, the factors that lead to those modifications in proteins in vivo remain obscure. Therefore, an in vitro system is needed to assess the mechanisms of modifications of Asp under various conditions. Deamidation of Asn to Asp in proteins occurs more rapidly than isomerization/racemization of Asp, although the reaction passes through the same intermediate in both pathways. Here, therefore, we replaced Asp151 in human lens αA‐crystallin with Asn by using site‐directed mutagenesis. The recombinant protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and used to investigate the deamidation/isomerization/racemization of Asn151 after incubation at 50°C for various durations and under different pH. After incubation, the mutant αA‐crystallin was subjected to enzymatic digestion followed by liquid chromatography–MS/MS to evaluate the ratio of modifications in Asn151‐containing peptides. The Asp151Asn αA‐crystallin mutant showed rapid deamidation to Asp with the formation of specific Asp isomers. In particular, deamidation increased greatly under basic conditions. By contrast, subunit–subunit interactions between αA‐crystallin and αB‐crystallin had little effect on the modification of Asn151. Our findings suggest that the Asp151Asn αA‐crystallin mutant represents a good in vitro model protein to assess deamidation, isomerization, and the racemization intermediates. Furthermore, our in vitro results show a different trend from in vivo data, implying the presence of specific factors that induce racemization from L‐Asp to D‐Asp residues in vivo.