An alternative theoretical formula for hemoglobin oxygenation

Classical models of homotropic allostery are based on the postulate that the binding sites are equivalent in their ability to interconvert between high and low affinity states, but compelling evidence exists that the subunits of human hemoglobin are not simultaneously available for oxygen equilibration, thus reducing the number of possible intermediate microstates. The incorporation of these results into the Adair scheme reveals an alternative mechanism for hemoglobin oxygenation, not based on affinity changes.     

Celebrating 20 years of historical papers in Photosynthesis Research

This Editorial has four goals: (1) to inform the readers of ‘Photosynthesis Research‘ about the past of the ‘Historical corner’; which began 20 years ago; (2) to encourage photosynthesis researchers and historians of science to contact me for publishing papers of historical interest; these include: (a) Obituaries and Tributes; (b) historical papers on current and past discoveries and controversies; (c) history of research in specific laboratories, or in specific countries, or at specific conferences; (d) Personal perspectives (not discussed any further); (3) to encourage researchers not to discard, but to save correspondence and data of their discoveries for the future historians by donating them to their Archives, when appropriate (not discussed any further); and (4) to reinforce to the readers that the concept of two-light reaction and two-pigment system was already there in 1959. I mention here three key papers presented at the IX^th International Botanical Congress, held at Montreal Canada (in August, 1959) prior to the famous April 9, 1960 paper by Robert Hill and Fay Bendall on the ‘Z-scheme’ of photosynthesis, that was based on thermodynamic and energetic considerations. ^★ This Historical corner Editorial is dedicated to Bessel Kok (1918–1978).     

四川瓦屋山金色林鸲的繁殖生态及孵卵节律

20 0 3年 4～ 7月 ,在四川省瓦屋山自然保护区对金色林鸲 (Tarsigerchrysaeus)的繁殖生态和孵卵节律进行了较为深入的研究。金色林鸲营巢期从 4月下旬～ 6月中旬 ,孵卵期一般为 1 6～ 1 7d,育雏期为1 6d。窝卵数一般为 3～ 4枚 ,平均为 (3 . 75± 0. 45 )枚 (n =1 2 ) ,孵化率为 60 0 % ,育雏成功率为 85 2 %。仅雌鸟孵卵 ,根据对 3巢的监测 ,发现雌鸟早晨 6:0 0时左右首次离巢 ,晚上 2 0 :0 0时左右回到巢中 ,每天出巢次数 1 8～ 1 9次。孵卵雌鸟每次出巢时间一般少于 2 0min ,异常离巢时最长达到 65 6min。雌鸟出巢时间的长度和环境温度呈明显的正相关 (Spearman,r=0 . 1 1 8,P =0 . 0 0 7,n =5 3 1 )。金色林鸲雄鸟存在羽毛延迟成熟现象 ,亚成体雄鸟可以繁殖。     

Kinetic characteristics of L-lysine α- oxidase from Trichoderma cf. aureoviride Rifai VKM F-4268D: Substrate specificity and allosteric effects

The present work aims to investigate the kinetic characteristics of homodimer enzyme L-lysine α-oxidase from Trichoderma cf. aureoviride Rifai VKM F-4268D, taking into account allosteric effects. The enzyme was first shown to reveal positive cooperativeness, h=2.05±0.15. Using additional opportunities of Hill coefficient the value of the Michaelis–Menten constant has been estimated, K_m=1.015?10^?5М, indicating high strength of substrate binding to the active site of each subunit. High selectivity and absolute L-stereospecificity of the enzyme were shown. The inhibition of L-lysine conversion by non-cleavable lysine analogs as well as the reaction product was found out to take place. These effects have been evaluated only as the inhibition coefficients (%). A more detailed study of these inhibition effects was complicated because of the cooperativeness of enzyme subunits mentioned above. The kinetic scheme of L-lysine α-oxidase was proposed involving parallel-subsequent action of each of two subunits in the catalytic act.We think that the results obtained will be useful for studying the kinetic properties of other multi-subunit enzymes and improve understanding of the mechanisms of their action.     

High irradiance and water stress induce alterations in pigment composition and chloroplast activities of primary wheat leaves

Remarkable changes were observed in chlorophyll (Chl) (a+b), carotenoids (Car), and protein content of leaves and fluorescence emission, polarisation, excitation energy transfer, lipid peroxidation and DCPIP photoreduction activity in isolated chloroplasts of wheat leaves grown under moderate irradiance (MI, 15 W m⁻², control) and subsequently exposed to high irradiance stress (HIS, 250 W m⁻²), water stress (WS, 5 % aqueous polyethylene glycol-4000 solution) and HIS+WS simultaneously, during mature and senescence phase. In the stress exposed samples the Chl, Car and protein contents and kinetics of Hill activity significantly declined. Decrease in excitation energy transfer and increase in membrane polarisation and accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) in chloroplasts were also observed. The effect was more pronounced when the seedlings were treated with HIS+WS simultaneously. These observations suggest additive and a possible synergetic action of HIS and WS causing faster loss of pigments and protein content, intense changes in membrane properties including photochemical function, compared to samples exposed to either of the stresses individually.     

巢中的位置对鸲岩鹨亲鸟递食率的影响

2 0 0 2年 4～ 8月在中国科学院海北高寒草甸生态系统定位站研究了鸲岩鹨 (Prunellarubeculoides)亲鸟的递食率与巢中位置的关系。结果表明 :亲鸟的总递食率对巢中的每个具体位置有显著变化(Kruskas WallisH =1 4 63 3 ,P <0 0 1 ,df=3 ) ;雄性和雌性对巢中的位置有不同的响应 ,雄性对巢中的每个具体位置的递食率有显著差异 (H =1 6 72 0 ,P <0 0 1 ,df=3 ) ,而雌性递食率差异不显著 (H =3 5 5 7,P>0 0 5 ,df=3 ) ;雄鸟和雌鸟间递食的方式随着日龄和日时间变化也有显著差异。结果证实巢中的位置能够影响鸲岩鹨亲代资源的分配 ,同时也证实了鸲岩鹨双亲对巢中的位置有不同的响应。     

Reactivation by chloride of hill activity in heat- and tris-treated thylakoid membranes from Beta vulgaris

Hill activity (photoreduction of 2,6,dichlorophenol indophenol) of heat inactivated (40°C, 3 min) and Tris-washed (0.8M, pH 8.3) thylakoids of Beta vulgaris (beet-spinach) was partially restored if they were incubated with 150 mM MgCl₂ prior to the assay. Mg(NO₃)₂ or MgSO₄ were unable to restore this activity. The extent of this reactivation was dependent upon the degree of inactivation by heating and upon the composition of the isolation and the resuspension buffer used during the heat treatment. Washing of heat-treated thylakoids with phosphate-EDTA buffer prior to incubation with MgCl₂ did not affect the extent of this reactivation. Chloride ions seem to be required for the reactivation of Hill activity damaged either by heat or by Tris.Most commonly used chloroplast isolation and resuspension media, except for Tris-HCl as resuspension medium, were suitable for restoration of Hill activity in heat-damaged thylakoids by preincubation with 150 mM MgCl₂ prior to the assay. Pretreatment with MgCl₂ stimulated Hill activity in Tris-treated and heat-damage thylakoids if phosphate buffer was used for their resuspension. However, the same pretreatment inhibited Hill activity in unheated thylakoids isolated in Tris medium and resuspended in the same medium. On the other hand, MgCl₂ pretreatment induced restoration of the Hill activity of the heated thylakoids when Tricine or Hepes was used as the resuspension medium. It appears that the presence of Tris somehow hampers the Cl^– induced reactivation. The stimulation of Hill activity by MgCl₂ treatment in unheated (control) thylakoids is possibly induced by Mg²⁺ ions and not by Cl^– ions.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - DCMU 3(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1. 1-dimethyl-urea - DCPIP 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol - Hepes N-2 hydroxyethyl piperazine-N, 2 ethano-sulfonic acid - HT heat-treated - PS II photosystem II - Tricine N-tri (hydroxymethyl) methyl glycine - Tris Tris-(hydroxymethyl) amino-methane     

The effects of forest conversion to oil palm on ground‐foraging ant communities depend on beta diversity and sampling grain

Beta diversity – the variation in species composition among spatially discrete communities – and sampling grain – the size of samples being compared – may alter our perspectives of diversity within and between landscapes before and after agricultural conversion. Such assumptions are usually based on point comparisons, which do not accurately capture actual differences in total diversity. Beta diversity is often not rigorously examined. We investigated the beta diversity of ground‐foraging ant communities in fragmented oil palm and forest landscapes in Sabah, Malaysia, using diversity metrics transformed from Hill number equivalents to remove dependences on alpha diversity. We compared the beta diversities of oil palm and forest, across three hierarchically nested sampling grains. We found that oil palm and forest communities had a greater percentage of total shared species when larger samples were compared. Across all grains and disregarding relative abundances, there was higher beta diversity of all species among forest communities. However, there were higher beta diversities of common and very abundant (dominant) species in oil palm as compared to forests. Differences in beta diversities between oil palm and forest were greatest at the largest sampling grain. Larger sampling grains in oil palm may generate bigger species pools, increasing the probability of shared species with forest samples. Greater beta diversity of all species in forest may be attributed to rare species. Oil palm communities may be more heterogeneous in common and dominant species because of variable community assembly events. Rare and also common species are better captured at larger grains, boosting differences in beta diversity between larger samples of forest and oil palm communities. Although agricultural landscapes support a lower total diversity than natural forests, diversity especially of abundant species is still important for maintaining ecosystem stability. Diversity in agricultural landscapes may be greater than expected when beta diversity is accounted for at large spatial scales.     

Cleavage after residue Ala352 in the C-terminal extension is an early step in the maturation of the D1 subunit of Photosystem II in Synechocystis PCC 6803

We have investigated the pathway by which the 16 amino-acid C-terminal extension of the D1 subunit of photosystem two is removed in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to leave Ala344 as the C-terminal residue. Previous work has suggested a two-step process involving formation of a processing intermediate of D1, termed iD1, of uncertain origin. Here we show by mass spectrometry that a synthetic peptide mimicking the C- terminus of the D1 precursor is cleaved by cellular extracts or purified CtpA processing protease after residue Ala352, making this a likely site for formation of iD1. Characteristics of D1 site-directed mutants with either the Leu353 residue replaced by Pro or with a truncation after Ala352 are in agreement with this assignment. Interestingly, analysis of various CtpA and CtpB null mutants further indicate that the CtpA protease plays a crucial role in forming iD1 but that, surprisingly, low levels of C-terminal processing occur in vivo in the absence of CtpA and CtpB, possibly catalysed by other related proteases. A possible role for two-step maturation of D1 in the assembly of PSII is discussed.     

Negative cooperativity may explain flat concentration-response curves of ATP-sensitive potassium channels

Blockage of ATP-sensitive K⁺ channels by various drugs has been reported to exhibit a weak concentration dependence with Hill coefficients below unity. This phenomenon is interpreted by a negative cooperativity between K⁺ channels whereby drug binding to one channel lowers the drug affinities of neighbouring channels. Results are presented for a dimeric and a tetrameric channel model and compared with published experimental data. Correspondence to: S. Hehl