Probing the substrate specificity of the intracellular brain platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase.

Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolases (PAF-AHs) are unique PLA2s which hydrolyze the sn-2 ester linkage in PAF-like phospholipids with a marked preference for very short acyl chains, typically acetyl. The recent solution of the crystal structure of the alpha(1) catalytic subunit of isoform Ib of bovine brain intracellular PAF-AH at 1.7 A resolution paved the way for a detailed examination of the molecular basis of substrate specificity in this enzyme. The crystal structure suggests that the side chains of Thr103, Leu48 and Leu194 are involved in substrate recognition. Three single site mutants (L48A, T103S and L194A) were overexpressed and their structures were solved to 2.3 A resolution or better by X-ray diffraction methods. Enzyme kinetics showed that, compared with wild-type protein, all three mutants have higher relative activity against phospholipids with sn-2 acyl chains longer than an acetyl. However, for each of the mutants we observed an unexpected and substantial reduction in the V(max) of the reaction. These results are consistent with the model in which residues Leu48, Thr103 and Leu194 indeed contribute to substrate specificity and in addition suggest that the integrity of the specificity pocket is critical for the expression of full catalytic function, thus conferring very high substrate selectivity on the enzyme.     

Population dynamics of two small pelagic fish in the central-south area off Chile: delayed density-dependence and biological interaction

It is widely believed that environmental variability is the main cause for fluctuations in commercially exploited small pelagic fish populations around the world. Nevertheless, density-dependent factors also can drive population dynamics. In this paper, we analyzed thirteen years of a relative abundance index of two clupeoids fish populations coexisting in the central-south area off Chile, namely the common sardine, Strangomera bentincki, and anchovy, Engraulis ringens. We applied the classical diagnostic tools of time series analysis to the observed time-series. Also, the realized per capita population growth rate was studied with the aim of detecting the feedback structure that is characterizing the population dynamics of the two species. The analysis suggests that population fluctuations of the two species have an important density-dependent component, displaying first-order (direct density-dependent) and second-order (delayed density-dependent) simultaneously. The density-dependent component explained 70.5 and 55.6 % of the realized per capita population growth rate of common sardine and anchovy, respectively. The deterministic skeleton model showed an asymptotic convergence to equilibrium density. In presence of a stochastic environment, fluctuations were reproduced for the species showing a component of fluctuation with a period of 4 year. The intrinsic dynamics of each species is typical of interacting species resulting from trophic interactions. It is postulated that the second-order dynamics of S. bentincki and E. ringens in central-south Chile, may be the result from interactions with a specialist predator (the fishing fleet), interacting with exogenous environmental factors.     

Ethylene and IAA interactions in the inhibition of photoperiodic flower induction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pharbitis nil</Emphasis>

It has been shown that both IAA and ethylene application inhibit flower induction in the short-day plant Pharbitis nil. However application of IAA has elevated ethylene production in this plant, as well. Strong enhancement of ethylene production is also correlated with the night-break effect, which completely inhibits flowering. In order to determine what the role of IAA and ethylene is in the photoperiodic flower induction in Pharbitis nil, we measured changes in their levels during inductive and non-inductive photoperiods, and the effects of ethylene biosynthesis and action inhibitors on inhibition of flowering by IAA. Our results have shown that the inhibitory effect of IAA on Pharbitis nil flowering is not physiological but is connected with its effect on ethylene biosynthesis.     

INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION AND THE ROLE OF SUPERPARASITISM IN DIAPAUSE INDUCTION OF TRICHOGRAMMA EVANESCENS WEST-WOOD*

Abstract The diapause of two populations of Trichogramma evanescens Westwood (T. evanescens A and T. evanescens B), collected from different Iranian insect pests, was studied. T. evunescens A in the eggs of Corcyra cephalonica was easily induced to stable diapause with constant 8°C, 15 % and fluctuating temperature (11–23) C -11C. T. evanescens B could not be induced to diapause with the same temperatural regime and host. The experiments showed that the host of maternal generations and the ability of avoiding super-parasitism may play an important role in intraspecific variation of T. evunescens in diapause induction.     

Glucosinolate contents in maca (Lepidium peruvianum Chacón) seeds, sprouts, mature plants and several derived commercial products

Several products derived from processed maca hypocotyls (Lepidium peruvianum Chacón, previously known asL. meyenii Walp.) were surveyed for glucosinolate content and quantified by HPLC analysis. These included pills, capsules, flour, liquor, tonic and mayonnaise. Different plant organs such as fresh hypocotyls and leaves, seeds, dry hypocotyls, and sprouts were also included in the survey. The most abundant glucosinolates detected in fresh and dry hypocotyls and leaves were the aromatic glucosinolates, benzylglucosinolate (glucotropaeolin) and p-methoxybenzylglucosinolate. Maca seeds and sprouts differed in profile from hypocotyls and leaves due to the modification of benzylglucosinolate. No glucosinolates were detected in liquor and tonic, while mayonnaise had only trace amounts of those glucosinolates. It had instead allylglucosinolate (sinigrin), which is an aliphatic glucosinolate. The pills, capsules and flour had the same glucosinolates as those observed in hypocotyls, but in variable amounts. The richest sources of glucosinolates were seeds, fresh hypocotyls and sprouts, in that order.     

Fickean and Non-Fickean Water Desorption During Vacuum Drying of <Emphasis Type="Italic">L. bulgaricus</Emphasis>

The recovery of Lactobacillus bulgaricus was studied in correlation to the kinetics of cell drying. When bacteria were dehydrated at 30 °C, either in the presence or the absence of sucrose, the drying kinetics corresponds to a Fickean diffusion in correspondence with a short lag time. In contrast, when the bacteria were dehydrated at 70 °C in the absence of sugar, the kinetics corresponds to an anomalous diffusion, and the lag time is four to five times higher than that at 30 °C. However, when drying at 70 °C was carried out in the presence of sucrose, drying kinetics turned into a Fickean process parallel to a substantial decrease in the lag time. The pattern of water desorption was correlated with the critical water activity. When the drying kinetics corresponds to a Fickean diffusion, the lag time started to increase at 0.7 water activity, but when the cells were dried at 70 °C, the damage started at 0.5 water activity. This observation indicates that the drying rate affects the pattern of water desorption, and it can change the value of critical water activity. These results put into relevance that the cell recovery is due to the drying history and that the recovery increase produced by sucrose can be related to the maintenance of kinetic barriers for water desorption.