Metabolism of glucose-6-phosphate and utilization of multiple metabolites for fatty acid synthesis by plastids from developing oilseed rape embryos

The aim of this work was to investigate the partitioning of imported glucose 6-phosphate (Glc6P) to starch and fatty acids, and to CO₂ via the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP) in plastids isolated from developing embryos of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). The ability of the isolated plastids to utilize concurrently supplied substrates and the effects of these substrate combinations on the Glc6P partitioning were also assessed. The relative fluxes of carbon from Glc6P to starch, fatty acids, and to CO₂ via the OPPP were close to 2∶1∶1 when Glc6P was supplied alone. Under these conditions NADPH generated via the OPPP was greater than that required by the concurrent rate of fatty acid synthesis. Fatty acid synthesis was unaffected by the presence or absence of exogenous NADH and/or NADPH and the requirement of fatty acid synthesis for reducing power is therefore met entirely by intraplastidial metabolism. When Glc6P was supplied in the presence of either pyruvate or pyruvate and acetate, the total flux from these metabolites to fatty acids was up to threefold greater than that from either Glc6P or pyruvate when they were supplied singly. In these experiments there was little competition between Glc6P and pyruvate in fatty acid synthesis and the flux to starch was unchanged. This implies that the starch and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways did not compete for the exogenously supplied ATP on which they were strongly dependent. When Glc6P and pyruvate were provided together, the NADPH generated by the OPPP pathway was less than that required by the concurrent rate of fatty acid synthesis. This suggests that the metabolism of exogenous Glc6P via the OPPP can contribute to the NADPH demand created during fatty acid synthesis but it also indicates that other intraplastidial sources of reducing power must be available under the in-vitro conditions used.     

Inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication in heptachlor- and heptachlor epoxide-treated normal human breast epithelial cells

Based on the concern of organochlorides in the environment and in human tissue, this study was designed to determine whether various noncytotoxic levels of heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide could inhibit, reversibly, gap junctional intercellular communication in human breast epithelial cells (HBEC). Cytotoxicity and gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) were evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase assay and fluorescence redistribution after photobleaching analysis, respectively. Both heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide were noncytotoxic up to 10 μg/ml. At this concentration, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide inhibited GJIC of normal human breast epithelial cells after 1 h treatment. Within a 24 h treatment with heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide at 10 μg/ml, recovery of GJIC had not returned. GJIC completely recovered after a 12 h treatment of 1 μg/ml heptachlor epoxide, but it did not recover after a 24 h treatment of 1 μg/ml heptachlor. RT-PCR and Western blots were analyzed to determine whether the heptachlor or heptachlor epoxide might have altered the steady-state levels of gap junction mRNA and/or connexin protein levels or phosphorylation state. No significant difference in the level of connexin 43 (Cx43) message between control and heptachlor-treated cells was observed. Western blot analyses showed hypophosphorylation patterns in cells treated with 10 μg/ml heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide for 1 h with no recovery within 24 h. Immunostaining of Cx43 protein in normal HBEC indicated that heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide caused a loss of Cx43 from the cell membranes at noncytotoxic dose levels. Taken together, these results suggest that heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide can alter GJIC at the post-translational level, and that, under the conditions of exceeding a threshold concentration in the breast tissue containing ‘initiated’ cells for a long time and not being counteracted by anti-tumor-promoting chemicals, they could act as breast tumor promoters.     

Genetic and clonal diversity in Korean populations ofVitex rotundifolia (Verbenaceae)

Vitex rotundifolia L.f. is a woody perennial and has sexual and asexual modes of reproduction. Allozyme study was conducted on 550 plants in 13 Korean populations. The levels of genetic variability and divergence within and among populations, respectively, are considerably lower and higher than the mean values for woody plants with similar life history tralts. Mean percentage of polymorphic loci (P _P), mean number of alleles per locus (A _P), and mean genetic diversity (He _P) within populations ofV. rotundifolia were: 16.7%, 1.21, and 0.047. On average, about 79% of the total variation inV. rotundifolia was common to all populations (meanG _ST=0.208). In addition, significant differences in allele frequencies among populations were found in all polymorphic loci examined (P<0.001). On the other hand, levels of genotypic diversity within and among populations were moderate. About 44% (18/41) of multilocus genotypes were “local genotypes” (genotypes occurring in only one population), whereas only one “widespread genotype” (genotypes occurring in more than 75% of the populations) were detected. The mean number of multilocus genotypes per population (G) and mean genotypic diversity index (D _G) were 8.4 and 0.74, respectively. Most common multilocus genotypes found in populations were homozygous for five polymorphic loci. The abundance of ramets of these genets is responsible for the low levels of expected heterozygosity within populations. The results indicate that clonal reproduction may act as an enhancer of genetic drift by reducing effective size of local populations ofV. rotundifolia.     

Continuous measurement of changes in intracellular calcium concentration in mouse splenic T cells attached to a glass substrate

Mitogen- and isoproterenol-induced changes of [Ca²⁺]_i in T cells attached to a glass substrate were examined. Murine (C57BL/6) splenic T cells were attached to coverslips or 35-mm dishes (MatTek) precoated with Cell Tak® (3.5 µg/cm²). The cells were then loaded with fluorescent dye (2 µg/ml of fura2-AM or fluo3-AM) and changes in [Ca²⁺]_i in a population of cells (using a spectrofluorometer) or in single cells (using a confocal microscope) were measured during continuous superfusion. Population measurements of [Ca²⁺]_i demonstrated that concanavalin A (Con A, 2 or 5 µg/ml) caused an increase in [Ca²⁺]_i that rose to a peak and then declined to a steady state. The concentration-response relationship (0.05–5 µg/ml) had an EC₅₀ of 0.3 µg/ml. Isoproterenol decreased the Con A-induced elevation of steady state [Ca²⁺]_i. In single cell studies, the increase in [Ca²⁺]_i in response to Con A typically occurred in about 50% of the cells in a microscope field, and the delay before activation varied among cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate that Cell Tak® can be used to attach T cells to glass coverslips and will be useful for the study of signaling mechanisms in T cells.     

The effect of ethanol on lateral and rotational mobility of plasma membrane vesicles isolated from cultured mar 18.5 hybridoma cells

Intramolecular excimer formation of 1,3-di(1-pyrenyl)propane (Py-3-Py) and fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) were used to evaluate the effect of ethanol on the rate and range of the lateral mobility and the range of the rotational mobility of bulk bilayer structures of the plasma membrane vesicles (ATCC-PMV) isolated from cultured hybridoma cells (ATCC TIB 216). In a concentration-dependent manner, ethanol increased the excimer to monomer fluorescence intensity ratio (I/I) of Py-3-Py in the ATCC-PMV and decreased the anisotropy (r), limiting anisotropy (r) and order parameter (S) of DPH in the ATCC-PMV. This indicates that ethanol increased both the lateral and rotational mobility of the probes in the ATCC-PMV. Selective quenching of DPH by trinitrophenyl groups was utilized to examine the range of transbilayer asymmetric rotational diffusion of the ATCC-PMV. The anisotropy (r), limiting anisotropy (r ) and order parameter (S) of DPH in the inner monolayer were 0.024, 0.032, and 0.069, respectively, greater than calculated for the outer monolayer of the ATCC-PMV. Selective quenching of DPH by trinitrophenyl groups was also used to examine the transbilayer asymmetric effects of ethanol on the range of the rotational mobility of the ATCC-PMV. Ethanol had a greater increasing effect on the range of the rotational mobility of the outer monolayer as compared to the inner monolayer of the ATCC-PMV. It has been proven that ethanol exhibits a selective rather than nonselective fluidizing effect within the transbilayer domains of the ATCC-PMV.This paper was supported in part by a research grant from the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF 88-1013-01) and from the Korea Research Foundation (1991–1993).     

Production of panose from maltose by intact cells of Aureobasidium pullulans

Panose, a major component of isomalto-oligosaccharides, was selectively produced from maltose using transglucosylation reaction catalyzed by intact cells of Aureobasidium pullulans. When 50 %(w/v) maltose was used as a substrate, the maximum concentration of panose accumulated in the final reaction mixture was about 50 %(w/w) after 120 hr reaction at 55 °C.     

Expression and secretion of human lipocortin-1 by promoter and signal sequence of STA1 from Saccharomyces diastaticus

Summary For the secretion of human lipocortin-1 (LC-1) in yeast, a expression and secretion vector was constructed by using the promoter and signal sequence of glucoamylase gene (STA1) of Saccharomyces diastaticus. After the cDNA of human LC-1 was ligated with the secretion vector, the resulting hybrid plasmid was transformed into S. diastaticus. When the recombinant S. diastaticus was cultivated in YPD medium, LC-1 was expressed and secreted into the extracellular medium, yielding LC-1 protein at a concentration of 2.5 g/mL.     

Regeneration of haploid plants from isolated microspores of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.)

High percentages of micro-calli and micro-derived embryos were produced from isolated asparagus microspores at late uninucleate stage on MS liquid medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l^–1 2,4-D and 0.5 mg l^–1 BA. Two types of calli, namely compact callus (CC) and loose callus (LC), were found. Plantlets were regenerated via organogenesis, when these calli were transferred onto MS solid medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l^–1 BA and 0.2 mg l^–1 IBA 6 weeks. Embryos were produced from liquid cultured microspores, or from solid cultured micro-calli. The frequencies of haploid plant production from organogenesis and embryogenesis were compared. Effects of plant growth regulators on callus production, plantlet regeneration, and haploid plant production were tested. The combination of BA 1.0 mg l^–1 and IBA 0.2 mg l^–1 resulted the highest precentage of haploid plant production (7.7% from CC, 4.3% from LC).Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - IBA 3-indolybutyric acid - BA 6-binzyladinine - NAA naphtalene acetic acid - MS Murashige and Skoog