Lipids and sterols of Pinus sylvestris L. sapwood and heartwood

Summary The lipid and sterol content and composition of three lipid fractions (free fatty acids/ sterols, triacylglycerols and sterol/triterpenoid esters) extracted from three stem discs of Pinus sylvestris were assessed to investigate metabolic changes related to heartwood formation. The wood was separated into (1) cambial zone, (2) outer sapwood, (3) inner sapwood, (4) transition zone, (5) outer heartwood and 6) inner heart-wood. The fractions were separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and analysed by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC). The amount of fatty acids of sapwood triacylglycerols was about 1.5% (dry wt.) but a large reduction occurred in the transition zone. In contrast, noticeable amounts of free fatty acids were present only in the heart-wood. The most important fatty acids in the sapwood fractions were 16:0, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2 (the dominant fatty acid in all fractions), 18:3 and 20:3. Together 18:1 and 18:2 formed about 70% of the total triacylglycerol fatty acids. Of the sterol/ triterpenoid esters, 18:2 and 18:3 were predominant. The fatty acid composition of all fractions changed in the transition zone. The sterols found were sitosterol, stigmastanol, campesterol and campestanol. The amount of sterol esters increased towards the heartwood, and the amount of free sterols was lowest in the inner sapwood. Sitosterol was the dominant sterol in both free sterols and sterol esters.     

Docosahexaenoate-containing phospholipids in sarcoplasmic reticulum and retinal photoreceptors. A proposal for a role in Ca2+-ATPase calcium transport

A critical review of the experimental literature concerning the metabolism of all-cis-4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19-docosahexaenoate-containing phospholipids in muscle and retina suggests that it plays an essential role in maximizing the Ca²⁺/ATP stoichiometry of the Ca²⁺-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum and retinal photoreceptor disks. Docosahexaenoate-phosphatidylcholine is proposed to participate in oligomerization of Ca²⁺-ATPase necessary for the establishment of a high Ca²⁺/ATP coupling ratio of the Ca²⁺ pump in these tissues. Possible tests of this hypothesis are presented.     

Chemical analysis of Azospirillum lipopolysaccharides

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were extracted by hot phenol-water from five strains each of Azospirillum lipoferum and Azospirillum brasilense. Rhamnose, glucose, glucosamine and 3-deoxy-d-mannooctulosonic acid were comon sugar constituents of all LPS preparations. 2-O-Mefucose, 3-O-Me-fucose, 3-O-Me-rhamnose and 2-O-Megalactose were found in LPSs of some A. brasilense strains. Fatty acid spectra from all LPSs studied were almost identical with predominance of 3-hydroxymyristic and 3-hydroxypalmitic acids. 3-Hydroxypalmitic acid was the only amide-linked fatty acid. Lipopolysaccharides isolated from A. brasilense showed higher heterogeneity in sugar composition than those from A. lipoferum.Abbreviations glc gas liquid chromatography - ms mass spectrometry - LPS lipopolysaccharide - dOclA 3-deoxy-d-mannooctulosonic acid - 3-OH-16:0 3-hydroxypalmitic acid - nir^- nitrite reductase negative - nir⁺ nitrite reductase positive     

Environmental control of protein export of Bacillus licheniformis NCIB 6346 reveals two types of extracellular proteins

Teichuronic acid was the major anionic polymer of Bacillus licheniformis NCIB 6346 durign phosphate-limited (P-limited) growth in the chemostat. This polymer was also present in significant quantities when B. licheniformis was grown under carbon-limited (C-limited) or magnesium-limited (Mg-limited) conditions where teichoic acid predominated in the cell wall. However, the cell wall composition was not of significance in protein export and the parameters for the excretion process were found to be environmental. In particular, two types of extracellular proteins were identified: the first type of enzyme, penicillinase, was only weakly catabolite repressed; was maximally synthesized and secreted during P-limited growth; was unaffected by growth in high Na⁺ media but its production was inhibited by gramicidin. The second type of enzyme, -amylase, was strongly catabolite repressed and its export was markedly inhibited during P-limited growth or in the presence of Na⁺ or gramicidin. It is noteworthy that the penicillinase carries a glyceride-cysteine modification at its N-terminus whilst the -amylase does not.     

Osmoregulation in Escherichia coli by accumulation of organic osmolytes: betaines,glutamic acid,and trehalose

Like other cyanobacteria, Chlorogloeopsis fritschii contained as major lipid classes monogalactosyldiacyl-glycerols, digalactosyldiacylglycerols, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols and diacylglycerophosphoglycerols. In addition to these lipid classes this cyanobacterium also contained small amounts of diacylglycerophosphocholines and sterols, predominantly lanosterol, thus showing similarity to photosynthetic eukaryotes. Dark incubated cells contained larger proportions of the latter two lipid classes than light grown cells. Like other prokaryotes, C. fritschii lacked linolenic acid (18:3) in its lipids. Lipids from the thylakoids were richer in palmitoleic acid (16:1) than those of whole cells. There was no effect of light on the patterns of constituent fatty acids of lipids from C. fritschii, in contrast to photosynthetic eukaryotes.Abbreviations MGDG Monogalactosyldiacylglycerols - PA Phosphatidic acids - PE Diacylglycerophosphoethanolamines - PG Diacylglycerophosphoethanolamines - DGDG Digalactosyldiacylglycerols - SQDG Sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols - PC Diacylglycerophosphocholines     

Dietary fat influences electric membrane properties of neurons in cell culture

1. SJL/J mice were maintained on semipurified diets which differed in the ratio of polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid content (P/S). Exposure was from conception and was maintained for periods ranging from 6 to 34 weeks. 2. Neural cell cultures were prepared from dorsal root ganglia (DRG). After 6 and 20 days of culture, neuronal electric membrane properties were determined quantitatively by intracellular recording. 3. A number of significant differences were observed for the two dietary conditions. DRG from mice on the low-P/s diet had an increase in the rate of fall of both phases of repolarization which, in conjunction with the reduced action potential overshoot, led to a reduced action potential duration. This shift to shorter-duration action potentials was accompanied by a shift to more monophasic falling phases. The low-P/S neurons also exhibited a decreased afterhyperpolarization, decreased specific membrane resistance, and decreased membrane electrical time constant compared to high-P/S neurons. 4. It was concluded that the P/S ratio in the diet can have a significant effect on the electric properties of neurons. The high-P/S neurons tended to have action potentials with biphasic repolarizations and longer durations. In contrast, the low-P/S neurons tended to have action potentials with monophasic repolarizations and shorter durations. Moreover, the known ionic dependence of these two types of action potentials suggested that the low-P/S diet resulted in action potentials with a more exclusive Na dependence, while the high-P/S diet resulted in action potentials with both Na and Ca dependence.     

Variables of myocardial backdiffusion,determined with 17-IODO-131 heptadecanoic acid in the normal dog heart

Summary Under normal and ischemic conditions backdiffusion of radiolabeled non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) has been demonstrated. In the fasted normal canine heart the extraction fraction (EF) during interventions with glucose or lactate loading, vasodilation, and metabolic level augmentation was determined, and compared with the control EF. Backdiffusion alterations were deduced from the EF changes. After iv injection of 17-iodo-131 heptadecanoic acid (IHDA), 11 blood samples were drawn from aorta and coronary sinus in a time period of 60 minutes. In the control and vasodilation group the EF slowly decreased from 40 to 10%. In contrast, the EF in the noradrenaline group was constant. During glucose and lactate infusion the EF became negative within 10 min and remained negative. These results suggest that during physiological circumstances backdiffusion is determined by the metabolic level of the heart and its substrate availability.     

Incorporation of tellurium into amino acids and proteins in a tellurium-tolerant fungi

Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus, and Penicillium chrysogenum, a tellurium tolerant fungi, are able to grow on sulfur free medium amended with 0.2% (w/v) tellurite. Tellurium was incorporated into several types of low and high molecular weight proteins. The newly detected telluro-proteins contained an extraordinary high level of tellurium, as well as telluro-cysteine, telluro-cystine, telluro-methionine, and serine.     

Growth and shoot formation in protoplast-derived calli of Brassica oleracea ssp. acephala and ssp. capitata

The effect of media components and environmental factors on growth and organogenesis of protoplast-derived calli of curly kale and cabbage were tested. Optimal growth (fresh weight increase of calli, shoots and roots) was found at 60 mM sucrose. Lower sucrose concentrations (3–30 mM) were favourable for shoot formation. Nitrate concentrations from 23 to 100 mM in combination with 8 or 21 mM ammonium were optimal for shoot formation. However, growth was reduced by high (100 mM) nitrate concentration. The effects of various organic nitrogen compounds at 0.5 and 2 mM were tested. Glutamine did not influence shoot formation and barely growth. Proline at 0.5 mM stimulated growth of cabbage calli but decreased growth of curly kale calli, and at 2 mM, proline also inhibited shoot production. Adenine sulphate decreased growth of cabbage calli at 0.5 mM, and at 2 mM shoot production was also reduced. Spermidine and spermine inhibited both growth and differentiation. Putrescine resulted in about 50% higher fresh weights, and also increased the number of calli producing shoots by about 35%. More calli produced shoots in white light than in blue or red light or in darkness. The length of the photoperiod or intensity of light was not critical for shoot production.     

Effects of nucleotides and divalent cations on phospholipase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Divalent cations activate the lysophospholipase and transacylase reactions catalyzed by the same enzymes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The activation was observed at neutral pH, but not at the pH optimum of lysophospholipase/transacylase, near 3.5. Adenine nucleotides, especially AMP and ADP, are strong inhibitors of the same group of enzymes. Half maximal inhibition by AMP was found at a concentration of about 20 M. The inhibition by nucleotides in low concentrations is enhanced by divalent cations.