An ethanolamine-phosphate modified glycolipid in Clostridium acetobutylicum that responds to membrane stress

Two phosphorus-containing glycolipids have previously been observed in Clostridium acetobutylicum. We had shown that the concentration of one of them increases in response to increased unsaturation of the membrane lipid hydrocarbon chains, suggesting a potential role in the regulation of lipid polymorphism in this organism. Mass spectrometry shows that these glycolipids are ethanolamine phosphate (Etn-P)-containing derivatives of a mono- and di-glycosyldiradylglycerol. The content of both diglycosyldiradylglycerol and the Etn-P-monoglycosyldiradylglycerol, which increases upon increased unsaturation of the membrane, also increases upon addition of octanol to the medium. Thus, it appears that the Etn-P-monoglycosyldiradylglycerol along with the diglycosyldiradylglycerol may serve to stabilize the membrane bilayer during membrane stress caused by the presence of the solvents produced during fermentation.     

Membrane curvature stress controls the maximal conversion of violaxanthin to zeaxanthin in the violaxanthin cycle—influence of α-tocopherol, cetylethers, linolenic acid, and temperature

Zeaxanthin, an important component in protection against overexcitation in higher plants, is formed from violaxanthin by the enzyme violaxanthin de-epoxidase. We have investigated factors that may control the maximal degree of conversion in the violaxanthin cycle. The conversion of violaxanthin to zeaxanthin in isolated spinach thylakoids was followed at different temperatures and in the presence of lipid packing modifiers. The maximum degree of conversion was found to be 35%, 70% and 80% at 4 °C, 25 °C and 37 °C respectively. In the presence of membrane modifying agents, known to promote non-lamellar structures (H_II), such as linolenic acid the conversion increased, and the maximal level of violaxanthin de-epoxidation obtained was close to 100%. In contrast, substances promoting lamellar phases (L_α), such as α-tocopherol and 8-cetylether (C₁₆EO₈), only 55% and 35% of the violaxanthin was converted at 25 °C, respectively. The results are interpreted in light of the lipid composition of the thylakoid membrane, and we propose a model where a negative curvature elastic stress in the thylakoid lipid bilayer is required for violaxanthin de-epoxidase activity. In this model zeaxanthin with its longer hydrophobic stretch is proposed to promote lamellar arrangements of the membrane. As a result, zeaxanthin relieves the curvature elastic stress, which in turn leads to inactivation of violaxanthin de-epoxidase.     

The extraction and analysis of wheat phospholipids

The extraction of total phospholipids from wheat grain tissues requires more vigorous conditions than for vegetative plant tissues. Water saturated nBuOH was the most efficient extracting solvent for wheat grain and extraction with iso-PrOH and CHCl₃ was greatly inferior. The use of water saturated n-BuOH, however, gave rise to artifacts due to phospholipase D and transphosphatidylase activities during extraction. These artifacts could be avoided by denaturing the tissue by heat before extraction. Evidence was obtained that water saturated n-BuOH extraction can, even then, give rise to small quantities of lysophospholipid artifacts by non-enzymic hydrolysis.     

陆地棉MGDG基因家族低磷胁迫下的表达分析

单半乳糖甘油二酯(monogalactosyl diacylglycerol, MGDG)是植物光合膜的重要组成成分,在植物抵御不利环境过程中具有调控作用。研究利用生物信息学方法对陆地棉MGDG基因家族(GhMGDs)进行了全基因组鉴定,并验证其在低磷胁迫下的表达规律,为明确MGDG基因在陆地棉低磷胁迫中的作用奠定基础。结果表明:(1)该基因家族在陆地棉中有17个成员,氨基酸残基在435~888 aa之间,理论等电点在6.00~9.67,均含有6~8个内含子。(2)系统进化分析表明,该基因家族可分为A型和B型MGDG合成酶,各亚族内各成员基因结构和保守基序的数量和分布基本一致。(3)17个MGDG基因在7条染色体上呈现不均匀分布,二级结构均显示该家族主要由α-螺旋和无规则卷曲所组成。(4)qRT-PCR分析结果显示,MGDG基因在陆地棉4个不同组织中表达量有差异,其中GhMGD2、GhMGD12和GhMGD16在根的表达量最高,GhMGD7、GhMGD9和GhMGD10在叶的表达量较高。陆地棉MGDG家族GhMGD2、GhMGD7、GhMGD9、GhMGD10、GhMGD12和GhMGD16 6个候选基因均受低磷胁迫的诱导表达,GhMGD2基因在低磷处理72 h表达量是适磷处理的72倍。     

Isolation and characterization of amyloplast envelope membranes from Solanum tuberosum

Amyloplasts were separated from other subcellular organelles by sedimentation through a discontinuous sucrose density gradient. Purified amyloplast envelope membranes were similar in most characteristics to those from other types of plastids. A substantial proportion of the carotenoid content of these membranes was present in the esterified form. In contrast to published work on chloroplasts of photosynthetic tissue, our results showed that the acylase (acyl-CoA:sn-glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase) is firmly bound to the envelope membranes. Evidence was obtained to indicate that digalactosyldiacylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and sulpholipid, but not monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, are exclusively found in the cell as amyloplast lipids.