Enhanced growth of the red algaPorphyra yezoensis Ueda in high CO2 concentrations

Leafy thalli of the red algaPorphyra yezoensis Ueda, initiated from conchospores released from free-living conchocelis, were cultured using aeration with high CO₂. It was found that the higher the CO₂ concentration, the faster the growth of the thalli. Aeration with elevated CO₂ lowered pH in dark, but raised pH remarkably in light with the thalli, because the photosynthetic conversion of HCO ₃ ^? to OH^? and CO₂ proceeded much faster than the dissociation of hydrated CO₂ releasing H⁺. Photosynthesis of the alga was found to be enhanced in the seawater of elevated dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, CO₂ + HCO ₃ ^? + CO ₃ ^? ). It is concluded that the increased pH in the light resulted in the increase of DIC in the culture media, thus enhancing photosynthesis and growth. The relevance of the results to removal of atmospheric CO₂ by marine algae is discussed.     

Ca2(+)-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylates various types of non-epithelial intermediate filament proteins

We have investigated the actions of Ca2(+)-calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II on various types of non-epithelial intermediate filament proteins, vimentin, desmin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament triplet proteins. Most of these filament proteins could serve as substrates. The effects of phosphorylation on the filamentous structure of vimentin were investigated in sedimentation experiments and by using electron microscopy. The amount of unassembled vimentin increased linearly with increased phosphorylation. However, the extent of the effect of phosphorylation on the potential to polymerize was also affected by the MgCl2 concentration, under conditions for reassembly. The actions of Ca2(+)-CaM-dependent protein kinase II on non-epithelial intermediate filaments under physiological conditions are given attention.     

Temperature dependency of induction of sexual agglutinability by α pheromone in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

When pheromone-pretreated cells of an inducible a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae carrying the inducible gene saa1 were incubated in a growth medium at 28°C, induction of sexual agglutinability began after a 10 min lag period. If the cells were incubated at 38°C during the lag period, no induction occurred even after incubation at 28°C. Contrary to this, if the cells were incubated at 28°C during the lag period, almost complete induction occurred, even after transfer to 38°C. Temperature shift experiments revealed that 5 min incubation at 28°C was necessary for the initiation of the temperature-sensitive period and further 5 min incubation for the completion of the period. The temperature-sensitive period was sensitive to phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride.Non-common abbreviations PBS 10^-2 M phosphate buffer solution, pH 5.5 - PMSF phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride     

A possible new mechanism of temperature dependence of electron transfer in photosynthetic systems

A new theory for the electron transfer by the non-adiabatic process is formulated taking into account the origin shift and the frequency change of the vibration. The resultant formulas are quite similar to those of Jortner (Jortner, J. (1976) J. Chem. Phys. 64, 4860–4867) except that the free energy gap ΔG is used instead of the energy gap ΔE. By applying this theory to the photosynthetic electron transfer, the role of the remarkable temperature dependence of the electron transfer from cytochrome to P⁺ in Chromatium vinosum and the experimental data were reproduced very well using a small value of the coupling strength in contrast with the previous theory. This implies that proteins play a role to exclude many of the solvent molecules from the region of the electron transfer reaction between the donor and acceptor molecules. The negative activation process in the back electron transfer from Q^?_A to P⁺, the very slow back electron transfer from I^? to P⁺ and the solvent isotope effect on the cytochrome oxidation are also successfully explained by this new theory. It is shown that even a qualitative conclusion as to the molecular parameters obtained from the temperature dependence of the electron transfer is different between the present theory and that of Jortner.     

The Amino Acid Sequence of the Tryptophan-Containing Subunit (α-Subunit) of Bovine Brain S-100 Protein

Abstract: The tryptophan-containing subunit (α-subunit) of bovine brain S-100 protein was purified from a S -aminoethyl derivative of S-100a protein, and its amino acid sequence was determined. The α-subunit contained 93 residues, including one tryptophan, and had a molecular weight of 10,400. The sequence shows an extensive homology (58% identity) to the sequence of another "tryptophan-free" subunit (β-subunit) found in both S-100a and S-100b protein, and has a calcium binding site characteristic of the "E-F hand" proteins, such as calmodulin or troponin C. The tryptophan residue is located at position 90 which is presumably adjacent to the C-terminal end of the α-helix following the calcium binding loop, and thus appears likely to serve as a specific probe in structure-function studies of S-100a protein.     

Angeloylcumambrin-B,an antimicrobial sesquiterpene lactone from Chrysanthemum ornatum var. Spontaneum

Angeloylcumambrin-B, a new antimicrobial guaianolide sesquiterpene lactone, was isolated from Chrysanthemum ornatum and the structure was determined by a combination of chemical and physical methods.     

Simultaneous determination of phenylbutazone and its metabolites in plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous determination of phenylbutazone and its metabolites, oxyphenbutazone and γ-hydroxyphenylbutazone, in plasma and urine. Samples were acidified with hydrochloric acid and extracted with benzene—cyclohexane (1:1, v/v). The extract was redissolved in methanol and chromatographed on a μBondapak C₁₅ column using a mobile phase of methanol—0.01 M sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.0) in a linear gradient (50 to 100% methanol at 5%/min; flow-rate 2.0 ml/min) in a high-performance liquid chromatograph equipped with an ultra-violet absorbance detector (254 nm). The detection limit for phenylbutazone, oxyphenbutazone and for γ-hydroxyphenylbutazone was 0.05 μg/ml.A precise and sensitive assay for the determination of phenylbutazone and its metabolites was established.     

pKJ1, a naturally occurring conjugative plasmid coding for toluene degradation and resistance to streptomycin and sulfonamides.

Pseudomonas sp. TA8 isolated by m-toluate enrichment from an aqueous sample metabolized toluene and m- and p-xylenes via the meta cleavage pathway, and manifested specific resistance to streptomycin and sulfonamides. A variety of experiments revealed that the pKJ1 plasmid of about 150 megadaltons carried by TA8 specified both the toluene and xylene degradative function (the Tol function) and streptomycin/sulfonamide resistance. The deletion of a segment of pKJ1 (about 22 megadaltons) resulted in the loss of the Tol function. pKJ1 was not assigned to Pseudomonas incompatibility group P-1, P-2, P-3, or P-9.     

Disintegration of Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophore membrane into photoreaction units, reaction centers, and ubiquinone-10 protein with mixture of cholate and deoxycholate.

1. The membrane of Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores was disintegrated with mild detergents (cholate and deoxycholate) in order to study the spatial arrangement of the functional proteins in the photochemical apparatus and the electron transport system in the membrane. 2. The components solubilized from the membrane by a mixture of cholate and deoxycholate (C-DOC) were separated into four fractions by molecular-sieve chromatography in the presence of C-DOC; they were designated as F1, F2, F3, and F4 in the order of elution. The fractions were further purified by repeated molecular-sieve chromatography in the presence of C-DOC until each fraction was chromatographically homogeneous. 3. F1 appeared to be conjugated forms of F2. 4. The purified F2 was composed of a rigid complex having a weight of 7 X 10(5) daltons, containing approximately 10 different kinds of protein species with molecular weights of 3.8 X 10(4), 3.6 X 10(4), 3.5 X 10(4), 2.8 X 10(4), 2.7 X 10(4), 2.6 X 10(4), 1.3 X 10(4), 1.2 X 10(4), 1.1 X 10(4), and 1.0 X 10(4). The complex contained 33 bacteriochlorophylls, 4 iron atoms, and 90 phosphates, but no cytochrome, ubiquinone, or phospholipid. It showed the same reaction center activity as chromatophores, indicating that the complex was a unit of the photochemical apparatus (photoreaction unit). Each chromatophore of average size was estimated to possess about 24 photoreaction units. 5. The purified F3 showed an absorbance spectrum characteristic of reaction centers, and contained 3.4 bacteriochlorophylls, 2.0 bacteriopheophytins, and 1.9 acid-labile iron atoms, but no cytochrome or ubiquinone (C-DOC reaction center). It had a weight of 1.2 X 10(5) daltons, and the main components were 4 protein species with molecular weights of 2.8 X 10(4), 2.7 X 10(4), 2.6 X 10(4), and 1.0 X 10(4). 6. The purified F4 showed a molecular weight of about 11,000, and contained one mole of ubiquinone-10 per mole (ubiquinone-10 protein). 7. The reaction center activity of C-DOC reaction centers was stimulated by ubiquinone-10 protein. In addition, the reaction center oxidized reduced cytochrome c2 in the light, provided that ubiquinone-10 protein was present (photo-oxidase activity).     

Murine alpha-fetoprotein: N-terminal amino acid sequence and C-terminal residue.

We have purified to homogeneity murine alpha-fetoprotein (MAFP) and determined the amino acid sequence of the first twenty-four residues. The N-terminal sequence obtained shows a high degree of homology with human and rat AFP's, but not human or rat albumins. The C-terminal residue is the same as human and “slow” rat AFP, but different from the corresponding albumins. We conclude that the AFP's are derived from homologous genes which are at best distantly related to the ancestral gene for albumin. The single C-terminal residue and N-terminal sequence suggests that the multiple forms of MAFP observed by others are due to carbohydrate micro-heterogeneity.