Inhibition of Respiration of Yeast by Photosynthesis Inhibiting Herbicides

In order to elucidate the mode of action of some herbicides, effect of several anilide type herbicides on the respiration of yeast cells was studied. The results obtained were as follows: 1) DCPA (3,4-dichloropropionanilide) and DCMU (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1- dimethylurea), the powerful inhibitors of the Hill reaction in photosynthesis, inhibited the oxygen uptake of yeast cells at low concentrations. 2) DCPA and DCMU inhibited the enzymic reduction of cytochrome-c by the yeast cell-free preparation, but not the reduction of dye. 3) The oxidation of cytochrome-b was inhibited in the yeast cells treated with DCPA or DCMU.     

Inactivation of the Water-Oxidizing Complex by Exogenous Reductants in PS II Membranes Depleted of Extrinsic Proteins

We have studied the inactivation of the water-oxidizing complexby exogenous, ‘general’ reductants in various typesof PS II membrane. Extraction of the 33, 23 and 17 kDa proteinsfrom PS II membranes rendered the functional Mn susceptibleto rapid solubilization by reductants such as hydroquinone,benzidine and ascorbate, while water analogs, such as NH₂OH,inactivated the complex regardless of the presence of PS IIextrinsic proteins. The extent of the inactivation was dependenton the hydrophobicity of the reductants examined. Diphenylcarbazide,an efficient electron donor to Z⁺ and D⁺, did not inactivatethe Mn complex. As reported earlier [Ghanotakis et al. (1984)Biochim. Biophys. Acta 767: 524], weak illumination deceleratedthe inactivation of the complex by the various reductants. Kineticanalyses of the flash-induced protection provided evidence aboutthe nature of the light state that was not susceptible to thereductants. This state was generated and decayed with half timesof approximately 0.5 and 9 s, respectively. However, such lightprotection was diminished under Cl^–-depleted conditions,at slightly alkaline pH, or when ascorbate was employed as areductant. Furthermore, we observed that the oxidation of N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine,which reacts with the Mn complex, was accomplished as a biphasicreaction. The amount of the fast phase, which was almost eliminatedafter the reconstitution of the 33 kDa protein and Ca²⁺, wasapproximately 7 electron equivalents per 200 Chl. From theseresults, it is likely that the bulky, ‘general’reductants reduce the functional Mn directly by solubilizingMn from the complex in the same way as do the water analogs.The effectiveness of these reductants in the photoactivationof the apo-water-oxidizing complex is also discussed. (Received September 13, 1989; Accepted March 12, 1990)     

Reductant-Sensitive Intermediates Involved in Multi-Quantum Process of Photoactivation of Latent O2-Evolving System

The inhibitory effects of some reducing agents on photoactivationof the latent O₂-evolving system were analyzed by investigatingtheir effects on the multi-quantum process involved in photoactivation,using intact chloroplasts prepared from intermittently flashedwheat leaves. Reducing agents accelerated the decay of boththe 1st and 2nd intermediates by factors of 2 to 3, respectively,but did not affect the rate of conversion from the 1st intermediateto the 2nd intermediate. Based on these results, the role ofthe light reaction in the photoactivation process was discussedin relation to the mechanism of Mn ligation in the O₂-evolvingsystem. (Received February 12, 1987; Accepted August 3, 1987)     

Palisade Tissue Chloroplasts and Spongy Tissue Chloroplasts in Spinach: Biochemical and Ultrastructural Differences

Palisade tissue chloroplasts (P-Chlts) and spongy tissue chloroplasts(S-Chlts) were separately isolated from spinach leaves, andtheir photosynthetic properties were compared. The followingresults were obtained: (1) At saturating light, the activities of overall electrontransport and CO₂ fixation in P-Chlts were respectively 1.6–2.0and 2.5–3.0 times higher than those in S-Chlts on a Chlbasis. (2) The contents of PS I and PS II reaction centers (P700 and47 kDa polypeptide, respectively) were slightly higher in P-Chltsthan in S-Chlts, while the contents of plastoquinone, Cyt f,plastocyanin, ferredoxin, ferredoxin-NADP⁺ reductase, couplingfactor and ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase were 1.6–2.2times higher in P-Chlts than in S-Chlts on a Chl basis. (3) Electron microscopic examination of chloroplast ultrastructureshowed that S-Chlts have highly stacked grana accompanied byhigher proportion of appressed thylakoids relative to non-appressedthylakoids, while P-Chlts have poorly stacked grana. The volumeratio of thylakoids to stroma was higher in S-Chlts than inP-Chlts. These results indicate that mesophyll chloroplasts adapt tothe light environment within a leaf in a similar way that thesun and shade plant chloroplasts adapt to the light environmentwithin a canopy. (Received July 19, 1984; Accepted October 13, 1984)     

Solution structure of a tmRNA-binding protein,SmpB, from Thermus thermophilus

The molecular mechanisms that govern cell movement are the subject of intense study, as they impact biologically and medically important processes such as leukocyte chemotaxis and angiogenesis, among others. We demonstrate that leukocyte chemotaxis is prevented by the macrolide immunosuppressant rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/ribosomal p70-S6 kinase (p70S6K) pathway. Both neutrophil chemotaxis and chemokinesis elicited by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were strongly inhibited by rapamycin with an IC₅₀ of 0.3 nM. Inhibition, although at a higher dose, was also observed when the chemoattractant was interleukin-8. As for the mechanism, rapamycin targeted the increase of phosphorylation of p70S6K due to GM-CSF treatment, as demonstrated with specific anti-p70S6K immunoprecipitation and subsequent immunoblotting with anti-T⁴²¹/S⁴²⁴ antibodies. Rapamycin also inhibited GM-CSF-induced actin polymerization, a hallmark of leukocyte migration. The specificity of the effect of rapamycin was confirmed by the use of the structural analog FK506, which did not have a significant effect on chemotaxis but effectively rescued rapamycin-induced p70S6K inhibition. This was expected from a competitive effect of both molecules on FK506-binding proteins (FKBP). Additionally, GM-CSF-induced chemotaxis was completely (>90%) blocked by a combination of rapamycin and the MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD-98059. In summary, the results presented here indicate for the first time that rapamycin, at sub-nanomolar concentrations, inhibits GM-CSF-induced chemotaxis and chemokinesis. This serves to underscore the relevance of the mTOR/S6K pathway in neutrophil migration.     

Partial Characterization of the Iodination Site in D1 Protein of Manganese-Retaining and Manganese-Depleted Photosystem II Membranes

In manganese-retaining PS II membranes, photooxidized iodide-125labels a site close to the Cl^–- and/or manganese (in S₂state)-binding sites in D1 protein, whereas in manganese-depletedPS II membranes it labels a site close to the Z^$-binding sitein D1 protein (Ikeuchi et al.(1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 932:160–169). Amino acid analysis revealed that monoiodotyrosineis the sole amino acid iodinated, and peptide mapping analysisshowed that the iodination site is located between proline-141and methionine-172 of D1 in both samples. These results implythat the tyrosine residue at 147 and/or 161 of D1 is the targetof iodination irrespective of the presence or absence of manganese.Although both of the two tyrosine residues stay in membrane-spanning-helix based on proposed D1 structure, only the tyrosine-161residue is close to the lumen surface and seems to be the mostlikely candidate for iodination site. It could be also assumedin turn that Cl^–-, manganese- and Z^$-binding sites areclose to this tyrosine-161 residue in D1 protein. (Received February 5, 1988; Accepted March 26, 1988)     

In vivo chlorophyll forms in higher plants and algae sensitive to treatment with lutein

Lamella preparations of spinach, Chlorella, Phaeodactylum, Anabatnaand Porphyra were treated with a hydrophobic reagent, lutein,and the absorption and fluorescence spectra in the red regionbefore and after treatment were compared for changes causedby the treatment. Absorption spectra of all these preparationsunderwent the same spectral change, transformation of a bandat 684 nm into a band at 666 nm. The longer the maximum wavelengthof the red peak, the greater was the fractional absorbance decreaseat 684 nm. The content of C684 (the chlorophyll form responsiblefor the 684 nm band) in the lamellae was estimated from thefractional decreases as being progressively higher in the orderof Phaeodactylum, Porphyra, Anabatna, Chlorella and spinach.The fluorescence spectra at liquid nitrogen temperature beforetreatment showed two bands. The longer wavelength band was transformedby the treatment into a shorter wavelength band(s), as describedbelow, according to the maximum wavelengths: spinach, F735F695(or F686); Chlorella, F715F700 (or F686); Phaeodactylum, anunidentified componentF690; Anabaena, F732F685 (or F695); Porphyra,F726F683. These chlorophyll forms with fluorescence maxima between715 and 735 nm were, therefore, designated C684 based on absorptionspectrophotometry, and are considered to play a role in photosystemII. (Received August 15, 1972; )     

Nucleotide sequence of the psaD gene from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Synechococcus vulcanus

The nucleotide sequence was determined for the psaD gene of a thermophilic cyanobacterium, Synechococcus vulcanus, which encoded the PsaD subunit (Subunit II) of the Photosystem I reaction center complex. Except for some differences in the peripherals, the nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding PsaD was identical to that of another thermophilic cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus reported previously. Relationship between these primary structures and thermostability was also discussed.Abbreviations ORF open reading frame - PS I Photosystem I - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis This paper is dedicated to commemorate the late Professor D.I. Arnon with whom the senior author (T.H.) spent five years from 1974 to 1979 as his last postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Cell Physiology, University of California, Berkeley.The sequence data presented here have been submitted to DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession number D17355.     

An FTIR study on the structure of the oxygen-evolving Mn-cluster of Photosystem II in different spin forms of the S2 state

The S₂ state of the oxygen-evolving Mn-cluster of Photosystem II (PS II) is known to have different forms that exhibit the g =2 multiline and g = 4.1 EPR signals. These two spin forms are interconvertible at > 200 K and the relative amplitudes of the two signals are dependent on the species of cryoprotectant and alcohol contained in the medium. Also, it was recently found that the mutiline form can be converted to the g = 4.1 form by absorption of near-infrared light by the Mn-cluster itself at around 150 K [Boussac et al. (1996) Biochemistry 35: 6984–6989]. We have used light-induced Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectroscopy to study the structural difference in these two S₂ forms. FTIR difference spectra for S₂/S₁ as well as for S₂Q_A ^-/S₁Q_A measured at cryogenic temperatures using PS II membranes in the presence of various cryoprotectants, and monohydric alcohols did not show any specific differences except for intensities of amide I bands, which were larger when ethylene glycol or glycerol was present in addition to sucrose. This result was interpreted due to more flexible movement of the protein backbones upon S₂ formation with a higher cryoprotectant content. Light-induced difference spectra measured at 150 K using either blue light without near-infrared light or red plus near-infrared light also did not show any detectable difference. In addition, a different spectrum upon near-infrared illumination at 150 K of the PS II sample in which the S₂ state had been photogenerated at 200 K exhibited no meaningful signals. These results indicate that the two S₂ forms that give rise to the multiline and g = 4.1 signals have only minor differences, if any, in the structures of amino-acid ligands and polypeptide backbones. This conclusion suggests that conversion between the two spin states is caused by a spin-state transition in the Mn(III) ion rather than valence swapping within the Mn-cluster that would considerably affect the vibrations of ligands.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.